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Antarctica (4)

I was excited. I’d prepared for a battle against a god for a long time. You could even say that I yearned for it.

To achieve my goal, I had to fight against the gods. Even if I could peacefully persuade the Temple’s gods, I still needed the power to do so.

The battle between the gods was, after all, a physical battle.

And in my opinion, nothing I had compared to Zit pop in terms of pure physical force..

It was a technique I’d developed by chance while training on the 30th floor.

Since then, I’d been using it whenever I needed it. It was a handy and useful technique, which never lacked power.

But it had very apparent drawbacks. Zit Pop was an explosion.

It was very suitable for sweeping away massive numbers of enemies, but it was inappropriate to use against a single opponent. The power was not concentrated on a single point, and the explosion’s radius was too broad.

The light and heat that burst forward burned not only the enemy but everything around as well.

I couldn’t use it unless I intended to blow up a planet. To use it effectively, I needed to reduce the range of the explosion. But it wasn’t easy.

The most obvious solution was to limit the range and set up a barrier to prevent the explosion from leaking out;however, if the explosion could not escape the barrier then it is highly likely that it would not break the enemy’s defenses either.

The only solution I came up with after much consideration was to reduce the Zit Pop’s affected area.

Instead of using it as a bomb, I used it as a bullet with overwhelming heat.

I distorted the space surrounding the firing trajectory to prevent heat from escaping, minimising the surrounding area’s damage.

Of course, that wasn’t all.

Since then, I focused on increasing the launching speed by increasing the momentum and further boosting the energy required for Zit Pop itself.

There were numerous trials and errors, but I was able to produce satisfactory results. So, I was pretty sure I’d achieve victory by firing a series of Zit Pops at the Ruler.

“Zit Pop! Zit Pop! Zit Pop! Zit Pop!” [1]

It became a technique that no longer banged or exploded, but its name was still Zit Pop.

(T/N: This line is with reference to the original name, Sibam Kwang {Kwang = Bang}, basically, a play of words, since it was used for explosion. For more info, you can visit the site namu.wiki/w/시밤쾅 And no, I am not changing the name even though I really want to.)

The solidified line collided with the Ruler’s attack, which was approaching me.

Bang!

Oh, it exploded. Zit Pop penetrated the attack and went further, even beyond the body of the Ruler.

Part of the Ruler’s body fell off and crashed to the ground, making a sound of water rushing outwards.

[Can’t be… This can’t be…]

The improved Zit Pop had a small area of damage, but each time it was used, it caused fatal damage to the Ruler.

As a result, the Ruler, who was in the form of a giant, was in a mess. He began panting less than a minute after the battle had begun.

[Now that it’s come to this… This planet…….]

The Ruler prepared for the final attack by reciting lines that often came up in comics for little kids, where someone struggled to protect the Earth from the opponent who wanted to blow up the Earth.

It was a laughable attempt.

“Seregia.”

I summoned Seregia, and she appeared in the sky.

Seregia, in the form of a giant sword, appeared above the Ruler’s head and fell.

Bang!

She drilled through the Ruler’s defense, pierced his body, and hit the ground. The impact caused the water to gush out. The water that touched my body was lukewarm. No, it seemed a bit hot—hot enough to burn an average person.

The glacial zone, due to Seregia’s fall, had completely shattered. There was no point in trying anything more.

The glacial zone had melted, and the seawater was bubbling, maybe because the water was boiling.

If an environmental group concerned about global warming saw it, they would be enraged.

In the distance, a tsunami was forming, starting to roll outwards. The damage to neighboring countries was likely to be enormous.

First of all, I used my powers to prevent the aftermath. I came close to the Ruler, who had been pierced by Seregia.

The Ruler attempted to tell me something, but when his mouth moved, no words came out.

It was natural. Seregia’s blade was, in itself, her presence and her will.

[Save me.]

He couldn’t say anything, so he conveyed his words through his will. It would have been a significant blow to say such a thing with his will, but he seemed quite desperate.

[I was stupid. I will respect your decision. I will leave Earth,] he blurted. His words held a frantic urgency.

He was very obsessed with life.

[If you spare my life, I will pay for it. I promise on my name. Please don’t kill me.]

I grinned at the remark. He was saying strange things.

“Why would I kill you?”

[Thank you, thank you very much. I will repay you.]

The Ruler continually expressed his gratitude. Of course, he would continue to live on. He would continue to live on because he’d become a part of me.

“Get up.”

The Ruler’s shadow reflected in the water began to creep up his body.

[What… are you doing? What is this? Wait! Wait! Give me a chance! Please!]

The Ruler sank under the shadow as if he were in a swamp. He attempted to get out, but Seregia had already overpowered him, and thus, the shadow quickly seized the limbs of the Ruler. [2]

[Please, please! Please!]

It was useless to pray. In less than a few seconds, his vast body had disappeared entirely.

The cries of the Ruler now rang within me.

[Please!]

It’d take some time to digest this. I wasn’t sure how long it would take since it was my first time absorbing this kind of entity.

Either way, I felt proud. Not only did I feel full, but I also felt a rare sense of victory.

Though I had chased the gods from the 61st floor and captured the apostles, it had been too bland.

Even though the Ruler was not as strong as I expected, I could quench my thirst after waiting a long time.

“Are you that happy?” Seregia, who returned to her human form, asked. Somehow, her gaze was one as if she were looking at a pervert.

I think there’s a misunderstanding.

I didn’t make any more excuses. It was time to clean up now that we had dealt with the Ruler.

First of all, I decided to pass on some responsibilities to Seregia.

“Seregia.”

“Yes.”

“How could you fall like that? You destroyed Antarctica.”

She ignored my words. I sighed and looked around.

The white glacial zone extending beyond the horizon had shattered, and underneath, the blue sea was visible.

The seawater bubbled in intervals. There was a massive wave in the distance.

I erected a wall to keep the waves from escaping, but it wouldn’t completely block everything. There would be significant damage to neighbouring countries.

Maybe it’d affect the entire planet.

I looked up at the sky. I’d been sensing a gaze for a while now.

The earth was a common area of the gods from the Hundred Gods Temple.

Usually they wouldn’t have been able to see our battle within the dungeon because it was within the Ruler’s realm. But since the dungeon was smashed by the Ruler in the very beginning, the gods could watch the fight unobstructed by barriers.

I thought about whether it would be wise to show more of my power here. Of course, it wasn’t a wise idea.

It would not be good for the people of Earth. I wasn’t good enough to bear the risks for those I’ve never met, not even for my status.

Even if this caused a giant tsunami and significant damage, it did not cause my reputation any problems.

It would rather be helpful even. Since ancient times, natural disasters symbolized events that humans could not resist.

Those who suffered would resent and fear the tsunami, but they would also worship the gods that caused it.

I kept thinking about it. If we left like this, Kim Min-hyuk would die of overwork or stress.

The Kim Min-hyuk I knew was a guy who would care even if I told him not to. It seemed like his life’s biggest goal was to make sure that an absolute majority of people do not live unhappy lives.

Of course, I didn’t care what kind of life goal Kim Min-hyuk had and how he lived. It was just that I had received too much from him to ignore his wishes.

I sorted out my thoughts.

Yeah, let’s do it that way.

“Return.”

After a brief look at Antarctica, which began to return to its previous form, I moved to the place where Yong-yong was waiting with Seregia, who had returned to the form of a sword.

From this, the Hundred Gods Temple would have found that I could engage in time manipulation, as well as cause and effect manipulation.

It wasn’t a prudent judgment to show my abilities at this point.

Well, I’ll let this time pass, I’ll do it for Kim Min-Hyuk.

* * *

“Huh? You’re already back?”

I nodded. Kim Min-hyuk opened his laptop and furiously typed. Was he sending an email?

“I made an appointment with the guys who used to sell names in Gangwon-do. He said he would come to Seoul this weekend. There are no portals around here, so I think we need to secure one in Seoul. I’ll talk to the Association. Park Min is supposed to come here later, so I think we can talk about it then. You’re still going to treat people with that raffle.”

You’ve been working hard.

As I thought, it was worth it.

“Did you just look at it? Good job, there’s no need to hurry up with a G-class attack. Let’s get some rest for a few days, talk to your party, and then go again. Start with the lunch we didn’t have earlier,” Kim Min-hyuk said to me while looking around, asking why my party hadn’t come with me.

“I already did it.”

“Huh?”

“I defeated the G-class.”

To be exact, it was attacking the dungeon and fighting the Ruler.

I thought it would be better to tell Kim Min-hyuk and the others that I’d eradicated the G-class. It was easier to understand.

“I’ve defeated the G-class already…”

I took Lee Joon-suk out of my pocket and handed it to Kim Min-hyuk, who looked baffled.

Since he was smaller than the doll’s size, I picked him up with my hand and handed him over. Kim Min-hyuk was so surprised that he almost dropped Lee Joon-suk.

“I’m here to leave him. He passed out in the middle. I’m sure Yong-yong treated him well, but I thought I’d better leave him here.”

The mantis was in bad shape, but it would try to escape if we left it here. I just decided to keep it in Yong-yong’s box.

“Uh… that…”

Kim Min-hyuk rolled his eyes before asking urgently, “You’re leaving me behind? Hey, where are you going now?”

“Russia.”

“Why Russia?”

There was a G-class there. Unfortunately, the Hundred God Temple witnessed the death of the Ruler in Antarctica.

The information was bound to be leaked to other Rulers. It was highly likely that the Ruler whom I met in Antarctica knew what happened on the 61st floor of the Tutorial.

They had to be dealt with before the Rulers who had dungeons on the Earth notice and flee.

We needed to collect the energy left in the dungeon and find out if there was any information.

There were so many things to do, but I’d get nothing if the Ruler withdrew the dungeon itself.

I had to move quickly.

“I’m going to Russia to find another G-class. I’ll take care of everything by the end of the day. Then, I’ll come back.”

“…Kill me, just kill me already.”

Notes from Imagine:

[1]: I imagine hojae with both of his hands as finger guns rapid firing Zit Pops.

[2]: I wonder how strong Seregia is to be able to defeat a ruler on her own (and completely dominate it at that). Though it was mentioned by Ho-Jae if Seregia’s ability to seemingly disappear was at a higher level than his (If i remember correctly).

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