Divine Arts and Magic

"It's meaningless."

Carlton smiled faintly. "I've already said—this is my world. I am the deity here. You cannot kill me."

Luo Wei detected a hint of arrogance in his smile. Bathed in holy light, Carlton strode leisurely toward the two of them.

"They say divine magic is the power closest to the gods, but in my eyes, it’s nothing special. Divine magic and sorcery are fundamentally the same."

Luo Wei watched him warily while silently pondering.

Truth be told, he’d had similar thoughts not long ago…

When he had once cast a healing spell rewarded by the system, a bishop had mistaken him for a member of the Church.

But Eleya disagreed. Her divine side rarely spoke up, yet now she retorted, "Light is the supreme truth of this world. Without it, nothing grows, and the world would wither into decay."

She said coolly, "How can sacred divine magic be lumped together with filthy sorcery?"

Hearing this rebuttal, Carlton’s smile twisted oddly.

"The esteemed Holy Maiden of the Church, the one closest to the God of Light in this world… and yet you don’t know?"

"Know what?"

After effortlessly deflecting Eleya’s divine attack, Carlton chuckled. "Divine magic and sorcery share the same origin—both stem from primitive natural witchcraft of ancient, uncivilized times. If anything, divine magic is the younger sibling of sorcery."

"Heresy." Eleya’s divine strikes grew fiercer.

"The truth is often cruel. Adrian’s reaction wasn’t much better than yours when he first learned of this."

Carlton easily parried her assault again, his gaze now tinged with disdain. "Sorcery and divine magic—one explores natural phenomena, clearly rooted in natural theology, while the other worships a personal god. To me, they’re just two sides of the same coin. Only you blind devotees would treat them as unshakable truths."

His tone dripped with mockery.

"Even an outsider can see the obvious evidence. That the Church has deluded itself for so long is… quite amusing, really."

"So, do you truly not know? Or can you not bear the truth, so you feign ignorance?"

As he spoke, magical runes flared around him—and to everyone’s shock, he chanted a spell, unleashing the very same divine technique as Eleya: [Judgment].

"Boom!"

Though Eleya blocked it, Luo Wei noticed her composure wavering.

Her eyes flickered between icy detachment and burning fury—her dual personalities rapidly switching.

Was she… actually shaken?

After all, Carlton was undermining the very foundation of her faith. If divine magic wasn’t truly sacred, then the "light" she pursued might be nothing but a farce.

Luo Wei suddenly realized that all their efforts back at the old mansion with Tilis and the others paled in comparison to Carlton’s few words.

Because, it seemed, he had truly grasped some fundamental link between divine magic and sorcery—hence his ability to replicate [Judgment].

Admittedly, studying hard does pay off…

Divine magic clashed against divine magic, holy light intertwining in a relentless stalemate.

Then, Luo Wei heard a mischievous, taunting laugh.

"You can’t kill him. The longer you drag this out, Luo Wei, the worse your position becomes~"

The voice seemed to emerge from the depths of darkness, yet neither Carlton nor Eleya reacted—as if they hadn’t heard it.

"The First Legion north of the Royal Capital is on the move~ In less than three hours, they’ll arrive to reinforce the Second Prince and purge all of Saint Callen!"

Naya’s voice oozed temptation. "If you don’t want those you care about to die here… why not use the authority I’ve granted you?"

Luo Wei kept his eyes fixed on the battle, ignoring Naya entirely.

"Hey, hey!" Their tone turned petulant.

"A mere ancient god’s descendant is nothing for a Chosen of Chaos like you."

"Right now, the streets of Saint Callen are engulfed in battle—this city has become the epicenter of spreading chaos."

"Such disorder means you could wield unimaginable power."

The devilish whispers coiled around his ears, coaxing, prodding, trying to erode his resolve.

"Just say the word~"

"And you’ll effortlessly gain strength surpassing everyone else. No one could stand against you."

"Why hesitate? This chance won’t come again~"

Luo Wei remained expressionless. "Why are you so free today? Don’t you usually busy yourself watching entertainment elsewhere?"

"Those fools are boring. You’re the most amusing~"

Luo Wei sighed. "Should I be flattered?"

"Of course!" Naya giggled. "Who else but Luo Wei could stir up Saint Callen—a city under an ancient god’s protection—into such a spectacle? Splendid! I’m quite pleased with this masterpiece~"

"So—"

Naya leaned in again, seductive.

"Luo Wei~ Won’t you give it a try? Just once?"

"Chaos is the essence, clamor is power. Acknowledge this truth, and every obstacle will crumble before you!"

Silence lingered after those words.

Naya waited.

Luo Wei glanced at the steadily rising [Chaos Level].

[Chaos Level: 38↑]

[Chaos Level: 39↑]

"I refuse."

"Next time. Now, scram."

The dismissive reply instantly irked Naya. "Even when power is handed to you, you spurn it. I can’t tell if you’re a fool or just stubborn…"

"You don’t actually think things will end once the old emperor is dealt with, do you? That Holy Maiden will come for you eventually. The mess awaiting you is endless!"

"And then…" Naya’s grin turned sinister. "When you beg me later, it won’t be this easy!"

Luo Wei shook his head silently. Truthfully, the allure of readily available power was hard to resist, especially when backed into a corner like this…

But he couldn’t use [Authority]. At worst, stalling meant a slow demise—using it now would be outright suicide.

The system understood this much. From the moment the [Chaos Level] restriction appeared, Luo Wei had seen through its nature.

[This mission shapes the world’s fate. Proceed with utmost gravity.]

No matter whose era dawned next—Carlton’s, Eleya’s, or Ophelia’s—he couldn’t let Naya, an entity that thrived on chaos, seize an opening. According to the system, this being was the malignant incarnation that had driven countless civilizations to madness and ruin.

Luo Wei even suspected Naya’s interest in him ran deeper than claimed.

For instance… if not for the system’s restraints, letting him spread chaos unchecked, becoming Naya’s de facto agent…

The final outcome would likely become utterly terrifying...

This realization sent a chill down Luo Wei's spine. Had Naya invested so much in him because she saw through his true identity?

"Boring, boring..." Naya's voice dripped with disappointment. "No fun to be had here. I'm leaving."

"I’ll be watching to see how you clean up this mess you’ve started."

Her voice faded into the air, leaving behind an eerie silence.

Luo Wei turned his attention back to the battlefield ahead. Under the relentless tug-of-war between holy light and darkness, the surroundings grew increasingly surreal.

At least one thing Naya said was true—time was running out...