Chapter 131: Childhood Friend – The Hole
“This, what on earth…?”
Lev couldn’t collect himself, momentarily lost in a daze. The moment he met Lena, all the strength drained from his body. His mind cleared, and he vividly recalled all his past deeds.
“Urgh!”
[ Achievement: First Murder – Leo’s guilt from murder is reduced. ]
He had killed an exceedingly large number of people.
Even though he had the ‘First Murder’ achievement, he couldn’t suppress the nausea from having ruthlessly killed hundreds of thousands of humans.
Citizens spilling blood because of the [Target Hunting] debuff, people struggling after getting caught in [Trap Hunting], priests desperately fighting back while entangled in thorny vines.
Paladins and knights split in half as they despairingly watched the crimson glowing Aura Blades dropping down.
Mages mumbling incantations to keep casting spells till the end, nobles and royals who tried to maintain their nobility till the last moment but fell to a horrific end.
And Lena Einarr and Leo Dexter, abandoned in the thorny forest…
They all died by his hand, brutally murdered.
“Uwaaagh!”
Lev finally collapsed to the ground and vomited. Since he hadn’t needed to eat anything for a long time, his stomach was empty, making him retch with nothing to expel but drool.
Of course, that didn’t alleviate his guilt.
Whenever his prey had a thin, beautiful neck, he would cut it. When their eyes sparkled cutely, he would pierce the eyeballs with his sword. Bathing in the gushing blood which he found beautiful, he ‘observed’ with interest whether the prey begged in fear or railed in resentment.
“Kurk… Cough…”
His vomiting became mixed with blood under the chilling weight of his sins.
At that moment, a book fell on him as he convulsed with his forehead pressing against the ground. Sheets of paper filled with carefully handwritten words scattered about, and an excited voice was heard.
“Ah…! This vivid sensation! It’s been such a long wait.”
It was Lena’s voice.
Lev lifted his blood and saliva-stained chin. Kneeling with his back bent, his posture looking up toward the above resembled one offering worship to someone.
Maybe liking this sight, Lena’s gaze met his with a fleeting smile. Lev froze in his bowing posture.
Lena’s crescent-shaped eyes were tinged red. Her lips, which formed a clear arc, remained beautifully curved but the excessive showing of her teeth distorted her face into something grotesque.
This isn’t Lena. There’s no way someone smiling like that could be Lena.
“No, no way…”
“Yes. My disobedient apostle, is there something you desire?”
Lena raised her chin arrogantly.
She laughed mockingly at Lev, a laugh so deep and cruel that it seemed impossible to have come from Lena’s lips.
She was Barbatos.
Indeed.
“No, you can’t!!”
Lev kicked the ground.
He didn’t know what he was supposed to do but he tried to charge and knock her down.
Yet for some reason, his feet wouldn’t move. His feet, and even his hands that were supporting him on the ground, were stuck firmly as if glued to the earth.
When he looked down, he saw his hands and feet digging into the ground. The skin of his limbs tore apart as black roots emerged, burrowing into the solid stone floor.
Barbatos spoke.
“I knew you were the foul plaything of the gods. I didn’t read everything intricately entwined, but as long as you don’t die, it doesn’t matter, right? Just like this woman. So stay as a tree if you won’t obey. I’ll make good use of this body.”
With that, Barbatos chuckled and turned her focus inward.
Inside this insignificant girl’s head was truly a radiant soul. It was a beautiful soul undoubtedly showered with the blessings of the main deity.
Diligence and wit, exceptional insight, courage and selflessness, an optimistic personality, dreams, a sense of justice, quick perception, and sound curiosity… too many admirable qualities for one human to possess.
In addition, the multitude of main deity’s blessings, enough to make even saints grimace, were attached everywhere.
Most of them were unrecognizable, but it was worth crossing over, pouring out divine power.
– Do not be afraid.
Whispering kindly, Barbatos savored Lena’s trembling soul. It was too precious to be consumed at once, so she carefully tasted every part.
Sweet. Sweet enough to make the tongue tingle.
Impressed by the taste, Barbatos couldn’t help but proclaim aloud.
“Lea. You will now become one with me. A special entity, an apostle and one with me, to enjoy eternal blessings.”
As she prepared to swallow, a gale surged. Though it swept around violently, the little pieces of paper on the floor didn’t even flutter. Barbatos felt the wind as she inhabited Lea’s body.
“…?”
Something changed.
One of the benefits dangling from this girl’s spirit activated unexpectedly at the invocation of its true name.
Though not completely unsealed, something has moved, Barbatos realized she had triggered something significant.
Well… it doesn’t matter.
This girl will never die. She’ll be mine forever…
“No! No! Let Lena go!”
Just then, Lev shouted.
The sight of him crawling like a dog, with roots flowing from his limbs and thorny stems sprouting from his back, was grotesque.
“What? You don’t even know your own name and you don’t know your childhood friend’s name either. Well, of course, someone who has forgotten their past wouldn’t know.”
“Please! I’ll do anything. Take me… no, please take me! Please use me!”
“…”
Barbatos did not reply.
It was a pity to give up one of the god’s toys.
But this one couldn’t be used. From the beginning, he belonged to someone else.
He was not an Asin. If he had been, he would not have been able to make Lev his apostle.
After considerable time, he found out that the one who owned Lev’s name was ‘Minseo’. However, Barbatos, who was not well-versed in reading the divine language, could go no further.
Since then, days of frustration began.
If he couldn’t take him away completely, he would’ve reluctantly given up, but the presence of ‘Minseo’ faded day by day.
With that, Barbatos could occupy a part of Lev’s mind to the extent that hope seemed like torment.
Nevertheless, there was still hope, so Barbatos, whenever Lev offered a prayer, occupied more of Lev’s mind, filling in the spaces left by Minseo’s absence.
However, without official ownership, the process was precarious.
When Lev killed his father and when he encountered other god’s toys, he almost drove Barbatos out from his mind.
If he hadn’t persistently begged for his true name, and if it weren’t for the ‘mirror’, he would have been expelled.
Barbatos made a displeased face recalling the humiliation of nearly being driven out by a mere human. He tore the necklace of Harriet Guidan hanging around Lev’s neck, turned around, and swallowed Lev’s mind.
“Please, let go of Lena… Aaargh! Hey! You bastard! You’re nothing but a village Asin who hasn’t even lived for 700 years! Do you think… mmph! Uumph!”
Devastated, Lev shouted. He tried to stop Barbatos from taking Lena by reading insults from ‘History of Asin’, but his mouth wouldn’t obey.
His chin had already turned into wood.
Stems sprouted from his spine, and sharp, thorny vines emerged between his ribs. As the roots began to suck up water, the tree grew rapidly.
“Uumph, ngh!”
Lev struggled.
Despite the excruciating pain tearing his body apart, he was determined to do anything to distract Barbatos…
[ Achievement: Meet the Saintess – Obtain weak favor from those with divine power. ]
[ Achievement: Baptism of the Saintess- Leo gains the ability {Divine Power Insight}. ]
Achievements surfaced.
Unable to turn his woodenized neck, Lev rolled his eyes to the limit. A beautiful woman, wearing a golden shawl and a spotless white dress, walked out of the main hall of the Holy Church. Holding a brass goblet in her left hand and a large royal scepter in her right, she aimed it at Lev with a melancholic expression.
Lev was engulfed in white flames.
The towering thorn-tree blazed intensely, and Lev’s body melted away.
It’s the end.
‘But, please, at least save Lena…’
He couldn’t help but feel the resentment of why she came so late, but Lev knew he didn’t have the right to say such things.
He could only hope, ‘Please, let that saint save the innocent Lena…’ as Barbatos turned around. Lena, with her long hair flowing with dark red divine power, gave a fierce look.
“You’ve come. Dirty concubine of the god! You will pay for killing my followers in place of the god… ugh!”
Barbatos, who was shouting towards the saint, looked astonished. He glanced at Lev momentarily and then let out a furious growl.
“Damn it! It wasn’t enough to just survive!”
Everything began to fade away.
The majestic Holy Church, the Saintess, her burning white body, and even Lena tearing out her hair in frustration all disappeared.
Darkness spread and an ending message appeared.
[ Lena’s final job has been determined. ]
[ Thank you for playing Raise Lena. ]
[ Lena, Barbatos (Barbatos) ]
[ Final Job: Asin (Young God) ]
[ Marriage Partner: Single ]
[ Lev ]
[ Final Job: Apostle of Barbatos ]
[ Marriage Partner: Single ]
[ Childhood Friend Ending: End of Corruption ]
– Lena, born in the village of Demos, had a happy childhood. Though poor, she was cherished by her parents and spent time with her childhood friend Lev… (omitted) …As a trainee, Lena strived to complete her thesis, but was swallowed by Barbatos and became an Asin. Shortly thereafter, Lena… –
The steadily rising ending credits abruptly stopped. Lev, who had been reading the message in a rounded orb, screamed in shock.
A hole was punched in the pitch-black background. Bright light poured into the dark space.
The dark stage where the ending credits rose finally began to reveal its shape; it was a confined space. It was not circular but instead composed of triangular walls neatly joined together, resembling an enormous icosahedron viewed from the inside. Through a narrow hole, Saintess Maryl holding a brass chalice was visible with the cathedral in the background. Much time had passed since then, and the once majestic cathedral was in flames and destroyed, while the Saintess’s appearance was anything but dignified.
At that moment, Leah thrust her grotesquely twisted face through the hole. Her right cheek and ear had melted in the sacred fire, and her torn clothes laid bare her breasts as she screamed:
“Come here! Didn’t you say you’d dedicate everything to me?”
Barbatos extended his hand through the hole and cruelly grabbed the round sphere, mercilessly ripping it apart.
“Aaaaaaah!”
As the ending unfolded, Lev, now separated from Minseo’s consciousness, was dragged away without resistance. It was the fate of a human who served the evil god. As Lev was pulled away, the hole quickly contracted. The sight of the cathedral on the other side vanished without a trace, and the fight between the Saintess and Leah was swallowed by darkness. The ending credits gradually rose again, as if nothing had happened.
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