Chapter 75

It was some time after entering the dungeon.

While protecting the students and exploring the dungeon, Amon found no signs of danger.

So, he relaxed and leisurely analyzed the students’ battles.

Most of the students used Divine Power.

Naturally, as Sonia had enrolled to learn Divine Magic, it was a department where Divine Power wielders would naturally gather.

However, not all students used Divine Power.

‘That guy is using Essence.’

A wealthy-looking young master replaced Divine Power with Essence.

‘That tonfa looks like something I saw in the Priest’s room.’

Some used equipment typically wielded by exorcists.

Moreover, there were those who relied purely on gunpowder and magic.

It was only natural.

Just as not all Holy Knights wield Divine Power, it was unreasonable to assume that everyone in the theology department would be a wielder.

The students showcased their unique traits as they exterminated insects and plants.

But among them, Sonia stood out the most.

She only unleashed her firepower when necessary to avoid overshadowing the training, but her firepower was overwhelmingly dominant.

*Boom!*

The sound of massive explosions interspersed with gunfire.

It was all Sonia.

She fired a machine gun without recoil and projected Divine Magic forward using the Divine Power she had recovered with Essence.

Gunpowder and lasers turned plants and insects alike into ashes.

‘As expected, the Saintess of Gunpowder.’

The only issue was when the distance closed, but with an excellent vanguard, Sonia’s pure firepower was on par with the Security Chief.

Originally, she only participated in the training for graduation credits; there was nothing for her to learn here.

It’s easy to forget, but Sonia was also involved in the retaking of Megacorp.

Moreover, after it was over, she, like others, received equipment upgrades from Cash.

In terms of equipment and experience, she was far beyond a student level.

Amon could confidently say that in actual combat, Sonia might even be at a level where she could teach the professors.

While Sonia was dominating, Amon felt a sting on his neck.

“Ah.”

*Slap.*

Amon quickly slapped his neck.

An unpleasant sensation of something breaking was felt on his neck and palm.

Amon checked his palm.

It was a mosquito.

But it was unusually large, colorful, with green wings and eyes as big as a dragonfly’s.

It was clearly a mosquito declaring, “I’m a poisonous insect.”

Amon frowned in disgust.

Just then, a student who had witnessed the scene approached.

“Do you need a purification spell?”

The female student’s attitude towards Amon was quite friendly.

Other students chimed in.

“Ah, Teacher, you got bitten. You should purify it quickly.”

The students all expressed concern for Amon.

Although they had only been in the dungeon for a few hours, they were all captivated by Amon.

His experience as a big brother in the orphanage and his undeniable aura played a part.

Additionally, he had been giving small tips to the vanguard students, so Amon had already won their hearts.

Amon waved his hand dismissively at their concern.

“I can handle this much.”

Amon circulated his Divine Power.

The poison left by the mosquito in his body was instantly purified.

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t a delicate purification using Divine Magic but rather forcing it out with an overwhelming amount of Divine Power.

Still, the effect was undeniable.

Amon checked his condition.

‘Hmm. No issues.’

No numbness, blurred vision, or anything of the sort.

‘Perfect.’

After finishing the purification, he returned to his duties.

But the students’ gazes were strange.

They were all looking at him in shock.

“Huh? What’s wrong?”

“Are you a Divine Power wielder?”

A student asked on behalf of the group.

Amon nodded.

There was no reason to hide it anymore.

In the past, he had to conceal it due to various entanglements and his lack of strength, but not anymore.

Now, Amon’s combat prowess alone was on par with Megacorp’s Security Chief.

Moreover, he had a solid company backing him.

There was no reason to hide anymore.

The students were shocked but also convinced by Amon’s confession.

‘Well, reaching that level at such a young age.’

If he was a Divine Power wielder, it made sense.

Respect filled the students’ eyes as they looked at Amon.

Amon awkwardly averted his gaze.

*

The training proceeded smoothly after that.

They reached the designated floor and almost completed the assigned tasks.

Amon checked his watch.

‘It should be around 5 when we get out.’

Just then, a student approached Amon.

It was Kay, a member of Sonia’s group.

She started the conversation by praising Amon’s Divine Power.

“I caught a glimpse earlier. How is your Divine Power so dense yet so adaptable and pure? Sonia mentioned it too. Could you share the secret?”

Amon tilted his head.

Purity? Density? Adaptability?

He had no idea.

He knew the words, but the concepts of Divine Power’s density and purity were new to him.

Reading Amon’s expression, Kay explained the concepts.

“To activate Divine Magic, three elements are needed…”

After a five-minute explanation, Amon summarized.

“So, purity, density, and adaptability are important?”

“…You can think of it that way.”

He didn’t understand at all.

Just that if all three were good, it was good.

Amon understood it that way.

Kay returned to her original question.

She wanted to know how Amon had achieved such high levels in all three elements.

Amon’s answer was…

“Maybe because I pray every day?”

“Uh…”

Disappointment was evident in Kay’s voice.

She might have expected some special training regimen, but Amon wasn’t doing anything special.

The only thing that came to mind was praying at dawn, noon, and evening.

Sonia sometimes joined him for evening prayers.

But that was about it.

Kay wasn’t ready to give up and asked further.

“What about your diet…”

“I don’t eat anything special.”

“Or some kind of opportunity…”

“I’ve been in life-or-death situations, but that doesn’t seem to be it.”

In the end, Kay had to retreat without gaining anything.

As Sonia’s friend, Amon wanted to help, but he couldn’t, so he felt sorry.

“I’m sorry.”

“No, no! There’s nothing to apologize for! If you do, I won’t be able to face Sonia!”

Kay waved her hands in surprise.

“Actually, I’m grateful you cared!”

Amon smiled warmly at Kay’s response.

As expected of Sonia.

She made such a polite friend.

This level of character was top-tier.

While Amon was thinking this, Kay raised her finger as if remembering something.

“Ah, right. Would you like to learn Divine Magic?”

For a moment, interest flickered in Amon’s eyes at her suggestion.

But it quickly disappeared.

Divine Magic was a high-difficulty subject, too challenging for Amon.

Amon only knew how to brute force Divine Power.

But Kay had considered that and made the suggestion.

“Don’t worry about the difficulty. It’s very simple but quite useful.”

To the extent that it required no background knowledge in ballistics, physics, or chemistry, just pure theological knowledge and Divine Power.

Hearing the explanation, Amon brightened.

“That sounds doable.”

“Right? Sonia probably couldn’t teach you this.”

Kay said,

Kay, who aspired to be a theologian, had studied older chant-based Divine Magic, while Sonia specialized in the newer, chantless Divine Magic developed after the World War.

And the magic Kay taught Amon was from the <Confession of Faith> category.

“Confession of Faith doesn’t require much. Just the desperation for a miracle, an incantation, and enough faith to enter a state of ecstasy.”

That’s all it took to cast this relatively low-difficulty magic.

“Its power varies greatly depending on the level of faith at the time, and it’s a bit hard to enter ecstasy during battle, so it fell out of favor. But it’s still worth learning.”

Amon gladly accepted the lesson.

Kay sent a PDF file to Amon’s phone and gave a brief explanation.

This time, he understood.

“This is like speaking in tongues, right?”

“The principle is similar.”

Speaking in tongues.

A phenomenon where, during prayer, one enters a state of ecstasy and mutters in a language not of this world or their mouth moves on its own to form sentences.

Usually, those who could speak in tongues could also use Confession of Faith magic.

For Amon, it was a piece of cake.

“I often speak in tongues.”

“Then shall we try it out?”

Kay pointed in one direction.

At the center of the dungeon, resembling a vast forest, was a giant tree with eyes.

The boss at the heart of the dungeon’s ecosystem.

Seeing the boss, Amon asked worriedly.

“Is this okay?”

“We’ll be withdrawing soon. The next training is in a week.”

As Kay said, there was no big issue.

The boss wasn’t assigned as a task for the students’ safety.

Moreover, even if the boss died, it wouldn’t be a problem.

In a week, some creature at the top of the ecosystem would replace the boss.

It was the perfect opponent to test Amon’s new ability.

But Amon shook his head.

“I’m on duty now.”

Amon wanted to fulfill his duty as a safety officer.

But the assistant instructor, who had been eavesdropping, assured him it was fine.

“Actually, I think it’s a good idea. It would be a great teaching moment for the students.”

The assistant instructor thought it wouldn’t be bad for the students to see a senior in action during field training.

Amon denied being a senior, but the assistant instructor insisted.

“Age isn’t important for Holy Knights. What matters is experience and skill.”

Starting with that assistant instructor, others agreed.

As fellow Divine Power wielders, they wanted to observe Amon’s battle.

Even the Narrow-Eyed Priest, the professor in charge, gave his permission.

[Go ahead. It will be a good experience.]

The priest conveyed this over the phone from outside the dungeon.

Eventually, even groups training elsewhere gathered to watch Amon take on the boss.

Amon, burdened by the many eyes on him, headed towards the boss.

*

*Clang!*

Amon dodged the branch swung by the giant tree.

He could have blocked it, but he wanted to consider the observing students.

He needed to show something they could follow.

Amon then pruned the branches like a gardener while toying with the tree.

For someone who could easily conquer much higher-level dungeons, the tree was no match.

He showed various tactics, ensuring the students could see.

Once he felt he had shown enough, he moved to the real reason for taking on the boss.

His insight revealed the tree’s lifespan.

The tree’s lifespan could be seen in the speed of its falling leaves.

Amon looked for its weak point. The cracked area was its eye.

‘Good. Let’s begin.’

Amon prepared <Confession of Faith>.

He embedded two swords into the tree’s body and used them as footholds.

Placing his hand on the eye, Amon recited the incantation.

[Wipe away my iniquity.]

With those words, Amon’s tongue began to move on its own.

It was a strange sensation.

Was this ecstasy?

Oddly, Amon’s mind remained in the present.

Since he was just reciting thoughts he often had, it was ambiguous to call it ecstasy.

His mouth smoothly recited the incantation as if guided by something.

[Wash away my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.]

With Amon’s incantation, immense pressure weighed down on the space.

The tree’s trunk bent, insects fell and were crushed, and all living things were flattened.

The pressure even reached the students watching from a distance.

“Huh?!”

Kay, who had taught him the method, was startled.

This pressure directly affected the soul, but unless the soul was hostile to the caster, it wouldn’t cause harm, so there was no need to worry.

Most Divine Magic worked that way, targeting only the soul.

The problem was the scale.

‘This doesn’t make sense!’

The professor who taught her was a devout believer, but his range was about the size of a room.

But Amon’s range was easily the size of a campus building.

At this level, it was questionable if daily life was even possible with such faith.

While Kay was thinking this, Amon’s incantation continued.

[When my mother speaks, she will declare me righteous, and when she judges, she will find me pure.]

The pressure gradually increased.

It felt like Divine Power taking form and pressing down.

Cold sweat dripped down Kay’s forehead.

‘Did I teach him something I shouldn’t have?’

Kay turned to look at her friend.

Coincidentally, Sonia also seemed to have something to say, and their eyes met.

“Kay.”

“Uh… Sorry. I taught your boyfriend something weird.”

“That’s not the problem. What did you teach him?”

Kay confessed the truth.

Hearing the explanation, Sonia held her forehead.

“You didn’t know him well enough…”

“I’m reflecting on it. So, what do we do?”

“What do we do?”

You have to see the monster you created.

Amon’s incantation gradually sped up.

[Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.]

[Turn your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.]

[Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.]

[Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me.]

*Whoosh-*

The air vibrated.

Wind blew downward, and the tree creaked and split.

Not just the tree held by Amon.

All creatures in the dungeon crumbled, split, and shattered.

At the center of it all, Amon completed the incantation.

[dele iniquitatem meam (Wipe away my iniquity).]

With the completed incantation, a massive pillar of light rose.

The force that even suppressed the air grew silently.

“–!”

The pillar of light enveloped the dungeon, including the students watching.

When the students opened their eyes amidst the brightness,

the poisonous forest they knew was gone.

While the students rubbed their eyes in disbelief, Sonia sighed.

“Sigh… I knew this would happen someday…”

And the Narrow-Eyed Priest, who had been watching all this from outside, collapsed.

“Today’s training just started…”

The Narrow-Eyed Priest hated Amon.

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