Chapter 99
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
I will purchase divine power with money. Chapter 99 My eyes widened as a cascade of System Messages illuminated my vision. 【5,000 Gold has been received from the Sun God Crawling from Death's dedication.】 【The Sun God Crawling from Death recovers a portion of his power through the devoted faith of his believers.】 【The Sun God Crawling from Death bestows a blessing upon the High Priestess who has devoted herself to him. Your divine power increases.】 【Current divine power: 30.111%】 【10,000 people have newly learned of the Sun God Crawling from Death's existence.】 【The Sun God Crawling from Death's power rises slightly.】 【Your divine power increases by 0.005%.】 【Current divine power: 30.116%】 Thanks to diligent work in the Southern Region following the Western Region, many people have come to know of him. The System Messages were far from over. 【Your divine power has reached 30%. The exclusive skill 'Communion' is now unlocked.】 【The skill 'Communion' has opened. The High Priestess exclusive linked skill 'Sacred Artifact Crafting' is now unlocked.】 It's the skill message I've been waiting for, but... there's something I've never seen before?
"A linked skill?"
Does that mean I have to use it together with the Communion skill? 【Skill 'Communion'】 1. An upgraded version of the High Priestess exclusive skill 'Revelation'. Only you can use this skill. 2. Direct communion with the Three Principal Gods is possible. However, due to insufficient divine power, only indirect communion is currently available. (Communion with the other two gods, excluding the Sun God Crawling from Death, consumes divine power. Please be cautious.) "...What?"
Really? I can actually commune with the gods? Normally, High Priestesses and Saints hear the voice of the god they serve through Revelation... Yet I can commune with all Three Principal Gods. 【The Sun God Crawling from Death greets you warmly.】 The moment doubt crossed my mind about whether this was truly possible. A System Message in a different color than usual suddenly appeared before my eyes. Written in the white System Message window was... goodness.
"Are you really the Sun God?" 【The Sun God Crawling from Death answers in the affirmative!】 【He laments to you how frustrating it has been not to have direct conversation all this time.】 It's real. Not a canned response—an actual answer came back to my question. My, this is possible too. 【The Sun God Crawling from Death sincerely thanks you for your help and apologizes. He conveys that he has desperately wanted to say these words all along.】 Despite being mere text, I could somehow feel the Sun God's heart so deeply. I don't know what his face looks like at all, yet I could see his expression of regret and shame as clearly as day. Why is that. Because I received his power? Because I made a contract with him? Regardless of the reason, a wave of tenderness washed over me. I quietly clenched the message window he had sent.
"Is that all it takes—just words?"
And I vented my anger.
"You forced a soul that was supposed to ascend peacefully to Heaven into a second life, and now you think mere apologies and thanks are enough?!"
Genuinely sorry? That's the bare minimum!
"Don't just talk—you need to give me proper compensation, you hear me?!"
I shook the message window like a madwoman. Feel the sorrow of someone who had to live frantically under the threat of death for nearly four months! 【'The Sun That Crawled from Death' says it's dizzy and pleads with you to please stop shaking it.】 "Dizzy? Just from this? Then how much must I have suffered?!" 【'The Sun That Crawled from Death' cries out that it was wrong.】 【It urgently suggests that you first check the details of the linked skill!】 It seems to be trying to evade at all costs, which doesn't sit well with me, but... I can always get angry after checking the skill. I threw the message window I'd been gripping and shaking backward with a flick. I thought I glimpsed a message full of tears, but I ignored it and checked the details of the linked skill. 【Skill 'Sacred Artifact Crafting'】 1. You can craft sacred artifacts imbued with the High Priestess's blessing. 2. Through the 'Communication' skill, receive guidance from the divine regarding materials needed for sacred artifact crafting. (Note: The stronger your divine power, the more powerful the sacred artifacts you can craft.) "So that's why it's linked with Communication."
Fortunately, it seems the crafting happens automatically through the skill as long as I have the materials. If he'd made me hammer away at it myself, I would've grabbed a hammer and gone straight to the Sun God. 【'The Sun That Crawled from Death' shouts that if you want any sacred artifact, just say the word.】 【It confidently says it will tell you all the materials for any sacred artifact.】 "Ah, so who's supposed to procure the materials?" 【'The Sun That Crawled from Death' falls silent.】 I knew it. I still don't fully understand the Communication skill, but sacred artifact crafting will definitely be helpful. I'm starting to feel the necessity of having a weapon to protect myself anyway. The Temple of the Sun God only has swords and spears, so if I could craft something I actually like and use it, that would be ideal... The problem is procuring materials. What if it's difficult to secure or extremely expensive?
"Sacred artifact crafting requires sacred stones, right?" 【'The Sun That Crawled from Death' says you'll need quite a lot.】 Then I'll think about the rest later and first need to secure Rubar Land from Count Kiris. Since I've finished most of what I needed to do in the Southern Region, I should head back to the Western Region soon.
"I've done quite a lot since coming here."
Spread potions, figured out the movements of Darkness, even met Idella, and even collaborated with the Eternal Death God Temple. It had been such an exhaustingly busy journey with barely a moment to rest each day.... 【The 'Soul Guide Traveler' gazes at the user with intrigue.】 ...and now the Spirit Death God appears as well? I stared blankly at the black message window, the complete opposite of the Sun God's. 【The 'Soul Guide Traveler' offers a friendly greeting with eyes gleaming with avarice.】 A friendly greeting? So why are those eyes overflowing with greed? 【'The Sun Crawling from Death' jabs an accusing finger, demanding to know why he's staring at his Saint like that.】 【Bellowing that if messages keep coming, his child's divine power will be consumed, he shouts not to send any more.】 Ah, right. I was told that communicating with any god other than the Sun God would drain my divine power. Is there any way to block this? 【Since this location is the 'Soul Guide Traveler's' Temple, no divine power is consumed when communicating with that deity.】 【The same applies even if that god's sacred artifact and Saint or High Priest are present.】 Then a System Message appeared, answering my question. Well, if that's the case, I'm relieved. 【'The Sun Crawling from Death'...】 【The 'Soul Guide Traveler' shoves 'The Sun Crawling from Death' aside and stares intently at the user.】 【He asks if you like this world.】 I, who had been watching the two bickering gods with tired disdain, flinched at the sudden question. Now that I think about it, I had something I wanted to ask the Spirit Death God.
"Was it you who brought my dead soul to this world?" 【The 'Soul Guide Traveler' smiles enigmatically.】 The displaced Sun God should have bellowed and reappeared, yet he said nothing. As if both gods were concentrating on this question. Soon an answer I hadn't wanted came back. 【The 'Soul Guide Traveler' recommends that if you wish to receive an answer, fill your divine power to 40%.】 【Your current body is too weak to withstand the revelation of heavenly secrets, so he refuses.】 "So that's why it had to be 40 percent...."
I'd assumed it was just a mechanism to force me to raise my divine power somehow. I'd thought he was exploiting the Korean trait of being unable to resist curiosity. But it turned out my body was genuinely too weak for this.
"Just what could be so important that you need to do this?" 【The 'Soul Guide Traveler' laughs, saying it will probably be quite shocking. He advises you to steel yourself beforehand.】 Even though I already knew everything about 'Holy Idella', it would be shocking? What? You gods, what exactly have you done?
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org