Chapter 79

It’s about time to have some rational suspicion. For some unknown reason, Gulrak seems to dislike me.

Striking lightning directly at a specific person. It’s often said that the heavens are angry when this happens.

Usually, this kind of thing pertains to someone who has committed a heinous sin, but no matter how I think about it, I haven’t committed such a sin.

Of course, I did curse at the gods in the forest and turn my beloved followers into mush, but that’s not a serious matter.

Even in the Soul World, if I knock down or even kill a follower of Gulrak, he usually just lets it slide.

In fact, he’s a god that prefers to see his followers fight among themselves. They say it refines the weapons or something like that. He’s not exactly a normal god.

“Kara, what did you say when you prayed?”

Grace asked Kara with a questioning look. Currently, I’m standing in front of the altar with my companions.

After my position was revealed by lightning, I figured it was better to stick with them now.

Besides, I had things to ask Gulrak, so this timing works out just fine.

“Just, you know…”

Kara hesitated a bit while glancing at me as she answered Grace’s question.

Since she was sneaking glances instead of staring directly at me, it’s clear that there’s some deep connection between us.

Then, she scratched her cheek with her index finger and shrugged, saying casually, “I just hope the person I believe in won’t betray me. Is that enough?”

“That person is Sivar, then.”

“I won’t deny it. But I don’t get why lightning would strike Sivar and not me. I’ve never seen that happen before.”

So perhaps the previous lightning was also caused by someone with feelings related to me. That seems quite likely.

Porori said they weren’t there when the group arrived at the altar, so I can just ask later.

Right now, what’s important is who offered the prayer before Kara.

“Before.”

“Yeah?”

“Before. Who did it?”

At my question, all eyes suddenly focused on me. They probably didn’t expect me to ask that.

Still, someone has to answer the question. Kara thought for a moment after hearing me and then pointed at someone while saying, “Luna offered the prayer. Was lightning struck then too?”

“Yeah.”

“Luna, did you offer a prayer related to Sivar?”

If someone offers a prayer related to me, lightning strikes me. That hypothesis is practically confirmed.

At Kara’s question, Luna seemed a bit flustered at first before eventually looking at me. Then, rolling her eyes dramatically, she answered.

“…N-no? I just asked for good health.”

“That’s a lie, isn’t it?”

“I-I swear it’s true!”

She can’t even make eye contact while lying. It’s obvious to anyone that she’s expressing “I’m totally lying!”

She sits there fidgeting with her hands or rolling her eyes. It’s like a neon sign screaming, “I’m lying!”

But that actually worked in our favor. When Kara caught her blatantly lying, she stopped probing further.

“Well. If that’s how you say it, I guess I have to believe you. Anyway, I’m not sure whether to take that as a positive response.”

“What usually counts as a positive response?”

“When we don’t even light the fire ourselves and it ignites on the offering. The offering I presented earlier caught fire, right? In such cases, it’s mostly considered a positive response.”

Kara pointed to the offering, which had burned to a crisp and was now nothing but ash.

Just then, a gust of wind blew the black ash far away.

“And those who offer prayers with impious thoughts receive no response at all. Sometimes if it’s too impious, lightning strikes them, but that’s only for the one offering.”

“There’s no case where lightning strikes someone because of the prayer of another, right?”

“Of course not. If that were the case, a ton of people would be struck by lightning. It’s Sivar that’s the weird one.”

Just as Kara said. A god doesn’t directly harm someone due to another person’s prayer.

If that were the case, the world would literally become chaotic, so there are strict conditions in place.

Conditions mean when the target is a demon or has deeply impious thoughts. But that doesn’t always work out either.

It’s easier for the god to directly empower a follower rather than strike them with lightning. Efficiency is a big deal too.

“First, let Grace offer the prayer. What about you, Yeon-joo?”

“I-I’ll do it next. It seems like the god might not be in a good mood…”

“Is that so? Alright. By the way, in the Eastern Empire, do they call Gulrak ‘Heavenly God’?”

“Yes. We call him ‘Heavenly God’ meaning the god of the sky rather than the god of destruction. Conversely, we refer to Gaia as ‘Earth Goddess’ meaning ‘Earth God’ or ‘Earth Mother.'”

“That’s interesting.”

While Kara was gaining new Eastern knowledge from Lee Yeon-joo, Grace walked up to the altar.

After hearing the explanation, she was the first to place an offering on the altar, and with a reverent heart, she knelt.

The offering can be made in any way one desires. One could perform the prayer as they truly mean it, just like in the East, or they could also simply pray.

What’s most important here are the offering and the sincere heart. Gulrak will not respond if either of these isn’t met.

‘Thank goodness it’s not a random lottery system.’

In the Soul World, they usually answer anything, but reality can be a bit of a pain.

The term “sincerity” itself has a lot of ambiguous elements. This applies to both Gulrak and Gaia.

‘But I feel like Grace will be okay, right?’

Even if Grace looks prickly, she doesn’t have a harsh heart. She carries a pure heart reminiscent of a fairy tale.

No matter the circumstances, she longs for a ‘knight’ to stand by her. The kind of knight you’d only find in a fairy tale.

But reality isn’t so kind. Therefore, Grace had to momentarily set her feelings aside and focus on reality.

If she’s not careful, she could also suffer indignities from Delphoi, so she’s truly a pitiful character.

‘But when exactly was that time?’

Even in the Soul World, that timing isn’t clearly defined. However, the ‘omen’ itself is certain.

As I become closer to Grace, Delphoi would occasionally make strange remarks about how odd things are.

Of course, it could also embed unnecessary trauma, so I plan to avoid any interruptions and just block it completely.

‘It’s going to be tough to fill the affection meter, but…’

Originally, that event dramatically boosts Grace’s affection. But I have no intention of using that event.

Even if Delphoi deserves it, I’ll never use her for that.

It’s better to gather other evidence and bury Delphoi instead.

‘After all, Grace said she’s going to Godin anyway.’

Whoosh!

While I was lost in thought, flames erupted from the offering Grace had placed.

According to Kara, that’s a positive sign. It means Gulrak has heard the prayer.

“Uh, uh? T-this is a positive response, right?”

Grace asked in a rushed voice, clearly flustered. I could tell she was excited by the way she was stammering.

She looked like an excited child instead of her usual dignified and elegant noble self.

Should I say her mask slipped off? Or should I say her true nature was revealed?

Her sharp gaze softened, revealing an unexpectedly cute side too.

“I can’t say for sure. He only answered the prayer; I don’t know how he’ll grant it. Even the gods find it hard to predict how human affairs will play out.”

“Ah… So that means he might have only listened to her heart.”

“Exactly. But don’t be too gloomy about it. Just the fact that he responded after offering something like that is already good news.”

“Got it. I should take it as a sign not to lose hope.”

Even with Kara’s explanation, Grace didn’t lose her positive vibe. After all, hope is a great source of motivation.

*Rumble!*

Wait. Why is there thunder again?

Hearing a faint rumble from the heavens, I quickly looked up.

Fortunately, no lightning struck this time, but it still feels uneasy.

After all, this is the third time today I’ve been struck by lightning; I might end up with a trauma from this.

“…What does the thunder mean?”

“Uh… I’m not sure? But since lightning hasn’t struck, it definitely isn’t a negative response. Next, do you want to give it a try, Sivar?”

As the atmosphere became oddly charged, Kara hastily changed the subject. I was next after Grace.

As someone who has been struck by lightning so many times, I’m not exactly thrilled about this. Why does the God of Destruction dislike me?

“Okay. Place the offering I just gave you on the altar. Then, say your wishes in your heart. It’s up to you whether to pray or bow.”

“What about dancing?”

“Dancing? Ah, you saw the dance I just did? That’s a bit embarrassing.”

“It was pretty.”

“Y-yeah… Well, ahem!”

Kara blushed and flustered at my honest remark. Watching her squirm to cough it off felt kind of cute.

I find that aspect of Kara appealing. She’s got a refreshing personality but retains a human heart.

She’ll play a significant role in the story, now and in the future, so it’s not bad to be on good terms with her.

*Thunder!*

The thunder boomed. It sounded even louder than before, indicating this situation is getting annoying.

Of course, she’d be irked having some random guy next to her beloved priestess. Especially when that guy was cursing at the god.

I pushed aside the blushing Kara and placed the offering on the altar. It was the thigh bone of a beast she’d provided.

Following Grace’s example, I bowed not in the Eastern style but my own. Given my background, this gesture felt quite common.

“Hey, Gulrak!”

I called out first from the back. Not only did I call out, but I was also struck by lightning.

Naturally, I ended up with only negative feelings toward him. Even Hector didn’t do anything yet here I was getting hit first.

“Let’s be honest. You dislike me, right?”

*Boom!*

As soon as I asked, the offering burst into flames. That’s a sign of a positive answer.

I slightly lifted my head to gaze at the altar. I merely asked a question, yet it responded sharply.

It seems I really am disliked. But honestly, I feel wronged since I haven’t done anything to Gulrak.

Moreover, wasn’t the god who chose me Chaos? Did something happen between Chaos and Gulrak?

‘Before we head to the temple, let’s just ask one more thing. Are you the god who brought me here?’

No response at all. There’s no way to confirm if the offering is burning.

It seems the only way to check is to head to Byzantium. There, I might well connect with Chaos with Rize’s help.

‘…Well, I hope we can establish a good relationship. Whether you like it or not, you’re going to be watching me anyway.’

I have nothing much to say. They probably wouldn’t be keen on me either, but fate has tied us together.

Right now, I’ll be spending a lot of time with Kara, so what can I do? I just have to endure it.

‘But please don’t strike me with lightning every time I pray like a cheap guy…’

*BOOM!!*

Maybe I went too far. The moment I had that impious thought, lightning struck from the heavens.

Given I was bending down to bow, I couldn’t evade it. Thankfully, I’ve gotten somewhat used to being struck.

*Zap! Zap!*

But maybe because this lightning was particularly strong, I felt a faint current coursing through me, alongside a singed smell.

They were whispering around me, but the thunder made my ears dull. I swallowed a dry laugh while watching the current flow through my hands.

“Shit.”

Am I just a cheap person? I can’t even find the words to express my disbelief.

[Ability: You have acquired Thunder!]

[Your Faith is Increasing!]

“…”

I bumped my head and offered my apology again.

Even though it’s petty, I’m sincerely grateful for this kind of gift…

*BOOM!*

What now?! I already apologized!

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