Chapter 26: The Goddess of Judgment and the Water God’s Wrath

“Let’s take these and head outside.”

Osman gathered the resistance members at their base and spoke.

He gestured toward the various pieces of evidence that Seyul had stolen.

“With this proof in our hands, there’s no need to hide any longer. “

“We’ll go out there, expose the truth to the monsters, and bring them to our side!”

Osman was determined to lead the resistance outside and make a public speech.

Watching him, Seyul frowned slightly.

‘Will this really work?’

The evidence was solid.

If they presented it to the public, it would likely stir up some reaction.

But there was no guarantee that things would go exactly as Osman planned.

Even so, there was no better alternative at the moment.

Seyul followed the resistance members outside.

“Hmm?”

“Who the hell are these guys?”

It was broad daylight.

As the resistance members marched into the heart of the city in a large group, all eyes turned toward them.

The passing monsters looked on in confusion, their faces filled with surprise.

“Everyone, please listen to me!”

Most people would falter under so many staring eyes.

But Osman, brimming with confidence, raised his voice without hesitation.

“This is proof that the high-ranking monsters who govern this city and their subordinates have been sacrificing our fellow monsters to the Drain!”

As he boldly revealed the evidence, an uproar broke out.

The proof was undeniable, leaving no room for doubt.

Realizing that their supposed protectors had been secretly feeding on them, the crowd was shaken to its core.

“You’ve all seen it with your own eyes. If we continue like this, we’ll all end up as their prey sooner or later.

If we want to survive, now is the time to fight!”

Osman roused the agitated monsters, fully expecting them to rally behind him.

“…But can we actually win if we fight?”

Surprisingly, their response was lukewarm at best.

Rather than anger, fear dominated their expressions.

“How are we supposed to win?”

“We’re doomed!”

“We should just run away!”

The monsters panicked, their fear pushing them toward retreat.

Watching their pathetic display, Osman’s face fell.

“E-Everyone!”

Flustered, he desperately tried to regain control of the situation.

“There’s nowhere to run! No place is safe anymore!”

“But that’s still better than dying in a fight we can’t win!”

“There is a chance to win. If you all join me”

“Shut up!”

Osman’s passionate speech was drowned out by the furious outbursts of the monsters.

“Osman, you of all people should know better.”

“No matter what we do, weaklings like us will never be able to defeat high-ranking monsters like you!”

“Our attacks don’t even work on them since we can’t wield magic! What are we supposed to do?!”

The gap between high-ranking and low-ranking monsters was insurmountable.

For generations, lower-class monsters had been conditioned to believe that resistance was futile.

Fighting was simply not an option in their minds.

Meanwhile, in the real world, viewers watching the scene unfold found themselves nodding in agreement.

[Huh, this feels oddly relatable.]

[Yeah, this kind of thing happens in real life too.]

[There were soldiers who flat-out refused to fight against Kaiju because modern weapons didn’t work on them.]

Back in the early days, before hunters had fully established themselves,

there had been cases where the police and military had abandoned the battlefield after realizing they stood no chance against the monsters.

Given that precedent, it was hard to blame the monsters for refusing to fight.

And to make matters worse

“And Osman, why should we trust you?”

Even their view of Osman, the leader of the resistance, was cold and filled with suspicion.

“You’ve been acting strange lately. What’s with all that Uhyohyohyo nonsense?”

“Oh, that… That was just an act to avoid suspicion…”

“Bullshit! You’ve been running your mouth about other people’s wives, calling them ‘fine females’ and whatnot.

And not too long ago, you dragged some silver-haired girl into a back alley in broad daylight!”

Osman’s attempts to act like a thug had backfired spectacularly.

His excessive performance had ruined his credibility, and now, no one wanted to follow him.

[Oh my god.]

[Gold Sun strikes again…]

[Playing the role of a sleazy scumbag can be a solid strategy, but…]

[Why Gold Sun of all people?!]

As Osman’s recklessness came back to bite him, the viewers let out collective sighs of disappointment.

“This is pathetic.”

Osman and the resistance were floundering.

Watching their failure unfold, the Black Knight sneered.

“This was always destined to happen. Low-ranked monsters were never going to take the lead in this fight. “

“Looks like you and I will have to wipe them out ourselves, Seyul.”

The Black Knight called Seyul’s name in a hushed voice.

They had grown close enough over the past few days to address each other casually.

“We should at least see this plan through before giving up,” Seyul replied.

He had expected things to turn out this way, but he wasn’t about to quit so easily.

“Come with me.”

He gestured for the Black Knight to follow and led him somewhere.

The two entered a clothing store.

“I don’t have any money, so you’re paying.”

“H-Hey!”

The Black Knight was dumbfounded by the sudden request.

Completely unconcerned, Seyul let him handle the bill and freely browsed the clothes.

‘This should do.’

After selecting an outfit that fit well and suited his tastes, he began undressing.

“Gasp!”

The Black Knight froze.

Someone he knew an unbelievably beautiful woman was casually stripping in front of him.

<Huueung has donated 400,000 won.>

<Unicorn has donated 700,000 won.>

<Black Bear has donated 500,000 won.>

<Animal Kingdom has donated 300,000 won.>

<Misaka has donated 100,000 won.>

Even though his body was concealed by light, the viewers who hadn’t seen him change clothes in a long time went wild with donations.

Oblivious to the fact that he had just earned millions in an instant, Seyul put on the new outfit.

Ignoring the stunned gazes, he stepped outside.

The moment he emerged, the street fell silent.

A monochrome dress adorned with white frills.

A classic Gothic Lolita outfit.

Dressed in elegant finery, Seyul’s presence was mesmerizing.

Even in s*ave rags, he had been beautiful. But now, properly dressed, his radiance was overwhelming.

It was as if a divine goddess had descended in human form.

Both the monsters and the resistance members were completely captivated.

With all eyes on him, Seyul spoke.

“My name is Seyul. Some of you may not know me, but you’ve probably heard of the title I bear the Second-Generation Ruby Hero.”

A brief self-introduction.

“I plan to fight the high-ranking monsters ruling this city alongside the resistance.”

” But it seems that’s not what you want.”

He scanned the crowd with jewel-like eyes framed by long lashes.

“Are you afraid of fighting? That’s understandable.”

” Your opponents are beings you can’t even injure. “

“You believe that fighting them is nothing more than throwing your lives away.”

But

“I’ll fight anyway! Even if it’s a lost cause, even if they’re far stronger than me! “

“I refuse to cower and suffer I’d rather die fighting!”

He spoke without a clear plan, simply voicing his own emotions.

“So I’m going. If you want to follow, then follow. If not, then don’t.”

With that, he turned on his heel and walked away, heading straight toward the enemy’s territory alone.

“What the?”

“Hey!”

Osman and the Black Knight were dumbfounded.

After dressing up and giving a speech, he simply left.

What was he thinking?

But then something unexpected happened.

“Ahem.”

The monsters exchanged glances.

One by one, they began following Seyul.

At first, just a few stepped forward, but soon, more and more joined in.

‘Just as expected.’

Leading the march, Seyul wasn’t surprised.

He already knew the effect his presence had.

‘Even in the other world, just showing my face was enough to boost morale.’

His beauty alone was a weapon.

In the past, someone had even called him a “strategic asset” because of it.

The title he had earned The Silver Valkyrie was proving just as effective in this world.

Even in a game world, he was leading an army.

Simply by walking forward, his forces grew.

Monsters throughout the city, entranced, followed behind him.

“What’s going on?!”

“What is this…?”

As the commotion grew, the high-ranking monsters and their faction finally took action.

They hurried toward the source of the uproar—only to freeze in place.

Every monster in the city, except for them, was now following behind Seyul.

“W-Who are you?!”

The voices of the high-ranking monsters, who usually looked down on lower-ranking creatures and humans, now carried a tinge of fear.

The sheer number of monsters following Seyul was alarming enough.

But even more terrifying was Seyul herself.

Draped in an almost divine beauty, she seemed less like an enemy and more like a goddess descending to judge them.

“This is the new Ruby Hero, Lady Seyul!”

Sensing the shift in momentum, Osman urgently shouted.

He even used an honorific, calling her “Lady,” to elevate her status further.

“The ancient legend has returned to punish you for your sins!”

“N-No, that’s ridiculous!”

“Are you really going to deny it even after seeing her with your own eyes? Look! Behold this divine beauty!”

Did beauty have anything to do with ancient legends?

Osman himself had no idea.

But since the enemy was already shaken by Seyul’s appearance…

And their own side seemed to be following purely based on her looks…

He figured saying whatever sounded convincing was good enough.

“C-Could the Ruby Hero really have returned?!”

And it worked.

The enemy trembled in fear.

The fact that Seyul’s silver hair had nothing to do with Ruby didn’t matter.

Her radiant, goddess-like presence had stolen away their ability to think rationally.

“Surrender. Your defeat is inevitable.”

Watching the scene unfold, Osman was now certain of their victory.

Even if the enemies had bolstered their strength using Drain, their side still had the Black Knight and Seyul.

On top of that, they had numbers on their side, and now, the enemy’s morale had plummeted.

There was no way they could lose.

‘Huh, do I even need to do anything?’

Seyul hadn’t lifted a finger, yet the enemies were already terrified.

Even she began to wonder if she needed to step in at all.

But then something unexpected happened.

Just as the enemies were on the verge of surrendering,

A blue doll-like figure appeared, blocking their path.

[So, you went and tattled to the Fire God, huh?]

A cold voice rang out.

The Water God had arrived.

[Thanks to you, I went through quite a hassle. Now it’s your turn, you snitch.]

With a voice filled with resentment, the Water God unleashed its divine blessing upon the enemies.