Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage Chapter 674: Sacrifice II

CH674 Sacrifice II

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[A.N: Please check the image comment to this. Important announcement]

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"Was it worth it? To undergo such a sacrifice, to endure that level of agony, for the heir of a noble lineage?" Eleanore inquired softly.

"It was... it still is," the BattleBane Guild Master responded. A subtle smile, barely perceptible, played behind his armor as his eyes conveyed it. "There arrive points in life when one recognizes encountering someone truly exceptional—an individual capable of... and destined to reshape the world."

"In the entirety of my existence, be it long or brief, I have encountered only two such individuals. The first was the heir."

He paused briefly before continuing.

"Moreover, it was a sacrifice that averted a conflict — a war that would have claimed innumerable lives. And for what? The wounded vanity and insignificant retribution of a pampered child?"

A quiet, mirthless chuckle escaped him.

"Contrary to any assumptions you might hold, that responsibility was not imposed upon me. I elected to embrace it," he disclosed.

"Having one’s divine energy utterly consumed is tantamount to a death sentence. Nevertheless, as an inheritor of the Twilight Adjudicators, I possessed the knowledge that the latent divinity within me would sustain my life.

"What I failed to foresee was that—"

"Your condition would exacerbate the curse of the Twilight Adjudicators," Alex interjected. "The hidden divinity spared you from death, but due to the curse bound to it, it resulted in a far more severe aftermath."

"Precisely," the BattleBane Guild Master affirmed with a nod.

Alex scrutinized the man intently for a moment before speaking again.

"I've observed your deliberate omission of the deities' names. May I inquire as to why?" he asked.

"Hm? You are unaware?" the BattleBane Guild Master replied, genuine bewilderment coloring his tone. "Uttering the true name of a deity risks attracting Their notice. For someone in my position, would that not be akin to courting annihilation?"

Realization gradually illuminated Alex's thoughts.

He turned his gaze towards Eleanore.

"If you would be so kind..." he requested.

Eleanore responded with a silent nod.

She initiated a spell.

An ethereal barrier immediately materialized around the chamber, resembling a translucent shield, cloaking the space in a profound quietude.

"With this enchantment in place, you can speak the deities' names without apprehension," Alex stated.

The members of the BattleBane Guild shifted their glances from the barrier to Eleanore, their expressions tinged with considerable skepticism.

The BattleBane Guild Master pondered for a moment before finally articulating his words.

"Unlike other deities of the new generation, this recent divine being did not directly assimilate the godhood of the two elder gods they vanquished. They proceeded with caution. Instead of integrating those two godheads into Their own, They first merged them to forge an entirely new godhead. Even then, They refrained from merging this novel godhood with Their original one."

"So, this new deity wields two godheads?" Alex mused aloud.

"Indeed," the BattleBane Guild Master corroborated.

Alex lapsed into contemplation.

’This new deity displays remarkable astuteness. They must have harbored concerns about faith contamination from directly absorbing those godheads. A godhead represents the most pristine essence of a deity’s divinity—it serves as the central nexus of their entire belief network, the anchor through which devotion flows. To absorb such an entity directly would entail exposing oneself to the idealized perceptions held by the followers of those two elder deities.

’Considering they took such elaborate steps to weaken those two ancient gods beforehand, it is logical to assume they were individually less powerful than the elder deities. This implies the risk of being overwhelmed—of their own identity being subsumed by the accumulated divinity and faith—would have been exceedingly high had they acted impulsively.

’Instead, they first fused the two godheads, thereby creating a completely new divine essence—a novel nexus no longer directly linked to the established faith networks of the two former deities, yet still capable of accessing and inheriting their divine authority.

’And by deliberately avoiding the fusion of that new godhead with their original one, they established a safeguard. Should the new godhead ever become tainted by the idealized beliefs of the elder deities’ adherents—should it ever threaten to supplant their own nature—they possess the ability to simply sever it and expel it from their divine dominion.

’However, this protective measure carries its own inherent drawback. Possessing two distinct godheads offers only a quantitative enhancement of power. Had they fully integrated them, the improvement would have been qualitative instead.’

Alex offered a subtle, internal nod.

’Still, survival remains paramount. As long as one lives, ambition can be deferred. Once life ends, even the most grandiose dream perishes with it.’

He shook his head lightly, concluding his internal monologue.

In actuality, he harbored a burgeoning suspicion regarding the identity of this enigmatic new deity. Nonetheless, it was evident that the BattleBane members maintained an excessive degree of caution, unwilling to directly name a living Navi, even with assurances of protection.

’If they won’t name someone still living, perhaps they’ll acknowledge one from the ranks of the deceased?’ he mused silently.

"Tell me, what were the names or titles of the two deities who were slain by the newly ascended deity?" Alex inquired.

The Guild Master of the BattleBane Guild offered a slow nod, a flicker of admiration crossing his features as he grasped Alex’s intention.

"They were known as the Flame Deity... and the Deity of Peace," the Guild Master responded.

’Flame and Peace, were they...’ Alex mused internally, his eyes now shining with a keen light.

’And what does one obtain when the godhead of Flame is merged with the godhead of Peace…?’

"I understand now," Alex declared with a subtle smile. "So, the new deity is Juror—the Deity of Light and Justice. His original divine essence was Light, and the Justice godhead was brought into being by combining the essences of Flame and Peace."

He paused for a moment before continuing his explanation.

"Now it makes sense... that is precisely why those betrayed paladins and priests adopted the title of the Twilight Adjudicators.

"The ones betrayed by Juror likely constituted the greater part of that faction. You mentioned they initially drew their divine power from Juror himself, and subsequently absorbed additional fragments of divinity from the very deities they aided in slaying.

"The ‘Twilight’ aspect would originate from Juror’s fallen Light divinity, while ‘Adjudicator’ most certainly refers to the Justice divinity that was forged from the union of Flame and Peace."

"Your deductions are impeccable, Young Master Alex," the BattleBane Guild Master affirmed, genuine respect evident in his tone.

Each time Alex uttered Juror’s name so casually and directly, both Dalton and Lady Rosa felt their hearts lurch into their throats. Even the BattleBane Guild Master found the casualness unsettling, though he managed to mask it far more effectively than the other two.

Nevertheless, he couldn’t help but feel a profound admiration for Alex’s audacity, as well as the frightening acuity of his analytical skills.

"There you have it. You are now privy to all information regarding myself and the BattleBane Mercenary Guild. Do you still hold the conviction that you can cure us?" he questioned.

"Just one final question remains," Alex stated. Then, noticing the palpable displeasure etched on Dalton and Lady Rosa’s faces, he swiftly added, "Where precisely did the Cyrindale heir pursue his studies?"

"He studied in Ostmont City," the BattleBane Guild Master replied.

"So it truly was as I suspected," Alex nodded, not the least bit surprised as several disparate pieces of information finally clicked into place. "In that scenario, the Archbishop who orchestrated this entire affair is undeniably affiliated with Juror’s Temple."

While the BattleBane Guild Master’s expression remained concealed behind his helmet, and his gaze steady, Lady Rosa was far less adept at masking her reactions.

For the briefest of moments, astonishment flickered across her features before she attempted to suppress it—a tell-tale sign sufficient to confirm Alex’s conclusion.

"It appears you are fated to oppose Juror. Once you have obtained your cure, what are your future intentions? Do you plan to pursue that Archbishop?" Alex inquired.

The atmosphere within the chamber instantly plummeted, growing noticeably colder.

"After enduring such profound suffering throughout these years, if I am indeed granted a cure, then it would be only just that I dedicate the remainder of my existence to ensuring he is burned at the stake!" the BattleBane Guild Master declared, his voice resonating with intense and unmistakable malice.

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