Chapter 78

There wasn’t nothing hanging over me. Gulrak and I were connected in many indirect ways.

First, let’s talk about Porori. After losing to me, Porori worked hard and prayed to Gulrak for a blessing.

Maybe Gulrak liked Porori’s determination because he bestowed a blessing. From then on, Porori became a true Ramji Thunder, competing with me on equal terms.

Next, we have Kara and Hector, the father-daughter duo. I could overlook Kara since it was just a duel, but Hector really pushed me to the brink of death.

But this was all because Hector threw the first punch. I was just standing there, and they attacked me first.

In my book, it was a ‘justified’ counterattack, and they bowed their heads first to apologize.

So, if they had a conscience, there’s no way they’d strike me down with lightning for something like this.

‘What a bizarre situation.’

In the Soul World, Gulrak is as reliable as a hearty bowl of soup. When it comes to faith play, there’s no follower more effective than Gulrak.

Gaia is more about utility and support, so opinions can vary on that. Human relationships are considered more important than personal growth.

Anyway, both gods are generally favorable toward players, so their reputation among users isn’t bad.

Even though they face criticism based on the ‘truth’ revealed later, that too tends to become a meme.

‘Did Porori actually hear me cursing in the forest?’

I stood pondering at the entrance of the altar, with Lee Yeon-joo beside me.

Suddenly struck by lightning, I felt an eerie foreboding as the priest forbade entry.

Thunder from a clear sky, they say this almost never happens. Usually, these things pop up only when someone’s being ‘divinely punished.’

‘If it’s not divine punishment, then someone must be praying for this to happen…’

Could it be that Porori prayed that I’d get electrocuted? If that’s the case, it seems pretty likely.

But if that were true, I would have been zapped by lightning several times already. I’ve only established a truce with Porori, not a formal peace.

I couldn’t help but wonder what reason there was for zapping me, and why they aimed so accurately. I’ve taken more than my fair share of lightning strikes, so I was still alright, but the tingling sensation lingered.

“I just got struck by lightning and I’m still in one piece… Is that really okay?”

Lee Yeon-joo, who had been waiting outside with me, muttered quietly. Though her whisper was faint, I heard every word.

Getting struck by lightning usually leaves you unable to move for a while, and if you’re unlucky, you could even suffer a heart attack.

However, I was relatively unharmed. My hair was singed a bit, but I could manage that.

“Yeon-joo.”

“Uh, yeah?”

With nothing to do and feeling bored, I called out to Lee Yeon-joo, who looked genuinely flustered. That reaction was the real deal, not an act.

Soon, a new student will be arriving at the Hwan Empire. And not just any student—a person of high status.

From then on, events related to her, including her sister Lee Yeon-hwa, would unfold.

It’ll be a tangled web of relationships, and the key will be how well I can untangle it. If I do well, they could be vital allies in the future.

“Why did you call me? Do you have something to say?”

“The Hwan Empire, right?”

“…..”

When I mentioned she was from the Eastern Empire, I saw her eyes twitch slightly. It was a very subtle reaction, but I caught it.

As you can see, she genuinely despises being called a Hwan Empire native. She’d much prefer to be referred to as someone from the Eastern Empire.

The Hwan Empire is based on the Soviet model, a conglomerate of various nations.

“…. It’s true, but please just call me from the Eastern Empire. The Hwan Empire is a bit… uncomfortable.”

“Why?”

“You don’t need to know.”

Only a sharp reply came back. Her timid demeanor had completely vanished.

It seems she still doesn’t have enough affection points. Lee Yeon-joo is one of those difficult characters to get close to, so it might be a bit of a struggle.

In any case, for Yeon-joo, the Hwan Empire is an object of hatred. It’s strange to not feel animosity toward a place that swallowed up her homeland.

What makes it worse is that the Hwan Empire acts like they’re protecting their so-called allies on the surface. It’s like they’re playing the role of some big brother.

‘But they’re just here to take everything they can.’

Just look at their name—the Hwan Empire. It implies they won’t recognize any self-governance at all.

It’s the complete opposite of how the Granada Empire recognizes the autonomy of its occupied territories. They’re straight-up mimicking the actions of the Soviets.

Rumble-

Suddenly, thunder rumbled in the sky. Lee Yeon-joo and I immediately looked up as soon as we heard the sound.

As we felt a moment of anxiety, the hairs on our bodies stood on end as the sky flashed!

Ka-Boom!

No way. Why is this happening again?

I couldn’t dodge the surprise attack earlier, but this time was different.

As the sky turned a shade of blue, I quickly threw myself to the side. Lee Yeon-joo also jumped in surprise.

Crackle!

A blue lightning bolt struck exactly where I had been standing. I couldn’t fathom why, but the intensity seemed stronger than before.

How bad was it that there was a charred mark on the stone ground? In disbelief, I stared at the blackened imprint.

“…. Sivar.”

“…. Yeah?”

“Did you anger the celestial god somehow? Why are they constantly raining down divine punishment on us?”

I swear I didn’t do anything! I looked genuinely wronged.

I need to know the reason to make sense of all this, but since I don’t know anything, it’s frustrating. There’s only one remaining option left.

That’s to sneak into the altar directly. Even though the priest is blocking the entrance, I can slip in if I’m stealthy enough.

Since there’s a forest on either side of the altar, I’ll just pass through there. Luckily, the priest seems to have stepped away for the time being.

“Oh, where are you going…?”

“Inside.”

“Oh, inside? But the priest of the celestial god said not to enter…”

What do I care? Right now, solving my doubts is the priority.

Even when Lee Yeon-joo urged me not to enter, I confidently brushed her off. This caused her to roll her eyes in panic.

She seems worried I might cause some trouble if I just sit here. But unlike her worry, I wasn’t going to cause any trouble.

‘Surely, someone who’s connected to me is performing a ritual inside.’

I began to quietly sneak in from the forest side instead of the entrance.

If another lightning strike comes down, I might as well get caught right away, but before that happens, I need to get in.

Lee Yeon-joo hesitated for a moment, then followed after me, perhaps feeling like she couldn’t just leave it to fate.

As far as sneakiness goes, she’s pretty good at it too, so she would follow easily.

“Le, let’s hurry back! What if we get struck by lightning again?”

“I don’t care.”

“What do you mean you don’t care…?!”

“Shh.”

At this rate, we’ll get caught. I kept my replies short as I headed toward the altar.

Going around through the dense forest was a bit of a hassle, but it wasn’t a problem to reach my destination.

‘As expected, the altar dedicated to a god closely associated with the sky is open.’

Unlike Gaia, where the altar was closed off, the Gulrak altar was wide open. There were no buildings, just the altar itself, standing alone.

And being open meant there were no forests surrounding it. The altar was practically placed on the edge of a cliff, making it hard to approach from anywhere else.

Moreover, there wasn’t just one altar but several, and in the center, I spotted some familiar faces.

‘Wow, those hairstyles really stand out, huh?’

Golden, red, purple… If a light green one appeared, it’d be just like Teletubbies.

According to the priest, Porori was also there, but I didn’t see them around. It seems they might have finished praying and left.

“Over there… I also need to offer my prayers…”

Lee Yeon-joo, who had started watching me in silence, mumbled. In the Eastern regions, Gulrak is referred to as ‘the Celestial God.’

Gaia, the God of Life, is referred to as the Earth God, meaning they oversee both sky and land, which fits the names well.

While I was thinking about the Eastern-style names, the group at the altar began to conduct their ceremony.

Whack!

They lit a fire, having offered some offerings atop the altar. If I remember correctly, that means Gulrak is responding.

The person presumed to have made those offerings was Kara. As the flames blazed, she momentarily stepped back from her group.

While it’s acceptable to just bow, her devotion to Gulrak is sincere and unmatched.

“Uh… Dancing?”

Just like Yeon-joo had muttered, Kara began to dance. To ensure her sincerity reached the heavens, she didn’t care about others’ gazes.

It’s not unusual for dancers to perform during a ritual. It’s a common occurrence in ceremonial music worldwide.

Usually, music is included, but given the current circumstances, she was only dancing. Yet, that was more than sufficient.

Whoosh!

Look at that. The longer Kara’s beautiful dance continued, the stronger the flames on the altar grew.

I focused less on the fire and more on her dancing. She hailed from the Tartar civilization, inspired by ancient Egypt.

Perhaps that’s why her movements were graceful, utilizing her waist and hips. Some of her moves reminded me of belly dancing.

Even in her school uniform, which exposes almost nothing, my first thought was how beautiful she looked. If I saw her up close, what would I feel?

‘If she wore a dancer’s outfit…’

That would definitely stir up chaos. Just as I was mulling that over, Kara’s dance came to an end.

Since it wasn’t a grand state ceremony, but a simple one, it must have wrapped up quickly.

She then approached the altar with a solemn demeanor and bowed. The people behind her followed suit.

Usually, when bowing, one conveys their thoughts to Gulrak. So, at this moment, Kara must be expressing her wishes to him.

Thunder!

And just at the perfect moment…

Ka-Boom!

Another lightning bolt struck above my head.

Seriously, what the hell is going on?

[Your faith is increasing!]

What are you even talking about?!