Free Web NovelChapter 29: Ch 29: Mysteries In Both Worlds
Raidan returned to the Faceless God’s shrine by afternoon.
This time, the atmosphere in the shrine was unusually tense.
About a hundred followers and a dozen acolytes, all wearing Faceless Masks, had gathered in the inner court.
Nia was also present there.
Upon seeing Raidan’s creepy mask, Nia stepped forward while wearing her own white cat mask.
"Apollo, where were you? Something serious just happened at the shrine."
Raidan’s interest was piqued. He was about to ask what exactly had happened when a rather old woman, wearing a ceremonial robe and a grumpy faceless mask, entered.
"She is the Priestess here. Her name is Melinda. She is one of the top-ranking followers of the Faceless God," Nia introduced.
Standing on a high pedestal, the Priestess addressed the entire crowd.
"Devoted Followers of the Faceless, we forever abide by the law of becoming untraceable, unfathomable, and the embodiment of mystery. And yet, today, the unthinkable has happened. One of our devoted followers has been killed. The surprising part is that his Faceless Mask was ripped from his face, which is practically impossible. The Faceless Mask, as most of you know, is bound to the wearer’s very soul upon initiation."
The crowd began to murmuring, but it was soon quieted by the Priestess’ gesture.
She continued,
"To forcefully remove it means the killer used a profane and forbidden art to shatter the victim’s soul. Our masks are designed to crumble to dust if an outsider attempts to take them. Whoever committed this atrocity possesses a power that threatens our very foundation. We cannot let this blasphemy go unpunished!"
Nia leaned closer to Raidan, saying: "This has never happened before, Apollo. Who could be powerful enough or twisted enough to bypass the God’s protection?"
Raidan immediately thought of the Crimson Graveyard and the pitch-black demonic scroll resting securely in his inventory.
If he was correct, the scroll required tens of thousands of human sacrifices. They cannot do it openly. But targeting a secretive cult filled with untraceable, hidden members would be the perfect way for the organisation to gather souls without drawing the attention of the city authorities.
Melinda’s rage was obvious.
"The Faceless God demands justice! I am issuing a Shrine Mandate. Any follower who investigates this murder and brings me the head of this heretic will be granted access to the Inner Sanctum and rewarded with the God’s direct blessing!"
The moment she spoke those words, a familiar holographic blue screen materialized directly in front of Raidan’s eyes.
Ding!
[ System Notification: A Faction Quest Has Been Triggered! ]
[ Quest Name: The Shattered Mask (Rank: C) ]
[ Objective: ] Investigate the unnatural murder of the Faceless Follower. Identify the killer and execute them in the name of the Faceless God.
[ Time Limit: ] 7 Days.
[ Rewards: ]
+5,000 EXP
• Access to the Shrine’s Inner Sanctum
• A Skill Book related to the Faceless God’s blessings
[ Penalty for Failure: ] None, but another follower may claim the reward.
Seeing the quest, Raidan felt nothing but confusion.
He shouldn’t be able to receive quests. So why had this particular quest triggered?
"System, do you know something?" he inwardly asked the system.
System replied, ["Host cannot accept normal quests from ordinary NPCs because of his Quest Creator class, but Faction Quests tied to a divine entity were apparently an exception."]
"Priestess, it will be my honor to do the job," declared one of the followers, raising his hand confidently.
His faceless mask was entirely golden, crafted meticulously in the shape of a hawk.
"He is Golden Hawk, the tenth rank in the Shrine. He is incredibly strong and rarely fails a mandate."
Priestess Melinda acknowledged him with a nodd.
"Very well, Golden Hawk. The Faceless God blesses your hunt. Bring the heretic to judgment, and the Inner Sanctum shall open its doors to you."
"Well, If Golden Hawk is up for the hunt, I’m more than ready to compete."
"Yeah, me too."
"No one can escape the wrath of Faceless Shrine."
Several other followers also raised their hands, eager to claim the divine reward.
Raidan, however, kept his cool. He had no intention of drawing unnecessary attention to himself in front of a hundred cultists.
Let Golden Hawk and the others make the loud entrance. Raidan preferred to work from the shadows.
Besides, he already had Fiona sniffing out the Crimson Graveyard’s hidden branches.
If this murdered follower was truly connected to the Crimson Graveyard and their demonic scroll, Fiona’s investigation would inevitably intersect with the Shrine’s mandate.
"Are you not going to participate, Apollo?" Nia asked, noting his lack of reaction.
Raidan’s lips curved in a mysterious arc.
"Sometimes, the loudest hunter scares away the prey, Nia. I will investigate on my own terms. If Golden Hawk succeeds, then everything is good. If he fails, someone else will need to pick up the pieces." fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm
"Fufu, you always sound so mysterious. But please, be careful. Whoever did this is not an ordinary killer."
"I know."
Afterward, when it was nighttime in First Olympus and daytime on Earth, Raidan decided to log out for the day.
He needed sleep, but more than that, he needed to understand the anomaly.
After logging out, he arrived at the same tent where he had stood last time.
However, his uncle was nowhere to be seen.
A few seconds later, Michael went inside the tent and saw Raidan.
"Nephew, where were you? I searched for you outside, and then I suddenly find you inside."
Raidan could only spit out a lie. "I was just greeting our neighbors, Uncle. Anyway, what is on the news?"
Uncle Michael forgot about his disappearance after hearing him.
"Something very urgent came up, Rai. They said there is no food left for us. The Rift monsters have destroyed our supplies and crop fields in most of the countries. If everything is true, we are likely to die of famine in a week."
Raidan felt a sudden chill run down his spine. Starving in a week?
Only now, the harsh reality of Apocalypse, was finally settling in.
