I Became a Veteran Who Has to Stir Up Trouble to Survive - Chapter 96

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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[096] The Authority of the Beggar God
“Diogenes, I require your assistance.”
Doran knelt on one knee and bowed his head.
Yet Diogenes, his smile illuminated by moonlight, spoke with a chilling tone.
“Require assistance, you say? Mortals always speak thus. The moment their desires are fulfilled, they turn away as if nothing transpired. Surely you don’t take the blessings of a god for granted?”
“What must I do?”
“Persuade me. Make me willing to aid you.”
Diogenes perched atop the building ruins, gazing down with evident amusement.
The arrogance and inscrutability of a divine being.
Doran, still kneeling, opened his mouth to speak.
“Many lives were lost in this incident. I seek vengeance for them.”
“A few hundred humans dying or living matters little to me. If anything, the Royal Capital’s collapse would increase the unemployed—a benefit to me.”
“Should another terror attack occur, the consequences will extend far beyond mere unemployment. Moreover, the loss of your impoverished followers is surely not something you desire, Diogenes.”
“Hmm….”
“Furthermore, when the Royal Capital’s security crumbles, the homeless suffer first. And surely your pride is wounded, is it not? That a mere mortal dared trample your domain with muddy feet.”
“….”
“If you aid me, Diogenes, I pledge to become your first servant.”
Doran spoke calmly, his head bowed.
Becoming a servant of the Beggar God carried significant drawbacks, yet it was not entirely unfavorable.
After all, I could borrow the divine authority of a god.
But Diogenes grinned wickedly and spoke.
“Very well. I shall aid you. I will lend you my knowledge and strength. However, I cannot make you my servant.”
“Why not?”
“To be frank, if I made you my servant, Antagon would not leave me in peace. Besides, it seems several gods have already marked you.”
Diogenes muttered something about not swallowing food one cannot digest, then descended from the ruins and approached.
“One who is not my servant must pay a steep price to borrow divine power. Are you prepared?”
“I came prepared for this.”
Doran withdrew gold coins from a pouch he had brought and let them slip deliberately through his fingers.
The gold, upon touching the ground, did not clatter and bounce—instead, it melted silently away.
“Diogenes, I request armor to protect me from my enemies’ attacks.”
｢You have offered a heap of gold as tribute!｣
｢The sacred power of the Evil God Diogenes envelops your body and takes form! This formless armor will render the blades and arrows of those who approach you utterly useless!｣
｢Duration: One day｣
Doran did not pause, instead producing another pouch filled with gems and pouring its contents onto the ground.
“Second, I desire a powerful force to slaughter my enemies.”
｢You have offered a heap of precious metals and rubies as tribute!｣
｢The blessing of Diogenes settles upon your limbs! Formidable sacred power will amplify the destructive force of your attacks!｣
｢Duration: One day｣
“Finally, I wish to borrow Diogenes himself—the very existence and wondrous authority of your being.”
｢You have offered exquisite ivory carvings as tribute!｣
“Your soul is now marked with the ‘Curse of Ruin’ and the ‘Curse of Deficiency’!”
“Duration: One day”
As Diogenes’ divine power enveloped my body, I furrowed my brow slightly at the peculiar, unsettling sensation.
‘No matter how many times I see it, this ability has absolutely terrible cost-effectiveness.’
If I hadn’t raided Belmont’s vault, I would have gone bankrupt long ago.
It was better than other Evil Gods who demanded human sacrifice or body parts in exchange for their power.
“Normally I’d receive at least a carriage’s worth of tribute, but this time I’ll make an exception. Now, let’s depart immediately.”
“…You intend to accompany me, Diogenes?”
“Of course. A human bearing my authority heading into battle alone? I wouldn’t dream of missing such a spectacle. Though I must warn you—direct intervention on my part would violate the Divine Realm’s rules, so don’t expect that.”
“That’s sufficient. Please, enjoy the show.”
I turned my steps toward the Northern District of Royal Capital, where the noble mansions clustered together.
My target had been decided from the moment I swore vengeance.
[House of Count Valter]
As I approached the mansion that came into view, Diogenes spoke leisurely with his arms crossed behind his head.
“You understand, don’t you? Breaking through numerous guards to punish the Count won’t be easy.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Hmm… how do you plan to enter? Are you thinking of infiltrating by disguising yourself as a monster, befitting Antagon’s servant?”
“Just watch.”
As I approached the mansion’s main gate, Knights rushed out and blocked my path.
“Halt! This is the residence of Count Valter. What business do you have here at this hour?”
I withdrew documents bearing Belmont’s seal from my pocket.
“I’ve received authorization from a Royal Court representative. I have the authority to search this mansion in connection with today’s terrorist incident.”
The guards examined the documents, exchanging glances with one another.
After a moment of silence, they spoke in an obstinate tone.
“…We cannot cooperate! The Count’s family is unrelated to this incident, and since the master is not currently home, we cannot permit entry without his permission!”
Rather than respond, I quietly examined the guards’ equipment.
‘The emblem on the armor… it’s definitely familiar.’
The edge of the crest protruding beneath the breastplate.
It was identical to what I’d seen on the armor fragments scattered across Nihid’s Workshop floor.
“You’re the ones who planted the bombs throughout the Royal Capital, aren’t you?”
“…I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
The Knight feigned ignorance, but he couldn’t escape my gaze.
“[Chaos] skill has detected the Knight’s elevated heart rate!”
“[Antagon’s Rune] whispers that the Knight before you is lying.”
“Regardless of what authorization you claim to have, I will not tolerate further disrespect!”
“And what will you do if you don’t tolerate it?”
“We will expel you by force if necessary.”
The Knights seized my collar as if to throw me out immediately.
I caught the familiar scent emanating from the leather gloves gripping my garment.
‘Gunpowder…’
The acrid stench of explosives clung to the Knights—the same pungent odor I’d detected in the Commercial Building Basement.
At this point, I could afford certainty.
Diogenes was grinning and nodding knowingly, subtly confirming that these men before us were indeed the culprits.
Doran drove his blade directly into the Knight’s chest.
Crack—!
“You’ve pierced a vital point with a single strike and eliminated the Knight! Experience increases.”
“You’ve chosen the path of hostility with House of Count Valter!”
“Due to the Evil God Diogenes’s divine power and the [Chaos] skill, your body is greatly enhanced! The Absolutes of Belheim are taking notice of your actions!”
“You brought this upon yourselves.”
Doran pierced the solid armor with his enhanced grip in a single motion, then slowly twisted his wrist to withdraw the blade.
“Damn—!”
“Combat engaged!! Notify the mansion’s guard forces immediately!”
The Knights unleashed their swords and spears in unison, but it was already too late.
Doran twisted his body nimbly to evade the attacks, then swung his longsword in a wide arc.
The Knight who’d tried to tackle him was cleaved in two, armor and all, and tumbled across the ground.
“What—what’s happening?! How is he tearing through the armor like that—!”
“It’s divine power! His body is enveloped in divine power!”
Realizing they faced an extraordinary opponent, the Knights coordinated their assault, but Doran pressed forward relentlessly, slaughtering those before him.
With each silvery arc of his blade, steel armor tore like paper, and with each death cry, crimson blood sprayed through the air.
He charged forward with the ferocity of a starving beast, cutting through his enemies, and the outnumbered Knights grew visibly unsettled.
As Doran flicked the blood from his blade and raised his gaze, he spotted figures scrambling toward the Main Gate.
“Retreat inside! We’ll coordinate our assault from within—”
“Too late.”
Doran seized the Knight fleeing desperately into the mansion by the nape of his neck and slammed him to the ground.
A nearby Knight thrust his spear, but Doran sidestepped it effortlessly using the momentum of his crouch.
He seized the arm holding the spear and hurled the Knight against the stone wall, where the impact shattered his skull—instant death.
“This… what is this—!”
Witnessing their comrades fall like autumn leaves, the remaining Knights instinctively retreated.
These were elite soldiers employed by the Count’s House, yet they were being toyed with as easily as breaking a child’s wrist.
It felt like facing a boss monster.
“If it comes to this… we’ll take a hostage—!”
As his comrades fell one by one, the last remaining Knight desperately reached toward Diogenes.
But in that instant, his neck bent forward like rotting barley stalks crumbling to dust, and he collapsed.
An utterly surreal sight.
“…I thought you said gods cannot interfere in the affairs of the mortal realm.”
“True, but self-defense against impudent mortals who dare attack is hardly a violation.”
“That’s sophistry.”
“Well, the rules of the Divine Realm are inherently ambiguous, you see.”
Diogenes shrugged and stepped over the corpses as I calmly pushed open the Main Gate and entered the mansion’s courtyard.
An eerily silent space.
But the moment I stepped into the garden, intense floodlights blazed from all directions like spotlights.
“You’re surrounded! Drop your weapon and surrender quietly!”
“I don’t know what you’re after, but you’ve got the wrong address! We’re treating you as an intruder and executing you on sight!”
At a glance, there were easily hundreds of soldiers. Clearly, they’d been preparing for an assault.
I surveyed the garden packed with soldiers and drew a slow breath.
‘It’s as if I’ve been transported back to the past.’
Seeing this many troops stirred old memories.
There was a time when I frequently clashed with countless humans like this.
Since arriving in this world, I’d kept a low profile, focused on survival, but back in Belheim, my nature was far from gentle.
Honestly, the lives of the sacrificed citizens were none of my concern, but….
「The Royal Capital has fallen into chaos due to a massive terrorist attack that erupted nearby!」
「Count Valter’s soldiers are casting a curse of weakening upon you! The divine power of the Evil God Diogenes protects you from the curse!」
「[Antagon’s Rune] has detected your wrath!」
「All your stats have risen to their peak!! With this power, you won’t falter even against countless soldiers!」
I slowly raised my sword and pointed it at the soldiers.
“For daring to lay hands on my comrades.”
I’ll make you pay with your blood.
The moment I took a step forward, gunfire erupted from all directions.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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