Chapter 175

Mountain God (3)

All humans who encountered a beast were said to have their bodies freeze just from hearing its cry.

Of course, it wasn’t simply because they were scared—there was actually something like an infrasonic curse mixed into that cry that literally stiffened human muscles—but in any case, facing a beast with one’s bare body was certainly not a pleasant experience in any form.

Naturally, for superhumans who could produce power comparable to tactical weapons with their bare bodies, beasts were nothing special.

Right now, I was experiencing firsthand, with my entire body, exactly why such stories existed.

[--…….]

The moment I heard the low, growling cry, the strength drained from my stiffened legs, and I collapsed right where I stood.

Going through something like this, one thing became absolutely certain.

What stood before me now was definitely not just a simple beast.

[--!!]

At the explosive roar that burst out with a “KWAHK,” I clamped my lips shut and turned my head away.

I didn’t know why, but I could clearly tell that thing was harboring an immense level of hostility toward me…

“Uh, nghh…!”

With tearful eyes, I barely forced the scream that was about to burst out past my lips back down beneath my throat.

Struggling to calm my trembling body, I began repeating a sentence in my head.

‘If it were Rania, if it were Rania…!’

If it were that stone-like younger sister of mine, who hardly ever showed emotional fluctuations, she probably wouldn’t show any sign even in a situation like this.

In any case, I was in a position where I had to deceive the man behind me. I couldn’t show any more signs here…!

[--!!!!!!!!!!!!!!]

“Kyaaaaaaaah-!”

Letting out a shrill scream, I grabbed my head and slammed my forehead into the ground.

“…….”

And as he quietly watched that scene, Aiden Kellermain pressed his forehead with his hand without saying a word.

Seeing me trembling like that, it looked like my mental state had completely collapsed beyond saving.

The fact that I hadn’t even wet myself could probably be considered the last shred of my sanity…

“W-what, hiiiiik…!”

Into my consciousness, which was trembling with a completely mangled voice that couldn’t even form proper words anymore, came the sensation of someone grabbing the back of my neck and lifting me up.

When I looked in that direction with a face ruined by tears, I saw Aiden Kellermain standing there, lifting me up with a composed expression.

“Uh, uh…?”

As I blankly stared at him, wondering what was going on,

he silently brushed off the dust clinging to my body.

“It’s okay.”

“…….”

“Nothing will happen.”

As I stared at him in a daze, he said that and smoothly moved me behind him.

“…….”

Huh.

Wait.

I blankly let myself be guided by his touch and moved behind him, quietly staring at his back.

‘…Uh, what is this.’

Was this that thing people talked about… that “move” or whatever?

That was the first word that came to mind in a situation like this, but experiencing it firsthand felt…

‘…Hm?’

How should I put it.

His back somehow seemed broader than before.

His shoulders seemed more reliable too.

I felt like I could somewhat understand what it meant to feel reassured and want to rely on someone—

[----!!]

But before I could finish that train of thought, my complexion turned pale again at the sight of the massive tiger bursting forward with a roar right in front of me.

It was, quite literally, a charge on the level of a collapsing mountain. Along with a roar that felt like it would rupture my eardrums, a beast the size of an entire building rushed toward us.

Yet even with that right before his eyes, Aiden’s demeanor was no different from before.

“I was the one who asked it to come.”

With those words, I steadied my breathing.

Pure white qi, divine power, and then even mana—everything mixed together at once as my ability flowed outward.

“I should be the one protecting you.”

And then—

In front of the charging beast, the barrier I had drawn out collided with it.

▣

When it came to dealing with beasts, it was, in fact, something close to a semi-specialized field for me.

Although I hadn’t seen him much lately, I had once tamed Reaver, who was among the highest ranks even among magical beasts.

However, the existence before my eyes was on a higher level even compared to Reaver—

‘…A divine beast.’

A creature that had inherited a fragment of a god.

For such a being to charge forward like this was not something to be taken lightly, no matter how much I had powered up to an overwhelming level through countless extreme experiences.

When the divine beast collided with the barrier I had created by mixing all three energies, I could see everything around us being swept away in a single shockwave.

Trees were uprooted. I could even see small creatures being flung into the sky.

…Above all, I could clearly hear Cretin behind me, clinging tightly to my back and screaming at the top of her lungs.

‘…She’s got weak nerves.’

As for Rania, how should I put it—

she gave off the feeling of someone detached, as if she had experienced everything there was to experience and accepted it all calmly. But compared to her seemingly prickly personality, Cretin felt rather soft on the inside.

Like twin sisters who were opposites—one strong outside but soft inside, and the other soft outside but strong inside.

Still, fortunately, compared to how anxious she was, the situation wasn’t quite at its worst yet.

‘…Though it’s true this person is dangerous.’

From what I had learned while thoroughly studying the myths of the Tribal Alliance, there were as many different myths as there were tribes within it.

And because there were so many gods, the Great Plains had become something like a battlefield where they constantly fought each other.

Urgan, the God of Ascension, was a god of battle who had risen by putting an end to all those countless gods that had been scattered across the Great Plains.

Rather than letting endless fights continue, he had chosen to bring peace by limiting worship to himself alone.

In other words—

it meant that Urgan had personally slaughtered all those numerous gods with his own hands, and the divine beast before me was born as something akin to a fragment of a god whose head had been crushed by him.

In short, from that divine beast’s perspective, the Cretin standing here right now was someone emitting the aura of an irreconcilable enemy in all directions…

‘…Which makes her the perfect bait.’

I felt a bit sorry for her, but if she was spreading that kind of aura, I had expected it to reveal itself.

The killing intent it emitted was quite fierce, but what mattered was that we had made contact like this.

After the tremendous collision that sent shockwaves rippling in all directions, the barrier I had created shattered with a crisp sound and scattered into dust.

Considering what I was capable of when I condensed my abilities, it was clear just how immense the divine beast’s power was to have smashed into it like that. But on the other hand, it also meant the opponent likely couldn’t use that level of power recklessly either.

[…You as well.]

With a low growl, the tiger that had just collided with my barrier spoke in human language.

[You use a disgusting power.]

It was probably referring to the mana I had mixed into the barrier.

[But that’s not all. The god of gold, the god of heat… how are you handling all of them at once?]

It was about Karva and Sia. Qi and divine power.

“…….”

As expected of a divine beast, it immediately pinpointed which gods I was connected to.

And it was clear that it found it strange that a single human had been chosen by so many gods.

The very basis for me being able to negotiate with it from here on also stemmed from that fact.

“I came to ask for help, Owner of the Mountain.”

I spoke those words toward the Mountain God, who had momentarily halted its movements.

“Shall we talk for a bit?”

[Talk?]

The tiger scoffed.

…It was quite something to see a beast make such an expression, but in any case, it wasn’t hard to realize that it was the equivalent of a snort of disbelief in human terms.

[Fine. I’ll hear you out. If you hand over the one behind you.]

Then, its massive blue eyes—resembling ghostly flames floating in the darkness—shifted behind me.

I could hear Cretin let out a small gasp at that gaze, but I reached one hand behind me and firmly grabbed hers.

It was meant to reassure her, and perhaps the message got through, as she flinched and looked at me from behind.

“…Y-you’ll protect meee…?”

“…….”

That was something Rania would never say out loud.

At this point, it seemed like she had no intention of acting or hiding anything anymore…

I mulled over that thought, but there was no need to point it out right now.

Letting out a deep sigh, I spoke again.

“The Harvest Festival is approaching, Owner of the Mountain. And without a proper Demon-Subjugation Ritual, a disaster will descend upon the Great Plains.”

[Isn’t that a problem for humans? It has nothing to do with me.]

“It does.”

I scratched my cheek and answered firmly.

“I brought an offer that will pique your interest.”

The tiger’s eyes narrowed.

…It really was impressive how expressive it was despite being a beast.

[An offer?]

“Yes.”

There were several reasons why I had specifically come looking for this one.

But the biggest factor was that it had once been one of the most powerful gods among those that Urgan had destroyed.

Although that god had been absorbed by Urgan and lost its divinity, its immense influence remained as remnants and had been passed down to this divine beast.

A divine beast that remained in records like a legend—the Owner of the Mountain.

‘…There’s something I want to test.’

And now that I had come into contact with such a being, there was something I needed to prove.

If I could succeed in this in one go— 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

in a situation where even the name of the final boss was being mentioned due to the twisted progression of the scenario so far, this would become the greatest lucky punch I could land.

[…Now that is intriguing.]

The tiger spoke in a disinterested tone.

The way it scratched the ground with its forepaw while its eyes gleamed made it obvious that the plan to tear apart the Cretin behind me alive was still actively running through its mind…

[I think I’ll listen while tearing apart the one behind you first.]

“Hey.”

[What could a human possibly offer a divine beast? Have you never thought that anything you can do, I can do as well?]

“Yes.”

[…]

With that confident reply, I silenced the divine beast and continued while scratching my cheek.

“You can’t do something like creating a god.”

[…]

The divine beast’s mouth fell wide open.

…It was still an expression that looked remarkably human.