Became a tyrant of defense games - Episode 409
◈ 409. [Side Story] The other side of the world (2)
I was so embarrassed that I couldn't speak for a while..
This woman hanging on the thorn tree is the ‘goddess’?
“Then you… … Are you saying that he is the guardian deity of mankind??”
“Not all of humanity follows me, but from a racial perspective, yes..”
A long time ago, it was the first day of the new year. I remembered the story I heard from Ader..
- In this world, beings representing one race are given the opportunity to attain godhood.,
At that time, there was one of three cases in which one would attain godhood as described by Ader..
1. If you are the founder of that race.
2. If he is a great person who saved his species from danger.
3. Finally, when all of your species dies and there is only one member of your species left in the world..
Among these, the goddess said it was case number 2. In other words, she accomplished a great feat of saving humanity from crisis..
But, why.
Why did a being who accomplished such great feats and even attained godhood hang in such a miserable state? … Are you bleeding and burning??
“I'm paying the price now.”
The goddess spoke calmly.
“In return for bringing fire to mankind. And in return for keeping that fire going. I decided to be punished by burning my body for eternity..”
“what is that…….”
“I could spend days talking about myself, Ash..”
The goddess smiled kindly at me..
“There will be another chance someday... … The more urgent thing right now is your problem..”
“…….”
“Child, what is troubling you??”
I couldn't answer easily, but she seemed to already know everything..
“The fact that a living person drifted into the spirit world means that he or she has no confidence in themselves..”
“…….”
I remembered the first time I fell into the spirit world..
[With the system alarm saying ‘existence proof failed’, I tumbled down here..
From then until now, I have been questioning my own identity..
“ash. I have been here watching all the hardships and hardships you have gone through. I know you doubt your own existence.”
I clenched my fists as I listened to the goddess's voice..
Through the series of battles I experienced this time, my flag became clear..
Once again, I will fight for my people. And my will to hold that flag is also clear.
However, ‘I’…….
The more information you gather, the more confusion you get, not certainty..
‘Who am I?.’
Are you a player? Is he a tyrant? Is it a monster??
Is it Ash? Are you a fan of classics??
I am… … Something?
“What defines who you are is not what you were born in, what race you are, or what you look like..”
Then the goddess quietly whispered.
“What do you think and what do you do?.”
I looked at the goddess with a slightly surprised face..
“that…….”
“Do you remember? That's what you said.”
The goddess laughed playfully..
“This is what you said to your people who were wondering whether they were humans or monsters. ‘If you want to be human, you must be human.’.”
Was it during stage 10?.
That's what I said to Kuilan and the punishment unit who were worried about their half-human, half-beast identity..
“I told you, right? I've been watching the fight you've been fighting. If I were to put it this way, I would say that I am a regular listener of your strategy broadcast.……?”
“…….”
I felt embarrassed because I felt like I was actually showing the broadcast to my mother. Don't look at that, goddess.…….
The goddess looked down at me as if I was cute and spoke..
“ash. I want to return your words to you. What matters is not where you come from. What do you want to do in the future?.”
“…….”
“And it seems to me that the banner of your heart is already strong.”
The goddess smiled..
“Wouldn't that be enough??”
After keeping my mouth shut and being silent, I raised my head and faced the goddess..
“Just one thing... … I want to ask you something..”
“I'll be happy to answer.”
“What was the goddess's flag??”
What was the ideal and cause she pursued?.
Is it possible to remain so aloof while suffering such terrible punishment?.
She answered my question promptly.
“Making more people happy.”
“Don't you regret taking up that flag??”
While impaled on thorns, blood pours out from all over the body, and at the same time, the blood turns into flames and the whole body burns..
‘With an appearance too shabby to be considered a goddess, she was imprisoned in a corner of this isolated world..
If this were the outcome of her cause, wouldn't it be so cruel?.
“Regret it…….”
The goddess smiled bitterly and looked down at her body..
“When I endure pain like this forever, I sometimes think about that. If I could go back to that moment of choice, if I could live and die as an ordinary human instead of achieving great feats that would earn me godhood. what should i choose.”
she didn't hesitate.
“okay. I can say for sure. No matter how many times I get the chance to choose again, I'll make the same choice.”
“……!”
“I may hesitate, agonize, and maybe even give up a few times. Eventually I'll steal the fire and give light and warmth to people.”
The goddess made eye contact with me and quietly whispered.
“The long and rough road you have to walk is also like that..”
“…….”
“Your flag has already been broken once. But you raised that flag again. Don't be ashamed of that reversal. Take that scar with pride.”
“…….”
“Even if it breaks, breaks, or breaks... … If you keep moving forward without giving up and can finally fly it at your destination, your flag will still be beautiful..”
The goddess, who was my senior as the flag bearer, nodded gently..
“It's time. Go now, my descendant..”
Afterwards, she naturally winked..
“If my arms were free, I would have hugged her once, but unfortunately, I was in this situation. I wish you blessings for your future, even if only from my heart..”
It was literally [Goddess Blessing].
A goddess's wink. Isn’t it extremely rare?.
I politely showed her courtesy..
“Someday, again… … I'll come see you. Goddess.”
“I'll happily wait.”
Was he holding back in order to talk to me??
The amount of blood pouring from her body increased, and the flames also intensified. Amidst the flickering flames, the goddess was smiling until the end..
“I wish we could talk more then..”
The heat intensified. I couldn't be in that space anymore and had to get out..
“…….”
On the distant beach, the emperor and the gods are still fighting, making waves..
At the tip of the thorn tree right in front, the goddess is tied up and engulfed in eternal flames..
The scenery of the place called the spirit world is just something that the spirit cannot adapt to. Even though it's the same fantasy world, it feels like the genre has changed a bit.…….
“What's coming next?…….”
Let's mutter and look up at the sky, huh.
Something was falling at an incredible speed along the everblack stem extending from the sky..
I narrowed my eyes. That is……?
“Yeongjuneeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!”
Tangled gray hair, invisible bangle glasses.
The fucking director of this fucking game, my assistant..
Ader was a cub..
Kugwagwang!
Ader fell without wings and landed on the sandy bottom..
I thought he might have died because his neck was broken, but Ader jumped up from his seat, calmly shaking off the sand. Is he really a monster?.
“Wow! It's a real lord.!”
“……Then it must be fake??”
Ader took my hand and started dancing..
“My lord! Our lord! You're alive.!”
“I almost died a few times, but come on. is alive.”
“You suddenly went missing! The system is broken! I thought you passed away without moving.?!”
Ader clung to me with tears in her eyes..
“I thought it was game over for the last episode, and this ugly director got really upset.!”
“Get away, because I’m not happy with men’s hugs.…….”
When I lightly pushed him away, Ader rolled around on the sandy floor and laughed..
“You have no idea how much I wandered around here in the spirit world after my lord went missing. Come on, let’s go back to reality! Everyone at Crossroads is anxiously waiting.!”
As Ader prepared to return to reality, I held out my hand and stopped him..
“Ader. for a moment.”
“yes?”
“I have something to ask.”
“Let's get back to reality and do it! If you are exposed to the spirit world for a long time, it will have a lot of negative effects on the already precarious state of your soul.…….”
“Ader!”
When I called loudly, Ader looked at me in surprise. I glared fiercely at Ader..
“We need to talk now.”
“……Lord?”
“I still can't access the system. Still, it means I'm failing to prove my existence..”
After breathing, inhale.
I looked straight at the culprit of this whole situation and asked again and again,.
“who am i?”
“What are you talking about? You know it well.…….”
“Don't avoid it and answer straight. Who am I??”
It was strange from the beginning.
The spirit world here is the space between life and death. It does not exist as a physical body, but as a spirit body..
In other words, my appearance takes on the appearance of my soul..
And now, I'm not a classics fan... … Has the appearance of Ash.
said the emperor. I'm definitely his son, Ash..
There is no way to see him as a transcendental person fighting against two gods, having gone far beyond the standards of the soul and entering the realm of a demi-god..
Why did I dream of Ash and his mother instead of the dream of a classics fan?.
If I were a classics fan possessing Ash's body, I should only have memories of being a classics fan. But in reality it wasn't like that.
I often read Ash's memories in my dreams..
- are you okay. My lovely Bonhater.
I remember the face of a woman stroking my forehead..
This was never my… … It is not the memory of a ‘classics fanatic’, but the memory of ‘Ash’..
And, most importantly,.
“During this fall, I fought alongside Salome, the commander of the Haunted Corps. And coincidentally... … The succubus read my memories, down to the bottom of my soul.”
Ader's shoulders trembled..
I took one step closer to Ader..
“Salome read my soul and told me. There's a secret in my soul.”
“……Lord.”
“Actually, I am not a ‘classics fanatic’ who possesses Ash’s body.…….”
It's hard for me to believe.
But the secret that Salome gave me at the last moment was.
“……My name is ‘Ash’ and I believe myself to be a classics fan..”
This was it.
Even at this very moment when I spit it out, I am extremely confused..
What kind of nonsense is this??
“Tell me clearly, Ader..”
I asked with a trembling voice to the person who probably knew the answer..
“I am… … who exactly?”
“…….”
“What am I??”
Ader was silent for a while and then looked at me.,
slowly… … opened my mouth.
“you ash.”
In a bitter and sad voice.
“In each round, you borrow other players' memories and consciousness, or 'save data', and save them over your memories.…….”
I opened my eyes wide..
“……This is the game's 'save slot'.”
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