Chapter 345
Chapter 345
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 345
Chapter Title: Pantheon (4)
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As had been repeatedly emphasized, the Pantheon was not a particularly cohesive organization, given that each member's doctrines and faiths were all different.
The only bond between them was the common fact that they were all priests serving gods.
It was akin to an association formed by colleagues in the same industry, intended to foster mutual respect and resolve issues amicably without unnecessary conflict.
However, not every religion could embrace such a moderate approach to harmony.
Monotheistic faiths that rejected all other idols as heresies.
Cults favoring inhuman rituals like human sacrifice, incompatible with modern society.
Doomsday sects whose patron deities were inherently evil gods bent on the world's destruction.
For various reasons, there were quite a few priests who operated independently rather than joining the Pantheon.
Of course, if that were the extent of it, they could simply be kept under close watch...
The real problem was the significant number of spies who hid their identity as followers of evil gods and infiltrated the Pantheon.
Naturally, those who sneaked in with such intentions harbored no good motives.
For example—
the secretary of the North American branch of the Reverse Heaven Society.
"Hmm, so what Brother Heinrich means is..."
Priest Jason stroked his goatee with a grave expression.
"that followers of evil gods—lackeys of that Reverse Heaven Society—are lurking within the Pantheon right now. And at quite high levels, no less."
As if he had never grilled or pressured anyone, he nodded solemnly with a serious face.
There was no trace of the skepticism he had shown moments earlier.
"That's right. They are evil incarnate, the very force that has led countless dimensions down the path to ruin. Who can even imagine how deep their roots run? ...Their influence surely extends beyond just the Pantheon."
Heinrich's voice, laced with conviction, echoed through the chamber, and the faces of those present hardened with gravity.
His words now carried a level of persuasiveness far beyond before.
And that was all because...
"Ahem."
of that golden-haired little girl, who struck an incongruously stern pose with arms crossed, arrogantly surveying the room.
She looked no older than seven or eight at most.
But most people here weren't naive enough to judge solely by appearances.
'Unbelievable, no matter how I look at it. But this immense mana...'
'A dragon... A legend even in the world I came from, and here I am seeing one on Earth. You really do learn something new every day.'
'Overwhelming energy. To accumulate that much power, she can't be a young dragon. Is that childlike form a ploy to lower our guards? Or just a personal preference?'
Irrefutable proof that a being from another dimension had crossed over to Earth.
Not only had they witnessed that unprecedented moment firsthand, but with the perpetrator herself plopped right in front of them, the weight of her words was bound to feel that much heavier.
Moreover, wasn't Heinrich a wielder of holy power renowned as a saint?
'In other words, my words aren't just my own opinion. They're the divine oracle backed by godly authority.'
Heinrich slowly nodded as he scanned the group murmuring among themselves.
For now, he had succeeded in planting the seed of doubt exactly as planned.
'We'll go straight at them. This is the best approach right now.'
This was the perfect opportunity while the Reverse Heaven Society hadn't yet shown aggressive moves.
Their passive response to Heinrich, who had already stepped into the open, stemmed from not yet grasping what or how much he knew.
But that wouldn't last long.
'They won't stay quiet forever. Still, this should at least trip them up.'
No matter what anyone said, the Reverse Heaven Society was a colossal, multidimensional organization that had entrenched itself on this world for ages.
Even if he had extended his influence by absorbing various factions here and there, victory in the shadows alone was nearly impossible.
That's why he had prioritized dragging the Reverse Heaven Society into the light.
'And tanking the aggro once they're exposed? That's Heinrich's role.'
It suited his Holy Knight position perfectly!
Of course, that didn't mean he planned to fight fair in the open, clashing head-on.
He already had plenty of avatars ready to maneuver in the dark.
'Reverse Heaven Society Leader. No idea if you're on Earth or off in some other world...'
Fortunately, the one who had attained significant divinity couldn't act freely on this Earth.
Even if present, they were likely holed up in isolation, gleaning outside info through underlings now and then.
'...I'll dismantle everything you've built, piece by piece. Until you can't afford to meddle in other worlds anymore.'
Bright resolve flashed in Heinrich's clenched fist and eyes.
Horus, standing beside him, nodded her small head with firm determination.
After that unexpected commotion, the meeting between the observers and the otherworldly saint Heinrich proceeded smoothly without further delays.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 📰 Breaking News Shock! Dragon Appears in Downtown Seoul! 📰 Breaking News Illusion Magic? Transformation Ability? Returnee Association Says "No, This Is Real!" 📰 Breaking News Sudden Dragon Appearance Paralyzes Traffic in Surrounding Area. Property Damage and Injuries Confirmed. White Knight Order to Cover Costs... Naturally, the aftermath of the dragon appearing smack in the middle of downtown didn't settle easily.
The dragon herself, Horus, had leisurely reverted to human form, enjoyed some downtime, and returned to the Kanghwan Realm. But the global controversy surrounding her had only just begun in earnest.
💬 Comments — AnonymousUser123 Whoa;; First real dragon I've seen since birth lololol — ReplyGuy ↳ Reply Who wouldn't? Even among pretty strong returnees, tons say they've never seen one. — Returnee456 Yeah, I'm a returnee too and never saw one. Not that I'm weak, but there weren't any in my world to begin with. — WyvernHunter ↳ Reply I saw one, but... it was totally different from my memory, so I can't say much. The one I saw was like a 5-meter pterosaur. — DragonLore ↳ Reply That wasn't a dragon, it was a wyvern, right? — SysTranslate ↳ Reply System auto-translate said the locals called it a dragon. Whether civilians or awakeners, everything related became a hot topic.
In truth, it was unavoidable—a dragon dozens of meters long had actually appeared, soared through Seoul's skies, and vanished.
It was only natural to draw this much attention.
— CuriousCat One thing I'm curious about: Do dragons normally carry around something that looks like a yeouiju? Or is this one special? — MeTooGuy Yeah, I was wondering about that too. — Skeptic88 But is that really a yeouiju? Or just looks similar? ⭐ Top Comment — WorldGuide Info) Even similar species vary subtly by world, so can't say for sure. Just assume that's how dragons are in her home dimension. — LOLMaster Lmao, a dragon chomping a yeouiju? What kinda horrific hybrid is this lol Amid it all, the yeouiju Horus held also sparked interest, but it didn't last long.
Auterrica's dragons had suffered near-extinction and vanished for ages, so few on Earth knew details.
The real issue was how the Korean uproar spread globally in an instant, given the incident's nature.
He had hoped for that from the start, but...
— GlobalFan Oh! What the heck is that? A dragon? A real dragon?! — CynicWorld Which country? China? Don't tell me it's faked again. Can't trust news from there. — FactCheck ↳ Reply It's Korea. Home base of that dark hero Korean Smile Face and Phantom. And it's platform-recorded live footage. — FaithfulOne To see a real dragon on video in my lifetime! God has surely granted my wish. If only I could behold it with my own eyes... Countless gazes of interest and awe poured in.
Of course, not all reactions were positive.
📰 Breaking News Mexico's Superhuman Carlos Declares: "I Will Be Earth's First Dragon Slayer." 📰 Breaking News How Valuable Are a Dragon's Byproducts, Worth a Fortune? Spotlight on Korea's Gold Dragon Coveted Abroad. 📰 Breaking News Foreign Powerhouses Flock to Korea, Claiming It's "Just Tourism." Government Worries Over Worsening Security Amid Rising Illegal Entries. He had drawn aggro, perhaps too much—the focus shifted more to the dragon itself than its emergence backdrop, which was a bit of a headache.
Well, a massive gold dragon's body was practically the ultimate material available on Earth, so it was inevitable.
'Of course, I have no intention of letting them have it.'
This Korea was his domain entirely.
He couldn't allow greedy foreigners to run wild.
To maintain order here, extraordinary measures were needed.
Kwak—
"Gahk!"
A vise-like grip crushed the throat.
The Western man, hoisted into the air, flailed his feet futilely, but the hand on his neck didn't budge an inch, like an industrial clamp.
"...Tch. Thought you had some skill with all that arrogance."
Once the struggling man finally went limp with a pallid face,
a cold voice echoed in the alley.
Its owner casually tossed the corpse onto a pile of bodies in the corner and turned away.
— "It's me, Jin Soran." "Yes, Lord!" — "Send cleanup crew here. I'll send the location." "Understood! We've been worried about the surge in illegal awakeners sneaking in, but it's a relief you're here, Lord. Foreigners tend to look down on us a bit. Like frogs in a small well." — "Amusing. Do they think they're any different?" "Well, once word spreads that schemers vanish without a trace, the others won't dare act rashly. Should make things easier, right?" — "We'll see." Heinz 2nd, the Sacred Blood vampire busy shuttling between worlds to manage his subordinates, clicked his tongue and shook his head.
These types didn't operate on rational thinking.
There were plenty more who'd pester them with baseless confidence.
— "I'll keep monitoring. Report anything off." "Yes, Lord! Then I'll check on Heterosis and the Blood Alliance again. To prevent needless friction from our side." — "Good. Take care of it." Right after the comms with Jin Soran ended.
With one step forward, his position shifted from the back alley to the rooftop of a nearby high-rise.
From the vantage overlooking the area, Heinz quietly gazed down.
Amid the chaos, bustling people and traffic moved hurriedly—what kept them so busy?
But what his eyes captured was something entirely different from the everyday scene.
"...The heat is unnatural. This doesn't seem like a natural phenomenon."
Heinz murmured lowly.
His blood-red eyes swept the surroundings, sensing the karma threads blanketing the land writhing and tangling chaotically.
The dragon's sudden appearance and influx of foreign powerhouses.
Clearly part of the natural flow...
Yet beyond that lurked intervention from something else.
A trace so faint he couldn't confirm it precisely—someone's unidentified hand.
'The Reverse Heaven Society.'
Now, it was too obvious to agonize over.
From their perspective, this chaos was a perfect chance to meddle in Korea under the radar.
'...Hmph, about as expected.'
For instance, the current situation meant all eyes worldwide—yes, even the Reverse Heaven Society's—were on South Korea.
All organizations across the globe...
'Time to begin.'
And to strike at that vulnerability.
Just then, a certain entity set foot on American soil from the opposite side of the globe.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Western United States, San Francisco, California.
"...Mm, this is the place..."
Like a participant in some secret conclave, a suspicious figure in a robe and deeply hooded emerged from the shadows, slowly raising his head.
A massive temple-like building came into full view.
The headquarters of the Interdimensional Religious Alliance, the Pantheon.
The robed figure's eyes gleamed with starlight upon confronting his target.