CHAPTER 86: ZEUS’ WORSHIPERS DILEMMA

That day, his face was drained of its color.

He was so shocked that he forgot about breathing for an entire minute. His legs had grown weak, his heart had pounded like war drums. The feeling of dread and awe had remained with him for days.

Meanwhile, Victor ignored the shocked expressions on the faces of the recruits and continued his speech.

"Every dungeon that appears is a fight for survival. If we win and massacre them, their world would be destroyed, converted to our soul energy, and then used to advance our world... and vice versa."

"Small worlds like the E-rank to A-rank dungeons require fewer people to clear and destroy. But S-rank and above... require the help of the entire world."

His voice grew grim as he spoke the final line.

"S-ranked to SSS-ranked dungeons are not to be taken lightly... because a single mistake can bring upon the destruction of an entire world."

"As you may know, this place in which the Bureau formed its headquarters is a Qi Labyrinth. It is completely secluded from Earth itself. So, even when all the monsters inside it were cleared a long time ago, the place was not destroyed like a dungeon usually is a few minutes after being cleared."

There was a moment of quiet, the elder’s calm voice lingering in the minds of the disciples as they processed the weight of those words.

"The head of this Bureau had an encounter with another God right here in this Labyrinth," the elder continued, his tone steady yet heavy. "This was not long after Deus Anima saved Earth..."

The disciples leaned in slightly, their attention locked.

"The God he met claimed to be Zeus," the elder said slowly, letting the name hang in the air. "He granted the Bureau’s head powerful Qi methods—techniques more ancient and terrifying than anything seen before. He brought a message too... that Deus Anima is dead, and only by pleasing him—Zeus—will our world avoid destruction."

A ripple of unease moved through the young recruits.

"The head of our Bureau felt a tremendous pressure from that being. He was unable to resist... and ever since then, for several decades, he has worshipped this god and obeyed his commandments. It is said that doing so is the only thing that has spared this world from annihilation."

Just then, a jade tablet in the elder’s hand buzzed sharply, interrupting the tense silence.

Without hesitation, he infused his Qi into the tablet.

A voice emerged from it, loud and commanding.

"Sword Saint Victor, summon all your disciples at this instant. You and they are to report to the Grand Hall immediately. We have a situation of urgency!"

Everyone present heard it clearly, so Elder Victor did not bother with any explanation.

"We head out this instant," Victor said firmly to his disciples.

Without waiting, he turned and walked to the front. Then, with a practiced gesture, he called out a flying great sword.

The blade responded to his call and hovered in the air. Victor leapt onto it effortlessly, and the massive sword carried him swiftly through the sky toward the direction of the Great Hall.

The disciples stood still for a moment, watching in awe as their master vanished into the distance. The power and grandeur of it was enough to leave an impression on even the proudest of noble heirs among them.

None of them had the slightest idea...

That outside this secluded Labyrinth—far beyond the barriers separating this world from Earth itself

An S-ranked dungeon had just appeared.

And that was exactly the reason why they were being summoned.

****

Grand Hall, Salvation Burea.

A White Haired man could be seen sitting high up a stair on a throne, he is the head, formerly called patriarch of the Salvation Bureau or the Salvation Sect.

Down the stairs were elegant chairs with several men and women sitting on them.

Some were aware, some were unaware of why they were suddenly being called.

But the atmosphere was tense, and no one had said a single word ever since they stepped into this place.

He was just waiting for one person—the famous Sword Saint, Han Sen.

The very same who had taken the new recruits of their Saviour Bureau for training. Of course, he only took those interested in the way of the sword.

Just as the thought crossed his mind...

The Sword Saint arrived.

With a gust of wind trailing behind him, Han Sen landed at the Grand Hall. He jumped down gracefully from his flying sword, his movements fluid and controlled. Channeling a burst of Qi, he slowed his descent and landed with hardly a sound. In the same motion, he willed his spatial ring and stored away his Greatsword.

Without wasting time, he stepped forward and entered the Grand Hall.

Upon entering, he offered a respectful bow to the patriarch seated at the highest seat, then calmly walked to an empty seat among the others and sat down in silence.

The patriarch gave him a silent nod—an acknowledgement of both his arrival and his status—before sweeping his gaze across the gathered elders and senior bureau members.

Then, he spoke:

"As you all may—or may not—know, this world is now in a state of unrest."

His voice was calm, but every word carried weight.

"An S-Rank Dungeon has been detected. It appeared in the outlands of the Great Lumen Empire. We must discuss how to handle this threat... and we must do so without revealing the existence of our Bureau to the world at large."

He paused for a moment, letting the silence speak louder than any words.

"If the world learns of our presence, especially that we stand apart from the Great Works of Deus Anima... we may not survive the fallout. The Souler community sees Deus as their saviour god. If they misinterpret our stance..."

He let the implication hang in the air.

A deafening silence filled the hall.

Everyone present understood the gravity of the situation. This wasn’t just an emergency.

This meant one thing—

WAR.