Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage Chapter 671: Twilight Adjudicator I

CH671 Twilight Adjudicator I

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'The Twilight Adjudicators?' A spark of curiosity lit Alex's eyes.

When the BattleBane Guild Master spoke of a dark chapter erased by the deities, Alex had first considered it might pertain to the Era of Sorcery. Yet, this name was entirely unfamiliar.

'Was this some forgotten corner of the Era of Sorcery that One Heaven neglected to mention? Or is it a separate, hidden history concealed by the deities, distinct from that particular era?'

Regardless of the answer, Alex lent his complete attention.

'The history of the Twilight Adjudicators stretches back over six centuries. In that epoch—a stark contrast to the false tranquility we experience now—the deities openly vied... and battled each other for devotees.'

The BattleBane Guild Master’s initial statement came as a shock.

Everything Alex had encountered since arriving on this plane, from Juror’s scriptures to historical accounts, had suggested that the Navi did not engage in competition among themselves. It seemed this was not always the reality, or perhaps, it had never been the reality at all.

The BattleBane Guild Master proceeded.

'These contests frequently erupted into conflicts between temples, pulling nations and their associated organizations into cataclysmic wars.

'On at least three distinct occasions, every significant nation was drawn into conflicts so immense they could only be termed world-shattering—battles that extinguished tens of millions of lives.

'During these grand wars, the deities themselves descended from their celestial realms to the battlefields, engaging in direct combat. Such descents not only bolstered the faith of their followers... but also exposed the deities to vulnerability.'

He paused, his gaze shifting to Alex.

'Many fail to grasp this, assuming all deities are equals, differentiated solely by their domains. However, this assumption is profoundly incorrect. Even among the deities, a distinct hierarchy based on power undeniably exists.'

Alex offered a nod of comprehension.

'That much seems evident. Deities or not, at their core, they are still cultivators,' Alex contemplated internally.

The BattleBane Guild Master resumed his narrative. 'Back then, a War Deity existed. Fueled by perpetual conflict, the dominion of war expanded, and with it, the deity’s might swelled.

'This War Deity aimed to subjugate the other deities. Inevitably, the remaining deities united, forming a common front against him.

'Ultimately, the War Deity was vanquished—but not before absconding with an artifact collectively safeguarded by all deities, inflicting grievous wounds upon many of them. Some suffered injuries so severe they were cast down from divinity, compelled to undergo mortal reincarnation for recovery before they could ever hope to reclaim their godhood.'

'Whatever the object stolen by the War Deity was, to elude the pursuit of the other deities, It was used to secretly forge a new Deity—a diversion intended to distract the rest of the Pantheon. By the time the elder deities had recuperated sufficiently to wage war anew and discovered the War Deity’s actions, a new generation of deities was already emerging.

'This new deity was not embraced by the Pantheon; rather, the elder deities sought their destruction. Perceiving this, and fully understanding the scheme orchestrated by the War Deity, the new deity formulated their own audacious plan.

'Prior to this new deity's ascension, knowledge concerning the genesis of divinity was virtually nonexistent. The path to godhood was a secret jealously guarded from mortals. This deity shattered that barrier by disseminating this forbidden knowledge to the Popes of the ancient temples—individuals believed to stand at the apex of the Combat Sage rank... or perhaps even beyond it.

'The Popes—along with other high-ranking Combat Sages and powers serving under the elder deities—faced a chilling realization: they, too, possessed the potential to ascend and attain godhood.

'They could either forge their own divinity... or seize the divine power of an existing deity—the latter being considerably easier.

'With this revelation, the new deity garnered allies from within the very leadership of the old temples, as well as from nations and organizations utterly exhausted by the ceaseless cycle of divine wars. Together, they initiated a bold and perilous conspiracy.

'While the elder deities were still recuperating from their injuries, the conspirators moved to terminate all warfare globally, thereby diminishing the War Deity’s domain and hindering their recovery—ultimately compelling them to reveal themselves. Concurrently, the Popes wielded their authority to subtly manipulate the worship directed at the elder deities, corrupting the very faith networks that sustained them.'

"By the time the ancient deities realized what had transpired and came forth to intervene, the groundwork had already been laid. Regardless of their wishes, they found themselves inexorably drawn into another cataclysmic divine war as they fought to reclaim the artifact that the War Deity had pilfered."

"What transpired subsequently remains shrouded in mystery, for any who were positioned close enough to bear witness to that monumental battle perished within its fury. However, it is known that the artifact fractured and detonated amidst the conflict, resulting in the direct demise of three deities—the War Deity among them.

"The deities that managed to survive retreated to their respective Temples to recuperate. Their divine realms had sustained grievous damage from the artifact's explosion, rendering their mortal Temples the most secure havens for their healing and restoration.

"Regrettably for them... the Popes had been lying in wait."

"The Popes dispatched the very deities they once served, seizing their godhood through usurpation, thereby achieving apotheosis and ascending as the world's new divine beings.

"And so, the Pantheon of Verdantis was reconfigured—the preceding generation was utterly vanquished, making way for a new Pantheon to ascend."

Alex stood visibly dumbfounded. He had never anticipated that the very traitors from the Era of Sorcery would themselves be subjected to betrayal by their own clergy—the Popes, no less.

The stark irony was utterly inescapable.

It compelled Alex to ponder just how truly dreadful the ancient deities must have been for the highest echelons of their own Temples—the individuals supposed to be their most devoted adherents—to collectively betray them on such a massive scale.

Perhaps it was an inherent trait of traitors—those who betray others often harbor the deepest fear of being betrayed themselves. Their pervasive distrust poisons every interpersonal connection, and in their desperate efforts to preempt treachery, they inadvertently cultivate the very circumstances that make it an inevitability.

Whatever the ultimate truth may be, Alex harbored no sympathy for their fate. It was their insatiable avarice that had plunged this plane into the perilous tribulation of destiny it now confronted. Had their ambition not consumed them entirely, Verdantis might have already navigated its tribulation by this point.

Nevertheless, he found no cause for celebration either. The profound betrayal and the subsequent ascension of this new generation of deities carried dire implications for Verdantis and the ultimate fate that awaited it.

A tumultuous cascade of thoughts raced through his mind in that fleeting instant, one after another, but he eventually managed to suppress them. This was neither the appropriate time nor the suitable setting to become lost in such conjecture.

More crucially, while the BattleBane Guild Master's narrative held immense significance, it had yet to address the core issue at hand.

'Thus far, all that he has recounted illuminates the shift in divine history... yet it still fails to elucidate the curse afflicting the BattleBanes, or the rationale behind their affliction,' Alex mused internally.

He directed his gaze back towards the man ensconced within the accursed armor, his expression expectant, silently signaling for him to proceed.

And the man obliged without hesitation.

"However, even as the new deities claimed their divine thrones, the contest for godhood had not yet reached its conclusion.

"Not all of the ancient deities met their end during the clergy's betrayal. Two deities succeeded in evading the assassination attempts," the BattleBane Guild Master divulged abruptly.

He then paused, slowly shaking his head.

"No... rather, perhaps I should state that their assassination was thwarted by an unforeseen third party, enabling their escape," he amended his statement.

"Who?" Alex couldn't suppress his curiosity.

"The new deity—the very architect behind this grand upheaval," the BattleBane Guild Master revealed, his tone grave.

"But why would he intervene to halt something he himself orchestrated?" Alex pressed further.

"Because," the BattleBane Guild Master declared, his voice imbued with a chilling resonance, "he desired their godhood for himself."

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