[Vol. 8] Chapter 246: Possibility
In the heart of the chaos, people who had been trembling in fear quickly took the chance to flee for their lives. Farther away, countless witnesses stared in awe at the dazzling golden light in the sky, their faces filled with shock and excitement.
The clear and majestic chanting earlier had not been hidden or suppressed at all. Centered on Saint Laos City, it could be heard clearly within at least a hundred kilometers. The name of the God-Chosen Hero had already spread like a tidal wave across the land on the very day the trials ended, and the people of the Holy Empire here were no exception.
The name Heaven Hero suddenly became incredibly real and sacred at this moment.
At some point, the first person knelt down.
One by one, more and more people of the Holy Empire, both inside and outside the city, gradually fell to their knees in worship, facing the place where the golden light rose.
For most of them, this was perhaps the first time in their lives they had truly witnessed a miracle. But now, they had seen it with their own eyes and understood the existence and meaning of the God-Chosen Hero. They could truly feel the weight of the very first line carved into the holy scripture:
[No matter when or where, no matter how hard it may be, never give up hope, for the Goddess is always watching over you. The Primordial Light is with you.]
“Praise the Goddess! Praise the Primordial Light!”
“Praise the God-Chosen Hero!”
“The Goddess really hasn’t abandoned us, what’s written in the holy book is true!”
The voices of shouting grew louder, surging like waves. The faith in their hearts, though invisible and without form, seemed to rise like countless fine particles into the sky, merging into the golden pillar of light that pierced the heavens.
Even though it came from no more than a million souls around this city, it was still powerful enough to become a strong support for the one calling forth the miracle, and even bring about some subtle, unseen change.
The true power of the Chosen Hero was only now about to be shown to the world.
Saint Laos City, inside a manor.
“……”
Looking at the increasingly sacred and dazzling golden light that shot into the sky, then turning to see the many guards and servants already kneeling all around her, Vera felt that the shocks and surprises she had experienced today were simply too much.
She suddenly realized that she might have greatly underestimated the weight of the words Chosen Hero. Or perhaps… from the very beginning, she had never truly understood the meaning of the word “Possibility” that the great one had told her before she left.
Even without relying on the power of the [Mythical Species], this city still had the possibility of surviving. The future foretold in the prophecy had changed, but whether that change was for better or worse was still unclear.
“God Chosen Hero… Is the power given by the gods truly this great?”
“Eh, now that’s a bit biased~”
The sudden, lighthearted voice beside her carried a casual tone, yet its words made Vera’s heart jolt violently. She quickly turned her head, and found that, without her noticing, a petite young girl with black hair and a white robe was now standing right next to her.
At the moment, the girl had her hands clasped behind her back, looking up at the fierce battle between the giant flesh tree and the chains of light in the distance. Even though it was a life-and-death struggle that would decide the fate of the entire city, her eyes remained calm, as if she were watching something trivial and unimportant.
It was not an act. The deep, natural indifference from her very soul brought an indescribable, invisible pressure. Though the girl gave off no aura at all, Vera felt as if… she were looking at the [Revelator] herself.
"You…"
The young lady had just spoken halfway with hesitation when the Blue Butterfly Sword, who was also standing beside her, and the only person in the manor besides the young lady who had not knelt to pray, suddenly noticed something unusual. But the moment she saw who it was, her expression instantly relaxed. She raised a hand to stop the other guards, who had hurriedly stood up to approach, and took the initiative to explain.
"Don't be nervous. This is Miss Violet, the person I mentioned to you before. She is the strongest holy magic user in the world, her status is as noble as the Three Saintesses of the Holy Empire."
Saying this, the swordswoman lowered her voice so that only the three of them could hear.
"She is also the mentor of the Heaven Hero."
"Uh…?"
The young lady’s expression froze slightly, looking a little disbelieving.
Violet had never told Blue Butterfly to keep her nighttime visit a secret. Given what had happened, the swordswoman, being the young lady’s guard, would naturally report it later to her employer. So Vera had already expected that this person would visit again someday.
But what she hadn’t expected was that the mysterious and extraordinary figure that Blue Butterfly had described, someone whose strength might even surpass the Six Great Disciples, someone who had truly stepped into a realm beyond, comparable to her master’s master, the Swift Wind Sword Saint, would look even younger than herself.
Vera reacted quickly. She was first stunned, then immediately lowered her head and respectfully bowed to the figure who was said to have such an incredible background.
"So you are Lady Violet… It is an honor to meet you for the first time. I am Vera Merrick. May I ask…"
She had been preparing to greet her and perhaps test this legendary figure’s personality and intentions, but before she could continue, the black-haired girl suddenly turned her head and smiled at her.
Before Vera could figure out the meaning behind that somewhat strange smile, the next words out of the girl’s mouth hit her like a bolt of lightning, leaving her utterly shocked and horrified.
"You’re from the [Light Worshipper Church], aren’t you? Is the token representing the identity of an Apostle in your possession? Also… can you tell me what exactly your relationship is with Menna Melchior~?"
……………………………………
Saint Laos City – Underground of the Grand Church
The rampage of the giant flesh tree had already left this centuries-old building nearly in ruins. Yet, in an open area among the shattered walls, just a few hundred meters from the temporarily suppressed monster, two groups, each with at least several hundred people, were locked in fierce combat.
Light flashed, weapons clashed, and magic roared through the air. Neither side held back in the slightest, every strike was aimed to kill. But strangely—
Their clothing and equipment were identical: all were current ordained clergy of the Goddess Church.
"Melanie, stop struggling pointlessly. With just your small number of people, you can’t hold out for long. Surrender now, and for the sake of my friendship with your father, I can still show you some mercy."
"With your talent, if you’re willing to submit to our Lord and kill the Hero to earn great merit, when the new world comes, your position will be countless times higher than it is now."
Bang!!!
Even as he said this, the middle-aged man in spotless Holy Knight armor showed no mercy. His heavy sword came down hard on the golden barrier, the terrifying force behind the blow cracking it in multiple places, making a straining crack-crack-crack sound.