Episode 476: A temple located at the northwest end of the Torre Kingdom in the western part of the continent.
Archbishop Dalan, who is in charge of the place, was continuing his retreat in the prayer room to repent for the relics stolen by the apostate Harman several months ago.
A penance that decorates the beginning and end of the day with a prayer to a statue of a god.
As the archbishop of a temple at the northwest end of the continent, avoided by all high-ranking priests with a taste for money, there was not a single ounce of skill in his penance.
Then one day.
At the end of his asceticism, he heard a revelation from God for the first time in his life.
– The advent of Gibrik Kassel is just around the corner.
– Accept my power and preach God’s will on earth.
– Those who uphold this will will enjoy eternal life in the garden of the gods.
Although he did not understand the meaning of the first revelation, thick tears flowed down Dalan’s thin cheeks as he felt a holy wave in his soul.
Soon, he opened his eyes in the same prayer position and his vision was filled with an auspicious light.
When Dalan blinked his wrinkled eyes a few times to adjust to the light, he revealed himself as the reason for his asceticism.
It was Aurum, a sacred relic of Ageron, the disappeared god of gold and commerce.
“This can’t be right!”
Tears continued to flow from the overwhelming emotion. The opportunity came to him to become an apostle only recorded in history books, rather than a saint or saint like the current Pope.
Dalan tried to control his overwhelming emotions and prayed to God once again.
After saying the prayer from beginning to end, he raised his shaking hands and stretched them out toward the holy relic in front of him.
“…I will follow God’s will.”
The moment when skinny hands finally touch the sacred object.
– Wow!
The pain that felt like his soul was being eaten by a huge beast attacked him.
A scream came out of his mouth as he felt a terrible sensation that was completely different from his thoughts.
Of course, the screams of the soul that could not be uttered out of the mouth were not heard at all by other people.
And after a while.
Crack.
“It’s so big! Ah ah…”
Dalan shook his head back and forth and made a sound as if phlegm was boiling for a while, then sighed.
“My body is so weak that I fell. Tsk, no matter how urgent the situation is…”
Dalan’s appearance, massaging his arms and legs here and there as if he was unhappy with something, quickly changed even in the short time he was complaining.
His remaining gray hair changed to rich blonde hair, and his wrinkled face regained the handsome appearance that had made him quite popular in his youth.
Dalan, with a satisfied smile, looked around at the changed body as the muscles appeared nicely even on the ungainly thin body.
“Hmm, even if I remodel my body, I guess class 8 is the limit. That’s pathetic. Humans…”
Dalan smiled for a moment and then clicked his tongue as if he was disapproving, and even his voice had already changed into that of a healthy young man.
And that moment.
[The loss of divinity is enormous. Don’t waste time, just gather together.]
The message of Aion, the god of water and agriculture, echoed in his head.
Tsk.
“Since when did Blue serve as the leader? Since ancient times, the leader of the dragon race has always been our Gold, Aion.”
Perhaps because I felt the desires of living things again the moment I descended, Aion’s attitude of giving instructions was very annoying.
However, it was impossible to change the order that had been decided since the ascension.
Moreover, the urgent thing right now was to stop Zibrik’s descent. There was no time to argue about something that had already happened.
“What kind of trouble is this even after more than 2,000 years have passed?…”
This is all because of a conscienceless robber who is trying to take away the owner’s fish farm.
“The dimensional wall is already getting thicker.”
Thanks to this, the divinity that would have taken a thousand years to gather was lost in this one ‘forced descent’.
Even the body that descended like that was at the worst level, so I couldn’t help but feel annoyed.
Daran Ageron, who was testing the limits of his muscles and bones with a displeased expression, frowned even more as if he was displeased.
“Let’s see the real end this time, Jibric.”
It’s not even a lizard like Amunda, so why did it cut its soul into several pieces and hide it?
“If you get rid of it, it pops out, and if you get rid of it again, it pops out again… It’s like a disgusting thing.”
This time, we will find all the remaining pieces of his soul and permanently destroy them or place them in ‘dimensional isolation’.
[Ageron.]
“I’m going, I’m going.”
The moment when he answers to the voice that is looking for him as if speaking to himself.
Dalan’s body disappeared without a trace.
* * * After making several spatial jumps, I saw a human city in the distance.
A city of humans so large that it was unimaginable 2,000 years ago.
I remembered that even Grand, which was called their sacred place, was less than half the size of that city.
“…I don’t like it anyway.”
Watching the crowds of humans floating in the air didn’t feel good at all.
In the old days, I would have gotten rid of them all, but now that I had come to know the taste of divinity that their souls gave me, I had no choice but to leave them alone.
He was looking down at the city with a strange feeling.
“It’s late, Ageron.”
‘Five’ colleagues appeared around him along with an unfamiliar voice.
Among them, Dalani, the incarnation of Ageron, frowned slightly as he looked at the middle-aged man engulfed in a bluish aura.
“…To fix my miserable body.”
“Atran and Anima, who had no choice but to choose the next best option due to the apostate’s actions, arrived before you. Anima even took care of the affairs of the Holy Kingdom. To solve the problem of the Irregulars.”
“I blame stupid Amunda for that. Same goes for that bitch Arya, who couldn’t even swallow a human properly. And I don’t think Argar is here yet?”
When he mentioned Argar, Aion’s face hardened for a moment.
“…It seems like Argar was attacked by the incarnation of Zibrik.”
“What!? What nonsense!”
“Because it is not connected to the main body, I cannot understand the details. However, in the worst case, it is correct to believe that the incarnation of Zibrik already possesses the power to defeat at least one apostle.”
“Perhaps he has reached the level of a god…”
“Hasn’t he concluded that that is impossible? Only magic is possible to reach the level of a god.”
“…But even so, it’s the worst. No, I guess he was just stupid and let his guard down.”
As he snorted and spat out the words, the pulse of the stocky man with brown aura all over his body became faster. Unpleasant emotions were revealed through energy rather than through unfamiliar physical expressions.
“How could Argar be that stupid? Aion’s judgment is right, Ageron. Don’t forget your dignity as a god just because you descended into a human body.”
Then Ageron’s waves also became stronger.
At best, it is a seed that descends into a human body and becomes a pudgy person along with its main body. The only one whose body became inferior after becoming an apostle was that stupid guy.
Besides, since when did the leader of the dwarves dare to raise his head and argue with a dragon?
Perhaps because he descended into a human body, Ageron felt emotional turmoil for the first time in a long time, and spit out those thoughts without filtering them out.
“Dignity? God? Haha. Don’t be mistaken, Atran. Just because he is called the god of land and mining, it is difficult to mistake him for being truly a god. We still haven’t escaped the shackles of demi-gods.”
At those words, the waves of other colleagues also began to grow stronger. Because what he said just now was to offend the Nine Ministers.
God must exist alone. Only a perfect being who does not need to elevate his status by swallowing the souls of lower creatures can be called a true god.
Like the true creator of this world who doesn’t care how high the level is or the lower level.
“To that end, we gathered together to eliminate variables that might ruin everything. We each took our own losses.”
Soon the master of the red wave calmed down his excited colleagues.
Anima is called the god of fire and food.
He had a calm temperament, which was unusual for an Orc warlord, so he was entrusted with temple work.
However, looking at the rugged deformation of the descended body, it was clear that it had not abandoned its racial instincts, so Ageron could only snort.
Of course, there was no need for further provocation.
The consumption of divinity due to forced descent continues not only at the moment of descent but also throughout the duration of one’s stay on earth. Although it was only a very small amount compared to when he first descended, unnecessary waste of divinity was something he did not want to do.
As Ageron became quiet, Aion, engulfed in blue energy, got straight to the point.
“First, we clean up the ‘altar’. And then we clean up the eastern part behind the Holy Legion. Killing the Avatar is a bonus.”
Although it was an issue that had already been discussed before the Advent, the purpose of mentioning it again was to coordinate each person’s senses and powers that had changed after the Advent.
However, Ageron, who had been acting crooked from the beginning, tripped over what had already been agreed upon.
“A variable has arisen. Is there any need to stick with the original plan?”
“Ageron!”
“Anyway, it is clear that the Avatar has more power than expected. Since the risk has become greater than the original plan, one or two more of the apostles gathered here may be broken.”
“If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be even more necessary to kill him? If Zibrik gets a body like that…”
“If the incarnation disappears during the forced descent, who will compensate for the damage?”
A word that came out in the midst of conversation and heated exchanges.
loss.
Those words drowned out the other voices.
They are essentially competitive. It would be welcome if someone else suffered a greater loss, but he did not intend for it to be him.
“…What are you trying to do, Ageron?”
“Hmm, I think it would be a good idea to clash with the High Priest of Zibrik and the Avatar first?”
At those words, the apostles’ eyes focused on him.
But then Aion shook his head.
“The risk is too high.”
“…Yes, Jibrik descending on that body is the worst thing for us.”
“What was the reason for our forced descent? Wasn’t it because the amount of power gathered on that altar was enough to resurrect him even without the Avatar? But let’s bring the Avatar there and offer it up?”
“The current high priest does not seem to know that fact. Fortunately, our efforts were not in vain, and many of the legends of Jibrik have been lost.”
“Still, considering the worst case scenario…”
“We can follow them. Are our powers now weakened to the point where we can’t interfere with the ritual even from close range?”
“…That’s not true.”
“Then the conclusion is reached. Collide the Avatar and the High Priestess and strike after them. Of course, the ritual will join forces to disrupt it. That way, there will be no ‘damage’ to us.”
Ageron, who was the first to voice his opinion, smiled brighter and brighter.
In fact, the best strategy is to join forces, clear the altar, and then eliminate Logan McLane. Some apostles’ bodies might be damaged in the process, but in the current situation, it was right to take that risk.
However, because of that, they were converging on the next best option rather than the best one.
Just to suffer a little less damage than others.
It was a story that would have shattered their beliefs if their followers had heard it, but to them it was a common sense agreement.
even.
“If this plan goes wrong, it presupposes the ‘sacrifice’ of your Ageron Apostle.”
The conclusion reached at the end of the agreement was at a level that could be considered petty.
And despite the unfavorable conditions, Ageron smiled contentedly.
“Okay, but if it doesn’t hurt everyone, I’ll take a little more advantage. Will you accept it?”
His intention was to outsmart Aion even if it meant doing so. The moment he was the first to throw off the shackles of being a demigod, he would become the best among them. It was a remark that blatantly revealed
his base desires, but the other nine ministers who were listening nodded, even though they knew it. I nodded.
In particular, Aion, who was always ranked first among the Nine Ministers, just smiled calmly, scattering blue light.
‘I wonder if everything will be resolved so easily.’
They were competitors before they were colleagues.
That’s because they thought of each other that way too.
