Primordial Authority Ignites!
From now on, you can accept a god as a vessel to contain divine power.
Lesser God of the Pantheon Flame's Guardian confirmed.
Currently, the Pantheon Flame's Guardian lesser god has no divine relic.
⚠ Warning: If no divine relic to contain the god's power is found within 5 minutes, the relic-less god will perish, triggering a God Explosion.
BOOM—!!!
The sacred flame altar, already cracking from the rift, shattered completely, hurling shards in every direction.
“R-Run!!”
“Aaaagh!”
The nearby Earth Dragonkin turned pale at the sight of the rampaging flames and fled in panic.
“U-ryu-ga…!! Do you even realize what you've done?!”
I grabbed the collar of the fallen U-ryu-ga and yanked him toward me, shouting.
“You're right… A half-baked Earth Dragon like me could never seize the Usurper King's lands. And now, with one arm gone, what more can I even do?”
“You…! You idiot!!”
I hadn't anticipated that cutting off his arm would lead to this outcome.
Thud—!!
I shoved him away in irritation.
Grit…!!!!
Rage boiled up at my own powerlessness.
I'd raced across the plateau to stop the midnight blaze erupting from the failed Earth Dragon creation, but not only did I fail to save the sacred flame—I'd cost U-ryu-ga an arm to boot.
“……”
It was the undeniable result of hubris.
Everything had gone near-perfectly based on the memories I knew.
I'd forgotten the most crucial part.
That even with all my utmost preparations, I'd always lost to the Destroyer.
This was no time for arrogance.
It's not your fault.
At that moment, Black Eye approached the flickering Pantheon Flame.
“Could you maybe absorb that flame through kin-devouring too?”
I asked him with a sliver of hope.
But Black Eye shook his head.
Even as a divine beast body, that flame holds true divine power. It's superior to me—I'd burn up instead.
Black Eye looked at me.
It's not like there's no way.
“……Can't be done, then.”
I slowly stepped toward the flickering flames.
Don't forget our talk. About the proper way to face a god.
I nodded at his words.
Click—
I fastened the opposite Torong bracelet I'd taken from U-ryu-ga's severed arm onto my wrist.
You have equipped all Torong bracelets.
As the bracelet locked onto my right wrist, the two bracelets began to resonate and tremble.
Click—!
Shrrrk—!!
No time to glance at the flood of notifications—the bracelets spread from my wrists, enveloping both hands and forming sleek black gauntlets.
Unlike wearing just one, these shone with a polished gleam, fitting my hands like custom-forged.
Sizzle…!!
I plunged my hand straight into the roiling flames without hesitation.
“C-Careful!!”
Baek Yiheon shouted, startled at the sight.
Roar—!
Fwoosh!!
Fwwoom…!!
The ferocious flames thrashed wildly, as if rejecting my hand.
Sting—
Despite the searing pain like a burn, I gripped the intangible flames tight.
“Hey, you still alive? Can you hear me?”
Ugh… Uuugh…
Aaaahk…!!!
“Snap out of it. Stop pretending to suffer. A god whining more than the human shoving his hand into flames?”
Squeeze—!!!
I spread my fingers wide, yanking the flames like pinching flesh.
It hurts! It hurts!!
The Pantheon Flame's Guardian lesser god wailed.
As it seemed to regain senses, I gripped harder.
Torong durability dropping rapidly.
The warning popped up, but enduring this long proved the dwarf artisan's craft.
Without the Torong gauntlets, my arms would've melted the instant they touched the blaze.
“Feeling better?”
……Y-Yes. Yes!!
“Listen up—only 4 minutes left. How do I save you?”
There's a way!
The Pantheon Flame's Guardian perked up at my question, the gripped flames flaring toward my face with a roar!
Become my follower! Then you can serve as my incarnation instead of the altar and hold my full power!
“Calm down and explain properly. The flames I'm barely holding might slip away.”
S-Sorry!
Whether from my scolding or not, the flames seemed to subside a bit.
“If I leave things as is, your flames that suppressed the plateau's chill will vanish, flooding the continent with cold and causing catastrophe. But join you just to block the plateau's chill?”
……Huh?
I scoffed.
“I know followers serve only one god. What power does a mere lesser god like you have…? Might as well head to a church and serve under the Devotion God.”
I sneered back at the Pantheon Flame's Guardian.
It's not that simple!
“What?”
I'm a god created by humans who serve all gods not born from primordial times. I'm uniquely able to manifest the aspirations of all gods and carry their voices.
“And?”
If I vanish, the bridge between humans and gods disappears. Even upper gods won't properly wield their power in this world.
“That means… god descents aren't impossible through you?”
Exactly.
I'd never imagined the Pantheon Flame held such power.
In countless dreams, I'd never once saved its flames.
So that's why even the Devotion God, with the most followers, only issues oracles to influence this world.
That explained why the Curtain God and God of Slaughter couldn't exert full might—their domains were tiny compared to the Devotion God's widespread churches and followers.
“Save you… and I can meet the gods?”
Despite the urgency, one corner of my mouth curled up at the Pantheon Flame's Guardian's words.
God descents are rare, monumental events… but if I perish, the path itself is severed.
I nodded slowly.
“Good. 2 minutes left. Plenty for a deal.”
……A deal?
“I'll save you. But not for free.”
W-Wait! I just explained what my demise means for the continent! It's a disaster!
“Yeah, I heard.”
The flames flickered in bewilderment.
“But is your survival really about duty?”
……Huh?
“You're missing the point. Duty comes after survival. Before convincing me why you must live, you should be begging for your life.”
I extended one index finger toward the flames.
“Your life has 1 minute left.”
S-Such…!!!
“God? So what if you vanish? No gods influence the continent anyway. Priests in churches maybe, but do you think busy folks scraping by have time to worship?”
The Pantheon Flame's Guardian flames trembled.
“Pretty words aside, you're just a divine messenger, nothing more or less. Me submitting to you?”
I stared at the flames.
“It should be the other way around.”
What….
“Think carefully. Only I can save you. So you should be begging.”
You insolent fool!! A mere human daring to bargain with a god…!
A voice like tearing eardrums boomed.
Lesser god or not, it was divine—imbued with divine power, the Pantheon Flame's Guardian's tone sent chills down my spine with its majesty.
But compared to facing the Destroyer, it was laughable.
“Fine? Then die.”
……Huh?
Its prior majesty vanished; it couldn't hide its shock at my words.
In human terms, it's just a child.
Unlike primordial gods, born from the Pantheon Flame crafted by humans, it was barely centuries old.
Long by human standards, but immature by divine ones.
“30 seconds left. Farewell.”
W-Wait…!!!
As I released the flames, the Pantheon Flame's Guardian cried out desperately, flickering wildly.
Ugh…! Urgh…!!!
Fitting for a guardian of the Pantheon Flame—as messenger to all gods, it must know where they reside.
Meaning I can find every god in existence through it.
“10 seconds.”
Yeomhwa-ryeong was just the beginning. Use this one to uncover all dormant or hidden upper gods and subjugate them.
Then I'll learn who stands above the Destroyer that commanded world annihilation.
“5 seconds.”
……You vile human!!
“3 seconds.”
I-I'll do it!! I'll contract!!
“Still not getting it. Not a contract. Become my familiar.”
A h-human's familiar? Even so, that's a bit….
“2 seconds.”
Uuuugh…!!
“1 second.”
Please… take me in.
I gazed at the flickering flames with a faint smile.
The Pantheon Flame's Guardian lesser god submits to you.
You may take the Pantheon Flame's Guardian lesser god as a familiar.
Shall we form a familiar contract?
⚠ Note: To bind a god as familiar, the god's true divine name is required.
“Divine name…? You mean the Pantheon Flame's Guardian?”
I stared at the flames.
……A divine name is a god's true name. Not the title humans use, but the name bestowed at birth by divine law.
Devotion, Curtain, Slaughter.
We'd referred to gods by their symbolic epithets.
So those weren't their true names. No wonder… To subjugate a god, I need its divine name.
A bit surprised by the revelation of gods' separate true names, I eyed the blazing flames with newfound glee at this path to binding one.
“Fine. What's your true name?”
Roar—!!
……As your familiar, I humbly present myself.
In that instant, the gripped flames spiraled into a vortex, swirling rapidly around me.
I am the lesser god guarding the Pantheon Flame….
The vortex shrank, condensing into a tiny, fairy-like form.
Pop! Pop!
Roar…!!
Each flap of the little flame fairy's wings sent up bursts of smoke like fireworks.
Yeomhwa-ryeong.