Chapter 289 - Judgment
Ryu Min was baffled by the unexpected message.
"Divine status in progress?"
Can he use divine powers and position himself equal to the Gods?
What the hell does that mean?
"Are they saying I'm now a God?"
However, his body showed no change.
Not even the typical effect activated.
It took place silently, without rumors, only identified through the message.
"Have I really become a God? Am I in a position to face the gods?"
In the midst of his confusion, a striking message caught his attention.
[There is a new soul bond mission.]
<Soul Bond Mission>
Kill the gods
Current number of gods eliminated (0/4)
Success ▶ ????
Seeing the mission, Ryu Min let out a bitter laugh.
"Seriously? Now they're even telling me to kill the gods?"
He had killed an archangel, and now they were asking him to kill the gods.
Not one, but four.
Of course, there was no reason to refuse.
He also had debts to settle with the gods.
After all, he had heard the whole story from Michael.
"In the end, the real culprits of all this are those damn gods."
The bored Gods had turned the fight between celestials and demons into mere entertainment.
They bet on the outcome and wanted to raise humans as mercenaries.
"The ones who really should be eliminated are those guys. The damn Gods only care about the outcome of their bets, whether humans live or die."
For this reason, Ryu Min couldn't help but feel resentment.
The archangels following orders weren't good either, but the gods pressuring them from above were also bastards.
"In a way, they're even worse bastards."
Amid all this, the divine status turned out to be something unexpected, but for Ryu Min, it was the best possible reward.
After all, it opened the path for him to get revenge on the gods, which he was already quite irritated with.
"But killing four. That's one thing, but who should I kill?"
He didn't know exactly who his enemy would be, nor had he met any of them.
So far, he only knew one god.
"Plunictos."
If that guy who becomes a god in the Demon King's Castle is his opponent, it would be perfect.
He could test if he really can face a god.
"Maybe I can even fill one of the mission numbers."
He didn't know how strong Plunictos was, but he thought he could try.
With that idea in mind, he approached with some tension on his face...
Snap! Snap!
"Is this all? It's nothing like I expected."
Plunictos wielding his whip didn't seem threatening at all.
What would happen if a spark hit him? But what if it didn't?
"It's too slow."
Considering the speed of the whip, his movements, and the angle of the flames, he couldn't even touch a single hair.
Moreover, with his speed, he could get close to Plunictos in an instant.
"Is it because of the battle rune? It seems I already have an estimate."
How to attack to kill him immediately, how much damage he would take in a fight.
All the information was available.
The most comforting thing was that he could read the opponent's thoughts.
"Even the inner thought runes that didn't work with the Gods are working."
That also meant that Ryu Min was in a position equal to the Gods.
The progress towards divine power hadn't been a lie.
"All the runes are connected to the Gods, and now I can use divine power too."
Divine power is a concept that can be understood as the mana that appears in fantasy, or the sacred energy that angels use.
That was the information Ryu Min obtained by reading Plunictos' thoughts.
"Since divine power is superior energy, it's said that players can't make the gods' bodies cool."
However, moments before, he had cut Plunictos' leg.
Now, Ryu Min also had the right to kill gods.
"So, I shouldn't hesitate."
With a sharp look, Ryu Min raised his scythe.
The divine power naturally emanating from his body was transmitted through his scythe.
"I'll kill you quickly. You won't feel any pain."
Ryu Min ran towards Plunictos, who was diligently training on the ground, whipping with his whip.
"[Look, this damn larva! I'll fry you instantly... Oh!]"
Ryu Min, who thought he was approaching the ground, suddenly found himself above Plunictos' head.
It was a leap that happened in an instant, beyond what the human eye could follow.
"[Damn, dieee!]"
Plunictos, surprised to see Ryu Min above his head, swung his whip like a windmill.
Flaaash!
Although sparks flew, Ryu Min easily landed in the air.
There was no place he couldn't step on, as long as there was darkness.
"It's the end."
"[Ugh!]"
The scythe cut Plunictos' throat as he passed by.
His huge head was expected to fall to the ground with a thud.
"But... what?"
That didn't happen.
"I don't feel the sensation of the scythe hitting."
Moreover, the surroundings changed in the blink of an eye, like to absolute darkness.
"I'm not seeing an illusion. I've really been transported somewhere else."
As proof of that, the position of Plunictos, which had been detected by his presence a few moments ago, was no longer felt at all.
"Or maybe he's interfering with the detection."
He looked around nervously, but detected nothing, nor saw anything.
He felt trapped in an endless abyss.
When he was about to get irritated by the wait, someone appeared.
It was an angel.
It definitely was.
But it wasn't an ordinary angel like the others.
"The darkness is retreating around him?"
It was a feeling that the darkness was dissipating like snow under the bright light of the angel who emitted light himself.
In short, an overwhelming atmosphere.
Even Ryu Min felt as if he had to open his mouth in the presence of the approaching angel, and it was as strong as he remembered.
"It's him. The angel I saw for the first time in episode 68."
The memories of his face that he barely remembered overlapped with the face of the angel he was seeing now.
They matched perfectly.
At that moment, he also felt his overwhelming presence and strength.
"[Are you Black Scythe?]"
"Do we know each other?"
"Huh? Have I seen someone like you before? Anyway, all angels are more or less the same, so we should know who's who, tsk."
"Don't treat me like the other angels."
"Introduce yourself if you're going to say those things. I don't know who you are."
The angel smiled at Ryu Min's growl.
The expression on his face was not of amusement but of contempt.
"My name is Artaros. I am the ruler of the Celestial Realm, the Archangel and an angel imbued with divinity."
Artaros.
Ryu Min knew that name even before it was introduced.
"I've heard it from Michael. There's an angel classified as a God."
The word "God" was not a lie.
After all, he had read his thoughts with the mind rune and seen his true nature with his vision.
"Artaros."
Race: God
Tendency: Evil
Position: Archangel Commander
Special Notes: Once was an archangel of the celestial race but was promoted to God. His appearance is similar to an angel, but he is unequivocally classified as a God.
Weaknesses: ... ...
"Is that the angel I met before?"
Although it was the first time they faced each other, Ryu Min remembered his face.
However, he didn't remember any particular conversation, as if it were a diffuse fog in his memory.
"So I saw you on purpose. Where have I seen you before?"
But the opponent seemed genuinely unaware.
Even the Gods didn't know the information from previous rounds, which was good knowledge obtained.
"Anyway, why can't I read the part about his weaknesses?"
He didn't know why, but anyway, he was sure he didn't have good feelings towards him.
"Ah, so you're a God? Like Plunictos?"
"Comparing me to a piece of God like Plunictos offends me. Unlike him, my divine power is not restricted by the place."
"So, what happens if you lock people in this kind of cell with your divine power?"
"It's not a cell; it's a boundless space. This place in the dimensional rifts is not accessible to anyone."
"Then why did you lock me here? The author who calls himself the God of angels who appeared suddenly?"
Ryu Min provoked while mocking, but Artaros showed no change in his expression.
He had read his mind, but there was no emotional fluctuation.
"He is definitely different from the indecisive ones before."
He was like a statue without emotions, whether in his appearance, atmosphere, or feelings.
"There is no need to escape reality. Anyway, you have no chance of getting out of here."
"That's something we'll see."
"And it wasn't because I liked helping the Archduke Demon. It was by higher orders, and I simply followed those orders."
"Don't dodge the situation! Anyway, you're a spy."
"There is no room for conversation."
"Oh, so you came here to talk to me? The Great Archangel has something to say to a mere human, like a mere worm species?"
At that moment, Ryu Min saw it.
A flicker, but Artaros' eyebrows moved slightly.
"... There is no time for word games. Let's clarify your crimes and proceed with the judgment."
"Crimes? Judgment?"
Artaros smiled as if finding the situation ridiculous but ignored it and continued speaking.
"The player 'Black Scythe' is a ruthless murderer who has disturbed the celestial order by murdering the seven archangels, as well as countless angels and demons indiscriminately."
"That's ridiculous! And you? Who will judge those who have killed billions of humans? Compared to billions, killing thousands is considered benign, right?"
"Moreover, due to the excessive use of power that does not correspond to the subject and provoking the wrath of the Gods, this is a serious crime that cannot be forgiven."
"Nonsense! Are you trying to kill us because we interfered in the Gods' games?"
"Therefore, as the Archangel and the ruler of heaven, I, Artaros, will act in my capacity as a judge to extinguish the sinner 'Black Scythe' and exclude him from the game as punishment."
"So, you don't plan to kill him just because he's annoying? And you also give time to Plunictos to escape, right?"
Artaros didn't respond.
He simply created a shining sword in his hand.
"Sinners must face judgment without resisting."
When those words ended, Artaros' sword sank threateningly.
Ting!
When Ryu Min's scythe deflected the sword, Artaros blinked in surprise.
"Do whatever you want if you can."