Ascension (1)
“And after that, well, it's all widely known. Lyclean, who fell asleep in the underworld's lodging, woke up the next morning to find himself in the forest near his home. That's the gist of it.”
The Dragon Maiden spoke nonchalantly. They'd gone through all sorts of hardships descending to the underworld, yet emerging was like a single moment's dream. A story leading to an endlessly hollow ending. When he'd first heard it, he'd thought, What kind of conclusion is this? But what could he do? It was from Lyclean's own records.
If it had been a novel written by someone else based on Lyclean's adventures, he might have cursed the anticlimactic end. But no.
“So that conversation happened in the background of the story?”
“Yeah. On the surface world, there was a risk of other gods overhearing. In the underworld, we could pass information without them knowing. That's why we deliberately lured Lyclean there.”
The widely known part for most humans was overcoming countless trials to meet the underworld gods and staking his afterlife to retrieve his friend's soul....
“So there was that backstory to it all....”
“It was a secret to everyone but the man himself.”
The Dragon Maiden giggled.
Wait, the man himself...?
“Anyway, no need to explain what happened next. Lyclean wrote up his underworld experiences into a book, as always. It spread to others, boosting his fame even more.”
“Some even call him 'He Who Overcame Death' because of it.”
The first hero, whose name was unknown, hadn't truly conquered death itself, but Lyclean was the only one who'd gone to the underworld and returned, conquering it in that sense. Well, the first hero had the Dragon Maiden by his side. Through her, he could revive the dead, so he never really needed to overcome death.
“Later, as he continued his heroic deeds, Lyclean learned of a divine oracle summoning him—the first living human to enter the Pantheon.... Hmm. You probably know the rest.”
“Of course. The book recording his experiences there was the first work to describe the Pantheon. Though there's endless debate on whether it's truth or fiction.”
“Lyclean, who'd gone to the underworld and documented it all, wouldn't lie. It's easiest to assume nearly everything he recorded is true. The guy loved jotting things down.”
I nodded slightly at the Dragon Maiden's words. Lyclean had left behind a variety of works matching the diversity of his heroic tales. Most were records of his adventures, but many places he frequented were now called the Seven Forbidden Zones, deemed dangerous. His records grew more valuable over generations.
Even seemingly trivial notes often proved useful. For instance, freezing corpses in ice to prevent decay. After Lyclean's underworld trip, it became known that cold preserved against rot, revolutionizing distribution. Scrolls of ice magic sold like hotcakes, letting Procyon's mages rake in fortunes—there's a record of that too.
“The Pantheon events are widely known even among humans, so no need to explain, right?”
“No hidden stories there?”
“Not really? Well, if I had to pick one... the gods trying to force Lyclean into godhood after he refused, sacrificing their own followers to ascend him?”
Forcing someone into godhood...? What the hell?
“Wait, forcing godhood—what does that even mean?”
“There's a ritual for it. Mass sacrifice of lives to ascend someone to divinity.”
Sacrificing lives... ascension.... Wait, this sounds like....
“That's the Demon King's...”
“Shh.”
The Dragon Maiden gently raised her index finger to her lips.
“Don't talk about that. It makes me uncomfortable.”
“Ah, got it....”
I nodded hurriedly.
“Anyway... let's keep the rest brief. You know it well; detailing it would just be tedious.”
“True, but....”
“Ahem. So, Lyclean ascended to the Pantheon and received the gods' welcome. They tried to crown him king of the gods.”
The Dragon Maiden began recounting the tale with a calm expression.
Lyclean gazed at the multitude of gods surrounding him. Mighty deities with their own temples and legions of followers. And they were chanting his name. Not humans—gods. Chanting for him.
Who wouldn't be moved by such a sight?
“Hmmm.”
Not Lyclean.
His deep-seated aversion to gods made their chants gratingly unpleasant. But he didn't show it. To sort out these gods, he couldn't get swept up in the mood. Becoming a god himself would derail his plans.
So.
“Welcome, hero. Or should I say, candidate for the new god?”
First, deal with the god before him, wreathed in lightning.
King of Olympus. Zeus.
The god who'd blessed him. The one with rumors of being his father. And one of Baal's fragments—a clone spirit holding Baal's authority and power, the god of thunder.
Lyclean bowed slightly to Zeus.
“Thank you for the invitation.”
“No need. Your fame has spread across the world. Some even call you a demigod, heir to divine blood.”
Demigod.
At the word, a loathing buried in Lyclean's heart stirred.
If he were a god's son, did that make his parents fools for raising a bastard? His mother an adulteress? They'd poured everything into raising him—efforts, fortunes—until their wealth was spent.
Just that phrase deepened his hatred for the gods.
“Come, let's go inside. We've prepared a feast for you.”
“No, that's fine.”
Lyclean cut Zeus off firmly.
“I came here to refuse ascension to godhood.”
“What?”
Zeus and the surrounding gods recoiled in shock.
What was a god? A transcendent being, right? One who surpassed life, wielding immense power through faith. To reject such an opportunity?
In their eyes, Lyclean must have seemed mad.
“I will not become a god.”
“Why not?”
“I want only to live as a human and die as one.”
Zeus frowned. He'd never imagined refusal.
But.
“Refusing godhood... I can't understand it.”
“Everyone has their reasons. So abandon making me a god.”
“We can't.”
Zeus shook his head.
“If you don't become a god, it creates huge problems for us.”
“Problems? It hardly seems one human's refusal would cause that.”
“You don't know, but it's a dire issue tied to our very existence. Even if you refuse, it's unavoidable.”
Zeus spoke calmly, then gestured lightly to the surrounding gods.
“I prepared just in case, hoping not to use it... but your stubborn refusal leaves no choice.”
At that moment, several gods approached and seized Lyclean.
“As discussed, I won't forget your sacrifices.”
“Our followers' sacrifices, right?”
“Same difference.”
Then, through the gods holding him, an ominous energy began flowing in. Immense faith from mass life sacrifices. The power to ascend another via burnt offerings.
It seeped into Lyclean bit by bit. Despite his will, his soul was evolving into a higher being.
And through his captors, he felt countless lives sacrificing themselves.
“Stop! Enough!!”
“Can't stop. This must happen, no matter the cost.”
“If the Goddess of Life knew, she wouldn't stand for it!”
“True. She might rage at so many lives lost. But by then, you'll be a god. She'll have to cancel the gods' doom, as promised!”
Zeus burst into laughter, watching Lyclean's transformation. As if the gods were saved. As if his position was now unassailable.
