NOVEL NEXT Chapter 226
Chapter: 226
Although Lian had been swept along by the Gag God, he had no regrets about becoming the god of the Dark Fantasy world.
That’s because he had come to love the world that had shown him unique affection and love. While he might not be a true god, with human memories still intact, the size of his love rivaled the infinite mercy of the divine.
As soon as Lian arrived in Heaven, he looked down to grasp the situation on the ground.
Once Lian sat on the Divine Seat, all outsiders were either forcibly banished to another dimension or turned into treats for the Gag God. Sometimes she’d transform them into chocolate or candy and offer them to Lian like snacks.
Lian was bewildered by the inexplicable growth of his godly powers, but the Gag God didn’t bother to explain it.
With the disappearance of the former god of Dark Fantasy, the residents of the Demon World were finally freed from the mania that had been imposed upon them. But the sins they committed wouldn’t just disappear. There were also plenty of true sinners who felt no guilt at all.
Lian reconstructed the realms of death and life and placed all the sinners into a place he named “Hell.”
At least those who regretted their sins were tossed into the “Demon World,” tasked with cultivating a barren land where no living thing could survive. Only those who hadn’t sinned or were forced to sin by the outsiders remained in the Demon King’s Castle.
Lian did not discriminate against races born with an inherent evil tendency. After all, if there’s good, evil has to exist. Instead, those born with “evil” tendencies were appointed as the guardians of Hell. They were pretty happy punishing the sinners to their heart’s content.
Though some voiced displeasure at Lian’s oppressive actions, they all ended up being dragged to Hell without exception.
Unlike the former Dark Fantasy God, Lian possessed immense power, so there was no need for him to beat around the bush. He simply flicked his fingers to send anyone who disobeyed him straight to Hell.
The Empire slowly began to stabilize after emerging from chaos. The nations that had fallen to the Demon Lord’s army gradually regained their footing or new kingdoms rose from the ashes.
It only took a moment for a new war to start. Lian didn’t prevent the war outright. Instead, he sought to limit unnecessary slaughter as much as possible.
Countries that deliberately went after lives that didn’t need to be lost faced divine punishment. It was a punishment backed by the hilarious interventions of the Gag God!
Those who were punished would find themselves experiencing “gag” situations before they died. All while being completely sober…
Thanks to the Gag God’s assistance, Lian gradually transformed the world for the better.
Was it all worth it, though?
The Dark Fantasy world transformed into a Fantasy world! Realizing this instinctively, Lian shed tears of joy and shouted “Hooray!”
But what about the others, you ask? How were they all managing down there?
“Partner, partner! Hurry up and splash some water!”
“Huh…”
The Magic Sword with whom Lian had made a pact remained in its sword form, even after he’d become a god. However, its ranking had risen, bringing it closer to divinity.
While Lian was busy working, he transformed into a human form and went adventuring with the Gag God, and at some point, he got engrossed in a healing game. Even now, he was lost in StarX Valley, playing games all day long.
When he told the Gag God to take the computer back because it was ruining fantasy genres, he could imagine the Magic Sword whining and clinging to his pants like a child.
It was comical to watch the Gag God having a blast while he was running around frantically like his life was on fire.
“What the…! Why are you all here?”
Seeing the Magic Sword get slapped and thrown out of a game after hitting on girl after girl, only to end up with a Casanova ending, brought Lian some solace.
“…”
Thinking about that Casanova ending, he couldn’t help but remember people he tried hard to forget.
Noah, Jess, Iris—members of the Nest.
After Lian sat on the Divine Seat, every being on the surface forgot about “Lian.”
Even before he became a god, it was inevitable that those who contained a part of the god in their heads would go mad, and so they had no choice but to erase him from their memories.
‘…As long as I remember, it’s fine.’
Lian thought with a faint smile.
‘When everyone’s life comes to an end, I can gather their souls and turn them into angels. I can give back the memories that were erased then.’
Lian had no intention of letting any of his people go. Of course, if they wanted to, he might think about letting them go three times, but now that he was a god, ultimately they would return to his side.
It was a persistent obsession that did not match his gentle appearance.
After managing to soothe his troubled heart, he tackled the mounting tasks. The sun rose and set at least ten times, but in Heaven, day and night changed according to Lian’s heart, allowing him to focus on his work without realizing the passage of time.
A few more days passed, and finally, Lian took a moment to lighten up and rest.
“Let’s see… what is everyone up to?”
Lian looked down at the ground.
“Hmm? What are they doing?”
The members of the Nest, as well as Noah, Jess, Iris… and even the Duke, were all gathered in the honorable Coliseum, clashing swords as valiant warriors.
Were they hosting some big event? As he watched from above—
“Alright! This opportunity doesn’t come around often!”
“…?!”
The Gag God, dressed in a clown outfit, was shouting loudly as the host.
‘What kind of disaster are you planning now…!’
Lian spoke to the Gag God desperately, like a pet owner finding their dog or cat that happened to stray outdoors without offering any treats.
Since he still lacked the skills to create a clone like the Gag God and send it down, all he could do was shout.
[ What are you doing down there! ]
“Whoa?! Right now, the sun is watching the match! Isn’t it exciting for a god who wants to greet the winner of the holy battle?!”
Her words echoed painfully, causing a deafening cheer to ripple through the Coliseum. It almost seemed like it would reach Heaven itself.
[ What new mischief are you up to now…! Are you not coming up yet?! ]
“The sun commands the match to begin! Alright, then! The first match is—…!”
Familiarity with the reckless ignorance of the Gag God’s behavior filled Lian with dread. Unable to contain his frustration, he sighed and turned his gaze away from the ground, only to be approached by Ellensia with a calm expression.
“Are you okay?”
“No, I’m fine. It’s merely—”
“If it gets tough, I’ll give you a kiss—I mean, if it’s not tough, that’s fine.”
“Seems tough.”
Lian debated whether to be grateful or annoyed that Ellensia was learning such strange things from the Gag God and decided to be thankful today.
‘Just today, I’ll let it slide.’
He resolved to allow her to cause whatever trouble she might stir up, at least for this day.
…He shouldn’t have thought that way.
*
“Now, let’s welcome our new goddesses with applause!”
Beep—!
The Gag God, wearing bizarre spinning glasses, blew a party horn and put on a party hat, even setting off tiny fireworks as if it were someone’s birthday.
Seeing pieces of paper flying everywhere, Lian couldn’t close his mouth.
“What the… is this…”
“Haha, it’s so touching that words escape you, huh?”
The Gag God grinned, hands on her hips. What kind of madness was this god speaking?
Lian couldn’t even form proper words out of disbelief. He might just be the first god to literally collapse from high blood pressure.
It was indeed a massive incident she triggered.
“Why, of all times…”
Noah, flaunting an exaggerated figure, had her brown hair tied into a ponytail as she scanned the surroundings without any effort to conceal her femininity. Jess sniffed around, her ears perked up. Nearby, Iris stood aloof, her white hair swaying as she crossed her arms.
The three people whom Lian had worked so hard to forget now stepped onto Heaven, looking like mature women—all thanks to the Gag God!
“Turn them back now!”
“Uh-uh… The moment they entered Heaven, their soul’s rank increased, so they can’t return. At least they need to be made into angels… Ow, ow, ow!”
When Lian yanked on her soft cheeks, her eyes teared up. When he glared fiercely at her, the Gag God squeaked and jumped back with a start.
“I didn’t drag them here against their will! They volunteered to become gods!”
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
“Ho ho, they are those who have won in battles for the glorious position of the new gods! They entered wanting to be gods from the get-go!”
“Stop with the nonsense and turn them back!”
Like a parent catching a kid who brought home a stray cat, Lian chastised the Gag God.
“I told you it’s impossible! Besides… you knew better than this, right? Hmm?”
Lian tilted his chin slightly, pretending to consider her excuses. That’s when the Gag God began to chatter animatedly.
“Normally, a greater god would have hundreds of lesser gods. Angels? Thousands! I might not need them since I don’t manage the world well, but you do! If you keep going like this, you’ll burn out!”
She continued in a tone that sounded like she was teaching a younger sibling.
“You can’t just summon outsiders either. Who can you even trust? If you can’t fill the positions from outside, you have to fill them from the inside!”
“Even if those three became gods, it wouldn’t change much compared to before. Are you really going to spout such ridiculous excuses?”
While it was true that having lesser gods would be helpful, it was clear that one or two wouldn’t make the workload any easier. If he was lucky, it would only reduce the paperwork by one page.
Even a trio of lesser gods wouldn’t serve much help.
‘…Not to mention, I’m not ready to face them yet…’
He didn’t want to meet their eyes, which were filled with nothing but awe for the gods while having erased every memory and love connected to Lian. That look terrified him.