Chapter 35

Tisah gritted his teeth, tightly gripping his sword and took his stance.

Hieronymus, having received a blessing, found all the wounds on his body disappear. That alone would’ve been fine. Then they could just fight again.

But the old man standing before them, skilled in various magics and techniques, had grown younger as if regaining vitality lost to time.

In many stories, terms like “second form,” “phase two,” and others are used, but ultimately it means one thing:

He’s gotten stronger.

The monstrous man who had just been fighting off the elite soldiers of the Ansellus Kingdom and former warriors of the Future Hope Church by himself rose once more.

However, no one present was looking at Hieronymus.

Right in front of them, a small girl captured everyone’s attention.

A teenage girl with long purple hair.

Of course, Rebecca Rolfe is actually in her late teens, but due to her short stature, nobody sees her that way.

According to Andrew, who claimed the leader of the Future Hope Church had betrayed their faith because it had become corrupt, this girl simply has the ability to bestow blessings.

Andrew explained she was being mistreated by the Future Hope Church.

At that moment, someone from Ansellus asked for proof. In response, Andrew pointed at Tisah and questioned whether anything had changed in his blessings since converting to the Seongsin Church.

Tisah shook his head; there had been no change. If anything, his regeneration had only grown stronger over time, adapting to his growth.

Andrew then pointed out those who followed him were still receiving blessings despite betraying their church leader.

So, Andrew concluded, this girl has no connection to this cult religion and is someone who needs rescuing.

While the people of the Ansellus Kingdom didn’t fully trust Andrew’s words, they were intrigued—because the blessings were truly remarkable. Having faced them as enemies up until now, they understood better than anyone how powerful these blessings were.

Thus, they thought: If an opportunity arises, perhaps they should bring her along.

Everyone harbored similar thoughts.

That was, until something wearing the skin of the girl began laughing with its mouth stretched wide open.

They had all been imagining a brighter future for themselves right up until that moment.

“What is the meaning of that laugh?”

Without thinking—truly without any thought—Yasle asked the question.

Unfortunately, he had spoken.

“Because I’m happy, of course. Isn’t that why we laugh?”

She never lies. Not because she’s good at it, but because she lacks the confidence to do so. She might withhold information or let misunderstandings persist, but what she says is always true.

“So can you explain why you’re so happy?”

Therefore, Yasle’s question received nothing but the truth in return.

“I can go anywhere now. I don’t have to sink into the unseen depths where there’s no light and look up at the sky, watching the light shine and fade endlessly. I don’t have to wait for falling lights out of endless despair and frustration. I don’t need to sit idly staring at a starry sky hoping to feel even the smallest warmth.”

Something defined as an outsider by Hyungkeschini spoke, cheerful and joyful like a song.

“I don’t have to offer myself to burst into the light anymore.”

And now…

Cruxshibal, or the god whose name must not be spoken, or the Nameless God—all aliases for the same entity—had been revealed.

Until now, it was believed that deeply despairing people would explode according to some unchangeable rule. But now it was clear: this was the action of someone.

Some worlds know about this outsider. In this world, too, a very few people faintly sense the existence of such an outsider. They call it an outsider from beyond, giving rise to the term Hyungkeschini.

But this knowledge was hidden.

Forbidden knowledge that shouldn’t be known by just anyone.

Besides, uncovering it wouldn’t help anyone anyway. It’s easier for everyone to accept it as a rule.

Because it was a rule, acts of exploitation—like letting people waste away until they died or cutting off their wrists if they failed to meet quotas—were slightly restrained.

And thus, primitive religions were born.

For those who were deeply despairing, the belief in a god who gave them strength was salvation itself.

But in this world, nothing comes without effort.

To the outsider, it was a desperate act to gain warmth. To people, it was being hunted.

Since taking warmth leaves people dead, the outsider’s actions were evil.

In other words, a ravenous evil deity stood right before them.

One that passionately craved.

At first, no one understood what this god was saying. But soon, their sharp minds, enhanced further by the blessing, quickly pieced together the answers and hesitantly voiced them.

Upon hearing this, Yasle felt his heart freeze as he tried—and failed—to grab the collar of the happily smiling girl before him. Her joyous expression terrified him so much his hands wouldn’t move. He shouted loudly to deny it.

“You! Did you take my knowledge?! In exchange for blessings, did you gain the ability to summon yourself?!”

Clap. Clap. Clap.

Three dry claps, the sound of mockery from some worlds.

“Yes. That’s correct. I obtained it. Hieronymus.”

Then she looked around.

“I made a contract with Hieronymus. He wanted revenge using my power. So I granted it. I received offerings and gave blessings. Wasn’t that all Hieronymus wanted?”

It was true.

But even as the outsider said this, Hieronymus and everyone else stared at her in terror.

It wasn’t that they couldn’t understand her words.

If what the girl said was true, then the leader of the Future Hope Church really was the villain.

But this fear transcended reason.

It came purely from instinct.

As the sun set and the shadow of a towering rock pillar enveloped the place, the girl’s eyes shone eerily purple, physically glowing.

Everyone present, like creatures caught in an unpleasant ravine, felt fear and horror toward the human-like thing before them.

Seeing their expressions, the outsider said,

“Don’t be afraid.”

Which only made them more afraid. This thing observed human expressions and understood their meanings.

Even Yasle, an expert at reading faces, couldn’t interpret the smile of Hyungkeschini. There existed an outsider who knew humans well enough to read their expressions.

Though few knew its full nature, the sight of a girl telling fearful people not to be afraid was genuinely terrifying.

One person grasped the meaning.

Yasle gripped his artifact—a magical cane-like device that enhanced him, originally a holy relic meant only for the leaders of the Yeongyang Church Nation. Its power was evident.

“Return to where you came from.”

Hieronymus began chanting a long incantation.

Thinking this was an attack on Rebecca, Joanna rushed forward to stop him.

No one here knew…

What Joanna Smith truly thought of Rebecca Rolfe.

Hyungkeschini believed Joanna saw Rebecca as a daughter. Others, including Hieronymus, assumed she worshipped her with utmost devotion.

But they were all wrong.

Joanna’s unfortunate past allowed her to see the wildness the outsider kept hidden within. Years of enduring injustice gave her insight into the patience the outsider maintained.

She noticed little things: how Rebecca quietly tidied up tools when she cleaned, or how after exercising and stepping on wet sand, Rebecca carefully wiped her shoes before entering.

Nothing grand. Just treating her like an ordinary person, neither above nor below. They didn’t talk much, yet they showed consideration while doing their own tasks.

Someone Joanna had never had in her life.

She didn’t worship her as a god. Nor was she a friend or someone to revere. She wasn’t a substitute for the child Joanna had never had.

It was ambiguous, but it suited her, so she acted accordingly.

And now, someone stood in her way and stabbed her.

Tisah.

“Forget what’s going on, but right now, she’s the most dangerous thing here! Do it, Hieronymus! Do it! Send her back now!”

He protected Hieronymus.

Despite having fought as bitter enemies moments ago, surprisingly, no one here condemned Tisah.

Because everyone sensed something was terribly wrong based on the conversation that had just taken place.

Instinct screamed louder than reason: the girl was the immediate threat.

The outsider froze upon seeing the woman pierced through the arm and abdomen by Tisah.

“Jo…anna?”

The outsider couldn’t comprehend the situation. She hadn’t said anything strange, merely followed Hieronymus’ orders. So why?

Why was Joanna dying, and at Tisah’s hand?

And then…

Hieronymus completed his chant.

BOOM!

A brilliant pillar of white light descended from the heavens onto the outsider.

Literally like a pillar falling, the light crashed down upon her head.

An ancient technique from the Yeongyang Church Nation used to send gods back to the heavens.

After a while, the light faded, leaving behind only a blonde-haired girl.

Twitch.

But the girl moved.

Everyone tensed, raising their weapons toward her.

Slowly, she sat up, placed her hands on her chest, and took a few breaths before opening her eyes.

Her pupils were now a normal blue, no longer glowing.

“Hello, everyone. My name is Rebecca Rolfe.”

Everyone realized this wasn’t the outsider from before. It wasn’t just a change in color; her tone was entirely different.

She extended her arm and pointed her finger at Yasle.

“Leader of the Future Hope Church. Because of you, my family and I were killed.”

She accused him.

Those present vaguely understood. The person before them was human again. Whatever had possessed her was gone.

Tisah and the people of the Ansellus Kingdom, recognizing this, turned their weapons back toward Hieronymus.

Their brief alliance was over.

As they prepared to fight again, no one could move.

“There’s something I absolutely need to tell you. Listen. Listen, Hieronymus. No, listen, Leader of the Yeongyang Church Nation, Yasle.”

Yasle’s sharp gaze, which had been scanning the area with killing intent, suddenly snapped to Rebecca.

Smiling faintly at his expression, Rebecca cursed him in casual speech.

“You brought that outsider here. You pulled it from a place deeper than the earth beneath us, where it could only silently gaze upward. And you handed it the key to go anywhere.”

Yasle understood what she meant. He was about to say it required preparation on their side when he remembered something Hyungkeschini had worried about earlier.

Spreading words only outsiders knew.

But realizing these referred to the outsider itself, he dismissed it as merely a change in terminology.

Until he connected it with his own summoning techniques and grasped the implications. Unknowingly, Yasle dropped to one knee.

Rebecca recalled the sights within. Each shining star represented a different world, with different clothing, attire, and even species.

There were likely as many worlds as stars. Or perhaps even more, given what Rebecca had seen within the outsider.

With a stern look, she continued.

“In the future, outsiders won’t just come to this world. They’ll reach out to every world under the night sky. You shouldn’t have called them here. All of this is your fault. Future? Hope? You buried it all in the cold ocean. Though, this must hurt you more.”

Then Rebecca adopted the tone of the thing that once possessed her.

“It was your mistake.”

Yasle understood. The summoning shouldn’t have happened. Everything was the Future Hope Church’s fault.

Both knees hit the ground. Like a punished boy, he clutched his chest in pain.

He was completely vulnerable, easily killable with a single swing of a weapon.

But no one moved.

No one could speak.

Using an expression yet unknown in this world:

They felt cosmic dread.

Irrational, indescribable, hard to comprehend, and unmistakably, utterly hopeless. The result ahead was clear: total ruin.

And the overwhelming despair that killing the enemy before them would change nothing lingered in the air.

Still unaware why blessings continued to function normally…

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