“…”0

Apostate gazed silently at the statue, his lack of denial hanging heavy in the air. 0

But undeterred, Se-Hoon continued. “When I first heard that divine mana was derived from the power of Grace, something about it felt… off.”0

“…”0

“The communication between God and humans generates divine mana—this explanation works well enough for the believers of the Pilgrimage Church. But you and I are exceptions, aren’t we?” 0

The believers revered their deity, the Golden Ring, as a transcendent existence. And through prayer and supplication to it, they were able to draw upon divine mana. For them, it was indeed a form of communication. 0

But not for Se-Hoon and Apostate.0

“I acknowledge the existence of gods, but I see them as soulless machines. You, on the other hand, reject God entirely. But that brings up a question: how did we develop such similar divine mana?”0

Se-Hoon looked at the silent Apostate.0

“It’s because the source of divine mana is the power of Grace.” His voice was full of absolute certainty. 0

Karl had once described the power of Grace as a transmitter that linked God and humans, channeling divine mana from above. But could such a colossal being, one that indiscriminately scattered its power, really allocate it so precisely to just mere humans as if distributing rations?0

Se-Hoon was convinced that was impossible.0

But if Karl acts as a mediator, it’s a different story.0

Karl was a being more compassionate to humans than the gods, wielding a transcendent force....0