Volume 1 - CH 16

Act 1-16: The Birth of Hardcore Fanatic(Side: Girimekhala)

Days after days after days, basically every day since then, my morning starts with that monster beating me nonstop using that equally monstrous wooden stick. I get free from my suffering only at the arrival of night. At first, I thought of retaliating when he was asleep, but that monster has no openings at all. On the contrary, I receive merciless counterattacks from him along with unimaginable pain.

Now, my heart has become too worn out to even attempt something against that person. I have turned into a yes man who can only go through the torture of that aberration, which he calls “training.”

Speaking of that aberration, he said that his name is Kai Heineman. I wonder just what in the hell is wrong with that monster? For me, Girimekhala, he’s an extremely powerful vessel in a completely different way. I mean, going against him is like a bug trying to challenge a giant, legendary dragon. It isn’t a matter of winning or losing anymore; the difference between our strengths is like that between heaven and earth. Yes, the desperation I feel is similar to what I sense when confronting my master, Mara-sama.

This dungeon, 【Gods’ Ordeal】, is a game(gateway to honor) to become a great god who represents their own myth. Confident of their abilities, gods bet on their pride and life to challenge this dungeon and conquer it. If they can’t clear this dungeon, only death awaits them. If they clear it, however, they would be honored with the title of a great god. That’s just how crazy this trial is. It’s a literal hell or heaven.

At the end of the day, the goal of this dungeon is to make one a great god. And since this aberration already has that much power, he should be able to go straight into the deepest floor of this dungeon and defeat the last guardian there. Yet, despite having such tremendous power, Kai Heineman always does contradictory things.

This dungeon can be cleared in two ways. The first way is to follow a regular route, clearing one floor after another. You could say that this route is unnecessary for him since he’s powerful enough to beat the last guardian of this dungeon.

The other way is to use the right hand of a god to use the access code that would send the god straight into the last floor. Then, the god can beat the last guardian and clear the dungeon. The last guardian is so powerful that its power causes unrest even amongst gods. That’s why only foolish gods use the access code. However, this shouldn’t be a problem for Kai Heineman. He should be able to beat the last guardian with ease. This is the reason his current actions don’t make sense at all.

All the gods who come to challenge this dungeon should already know of these two routes. What I’m trying to say is that Kai Heineman’s action of clearing this dungeon floor by floor doesn’t make sense since he’s strong enough to beat the last guardian of this dungeon.

While I mulled over this question, the sun rose. The figure of Kai Heineman walking out of his residence, a small wooden building, appeared before me.

「RISE AND STAND!!!」

My body jerked on its own when I heard his shout.

『YES SIR!』

I spontaneously jumped up and stood with a straight posture. Then I saluted him with my right hand.

「Oi, Tell me again. What are you!?」

『Yes sir! I am nothing more than a lowly bug who crawls on the ground!!』

Nowadays, this reply has become a part of my life. I felt humiliated at first. However, I abandoned such useless pride long ago. This routine has reached a point where my mouth answers on its own.

「Good! It seems like you finally have some guts after thirty years of training. Rejoice! From now on, you’re no longer a worthless bug. You have been reborn as a warrior.」

『YES SIR! It’s a pleasure to receive such an honor!!』

Why? What’s with this shaking voice of mine? What’s with all these tears? The hot liquid kept slipping down from my cheeks and falling to the ground.

Despite seeing me trembling while I cried due to the unexplainable emotions I felt, Kai Heineman raised his lips.

「Girimekhala, I shall give thee a present to celebrate your graduation as a warrior. What kind of a world do you wish for?」

He asked me an incomprehensible question.

『A… world?』

「Yes. Apparently, this picture book has such a system.」

『E-Eh, what’s what for me…』

「What? So you don’t have a world you wish for, huh. Since that’s the case, I guess I shall create a world similar to the land where creatures like you can live.」

The moment Kai Heineman muttered those words, the scenery before me distorted.

It transformed into the scenery of my homeland, which I badly miss. A palace-like building majestically towered over the plains in this world.

『T-This is…』

To be honest, seeing the scenery before me, I was completely at a loss for words.

Did Kai Heineman just casually create a world? Nononono! Not even a great god should be able to achieve such a miracle. I mean, creating a world you have never seen before should be an impossible task.

The scenery before me distorted again, and this time, Kai Heineman appeared in front of me.

「What do you think? Not too bad, right?」

『Did you… really create this world?』

「Well, to be exact, I just reproduced a scene you saw before using this picture book, which I found in this dungeon. And, it’s not my power that created this world.」

That’s impossible. At the end of the day, this dungeon was created to train a god into a great god. Anything beyond that should be impossible. No matter how powerful an item in this dungeon is, it shouldn’t be able to create the impossible scenery before me.

However, there is no need for Kai Heineman to tell a lie to me either. Why should he lie to someone he can swat to death anytime he wants to? In short, he’s telling the truth about that book.

Since that’s the case, it means that the book underwent a transformation when it became Kai Heineman’s possession.

Such an incomprehensible existence. Power rivalling that of a great god and power to create a world! I’ve never heard of anyone having these two powers at the same time before. Thus, I decided to ask a question that has always been in my mind since I realized the depth of Kai Heineman’s power.

『What are you trying to do in this dungeon?』

For someone as powerful as Kai Heineman, clearing this dungeon should be as easy as flipping his hand. Yet, he chooses to walk his way through each floor instead of going straight to the last floor. This Girimekhala is dying to know the reason Kai Heineman does such a thing.

「Naturally, to become stronger.」

Kai Heineman’s reply betrayed all of my expectations. It was just too simple.

『C-Can you become… even stronger than now?』

Does he want to become an existence even higher than he already is? Does he seriously think about that despite having a power rivalling that of a great god? Such greed for strength.

「Naturally, I’m far too immature after all. Fortunately, I’ve found a glove that can seal my strength. With this, I can limit my strength and enjoy even more fierce and deadly battles that can burn my soul.」

A madgod! There’s no doubt about it. The existence before me has a few screws loose in his head. Honestly, this is the first time I’ve met such a mad god. And yet, for some reason, I feel a sense of longing toward such absurd madness.

（I see. This must be the reason I was crying before.）

When I understood that, my hesitations, questions, doubts, and even my loyalty toward my former master, scattered and vanished at once. They were replaced with an unshakable faith toward the existence who stood before me.

That’s why―

『From this moment onward, this bug pledges his absolute loyalty to you.』

At this very moment I, Girimekhala, knelt and pledged a vow in my heart in the name granted by my supreme master.