Storm of Gods

Chapter 123 Lamplighter

Meanwhile, in the other rooms, Rahu, who had been brought in, stared in terror at the abyssal worms before him. Although he had been told that he must contain the atonement offering in order to fight against the abyssal whispers, he still could not stop his trembling body. The worms tore and burrowed into his heart, devouring it and making it their home. This process was a double torment of body and mind. Some could not bear it and did not obey the control. The worms immediately burrowed into their heads, and at this time, the gray-robed man beside him would cut off Rahu's head. Those who endured it and maintained their sanity completed their coexistence with the worms and became official lamplighters.

The dead bodies were dragged away like garbage. These bodies would be chopped into mincemeat to feed livestock or be used as fertilizer. In the city of Diva, all resources were precious, and Ratna himself knew this. Ratna who successfully completed the parasitism embarked on another path: to refine sin in order to gain redemption. At the same time, they also received the priest's divine power to fight against sin. All that remained was to remain pious and not be consumed by the desires of sinful things.

Difficulties are a test for every believer. The greater the difficulty, the greater the possibility. The devout will surely be saved, just like the first man in the past.

Their eyes were full of fighting spirit and hope.

A very small number of Rakshasas, like Bati, possess powerful psychic abilities and talents. What they await is not worms, but divine relics. If they find a compatible one, it is undoubtedly very fortunate. Under normal circumstances, Rakshasas are not worthy of such an opportunity, but there are always some special cases.

Some cannot achieve a perfect fusion. Those that do not fusion will return to the altar to continue fusing with the abyssal worms. Having just been ravaged by the divine relics, they are easily torn apart and killed by the worms when they face them again. This is because the worms have a greedy desire for the aura of the divine relics and are easily driven mad by excessive consumption, which will cause Ratna to die a very tragic death.

After an unknown amount of time, when Batty regained consciousness, he found a "knife" inside his body. It was a pitch-black knife with a scabbard that seemed to be faintly visible. This filled his body with power, a very powerful power.

"Bati, congratulations! Your piety and steadfastness have earned the recognition of the esteemed First Lord. This ancient divine weapon will be temporarily placed with you. You must use it to guard the outer lighthouse and cleanse sins. This is a blessing, and you must not tell anyone about it. You must swear an oath!"

"Yes, sir!" Barty bowed down, prostrated himself on the ground, and then cast a silencing spell in the name of the Triad God.

Barty withdrew, and the faces of the several gray-robed men were also very satisfied. This divine relic carried an extremely heavy baleful aura and had not had a suitable host for a long time. If it continued, its power would gradually dissipate. In any case, dissipation would be a waste. Existence is a possibility. Unexpectedly, this Ratna was able to hold on. If the opportunity was good, the divine relic would return to stability, which would undoubtedly be beneficial to the city of Dipo.

After several days of training and discipline, the more than eighty Rādra who successfully became lamplighters were divided into more than forty teams. The team leaders and servants transported supplies to the lighthouses with the lamplighters. After delivering the lamplighters and supplies, the teams would return, and the lamplighters would have to wait for the arrival of the next supply team and for orders.

The lamplighter's status was higher than that of the servants, who were higher than ordinary Rādras. The young lamplighter could see the envy and awe in the servants' eyes. Although the captain of the hermits looked down on these Rādras, he was still quite polite to the lamplighters, which also showed the importance of the lamplighters.

The captain of the paladins would stop at the outermost village, and the lamplighters and servants would travel the rest of the way on their own.

The area around Dipo City is quite safe, thanks to the protection of the Trinity God. However, it's not so safe in the villages. Once a monster is spotted, the villagers will run to the lighthouse for protection. But as they move further away from the village, the fog will thicken, and they can only vaguely see the light in the distance. That is the outer lighthouse, the outermost line of defense for Dipo City.

The lighthouse's light consists of two parts. One part is white light, which is the light of salvation bestowed by the Triad God. It is embedded in the lighthouse and has extremely strong penetrating power. The other layer of light is the light of the torch burning black oil. When combined with the white light, it can expand the range. However, if the lamplighter has a problem and no one replenishes the black oil in the torch, it will go out. Once only the white light remains, its effectiveness will be greatly reduced. At this time, a new lamplighter must be sent out quickly.

The roars of monsters echoed in the group's ears from time to time. They had to be extremely vigilant in the mist, as they could be dragged away from the darkness at any moment—it could be a wild beast, or a monster from the abyss; in truth, there wasn't much difference, as those who could survive in this environment were all predators. The lamplighters and servants were all highly trained and extremely cautious. After several days of travel, Barty had gradually adapted to his new role, and his strength had been felt by the servants. Since acquiring the black blade, Barty had experienced a completely different feeling, even wanting to confront the monsters of the abyss. During their missions, they would fight some abyssal monsters, and Barty was always the most courageous. The black blade seemed to have given him a strong urge, an irresistible urge to wield it.

Of course, the adults warned him in the precepts before he left that he should not use this knife lightly, because it was not his, nor was it something he was worthy of. Every use of it would bring great pain. It could only be used to guard the lighthouse in times of crisis. Moreover, he had to be more strict with himself, because from the moment he began to accept it, he would undergo a more severe test, both physically and mentally. Of course, if he could pass it, he would receive the greatest redemption, and it would not only be limited to the level of an ordinary retainer.

This trust and this possibility filled Barty with immense excitement. Moreover, the adults told him that his sister Elsa had also been moved to a better environment because of this, and was working hard to become an excellent servant, serving the noble adults, and getting closer and closer to salvation.

Barty's lighthouse was quite far away, and it was located on the edge of the outer lighthouses. The more difficult the journey, the greater the salvation. Barty originally wanted to choose the most difficult one, but as they went deeper, the connection between the lighthouses became increasingly sparse. It was a completely dark world, and they could only rely on the flickering light to locate themselves. The torches were the only thing that gave the team peace of mind. Everyone kept a certain distance, but not too far, enough to illuminate a distance of seven or eight meters around them. The servants were already trembling, and the roars in their ears were becoming clearer and clearer. It seemed that monsters could come at any moment, but Barty felt no fear.

They had already clashed several times on the way here. Of the original 12 people, only six remained. However, their supplies hadn't been greatly damaged. The Lickers were no match for them, but their numbers were too great for the servants to handle, and there was nowhere to hide from them due to the terrain. They were getting closer and closer to the lighthouse. They hadn't slept for two days because falling asleep was the most terrifying thing. The whispers from the abyss would constantly erode them, and once fear took over, they would go mad and even grow snake hair.

Once snake hair grows, they will be captured and handed over to the church, whether inside or outside the city. Such fallen people need to be purified, not simply killed, otherwise it will cause pollution.

Barty finally reached his lighthouse. His remaining six companions carried the supplies into the lighthouse, and their mission was complete. However, they had to walk the way back on their own, which could very well be a one-way trip. This was also their responsibility as servants.

Along the way, facing the Lickers' attacks together, they also forged a bond of camaraderie. At the moment of parting, Barty and the servants exchanged a greeting, which deeply moved the servants. This was the highest reward they had received in their humble lives. The road back was long and might have no end.

The six Rādra servants set off on their return journey with minimal supplies, for dying on the road would be a waste, and food was precious and could not be wasted.

Bati watched his companions depart without saying much, then turned and looked up at the lighthouse he would be guarding for a long time. This was the place that Ratha would defend with his life, the tower of hope for all the people of Tiva.

The lighthouse was now illuminated only by a crystalline, penetrating white light shining from its spire. Strangely, Barty noticed a lingering yellow glow, indicating that the torch hadn't completely gone out. It was likely that the previous lighthouse keeper was still alive, though supplies were probably running low. This mission hadn't brought back the previous lighthouse keeper. If they were alive, they would be there to jointly protect the lighthouse, with the successor leading the previous lighthouse keeper—this was the rule. Often, the successor's mental state was more stable, a situation that occurred with some of the more distant lighthouses.

Barty climbed the narrow stairs. The lighthouse was very tall. After walking for a while, he reached the top of the lighthouse. His pupils contracted as he looked through the dim light.

A monster covered in lumps and tumors stood with its back to him, its small head bobbing on its disproportionately large body, hissing as it carefully poked at a torch with its enormous claws. The flames rose and fell with its touch, as if it were tenderly caring for its child. Hearing the sound behind it, the small head suddenly spun 360 degrees and saw Barty. A long-awaited, radiant smile spread across the monster's face. Its six crooked eyes rolled together, and its mouth split open to its forehead, revealing sharp, cleaving, blood-red muscles.
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(End of this chapter)