NOVEL WEB Chapter 30
On the way back with the Saint,
The warmth in her hand felt unusually tender.
Until now, I had tried not to pay attention to things that now filled my mind.
A delicate hand that could be fully encircled by merely a light grip.
And yet, how much had this hand endured to get here?
Each time I thought about the Saint’s sacrifices, a weight pressed down in the depths of my heart.
‘Now it’s my turn to bear it.’
Looking at the building that had drawn near without realizing, I sighed quietly. The Saint was always here, sacrificing herself for the people.
The thought weighed heavily on me again.
But I tried not to show it and, instead, asked in a deliberately bright voice,
“Saint, I heard there’s a way to determine if the disease is completely gone?”
“Yes. There’s a magical device made by the dwarves.”
“Could you fetch it for me?”
Nodding, the Saint headed into her room.
Watching her go, I lightly moved my hand to open a pocket dimension.
“It’s been a while since I’ve pulled this out.”
My pocket dimension is my own unique domain as a god and a part of me.
Anything that enters my pocket dimension also becomes a part of me.
That’s why, like the masks I use for duty, if I know what something looks like, I can pull it out right away.
The item I’m looking for now…
Though I only used it occasionally, it has a very distinct appearance that’s hard to forget.
As I envisioned its form in my mind, a familiar sensation was transmitted through my fingertips.
An unpleasant feeling started to crawl up my skin.
As if trying to consume me.
‘…I need to finish this as quickly as possible.’
Even without breaking the seal, it’s already like this. What’s it trying to accomplish?
I glanced down.
A pitch-black aura emanating from it, looking ominous at a glance.
A book.
A faint tremble was felt at my fingertips.
The book wriggled as if alive, trying to open itself.
Just then, the Saint’s hurried footsteps approached.
“Mr. Death!”
“Ah, hold on! Please don’t come closer!”
I quickly stopped the Saint who was about to get too close. The Saint, who was about to reach for the book, hesitated and looked up at me.
“T-this doesn’t look safe… Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yes, this is a divine artifact. A replica, but still.”
Though the sinister and ominous energy was seeping out even before the seal was broken, this was certainly a divine artifact.
An ancient tome of the death goddess, Keres.
“This artifact is extremely dangerous even though it’s a divine relic, so please don’t come closer. Got it?”
“…Are you sure you’re okay, Mr. Death?”
“I’m allowed to do this. Still, it is dangerous, so long-term use isn’t feasible. Therefore, let’s hurry up.”
Satisfied with my explanation, the Saint glanced at the book once more and nodded.
Her worried expression remained unchanged.
The Saint opened the detention center’s door with more urgency than usual.
As soon as we opened it, an unpleasant sensation surged up.
“Do we have to go inside?”
“No. We can do it out here. Please stay far away.”
Though it was a while since the last use, not sure if it would work, but…
Carefully searching my memories, I began to release the seal on the book.
As soon as the seal was released,
a surge of dark energy erupted and violently swirled around me.
This was the overwhelming power of Mr. Keres.
“Mr. Death!”
“I’m fine.”
Closing my eyes, I concentrated.
Unlike my father, Thanatos,
Keres’s death is much more destructive and merciless.
And another fact—
Keres governs the realm of ‘disease.’
This ancient tome of Keres is a kind of encyclopedia holding all information about diseases in the universe.
The most unique feature is that it’s not just a record;
it’s a dangerous relic capable of bringing the contents to life.
I mostly used this ancient tome to suppress others.
But this time was different.
I intended to eliminate all the diseases around this building.
Opening my eyes, I poured my collected energy into the ancient tome.
The pages of the ancient tome began to swirl violently.
Black energy rose like a whirlwind and extended outward from the book, as if alive.
I intensified the energy focused at my fingertips even more.
Dark energy spread across the entire building, creating a massive wave.
The entire Detention Center seemed to quake as vibrations spread.
‘Found them.’
All the diseases hiding here began to get dragged out in the face of the power of the death goddess, Keres.
With a final warning to the Saint,
“Saint!”
“Yes?”
“Bow down!”
Although momentarily surprised, the Saint immediately bowed.
After confirming the Saint’s safety, I released my power.
The blue wave that followed the spread of black energy surged forth across the space, capturing diseases like prey.
Death swept diseases with precision like a blade,
instantaneously wiping them all away.
As black energy clashed with vibrant blue energy, they filled the space in chaotic spirals.
A vortex of chaos and destruction enveloping everything here appeared.
But—.
With a simple sound of closing the book, everything calmed.
The power of Keres that enveloped the building all returned to the book,
and the power I controlled disappeared without a trace.
As if nothing had happened.
Only then did my tension dissipate as a deep breath escaped me.
“…Oof.”
Hadn’t used it in a while, so I got a bit of dizziness.
I swayed as soon as I put the book back into my pocket dimension.
The Saint quickly approached and steadied me.
“…Ah, thank you.”
“Are you okay? Your complexion seems off.”
“That’s because I focused too much. Ah, what was I going to say…”
“Let’s sit over there and rest, alright?”
I slowly nodded.
Following the Saint’s hand, I slumped onto a nearby bench.
Finally able to catch my breath.
As tension eased, my body grew weary.
As I subtly closed my eyes, I heard an urgent voice beside me.
“Mr. Death! Snap out of it! Don’t collapse!”
“No, not to that extent. But there were certainly a lot of diseases here… exhausting.”
“What do we do… Healing magic maybe….”
“There’s no use. I just need to rest a little.”
Immediately, the Saint leaned forward and offered me her shoulder.
Warm hands carefully supported my back.
“Yes. Lean on me as much as you want.”
A soft yet firm voice.
I didn’t resist and slowly leaned into her.
Comfort and warmth enveloped me.
The heavy sensation in my body was relieved by her warmth.
“…Just a moment. I’ll stay like this for a while.”
“Yes. Take your time. Does it hurt?”
The Saint continued to look at me with worry.
Then, reached out to touch my forehead ever so lightly.
“…You don’t seem to have a fever.”
“Gods don’t get fevers.”
The Saint bit her lip softly and mumbled quietly.
“I wish I knew more about gods… If I did, I could have figured out whether Mr. Death is in pain, and what I need to do to help…”
Hearing her mutterings, I slowly looked down.
Her words carried feelings beyond mere concern.
It wasn’t just a surface-level inquiry about well-being; there was a sincere longing to understand my condition.
I chuckled softly and leaned in closer.
“I’m not exactly sure why, but I feel quite comfortable and good like this.”
“…Oh, that’s good, then.”
Her voice wavered slightly but she added more strength to her support,
almost as if trying to make me more comfortable.
I closed my eyes with a soft smile.
“Yes. I feel better thanks to you.”
“If you feel tired next time, don’t hesitate to let me know. I’ll always be here for you.”
“I’ll pass. This is too relaxing, I might get spoiled.”
At those words, the Saint hesitated for a moment, then blushed and muttered quietly.
“I think being spoiled is actually better…”
“Please don’t be honest only about this.”
“But it’s the truth.”
Even with her head bowed, her faint gaze was resolute.
Perhaps it was a stand she wasn’t willing to back down from.
I smiled as I looked at her.
“Considering how dishonest you were in other matters.”
“…M-me?”
“Yes. Why you didn’t want me to leave, you didn’t say the important things and only made up excuses to hold me back. Honestly, I’ve already given you so much leeway, don’t you think?”
At that, the Saint’s eyes flickered greatly.
Caught off guard and fumbling, she finally realized there was no room for excuses and looked like she was about to cry.
“…I’m sorry.”
“Will you do it again?”
The Saint flinched and fell silent.
She looked up at me with tears in her eyes but couldn’t answer right away.
I gently caressed the Saint’s face and smiled.
“It’s not that I’m angry about you holding me back, it’s that you didn’t tell me honestly.”
“…I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”
Her voice was much smaller.
But it held sincerity.
Her response was so endearing, I pinched her cheek playfully.
“Next time, please be honest from the start. No more excuses.”
“…Yes.”
Finally, I had enough energy to move properly, though some fatigue remained.
I needed to press on.
I stood up slowly and said to the Saint,
“Let’s check. Are the diseases gone or still lingering?”
“Yes. But are you sure you’re okay? Shouldn’t we rest longer?”
“Yes, I’m fine now.”
I rolled my shoulders lightly and chuckled.
To my words, the Saint examined my condition once more before carefully nodding.
“Yes, then let’s go.”
The Saint stepped ahead and started walking.
I paused for a moment to gaze at her retreating figure before following her slowly.
“By the way, Mr. Death.”
“Yes?”
“What was that book? And how did you eliminate the disease?”
“…Eh.”
The Saint’s question momentarily complicated my thoughts.
‘Using the power of disease from Keres’ abilities, I tracked the pathogens and then reversed it…’
How could I explain it simply,
without causing unnecessary worry?
After pondering various thoughts,
“Localized epidemic prevention?”
“I don’t understand what that means.”
“I don’t either. Somehow, it’s been resolved. End of story.”
The Saint exhaled but chuckled and didn’t press further.
I smiled quietly as I followed her.
After all, good results are enough.
With that, we continued our walk.