Apostle of the Void

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]

Chapter 2 - The Void, A New Possibility of Life (1)

“Ugh, I’m so hungry…”

Hungry, hungry, hungry, hungry. I feel like I’m going to die from hunger.

Gurgle…

Holding his rumbling stomach tightly, Arjen quickened his pace.

‘Maybe I should have stopped in the city.’

He thought, but knew it was a foolish idea.

In the southern cities, there weren’t many adventurers cooperating with the Divine Guillotine.

He might even encounter survivors.

That’s why he had avoided all cities and stuck to these rarely traveled back roads.

‘Cities have ID checks when entering, which leave records.’

If he left such records, those leeches would definitely come after him…

‘So, I couldn’t even stop in a village.’

He had considered seeking help at one point.

But he was covered in a serious stench and drenched in blood.

He had to flee immediately due to the suspicious looks.

‘How many days has it been?’

He had managed to survive for 20 days after fortuitously finding a camel left outside the <Flowing Desert> by the Divine Guillotine.

But now, the camel was dead and food was gone.

The appearance of the Hydra had caused an abnormal rise in temperature, resulting in most of his food spoiling.

‘I want to leave.’

Still, he walked.

Even if it meant starving to death, he wanted to leave this continent.

With nowhere to go, he just wanted to escape.

He wanted to leave this continent where his parents had died and he had been treated like a slave.

So he kept walking.

Just walking north, under the constellation of the Ice Dragon.

But even that had reached its limit.

Dizziness… As stomach acid burned fiercely from his stomach, he tried to hold it back with his right hand.

“Is anyone there?”

A shout echoed urgently through the forest.

“Help!”

Arjen was startled and began to look around frantically.

‘Help…?’

Normally, the Divine Guillotine’s minions would have given instructions on how to act in this situation.

But now, Arjen was alone.

He had to make his own judgments and take action.

‘What good would helping do?’

A rational voice said.

‘What benefit is there in helping?’

This world is full of bad people.

It’s common to get betrayed after helping.

Those who help and those who are deceived are fools.

"You, who willingly extend a hand to those in need of help,Will not be free of guilt if you turn away from such a call."

The verse from the scriptures came to mind, but Arjen stopped and faced the sky.

It wasn’t worth reconsidering.

Arjen had never received such help himself.

‘So I won’t help either.’

One step, one step.

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He moved away from the urgent cries for help.

But his steps grew heavy and stiff, and within ten paces, they came to a halt.

‘Why…?’

This was the world Arjen had learned.

This was how Arjen knew to live in the world.

Yet, why?

‘Is that my voice from childhood I've been hearing?’

It was when his mother was dying from illness.

In those days, when he ran everywhere, pleading for help to save his mother...

He heard the voice from a time when no one would extend a hand.

“Ah, seriously, dammit!”

Arjen scratched his head until it bled.

Then, he finally turned his body around.

He turned and started running.

‘What’s the point of going over there, you fool! With no offensive skills at all!’

He cursed himself.

Frightened and hesitant.

Cautiously approaching the source of the voice, Arjen had to immediately crouch in the bushes.

‘Is it a Gnoll after all…’

Gnolls were low-level monsters resembling hyenas.

But that resemblance was superficial.

Real hyenas didn’t walk on two legs or wield clubs with their hands.

‘If I remember correctly, Gnolls are Rank G.’

The lowest level of monsters.

But like goblins, if there were enough of them, it changed the situation.

‘Five, seven, ten of them.’

There were ten Gnolls surrounding a cart, growling.

An adult and a child were back-to-back, aiming crossbows at the Gnolls in an attempt to scare them off.

However, reloading a crossbow took time, so they would soon be in trouble.

The Gnolls were sufficiently mature to attack humans.

In a pack like that, it was extremely dangerous.

‘Should I perform a miracle to protect them? Even if I do, will they be able to take down the Gnolls in time? Won’t they just abandon me and run?’

At that very moment, his mind was filled with various thoughts.

The scriptures appeared of their own accord.

Pages shimmering in dark green light unfolded before his eyes.

I, Rodenkal, create the Void, and this power is the power to see beyond phenomena.

Rodenkal?

What was Rodenkal?

Arjen had never heard of a god named Rodenkal.

After 4,872 attempts to contain the power beyond the event horizon,

The first successful grasp was the existence known as the Voidworms.

Kaz to Atkuras.

Deliver your will to those beings.

Though it felt more like a research log than a general scripture…

At that moment, his heart leapt.

One of the Gnolls let out a fierce cry, staring straight at the bush where Arjen was hiding.

“AuuuuuuuuuU!”

Then three more began to charge on all fours.

“Soon, the benevolence…”

He tried to recite a familiar scripture to create a divine barrier, but his tongue twisted in the urgency.

‘Damn, come to think of it, the Divine Guillotine has never failed to provide support, even if it’s just a bunch of garbage…!’

The Divine Guillotine was the Platinum Adventurers’ Guild.

Their system was well-organized, and their battle formations were excellent.

Arjen, as a support member, had never been so vulnerable to enemy attacks.

“Danger, brother!”

At that moment, one of the Gnolls that had been leading the charge leaped towards Arjen.

‘Fool, idiot, sucker. Why did you come here? Just barely escaped death.’

Perhaps it was partly survival instinct.

Or maybe some intervention beyond providence.

As he stumbled and fell while trying to retreat, he desperately read the passage indicated by the Void Scripture.

“Kaz to Atkuras!”

At that moment, a dark green mist suddenly swirled…

The Gnolls began to wail desperately.

‘This isn’t just mist.’

It looked like mist but was actually several flying insects… Voidworms.

These insects were voraciously attacking the Gnolls' bodies.

The Gnolls struggled desperately to shake off the insects, but it was futile.

“G, graaaaaaaa!”

It didn’t take long.

The Gnolls that had been about to attack Arjen vanished without a trace, leaving only their skins behind.

‘It’s not just insects. It feels just like those demons I saw before…?’

Of course, compared to the demons that massacred the Hydra, these seemed almost harmless…

‘But did I just summon this?’

Arjen himself couldn’t believe the power he had just used and blinked in disbelief.

“Grrrrr…?”

The Gnoll leader circling the cart watched Arjen with wary eyes.

Honestly, it was terrifying.

“What! What are you looking at! Are you trying to die! Do you think humans are so easy? Put some water in the pot? Chop up some green onions and make a Gnoll stew? Keep your eyes down and get lost!”

Bzzzzzz… The Voidworms resonated with the Apostle’s will.

The Voidworms that had been menacingly circling Arjen suddenly charged at the Gnolls.

Beasts and monsters can smell the scent of death.

They understand the hierarchy of power better than anyone.

The Gnoll leader began to flee in desperation.

The rest followed suit.

“Ugh…!”

Was it the backlash from using such alien power?

Nausea and dizziness surged over him.

‘What is this?’

Arjen sank to the ground.

‘Why does the backlash feel the same as when I overused miracles…’

Quickly, the Voidworms that had been chasing the Gnolls began to disappear.

Or rather, it felt like they were returning to another dimension.

The merchants, who had been staring in disbelief at the scene, hurried over.

“Are you alright?”

“Are you okay, brother?”

“Can’t you see if he’s alright or not… with your eyes? Is your head just for decoration?”

Then a bearded merchant chuckled. His son started snickering too.

“Ha, ha, hahaha!”

“Hih, hehe, hehehe!”

“Are they laughing?”

Fortunately, Arjen didn’t let any curses slip.

The merchants were carrying crossbows.

Humans were generally unreliable. You never knew when they might turn on you.

“Your skill with words right from the start is impressive. That bit about putting water in the pot was perfect. Ah, it’s refreshing. This is what an adventure is.”

However, the merchant didn’t aim his crossbow at Arjen.

Instead, he tossed the crossbow aside and helped Arjen to his feet.

“I thought I was done for this time, but thanks to you, I survived. I’m grateful. This is my son, Locke.”

“Like I said, we should go to Fire Dragon Road. It’s much safer there.”

“You fool, the real danger isn’t the monsters, it’s people. You’re no longer cut out to be a proper merchant. Tsk, tsk.”

The loud banter of the merchant and his son was cut short by the roar of Arjen’s stomach.

Gurgle…!

Embarrassed, his face turned bright red, but the merchant and his son burst into laughter again.

“You’re hungry, aren’t you? You look young but strong. You must eat well.”

“Eat this, brother. It’s very expensive jerky.”

To be treated so kindly and given such high-quality jerky and water despite being dirty and smelly…

‘These people must be good… Did they think I would think that?’

They might have poisoned the food.

No, if that were the case, they would have aimed a crossbow at his head already…

Gulp!

For a long time, reason and instinct wrestled with each other.

In the end, it was instinct that won over reason.

It was hunger.

“Oh my… not everyone is like the people from the Divine Guillotine.”

After wrestling with his thoughts, Arjen finally took a bite of the jerky.

The salty taste of the meat pleasantly caressed his taste buds.

At that moment, just as expected, the merchant and his son got straight to the point.

“If you’re willing, could you escort us?”

“?”

“Just to the City of Beginnings, <Orvenheim>. We plan to cross the continent by ship. We’ll pay you well as a reward for today’s work.”

“!”

“Since my son’s guild test requires us to travel alone, we’ve had to cut costs as much as possible. But at this rate, we’ll end up needing fare for the afterlife instead of passing the test.”

The City of Beginnings…

A port where one could cross the continent…

He wanted to board a ship there and cross the continent. But there was a problem.

“I can’t go to the city.”

The merchant and his son exchanged puzzled looks.

“Did you commit a crime or something?”

“Are you a murderer? You don’t look like one. I’ve never seen a murderer cry over jerky.”

“If he were a murderer, he’d have killed not just the Gnolls but us too and taken everything. Speak properly.”

“Sorry, brother.”

“Is that all you have to say after causing trouble? Hand over more jerky.”

Why can’t I go to the port?

Garrison had told him.

Every city on the Adrion continent has eyes and ears, so no matter where Arjen runs, they’ll find out immediately.

- You’d be shocked if you knew how much we’ve put on your head. Don’t even think about running.

There was no need to explain such a weakness.

“Or is it that someone will come after you if you enter the city?”

“……!”

“So that’s what you’re worried about. Don’t worry. Merchants have their ways.”

Could he trust such words?

He suspected they would sell him out the moment they met city guards…

Despite his realistic thoughts, his body was nodding along on its own.

‘Am I exhausted? Maybe, coming with them is the most practical way to escape.’

No, he just wanted to leave.

He wanted to escape from the land that had bound him for so long, as quickly as possible.

But there was no suitable method.

Above all, these people didn’t seem to be trash, at least compared to the Divine Guillotine.

“<Orvenheim> should take about three weeks. I’ll be counting on you during that time. Oh, but I didn’t catch your name. What’s your name?”

[Translator - Kiteretsu]

[Proofreader - Kyros]