Chapter 364

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Evan D. Sherden, End of the Play (2)

The boy named Name, born in Merdin was born different. He was different in a bad way. He was born with a weak body, and his poor parents didn't have the power to protect such a child. In the end, the parents ended up abandoning the child. They were killed by thieves on their way back, but that's a different story. The child had to take care of himself with money he earned through little errands here and there. Name, who was absurdly weak, therefore incapable of working properly, wasn't welcomed anywhere, and abuses, curses, and violence were part of his daily life.

"If only his looks were better, he might have a better use."

"That freaking bastard, he is just creepy even when someone is talking to him."

"Black hair and black eyes. I'm certain he is the son of a devil. A child born between a human mother and a devil!"

But Name didn't want to be born that way. No, he didn't want to be born in the first place if life was full of agony and hardship. However, he was born, so he had to live on. That was the duty of those who live. Moreover, taking one's own life was something unacceptable. In the merchant kingdom of Beifeka that had the undead dungeon of Merdin with it, people praised and valued life, so the young boy tried his best to survive while believing in such teachings of his kingdom. It was his tough spirit and grit that allowed him to survive by himself.

"Hey, you."

"...?"

"Come with us to the dungeon. We will hire you as a porter."

But Name's luck ended there. He was recruited by a party that wanted to enter the dungeon, so he ended up going into the Merdin dungeon half-forced.

"No, I don't want to."

"If you go below the dungeons, you can become stronger! Here, follow us. Don't be a wimp and run away!"

The boy protested that he didn't have the strength to carry the baggage, but it didn't work. The party neither had the ability nor the money to find a new member, and they were planning to offer him as a sacrifice if needed, so they recruited him. However, the wicked party members ironically died first. They fell into a trap on the second floor, which got them surrounded by the undead, so they all died. It was good of Name to run all the way to the first floor with all his might, and he passed out at that point, but that was the starting point of the game Yo-Ma Great War 4, although he wouldn't have known.

The player begins with controlling the powerless Name to escape the dungeon as the prologue of the game, and it is at this point that the player realizes the helplessness of the god race, who wasn't able to level up even a little bit (Name did clear the first floor as a party member, but he couldn't level up due to his insufficient contribution). However, in the process of struggling to survive and wandering around frantically, the player reaches level 2 by gathering enough contributions for leveling up. According to the game's actual story, he escapes the dungeon and sells his loot; then, to become stronger, he tries to enter the Merdin Dungeon, where he gets caught by a slave trader, which leads to a forceful transfer to Sherden. And during the travel, the entire group gets slaughtered by an attack from middle-staged monsters where he escapes and enters Sherden by himself, which starts the first chapter. But things didn't turn out that way in this world.

―A poor boy is lost and wandering around.

In front of the boy who started running and tried his best not to scream after losing his party...stood a gentleman in a nice suit.

"You. You are?"

―I'm here to save you.

The gentleman told him stories he hadn't heard in his lifetime and offered him a hand.

―I can clearly see the curse which God has placed on you. It would have been difficult to live with such a weak body full of disease.

"How, how did you...?"

―Follow me. I'll give you the strength to take revenge on those who made you like that.

The gentleman didn't give a long explanation, but that was already enough. Name was so confused that he couldn't make an intelligent decision, and the gentleman's offer was too fascinating.

"A power? To take revenge?"

―Those who have given you a rough and difficult destiny as they please, then call it a trial. The cowards behind the stage who aren't satisfied if humans don't follow their will and just thinking of them give off a feeling of disgust.

The gentleman engraved a vivid fire emblem onto the cornea of Name through his captivating smile and his eyes, and he spoke the last words that set Name's course of destiny.

―It's to take revenge against the one who calls himself God.

Name followed the gentleman and found himself in a home inside the dungeon. The gentleman partly told him the secrets of the dungeon and the world. That the Devil created the dungeon, and that to be triumph over the curses of God, he needed to accept the power of the Devil and explore deeper into the dungeon.

―God impudently claims you as his children. They say that they've given you the trial to make you stronger and that your growth is what they truly intended.

The gentleman acted like he was throwing up as he cursed God.

―They are the most despicable creatures among anyone else! They've occupied the dungeon made by the Devil and have been fooling the clueless humans! Without having the slightest attention to your hard-lived days, they will even claim your progress of getting stronger as theirs while overcoming their curses as their contribution!

"Why have they given me the curse?"

―It's because you are a chosen child of the Devil. God, who ostracizes everything except himself, defined Demons and Devil as evil beings. We were born as what we are, but God considers us to be evil, and he tries to persecute us!

"I was just born that way."

The gentleman's theory was full of flaws, and it was too biased, but Name deeply sympathized with his words since he didn't know the past the Demon tribe held in the continent.

'Yeah. I was just born in this world, but I had to carry all those burdens.'

Just because he was weak, ugly, and his parents abandoned him, he had to withstand the violence and blames that weren't his fault. He had been told that the Demon tribe and the Devil were absolutely evil, but nobody cared to explain to him the details. Looking at himself, he was no different from a Demon. It was because he was considered a sinner without reason!

―The reason why they've put a shackle on you was all because of that; so that you will die before getting strong enough to realize the truth!

"How cruel...!"

―More awful things happen once you get over your curse and become stronger after conquering the dungeon. God, who failed to kill you, will try to brainwash you in a different way. Just like what they've done to the other children in the past.

Having a weak body was a benefit in return in order to gain strong power in the dungeon, and that it was God and not the Devil that granted them powers. So, they would talk nonsense about getting even stronger to defeat the Demon King. The target of revenge must be God, who placed the curse on him!

―It was a horrifying deception! How dare they speak thoughtless words to you, who is on the verge of death even before entering the dungeon!

"Yeah...right. I lived a very, very, very difficult life so far."

Name clenched his teeth and mumbled at the gentleman who failed to hold back his emotions and started shouting. The gentleman patted the boy's head, who was enraged.

―But things won't go like that anymore. The Devil is looking after you. Conquer the dungeon, and there he waits for you to reach him. You will meet him if you don't get fooled by God's trickery and silently advance forward.

"The Devil..."

―And to achieve it, I shall...

The gentleman consoled the boy once more and spoke in a soft voice.

―...support you with everything.

The eyes of the gentleman shined darkly. The poor boy took all the words of his Savior with all seriousness, and it engulfed his body and soul when a skill was activated. And the name of the skill was Charm.

* * *

Name received powerful weaponry from the Demon along with his skills, which made it possible for him to clear the dungeon floors. God tried to persuade him with somewhat convincing stories like what the Demon said, but Name never listened. That couldn't hinder God from bestowing the blessing of level-up, so he had to boost his abilities while sighing. All he could do was not grant him skills.

―They are children who share the same fate with you.

"H-...hi."

"Please take care of me."

"Me, too. I'm here, too."

As he grew in strength, his companions grew in numbers. All of them were children who had black hair and eyes and were cursed by God. Their bonds became stronger since they were on the same boat.

Although they had to stay hidden in the dungeon without being able to improve their situation, their bonds grew stronger. As they traveled deeper into the dungeon through cooperation, they grew stronger, and they were able to learn the skills from the Demon tribe. However, such days didn't last for long. The Demons who were against the will of the gentleman approached them.

―Incubus King, I never knew you were fooling around.

―It's not for you to say while hiding in Merdin because you are scared of Evan D. Sherden.

―That monster can't be beaten for now.

The unidentified being...those who just looked like mere 'humans,' argued with the gentleman with words Name couldn't understand.

―Do you think you can win by clumsily copying him by nurturing these young ones? It's a foolish act. Just join our plan instead!

―In sealing Merdin? Ha, what a stupid plan. What are we afraid of to the point that we have to hide from the human behind the shields!? Let me give you a piece of advice. Stop what you are doing. You are trying to stop the resurrection of the Demon King!

―Even the Demon King wouldn't desire to fight against that man. At least for now! We are trying to buy some time!

―Yeah, that's what you said before when running away. But how did your revenge turn out after recovering your strength? You got defeated without accomplishing anything, and that human had captured your queen, and now she is pathetically cooperating with the humans!

―In order for us to have the queen pay the rightful price, we need to stay hidden for now!

The negotiations fell apart. The gentleman called upon the children and cast his magic. When the children realized what was going on, they were already outside Merdin, and Merdin was completely sealed off by a large-scale magic circle.

―We are different from those cowards. If we defeat the hunting dog that follows the will of God...'Evan D. Sherden,' they will realize we were right.

The gentleman led them to a new region. Although there was no more dungeon exploration, the children honed their skills through powers and mana that had been accumulated over time.

Since then, two years had passed, and they headed back to the dungeon. The 'Sacred Guild,' the gentleman's conspirators, went to Sherden, while the party led by Name went to Pellati.

―The time will soon come.

The gentleman spoke.

―The one who follows the will of God...Evan D. Sherden must be punished, and we will raise the flag of revolt!

"Everything will go as you wish."

Name firmly spoke as he held the hand of the gentleman. And the gentleman held his hand with a gentle smile.

―I trust you, Name.

"I will prove myself worthy of your trust, Gradreka."

And a year after, they finally had their chance. Name's party was moving from Pellati to Sherden through the dungeon's deep floors, and they were successful in starting the Great Backflow according to the gentleman's wish, although there was a slight hindrance. And an encounter happened there.

With a foolish, fanatical boy who followed Evan D. Sherden, the archenemy of Gradreka.