Ubermensch – Chapter 120

Chapter 120

Mason made an awkward expression.

“Me? Become a god?”

“Monotheistic faiths may be the trend these days, but being a god isn’t all that great. As I’ve said before, a god is just a person with a special talent. A person with the talent to turn people’s hearts into power.”

“A god.”

Mason made an awkward expression.

“Isn’t that too grand?”

The Ghost Dragon scoffed.

“A god who is burdened by becoming a god. You’d be a perfect god of self-contradiction.”

Ignoring the Ghost Dragon’s mockery, Yekaterina said,

“If the word ‘god’ is too burdensome, we can call it something else.”

“Alright, fine. But how do we do that?”

“You know that myth spell you received, Mason? Think of it as having more people cast that spell.”

“Would that really make a difference?”

Mason asked with a dubious look.

“Didn’t I tell you before that I’m stronger than Thor?”

“Yes, you did.”

“Thor is a tremendously famous god. In Norse mythology, he’s the strongest being in the entire world. If I, a mere cyborg, am stronger than him, isn’t being a god not that big of a deal?”

“He’s famous now, but how many people do you think shared the worldview of Norse mythology back then? Even if you include everyone who had heard of Thor, it probably wouldn’t have been more than a million people.”

The 8th to 11th centuries, when Vikings flourished, relied on oral traditions, books, or letters for information transmission. Even with carrier pigeons or mounted messengers as the most advanced information media, it would have been unreasonable to consider mythology as urgent information worth rapidly disseminating.

The primary means of information transmission were songs and bards.

In contrast, the modern era possesses countless faster and more efficient means of information transmission.

“And if things go as I think…it could work out even better.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I’ll tell you when it’s certain. In any case, it’s something worth trying.”

Yekaterina said calmly.

“It’s better than a confrontation between the Destroyer and the Evil God, where only misfortune will remain regardless of who wins.”

“…Alright.”

“Then let’s begin.”

Yekaterina said with a calm expression.

“Now, Mason, you’re going to become an idol of hope.”

“…What?”

Mason stared blankly.

“What is that…?”

“You said being a god is burdensome. Then we should replace it with the closest word: idol. An icon.”

“No, that’s… It’s true in a dictionary sense…”

Mason suddenly imagined himself as an idol.

A 2.5-meter muscular giant, dancing on stage in a flashy outfit.

“…”

Mason said with a serious face.

“I’ll become the God of Hope.”

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Yekaterina said,

“The most important thing is to resolve the current chaos.”

After discussions with the UN, Mason prepared for a press conference that would be broadcast worldwide.

Yekaterina spoke in a calm voice,

“Give people hope. So they can do what they need to do.”

Mason nodded.

The mere realization of the Destroyer’s existence had plunged people into confusion and fear.

“Even if… it’s a lie.”

Whether they could win or not was irrelevant. If someone was trying to kill them, if violent malice was approaching, people had to unite. To fight back, or even to flee, they had to overcome fear and despair.

So Mason stood before the podium.

Countless cameras were focused on him. Hundreds of videos would be recorded. Thousands of news reports would be broadcast. Billions of people would see and hear him.

“Many of you have heard the rumors. Yes, the rumors are true. The Destroyer is coming.”

Only the will and words of one man.

“Our universe is narrower than we thought, and crueler than we thought. The stars in the night sky are not romantic entities, but ominous and destructive beings.”

Mason spoke with a calm expression.

“However, that is no reason for us to despair.”

Cold sweat ran down his spine. The fact that every word he uttered was being broadcast to the entire world, that all of humanity would be evaluating and judging this speech, weighed on Mason with a heaviness that even his Barbarian strength couldn’t bear.

“Human history has also been a history of trials and tribulations. There have always been difficult moments. There have always been moments when we wanted to give up, saying it couldn’t be helped. But humanity has always surpassed its limits and always found new hope. We endured the Ice Age, overcame smallpox, and ended the World Wars. Human wisdom and courage have walked on the moon and grasped nuclear power in our hands.”

Nevertheless, he wanted to be that hope.

He wanted to be the future for the people of the present. He wanted to be the hope for those in despair.

“Now, the Destroyer is approaching from beyond the night sky. And we can either tremble in fear as we face it, or we can face it united as one. I will confront the Destroyer. I will fight it, even if I’m alone. But… I believe I won’t be alone.”

Therefore, with a clenched fist, Mason declared,

“I come from the 28th century. And I… believe without a doubt that humanity will endure and prosper until the 28th century, and beyond.”

The cameras shut off, and Mason let out a long sigh.

Yekaterina smiled at him.

“Well done.”

“Can this really become hope?”

“Hope and despair are things that happen within the hearts of individuals. At the very least, it can be a vaccine against the plague of despair. I don’t know if it will be a cure, though.”

True to her words about a vaccine against despair and frustration, the various organizations that had been paralyzed began to function again, albeit imperfectly, after Mason’s speech.

Even if it wasn’t perfect efficiency, at least minimal functionality had been restored.

“You’re from the 28th century, Mason.”

“Yes, though not the 28th century of this timeline.”

“But you didn’t mention that fact.”

Yekaterina said in a calm voice,

“People will misunderstand. They’ll think you overcame this crisis, overcame the Destroyer, and arrived in the 28th century. Mason, who came from the 28th century, will become a symbol of hope itself.”

“But that’s… a lie.”

Yekaterina laughed.

“A white lie.”

Yekaterina proceeded with various plans alongside Mason.

“If the means to travel between dimensions is with the Spirit King, and the means to search dimensions is with the Laughing God… then we have to get their cooperation, whether we like it or not.”

“But how?”

“The reason the Spirit King isn’t cooperating is because of the current situation. Conversely… it means they could cooperate if the situation changes.”

Yekaterina looked at the Ghost Dragon.

“Can we win over the Laughing God?”

“He wouldn’t want to be forgotten either. He might compromise if the condition is sparing his life.”

“Then let’s compromise with the Laughing God and obtain the means to search dimensions. And we’ll use that to bargain with the Spirit King. We’ll ask for the technology to travel between dimensions. That way, we can make both of them our allies.”

Mason crossed his arms.

“Will that be possible?”

“We won’t know until we try. Trying and failing is better than not trying at all.”

She was right.

Mason looked at the Ghost Dragon.

“Let’s go. To Pyongyang.”

“…You’re talking about me giving you a ride as if it’s a matter of course now?”

“Don’t want to?”

“I don’t want to.”

The Ghost Dragon growled.

Mason just stared at him with his arms crossed.

With an expression that said,”Be as annoyed as you want.”

“I don’t want to… but there’s no other choice…”

The Ghost Dragon lowered his body.

Mason mounted the Ghost Dragon.

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North Korea was a sealed city.

Countless people were under the control of the Laughing God, but raid boss-level monsters surrounding them were tightly blocking both the North Koreans and the Laughing God from escaping.

However, the Ghost Dragon and Mason forcefully pushed their way through that tight barrier.

As the Ghost Dragon landed at the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun, a man approached Mason.

He was a thin man with cloudy eyes.

“Are you the host of the Laughing God?”

Mason asked, and he nodded.

“Yes.”

“Let’s cooperate. Or you can call it a deal.”

“What do you want, and what will you give?”

“The Destroyer is coming. You don’t want to be trapped in Pyongyang and be destroyed, do you?”

“I don’t want to be forgotten.”

“I’m going to fight the Destroyer. Cooperate with me.”

After a moment of contemplation, the Laughing God spoke.

“I want to know what you’re thinking. Allow me to read your memories.”

“…Alright.”

It wasn’t something he liked, but they had agreed to cooperate.

Mason showed him his mind without resistance.

After reading Mason’s mind, the Laughing God exclaimed in admiration.

“Indeed. So that’s your plan…”

“Huh?”

Mason tilted his head.

‘He’s impressed by such a crude plan?’

However, the Laughing God readily agreed.

“I will cooperate.”

Returning to Gwangju, the Ghost Dragon carried both the Laughing God and Mason on his back.

“With the Laughing God, we should be able to find another dimension to migrate to. Then we can bargain with the Spirit King.”

“Right.”

The Spirit King also needed the Laughing God’s help.

They didn’t refuse the offer to cooperate.

Yekaterina asked Mason,

“Can we use the Soldier that sank in the ocean?”

“It’s become the Destroyer’s puppet. We can’t use it.”

“Who took the Soldier?”

“The Destroyer?”

“No. The Specter.”

Yekaterina looked at the Laughing God and said,

“You can control the Specter, can’t you?”

“I can’t control it, but I should be able to eliminate it.”

Yekaterina looked at Mason.

“You said the Soldier can be manually controlled?”

“Yes. But its performance is degraded.”

“The Laughing God eliminates the Specter, and Mason gets in the Soldier. Any problems?”

There weren’t any.

“Then how do we get there? It’ll take weeks by boat.”

People looked at the Ghost Dragon.

The Ghost Dragon grumbled.

“Damn it.”

Mason salvaged the Soldier.

Time was fair. While people were spending time, the Destroyer was also approaching every second.

From far away in the sky, the Destroyer’s shadow began to be visible to the naked eye.

“A collection of Battlestars, Soldiers, and Knights…”

Looking closer, the Destroyer was a massive mechanical legion. They were approaching in formation, like a human figure.

The Destroyer’s grasp was crushing the moon and reaching towards Earth.

“We’re running out of time.”

Mason looked anxious.

The detailed plans were being carried out one by one.

But before anything took shape, the Destroyer was approaching.

Before humans could do anything, the hand of destruction would arrive.

“I’ll buy us some time by taking the Soldier. Kacha, you continue with your plan.”

However, Yekaterina smiled quietly.

“No. My plan is already complete.”

“Huh? What?”

“I told you, didn’t I? I’d create a god of future and hope, Mason.”

“…What?”

The Battlestars, the Destroyer’s grasp, were approaching.

Leaving behind the hand that was about to crush Earth, Yekaterina’s hair fluttered in the rushing wind.

“Go, Mason. To another world.”

She said with a smile.

“We’re too late, but we might be able to save another world.”

“But you… said you’d save this world.”

“That was a lie.”

Yekaterina gave a calm smile.

“A white lie.”

“Don’t tell me you…”

The Spirit King could travel between dimensions. The Laughing God could find a place to dimension-hop to.

He should have realized it sooner.

Yekaterina wasn’t preparing to ‘fight the Destroyer’.

She was preparing to ‘help Mason, who would fight the Destroyer, escape’.

“You were planning to send only me to safety? Really?!”