Reception – 1

“……Really?”

Rije pulled my head onto her chest and tilted her head back. Her face appeared upside down. Rije was looking down at me intently, with her head bowed forward.

I felt gazes filled with astonishment from all directions. Everyone here, except for me, had the same reaction. Meeting a god directly wasn’t something that could be discussed as a mere feat, so it was understandable.

“Do you really think I’d lie about something like this? If I did, I might get divine punishment from God.”

“That’s true, but……”

Rije trailed off. The reason the Popes were so persistently demanding me seemed to go beyond understandable; she even looked worried.

Because if that method didn’t work, they would try to take me to their country by any means necessary.

“How on earth did you meet them? First, explain that.”

Aurora, who had been clinging to my right arm, suddenly poked her head in. Another face was added next to Rije’s.

“First of all……”

I plunged the Wingless Nightmare into the neck of the Tree Root Demon. The tip of the sword, which entered through its right neck, tore through its insides and pierced out through its left neck.

As the sensation of recovering stamina washed over me, I kicked its body and pulled out the sword. The tree root, which had fallen backward with a thud, shattered into tiny pieces from the impact. The dust, once tree roots, seeped into the ground.

For now, that one was the last. I turned my body. Black flames were still fiercely burning on the Wingless Nightmare.

Lucifer was still staring at me with its single eye.

The time I could continue the 1-on-1 was short. A new one would pop out soon. I had to do everything I possibly could within that time.

Even at the moment I slightly bent my knees, preparing to rush out, Lucifer didn’t move. I didn’t know why it was doing that, but it was good for me regardless.

‘……?’

Just as I was about to push off the ground, I felt the sensation of something looking down at me again. Instinctively, I hesitated. I didn’t know why, but I felt like I shouldn’t ignore it.

Lucifer was still standing in place. It seemed to have no intention of actively attacking me at all. The only attacks I had received so far were a few thrusts of a spear, so that said it all.

‘Now that I think about it, it’s been like this ever since I felt something from the sky for the first time.’

Did The World-Eater order it not to kill me or something?

‘……What’s that now?’

A gigantic red silhouette appeared in the sky. The surrounding colors deepened, and the deepened colors took on a scale-like shape, creating something in the air.

A vertical pupil.

It was an eye I knew, one I couldn’t forget, and shouldn’t forget. It was impossible to do so, especially since I had seen it right up close.

Before long, a form that looked like a dragon’s single eye, detached and placed in the air, was completed. The clearly embedded pupil within it was watching me.

‘What in the……’

Unlike me, who was filled with astonishment, Lucifer prostrated itself on the ground and bowed its head as if in worship. It seemed to pay no attention to me.

Indeed, the strange feeling I had felt a little while ago was clearly because that thing was watching me.

Now, the remaining question was why that thing was doing this. When I met it at the Imperial Palace, it flew directly to me, so why now?

The eye that appeared in the sky looked much larger than the Imperial Palace at first glance. If that was The World-Eater’s true size, I wondered what its previous form had been.

Fortunately, apart from the confusing emotions, my mind was calm. To the extent that I started to think about how to deal with it, rather than fear of the situation.

Of course, no method came to mind. How could I kill something whose single eye looked larger than the Imperial Palace? My sword would be less than a toothpick.

‘…….’

The standoff continued for quite a while.

The red eye floating in the sky merely looked down and did nothing else, I was too preoccupied with all sorts of thoughts to move, and Lucifer remained motionless in its bowed posture.

How much time had passed in this state? It was The World-Eater that initiated action. The red vertical pupil embedded in the scales gradually drew closer to the ground.

Soon after, a thought slammed into my mind.

ㅡThat human……

Merely by the thought reverberating, the river of blood boiled much more intensely, and the red light in the sky grew terribly deep. The colors of the sky and the river became indistinguishable.

I tried to cover my ears but then remembered it was useless anyway and lowered my arms. I was fine then, so I’d be fine this time too. Surely my head wouldn’t explode and kill me.

ㅡThe reason the Goddess intervened…… I understand……

I decided to just let that thing babble to itself. Even if I asked, it would never tell me.

Fortunately, this monologue was relatively short. The entity, which had been arbitrarily slamming thoughts into my mind and muttering to itself, suddenly spoke to me again.

ㅡHuman…… I make a proposal……

I asked back, bewildered.

“A proposal?”

ㅡYour faith…… direct it towards me……

“……Do what?”

ㅡSoon…… the god that will perish…… meaningless faith……

“Perish, what do you mean byㅡ”

Before I could fully grasp the situation, a powerful divine power, enough to dye everything around white, burst forth. Perhaps because it was divine power, it didn’t blind my eyes at all. Thanks to that, I could observe my surroundings.

The river of blood, which had been boiling fiercely like lava, completely evaporated. The sky, which had been red like blood, became clear as a blue daytime sky, like a star-filled night sky. Day and night began to coexist in the sky.

The land, which had been no different from a parched wasteland, transformed into lush nature.

Grass, heavy with dew, sprouted, and in the place where the river of blood flowed, a clear, transparent stream, like glass, ran. Trees grew densely, forming a thick forest.

A breeze carrying the scent of earth and grass blew. The chirping of birds could be heard. Hell had instantly transformed into nature.

It was obvious who had done this. It must have been the owner of this immense divine power, who had appeared before me.

‘……Is it the God of the Holy Nation?’

I had never seen a Pope exert their full power, but even for Popes, it was highly likely to be impossible to instantly transform a space created by Lucifer into nature.

If so, there was naturally only one option left.

I tried to get a closer look at the figure inside. But it was difficult due to the halo of light. It wasn’t blinding, but the light itself was physically enveloping the body.

ㅡTo come all the way here…… that human…… was he your reverse scale……

“Shut your mouth.”

ㅡThe last struggle…… of an ugly loser……

“I told you to shut your mouth!”

A roar burst forth. Although the tone was quite different due to the voice trembling with rage, it was a voice from my memory.

It was clearly the voice that had told me in the Holy Nation that it wasn’t time yet.

Light spread, and space collided with space. Something was haphazardly mixing, causing destruction that transcended human perception. I was clearly watching it with my own eyes, but it was impossible to comprehend.

ㅡThe rage of the powerless…… is meaningless……

This time, emotions were conveyed along with the thought. It wasn’t that I could infer them from the tone; rather, the very thought itself contained the emotions The World-Eater had just felt, delivered intact.

The emotions that flew in were mockery and derision.

The halo of light trembled faintly, but that was all. Despite containing clear mockery and derision, it merely groaned and shook, unable to offer even a slight rebuttal. It meant the power gap was obvious.

ㅡListen…… human……

The World-Eater’s voice turned towards me again.

ㅡYour existence…… is interesting…… it draws my attention…… a special human…… needed by the Goddess……

“You must not listen to those words.”

With those words, it was as good as receiving a definitive answer about the identity of that halo of light. The halo of light desperately tried to deny those words.

ㅡTherefore…… serve me……

It was a recruitment offer, following Lucifer’s.

ㅡA single human…… is infinitely small…… a meaningless struggle…… and can change nothing……

“You can change many things. Ignore them.”

The Goddess’s voice became even more earnest.

ㅡIf you serve me…… nothing else…… will be needed…… only…… waiting…… that is all……

“That is not a lie, but it is not the truth either. Of course, you could just wait. Because the world will perish.”

I already knew that. I heard it from Lucifer. It said that its so-called salvation was to swallow and destroy the world.

“I need you. Absolutely. But that one is merely spouting such words for its own amusement. It is different from me.”

I had no intention of accepting the offer from the start, but I was curious why it was so insistent on drawing me in. I cast my gaze towards the vertical pupil floating in the sky.

It was a movement less significant than a grain of sand under a fingernail compared to its own size, but The World-Eater, somehow understanding it, projected a thought.

ㅡThe Goddess’s last struggle…… to completely crush that…… is very interesting…… it will be satisfying……

“Look at that.. Can’t you feel that the future is obvious if you go under it? You absolutely must not be deceived. You’ll just die if you go.”

ㅡEven if you are under her…… it will be so…… insignificant…… and weak being……

The gap between The World-Eater and the Goddess seemed extremely vast. Despite that thing continuously pouring out mockery, she couldn’t offer even a single word of rebuttal.

I remained silent until the end. Perhaps taking my silence as a sign of refusal, the eye floating in the sky began to fade.

ㅡTime…… is running out…… when the absorption of other worlds is complete…… only one will remain……

Soon, the eye completely vanished. The sky, which had been stained with blood, was dyed with day and night all the way to the horizon. Its thought reverberated one last time.

ㅡClinging to destruction…… is a meaningless act…… engrave that clearly in your mind……

And, as the thought disappeared, a terrible shriek was heard. Lucifer, who had been bowing its head to the ground, began to scream and writhe on the floor.

It was natural, as a mere King of Demons wouldn’t be able to withstand the divine power directly emitted by the God of the Holy Nation.

The halo of light approached me, as if not even caring about Lucifer. It seemed to intend to let it slowly burn to death from the divine power. Even when it came close, its form remained invisible.

“You must have many things you want to say, and many questions. I fully understand that feeling.”

“Yes. Very many. You know that well. First, I’ll ask this. I was almost certain, but just in case. Are you the God of the Holy Nation?”

“If not, what else could I be?”

“Then, between the sun and the moon, which one are you……?”

Judging by the color, it looked like the sun, but since the night sky was spread out and the moon was also present, it was a bit ambiguous.

The halo of light paused for a moment, then gave a completely unexpected answer.

“You may think whatever you wish. That is not what is important right now.”

Golden and silver light covered my hand.

“First, the information I can answer is limited.”

“……Why is that?”

“It is because your physical body would not be able to endure it. For what reason do Popes possess such powerful strength? It is so that they can safely receive my voice.”

“What about the conversation we’re having now?”

“Is it not a process of reaching the truth of the world?”

I felt as if the halo of light had softly smiled. The truth of the world, it said; were those questions really that serious?

“The questions your current physical body can withstand are limited. I will only answer those. Because I do not wish to lose you.”

Hearing those words just now made me feel strange. Especially since it used the honorific “dangsin” (you) and even expressed that it didn’t want to lose me.

Anyway, my strange feeling was strange, and I had to do what I had to do. I asked the halo of light back.

“What kind of things are those?”

“It is about that cute little witch next to you.”