Chapter 270

Chapter 270
## The One Beloved by the Goddess

—

Aaron found himself unable to process the reality of the scene occurring before him.

Who was Bartashu? He was a premier Paladin, a high-ranking warrior dispatched by Aaron’s father, Cardinal Johansson. That name carried immense weight and prestige even within the Goddess Cult; simply knowing he was present was usually enough to instill a sense of absolute safety. Beyond that, the caliber of the blessings he could provide was far superior to any ordinary priest. This protector, intended as a guaranteed ticket to tournament victory from the Cardinal, had been snuffed out in a single blow.

‘This is impossible. It makes no sense!’

He had witnessed the blessings being stripped away. He had seen with his own eyes the failure of the Divine Word and the complete erasure of the Sanctuary. In that moment, every piece of terrain the intruder stepped upon was stained in a dark reversal of the holy colors. How could such a phenomenon exist?

The surrounding Paladins were similarly struck dumb, staring at Bartashu’s severed head on the stones like mutes who had swallowed honey. They were paralyzed, unable to reconcile their faith with the grisly sight before them.

‘Even if the attributes were scaled down, there has to be a threshold!’

300 Stat Points. Every participant started with that sum and allocated them accordingly. However, while the numerical total was identical, the application was worlds apart. Logically, this confrontation should have ended in a landslide victory for the Goddess Cult.

‘…No other organization can rival the Goddess Cult when it’s a matter of holy blessings. None!’

The cult was unmatched in its repertoire of physical and mental augmentations. It was a power that allowed a believer to surpass mortal constraints in the name of the Goddess. Since these blessings provided supplemental strength, they should have been even more dominant in a restricted environment like this.

So why? Why were they unable to take down a solitary man?

‘Why? Why? Why?’

These Paladins were the cream of the crop. Thirty elite warriors had converged, yet they were helpless against this one individual. Was he a literal demon? Or was he truly the representative of some Malignant God? If he possessed the power to cancel the Divine Word and the Sanctuary of the Goddess Cult, what kind of dark entity was he serving?

Thud.

The rhythm of footsteps drew closer. Aaron shifted his vision upward. Hyun of Adrium was making his way toward him.

He had hair as dark as night and eyes like ink. It was a color scheme that felt inherently threatening. Upon closer inspection, his features were strangely unique. He was quite tall with skin as pale as snow, distinct lips, a sharp, straight nose, and ears that came to a slight point… it was a countenance that made the claim of him being from the Holy City of Adrium seem highly suspect.

Most striking of all was his presence. At a casual glance, he seemed unremarkable enough to be missed, yet if one focused on him, he held a magnetic, almost hypnotic quality that made it impossible to look away. Even now, in this carnage. He had to be under the thumb of a Malignant God.

‘Malignant Gods never disclose their identities. Other deities share their names to bolster their divinity, but these dark beings grow fragile once their true names are spoken.’

Because of this, Aaron needed to uncover the truth. Hyun of Adrium. He needed the name of the Malignant God the man served. If he could only speak that name, he could flip the script. The Goddess Cult had extensively cataloged the lore of dark deities.

‘Balakgas, Angra Mainyu, Gaz, Diablo.’

These were the ‘Four Great Malignant Gods’ identified by the cult. They were the most potent dark entities in existence, specifically ‘Balakgas,’ who was believed to be the Primary God of the Balrog Cult. A Primary God was a tier above the standard pantheon. They held dominion over reality itself rather than just the tower, and while they couldn’t manifest directly in the Middle Realm, they could channel their essence into their servants.

The Goddess was also a Primary God. Yet, Hyun—this man—did not seem to be an agent of those four. The energy he gave off was fundamentally different from theirs. Aaron had to guess correctly on the first attempt. Probing blindly would only result in a backfiring curse from a Malignant God.

“You foul wretch! Proclaim the name of the dark master you serve!”

Desperate and unable to guess, Aaron began to recite a holy invocation. It was a chant of adoration for the Goddess. If the opponent served a minor deity, this prayer alone should force his true name into the light.

“…….”

Thud.

The gap had closed to a mere three paces. Aaron’s eyes began to tremble uncontrollably. The invocation had no effect. Then again, if a simple prayer could work, Bartashu’s Divine Word wouldn’t have failed so miserably.

“S-Stay back…… I ordered you to stop!”

“Divine Sword!”
“O Goddess!”

The Paladins finally snapped out of their stupor and moved to intercept the path.

Thud!

……But in a flash, every blessing was extinguished. The divine protections they relied on as naturally as breath vanished. Suddenly, the crushing weight of their plate mail and the frantic pounding of their hearts felt raw against their skin.

“…….”
“What is happening……”
“Focus! He is a high-level servant of a Malignant God! Defend Aaron-nim!”

They hoisted their blades once more, but—

Jjeong!
Kwaaaaang!

“Guh!”
“……God……?”
“……dess……!”

The warriors in his path were torn to ribbons. Steel shattered, plate armor was rent open, and some were mangled so badly they lost all human shape. All from a solitary strike.

Yet, the strangest detail wasn’t the violence. It was the final moments of the Paladins. It was where they were looking as they died.

‘Why are all their dying eyes fixed…….’

Every fallen soldier died with their eyes turned toward the space above the man’s head. They died with expressions of religious awe and profound shock. The word ‘Goddess’ was being whispered, yet Aaron couldn’t grasp it. Was there a Goddess hovering over the head of a dark apostle? If so, why couldn’t he or the Paladins feel it? They were the Goddess’s own children. They who lived only for her—

“Ah……”

He was truly lost now. He was facing an entity that defied all logic. He couldn’t even find the courage to beg for his life.

“I’m taking one, just as I said I would.”

A prophecy? What was he talking about?

‘Could it be!’

Aaron tried to pull his left arm back in a panic, but his reflexes were far too slow.

Chwaaaaak!

“Aaaargh!”

His left arm was severed cleanly at the shoulder.

“I-It burns, I told you it burns……!”

Aaron howled, thrashing on the ground. The fountain of blood quickly turned the floor into a dark pool.

‘Make the pain stop! Just end it!’

Aaron’s body eventualy jerked like a landed fish before he spiraled into unconsciousness, his face a ghostly white. The agony was too much to bear. However, just as he drifted away, a haunting voice echoed in his mind.

—On this 11th floor, your left arm is taken.
—……?
—On the 12th, the right arm goes; on the 13th, the left leg; and on the 14th, the right leg will be taken one by one. And as for the 15th floor…… I’ll decide what happens when we arrive.

It was a lingering promise that Aaron’s torment was merely in its opening act.

—

《100 challengers have been knocked out.》
《The remaining 900 participants proceed to the ‘12th Floor’ of the Tower of the War God.》
《When 90 more are removed, you will move to the 13th floor.》
《The ‘Equal Struggle’ commences in 30 minutes.》

The 12th floor. The layout and atmosphere remained identical to the previous level. However, one significant factor had shifted…

“…….”
“…….”

It was the way people were looking at me. From the beginning, I had been a ‘target of interest,’ but everyone assumed I would be the one eliminated. They were wrong. I had personally taken out ten Paladins on the 11th floor. I was responsible for ten percent of the total eliminations by myself. Plenty of people had been watching that display.

‘Everyone.’

Every person in this room had analyzed my fighting style. And they had reached a unanimous decision.

‘They’ve decided to blackball me.’

Their body language was telling. They weren’t brave enough to strike first, but the second I looked vulnerable, they would swarm. For now, because there were other rival factions to worry about, they were keeping their distance.

‘The biggest players are Husta’s crew—the Mercenary King’s student; the Dercian faction; and Hanches’s squad, the Knight of the Sun.’

It was a tense three-way standoff. No one had a clear lead yet. This meant no one was willing to align with me just yet. They were likely holding out hope that Aaron and his Paladins would eventually take me out or at least wear me down.

‘In any case.’

This actually worked in my favor. I had no plans to focus on them for the time being. Instead, I turned my attention to the notifications flashing in my vision.

《‘Heavenly Demon Divine Art – Record of Life and Death’ is active and harvesting mana.》
《Mana has risen by 5.》

The Heavenly Demon Divine Art, Record of Life and Death.

‘The Absorption Method has claimed the mana of the fallen.’

By executing ten Paladins, my mana pool had grown by 5. This was a fundamentally different mechanic than the King of the Dead’s abilities. Not everyone is suited to become undead after death. But the Heavenly Demon Divine Art didn’t care about suitability. It stripped the mana from every life I ended and synthesized it into my own power.

‘……This is incredible.’

Based on the math, the potential of this art far exceeded the King of the Dead’s skill. Even better, my ‘capacity’ seemed limitless. I could grow without a ceiling. And it wasn’t just my mana that was evolving.

《‘Supreme Wisdom Sword’ has tasted blood and progressed by one rank.》
《It has evolved into the ‘True Supreme Wisdom Sword.’》

The Supreme Wisdom Sword—a weapon that self-evolves. Once it hits its fourth stage of growth, it transforms into a unique state based on its history. And then.

《The Hidden Class ‘One Who Erases Holy Radiance’ has been forged through ‘Great Transmission.’》
《Do you wish to accept the ‘One Who Erases Holy Radiance’ Hidden Class?》

……The slaughter of the Paladins had birthed a new Hidden Class. One Who Erases Holy Radiance. My choices were directly manifesting into new classes. I felt like I finally understood the path.

‘Reach the summit and break the record.’

My objective had shifted. I realized I needed to go all the way to the top. I would see the end of this tower regardless of the cost. I was certain that a ‘transmission’ far more powerful than any current Hidden Class would be waiting for me there. I began to stretch, loosening my muscles. Soon after.

《30 minutes have passed.》
《12th Floor, the ‘Equal Struggle’ has begun!》

—

《30 minutes have passed.》
《14th Floor, the ‘Equal Struggle’ has begun!》

After surviving the 12th floor and pushing through the 13th, the challengers remaining on the 14th floor all shared a single realization.

‘That man is a catastrophe.’
‘Hyun of Adrium!’
‘He has to go first.’

The sheer martial power he displayed was terrifying. Even worse, he seemed to be getting stronger with every floor. The remaining factions began to form an uneasy alliance. They realized that if they kept fighting each other, he would eventually kill them all.

“A-Are you with us, Aaron-nim?”

A Paladin called out to the dazed Aaron. For some cruel reason, every time a new round started, Aaron was shocked back to consciousness only to lose another limb as the ‘prophecy’ dictated. It was a waking nightmare.

“Why……”

As the struggle commenced, Aaron’s mind cleared again. Only three Paladins remained by his side. They were exhausting their holy reserves to keep him stable, but—

‘Why can’t I just quit……’

Aaron was the picture of hopelessness. He couldn’t forfeit the match. Even when he tried, the system didn’t recognize it. The Tower of the War God was a cage with no exit for them. Aaron had no fight left in him. His missing limbs wouldn’t even respond to healing. Because the man’s mana was so overwhelming, holy magic couldn’t close the wounds or reattach the parts. Only his right leg was left. He couldn’t even stand.

A wave of crushing regret washed over him. Hyun of Adrium. He wished he had never opened his mouth to provoke him.

Thud.
Thud.

The round was underway, and the man was coming.

“A-Aaron-nim?”
“G-get out of the way.”

Aaron began to drag himself across the stones. He realized there was only one move left. Using his remaining leg and his torso, he desperately pulled himself forward, inch by inch, until he collapsed at the man’s feet.

“I-I will crawl. I…… I was mistaken.”

But he wasn’t just there to apologize for his arrogance. Aaron tilted his head back. Looking up at the space above the man, he stammered:

“You are n-n-not a servant of a Malignant God. You are……”

He hadn’t understood at first—why his men died looking up. But now, with death looming, he saw it. The closer he drifted toward the veil, the clearer it became.

……He could sense it. He could see it. He hadn’t believed it before, but now it was undeniable. Aaron traced the holy symbol of the Goddess Cult in the air with a trembling hand.

“You were…… the one whom the Goddess…… loves above all others……”

The man was a representative of the Goddess. No, even that word was too small. He was something that went beyond the title of apostle. He was the recipient of the Goddess’s ‘devotion.’ He was closer to the divine than the Saintess or the Pope himself. What title did you give to such a being? Someone like Aaron didn’t have the authority to even name it.

“…….”

The man stared down at him with an empty expression.

Thud.

Then, he simply stepped over Aaron and kept walking.

“Hyun of Adrium! We acknowledge our error in judgment.”
“I’m sorry, but you have to die first.”

The factions had successfully merged. Everyone had banded together to take down Hyun of Adrium. There were over two hundred warriors by a quick count. Aaron croaked out a command to his last Paladins.

“You…… go help him……”

It was too late for talk, though. No matter how strong he was, one man couldn’t hold off a small army. That was when it happened.

Fwhiriririk!

His entire frame erupted in a blaze of black flames.

—Heavenly Demon Descent.

The true essence of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art – Record of Life and Death.

The Heavenly Demon had arrived.