Chapter 101

“How’s your body?”

“Where is this…?”

“It’s Mitran’s Garden. I clearly remember being with Escario…”

“I brought you here for a moment.”

“Is that even possible?”

“This is my last bit of strength. I stopped time for a moment. It’s nearly impossible for me, but I managed it once.”

Crimson hair fluttered softly in the breeze.

“Let me make it clear, I have no relationship with Escario. He just followed me around one-sidedly. We were never engaged or anything.”

“Then why suddenly…?”

“Because he thinks I like him.”

“What?”

Vesprede began to slowly circle around me. Was it just my imagination, or did she seem a bit annoyed?

“This Mitran’s Garden has always been open. It’s a beautiful, vast garden, and many tourists, including those from the Divine Realm, used to visit. Escario was one of them.”

“But is that the story I need to hear right now?”

“Yes. I won’t be able to appear before you anymore, so I want to tell you the beginning of the story.”

Did she say she stopped time for a moment? But I don’t have time to listen to old stories.

“The baby you’re worried about is safe. That place has been evacuated for a long time. That baby made me feel like a mother for the first time, so I kept a close eye on it.”

“Really…?”

Well, that’s a relief, but…

“Then, I’ll continue the story. Escario was already powerful back then. Not as strong as me, but strong enough to become the Light Realm God. But the problem was his appearance.”

“Hamhuman.”

“Right. Hamhuman. My children are so clever. How did they come up with such a fitting word? Anyway, Escario was walking around the garden when he tripped and fell.”

He probably couldn’t get up.

“With his appearance, everyone just laughed and didn’t help. I was the only one who helped him up and gave him a handkerchief to wipe his dirty face.”

“You… don’t tell me…”

Vesprede’s face twisted sharply.

“Yes. That ‘don’t tell me.’ He thought I was interested in him because I gave him the handkerchief… That’s when it started. Escario’s abnormal obsession with me.”

“It’s your fault!”

“Well, if you think about it, it is my fault. But I don’t regret my creed of ‘love for all.’ Showing kindness isn’t wrong.”

“Right, it’s not wrong. But because of you, I’m suffering like this. You could’ve at least warned me!”

“What would you have done if I warned you?”

Well, there’s no good solution either way.

“I’ve been watching you all this time. So, I’ll get to the point. I’ll pass everything on to you. I’ve already given you my magic power, Vesprede Amori, and Vesprede Rifle. Now…”

“Let me use magic!”

“Alright.”

Vesprede answered cheerfully and smiled brightly at me.

“I am Vesprede.”

“What…?”

Suddenly introducing herself…?

“Mother-Body, it was nice meeting you. Don’t worry about reincarnation or possession. Just think of it as something that happened. From now on, you will live as the Mother-Body.”

“You…”

“Live up to your name, as the mother of all. Live like that. Stop Escario in my place.”

“It’s time to say goodbye. I will disappear completely.”

“But you, who have inherited everything from me, will still maintain the position of the Dark Realm God.”

“Don’t forget. The Dark Realm governs death, but death is also the beginning of all creation.”

“You are also one of my beloved children, so I’m sorry. My dear. I’ve only passed on a heavy burden. Forgive this mother.”

Vesprede’s figure began to fade. Her smiling face gradually turned white, and I could only stare blankly at her.

Mom… is it?

*

Wings spread out. Wings far larger than the main body. The six pairs of wings began to sway.

The Mother-Body’s eyes, which had been closed, suddenly opened, and a light shone in them. Her crimson eyes glowed with killing intent.

“Escario.”

The Mother-Body’s lips moved as if she were chewing her words.

“You will die here today.”

“Puhahaha!”

Escario clapped his hands and laughed. He couldn’t help it. Even though he couldn’t defeat Vesprede, he had never been defeated by her either.

“Alright, Vesprede.”

“Mother-Body.”

“What?”

Escario, annoyed by the voice that cut through his words, glared at the Mother-Body.

“I am the Mother-Body. Not Vesprede.”

“Whether you look like Vesprede or not, I see you as Vesprede.”

“Fine.”

The wings silently swayed. Black feathers began to scatter. As the feathers flew, the wind around them blew coldly again.

“You were always like that.”

The Mother-Body slowly raised her arms. As her hands moved, a black torrent traced their path.

“Is that magic?”

“You never listen. You think ‘no’ means ‘yes,’ and ‘yes’ means ‘yes.’ You always think only what you want to think.”

“Haha, what can I do if that’s the truth?”

Finally, the Mother-Body raised both arms high towards the sky and clenched her fists.

“If words don’t work, I’ll have to beat some sense into you.”

She spread her arms wide. The magic flowing from her hands spread out like a fan and gathered in her fists. The shape was like gauntlets, but covered in black darkness, their form was unclear.

“Giants who seemed to live for a thousand years. Ancient dragons who seemed to live for ten thousand years. They all eventually met their end. Do you think gods can escape that fate? Birth and death are all in my hands.”

“Enough, Vesprede.”

Escario frowned. He had enough of her rambling. He couldn’t understand why she resisted so fiercely when she could just lie under him and whine.

He had played enough. Now, it was time to end it.

Escario clasped his hands together. Slowly separating them, a long one-handed sword slid out.

“If you won’t follow me, I’ll just take you by force.”

Escario, holding a sword in his right hand and a shield in his left, pointed the sword forward.

“Escario, it seems you’ve forgotten.”

Clang, clang. The Mother-Body, wearing gauntlets, clashed her fists together, creating a threatening metallic sound, and smiled wickedly.

“You’ve never beaten me, whether I used magic or not.”

At those words, Escario also charged forward, shouting.

“And I’ve never lost to you either!”

*

“Light, pour down!”

A radiant light poured down from the night sky, and arrows of light aimed downward. Seeing the arrows raining down, the Mother-Body deflected the flying sword with her gauntlet and created some distance.

“Protect me, my sons.”

– Whoosh…

A black circle formed behind the Mother-Body, and a gate opened. A giant snake crawled out of the gate and circled above her head. The snake took the arrows of light in her place.

“Playing tricks, are we?”

“Tricks? Isn’t it a legitimate technique?”

Escario dodged the Mother-Body’s charge and smiled.

He was confident in his magic. But at such close range, magic was just a supplementary tool, and engaging in a magic battle with Vesprede was pointless.

But the weapon she chose was gauntlets. Escario couldn’t help but laugh at such a foolish choice.

You said you’d kill me, but it was all talk. Escario leisurely swung his sword, pushing the Mother-Body back.

“Choosing such a weapon is your downfall, Vesprede.”

With a large swing of his sword, he stepped forward and slashed horizontally. The Mother-Body had to move more to dodge.

Her stamina was inevitably draining.

In a battle between gods, and with magic limited in this situation, Escario couldn’t understand the Mother-Body’s choice.

Gauntlets? A primitive weapon with short range and no power beyond physical strength.

“Right. I knew you’d think that.”

The Mother-Body’s expression remained unchanged. Her crimson eyes only glared at Escario. Escario, on the other hand, smiled leisurely as he looked at her.

“You said you’d kill me, but it seems you have no way to do it. I’ll give you credit for briefly overwhelming me after just awakening. But now, it’s time to stoㅡ”

Before he could finish, the Mother-Body charged. Escario stepped back and raised his shield.

Or so he thought. But it didn’t happen. His foot, which should have stepped back, sank into black mud and couldn’t move. Moreover, something in the mud gripped his ankle, preventing him from moving.

“W-what is this?!”

Panic finally crossed Escario’s face.

“Those who step into my territory cannot move without my permission.”

A vicious smile finally appeared on the Mother-Body’s face.

“Come forth, thousand-year giant. Awaken from your slumber and crush the enemy before you.”

The ground rumbled and began to crack. Black darkness surged from the cracks.

The darkness rose and took shape, forming a giant hundreds of times larger than a human.

“Y-you… Vesprede… You?!”

Escario, seeing the darkness taking shape, was too shocked to continue.

The giant, covered entirely in black darkness, finally stood on the ground, slammed its fists into the ground, and roared.

– Uwoooooo!

The ground shook, and the atmosphere danced. Even Escario lost his balance for a moment from the giant’s roar.

The thousand-year giant. Why was it appearing here?

“The Dark Realm is the home of all the dead.”

The Mother-Body charged at Escario. Escario, with his ankle gripped, panicked and swung his sword, but it only clashed with the gauntlets, creating metallic sounds.

“Hyuk!”

Just as the Mother-Body’s head seemed to lower, her slender leg kicked Escario’s chin.

With a dull sound, Escario’s body floated up. Just as he was about to regain his posture in mid-air, he saw the thousand-year giant’s massive fist flying towards him.

– Crack!

Escario’s body, hit by the giant’s fist, flew helplessly, and the Mother-Body, chasing after him, struck him down again in mid-air.

“Keuk!”

With a metallic sound, Escario was slammed into the ground, and the thousand-year giant grabbed him and lifted him up.

The god who was not a god, the god who could not become a god, the god who hated gods. The thousand-year giant, now a member of the Dark Realm, revealed itself in response to Vesprede’s call.

“Gruooo!”

“Crush him. As much as you want.”

– Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

As soon as the Mother-Body gave permission, the thousand-year giant slammed Escario into the ground repeatedly.

“Last one.”

“Uwooo!”

Just as the thousand-year giant raised its hand holding Escario highㅡ

“Stop!”

At the Mother-Body’s shout, the darkness scattered, and the surroundings, enveloped in thick darkness, became as bright as day.

“You even summoned the thousand-year giant.”

In the place where the light was, Escario stood. After being sent back by the Mother-Body, Escario revealed himself in the dazzling light that seemed to illuminate the entire world.

“After all, darkness can never defeat light.”

“Really? Well, let’s see. Alright, it’s time to finish the captain’s battle.”

“Captain’s battle? What nonsense.”

Escario looked down at the Mother-Body from the sky. The Mother-Body, looking up at him, smiled.

The clash was imminent.

*

I still don’t fully understand what’s going on, but I’m not the one being helplessly beaten anymore. A voice in my head keeps telling me that my abilities and powers are being updated.

“Huh, Vesprede. Even if you’ve regained your powerㅡ”

At that moment.

“Flower of endless hellfire blooming in the abyss!”

Wait, this chant sounds familiar…

The dark night sky brightened as if the sun had risen. And as something flew towards us from afar, it grew even brighter.

“Amidst the rotting flames of darkness, scream and rage in the distorted abyss! Now, I, Miracle Princess Eve, shall be the guiding light leading you to destruction! Witness your end amidst the crumbling ruins!”

“True! Hellfire Cataclysm!”

Something crashed into the center of the officetel. Moments later, a loud explosion and a burst of light shattered the officetel into pieces, obliterating Escario’s forces around it.

“Miracle Princess Eve, has arrived!”

A girl with silver hair, wearing a blue skirt, landed in front of me. Holding a spear pointed at Escario, she looked quite impressive, unlike her usual clumsy self.

But.

First of all, this is Eve’s property.

And our Mogmog Group’s residence.

And the officetel, which had quite a few shops on the first floorㅡ

Now, it’s completely gone, without a trace.

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