Surviving as a Barbarian in a Fantasy World

Chapter 138: The Sanctuary of Kalosia (8)

A training ground that had not been used in a while was covered in a significant amount of dust.

Ketal and Rakza were there.

“Let’s adjust our strength as we fight,”

Ketal suggested.

“Understood,”

Rakza nodded.

Warriors of their caliber could adjust their power in the midst of battle, so there was no risk of accidents.

“Then I’ll go first,”

Rakza said, drawing his sword and muttering softly,

“Oh God, grant me great power.”

A golden light enveloped the sword and then surrounded Rakza’s entire body.

“Impressive,”

Ketal remarked.

The sight of Rakza’s entire body encased in a golden glow was quite striking.

‘I wish I could do something like that,’

Ketal thought, smacking his lips.

He had acquired mysterious powers, but without being able to utilize them, they were like a pie in the sky.

‘I’d like to use some of that mystery.’

“Here I come,”

Rakza said briefly before charging forward.

In an instant, he was right in front of Ketal, swinging his sword.

Ketal grabbed the axe at his waist and swung it.

With a sharp sound, the sword was deflected.

Unable to withstand the sudden force, Rakza lost his balance.

“Ugh!”

Regaining his posture, Rakza spun around, attempting to shoulder-check Ketal.

Ketal casually reached out, grabbed Rakza’s shoulder, and pushed him away.

Rakza staggered and was pushed back.

Rakza’s face showed astonishment as he gripped his sword and attacked Ketal again.

Ketal, however, blocked his attacks with ease.

‘He’s definitely strong,’

Ketal thought, impressed by Rakza’s power.

Although it was hard to make an exact comparison, Rakza seemed to be stronger than Maximus.

Rakza, on the other hand, was shocked by Ketal’s strength.

‘What is this?’

Even though it was just a sparring match, it wasn’t like he wasn’t being serious.

Rakza was genuinely attacking Ketal.

Yet, Ketal was responding with casual swings of his axe, as if he were just going through the motions.

Despite Rakza’s visible efforts, he couldn’t see any way to break through Ketal’s defense.

Clang!

Rakza’s body was flung back.

He quickly regained his stance and thrust his sword, now glowing with a golden hue, towards Ketal’s chest.

Ketal watched the sword for a moment before reaching out his hand instead of swinging his axe.

The golden sword was caught in Ketal’s hand.

Crack!

“What!”

Rakza’s eyes widened.

Despite the divine energy fiercely swirling around, Ketal’s hand didn’t have a single scratch.

Ketal applied a bit of pressure, and Rakza’s body was pushed back.

Stunned, Rakza looked at Ketal.

“Ketal… sir?”

“We’ll stop here,”

Ketal said, shaking his hand.

* * *

‘There’s nothing particularly different about divine power,’

Ketal thought.

He had expected something special, but its basic usage seemed similar to aura.

“You’re incredible,”

Rakza said, having regained his composure.

He looked at Ketal with amazement.

“How do you handle the divine power so perfectly to protect your body?”

“Hmm?”

Ketal tilted his head.

“Does it look like that?”

“Yes. Isn’t it camouflage?”

Ketal had caught the divine sword with his bare hand and pushed Rakza back without getting a scratch.

That was an impossible feat.

Thus, Rakza concluded that Ketal must have an extraordinary control over the divine power.

“I’m curious how you control it so perfectly.”

To Rakza, Ketal seemed to possess only third-rate divine power.

This implied that Ketal’s control ability was extreme.

Such a level of control was considered impossible.

At their level, warriors could instantly recognize the true strength of their opponents, regardless of how well they tried to hide it.

In this world, the concept of hiding one’s true power didn’t really exist.

Strong individuals could always sense other strong individuals, unless they were dealing with something like an artifact with a fixed form.

But Ketal seemed exceptionally capable of hiding his true power.

‘He must be using a very special method,’

Rakza concluded, feeling satisfied that his question was answered.

“Is that so?”

Ketal didn’t bother to refute.

Rakza seemed satisfied, and that was enough for him.

After the sparring session ended, it was time for a break.

Ketal spoke up.

“I have a question. May I ask?”

“Anything you like, feel free to ask.”

“What exactly is divine power?”

Ketal asked.

Rakza paused at the question.

“That’s a fundamental question.”

“I’m curious.”

Ketal responded.

Divine power.

It was the power bestowed by a god.

This power held an absolute advantage over evil.

What were the criteria for receiving such power?

How was it wielded?

Ketal was curious about these things.

After gathering his thoughts for a moment, Rakza began to explain.

“Divine power is the strength bestowed by a great god upon those who serve them. If you meet the qualifications, you can receive divine power.”

“And what are those qualifications?”

“Faith and strength.”

“Strength is required too?”

“Yes,”

Rakza nodded.

“If a person doesn’t have the necessary skill to handle divine power, the amount of divine power they receive is limited. Simply having deep and sincere faith doesn’t mean you will receive a large amount of divine power.”

“I see,”

Ketal mused.

To receive divine power, one needed faith in their god and the strength to wield that power.

If one had superhuman skills, they would receive superhuman divine power; if they were a first-rate warrior, they would receive first-rate divine power.

“What can you do with that divine power?”

“You can strengthen your body, enhance your weapons, and heal wounds. You can also offer prayers to form divine constraints or vows.”

“It seems quite versatile.”

“It is the power granted by a great being,”

Rakza said quietly.

“That being saves and observes the world. Most of the powers on this earth are inferior versions of divine power.”

“I see.”

Ketal, who had been observing Rakza, spoke again.

“I have one more question. Do you also have holy scriptures?”

The holy scripture: a book that recorded the deeds of a great god who descended to the earth.

Rakza nodded.

“Yes, we do.”

“Then why don’t you use the holy scriptures?”

When the Inquisitor of the Sun God, Aquaz, fought Ashetiar, they gained an advantage the moment they used the holy scriptures.

It was a very powerful force.

Yet, Rakza had never used the holy scriptures during the invasion.

If someone as strong as Rakza used the holy scriptures, they could gain an even greater advantage.

Ketal thought it unlikely that a warrior of Rakza’s caliber would not be qualified to use the holy scriptures, which prompted his question.

“……”

Rakza’s expression wavered.

After some hesitation, he sighed and spoke.

“Ketal, our order is very weak. We are not even recognized by other orders. Do you know why?”

“Isn’t it because you have no strong warriors?”

“No, that’s not the only reason,”

Rakza said with a bitter smile.

“It’s because we are not recognized by the god.”

Currently, within the Kalosia order, there was no one who could read the holy scriptures except the Saintess.

Rakza was no exception.

Ketal was surprised.

“Do you need the god’s permission to read the holy scriptures?”

“The holy scriptures are the written journey of the great god. To wield that power, the god must grant direct permission.”

The power of the holy scriptures was separate from divine power.

Even a low-ranking priest could read the holy scriptures if they were recognized by the god.

The fact that many people could read the holy scriptures meant that they were recognized by the god and was a source of pride for the order.

However, despite being pushed to the brink, only one person, the Saintess, could read the holy scriptures in the Kalosia order.

An order unrecognized by the god: that was another assessment of the Kalosia order.

Rakza was a superhuman-level holy knight.

His strength was top-tier even across the continent.

But despite that, he was just a priest unrecognized by the god, unable to read the holy scriptures.

“It’s because we have defiled His name,”

Rakza murmured, closing his eyes.

“This is our punishment.”

In the past, the Kalosia order had committed numerous atrocities.

Although they had since reformed, they believed they were now paying for their past sins.

“This invasion is His final trial for us. If we overcome it, we may receive His recognition.”

Rakza prayed deeply.

The faith of a believer in their god was a beautiful sight.

“I see.”

But Ketal’s expression was ambiguous.

He responded noncommittally,

“I hope you gain that recognition.”

* * *

After that, the invasions continued.

However, each time, the dark wizards were unable to do anything and were driven away.

The number of injured people significantly decreased.

The atmosphere within the sanctuary grew increasingly bright.

There was even some good news spreading around.

With a delighted expression, Rakza said,

“We found a merchant company willing to sell us supplies!”

They had been surrounded by evil forces.

No one was willing to sell them supplies, even at exorbitant prices.

But finally, they managed to contact a merchant company and secure the needed supplies.

However, Ketal looked skeptical.

“It’s too easy. It’s suspicious.”

“Pardon?”

Rakza asked.

“Nothing. It’s a good thing,”

Ketal replied.

“Indeed it is. I will be leaving for a while to escort the merchant company. Ketal, I leave the sanctuary in your care.”

“Understood.”

Rakza left the sanctuary.

Ketal walked through the sanctuary, observing the people.

Their faces were extremely bright.

“We won!”

“We defeated the forces of evil!”

They were already convinced of their victory.

Having successfully repelled the invasions and now with supplies on the way, it was natural for them to feel that way.

However, Ketal’s expression remained unchanged.

As he walked, he stopped in front of the large church.

After gazing at the church for a moment, he entered.

It wasn’t prayer time, so the church was empty.

Ketal looked up at the large statue of Kalosia in the center of the church.

A voice echoed from behind him.

“What brings you to the church?”

It was Shadrenes, the Saintess of Kalosia, standing at the church door with a gentle smile.

The smile was perfect, like something out of a painting, but its sincerity was questionable.

‘Oh my god!’

She thought to herself.

She had come to the empty church to pray in peace, never expecting to find the barbarian there.

She almost screamed out of surprise, but her true feelings were perfectly hidden.

Ketal spoke up.

“I came for a brief visit.”

“Feel free to rest here,”

Shadrenes replied, forcing a smile as she took a seat.

Ketal, still gazing at the statue, spoke again.

“I have a question. It might be very rude to you. Is that okay?”

“Yes, please feel free to ask.”

“You were on the brink of destruction.”

Without Ketal’s help, they might indeed have been destroyed.

“Yet the one you serve, the god of deception and lies, has shown no movement. What do you think about that?”

“It is a trial from the great one,”

Shadrenes calmly replied.

“As their followers, this trial is a chance for us to prove ourselves. If we overcome it, we will gain their recognition.”

“I see.”

Ketal nodded and turned to leave the church.

Shadrenes was silently relieved.

But then Ketal spoke again.

“Oh, one last question. This is different from the previous one.”

“Please, go ahead,”

She replied.

Ketal smiled slightly at her.

“Is that mask you’re wearing?”

“Excuse me?”

Shadrenes tilted her head in confusion.

“What do you mean?”

She seemed not to understand Ketal’s words at all.

Most people, seeing her reaction, would have thought she truly didn’t know.

But Ketal noticed a subtle tremor in her response, down to the smallest fraction of a second.

He smiled, satisfied.

“Never mind. Thank you. My question has been answered.”

Ketal left the church, feeling content.

The followers claimed that in the past, they had committed atrocities through deceit and trickery, tarnishing Kalosia’s name.

Now, although they had reformed, they believed they were unable to wield the holy scriptures as punishment from their god.

To regain their god’s recognition, they tried to be kinder than anyone else.

But Ketal thought differently.

He was not of this world.

He was not bound by its values or perceptions.

What could the god of deceit and lies possibly find disappointing in their followers?

Ketal looked up at the sky, feeling a gaze upon him.

It was the gaze of Kalosia.

Since Ketal had set foot in the sanctuary, that gaze had never left him.

“I don’t know what you want from me,”

He murmured,

“but I will move as I wish.”

Ketal leisurely walked away.