Chapter 375: God or Human

A quarter of the massive Thunder Mill was submerged in the cloud waterfall as it spun endlessly.

On the opposite end, the tallest Lightning Tower extended its tip just enough to make it seem as though it were pushing the Thunder Mill into the waterfall.

Below the cloud waterfall, a vague reservoir formed by accumulated clouds faintly revealed its presence.

Its true size was indiscernible, as the clouds that had not yet fully condensed into water flowed down along the ground.

Tyr, who had been silently observing the scenery, muttered as she gazed at the Thunder Mill, which had to be at least 100 meters in diameter.

“…The world has changed a lot. When I passed by the cloud waterfall long ago, there was no such thing as a watermill like this.”

Despite Tyr’s idle remark, the Thunderarch responded to her earnestly.

“The first Thunder Mill was the size of a regular watermill. As people fleeing from the Golden Lord gathered in Claudia, the city grew, and in proportion, so did the Thunder Mill. In the Fallen Dominion, acquiring metal is a simple task. However…”

The Thunderarch trailed off and gestured toward me and Azzy, who were lingering far behind.

“Are the two of you still afraid of lightning?”

Afraid of lightning?

Hah, nonsense.

I proudly declared,

“It’s not just lightning—I fear anything beyond my control.”

“Woof! Woof!”

That tingling sensation was still crawling over my skin.

Meanwhile, Azzy’s fur had fluffed up like a lion’s mane.

How could anyone not feel uncomfortable here?

If you have a survival instinct, your body should be telling you to leave.

Seeing our unwavering stance, the Thunderarch nodded in understanding.

“I get it. The power of thunder is too wild and strong for ordinary humans to handle. Unless you’re beyond ordinary, trembling in fear in its presence is only natural.”

“Wow, that’s some self-praise.”

“It’s a factual statement, given my capabilities.”

The Thunderarch spoke with such confidence that not a trace of shame could be found in her words.

It was refreshing to meet someone with this much self-assurance.

“The area beneath the Thunder Mill holds the strongest concentration of thunder. It’s inevitable, but I prefer to rest in my favorite spots. As long as you stay within the Lightning Tower’s protection, you won’t get struck.”

“Great. Azzy and I will wait right here. We’ll be over in that safe-looking spot.”

“Woof!”

“Let’s go together. I’d like to look around as well.”

A rectangular room was embedded in the Lightning Tower’s wall.

Sealed with steel from floor to ceiling, it looked more like a shipping container than a room.

It seemed sturdy enough to remain intact even if struck by lightning or rammed by a carriage.

Azzy and I walked ahead while Tyr followed behind.

Only when Tyr finally stepped inside did the Thunderarch, who had been leading the others, find time to glance our way.

“Wait. That’s—”

｢An elevator leading to the top of the Lightning Tower.｣

Huh?

An elevator? What do you mean—

“Woof?”

Just then, we noticed a red button inside.

Mesmerized, Azzy pressed it with her paw.

Immediately, the steel doors slammed shut.

While Azzy froze in shock, the entire box shuddered violently and began to ascend.

“Woof, Woof, Woof!”

“Ahhh! We’re being kidnapped!”

And just like that, Azzy, Tyr, and I were launched skyward inside the elevator.

The ground quickly fell away beneath us as we ascended at an alarming speed.

After what felt like a long ride, the box finally thunked softly against something.

As soon as the elevator came to a complete stop, the doors slid open and we dashed out as if escaping from captivity.

Tyr examined the elevator with curiosity.

“A mechanism that moves without exertion? Is it powered by magic? Or does someone manually operate it?”

“No, I think it’s using the Thunder Mill’s rotational energy.”

As if to confirm my words, the tip of the Thunder Mill brushed against the highest floor of the Lightning Tower as it spun.

The enormous Thunder Mill, powered by the cloud waterfall, had fine grooves carved into it, interlocked with countless smaller gears.

One of those gears was likely connected to the pulley that moved the elevator.

“When the cloud waterfall turns the Thunder Mill, the parts connected to it rotate, generating force. It’s not just used for the elevator—it seems to power other mechanisms as well.”

It was clear the gears weren’t just for the elevator.

The Thunder Mill was embedded into the Lightning Tower itself, hinting at more hidden machinery inside.

The tower wasn’t just a shelter from lightning; it was a structure that converted lightning into energy.

“Hmm. This reminds me of those gear-driven toys I saw in the Military State.”

“The Military State was designed by Maximilien, who was originally from the Fallen Dominion. He must have taken inspiration from here.”

A city powered by an endlessly spinning Thunder Mill, more than a hundred meters in diameter—Claudia.

Considering that Maximilien once lived here, it was easy to guess where his ideals originated.

He must have envisioned a city where everything, even humans, functioned like interconnected gears.

…Well, if that had worked out, he wouldn’t have needed to go to the Military State in the first place.

Azzy, padding across the steel floor, looked around the top of the Lightning Tower.

She sniffed around before pawing at her head and leaping once. She tilted her head in confusion.

“Woof? It’s fine here.”

“That’s odd. The higher up we go, the more exposed we should be to lightning.”

Strange. When we were below, it felt like lightning was about to strike us at any moment.

But now that we were standing on top of the Lightning Tower, that sensation was completely gone.

Was this the tower’s power at work?

As I pondered, I noticed a group of children who spotted us from where the tower met the Thunder Mill.

Their eyes widened in shock.

“Huh? You’re not supposed to be up here!”

They were dressed similarly to the Thunderarch, wrapped tightly in thick robes like clergy members.

The startled children hurried toward us.

“This area is restricted to Thunder Disciples only!”

“No one is allowed here without the Thunderarch’s permission!”

The children spoke with such urgency, but their small, chattering voices only made them seem more adorable.

Seeing them rush over, Azzy woofed excitedly.

“Woof, woof! Let’s play!”

The two leading children’s eyes grew even wider.

“Oh? A beastkin!”

“I’ve never seen one before! Wanna play?”

“Is this really the time for that?!”

A girl, her face set in a scowl, scolded the other children.

The two kids, as well as Azzy, immediately shrank back, ears drooping.

With a sigh, the girl spoke firmly.

“I don’t know who you are, but the Thunder Mill is Claudia’s most important facility. It’s also the first place the Thunder God attacks! So, regular people aren’t allowed near it!”

“But we’re not regular people. The Thunderarch personally invited us.”

“Really…?”

“Yeah. If we were intruders, do you think the Thunderarch down there would just let us be? The mighty and powerful Thunderarch?”

Well, we didn’t exactly get permission to come up here, but since she didn’t seem too concerned, it should be fine.

Hearing my words, the girl shrugged and answered.

“You’re right! The Thunderarch is the strongest and most powerful human!”

“I don’t know if she’s the strongest, but she definitely seems powerful.”

“Aside from the gods, no one can stand against the Thunderarch!”

“Hey, be careful. You shouldn’t mention the gods so casually.”

The children were obviously referring to the Thunder God, but they needed to watch what they said.

After all, standing right here was the Progenitor of Vampires, who burns with hatred for the Sky God…

Ah, I might be too late.

Tyr, having noticed something, slowly lowered her gaze.

Wrapped around the wrists of the children—bundled up like priests—were iron rosaries glinting in the light.

Damn.

This is dangerous.

For now—

“So, does the great and powerful Thunderarch fight against the Thunder God?”

Nothing captures a child’s interest like a good versus battle.

As soon as I steered the conversation in that direction, the kids excitedly responded.

“Yes!”

“Who wins?”

“The Thunderarch wins, but she always says the Thunder God just lets her win and warns us never to let our guard down!”

“The Thunder God disappears beyond the cloud waterfall but always comes back!”

“That’s why we have to train harder so that when the Thunderarch gets old, we can fight in her place!”

“But the Thunderarch doesn’t age!”

They’re chattering excitedly, but these kids have no idea that their lives are already hanging by a thread.

Before the conversation could end, I quickly changed the topic.

“But that’s strange. Why does the Thunder God attack this place? With someone as strong as the Thunderarch, it shouldn’t be easy.”

The girl looked at me with slight contempt, as if she found my question ridiculous.

“Do you not know the story of the Lightning Thief?”

“I know the basics. Long ago, the Lightning Thief climbed the Cloud Waterfall, stole lightning from the Sky Palace, and ran away.”

It’s a famous story, and I could read it from their minds if I wanted to.

But that’s not the point—I need them to say something blasphemous if they want to live.

“But isn’t the Lightning Thief the one who did something wrong? You kids didn’t do anything, so why are you being punished?”

“What do you mean, why? The Lightning Thief hid the stolen lightning in Claudia!”

“The first Thunderarch returned the lightning, but since lightning has already touched the ground, its power still lingers. The Sky God found that unforgivable, so he sent the Thunder God to punish this land!”

This is bad.

That god should never be mentioned.

For now, let’s push forward—

“The Sky God sure holds a grudge. Even after getting the lightning back, he still punishes you?”

Tyr’s mood seemed to improve. Meanwhile, the children gasped and covered their mouths.

“Shh!”

“The Sky God will hear you!”

“He’ll strike you down with divine punishment!”

Oh, shut up.

The real danger here isn’t some distant god, it’s the ancient vampire standing right next to you!

“So what if He hears? It’s the truth.”

“But…!”

“And you’re telling me that something that happened before you were even born still warrants punishment? That’s like a nasty debt collector hounding you for a debt you never took.”

“Ah, no, we…”

The kids who had seen the Thunder God firsthand hesitated, unable to respond easily.

At least their faith wasn’t as blind as that of the Sanctum.

With the Duchy of Mist next door and the Golden Lord haunting their lands, there were no shrines. Priests also rarely dared to visit.

And, being from the Fallen Dominion, they knew how to weigh risks and benefits.

“Besides, why do you think your great and powerful Thunderarch fights the Thunder God? If the Thunder God were good, she wouldn’t be fighting him, would she?”

Pitting their belief in the Thunderarch against their faith, I finally got them to falter.

“…Yeah. The Thunder God is bad—he keeps harassing the Thunderarch.”

“But the Thunderarch also said that gods are different from humans. That the Golden Lord and the Thunder God are beings we can never truly oppose, so we must always respect them.”

“That makes sense. Even if someone’s bad, if they’re powerful and reckless, sometimes you have to bow your head and go along with it. You don’t avoid something because it’s dirty—you avoid it because it’s dangerous.”

Just like the Progenitor right next to me.

You kids almost died just now, you know?

At least Tyr looks calmer now.

｢Hu is deeply worried, but as long as no one expresses their faith in front of me, I do not care.｣

So basically, if they make it obvious, it doesn’t matter if they’re young or old—she’ll kill them.

Anyway, I just saved their lives, and no one will ever know.

Feeling relieved, I reassured them.

“But don’t worry. The evil Thunder God will be taken care of by the mighty Thunderarch and our secret weapon—“

Just as I was about to finish my sentence—

The Thunder Mill let out an ominous wail.

At the same time, electricity crackled across the surface of the Cloud Waterfall.

Like an unseen force grabbing onto the Thunder Mill, a blinding bolt of lightning connected the waterfall and the wheel.

Then came that tingling sensation—like insects crawling over my skin, like every hair on my body was being pulled at once.

Most of all, Azzy’s fur bristled all at once—her built-in lightning detector going haywire.

But it wasn’t pointing upward—it was aimed toward the Cloud Waterfall.

Ha.

What terrible timing.

We were just badmouthing him behind his back and now he actually shows up?

Maybe I should have tried convincing Tyr later and just played along with the kids’ faith.

The girl’s face turned deathly pale as she shouted,

“The Thunder God is here!”