[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-apostle-of-the-goddess-of-war":3,"chapter-apostle-of-the-goddess-of-war-apostle-of-the-goddess-of-war-chapter-73":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Apostle of the Goddess of War",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},394431,657,"Chapter 73","apostle-of-the-goddess-of-war-chapter-73",73,"\u003Cp>Ch.73 Apostle of the Goddess of War\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sion pouted his lips sullenly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because my master and Bishop Gustein wished it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I left on my own feet. It has nothing to do with me!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But you still miss it, don’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sion pointed at the mercenary unit’s banner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The black banner. Black is the symbol of the Goddess of War. Doesn’t that mean your true essence lies within the War Cult?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Are you forcing this argument?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No? Really?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then never mind.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sion shrugged his shoulders. Kegan wore an expression as if he were utterly annoyed by him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Anyway, once we defeat the demon worshippers and their apostle who’ve taken over Kashibelli Rock, you’ll quietly come back to Elim, right?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…Leave when you get the chance. This isn’t a game.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This isn’t a joke from me either. You understand, don’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course he did. To Kegan, Sion was clearly sincere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ve never seen anyone as reckless as you. Who’d have thought a brat who can’t even be called an apostle would claim he’ll catch an apostle?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’d be tough alone.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You want me to do all the work?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kegan’s fist trembled violently. He felt like drawing his sword and challenging him to a duel right then and there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘This guy’s actually capable. Honestly, if things go well…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The faint flicker of hope rising within him clashed with undeniable reality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Sion, cunningly, had exploited precisely that. He had calculated everything in advance and clung on like a leech.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s fight together. Win, and then return home. Back home.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kegan sighed. Regardless of how annoying this youngster was, the demon’s apostle needed to be eliminated. He couldn’t afford to be swayed by personal emotions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine. But you—do you even know who you’re going up against before you start talking like that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No. I don’t know anything about them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tch—what a damn frustrating bastard you are.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then please tell me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can’t just punch you right in the face either.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lack of information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lack of combat strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elim was lacking in every way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To fill these gaps, time and effort were essential. Desperately so, because the world was growing increasingly dangerous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Their group worships the Demon of Decay.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just hearing the name makes me irritated.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Exactly. They’re beings imbued with the power of decay. Even brushing against them is dangerous.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kegan continued explaining as he walked side by side with his junior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That perverted demon desires to corrupt and erase everything. But there’s exactly one thing it cannot corrupt.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What is it?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Gold.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sudden flash of insight lit up Sion’s mind. Now he could guess why the Apostle of Decay had taken root at Kashibelli Rock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Kashibelli Rock has long been famous for its gold veins. It’s one of the greatest gold mines on the continent.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Now it makes sense.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Their goal is to corrupt that which cannot decay.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt like such a pointless use of effort. Demons’ purposes were often strangely peculiar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is it possible?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How would I know?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Maybe if they grow strong enough.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“That’s why they go around killing people—rotting corpses and offering them as sacrifices to the demon.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sion’s eyes narrowed sharply. To abduct and murder innocent people, then rot their corpses—such a vile act. His fists clenched instinctively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“According to scouts, a swamp has formed at the center of Kashibelli Rock.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“A swamp created from rotting corpses, I assume.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You say that so casually—it’s horrifying.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kegan sighed and nodded his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re right. They piled up corpses in one place, and naturally, pools formed from blood and fluids.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ugh…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Their belief is that this swamp will slowly seep into the gold veins and corrupt the gold itself.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How utterly disgusting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kegan gripped the hilt of his sword tightly. This was an atrocity he could not forgive either. It was also proof that Kegan still held onto righteousness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“For now, their scale isn’t large. With just the Black Banner Unit, we might be able to handle the foot soldiers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The real problem is the Apostle of Decay.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A shadow passed over Kegan’s face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“To defeat him, we’ll need divine power. Strong, sacred energy.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Kegan, who had turned his back on the Goddess of War, possessed no such power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To eliminate the Apostle of Decay, he needed outside help.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I requested assistance from the Wisdom Cult, but they told me to wait.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Because of the Chaos faction?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Well, that’s part of it. But honestly, that Cult is so selfish I didn’t expect help from them to begin with.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Wisdom Cult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the very cult Sion was currently most wary of.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was because of information given to him by Roenhouther before arriving here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘With the position of priestess vacant, they’re very likely to target Kaili.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, they were struggling badly fighting the Chaos followers. To reverse the tide of battle, they needed a catalyst.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the appointment of a priestess could serve as that catalyst, the results would be outstanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Considering the power and symbolism of the priestess…’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt as though the Wisdom Cult’s arrival in Elim was only a matter of time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sion refocused on Kegan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was something about Kegan that moved him deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You left the Goddess of War, yet you haven’t served any other Goddess since.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…It’s pointless.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sion smiled inwardly and nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Just as I thought. A good man.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This man was pure-hearted. Sion had also confirmed that deep down, he desperately wanted to return to the War Cult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even while living in suffering, he hadn’t sought refuge in another Goddess.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had chosen to carry the burden of guilt entirely on his own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was foolish, but precisely because of that, he was a noble knight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Now I understand why my master and the bishop wish for him.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I will bring him back—no matter what.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sion reaffirmed his resolve once again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Anyway, I’ll be the one to defeat the Apostle of Decay.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another bold declaration.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kegan didn’t respond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew better than anyone that there was no turning back now, and that he had no choice but to place his hopes on this young paladin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’ll support you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Finally, we’re on the same page, senior.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Don’t get cocky. I’m cooperating because I need you. Don’t misunderstand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>People from the War Cult were all like this—warm-hearted, yet unable to show it outwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed gruffness was their default demeanor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sion himself considered himself blunt, but these older men were on a completely different level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘My master is like this, the bishop is like this too. Why are they all like this?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Achille, who had been listening, blushed and twisted her hair into tight curls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[They all seem like they take after me. Ahaha.]\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>***\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whooshhh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Energy surged. A gale blew as if a giant were rising to its feet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were camping on their way to the Black Banner Unit’s main base. Sion had eaten a simple dinner and moved to a corner, fully absorbed in his solitary training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘The ring is stable. Its power was confirmed when I fought the Sword Ghost.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The demonic energy dwelling within the cursed sword was immense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was the accumulated malice from countless souls devoured before the blade was sealed beneath the Deogel family’s estate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And he had pierced through that wall of demonic energy—using divine power incomparably superior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, he had confirmed just how efficient the Holy Ring was, and how much power it could unleash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘But this still isn’t enough.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Apostle of Decay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His strength was unknown, but it was safe to assume he was unquestionably stronger than Sion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sion had to defeat an enemy stronger than himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the kind of battle he always faced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And once again, it wouldn’t be easy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I need something stronger.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Mental Realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Would that be enough?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he could step into the domain of a Sword Master, perhaps it would be possible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘No, it will be possible.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His only hope lay there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When had it started?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A strange, continuous breeze, like a mirage, swirled around him. It was an incredibly peculiar moment. The flow of holy energy and the wind intertwined, forming a single current.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time seemed to freeze. Nothing around him registered. Sion and nature breathed as one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His concentration had reached its peak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A chaotic world. Amidst disorder, order always blooms anew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Demons seeking to shatter the Round Table of Light.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And in the gaps between, minor cults growing stronger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Faith was unclear; the path forward, uncertain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, humans, and especially cultivators, needed a guiding principle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only by firmly establishing a direction and walking toward it could one endure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘…Then what should I take as my guiding principle?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The belief imbued into the sword I wield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn’t some grand enlightenment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simply fighting to protect those I wish to safeguard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the vague ‘Will of the sword’ Sion had recently established—a belief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sion’s strength stemmed from a sense of responsibility. Losing a precious life once had shocked him deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was why he never wanted to lose anyone again. He bore the weight of others’ lives. Whenever someone needed protection, Sion would not falter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sword of protection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In other words, the Living Sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sword that brings life to the precious ones took root in Sion’s mental realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And to his enemies, this meant there would be no mercy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the silence filling Sion’s inner world, his own unique domain began to sprout.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘I will protect everyone.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A shiver ran through his entire body, as if every pore had opened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whoosh!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A streak of light flashed across Sion’s previously pitch-black mental realm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A blade. A blade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Light radiated from the blade, opening his vision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘What is this…?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sion’s domain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A brilliant sword had settled deep within his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sword glowing like a holy blade—Sion couldn’t tear his eyes away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vvvv—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sion extended his holy energy and grasped the shining sword.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that very moment—\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sion felt the universe. Heat surged to the top of his head, as if something immense had crashed down upon him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Energy poured endlessly. His body felt as light as a feather. Within the mental realm’s barrier, he could attain such power—so it was true after all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Amazing.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt exactly as if he were receiving power directly from the Goddess of War’s own hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Amid this astonishing experience, Sion struggled to memorize every sensation he felt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not a single thread, not the tiniest detail would he let slip. It was through such moments that one’s cultivation level rose, and one’s mental depth deepened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the mental cultivation method he practiced whenever he had a spare moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now, without warning, he had experienced a sudden leap in attainment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Inside the domain, it’s as if I’ve become a God.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The flow of divine power accelerated like a raging current. Even at rest, power surged through him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He felt as if he could fight nonstop for a hundred days without tiring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Now I understand why battles within the domain are so decisive.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, if only he could bring this mental domain into the outside world, he would reach the level of a Master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To break down the boundary between reality and the mental realm, and to fully manifest the belief he had established in his sword—this was the realm he sought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘Seems close, yet so far.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was enough for today. He felt full, completely satisfied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sion slowly opened his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had known someone was standing in front of him all along.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since they hadn’t interrupted, he had focused entirely inward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone considerate like that—it was obvious who it was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Is there something you need, Senior Kegan?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he opened his eyes, he saw Kegan standing there with his mouth wide open.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After experiencing such a profound enlightenment, seeing a middle-aged man make such a childish expression was surprisingly awkward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You—you. What did you just do?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Huh? I was training.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No. You know that’s not what I mean.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sion glanced at Kegan’s reaction and smiled inwardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>‘So my strength really has grown, huh?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kegan was a Sword Master. Or rather, he had been a Sword Master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, since he no longer served a Goddess, he was merely someone who wielded a sword skillfully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, that didn’t mean his discernment had vanished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once powerful, and still the renowned leader of the Black Banner Unit—his eyes were sharp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just now… you manifested your domain, didn’t you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sion grinned.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Will you teach me?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Teach you what?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Everything about being a Sword Master.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That look again. Endlessly deep blue eyes, yet filled with the most serious, beautiful determination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Schedule: Every mon, wed, fri and sun\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Review at\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>NovelUpdate\u003C\u002Fp>",2111,"2026-05-30T06:48:22.319Z","2026-06-01T04:30:34.110Z",1,"novelbin.me","bcf16b44138d31a2ac4abc9b3c4562f171235133511702f06fcc125a167b5e68","apostle-of-the-goddess-of-war-chapter-74","apostle-of-the-goddess-of-war-chapter-72",174,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fapostle-of-the-goddess-of-war-cover.jpg"]