As the Heretic Gods returned to Myth, the nameless mountain range and the surrounding cities' anomalies—the dense fog, the dark clouds—vanished, reverting to their normal state.
Only the colossal, ruined mountain, reduced to rubble, remained as a testament to the devastating battle that had transpired there.
Phoenix stood amidst the ravaged peaks, slowly opening her eyes.
This time... the godslaying had succeeded. She had directly slain three Heretic Gods and one Heretical Divine Beast.
However, when Phoenix journeyed to Yōsei to perform the ritual and claim the Heretic Gods' Authorities, her beloved loli mother, Pandora, was nowhere to be seen.
In truth, a Campione didn't necessarily require Pandora's personal presence to claim a Heretic God's Authority.
As the younger sibling of Prometheus, Pandora had left behind a cursed spell: the Dark Christmas Rite, which birthed the child of the Fool and the Witch—the Campione. By sacrificing gods in a ritual of usurpation, the rite stripped Heretic Gods of their divine power and Authority.
This predetermined process involved the Campione offering a Heretic God as a sacrifice to initiate the Dark Christmas Rite, thereby acquiring the Heretic God's Cursed Power and Authority.
Thus, Pandora's personal appearance was optional.
This time, Phoenix's luck was a bit worse, and she only obtained five Authorities.
Only Chiyou granted her a composite Authority; the other three gods each yielded a single, standard Authority.
Composite Authorities are relatively rare, with most gods typically possessing only one. The original protagonist's once-in-a-lifetime acquisition of a composite Authority equivalent to ten ordinary ones was an extreme outlier.
Phoenix hadn't yet decided on names for the Authorities she had gained, but that didn't matter. She could simply make up something arbitrary as long as it was simple and easy to understand.
The Authority Phoenix obtained from the Heretic God Feng Bo, his primary Authority, was [ Wind ].
Though it was just a single Authority, its applications were remarkably diverse.
As the wielder of the [ Wind ] Authority, Phoenix became the creator and master of the winds themselves.
With a mere wave of her hand, she could effortlessly conjure hurricanes or even tornadoes.
At its peak, she could harness the power of the wind to move small mountains, truly deserving the title of Anemo Archon.
Moreover, beyond conjuring gales from thin air, Phoenix could also command natural winds to cease entirely.
For instance, she could halt a Category 5 typhoon in its tracks, though such feats consumed significant Cursed Power.
This Authority held considerable value; selling it to Ai-chan would fetch nearly 700 Crystals.
Whether to sell it or retain it as a personal blessing could wait until her departure. There was no need to rush the decision.
While Phoenix was thoroughly satisfied with Feng Bo's Authority, she found Yu Shi's Authority deeply disappointing.
Because... this Authority is a duplicate of another Celestial Phenomenon Authority.
[Torrential Rain]
Even in the desert, activating this Authority would summon an unnatural downpour over the parched sands, completely transforming the weather.
The power of an Authority cares nothing for the laws of science.
But that's all it does—merely alter the weather. As for offensive capabilities...
It's practically nonexistent.
It's primarily a support-type Authority, though quite valuable for those who command the power of water, ice, and related elements.
However... this Authority duplicates one Phoenix already possesses, closely resembling the [ Storm ] Authority she acquired from Beelzebub (Ba'al).
Ba'al is the supreme deity of the Shan people, governing the sun, storms, locusts, agriculture, and more.
[ Torrential Rain ] is comparable to, and perhaps even inferior to, [ Storm ]. Therefore... it's definitely going to Ai-chan, though there's no rush to sell it now.
The Authority Phoenix obtained from Chiyou was the most exhilarating she had acquired. It was no wonder he was the renowned Archon Chiyou, the ancient Emperor.
Chiyou, the ancient sovereign, obtained metal from Mount Lu and forged five types of weapons, proving he was no ordinary commoner but a feudal lord by birthright.
As one of the Eight Gods of antiquity and the top three Lords of Armaments, he commanded the weapons of all ages, earning the titles "Lord of Weapons" and "War God of Armaments."
Authority: [ Lord of Armaments' Blessing ]
This passive Authority instantly grants mastery over any weapon, amplifying its destructive power by over 200%.
At first glance, this Authority might seem underwhelming, merely a minor branch of Chiyou's Lord of Arms Authority, pale in comparison to those capable of effortlessly obliterating mountains and cities.
Yet, for Phoenix, its significance was immense, effectively doubling her combat prowess.
Divine Keys are selective, choosing their wielders. If you're compatible and earn their approval, you could even effortlessly slay Herrscher-level enemies.
But if you're mismatched, unsuitable, or the Key simply refuses to cooperate... well, you might as well hand it to Theresa. She'd probably wield it better.
With this Authority, even if Phoenix isn't a good match for a particular Divine Key, or if the Key dislikes her, it will begin to grudgingly acknowledge her.
Even if she can't fully unleash its power, using it won't be a problem.
Moreover, with the Lord of Armaments' blessing, weapon damage is doubled. Imagine amplifying the destructive force of Shamash Unsheathed by more than twofold...
What terrifying power!
The question remains: can this Authority enhance the power of Divine Keys? If so, by how much? The answer is uncertain, but even a slight boost would be an immeasurable gain.
This Authority was definitely worth optimizing and permanently acquiring.
Then there was another Authority... Chiyou's Banner.
Chiyou's Banner was a flag emblazoned with Chiyou's totem. However, it wasn't a typical cloth banner. Instead, it manifested as a crimson gaseous formation in the sky, resembling a cloud of mist.
During times of war, Chiyou used it to rally his troops. Whenever conflict erupted, the banner would appear in the heavens, heralding Chiyou's arrival. Morale would surge, and victory would follow!
Through Chiyou's Banner, Chiyou triumphed in countless battles, earning the title of War God.
This Aura Buff Authority significantly enhanced the combat capabilities of allied soldiers, boosting their attack, defense, morale, and a host of other abilities.
It was somewhat similar to the treasures and Divine Artifacts in Heroes of Might and Magic.
However, it synergized exceptionally well with Summoning Authorities...
Take the Angel's Horn, for example, which could instantly double the combat strength of all angels.
How to handle this Authority... Undecided...