The Gods’ Gacha Game: Return of the God-King

Chapter 111: The Great Wilderness

Her reaction was natural. No one would ever want to accept that their worst nightmare was, in fact, reality. Even someone who was usually modest and unassertive, like Michelle, could lash out. She was human, after all.  

I didn’t flinch at her outburst and added, “Sorry, but the chances of it being true are higher than 90 percent,” while reaching across the table to pat her shoulder.

As she digested what I’d just said, silence settled heavily between us, stretching for a full minute before she finally sank back into her chair, trembling. Her face had gone pale like a sheet of paper, as though the fragile string holding her together had just been cut.

“No… it can’t be… I thought—” Her voice cracked as she struggled against the truth pressing down on her. “Pops… the kind little girl from the village… the old woman who loved to bake bread… Everyone is gone, except for me. Why… why would the gods force us to relive something like this?!”

Even though she addressed the gods, the question felt aimed at me—the creator of Divine Will. She looked so fragile at that moment, yet I felt no guilt. After all, the System wasn’t the one that caused such tragedies; it merely granted mortals another chance. As such, I let her wrestle with it, offering not a single word of encouragement.

Frustration. Anger. Denial. Sadness. Despair.

I was familiar with this range of emotions. The divine warriors from the slums of District F who were taken in by the Genesis Order had worn the same expressions she bore in this moment.

Finally, she lowered her head and reined in her emotions, saving only a tiny amount of sadness.

“I… I’m sorry, Maxim,” she whispered, her voice barely audible. “I shouldn’t have lost control like that. It’s not like me. It’s just… too much.”

I shook my head. “You don’t need to apologize. Most people would break under the burden of remembering their final moments. In fact, you’re holding yourself together better than most—better than many would. But Michelle, listen closely. There is still hope.”

Her head lifted slowly, eyes glistening.

“Your father’s death, and the deaths of the villagers, may not be absolute. In this world, once you reach the realm of divine heroes or higher, there exist methods—extraordinary ones—that can bring back the dead. And even if he is truly gone, there remains the possibility that he lives, given a second chance as a divine warrior. Both paths are only open to those strong enough to seize them.”

Her lips parted, trembling as if afraid to believe. “You mean… there’s still a chance?”

I leaned forward, offering a tiny smile. “Yes. But only if you keep growing stronger. Wallowing in despair won’t change anything. If you truly want to know your father’s fate, if you want even the faintest possibility of saving him and your friends, then resolve yourself. Reach for the power that only the truly strong can grasp.”

For a long moment, she stared at me, her chest rising and falling as though she were breathing new life into herself. Then, slowly, her trembling stopped. Her hands curled into fists again, but this time they were steady—filled with resolve.

“Then I’ll do it. No matter what it takes, I’ll become strong enough to reach him and the others. I won’t let despair decide the end of my story.” Her green eyes, once clouded with despair, now burned with newfound determination.

“Good. You’re not consumed by despair. Since that is the case, let’s head to the Great Wilderness once Boris wakes up. For now, we eat,” I said.

Michelle gave a faint nod. She picked up her spoon and finally began to eat, though slowly, as if each bite was part of grounding herself back in the present. I took the chance to sample my own meal: simple roasted meat, a piece of white bread, and a half-empty chicken bowl that had spilled onto the table. It was far from luxurious, but still mouth-watering enough to satisfy my hunger.

We ate in silence for a while, the clatter of dishes and the low murmurs of other patrons filling the space around us. Every now and then, Michelle would glance up as if wanting to say something, only to shake her head and return to her food. It was clear she was still sorting through her thoughts. That was fine. Resolving herself was only the first step—she would need time to let her determination harden into something unshakable.

I wasn’t sure if it was just my imagination, but it felt as though Michelle had begun to see me differently. Perhaps I had always been too uptight, never speaking much about my past or offering encouragement to others. Maybe, for once, she had caught a glimpse of something beyond the mask I wore. I didn’t know.

Since it would likely be a couple more hours before Boris woke up for dinner, we agreed to part ways once we finished our meal. Michelle wanted to head to the training center to hone her archery and polish her skills, making herself more accustomed to them. Or she might just want to vent off.

On the other hand, I had my own plans: to check in on the Genesis Order and use the opportunity to gather more plausibility. There were also the treasures I had taken from the vault; it would be wise to hand a portion to Rex to further increase his strength. As for the other members, they would have to earn their share through merit.

***

The Great Wilderness was a sprawling expanse of dry grass and scattered stone outcroppings, where the cries of unseen beasts echoed across the horizon. The scent of blood and dust lingered in the air, carried by a restless wind. It wasn’t long before we encountered a pack of savage, hyena-like monsters with jaws that looked strong enough to crush steel. Their laughter-like howls sent a shiver through the air as they circled us, hungry for flesh.

[Bone-Gnashing Hyena – Lv.51]

A savage predator that thrives in the wilderness. Its jaws are strong enough to crush steel, and it is notorious for grinding bones into powder with its relentless gnashing. Despite its huge appetite, its body holds little flesh, leaving only sharp bones.

They lunged all at once, claws tearing into the earth, yellow eyes glinting with hunger. But against us, their speed meant nothing. Boris stood at the front, a wall of steel and muscle, each swing of his arm sending one of the beasts sprawling with shattered bones. Michelle stomped the ground, summoning thick thorny vines to ensnare the charging hyenas, then loosed arrow after arrow with a speed I hadn’t seen from her before; each one buried itself in flesh, felling its target in a single shot. I didn’t even get the chance to draw my blade as I watched.

The pack had come expecting prey, but within moments, they were nothing more than carcasses strewn across the grass.

Michelle lowered her bow, unfazed despite the blood spattered across her cheek. Her eyes no longer filled with uncertainty but with sharpened resolve. She had shed hesitation entirely, fighting with a ruthless efficiency I had never imagined she possessed. Each monster she struck down had been killed without mercy, as though she were butchering chickens instead of beasts.

I caught the faint change in her gaze as she looked over the corpses around us. It was filled with the kind of determination needed to endure the cruel scenarios ahead. Truly, what a transformation.

“You’ve changed, Michelle,” I said to her.

“Mhm. I don’t want to be a burden anymore.” She clenched her bow tighter. “I’ll become stronger and be useful to you and the others.”

“No wonder the missy—ah, I mean, Michelle—feels like she’s grown up a little. Haha!” Boris laughed. “But don’t push yourself too hard. It’ll drain your spirit and stamina.”

Michelle nodded firmly. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

I knew that Michelle was a genius when it came to learning. It would only be a matter of time before she became a top-notch combatant, though she could already be considered an expert even now. Perhaps the number of divine warriors in Fantasia with a skill set comparable to hers could be counted on one hand at most, and they were elites who achieved Bet rank or higher when they were chosen as Istellia’s divine warriors.

“Anyhow, I think the vicinity of the portal is pretty safe. How about we split up so we can level up more effectively?” I suggested.

Unlike the Rift of Scenarios, which transported you once and then disappeared, the Rift of Dungeons remained open inside the dungeon itself. In this case, the only way back to Fantasia was through the portal on the platform where we had first arrived, roughly two hundred meters behind our current position.

To be honest, my true reason for wanting to separate wasn’t just about leveling like Boris and Michelle—it was to pursue my own agenda: spreading the seed of faith and tracking down the Forgotten Vault dungeon. Of course, I wasn’t planning to hoard its treasures all for myself. I simply wanted to confirm its existence first. Technically, it was like a dungeon within a dungeon, though the Great Wilderness resembled more of a small world than a typical dungeon.

“Sounds like a great idea.” Boris grinned, rolling his shoulders. “More monsters for me to cut loose on.”

Michelle gave him a sharp look before turning to me. “I suppose it’ll help us all grow faster. But if we’re splitting up, then let’s set a rendezvous point. How about the portal back to Fantasia?”

“Agreed,” I said with a nod. “But just be careful not to go too far. There are strong monster tribes deeper in the wilderness. If you stumble into their territory alone, we can’t predict what might happen.”

Michelle nodded firmly. “Understood.”

Meanwhile, Boris let out a hearty chuckle. “Ha! I know you’re planning to go after them yourself. Relax, I’ve already set my sights elsewhere.”

I didn’t refute Boris’s words and simply smiled. He was tactful enough not to pry into what I intended, or perhaps he assumed I planned to wipe out an entire tribe just to accumulate experience points. Either way, it worked in my favor. After all, what I truly intended remained a secret from both of them, and that was precisely why I needed to go alone.

Nevertheless, my warning hadn’t been baseless. The Great Wilderness was vast, and while the monsters we had encountered so far were nothing noteworthy, the deeper regions undoubtedly harbored threats far beyond what the average Gimmel-rank divine warrior could handle. Even the System itself had marked this place as deadly for those at Bet-rank and below.

And with that, we went our separate ways.