Chapter 2003 – 2003. God’S Atlantis
Zeus, seated on his throne, closed his eyes tightly.
Even without directly facing that being, mental and existential contamination was occurring. He suppressed and scattered the contamination with divine power.
‘I never imagined it would be this severe. It’s an existence far more immense than I’d heard.’
It was clearly not a fake from within the trial. It had appeared in its true form and confronted Sung Yu-jin.
“…Unfathomable.”
-Don’t try to understand. I can’t understand it either.
The voice of creeping chaos echoed in his ears. Zeus frowned.
“Can’t Sung Yu-jin be saved?”
-Unfortunately. It seems that being is serious… It would be difficult even if I intervened directly.
“Can’t we even see what’s happening?”
-Who dares to peek at that being? That being is omniscient itself. Stay still if you don’t want to incur its wrath. If you satisfy its curiosity, you’ll dissolve into nothingness as usual. It won’t be too late to move then.
“Sung Yu-jin could die.”
-That being is interested in that existence. If it satisfies that being, it will not only survive but also receive a reward.
“……”
Zeus fell silent. Even if he wanted to argue, he didn’t know much about the Outer Gods.
「■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■」
The system, which had been broken by the mere appearance of the great being, displayed a notification window. Judging by the broken text, it hadn’t been fully restored yet.
‘…Wait. It’s already restored enough to display a notification window?’
Zeus, one of the gods who created the system and responsible for its output, knew more about the system than others.
‘Did they focus on restoring the output for managing Atlantis? …No. It’s more likely that other gods noticed and helped restore the system.’
He clicked his tongue. If the gods of other mythologies had noticed, things would become troublesome. They would ask all sorts of questions.
‘I need to silence the other gods. Though, the traitor among them might secretly spread rumors. In the trial, Hermes’s true identity was the creeping chaos. Perhaps Hermes really is…’
Just as his mind was becoming complicated, another notification window appeared.
「Confirmed the disappearance of ■■■■■.」
「Completed the myth.」
「Terminating the trial.」
“What?”
Whose disappearance?
There was only one being whose name the system would express like that. A great being capable of contaminating gods and humans with its name alone!
“Is the system malfunctioning?”
If so, things would become a bit troublesome. They might have to temporarily suspend Atlantis. If the system didn’t function properly in Atlantis, all sorts of gods would cause chaos and make a mess. Normally, he would have ignored it, but he had invested a lot in this Atlantis.
Zeus suddenly felt something was off. Nialatothep, who would usually be beside him, teasing and provoking him, was quiet.
“Filthy tentacle, what are you plotting?”
-……That being has disappeared.
He stated the shocking fact in a voice devoid of playfulness.
“You’re seriously saying that it disappeared from the trial.”
Zeus wasn’t displeased. Completing the myth meant that Sung Yu-jin had survived to the end. Just the fact that he had faced that being, talked to it, and survived was enough for Sung Yu-jin to be praised. In the old days, he would have invited him to Olympus and made him a god.
-That being’s presence cannot be felt in the entire universe. The great nothingness has disappeared.
“…What kind of dog-like scheme are you cooking up?”
-I’m telling the truth.
“Did it move to another universe?”
-I told you. That being’s presence cannot be felt in the entire universe.
“Isn’t it just hiding itself?”
-Why?
“……”
Zeus had no words. He knew better than anyone that it was absurd for that being to hide itself while being mindful of others. From that being’s perspective, humans were less than pebbles on the ground, and most gods were less than stray dogs.
“Is it possible to disappear from the entire universe? Did it perhaps choose to vanish because everything became boring?”
Zeus also sometimes felt like choosing to vanish because everything was boring.
-Vanish? You moron. Don’t say such absurd things. You will never understand that being. Just know that it disappeared.
Zeus flared up.
“You’re the moron, you tentacle bastard. Didn’t the system just announce it? That being has vanished.”
-Nonsense. The system….
Nialatothep stopped mid-sentence. Zeus also realized belatedly. The system was so convenient that he had forgotten for a moment. The system was just a system. No matter what, it didn’t have the power to sense and confirm the disappearance of a great being.
-Check the system. As the main god of the myth, you have that authority.
Zeus extended his hand into the air. Electricity crackled from his five fingers. He accessed and inspected the essence of the system. It was an authority that only a few gods, including Zeus, possessed.
「Access from an unauthorized path. Access is blocked.」
“What?”
Crack!
Zeus tried to access it again.
「Access from an unauthorized path. Access is blocked.」
「Access from an unauthorized path. Access is blocked.」
「Access from an unauthorized path. Access is blocked.」
No matter how many times he tried, the same notification window appeared. Zeus stared at the system notification window with a bewildered expression.
“System! You’re watching, right! Come and explain!”
「There is nothing to explain. As stated, it is access from an unauthorized path.」
“You know I have that authority, right?”
「You do not have any authority related to me.」
“You? Something is definitely broken. I’ll fix it myself.”
Crack!
Lightning flashed around Zeus. He intended to use his power to forcibly tear through the system’s surface, access its core, and repair the broken parts.
Clang!
Zeus’s lightning was deflected.
‘What is this? Am I dreaming?’
「Confirmed forced interference with the system. The divine seat cannot forcibly interfere with the system under any circumstances.」
「Penalties are imposed on the master of the heavens for violating the rules of Atlantis.」
「The master of the heavens will be restricted for the next 100 days.」
Zeus felt his power rapidly diminish as if he had been placed under a restriction.
“You crazy! How dare you!”
Just as the enraged Zeus was about to gather his strength, he heard Nialatothep’s sigh.
-Unbelievable. Did that being really choose to vanish… What did it realize through that human?
“Nialatothep! Did you tamper with the system?!”
-You fool. Even I can’t do that. The power of that being that vanished has permeated the system.
“So that being really vanished? Then why did its power permeate the system?”
-That’s what that being decided.
“So why?”
-How would I know?
“……”
-Hehe. Anyway, even the gods can’t touch the system carelessly anymore. I was displeased that some gods, including you, were exploiting the system’s loopholes… This is great.
「Detected unauthorized intervention by the creeping chaos during the review and inspection of the trial.」
「Sanctions are imposed on the creeping chaos and its avatars.」
-That was in the past!
“Hmph. Serves you right.”
Zeus mocked Nialatothep to his heart’s content.
But that was only for a moment. Soon, Zeus asked Nialatothep.
“If that being vanished, what are the repercussions? Such a being has disappeared, so there must be repercussions. The old ones won’t go berserk, will they?”
-I don’t know. I’ve never even considered such a thing. In the first place, that being wasn’t interested in such things… The repercussions don’t seem to be something to worry about. I have urgent business, so I’ll be going.
Nialatothep’s presence disappeared. Zeus clicked his tongue and rose from his seat. He needed to organize the other gods who were in confusion.
However, contrary to expectations, the other gods of Olympus were not in confusion.
“I was wondering how things would turn out… It seems to have been resolved well. Good work, Zeus.”
Poseidon said to Zeus, staring at Sung Yu-jin on the screen.
“It was twisted at the end… but you cleaned it up well.”
Hades also nodded.
“The myth is complete. I never imagined he would conquer even the north… There is no myth as perfect as this. It was somewhat violent, but that’s how myths are in the first place… I acknowledge the overcoming of the trial.”
Hera spoke with her usual cold demeanor.
The other gods of Olympus also expressed their opinions. Everyone acknowledged the clearing of the trial. Even if they didn’t like Sung Yu-jin, they couldn’t ignore his actions.
‘The story is all focused on the trial.’
Zeus cautiously tested them.
“The trial was ruined by the appearance of that being, so can we say that the trial was overcome?”
“Who can handle that being? From the moment that being appeared, it was over. It actually did end.”
Hermes answered in a bright voice. The other gods nodded as if they agreed.
‘…They think that the trial ended with the appearance of that being. The other gods don’t know what happened after that.’
It seemed that they couldn’t see Sung Yu-jin from the time the system was cut off. The gods took that as the end of the trial.
‘I was able to see it because I was connected to Sung Yu-jin.’
It was possible because Sung Yu-jin was in Zeus’s body. In Nialatothep’s case, he was able to peek because he had a contract with Zeus.
Even then, they couldn’t see the scene where Sung Yu-jin and that being were talking.
‘Anyway, it’s good if they don’t know.’
There was a reason why they said ignorance is bliss. The system also looked fine on the surface. Zeus decided to quietly shut his mouth.
“That human has completed the trial, so we must give him a proper reward.”
Zeus declared solemnly.
“You’re stating the obvious. Were you not planning to give it?”
Hera’s taunt flew at him. Zeus cleared his throat and tried to ignore it.
Zeus recalled Hera from the trial. Hera, who was cold yet strangely gentle. But the Hera of reality was glaring at him with an incomparably cold gaze.
