klisemfg Chapter 341, Section 340: The Gods Fear Me
Chapter 341, Section 340: The Gods Fear Me
Chapter 341, Section 340: The Gods Fear Me
As night deepened, dust swirled around dilapidated granaries on the outskirts of Thebes. This place, once a gathering of secret wizards, had become the target of a raid by temple knights and priests.
The flames were forcibly extinguished, and a tense atmosphere filled the air.
A dozen or so temple knights, clad in silver armor and wielding spears, surrounded the wizards inside. Behind them, a high priest, draped in a golden robe and wearing the emblem of Athena, slowly entered the barn, his gaze cold and arrogant.
"Blasphemers!" he proclaimed. "You are engaging in unauthorized witchcraft, violating sacred laws!"
"We are just learning!" an older wizard tried to explain.
"Shut up!" the priest snapped, pointing a finger. "Take everyone away and burn everything here."
The temple knights immediately sprang into action, brandishing their weapons and pinning the wizards to the ground one by one.
"Don't touch my books!"
The young witch screamed and struggled, but was kicked to the ground by a knight.
The scene immediately descended into chaos.
Inside the barn, time seemed to stand still.
The Templar Knights' swords were only half an inch from the nearest wizards, and the golden runes on the priests' scepters shimmered, suppressing everyone's magic. Despair permeated the air—these wild wizards knew all too well that once captured and brought to the temple, they would face either being burned at the stake or an even more terrifying "purification ritual."
"Directly stripping away the right to cast magic—just as everyone was in despair, a deep and calm voice rang out."
"Cough cough."
The sound wasn't loud, but it was like a sharp blade, cutting through the heavy silence.
All eyes turned to him. The black-robed man who had been standing in the corner was now leisurely adjusting his cuffs, as if the impeccable appearance was less important than the impeccable state of his attire. His silver-gray right eye gleamed coldly in the dim light, and a half-smile played on his lips.
"If the goddess of wisdom does not like wizards, then let your gods come and face me." These words were spoken by Ian, who was particularly disgusted by this anti-witch movement, which was comparable to a witch hunt.
They all persecuted wizards who sought the truth of magic.
obviously.
This reminded him of a forgotten truth: the gods might fear uncontrollable wizards in the same way the Titans once feared them.
Even the gods were once rebels.
They had overthrown the Titans and seized dominion over the universe. But at that time, what the Titans feared was not the power of the Olympian gods,
Rather, it is their uncontrollability—they broke the established order and created new rules.
Now, this fear seems to be repeating itself.
"Wizards possess knowledge," Ian murmured to himself, "and once knowledge is awakened, it can no longer be easily suppressed."
Looking at the caution and repression of those wild wizards at their gathering, he suddenly understood something: the gods did not simply despise witchcraft, but rather feared that these powers were beyond their control.
Just as the Titans once feared the Olympian gods.
Wizards do not rely on gods; they gain power by understanding the world and deciphering its rules. If this trend continues, one day mortals will no longer need the gods' protection and may even challenge the divine throne itself. This is not unfounded worry, but a historical inevitability.
Therefore, the gods could not tolerate wild wizards who were not under their control. As a wizard himself, Ian naturally disapproved of this, so he stepped forward and spoke to the knights and priests of the temple.
Everyone's eyes immediately focused on the source of the sound.
Ian.
The traveler who had just been sitting quietly in the corner listening to the discussion slowly stood up, straightened his sleeves, and swept his gaze across the temple knights and priests with a sharp, piercing look.
There was no anger in his eyes.
Only contempt.
"Who are you?"
The priest frowned, his tone tinged with hostility.
"How dare you obstruct the Temple's enforcement of the law?"
The priest's tone was brimming with arrogance. The night was deep, the candlelight flickered in the barn, and a tense, oppressive atmosphere filled the air. The wizards, who had just been pinned to the ground, had only recently gained their freedom, but the temple knights had already reformed their ranks, their silver armor gleaming coldly in the dim firelight.
obviously.
These Templar Knights were prepared to make an example of Ian, the wizard of unknown origin, and launch a cautious attack.
Ian stood before the crowd, his expression calm, his gaze sweeping over the knights like a knife.
"You've already lost," he said. "Don't you understand?"
"Insolence!" a burly knight roared, drawing his longsword and pointing it at Ian. "Let us teach you what true respect is!"
Having said that, he suddenly rushed forward, followed closely by several riders, their swords flashing with cold light, exuding a murderous aura.
They wanted to make an example of him—to strike down this person who dared to challenge divine authority in the most direct way, to intimidate all the wild wizards, and to let them know the price of resistance!
however.
They underestimated Ian.
Just as the first sword was about to strike, Ian gently raised his right hand.
"You—" he spoke softly, his voice gentle yet carrying an undeniable authority, "how dare you attack me, a legend?"
"noise."
The next second, the air suddenly froze.
The knights' movements seemed to be frozen in mid-air by an invisible force; their swords stopped just inches from Ian, unable to advance even an inch further.
The entire barn fell into a deathly silence. Ian slowly stood up, his steps unhurried, and walked to the leading knight, giving him a gentle push.
boom!
The knight was sent flying like a puppet with its strings cut, crashing heavily into the wall, spitting out blood, and immediately losing consciousness.
The other knights also knelt down, as if they were under some kind of irresistible pressure.
"Is this what you call divine power?" Ian said calmly. "In my eyes, they are nothing but a bunch of lackeys raised by the will of God."
He surveyed his surroundings, his voice low yet clear, reaching everyone's ears: "You are facing a true legendary wizard. What, you dare attack me with such meager skills?"
Ian also planned to make an example of someone, a show for the gods, so he had to be ruthless and decisive, showing no mercy whatsoever, only in this way could he truly shock the gods.
He believed that the gods were watching.
"hateful!"
The temple knights rose from the ground, covered in blood, their bodies gleaming with the power bestowed upon them by the gods—a transformation resulting from consuming rare and precious herbs.
Their faith in the gods was unwavering. Seeing Ian's blasphemous words, these heavily wounded temple knights were enraged and once again swung their weapons, launching an attack on Ian with the help of the priest's magic.
"Stubborn and obstinate."
Before the words were finished,
An invisible storm of magic suddenly erupted!
The air inside the barn seemed to be tightened by an invisible hand, and the silver armor of the temple knights instantly twisted and deformed, emitting a piercing metallic wail! Their bodies were struck as if by an invisible giant hammer, and they were sent flying backward, crashing heavily into the walls, even embedding themselves directly into the wooden planks!
"ah--!"
Screams rose and fell, the knights coughed up blood, unable to even hold their swords, and could only collapse to the ground, staring in horror at the black-robed man who remained standing there without lifting a finger.
He didn't chant any spells at all!
He didn't even move!
With just one sentence, the temple's elite knights were wiped out!
The wild wizards stared wide-eyed, some even instinctively taking a step back, as if the person standing before them was not a human, but an ancient beast draped in human skin.
The onlookers were all utterly shocked. They had never seen anyone dare to confront the temple's cavalry so directly, let alone fight an entire priestly force single-handedly!
"This...this can't be—" the young witch murmured to herself, "Who is he?"
"Is he insane?" another wizard exclaimed incredulously. "He dares to directly challenge the temple and even calls himself a 'legendary wizard'?!"
"But—but he really did it, that magic was truly magnificent."
The older wizard looked at the knights trembling with fear, his eyes flashing with complex emotions. "He's not bluffing; he truly possesses that power."
"Is it really a legendary wizard? Why would a legendary wizard come to a small gathering like ours?" someone whispered, trembling. The priests' faces turned extremely ugly. He stared intently at Ian, the divine runes on his scepter flashing wildly, trying to resist the invisible magical suppression.
Ian didn't seem to care much about it.
He clenched his fist.
Countless tiny golden runes appeared in the air, swirling and leaping like stars. They danced around the wizards, and with a gentle touch, the chains binding them snapped.
"Now."
Ian said calmly.
"You have two choices—either leave or disappear." After rescuing the wizards, he turned to look at the people from the temple, who had lost much of their arrogance.
The knights looked at each other, some of them already instinctively backing away.
But the priest gritted his teeth and roared in anger.
"Arrogance!" he shouted, his voice carrying the majesty of divine magic. "Legendary wizards are nothing before the gods! Do you think you can defy the will of Athena?"
"Yeah?"
Ian chuckled softly.
He finally raised his hand—and casually snapped his fingers.
Snapped!
The priest's scepter shattered instantly, the golden runes crumbling like fragile glass!
"ah--!
The priest screamed in agony as his hand was blown to pieces, and he stumbled back a few steps, nearly collapsing to his knees.
"Run!" an elderly wild wizard suddenly shouted, his voice filled with terror. "Young legend, you've done something terrible! The temple will not let you get away with this!"
"Athena's wrath will descend upon this city! You will kill everyone!"
The other wizards also showed expressions of horror. Although they were grateful to Ian for saving them, they knew all too well that offending the temple would have consequences far worse than death!
"It's not too late to escape!" another witch urged, trembling. "Get out of here before Athena notices! Otherwise—" "Otherwise?" Ian tilted his head slightly, a hint of mockery flashing in his silver-gray eyes. "Otherwise what will she do?"
The priest, clutching his bleeding hand, grinned maliciously.
"Otherwise, you will witness true divine punishment!"
He roared, his voice filled with frenzied piety. As he spoke, the priest suddenly knelt down, raised his scepter high, and began to pray in hushed tones.
"Great goddess Athena, please hear the prayers of your servants, grant me the power to punish these blasphemers! Let them know the price mortals pay for daring to challenge you!"
The priest prayed frantically.
Then the other priests spoke to Ian in a very different way.
"You think you've won? Foolish! I've already prayed to Athena! Her gaze is about to fall upon you! You will regret your arrogance! You will..."
The priest's voice abruptly ceased because his companion's prayer had been completed, and nothing had happened. The gods, who used to respond so quickly, now seemed to have heard no prayer at all.
He was met only with silence.
The wind continued to blow, the candles remained unlit, the gods showed no reaction, and the barn was deathly silent.
"How could this be! It shouldn't be like this!" The priest's expression froze. He looked up in disbelief at the void, as if waiting for some kind of response.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
Athena did not respond.
No miracles occurred.
There wasn't even a trace of divine power.
The priest's expression changed from ferocity to bewilderment, and finally to fear.
"No—it can't be—" he muttered to himself, his voice trembling, "Lady Athena—why—"
Ian strolled up to him, looked down at him, and his smile deepened.
"It seems—" he said softly, "that your goddess isn't really interested in meddling in other people's business today."
Pfft!
The priest finally collapsed to his knees, his expression utterly shattered. The wild wizards stared in disbelief at the scene, their worldviews seemingly turned upside down.
A wizard
A mortal had managed to silence the prayers of the temple priests?! Not only were the priests incredulous, but even these wild sorcerers found it utterly unbelievable in this age where the gods so fiercely defended their authority. They had no idea what kind of background this legend before them possessed.
Could he be a demigod?
Zeus's child?
Some people made the most logical connection, but no one voiced it. The rescued wizards, observing the situation, all urged Ian to leave immediately.
"Hurry up and leave," a wizard whispered to Ian. "You've angered the gods; your fate won't be good."
"Yes, run!" another person chimed in. "Even if you win now, the gods will still be watching you."
To this, Ian showed no panic, but instead smiled slightly: "I am not afraid of the gods. Because I have always firmly believed that wizards are superior to all."
The gods are merely more powerful, unorthodox sorcerers.
He slowly turned around, looked at the priest who was still kneeling in the same spot, and said coldly, "You think prayer will work? You think God will answer your cries? You are nothing but a pathetic wretch blinded by faith."
The priest abruptly looked up, glaring at him: "How dare you question the existence of God?!"
“I’m not questioning,” Ian said calmly. “I’m certain—your God doesn’t care about you.”
He slowly approached, looking down at the once arrogant priest:
"You can't hear God's answer because she simply doesn't want to respond to you. She knows the consequences of angering me because her father witnessed how invincible I am."
Ian is showing off.
But I'm telling the truth.
"You—you're talking nonsense!"
The priest roared.
"I don't like to lie."
Ian sneered.
"The gods fear me as they fear a wizard."
He raised his hand and gently touched it. An invisible force instantly enveloped the entire granary; the air seemed to freeze, and the temperature plummeted. The knights felt a tightness in their chests, as if they were being plunged into the deep sea, unable to breathe. The priests also felt their magic extinguished, their connection to the gods severed.
"Get out of here."
Ian said calmly, "Otherwise, I'll let you taste real fear."
No one dared to linger any longer.
The knights, supporting the limp priest, fled the barn like wolves, quickly disappearing into the night. It was in this unbelievable scene.
All I saw was...
The little wizard turned around.
"Please continue, everyone, I haven't had enough of your discussion yet."
He spoke enthusiastically to a group of weak, wild wizards.