The Apocalypse Has Been Downloaded – Chapter 29

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: JayM
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‘Steven’s Pillar’ materialized in midair. This time, I was prepared, so I caught it before it could fall on me.

“Ugh… What is this?”

I frowned at the feeling of holding a soft yet firm silicone lump. It even felt strangely warm, and a slightly sticky mucus coated its surface. It was, how should I put it, a bizarrely shaped ‘rod’.

“Huh.”

“Oppa, this really looks like…”

“A dildo…?”

Shouldn’t it be called Steven’s ‘Phallus’ instead of Steven’s Pillar? What was with this strange, phallic-shaped object…? Huh.

‘It says offering this to an evil god will increase their favorability? I still don’t understand it though. Do evil gods like receiving these kinds of things? What are they thinking? Well, how could I possibly understand the thoughts of an evil god?’

What was this thing? I couldn’t figure out its purpose. It couldn’t actually be a dildo, right? No, it couldn’t possibly mean I should gift a sex toy to an evil god. Did evil gods even have genders?

The only evil gods I knew were Kashnax and Indikron. And I couldn’t tell either of their genders.

First, Kashnax communicated through telepathy that made my head buzz, so I couldn’t tell if it was male or female. And even though I had faced Indikron directly, I couldn’t discern its gender either.

I only vaguely sensed its form composed of countless insects tangled together like a cloud.

It didn’t even seem to have vocal cords. It merely mimicked human language through the sound of crushed insects. Even then, the voice sounded so strained that I could barely understand what it was saying, let alone determine its gender.

I assumed they were both male, but I secretly wished they were goddesses.

‘Maybe they’re genderless.’

Anyway, I would offer this to Kashnax later. I felt the need to increase Kashnax’s favorability, considering his indifference towards me.

“Oppa, what is this reward for?”

“This? This is…”

Come to think of it, I had chosen the reward without consulting them. I hadn’t even told them much about the evil gods in the first place.

“It says that if I offer this to a god, it will increase their favorability towards me.”

“God…?”

Ha-rin looked noticeably uneasy. Even I would be flustered if I were in her shoes, being suddenly thrust into a world overrun by corpses, and now hearing about unknown gods.

“Don’t be too scared. They’re on our side. Our side.”

Actually, I wasn’t sure if they were on our side or not.

From their perspective, I might just be a pawn.

‘Besides, they’re both insane evil gods. It’s hard to call them allies.’

However, they were helping me for now, so couldn’t I call them allies? Or not. I didn’t want to make them anxious by telling them the whole truth, so I kept quiet about that part.

‘Anyway, I’ve already become their servant. And my class uses their power, so…’

In the end, I didn’t explain the details about the evil gods I had encountered to Eun-ji and Ha-rin. I just reassured them by saying they were on our side for now.

‘Since we’re talking about gods, I should tell them about the impending attack.’

I had planned to tell them about it after receiving all the achievement rewards, but since the topic of gods had come up, I decided to explain everything to them now.

“So, you’re saying messengers of other gods? Or followers? Anyway, those kinds of guys are coming?”

“Master, this is a pretty dangerous situation, right?”

“That’s right. We might have to kill a lot of people soon.”

Both Eun-ji and Ha-rin paled at the mention of other gods’ messengers coming to kill me. It was understandable since they knew nothing about gods and yet the story had progressed without their knowledge. They must be confused right now.

“I’ve already experienced killing. I’m okay.”

“Me too. I’ve accepted it, Master.”

Fortunately, they both understood what to do. Well, in a world where disaster update notices were a thing, there wasn’t much they couldn’t accept.

“Let’s move on to the next reward.”

“Okay!” “Yes…”

They didn’t ask any further about the gods or their messengers who were targeting me. Their expressions just changed slightly.

Eun-ji’s eyes showed determination at the prospect of having to kill many people, while Ha-rin seemed annoyed about us being targeted all of a sudden.

“Next is the achievement reward for ‘The Unforgivable One’.”

Some interesting items had appeared.

‘This is…’

Sinner’s Last Bullet. This was a reward that implied escaping through death when driven to extremes. Was it meant to provide an escape route when living was worse than dying? It seemed like a useful reward when captured by the enemy and subjected to eternal torment. It was a very suitable reward in the apocalypse.

‘Of course, I’m not going to choose this.’

My body and soul already belonged to the evil gods. If I died, my soul would be torn in half and go to Kashnax and Indikron. I was already marked by two great evil gods. Therefore, death was no longer an escape for me.

‘I’ll suffer for eternity.’

I didn’t want to think about what would happen to me after death. For now, I would focus on surviving. Let’s check the next reward.

‘Interesting. Definitely interesting, but…’

I was curious about what kind of enlightenment I would gain after enduring for a month. Maybe it would lead to a new class or another achievement.

However, my subordinates and I would soon have to kill people. This reward was useless to me for now.

‘Besides, enduring for a month without killing, not just a week? That’s impossible. This isn’t the pre-apocalypse world. Enduring for a month without killing in a world where you never know what’s lurking around the corner is quite difficult.’

This was an era where there were plenty of things and people to kill. Wasn’t it absurd to be told not to kill anything in such a world? Moreover, it meant not killing even a single insect for a month. Was that even possible?

‘The bullet and the hood are useless for now. I hope the dagger is worth choosing.’

Exhilaration and ecstasy… in exchange for another’s life.

‘It’s saying I can gain mental pleasure from killing people. That’s like a drug. Would this even be helpful in combat?’

The Bloodstained Dagger was an item that created murderers. In this fucked up world, you could feel good by killing people. Was there any reason not to kill?

If someone obtained this and tasted the pleasure of killing, they would surely become addicted to murder.

‘This is definitely… better suited for Kang Ha-young, right?’

I briefly considered giving it to Eun-ji since she was an assassin-type and used daggers, but I didn’t want her to become addicted to the pleasure provided by the dagger like a drug addict. That would break my heart.

So, it seemed better to give it to Kang Ha-young, whose mind was already broken.

‘The name of the reward is Outlaw’s Bloodstained Dagger, and it suits Kang Ha-young, the vampire.’

Perhaps Kang Ha-young’s bloodlust would improve with the dagger. She had an ecstatic expression when she drank blood. If she could feel something similar by killing people, wouldn’t she become amazing? Maybe she would even become more clear-headed and easier to communicate with.

Even now, if I released the reins of the Slave Brand on her, she would kill people like a crazed maniac to drink blood. If she realized that killing itself brought her happiness, Kang Ha-young would become a true mass murderer, a blood-crazed lunatic.

‘She’s a bit out of control sometimes, but she still tries her best to follow my orders as my slave. Most importantly, it’s a suitable item for her Carnage Vampire class.’

The Fugitive’s Black Hood and the Sinner’s Last Bullet weren’t bad rewards, but I couldn’t resist imagining Kang Ha-young slaughtering enemies with the Bloodstained Dagger.

“I want to choose the dagger among these three.”

“I absolutely agree with Oppa’s opinion.”

“What about you, Ha-rin? Are you interested in any of the other rewards?”

“Um… There’s nothing that really stands out to me this time.”

“Okay. Then I’ll choose this reward.”

A dagger filled with a red bloodlust aura appeared before me.

It was a dagger with serrated edges like the teeth of a beast. It was a creepy-looking object, especially with its red color.

“That looks menacing…”

At least it came with a sheath made of some unknown beast’s hide, so when sheathed, the blade was hidden, making it slightly less creepy.

“Hey, Kang Ha-young. Wake up.”

“Ugh… Yes?”

“No dinner if you don’t wake up.”

“I-I’m awake! I’m awake, Master.”

Kang Ha-young jumped up as soon as I mentioned not giving her blood.

I handed her the Bloodstained Dagger.

“What’s this? A dagger? Oh… The blade is pretty. A pretty dagger. Is it a gift?”

“Yes. Use this to fight from now on.”

“Wow. A gift. Blood is a better gift… I’m hungry. Master, when are we eating dinner? When are those people coming back? Aren’t you hungry, Master?”

My ears hurt. As soon as she woke up, she kept chattering about wanting to eat dinner because she was hungry.

I was pretty sure she had drained Kim Do-kyung and Koo Ji-hwan until they were pale earlier. Just how much blood did she need to drink to be satisfied? It was troublesome not knowing her limit.

“Just be patient. Go back to sleep.”

“Okay… Yawn…”

Dejected by the fact that she couldn’t drink blood yet, Kang Ha-young quickly fell asleep while hugging the dagger.

“Hmm…”

Ha-rin still stared at Kang Ha-young with a wary look. She still perceived Ha-young as a dangerous being.

“Okay, next reward.”

The next achievement was ‘Servant of Kashnax.’ I couldn’t even imagine what kind of reward I would get from this one. The previous rewards had all been quite unique.

‘I wonder what it will be.’

‘What…’

Up until now, achievement rewards had always involved choosing one of three options.

But this time, there was only one choice.

Was it different from the previous achievements? It seemed like they were making a distinction. I wondered what it did.

‘What?’

The description was strange too. It had no meaning on its own. Then it meant I had to collect more to activate its effect.

I had a feeling that the reward for the ‘Servant of Indikron’ achievement would be the same.

‘It’s not like it’s an Infinity Stone. It means I have to collect all of them.’

To properly use the mark, I had to be involved with the other evil gods besides Kashnax and Indikron. This was a headache.

‘Choose…’

Suddenly, the back of my right hand felt like it was burning.

“Ugh…!”

“W-what’s wrong again…!”

“Uh… Master’s hand…”

Something was engraved on the back of my right hand. It was a pattern resembling a bunch of tentacles, like those of an octopus or a squid.

“Huh? It was there just now… but it disappeared.”

As Ha-rin said, the mark quickly disappeared.

“Oppa, that was also an achievement reward, right?”

“Yeah. There were no choices, so I just accepted it, but it hurt quite a bit.”

Eun-ji worriedly stroked the back of my hand.

But I had a feeling it would hurt again.

Since I had already received the reward for ‘Servant of Kashnax,’ I decided to also receive the reward for ‘Servant of Indikron.’

As expected, the description was the same as the ‘Servant of Kashnax’ reward.

‘Acquire.’

Again, something was engraved on the back of my right hand with a burning sensation.

“Phew…”

Since I was used to pain and had already experienced it once, I could endure it without making a fuss this time.

‘That one just now… looked like the face of an insect.’

I accepted the reward since it was given to me, but I wasn’t thrilled since I didn’t know how many more I had to collect, and it was useless for now.

‘When am I going to meet all the evil gods and complete this?’

At least it wasn’t a reward with negative effects.

“Next reward.”

I had three achievement rewards left: ‘Polytheism,’ ‘Overflowing Magic,’ and ‘Life on the Line.’

‘Polytheism’ was achieved by becoming a servant of Indikron while serving Kashnax, and ‘Overflowing Magic’ was obtained when my Magic stat exceeded 500.

‘Life on the Line’ was achieved by surviving after consuming the Black Serpent’s Twisted Core.

I decided to choose the reward for ‘Polytheism’ first.

“ “An invitation?” ”

“Yeah. Wait a second. Let me read the descriptions.”

What was with the sudden invitations?

‘And I roughly understand that the Pantheon and the Pantheon of Myriad Demons are the good and the evil god factions respectively, but what’s the Pantheon of Myriad Devils?’

It meant there were other types of gods besides the good and the evil gods. Was this crazy world a three-way battle between the myriad gods, the myriad demons, and the myriad devils?

It was already complicated and headache-inducing enough with the conflict between the good and evil gods, and now another unknown faction had entered the mix.

‘I should read the descriptions first.’

This meant I definitely couldn’t go there. I felt like I would be instantly killed.

‘Of course, I could send someone else, but those guys are already sending players to kill me, so I don’t know what kind of tricks they’ll pull on someone I send. I’ll pass.’

I could send someone else even if I couldn’t go myself, but sending an ally to them was risky since I didn’t know what kind of tricks those good gods would pull. So, I excluded this option.

‘What is this? It’s unknown what will happen… Isn’t this crazy?’

But would they try to kill me outright when I belong to the evil god faction already?

‘Maybe…’

Even now, with the ‘Favor of the Myriad Demons’ skill, my favorability with Kashnax wasn’t that high, and I was afraid that he would devour me if I faced him directly. Other evil gods would be even worse.

Perhaps Indikron, who had been strangely friendly with me from the beginning, was the exception. Or maybe I was just too afraid of evil gods, but it didn’t hurt to be cautious.

‘I think I’ll continue to be involved with the evil gods, but let’s put this on hold for now. Being involved with them because of my class and barging in with just this invitation might be treated differently.’

This was a troublesome reward in many ways.

‘By the way, what is the Pantheon of Myriad Devils?’

Judging from Indikron’s words, the Pantheon of Myriad Demons and the Pantheon were clearly in conflict, but he hadn’t mentioned this place. I suspected that this might be a place where neutral beings gathered.

‘The Pantheon of Myriad Devils seems to be the safest among the three. And I don’t have to go there myself. I can send Eun-ji or Ha-rin instead.’

If it didn’t work out, I would choose the invitation to the Pantheon of Myriad Demons and meet an evil god, but since I had a new option with the Pantheon of Myriad Devils, I asked for their opinions first.

“I… I want to go.”

“To the Pantheon of Myriad Devils?”

“Yes. I’m drawn to it for some reason. It’s just my intuition.”

Ha-rin unexpectedly showed great interest in the Pantheon of Myriad Devils.

“Then shall we do that?”

“Yes. Leave it to me. I’ll return as that avatar thing.”

“Okay. Since you seem to really want to go…”

I wasn’t going to send her right away, though. We were in a crisis, and I couldn’t send a key player to a place when I didn’t know when they would return.

I would send Ha-rin to the Pantheon of Myriad Devils after dealing with those champions of the good gods who were coming to kill me.

“I choose the Invitation to the Pantheon of Myriad Devils.”

The invitation to the Pantheon of Myriad Devils was a small stone engraved with a picture of a tree. It seemed like I could go there by breaking it.

“Here.”

“Thank you. I’m grateful that you’re sharing the reward you received with me, Master.”

“Don’t mention it. It’s good for me if you become stronger.”

It was beneficial for me in many ways if my allies became stronger. Their survival rate would increase, and I wouldn’t have to protect them as much. It was a win-win situation.

‘I’ve gotten something for Ha-rin, Kang Ha-young, and Hwang Soo-min, but Eun-ji hasn’t received anything yet.’

I would have to give Eun-ji something useful next time.

‘Next.’

This time, it was the achievement reward for ‘Overflowing Magic,’ which I had achieved by exceeding 500 Magic. I hoped for a good reward since it was a significant achievement.

Again, the rewards were differentiated based on class.

‘This is insane…’

This was a crazy reward. If I shot one fireball, two would be fired, and if I used Wind Blade, it would double the number and tear the enemy apart.

‘Would the tentacles also double? Ah, I guess not.’

Tentacles were summons, not magic projectiles.

‘It’s limited to magic projectiles, but it’s still an amazing reward.’

Skills that didn’t fire projectiles like Summon Tentacles and Unholy Touch, wouldn’t be affected, but if Hwang Soo-min got this, she would be one step closer to becoming a magic bomber.

“Cough…!”

I choked on my saliva. What was this absurd reward?

A 45% chance to use skills for free.

‘45% is a pretty high probability. This is crazy. Using skills without consuming Magic.’

This was another insane reward.

Gulp.

My mouth watered involuntarily.

Double the regeneration speed.

“Double…”

The Green Mana Stone Ring allowed me to regenerate Magic without resting, but its regeneration speed was quite slow. If I used it together with the Archmage’s Circlet, which doubled the regeneration speed, I could achieve maximum efficiency.

“This is a tough one.”

As usual, I asked the two for their opinions.

“This one is difficult. Right, Ha-rin?”

“Yes, Unnie. I’m not sure about this one either. I don’t have a good feeling about any of them.”

“What do you like, Oppa? Let’s go with what you want to choose this time.”

“Should we?”

Honestly, I was drawn to the earrings. Using skills without consuming Magic was a huge advantage.

“Choose!”

A crude-looking silver earring appeared. Since I didn’t have pierced ears, I gave it to Eun-ji for now. I wanted to give her something.

“Now, finally, the last reward.”

“Oh!”

The last one was the reward for ‘Life on the Line.’

It was achieved because I had survived after consuming the Twisted Core.

More gambling-related rewards appeared.

Were these also rewards I could use on merchant NPCs?

‘Black Market…?’

So, there was a place called the Black Market.

‘The name itself sounds promising…’

Let’s put this on hold and check the next reward.

‘Wow… This one too… I want to keep it.’

The reward options for this achievement also seemed difficult to choose from.

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T/N – Overall, the rewards were pretty meh. Most of the stuff the MC got either weren’t usable by him or were a better fit for others, so none of them really boosted the MC much. Then again, the MC already has 745 Magic stat. I guess I was being too greedy. Still, the earrings with the 45% chance to not use Magic when casting spells is completely broken with the MC’s 666 luck. Better get your ears pierced fast, MC.

If you find any mistakes, feel free to point them out in the comments.