Chapter 422: Infinite Slavery |
“Kill them!”
“Damn it!”
A fierce battle broke out, with blood splattering everywhere.
Hundreds of humans fought against thousands of goblins.
[Hmm, it seems they’re doing better than at the beginning.]
Artaros calmly observed the struggle of the Gods degraded to humans from the sky.
[Now I understand why humans enjoy watching fights and fires. It’s quite entertaining.]
In fact, he felt lucky to have been chosen as a guide. If it weren’t for that, he might have been rolling around on that plain with the goblins. Sure, for Artaros, death would be a reward, but he didn’t want to experience such pain.
‘Dying would only mean starting from the beginning of the first level, an endless cycle of pain. Being the guide is really a stroke of luck.’
[The reason this is becoming less fun is because the numbers are evening out. Well, let’s make it interesting again.]
With a snap of Artaros’ fingers, the corpses disappeared, and new goblins were added.
“Are they coming again?”
“Artaros! Are you really doing this?”
[I have no choice. Instead of blaming me, focus on surviving.]
At the end of the fierce battle, out of the 500 Gods, only 250 survived. Of course, these were only the ones who had been killed by goblins; the recounting time still remained.
[Those who haven’t killed 100 goblins will be sent to Tartarus.]
“Wait, Artaros! I just need to kill one more.”
“No, I don’t want to go to Tartarus...!”
90 of the remaining 250 vanished in an instant. Only 160 people passed the first round. Among them, Gaia, Chaos, and Plunictos took the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places in the sector ranking.
[After an hour of rest, the second round will begin.]
——————
“Gaia, what’s the mission for the next round?”
“It’s a round to choose the sector’s representative through voting.”
“Sector representative? What’s that?”
Gaia explained to the Gods while they waited. She was the only one who knew the details of the round since she was the designer.
[Remaining rest time: 00:00:00]
[Rest time has ended.]
[You will be moved to the starting point of the second round.]
The Gods who were on the plain were transported to a clearing surrounded by forests. Artaros appeared and continued his explanation as usual.
[The second round is about voting. You will survive if you decide who to vote for within the next three hours.]
Just as Gaia had said.
[Then, in the next three hours, discuss who will be the sector representative.]
When Artaros disappeared, Chaos turned to Gaia.
“You. Tell me, how do we pass the second round?”
“Gaia, do we really just need to vote to survive?”
“Isn’t this a trap? Is there a hidden mission?”
Everyone asked with curiosity, and Gaia smiled.
“Listen, everyone. This round isn’t a break. Instead of voting, we need to enter the forest and hunt monsters. Reaching level 10 and changing classes is the most important thing.”
“Oh, I see! We trust you, Gaia!”
“We trust you, Gaia!”
Gaia knew information that even Artaros hadn’t revealed. This was a huge advantage for the Gods who had become players. It was a reason for everyone to blindly trust Gaia. That’s why, when the voting took place, Gaia was ranked first.
[You have been chosen as the sector representative.]
[You have received exclusive authority as the representative.]
[You can view more details in the skills section of your status.]
Although Gaia confirmed the message, she didn’t seem very pleased. Most of the 160 had reached level 10 and obtained a class. The representative’s authority was useless since it couldn’t be applied to those who had already changed classes.
‘Although being the sector representative doesn’t mean much, it’s the best option. It’s easier to survive by cooperating than competing like foolish humans.’
Gaia’s decision was correct. Even though she didn’t take advantage of the sector representative’s benefits, thanks to everyone obtaining a class, they could easily protect the relic of the third round. Few were injured.
‘If the relic in the third round breaks, a divine justice envoy will appear as a penalty. No one can defeat it.’
Except for Black Scythe, none of us could defeat the divine justice envoy without special runes.
[Oh, you passed the third round. Congratulations. But in the fourth round, cooperation will be difficult. So, after an hour’s rest, the fourth round will begin.]
When Artaros disappeared, the 40 survivors, a quarter of the total, looked at Gaia.
“The fourth round?”
“What’s the fourth round, Gaia?”
Gaia responded with bitterness.
“...It’s a mission to kill each other.”
————-
The mission for the fourth round was just as Gaia had predicted, and the participants looked at each other uncomfortably.
“Killing each other for three hours...?”
“Aren’t there any hidden rules?”
“Gaia, how can we get to the top spots?”
“Do we just have to kill each other?”
“If you die, won’t you be sent directly to Tartarus?”
Gaia calmly explained the hidden rules of the fourth round.
“Don’t worry. If you die, you’ll be resurrected after 10 minutes.”
“Really?”
“If we resurrect... can we kill each other without a problem?”
“So, the one who kills the most will be first?”
Gaia smiled as she responded.
“That’s right, you need to kill as much as possible.”
Although she seemed honest, she wasn’t. Gaia didn’t reveal everything to survive.
‘You must kill many. You must kill as many people as possible.’
She couldn’t reveal this information. If she did, she might not reach the top spots.
“Sorry, but you must die.”
“Ahh! That hurts!”
“This bastard wants to die!”
At first, the Gods fought clumsily, but soon they began stabbing with fury. The Gods, who previously appeared noble, were no different from the humans they despised.
Stab! Stab!
Gaia also stabbed her companions to survive. Among them was her husband.
Stab!
“Ahh! Who stabbed me in the back...?”
“Sorry, Chaos. I have to survive too.”
“Gaia, damn you...”
However, Gaia hadn’t foreseen something. That someone would stab her in the back.
Slap! Slap!
“Gaia, you damn bitch! Dieeee!”
Rubuahi, who had been a loyal follower, returned the slap with a dagger. Even after resurrecting ten minutes later, the result was the same.
“That damn bitch stabbed me in the back?”
Resurrected, Gaia had to die again, this time by Chaos. In the end, half of the Gods, including Gaia, didn’t survive the fourth round.
————-
“Ah!”
“Where...?”
The air was filled with the stench of sulfur and decomposing bodies. It was Tartarus, the underground prison of the underworld that had now become the place where the losers of the survival game were tortured.
“How did I end up here...?”
“Did we lose the game? Us?”
“Damn it, damn it!”
Twenty of those who fell in the fourth round sighed non-stop. Among them was Gaia.
“Knowing all the rounds and still falling in the fourth!”
She had the information and still failed. Even Black Scythe, whom she commanded, had easily passed that round.
“It’s because of the class, it’s horrible!”
What wouldn’t she have given for a unique class? But Black Scythe, the game’s architect, wouldn’t allow it.
“I’ve tried several times, but I only get common classes. And the runes I get are intentionally awful.”
Complaining now was pointless. Anyway, they were in the gigantic torture dungeon of Tartarus, mere prisoners destined to receive punishment.
[Welcome. I am Pluto, the guardian of Tartarus. Black Scythe has entrusted your punishment to me, so I will take you to the execution area.]
Clap!
With a snap of Pluto’s fingers, chains appeared that bound them all like linked sausages.
[Follow me.]
The twenty Gods, forcibly led, looked in fear at other prisoners in the torture chambers.
Whip!
“Aaarrg!”
Fwoosh!
“Aaaah!”
Hanging upside down, whipped, thrown alive into fire. The Gods felt extreme fear at seeing those scenes of cruelty.
Soon, they would suffer the same fate.
[Here. All of you enter.]
They were shoved into a narrow cell, and the door was slammed shut.
Clank!
[Those who fell in the fourth round face the “deadly stake” punishment.]
“The... deadly stake?”
With a snap of fingers, the guards approached, all carrying metal stakes.
Stab! Stab! Stab!
“Aaaah!”
“Aaaaagh!”
The Gods felt intense pain as their limbs were pierced by the stakes. In the narrow cell, they writhed desperately, trying to avoid the stakes, but it was impossible.
Stab! Stab! Stab!
“Aaaaah!”
“Uuugh!”
The torture with stakes lasted over six hours.
—————
“Aaaah!”
Gaia involuntarily screamed and opened her eyes in surprise, seeing the changed surroundings.
“Here... the plain?”
It was the same plain from the first round, though Gaia didn’t remember. She didn’t remember the torture she had just endured, nor what round she had fallen in, nor how she had failed.
Chaos and the other Gods were the same. All of them suffered from amnesia. To them, it was their first experience, the first round.
An endless cycle of suffering.
“What’s going on?”
“Turned into a despicable human?”
“This can’t be...!”
While everyone was confused and despairing, Artaros, the guide, appeared once more.
[From now on, each of you must hunt 100 goblins. But before starting, I’ll be taking Gaia.]
“Gaia?”
“Me?”
Gaia, surprised to be singled out, showed a puzzled expression.
“Where are you taking me?”
[Black Scythe is calling for you.]
“Black Scythe?”
Despite the dread of playing as a human again, Gaia saw a glimmer of hope.
“Black Scythe, the creator of the game, is asking for me?”
That meant he needed something from her. Gaia’s lips curled into a subtle smile.
“If he wants something, I can ask for something in return. What should I demand?”
Should she ask to be freed? Or to be restored as a Goddess?
“I mustn’t reveal my thoughts. I have to control my mind so that he can’t read my intentions.”
Being human, she could be vulnerable to mind reading. With that in mind, Gaia was temporarily withdrawn from the survival game to meet Black Scythe.
A mask of indifference covered her face.
“Black Scythe! It’s been so long. Do you know how much I’ve missed you?”
“Stop pretending. You’re coming with me for a moment.”
“Are you going to set me free...?”
“I just need your power for a moment, so don’t get excited.”
“Power...?”
Before she could ask more questions, Gaia’s soul was absorbed.
Into the Soul Gauntlet.
———————-
Ryu Min needed to create a system for his son, Ryu Seung-ho. He wanted his son to grow up without problems. For that, he needed the power of creation.
“That’s why I borrowed Gaia.”
By sealing Gaia into the Soul Gauntlet, a message appeared.
[The soul of ‘Gaia’ has been stored in the Gauntlet.]
[You have temporarily learned the new skill ‘Power of Creation.’]
With that power, Ryu Min created a new system for his son.
The so-called [Ryu Seung-ho Growth System].