Someone once said: the secret to a long life was smoking, drinking, and looking at pretty girls.
If that were true, then Felyn probably just gained a few extra years today.
Zervanie and Viloti, two beautiful girls with completely different styles—kept talking to him as they walked. The road to the Saint Andros Communion Grand Cathedral passed by in the blink of an eye.
Zervanie seemed a little annoyed by earlier events. Every now and then, she’d deliberately drift closer to Viloti’s side.
But Viloti clung tightly to Felyn’s sleeve, practically hiding behind his back.
This pink-haired noble girl really didn’t like being around anyone except Felyn.
“Just up these steps, and we’re there.”
The three of them stood at the base of a staircase that stretched as far as the eye could see, leading up to what looked like a cathedral floating in the sky.
The Saint Andros Communion Grand Cathedral shimmered like a miracle suspended in the clouds, built entirely from pure white magic crystal.
There were many people gathered to worship. Felyn weaved through the crowd to the side of the staircase.
“Do we have to walk? That’s… a lot of steps.”
He pressed his foot on the first stair. “I’m definitely gonna be sore tomorrow.”
“There’s a teleportation Seal over there.” Zervanie pointed to a small line of people by a platform. “But it’s only for Empire-granted nobles. My family doesn’t qualify yet.”
“So you walk this whole staircase every time you come here?”
“Yeah, that’s why I hate coming here,” she muttered, then quickly covered her mouth with both hands after realizing she’d just disrespected the gods.
“Felyn, we could go—”
Viloti tugged lightly on Felyn’s sleeve and started walking toward the platform. “My family is an noble house. So we can use the teleportation Seal.”
Zervanie’s smile twitched.
Why is even stealing a man a contest of family background?!
Can’t we compete fairly, for once?!
She imagined herself drenched in sweat after climbing the whole staircase… only to see Viloti already holding Felyn’s hand.
I should’ve never let her come along!
Viloti… bad girl.
The world is cruel to kindhearted people.
Viloti turned back and saw Zervanie standing in place. She gently waved a hand to signal her to follow.
“Zervanie. Come with us.”
“M-Me?”
Zervanie hurried to catch up, returning to Felyn’s side.
Viloti… good girl.
The guards respectfully stepped aside after Viloti showed the Silafiel family crest and allowed the three to pass onto the teleportation Seal platform.
A flash of dazzling light, and Felyn found himself at the cathedral’s grand entrance plaza.
The plaza was massive—like it could fit the entire Royal Capital’s population.
Looking down from here, the capital’s beauty unfolded in full view. The distant clouds felt close enough to touch.
This was the closest Felyn had ever felt to the gods.
The air itself buzzed with divine presence. It made visitors instinctively lower their voices and walk softly.
“All the gods with global followings have statues here,” Zervanie whispered. “I was speechless the first time I saw this.”
The testing area was inside. Zervanie led Felyn through the luxurious cathedral to a towering door—three or four meters high—decorated with golden patterns.
“Normally, you have to book this test in advance. But Viloti’s Silafiel crest skips all of that.”
The guards had been informed in advance and let them in immediately.
“Felyn, from this point on, only you can go in. We’ll be waiting right outside.”
Zervanie’s fingers twisted nervously behind her back as she spoke, her silver-white hair sliding off her shoulders as she subconsciously tucked it behind her ear again and again.
A soft pink blush colored her cheeks.
“Felyn, no matter what happens in there, I, I…”
She wanted to say, I’ll always be by your side, but that sounded way too suggestive. She couldn’t say it.
“Wait… is this test dangerous? Is there a risk of dying or something?”
Felyn’s heart skipped. It sounded way too much like a death flag.
“Of course not! I just wanted to say—say that…”
Viloti, who had been silent the whole time, looked at Zervanie, then at Felyn, and calmly said, “She wants to say she likes you. And she hopes you won’t forget her.”
Zervanie’s mind went blank like a bomb had exploded inside her skull. Her ice-blue eyes widened to an absurd degree.
“No! Viloti! You totally misunderstood me!”
She stomped her foot.
What is wrong with this girl?! She’s always ruining my plans!
Viloti tilted her head, clearly puzzled. In her mind, wasn’t it obvious Zervanie liked Felyn?
“Anyway! Felyn, don’t feel pressured, okay?!”
Afraid that the conversation might spiral even further, Zervanie pushed Felyn straight through the doors of the Divine Summoning Room.
Inside the room, Felyn found himself in a wide, empty space. The walls—covered in murals—stood far, far away.
“So this is divine summoning, huh…”
He walked alone along a plush carpet. The sunlight avoided his shadow, casting light only around him.
At the end of the path was a small door. He gently pushed it open and saw several nun-like women waiting.
“Mr. Felyn, please come in.”
The room was small, lit only by faint magic Seals and dark golden lines along the walls.
In the center stood a plush armchair. One of the nuns motioned for him to sit.
“Do I need to do anything?”
“Just relax. Try not to resist.”
Felyn obeyed, loosening his body. A nun approached with a vial and dripped three clear drops of liquid onto his forehead.
“By the Eternal Pact, I summon the gaze of the gods. Let this seeker of truth bathe in holy light and awaken in divine revelation.”
In an instant, the dark room blazed with light and expanded to infinity.
When he came to his senses, Felyn was floating above a sea of clouds.
There was only the swirling sea below and a burning orange sunset above, embedded like a jewel in the sky.
His body hovered midair, glowing in the sun’s color. Even his clothes had turned amber.
When he looked up, he saw them—three gods standing before him.
Truth. Order. Reincarnation.
He couldn’t see their faces. Didn’t even know their genders.
The three wore robes that matched the sunset’s glow, towering over Felyn like divine statues.
All three appearing meant he had high affinity with them.
Yes!
Joining any of these three Churches would guarantee a stable, prosperous life.
The gods reached out their hands, signaling Felyn to step forward and receive divine grace.
He approached. One of the hands hovered over his head…
Then pulled back.
Suddenly, the orange sky twisted.
A deep red streak split through the clouds.
Just as Felyn prepared for divine awakening, a fourth god appeared above him.
He wasn’t even sure if it was a god.
The figure was human-sized and vague, floating in the air.
He couldn’t make out any features—except for the unmistakable dark red twin-tails flowing from her head.
She waved at him.
And Felyn, reflexively, waved back.
What happened next defied all logic.
The three gods turned and fled.
Yes, fled.
As soon as Twin-tail Girl appeared, the gods spun around and ran in three different directions, their massive legs striding off into the clouds without looking back.
Felyn was left dumbfounded.
“What the hell?! What’s going on?!”
Then the sea of clouds vanished.
His body plummeted.
Darkness swallowed his mind.
Felyn’s eyes flew open.
He was back in the room.
“What… what the hell was that?”
His throat was dry. He wanted to speak, but had no idea what that scene even meant.
Gods ran away from me. Is that… good? Bad?
“Mr. Felyn, thank you for your patience.”
A nun placed a report on the table, but deliberately avoided meeting his eyes.
Then she stepped back quickly, as if not wanting to get too close.
“Your Divine Affinity report is here.”
Not a good sign.
No way… Don’t tell me it’s zero?
But he saw the gods. Several of them.
Felyn took a deep breath and opened the report.
Not even college exams had made him this nervous.
He looked at the final number.
His face matched the nuns’.
Good news: it wasn’t zero.
Bad news: it was -1.
A negative Divine Affinity meant only one thing:
The gods absolutely hate you.
(End of Chapter)