〈 Chapter 1051 〉 1051. Ritual of the Sacred Vessel
The High Priest knelt on the floor, praying towards the portrait of the Mad God.
But this portrait was different from what the believers of the Light Origin Sect saw. It depicted a monstrous being with writhing tentacles—this was the true form of the sect’s Mad Spirit.
I swung my sword at the High Priest. A blade of blue energy, charged with crimson lightning, soared towards him.
Whooshhh.
The air seemed to ripple, and then a translucent barrier materialized around the High Priest, deflecting the attack.
The High Priest slowly rose to his feet, turning to face me with no trace of panic or anger.
“Lord, you seem greatly angered. Was our hospitality so lacking? If any disciple has wronged you, feel free to punish them.”
With my sword pointed at him, I unleashed another strike. Crackling red lightning pierced through the void, but once again, it was blocked by the barrier. However, I noticed the barrier trembling—so it wasn’t invincible after all.
“My Lord, I don’t know what has upset you so, but this is an important time. Tomorrow, we shall finally meet the Mad God.”
“High Priest, you said you were watching me.”
“Did that offend you? It was an unavoidable divine prophecy from the Mad God. Please understand.”
“For how long?”
“The prophecy came about three months ago. As I’ve said before, it doesn’t matter now. We merely observed; we took no action.”
“If you were watching me, you must also know about my relationships.”
“Of course, we know. But we only observed; we did nothing.”
“What about Han Harin? Do you know her?”
“She’s the younger sister of Han Ayoung, who recently became an S-Rank Hunter, correct? And she’s close to you. What’s the issue here? Oh, do you wish to bring Han Harin to the Light Origin Sect? Since she’s chosen by you, I’d certainly welcome her. We might even offer her the position of Guide.”
“Han Harin is dead.”
“Oh… I see. That must be painful for you. If you wish, we can perform a memorial ritual for her here in the Light Origin Sect.”
“Han Harin died because of your people.”
At this, the High Priest’s expression stiffened slightly.
“What? That’s unexpected. I understand your anger. We’ll find and punish everyone involved, so please calm down.”
“She was sacrificed as an offering.”
“Ah… So you went into the underground corpse storage facility, didn’t you? It does have quite a foul smell.”
“Disgusting. Wasn’t this your doing?”
“While I am the High Priest, I don’t oversee everything. The rituals and management of the temple are handled by the first Guide, Murat, and there’s someone else responsible for managing the offerings.”
“Managing the offerings? Don’t you just kill them outright?”
“These are offerings to the Mad God. They can’t simply be killed without care. Imagine presenting something dirty and low-quality to the Mad God. Would He be pleased? It would already be fortunate if He didn’t become enraged. In that sense, the Ritual of the Sacred Vessel is special. The offerings are devout believers filled with faith in the Mad God. Their sacrifices will surely move Him.”
“I’ve already killed Murat, whoever he is. I’ve also killed the one managing the offerings. Now, it’s your turn.”
“You seem angrier than I expected. I understand, but please try to calm yourself.”
“If the issue is Han Harin’s death, why not just bring Han Harin back to life?”
I paused mid-step as I held my sword and approached the high priest.
“Bring back to life…?”
“Yes. It may sound absurd, but with Divine Grace’s power, it’s possible. Perhaps you should meet with Lord Divine tomorrow and ask directly. After all, it’s just one human life. Surely Lord Divine will grant your wish.”
“Fine. I’ll handle it myself. Die here.”
I swung my sword, now wrapped in a blade of energy. The barrier resisted for a moment before splitting apart, slicing the high priest’s shoulder.
“In an instant…”
Before the high priest could react, I struck again, cleanly severing their head. But as the head began to fall, it suddenly stopped mid-air.
“Lord… has your anger subsided? I shall permit your attacks on me only this far. I do admit partial responsibility in this matter. So please, stop here.”
The severed head hovered in the air, blood dripping from the neck but still alive. It was grotesque. I thrust my sword into the high priest’s forehead, piercing straight through.
“…Lord. I did give you a chance. This choice was yours.”
From the body and the floating head, thick tentacles erupted. Dozens of them writhed around, and I narrowed my eyes. The high priest wasn’t human—or rather, if they once were, they were no longer.
“It doesn’t matter either way. I’m ending you.”
ZZZIIIIPPPP!
A surge of crimson lightning crackled around the high priest’s head, electrifying it. The tentacles sizzled and curled, emitting a foul smell of burning flesh.
“GGGHHHRRRAAAUUUUUGGGHHH!”
The high priest screamed in agony as I continued to pump electricity into them. I wouldn’t stop until they were dead.
KA-BOOM!
Suddenly, a shockwave blasted me backward, slamming me into the wall. Clenching my teeth against the pain in my back, I forced myself to stand.
In that brief moment, the high priest had fully regenerated.
“Do you see this proof of immortality? A gift from Lord Divine. Ah… thanks to Lord Divine’s grace, I shall live forever.”
“Can’t die, huh? Perfect for revenge.”
I forcibly squeezed out the last of my mana. To be honest, my body was already at its limit. Back in the underground chamber, seeing Han Harin’s corpse had sent me into a rage, causing me to lose control of my power—not that I regret it. None of it matters anymore.
‘If I die from mana backlash… I can always use Full Recovery.’
KRAAAAAKKKK!
The mana surged violently through my body like thunder, searing hot—no, electric. It felt like a bolt of lightning was rampaging inside me.
‘Stormbreaker!!’
Stormbreaker fused with my Flamesword technique, enveloping my body. A spectral sword materialized in the air, and red lightning crackled wildly around me.
‘Accelerate, Instantaneous Movement!’
I lunged toward the high priest. They didn’t react—or rather, couldn’t. The high priest wasn’t a true Hunter; their strength came solely from Lord Divine.
My sword slashed through the air, cutting the high priest’s body more than three times per second. Each cut regenerated instantly, but I gritted my teeth and kept swinging. My strikes grew faster, but so did the excruciating pain in my muscles. My forcibly extracted mana dwindled rapidly. Even as I coughed up blood, I didn’t stop.
When my sword clattered to the ground, I finally ceased. I no longer had the strength to lift it. My insides were scorched beyond repair. Having experienced death many times, I knew—I was about to die.
“Are you feeling slightly better now?”
The high priest had fully recovered, a faint smirk playing on their lips. It looked like mockery, which only fueled my rage further. The problem was, my body lying on the ground wouldn’t move.
“You died 75 times in that short span. Yet you failed to kill me. This is the great power of Lord Divine.”
“The power sucked from Lord Divine’s ass must feel pretty good, huh.”
“I would gladly suck Lord Divine’s ass for eternity!”
“…”
For a moment, I’d forgotten the high priest was a devout follower.
“You… the Holy Origin Sect… Lord Divine… I’ll exterminate all of you.”
“I’m going to kill the Holy Lord… Such a blasphemous statement. If anyone else had dared to utter such words, I would’ve torn their limbs off without hesitation. However, since it’s you, My Lady, I shall show restraint. The Holy Lord is about to descend. It is not my place, but His Holiness who will decide your punishment.”
Five tentacles emerged from the void.
The tentacles wrapped tightly around my armored body, gripping me firmly.
“Therefore, please remain still until then, My Lady.”
“…I’ve already destroyed the summoning chamber. It’ll take some time for the Holy Lord to descend.”
“Huh? Ah, I see. Even so, it’s no problem. We can compensate with offerings. The followers are more than willing to sacrifice themselves for the Holy Lord. Above all, isn’t Park Soho here? Park Soho, blessed by the power of Selbretina, has exceptional value as an offering.”
The high priest spoke calmly, showing no sign of anxiety.
KWAH-AANG! KA-BOOM! KA-BOOM!
An explosion sounds from outside the high priest’s chamber. Actually, it’s been echoing since a while ago. It must be Park Soho rampaging.
“In that case, I must capture Park Soho. Please stay put here.”
The high priest exited the room.
“…”
I looked up at the void.
A notification window from the Leisure Life app appeared.
My ability, the Leisure Life app, syncs with smartphones. Thus, manipulating it via phone is most convenient. But its foundation lies in me; even without holding the phone, certain operations are possible.
[30-Day Regression Ticket
Regresses 30 days back in time.
Price: 1,000,000 points
*Note
The Leisure Life app is unaffected by regression.
Only the world where the ticket is used regresses.]
[Would you like to use the 30-Day Regression Ticket?]
Realizing there was no way to defeat the high priest, I decided to use the 30-day regression instead of full recovery. Had the high priest not left to deal with Park Soho, I would’ve definitely used it already.
‘Too precious to waste now that I’ve made up my mind.’
[Initiating Full Recovery.]
My body healed completely. Mana surged within me.
I burned the tentacles binding me with crimson lightning and stood up.
‘Regress. Saving Han Harin depends on this.’
Regression is a one-time opportunity. To use it efficiently, I need information.
‘I have time.’
It’s currently Day 29.
Han Harin is set to leave for Japan with the Moon Guild expedition on Day 11. Even if I regress 30 days, I’ll have over 10 days to spare. I can save her. No, I can protect her.
‘Information! I need definitive intel on how to kill the high priest.’
I also need more data about the Light Origin Sect. The gap between what I know and don’t know is vast.
I rushed out of the high priest’s chamber.
The temple was even more chaotic than I imagined. Pillars of fire erupted everywhere, and explosions continued nonstop. Park Soho was wreaking havoc far beyond expectations, which might make moving around easier.
‘First, someone who knows about the high priest… the Guides.’
I wandered around. Finding a Guide proved difficult, but I eventually spotted Kang Jiwoo. Despite the chaos, Kang Jiwoo remained calm, praying quietly.
“Kang Jiwoo.”
“It’s you, Yujin. You’re wearing armor. Is something wrong?”
“Shut up and answer my questions. Did you know the high priest isn’t human?”
“You seem to misunderstand. The High Priest is human.”
“Do you really think that thing looks human?”
“Ah, you mean His appearance? That’s the blessing of the Holy Lord. One day, I too will receive the Holy Lord’s blessing and become like Him.”
“…So you knew. And do you also know how to kill the high priest?”
“The current High Priest cannot die. The blessing of the Holy Lord grants Him immortality.”
“Kang Jiwoo. Tell me the locations of all the Light Origin Sect branches worldwide.”
“Busan in Korea, Hokkaido in Japan, Florida in the U.S….”
Kang Jiwoo recited the information effortlessly without hesitation. It was almost suspicious how easily he gave it up.