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Chapter: Holy Light Infusion

"How did you acquire this necklace?" Forseti asked.

"It's from the Maya," Khonshu replied. "Just two years before my body was destroyed by Apocalypse, I took part in the conquest of the Maya kingdom. This necklace is my most prized trophy, yet I haven't had the chance to study it."

"Or... allow me to research it first?"

"I have it," Forseti said, stowing away the necklace.

Khonshu sighed.

Observing his pitiful expression, Forseti said, "Let's leave some treasures for you; after all, you need sustenance too."

"Thank you..."

Leaving some treasures for Khonshu, Forseti stored the remainder of the secret room's contents and inquired, "From what I understand, due to your betrayal, there was a significant error in that rebirth ceremony, which weakened Apocalypse. Is that correct?"

Khonshu nodded. "I disrupted Apocalypse's soul transfer at a critical moment during the ceremony, severely damaging his soul and nearly killing him. Unfortunately, I fell short in the end."

Forseti asked, "Is Apocalypse still weak now?"

"I believe so. Despite Apocalypse's soul being unlike that of ordinary beings, it lacks strong resilience that true gods have. He should still be quite feeble," Khonshu said, realization dawning. "Are you planning to seize this opportunity to kill him? Even at half strength, Apocalypse remains a formidable adversary."

Forseti remained noncommittal. "Before considering the issue of Apocalypse, I must first rescue the person I intend to save."

Khonshu cautioned, "It won't be easy... If you want my assistance, you must demonstrate your strength. If you are not powerful enough, you will perish, and I won't assist you."

Forseti extended his right hand, and divine flames ignited from his palm, blazing white-hot and roaring with intense heat.

Surprised by the fierce flames, Khonshu exclaimed, "You are... an Asgardian!"

Forseti was taken aback but said nothing.

"Very well, let's attempt the rescue. When do you plan to act?" Khonshu inquired.

"Tomorrow night."

The two exited the secret room,

Forseti escorted Khonshu back to the inn.

Moonlight bathed Khonshu's form, transforming him back into a statue, positioned by the window to absorb lunar energy.

Shilut was curious about Khonshu, but as the statue's material was something he spat out, he refrained from approaching, choosing peace of mind instead.

Forseti opened the Holy Deed, dedicating the necklace in exchange for the spell book [Holy Light Infusion], eager to peruse its contents.

As its name implied, [Holy Light Infusion] imbued and stored Holy Light into an object.

While the spell itself lacked lethality, it proved highly effective against evil creatures such as demons. Once infused with Holy Light, demons would perish within minutes.

Although not inherently lethal, [Holy Light Infusion] possessed numerous practical applications. When used on a target and followed by a Holy Light spell, its effects were greatly amplified, enhancing both healing and offensive capabilities. When combined with [Holy Shock], its potency became even more remarkable.

Furthermore, prolonged use of Holy Light infusion on individuals could alter their physical makeup, rendering them more attuned to Holy Light and potentially transforming them into conduits of Holy Light itself. Similar effects could be observed in objects; those infused with Holy Light over time gained properties akin to Holy Light.

This meant Forseti could potentially cultivate paladins. After all, the initial step towards becoming a paladin was an affinity for Holy Light, either through natural predisposition or aided by the Holy Deed.

While leadership roles held little appeal to Forseti, he couldn't help but entertain the idea momentarily.

Might he form an order of knights?

Forseti reckoned learning [Holy Light Infusion], the simplest spell in the fourth-tier, wouldn't prove challenging. Following his awakening, his understanding and cognitive abilities had markedly improved, suggesting mastery within a fortnight at most.

The following day, Forseti studied [Holy Light Infusion], halting only to eat before preparing for the night's rescue mission.

At dead of night, Forseti approached the window.

A flash of light enveloped the demon statue, transforming Khonshu into his demon form. "Is it time to depart?"

Forseti nodded, summoning Shilut. The pair, accompanied by the statue, melded into Serbenitus' nocturnal shadows.

"Apocalypse customarily prepares multiple contingency bodies before rebirth, secured within a dungeon and guarded by one or two Apocalypse Knights, overseen by abilities," Khonshu disclosed.

"If there's only one Apocalypse Knight, it shouldn't pose much difficulty. Yet, if there are two, we must exercise caution."

After trekking through the midnight gloom for about thirty minutes, Khonshu pointed, saying, "Do you see that temple? The dungeon entrance lies within."

He indicated an ancient temple flanked by cobra statues, its entrance guarded by four sentinels.

Khonshu gestured, the moonlight cloaking himself, Forseti, and Shilut in a hazy luminescence, rendering them invisible.

"You can become invisible?" Forseti queried in astonishment.

Khonshu explained, "Though my strength remains limited, the invisibility effect isn't entirely reliable. Should any of the four possess sensory abilities, our approach will be detected."

"Upon nearing, any sign of change warrants immediate action to eliminate the four guards outside."

Forseti nodded, brandishing Antusur's Hand.

The trio, cloaked in invisibility, cautiously advanced until they were within meters of the four sentinels.

At that moment, one guard's expression shifted, sensing something amiss; his eyes faintly glowed as he scanned the vicinity.

Reacting swiftly, Forseti lunged forward, clutching the guard's throat and unleashing flames from his hand. Simultaneously, Antusur's Hand struck another sentinel.

Both guards fell instantly.

In tandem, Khonshu and Shilut launched their own attacks.

Khonshu fused moonlight around his fingers, transforming them into dagger-like blades, swiftly decapitating a sentinel.

Shilut opened his mouth, causing a surge of mudslides to materialize and swiftly envelop another guard's head, silencing his struggles.

Khonshu's Moonlight Hand Blades deftly dispatched the final sentinel.

All four guards perished without a sound.

"Well done; you truly deserve the title of Asgardian God," Khonshu praised with a smile. "Next, we'll infiltrate the dungeon. The Apocalypse Knights within pose a formidable challenge, so proceed cautiously."

With that, he marked the corpses of the four guards, causing them to return to their original positions, appearing as though untouched before battle.