I Realized It Was an Academy Game After 10 Years

“Nineteen.”

‘This is a nightmare…! It can’t be happening!’

Amidst the world in chaos, the faces of the gods, who had been grinning at their plan to seize dominion over this realm, now held the terror of death.

‘Why the hell is that guy here just when we returned?!’

They were confident that handling Kalon would allow them to reclaim dominance over this world, yet they were being ruthlessly defeated before they could even aim for revenge against Kalon.

The god of war, skilled in combat, was shattered in an instant, while the gods unaccustomed to battle desperately resisted, only to be hunted down one by one.

‘Why the hell?!’

“What the hell is your reason for this to us! We just wanted to take back our home!”

“This is no longer your home.”

“We were born here!”

A voice filled with grief echoed within the barrier. Johann glanced around at the gods, who were glaring at him with resentment.

The gods had been banished for their weakness.

If they hadn’t returned to this place, they could have lived, no matter how pitiful.

He clicked his tongue and pulled the shovel out of the heart of the nameless god.

God’s blood flowed.

Blood enough to stain the desert red.

“Soon, a forest may grow in the desert.”

He smirked and started looking for his next target. Some of them showed signs of trying to flee, but ironically, the barrier they had set up for protection was blocking their escape.

“Release the barrier…”

“If we do, our position will be exposed!”

“Idiot! We’ve already been found, which is why that guy is here!”

As the gods quarreled, showing signs of infighting, Johann seized the opportunity and lunged at the god standing at the front.

“No matter how strong you are, you won’t be able to break through the shield I create!”

The confident blacksmith god, Tubalkain, thrust his shield forward and braced for the shock that would travel through it. If he could block the intruder’s advance, the gods would surely rally to his aid.

Just a little longer, and he would be able to face the intruder’s corpse.

It was in that moment of thought.

“You may have spent your life hammering away in a corner, but you don’t know how to fight. Crafting.”

“What did you say?”

Tubalkain instinctively questioned the mockery leveled at him.

Then, thorns erupted from his shield and mercilessly pierced through his entire body.

“Is there a need to pierce? I can just return it to you. Eighteen.”

The dying cry of the blacksmith god echoed across the desert. With holes riddling his body, he lay down on the scorching sand. The golden-brown sand absorbed his blood and turned into a red stain.

“Tubalkain is dead!”

“No way!”

“To make a shield like that!”

Confusion spread among the gods. The ones skilled in combat were swiftly slaughtered, leaving behind those unaccustomed to battle.

As their champion fell helplessly, the spirits of the remaining gods visibly waned.

Without losing momentum, he used Tubalkain’s body as a stepping stone to leap. Like a predator hidden in the thicket pouncing on its prey, he charged at the closest god and immediately swung the shovel.

“Seventeen.”

“Do whatever you want! If this continues, we all die!”

“We just wanted to return to our homeland! Why is this happening…”

The gods scolded Johann in voices steeped in sorrow. Their hopes of returning home and dreaming of a rosy future had been shattered and buried in the desert.

There was no option to flee.

They didn’t want to return to the cold, dark land beyond this warm world. Therefore, they couldn’t escape, even if it meant death here.

No one wished to live the life of a fugitive.

The young god who was once the god of hunting shouted with a voice mixed with anger and despair.

“Kalon’s hunting dog! I’d rather be humiliated by that filthy betrayer than…”

As the handsome young god said that with a terrified face, the surrounding gods gasped and covered his mouth.

That was the most important taboo they had to uphold.

Johann wiped the blood off his shovel, taken aback by the sudden reaction of the god, and observed the situation for a moment.

‘I’d rather…’

He realized from the context what the god was trying to say.

“Try if you dare, cowards.”

At his provocation, the god of hunting pushed aside the hands of the gods and shouted, veins bulging from his neck.

“Just because you say so, you think I can’t do it! Observer! I accept your offer!”

With the heart-wrenching shout of the young god, the space began to tear.

And what appeared were eyes. Eyes. Eyes. Eyes. Eyes.

Countless eyes peeked through the torn space. Johann felt a mild headache.

[What the—so boring.]

A voice that was hard to distinguish whether it belonged to a female, male, child, adult, or elder. A bizarre voice layered with many voices revealed itself within the barrier.

“I will contract with you! Observer!”

‘Is that the enemy I have to fight.’

Johann felt his hands sweating from the overwhelming presence.

Perhaps, it could be the most powerful and despairing being he had ever faced. The god of hunting called upon the observer in a fit of desperation, who lazily narrowed their eyes and surveyed the gods before asking.

[Are you guys… not gonna do it?]

It didn’t take long to realize that it wasn’t a question at all. The tentacles that came out of the torn gap wrapped around their bodies.

‘How big is this thing.’

Should he attack?

However, recognizing that leaping in now would be futile, he decided to silently watch the situation unfold.

He understood well that fighting a powerful enemy with almost no information was nothing but suicide. He was an expert in survival above anyone else.

“I don’t want to!”

[You, be quiet.]

The screaming god’s body was crushed by the tentacles, like a potato salad. Seeing that, Johann contemplated whether he should shout seventeen or just remain silent.

If left alone, it seemed the being would manage the gods. But he couldn’t help worrying about the contract the god of hunting had shouted, so he tightened his grip on the shovel, ready to move at any moment.

For now, it didn’t seem like he was of interest, so depending on the situation, he could either withdraw or fight more.

[Squish squish. Squish squish. Heehee~]

The observer beyond the space grinned and moved the tentacles wildly, like molding dough. The harsh cacophony of screams and moans intertwined in a symphony filled the desert.

Purple or gray-whatever shade it was-glimmering tentacles dripped with red blood and flesh.

And it seemed that the observer was not satisfied with that alone, as he began to cluster the tentacles to form globs of flesh. At that moment, the screams ceased, and only the sound of flesh squishing filled the space.

‘This is insane.’

Was it a mistake to try to understand the outsider’s thoughts? He dismissed the thoughts and continued to observe what the outsider was doing. The Quartz family’s protection was shielding him from mental corruption, so he had to keep an eye on what the observer was doing.

Any piece of information could be a precious card that could bring him victory.

‘As Hecate said, their personality is like that of a child.’

The most troublesome type to deal with. Children are inherently capricious. It was impossible to predict when they would throw a tantrum.

‘Did you really put this kind of thing as a true ending?’

[Hehehe~]

Like a child playing with clay, the observer chuckled brightly as he gathered the gods and began to squish them together. With a plop, he set the lump of gods down on the floor.

[It’s playtime with dolls!]

“…Doll play.”

[Then let’s have fun!]

‘…So, he casually makes a golem out of gods on the spot.’

He sighed as he watched the lumped gods squirm. He didn’t know how strong that lump would be, but at the very least, he judged that it would be more challenging than dealing with the remaining gods.

Just like the saying “together they live and scatter they die,” the weak gods had come together, so they’d be stronger now.

“We… we…”

“Quartz… will die…”

The heads clustered together, with arms protruding chaotically and a dozen legs sticking out.

A being that completely twisted the definition of ‘life’ gazed at Johann Quartz collectively, filled with the intent to tear him apart.

It was too numerous to count, with eyes stuck everywhere.

Expressions filled with hatred as if they wanted to rip him apart right now.

Johann chuckled at the sight and extended his left hand, naturally raising his middle finger.

“Do you think you can beat me just because you’re huddled together?”

“Quartz…!”

“Come at me.”

He raised the shovel to guide what was once gods to their deaths.

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