Chapter 87: Ch 87: Godchild
The blinding white light did not violently detonate as Raidan had initially expected.
Instead of shattering under the sheer weight of his imperial authority, the ultra dense celestial iron of the Star Core began to hum with a frequency that vibrated through the very foundation of Olympus. The sudden burst of illumination was so intense that the heavy paladins of the Vanguard cried out, dropping their massive tower shields and covering their eyes. The wealthy nobles threw themselves completely flat against the polished marble, praying for salvation from the suffocating pressure.
Raidan did not blink. He kept his index finger pressed against the surface of the floating sphere.
The dark grey metal began to melt, turning into a swirling vortex of liquid gold and pure plasma. It did not burn his skin. It felt incredibly warm, like stepping into a perfectly heated bath after a freezing storm. The liquid star wrapped around his finger, flowing up his arm and completely enveloping his body in a column of majestic, towering solar energy.
The clouds directly above District 3 parted in a perfect circle. A massive beam of concentrated sunlight descended from the heavens, striking the Grand Plaza and merging completely with Raidan.
He stood at the absolute epicenter of a divine miracle.
Elder Priest Lumis uncovered his eyes. The level 92 Supreme Solar Hierophant fell to his knees in sheer, unadulterated terror and awe. The Star Core had not just been awakened. It had been completely consumed and integrated into the man standing before them.
A colossal, golden system interface suddenly materialized in the sky above the plaza. It was not a private window visible only to Raidan. This was a global projection. Every single citizen in the upper tiers of Olympus could see the blazing golden text hovering in the sky.
[ Supreme Divine Resonance Detected. ]
[ Analyzing soul signature and latent celestial energy. ]
[ Match confirmed. ]
[ Miraculous Event Triggered: The Return of the Godchild. ]
The heavy bronze doors of the temple rattled on their hinges. The statues of the Sun God lining the plaza suddenly turned their stone heads, physically bowing toward Raidan.
Raidan looked up at the sky. A smaller, personal interface chimed in his mind, revealing his absolute true status to the world. The system had peeled back the layers of his Zenith Emperor persona, accessing the deepest, most primordial origin of his soul.
[ Player Name: Apollo ]
[ Level: 35 | Exp: 30,000 / 475,000 ]
[ Species: Human ]
[ Titles: The Cunning Spoiler ]
[ Class: Quest Originator (SSS+) ]
[ Origin: [Sun God’s Shrine] ]
[ Physical Attributes: ]
[ ATK (Attack): 904 ]
[ DEF (Defense): 831 ]
[ AGI (Agility): 786 ]
[ Mana: 18 ]
[ Skills: Monster Tamer (S 1), Scorch Dragon’s Roar (A 1), Ultra Mana Control (D 1), Fear Immunity (F 9), Cloud Step (F 9) ]
Raidan stared at the holographic projection. A deep, resonant chuckle rumbled in his chest. The situation was incredibly ironic.
His system recognized soul name was Apollo. It was a remnant from his past, a moniker he had earned long before conquering this celestial city. His level was only thirty five, a fraction of the level possessed by the weeping Elder Priest kneeling before him. His total mana pool was a pathetic, almost laughable eighteen points.
Lumis had poured fifty thousand units of divine mana into the Star Core just to make it hover a single foot in the air. Raidan possessed eighteen mana points in total.
But his physical attributes were absolutely monstrous. Over nine hundred attack power. Over eight hundred defense. He did not need mana to crush his enemies. His SSS+ class, the Quest Originator, allowed him to bypass the traditional laws of the universe. And his D 1 rank skill, Ultra Mana Control, meant that he could utilize those eighteen mana points with absolute, microscopic perfection, creating effects that archmages could only dream of achieving.
But the most shocking revelation was his Origin.
[Sun God’s Shrine].
The system provided a secondary prompt, explaining the mystery that had just completely shattered the geopolitical landscape of Olympus.
[ Origin Revelation: Ten thousand years ago, the original founders of the Sun God’s Shrine discovered a fragmented shard of your latent soul energy. They built their entire religion around that single, microscopic spark of your power. You are not an invader. You are the absolute source of their faith. ]
Raidan let out a long breath. He was the Cunning Spoiler. He had come to District 3 to map the leylines for his wedding, fully prepared to slaughter the priests if they interfered. Instead, he had just accidentally stolen their entire religion by simply existing.
The pillar of sunlight slowly faded, absorbing directly into his skin. The liquid plasma of the Star Core solidified into a brilliant, glowing golden ring that hovered gently behind his head, perfectly mirroring the silver halo worn by Naida.
Raidan slowly lowered his hand and looked down at Elder Priest Lumis.
The old man was trembling so violently that his platinum robes shook. The fifty heavily armored Vanguard of the Dawn were currently pressing their faces completely flat against the marble floor. They had witnessed the absolute truth. The man they had called a blasphemer was the literal Godchild of their faith. He was the living embodiment of the sun.
"You demanded proof, Lumis," Raidan said softly. His voice carried no anger. It was completely calm, radiating the absolute authority of a divine sovereign. "You demanded I prove my legitimacy in the light."
Lumis let out a raw, desperate sob. The Elder Priest crawled forward on his hands and knees, dragging his expensive platinum robes through the dust and spilled incense. He did not stop until he reached Raidan. The old man pressed his forehead against the tip of Raidan’s heavy combat boot.
"Forgive us," Lumis wept, tears streaming down his wrinkled face. "Forgive our absolute blindness, Lord Apollo! We are nothing but ignorant children playing with shadows! We did not recognize the blazing sun when it stood directly before us!"
High Acolyte Solon, who was still bleeding heavily on the temple steps, stared in complete shock. His broken ribs ached terribly, but the physical pain was completely overshadowed by the absolute collapse of his reality. The demon who had shattered his solar magic with a single reflective pulse was actually his supreme deity. Solon forced himself up onto his knees and bowed his head all the way to the ground, joining his Elder in total submission.
The wealthy nobles in the plaza began to weep with religious ecstasy. They had come to watch a simple blessing. Instead, they had witnessed the physical incarnation of their god descending to claim the throne of Olympus.
"The Cunning Spoiler," Raidan murmured to himself, reading his title on the glowing interface. The title was incredibly fitting. He had completely spoiled the High Council’s grip on the city. He had spoiled the Serpent Guild’s monopoly on the lower districts. And now, he had completely spoiled the Shrine’s attempt to undermine his wedding.
Raidan looked down at the weeping Elder Priest. He could have executed the man. He could have used his massive attack stats to turn the entire Vanguard of the Dawn into red mist. But a dead priest was useless. A fanatically loyal priest was a weapon.
"Stand up, Lumis," Raidan commanded.
The Elder Priest scrambled to his feet, keeping his head bowed respectfully. He did not dare to look directly into Raidan’s emerald eyes.
"Your faith is misguided, but it is strong," Raidan declared, his voice echoing across the silent plaza for all the nobles to hear. "I accept your devotion. The Sun God’s Shrine now officially belongs to the Verdian Empire. You will no longer take orders from the corrupt High Council. You answer only to me."
"Yes, Lord Apollo!" Lumis cried out joyfully. "The Shrine is yours! Our wealth, our relics, our lives! We live only to serve your radiant glory!"
Raidan pointed toward the massive gold plated doors of the temple.
"My Empress, the Radiant Saintess, requires absolute perfection for our celestial union," Raidan stated smoothly. "This plaza is no longer just a public square. It is my official wedding pavilion. You have exactly three days to purify this entire district. I want every fountain flowing with enchanted spring water. I want every pillar draped in celestial silk. If a single detail is out of place, I will burn your temple to the ground with my own hands."
"It shall be done perfectly, Your Divine Majesty!" Lumis promised frantically. The Elder Priest immediately turned toward the fifty kneeling paladins. "You heard the Godchild! Mobilize every single acolyte in the upper tiers! We must prepare the sacred grounds for the Mother Saintess and our Lord!"
The paladins scrambled to their feet, their heavy golden armor clanking loudly. They rushed into the temple with a frantic, desperate energy. They were no longer preparing for a political festival. They were preparing for the most important religious event in the ten thousand year history of their order.
Raidan swiped his hand through the air, dismissing the massive golden interface floating in the sky. He had completely subjugated the most powerful religious faction in Olympus without drawing a weapon.
He knelt back down onto the polished marble, returning his hand to the cold stone. He closed his eyes and pushed his spatial mana deep into the ground, resuming his leyline inspection. The magical conduits beneath the plaza were incredibly robust, perfectly suited to handle a massive teleportation matrix.
Everything was falling perfectly into place. His army of needy players was rapidly leveling up in the crater. His future wife was safely resting in their sanctuary, universally adored by the lower districts. And now, the wealthiest and most prestigious faction in the upper tiers worshipped the very ground he walked on.
The celestial full moon was only three days away. When the wedding procession finally began, the entire universe would witness the absolute, unbreakable supremacy of the Verdian Empire.