Faith
Faith.
A special framework of religious belief. Religion is built upon it, and the ones who made the best use of it were the gods of the War of the Hundred Gods.
I quickly checked my special stats.
Faith: 1
[Faith is a power that fundamentally manifests from the belief of others. Because it is primal in nature, its potential for growth is limitless.]
I stared at the system window calmly, my mind spinning at full speed.
That had to be the key to becoming a god.
The power wielded by the gods of the War of the Hundred Gods. Like the Starlight Mana Seo Gayeon possessed, it was a power that imposed laws upon reality through sheer imagination alone.
Though at the level of an actual god, that power was no joke.
For example, the God of the Heavens, who competed for the top ranks among the Hundred Gods, could knead thousands of lightning bolts to his will and half-destroy an entire city in a single instant.
Of course, even they failed to withstand the late-game power creep and died to the beings that came from beyond the stars.
I calmly considered what kind of divinity would be best for me to acquire.
What would be the ideal choice?
My Body of Defying Heaven was a power acquired after birth. In terms of sheer total quantity of Defying Heaven, it fell short of the innate version — but I had gained one advantage.
By fully controlling Defying Heaven through the conceptual stat's power, I had come to possess a strength in which other mysteries could dwell.
Faith was similar in structure to the special stat Devotion. Rather than exerting power on its own, it grew stronger the moment it merged with another force.
No, wait. More importantly.
I looked forward. Perhaps it was because I'd just acquired the special stat, but the emotions of the people before me were becoming vividly clear.
They wanted something.
The resolve to hear even a single word from me — even if it meant paying a fortune beyond measure. If I asked for their souls as payment, they might very well hand them over. Not that I would ever do such a thing.
I hesitated for a moment.
That chant the worshippers had directed at me just before.
Jin—men.
The moment I accepted these people, I would have to hear that sound everywhere I went, forever.
Stats or dignity. Which would it be?
Truthfully, the answer was obvious. As a gamer, a little embarrassment was nothing to me…
"O Truth! Grant us your word, we beseech you!"
Just a little embarrassment…
"O Truth who descended from the heavens. Please, take my soul, and in return grant me but a single thread of truth—"
Just a little embarrassment…
Yeah, I don't think I can actually endure this.
I swiftly activated the talent Tranquil Mind. Feeling my emotions forcibly settle, I was able to think calmly again.
And then I stepped forward and spoke.
"Now, at last, I feel ready to impart the truth."
I consider this the ground zero — the single greatest reason I would later kick my blankets around in bed like a madman every time I crawled under the covers.
[Special Stat Faith has increased by 3.]
[Numerous people are focusing intently on your lecture. Lecture (D) has been added to your Arts.]
[Your words moved the hearts of roughly 10,000 alchemists. Your Woman-Charming talent has evolved — Allure of the Bewitcher (B+) has been added to your Talents.]
[To lead a crowd is called charisma. You captivated alchemists by the tens of thousands. Your charm is nothing short of demonic — Demonic Charisma (C+) has been created in your Talents.]
[While conducting your lecture, you stumbled upon a habit you had always overlooked. This may be a small yet great step forward. Alturn's Esoteric Alchemy (B+) has merged with your talent and evolved into Lee Seoha's Esoteric Alchemy (A+).]
Perhaps it was because I'd abandoned my shame.
I began the lecture with a head cooled by Tranquil Mind.
Objectively speaking, the content itself was solid. I had some doubts about whether they'd actually absorb it, but once this lecture spread, others would teach the rest in my stead.
The beginning is what matters.
Things like one's own esoteric alchemy could stay hidden. But you had to teach others to a certain degree. Only then would the guild start running properly.
And the vanguard of that had to be the high priestess Birapsil and her cardinals. When the water at the top runs clear, those below follow its example.
"Do not fear failure. We are alchemists. There is much to learn from failed works, and sometimes the thing we believed to be a failure becomes a great invention."
I pulled a potion out of my subspace. A vial filled with a green liquid emerged.
An elixir crafted by Garte through his esoteric alchemy.
: Increases Magic Power by 5 for 10 minutes.
: Decreases Stamina by 5 for three days.
"Here we have Garte's Elixir. Drink it, and your magic power rises by 5 for ten minutes — but your stamina drops by 5 for three whole days."
I manipulated my mana with the sensation of drawing out Defying Heaven itself. This was a virtual world, which was exactly why I could wield mana here.
"Now — suppose I attune a ruby flower with mana and infuse it with the Sun attribute, the property tied to stamina. What happens then?"
"The stamina penalty decreases, and the magic power gain decreases as well."
"Correct. Which is why the penalty exists in the first place — to maximize the benefit. Now, if we add a blazing ruby flower to this…"
An elixir crafted by Garte through his esoteric alchemy.
: Increases Magic Power by 2 for 10 minutes.
: Decreases Stamina by 3 for 30 minutes.
"The magic power gain is a measly 2. This is precisely why Garte chose to amplify the effect instead, accepting the three-day stamina penalty. For a mage, drinking a potion like this poses little burden."
"Th-that's right! The mages who visit my workshop come specifically to buy that potion. Mages earn and spend so much money that they pick up plenty of other potions along the way."
"Good business sense. But one thing is a shame."
I drew one more item from my subspace. The Moon Maiden's Flower — white petals atop a blue stem.
"And if we were to grant this Moon Maiden's Flower the attribute of the Moon—"
Whoosh!
White light burst forth. The liquid shifted into a crimson hue, shimmering with a faint glow.
An elixir crafted by Garte through his esoteric alchemy.
A milestone in the annulus of alchemical history — a turning point in humanity's story, created when an alchemist blended materials bearing the attributes of Sun and Moon into an entirely different elixir.
: Greatly enhances mana recovery for 30 minutes.
: Greatly enhances stamina recovery for 30 minutes.
"As you can see, balance the ingredients correctly, and a potion can transform into something entirely different."
"Good heavens… my elixir, in such a beautiful form…"
"This, too, is the teaching of the Truth… Jin—men."
"Jin—men."
…Stop.
My hands and feet curled up on their own, and all I could do was stare blankly at them.
"As expected of the Truth… this is nothing like the alchemy we knew… the Truth truly is…"
Birapsil gazed at me with a dazed expression.
[You have left a profound impression on Lim Hana (Birapsil). A bond has been added.]
[Zealotry. Humans search for what they themselves lack. Some find it in others, but some fill their emptiness by leaning upon faith. And Lim Hana found in you the answer to what she lacked. She will now revere your every word as truth and devote everything she has to you. Even if it should cost her own life. If you so willed it, she would gladly offer you her heart.]
[Special Stat Faith has increased by 2.]
…
I didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"Ha-hah! Everything gets disinfected!"
Seol Hwaryeon shredded the magi with her twin swords.
The magi's bodies froze solid as the twin blades carved through them in thick slices — the doing of her talent, the one that would one day freeze even time and space itself.
"Elder! I have slain them all!"
Seol Hwaryeon came trotting over like a puppy. If she'd had a tail, it would no doubt have been wagging side to side, begging for praise.
"Well done."
"Heehee. I got praised."
Seol Hwaryeon was visibly delighted. Recalling a book from my past life on the art of praising children, I looked down at my phone.
The Electronic Witch had texted it to me — map included. Thirty minutes away by car, longer if traffic was bad. We'd wrap things up here for today.
I opened my status window and checked my Defying Heaven stat. Compared to the effort of hunting down magi, its growth was agonizingly slow.
I'd taken down thirty of them, and it had only gone up by 1.
It felt like the system was nudging me to go after something stronger than these small fry.
I scanned the surroundings for anything worth looting, then descended with Seol Hwaryeon.
Once we were back down, hunger hit me.
Maybe we should grab a bite somewhere nearby.
We were in the heart of Seoul — plenty of options.
The problem was that today was Friday, and it was Friday night in Seoul. The nearby places would be packed shoulder to shoulder.
"Hwaryeon, are you hungry?"
"Oh! Are we going out to eat?"
"Yes."
Seol Hwaryeon made a rare, flustered face. What was that about?
"You've worked hard today, so I'd like to get you something decent. My treat — let's go."
"N-no, that's alright! I-I follow you because I want to, Elder…!"
For all her words, her demeanor clearly said otherwise — she wanted to follow me.
And then it dawned on me: Seol Hwaryeon was actually quite broke.
The reason was simple.
I hadn't managed the loot and valuables properly. In the original story, Seol Hwaryeon scraped by on whatever money the magi she killed happened to be carrying.
"I haven't taken very good care of you, have I? Is there any food you don't like?"
"Nothing in particular, Elder. Ah, eggplant is a little…"
"Then meat it is."
She'd worked hard for me all this time, so maybe I'd buy her some beef.
Come to think of it, there was an omakase place nearby that was supposed to be excellent.
It was a spot I'd been treated to by a girlfriend in my past life. The food there had been genuinely incredible. Wondering if there was one here too, I checked a map app — and there it was.
"Then let's go."
"Yes, Elder!"
Seol Hwaryeon snapped off a crisp little salute and fell in step behind me.