A Wild Man Has Entered the Academy

There were indeed connections between Gulak and myself, albeit indirect.

It all started with Porori. After his defeat by me, he fervently prayed for Gulak's blessing, and it seems Gulak took a liking to him, granting his wish. Afterwards, as the true Thunder Squirrel, Porori contended with me as an equal.

Then there were Kara and Hector, father and daughter. With Kara, it was merely a matter of sparring, but Hector had pushed matters to the brink of death.

However, it was Hector who instigated the situation. I was just standing there when he attacked first.

From my perspective, my counterattack was justifiable', and they were the ones to apologize first.

So, if there was any conscience, surely it wouldnt resort to lightning strikes for such trivial reasons.

This is perplexing.'

In Soul World, Gulak is as reliable as a hearty bowl of soup. When playing a faith-based character, no deity matches Gulak's efficacy.

Gaia, more inclined towards utility and support, tends to polarize opinion. interpersonal relationships matter more than individual growth.

Regardless, both deities are amiable towards players, thus garnering positive reviews from users.

Despite the later revelation of the truth' that drew criticism, it mostly escalated into memes.

Did he hear everything I cursed in the forest?'

Standing at the entrance of the altar, I pondered. Standing by my side was Yeonhwa.

Due to the sudden lightning strike deemed ominous, the priest had forbidden entry.

A bolt from the blue they say, such events rarely happen. Generally, such phenomena accompany divine retribution'.

If its not divine retribution, someone must have prayed for this to happen'

Could it be that Porori prayed, asking to screw me over? The theory held credibility.

But if that were the case, I should have been hit by lightning several times already. We had a ceasefire agreement with Porori, not a full-fledged peace.

I'm genuinely curious about the reason for targeting me with lightning, so precise at that. Although I was fine I'm quite accustomed to lightning the tingling sensation lingered.

"You're perfectly fine after being struck by lightning Are you really okay?"

Yeonhwa, who had been waiting outside with me, murmured softly. Though quiet, her words reached my ears.

Normally, being hit directly by lightning would incapacitate someone immediately, or worse, induce a heart attack if they're unlucky.

But I was relatively unaffected. Only my hair was slightly singed, which is manageable.

"Yeonhwa."

"Ye-yes?"

With nothing better to do, I called out to Yeonhwa, and she looked genuinely flustered; it wasn't acting.

Soon, a new student from the Hwan Empire is expected to arrive, someone of high status at that.

From then on, events related to Yeonhwa would unfold, inevitably involving her sister Yeonhwa as well.

The relationships are as tangled as knotted threads, and how well I can unravel them will be crucial. If handled well, they could become powerful allies in the future.

"Why, why did you call? Do you have something to say?"

"Hwan Empire. Right?"

""

Her pupils twitched at the mention of her Eastern origins. It was a faint reaction, but nothing escapes my sight.

Obviously, Yeonhwa loathes being associated with the Hwan Empire. Calling her by her Eastern origins sits better with her.

The Hwan Empire, as previously explained, takes after the Soviet Union an empire formed by a union of different nations.

"Right, but please refer to me as from the East. The Hwan Empire it's a bit uncomfortable for me."

"Why?"

"You dont need to know."

A sharp response came back. Her previous meekness vanished without a trace.

Apparently, my favorability is still lacking. Yeonhwa is one of those who are difficult to befriend.

Anyway, for Yeonhwa, the Hwan Empire is an object of hatred. It swallowed her homeland, after all; it would be odd not to despise it.

And it's infuriating how the Hwan Empire pretends to protect its allied nationsat least on the surface, playing the role of a big brother.

The problem is they gobble up everything they can.'

Just look at the imperial title Hwan Empire'. It suggests no recognition of autonomy.

This contrasts with the Granada Empire, which respects the autonomy of its conquered lands. They are following in the footsteps of the Soviet Union.

Rumble!

A thunderous roar bellowed from the sky. Yeonhwa and I instantly lifted our heads at the sound.

Anxiously anticipating as the hairs on my body stood on end, the sky flashed brilliantly!

Boom crash!

No, shibal, not again.

I managed to avoid the previous sudden strike, but not this time.

I quickly dashed away as my vision was engulfed in sky blue. Yeonhwa, startled, hurled herself aside as well.

Crack, zap!

The exact spot I had occupied was pinpointed by a blue lightning strike. For some unknown reason, it seemed even stronger than before.

So much so that blackened scorch marks marred the stone floor. With incredulity, I gazed at the charred remnants.

"Sivar?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you offend the heavens somehow? Why are they bringing down divine punishment on you?"

I didn't do anything, lady. I flashed a truly aggrieved expression.

It's frustrating not knowing the reasonI could either accept it or not. Now, theres only one thing left to do.

That is to sneak directly into the altar. The priest may be blocking the entrance, but if I slip in unnoticed, it's done.

There's a forest on either side of the altar I could pass through, just the ticket. Coincidentally, the priest is also absent at the moment.

"Where, where are you going?"

"Inside."

"Inside? But the heavenly priest said not to enter"

What do I care? Clearing up my curiosity takes precedence right now.

Ignoring Yeonhwa's frantic attempts to stop me, I brushed past her decisively. Her bewildered gaze followed me, rolling her eyes.

She must be worried I'll cause trouble if I stay put. However, contrary to her concerns, Ive no intention of causing any accidents.

Surely, someone inside is holding a rite related to me.'

I walked not towards the entrance, but the surrounding forest, quietly starting my infiltration.

If I were to be hit by lightning again, Id be caught instantly, but if I hurry, it's manageable.

Yeonhwa, initially uncertain, decided to follow me, perhaps resigning herself to the situation.

As far as hiding goes, she's relatively adept, so she should be able to keep up without much trouble.

"Hurry, lets go back! If you're struck by divine punishment again, what will you do?"

"I don't care."

"What do you mean you don't care!"

"Quiet."

If we keep this up, well be discovered. With curt answers, I proceeded toward the altar.

Taking a circuitous route through the dense forest was a bit bothersome, but it posed no hindrance to reaching my destination.

As expected of a deity closely associated with the sky, the altar is open.'

Unlike Gaia's, Gulak's altar is refreshingly open. There are no buildings, just the stand-alone platform where offerings are made.

Being open implies no surrounding forest the altar essentially sits at the edge of a cliff, difficult to access any further.

Several altars are set up, not just one, and among them, familiar faces caught my eye in the center.

Really noticeable hair colors.'

Gold. Red. Purple. If only a green was added, it'd be like Teletubbies.

The priest informed us Porori was also present, but he wasn't visible. He likely finished praying and left.

"Over there I need to pray to the heavenly deity"

Muttered Yeonhwa, now stealthily watching beside me. The Easterners refer to Gulak as heavenly deity'.

Gaia, as the deity of life, is called earth deity', or Geoshin'. Both names aptly represent the sky and the earth.

As I was contemplating the Eastern names, the group in front of the altar started their rite.

Whoosh!

Seemingly after presenting their offerings, flames ignited. As I recall, it means Gulak has responded.

The one who offered seems to be Kara; she backed away from the group as the fire blazed.

While a simple bow would suffice, her devotion to Gulak is genuine, more than anyone elses.

"Oh a dance?"

Like Yeonhwa's mumble, Kara began to dance. Pouring her entire sincerity into her movements, unconcerned about the eyes of others.

It's not strange for dancers to perform during ceremonies. A global ritual in many parts of the world.

Usually, music would be part of the ceremony, but given the situation, the dance alone sufficed. And that was plenty enough.

Watch as Kara's graceful dance intensifiedthe flames on the offered altar grew stronger.

My attention was more on the dance than the fire. With her origins from Tatars, influenced by ancient Egypt.

Could it be because of that? Their waist and hips sway and bend with elegance. The movements are as fluid and delicate as belly dancing.

Despite the minimal exposure in the school uniform, she managed to exude beauty. Its impressive from afar, but what would it be like up close?

If she were wearing a dancers costume'

There'd be an uproar. Meanwhile, Kara's dance ended.

The ceremony was brief, not a national event, but a simple one.

Then, she bowed deeply towards the altar with piety. The rest of the group followed suit.

Usually, people convey their wishes to Gulak while bowing. By now, Kara has likely told Gulak what she desires.

Rumble!

And at the perfect timing.

Boom crash!

Lightning struck above my head yet again.

No, seriously, what the hell, shit?

[Your faith has increased!]

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