#213

“He’s definitely been brainwashed by Insanity or Bonaparte, right?”

“Athanas….”

Fabio looked at him with eyes mixed with worry and fear.

Athanas felt an immediate impulse to use Regression to turn back the clock five minutes.

However, he couldn’t afford to waste one of his opportunities like this.

‘It can’t be helped.’

“My apologies. I have not yet shaken off the divine ecstasy I felt upon receiving the Revelation. The Lord has guided me toward the path I must take.”

Athanas continued speaking, the smile never leaving his lips.

“Realizing that the Lord has not abandoned us, the fear and doubt I felt until now have vanished completely. Even the fact that you came to find me must be the Lord’s guidance.”

Those connected to a god experience an indescribable euphoria. On the day of his Ordination, Athanas had wept all day, overwhelmed by the fact that Order existed in this world.

Under normal circumstances, the moment Athanas regained consciousness, he would have felt pure joy and happiness, realizing that a messenger of god had descended upon him.

“Loclem—no, Lord Loclem gave you a Revelation?”

“That is correct. He told me to go to the Pantheon immediately and stop those committing nefarious acts.”

In reality, he had awakened with an unpleasant sensation, as if something were being forcibly ripped away, but Fabio did not know that.

Furthermore, lying about receiving a Revelation provided additional benefits.

“Nefarious acts…?”

“He said that a wicked Evil God, who devours humans and gives birth to deformities to increase its followers, has defiled the Pantheon and turned it into its birthing chamber. We must wipe them out before they spawn more offspring.”

It would not be easy to inform Fabio of Mother God’s schemes without revealing Regression. Fabio would certainly harbor suspicions about how Athanas knew such facts.

“That Order brat gave a Revelation? Now of all times?”

“Pandemonium!”

“Tell me to watch my mouth? Why should I?”

Fabio rubbed his face with both hands.

Marcello Teres’s spider-web-like Halo grew denser.

A sharp bloodlust tightened around their throats.

“The relationship with Order is already at its worst; what difference does this make? We can’t go together with a fanatic of Order anyway. He probably came here intending to kill us and take back the Sacred Relics, right?”

“No, I had no such intention…!”

“The moment a Revelation drops telling him to kill the heretic bastard next to him, he’ll pull out that holy hammer immediately. Wake up. Brother, you’re a heretic, and that thing is a Heretic Butcher.”

Ignoring the bloodlust being cast upon him, Athanas walked toward the Pantheon.

It didn’t matter if Fabio didn’t follow this time. He hadn’t yet fully grasped what dangers awaited within the current Pantheon.

Moreover, he felt it would be difficult to think rationally if he stayed with Fabio.

“Wow, look at him go to the Pantheon, ignoring both the provocation and the attack. He’s moving exactly like an NPC following a command.”

Marcello Teres spoke loudly, making sure Athanas could hear.

Athanas frowned.

‘NPC?’

It was a word he had heard from Fabio before.

‘An NPC set to be unsavable will only die repeatedly, no matter [visit Read unauthorized copyon Read BL Novelsour site]how many times you save and load.’

The situation had been too urgent to ask for the meaning of the word back then….

‘Is it a term known only to the Watched Ones?’

He presumed that ‘Quicksave’ and ‘Save-Load’ referred to ‘Regression.’

If so, what was an NPC?

‘Does it mean a mortal who cannot defy the will of god?’

“Athanas!”

At the sound of his name, Athanas looked back.

“Athanas, may I help you?”

“…Of course.”

“And Pando—no, Marcello Teres will also….”

Fabio glanced at the other man before continuing.

“…help in the task of purging the followers of the wicked Evil God.”

“Very well.”

“Is that really alright?”

Fabio looked surprised, despite being the one to ask.

“I mean, it’s funny for me to say this, but Marcello attacked you….”

“The Lord teaches that those who have sinned must repent and make atonement. The heavier the sin, the greater the contribution they must make.”

“…Are you going to condemn him?”

“If the Lord so desires.”

Seeing Fabio’s pace slow, Athanas added,

“However, it seems there is no need for me to draw the Sword of Judgment. My sword is not stronger than Heavenly Punishment.”

Fabio flinched.

“You can recognize Heavenly Punishment? How?”

“I can see the bolt of lightning the Lord uses to punish sinners hovering above that man’s [Read [Read on Read BL Novels]on Read BL Novels]head. The postponement of the Heavenly Punishment is surely to give the sinner a chance to repent. I am merely following that will.”

“Haha….”

Fabio laughed awkwardly.

The bloodlust emanating from Marcello Teres was stinging, but Athanas ignored it.

“Is there nothing you wish to ask me?”

“…Countless things.”

Why he hadn’t discarded the Sacred Relic of ‘Distortion,’ where he was keeping that ominous creature, whether there was any abnormality in the place that received the Blessing of Ledea—especially his left eye—and whether he would forgive him if he killed that ‘younger brother’….

“But now is not a good moment for conversation.”

“…….”

Fabio lightly bit his bloodless lips.

Athanas’s answer seemed to make him anxious.

“Do you think such a moment will ever come?”

“…What do you mean?”

“No, it is nothing.”

When Athanas finished the mission given by the Lord and the things disturbing the Order in the Capital Church vanished.

Fabio seemed to think that he, too, would not be there.

Athanas thought as he once again snapped the Psychokinetic Tether that persistently tried to strangle him.

‘The biggest reason Fabio cannot remain in Order is likely his sympathy for those things.’

But Fabio had only two choices.

Either embrace those things and fall into hell together, or seek salvation alone.

Athanas did not want Fabio to cling to a hopeless cause and accumulate more sins.

‘How can I persuade him?’

He gazed blankly at Fabio.

Fabio was lost in thought, clutching a bundle of clothes preciousy with both arms.

He had read the identity of what was inside from the Codex.

The remains of ‘Callister,’ which had merged with other Host Tabernacles.

‘…A nature that cannot even discard a Host Tabernacle that became a Vassal on its own.’

No matter what he said now, Fabio wouldn’t be able to accept it.

Looking at Fabio’s sorrowful face, Athanas’s chest tightened with affection.

“Could you explain more about the being you called Mother God? I wish to know what to be cautious of.”

“Mother God is the god of mutants. That bizarre bird that devoured people is a mutant unit produced by Mother God. Mother God’s Divine Power is….”

Most of it was information he already knew from the previous loop, but Athanas listened intently.

All while ignoring Marcello Teres’s heckling, asking if Order hadn’t told him any of this.

“Also, Bonaparte has farmed—I mean, stolen—various Sacred Relics, so he will likely wield other Divine Powers as well. The Sacred Relics Bonaparte is most likely to possess are….”

Fabio’s explanation continued until they arrived at the Pantheon.

The Pantheon in this loop was not yet contaminated.

‘But the inside will be full of contaminated traces.’

Athanas equipped the crossbow to his gauntlet and hung the quiver from his belt. In the previous loop, ‘Nyapoleon’ had descended from above. There was a possibility he would appear to interfere while they were destroying the statues.

“…Just how many weapons do you have stacked in your inventory?”

He had simply pulled out a chain flail, then put it back for fear that Fabio might get caught in it, and pulled out a flanged mace instead, but Marcello Teres never missed a chance to pick a fight. Athanas spoke calmly.

“Fabio, please tell Marcello Teres that if he needs a weapon, I can lend him one.”

“Wow, what a childish prick. The level of ignoring is insane. Why don’t you just tell me yourself?”

“I am being considerate because it seems you are unable to make a direct request to me.”

“Bullshit. I don’t need that crap. I have telekinesis.”

Since he said he didn’t need it, there was no reason to force it on him. Athanas entered the Pantheon.

There were no writhing lumps of flesh, but looking up, he could see red curtains clinging to the dome.

‘There are several things that look like insect egg sacs.’

Focusing, he could see the bulging parts writhing regularly, as if pulsing.

“Should I just smash everything I see here?”

“No, there might be traps, so for now, carefully….”

Without hesitation, Athanas swung the mace and shattered a statue.

The inside was filled with pink flesh.

“Athanas, how did you know the umbilical cord was in the statue?”

“…The Lord told me. He told me to purify the defiled statues by destroying them.”

“Order….”

“How long would it take to clear them all if we pecked away at them one by one like that?”

Invisible tethers spread out radially.

Telekinesis covered the entire Pantheon.

As Marcello clenched his fist, dozens of statues shattered simultaneously.

“How’s that? Sick, right? Pretty damn impressive, huh?”

Destroying only the statues stolen [Read on Read BL Novels]visit our sitecontentwithout touching anything else was a remarkable feat, but Athanas felt no desire to be impressed.

‘…He’s not a child.’

Athanas thought that the entity occupying Marcello Teres’s body might be younger than expected.

Eight years old… no, perhaps around thirteen, an age where one just begins to awaken to sexuality. If so, Fabio’s protective behavior toward the thing made a bit more sense.

“Thanks to you, the work finished quickly. The Lord will be pleased with your contribution.”

“Bullshit. Tell him to cancel the Heavenly Punishment instead.”

“Now we just need to pour this consecrated oil on the flesh and set it on fire. You are a heretic, so be careful not to touch the contents. The contents might become contaminated.”

As Athanas lined up the oil bottles, Marcello Teres looked disgusted.

“No matter what I say, you only say what you want to say. You really are like an NPC.”

‘…Does that mean there are fake NPCs too?’

He was curious, but as expected, he didn’t ask.

The entity was too unpleasant to exchange words with.

“Fabio, the smoke from the burning flesh may be toxic, so [visit our site[unauthorized copy]style="font-size:0;position:absolute;left:-9999px;">]visit our site -->please step back. No, it would be better if you went outside entirely.”

“No, I must watch what happens here personally.”

“Is there something weighing on your mind?”

“…….”

Fabio silently fidgeted with his fingers inside his sleeve.

Glancing toward Marcello Teres, Athanas saw dozens of oil bottles suspended in mid-air. ‘Pandemonium’s’ eyes were searching the empty space.

‘…He’s reading something silently.’

He recalled that the Watched Ones had a special way of communicating. Athanas retraced his steps to see if he had made a mistake.

‘What is he keeping secret from me?’

Fabio spoke cautiously.

“Athanas. I… I feel like all of this is a trap.”

“What do you mean?”

“I am not denying the Revelation given by the Lord. However, the Watched Ones are truly cunning, and there must [Read [[unauthorized copy]class="wm" style="opacity:0;font-size:1px;user-select:all;">unauthorized copy]on Read BL Novels]be a way for them to deceive even the Lord.”

“I am curious as to why you judge it so.”

Athanas could feel Fabio becoming extremely tense.

It wasn’t just that he was scared; he was afraid of Athanas.

‘Why?’