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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“To summarize, I told him that there were evil spirits roaming the mortal world that belonged in the underworld, and that he was so incompetent that he hadn’t noticed-”
[You crazy son of a bitch!!!]
Guiho’s furious shriek was swallowed by the earsplitting roar. I clenched my fists, my gaze fixed on the spot where the wine cup had vanished.
Things had gone sideways.
The God of the Underworld, who was supposed to politely possess Sogong’s clone, had descended upon the mortal world directly. Or at least, he was close enough to engulf the world in darkness.
This was an emergency.
I had assumed Sogong’s clone wouldn’t be significantly affected by the possession, and that Guiho, despite her weakened state, would endure, protected by her Guardian’s body.
But the God of the Underworld’s true form…that changed everything. We could all be driven mad, reduced to empty shells.
‘No. The God of the Underworld wouldn’t want that.’
Something didn’t add up. It would have been easier for him to simply manifest his form.
Exerting his influence on the mortal world, especially through such a convoluted method, required a tremendous amount of power.
So why bother engulfing the world in darkness, leaving only the formation untouched?
My conclusion was simple, to shield our eyes.
He only wanted to communicate with those who summoned him, minimizing the number of witnesses.
A considerate gesture, perhaps, to prevent others from being driven mad by gazing upon his true form.
‘I was right. The God of the Underworld is a just and impartial god. At least, he doesn’t intend to destroy the world upon arrival.’
I had worried that he might be a corrupted god, intent on annihilation, but it seemed he was as the legends described. Just and impartial, an embodiment of the concept of justice rather than a god with individual desires.
“Oh God of the Underworld! Please shield the eyes of the others! I wish to speak with you alone!”
[What?! Are you insane?! How can you endure his ‘will’ alone?! Silence!]
“I was always going to endure it alone!”
[That was before we knew he would descend in his true form! Even your ironclad mind will shatter if you face him alone! We need to share the burden! Sogong! You’re alright with this, right? It’s just a clone, so it doesn’t matter if it breaks!]
“Uwaa…this clone contains 70% of my power…”
Sogong reluctantly nodded, tears welling in her eyes.
Undecided squeezed my hand, her resolve unwavering. Sharing the burden between the four of us…that was ridiculous.
Even divided by four, a frail blood ghoul child, a washed-up guardian, and a giant centipede couldn’t withstand the pressure of the God of the Underworld’s true form.
“Stop talking nonsense and close your eyes-”
“…!”
Suddenly, the roar ceased, and a clink echoed through the void. The wine cup reappeared before Sogong, now empty. We trembled, lifting our heads.
The darkness remained, an endless abyss, yet we felt as if we could see something within it, a strange, compelling illusion.
Guiho and Sogong, their gazes fixed on the void, seemed equally entranced.
We stared, captivated, our minds emptying, forgetting where we were, what we were doing…
|Avert your gaze from the darkness.|
“…!”
A low voice echoed in our minds, not through our ears, but directly into our consciousness, similar to Draken’s eerie voice. But this voice, the God of the Underworld’s voice, was human, soothing, almost…familiar.
Yet, a subtle dissonance lingered, a hint of something inhuman imitating human speech.
“Yes…”
We responded, snapping out of our trance, our gazes falling to the ground. The formation beneath our feet came into focus, anchoring us back to reality.
We had almost been lost, our minds on the verge of shattering.
‘Will I lose my memories again if I look at him directly?’
When I met Draken, I had looked him in the eye, but I had lost those memories. I wanted to test if the same would happen with the God of the Underworld, but the risk of becoming a drooling, amnesiac mess was too great.
I kept my gaze fixed on the ground.
|I am the Ten Kings of the Underworld. I have answered your summons. Speak, you who called upon me.|
“I am the one who summoned you. I wish to speak with you alone. Please shield the eyes of the others.”
|Hmm…|
A thoughtful hum resonated through the void, making my head throb. Guiho and Sogong winced, clearly experiencing the same discomfort.
|Has one already fled?|
“Excuse me?”
|It is nothing.|
The God of the Underworld sounded slightly disappointed.
|I cannot grant your request yet. I have a question before I shield their eyes. Who prepared this offering?|
[I did…]
|Oh! Have you been to the underworld? Are you perhaps a native of the underworld? I’ve heard tales of demons escaping the underworld and settling in the mortal world. Are you one of them?|
[N-No, sir!]
The God of the Underworld’s voice quickened, laced with sudden excitement.
Guiho flinched, vehemently denying his accusation.
Why this sudden interest? Was there a backstory I had forgotten, something about Guiho being from the underworld?
|I don’t intend to devour you. I simply wish to know how you escaped the underworld. Those unruly demons have been causing quite a bit of trouble in the mortal world…|
[I apologize for the misunderstanding. I am not from the underworld, nor have I ever set foot in it, or even seen it. I am not lying out of fear, so please understand.]
|You don’t know the underworld? Then what is that beneath your feet?|
[It is a formation taught to me by my master. A formation passed down through generations, said to create a connection to the underworld…]
|How curious. That…is the underworld.|
“Uh…!”
I finally took in the entire formation. The black earth of iron sand, devoid of life. The four massive pillars at each cardinal point. The white lines converging in the center.
I remembered seeing something similar in the concept art for the game.
This…was the underworld.
A simplified representation of it, at least. We had drawn a map of the underworld in the mortal world and summoned its god. No wonder he was curious.
We shouldn’t have known what the underworld looked like. It was a miracle the pulling force hadn’t been stronger.
|Regardless, I understand. Thousands of years ago…I must investigate those who escaped the underworld during that time. To think that the layout of the underworld has been leaked to the mortal world…|
“…?!”
|Ah, don’t worry. I don’t intend to punish you for knowing. I simply wanted to know how you obtained this knowledge, how you operate outside my sight. I have a rather…controlling personality. Everything must be within my view. Now then…since I have no further questions for you, shall I shield your eyes?|
“Please.”
[Hey, Yoo-jin! What are you-]
Whoosh~
Sogong and Guiho’s voices vanished into the abyss. I glanced at the spots where they had been standing, now filled with only darkness.
Fearing another glimpse into the void would shatter my mind, I quickly averted my gaze.
‘I promised to endure it alone. This is the right thing to do.’
Every word, every exchange, had drained the color from Sogong and Guiho’s faces.
Guiho had insisted on sharing the burden, but she was clearly reaching her limit. I had to protect them.
|So, why did you summon me? Make it quick. You won’t last long alone.|
“I have a request.”
|A request? Is it related to the evil spirits roaming the mortal world?|
“Yes. I ask that you retrieve them.”
|So, you wish to use my power to resolve your crisis. Is that it?|
“…”
He had seen through my charade. I had assumed he wouldn’t care about our situation, that he would simply focus on collecting the spirits. I had been wrong. I had to choose my words carefully.
My mind raced, and I spoke, my voice trembling slightly.
“Yes. The spirits you failed to collect, due to your oversight, are causing problems in the mortal world. I would be grateful if you would rectify this situation.”
|Oversight? I do not make mistakes. My judgments are always correct. And even if I were to make a mistake, the laws of the world would bend to my will, making it no longer a mistake.|
“That might be true within your sight, but it’s different out here. Are you saying that the beings you missed aren’t the result of your oversight? That’s just burying your head in the sand.”
|…|
Silence.
The God of the Underworld’s voice vanished.
I had been hoping for a reprieve, my head pounding with every word, but the silence, though relieving, was also unsettling. I had angered him. I was certain of it. I could almost hear my heart pounding in my chest.
But his next words were completely unexpected.
|You are correct. I am not accustomed to human language and have made an error. Forgive me.|
“N-No, it’s fine.”
|If failing to capture those outside my sight is a mistake, then it is indeed a mistake. You are right. My lack of power prevented me from capturing those who escaped my sight. Even if there are no ‘errors’ within my view, it is meaningless if I cannot capture those outside it. I thank you for expanding my vision by summoning me.|
I had inadvertently earned the gratitude of the God of the Underworld.
I flinched, unsure how to react.
Then, an overwhelming pressure, far greater than before, crashed down on me, a splitting headache making me cry out.
“Ugh…?!”
|Speak their names. I will capture them, within the limits of the pulling force you have generated, and judge them accordingly. But if they are not deserving of punishment, you will face the consequences.|
“Luna! The Necromancer Luna! And Kali! The Great Druid Kali!”
|The names of the mortal world are always so…unfamiliar. But that is enough. If there are no others with the same names, I should find them easily…Hmm. One of them seems to be hiding here, like a rat.|
“…?!”
His voice turned cold. I realized I wasn’t alone.
Inside my clothes…a small spider was hiding.
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