Creature Abandoned by God – 4

‘Divine power of the Sun and Moon?’

For a moment, I wondered what that meant.

Originally, divine power was classified into two types depending on the type of spell: Sun or Moon. If you used a Sun divine spell, it was Sun divine power, and if you used a Moon divine spell, it was Moon divine power.

Of course, just because they were categorized didn’t mean there was any special difference, nor were there any monsters weak only to Sun-type divine power or Moon-type divine power.

It was merely a distinction made in that way.

‘I get the Sun part, but what’s the Moon?’

What the Sun’s divine power meant was obvious. The Eclipse enchanted on the blood-stained sword. Since this was the highest-tier Sun-type divine spell, it was natural that the Sun would be felt.

However, what the Moon referred to was hazy. Not only had I never used any divine spells other than Eclipse, but I had also never done anything that would make Moon divine power felt.

Given that they specifically pointed that out, it must mean there’s something to it.

‘Ah, is it because of the catalyst?’

Suddenly, the divine catalyst tied to my waist came to mind. Since it originally belonged to Selene, it wouldn’t be awkward even if they had detected its residual divine power and said that.

After all, the Inquisitors and Grand Inquisitors are the beings who represent the true military might of the Holy Kingdom of Raphaela, acting in place of the Popes who barely even show themselves.

Then there was only one conclusion.

“That’s not my power, though?”

Seeing that they couldn’t even distinguish facts, it was clear that they had gone crazy.

-Are you still lying?

“Why can’t you believe me? It’s true. This isn’t my power.”

Taking advantage of the moment they stopped moving to spout useless words, I confirmed that no magic was flying my way and quickly used Eclipse. The sunlight brightly illuminated the surroundings.

Perhaps because they had been dormant here for so long, they seemed to have truly gone mad. To mistake the Moon’s divine power remaining in the divine catalyst for my own power and assert it so confidently.

Even after that, they kept huffing and puffing, asking where I got such power, but I ignored everything they said and prepared to charge. There was nothing to gain from talking to them any longer.

‘I need to defeat them as quickly as possible and get out. What’s the point of dragging out time here?’

When there was no response, they seemed to give up and raised the divine catalyst. A deep black light rose from the catalyst again. As soon as I confirmed that motion, I started running counter-clockwise.

The black sun they had floated in the air at the start of Phase 2. They intended to fire that spell directly.

I deliberately put as much distance as possible between us to increase the range the spell would have to travel, and as soon as the black sun was fired, I abruptly twisted my direction and charged towards the Creature Abandoned by God.

The black sun, which would have scorched the air and eroded the soil just by floating in the sky if we were on the ground, landed far away and caused a magnificent explosion. Black flames scattered everywhere.

The distance was just barely too far for an immediate attack. It seemed I would have to observe one more pattern. I confirmed that they lifted their right foot, and the moment that foot stomped down, I rolled in and burrowed inward.

Then, I swung my sword towards their calf, which was covered in abyss and shadow.

-Kuaaaak!

Where the blood-stained sword had cut through, the flesh melted away in chunks, emitting white smoke. They stopped what they were doing, clutching their melted left calf, and let out a scream of agony.

I, too, stopped what I was doing. While instinctively widening the distance to understand the pattern, I couldn’t hide my dazed expression.

What in the world was this, again?

‘……What was that just now?’

I looked down at the blood-stained sword in my right hand. It was a Blessing enchantment, emitting a white light mixed with gold, no different in color from before. At least, that’s how it looked to my eyes.

But the result it produced was completely different. I turned my gaze to the monster, which was still screaming in pain and thrashing, clutching its smoking calf.

Chunks of melted flesh. White smoke continuously rising from the melted spot. The monster, groaning in pain and thrashing wildly.

Even when I first confirmed that my faith wasn’t decreasing, I was flustered, but now it was far worse than that. I had no idea why such a situation was unfolding.

‘A bug…… No way.’

Just in case, I had once tried some bugs that couldn’t be fixed until the end due to the limitations of the physics engine used by BraDk 4. Of course, none of them succeeded.

This was merely a game-like world, not identical to a game. There were no instances of weapons bouncing off carpets or objects the size of a person’s forearm effortlessly blocking a large hammer.

If so, whatever this was, it ultimately meant that I was the cause of this situation.

“…….”

I don’t know.

There was truly nothing that came to mind. Even though I had felt something strange ever since my faith stopped decreasing, allowing me to use Eclipse without limit, this was beyond anything I had anticipated.

Melt away the body of the Creature Abandoned by God with a single sword strike? If such a thing were possible, I wouldn’t have come in here prepared for a super long-term battle.

No, before that, I would have switched my build to a cleric long ago. If the power of enchantment-type divine spells was this strong, then using offensive divine spells with it would be even more tremendous.

-Even after this, will you still spout such absurd nonsense that it’s not your power?!

Their scream jolted me awake. There was no time to be dumbfounded. Perhaps only the Eclipse I used this time had been further enhanced.

If so, I absolutely couldn’t miss this opportunity that had presented itself.

I closed the distance I had created. Dodging all the black thorns rising from the ground, I raised my sword again towards their left leg.

They seemed unwilling to feel such pain again and tried to pull their leg back in surprise, but their movements were too slow for that. By the time their leg was halfway raised, the bright sunlight cut through it.

-Kyaaaak!

With an even sharper scream, their leg melted away in chunks again. Earlier, I had retreated in a panic, but not this time. Gritting my teeth, I dodged their attacks and continued to swing my sword.

Unlike last time, when only dull thudding sounds, like hitting wood with a wooden sword, were heard regardless of whether Eclipse was applied, this time, as the sword swung, flesh and skin alike were all sliced away.

How many times had I swung the sword? The leg, gashed, gouged, torn, and melted, finally snapped sideways with a Pajjik! The monster’s body swayed and then collapsed to the side.

It was a situation I had never experienced in a game, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t react to it. I lightly stepped back a few paces, avoiding the collapsing body.

Thump! The massive bulk lay sprawled awkwardly. It was because if it fell facing the ceiling, its tail would get in the way, and if it fell sideways, its arm would get in the way.

They seemed to try to stand up again, propping themselves on the floor with their arm, but I had no intention of letting them. I immediately approached their shoulder and poured concentrated attacks onto their arm and shoulder.

Occasionally, they would desperately use spells or create and swing weapons, but for me, who could dodge all the attacks poured out even when they were at full strength, such flailing attacks were as good as nothing.

‘Just in case, I should completely destroy at least one arm.’

The blade, covered in white light, blew away chunks of flesh, and skin evaporated, emitting white smoke. Without any need for technique or anything else, just a mere graze was enough to make that spot completely disappear.

I hacked at the monster’s right half until just before Eclipse faded, then slowly retreated only after the buff had completely worn off.

Their appearance was gruesome. The left calf, which was attacked first, was bent at an odd angle and profusely leaking black liquid. Even the remaining parts looked precariously close to tearing.

The right shoulder, which I had focused my attacks on, was almost unrecognizable. Their face was practically level with the floor.

If the shoulder was like that, the arm couldn’t possibly be unscathed. The arm that had been swinging a large weapon around as if to show off its strength was now pitifully compressed, crushed under its own weight.

The monster screamed, then seemed to exhaust itself, repeating only painful gasps, “Hoo, hoo.”

-How…… could a mere human…… possess such power…….

“Beats me? I don’t know either. If I knew, I would’ve used it ages ago, would I have been hitting you so painstakingly?”

-If only that…… if only it wasn’t for that power…….

“Why, do you think you could have won if it wasn’t for this?”

I let out a scoff.

It’s true that I defeated them very easily because of this unknown situation, but even if nothing had happened and things had remained the same, the result wouldn’t have been much different, it just would have taken a little longer.

They couldn’t land a single hit until Phase 2, yet they claimed their defeat was due to some unknown power. They were someone who couldn’t even properly self-reflect. Were they finally revealing their true nature now that they were on the verge of death?

Even in the game, when they died, they would generously show their true personality, claiming they were destined to rule the world.

“You couldn’t even land a single hit, yet you think you could’ve won? As if. If you’re going to die, just die gracefully, why are you trying to win a moral victory?”

I took out the divine catalyst and brought it to the blood-stained sword. A bright sun rose.

-Impossible…… A mere human, before even accepting that power…… their vessel should have failed and melted away…….

They writhed, trying to stand up somehow, but the injury to their right half was too severe, making it a meaningless struggle. Abyss and shadow streamed from the wounds all over their body.

‘My vessel couldn’t have endured it?’

The meaning of those words wasn’t difficult to infer. Whether the power I had just displayed was temporary or permanent, it meant it was a level that an ordinary person absolutely couldn’t endure.

But for some reason, I endured it, and not only did I endure it, I even used it freely.

I fully understood why they said I couldn’t endure it. Isn’t it a power strong enough to dismember a being from the abyss, one that even the current Pope couldn’t handle, with just a few swings of a sword?

It would be difficult to even handle the output unless one was truly extraordinary.

‘Well, there’s no need to think about why right now. I can just ask the Popes later anyway.’

I gripped the blood-stained sword with both hands and slowly approached them. Rather than letting them ramble on and giving them time to recover, attacking and killing them was the right choice.

Besides, when it came to divine power, the Popes would know far more than them. It was a waste of time to keep listening to their incessant babbling here.

“Alright. I get it, so for the rest, just die and go to hell and ramble all you want. There’ll be plenty of people there to listen to you. I’m too bothered to listen anymore.”

I approached their head. Just in case, I didn’t forget to prepare to roll and dodge at any moment. It wouldn’t do to get them almost defeated only to die carelessly.

As if having given up on life, the monster showed no movement. Somehow, I couldn’t shake the feeling that it was an anticlimactic end for a final boss of the ‘Awakening Evil’ DLC, but I soon changed my mind.

Rather, the more anticlimactic a boss battle is, the better. It’s proof that I cleared it safely, without any trouble, and without my life being threatened.

After aiming carefully at their head, I thrust the sword into it. I didn’t know how much health they had left, but thinking about later, I should hit them moderately and then retreat-

-Pweong!

Before I could even finish my thought, their body exploded with a loud roar.