Multiverse: Becoming a Giant of Light, Godslayer from the Start

"No more talk—I'm going to test it!"

After thinking it through carefully and confirming that a god-slayer truly could serve as an effective catalyst, Campione Su Mo gave a quick farewell and prepared to leave. He was eager to return and try out the summoning ritual in practice.

"Good luck! And don't forget, we still need a defensive authority!" Type-Moon Su Mo and marine Su Mo waved him off, adding a last-minute request.

While they already had plenty of offensive divine powers, and their support skills weren't lacking either—like Mithra's authority which could heal and even resurrect, and the Execution of Light Technique that enhanced damage—they still lacked proper defensive powers.

In contrast, the god-slayer world had several extremely powerful defensive abilities. For example, the King of Swords' Man of Steel, which offered incredibly high resistance to most divine powers, with only a vulnerability to high heat or fire. It was practically flawless and could protect its user against almost any authority. It could even allow the user to survive in extreme environments like outer space, volcanoes, and deep oceans. Truly a must-have skill for travel and exploration.

And even though it was "weak to heat," that merely meant it wasn't especially suited to defending against high temperatures—it didn't mean it was ineffective. In fact, in the original work, Man of Steel had withstood a direct attack from the full manifestation of the White Horse Incarnation.

That avatar carried the sun's flames. Even heretic gods had difficulty enduring such a strike. Yet Man of Steel, despite its fire weakness, held firm. That's why the so-called "Man of Steel" wasn't just a fancy name—it lived up to its legend in the Campione world.

Hearing the others' comments, the Campione Su Mo casually waved his hand. "Got it! Leave the defensive authorities to me!" He hadn't forgotten. Back in his own world, the King of Swords, Doni, was still waiting for him. And that guy's Man of Steel authority was something Su Mo had been coveting for a long time.

…

…

After leaving the misty space, Su Mo returned to the Campione world. More specifically, he reappeared inside the royal palace of Naples.

The palace was a centuries-old structure, originally the residence of the King of Naples during Spain's rule. Though now a tourist site, the more important sections had been sealed off for special guests—such as god-slayers.

Upon his return, Su Mo noticed that night had already fallen. Not long after, there was a knock on the door. Erica stepped inside.

"My King, it's time for dinner," she announced. "As a gesture of gratitude, the local mage associations have invited the most renowned chefs to prepare tonight's feast."

Su Mo raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Gratitude toward me?"

"Yes!" Erica nodded. "A heretic god descending is a catastrophe capable of destroying cities—sometimes even entire nations. But you stepped forward and vanquished that calamity. Naturally, they're overwhelmed with gratitude."

"More than that, you were merciful and made sure not to damage the city at all during your battle. That kind of restraint is unheard of."

"They should be kneeling in thanks right now. But since you asked not to be disturbed earlier, I turned them away."

To have a god-slayer defeat a rogue god without damaging any historic sites was already enough to earn endless gratitude from the mage associations. But for Su Mo to defeat a deity without causing even a single crack in the architecture? That was unprecedented.

If they could, the local mage associations would probably erect a monument in his honor. A city that experienced a god-slayer battle without a single scratch? There might be only one of those in the entire world. If the truth about the supernatural wasn't so closely guarded, they'd probably be marketing Naples as the "City of Miracles" right now.

Su Mo couldn't help but smile wryly at Erica's explanation. "You did well, Erica," he praised her. He really didn't want to be surrounded by a bunch of old men and women kneeling to thank him. Even if it came with the territory of being a king, it was still awkward.

"But if they knew that I was the one who summoned that heretic god in the first place," he chuckled, "they probably wouldn't be so quick to thank me!"

Sure, he'd saved the city from destruction—but the god who nearly destroyed it had also been summoned by his own hand. The irony was almost too much.

Erica blinked, then smiled playfully. "I wouldn't be so sure, Your Majesty. Even if they knew the truth, I doubt they'd say a word." In a world ruled by god-slayers, strength overruled everything. Even if they knew the heretic god had been summoned by Su Mo, no one would dare question it.

The psychological shadow cast by Marquis Voban still lingered heavily over all European mage associations. None of them were brave—or stupid—enough to oppose a god-slayer.

"You're right about that," Su Mo nodded in agreement as the two of them walked toward the dining hall. Then something occurred to him. "Any news from the Sardinian mage association?"

"You mean about the King of Swords?" Erica responded immediately.

"Nothing yet. It seems he hasn't arrived in Sardinia."

"I see."

It looked like the King of Swords wouldn't be showing up today. That meant Su Mo would have to wait before trying out the divine summoning ritual gifted by his counterpart from the Type-Moon world. But at least there was a feast to enjoy—he wouldn't be bored.

When they reached the dining hall, they found Liliana already waiting there.

"How's the dragon? All settled?" Su Mo asked casually.

The emerald dragon, used earlier to lure out Perseus, was the spiritual vein of Naples itself. Killing it wasn't an option and leaving it alone would have been irresponsible. So, after the god-slaying battle, Liliana had hurried back to deal with it. Now that she was back, the matter was likely resolved.

"Report, Your Majesty—the dragon has been re-sealed into the leyline," Liliana said respectfully. Even now, she was still stunned by how swiftly Su Mo had slain the heretic god.

Typically, a god-slayer would need about a week to take down a deity. Even veterans like Marquis Voban and Luo Hao required that much time. But the newly crowned King, Su Mo, broke all expectations. He had slain two heretic gods right after his debut, and dispatched the third in less than fifteen minutes.

It was unbelievable—more like he was swatting away divine beasts than fighting gods. Liliana had a strong feeling that this new god-slayer was fundamentally different from all who came before. Perhaps he would be the one to stir up the world and usher in a new era.

She thought back to the battle—how not even a single building was harmed, how no civilians were injured. And in that moment, she made a decision. Along with her scabbard, she drew her beloved silver longsword from her waist and knelt on one knee before Su Mo with solemn reverence.

"My King! I, Liliana Kranjčar, Grand Knight of the Bronze Black Cross, pledge my loyalty to you!"

"With my sword, I offer my unwavering allegiance. I vow to become the sharpest blade in your arsenal!"

This was the ritual of knightly fealty. If Su Mo accepted, Liliana would become his personal knight. And not just in name—she would be bound to obey his every command. By offering her silver longsword, she symbolically handed over the right to her life and death to Su Mo. Of course, this was a ceremonial act. If a knight truly wished to betray her liege, a vow alone held no binding force. But the gesture held deep meaning, nonetheless.

Most knights' loyalty was nothing more than a matter of price—betrayal only required the right incentive. However, when it came to Su Mo, this ceremonial pledge, which normally held no real effect, carried more than just symbolic meaning.

"I possess the authority of Mithra, the god of light and contracts. Offering loyalty to me means forming a master-servant pact," Su Mo reminded her with a calm but firm tone. "And entering into a contract with the god of contracts... the consequences of violating it are quite severe."

Even for a high-ranking knight like Liliana—or a paladin—or even a fellow god-slayer, breaking a contract with Su Mo wasn't something to be taken lightly. The divine authority behind the pact would exact a price. No one, not even a god-slayer, could escape unscathed from the repercussions of violating such a bond.

Yet despite Su Mo's warning, Liliana showed not a trace of hesitation. From the very beginning, she had never considered betrayal. Naturally, she wasn't concerned about the price of treachery.

"I swear, I will never break this contract," Liliana declared with firm conviction. To her, loyalty was absolute. If she were to casually break a vow, then what meaning would the knight's path of honor and fealty even hold?

"Very well. Then I accept your oath of loyalty."

Since she had said this much, Su Mo didn't bother with false modesty. He accepted the young knight's pledge and, in accordance with the ritual, took her silver greatsword from her hands. Placing the blade—sheath and all—gently upon her shoulder, he completed the formal rite.

The contract was now sealed.

From this moment onward, Liliana, like Erica before her, had become Su Mo's personal knight.

"Master…"

After rising to her feet, Liliana hesitated briefly. Her cheeks flushed as she called out the word with unpractised shyness. She hadn't quite thought through how to address him and ended up choosing the more maid-like term—"Master."

It felt a little strange in this context, but technically, as a personal knight, it wasn't entirely inappropriate either.

"Hm… Now that you mention it, Liliana does have some potential as a maid," Su Mo nodded thoughtfully, as if evaluating her with genuine seriousness. "She's timid, easy to tease, and blushes so easily… Just the type of maid you only need to scold slightly for a mistake, and she'll obediently accept being punished by warming her master's bed."

"Absolutely," Erica chimed in from the side with a playful grin. "Liliana's bride training has been coming along quite well. Whether it's brewing tea or attending to personal needs, she's fully qualified to be a maid."

"But I must admit, I didn't expect her to be so bold."

"I thought she'd hesitate and only offer her loyalty at the last moment. Yet here she is, swearing allegiance and immediately calling you 'Master'—such passion! She's completely exposing her inner feelings."

"Wouldn't you agree, my Lord?"

Deliberately choosing a different title from Liliana, Erica once again began teasing the silver-haired knight.

It was only then that Liliana realized her slip-up.

As a knight retainer, she should have called him "Lord," not "Master."

Recalling Erica's words, Liliana's face turned a deep crimson. "Erica! What do you mean by exposing my inner feelings? Stop making things up!"

"I'll make you eat those words!"

Fuming, she turned to glare at Erica, who only laughed in return.

And so, the golden-haired and silver-haired knight princesses began their customary squabble once again.