Chapter 321: Episode 61 – Gigantomachia (1)
The atmosphere was scary. Hades was silent for a long time and it was unknown what he was thinking. I tried to hide my nerves.
「 Kim Dokja thought: This is the first hump. 」
The surrounding air became increasingly heavy as Hades opened his mouth.
[The real Gigantomachia... Do you know the weight of those words?]
“I know.”
The Gigantomachia hosted by the great nebula Olympus. It was the festival of the Star Stream where five or six sub-giants trapped in Tartarus were released and hunted in order to enjoy an old victory.
Hades spoke, [The war ended long ago. The gods won both Titanomachy and Gigantomachia.
Hades was right. The real war was already over thousands of years ago.
[It is already a predetermined history. What is the point of recalling it? Why are you trying to recreate Gigantomachia?]
“...That is what I want to ask you. Why do the constellations of Olympus continue to make fake Gigantomachia?”
[...?]
“Why do you call that scenario Gigantomachia, summoning and killing the giants and reenacting the old battles?”
My knees involuntarily quivered in front of Hades’ furious status. The distant Persephone was upset and alternated looking between me and Hades. The moment Persephone opened her mouth, I shook my head at her.
I shouldn’t receive help here. With my own strength, I had to endure it without kneeling.
[The giant story ‘Demon World’s Spring’ is protecting the best narrator.]
It wasn’t comparable to Hades’ Underworld but we also had a story. The story we had accumulated with our power. I used the power of this story to oppose Hades. “In fact, it is because of fear.”
The big nebulae were filled with fearsome and powerful beings. They were also the most cowardly in the Star Stream.
“You are afraid that the giants will rise again. Thus, you will take out the soul of the dead and trample on them, giving a reminder of the ugly triumph.”
There were many ways to make the ‘real’ disappear. One way was to create countless ‘fakes.’ Worthless and common fakes. The desperate battle became a play that was replicated countless times. A story that was a laughingstock to everyone. Gigantomachia lost its authenticity long ago. It became a scenario that no constellation was truly afraid of.
I looked up at Hades and asked, “Father of the Rich Night. How long will you let Tartarus be Olympus’ toy?”
He didn’t belong to Olympus but was considered to be one of Olympus’ three great masters. I suddenly recalled his setting in Ways of Survival.
「 Hades supplied a number of giants to Gigantomachia but never participated in the scenario. 」
The king of the Underworld had watched the suffering of the giants trapped in his prison for a long time.
「 Hades knew the sorrows of the prisoners and understood their pain. He was like a prison guard educated by the prisoners. 」
“The last time I visited, I saw a giant soldier in the underground of Tartarus. Haven’t you been preparing for this time?”
[...That is speculation.]
To the 12 gods of Olympus, Hades would’ve explained the existence of the giant soldier in a different way. It was in case the giants once again made a war. However, I knew Hades’ real idea.
“I know that you hate the 12 gods.”
[...]
“Despite being one of the three heads, to them you are just a guard taking care of troublemakers.”
The oldest guard in the world might be no different from prisoners. Hades quietly looked down at me.
[Gigantomachia is a terrible war.]
“I know.”
[Once the real GIgantomachia starts, it isn’t only the giants who become the toy of the scenario. Everyone there will become part of the giant story.]
Hades spoke with distant eyes that seemed to see destruction.
[The dokkaebis will run wild and there will be an upheaval in the Star Stream. The dynamics of the nebulae that have lasted for a long time will collapse.]
“I’m also aware of that.”
[What do you want to gain from displaying that terrible pain to the world?]
It wasn’t me who answered.
[The story ‘King of a Kingless World’ has started the story.]
[The story ‘Person who Opposes the Miracle’ has started the story.]
[The story ‘Demon King of Salvation’ has started the story.]
[The giant story ‘Demon World’s Spring’ has started the story.]
All the stories I accumulated answered for me. There was also a story I saw for the first time.
[The story ‘Life and Death Colleagues’ has started the story.]
All the stories flowed towards the proper ending.
[...A little human has very amazing dreams.]
“The smaller you are, the bigger the dream.”
[You know about Stage Transformation.]
I nodded. I already knew what Hades would say.
[The 12 gods aren’t the problem. Once the war begins, the ancient heroes who led Gigantomachia to victory will reappear. The moment they encounter the giants, Stage Transformation will begin and the tragedy of history will be repeated.]
“There are also heroes on this side. The stage will be smashed.”
Yoo Jonghyuk glanced at me and frowned. Hades opened his mouth again. [There still remains one decisive problem.]
“The main characters of the stage.”
I looked down at the ground. In the underground of this old prison, the protagonists of the old Gigantomachia will be waiting for me.
[Do you think they want Gigantomachia?]
“The beginning is Gigantomachia but the end will be different.”
I smiled and answered, “If they don’t want it, I have to make them want it.”
***
After Kim Dokja disappeared, Han Sooyoung was busy appeasing the party members. “Shit, am I some type of babysitter?”
Lee Gilyoung and Shin Yoosung were sitting blankly in their seats while Lee Hyunsung’s huge body was crouched down in the middle of the children as he muttered something. Han Sooyoung sighed and pressed the party members “Hey! Everyone, wake up. This time, he went with Yoo Jonghyuk.
Of course, it didn’t work.
“Dokja hyung... Dokja hyung again...”
“I should’ve locked him up at that time...”
Lee Jihye and Lee Seolhwa tried to soothe the children while Han Sooyoung was thinking about the problems she faced now. Kim Dokja and Yoo Jonghyuk were taken away so she had to take care of the preparations for the rest of the week.
“Now is the real Han Sooyoung’s Corporation...”
[A message has arrived via the Unidentified Wall.]
It was from Jang Hayoung.
-Hey. Han Sooyoung, are you well?
Han Sooyoung became wide awake as contact was finally made. It was time for the transcendent party to return.
-Where are you now?
-I am about to return to Earth.
-Why didn’t you come sooner?
Since there was no other place to confide in, Han Sooyoung started to vent her accumulated anger through the Unidentified Wall. The things that happened in the meantime, what happened to the party members...
Han Sooyoung, who usually didn’t talk much, strangely had a lot of words when using the ‘wall.’ It was the feeling of receiving a consultation.
-In summary, Kim Dokja came back and is gone again.
The window widened and the message window of the wall became a screen. On the screen, Jang Hayoung and the Breaking the Sky Master could be seen.
-Hey! Why are you telling me now? When did Kim Dokja come back?
-That isn’t important right now...
The next moment, there was a strong noise from the screen and the subject of the conversation changed. At first, she thought there was a bug on the screen and wiped it. However, the bug looked good and started talking.
-Has my disciple returned?
A small man sat on the head of the barking Breaking the Sky Master and shouted in a stern voice.
-Show him right now. The guy who left and didn’t find his teacher when coming back must be severely punished!
The next moment, someone pulled the bug from the screen. Then a small mountain appeared on the screen. No, looking closely, it wasn’t a mountain. It was someone’s nose.
-Where did that guy go?
...It was the Breaking the Sky Sword Saint. Han Sooyoung summarized what happened as much as possible. The Breaking the Sky Sword Saint listened to the story and thought about something for a moment.
-If he was taken from Olympus’ legal zone... he must be trapped in Tartaros. Then there is no need to worry.
Han Sooyoung was a bit surprised by the unconcerned voice. Before she could say something, the giant nose looked somewhere and muttered with a nostalgic voice.
-I don’t know if they’re doing well.
***
Yoo Jonghyuk and I were thrown to the first floor of Tartarus. Persephone’s face was playful as she patted my head and told me.
[Demon King of Salvation, it won’t be easy to convince the giants.]
“Somehow you look happy.”
“It has been a long time since this type of incident happened in Olympus. I can secretly help along with my husband, but that wouldn’t be fun, would it?]
“No, it would be good if you help―”
[I pray for the blessing of the story, Demon King of Salvation.]
I was expecting her to help me. The Underworld shouldn’t officially participate in this scenario. If the Underworld participated in Gigantomachia, the scale and probability of this war would be out of control.
Therefore, this war should be in the form of a ‘rebellion’ that proceeded under the tacit approval of the Underworld.
We crossed the first floor of Tartarus. The prisoners working on the first floor were still pouring their energy into the giant soldier. Some of them glanced at us but none of them were very interested. It seemed they were new prisoners.
“Do you think you can convince the giants?”
“I don’t know. I’m going to see now.”
In the dungeons of Tartarus, those beyond imagination were trapped. It wasn’t just the giants but also the constellations and transcendents who had committed all types of evil actions against Olympus. They were monsters that Yoo Jonghyuk and I could never deal with at the moment.
“It will be tough. There is only a week.”
“Somehow it will work out. By the way, don’t you have someone to meet here?”
Yoo Jonghyuk stared at me as he wondered how I knew. If my memories were correct, it was the existence who taught Giant Body Transformation to the former Yoo Jonghyuk.
“I have someone to meet. I have to recruit him as a colleague.”
Colleague?”
“Originally, I would’ve never made him a companion but I changed my mind.”
We stopped at the same time. We had to stop. Something huge was blocking our way.
“...By colleague, do you mean the one talking to the dog?”
The entrance down to the second underground floor. There was a giant dog that blocked it. The three-headed monster dog, the cerberus.
I looked up at the dog. To be precise, I looked at the giant soldier stroking the dog’s head. One of the cerberus’ heads was biting the giant soldier’s upper arm.
[Hahahat! Yellowy! Bite!]
Yiiiip!
[I won’t be hurt by this much!]
The gloves were made of a tough metal. In the original novel, it was a story weapon that Hades himself used.
“Hey.” I waved my hand and the giant soldier looked over. He trembled as if surprised and soon answered in a loud and jubilant voice. [...Subway grasshopper? Hahahat! You finally came to hell? Right?]
I smiled wryly. In order to win Gigantomachia, I needed the help of this gundam otaku. “I came to pick you up, Kim Namwoon.”