253
Catching Hypocrisy
The noisy battlefield became quiet.
Even the man who was dying with a sword pierced through his stomach quietly stared upward.
The crouching god began to move.
The huge wings that had been wrapped around it like an egg spread out. With the flapping of the wings, everything on the battlefield flew backwards as if a strong typhoon had blown up.
The huge wings spread out fully, completely covering the sky.
The god with his wings spread moved slowly. Then, blood and flesh poured out like rain from each seam. A terrible scream resonated incessantly.
It was a horrible sight, but I didn’t even dare to feel afraid.
Everyone just stared blankly.
God wavered as if he were blocked by an invisible line.
Huge chunks of flesh fell off with a thud.
The red raindrops grew thicker.
Balhar Khan stared blankly at him, the hot blood beating against his face.
One of the god’s arms was cut off and fell. It was so big that it looked like Cassidy was falling.
Kuung-. The fallen arm hit the capital city wall with a terrible sound.
The walls collapsed, flesh shattered, blood poured out like a flood, and those around the castle were swept away and pushed back.
No one screamed. They just stood there dumbfounded, either when they were crushed to death by flesh or when they were swept away by the red flood.
Invisible lines continued to draw all over the god. A huge mark was carved near the knee. A red waterfall poured down through the gap.
Lines were drawn everywhere, blood was poured out, flesh was torn off, but the god stood up whole.
When the god stood upright, his size was so great that he could not even be seen above his chest.
The sky covered by giant wings, the gods of terrible appearance, the pouring flesh, and the still pouring red rain – even hell could not be this terrible.
It was a distant and hopeless situation, but I could only look up to the end that had arrived.
The knights who had been advancing bravely dropped their swords, the priests who had been searching for God dropped their scriptures, and the magicians could not even breathe properly, let alone chant their spells.
A god who has fully risen, or who has not even the will to fight in the end.
The same was true for Balhar Khan. Balhar Khan put down his sword and even took off his uncomfortable breastplate.
What use would all this be in the face of such a being?
‘Did you fail?’
I guessed that even Aaron wouldn’t succeed because his opponent was a god.
However, since it was Aaron, I had a thought.
Because he always delivers results that far exceed expectations.
At that moment, God moved his one remaining hand.
It was a very simple movement, just swinging your hand up and down, something you might do when catching a bug.
However, the result was not simple.
As the giant hand moved, the air screamed repeatedly. The wind, tightly packed, blew fiercely as if a typhoon was blowing.
As the hand of God touched the ground, a loud noise erupted and the earth shook. The dirt rose violently as if an explosion had occurred.
He raised his clenched fist as if he was touching sand. Between them, things that were human fell down. He felt the sound from above as if God had swallowed what he was holding.
A section of the battlefield had completely disappeared. The terrain itself had changed. A deep, huge basin had formed in what had been a flat land.
Whether imperial or rebel, with just one gesture, hundreds of people left without a trace.
To God, this side was nothing more or less than a bug.
At that moment, the guy’s hand moved again. This time, it was pointed towards Balhar Khan. No, it was difficult to say that because of its size.
Balhar Khan blankly looked up at the approaching hand. Could that huge thing even be called a hand?
It looked like the sky was falling.
No, it felt like the world was falling apart.
There was actually no wind down there. It was just calm, like being in front of a typhoon.
Even though I was about to be crushed, I wasn’t afraid.
How could one dare feel fear of such a being?
Those around them were in a similar state. Even though death was approaching, they didn’t even pretend to run away. Where would they run to when the world was falling apart?
The giant hand was getting closer. The humans that made up the hand cheered and clapped.
Within seconds, my hand reached right in front of me.
I couldn’t see anything in the darkness.
‘It’s the end.’
Balhar Khan stared straight ahead without closing his eyes. He didn’t move. What difference would it make if he moved when the world was falling apart?
Instead, I straightened my back and faced him.
‘If I had known this would happen, I would have followed him.’
As the end finally arrived, I muttered belated regrets.
A loud noise rang out.
The ground shook violently as if it were going to collapse.
The sound of explosions and crashing filled the surroundings. Only then did the screams burst out.
Strangely enough, there was no pain.
No, Balhar Khan strangely caught the gap between his fingers.
Kuuung-. My ears felt like they were going to burst from the loud noise. A giant hand grabbed me. The terrible sound continued.
The red rain poured down even harder. The red hail pounded at Balhar Khan. Balhar Khan remained still, unable to even blink.
Soon, my hand slowly rose and a miserable sight came into view.
Balhar Khan had already come out to the front lines. That’s why the area was packed just a moment ago.
Now he was standing alone.
Balhar Khan looked around blankly. The ground was dug deep. It was so deep that it felt like he was standing on a mountain.
To God, it was just a light gesture. But countless people disappeared without a trace because of that gesture.
God raised his clenched fist. Some fell between them. They were already crushed, so there was no scream.
The battlefield was still quiet. Everyone was still, as if waiting for the bastard’s move, like a prepared meal.
“Hiccup!”
Balhar Khan suddenly came to his senses as he hiccuped.
At that time, something strange happened.
···············!
The god’s legs shook violently with a loud noise. Something shot out from underneath the god.
It moved quickly, attached to the leg of the god like an insect. It really looked like an insect because it was covered in a shell.
Balhar Khan realized that the appearance was familiar.
‘······Aaron?’
It was the Aaron I had seen in the capital.
However, unlike that time, the shell was filled with a dark red fire. It was as if it was burning like a fire coated with oil.
The grotesque looking creature was climbing the god with its protruding claws.
Flesh and blood sprayed roughly in time with the creature’s movements. Parts exposed to the crimson fire it gave off melted and fell off.
At that moment, he buried his face in the flesh he had torn off.
‘······Are you eating God?’
Hiccup! Balhar Khan pounded his chest in shock.
The bastard was literally devouring God. He was even ravenously eating him, as if he was eating something incredibly delicious.
At that moment, God waved his hand at the thing attached to his ankle.
Kwaaaaang! Blood and flesh splattered wildly as he cut into his own flesh. It was a terrible natural disaster.
The strong impact was felt even from a distance, to Balhar Khan. Balhar Khan narrowed his eyes and stared at the blood-mixed dust.
God raised his hand, and there it was, dangling from there.
The creature was still tearing at flesh. God shook him roughly. The creature fell to the ground with its flesh torn off.
Kwaaaaang! With a loud noise, the ground around him shook violently.
The god extended his fist toward the bastard. Kwaaaaaaaah! The earth screamed. The battlefield shook as if an earthquake had occurred. The earth rose violently.
I shuddered at the shock that was transmitted through the ground.
‘No matter how much of a bastard he is, that······.’
Balhar Khan shook his head slightly. No matter how much of a bastard he was, there was no way he could have survived that punishment.
At that moment, the thing jumped out from the deeply dug part. It jumped up to a great height in one go as if it had wings.
The thing’s broken shell was tangled and tangled inside. The shell was twisted in places and was actually stabbing the thing. It was a terrible state, but the thing ran towards the god without hesitation.
Kwaaaaang! The god struck again. One of the god’s fingers was cut off and fell to the ground. It was a creature with a claw filled with crimson fire.
···············!!! God screamed. The world shook with his rage. Balhar Khan’s legs shook and he fell backwards.
God struck again with his fist. Kwaaaaang! Those who could not dodge were crushed by the fist and disappeared.
The thing was still attached. Even though its shell was more horribly crumpled, it was still crawling.
The bastard’s desperate fighting spirit was conveyed.
Balhar Khan unconsciously clenched his fist. It was a chance to erase the ugly shame.
Balhar Khan looked around hurriedly. There was a red disaster in the distance.
The Red Calamity was no different from other humans. It was just staring at the god with its mouth wide open. Judging from the way it was shaking, it seemed to be resisting.
Balhar Khan bit his lip. Blood flowed out, and flesh was chewed.
A feeling of helplessness came over me. I stopped thinking about it. I just moved my trembling legs and ran towards the red disaster.
Thanks to the return of his divine power, his steps were extremely fast. Looking around, it seemed like nothing had happened to the device.
Balhar Khan quickly climbed up onto the red disaster, heading towards the part of the carapace where Aaron had torn off.
There was a large area where the shell was torn off on the crown of the head.
Looking at him, Balhar Khan raised his aura around his sword. The arm that had caused the erosion held the sword tightly.
I stabbed deeply near Jeongsu-ri with my sword. The red disaster trembled slightly. I desperately stabbed repeatedly. The red disaster raised its head as blood spurted out.
As if he had come to his senses, the red disaster spread its wings. Balhar Khan struck the sword deeply embedded in his crown with his fist.
·························!
A harsh howl filled the battlefield.
Balhar Khan thrust the hilt of his sword forward. The red calamity began to leap forward, howling one after another. It flapped its wings, but one of its wings was creaking and it could not fly.
As the red disaster’s howls continued to spread, those who had been dazed came to their senses one by one. There were quite a few who followed them.
‘I’m crazy-.’
Balhar Khan, riding on the red disaster, muttered as he watched the god getting closer.
The god was truly enormous. It was so overwhelming that just looking at it made me lose my will.
But, to think that you are the one who is running towards such a god at the forefront-.
It was clear that he was crazy.
However, it was a relief.
Those who came to their senses at the howling of the red disaster began to advance accordingly.
Those who remained on the battlefield rushed forward, but compared to the god, they were like a swarm of ants. They were truly insignificant, but they were all desperate.
Balhar Khan tried to remain as calm as possible. Ants had their own advantages. He nodded, recalling the stinging sensation when he was bitten by an ant.
Plus, there was a crazy leader ant on this side.
If the rest stick together and just buy time-.
At that moment, the top became dark.
Balhar Khan raised his head.
A giant fist… no, the end was approaching.
Balhar Khan looked back. Many ants were advancing after him. Some were limping, others had their hands cut off and had swords in their mouths. They were all desperate.
I looked up at the front again. If that thing fell, all the ants would die. I had to stop it.
The punch wasn’t originally aimed at me. It was aimed at Aaron, who was on my knees, but I ended up getting swept away.
At that level, the Red Calamity should be able to withstand it.
However, if that happens, Balhar Khan in Jeongsu-ri······.
‘Was it my fate to die there?’
Balhar Khan wrinkled his nose and pulled out the sword he had stuck in his crown. As blood poured out, the red disaster raised its head.
The red disaster, seeing the approaching fist, spit out a long stream of fire and hardened its stance.
“I am Balhar Khan-!”
Balhar Khan laughed heartily, pointing his sword at the approaching fist of the giant god.
***
“God.”
Northern winter clicked its tongue at the sight of the terrible thing in the distance.
The winter in the North had awakened my lively body. Because I was shorter, my center of gravity was not properly maintained.
How old are you, to be like this…
The northern winter laughed in contempt.
“Oh, winter of the north.”
Swallows called out softly, his veins bulging and blood flowing from his mouth due to the magic he had poured out. His eyes, where the veins had burst, were filled with red energy.
The bastard’s expression was complicated. He wanted them to help him, but he seemed to be distressed because he knew that if he did, the winter in the North would disappear.
What kind of cruelty does that wizard have?
No, originally wizards were like that.
Magic comes only to those who are in despair. That’s why the wizards were broken, one by one. They were the ones who fell off a cliff.
“Can you lend me your cane?”
“If you use more force···.”
The northern winter clicked its tongue at the worry that arose on its ugly face.
As he said, the northern winter had already reached its limit. It would be dangerous to exert more power here, though-.
············!! Kwaaaaang! People were crushed by the fist that the god swung. The bastard was thrown to the ground again, but quickly got up and started climbing again.
“Gi- sa- a- del- la-!”
The knight who had been shouting until now ran forward. The northern winter chuckled as it watched his stupid back.
How could an adult just sit still while these young kids are acting like that?
Since ancient times, adults have had to set an example.
“Come on. I’ll give it back to you.”
“···All right.”
Winter of the North held the staff with both hands. It was a staff that he had used for so long that he could no longer remember, but it was shaking because he was not holding it properly.
The northern winter clicked its tongue and looked down.
A purple-haired kid and a pretty blonde woman were looking up. Their eyes were filled with worry. They were good kids.
“Remove the divine power and convert it into mana. Increase the concentration as much as possible.”
The winter in the North spoke sternly.
The purple-haired brat twitched his lips as if he knew what that meant. Northern Winter wrinkled his nose. He had to do this to smile, since his mouth muscles were underdeveloped.
After a while, the concentration of mana rose rapidly. Northern Winter twirled his staff.
“Look carefully. This is magic.”
Northern winter wrinkled its nose again at the purple-haired brat.
The purple-haired kid nodded with strength in his eyes, as if he wasn’t going to miss a single thing.
If it were that child, he would surpass himself someday. I was curious about what was beyond that, though-.
Now I had to show my side as an adult.
What should I show that child?
What should I give as a gift?
Northern Winter hesitated for a moment, then stared at the god’s right knee, where a large scar was carved.
If you break one leg, you’ll lose your balance. Then those hotheads will do their part somehow.
However, it couldn’t be that simple.
One of the bastard’s legs was as thick as a huge mountain.
The winter of the North quietly closed its eyes.
Since the Swallows had shown the culmination of magic, she intended to show the essence of magic.
Magic was born of longing. Longing comes from loss. So she, the most powerful magician, was also the most unlucky.
“I long for it.”
Mana began to move along her hand. The concentrated mana shook the air. She did not cut him or transform him. She moved the mana itself.
He charmed the mana in the surrounding area with concentrated mana. The mana swelled up more and more as if it was giving birth to a baby.
The northern winter was exciting for the first time in a long time. To be able to use such a huge amount of mana-. Even if she had crossed the wall, she was still a helpless wizard.
Mana began to flow as if following the master’s gesture.
The dense mana was bound up. An invisible energy was pressing down on the surroundings. Many people collapsed because they had difficulty breathing.
Soon, my mana reached its limit. My whole body began to tremble.
The northern winter, which had never felt the strain of using magic, raised the corners of its mouth.
The winter of the North opens its eyes and points its staff at the god in the distance.
“We are mutually-.”
Whispered her wish.
There was no sound. It was just the feeling that something had moved.
The god’s right knee was completely cut off without any warning.
Vivian opened her eyes wide in a feeling of emptiness she had never felt before.
The mana that had been pressing down on my chest until now was nothing. It was truly empty.
Kuu …
While everyone was blankly staring at him-.
“Strategy-Enemy-Strategy!!”
Adela ran towards the god with a shout. The others followed her, shouting ‘Strategic Strategy’.
at that time-.
“Euaaaahh …
The child’s cries echoed through the air.
I turned my head in surprise and saw Swallows holding a child in her arms with a bitter expression on her face. The sight suited her quite well.
“Ah… no!”
For some reason, Selena screamed.
***
– Hey! Are you okay?
‘It’s noisy.’
I opened my eyes, muttering a soft curse. Everything around me was red.
I thought back over the situation carefully.
I was tearing off the wing of the thing, and it fell backwards and I got crushed by it. It felt like I got crushed by a building.
‘Is this the bastard’s back?’
Although the process was strange, I was able to get inside, which was very thick and difficult to get through.
– We have to finish it as quickly as possible.
‘I know, too.’
The karma that had not found a place was scattered here and there. There was still quite a lot left, but I had to hurry.
However, it wasn’t easy because the bastard was so big.
No matter how much I tore it, it didn’t show any signs.
‘It’s hot.’
I muttered as I forcefully pulled out the thorn that was twisted and stuck inward.
Because of its large size, it was impossible to avoid its punches. It had to be hit with its body every time. No matter how hard its shell was, it was no use being hit by something like that. However, it was still able to endure.
‘Over there?’
I looked at the brick men and gauged their direction. I had already seen the location of the nuke.
Please kill me-. The brick men screamed and stretched out their hands, melting in the crimson fire.
It was a bit complicated to move forward by tearing them apart one by one.
‘Because it’s a job that’s going to be thrown away anyway.’
I threw the scattered karma into the fire like firewood.
Then, a cool, crimson fire shot out from my hand like a flamethrower. The brick men melted and made a path.
“It’s refreshing.”
– Ugh, who would do something so ignorant······.
He chuckled at Oman’s desperate mutterings and ran forward, piling up more karma as he made his way forward.
The flamethrower’s performance was amazing. Even the brick men liked it, so it was a series of mutually satisfying trades.
After running for a while, the brick men suddenly retreated, creating space.
White things suddenly rose up from underneath.
They were shiny and winged, just like miniature versions of the thing. Each one was unique.
Some were as huge as monsters, and some were as tiny as children.
– Be careful. These contain brothers.
I could tell even without him saying it. The aura he gave off was different. And his movements were also unusual.
However, there was a flamethrower on this side.
I poured out more karma. The flamethrower spurted long streams of fire – and the ones that were coming were unable to resist and melted.
– ···Crazy.
Oman clicked his tongue slightly. It seemed like a waste, even though it was karma that would be scattered anyway.
At that moment, I felt a cold sensation from in front of me. Something hazy appeared in my vision. It was the guy hiding behind the big guy, sticking out his sharp tongue.
I didn’t bother to dodge. Boom. The tongue of the guy who hit the shell broke instead. The impact was severe, but it was negligible.
‘This is pretty cool.’
They couldn’t penetrate my thick carapace. On the other hand, this one had a flamethrower, so it felt like I was using a cheat key.
I laughed out loud and moved forward again.
– ···There is no crazy person who would write like this.
‘If you’re going to give it to me, give it to me coolly. Give it to me gently.’
Oman coughed harshly. He sent me a few more of those things after that. Of course, they all melted and turned into ice cream.
Plus, whatever was going on outside seemed to be keeping him from focusing fully on this.
And so we continued to move forward-.
I was able to face a being within.
– Hypocrisy.
Oman spat out his words.
He was as shabby as the others, but he had distinct facial features. It was an unlucky face that made it hard to tell whether he was male or female.
He was small in stature, but had dozens of huge wings on his back. He looked like an angel.
The guy stared at me quietly. His eyes were pure, not befitting of the guy who had been causing such a ruckus. I could feel that he was the real deal.
I calculated the remaining karma while waving my hands. It was a bit shaky because I had been coolly supported by the flamethrower. The shell actually fell off in some places.
I grabbed the dangling claw, pulled it out, and held it.
Now it was a sword.
“You are greater than anyone I have ever seen.”
He immediately began to praise me. His voice was as sweet as honey and as gentle as a whisper.
‘That bastard is like a eunuch.’
When I heard him, I felt my stomach churn and my body lost all strength. I muttered curses and pulled myself together.
– Beware of his tongue. It is a speech that even gods could not understand.
“But I wonder why you do this. Why do you stop me from doing my work? Do you think what I am doing is wrong? Humans are monsters of greed. They always covet what belongs to others. Before the empire was established, the continent was filled with blood. They killed each other again and again, not because they were hungry, but simply out of greed. Now, compared to then, it is only one-tenth of that. Am I wrong?”
The guy spoke for a long time, as if he was not breathing. It was like the speech of a salesman.
It sounded obvious, hidden and packaged so well that I felt like I was stupid if I didn’t buy it right away.
I chewed my tongue to collect my confusion and measured the distance between me and the guy. If I ran as fast as I could, it would be about five steps.
At my reaction, the bastard’s mouth moved again.
“When the empire falls, it will return to that time. Humans will kill each other out of greed, and the continent will once again be stained with blood. Those with twisted eyes will not hesitate to spill blood in order to wear the crown.”
– Aaron.
I clicked my tongue at Oman’s worried voice and straightened my posture.
The guy was still rambling. Most of his comments were valid.
It’s true that most of the guys here are evil, and it’s true that it’s full of assholes. It could have been reduced to a tenth, just like he said.
However, I did not come for a cause.
I came here to clean up the shit.
“Can you take responsibility for a continent that is in chaos?”
The thing stared at me and asked. Its wings flapped slightly. I kicked the ground. The thing’s eyes widened.
The bastard’s reaction was slightly slow, as if he thought I understood what he was saying. Bam. The bastard’s wings moved as if they were alive. It was so fast that it was a blur for a moment.
I crouched down, adjusting my grip on my sword. Wings as thick as steel cut through the air as I approached.
I clenched my teeth and twisted my sword to ward him off. Boom! A heavy touch came over me, but I didn’t stop walking.
It continued to advance, shedding and crushing its wings one by one.
Perhaps sensing that it was not working, the creature drew its wings together, forming a pupa-like shape.
At that moment, a cool sensation came from behind. When I glanced over, I saw wings pouring down from all directions.
He was hiding and attacking from behind – he was a fucking fighter.
I readjusted my sword in front of him.
First, I put a dot below. My arm started to ache because I put so much strength into that one.
He gritted his teeth and moved his sword. The sword tried to go where it wanted. If it were normal, he would have left it alone, but Hendrix’s swordsmanship alone was not enough to pierce those thick wings.
No, there was no need to put in the effort to pierce those wings.
The content was the goal.
‘I wonder if it’ll be okay.’
I had a feeling it would work out.
Because I’m lucky.
He muttered a rough joke and directed the sword to the side. He put it in a straight line. He added more to the master’s charm.
A fierce backlash arose. The two repelled each other like the poles of a magnet. He was crushed by the karma of arrogance. The scent of arrogance was added.
When all of that was mixed together, the sword became extremely heavy. I felt like my arm was going to fall off.
However, I had strong arms.
I gritted my teeth and moved the sword. Then, the sword lurched but still had direction. It was clear and free. A straight line connected the dots.
He added the perfection of the master of the sword to Hendrix’s imperfection. He forcibly connected the two, who were baring their teeth like enemies, with the power of arrogance.
When I mixed it like that, I realized that it was neither perfect nor imperfect, but just an adequate sword.
The moment the sword was completed, a sharp pain came from behind.
The sharp wings repeatedly beat against the shell. The shock alone was enough to make me dizzy, but some of them even pierced through the torn parts of the shell.
My body shook violently, and I became confused due to the intense pain.
His concentration, which had been pushed to its limit, became blurred.
For a moment, the sword almost collapsed-.
The sweat that flowed every morning naturally guided the sword.
Bam.
The strength gave out and the sword fell.
I clicked my tongue at my drooping hands and checked the front.
The wings were still there.
However, black blood spread underneath.
Soon, as if strength had been released, the wings opened.
I saw a piece of shit inside.
It was a face of disbelief.
At that, I raised the corners of my lips.
“Your tongue is long.”
As he said, the blood could have flowed even more.
As the empire collapses, there will be those who take advantage of the chaos to reveal their greed.
However, that was a problem to be solved here.
Plus, there were a lot of useful ones on this side.
They’ll figure it out somehow.
foolish···.
The surroundings collapsed with the loser’s muttering.
“You piece of shit.”
I gathered up the last of my karma and burned the bastard’s traces.
– You fucking piece of shit.
I fell backwards, giggling.
It felt good to clean up a big pile of poop.
