Chapter 29: False God and True God (1)
by fnovelpia
The Day All Players Received the [Miracle Spring Water]
“Daughter, my beloved daughter, can you see your father’s face?”
“…Dad?”
“Ah, can this truly be reality? If this is a dream, I never wish to wake up.”
“I can run! I can run now!”
“Even after a lifetime of research in the mage tower, I couldn’t stand… Running was my joy in Rudera. And now, I can stand!”
“No way. I was certain I would never hold a sword again… How, how is this possible…”
“This sensation…! To have this level of vitality at my age! How long has it been? I’ve awaited this day, my dear. I’ve longed for it just as you have. Why, why are you looking at me like that, dear? You’re going to wash up? Wait, what do you mean? Dear, wait! Dear! Dear!”
The entire continent was filled with joy and celebration.
Houses once steeped in sorrow, families drowned in despair, were united in laughter.
Everyone praised a singular entity. A true [miracle], one that had never existed before in history.
The one who performed this miracle was neither the Emperor of the Empire, the Saintess of the Holy Land, nor the Saint of the Divine Kingdom.
It was not the deity who ruled the continent for thousands of years.
It was GM, the deity from another dimension, the newly known owner of Rudera.
That day was forever recorded in history as the Day of Salvation, when the deity personally descended to alleviate the suffering of every person on the continent.
***
Somewhere on the 5th Floor of the Tower of the Labyrinth
“In the name of the Lord Deus! Be purified!”
Boom!
As a man clad in pure white armor struck down with a large warhammer, holy energy burst forth around him.
Kiiiieeee!
Dozens of zombies, struck by the holy energy, burned in divine flames.
“As expected of Paladin-nim!”
“What beautiful power of faith!”
The paladins, witnessing this, ran forward, showering him with admiration and praise.
But the expression on the face of Kenyon, the Paladin Commander who had created this scene, was far from bright.
‘I have weakened.’
The title of Paladin is bestowed upon those who possess the utmost faith and power among the knights of Deus.
Rising to this position at a young age through unwavering faith, Kenyon had shown less strength against the zombies than before he started climbing the Tower of the Labyrinth.
‘My faith… is wavering.’
As someone who wielded this power, Kenyon knew.
The holy energy, which strengthened in proportion to one’s faith, had diminished.
His faith in Deus was shaking.
‘The one who will save this world is the Lord Deus, and those who believe in false gods like Alia will not receive salvation.’
From a young age, his faith had never wavered.
Not once had he doubted before climbing the Tower of the Labyrinth.
It was this unshakeable faith that had armed him and allowed him to ascend to the pinnacle of the paladins.
However, from the day the second floor of the Labyrinth was cleared, Kenyon’s faith was no longer the same.
‘Beastfolk have found their god? Impossible. The reason those filthy beastfolk lost their god was that the god sacrificed itself to protect them? They weren’t abandoned because of their sins? That can’t be true.’
The scriptures, directly descended from Deus, stated that all beastfolk were cursed due to the grave sins they had committed in the past.
They were impure beings, without a god, and would never be saved.
It should not have been otherwise.
The faith in GM, the newly known master of Rudera, began to spread rapidly.
The beastfolk immediately accepted this new deity.
‘Even so, they are a cursed race. Their religion cannot be proper. Surely, they will ostracize other races and wage a terrible war.’
Despite his hatred and distrust of the beastfolk, believing they would fall into corruption,
‘They embraced all other races who believed in GM?’
The beastfolk accepted all other races who believed in GM as their own brothers.
They even took in those who had persecuted them.
It was an unprecedented act of acceptance and love.
The beastfolk showed a more inclusive faith than even those who followed Deus.
From that point on, Kenyon’s once unshakable faith in Deus began to crack.
‘Deus declared the beastfolk impure. But what of their actions? They take in orphans, even from other races, feeding and sheltering them. They accept anyone who shares their faith as a brother, regardless of their background.’
Who truly embodies the god of love and acceptance?
What is the true religion of love and acceptance?
Is it Deus, who has ostracized and persecuted the beastfolk for thousands of years, or GM, who teaches to embrace even one’s enemies?
Kenyon’s mind grew more conflicted with each passing day.
To erase these troubling thoughts, he dedicated himself to climbing the Tower of the Labyrinth with his knights.
In obedience to Deus’s command, he focused solely on conquering the tower and retrieving the hidden items.
He fought and advanced tirelessly.
The 3rd floor of the Labyrinth.
The 4th floor of the Labyrinth.
From the demon’s lair to the jungle, he fought and pressed forward without rest.
With each arduous march,
Ding.
-The 66th Demon Shrine on the 3rd floor of the Labyrinth has been cleared by player ‘Ahenobarbus’ and three others.
Ding.
-The Miracle Jungle on the 4th floor of the Labyrinth has been cleared by player ‘Rhea’ alone.
Despite the notifications announcing the clearing of floors and pushing him out, he did not stop.
‘I am a Paladin, the loyal sword of Deus. I must not allow impious thoughts to dwell in my mind.’
In the midst of constant marching, Kenyon heard about the [Miracle Spring Water].
Stories of GM bestowing a miraculous healing elixir upon everyone on the continent.
‘The light of the deity does not descend equally upon all.’
The holy power of priests and paladins could heal the sick.
However, not everyone received this blessing.
The wealthy and powerful could easily receive healing and blessings from the priests, but the poor and powerless could not.
Contrary to the scripture that stated all were equal before Deus, only the privileged received more of the deity’s blessings.
GM was different.
He demanded nothing from the players.
No donations, no tithes, no offerings, no service from priests or paladins.
He simply gave.
Boom!
Kiiiieeee!
Kenyon increased his pace on the 5th floor of the Labyrinth Tower.
‘Don’t think. Forget it. Just move forward.’
To ignore his troubling thoughts.
To reaffirm his wavering faith.
Despite his efforts, his holy power was slowly diminishing.
“Keep watch for a while. I will pray to our Lord.”
“Yes, Sir!”
He ordered the paladins to stand guard and entered a small building that had already been purified.
“As expected of our commander. To pray even amidst such difficult battles. Could anyone be more devout? No other Paladin possesses a stronger faith than our commander.”
The paladins looked at Kenyon with eyes full of respect.
If they knew the truth, their expressions would sour.
Thud.
Kenyon leaned his long warhammer against the wall.
‘Lord Deus, please grant me an answer. What am I to do?’
Kneeling slowly, he clasped his hands and closed his eyes.
‘What is the love I have believed in?’
He cried out desperately, but no answer came.
His earnest pleas went unanswered by his deity.
‘Will you truly not grant me an answer?’
Kenyon picked up his warhammer and stood.
‘Then I shall conquer this tower. I will dedicate it to you and demand an answer.’
“Sir, are you finished?”
“We move out immediately.”
Kenyon looked around at his paladins.
“That fortress.”
He pointed to a dark fortress barely visible in the distance.
“We will conquer that fortress, the source of this floor. We will offer it to our Lord Deus to spread His glory further.”
‘To hear His answer. To find the truth and answers.’
“We follow you, Commander!”
“Even if it leads to the depths of hell!”
Hearing his paladins’ responses, Kenyon nodded.
“All forces, advance! Move forward!”
‘I will find the answers at the end of this path.’
Whether Deus or GM is the one he should follow.
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