episode_0356

Chapter 356 – One Year

“Actually, Nephelina and I were originally one being.”

“Excuse me? One being?”

“Yes. I don’t know since when. I just existed within chaos. Born from the aspirations of humans, I possessed both light and darkness.”

“Human aspirations, huh….”

Faith is belief in a god.

Willpower may seem to have little effect at first glance, but when thousands, tens of thousands, of them gather, they become an undeniable, powerful force.

It felt as if I had discovered one of the paths leading towards a god.

“But perhaps that was why? I was greatly influenced by humans. Seeing humans tremble in fear whenever the darkness within me manifested, I came to believe that darkness was unnecessary. Naturally, light and darkness repelled each other and split into two. That’s how Repentia, the Goddess of Light, and Nephelina, the Goddess of Darkness, were born.”

It was quite a wondrous tale.

For a single being to split into two just from thinking it was unnecessary…

Since her very origin was special, such absurd things seemed possible.

“And that’s why Nephelina was able to intervene in the summoning. Since we were originally one, it was easier for her to sneak in unnoticed.”

“I see. But it’s strange. Unlike other possessed individuals, I was just an ordinary person who was framed. Why did Nephelina bring me here?”

Could it really have just been a mistake?

Given Repentia’s current actions, and the fact that they split from one being, it wasn’t impossible for Nephelina to be a bit ditzy.

Repentia lowered her gaze at my questioning look and answered softly.

“That… was my will.”

“Your will?”

“Yes. It was clear that the mortal realm would fall into chaos if things continued as they were. Although Nephelina’s intervention derailed my plan, the power granted to the possessed individuals became equally stronger. So, I possessed your soul into the body that would be granted the greatest power. I believed you would be able to overcome this crisis.”

“What in the world… *sigh*.”

I understood Repentia’s position.

However, regardless of what my mind accepted, a complex, untamed rage was raging uncontrollably within my chest.

“…I’m sorry.”

“……”

Repentia apologized again, but this wasn’t a problem that could be solved with a simple apology.

As I remained silent, Repentia lifted her head and slowly clutched the front of her skirt.

“Of course, I know it can’t be solved with just words. So, I intend to receive my punishment.”

“…Punishment?”

“Yes.”

Nodding with a determined expression, she glanced at Ursilla standing beside her, then blushed and lifted her skirt.

As the fabric rose, her plump thighs and lower body, clad in pure white panties, were revealed.

Caught off guard by the sudden situation, I couldn’t even react, only staring blankly at her panties.

Meanwhile, Repentia tightly closed her eyes and blurted out something shocking.

“I-I-I’ll atone with my… p-!”

What in the world was that supposed to mean?

‘Did my ears betray me?’

In such an unrealistic situation, I poked my ear once and asked again.

“What did you just say?”

“I-I’ll atone with my p-! You can violate me until you feel better!”

Fortunately, my ears were fine.

The Goddess had truly issued me a free pass to her p-.

It was certainly a tempting offer, but unfortunately, we weren’t the only two here.

I couldn’t escape the gaze that was so chilling it felt like an icy glare on the side of my head. Even if I were a playboy with a double-digit number of lovers, I couldn’t cheat right in front of them.

More importantly, there were far more urgent matters at hand.

“I simply can’t understand Your Goddess’s thoughts. Why are you suddenly making such an offer?”

“W-what? B-but Hyunwoo-nim often said so. That someday he’d make me atone with my p-…”

The Goddess wore a wronged expression.

At her sincere face, Ursilla, who had been retreating, stepped forward decisively.

“Hyun. Did you really say that?”

“N-no? You’ve been inside my body all along! Why are you doubting me?”

“Really? Then why would the Goddess say that?”

Ursilla’s murderous gaze shifted from me to the Goddess.

It implicitly questioned whether the Goddess was perhaps lying to get screwed by someone else’s man.

The Goddess cried out, as if wronged.

“No! I didn’t lie! He definitely said it! I even heard it right before he came to meet me!”

“How did you hear it? Do you read minds or something?”

“Yes! Not precisely, but I can vaguely sense it!”

“……”

I was speechless.

It seemed unbelievable, but since she was a Goddess, it was hard to definitively say it was impossible.

After all, even when devotees pray to a Goddess, they silently make wishes, not babble them out loud.

Sensing that the momentum had completely shifted, I hastily changed the subject.

“More importantly, we don’t have time to waste here. Forget the apology; please grant me a request.”

“What? A request?”

“Yes. Do you know about Skadia Maryland?”

“Ah…”

As I brought up my true purpose, her face, which had been full of shame and indignation, turned serious.

Ursilla, who had been exerting pressure, also sighed and stepped back.

“I know about that. You want me to eliminate the power that’s corrupting Skadia Maryland, right?”

“That’s right. You can do it, can’t you, Your Goddess?”

Repentia’s divine power was the perfect antithesis to Nephelina’s.

Moreover, as they were originally one, her understanding of Nephelina would be unparalleled.

If she couldn’t do it, no one could.

However, to my dismay, the answer from Repentia was negative.

“I’m sorry, but it’s impossible right now.”

“Why?”

“That’s…”

Repentia pointed upwards.

Then, the entirely white space split apart, revealing a sky stained black.

The aura felt from beyond it was chilling just to perceive. It was a power incomparable even to when Levios descended with his heart.

“As you can see, Nephelina is constantly eyeing opportunities. I cannot make any rash moves. Especially because the dimensional barrier has thinned due to the last incident, if I avert my gaze even for a moment, the barrier will collapse, and all dimensions will connect.”

“…That means it’s impossible as long as Nephelina exists.”

“That’s right. I’m sorry.”

The best option was blocked.

Given this, only one course of action remained.

“Then let’s just break down the dimensional barrier and defeat Nephelina. If we remove the cause, isn’t that it?”

The wielder of the power was Nephelina.

If the wielder ceased to exist, her byproducts would naturally disappear as well.

However, this time too, Repentia’s answer was no.

“If we do that, I can’t guarantee the safety of the continent. The demonic beasts that came over with Nephelina will lay waste to the continent. There are still two ancient demonic beasts in the Demon Realm.”

Ancient demonic beasts referred to creatures that had reached the realm of transcendence, like Behemoth or Levios.

If two such creatures were to appear at once, even if they were stopped, the damage would be immeasurable.

From Repentia’s perspective, there was no reason to bear such a risk just for my request.

“Damn it…”

Faced with an undeniable truth, I bit my lip.

‘Is there really no way?’

No, that couldn’t be.

There was a way.

It was just too far-fetched and distant.

I finally settled for the next best option.

“Understood. Then I will return in one year.”

“In one year?”

“Yes. By then, I will become strong enough to easily defeat Nephelina. Then you can agree to break down the barrier, right?”

Repentia had refused because of the potential harm to the continent.

If so, I just needed to kill Nephelina with overwhelming power, ensuring no harm would occur.

I could do it.

“…I promise. If Hyunwoo-nim becomes that strong, I will break down the dimensional barrier and fight alongside you against Nephelina.”

“Good. Then please send me back. I have no more time to waste.”

“Yes. See you next time.”

Repentia smiled.

It was a smile hoping that I would return.

And that I would grow stronger.

So that I could save the lives of everyone on the continent.

Immediately after, my vision was enveloped in a dazzling light once more.

When my eyes recovered, my soul had, at some point, settled back into my body.

I stood up and looked at His Holiness the Pope.

“Thanks to Your Holiness, I was able to have a meaningful conversation with the Goddess. Thank you.”

“Are you satisfied?”

“Yes. I will return to visit you again in one year.”

“Very well. You may go. You seem to have urgent matters.”

I bowed respectfully to the kindly smiling Pope and then exited the holy ground.

After a brief farewell with the Saintess, my footsteps led directly to the Grey Magic Tower, specifically, Roxana’s magic research lab.

Bang!

As I roughly pushed the door open and stepped inside, Roxana, who had been engrossed in her magic research, widened her eyes and approached me.

“Ruan? What brings you here? Didn’t you say you were going to the holy ground today?”

“I went and came back. I have something to tell you because of it.”

“…Did things not go well?”

“No. They went well. I just have something to ask.”

“What is it?”

Would this actually work?

If it were possible, then overwhelming Nephelina in one year would be simple.

“You said time flows slowly within the illusion barrier last time, right? That it flows almost as if stopped, allowing Skadia’s death to be delayed.”

“You don’t mean…”

“Yes. I’m going to train inside that illusion barrier for one year. It’s possible, right?”

“Well, that’s true, but…”

Roxana’s reluctance was evident.

And understandably so, because if I entered the illusion world, she wouldn’t be able to see me for a year.

I gripped Roxana by the shoulders.

“I’m sorry. But I have to do it. Please? It’s a request.”

“…Ruan. The time difference between inside and outside the illusion barrier is enormous. We don’t know how long one year outside will be inside. Your mind might even break. Are you still okay with that?”

“Of course, I’m not okay. I won’t be able to see Roxana for a year. Ah, I want to do it with Deborah and you again, the three of us.”

That was truly amazing back then.

As I smirked and pulled her into a hug, Roxana, her face flushed, pinched my side.

“You only think about that, don’t you? Pervert.”

“All men are perverts. Just in case, don’t you dare cheat on me while I’m gone, alright?”

“You promise *me*! Promise to love me just as much in a year! Got it?”

“Of course. Then, I won’t go easy on you after holding back for so long. You won’t be able to walk for about a week.”

“You pervert… Are you going in right away?”

“No. I need to call everyone else and say goodbye. Just a moment. I’ll make some calls.”

Releasing Roxana, I used a communicator to call all my acquaintances.

The magic research lab instantly became bustling.

“Ruan! Are you really going into the illusion world?”

Isis.

“I can’t let you go alone!”

Deborah.

“That’s right! Let’s go together!”

Alisa.

Everyone else, too, expressed their worries and reluctance, saying a word or two.

They all wanted to go with me, but unfortunately, the illusion barrier had a capacity limit, and its stability decreased with more people.

For Skadia’s safety, it was best to keep the numbers as low as possible.

Only after explaining this could I finally get their permission.

“Alright, I’m off. Don’t be too sad, everyone. If you get lonely, just tell Pernia. She’ll lend you something good.”

A 100% synchronized dildo would offer some comfort, at least for a while.

“Hey! You crazy bastard!”

“See you in a year.”

I lightly ignored the barrage of insults coming from behind me and leaped into the illusion world that Roxana had opened.

The illusion was so precise that it felt no different from simply teleporting.

The place I arrived at was a splendid flower field.

In the center of the field, filled with flowers of various colors, an ice crystal stood out, truly alien.

Inside it, Skadia lay asleep, as beautiful as a snow fairy.

“Long time no see? Have you been well?”

There was no way a reply would come, but I felt I had to do this to shake off the longing.

Truthfully, I hadn’t realized it before Skadia fell asleep, but I think I truly liked her.

While part of it might be due to synchronizing with Ruan Friuli, even without that, Skadia was a woman with too many attractive qualities.

Perhaps that’s why I had abused her so wickedly and cruelly.

Because I trusted her.

Because I loved her.

The pain of betrayal had been intense.

Now, however, any desire for revenge or hatred was nowhere to be found.

I placed my hand on the crystal.

“Just wait a little longer for me. I’ll definitely save you. I’ll come visit every day, so don’t complain that I come too often, okay?”

I love you, Skadia.

After briefly imprinting her face in my mind, I turned and left the flower garden.

“One year…”

During that time, I would become as strong as possible.

I didn’t know how long that would be in this world, but I had no intention of taking it easy.

From that day forward, I began my rigorous training.