Chapter 17: The Fallen God and the Collapsing Tower

The suspension ladder groaned, aligning with the ground before slowly coming to a halt.

Everyone present witnessed it, and every single one of them froze.

It was said that Mercury was a truly existing god, yet few had ever seen its true form. Now, as it was finally pulled from the depths of the earth, many likely wished it had remained buried.

It was something mortals couldn’t possibly imagine. If one had to describe it, it was a colossal, tangled mass of wings.

At first glance, it might have been mistaken for an aggregation of countless white doves. But it was not; it was a single entity, devoid of eyes, mouth, or limbs—only wings, an uncountable multitude of wings.

It writhed, yet it could not move an inch. No matter how many wings it spawned, it remained utterly unable to fly. It was a pathetic creature, consumed by the primal desire to soar.

The Fallen Mercury.

Challenge Level — ????

At that moment, Ael leapt down from the platform.

“Open your eyes and look closely! Is this truly the god you worship??”

A clamor erupted among the believers.

“What in the world is that thing?” Leon asked her.

“This is Mercury. A demon, just like the one in the black armor! How ludicrous! To worship such a thing as a god.”

“How desperately it must want to fly… My goodness, just how many wings does it have?” For a moment, Naya felt a pang of pity for Mercury.

The fervent desire to reach heaven, no matter the cost, had become a core tenet of the Angelic Church. Yet, the reality was, even if Liuli were burned to death, a creature like this could never possibly fly.

“I suppose many people’s faith will crumble tonight!” Ael walked alone towards Mercury. She raised one hand high above her head.

“Ael? What are you doing? You’re so close to it!? Be careful!” Naya cried out anxiously.

“Don’t worry, it won’t attack anyone. It only has the desire to fly. This is perfect; let everyone see who the one true god truly is!”

Ael held her hand aloft, suspended in the air. Seconds ticked by—she waited, unwavering in her resolve.

Then, the Tower of Condemnation began to collapse.

It’s here—

“It’s here—!” Ael knew it! Aio wouldn’t fail to answer her…!

This time, a colossal, shimmering silver hand descended from the heavens with earth-shattering power, instantly flattening Mercury—that aggregation of countless wings.

Massive chunks of stone rained down among the crowd, and believers scrambled to flee the Tower of Condemnation. The tower appeared to be on the verge of giving way.

Leon shielded Naya and Liuli, the two girls clinging to his sides, one to his left, one to his right.

But what about Ael? Leon looked over and saw that she remained motionless in her spot.

She was kneeling, her hands raised high as if embracing the sky.

“Haha…!” Ael exclaimed, tears streaming down her face in excitement. “I’ve defeated Mercury and the Angelic Church! Aio truly is the one, true god!”