Ur's feelings were… complicated.
He had just realized that among the Vichy tribe, whom he had assumed were simple, straightforward people, not a single one was truly "simple." Kakatu went without saying.
Lilimond, for one, had mastered such fluent Common Speech, clearly not the work of an innocent country bumpkin. Chief Taka was just as shrewd, a man who weighed profit above all else. And the quiet, seemingly honest priestess? At the very end, she had quietly dug a small pit for Ur to fall into.
Painful.
Armed with the "Blessing Method" taught by the priestess and a unique Vichy body-training technique he had casually requested from Chief Taka, Ur went alone to the summit of a snow peak and began to meditate in silence.
"I may not have divine power, but Godslayer's Might should work just as well."
Though mildly tricked by the priestess, Ur didn't think it would be a real problem. True, he lacked divine power. But he possessed something that could substitute for it.
The essence of Holy Power was to use divine power as a medium, transforming one's internal magic into a different kind of energy. According to the priestess, her divine power was intertwined with her faith, but that part had little to do with Ur.
He reached inward, connecting with the faint thread of Godslayer's Might within him. Following the method the priestess had taught, he began channeling his magic through it. Streams of magic poured into the Godslayer's Might, gradually transforming before flowing back out as something new.
Snap.
Ur flicked his finger.
A wisp of energy appeared at his fingertip. It pulsed almost identically to Holy Power, but it was violent, destructive, and black.
"Huh? Well, the effect should be about the same."
The Black Holy Power dissipated from his finger. Ur pondered for a long time before concluding that it probably wasn't a big issue.
Sure, his version looked a bit strange. A bit irritable. A bit dark. Lacking any real sacred aura whatsoever.
But at least it was powerful.
With this force augmenting him, Ur felt that a single fireball would reduce everything to dust. Who cared about elemental restraints? Absolute destruction made such concerns meaningless.
The Blessing Method itself wasn't complicated. Mastery of Holy Power depended mainly on the practitioner's divine power density and magic reserves. Beyond that, it was simply a matter of proficiency.
Ur glanced at his remaining gold coins. Gritting his teeth, he invested a hundred of the last remaining coins directly into upgrading his Godslayer's Might.
[Godslayer's Might successfully evolved intoGodslayer's Body.]
[Passive Skill – Godslayer's Body: The host's body has undergone a minor transformation through Godslayer's Body. You now possess the potential to slay gods. Additionally, Godslayer's Body grants you armor-piercing strength.]
The upgrade was largely as expected. Aside from increasing the amount of Godslayer's Body within him, the appearance of armor-piercing strength was a pleasant surprise.
He condensed another strand of Black Holy Power. This time, the energy was noticeably denser and far stronger than ever.
Still, Ur wasn't satisfied.
After a moment of thought, he clenched his jaw and stomped his foot.
If you're going to do something, do it ruthlessly.
Opening his status panel, Ur made a bold decision; he poured nearly all his remaining ten million-plus J of assets into Black Holy Power.
[Black Holy Power +5 (Special Effects: Holy Power +4, Bane of Evil +4, Destruction +3, Godslayer +1).]
With that, the might of Black Holy Power within him surged dramatically once more.
Now, all that remained was to wait.
❖≔﴾═══════ﺤ
Seven days passed in the blink of an eye.
The Vichy tribe would never wait until the ninth day to enter the Demon Domain; that would place them at a strategic disadvantage. During those seven days, Ur familiarized himself with his newly enhanced Black Holy Power. The rest of the time, he studied the Vichy tribe's body-conditioning techniques, attempting to integrate them into his Kuga Combat Technique.
The Vichy army marched and entered the Demon Domain. Each time they resisted the Demon God, nearly the entire tribe mobilized. Aside from a few members left behind to care for pregnant women, everyone entered the Demon Domain, including Chief Taka and the priestess.
The Vichy army lacked formal organization, but its momentum was overwhelming.
Upon entering the Demon Domain, the first thing Chief Taka and the priestess did was distribute the tribe's limited number of holy artifacts. These were given to the strongest warriors, for only in their hands could the artifacts unleash their full potential.
Those who did not receive holy artifacts were instead blessed with Holy Power by the priestess. But there were too many warriors. Even though the priestess had prepared in advance, her efforts were but a drop in the ocean.
"Ahem, Priestess. I've actually learned the Blessing Method as well. How about I lend a hand?" Ur offered, watching her nearly suffocate beneath the press of burly Vichy men.
Priestess: "?"
Seeing the confusion on her face, Ur said nothing more. He raised a hand and released Black Holy Power. Violent energy spread instantly.
Priestess: "..."
Something feels… off.
Is this really what our Holy Power looks like?
For a moment, she wondered if exhaustion had muddled her mind. Why was she seeing black Holy Power?
She rubbed her eyes. Looked again.
"Σ(°△°)︴"
What in the world?! When did our pure white Holy Power turn black in someone else's hands?!
In the end, the priestess agreed.
Though the color had changed, the essence of Holy Power remained. She could sense that much. And at this point, they had no alternatives. Without Holy Power's blessing, fighting the monsters would be far more dangerous for the Vichy warriors.
The tribe was divided into two groups. The priestess could bless at most two or three people at a time; her magic reserves weren't large enough for more.
Ur, however, waved his hand and empowered entire clusters at once.
The priestess began questioning her entire life.
She had spent decades painstakingly cultivating Holy Power. Yet someone who had practiced for mere days was outperforming her.
With Ur's help, the number of Vichy warriors blessed with Holy Power increased dramatically. Although not every warrior received it, the total had grown three or fourfold compared to before.
On that very day, war erupted.
❖≔﴾═══════ﺤ
Next Chapter: Demon Generals
Next Next Chapter: A Final Battle from the Very Start?
Next Next Next Chapter: Is It Ending Right After It Begins?