Chapter 16
There is a priority in work.
Han Yu-seong.
An [Abnormal Entity] that appears to consume [Abnormalities].
That thing is strong.
The [Alliance], which lacks the information advantage compared to other forces, may not have known about the battle at the Abandoned School, but the actions shown within [Ragnarok] allowed for a rough estimation of its capabilities.
An ‘Ancient Warrior,’ which normally gains an upper hand with just a single entity unless it’s an asymmetric power like a [God], can only endure a single strike.
The Shadow Legion was easily dismantled with punch after punch and although it was a short engagement, combat was established with the gathered warriors.
This wasn’t the strength of a [Ghost Story] that easily collects thoughts; rather, it was difficult to believe it was born in modern times as an [Abnormality]…
In other words, that’s about it.
Strong.
Definitely strong, but is that enough to topple a force? No.
It falls far short of the asymmetric powers symbolizing each faction like the [Alliance]’s [Ragnarok].
Thus, Han Yu-seong is not the priority.
“Damn….”
A man in a suit was clutching his arm, which had been devoured by a beast and was now gone.
The ruins of nearby buildings crumbled.
It was a place built by employees of the [Company] as a sort of shelter.
A location created to gather survivors who had yet to undergo mutation.
It’s not like they particularly valued human life.
Even an ordinary person could shoot a gun reasonably well.
To block the incoming shadows, ordinary people gathered as a primary defense, but it ultimately led to disaster.
It’s not that the ordinary folks caused a riot or anything.
Yeah, just bad luck.
“If the barrier had been dismantled, they could have killed them all on their own. Damn [Alliance] bastards….”
At the point when the [Alliance] took such a hard-line stance, the [Company] had already backed off.
Though there were whispers about the [Alliance] weakening or having collapsed, it still remained a part of the four great factions.
As a profit-driven [Company], it would only incur losses by engaging, and they had no desire to provoke the rampaging [Alliance].
Naturally, when considering the risk of information leaking about [Abnormalities], they intended to deal with the gathered regulars in the end…
“Grrr….”
The Alliance Leader no longer intended to leave the possibility of variables.
From the wreckage of a crumbled building, a wolf with silver fur that glowed faintly and looked almost sacred looked down below.
The air trembled in tune with the wolf’s howl.
Having risen to the position of manager in a fairly large force, even if I had never met them directly, I knew the information.
[Divine]
An element that sublimates [Abnormalities] into a [God].
I had never faced it directly—this was merely theoretical information—but in this moment, I understood.
That is a [God].
A disaster that exists in reality, conjuring all sorts of miracles and destruction.
[Hati]
The wolf that devours the moon, as recorded in myth.
This happened ten minutes before Han Yu-seong arrived.
*
Crash!
Boom—!
Kaboom—!
The sound of debris falling as the outer wall of the building crumbled echoed loudly.
As the twelve-story apartment building collapsed, the shockwave spread out as if an earthquake had struck the area.
“Awooooo!”
The howl of a wolf echoed through the ruins of the apartment complex.
A wolf with golden fur that radiated heat just by looking at it.
Flame—
The [God]’s flames rained down, but it was ineffective.
The power of fire is fundamentally a lower attribute of the sun.
The wolf that swallowed the sun, as recorded in myth.
[Skoll]
Even if it’s a power of a [God], if that power is light or fire, it would be ineffective.
Just as [Hati] headed towards the [Company] to eliminate variables, the wolf god descended here to eradicate the most dangerous foe within this [Ragnarok].
For the [Ashen King], this was an unfair matchup he could never win.
Eliminate the enemy.
Just as it devoured the faith of the sun in the past, it swallows fire.
If it’s such lukewarm flames, it would likely suffice to gulp down in one bite.
It was at that moment I stepped forward with that thought.
Flick—
The ground I stepped on vanished.
The space projected onto reality collapsed, mixing the otherworld into reality.
There was neither the blue sky of reality nor the red sky of the barrier.
Only a dark void.
Without clouds, sun, moon, or even a source of light, just a pitch-black expanse, paradoxically, my eyes comprehended everything as if I were under the sun.
That space was the back of the world.
A place offstage.
It was different from the Backroom.
Unlike the completely enclosed space of the Backroom, this was an open space that resembled a schoolyard in some aspects.
Within the space that Han Yu-seong had never even set foot in, there existed a figure.
A [Security Guard] neatly dressed in a security uniform brandished a riot baton stained with blood and flesh as he twisted his reddened face to glare at the wolf.
Debris fell from beyond the void that pierced the empty sky.
Originally a part of the Backroom and the space the [Security Guard] had protected.
Now it disintegrated into fragments and vanished from the world.
“I will kill you.”
The voice of the furious [Security Guard] echoed ominously.
*
Beep— Beep—
I picked up my smartphone to connect to the Backroom, but there was no response.
The location I was directed to was entirely destroyed, so I tried calling to ask about it….
“What’s going on?”
Now that I think about it, there was some noisy commotion coming from the direction of the apartment.
Well, there’s probably no need to worry.
I opened the [Management System] to check, but the power inside the Backroom was fine, above all.
Flame—
The [Ashen King] was rampaging, as I could see.
Though the distance was considerable, that wave of flames was impossible to ignore.
It felt somewhat weak, but regardless, as a [God], there was no need to worry about the apartment being attacked.
“So who’s that over there?”
I asked the elderly man approaching from behind.
A man in a neat black double-breasted suit.
Despite his old age, he had a sturdy build that evoked images more of a thug or yakuza than a company employee.
However, contrary to that atmosphere, his long, white hair resembled a depiction of a divine being from a story, and his uniquely poised demeanor evoked the feeling of nobility.
Crack—
As I turned the camera to capture the man, something rushed in and broke the camera.
“A wolf?”
The silver wolf with glimmering fur seemed to gaze at me as if it had finished its task and went around the old man.
– Replay the screen!
– This is how we all become blind.
– Where are we? I can’t see anything!
“This is a bit troublesome…?”
The camera broke, and the broadcast feed was interrupted.
Although the broadcast was still ongoing, if it continued like this, my plan to unveil today’s [Abnormalities] would fall apart….
“Isn’t it a basic lesson not to break other people’s belongings? You should train your pet a bit better.”
The elderly man smiled as he heard my words.
“I apologize. As you can see, I’m a bit old, and this fellow is my bodyguard and tends to be overly protective of me.”
The elderly man casually remarked as he implied he would be willing to compensate for the broken camera.
‘He seems like a really unpleasant old man….’
That aside, I heard there are very few [Gods] in modern times….
At the moment I recognized him, I naturally realized.
“Does a [God] need to be on such high alert with a bodyguard?”
The elderly man was strolling about leisurely, seemingly protected by a [God], after the [Alliance] had attacked the city.
This old man was indeed the Union Leader.
‘I should have recorded this with the camera.’
To replace the broken camera, I needed to contact the Backroom, but unfortunately, communication had been down for a while now.
I could set aside the bear, but what the hell was that [Security Guard] doing….
“Ever thought that those with power should use that power meaningfully?”
“Well? I’m hearing this for the first time.”
“Oh, what a truly unfortunate situation.”
So it turned out that the bear was merely regurgitating a saying he heard somewhere, and it seemed the origin was from the [Alliance].
He repeated the same exact phrase.
“I’ve already been using my power meaningfully enough.”
It was true.
I was living a pretty comfy life using this so-called [Abnormal Entity that consumes Abnormalities]—not that I quite grasped what that ability actually meant yet.
Before, I had gathered hundreds of thousands daily hunting entities, and after acquiring the [Ordinary Apartment], I had built a loyal slave army that earned money from the outside without any expense on my part—achieving passive income.
Is there a separate [God] in modern society?
Money is the real [God].
I was making good use of my innate abilities to live my life joyfully.
“What you consider a meaningful use should align with larger, more magnificent purposes…. Yes.”
For the betterment of humanity, perhaps.
Seeing the Union Leader speak, I thought.
That guy is insane.
‘I was expecting something like a moderately corrupt power figure, but….’
Could it be that he genuinely believes all of this is for humanity’s sake?
I briefly surveyed the surrounding scenery.
Ruins.
Rubble-filled buildings.
Explosions from gas leaks.
Moreover, it seemed true that this place used to be a gathering point as I caught the faint scent of blood in the air.
“For the sake of humanity, huh?”
With this state of things?
“Indeed, would you not lend power to our cause?”
The Union Leader spoke with a benevolent smile.
Ah, I see…
All of this is for the sake of humanity…
“Shut up, is that truly insane, or what?”
If you’re going to go mad, at least do it in a neat way.
They say he’s been alive since the mythical era, so it seems he’s definitely losing his marbles.
“Well, it’s a pity, but your agreement is not particularly necessary.”
The Union Leader continued with a smiling face at my response.
“Hati, don’t kill him quickly; just gnaw at him a bit.”
Kwaaaang—
As the old man finished speaking, the wolf lunged toward me.
“In any case, all we need is your body, so there’s nothing wrong with living out your remaining days in bed.”
Though this was valuable flesh, he strangely muttered he would take good care of me.
“If you’re mad, just go to a nursing home.”
Compromise with such a lunatic was impossible.
All I had left was to beat him down with power.
As the wolf charged at me, I too raised my fists in response.
Facing a complete [God] for the first time in this life.
I tensed my muscles thinking it was time to meet a formidable foe, and….
“Bwaaaah!”
“Huh?”
“What?”
I could only be perplexed at the sight of the wretchedly rolling cub wolf.
*
Bwaah… Wimper…
A pitiful sound resonated amidst the shattered debris.
If animal rights activists heard it, they would have rushed to report this cruel punishment of a pathetic little puppy.
Unfortunately, there were no animal rights activists around at this moment.
“Die.”
Just as the ominous voice of the [Security Guard] echoed, the sounds of whimpering ceased.