Chapter 447
Having successfully restructured the power of Anatta, Se-Hoon went through with his plans and revealed the full truth via the Heroes Association.
The Seven Saints, who had joined hands with the Demon Force for power. Caden Miller, who had committed unethical crimes that included human experimentation. And lastly, the Sacred Craftsman Li Kenxie, who had voluntarily aided and supported the sacrifice of hundreds of millions for the Offering Ritual.
Naturally, the revelation of the identities of the masterminds—all people who were once considered pillars of humanity—turned the world upside down.
“Embezzlement, bribery, murders, kidnapping... are there even any crimes these bastards didn’t do?”
“So all the blacksmiths who were recently arrested or went missing.... They were all part of that weird cult called Offering?”
Everything was exposed. The Seven Saints’ decades-long criminal activity, long hidden beneath the surface, and even the mysterious incidents involving Offering.
And with everything out, the Heroes Association arrested those involved en masse—with a staggering total numbering in the tens of thousands.
Media outlets everywhere flooded the public with articles, yet despite them all, the populace’s attention was focused on one sole fact.
“A Perfect One... did this?”
“Why are you so shocked? Don’t you remember what the Eternal Nocturne did?”
“Hey, that was because of the Demon Force. The Sacred Craftsman did it voluntarily! How are they even the same?!”
Although the Perfect Ones had been caught up in criminal incidents, they had rarely ever taken action themselves. Yet one had committed an act that could be interpreted as a declaration of war on humanity itself? Never, ever, had that happened before: Li Kenxie was the first.
Weren’t the Perfect Ones supposed to protect humanity...?
If the Sacred Craftsman hadn’t lost control... does that... does that really mean the other Perfect Ones could do the same?
If all the remaining Perfect Ones turned their power against us...
The people tried desperately to deny it. They didn’t want to accept the possibility of a catastrophe too immense to even imagine—that the same overwhelming force holding the entire Demon Force in check could just as easily destroy them in malice.
They prayed. Just because the Sacred Craftsman turned out that way, that didn’t mean the other Perfect Ones would as well.
As the world was wrapped up in fragile reassurance, strange news also started trickling in.
“Ten people just ascended to S-Rank...?”
“I also heard that a bunch of retired high-ranking heroes are returning to the field. What’s going on?”
“Eighty percent recovery rate for severe mental illnesses? That’s got to be fake news, right?”
An explosion of news surged through the world. Worldwide, mental health patients were making miracle recoveries. And considering the timing, it didn’t take long for the dots to connect naturally.
No way...
Is this just like last time, with the Eternal Nocturne...?
Akin to how the Eternal Nocturne had granted his blessing upon death, the Sacred Craftsman appeared to have unleashed another incredible power upon his fall.
Little by little, the world was becoming certain. And just as they had, Li Wen made the official announcement through the Heroes Association.
“The Blessing of the Sacred Lantern is a type of safeguard that protects those whose mental state is collapsing due to psychological trauma. When activated, it prevents mental corruption and drastically increases resistance to the five elements. Currently, there are no known conditions for its activation.”
Unlike the Blessing of the Eternal, which required merit accumulation in the Netherworld for resurrection, the Blessing of the Sacred Lantern required no such cost. Anyone whose mental status deteriorated beyond a certain point would automatically be enveloped by the glow of the lantern, which would fade once stability was regained.
Aside from that, it had no other special effects. However, that didn’t matter. Just the fact that it directly addressed psychological crises—something nearly impossible to treat—made its impact immense.
“Wait. If it protects your mind... then doesn’t that mean there’s no way for someone to exploit the Blessing of the Eternal anymore?”
“...Oh. You’re right.”
A ripple spread through humanity once more. While the Blessing of the Eternal was amazing, it couldn’t be triggered if the person had lost the will to live or had turned into a demon when alive; many speculated that it could be taken advantage of by manipulating the mind or forcibly corrupting someone. But now? The Blessing of the Sacred Lantern had just closed that loophole.
Doesn’t that mean that the Demon Force can’t lay a single hand on us anymore?
We were already in a stronger position. This just seals the deal.
Li Kenxie was a traitor, yet he’d given humanity such a divine gift. In a flash, humanity began reconsidering their view of him. However, that was when Li Wen stepped forward once more.
“There’s one last thing I’d like to say.”
Standing before a room full of reporters once more, Li Wen looked at them with firm conviction.
“The Sacred Craftsman was a shameless criminal who sacrificed others for his own sake, a monster incapable of guilt. It was only after he became a ghost beyond redemption that he finally realized his sins and sought forgiveness.
“Humanity. Please do not turn a blind eye to the crimes of the Sacred Craftsman. Do not defend the wrongdoings of Li Kenxie. Do not offer him forgiveness.
“For him, the only path to redemption lies in vanishing from memory and returning to nature. I, as the son who could not stop him, ask you all this from the bottom of my heart: do not forgive my father.”
Without hesitation, Li Wen clearly drew a line in anticipation of any future debate surrounding Li Kenxie. His decisive words left countless stunned. They had expected a half-hearted attempt to smooth things over with talk of his new achievements, not... an outright request never to forgive the Sacred Craftsman.
“...He’s got a point. We can’t just let this go.”
“Yeah... Though still, it feels a bit awkward...”
“It’s a strange situation, honestly...”
In the end, the Heroes Association made no official move regarding Li Kenxie, and as a result, the media treaded lightly. Yet, despite all the hesitation, widespread condemnation didn’t occur either.
From the start, the topic had always been delicate. But more than that, most simply feared that harsh words would somehow disqualify them from receiving the Blessing of the Sacred Lantern.
“...Whew.”
A weary sigh inadvertently spilled from Li Wen’s lips. It was a few days after his public request, and he was scrolling through the endless news updates and public reactions on his phone.
Neither condemned nor forgiven—the opinion of Li Kenxie was a strange limbo that was exactly as anticipated. Still... actually seeing that it turned out that way left a strange feeling.
I guess this is just how influential the Perfect Ones are...
Nobody would have been forgiven for such sins. And yet, with the sheer immenseness of his lingering presence, his father had smoothed it all over. Yet that wasn’t the shocking part. Li Wen couldn’t believe that the people had chosen, of their own will, to react that way.
I suppose it makes sense... looking at his achievements. But still... is it really okay to let it all slide just like this?
Li Wen had heard everything. He knew why his father had become what he was and what his final choice had been. To some extent, Li Wen could understand. However, in truth, that understanding only made his thoughts more conflicted.
He genuinely thought his father didn’t deserve forgiveness. Yet, he also couldn’t deny that some part of him hoped he would be forgiven.
Either way, it filled Li Wen with discomfort.
“Sighhhhh—”
“What’s bothering you?”
Appearing all of a sudden, Se-Hoon plopped down beside him.
“Oh. You’re done?”
“Nope. It looked like she was having fun without me, so I slipped away for a bit.”
With a slight smile, Se-Hoon motioned with his chin toward the training ground before them.
Fwoosh!
“Haaap!”
His daughter hurled vibrant five-colored flames forward with both hands. And their targets, the three people across from her, all easily dodged or blocked them while marveling aloud.
“Whoa, she’s good. Better than that guy, honestly.”
“If that had been my flame, you’d be dead.”
“Please stop arguing about that kind of crap—it’s embarrassing.”
Luize and Sung-Ha were growling at each other while Amir looked on with exasperation. Three of the world’s top rising stars were sparring and playing with his daughter—a sight that made Li Wen’s expression turn awkward.
“Hmm... are we being a burden after all...?”
“A burden? Not at all. It might look like they’re just entertaining her, but they’re actually learning a lot.”
Despite how it seemed, clashing with the five-colored flames—a manifestation of the Blessing of the Sacred Lantern—was helping them build practical experience with the newly established Blessing.
Far from a nuisance, Li Fei was giving them a valuable opportunity that Se-Hoon thought they should actually be thankful for.
“I see...”
For a bit, Li Wen watched the three sparring with his daughter—pretending to get hit here and there but clearly enjoying it—and then suddenly asked, “Still, why sparring? I’m sure there are plenty of other games they could be playing...?”
“Right? But Li Fei said she wanted to do it, so we let her... oh. Come to think of it, I once let her watch those three sparring with me. Maybe that’s why.”
“Ah... I see.”
Li Wen looked toward his daughter again, who was energetically hurling flames. He never expected her to be completely docile, having grown up under such a unique grandfather, but he hadn’t thought she’d take such an interest in combat.
Is it really okay for her to be drawn to violence so early...? No, maybe I’m overthinking it since it’s not like she’s doing it seriously.
Everything felt unfamiliar. His thoughts were only of the desire to bring her along—not what came after.
Was this how Father felt when raising me?
Recalling Caden’s stories about how his father used to carry him everywhere as a baby, Li Wen was about to smile but then froze, his expression stiffening. To fondly recall memories involving those two felt like committing a sin—
“Don’t be so hard on yourself.” With his eyes still on the training going on, Se-Hoon spoke calmly. “Even if you don’t try anything now, time will sort it out.”
“...”
“And besides, you can always revisit the past. But the moment you’re living in—this very second? You’ll never get it back.”
While resolving the past was important, focusing too much on it resulted in missing what was before you. Digesting Se-Hoon’s words, which carried a weight that seemingly was not theoretical but lived, Li Wen made a strange and unreadable expression.
This young man... truly is something else.
Although Se-Hoon was young enough to be his son, Li Wen couldn’t help but think that talking to him felt like speaking to someone far older. Filled with that indescribable feeling, Li Wen nodded slowly.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“No need to be so serious about it... oh, right. What about your living arrangements? Have you decided?”
“Ah, I’ve decided to stay in Babel.”
Li Wen made a wry smile as he glanced at his daughter chasing the three around with her summoned Flame Sparrow.
“I figured it’d be safer for Fei to get her education here.... And honestly, if we went anywhere else, I think things would just get messy.”
“True... I can see that happening.”
Initially, there had indeed been some hostility toward them for being related to Li Kenxie. However, after Li Wen’s second official statement, opinion changed. Thanks to his firm stance, public sentiment softened significantly, with rumors even spreading that worshiping him would improve one’s chances of receiving the Blessing of the Sacred Lantern.
Especially since Li Fei can use the Blessing of the Sacred Lantern... people will start treating her strangely.
It wasn’t just a domestic issue—Li Wen had to think about the global implications, which led to the decision to stay in Babel.
“...I’m sorry if my interference played a part in that decision.”
“No, don’t be! Most people would beg for a chance to live in Babel. Fei and I are grateful to be here, so please don’t worry about it!”
Watching Li Wen wave his hands in denial, Se-Hoon chuckled. “Alright. Then, have you decided on work? If you don’t have anything lined up, I could look into something for you.”
Recalling that Li Wen had worked at MT Industry and even ran a guild before the regression, Se-Hoon figured he could easily gather a few independent acquaintances and just form a new guild for them to work.
In fact, it was something he had considered from the beginning, though he had brought it up without much thought just now.
“Ah... well...”
Glancing at Se-Hoon, he gave a slightly sheepish smile.
“I was thinking I’d try something new this time.”
“Something new?”
“Yes... Actually, I’ve always had a bit of an interest in children’s clothing and that kind of thing...”
At first, he had just wanted to send clothes to his daughter, but somewhere along the way, he found himself genuinely drawn to the designs. He hadn’t had the time then to pursue it, but as he considered a fresh start now, he found himself leaning toward tailoring... or not.
Seeing Se-Hoon’s eyes wide open in surprise, Li Wen chuckled awkwardly.
Maybe it’s a dumb idea after all.
Thinking he should just stick to what he was good at, Li Wen opened his mouth to backtrack—
“That sounds amazing.”
Se-Hoon smiled warmly.
“I’m sure you’ll do really well.”
It wasn’t flattery—from the way Se-Hoon said it, Li Wen could tell that Se-Hoon genuinely could see the potential in him, that he truly meant it. Feeling his chest swell unexpectedly, Li Wen bowed his head.
“I’ll give it my best!”
“Whoa, you don’t have to bow for that—”
BOOM!
As Se-Hoon was helping up Li Wen, a thunderous blast abruptly rang out from the training ground. Instantly, the two turned their heads and saw the “playtime” on the training grounds had completely changed.
“I am strong!!!”
“STRONG!!”
Perched on her summoned Vermilion Bird, Li Fei was shouting proudly in glee as flames rained down like feathers.
“Where the hell did that thing come from?!”
“This is fun.”
“HEY! Don’t go all out against a child!!”
All three of Li Fei’s sparring partners, startled by the need to suddenly go full power, began moving faster to adapt.
“W-Wait! Fei!”
Panicking, Li Wen jumped up and ran toward the training grounds. Se-Hoon, though, stayed seated, just observing it all with a content smile.
I guess you don’t need to worry in the afterlife.
Even if shadows lingered in their hearts, he was sure that those two would be able to shake them off in time. And even if they did lose their way, the blessing that Li Kenxie had left behind would surely guide them.
Now then, all that’s left is...
At that moment, just as Se-Hoon was thinking about his next task, he heard a voice echoing in his ear.
“Everyone’s here,” Ludwig informed.
And at that, Se-Hoon rose from his seat.
“I’m on my way.”
With a single teleportation, his environment changed in an instant. Now he was standing in front of the Divine Tree in the heart of Paradise, the special district built by the Pilgrimage Church within Babel.
Gazing up at the tree, now more massive than before, Se-Hoon then lowered his gaze.
“It’s been a while, everyone.”
He faced the four remaining Perfect Ones before him.