Translator: AnubisTL
The leaders struggled fiercely, but their efforts were futile. A wave of terror washed over them.
Back in their own kingdoms, they had been considered top-tier warriors or mages. Yet here, they were completely immobilized by a mere display of overwhelming pressure.
This power far exceeded their understanding of mortal capabilities!
By now, even the most oblivious among them could see that Priest Oswald had orchestrated this situation deliberately, and that he himself was no ordinary man.
"Oswald, why are you doing this?! Could it be... you're betraying our world?!" The knight commander, leader of the Original Kingdom Knight Order, forced the words through his throat, his voice filled with pain and disbelief.
Having seemingly finished communicating with the unknown entity, Oswald finally turned his attention to the kneeling knight commander, studying him intently.
At the question, Oswald's expression shifted into a strange, almost amused smile.
"Don't misunderstand. I've never betrayed anyone."
"Then what are you doing now?! Why did you send those troops to lure that monster here?!" the shaman leader demanded fiercely.
Oswald squatted unceremoniously before the knight commander, his casual posture a stark contrast to the solemn and dignified priest they remembered.
"Still don't get it? I've already lifted the suggestion. Use your brains and think carefully," Oswald said, tapping his temple with a mocking tone. "Do you... really know Oswald? Or does Priest Oswald even exist in this world?"
The leaders instinctively froze.
They all had memories of "Oswald"—his name, identity, and even details of his involvement in their plans.
But as they pondered further, their expressions turned to horror.
They realized that all their information about Oswald had appeared in their minds as if from nowhere, seamlessly becoming part of their common knowledge.
Beyond these key details, there was nothing else.
His past, his experiences, how and when he joined the allied forces... these crucial details were all shrouded in mystery, unknown to anyone!
It was as if an extra presence had suddenly materialized amidst the gathering of defeated soldiers.
Despite his bizarre and abrupt appearance, despite the extraordinary power he wielded, far surpassing that of ordinary humans, why had they so readily accepted him as one of their own, entrusting him with their lives and the fate of the entire world?!
A bone-chilling dread crept up their spines.
"But... you clearly possess the power of the Sky God!" a priest blurted out, his voice trembling with disbelief. "How could a priest who isn't of the divine beings wield such power?! We can absolutely recognize it—that power belongs to the divine beings of this world!"
"Divine power, you mean this?" Oswald turned to face the agitated priests, a flicker of disdain in his eyes.
After a moment's thought, he flipped his hand, and a transparent, glass-like orb materialized in his palm.
Within the glass sphere, all the kneeling indigenous people saw a tiny figure frantically pounding against the sphere's walls, emitting silent roars of fury. Yet their efforts were futile, as if trapped in an unbreakable cage.
Witnessing this scene, not only the priests but also the other leaders and even the surrounding soldiers couldn't help but tremble, letting out terrified whimpers.
Though the figure had shrunk to a minuscule size, they instantly recognized him.
It was the Sky God, the deity they had worshipped with fervent devotion!
His divine statues stood in every kingdom across the plane, and he was one of the twelve Great Gods revered throughout the world—a deity every child was taught to recognize from birth!
Despite his diminished form, the essence of his divinity—the aura of a higher-dimensional being—still allowed mortals to instantly discern his true identity.
Yet this mighty, even glorious, god was now sealed within a tiny glass sphere like a mere toy, manipulated at the whim of some unknown entity?!
"For a small plane, it's quite remarkable to have produced fourth-tier beings. I heard your God-King has even reached the fifth-tier? Truly excellent experimental material," Oswald remarked casually, as if evaluating an object, while toying with the glass orb in his hand.
"Too bad I was too slow. I only managed to snag this birdman..."
Before he could finish speaking, a priest, overwhelmed by the mental assault, let out a mournful cry and smashed his head against the ground, killing himself.
Oswald showed no reaction to the sight of these indigenous people, their spirits and faith utterly shattered. He merely shook his head, as if bored by their weakness.
With a wave of his hand, the Sky God, previously sealed within the transparent sphere, was compressed again. Then, an identical sphere split off from the original.
"Here," Oswald said, handing over the new sphere. "This contains the power of your divine being. Find some priests who can communicate with it. From now on, we can use this to transmit messages to you. Someone will contact you later."
After delivering these instructions, he withdrew his consciousness into the depths of his mind, exchanging a few more words with the high-rank wizards from Noren Academy who were guarding the plane's exterior.
His figure slowly twisted in the air, rippling like water before vanishing completely.
Inside the tent, only the indigenous people remained, kneeling on the ground, their faces pale and etched with despair.
And the transparent sphere lay fallen on the ground, reflecting an eerie light.
Their world, their divine beings, their hope—all had been utterly shattered in that moment.
They finally understood that what they were fighting wasn't some mere "enemy," but a terrifying entity from a higher plane, wielding powers beyond their comprehension.
Their proudly conceived plan for revenge had been nothing more than a meticulously crafted game from the start.
After a long silence, the elderly knight commander of the Original Kingdom Knight Order rose shakily to his feet. He stood motionless for a moment before bending down to pick up the transparent sealing sphere.
"You..."
A priest instinctively tried to question him, but retreated under the knight commander's sharp gaze.
"Do we... really have to obey them?" a shaman asked hoarsely, his voice thick with bitterness.
The old knight commander closed his eyes in anguish, his hands trembling uncontrollably. His voice rasped like rusted iron:
"This... this is our world's last hope."
(End of the Chapter)