Chapter 853

【 PRAISE THE GODDESS 】

Kelez’s summons to the White Knight Frank was merely a minor episode.

In fact, aside from those who had participated in the battle, the vast majority of players were not even aware that another human mercenary group had joined the campaign to eliminate the demons.

The players’ strength was already vastly different from what it had been in the past, and with a demigod stationed among them, the progress of this war campaign was therefore not particularly difficult. With their overwhelming numbers, accumulated combat experience, and powerful individual strength, the players had already gained a considerable advantage over the remaining demonic forces.

After resting for a night, the elven army continued advancing southward.

News of the elves’ offensive had already spread throughout the entire southern region, and the players’ achievements had long since terrified the demons who were barely clinging to survival. As a result, they encountered almost no meaningful resistance along the way. The few demons who dared to stand in their path were quickly overwhelmed, leaving the army to advance almost unhindered.

Less than four days later, the players finally arrived at the demons’ last stronghold in the World of Seiguës, Morudo.

It was a city that the demons had transformed into a formidable fortress. Its walls, which had originally stood only ten meters tall, had been reinforced and raised by the demons to a staggering forty meters. Thick layers of demonic materials had been added to the walls, making the entire city resemble an impregnable war fortress.

More than fifty thousand demons were also entrenched there, and every one of them was a formidable opponent.

This was only natural. By now, those who were not strong enough had already become contribution points and experience for the players during the repeated hunts. The demons who had managed to flee here and survive were all far from weak.

Of course, no matter how powerful they were, they were still no match for the player army, whose morale was soaring and whose numbers had already surpassed two hundred thousand.

After years of fighting, the players had accumulated an enormous amount of combat experience. They had fought countless battles against powerful enemies and had long since become accustomed to coordinating with one another on a massive scale. This demon fortress, which the imperial army had once judged to be impregnable, was conquered by the players in less than half a month.

During the entire campaign, the demigod Kelez had only needed to personally intervene once, killing a demon king of Legendary rank.

Fifty thousand demons were annihilated, seventeen Abyssal Brood Nests were destroyed, and the banner bearing the Scepter of Life was planted atop the city walls, declaring that the territory had fallen under the control of the Church of Life.

After the war ended, Evé’s holy statue was also carried by the accompanying elven priests into a temporary temple that had been erected within the conquered city.

Inside the temple, Kelez knelt before the divine statue and prayed devoutly.

A group of elven priests stood solemnly behind him, their expressions filled with reverence.

Kelez had not taken action all these days because he had been waiting for this very moment.

His divine power had a more important purpose.

Facing the divine statue, he drew the symbol of the Scepter of Life over his chest and prayed devoutly:

“Praise be to nature, praise be to life, praise be to the great World Tree, Evé Yggdrasill!”

“O supreme Goddess! May you descend with your great power and purify this defiled land…”

Kelez’s expression was solemn and devout.

As his prayer continued, golden radiance blossomed from his body, gradually growing brighter and more dazzling. The divine power surrounding him spread outward, filling the entire temple with a sacred aura and quickly resonating with the holy statue.

At the same time, throughout the southern region, the statues of Evé within the temples of every city conquered by the players began to shine.

At first, the radiance was faint, like the flickering glow of a candle in the darkness. But in the blink of an eye, it grew brighter and brighter until it illuminated the entire temple.

Then, brilliant pillars of light shot into the sky, piercing straight through the heavens.

The rolling clouds above were instantly torn apart. They were the Abyssal power that had gathered in the sky, the remnants of the corruption that had shrouded the southern region for so long.

At this moment, they seemed to have been drawn by some mysterious force and began rapidly dissipating and being purified. The oppressive darkness that had lingered over the land for so long gradually began to recede beneath the overwhelming divine radiance…

The pillars of light continued to shine.

Above the sky, white clouds gradually replaced the black clouds, while cotton-like clouds continued to gather and slowly grew denser. The gloomy darkness that had once covered the heavens was steadily driven away, replaced by a peaceful and pure atmosphere.

A deep rumbling sound came from within the clouds.

Strong winds began to howl, sweeping across the devastated land and stirring up the dust that had accumulated over the years. Then, in the next moment, raindrops began falling from the sky.

The fresh air unique to rainy weather swept across the land, driving away the foul stench left behind by the demons.

If one looked closely, however, they would discover that the rain itself was filled with tiny points of radiance…

Each raindrop seemed to contain a faint golden-green glow, as though divine power had been dissolved into the rain itself.

That radiance seemed to carry a powerful force of purification. When the cleansing rain fell upon the ground, a miraculous scene unfolded.

The land that had been polluted by the Abyss began rapidly shedding its corrupted colors…

The cracked earth slowly closed, the pervasive black miasma gradually dispersed, and the withered plants began to regain their vitality.

The dark, lifeless soil slowly returned to its natural color.

Patches of green once again appeared across the ground. Grass sprouts emerged from beneath the soil, flowers bloomed beneath the falling rain, and the withered trees trembled gently as new buds gradually grew between their branches.

The change spread rapidly, like a wave of life sweeping across the earth.

Before long, the hellish landscape that had once covered the entire southern region was replaced by a scene brimming with life…

The air itself seemed to have become cleaner, while the oppressive feeling that had weighed upon the hearts of countless creatures gradually disappeared.

Across the land, the surviving creatures who had been hiding emerged from their shelters.

They cautiously stepped outside at first, as though unable to believe what they were seeing. But when they felt the cool rain falling upon their faces and saw the greenery returning to the earth, their hesitation quickly turned into overwhelming joy.

They gazed at the cleansing rain descending from the sky, cheering excitedly and shouting as they danced with joy.

Some of the intelligent beings who had been hiding excitedly knelt down and kissed the earth. Others raised their faces and closed their eyes, silently feeling the soothing touch of the rain imbued with purifying power.

Still others simply stood there in a daze, staring blankly at the land that had regained its vitality. The emotions they had suppressed throughout the long years of suffering finally overwhelmed them, and they broke down in tears…

Some cried out the names of their loved ones who had perished during the demonic invasion.

Others raised their hands toward the heavens, praising the Goddess whose divine miracle had restored hope to their ruined homeland.

The entire southern region descended into celebration at this moment.

The rain continued for a full two hours before gradually coming to a stop.

And when the wind died down and the rain finally ceased, the once-darkened earth had completely disappeared.

In its place was a world filled with lush greenery and vibrant life.

Above, the deep black clouds slowly dispersed, revealing an azure sky. Shafts of golden sunlight pierced through the clouds, illuminating the once-darkened land…

A faint, ethereal, sacred hymn slowly began to play. Golden and green particles emerged from the pillars of light, drifting like fluttering feathers, or falling like softly scattered snowflakes…

At this moment, the entire world seemed to be bathed in light.

Only after some time did the particles slowly dissipate, while the brilliant pillars of light gradually vanished as well.

The majestic power and vast aura slowly receded. Only the vibrant land, along with the sky that was as clear as a polished mirror and as blue as the sea, remained as evidence of the kind of divine miracle this world had just witnessed.

A rainbow appeared across the sky, the colorful arc left behind after the rain.

The entire southern region had regained its vitality.

Looking upon this beautiful world, waves of praise began to rise from every corner…

The surviving creatures who had escaped the demonic invasion prostrated themselves upon the ground and worshiped toward the northwest.

That was the direction of the Elven Forest.

That was the direction of the World Tree.

They knew exactly who had brought about this divine miracle.

Frank was likewise staring blankly at the sky, his heart shaken.

His original convictions had begun to waver.

However, he quickly suppressed the excitement in his heart.

Taking a deep breath, he led the others away from the conquered city and headed toward the Southern Mountains…

Meanwhile, within the core region of the Elven Forest.

After performing the divine miracle in her World Tree form, Evé wore a visibly pained expression as she slowly withdrew her divine power.

The World Tree needed a divine miracle to demonstrate her power and reinforce her majestic image while the momentum of the revelation of her real identity was still strong.

What she had chosen to do was use her divine power to forcibly purify the lands contaminated by the demons.

Although the amount of divine power consumed was somewhat staggering, when Evé saw the new streams of faith that instantly appeared across the skies of her Divine Kingdom, she felt that the expenditure had been worthwhile.

With this, the southern region had officially and legitimately fallen under her control.

༺⟐༻

News of the fighting in the southern region and the Goddess of Life’s purification miracle soon spread throughout every corner of the continent through the activities of traveling bards and merchant caravans.

For a time, the reputation of the elves and Evé once again reached a new peak.

Players traveling throughout the continent were pleasantly surprised to discover that more and more people seemed to be taking an interest in the Church of Life, while the difficulty of spreading its faith appeared to be steadily decreasing.

At the same time, everyone happily discovered that the initial favorability of new Life-believer NPCs seemed to be getting higher and higher as well.

Even when traveling across the continent and staying at inns or taverns, they were frequently invited to drinks by local mercenaries and adventurers, and even offered discounts by some merchants…

It could be said that as the Goddess’s identity as the World Tree became firmly established, as the players repeatedly embarked on adventures to punish evil and uphold justice, as the elven army defeated the demons, and as the Goddess purified the entire southern region in a single act… the reputation of both the Goddess of Life and the elves was rising at an astonishing rate.

However, where there were people celebrating, there were naturally others who were displeased…

Holy Maniya Empire, Holy City of Maniya.

Within the central sanctuary of the Eternal Church, Pope Benedict II listened to the report from the bishop of the Inquisition with a calm expression.

“That is the situation, Your Holiness. The elves have already eliminated the demons in the south and occupied the southern lands, while the Goddess of Life has also performed a divine miracle and purified the entire southern region…”

“Now, our Lord’s faith in the southern region has completely collapsed. In contrast, the faith of the Goddess of Life has begun spreading rapidly…”

“Especially along the banks of the Vymur River, in the areas bordering the Maple Moon State, and in several territories near the Southern Border Territory. The faith of the Church of Life has appeared in all of them…”

“Among them, aside from some elves who have been preaching without permission, some of these locals have even begun worshiping the Goddess of Life of their own accord…”

“Your Holiness, if this continues, our Lord’s foundation of faith in the World of Seiguës may be severely shaken!”

The black-robed bishop of the Inquisition spoke with a solemn expression.

Upon hearing this, the kindly looking Pope Benedict II narrowed his eyes slightly.

The fingertips of the hand gripping his papal scepter had turned white, clearly indicating how tightly he was holding it. His deep gaze also grew increasingly profound…

“How are the recruitment and training preparations for the Inquisitorial Knights?”

He suddenly asked.

The black-robed bishop answered respectfully:

“Your Holiness, they are nearly complete. The Inquisitorial Knights can be deployed into battle at any time.”

“Nearly complete… How much is still missing?”

The Pope stared deeply at the black-robed bishop.

Under the gaze of a Legendary powerhouse capable of invoking a demigod-level Divine Descent, even the black-robed bishop, who had already touched the threshold of the Legendary-rank, could not help feeling his scalp tingle.

He took a deep breath and said:

“Although we are still a little short, we can already form four Inquisitorial Legions with an average strength of the Gold-rank Expert.”

“And given enough time, we will be able to form even more such legions…”

“However… just as Your Holiness predicted, because divine power was forcibly infused into them, they have lost any possibility of advancing further. Moreover, due to the damage inflicted upon their bodies, these Inquisitorial Knights will not live for more than five years.”

“But I believe that will be more than enough for a war of faith.”

“Furthermore, the imperial nobles can also provide a considerable number of troops. The believers of the Church of Life despise the nobility, while the nobles likewise deeply hate these heretics…”

“Your Holiness, I believe it is time to act.”

The black-robed bishop maintained a respectful posture.

After hearing his words, Benedict II slowly tapped the armrest of the Holy See, pondering.

“Then begin the final preparations…”

“However, before that, clean out the little insects in the various dioceses.”

༺⟐༻

North Eastern Territory, east of the Maple Moon Free State.

This was one of the southern territories of the Holy Maniya Empire, situated between the Maple Moon Free State, the Southern Mountains, the Southern Border Territory, and the Kingdom of Aries.

During the Demon invasion, the eastern and northern regions of this territory were completely overrun, splitting the territory into two.

Only nearly two-thirds of the southwestern region survived, relying on the terrain of the Southern Mountains and assistance from the Kingdom of Aries.

Of course, this was also because during the invasion, once the Demon army had opened a passage leading to the Maple Moon Free State, it stopped advancing farther south.

During the demonic invasion, several imperial cities near the Southern Mountains also became some of the primary destinations for refugees fleeing the disaster.

At this moment, in Larona, the largest city in Northern Territory, a human priest dressed in a sacred white robe and holding a copy of the Codex of Life was devoutly preaching.

Surrounding him was a diverse crowd of listeners. There were impoverished townsfolk, hunters and farmers, craftsmen, mercenaries, adventurers…

Every one of them wore a devout expression as they listened to the priest’s teachings.

The priest was none other than Old John, who had left Zelouan.

At this moment, the radiance surrounding him appeared even more sacred, and a large group of followers had gathered behind him.

Among them were ordinary people and Experts, impoverished commoners and merchants who had abandoned everything.

They gazed at Old John with admiration, tightly gripping the symbols of the Scepter of Life in their hands, their eyes filled with devotion.

Meanwhile, Old John drew the symbol of the Scepter of Life over his chest as he spoke passionately to those who had come to hear his sermon:

“The Empire has become corrupt, the nobility has fallen, and the Eternal Church has lost itself in its own glory…”

“This is a dark age, but it is also an age of dawn. And the great World Tree, the great Goddess of Life, Her Grace Evé, is that light of dawn…”

“She is the light in the darkness. She is the embodiment of justice and kindness. In Her world, life is supreme, and all things are equal.”

“Believe in Her and recite Her name. Only then can we find light in this dark age. Only then can we be reborn anew…”

“Look! It was the great Her Grace Evé who destroyed the demons and purified the corruption. It is the great Her Grace Evé who protects the Maple Moon Free State, allowing this miraculous and dreamlike land to become a pure sanctuary…”

“Everyone, the old age is about to pass, and a new age is about to arrive. Believe in life and nature. Believe in the great Goddess Evé!”

“The merciful and benevolent Goddess will surely guide us toward a new light and a new hope!”

“Let us pray together. Let us recite the Goddess’s name together!”

“Praise be to nature, praise be to life, praise be to the great World Tree, Evé Yggdrasill!”

Old John proclaimed his praise with fervor.

“Praise be to nature, praise be to life, praise be to the great World Tree, Evé Yggdrasill!”

The listening believers likewise responded with fervor, their faces filled with excitement and sincere devotion.

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