Chapter 344

Chapter 344. Origin and Meaning of Divinity (3)

When appointing an apostle, what mattered was the magnitude of status and the amount of divinity.

“At my current level, three is the limit.”

I had to exclude the tank line from the candidates.

Given their fighting style, if worse came to worst, they would likely remain to protect others rather than jump into the frontline.

To make the most efficient use of authority, it was fitting to exclude the combat units that could get stuck.

Aside from that, I considered other gods’ apostles as candidates.

Most would be adept at using authority.

If I had to choose a group that could utilize my authority best, they naturally took priority.

However, to be honest, I couldn’t trust any of them enough to share my authority.

Gretman’s case was the only exception where I deemed him favorable enough to offer the position.

– Don’t get your hopes up. My body and soul exist solely for the Goddess.

He firmly declined the apostle position and hung up.

‘What’s so special about a god that doesn’t even exist anymore?’

I decided to give up cleanly, as I had no intention of begging someone who didn’t want to become an apostle.

After considering various conditions, I selected the candidates.

After much contemplation, I finally decided on three.

“Kim Yul, Rashar, and Lily.”

The party I led.

The guild I founded and nurtured.

And the player group to which I belonged.

I chose those I could trust most, expanding from small units to larger organizations.

The process of granting them authority was simple.

All I had to do was transfer my status.

The real challenge lay in teaching them how to use the authority.

“No, not that way!”

Kim Yul misused his authority, and the thunder fell in the wrong area.

Thankfully, we were in a secluded mountain area due to Ahel’s teleportation magic. Otherwise, if this had happened in the city, an unfortunate building or apartment might have been pulverized.

“At this rate, it’s difficult to deploy them in real combat.”

The places currently occupied by the black vine were the capitals of each nation.

Lily, who became an apostle after swiftly returning to Korea last night, was in a similar situation.

After experiencing failures akin to Kim Yul’s, she glanced at me.

“… Can I try again?”

I nodded to indicate my permission, as I was there to coach them.

Only an hour had passed since practice started.

It would take quite some time for them to become accustomed.

Instead of hastening them, I focused on keeping my expression neutral.

After all, every time they used the authority, my divinity was consumed.

“… I’ll have to work hard.”

On the bright side, Rashar was quickly achieving results.

“Experience is not something to overlook, is it?”

Was it because of her past as Palao’s apostle?

She managed to handle the authority with minimal trial and error.

Of course, it wasn’t easy.

Seeing her sweating and breathing heavily indicated that.

I approached Rashar, who had plopped down on the bare dirt ground.

“Is it that hard?”

Rashar began to answer but hesitated, biting her lip in thought.

Then, after repeatedly wavering like someone untangling words, she whispered tiredly.

“A runaway horse…?”

After a short pause, Rashar provided a more detailed explanation.

“To me, your authority has a very intense will. It feels like you want to annihilate the enemy. Like a king who won’t forgive rebellion… slightly arrogant and overbearing.”

Initially, it seemed she was slyly criticizing me.

But as I listened, it sounded like she was genuinely expressing what she felt.

“So, someone like me, without that intense will, finds it hard to handle.”

Indeed, Kim Yul and Lily said something similar.

They compared it to riding a fierce, untamed beast.

“How was it when you used Palao’s authority?”

“… I always felt cautious, as if sneaking in to steal. It felt like I was peeking at something forbidden. Whenever I used her authority, I had to hold my breath and stay tense.”

I had an inkling of the difference.

I tried to recall Palao, whom I had met only once.

“Come to think of it, I never used her authority even once.”

I had tried most authorities at least once.

Palao’s and Senoa’s authorities were ones I’ve never used directly.

“Perhaps it’s similar to how Meferoseta’s authority felt.”

While I was lost in solo contemplation, a message window refreshed.

「An entity worshipping you is verified.」

…

The number of believers increased. This wasn’t the first time.

Scrolling down the message window, there were thousands of similar messages.

In the past day or two, my followers had multiplied unimaginably.

“Already 10,000…”

The priests of the Order of Palao, including Jordan, had achieved this.

“Given the situation, it seems crucial to have clear conditions and faith…”

“Please leave this issue to us. We are a religious group with a long history.”

“If expanding our forces will aid K, we will gladly assist.”

They pledged confidence beyond my expectations.

If this momentum continued, it would be a tremendous help in gathering divinity.

“Once the practice ends…”

While I was reviewing the messages with satisfaction, Rashar’s voice reached me.

Looking down, I saw her still sitting on the ground.

She had reverted to her natural gray eyes, only to regain golden ones upon becoming my apostle.

I waited for her to continue.

But Rashar hesitated to speak further.

“Do you have something to say?”

In the end, when waiting turned to impatience, I asked first.

I regretted it immediately, feeling as if I was rushing her.

“An apology…”

Fortunately, Rashar managed to speak up with difficulty.

“I wanted to apologize.”

“Apologize?”

“It wasn’t that I didn’t trust you. I was just swept up in my emotions…”

“Ah.”

Referring to the conversation we had at Jamsil World, I see.

“My desire that you wouldn’t be hurt and struggle led me to justify myself instead of respecting your choices.”

“…”

“It wasn’t out of distrust. Explaining it… No, never mind. Saying this is merely an excuse.”

While talking, Rashar looked up and asked.

“Will you leave immediately after practice?”

I had no intention of lying.

“Yes.”

Just as Rashar guessed, once they became accustomed to using authority, I would leave Earth immediately.

“Originally, I planned to help eliminate the black vine too.”

However, the situation didn’t allow it.

Since last night, an additional offensive had begun.

It seemed a massive battle was brewing again as the legion crossed over.

“That’s not all.”

The lower-tier Holes had dramatically increased.

“Must be Karklein’s authority.”

Before the damage worsened, I had to eliminate him.

“I will leave the task of plugging the breached holes to others.”

I must prevent Karklein from creating more Holes.

That was what I could do, something only I could achieve.

To say I wasn’t worried about Earth after I left would be a lie.

But it was unacceptable to let personal emotions overturn the best strategy.

“Surely this will be a dangerous path.”

I neither confirmed nor denied Rashar’s further remarks.

I had no precise information to provide an answer.

This was my first time hunting the irregulars.

Interpreting my silence in her way, Rashar spoke again, with a steadier voice than before.

“I won’t deceive you again by saying it’s for your sake.”

“…”

“So please, return safely.”

She spoke firmly, looking straight into my eyes.

But I could sense her faith was shaken.

So instead of suppressing the impulsive words that arose, I spoke.

“Trust me. You won’t be disappointed.”

That short assurance quelled Rashar’s wavering.

Seeing the reinforced belief in her, my chest felt tightly bound.

It wasn’t just Rashar; everyone present placed their trust in me.

And somewhere unknown to me, continuously.

「An entity worshipping you is verified.」

…

The number of people believing in me is increasing.

Could their emotions or minds be contained in the divinity flowing to me?

Today, their faith felt particularly heavy.

“No, it’s not just heavy…”

Realizing my deep desire to respond to all that faith contributed greatly.

Catching my breath, I watched Rashar stand up after dusting off her seat.

“Then I’ll help you leave soon.”

Following her words, she went to assist Lily with her practice.

Watching Rashar’s retreating figure for a moment, I laughed slightly and followed her.

“I can’t just laze around either.”

The quicker they finished practicing, the sooner I could leave with peace of mind.

* * *

The book provided by the Damned System contained a wealth of information.

‘Entities the System call irregulars.’

Previously, the System’s explanation had been incomprehensible.

“Corrupted gods, who, due to the destruction of their affiliated world, must artificially absorb lives from other worlds to maintain their existence.”

That’s the identity of what the System calls irregulars.

“These beings no longer retain a normal consciousness.”

Only the instinct to survive remains for those who have lost their origin.

“I heard that the existence of gods ceases the moment they run out of divinity…”

It seems like some penalty that befalls those who achieve status.

In my case, if my status disappears, I will merely return to being human.

But for other gods, avoiding extinction means securing divinity somehow.

‘But…’

After the world’s destruction, there’s no one left to believe in their history and achievements.

‘Divinity can only be obtained from material beings belonging to the same world.’

Irregulars lack a normal way of procuring divinity.

‘So they sustain themselves by devouring gods or beings from other worlds.’

In a way, the corrupted divinity is strength absorbed from others.

Agnotia was able to utilize that strength…

‘Bihar was intact, yet she had consumed something.’

Perhaps she realized Karlos’s intentions early and sought her survival ahead of others.

‘Honestly, the reason doesn’t matter.’

Since Karlos desires extinction, the remaining ones have a predestined end: corruption.

Therefore, for future peace, hunting them is warranted.

‘The primary target is Karklein.’

If circumstances and time allow, I might hunt the other remaining five gods in Bihar.

Recalling the mission’s objective, I muttered softly.

“Gilenios.”

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Gilenios appeared.

He looked like an animal being led to slaughter.

“Do you really have to take me?”

He expressed his reluctance to go with not only his expression but his entire body.

But did I care to listen?

“How vast is Bihar?”

There was no guarantee I could catch Karklein on the first try, and I couldn’t leave my dedicated transport behind.

His authority was challenging to wield unless one achieved a certain degree of status.

Thus, leaving him would contribute little to the war.

“This time, there should be no need to abandon or slaughter the Biharin, so the chance of conflict with him is nonexistent.”

Therefore, there was no reason to leave him.

Ignoring Gilenios’s grumbling, I performed the final check on my gear.

Then, I grasped the bracelet.

It was the bracelet I had seized from Lawyer Jung Jiyun.

“It must be capable of signaling Karklein somehow.”

Plan A was to hunt him by traversing the space when he showed up.

“If he didn’t appear because he discerned that I used it.”

Then I would take Gilenios through a nearby Hole, cross over, and find him.

Having concluded the final plan check, I spoke.

“Prepare.”

Immediately after I uttered those words, the gem on the bracelet in my hand crumbled to pieces.

It was my first time hunting a god, but.

“I will succeed.”

As long as the battlefield exists, I will fight, and at the end of that fight, I will seize another miraculous victory.

Reflecting on the meaning of my signal, I caught my breath.

Seconds later, ripples began in the empty space.

Damned System