Ch.118Ep.118 What I Must Lose, What I Can Gain

“Wandering spirit of the netherworld, the Devourer of Death calls you. Rise from the shadows and answer my summons.”

As Radios activated the Dead Subduing spell, the remnants of Azathoth that had been gradually disappearing began to gather in one place.

Perhaps because he needed to draw in a being with an Ascended Order as a subordinate, the resistance exceeded normal parameters.

But since Radios himself was a being who transcended those normal parameters, he could easily subdue it.

However, Namgung Ihyun showed a rather negative reaction to this plan.

[Do you really have to save him? That guy… he’s the root of all evil.]

“Namgung Ihyun. I don’t think this is a good method either.”

[Then..!]

“Shut up and stay still. I need to concentrate.”

Radios couldn’t help but use harsh words.

It was understandable, as he was concentrating so intensely that veins were bulging at his temples.

Perhaps because Azathoth had absorbed nearly 100 Divine Orders before meeting his end, he possessed more power than Radios had anticipated.

There’s always a price to pay for accepting all of these and performing subjugation.

In particular, Dead Subduing was a spell designated as forbidden magic even among the goblin tribe.

To subjugate the dead, one must ‘understand’ the deceased’s life.

Yes. Radios could not resurrect Azathoth without understanding the life of someone he despised.

But he had not the slightest intention of understanding Azathoth.

That’s why he was focusing so intently on the Dead Subduing spell.

Kwaaaaa!

As the process neared its final stage, a ferocious energy began to dominate the surrounding space.

Namgung Ihyun flinched at the sight of Azathoth emitting such power even in death.

No matter how much she had to follow her master’s orders, the moment she would have to share a room with Azathoth was approaching.

She couldn’t help but feel tense.

Of course, Radios had no intention of treating Namgung Ihyun and Azathoth the same way.

Although Namgung Ihyun was also a murderer who had killed countless lives.

From her perspective, there were some understandable points, so he had given her the benefit of the doubt.

But Azathoth was different.

His memories that Radios could glimpse while performing the spell.

From those memories… Radios gained an unforgivable certainty.

Azathoth, this bastard… was nothing more than a son of a bitch who lacked even the basic principles that a living being should possess.

He wasn’t always a monster from the beginning.

As time passed, he compromised with the world, eventually breaking himself and ultimately transforming into a monster.

In that process, he too experienced numerous betrayals, and even trampled on comrades he had trusted.

Time continued to flow, and eventually only Chaos and Azathoth remained in the world.

They began a wager to add interest to their tedious lives.

And the end of that wager was ultimately death.

Radios, having tasted the cruel past that was not worth any sympathy.

Finally felt the sensation of entering the stage of subjugating Azathoth.

Five minutes at most.

In that time, he could resurrect Azathoth.

Grrrr!

Of course, this was against the natural order.

Azathoth should have immediately vanished after awakening his Ascended Order and meeting death.

But thanks to the undigested Divine Orders, a tiny remnant could remain.

It couldn’t be said that forcibly extracting this was the right answer.

But Radios didn’t care about such things.

He had already experienced what kinds of beings lived in this world.

And as long as no voices came from them, it was a signal not to intervene.

Which meant he could do whatever he wanted.

As time passed.

[Ugh… Where is… this— Kuhak!]

“Nice to meet you, you bastard. I used something special for you.”

[Ra, Radios— Kuaaaaaaah!!]

“I’ve completely restored your consciousness from when you were alive while maintaining absolute command authority. You’re going to suffer a lot from now on.”

Radios glared at Azathoth with eyes full of madness.

Even though Radios had decided to treat his subordinates relatively well, he didn’t consider Azathoth a subordinate.

And Azathoth, perhaps because of the master-servant relationship with Radios, could clearly sense Radios’s current emotions.

Anger, destruction, regret, madness, joy, and all kinds of emotions rushed in at once.

And the destination of all those emotions was hatred toward the being called Azathoth.

Perhaps that’s why Azathoth abandoned all his pride and bowed his head before him.

[I, I have committed a great wrong! Please! Please master— Kuk!]

“Who’s your master? I am not the master of filth like you!”

[Ugh… Please..! Please spare me..!]

Azathoth revealed his desire for life even as he was being choked.

Radios couldn’t understand why someone who had lived so long would fear death so much.

Especially since this guy had started that terrible wager because he was bored with life.

“You’re already dead. You should know that, right?”

[..!]

“I resurrected you with the Dead Subduing spell. Don’t ask what that is since you know Namgung Ihyun’s case. I won’t kill you anyway.”

[Kuk! Kuuuh…]

Radios, seemingly disgusted even to touch Azathoth, threw him toward the ground.

Perhaps due to his strength that exceeded normal parameters, Azathoth was thrown to the ground and burrowed through it for about 20km.

[Ma, master… Is that okay?]

“It doesn’t matter. That bastard can’t defy me.”

[I guess that’s true…]

Namgung Ihyun felt an inexplicable chill watching the scene.

Seeing Azathoth being treated so harshly, she felt fortunate that she had gotten off easy?

It was enough to make her think she was lucky to have died and become Radios’s subordinate before committing more sins.

Radios narrowed his eyes as he watched Azathoth squirming while buried in the ground.

‘That bastard… even in this state, his obsession with life is remarkable?’

He surely must know he was resurrected through Dead Subduing…

Ah, perhaps he’s focusing on the fact that he’s been resurrected, regardless of the circumstances?

‘I should talk to him.’

Whoosh.

As Radios landed in front of Azathoth, he grabbed Radios’s ankle and pleaded.

[Please… please show mercy…]

“Mercy? You’re asking me to show mercy to someone who abandoned me?”

[I will live for you. I’ll do anything. So please..!]

“Kuk, kuhahaha! Hahahahaha!”

Radios finally burst into laughter at the sight of Azathoth behaving so pathetically.

The being he once thought unreachable was now clutching at his pant leg.

This was completely like a lover begging for one more chance right before breaking up.

“Shouldn’t you reconsider your position?”

It was ridiculous, utterly ridiculous.

It was so ridiculous that no other word but ‘ridiculous’ came to mind.

“A god who abandoned me… is now obsessing over me… I didn’t know it would feel this disgusting.”

[Please… please…]

Honestly, he had imagined it before.

What if traitors grabbed his pant leg and begged for their lives? Wouldn’t he feel elation?

But Serena, that bastard, paid for her betrayal by having her life spared.

She had clearly settled their relationship of gratitude and resentment.

Radios knew this, so he decided to try not to think about Serena as much as possible.

Even now, the thought of her stabbing him in the heart made him angry.

But if it weren’t for that action, there might not have been a future where he could destroy Azathoth now.

However, Azathoth was different.

Even though he had betrayed him just like Serena, and the feeling of betrayal itself felt less intense.

After glimpsing his evil deeds and past, he was nothing but disgusting trash that Radios didn’t even want to associate with.

To the point where he didn’t even want to take revenge.

It was inevitable that he would feel uncomfortable with such a person becoming obsessed with him.

“Do you think I will forgive you?”

[I beg you..! Please..!]

“Then guide me to the other side of truth.”

[..!]

“Why are you so surprised?”

Radios smiled as Azathoth was startled.

He clearly wouldn’t have dreamed of it.

That Radios had seen his past from beginning to end in summary.

He probably thought there was no way Radios could know about the other side of truth.

But Radios was persistent.

“Are you really not going to tell me the way to the other side of truth?”

[…]

“Then I have no choice. I’ll just have to beat you with a bamboo sword until you talk.”

Giiing.

As Radios gathered magical power in his fist, the Judgment’s Ascended Order condensed, and the space began to distort with crackling sounds.

This was Radios’s true power, which had transcended the very concept of Ascended Order and reached multiverse level.

Azathoth, who had been quietly observing this, finally hung his head weakly.

[I will… tell you…]