Subscriber of the Gods Chapter 354 - Evil God (1)

“…There’s definitely an evil god in there. But what are you planning to do?”

From the temple to Lyubin, Ethan had shown considerable confidence. However, he hadn’t heard specifically what he could do.

That’s why Shine One couldn’t help but worry.

For now, it seemed that the current Desert King was managing to hold off the evil god.

But no matter how great the Desert King was, there was no way he could stop an evil god.

“It seems he has dispersed his power.”

“That appears to be the case. Some have taken root in the Desert King’s body, while the rest are elsewhere now.”

It looked like the evil god was trying to take over the Desert King’s body somehow to use it for various purposes.

“Then the rest must be moving for a bigger plan… This might be our chance. Let’s seal this part that’s inside the Desert King now.”

Seal the relatively weak part and then deal with the rest of the evil god elsewhere.

It seemed like a fairly reasonable method.

“…I’ve heard that a sacrifice is needed for sealing.” 

Rosir said with a serious expression.

“I am prepared. Ready to give my life at any time.”

Despite her young age, she had definite qualities.

“No, that won’t be necessary.” 

Shine One shook his head.

“You must lead Lyubin. So…”

Shine One held out his sword to Ethan.

“I will be the sacrifice.”

Ethan looked at the two desert warriors as if they were ridiculous and said,

“What are you talking about… No sacrifice is needed. I’m going to annihilate the evil god.”

“…What?”

“…Huh?”

The two looked at Ethan in bewilderment.

“Ah, no, what do you mean? You said you found a way, didn’t you? While I was looking for desert people who knew me in Lyubin…!”

“Yes, I did. But who said sealing was necessary?”

“You didn’t say sealing was necessary, but… I naturally thought you’d find a way to seal it.”

“Lady Moonforce doesn’t like such lukewarm methods.”

Of course, the goddess Moonforce knew how to seal an evil god.

If Ethan had asked about it in prayer, she probably would have told him.

-The goddess Moonforce bestows upon you the method of sealing an evil god.

Shaaaaa-.

At that moment, light descended upon Ethan.

“Ah…”

Shine One and Rosir felt Moonforce’s power as they witnessed the scene.

“Not needed.” 

Ethan said, waving his arms to scatter the light shining down on him.

“I said I’m going to annihilate him.”

“Did you just reject the blessing Lady Moonforce bestowed upon you?”

“It’s on hold. I don’t need the method to seal the evil god right now, so I put it on hold. If my method fails, I’ll use it then.”

It was incredible confidence. Even Shine One couldn’t help but be surprised by Ethan’s actions.

Among all the people he had encountered so far, not a single one had rejected a god’s blessing like Ethan.

Moreover, Shine One knew firsthand how powerful the evil god was.

This northern land, once called the land of flowers, had become a desert.

The land was barren, and all living plants had withered and died.

Even the trees his parents had planted when he was born had all dried up.

That wasn’t all. How many cities had fallen and how many people had died at the hands of the evil god?

The evil god was a being that couldn’t be killed even if you tried, so the only means to stop him was sealing.

“Not sealing… but annihilation.”

It wasn’t that he didn’t know such an option existed.

It was just that choosing that method was impossible.

“That’s impossible. It doesn’t matter how strong you are. The evil god doesn’t die. He has an immortal body. We thought about his annihilation too. We wanted to end it all in our generation rather than leaving an incomplete seal to future generations.”

But there was no way to annihilate him.

Well, there was a method, but it was virtually impossible. Even if there was a method, if it was impractical, the conclusion was that it couldn’t be annihilated.

“To annihilate a god, you need a soul of equal rank.”

“You mean a god’s soul must be pledged to annihilate a god?”

Rosir responded in surprise to Shine One’s words. Like the law of giving one to receive one, it meant that a god’s soul was needed to annihilate a god.

But what god would give up their soul?

“No way.”

Suddenly, Shine One’s expression turned emotional.

“We… abandoned. Without even repaying the love given…”

“That’s not it.” 

Ethan cut off the emotional moment.

“Though Lady Moonforce is merciful, she’s not someone who would go that far.”

-The goddess Moonforce is not pleased with your answer.

‘But it’s true, isn’t it?’

Moonforce didn’t respond to that.

“Then how…?”

“Shine One, Lady Rosir.”

This was a task for him to handle.

“You two have other things to do.”

***

“W-What did you say?”

“Why are you so surprised? Wasn’t it just a moment ago that I said we were going to look for the Desert King’s treasures?”

“Actually…” 

Rosir frowned slightly.

She didn’t want to lie, but she had no choice.

“You mean you said that after you had already found the Desert King’s treasures?”

“It’s understandable to be suspicious. That’s why I brought definitive evidence.”

Ethan had left all of the Desert King’s treasures behind, but Shine One had brought a few things. He had brought four treasures in total, including a dagger and a long sword, thinking of returning them if there were any of their descendants living in Lyubin.

When Rosir presented the four swords she had received from Shine One, the young chieftains’ eyes widened.

“This is…”

Rosir had indeed brought the Desert King’s treasures.

“Could this be… the Sori Dagger…?”

A young chieftain asked in a trembling voice.

“It’s an item your ancestor used.”

“Ah…”

Reverence filled the young chieftains’ eyes.

“I intend to return them. They’re the belongings of our heroes who sacrificed themselves there. I think it’s right for them to go back to their descendants.”

“Y-You’re returning them?”

The young chieftain was bewildered.

Until now, they had been reckless, not trusting Rosir or her father, the current Desert King.

Nevertheless, she was saying she would return the treasures found in that dangerous temple.

The young chieftain was suddenly overwhelmed with an immense sense of shame.

“I…”

“I’ve forgotten everything.” 

Rosir said.

This was an opportunity Ethan had created to unite the desert.

It didn’t matter whether she or Ethan had obtained the Desert King’s treasures.

Seizing the opportunity before one’s eyes is also a skill. If she was to become king, to lead this desert in the future, this was obviously what she had to do.

“I only want to create a new Lyubin with you all. One that wouldn’t shame our ancestors. An even better, even greater Lyubin.”

Rosir revealed her ambition.

If so, the handle of the sword had now passed to her side.

Would they join or continue to oppose as they had been?

In that moment, the young chieftains’ blood boiled.

“Please forgive our rudeness until now, Your Majesty.”

“We will follow Your Majesty’s will!”

“We, the Durun tribe, wish to become Your Majesty’s loyal sword.”

Seeing how she instantly won over the chieftains with the single achievement of finding the Desert King’s treasures, Shine One couldn’t help but smile contentedly.

“I should do my part too.”

Gathering and uniting the tribes that still remembered Shine One but hadn’t joined Lyubin in one place.

This was the task Ethan had assigned to them.

While Shine One and Rosir were gathering the desert warriors,

Ethan was preparing to draw out the evil god in the annex.

‘I need to be careful. If I forcefully pull it out, the Desert King might die.’

Ethan intended to save the Desert King if possible.

“The Desert King has had all his mana drained.”

Therefore, what was essentially sustaining the Desert King was the evil god. But that didn’t mean they could leave the evil god as he was.

He would take over the body and act as the Desert King.

“All I can do is save his life.”

Reversing him to before he was invaded by the evil god, or fixing him so he could use mana again was virtually impossible.

‘I’ll focus only on saving him.’

-Using Hua Tuo’s Abdominal Surgery.

Ethan opened the area near the heart where the evil god currently resided.

Thump-. Thump-. Thump-.

The violently beating heart, and next to it, a pitch-black mass caught his eye. It was a fragment of the evil god containing its sticky power.

‘That’s the evil god himself.’

Although it was a small fragment, it contained the full power of the evil god, so it should be considered immortal.

It couldn’t be eliminated. The only choice available right now was sealing.

‘First, I’ll extract it.’

Puck-puck-puck-.

Ethan used Heo Im’s Acupuncture.

Now was not the time for the gentle acupuncture of Heo Jun.

‘I’ll temporarily strengthen the Desert King’s body. So it can withstand when I remove the evil god’s fragment with Hua Tuo’s Abdominal Surgery.’

As he inserted the needles, color gradually returned to the Desert King’s body. But it was only for a moment. Because it was forcibly strengthened, his body began to shake again.

Ethan didn’t miss this timing and immediately removed the evil god’s fragment.

Shwook-!

In that instant, the evil god’s fragment tried to climb up Ethan’s hand.

But.

Wriggle-!

-Extinction opens its power.

Startled by Extinction, the evil god’s fragment fell from Ethan’s hand and sprawled on the ground.

Kwak-!

Ethan immediately stabbed the evil god’s fragment with Heo Im’s Acupuncture.

Sreung-.

And simultaneously drew out Frost Sword.

“Let’s give it a try.”

Ethan surrounded Frost Sword with Fenrir’s power.

As a sharp tooth-like aura formed, Ethan immediately thrust Frost Sword into the evil god’s fragment.

Shwook-!

And he used a skill.

God-Eating.

Flinch-!

The evil god’s fragment, which should have only been momentarily incapacitated when stabbed but never disappear, began to writhe frantically.

Wriggle-! Wriggle-!

‘The power is climbing up the sword!’

Although it’s just a fragment, it clearly contains the divine nature of the evil god. No matter how strong Ethan is, it’s true that it’s difficult to properly counter a god’s power.

But.

“Still, that’s when facing the main body. How dare a mere fragment.”

Ethan applied force strongly.

Crunch-crunch-!

-Crushing the divine nature!

Just as Fenrir, the wolf that devours gods, did.

Ethan moved the sword as if sawing, tearing the evil god’s fragment apart.

Pshushushuk-.

The completely torn evil god’s fragment began to combust.

Shaaaaa-.

And not long after, it completely disappeared.

“It works.”

Although it was a fragment, it definitely had an impact on the god.

“I don’t know about the main body, but it’s definitely worth a try.”