A dull longsword and a heartbroken villager

“The gods won’t help us now,” Bray said coldly, standing behind the priest.

He couldn't share the priest's emotional response, but he could still somewhat understand why He was weeping.

It's probably just like when the Dark Iron race saw their homeland being easily crushed.

“Shut up!” the priest shouted angrily, for he would not allow anyone to question the prayers of his angels.

Tears mingled with anger, twisting his expression.

"You still don't know anything, birdman." If others are impolite, Bray won't be so polite either.

"All the lower races began to fight against the gods."

"The lower species here include you bronze species."

“God has long since stopped helping us.” Bray laid bare the cold truth before the angel without any mercy.

This is the world's strongest panda ╭(′▽`)╭(′▽`)╯, wishing all the readers who have been following my updates a Happy New Year.

I didn't realize that I'd been updating for so long. I never thought Broken Sword could keep going until now.

Although I'm writing books to make a living, I'm still grateful to everyone for giving me the motivation to keep writing.

If it weren't for so many readers, I would have left and moved on long ago (*ω)

There's not much to say, so here's a New Year's preview.

I estimate that the main story will end in a few more volumes, after which I'll start writing "what if" scenarios (to make money) and also start a new book.

"I'll still be the devil as always 0V0, don't try to stop me." Almost the instant Bray uttered those words, the priest unleashed a divine spell at Bray.

He knew He was no match for Bray, but that didn't mean He would let Bray insult His faith.

However, the sword was not even drawn; the scabbard alone was enough to block the seal wheel constructed by the divine magic.

"Whether it's true or not, you'll know once you leave here." Bray didn't care whether this birdman believed him or not.

Anyway, He will see the truth with His own eyes.

Persuading others is a very tiring task, and even after tiring it out, there's no guarantee of success.

Even Bray himself finds it difficult to believe things that contradict his own beliefs unless the facts are presented to him.

It is indeed very difficult to convince religious beings that they have been abandoned by the gods.

“I don’t care what you’re thinking right now, I need you to tell us something,” Bray said.

"..." The priest stared at Bray, waiting for the other's next words.

"This guy next to you wants to know how you suppressed the Wild God." Bray pulled Rector, who was hiding behind him, out and said to the angel priest.

"By the way, just tell him the specifics, I don't understand." He said this very seriously, as if not understanding was a perfectly normal thing.

The air condensed.

"Hahahaha, are you crazy?" The priest suddenly burst into laughter.

To Him, Bray's words were no different from a joke.

"A mere inferior species, yet it dares to copy our technology?" Its tone was filled with disdain for inferior species, as if it had completely forgotten that it had been utterly defeated by Bray not long ago.

This deep-seated disdain is truly unpleasant for those who interact with the Bronze type.

Nobody wants to be looked down upon the entire time they're speaking, and Bray, being neither a masochist, naturally didn't like it either.

“I don’t think this guy is crazy,” Bray said, pointing at Rickdo.

When Rector was pointed at, he started to panic, fearing that the other party might attack him at any moment.

Bray can hold on, but he can't.

"And you were just recently beaten up by some inferior race you look down on," Bray added.

These words left the priest speechless.

"Do you think I would tell you about a method that was learned with the combined efforts of my entire clan?" The priest stopped displaying his arrogance, but his tone remained cold.

"Actually, it's possible to figure it out with a little time, but it's faster to just ask you directly."

"..."

“I have no problem with you going to hell with this legacy,” Bray shrugged.

The priest's reaction was expected.

He just wanted to test whether the other party would tell him. If not, then Rector would have to take the books back and study them one by one.

No matter what he said, he promised Rector that once everything was done, he could go back and have Rector do the work properly.

Rector, standing nearby, felt a sudden chill run down his spine. He instinctively looked at the angel priest, thinking that the malice was coming from Him.

"The only Aragami that can be suppressed are those without 'Harmony Soul'," the priest said after hesitating for a long time.

Rector immediately perked up his ears and began to listen.

"The Aragami, having lost all three elements, gave birth to the 'Aragami' and 'Watama' in order to maintain its temporary stability."

"The Wild Soul is the root of the Wild God's madness and the cause of all the components of the three elements of hatred."

"The soul is the last hope to prevent the Aragami from falling into distortion and madness."

"Aragami must possess Aragami, but not necessarily Harmony Soul."

It is precisely because of the two elements, Arakami and Hekami, that there are both rampaging Arakami and Arakami that can maintain their own self.

When the soul completely disappears, the outcome is self-evident.

"What can be suppressed by humans is not the Aragami who possess their own will, but the complete monsters."

The priest then went on to say a great deal more, so much that it was impossible to fully digest it all at once.

"The books on the altar bookshelf all contain relevant knowledge."

“However, the books with the most concentrated knowledge are on the leftmost bookshelf.” After saying this, the priest closed his eyes.

He struggled a lot to say these words.

Indeed, Bray's mere presence was a threat; if he didn't speak up, no one knew what the other might do.

But that's not the biggest reason.

The priest, lost in despair, had long since given up hope; even if he were to perish here, he would feel no sorrow whatsoever.

They might even see it as a relief.

The reason He told the two lower beings so many reasons was because of a casual remark Bray had made earlier.

"I have no objection if you want to go to hell with this legacy."

He did not want the intellectual heritage of his people to simply disappear from the world.

If they are all forgotten, will their existence, like this knowledge, leave no trace in this world?

This knowledge from the past is already evidence of their existence, a more powerful piece of evidence than this desolate city.

"Mr. Bray! I'll go find the book right now!" Rector was overjoyed and almost ran into the altar to find the book himself.

But Bray grabbed his collar with one hand and pulled him back forcefully.

"Don't run around doing something reckless. I still need you to do my work." Bray gave Rector a deadpan look.

After being glared at, Rector inexplicably became much more obedient.

In his excitement, he forgot how dangerous this place was.

"I'm not running anymore, I'm not running anymore."

Only after hearing Rector's words did Bray decide to let go.

“I killed all these angels,” Breton said to the priest whose back was to him after a pause.

"I can see that." The priest's tone became unusually calm.

The wounds revealed that Bray had killed his own kin who had been parasitized.

“You brought them liberation, and I have no intention of seeking revenge,” He said slowly, and then walked forward.

His pace was slow because He himself did not have a clear goal.

"Where are you going?" Bray asked, frowning as he looked at the priest's back.

"Where to?" Bray's question made the priest sway.

He wasn't so weak that he could barely walk... Was it because he was wavering because of his own confusion?

"Where to...? I don't know." The priest turned his head and met Bray's gaze.

His beautiful eyes were filled with confusion.

After He turned around again, He took a few steps and then spread His wings.

“But leaving this abandoned city is never a bad thing.” He said the word “abandoned” in a very unwilling tone.

It was too difficult for Him to admit that the city was abandoned.

"After I witness the tragic end of my own kind, I will verify whether what you told me is the truth," the priest said softly.

A gust of wind rose, and the angel soared into the air, quickly disappearing from Bray's sight. "Mr. Bray, there are so many books I want..." Rickard said hesitantly, looking at the stone books on the bookshelf.

"Can I take it in several installments?" he asked tentatively.

There was no way around it; every book held a tremendous allure for Rector.

Although the priest pointed out which bookshelf had the most important books, the problem was that even so, there were still many books to be taken away.

With the ordinary backpack that Rector brought, he couldn't carry many books at all.

It's important to know that although they're called books, they are actually solid stone slabs.

“Take it in several installments…do you expect me to come to this godforsaken place with you several more times?” Bray’s lips twitched.

Bray doesn't dislike taking risks, but he doesn't want to be a tool for others repeatedly.

Being a tool is troublesome enough as it is, does this Rector want to do it multiple times? Are you kidding me?

Bray glanced at the bookshelf with a frustrated expression, then looked down at his fanny pack.

He genuinely didn't want to use his own waistband to carry the books Rickdo wanted.

“Throw all the books you wanted on the ground,” he sighed and said to Rector.

"Uh, okay." Rickdo didn't know what Bray was going to do, but he obediently did as he was told.

Rector has long since entered underling mode.

In this underground city, your safety is entirely up to Bray.

Besides, Bray has saved him no less than ten times... so Rector should at least behave himself.

“Move it yourself,” Bray added.

"..." Rector shrank his neck and began to take the books down from the bookshelf one by one.

This exhausted him; all these books came from stone slabs.

“I thought that angel would come with me,” Rector said as he carried the load.

“You’re overthinking it,” Bray said.

“Generally speaking, since we saved Him, He should be grateful to us.”

“We didn’t save him,” Bray continued.

The conversation between the two ended there. Rector couldn't find any new topics, so he could only move the books in silence.

About twenty minutes later, Rector finally picked out the books he wanted from the bookshelf one by one and threw them on the ground.

Thanks to the high quality of these books, they were not damaged at all when Rector threw them to the ground.

“Mr. Bray, I’m all set.” Rickard wiped the sweat from his brow and said something that could easily be misunderstood.

Bray looked at Rector with a very subtle expression.

"What's wrong?" Rector was still happy that he was finally not sweating, but he didn't expect to be met with this look from Bray.

“It’s nothing, as long as you’re happy,” Bray said, shaking his head.

"Did I...did I say something strange?"