Chapter 314

314 God of What #1

A dazzling storm had swept through the summit of Delphi, leaving behind an eerie calm.

The people prostrate on the ground seemed to have forgotten even to breathe, not a single sound emanating from them.

After what felt like an eternity, the rustling of fabric broke the silence as the High Prophet Pythia was the first to rise from her place.

“Having guarded this place for over a hundred years as the high priestess of Delphi, appointed by the God of Light… I must say, this is the first time I’ve witnessed something like this.”

With her words, the others slowly began to move, lifting their heads and shoulders to survey their surroundings.

“Thirteen of Hypos were present here mere moments ago… Indeed, it is none other than Lord Hassan himself!!”

Paranoi’s loud declaration seemed to thaw the frozen atmosphere slightly.

“Lord Hassan has been acknowledged by the meager gods of Hypos themselves as the legitimate ruler of the Netherworld and the son of Lord Pluto, the father of all wealth in this world!!”

Spitting froth from her mouth, Paranoi continued her loud ranting until she finally paused to glance at the ground. There, vividly etched into the rock as if scorched by lightning, were some letters.

‘The son of the Lord of the Underworld, Hassan. Break free from your shallow chaos and claim your rightful place.’

This was no allegory—it was the truth laid bare.

All the doubts that had troubled me so far unraveled like threads, disentangled effortlessly by the short sentence engraved on the rock.

Click.

It was as if a missing puzzle piece awkwardly slipped into place, or the machine that had been askew due to a missing small screw finally found its correct position. My world began to operate again.

Hassan, the son of the Lord of the Underworld.

Mentioning the name of the Lord of the Underworld invokes fear—there is but one such symbol in this world. And that very being abandoned his throne, leaving this realm to escape. My father was a god.

This is so absurd that it’s hard to believe, but it’s the undeniable truth.

I am… no mere golden spoon, but a divine spoon.

But why am I living like this?

Why at the health center…?

It’s maddening. My hair could fall out just from trying to understand this!

The revelations only seem to spark even more questions in my mind. It’s as if cutting one of the Hydra’s heads spawns two more. These are absurd riddles akin to a magical lamp.

Could this really be true?

As I pondered this, Paranoi climbed a tall pillar and shouted.

“Now you, no longer need to play the fool or the idiot…! The time has come for Lord Hassan to fulfill his long-held ambition—the conquest of the world!”

Just moments ago, I was lost in countless thoughts, but watching Paranoi’s noisy ranting filled me with a cold, eerie calm.

Does my ambition really involve world domination? It’s a dream I myself wasn’t even aware of. Did I ever tell Paranoi such a thing?

“Long time—”

Paranoi screamed even louder.

“For a long time, the oppressed cult of Pluto will rise again, its prophets and sacred warriors spreading Lord Hassan’s name to the farthest corners of the land!!”

“Shut up, b*stard!”

“Also, and especially! To every one of you who disrespected me, the guardian of truth and the keeper of secrets, the mighty nymph Paranoi…! We shall unleash rightful vengeance upon them all, and destroy Hypnos for oppressing the Pluto sect forever!!”

Nymph Paranoi seemed brimming with pure rage.

One might wonder how such fiery intensity could fit within her tiny frame and head.

“And I shall become the great Marquis of the Borderlands of Hell, the Imp of Infernal Fire…! In my territory, I will craft statues of myself using hardened honey and sugarcane…! Anyone who dares to lick them without my permission will face the d*ath penalty…!”

Apparently, the last part was her true desire. Realizing Paranoi remained fundamentally Paranoi was oddly reassuring.

Just as I thought this, a swishing sound of a sword being drawn broke the moment.

It was Hippolyte.

Hippolyte, who already had a flushed and crimson skin tone, now appeared even redder as she pointed her sword at me and Paranoi.

“Son of Pluto, then it was you whom the so-called cultists’ prophecies referred to, Hassan.”

Prophecies of the cult?

Several images immediately sprang to my mind.

From the cultist Koma I met at Kalin’s swamp to the Pluto warrior Schizo I felled when I was on the brink of d*ath.

All of them had been spreading chaos and unrest in the world, claiming that Pluto’s only son would come to this land.

I dismissed their ramblings as mere nonsense before, but now it seems these were truthful events. Moreover, weren’t they supposed to be on my side?

“Wait, the thing is… this actually makes sense, and let me explain. There’s a situation you might not be aware of.”

“Is it true that the attacks by the cultists on Sodomora and the sudden monster invasions… were all planned and coordinated by you?”

Woooaahhh—.

A powerful aura emanated from Hippolyte. It penetrated through every pore of my skin, making it feel as if I were bathing in carbonated water.

Have I ever seen Hippolyte this angry? No, never.

I can vividly imagine the emotions the last creatures she faced must have experienced—mountaineers, monsters, and bandits alike.

“Hassan, speak. Are you my enemy?”

Given the treatment Pluto’s followers receive in this kingdom, Hippolyte’s reaction is understandable. Can I explain myself to her?

At that moment, Paranoi yelled.

“Yes, that’s right…! Everything, every single thing, happened according to Lord Hassan’s grand plans…! You foolhardy Mars Guild! Foolish Sodomora! Foolish Delphi! You all danced to Lord Hassan’s tune, you were all used by him!”

“What exactly are these plans of yours? Speak, Paranoi!”

“W-well… it’s… it’s within the depths of Lord Hassan’s cosmic-level strategies, so I can’t divulge it…!”

What the heck, these “cosmic strategies”?

Paranoi seemed to be rambling on, probably half-listening to what the Oracle Pythia said and spewing nonsense.

The problem was, it seemed to be sticking with Hippolyte.

“Destroying the Mars Guild and drawing me, its core power, into your fold were all part of your grand plans, weren’t they? You targeted me when I was at my weakest mentally, exploiting my vulnerabilities!”

It appeared Hippolyte was already weaving an elaborate scenario in her mind.

“Speak the truth, Hassan! Did you deceive us? If your answer doesn’t satisfy, starting this moment, you’ll be marked at Platinum Tier as an enemy to be purged!”

Marked at the Platinum Tier for being hunted?

Isn’t that the kind of mission you see in city or state-level wars? Like the all-out conflict against the cultists in the plains.

Am I really considered that dangerous?

It’s absurd. I’m just your friendly neighborhood Hassan.

Yet Hippolyte seemed unusually serious, almost to the point of overreacting.

Her dark brown eyes were bloodshot, and for the first time, veins were popping out of her forehead. She resembled a steroid-pumped bulldog ready to snap its leash and pounce on me.

I knew exactly how to calm such an over-excited Hippolyte.

It’s the path of the Unorthodox.

I had intended to seal it deep within my innermost ‘D Drive,’ but the situation was escalating too quickly.

Swoosh.

I extended a single finger toward Hippolyte.

And like casting a hypnotizing spell, I spun it slowly in the air.

It was my ultimate move that only Hippolyte could fall prey to. If she’d experienced the power of my finger before, she would know just how potent this attack could be.

“Calm yourself, Lady Hippolyte.”

“Th-that… h-how… Ughh!”

True to form, Hippolyte collapsed, clutching her breastplate like a person struggling to breathe, curling into a ball.

At the sight, Paranoi declared dramatically.

“That… That’s Lord Hassan’s ultimate move from the realm of silence and d*ath, his thirty-fourth! The Finger of Silence…! Even those boasting Gold Tier hero status cannot escape its malevolent grasp!”

“This cowardly trick! Grrh…!”

“Wow!”

At that moment, Luna, who had been quietly standing aside, raised both her hands high into the air.

“Hassan… Hassan is actually the son of a god? Pluto, before falling into darkness, was one of the Triad, ruling over one third of the world as the King of the Underworld!”

“Hmm…”

“Could the prophecy about me becoming a queen mean I would become the queen of the underworld?! Luna Noxdotty, Queen of the Underworld!”

Luna looked extremely elated. The scene where she was throwing a tantrum in front of the Oracle just moments ago demanding not to marry some king was nowhere to be seen.

“Somehow, I always knew Hassan wasn’t an ordinary person! I felt it immediately upon meeting him! Hassan, together, let’s recreate the formless land of great souls on this ground!”

Luna seemed to be overly hyped somewhere, didn’t she? Isn’t the “formless land” another way to refer to the Underworld?

Isn’t what Luna is saying now just the ranting of an overly zealous cultist?

Suddenly, a memory surfaced.

The sorcerer Somnia from Idios who tried to recruit Luna, claiming she had ties with the fallen sect. And Antiope, who viewed Luna, also from Idios, as a potential cultist and tried to exterminate her. They both claimed that because Luna, an Idios-born, could wield underworld-like magic, she had a chance to fall into the dark.

I had dismissed such notions as ridiculous before, but now, watching Luna, could they have been right all along?

I imagined Luna commanding zombies in an attack against towns and cities. The imagery was so terrifying I had to shake it from my mind immediately.

“I demand you release me at once! What are you tying me up for? You’re going to use me as a sacrifice in some secret, lewd cult ritual, aren’t you? I know everything! I’m an excellent Gold Tier adventurer!”

Hippolyte, suddenly regaining her senses, began thrashing and wrestling around. But no one had tied her up, so I was unsure who or what she was trying to break free from.

“Sacrificing you as an offering…! To bring Hell to earth through this offering…!”

“To begin with Hippolyte’s sacrifice!”

Around her, Luna and Paranoi were circling weirdly, dancing and singing eerie chants.

The scene was completely chaotic, a mix of frenzied insanity and surrealism. What could this be called?

Perhaps this is Hell.

The thought that much had been ruined because of me suggested Hell had already come. My head throbbed with pain, and I didn’t know what to do.

At that moment, a heavy sigh broke the air.

Turning my head, it was Elfride. Amidst all the chaos, she alone stood with crossed arms and a furrowed brow, seemingly calm.

“You people are absolutely scatterbrained. I understand the gas has affected you, but this is taking it too far.”

And she even pointed at the swirling fumes surrounding us.

“What gas?”

Only now did I notice the thick, misty fumes enveloping us. As Elfride said, we were surrounded by gas.

“It seems this special sulfur gas contains hallucinogenic and delusion-inducing compounds. It would be natural for prolonged exposure to cause delusions and hallucinations. There are plenty of such instances in Elbheim, so I recognize it well.”

Elfride’s explanation seemed somewhat plausible.

Looking closely now, Luna, Hippolyte, and Paranoi all had dilated pupils, laughing meaninglessly or flying into rage.

Come to think of it, Luna did mention earlier that the sulfur gas contained certain harmful compounds. It appears everyone is under the influence of drug-induced euphoria?

At that moment, Elfride added a few more words.

“Right now, all of us are caught in a group hallucination. A direct revelation from a god in front of our eyes? And Hassan, you’re the son of a god? Ridiculous unless it’s a hallucination.”

Her reasoning seemed sound.

“If you truly were the son of a god, you wouldn’t have been captured as a slave in the illegal arena or have been whipped by me, would you?”

She made a lot of sense. Amidst everyone’s confusion, only Elfride maintained a clear head.

As a result, even I felt my mind settling a bit.

“Yet, Elfride, you seem perfectly fine. Are you immune to this gas? Does handling fire give you immunity to smoke and gases? Seems like a decent scientific explanation…”

“Gas can’t affect someone like me. I, Elfride, am a dragon who has gnawed on roots of the world tree.”

“Wha… what?”

“I am, in fact, a dragon. The eternal nemesis of the eagles, and the dear friend of the squirrel Ratatosk. I am the herald of doom, born from fiery destruction. That’s who I am.”

What are you saying?

If anything, Elfride seemed to be spewing even more nonsense than Luna, Hippolyte, or Paranoi.

Swoosh.

Elfride extended her hand towards me, revealing talons like a monstrous beast.

“See these magnificent dragon claws? My claws can tear through steel and leave scars on the world tree. And my wings can break through the sky in a single leap!”

Wings?

Does Elfride have wings?

While pondering this, Elfride leaped into the swirling sulfur fumes and began flailing her arms and legs chaotically.

“Look! I’m flying above the clouds!”

Elfride had mistaken the sulfur gas rising from the ground for clouds.

“Celebrate! Hail the most beautiful and powerful dragon, Lady Elfride!”

I realized Elfride was also suffering from hallucinations induced by the sulfur gas. How foolish of me to listen to her ramblings!

This must be how the only sane person feels amidst a crowd of drugged individuals.

But wait, am I even sane? Could I too be caught in a hallucination?

At that moment, a strange, hollow laughter echoed out.

“Hassan. You have an interesting group of companions.”

It was the High Prophet Pythia.

“But they will surely become great allies, Hassan. Your journey ahead will be perilous and arduous.”

“Journey you said?”

“Fugitive’s son, build your own temple. Not by inheriting your father’s position, but by ascending to the throne of the gods on your own.”

Swoosh…

Pythia’s small body, crouched on the ground, began to swell into an enormous form. Her appearance behind the black veil revealed her to be a massive, red-scaled serpent.

Pythia was, in truth, a serpent the size of a dragon.

She opened her vast mouth and spoke.

“Then, see you around.”

“Uh, don’t you want to hear the question Elfride had?”

I watched Elfride flapping around on the mist.

Elfride still hadn’t heard the prophecy. Isn’t this why she came to Delphi, to meet the Oracle?

But the serpent Pythia replied.

“In my opinion, the girl from across the sea doesn’t believe in fate or prophecies. So, there is nothing I need to say to her. And, well, this… this is beyond my jurisdiction.”

Swoosh…

With that, the serpent disappeared into the mist somewhere on the mountaintop of Delphi.

I decided to stop thinking for a moment.

A strong wind swept past, brushing against my forehead.

In the midst of everyone’s hallucination.

I alone awoke from the dream.

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