Witch, Fireball and the Evil God of Steam
Chapter 92 - 91: Please Stop Your Acts of Faith!

Chapter 92: Chapter 91: Please Stop Your Acts of Faith!

"First of all, I’m not a god, nor have I had any strange dreams, and I’m certainly not an apostle of any god!"

Ethan admitted he was panicking.

When the three of them moved in unison, surrounding him in a triangular formation like the season’s best defensive players, he couldn’t help but panic.

Ave proposed numerous hypotheses.

Firstly, Ethan’s true identity might be a god with a divine persona in disguise, aware of the Empire’s decay, and having heard the people’s suffering, thus deigning to descend to the mortal realm—in many holy scriptures of the faith, such descriptions exist, often portraying gods as holy, upright, and compassionate beings.

There’s plenty of evidence to support this.

For example, residents of Ximu Town say Ethan appeared two years ago out of nowhere; he’s not from the Empire, and no one knows where he came from. Plus, he ventured alone into the third layer of the pollution zone, purifying the influence of Evil God Bajatos on Riverside Town. He generously nullified the Knight Commander’s oath-breaking influence, saving her from certain death. And just now, facing the Blood and Flesh Giant, which was completely immune to magic and weaponry, he used just a beam of light to purify countless terrifying creatures.

Ave thought Ethan’s defense was weak. She could provide a complete chain of evidence, as followers of the God of Truth always talked about objective facts. "When your magic looks like a god’s, and what you do is god-like, then you are a god!"

The only doubt she had was that Ethan, in terms of "majestic demeanor," didn’t quite align with the image of divine spirits.

He was good-tempered, always seemed easygoing, unlike the inviolable image portrayed in the scriptures. If Ethan claimed to be a messenger of some god, she would have believed it.

"Please stop your acts of faith; the Empire has fallen into today’s state because of blind faith!"

Without mercy, Ethan criticized this behavior. When the Empire was founded, the church rallied the hearts of the people through faith and praise of the gods. Yet inevitably, absolute faith bred absolute fanaticism, leading the church to its current state.

"Ave, you are a follower of the God of Truth. You should view the world with a fair and objective lens. Have you ever seen any god spirits yourself?"

The trio exchanged glances, then all pointed at Ethan in unison, including the golden fur atop Ave’s head.

Darkness swarmed before Ethan’s eyes; he recalled the time in the cabin when he and Captain Hagrid, along with the guards, all pointed at the "suspicious person" Ave.

Now he understood why Ave wanted to hit him out of anger back then.

"We ought to believe in objectively existing things, using the material world we see as the yardstick. This is the truth the Empire’s people should adhere to! And objective reality shows that I am just an Elemental Shaper!"

"Got it."

Ave nodded, speaking with a tone full of purpose, "How about naming this theory of yours ’Truth of the Empire’?"

This girl was beyond saving.

The Empire’s faith fanaticism seemed to have become incurable, as if one must believe in something—whether it be a god or evil deity—for their life to be complete.

Ethan turned his criticism to Rowena, "What about you? You believe in Kadela, the God of Trickery, don’t you? You’re not even a follower of a legitimate god, so why are you making a fuss?"

"It just felt right."

Rowena shrank her neck, "Back when I was in the Astrologer’s Guild, I once got fined for not praying in church."

She didn’t know if Ethan was truly a god, but she knew Ethan could fight well. If everyone was praying and she stood out, what if she accidentally angered him and got hit by a shiny Fireball Skill? Her small body couldn’t take it.

Rowena quickly stated, "If you say you’re not, then you’re not. I have no objection."

"That’s not where the problem lies."

Beyond looked solemn and interjected, "Little Ave is right. Whether you are a god or an apostle, once people see you casting spells, they’ll assume you are. By then, will you clarify with them one by one? The speed at which rumors spread is much faster."

As for Ethan’s true identity, it no longer mattered. In the Empire’s current environment, many people hoped for a real god to guide them—as depicted in the scriptures, legitimate gods once helped mankind in the first era rid of darkness, hunger, and fear.

"It won’t be long before the news travels from Ximu Town to Gear City, and then spreads to every major city in the Empire."

"Makes sense."

Beyond’s words captured Ethan’s attention, making it clear that he mustn’t use the upgraded Fireball Skill so carelessly in crowded places.

"But before then, Rowena, you take me to the crack you mentioned earlier. Ave, you and the Knight Commander help retrieve the giant’s arms. They might be pivotal in understanding the curse of Evil God Bajatos."

The crack’s existence worried Ethan, as it could very well lead to deeper layers of the pollution zone. He couldn’t imagine where so many sacrificed souls came from, apart from the Blood and Flesh Giant.

To know, the entire population of Riverside Town only brought about one Flower of Flesh and Blood, and the curse on the giant seemed even more advanced.

Rowena flew Ethan across the broken land on her broomstick, arriving at a forest clearing about fifteen minutes later—she recognized it by the scarecrow still standing there, smeared halfway with transformation potion, as she said, she was busy with this when those Blood and Flesh Giants suddenly interrupted her.

Now, however, everything seemed peaceful; the giants hadn’t even caused much damage here, only a small irregularly raised patch of dirt showed they passed through.

But the crack Rowena mentioned was gone. She anxiously got off the broomstick, pacing back and forth in the clearing, her voice growing increasingly urgent, "Where’s the crack? How could such a big crack suddenly disappear?"

Even she, a Great Mage with a vast knowledge of mysticism, couldn’t explain the series of bizarre events tonight. Pointing at the space beside a tree, she insisted, "The crack appeared here, and those giants came charging out from here."

Ethan remained silent, wearing a somber expression.

This made Rowena even more uneasy; beneath the mask, her voice somewhat trembled, "Wait a second, you don’t think I summoned those giants, do you?"

"Someone definitely summoned them."

Yet Ethan couldn’t think of anyone who could manage such a feat, except perhaps a Saint, he couldn’t imagine anyone else capable of causing such an anomaly on this scale.

The giants may have been directed towards him, but someone had to use a ritual to summon them into the real world.

Rowena mentioned that if she didn’t divert the Blood and Flesh Giants in time, they might have charged down the mountain path into Ximu Town, turning it into a hell on earth.

But it seemed that whoever it was intended for Rowena to discover them. Otherwise, they could have torn open the crack in an uninhabited area closer to the town.

"Whoever that person is, they approached you silently, casting a spell capable of tearing space without you noticing," Ethan analyzed, "If they wanted to kill you, you probably wouldn’t react in time before they got you."

"Hiss—!"

Rowena couldn’t help but gasp, her body shivering slightly.

After trembling for quite some time, she cautiously asked, "Can I stay at your place for the night? I mean, I did contribute to Ximu Town! I can just stay in Ave’s apartment next door. Her place seems big enough. I can pay, as long as it’s not too outrageous!"

The thought of returning to her hotel room late at night, possibly to be silently killed by some unnoticeable presence, chilled Rowena to the core.

"You’ll have to ask for Ave’s opinion."

Ethan said, "But you’re right, it’s best not to act alone until we figure things out."

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