I Became the Guild Leader in Exile - I Became the Guild Leader in Exile chapter 69

69 – 13# Hades Guild (4)

Authority.

Some people call it a blessing from God, while others criticize it as a curse from God. However, the truth is that authority is a vessel that holds God. Yes, just like now.

Naturally, no matter how powerful the authority is, its effectiveness depends on the user. A weak authority can be used well by someone, while others may not be able to use it at all.

And when the utilization of authority reaches its peak, it can briefly summon God. Yes, that’s the trick created by gods who are bound by a contract and cannot descend directly.

Incarnation.

It’s the ultimate power that only those who can utilize authority to the extreme can use. For a brief moment, it summons God to this land by using one’s body as a vessel.

Persephone. No, the god who descended to this land through her body seems unfamiliar, directly moving her body and clenching her fists.

It’s probably her first time incarnating in a human body, so it’s natural that she’s not used to it. Then, this is an opportunity to strike while she’s not yet familiar with it.

Usually, people would think that way. However, Isaac didn’t move. Instead, he folded his arms and watched her calmly, as if waiting for her.

“Isn’t this the perfect time to attack?”

“Yes.”

“Why aren’t you attacking, then?”

“Because it’s cowardly.”

“Pfft!”

Her laughter burst out at Isaac’s overly confident response. It was an unavoidable answer. Cowardly? How long has it been since she heard that?

There are many fools in the world who only talk big. But she knew right away that the words coming out of Isaac’s mouth were genuine.

“I see, so that’s why Zeus and Hera praised him so much.”

It was extremely rare for gods to praise humans. No, to be exact, those two gods had never praised anyone before. And the first human they took notice of was Isaac.

So, she became curious.

What kind of human is he?

But, as it turned out, she knew.

He’s a rare, genuine hero.

Of course, she hadn’t acknowledged him yet, but… She smiled and pointed the tip of her scythe at Isaac, and that became the signal.

Flash.

Their fists and scythe clashed at an incredible speed, causing a massive explosion that shattered the ground and tore through the air. Even the surrounding heroes would be shattered just by being near.

At the same time, she swung her scythe in a diagonal motion and tried to strike Isaac with her opposite fist. However, he didn’t dodge and instead allowed everything to happen.

And yet…

There was no damage.

It felt like hitting an endlessly existing, massive wall that wouldn’t break no matter how hard you hit it. Is this the power of incarnation?

However, even in the midst of such despair, Isaac didn’t give up and tried to find a way to land a hit on his opponent. But any attack didn’t work at all.

From the start, authority was something received from God. It didn’t make sense to use the power received from God to harm God. She began to push even harder.

Neither speed nor power could compare to her opponent. In the end, Isaac was overwhelmed by her powerful attacks. Yet, he still didn’t give up.

“You’re foolish. Why are you enduring this until the end?”

It wasn’t a mockery, but a genuine question. Wouldn’t it be better to surrender or flee and plan for the future? Why was he enduring this?

In the end, it’s all futile.

The only thing left is death.

“Are you saying I should flee?”

Isaac’s mouth, which had been shut tight due to the overwhelming attack, finally opened again. However, his voice was not calm. On the contrary, his voice was filled with deep anger.

As if he was about to collapse, he stumbled forward, but the venom in his eyes had not yet died. With an unyielding determination, Isaac spoke boldly to her.

“My everything is behind me. How can I flee?”

With an unyielding determination in his firm voice, she whistled. As the king and ruler of the underworld, the most important thing was to read human deceit.

That way, she could understand the sinner’s guilt and atonement, and impose the appropriate punishment. And to her, Isaac’s words were all true.

“Really, it’s unusual. I’ve seen many people sacrifice their lives for the world, but to do so for someone else like that?”

Of course, there were many people who sacrificed their lives for their families. But even if they were close, to sacrifice their lives for someone unrelated by blood?

No, no.

There were a few cases like that, but…

What she found hardest to believe was Isaac Silverter’s heart.

Yes, he genuinely thought of them as his family. It wasn’t as if he had raised them from a young age, nor were they related by blood. They were simply acquaintances he had met a few years ago.

“They’re not just anyone. They’re my precious treasures in this world.”

Was it family just because they shared blood? Did they have to be together for a long time to be family? True family was about trusting and relying on each other, and sharing warmth with each other.

“Treasures? Those people?”

“Yes.”

She pointed to the people from the Iron Shield Guild who were approaching from behind. Isaac laughed and replied.

“What’s wrong? Isn’t it worth risking my life to protect them?”

The will that had been weakening was rekindled, burning fiercely once again. Ah, that’s right, that’s why Zeus fought so hard for humanity. For a single glimmer of hope.

Oh no, this can’t be happening.

I promised, I promised. If I break my promise, Zeus and Hera will definitely go berserk. But despite my thoughts, my body was already moving. Anticipation, and excitement.

The black sickle in her hand glowed with an ominous red light. As Isaac felt the ominous energy, he quickly tried to raise his fist, but a voice intervened.

“What choice will you make?”

In the face of death, which everyone feared.

“Master!!!”

With that, Isaac lost consciousness.

* * *

And when he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a deep darkness.

Surprisingly, Isaac knew where he was. The afterlife, or more precisely, the entrance to the underworld. Just like in the novel, there was no difference.

The darkness was so thick that he couldn’t see an inch in front of him. But he was aware of the river flowing in front of him. A black sea, like ink. And soon, a ferry would arrive.

Then, it would be the end. Unless Hades, the god of the underworld, intervened, there was no chance of revival. Strangely, he didn’t feel any special emotions.

“Is this the end?”

It was a battle of power and gods. Of course, with power borrowed from the gods, he couldn’t resist the gods themselves. Yet, Isaac didn’t back down.

Then, it was fine.

Just like before.

He didn’t flee.

Now, he could rest easy.

From noble mtl dot nete

The ferry approaching from the black sea was visible. If he boarded that ferry, everything would be over. Just like in the novel. But his feet wouldn’t move.

“Are you scared?”

The girl’s voice was heard. When I turned my head, I saw a girl with red hair, dressed in a white, Athenian-style outfit, looking up at Isaac.

“I’m not afraid. On the contrary, I feel a sense of relief.”

“But why are you hesitant?”

“Because I think it would be a shame if it ended like this.”

“Like that time?”

“……Yes.”

I once thought that I had to reveal the harsh truth to the world. War, civil war, massacre. If everyone knew, they could prevent it. That’s what I believed.

So I picked up my camera.

I’ve almost been killed by a stray bullet, and I’ve almost been caught by the government army that led the massacre. But each time, I managed to survive with the help of the locals.

“Do you regret it?”

Suddenly, the young girl had grown into a teenager. Isaac thought, hearing the voice of a woman on the verge of adulthood, who had risked her life to capture the truth.

However, it was often buried under scandals about celebrities or album news, and even fact-checking was neglected. It was a daily occurrence.

But.

If you ask if I regret it.

“I don’t regret it.”

“Why?”

“I chose this path myself.”

Yes. Even if someone doesn’t understand, even if it doesn’t change the outcome. I believed I had to do it. I chose this path.

There was no room for regret on that path.

“You already know the answer, Isaac.”

The red-haired woman smiled and disappeared. It was clear who she was, even without saying a word. Hera, the goddess who granted Isaac power.

How much she cherished him. She even came down to the underworld to enlighten him personally. It wouldn’t be bad to just leave things as they are, but it seemed impossible.

However, when the will to live becomes strong, the underworld pours down even greater despair. The black sea began to stir violently, like a stormy weather.

And then, a giant emerged from the black sea. It was the guardian of the underworld and the embodiment of death that could not be refused.

The god of death.

Thanatos.

Covered in black, it was like a giant made of mud. Just looking at it was terrifying, and I wanted to flee the scene immediately.

It was unavoidable.

Any living being would fear death.

That was the same for Isaac.

However, Isaac gritted his teeth and stood up. And instead of running away, he charged towards the god of death, Thanatos. He had no regrets about the path he chose.

“It’s just death.”

A massive hole was pierced through the giant’s body, which was heavier than anything and could crush anything. And as Isaac looked at the fallen giant, he finished his words.

“Don’t block the path of men.”