In a World without God

Chapter 71

There are always gusts of wind in Rakura Canyon. The gusts of wind that whip through the canyon are said to sound like the roar of a dragon, hence why it's also known as the Dragon Canyon. It is located on the border of Karnak and Sijia, and is uninhabited due to the harshness of the soil and the difficulty of obtaining drinking water. That's what the world knows.

A woman with long black hair tied back was running swiftly through the canyon.

"Bronya, it's been a long time! You look as beautiful as ever."

Someone greeted her.

"Thank you, Mr. Lard."

"Oh, to think you remembered me."

"Me? You shouldn't say that. Didn't Lord Rudra say that all humans deserve to be loved?"

While she said this, Bronya thought to herself. Wretches, I can't stand having to converse with them

The man scratched the back of his head and said. "You're right, I misspoke."

"By the way, where is Lord Rudra right now?"

"Lord Rudra is over there...."

Bronya walked in the direction the man pointed. The green grass brushed against her ankles. The world would never guess that the Rakura Canyon would look like this. The soil on the ground was fluffy and moist, out of character for the canyon's terrain. From the soil sprouted a crop of blackened leaves and stems, each stem bearing a half-dozen fist-sized fruits. The blood-red fruit, they called it, the Gift of Rudra. A miraculous fruit that if you ate one, you would not go hungry for a hundred days; if you ate two, your organs would be revived; if you ate three, you would be rejuvenated. The people of Rakura, who lived on the fruit, never fell ill or grew old.

Bronya continued along the path and into the canyon, but someone stopped him and asked.

"Bronya there's something I want to ask you." a woman approached her.

Damn, I'm in a hurry! But Bronya had to obey Rudra's orders. Rudra told them to answer everyone in the canyon with kindness.

"We live happily, never grow old, nor get hungry. We never freeze in the cold nor collapse in the heat. Is it right for only us to enjoy this happiness? Shouldn't more people experience it?"

Broña replied. "Soon, it will be so."

"Why is it taking so long?"

"You are like a flock of gentle sheep, but what if a wolf in sheep's clothing gets mixed in with the flock? Fearful that the wolf will maul you, Lord Rudra is screening everyone to be allowed here."

"Oh...." The woman fell to her knees, overwhelmed with emotion. "To think that you would call us, a gathering of sinners, outcasts, tramps, and orphans, gentle sheep.... Each word of yours is our salvation."

What an overreaction. Bronya stifled her irritation and paced.

It wasn't hard to find where Rudra was. There was always a crowd where she stood. And the air around her was different.

These assholes.

One must not approach Rudra carelessly. One needs to prepare before approaching her. But these people, unaware, simply loved Rudra.

Bronya approached Rudra. A half-dozen men surrounded her in a corner where red crops grew.

"No, Rudra. You shouldn't be doing this, Rudra."

"What shouldn't I do?"

Her voice seemed to pierce the people's eardrums, echoing inside their brains. It was like a soft brush brushing the inside of your skull, and those who first heard it were stunned into ecstasy, unable to move for a time.