Chapter 70
Chapter 70
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: Reunion and Encounter (2)
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‘Is she… alive…?’
I knew that couldn’t be possible.
Even so, the wings sprouting from the woman’s back looked so vivid, as if they might flutter into motion at any moment, making it hard to tear my eyes away.
Before I knew it, I found myself wanting to stay here just a little longer, even if only for a moment, to gaze at this statue.
Of course, I’m not saying I actually did. I couldn’t afford to waste time on something pointless.
I tore my gaze from the statue and shook my stiff legs.
Looking around, I noticed three or four players wandering nearby, taking in the sights.
I slipped inside the building before their eyes could turn to me.
But I had to stop before I even cleared the entrance.
It was because of someone crouched there, dressed head to toe in white.
‘I heard some rustling from outside and wondered what it was. Guess it was this guy.’
The person inside had their back to me, polishing the statue in front of them.
“Excuse me.”
“Hm?”
They turned at my call.
“Oh!”
The one who shot up from their spot was young enough to call a boy.
Clasping his hands tightly together, the boy’s blue eyes sparkled as he let out a sharp cry.
“Brother! Welcome!”
That one phrase revealed his identity.
“You’re a priest?”
“Oh, right!”
At my question, the boy bowed hastily and said,
“I’m Rivan, a follower of Palao.”
“I’m K.”
“Shall I show you around the temple? Others have stopped by to look around!”
Instead of answering right away, I scanned the empty interior of the building.
‘It’s pretty spacious.’
It dwarfed the prayer room I’d seen at the Resistance headquarters.
And yet, the only one in sight was this young priest who’d introduced himself as Rivan.
Despite his loud voice, no one else came out.
‘Isn’t the staff here a bit too thin?’
Now that Hawon had become one of the players’ bases, more people would surely visit.
‘Are things so dire they can’t even spare anyone to station here?’
For a split second, I questioned if choosing Palao was the right call. But only for a moment.
‘Either way, I have no restrictions on my divine powers.’
Thanks to my title, I could use all seven divine powers.
In that case, the best choice was a place without complicated power structures or scheming heads trying to use me—one where I could focus purely on growing stronger.
On top of that, I was already acquainted with the higher-ups in the Palao Church.
‘Plus, Palao’s buffs seem like they’d help a dealer position.’
Even reconsidering, Palao remained the headless option—the best one.
I took in the desolate temple scene and said flatly,
“No sightseeing.”
“Huh?”
“I’m not here to sightsee. I came to join up.”
Blink, blink.
“Uh…”
Rivan blinked silently, starting to panic.
“I’d like to take the initiation exam. Is that not possible?”
The silence dragged on too long, so I added a nudge.
“Uh, um… That’s not really something I know about… Hold on!”
Instead of a proper answer, Rivan spun around and dashed off.
Left alone at the entrance, I let out a hollow chuckle and shook my head.
The server connection was complete.
That meant preparations were in place to welcome players in this world too.
Yet the response I got wasn’t exactly reassuring.
‘They set it up for us to join, but surely they haven’t prepared nothing?’
With a twinge of doubt, I crossed my arms and tapped my foot.
How many minutes passed like that? Bustling footsteps finally approached.
Turning my head, I saw an elderly man in baggy white robes running over with Rivan.
‘Cloak? Cape?’
I wasn’t sure what to call that outfit.
It looked different from Rivan’s, and it was densely embroidered with gold thread.
Even the edges of his irises had an odd golden tint.
‘Traces of divinity.’
It was clear at a glance that he outranked Rivan.
In this world, gold carried significant meaning.
“Br-Brother, pl-please… welcome…”
The elder reached me, panting so hard he couldn’t finish his words.
I got anxious he might topple backward.
“You should catch your breath first.”
“Y-Yes.”
At my awkward remark, the old man bent at the waist and regulated his breathing.
Only after a brief moment of recovery did he finally speak.
“Welcome. I am Hemar Rodiel, servant of Palao. I apologize for keeping you waiting.”
“K.”
“You’ve come to join us?”
I nodded slightly in affirmation, and he responded immediately.
“This way, please.”
He clearly knew more than Rivan.
As I followed him, Rivan bowed deeply from the entrance and shouted,
“P-Please come back safe!”
His booming voice filled the surroundings—then silence returned.
The only sounds were our two sets of footsteps.
Perhaps finding the quiet awkward, Hemar spoke first.
“You may find this unpleasant, but for confirmation: You’ve come to the Palao Church, correct? If you’ve come to the wrong place, I can guide you to the temple of whichever church you seek.”
His tone was oddly skeptical, as if he didn’t believe I’d choose to join Palao.
He’d caught on too. That players knew of Palao’s disappearance.
From what Rivan had said, I wasn’t the first player to stop by.
They must have overheard the gossip and pieced together the situation.
“Yes, the Church of the God of Charity, Palao.”
“…I see.”
“The players must have been blabbing openly, huh?”
Hemar cleared his throat awkwardly, uncomfortably, then replied calmly.
“We didn’t seek to hear it.”
“They were loud enough where anyone could hear. Isn’t it more ridiculous to complain about that?”
“…I’m glad you see it that way.”
He glanced back with an awkward smile and continued.
“Since you seem aware of our circumstances, allow me one more question. Why choose this place…?”
No need to lie, but spelling it out bluntly felt off.
‘Saying it’s because there’s no god scheming to exploit me and the church is weak enough to push around…’
That’d come off as too dismissive.
I wasn’t the polite type, but I wasn’t rude enough to invite offense.
“The others don’t inspire trust.”
“Pardon?”
Not a lie. Just a slight shift in phrasing.
‘If anything, it’s true I feel safest here compared to the other churches.’
To dodge details, I ignored his question and changed the subject.
“But with a building this big, is it just the two of you?”
“The servants helping with maintenance are off cleaning the west wing right now.”
That wasn’t what I meant.
“And the other priests?”
“There were two more, but they’re still at the church headquarters for training.”
The word “training” perked my ears.
‘The leadership is definitely up to something regarding players.’
I probed a bit more, but he claimed ignorance of the details.
Not wanting to press too hard, I fell silent.
The quiet that followed stretched on. The building was larger than expected.
We kept walking and walking. Tired of the silence, I spoke up first.
“It’s quite spacious.”
Better to fish for info than let time waste away.
“Not just this east wing—you should have seen the west wing closed off too. But since they designated this as the exam hall, we rushed to open it up.”
“Even with maintenance staff, four people must be stretched thin managing it.”
“I hear more help for management will arrive once training ends.”
Reinforcements were coming, then. I breathed a silent sigh of relief as Hemar added,
“Until now, the two of us sufficed… but clearly, we’ll need more people going forward.”
Meaning player traffic would pick up, so they were hurrying to bolster numbers.
But it didn’t seem as smooth as hoped.
‘They must be struggling to pull staff from elsewhere.’
Nearly a week since server connection, and still just two?
“How precarious is the church’s position?”
Enough that they couldn’t even reassign from within?
Hemar’s shoulders twitched at my probing question.
It took a while for an answer.
“…It’s hard to call it good.”
Palao once drew the most followers alongside the god of kindness, Kallos.
Now, her temples often stood empty, without a single visitor.
No miracles came from devoting oneself to a godless church.
“Some low-ranking priests have even shed their robes to earn money.”
Only the periodic offerings from the deeply faithful kept the temples in major cities afloat.
“That’s why we closed the east and west wings until now.”
Minimizing costs for one let them sustain as many temples as possible.
So that, should a devotee of the God of Charity ever return, they’d have a place to welcome them.
The stark explanation didn’t stir much in me.
‘I’d half-expected as much.’
I hadn’t chosen Palao for her church’s influence.
I’d chosen a place that wouldn’t meddle in my growth or my life.
So their situation mattered little.
But recalling the gods who’d shamelessly clung to protecting followers, a corner of my mind soured.
Followers who fled the moment their god vanished.
‘At this point, it’s fair to say their faith wasn’t sincere—it was just tribute for future miracles.’
Could they repackage abandoning their watchful god?
Perhaps it was a side effect of witnessing divine miracles firsthand.
I calmly took in this world’s underbelly and Palao Church’s reality.
Then, I eyed Hemar’s back with renewed curiosity.
‘He’s awfully candid, though.’
Even after I’d declared intent to join Palao.
What if those words changed my mind?
‘Or is he hoping they do?’
Not knowing his intentions left me a bit frustrated.
But the timing wasn’t right to press further.
We rounded a pure-white corridor, and a massive door—twice the size of a normal one—came into view.
Hemar stepped aside after guiding me there.
“Enter through here.”
I placed my hand on the door to open it.
「MISSION - Main Scenario Act 1 Scene 2: Initiation Exam detected.」
「Entry conditions fulfilled.」
「Entering Palao’s Exam Hall.」
The heavy door slid open without effort.
“May you achieve the result you desire.”
Leaving Hemar’s voice behind, I stepped inside.
For such a grand door, the interior wasn’t large.
Just a room the size of a small studio apartment, sparsely furnished.
A miniature version of the goddess statue from outside.
It felt barren, almost desolate—yet strangely off.
Though the ceiling and walls were sealed tight, without even a window, the light was blinding.
I squinted involuntarily as the door sealed shut behind me.
Soon, a system window and a charred-black wooden log appeared.
[Palao Church Initiation Exam]
Sever the blackwood.
Time Limit: 00:10:00
The instructions were straightforward, needing no explanation.
The timer started ticking, and I drew my spear.
Then, I swung down at the log on the floor with all my might.
“Hah!”
Right after, I let out a disbelieving chuckle.
Damn system