WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The World After the Fall ◈
Chapter 149: Episode 21. God of Ashes (2)
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[The God of Flames ‘Ignis’ anticipates the Alliance’s response.]
[The Dragon God ‘Droyan’ requests a fair match.]
[The God of the North Sea ‘Glacier’ wishes to participate as an official witness.]
[The God of Mortality ‘Thanatos’ wishes to participate as an official witness.]
······
[Multiple gods are searching for a route into 〈Metaverse〉.]
Gods Jaehwan had seen before, along with gods he had never seen.
Thanks to Jaehwan’s sudden announcement, 《Little Brother》 was in an uproar for quite some time. Even supreme powerhouses of the 《Abyss》, including the Seven Heavens and Seven Stars, were among them, making the atmosphere grow even hotter.
Once the broadcast ended, Rene looked utterly dumbfounded.
“Can you handle this?”
“Of course.”
The opponent was the ‘Alliance,’ the ruler of 〈Metaverse〉.
Even Jaehwan obviously could not handle fighting the entire Alliance. It would make no difference even if he gathered the gods left here and every other stray god around them.
But what if the opponent was the ‘Leader’ alone?
Once she understood Jaehwan’s strategy, Rene nodded as though she was sincerely impressed.
“So you were actually a very calculating person.”
“What do you mean?”
“Then why three days from now?”
“They need time to prepare too.”
At first, the Alliance would not accept Jaehwan’s proposal.
Soon after, though, they would think of all the events this proposal could create. They would think about the trust they could earn, then begin negotiating with the Driver.
After about a day, public opinion would be fully stirred up, and they would realize accepting the proposal was beneficial to them as well.
After a moment of thought, Rene asked, “If you are going to spread trust around anyway, wouldn’t it have been better to beg the viewer gods to take our side?”
“No matter how much money you give them, few would follow if you forced them to take a side. More would take the money, then betray you.”
“That is why you asked for official witnesses.”
Jaehwan nodded.
By not forcing the gods to choose either side, he allowed them to watch the match without pressure.
The more gods remained neutral, and the more closely they watched this fight, the less freely the Alliance could act.
“Will the Leader really face you alone?”
“Didn’t you say he was the strongest among the Seven Stars?”
“Being strong does not mean he is not a coward.”
“If he refuses the match, he will bear that disgrace for the rest of his life. The challenge has already been publicly declared, and many gods are watching. It will not be easy for him to do something like that. This is directly tied to 〈Metaverse〉’s profits, too.”
“The Alliance could block the information. They could eliminate us the moment we go up, then spread rumors that we refused the match.”
“That is why you are here.”
“Uh······.”
Rene blinked blankly, then burst into laughter.
“Sometimes, I cannot tell. Whether you are just crazy, or…”
For a moment, Rene looked at Jaehwan’s profile. As always, he was glaring into empty space with eyes that made it impossible to tell what he was looking at.
“Completely crazy.”
“It does not matter which one you think I am.”
With a grunt, Rene checked the broadcast drones.
The moment she touched one, it began malfunctioning and spewing smoke. It was because of her unique Setting, [Tech Illiteracy].
As she opened the packaging of a new drone, Rene let out a small sigh.
“If possible, I hope you are the calculating kind of crazy. This drone is a far more expensive Part than it looks.”
The opponent was the powerhouse who held the first seat among the Seven Stars.
They were too great a figure to gamble against on a momentary impulse.
Even so, Rene made her decision.
“Fine. Let us do this. Whether you lose or win, I will record and spread word of your crazy fight from beginning to end. I do not know what meaning it will have, but it sounds incredibly fun!”
Jaehwan silently nodded, brushed the foreign matter from Solitary Unbowed, and rose to his feet.
The gods who had been watching his mood all turned to look at him.
“Those who are leaving should leave now. You do not need to stay because of the atmosphere.”
The first to rise was the God of Flash, Rayray.
“I will go up with you. I cannot turn back after coming this far.”
Gale, the mid-grade god beside Rayray, spoke as well.
“I would like to go with you too.”
Looking strangely excited, Gale hesitated before adding, “During this battle, I painfully realized how lacking I am. A mere mid-grade god like me will not even be of help in battle. Still, if you permit it, I would like to come with you. I want to see with my own eyes a man like you fighting the ‘Leader.’”
Jaehwan gave a light nod toward Gale’s burning eyes.
The next to speak was Pilgrim, Drake’s Vicegerent.
“I cannot take your side. My god has ordered me not to interfere in your fight. But I can serve as an official witness.”
“Do as you wish.”
Jaehwan then looked at the Gods of Today.
Only hours ago, they had been ‘Anonymous Gods.’ Their numbers had decreased greatly. It seemed many had left while Jaehwan was occupied.
It was not unexpected, so Jaehwan did not blame them.
This place simply was not the ‘Today’ they chose.
“We want to come with you.”
Still, there were Gods of Today who wanted to remain.
A few Gods of Today led by Martis stepped forward.
“If the Alliance rejects the proposal and attacks, we will fight by Jaehwan-nim’s side.”
“You may die.”
“We know. They will call us crazy. We do not care. No matter what other gods say now, we are not afraid of that anymore. If this is madness, then we want to live as madmen. That is what we learned over the ten years we spent with you.”
Martis’s bold words trailed off.
“Of course, it is something we learned on our own. You may not welcome people like us.”
“You may regret it.”
“We do not care. More importantly…”
Martis pressed a tightly clenched fist to the area over his heart.
“My Vicegerent wants to help you.”
Several gods nodded at once.
It was only for a moment, but Jaehwan thought he saw their Vicegerents’ faces in the gods’ expressions.
The original owners of the bodies they had lent to those gods.
“Do not regret it.”
At Jaehwan’s words, the Gods of Today let out a shout.
Soon, the group headed for the Door leading to the next floor.
Runald, who had been waiting at its entrance, ran toward them.
“Jaehwan-nim.”
Jin Eunsae was unconscious on Runald’s back.
“You will take this child too, right?”
Jaehwan checked Jin Eunsae’s pulse.
Fortunately, Dollification had not fully progressed, so the child’s soul was unharmed. It would take some time, but Jin Eunsae would regain consciousness after recovering from the shock.
“I will take the child.”
Jin Eunsae was a member of the 「Rift」. If Jaehwan left the child here, gods with grudges against the 「Rift」 would not leave Jin Eunsae alone.
Jaehwan did not like the 「Rift」, but he owed this child a debt. He intended to take Jin Eunsae with him until the child woke up.
Finally, Jaehwan looked at Andersen.
Normally, she would have surely thrown out all sorts of complaints, calling him crazy and saying there was no way he could win against the Leader like this. Yet Andersen said nothing, only staring at the view beyond the Door.
Even Jaehwan did not know what awaited them beyond it.
Perhaps the Alliance’s vast army was waiting.
Perhaps they would be greeted by a barrage of bombardment the moment they went up, and the entire group would be wiped out.
Still, as he always had, Jaehwan stepped forward.
Once he defeated the Leader, he would be able to confirm whether Yoonhwan was truly in this tower.
If he reached the final floor, perhaps he could glimpse the secret behind the ‘end of the Phantasmal Tree’ that Mulack might have left behind.
[You have entered the ‘Metaverse Eighth Floor’!]
The moment brilliant light swallowed the group, Andersen spoke.
“Thank you.”
Jaehwan looked at Andersen, unable to tell what she was thanking him for.
Then, the moment he met her eyes, he thought he understood her words a little.
For the past five hundred years, Andersen had lived while waiting only for this moment.
To avenge her Companions, to face the leader of the ‘Alliance’ in battle once again, she had endured all those long years.
Andersen’s crow gave a long cry.
As the scenery came rushing in, the tense voices of the gods reached him.
Rene swallowed and turned on the broadcast. Runald took up a combat stance.
Jaehwan also gripped Solitary Unbowed’s hilt. If necessary, he intended to begin by tearing apart everything ahead of him with 「Constellation Rending」.
Yet the sight the group saw after crossing the Door was completely unexpected.
“Uh······.”
Contrary to expectations, a modest East Asian-style street appeared before them.
Small homes, shops, and inns stood clustered together along the road.
Perhaps because they were at the edge of the district, there were no other passengers in sight.
Rene muttered, “Maybe it worked out just as you thought.”
Arteina’s death must have already been reported to the Alliance.
Even so, the absence of the Alliance army likely meant they had tacitly accepted Jaehwan’s proposal.
Perhaps they had done more than simply accept it.
“Jaehwan-nim, over there.”
A massive outdoor billboard glittered where Runald pointed.
[Five-hundred-year-old classic, once again back to those days.]
[The ‘War of the Six Gods’ event is now underway in 〈Metaverse〉!]
[The appearance of a new Seven Star?]
[A battle that puts the Metaverse Six Gods’ pride on the line. You too can become part of that legend.]
Rayray clicked their tongue in disbelief.
“I had long known that the Alliance was insane.”
“That means they are that confident.”
The World Pressure felt throughout the streets was unusual. Naturally, even if this was the ‘gods’ scrapyard,’ those who had climbed this high could not be ordinary gods.
Just how strong was this Leader?
Even Jaehwan could not easily imagine it.
Considering that the Metaverse Six Gods had been roughly comparable to Lords who had just become Field Commanders, or who stood at the end of the War Commander rank, the Leader was undoubtedly stronger than them.
Perhaps the Leader was a supreme powerhouse comparable to Sa Myeonghun, the Black Shadow Strategist and former second Field Commander of the Ninth Zone, Blade Wind Lord Sa Myeongyuha, an elder of the Five Great Families, or Nok Myeongcheon.
As they entered the busy district, the streets gradually took on the atmosphere of the martial world. Now that he thought about it, they had encountered modern, medieval, and steampunk Worldviews so far. It was about time they came across one in the martial world style.
Was the Central Plains where Chunghuh had lived similar to this?
For a moment, Jaehwan looked over the Eighth Floor’s streets as though admiring an East Asian painting with bold brushwork.
“Hm?”
That was when Runald made a strange sound. Runald stared intently at the clothes of a passenger passing right beside them, then asked,
“I did not see that wrong, did I?”
“I see it too.”
Runald asked in a confused voice, “Could Andersen-nim’s Worldview be popular right now?”
“That cannot be.”
“Then why does everyone look like they are about to be arrested at Caspion’s immigration gate?”
Even as Runald pointed, the passengers strode proudly down the street, showing off their outfits.
People of every gender, age, and race wore the same clothes······ no, they had taken them off.
Every passenger on the Eighth Floor was naked.
Footnotes:
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