Chapter 40
Chapter 40.
The flame of Ten Thousand Demon Battle that appeared after visiting the first tower.
'Is it related to Heavenly Mandate Tower?'
Lee Ganghan thought so as he pressed the fire.
Then.
[Sacred Fire]
The flame that became the origin of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect.
When a player challenges the first tower, the ember of the sacred fire is transmitted to the Heavenly Demon again.
As the flame grows stronger, the functions of Ten Thousand Demon Battle are restored.
The TP required for establishing the 'Heavenly Demon Divine Sect' is greatly reduced.
Currently in the state of 'Tiny Ember'.
Rather than being related to Heavenly Mandate Tower.
It was an ember that formed while conquering the first tower.
'So if this ember grows, Ten Thousand Demon Battle will be restored?'
The establishment of Heavenly Demon Divine Sect currently costs 100 million TP.
To lower this absurd cost, he had to nurture this sacred fire's ember.
However,
'It doesn't say how to nurture it.'
Since it formed while challenging the first tower.
Would the ember grow bigger if he went down floor by floor?
As Lee Ganghan thought so while looking at the pure white flame.
Ding.
[Would you like to construct Heavenly Mandate Tower?]
[1,000,000 TP is required.]
While touching near the ember.
A message asking if he wanted to construct Heavenly Mandate Tower appeared.
'Is Heavenly Mandate Tower also connected to the ember?'
Lee Ganghan tried touching various other places in Ten Thousand Demon Battle shrouded in darkness, just in case.
But except for near the flame, the message asking to build Heavenly Mandate Tower didn't appear.
'Seems like it has to be built near the sacred fire.'
Heavenly Mandate Tower, the place where the Divine Maiden and female disciples resided.
Did they manage the sacred fire here too?
Lee Ganghan had such questions, but.
Unlike the special buildings he had built so far like the Goblin Black Market or Orc Shaman's Altar.
No matter how long he waited while touching, no explanation about Heavenly Mandate Tower appeared.
'I'll have to build it to find out.'
The construction cost of 1 million TP was somewhat burdensome.
But he had the money he earned when nearly a million viewers gathered recently and donated tremendous amounts of TP.
This much was manageable.
Moreover,
'I need to get stronger.'
Thinking about nearly drowning in the sea earlier.
He became even less hesitant about investing TP.
Rather than hoarding money because it's precious.
He should invest in Ten Thousand Demon Battle and find ways to become stronger.
As Lee Ganghan constructed Heavenly Mandate Tower.
Rumble...
A building began to be constructed surrounding the sacred fire.
An open single-story Eastern-style building.
'This is Heavenly Mandate Tower...? The size is somehow modest, being single-story.'
Heavenly Mandate Tower with distinctive dark red tiles.
The building itself was beautiful.
But the size didn't seem particularly large.
A building that looked shabby for a structure that cost 1 million TP.
'Still, it must have some use.'
When Lee Ganghan pressed the completed Heavenly Mandate Tower.
The building description appeared.
[Heavenly Mandate Tower Lv.1]
The place where the Divine Maiden and female disciples reside in the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect.
They manage the sacred fire and uphold the religious symbols of the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect.
Currently, no Divine Maiden is assigned.
When a Divine Maiden is assigned, the power of the sacred fire can be efficiently drawn out, and fire revelations can be interpreted.
Heavenly Mandate Tower, the building that manages the sacred fire.
But it seemed unable to proceed with related content before a Divine Maiden was assigned.
'But where do I get a Divine Maiden?'
One mountain after another.
As the building he invested 1 million TP in seemed to become useless due to the absence of a Divine Maiden, Lee Ganghan frowned.
Then.
'A blank space appeared. Should I press it?'
When a blank space appeared on the Divine Maiden side.
Lee Ganghan quickly pressed it.
Then.
[You can designate a Divine Maiden from the Divine Maiden candidate pool.]
[Divine Maiden Candidate Pool]
-Apprentice Divine Maiden
-?????
-?????
-?????
.
.
.
-Divine Maiden Cheon Seran
First, Apprentice Divine Maiden appeared.
In the very last slot was 'Divine Maiden Cheon Seran'.
'If it's Cheon Seran, that's our guide.'
When maintaining the guide.
The Divine Maiden ghost's name was definitely displayed as Last Divine Maiden Cheon Seran.
Looking at the guide, she gave advice both materially and spiritually, so was she recruited from there?
Lee Ganghan pressed Divine Maiden Cheon Seran with a welcoming heart, but.
[999,999,999 TP is required to appoint 'Divine Maiden Cheon Seran' as Divine Maiden.]
"What???"
Seeing the TP that followed, he doubted his eyes.
999 million TP.
This is more expensive than rebuilding the Heavenly Demon Divine Sect?
'Why is it so expensive?'
Is it because she's bound to the first tower?
Or because she's the last Divine Maiden?
'Come to think of it, she asked me if I was a Cheon last time.'
When the portal opened after touching the drawer.
-A portal opening just from touching a drawer... that's quite strange. Heavenly Demon, by any chance are you a Cheon?
-Cheon is the surname of the clan that once ruled as Heavenly Demons in the old Heavenly Demon Divine Sect. I wondered if a descendant of the Cheon clan had figured out how to enter Heavenly Demon Valley.
Cheon Seran, who said Cheon was the surname of the Heavenly Demon clan.
Asked if he might be inheriting that surname.
But she herself was a Cheon.
'So is Cheon Seran also from the Heavenly Demon clan?'
Is that why her price is so high?
I'll have to ask when I enter the first tower later.
Lee Ganghan thought so and gave up on recruiting Cheon Seran.
'Then I'll have to press Apprentice Divine Maiden.'
Ding.
When he pressed the topmost Apprentice Divine Maiden.
[Searching for Apprentice Divine Maiden candidates within Ten Thousand Demon Battle...]
[There is 1 being that matches the conditions.]
-Mixed-blood Elf Karana
When searching for Divine Maiden candidates in Ten Thousand Demon Battle.
Only Karana uniquely matched the conditions.
'I guess Orcs and Goblins don't qualify.'
They don't really match the Divine Maiden image.
Of course, Karana is also residing at the Shaman's Altar, absorbed in Orc experiments.
'I'm curious what the sacred fire content is, so I'll ask her to do it temporarily.'
It's not like asking her to stay forever.
I could ask for a temporary favor.
Lee Ganghan thought so and went toward the Orc Shaman's Altar.
Then.
'...All the Orcs are level 2.'
He said to keep them alive when they reach level 2, or the Orc territory might disappear.
The remaining 10 or so Orcs had all reached level 2 and were collapsed around the altar, their souls drained.
And Karana, the culprit who made them this way, was sitting slumped in front of the altar.
When Lee Ganghan pressed on her.
[Mixed-blood Elf Karana]
[Status: Blind faith, Frustration, Despair, Self-blame, Regret...]
The blind faith from last time remained the same.
After that, only negative keywords were listed in a row.
Seeing that there wasn't a single successful Orc.
Was she caught in a sense of frustration?
'It would be awkward to assign her as Divine Maiden immediately in that state.'
I should connect communications and have a conversation.
But until now, the Chief or Karana always initiated communication first.
There was no way for Lee Ganghan to initiate contact first.
That's because.
[Summon]
[Worship]
[Banish]
When pressing on beings in Ten Thousand Demon Battle, only three categories appeared.
Should I make her worship to get her to contact me?
As Lee Ganghan thought so and pressed on Karana.
[Summon]
[Worship]
[Communicate]
[Move]
[Banish]
Communication and Move slots that weren't visible before had appeared.
***
"Hmm... They definitely weren't there when I summoned earlier?"
Before going to the first tower.
When he summoned the Goblin Chief from the regular tower he visited today.
The Communication and Move slots definitely didn't exist.
'Could it be because of the sacred fire?'
It said that as the flame grows stronger, the functions of Ten Thousand Demon Battle are restored.
Even though the sacred fire's flame is weak now, since something that didn't exist appeared.
It wouldn't be strange if some functions manifested.
'Let me try communication first.'
Ding.
When Lee Ganghan pressed communicate.
[...Did you call, Heavenly Demon.]
Karana, who was sitting slumped, raised her face with a dejected expression.
[I have no face to show. Even after trying so many times, I couldn't succeed even once.... Tsk. If you want to reprimand me, reprimand me, if you want to banish me, banish me. I'll accept any punishment.]
Even though she received quite many Orcs.
Far from succeeding, they all died and disappeared, leaving only 10 level 2 ones.
It was natural in a way for Karana to think she produced no results and be prepared for banishment.
Of course.
"What banishment."
Lee Ganghan had no intention of banishing Karana even if she failed a hundred or thousand times.
How difficult is it to bring one race to Ten Thousand Demon Battle?
"Rather than that, won't you take a breather?"
[A breather?]
"Yeah. I built a new facility and I need you. The Orc level is 2 now, so rest a bit and do something else for me temporarily."
[Something else... Tsk. May I ask what kind of work it is?]
"Hmm. Well, you could say it's fire management."
[Fire management...]
Managing sacred fire is fire management, after all.
At Lee Ganghan's words, she who was staring at the floor with vacant eyes.
Soon nodded.
[Good. Since I can't do evolution work right now anyway... Tsk. I'll collect myself while managing the fire.]
"Good thinking."
Since she was in a state of despair, persuasion was easier than expected.
Having gained Karana's consent, Lee Ganghan.
Registered her as Apprentice Divine Maiden.
Then.
[You have designated 'Mixed-blood Elf Karana' as Apprentice Divine Maiden.]
[When the Apprentice Divine Maiden arrives at Heavenly Mandate Tower, she can manage the sacred fire.]
A message appeared telling him to send Karana to Heavenly Mandate Tower.
'I should try the move function.'
A chance to test the newly created command.
When Lee Ganghan pressed move.
A new map of Ten Thousand Demon Battle appeared.
A finger-shaped cursor was created.
[Please designate the destination. A portal leading to the destination will open.]
When he designated near Heavenly Mandate Tower following that message.
Whoooosh...!
A red portal opened behind Karana.
The portal's destination was Heavenly Mandate Tower he had marked earlier.
[Is it that portal? I'll go.]
When Karana entered the portal.
Her body immediately appeared near Heavenly Mandate Tower.
So this is how to use the move function.
As Lee Ganghan was learning the newly created command.
[This place is...]
Karana, who entered the Heavenly Mandate Tower building.
Saw the sacred fire burning weakly at the center of the building and.
[...]
Suddenly became silent.
Then with quick steps, approached the white flame, the sacred fire.
[Apprentice Divine Maiden 'Karana' manages the sacred fire...]
[Very high affinity with 'Light' attribute.]
[Very high affinity with 'Fire' attribute.]
[Upgraded from 'Apprentice Divine Maiden' to 'Ordinary Divine Maiden' grade.]
[Ordinary Divine Maiden 'Karana' manages the sacred fire...]
Maybe because she's an Elf.
As soon as she approached the sacred fire, Karana's grade immediately rose, saying her affinity with light and fire was high.
'This is her calling.'
She failed so much at Orc evolution experiments.
But here she's demonstrating her talent to the fullest.
As Lee Ganghan thought so while looking at Karana crouched in front of the sacred fire.
Whoooosh...!
Around her.
Flames suddenly began blazing up here and there.
'What's that?'
Red flames unlike the sacred fire.
Those flames gathered together and began forming various shapes.
Some resembled lizards.
Some were fire beings shaped like birds.
Looking at them.
'They look like fire spirits.'
Did she summon fire attribute spirits while facing the sacred fire?
An Elf is indeed an Elf.
'Wouldn't it be better to quit being a shaman and become an Elf spirit mage?'
As Lee Ganghan thought so while watching Karana's talent.
[Uh, uhhh... Sp, spirits again!?]
She herself was startled seeing the fire spirits that appeared around her.
Especially.
Hiss...
When a fire spirit approached her intimately.
[Tsk! No. I said I don't like it! I won't talk with you guys. I am an Orc!]
Swish!
She grabbed the approaching lizard fire spirit.
[Get lost!]
And threw it toward the sacred fire.
Then.
Whoooosh...!
The fire lizard disappeared into the sacred fire.
'Wow. She really hates them?'
Just what kind of brainwashing did she undergo?
I didn't know she'd hate spirits that much.
Karana, whose eyes were turned back, continuously threw fire spirits into the sacred fire.
Lee Ganghan felt sorry for the fire spirits disappearing into the sacred fire.
"Karana, still..."
He initially tried to stop her.
But.
[Fire spirits fuse with the sacred fire.]
'Huh?'
[The sacred fire's flame becomes stronger.]
At the message that followed, he closed his opened mouth.
'The sacred fire becomes stronger thanks to the fire spirits?'
Then there's no need to stop her?
[Tsk. Heavenly Demon... did you call me by any chance?]
Karana, who was briefly looking at the communication screen.
"Ah. It's nothing. Do what you were doing."
[Understood.]
Swish!
She began throwing fire spirits again.
As time passed.
When dozens of spirits fused with the sacred fire.
[The sacred fire's state evolves from 'Tiny Ember' to 'Dim Flame'.]
Whoooosh...!
The sacred fire that seemed about to go out any moment.
Began to deepen and grow larger.