Is My Main God Miyazaki Hidetaka?
The nights in the East District were far more silent than in other parts of the city. There were no boisterous taverns like the Hostess of Fertility, nor the incessant nocturnal rhythmic hammering from the workshops of the West District. The air was thick with a mixture of decay and dampness. Moonlight, sliced into irregular shards by ruined eaves, scattered across the moss-covered cobblestone streets.
Lynn moved through these fragments of light, as fast as a gust of wind. Each time he landed, it was silent, like a falling leaf.
The abandoned ancient church sat in the deepest part of the East District. Its massive spire traced a grotesque silhouette against the night sky, resembling a crouching behemoth.
"Tsk. Cultists really do have remarkably consistent taste," Lynn muttered, crouching on the roof of a nearby residence and observing from afar.
The area around the church was dead silent—not even a guard was in sight. This was precisely the most abnormal thing about it. In the Lands Between, the quieter a catacomb was, the more lively the horrors inside tended to be.
He avoided the main entrance, circling to the rear of the church. There, he found a row of stained-glass windows; the lower half of one had long since shattered, leaving a gaping black hole. Lynn nimbly vaulted inside, landing steadily on the dust-laden floor.
The interior was vast and eerie. Pale columns of moonlight slanted through the high windows, illuminating the dust motes dancing in the air. A thick stench of char and blood wafted from a hidden entrance behind the main altar. Without hesitation, he slipped into the descending staircase.
As he went deeper, the unique aura of madness associated with the Frenzied Flame grew more concentrated. Unintelligible runes smeared in blood and ash began to appear on the walls, seeming to writhe like living things in the darkness.
Soon, he reached the third basement level. The sight that greeted him made him let out a low whistle.
It was a massive underground space, more than ten times larger than the temporary base on the second floor. Countless torches were jammed into the rock walls, casting flickering, unstable light across the cavern. At least fifty dull-eyed Frenzied Flame infected drifted or stood like puppets throughout the area.
Among them were ten figures in crude priestly robes, chanting under their breaths while clutching black crystals, seemingly maintaining some sort of ritual. At the far end of the space sat a gargantuan altar where three elite priests, possessing significantly stronger auras, knelt in worship before a massive statue of the Three Fingers.
"Well, damn. I've walked straight into the hornets' nest."
Lynn clicked his tongue, immediately discarding any notion of charging in for a "Dynasty Warriors" style slaughter. If he got surrounded by this many people, even as a Tarnished, he'd be ground down to nothing.
He retreated into the shadows, his silhouette merging with the darkness. He locked his gaze onto a lone priest who was patrolling the edge of the area.
You're the one, Unlucky Bastard Number One.
The priest walked mechanically, utterly unaware that death had arrived. Lynn's figure suddenly slid out from the shadows.
Bloodhound's Step!
Silent and without warning, he appeared behind the priest. His left hand clamped over the man's mouth like lightning, while the Bloodhound's Fang in his right hand slid effortlessly under the jaw, piercing through the brain with surgical precision.
"Mmph!"
The priest's body stiffened. Without being able to raise a single alarm, he slumped down and rapidly dissolved into ash. Lynn didn't spare him a glance, his figure melting back into the shadows to seek his next target. He was the apex predator in his own hunting ground, each strike precise and lethal.
Second... third...
When the seventh priest turned silently to ash, something went wrong. An infected happened to wander nearby and saw the pile of ash that hadn't yet fully vanished, along with the black crystal lying on the floor. His vacant eyes flickered for a split second, and then he opened his mouth to release a piercing shriek!
"—Enemy attack!"
Alarm!
In an instant, the entire underground space roared to life! Every infected, the remaining three priests, and the three elite priests at the altar all whipped their heads around. Dozens of pairs of muddy, yellow-flamed eyes locked onto Lynn's position simultaneously!
"Tch. Exposed after all."
Lynn wasn't alarmed; if anything, a thrilled smile spread across his face. Stealth was over; now came his favorite part. Instead of retreating, he lunged out of the shadows, charging toward a narrow, cluttered passage.
"Burn him! For the Great Three Fingers!" an elite priest roared hoarsely.
Over fifty infected surged toward Lynn like a dam breaking. Lynn sprinted into the passage without looking back, the Glintstone Staff instantly appearing in his left hand.
"Carian Phalanx!"
Four magic blades hovered over his head. He spun around, launching the phalanx toward the mouth of the passage! The four blades struck the foremost infected in the narrow corridor, effectively stalling the rest of the pursuit. Seizing this window, Lynn flicked his wrist, pointing the staff at a priest in the distance who was attempting to cast a spell.
"Glintstone Pebble!"
The pale blue shard whistled through the air, accurately interrupting the casting. As an experienced Tarnished, Lynn used the narrow terrain to minimize the enemy's numerical advantage. Ranged sniping with Glintstone Pebbles, blocking paths with Carian Phalanx, zipping through the tight space with Bloodhound's Step to evade stray attacks—his Bloodhound's Fang efficiently harvested anyone who broke through the bottleneck.
The battle became a bloody game of attrition. However, after he had slain nearly twenty infected, a heart-stopping pressure suddenly radiated from the direction of the altar.
"Enough. This boring farce ends here."
A raspy, cold, yet commanding voice echoed through the cavern. Every infected and priest seemed to hit a pause button, stopping their attacks and respectfully stepping aside to clear a path to the altar.
Lynn narrowed his eyes, looking toward the altar. A figure was slowly emerging from behind the massive Three Fingers statue. He wore tattered yellow robes. On his exposed hands, the index, middle, and ring fingers were a bizarre, scorched black, as if eternally burned by flame. He wore a cold, featureless iron mask, with only two slits through which flickering, lava-like golden fire could be seen.
"You may call me the Apostle of Frenzied Flame."
Wisps of the Frenzied Flame circled him, and the air warped and sizzled in his presence.
"Tarnished," the newcomer said, his voice behind the mask carrying a hint of amusement. "Or perhaps... my former kin. Welcome to the Sanctuary of Flame's Baptism."
"Kin? Don't make me vomit." Lynn rested the Bloodhound's Fang on his shoulder and grinned. "I don't have a hobby for wearing masks and playing pretend."
The Apostle didn't get angry at the mockery. A spark ignited in his golden eyes. "Soon, you shall discard this useless flesh and bathe with us in the glory of Chaos."
The moment the words left his mouth, the Frenzied Flame in his eyes turned into a thick pillar of fire, shooting toward Lynn at high speed!
So fast!
Lynn's pupils shrank. Almost by instinct, he activated Bloodhound's Step, narrowly evading the strike.
It was Frenzied Burst!
The golden pillar of fire slammed into the wall behind him; the rock melted instantly, leaving a deep, scorched hole.
"Warm-up is over."
The Apostle vanished and reappeared instantly before Lynn. A scepter tipped with a black crystal appeared in his hand, slamming down with crushing force!
Clang!
Lynn raised the Carian Knight's Shield, tanking the blow. The massive force sent cracks through the floor beneath his feet, and his arm went numb. What incredible strength! This guy is definitely Level 3 or higher!
The Apostle, missing his strike, swept his scepter horizontally while his left hand formed a strange mudra.
"Despair!"
Several golden beams of Frenzied Flame erupted from his eyes, sweeping toward Lynn in a fan shape. Lynn used the momentum of the block to retreat, activating Bloodhound's Step to weave through the dense net of fire.
The Apostle's attacks were violent and relentless—buffed Frenzied Flame incantations merged seamlessly with heavy scepter strikes, giving Lynn no room to breathe. But every spell has its recovery frames.
Sshhh!
Seizing the recovery window of one of the Apostle's incantations, the Bloodhound's Fang became a crimson flash, carving a deep, bone-exposing wound across his waist.
"Roar!"
The Apostle growled in pain. The flames on his body surged violently as golden fire erupted, enveloping him entirely.
"Feel... the embrace of the Flame!"
His body swelled, turning into a burning man of fire as his attack range expanded instantly. More trouble arose as an invisible aura of madness radiated from him. Lynn felt a sharp pain in his head, and distorted hallucinations began to appear at the edges of his vision.
A Madness Aura!
Lynn immediately retreated, his gaze turning solemn. He couldn't let this drag on! He took a deep breath and, instead of just dodging, he lunged forward. The opponent was a sorcerer; even if his attributes were higher, he wouldn't necessarily win in a melee.
Crimson steel and golden fire collided violently in the underground space. Every clash produced a blinding light and a thunderous boom. Lynn was fully immersed in the rhythm of battle. While his own wounds were increasing, the strikes on the Apostle were far more lethal!
Finally, in a perilous exchange, the Bloodhound's Fang pierced through the Apostle's shoulder.
"AAAAAAGH!"
The Apostle roared in agony, and the flames on his body suddenly retracted.
Berserk Burst!
His speed and strength multiplied again. The golden fire in his eyes nearly spilled out as his attacks became chaotic and completely disregarded defense, opting for a mad, all-out assault!
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Lynn was forced back by this sudden explosion of power. The Carian Knight's Shield was dented by the blows, and the skin between his thumb and forefinger split from the vibration. Too fast! I can't find an opening to counter!
Just then, the Apostle delivered a heavy downward smash. Lynn blocked with his shield, but the massive force sent him flying, slamming him hard into the distant rock wall.
Puff!
He spat out a mouthful of blood, feeling as if his bones were about to shatter.
"It is over..." The Apostle dragged his scepter, approaching Lynn step by step, the aura of madness reaching its peak.
However...
"Awooo!"
Three lithe gray wolf phantoms lunged from the shadows behind Lynn, biting into the Apostle with lightning speed!
Lone Wolf Ashes!
The Apostle was caught off guard, pinned by the three fierce wolves. His chaotic attack rhythm was instantly broken.
Now!
Lynn lunged from the ground, activating the Bloodhound's Fang's weapon skill! A crimson blade-flash passed in an instant!
Squelch!
The Apostle's arm was severed at the shoulder!
"You... damn you!"
The Apostle looked at his empty shoulder and descended into total frenzy. He knew he had lost. He raised his remaining left hand and slammed it hard against the largest Frenzied Flame crystal in the center of the altar.
"Then... let us turn to ash together! Praise Chaos!"
Final madness! He was going to detonate the entire base!
Rumble—!
The entire underground space shook violently. Blinding golden light erupted from every crystal, as if dozens of miniature suns had been ignited simultaneously. A violent torrent of energy converged toward the altar. The air shrieked in pain as it was incinerated, and the rock walls began to melt, dripping molten stone.
The end had come.
"Damn it!"
Lynn spat out a glob of blood, struggling to stand, but his body felt as though it were falling apart. He looked at the energy storm that was large enough to wipe the entire East District off the map, and only one thought remained in his head: Was he really going to give up his "first death" in Orario in a place like this?
He instinctively held the Carian Knight's Shield in front of him, bracing for the inevitable.
However, just as the destructive energy was about to sweep over his corner, an indefinable thrum erupted from deep within his soul! It was as if a traveler far from home had caught the scent of cooking fire, or like a parched land finally receiving rain.
The mark carved into the deepest part of his soul was fully activated at this moment!
Hum!
The exploding Frenzied Flame energy suddenly froze, as if summoned by some supreme will. The next second, the golden torrent that was supposed to incinerate everything reversed its direction. It formed a massive vortex, pouring madly into Lynn's body!
"Wh—What?!"
In the distance, the Apostle's arrogant face froze. The golden pupils behind the iron mask shrank in extreme shock. What was he seeing? The Tarnished who was supposed to be burned to ash was now like a bottomless black hole, devouring the very Frenzied Flame he had sacrificed everything to detonate!
"No... impossible! How could you..."
Lynn himself was stunned. The pain of incineration he expected didn't arrive. Instead, a warm current washed through his entire being. Under the flow of this energy, his injuries healed with almost barbaric speed. His dried-up mana and exhausted stamina were refilled in a flash. He could even feel his ability values starting to climb under this infusion!
Lynn looked down at his hands, where golden sparks crackled over his skin. A trace of bewilderment passed through his eyes. In mere seconds, the Frenzied Flame energy that had flooded the cavern was swallowed whole.
The tremors stopped. The blinding light vanished. All that remained were the rhythmic, flickering golden sparks circling Lynn's body.
"Monster..."
A raspy roar escaped the Apostle's throat. He couldn't comprehend what had happened.
"You talk too much."
Lynn looked up, his eyes glowing with a terrifying golden light in the darkness. He had no intention of giving this man another chance.
Bloodhound's Step!
His figure vanished instantly. The Apostle only saw a blur before a lethal chill enveloped him. He tried to raise his scepter to block, but Lynn was too fast!
The crimson blade, carrying a newly-acquired golden trail of fire, swept upward in a concise, lethal arc.
Squelch!
The Bloodhound's Fang sliced through the Apostle's neck without resistance. The iron-masked head flew into the air, spinning twice as the golden fire behind the visor finally died out.
The headless body swayed but didn't immediately turn to ash. Using his last bit of strength, a fragmented, curse-like voice emerged from his throat:
"You... you cannot kill the Frenzied Flame... the Three Fingers shall eventually return... and you... you already belong to it..."
With those words, his body exploded into a cloud of ash, darker than any infected.
Ting.
A fist-sized, pitch-black Magic Stone with lava-like flow within it fell to the ground.
Lynn stood still, the golden sparks on his body slowly fading. He looked at the stone, replaying the Apostle's final words in his mind, his brows knitting tightly.
"Belong to it? I have no interest in joining your lunatic MLM organization."
Muttering his dismissal, he quickly cleared the battlefield. The entire space had become unstable from the energy surge, and debris was falling from the ceiling. He tucked the special stone and the iron mask into his coat, gave the Three Fingers statue a final look, and ran.
RUMBLE—!
Less than half a minute after he left, the entire third basement of the church collapsed, burying the sin and madness beneath endless dust.
The night grew deeper.
Lynn's figure raced across the ruined rooftops of the East District, eventually landing silently back at Eina's small attic. He slipped inside and threw himself onto the bed, letting out a long breath. As the adrenaline faded, a bone-deep fatigue washed over him. He closed his eyes and checked his condition.
On the surface, his wounds were healed, and he felt better than ever. But internally, he could clearly feel a golden, turbulent power occupying his soul, distinct from his own energy like a temporarily soothed beast.
"Tsk. That Frenzied Flame imprint is still there."
Lynn scratched his hair in frustration. While it was being obedient for now, who knew when it might suddenly go mad? He sat up and opened his Status panel.
[Lynn] [Level 1]
Strength: SSS 1601
Endurance: SSS 1592
Dexterity: SSS 1605
Agility: SSS 1609
Magic: SSS 1561
[Magic]
Glintstone Pebble
Carian Phalanx
[Development Ability]
None
[New Status]
[Frenzied Flame (Inactive)]: Your soul carries the flame of Chaos. Under specific conditions, you can channel this power, but you also bear the immense risk of being consumed by its backlash.
Lynn looked at the glaring "[Frenzied Flame (Inactive)]" status, feeling as if he were carrying a time bomb in his soul.
However, over the next two days, the power remained well-behaved, like a sated cat sleeping in the corner of his consciousness. Orario returned to its usual peace; no further news of adventurer ambushes surfaced. It seemed he had successfully wiped out the cult's local nest.
"Staying indoors all day isn't a solution either."
Lynn stretched, his joints popping. The sudden surge in his stats made him feel like he had endless energy. It was time to go out for a walk.
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