Ch.312Ascension Altar. Gaylord City (3)

“What the fuck did you give them?”

“The relic… factory, they say.”

“That’s bullshit, really. Are they just trying to kill us?”

News that a relic factory had been established in Gaylord spread throughout the continent in an instant.

It was that shocking and unprecedented.

The machines that produce relics are called “Artifacts.”

Nations believed they could sacrifice several cities to possess just one of these artifacts, and even the citizens of those cities would consider their sacrifice justified.

Anyone who had experienced the benefits of the super-science contained in relics would inevitably realize that their own life was incomparably less valuable than a relic.

“How can we possibly defeat Gaylord when they have artifacts? It seems inevitable that our economic sovereignty will be devoured within a year.”

“Actually… the Sun’s Herald has come to us as well.”

“What?”

Fortunately, Viktor was preparing to drop factories for other cities as well.

If the Sun’s Heralds entered their cities and saw their chaotic state, they might be deemed worthy.

The gunman’s face filled with light and shadow like a running shower… the challenger now struck the floor, too pale to move easily.

Soon after, the barking of animals began to be heard, and fearing that their curses would fall upon him when Major General Gaff came to his senses, he issued a strong pursuit order to the entire navy.

What he thought was just a complaint now raised suspicions that Hoyeon’s connections had been sold to another country.

Though this sea is vast, wouldn’t it be somewhat difficult for those he had trampled to unite and attack him?

If this had been a coordinated scheme, it would make sense that other countries or villages would have suffered damage by now.

“Q-quickly, bring in the Sun’s Herald! If we don’t get an artifact too, we’re finished!”

“M-my subordinates are already dealing with them, but we haven’t received any news yet.”

“What?!”

What else could happen? A Sun’s Herald unsatisfied would simply move on to another city.

The Herald traveled throughout the world illuminated by the Sun’s radiance, bestowing his grace.

But only to those who believed in him.

*

He closed his eyes and opened them to find they had become a great power.

That was the reality of Gaylord, the word that described their present situation.

Alexander Yeltsin, the mayor of Gaylord, rubbed his eyes as he stared blankly at the relic factory operating before him.

“Haha… hahahaha!”

He couldn’t help but laugh. He could only laugh endlessly.

Relics were precious not just for their historical value and utility, but because they could no longer be reproduced with modern technology—that’s why they were called relics.

While the technology itself had been restored, the 13th century of the Extinction Era had completely failed in applying and optimizing that technology.

For example, if there was a technology like a heavy particle treatment device, the Extinction Era’s version would be a massive facility consuming an entire building, while the Imperial Era’s relic would be about the size of a handheld massager that you could simply rub over your body.

Such overwhelming differences were why relics sold for such high prices.

As the mayor of a relatively famous city, Alexander had participated in several relic auctions and experienced his heart shrinking with envy whenever hundreds of thousands of gold coins circulated at these events.

Considering that Viktor himself had received 1 million gold coins for excavating a ruin without damage, the profits this relic factory would bring were beyond calculation.

“Bwahaha! Praise the Sun! Praise the Sun! The Four Gods can go die! This is the reward for devotion, you idiots!”

The mayor shouted, discarding the Four Gods faith he had desperately followed—like a child kicking a stone into a river—and swore under the heavens that from now on, only the Sun’s radiance would fill his soul.

The Four Gods? Ah… those losers of the past who couldn’t even fire Death Beams from the sky or drop relic factories?

Karil, too stupid to know anything but killing. Medina, surrounded by disgusting rumors. Moneta, too foolish to distinguish between investment and speculation. Logos, so obsessed with collecting that he doesn’t know how to give… All of them, every one of them, only angering humanity…

You all… are harmful vermin who must die!

It doesn’t matter that they destroyed the Empire. It was a tyrannical state doomed to fall anyway. Whether it collapsed from apostle drops or rebellion, it’s all the same. So that can be overlooked.

Let’s also overlook how they incited the masses to bring about 50,000 years of Great Regression… the Age of Eclipse…

But you tried to kill the Sun… humanity’s rightful master!

You harmful vermin…! There is no choice but blasphemy…!!!

Die and beg for forgiveness… the Sun is humanity’s true god!

+

*

Increasing allies was extremely important.

Dropping a relic factory in this city and sending heralds to gift artifacts to mayors and rulers—it was all for this purpose.

Until now, he had been somewhat conservative with his generosity, but Viktor’s thinking had changed: in the coming continental war, if he could gain even a slight advantage, he should provide all the support he could.

Even with many enemies, there’s no need to worry if you have more allies; if forces are equal, it’s worth fighting your best; and even at a disadvantage, you can maintain a minimal foundation.

But with no allies and many enemies, even the mightiest would die pierced by countless spears if they didn’t reach out first.

Favors that cannot be repaid ultimately amount to nothing but coercion.

For example, even if Viktor was the Sun God, he would inevitably be harmed by the weapons of slaughter created by humans.

With explosive weapons using light and heat as mediums being sealed away, battles would primarily involve kinetic energy weapons like armor-piercing rounds and cold weapons. Even a god’s head could be severed if hundreds of millions of gem-rank adventurers who transcended humanity attacked.

Of course, employing that many gem-rank adventurers would be beyond the budget of a single nation. Even gathering powerful nations and squeezing them dry like wet rags would barely meet that amount, so the possibility was low—but there’s a huge difference between impossible and nearly impossible.

This was why Viktor received loyalty oaths wherever he went and helped those in trouble—to prevent such situations.

At the very least, giving doesn’t create enemies. If giving creates enemies, the problem is that you’re not giving to enough people.

If you give to some and not to others, you’re bound to incur resentment.

So charity, and by extension governance, is no easy task.

After all, welfare is essentially taking from the top to support the bottom.

“If everything were easy, the world would already be paradise.”

Viktor muttered this as he read reports showing the spreading chaos across the continent like wildfire.

It was collapsing.

What was?

The Four Gods Church.

Seeing them collapse with the resurrection of the Sun and Moon, after they seemed destined to rule the earth forever, made him want to ask what the 50,000-year Eclipse Era had been for.

Of course, there was still a long way to go.

The church warriors, spread like rice-grain mold on a wide loaf of bread, were too weak, while the Four Gods Church still held powerful positions throughout the world.

So more allies were needed. As the church advanced, the world became cleaner; with each step back, the world fell back into the hands of the Four.

Viktor, master of all believers, could feel it—the faith and belief flowing into him from them.

It felt unpleasant. Accepting someone’s death was like that.

“My lord, preparations for departure are complete.”

Just then, one of his subordinates reported that the loading of supplies was complete.

“Has the Sage confirmed?”

“Yes. He completed the final check three minutes ago.”

With the final confirmation complete, there was no reason to remain in this city any longer.

Viktor came to the bridge and ordered the soldiers who were preparing for takeoff:

“Good. Let’s leave this city now. It’s time to head to the last attraction of this continent.”

No sooner had Viktor spoken than the battleship, weighing 1 million tons, rose unrealistically.

Like a balloon rising, the Sky Warden was moving its massive body with the power of helium and hydrogen.

Soon the greatly amplified propulsion system began to operate, and the Sun’s forces began heading toward the last attraction of the Raysion continent: the Crater Hills.