Chapter 171

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Chapter 171: Reorganization (2)

The seal on Apollo’s soul fragment...

Does it unlock more as I comprehend the authority of the Sun God?

I’m not sure how the situation will change once it’s fully released.

“Please return to your original form.”

When I extinguished the fire, Elprian stepped up to restore nature.

After seeing gods only fighting and destroying each other all this time, this is a refreshing change.

“Elprian, are you low on SP?”

“I am… But I need to revive my domain in order to regain SP here. The Sun God's rampage... It's truly terrifying.”

“I’m willing to support you with about 100 million SP.”

“Oh, really? Please, please do!”

Since I fled to Elprian's sanctuary and caused all this devastation, I supported her with 100 million SP out of moral responsibility.

I made way more than that just by extinguishing Apollo’s fire at her request, so it’s nothing, really…

“Thank you so much, Kim Jiho.”

“If you're grateful, take good care of Diana.”

“Yes, I will.”

After parting on good terms with Elprian, I finally used Heimdall’s Return.

Whooooosh.

Seeing my familiar home, I finally felt like this endless day was over.

“Whew. Not much time actually passed, but how many things happened today?”

When I first charged into the Kalvine planet all confident as an SS-rank, I felt like I had the world in my hands…

But then I got wrecked by Apollo and really learned what it meant to face death.

Of course, the gains from this expedition were enormous, but still—it was a long day.

I invaded Kalvine, got chased off by Apollo, allied with K'aai, recruited Artemis as an Apostle…

“Oh yeah. I wonder if that guy's still alive?”

I checked if I had a communication link with K'aai, but there didn’t seem to be one.

Hmm…

Maybe Artemis has a link?

“Summon Artemis.”

I summoned Artemis into the living room.

“…”

She was crouched down, hugging her knees with her head buried.

She looked really depressed.

Well, she did just watch her twin brother Apollo get devoured right in front of her eyes…

“…Why did you call me?”

“I was checking if you could contact K'aai. I don’t have a connection to him.”

“…K'aai. That damn bastard… If only he hadn’t been there. If Zeus hadn’t offered me as a sacrifice…”

She lifted her head for a moment, then buried it again.

The area around her darkened.

Come on, what is this, a comic book?

Does the room literally get darker just because she's down?

Even though the fluorescent lights were on, it felt like night where she was sitting.

“Am I… trash?”

“Why would you say that?”

“I betrayed Olympus just to save myself, and now I’ve caused Apollo to die…”

“What are you talking about? Olympus and Zeus betrayed you first. Didn’t you see what a monster Zeus is? He even devours his own kids.”

“Aaaaah! Apollo! If only I hadn’t stabbed you back then! If I hadn’t done that, you wouldn’t have died…!”

Artemis screamed, clutching her head.

Seriously?

She helped plan that ambush on Apollo and even used an eclipse when he became solarized, and now she’s like this?

Maybe she got traumatized seeing him actually die.

“I wanted to get out of K'aai somehow, but… I didn’t want to see this. Seeing Apollo get devoured by Father… Soul God, you… You feel like Apollo too. Did you devour him as well?”

“It wasn’t intentional. It’s just how my power works.”

“Torn apart between two gods… Apollo…”

With empty eyes, she kept muttering “I’m trash.”

Was the shock that bad?

She was so composed during the fight with Apollo, but now this?

It’s jarring.

“Hey. Just connect me to K'aai, and go rest. You’re not in shape for this.”

“K'aai… I don’t even want to see that guy. He’ll contact you eventually. I can’t.”

She flat-out refused.

Can an Apostle even defy a High God like this?

“Artemis. Don’t you want revenge on Zeus? If we’re going to take him down, we might need intel from K'aai.”

“Zeus…”

“Think about Zeus devouring Apollo right before your eyes. He even popped up a laughing emoji with black lightning!”

“Zeus…!”

“Yeah. We have to get revenge. K'aai selling you out—that was Zeus’s doing too. All of this started with him.”

Her eyes widened as she glared upwards.

But then she slumped again, burying her head once more.

“Right now… all I can think of is Apollo dying. I know Zeus is the root of it all, but I really can’t stand even looking at K'aai.”

“Sigh…”

“Soul God, I’m sorry. Just give me a little time. I have no motivation right now.”

“How little?”

“Like… ten years?”

“Hey.”

“…Too much? One year then.”

Ugh.

This girl’s lost it.

A year?

Are you serious?

Should I just override her with a divine command?

Sigh… Still, considering she just lost her twin brother, that feels harsh.

I reached for my inventory.

“You see this?”

I waved Apollo’s soul fragment in front of Artemis.

The materialized soul fragment was a golden sun split in half.

“That’s… what?”

“Apollo’s soul fragment.”

“Where did you get that?”

“Found it during absorption. Apparently, it contains his consciousness.”

Whoosh.

Artemis lunged at the fragment so fast I almost lost it.

I quickly put it back in my inventory, and she grabbed me, yelling.

“Why! Why are you taking it away?!”

“You think I’ll just give it to you? Hades offered 10 billion SP for this.”

“What… 10 billion?”

“Yep.”

“Ugh…”

She visibly weakened at the mention of 10 billion, but her eyes stayed locked on the fragment.

“If you help me take down Zeus with your full sincerity, I’ll give it to you.”

“Really!?”

“Yeah. But in the meantime, you follow my orders absolutely. I shouldn’t have to command you as a High God—you act on your own to benefit me.”

Sure, 10 billion SP is nice, but Artemis giving her full support is more valuable.

I could force an Apostle to obey, but it’s better when they do it of their own will.

And if she acts up again, I can always sell the fragment to Hades.

Artemis agreed to my proposal right away.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

“…Alright, Soul God. Zeus is the enemy of both me and my twin. I’ll give everything I have to support you.”

“Yeah. Good attitude.”

“I’ll contact K'aai right away.”

Artemis quickly got to work, moving swiftly.

Now that’s what I call effective.

A communication screen pops up.

On the screen appears a single tentacle.

The swirling darkness and gemstones were gone, leaving only a faintly twitching tentacle.

[God of Souls. You’ve got some nerve contacting me.]

“Oh, you’re alive?”

[Yeah. I almost got completely wiped out by Apollo. Damn you...]

K'aai twisted its tentacle.

If it had teeth, it’d be grinding them right now.

“Hey. If I had fought there, your whole base would've gone up in flames. Because I pulled back, Apollo came after me instead—and that’s why you’re still alive.”

[What nonsense. My base was up in flames less than a minute after you left. I barely escaped with a single tentacle… I'm regenerating now.]

So that’s why only one tentacle’s left.

He was so sure of himself just because someone stepped into his territory…

[What happened to Apollo?]

“Well, as you can see.”

I pointed at my head with my finger, and light radiated from it.

A brilliant glow, almost like a halo.

K'aai gasped when he saw it.

[No way… Isn’t that Apollo’s power? What on earth happened?]

“What do you think? After a fierce battle, I won and absorbed his authority.”

[I can hardly believe it. Back then, Apollo was such a powerful being…]

K'aai shook his tentacle in disbelief.

[To think you defeated Apollo… You really are the Soul God. Did you absorb all of his power?]

“No. Zeus devoured him. He didn’t go easy, even on his own son.”

[Zeus…? Hmm. He wouldn’t have done that without a good excuse.]

I explained what had happened with Apollo.

K'aai waved his tentacle thoughtfully.

[So Zeus used the Asgard Alliance Treaty as an excuse to consume Apollo. Clever as ever… He avoided the penalty and got rid of his troublesome son.]

“You think Apollo was a nuisance? That guy was a loyalist to the core—he burned everything he had just to fight.”

[That’s true… But when we contacted him, he seemed like he no longer needed the gods of Olympus… Artemis, don’t you know anything about that?]

“Hmm…”

Artemis sank into deep thought.

Then she shook her head.

“I don’t know. Hera seemed to be planning something, but… I got eaten by you before I could find out.”

[Hmph… useless.]

“You little—”

[Anyway, let’s move on… What Zeus said to Thor bothers me. I’ll look into it.]

If Asgard disappears, wouldn’t the alliance be automatically void?

That’s what Zeus had said.

He didn’t seem like the type to say things idly.

He must’ve had something in mind.

“Got any leads?”

[Hmm… I’ll investigate and let you know. I’m off.]

With that, K'aai cuts the connection.

What the—?

He just left a bunch of questions and vanished.

Well, at least we confirmed he’s alive and reconnected the communication line.

“That reminds me, Soul God… where are we? Is this a hideout?”

With the call over, Artemis looked around.

She’d been too deep in despair earlier to notice, but now she was finally seeing her surroundings.

“This place is tiny. And it’s above ground? That’s not much of a hideout.”

“This is my house.”

“Your… house?”

Artemis looked at me in disbelief.

“This prison-like place is your home? Soul God… are you even aware that you’re a god?”

Come on, this place is a super expensive apartment.

I just got it cheap because of the nearby dungeon.

“Seriously, even my disciple's garden is a hundred times better. How humiliating that my deity lives in a place like this…”

“What’s your problem? I like it here.”

“You have a whole pantheon under you and you live here? If I were one of your follower gods, I’d be throwing a fit.”

Man, she nags like a wife.

But really, how big a house would I need to impress Artemis?

Big or not, it’s not like it makes a difference.

Back on Earth, I lived in a big house too, but it didn’t feel much different from this apartment.

So I just ignored her and turned on the TV.

[Controversy surrounding the power company site is intensifying.]

Oh… isn’t that the site where I wanted to build my temple?

Of all times, this comes on right now?

“Why are you turning on the TV when I’m not done talking?”

“Do you even know what a TV is?”

“I was a deity up through the 21st century, remember?”

She gave me a glare.

But when she looked at the TV screen, her expression changed immediately.

“‘God Kim Jiho must stop temple construction immediately’…? Your name is Kim Jiho… right?”

“Yeah. That’s me.”

Religious protestors on the TV, holding signs.

Looks like there are even more of them than last time.

“Why are you letting that slide?”

“I’ve been busy with other stuff. Is there really a need to argue with them?”

“Then have a subordinate drive them away or chase them off. It’s disgraceful for a god.”

“Come on, you can’t do that in a democracy.”

“Sigh… Why is a god babbling about democracy? You’re still too human.”

She looked at me in pity, shaking her head.

Then she reached out toward the TV screen.

A soft light started to emanate from her hand.

“Hey. What are you doing? You’re not going to kill them all, are you?”

“What do you take me for?”

On the TV, the protestors were shouting passionately.

Above their heads, a soft silver light began to shine.

A curtain of light, descending from the sky.

[Uh… w-we have a developing situation! A mysterious light is descending from the sky! It’s pushing people back!]

The light moved like waves, pushing the crowd away.

The reporter gasped and fell back.

The camera stopped showing her and turned toward the power company site.

The entire site was bathed in radiant light.

“What are you doing?”

“I’ll build it for you. The temple.”

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]