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Chapter 328: The Tide Turns (2)
Kalosia descended, borrowing Shadrenes’ body.
A voice, blended with tones of the old, the young, girls, boys, and young men, reverberated.
Eyes like stars came into view.
The great god revealed their presence on Earth.
[Ahh, it’s been a while. It’s good to see you again.]
A cheerful voice echoed.
Ketal chuckled.
“You seem to be in a good mood.”
Kalosia’s tone had noticeably risen, making no effort to hide their delight.
They spoke with a lively voice:
[Of course. Necronovix—that damned fiend—is dead.]
One of the four lords of Hell, a primordial demon who had existed since the inception of the infernal realms.
Necronovix had been a formidable demon who played a pivotal role in the War of Gods and Demons.
[In the past wars, the number of gods slain by that monster would easily be in the double digits. I had my share of clashes with him. Necronovix was an extraordinarily powerful and terrifying being.]
And now, such an entity had met its end.
[The heavens are abuzz with a celebratory atmosphere. It hasn’t been this lively since the victory in the War of Gods and Demons.]
“That’s good to hear.”
[As you may have guessed, our inability to intervene in the mortal realm until now was due to the interference of Hell.]
Hell had blocked the heavens from intervening, ensuring Necronovix could wreak havoc without hindrance.
[Because of that, we were left watching helplessly as the mortal realm was defiled. To be honest, it was a perilous situation. So much so that some gods seriously considered sacrificing themselves to force open a passageway.]
“Is that so?”
Ketal was surprised; the situation seemed even more dire than he had imagined.
[But then, you killed Necronovix. Thanks to you, the issue was resolved without us having to take drastic measures. No, it’s more than resolved—it’s an exceptional turn of events.]
Kalosia continued with excitement in their tone.
[Hell had to pay a steep price to block the heavens’ intervention for Necronovix. Three of their lords wielded their power, but even that wasn’t enough—they required additional resources.]
Many ranked demons, those of heroic class, were consumed in the process.
[Ranked demons are rare in Hell, numbering barely a dozen or so. Over half of them were expended to block the heavens.]
Even if Necronovix hadn’t died, Hell’s recovery from such losses would have been difficult.
But with Necronovix dead, it was a devastating blow.
Kalosia suddenly paused, looking at Ketal—no, more precisely, looking inside him.
[…It’s inside you, isn’t it?]
“It is.”
[Do not address me, you child.]
The Abomination spoke indifferently.
The moment Kalosia heard its voice, they instinctively invoked their authority, as if a squirrel had encountered a snake.
Gradually regaining their composure, they withdrew their power and muttered in disbelief.
[That Monstrosity truly resides within you. It’s unimaginable. But no matter—it’s clear you’re in control. Victory is nearly ours. The demons can do little more.]
“Is it over, then?”
The tide of the war was turning decisively toward victory for the mortal and heavenly realms.
Ketal asked with curiosity,
“What happens next?”
[Hell won’t be able to send reinforcements anytime soon. The demons and beasts remaining on the mortal plane need to be dealt with. Once they’re eradicated, the barrier must be reestablished.]
The barrier separating the mortal realm from Hell would be restored—stronger than ever, impossible to breach again.
“They’re being expelled, then.”
[That’s how it will end.]
“It feels a bit unfair. The mortal realm got beaten up and barely retaliated.”
Kalosia chuckled at Ketal’s words.
[That’s just how it is. The mortal realm is a precious place, after all. It would be nice if you could think of it that way.]
“It’s not that I don’t understand.”
Strategic locations often became battlegrounds for proxy wars between powerful forces.
The same thing happened on Earth, albeit on a planetary scale here.
‘What a massive scale.
Ketal chuckled, finding it amusing.
But Kalosia, perhaps sensing Ketal’s frustration, quickly added,
[It’s no fun being on the defensive all the time, is it? That’s why we’ve made a decision.]
“A decision?”
[As I mentioned, Hell expended considerable strength to block our intervention.]
With Hell’s strength significantly reduced, an ironic opportunity had arisen: the gods could now intervene directly in Hell.
[Soon, we will descend into Hell and launch an assault there. Keep this to yourself.]
“Oh, wow.”
Descending directly into Hell to attack?
Such a possibility excited Ketal.
“You’re going to Hell directly?”
His eyes lit up.
“Can I come too?”
[…What?]
“I’ve always wanted to see Hell after hearing you talk about it.”
Ketal’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.
Sensing his innocent desire, Kalosia chuckled dryly.
[You’re as strange as ever. Unfortunately, that might be difficult.]
“Is it impossible?”
[Not impossible—just complicated. It’s for a different reason.]
Kalosia looked at Ketal.
[If you go to Hell, there will be many who feel uneasy.]
“…The gods, huh.”
Ketal understood what Kalosia was implying.
“They’re worried I might side with Hell.”
[Of course, I trust you. Most gods no longer see you as a threat.]
Ketal had killed Necronovix.
Only a fool among the gods would still regard him as an enemy.
[But in the end, you are a being born of neither heaven nor hell.]
“They fear I might find Hell appealing and decide to stay, huh.”
Ketal clicked his tongue.
Kalosia, watching him, spoke again.
[Of course, if you truly wish, I can take you with me on my authority alone.]
“Oh? That’s possible?”
[I still hold some sway in heaven, you know. I can pull some strings.]
Ketal almost immediately asked to be taken.
But he paused.
“…Wouldn’t that put you in a tough spot?”
[It would, but it’s fine. Your happiness is more important.]
Ketal groaned, suppressing his feelings.
“I guess it can’t be helped. I’ll pass.”
[…You’re surprisingly quick to give up. The Ketal I know would have insisted.]
“If it causes trouble for you, it’s not worth it.”
Ketal smiled faintly, his demeanor calm, leaving Kalosia slightly unsettled.
[Well, if you say so, I appreciate it.]
“So, what’s the reason you wanted to meet me? I recall you had something to convey.”
[It's nothing grand, really,]
Kalosia replied lightly.
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[I wanted to express my gratitude.]
“Gratitude?”
Ketal asked, puzzled by the unexpected remark.
Kalosia, however, spoke earnestly.
[You saved the surface. You protected my followers, the followers of other gods, and humanity itself. Without you, most of them would have been killed by the Necronovix.]
Kalosia moved, lowering himself as the great deity showed respect to a being of the surface.
[Thank you, Ketal. For saving my children, the world, and humanity.]
Gratitude from a god.
Ketal was momentarily at a loss for words.
It felt as if fantasy itself had recognized him.
A profound emotion surged from within.
[Once all of this is over, I will reward you. If you wish, I can even arrange for a journey to the heavens.]
“Oh, ohhh! Is that really possible? Please, do so!”
Ketal exclaimed eagerly, his eyes sparkling like a child’s.
Even Kalosia faltered for a moment at his reaction.
[I expected this, but you’re even more delighted than I thought. I’ll return once it’s all over.]
“I’ll be waiting with great anticipation,”
Ketal said, grinning from ear to ear.
Kalosia’s form slowly began to fade as he returned to the heavens.
Suddenly, he spoke again as if something had just crossed his mind.
[I was the first god to converse with you.]
“That’s true,”
Ketal acknowledged.
[Most thought I was mad when I first told the gods about you. They called you a dangerous existence, saying you needed to be dealt with immediately. It even led to a formal council questioning my judgment.]
“Oh ho. You’ve been through a lot.”
[It wasn’t easy, but what are the results now?]
Ketal had provided immense aid to both the surface and the heavens.
Without him, the surface might have collapsed entirely.
As a result, not a single god dared to criticize Kalosia now.
[I was the first to recognize your value. It feels good.]
Kalosia murmured with satisfaction.
[Well then, I’ll be counting on you for a long time to come.]
“And I’ll be counting on you,”
Ketal replied with a faint smile as Kalosia left the surface.
He then turned to steady Shadrenes, who was on the verge of collapse.
“Ah… thank you. How was your conversation with Kalosia?”
“It was enjoyable. A very fulfilling time. Thank you,”
Ketal said with a gentle smile.
* * *
[What’s this? You’ve come to me yourself?]
The Tower Master spoke, surprised.
Until now, it was always he who sought Ketal, never the other way around.
But now, Ketal had come to him, as if with a purpose, at the frontline where he was stationed.
[Where’s Serena? She’s always trailing after you.]
“I sent her to the Elves’ sanctuary for now. Karin needed healing, and she was necessary for that.”
More importantly, considering why Ketal had come to the Tower Master, it was better that Serena wasn’t around.
“I’ve been curious about something,”
Ketal said, smiling brightly.
“What’s the current situation?”
[It’s looking good. Everyone is quietly confident we’ll win the war.]
The gods had begun to appear on the surface again, delivering their commands and leading their followers.
Hidden demons and dark magicians were swiftly being dealt with.
Hearing this, Ketal’s eyes glimmered.
“So, there’s room to breathe?”
[I suppose there is… What are you planning? That look in your eyes is dangerous.]
“Nothing too serious,”
Ketal said nonchalantly.
“You mentioned you’d give me further rewards, didn’t you?”
The Tower Master had previously said that the core of his tower alone couldn’t repay Ketal for everything he’d done and asked if there was anything else he wanted.
At the time, Ketal had merely asked for magic lessons someday, as he didn’t have anything particular in mind.
[I did. What is it? Do you want me to teach you magic now?]
“No, not that,”
Ketal replied, smiling faintly.
“Serena mentioned that you’ve touched the Gates of the Heavens. Is that true?”
[It happened in the past. I tend to act on my curiosity. I wanted to see if a being from the surface could truly reach the heavens. So, I tried. The attempt failed, though.]
“Was it because beings of the surface can’t enter?”
[Not exactly… There’s a wall. A very solid one. Breaking through it wasn’t easy. I retreated, considering my relationship with the gods.]
“So, you were able to reach the heavens themselves. Then the reverse should also be possible,”
Ketal said, his eyes sparkling.
The Tower Master froze for a moment.
[Wait a moment. You…]
Kalosia had said he couldn’t take Ketal to hell.
The other gods were uneasy about it.
Of course, if Ketal truly insisted, Kalosia had mentioned he could forcefully bring him there, but that would harm his own standing.
He didn’t want to trouble someone who had shown him goodwill.
In that case…
“Wouldn’t it work if I found a way other than through the gods?”
[You madman,]
The Tower Master muttered, laughing dryly as he realized Ketal’s intentions.
“Can you take me to hell?”
Ketal asked excitedly.
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