The Mage Who Devours Disasters - Chapter 93

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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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Chapter 93.
Episode 5, the Hundred Ghosts Night Parade, had come to a complete end.
Yet its aftermath was carved into Earth with a cruelty so vivid it was almost tangible.
The devastation was extreme.
Throughout the night, yokai had ravaged humanity.
Monsters that human strength could never hope to withstand.
To make matters worse, any yokai not subjugated before dawn transformed into Death Gods according to the rules.
They lost all reason and committed indiscriminate slaughter.
Merely half a day.
Yet it was enough to plunge humanity into the depths of hell itself.
Nations that suffered catastrophic losses emerged one after another.
Some capitals had become ghost cities overnight, and countless others saw their governments’ functions paralyzed in a single day.
But even in despair, hope bloomed.
The emergence of new heroes.
In several nations, unprecedented powerhouses transcending existing awakened ones appeared like comets across the sky.
Thanks to their exploits, there were indeed nations that miraculously survived the Hundred Ghosts Night Parade with minimal casualties.
And among them.
Korea.
Korea’s case was recorded worldwide as an exceptionally unusual and bizarre anomaly.
New heroes?
There were none.
No human savior wielding overwhelming force to slaughter the yokai ever appeared.
Yet Korea avoided the collapse of its major cities, and its casualties were significantly fewer than those of other nations.
The reason was singular.
Thanatos.
The mysterious yokai shrouded in darkness and death that descended upon the heart of Seoul.
It reigned as the king of yokai, and instead tore apart Dusksini, a world-ending-class yokai.
Then, the moment dawn broke, it vanished without a trace, drawing all the yokai into its scythe.
It seemed not to have saved humanity, but merely performed some bizarre ritual of its own before departing.
Yet as a result, thanks to that mysterious yokai, Korea was spared from annihilation.
Meanwhile.
The new heroes who distinguished themselves across the globe.
The vast majority of them were avatars of the Twelve Sovereigns.
Taeya, the Deity of Light.
He too participated in this game and poured forth tremendous Nectar.
But unlike Hod, he did not forcibly drag yokai or beasts from other dimensions.
A foolish approach.
Taeya mocked Hod’s method.
To perfectly assimilate into Earth, this World 400, and draw forth the fundamental power of this world.
It was better to shape them from individuals who had already adapted and existed within Earth itself.
He had discovered the remnants of a hero that lay dormant within Earth’s mythology and legends.
The hide of the Nemean Lion.
A colossal olive wood club.
And fragments of a magnificent body through which the blood of a demigod had once flowed.
‘Heracles.’
Taeya had fused those fragments with countless sacred relics and Nectar, perfectly resurrecting the body of the great hero who once commanded Earth in ages past.
Possessing mythology and legend meant that divinity of this Earth already dwelt within that very flesh.
There existed no more perfect vessel to use as an avatar.
As a result.
Taeya, wearing the shell of Heracles, swiftly pacified the Hundred Ghosts Night Parade across all of Europe with overwhelming force.
Even the yokai transformed into death gods crumbled into mere chunks of meat with a single swing of his club.
His avatar’s name adorned global media, and people hailed him as a true savior.
But.
“….”
Taeya sat upon the throne of his magnificent Divine Temple, his expression twisting with displeasure as he gazed at the Hall of Fame rankings floating in empty space.
[2nd Place: Hera]
[Score: 1,300 points]
Second place.
Despite being one of the Twelve Chief Deities himself, despite crafting the body of a great hero and exerting his full power.
The result was merely second place.
His gaze fixed upon an even higher position, the singular pinnacle above all others.
[1st Place: NONAME]
[Score: 2,000 points]
“…This is incomprehensible.”
Taeya growled low.
He simply could not accept it.
He had employed Heracles, the perfect vessel of Earth.
Then what in the world had that NONAME used to craft their body?
‘Irresistible Force.’
That forbidden name whispered among the other Chief Deities.
The hypothesis seemed to solidify into certainty with each passing moment.
Without the Absolute Deity Irresistible Force, it would be impossible to monopolize first place in every episode while maintaining such an overwhelming score differential.
Yet.
“How did they secure first place this time as well?”
It remained baffling.
This episode possessed a different texture, a different caliber than those before.
Had it proceeded ordinarily, such a score would have been impossible to achieve.
In other words.
Irresistible Force must have employed an equally extraordinary method.
Taeya’s eyes gleamed with sharp intensity.
What sort of vessel had I descended into?
And why was I so intensely obsessed with this amusement?
Questions piled upon questions, yet answers remained elusive.
Nevertheless.
‘I shall surpass them.’
I had scarcely begun in earnest.
I had merely just sculpted this avatar.
Taeya’s lips curved into a leisurely smile once more.
* * *
Tokyo, Shinjuku.
The War Deity Ares—or rather, Yamamoto—sat slumped against the rooftop railing, drenched in blood.
Around him lay mountains of corpses from Warrior Guild members and the remnants of yokai.
“Hah… hah…”
Only Yamamoto’s ragged breathing cut through the quiet morning air.
He gazed blankly upward at the Hall of Fame rankings floating in empty space.
[Rank 15: Yamamoto]
[Score: 950 points]
“…Fifteenth place.”
Yamamoto let out a bitter laugh.
Until the previous episode, he had always contended for the highest ranks, battling for second place.
But in this Episode 5, where the Twelve Chief Deities had begun earnestly sculpting their avatars and joining the fray,
he had plummeted to fifteenth place, overwhelmed by that monstrous score inflation.
‘The limitations of a mortal human body are painfully clear.’
He understood now.
No matter how much Nectar he poured in or how much of his true self he infused,
the ordinary mortal shell of “Yamamoto” could never catch up to vessels that were fundamentally beyond standard measure.
The human body was far too narrow and fragile to fully contain the immense divine power of the Twelve Chief Deities.
Yet.
“…Kuhuk.”
Yamamoto did not tremble with humiliation.
Instead, his eyes burned with a ferocious competitive spirit and madness.
“I care not.”
He picked up the katana that had fallen to the ground and rose to his feet.
“Only at this level does a true fight become worth savoring.”
The War Deity.
For him, the ranking numbers held no significance.
What mattered were the strong—those who could drive him to the brink.
True struggle that set his blood ablaze.
That alone was the sole reason he participated in this amusement.
Yamamoto turned his head.
His gaze turned westward, across the sea toward the sky above Korea.
‘Korea.’
Last night.
Even amid the chaos of the Hundred Ghosts Night Parade, that terrifying and overwhelming wave from the Abyss had felt distinctly clear.
Just as the Dark Deity Hod had sensed it.
Yamamoto was equally certain.
Beyond that sea, in a foreign land.
There existed a single being that set his blood ablaze.
‘NONAME.’
An avatar of the Irresistible Force.
Thus, Yamamoto summoned the Warrior Guild and declared:
“We all go to Korea.”
To cross the sea.
* * *
“So then.”
I asked, resting my chin in my hand.
“What exactly are you good for?”
The Boy, sprawled flat beneath the bed.
No—the Former Luck Deity flinched.
He quickly lifted his head.
“G-Great one! Though my divine essence has withered into this pathetic shell!”
The Boy clenched his small fists tightly.
“I am nonetheless a Deity! An outer god who once glimpsed the principles of the cosmos!”
He proclaimed boldly.
But to my eyes, he was nothing more than a snot-nosed brat playing tricks.
A Deity?
Where in that form could one possibly see divine majesty?
The iridescent aura was gone, and so too was the arrogant gambler’s composure.
He looked like some street urchin fit for playing marbles in an alley.
Moreover.
“I already consumed your power.”
“…Ugh.”
Super Luck.
That absurdly broken ability was already embedded in my status window.
I had extracted the most vital essence, leaving only the husk—what could this wretch possibly accomplish?
I might as well have him clean the house instead.
I stroked my chin thoughtfully.
I pondered.
‘Still, he does possess divine essence.’
No matter how far he had fallen, the source of his divinity itself remained unbroken.
In that case.
A rather plausible image formed in my mind of how I might put this creature to use.
“Hold on.”
I closed my eyes, leaving the Boy crumpled in the corner.
I accessed the System.
‘Log in.’
Ding!
[Logging into the divine land, ‘Asgard’.]
My vision flickered.
Crossing the dimensional barrier, my consciousness was pulled into the Tower of Gods.
I became Rag.
“Ahh.”
I drew a deep breath.
The dense divine power emanating from the crystal filled my lungs completely.
And immediately, I began the experiment.
My new servant left behind on Earth.
Could I summon that Boy, whom I had recreated through my divine authority, to my territory here in Asgard?
I extended my right hand.
And infused it with my will.
Whoooosh!
The empty space of the Golden Temple warped.
A small dimensional gate opened.
Thud.
Something tumbled across the marble floor.
“Ow!”
It was the familiar little one.
“Oh.”
I let out an unconscious exclamation.
“So it works.”
I had pulled my servant directly from Earth into the Tower of Gods.
The Boy, sprawled face-down on the floor, rubbed his head and looked up.
“Wh-where am I…?”
The Boy’s pupils trembled.
Dazzling golden pillars.
Dense, concentrated divine and godly power.
He seemed to have instinctively grasped where he was.
“The Tower of Gods?!”
The Boy looked around with an expression of shock.
“Why am I here…!”
And.
The boy’s gaze turned toward me, seated upon the jade throne.
A towering frame exceeding two meters.
Resplendent golden armor that blazed with divine radiance.
This was no longer the ordinary human Kim Jung-seok who had dwelt in that shabby studio apartment on Earth.
Yet the boy recognized me instantly.
The binding thread of dominion that ensnared his very soul stretched toward me.
“Y-Your Majesty…?”
The boy’s eyes widened as though they might burst from their sockets.
His voice trembled with barely contained awe.
I chuckled softly, resting my chin upon my hand.
“Indeed, it is I.”
Thud.
The boy collapsed to his knees on the spot.
His expression betrayed utter bewilderment.
I gazed down upon him with benevolent affection.
“Deity of Fortune.”
“Y-Yes! Your command is my will!”
The boy prostrated himself flat against the ground.
“You.”
I pointed upward with a single finger toward the ceiling of the Tower.
“Ascend the Tower once more.”
“…Pardon?”
The boy uttered a vacant sound.
He lifted his head sharply, staring at me in disbelief.
Ascend the Tower again?
To one who had once been a foreign deity?
Was he truly being commanded to climb this wretched Tower anew?
Deep confusion settled across his youthful features.
I drove the point home.
“Ascend it as a Seed.”
Silence fell.
The boy’s mouth fell agape.
“A-A Seed?”
“Yes.”
He seemed scarcely able to fathom that a foreign deity should begin anew from the very foundation.
I nodded impassively.
“Begin from Underground 1st Floor, Selection Chamber.”

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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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