Chapter 239: The Savior’s Belief.

Jake blinked.

"The former Hero of Humanity?"

He repeated the words, trying to make sense of them.

Wasn’t someone bearing the title of Hero of Humanity supposed to be one of the greatest figures in human history?

Someone who had fought against the monsters during the First Era and helped humanity survive its darkest days?

And now there was a cult worshipping him?

Wait...

"Hold on. If they’re worshipping the former Hero of Humanity, doesn’t that mean they’re worshipping someone who should have been dead for thousands of years?"

Ana chuckled at his reaction.

"That’s the interesting part, isn’t it?"

She leaned back against the sofa, her lazy smile returning, though her eyes remained serious.

"Nobody knows what happened to the former Hero of Humanity after the First Era. Some records claim he died in the final battle. Others suggest that he simply disappeared after humanity secured its victory."

Then she shrugged lightly.

"Of course, most people consider those stories nothing more than legends. But the Savior’s Worshipers have never abandoned their beliefs. They’ve continued to worship him for thousands of years, treating his words as absolute truth and following whatever teachings they believe he left behind."

Jake frowned.

"Then... what are their goals? Are they trying to bring him back?"

Ana shooked her head, her expression suggesting that she didn’t have a definite answer either.

"Who knows? I’m afraid I don’t know their exact goals. But from what I’ve heard, their actions seem to be closely related to the Savior’s belief."

She tilted her head slightly, her beautiful eyes narrowing as she recalled something.

"Whatever that belief entails, they seem desperate to fulfill it. They’ve been working toward something for a very long time, and judging from their recent activities, they’re not afraid to go to extreme lengths to achieve it."

Jake frowned even deeper.

"The Savior’s Belief...?"

He repeated the unfamiliar term, wondering what kind of belief could drive a cult to such lengths.

Vivian, meanwhile, folded her arms under her ample chest and clicked her tongue.

"Those lunatics again..."

Jake turned toward Vivian in surprise.

"Have you dealt with them before?"

"Not personally," Vivian replied. "But I’ve heard enough about their activities to know they’re nothing good. They’re an extremely secretive group, and their members have been involved in several incidents over the years."

She paused, her expression darkening.

"And wherever they appear, trouble usually follows."

Hearing all of this, Jake scratched his cheek.

’Great. Another troublesome organization.’

He had only wanted to enjoy his life, explore the sea, and grow stronger with his crew.

Yet somehow, he kept stumbling into these kinds of situations. First the Leviathan. Now a mysterious cult that had survived since the First Era.

What was next? Was he going to accidentally awaken some ancient evil while looking for a place to eat?

"..."

...Jake suddenly felt that he shouldn’t tempt fate by thinking about it any further.

But then Blauer, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke up.

"Actually, I might know what they’re trying to achieve. And I may also know what the Savior’s belief is."

The moment those words left her mouth, everyone turned to look at her. Even Ana raised her eyebrows slightly, her lazy expression replaced by a hint of curiosity.

"Oh? You know about it?" She smiled. "Then why don’t you tell us~?"

Blauer tilted her head slightly, looking at Ana with her usual calm expression.

"Because nobody asked."

"..."

For a moment, the entire room fell silent.

Jake stared at her, unsure whether he had just heard that correctly.

Vivian and Mita blinked at this.

Ana, on the other hand, stared at Blauer for a few seconds before letting out a soft laugh.

"Pfft! Ahahaha! Oh, you really are something else!"

She wiped the corner of her eye, still smiling.

"Fine, fine. Since we’ve finally asked, how about you enlighten us?"

She already knew Blauer’s personality, so she wasn’t that dumbfounded.

Blauer nodded calmly.

"Very well."

As she spoke, her hand, which had been resting beside Jake’s waist, began to gently caress it. Jake immediately gave her a strange look.

’Why are you touching me while about to explain something so serious?’

However, Blauer seemed completely oblivious to his silent protest. Or perhaps she simply didn’t think it was strange, as she continued speaking with the same composed expression.

"To be precise, it’s not something I discovered through my own investigation. Rather, it’s a memory inherited through my bloodline."

"My family has guarded the seal imprisoning the Leviathan for generations. And along with that duty, certain memories have been passed down through our bloodline... memories that date back to the First Era."

Her hand continued to caress Jake’s waist as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

"Among those memories are records concerning the Savior’s situation and his so-called belief."

Seeing that everyone remained silent, Blauer continued in her usual calm manner.

"According to the memories I inherited, the former Hero of Humanity once led an expedition to eradicate the Deep Aberration once and for all. He wasn’t alone, either. Countless powerful individuals accompanied him, including some of the strongest beings of that era."

She paused briefly before continuing.

"However, in the end, he was the only one who returned."

"And after he confronted the Deep Aberration at the Deep Abyss, he seemed to have changed greatly."

At those words, the atmosphere in the room grew heavier.

"Nobody knew exactly what happened during that expedition. There were no survivors who could explain what had transpired, and the Hero himself never revealed the truth."

Blauer’s gaze lowered slightly as she shook her head.

"Unfortunately, the memories don’t explain what happened down there or what caused him to change. They only record that the Hero who returned was no longer quite the same person as before."

"But..."

Blauer paused, her expression growing slightly more solemn.

"Among those memories was also a record of the belief that eventually drove his followers to become what we now know as the Savior’s Worshipers."

She raised her gaze, looking at everyone in turn.

"According to that belief... the world we live in is nothing more than a lie... A false reality that must be destroyed."

The room fell silent.

Blauer continued in her calm, unhurried voice.

"They believe that only by allowing the Deep Aberration to consume everything can this false world finally come to an end, making way for a new and true era."