novelraw Chapter 118: Echo Construct
Chapter 118: Echo Construct
Ah, so that’s what this is about, I thought. It seemed that my guess was right.
“Of course, I’m not trying to rebel.” I shook my head with as much sincerity as possible.
“Is gathering divine warriors to form a cult not a rebellion against Lady Istellia?” she shot back, frowning deeply, her tiny arms crossing in indignation.
“I don’t understand what you’re talking about,” I replied evenly. “All I did was gather divine warriors who’d been cast aside and guide them onto the right path. I even placed Istellia’s statues for them to worship.”
“That was what I thought at first!” she said, her tone rising as she threw her hands dramatically into the air. “But then you introduced an unknown god’s statue—and even allowed them to worship you! This has crossed the line!”
“If the people choose to worship me, is that my fault?” I shrugged, meeting her glare with calm indifference.
Her jaw dropped slightly, clearly scandalized. “You—! That’s not how this works! You’re supposed to guide mortals, not—not usurp faith from them!”
“Relax,” I said with a faint smirk. “You worry too much for a divine being.”
Raphael’s cheeks puffed out as she glared at me, wings twitching in agitation. “And you’re far too nonchalant for a mortal who acts like a god.”
“Ha. Think about it,” I said, reclining slightly on the bed. “How could I, a mere Gimmel-rank divine warrior, possibly steal Istellia’s faith and ascend to godhood?”
“That’s true…” she muttered under her breath, closing her eyes as she began to think it over. But then, realization struck her, and her eyes quickly snapped open wide. “You… How do you know about that kind of knowledge?!” she demanded, pointing a tiny finger at me.
“Where I learned it is not important.” I raised my hands in mock surrender, shaking my head lightly. “What you need to know is that I’m helping Lady Istellia by gathering those weak, hopeless divine warriors who’ve lost their purpose and turning them into something useful. With proper training, they’ll become her assets in the coming Battle of Divine Will. In a way, I’m directly helping her win, don’t you think?”
Raphael hovered in silence, thinking deeply.
I could tell from her reaction that Raphael had confronted me out of her own accord, not by Istellia’s order. If my patron goddess truly disapproved, Raphael would have struck me down the moment she appeared and brought me before Istellia. Still, Raphael held considerable authority as Fantasia’s overseer, and I should convince her to make the whole operation smoother. Since this little angel was acting on her own conscience, she was much easier to sway.
“Besides,” I continued smoothly, “the statue of the faceless god? It’s just for show. There’s no real god behind it. If you don’t believe me, you can confirm it yourself. It’s just something that I take as a benefit for all of this hard work. Take it as me cashing in the unused favor you owe me and look the other way.”
Her wings fluttered erratically as she pursed her lips. “You—ugh! You’re insufferable!” she blurted, jabbing at the air. “Fine! I’ll look into it. But if I find out you’ve deceived me—”
“You’ll scold me?” I teased.
She glared daggers, her cheeks puffing up again. “I’ll report you directly to Lady Istellia!”
“Of course, of course,” I said, waving a hand dismissively. “I wouldn’t dream of lying to you.”
Raphael huffed as she turned into a streak of golden light. “You’d better not!” she shouted before vanishing entirely.
“Well, that went better than expected…”
Seeing that she was gone for good, and it was around dinner time, I went down to the dining room and coincidentally ran into Boris and Michelle, who had just returned to the inn. Naturally, we decided to have dinner together while discussing our plans for the days ahead. Since I had already resolved to go alone—and secretly—into the inverted pyramid, I told them that I would be busy tomorrow. In the meantime, they agreed to spend the day training at the training center to sharpen their skills further.
***
The first thing I did the next morning was head back to District D’s skill bookstore to meet with Mira and collect the skill book I had ordered. By the time I reached the familiar storefront, the fox merchant was already waiting by the counter, tail flicking lazily behind her.
“Ah, you’re here bright and early, dear customer,” she greeted, flashing a sly smile. “Just as promised, your precious Echo Construct skill book has arrived safe and sound. I had to pull quite a few strings to get this one, you know. You should be grateful.”
“You mean you charged me extra for it through this ‘favor’ that you haven’t told me yet.” I smiled wryly.
Her ears twitched, but she waved a hand dismissively. “Semantics, semantics. Business is business.”
She then produced a purple leather-bound book from beneath the counter. As I took it into my hands, a faint thrum of energy pulsed through my fingers. This was an authentic epic-grade skill book, without a doubt.
Skill Book: [Echo Construct]
Rank: Epic
Type: Active
Creates a semi-real duplicate of the user or an ally that mimics basic movements, skills, and spells for a limited duration. The construct has 30% of the user’s stats and dissipates when destroyed or when the skill ends.
Thirty percent was admittedly low—roughly equivalent to the strength of a Bet-rank divine warrior—but it was still an excellent foundation. However, I was sure that if I leveled it up, the duration and stat replication would likely improve, perhaps even to the point of creating a perfect combat double.
“How is it, dear customer?” Mira asked, her amber eyes glinting mischievously.
“Just perfect,” I replied, sliding the remaining soul coins inside a large pouch across the counter. “There’s twelve thousand inside this pouch. So fifteen thousand in total with yesterday’s three thousand, as promised.”
Soul Coins: 13,490 → 1,490
Her grin widened as she scooped up the pouch, hugging it to her chest like a beloved treasure. “Ahh, the sound of clinking coins—music to my ears! Pleasure doing business, dear customer.”
I shook my head, amused at her theatrics. “Try not to spend it all in one place.”
“Perish the thought! A merchant must always reinvest in opportunity!”
While making a small smile as a reaction, I tapped on the skill book to use it.
You have acquired a skill: [Echo Construct Lv.1].
After that, I gave a small wave and turned to leave. But just as I reached for the door, Mira’s voice stopped me. “Actually, I may as well put up my request now.”
“I’m all ears.” I turned back toward her.
She rested her chin on her hands on the counter with a thoughtful expression. “Well, I know that you were the one who defeated Fantasia’s strongest divine warrior, Graham,” she said slowly. “My intuition tells me that you’re someone who’ll rise to the top of the districts sooner or later. As such, I want to make an early investment in you. Bring me the materials of a strong Daleth-rank monster—something that can be forged into powerful weapons or armor. If you can gather a large quantity, I’m certain I can expand my business and move into District C in no time. Of course, I’ll compensate you fairly in soul coins, and you don’t have to fulfil this request so soon either.”
A quest has been generated.
Character Quest: [Mira’s Request]
You owe Mira a favor, and she has asked you to fulfill it. She desires rare materials from a Daleth-rank boss monster to craft and trade high-grade equipment that could elevate her status as a merchant.
Mission Type: Material Acquisition / Subjugation
Difficulty: C+
Main Objective: Hunt and defeat a Daleth-rank boss monster, then deliver its materials to Mira. (0/1)
Time Limit: None
Reward: Mira’s trust
Penalty for Failure: Loss of Mira’s trust and permanent ban from purchasing at her store
Would you like to accept the quest?
[Yes/No]
Well, I didn’t have much of a choice, did I? Besides, there was already one target in mind back in the Great Wilderness—and since there was no time limit, I could always hunt it down once I was confident I could win.
“All right,” I said with a nod. “No guarantee when I’ll bring it, though.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine!” Mira waved her hand dismissively, her tail swishing behind her. “So long as you bring it to me eventually, I can wait. Quality takes time, after all.” Her gleeful smile made it clear she was already dreaming of the profit.
You have accepted the quest.
In a way, this was convenient. That Daleth-rank monster being worshipped by the frogmen that I had seen signs of in the swamp fit her description perfectly. Two birds with one stone.
Just like divine warriors, even these so-called “NPCs” could move up or down between districts. If their skills were acknowledged or their businesses flourished, they would ascend to higher ones. Conversely, if their performance waned or they grew complacent, they would go down the ladder. It was a perfectly fair and balanced system—one that rewarded effort and punished stagnation.
With the transaction complete, I stepped out of the store and made my way toward the Rift of Dungeons. It was time to return to the Great Wilderness and uncover what truly lay hidden within the Forgotten Vault.
However, before heading there, I decided to pay the Genesis Order a visit. They’d grown steadily since the last time I checked, with more followers, influence, and even whispers that spread throughout the entirety of District F. Their devotion was both a tool and a risk, and I couldn’t afford to let it spiral out of control. I needed to ensure everything was still moving according to plan.
Donning the Mask of a Thousand Races, I changed my appearance to “Lord Genesis,” the creator and head of the Genesis Order. The transformation was more perfect this time, rendering my features unrecognizable, even down to the aura I exuded, thanks to the upgraded mask.
When I arrived at their gathering site, the followers immediately fell to their knees upon seeing me. A familiar elation stirred in my chest—being worshipped like this reminded me of my past life as the God-King.
“Rise,” I commanded, my voice echoing with calm authority. “There will be a sermon today.”
“Understood, Lord Genesis…” they replied in perfect unison, showing unwavering devotion.
Satisfied, I stepped past them and entered the sanctum where the small twin statues stood—one of Istellia, and the other of the faceless god. The air was thick with faith energy, radiating from countless prayers and offerings. Extending my hand, I began to draw in that invisible current by using Absorb Plausibility, feeling the divine essence flow into me like a tide.
You have activated Absorb Plausibility.
You have absorbed the power of faith contained in the statue.
You have gained 137 Plausibility.
You have absorbed the power of faith contained in the statue.
You have gained 101 Plausibility.
“Great! Now, if only I could absorb all this plausibility without having to come here manually,” I mused, though I figured that problem could be solved easily enough with God!$# Creation.
At any rate, this was the perfect opportunity to test out Echo Construct. Raising my hand, I invoked the skill. A surge of energy rippled through me, and in an instant, a silhouette began to take shape before me—my own reflection brought to life. Or rather, Lord Genesis’s reflection.
The clone mimicked my every movement with uncanny precision, its form solid yet faintly translucent, as though sculpted from light and shadow. I could direct it with a single thought or let it act independently within the limits of its power. Still, a subtle delay appeared between our motions—an echo slightly out of sync with reality, just barely enough for a trained eye to notice.
Fortunately, such imperfections would go unnoticed by lower-rank divine warriors. To them, this would look no different from the true “Lord Genesis” standing before them. Perfect.
Now then, it was time to put the skill to the test.