The God of Water (2)
“Si, Siselasia…”
The battered knight commander muttered, and Dalen scratched his chin, eyeing the priestess.
[We discovered the body of a priest executed for heresy.]
[We found the corpse of a high priest who resisted the Pantheon.]
[We uncovered the remains of the Dawn Knights who defied the doctrine.]
The echoes of past cycles flickered above her head.
Dalen had been aware of those notifications even before the battle began. It was why he chose to reveal himself as a threat, prolonging the encounter with the incapacitated knight commander. Better to confront her here than risk a fight near the labyrinth city later.
“Dalen, be careful. That priestess is no longer ordinary. She’s the avatar of Siselasia, the chief deity of the Pantheon.”
“I know.”
In this world, gods are real. Not only do malevolent gods seek to devour the continent, but there are also gods who stand against them. The god of war served by the Holy Knights was one such deity, and the northern warriors’ god was said to have ascended after tearing demons apart.
Dalen didn’t inherently reject faith. Even on Earth, more people believed in gods than didn’t. In a world where a priest’s prayer could heal wounds and holy knights could slay demons with divine power, disbelief seemed irrational.
“But the Pantheon is an exception.”
The Pantheon, the state religion of the Southern Empire, claimed every entity had a divine name and that salvation lay with all gods. Dalen had always refused their requests, not because he disliked their faith or doctrine, but for a more fundamental reason.
‘They pretend to be on humanity’s side, yet they rush toward the apocalypse more eagerly than anyone.’
Perhaps calling them hypocrites was too kind; they were more like traitors. From their inception, they existed to betray humanity, making even the term ‘betrayal’ seem inadequate.
The only consolation was that they weren’t as formidable as the malevolent gods who heralded the end. Despite the Pantheon’s vastness, centered around seven main deities, none matched the true form of an evil god.
[But do not underestimate them, Dalen. Unlike the evil gods, the avatars of the Pantheon are not much different from their true forms. Though they haven’t ascended to godhood, my breath won’t be as effective against them.]
The dragon’s warning resonated within him. Dalen nodded. The dragon was right. The opponent was a clear demigod, while he had only just set foot on that threshold. It was similar to when he fought Suum’s avatar, but unlike then, this was a one-on-one battle. Even if he used all his power, he’d have to endure some damage. Fortunately, Siselasia’s rank was lower than Suum’s, giving him a chance at victory.
“Old man, take the merchant and Tommy and retreat.”
“It’ll be tough for you alone.”
Though he didn’t turn around, he felt their worried gazes. Instead of answering, Dalen swung his sword lightly. The knight commander’s head fell to the ground with a thud, his body slumping. Dalen shook off the blood and spoke.
“Don’t worry. It’ll be over soon.”
”…Alright.”
The party’s presence quickly faded into the distance. Dalen kept his eyes on the priestess until he could no longer sense them. The priestess, imbued with Siselasia’s power and persona, made no move to stop them. She simply hovered in the air, meeting Dalen’s gaze.
[Your arrogance knows no bounds.]
The priestess smirked disdainfully.
[Though it’s right to execute heretics swiftly, I’ve changed my mind.]
”…”
[Judging by your attitude, I won’t end this quickly. I’ll make you wish for hell instead.]
A provocation unworthy of a great empire’s chief deity. Instead of responding, Dalen took a deep breath. The midnight air was damp, the salty tang stinging his nostrils. As he adjusted his grip on the holy sword, a chill spread through his hand, white frost trailing down the blade. Feeling the cold, he raised his sword.
“You’re not even a true god, yet you put on such airs.”
[…What did you say?]
“Oh, is it still a secret? That you and your Pantheon are just puppets of the evil gods.”
Crack.
Her face twisted, a dull noise escaping between her lips.
[How… how do you know…]
Judging by her reaction, it was still a secret. It was laughable. After causing such chaos in the name of a holy war, how long did they plan to play the role of benevolent protectors of humanity?
[Correction. You will be erased here and now. You’ll suffer in hell.]
“Such indecisiveness. Your followers must have it rough.”
[Enough!]
The priestess roared, divine power swirling around her. Her wide sleeves fluttered as she raised her hands skyward. Beyond them, the night sky began to split in two.
[Drown in the vast sea, heretic.]
Her blazing blue eyes glared as she uttered the incantation. Dalen swiftly reached for his waist.
Whoosh―!
An axe sliced through the air, splitting into hundreds of pieces as it reached the priestess. At that moment, an immense torrent of water poured from the rift in the sky, engulfing the street and the surrounding forest.
Rumble…
The world before him was submerged in water.
Deep, dark water.
So deep that not a single ray of light penetrated, and even his keen sight couldn’t find the bottom. The water, like a living creature, pulled at his ankles, enveloping him, trying to invade his nose and mouth. Allowing even a single drop would be irreversible. The shock of the divine water rampaging inside would crush the innards of even the strongest superhuman.
「Arcane Armor」
「Gale Armor」
“Phuh.”
Only after the wind armor repelled the water did Dalen exhale the breath he’d been holding, gripping the holy sword with both hands.
“To see this damned sea again.”
[Do you know this place?]
The dragon asked. Dalen shook his head.
When facing Siselasia beyond the monitor, he’d been caught by this ability several times. The screen filled with water, and the superhumans drowned instantly, unable to react. Only when playing as a transcendent character had he survived. But since he immediately opened his domain to fight, he couldn’t recall exactly how he overcame it.
[This is Siselasia’s divine realm.]
“Divine realm?”
[Just as mortals have domains and demons have hell, gods have their own worlds. This is Siselasia’s world in the realm of illusions, manifested in reality.]
So it’s like an enormous domain expansion. That explained why only transcendent characters could survive. To fight a world, one must summon a world. Battles between beings who rewrite laws with transcendent power were always like that.
[Summon me. Though I can’t defeat it due to our mismatch, I can at least get you out.]
“No need. We must conserve strength for the labyrinth city.”
[You’re conserving power in this situation? If you can’t escape, what’s the point…]
“No, I really mean it.”
Dalen shook his head.
“Facing a Pantheon deity for the first time in this cycle, if I just stall for time, it’ll resolve itself.”
[…What do you mean?]
“I’m saying Siselasia is just an event boss right now.”
The Pantheon revealing its true nature as humanity’s enemy was one of the most critical events in the entire game. If you played as a Pantheon priest or holy knight, all your efforts would be for naught. Even if not, the Pantheon’s presence as a late-game threat felt inherently unfair. Thus, when first encountering one of the Pantheon’s seven main deities, reinforcements would arrive as part of the event.
‘The last bastion of humanity. The most reliable support, having lived for centuries in the deepest depths.’
Telling Felber to retreat wasn’t for any other reason. This wasn’t a life-or-death battle to win. It was an event battle where he just needed to hold out until reinforcements arrived. Of course, stalling against a Pantheon deity wasn’t easy.
‘The god of rivers and seas, the guardian of water, Siselasia.’
Gathering his thoughts, Dalen raised the holy sword before him.
Although Dalen’s fire-based magic was effectively sealed, he hadn’t provoked Sisella without a plan. He had long prepared for the possibility of being plunged into the depths of the ocean, as he was now.
From the start, he held the perfect weapon to confront the god of water. It was a power he had never wielded before, so he had been quietly honing his senses until now.
He took a slow, deep breath and twisted his sword. The cold that had been trickling down the blade responded to the motion, altering its very nature.
A low hum resonated as a white ripple spread out from the sacred sword. This was not a power built from personal strength or abilities reclaimed from past lives. It was a miracle granted to a queen who had borne the weight of the crown alone since childhood, a miracle born from her singular wish to protect her people.
Even after being crushed under the feet of an evil god, her will persisted beyond death, manifesting once more in the world.
“Domain Unleashed: Guardian of the Frosted Sky.”
Ice butterflies.
It began with a single butterfly, its blue wings fluttering in from somewhere unknown. As it flitted about, a faint beam of light cast down from above, piercing the distant surface.
The light, breaking through the deep sea’s darkness, converged into a single stream that imbued the sacred sword.
“Pure White Frozen Land.”
Crack—!
The vast, endless expanse of the deep sea froze over, transforming into solid ground that rose to support Dalen’s feet.