Chapter 1516. Extinction (26)

Chapter 1516. Extinction (26)

“Get on the ark! Get on the ark!”

“Drop the anchor and row!”

“W-what the...

Ha...hahahaha!

What the hell is this?!”

“A miracle... It’s a miracle.”

“Board the ark! Everyone, prepare for battle! Prepare for battle!”

“O God! You haven’t abandoned the continent yet! O God!”

“Get on the ship! Lower the ropes!”

“Hurry and climb aboard! Hurry!”

“We’re setting sail! We’re setting

saaaaail!

”

‘It’s complete chaos.’

“This makes no sense...”

‘Even I think this makes no sense.’

And yet, I couldn’t help but nod without realizing it. After all, miracles were something given to those who were prepared. The mages, the priests, the soldiers, and even the pigeons all stood there blankly, staring at the unfolding miracle.

I couldn’t help but stare agape at the sight, even though I had orchestrated all this, so I could only imagine how everyone else had to be feeling at the moment.

It wasn’t strange at all that so many people were rubbing their eyes in disbelief. Just looking at Alex and his two companions was enough for anyone to know just how incredulous the sight was.

“Climb on!”

“I knew this would happen! I told you the puzzle pieces would come together! Damn it!”

“I knew it too, Alex! Damn it!”

Quite a few people had accepted this situation as if it were completely natural, which was absurd. Their faces made it seem like they had always known a miracle would come to them. Of course, since they had been hearing the voice of God all along, they had some idea that something would happen, but even so, it was surprising how naturally they accepted it.

Perhaps it was because they believed that the continent and its gods would never abandon them. Perhaps it was because they believed their struggle and effort would be rightfully rewarded. All sorts of stray thoughts filled my mind because I knew that, even if they felt rewarded right now, in the end, they wouldn’t be feeling that way.

‘There’s no need for me to worry about it.’

“Thank you! O God... thank you!”

“

Ha... ha... hahahaha!

”

“

Heuk... heuk...

O God...”

“Don’t kneel and pray, you idiots! Get on the ark! Is this really the time to be praying?”

‘Wait... no way. Damn... Is it telling me to watch, learn, and understand?’

I felt like

it

was teaching me not to abandon the mortals and to take this as some kind of lesson. Of course, it could just be my imagination, or it could just be me putting some meaning into this, but thinking of this first life as a stage prepared for Kim Hyun-Sung and me, it felt like its goal wasn’t just to come up with reasons.

‘What is this? Some kind of tutorial? Or like a training course?’

It felt like both Kim Hyun-Sung and I were expected to take something away from this. I didn’t know what exactly we were supposed to gain or realize, but it seemed like it wanted something more than just fulfilling the narrative.

Kabooooooom!

𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

The explosion snapped me out of my thoughts. When I turned, I saw soldiers climbing up the ropes lowered from the ark. The pigeons were charging at them with their spears raised.

“Fire! Fire!”

Those aboard the ship unleashed a rain of arrows and magic toward the pigeons.

Kaboooooooooooom!

“Keep firing! Keep firing!”

“Row! Row!”

“Fire!”

The non-combatants and those who could no longer fight were rowing. The mages were pouring their mana into the ark’s magic circles, and the soldiers were thrusting their spears toward the pigeons clinging to the ship.

The ark rose into the sky, and the oars drove it forward. The ark cut through the wind and streaked across the skies, creating a spectacle beyond words. It was enough to make me understand why that bastard had been so fixated on this thing.

“Support them! Support!”

“Pigeons on the starboard rear! Pigeons on the starboard rear!”

“Hold on! Push them back! The ones coming from afar will be handled with magic! Protect the shooters! Protect the shooters!”

“It’s not over yet, you bastards! Focus! Stay focused!”

“Mages, don’t hold back your mana! We have to shake them off no matter what! No matter what, you bastards!”

The ark gradually picked up speed. Riding the flowing wind, the ship lurched once more and surged forward. The pigeons clinging to the ship fought hard, while those trying to close the distance were struck by the volleys of arrows and magic.

In reality, the pigeons no longer had the means or the capacity to stop this voyage. They were focusing on the ark, but their efforts were not enough to break through the ark. I could say with certainty that even if Dominions came here, she wouldn’t be able to stop this ark so easily.

‘What a mess. It must already be chaos.’

First Life Ki-Young was probably watching this scene with a frown, but from his perspective, it wouldn’t be entirely unpleasant either. As I said before, he had to have been waiting for another massive expenditure from our side. In reality...

‘We’re running low now.’

A Mythic-rank quest, and the holy power required to pay for its reward was no small amount. The well that once seemed abundant was nearly drained. It wasn’t completely empty yet, but it was no longer enough to sustain the entire continent.

This was the point where I had no choice but to start letting things go, little by little.

‘The Union of Kingdoms and the Federation refugees.’

The Republic citizens still heading toward Mesla Castle, the survivors at the northern Frost Wall, and... Castle Rock. It meant taking away the light from those still searching for a path, but there was no other choice.

‘All I can do is hope they take down as many pigeons at Castle Rock as possible.’

Once they captured Castle Rock, they would return to the nest anyway. For a moment, I wondered if it'd be better to invest a bit more into Castle Rock, but I quickly shook my head. Having lost Yu Ran, Castle Rock no longer had the strength to hold out on its own.

For now, it was hidden beneath barriers and fog, but in the end, it would be captured. It would be a better decision to invest in the Black Rose Salon ladies and the allied races who were fighting Dominions and Seraphim on the World Tree front.

‘War is a numbers game.’

The right move was to not even look at the places that had to be abandoned. Once they were on the brink of death, they would surely curse us, crying that God had abandoned them. Then they would beg to be saved. By now, First Life Ki-Young probably knew that I was going to abandon Castle Rock.

I wondered briefly if I ought to hold onto it a bit longer as a bluff, but I didn’t even have the resources to invest in a bluff anymore. In the end, I essentially confirmed his assumption that my resources were finite...

‘But it doesn’t matter.’

What mattered was that he was consuming resources as well. In the end, both of us would be left with nothing but ourselves, so it was only right to consider it an equal trade.

“What matters is that I’ve made it here, right?”

Yeah, what mattered was that I reached the pigeon nest.

‘They’re fired up.’

Perhaps they felt like soldiers chosen by a god. They probably hadn’t expected us to simply run away on the ark, but no one could have imagined that we would charge straight into the pigeon nest.

Even so, the soldiers waiting aboard the ark didn’t waver in the slightest. If anything, they were striking their armor or banging their helmets with their arms as they burned with fighting spirit.

“Prepare for battle! Prepare for battle!”

“Remember that the miracle is with us!”

“Never forget that God is with us!”

From the farthest reaches of the Republic to Mesla Castle; from Mesla Castle to the ark; from the ark to the nest... They had to be feeling like God himself had guided them here. They believed without a doubt that this would be a victorious holy war.

Of course, along the way, they suffered countless deaths. They stepped over the bodies of comrades, family, and fellow soldiers to get here. Many probably didn’t believe they would return alive, but they held no fear.

Perhaps they believed that since God had guided them here, they would simply return to His embrace upon their deaths, or perhaps they believed without doubt that, even if they died, victory would be theirs.

Perhaps the thought that their deaths wouldn’t be meaningless gave them comfort. The reasons differed for each of them, but there was one thing they all shared—every single one of them could sense it, and they accepted it. Yes, they knew that this was the end.

“Thanks, everyone,” Alex said.

“Don’t say that kind of crap, Alex. We’re going back alive, right, George?” Kennen asked.

“If we survive this one, too, that’d be a real miracle,” George said.

“Anyway... thanks, everyone. And... sorry,” Alex repeated.

“I told you, don’t say crap like that,” Kennen said.

“I know. I just wanted to say it,” Alex said.

“

Hoo

... let’s go. Let’s do this.”

“Yeah. Let’s go.”

The Alex trio as well.

I saw two female warriors fiddling with each other’s helmets.

“See you in hell, bitch.”

“Why would we go to hell? We’re dying as soldiers chosen by God. If anything, wouldn’t it be somewhere like heaven? Me, I’m definitely ending up somewhere full of handsome older men.”

“With that taste? Then I’ll go somewhere full of pretty boys.”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

The two mages holding their staff, the members of the mercenary groups, and the refugees who had boarded the ark... these people lived ordinary lives and dreamed of ordinary days, but now, they were tightening their grips on their weapons and encouraged one another to charge forward.

“Brace for impact!”

“Grab onto anything you can!”

“Brace for impact! Brace for impact! Remember that God is with us!” One particularly brainwashed bastard screamed as if he were possessed. “Remember that God and His miracles are with us! Remember that the continent hasn’t abandoned us! Remember that this is the path He led us to!”

“Prepare for battle! Prepare for battle!”

“We’re about to collide!”

“Hold on tight!”

Craaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

A spear pierced the head of one of the two female warriors earlier. With a sickening

crack

, she collapsed backward, but the woman next to her muttered, “I’ll be right behind you, Jeanne.” Then she set her helmet straight, raised her shield, and charged at the enemy.

“Push in! Break through! Push forward! God is with us!”

“Magic! Barriers! Barriers!”

“Jump down! Jump down, you bastards! We’re pushing inside!”

“Valhalla!”

‘That’s not Valhalla, damn it. Who the hell brought a Norse guy here?’

“Raise your shields! Raise them and push forward!”

“

Aaaaaaaaahhh!

”

“My arm... my arm!”

“The voice of God is with us!”

“Please... please...”

[Creating an Average-rank Forced Quest.]

[Move forward, and you will see the light. (0/1)]

[Delivering the Average-rank quest.]

[...]

[...]

[Registering the quest reward...]

[...]

[You haven’t registered a quest reward...]

[...]

[Registering a quest reward.]

Victory.