“To sum it up roughly, there are evil spirits that should be in the Underworld wandering around the current world, and I can’t help but wonder just how incompetent the so-called God of Underworld is to let things get to this state—”
[Hey, you damn idiot!!!]
Gui Ho’s furious scream fades away in the dark echo.
I clench my fist tightly, keeping an eye on the direction the sake cup disappeared.
Things have gone awry.
The God of Underworld, who was supposed to quietly possess Seo Gong’s avatar, has descended into the current world directly.
At the very least, it’s certain that it has approached close enough to shroud the current world in darkness.
There’s an emergency.
Since Seo Gong is in avatar form, I thought that would spare him from serious damage. I figured Gui Ho could endure it as a body of the Northern Taesu, even if he was in a bad spot.
But if the God of Underworld’s true form has descended, that changes everything.
Perhaps everyone here could go insane and become a complete wreck.
‘No. The God of Underworld wouldn’t want that.’
Come to think of it, it’s strange.
If he was going to descend, revealing himself would have been easier from the God of Underworld’s perspective.
It’s already difficult enough to descend into the current world. To exert influence from here, he would need to expend an astounding amount of power.
So, what on earth is the reason for him to immerse the world in darkness at the cost of using his true power, aside from this formation?
My conclusion is simple.
‘To cover his ‘eyes’.’
The God of Underworld only wants to converse with those who summoned him.
He wants to minimize the eyes on him.
It seems like a consideration to reduce the number of people going insane from directly looking at the God of Underworld.
‘My prediction was correct. The God of Underworld is at least closer to justice and fairness. At least, he has no intention of immediately destroying the current world upon descending.’
I was worried that I might have summoned a fallen God of Underworld who would just sweep everything away…
It seems the God of Underworld has come out just as he was set without any modifications.
According to the setting, the God of Underworld is always just and fair without a hint of error.
So, rather than being a deity with a personality, the God of Underworld is more like a manifestation of the concept of ‘justice.’
“God of Underworld! Please cover the eyes of those other than me as well! I wish to converse privately!”
[What?! Are you crazy?! How can you bear the ‘will’ of the God of Underworld on your own! Shut your mouth!]
“From the start, it was supposed to be something I would handle alone!”
[That was when we didn’t expect the God of Underworld to descend personally! No matter how much your steel head is wrecked, if you have a private talk with the God of Underworld, you’ll go mad! We can only barely handle this if the four of us share the burden! Seo Gong! You’re okay, right? After all, you’re just an avatar, so it’s fine if something gets damaged!]
“Ah… But this is an avatar that’s taken 70% of my power…”
Seo Gong nods reluctantly, on the verge of tears.
Mi Jeong also holds my hand tightly, burning with determination.
Dividing the burden among four of us.
That’s nonsense.
Even if it’s reduced to a quarter, there’s no way the true form of the God of Underworld’s pressure could be endured by a young blood ghoul, a washed-up Taesu, and a giant centipede.
“Stop talking nonsense and just close your eyes—”
“………!”
At that moment.
Suddenly, the dark echo stops, and thud! a sound is heard.
Turning my head, I see that the sake cup has returned, now placed in front of Seo Gong.
The alcohol inside is now completely emptied.
Trembling, I lift my head, and even though it’s nothing but a pitch-black abyss, strangely, I feel like I can see something.
Seo Gong and Gui Ho seem to be no different, staring blankly into the abyss of nothingness.
As if entranced by something.
Just when I almost forgot where I was and what I was doing, my focus begins to dull.
|Turn your eyes away from the darkness.|
“………!”
A low voice echoes.
No, the voice directly resonates in my mind.
It’s the same phenomenon I experienced when Draken’s eerie voice flowed in.
But the God of Underworld’s voice is definitely a language that humans use, and it’s not unpleasant to hear.
At first glance, it could be mistaken for a human voice, but there’s a slight, strange feeling as if something non-human is mimicking a human.
“Y-yes…”
We respond like that.
Getting our wits back, we quickly bow our heads to the ground.
As we do so, the formation engraved on the floor comes into view, and my focus reestablishes.
We almost went crazy and became wrecks in the blink of an eye.
‘If I keep looking directly at the God of Underworld, will I lose my memory again?’
When I met Draken.
I clearly looked into Draken’s eyes, but for some reason, I lost that memory.
I want to check if the same thing happens when I look directly at the God of Underworld, but…
If I fail, I’ll end up being a dementia patient who defecates on the wall, so I decided to give up and just keep my eyes down.
|I am the King of Hell of the Underworld. I have come here in response to your call. The one who summoned me may speak out loud. |
“I was the one who summoned you. I wish to speak privately, so please cover the eyes of the other three as well.”
|Hmm…|
A sound that seems to indicate deep thought.
Just hearing that noise makes my head throb.
Gui Ho and Seo Gong seem to wince in pain as well.
|Has one already fled?|
“What?”
|It’s nothing.|
The God of Underworld makes a slightly disappointed sound.
|I’m sorry, but I cannot grant that request yet. Before I cover the eyes, I have something to ask. Who set this table?|
[It was me…]
|Oh! You’ve been to the Underworld! Have you perhaps come from the Underworld? I’ve heard that some demons escape the Underworld and settle in the current world, are you one of those?|
[N-no!]
Gui Ho’s voice speeds up suddenly, seemingly flustered, and he quickly shakes his head to deny it.
Why is he acting like that all of a sudden?
Did Gui Ho have a setting of being from the Underworld?
|I’m not trying to eat you. I just want to know how you escaped the Underworld. It seems there are some unruly demons who keep crossing over to the current world and cause problems…|
[I’m terribly sorry for the misunderstanding. I am not from the Underworld, nor have I ever set foot there. I assure you, I am not lying out of fear of the God of Underworld, so please understand this point.]
|You don’t know the Underworld? Then what is it that you’re standing on?|
[It’s a formation I learned from my master. It’s a formation that has been passed down for thousands of years, and I only know that it creates an attraction to the Underworld…]
|That’s quite a bizarre matter. What you’re standing on is the Underworld.|
“Uh…!”
Now I can see the entire formation.
A black land made of lifeless earth.
Four massive pillars embedded in the north, south, east, and west.
And white lines meeting at the center.
I faintly recall seeing something similar in the concept art released during game development.
This is the Underworld.
To be exact, it’s a simplified representation of the Underworld.
So we have drawn a map of the Underworld in the current world and summoned the God of Underworld.
It’s only natural that curiosity arises since we know what the Underworld looks like, even though we shouldn’t have any contact with it.
To not have any attraction is almost strange.
|Nevertheless, I understand. Thousands of years ago… I will need to investigate among those who crawled out of the Underworld back then. I must find out what leaked the appearance of the Underworld into the current world…|
“………?!”
|Ah. Don’t worry. It’s not that I intend to punish you for knowing the Underworld. I merely wanted to understand how those who move secretly outside of my line of sight function. I have a vile nature that craves to have everything within my visibility. Now then… The curiosity I had regarding you is satisfied, so may I cover your eyes?|
“Please do.”
[Hey! Yoo Jin! What are you doing now—]
Snip.
Seo Gong’s and Gui Ho’s voices disappear into the abyss.
Peeking over, I see that in the place where the two were, there is only a pitch-black darkness.
Fearing that I might look again and go insane, I quickly avert my gaze back to the ground.
‘I promised to handle this alone, so this is right.’
As the voice sounds again and the exchange of words continues, I can see Seo Gong’s and Gui Ho’s faces turning pale.
Gui Ho had been insisting on sharing the burden all this time, but it was clear that limits were approaching.
Sensing that this couldn’t continue, I asked for Gui Ho’s eyes to be covered.
After all, it seemed the God of Underworld had lost interest in Gui Ho…
This way, Seo Gong and Gui Ho wouldn’t suffer further mental strain.
|So what reason do you have for summoning me? You’ll go mad quickly if you go on like this, so let’s finish up soon. |
“I have a request that I have dared to summon you for.”
|Does this request relate to the story about the wicked souls wandering the current world that you sent me?|
“That’s right. I would like you to collect the evil spirits, if you would.”
|So you wish to borrow my power to overcome your crisis. Is that not correct?|
“………”
Right on the mark.
I assumed the God of Underworld would only focus on collecting the evil spirits, indifferent to our situation.
I was caught off guard unexpectedly.
I needed to choose my words carefully.
In a brief moment, I racked my brain intensely.
I parted my trembling lips and spoke.
“That’s right. The evil spirits that you mistakenly couldn’t collect are causing problems in the current world, so I would appreciate it if you could take urgent measures.”
|Mistakes? I do not make mistakes. All of my judgments are correct, and even if I were to make a mistake, the law of the world would change around me, making it no longer a mistake. |
“That may be true within your sight, but outside, the story is different. Are not those you have overlooked the consequences of a mistake? There’s a big difference between closing one’s eyes and doing nothing at all.”
|………|
For a moment, the God of Underworld’s words cease, and silence falls.
I desperately wished for it to stop, as it felt like my head was about to burst every time I spoke.
Instead, the silence prompts my head to ease, but the anxiety drives me to madness.
I must have angered him.
Having that certainty, I could feel my heart pounding frantically.
But the subsequent remark from the God of Underworld was completely unexpected.
|That makes sense. I am not accustomed to the human language and made a contradiction. Forgive me.|
“Oh, no. It’s not that—”
|If I cannot capture those who have escaped my sight, then indeed it is a mistake. You are correct. My lack of power has prevented me from capturing those who have fled my sight. Even if there are no ‘errors’ within my visibility, if I cannot catch those that stray beyond it, then it is meaningless. I extend my infinite gratitude to you for broadening my sight by summoning me.|
I received a sudden expression of gratitude from the God of Underworld.
Not knowing how to respond, I was momentarily taken aback.
Then a pressure far stronger than before weighed down on me, and I felt a pain as if my head would split open.
“Ugh…?!”
|Name it. As long as the gravity you have created allows it, I will capture them and deliver a decisive judgment. But if it is not something deserving of judgment, then you will not escape disaster.|
“Luna! Sorceress Luna! And Kali! Great Druid Kali!”
|The names of the current world sound habitually unfamiliar! But that is sufficient. If there are no namesakes, I will find them quickly… Hmm. One seems to have come here and hidden like a rat.|
“………?!”
At that moment, the voice of the God of Underworld turned cold.
Only then did I realize I was not the only one present here.
Inside my clothing.
A small baby spider was hiding.
