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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Ruby
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This Astes Temple, located in a secluded spot in the eastern part of the empire.
Except for a few high-ranking nobles, even its location was unknown.
As it was the place where oracles were fulfilled, security was strictly managed.
Saint Ermel, who lived in this temple, opened her mouth.
“The subjects of the prophecy must ascend to the oracle’s seat for us to know the results of the oracle’s fulfillment.”
The oracle’s seat.
It was a circular area on the floor filled with a swirl of light.
Saint Ermel looked around at the imperial group.
And her brown eyes stopped abruptly on Yuma.
‘…So that’s Yuma.’
The very person causing a stir throughout the empire.
No, the entire continent.
Yet, strangely, there was not a single mention of him in the oracle.
While it was natural for there to be no direct mention of individual humans, given Yuma’s current influence on this land, it wouldn’t have been strange for him to be mentioned in the oracle.
Although she was called a saint, from her position as a mere created being, she couldn’t dare to judge the profound will of God.
‘He may have great power, but perhaps he’s not the vessel to save the world…’
Saint Ermel, who had never witnessed Yuma’s power with her own eyes, could only judge him within the framework of her own thoughts.
Ermel turned her gaze away from Yuma and looked at the three who could be called the protagonists of this gathering.
That was the New Year’s oracle that had come down 8 months ago.
The witch’s daughter who fell into the hell of black flame, Cloney.
The blue-haired sword saint, Bell.
The white-haired female ruler, Brigitte.
After hearing Bell’s name, Ermel smiled brightly and patted Bell’s shoulder.
“Please become a great star for the empire.”
Bell nodded vaguely.
She still didn’t feel like she had become a member of the empire.
Of course, she was already fully aware that she had become Yuma’s sword.
Ermel took a deep breath and opened her mouth again.
“Now, I will confirm whether the oracle has been established.”
“Do we just get up there?”
“Yes, Bell.”
Ermel nodded with a smile at Bell’s words.
Step, step
Brigitte, Cloney, and Bell slowly ascended onto the oracle’s seat.
And the one who was most enraged by this situation here and now was undoubtedly First Prince Schwarze.
‘Damn it.’
Why.
Why on earth did someone like that God of War Yuma exist for her but not for him?
Why was such a blessing bestowed only on Brigitte?
Why didn’t such a blessing come to him?
Grind!
His teeth gritted.
Being able to gather those two from the oracle.
Wasn’t it all thanks to that Yuma?
‘I… cannot acknowledge you, Brigitte.’
Schwarze desperately hoped that some kind of variable would occur, preventing the establishment of this oracle.
Very desperately.
The oracle’s seat.
Saint Ermel stood in front of the oracle’s seat where the three mentioned in the oracle had ascended.
And she raised her right hand high towards the sky.
“O supreme light that encompasses all things and protects the peace of the Astes Empire.”
A light aura began to surge around Ermel’s body.
“Please answer the call of this inadequate child. O Incrinew.”
As Ermel’s words ended, the aura surging around her body spread out widely.
Drawing sources of light like the sun.
And a beam of light fell from the sky as well.
The light began to accumulate point by point.
Along with the wavering mass of light.
Rumble!
Everyone in the temple now could tell.
That something was manifesting.
Descent.
A current of light crept up along the floor.
Crack
The air let out a faint scream.
An overwhelming presence filled the entire space beyond the temple.
“…!”
Even Duke Balzac, the Grand Swordmaster, was overwhelmed by the sensation that numbed his entire body.
Everyone felt it.
As created beings, humans felt the primitive fear of facing a god.
The reverence that naturally arose.
Noble
-You are the noblest being in this world by yourself.
You do not submit to external pressure.
Of course, excluding Yuma who possessed the Noble trait.
The mass of light slowly cleared.
What appeared was a being not much different in outward appearance from an adult human male.
Only, its skin color exuded an intense purple hue.
And it had snow-white hair and intense red eyes.
Yuma gazed directly at that being with his
Levels 300 to 499 belonged to the demigod category─’Demi-God’.
From level 500 onwards, they fell into the category of full gods.
The Black Dragon Elcam-Acreon, who was a demigod at level 421, had been the most superior being he had met until now.
That record was now updated.
By the level 666 god, Incrinew.
The god with noticeable purple skin.
Incrinew lifted the corners of his mouth.
He didn’t even glance at those below the oracle’s seat.
He only focused on the protagonists of the oracle he had issued, who were on the oracle’s seat.
Saint Ermel lay flat on the ground, her body trembling.
The oracle she had received a few days ago flashed through her mind.
-If this oracle is properly fulfilled, I will manifest directly.
It was an oracle that Incrinew, who was right in front of her, had issued.
Incrinew had kept his word to manifest directly.
“It’s good to see you, Brigitte von Astes. O great bloodline of Astes.”
Incrinew’s fiery red eyes met Brigitte’s.
First Princess Brigitte knelt on her right knee and paid her respects.
“I am honored to see you, Lord Incrinew, the light that illuminates the empire.”
Although this was Astes’ land, she couldn’t stand stiffly in front of the god Incrinew’s greeting.
Incrinew smiled benevolently and passed by Brigitte.
And this time he gazed at Cloney and Bell.
“It’s good to see you, Cloney.”
The witch’s daughter who fell into the hell of black flame and.
“It’s good to see you, Bell.”
The blue-haired sword saint.
Incrinew, turning half a circle, strode back in front of Brigitte.
“You’ve managed to gather the members of the oracle well, O great bloodline.”
Brigitte, still paying her respects, opened her mouth.
“I am grateful for Lord Incrinew’s benevolence.”
Right after Brigitte’s words ended.
Incrinew’s eyes narrowed like crescent moons.
“The oracle has been established.”
Clearly, Incrinew was speaking of the establishment of the oracle.
Yet First Princess Brigitte felt a terrible sense of discomfort.
And that discomfort soon became reality.
“However, there remains a final condition for the realization of the oracle.”
Incrinew’s words continued.
“One of either the witch’s daughter or the blue-haired sword saint must die. Unfortunately.”
Silence engulfed the assembly.
“Don’t worry, there’s no need to regret the loss of one of their talents. When one of them dies, Brigitte, that talent will be transferred to you.”
Only the words of the god, Incrinew, continued.
“What method would be best? Perhaps it would be better for Cloney and Bell to fight and decide between yourselves?”
Bell’s expression crumpled.
Step…
Cloney took a step back.
Neither of them could understand what the god was saying yet.
Not at all.
First Princess Brigitte’s lips slowly parted.
“Lord Incrinew… must one of them really die?”
“The birth of a great ruler requires a trial of that magnitude.”
Incrinew still spoke with a benevolent face.
“From the moment I issued the oracle to that saint, the fate that one of those two, excluding you, would die was already set. That cannot be changed. It’s the rule of my oracle, set from the beginning of time.”
To Brigitte’s eyes, that benevolent speech and expression began to feel like those of an evil spirit.
“That is the law of this god, Incrinew.”
From that point, the color of the white aura flowing from Incrinew began to change rapidly.
To a color mixed with purple and black.
That aura was still warm and supreme, but
It also contained a faint, terrible ominousness.
Yuma once again examined Incrinew with his Observing Eye.
The previously invisible divine name information had been unlocked.
“Now, I can’t give you too much time. 30 minutes in middle world time. Within that time, either Bell or Cloney must lose their life. If not… all three protagonists of the oracle must die.”
Clap!
Incrinew clapped his hands.
Along with the clap.
A killing intent identical to the wave of that sound spread out.
The killing intent permeated the entire temple.
Bell’s eyes widened at the overwhelming fear pressing down on her mind.
The pressure she had felt from her father, Luke, the head of the White Night Clan, was mere child’s play.
Even the pressure she had felt from Ades, the king of the giant race, felt trivial compared to the god, Incrinew, before her eyes now.
Brigitte’s pupils shook violently.
Cloney’s body trembled.
The inevitable announcement of death.
The pressure of death that could not be resisted.
Not only the three protagonists of the oracle, but also the saint and the two high-ranking nobles standing below faced this sensation.
‘Huh.’
Balzac felt that all the martial arts he had built up until now were meaningless.
Countless physical trainings.
The sword techniques he had swung tens of thousands of times.
All of it seemed as precarious as a castle built of sand.
A sand castle that this god could collapse in an instant.
‘If that god wants to kill me─’
He absolutely cannot escape that death.
The qualities are different.
If sword energy is ultimately a technique to kill life.
What Incrinew has now spread on the ground is death itself.
How can a mortal who uses techniques to kill life kill a god who spreads death itself?
Balzac, the Guardian of the Empire and the strongest in the empire, thought that this entire temple was in the palm of Incrinew’s hand.
Everyone standing here now is precariously standing on that palm.
Their life and death could be determined by Incrinew’s mood.
If he gets in a bad mood and flips his palm, everyone’s breath would be cut off.
‘In the end, was I just a trivial created being too?’
Balzac, who had surpassed the limits of humanity hundreds of times, began to slowly despair at the appearance of an absolutely insurmountable gap.
Incrinew smiled brightly, then gazed at Brigitte again.
“You can kill one of the two and gain a lot. Hmm, shall I help your choice a little more? I’ll give you one mercy in advance as a gift.”
Incrinew bent down to match eye level with Brigitte, who was staring intently at him while kneeling.
“In 5 months, a demon army will descend from the demon realm. With the purpose of invading the continent. Their forces number in the millions. Moreover, they will be stronger than any demons or magical beasts that have invaded so far. It’s certain because it’s a future prophecy written in the ‘Revelation’ that only gods can read.”
Incrinew’s words continued.
“If you, Brigitte von Astes, just make this choice of adversity and anguish, I will use divine power to enhance the abilities of human soldiers in the war against the demon army 5 months later. And I will also create a barrier with divine power to delay the invasion.”
Swish…
Suddenly, Incrinew’s right hand, which had been explaining, spread its aura throughout his body and pointed towards Duke Balzac, who was barely standing on his two feet.
Incrinew’s right hand slowly fell vertically.
It was like the gesture of an orchestra conductor.
What appeared following that gesture was:
A single purple line.
The purple line rushed towards Duke Balzac at the speed of light.
“…!”
Balzac hurriedly gathered the energy of his entire body and converted it into a protective aura.
Kiing─!
And he raised his sword to stack layers of sword barriers made of sword energy.
A total of 12 sword barriers.
It was a sword barrier of such high completion that even a Sword Master couldn’t tear through.
However, it was useless.
Rip─
Rip
A single purple line.
A single streak of divine power tore through the Grand Swordmaster’s sword barriers like paper and advanced.
Rip…
All 12 sword barriers were cut away.
Slash──────────
The purple line diagonally cut Duke Balzac’s body.
“Kuhurgh!”
His protective aura crumpled along with his armor.
Miserably.
A diagonal wound was carved on Balzac’s upper body as he slumped to the floor.
That wound was deeply sunken.
Blood flowed endlessly.
“Cough!”
A mouthful of blood spurted from his mouth as well.
“You won’t die.”
Brigitte looked at the Guardian of the Empire, the lord of the north, who had easily crumbled at a single gesture from the god.
Brigitte was certain.
That this situation now.
“I’m saying I’ll help so that your army doesn’t crumble so pitifully like that 5 months later. Now, Brigitte von Astes. O great bloodline.”
This unreasonable situation was just amusement for the god Incrinew.
She could tell just by looking at those long-stretched corners of his mouth.
Suddenly half-killing Duke Balzac out of nowhere was probably just part of the fun too.
It would also include a show of force to prevent any other thoughts.
“Hurry and choose who to kill.”
Incrinew urged mischievously.
“Enough.”
It was someone’s voice.
The gazes of Brigitte, Bell, and Cloney all gathered towards the direction of that voice.
“Shut that mouth, Incrinew.”
Step─
It was a noble footstep.
The man, Yuma, slowly walked forward.
Towards the oracle’s seat.
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