Chapter 269 – Collector of Divinities
Arcane fiddled with the jewel-encrusted earring on his ear.
‘This is a troublesome situation.’
He hadn’t expected to be led toward the Ordoer Forest instead of Demtor’s formation.
Arthur.
The man before him was showing strong hostility, but that was nothing compared to the witches' overwhelming hatred toward him in this forest.
A rare, extremely dangerous revelation had descended.
“Not yet?”
Arcane’s gaze landed on the mysterious, massive tree now within clear view.
A towering tree filled with overflowing life force, wrapped in warm light.
He was close enough to take it in at a glance. He wanted to get closer, but the revelation warned him not to approach any further.
‘Because of them, no doubt.’
Sensing the ambush, familiar faces began emerging from the forest.
A man with twin swords.
A dark elf armed with her Crow.
And two witches, both wearing wide-brimmed hats.
‘Lochter, Fenry, Lily, and Natasha—quite the lineup.’
Not to mention, the strongmen of Tobaron and the Ortas had secured the perimeter and surrounded him.
“I didn’t expect such a warm welcome.”
“Warm welcome? You bastard.”
Natasha growled viciously at Arcane. Her expression looked like she wanted to rip him apart right then and there.
“You sold us out, and you dare crawl back here?”
“I didn’t sell out anyone. I simply entrusted myself to the flow of fate.”
“Shut it, bastard! Because of you, we became everyone’s prey! If you hadn’t gone around talking about the relationship between witches and divinities, the ‘Witch Massacre’ wouldn’t have happened! Our kin wouldn’t have been sold into slavery!”
“It was only a matter of time. I warned you as a former friend: to survive, you must either be protected by the strong or become strong yourself. The witches’ closed culture rejected both.”
“Bullshit!”
As Natasha’s body turned into her spirit form through Gereflam, I stepped forward to block her.
Meeting my gaze, Natasha bit her lip and backed down for now.
We had made a promise before coming—not to act rashly.
Seeing this, Arcane smiled gently and turned to me.
“Well, it’s fortunate. You seem to have finally taken my advice and come under a strong protector.”
I summoned the Vampiric Ring, gripping the crimson-tinted bow, and asked Arcane,
“So? Let’s hear it. Why did you call me? What kind of revelation was it?”
“The tree is dangerous.”
“The tree?”
I realized that Arcane’s gaze was directed at the World Tree.
He hadn’t yet grasped its true nature.
No, he was probably just now realizing it. I looked at his earring and asked,
“What kind of danger are we talking about?”
“Demtor will make a move soon. I came to warn you.”
“Demtor? We can handle them ourselves.”
“If you could, I wouldn’t be here. I bring the will of the ‘Revelation’. Be wary of bombs—and the sky.”
He was saying that by the time we noticed Demtor’s attack, it would already be too late.
Knowing how accurate his revelations were, I couldn’t ignore the warning.
Still, I had to ask.
“I thought you were on Demtor’s side. Why tell us something so important?”
“I’m on no one’s side. I can befriend anyone if it helps achieve my purpose.”
“And you can become their enemy too.”
“That would be regrettable.”
“But one thing’s clear. That tree is important to you.”
At my words, Arcane gave a faint smile.
A strange smile.
Arcane of Fate.
In the novel, what was he moving toward?
In the end, his goal would align with the will of the Revelator. And that being did not want the World Tree to fall.
“Arcane, what is your ultimate goal?”
“The Revelation guides me.”
“As expected. Just like the kind of people I hate the most.”
“Kind?”
“Cult leaders. That’s why I don’t like you.”
I aimed the Vampiric Ring at him, and the other four readied for battle as well.
Whether he came to help or use us, I didn’t care.
Anyone who could become a major threat must be eliminated when the chance arises.
Sensing my intent, Arcane clicked his tongue lightly.
“You don’t have time to fight me. Didn’t you hear my warning?”
“If I didn’t have time, the Revelation would’ve told me to act immediately.”
“You’re more difficult than expected. I had hoped we could be friends.”
“It’s not friendship you’re after. You want to know my divinity. Isn’t collecting divinities your hobby?”
“...You seem to know quite a bit of dangerous information.”
Arcane’s expression hardened—if only briefly.
Flash—
His earring sparkled brightly.
Arcane’s ancient artifact that reads and collects divinities—Divinity’s Fate Ring.
In order to read a target’s divinity, the ring required specific conditions for each target.
Those conditions were provided by the Revelator, and Arcane simply followed them.
For that mysterious tree, it only required proximity and time.
It meant it was an easily readable divinity.
[World Tree – Land of Wishes (WISH)]
“Hm. A newly born one, is it?”
It was not the Millennium Tree, but a new existence.
The Revelator wished to protect this tree—no, the World Tree.
‘So that’s why.’
Now that he had read its divinity, Arcane could understand much more about the World Tree.
His goal had been achieved. It was time to leave.
He had already delivered the necessary information—they would be prepared now.
Arcane let his arms fall and looked around at the people surrounding him.
Five in total.
Each one a threat.
Even if he summoned the Divine Beast Fortea, he couldn’t guarantee his safety.
‘Feels just like facing the Stars for the first time.’
Back then, too, he had felt suffocating pressure.
Demtor had tried to enslave him, but failed.
And just as the Stars had failed, these people would also ultimately fail.
The Revelation had told him how to survive this moment.
As tension filled the air and a battle seemed about to break out, Arcane suddenly took an object from his coat and threw it to Fenry.
Startled, Fenry caught it midair—and her eyes filled with shock.
“This... how did you...?”
“Is this not a precious item to your race? A tribal treasure, I believe.”
Fenry fell silent.
A silent affirmation.
Arcane smiled and spoke again.
“As the one who retrieved your treasure, I request protection.”
“...What the hell are you saying?”
Natasha, watching, looked incredulous as she turned to Fenry.
But seeing Fenry’s twisted expression, Natasha’s face turned to disbelief.
“You’re not seriously going to protect that bastard, are you?”
The World Tree’s Necklace.
In ancient times, it was called the tribe’s treasure.
But as the elves scattered over time, it became merely symbolic.
It was no more than a ceremonial relic. Fenry had once handed it to Kamel for her own reasons.
The problem was Arcane had openly invoked the treasure and their racial oath, putting Fenry in an awkward position.
She was the de facto leader of the elf race, after all.
‘If she refuses, will she be punished by the elves' “Oath Penalty”?’
If Nella, the Priestess, were here, she might have provided an answer—but she wasn’t in the forest.
“If you’re going to hesitate, get out of the way!”
As Natasha stomped forward to attack Arcane, Fenry swore and stepped in to block her.
Natasha’s eyes turned sharp.
“I said move. I don’t give second warnings.”
“Wait a moment.”
Witches and elves.
Seeing them clash, I sighed deeply.
The World Tree had been born because of both the witch and the elf.
The World Tree’s true form and shadow.
They had to be united. Any rift between them must be stopped.
“Don’t tell me... you planned this?”
I asked, and Arcane simply smiled.
One small move, and he’d stirred conflict between races by exploiting relationships. If he became an enemy, he’d be a serious pain.
“What happened to Kamel?”
“Did you know Kamel was the previous owner of this necklace?”
“So he’s dead?”
“His divinity is nowhere to be seen.”
I narrowed my eyes and lowered my bow.
Natasha protested, but I ignored her.
I had to step in before the rift between her and Fenry deepened.
Even if I got blamed, I’d take it.
“How did you know the necklace was Fenry’s? Even Kamel didn’t know that.”
“It wasn’t my ability.”
“That damned Revelation again.”
“But you haven’t answered my question yet.”
Instead of answering, I turned to Fenry.
“You know where he came from, don’t you?”
“He didn’t change course. He came from the east.”
The east.
That meant he never joined with Demtor.
Arcane’s expression turned intrigued, having figured something out.
“You can track its location with the necklace, can’t you?”
“Yeah. That’s why it’s so strange.”
“What is?”
“Demtor’s attack wasn’t planned. It was probably a spur-of-the-moment decision. So how did you know?”
It hadn’t even been half a day since our battle with Demtor ended.
And yet, he already knew their movements and came to warn me?
“The Revelation is the word of the divine. Nothing is hidden from it.”
A bomb. And an attack from the sky.
For something supposedly divine, the information was too detailed and precise. It was beyond foresight—it was like surveillance.
Same with the necklace.
Only Fenry and I knew about it.
How did he know?
‘There are no gods in this novel’s world.’
I don’t believe in gods—at least, not in this world.
As I considered Arcane’s behavior patterns and abilities, I recalled something he said earlier.
‘He said Kamel’s divinity can’t be seen. Does that mean he’s dead?’
“Let’s do Q&A. How about it?”
“You sure are curious about me.”
“Your divinity is shrouded in mystery.”
He seemed to know who I was.
Perhaps Kamel had told him I was Arthur.
If he used that info to save Rengua and Lyon, everything made sense.
“That bow... is it the one that seals divinities?”
I looked at the Vampiric Ring.
‘He doesn’t know about the Bow of Divinity?’
He figured out Fenry’s necklace—but now he’s off?
What’s the difference?
“It is.”
I nodded in answer to his question.
A lie.
Arcane stared hard at me.
He fiddled with his earring and murmured something under his breath, then furrowed his brow and gave a slight nod.
“All right. Understood.”
He doesn’t know it’s a lie.
“Now it’s my turn. When a divinity can’t be seen, does it mean the owner is dead?”
“It could. Or it might not.”
“Not a very helpful answer.”
“I can’t see all divinities.”
The moment I heard that, my heart began to race.
I was the only one here whose divinity Arcane couldn’t read.
Even though he knew Fenry’s secret, he couldn’t see through my lie.
The puzzle fit.
“This guy... could it be...?”
He could know the information of the owners of collected divinities?
If the Revelator was feeding Arcane real-time data based on the divinities he collected—then everything made sense.
Beneta’s movements, Fenry’s secret, even why Arcane had obsessively gathered the divinities’ owners until now.
I summoned an arrow and aimed it at Arcane.
Startled, he took a step back.
“If this arrow seals your summoning power, you die here.”
Arcane’s atmosphere changed.
Despite being surrounded by stronger individuals like Lochter, Fenry, Lily, and Natasha—he was most tense about my action.
And that confirmed it.
Arcane’s ability—
The ability of a Collector of Divinities.