Chapter 63: Whispers of the Love God (Part 3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 63: Whispers of the Love God (Part 3)
"So this is Master's love, isn't it?"
Eluka’s head lay soaked in a pool of blood. As if she had attained some ultimate truth, her features relaxed into an expression of pure, radiant joy.
"As expected of Master. Even though I’ve worked so hard, Master is always one step ahead of me when it comes to the understanding of love."
"What... what is this..."
An backed into the corner, unable to hide the terror rising in her heart.
In this world, could someone truly remain alive with nothing left but a head?
"Ah, this?"
As if sensing the horror and confusion in An’s eyes, Eluka’s head began to roll. It rolled and rolled until it reached An’s feet. Then, squinting her eyes, she stared up at An and giggled.
"Master doesn't need to be afraid. This is the power of love! With love, anything is possible!"
"Anything is possible... That’s just the power of an Evil God."
An forced herself to stay calm, gritting her teeth. "Are you really content to let yourself become this way, Eluka?"
"Content? Why wouldn't I be? I’m wonderful like this, aren't I? I’ve never felt better!
"Alright then. Since Master has worked so hard to show me the true meaning of love, I can't let your efforts go to waste."
Eluka’s mouth suddenly split into a wide, hideous grin, her eyes shimmering with an eerie, supernatural light.
"Master, you should feel my love too!!"
Squelch.
Squelch.
The moment Eluka finished speaking, her severed limbs began to writhe and grow at a pace visible to the naked eye.
However, those limbs did not seek their original positions, nor did the severed wounds align.
Instead, malformed, twisted appendages erupted from the bleeding stumps. Flesh and bone fused together in a frantic rebirth, stitching the old limbs and body fragments into a "monster" that was no longer remotely human.
The "monster" picked up Eluka’s head, but it didn't place it back atop a neck.
Instead, it shoved that beautiful head into the bloated mass of what could no longer be called a young girl’s body.
The flesh rippled, swallowing the head whole. Below where Eluka’s head had been, two other faces gradually emerged.
They were the faces of her parents.
Three faces were now embedded in the monster’s torso, radiating an indescribable, sickening chill.
Truly, the whole family should be together.
"Ah, I can feel it... a love like never before!"
Eluka’s face flushed with a distorted, feverish red. The nauseating monster extended a malformed limb tipped with over a dozen fingers and lunged at An.
"I love you, Master!"
"Don't touch me!"
An barked a low command.
A massive metal scythe condensed in her hand, instantly severing the reaching, deformed limb.
Simultaneously, a metal cylinder slammed into the monster’s body. Under An’s control, it instantly transformed into countless needle-thin spikes, piercing through the flesh from the inside out.
In an instant, the monster looked like a cactus overgrown in a cramped pot.
Yet, even after being skewered through and through, the monster’s vitality showed no sign of waning. Eluka’s eyes, though pierced by metal spikes, continued to roll around restlessly.
"Ah... it’s not enough..."
"This little bit of love isn't enough..."
"I want more, more, more..."
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
Suddenly, a heavy pounding echoed from the windows.
It was incredibly forceful.
Crash!
With a sharp explosion of sound, the window shattered.
Figures dressed in ordinary villager clothing began to pour through the window one after another.
Through the gaps between the figures, An could clearly see the quiet fishing village outside. One by one, the tightly shut doors were swinging open. Figures stumbled out like the walking dead, swaying as they approached.
Their faces were pale, their expressions either numb or twisted in painful weeping—yet every single one of them wore a blissful smile on their lips.
"I love you..."
They smiled as they spoke.
And then—
Like beached fish seeking the sea, they struggled and writhed, squeezing through the window and throwing themselves eagerly into the monster’s expanding mass of flesh.
Old limbs and new limbs twisted together, forming an indescribable entity.
"Woof."
An heard a familiar bark.
Turning around, she saw the naked man crawling in from outside the room, inching toward the monster.
"No."
An instinctively reached out, wanting to stop the man.
But the man suddenly twisted away, dodging her, and looked back.
"Grrr..."
He bared his teeth.
Like a real dog, he was snarling to ward off a stranger’s approach.
Then, taking advantage of the moment An was startled back, he lunged forward on all fours and dove into the monster’s body.
"Ah, darling, you’re here."
Eluka cried out in delight:
"Let us... become one."
"How... how can this be..."
An realized with a start that there was nothing she could do.
She couldn't kill Eluka, and she couldn't stop what was happening.
She could only watch as the monster in the room grew, gorging on flesh and blood, gradually expanding.
Soon, it filled the entire room.
Just like Eluka’s never-ending, all-consuming—
Love.
*
"Ah, these mountains."
"Ah, this water."
"Ah, this warm, early autumn sun."
"Ah, and this scent of freedom."
"This is damn great."
Under a brilliant blue sky, beside a crystal-clear river, Muen sat on a flat boulder. Holding a self-made fishing rod, he leisurely enjoyed this rare moment of peace.
"No yandere maids hunting me down, no disgusting perverted creeps, and no need to worry about being poisoned, ambushed, or imprisoned. Life is so beautiful. I really wish it could stay like this forever."
"Maybe I should just retire and live as a hermit in the mountains."
Muen took a bite of a wild fruit he’d plucked from a tree. The sweet, crisp flavor flooded his tongue, making him feel so happy he could almost cry.
"Ah, a bite."
The simple rod in his hand suddenly grew heavy.
Tossing the fruit aside, Muen focused his breathing and began a battle of life, death, and dignity with the fish in the river.
The fish was soon hauled up.
"If only I had a camera. I’d love to take a photo to commemorate this."
Looking at the large fish—at least several pounds—Muen felt a heavy sense of satisfaction.
For a fisherman, what could be more exciting than catching a fish this big?
"Let's grill it."
After a brief moment of thought, Muen decided the fish's fate.
A campfire was soon roaring, and the fish was propped up on a branch.
As he watched the flames kiss the meat, the aroma of grilled fish began to drift through the air.
The sense of happiness in Muen’s heart was so full it was practically overflowing.
All was right with the world.
Muen hummed a little tune, his lips curling into a smile.
"At this point, I don't think even a meteor strike could shake my blissful heart."
—The words had barely left his mouth.
Muen heard a massive explosion nearby.
Something suddenly came flying through the air, slamming into the small hill behind him.
Dust and smoke billowed everywhere.
"..."
Muen turned his head stiffly, his cheek twitching.
You’ve got to be kidding me, Mr. Meteor. I was just talking! You actually hit?!