Chapter 328: God So Loved the World
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 328: God So Loved the World
"Now, it’s my turn to let you all have some fun."
As the arc-flickering domain expanded, wisps of flame began to leak from the wounds on Muen’s body with every breath he took.
The flames were crimson, distinct from ordinary fire. They swayed and flowed around Muen like dancing sprites, possessing a strange, vibrant energy.
Yet, if one stared too long, they could glimpse something hidden in the deepest depths of those flames—a touch of deathly stillness and destruction.
"Those flames are..."
The Priest’s eyes narrowed.
Magic? A martial technique? A magic device? An alchemical weapon? Or perhaps the effect of an ancient artifact?
He couldn't tell.
The strange, lightning-flickering domain completely shielded his perception, which he had extended through Divine Grace. Although Muen stood right in front of him, in his senses, there was nothing there at all.
That included the strange flames that had suddenly appeared.
However...
With the appearance of those flames, the temperature in the air didn't rise in the slightest. The gloom cast by the Dead Domain wasn't illuminated by the firelight. Even the tattered strips of cloth on his own body didn't change at all when they brushed against those flames.
Though it looked like fire, it possessed none of the characteristics or effects of fire. It flickered there as if light and heat simply did not exist within it.
It looked completely harmless.
Of course, this could be because the strange domain was masking the flames' effects. But no matter how miraculous the fire was, the Priest still didn't believe Muen Campbell had any chance of turning the tables.
As he had said before, in the face of a god’s gift, all external things were trivial.
The only thing that gave him pause was...
The Priest looked to the side, toward Hyena, who was also trapped within that domain.
Hyena was not far from Muen. At this distance, he could have launched another fatal strike at any moment, plunging his claws into Muen’s flesh once more.
But he didn't.
He simply stared blankly at Muen with bloodshot, confused eyes. Every scale on his body was standing on end. He bared his teeth occasionally, letting out low whimpers from his throat.
He looked like a stray dog that had encountered a lion.
He was actually... afraid?
This monster, who had lost most of his sanity and was driven only by bloodthirsty instinct, was currently trembling in fear.
Why? What was he sensing inside that domain?
"Let’s start with you."
Muen suddenly turned his head and smiled at Hyena.
The smile was gentle, yet it sent a chill down Hyena’s spine, like an innocent girl bumping into a predator in a dark alley.
Then, Muen’s body blurred. He crossed the short distance in an instant, appearing right in front of Hyena.
Without the shackles of Divine Grace, Muen’s raw speed already surpassed Hyena’s.
Hyena had nowhere to run. He could only watch as Muen reached out and lightly patted his shoulder, like a very dear old friend.
Crimson flames flowed out, surging toward Hyena.
Is he... trying to burn Hyena to death with those flames?
The Priest frowned. His hand, which was about to flip through the Holy Scripture, suddenly stopped.
To be safe, he needed to understand the true effect of those flames. For that, it was necessary to let Hyena suffer a little.
Besides, with Hyena’s terrifying vitality and recovery—he wouldn't necessarily die even from a death by a thousand cuts—even if those flames were powerful, they shouldn't be able to...
"Aaaaaagh—!"
The next moment, the Priest’s thoughts were shattered by a piercing shriek.
As the flames surged into him, Hyena began to struggle and howl violently, as if he were being subjected to the most horrific torture imaginable.
It was as if all the pain in the world had converged upon him. This monster, who barely had any functioning pain receptors and wouldn't even flinch if stabbed by a dozen blades, was now howling and thrashing with every ounce of his strength.
He wanted to shake off the crimson flames, but they were like maggots on a bone, clinging to his skin and flesh, burning! Burning!
"Roar—!"
Finally, the despair of death turned into a terminal madness. Hyena’s blood-red eyes locked onto Muen. Cloaked in crimson flames, he lunged ferociously at him.
Extreme pain had driven away his fear. He no longer cared about the terrifying aura radiating from Muen; he wanted to tear this man to pieces!
But just as Hyena’s claws were less than an inch away from Muen’s defenseless neck, his movements suddenly froze.
Because his eyes had inadvertently met Muen’s.
In Muen’s eyes, which were as calm as a lake, a brilliant fire ignited.
Consequently, fire also ignited within Hyena’s eyes, spreading outward from his pupils.
The fire was still crimson, but it was no longer physical. It erupted from his mind, his thoughts, his consciousness... from the depths of his soul, flickering eerily.
And then, it burned.
It burned.
It burned everything to ash!
"Geh... geh..."
Hyena stared with hollow eyes, trying to squeeze a few words from his throat:
"With... ered..."
But in the end, he couldn't say it.
Muen had already gripped his throat. He raised an index finger to his lips and whispered:
"Shh—it’s better not to say that name."
"Also, goodnight."
Muen’s palm suddenly tightened.
But the sensation against his palm was no longer that of a living creature.
It was like a stone statue that had finally reached the end of its long decay.
With a sharp crack, Hyena’s entire body crumbled into countless scattering ashes within Muen’s grip.
The ashes dispersed, merging into the raging wind, disappearing completely.
In just a few dozen seconds.
This powerful Fourth-Tier monster had been burned away.
From the inside out, nothing remained.
Only that cluster of crimson flames remained, dancing eerily, seemingly burning with even more joy.
"..."
In that moment, the area fell into a deathly silence, as if even the sound of the wind had vanished.
Within this Dead Domain constructed of storms and giant trees, the Priest looked at Muen, then at the spot where Hyena had turned to ash. His habitually composed expression finally... turned grim.
Unless he was blind, even through a domain that shielded all auras, he finally recognized the true nature of this terrifying power.
That kind of unreasonable burning at the level of rules was not something any magic or tool could achieve.
That was... power from a god.
"I see... so this is your trump card, Muen Campbell?"
"Interesting, truly interesting. Who would have thought? The son of a Duke, a genius with access to the world’s top resources, actually chose this path."
After a brief silence, the Priest suddenly began to laugh. His laughter was filled with mockery.
"You are actually... a Cleric?"
"..."
"Is it the God of Fire? Or the God of the Molten World? Never mind, I doubt you’ll tell me. But it really is surprising. Can the high-born son of a noble truly endure the path of a Cleric’s asceticism?"
The Priest sized Muen up, looking amazed and clicking his tongue in wonder.
"I’ve been a priest in the Church for so long and seen countless fake believers who only want favors from the gods but can never achieve true devotion. I didn't expect you to actually do it. I have to admit, Muen Campbell, people like you are rare—truly rare."
"I can't really do the whole 'asceticism' thing... but whatever, let's go with that."
Muen’s mouth twitched, but after a thought, he didn't bother to explain. He just shrugged casually and said:
"Since the Priest has seen through my power at a glance, why don't you accept my proposal instead?"
"Hmm?"
"Just like you said earlier."
Muen pointed to the empty space beside him and smiled.
"To avoid ending up like Hyena, why don't you surrender? That way, I can mercifully let you die without pain."
"..."
Hearing Muen repeat his own proposal, the Priest was stunned for a moment. Then, he suddenly covered his face with his hand, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably.
"Pfft... Hahahaha! Muen Campbell, you... you really are a very interesting person."
The Priest laughed loudly, then moved his hand away to reveal the sneer that had resurfaced on his face.
"I admit, you exceeded my expectations. But... why do you think that just because you have one god’s favor, and just because you killed that trash Hyena, you can... talk such big talk to me?"
"No."
Muen said seriously:
"I am making this proposal with the utmost sincerity. After all, if possible, I don't want to use this power recklessly."
"How arrogant. In that case..."
The Priest suddenly raised his Holy Scripture, and a massive amount of the Power of Faith erupted from his body.
He gazed at the high heavens, his face filled with fanaticism:
"Then let me show you the true power of my noble Lords!"
The pages of the Holy Scripture flipped.
A pure, bright light blossomed, holy and majestic.
The Priest pointed a finger.
Countless giant trees shook. Trunks so thick that a dozen men couldn't encircle them suddenly twisted and wove together with flexible grace, forming layers of a celestial net that enveloped the ant-like Muen.
The giant wood ground together like a mass of snakes in heat, leaving no gaps between their coils.
It was hard to imagine a fragile body of flesh and blood surviving within. The Priest could almost hear the sound of Muen’s bones being crushed one by one.
But...
Fwoosh.
The sound of flickering flames instantly shattered the Priest’s fantasy.
Crimson flames spread from the very center of the tangled wood. Like a bonfire jumping from a neatly stacked pile of kindling, it flared up in an instant... burning with incredible intensity!
"Ha, setting fire to a forest can get you a life sentence, you know."
Within the flames, Muen’s figure slowly appeared. He said somewhat helplessly:
"Can't you use some moves that aren't so... 'underworld'?"
"It didn't work?"
Looking at the flames that had instantly incinerated the giant trees, the Priest’s expression remained calm.
This result was expected.
After all, using the Divine Grace of the Forest God to deal with fire was hardly a wise move.
But he had done it because that Divine Grace was the power he was most comfortable using.
And...
To create an opening for his next move.
As if he had finally accumulated enough power, the Priest’s extended finger turned into a palm, which he then pressed downward.
The gale surrounding the area instantly froze.
With the leaves swept away by the wind, the sky was finally revealed through the forest canopy. Massive dark clouds gathered, swirled, and contracted, forming a vortex that looked like the coming of the apocalypse.
Then, from that vortex, the true storm descended.
Unlike the previous air currents used only to bind and suppress Muen, this time, terrifying lightning, hail, and blade-like steel were poured into the storm, weaving together into a torrent of destruction.
This wasn't just the power of a single Divine Grace. It was several Divine Graces triggered simultaneously, consuming a massive amount of the Power of Faith the Priest had accumulated over the years.
Under this torrent of destruction, the Priest was confident that no being below the Fifth-Tier could possibly survive.
Therefore...
"It’s over."
Seeing the torrent of destruction accurately envelop Muen, with the storm and lightning set to pulverize everything, the Priest once again wore that faint, calm smile.
Muen Campbell was indeed a terrifying fellow.
Unfortunately, he had met the wrong enemy at the wrong time.
"I will erect a headstone for your grave. I will carve your name upon it myself."
The Priest lowered his head in prayer.
But just as he looked up to find a piece or two of debris from the wreckage—something sufficient to make a simple grave—a light chuckle suddenly rang out.
"Forget it... cough cough... leave the grave-making to my future son or daughter. You’re not worthy."
the voice came from behind the dust and debris kicked up by the residual wind, punctuated by a weak cough or two, but it was still... incredibly clear.
So clear that it nearly made the Priest’s heart stop.
"Wh... what?"
The calm smile vanished instantly. For the first time, a look of unbelievable horror appeared in the Priest’s eyes.
"How is this possible? How can this be!"
The wind howled again, sweeping away all the dust and debris obscuring his vision.
It revealed the current state of the blond man.
He wasn't unscathed. The multiple Divine Graces had left several gruesome wounds on his body, some deep enough to show bone.
But that was it.
He was still alive. He was still able to stand.
In fact, those crimson flames were roaming across his body, continuously helping him recover from his injuries.
"I see... I understand now! I understand!"
Staring at those flames, as if he had discovered something, the Priest shrieked with excitement:
"That isn't Divine Grace! It’s not Divine Grace! That fire... is a Divine Blessing!"
That was it. This kind of divine power that acted like living water—inexhaustible and able to be consumed at will—was absolutely not a dead thing like Divine Grace, which diminished with every use.
This was a Divine Blessing—the power of favor bestowed by a god upon their beloved, the manifestation of a god’s laws in the mortal realm!
Muen Campbell was actually a Divine Blessed!
You have to be kidding me!
He had never heard of such a thing!
The Divine Blessed were incredibly precious. The appearance of every single one was recorded and filed by the Church.
But in those records, the name Muen Campbell had never appeared!
He wasn't some nobody; he was the son of a Duke, someone born under the spotlight. His every move should have been watched by those with interest. Could he really have been so good at hiding it?
Hiding it... until now? Never showing this innate power to outsiders?
Damn it! A Divine Blessing usually awakens around age seven or eight. If he had the mindset to hide it even back then, then this man... just how terrifying was he?
"Hey, hey, why the sudden 'this youth is truly terrifying and must not be left alive' face? Do you want me to gasp in shock to play along?"
Muen clutched his wounded side, baring his teeth as he sucked in a breath of cold air.
It hurt.
No matter how powerful the Crimson Flame was, it was still a bit lacking in defensive capabilities.
He really had almost kicked the bucket just now.
Fortunately, he was quite durable.
With the Crimson Flame’s enhancement, he was even more durable.
Muen began to walk, step by step, toward the Priest.
"Wait, wait!"
The Priest roared in terror:
"Don't come any closer! Stop!"
The storm rose again, and thunder boomed.
One terrifying Divine Grace after another fell toward Muen.
They were useless.
Whether it was the gale, the lightning, the steel, the hail, or even brighter and seemingly hotter flames—none could break through the thin layer of Crimson Flame around Muen. They were all burned to nothingness.
Quantity still could not bridge the gap in absolute quality.
"No, this is wrong!"
Watching this despair-inducing scene, the Priest’s eyes turned bloodshot. He lost all composure and screamed:
"Even for a Divine Blessing, even for the power of a Divine Blessing, it shouldn't be this strong! It shouldn't make the Divine Graces I earned through years of devoted service and bitter cultivation completely useless!"
"Which god’s blessing is this? Is it really the God of Fire?"
"It even has the power of life and recovery... could it be you aren't blessed by just a single god?"
As various guesses surfaced, an emotion called jealousy suddenly erupted in the Priest’s heart, driving him nearly mad:
"Why? Why did my years of bitter cultivation and daily devotion only earn me a few measly Divine Graces, while you, who have done nothing, can receive the favor of so many gods?"
"Why! Answer me!"
"..."
Muen didn't answer.
He only lowered his gaze slightly.
Before he knew it, he had reached the Priest.
He was very close.
Between them, there was only a single, flickering arc of electricity.
This was the boundary of the Alchemy Domain.
"Teacher Mela’s domain is even more impressive than I imagined," Muen praised inwardly.
Even though they were separated only by this thin domain, the Priest still couldn't sense the aura of the Evil God, the Withered King, within the Crimson Flame. He was still busy guessing which god this blessing came from.
Naturally, he was wrong.
After all, he probably couldn't imagine in his wildest dreams that the son of a Duke would risk destroying his bright future by having a fling with an Evil God.
And...
Muen looked at the swaying crimson flames.
When this power wasn't accompanied by the Evil God’s mental pollution... it didn't seem as eerie or terrifying as he had imagined.
In fact, from the outside, it didn't look like it had anything to do with the words "Evil God" at all.
"But I still shouldn't use it too much," Muen murmured. "I can't become overly dependent on power that isn't my own."
Pushing these thoughts aside, Muen fixed his gaze on the frantic Priest before him.
The man was a far cry from the confident, cool-headed hunter he had been moments ago.
"Alright, that’s enough."
Muen said:
"To use your own words: Checkmate, Priest."
"..."
The familiar words echoed in his ears, and the madness on the Priest’s face vanished instantly.
He looked at Muen, then down at himself.
After a long silence, he said with a trembling voice:
"I still have the Goddess’s Holy Light."
"In terms of purity, the Holy Light on you is far inferior to Liya’s."
"..."
Right.
Muen was already standing this close. Even the Goddess’s Holy Light wouldn't be able to stop him now.
Was it really over?
A trace of confusion flashed in the Priest’s eyes.
The scene and the words were so familiar, but their positions had been completely reversed.
He was the hunter, and now...
He had become the prey backed into a corner.
He had used every Divine Grace he relied on. In the face of this dead end, he was out of options...
"No, it’s not over yet!"
As if he had thought of something, the Priest suddenly looked up, a frantic smile reappearing on his face.
He quickly flipped through his Holy Scripture.
All the way to the very last page.
Sensing the faint wisp of an aura attached to that page, he couldn't help but shed tears of joy.
"That’s right, I still have a trump card!"
"The final Lord... whom I serve!"
*
"If, and I mean if."
At the long table, a slightly tipsy Robin swayed his head and asked Bai Hu:
"What if that Muen Campbell really is that fierce and manages to kill his way out? What then?"
"Relax, that possibility doesn't exist."
Facing this seemingly illogical doubt, Bai Hu simply swirled his wine glass and said calmly, "I have a trump card."
"Oh?"
Robin frowned. "You mean that Priest?"
"Exactly." Bai Hu nodded. "With him there, no accidents can happen."
"A Hundred Believer... is indeed powerful, but he has a fatal flaw." Robin mused. "He is, after all, just a normal human."
"A normal human? Heh."
Bai Hu sneered. "Can a guy like that really be called human?"
"What do you mean?"
"The prerequisite for using faith to exchange for power from a god is devotion. But if a person can devotedly serve multiple gods, doesn't that prove his brain isn't quite right?"
Bai Hu gave a half-smile.
"And a guy with a broken brain who frequently deals with gods is the most likely to attract certain... 'unusual' existences. Otherwise... how do you think a fool like him, who carries Holy Light and is basically a human lighthouse to the Church, managed to escape the pursuit of the Judgment Temple?"
"...I see. I understand now."
Robin was stunned for a moment, but with his intellect, he quickly connected the dots. He praised, "As expected of you, Lord Speaker. You even took something so outside the norm into account?"
"Naturally. To completely destroy a person, using every means available is a necessary sign of respect." The corner of Bai Hu’s mouth curled up.
"True. It might seem like overkill, but it’s for the best."
Robin raised his glass again with a more sincere smile. "Then let us celebrate our success in advance."
"Yes, to success."
The glasses clinked, a crisp and pleasant sound, once again sounding like the music of victory.
*
"Father Sion, does God truly love the world?"
Once, I heard such a question.
It came from a cute little girl.
Her parents had died in a sudden, unannounced epidemic. Because of this, she came to the church every day to pray, telling the Goddess how much she missed them.
That day was no different. After her usual prayer, she suddenly tugged on my sleeve and asked that question.
"Of course."
I patted her head and smiled. "The merciful Goddess watches over all of us."
"But," the girl said, her innocent eyes wide and blinking, looking particularly pitiful, "I pray so devotedly to the Goddess every day. Why won't she answer me?"
"What did you wish for?"
"I want the Goddess to tell me if my Papa and Mama are doing well down there. Sniff... and I miss them so much. I want to see them one more time. I saw them in a dream before, but I can't even remember what their faces look like anymore."
"...Don't worry. The Goddess will surely grant your wish."
At that time, that was the only answer I could give.
Does God love the world?
Of course.
Before that, I was certain of it.
But a seed of doubt inevitably took root and sprouted in my heart.
I wanted to know if God truly loved the world.
Not the love woven by scriptures or imagined by believers.
I wanted a god to answer me personally.
Whether they loved us or not.
I began to serve the Goddess even more devotedly.
But no matter how much effort I put in, no matter how devotedly I gave my all, the Goddess never gave any response. She only gave me Holy Light.
But I didn't want Holy Light. I wanted an answer.
Was it because there were too many believers, so she didn't have time to answer?
So, one morning after morning lessons, I began to pray to other gods.
Still with the utmost devotion, still with the utmost sincerity, still giving everything I had.
But even those gods with very few followers did not answer me.
They were just like the Goddess, only responding with power.
Various kinds of power.
But I didn't want power.
I only wanted an answer.
Does God love the world?
And so, one by one, and another.
I began to believe in new gods.
Until that day.
What kind of day was it? I’ve forgotten.
I only remember that on that day, beside the girl who had finally had her wish granted with my help—and thus blossomed into a happy, joyful little red flower—I truly heard the answer from that Lord.
He said to me:
【Yes.】
*
"Hmm?"
Muen’s brow suddenly furrowed.
Because the Priest in front of him had suddenly become strange again.
"It’s not over! I still have a trump card!"
"I still have... the final Lord!"
It was impossible to describe the expression on the Priest’s face. It was a chaotic mess of fanaticism, madness, sincerity, and devotion—several contradictory expressions constantly shifting across his features.
But no matter how his expression changed, Muen only read one intent.
He was about to do something big.
And it was already too late to stop him.
【Prayer.】
A solemn proclamation rang out, and the entire world fell silent.
Muen’s breath hitched. He could clearly feel that when those words left the Priest’s mouth, a terrifying gaze from a higher level had already fallen upon this place.
Dammit, this familiar plot, this intense sense of déjà vu...
A sense of crisis filled his mind. Muen was already thinking about which posture he should use to beg the Black Book for help so it wouldn't look too pathetic.
【With all my Power of Faith, with all my Divine Grace, I beseech your benevolence.】
【Please, bestow your love upon this ignorant one before me.】
【My most noble Lord, the Great... Love God.】
Wait, who?
Muen’s eyes widened. While he was still processing the content of the Priest’s prayer, the change began as the prayer ended.
On the Priest’s complex face, flesh began to writhe violently. Finally, on the side of that face, a new face emerged.
That face was identical to the Priest’s, but veins throbbed beneath the skin like countless earthworms, filled with hideous malice.
At the same time, an ethereal hymn began to play, and white feathers drifted down from the void.
Thump. Thump.
The face greedily devoured the Divine Grace and faith belonging to the other gods, wearing a satisfied expression. Still not satiated, it opened its pitch-black eyes and looked toward the other "fresh lamb."
And then it saw a stupid face.
A familiar, stupid face.
They stared at each other.
"Holy shit!"
After a brief silence, Muen, who had finally snapped out of it, nearly jumped. He said in shock:
"Love God? Why is it you?"
What the hell was happening?
How did the Love God pop out in the middle of a fight?
This plot didn't seem to have any continuity at all!
Or was the Priest’s faith so "flexible" that even the Love God wasn't spared?
【...】
In those pitch-black eyes, the image of the ant before him was reflected. Previous memories surfaced, and the will inhabiting the Priest’s body instantly became furious and distorted.
You again!
You’re that ant who keeps ruining my plans!
This time, this time I’ll—
Hmm?
The pitch-black eyes suddenly froze.
Because He saw the flames currently burning on Muen’s body.
The Alchemy Domain naturally couldn't block His gaze. With just one look, He recognized the origin of those crimson flames.
【...】
They stared at each other again.
"Haha! I feel it! I feel my Lord’s love!"
Completely unaware of the bizarre atmosphere, the Priest spread his arms and shouted fanatically:
"Ah! God truly does love the world! My Lord! My noble Lord! Please kill this damn fellow! Please show me more of your love!"
"Please... eh?"
The Priest’s shouting stopped abruptly.
Because he sensed another change—a bad one, for him.
As if time were reversing, the face on his cheek writhed again. The pitch-black eyes closed, and the malicious face merged back into his flesh.
The feathers vanished; the Holy Light faded.
And that feeling of fullness, which he had perceived as divine love, disappeared without a trace in an instant.
The Love God.
He had bolted.
He had slipped away without the slightest hesitation.
As for the things He had just devoured, He naturally wasn't going to spit them back out.
And so, only the Priest remained—now a complete and utter ordinary human—standing there, staring blankly with a face full of despair.
"Eh? My Lord?"
"Where is your love?"