Divine Artifact - Polik's Right Hand

The majestic mountain stood like a colossal pillar reaching toward the heavens, with clouds encircling only its lower slopes.

At this moment, within the Temple of Ten Thousand Serpents in Fort Pence at the mountain's foot, everyone was in complete disarray, each person drenched in nervous sweat.

"The Holy Maiden has grown wings!" someone cried out.

"The Holy Maiden has flown away into the sky!" Everyone in the Temple of Ten Thousand Serpents rushed outside, lifting their heads toward the heavens.

"Where has Her Holiness flown?" Some strained their eyes skyward, but by then the Holy Maiden had already soared so high that she gradually blended with the mountain's colors. A moment's inattention and they completely lost sight of her.

"We can't see her anymore!" Everyone ran from one spot to another, trying to find a better angle to catch a glimpse of the Holy Maiden's silhouette.

"Look, over there!"

"Is that a tiny black dot?"

Finally, someone spotted her, and everyone's expressions grew tense with worry.

High in the sky, a child with spread wings soared along the mountainside, shouting with joy. Her pure white wings shimmered with radiance as she flew higher and higher, gradually approaching the cloud layer.

But she slowly discovered her strength waning, each ascent requiring more effort than the last. Moreover, as she climbed higher, the air grew thinner and the temperature plummeted.

Her true body remained in the Pyramid Temple, resting to the left of the Creator's divine throne, while her current form was merely a dream—a shell crafted from dreams.

The small girl felt her face growing numb, her wings nearly frozen stiff. She struggled to breathe, yet still couldn't see the mountain's peak.

She had intended to fly straight to the summit to see whether the legendary City of Life truly existed, but discovered her strength insufficient for such a feat. The Mountain of Life's Origin seemed utterly impossible for any mortal to ascend.

"Hah!" She exhaled a cloud of white breath, rubbing her face and hugging her arms close. She knew if she continued flying, she would likely fall from exhaustion or unconsciousness.

Gazing upward with reluctance, she declared loudly, "Next time, I will definitely fly all the way up!"

With those words, she turned and glided back toward the earth. While ascending had proved exhausting, descending felt effortless and exhilarating beyond description.

She circled once above Fort Pence, drawing numerous exclamations from below, before finally landing contentedly within the Temple of Ten Thousand Serpents.

The moment she touched down, a crowd gathered around her. A group of temple attendants carefully examined her for injuries while an elderly attendant bowed deeply in humility yet spoke with stern authority.

"Your Holiness, you must never, ever do something so dangerous again."

"You are the Holy Maiden of the Temple of Ten Thousand Serpents, the master of this place."

"You are God's representative. Your every action represents the divine..."

The elderly attendant continued at length, but the small girl clearly paid little attention.

"I understand."

"I won't do it again next time."

She had spoken such words countless times before, though usually she meant "I understand" but would dare to try again anyway.

Everyone else's attention remained fixed upon the Holy Maiden's wings. Those pure white, sacred wings that could soar through the heavens filled each mortal with both longing and reverence.

"The power of God's Apostle." Everyone knew the Holy Maiden possessed God's Form, but those present believed she first had a tail before transforming to have legs.

Only the captain of the temple knights knew that when the Holy Maiden first appeared in this world, she had no tail at all. She had merely glanced at others with tails and then created one for herself.

It wasn't that she transformed into God's Form. She was God's Form itself.

However, the temple knights had never spoken of the scene atop the Star Night Mountain Range, for it proved too shocking and too difficult to believe.

"Can God's Apostle transform into God's Form and even grow wings?" questioned a temple attendant.

"We've never seen God's Apostle. How would we know?" Others also encountered this situation for the first time.

"How can you and I presume to guess at God's Apostle?" Someone immediately rebuked the questioner, for this place of faith tolerated no doubt toward God.

The Holy Maiden noticed others staring at her wings. She swayed left and right, showing off her white wings.

Then she withdrew them. She wore a beautiful dress, loose and comfortable.

They watched as the white wings gradually retracted into her shoulder blades, transforming into two beautiful patterns before vanishing completely.

At this moment, the captain of the temple knights emerged from the crowd.

Others respectfully cleared a path as the Holy Maiden turned her gaze toward her.

The female knight ascended the steps, first paying her respects.

Then she adjusted the Holy Maiden's clothes.

The female knight looked at her ruddy cheeks, frozen from the cold, as she stamped her feet and rubbed her chilled hands. With a smile, she asked:

"How was it?"

"Did you see it?"

The Holy Maiden knew she asked whether she had seen the Temple of Life.

The small girl pouted and shook her head. "It's too high."

"I got tired from flying."

The female knight couldn't help but smile, while the Holy Maiden stomped her feet and said:

"This mountain is really high, so incredibly high!"

"Above where we can see, hidden by the clouds, there's still such a long way up."

The small girl drew a huge circle in the air with both hands, as if only this could describe the mountain's vastness and height.

Her inability to fly to the top wasn't due to her own limitations, but rather the mountain itself.

The Holy Maiden added: "And it's so cold up there."

The female knight calmly replied, "The Mountain of Life's Origin is the world's highest peak. Of course it's very cold up there."

The Holy Maiden tilted her head. "Why does it get colder the higher you go?"

The female knight answered, "I don't understand either."

The Holy Maiden grew more confused. "Then how do you know this principle?"

The female knight explained, "This is the wisdom of our ancestors. The ancients passed their experiences to later generations through speech, stories, and writing."

"This allows us to understand these principles and laws without experiencing them ourselves, to know the grandeur and power of this world."

"It is precisely these things left behind generation after generation by the ancients."

"That finally became our civilization, our nation."

The Holy Maiden nodded, then looked skyward again.

"How can I fly up there?"

The female knight told her: "By developing a stronger body, mastering the art of flight, and building an unwavering will."

In other words, through learning.

The Holy Maiden sighed, "If only someone could be born with everything, without needing to learn."

A nearby temple attendant said, "Your Holiness, only God could achieve such a thing."

Yet the Holy Maiden didn't know that even her current abilities represented an unreachable peak that countless people in this world could only gaze up at with wonder.

Every day, the Holy Maiden would manifest her wings, using those pure white wings to soar skyward, challenging this insurmountable height with her own power.

The temple attendants told the Holy Maiden, "Your Holiness must not leave the Temple of Ten Thousand Serpents. Danger lurks everywhere outside."

The Holy Maiden replied, "But I haven't left the temple!"

"Look, you can see the sky from here in the temple."

"As long as I'm in this sky, I haven't left the temple."

The attendants had no way to counter the Holy Maiden's peculiar logic. She always managed to come up with such creative reasoning.

Gradually, the Holy Maiden grew taller and more agile as she aged.

She studied Divine Techniques with the temple attendants, though she seemed to show little natural talent in this area.

She trained her body alongside the female knight, displaying some prowess in this regard, though only moderate skill.

Her most remarkable quality proved to be an inexplicable affinity with animals and monsters.

She could easily control the fire spirits at the sacred flame altar and even command others' stone golems to obey her commands—truly an extraordinary feat.

Not long ago, when a Wing Demon flew overhead terrifying the city's inhabitants, she scared it away with a single excited shout.

As for Land Dragons, they proved completely docile in her presence.

She could even summon insects and animals to her side with a mere whistle.

Others couldn't understand these abilities, attributing them simply to the Holy Maiden's mysterious powers.

Another day arrived, and she stood upon the Temple of Ten Thousand Serpents' roof.

"Today, I will definitely fly to the top."

Below, several young female attendants nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes, yes."

She had spoken these words countless times, declaring each time she would reach the summit, only to return defeated.

The Holy Maiden seemed to sense their patronizing attitude and stamped her foot.

"Today I really will fly up there!"

With those words, she spread her wings and soared skyward.

Compared to her earliest attempts, her form had grown immeasurably more graceful. She no longer relied purely on strength to fly but understood how to harness the wind's power.

She seemed to merge with the wind itself, letting it carry her forward.

Simply watching her flight conveyed a sense of freedom's beauty, bringing peace to observers' hearts.

"Being able to fly is truly wonderful," a young temple attendant below remarked wistfully.

"If I could, I would want to fly too," said another even younger attendant, waving her arms as if they were wings.

"Those wings are so beautiful," other girls focused on slightly different aspects.

"Only God's beloved could possess such divine grace!" They could only dream of such beauty.

Meanwhile, the female knight standing guard by the main door gazed skyward.

She suddenly had a feeling that perhaps today the Holy Maiden truly could reach the mountain's peak.

In recent attempts, she had already glimpsed the summit, coming very close to success.

The Holy Maiden wore close-fitting clothes that provided warmth while allowing smooth flight. She also wore a hat that protected her hair and cheeks.

Rather than fighting against the wind, she moved with it.

She flew higher and higher, gradually piercing through the cloud layers.

Layer after layer of mist enveloped her before dissipating behind her.

Finally, she saw the peak.

That feeling of exhaustion returned, but this time she refused to yield. She was determined to fly up and see for herself.

"Go!"

"Go see what lies above."

"Go see if that magnificent city exists, go see if God truly exists in this world."

She beat her wings with all her might, though her flight had grown unsteady.

She even felt her muscles beginning to cramp, but the mountain's summit lay just within reach.

Gritting her teeth, she made one final leap.

She soared another hundred meters upward.

At last, she crossed the mountain's threshold.

She flew high above the peak.

The view before her suddenly opened up as a magnificent ancient city revealed itself.

From this vantage point, the distant sun seemed to connect with the clouds in the sky.

Rather than appearing as a great disc, it manifested as a point radiating endless brilliance.

The sunset glow spread across the vast sea of clouds, finally illuminating the ancient city atop the mountain.

Mountain ranges, ancient city, sea of clouds, and the great sun.

In this moment they merged together, creating the most stunning and beautiful scene imaginable.

She momentarily lost herself, slowly descending from above to land upon the city wall.

"It's real."

"There really is a city atop the mountain. The City of Life truly exists!"

The Holy Maiden exclaimed excitedly, calling out to the city.

"Hey!"

"Is anyone there?"

This was the legendary City of Life, with the Temple of Life where the Life Sovereign once dwelled—the world's most ancient temple.

Yet throughout the entire city, only echoes answered her calls.

Then she heard movement behind her.

She turned to see a familiar figure.

The captain of the temple knights had somehow climbed up from below and now stood behind her.

The Holy Maiden gaped, staring at the female knight in shock.

"Ah!"

"You can come up here!"

The female knight had actually ascended here long ago. With her power, it posed no great challenge.

But upon reaching the top, she had discovered nothing remained, not even the great serpent that legend said the Snake Mother had become after receiving divine punishment.

This was one reason she hadn't prevented the Holy Maiden's attempts. No danger remained here.

The small girl stamped her foot. "You could have brought me up here all along but didn't tell me."

The female knight told the small girl, "There's a difference between me bringing you up here and you climbing it yourself."

The female knight stood with her upon the City of Life's walls, together watching the endless sea of clouds.

"Only by conquering this high mountain through your own power can you truly comprehend God's might and life's meaning."

"Only when you witness this sight after complete exhaustion can you gain that resilience and be moved."

The Holy Maiden said nothing, only nodding.

She pouted, showing an utterly exhausted expression.

"But getting here was so difficult!"

"It took me so long."

The female knight didn't dwell on this point, instead saying to the Holy Maiden:

"Your Holiness, haven't you always wanted to see what this place looks like?"

At these words, the small girl immediately stopped complaining and flew down below.

Together with the female knight, she moved through the buildings of this city, examining the tall ancient houses.

Each time she discovered some ancient Snake People artifact inside, the small girl would cry out excitedly as if finding treasure.

For her, this seemed less a sacred city and more a treasure playground.

Finally, they arrived before the Temple of Life. The outer columns and walls were covered entirely with stories of Snake Mother Sermos and the Snake People's creator, Life Sovereign Shelly.

Compared to legends passed down elsewhere, the stories here were the true ones, the most ancient versions.

For these wall carvings were the true history, inscribed by Snake Mother Sermos's own hand.

Besides some scenes of divine grace, most stories concerned how Snake Mother Sermos underwent her trials.

When reaching the story's end, the Holy Maiden discovered everything stopped abruptly without any conclusion.

"Why did they stop carving halfway through?"

The female knight told the Holy Maiden, "Because in the end, Snake Mother Sermos faced her final trial and test for killing God's creation, the Winged People."

"She failed to endure the trial, becoming a mindless serpent monster under divine punishment."

"She had no time to carve the ending."

"Perhaps there will never be an ending."

The Holy Maiden asked the female knight, "Why did Snake Mother Sermos kill God's creation?"

The female knight replied, "Because of jealousy, and because of fear."

The Holy Maiden could understand jealousy but couldn't comprehend why Sermos would be afraid.

"Fear?"

"Snake Mother Sermos already possessed such great power and was God's Apostle. Why would she fear the newly born Winged People?"

The female knight explained, "Because the Winged People, like the Snake People, were a wisdom kind."

"Wisdom is the most powerful force in this world. Though they were weak then, they would one day grow immensely powerful."

"It also meant the Snake People were no longer unique, no longer God's sole servants and apostles."

"The flying Winged People would become natural enemies of the Snake People, perhaps even replacing them entirely."

"Snake Mother Sermos feared not the Winged People, but abandonment by God."

The Holy Maiden said, "Then why didn't she speak with God? I feel God might not have intended that at all."

The Holy Maiden mimicked the temple attendants' prayer posture and spoke.

"Oh God!"

"When you created the Winged People, did you mean to abandon us?"

"Perhaps God never meant that at all. Otherwise, why would the Snake People still exist here and continue to prosper?"

"If God truly meant to abandon the Snake People, wouldn't everything have ceased to exist long ago?"

The female knight gazed at the divine figure in the painting. Though crude, showing only an outline without specific features, it conveyed undeniable majesty and supremacy.

She seemed to understand Snake Mother Sermos's emotions, speaking with some sadness.

"Because they are God."

"They are the supreme divine being. For mortals, even abandonment becomes a form of grace."

"We cannot question God, even if God bestows destruction upon us."

"Yet we cannot suppress our inner fears and jealousy, which ultimately led to this outcome."

The Holy Maiden still couldn't quite understand. "Your thoughts are so complicated."

"I still think speaking directly works better."

They entered the temple and saw the candle-shaped divine throne high above.

The entire scene transformed completely, from external grandeur to sacred solemnity.

Complex dark undertones and golden patterns converged to form the four walls.

Looking up at the dome, their eyes seemed completely drawn into that spiral.

Especially the magnificent divine throne.

Standing isolated in the hall's center, looking down upon everything from on high.

The moment the female knight entered, her spirit grew turbulent and heavy. She involuntarily lowered her head, not daring to look at her surroundings.

It felt as though God still resided within this hall.

Yet the Holy Maiden beside her behaved completely differently, frolicking freely within the temple.

She felt no constraints, as if returning home.

Finally, she looked at the candle-shaped divine throne with curious eyes.

When the female knight raised her head.

The Holy Maiden had already seated herself upon it, shifting comfortably as if familiar with the throne.

She looked down at the female knight, displaying a joyful smile.

"Hehe."

"Perfect fit."

The knight was terrified. "That's God's throne, Your Holiness! Please come down quickly."

She prostrated herself before the throne. "Oh God!"

"Your Holiness is still but a child; please forgive her transgression."

Yet as the words left her mouth, she looked up at the figure seated upon the divine throne and somehow felt it seemed natural.

The female knight suddenly felt as though she had witnessed this scene before.

No.

As if she had experienced such moments many times before.

Only when the Holy Maiden spoke did it break this sensation.

"God won't blame me."

The Holy Maiden didn't know why she felt so certain, but she simply knew it to be true.

Yet under the female knight's anxious persuasion, the Holy Maiden still descended from the throne.

The female knight dared not remain in the temple any longer. She hurriedly led the Holy Maiden outside, only then standing before the temple to pat her chest and release a long breath.

The Holy Maiden showed no trace of fear, leisurely examining everything around her.

"I believe now."

"God truly exists in this world."

She looked at the murals. "So life really was created by God, and even the earth we exist upon was summoned by God's conch horn."

As she spoke, she unconsciously reached toward her waist.

But found nothing there.

"Huh?"

She startled, as if having lost something important.

Yet thinking back, it felt strange.

"What was I looking for?"

"How odd?"

The female knight said to the Holy Maiden, "Therefore, as God's representative, Your Holiness."

"You must strive to do your best, for your every word and action represents God."

The Holy Maiden told the female knight, "You must be the most qualified believer."

Then she proudly pointed to herself and said.

"And I."

"I must be God's most beloved."

The two walked down from the temple together. When they reached the bottom,

The Holy Maiden turned back for one last look at the Temple of Life above.

"The two of us will surely do better than Snake Mother Sermos."

She smiled at the female knight. "You all focus on following God's faith, letting everyone know God's mercy and grace, protecting the kingdom and all people."

Then she pointed to herself. "And I will be responsible for telling God what you've all done."

"I think if God knows how devout and steadfast you all are, She will surely be pleased, perhaps even bestowing more gifts."

The female knight smiled. "We already have more than enough."

Because the giants occasionally shifted their bodies slightly, some connected areas would experience earthquakes from time to time.

These places might be mountainous regions, low-lying basins, or possibly bottomless chasms.

At this moment, at the foot of a great mountain in northern Ruhe Beast Island, violent tremors suddenly erupted.

"Rumble..."

Countless beasts and reptiles burst from the forests while insects took to the sky in dark clouds. Everywhere rang with screeching cries and buzzing insects.

With the earthquake, an entire mountainside slope collapsed, rolling earth completely blocking the nearby road. Within the soil emerged a strange bone hand.

This hand was peculiar—large, clearly not the hand bones of Snake People.

Moreover, the hand bones were covered in a layer of bone armor, with strange patterns or symbols upon the back.

If someone from the previous era were present, they would cry out instantly upon seeing these symbols.

"The Truth Symbol."

"God of Knowledge."

It represented the former Evil God, a being called Myth.

His followers went mad upon seeing this symbol, while others lived in constant terror of it.

One being had pushed this powerful ancient civilization into the abyss.

At His most rampant, the entire civilization and world lay under His shadow.

Yet He too died in a battle that could be called mythological warfare.

His former truth and knowledge fell into another being's hands.

Divine Artifact - Polik's Right Hand.

It had emerged.