"We have somewhere we need to go."
At Leanne's words, Damian and Ian turned to her at once. Ian raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"Are you making another prophecy?"
Leanne chuckled."This isn't a prophecy. It's certainty.""To get the information we need, we have to go to the temple."
The Temple.
At that word, Damian's expression shifted slightly.
In the Murim, gods were nothing more than mythical figures. Power itself was revered as godlike.But in this fantasy world, "gods" were not merely stories.Their existence might be tied not just to belief—but to the laws that governed this world itself.
And so, Damian did not object to heading toward the temple.
But the moment they decided to leave—
The Shadows of the Thieves' Guild
The thieves' guild Ian once belonged to had its own code and sense of ethics.But not all thieves in this city operated under the same principles.
Some had no qualms with bloodier work.And among them were those who had aligned with the Wizard Guild.
Those people were on the move.
"Damn it," Ian growled, gritting her teeth."Didn't expect them to show up."
Her eyes narrowed.Thieves could still have a code.But not these ones.
"They're the worst," Ian muttered."Most thieves steal to survive. But these bastards? They're just thugs.""They prey on the weak without hesitation."
Damian silently drew his sword. Ian gave a bitter smile.
"This is why people think all thieves are scum."
Ian had survived in the guild not just because she was strong—But because she protected those even weaker than herself within the thieves' world.
But the enemies before them were different.
They were hired hands—rogue thieves funded by the Wizard Guild.People who would do anything, as long as they were paid.
"It's been a while since an enemy's made me this uneasy."
She moved quickly.
Disrupting the Thieves' Ambush
Thieves were not just brawlers.They thrived on deceit, ambushes, and diversion tactics—The tools of survival in a city's underbelly.
But Ian knew their methods too well.
"This isn't so different from the guild I used to run with…"She muttered under her breath.
She darted through the shadows, exploiting weaknesses they didn't know they had.
Damian followed her movements in stride—A blend of Murim martial arts and fantasy combat came alive in the moment.
The enemy faltered at their unpredictable tactics.
One thief cursed loudly."Damn it! The guy's the real problem, not Ian!""Don't waste time—take them out!"
But it was too late.The tide had turned.
Before the battle could drag on,Ian swiftly took down the traitorous leader.
Ian's Final Warning
"That's enough," Ian said, catching her breath.
The remaining thieves clenched their jaws,But when they sensed Ian no longer wanted to fight, they backed down.
She added one final word.
"This fight doesn't matter.""Win or lose—nothing about the thieves' guild changes.""I'm done with this path."
They didn't pursue.
As she turned back to the others, she muttered,"They won't give up that easily.But for now—it's our move."
She smiled at Damian and Leanne.
"Well then—shall we head to the temple?"
The One Who Waited
But they hadn't traveled far when they saw him.
An old man stood in the middle of the path.Wearing a ragged cloak, he looked like nothing more than a vagrant.
But when he spoke,His voice echoed strangely, as though resonating beyond the air.
"…Leave this place."
Damian stopped in his tracks.Ian frowned.
"What, a lunatic?"
But the old man repeated himself.
"Leave.""This is not where you belong.""If you stay… the balance of the world will shatter."
Leanne narrowed her eyes and whispered.
"…A Prophet."
He was no ordinary man.
He was a Seer—One who left cryptic warnings.Often meaningless.But sometimes—harbingers of fate.
The old man slowly raised his head.He stared straight at Damian.
"You… should not exist."
Damian's expression changed ever so slightly.
Ian caught the look and tilted her head.But Leanne… wasn't surprised.
She only nodded in confirmation.
"…I knew it."
She had known all along.Damian was a foreign variable in the laws of this world.
And now, others who understood that—were starting to appear.
The old man vanished, leaving behind an unease none of them could shake.
The Ruins of the Temple
With the prophet's words still lingering in the air,They pressed onward.
Before long, they reached a small, desolate village—Once thriving, now nearly abandoned.
But at the heart of the village,The ruins of an ancient temple remained.
Leanne stared at it and said quietly,
"…This is the place."
To uncover the truth about the gods—They stepped into the ruins.
***
Chapter : The Power of Faith and the Gods
The ruins of the temple.
Wind swept through the crumbling halls, kicking up layers of dust.Faint traces of those who had once dwelled here still lingered—a shadow of what had been.
Damian scanned the interior in silence before finally speaking.
"Is this really a place connected to the gods?"
Leanne placed her hand on one of the fallen pillars.
"This used to be where paladins once gathered."
"Paladins?" Damian turned toward her.
Leanne began to explain slowly.
"Many warriors once fought here in the name of faith.To them, gods weren't just divine figures—they were the very purpose of life."
Ian let out a quiet sigh and added,"That's why most people believe paladins are stronger than ordinary warriors."
Damian gave the two a curious look."Are you saying strength comes from… faith?"
It was a hard concept to grasp.In the Murim, strength was the result of relentless training and discipline—A realm reached only by the gifted and the determined.
But here, in this fantasy world… was belief itself a source of power?
As the doubt settled in his eyes, Leanne continued,
"In this world, faith isn't just a belief.The gods acknowledge it—and return it as power."
Ian nodded in agreement."That's right.Paladins and holy knights aren't just warriors.They're blessed by the divine. That blessing grants them powers others can't even imagine."
Damian went quiet for a long moment.
"Then what happens to those who aren't chosen?"
Ian smirked.
"They just live their lives as ordinary people."
But Leanne shook her head gently."Not always.Some people, through pure faith alone, gain the gods' favor."
Damian asked quietly,"So… is strength simply faith, then?"
His eyes turned toward the murals along the inner walls.They depicted paladins fighting with radiant blades, divine light at their backs.
"Can someone who wasn't chosen still grow strong through belief alone…?"
"Or is even that belief a privilege granted only to the chosen?"
Ian spoke beside him."It's true that faith can make you stronger.But… can you even believe in something like that?"
Damian gave no answer.
Leanne added one more thing—softly, but with weight.
"There's a more important question for you, isn't there?"
Damian turned to her."What is it?"
A faint smile curved on Leanne's lips.
"Are you one of the chosen?"
At that, Damian froze for a breath.