novelraw Chapter 131*: Childhood Friend - Hole*
Chapter 131*: Childhood Friend - Hole*
*Chapter 131. Childhood Friend - Hole*
“What... What is this...?”
Rev couldn't regain his composure and was momentarily stunned. The moment he met Lena, all the strength drained from his body. His mind cleared, and the memories of his recent actions vividly surfaced.
“Ugh!”
[Achievement: First Murder - Leo is less burdened by the guilt of killing.]
He had killed an overwhelming number of people.
Despite the "First Murder" achievement, the fact that he had brutally killed tens of thousands made him unable to hold back his nausea.
Citizens spewing blood under the [Target Hunt] debuff, people struggling in the [Trap Hunt], priests writhing in the thorny vines.
Knights and paladins split in half, staring despairingly at the crimson aura blade.
Mages murmuring spells until the end, trying to cast their last magic, nobles and royals trying to maintain their dignity until the very last moment, only to die horribly.And Lena Ainar and Leo Dexter, left in the thorn forest...
All of them died by his hand. They were slaughtered mercilessly.
“Uweeeeh!”
Rev collapsed and vomited. Since he hadn't needed to eat for some time, his stomach was empty, so he retched repeatedly, bending over.
Of course, this didn't lessen his guilt.
If the prey had a slender, beautiful neck, he would cut it off; if they had cute, sparkling eyes, he would pierce them with his sword. He found the spouting blood beautiful and drenched himself in it, and whether the prey begged in fear or screamed in anger, he found their reactions interesting to ‘observe.’
“Ugh... Uh...”
The nauseating guilt made him vomit blood.
Then, a book fell on his head. As dozens of pages filled with carefully written handwriting scattered, an excited voice rang out.
“Ah...! This vivid sensation! It has been such a long wait.”
It was Lena's voice.
Rev lifted his bloodstained chin. Kneeling with his back bent and looking up, his posture seemed like he was worshipping someone.
Lena, who seemed to like this sight, smiled wickedly as their eyes met. Rev froze in his prostrated position.
Lena’s eyes, curved like crescent moons, were blood-red. Her bright, smiling lips were still beautifully full, but they had twisted into a grimace, revealing too much teeth and making her face look grotesque.
That’s not Lena. Someone who smiles like that can’t be Lena.
“N-No way...”
“Yes. My disobedient apostle, what do you desire?”
Lena arrogantly tilted her chin up.
She chuckled mockingly, a deep and cruel laugh that didn’t seem to come from Lena’s mouth.
She was Barbatos.
The god himself.
“No!!”
Rev pushed off the ground.
He had no idea what to do, but he charged blindly, trying to knock her over.
But for some reason, his legs wouldn’t move. Not only his legs but also the hands that were on the ground were stuck, unable to come off.
Looking down, he saw his hands and feet digging into the ground. The flesh of his limbs tore open, black roots sprouting and burrowing into the cracks in the stone floor.
Barbatos spoke.
“I knew you were a dirty god’s plaything. I didn’t read the whole convoluted mess, but... Anyway, it’s not a big deal as long as you don’t die, right? Like this girl. So, disobedient apostle, stay as a tree. I will make good use of this body.”
Barbatos chuckled again and turned his attention inward.
This insignificant girl’s mind truly held a brilliant soul. It was a beautiful soul, overflowing with the main god’s love.
Diligence and wit, excellent perception, courage, and a spirit of sacrifice, an optimistic personality, dreams, a sense of justice, quick thinking, and healthy curiosity... too many and too good qualities for one human to possess.
Moreover, it was adorned with many divine blessings that even a saint would not dare to covet.
Most were incomprehensible, but it was worth crossing over with divine power.
- Do not be afraid.
Barbatos whispered tenderly, licking Lena’s trembling soul. It was too precious to devour without savoring it.
Sweet. So sweet it made his tongue tingle.
Admiring the taste, Barbatos declared aloud without realizing it.
“Lena. You will now become one with me. You will be a special being, an apostle who is one with me, enjoying eternal blessings.”
Just as he was about to swallow, a gale erupted. It burst forth in all directions, though the scattered pages on the ground remained untouched. Barbatos, inhabiting Lena’s body, felt it.
“...?”
Something had changed.
One of the blessings hanging from this girl’s spirit had activated as soon as her true name was called.
It didn’t fully unlock but reacted. Barbatos realized he had touched something significant.
Well... it doesn’t matter.
This girl will never die. She will be mine forever...
“No! No! Let Lena go!”
At that moment, Rev shouted.
In a posture akin to a dog, roots poured from his limbs, and thorny vines sprouted from his back, creating a grotesque sight.
“What? You don’t even know your name, nor the name of your childhood friend. Well, you wouldn’t know, having forgotten even your past.”
“Please! I’ll do anything. Take me instead... No, take me! Please use me!”
“....”
Barbatos did not respond.
It was a pity to lose one of the god’s playthings.
But this one could not be used. From the beginning, it belonged to someone else.
It wasn’t one of the divine. If it were, Barbatos wouldn’t have been able to make Rev his apostle.
After considerable effort, Barbatos discovered that the name of the one who owned Rev was ‘Minseo.’ But Barbatos, who couldn’t read the script of the main god well, could glean no further information.
And so began the frustrating days.
If he couldn’t take it outright, he might have grudgingly given up, but for some reason, the presence of ‘Minseo’ dwindled day by day.
As much as the space left by Minseo, Barbatos gradually took over Rev’s mind whenever he offered a sacrifice.
But without a clear claim, the process was precarious.
When Rev killed his father and encountered other god’s playthings, he almost got expelled from his mind.
Had he not persistently requested the true name and if it weren’t for the ‘mirror,’ he would have been driven out.
Recalling the humiliation of nearly being expelled by a mere human, Barbatos scowled. He tore off the necklace around Rev’s neck bearing Harie Gaiden’s pendant and turned to devour Lena’s mind.
“Please, just let Lena go... Aaaargh! Hey! You bastard! You lowly god not even seven hundred years old! Do you think... mmph! Mmm!”
Rev, whose heart was breaking, shouted. He delved into the {History of Gods} to hurl insults at Barbatos, but his mouth wouldn’t move.
His jaw had already turned into wood.
Trunks sprouted from his spine, and thorny vines jutted out between his ribs. The tree grew rapidly as its roots began to absorb water.
“Ugh. Argh!”
Rev writhed.
Despite the excruciating pain of his body tearing apart, he was determined to do anything to distract Barbatos...
[Achievement: Meeting the Saintess - Gained slight favor from those with the main god’s divine power.]
[Achievement: Baptism of the Saintess - Leo is granted {Divine Power Insight} ability.]
Achievements popped up.
Rev, unable to turn his wooden neck, rolled his eyes to the limit. A beautiful woman in a pristine white dress adorned with a golden shawl walked out of the central churChapter Holding a brass goblet in her left hand and pointing a large royal scepter at Rev with her right, she wore a sorrowful expression.
Rev was engulfed in a white flame.
The thorny tree that had grown high sizzled and burned, and Rev’s body melted with it.
It’s over.
‘Please, at least save Lena...’
While he couldn’t help but resent why she came so late, Rev knew he had no right to say such things.
He could only pray, ‘Please, let the saintess save innocent Lena...’ when Barbatos turned around. The crimson divine power flowed down Lena’s long hair as she glared fiercely.
“You’re here. Filthy whore of the main god! You will pay for killing my followers... Ah!”
Barbatos, who was shouting at the saintess, wore a startled expression. Glancing at Rev for a moment, she then let out a rage-filled scream.
“Damn it! Not just not dying!”
Everything began to recede.
The magnificent central church, the saintess, and his own body burning white all faded away, and the furious Lena, tearing at her hair, also disappeared.
Darkness fell, and the ending message appeared.
[Lena’s final job has been determined.]
[Thank you for playing ‘Raising Lena.’]
[Lena, Barbatos]
[Final Job: Child God]
[Marriage Partner: Unmarried]
[Rev]
[Final Job: Apostle of Barbatos]
[Marriage Partner: Unmarried]
[Childhood Friend Ending: End of Corruption]
- Lena, born in the village of Demos, had a happy childhood. Despite being poor, she received warm attention from her parents and... (omitted)... As an apprentice, Lena did her best to complete her thesis, but she was swallowed by Barbatos and became a child god. Shortly after, Lena... -
The gradually appearing ending credits suddenly stopped. Reading the message in a daze, Rev screamed in terror.
A hole had opened in the black background. Bright light poured into the dark space.
Finally, the dimly visible stage where the ending credits were displayed took shape, revealing a closed space. It wasn’t round; the triangular walls connected like a giant icosahedron seen from the inside.
Through the narrow hole, Saintess Meriel, holding the brass goblet high, was visible. Time seemed to have passed, as the magnificent central church was burning and collapsing, and the saintess was in a terrible state.
At that moment, Lena’s horrifically distorted face appeared in the hole.
Burned by the holy fire, her right cheek and ear melted, her clothes torn, exposing her breast defiantly. She screamed.
“Come here! Didn’t you say you would give me everything you had!”
Barbatos reached through the hole, grabbing the helpless sphere roughly and tearing it apart.
‘Aaaaah!’
Separated from Minseo’s mind upon reaching the ending, Rev was dragged away without any resistance.
It was the end of a human who served an evil god.
As Rev was dragged away, the hole quickly closed. The central church and the fight between the saintess and Lena vanished into the darkness.
The ending credits resumed their gradual appearance as if nothing had happened.