The villainous young master just wants to live a Buddhist-like life.

　Saintess Hayley has received much attention since entering the preliminary rounds.

　Dark and the others sincerely hoped that this war hero could have his life extended.

　However, the effects of "God's Gift" vary from person to person, and the enhancements each person receives are different. They also cannot predict what kind of gift Hailey will receive.

　Moreover, given the example of Mavis, it's impossible to be certain that she will receive the favor of the twelve gods.

　However, the phantom of a celestial being quickly revealed within that pillar of light. "God of War," Ares!

　"Bloody Saintess" Haley Saint Meredith has gained the favor of "God of War" Ares!

　Although she herself might prefer to be favored by Hephaestus, the god of fire, being chosen by the gods is better than not being chosen at all.

　Therefore, she could not hide her excitement and gladly accepted, giving the god of war the highest praise. Even though Ares, the god of war, does not have such a good reputation in mythology.

　However, the Holy Church is, after all, a church that has possessed the "Soul of the God of War" for a long time, and its understanding of it is quite comprehensive.

　Ares was nothing more than a "bloodthirsty killer and conqueror of fortified castles".

Chapter 1640 Three Years Later, the Gods Drink Together (4k)

　War, mutiny, killing and riot.

　Ares is a symbol of strength and power, and a god of calamity for humanity, known for his bloodlust and violence.

　The robe and Apollo, the "guardian god of mankind," are opposites, and the robe is the most infamous among the ten gods of Polopus.

　But Chi is also the embodiment of martial spirit, the faith of countless warriors, and not just a pure killing maniac.

　While accusations that the robe is an "evil god" have persisted, it is also an objective fact that the god is one of the twelve celestial beings.

　In reality, he may be even more evil than the legends suggest, or he may only go mad during battle.

　However, no one doubts the power of the "God of War".

　If they could receive the favor of the God of War, no warrior thirsting for power would refuse.

　...

　After all.

　War, killing, and conquest are nothing more than the endless "ordinary things" in human history.

　The Holy Church is a thoroughly pro-war faction.

　In a sense, she does have some similarities with Ares, the "God of War." Now, the "Bloody Saintess" has received the "God of War's" favor. Although she is far from being a "Chosen One," it does reflect to some extent the "God of War's" attitude towards the Holy Church.

　The "God of War" is not the God of Light, and there is no conflict in authority between him and the "Holy" in the Holy Religion, which makes it possible for them to get along harmoniously.

　If it were replaced by Apollo, the "God of Light," it would be a true upheaval for the Holy Church.

　Next, we'll see how Ares, the "God of War," treats Joan of Arc, the "Saint."

　Although Audrey had entered the venue, she was not in the center of the stadium, and there was no visible change in her appearance at the moment.

　She wasn't even a regular member, and with nearly a third of her "Soul of the War God," she didn't need to use this ritual gift to do anything.

　Therefore, it would be better for her to reconnect with the "God of War" after the ceremony is over.

　The only question is whether she might have her divine favor stolen by the "Bloody Saintess".

　"The Gift of God" continues.

　Haley didn't become as young as Professors Cazell and Harvey. But her spirits did seem to have improved; her spine was straighter, and a faint gleam shone in her eyes.

　—It can't possibly be getting worse. Next is Harpagon Molière, ranked tenth.

　The "Holy Archbishop" was experiencing a complex mix of emotions.

　He both hoped to be chosen by Apollo, the "god of light," and disliked "changing allegiance" and abandoning his faith in the "holy."

　This is a contradiction arising from the pursuit of self-interest and the spiritual beliefs themselves.

　Ultimately, he did not receive the favor of any "gods." It must be said that this was very regrettable.

　However, Archbishop Molière couldn't help but feel a sense of relief after the results were announced.

　In short, a pure "gift from God" is enough to elevate one's status and take another step on the path to godhood.

　Eleventh place.

　"Court Archmage" Cole Toynbee was not favored by the gods. He ranked twelfth.

　Bruce Wheeler, the "prophet of fate," was not favored by the gods.

　Thirteenth.

　Polka Poseidon, son of the Sea King. Though slightly delayed, a faint phantom of Poseidon, the Sea God, still appeared in the pillar of light descending from above his head!

　From tenth to twelfth place, three consecutive contestants failed to receive divine favor.

　This fact made Polka very anxious. But fortunately, his expectations were not disappointed.

　As the only sea creature on stage, Poseidon, the "God of the Sea," ultimately turned his gaze to him.

　He could feel the increasing resonance between himself and the ocean, a manifestation of the evolution of his bloodline and talent as a "Sea King".

　When the gifting ends, he will be completely transformed!

　The sight of Polka Poseidon brought a look of delight to the "Sea Clan Prince" Kamel in the audience.

　But Carola Marjorie, who is more closely associated with the character, remains carefree and doesn't seem to care at all.

　The other sea creatures around her, however, were somewhat resentful.

　Fourteenth place.

　Frank Howells, the "Sage of the Owls," was not favored by the gods.

　He had thought he might be able to gain the attention of Athena, the goddess of war and wisdom.

　As a result, Athena's gaze did not fall upon her at all.

　Ultimately, it's perfectly normal that even the "Court Archmage" Cole Toynbee, whose wisdom surpasses his own, didn't receive the favor of the "Goddess of War and Wisdom," nor did he receive the favor of Athena.

　Fifteenth place.

　Leo Spencer, the "Chief of the Thunder Elves".

　The Elf race worships Artemis, the "Goddess of the Hunt." The Thunder Elves are a relatively rare breed among them, possessing an exceptionally high affinity for the element of lightning.

　Therefore, the elves were all hoping that Leo would receive the favor of Artemis, the "Goddess of the Hunt," or Zeus, the "God of Thunder."

　—But it didn't happen.

　Leo Spencer was not favored by the gods.

　Then, we finally reached the sixteenth place.

　"The Lich of the Underworld" Sloan!

　Hades, the "Lord of the Underworld," forcibly sent it back, which was clearly not without reason.

　However, the simultaneous awakening of the twelve gods was probably beyond his expectations. If Pao intended to use Sloan's "gift of the gods" to interfere with the "divine rituals," then Pao's intentions are likely to fail. Just because Pao is one of the "hidden thirteen gods" doesn't mean he is considered one with the twelve gods of Porobos.

　Even among the twelve gods, there are internal conflicts, let alone the so-called "thirteenth god" who doesn't even have a formal establishment.

　If the robe were to interfere and usurp the throne, it would be tantamount to making an enemy of all twelve celestial beings.

　But given the current atmosphere, he couldn't just do nothing.

　Thus, a faint phantom appeared within the pillar of light that descended upon Sloan.

　However, when people compared it with the projections of the twelve gods, they discovered that this phantom did not belong to any of the gods.

　This left countless viewers bewildered. But Sloan himself was overjoyed.

　He had a deal with Hades, the "Lord of the Underworld," and participating in the World Cup was one of the core tasks assigned by Hades.

　Although he failed to participate in the main selection, he made it into the top sixteen and qualified to share the "gift of the gods," which already met Hades' minimum requirements and theoretically should have earned him Hades' reward.

　—As for whether Hades can achieve his ultimate goal through this, that has nothing to do with him.

　Although he was favored by Hades, he was not actually "the chosen one of Hades," meaning he had not yet been formally appointed.

　The reward for this mission is to be granted a government position!

　They were given a position and became (chosen ones) under Hades, the "King of the Underworld".

　Only in this way can one be truly bound to "Pluto's" ship, rather than being a pawn that can be discarded at any time.

　Furthermore, becoming Hades' "chosen one" brings additional benefits to Sloan.

　Because Sloan was not fully resurrected!

　Sloan is a "lich" transformed from a human.

　The life form of a "lich" exists between life and death, also known as a "living dead".

　But even a "lich" cannot find a perfect balance between life and death.

　Before his death, Sloan was a living lich inclined towards "life." Now, he is a dead lich inclined towards "death."

　His skin remained withered, his flesh necrotic, and his body was decaying over time. Although well concealed, it was more likely to be a corpse.

　If he cannot become "Pluto's Chosen One," his remaining time will be limited.

　He was forced into the underworld by the Holy Church and was already in despair. Unexpectedly, Hades took action himself and gave him the highest reward before his true purpose was completely achieved, designating him as the chosen one of the gods!

　After becoming Hades' chosen one, his life form will undergo further changes.

　Simply put, it means directly entering the "Underworld God-Crossing System" and becoming a demigod.

　After becoming a demigod, he was able to find a balance between life and death, and even his physical body could be revitalized, gradually becoming a state similar to that of a vampire, rather than a living corpse that was constantly rotting.

　This is true resurrection!

　But Sloan probably never imagined that the reason he was fortunate enough to become Hades' "chosen one" was simply because of Hades' "awkwardness".

　Hades eagerly used him as a medium to project his divine consciousness here, intending to interfere with the "divine ritual" and seize ownership of the "cemetery." However, he unexpectedly encountered the simultaneous awakening of twelve celestial beings, rendering all his schemes impossible to continue. It was like an assassin who had broken into a target room with a dagger, only to find twelve people waiting for him with guns—the awkward atmosphere of being unable to do anything was indescribable.

　To ease the "awkwardness" and save face, Hades had to find something to do.

　So Chi touched his nose and scratched his head, and chose Sloan as his "chosen one".

　The robe, having awakened earlier and accumulated more divine power, was still capable of such a feat.

　Although this has nothing to do with the "gift from God" that is taking place on site, it at least provides a way out for both sides.

　They couldn't possibly confront each other on the spot at this time; they would take the opportunity to back down and pretend nothing had happened.

　Whether or not the matter will be investigated later is a matter for the future.

　Although the Twelve Gods of Poropus are the most supreme group of gods in the world, there are quite a few other high-ranking gods who can compare with them.

　As the "Resurrection of the Gods" accelerates and more high-ranking deities awaken, this "Magic Guide Divine Ritual" will inevitably attract the covetous eyes of countless gods.

　The number of deities who want to instigate, take over, and reap the benefits will only increase.

　Hades is just one of them.

　Not even the first one.

　By analyzing Hades's behavioral logic, we can roughly deduce why Hermes was so "selfless".

　The robe clearly understood that a single god like himself was no match for the wolves eyeing him.

　Therefore, rather than making private plans that end up being a waste of effort, it's better to bring all twelve gods together to withstand the pressure and advance or retreat together.

　This was a judgment that the sleeve made from the very beginning! Otherwise, would anyone really think that the robe had no way to sever its connection with the divine?

　Hermes was the god of deception and eloquence, and some legends say he was the inventor of the ruler, numbers, and letters. His wisdom and authority were no less than Athena's.

　If Hermes were truly considered a "thief," he would only be devoured and wiped clean, leaving no trace of his remains.

　With Slön's "gift from God" coming to an end, the final awards ceremony of the World Cup also came to a complete close.

　During this awards ceremony, many gods performed miracles and bestowed more gifts upon the contestants.

　The recipients are: Hera (Queen of the Gods) to Pavajos, Hephaestus (God of Fire) to Cazeul and Steven Harvey, Apollo (God of Light) to Darkdemon, Aphrodite (God of Love) to Pandora and Dragon, Hermes (Messenger of the Gods) to Lily Laplace, Zeus (God of the Sky) to Quintina, Ares (God of War) to Hellesandre, and Poseidon (God of the Sea) to Polka Poseidon.

　Excluding Hades, the "King of the Underworld," from Sloan, a total of eight gods descended upon the arena, and nine contestants received divine favor.

　These contestants, favored by the gods, will likely be distinguished from the rest.

　However, there are many reasons why the gods might bestow divine gifts, and it cannot be said that those contestants were simply unqualified.