Ch.1151Running Out of Things to Say

After realizing the power of Karma accumulated within her and reaching the realm of Master, Haschal became a completely different being both physically and mentally.

The power of Good Karma that she awakened responded to her subconscious, suppressing the madness of Murder Karma while simultaneously enhancing her physical abilities substantially, just as Murder Karma did.

Superhuman physical abilities granted by wolf blood. Good Karma amplifying these abilities further. And the Murder Karma that she was gradually becoming able to manifest at will.

Thanks to these three types of blessings strengthening her body, Haschal immediately attained combat prowess equal to upper-tier Masters as soon as she became aware of Karma’s power.

The swordsmanship she had been cultivating also perfectly integrated into her body through fierce battles with Werebeasts, improving to a level worthy of the Master realm.

On top of that, even Durandal, which had merely been observing her until now, finally acknowledged her as its true owner, allowing her to properly wield all the mystical powers residing within the sword.

“Kuheh. Yes, this is how it should be! Now you’re finally becoming useful!”

With this, Haschal had at last perfectly fulfilled the minimum requirements of a “champion” that the ascended gods had expected.

“Though it came with great sacrifice… this was an unavoidable force majeure, so it would be right to purely welcome her growth now.”

She had neatly resolved fifteen years of wasted time with just a single burst of rapid growth.

“Looking at her now, she certainly has outstanding potential…”

“Indeed. At first I was deeply concerned about the success of our endeavor… but at this rate, we can continue to have expectations.”

Therefore, the ascended gods finally acknowledged and became convinced that “Haschal” was worthy of entrusting their fate to.

It was only natural they would acknowledge her. Hadn’t someone who had never held a sword before reached the realm of Master in just a couple of months?

This was a level they had expected would take at least 4-5 years to reach even if a champion’s soul properly meshed with a champion’s body as originally planned.

There was the advantage that she had inhabited a Master’s body from the beginning, but even accounting for this, her talent was unprecedented by their standards.

—-

The ascended gods’ observation continued thereafter.

While they respectfully averted their gaze during scenes involving her dignity such as bodily functions or bathing, they were always watching during important decisions or battles.

Monster subjugation missions from the academy. The princes’ recruitment offers and her responses. Demian’s training and the duel with Princess Leonore Wittelsbach.

All these experiences and actions of Haschal were under the gods’ watchful eyes.

“…That village, I see traces of Lilith.”

“I thought the Witch Coven had been completely eradicated except for a single one, but were there hidden vermin remaining?”

“Well, they don’t seem aware of it. This clearly isn’t a ritual performed with knowledge. Even if there were cultists, it must have been ages ago.”

A village of criminals who put travelers to sleep, killed the men, and bred the women.

Even as she punished and burned down this den of evil, which was clearly touched by the Witch Coven serving Lilith based on their familiar methods and behaviors…

“Hmm, how splendid! A warrior should be at least this much!”

Unlimited violence carried out under the name of justice. For the watching ascended gods—especially from Menes’ perspective—it was a scene that naturally brought satisfaction to his heart.

“The cruelty is somewhat excessive… but I suppose it’s still within acceptable limits.”

Using human bodies as brushes to write “Divine Punishment” in large letters on the inn’s outer wall seemed a bit too enthusiastic, even considering the circumstances.

“She doesn’t seem to have fallen into madness, but she doesn’t seem entirely sane either… Menes, have you done something again?”

Seeing her excessively violent and high-tension behavior, the ascended gods looked at Menes with suspicious eyes, demanding immediate confession if he had played some malicious prank.

“Why look at me like that? I didn’t do anything.”

But Menes truly hadn’t done anything this time, so he shook his head and merely shrugged his shoulders.

“If not you, then who…? Surely not Lilith?”

“…It was I who did it. Those degenerates killed my priestess and turned her shrine into a den of rapists.”

Ceres, goddess of earth and death, confessed that she was the culprit while slightly averting her gaze from Menes.

She explained that because they had been severely desecrating her for so long, she wanted them to pay a proper price as an insulted deity.

Therefore, she had consumed some of her divine power to intoxicate Haschal with death, inducing unnecessarily violent and cruel methods.

“Oh… I didn’t know it was your doing, Ceres. I was certain it was Menes…”

“Why do you always blame me?”

“Do you really need to ask?”

It was unfair for Menes to be suspected without cause… but considering everything, it was self-inflicted. It was all because of his usual behavior.

Regardless of Menes, what Ceres had done was actually difficult to readily forgive.

She had essentially used the champion, who carried all their hopes and expectations, for her personal vendetta.

Had any problems arisen, it would have been an irreversible disaster, so her recklessness should have rightfully earned criticism from the other gods.

“Hmm… well… I can understand the sentiment.”

“Indeed.”

However, since it was a matter where the other gods would have felt the same anger had they been in her position, they all simply accepted it and moved on.

“…Anyway, shouldn’t we put out that fire first?”

The more urgent matter at hand was suppressing the flames that were currently burning the entire village.

“This situation is my responsibility, so I shall take care of it. I will explain as much to Lord Elpinel.”

Taking responsibility, Ceres voluntarily offered part of her divine power to Elpinel, who used that power to grab clouds from the sky and pour heavy rain over the entire village.

Making rain fall from a clear sky would consume considerable divine power, but holding onto naturally formed rain clouds was not difficult.

The situation could be somehow resolved with minimal consumption, so Ceres’ actions could barely be dismissed as a minor incident.

Of course, had Ceres not caused the problem in the first place, there would have been no need to sprinkle rain at all.

—-

Several days later.

“That ruin… the style looks familiar.”

“An imperial shelter from the old empire…? No, a temple?”

Haschal’s party entered the new dungeon in Kamain Forest—ruins from the Xanten era—and there, Haschal was unexpectedly forced into the depths of the ruins.

“Wait, what suddenly…?”

“The celestial view has been blocked?”

At that moment, the gods’ view of her was completely cut off, as if a light had suddenly been extinguished.

“Lord Elpinel, what is this…?”

“…Do not panic. This is to be expected in that place.”

Calming the startled celestial gods, Elpinel proceeded to explain the identity of those ruins.

The ruins located in the caves of Kamain Forest were the main temple of Alfodhr, the war god of chaos who was worshipped by the four major deities of the Xanten Empire.

The entire building was deeply imbued with Alfodhr’s power, so it was natural that the gaze of the celestial gods, who were at odds with him, would be blocked before it could even reach inside.

“The main temple of Alfodhr…?”

“Indeed. …But this is truly coincidental. It was a place she would have to visit eventually, but I never expected her to set foot there on her own before we could guide her.”

Elpinel murmured with a voice full of deep emotion, almost sighing.

Alfodhr was originally the principal deity of Xanten, so there were over twenty temples dedicated to him, but there was only one temple that recorded Sigmund’s defeat and his betrayal.

This was undoubtedly the Second Great Temple, where the rune scholars of Xanten had forged the Twilight Rune, praying for his blessing before Baltyr was revealed to be Alfodhr.

“Um… isn’t this dangerous? If that place is the temple of ‘Alfodhr,’ there’s a possibility he might directly intervene…”

“…It is dangerous. Direct interference might still be difficult for him, but this certainly won’t pass without incident. I cannot predict what kind of indirect maneuvers he might attempt.”

In other words, Haschal had voluntarily walked into the enemy’s jaws.

Of course, Elpinel had originally intended to guide Haschal there to offer her the Twilight Rune as an alternative, since she had lost the qualification to be the master of Gram…

‘But not now. With her current level, can she escape from his temple…?’

This was supposed to happen only after she had reached at least the realm of Hero.

Although Haschal had become significantly stronger after realizing the power of Karma, it was difficult to expect that she could escape Alfodhr’s traps on her own with just upper-tier Master level power.

Therefore, while Elpinel advised the other ascended gods not to panic, inwardly he too was sweating profusely from anxiety and impatience.

“Ah, the connection is restored. Fortunately, it seems she’s safe—wait, what…?”

Of course, proving such worries unfounded, Haschal soon emerged from the temple with her party without any major injuries, but…

– KROOOOM!

“…Isn’t that mountain collapsing right now?”

“No, what on earth did they do in there to make an entire mountain collapse?”

Only their bodies were intact. The scene behind her was literally a disaster itself.

Watching them frantically fleeing from the boulders pouring down from the collapsing mountain, the ascended gods were speechless, only letting out hollow laughs.

First burning an entire village, now collapsing a mountain.

Already causing such large-scale accidents—they wondered what kind of catastrophes she would bring about after reaching the level they desired.