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Chapter 204

"They were disgusting, as always." Ian took the handkerchief and began wiping the ash from his face. The mixed blood and ash clung to the cloth stickily.

If they were going to die, they should have done it without causing such a fuss.

Ian clicked his tongue, remembering the recent events. The shard of chaos had absorbed the chaotic energy that had tainted the statue. However, it couldn\'t immediately erase the mark of the void. This was because the divine essence, suppressed by chaos, emitted divine power on its own. As the divine power burned away the mark of the void, it surged into Ian\'s body.

It was right after this that the apostle quest appeared. Of course, Ian refused without a moment\'s hesitation. Della Lu\'s divinity, as if it had expected nothing in the first place, casually circled in Ian\'s body and then withdrew. During this process, a part of the divinity seeped into Ian\'s body. Consequently, one of his Health stats permanently increased. This was probably due to Della Lu bestowing a blessing.

It would’ve been better if Intelligence or Mental Fortitude was boosted...

At that moment, the void mark, now disintegrating, emitted a dying burst of chaotic energy. The shard of chaos quickly absorbed it before the divine energy could burn it away. As usual, a vision followed, but it wasn\'t the same as the previous ones.

"Are you planning to keep leaning like that...? You realize it looks quite disrespectful, don\'t you?" Philip subtly asked at that moment. It wasn\'t that Philip really thought so, but his tone suggested he was aware of Luce standing behind him.

Ian, snapping out of his thoughts, chuckled. "So what? I saved this statue, so I deserve some benefit."

"Ah, you were leaning on it to recover with divine power. Are you injured?"

"My heart is."

"... Pardon?"

Ian, ignoring Philip\'s bewildered gaze, leaned his head against the statue, mumbling something. Like most divine powers, Della Lu\'s divinity had a particular effect of enhancing recovery. He could feel the divine power gradually revitalizing his utterly exhausted body. Not only that, but it was also dispelling the ominous energies he didn\'t know he had. It seemed that the mycelium had been spreading germs or spores.

It\'s a shame to use this benefit only once...

As Ian drowsily considered this, Luce\'s cautious voice echoed. "What happened to the bishops and priests?"

Ian chuckled softly and replied, "You still call them that, huh?"

"... Sorry, it\'s a habit."

"They’re somewhere in the ash you\'re standing on."

"...!" Luce looked down at the ash-covered floor.

As he murmured a prayer to the Radiant Goddess, Ian added indifferently. "Whether they\'re truly dead or just returned to that cycle, I don\'t know."

"Cycle... what do you mean?"

Sure, I knew you’d ask.

In response to Philip\'s question, Ian gestured forward without even opening his eyes.

"It\'s something. Open the door. I\'ll be out shortly."

"Wouldn\'t it be better to rest a bit more? Your companions will be here soon."

"Well, we\'ll have to see about that."

"...?"

Philip noticed something odd and tilted his head, but remained silent and turned away.

Ian muttered once again right after. "Is this all the gratitude I get?"

Of course, he wasn\'t speaking to Philip. He opened one eye slightly and glanced at the statue, adding, "You must already know what I’ve seen. If you want to save the West, stop just watching and help me and my companions."

In truth, he didn’t really expect much. Since talking to the gods like this had worked before, he had figured there was nothing to lose by trying again.

"...!"

It worked. The divine energy within the statue rippled gently. As Ian, with a raised eyebrow, looked up at the statue\'s face, Luce\'s voice came from below the dais.

"Um, Sir Ivan..."

Ian, still with his eyebrow raised, looked down at him. "Speak."

"... Thank you. For cleansing the statue and for saving my life. I don\'t know how I can ever repay this debt..."

"You don\'t need to repay the cleansing of the statue."

Ian straightened up from leaning against the statue, tapped it with his palm, and said, "Looks like the Radiant Goddess\'s eldest daughter plans to reward me personally."

"...? What do you mean by that?"

The sound of stone cracking echoed almost simultaneously. Luce, eyes wide, looked at the statue\'s right hand from which the sound had come. A faint light was gathering in the statue\'s lowered right hand.

Crack—

In the next moment, the statue\'s neatly severed fingers fell onto the platform. Each of the five fingers, now separated from the statue, emitted a soft glow.

"Oh, Della Lu..." As Luce\'s mouth gaped open, Ian bent down to pick up the stone fingers one by one, smiling.

"You\'re more generous than your mother," said Ian.

The exact number matched their party. It seemed the statue had split a portion of its remaining divine essence to give them. He could even check the information window.

[Della Lu\'s Grace]

It was an artifact-grade accessory. It not only increased one Health stat but also slightly enhanced health recovery. Most notably, it significantly boosted resistance to status effects, including five types of resistance, like poison. It was a useful accessory, not just for this place but for the long term.

The durability is low, but still...

Moreover, all five fingers had the same stats. Of course, having all of them didn\'t mean the stats would stack.

"Make a pouch to hold these, something that can be worn around the neck. All five of them." Ian tucked the fingers into his robe and spoke.

"... Yes, I will do that."

While Luce nodded absentmindedly, Ian finally descended from the dais and dusted off his shoulders. The brief rest had done him some good. Though his headache and dizziness persisted, these were effects of his mana depletion, something even divine intervention couldn\'t remedy.

Creak—

It was then that Philip pulled open the church door with great effort. The change was not dramatic; the darkened interior merely brightened slightly. Philip, staring beyond the doorway, frowned and turned back to Ian.

"Why are those things still moving? And why is the sky still dark?"

"As expected...." Ian nodded indifferently and walked toward the door.

Philip’s frown deepened at Ian’s nonchalant expression. "As expected? You knew this would happen?"

"I had a hunch." Ian paused briefly at the doorway, taking in the scene. Just as Philip had observed, dark clouds still churned in the sky, and the undead continued to writhe and crawl across the ground.

"But we don’t need to fight them. They’re dying." Ian added calmly as he stepped outside.

The city’s undead had clearly been drawing power from the void mark that had tainted the statue. They were still moving in response to the polluted magic in the air, but soon they would revert to mere corpses.

The mycelium creatures weren\'t of this world and perished instantly. Even if things seem haphazard, there are definite rules.

Philip, motioning for Luce to follow, looked at Ian\'s back and spoke. "Why did you stop explaining? How did you predict this?"

"Just well," Ian answered without looking back, continuing to walk.

His mind was replaying the vision he had seen in the last moments. This vision, unlike the previous void visions tinged with violet, was set in the heart of darkness, with a presence of chaos felt beyond it. It differed from the vision he saw when he grasped the church door handle. The presence beyond the darkness did not overwhelm Ian instantly like that other being. The tentacled entity was one of the void’s absolute rulers, after all.

Yet, this realization didn’t bring him joy. A distant rumble of thunder had confirmed that the vision wasn’t of the void. He realized he was seeing a place on the continent, likely somewhere in the West. The quest window that appeared immediately after solidified his suspicion.

"Grr..."

Ignoring the groaning undead, Ian turned onto the main street.

Philip, pulling Luce along, added. "You saw something again, didn’t you? What was it?"

"I\'m not exactly sure. But when I put everything together..." Ian, speaking nonchalantly, bent to pick up a blood-stained longsword from the ground. He had already stowed his black sword in his pocket dimension; carrying it in front of the surviving civilians and soldiers wouldn’t be appropriate.

"The ritual took place in more than just this location."

"...?!"

Both Philip and Luce widened their eyes at this revelation. Ian, twirling the sword in his hand, continued walking.

Philip, keeping pace beside him, pressed further. "What exactly do you mean? Are you saying there are other places where this horrific ritual was prepared? And it’s already begun there too?"

"Probably. You understood, so why ask again?"

"... I was hoping I misunderstood."

Of course you were.

Ian briefly smacked his lips and walked past a feeble undead that was reaching out with a weak hand. The streets were strewn with corpses reverting to their lifeless state.

Philip, also ignoring the dying creatures, muttered. "If the ritual has started elsewhere, it means they prepared the same ritual as here. They must have planned to perform it simultaneously. In that case...?!"

He looked at Ian with a newly shocked expression. "The corrupters in the West were interconnected. At least those leading the ritual were."

Stating the obvious as if it were a grand revelation.

But Philip had to piece together the puzzle from the small fragments Ian provided. What was obvious to Ian would be a significant realization for him.

Ian nodded and said, "Right. At the top, there\'s probably the one I’m looking for. And the one you’re searching for is likely connected too."

"Oh, Lu Solar... finally...."

"Don’t forget what I’m telling you now. I don’t want to repeat myself. Make sure to relay it accurately."

"Of course. I’ll deliver it without missing a word. My goodness... They weren’t just lurking in the shadows. Maybe all the incidents on the outskirts were preparations for this. To plunge the continent into darkness so each could conduct their rituals...." Philip fell back into his thoughts, muttering to himself.

As Ian turned his gaze forward, letting Philip’s voice drift into the background, Luce spoke up, stammering, "What... what are you all talking about?"

Luce\'s stuttering voice continued. "Are you saying the corrupted priests weren’t only in this place? That more of these cursed rituals are prepared and have already started elsewhere? Did I hear that correctly...?"

Now this guy’s panicking as well.

Ian suppressed a laugh and glanced at Luce. It seemed the blond priest was overwhelmed by the information. His face was on the brink of tears, lost in confusion.

Well, maybe this was a natural reaction. Most people in this world would never encounter a corrupter, and even if they did, they wouldn\'t recognize them. They wouldn’t know the extent of their madness or the horrific consequences. By the time they learned, it would likely be their last moments. Despite surviving against the odds, Luce was still trapped in his conventional mindset.

Of course, Ian had no intention of accommodating his feelings. As they turned onto the main road leading to the city gate, Ian spoke.

"Yes. And there, it seems the ritual succeeded, unlike here."