Reincarnated With An SSS-Rank Talent In An Apocalyptic World-Chapter 163: Divinity of Faith
I had to admit, Sebastian's tactics made a lot of sense. Fighting the elves would be much easier than taking on the orc horde. Then it would be best if we rely on speed for this war. The enemy knew nothing about our intentions, so we had the element of surprise. If I was able to rush down the elf troops blocking the valley, we could reach the second ring before they were ready to defend.
That way, sieging the city would be easier.
"I like the way you think…" I chuckled while glancing over the map. "But what makes you think I can deal with so many soldiers alone?"
I leaned forward with an amused grin on my face.
Sebastian blinked like I'd said something dumb, then glared at me like I'd asked a stupid question.
"You're the great one. You can do anything," he shrugged off my question without hesitation.
For a moment, I was stunned. The blind faith this kid had in me was something I'd been looking for a very long time but never got. My gaze seemed to attract his attention, and he looked around with a confused expression before returning his eyes to me.
"Did I say something wrong?" he stuttered, his voice slightly lower.
I smiled and shook my head. Without saying a word, I walked around the table and stopped in front of the young lad with a small smile on my face.
"I heard you refused to work for any of the kingdoms. Why did you choose to work for Althea?" I asked in a calm tone—a tone a big brother would use on his little brother.
Sebastian was taken aback, both by my tone and the calmness in my vicious facial features. He lowered his head and pondered for a few seconds before looking up again and showing me two fingers.
"Two reasons?" I asked patiently, and he nodded.
"The first is, humanity is at risk. If this empire falls, even my small village won't be spared," he explained, and I nodded.
"Fair point," I said.
"The second is you…" Sebastian pointed at me.
"Me?" I raised an eyebrow, and he nodded.
"I heard about the great one who united all kingdoms to form a new empire. I wanted to be of help. I realized if I was going to be a strategist, it should be in service of the greatest human in existence," Sebastian said. "Even if they didn't reach out to me, I would have come here myself."
Hearing this, I was left tongue-tied, unsure of what to say. The look in his eyes reminded me of the way my daughters looked at me when they were much younger. I was their everything—a superhero they could look up to.
Ding!
[Divinity of Faith Unlocked]
[Congratulations, the host has found a devotee who believes in him with every fiber of his being.]
Name: Adam Black
Level: 12
Race: Human/Demon
Devotees of Chaos: 300,000 [600 EXP daily]
Devotee of Faith: 1 [0 EXP daily]
Talent: Keeper
Talent Tier: SSS-Tier
---
[Stats]
Strength: 16 + 5
Speed: 13 + 5
Vitality: 14 + 5
Intelligence: 10 + 5
Health Points: 150/150 + 50
Energy Points: 40/40
Experience Points: 8,150 / 13,600
Equipment: Devil Grimoire
Corruption: 11.5%
Fragments: 342
---
[Skills]
Name: Door
Status: Upgradeable
Tier: C
Cost: 1 EP
Proficiency: 30%
Technique: Doorpost
Name: Blood Pact
Status: Upgradeable
Tier: A
Cost: 10 HP
Proficiency: 0%
Name: Might of Man
Status: Upgradeable
Tier: C
Cost: Nil
Proficiency: 100%
Name: Wavelength of Madness
Status: Upgradeable
Tier: B
Cost: Nil
Proficiency: 100%
Name: Blood Ignition
Status: Upgradeable
Tier: B
Cost: 10% HP
Proficiency: 0%
Name: Crimson Threads
Status: Upgradeable
Tier: B
Cost: 1 HP per thread
Proficiency: 0%
Name: Angel
Status: Upgradeable
Tier: B
Cost: 3 EP
Proficiency: 0%
Name: Omen Pulse
Status: Fixed
Tier: B
Cost: 5 EP
Proficiency: 0%
Name: Corrupted Growth
Status: Fixed
Tier: A
Cost: 10 EP
Proficiency: 0%
Name: Magic Acumen
Status: Fixed
Tier: SS
Cost: Nil
Proficiency: 100%
---
[Territory]
Solinthar Empire [Living Realm]
Perk: +5 to all Stats & +50 Health Points
I was stunned by the system notifications for two reasons. The first was that I believed Althea and Selric had complete faith in me—but I didn't unlock the Divinity of Faith while around them.
This meant that even though they gave me their unwavering support, they had doubts deep down. Unlike Sebastian, who gazed at me like I was the only one in the room.
It explains why he simply believed I would be able to deal with all the elf soldiers alone, even without me offering to take this role. While the others waited until I offered to handle the elf army before they gave their support.
The difference became clear to me.
The second reason was that I never thought a person could gain power from both faith and fear. I thought whatever path you chose to walk, you had to follow it to the end.
Does that mean there really is a middle ground where I could benefit from both?
Could I make my enemies fear me while making my people love me—and grow from the energy of both sides?
Slowly, I shut my eyes and took two steps back while I pondered in silence. Varius and Sebastian might have been unaware, but something life-changing had just happened.
The light has not forsaken me.
I didn't need to be a monster to grow.
There was another path forward.
"Are you okay?" Sebastian asked, and my eyes fluttered open while my lips spread into a small smile.
"Yes… yes, I am, kid." I smiled and patted his head, leaving him stunned.
Without saying another word, I walked around the table and returned to my usual position.
Reaching for the figurines representing our army, I moved them back to the empire and raised my gaze to meet Varius and Sebastian's confused stares.
"If our soldiers leave, I'm sure the elves and orcs will be alerted by their spies," I said while moving the crown figurine alone toward the elf army. "That is why I will take the initiative and move alone. Our armies will remain within the city walls for twenty minutes before they move."
"What?!" Varius gasped. "Isn't that risky? If something goes wrong, you'll be too far from help!"
He outright rejected the idea, but his opinion didn't matter. I was more interested in what Sebastian thought.
The kid rubbed his chin with a thoughtful expression for a few seconds before nodding.
"You can move faster alone, and with your flight, you have more vision—allowing you to deal with any enemy scout you find on the way," Sebastian analyzed, but he didn't stop there.
"Also, the army will obviously move slower because it's bulkier, giving you a 40–60 minute window to wipe out the troops blocking the valley."
Only after saying this did he raise his face to meet my expectant gaze.
"I like your plan. Let's do it!"
