Chapter 80: Sanctuary of Restful Purification — Final Stand
Chapter 80: Sanctuary of Restful Purification — Final Stand
The outer shell of the Level-8 Gigantic Destruction Golem was made of a material that did not exist in the present, appearing only in the future of Golemophia.
Its name was Ultimate Iron.
Because of its overwhelming defensive power and its ability to block mystical interference, almost no ordinary means could penetrate it.
In other words, the same trick I used in the Sin Library, where I turned my entire body into lightning and pierced the armor of a book knight, would not work here.
KWA-A-A-A—!
The giant golem’s mouth opened wide.
A massive Transcendent Mana Beam blasted forth and struck the Saint’s barrier surrounding the temple.
The pure white curtain that had endured every previous attack was now trembling dangerously.
—At this rate, one more attack should finish it!
The Peacock-Type Commander Golem flew near the giant golem I was riding.
—The annoying shield wall disappeared long ago! All we need to do is break that barrier!
Perhaps because Seraphina had nearly exhausted her divine power.
The authority of the relic Tireon, which had protected the temple for two days, vanished minutes ago.
If this golem was not destroyed quickly, everyone in the temple would die.
“Don’t go.”
Ignoring Yoonji’s whisper clinging to my body, I dropped downward.
I fell.
After carefully adjusting my position, I barely landed on the protruding lower jaw of the golem.
“…Ugh.”
I crawled painfully into its mouth.
This was the only entrance into the body of the Gigantic Destruction Golem.
Not an exit.
Once this was done, I would not have the strength to crawl back out anyway.
—Eh? What’s that sentient creature?!
The cheerful peacock golem cried out when it noticed me crawling.
—Don’t let it enter!
—?? Unable to understand.
Fortunately, the giant golem still did not recognize my presence.
Being only a Level-4 cultist had its advantages.
—If you don’t understand, fire Transcendent Mana Beam again!
—Charging required.
—…This is so frustrating!
Just as the commander golem flapped toward me—
KWA-GA-GA—!
A sword wrapped in divine power shot upward from the ground and sliced past its wings.
“Leave Kar alone, you peacock!”
Valentin.
Thanks to the Heretic Crusher, I looked down into the throat.
A long vertical tunnel engraved with magic circles meant to activate mystics rather than swallow food.
Hot smoke rose from below, roasting my entire body like smoked meat.
“So now you finally know how ingredients feel.”
“You did love cooking so much.”
I turned my head when unfamiliar voices spoke.
Two strange children lay beside me.
Who are you?
“You don’t recognize us?”
“That hurts, Kar.”
I didn’t care.
They were hallucinations anyway.
The penalty from the Fragment of the Giant God doubled mental interference.
Ignoring them, I threw myself downward.
Heat engulfed my body.
Pressure squeezed my mind.
CRACK!
I landed somewhere.
Unfortunately on my waist.
My lower body lost all sensation.
But who cared?
That was why I swallowed black lightning beforehand.
Crackle.
The tattoo on my collarbone transmitted some will.
I couldn’t understand it.
Actually, I barely knew where I was anymore.
Or who I was.
“Heh… heh.”
Still, I laughed.
For some reason I felt joy.
A pleasure rising from deep within my chest.
—Caw!
While I lay on a hard unknown surface, the blind crow suddenly appeared and pecked my forehead.
Then it pecked my eye.
My heart.
My liver.
My stomach.
…Or maybe it only tapped my head lightly.
—Caw!
The handsome crow then pecked the floor beneath me and screamed into my ear.
—CAAAW!
“…Got it. Stop.”
Too loud.
My left ear couldn’t hear.
Or was it my right?
Maybe the left one was never there.
Either way, I remembered what I needed to do.
“Truth…”
—Caw?
“Break this.”
I tapped the ground weakly.
“This is the mana core.”
Lightning could pass through every other part of the golem’s body.
But not the mana core filled with pure mana.
—Caw!
The blind crow struck it with its beak.
No chance.
As expected.
Wiiiiii—
While Truth struggled, blue light and scorching heat gathered everywhere.
Another Transcendent Mana Beam.
There was no time left.
So I did what I had planned.
CRACKLE!
My right hand turned into sharp lightning.
I severed my left arm below the elbow.
Black lightning-blood poured out.
—…Caw?
“Don’t just stand there. Collect the Embers of Glory.”
Next, I swallowed a tiny stone from my subspace storage.
My body would now partially transform into stone.
From this moment on—
I was a walking altar.
“Lidni, you know how deeply I revere you.”
Reciting the prayer slowly, I lit two candles beside me.
“I believe in you at least one hundred times more than any ordinary cultist. I trust you will guide me on the path to truth.”
For most Evil Gods, the prayer itself didn’t matter.
The real key was the living sacrifice.
If the sacrifice tasted good, formalities could be ignored.
And the most delicious offering—
was the cultist performing the ritual.
“I offer a part of this fragile body.”
The cultist’s final trump card.
A self-sacrifice ritual.
The permanent offering—
my left arm.
“In return, please dispose of this mana core in the wisest way possible.”
She would succeed.
Once she had glimpsed truth and known all knowledge.
“O wise one….”
What was the next line?
I hesitated.
Then forced the words out.
“Please enjoy eating me.”
—CAAAAW!
The blind crow roared and devoured my severed arm.
Wooooong!
At the same time, blue light intensified everywhere.
The heat rose enough to boil my entire body.
I didn’t care.
I had done everything I could.
I lay flat.
“Did you really have to go this far?”
“Seriously. That seems like a stupid decision, Kar.”
The strange boy and girl lay beside me again.
“Bring Yoonji instead of random hallucinations.”
But she did not appear.
Too bad.
To see her again I would have to wait for another nightmare—or another mental overload.
I closed my eyes and simply enjoyed the burning heat.
Crack… crack.
Then the mana core beneath my back began to break.
At the same moment, the blue light vanished.
The heat faded.
The vibrations stopped.
The Gigantic Destruction Golem had probably ceased functioning.
My consciousness sank into darkness.
【…You truly do absurd things.】
Just before I passed out, the voice of the Wise One echoed faintly.
Then it disappeared.
My weakened mind could not endure a god’s presence.
An Evil God should speak freely even if their cultist dies…
But this one retreated instead.
“….”
My consciousness dissolved.
So this was the end.
Dying in a C-Rank labyrinth was disappointing.
But since the golems came from the A-Rank dungeon Golemophia, it wasn’t the worst grave.
Just as I finally let go—
Saaaa—
White energy suddenly rose from my body.
Not one kind.
Two.
One pale white, almost gray.
One pure white.
Two divine powers—similar yet different—flowed into me like underground springs.
—Caw!
The blind crow shuddered and retreated into my eye socket.
《The presence of the Hypocritical Goddess can be felt from you! Two of them!》
The Goddess of Clear Wisdom and Steadfast Protection.
The protector of weak lights.
Arteine had descended upon me.
Both the present goddess—
and the past goddess manifested in the labyrinth.
《Your life force and mental power are rapidly recovering! The dangerously accumulated Dark Solitude is also disappearing! As irritating as it is, this help was invaluable!》
“…Arteine, you were a little late. Both of you.”
Still, I felt satisfied.
My gamble—betting my life on Arteine helping me—had succeeded.
I can’t believe that worked….
It was impossible in the game.
Honestly, I expected to die.
But it worked out.
People really should live guided by emotion.
If I had acted purely rationally, I would never have reached such an ideal ending.
Finally relaxing my body, I whispered.
“Arteine. If you like me, please subscribe and press like.”
Two nearly identical wills arrived with the white energy.
“What are you talking about?”
“What are you saying…?”
“It means please keep watching and occasionally donate.”
Divine blessings could be granted even to non-believers as long as faith was consumed.
Since I was already asking politely—
I added one more request.
“Could you grant me one favor?”
After speaking, sleep overtook me.
This time I knew it would not lead to death.
So I closed my eyes peacefully.
As expected—
a C-Rank labyrinth was not suitable as my grave.
Rumble.
After barely destroying the third giant golem, Seraphina staggered to her feet.
She had no divine power left.
She could still fight minor monsters.
But if another high-level golem arrived, she could not stop it.
“…What about the others?”
Turning to the battlefield, she saw the commander of the Torch of Purification had just destroyed his assigned golem.
But the one assigned to the explorers—
—Fire already!
The peacock commander ordered the giant golem to prepare another future mystic attack.
“…Did they fail?”
The blonde half-elf and the explorers who had risked their lives to fight.
Thinking they had died made her chest ache.
Even worse—
she no longer had the power to stop the golem’s attack.
Biting her lip, Seraphina prepared to throw the relic Clericium in one last attempt.
CRACK.
But just then—
the giant golem began shaking violently.
From head to toe it trembled.
Then—
it stopped completely.
—…What happened?!
The confused peacock golem flew around the frozen giant.
Seraphina’s eyes widened.
They succeeded.
Those explorers far below Level 8.
More surprising—
she felt the pure presence of Arteine from inside the golem.
Two of them.
—Ha! Impressive, but this isn’t over!
The commander golem flew toward the rear of the battlefield.
Seraphina followed its gaze.
Her expression hardened instantly.
From the sky—
nine floating golems larger than the giants were approaching.
—Level-9 flying war golems! You cannot endure this!
“….”
That was true.
Even at full strength she could not stop them.
Still—
she would not surrender.
The surviving Holy Knights moved forward as well.
Seraphina joined them with spear and buckler in hand.
—You living beings are truly pathetic! Now just—
BOOOOM!
—…Huh?
One of the flying golems suddenly crashed to the ground in flames.
—W-What is—
Before the commander finished speaking—
—GRAAA!
A massive wyvern swooped down and devoured the peacock golem.
It spat the scraps out like garbage.
“Greetings, Saint.”
The knight riding the wyvern waved lightly.
“Reinforcements have arrived.”
“…Welcome.”
Seraphina collapsed in relief.
“Arteine suddenly gave me a revelation. Said she’d explain everything to His Majesty later, so I should hurry here.”
“I see….”
“Now rest.”
Raising his cavalry spear, Cassius pointed toward the flying golems.
“With me here.”
“…Please.”
Cassius shot forward and engaged the nine Level-9 flying war golems.
Watching him fight, Seraphina finally relaxed.
You did it, Kar.
She walked toward the immobilized giant golem.
Her face filled with confusion.
“Arteine… how much do you like him?”
The goddess had granted mystics to someone who was not even a Guardian believer.
She had even given revelation to Cassius.
Such actions consumed enormous faith—something Arteine normally avoided.
Perhaps the half-elf Kar had truly caught the goddess’s attention.
Standing before the giant golem, Seraphina raised the relic spear Sighea and smiled faintly.
“I understand how you feel.”
Perhaps—
she liked him even more than Arteine did.