Episode 109: Bed Football ON
I had just learned an incredible secret about this world from a school friend, as casually as chatting about a game during lunch break. Before I could process the shock, we had already arrived at Kern.
Right away, it became clear that the more pressing issue wasn’t the secrets of the world but rather strategies to eliminate the Resurrection Sect. I decided to set aside questions about his true identity for now and instead focused on asking about ways out of my current predicament.
“Hmm. In short, isn’t this just a defense game where we’re short on numbers?”
True to being the developer of the Hero Support System, he came up with a game-like analogy. I nodded vigorously in agreement.
Simultaneously, I began mechanically slaying members of the Resurrection Sect, as naturally as starting work at the office.
“Yeah. No matter how much I rush around, while I’m clearing one area, hundreds are dying elsewhere. By the time everything is cleaned up, at least a thousand will be dead.”
As I replied to Older Brother Sooho, I activated the Skill: Miasma Gas Spread.
Whether heroes or locals, most of the people around instinctively gasped, stiffened, and trembled in fear. My sharp gaze scanned for those who didn’t.
“Him. And that guy over there.”
I singled out those whose faces were familiar among those who didn’t stiffen. There was no need to confirm them with the Eye of Mimir; their names were already marked 11 times in my mental blacklist.
Purruk. I instantly plunged a magic sword into them. Their heads soared into the air, and fountains of blood erupted everywhere.
“AAAAAH!”
“It’s, it’s murder!”
“The crazy man is killing people!!”
People ran around in panic as they saw me.
“Hmph. Keep barking. Your reaction is getting tiresome.” I twisted my lips and clenched my fists. The magic swords scattered around as my power dispersed.
Poojik, Ujik, Uddeuk. Sounds of flesh tearing simultaneously came from five directions on distant rooftops. Satisfied, I nodded. The snipers in the central district were wiped out.
Despite the relentless killing, Sooho and I continued our conversation.
“Hmm. Wasn’t what’s happening here supposed to be the summoning of an Astarte shard?”
“Yes, that’s what I’ve heard.”
“What kind of crazy people are doing such things?”
“The so-called seeds of the apostles of Cassas and Resurrection Sect followers.”
“Apostles of Cassas? I remember them from my time, yet they still exist? They devour and live well wherever they are—such an oppressive world.”
“Exactly what I mean.”
Though I thought silently, ‘Isn’t Older Brother also one of the great villains detailed heavily in history books?’, I refrained from speaking. If I voiced this, it would inevitably lead to at least 10 minutes of lecturing from a know-it-all senior. I should know better and stay quiet. Sorry, Ruci. I’ll no longer threaten you with the Chamber of Truth. I deeply reflected on my past mistakes.
Since I remained silent, Sooho raised the subject again.
“As I know, for an Astarte shard to appear, at least 500 human souls are required. Of course, that’s the minimum. For Astarte to be satisfied, around 5000 would need to die.”
“Meaning, if only the minimum number dies, it’s still possible to summon it.”
“Right. But the summoned Astarte will be much less complete than its full form.”
This was very useful information, and I ingrained it deeply into memory.
As I thought about it, a thought occurred to me. If my 87 deaths and the accumulation of dark energy in my body caused Brother Sooho to awaken, perhaps life is full of paradoxical ironies like this.
Should I instead rejoice in dying well?
“… But I absolutely can’t feel that way.”
While speaking, my thoughts wandered aimlessly, but my hands didn’t stop.
I scanned the crowd relentlessly and swung my sword as soon as I saw a monster. Blood splattered, spread across the ground, and chunks of flesh stuck to houses and shop walls.
In the middle of this relentless massacre, my conversation with Brother Sooho remained surprisingly calm.
“The… Resurrection Sect followers gathered here? How many of them were you saying?”
“About 600.”
I casually replied and cleaved a Resurrection Sect member in half with a Puwhack sound.
There was a brief silence from Sooho. Despite my curiosity, I kept killing Resurrection Sect members.
After I slaughtered about ten more, Sooho resumed speaking.
“Hey. Then this is a game where you can’t win from the start, isn’t it?”
“Huh? Why?”
“If you kill all the Resurrection Sect members, you’re fulfilling the minimum requirement, aren’t you? They’re not even real lives?”
“……!!”
At that, my massacre was halted for the first time. So shocked was I that I couldn’t move.
At that moment, a timely sound of “Kookookoo” came from the distance. A blinding white flash shot up beyond the horizon.
White explosion. The summoning ritual of the Astarte shard had begun.
“No… no… it can’t be.”
Srrung! The emotionless Resurrection Sect members simultaneously drew their swords, as if to express their pent-up frustrations. In an instant, dozens of Resurrection Sect members gathered around me.
Almost all the Resurrection Sect members in the city gathered around me, judging me as an extremely dangerous person after seeing how skillfully I wiped them out with a single strike.
Of course, I had guided them to do so.
“…”
The little ones buzzing around me didn’t even cross my mind.
Brother Sooho’s penetrating words kept swirling around my mind. I shivered in tremor, my body jerking as if struck by lightning for a moment.
I finally managed to croak out a voice filled with deep despair.
“Then, is there… no way to stop it?”
“If you’re the only available person, yes, it’s hopeless. No matter what, it’s no answer.”
Hearing that, I felt all strength leaving my body.
11 attempts. And 76 more attempts that I can’t even remember. Did all those struggles, fighting against the fear of death that kept eroding, amount to nothing but predetermined failures?
“The organization of Cassas apostles that trapped Ruci and me—how badly did they wish to kill us? One thing’s for sure, it’s a whole lot of hatred.”
My strength left my hand gripping the sword, as it was about to fall. My vision gradually darkened. A dark emotion surged upward, gradually spreading.
“But… if the available personnel aren’t just one, it’s a different story. There could be a possibility.”
As Resurrection Sect members’ spears approached me, a single word from Brother Sooho made my eyes snap open. Immediately, I transformed my Black Wings of Evolution.
Papapap! Thirty sharp thorn-tentacles swept past the Resurrection Sect members at zero distance. Their confused faces split in two, splashing blood all around.
“Please help me, Brother! What should I do?!”
Ignoring my surroundings, I shouted desperately at my sword. Seeing my desperate expression, Brother Sooho laughed heartily and spoke.
“Haha! Yeah, first thing… from now on, under no circumstances let anyone die. That includes Resurrection Sect members. You must not kill anyone either now.”
This command was hard to understand, so I naturally raised an eyebrow.
“Are you serious? Even Resurrection Sect members? If I don’t kill them, I’ll be the one to die.”
“Don’t argue. Do you want to fail forever like this?”
“Understood!”
I responded as if ready to lick the floor and transformed my cloak into extended wings again.
Pukhak! Pushing off the ground, my figure shot into the sky. I hovered slowly and looked down. The Resurrection Sect members who had swung their weapons at me stared up at me dumbfounded.
Pipip! Those armed with ranged weapons like bows tried to shoot me. I clicked my tongue and rose higher to avoid the shots. Kern’s appearance gradually shrank, looking like a miniature.
“Anyway, let me ask as a check.”
When I had ascended high enough for the Resurrection Sect members to look like ants, Brother Sooho suddenly initiated a conversation. I cast my gaze on the Vestark, whose red characters were swarming.
“If anyone can come late to this city and help you, any guesses?”
“Come late…?”
I was confused by Brother Sooho’s question for a moment but exhaled a scream as a face flashed through my mind.
There was one. I remembered someone who had shown up late.
“Yes. There is someone. There exists a very strong person… stronger than me!”
“Great, then it’s certain. That person is coming here right now.”
“Huh?!”
In shock, I opened my mouth wide.
What is this? Is this torture of hope? I couldn’t believe it, so I looked at the Vestark with a suspicious gaze. Then Brother Sooho added.
“I’ve become extremely sensitive to biological mana since I transformed? I’m like a top-tier human scout.”
“Yeah, but…”
“There’s powerful biological mana stronger than yours rapidly approaching here. I swear on my left testicle. Believe me.”
“Really?! I trust you, Brother!”
A man betting on that part of his body to claim truth is always true—at least that’s what I believe, so I decided to trust him. Thoughts about swords having balls came later.
I nodded confidently with trust and raised my head high. Brother Sooho’s reliable voice then rang out with vigor.
“Now what you have to do is simple. First…”
“Umm, first?”
“Can you use any binding skills?”
Caught off guard by the sudden question, I hesitantly nodded.
“Yes, I have one.”
“Can you bind how many at once?”
“At once… twenty.”
I was talking about Shadow Chains. After reaching level 20, Shadow Chains could bind up to twenty enemies at a time, a fact that made me regret not leveling it sooner.
As Brother Sooho continued questioning, mumbling sounds came out continuously.
“Most important question here. Can you use it multiple times?”
“Possible, but maintaining it will drain a lot of mana.”
“Doesn’t matter, as long as it’s possible. Now go down.”
Though I didn’t fully understand the flow of our conversation, with Brother Sooho as my only support, I quickly started lowering my altitude.
Kern, which had looked like a toy, gradually came into focus. About the time when I spotted the emotionless faces of the Resurrection Sect members.
“Bind all of them you can see, all of them, however many!”
“Yes!”
A sudden order from Brother Sooho came. I responded reflexively and immediately started acting.
Kwang! I landed with a crash, stood up, and immediately stared at the surrounding Resurrection Sect members, initiating the skill.
“Shadow Chains!”
Tchurrrrr! A black door opened behind me, and the darkness writhed. Shooting out quickly, it bound 20 emotionless Resurrection Sect members tightly, transforming into shiny iron chains.
At that moment, Brother Sooho shouted.
“Hold on as long as possible until reinforcements arrive! Endurance always wins!”
Ah. Only then did I understand what Brother Sooho was trying to do.
I launched Shadow Chains more quickly than before. Black doors opened everywhere, continuously creating darkness that bound the Resurrection Sect members.
“Operation Bed Football! Get it?”
“Understood!”
Tchajajajak!
I moved back and forth through the city streets, using Shadow Chains indiscriminately. Soon, the entire city block became a bizarre sight, covered in black chains, resembling a spider web.
Citizens and heroes who had been hiding and trembling cautiously peeked out their heads to witness the scene. Their dumbfounded exclamations and murmurs spread around.
“It’s… the killings have stopped.”
“That black-haired guy… wasn’t he one of them?”
“What’s going on?”
The sound of flesh tearing and screams stopped. A deathly silence enveloped the city block for a moment.
All the Resurrection Sect members in the city block were bound by chains, and the slaughter had ceased. Now, only ordinary citizens remained, looking perplexed at the situation.
Seeing this, I exhaled a sigh of relief.
“… For now, the district is cleared!”
Wiping my forehead, I noticed a lot of sweat had gathered there.
While the Shadow Chains absorbed life force to the point of overflowing, I could feel my mana depleting in real-time. The amount was beyond imagination.
“Uh oh. Dangerous.”
Checking my status screen, my mana had dropped to a dangerous level. I hastily consumed an Ether. A refreshing cool sensation enveloped my body as mana flowed back into my system.
Apparently sensing my condition, Brother Sooho immediately raised his voice.
“Not much time left! Let’s move to the next district!”
“Jung Yong Jung Yong!”
Responding like a Pokémon to Brother Sooho’s word, I shot off toward the residential area like a bullet.
