30 Years After Reincarnating, It Turns Out This World Was A Rofan?!-Chapter 294: A Knight’s Courage Knows No Recklessness (5)
A Humanoid God.
The so-called Human God was a being that should never, under any circumstances, be worshipped.
Gods born from nature took the form of trees, rocks, and other elements, and were generally harmless to humans. Even the wild gods in animal form, though possessing some level of untamed nature, were usually either indifferent or, at worst, only hostile if provoked.
However, unlike those natural or wild gods, the Human God followed a completely different course.
What did that mean?
— [From now on, I will rule over you all.]
A deity that intervened excessively in human affairs, seeking to reign over them.
That was why the Human God was considered a terrifying existence.
After all, a Human God was a "god in the image of humanity." How could that be anything but terrifying?
What, you don’t quite get what that means?
It’s simple.
Because they originated from humans, they were infinitely greedy.
Unlike other gods, they possessed unnecessary traits—things only humans should have, like the thirst for power, lust, and the desire for extravagance. Being worshipped alone wasn’t enough for them; they wanted to stand above humans, reigning as a [king].
...Some might argue against this.
— Is that really such a bad thing?
If an all-powerful god were to take the throne, wouldn’t that country remain uncorrupt, an eternal paradise on earth?
Isn’t that a good thing?
That’s what they might say.
And in a way, they wouldn’t be entirely wrong.
But that so-called paradise had one major flaw.
A fatal one.
— [Why should I listen to any of you?]
That paradise wouldn’t be humanity’s utopia—it would be a utopia shaped entirely by the god’s personal whims.
What if the god believed in solving all problems through violence?
What if the god deemed that anyone lacking beauty should be put to death?
What if...
— [I want that country. Let’s start a war.]
...they issued such a childish command?
It might sound like an exaggeration, something too absurd to be true.
But in reality, this was the mildest way to describe the atrocities committed by Human Gods throughout history.
Ancient records detailed the horrors of the nations they ruled—historians knew this truth better than anyone.
Thus, the world had come to define them as—
— An all-powerful child.
A single phrase that encapsulated the nature of a Human God.
And no one thought it was an overstatement.
Even if they held a bomb in their hands, they would laugh as they threw it at people for fun.
No matter how much time passed, they would never grow up.
That was why humanity had to avoid entanglement with them at all costs.
Because they would do anything to achieve their goals...
It was a dire warning from historians.
***
The Great Evil Spirit.
Among the warriors of Mordred, there was not a single one who did not harbor hatred toward the Great Evil Spirit.
After all, it was that very monster that had caused their suffering.
It was the source of their torment, the one they longed to destroy.
And yet—
"A... human?"
The moment they first laid eyes upon it, they doubted their own vision.
For the Great Evil Spirit... bore the appearance of a human.
A breathtakingly beautiful woman, no less.
"To be precise, it is a [Human God]."
A solemn voice cut through their hesitation.
"That thing merely appears as a woman, but it has no true gender. Do not be deceived. Even that appearance is stolen from another."
"!?"
"According to what I’ve heard, that monster devours the most beautiful human of each generation, using their form as its own. Only because of their beauty. It consumes men and women alike. Do not be fooled."
"......."
Gulp.
It was a strict warning from their lord.
They swallowed dryly, their minds thrown into turmoil by this shocking revelation.
But one thing was clear—
That thing was no ally of humanity.
And as if to prove it—
Whooooosh!
The air around the Great Evil Spirit churned like murky water, an ominous presence swirling visibly around it.
It was qi of a kind no human should ever be able to perceive—except that it was so thick, so overwhelming, that even ordinary eyes could see it.
And against that dreadful existence—
"Die, monster!"
Garnok swung his sword without hesitation.
Vwoooom!
His blade rang with an intense resonance.
For ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) someone of his caliber, producing such a sound was as natural as breathing.
But this time, it wasn’t just the usual sword resonance—
[Vwoooooooom!]
It was wailing sword resonance.
The spirits of the dead infused his strike, unleashing a force unlike anything they had ever witnessed.
Fwoooosh!
A deep violet sword aura—no, a sword force dense enough to be mistaken for an aura—erupted in a devastating arc.
One hundred monsters surrounding Garnok were cleaved in half instantly.
It was a display of the sheer, overwhelming power of Mordred’s strongest knight.
And yet—
Boom!
[How dangerous. Even in old age, you remain strong, human.]
"......."
...When had it appeared?
Standing before them were ten grotesque undead, having effortlessly intercepted Garnok’s strike.
"D-De... Death Knights?"
They resembled the infamous fallen knights, Death Knights.
Yet they stood over five meters tall, their hulking forms clad in grotesquely exaggerated muscles.
What were these things?
[I modified fallen knights. To counter you, I prepared knights who were strong in life—and then I stuffed each of their bodies with a thousand ghouls.]
"...You went through quite the trouble."
The Great Evil Spirit might have been arrogant, but it was no fool.
It had clearly remembered the past.
Decades ago, Garnok had wounded it and freed himself from its curse through sheer willpower.
To avoid suffering the same defeat—
It had planned ahead.
Even an ordinary Death Knight was a high-tier monster.
And yet, it had fused each one with a thousand ghouls to create these undead abominations.
"Chimera Knights...."
Someone murmured, inadvertently naming the nightmare that would haunt them from this day forth.
Whoosh!
"Hrk!"
With a sound like the air itself being torn apart, one of the Chimera Knights swung an enormous spear.
It wasn’t a crude, brute-force swing.
The technique was refined—undeniably the skill of a masterful knight in life.
Crunch!
And when such high-level skill was amplified by sheer monstrous strength—
It was no longer an attack one could simply deflect.
Quite literally—
Boom!
A blow that shook the very earth.
"...This will not be easy."
Had there been only one, he might have handled it.
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
But there were ten.
And not just any ten—
Whoosh!
Whiiish!
"They’re coordinating!?"
As if still clinging to their past selves, the ten Chimera Knights moved with tactical precision.
Garnok felt sweat trickle down his back.
It felt like he was facing an entire knightly order alone.
And during the time it would take to break through—
[Kill the old man. He’s grown old and ugly, so he’s no longer of use.]
Clatter.
[Good. If you succeed, I’ll grant you living bodies again. Fufu.]
Clatter!
A vile hunger flickered in the Chimera Knights’ burning eyes.
The flesh of the living.
A promise that they could return to life.
Even for once-honorable knights, it was an offer they couldn’t resist.
It was why fallen knights were called Death Knights—because they had no honor left to protect.
Garnok gritted his teeth.
"You disgrace the title of knight!"
With a roar of fury, he charged once more—
Determined to carve a path through.
But—
Boom!
Clatter.
"!"
The monstrous wall of undead warriors refused to yield.
***
Rumble.
"......."
It approached.
Slowly.
With a beaming, delighted expression, as if savoring the attention.
Only about three hundred meters remained between it and the fortress.
— [Surrender. Kneel, bow your head, and I will forgive you. If you do that, I will spare you.]
The Great Evil Spirit spoke.
Screeeech—!
Despite the three hundred meters of distance, its chilling voice slithered into their ears, sending an unnatural shiver through the air.
Yet, that was not why their expressions hardened.
"For...giveness?"
— [Yes, forgiveness. I will pardon you for the wrongs you have done to me. Am I not merciful?]
"......."
Crack.
That absurd nonsense alone was enough to ignite their rage.
Their gazes turned even more murderous.
Right now, in front of them, this thing had the audacity to utter the word forgiveness?
"You sat yourself upon our land, proclaimed yourself a god, and toyed with the living—yet you speak of forgiveness? You dare let such words spill from your mouth, you vile insect?!"
— [Not an insect. I am Inanara. Why won’t you listen?]
Hummmmm—.
The Great Evil Spirit bristled, visibly displeased at being called an insect, and its ominous aura surged.
The monsters surrounding it responded in kind, their killing intent thick in the air.
They were merely waiting.
At a single command from their master, they would charge without hesitation.
— [Choose your words wisely. But since I am merciful, I will offer you my generosity once more. Surrender, swear loyalty to me, and offer tribute. I do not ask for much—prepare one million living bodies and souls. Bring forth your own child, tear out their heart with your own hands. If you do, I will make you the king of a nation. I will grant you eternal life.]
"......."
— [Truly a generous proposal, is it not?]
"...Go screw yourself, you damn insect."
Even hearing it was infuriating.
And the soldiers felt the same.
Even if they were not warriors of Mordred, but selfish men blinded by greed, even they would have refused such an offer.
Because listening closely, the message was clear—become an obedient, immortal [slave].
Their rage was only natural.
— [I SAID I AM NOT AN INSECT!]
Whooosh!
Enraged, the Great Evil Spirit waved its hand, its eyes filled with disdain.
— [Kiiiiik!]
— [Kiiiii!]
— [Kiiiiiiiii!]
At that moment, Wraiths emerged.
Not just a few.
Twenty thousand.
"W-What? That many Wraiths...?"
"By the gods...."
"W-Wait... is it using the souls of the monsters we’ve slain?!"
The number of Wraiths kept growing.
One of Mordred’s tacticians stammered as he reached a dreadful realization—
The Great Evil Spirit was forcibly creating Wraiths from the souls of the monsters they had just killed.
The numbers matched almost exactly.
"If... If this is true, then killing the monsters won’t solve anything!"
His face turned deathly pale.
Because if that theory was correct...
The more monsters they killed, the more Wraiths would be born.
Kill one monster, and another immediately takes its place.
Only a fool wouldn’t be terrified by this revelation.
— [Haha, wonderful, wonderful! Your expressions are priceless!]
The Great Evil Spirit laughed.
As if savoring their despair.
It wanted them to suffer even more.
It wanted them to regret rejecting its mercy.
— [More... more regret, more agony—yes, please!]
Its eyes glowed with twisted ecstasy.
But then—
"—What kind of joke is this? Why the hell are you acting like you’re in some tragic drama all by yourself?"
— [...?]
The Great Evil Spirit blinked in confusion.
"I mean, think about it. You’re acting like the victim here, but you haven’t actually suffered anything, have you? You just pretend to be the victim. That’s just pathetic. You’re nothing but a delusional criminal."
— [Oh my?]
Despite the blatant disrespect, the Great Evil Spirit let out a fascinated exclamation.
After all, there was one thing it loved above all else—beauty.
Be it paintings, sculptures, jewels, or people—it adored beautiful things.
And the human who had just spoken so arrogantly?
He was beautiful.
If only he possessed spiritual power, he would have made a fine vessel.
— [You’d make a fine addition to my collection. Or perhaps... you’d rather be my slave? If you serve me, then—]
It was the Great Evil Spirit’s greatest mistake.
Because at that moment—
BOOM!
The man launched himself skyward, shooting toward the Great Evil Spirit in an instant.
— [!!]
Its expression twisted in shock.
But no matter how rotten, a god was still a god.
— [KIIIIIIIIK!]
Whoooosh!
The twenty thousand Wraiths around it swarmed, descending upon the man like a tidal wave, smothering him completely.
In every way, he should have been crushed.
By all logic, he should have been overwhelmed.
But—
— "Finally. I can cut loose a little."
Crack—!
— [!!!?!!]
BOOOOOM!!!
A deafening sonic boom erupted.
And the resulting shockwave tore through the Great Evil Spirit and its twenty thousand Wraiths—mercilessly ripping them apart.
