The World After the Bad Ending - Chapter 41



40 – Lightning Assault

In the dark classroom.

Lightning Summoner.

To summon him, Grantoni was busy preparing necromancy in the classroom.

He drew a large magic circle with goat’s blood and sprinkled bone powder of unknown origin on it.

After preparing this and that for a while, Grantoni soon showed satisfaction.

“It sets the mood.”

“Grantoni, this doesn’t really mean anything right now.”

What Grantoni was trying to do was necromancy, after all.

He had never heard of such restrictions in using necromancy.

“Hehehe, in these things, atmosphere is everything.”

As if anyone would doubt he’s a weirdo.

He just did it because he wanted to.

“So, who do you need to summon?”

Did he forget in the meantime?

“Lightning Summoner.”

“No, not that nickname, the name.”

Oh, right.

There’s no way a lightning summoner would come out just by calling with necromancy.

“Varkavaran.”

The northern part of the empire.

The highest mountain range in the world.

That’s the barbarian name for it.

“Heh heh, I’ve got it.”

Grantoni stood at the center of the magic circle he had drawn, his teeth clicking together.

Then he took a classroom chair and sat on it backwards, the backrest pressing against his chest.

“I’m going to call it now. Wait, be quiet.”

Grantoni is a soul conjurer.

And among such soul conjurers, he possesses the greatest talent.

A being more familiar with the dead than the living.

A small ossuary.

He isn’t called by such a creepy nickname for nothing.

As the light in Grantoni’s skull eyes faded, the atmosphere around him began to change slowly.

This classroom was transforming into a place that summoned death.

At some point, my steel skin began to tremble in response to death.

A bizarre, chilling energy slowly swept over my entire body.

The colors of the scenery changed.

The colors drained away, and the surrounding scenery turned to shades of gray.

This meant that this space had now entered the otherworld where souls reside.

The reason Grantoni is evaluated as the most talented soul conjurer.

Grantoni’s unique trait.

Otherworlder.

He is the only living being in the world who can freely traverse the otherworld.

And he knows it too.

That if he stays in this otherworld for too long, he will someday be unable to return.

Yet he keeps stepping into the otherworld.

Because he is searching for someone.

‘And that is.’

At some point, he gives up.

The mad wizard.

The final battle with Vinesha in Act 4.

Grantonni is given two choices.

To stay in the hidden world.

Or to stay in the real world.

‘If he stays in the hidden world.’

Grantonni will bloom into another disaster.

In the hidden world, Grantonni spends the happiest time.

But because of that, the world heads straight to one of the 38 bad endings.

‘Directly to the hidden world.’

On the other hand, if Grantonni chooses reality, only eternal separation and despair await him.

The happiest time and eternal despair.

What to choose is up to Grantonni.

‘And I.’

Even though I know all of Grantonni’s circumstances, I must make him stay in reality.

‘Is it still a bit far off?’

Looking around the hidden world, a bitter smile forms.

This gray world, devoid of any vitality.

A place where Grantonni will spend the happiest time.

That much, reality must seem grayer than the hidden world.

“Varkavaran.”

As Grantonni began to call, the window swung open and the blackout curtains fluttered.

With that, the harsh northern wind rushed in fiercely.

The cold was so biting that I almost let out a sound involuntarily.

Thanks to the experiences I’ve had, I’m used to heat, but not to cold.

Moreover, my skin is steel skin.

It is greatly affected by temperature.

My body shrinks from the cold, and my teeth chatter.

‘I should get some resistance to cold.’

Considering the things to come, cold resistance was essential.

I need to get it quickly.

As I was giving myself immediate feedback, Grantonni stretched his hand towards the ceiling.

“Barkavaran.”

He calls out once more.

Boom!

The sound of thunder echoed through the fiercely blowing wind.

It’s coming.

The moment that thought spread through his entire body.

“Barkavaran!”

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

With the lightning blazing across the sky, the surroundings ignited with light.

For a moment, I was blinded and blinked my eyes.

Then, as my vision slowly began to return, I saw a figure in the smoke.

The figure, whose legs were faint, had terrifying lightning-shaped scars all over his body.

He slowly looked around with a grim face.

It seemed like he was searching for something.

As he turned his head, his eyes met mine.

He was silent for a moment, then furrowed his eyebrows.

Soon, he snorted with a face that had lost interest.

[ Impossible. ]

I think I just heard some incredible nonsense.

“Hello, friend!”

At that moment, Grantoni suddenly stuck out his skull head from behind the man.

Seeing the skull head, the man swung his fist in fright.

But his fist passed through Grantoni’s head.

Well, it should, since he was already dead.

The one who had been struck by lightning 108 times even after death and lived.

Barkavaran.

He was the one who called down the lightning.

“Hehe, your punch is spicy? This friend here called you because he has some business with you.”

[ Annoying. Send him back. ]

“Come on, have a chat. He’s an interesting friend.”

Grantoni earnestly persuaded Barcavaran.

He made sure to repay the value of the pendant he received.

Despite his eccentric personality, he is a good guy who does what he is given.

[ Huh, what a bother. ]

Barcavaran, who was consistently annoyed, sat down on the ground.

[ Speak quickly. ]

I smiled faintly.

It was him who asked what it was about.

“How did you end up assaulting the lightning?”

Barcavaran closed his mouth.

＊ ＊ ＊

Lightning Summoner, Barcavaran.

How did he become the Lightning Summoner?

To explain the process is quite a gruesome story.

Because he assaulted the statue of the lightning goddess worshipped in the village.

How does one assault a god’s statue?

I don’t know either.

But he did it.

And as a result, he was struck by lightning one hundred and eight times.

[ …Assault, I don’t understand what you mean. ]

Barcavaran feigned ignorance.

Boom!

Then, the sound of lightning echoed once again from the other world.

Barcavaran flinched, his shoulders trembling as he shrank back.

It was the lightning he was struck by one hundred and eight times.

It must be imprinted in his body.

“I know everything. Why are you denying it? Let’s not do this. Look, even the goddess is angry because you are denying it.”

[ Ahem. ]

Barcavaran repeatedly cleared his throat.

As I said before, he assaulted the statue of lightning.

And then, he was struck by lightning.

But it wasn’t necessarily because he was hated by the goddess of lightning.

To be precise.

It was jealousy from the goddess of lightning.

‘A notorious libertine.’

Disguised as a barbarian, a libertine who would stand up if he thought it possible.

After this mad libertine defiled the statue of the goddess of lightning.

For some reason, the goddess of lightning liked him.

It sounds absurd, but.

He was struck by lightning one hundred and eight times, all after he had lain with someone.

And each time, it was with a different partner.

“Wow, that’s impressive!”

Grantonni clapped his hands and laughed when he learned this fact.

“But didn’t the hundred and eighth lightning strike happen after he was buried?”

As he pondered, a question arose.

Grantonni asked.

I did not answer.

Neither did Varkavaran.

Only the sound of lightning falling outside the window was heard once more.

[…You’re digging too much into my personal affairs.]

“Personal affairs or not, it’s information that can be found with a little interest. It’s recorded in history.”

[He must be recorded as a remarkable figure.]

In many ways, he is indeed remarkable.

“So, to the main point.”

I didn’t call Varkavaran to talk about this.

What I wanted to talk about was something entirely different.

“The divine weapon that came with defiling the statue of the goddess of lightning.”

Divine weapon.

A special equipment that directly holds the power of a god.

However, except for a few, most divine weapons are sealed and treated as unusable equipment.

A certain divine artifact spews infinite seawater.

From noble mtl dot com

A certain divine artifact endlessly pours out disease.

Most divine artifacts could be considered a curse to humans.

So, a divine artifact is just a divine artifact in name.

Rather, they are treated as tools that should be sealed away.

Among them, the divine artifact of Varkavaran.

“Thunder Caller.”

Thunder Caller wasn’t named because of his nickname.

It was because the name of the divine artifact he took from the statue of lightning was Thunder Caller.

“Please, give that to me.”

And I came here to receive the Thunder Caller from Varkavaran.

A divine artifact remains in possession of its holder until they pass it on directly, even after death, until the soul of the deceased dissipates.

Knowing this well, I deliberately called Varkavaran.

[ …There won’t be any good in receiving the Thunder Caller, will there? ]

Varkavaran looked at me as if I were a madman.

The Thunder Caller literally calls down lightning.

A divine artifact that must be struck by lightning anytime, anywhere.

Anyone who asks for it is essentially saying they want to die.

But I need it.

The Thunder Caller will be my strongest move.

“Everything has its use.”

[ Do you want to be struck by lightning? Planning to die young, are you? ]

“Unfortunately, I’m doing this because I don’t want to die.”

It’s not that I want to be struck by lightning.

Realizing my sincerity, Varkavaran scratched his chin for a moment.

[ If I give you the divine artifact, what will you give me? ]

The already dead man was full of greed.

Reluctantly, I took out a book I had brought with me.

“Grantoni, can I offer this as a tribute?”

“Yeah, put it here.”

Grantoni pointed under his chair as if it was not difficult.

I carefully placed the book I had brought there.

Then, moments later, the book was in Barkabaran’s hands.

He looked puzzled and flipped through a few pages.

Soon, Barkabaran’s eyes widened.

“It’s called Gravian.”

Such things are common wherever people live.

In the underworld, where only the dead reside, such items are unattainable.

“For reference, I have a few more volumes.”

I lightly lifted the bag I had brought.

At that moment, I felt a jolt as if static electricity had passed through me.

Soon, something was placed in my hand.

It was a small ring to be worn on the finger.

A gold ring with a lightning pattern engraved on it.

A divine artifact, the Lightning Summoner.

[ The deal is sealed. ]

Barkabaran looked extremely satisfied.

I offered him all the remaining books as tribute.

‘Oh my.’

A divine artifact in exchange for a few Gravian books.

Even thinking about it again, it was astonishing.

I carefully put the ring on my index finger.

The jewel of the Lightning Summoner sparkled briefly along my finger.

[ One piece of advice. ]

Then, without taking his eyes off the book, Barkabaran spoke to me.

[ The Lightning Summoner leaves indelible scars on the user’s body. ]

He pointed to the lightning scars on his own body as he spoke.

[ And when the scars cover your entire body, your heart will completely stop. ]

It was no different from a curse attached to the Lightning Summoner.

A divine artifact with the power of a god.

The curse that follows a human who repeatedly uses the power of the gods is that their body cannot withstand it.

[ I don’t know what you’re trying to achieve by using lightning. ]

He walked out the window with all the books in his hands.

[ From the moment you use divine power, you enter the great wheel of fate.

In the end, it will be your fate that your heart stops because of the lightning storm. ]

“It’s okay.”

At my calm tone, Varkavaran made a face as if he was seeing something strange.

“Isn’t it true that fate is twisted by a greater fate?”

I quoted Sharin’s words.

After hearing the next words, he was silent for a moment.

[ I hope we don’t meet again in the other world. ]

Then he climbed out the window.

Boom!

The sound of thunder echoed once more from outside.

The other world that Grantoni had turned on began to slowly return to the original world.

In the meantime, Grantoni quietly looked out the window as if waiting for something.

Watching Grantoni’s back, I clenched the lightning storm in my hand.

‘Fate or whatever.’

There’s no time to cover it up when we’re heading straight for a bad ending.

With this, I’m ready.

‘Group battle.’

Let’s sweep them away.