Chapter 14
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Apostle, Yutenia Hi-Lost (4)
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Two hours had passed since the unidentified girl entered the village.
And Peters eyes, watching the girl, were now filled with horror.
Two hours. It was not enough time for a single individual to completely destroy an entire village.
And yet, the girl who had come to the village alone had made it possible.
The reason was simple.
She was a monster who had far transcended the bounds of humanity.
Ah, ahh.
Blood. The thick scent of it tickled Peters nose.
The acrid smell of blood made Peter clap a hand over his mouth.
The screams ringing in his ears felt like they were splitting his head.
The village reflected in Peters eyes was the complete opposite of its former, peaceful self.
Plink. Pitter-patter.
Fine raindrops began to fall from the sky, soaking the earth filled with screams.
Yet, the screams showed no sign of fading.
It was because too many lives had been extinguished in this very place.
It looks like its almost over. You dont need to worry so much.
The girl said, looking at Peter as if nothing were wrong.
The thick book she was clutching was held open by shadows.
Even those who had fled to survive were dragged back to the center of the village by shadowy tendrils.
The village in Peters eyes was hell.
A hell on earth.
It had become a horrifying place that should not exist, where no one was permitted to escape alive.
Why why are you doing this?
Peter asked in a trembling voice as he looked around.
The line between life and death had been drawn in an instant.
It was simply a matter of their answers.
Peter had agreed to the girls words, knowing nothing, while the others had refused, unable to accept.
And then, hell had unfolded.
For Peter, it was all incomprehensible.
The girls arrival, the villages transformationall of it.
Hearing Peters question, the girl answered with a smile that seemed purer than anyones in the world.
Because the great one desires it.
What?
Reclaiming what was made by His own hands. Whats wrong with that?
Because He created them, He reclaims them with His own hands.
It was a notion so insane it could drive one mad just hearing it.
Peter couldnt understand how she could treat human life so lightly for such a reason.
The god he believed in was not such a being.
Moreover, he didnt want to believe that such a being was the god who had created him.
Peter pointed a finger at the girl before him and shouted.
Y-Youre insane! Youre crazy!
Is that what you think?
Still, if its for His sake that I go mad, then perhaps its not so bad.
Tap. Tap.
The girls steps led her to the center of the village.
There, all sorts of writings and pictures created by shadowy tendrils decorated the ground.
Unreadable. Impossible to even comprehend.
And yet, it was clear the girl before him was about to do something.
Something so insane that no person in their right mind would even attempt it.
Standing before an altar made of drawings, the girl raised her hand.
Fwip.
As the pages of the thick book turned, red letters floated above the open page.
The girl gently caressed the page with her fingertip and took a breath.
Huuu. A soft voice flowed out with a faint breath.
What came from the girls lips was the incantation for a ritual directed at a transcendent being.
O life. Build the stairs.
A beautiful voice, like one reciting poetry, rang out.
But its content was the exact opposite.
A prayer that belittled the value of life that looks up to the heavens, forcing an ephemeral death for the sake of a great being.
And yet, it offered endless praise to the god who judged them.
One path toward glory.
One path toward death.
The girls steps circled the altar of death, where no glory could be seen.
With each of her leisurely steps, the piled, simple lives were enveloped in a sacred light.
The girl before him was a being beyond human.
And the being to whom she prayed was one that resided in a place far, far more distant.
Peter began to feel a chill as he gazed at the altar the girl had created.
Revere. Worship. Offer.
His flesh trembled. A chill ran through his body as he watched the ritual.
But he couldnt tear his eyes away from the altar filled with malice.
Just as the short yet meaningful prayer was coming to an end.
The girl returned to her original spot for the finale.
With that, the final prayer flowed from the girls lips.
Sing the hymn of life.
The moment the girls prayer concluded the offering ritual.
Peter saw a colossal eye in the overcast sky.
A fragment of something immeasurable, incomprehensible.
The great eye looked at Peter, then at the girl before it, and finally, at the altar where the sacrifices lay.
And immediately after, a brilliant light flashed.
When the light that had stolen Peters vision faded, nothing remained in the center of the altar.
Even the traces that people had ever existed there were completely gone.
The offering ritual was over.
Ah
An exclamation of awe escaped Peters lips as he watched the ritual.
The being was on a different level from a mere human.
Resistance was meaningless; fate was decided just by facing it.
Whether he had desired the sight before him was not important.
It was a being that would inspire awe in anyone who witnessed it.
As Peter stared blankly at the altar where the villagers had vanished, the girl, having finished the ritual, approached him, clutching her book.
How does it feel to have glimpsed a fragment of the great one?
She still wore that seemingly pure smile.
Peters fists clenched as he faced the girl.
Watching the ritual, Peter realized he was no longer in his right mind.
He was steeped in terror.
Just glimpsing a trace of a being one was not even permitted to see made his body tremble.
What in the
What?
Who who in the world just what are you!
Peter, breaking out in a cold sweat, demanded to know her identity.
Hearing Peters question, the girls eyes filled with interest.
Tap. Tap.
The girl tapped the cover of the book she was holding and opened her mouth.
Hmm, you mean me?
Yes.
The question of her identity.
The girls answer to it was simple.
Apostle, Yutenia Hi-Lost.
A hand extended from the shadows, stopping in front of Peter.
Poke.
A finger of deep darkness pressed against Peters forehead.
But the shadowy touch did not crush him completely.
Its mischievous prank finished, the hand retreated back into Yutenias shadow.
I am the first servant who attends the great one.
What? Why am I getting so much?
The screen of my smartphone displayed Yutenia.
I had been watching the entire conversation from the moment Yutenia entered the village.
When Yutenia first started hunting characters, I just thought of it as my character auto-hunting for me.
But I couldnt help but be surprised when I saw the message that popped up right after the offering ritual.
A massive amount of Karma had flowed to me because of the offering Yutenia performed.
- Apostle: Yutenia Hi-Lost has performed an offering to you.
- Sacrifices offered to you: 43
- The effect of Scales of Karma: Offering has been activated.
- Your Karma has increased by 86, proportional to the number of sacrifices offered.
The number of characters Yutenia offered to me was 43.
I had heard the number of villagers from the character Peter, and the system message confirmed it, so it had to be correct.
But the amount of Karma I gained was a whopping 86.
Compared to the Karma I got from hunting alone, I had received double the amount.
Killing the same number of characters yields double the rewards.
It was an insane multiplier by any standard.
An offering from a character gives double the points? Wow
When Yutenia offered the sacrifices, it was twice as efficient as me doing it myself.
I didnt know yet if it was because of the effect attached to Scales of Karma or because Yutenia was my Apostle.
But one thing was certain: it was unconditionally more efficient than me hunting myself.
To think I could level up more efficiently by raising a character.
It seemed this game wasnt classified as an idle game for no reason.
Its probably better to just leave it to her most of the time.
Of course, considering the characters movement speed, there would be times when my intervention would be more efficient.
Nevertheless, I saw the potential for idle play in Yutenia.
The number of Apostles I could raise wasnt limited to one.
If I continued to gather Karma and increase the number of Apostles, my leveling speed would increase proportionally.
Depending on the circumstances, it might even be possible for non-Apostle characters to make offerings.
As I was drawing up these hopeful training plans in my head, Yutenia, having finished the ritual, looked up at the sky and spoke.
- I tried my best, but Im not sure if it was to your liking.
Was I pleased with the experience points?
What a foolish question.
Who wouldnt be happy after receiving double the EXP?
To me now, Yutenia was as precious as one of my own limbs.
I took a baguette from my inventory and tossed it to Yutenia.
Well done, Yutenia. Youre my character, after all.
It was only natural to bestow a reward for an offering.
The baguette I gave Yutenia was an expression of that reward.
Yutenia received the bread, bowed her head deeply, and took a bite.
She still seemed to enjoy receiving the baguette.
But I couldnt end it with just this much of a reward for a character who had earned me 86 Karma.
I brought my finger close to the screen, intending to pat Yutenias head.
Swipe.
As my finger brushed over her head, a scream came from Yutenias speech bubble.
- Gah.
Thud.
After my pat, Yutenia collapsed to the ground.
It seemed the touch was more painful than Id thought.
Watching her made me feel a bit awkward, so I quickly turned off the smartphone screen.
For a moment, I felt like I wanted to hide somewhere.