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Chapter 183: Ares' Army (2)
Ragnarök.
The Twilight of the Gods.
Doesn’t it signify the end of Asgard?
“They’re trying to destroy Asgard because of the alliance treaty, aren’t they?”
“Yes. Ares deceived us regarding our contract, but the alliance treaty with Asgard predates Zeus becoming the Creator. That, apparently, cannot be revoked.”
“Hm…”
I tried to predict their next move.
They'll persuade the minor god realms to gather as much Black Thunder as possible, then launch a surprise attack on Asgard through the Okeanos route.
Since Olympus’ main forces can’t directly attack Asgard, they’ll have to rely solely on Black Thunder.
“That makes sense. But can they really do it with just Black Thunder?”
“Hm…”
“Black Thunder is basically gods from minor realms transformed, right? I saw the footage last time—they do fight with explosive force, but Asgard has a solid defense. And the other major pantheons will probably step in to help too.”
“Ares seems to have a plan.”
I recalled meeting Ares before.
He was depicted as a thug in mythology, but in person, he came off quite serious.
Even in battle, he wasn’t the type to let his guard down.
“If it’s Ares, then that’s a real headache…”
Artemis scratched her cheek, clearly reluctant to get involved in a fight.
“Why? What about Ares?”
“That guy… he’s usually not like that, but when it comes to real battle, he’s like a rabid dog. And his army? They’re all about extreme efficiency. If Athena specializes in defense, Ares is all offense. Anything under his command is going to be a real pain to deal with.”
“I did see him once before. I only survived because Thor showed up. I was weak back then, though.”
“Really? In terms of raw power, he’s probably on par with Apollo. They were rivals for Zeus’ succession.”
Comparable to Apollo?
Then I should be able to go toe-to-toe with him now.
“But while Apollo is better at fighting multiple enemies using the power of the sun, Ares excels in one-on-one combat. Except for Athena, no god from Olympus has ever beaten Ares in a duel.”
“So Athena’s stronger than Ares?”
“Hmm… not exactly. It's more like a bad matchup. Ares never gives his all against Athena.”
I thought those two had a really bad relationship… but maybe I was wrong?
Well, Artemis would know best, having been in Olympus.
“Ares' subordinates are a problem too. The heroes of Greek mythology follow him fanatically. Even Hercules was once his follower.”
“An army made up of heroes, led by the god of war himself…”
Seems like I shouldn't underestimate him, even if I absorbed Apollo's power.
Apollo wandered alone and was taken down, but Ares will actively deploy his army.
If I’m in danger, I’ll need to summon Thor and all my Apostle Gods to fight back.
“But during the invasion of Asgard, they can’t interfere directly, right? Because of the alliance, only Black Thunder can attack.”
“Right. The battle in Asgard won’t be the issue. We just have to make sure we don’t encounter Ares while taking over the minor realms.”
“Ares won’t move himself. According to Usa, he’s been staying at the Black Thunder training grounds.”
Hwanung kept mentioning Usa.
When he descended to our country, he brought Pungbaek, Unsa, and Usa.
Unsa is here, but where are Pungbaek and Usa?
Usa seems to be the one providing intel on Ares.
Perhaps reading my expression, Hwanung spoke up.
“You seem curious about where Usa is.”
“Yes. How does he know what Ares is doing?”
“He left for Ares’ camp to be transformed into Black Thunder.”
He went to Ares’ camp?
“You’re saying he’s in Ares’ camp now and is watching what’s happening?”
“Yes. He says they're conducting rituals to create Black Thunder at a place like a training ground.”
“He hasn’t been turned into Black Thunder yet, then. If he can still communicate freely…”
“Yes… not yet.”
Hwanung trailed off.
Then he looked at me and asked,
“Soul God. Everything hinges on your proposal.”
“My proposal…?”
“You didn’t come here just to say we shouldn’t trust Olympus, right? Or are you planning to wipe us out like the other pantheons?”
I shared what I had in mind.
That he should become my Apostle God and collect SP through soul mediation.
“Become an Apostle God? What kind of nonsense is that! Are you trying to enslave Hwanung?”
Unsa erupted in anger at my suggestion.
Hwanung, however, looked at me with a calm expression.
“Become an Apostle…? Soul God, you might as well kill us outright.”
Before I could reply, Hwanung raised his hand.
A screen appeared in front of me.
It showed a scene.
Black Thunder filled the surroundings.
In the center stood the army of Olympus, lined up in perfect order.
Across from them, gods dressed in various attire stared at them tensely.
This scene…
Is this Ares’ camp?
“This is what it means to be an Apostle.”
Hwanung tapped the screen.
“Pungbaek, Usa. Tell the gods that Ares has broken his promise. Then flee. If escape is impossible… self-destruct on the spot. This is an order from your main god.”
[Understood, Hwanung.]
[We obey.]
The screen went dark.
Hwanung looked at me.
“As Apostles, they have to obey such irrational orders from their main god. Especially in front of Olympus' army, who can unleash soul emission attacks that nullify immortality, being told to self-destruct—yet they can’t resist.”
So this is why even Poseidon and Apollo refused to become Apostles.
As he stared at me blankly, Hwanung furrowed his brow.
“…They’re already dead.”
He had just issued the order to Pungbaek and Usa.
And now they’re dead?
“…So they couldn’t escape after all?”
Unsa asked in a sorrowful tone.
Hwanung closed his eyes and shook his head.
“Yes. Pungbaek and Usa are no more. I couldn’t let them become part of Ares’ Black Thunder.”
“…To think comrades who built Sinsi beneath the Sacred Tree would vanish like this.”
“Soul God. This is what it means to be an Apostle. At a single command, you can be wiped out. You can’t defy your main god. An Apostle… I want no part of that. I’d rather fade away with the flow of time.”
Hwanung firmly rejected becoming an Apostle.
He was basically saying he’d rather die.
Geez.
This guy…
At least hear me out all the way.
“You don’t have to follow any commands.”
“…What do you mean?”
“I won’t give orders to you as an Apostle. You can just stay in the Apostle Garden and quietly collect SP. Once the war with Zeus is over, I’ll release you all unconditionally.”
I assured him that I wouldn’t command him even after becoming an Apostle, and that he could just gather SP in peace.
I added that once the battle with Olympus was over, they’d all be set free without conditions.
“Such a condition…”
“I’m low-ranked. I don’t even have the power to break contracts like Zeus.”
“Hm… if I became an Apostle, how much SP could I earn?”
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“Hwanung-nim…!”
Oh.
At least he's willing to listen.
“That depends on the level of divinity.”
“My divinity is that of a Great Deity.”
“A Great Deity? You?”
Artemis, surprised from behind.
“You don’t look like a Great Deity at all…”
“Everyone has their glory days at some point.”
“Well, I suppose there are plenty of gods like that… I didn’t expect a Great Deity to come from the mythology of such a small country. In any case, if you're a Great Deity, I’d say you’d earn SP at a similar rate to me. The SP I earn is…”
When Artemis shared the amount of SP she earned, both Hwanung and even Unsa, who had been unimpressed until now, widened their eyes.
“You get that much?”
“Just from soul mediation, you earn that much SP…”
“With that amount of SP, you wouldn’t have to worry about the destruction of your divine realm.”
“…However! Hwanung-nim. Even so, you must not accept this offer. To become an Apostle! Even if a pact is made… such humiliation is unacceptable.”
Seriously.
This Unsa guy is against it even with a pact in place.
But Hwanung remained silent, eyes closed in contemplation.
If I push him, I might be able to persuade him…
“The Soul God truly asks for nothing in return. Even I, once a nameless deity, quickly regained my former name.”
“This guy still smells like a human. I became an Apostle without any pact, and I’m still a virgin goddess, mind you.”
My Apostle gods step up to persuade the pondering Hwanung.
But Artemis, really?
That’s not the best example.
However, as soon as she finished speaking, Hwanung opened his eyes.
“To have never touched a virgin goddess… how peculiar. May I ask one question?”
“Of course.”
“What is the rank of the Soul God? Are you also a Great Deity?”
“No. I’m a mid-tier deity.”
“To possess such overwhelming power yet only be a mid-tier… This helps me come to a decision. I will become an Apostle.”
Oho.
He was acting like he was ready to die just a moment ago, but now he’s surprisingly quick to change his mind and accept becoming an Apostle.
Unsa, beside him, looks on with a regretful expression.
“Hwanung-nim…”
“Unsa. Take a break for now. I shall seal Sinsi.”
“Yes… understood. I only hope this choice isn't the wrong one…”
Unsa kneeled before Hwanung.
And then, his body gradually vanished like smoke.
“Sinsi shall now enter its sealing process. Gather at the Divine Tree, and in the end, you shall belong to me.”
Rumble…
As Hwanung reached toward the window of the building, the world trembled.
This space remained intact, but outside, the world was collapsing.
At the same time, the inside of the building changed too.
Glass windows turned into wooden pillars, and the monitors scattered everywhere disappeared.
He said gather at the Divine Tree…
Is the building… transforming into a tree?
So this was the Divine Tree all along?
“I will enter as an Apostle. Soul God.”
[A Great Deity ‘Hwanung’ seeks to enter as an Apostle under the system’s pact. Will you accept?]
And with that, the pact details appear.
[You cannot issue commands to Hwanung, and once the war with Zeus ends, he will be released from Apostle status.]
“I accept.”
[Great Deity ‘Hwanung’ has been added to the Garden of Apostles.]
[If three more Great Deities are added, the Garden of Apostles will be upgraded to a Divine Realm.]
Only three more Great Deities needed for an upgrade?
When I first saw that Divine Realm creation was possible, I thought, “Where the heck am I going to find five Great Deities?” But… it might be easier than expected.
“I look forward to working with you, Soul God.”
“Yes, Hwanung. Will you head to the Garden of Apostles now? To recover your SP?”
“Guardian God, yes. That is my intention. But before that, allow me to assist you briefly.”
Is it because he’s now an Apostle?
Hwanung spoke even more politely than before.
“Assist me? You're welcome to, anytime.”
“I will open a portal to another minor divine realm.”
Whoa.
A portal?
Until now, we’d traveled through Okeanos’s path via Triaina, but honestly, using a portal is the fastest way.
“When we signed a contract with Ares, we included a clause to seal all divine portals. It was a measure to prevent reinforcements from the Great Deity realms, in case we betrayed him. But now that that contract is proven invalid… I’ll open the portal and help you conquer as many minor divine realms as possible.”
“That’ll save a ton of time. I like it.”
“Then I’ll make contact immediately.”
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