Chapter 146: Ruler of the Abyssal Swamp

Ruler of the Abyssal Swamp.

The name sounded familiar. Didn’t one of the apostles of the Holy War serve that god? It was also the master of the serpent apostle Il-Ho had confronted in Waternia.

[Warning!]

[High-tier Malevolent God Ruler of the Abyssal Swamp requests to engage in a God’s Sacrificial War with you!]

God’s Sacrificial War. This was a perk that I gained after becoming a Mid-tier Benevolent and Malevolent God.

Actually, should I really be calling it a perk?

-----

[God’s Sacrificial War]

You are now a Mid-tier God. Be proud that you are now at the level of an actual god.

But are you satisfied with just this?

Do you wish to elevate yourself further and become a true God who oversees all things?

If your answer is yes, then fight for it!

Make other gods submit, devour them, and steal their divine power! I, the Ultimate Malevolent God, War of Carnage and Lunacy, bestow God’s Sacrificial War upon you!

The rules of God’s Sacrificial War are as follows:

- You can request for a God’s Sacrificial War with a god of your own rank or higher, and they won’t be able to decline your request.

- You can decline a God’s Sacrificial War request from a god of your own rank or higher.

-----

In other words, I could challenge someone stronger than myself to a duel, and they wouldn’t be able to refuse. Meanwhile, I could decline any incoming requests. War of Carnage and Lunacy was the one who granted me the Blessing of Slaughter, which strengthened me the more I killed. I’d never encountered this god before, but he seemed to really like fights.

I’m glad the rules are kinder to weaker gods.

Ruuuumble!

The ground shook once more, and another urgent message came through.

[Would you like to accept the High-tier Malevolent God Ruler of the Abyssal Swamp’s request for a God’s Sacrificial War? (Yes/No)]

At the same time, I heard the hissing of a snake.

Hiss! Hisss!

-Come, let us spar, Young God.

Its words rang in my head like a telepathic message.

-Let’s have a hot and fierce duel, tangling, trying to devour each other.

It sounds way too seductive, as if coming from an older woman, but...

“No.” I chose to decline without thinking twice. “I’m not going to fight you, so get lost.”

Ding!

[Ruler of the Abyssal Swamp’s request for a God’s Sacrificial War has been declined.]

Hmph, too bad, I’m not crazy.

I’d just fought that wretched Sun God, and now you’re asking me to fight another High-tier God that seems to be of the same level?

[War of Carnage and Lunacy watches you with a disgruntled look.]

I could feel a fiery gaze on me, but I ignored it.

I mean, you were the one who made those rules. Why the hell are you like this?

Suddenly, the snake’s voice rang out once more.

-Coward! How could you refuse a sacred duel! And you call yourself a man?!

My face distorted, and I put a finger to one cheek, mocking, “

Aah

, Snake unni, please stop~ I’m scared of fights~”

A moment of silence came along.

I was satisfied.

Hehe, my joke works even on a god.

All my years as a comical writer hadn’t been in vain.

Ruuuumble!

-...Such nonsense.

“

Aaargh!

”

“

Eeek!

A-an earthquake!”

People who gathered outside the barricade screamed, running away. If the earthquake earlier was only a magnitude 2, the current one felt like being tossed about in a small boat on a turbulent sea

At the same time, the noise went from a snake’s ferocious hissing to scraping on rusty hinges.

-I can always force you to accept the duel!

Ding!

[The innate power Blind Eyes of God has been activated.]

At that moment, I saw another world.

Compared to the dazzling blue Earth, that planet was as black as charcoal, where only swamps of filth existed.

She

was in the center of that planet.

Beautiful.

Piercing yellow eyes with uncontainable color and wildness. Black lips that resembled an alluring black rose. Voluptuous breasts, shaped like huge water droplets, were barely concealed by her black wavy hair. Her waist curved downward gracefully like a soda bottle. Her lower body was a snake’s, covered in cold black scales.

She resembled Lamia, a monster from Greek mythology, yet completely different. The Ruler of the Abyssal Swamp, a goddess of the swamp world, was as tall as three or four skyscrapers combined.

-My dear children, rise from the abyss.

The swamp bubbled, and the things that had been quiet underneath rose above ground. From a lizardman wielding a spear to a grotesque snake with dozens of heads, even amoeba-like creatures with decomposing human corpses in them... And more of such horrific creatures that looked like they belonged in a nightmare emerged from the swamp one by one.

There were millions of them.

The Serpent Goddess gazed down at them lovingly.

-My dear children! By declining my duel request, that wretched young god has mocked me! How dare he! Who will come forth to take revenge for my first apostle?

-Kieeeek!

-Kya-oooh!

-Krrr!

The monsters howled ferociously, expressing their willingness to fill the role. The Serpent Goddess watched with a face of satisfaction, nodding.

-All of you are willing to fight for me? How glad I am! Now, let the creatures of the lowly god’s world see my majesty and feel my terror!

The Serpent Goddess clawed the air with her razor-like nails. A gaping hole opened up, large enough for both herself and the swamp monsters to burst forth.

Hissing with her forked tongue, the Serpent Goddess cried out.

-Go! My dear children!

-

Gaaaah!

Millions of monsters leaped through the rip in the air, connecting to the dungeon that was activated right before us.

Ding!

[The dungeon’s rank has been upgraded from A to S.]

[The dungeon’s rank has been upgraded from S to SS.]

[The dungeon’s rank has been upgraded from SS to SSS.]

My innate power appraised the dungeon, which rank was changing at a frightening rate.

Screech!

The dungeon, which originally looked like an ordinary building, gradually became covered in snake scales. It wriggled like a living creature, reminiscent of a StarCraft Hive that never stopped spawning zergs.

“W-what’s going on? It’s too soon for the dungeon to activate...” Sung Mi-Na turned pale as she watched the dungeon change. “Moreover, this is obviously an S-rank dungeon?!”

No, Noona. It’s an SSS-rank dungeon...

Ruuuumble!

They’re coming.

Millions of monsters, under the control of Ruler of the Abyssal Swamp, were trying to cross the world’s boundaries and enter our world.

Gal Joong-Hyuk stiffened as he drew his sword in preparation for the incoming fight. “Fuck this! Come on, Soul Mecha Lazenca!”

Clank clank!

A subspace opened, from which parts of an armor set sprang out, instantly clinging to his body. His already massive body grew three times larger. Now, he was far more massive and intimidating than when I first met him in the conference room. Was this his true power?

Flash!

Red light flashed from his demonic-looking helmet. Actually, rather than wearing armor, it was as if he was riding an armored robot. He looked kind of cool, to be honest. Indeed, an armored robot was any man’s romance.

-----

[Gal Joong-Hyuk]

A male human. Around for 32 years.

Special note: Equipped with SS-rank Artificial Armor Made of Metal and Machinery. A pretty good armor, so let’s rob it from him!

-----

Ha!

I thought the system had toned down its notes recently, but now it was urging me to steal from others.

“Please take care of Seong-Yeon for me.”

I handed the still fast-asleep Seong-Yeon to Sung Mi-Na.

My niece is bold indeed.

“W-what are you going to do?”

Taking over Seong-Yeon, Sung Mi-Na looked at me, her face tensed.

Trudge trudge—

I headed toward the dungeon without answering her.

“Stay back. You’re no match for them.”

𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Although I couldn’t see his face, I could clearly sense the nervousness in Gal Joong-Hyuk’s voice. Someone as powerful as him must’ve sensed what was about to emerge from that dungeon: millions of horrifying monsters, each one at least an A-rank. Of course, I had no intention of fighting that pack of swarming dogs.

I activated my divine power.

“Equip both titles, Brutal Killer and Benevolent Savior.”

Roooooar!

Then, dark and dense bloodthirst from the Malevolent God’s divine power, and the dazzling, warm divine power of the Benevolent God intertwined, becoming one.

Tzzz!

The united divine power was neither black nor white, but gray. A slightly lighter gray, perhaps because the title Benevolent Savior had been upgraded to Rank A recently.

I focused the power on my hand, or on my index finger, to be exact. Then, I pointed it at the massive writhing flesh.

“Crushing Forefinger of God.”

Poke—

Done and dusted.

***

-

Krrr!

Leading the legion of monsters sent by the Rule of the Abyssal Swamp were the most famed lizardmen. A steady stream of green saliva dripped from their mouths, lined with sharp fangs. They couldn’t help it, for the first time in a while, they’d dine on human flesh!

-The Goddess’ favor and human flesh belong to us, the Blue Scale Tribe!

-

Krrr!

That’s right! It’s ours!

-

Kyaaa!

Hunt the humans!

The lizardmen’s morale was sky high. It had been five years since they last hunted, and the excitement was enough to warm the cold blood coursing through their veins.

Crack!

But the body of their leader suddenly crumbled, turning into a pool of blood.

-C-chief? What’s this...

kieeek!

The shocked vice tribal chief’s words were cut short. His body was crushed into a bloody mess like their leader’s.

Psss!

The fragments of the crushed tribal chief and vice tribal chief disappeared, turning into a grim, black coin.

-

Eeeek!

W-what happened!

The army of lizardmen who had been charging ahead with terrifying momentum froze on the spot.

[You have been rewarded with 10 Dark Godcoins!]

[You have been rewarded with 10 Dark Godcoins!]

[You have been rewarded with 20 Dark Godcoins!]

But that was only the beginning.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

The bodies of the lizardmen were being crushed like bugs one after the other, collapsing like dominoes.

-

Kaaaah!

Everyone, retreat! It’s the curse of the evil god!

Panicked, the lizardmen began scrambling in all directions, attempting to flee.

Crush!

But it was too late.