Chapter 121: The Deity's Secret

Chapter 121: The Deity's Secret

As evening fell, a series of screams and wails echoed from a distance.

The Merfolk, upon hearing the commotion, began to stir, their bodies swaying as they rushed towards the source of the noise.

Over the past two days, the people of Rapids City had been used as bait by Death Knights to lure the Merfolk. Despite their desperate attempts to flee, the death toll continued to rise, and the situation grew increasingly dire.

However, Karl was unconcerned with these events; his focus was on dealing with the immediate trouble before him.

A gaunt Merfolk, with an unusually sensitive nose, stretched its neck and twitched its nostrils, as if sensing something in the air. It reached out, its eyes blank, and groped at the invisible air in front of it.

Karl, standing behind, carefully avoided its movements, his body leaning back in the air, unseen to the naked eye.

What was wrong with this Merfolk? Its sense of smell was incredibly keen. Despite Karl's use of the Spirit Concentration Breath Method and a concealment magic item to hide his presence, it had still managed to detect him.

The Merfolk shuffled closer, its neck stretched, desperately sniffing the air. Its pungent fishy odor filled the air, causing Ana to instinctively furrow her brows.

She glanced around; all the nearby Merfolk had been lured away, leaving only this one. She decided that quickly dealing with it without attracting attention should be manageable.

As she prepared to draw her sword, Karl, also sensing the danger, was about to act. But his gaze fell upon the Merfolk's pupils, and he noticed a faint red hue.

Red eyes?

No, something was wrong!

Karl's heart pounded, and he instantly activated the advanced magic item 'Phantom Amulet,' causing his body to turn ethereal.

Simultaneously, he crossed his arms in front of him.

The Merfolk, which had been moving slowly, suddenly clenched its fist and delivered a powerful punch towards Karl.

"Boom!" The air in front of its fist seemed like a viscous liquid, rippling visibly from the force of the punch. The shockwave rippled out, reaching dozens of meters, and a deep trench was carved into the earth.

Karl stumbled backward repeatedly, his ethereal state rendering him immune to most physical attacks. But the remaining physical force still caused him to stagger.

Impressive!

A Legendary Realm!

His arms trembled, and his eyes widened in shock.

This seemingly ordinary Merfolk possessed the strength of a Legendary Knight, and it was evidently stronger than Bob.

Its power rating might be as high as 8 points, or even 9!

If Karl hadn't turned ethereal in time, he would have been severely injured.

'When ethereal, attacks received accelerate the consumption of mental strength.'

'With a mental strength of 0.2, I can maintain this state for over twenty seconds. But after an attack, ten seconds would be a challenge. Now I understand why they say only Archwizards can fully utilize the power of advanced magic items.'

As Karl's thoughts raced, the sound of a collision reverberated, filling the air.

A Blasphemy Knight, wielding a greatsword, had clashed with the Red-Eyed Merfolk.

The Colea Sword Technique, a skill passed down by the Deities, was on full display.

Ana's eyes, now pitch-black, and her golden hair, frosted white.

An eerie, chilling, and terrifying aura accompanied her sword swings, suppressing her opponent.

Her slender, almost frail figure, with its curvaceous shape, combined with the unique greatsword in her hands, creating a strange beauty. The feminine grace and allure merged with the sword's sharpness and ferocity.

"Indeed, a greatsword!" Karl muttered, pulling out several disposable magic items and hurling them at the Red-Eyed Merfolk.

Weaken!

Immobilize!

Slow!

...

The spells had only a slight effect on the Merfolk, and it quickly recovered.

Karl's eyes darted:

"Legendary creatures have high resistance to spells. Low-level magic items have minimal impact on them."

"Especially those related to Demon Gods; they are almost immune."

"So..."

"Ana, jump!"

As he shouted, he stomped his foot.

Super Rune - Earthshaker!

"Swish!"

Ana leaped at his command, and as she rose, the ground rippled like water, causing the Red-Eyed Merfolk to stiffen.

Super Runes, comparable to Third Circle Spells, affected even Legendary creatures.

Dozens of stone spikes erupted from the ground, piercing towards the Merfolk with astonishing speed. Though they couldn't break its skin, they threw it off balance, leaving it briefly rigid.

Slash!

Battle Technique - Wind God's Fury!

"Haa!"

Ana, mid-air, unleashed the technique, her body spinning like a high-speed wheel, and her sword created a deep fissure in the ground before it even landed.

At that moment, Karl charged forward, both hands gripping his weapon.

Battle Technique - Divine Sanction!

"Boom!"

"Pffft!"

The Red-Eyed Merfolk wailed, its arm severed by Ana's strike, and its body was blasted away by Karl.

Rune - Ice Explosion!

Karl raised his hand, activating a rune.

The Red-Eyed Merfolk, mid-air, instantly froze into an ice block, which then shattered.

Inside the shattered ice, fresh chunks of flesh were scattered, nearly dismembering the Merfolk.

Ana's eyes widened in surprise.

The Merfolk's physical strength was terrifying; only with the aid of her weapon and battle technique had she managed to sever its arm.

Nearly dismembered!

The Guardian's methods were indeed formidable.

And yet, the Red-Eyed Merfolk still hadn't perished!

"Die!"

Karl closed in again, his twin swords intertwining.

"Pfft!"

The Merfolk's head flew high, and a warm current of energy appeared out of thin air, flowing into Karl's body.

Essence?

Just as he had guessed!

His hunch was correct; as long as it was related to a deity, once it reached a certain level, he could obtain Essence.

The island master of Flame Island possessed Essence, and so did the Red-Eyed Merfolk, just in varying quantities.

It was worth using up a rune.

Karl's eyes flickered, and without time to think, he shouted to Ana, "Run!"

The two had aimed for a quick battle, but they still attracted the attention of the surrounding Merfolk. If they didn't leave immediately, they would be surrounded.

...

Night fell.

In the midst of ruins.

The area had been ravaged by the Merfolk, leaving the ground in disarray with various items scattered in the mud.

"Nothing!"

Karl stood up, shaking his head in dismay.

"Still nothing."

"Strange, we left in such a hurry, and not much was taken. The three major forces should have left some Great Divine Blessings, and Hawk mentioned that there should be more than just the initial few. Why haven't we found anything else?"

Over the past two days, to maintain the 'invisibility' effect and avoid detection by the Merfolk, Karl had been consuming over ten magic stones daily.

If they were discovered, the cost would be even greater.

Constantly using magic stones while living in fear of being found was frustrating, and he couldn't help but feel annoyed.

"Guardian."

Ana spoke softly, "There's something coming."

Not far away, a colorful giant snake crawled slowly, its long tongue hissing as it released poison into the surrounding air.

Their 'invisibility' had little effect on the poison, and if they didn't leave soon, they might be discovered.

"Hmm."

Karl nodded, but as he was about to leave, his expression changed.

"Wait a moment!"

He took out a disposable enchanted item and tossed it onto the ground beneath him.

Sink!

The hard ground instantly softened, and they sank into it like walking on water, heading underground.

Zero-Ring Spell—Rock Manipulation!

Ten meters below, Karl used another enchanted item to part the mud on either side.

In the blink of an eye, a small 'room' of several square meters appeared.

"Wait here for a moment," Karl instructed Ana before walking towards the mud.

His body instantly merged with it, leaving the Blasphemy Knight with a look of surprise.

Divine Realm Fragment.

Karl sat on a stone chair, observing the mist rising in the arena.

"In the end..."

The mist revealed Quincy praying fervently, pleading for a deity's descent.

"Ahem!"

Clearing his throat, Karl lowered his voice and slowed his speech.

"So..."

"What is your prayer?"

Quincy, who had been waiting for death, suddenly widened his eyes, staring at the awe-inspiring figure in the void.

"God?"

"Save me! Save me!"

He pleaded, then realized his mistake.

No!

Even if my injuries are healed, I'll still die against a Red-Eyed Merfolk as powerful as a Legendary Knight.

"God!"

His eyes filled with entreaty and longing as he addressed the void, "I wish to receive your blessing and become a Legendary Knight."

Legendary?

That's what I wanted to hear!

Karl, seated on the stone chair, smiled.

The moment Quincy spoke, the Divine Realm Fragment responded, revealing how his wish could be granted.

The Divine Realm Fragment seemed to have a unique operating mechanism, akin to a wishing well that could grant others' wishes. As the fragment's master, Karl was still exploring its capabilities.

"Good!"

He nodded, "As you wish!"

Reaching forward, his finger pierced the boundaries of space and time, touching Quincy.

A vast energy flowed into him.

Hmm?

Karl, seated on the stone throne, frowned and looked around, his expression changing.

The Divine Realm Fragment, which he had worked hard to expand using Essence, had shrunk by over thirty square meters!

This was equivalent to three points of Essence or thirty Great Divine Blessings!

"What...?"

"What's going on?!"

Karl shouted, but it was too late. Quincy, having received the blessing, was now beyond his perception.

"Ah!"

"How could it consume so much?!"

If not for his presence in the Divine Realm Fragment, maintaining his rationality, Karl might have broken down on the spot.

Thirty Great Divine Blessings!

Gone in an instant!

Hmm?

Just a few moments later, Karl's eyebrows rose as the vanished Essence returned, even slightly more than before.

What's happening?

As the question formed, the Divine Realm Fragment provided an answer.

Quincy was dead!

As a believer of the Emperor of Taiwei Jade, upon death, all his possessions would belong to the realm's master.

This included Quincy himself and the Red-Eyed Merfolk.

A corner of the Divine Realm Fragment's secret was revealed.

"After death, all belongs to the master!"

"In life, all glory belongs to the master!"

...

Verses from the Morning Lord's scripture echoed in Karl's mind, revealing their true meaning.

In the beginning, there was Source, and the stronger one's power, the greater the Source within them. Quincy's death proves this point."

"No wonder the deities all want mortals to worship them."

The Source within a single person could be negligible, but what about a thousand, a million, or even a hundred million people?

If there were several billion believers, then the Source from the deaths of those who passed away each day would continuously nourish the deities.

Moreover, the deaths of believers also count as a harvest for the deities.

"No wonder!"

"Now it makes sense why deities wage wars for mortals. These believers are their sustenance, and even the very foundation of their power."

"The wizarding books also record that deities herd and harvest the faith of mortals. So, this is what they meant."

Karl's eyes flickered with realization:

"In that case, the so-called righteous deities would treat their followers and believers as livestock and ingredients. They'd nurture them with care because the more believers they have, the more Source they can harvest."

"As for the evil deities..."

"They engage in a straightforward transaction, directly reaping the lives of mortals. According to my understanding, younger people have more Source than the elderly, and these deities lack the patience to nurture believers. Instead, they devour them to transform their Source."

"696969"

"Moreover!"

Karl took a deep breath:

"Bestowing blessings on others consumes Source."

"Helping believers fulfill their wishes also consumes Source, and the amount consumed varies depending on the wish."

"Resurrecting deceased believers in the divine realm or even transforming them into angels requires an enormous amount of Source."

"If we compare deities to a grand boss, then believers are their source of wealth. Angels, priests, and the like are the boss's employees, and the wishes of believers are like incentive strategies..."

"So that's how it is!"

With this epiphany, Karl turned his attention to his data panel.

Name: Karl

Constitution: 5

Spirit Power: 4.5

Source: 1

Level: Peak Knight, Advanced Wizard Apprentice

Eight portions of Divine Blessing converted from eight Great Deities: 0.8

Killing a Red-Eyed Merfolk: 0.2

Quincy's death brought Source directly to the Divine Fragment, not to Karl himself.

After some thought, the Source and Constitution values on his panel showed a slight increase.

Constitution: 5.01

Source: 0.96

"After the Constitution value exceeds 5, it takes 4 points of Source to increase Constitution by 1 point, which is double the previous rate."

Karl stroked his chin, shaking his head lightly:

"Although the values have increased, my life essence remains unchanged. It seems that even if my Constitution reaches 10, I'm still just an ordinary life form."

"It's like an elephant and an ant; their strength may differ, but their life essence is the same."

"My lifespan..."

"Hasn't been extended either!"

Legendary Knights can live up to two hundred years, but the lifespan of a Peak Knight is no different from an ordinary person who takes good care of their health.

I need to raise my realm to increase my lifespan by over a hundred years.

With this additional lifespan, my chances of breaking through to become an Archwizard will significantly improve.

Putting these thoughts aside, Karl's face revealed a hint of a smile:

"Make preparations. I'll break through within a few days and become a Legendary being."

"Bang!"

"Pfft!"

The Red-Eyed Merfolk burst into the crowd, charging through and leaving a trail of corpses in its wake.

The enhancement of its life essence significantly increased its defense, burst power, and recovery, far surpassing that of the Blue-Eyed Merfolk.

When facing Blue-Eyed Merfolk, it could rely on numbers to surround and overcome them.

However, against the Red-Eyed Merfolk, the advantage of numbers was greatly reduced.

"Joe!"

Connie roared, charging forward with a dagger in each hand.

Combat Technique - Blind Strike!

This technique increased the body's resilience, making it difficult to interrupt one's actions, allowing for continuous attacks with the weapons in hand.

"Damn..."

Terrifying brute force rushed towards Connie.

Connie's body trembled, but with the support of the combat technique, he stood firm, even seizing the opportunity to launch a fierce attack.

At the same time, a man dressed as a sailor, Blackbeard, appeared behind the Red-Eyed Merfolk, his hands reaching out.

Curse - Weaken!

Two snake-like streams of black energy emerged from his palms, entering the Red-Eyed Merfolk's body.

Instantly, the Red-Eyed Merfolk's speed slowed.

Effective!

Blackbeard's face showed a hint of satisfaction. This curse, obtained from a mysterious place in the Endless Sea, rivaled the power of a Super-Ranked Magic Seal.

Even a Legendary-ranked creature would be affected.

"Watch out!"

Before anyone could react, Connie roared.

The Red-Eyed Merfolk turned around and pounced on Blackbeard, its speed still incredibly fast despite the curse.

Moreover...

Combat Technique - Blind Strike!

Its fists shot forward, then its body shifted, alternating between punches and claw attacks, tearing through several people's shadows.

Among them was Blackbeard.

No one would have thought that Merfolk could use combat techniques, and with such terrifying power.

Even iron armor couldn't withstand its attacks, let alone human flesh?

"Joe!"

Connie roared, his eyes turning red.

"Swish!"

His body transformed into a shadow, appearing behind the Red-Eyed Merfolk, and he thrust his dagger forward.

Combat Technique - Rapid Strikes!

A continuous attack technique, the more strikes, the greater the damage inflicted.

With the speed of a Peak Knight, he stabbed six times in an instant, but only managed to break through the Red-Eyed Merfolk's defense.

The Red-Eyed Merfolk's punch landed on Connie's chest.

"Bang!"

Connie's chest exploded, revealing his internal organs, but he didn't stop.

Eight strikes!

Ten strikes!

...

"Bang!"

The fist struck again.

Conn's heart exploded, sending sixteen strikes, followed by eighteen more, and a powerful blast. The two figures were sent flying, with Conn's upper body covered in blood and gore, twitching as he landed. The Red-Eyed Merfolk, pierced by two large holes, also fell to the ground.

"Ugh..."

"Human, you are strong," the Red-Eyed Merfolk managed to prop itself up, examining its wounds. Its crimson eyes flashed with surprise as it spoke, "Your body is strange too. Even with your heart shattered, you remain alive."

The Blue-Eyed Merfolk possessed a certain level of rationality, and the Red-Eyed Merfolk's intelligence was no less than that of a normal human. It was not unusual for them to speak.

"Strange?" Conn rasped. "You're the strange one, monster!"

In his exploration of the Endless Sea, Conn had encountered strange occurrences and experienced certain transformations in his body. Despite being a Grand Knight, he could withstand attacks of legendary caliber.

"Are you trying to provoke me?" The Red-Eyed Merfolk smiled. "The Endless Sea's legendary captain, Conn, I've heard of your name. After you die, I'll turn your skull into a wine cup as a keepsake."

"Hmm?" Conn's eyes narrowed as he spoke, then he turned his head towards the distance.

There, a corpse should have been.

But now, Quincy stood tall, brimming with vitality and vigor, his long spear at the ready. A formidable aura of killing intent emanated from him.

Conn's eyes contracted. This aura...

A legendary knight!

His earlier instincts had been correct; something had indeed happened to Quincy.

"The gods truly favor me!" Quincy, blessed by the 'Deity', touched his body in amazement, his voice trembling. "Legendary!"

"He's truly a legendary knight!"

"Whoosh!"

Before he could finish, the Red-Eyed Merfolk charged forward, sensing the threat emanating from Quincy. Sparks flew as the spear struck, and the Red-Eyed Merfolk was sent flying.

Weakened by the curse and heavily wounded by Conn, the Red-Eyed Merfolk, despite its recent advancement, was no match for the newly empowered Quincy.

"Haha..." Quincy roared with laughter. "Legendary! I am now a legendary knight!"

"Monster!"

"Die!"

With a furious shout, Quincy charged, his spear a blur of deadly strikes. Each blow possessed immense destructive power, shattering stones and tearing through ordinary Merfolk.

"Pfft!" The spear pierced the Red-Eyed Merfolk's heart from an odd angle, lifting it high into the air.

"Haha..." Quincy laughed triumphantly. "The Red-Eyed Merfolk is just..."

"Hmm?"

Before he could finish, Quincy felt a sharp pain in his heart and his body trembled as his power surged uncontrollably. Looking down, he saw a spike piercing his heart, its other end connected to the Red-Eyed Merfolk's tail.

"Thud!"

Both figures fell to the ground, kicking up a small cloud of dust.

Dead?

Conn, surprised, struggled to his feet, intending to check on Quincy's body. However, a howl from nearby interrupted him.

The howls grew louder, indicating that the Merfolk were approaching.

Gritting his teeth, Conn rushed to where Quincy had been standing, clearing the debris with his hands.

A blurry pattern came into view.

This was...

A symbol of the gods?

...

Midnight.

A faint figure glided through the crowd of Merfolk, swift and silent, like a fleeting phantom.

The Merfolk, unaware, continued their activities.

Soon after.

"Ah!"

"Run!"

"..."

Cries and wails echoed from a distance, prompting nearby Merfolk to rush towards the source, leaving the area momentarily deserted.

"Clop..."

A ripple formed in the air, and a pitch-black hoof appeared, treading on nothingness before gently touching down.

The rider, armed with a spear and a whip, surveyed the area. With a swift motion, the whip shot out, piercing the ground and returning with a wooden box in its coils.

"Whoosh!"

The rider opened the box, examined its contents, and nodded in satisfaction.

"So that's how it is!"

Suddenly, a leisurely voice sounded.

"I've been searching for the Great Divine Blessing for a while now. It seems you've been collecting them too, aside from me."

Karl appeared with Ana, gazing at the rider and shaking his head.

"Hmm?"

The rider, surprised to encounter others, turned to Karl, recognition flashing in their eyes. "I remember you. Karl, the pharmacist from Rapids City."

"So, you're not dead!"

"No, I'm not." Karl nodded, adding, "I thought the commotion outside was to attract the Merfolk. It seems the places I searched for the Great Divine Blessing. were no coincidence."

"Heh..."

Karl sighed, gesturing to Ana, "Kill him!"

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(End of Chapter)

Chapter end