"Alberta! Hehe, don't think that...hiss!!?"

Originally, the God of Assassination planned to talk tough as usual before escaping.

But upon seeing Herbert's renewed form after the baptism, not a single arrogant word could be spoken.

This feeling...

!!!

No, no, no!

Crisis, an intense crisis!

Although the god's grasp of the [assassination] divine position was minimal, being a member of the pantheon of death, the sense of life-and-death crisis was extremely keen.

This sense of crisis was even far more intense than before!

If escape was not immediate, death seemed certain!

In the instant Herbert raised his hand, the God of Assassination fully activated his [concealment] divine position.

Focusing all energy, holding breath, and mobilizing all divine power, he took a step forward.

Whoosh—

Before Herbert could act, the God of Assassination successfully leapt to the Shadow Plane.

The Shadow Plane, a dimension nearly forgotten by the world.

Here exist the shadows of all materials in the main plane, considered reflections of those objects, allowing long-distance travel through shadows.

However, due to a past upheaval, entry into the Shadow Plane became significantly harder, with only a rare few capable of entering.

Glukezak was one of the lucky ones.

Relying on his [concealment] divine position, he could walk within the Shadow Plane for extended periods.

For years, it was this ability that allowed him to evade the pursuits of the gods.

Based on past experience, he could now conclude.

He escaped!

The sense of crisis vanished!

After fleeing here, he was no longer bound.

"Hehe!"

The terrifying crisis of death disappeared, replaced by a soul-soothing satisfaction.

"Ha… hahaha!"

The feeling after a tense thrill even reminded him of the past.

Back then, as a mortal, it was in such moments of crisis, relying on this escape ability, he seized the relic's treasures, evading all pursuers.

It was only by utilizing the hidden divine format and divine positions within the treasure that he succeeded in becoming a deity.

Despite many experiences, without the original treasure, he surely couldn't satisfy the demands of the divine domain.

The God of Assassination's arrogant style thus had its reasons.

He believed only this sense of crisis could further enhance himself.

"Now, the crisis is sufficient, it's time to hide...ugh?"

This eternally lightless Shadow Plane suddenly became bright.

What?

But now, what was he witnessing?

Light.

He saw light.

In this dead silent plane, flames unexpectedly ignited!!?

At the same moment, Herbert, stationed in place, finally clenched his outstretched palm.

Flames ignited from the void.

No, just as the holy flame isn't mere fire.

What ignited spontaneously was an exceptionally pure holy light.

Boundless holy light descended within the Shadow Plane.

Ssszzsszz—

The holy light dissolved everything.

Like how shadows disappear once light emerges.

And once all shadows vanished, the only oddity left was singular.

And then...

"Ahhhhh!"

The God of Assassination, vanished just a moment ago, reappeared instantly, his entire body engulfed in flames, fiery blazes covering every inch.

"No!"

Trying to flee again, he found it impossible this time.

The fire formed from holy light was far hotter and more terrifying than before!

Even the divine artifact-level shroud couldn't withstand it, burning as an accelerant, intensifying the blaze.

No, it wasn't that the divine artifact ignited.

It was...the sins on himself, fueling the holy flame's roaring blaze!

No!

What drove the God of Assassination to despair was the realization that his divine power rapidly dissolved in these flames.

Already weak power further dwindled, incapable of resistance.

One misstep led to repeated blunders.

Once captured by the opponent, there remained no chance of escape.

Growing weaker while the holy flame grew stronger.

The unequal growth resulted in the thin sliver of hope vanishing completely.

"No! Ahhhhh!"

The once dignified deity, now pitifully like a powerless mortal, writhed in pain, clutching his head.

"Spare me!"

In agony, the God of Assassination chose the last option—beg for mercy!

"Great Master of the Sun! I beg your mercy!"

He wailed, taking a vicious oath.

"I am willing to become your servant, to atone with the rest of my life!"

In this moment of deathly crisis, the God of Assassination's speech was surprisingly articulate, no longer deranged or sneering, with a clear gaze.

An intelligent intellect once again occupied the high ground.

But...the God of Assassination was wrong.

He was pleading with the worst possible candidate.

As a newly deified god during the sun's silent period, the God of Assassination never directly encountered the Sun God, learning about this great being only through texts and other deities' words.

He didn't know that, to the Sun God, every word from the Evil God seemed like the world's most venomous curse. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

And the Evil God's plea for mercy was the world's most laughable thing, utterly unconvincing.