Hades Cult Awakens
The village chief had knelt, pressing his forehead to the ground.
“What is this about the Hades religion?”
“Yes, Priest. Our ancestors have believed in it since long before our own ancestors.”
The village chief told Fafnir the history of the village. Shadows danced in the flickering candlelight, taking on human shapes.
“As the persecution of the gods of Hades grew fiercer, we had no choice but to hide here in the underground.”
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[Title: Village People Rescue]
- Grade: Normal
- Goal
- Rescue at least 20 villagers (0/20)
- Defeat at least 50 orcs in the sewer (0/50)
- Description: The underground of Aden City's sewer system houses the underground village where Hades religion believers fled persecution. For hundreds of years, these people have survived barely. Now orcs and lizardmen have brought a great trial to the village. Please help the villagers, rescue those captured, and restore the village.
- Reward: Experience, ??? (hidden reward)
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[Title: Priest's Mission 1]
- Grade: Unique
- Goal
- Discover at least 3 Hades religion believer villages (1/3)
- Complete at least 10 Hades-related quests (0/10)
- Description: The necromancer is a researcher of the Legion School but is also a priest of the god of the underworld, Hades. As a priest, help your followers and fulfill your duty.
- Reward: Experience, 50 silver, ???
Now all the young men have been taken. If they don’t come back, the village will be finished. Please help us, Priest…!
The village chief pressed his forehead to the ground.
Fafnir clicked his tongue.
“Honestly, this is a quest I would have turned down if it were alone.”
Even judging by the reward, it was only worth a mouse’s tail, yet the difficulty was too high.
However…
“The priest’s mission… I cannot let this one slip by.”
A hidden quest. He had never thought that a necromancer could also act as a shrine priest.
“And if I refuse, there is no other way here.”
The sewer was not easy to live in with only the old, women, and children. Without young men, the future here was obvious.
“I really got hooked on this.”
Deciding, Fafnir spoke.
“Understood. Since we met here, I will gladly help.”
“Thank you…!”
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[Quest ‘Village People Rescue’ accepted]
After accepting the quest, Fafnir said, “Then let’s set out right away. The faster we rescue the hostages, the better.”
“Ah…! Yes!”
The village chief’s face brightened.
At that moment, Fafnir raised his index finger.
“But before that, there is something you must receive here.”
“Yes… What is it? Anything you say. If we can do it….”
“It’s not that difficult to obtain.”
Reassuring the village chief, Fafnir continued.
“Give me all the information you know. How many orcs there are, where they came from, and where the lizardmen are located.”
Since the village chief had lived here for a long time, he would know more than Fafnir and his party had upon first entering.
“To strike at an enemy, you must know about them.”
“…Understood. If that helps, I will tell you everything.”
Surprisingly, the village chief knew a great deal. He seemed to have the entire sewer’s movements and terrain memorized.
“The orcs have a base near the center of the sewer. There are many entrances. From the west, north, south… All the sewer outlets from various places are entrances.”
Sewage from daily use flowed out through dozens of passages. Most of them were just open holes without guards or security.
If they entered through there, it explained why the orcs were so numerous.
“What about the lizardmen?”
“Beyond the plains outside the sewer is a marshland. The lizardmen live there, and it seems they were hired by the orcs this time….”
“Then what are the orcs after?”
Fafnir continued.
“With this many infiltrating, it’s not just a simple entry into the sewer.”
“That’s… They are probably after the mana stones from the ancient ruins inside the sewer. At that location there are wards and facilities made with magic stones from an ancient kingdom…”
“Wards and facilities… Could it be?”
In the novel Fafnir had visited, the center of Aden City was in ruins.
“That shrine was destroyed because of this.”
Fafnir got up from his seat after thinking.
“Thank you. That is enough. Rest is also sufficient now, so let’s move right away.”
Rescuing the hostages and knowing the orcs’ plan was urgent.
But the village chief grabbed Fafnir’s arm.
“Just a moment, Priest.”
“What is it?”
“Even if you leave, there is a place you must visit before going.”
The village chief’s expression was full of certainty. Gray beard trembled faintly in the darkness.
“Understood. Then let’s stop by there.”
Anyway, the party members needed rest. Equipment repair, potions, quests—there was plenty to do.
“Where is that place?”
“Not far.”
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“This way.”
The village chief led Fafnir to the wall of the sewer not far away.
“Is this a blocked path?”
“On the surface it looks like it.”
The village chief who answered touched the stones in a corner of the wall.
Grind, grind, grind.
Next moment, a stone door opened and a black pit appeared.
“Here?”
“Yes, this is the place you must visit, Priest.”
The village chief who finished speaking threw himself down into the pit.
He should have fallen, but darkness caught his body and lowered him to land.
“This… Could it be?”
Fafnir followed the village chief with doubt in his heart.
Below the pit was a single room blocked on all sides by stone walls. It was spotlessly clean with no dust at all.
In the center of the room stood a structure using two circles, a triangle, and straight lines.
“This is the altar of Hades….”
Fafnir walked around the room. The altar sat alone in a space no larger than a guesthouse room.
It could not boast much grandeur, but genuine devotion was embedded here and there.
“Indeed, it is the place you should have visited before leaving.”
Fafnir climbed the two steps in front of the altar.
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The choice was obvious—yes.
As Fafnir nodded, the system manipulated his body and made him perform the rite.
His hands came together on their own, his head bowed slightly, then he extended his hand and placed it on the glyph.
At that moment a voice echoed in Fafnir’s mind.
“A new face among the unseen worshippers. It has been a while since a living person has offered devotion to me.”
That voice…!
“Ho! A decent amount of dark power. You are worthy to be my apostle.”
The moment the words ended, a message appeared before Fafnir’s eyes.
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Hades' Favor received.
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Necromancer class.
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Level 50 or higher.
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Reputation 300 or higher.
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All hidden conditions satisfied.
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Hidden class ‘Hades’ Apostle’ can be transferred. Transfer? (Y/N)
Automatic transfer to the hidden class of Hades’ Apostle!
The rapid succession of acquisition messages made Fafnir startle for a moment.
“This isn’t ordinary.”
Even those notifications had appeared many times in the novel and become familiar.
“Divine blessings and recognition… It is that event where Flush received in the original story?”
Flush, the protagonist of the original game with absurd luck.
Flush’s job was none other than that of the unique knight and avenger of a forgotten god.
Before Fafnir’s eyes rose a job of exactly the same kind.
Moreover, Hades was a stronger god than that.
“This is a jackpot. If it is a hidden piece related to divine blessings, it is worth tens of millions of won.”
It was in the sewer.
Since it was the same type of job as the necromancer, the skeleton soldiers could be handled without issue.
At that moment.
Just as Fafnir was about to accept, an anxious voice continued.
“Wait, what is this, you damn kid? Stop it, damn it. You poured something on it? What….”
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Transfer canceled due to unknown power.
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Communication interrupted due to unknown power.
“Eh?”
Fafnir stood there blankly as a new message appeared.
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Hades' Blessing received, skill ‘Hades' Underworld Seal’ (Unique) acquired.
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Blessed by two or more gods. (Blood god, god of death and underworld Hades)
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Depending on future actions, you can obtain one of the hidden jobs ‘???’s Priest’ or ‘Hades’ Priest’.
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Blessed by two or more dark attribute gods.
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New achievement ‘One under the gaze of the gods’ completed.
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New title ‘Twin Chosen’ completed.
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All stats except luck +1.
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Luck stat +2.
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All dark attribute general skills and skill attack power +2%.
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Damage and debuff effects from all dark attribute attacks and skills reduced by half or nullified.
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Divine resistance lowered by 10.
“So the new class has received a blessing.”
The reason was clear. The blood he received from the blood demon lord had acted as a reservation stamp.
Fafnir had first been watched by the blood god through that blood.
“Then what kind of skill is this Hades' Underworld Seal?”
Opening the skill window, the explanation immediately appeared.
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◇ Darkness attribute resistance reduced by 50, then additional 20%. Additional 10% penetration when hitting with dark attribute attacks or skills.
Skill Level: 1
Usage: Active
MP Cost: 55
Cooldown: 40 seconds
Effect: Priest of the god of death and Hades, receiving the power of Hades
“Oh my god.”
He had expected something great from the hidden class transfer, but this was beyond a jackpot! With this skill in the equipment slot, he would not have been able to lose in one-on-one fights.
“Even a fixed number plus a percentage….”
Skills with fixed stats are usually discarded in the early stages. They are extremely powerful at low levels, but their value plummets as characters grow and specs rise.
For that reason, skills that deal or reduce damage with percentages are still sold at high prices.
Moreover, this one had both effects and reduced resistance in its own attribute.
“If the order had been reversed, I would have wished for nothing more….”
“Even that would have made it an epic or legendary skill.”
Even this was enough for unique grade. Receiving this from a small quest was an enormous gain.
Furthermore, one more fact could be inferred.
“…It seems the blood god and the underworld god are competing for me.”
No matter how rare a Hades believer was, giving such a blessing and skill for helping one village was too much.
In other words, Hades, who had lost to the blood god, had thrown this huge bribe to recruit Fafnir!
Fafnir’s lips curved up.
“This I can probably tear out later for a huge amount.”
A savory taste filled his mouth.
The taste he had felt when the enemy champion entered the arena.
The same taste when he stole a super-large object while the enemy was hunting.