Had he truly changed?
In a daze, Gangplank remembered the past and realized that he might indeed have lost his way.
Once, he had dreamed of becoming a pirate who sailed freely across the seas and lived however he pleased. But over the years, the hatred and resentment branded into his heart by his father's brutality had continued to fester and grow worse.
After Illaoi left his world, he had been dragged into the mire and could no longer pull himself free. He began taking satisfaction in murder and robbery.
In the end, he had fallen completely.
Yet his love for her had never changed. If anything, it had only grown stronger over the years.
But why?
Why had she abandoned him so easily?
Gangplank felt as though he were falling into a bottomless abyss, destined to die without ever receiving an answer.
He could not accept it.
He truly could not accept it.
He had escaped death countless times. He was a man favored by destiny. There was no way he was supposed to die in a place like this.
So why?
Why had everything turned out this way?
The face of that young man flashed through Gangplank's mind, and he suddenly realized something.
Illaoi had backed down because of him.
"Who the hell are you?"
Gangplank turned and glared at Luke, hatred and fury burning in his eyes.
"A dead man doesn't need to know that much."
Luke was not surprised that Illaoi had yielded, although he had genuinely prepared himself for a serious fight.
No matter what happened, Gangplank had to die tonight.
It was not only for Sarah, nor simply because Gangplank was human garbage.
If he survived, he would cause an even greater disaster in the future.
"Even as a ghost, I'll never forget any of you!" Gangplank snarled, his hatred plain for everyone to see.
Even in his final moments, he did not direct so much as an instant of hatred toward Illaoi, the woman who had abandoned him so easily.
"Then remember us well," Sarah replied coldly.
She did not know why Illaoi had suddenly backed down, but she knew it had to be because of Luke.
Nothing else mattered anymore.
Her emotions had risen, fallen, and risen again throughout the night. After so many violent changes, even she could no longer describe what she was feeling.
"You two filthy bastards, I'll..."
Gangplank began cursing, seemingly determined to vent every ounce of hatred inside him, but his voice abruptly stopped.
Luke slapped him unconscious.
The humiliating stream of curses ended instantly. Luke grabbed Gangplank and carried him toward the temple entrance.
Since Illaoi had chosen to make a concession, Luke could afford to make one as well.
At the very least, he would not let Gangplank's blood stain the Buhru Temple.
The surrounding worshippers merely watched coldly and made no attempt to stop him.
Even the Truth Bearer had abandoned Gangplank, so they felt even less attachment to him. They had only intervened because he was meant to undergo the trial.
During the trial, the Truth Bearer used the massive holy relic known as the Eye of God to rip a person's spirit from their body. The subject would then be forced to confront the judgment within their own soul and prove their worth.
Most who failed the trial were annihilated completely, which meant death.
The Mother Serpent tolerated no cowardice, hesitation, or restraint.
However, destruction was never the purpose of the trial itself. Those who survived would be changed forever and would wholeheartedly pursue their true destiny.
Not far away, Illaoi had not actually left.
Her eyes were damp, with tears faintly glimmering within them. Unable to completely restrain herself, she ultimately shed tears for Gangplank.
Not for the man he had become, but for the proud and fearless Gangplank he had once been.
Over the years, he had fallen into corruption and become ugly and filthy. No matter what he was now, however, he had not been like this during the years they spent together.
More than anything, Illaoi blamed herself.
She blamed herself for leaving him to fulfill a more important duty and allowing him to descend into corruption without trying to stop him.
Yet she had possessed no other choice.
Her purpose was to serve the Great Kraken. To fulfill that purpose, she had to view everything in the world through the eyes of its chosen servant and cast aside the attachments of an ordinary person.
The trial truly had been ordained by her god.
The stronger a person's spirit, the more likely they were to earn the Great Kraken's favor.
Gangplank had been chosen as a subject long ago. The events of this night would have placed his spirit in the proper state to undergo the trial.
The cancellation of the trial had also been genuine.
"Why did the Truth Bearer yield?"
An elderly voice sounded as two old women carrying staffs approached.
They were Serpent Callers, whose rank within the temple was second only to Illaoi's. Both possessed great seniority.
"Did the Great Kraken truly issue such a command?" the other Serpent Caller asked.
Illaoi nodded gently without denying it.
"I am certainly not someone who yields easily, but it is also true that the Great Kraken descended into my consciousness at that moment."
One of the Serpent Callers looked confused.
"Why would the Great Kraken do such a thing? I do not intend to question our god. I simply do not understand."
"It is only natural that you failed to recognize it. Your power is not as pure as mine."
Illaoi sighed softly and answered their question.
"That man is the same as me."
The expressions of both Serpent Callers changed.
"He is also chosen by a god?" one of them blurted out.
"That is correct. He is another deity's representative in the mortal world, but even that is not the full extent of it."
Illaoi closed her eyes.
She knew that her senses had not deceived her.
"The Bearded Lady was aware of them from the beginning."
The instant Luke appeared, Illaoi had sensed divine power within him. A deity had bestowed power upon him and selected him as its representative.
She understood that this was the person the Bearded Lady had mentioned to her.
The god behind him did not feel as powerful as the Great Kraken, but it was by no means weak. It seemed that changes in the nature of its worship had caused its current condition.
Gods rarely intervened directly in mortal affairs. For that reason, the Great Kraken had not wanted Illaoi and Luke to fight.
Illaoi herself was not afraid, even though the other woman accompanying him was clearly extraordinary as well.
However, she still had to obey the will of her god.
"If he is chosen by another god, why did he come to the Serpent Isles?" one of the Serpent Callers asked, still puzzled.
Those chosen by gods were incredibly rare. Generally, one would never casually enter the domain of another.
Such an action could cause the gods behind them to become suspicious of one another.
Yet that man had entered without the slightest hesitation and had even seemed willing to start a fight.
What was he thinking?
How could anyone be so brazen?
"Discovering that is also part of the task the Great Kraken has given me. I must learn his purpose."
Illaoi was somewhat confused herself, but she decided that she would approach him again.
Outside the Buhru Temple, Luke threw Gangplank onto the ground.
"You should do it. Perhaps this will finally fill the emptiness inside you."
Sarah looked at him with complicated emotions and pressed her lips together.
"Thank you."
It seemed she had still underestimated Luke's background.
Apparently, there was far more to him than simply being a prince of Demacia.
He had not even revealed his identity, yet he had forced the seemingly unshakable Illaoi to yield.
He had done it on her own ground.
No matter how Sarah considered it, the idea seemed absurd.
Yet it had happened directly before her eyes.
"Don't think too much about it. I simply can't stand this piece of garbage."
Luke smiled casually while silently speaking to the spirit goddess.
"Thank you."
"What are you thanking me for? You're my number one believer. I can't exactly let people push you around!"
Janna snorted twice, sounding rather proud of herself.
"Tell me whatever desserts you want over the next few days. Anything you like."
Luke chuckled, genuinely moved by what she had done.
When Janna first arrived, she had been so nervous that she did not even want to reveal herself.
Yet moments ago, she had appeared without hesitation and prepared herself for a direct confrontation.
"Don't expect me to hold back!"
Janna's lips curved upward in satisfaction.
Luke truly knew how to show his appreciation.
Standing up for him had been worth the risk of fighting the powerful god who ruled this place.
Although she had also vaguely sensed that the other side would not start a fight so easily.
Bang!
A gunshot rang out.
Sarah stood over the unconscious Gangplank. Without hesitating for even a second, she had pulled the trigger.
The bullet passed cleanly through his skull. Blood splattered across the ground, and the metallic scent immediately spread through the air.
He never even had the opportunity to struggle.
There was no possible way he could be any more dead.
This time, Sarah had witnessed his death with her own eyes. There could be no doubt.
Should he somehow return to life again, Sarah would be certain that the man was not truly Gangplank.
Of course, she would simply kill him again.
When she saw Gangplank genuinely die by her hand, Sarah suddenly felt something different.
Just as Luke had said, the emptiness inside her seemed to have finally been filled.
Yet it was not because she had personally killed Gangplank.
It was because, at her most helpless moment, she had found someone she could rely on.
Luke might only have been passing through her life, but to Sarah, he had become an incomparably precious shelter from the storm.
"It seems you were unwilling to walk even one step farther."
Illaoi's voice suddenly came from behind them.
Sarah immediately became vigilant and pointed her pistol toward her.
Luke responded calmly.
"Have we not left the grounds of the Buhru Temple?"
"No. You crossed the boundary exactly."
Illaoi emerged from the shadows.
She was no longer carrying the golden idol. Her calm gaze settled on Gangplank's corpse.
A trace of sorrow still flickered uncontrollably within her eyes, and her heart ached for an instant.
She sighed softly.
"To die here means your fate was already decided."
"So you came to avenge the man you loved?" Sarah asked coldly.
"I did once love him, but I eventually separated myself from those feelings."
Illaoi was not angered and merely explained herself calmly.
"I never stopped moving forward, while he became satisfied with what he was. There could no longer be any possibility between us."
"Why are you telling me this?"
Sarah snorted, having no interest in listening to the details of their failed relationship.
"I only want you to understand that, whether you believe me or not, I truly saved him because of the Bearded Lady's trial."
Illaoi spoke softly.
Despite her rugged and imposing appearance, her emotions remained exceptionally stable.
Sarah snorted again and refused to accept the explanation. After everything that had happened tonight, whatever goodwill she once held toward the Buhru Temple had fallen to its lowest possible point.
Illaoi understood that her actions tonight would naturally anger Miss Fortune.
But she did not care.
As the Truth Bearer of a god, why would she concern herself with the opinions of ordinary society?
She was herself.
She would never change because of anyone else's love or hatred.
"I followed you because of him."
Illaoi slowly turned her gaze toward Luke.
Her eyes carried a peace capable of calming the heart. They were as clear as a lake whose bottom could be seen at a glance, and beneath the night sky, they shone as brightly as moonlight.
Perhaps because of the deity supporting her, every part of Illaoi radiated a weight and solidity like that of a mountain.
She truly was an exceptionally powerful warrior.
Luke made that judgment privately while smiling at her.
"What does the Truth Bearer need from me? You may call me Luke."
"I want to know your true reason for coming to the Serpent Isles."
Illaoi examined Luke again and found him somewhat strange.
Very few people in the world were completely beyond her ability to understand, but the man before her was one of them.
She could sense his strength, but nothing else about him was clear.
Even the woman beside him was concealing tremendous power.
Someone like Luke could not come to the Serpent Isles without a reason. Even if the Mother Serpent had not commanded it, Illaoi would still have investigated.
"My reason? Do I have to tell you?"
Luke did not particularly resent the question.
He understood Illaoi's responsibilities, so he had no intention of being unnecessarily harsh.
"You do."
Illaoi nodded firmly.
"I generally do not question the intentions of those who arrive on these islands, but you are different. You and I are both chosen by gods. Your actions have already offended the Mother Serpent."
"Chosen by a god?"
Luke paused in surprise.
He quickly understood the reason.
It had to be because of Janna.
She had once granted him a blessing of wind, and it had apparently been rather significant. Perhaps that blessing had caused Illaoi to mistake him for someone chosen by a god.
Janna finally realized the same thing and nodded in satisfaction.
"As my number one believer, calling you my chosen representative isn't wrong."
Luke's reaction even caused Illaoi to pause.
Did he not know his own identity?
After considering it, Illaoi gave him an odd look.
"Do you truly not know that gods generally avoid interfering with one another, especially within their respective domains?"
She continued explaining.
"One god's chosen representative would not normally enter another's territory. By entering the Bearded Lady's domain together with your god, you have effectively challenged her authority."
Illaoi's expression remained serious.
"It could even be interpreted as a declaration of war. The Bearded Lady has been aware of you since you first arrived."
"There's a rule like that?"
Luke genuinely had not known.
Janna blinked her large eyes in confusion.
"I didn't know either!"
This was the first time she had ever selected a representative. How could she possibly have experience with this sort of thing?
Luke was speechless.
Apparently, his status meant he could not simply wander wherever he pleased.
When he thought about it carefully, the number one believer of a god was naturally someone personally chosen by that god.
If the Bearded Lady had noticed him from the moment he landed, why had she not sent Illaoi to confront him earlier?
"The Bearded Lady recently entered a dormant state. I was occupied with finding people who possessed the potential to undergo her trials, so only now have I found the opportunity."
Illaoi seemed to understand Luke's unspoken question and answered it directly.
Luke nodded slightly, but another question appeared in his mind.
Nagakabouros did not seem to have suffered the same problems as Janna, so why would she enter dormancy?
Dormancy was ultimately a form of sleep.
Did a god need to sleep?
Clearly not.
A reaction like this normally meant that something had happened to her.
Illaoi continued.
"Your actions moments ago were practically equivalent to declaring war. Had you truly angered the Bearded Lady, she might have directly descended upon this place with a terrifying manifestation of her will."
She spoke with complete seriousness.
"However, the Bearded Lady is gentle and embraces all things. Rather than choosing war, she sent me to learn your intentions."
"Hmph. Even if she declared war, that doesn't mean I'd be afraid of her!"
Janna folded her arms and snorted. Now that the danger had passed, she suddenly seemed far less nervous.
"That's enough. You should probably stop talking."
Luke helplessly spoke to her through their mental connection.
He was not particularly afraid either, but they were standing within the other god's territory. Nagakabouros probably possessed a considerable advantage here.
Besides, there was no reason for either side to allow matters to become so hostile.
As far as Luke knew, Illaoi was not an evil person.
The Bearded Lady she represented was not an evil god either.
Their entire conflict had been caused by a piece of human garbage named Gangplank. Now that his head had been blown apart, and the Bearded Lady's side had voluntarily made a concession, there was no reason they could not shake hands and call the matter settled.
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