Chapter 365

Chapter 365. Birth of a Hero (2)

Exhausted from the repetitive battles, all he could see were the corpses of monsters and the blackened earth.

Night and day, the black blood flowed, long since staining the land.

To think he witnessed the same scene he had seen months ago.

In the soil soaked with black blood, it was difficult for crops to grow anymore.

He had no idea how much of the Earth’s land had turned dead like this.

“Damn it.”

Yang Taeho swallowed a bitter smile and picked up his hammer again.

Now that the surroundings were cleared, he needed to contact the command to check if there were any areas needing assistance.

Just as he turned, the communication officer with his squad shouted.

“A legion commander has been sighted about 30km to the southeast!”

No need to contact the command center; he knew where he had to go.

Not a nemesis-rank but a legion commander with special abilities that could use authority would need apostles to intervene.

Though he didn’t expect to hunt it directly, he could certainly entangle it.

“What’s everyone standing there for after receiving news? Get ready to move right now!”

Yang Taeho slung his hammer over his shoulder and set out.

As he moved, his expression hardened.

Monsters swarmed the land where people once lived.

Battles to capture them were taking place everywhere.

Not a trace remained of the once peaceful Earth.

And this phenomenon would only increase in the future.

Already, nations, with their governments and administrative systems collapsed, losing territories and virtually perishing, had reached double digits.

The first Hole broke open on Earth last August.

Now it was May, the weather mild, a year since the war began.

“Only a year…”

Yang Taeho shook his head, amused at his own thoughts.

In just over a year, the Earth had ended up like this. What lay ahead?

Would most of the continent be blackened and seized by monsters like Bihar?

Humans and demi-humans driven to the ends of the earth, struggling to survive?

The more he thought, the more anxiety about the future slowly grew.

But nurturing such a growing fear was something he couldn’t allow himself.

“No, I should stop.”

Yang Taeho muttered out loud to deliberately cut off his thoughts.

It was a way to forcefully clear his head, which was filled with pessimistic thoughts.

If he was overwhelmed by anxiety and fear, fleeing the battlefield was not an option, so he steeled himself to head towards his destination.

Just as the destination came into view, the communication officer suddenly halted with a strange noise.

“What now?”

Yang Taeho asked, trying to assess the situation but received no answer.

The communication officer was only concentrating on what was being relayed through his wireless earpiece.

Amidst the overwhelming noise, Yang Taeho struggled to discern the communication and had to wait for the officer to speak.

Or so he thought—until Yang Taeho felt a massive presence moving behind him.

Boom!

As bright golden lightning bolts cascaded from the clear sky, Yang Taeho’s lips involuntarily curled upwards.

“Whoa, looks like he came in person.”

His raised voice was filled with a delight in welcoming the owner of the lightning.

Moreover, the anxiety and fear that had been gnawing at him gradually vanished.

His god had returned with an even greater presence than before.

“This must have been a success too.”

How could he not trust?

Yang Taeho felt his trust in Hyunwoo strengthen as he headed in the direction of the lightning strike.

Upon reaching his destination, he was greeted by the sight of a legion commander impaled on a spear, swaying limply.

The one holding the spear was, as expected, Hyunwoo.

Beside him stood Gilenios, casually leaning to one side, who now always accompanied him.

“You’ve arrived, hyung.”

Hyunwoo lightheartedly greeted Yang Taeho as if he had known of his coming all along, tossing aside the remains of the legion commander.

“Did things go well?”

Reflecting on Hyunwoo’s enhanced aura, he surmised success but still asked, noticing Hyunwoo’s stiff expression.

“Yes, well, the mission went well.”

As Hyunwoo swept his hair back, his brow furrowed slightly, continuing to speak.

“Still dealing with some headaches due to other matters.”

There seemed to be matters unsettled by Hyunwoo’s expression, prompting Yang Taeho to unconsciously grip his hammer tighter and inquire.

“What’s going on? I heard there’s chaos up top—is it because of that guy? If there’s anything I can do to help, just say it and I’ll be there.”

He reaffirmed his commitment to fully support Hyunwoo.

Hyunwoo, in turn, continued lightly.

“I actually came to bring you for that exact reason, hyung.”

Yang Taeho, without a moment’s hesitation, responded.

“If you’re calling, there’s no way I’d refuse.”

His resolute answer led Hyunwoo to let out a shallow sigh as he spoke.

“Have you heard about the issue with the creature in Bulgaria?”

“Of course.”

“We need to hunt it, but due to its Trait, handling it alone might be too much.”

So, assistance from apostles was essential.

“Everyone else is already there.”

“I’m the last one to arrive? Haha! Let’s hurry then.”

After listening to the situation, Yang Taeho reiterated his readiness to go, nodding firmly.

But instead of moving, Hyunwoo added an unexpected remark.

“…… Shouldn’t you at least call your wife?”

Yang Taeho flinched at that, his shoulder twitching.

He grasped the reason Hyunwoo had delayed, suggesting it might be a last contact before danger.

But even so, that wouldn’t alter Yang Taeho’s decision.

“Did you hesitate because of that concern?”

Yang Taeho recalled Hyunwoo’s hesitancy and laughed heartily.

“There’s no need to worry. Let’s go quickly.”

He had already settled goodbyes before departing and prepared a will and settled inheritance issues neatly.

Even if today was his last day, there was no significant problem.

Though he made the clarity unmistakable, Hyunwoo merely looked at Yang Taeho silently.

Only then did Hyunwoo add one more tidbit.

“…… I heard your wife is pregnant.”

Hyunwoo must have learned the news the day after he left to hunt Agnotia.

But knowing this hadn’t much influenced Yang Taeho’s decisions.

Even if Hyunwoo knew, it was of no concern.

“Come on, when was there not a risk of dying? Don’t worry.”

“……”

“Really, my wife might throw a party if I die. We’ve enough wealth that money won’t be an issue.”

Hyunwoo had made it possible for his wife to have another child.

So, when did he ever hesitate when Hyunwoo needed help?

Yang Taeho’s life philosophy had no room for such nonsense.

He was ready to leave everything behind and follow the call of his god at a moment’s notice.

Not that he sought death, but he wasn’t cowardly to shrink back from duty.

Throughout, wherever the battlefield took him, Yang Taeho volunteered to go because it served Hyunwoo’s purpose.

Earth’s victory and peace—the ultimate goals of Hyunwoo—meant traversing the front lines to help.

While Kim Yul supported Hyunwoo in more personal matters, Yang Taeho silently confronted the most nemesis-rank and legion commanders on the battlefield.

It was in part to repay Hyunwoo, who once saved his life, and to support someone who could achieve the great deeds impossible for him alone.

Also, it was a devotion to a benefactor who saved his family and allowed him to have children again.

Above all, he had unwavering faith in Hyunwoo, which was why he answered to go without hesitation.

“…… It could be really dangerous.”

Hyunwoo was someone Yang Taeho knew would genuinely care for his family should anything happen to him.

Knowing this better than anyone, he could candidly say without a hint of hesitation.

“If we keep dragging this out, we’ll waste precious time. Let’s go quickly.”

Yang Taeho finally fell in step behind Hyunwoo, who began walking.

* * *

My assumption had been correct.

The players quickly adapted to the changing circumstances, and at the center was Lily.

She abandoned the hunt for Angramoti and chose to evacuate civilians in its path.

Thanks to her wise decision, major damage to Earth was averted.

“This also disrupted Angramoti’s plan to absorb divinity.”

Angramoti would have taken significant losses in the days I waited for the Damned System to restore the dome.

Currently, the situation was mostly in my favor.

So I intended to seize this opportunity to hunt it down.

I carefully contemplated strategies to minimize the probability of failure.

‘If you ask if I can handle Angramoti, yes.’

I could keep it in check, injure it, and stall time.

But to ask if I could completely finish it off…

“Hmm.”

I couldn’t be certain, having seen flesh, bones, and organs regenerate before my eyes.

I pondered ways to capture Angramoti.

“What if I poured an overwhelming amount of divinity like I did with Agnotia?”

I could deliver a blow, but could it kill it when it regenerated a massive serpent head in mere minutes?

‘No.’

The focus in hunting Angramoti should be on neutralizing its regenerative ability.

It might be better to exhaust its stamina with a prolonged engagement rather than crush it with overwhelming force.

‘For small monsters, a one-on-one might be more efficient.’

Angramoti’s form was colossal—it meant plenty of areas to attack.

“If that’s the case, then let’s increase our numbers.”

After all, Angramoti had ten heads.

‘There’s nothing stopping us from matching numbers.’

If I tried to handle all the heads, the consumption of divinity would increase.

My body was one, and I’d need to use authority to hunt other heads I couldn’t directly engage.

Thus apostles capable of performing tasks and possibly using my authority were required.

“If it regrow and regrows again, we’d need personnel focusing solely on destruction every time.”

Thus, if we could deliver blows so profound that it couldn’t regenerate anymore.

‘There is value in attempting this.’

That was why I assembled the apostles for a party hunt after such a long time.

Yang Taeho and Kim Yul joined, the two initial party members who hunted with me in the early days.

Lily and Ethan, with whom I occasionally teamed up at Club 249.

Even Rashar, with whom I often sparred at the Bennett estate.

From all over the world, fighters with unmatched skills came together.

I paired Kim Yul and Yang Taeho, Ethan and Lily, with Rashar and Gilenios, considering mobility, destructive power, and defense.

“Let’s get started.”

At those words, the six apostles, excluding me, lifted their weapons.

“Hey! Hey! Seriously, you want me to join too?”

Correction, only five raised their weapons.

“I didn’t like being dragged into this deathtrap from the start, but I put up with it because of everything I’d received! But this is seriously too much, isn’t it?!”

One remaining was too busy shouting to raise a weapon.

“I’m a former priest, and although I have some combat skills due to my talent, I’m essentially a non-combatant! Is it all because you’re a god?! What kind of god pushes their apostle into a place like this…?!”

It was Rashar, who forcefully shut the mouth of the complaining Gilenios.