Chapter 69 69: Mission Update

— — — — — — A goddess? One who's been inactive since the evil god's invasion seven years ago, only to be awakened now by humanity's renewed faith? Hearing that such a method even existed, Celestine and Olga exchanged a glance—both clearly tempted by the idea. No hesitation needed. Celestine agreed without a second thought. And Olga didn't object either. First of all, aside from the "power of faith" required to awaken the goddess—something she'd never heard of before—the rest of the process didn't seem to carry any real risk. Worst-case scenario? It just wouldn't work and they'd have to try something else. Second... The goddess's divine message from two days ago had clearly instructed them to fully cooperate with all of Veyron's actions—as well as those of the white-haired woman with him. If she wanted to protest, she'd have to come up with a really solid excuse first. After it was decided. Celestine stepped out from the sacred spring and knelt before the statue of the goddess. Clearing her mind, she began praying devoutly. From Veyron's unique perspective, something else was unfolding. A thread of flowing light gathered and descended from the goddess statue, connecting to Celestine. Over the course of just three minutes, seven million people's worth of faith—accumulated through this statue over the last seven years—was transferred into Celestine's body, flooding in like a tidal wave. After some time, a beam of light burst from her body, materializing midair into a figure identical to both Celestine and the statue. The only difference? While Celestine exuded kindness and gentleness, this new figure radiated something beyond mortal bounds—a serene superiority. "My Goddess!" x2 Both Celestine and Olga were visibly overjoyed at the sight. "Thank you for staying strong all these years," Larentia said with a gentle nod. She turned to Veyron. "And thank you as well. I never imagined that such power could be hidden within faith itself..." "She can see you?" Veyron asked Merlin through their link. "Why wouldn't she?" Merlin shrugged. "She is the goddess of this world. I only used a basic illusion spell." "...Fair enough." Veyron looked up at Larentia and asked, "From what you just said, does that mean you know everything that's happened these past years?" "In a way, yes," Larentia replied. "Celestine is me—so what she's seen and experienced, I've seen and experienced too." She paused, then added, "And now that I've reawakened and felt the power of faith, I can even hear the prayers of people from far away." "Then... about the issue we've been stuck on—do you have any insight?" Larentia fell silent. Veyron didn't push, giving her time to gather her thoughts. He waited quietly for about half an hour—long enough for Selina to start streaming a movie from her world via the group chat out of boredom. Finally, Larentia finally spoke again. "...The corruption of the evil god has reached the very rules that govern this world. Even in my former divine state, I wouldn't have been able to purge it completely." Her voice was soft, but heavy. "However, I once saw a method used by mortals to treat wounds. When an injury rots and healing is no longer possible, some physicians recommend cutting away the rotten flesh before it spreads. That way, the body can regenerate healthy tissue." "...Are you saying we should abandon everything and everyone outside the barrier?" Veyron struggled to follow that logic. "As things stand, unless someone equal to—or stronger than—that evil god steps in, this is the only viable option within our power," Larentia said, nodding slightly. Wow. You're really going there, huh? It's like a doctor looked at a rotting corpse and thought, "Screw saving what's left (his body)—let's just take the one tiny piece that's still clean and grow a new body from it." "...Pardon the bluntness, but did the people you're planning to 'cut off' have any say in this decision?" Veyron asked. "This was her choice," Larentia replied softly. "Since she was the one who set this all in motion... she should also be the one to end it." [Group System Notification: Mission parameters have been updated by the client — World Will ██. All participating members may vote on whether to accept the new mission objectives.] [Click to view updated content] [...] [Approve / Reject — 0/0] [Current Task Members: 2] [Note: The client has added a bonus of 30,000 Group Points for this mission update.] [Note: Due to a previous breach of contract by the client, participants may now choose to abandon the mission. Members who opt out will receive compensation equal to 30% of the total original mission reward (divided among current Task Members), which will be paid separately by the client and will not affect the total available rewards for those who continue.] --- So basically, if Veyron bailed right now, he'd walk away with 13,500 Group Points in compensation—half of 90,000, times 30% (45,000 X 0.3 = 13,500)—and get to go home with no further obligations? "What's the call, Veyron?" Merlin's voice rang in his mind. "Not gonna lie, I am a little tempted..." As he answered, Veyron was already tapping [Approve]. [Approve / Reject — 2/0] Just like that, a new clause was added to the original mission, which had been to 'preserve as many survivors as possible under the protection of the Seven Shields Alliance until the evil god's corruption is fully purged.' The added clause? 'Successfully executing Larentia's plan will also count as mission completion.' Total reward: 90,000 + 30,000 = 120,000 Group Points. "We're on board," Veyron told Larentia after seeing that Merlin had also voted to approve. "So what do you need us to do?" "Before we do anything else, we must first escape the evil god's gaze. If we take this untouched land and flee while he's still watching, it'd be like serving him the same meal on a new plate." Larentia looked solemn. "The barrier has sealed off the gateways, so the only 'eyes' he has left in this world... are his followers." "Got it," Veyron nodded. Compared to 'cleansing the evil god's corruption at the rule level'—which he had absolutely no idea how to even begin attacking—clearing out his minions was a much more concrete and manageable task. . . .