ATP 13

Chapter 13

✠

Bianca couldn’t believe the scene before her.

Something extraordinary had happened to the friend in front of her, as if protecting her. A brilliant white light enveloped Ailet’s body, lifting her feet off the ground.

Her cherry-blossom-colored hair had turned into a radiant silver, and her peridot-like eyes now gleamed like molten gold.

Ailet, shrouded in a divine power so strong it made her whole body tremble, looked almost otherworldly—like a being not of this world.

In that state, Ailet faced a terrifying undead necromancer.

“Barrier of Mercury.”

“This is impossible!”

“Divine Punishment.”

“Ughhhh!”

“Heal.”

“Eeeek!”

In an instant, the dungeon’s master turned to ashes and vanished.

“D-Did she… defeat it?”

The answer to Bianca’s question came in the form of the dungeon’s sudden transformation.

The red moon melted away like ice cream, darkness lifted, and a clear sky appeared.

Against the backdrop of an unbroken azure sky, Ailet turned to look at Bianca.

“Ailet…”

Overwhelmed, Bianca gazed up at her. The miraculous savior before her felt like the very incarnation of divine rebirth.

Then Ailet exhaled softly, releasing the divine descent.

Her body, which had been floating, gently returned to the ground, returning to her normal form.

“Let’s see… the rewards… just a passive skill and a special item each. Notoriety in the undead world? A treasure bag for tomb raiders? I’ll check them properly later.”

Picking up the old book and satchel carelessly, Ailet turned to Bianca.

“It’s all over. Time to head back…”

“Ai!”

“Via?”

Bianca grabbed Ailet’s hand firmly and pressed her face close, her rabbit-like red eyes shining with overwhelming emotion.

Ailet was already a precious friend she had barely made. Having faced hardship together, their bond had only deepened.

But Bianca’s excitement was about more than just that.

“Ai… you’re a messenger of the gods! Right? Right?”

“Huh?”

“You just defeated a baron-level demon all on your own. Someone your age wielding that much divine power—there’s no doubt you’re a messenger of the gods, isn’t there?”

“Well… yeah.”

As the first disciple of the “Language of World-Building,” it was a perfectly logical deduction.

Bianca’s eyes glistened with tears.

“Ah… the gods haven’t abandoned this world. They sent Ai for us.”

Then, a system message appeared, visible only to Ailet.

[<System> You have converted an atheist into a believer. As the first disciple of ‘Language of World-Building,’ any believer you convert automatically becomes a disciple of ‘Language of World-Building.’ Your divinity increases.]

[<System> Due to the increase in ‘Language of World-Building’ divinity, the effects of ‘Favor’ and ‘Endearment’ slightly increase.]

‘Th-this… is multi-level marketing!’

Unintentionally, Ailet had stepped into a pyramid scheme.

Bianca began asking questions eagerly.

“So, Ai, will you later join the hunting corps and raid dungeons and all that?”

“Ah, yeah. I suppose… probably…”

Bianca’s questions made Ailet seriously consider her future path. Being trapped in an S-rank survival-level novel, she couldn’t escape such a fate.

Since the protagonist’s role in this chapter had failed, it seemed likely that salvation would have to come from herself.

Meanwhile, Bianca’s eyes shone with excitement.

“I want to help too!”

“Huh?”

“I can’t fight, but I can handle other things. If you’re going to travel across Serentra to hunt, you’ll need a guild headquarters, right? As the next Countess Gillette, I’ll fully support you. Leave all personnel, finances, and administrative work for the hunting guild to me.”

“R-Really?”

“Yes! Let me be your aide, Ai. I promise I’ll do well.”

“Th-thank you, Via.”

“I’m the one who should be thankful.”

Blushing, Bianca smiled shyly.

“You’re my lifesaver, Ai. Truly, thank you.”

“Via…”

At that moment, Ailet felt a slight dizziness, a sudden, overwhelming vertigo.

[<System> You have suffered ‘Divine Fever’ due to excessive use of the Divinity Skill. Sleep is recommended for recovery. Time remaining: 1 day 23 hours 59 minutes.]

‘Ah… nothing in this world comes for free.’

Her body couldn’t handle another divine descent without consequence. Ailet vowed not to overuse her skills.

“Via… I’ll leave things in your hands.”

“No, Ai! Don’t die! We just became friends—I can’t lose you now!”

“I won’t die…”

With a soft thud, Ailet collapsed gracefully into Bianca’s arms, losing consciousness.

✠

That day, chaos erupted in the Holy Nation of Elfenheim.

“She’s here! She’s arrived!”

“Ohhhh!”

In the Grand Cathedral of the Sacred Office, even though it wasn’t a special feast day, all the cardinals had gathered. They wept tears of joy as they watched the holy light bathing the altar of prophecy.

At the center, the elderly Pope made the sign of the cross, his eyes glistening with emotion.

“Ah, the altar of prophecy is responding strongly! This… this is surely a divine descent!”

The cardinals shouted in joy.

“Just a few weeks ago, we sensed an unusual divinity! The gods have answered our prayers!”

“Indeed, the merciful One does not abandon creation to ruin!”

“Not sending a prophecy for a hundred years was only a test of our faith!”

“Faith! We believe in the order and goodness of all things!”

Signs that the world had been forsaken by the gods were clear in Serentra: weakening divine power and long-interrupted prophecies.

Now, a divine descent—rare even in history—was occurring. It was a grace far beyond prophecy.

In a world on the brink of destruction, salvation was more urgent than ever. Joy was only natural.

Yet some cardinals cooled the excitement with cautious words.

“We cannot rejoice blindly. The site of this divine descent is not within Elfenheim but in the Winchester Kingdom.”

“Yes. It is painful to acknowledge that the vessel of this grace is outside our holy nation.”

Though somewhat nationalistic, the statements were generally agreed upon.

“It’s strange that Winchester would hold such a vessel.”

“Perhaps a hidden power lying in a rural church?”

“In any case, a sacred figure among unbelievers is unacceptable!”

“Exactly. We must bring her to our sanctuary and elevate her as a great saint.”

“Form a search party immediately!”

Soon, the Grand Cathedral had become a council room for the nation’s leaders.

Meanwhile, on the fourth-floor balcony, other eyes stole glimpses of the divine light.

Young boys in white robes, signaling their membership in the Sacred Office, were among the special children raised to supposedly save the world.

Each bore a mark that forcibly awakened a portion of divine power.

They were not comfortable with the current scene.

“When did we become the ‘hope of the world’ again?”

“Well, world salvation wasn’t really my thing. Time to return to normal life.”

“Return to normal? Do you think the Office will let us go?”

“Nope. Even if world peace comes, we’ll be used to monitor Winchester Kingdom and the Ragneif Magical Republic. They deliberately chose orphans for this and implanted the marks.”

“Wow… makes sense. You’re sharp, huh?”

“Or maybe you’re just dumb.”

“Hmm… wanna fight?”

“Don’t bother the weak supporter.”

The dark-haired boy shifted quickly; the blond laughed and stepped back.

After their squabble, the two boys noticed something.

“Hey, why is that one so quiet… my eyes are going to fall out.”

Their gaze fell on a single boy with silver hair and ocean-colored eyes, angelic as in a holy painting.

He seemed completely mesmerized, as if both eyes and soul were captured by the light pouring onto the altar of prophecy.

The other boys whispered.

“His eyes are so bright.”

“Seems like he’s receiving all of God’s favor. Careful on that railing—it looks old.”