Holy Cathedral of the Gods, Hero Empire
In the heart of the Holy City stood a massive temple that seemed to touch the sky, its gleaming surface radiating a holy aura throughout the city, purifying everything in its presence.
Inside the cathedral, Elyon sat in deep meditation in a grand room where statues of various gods stood in a circular formation around him and Valen.
The towering statues encircled them in a stiff, solemn silence.
“Haaahhh…”
Elyon suddenly opened his bloodshot eyes, breathing heavily. The old man clutched his chest as if in severe pain.
“Cough, cough!”
Valen, who had been watching his master intently, grew worried.
“Master, what happened to you? Are you feeling fine?” Valen asked with concern, touching Elyon’s chest.
After a shower of radiant holy light on himself, Elyon had recovered, but the fear in his eyes was obvious.
“Calamity is coming, Valen. We need to be prepared!” Elyon said, looking at the statues, as if lost in deep thought.
“What calamity, Master?” Valen seemed confused by his old master’s sudden rambling.
Elyon shifted his attention to the door and answered, “That boy will be coming, and you need to defend him at all costs…”
“By that boy, you mean the one by whose hand I was defeated once?”
“Yes,” Elyon replied seriously.
Valen looked incredulous.
“Master, you’re scared of him now? That’s unbelievable! Even I can defeat him now that I have regained my class and the blessing from the Divine Goddess of Light. I can deal with him easily. I don’t think there’s any need to worry about him…
I will take revenge for the shame he brought to your teachings. I won’t let down our Goddess again.” Valen said with determination, vowing before the striking female goddess’s statue.
Elyon looked at Valen with pity.
“Master, why are you looking at me as if I’m a fool?” Valen asked, noticing the frown on Elyon’s old face.
“Che… Because you’re one… foolish heir of mine,” Elyon berated him sternly.
Valen felt shame and continued to listen as his master sighed and went on.
“He is a Transcendental now, a rising Emperor nonetheless. And what are you? An A-Rank?” Elyon scoffed with disdain.
“He challenged the world to submit to him, and my clone was instantly destroyed by him with a single swing of his sword. Do you know what this means? He has long surpassed you and us. He probably doesn’t even remember you, I assume…”
Valen’s mouth fell open in surprise.
“But — how? How is this possible?” He found it unbelievable that his enemy’s strength could grow this quickly.
“I’m not sure how… but it did happen, however unbelievable it might sound.”
“Master, do you think some god is helping him with an endless amount of Divine essence?” Valen guessed wildly.
Elyon denied this, scolding him again.
“Rascal, do you think Divine essence is like cabbages, that some god will hand it out so freely? Besides, it’s not so easy to become a Transcendental by just using Divine essence.”
Elyon explained, then suddenly turned his gaze toward the hallway, feeling a familiar presence approaching.
“Why don’t you tell us about this young man as well, old man Elyon?”
Followed by a melodic voice, an angelic, beautiful woman in a radiant white dress entered, her graceful footsteps giving her the appearance of a holy maiden.
“Saintess Lumenaria… Welcome,” Elyon said with a natural smile, bowing slightly before her.
“Greetings, Saintess… Please accept my bow,” Valen said, bowing slightly out of respect for her holy presence. She was also someone who had taught him at times, so his respect came from deep within.
“Little Valen, I see you have fully recovered after consuming the Divine Essence. That’s wonderful,” she said kindly. Her compassion for humanity was well-known, spreading her reputation as a representative of the Goddess of Light.
Valen blushed slightly at the beauty of the Saintess, struggling to suppress the feelings that had begun to emerge ever since Aengus stole the Heart of Light. He wasn’t sure if he should feel grateful or resentful for these feelings, but he was enjoying this sense of freedom.
Saintess Lumenaria, sensing the young man’s admiration, dismissed it as a child’s innocent awe of her beauty.
“So, tell me about the young man you mentioned… everything in detail,” Saintess Lumenaria said, after bowing before the statue of the Goddess of Light and chanting a unknown prayer.
“Certainly… Please, have a seat, Saintess.”
The Saintess sat down on the clean ground with the grace of a queen.
Elyon remained unaffected, as always. Like Valen in his previous state, he held no desires, no yearning for freedom. His only goals were to serve the gods and remain on humanity’s side.
Elyon then began recounting the story of Aengus, from their first meeting in Dwarvania to his sudden rise as an emperor, detailing the young emperor’s ambitious goals.
After listening to everything, the Saintess’ eyes gleamed, suspecting something about the young man’s origin.
“I think he is one of those Otherworlders seen in the Dragon Empire, Elyon. Perhaps I should meet him… we could have a nice chat,” Saintess Lumenaria smiled mysteriously.
“That’s good, Saintess, but forgive me for not accompanying you. That little guy sees me as an enemy now, and I don’t waste my energy on him unnecessarily unless the gods command me…”
“It’s okay, I can manage. The Goddess of Light is with me,” Lumenaria said graciously as she stood up, under their puzzled gazes.
“Saintess, about the Divine Essence…” Elyon stood up, hesitating to complete the sentence.
Lumenaria turned around and looked at Valen, then at Elyon.
“Sure, you can have as much as you need. If it works for young Valen, I have no problem. It is time for the final war.”
Elyon looked pleased after hearing her approval. Valen looked gratefully at Saintess Lumenaria as she left the place.
He vowed to absorb all the Divine Essence and become a Transcendental, whatever it took.
“Let’s go, Valen. It’s time to do or die.. ”
