novelraw Chapter 201
Chapter 201
Ch.201 One Selena Isn’t a Problem to Live With
“Th… that kind of covenant can be made so easily?”
—Covenants of the gods are not easily made. But a temporary one? Simple enough.
“And?”
—I’ve restored the power of Equality for you. The gods cannot interfere in human affairs.
“So… you temporarily restored Equality’s power?”
—You talk too much. Hurry and send the demons back to Hell—your companions are in danger.
At those words, I snapped back to reality.
“Everyone’s still alive?”
—Yes. Delay any longer, and they’ll die.
I immediately prepared my ultimate technique.
I loaded Equality’s bullet, infused it with magic, pulled the pendant from my body, and aimed the gun at the demons beyond the hole.
“Will anyone else get caught in the blast?”
—Unlikely.
Even gods aren’t perfect?
Her vague answer made me wonder if they weren’t truly omnipotent.
—You think blasphemous thoughts, Otherworlder.
The god heard my thoughts.
“Hahaha, nothing at all.”
Was it because he sensed my blasphemy?
Mia gave me a skeptical glance.
“Hans… are you really serious?”
“No, I wasn’t thinking anything. Ah, let’s just clean up the human world before the kids die!”
As I aimed Equality at the Demon King’s army—
—Bang!
A deafening gunshot rang out—
A flash erupted from the muzzle—
—KWAANG!
The tiny beam of light exploded into a blinding, radiating wave of energy—
Then a colossal mushroom cloud rose high into the sky.
“W-wow… I saw this before, but I didn’t think magic could do this…”
Selena’s dazed whisper was answered by the god.
—That is not magic. That is divine punishment.
“Divine punishment?”
My eyes met Selena’s.
—No magic could produce such power. This is divine power bending the laws of nature into punishment.
I stared at the mushroom cloud rising into the heavens.
It looked just like a nuclear explosion.
True, the shape was identical to that of a nuclear detonation—but because Equality’s power was embedded within it, even minor damage meant instant death.
Well… maybe ‘divine punishment’ fits after all.
—Now the world has been restored to its original state.
***
Scarlet perfectly dodged the Demon King’s claw.
As she stepped back, the Demon King turned and attacked Nekhuf nearby.
Nekhuf raised his blade to block—
—Kriiik!
The blue-tinged blade clashed with the claw, producing a grotesque screech.
—Aaaah! Die, vermin!
A torrent of searing flame erupted from the Demon King’s mouth.
Nekhuf rolled desperately, barely escaping the inferno.
—Shing!
In that instant, the Demon King swung his fist to crush Nekhuf—
But Scarlet intercepted it.
—Kwaang!
At the same moment, multicolored magic struck the Demon King’s back.
—Aaaaaah! Weak humans!
Flames erupted from the Demon King’s body—
Leah urgently chanted:
“Fly!”
With her brilliant magic, the entire Hero Party lifted into the air—just barely escaping the flames.
“Haa… haa…”
“Damn it…”
The Hero Party was exhausted from the battle with the Demon King.
Without Cecilia’s holy magic, their stamina drained too quickly.
As despair crept in—the shadow of death looming closer—
—Kyaak!
“What the hell is this?!”
Golden light erupted from their bodies—
Then the light flashed violently.
“Ugh! My eyes! My eyes!”
When the light finally faded—
The Hero Party opened their eyes with difficulty…
And saw familiar buildings.
“Huh?”
“Where…?”
They stared blankly around them.
They realized where they were.
“Imperial Capital…?”
“How did we get here?”
***
Hearing the god’s voice, I frowned.
“What do you mean, ‘restored to its original state’?”
—The humans and elves in Hell have been returned to the human world. The Hell Gate and Heaven Gate are now sealed.
Her casual tone made us freeze.
What? Why is this such a big deal? If it’s this powerful, why didn’t you just act from the start?
—The gods are omnipotent, but cannot fully wield power. The rules created the world.
A cryptic answer.
—That’s not important. You’re named Hans, correct?
“Yeah?”
—I wish to speak with you alone.
“Alone?”
I glanced at Mia and Selena—but their reactions were strange.
They were staring blankly at the explosion visible through the hole in the sky.
Even the explosion had stopped.
—Otherworlder, I know you’ve suffered greatly here. So I’ll grant you your wish.
“You mean… a wish?”
—Yes. If you wish to stay here, I will let you remain. If you wish to return to your original world, I will send you back.
I fell silent, thinking.
Going back wasn’t bad.
I’d already earned the hatred of politicians here.
And with the Hero Party—each one dangerously obsessed with me—it was the worst possible scenario.
One wrong move, and they’d slaughter each other over me.
I wanted to go back…
But there was one thing I couldn’t abandon.
Little Aria, the hatchling.
A girl left alone after her mother’s death.
Icira sacrificed herself to stop Roy.
How could I, as a human, abandon the daughter she loved more than her own life?
Even if the Hero Party turned on me and tried to kill me—I could never leave Aria behind.
It was my penance for Icira’s death.
But as if reading my thoughts—
—If I restore the dragon, will you have no regrets about your choice?
I gasped.
“C-Can that even be done?”
—This is my reward for you, who saved my creations. We wish for you to make a choice without regret.
Ah… Icira…
The dragon who died because of my incompetence. My friend.
A heavy burden lifted from my chest.
And for the first time…
Tears welled in my eyes at the thought of her revival.
“Thank you… O God.”
—This is repayment for your long struggle here. We truly wish for your happiness.
For the first time, the god’s voice felt gentle.
I dared to wonder…
Could I ask for a little more?
Because if I returned to my original world, I’d become a slave to capitalism.
A person who worked day to day just to survive.
But my spatial bag…
It held an enormous amount of gold and gems.
Even just the gold I took from that cargo ship could sell for a fortune in modern South Korea.
The coins here contained real gold.
And the gems were substantial too.
I’d stuffed them with taxes collected from Pisa’s territory, kept as emergency reserves.
“Then… may I take my spatial bag with me?”
—If it doesn’t contain divine power, you may keep it.
The god’s generous reply made me smile.
That meant the Hero Party’s murderous rivalry would fade from me.
And I could live like a rich man in my original world.
Of course, I’d lose the bonds I made here…
But now, I missed my original world.
The excitement and thrill I felt when I first arrived had faded.
Even a world I loved—after nearly ten years—made me crave modern civilization.
And the most terrifying thing? The Hero Party’s infighting.
They’d literally try to kill me.
And I couldn’t even say I was safe.
They’d grown far stronger now.
Without Concept Artifacts, if they attacked me? I’d be dead.
So for the god to give me a chance to return? It was perfect.
“I’ll return to my original world.”
—Good. Then, since you promised Selena, I’ll send her with you.
“Huh?”
An unexpected response.
Why did this guy suddenly say something so insane?
“Why Selena?!”
—Didn’t you promise her? That you’d go to your world together?
I slapped my forehead.
“That was just to stop Roy! Do you have any idea what’ll happen if I bring a fanatic like her to modern South Korea?!”
I wasn’t joking.
A fanatic like Selena—coming to a country overflowing with cults?
Just thinking about it made my head spin.
—Do you think so lightly of your promise to my daughter?
For the first time, the god sounded furious.
“No! That’s not what I meant! Wait—daughter? You mean her?!”
—Don’t speak carelessly. She is my daughter, who descended from Heaven to help you.
“What?!”
I didn’t understand.
My god’s daughter… worshiping the God of Death?
Did that even make sense?
I looked up, silently begging for an explanation.
A deep sigh echoed.
—She came to aid you. But the Death God learned of her descent—and corrupted her.
“So… her regression…?”
—It was granted to protect my beloved daughter—and to help you.
I couldn’t believe it.
“Help me? She tried to kill me! Sabotaged me! Nearly destroyed me! Is she really your daughter? Or did she come to help?”
Silence.
The god knew how bad her actions were.
—Didn’t it all turn out well in the end?
His voice now sounded embarrassed.
“No… if she’d never come here, I’d have handled everything better myself!”
—Perhaps. But even we cannot see the future. We merely placed a safeguard.
“Wait… even as a god, isn’t this just… incredibly brazen?”
—So you won’t keep your promise to my daughter?!
The god’s fury made me shrink back.
“No… no, I didn’t mean that. Fine. I’ll take Selena with me.”
—Good. I’ll send you both now.
As he spoke, I lost consciousness.
***
“Haaam… slept well.”
I woke up feeling like I’d slept for days.
The ceiling—familiar, yet slightly alien.
“Did I really come back…?”
I sat up—and saw my old apartment.
“I really came back…”
I exhaled a sigh of relief.
“Thank goodness…”
As I turned to find my phone—
“Ah!”
A stunningly beautiful black-haired woman was asleep in my bed.
Selena… she really came with me?
My head throbbed.
I’d have to live with her.
“Ah, right! My spatial bag.”
I reached for the bag tied to my waist—and shoved my hand inside.
My arm sank in easily.
I pulled out a few gold coins—confirmed it still worked.
“Hahaha… with this much money? One Selena living with me? No problem at all.”
***
Time stood still.
—High Elf.
I looked up at the god’s voice.
Mia sensed the change.
Just moments ago, Hans and Selena had been beside her.
Now—they were gone.
Panicked, she asked the god:
“G-God? Where did they go?”
—The Adversary returned to his original world. And my daughter, bound by her promise, went with him.
Mia finally understood.
Hans and Selena had fled.
She collapsed into despair.
‘Wise one… was I not trustworthy enough? Did you abandon us…?’
—I have words for my heroes. But now is not the time.
The god’s voice didn’t reach Mia.
She was too shattered—her beloved had vanished forever.
The god watched her vacant expression.
And quietly said only what he must:
—Then we shall meet again.
At that moment, Mia’s body glowed intensely.
Moments later, she appeared in the center of the Imperial Capital.
“Ah? Mia!”
“Of course you’re alive!”
“Mia!”
The Hero Party, who believed Hans had succeeded, rushed toward her.
But… Hans and Selena were gone.
Confusion turned to dread.
“Master? Where is he?”
Were they dead in Heaven?
The Hero Party trembled with fear.
***
After Hans left, the world changed.
The greatest transformation?
His domain—Pisa.
The once-thriving barony of Pisa.
When Hans vanished, it became ownerless.
But Giovanni swiftly gathered nobles, formed a corporation, and transferred the territory to it.
Thanks to that, Giovanni became the new lord—and even married his fiancée.
A man who had won life because of Hans, he sat in his office today, wrestling with paperwork.
—Hehe! Mom! Look!
He gazed out the window at Aria and Icira—and memories flickered.
“She left like that… what a pity.”
Icira, who died at Roy’s hands, had been revived.
Mia, who had been at the place where Hans met the god, didn’t know why—but guessed they’d made some kind of deal.
Either way, Icira’s revival brought Aria back to life.
“Mom! This is a wreath!”
In the vast garden, the girl carefully picked flowers and placed them gently on her mother’s head.
But Icira’s expression remained blank.
She subtly leaned forward—making it easier for Aria to place the wreath.
It looked strange—a cold woman wearing a floral crown.
But to Aria, it was the most beautiful thing in the world.
—Hehe…
—Whump.
“Mommy likes it!”
Aria hugged Icira tightly.
Icira gently stroked her hair.
“Stop clinging so much. It’s inconvenient.”
Aria only buried her face deeper into her mother’s chest.
“But… but I love you so much?”
“Huff… you’ve become too clingy lately.”
A small smile touched Icira’s lips.
So faint, no one else would’ve noticed.
‘When will they all come back?’
Icira and the Hero Party knew Hans had left.
Yet they all remained here.
‘Except Nekhuf and Nephert…’
They’d returned to the New Continent.
‘Didn’t they say they were getting married?’
Nekhuf’s name became legend across both continents.
The blind Sand Elf who stood firm against the King of the Dead—and faced the Demon King with death in his eyes.
He gained such fame that he returned home, claiming his dream was fulfilled.
—I wish I could’ve seen him one more time…
Nekhuf was disappointed that Hans left.
But Nephert? She danced with joy at the news.
Maybe she feared Nekhuf would become a womanizer under Hans’s influence?
Lich Edward remained here, devoting himself to medical advancement.
With his near-immortality, medicine here would flourish.
Though rumors sometimes spread that liches wandered the mansion…
Giovanni silenced them with his influence.
‘What if the Papacy’s Inquisitor comes?’
Giovanni shuddered. He’d have to build Edward a proper room soon.
And the Hero Party waited—for the day the god would return.
***
Back in the modern world.
The moment I arrived, I sold the gold and gems—and became obscenely rich.
“Hahaha…”
I bought a huge apartment and an expensive car—and became a wealthy idle man.
About a month passed.
—Clack!
“Hans! What are you doing?! Chicken’s here!”
Selena, in comfortable clothes.
She’d experienced modern life in her inner world—and had now fully adapted.
“Yeah, I’m coming.”
I walked out—and found her setting up chicken on the coffee table.
I sat on the sofa—and she expertly turned on the TV.
“This show’s super popular right now!”
Her excitement made me smile.
My fear that she’d join some cult here? Apparently, it was unfounded.
Or maybe… she just never left the house, so no one could recruit her?
As I reached for the chicken—
—Slap!
She hit my hand and glared.
“Hans! Didn’t you wash your hands? Go wash them!”
“What? Traveling means sometimes you can’t wash your hands. You did that too!”
Back in the other world, I often ate snacks without washing my hands.
“That was then. This is now. Go wash!”
She’d become a total modern person.
How did she survive homelessness before?
I silently mocked her as I went to the bathroom and scrubbed thoroughly with soap.
“Did you wash with soap?”
“Yes. I washed with soap.”
Living with her, my home filled with cosmetics, bath products, and skincare.
When had she become modern?
She was the one who applied toner, essence, and cream every morning.
Fine—if she just took care of herself…
But she forced me to do it too.
Finally, I reached for the chicken—
—Ding-dong!
The doorbell rang.
Who is it?
I turned to Selena—she didn’t know either.
I checked the intercom—
“Huh?! They’re here? How?!”
“What’s wrong?”
Selena looked at the screen too.
—Boom!
A blast of wind tore through the room as the door exploded.
“I found you… you bastard!”
Through the shattered door stood Leah.
Behind her: Scarlet, Mia, Cecilia.
All with murderous expressions.
They stormed inside.
Wait—how did they get here?!
“Kyaak!”
We stumbled back in shock.
“Heh? You thought you could escape us?”
“How did you get here?!”
“The god showed mercy to us, who suffered so much.”
Ah…
“So you’re ready to be punished, Hans?”
“You’re prepared, right?”
As Scarlet stepped forward menacingly—I screamed.
“D-Don’t come any closer!”
I’d have to flee the Hero Party again.
This time… could I escape?
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