Gulrak (2)
There were connections, even if indirect. Gulrak and I were linked in several ways.
It started with Porori. After losing to me, he'd gritted his teeth in frustration and prayed to Gulrak for a blessing. Whether Gulrak took a liking to him or not, the god granted it. From then on, Porori had become a true Lightning Squirrel, matching me blow for blow.
Next came Kara and her father, Hector. The duel with Kara was straightforward enough to brush off, but Hector had nearly beaten me to death. Still, that was his doing—he'd picked the fight first. I'd just been minding my own business when he attacked. My counter was justified, and in the end, he and Kara had bowed their heads and apologized.
Anyone with a conscience wouldn't hurl lightning over something like that.
This is awkward.
In Soul World, Gulrak was as reliable as a hearty bowl of soup. No other god matched his utility for faith-based builds. Gaia leaned more toward utility and support, so opinions were divided—personal growth took a backseat to relationships. Still, both gods favored players, earning high marks from the community. Even the "truth" revealed later just turned into memes.
Did he hear me cursing in the forest?
I stood at the altar entrance, pondering. Lee Yeonju waited beside me. After that sudden bolt from the blue, the priest had barred entry, muttering about freak accidents that almost never happened—usually reserved for divine punishment.
If not divine punishment, then someone must have prayed for it...
Porori? High credibility. But if so, I'd have been zapped ages ago. We'd signed a ceasefire, not a peace treaty.
What the hell was the reason? And why so precise? I'd taken enough hits to shrug it off, but the tingle lingered.
"You took a direct lightning strike and you're fine... Are you really okay...?"
Lee Yeonju, waiting outside with me, murmured softly. My ears caught every word. A normal person would've been paralyzed for days, or worse—cardiac arrest if unlucky. But I was mostly unscathed. A bit of singed hair, easily fixed.
"Yeonju."
"Uh, y-yeah?"
Bored with nothing to do, I called her name. She looked genuinely flustered—no acting there.
New students from the Hwan Empire were due soon. Not just anyone—someone important. That would trigger events tied to Lee Yeonju, dragging in her sister, Yeonhwa. A tangled web of relationships; unraveling it right would yield major allies down the line.
"Wh-why'd you call me? Something to say?"
"Hwan Empire. Right?"
"... ..."
Mentioning her origins made her eye twitch faintly—visible to me. She hated being called from the Hwan Empire. "Eastern" was preferable.
As explained before, the Hwan Empire was Soviet-inspired: a union of states under one banner.
"...Yeah, but call me Eastern. Hwan Empire feels... uncomfortable."
"Why?"
"None of your business."
Sharp as a knife. The timid facade vanished. Affinity too low, it seemed. She was one of the tougher ones to befriend.
For her, the Hwan Empire was pure hatred. They'd swallowed her homeland—who wouldn't resent that? Worse, they played big brother, "protecting" allies while stripping them bare.
Taking everything worth taking.
Just look at the name: Hwan Empire. No autonomy allowed. The opposite of Granada Empire's puppet states. Pure Soviet playbook.
Rumble—
Thunder rolled from the sky. Yeonju and I snapped our heads up. Dread hit just as my hairs stood on end—flash!
Boom!
No. Fuck, again? The first was a surprise; this one, I dodged, hurling myself aside. Yeonju flinched and followed.
Crack! A thicker bolt than before scorched the exact spot I'd stood. Stronger intensity—black char marks on the stone proved it.
I stared in disbelief.
"...Sivar."
"...Yeah?"
"Did you piss off the Heavenly God somehow? Why the divine punishment...?"
I didn't do shit, lady. I made my most wronged face. No clue meant no acceptance—just frustration.
One option left: sneak inside. Priest or no, slip in and done. Forests flanked the entrance; easy detour. Priest was gone anyway.
"Wh-where are you going...?"
"Inside."
"I-inside? But the priest said no entry...!"
Whatever. Curiosity first. I ignored her frantic protests, brushing past. She rolled her eyes in panic, worried I'd cause trouble.
But no trouble planned.
Someone inside's offering a rite tied to me.
I veered into the forest, stealthing toward the altar. Another bolt? I'd be spotted—but hurry in first.
Yeonju hesitated, then followed with a whatever shrug. Her stealth was solid; no issue keeping up.
"Qu-quick, go back! What if you get zapped again?"
"Dunno."
"Dunno my ass...!"
"Quiet."
She'd blow our cover. Short replies, I pushed to the altar.
Detour through dense woods was annoying but manageable.
Fitting for a sky god—altar fully open.
Unlike Gaia's enclosed sites, Gulrak's was bare: lone altar for offerings, no buildings. Open meant no surrounding trees—perched on a cliff edge, hard to approach.
Multiple altars dotted the area; center one held familiar faces.
That hair stands out.
Golden. Red. Purple. Add lime green, and it'd be Teletubbies.
Priest mentioned Porori; must've prayed and left already.
"There they are... I should pray to the Heavenly God too..."
Yeonju, now peeking beside me, whispered. Easterners called Gulrak "Heavenly God," Gaia "Earth God." Fitting for sky and land.
As I mulled Eastern names, the group began their rite.
Whoosh! Flames erupted from an offering.
Gulrak's response, per my memory. Kara seemed the offerer; she waved the group back as fire roared.
A bow would've sufficed, but her faith was genuine fire.
"Uh... dancing?"
Like Yeonju said, Kara danced. No regard for onlookers—pure devotion to reach the heavens.
Dancers in rituals? Common worldwide. Music ideal, but dance alone sufficed here.
And it did.
Roar! Her graceful moves intensified the flames.
I focused less on fire, more on her. Tatar roots evoked ancient Egypt: hips swaying elegantly, waist twisting softly—like belly dance.
Even in modest uniform, stunning. Up close? Intoxicating.
In dancer garb...
Chaos.
Her rite ended short—simple, not national scale. She bowed reverently; group followed.
Bows convey prayers. Kara likely voiced her wish.
Rumble!
Boom!
Lightning—right overhead. What the fuck now.
Your Faith stat has increased!
And what the hell are you doing?.