A monster emerged from the space where the yangban’s treasure should be? The monster’s attitude was also strange in many ways. It wasn’t hostile to Grid, nor did it help the two dying yangbans.

“My guess is that the monster is a third force. We don’t have to worry about it...”

“Don’t make me laugh. You might not know the myths of the East Continent but the Four Auspicious Beasts are gods who serve the yangbans. It is unconditionally on the side of the yangbans.”

“Based on the appearance, is this the black tortoise?”

“There is the name ‘Black Tortoise’ above its head. Who will it be if it isn’t the black tortoise?”

“It looks different. In all the murals of the Four Gods, the black tortoise had a white head with beautiful blue eyes. It had a mysterious and sacred feeling, not such a terrible look.”

“Then is this a fake?”

“Of course it is a fake. A god wouldn’t try to destroy the world. In fact, it is turning a blind eye to the yangbans’ crisis.”

“......”

“That monster won’t target us even if we become hostile to the yangbans. We have to choose.”

From the time the monster emerged from the building that should contain the treasure, the high rankers lost their trust in the yangbans. They noticed that it was more likely they were used by the yangbans. It was an unacceptable situation for the high rankers who had a strong self-esteem. They saw Grid suddenly appear and fight the yangbans so they were forced to feel confusion.

“We have to help Grid like Bubat.”

“Even if we lost four levels? What about loyalty?”

The opinions of the rankers were divided into two categories. One side thought they should watch the situation develop a bit more. The other opinion was that they should betray the yangbans and stand on Grid’s side. If this was a normal case then there would be no disagreement. There was no reason to stand by Grid’s side unless a loss was inevitable. However, the current case was a bit special.

“Grid is getting a quest buff. The system is hoping for Grid’s victory.”

“...Definitely.”

The rankers recalled when the ‘white-haired Grid’ first appeared in the world. The white-haired Grid was enhanced with the quest buffs and easily slaughtered Yatan’s First Servant. Yatan’s First Servant had to die so the system gave Grid a boost in power. It was called the care of the system.

The high rankers had also experienced it at least once.

“A while ago, there was a world message implying that Grid had killed a half-god. It is clear that he has gained the power to confront a god for a limited time.”

The exact reason wasn’t known but the system determined that Grid had to fight the gods and win. It buffed Grid.

“It means that being hostile to Grid right now is a huge risk. If we stand on the side of the yangbans and Grid fails the quest, the world view that the system is drawing will collapse and it might be angry at us.”

“Rather than simply losing four levels, there might be a painful loss.”

The supreme, Grid, had left countless achievements that even the high rankers couldn’t match in their lifetimes. His quests were seldom normal. Since he was given a task that could affect the entire world view, he was given the power to confront a god. The high rankers’ thoughts easily reached this point but they couldn’t easily make a decision. The penalty for standing on Grid’s side was too great.

Losing four levels...

It was a penalty that would take too long to recover from. It was a time when the concerns of the high rankers were deepening. A huge explosion occurred. The high rankers reflexively used protective skills and magic to save their lives, while Grid’s appearance disappeared without a trace. In addition, Dodam stared at the high rankers who were dumbfounded by the sudden development.

“You will soon be condemned.”

“...!”

They understood him blaming Bubat for helping Grid but why feel hostile to them who did nothing? The high rankers were flustered. They lost the option of remaining on the yangban’s side.

‘It is so easy for them to abandon us that it seemed they were thinking of throwing us away from the beginning.’

‘It was meant to be a fight from the beginning.’

The high rankers thought about it only to become stunned. It was because they saw a flash of lightning beyond the thick dust. The high rankers who witnessed the battle between Grid and Orc Lord Teruchan knew the identity of that lightning bolt. In the blink of an eye, the lightning had penetrated the wall.

Stagger.

Dodam collapsed. Blood spurted from his neck and he let out a sound of astonishment.

“Lightning... God!”

[An unknown person is writing the fifth epic.]

[The beginning of the narrative comes from the recollection of a forgotten myth.]

[He recreated the forgotten god.]

[The stigma of truth was etched on the ground covered with false myths.]

“...!!”

Goosebumps appeared on the skin of the high rankers. The epic that was written as Grid passed through the yangbans and created the shape of the blue dragon thrilled them. How breathtaking was it to really witness Grid’s epics...

It was the first time they had seen it since the first epic in Taleren Canyon. The high rankers were thrilled. They realized how envious they were of Grid. On the other hand, Grid wasn’t impressed. He thought it was out of the blue.

‘Why is it an epic?’

The epic hadn’t responded even when the old enemy Garam was defeated and when one of the Four Auspicious Beasts, the red phoenix, was revived. As a result, Grid believed that the standards of the epic had changed. In the future, he would have to build a much bigger achievement before a new epic would be written. Yet a new epic was written when he hurt ordinary yangbans?

‘What is the standard?’

[The yangban ‘Dodam’ has been killed.]

[The yangban ‘Nakil’ has been killed.]

[Two Black Tortoise’s Breaths have been acquired.]

[One White Tiger’s Breath has been acquired.]

[One Blue Dragon’s Breath has been acquired.]

[Two Blue Dragon’s Dopo have been acquired.]

[Two Unbreakable Swords have been acquired.]

“...?!”

Dodamn and Nakil turned to grey and his eyes widened as he recovered his sword. He looked up and saw two red suns. They were the giant eyes of the black tortoise.

‘Since when?’

After it appeared, the black tortoise had kept roaring to the sky. It was like a monster without cognition. Now it was staring at him with distinctly clear eyes full of emotions.

“Kuock.”

Grid stepped back. It was an instinctive act of fear. Among the thousands of emotions in the black tortoise’s huge pupils, the most obvious one was hatred and anger. Grid lacked the courage to face them. It was the anger of a god. It seemed he would be cursed just by looking. It seemed that the black tortoise’s eyes were filled with a strong curse to the point where he was afraid that the probability of enhancing an item and gaining items would fall to the 0% range.

‘It is dirty and bloody.’

The red phoenix was infinitely warm while the black tortoise was infinitely cold. The pressure around it seemed like it would tear apart human beings. This was definitely one of the Four Auspicious Beasts, no matter how it didn’t seem like it. It happened as Grid was thinking again.

『 God killer. 』

A dark, cold voice echoed through Grid’s mind. It was the voice of the black tortoise.

『 You have eaten the red phoenix. 』

‘Eating the red phoenix?’

Grid was dumbfounded when he heard this nonsense and quickly understood the meaning of the words.

‘Did it misunderstand after seeing that I’ve obtained the heart of the red phoenix?’

The Twelve Zodiacs had told him that the Red Phoenix’s Ninth Heart was one of the sources of the red phoenix and the life of the red phoenix itself. Even the Five Seniors couldn’t take them. A man with such an important heart had appeared so the black tortoise had probably misunderstood.

“It is a misunderstanding...”

Grid couldn’t explain anything before the black tortoise continued.

『 I was reminded of it when I saw the flames and torrents intertwined on the ground. 』

A new sentence was being added to the epic.

『 Who am I? 』

[The stigma of truth that he carved brought the memory of the old gods to the surface.]

『 ‘I’ was a god that shouldn’t exist. 』

『 ‘I’ remember the scene where the statues of ‘us’ made by the people who prayed for ‘us’ collapsed at ‘my’ breath. 』

『 Every time ‘I’ whispered blessings to the ground, humanity lost civilization and people became afraid of ‘us.’ 』

『 ‘I’ was a god that shouldn’t exist. 』

『 ’I’ wanted to erase ‘me’ for ‘us.’ 』

[The wish of the wounded old god touched him.]

『 I wanted to close my eyes forever. 』

『 Therefore, I entrusted my body to the bead that imprisoned my soul. 』

『 Then the bead shattered and I was deeply ashamed of myself again. It was very painful. 』

『 Human who has accumulated the business of killing. Swallow me, just as you have swallowed the red phoenix. 』

[A new quest has occurred!]

[Kill the God of Destruction]

[Quest Difficulty: ???

Half the ego of the black tortoise, one of the Four Auspicious Beasts, hopes to perish.

It hopes you will take its breath away.

Quest Clear Conditions: Kill half the ego of the black tortoise or seal it.

Quest Reward: Acquire the God Killer title.]

[God Killer]

[You are an ‘Absolute’ being who killed a god.

Your transcendence will reach the maximum and all attack power is doubled.]

[Would you like to accept the quest?]

“What are you saying?”

[The quest was refused.]

『 ...? 』

"I don't understand what you're saying right now. I just know one thing. You were a god who loved and cared for humans more than anyone else. I’m sure because the Twelve Zodiacs told me.”

『 ...No, the ‘I’ that the Twelve Zodiacs refer to isn’t ‘me’ but rather ‘us.’ 』

Grid realized something through the attitude of the black tortoise. Why did the epic trigger? The system who witnessed and turned both Grid’s past and present into data knew that Grid was one of the few people who could lead the black tortoise to the right path.

“It is useless to talk any longer. I don’t understand what you’re saying at all and I don’t want to hurt you.”

『 If you kill me, you can gain absolute strength... 』

“Everyone in the world is waiting for you.”

『 ...! 』

[He turned away from the wish of the old god.]

[The power gained at the expense of sacrificing someone wasn’t the power he wanted, so he wasn’t shaken by the temptation.]

“If you don’t believe it then check it for yourself. I’ll help you reunite with the people. So calm down first.”

[He reached out his hand.]

[It was the moment when the tree that grew upright with the help of various bonds stretched out a new branch.]

[It was still a small branch.]

『 ... 』

The black tortoise stared blankly at Grid’s hand. It didn’t understand what to do with this small hand that would break with just one touch from it. Grid laughed as he read the black tortoise’s expression. “It won’t break. Grab it.”

『... 』

The black tortoise hesitated for a long time before kneeling down. It drew its face close to the small Grid and placed its cheek in Grid’s hand.

『 Please... please help me, human. My other half is sealed in a very deep and dangerous place and it is being used as a puppet of the yangbans. 』

[The wounded old god leaned against the small branch.]

“Believe in me.”

[The branch wasn’t broken.]

[The hope that was sustaining the dying world may still be small, but it was firm.]

....

...

[An unknown person has completed the fifth page of the epic!]