Chapter 1787

“Goddess of Light, Rebecca! While you are asleep, your faithful servant is being subjected to all types of insults!!”

The Prison of Eternity—it was the final destination for sinful gods. Even gods who were close to omnipotent, like Zeratul, were unable to escape from this place on their own. In the first place, it was a prison created to imprison the gods. The environment itself counteracted the gods.

“Hurry and wake up to rescue me and defend your authority and honor! I, Martial God Zeratul, the one who will protect Asgard from the wicked who are running wild while you are away. Use me as your sword and wield me!”

Martial God Zeratul was realizing that his power and authority were weakening in real time. The longer he spent in prison, the more he fell into an endless sense of loss. Thus, he was shouting to hide his shame.

Please save me.

“…Hexetia, how can you be okay?”

The blacksmithing god, Hexetia—he had already been trapped here ‘for many years,’ but he was different from Zeratul. He was meditating calmly and was unfazed despite being in prison for a long time. It was a state where his mental training reached the limit.

The old angel had great respect for Hexetia. He was a blacksmith, so he was fascinated by the God of Blacksmiths. It wasn’t only this simple reason.

The Prison of Eternity—it was a very strange and scary space for the old angel to experience.

Time stretched out like a piece of taffy. At first, one second seemed like a minute. Now one second felt like a day. In fact, it had been a long time since he started to confuse the units of time. It was just that one moment always stretched out for a long time.

Hexetia was trapped here first, so one second could seem like a year. Nevertheless, he was always calm. In this eternal space where nothing existed and it was simply dark, he firmed up his mind without relying on any external force.

“You are truly amazing.”

Hexetia’s half-open eyes shone in the darkness. It was the aftermath of the blue and red flames on both his nipples reflecting on his pupils. The tired face of the old angel was projected in those eyes.

“I heard you have regained your memories of your human days. You must be infinitely close to a human being right now. How are you keeping your sanity?”

An angel who regained his memories—he was no different from a human being. Regardless of his appearance, he thought like a human. Human beings were weak beings who couldn’t stand being trapped for less than 100 years, let alone when discussing eternity. There was no capacity to withstand the infinitely increasing flow of time. However, the old angel endured it.

“That…”

A smile gradually spread across the angel’s haggard face.

“It seems to be because I have a lot to remember.”

Of course, there were many sad and painful memories among the memories he recovered. However, there were many more joyful, happy, and gratifying memories. They were memories mostly acquired in his later years. At the center of his memories was always a young man named Grid. He was a benefactor, a friend, and a family member.

“Is that so…?”

Hexetia’s mind became complicated after reading the sincerity contained in Khan’s expression. It was because it wasn’t very good to stay here for a long time with a sane mind in the Prison of Eternity. It meant he would feel a more vivid pain for a long time. It was hard to handle with the human mind. It might be better to let go like Zeratul.

‘It isn’t a matter for me to talk about.’

Happy memories? There was nothing specifically for Hexetia. He was born as a god and took many things for granted, so he didn’t know the standard of happiness. Thus, he couldn’t arbitrarily judge the position of the old angel. In the first place, Hexetia had little leeway. He had to focus on himself.

The memory of trying to harm humanity because he was blinded by jealousy—he maintained his sanity by recalling and reflecting on his mistakes, which was considered one of the greatest sins of all ages.

“Angel over there.”

“Yes, Martial God.”

“Do you really believe in Hexetia? Cut it out. He won’t forgive you for filling his vacancy in his absence. It is ridiculous to see how you are being fooled without knowing when a dagger will suddenly be stuck in your back.” Zeratul abruptly interrupted. It was simple sarcasm, but the old angel didn’t know Zeratul’s personality very well.

“Are you caring about me, who is insignificant? You truly have a wonderful personality worthy of being the Martial God worshiped by everyone. I am just a blacksmith, but I respect you deeply and appreciate you.”

“……”

Zeratul’s expression distorted. He glared at Khan like he was a madman. Then he glanced back at the unresponsive Hexetia and snorted.

“Goddess of Light! I know you are listening to me! Please send me a true apostle, not a mad angel blinded by power, and save me!”

Then he started shouting at the dark ceiling again. Zeratul’s shadow was only dimly visible due to no light coming in and it resembled an old man, not the Martial God. In the aftermath of the successive decline of status and the seal, his body, just like his temple, had become smaller.

However, his high-pitched voice echoed nonstop in the prison that made it difficult to tell whether it was a low or loud voice.

***

-What should we do?

The key that the Great Robber of the Red Night was looking for was tied to Raphael’s belt. It was a position where they couldn’t get their hands on it. Grid pondered whether he should bring up the story of the Master Key. He wasn’t sure if it would work in Asgard, but he decided it was worth an attempt rather than stealing Raphael’s things and getting killed.

However, it happened before Grid could tell the story…

“……”

The Great Robber snatched the bundle of keys from Raphael’s waist. It was an incredible sight when seeing it with his own eyes. Originally, the senses of an Absolute were something that couldn’t be deceived.

-Is it possible that Raphael isn’t an Absolute?

-No, they are very high ranking even among Absolutes. You might not believe it because you have only witnessed their combat ability on the surface, but Raphael has a power and status that is supposedly on par with Hanul, one of the Gods of the Beginning.

Grid had also heard this.

-How did you steal the keys from such a being without being detected?

-It means that the Refractive Dragon has a higher concept than Raphael.

There was a slight cracking sound from the Great Robber’s wrist. A quick glance showed that a bracelet, made of an unfamiliar metal weathered for tens of thousands of years, received a direct hit. It might also be a treasure left by a Refractive Dragon born in a world that was about to end.

-Since I have consumed one, I have to take at least two things to make ends meet.

A decision was needed.

After pausing at a fork in the road, the Great Robber handed Grid a key. It was the key to unlocking the Prison of Eternity.

-Originally, my plan was to steal the treasure and then steal God Hexetia, but as you know, the situation has changed.

Raphael would soon notice that an item that disappeared from his hands. This meant that sooner or later, an army of angels would spread all over Asgard. Time was running out.

-Let’s meet here again after we both get what we want. If a crisis comes in the process, fight with all your strength without saving anything. I have the means to unconditionally escape from this place, so you just have to join me somehow.

-I understand.

Grid repaid trust with trust. He ran blindly toward the location of the prison that the Great Robber had told him. It was several times faster than when moving with the Great Robber. He was able to use Shunpo continuously. There was no need to worry about hiding as long as he had the King of Poor Fate’s Brooch.

It wasn’t even simple stealth. It was a concept that erased existence itself, making it possible to avoid the end of the world. It meant the wearer wasn’t designated as a target of the end.

‘Over here.’

How long had it been since he started running along the road of golden clouds? It wasn’t until dozens of constellations of the universe passed by in Grid’s field of view that Grid reached his destination. It was an area covered with cloudy gray clouds, similar to rain clouds.

The deeper inside he went, the more there was a darkness that didn’t match Asgard. At the end of it stood a tall and old iron gate. It was a wild and forlorn sight.

Grid’s mind became heavy. He felt guilty for Khan and Hexetia, who were trapped in such a place because they did him a favor. Of course, he wasn’t shaken by these emotions. He took a deep breath and calmly approached the iron door. Then he took out the key and put it in the cold lock.

[You have entered the Prison of Eternity.]

[This is a player’s first achievement!]

[The ‘Asgard Map’ will be activated as a reward for finding hidden places!]

[Asgard Map]

[Rating: Myth

The structure of heaven can be known.

It seems to have a special function.

Weight: 0.1]

A reunion that was once unimaginable—the reunion where they could discuss the ‘later days’ only after becoming a god and learning about the truth of the world was finally just around the corner.

Step.

It happened the moment when Grid barely held back the thumping of his heart and stepped into the prison…

“The goddess has answered my prayers.” Then there was a voice that caused him to frown. It was clearly different from the voice that Grid missed immensely. The loudness of the voice caused some discomfort.

“Zeratul…”

Why are you the one to greet me?

In a prison where the scale was hard to fathom because it was dyed in thick darkness…

Grid glared at Zeratul, who slowly approached while his body covered the dim view inside the prison.

“You sent an assassin rather than a savior?”

Zeratul looked very shocked. The airflow in the area cooled down instantly.

“Why did it happen to be you…? Ohu, now I am sure. The shadow behind all the trials I went through must’ve been Rebecca.”

A powerful wave of energy burst out from Zeratul. His long white beard reached all the way down to his lower abdomen and swayed like the legs of a giant octopus. It was a tremendous energy that Grid had only experienced once. It was similar to when Fire Dragon Trauka released his energy. It was the majesty of the ‘Martial God’ that was completely different from what he showed on the surface.

Grid realized that this place was in the middle of the enemy camp and stiffened.

‘From his appearance, he is much weaker than before… yet it is still this much?’

“Only One God Grid, who was only able to be born due to having Rebecca behind you. I will decisively kill you today and correct the distorted myths.”

Zeratul’s grudge toward Grid ran very deep. It was because every time he got involved with Grid, regardless of the context, the result was always detrimental to him. The decisive reason was the epic. The power to write distorted myths based on the subjective gazes of the witnesses, rather than the full truth. It was a concept equivalent to an ‘irrational power’ that every chief god had at least one of.

“If I absorb all the myths you have accumulated in a cheap way and make it mine, I will have a chance of winning against Dominion. I will make it the stepping stone to be the new ruler of Asgard.”

At the moment, Zeratul was a half-mad god. It was to the point where he spoke openly of rebellion.

‘His eyes… they have completely turned inside out.’

Originally, Zeratul’s combat stance hid his pupils. He exposed only the whites of his eyes and made it impossible for the other person to get his intentions and feelings. However, it was particularly severe this time. White light gushed randomly from his eyes, where only the whites remained. It was as if he was seeing tangible killing intent.

“…Grid?”

In the midst of the turmoil—

The voice of a new person permeated the ears of the nervous Grid. It was a voice he had never forgotten. It was a voice he would miss yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

“Khan…”

The old angel approaching with a look of disbelief made Grid cry.

“Where are you looking?”

It happened the moment when Zeratul, whose eyes were turned inside out, came out and disrupted the reunion between the two of them… A powerful explosion occurred at the entrance of the prison that Grid had his back to. It was a pair of blue and red flames that guided Grid as he was swept away by the explosion and sucked into deep darkness. They were very divine flames rising from the nipples of the blacksmithing god.

“It has been a while.”

Hexetia’s expression was determined as he supported Grid. He looked in the direction of the explosion with a stiff face, as if he couldn’t even afford to smile. There were angels there. Leading them was the 1st ranked Archangel, Raphael.

“I didn’t really expect a rat to break in. This is heaven. Is it really okay for such filth to be here?” Raphael spoke with a frown while pinching their nose like it stank.

It wasn’t just Grid. They treated everyone inside the prison as filth.

“I knew that the angel with the belly would be the key to leading you here, but… I thought it would be at least a few hundred years later. Are you stupid enough to know no fear? You are really bold,” Raphael—the closest confidant of the Goddess of Light, Rebecca—criticized Grid.

It was a trigger to develop a new situation.

“…I see. Maybe I was mistaken for a moment,” Zeratul muttered and his killing intent started to turn to Raphael, not Grid. His eyes were still turned inside out.

“It would be right to kill you, Raphael, who dared to put me in prison and mocked me, first”

“Huh? You are going to kill me? Me, the subordinate of Goddess Rebecca? Isn’t this treason? Are you completely crazy?”

“……”

“……”

A blatant declaration of treason. It wasn’t just Raphael and the angels who were baffled. Grid and Hexetia also watched the situation in a bewildered manner. However, Khan was calm. It was as if he was expecting this to happen.

“As expected, you are the great Martial God…”

The whisper of an old angel who was no different from a human…

“Raphael! I’ve always hated you the most!”

It ignored the fighting energy of Zeratul, who hoped to be worshiped by people and become the true Martial God.

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