Chapter: 672
2 AM.
In the northwestern city of Bugh.
A dungeon appeared on the outskirts of the territory.
The Apostle of the God moved faster than anticipated, but they were already prepared, so they quickly responded.
Then at 3 AM.
To the east, in Kotor.
A dungeon erupted on the coastline.
Although the timing surprised people, who thought it was outside the Apostle’s prophecy, the existing guards stepped up to handle the basic situation.
And then at 3:30 AM.
A dungeon appeared in the ruins of Trier.
The unprepared individuals caught in the chaos suffered injuries.
The confusion from the ruins collapsing carried on for a while before finally settling down.
Additionally, the sudden upheaval that started in the night kept people bewildered until dawn.
Starting with the shock of finding out that the Apostle of the God, who had never been wrong before, had made a mistake, the lack of preparation for dungeon exploration led to various damages, differences of opinion between local forces and the command center, and the sudden emergence of wicked beings.
That night instilled a fear of the mythical era approaching in the hearts of the people.
Many speculated that the Evil God’s resurrection was imminent, and the information department led by Karia believed that some kind of variable had emerged.
No one could have imagined.
All that chaos was nothing but a fruitless mess, and the purpose of the one who created all this confusion was merely to quietly invade a city.
The Pope, who entered Alrn’s territory, leisurely surveyed the city.
Despite the continent’s political chaos, peace reigned in Alrn’s territory.
People enjoyed their everyday lives without much worry, and the patrolling soldiers focused more on maintaining order than on vigilance. Even when a merchant brought news of the outside turmoil, the residents could only exclaim in admiration, not seriously worrying about the future.
This was proof of the solid faith they had in their lord.
In this regard, it would be fair to say that this is the city where the Apostle was born.
“But I can’t help but feel that other aspects are far too ordinary. This is where the Apostle was born, and look at it.”
“…Old man. What exactly are you expecting?”
“There should be at least statues honoring him erected all over the city. Plus, we need inscriptions everywhere he walked and murals on the walls…”
“Coming here to make a mess of the city isn’t exactly something you should be saying.”
“Hmm. Is that so?”
Despite Lasha’s words, the Pope still couldn’t shake off his dissatisfaction.
This city showed no sign of reverence to the beings that protect them.
These were the very people who bore part of the unfortunate past of the Apostle yet harbored no feelings of remorse.
“Should I create more commotion than planned?”
“Unlike others, if Benedict and the knights jump in, I won’t be able to handle it alone.”
“That part should be fine. The guy is far too mentally weak to be the father of the Apostle.”
“I’m not too fond of that method. I want to fight him properly.”
Even though the two raised their voices openly, not one person around them noticed their presence.
Agra’s power had completely extinguished their presence, causing everyone to be oblivious to their existence.
Thus undisturbed, the Pope and Lasha arrived at a cemetery located in a secluded corner of Alrn’s territory.
“Are you really going to do it?”
“Yes. That’s why I came here.”
“It doesn’t seem like something a believer of the God should be doing.”
“This is a necessary trial. The Apostle needs a bit more backstory. A tale everyone would sympathize with.”
While there is a small inclusion of personal desire, this is a necessary act.
To fulfill my goal and bring about the singular world of the God, the Apostle must also be granted such authority.
Ah, really. I don’t want to do this, but I have no choice.
With a smile creeping up at the corners of his mouth, the Pope stepped into the cemetery, as if entranced by something inside.
Even when Lasha pointed out something strange beside him, it was of no use.
The Pope wandered deeper without hesitation until he finally stopped in front of Alrn’s family crypt.
“Ha.”
A laugh spread across his lips.
“Hahaha.”
A surge of ecstatic emotions flowed through him, nearly causing him to lose control of his powers.
“Hahahah!”
The joy spilling from him reverberated throughout the entire cemetery.
“Old man! Are you crazy?!”
“How can one not laugh at this sight?!”
“What nonsense.”
“Enough. To all of you hiding nearby and aiming at my neck? You can come out now. There’s no reason for you to stay here anymore.”
With a mischievous grin, as the Pope looked around, knights began to reveal themselves, one by one.
And at their center stood Benedict Alrn, a monster wielding the great sword only the strongest knight of the continent could lift.
“What are you doing here?”
“It seems you’re asking a question you already know the answer to, but since I’m feeling good today, I’ll indulge you. I planned to resurrect your wife. I was curious about what kind of expression the Apostle would make then.”
Before the words were even finished, Benedict lunged at him, only to be blocked by Lasha.
Her trembling arm, with the veins bulging, testified to the fact that Benedict’s sword was a heavy burden, yet surprisingly, Lasha’s face was filled with joy.
“However, I didn’t know one thing. I never imagined that this place would hold nothing.”
Now it seemed this was all a wild goose chase from the beginning.
Risking all sorts of losses to create turmoil, it looked like there was no point after all.
Well, something good did come out of this.
“Hey, Benedict Alrn. What are you aware of?”
Benedict, refusing to answer, swung his sword again.
“Hey. Look at me. At me.”
That sword was also thwarted by Lasha.
“Regarding the Apostle… Well, whether you know or not, you probably didn’t convey anything. You’re too weak.”
Knights rushed in behind their lord, but they couldn’t close the distance, no matter how much they ran.
An endless race couldn’t help but continue forever.
“Good. Good. I find it very pleasing that I didn’t have to do anything. Ah, I even feel regretful for not believing in the Apostle of the God. That person would already be perfect even without my involvement.”
The price of doubt was anything but light. Not only did he waste considerable power from the Evil God’s influence due to unnecessary commotion, but it looked like he’d also be wasting effort here.
Suddenly, the darkness that descended upon the world freed the knights from their bondage.
As the swords that would have endlessly piled up elsewhere flew toward the Pope.
And elsewhere, there was a gray fox.
From the earth, the roots of trees surged.
From above, the fangs of wolves.
In the distance, arrows aimed for the head.
Upon witnessing all of this, the Pope let out a hollow laugh before dying and getting back up again.
“Alright, everyone. I see you’ve gone through all this trouble to kill just me, but it’s probably pointless. I’m not in a position to die.”
Ending the chase isn’t merely about gaining immortality; it’s a conceptual matter.
“Whatever you all might think, that path would surely be one tried by past me or some Great Mage.”
The Pope felt that deeply in his past. Had he not found salvation, he would still be wandering like back in those days.
“I will play along to help him understand. So please, have a good time.”
The Pope, bowing politely toward those coming to kill him, again fixed his gaze upon Alrn’s family crypt.
The sacred marks inscribed there.
*
The sudden chaos that erupted had shaken the continent, yet the situation was resolved quickly.
Perhaps due to the hurried creation of the dungeon, it turned out far more pathetic than anything I knew.
I wouldn’t be surprised if changing the game’s difficulty to Baby Mode resulted in such an outcome.
Thanks to that, we managed to resolve everything in less than half a day.
Up until now, everything seemed fine.
But because I handled things so swiftly, my fame skyrocketed.
In other words, the situation worsened.
“…You’re annoyingly persistent. That old man with the ugly mug.”
“I’m wondering if you should refer to a king like that.”
“A trash that clings to girls can be called that.”
After shrugging off the king of a small nation who suggested I grab a cup of tea together, I stretched and looked up at the sky.
Why did the Pope carry out such inefficient acts?
To bewilder me? It seemed like too great a consumption of resources for that.
Those disasters could have been used more threateningly.
If he had caused them right before completion, the damage would have undoubtedly been greater.
…And many more people would have been sacrificed.
As I chewed on my lips contemplating these thoughts, I soon grasped what the Pope’s true intention was.
I understood how obsessive he was about my existence.
“In the end, it seems he’s missed his chance. He used all his prepared moves but didn’t die.”
Listening to Karia’s words, I sighed in relief while also resolving to get back at that bastard.
No, seriously.
What kind of lunatic tries to dig up someone else’s parents’ grave!?
In any culture, that kind of kid is called a rascal!
How can someone who worships the God do such a thing with confidence?!
“But with such high consumption, he probably won’t be able to create variables for a while. So let’s do what we can in the meantime. There’s not much time left, after all.”
The resurrection of the Evil God.
Seeing Karia smile, I returned her grin.
“Ha. I know even without you chatting away.”
“I’m glad you’re not feeling down.”
“In the end, that perverted bastard did nothing and ran away, right? It’s such a pathetic ending that it just makes me want to laugh.”
As a result, nothing went wrong. It’s frustrating, but is it really that bad?
“Haha. You’re a good employer.”
“…What do you mean by that, ma’am?”
“It means just what it says.”
“Have I been too nice to you lately? Huh?”
“Oh, more importantly, Employer. Take an interest in the Saintess.”
“What’s with that?”
“Desperate people tend to trip easily.”
Karia’s statement about self-pitying matters being cut in her direction gave me a rather peculiar sense of uneasiness.
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