Chapter 129 - Episode 19. War of the Six Gods (2)
Chapter 129: Episode 19. War of the Six Gods (2)
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[Your 《Little Brother》 authority grade has increased!]
[The number of live viewers has set a new record!]
[Your LIVE broadcast has been recommended on 《Little Brother》’s main page!]
The LIVE broadcast’s ranking climbed without pause.
Rene could only stare in disbelief. As she hurriedly worked the broadcast panel, she muttered without realizing it.
“What? What is this...?”
It felt strange.
The rising ranking was one thing, but she could not tear her eyes away from the scene on the screen. Had she ever seen anything like this while watching 〈Metaverse〉 for the past several centuries?
[The Dragon God ‘Droyan’ watches the battle with interest.]
[The God of Flash ‘Rayray’ chants ‘Naked Stab Jaehwan’!]
[The God of Mortality ‘Thanatos’ admires Jaehwan’s courage.]
[The God of Gambling ‘Baccarat’ savors the scent of battle for the first time in a long while.]
[The God of Flames ‘Ignis’ cheers for ‘Jaehwan’.]
“Two members of the Seven Divine Thrones...”
The God of Flames Ignis had long been one of Rene’s viewer gods, but the Dragon God Droyan was a viewer god who had only joined this time.
The Dragon God Droyan.
The owner of the famous 「Black Flame Dragon」 Setting and ruler of Naraka, the Abyss’s Second Site.
Such a colossal figure was watching her broadcast.
[‘Anonymous God 654’ timidly cheers for ‘Jaehwan’.]
[‘Anonymous God 535’ remembers Jaehwan’s name.]
[‘Anonymous God 752’ dreams of a new revolution.]
Even the anonymous gods known as shy viewer gods were joining in.
Driven by the unstoppable surge in viewers, her LIVE broadcast finally reached first place in the 〈Metaverse〉 broadcast rankings.
[Many gods are immersed in the battle!]
Gods were not the only ones sending messages.
[‘Anonymous Vicegerent 313’ cheers for ‘Jaehwan’.]
[‘Anonymous Vicegerent 915’ cheers for ‘Jaehwan’.]
[‘Anonymous Vicegerent 756’ cheers for ‘Jaehwan’.]
Their 《Little Brother》 levels were too low to access the main channel, but some still sent messages of support through relay channels.
They were the gods’ Vicegerents and Followers. Only a few Vicegerents and Followers remained in 〈Metaverse〉, yet even they were watching Jaehwan’s broadcast.
[Live] Shocking! A Metaverse Six God Has Been Defeated?
[Relay Channel] Breaking News! The God of Assassination ‘Rakers’ Suffers a Bitter Defeat!
[Relay Channel 2] War of the Six Gods Imminent After Rakers’s Defeat!
People had even begun relaying her broadcast.
Rene looked at Rakers, who was crying out in disbelief on the screen.
[This, this is impossible...!]
The defeat of Rakers, one of the Metaverse Six Gods.
That alone was an event that happened perhaps once every few decades in 〈Metaverse〉.
Yet the greater problem was that it would not simply end with one of the Six Gods being replaced.
“Viewer gods, I think something truly incredible is happening.”
Five of the current Six Gods belonged to the Alliance.
If one of those Six Gods had been defeated by a mere newcomer...
[‘Anonymous God 752’ dreams of a new revolution.]
[‘Anonymous God 583’ dreams of a new revolution.]
It could mean this was not the defeat of one of the Six Gods, but the defeat of the Alliance.
The Alliance, which had ruled the tower for nearly six hundred years, was wavering. It was only natural for low-grade gods to quietly hope that the Metaverse’s long history was finally about to change.
[Destruction begins on the 6th floor.]
That was when the volcano began to erupt.
[In 20 minutes, this Worldview will be completely annihilated.]
Come to think of it, the sounds of battle had vanished from the crater some time ago.
Jin Eunsae of the Rupture had clearly been fighting Galateon, one of the Alliance’s Six Gods.
“Damn it, I didn’t lose!”
The moment the screen shifted toward the crater, someone turned into a streak of light with a crackling sound and vanished through the Door in the sky.
“Ah?”
A moment later, a golden figure flew out of the crater. It held a lightning spear wrapped in a brilliant current.
Rene’s face stiffened.
“Viewer gods, this is bad.”
She did not know the details of the fight, but it seemed Jin Eunsae and Galateon’s battle had ended with the Metaverse Six God Galateon’s victory.
On the screen, Galateon emerged from the crater and joined Rakers and Justice.
Half of the Metaverse Six Gods.
Three overwhelming powerhouses had gathered, enough to represent half of the Alliance. Justice in third place, Rakers in fourth, and Galateon in fifth.
Even with Jaehwan and the King of Crows, could they defeat those three?
Doubt crept in, but Rene did not lose hope.
Jaehwan watched the gods on the screen with indifferent eyes.
Combat Power enough to toy with Rakers, who was ranked fourth.
If Jaehwan’s strength was real and not luck, then perhaps he could overcome even this situation...
Rumble.
A thunderous sound erupted overhead.
A massive Door was opening in the sky.
“A super-large Door?”
A small Door was used when one passenger crossed over, while a medium Door was used when several crossed together.
This was not even a large Door, but a super-large Door.
Only once in 〈Metaverse〉’s history had such a Door opened before.
The Great Revolution five hundred years ago.
“Good grief.”
A giant Part was being summoned through the massive Door in the sky.
The Alliance was truly trying to start a war.
* * *
Jaehwan gave Rakers, who was breathing heavily, an indifferent glance.
“Is it over?”
As though Rakers no longer had the strength to summon lightning, Rakers staggered back with fear in their eyes. That alone decided the battle.
“Jaehwan-nim!”
Runald, who had been several dozen meters away, ran toward Jaehwan and Ethan.
Jaehwan looked over Runald’s wounds and asked, “Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine!”
Runald was clearly not fine.
Bruises and deep wounds covered his body. There was no need to ask how brutal the battle had been in such a short time.
“What about you, God?”
“I’m fine.”
Jaehwan lightly placed a hand on Runald’s shoulder. Runald’s tearful eyes trembled.
Andersen, sitting atop Runald’s head, spoke.
“This isn’t the time to enjoy your reunion. You know that, right?”
Sure enough, an ominous aura flowed from Rakers’s entire body.
[Me, I...]
Unable to escape the shock of defeat, Rakers’s anger flared again.
Rakers instinctively realized it. If Rakers admitted defeat here, all the glory they had enjoyed until now would have to be relinquished.
The one who stopped Rakers was unexpectedly Justice, the God of Definition, who had been watching with hands behind their back.
[Step back, Rakers.]
At those words, Rakers’s rising World Force vanished as if by magic.
Justice, third in the current Metaverse rankings.
Rakers watched blankly as Justice stepped forward.
[I enjoyed that remarkable battle. I never imagined you would destroy Rakers’s Sanctuary without even using Sanctuary Manifestation...]
Even with a special Setting, Jaehwan’s battle had been truly shocking.
Perhaps because of that, Justice’s tone had become far more polite than before.
[I would like to make one final proposal. Would you consider joining our Alliance?]
A recruitment offer.
It was a reaction Jaehwan had expected to some extent.
[Our Alliance, ‘Fire’, will offer you the best possible terms.]
The Alliance, Fire.
Jaehwan had heard of it before. It was the Alliance that had made him a promotion offer through an Attendant at the station. It seemed this person was the head of Fire.
Andersen poured cold water on the offer.
“You joined the Alliance, and now you really do talk like the rest of them.”
[...]
“Who would trust someone who betrayed their Companions five hundred years ago?”
[We will guarantee the safety of Andersen and her Followers as well.]
“Spare me that nonsense about guaranteeing our safety. You plan to take us hostage and seal him away like you sealed me back then.”
[We will do no such thing. If you wish, I can even swear an oath in the name of a god.]
An oath.
The one who reacted to that was Ethan, who had been watching the conversation unfold.
“An oath sworn in the name of Definition.”
[Ethan, it has been a long time.]
Ethan did not respond to Justice’s greeting. He only stared coldly at Justice.
“I always thought your nickname was funny. ‘Justice, the God of Definition.’”
[...?]
“When I first heard that nickname, I should have figured out what kind of bastard you were. I was foolish. Even the God of Flames Ignis and the God of Darkness Kage are not a ‘real one’ like you.”
[What do you mean by a ‘real one’?]
“There is such a thing. If I explained it, your soul would collapse.”
Justice’s eyebrows twitched at Ethan’s provocation.
[I do not think this is the time for you to be so relaxed.]
“You can still say that after seeing how strong that naked fellow is?”
[His power is certainly remarkable, but have you already forgotten?]
Rumble.
The sky shook.
[What kind of place the Alliance you and I fought against was. And what kind of group that Alliance has become over the past five hundred years.]
The Door in the sky opened.
A colossal warship was crossing through a Door larger than anything seen so far.
The Alliance’s giant Part.
Nebula, the weapon of large-scale war.
Its deck, easily more than five hundred meters long, cast a dark shadow over the ground.
Its exterior looked like the work of master craftsmen who had poured their hearts into it. Even at a glance, the warship gave off terrifying World Force.
At the appearance of a Part that crushed morale simply by appearing, Ethan muttered, “You brought out a great warship just for us. Are you really planning to start a war?”
[If you wish.]
The warship’s cannons were all aimed at the ground. At a single order, they could fire immediately.
Justice spoke.
[I wonder whether you now feel inclined to negotiate.]
“You have the wrong attitude for a negotiation.”
Jaehwan interrupted Justice.
“If you truly wanted to negotiate, your leader should have come personally.”
[I am also a leader of the Alliance.]
“Someone like you?”
Justice’s expression hardened.
[I do not understand what you mean.]
“What can you promise?”
[As I said earlier...]
“I heard my friend was taken to the seventh floor as a Doll. Bring him here. That is the minimum condition for negotiations.”
Justice’s lips twitched at Jaehwan’s condition.
[I see. So the rumor that you came to rescue a friend was true. What is your friend’s name?]
“Kim Yoonhwan. I’ll give you exactly five minutes.”
Ethan and Andersen were the ones startled by Jaehwan’s words.
What would happen to them if Jaehwan found his friend here?
They had come all this way. What if Jaehwan found his friend and left?
Justice searched for something for a moment, then tilted their head.
[Could you tell me your friend’s name again?]
Footnotes:
Chapter discussion