Chapter 201
Chapter 201
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 201
Chapter Title: Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors
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I followed Bellov through a pine forest in the snowy plains. After walking about five li, I spotted him entering a pitch-black temple. Its form was nearly identical to the grand temple I had seen in Astana, differing only in size.
Bellov entered the temple and approached the formation at its center, stepping onto it.
"Come here."
I followed him onto the formation. Moments later, tiny blue grains began sprouting up beneath my feet. Soon, a blue glow swept through the surroundings, and in the next instant, I realized we were in a different place.
The scenery around us was still that of a temple, but subtly different. We had teleported. As I marveled at it, Bellov spoke.
"I have something I want to ask before taking you to our base."
"What is it?"
"What is your purpose? Have you simply come to this country to acquire knowledge?"
I answered without hesitation.
"We came to gather knowledge to head to the Arctic Continent. Maps, information, and the like."
"The Arctic Continent? Why there?"
"There's no reason to tell you that."
"I see..."
"But why did you say 'you all'?"
Bellov replied.
"I know that what you're pretending is a necklace is actually something using transformation magic."
"......"
Poof!
At that, Miho released her transformation and reverted to her human form. Taking the appearance of a slender beauty, Miho said with displeasure.
"You're a lecherous old man. Were you pretending not to know on purpose?"
"No, it was merely consideration."
"Hmph..."
I calmed Miho down and said to Bellov.
"We've shared our circumstances, so you should tell us what's happened. We need to know what's going on now to decide whether to help or not."
"Very well. I would have explained the situation before taking you to the base anyway."
Bellov walked over with steady steps and sat in a chair provided in the temple. Miho and I sat opposite him, and Bellov began his tale.
"The incident began three years ago. That was when Tsar Ivan IV's madness turned into a catastrophe."
"No ordinary human could commit such acts even if driven mad."
"Indeed. But Ivan IV was no longer an ordinary human from that point on."
"What do you mean?"
Bellov sighed.
"I mentioned earlier that the power emanating from Ivan IV wasn't demonic, correct? That's right. Because in his obsession to cure his illness, he reached for the power of theosis."
"Theosis? You mentioned it before, but what is it exactly?"
"It's exactly as I explained. Theosis is the term the Eastern Orthodox Church uses for humans who have approached the realm of the divine."
"......"
"Ivan IV can now be called a demigod."
Demigod!
It seemed to mean a being on the boundary between human and god. Indeed, without that level of realm, there was no way to explain the power of Ivan IV that I had sensed in Moscow. Sensing he was laying the groundwork for a grand story, I said.
"Ivan IV couldn't have reached that state without warning. Explain why he became a demigod."
"Very well."
Bellov hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"He was originally poisoned by mercury. Like the emperor of Ming, in his dream of longevity, he recklessly relied on alchemy and ended up unable to enjoy the life he had left. So Ivan IV reached out to our Eastern Orthodox Church to treat his mercury poisoning and complications."
"Mercury poisoning? Alchemy?"
I tilted my head, and Bellov gave a wry smile.
"You don't know much about alchemy. Among the alchemical pursuits for immortality elixirs, there are many frauds, and many involve recklessly using mercury, which causes harm."
I crossed my arms and thought before responding.
"But the alchemist I saw was an incredible sorcerer."
"What do you mean?"
I told Bellov about the being called an alchemist scheming in the Ming emperor's palace and his terrifying sorcery. After hearing the story, Bellov spoke in a grave tone.
"He possesses the Philosopher's Stone... He's undoubtedly a true alchemist. Turning such a person into an enemy must be tough."
"Anyway, continue with the rest."
"The method the Eastern Orthodox Church used to cure Ivan IV's mercury poisoning was to heal him using the power of icons. If the power of the icons continuously bestowed blessings, it could restore his lifespan to normal."
Hearing the word "icon," something came to mind, and I asked.
"You mean icons like that golden leaf?"
"Something like this."
Swish.
Bellov pulled a small statue depicting a woman from his bosom. It seemed this was the object that had bestowed the golden leaf's blessing on me. I could feel it contained considerable spiritual power.
"This is something monks commonly carry, the source of their sorcery. It allows them to perform miracles by cultivating their faith. The healing effect of the icon was quite effective, greatly improving Ivan IV's poisoning symptoms."
Bellov sighed.
"...Until that entity appeared in the palace and beguiled Ivan IV."
"That entity?"
"Three years ago, a mysterious entity suddenly appeared, beguiled Ivan IV, had the Eastern Orthodox monks expelled, and lent him wicked wisdom. As a result, Ivan IV inexplicably gained the power of theosis, ascending to the demigod realm, and the humans in Moscow were apparently kidnapped by him and imprisoned in this other space."
"Hmm..."
So that was why the vast city had empty houses with not a single human in sight.
The civilians must be trapped in that 'other space.'
"My comrades and I, wary of Moscow turned into hell, have taken refuge with Fyodor, Ivan IV's son. Then, you emerged from the ancient library in the Kremlin Palace, triggering the detection barrier."
From Bellov's words, I roughly understood the sequence of events.
'In other words, while trying to cure the king's serious illness, a mysterious entity intervened and turned him into a demigod.'
But it felt too abrupt and disconnected. Granting the mysterious entity's intervention, why did Ivan IV ascend to demigod status? Sensing a skipped process, Miho crossed her arms and asked the same.
"It's hard to understand. But first, explain what the realm of theosis is and how one attains it."
"Hmm... Theosis is originally a holy blessing bestowed by the Holy Spirit. It is the ultimate realm a great ascetic reaches at the end of life by emptying the mind (kenosis) and uniting (henosis). To put it simply, it's like a human shedding their flesh and becoming a spirit."
Surprised, I asked him.
"A human becomes like a spirit? You mean transcending to immortality by feathering?"
Among the realms I knew, the one most similar to Bellov's description was transcending to immortality by feathering. The realm of shedding the human body to become an immortal, and the theosis Bellov described, were strikingly similar. Especially since immortals were treated as a type of spirit.
"I haven't experienced theosis or transcending to immortality, so I can't answer that. But considering that a human who reaches the ultimate realm ultimately becomes a spiritual body, they are probably similar."
I shook my head.
"It's truly strange. A tyrant suffering from a serious illness reaches a realm that even a lifelong ascetic might barely attain?"
"It's strange, but that's the reality."
"......"
Miho's eyes flashed sharply as she said.
"That entity inside the palace must have awakened it in him. What exactly is that thing?"
"He called himself an apostle. He possesses immense demonic power."
"Apostle?"
"We don't know the apostle's exact identity. However, even the Archbishop and powerful Eastern monks couldn't withstand his demonic power and were forced to flee Moscow."
Miho looked puzzled, but upon hearing that, something immediately came to mind.
Demon King Dalgi!
Apostle of the ancient god!
That terrifying being who annihilated my allies at the end of my 14th reincarnation had declared itself an apostle of the [Ancient Ruler]. The encounter was recent and so impressionable that it lingered in my mind. If Xiang Yu hadn't possessed someone, the rest would have been slaughtered miserably.
'So the one inside the Kremlin Palace now is Demon King Dalgi level?'
Chill!
I felt goosebumps all over. Demon King Dalgi's power was on another dimension entirely, so I couldn't fight an enemy of that level. Forcing down the fear, I rapidly turned my mind.
'The apostles who move on the direct orders of the Ancient Ruler are generally demon king level, and beneath them, lesser two-legged minions operate... Now I get the picture.'
As I pondered, Bellov said.
"I've shared all the information worth mentioning. Now make your choice."
"What choice?"
"We are aiming to reclaim and restore Moscow with Tsar Fyodor's help. We're gathering information and power for that. If you help us, we can fully support your journey north."
He seemed to be negotiating with us before revealing his base. It was befitting of a cunning sorcerer.
"That's too little gain. The information we've gotten so far is already sufficient."
I tested him once. Bellov replied.
"Are you planning to just take the information and leave? No conscience."
"Anyway, what you just told us isn't really crucial info, is it? We have no way to deal with that theosis monster, so there's no reason to take risks."
"......"
Bellov hesitated, then said.
"There is a way to deal with Ivan IV. If you join us, I can teach you."
"No need. Having a method isn't beneficial to us."
"Beneficial, you say? How about this?"
Bellov continued.
"If you help us subjugate Ivan IV successfully, we're willing to give you our greatest holy relic."
"Holy relic?"
"Ming has those things called treasures, right? It's equivalent to that."
I glanced at Miho. Catching my eye, she seemed to understand. Miho sent me a mental message.
[You plan to join them?]
[Yeah. We need the info first.]
[The enemy seems too overwhelming. Skip this one. You might not survive.]
I inwardly sighed. Miho prioritized my survival above all, so we always clashed on such decisions. Most times, there were things I wanted to uncover even at the risk of death, but Miho wouldn't allow it. Still, making her spin in circles until she found me again pricked my conscience.
With no choice, I decided to persuade Miho.
[Miho. If it's dangerous, I'll escape with dimensional jump. Trust me.]
[Trust you? You've died over 14 times already.]
[Ugh... Can't argue with that, but this time it's different. Because...]
As I explained the reason, Miho's expression softened. After pondering, she replied.
[... If it's dangerous, you must escape no matter what. Got it?]
[Got it.]
With Miho's agreement, I said to Bellov.
"We accept your proposal."
The journey north would be delayed a bit, but unavoidable. If I could gain even a little profit or info here, it was worth stirring things up. Then, in the next reincarnation, I could leverage it for more gains.
"Good decision."
We followed Bellov out of the temple. After walking about ten li, a small village came into view. Unlike Central Plains villages, it had an exotic style, characteristic of the Arasa Empire's architecture.
"We use this village as our base. Most Eastern Orthodox monks gather here."
Bellov headed to a building in the village center.
Upon entering, about a dozen 'monks' dressed like Bellov were waiting. They greeted Bellov in unison upon seeing him, indicating his high position.
'Archbishop or something...'
I didn't know the exact title, but it was surely a high rank in the Eastern Orthodox Church. After receiving their greetings, Bellov explained something to them in Arasa tongue, and the monks glanced at us before nodding in understanding.
Moments later, Bellov said.
"Allow me to introduce a comrade who shares our cause."
Clang...
From the back of the building, a burly man clad in iron armor walked out. His main weapon seemed to be a halberd-like polearm transformed from a spear. A powerful aura emanated from him, marking him as an expert.
'Why wear that iron armor?'
Seeing him, I tilted my head in confusion. Martial experts valued agility as life, so they rarely wore extra armor. Their qi-based attacks were overwhelmingly powerful anyway, and with advanced body-lightening techniques, armor became cumbersome at higher levels.
The iron-armored man bellowed a laugh and shouted something, seemingly fixated on me.
"*&$%*@*$(@(...!!"
Of course, being Arasa speech, I couldn't understand easily, but once Bellov cast some spell, it became clear.
"Haha! A traveler from Ming? What a pretty boy."
"......"
"Come to my bed tonight, and I'll treat you nice."
Dumbfounded, I replied in Arasa.
"I'm a man."
The man squinted and responded.
"As long as it tastes good, I don't mind that side either."
"......"
I'd never imagined receiving such a gaze from a man in my life, so rage and embarrassment made my body tremble. At the same time, I could easily see how androgynous my appearance was. Some of the nearby monks were stealing glances at me, clearly aroused—some even erect. They were undoubtedly lusting.
Miho beside me caught on and giggled mentally.
[Kyahahaha. You're popular.]
"Euaaaah!!"
I gritted my teeth and charged, punching the iron-armored man. Infused with full irritation, it had enough destructive power to burst an ordinary human's torso.
Kwaaaang!!
"Uwaaaak..."
The iron-armored man screamed, flying back, crashing through the wall, and embedding twenty jang away. He'd barely blocked with a steel shield at the last moment, but it crumpled pathetically and flew off.
Rustle...
Dust fell. I roared in fury.
"Keep your eyes down, you bastards!!"
With a rumbling sound, the surrounding monks collapsed in terror. Their mental strength couldn't withstand my qi-infused lion's roar. But Bellov, on another level, calmly endured it and sighed.
"Great Knight Carl offended you due to his arrogant nature. I apologize on his behalf."
"That bastard's name is Carl?"
"For all his bravado, he's our camp's top warrior in valor, and you turned him into mincemeat."
"Consider it lucky I didn't kill him."
I calmed my irritation. Then, following Bellov, I entered an inner room. Miho beside me smiled cheekily and sent a mental message.
[Western knights aren't much, huh?]
[I don't know.]
[So humble.]
I decided not to engage in more useless talk.
That Carl guy had used qi to enhance his shield's defense. He seemed able to envelop his iron armor in qi too. That's why he survived my strike that could pulverize a three-jang boulder.
Fighting that way maximized the advantages of iron armor and could effectively block enemy attacks. It was a strength quite different from Central Plains warriors.
In other words, incredible defense!
If those guys fought in a group, even most martial experts would struggle. Unless one had immense inner power like me or was at the absolute peak level, it'd be tough. It was an example of securing strength beyond physical prowess.
'Interesting.'
Maybe I could easily boost my combat power using iron armor or a shield?
If possible, this subjugation wouldn't be a waste.