Chapter 107 – Reclaiming the Wasteland

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Translated by Heavenly Cat

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

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To head to Salutaris, the city where the Sun God waits, there are places one must pass through.

The imperial capital Abenstraum is a prime example.

Within the game Last Comet, the battle at the imperial capital was a turning point signifying the full-fledged mid-to-late game.

It’s different from the early game where demons bickered, busy fighting amongst themselves.

The surviving great demons felt the player as a terrifying threat and showed unimaginable coordination and cooperation.

And the Orrak Great Plains was the perfect terrain for the demon alliance to exert its power.

The wide-open plains were also where the synergy between the Celestial Church and the fallen dragons was the most outstanding.

Without even needing to think differently, it was angels flying around and dragons ambushing deep underground.

If the angels secured vision and lured people with their characteristic affability, even if one tried to intercept belatedly, they would only catch the angels while the dragons leisurely slipped away.

Even bringing out all the angels who had been resting in Elysium improved things, but it wasn’t a perfect countermeasure.

Because very occasionally, a fatal result occurred.

Just like right now.

After advancing while looking after the people for a long time, a blue dot on the map I was carefully observing suddenly disappeared in an instant.

Literally in the blink of an eye, a survivor group was annihilated.

It even happened despite Anniel arriving nearby and defeating the Celestial Church.

However, instead of scolding Anniel, I waited for this fervent angel to explain the detailed circumstances first.

Sure enough.

After a very brief silence, Anniel prayed to me first.

=O Great Godfather of Stars, I confess my meager strength.=

“Enough with the confession. What happened? I confirmed you defeated the Celestial Church.”

=…Dragons lunged. There wasn’t one, but two lying in ambush.=

“Did they change their policy.”

There wasn’t even time to feel sorrow for those who were murdered.

The total number of survivor groups I had saved so far was 21.

And during those 21 engagements, the dragons hadn’t shown themselves once.

Because the Celestial Church angels luring the people fled the moment they were murdered.

To think that such dragons suddenly changed their attitude and began to attack people.

I can only suspect the Sun God’s intervention.

Even so, demons were sincere in their obsession with life, if nothing else.

They are a race incapable of the act of sacrificing their own lives for a group or community.

The only time they forced attacks disregarding their lives was when fleeing to avoid a more terrifying side.

This suspicion turned into certainty upon hearing another prayer.

Ceciel, panting with excitement, prayed.

=Star Creation, the dragons are weird! Just.=

“Running at you like crazy?”

=Yes! Normally they would’ve slashed once and run away, but they just lunged towards the people!=

“You did well. You held out well against the dragons’ ambush.”

=Hehe. There were as many as three dragons.=

“Good girl.”

Either way, it was a fact that Ceciel fought well.

We almost had two disasters happen, but thanks to Ceciel showing her wits, it stopped at one.

Unfortunately, even such bravery was insufficient to change the tide of battle.

To protect one, you must abandon one.

Even while Ceciel was speaking vigorously, a blue dot disappeared from the map.

This time, it was a place where I intentionally hadn’t sent an angel.

There was a reasonable cause for this.

They were off to the west, quite a distance away from me, so it was difficult to continuously protect them.

The underground dragons were making full use of their advantages to hunt the living.

Avoiding my checks by roaming the pitch-black underground where not a single ray of sunlight entered.

This time, I had to admit it.

My power is insufficient to protect everyone.

I chose and ignored in order to protect even those within my reach.

However, could one say that one life is more valuable than another?

I couldn’t even retrieve those who were dragged underground and murdered.

Hoping that the Blue Undertakers would somehow dig into the tunnels and retrieve the victims was all I could do.

Truly… it’s a cruel fight for the people, and for the angels fighting in my stead.

After a brief lamentation, I raised my hand, bending and twisting the direction the starlight headed.

So that the angels could accurately arrive at the next survivors.

“Anniel, Ceciel. I am sorry. But it is something that must be done. Finish reorganizing and head to the next survivor groups respectively. I will let you know the locations with starlight.”

=…My inadequacy, I will make up for it this time. So that the Young Father’s will may be fulfilled!=

=At this rate, won’t I be called a dragon slayer? Dragon Slayer Ceciel. Yeah, that has a nice ring to it.=

Of course, it was the same for the other angels having to work.

“Hatiel, Pabiel. Be on guard for another dragon attack.”

=Yes!=

=Yep!=

“Cheniel and Maniel must reassure the people trembling in fear and guide them here by giving revelations. There are many groups to rescue. Put in a little more effort.”

=W-we’ll do our best.=

=I receive the Inheritor’s command.=

Still, having six angels gave bit of leeway.

Thanks to that, people were able to relieve their travel fatigue from time to time and hasten their steps.

And the reward for moving our steps appeared before us as a vast plain, as we headed to Salutaris along the broken road.

A horizon stretching vastly from end to end, befitting its nickname of Great Plains.

Exclamations began to burst out from the people who had been carrying bundles and walking.

“Heh.”

“It’s dizzying. Is there even an end?”

“Neither city nor city walls are visible.”

“There’s no sound of bugs, so it’s quiet and will be good for sleeping.”

Even while carrying their luggage, the people were craning their necks and looking around the Great Plains.

Looking like they couldn’t even imagine what was beneath that ground.

It would be nice if their relaxed state could continue.

Unfortunately, it seemed this cruel proxy war unfolding on the Orrak Plains would continue.

The moment we entered the Orrak Plains, the authority of Cleaving Earth frantically warned me.

Not just one or two.

Throughout this wide plain, dragons that had lost wings and scales and plummeted underground were coiled up.

Among them, an exceptionally huge presence was faintly felt.

The opponent also noticed me.

The leader of the fallen dragons, the great demon Cooling Breath, struggled to spit out words with its shattered vocabulary.

[Run, God Who Makes Stars. Sun God’s strength, beyond expectations.]

“Leaving the people behind?”

[Need them. To fight back. You and I, fighting is bad. Possible if combined. Sun God.]

What Cooling Breath was saying was clear.

Hand the people over to me, let’s plot against the Sun God together with me, who has become stronger with their lives.

I stealthily shifted my gaze to the map floating next to me.

There were exactly 32 blue dots gathering in the Orrak Plains.

Even just roughly counting the numbers, 2,800.

Considering that the population surviving amidst successive disasters would be around 100,000 at most, it’s a number that can absolutely not be ignored.

Of course, even if it had been just one person, the answer was set.

“This is way too shameless even if you lack a conscience.”

[…You will regret.]

“Not a chance. Demon, you start regretting in advance.”

The stars in my flesh orbited.

While gathering power to manifest a miracle, I spoke.

“For you and your kin will meet your end not by the Sun God, but by me.”

***

The authorities I usurped and the stars I created could change the world into a foundation for living.

No matter how barren the land, even if it’s already a dried and withered riverbed, it makes them flow brimming with abundance.

Even waistlands that others shook their heads at could be cultivated into a new paradise with a few hand gestures.

Though everyone seems not to know since I haven’t properly demonstrated it yet.

Faith sometimes only forms when shown.

I raised my hand to change this land, where short weeds were everything, according to my will.

“Deductive Constellation, descend again and heat up the earth.”

Deductive Constellation was a trump card that would drive out the dragons calmly hiding underground.

The star, preferring to come down to the earth rather than being fixed in the sky, responded to my call and began to tilt, burning vigorously.

“Drive out the underground demons with the heat you harbor!”

-Holy Mark Miracle, Righteous Indignation of Deductive Constellation

A meteor falls where my fingertip points.

The meteor drew a long arc in the sky while making its burning flames a tail.

From the heavens to the earth.

The flames of Deductive Constellation had grown even more intense from descending from such a tremendous height.

It looked dozens, hundreds of times larger than its original size.

And at a certain moment, the sky greeted a new light.

Following the blinking meteor, the sky blinked in tandem.

Flash-, flash-.

The world repeatedly brightened and darkened as if turning a fluorescent light on and off.

Until finally, heating up even the surrounding air, it shook the entire area.

The grasses of the plains rippled in the same direction all at once.

Unknown grasses rustled as they brushed against each other.

In a world that had only been cold since the sun turned black, a wind full of heat was blowing.

Only then did the silent Cooling Breath open its mouth again.

[God Who Makes Stars, why? Dropping and breaking, a star?]

A tone full of bewilderment.

It was speech made up of fragmented vocabulary, but I could vividly feel how panicked it was.

Cooling Breath didn’t seem to think I would drop a star from the sky.

I answered while fixing my gaze on the falling Deductive Constellation.

“Do not compare the previous stars and the stars I created. I didn’t drop and break it because I gave up. Do you still not know?”

At that moment, all directions were dyed with white light.

It was such an immense amount of light that even the people staring blankly had to turn their heads and look away.

I could tell from the sight I saw just before.

The meteor touched the horizon.

The solid ground melted the instant it met the meteor.

The fallen star boldly stepped heavily on the softly melted earth and began to freely leave its footprints.

More deeply, more firmly.

Soil pushed out by the pressure and burst forth surged in layers.

Even the surrounding ground that couldn’t withstand the impact cracked all over.

The ground repeatedly split, collapsed, and shattered.

When the light finally subsided.

People who had raised their heads just in case had to face the squall blowing in a step late.

Shirt buttons popped, coat hems fluttered high, and people floated slightly.

“Aaaaaaah!”

“G-gather together!”

It’s natural for screams to burst out.

But no one was blown away.

Thanks to preparing in advance after seeing a destructive power much stronger than expected.

Catching the people being swept away with golden hands molded from divine power was a big factor.

Fortunately, the soil I thought would fly over was swept up in the explosion that started from the epicenter and was evaporating completely.

Rumble….

For an instant, the vision was covered in dirt and dust.

Beyond that, all that remained was a massive crater.

Except for the winter-light lava flowing down between the cracked crevices.

I declared while withdrawing the golden hands again.

“I and my stars do not run away.”

[….]

Cooling Breath fell silent.

And before long, I could see golden dust leaking out from between the cracked crevices.

I kept quiet so the people could catch their breath until the dirt and dust settled down.