Banished from the herd, I was actually a member of a very rare species. ~With the unique skills that only I can use, I can grow and evolve quickly. I will become an unrivaled monster~ - Episode 137: Resolve
Episode 137: Resolve
(Note: Special for this chapter the MC’s dialogue is written in ‘…..’. Star God’s dialogue in <….>.)
‘Karkinos will reach this continent… the continent where humans live, in seven days, right?’
<Yes>
‘Actually, are there no humans living in the eastern part of this continent?’
<No. There are human settlements scattered throughout the eastern part of the continent>
Then, that’s the time limit.
I must kill the boss of the Chaos Beasts by then.
<That choice is unacceptable. Your failure will result in countless sacrifices>
‘Even so, I can’t just abandon other people.’
<Even if tens of millions of lives are lost, that is still within the bounds of this 〔Star Realm Gaia〕. However, if Karkinos devours the surface and threatens my existence, it will ascend to the Seventh Grade… the level of godhood. If it becomes an 〔Astro God〕, its grasp will reach even other worlds, including the 〔Star Realms〕>
‘Ugh…’
Another world… In other words, my home, Earth.
It seems that not only Earth but countless other worlds exist. And intelligent beings live there too.
The Star God’s caution is understandable.
‘Ah…, let me organize the information for a second.’
To defeat the Karkinos that’s going to land in a week, I need to get stronger.
Apparently, the most efficient way to do that is by defeating the “Ten Kings”, but they live far apart from each other.
Even with Paula’s help, defeating all of them in a week to max out my <Level> seems impossible.
‘…Hmm? Now that I think about it, Karkinos is already at max <Level>, right? So why hasn’t it {Evolved} to the Seventh Grade?’
<The steps of the 〔Soul Arche〕 do not naturally continue into the hierarchy of the gods. For a mortal to become an 〔Astro God〕, an extraordinary miracle is required>
“…If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be possible for Katsu to become a god capable of defeating Karkinos by humbly slaying the Star God?”
The Sage blurted out something outrageous.
‘Hey, hey, what happens to this planet if you kill the Star God? I don’t really get it, but wouldn’t killing the planet’s consciousness have some bad effects?’
“In comparison to the world’s destruction, it’s a minor issue. If the planet dies, natural |Mana| will no longer be produced, but the atmosphere and sunlight will remain unchanged, and living beings can still generate |Mana|. There’s no need to worry, especially about this country.”
‘Now that you mention it, you did propose ‘it’s fine to evacuate here’, assuming the planet would die. I guess that makes sense.’
But Karkinos would probably erupt on the surface.
Eventually, every forest and mountain touched by |Mana| would disappear.
<You misunderstand the premise. Self-empowerment through the seizure of 〔Soul Arche〕, and the {Evolution} of one’s Species is a function of my 〔Star Realm Gaia〕. To become an 〔Astro God〕, one must use their original hierarchy ability. For someone like Fuwa Katsu, honing his [Unique Skill] is essential>
‘…So, what exactly is a [Unique Skill]? That kind of thing didn’t exist in my world.’
That’s right. Earth, where I was born and raised, was a paradise of science. There was no magic or psychic abilities like this.
I had thought it might be a special power given by the gods, but it seems that’s not the case. If the gods know what it is, I’d like them to tell me.
<In 〔Star Realm Gaia〕, without exception, 〔Astro God〕 exists. They rewrite the laws of reality. As part of that process, hierarchy abilities such as Species and Attributes emerge… that is common. However, for some reason, Earth’s 〔Astro God〕 has not enacted any law changes>
The god, who had spoken confidently until now, suddenly became hesitant.
‘I get why Earth doesn’t have hierarchy abilities, but then why was I able to use them?’
<It was a defensive reaction of the 〔Soul Arche〕. The embryo of hierarchy abilities exists within the 〔Soul Arche〕. It sprouted when it came into contact with different laws. Your [Unique Skill] emerged in this manner>
So, the [Unique Skill] is a power born on Earth, which is why <Leveling Up> and defeating gods doesn’t allow me to reach the Seventh Grade.
‘Then, how can I use my [Unique Skill] to reach the Seventh Grade?’
<Unknown. I will say it again: it is impossible to reach the Seventh Grade using hierarchy abilities. Thus, to become 〔Astro God〕, one must perform a feat that overturns the laws themselves>
‘And one of those ‘law-defying feats’ is consuming a god, right?’
<If you are a magical beast whose <Soul Accumulation Level> is connected with your very own hierarchy ability, then you will be an 〔Astro God〕. If you are a magical beast whose <Soul Accumulation Level> is closely connected with the corresponding hierarchy ability, you can become an 〔Astro God〕 by your own murderous deeds. If you were originally from this 〔Star Realm Gaia〕, you would have been able to reach the Seventh Grade by slaughtering only one Beast King …… but speculating on ‘what ifs’ is pointless>
‘I see… So, in the end, I just have to kill it while still in the Sixth Grade, huh?’
<Yes>
The Star God confirms this blunt conclusion. Despite all the tangents in the conversation, the outcome is almost disappointingly simple. In the end, it just comes down to doing what I can.
‘But maybe that’s a good thing—it makes things straightforward.’
I’ve spent enough time grinding <Levels>.
The time limit is tight. But since the enemy is the king of my archenemy, the Chaos Beasts, my motivation and killing intent are doubled. It means my efficiency has quadrupled.
Thinking like that makes the situation seem not as bad as I first thought.
Then, together with the Sage, we asked about the necessary information, such as Beast Kings and |Stats|, until the Star God’s time limit for communication approached.
‘There’s still a ton I want to ask about Earth and other things, but I don’t have the luxury of time. Is there anything urgent we need to talk about before you go?’
<No. I never had much time to communicate from the start. I must now focus on recovery>
‘Take care of yourself. I’ll definitely defeat Karkinos, so rest up properly’
<…One last question. When exactly do you plan to challenge Karkinos?>
Naturally, the Star God didn’t forget our earlier conversation and pressed me for an answer.
I thought about leaving things vague, but it wouldn’t do to dodge the question now. I need to be clear.
After a brief pause, I conveyed my decision through [Telepathy].
‘I’ll challenge it when I’m ready to win.’
I couldn’t choose between saving many humans or many worlds.
I know that with just my Sixth Grade [Unique Skill], I won’t be able to defeat Karkinos easily. It’s clear that I should <Level Up> as much as possible before fighting it.
Enhancing my [Unique Skill] is the bare minimum.
I’ll do everything I can to get as close to max <Level> as possible. I’ll save as many as I can by doing whatever it takes.
<…The path you walk is your own. I have no authority to change it. I will respect your choice—good luck>
With those final words, the display shut off.
After exchanging a few more words with the Sage, I opened the window of the laboratory where I had entered.
──From here on out, it’s a race against time.
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