Ch.172Chapter 172. Spirit World Escape No.1 (2)

Chapter 172. Spirit World Escape No.1 (2)

“…!”

I was so flustered that I couldn’t say anything and just stammered.

I wasn’t particularly surprised to see Nikea alive since she was originally an unfamiliar figure to me.

But these people were different. They were people whose faces I knew, and I had felt great loss when I heard they were gone.

Among them, I had even seen the corpses of Denzo and Nix. I clearly remembered watching them being buried.

I was torn between feeling joy or terror at this supernatural phenomenon.

“Messenger… Sanz? I can’t seem to remember at all. Haha. Getting old makes me forgetful.”

Denzo scratched his head and burst into hearty laughter.

Kanto’s reliable right-hand man and the security chief of the tribal federation for several years doesn’t remember me?

Come on, there are things to forget, but this doesn’t make sense. Denzo was part of the leadership, so he couldn’t possibly not know Messenger Sanz.

Are these beings just wearing the faces of people I knew? Or are they being controlled after having parts of their memories eaten?

As these terrifying thoughts about the spirit realm’s truth crossed my mind, Nikea, who had been quietly observing, spoke up.

“Souls arrive in the spirit realm with unstable memories. They lose things during the process of losing their physical bodies and wandering. How much memory is lost varies from person to person. You should assume that almost no soul retains complete memories.”

“…Is there no way to recover lost memories?”

That’s a bit scary. It means I might have lost some memories in the process of coming here too. Without even knowing it.

“Many recover their memories gradually while staying here. If they have lingering attachments to their previous life, they’ll eventually regain their memories.”

Uh, that’s not what I was curious about. Just as I thought this, Nikea continued.

“The Proxy doesn’t need to worry. You’re not an ordinary soul; you’re here in this dimension as a Roa. You wouldn’t have lost your memories.”

“Ah.”

I worried for nothing.

Anyway, these people here have lost some memories, but they’re still the people I know, right?

Then it doesn’t matter. They’re my believers, my people.

“You’re from Earth too, right? Or should I say, a possessor? Anyway, we used to chat in the community sometimes.”

Beep-beep-beep, Gukbap approached with a friendly smile. Looking to be in his late 20s or early 30s, he was an Asian man wearing a Korean military uniform.

According to Nikea, souls take on the appearance that represents them best.

Was Gukbap a professional soldier? I wondered if his selfless spirit led him to make that choice at the end.

“Korean? Chinese? No, Japanese?”

He extended his rough, scarred hand. The fact that the scars remained despite him being a soul meant that they were part of what defined Gukbap.

I grasped his hand. Wow, his grip strength is no joke.

“I’m Korean.”

Perhaps because we’re from the same homeland, I naturally spoke informally. Though he looked older than me, someone of messenger rank couldn’t speak formally.

“How are my comrades doing? Are they well?”

His memories seemed quite intact as he asked about the Dina Special Forces.

“Yeah. Everyone’s safe except for you and Sister Bella.”

“What? She died too? Ah, damn it! I thought I saved everyone!”

“…I heard she died before you did?”

I saw it on the community.

Come to think of it, Sister Bella never made it to the spirit realm. Was it because she didn’t believe in the spirit realm or in me?

“R-really? The battle was so chaotic… Did we kill the Dark Cloud demon?”

What the…

“We killed the Dark Cloud demon ages ago. We had an all-out war with the Seven-Headed Dragon demon. You lost your life then.”

“Ah, is that so…? But what’s the Seven-Headed Dragon demon?”

“…”

“Hmm. Strange.”

Gukbap clicked his tongue.

It seems this friend’s memories aren’t completely intact either.

“Your skin is yellow. Like that man called Gukbap. How fascinating.”

“Are you from another continent? This is my first time seeing someone like you. I’ve heard of people with blue skin though.”

“Other races have come to believe in the Roas too! They’ve recognized the greatness of our culture!”

“Messenger? I don’t know what that is, but you’re a comrade who fought under Malak, right? Welcome!”

Other barbarian warriors approached. People whose faces I couldn’t remember.

They could be people who died before the apocalypse, or those who followed me and died afterward.

Either way, they’re all Malak’s believers.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Sanz, Malak’s messenger. I am his spokesperson and deliverer.”

Even though I came to the spirit realm as a Roa, it would be strange to claim to be a Roa while in a human soul state. I decided to go with messenger.

After briefly introducing myself to them again, I explained my purpose.

It wasn’t much.

Unlike them, I’m still alive, but during a battle with demons, I fell into something like a comatose state(?) and came to the spirit realm. Now I need to return to the ground to help Malak.

Something like that.

“Malak and I are still connected. He has granted me his power. This is proof.”

I used the blessing “Malak’s Power” to create a blue cloud above my head.

“Ohhh…!”

“Y-you really are his spokesperson?!”

“This sacred energy! It’s definitely Malak’s power!”

After tolerating the barbarians’ excitement for a while, I spoke again. I needed to speak loudly and clearly here, so I took a deep breath.

“Are there any brave warriors who will help me reach the spirit gate? Malak will remember your efforts!”

“Uooooooh!”

“Malak! We will follow your will!”

“I’ll go! Even through flames! Long live Roa Malak!”

“Hooray!”

The barbarians raised their various weapons high and shouted wildly. Definitely effective.

“Well, I’ve got nothing else to do… might as well go.”

Gukbap, who had been watching the frenzied barbarians with a sour expression, pulled out a hammer.

Seeing someone in a Korean military uniform wielding a massive war hammer gave me a strange feeling… like dog meat tanghulu or mint chocolate doenjang jjigae.

Perhaps the spirit realm can’t manifest Earth-style weapons like rifles.

“Messenger of Malak.”

Amidst all this, a woman cautiously approached me.

Her name was Nix, carrying a long reaper’s scythe on her back.

“…!”

For a moment, I almost greeted her as someone I knew.

Nix had explored the necromancer’s tomb with me. I remembered her carrying me around after I had descended into Totem #2.

We were also together when we escaped from Dubenheim because of Charon and his zombie army. I had encouraged her and her tribe members all the way to the Golden Sun tribe.

Perhaps because we had formed a close bond, my feelings seeing her were slightly different from when I saw Gukbap or Denzo.

“This is my first time meeting you in person. I am Nix, daughter of Ama and Juri, chief and priestess of the Sky Tree tribe.”

She bowed politely. Then, as if realizing something:

“Ah, I’m no longer a chief or priestess. My mistake.”

“It’s fine.”

Just a small error.

“I lost my life during the war with the Dark Cloud demon… I’m curious about the outcome. Did we win?”

She seemed to have intact memories.

The outcome, huh. It seems she died before the Dark Cloud demon was defeated.

“Of course. It was a great victory. Malak completely destroyed the Dark Cloud.”

“I see…! That’s a relief. No one has been able to answer me until now, so I was curious.”

Nix let out a deep sigh.

“Will you join us?”

Hiding my feelings of joy and familiarity, I asked indifferently.

“Just as I served Malak, I will serve you, Messenger Sanz.”

Nix knelt down.

“Hmm.”

I felt an inexplicable sense of satisfaction as I raised the corners of my mouth.

***

A day after Charon proposed a deal to the possessors, a post with a photo appeared on the community.

It was posted by Charon.

[OneSlice: Many of you think I won’t keep my promise.

Some even suggest I’ll control my zombie legion to destroy the surface. You seem to think I’m no different from the other gods.

What I want is the prosperity of humanity free from the gods’ control. I have no need to kill you or destroy the tribal federation.

I would gladly do so if necessary, but that time is not now.

(Photo of three slightly anxious-looking boys looking at the camera)

These are children I rescued from Bolbano. They said they were abandoned by Malak.

They now live under my protection. They receive everything they need to live.

When all is done, I will leave the surface to humanity and disappear with my army.

I swear on my honor and that of my ancestors.

I say again.

What I want is the end of mythology. Once my purpose is achieved, I too will disappear. I am prepared for that.]

“Huh? Aren’t these those guys?”

Siwoo, who was reading the post with a deep frown, nudged Monkey.

“What?”

“It’s those guys! The kids who raped and killed people and tried to steal stuff! They were banished!”

“Oh, you’re right!”

“Charon, that idiot! Of all the people to save, he saves these bastards!”

“Bwahaha!”

“Birds of a feather!”

Siwoo burst into laughter and jumped up.

“Hey! Let’s go tell everyone!”

“Let’s go~!”

That day, Charon became everyone’s laughingstock.