Paladin of the Dead God

The sea surged ominously, filling the waters before Miarma, yet it still seemed a long way from completely submerging the entire region. Watching the rapidly rising tide, Isaac briefly wondered if the seawater might eventually flood Miarma. However, the thought did not concern him much.

After all, Miarma was now nothing more than a monster-infested ruin, devoid of potential victims to be swept away. Even if the waters overran the area, it would be temporary, and by the time anyone attempted to settle here again, the place would have returned to its original state.

And then, the first drifter arrived at the Miarma port.

A colony of abominations from the Outer Boundary crawled clumsily up the slope, writhing as it moved.

Isaac scrutinized the creature.

It was a patchwork form, pieced together with gruesome skill by Hectali, from the mangled and crushed remains once devastated by Sadraza. Fusion marks and seams were evident where flesh had been stitched and melded together. While the creature’s overall appearance resembled that of a pill bug, its hastily assembled structure lacked both balance and functionality.

“Still, it’s perfect for use as a shield or battering ram.”

Its intelligence was simple enough to suit such purposes.

Despite its savage and ferocious demeanor, it was clear Hectali had attempted to tame it, though not entirely successfully.

Isaac extended his left hand toward what he presumed to be the creature’s forehead—or where one might imagine a forehead to be.

A tentacle plunged deep, instantly crushing the creature’s crude brain. Then, Isaac implanted the Parasite from Beyond within it.

The parasite rapidly devoured the shattered brain and bodily fluids, growing swiftly as it consumed. It extended nerves and tentacle-like tendrils, integrating and centralizing the scattered nervous system under its control.

Eyes embedded across the creature’s body, as well as its myriad tentacles, writhed chaotically.

It wasn’t long before Isaac realized the takeover had been successful. To aid its recovery, Isaac generously infused it with divine power. During his battle with Sadraza, he had consumed countless abominations of the Outer Boundary, accumulating substantial reserves of divine energy.

“Gurrrk… Gwek.”

Suddenly, the colony emitted a sound like a cat coughing up a furball and regurgitated something. From the viscous fluid emerged a chunk of red flesh, emanating a potent divine aura.

“Could it be?”

As expected—it was a piece of Sadraza’s flesh.

The colony had consumed and assimilated Sadraza’s flesh while being swept about in the sea. However, it seemed unable to digest the divine energy emanating from it.

The colony spat out the flesh and quivered, as though relieved, smacking its lips with satisfaction.

Isaac deliberated on what to do. Although it was unfortunate that Sadraza had sunk into the sea, he wasn’t inclined to consume something akin to a cat’s vomit. Besides, he wasn’t so desperate for power that he’d resort to such measures.

Yet the intense divine aura radiating from the flesh tempted him, pulling at him irresistibly.

Letting out a sigh, Isaac reached for the flesh. When forced to consume something undesirable, the tentacles could handle everything.

While he briefly looked away, several squelching noises echoed. By the time he turned back, Sadraza’s core had vanished completely.

[You have consumed the ‘Flesh of the Caller (EX+).’]

[The ‘Intestines of the Dead God’ perk enhances your consumption efficiency.]

[You have gained the perk ‘Calling.’]

[All forms of miracles are enhanced.]

[Your dominion over summoned entities increases.]

“Flesh of the Caller?”

Isaac was stunned to realize that what he had consumed was a fragment of a god.

While it was unlikely that a god’s form would persist in a purely physical state, it seemed the divine energy had merged with Sadraza’s flesh, creating this phenomenon.

The Ritual of Thirsting Feast must have bestowed blessings upon Sadraza’s body.

Yet it seemed even Sadraza had been unable to fully digest the divine energy, leaving this fragment behind.

For a fleeting moment, Isaac felt joy at this unexpected achievement, but it was soon overshadowed by a violent thudding in his chest.

“Ah…!”

[The Nameless Chaos is watching you.]

Thump. Thump. Thump!

His heart pounded so fiercely it was almost unbearable. The surge of blood coursing through him made his body burn with heat. Isaac realized this was the process of digesting the god’s flesh and calmly sat down. Sweat poured down his forehead as the intense heat wracked his body.

With every heartbeat, immense divine power flowed through his entire being. The heat made his mouth dry, and through his hazy vision, he saw a figure rising from the sea.

It appeared to be an enormous sea serpent.

***

“I knew you would succeed, but I didn’t expect you to do it so quickly.”

Isaac realized he was sitting in a dark, enclosed space. The floor beneath him crunched with salt, and the air carried the scent of dried wood. In front of him stood a woman half-buried in salt, smiling faintly—Amandalas.

"Am I dead?" he asked.

"No," she replied.

"Then why am I in the Salt Council’s afterlife?"

Amandalas burst into laughter.

"You’re not completely dead, just halfway lingering on the edge. That made it easier to invite your consciousness here. But don’t worry, you’ll recover soon enough. Right now, you’re simply… let’s call it adjusting to the pressure."

"Pressure?"

"Your body’s durability can’t quite handle the power you’ve devoured. Imagine trying to hold back an ocean with a wooden plank. But don’t fret; we’re all working to keep that plank from breaking."

Isaac frowned. So the power he consumed, which was supposed to strengthen him, had instead nearly caused his demise.

"Are you saying I could have died?"

"Not quite. The Chaos that protects you is no ordinary force."

Amandalas spoke cryptically.

"And the one staking their fate on you isn’t Chaos alone. The Caller has joined that cause now, too. They willingly gave you a piece of their flesh and ensured you could digest it properly."

"Ensured?"

"You still have a purpose to fulfill."

Isaac suddenly remembered who Amandalas was—an angel who wielded power over Urbansus.

Angels like her casually flipped through, rewrote, and manipulated the pages of history. And it seemed Isaac was still being treated as an essential piece in their narrative. Even the destruction of Miarma and Sadraza’s betrayal were orchestrated to ensure he consumed the Caller’s flesh.

"Does this mean I’ve gained divine power?" he asked.

"Oh, no. That’s beyond reach. Perhaps in the primeval era, someone like Elil could have achieved that. But that was a time when the rules were far looser than they are now. Such beings can no longer come into existence. That said…"

Amandalas paused meaningfully.

"At the very least, no human alive can rival you now."

Isaac felt a small sense of satisfaction. While he had suspected this ever since defeating Dera Heman, it was still gratifying to have an angel confirm his status as the strongest among humans.

"At least I won’t get beaten to death anytime soon," he mused.

"But the power you’ve gained isn’t mere strength," Amandalas continued. "You’ve transcended to a new realm. Do you know what it means to ascend to a higher ’level’?"

Isaac tilted his head in confusion. In the game, there had been no events or mechanics resembling this. However, based on his recent experiences, one possibility came to mind.

"Does this mean I’ve become an angel?"

"Something similar," she answered with a smile. "But consider this: angels are beings named and granted their status by the gods. In your case, it’s more accurate to say you’ve attained a status akin to an Elder God."

Isaac’s expression stiffened.

Until now, he had spent his time relentlessly hunting Elder Gods and even subjugating them. The idea of becoming one himself was hardly appealing. Amandalas seemed to notice his discomfort and added,

"Your reaction is amusing. If you don’t like the term, think of it as a new starting point. You’ve already reached the limit of human growth. Haven’t you noticed your growth rate slowing lately?"

"That’s true," he admitted.

"You’ve simply outgrown the boundaries of humanity. Now, as a new entity of a higher order, you have fresh potential to grow. The beings you’ll face moving forward won’t be humans—they’ll be akin to angels."

Listening to her, Isaac concluded this was akin to a second job change. Just as he had progressed from Paladin to Holy Grail Knight, he was now something like… an Angel Knight? Or perhaps a God Knight? Neither name sat well with him, but the concept seemed close enough.

"In ancient times, your accumulated divinity and achievements would have already propelled you to this level," Amandalas explained. "But with the world’s order now so rigidly fixed, only unconventional methods like this are possible."

"…Thank you for the favor."

"It’s nothing compared to the help you’ve provided us," Amandalas replied with a smile, gently brushing her hand over the salt on the floor. Isaac noticed that, unlike the real world, she remained surrounded by the salt desert.

"The salt desert is gone," he remarked. "Yet this place is still filled with salt?"

"Urbansus belongs to the past. No one here knows of the sea’s arrival, and even if they did, it’ll take time for the waters to rise. Urbansus changes slowly."

Amandalas laughed lightly before continuing.

"For the same reason, the Caller will take time to fully awaken. Particularly since they’re busy establishing a new boundary with the Outer Boundary."

"A boundary with the Outer Boundary?"

She nodded.

"You’ll see for yourself when you wake. It’ll be far superior to the lighthouse the Lighthouse Keeper cobbled together."

Amandalas waved her hand in a gesture of farewell.

"In any case, I called you here to offer my thanks. Your pain seemed severe, but I can’t keep you here any longer. Your companions are calling for you."

With a languid smile, she whispered,

"Pass my regards to the Gleaming Maw. Its usefulness exceeded expectations."

***

"Sir Isaac!"

Isaac’s eyes snapped open.

The sharp pain that greeted him made him reflexively rub his eyes, only to have his companions stop him in alarm. Someone splashed water on his face instead.

Startled, Isaac looked up to see Tuhalin glaring at him with an incredulous expression. Apparently, it was Tuhalin who had dared to douse the savior of Miarma, the Holy Grail Knight, with water.

It was already night, Isaac realized.

The sight of the night sky, after what felt like days, left him feeling strangely disoriented. Around him stood Lianne, Edelred, Eidan, and the other members of the Dawn Army from Issacrea—all gathered in Miarma. Isaac spoke in exasperation.

"I told you to go ahead without me."

"How could we leave after seeing you in that state?!" Tuhalin snapped, throwing a water jug at Isaac’s head.

Isaac tried to dodge but realized he was encased in salt. The jug hit the commanding knight square on the head, but no one rebuked Tuhalin.

Eidan and the sailors worked to break apart the salt encasing Isaac and free him.

"When we found you, your fever was intense, and you were drenched in sweat," Eidan explained. "We thought you might die of dehydration, but Sir Tuhalin insisted it was a divine fever and told us to leave you be."

"But then even your sweat evaporated before it touched the ground, leaving you dried out. People started whispering that you’d been cursed by the Lighthouse Keeper and turned into a pillar of salt."

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