Chapter 151: Holy Power (2)

“Oh?” Ketal’s eyes lit up. “So, you’re talking about the current Tower Master?”

“That’s right,” Rakuza replied. “There is only one Mage Tower, and he has always been its eternal owner. He’s an extremely ancient Hero.”

Ketal let out a low whistle. “You’re telling me he single-handedly took down four demons on Lubitra’s level, all at once?”

Rakuza nodded. “Those records have been cross-referenced, so it’s unlikely to be a lie.”

“That’s impressive,” Ketal said, purely in admiration.

Overcoming four demons that were the same strength as Lubitra alone was impossible for anyone lacking immense power, especially for a mage.

Priests could at least claim an advantage against evil, and warriors were generally better in large-scale battles. Despite that inherent disadvantage, the Tower Master still emerged victorious. It must have taken an overwhelmingly powerful force to achieve such a feat.

He must be strong,

Ketal thought, recalling the Tower Master’s strength from their battle against Nano. He had seen only a fragment of that power and felt a sudden pang of regret.

I should have asked him to spar properly with me at least once,

Ketal thought. He wondered just how strong one of the world’s mightiest Heroes really was. Clicking his tongue, he regretted not testing his mettle further.

Something Rakuza mentioned caused Ketal to frown in thought. After a moment, he asked Rakuza, “Okay, I understand that a Hero can overpower a demon like Lubitra. But why, then, were humans so thoroughly toyed with before the gods intervened?”

Before the ancient Divine-Demonic War, this world belonged to demons, and until the gods came to humanity’s aid, people were nothing more than playthings for demons.

“Were there no Heroes back then?” Ketal asked him.

Rakuza shook his head. “Not at all. The truth is that Lubitra is undoubtedly among the highest-tier demons who can descend to this mortal realm under normal circumstances. He’s probably the strongest of those named demons. But the demons do have an even higher tier.”

Rakuza paused, then continued, “There are demons who not only carry a name but also hold an official rank.”

“Rank?” Ketal remembered something. “Now that you mention it, Lubitra said something like that before he was banished. He seemed to imply that a demon of higher rank would have to come down to challenge me. He spoke as though there was someone clearly above me.”

Rakuza nodded. “Yes. Among the demons, there exists a special group endowed with a formal station or rank.”

In Hell’s crowded realm, these beings had been granted their own territory. Such a privilege was personally bestowed by the Demon King. Across the long history of Hell, only a tiny handful of demons had ever held these ranks. They had been granted tremendous power and possessed a status far above even named demons.

“Even we don’t know the specifics about these ranked demons,” Rakuza admitted.

The ranked demons were so powerful that descending to the mortal realm was incredibly difficult for them. In fact, they generally only appeared in very old records, particularly those from the Great Demon War in the distant past. One thing was certain: their strength went beyond what mere mortals could handle.

Rakuza sighed, his voice low. “According to some ancient records, even Heroes sometimes lost their lives to them.”

“Interesting,” Ketal remarked, a glimmer of curiosity in his eyes. “If this place had fallen into demonic hands, they might have shown up here eventually.”

𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

“It’s a possibility...,” Rakuza said softly.

The demons were accelerating their invasion, following the Demon King’s command to reclaim the mortal world. If this holy land had become an unholy sanctuary for them, a powerful demon of higher rank could have descended and claimed it as a base. The mere thought was chilling.

Rakuza bowed his head toward Ketal once more, his gratitude evident. “Thank you. It’s all because of you that we avoided such a fate.”

Ketal just smiled. “I enjoyed it as much as anyone, so there’s no need to thank me.”

They spent some time chatting about various minor events that had taken place in the sanctuary. After a while, Rakuza recalled something and asked, “By the way, how was your conversation with Kalosia? I imagine it must have been pretty nerve-wracking.”

Ketal gave a mild shrug. “It was interesting enough. I had a good time.”

Rakuza blinked. “Interesting... enough? With a god?”

He didn’t quite know how to respond to Ketal’s casual tone.

Ketal simply grinned, then decided it was time to move on.

“Anyway, I believe we’ve covered most of what we needed to discuss. Let’s get to the main point.” Ketal’s eyes shone with anticipation. “What exactly is this holy relic, and how do I use it?”

He was talking about the jet-black bracelet he had received—an item that, with Kalosia’s permission, granted the power to wield divine energy. Shadranes had advised Ketal to speak with Rakuza about how to use it, and it seemed the time had come for a detailed explanation.

Rakuza cleared his throat and began slowly, “That bracelet is one of the holy relics Kalosia left us before they withdrew from this realm. Each relic possesses a unique power of its own. For example, a certain garment might protect the wearer from all forms of evil and disease. A special robe may hide one’s presence entirely through divine grace. A particular dagger can even erase an enemy’s attack altogether.”

Rakuza gestured toward the bracelet. “Its ability, however, is the power of holy energy itself.”

Long ago, there was a devout follower of Kaloisa whose body was too frail to ever receive divine power by the usual means. Moved by his plight, Kalosia took pity on him and bestowed this bracelet so that he could wield holy energy. That very bracelet had now been passed on to Ketal.

Rakuza still found it difficult to grasp how a non-believer could receive such a sacred relic, but it was ultimately the will of his god, and he could not question it.

“So, if I wear this bracelet, I will be able to handle holy power?” Ketal asked, glancing at the jet-black band in his hands.

Rakuza nodded. “Yes, that’s correct.”

“Wow...!” Ketal exclaimed, unable to hide his excitement. Even without fully understanding its limits, he could sense the relic’s significance.

Ketal had indeed gained access to wield Myst, but due to his body’s unusual nature, he had never been able to wield them properly. In truth, acquiring this bracelet was his first real chance to handle power that was not from his physical prowess, and his heart pounded with excitement.

Ketal did his best to rein in his emotions and asked Rakuza, “How exactly do I use it?”

“Divine power is a gift from our great deity,” Rakuza explained. “To wield that power, one must first offer prayers. Normally, anyone who isn’t a follower couldn’t receive holy power at all, so it’s never been an issue.”

However, for Ketal, it posed a unique problem.

“I have to pray?” Ketal muttered, sounding less than enthusiastic.

That made Rakuza realize something. “Oh, that’s right. You’re not one of Kalosia’s believers, are you?”

Indeed, Ketal was not a follower of Kalosia. He couldn’t very well offer a prayer he didn’t sincerely mean.

“Is there some other way?” Ketal asked him.

“I’m not sure,” Rakuza admitted with a flustered look. “This is the first time I’ve seen a situation like yours. Is there anyone you do believe in? Kalosia gave their permission, so I doubt it has to be them specifically.”

“I don’t really have anyone like that, but...” Ketal frowned in thought. After a moment, his expression soured. “There’s one possible candidate, though.”

He raised his fist and spoke a name, almost under his breath. “For Blutka.”

All at once, holy energy gathered around Ketal’s clenched hand. He gasped in surprise. Golden light materialized over his fist, emanating a gentle, reassuring warmth even though it had neither temperature nor physical form. Just seeing it would likely soothe most people’s hearts. It was the divine power of a god, now enfolding Ketal’s hand.

“Wow!” Ketal started trembling with excitement, and he struggled to hold it in. He was beholding the true power of the fantasy world at his fingertips, and he felt deeply moved.

“You really can wield it...,” Rakuza murmured, his tone tinged with disbelief and fascination. It was bizarre to see a barbarian, someone who wasn’t a devout believer, so effortlessly channel holy power.

Tearing his gaze away from the surreal spectacle, Rakuza asked him in a curious voice, “Who is this Blutka? A deity you worship, perhaps? I’ve never heard the name before.”

“He’s one of our ancestors,” Ketal answered.

“Your ancestor...?”

“Yes,” Ketal replied flatly.

Blutka was the first to set foot on the White Snowfield—a pioneer who led the tribe from the continent into that harsh expanse. Ketal’s face hardened at the memory, and Rakuza gave a small nod as if he understood.

“So, he was the tribe’s very first leader,” Rakuza said.

“I don’t know much about him personally,” Ketal admitted. “I didn’t really believe any of it, but I figured the formal act of praying might be enough. My tribesmen used to shout his name all day long, so it annoyed me. I never imagined it would actually come in handy like this.”

Rakuza studied Ketal’s expression. “It seems you’re not all that fond of him, even though he’s your ancestor.”

“What’s there to like?” Ketal replied with a scowl. “He willingly led everyone into that nightmare of a place.”

Rakuza nodded, having heard of the bitter condition in the north, a land that was infamously frigid and inhospitable. Rakuza assumed Ketal had to have been born there.

“I’m sure you had a hard time,” he said quietly.

“Extremely,” Ketal agreed without hesitation.

For a moment, memories of that White Snowfield surfaced in his mind. Even a brief reflection was enough to stir deep emotions.

Ketal looked at the band of divine energy around his hand. “So, how do I actually use this?”

“It’s not all that complicated,” Rakuza started to explain. But his body suddenly swayed, as if drained of strength.

Alarmed, Ketal reached out to steady him.

“Are you okay?” Ketal asked him.

“I’m sorry,” Rakuza said, face pale. “I guess I’m not fully healed yet.”

Ketal gave him a sympathetic nod. “This isn’t urgent, so take your time. Rest first.”

“My apologies... I’ll come find you tomorrow.”

“Sure. Get some proper rest.”

Still unsteady, Rakuza left to recuperate. Ketal headed back to his own quarters, brushing off the throng of worshippers who tried to engage him along the way. Upon arriving, he flopped down on his bed and let out a contented sigh.

“This is nice,” he muttered. He had obtained holy power and even spoken with a god. Many of his questions had been answered, and he felt satisfied with how things had turned out.

Although,

he reflected,

I did end up with a few new questions.

Ketal narrowed his eyes slightly, recalling something Kalosia had said: they had referred to him as someone who came from the Inside, and mentioned that their people believed such beings were enemies—an unchangeable truth, fixed since the beginning of time, like a food chain.

Does Inside mean the Demon Realm?

Ketal wondered.

Or could it refer to the White Snowfield only? If that’s Inside, does that make the Outside this continent?

Ordinarily, one would call someplace like a Demon Realm

outside,

yet Kalosia had labeled it

Inside.

The reasoning behind their choice of words was confusing.

Ketal smiled to himself.

This is getting more interesting.

Mystery and wonder, with bits of unknown information—this was the essence of a fantasy world, and Ketal found it exhilarating. More than anything, though, he was excited by something else Kalosia had said before departing from the mortal realm.

They told him, in no uncertain terms, that they held no particular feelings toward him. They wouldn’t interfere with him or stop him. However, Kalosia couldn’t speak for other gods.

Ketal recalled their final words.

“Some gods may seek your downfall, Anomaly.”

Ketal grinned at the memory, feeling an electric surge of anticipation.