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Chapter: 227

“Well, as it’s widely known after that. Sleeping in the Underworld’s lodgings, Rychlen realized the next morning that he was in a forest near his home. That’s basically the gist of it.”

The Dragon Priestess said nonchalantly.

While he had suffered every hardship on his way down to the Underworld, coming back was like a fleeting dream. An utterly empty conclusion to his story.

When I first heard it, I thought, “What kind of ending is that?” But what can you do? It was Rychlen’s own account.

If someone else had written a novel based on Rychlen’s adventure, they’d probably have cursed it for such a lackluster ending.

“Was there such a dialogue in the background of that story?”

“Yes. In the land of the living, there was a chance other gods would catch wind of it. In the Underworld, he could convey information without other gods knowing. So, we deliberately led Rychlen to the Underworld.”

What was known to most humans was that he met the gods of the Underworld after overcoming countless hardships and brought back his friend’s soul…

“So, there was that background behind it…”

“Only the parties involved knew the secret.”

The Dragon Priestess chuckled.

Wait a minute, the parties involved…?

“Well, we don’t have to go into detail about the events that followed. After bringing his friend back to life, Rychlen organized everything he experienced in the Underworld into a book. That book later spread, further enhancing Rychlen’s reputation.”

“Some even call him ‘the one who overcame death’ because of that.”

The first nameless hero also couldn’t overcome death itself, but Rychlen became the only being to actually return from the Underworld.

Well, the first hero had the Dragon Priestess by his side. Thanks to her, he could resurrect the dead, so it was almost unnecessary to overcome death.

“After that, while continuing his journey as a hero, Rychlen discovered that the gods’ oracle was calling him, and he entered the Divine Hall as the first living human… You know about that, right?”

“Of course. The book Rychlen wrote about his experiences in the Divine Hall was the first work that described it. Although there’s much debate about whether the contents of that book are true or false.”

“Rychlen, who had gone through so much in the Underworld, wouldn’t just write lies. It’s easier to assume that almost everything he recorded was true. He liked to document everything.”

I nodded slightly in agreement with the Dragon Priestess’s words. Rychlen had left numerous works, just as varied as his heroic tales.

Most were records of his adventures, but many of the places he frequented have become known as the Seven Great Bans and are considered dangerous, so the value of his records has only increased over time.

Moreover, even seemingly trivial notes he made turned out to be surprisingly helpful. For example, freezing corpses to prevent decay…

After Rychlen’s trip to the Underworld, the fact that cold energy prevents decay was revealed, leading to a major innovation in storage.

Thanks to that, scrolls containing cold magic began selling like hotcakes, and there were records of the mages in Procyon making a fortune.

“As for the events in the Divine Hall… they’d be widely known to humans, so I suppose I don’t need to explain them.”

“Is there no hidden truth concerning that?”

“Not particularly. Well… if I had to point something out, it might be that the gods attempted to force Rychlen, who rejected becoming a deity, to ascend by sacrificing their own followers.”

Forcefully creating a god…? What on earth does that mean?

“No, what do you mean by forcefully making a god?”

“Such a thing exists. A ceremony that sacrifices a large number of lives to ascend someone to godhood.”

Sacrifices of life… ascension… Wait, this…

“That’s related to the Demon King…”

“Shh.”

The Dragon Priestess quickly raised her index finger to her lips.

“Please don’t talk about that. It makes me a bit uncomfortable.”

“Oh, understood…”

I hurriedly nodded.

“Anyway… let’s gloss over the events after that. You know well that if I explain too much, it’ll just be a hassle, right?”

“That’s true…”

“Ahem. After ascending to the Divine Hall, Rychlen was welcomed by the gods, who intended to elevate him as their king.”

The Dragon Priestess began recounting the story with a calm expression.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Rychlen looked at the many gods surrounding him.

Powerful deities, each with their own temple, commands many followers.

And those gods were chanting his name.

Not humans, but gods. His.

Could anyone not feel moved by such a sight?

Rychlen, however, was different.

An aversion to the gods lurked in a corner of his heart, so their chanting of his name was rather unpleasant.

Nonetheless, Rychlen did not reveal this feeling outwardly.

To sort out these gods, he couldn’t be swept up in the atmosphere.

If he became a god, his plans to deal with them would be thrown into disarray.

So.

“Welcome, hero. Or should I say, candidate for a new god?”

First, he had to figure out how to handle the god before him, wrapped in lightning.

The King of Olympus. Zeus.

The god who blessed him—rumored to be his father.

And the shard created from his past self, Baal, one of the divine fragments, a god of lightning wielding Baal’s authority and power.

Looking at Zeus, Rychlen bowed his head slightly.

“Thank you for the invitation.”

“Not at all. Your fame has already spread across the world. So much so that there are those who would call you a demigod, inheriting the blood of a god.”

Demigod. That word made Rychlen feel a hatred he had hidden in his heart rise slightly.

If he truly was the son of a god, did that mean his father was a fool raising a child that wasn’t even his own? Did it imply that his mother had committed a disgrace? Those who had put in all sorts of efforts to raise him well, even to the extent of exhausting their fortunes.

Just by being called the son of a god, Rychlen’s hatred toward the gods deepened.

“Now, then, let’s go inside. A banquet has been prepared for you.”

“No, that’s quite alright.”

Rychlen firmly interrupted Zeus’s words.

“The reason I’ve come here is to reject your invitation to become a god.”

“What?”

Zeus, as well as the other gods around him, were shocked.

What is a god? Isn’t it a transcendent being? A being that surpasses life and wields great power through the faith of many?

To refuse such an opportunity to become that kind of being? In their eyes, Rychlen might have seemed out of his mind.

“I will not become a god.”

“Why not?”

“I just want to live as a human and die as a human.”

Zeus frowned, unable to believe that Rychlen actually rejected the idea of becoming a deity.

But.

“To refuse ascension to godhood is incomprehensible.”

“Everyone has their own reasons. So please give up on making me into a god.”

“That’s not possible.”

Zeus shook his head.

“If you don’t become a god, it will be a big problem for the gods.”

“A big problem? I don’t think the lack of one human becoming a god is such a major issue.”

“You might not realize, but this is a serious matter involving the existence of the gods. Even if you refuse, it can’t be helped.”

After calmly explaining, Zeus made a slight gesture to the surrounding gods.

“I hoped to prepare for this without having to use them, but since you’re being so stubborn, it can’t be helped.”

At once, several gods approached Rychlen and grabbed hold of him.

“I won’t forget your sacrifices, as discussed ahead of time.”

“Our followers’ sacrifices, these are.”

“Isn’t that the same thing?”

Then, a strange energy began to flow into Rychlen through the gods holding him.

The immense faith gained through the sacrifice of lives. The power to elevate another being to godhood through offerings.

That power began to flow into Rychlen little by little.

Even though he didn’t desire it, he could feel his own soul starting to transform into a higher being.

And through the gods gripping him, he could feel lives sacrificing themselves willingly.

“Stop! Halt!!”

“There’s no stopping. This must happen, no matter the sacrifice.”

“If the Goddess of Life gets wind of this, she won’t let this lie!”

“Sure. Numerous lives have been sacrificed, so she might get angry. But by then, you’ll already be a god. Then she’ll have to fulfill her promise to prevent the gods’ destruction!”

Zeus laughed heartily as he watched Rychlen starting to become a god.

Believing that the gods could escape destruction with this.

Confident that his own position would only become more solid as a result.

 

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