Abyssal Chronicles

Chapter 902 - 903: The Goddess’s Blessing

The Holy War, eradicating the world’s evil in the name of the Goddess, was the most noble cause in the hearts of all followers of the Asumos Church. In the past, whenever it was proposed, it would almost always be met with unanimous cheers and support from the believers.

However, this time, the situation seemed different. When Zuoben’s declaration reached everyone’s ears, it was met with only deathly silence and doubtful gazes. The young believers gathered here indeed had important relatives who died in the Holy War six years ago. They undoubtedly harbored deep hatred for the Abyssal Demons and the Demon Temple, but these people were not foolish enough to be blinded by hatred and make absurd judgments.

Back then, even with such a formidable lineup, the Holy War was easily crushed and annihilated by the Demon Temple. After six years of recuperation, although their Church Nation had grown significantly stronger, compared to the allied forces of that year, they were likely still lacking.

Moreover, during the last Holy War, they only faced the Demon Temple. If other Demon King-level Abyssal Demons and those human traitors joined the battlefield, the disparity in strength between them would undoubtedly become even more severe.

Launching a Holy War under such circumstances? How was that different from seeking death? They indeed wanted revenge, but they definitely didn’t want to lose their lives for no reason.

In the silent environment, doubts continued to grow and spread. The gazes directed at Zuoben became increasingly strange. Although due to the Church Nation’s political correctness, they didn’t dare directly oppose the Holy War, the skeptical eyes of the believers undoubtedly displayed their distrust to the fullest.

However, when faced with the questioning gazes of the believers, Zuoben, as the Prime Minister, didn’t show the slightest displeasure. Instead, he smiled calmly. Clearly, the believers’ reactions were well within his expectations.

"Children, I know what you’re thinking. But you should know that Her Majesty, the other Church leaders, and I are not fools. We wouldn’t make a decision without reason. Indeed, our strength is still far from the Abyssal Demons. Achieving victory in the Holy War is no easy task. But times have changed. The situation now is vastly different from six years ago."

"W-What has changed?" Stinco, who stood at the front of the believers, mustered his courage and asked in confusion.

"From the records of the magic stone footage, I believe you can see that six years ago, our great Majesty, the Girl of Destiny chosen by the Goddess, did not participate in the Holy War. But this time is different. She will lead us in the final battle against the Abyssal Demons. As loyal believers of the Church, you must also be aware of that prophecy. Under the guidance of the Girl of Destiny, humanity will eventually defeat the Abyssal Demons and end that endless war."

"H-Her Majesty?" Based on the faith cultivated over many years, upon hearing the words "Girl of Destiny," the doubtful believers couldn’t help but show a touched expression.

"Although Her Majesty chose to submit to the Abyssal Demon forces six years ago, that was merely a pretense. In reality, she was biding her time, forced to cooperate with the Abyssal Demons to buy time and regroup. Through Her Majesty’s unremitting efforts over these six years, the Church Nation’s strength has made leaps and bounds, definitely surpassing the Holy War Allied Army of that time. More importantly..."

As he spoke, Zuoben slowly raised his arms, piously clasping his ten fingers before his chest:

"More importantly, now the Goddess has bestowed upon us the power to resist the Abyssal Demons."

"The power to resist the Abyssal Demons?! W-What is that?" Stinco and the believers in the training ground repeated in surprise and confusion.

Soon, they understood the meaning behind Zuoben’s words. Because, just as Zuoben’s voice fell, a gentle and holy light suddenly flickered before the believers without warning. In an instant, the entire training ground was enveloped by this unexpected silver holy light. When the holy light dissipated, a finely crafted silver dagger emitting a strong sacred aura was floating before each believer.

"What is this?!" This question involuntarily surfaced in everyone’s mind.

Although they were unsure of what the object before them was, the soft light emanating from the dagger instantly shattered their wariness. This power that intimately resonated with the holy magic within them even made the believers feel an urge to hold it in their arms.

"This is the ’Blessing,’ the power bestowed by the Goddess to resist the Abyssal Demons," Zuoben solemnly explained.

"Blessing?"

"Yes, by plunging this dagger into your heart, you will receive the ’Blessing’ granted by the Goddess. Compared to humans, Abyssal Demons possess stronger physiques, monstrous vitality, and their Shadow Power is stronger than the magic, energy, and holy power we use. This is why a single Abyssal Demon can contend against at least four human experts of the same level. The ’Blessing’ given to us by the Goddess will bridge the huge gap between humans and Abyssal Demons. Not only that, those with high adaptability may even become stronger than Abyssal Demons. Under the Goddess’s blessing, the notion that Abyssal Demons are stronger than humans will become history."

As these words were spoken, the believers were stunned on the spot, staring at the daggers before them in disbelief. Upon understanding the reality and sensing the subtle divine power emanating from the daggers, the eyes of the believers, including Stinco, underwent a drastic change.

Hesitation turned into fanaticism. Dejection turned into excitement. In the eyes of countless people, a strong fighting spirit involuntarily ignited.

"The Goddess’s blessing?!! Obtaining power stronger than Abyssal Demons?!! With this blessing, I can also defeat Abyssal Demons?!"

"It’s true! I can feel the power within the dagger. This is the Goddess’s power! It’s definitely the Goddess’s power!! The Goddess hasn’t abandoned us!!"

"In that case, doesn’t the Holy War have a great chance of success?!! Thousands of years ago, humanity defeated the Demon Goddess and expelled the Abyssal Demons under the Goddess’s leadership. Now, with the Goddess’s blessing and Her Majesty’s leadership, defeating the Abyssal Demons? It seems possible, right?!"

In an instant, excitement and the flames of hope spread among the believers. Most of them, after sensing the power within the daggers, were filled with a strong fighting spirit. The initial pessimism had almost vanished.

However, there were still some believers who gazed at the daggers before them with doubts. Relying on the power of these things? Could the Holy War really succeed? Wasn’t it a bit too... idealistic?

But as these believers pondered, Zuoben’s solemn words suddenly reached everyone’s ears.

"The Goddess’s blessing does not grant you great power for nothing. It requires a price. While gaining power, you will lose your future. You will have at most three to five years of life remaining. Additionally, although the Goddess’s blessing can indeed help us greatly increase our strength, it would be a grave mistake to think that this alone will lead us to victory. The vast gap between us and the Abyssal Demon forces cannot be bridged by the blessing alone. Overall, the situation is still overwhelmingly unfavorable for us."

At these words, all the believers, whether fanatical or harboring doubts, instantly fell silent, looking at Zuoben with complex emotions.

Under the silent gazes of the crowd, Zuoben stepped down from the platform and walked step by step towards the believers with varied expressions.

"At this stage, even with the Goddess’s blessing and the leadership of the Girl of Destiny, our chances of victory are, to be honest, not high." As he spoke, Zuoben even shook his head somewhat helplessly.

"Unfortunately, our rapidly growing strength has already caught the attention of the Black Rose family and the Abyssal Demon forces. It’s impossible to continue hiding our light. If we don’t launch a Holy War and resist now, we will forever be dominated by the Abyssal Demons. I don’t want to continue living in such a world, so I plan to fight back. Although I hope you will accept the Goddess’s blessing and help us fight against the Abyssal Demons, I won’t be like the Church leaders six years ago, forcing you to risk your lives against the Abyssal Demons. After all, this is almost a certain death option. Either die on the battlefield or suffer a painful bodily collapse and death a few years later. I intend to give you the right to choose."

Raising his hand and pointing at the silver dagger before Stinco, Zuoben solemnly said, "You can choose to accept the Goddess’s blessing and help us fight against the Abyssal Demons together. Or you can choose to leave the Church Nation and continue living in a safe place. If you can let go of past hatred and are willing to live in a world dominated by Abyssal Demons..."

As his voice trailed off, Zuoben turned and left the training ground without further interaction with the young believers. "You’re no longer little brats from a few years ago. It’s time to make your own decisions... I hope you can make a decision you won’t regret."

After delivering his final words, Zuoben’s figure disappeared from the believers’ sight. The holy knights guarding the training ground also quickly withdrew one after another.

The more than one hundred young believers left in the training ground fell into collective silence, thoughtfully gazing at the silver daggers floating before them.

After an unknown amount of time passed, the first person raised their hand, grasped the dagger, and fiercely plunged it into their heart. Instantly, a silver light enveloped them.

And this was just the beginning.

Soon, the dim training ground was devoured by dazzling silver light...