He hadn’t moved to Seoul blindly. Since he was already using it, he might as well make efficient use of it.
“Skill—‘Dimensional Transition’ is complete.”
The place he arrived at was Busan.
He intended to head straight north from here, purifying the areas he hadn’t been able to cleanse last time. Of course, even that was far from perfect. If Hio were to purify all of Korea alone, it would take at least a month—assuming he devoted himself entirely to it, setting aside all other matters.
That was why he wanted to look into the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult first, before anything else. Because perhaps he could spread new divinity upon the Earth, where divine power had run dry. If that came to pass, it would mean he possessed the power and means to resist on his own.
“Skill—‘Summon Phantom Steed’ is activated.”
“Trait—‘Shadow Form (影體)’ is activated.”
A Phantom Steed appeared, opening the gate to the spirit realm.
“Now even this is getting annoying.”
He had torn through the sky using the Thunder Emperor and had wielded wings the size of houses as if they were his own body, as a side effect of Dimensional Transition. Having done such things, summoning a Phantom Steed and riding it to get around felt like nothing but a waste.
“If I look in the Magic Tower, there should be something.”
He was prepared to ascend to the 7th Circle, yet he had only learned three 6th Circle spells, let alone any 7th Circle magic. Once he resolved the urgent matters at hand, he would head straight to the Magic Tower and start learning magic. He didn’t know when he had become so much like a mage, but his desire for magic was surging to a surprising degree.
“First… I should resolve this.”
The road to Seoul could, at best, only be described as a catastrophe. It was horrific and calamitous. No doubt many people were still alive, but they were as good as dead. At least until Hio appeared above the city.
“Skill—‘Heaven (天上)’ is activated.”
The light of Heaven washed away the Abyss draped over the earth.
“…What?”
The feeling was different. Compared to before obtaining his Divine Authority, it was far easier to use with much less power. One might say the resistance from the Abyss had vanished. The Abyss was being purified remarkably cleanly, yet less power was being consumed.
“Has something changed?”
The activation time for Heaven was too short to clearly distinguish the difference. The Abyss faded faster than expected due to his strengthened divinity. So he reined in Heaven and moved on. He could feel many people below looking up. He had saved so many with merely a minute’s effort. With such power and ability, how could he waste time?
He had believed he could finally ease the guilt born from his past helplessness. Yet strangely, the more cities he passed through, the more people he saved, the heavier his heart grew. Was it because he had witnessed too many horrific scenes? Or was it the sense of responsibility that inevitably accompanied great power? He couldn’t say for sure, but one thing he was certain of:
“My divinity has definitely grown stronger.”
Should he say stronger? No, rather, it would be more accurate to say it had grown closer to its true essence. If his former divinity had been wrapped in thin vinyl, his present divinity was the complete thing itself, stripped even of that wrapper. He knew this instinctively, without anyone teaching him. But that wasn’t all. Its nature had changed as well. A divinity he had never felt before. A unique divinity perfectly suited to Hio—one that could be called Hio himself. It was the divinity of a new god, Hio Pavlenko.
‘…Is this still too much to think?’
A god. An awkward word. He had never wanted to become a god, and before the world came to this state, he hadn’t even believed in gods. He could feel the ranks of his soul and body rising drastically. He had gained enlightenment, and his mind and senses had awakened broadly. But that didn’t make him a god, did he? He still didn’t know. He simply did what befitted the power given to him. No, he would do his utmost for that very purpose.
“Skill—‘Heaven (天上)’ is activated.”
He activated Heaven and soon withdrew it again. With that single act, he erased the deaths of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands. At this miraculous event, everyone looked up at the sky, all manner of emotions bursting forth as ecstatic light.
“……”
His heart grew heavier still. There was only one way to alleviate it, even slightly. To move faster and harder. And so, passing dozens more cities, he arrived in Seoul. From atop the Phantom Steed radiating pure white light, he looked down at the city and quietly listened. Those who had returned from the brink of death. What emotions and words would those who had barely glimpsed a light of hope in despair be exchanging? What joy would they share, what future would they envision? When he concentrated and listened for a moment, the voices he heard were surprisingly uniform. Many people were gathered together, making the same sound.
And what that sound was:
“The Heavenly Demon returns! All demons submit! A thousand years! A thousand years! Ten thousand years!”
“…Huh?”
“Current number of followers of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult (天魔神敎)—10,809.”
* * *
The more desperate the situation, the more one needs a powerful belief. The harder reality becomes and the weaker the mind grows, the more one craves a powerful faith. In that sense, the rather unfamiliar religion known as the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult had been born at the optimal time and was spreading like wildfire. There were countless people in Seoul, and among them were not a few who had filmed Hio’s appearance—that very moment. No, beyond that, they had all experienced the miracle of divinity purifying their bodies, so they couldn’t help but believe. That was why, despite the somewhat ridiculous name of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, people rushed to worship, and now it had become a massive group cutting across the city of Seoul.
“Believing in the Heavenly Demon is the only way we can be saved from this hell!”
“Waaaah!”
“Heavenly Demon! Heavenly Demon!”
It hadn’t been long since they experienced the miracle, and everyone happened to know the name of the Supreme Heavenly Demon. Thus, the current gathering even felt like madness.
“The Heavenly Demon wields blue fire and lightning, and created the first Awakened!”
“Supreme! Heavenly Demon! Supreme! Heavenly Demon!”
“Only the Heavenly Demon is salvation and hope!”
“Waaaaah!”
Hio had risen to an altitude invisible from the ground and was looking down at it.
“Hmm…”
It was more bewildering than difficult. He still wasn’t used to the idea of believers or a religion, yet the matter was growing rapidly. The number of believers was ballooning at a rate he could scarcely track.
“What am I going to do about this…”
“You have acquired +1 Divine Point.”
“You have acquired +1 Divine Point.”
“You have acquired +1 Divine Point.”
“You have acquired +1 Divine Point.”
…
It was good that his Divine Points were increasing rapidly to match. The more Divine Points, the better. From a rough look, Divine Points were consumed for all such acts as giving revelations, sharing divinity with believers, and appointing apostles. Not only that. The most important thing was, of course, Authorities.
“Divine Point Shop”
“Authority—Call of Terranor: 10,000,000 Pt”
“Authority—Domination of Terranor: 11,000,000 Pt”
“Authority—Advent of Oserion: 9,000,000 Pt”
“Authority—Eternal Flow of Oserion: 21,000,000 Pt”
“Authority—Wrath of Eolrias: 18,000,000 Pt”
“Authority—Manifestation of Eolrias: 10,000,000 Pt”
“Authority—Storm of Fyrion: 8,000,000 Pt”
“Authority—Veil of Fyrion: 7,500,000 Pt”
…
“Remaining Divine Points: 20,905 Pt”
There were so many Authorities in the Divine Point Shop that he could scroll endlessly without reaching the end. Of course, each and every one had an astronomical price, but if he multiplied his point acquisition several times over, there seemed no reason he couldn’t buy them. And if there was a way to increase point acquisition while simultaneously gathering up the Abyssal energy pervading Earth, it would certainly be….
“I’ll have to appoint an apostle.”
The system and order of the religion needed to be established. To do that, an apostle was absolutely necessary. He needed an apostle who could establish the system, create laws, and handle troublesome affairs in his stead. He couldn’t remain on Earth forever. And yet, Divine Points were important.
“Who should I choose…”
It was an important position. Since it was the first apostle to be appointed, someone with a certain degree of symbolism would be ideal. In that sense, one of the first Awakened would have been good, but that was impossible because they were all Possessed. A famous person among the non-possessed, with faith in the Heavenly Demon, decisive enough to handle affairs properly, and with good business sense and connections—an all-around talent….
“…Would such a person even exist?”
It would be ideal if such a person existed, but where could he find such talent right now? With that thought, he spotted a familiar face on the ground below.
“Hmm…?”
The figure of a woman among them, at the forefront of the countless crowd. Eyes that sympathized with their emotions appropriately, swept along appropriately, yet coldly surveyed the surroundings.
“Her name was… Yun Seul-a, wasn’t it?”
If it was Yun Seul-a, she was someone whose business ability was guaranteed, and famous at that. There would be no need to even mention her work ethic and connections. Her faith was a concern, but… wasn’t she the best candidate for apostle? The problem was that Yun Seul-a might not accept.
“Well, I just have to make it so she has no choice but to accept.”
Spectacle was Hio’s specialty, after all. To raise faith points more effectively, a dramatic production was needed anyway. The time for deliberation was short. He needed to finish things here and return to the Empire as soon as possible. Having finished his thoughts, Hio began slowly descending from the high altitude.
* * *
Crisis always harbors opportunity. The world just before the Supreme Heavenly Demon appeared had been on the brink of destruction, and now that it had overcome it, this moment was surely an enormous opportunity. Of course, no one knew what form opportunity would take. It might have already passed, or not yet arrived. That was why Yun Seul-a sought the opportunity hidden within the center of chaos, amidst the fanaticism. It was the instinct of a lifelong entrepreneur. That some tremendous opportunity was hidden here. Her instinct told her that if she found it, an enormous change in her life, in her very existence, would begin. Capturing it would be that much harder. She had to keep her wits about her and her eyes wide open. Thinking so, she surveyed her surroundings with cold eyes. How could she make the most of the current situation? What opportunity was lurking here? She rolled her eyes and turned her head diligently, but…
“……”
Her whirling mind, her gaze, stopped dead. There was no need to rack her brains. There was no need to search for opportunity. The heavens opened and light poured down.
“S-Supreme Heavenly Demon!”
“The Heavenly Demon descends!”
“Aah! O god…!”
The heavens split. Massive swords of light revealed their majesty beneath the clouds, one after another. What manifested above the sacred heavens was a golden giant. A voice echoed distantly through him.
“O believers.”
Everyone knelt, bowed their heads, and felt the divinity. The faithful awaited the divine revelation to follow, while unbelievers held up their phones to capture that majesty in their tiny devices.
“Be my servants.”
This was the opportunity. An opportunity delivered by god himself.
“Revere my first apostle.”
At the same time, a message floated before Yun Seul-a’s eyes.
“The God of Patience and Magic offers you the position of First Apostle.”
“Will you accept?”
There was no fool who would refuse such a brilliantly shining opportunity. So Yun Seul-a, as if entranced, moved her hand.
“You have become the First Apostle of the God of Patience and Magic.”
“You have been granted administrative authority over the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult (天魔神敎).”
“Stat—‘Divinity’ has been created.”
“You may now offer faith to receive various stats and skills.”
Thus was born the first apostle of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, and the one in charge of handling Hio’s affairs.