Chapter 52
Chapter 52: Spoils of the Hunt (1)
'What on earth is Du-sik saying now to make him talk like that?'
Yuren's green eyes wavered.
She recalled the image of young Erik holding his master's hand.
Unlike his rough tongue that insulted Mother World Tree, young Erik had been an impossibly adorable child.
'He was such a cute little kid......'
That little kid grew up.
His face became sculpted from divinity itself, and on top of that, he possessed overwhelming physical prowess.
Though his appearance had completely changed, whether as a child or now, Erik's looks were outstandingly unrealistic.
'If a god truly existed, they might look like this.'
Until she heard Erik's words, Yuren had held hope that young Erik and the current Erik might not be the same person.
"I'll have to carve out a new club for Du-sik."
Contrary to her expectations, Erik once again spouted the absurd statement about making some club from World Tree branches.
So Yuren asked a question, wanting to know what this Du-sik thing was.
"......What exactly is Du-sik that you keep saying such things—"
But before her words could finish.
Thud!
Erik's body collapsed.
Crraaaack!!!
Above Erik's falling head, a shining ring shattered into pieces.
[Sacred Relic: Ring of Conviction (Destroyed)]
Yuren's eyes clearly saw the identity of the broken ring.
'A Sacred Relic grade item broke?'
As Yuren, known for her composure, widened her eyes in surprise.
"Ahhh! E, Erik!!!"
A woman with flying red hair rushed over urgently from behind Erik.
Before Erik's body could hit the ground, the woman's hands caught him.
"My god!"
Judging by how she ran wrapped in an aura and wore golden armor, she was clearly an Imperial Guard.
The others who followed in haste looked the same.
But.......
"Captain Erica, is he...?"
"He, he's safe. He's definitely breathing."
"Ahhh, to save us......"
The Imperial Guard who should be praising the Emperor were showing desperate faith toward Erik.
'The Empire has no state religion, does it?'
At that strange sight, doubt bloomed in Yuren's heart.
And a beat later.
"Am I, am I going to die?"
"No. It must be an illusion......"
"R, right. It's an illusion. For sure, the Black Mage Group said they'd send us back to our original world."
"It can't be a hallucination. My mom definitely......"
"M, mine was really my mom too......"
Five people wearing Almanism Church robes appeared.
They looked at Erik anxiously and fearfully.
'Why are black mages here?'
Yuren was a Possessor who gained the power of spirits.
Just as Sword Master Janson reached such heights through pure training, Yuren also made a contract with the Spirit King through her own efforts.
So she saw through the essence of the Possessors.
'I should kill them.'
Yuren unconsciously reached for the bow on her back.
Shing!
"How dare! Would you lay hands on a weapon before the master of divinity?"
The red-haired knight immediately drew her sword and blocked her.
Yuren felt bewildered.
'Treating me like some monster......'
Just before drawing her sword, she had laid Erik's head down with very polite and careful hands, yet when dealing with herself, she was as hostile as if facing a monster.
Yuren calmly pointed behind the red-haired knight.
"Please explain why those black mages are wearing Almanism Church robes."
At the continued hostility, Yuren tilted her head.
"Ah, I was rude. I am called Yuren."
Yuren attempted what Empire nobles called an exchange of names.
A moment of silence passed.
"......Erica."
The red-haired knight introduced herself.
'Those black mages.'
Erica organized her thoughts while recalling the Possessor black mages behind her.
'They definitely said they saw Erik's temple.'
It could be their absurd claim, but for Erica who accepted Erik like a god, it was something she couldn't overlook.
Having finished thinking, Erica looked at Yuren and declared.
"Their treatment will be decided by Erik."
Erica suddenly felt a sense of familiarity from the woman's appearance before her.
'A slender body without any curves to speak of.'
Excessively calm green eyes.
Light green hair in a ponytail and a longbow as tall as herself.
'Definitely......'
Moreover, the name Yuren also felt somehow familiar.
Erica recalled the identity of the being before her.
'Divine Archer Yuren.'
A High Elf called royalty of the Elf Kingdom.
Guardian of the World Tree, bearing the epithet Divine Archer.
And.
"Traitor who broke the covenant."
Erica's gaze became even fiercer.
The feeling of an angry cat turning into a tiger.
"Covenant traitor Yuren, did you come now to pick over the corpse?"
Erica possessed fanatical tendencies. Her essence was as an Empire noble and the Emperor's sword.
Though most of her fanatical aspects were now directed toward Erik, that didn't mean her origins had changed.
Watching Erica's eyes sharply rise with venom, Yuren raised both hands as if defeated.
"......Excuses won't be necessary."
Whoooosh!.
Yuren's light green hair tied in a single strand fluttered, and beyond it, a single leaf waved.
"Mother wishes to have a conversation with him."
"A World Tree leaf......"
"This should provide sufficient explanation for this incident."
Looking at the invitation from the World Tree called the Great Earth Mother, Erica embraced Erik.
***
The Empire and the Three Kingdoms.
The Astia Religious Order, Almanism Church, and Lu-Solace church.
Regardless of nation or religion, disasters erupted simultaneously across the entire world.
"Monsters have appeared in the Imperial Capital!"
"Lu-Solace! The demon realm is expanding!"
"Oh, God Alman. How could such a trial......"
"Why would a labyrinth boss monster appear in such a farming village?"
"The demon realm......"
What the Possessors called the Great Cataclysm Patch had occurred.
But the problem was.
The moment the patch started, disasters unfolded across the entire continent.
Moreover, it wasn't one disaster per nation, but often multiple overlapping cases.
The disaster came in the worst form to the Empire, the strongest on the continent.
"District 3, monsters appeared at the labyrinth entrance."
Floor Masters from the labyrinth appeared in the middle of the Empire's capital.
According to reports, Floor Masters from the 20th floor burst out after opening the labyrinth......
And more than a dozen at once.
'The casualties will exceed ten thousand.'
Tap tap!.
At the Emperor's fingertips tapping the throne, terrible events occurring across the continent were being transmitted.
[Garcian Kingdom, demon realm occurred in food production area.]
[Sun Kingdom capital, Sun Holy City, multiple Floor Masters from labyrinth 10th floor appeared.]
[Monster Wave occurred from demon realm near Astia Religious Order's Papal Court. Multiple large-type monsters discovered.]
'Across the entire continent...... A million, no, it might exceed ten million.'
The Emperor maintained a calm expression while hiding his bitter heart.
The pinnacle of the Empire had to maintain composure even amid terrible disaster.
And had to do their utmost for the Empire's subjects under their care.
The Emperor asked the Prime Minister in a firm voice.
"What's the damage situation in the capital?"
"Fortunately—."
But somehow the Prime Minister's words began in a completely different direction than the Emperor expected.
'Fortunately?'
Floor Masters from the mid-levels of the labyrinth appeared in the middle of the capital.
And still fortunate?
"Thanks to Priest Ruelle's Astia Religious Order church and orphanage sheltering refugees, most subjects saved their lives!"
Reading the Emperor's thoughts, the Prime Minister quickly continued the report.
"Wh, what?"
The Emperor tilted his head at the Prime Minister's words.
So.
To summarize the Prime Minister's words.
"You're saying District 3 subjects took refuge in the church and orphanage?"
It was strange.
Not the Security Bureau, and not even a government institution......
Just a church and orphanage.
"They're holding out with defensive magic and divine power."
"Prime Minister, so you're saying District 3 subjects evacuated to a single religious order's church and orphanage?"
It was Erik's church and orphanage.
So he acknowledged their superior defensive capabilities.
But still.......
To the Emperor's ears, the story of the imperial capital's residents taking refuge in a church and orphanage sounded far too strange.
"The residents near the labyrinth plaza number ten thousand."
"Priest Ruelle's church has a chapel that can accommodate up to 3,000 people."
Hearing the explanation to that point, the Emperor nodded as if convinced.
[20 Floor Master Ogres attacking the church, subjugation complete.]
Tap tap!.
Just then, welcome news arrived for the Emperor.
The moment the disaster struck, the Emperor ordered the Imperial Army to resolve the Empire's problems.
As a result, the problem was resolved in about an hour.
The Emperor informed the Prime Minister of this flow with relief.
At the Emperor's words, the Prime Minister spoke joyfully.
"Your Majesty, now you can breathe."
Tap tap!. Thud!
At that moment, the Emperor's hand tapping the throne became rough.
The Prime Minister noticed that subtle difference and hurriedly shut his mouth tight.
"Prime Minister, that mouth of yours......"
Blood vessels rose on the Emperor's rough hand.
[Monster overflow from northern demon realm, urgent support requested for undead situation. Currently Northern Archduke alone slowing advance.]
[Black magic erosion effect occurring in southern great granary region.]
[Teleportation magic circle usage to southern Empire region became impossible]
[Urgent support request from Duke Raffin's magic tower]
.
.
.
At the endlessly continuing reports, the Emperor's face twisted.
Originally the Great Cataclysm Patch was an unexpected disaster, but from now on a valid reason emerged.
"Prime Minister, haven't I always told you to watch that mouth?"
"Your Majesty, this is my fault."
"Whenever you say such things, don't problems always get bigger? At this point, I'm wondering if you're the mastermind, Prime Minister."
Having finished speaking, the Emperor rose firmly from his seat.
"Your Majesty, where are you."
"Saint Erik is in the south, isn't he?"
The Emperor set his destination to the north.
It was natural for the Empire's leader to personally take the lead in a national crisis.
"Prime Minister, I leave the state affairs to you."
The Emperor donned the massive silver armor handed to him by attendants.
The great Empire's pinnacle, the Emperor's departure was a modest event with only the Prime Minister to see him off.
***
—Your temple.
—Your divinity.
—Your world.
Hearing the strange voice that echoed when entering the labyrinth, Erik regained consciousness.
'Where is this.......'
Having coveted excessive divinity, it wouldn't have been strange for his body to burst.
But his body was strangely light.
No, rather it felt fuller with power than ever, making him wonder what was happening.
—Establish your own conviction.
The labyrinth's voice echoed once more.
At the voice hammering into his mind, Erik's eyes snapped open.
'A space full of divine power.'
Waves of divinity surged from all directions, and at the center stood a temple in a somewhat crude form.
'Establish my own conviction?'
It might be an illusion or dream, but Erik clearly recognized this was reality.
Flash!
[Erik - 3rd Tier Divine Power]
[Possessed Skills: Creation, Wings of Radiance, Meteor Shower]
[Possessed Gold: 230,506,500]
A status window appeared before his eyes.
Still tattered and lacking essential stats, but it was sufficient evidence of reality.
The status window synchronized with Erik's soul only appeared in reality.
Having realized it was reality, his mind spun busily.
'Your temple, your divinity, your world.'
Strong intuition.
Or compulsion.
Erik walked toward the temple as if possessed.
Through the waves of divinity surrounding all sides, the temple maintained its complete form.
'Like graphics with crushed polygons.'
It had form but the details felt quite lacking.
However, the divine power contained within was like a great sea.
'Is this my power?'
Erik felt an unknown familiarity and tried moving the divinity.
Swoooosh!
The cloud of divine power surrounding the temple moved here and there at his will.
Though Erik faced an unknown phenomenon, he was terribly calm.
'Perhaps......'
He was a man strong in crisis.
Maintaining composure, he experimented with various uses of divine power.
The result.
'3rd Tier, I can only operate simultaneously up to my total power amount.'
All divinity in this place was his own.
However, there was a limit to how much he could use at once—it felt no different from a bank account with a daily transfer limit.
That's because.
'All of this has to be bought with money to use, doesn't it?'
Even if he obtained Divine Body and opened 4th Tier, handling this much divine power seemed a distant prospect.
That meant.
There definitely existed 5th Tier and beyond.
'I'll need truly astronomical amounts of money.'
Church tithes.
Compensation to receive from the Empire's Emperor.
And reparations to extract from the elves for breach of contract.
The sacred magical tool business to be created at the automated factory he'd acquire this time, etc.
'Plus buying and selling holy relics.'
Erik planned a concrete future.
Right after becoming a saint, hadn't he saved the Empire's great granary region from a disaster-class black mage?
While thinking such thoughts.
"A throne...... No, a divine throne?"
The golden divine throne placed at the temple's center caught his eye.
Erik strode forward and placed himself on the chair.
It felt like he absolutely had to do so.
'This is—.'
The moment Erik sat.
The scenery between the pillars visible at the temple's front began to change.
Swoooosh!
The clouds of divinity lifted, revealing a strange sight.
It was.
'......Earth.'
Strange, yet once very familiar scenery.
"Park Ji-hun, you bad bastard."
Several women were wiping tears while looking at Park Ji-hun's portrait photo.
At this, Erik gripped his temples tightly and briefly reflected on his immature life on Earth.
'......Still, many people came.'
That reflection ended in an instant.
Since Erik himself believed he had likely reincarnated, he could shake it off quickly.
Comparing 30 years on Earth with 15 years in this world.
'The density is different.'
Quality of life had fallen endlessly, but the density of living was very thick.
From infancy he faced life-threatening crises, and until age 10, he lived each day terribly while wandering battlefields.
"Phew."
Erik moved his hand to erase the Earth scenery.
"Huh."
Psssssss.
However, contrary to Erik's intent, the space itself suddenly began to disappear.
The temple full of divinity gradually turned particle-like, and soon Erik's body also crumbled like dust.
"Ugh!"
When startled Erik squeezed his eyes shut then opened them.
'My body......'
Erik's limbs were bound to massive tree trunks.
"You've awakened."
Some strange tree person was looking down at such an Erik.
That tree spoke.
"I am your World Tree."