Chapter 297: The Nonbeliever’s Prayer

In all directions, fragments of various sizes burst forth almost without a blind spot, covering every corner of this space where boundaries and environments were indistinct, including, of course, the cloaked youth hiding within the mist.

“Clang clang clang clang clang clang clang!!!”

This sound, naturally, came from Min Chen, who thought he had succeeded but was hurriedly blocking the noise caused by the shards shooting out with his weapon. But if he thought that would be enough to stop it, he was overestimating his chances.

This thing called the “Magic Source Shield,” carried by the “Magic God Gem,” might sound plain and unremarkable, but it was actually a bit underhanded as an attack type skill.

It consists of two stages. The first stage, naturally, involves a serious magical barrier that blocks various attacks from the outside. Although the defense isn’t spectacular, it’s quite decent, comparable to the eighth-tier defensive magic employed by Miss Vilyric.

However, a divine artifact’s inherent abilities surely don’t just stop there.

It’s not quite right to call it an attack skill; it’s more accurate to label it a counterattack skill.

Now, it should be easy to guess the truth.

That’s right; it’s what people refer to as a “detonation shield.”

The defensive power of the “Magic Source Shield” can only be considered average because, ultimately, this thing isn’t for defending, but rather intentionally luring enemies to attack here as bait.

As a true “Primal Artifact,” the evolved Magic God Gem can be considered the embodiment of the rule known as “magic.” Any attack related to magic, regardless of its form or effect, will be absorbed by the “Magic Source Shield” and temporarily stored within.

If the enemy’s attack is too weak to break even the first stage of the shield, then this magic will simply dissipate over time.

But if in the midst of battle, the accumulation hits its limit, exceeding the tolerance of the Magic Source Shield…

Then all the magic absorbed previously will, in an instant, burst outwards, forming a large-scale lethal skill similar to “using strength against strength,” transforming into the second stage of this ability.

Clearly, Min Chen’s attack power was quite competent; after all, he successfully triggered the true form of the “Magic Source Shield,” didn’t he?

So as a reward, he got to experience the total amount of his attack power reflected back at him.

Amid the shattered mist, the embarrassed figure of the cloaked youth about to be engulfed by the downpour finally fell into Miss Vilyric’s sight.

“Pfft!”

At the critical moment, Min Chen suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, three gray lights flashing from his fingertips, neck, and wrists, forming a thin film-like shell that covered his body alongside that seemingly ordinary cloak.

Although every time he swung his blade to block the swiftly approaching shards, the light film on his surface would dim slightly, it also neutralized the overwhelming force that had exceeded his limits, ultimately allowing him to endure hundreds of shards within the affected area before fading into light points.

“Oh… this brings back some memories.”

Witnessing this scene, the White Fox Girl let out a barely audible murmur.

The four-piece set of the hermit.

This was considered a classic equipment combination in the “Illusory World.”

Unlike normal sets that typically consist of only three accessories, this holy item had four pieces, including armor, forming a more potent combination that could rival demi-artifacts or even artifact-level special skills.

“The Nameless Blessing”—it grants the holder absolute invincibility for three seconds, immune to any damage received.

Just hearing the description, one can imagine how cheeky this skill is at critical moments.

However, it seems the “Nameless Blessing” was somewhat weakened in the real world due to certain reasons, as it didn’t quite provide true absolute invincibility. Otherwise, Min Chen wouldn’t have bothered to block it with a knife and could’ve received it head-on.

And honestly, the effect ended a bit earlier than expected; it felt more like it was broken rather than naturally dissipating.

The mist enveloping this space was temporarily swept away by the magical wave brought on by the counterattack. Vilyric raised her head to glance at the rather breathless, pale-faced cloaked youth who had barely managed to take the hit and discovered yet another thing.

Did this guy even sneakily wipe the shoe prints off his face?!

Min Chen, you sneaky rascal!

“…It looks like you left yourself a way out. Alright, I’ll temporarily retract what I said before. Do you have any new tricks up your sleeve? Otherwise, this fortunate protagonist of yours is about to get defeated by me, the boss, you know?”

“Who… exactly are you? How do you know these words? Did Miss Vilyric tell you?”

Though she guessed he wanted to use verbal judo to recover, the White Fox Girl didn’t care, merely shaking her head mysteriously.

“I know far more than you might imagine, so will you surrender? Or are you prepared to use some more despicable, less suitable methods for someone of your protagonist stature?”

Min Chen lowered his head, glancing at the longsword in his hand, then shifted his gaze to the White Fox Girl, whose expression was concealed by a mask.

“Miss Xī, I really don’t want this to end in mutual destruction. You should understand that some abilities, once used… leave no room for retreat.”

“Less talk, I’m going to beat you until you submit.”

“…Is that so.”

He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, raising his head once more, looking at the dissipating mist, revealing a white void, no longer the former underground hall space.

“Miss Xī, do you know where we are?”

Before she could respond, the cloaked youth seemed to answer his own question.

“The Divine Kingdom, the source of the Gods, the core realm that nurtures the Divine Spark, this is Mofuman’s… the Divine Kingdom of the Light Goddess Aurora… an incomplete Divine Kingdom.”

“And I, for now, hold governing rights here.”

Seeming to have made up his mind, Min Chen retrieved a gleaming golden holy emblem resembling a six-winged shape from within his robe and hung it around his neck, closing his eyes.

He began to chant softly.

His voice pierced through space, resonating with the concept suspended in the far reaches of nowhere, awakening the divine power sleeping within the void.

“O great and noble Light… I offer you my sincere prayer, praising your name—[Aurora], Spirit of Light, please rely on this body… descend upon the world!!!”

Golden brilliance fell from the heavens.

That was—Spirit.

There are two forms of divine existence.

One is the God that once ruled this land during the Age of Gods, manifesting in their unique forms as the embodiment of concepts and rules—God.

However, not all rules will evolve into the form of a deity. Most of the fundamental rules that make up the world are, in fact, non-existent entities and concepts, drifting outside of time and space in a more ethereal form—the Spirit.

The Spirit is the embryo of the Gods, the very concepts and rules themselves, reaching the limit that the Divine Spark created by the “Blood of the Cross” can attain—

—An immature [God].

   

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