CHAPTER 86………………………………….
It was all I could do just to keep my eyes on the golem’s movements.
But Cassius, who was holding me, used his divine power to launch a barrage of attacks.
As the water washed away parts of the earth, a mass of souls clumped together came into view.
They were bright red.
I still found Cassius somewhat irritating, but it seemed preferable to deal with a normal blue soul rather than a red fiend.
“How do I revert it back to a normal spirit?”
Mineva had said that purifying evil spirits was normally the role of a healing priest.
But my power, without having reached my final awakening, was weak.
Even if I had the power, I didn’t know how to bring them back to their senses.
“I should’ve encountered evil spirits before to know this!”
If I had known this would happen, I would have spoken with priests who exorcised fiends.
As I was lost in thought, I paused.
“Wait, I have encountered a fiend before, haven’t I?”
When I first met Lucius.
He had brought up his cursed lineage, and he had almost turned into a fiend, his body glowing red as he neared full transformation.
“Hey, use your healing power quickly! If you don’t want to get caught up in this, hurry!”
Ash and Mineva had shouted urgently at that moment.
“Your Highness, I just thought of one way. Please help us.”
Steeling myself, I spoke with determination:
“I won’t help if Sonia is in danger.”
He refused outright before I even finished speaking.
He must have sensed the resolve in my voice.
“I promised earlier, so I won’t overdo it. I’ll just use a lot of divine power.”
“……”
“I might pass out from the exhaustion of divine power, so I’m counting on you.”
“What exactly are you planning to do?”
“I once met a ghost that nearly became a fiend, but when it saw the light filled with healing power, it regained its senses. Since the golem is huge, I’ll need to create a massive sphere of light.”
“Honestly, I want to stop you.”
“If we just drag this out, Your Highness will get exhausted too. I want to help you.”
He reluctantly nodded.
“I will not let go of you under any circumstances. I will protect you.”
If someone else had been next to me, I might have thought of a way to escape.
But with Cassius by my side, I could trust him and pour all my divine power into this.
I closed my eyes and gathered my healing power.
Hoping my small, delicate divine energy would reach the golem, I focused—and a sphere of divine light appeared.
The golem stared at the pale green spheres floating before it.
Through the clumps of earth, I glimpsed the red soul gradually turning blue.
The souls recognized the healing power and seemed to regain a fraction of their senses.
Even the golem’s frenzied movements began to calm.
“Now!”
At my shout, Cassius used the power of water to attack the golem.
The golem’s body crumbled, and the clumped souls dispersed.
A large number of blue souls floated up, bright enough to illuminate the surroundings.
I expected them to ascend to the heavens after being washed by the purifying water… but
The hesitant souls were drawn toward the floor of the sanctuary, as if pulled by a magnet.
I muttered to myself, watching them:
“They returned to normal souls, but still cannot pass on.”
I remembered what they had said repeatedly:
They wanted to return to the side of God but could not.
I could even understand their hatred toward the ones who bound their souls to the mortal plane, preventing them from passing on.
“Don’t hate Cassius, hate Lloyd.”
Cassius had done nothing wrong.
The problem was Lloyd, who had directed his arrows of hatred at him.
Cassius, surveying the surroundings, spoke:
“We couldn’t make them pass on, but it seems they won’t transform into golems anymore. I’ll handle the rest.”
He cut his fingertip slightly and let a drop of blood fall to the floor.
The alchemical sigils that had disappeared reappeared, slowly turning black.
All that remained was to wait for the sigils to fully darken and then take the awakening test.
He asked:
“You used a lot of divine power. Are you alright? Should I come back later?”
Despite expending massive divine power on the fiend souls, strangely, I didn’t feel exhausted.
“Perhaps because this is the Sanctuary of Healing, it’s fine. I can take the test even after using so much power!”
I would have thought I’d be drained by now, but I felt fine.
I clenched my fist to reassure him.
Cassius, quietly looking down at me, suddenly widened his eyes in shock.
“Sonia!”
I turned toward where he was looking—behind me.
A massive green circle appeared, resembling the warp used by wind-element priests, and something sprang out from it.
Before I could see clearly, my view was blocked by Cassius’ arms.
A warm liquid splashed onto my face.
Brushing it with my hand, it was bright red blood.
Through my trembling vision, I saw a sharp sword pierce Cassius’ shoulder.
Red blood dripped to the floor of the sanctuary.
“Your Highness!”
Cassius, who had been holding me, went limp. I supported him, checking his face.
The wound was deep; he was grimacing.
“Ah, it missed the mark.”
I looked toward the voice—a strange man’s voice.
A hand holding a sword emerged from the green circle. The circle expanded, and a man jumped out.
Bright red hair, like blood, blue eyes, adorned with elaborate accessories.
I had never seen him before, but I immediately knew who he was.
“Lloyd Repellence!”
One of the original story’s obsessive magisters, the Tower Master Lloyd.
I glared at the man who had attacked Cassius.
“Tower Master.”
The man flicked his bloodied sword, letting droplets fall, and smirked.
“Correct. We know each other, right?”
He had a handsome face, but something about him felt repulsive.
It felt as if I were looking at a monster, not a human.
He alternated his gaze between me and Cassius.
“Oh, blood shouldn’t be on the floor.”
With a snap of his fingers, the blood on the floor ignited.
It felt like divine power, though of a different element.
How could someone who is not a priest possess divine power?
Cassius, gasping, spoke:
“How did he remove the shackles?”
“Oh, I removed them myself.”
At Lloyd’s gesture, the surrounding earth clumped and a massive golem formed again.
Even from the previous defeated golem, I could faintly feel divine power.
It must have been created by Lloyd.
I watched the fading green circle. That was wind power.
Warping a massive wind-element divine power without a fixed focus stone—and even affecting the ground?
Insane… could he even use water?
Lloyd chuckled.
“Yes, I can use all four elemental divine powers.”
How did he know my thoughts…? Ah, he even had psychic abilities.
I was too stunned to speak.
Wow… after becoming a priest, I had vented all my complaints to Magnus.
I remembered the original story, only a bleak future, and the temple was oppressive…
Then suddenly, awakened with healing… and later, world’s only Omega?
One trial might have been manageable, but he threw multiple bombs at me. No wonder I got frustrated.
Out of all my priestly life complaints, this was the time I complained most to God.
“Why give abilities to such a reckless man!”
I had never seen someone wield all four elements.
“Wrong thought. My power wasn’t given by God. I seized it myself.”
Lloyd licked his lips with a bright red, snake-like tongue.
“I gained divine power by consuming a few priests. But I couldn’t heal.”
A chill ran down my spine.
Consume? What?
Lloyd’s mouth stretched, revealing sharp teeth.
I realized the source of the strangeness I had sensed.
He was not human.
Perhaps he was always a monster, or perhaps repeated inhuman acts transformed him. He was a completely different species.
Lloyd, humming while adjusting his sword, pointed at me.
“You there, Omega.”
A sudden headache struck, as if someone was rummaging through my mind.
“Ah.”
I let out a short scream, clutching my head and stepping back.
Lloyd spoke:
“You knew my true identity?”
Apparently, he had read my thoughts with his psychic ability.
Then his gaze shifted to Cassius.
“So it’s because of the psychic ability. It’s been a while since I’ve seen the same ability… ugh!”
Lloyd winced, pressing his forehead.
The headache subsided.
“Haa… do you think blocking me from reading your mind fixes everything?”
Apparently, Cassius had used his ability to defend me.
Gasping, Cassius said:
“Sonia. That guy only intends to attack you.”
“He already read my thoughts with his psychic ability?”
“……”
“But speak properly. Not ‘attack’—he intends to kill.”
