Chapter 93: The Human Heart

Chapter 93: The Human Heart

"Ge Li! Are you okay? Don’t scare me like this, say something!"

Chad, who had rushed out eagerly, knelt helplessly beside Ge Li, his scarred face filled with terror.

He, too, was a helot.

But unlike others, he was a warrior among the helots, with a chance to rise as a citizen of Sparda.

And he had been striving for it.

His dream was to buy Ge Li’s freedom once he regained his own.

Yet the sight before him shattered him completely.

A man who had only ever shed blood, never tears, now lowered his head in despair, weeping silently, consumed by guilt over his powerlessness.

Then, a soft little hand suddenly grasped his calloused, sword-worn hands.

Chad froze.

A faint glimmer returned to Ge Li’s hollow eyes as she murmured, "I want to go home."

Chad stared at her fragile face, and his heart—once as unyielding as stone—crumbled under the weight of her words.

After a moment of stunned silence, he gritted his teeth, scooped her into his arms, and hid her in a nearby wine cellar. Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he whispered, "Wait for me. I’ll take you home."

With that, he turned and left, resolute.

Once, he had secretly picked up a leaflet scattered from the sky and accessed the internet. There, he had seen a video.

It showed the God of War’s Legion being utterly annihilated in their attack on Edga.

He had witnessed it with his own eyes—the terrifying legion suddenly struck by an unseen force, their bodies swelling and turning pale like boiling pigs before collapsing into scorching magma.

The Internet God had declared that the God of War’s Legion had been completely wiped out.

Now, the Internet God was coming for Sparda. If they destroyed the church, once the city fell, they would be granted freedom—and even rewarded with gold coins.

Truthfully, when Chad first saw this news, his immediate instinct was to report it to his instructor.

He hated Sparda!

But he feared losing everything he had worked for even more.

Because he was so close to becoming a citizen.

When he made his report, the instructor had praised him on the spot, promising to recommend him to the Elder Council for promotion to Sparda citizenship!

No one knew the wild joy that had surged in his heart at that moment.

He had almost rushed to share the wonderful news with Ge Li, to tell her that once he became a citizen, he would find her master and buy her without delay.

But reality had dealt him a fatal blow. The very person he had fought so hard for had been violated and broken.

Her eyes, once brighter than gold, had turned into lifeless pools. That despair was soul-crushing.

Chad left the cellar, quickly wiping away his tears before feigning panic as he sprinted toward the church.

……

Inside the vast Belen Cathedral, the Gods of Fertility, Plague, and Misfortune surveyed the exquisitely crafted church with the gaze of conquerors admiring their spoils.

Divine power rolled outward, erasing the old divine patterns and engraving new ones.

From this day forth, Belen Cathedral would be theirs.

And in time, the entire Belen Plain would gradually fall under their dominion.

This vast land would allow them to nurture more Believers, providing them with an endless supply of Source Essence.

At that moment, the God of Fertility raised an eyebrow and turned to look at the cathedral doors, his tone dripping with mockery: "Well, well, look who’s here? Our beautiful Music Goddess has finally deigned to leave her backwater town?"

The God of Fertility, who appeared no older than a youth, possessed strikingly handsome features. When he spoke with such levity, it came across more as flirtation than outright insult.

"You always claim the world outside has changed so much. Naturally, I had to come and broaden my horizons," Aphnora replied, her voice calm as still water as she stepped into Belen Cathedral. Yet inwardly, fury burned within her—she longed to shatter this cathedral, even this entire city!

Perhaps they had dared to allow her projection here precisely because she was a weak Godhood, posing no threat to them.

The thought filled her with a deep sense of absurdity.

"You certainly do need to broaden your horizons! We invited you with such sincerity back then, yet you refused. Now you’ve thrown your lot in with some unknown Outer God, and here you stand before us? What, have you come as his envoy to persuade us to pressure the Five Great Righteous Gods?"

The God of Fertility’s words were laced with cold sarcasm, cutting straight to the heart of Aphnora’s purpose.

At their level, many things no longer warranted concealment.

Unrestrained audacity was their guiding principle.

The Gods of Plague and Misfortune deliberately scoffed in unison.

The alliance between the Music Goddess and the Internet God was no secret to the deities of the Azarea Continent.

In truth, many gods had taken notice of the Internet God the moment he began preaching in Keville.

Frankly, the fact that he had turned the Keville Empire into his preaching zone within mere months was a feat that left even the most powerful gods awestruck.

Only the uncertainty surrounding the Internet God’s true strength had kept them from acting rashly.

When that function appeared on the Internet, many immediately realized Aphnora had forged an alliance with him.

This matter was neither trivial nor monumental.

As everyone knew, the Music Godhood was a weak one—Aphnora’s greatest deterrent was her mastery as the God of Magic.

Thus, rather than an alliance of two gods, it was more accurate to say the Keville Empire had gained another God of Magic as an ally.

Yet this development had infuriated the Gods of Fertility, Plague, and Misfortune!

Because they had once extended an invitation to the Music Goddess.

The God of Fertility had even privately hinted at using his authority over fertility to harness Aphnora’s magical bloodline and sire more high-level mages.

Yet their invitation had been met with Aphnora’s outright refusal.

Naturally, this had enraged them.

Now, with the Internet God standing out like a tree above the forest, only to be besieged by the Five Great Righteous Gods, the three gods had seized the opportunity to claim Belen Cathedral.

By comparison, they were basking in triumph—and mocking Aphnora for her lack of foresight!

"You guessed correctly. I have come as an envoy. Now is the perfect time for you to seize the preaching zones of the God of Death—even the God of Life!"

Aphnora’s tone remained mild.

"The perfect time? Hahaha—"

The three gods burst into laughter.

"Aphnora, do you truly take us for fools? Trying to use us as your pawns?" The God of Plague, his form shrouded in black robes, rasped hoarsely.

"Hehe, if I'm not mistaken, Keville is about to fall, isn't it?" The God of Misfortune chuckled, his mockery dripping from every word.

"Hahaha, I’m especially glad now that you rejected my invitation back then. Otherwise, this foolish bloodline of yours—even if it had produced offspring—would have been nothing but a liability!" The God of Fertility sneered viciously.

They were no fools. The Belen Cathedral was already more than enough for them to digest.

Rushing forward recklessly and stretching their battle lines would only lead to total failure.

They knew all too well the power of the Five Great Righteous Gods. Once those gods had the chance to retaliate, any territory they hadn’t fully absorbed would be ripped right back from them.

Come to think of it, why hadn’t they destroyed the Belen Cathedral when they retreated?

Because they were confident they could reclaim it—naturally, they couldn’t bear to ruin it.

"I’m also extremely glad I rejected your invitation back then. Otherwise, your stupidity wouldn’t just have delayed the war effort—it would have dragged me down with you."

Aphnora mimicked the God of Fertility’s tone, throwing the sarcasm right back.

"How dare you!"

The God of Fertility roared in fury.

The Gods of Plague and Misfortune stepped forward, subtly encircling Aphnora.

"To still be completely clueless at this point—how pitiful and laughable!"

With a wave of her hand, Aphnora unfurled a Virtual Scroll in midair, and a scene began to play.

The footage showed none other than the elite forces of the God of Death and the God of Life suffering a devastating defeat, their morale shattered as they fled in panic.

"This… impossible!"

"What kind of authority is this?"

The Gods of Fertility, Plague, and Misfortune stared in shock, their scalps tingling at the sight.

"Seeing how stupid you look right now, I’m even more convinced that my choice back then was the right one." Aphnora spat back viciously, utterly unafraid of the three gods turning hostile.

Sure enough, the three deities—Fertility, Plague, and Misfortune—were left pale and speechless, no longer daring to shout "How dare you!"

The God of Misfortune even took a deep breath and said, "I apologize for my words and actions! Lady Aphnora, have you come here to propose an alliance against the Five Great Righteous Gods?"

Before he could finish, Aphnora suddenly let out a light laugh. "That’s right. My original purpose was indeed to join forces with you against the Five Great Righteous Gods. But now—there’s no need."

"Huh?" The three gods—Fertility, Plague, and Misfortune—froze in stunned silence.