novelGod of Hope (3)
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Chapter 324 - God of Hope (3)
Editor: Hydragea
God of Hope (3)
It was a great idea to secure believers in the Holy Land of the God of Hope.
It also had the effect of cutting off the supply of faith sent by believers to the God of Hope and eliminating the land where the God of Hope would return to. But more than that, I was more satisfied with the faith conveyed to me by the believers in the subspace.
"In this case, there is no need to rush to connect the 60th floor to replenish your divine power."
Of course, we should connect the 60th floor to the Earth, even if there wasn't a need to replenish my power.
There was no need to rush, so delaying the pursuit of the God of Hope wasn't a problem.
[Right. ]
Seregia answered calmly, but not with a very patient tone. She seemed to want to go back quickly and replenish her power.
"Why don't you gather the believers, too, this time?"
[No. ]
She was quite stubborn. The 61st floor was the only place with believers so far, so I hadn't actively recommended it. But she refused to accept faith through believers until now.
[No, I don't want to. ]
I didn't recommend it anymore.
Then I'll just take it all for myself.
The next place we arrived at, after leaving the sacred place with the hourglass, was a city that existed in the deep sea.
The city was relying on a protective shield to protect against the pressure created from water, and food was dependent on the relief supplies from the God of Hope.
Naturally, I thought of the 49th floor. People who were besieged by monsters and dependent on food sent by the God of Hope.
There, I'd blown up a poisonous Zit Pop to wipe out all the monsters, but instead had covered the people with poison. And the God of Hope had cleared the stage, saying he liked the situation.
This was his taste in the first place. People isolated in limited space, forced to rely on themselves.
This place didn't look like a holy place. It was just a gathering of believers and belief, and there was no such thing as a temple where the God of Hope lived. Nor did the God of Hope seem to have fled here. His power seemed too weak for that.
This was such a mess.
[What should we do?]
Of course, we were going to destroy this place.
First, I had to take care of all the believers. In the middle of the city appeared a man living in the tallest building. He introduced himself as the mayor of this deep-sea city.
I informed the mayor that I would send all the people of the city to a new world. And led the people there. The mayor didn't even doubt me when I showed my powers.
In fact, it was not easy for a mere human being to doubt while facing a divine force, let alone, call it false. The mayor looked somewhat troubled and hesitant, but immediately faltered when I said I would give the role of leading to someone else if he refused.
At that point, I called myself the God of Hope.
"Oh... are you the God of Hope?"
[Yes. ]
"Please punish me for the sin of doubting God. God himself entering the city is considered an old story from the past, that only appears in myth. I thought an apostle was here. I'm sorry."
The mayor asked in a slightly hoarse voice.
"... I'm so sorry, but why now... May I ask, why now?"
[What?]
"One thousand people die of hunger every year. There's an unknown epidemic that kills more people every year, but we couldn't get out of this city, we just had to endure it."
An epidemic. Did the God of Hope hide it to bring out more faith?
"Thank you very much for taking us to another world, but... I don't know why you're here now.... ."
Unexpectedly, the mayor was brave. If he'd asked this question in front of another god, and not me, he would have died on the spot. But I decided to explain.
Because I was a good god.
[cough... ] Seregia chuckled.
"What?"
[Sorry, I'm so surprised that a cough came out. ]
Well... I mean...
I wanted to refute something to Seregia, but there was nothing I could say. It was Seregia who knew my behavior better than anyone else. I also knew well that I was not a good god.
However, the God of Hope I was impersonating would be a good god. I felt that hope was buried in the deepest place. Not like a rope unfurled from above.
No one would find hope in peaceful times, but it stays dormant, so quietly, like it's waiting for the day the being needs it. Truly a virtue that doesn't reveal itself to the world.
I thought that was true hope.
Those who believe in such hope will live with the "hope" that they'd be able to get through it even when they are at peace and that there'd be God's help.
It was an ideal hope if it relieved people of the burden of failure and danger, making them more courageous and able to live with a strong will. How can one call it hope if it evoked despair for one's existence?
I replied to the mayor, who was a little puzzled, perhaps because I was late in answering. Of course, it was a false story.
[Sorry, I haven't cared about you in the meantime. ]
The God of Hope would be very damned if he finds out about this. It was not enough to impersonate his identity, but I just had to apologize to a mere human being, which may be a blow to his godhood.
But I didn't really care.
[In the meantime, I had no choice but to leave you here. But now that the new world for you is complete, I intend to lead you there. ]
While lying, I even said, "The whole world was in danger due to the great war between gods and demons outside, and that's why people were evacuated here for a while."
The mayor was moved to tears. Since then, the mayor actively cooperated to persuade people. Most agreed to move to a new world because they were suffering from hunger and infectious diseases.
Of course, there were some who wanted to stay, but everyone decided to follow me on the lie that there was no more food in this city.
[They're being fooled so easily. If the God of Hope finds out, he'll explode in a rage and die. ]
That's what I said too. I wish there were an apostle here. If an apostle were able to show this situation to the God of Hope, I would have felt the greatest joy.
* * *
I continued to wander in the realm of the God of Hope, destroying it, absorbing the power.
It would have been difficult for a world of mixed gods, but all the places I visited were the worlds dominated by the God of Hope.
Whilst roaming his territories, I even encountered the God of Hope. Many times. Each time the God of Hope ran away from me, and I absorbed the power there.
As this pattern continued, the number of coordinates given by the god of evil were dwindling. Since then, the God of Hope had fled to the realm of other gods, not to his own.
Leaving a trace as if he were waiting for me to come after him. I assumed he was doing so to cause a clash between the other gods and me and was going to take away my powers.
I was steadily replenished by the believers who I had taken from the God of Hope. Even the believers who had received new salvation because of me had sent a considerable amount of faith.
"Hey, you're a bit strong among the Rulers."
"No, no. Who said that?"
This took place just before the Ruler god, whom I had just met, was defeated.
He was the god of Gochang.
(T/N: This part... I'm kinda clueless myself, it literally says Gochang, which is a county in Korea. )
I defeated him after hearing a few curses.
The god of Gochang eagerly denied my words.
"Ai, I haven't even been recognized as a Minor God yet. It's just like this, ah."
What Minor God?
It looked like there were divisions even among them.
"By the way, do you know more about the realms of the God of Hope?"
"Ye, I've told you everything I knew."
The only place that the God of Gochang told me was where I had already raided.
I gave one more push.
"Then is there no one else who knows?"
"Well... he wouldn't have told anyone if it was an external secretive land. But there won't be many places like that. If it's a Ruler, they'll try to hide their territory, but when it's the God of Hope, it's safer to announce that this was his territory."
Is that so?
I had to say, he was a good speaker. I'd always liked someone who was good at explaining things.
"How much would he have, if so?"
"One or two, he'd have one or two. It may be hidden in a multi-religious world. If so, that alone would be a great shame."
In fact, I wondered if there was anything more shameful than a god running away from his own believers when the God of Gochang had explained that.
"I see."
I'd met many gods. Most of them were Ruler gods.
The land of the God of Hope, which was told to many gods, including the god of evil, was thoroughly raided. At this rate, almost all the supply of faith had been blocked. Now, it was not a matter of supply and demand, but of maintaining his godhood.
I opened the quest window.
[God of Order-?]
[God of Light-Explosion, please! (Complete)]
[God of Duel- Return of powers]
When did the god of light see me use it again?
I hadn't noticed.
[God of Hope-Truce]
Alright.
I'll call you now.
I'd already absorbed everything I could.
"How am I supposed to accept this?"
"Heng! Do you want me to deliver it to the God of Hope?"
While I was muttering to myself, Kirikiri's face popped out of the quest window screen.
I said hello to her and then asked,
"Will you?"
"Yes!"
"Then do you know where the God of Hope is?"
If that's the case, I would go catch him without a moment's hesitation.
"No, I don't know where he is. I can only deliver the words."
It was a shame. I wish I could capture him neatly.
I didn't know that the God of Hope would continue to run away to the end even though his base was completely blown away.
[God of Hope-Truce (Completed)]
Soon, the quest window was renewed.
Kirikiri waved to me.
"Hihi! Then see you next time!"
Then she disappeared again. It was certainly convenient.
"Well... did she just... Who is she?" Next to me, the god of Gochang spoke.
"Kirikiri, from Tutorial Hell difficulty..."
I was about to ask if he knew about the Tutorial, but the god of Gochang seemed to have understood who Kirikiri was.
"Ah, so that's the crazy..."
The god of Gochang stopped talking the next moment.
Kirikiri's face popped back out of the quest window, which had not yet been closed, and was staring at the god of Gochang.
The god of Gochang knelt slowly in that posture.
"Sorry, I almost made a mistake."
"Heng-heng, don't mess with other people's privacy."
Kirikiri said, and then disappeared from the quest window screen again.
I pressed the god of Gochang to give me information about Kirikiri, but the god of Gochang kept his mouth shut until the end. Even if I were to torture him, he wouldn't budge due to privacy, so I couldn't help but leave it be in this situation.
[Are you going home now?]
I should.
[I remember you wanted it to end completely. ]
I've done enough.
It was not a victory to wipe out all the enemy's population.
If you destroy all your enemy's forces and absorb the enemy's infrastructure and facilities, it's considered as big a victory as the word "Loser!" engraved on the enemy's forehead.
Above all, if the God of Hope decided to give up everything and hide, I would not be able to clear the quests to take over the Tutorial. Now that I'd solved the quests; if there's another quarrel some other day I could really end it with just a few words.
[It's going to be annoying for a while. ]
It will?
Why?
[Didn't you absorb a lot of believers? In addition, you said you were the god of hope. It won't be easy considering Warrior's personality. ]
Come to think of it, it was annoying. To act more like the God of Hope and attract believers, I had pretended to be virtuous.
[Managing people is the most annoying task. Do you have the confidence and patience to do so?]
Absolutely not.
The sect on the 61st floor had Old man and Grandma as the managers. I had asked them to take over my part as a god and lead them.
"I'll just leave it up to Hochi."
[Will he do that bothersome work?]
"I can make religion and sect management like a game system. Just like I did in the Dungeon."
He'll find it interesting if I arrange it to Hochi's taste.
[And if he refuses?]
... Well.
If I asked him sincerely, wouldn't he do it?
[I think it's very likely that he won't listen. ]
It was.
Because of my old mistakes, Hochi wasn't too pleased to ask me to do something. It was not short-term work, and it was highly likely that he would refuse to go along with a work functioning for long.
"Then... shall we kidnap Hochi's favorite novel writers?"
If he accepted it, it'd be set in stone.
If he refused, I'd pose a threat of kidnapping them and thus have his novels in a perpetual state of limbo never to be finished.
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