Chapter 1208
Snap. Raon clenched his jaw, fighting to contain the volcanic fury threatening to erupt at the sight of a clergyman who shared the exact likeness of Derus Robert.
—You idiot!
Wrath struck him across the back with a flat hand, as if shocked by his lack of composure.
—Are you trying to blow our cover right here? Control yourself!
The spirit even bellowed directly into his ear, demanding he regain his focus.
‘I am well aware.’
Raon gave a subtle nod. Had his blood boiled just a fraction more, he might have blown his disguise then and there. He had believed he possessed a perfect balance of human sentiment and a killer’s frigid detachment, but facing the image of Derus Robert tested his limits beyond measure.
‘Furthermore...’
He released a shallow breath, centering his vision as he studied the priest with Derus’s features through a calm lens.
‘That individual is not the real Derus Robert.’
The resemblance was uncanny, and even the vibration of his energy felt identical, yet he wasn't the genuine article.
‘He is likely a manifestation, a clone.’
It appeared Derus couldn't even place his full confidence in the Archangel’s protective screen. He had clearly stationed a duplicate of himself within this vital sanctuary to serve as the ultimate checkpoint.
‘I suspected as much...’
Raon realized that Derus Robert remained as pathologically suspicious as he had been in the past, and a dry laugh bubbled within him.
‘Imagine not even placing faith in the Archangel.’
Distrusting his own lackeys was one thing, but Raon hadn't expected the man to doubt even the Archangels, beings who existed far beyond the realm of mortals. He was a specimen of malice that almost commanded a twisted kind of respect.
“Sir Zilfen?”
Charlie moved closer to Raon, who remained rooted to the spot as the doors swung open.
“Are we not going inside?”
He tilted his head in confusion, failing to understand why Raon had suddenly turned into a statue.
“......”
The clergyman bearing Derus’s visage also narrowed his gaze, seemingly finding Raon's behavior peculiar.
“I was merely staring because I was curious what sort of man could possess such an overly pretty face.”
Raon scowled, directing his gaze toward the priest with Derus’s features.
“What a repulsive countenance!”
In his original state, Derus Robert was an old man, but he currently wore the face of an exquisitely handsome youth that would draw gasps of awe. Thus, Raon’s comment wasn't entirely out of place.
“Ah, of course!”
Charlie struck his palms together, as if the mystery had been solved.
“Priest Srude’s looks are legendary in this place. I was quite taken aback when I first arrived as well.”
He bobbed his head in agreement, claiming the priest’s beauty was unrivaled in all of heaven.
“I am so disgusted I feel like walking out this instant.”
Raon felt the tension of suspicion evaporate the moment he stepped into the holy grounds.
—To fake envy with such effortless grace.
Wrath let out a hollow, mocking chuckle.
—It is truly something to see the one who cares the least about vanity put on such a performance.
The spirit blinked in disbelief at the convincing act.
‘I don't experience jealousy personally, but I have been the target of it enough to know the script.’
Just as Wrath noted, Raon had zero interest in physical appearance. However, he had spent enough time surrounded by people who coveted his own looks that mimicking their petty resentment came naturally.
“Please, don't be like that. He is a truly virtuous man.”
Charlie shook his head, insisting that the priest named Srude—the one with Derus’s face—was among the few genuinely kind souls in this celestial realm.
“Srude...”
Raon felt a cold sneer forming in his mind.
‘He simply inverted the letters. He isn't even trying to be subtle in this regard.’
Srude was nothing more than the name Derus spelled in reverse. It seemed even Derus had his moments of laziness. (E/N: S-ru-de. De-Ru-s)
‘Then again, there is likely no one in this place who would recognize that face anyway.’
The current iteration of Derus Robert had cast aside his humanity. The wrinkles and age spots he once wore had vanished, replaced by the features of a striking man in his early twenties.
Even those who had crossed paths with the Sky Sword Saint Derus during the era of the Six Kings and Five Demons would fail to link him to this current form.
“What brings you to this temple?”
Priest Srude offered a soft smile and inclined his head. His voice was a perfect replica of Derus’s, forcing Raon to consciously relax the murderous tension building in his fists.
“I have come to submit my cravings.”
Raon fixed a hard stare on Srude’s face. He gnawed on his lip, projecting a clear air of resentment toward the priest’s attractive features.
“You are a fresh convert. You are welcome here.”
Priest Srude greeted him with a gentle warmth, despite Raon’s blatant display of hostility.
“Really, why are you acting out like this!”
Charlie stepped between them, holding up his hands as if pleading for Raon to settle down.
“A man’s envy is a pathetic sight! Especially when it concerns something as shallow as looks!”
He knit his brows together, clearly embarrassed by the display.
“Envy? Don't be ridiculous! Shut your mouth!”
Raon snapped back, shoving Charlie aside to emphasize his irritation.
‘This personality is a mirror image of Derus as well.’
The Derus of the old era harbored a deep-seated hatred for all of humanity while maintaining a facade of benevolent grace. As a loyal clone, Priest Srude was performing the same role of a saintly figure.
‘Regardless, Charlie’s intervention made the transition seamless.’
Because Charlie had made such a scene, the initial flicker of doubt that arose from Raon’s hesitation had died out. If he managed to leave this place after finishing his business, he decided he’d have to compensate the man for his unwitting help.
“Believer Charlie. You have introduced quite a colorful individual.”
Srude gave Charlie a kind look, signaling that no offense had been taken.
“I—I have only visited once, and you actually recall my name?”
Charlie’s jaw dropped as he stared at Srude in disbelief.
“But of course. I hold a memory of every soul that passes through these doors.”
Srude nodded as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“Truly, Priest Srude is in a league of his own...”
Charlie clasped his hands, looking visibly moved.
“I must apologize for my companion’s conduct. His temperament is somewhat... lacking.”
He bowed low, attempting to make amends for Raon’s behavior.
“Why on earth are you apologizing? I’ve done nothing wrong!”
Raon delivered a sharp kick to Charlie’s backside.
“Oof!”
Charlie collapsed onto the floor, clutching his rear in pain.
“You must be Believer Zilfen, I presume? Your reputation precedes you, given the notable strides you have made since your arrival in Heaven.”
Priest Srude reached out to help Charlie up, his smile never wavering.
“Like I said, I’m here to hand over my desires. Don’t keep me hanging; get on with the process.”
Raon gestured toward Srude with his chin. Since he had committed to this persona, it was better to lean into the arrogance he had been displaying lately.
“Naturally. We can begin immediately. However, before we proceed...”
Priest Srude’s eyes narrowed until they were mere slits.
“I must hear the nature of your longing.”
He leaned in closer, his posture suggesting a keen interest in what Raon hoped to gain.
“What are you capable of granting?”
Raon threw the question back at Priest Srude.
“Whatever you wish. I can take lives, bestow immense fortune, or restore your youth. Provided the desire is strong enough, no request is out of reach.”
Priest Srude maintained his pleasant smile even as he spoke of murder, a chilling contrast to his angelic appearance.
“And what of those people out there constructing those spires?”
Raon gestured with a frown toward the various structures rising outside the temple walls.
“Those are monuments built for the most profound of wishes. They are towers of longing, intended to reach God’s envoy to fulfill desires that are normally deemed impossible.”
Priest Srude smiled, comparing the towers reaching for the clouds to the Tower of Babel.
“Bringing back those who have passed, reaching the state of a Transcendent, becoming the wealthiest man on earth. Or perhaps more primal, darker cravings that are too shadowed to name.”
He nodded slowly, implying he was privy to every secret wish held by the builders.
“So...”
Priest Srude refocused on Raon, a slight curl appearing at the corners of his mouth.
“What is it that you seek, believer?”
“...To reach the level of a Transcendent.”
Raon hesitated for a beat, then squeezed his hand into a tight ball.
“With power, everything else follows—wealth, sustenance, women, all of it! I want to become a Transcendent and ground those who dared to mock me into the dirt. I’ll pay any price for that!”
He let the influences of Greed and Gluttony bleed into his expression, turning his eyes cold and predatory. Yet, beneath the surface, his mind remained as steady as a frozen lake.
‘This is the correct path.’
He had consistently projected the image of a man obsessed with chaotic power. Instead of offering up minor, shallow wants, it was far more effective to declare his hunger for absolute dominance.
“A Transcendent...”
Priest Srude hummed, stroking his jawline.
“A simple task, yet one of great complexity.”
He let out a short, enigmatic laugh.
“What kind of double-talk is that?”
Raon’s brow darkened.
“Our deity could fulfill such a request with ease.”
Priest Srude gestured toward the statue of an Archangel looming behind him.
“However, your current martial standing hasn't even reached the Master level. You would need to bypass dozens of intermediate steps, which requires a staggering volume of desire. You would have to construct a tower that pierces the sky, just like the others, to see it through.”
He explained that the tower’s height was dictated by the desires offered.
“If the end result is becoming a Transcendent, I can handle that!”
Raon allowed his avarice to flare even brighter, baring his teeth in a hungry grin.
“Very well.”
Priest Srude gave a radiant smile and held out both of his hands toward Raon.
“Take my hands and channel the cravings you hold within. The height of your tower in heaven will be determined by what you give.”
He spoke with a cool confidence, explaining that once the spire touched the heavens, an Archangel would descend to grant the boon.
“Fine!”
Raon gave a firm nod and gripped Priest Srude’s hands.
‘The critical moment begins now.’
If this clone shared the instincts of the Derus Robert he knew, he would use this moment of connection to sniff out infiltrators. Raon pushed the Ring of Fire to its absolute limit to shield his true thoughts.
“I shall begin.”
As Priest Srude spoke, Raon felt the yearnings of his soul being pulled outward. But it wasn't just a simple extraction. Ssssss. A faint, insidious energy crept out from Priest Srude’s palms, beginning a meticulous scan of Raon’s spirit.
He wasn't just collecting desire; he was probing the very foundation of Raon’s soul and Mental Image.
‘Just as I thought.’
Raon felt a surge of grim satisfaction at his accurate prediction.
‘Since this isn't Derus himself, I can easily hoodwink a mere duplicate.’
The Ring of Fire spun rapidly, manifesting a deceptive outer layer at the periphery of his soul—one that contained nothing but a raw, mindless hunger for strength. Sssss! The malevolent probe sent by Priest Srude skimmed over the fabricated shell and retreated from his body as quickly as it had entered.
“I can feel your desperate thirst for power. The heavens will surely recognize that drive.”
As Priest Srude gave an approving nod, a deafening crack, like the world itself splitting open, echoed from the outside.
“Wh—what was that?”
Charlie cried out in terror, ducking his head and cowering.
“There is no cause for alarm.”
Priest Srude smiled and pointed toward the horizon, where a fresh structure was ascending amidst a swirling cloud of gray grit.
“That spire is the physical manifestation of Zilfen’s cravings. It is quite something, is it not?”
He indicated the shimmering gray tower, identifying it as Raon’s.
“It’s too small.”
Raon scowled as he observed his newly formed gray spire.
‘At this pace, it wouldn't reach the sky even in a year.’
He thought he had projected a significant amount of desire, but the result was underwhelming. Using conventional means, reaching the goal within a year seemed like a fantasy.
“It is modest for now, but with consistent effort, you should reach the heavens within a few years.”
Priest Srude released Raon’s hands and offered a deep bow, as if encouraging further contributions.
“A few years? You’re joking.”
Raon snorted, staring at the back of the priest's head.
“In a few years, the people I need to crush might already be dead! I don't have the luxury of waiting!”
He dismissed the idea immediately, refusing to accept such a long timeline.
“Then what do you propose? You cannot simply take another's spire at this stage. You must gather your own...”
“Take them?”
Raon seized on Charlie’s choice of words, his gaze shifting to the other towers straining toward the clouds.
“You claimed those structures are made of pure desire, right? In that case...”
He pulled his lips back into a predatory grin, letting his Greed take center stage.
“I can simply seize those towers through duels to the death!”
