366. Another Blessing from the Twelve

Practice Hall, New Lord’s Castle. Kim City, Kim Island, Kim Dukedom, Ancorna Empire.

“What on earth are you doing with all these items, Marie...?” Laila asked, stepping into the training hall where piles of books, photographs, promotional posters, swords, model guns, and crossbows were spread out across the floor.

Marie sat right in the middle of the cluttered space, holding a photograph up to the light as her eyes scanned it intently. “I think... I’ve figured out another one of my divine blessings,” she replied, her eyes not leaving the picture.

Laila walked over and sat down beside her on the floor, her brow furrowing slightly. “I... I thought you required an Apostle of each specific deity to be actively praying in your immediate vicinity to unlock the knowledge of those hidden powers...?”

Marie shook her head, offering a faint, knowing smile. “Not necessarily. Take my self-healing, for example... Even the past Saintesses throughout history didn't manage to discover all twelve of their bestowed blessings, simply because they never realized this alternative method existed.”

“So, to recap...” Laila mused, counting on her fingers. “You have self-healing from Goddess Solious, the ability to perceive the world in slowed motion from God Glinto, and whatever blessing Goddess Herptian bestowed... So on.. what is this brand-new discovery?”

“Actually, the self-healing is part of a perfect beauty and vitality blessing granted by Goddess Herptian,” Marie gently corrected her. “I still haven't figured out which blessing Goddess Solious gave me.”

She picked up an old, leather bound volume and waved it slightly. “With this new power, I can effortlessly read encrypted notes hidden deep within this book simply by focusing my mind on it. It works the exact same way with this photograph and these posters... I can clearly see all the hidden secrets locked within them.”

“A divine blessing that allows you to uncover hidden secrets and invisible truths? That sounds like it undeniably originates from God Umbra,” Laila nodded in realization.

“I think so, too. Ever since I absorbed God Umbra’s Odyssey Ring in that underground cavern... I believe that was the catalyst that allowed my mind to comprehend its function,” Marie agreed, placing the book back onto the floor.

“So absorbing an Odyssey Ring directly acts as a substitute for an Apostle's prayer?” Laila stroked her chin, her eyes widening. “Doesn't that mean we don't necessarily have to hunt down every single Apostle across the continent just to unlock the rest of your powers?”

“It seems that way... But if that's truly the case, why am I still unable to discern what Goddess Solious's blessing actually does?” Marie questioned, her brow furrowing in confusion. “After all, Solious's Odyssey Ring was the very first ring I ever absorbed...”

A quiet silence settled over the two of them as they pondered the anomaly.

Breaking the quiet, Laila pushed herself up off the floor and reached out to gently pat Marie’s head. “Well, whatever the reason may be... this is a massive step forward for us. Now that you've unlocked this perception ability, you’re going to need plenty of practice to hone it properly.”

Stepping toward the wide arched doorway with a warm smile, Laila added over her shoulder, “Maybe I should bring a stack of unsolved mystery novels from the mainland for you to practice on?”

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Inside the Dungeon, Deep Underwater. Route to Kim Dukedom, The Luminous Sea. Eastern Continent.

“So let me get this completely straight... Vice-Captain, you want us.. and every single civilian trapped on this ship; to willingly march straight into a teleportation door that you and I both know leads directly to the Witch’s Cult base?” Knight Kalahad asked, standing stiffly in the captain's quarters while the heavy, rhythmic booms of the cannons continued to vibrate through the deck planks.

“Yes...” John replied with a slow, unyielding nod.

Knight Kalahad instantly retorted, his voice rising over the muffled sounds of battle outside, “Don’t you remember what happened the last time we stepped through a teleportation door inside a dungeon?!” He pressed a palm against his forehead, taking a sharp breath as another artillery volley shook the hull. “Even with Her Highness Ravenna, the Saintess, Her highness Serena.. the finest mage in the entire Empire and the rest of the imperial siblings with their combined elite forces, we narrowly escaped total annihilation by rushing back through the door to the Kim Dukedom!”

“I do... I remember every second of it,” John stood up from his seat, holding up the photo negative once again as he leaned over the desk. “But think about the underlying mechanics, Kalahad. If a fleshy, flower-patterned threshold like this has manifested in the ceiling of this cavern, it proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Cult is directly behind this dungeon's creation.”

“Which is all the more reason for us to be utterly terrified!” Kalahad muttered, sinking back into a chair and pouring himself a quick glass of water with a trembling hand.

“No, it’s actually somewhat good news for us,” John continued, his eyes burning with intense analytical focus. “Think back to how the Cult utilized these irregular dungeons in other territories. They used one to assassinate the Pope of the Solious Church, one in Flask County to erase evidence of their mind-control experiments, another right outside the Imperial Capital to overwhelm the city... Yet across all those strategic strikes, we haven’t received a single report of a second dungeon spawning in those exact locations again once the initial objectives were cleared. Do you understand what that pattern implies?”

Kalahad paused mid-sip, setting the glass back down on the wooden desk. His brow furrowed as he processed the thought. “They completely shifted their operational focus... They are now deliberately targeting the Kim Dukedom above all else?”

“Bingo!” John snapped his fingers.

A heavy, tense silence stretched between them, punctuated only by the distant, thunderous blasts of the ship’s cannons.

“Why would they structure their assault in that specific manner?” John pressed, answering his own question before Kalahad could speak. “We clearly know who their ultimate target has been from the start: the Saintess. Initially, they didn’t know her exact location, so they launched widespread, double-mission dungeon attacks across the Empire to flush her out, until Her Highness Ravenna walked straight into their trap with Marie in tow.”

“So now that they know for a fact the Saintess is residing within the Kim Dukedom, you believe this underwater dungeon was spawned as part of a strategy to pin down or locate Marie?” Kalahad nodded in gradual understanding, but then quickly shook his head in protest. “Even if that deduction is entirely correct, Vice-Captain... what does any of that have to do with us walking straight into a teleportation door that delivers us into the heart of absolute danger?”

“They knew the Saintess was within the Ancorna Empire, but not her specific location.. hence the Empire wide dungeon spawns. Similarly, they know she is somewhere within the Kim Dukedom now, but not her exact coordinates,” John’s face turned grim, his shadow lengthening under the warm lantern light. “If we step through that door, we will land directly in front of the Witch’s Base... But consider this, we possess the exact intelligence she desires regarding the Saintess’s living surroundings. She won't slaughter us outright if we hold that leverage.”

“You have completely lost your mind, Vice-Captain!” Kalahad gasped, staring at him in horror.

“Look at it through raw logic, Kalahad!” John countered firmly. “If we remain grounded in this cavern, we will inevitably be slaughtered to the last man by mindless magical beasts with whom we cannot negotiate or reason... But if we cross through that threshold, we at least gain a slim margin to negotiate with monsters who possess intellect.”

“Even so... this... this entire plan is insane,” Kalahad stammered, a cold sweat breaking out across his neck as terrifying memories of their previous encounter with the Cult’s power flashed through his mind.

“Which is precisely why I said,” John replied quietly, looking his fellow knight dead in the eye, “it is a dangerous gambit.”