Chapter 882
Minhyuk felt an intense heartache. Veyron might have died underneath the rushing torrent of water with his eyes wide open, but because of his sacrifice, many were given the chance to smile once again. The gods that struggled to protect the Land of the Gods and the surviving celestial dwellers could all live and laugh again.
‘A true hero.’
Minhyuk wondered if he could smile while asking questions like that if he were the one in Veyron’s shoes. No matter how prepared one was for their death, they would still feel shock and fear once they heard that they had died. Perhaps it would even solidify their determination just to run away and live. However, Veyron was different. He was showing a heartfelt smile on his face.
‘I see, one can still be happy even if they chose to sacrifice themselves.’ Just when the thought flashed in his head...
[You have achieved the Easter Egg: Hero’s Teachings.]
This was the first time Minhyuk had heard about an Easter egg like this, so the notification was a surprise. After all, there was no case where one obtained an Easter egg just because they learned something from another.
‘Veyron is a hero in the Land of the Gods.’
That may be why so many shocking things were happening around Veyron. Then, a soft, gentle, and warm voice that sounded like a mother’s whisper rang in Minhyuk’s ears.
[Being happy despite choosing to sacrifice oneself... it’s a situation that has always been within reach.]
[Your beautiful and gentle mother carried you for ten months. Her flesh growing and stretching, leaving behind hideous marks on her otherwise fair and beautiful body, is a kind of pain and sacrifice.]
[When your mother finally gave birth to you after ten months, she never harbored any resentment or hate towards you.]
[She had a faint smile as she looked upon you.]
[She had made a sacrifice, but she was happy.]
This lesson touched Minhyuk’s heart deeply. That was right. It was just like the notifications said. It was something that was not that far from him. Being happy despite sacrificing oneself has always been within his reach. This became a life lesson that moved the heart of Minhyuk, who was only twenty-one years old.
‘I will also strive to become a person that can smile and be happy even if I choose to sacrifice something.’
He aimed to be a person just like that, just like a mother who smiled brightly at her child despite the pain and suffering brought about by childbirth.
Another series of notifications rang in Minhyuk’s ears at that moment.
[You have acquired the Title: The One with a Faint Smile.]
[All of your stats have increased by +1.]
[You have gained 200 REP.]
[You have gained 1,000 CHA.]
Minhyuk did not have the time nor the leisure to check the title. Even the emotional Veyron, looking up at the sky, also returned to his senses. They had to stop the Titans right here and now. Although Veyron had learned about their future and their fate, he intended to avoid sitting and watching by the sidelines. The future was the future, and the present was the present. For the present Veyron, he had to prevent the Titans from advancing further and minimize the damage to the celestial dwellers as much as possible.
Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang–
The celestial dweller mages interrupted the black dwarves from repairing the titans by sending magic attacks non-stop.
Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang–!
God’s Cannons were also continuously gathering divine power and bombarding them, preventing the Titans from advancing. The occasional ones who could run despite receiving the brunt of the God’s Cannon’s attacks were blocked by magic and the crowd of celestial dweller soldiers as much as possible.
War God Veyron also joined in the fray, jumping out and shooting a spear towards the transparent glass covering the titan’s cockpit to kill the black dwarves driving them. One of the titan’s weaknesses was that the enemies could kill the pilot. Of course, the other dwarves could take the opportunity to jump into the cockpit and operate it, but no one was foolish enough to allow a gap that would let them do so.
With the appropriate tactics and strategies, Veyron and the celestial dwellers could push back the Titans.
Baaaaaaaaang–!
In the end, some of the Titans exploded, damaging the other Titans in their vicinity and forcing them to explode. Why did a chain of explosions erupt? Titans were weapons that needed fuel before being operated.
Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang–!
Veyron’s fists clenched as he watched the Titans explode one after the other.
‘We can win.’
His heart sprouted with hope that they could win while preventing any more damage to his and the celestial dwellers’ bodies.
Thud– Thud, thud, thud, thud–
Just then, an unknown sound reverberated on the entire battlefield. Veyron’s eyes immediately flew to where the strange and unusual sound was coming from. He caught sight of a towering titan that suddenly appeared above a small cliff quite a distance away from them.
“...!”
The towering Titan, twice as large as the ordinary titans, jumped down and trampled on the fallen titans, forcing sparks to erupt from their already damaged bodies.
Crackle, crackle, crackle–!
The trampled Titans did not take too long to explode from the strain and pressure above them.
Baaaaaaaaang–!
The gigantic titan quickly swept away the explosion and stomped on the flames that erupted beneath its feet before stepping forward.
Minhyuk, who was watching the situation on the battlefield with the rest of the army, also looked at the titan that stepped out of the blazing flames.
[Titan of Destruction. Level 813.]
[God of Dungeons Bentley. Level 771.]
Minhyuk’s face grew ugly. ‘There was no mention of Bentley in the description at all.’
In other words, God of Dungeons Bentley had ignored the rules of the existing Argalis Dungeon and broke in by himself. Then, a notification rang in his ears that proved this assumption.
[The God of Dungeons had broken inside the Argalis Dungeon by himself!]
One look and Minhyuk could tell that the god was both a moron and a small-minded individual.
‘He willingly broke the rules in fear that I might be able to break and clear the Argalis Dungeon.’
What a ridiculous god, no? The God of Dungeons jeered and mocked him so much, but when cornered, he immediately resorted to petty tricks and foul play. Then, at that moment...
[Sudden Quest: In the Name of the Food God.]
Rank: SSS
Requirements: The One that Challenged the Second Gate of Argalis Dungeon.
Rewards: Skipping Argalis Dungeon’s 3rd~5th Gates.
Penalty for Failure: Everything that transpired in the Argalis Dungeon will be hidden.
Description: God of Dungeons Bentley broke the rules of the Argalis Dungeon and entered its gate. If you can stop Bentley and clear the Second Gate safely, you can skip the remaining gates and earn all of the rewards. However, if you fail, everything that has transpired inside the Argalis Dungeon will be buried and hidden.
All the quests that were mostly available to players had choices. The same was true for this quest. The fact that one could skip the remaining gates was quite a tempting and sweet reward.
‘Anyway, once I’m forced to log out here, no one would believe whatever I say later.’
Whether he accepted the quest or not, the penalty would remain at Bentley’s discretion. If that was the case, accepting it was far better. However, even after accepting the quest, Minhyuk still felt nervous.
‘That guy is over Level 800.’
The worst part? God of Dungeons Bentley was the one manning the cockpit of that Titan. The risks, dangers, and anomalies the two would bring to this field remained unknown.
Veyron, who was standing by the side, took off his helmet and revealed the face of a handsome middle-aged man. He turned to Minhyuk and asked, “Do you have a way to get out of this place?”
“Yes?”
“If you can run, then run away. We can handle the rest,” Veyron said, his eyes turning to look at the dam again.
‘Of course, that can certainly work.’
No matter how strong the titan was or how excellent Bentley was as its pilot, they would still be unable to handle the raging waves of the river once the dam was broken. Of course, that would only be their last resort.
“This is not something that a production class god can handle.”
“...”
Just hearing those words, Minhyuk could tell that Veyron was not even bothered about his title. The only thing he believed from his words was most likely the part when he said to Veyron that he came from the future.
“There’s no way that the War God or any other combat class god would be good at hammering like that.”
This was a bit of a lapse in Minhyuk’s judgment. The fact that he talked about the War God’s Descendant in front of the War God himself completely removed the possibility that the hero would think he was a combat-class god.
“What kind of god are you?”
“I am the Food God.”
Veyron smiled lightly. He could tell that the young man in front of him was different from the other stupid gods. However, gods were beings who excelled in their respective fields. In other words, he believed that the Food God would also have a place where his power could shine.
“You can shine brighter in another place, not in a place like this.” This was Veyron’s honest opinion. Based on what he had seen so far, he had judged that Minhyuk was most likely weaker than other ordinary gods. He wanted to tell Minhyuk, ‘You can be more helpful there.’ but he was not allowed to do so.
The Titan of Destruction moved a step faster than him.
Creaaaaaaak–!
Clank, clank, clank–
The Titan of Destruction’s body creaked, opening throughout to reveal dozens of miniature cannons. The cannons fired dozens of missiles that landed all over the fortress’ walls.
Baaaaaaaaaang–!
One missile alone could bring an entire area with a fifty-meter radius into ruins, let alone dozens. The sudden bombing killed a significant number of celestial dwellers and forced a portion of the fortress walls to collapse. It also brought two God’s Cannons that were sitting perfectly in the gaps of the now collapsed fortress’ walls to be destroyed.
Minhyuk, who could only regain his balance after a short while, looked back only to see that Veyron was already flying forward. At the same time, a notification rang in Minhyuk’s ears.
[God of Dungeons Bentley has broken the rules of the dungeons. You will be given a special privilege!]
***
With a bow slung on his back, a spear in his left hand, and a sword in his right hand, Veyron shot forward while thinking, ‘I hope that you can run, God who Loves to Eat.’
He was very grateful that Minhyuk repaired the God’s Cannons for them. However, now that an unexpected variable has appeared, he believed he no longer needed to stay with them. They had to endure this themselves.
If they could not stop the Titan of Destruction, they would have no choice but to return to square one. They just needed to break the dam.
“Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
“Woaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”
Sensing that the final battle was about to take place, the celestial dwellers immediately jumped out of the gaps of the crumbling fortress’ walls. They ran to protect Veyron, ensuring he was not interrupted or held back by the ordinary Titans.
Veyron was the War God; he could exert the most potent power whenever he was on the battlefield.
“Comrades’ Roar.”
Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah–!
A roar resounded and shook the world. This roar gave courage and strength to the charging celestial dwellers, their determination to never back down rising to an all-time high.
“War God.”
An overwhelming amount of divine power surged out, the divine power staining all of his weapons with a brilliant and blinding light.
Creaaaaaaaaaaaaak–!
The Titan of Destruction raised its hands, holding the spear, and threw it with all its might.
Baaaaaaaaaaaaang–!
The gigantic spear, accompanied by a booming sound, shot toward War God Veyron. Veyron also threw his spear to counter the attack. The giant spear and the tiny spear met and created a huge wave.
Booooooooom–!
However, the difference in power was too big. Veyron, who was slowly being pushed back, twisted his body and moved to escape the trajectory of the gigantic spear. Then, he jumped on the chains that connected the spear while swinging his sword.
“Enemy Slaughter.”
Slash, slash– Slash, slash, slash, slash, slash–!
Hundreds of sword lights shot out from Veyron’s sword, wreaking havoc all over the Titan of Destruction’s body.
Clang, clang– Clang, clang, clang, clang–!
Slashes appeared all over the body of the Titan of Destruction, which was made from the parasitic dragons living in the Land of the Gods.
“...”
God of Dungeons Bentley was shocked. ‘Even the other gods would find it hard to damage this titan.’ As expected of the hero of the Land of the Gods, no? However, now that Veyron had approached him, he had already won.
Crackleeeee–!
Veyron quickly sheathed his sword and held the spear with both hands. At the same time, the tip of his spear started to rotate wildly.
“Splitting the Battlefield.”
Splitting the Battlefield was Veyron’s secret skill. It was also the most potent skill in his arsenal and could deal with an attack with 30,000% additional damage the moment his spear pierced through their bodies.
Shwaaaaaaaaaaaa–!
Veyron stabbed his rotating spear up. He intended to penetrate the Titan of Destruction from the bottom. However, the Titan of Destruction moved a step faster than him.
Baaaaaaaaaaaaaang–!
A punch landed straight on Veyron’s head. Veyron did not even have time to scream. His head instantly curled in on his body, and his vision blurred from the intense pain of the attack. At the same time, the power that was brewing in his spear disappeared.
“...”
The Titan of Destruction grabbed Veyron by the head.
‘I will become the Battle God.’ Bentley gritted his teeth.
He also had immense respect for Veyron, more so than the previous generation of God of Dungeons. However, his greed and selfishness forced him to abandon this respect.
Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang, bang–!
Bentley operated the Titan of Destruction to slap and punch Veyron’s face crazily. The force of the attacks made Veyron stumble and stagger, fluttering around like a paper doll. The celestial dwellers tried their best to run through the gaps of the ordinary titans to save Veyron.
Everyone knew that Veyron's fight against the Titan of Destruction was reckless. Veyron had been fighting for days on end. He was exhausted. If he had been in peak condition, he might have been able to destroy the Titan of Destruction. However, just like an exhausted and injured apex predator could become prey to a herd of hyenas, Veyron could also prey on those weaker than him.
“Haa... Haa...”
Blood dripped down Veyron’s head. There was so much blood that it had already clouded his vision. At that moment, Veyron pulled the switch out of his pocket with trembling hands.
Tremble, tremble–
Then, he turned to look at the celestial dwellers that were fighting behind him.
“Lord Veyron!”
“Lord Veyroooooooon!!!”
They all cried, running towards Veyron while pulling the same switch out of their pockets.
The man's previous appearance gave Veyron hope that many more celestial dwellers could live and survive this ordeal. However, that hope was quickly dashed. Nevertheless, a smile still lingered on Veyron’s face. The crying celestial dwellers running towards Veyron also understood the meaning of Veyron’s smile.
‘No matter what happens here, I know what will happen.’
At this moment, Veyron could confidently say that he was pleased. Because of their death, they could protect the Land of the Gods and allow many more celestial dwellers to laugh and live. For the sake of that future, Veyron would willingly push the button of this switch.
Click, click, click, click, click–
However, when the Titan of Destruction waved his hand, all of their switches stopped working.
Clack–!
No matter how hard they pushed the switch's button, it would not work. Veyron and the celestial dwellers' expressions grew ugly.
The greedy Bentley did not want to see his Titan of Destruction flooded and destroyed. He manipulated the other rough and sturdy hand of the Titan of Destruction towards Veyron’s neck. Bentley intended to twist Veyron’s head while comforting himself by thinking that this was a way for him to offer a final courtesy to the hero.
“Lord Veyron!”
“No!!!”
Veyron’s vision turned dark. He had fought until the very end. Thankfully, the future that he was made aware of would not change. However, even if he thought like that, he still could not shake off this unknown sense of helplessness gnawing at his soul.
Veyron felt the cold touch of the Titan of Destruction’s hands on his neck. As he thought the gradually tightening force on his neck, he finally understood that he was going to die right here and now.
Clank, clank, clank, clank, clank–!
At that moment, an unknown sickle flew in. The sickle, connected to a chain, grabbed the Titan of Destruction by the neck and pulled it away from Veyron.
Creaaaaaaaaaak– Thuuuuuud–!
The Titan of Destruction was forced to let go of Veyron to regain its balance. At that moment, Veyron opened his eyes and saw a man standing before him, blocking him from the Titan of Destruction.
“I’m not yet done talking. How can you just go and leave me like that?”
He was a god called the Food God, a production class god.
“I am the Food God. And...” Minhyuk, with his tall body and strong and wide back protecting Veyron from the threat before them, looked back at Veyron and said, “...I am the Battle God.”
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