Chapter 129

Just a moment ago, one thing became clear through divine punishment: Gulrak cherishes Kara immensely.

Even if it’s okay to admire her, seeing lightning strike as a warning for anything beyond that makes it crystal clear.

In a way, he was even more foolish than Hector. The love of a priestess is overflowing.

‘But how can one bear to see that…?’

Yet, what’s unfair is still unfair. At present, Kara’s appearance was enough to ignite a man’s heart.

If I hadn’t withheld my desires, blood could’ve rushed elsewhere.

‘Thank goodness everyone except me is a woman.’

I stared blankly at Kara’s back as she placed offerings on the altar.

Even from behind, her figure hinted at something marvelous, but the real show starts when she dances.

Once she begins to dance, those clothes will flutter softly, especially the lower part will sway wildly.

If that happens, the fire kindling in my chest will blaze even brighter. What a relief.

‘Wait a minute. When dancers perform, isn’t the fire supposed to ignite even more?’

Dancing during a ritual for Gulrak is essential.

If the dance pleases, the flames of the altar will flare up stronger, making the ceremony more passionate.

Though reaching that point naturally takes time, the dancers performing the rituals are usually quite physically strong.

‘They say effort and devotion are noticed, and that makes sense…’

I don’t really get it. How could a mere mortal understand the intentions of a god?

Kara is cherished by Gulrak, so it’s easy to think of her as being dressed up more beautifully.

After all, those with impure hearts who’ve been struck by lightning will also face divine punishment.

“Everything’s ready. First, let’s ask Gulrak.”

“Now can we perform the ritual?”

“Yes. You’ll do it in that form, right?”

“I need to be composed as a saint, so I will do it this way.”

Looks like all preparations are done. After listening to their conversation, I secretly approached Kara.

She smiled slightly when I came close and then gazed at the altar ahead. I followed her gaze.

On the altar lay the Usuk axe that Rize had smashed and the remains of Ragnarok.

However, the tribute isn’t visible. Upon closer inspection, something was sprinkled on the remnants.

“What’s that?”

“It’s oil made from starlit palm trees. A rare oil that only grows in Tartar.”

I’ve heard that name somewhere, but I couldn’t quite recall.

While I was tilting my head in confusion, Rize, standing to Kara’s left, spoke up.

“I know starlit palm trees are quite expensive. They’re used in cosmetics and also as spices. Moreover, since they can only be cultivated in Tartar, their value is outstanding.”

“Exactly. My father even uses it for diplomatic goods.”

In these times, oil, particularly cooking oil, holds immense value.

Rather than being used for cooking, most people treat it as a spice.

Applying such an expensive oil signifies they’ve made their intentions clear.

“I’m not sure if this will get a response from Gulrak, but we have to try.”

“He will definitely respond.”

Although Kara spoke with worry, Rize was brimming with confidence.

For some reason, there was a palpable determination to receive an answer by force if necessary.

“Alright, then I’ll go first. Sivar, you should join me.”

“Okay.”

I wondered if I really needed to join. The god definitely showed clear dislike for me.

But for Kara’s sake, the repair of Ragnarok was necessary. I mumbled to myself and moved.

Flare!

As soon as I bowed down, I heard a sound of fire erupting from the altar.

Looking up, flames shot up from the altar, just as I expected. Perhaps due to the oil, it was larger than I anticipated.

“It seems Gulrak is feeling positive.”

“Y-yeah? He responded rather quickly. I thought he’d be upset since we broke the weapon he granted.”

Unlike the apathetic Rize, Kara seemed noticeably flustered.

No wonder; the previous time, merely getting a response was easy enough.

But now, we were in a situation where we want to fix Ragnarok, signifying a request for blessings again.

No matter how much Gulrak cherished Kara, this could be a matter of feelings, so I thought it would take longer.

“So what should we do now?”

“Saints and Sivar should step back for a moment. I need to take the lead from here.”

“Are you going to dance?”

“Yes.”

Finally, I would get to see Kara’s beautiful dance. Honestly, I was really looking forward to it.

Even in the Soul World, it’s rare to see Kara dance. It’s just the same during Tartar story progression.

The opportunities to showcase her dance are few and far between, mostly during rituals or feasts.

Moreover, she wasn’t wearing a particularly revealing outfit like now. This was truly a moment to anticipate.

Thud-

No. I guess I can look forward to it. Why are they making such a fuss?

While I was grumbling internally about the noise rumbling from the sky.

Rize, hearing the thunder, looked up at the sky before turning her head to Kara.

“How long do we have to dance?”

“The basics say to dance until dark clouds fill the sky. After that, whether lightning strikes or rain falls will determine if it’s favorable or unfavorable.”

Ragnarok was originally a ritual axe. However, during a ceremony, it got struck by lightning and became what it is now.

Moreover, at that time, Hector was the one wielding it. Yet, it precisely bonded with the axe.

So, having lightning strike the altar can be viewed as an omen of approval.

“I think if lightning strikes the remains, there’s a high chance Ragnarok will be repaired. It’s a weapon that received blessings directly, so only Gulrak can restore it.”

“Exactly. But do you understand that the process will be grueling?”

“I’m fine with that. I’ll persist no matter how many days it takes, even if it rains.”

This reminds me of an Indian rain dance. She was determined to do anything for Ragnarok’s repair.

But there wasn’t quite enough devotion. To receive blessings directly, more preparations were needed than this.

There wasn’t any music to elevate the atmosphere, and the number of people was lacking. I wasn’t sure if that would be sufficient.

“Besides, even if it rains, that’s fine. If it’s just thunder without lightning, that means it’s insufficient. In that case, we’ll prepare thoroughly next time.”

“Hmm. Does insufficient mean divine power is lacking?”

“Usually, that’s the case.”

“Got it. Leave that to me.”

When Kara looked puzzled at the idea of lacking divine power, she didn’t quite get it.

But since Rize isn’t someone who would talk nonsense, I could trust her to handle it.

Although she might act out like me, she always yielded good results, aside from breaking Ragnarok.

“Can I play the drum for you?”

“Ah, no, that’s okay.”

Just barely, Kara stopped Rize from their plan of drumming and stepped forward to the altar.

Rize and I retreated back to where Luna and Eli were.

Being too close wouldn’t help right now, so it was better to keep our distance.

“Sivar, how does Kara look?”

As soon as we stepped back, Eli asked with immense curiosity.

I glanced at Eli and then watched Kara gently loosen her body. She looked beautiful, no matter where I looked.

“Pretty.”

“How pretty?”

“Super pretty.”

I felt no need to lie. So I answered honestly.

Hearing my response, Eli nodded with an expression that confirmed her thoughts.

“She really is pretty. I want to wear something like that too.”

You have plenty of skins in the Soul World that rival Kara’s. It doesn’t matter what you wear; your presence is always overwhelming.

I wanted to voice those thoughts but held it back. Eli would look good in anything, considering her figure.

Flap-

While we were chatting, Kara started her dance. The wings made of fabric attached to her hands fluttered beautifully.

There was no music for the ceremony, nor was there anyone around to assist, creating a serene atmosphere, but it suited the moment perfectly.

It reminded me of little butterflies flitting about in a quiet forest.

‘The ground is hard as a rock, but she moves so gracefully.’

Her movements were as fluid as a dancer’s. And she was barefoot.

I had heard she learned to dance from her deceased mother. Just by that dance alone, I could see how much effort she must’ve put in.

Flap-

Kara spun around, making her lower garment flutter like wings. As a result, mostly embarrassing parts became visible.

Thank goodness she was wearing underwear; had she not, it would’ve been shocking. I gazed intently at her dance.

For once, even Gulrak didn’t strike lightning down on me. Perhaps he was either focused or simply forgiving due to the atmosphere.

“······ Huh?”

“The clouds…?”

How long did I watch in a daze? The sky seemed to darken gradually, then began to fill with dark clouds.

It wasn’t a long time, yet they suddenly gathered. Truly, it seems Gulrak treasures Kara.

Meanwhile, Kara’s dance did not cease. She kept focused, even droplets of sweat cascading down her face.

Thud-

A faint rumble of thunder sounded, and the flames at the altar burned more fiercely.

But the crucial ‘lightning’ didn’t strike. Almost as if this alone wasn’t satisfactory.

Just as I wondered if perhaps it was a lack of sincerity, an unexpected person stepped forward.

Boom!

“S-saint?”

“Where are you going…?”

“I’m going to do what I must.”

It was Rize. She advanced toward the altar in her Gwonseong form, not as a saint.

Kara noticed Rize approaching while dancing but left her be. It seemed she trusted her.

Rize, having passed by Kara, looked up at the sky. As she did, the flames that had risen from the altar flared even more.

“I beseech the God of the Sky.”

Rize’s voice was calm, yet Kara continued to dance.

“I’ve fractured your blessings, so grant your blessings to me again with my strength.”

Rize spoke these words while extending her arms wide. In that moment, a blue energy aura began to radiate brightly from her.

That blue aura was undoubtedly magic, but it also felt like an indescribable force.

“All of this is!”

Then, as Rize took her stance, she shouted.

“Chaos’s will, I beseech thee!!”

Mentioning the god of chaos she belonged to, Chaos.

“Bestow your blessings as he desires!!”

Pouring all her power, she thrust her fist toward the sky.

Boom!!

As she struck, a beam of blue energy shot high into the sky. It was different but reminiscent of the spatial destruction encountered before.

Spatial destruction literally meant breaking space, but now…

“The sky…!”

“The sky… is splitting…?”

“··· ···”

The blue energy released by Rize indeed split the sky apart.

Like a scene from some pirate cartoon, the immense energy caused the sky to divide.

Up to this point, it was already an astonishing ‘miracle,’ but it did not end there.

Thud!

An ominous rumble reverberated, and then,

Boom!!

From between the split sky, a colossal bolt of lightning crashed down.

It was far more powerful, intense, and destructive than any lightning I had seen to date.

That lightning struck precisely on the altar. Borrowing Kara’s description, it was a positive response from Gulrak.

As the lightning struck the altar, Kara halted her dance and stared blankly. She was already drenched in sweat.

Kr crackle!!

The lightning didn’t strike only once. Like turning on a faucet, it literally poured down.

When would I ever witness such a bizarre phenomenon again? I stared at it with wide eyes, utterly stunned.

Kr crackle!

Finally, the cascading lightning ceased. The previously split sky returned to its original state.

Even then, a strange phenomenon occurred—dark clouds slithered in through the parted sky.

It seemed as if the clouds volunteered to fill the gap in the sky.

Thanks to that, the cloud-filled sky cleared remarkably fast.

As if nothing had ever happened, the sky was perfectly blue.

“Is it over…?”

“Um, I don’t know?”

While Eli and Luna were exchanging opinions, I hurriedly approached the altar.

I instinctively realized that the ritual had concluded. All that was left was to check the outcome.

First, I should thank Rize for her hard work. She seemed to have used all her strength, having returned not in her Gwonseong form, but as a saint.

“Rize. Are you okay…?”

I was about to ask Rize if she was alright when I noticed something.

“It’s been a while since I’ve pushed myself to this extent, so I’m a bit tired.”

Rize looked quite different, strikingly so.

This was something both I and Kara standing beside me felt equally.

“S-Saint? Um…?”

“Hm? Oh, my chest? I mentioned it last time.”

Rize’s formerly ample chest had completely vanished. So much so that she felt even smaller than Luna.

Yet, Rize didn’t care about our astonishment and simply smiled.

“My divine power is all concentrated in my ‘body.'”

So that’s what she meant.

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