Chapter 1: I Was Arrested

Chapter 1: I Have Been Arrested

"Great Observer of the End, Ash Heath! The righteous follow you, the wicked adore you! The light yearns for you, and the darkness desires you! You are the being who transcends all, the color with which the gods have gilded all things!"

"Great Observer of the End, Ash Heath..."

Ash sat upon the cold stone throne, watching a throng of strange figures in black robes kneeling and kowtowing in prayer before him. Beneath his stern, composed mask, his heart was in a state of absolute panic.

He could hardly be blamed; only a moment ago, his memory was anchored in that wretched mobile game company, pulling an all-nighter to squeeze out the last of his surplus value. The next second, he had been thrust into this bizarre underground hall to receive the worship of the masses. Anyone would have been caught off guard.

More miraculously, Ash understood their language as naturally as his mother tongue; there was no need for thought or translation, the meaning simply manifested in his mind. As he gradually calmed, he reached a swift conclusion: he had transmigrated, his soul inhabiting a man who shared his name.

Since childhood, many had remarked that his name sounded like something out of a fantasy novel, but Ash never imagined he would one day encounter such a surreal and grotesque event.

Yet, he did not possess the surname "Heath," and it was precisely for this reason that he could quickly determine he was not dreaming.

It was not just the name that matched; his appearance seemed identical as well. By flexing his fingers and toes, Ash found his body felt entirely normal, as if it were his original vessel—everything was so nimble and natural that he couldn't help but wonder if he had transmigrated into a parallel-world version of himself.

For the sake of convenience, and because they shared a name, Ash silently dubbed the original owner of this body "Heath."

But these musings were useless for his current predicament, for Ash discovered that Heath had failed to leave him the most important thing of all.

That was his memory.

Yes, his memory!

It was as if his memories had been formatted during the transmigration. Ash had no idea what to do next, maintaining a calm, slightly wicked expression solely out of fear that someone might spot a flaw.

Do not be fooled by the reverence of the crowd beneath the throne; if Ash showed any sign of weakness, the cruelty that would follow their turned backs would be as profound as their current devotion. To them, Ash was an "otherworldly evil soul" who had erased the soul of the Saint, Heath, and usurped his body—a true sinner. Given their intense religious fervor, Ash did not believe for a second that saying "actually, I'm a victim too" would earn him any understanding.

Yet, sitting here was no solution, and Ash felt his faint, enigmatic smile beginning to twitch.

Boom, boom, boom—

A deep, rumbling vibration shook the underground hall. The black-robed figures were overjoyed, prostrating themselves until their foreheads struck the ground, chanting in unison:

"We pray for the descent of the Heavenly Lord!"

Ash thought it was an earthquake and prepared to stand, only to find his backside seemingly glued to the stone throne. Suddenly, a dazzling, multicolored radiance illuminated his eyes. He looked up to see four brilliant rainbow lights manifesting in the air, bringing color and an endless, profound warmth to the hall.

"Great Observer of the End, Ash Heath!"

They spoke in unison, as if a thousand voices were speaking as one: "The only pure soul in a world of murky darkness, the final hero of the heavy earth, you bear the burden of saving the world and the mission of redeeming all living things!"

"We shall cross the Silver Celestial Wheel to grant you power; we shall shatter the Golden Balance to bestow upon you glory! Your name is Holy, your will is our will, and your kingdom shall be the land of happiness for all!"

"Ash Heath!"

Without realizing it, Ash found himself kneeling on one knee, head bowed in reverence, waiting for the moment of glory to descend.

The red light on the far left spoke: "I am the Lord of a Billion Glories, master of battle, courage, and honor! I grant you the Angel of Power to sweep away all your enemies!"

A female angel, wielding a long spear and bearing two wings, flew before Ash. She wore red battle armor and was no larger than a finger, yet her presence was overwhelming; Ash felt he could see mountains of corpses and seas of blood in her eyes.

The second light from the left, a blue one, spoke: "I am the Sovereign of Wind, Rain, and Snow, master of strategy, change, and destiny! I grant you the Angel of Wisdom to help you achieve all your goals!"

A female angel wearing a blue hat and holding a notebook flew before him, likewise finger-sized, her gaze deep as if it held infinite knowledge.

The second light from the right, a green one, spoke: "I am the Heart of Eternal Burning, master of life, equality, and sharing. I grant you the Angel of Life to help you remain forever healthy!"

A glowing green female angel, resembling a little girl, flew before Ash. She was adorable, surrounded by a halo of emerald light that made one feel incredibly warm and relaxed.

The far-right pink light spoke: "I am the Soul of Dreamy Freedom, master of love, pleasure, and art. I grant you the Angel of Joy to help you achieve transcendent charm!"

A beautiful pink female angel flew before Ash, her figure graceful and her eyes bewitching; even at the size of a finger, she seemed the most beautiful existence in the world.

The four angels danced around Ash, adding a dazzling brilliance to his form. In that instant, Ash felt power surging endlessly; his body was full of vigor, his mood was incredibly joyous, and countless plans raced through his mind. Everything was perfect!

The Lord of a Billion Glories, the Sovereign of Wind, Rain, and Snow, the Heart of Eternal Burning, and the Soul of Dreamy Freedom spoke together: "Hero beloved by fate, Observer who perceives causality, go forth to create miracles and save the world!"

With a sound like bursting bubbles, the four descending gods gradually dissipated. But the underground hall remained bright, for Ash, now possessing the four angels, was a walking rainbow.

Ash clenched his fists, the corners of his mouth curling into a confident smile.

Who would have thought? He had feared this sudden transmigration was a trap, but it was a windfall! He had become the hero of this world, blessed by four deities and supported by countless believers—what a magnificent script!

Next, he would defeat the monsters, save the world, marry the most beautiful princess, become the king of this land, and reach the pinnacle of life!

Thud!

A loud crash echoed from the ceiling. The lead black-robed believer shouted: "Hero, the Blood-Mad Hunters have found us! We must rely on you to repel them!"

Blood-Mad Hunters? It sounded like a villainous name. Ash assumed they were mere cannon fodder for a tutorial level, meant to help him build reputation and master his skills. He heroically drew the long sword at his waist and declared proudly: "My sword knows no equal! Let these Blood-Mad Hunters be the first souls to perish beneath my blade! Someone, lead the way!"

"No need, we've arrived ourselves."

With a thunderous crash, the ceiling of the underground hall exploded!

Ash looked up to see a group of enemies wearing silver trench coats and hunting hats, wielding blood-etched longswords, leaping down from above!

"Come and get it!"

Ash roared:

"Power!"

"Wisdom!"

"Life!"

"Joy!"

The four angels bestowed their blessings upon him. In that moment, Ash felt he could cleave his enemies in two with a single strike! Fearless, he shouted and leaped, slashing at the foremost Blood-Mad Hunter, even unleashing a blade of air!

With the gods' blessing, I have become so powerful!

Now that I have a defensive barrier and endless stamina, let's see who can defeat me!

Just as Ash felt a surge of pride, he heard the Blood-Mad Hunter opposite him sneer.

"Is that it?"

The hunter wore a savage grin, casually waving his longsword, which instantly transformed into a chain-sword of several meters, unleashing a blood-red arc of energy!

Ash's blade of air was instantly swallowed, his defensive barrier shattered in an instant, and the entire underground hall was cleaved in two by the hunter's strike, a massive fissure erupting beneath Ash's feet!

Watching his opponent crush him with such ease, Ash was stunned: "How is this possible..."

"You possess four two-winged Chaos Spirit-Arts, and they aren't even your own. Where do you get the courage to fight a three-winged Sanctuary-level warrior like me?"

With a gust of wind, three wings erupted from the hunter's back: a silver wing, a golden wing, and a multicolored wing!

He retracted the chain-sword into its blade form, lunging like a dragon into Ash's guard, piercing his chest and pinning him to the stone throne!

Ash was forced to sit down once more.

He vomited blood, staring blankly as the Blood-Mad Hunter unhooked a small lantern from his waist. The hunter triggered it, and the lantern suddenly emitted a blinding, incandescent white light.

The angels, who were still attempting to bestow power upon Ash, let out desperate, hateful screams under the glare of the light. Their forms could no longer maintain their beauty, each becoming hideously deformed!

The Angel of Power turned into a grotesque mantis.

The Angel of Wisdom transformed into a rotting fly.

The Angel of Life melted into a pale maggot.

The Angel of Joy dissolved into a foul, putrid gas!

The various protections of courage, wisdom, joy, and life rapidly faded from Ash's body. Stung by the agony in his chest, he finally woke up to reality, his face a mask of bewilderment.

What had just come over him?

A mere commoner freshly thrust into this world, devoid of any intelligence, why had he suddenly grown so arrogant and reckless, plunging headlong into a war that had nothing to do with him?

How could such a maneuver ever be the work of a man broken by years of grinding in the gears of society?

While Ash stood dazed, the skirmish in the subterranean hall drew to a close; the robed cultists were no match for the Blood-Mad Hunter.

The hunter standing before Ash drew a scroll from his breast, unfurling it to reveal a document stamped with a crimson seal:

"I am Gerald Westminster, Blood-Mad Hunter of the Sin-Hunting Bureau, badge number 307791. The Bureau suspects your involvement in the propagation of the Four-Pillar God cult, as well as multiple counts of kidnapping, murder, robbery, and other heinous crimes. This is a warrant issued by the Caimon City Sin-Hunting Bureau. Should you have grievances regarding our enforcement, you may file a complaint at the front desk of the Caimon branch at 233 Citizen Avenue, or submit your feedback directly to the Mayor’s mailbox."

"And now," the hunter said, stowing the warrant and producing a pair of silver shackles. He fastened the exquisite bracelets onto Ash’s wrists himself, his lips curling to reveal pale, jagged fangs:

"Leader of the Four-Pillar God cult, Ash Heath, you are under arrest."