[Death and Beauty blinks.]
To be precise, they were “things” that looked like Tae Woon. Posters of all sizes were plastered across every inch of the wallpaper. Display cases overflowed with plush dolls and ball-jointed dolls the size of elementary schoolers. There were life-sized body pillows over two meters long, bed sheets, countless figurines, cross-stitches and jigsaw puzzles hanging on the walls, keychains and photo cards in overwhelming numbers—
All of them were Tae Woon.
“……”
Faced with undeniable proof that the host of the Eid Portal had some connection to Tae Woon, everyone fell silent. As an awkward silence settled over the room, Pi Minhyung placed a hand on Tae Woon’s shoulder, feigning seriousness.
“Another stalker?”
“……”
“I thought I’d seen every kind of merch you, Eunho, and Hangyeol made and sold—but there’s stuff here I don’t recognize. Or did the host craft these by hand?”
“……Fuck.”
Tae Woon clutched his forehead in frustration. Meanwhile, Kim Sibaek stepped further inside, surveying the room. Judging by the intense surge of demonic energy, this entire space was likely the internal core of the Portal Keeper. More importantly…
He opened a display case and pulled out a plush doll. Dressed neatly in a tiny suit, the doll even had a scar on its left cheek. Kim Sibaek brushed the scar, then gave the body a squeeze. It was soft and squishy—adorable. Just like Tae Woon’s belly had been when he was little, back when Kim had fed him so well that he’d plumped up with baby fat he could be proud of.
“They sell dolls like this now? It’s as cute as your childhood belly. Where can I buy one?”
“Hyuuuuung…”
[Death and Beauty says she can’t even imagine that guy with belly fat.]
“Kids shouldn’t just have belly fat. They should chub up all over from eating well. Anyway…”
Kim Sibaek suddenly clenched the doll tightly. It began to squirm—then burst with a pop, spilling not stuffing, but the organs and bodily fluids of a monster.
That marked the start of the final attack guarding the core—launched by living Tae Woon-themed merchandise.
“AHAHAHA! Living, moving merch—this is every degenerate’s dream come true!”
“Shut the hell up!”
I remember telling Woonie that creepy story about dolls that come to life at night. He was so scared he couldn’t sleep…
Even as he fell into that memory, Kim Sibaek slashed wide with his saber. One side of a display case and the goods inside it were smashed to pieces—but they regenerated almost immediately. They seemed to be dividing and multiplying on their own.
Doesn’t seem like they’re copying Woonie’s ability, though.
That aside, what exactly was Tae Woon’s awakened trait? Kim Sibaek hadn’t heard it properly. He glanced at Tae Woon, who was wielding a long, black, spear-like weapon with his left hand.
The merch was multiplying far faster than the Hunters could destroy it. While individually lacking in offensive power, the creatures clumped together like a massive slab of flesh, devouring everything around them as they grew—consuming their surroundings with monstrous hunger. They were oppressive just by being there. Whatever this was, born from gluttony, it would surely feast on humans too.
“Why is Tae Woon Oppa’s life-size body pillow practically naked? It’s disgusting. A visual crime. What’s the purpose behind this thing? Narcissism? Trying to show off your body?”
“I didn’t make that!”
“Oh, come on. They drew your chest huge. Your boobs aren’t that big, are they? Is this some wish-fulfillment fantasy of yours?”
“You’re dead. I swear to God. You fucking pervert.”
Pi Minhyung and Seo Gaeun, delighted at having found ammo, kept teasing Tae Woon even as they tore through the monster merch—but the rate of replication was still accelerating.
The Hunters were already worn out from the prolonged battle. Bit by bit, their formation was pushed back until they were forced to retreat beyond the lounge. The supposedly indestructible department store walls cracked under the creatures’ pressure with a sickening crack—and the moment they split, they were swallowed whole by the devouring beasts.
Muffled screams echoed from down the hallway, where civilians had taken shelter. Gwak Yoonsang’s face tensed. Honestly, having three S-ranks had given them some breathing room, but the Portal Keeper had turned out to be far more powerful than expected. Portal Keepers of this caliber were incredibly rare.
“G-Guildmaster, is it not… possible to swallow all those, uh, monsters—or merch, or whatever they are?”
“They’re multiplying faster than I can eat them. Unless I expand my domain to swallow everything—including the people—it won’t work.”
In other words, it was possible—if he killed everyone else along with the Portal Keeper.
Tae Woon’s expression didn’t change, but his reply drained the blood from the faces of the other Hunters, not just Gwak Yoonsang.
While cutting down the monsters, Kim Sibaek asked,
“Any other ideas?”
“External damage works, so we need to trigger their replication, collapse the department store, and pound the area. If the building breaks apart, we should be able to spot where the core is exposed.”
He said it casually, but it wouldn’t be easy. Even if the team was full of battle-hardened Hunters, provoking monsters, collapsing a structure, and evacuating civilians—all in a live battlefield with no prep—was far from simple. Especially when they had civilians to protect.
Kim Sibaek gauged his Divine Power. If he squeezed every drop, he might be able to do it once. But draining an Apostle’s Divine Power would damage even the god they were connected to. And on Earth, Divine Power was extremely limited. On top of that, Biendeoé was only here in Incarnate Body form.
Reading his hesitation, Biendeoé responded first.
[Death and Beauty grants her permission.]
“Thank you, Lord Biendeoé.”
[Death and Beauty replies: though your god may be weak, young, and powerless—she is still divine.]
With Biendeoé’s permission granted, Kim Sibaek took a step back. The sudden gap in their formation caused the Hunters to falter in confusion, but Kim Sibaek’s voice remained as composed as ever.
“Woon, could you cover for me for about five minutes?”
“Alright.”
Tae Woon’s answer came easily, without a trace of doubt—no questions, no hesitation. The hole left by Kim Sibaek’s retreat was filled immediately.
Standing with his saber upright, Kim Sibaek closed his eyes and began to recite a prayer under his breath. In a world overflowing with divinity like Mak Slechth, this might have been done with a simplified rite—but not here.
The light radiating from the Apostle of God gradually grew brighter and more intense. Hunters battling at the front felt strength surge into their bodies as the glow reached them, while the civilians watching anxiously from behind were wrapped in its warmth, comforted by the soothing embrace of the divine.
“…Thus, your servant humbly prays.”
The monsters reacted violently, instinctively recognizing the light as a threat—an apex predator. They lashed out, snarling with renewed fury. But their rampage was halted—intercepted entirely by Tae Woon.
His shadow spread out before him like thick, dark liquid, consuming everything it touched. Charging beasts, shattered debris, even a weapon dropped by a panicked Hunter—all swallowed whole.
It was a complete reversal. The Portal Keeper, which had relentlessly multiplied and devoured everything in its path, was now being devoured itself. The tide of grotesque monsters stopped mid-surge. If they had throats and mouths, they would have screamed.
Their exponential growth slowed. Then the mass split, extending outward in both directions, as if fleeing from the spreading shadow. Tae Woon’s darkness followed, expanding its reach.
A chilling suspicion dawned on Gwak Yoonsang.
Wait… has he been pretending to be weak this entire time—even now?
Suddenly, it struck him: despite fighting such an overwhelmingly powerful Portal Keeper, no one had sustained serious injuries. Was Tae Woon really faking weakness, all while subtly shielding the others from harm? Was this not just skill, but a show of control so theatrical it bordered on a performance?
And Kim Sibaek—how do his eyes even work, if he can look at someone tall enough to tower over a vending machine and still see him as frail and delicate?
While Gwak Yoonsang stood shivering from the realization, the other Hunters scrambled to reposition themselves, trying not to be swallowed by the expanding shadow. Tae Woon covered every gap they left behind, single-handedly holding back the monsters.
All of it had happened while Kim Sibaek prayed, his eyes still closed.
Then, at last, Kim Sibaek opened his eyes. Gazing out at the sea of monsters that blotted out the horizon, he slowly lowered his saber in a deliberate arc, like a blade carving down the sky.
The final line of the prayer left his lips.
“O Death—take what is no longer beautiful.”
The god answered her Apostle’s call.
In that gluttonous domain, the absolute decree of death descended.
And in that moment—they witnessed a miracle: complete and utter annihilation.
