I staggered from the sheer weight of it all—the endless attempts, the merciless grind, the countless failures haunting me like shadows. Ugh... It's as if my mind, strained and battered, is barely holding me together. I glance at the prompt flashing before my eyes, its rewards glittering with hollow promise:
[Quest Completed!]
[Rewards: Increased Divinity, 50,000 Faith Points, Excalibur, Hero Ashkart's Memories, Key to the Tear.]
I force myself upright, my bones protesting, my mind spinning in chaos. Now isn't the time to falter! Even if I'm hanging on by a thread, barely wearing the mask of a hero, I have to keep moving. With a sigh, I cast [Preserve] on Ashkart's body, ensuring his remains won't be left to rot in this godforsaken place.
He deserves that, at least. A hero's death, a proper rest. Ashkart was worthy of the title, the one who'd locked himself away to guard the Tear, sacrificing his very humanity. And yet… why does he have that smile on his face? The faint curl of his lips haunts me, as though he left this world at peace, satisfied that humanity was in good hands.
…I'm sorry, Ashkart. This isn't some noble crusade for me. I'm not here to save humanity; I'm here because I have my own selfish reasons, my own ugly truths that drive me. You were pure, I… am not.
His words echo in my head, haunting, accusing, comforting, as if he had known the struggle I carried. Yes, maybe I'm talking and thinking from Kim Yoo-ra and not from Josephine.
Josephine would have wielded her title—Saint, Champion, the Strongest—like a weapon, demanding love, admiration, loyalty. But not me. I know all too well that the love I could seek, that hollow worship she craved, is a lie.
My mind is still a foggy mess, but my feet push me forward, step by grueling step, toward the corridor where the Tear resides. The silence is suffocating, thick enough to drown me. My spirit teeters on the edge, about to shatter.
Suddenly, a voice cuts through the quiet. "So, you really defeated Ashkart."
It's the old sage, Almodey—the one who babbled on about the capital's entrance. He gives me a twisted smile, his eyes gleaming with an unsettling mix of awe and something darker.
"I had my doubts about whether you could actually beat him," he says, his grin widening. "But here you are, having slain that monster."
Chains of miasma bind my feet, heavy and suffocating. Miasma? What in the— The chains twist and tighten, a reminder that nothing is truly over.
"Thank you for ridding us of that nuisance." He laughs, and his face begins to warp, melting into something inhuman.
"Hand over the key." I fix him with a glare, even as spikes materialize on my back, stabbing into me. "Without Ashkart, my plan to conquer the empire will finally be complete." Another spike pierces through my shoulder, and I feel a sudden flash of pain. Is this… how it ends?
But just then, Amorak smashes his fist into Almodey's head, the blow sending a shockwave through the room.
"Pfft. You thought that was a good idea?" Amorak sneers, pulling back his fist. "Picking a fight when the benefactor here is barely hanging on?"
"Ouch!" Almodey whines, rubbing his head. "I only meant to lighten the mood!"
"Yeah, yeah. You're probably right that we need to get it over with." Amorak rolls his eyes as Almodey's form flickers and fades. "Just… lay off her, will you?"
Amorak punches him again, shaking his head. "Those chains only seal the pain; they don't make it go away." He turns to me, crossing his arms. "Get it together. At this rate, you're going to be a liability."
As his words sink in, the chains fade away, taking some of the pain and fatigue with them. My vision clears, my senses sharpening. I can feel my body again.
I look at them both. "If we're done with the theatrics, let's move on."
We continue down the corridor, each step heavy with anticipation. As we walk, they reveal fragments of Ashkart's sacrifice—the way he defended the Tear, the battles he fought to keep the darkness at bay. His willpower kept the abominations from flooding the barrier, a silent vigil that lasted for decades.
"We owe everything to Ashkart," Amorak says quietly, his usual bravado tempered by reverence. "Without him, this world would be..."
Before he can finish, the corridor ends abruptly, opening into an expanse that defies logic, like a crack in the fabric of reality itself. Is this... the Tear? Instead of some cosmic glow or portal to another world, it's a literal gash in reality, an endless void that gnashes its jaws, eager to consume all.
"Ah, the Tear, my old nemesis. We meet again," Amorak murmurs, reaching out to touch the barrier around it. His touch causes ripples to shimmer across its surface.
"O' blessed one, do you wish to—"
"I told you to stop calling me that!" I snap, my patience worn thin.
Amorak raises his hands in surrender, chuckling. "Alright, alright, Josephine."
We take our positions, a rehearsed dance. I hold the Key, the one that's supposed to open the barrier and release the Tear's full force. As I press it against the barrier, power surges, a violent pulse of energy that crackles through the air.
Beside me, Amorak's muscles begin to glow with rune marks, ancient symbols blazing across his skin as he chants, "Awaken, my master!" He drops to his knees, the power vibrating through him like a live wire. Mechanus and Angelus, the other sages, step forward, flexing and readying themselves. I raise an eyebrow, muttering under my breath, "What is it with these old geezers?"
"Now, it's time to release the fruits of my labor!" I announce, my voice hard as I unleash a flurry of spells—protection, buffs, even area-of-effect magic. The ground hums with power.
Amorak grins, clearly impressed. "To think you'd surpass us—the Four Sages—when it comes to magic."
Mechanus nods in agreement. "Indeed, you're definitely the god's chosen, with skills like that."
"Enough flattery," I snap, scowling. "You're wasting time."
Amorak's gaze softens, his eyes glinting with understanding, as if he sees right through me. "You've been through hell, haven't you?"
I roll my eyes. "Don't look at me with those pitying eyes, alright? Stop it."
I stumbled forward, my knees shaking from exhaustion. The others rallied around me, sharing looks of solidarity and offering words of comfort. "It's okay," Angelus murmured, patting my back. "We know the pain of countless attempts. We tried to take down Ashkart ourselves… and failed every time."
Amorak gave me a firm pat, nodding with a wry smile. "We're here for you, Josephine. We all are. But let's keep focused, alright?" He looked at the tear. "We're ready."
I steeled myself and took the key in my hand, placing it into the barrier's lock. For a moment, everything stood still. Then, the barrier absorbed the key, vanishing with a hum. Suddenly, a rush of thick, vile miasma erupted from the tear, flooding the room. "Protection spells, everyone!" I shouted, and we all cast our barriers, creating a protective dome that held off the worst of it.
"Amorak, now!" I called.
With a battle cry, Amorak crushed several runes, transforming into a giant. He lifted the remnants of the barrier like a boulder and hurled it toward the tear. "Mechanus, engage thrusters!"
Mechanus transformed our barrier into a massive ship-like form, engines igniting to propel us directly toward the tear. We braced ourselves, feeling the momentum build as we barreled forward.
Just as we neared the tear, an invisible force repelled us. "Angelus, now!" I shouted.
"Divine Descent!" he roared, his body beginning to glow as he summoned divine energy. His eyes sparked like lightning, and his hair shimmered with an unearthly radiance. Just as the light of his descent enveloped us, we felt another presence join us.
[Tyr responds to the call of his follower!]
A massive pillar of light crashed down on Angelus, and Tyr himself appeared, his eyes full of mischief as he wrapped me in an enthusiastic embrace.
His eyes were glowing blue and his radiant brown hair was exuding a divine aura. He was practically floating.
"Josephine!" he exclaimed, hugging me like I was some sort of precious plush toy. "I've waited so long to meet you in person! You're even cuter up close!"
[Xipe: Tyr! You fucking bastard! I'll kill you when you go back here at the divine realm!]
[Hecatia: Dear, get away from Tyr before i turn him into dust when he gets back here~]
[The other gods are silently protesting on the background]
I squirmed in his grip, feeling utterly bewildered. "Um… Tyr?"
[Xipe: You fucking-]
[Due to Tyr's influence, all interferences are nullified!]
"Don't mind the others," he chuckled, waving dismissively at the ruckus of furious gods echoing in the background.
"They're just jealous I get to descend and meet my favorite mortal!"
"Uh, Tyr?" I started, feeling increasingly desperate.
"Oh, and just one small thing." His eyes gleamed as he released me, turning serious. "Since I'm here in the flesh, I'll need a little… fee."
I blinked. "A fee?"
"Yes!" he beamed. "It's simple. Just call me 'Uncle Tyr'—just once."
[Error! Error! WARNING!!! System is overloading!!!]
Almodey, struggling with his spell in the background, yelled, "Just say it, Josephine! I can't hold this any longer!"
"Fine!" I cried out in exasperation. "Uncle Tyr, will you please help us!?"
[SYSTEM OVERLOAD!!! System is hibernating…]
With a grin so wide it could split the heavens, Tyr's eyes twinkled. "Of course, anything for my darling niece!" He materialized a sword, glowing with a divine blue hue, and swung it with immense force at the tear. The shockwave from his strike created a gaping hole in the tear itself, sending vibrations through the entire space.
"Almodey, now!" I shouted.
Without a word, Almodey unleashed a beam of light from his spell circle, piercing straight toward the heart of the tear. In that moment, everything seemed to align, as if the universe held its breath, and I felt myself instinctively leap into the tear's path.