"Logically speaking, this temple is covered by a barrier, and with the support of the Power of Faith, space should have been sealed long ago."
"Even a level one hundred Player shouldn't be able to leave so easily."
After Naohara left, Surshana remained where he stood, staring at the place where the two figures had vanished while murmuring quietly to himself.
"And the magic just now... was it [Reality Slash]?"
He turned and walked toward Zesshi Zetsumei.
His gaze settled on the lone head lying on the ground.
Surshana extended his skeletal hand into the air, sensing the chaotic spatial fluctuations that still lingered nearby. A trace of doubt appeared in his eyes.
"No, it wasn't [Reality Slash]. The fluctuations feel similar, but I can tell it was the warrior skill [Spacial Slash]."
At some point, a figure had appeared beside the God of Death.
Long black hair flowed down his back. His features were delicate, his eyes pale blue, and his entire body was surrounded by a golden glow.
Judging by appearance, it was the Captain of the Black Scripture, who had been undergoing transformation and had remained completely unnoticed the entire time.
However, from the way he spoke, it was clear that someone else was now controlling this body.
"How does it feel?" the God of Death asked.
"Not bad. This body has a very high compatibility with my blood, and our new friend added a little extra, which pushed the upper limit even higher. Right now I feel an unprecedented sense of exhilaration."
He clenched his fist as he felt the continuous changes flowing through his body.
The Captain of the Black Scripture, or more accurately the God of Wind now controlling the body, nodded with clear satisfaction.
Over the past several hundred years, this was undoubtedly the most perfect body he had encountered.
From now on, he would remain in this body through possession. From the shadows, he would assist this descendant in mastering the power that belonged to the Six Great Gods, the power unique to Players. As much as possible, he would allow the descendant to inherit his classes, equipment, and even his special skills.
"This body's cognition seems to have been tampered with before. Should we rewrite it again using the Power of Faith?" the God of Death suggested.
Although the subconscious influence of the World-Class Item [Millennium Rod] was extremely subtle, it could not escape their notice.
Abilities that had already taken effect could not be negated, but their results could still be overwritten.
The Power of Faith was a force that inherently possessed the ability to rewrite cognition.
"…Forget it."
"Since the Theocracy has already been handed over, there's no need to argue over something like this. Let's just show him some courtesy."
The God of Wind shook his head and refused.
"Suit yourself."
The God of Death did not continue the discussion.
As long as faith was guaranteed, everything else was irrelevant.
He bent down and prepared to resurrect Zesshi Zetsumei.
Her classes were chaotic, and because her race was not purely human, she could not inherit their legacy. However, she carried the bloodline of the Eight Greed Kings, possessed a Talent that even impressed them, and had an exceptionally long lifespan. Because of these factors, Zesshi Zetsumei still had considerable value.
The only problem was that she seemed somewhat overconfident.
Hopefully this lesson would temper her personality.
"Hm? What is this?"
Just as the resurrection magic was about to activate, a trace of surprise appeared in the God of Death's eyes, and the magic circle in his hand quickly dissipated.
"What's wrong?" the God of Wind asked while turning his head.
The other four shadowy figures who had been watching the Captain of the Black Scripture with slight envy also turned their attention toward him.
"Nothing."
"I just realized our new friend has an even stronger sense of responsibility than we expected."
"When it comes to a girl who likes him, he ultimately can't bring himself to ignore her."
The God of Death stood up and pointed at Zesshi Zetsumei's head.
The others looked over and saw a faint magic circle glowing there.
"So that's when it happened."
The God of Wind's eyes shifted slightly as the memory quickly returned.
Earlier, the other party had caught Zesshi Zetsumei's head and gently placed it on the ground.
So the magic had been applied at that moment?
"Tenth Tier Magic [Time Reverse]."
"He not only delayed the activation of the spell, he also concealed it from our perception."
"And now it activates."
On the ground, the magic circle rapidly spread and instantly enveloped Zesshi Zetsumei.
Time for the individual began to reverse.
Her torn clothes gradually repaired themselves, and her flesh began to reconstruct.
Bones, blood, and even the armor and weapon she had been wearing were restored.
Within only a few seconds, Zesshi Zetsumei's body returned to the state it had been in before the battle.
"Incredible. Even the divine item was restored."
With a simple gesture, Zesshi Zetsumei's scythe flew into the God of Death's hand.
Looking at the weapon in his grasp, a trace of nostalgia appeared in his eyes.
Divine-class Item [Charon's Guidance].
This had once been his weapon.
Earlier, it had taken a direct hit from [Spacial Slash]. Although it had not broken, it had suffered unprecedented damage.
The weapon's durability had nearly dropped to zero.
But now it looked completely untouched.
Not only Zesshi Zetsumei herself, but even the weapon's condition had been reversed.
And this was a divine item.
Aside from World-Class Items, it was one of the strongest weapons in the game and contained an enormous amount of data.
To restore it to this extent would require an unimaginable amount of magic power.
At the same time, the armor on Zesshi Zetsumei's body began to disassemble.
It broke apart into fragments and then reassembled itself on the God of Wind's body.
After all, that armor had originally belonged to him.
"It seems our friend is hiding quite a few secrets."
The God of Wind stretched his body slightly.
With a single thought, the armor fully activated. Six pairs of hidden wings of light unfolded behind him, radiating a holy glow.
"He can activate the warrior's unique skill [Spacial Slash] without using a weapon, simply substituting his fingers."
"His control is refined enough to casually perform delayed casting."
"His magic power is so vast that he can even reverse the condition of divine items."
"He also possesses extremely strong resistance, strong enough to break through spatial restrictions and teleport away."
"There is also a faint aura of Catastrophe surrounding him."
"And most importantly, the ring he was wearing. Didn't it look familiar to you?"
The God of Death spoke as well.
As he continued listing these observations, his expression gradually grew more serious.
Even in their current state, the situation felt troublesome.
And that was without considering the two Player companions on the other side.
If they also factored in the possibility of a guild base, a large number of NPCs, and the suspected World-Class Item [Ring of Ouroboros], the situation became even more complicated.
They could fight him, but that was about it.
Unless they used their final method, it seemed they really had no reliable way to deal with him.
"So what?"
"At least we're allies for now. After all the probing earlier, didn't we already reach that conclusion?"
The God of Wind shrugged indifferently.
By now, they had already formed a rough understanding of Naohara's personality.
He had a clear sense of self.
He had not become lawless because of his race.
He was someone who could be reasoned with.
He was also quite calculating and had repeatedly tested them.
Their conclusion was simple. Cooperation was possible. They would observe him for a while before making further arrangements.
Oh, and there was one more thing.
He liked cats.
The God of Wind could not help thinking about it.
As a veteran cat lover himself, he could tell that the other party had not been acting. He genuinely liked cats.
That alone significantly increased his goodwill.
After all, what kind of bad person could possibly dislike cats?
"That may be true, but looking at it now, it still feels a bit inappropriate."
The God of Death shook his head and let out a sigh.
Naohara did not trust them, and they did not trust Naohara either.
Although their conversation earlier had seemed pleasant, that had only been on the surface.
The only somewhat reassuring point was that he had signed the Faith Contract.
That contract carried extremely strong binding power, with an effect comparable to a World-Class Item.
However, to them it was little more than a piece of paper. They could break it whenever they wished.
"Then we add another layer of insurance."
Under the puzzled gazes of the others, the God of Wind pointed at Zesshi Zetsumei, who was still unconscious on the ground.
"We need a more reliable bond. And what bond could be stronger than becoming family?"
Zesshi Zetsumei's earlier frenzied behavior was still fresh in their minds.
If the two of them could be brought together, then every problem would resolve itself naturally.
As the saying goes, when a woman pursues a man, it is like a thin veil separating them.
Considering that Naohara's race was Dragonoid, the chances of success seemed fairly high after thinking it through.
"Well… it might be worth trying."
The God of Death rubbed his chin.
After thinking for a moment, he nodded.
Family ties were the strongest kind of restraint. He knew that very well.
"Then let's put it to a vote."
"Those in favor, raise your hands."
The other four shadowy figures looked at each other for a moment, then nodded and raised their hands.
The plan passed unanimously.
After that, the Six Great Gods continued their discussion.
For example, they needed to inform the priests that they had decided to hand the Theocracy over to someone else.
This matter was far too significant. Even Rufus, who belonged to the God of Death's faction, would not be able to convince the priests on his own.
Only the Six Great Gods themselves could step forward to handle it.
In the end, Surshana, the only undead among them, was pushed forward by five votes while wearing a look of despair.
After all, the other five had died of old age as humans.
For Surshana, who was undead, still being alive was far more believable.
As for how he had returned, they could simply invent some excuse.
Just like the NPCs of Nazarick, the priests of the Theocracy worshipped the Six Great Gods with fanatical devotion.
No matter what explanation they gave, the priests would believe it.
The Six Great Gods were completely confident about this.
In the end, only Surshana ended up suffering from the outcome of this decision.
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