Chapter 274 - 259: The Origin of "Yino", Charlatan Jon, About "Cursed Objects
Chapter 274: Chapter 259: The Origin of "Yino", Charlatan Jon, About "Cursed Objects
"Scheme after scheme, hope after hope, and failure... after failure."
The motes of light swayed gently at His words, like a silent sigh.
Jon was silent, complex emotions swirling in the depths of his ice-blue eyes.
’Yes, the endless cycles of destruction and rebirth were indeed tragic and lamentable, but...’
Po Ao seemed to see through the turmoil in his heart. He slowly raised his gaze, and his pure golden eyes, like light piercing a curtain, locked onto Jon’s.
"I know—"
"You may be confused by this sudden Destiny, by this mission forced upon you... perhaps even resentful."
"But—"
He leaned forward slightly. The halo of light around him expanded and surged like a burning solar corona, bathing the entire Court of Light in a sacred, oppressive crimson-gold.
His ethereal voice became incredibly clear and powerful, as if proclaiming a universal truth:
"You must also trust Mother! Her choice was no accident! She summoned you here from your world for a reason she had to have!"
Light erupted from Po Ao’s molten-gold pupils, nearly consuming Jon’s vision, as the oracle-like proclamation thundered through the silence.
"Because—"
All other sounds vanished, leaving only the words of the deity before him.
"—"
...
When Jon slowly opened his eyes before Po Ao’s statue, the surrounding clamor had subsided considerably.
But the fanatical atmosphere hadn’t weakened in the slightest.
He turned and was stunned to see the church filled with Sun worshipers kneeling in a circle around him. Everyone was looking at him with expectant eyes, waiting for him, the "God’s Favored," to deliver a divine decree.
’But Po Ao didn’t ask me to relay any message to you guys...’
After Po Ao had spoken that crucial sentence, the audience had not ended there.
After that, he had spoken at length with the venerable Sun deity about the world, the threats from the starry sky, the Ancient Gods, and... why "faith" had become the most important thing in the current world.
After talking so much, even the most unacceptable things became palatable, though he still felt a bit uneasy about it all.
Jon thought for a moment with a deadpan expression. He figured he had to say something in this situation, or things would get uncomfortably awkward.
So, he lowered his gaze, spread his arms, and said softly.
"Followers of the Sun, do you remember the teachings of Po Ao?"
"We remember! We remember!"
Bathed in a dawn-like light, with his back to Po Ao’s statue and facing the crowd, in the eyes of the believers, he was practically the voice of their god!
And for him to ask such a question, wasn’t it a sign that their god was questioning their faith?
Whether they were Priests, Knights, soldiers of the Defender Army, or Ordinary people, they all eagerly began to recite the maxims they held most dear.
"Do not forget a kind heart, do not forget the words you have sworn."
"When you see those in peril, you must offer aid!"
"When darkness comes, we must be the light for others..."
Jon listened quietly, only continuing after the believers fell silent on their own.
"Good. Then if I were to say that the residents of Heta County City are currently threatened by an evil power, what would you do?"
This time, fewer people responded immediately, but the more devout still answered without hesitation.
"We must resist evil, we must save the innocent!
"Purge all that is unclean!"
The rest hesitated for a moment.
They had clearly recalled the High Priest’s instruction before he left: "Do not interfere in the city’s affairs."
But when they raised their heads and saw Jon’s grave, slightly lowered face, and the faintly glowing statue of Po Ao behind him, the long-instilled teachings of salvation and kindness ultimately won out.
Faith belonged to faith, and the secular to the secular. That was true, yes. But did the existence of such a boundary mean they had to abandon the teachings of their god and turn a blind eye to those who were suffering? That was obviously wrong.
Many of them had felt this way, but couldn’t express it due to the High Priest’s orders.
And now, the God-favored man before them had delivered the perfect excuse—people of the Church indeed shouldn’t meddle in secular affairs, but what if those secular affairs were being fueled by evil?
At that moment, Jon picked up where he’d left off, responding to those who had spoken first.
"That is why I am here: to teach you to save."
He lifted his eyes to meet theirs, his outstretched arms rising slightly, making everyone’s hearts leap. Just then, the Treasure Pearl symbolizing the Sun on the church’s dome flashed, and a beam of light streamed down, flowing through his fingers.
"Servants of Po Ao, act according to the guidance of your hearts, and let the light of the Sun illuminate this city!"
"Yes! Let the light of the Sun illuminate this city!"
For the Sun worshipers, these words were like a critical hit. They excitedly shouted Po Ao’s name and began to move, rubbing their hands together in anticipation of saving the city’s residents.
Jon could finally drop the pose he’d been holding for ages and let out an imperceptible sigh.
’Without faith, souls are drawn to involuntarily explore the world beyond the celestial curtain, thus inviting disaster...’
’Faith may be blinding, but in a world like this, things would likely be even worse without it. It is both a shackle and a shield...’
From Po Ao’s words, he knew that the Ancient Gods of the past, relying on their own Power alone, had failed to protect the world from the "Remnants of Destruction." That was why the Yino Goddess created the current Deities, hoping to use the power of faith to sustain this fragile planet.
For now, this method seemed quite effective. Compared to the protection it offered, minor flaws like stifling the development of thought were almost negligible.
However, even the Deities couldn’t solve the threat lingering in the starry sky. They even had to be extremely cautious when making any attempt, lest they accidentally sacrifice themselves in the process...
Take, for example, the two Deities who governed Destiny and Knowledge. The latter was in better shape; though severely wounded, it could still maintain the stability of its faith. The former’s situation was far more serious, practically no different from having fallen.
’This damn world is just one disaster after another...’
’For now, I should focus on dealing with the situation in this city. In a country with such weak faith, the destructive power of Evil Magic is simply too great...’
Evil Magic, and the existence behind it, was another important topic Po Ao had discussed with him.
It was the first time Jon had learned that those evil existences were actually born from the bodies of the Ancient Gods.
After the failed attempt to explore the starry sky, which attracted what Po Ao called the "Remnants of Destruction," the Ancient Gods of this world had risen up to resist.
But in the end, due to the overwhelming disparity, they were all defeated and destroyed.
The earth fell into slumber, the oceans went mad, the sky grew silent...
Innumerable evil creatures, large and small, were born from the bodies of the Ancient Gods, which had been corrupted by the Remnants of Destruction. The vast majority of them were later defeated and sealed away by the Deities created by the Yino Goddess.
But a portion of these evil creatures could not be completely eradicated. They could still rely on their trait of being "born from the Ancient Gods" to influence the present world through their connection to it.
During the battle while escorting Reya in Birch Town, the evil creature that tried to absorb him was one born from the "Ocean," an entity named [Death Mist].
"And, from this perspective, the Blood Eye Association’s goal is probably not that simple..."
From Birch Town to Heta County City, these people used the power of Evil Magic almost openly. It was hard to say whether their true goal was to restore a kingdom or the so-called "welcoming of a deity’s descent."
One had to understand that the very existence of these evil creatures was the result of otherworldly corruption. Therefore, the vast majority of them would want to break through the protective Curtain, co-constructed by the [Enlightener, Star-Holder] and the Yino Goddess, to make the beings in the starry sky notice this world again.
Those who believe in evil creatures and use Evil Magic are their tentacles!
Recalling what Po Ao had said to him, Jon’s gaze sharpened once more.
"Now that I’m here, you can forget about succeeding..."
Then, he tilted his head slightly and looked at the few Saint Professionals who hadn’t left with the crowd but were approaching him instead. He asked them faintly.
"I imagine you have many questions?