Chapter 334: Awakening
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 334: Awakening
[And the Savior, who had long suppressed Himself, did reveal His true power in the face of the ceaseless onslaught of the dead, and His holy army was made whole, as if before the battle had begun. The Savior spake, saying, “Behold, the dead shall not invade this, my holy land.” And all the Savior’s disciples burst into tears and bowed their heads. - The New Testament of Blood Dagger 52:14]
“Was it… really true?”
Lee Seyoung, a disciple of the Goddess of Wisdom, muttered to herself. Something utterly absurd had just happened on the battlefield. She had already heard how crucial priests were in this war against the undead. Indeed, the entire army had moved to protect the priests, doing their utmost to utilize them as efficiently as possible.
It was no surprise that Lee Seyoung, classified as a high-level priest, was treated with the utmost respect. In fact, anyone in the North knew the name Lee Seyoung. The priest class was exceedingly rare to begin with. Thanks to the Free Dungeon Agreement, even the Green Skins understood the importance of priests. Although the emergence of the new Shaman class had caused the priests’ influence to wane slightly, it was soon discovered that a shaman’s healing could not affect the undead. As a result, the social standing of priests had risen even higher than before.
The priesthood was a class one was chosen for. One could become a warrior by picking up a sword and shield, but one could not become a priest simply by reading books, attending a temple, and praying unconditionally.
It was wrong, but she couldn’t help but feel good thinking she was receiving special treatment. She had consistently participated in gatherings of priests, so it was only natural that a similar small group had formed during this war.
It was there that Lee Seyoung heard a name she had heard once before.
‘The West’s Saint.’
It was Baek Ahyeon, the West’s Saint, who had been reported missing. A priest brought over by the Green Skins, her holy power surpassed even Lee Seyoung’s. To be precise, she possessed enough holy power to be ranked within the top five on the entire continent.
It was baffling enough to hear that she was living with a Green Skin tribe, but what was even more absurd was the enormous number of followers Baek Ahyeon led. It was natural to wonder which god she believed in, and it was no surprise that the other priests were curious as well.
‘Which god… do you happen to serve?’
‘The Savior who will deliver this continent, Lord Blood Dagger.’
‘Excuse me…? Do you mean the one from the Brother’s Land…?’
‘Yes. That is correct.’
Of course, it was absurd. She thought it was a joke, a prank. When she looked at Baek Ahyeon with suspicious eyes, the reply came immediately.
‘You… have a demon in your eyes.’
‘Wh-What does that…?’
‘It is nothing. I look forward to the day we meet again.’
She could never forget the chilling expression on her face back then. It was naturally bewildering that the West’s Saint was a madwoman; she couldn’t even comprehend how she had become a priest.
Her behavior afterward was even more of a spectacle. She led her followers in worship and even brought out a statue of her savior to pray to.
‘R-Really? You gained your holy power by believing in him?’
The surrounding priests thought Baek Ahyeon was a heretic, but after considering the immense holy power she possessed, a few of them grew curious.
‘Yes. That is correct. Otherwise, there is no way I could have obtained such power.’
‘That’s truly amazing…’
‘I am certain that if you all witness Lord Blood Dagger’s true nature, you will undoubtedly repent for your sins.’
‘Ah… Sins?’
‘Oh! It is nothing. You need not worry. There are things that only my eyes can see.’
The sight of her grinning smile made them feel as if they had stepped into a wild beast’s cage, and the other priests kept their distance. But beyond that, her usual actions and conduct bordered on the bizarre. It didn’t take long for word to spread that she served an unknown god called the Savior, and she was quickly ostracized by the other priests. Although she, with her many followers, didn’t seem to care, Baek Ahyeon was subtly being shunned.
Baek Ahyeon the Pagan, the heretic, the madwoman who served Blood Dagger, the savior who would deliver the continent—that was how the surrounding priests viewed the West’s Saint.
They had laughed off the words she so often repeated and secretly insulted her, but now that the situation had truly unfolded this way, Lee Seyoung could only swallow hard.
She saw a demon with horns on his head and a tail rising into the air. A faint green light radiated from him, and his tail and body, which looked as if they were made of stems, gave him the appearance of a forest god.
“It was true…?”
Another priest next to her muttered the same thing.
It was because their holy power, depleted from the recent battle, was rising once more. Their reactions were, of course, ones of disbelief.
It wasn’t just their holy power that was recovering. Their drained stamina was also being restored. No, “restored” wasn’t a strong enough word. Seeing it practically overflowing, Lee Seyoung looked at the green demon once more and nodded.
She had felt something similar when she saw the Sword Saint, Ha Yuri, during the war. But unlike then, when she had quickly dismissed it as a falsehood, seeing Baek Ahyeon weeping beside her made Lee Seyoung think that this man might truly be the Savior.
“The Savior…?”
*
“No way…”
“It’s a miracle.”
“S-Savior!”
Someone murmured. That voice must be Baek Ahyeon’s. Seeing her crying, a slight smile began to form on my lips. It was a scene that even I found hard to believe. Normally, the function of holy power was limited to healing wounds or restoring stamina. It could also cure poison, but that was merely a secondary effect. There had never been a case like this, where it restored depleted mana or holy power.
Mana could be replenished by drinking a mana potion, but restoring holy power as well was definitely on another level.
The power of Mistilteinn, spreading out from me, gradually convinced all the surrounding troops. There must also be a function to debuff enemies.
- Th-That’s not possible yet. W-We’re not on good terms yet…
Not the most welcome news. Wondering if I could check my exact information with my own eyes, I thought about my current state, and a flood of information shot into my mind.
[Weapon Unification]
[Mode - Mistilteinn]
[Through the effect of Weapon Unification, the user’s health and mana are continuously restored. It drains the mana and health of attacked targets. It helps maintain a constantly clear mind. By consuming a large amount of mana, you can gain control over surrounding plants for a certain period. By consuming a large amount of mana and health, you can restore the mana and health of nearby allied forces.]
[Agility +10, Health +10, Mana +10]
The stat increase was higher than what I remembered from the original Mistilteinn. But I knew the real advantages lay in the parts not represented by stats. The continuous restoration of health and mana, maintaining a clear mind, or gaining control over plants were all basic effects that Mistilteinn originally possessed.
The skill I could use through Weapon Unification was the ability to grant the same effect to allied forces. In other words, a buff.
And it was a type of buff that had never been seen before.
The effect was immediately visible. Choi Eunju’s discolored hair didn’t return to normal, but she was blinking and looking up at me.
“This is…”
“Rest for now.”
“D-Darling…”
The other soldiers, who had been fighting nonstop against the countless undead, looked down at their own bodies with bewildered eyes.
The priests who had been pouring out holy power, the mages who had been unleashing spells, and the archers who had been firing arrows—all of them stared at me with stunned expressions.
It seemed that while I maintained this skill, Mistilteinn wouldn’t restore my own mana and health. I could feel my mana hitting rock bottom, but the cheers from my surroundings grew even louder.
It was a strange experience to feel one’s health and mana replenishing. It felt even more so when the body recovered at such a perfect time. It was impossible not to feel energized.
The battle line, which had been pushed back, began to push the undead back once more, and in the areas where holy power had weakened, a massive amount of it erupted again.
“Hahahaha…”
I raised the corner of my lip at the Queen of the North, who was staring at me with eyes full of disbelief.
Fwoosh!
- J-Just a little more…
The moment I deactivated Weapon Unification, the green light emanating from my body vanished in an instant. My body, which had floated slightly into the air from the overflowing mana, sank back to the ground.
“Kim Taesung… that just now!”
“Seulgi. Take Choi Eunju…”
“Ah… okay…”
It seemed she had regained consciousness, but the skill hadn't cured her previous state of exhaustion. I handed the wide-eyed Choi Eunju to Choi Seulgi and gripped Levatain tightly once more.
‘Can I do it?’
My mana was depleted. Perhaps due to using the skill, the rate at which my mana refilled was slow. But there was a reason I had to cut short this relentless enemy advance. Just as they had landed a magnificent opening blow, it was our turn to return the favor.
[Activating unique ability, Weapon Unification.]
[Target - Levatain]
Once again, I felt my entire body heat up. In an instant, an immense flame enveloped me. But it was less painful than the first time I had activated Unification. Perhaps if I continued to use it and adapt, the pain would gradually lessen. Flames began to erupt from my back and tail. It felt as if I had become a ball of fire. With the strange power bursting forth, my body rose into the air again.
- Aren’t you happy to call on me so often? Hehe.
‘It’s necessary.’
- No need to be so cold, darling. You know that crazy bitch is furious right now, right? Serves her right.
If the enemy had been human, Dainsleif wouldn’t have been a bad choice, but in this situation, it was obviously more advantageous to use Levatain. The undead had no blood.
- I know that’s not the only reason…
I casually ignored her and quickly checked my information.
[Weapon Unification]
[Mode - Levatain]
[Through the effect of Weapon Unification, the user gains the fire attribute. Fire attribute resistance and attack power are greatly increased. By consuming a large amount of mana, you gain perfect control over fire and heat. By consuming all of your mana, you can create the Flame of Ruin that will burn the world.]
[Health +5, Strength +5, Mana +7]
The additional stats were much lower than Mistilteinn’s. As expected of a cheaper weapon, it seemed to compete on efficiency. The original Ancient Flame had been like that. I was just thinking that it might have been better to summon Dainsleif when she spoke.
- That thought… I’ll make you regret it. Get ready to pass out.
At Levatain’s words, I swung my hand toward the empty air.