NOVEL NEXT Chapter 908
<908 – Dark Shadow vs Dark Shadow (17)>
But as the Death Zone began to vanish, an increasingly ominous energy was felt.
Countless corpses that had slumbered within the Death Zone and the essence of death seeped out, becoming a
Something, something gigantic, began to approach.
From the other side of the dimension, towards the Middle Realm.
Chirp chirp.
At the moment the rift opened, Forever More understood.
That was the existence known as the [God of Death].
It was one of the few highest-level substitutes that could threaten the position of the unique Sun’s Sofemia among the 24 Divine Classes.
It was not like a temporary embodiment through the body of an Apostle or a limited manifestation.
The true form of the god, leading the entire soul without being bound to a physical body, had descended from the Netherworld dimension into the Middle Realm in person.
At this moment, the God of Death became the second most powerful being in the Middle Realm, following the Dragon Principal.
“Wow, the God of Death has descended!”
[So you knew. You called for me, didn’t you?]
As the Death Zone sank and rose again, the massive aura that erupted devoured more and more Nature Mana until finally reaching a threshold.
The God of Death had descended and could now maintain His presence without further ‘consumption’.
[Dark Princess. Do you understand what it means to call for me?]
“What does it mean?”
[It means that the divine influence that protected you like the hidden estate no longer reaches the ground, and I can possess you.]
The God of Death had long awaited a moment like this.
[You have driven me insane.]
“Huh, really?”
Oknodie had a huge affinity for Dark Mana based on significant ‘experience’ with death, capturing the God of Death’s attention as a vessel for the divine Apostle.
Yet, those who had caused countless deaths across the continent perished consecutively at Oknodie’s hands, raising His ire instead.
Such beings should be trampled and destroyed, yet twisted thoughts often led to wars and numerous deaths triggered by Oknodie.
The child, who couldn’t be hated completely, could instead pull away from war while yearning to kill without doing so.
[One could say it’s a relationship of love and hate.]
Making the God of Death completely smitten could also make Him infuriated, while good sides existed that made it hard to fully adore Oknodie, as this tugged at the God’s heartstrings.
Unknowingly, Oknodie was manipulating the feelings of the students and professors but had also driven the God of Death into a frenzy.
[But the frustrating time is now over. I have become closer to you than anyone else, and I’ve obtained the perfect opportunity to make you the [Apostle of the God of Death].]
“I dislike Faith builds!”
[We are truly alike. I too dislike killing those who cry and throw tantrums wishing to avoid death. With our hearts so similar, it’s inevitable we should become one.]
Just hearing their conversation was chilling, and Forever More was completely frozen.
What on earth was Oknodie thinking to summon such a heinous being?
At this rate, it would result in a fatal debacle.
Even Ishtar, who had become like a petrified warrior, felt fear.
What the heck was happening?
Run away now.
Were they intending to die?
If so, what was the point of all this chaos?
Oknodie had stirred up a mob that had been rolling in the distance, horrified.
Such a strong figure like Oknodie looked so pitiful.
Not even a typhoon rushing towards a scarecrow would be as threatening.
The strength Oknodie was known for appeared insignificant against the manifestation of transcendent violence here.
What was he doing standing there so cluelessly? It was already unsettling from afar.
[Do not refuse. Death is sweet; it grants the comfort of liberation from all pains felt in life, and reveals the beauty of life beyond death — the freedom freed from all suffering.]
The life of a mortal chased by death.
No matter how hard one attempted to run, death approached with each passing moment until it was inevitable.
The life liberated from that inevitable fear of death held no promise, expectation, or satisfaction for a player who had experienced too many lives and deaths.
“Then may I share my proposal now?”
[I shall see how charmingly you can entertain your fate of becoming an Apostle.]
“I just recently killed the Man’s Representative, adding a delicious achievement to my resume, you see? This is an accomplishment called God Slayer, which upgrades according to the number of gods killed or contributed to death. And it has upgraded to nearly level 3000!”
To a god, there could hardly be a more sacrilegious prelude than this, and the God of Death instinctively sensed something was seriously wrong.
[Displeasing. Cease this at once.]
The God of Death unleashed a [Instant Death Wave] that struck Oknodie.
Oknodie matched his internal mana to the frequency of the wave, naturally letting it flow and chuckling as he did.
“The System is surprisingly democratic. Pineapple pizza and Cheddar Gold Fire-Grilled Ribs Pizza are equally acknowledged in the compendium, you know? Even gods and old gods, while varying in strength, would be recognized as a single stack. I wonder how much bonus effect that could apply?”
[What I expect from you is not resistance but rather to humbly submit as an Apostle!]
“Sorry, but my version of ‘Humbly Oknodie’ isn’t within my repertoire. Instead, I’ll make you humble! Whoosh, Humble Punch!”
Unleashing the Disaster Bug’s [Push] from the punch, jumping through to the other side with [Pull], this was the Disaster Punch!
Despite its silly name, the blow aimed to choke the God of Death’s spirit with astonishing simplicity, putting pressure as if intending to sever him at the waist.
[Indeed, I could not kill a candidate for Apostle with an ordinary sense of death. But how about an extraordinary level of pain?]
Mental death, where memories were completely stripped away.
Soul disfigurement, where every essence twisted.
Sacrificial surrender of the soul under the influence of supreme divinity.
The incomplete array of all kinds of death sensations assaulted him, yet Oknodie remained unbroken.
Observing closely or from a distance felt like a continuous horror, experiencing a different kind of death with every passing second!
Humans and living beings could endure such pain.
Physical pain could make the mind scream, while soul pain stripped away bodily freedom.
Having endured cruel assignments and training, students could imagine what a distorted soul felt like.
Right now, Oknodie was.
The numbness, the sensory block would only apply to physical pain.
It had to be said that Oknodie was bearing the torment purely based on ‘experience’.
The Foundation’s early education.
Training to nurture the Chief Scholarship Student.
The former Chairman First Wahyhiemhai’s abuse.
What on earth was the Foundation planning? Were they intending to create an Apostle of Death?
‘It’s not me, the hero, but the tormented abuser who has already lost to death that protects Oknodie…’
‘Frozen by fear, unable to move. Dissecting, while still being utterly unable to do anything!’
However, even amidst warming concerns and dread, slowly different feelings began to emerge.
Panic.
Surprise.
And then expectation.
Despite the myriad forms of death the God of Death had seen, heard, and collected in Hell, Oknodie withstood all of them without yielding.
“Such a variety of collectibles you have! But it seems the manipulated death of the Manipulation System, even the mental breakdown due to the collapse of the nervous system, belongs under Manipulation too, right? So it’s a shame, relying too much on the Manipulation System. The overflowing emotion leading to suicide — isn’t the pain of unrequited love something delectable? You must have no interest in that side!”
Oknodie’s observation on the exquisite deaths, refined through modern literature and entertainment, surpassed the simple endurance of death to resemble a madness reveling in enjoyment.
Even Sadi Chocolate, who had already fled from the state akin to the God of Death, was horrified to hear his evaluation.
Sadi Chocolate gazed at him with something akin to respect for mirroring his behavior and attitude, leaving the God of Death dumbfounded.
“Then may I return the favor now?”
[A mere human dares to inflict pain upon a god?]
“Why not give it a go first, then we can chat!”
Oknodie quickly dug out a memory collection of many kinds of pain he had experienced.
The God of Death’s spirit shook violently.
The pain of death was anything but trivial.
Yet, living itself requires more courage than dying, presenting a slow and prolonged agony that follows.
Unlike the brief agony of suffering caused by death, a lifelong torment of pain and frustration contaminates the mind and sickens the soul.
Having piled up such suffering to the point of surpassing hundreds, achieving thousands in experience…
The God of Death was crushed by a type of life pain he had never known.
[What is this?! These torturous memories!]
“Hmm~ You’re not trying to run away, are you? I’ve endured every trial put forth by the God of Death himself. You’re not seriously thinking about signing a contract as an Apostle with a weaker mental fortitude than your opponent, right?”
[You… I see. Then I shall crush the source of that confidence, all of your memories of pain!!]
The God of Death was indeed remarkable.
Withstanding all hardships, the life pains that Oknodie had experienced, the unresolved crises and unreachable salvation, the betrayals by those he trusted, the relationships turned nonexistent, loneliness, responsibility, and a barrage of emotions were all faced alone.
It was akin to immense tsunamis of memories and emotions, unyielding compared to the two grand tsunamis that had previously emerged.
The God of Death endured that disaster of memory.
[Oh? If housing in a cold home causes citizens’ complaints, then eliminate the house to erase the dissatisfaction—how cruel of a manager’s sorrow! Is this truly human sensitivity…?]
[If long queues at medical facilities annoy citizens, then eliminate the medical facility so that they can’t complain about a non-existent concept… An astonishing idea indeed. To see humans unable to express dissatisfaction with disasters they caused and be frustrated by it, is this truly info being given to me as pain? It’s quite tempting!]
[Ugh… I can’t hold this any longer. You, who would seduce me with such inhumanity, can’t possibly refuse to become the Apostle of Death; you are the one who lured me first!]
Uh-oh.
Oknodie had unwittingly drawn memories from far too past, hastily attempting to draw the line in memory liberation, but it was too late to stop the frenzied God of Death.
All reservations were put aside as He ferociously charged, trying to overwhelm him with spirit!
“Hehe. But it’s already too late. The ‘midnight’ has arrived. The time for the Weekly Event is over!”
[What?!]
“From here on out, it’s the ‘Professor’s’ turn to step in.”
As Professor Sadako swung her scythe, the boundary between the Death Zone and the Middle Realm was entirely severed.
Now the God of Death was left with only a soul on Gift Island, his escape route to the Netherworld blocked.
The minimum conditions for divine murder.
Blocking the escape route of the soul required for killing the god’s spirit.
The prerequisite for hunting the God of Death had been accomplished.