"The closer one is to the gods, the easier it is to be corrupted."
The carriage bumped unevenly along the dirt road, occasionally jolting the two of them into the air.
Grinya Loran had been feeling a bit lightheaded, but Gexi's words struck her heart like repeated blows from a heavy hammer.
She sat in a daze, unable to speak.
If it was true that those closer to the gods were more susceptible to corruption, then what was she, as the vessel for Xun Shen?
If she was destined to be corrupted and assimilated sooner or later, what did she truly represent in the eyes of that evil god?
Was she merely an expendable resource, a consumable that could be discarded or replaced at any time?
As Gexi spoke those words, Grinya suddenly realized that she might not hold much significance in the evil god's heart at all.
She was likely nothing more than a vessel waiting to be replaced.
She probably wasn't even considered a pet...
Gexi noticed Grinya's sudden drop in mood and let out a soft, gentle laugh, patting her reassuringly.
"Actually, the path of a mage isn't as difficult as you think. Look at me, I am already a saint-rank archmage, yet I am standing here perfectly fine without a single sign of corruption, aren't I?"
"Besides, becoming a high-level mage is inherently extremely difficult. Otherwise, there wouldn't be only one person on the entire continent—the Pope of the Original God Church—who has surpassed Level 70."
"So, the maximum level for a human is 70?" Grinya asked.
"Well... you could say that. According to my teacher, Level 70 humans are still considered human, though they must combat severe whispers of corruption and interference. The Pope spends most of his time alone in a seclusion chamber, and his only purpose for doing so is to resist that corruption. It is said that while he is in there, passing clergy members can even hear agonized groans coming from behind that alloy door."
Gexi sighed with a hint of emotion. "So, high-level mages don't have it as easy as you might think. Once you break through the Level 80 barrier, you reach what we commonly call the supreme-rank archmage level, but at that stage, one can no longer be called human."
"Then what are they called?"
"Demigods!" Gexi stated firmly.
"There are only two outcomes at that level: either you become a puppet for a certain god, or your body and spirit are annihilated together."
Gexi paused, a faint, knowing smile playing on her lips. "So, in this era of divine absence, supreme-rank archmages have vanished. That counts as a good thing, doesn't it? For humanity, whether it is a god or a demigod, they both possess the power to destroy human civilization. The only difference is the method."
"Having one less unstable factor is better than living in fear every day."
"While this may not be the best of times, it is certainly not the worst. Being able to work hard just to survive is already a small, humble happiness for us humans."
Gexi turned to look up at the sky.
The sky was a clear, brilliant blue, without wind or clouds.
"This era isn't considered the best?" The owner of the horse, who was riding up front, half-turned his head and raised an eyebrow. "Little girl, then which era do you think is the best? The Era of Order? Or the Era of Light?"
"Neither." A smile spread across Gexi's face as she spoke with frankness and poise. "It is the future!"
"The best era lies in the future!"
She stood up on the swaying carriage, standing so steadily that she did not stumble. Her eyes were fixed on the far distance, as if the world she hoped for was waiting for her right there.
"I believe that in that time, corruption will be completely eradicated, the gods will vanish from history, and for the first time, humanity will become the masters of the world!"
Seeing the look of longing and aspiration on her face, the horse owner let out a soft laugh.
He didn't have the heart to crush a young girl's fantasies, so he played along. "Yes, that would certainly be a beautiful era. The poor would no longer go hungry, they wouldn't have to endure the entire winter in the wind and snow, and most importantly, they wouldn't have to worry about dying for no reason at any moment."
At this point, a self-deprecating smile touched his lips, and his voice dropped to a low murmur. "If only such an era truly existed."
Grinya couldn't find a way into this conversation.
She didn't understand why people went hungry, why they had to endure the winter, or why they would die for no reason.
But she thought the beautiful era they described sounded magnificent.
If such a world truly existed in the future, she would surely do everything in her power, regardless of the cost, to contribute her own small effort toward creating it.
...
The center of Axi Town was a large open space that had originally held a massive statue of a god. It was the favorite gathering place for the town's residents.
Children used to play hide-and-seek there, and adults would play music during their leisure time, dancing to the gentle melodies.
Everyone loved that lively atmosphere.
But that past liveliness was gone.
Axi Town had fallen into a deathly silence. The usual crowds had vanished, the statue was gone, and in its place stood a pitch-black altar. Several cultists with unpleasant auras were cautiously arranging objects around it.
Viewed from above, it looked like a massive magic circle surrounding the altar.
The formation was ancient and complex. It was constructed from deep black metal blocks that emitted a faint green light. The cultists understood none of it; they simply followed the plan mechanically.
"Cough, cough!"
A man who was placing one of the black metal blocks suddenly began to cough violently. His face was pale and bloodless, and his coughing grew heavier and more frantic.
"Hey, are you alright?"
The person next to him reached out fearfully to touch him.
But before he could, the man suddenly collapsed. His throat was nearly hollowed out, a massive pool of blood spilling forth as his skin shriveled and his flesh withered.
This horrific scene terrified the others.
"Lord Bishop, Lord Bishop!"
A man burst into the tavern in a panic, finding Bishop Duoze drinking. His face was pale with terror. "Lord Bishop, Lieroda suddenly collapsed while setting up the ritual. His flesh is melting! What should we do, Bishop?"
"Melting?" Duoze didn't seem surprised. He calmly took a sip of his wine. "Ignore it. He probably accidentally touched something forbidden. He didn't even know when he got corrupted. Just keep doing your work and leave him be."
"Co... corruption?" The man froze in place.
"Yes. Just don't touch the corrupted corpse. Carry on with what you're supposed to do, understood?"
"But, Lord Bishop, it isn't right to just leave Lieroda's body lying there. He looks truly horrific. Please, Lord Bishop, come and take a look."
"I told you to ignore him, can't you hear me?" Duoze glared at him.
Under his threat, the cultist had no choice but to leave dejectedly.
Duoze let out a cold snort.
"I'm not going anywhere near that damn place."
Rate on N.U.
