Subscriber of the Gods Chapter 329 - The Final Struggle

“I’ve got you-!”

The 3rd Apostle was certain.

Ethan Whiskers was already in a groggy state.

The result of hitting again and again was that her attack had finally pierced through Ethan Whiskers’ mighty defense!

Shwaaaak-!

However, the rapidly advancing soul of the abyss suddenly lost its speed.

Ethan’s sword easily destroyed the slowed the soul of the abyss.

Crack-!

“Huh?”

The 3rd Apostle’s eyes wavered. She hadn’t cancelled the magic herself.

To begin with, the instantaneous acceleration wasn’t a type of magic that could be deactivated and activated by oneself.

The surprised 3rd Apostle once again unleashed the soul of the abyss upon Ethan.

And exactly 20 seconds later, she threw it again. Like before, it was imbued with the power of instantaneous acceleration.

But just before reaching Ethan, the magic disappeared once more.

The soul of the abyss, returned to its original speed, was no longer a fatal threat to Ethan.

“What… what is this…?”

The 3rd Apostle was greatly flustered.

Ethan, who had maintained his composure throughout, smiled.

As if it was truly amusing.

But it wasn’t a mocking smile.

“I did it.”

It was the smile that naturally appears when one has achieved something.

A smile of certainty that he had faced a mighty obstacle without fleeing and seized victory.

It was an expression that greatly contrasted with his blood-soaked appearance.

The 3rd Apostle couldn’t believe what she had heard.

What on earth could be the meaning behind those words?

“Did you… break my magic or something? Is that why you’re smiling?”

Her voice trembled.

“You dare claim you’ve solved this magic that even the 1st and 2nd Apostles couldn’t solve?”

Ethan shook his head.

“No.”

And then he smiled even more deeply.

“I stole it.”

Ethan gripped his sword.

Shwaaaak-.

Eventually, the 3rd Apostle’s face contorted.

Ethan’s sword had accelerated.

The sword’s speed, which was already difficult to perceive before, had now become so fast it couldn’t even be seen.

“That’s… my magic, isn’t it!”

Ethan Swordsmanship 4th Form.

Eternal Frost of Trust

Ethan’s swordsmanship, enhanced with instantaneous acceleration, unfolded.

Slash!

White frost layered upon white frost.

Splat-. Thud.

The 3rd Apostle coughed up blood on the spot.

The 3rd Apostle, spewing blood, no longer had any means left to recover.

Instantaneous acceleration combined with Eternal Frost of Trust.

The 3rd Apostle’s magic was completely broken, and Ethan’s attacks gained more power.

The 3rd Apostle’s body, slashed by Eternal Frost of Trust, staggered.

Ethan’s attack was faster than activating superhuman ability.

“This… can’t be. How… is this possible? My magic… you stole my magic…”

Grrrr-.

The 3rd Apostle could no longer continue speaking.

She still had superhuman ability left. She could use more.

However, it was useless in the face of that overwhelming speed. When instantaneous acceleration was added to Ethan’s speed, superhuman ability couldn’t even be activated in time.

“Kuuuuuuugh!”

The 3rd Apostle groaned. Ethan watched, taking rough breaths.

Eventually, the 3rd Apostle slowly collapsed. He fell forward, dropping to his knees.

Ethan was standing, and the 3rd Apostle was kneeling.

Enraged by this symbolic posture distinguishing victor and loser, the 3rd Apostle frantically struck her own knees.

But her legs wouldn’t listen.

“You… my thing… my power… my magic…!”

It wasn’t just that it had been broken.

Ethan had gone beyond breaking it and outright stolen her magic.

Infinity Speed.

It was an ancient magic called infinite acceleration.

The 3rd Apostle had cast this ancient magic on the soul of the abyss. It was such a powerful magic that even the 3rd Apostle couldn’t control it perfectly.

But that wasn’t a problem. Even if it only exerted half of its original power, its effect was still tremendous.

“It wasn’t just an imitation. It was exactly the same… You really stole my magic.”

The emotions shaking the 3rd Apostle now were humiliation and anger.

These two emotions, which she had never felt before in her life, enraged the 3rd Apostle.

The 3rd Apostle slowly raised her head to look at the standing Ethan.

Despite being covered in blood, he was still standing.

The difference in class was clear.

He had been chosen.

Chosen by the Moon Mother.

In that moment, the 3rd Apostle harbored a feeling he shouldn’t have.

It was reverence.

“I guess it can’t be helped.”

Although no one could remain detached in the face of death, the 3rd Apostle was quite dull in that regard.

She was even more so because she had killed so many.

“I shouldn’t have come in the first place.”

As the 3rd Apostle said this, her breathing gradually slowed.

“But since it was entrusted to me. Even if I die, I should finish it up. Right, Ethan Whiskers?”

As if burning his last flame, the 3rd Apostle raised her hand. Then she snapped her fingers strongly.

Snap-!

“See you in the new world created by the Moon Mother, damn Ethan Whiskers.”

The 3rd Apostle closed her eyes.

“I’m returning, Mother. I’m coming.”

Sandra Rachel Wood, the 3rd Apostle, one of the highest-ranking apostles of the Dawn Council, had died.

And with her death, an anomaly occurred.

The 66 souls of the abyss she had left behind began to writhe.

Thump. Thump.

The souls of the abyss left by the 3rd Apostle writhed like pulsating hearts.

“You’re not going to make it easy until the end, huh.”

Ethan frowned.

If this exploded, not only would Ethan, who had barely survived, die, but all of Ivecar would be blown away.

It was only natural, given that sixty-six thousand souls would be released and burst out all at once.

That wasn’t all.

“It won’t end with just an explosion. The released souls will become evil spirits and devastate the surroundings…”

Ethan saw with his own eyes the souls remaining inside the souls of the abyss.

The soul of the abyss was essentially a mass of grudges.

An object containing the powerful grudges of those killed by the 3rd Apostle and the followers of the Moon.

If this exploded, the aftermath would be unmanageable.

Ivecar would be blown away without a trace, and Marquis Rond’s territory would become a ruin haunted by evil spirits.

If not careful, an unprecedented catastrophe might occur on the continent.

Was what was bound to happen finally happening?

Ethan gritted his teeth.

“Damn it. I have to stop it.”

But no good method came to mind.

Having just fought a fierce battle with the 3rd Apostle, his physical condition was at its worst.

He had no plausible means or plan to prevent the explosion.

“No, there’s just one.”

It was truly the last resort.

“New World.”

Ethan opened New World.

‘Absolutely not. I absolutely can’t end it here.’

In Ethan’s eyes, he saw the numerous gods he had subscribed to so far.

But Ethan’s eyes were now searching for the god he needed right now.

Should he search to find it? Or should he quickly find a god with the ability to overcome this situation among the gods he had subscribed to and negotiate rapidly?

‘How much time do I have left?’

At most 10 minutes until the souls of the abyss explode.

Within that time, he had to find a god with the power to somehow solve this problem.

“…”

At the top of the subscription list, a god who had uploaded a new video appeared. A red light flashed next to the name.

“Heo Jun… Gumiho…”

-The algorithm analyzes your situation.

-Rearranging the list.

Chrrrrr-!

Ethan’s subscription list was sorted, and soon Gumiho’s name appeared at the very top.

Gumiho, a god related to souls.

It was because he had subscribed to Gumiho and watched the collaboration video that he had gained the power of Bihyeongrang in the first place.

“!”

Ethan opened Gumiho’s channel marked with [N] and watched the newly uploaded collaboration video.

“This is a new collaboration video that wasn’t there before.”

Ethan clicked on Gumiho’s video as if entranced. Gumiho was a god he had just collaborated with recently.

Because of that, he knew the last video well.

It was a collaboration video with Bihyeongrang, the protagonist of the Ghost Power that Ethan was currently using well.

But the video uploaded this time was not a collaboration video with Bihyeongrang.

-Collaboration with Princess Baridegi, the Soul Guide! [feat. Mr. Do]

“Princess… Baridegi?”

A folktale he had read sometime ago came to mind.

Princess Baridegi.

“No way.”

Ethan hurriedly clicked on the video. If the god appearing in the video was the Princess Baridegi he knew and if he could learn her ability…

“I can solve the current situation.”

***

“It was really difficult. But I had the determination to do it no matter what. Look. The mindset of that [Only subscribed to the right gods] person!”

Gumiho looked at the newly uploaded collaboration video with a quite proud expression.

It was a collaboration video with Princess Baridegi, the Soul Guide.

Princess Baridegi was the highest among the gods related to souls. The god of souls. The guide of souls.

Those with souls will inevitably meet Princess Baridegi on their last day of life.

“To think that I worked with such a person. No matter how I think about it, this is an amazing thing.”

“Miho, you’re going to get another tremendous boost of momentum.”

“But I’m a bit worried. I wish he would watch it one more time.”

“[Only subscribed to the right gods] subscriber is busy. He’ll watch it someday.”

“Oh? The view count went up!”

The subscriber who raised that view count by 1, Ethan, was now facing Princess Baridegi.

Ding. Ding.

Princess Baridegi, holding a bell in one hand and a huge crescent blade in the other, smiled kindly.

-I have decided to leave a part of my ability in this video to help everyone. Poor souls. Souls. Don’t worry and just follow this sound behind me.

Princess Baridegi’s ability was extremely simple.

If Bihyeongrang’s ability was to dominate all souls, Princess Baridegi’s ability was to send souls back to where they should be.

In other words, it was the ability to bring souls to enlightenment, fitting perfectly with her nickname as the Soul Guide.

‘This is the ability I need most right now!’

Ethan quickly watched Princess Baridegi’s video.

Because time was extremely urgent, he used the skip button to quickly go through the video.

Fortunately, thanks to the Eye of Horus and Sleeping Dragon’s Sight, he could understand the core content.

-Learned the necromancy [Soul Guide]!

-Skill added: Soul Guide [S]

-You’ve received the bell.

As soon as Ethan gained Princess Baridegi’s ability, he immediately turned off New World.

Tick-.

Thump-!

The souls of the abyss were in a much larger state than before.

“Phew.”

Ethan steadied his breath and held up the bell.

Ding-.

It was Princess Baridegi’s special bell that guides souls.

When the bell sound was heard, the writhing souls of the abyss stopped moving right there.

Through Ghost Power, Ethan could clearly perceive their reactions.

‘It’s working.’

“Soul Guide.”

Ethan continued to ring the bell and danced.

Baridegi had said that souls need to be healed.

She said that comforting them and healing their hearts was necessary to properly guide the souls.

“That fundamental cause.”

Ethan pointed to the 3rd Apostle, who was the root cause of their grudge.

“I have dealt with it, souls. So be at ease. Be at ease and depart.”

At Ethan’s words, a vibration of the souls was felt.

The 66 souls of the abyss trembled and slowly rose into the air.

Crack-. Craaack-.

Despite Ethan’s guidance, the souls of the abyss continued to writhe. Each time, powerful waves and yin energy surged, making it seem like they could explode at any moment.

‘More fiercely.’

Ethan moved as he had seen in Princess Baridegi’s video.

The princess had said that merely comforting on the surface was not enough.

‘Understand deeply and comfort. But with that alone, I can’t process this in 10 minutes.’

Therefore, Ethan removed empathy from the sympathy and comfort Princess Baridegi had mentioned, and inserted Bihyeongrang’s power of domination.

‘This way is much more deeply empathetic for me.’

“Souls.”

Shwaaaak-.

Ghost Power rose.

The tremendous yin energy spewed out by the 66 souls of the abyss made the yin energy in Ethan’s body writhe as well.

And soon, powerful Ghost Power burst out from Ethan’s body.

“I killed the 3rd Apostle who made you like this. But it’s not just those who lost their lives to the 3rd Apostle. Your grudge is directed not just at the 3rd Apostle, but at all the followers of the Moon, right?”

Ethan stomped the ground hard. Then, the Soul Guide began to spread around him.

Ding-.

Ethan rang the bell once more.

“I’ll kill them all for you. Everyone who made you like this, without missing a single one. I’ll ruin all their plans and make them pay for their sins with my own hands.”

Ethan spoke with force.

Ghost Power was imbued in every word, so the souls must have heard his voice very clearly.

Ding-.

Ethan shook the bell along with his words.

“So trust me and go.”

At that moment, powerful Ghost Power arose.

This Ghost Power, intertwined with Princess Baridegi’s Soul Guide, began to bring the souls bound to the souls of the abyss to enlightenment politely, but somewhat forcefully.

Shwaaaak-.

The souls of the abyss, which were on the verge of explosion, calmed down and began to scatter into powder.

-We’re counting on you.

They spoke with one voice.

“I’ve certainly received that request.”

---

Translation Note:

If you want to know Princess Baridegi or Princess Bari mythology:

Princess Bari or Baridegi is a Korean mythological figure born as the seventh daughter to a king and queen who desperately wanted a son. Disappointed, the king abandoned her at birth, hence the name Bari, meaning “abandoned.” Years later, the king fell gravely ill, and the only cure was the Water of Life from the Underworld. Bari, now grown, took on the dangerous journey to retrieve the water. With bravery and help from spirits, she succeeded and saved her father, eventually being deified as the goddess who guides souls to the afterlife, symbolizing loyalty and compassion.

Thank you, ChatGPT oz