I am God LSLCCF

Chapter 423: A Covenant Between God and Man?

The God of Silver and White was a name that had begun to echo more frequently in the shadowy corners of the Red Earth Territory. It was the name of a ”divine being” whose influence was quietly spreading.

This divine being was unlike any other. While most divine beings gave nothing to mortals, this one was said to be extraordinarily generous.

It was said that those who worshipped the God of Silver and White needed no trials or tests of worthiness. Even if you were steeped in sin, as long as you prayed with genuine devotion and offered your body and soul, you would be granted entry into the Kingdom of God upon death.

Those who received the power and blessings of the God of Silver and White, who became his servants, would never truly die. After death, they would be given a new life.

The dying could achieve immortality through faith in the God of Silver and White.

The diseased could have their ailments healed through faith in the God of Silver and White.

The broken could see their bodies restored through faith in the God of Silver and White.

The suffering could find a path to a better life through faith in the God of Silver and White.

This was the doctrine shared by the servants of the God of Silver and White.

Mortals had never encountered such a generous ”divine being,” and the God of Silver and White quickly gained a vast number of followers in an astonishingly short time.
Those gripped by the fear of death, those suffering from illness and pain, and those lost in despair and poverty embraced this divine being as their savior above all others.

Within a concealed heretical temple, a vast hall was filled with figures standing shoulder to shoulder in the faint, flickering light.

Among them were elderly Snake People on the verge of death, the terminally ill with no hope of recovery, those with missing limbs who longed for wholeness, and those so dissatisfied with this life that they yearned for the next.

These people had gathered from far and wide, each carrying their own burdens and sorrows. They prayed to the God of Silver and White, trusting that this merciful and generous ”divine being” would grant them the salvation they so deeply desired.

Akmanmon stood at the far end of the hall, dressed in white robes trimmed with silver that bore a striking resemblance to the vestments of a divine servant. He proclaimed the greatness of the God of Silver and White to all who had gathered.

On the wall behind him hung a painting filled with religious imagery.

It showed a god-like figure, its entire body wrapped in white cloth, with arms spread wide as if to embrace and deliver the world. At first glance, it seemed sacred, but there was an unmistakable sense of something sinister about it.

The white cloth that shrouded it appeared like a holy vestment, yet upon closer inspection, it seemed more like a burial shroud.

Akmanmon stood upon the raised platform, his voice carrying a seductive force that seeped into the heart of every person present.

”We were born into this world, and we have endured endless torment and anguish.”

”Deformity, disease, death, and pain.”

”They haunt us relentlessly because we are mortal, because we have not been granted the protection of the divine beings.”

Everyone below listened intently, captivated by Akmanmonʼs words as he continued.

”Other divine beings are too miserly. They allow only their servants to enter their kingdoms.”

”They are reluctant to bestow their blessings upon mortals. They show mercy only to the gifted, only to the highborn nobility.”

”But the God of Silver and White is different.”

”This great and merciful divine being welcomes all into His kingdom and offers everyone a way to escape the suffering of the mortal world.”

Akmanmon raised his voice in a cry, ”The God of Silver and White will deliver us all!”

The Snake People below immediately fell into devout postures, chanting the name of the God of Silver and White.

When their prayers ended, someone below called out to Akmanmon, ”I am close to death. Can the god truly grant me salvation?”

Akmanmon walked to his side, his voice unwavering. ”So long as you give everything to the divine being, you shall enter the Kingdom of God.”

”And if your devotion is great enough, the god will see it.”

”He will bestow upon you his power.”

”The servants of the God of Silver and White do not die. They remain in the mortal world to carry out the godʼs mission and are given the chance to be reborn.”

A Snake Person missing one hand asked, ”I wish to have my body made whole. Is that truly possible?”

Akmanmon replied, ”Of course. For an omnipotent god, such a thing is effortless.”

”Follow the teachings of the God of Silver and White. Pursue his radiance with conviction, and you will receive his blessings.”

”When that time comes, you will possess a perfect body.”

Someone else asked, ”What is the Kingdom of God like?”

Akmanmon told him, ”The Kingdom of God is beyond the power of mortals to describe. What exists there surpasses the imagination of any mortal. Everything you desire awaits you within.”

Finally, Akmanmon lifted his voice in a chant-like proclamation. ”God of Silver and White!”

The crowd below responded with a fervor that surpassed Akmanmonʼs own, their eyes locked on him and the towering symbol of the God of Silver and White behind him as they shouted, ”God of Silver and White!”

In that moment, Akmanmonʼs silhouette seemed to merge with the memory of Suero, radiating a power that could stir the depths of every heart.

Everyone prayed, their gazes locked upon the image of the godʼs divine form, their eyes alight with an incomparable yearning.

It was an emotion and a force that surged from the very core of their being, from instinct itself. It was the Snake Peopleʼs longing for immortality, their thirst for eternal life, and their hunger for greatness.

A single, vague silhouette was enough to condense every concept that shook the world: greatness, omnipotence, eternity.

Only then did Akmanmon proceed with the most crucial part of the ceremony.

He instructed that several dying individuals be brought onto the platform.

Among them were people whose bodies had succumbed to old age, those suffering from incurable diseases, and those barely holding on after sustaining life-threatening injuries.

Their families had brought them here. Those families now knelt below, prostrated and weeping as they begged Akmanmon for mercy.

The dying clung to life with a fierce and stubborn will, as if holding on for something. They were waiting for the salvation of the God of Silver and White.

These dying souls had already prepared themselves, ready to depart for the Kingdom of the God of Silver and White.

The Snake People rested on plain white cots, their dimming eyes fixed on the painting of the divine being on the wall and the depiction of the divine kingdom across the vaulted ceiling.

Akmanmon spoke to them.

”Be at peace.”

”Everything you have ever wished for awaits you there.”

”You will step into the Kingdom of God and dwell within it for eternity.”

”And if you yearn for a new life, the god will ensure you return to this world once more.”

Akmanmonʼs voice fell over them like a lullaby, stirring the hearts of the dying. He drew close to one of the elderly Snake People and leaned down to whisper beside his ear.

”Come now, all who yearn for eternal life!”

”Step forward!”

”Speak your deepest desire. Share it with the divine being.”

”The divine being will hear your plea and grant you the ultimate salvation.”

The dying figure on the simple cot heard Akmanmonʼs words, and a fierce light flared in his eyes. In the final moment, balanced on the thin line between life and death, the pain of dying grew unbearable as his will to live reached its peak.

He stretched out a hand, withered like the branch of a dead tree, reaching toward the ceiling above.

”I donʼt want to die.”

”I still want to live!”

”I want to keep living forever!”

It was as though he had unleashed the most powerful emotion of his existence, pouring it into his final cry. His voice was dry and frail, yet it carried an immense force that silenced every soul in the room. All who were present felt the fear of death and the old Snake Personʼs desperate yearning for life.

And within their own hearts, they felt it too.

At that exact moment, the ritual came to life.

Light shimmered across the platform, and a surge of silver radiance swept outward.

The spirits of the dying were pulled from their bodies, twisting into warped shadows. Through the ritualʼs amplification, their faint voices could be heard by everyone present.

”I want to live. I want to live forever.”

”Grant me a body without pain or sickness!”

”God, I want to enter the Kingdom of God. Release me from this life!”

In Akmanmonʼs eyes, he saw all of their power flow toward the wall behind him, transforming into light and merging into the Divine Artifact hidden within, the Silver Insect.

The spirits of the dead, along with their desperate longing to live, fused together. Under the power of the Divine Artifact, they slowly transformed into squirming, phantasmal worms. These were the Cannibal Worms that Akmanmon had once envisioned.

From this moment on, the spirits of the dead would exist as Cannibal Worms, forever bound to the Silver Insect, becoming an inseparable part of its essence.

They had, just as they longed for, entered the kingdom of the ”God of Silver and White.” Just as they wished, they would continue to exist forevermore.

The Divine Artifact, the Silver Insect, devoured their spirits and consumed their yearning for life, immortality, and perfection. With each soul absorbed, it grew stronger, and a new Seal Spirit gradually took shape.

Akmanmon looked at the Godʼs Form wrapped in white cloth, observing as his purpose drew nearer to completion.

While the Silver Insect had been created by mimicking the principles of Purgatoryʼs Source of Curses, it was fundamentally distinct from the Source of Curses itself.

”A curse?”

”No, this is a blessing.”

”A blessing of immortality.”

”This is a covenant between mortals and a god.”

”They have sworn their oaths to me, and those oaths will carry me to the throne of eternal life. In time, I shall fulfill those oaths in return.”

Akmanmon had taken his first step, but to bring the Silver Insect to its true metamorphosis and imbue it with the power of a genuine Seal Spirit, what he had gathered was still insufficient.

Akmanmon gazed down at the multitude of the God of Silver and Whiteʼs faithful.

The Snake People in the hall surged forward like a tide, their eyes wide with awe as they witnessed the spectacle unfolding before them.

They watched as light rose from below, as ethereal shadows drifted upward from the bodies of the dying and floated toward the image of the divine being behind Akmanmon.

The ”God of Silver and White” extended his arms, welcoming his followers.

In the eyes of the Snake People, they had seen the spirits of the departed ascend into the sky and pass through the gates of the divine kingdom. They were certain they had witnessed a miracle.

”They have entered the Kingdom of God.”

”The god has accepted them.”

”How amazing. The god is truly merciful.”

”O great God of Silver and White, You have revealed Your divine kingdom to the world!”

”O generous God of Silver and White, we are grateful for Your blessings. May we stay with You for all eternity.”

Akmanmon spread his arms wide, and the entire crowd fell to their knees, their eyes filled with a mix of longing and desperation.

”Lord Manmon, grant me salvation!”

”O god, I want to enter Your kingdom!”

”I wish to become Your servant. I offer myself to You completely!”

A thin, cruel smile flickered in Akmanmonʼs eyes. Thankfully, there was plenty of material available here.

At that moment, Akmanmon spoke again, his voice measured and deliberate. ”This is only the beginning. Today, we have sent the faithful to the godʼs kingdom.”

”What comes next,” he continued, ”is that the god will choose the most devout among you to become His servants. Those servants will be given the opportunity for rebirth.”

Then Akmanmon called out again with conviction.

”Death is not the end. It is the beginning!”

In the days that followed, the faith of the God of Silver and White spread at an astonishing pace.

Unlike Suero, who had focused on infiltrating the upper echelons by targeting the nobility, Akmanmon directed his efforts toward those at the very bottom of society: the poorest, the most desperate, and the most hopeless.

The ghouls under Akmanmonʼs control traveled far and wide, spreading the faith of the God of Silver and White throughout the southern territories.

They sought out the slums in the cities and the most impoverished, remote villages.

These places teemed with people, yet they went virtually unnoticed by anyone of importance. The lofty nobles and the divine servants in their temples could not be troubled to care whether these people lived or died.

The returns of Akmanmonʼs decision surpassed all expectation, and the faith of the God of Silver and White expanded at a pace that defied prediction.

The more wretched a personʼs existence, the more readily they believed in the doctrine of the Cannibal Cult and the more fervently they yearned for the God of Silver and White to deliver them.

These ordinary Snake People had no way of discerning whether the God of Silver and White was a true divine being, nor could they recognize that his servants were, in truth, horrifying ghouls.

Within the slums, one person after another was drawn in, secretly joining the Church of the God of Silver and White. Hundreds gathered together, praying to this ”great divine being.”

”The God of Silver and White is the most generous of all divine beings.”

”If you pray to the God of Silver and White, you will surely be rewarded.”

In the countryside and remote villages, they became even more daring. Ghouls openly spoke of the greatness of the God of Silver and White and conducted sacrificial ceremonies in his honor.

”Only by offering your body to the great God of Silver and White at the moment of death can you enter the Kingdom of God.”

”The most devout may become servants of the God of Silver and White. When that time comes, you will not die. You will find new life through death.”

The nobles of the upper class continued to squabble over power, while the divine servants of the temples indulged in their excesses.

All the while, they remained unaware that the world around them had already transformed in ways they could not imagine.

Akmanmonʼs Manor Castle

Beneath the estate, hidden deep within the earth, was a cavern.

Torches lined the upper ledges of the cavern, their flames casting flickering light over the space. A ghoul stood beneath each torch, their forms still and watchful.

Akmanmon stepped into the chamber, which resembled a sacred altar. Rows of ghouls greeted him with deep bows, their rigid stances giving the impression of soldiers preparing for battle.

”Master.”

Akmanmon silently accepted the worship of his servants. He lifted his hand, and the silver-white markings on it began to glow and shift.

In an instant, countless silver-white shadows erupted from his body.

The Divine Artifact, the Silver Insect, emerged from within him, breaking free of his flesh.

An ocean of swarming worms flooded outward, engulfing everything and filling the cavern below. The worms, which might have appeared almost beautiful in smaller numbers, became a sight of pure terror when multiplied to such an extent.

In just a few months, Akmanmon, as the representative of the God of Silver and White, had sent countless people to the ”Kingdom of the God of Silver and White.”

Through this process, his Divine Artifact, the Silver Insect, had finally reached its initial stage of completion and could act as a source for refining the Plague Blood Curse.

This meant Akmanmon could now draw upon the power of the ”Covenant Between God and Man” from the Silver Insect, allowing him to override the influence of the Lord of Purgatoryʼs Source of Curses.

With this power, he would take the next step to become an Apostle.

The ritual formation where the ghouls now stood was the very same ritual designed for ascending to the rank of Apostle.

Akmanmon seated himself upon his throne, allowing all his power to flow outward. Separating the Silver Insect from his body to act as the core of the ritual was only the beginning.

The next step was to remove the Seal Imprint from his body.

”The Plague Blood Curse.”

A translucent, spectral mark representing the laws drifted away from his body.

As soon as the Seal Imprint separated, the immense power flowing from the Silver Insect consumed it like a vast ocean. The cries of thousands upon thousands of voices echoed all around, filling the space with their haunting resonance.

”Live... live... for eternity...”

”I do not want to die!”

”Rebirth... O great divine being, grant me the chance to be reborn.”

Amid the cries of countless spirits, the Cannibalʼs Curse that had once resided within the Plague Blood Curse was swept away by the immense tide of mortal will contained within the Silver Insect, overpowered by the longing for immortality.

The Plague Blood Curse began to change gradually.

At that moment, Akmanmon quickly moved to initiate the next stage.

The Seal Imprint swelled, expanding into a massive Seal Spirit.

”Divine Blood, Spirit, and Seal Imprint.”

”These are the three elements.”

The Divine Blood within Akmanmonʼs body began to glow, and the Seal Spirit, formed from the fusion of Spirit and Seal Imprint, surged back into him.

The ghouls poured their collective power into the ritual formation, creating a fierce vortex of spiritual energy that drove the Seal Spirit deep into Akmanmonʼs body.

The three elements combined and began to crystallize into tiny grains of sand.

The grains continued to grow steadily until they finally solidified into a stone.

”Godʼs Grace Stone.”

”Deification!”

Akmanmon had calculated every detail in advance. The Godʼs Grace Stone, infused with a portion of the Silver Insectʼs power, finally transformed into a spectral worm that hovered around him.

This was Akmanmonʼs mythologized organ.

He had turned every part of himself into a silver-white worm, a Silver Insect, or rather, a Cannibal Worm. It was the most powerful among the thousands, yet it remained one of the worms bound to the Divine Artifact.

The key distinction was that the Divine Artifact lacked any wisdom of its own. As a result, the worm that was bound to the artifact had, in turn, become its master.

This was also Akmanmon preparing the foundation for the next stages of his plan.

Akmanmon sat on his stone throne, his eyes closed as he immersed himself in the power flowing through him. In that moment, he had surpassed the boundaries of mortality and entered the realm of the Fourth-Rank.

”Godʼs Apostle.”

”The representative of a god in the mortal world, the living expression of a godʼs will among men.”

As Akmanmon spoke, the Silver Insect within him stirred, and the Godʼs Form Ritual etched upon its surface came to life. His body began to change gradually. His serpentine tail started to shrink, transforming into a pair of legs.

He was undergoing a metamorphosis toward a Godʼs Form.

Akmanmon had been preparing for this moment for a very long time. From modifying the Seal Imprint to ascending to Apostle, he had executed every step in one seamless motion.

At that very moment, the disturbance caused by his release from the Cannibalʼs Curse finally caught the attention of certain beings. Layers of ripples began to form behind him.

A violent wave of heat erupted from an unknown source, accompanied by the chilling sound of rattling chains.

A menacing shadow emerged, tearing through space itself as it sought to ensnare Akmanmon in its chains. It was the Cannibalʼs Curse Spirit.

”A curse?” the cloaked ghouls erupted into cries of terror. The Plague Blood Curse within their bodies churned and writhed as the presence grew stronger.

”The curse has descended!” someone screamed, turning to flee in panic.

”Why now? Why did it have to come at this moment?” another voice trembled with fear. No existence dreaded the Cannibalʼs Curse Spirit more than they did. It was their inevitable end, the fate they could never escape.

But the curse had come for Akmanmon alone.

As the Cannibalʼs Curse within Akmanmonʼs body continued to fade, the Curse Spiritʼs hold on him loosened, breaking apart piece by piece. The curse no longer had the power to reach him.

Akmanmon stood and looked at the ripples.

A furious, defiant roar erupted from within.

He listened to the Curse Spiritʼs furious outbursts without flinching.

The ghouls, on the other hand, were completely overwhelmed by a terror plain for all to see.

Only when the rattling chains and the oppressive heat of Purgatory began to fade did they finally dare to breathe again.

”Is it gone?”

In the next moment, a dreadful gaze descended from an unimaginable height, piercing into the underground cavern.

Every ghoul present let out a blood-curdling wail as the Cannibalʼs Curse within them erupted. One by one, they collapsed where they stood, lifeless.

Beneath their feet, flames roared to life.

The ghouls dissolved into shadows of despair, falling into the endless darkness of Purgatory.

”Purgatory!”

”No, I cannot go there! Please, spare me!”

”Master, help me!”

Akmanmon remained completely still. He had anticipated this outcome from the start, which was why he had pushed forward relentlessly to claim the power of an Apostle.

He felt no concern for the ghouls. They were created solely as tools to redirect the curse away from him. Their existence had always been disposable.

In an instant, every ghoul who had powered the ritual was swallowed by the flames of Purgatory, leaving him completely isolated.

It was only then that Akmanmon spoke the name of that will.

”The Lord of Purgatory.”

The gaze lingered on Akmanmon, observing the newly ascended Apostle.

Akmanmon felt no fear this time. He lifted his head and met the gaze of the entity that resided deep within the Dream Realm.

”Are you done throwing your fire around?”

The Lord of Purgatory was bound by the Abyss Race Covenant, which prevented him from manifesting directly in the mortal world. Now that Akmanmon had freed himself from the Cannibalʼs Curse and ascended, the Lord of Purgatory no longer had any hold over him.

For a moment, the Lord of Purgatory silently observed Akmanmon before finally withdrawing his consciousness.

The Lord of Purgatory, who controlled the Source of Curses, did not wield just one type of curse. His arsenal was vast and continued to grow.

At one time, Akmanmon had been nothing more than fodder in his eyes, raw material to be consumed on the path to the mythical throne. The Lord of Purgatory had his own ambitions and saw no reason to entangle himself further with what he considered mere fuel. He would not risk intervening in the mortal world over a single piece of discarded material.

There was no shortage of those who watched the Lord of Purgatory with hungry eyes. Every king lurking within the Abyss hoped for the chance to take his place.

The Lord of Purgatoryʼs will withdrew.

Akmanmon appeared calm and said nothing, but inside he felt a weight lift that he had not felt in ages.

He remained seated on his throne, motionless and silent.

After what seemed like an eternity, he suddenly pressed both hands to his face, laughing like a madman.

”Phase one, complete.”

At last, through his own strength, he had managed to break free from one of the chains that held him back.

It was just as Suero had once told him.

He had no choice. His only path was to face the impossible head-on, to shatter everything and seize victory.

Akmanmon had overcome one significant obstacle, but this was just the start.

The curse had been lifted, yet the madness inside him continued to grow. He could sense it. The moment when he would cease to be himself and become a living, breathing transcendent material was drawing near.

The path he and Suero had chosen had been flawed from the very beginning. Each step they took felt like walking a razorʼs edge.

At that moment, an old ghoul entered the cavern.

Old Ghoul Xi paused, his gaze sweeping over the writhing swarm of Silver Insects, lingering on the lifeless bodies of ghouls on the ground, and finally resting on Akmanmon.

”Your Majesty, what is our next step?”

Akmanmon said, ”What comes next is the most exhilarating part.”

The old ghoul replied, ”Our activities have drawn too much attention recently. Although we followed your plan and limited ourselves to the slums and remote areas, certain individuals have started to take notice.”

”The Lord of Purgatory has noticed you, and now everyone else will as well. It will not be long before the divine beings uncover your trail.”

Akmanmon said, ”Then let them come.”

”Soldiers can kill the followers of the God of Silver and White. Ability Users can kill ghouls. Divine beings can kill me.”

”But they cannot kill a mortalʼs fear of death.”

Akmanmon rose and walked to the edge of the precipice. He stretched his arms outward and let himself fall into the silver sea of worms.

The swarm of insects surrounded him, burrowing through his body until they completely enveloped him.

Akmanmon sank silently into their depths, as though merging with the power of the Silver Insect.

”The God of Silver and White.”

”As long as death exists, it will never perish.”

The Red Earth Territory was the domain of the Hunter Family, and the names ”Red Earth” and ”Hunter” were deeply intertwined.

Recently, tensions between the Red Earth Territory, the Char Territory, and the Delanvos Territory had been steadily rising.

The conflict between the Red Earth Territory and the Char Territory unfolded primarily at sea, where both sides fiercely competed for control of maritime trade.

This struggle had become especially intense in recent times.

Everyone was beginning to realize that the Black Storm, which had long shrouded the sea, was starting to fade. The gates to the world beyond were slowly opening.

This promised even greater wealth, and the Red Earth Territory had no intention of giving up its claim.

The war with Delanvos, however, was a struggle over land.

The Hunter Family was the dominant power in the southern territories. Recently, they had heard rumors that the King of Suinhor had lost the divine favor of the gods. Even more concerning, Osis had never produced an heir.

The Hunter Family saw a chance to act. They planned to take over the Delanvos Territory, the weakest of the three, and bring the entire south under their control.

Initially, the Red Earth Territoryʼs campaigns had been marked by success, both at sea and on land. However, complications began to emerge when the lord of the Red Earth Territory, the patriarch of the Hunter Family, fell gravely ill.

The old lordʼs illness was severe, and combined with his advanced age, it left little hope for his survival.

Red Earth City, The Lordʼs Residence

An elderly, frail Snake Person rested on a bed as a group of attendants gathered around. They worked tirelessly, using rituals and Divine Techniques in a desperate attempt to save him.

”How does it look?” the old lord asked weakly from his bed.

”There is nothing more we can do,” the divine servants from the temple admitted.

The old lord of the Red Earth Territory gave a slight nod, signaling for everyone to leave the room.

Once the others had departed, his steward and a few trusted advisors stepped inside.

”I have worshipped the Scarlet Goddess my entire life, and in the end, they cannot save me. Worse still, they tell me I cannot even enter her Kingdom of God?”

The bitterness in the old lordʼs voice was clear. He could sense that Suinhor was on the brink of great change, with a massive upheaval looming.

He had dreamed of leading the Hunter Family to greatness and guiding the transformation of an entire era. He had worked relentlessly to achieve this, building a navy to rival the Char Territory for control of the seas and pushing forward to claim the Delanvos Territory.

Victory had seemed within reach, growing closer with each passing day.

But now, his body had betrayed him.

And his son, as he often said, was nothing more than a worthless coward.

He could not bear the thought of handing the advantage he had built, the culmination of his ambition, to such a man.

Above all, he struggled to let go of the power he held and to accept the inevitability of death.

At that moment, the steward beside him spoke.

”My lord, a messenger from King Osis has just arrived.”

The old lord said, ”A messenger?”

The steward stepped closer. ”An Ability User, accompanied by an entire squad of Ability Users.”

”They are waiting outside now.”

The old lord asked, ”What do they want?”

The steward replied, ”They claim to have discovered ghouls within our territory. They wish to conduct an investigation and are requesting our cooperation.”

The old lordʼs eyes shifted, his instincts telling him something was wrong. ”Tell them this.”

”The King rules Suinhor, and the Red Earth Territory is under the Hunter Familyʼs domain.”

”If the King has orders, we will follow them.”

”However, the matters of the Red Earth Territory are ours to manage. We do not need their help.”

The steward promptly went out and delivered the old lordʼs response. The messengerʼs expression darkened, and he immediately voiced his displeasure.

”I came merely to offer the Hunter Family a reminder.”

”This matter concerns far more than just your family. It is not a problem you can resolve on your own.”

The messengerʼs voice echoed down the corridor and into the chamber. The old lord, overcome by a sudden fit of coughing, struggled to catch his breath.

The steward quickly stepped forward, explaining that the lordʼs fragile health made it necessary for the envoy to depart.

After the messenger left, the old lord stifled his cough, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.

”What are they truly after?”

The old man could already sense it. The arrival of this messenger was an ominous sign.

”The Divine Blessed King?”

”He is no longer the Divine Blessed King.”

”The gods themselves have decided to bring the age of the Divine Blessed King to an end. What more does he think he can accomplish?”

”He has already lost his divine favor. Does he truly intend to defy the will of the gods?”

The old lord of the Red Earth Territory could not see how Osis could possibly change anything. His own problem was death and time, but the problem Osis faced was the will of the gods and the momentum of an entire age.

In a world ruled by the divine and the transcendent, the latter was a far greater obstacle than the former.

The old lord noticed something else. He gestured for one of his advisors to come closer and quietly gave an instruction.

”Investigate their activities.”

”Find out what they have been doing recently.”

The old lord had been connected to Akmanmon for quite some time. The Hunter Familyʼs recent successes were largely attributed to Akmanmonʼs involvement.

Within the Red Earth Territoryʼs naval fleet and its soldiers, an unexpected number of fearless Ability Users had emerged, seemingly from nowhere.