The guards hurriedly guided Taesan and the child deeper into the temple. Before long, a portly middle-aged man dressed in opulent robes appeared before them.

“So you are the child cursed by all creation. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you,” he said.

“Yes,” the child replied tersely, giving only a small nod. The man smiled faintly.

“I am a saint in service to the great god of Order, Horai. So, child of the curse, I understand you have completed all of your trials?”

“Yes. I have passed every trial His Majesty set before me to bring me here.”

“Marvelous!”

The saint’s voice boomed suddenly, echoing through the hall.

“You must have endured such suffering and sin to make it here! His Majesty’s mercy will be upon you!”

The child’s face twisted slightly, struggling to mask their discomfort.

Unbothered, the saint clapped his hands.

“Now then, right this way.”

The saint glanced briefly at Taesan.

“I’m afraid… as this is His Majesty’s private residence, outside guests are not permitted beyond this point. I must ask you to leave.”

“No.”

The child’s voice was small but firm.

“He will stay with me. Otherwise, I won’t go in either.”

Though taken aback, the saint considered his options as he studied the two of them. Eventually, he relented.

“…Very well. As a final request, I suppose it’s acceptable. It’s quite unusual, but I’ll allow it just this once.”

The saint held his head high, as if he were bestowing a great favor.

The saint led the way, with the child trailing closely behind, his face shadowed with dread.

The temple was extravagant, covered in gold that gleamed almost painfully bright, an ironic display for the god of Order.

As they passed through the corridors, followers of the temple lowered their heads in reverence to the saint. When they noticed the child trailing behind, they recoiled, shuddering instinctively.

“Calm yourselves,” the saint reassured them. “He is here to offer himself as a sacrifice.”

With a gentle murmur, he led them further into the depths of the temple.

At last, they arrived at a grand chamber where the Emperor awaited them.

Sitting atop a golden throne, he appeared strikingly young, perhaps just past twenty, with a stern and unyielding expression.

“Your Majesty! Apostle of Horai!”

The saint dropped to his knees, his voice trembling with reverence.

“The child of the curse has passed your trials and now comes here to offer himself! Please, accept his original sin!”

The Emperor gave a slight nod, his expression unmoved.

The saint clasped his hands in ecstasy as divine energy began to pulse around him.

A resonating hum filled the chamber as a device synchronized with the divine energy, activating in front of the child.

“You are cursed!”

The saint’s voice rose again as he addressed the child.

“Cursed by all creation, your very existence kills life around you! No magic nor faith can restrain it! Even your own parents perished because of your curse!”

The saint spread his arms wide.

“But His Majesty is different! He, in his greatness, can contain your curse!”

The manic fervor in his voice suddenly softened.

“Of course, it will cost you your life… but it is the only way. If you continue living, the whole world may suffer. This is a noble sacrifice.”

A pillar of light materialized before the child.

“Step forward. His Majesty will take your curse upon himself, and the world will be at peace.”

The child had come this far, enduring each trial to reach this point.

But he didn’t move toward the pillar of light; he simply stared at it.

“…Sir Taesan.”

The child’s voice was soft.

“Could you… could you say it once more?”

“If you wish,” Taesan replied.

“You said that if you stayed in one place for more than a day, a curse would descend upon you. But that’s impossible. Your blue blood is divine blood—beyond the reach of human influence. Such a curse cannot exist.”

The saint’s face hardened, but Taesan continued.

“But despite that, you’ve suffered and had your life twisted by what you were told was a curse.”

“Who are you to speak such blasphemy in His Majesty’s presence? I demand that you—”

“Silence.”

With a single word, the saint’s mouth snapped shut. He tried to protest, his face a mixture of shock and confusion, but no sound escaped his lips.

“Tormented by this so-called curse, you sought help from the Emperor, and he offered you a divine decree.”

“He said that… I must offer myself as a sacrifice to him.”

The child fixed his gaze on the Emperor.

The Emperor looked down at them impassively, as though nothing they said could matter.

“That so-called curse of yours? It was created by the Emperor. That divine decree? His will, too. He is the true source of your suffering.”

“But… why?”

“Your blue blood holds power beyond mortal limits. If someone like the Emperor acquired it, he could potentially gain even greater strength.”

Of course, it was only a possibility. The power of divine blood didn’t guarantee greater strength.

And the child’s life had been shattered, sacrificed for the barest sliver of possibility.

“If the Emperor had not interfered, you could have lived a normal life, even with your blue blood.”

“Then… the harm done to those around me…?”

“In order to make you a willing sacrifice, he needed you to believe your blood was a curse.”

Taesan’s answer hit the child like a blow.

The child’s eyes widened in shock as he stared at the Emperor, who remained unperturbed.

“Your Majesty, is this true?”

The Emperor remained silent, his cold gaze never shifting from Taesan, as though the child’s fate was inconsequential.

The child’s eyes filled with rage.

“Did you… did you kill my parents? Was it not my curse, but you, Your Majesty?”

Only his voice of fury echoed in the grand hall.

The Emperor didn’t respond, but his silence was all the confirmation the child needed.

“Haha… hahaha… HAHAHA!”

A bitter, crazed laugh burst from the child. Gone was the desperate, self-loathing child. All that remained was someone warped by anger.

“You… you!”

He seethed with fury.

Taesan spoke quietly.

“You know the truth now. From here on, whatever you choose will be your own decision.”

“If… if I choose, will you help me?”

Taesan nodded. With a twisted, anguished face, the child cried out.

“I don’t want to die!”

This was his deepest truth, the desire he had suppressed, thinking himself cursed.

“I want revenge against the Emperor!”

“If that’s your choice.”

Taesan raised his hand.

As the quest’s conditions aligned, he made his choice.

This was Taesan’s decision.

“Mmph!”

The force holding the saint’s mouth shut dissipated. The saint stumbled back, shouting in a panic.

“You! What are you doing?”

[You have activated Zephar’s Black Storm.]

A roaring vortex of power surged, sweeping everything in its path.

“Oh, oh no!”

The saint’s face went white as he summoned his divine energy, but the black storm consumed it all.

The storm raged and, when it subsided, the temple lay in ruins. Only the Emperor and his golden throne remained intact.

The Emperor had protected only himself from the storm’s wrath.

“Sacrificing everyone else, huh?”

“It’s of no consequence,” the Emperor replied, his face expressionless.

“After all, they’re all replaceable, humans and their tools alike. I can always rebuild, just as I can eventually break the one beside you. It may take time, but in the end, he’ll submit.”

The Emperor’s gaze never left Taesan.

“You’re the one who truly matters. To be honest, I was taken aback at first. I thought another god had sent you to meddle in my plans.”

But as he observed, he realized Taesan was no Apostle of any god. He was simply… powerful.

“However you came to my world, it makes no difference. I’ll crush you and resume my plans.”

The Emperor’s power began to manifest, filling the air.

“Ah…”

The child’s face went pale as a potent energy warped the space around him.

“Step back,” Taesan said.

“O-okay…”

Wrapping the child in his own energy, Taesan pushed him back to a safe distance.

Taesan unsheathed his sword.

This was his first true fight against an unrestrained Apostle of a transcendent god. The Emperor raised his own sword, his immense power flooding the air.

“Prepare to die under the power of a god.”

---

The Emperor’s divine energy surged forth like a tidal wave, aiming to engulf Taesan. Taesan braced himself and lunged forward.

[You have activated Apostlehood [Darkened Chaos].]

[You have activated Nature’s Incarnation.]

[You have activated King’s Vessel.]

His aura and power soared to an overwhelming level, matching the Emperor’s divine force with his own might.

Boom!

The clash of their power sent waves rippling through the surroundings.

Taesan raised his sword, pointing it at the Emperor.

[You have activated Apostle Slayer.]

“Hmm…”

Even the Emperor could feel his power diminishing.

“You dare interfere with my power?”

The Emperor’s expression twisted in irritation as he raised his fist.

He launched himself at Taesan.

Taesan lifted his sword.

Clang!

Sword and fist collided. The force behind the Emperor’s strike was intense, even Taesan couldn’t dismiss it lightly.

Ta

esan quickly realized: the Emperor, like him, straddled the line between mortal and divine.

Taesan steadied his breath and moved his body into position.

Crack!

Sword and fist met again. The Emperor wielded a brutal, overwhelming martial art. The moves were rough, but each strike carried enormous force.

But that was all. The Emperor’s technique was nothing exceptional. Taesan could break through it.

His gaze grew focused and sharp.

Clang!

He pressed his sword forward, forcing the Emperor’s fist back. He advanced, and though the Emperor tried to counter, Taesan blocked each attempt and drove his blade down.

Crunch.

The Emperor blocked, but he was forced back.

Taesan closed in, ready to press his advantage when—

“So, you’re from the Dungeon.”

The Emperor’s divine energy suddenly exploded outward.

The amplified divine power was immense, even pushing Taesan back.

“I’ll admit, you’re strong. You have extraordinary talent, enough to conquer the gods’ Dungeon and wield power that challenges me.”

The Emperor’s raised his fist again, intensifying his aura further.

The divine power solidified, forming a domain around him.

The Emperor was an Apostle, wielding the power of a god. Each god had a unique domain.

“But it’s still a mortal’s strength. Even if you walk the boundary between realms, you haven’t fully crossed into the divine.”

The Emperor sneered arrogantly, power building in his voice.

“I am Horai’s Apostle, master of divine power. Your strength is no match for a god’s. Foolish human, behold the true power of the divine.”

An explosion of divine energy erupted, and the domain of the transcendent manifested in reality.

[You are bound by the Law of Order.]