Chapter 179
Chapter 179
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 178
Chapter Title: Edward Acquires Paladin (Hero) in the Castle of Light
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Not particularly flashy, the server-wide announcement popped up for a moment before vanishing.
It meant Revenge's system deemed the event commonplace and unremarkable, but in pay-free Ardania, it held greater significance than even a rare or hero-grade item drop.
"No way it dropped... He must've gotten a hero-grade through class synthesis?"
Of course, class synthesis was entirely plausible by now. With guilds multiplying and class cards piling up, people had started synthesizing them.
The issue was the type of class card acquired and who obtained it.
"...Does that even make sense?"
Even scouring the entire Human Empire, fewer than thirty people possessed hero classes. Even as folks began running syntheses, not just anyone in free-to-play Ardania could snag a hero class.
Flat out, what money did Edward have to spin rare class syntheses? And of all things, ending up with Paladin?
"Should I go check it out?"
That was when he thought that.
"Your Majesty!"
The rooftop door flew open as a maid came rushing in. Her labored breathing, despite having a class herself, revealed how hastily she'd climbed the stairs.
"What is it?"
The maid answered my question.
"Huff... huff... Labor has started!"
"...Let's go."
I immediately headed down the stairs.
'As expected, it's fast.'
This wasn't normal human gestation speed. At this point, worry about whether birth could proceed smoothly was in order.
"Ugh..."
Reaching Flower's room, a groan echoed. A frail voice, as if on the verge of death.
"Great Heal!"
"Great Heal!"
"Great Heal!"
Over twenty priests surrounded her, endlessly pouring out healing spells, yet even that couldn't maintain Flower's condition.
"Just take the baby already! Lady Flower can't hold on...!"
"No! It's not coming out! Ah, the child is sucking up the last of her mana and nutrients!"
"Damn it all! Perform a C-section and pull it out by force!"
Doctors and priests shouted and stomped in frustration, but that wouldn't resolve the crisis.
"Flower."
"Your Majesty... Your Majesty..."
Flower, far more emaciated than before, her frame skeletal, grasped my hand. Her normally vibrant face was deathly pale, skin cracking from dryness.
It was beyond what food could fix now. She lacked even the strength to digest, and the child in her womb was draining her nutrients more fiercely.
"Your Majesty. Sh-should the moment of choice arrive..."
Then Flower clutched me with a hand devoid of strength.
"Choose... choose the child no matter what..."
With that, she closed her eyes. Not dead, but unconscious.
"..."
I gazed down at her silently. I'd only recently begun seeing her as a woman. Naturally so—I'd taken her in as a child.
'This sight... it's unfamiliar in many ways. Honestly, the fact that my child is being born hasn't sunk in.'
Yet an adult must shoulder the reality before him.
And I had no intention of accepting any tragedy.
"Log out."
I returned to Earth. Then spoke.
"Honor God."
[The Honor God regards you.]
"Grant me proof of honor."
Humm...
A strange power spread through my body. Divinity not my own, marking me as the Honor God's priest.
The entire process was astonishingly swift. The hesitation until now felt utterly futile.
I stepped over and sat in the chair before my PC.
Flash!
Amid a burst of light, the reinforced plastic chair gleamed gold.
Not just a color change—the material itself had transformed fundamentally.
[You are Gold (Gold) Rank!]
I couldn't help but laugh at the popup.
"No, come on—even as a Transcendent, this is all I get?"
The Three Gods' ranks followed the usual ladder game tiers.
Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Master, Grandmaster, Challenger.
No Challengers existed on 34th Earth currently, and even accounting for the Grandmaster being the Honor God's apostle, Gold Rank felt insultingly low.
'Well, how many Transcendents are even active on 34th Earth right now?'
Regrettable, but sufficient for my purpose.
"Log in."
Back to Ardania.
Flower's labored breaths, the torrent of heals, the panicked faces—all reappeared.
Amid it, I scooped Flower into my arms.
"Your Majesty?"
"P-please be careful..."
Ignoring the chatter, I sat in a nearby chair.
Flash!
The wooden chair morphed into the Throne of Honor. The noisy room fell deathly silent in an instant.
"No, what... is this?"
"The chair..."
Brushing off their bewilderment, I checked the text.
[You are Platinum (Platinum) Rank!]
'...Different?'
I'd considered that Ardania might not produce the Throne of Honor, but exceeding expectations upward was unforeseen.
'Amazing. Even combining the Human Empire's entire population, it's under ten million...'
It defied logic. Especially since this wasn't like the Apocalypse Project era, handing out authorities freely.
But the urgent matter was Flower.
"I desire Ilseong Pharmaceuticals' Complete Perfection."
I murmured softly. My retainers, hearing the cryptic words, looked baffled—but this was the Honor God's priest's greatest authority.
Material Creation.
Bringing real-world items to Ardania was impossible, but... this power could manifest even those.
Whumm-!
[You are Platinum (Platinum) Rank!]
[Power expenditure: Downgraded to Gold Rank!]
[Power expenditure: Downgraded to Silver Rank!]
[Power expenditure: Downgraded to Bronze Rank!]
Ranks plummeted in seconds. Fortunately, it stopped before Iron or Unranked.
'Good. Thought it might be greed, but it worked.'
Smiling in satisfaction, I snatched the large syringe materializing before me.
This was Ilseong Pharmaceuticals' Complete Perfection from 34th Earth—the pinnacle pharma firm.
A vital elixir for bio-energy cultivators; normals gained only full-body restoration, but...
Perfect for this crisis.
Stab!
Without hesitation, I injected it into Flower's vein.
No prior experience, yet naturally, I administered Complete Perfection into her bloodstream flawlessly.
"Ugh...! Urgh!"
Flower, eyes shut like the dead, began groaning. Pain meant life—welcome news, as suffering required vitality.
"It's okay. Everything will be fine."
I cradled her small frame. Endless heals made her body shimmer.
"Your Majesty, Your Majesty..."
"Yes, Flower. I'm right here."
Flower clung tightly to me. I felt the fetus wriggling in her belly.
'Making Flower suffer like this. Once you're born, expect brutal training.'
Regardless of future aspirations, knight training was now mandatory—or so I'd thought, finally recalling Edward.
'With things like this... meeting him will be tough.'
But no great worry. He was a hardcore blockhead, yet possessed an upright heart.
Above all, he had severe sister complex.
As long as Harmony stayed at the Grand Citadel, no major derailment.
'And if he does? Just punish him harshly.'
Shaking off stray thoughts, I hugged Flower tightly again.
* * *
The first special boss, Zealot Edward, was merely a monster defined by the lore "priest corrupted by an outer god."
But there was a problem.
His character design was too good.
No special reason. The designer simply nailed the vibe and gave it their all!
Yet the result veered into unpredicted territory for the creators—humans being visual creatures.
A humanoid monster, and a rare pretty-boy concept in Revenge, drew rave responses from female players. Fanfics about Edward emerged, along with fan art.
Later, Nemesis Soft acknowledged this, assigning the newly added mythic class Holy Lord as Edward's [potential].
Thus, Edward's backstory flipped entirely.
From mere human corrupted by an outer god, he reborn in Revenge lore as a uniquely exceptional being.
Corruption led to special boss. Overcoming trials birthed a mythic-grade hero epic character.
-Follow the command of Light...
Edward was special from birth.
Stats far surpassing normal humans; at merely five, he mastered mana and crushed grown men.
The Divine Empire's people finger-pointed him as a monster in fear. Had his sister Harmony not possessed unbelievable charm and political acumen, even his exceptional strength and mana would have seen him witch-hunted dead long ago.
His power lacked context.
Talent akin to mutation, granted without reason.
Edward couldn't fathom why it formed him into an arrogant, narrow-minded man. By "fated" future, his sole controller—his sister—would be murdered, twisting him fully.
However.
He met the Emperor.
-Follow the command of Light...
"Ah, seriously, shut your yapping!"
Boom!
An explosion roared. Light clashed with light, detonating.
"Foolish! How dare you refuse the great Celestial God's call...!"
A man in ornate heavy plate rebuked Edward. But Edward merely sneered.
"Celestial God, my ass."
Edward endlessly trained Tai Chi Fist as taught by Jaeyeon, and once mastering it blindfolded, dove into real combat.
Venue: Castle of Light.
Cultivating martial arts had awakened his light affinity, so he decided to clash directly with light for deeper insight.
-Follow the command of Light...
Entering the Castle of Light dungeon, whispers began. Insidious compulsion that dulled the mind if listened to.
Not just words, either.
[Abnormal Status: Outer God's Whisper.]
In original history, the madness that devoured Edward's sanity.
The issue? The world turning game-like, revealing status ailments in the status window.
"Outer God? Total small-fry villain vibe."
He mocked the man identical to himself—or what he'd become. Naturally, Hell-mode boss Zealot Edward flew into rage.
"Insolent wretch! How dare you!"
Crash!
Collision anew. But.
Whoosh.
The charging zealot spun midair.
Thud crash!
He tumbled across the floor, slamming into the wall.
"Th-this...!"
He sprang up, snarling. The zealot couldn't comprehend. His strength, aura superior; even wielding great light power—how couldn't he land a hit on this kid?
"Hoo."
Edward stood tall, regulating breath. First spotting the zealot in Hell mode shocked him too. Encountering his spitting image, claiming future self?
Had the zealot overwhelmed him, confusion would've reigned.
But.
"Weak. Weaker than me, yet my future?"
He scoffed. Post-Jaeyeon's tutelage—imbibing 34th Earth's advanced mind arts and martial techniques, training relentlessly—his combat prowess had skyrocketed dramatically.
Mere [Hero]-grade couldn't match him. Not even a field special boss; a dungeon-tied regular one, less so.
He recalled the Emperor.
"Yes. Proper posture aligns head and spine. Imagine a string at the crown of your head. Pull it taut and..."
He assumed stance anew.
Xu Ling Ding Jin—head aligned, effort absent.
Han Xiong Fa Bei—chest slightly concave, gathering qi in the dantian.
"You scum! You've become a heretic! Before the Celestial God's great and solemn authority, you shan't beg mercy, nailed to the cross—!"
"Solemn? That Celestial God or whatever stronger than His Imperial Majesty?"
Edward's hands softly traced circles. True qi from lower dantian gasified up the spine. Realm of Lian Jing Hua Qi.
Innate light attribute awakened in qi, cloaking flesh like garb, like armor—light emanated from his entire body.
Edward smiled.
"I think differently."