Apocalypse Healer - Path of Death

"I am sorry, but this is too funny." He snorted, cocking his head to check the ceiling for another divine punishment. But the ceiling was clear. Only remnants of the devastating power that had surged through the temple were left.

Nothing? That's almost boring.

"I'm sorry for tarnishing the Pantheon's magnificent image… Actually, not really. I lied. I am not sorry about humiliating you guys. Like, at all!" His laugh resounded, filling him with satisfaction.

David was about to continue his tirade against the Pantheon when the space beneath the ceiling crackled. The air distorted, and a massive lightning bolt barreled to the ground.

The Pantheon retaliated again. It had been that simple.

Having already been struck once, David knew he had enraged someone in the Pantheon and was ready for the second strike. The lightning bolt came faster than the first, but David was already in motion.

His hands, coated in [Holy Touch], shot high, prepared to intercept the divine lightning. But catching something so powerful wasn't easy. David released a defiant roar, bracing himself for the impact.

[Excessive holy power has been detected. Initiate Skill Rune overclock.]

[Proficiency of Holy Touch increased.]

The divine lightning passed mercilessly through his hands, splitting into streams that coursed down his arms and spread throughout his body.

One moment, David looked up to find an empty ceiling; the next, a lightning bolt came crashing down, surrounding him in blinding currents that burned like fire.

Unfortunately, they were as painful as they were majestic.

David screamed, his voice echoing through the room, but he kept [Holy Touch] active, devouring traces of the lightning as it coursed through him. The potent energy within the lightning fueled [Holy Touch], naturally expanding the Skill Rune's area of effect. It flowed down his wrists, engulfing his arms, and wreathed his upper body in a radiant aura.

[Holy Touch] expanded rapidly, consuming more of the divine lightning's immense power. The lightning, however, was leagues beyond anything he had encountered—a storm compared to a mere breeze.

But David had prepared for this. His mind and body were ready. As the bolt struck, he cast [Bless] and [Cure Wounds] in quick succession.

His blood felt as if it were boiling, his flesh bubbling as it charred under the divine assault. The lightning spared nothing, tearing through his muscles and shredding his energy pathways. This wasn't part of the plan, but the raw energy coursing through his body left little room for regret.

David closed his eyes briefly, barely holding on. Death loomed closer with every breath, but he forced himself to stay calm. Panic wouldn't help—it might even make things worse.

Focusing on [Cure Wounds] and the healing properties of [Holy Touch], he worked to mend the damage. He refreshed [Bless], creating a fragile shield to stave off the worst effects. Though [Bless] alone wasn't strong enough to save him, it kept him teetering on the edge of survival.

His Holy Sea churned and hissed as the divine currents surged through it, but David remained steadfast. He endured the pain, casting [Cure Wounds] and [Bless] repeatedly—again, and again, and again.

The effort drained his Holy Sea in no time, forcing him to push his Skill Runes beyond their limits. It wasn't safe, but survival demanded no less. He had to go above and beyond.

Fortunately, [Holy Touch] ensured his Holy Sea replenished as quickly as it emptied. The ability spread through his body, consuming the remnants of the divine lightning even as it ravaged him. The lightning destroyed everything David repaired, but he cared little. Once he was certain he would survive, the rest didn't matter.

David had survived several life-threatening moments that must have lasted five seconds—or perhaps even less—but his Holy Sea remained packed to the brim. His Skill Runes were overclocked, and his health was slowly recovering. The aftermath? Several notifications flickered at the corner of his vision.

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It couldn't have taken more than ten seconds before the second divine lightning stopped.

David lay sprawled on the temple ground, his chest rising and falling with labored breaths. His skin crackled with residual energy, and his flesh still felt as though it were boiling.

He probably looked like a fried shrimp now, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his charred lips.

Even the edges of his lips and cheeks had been reduced to cinders, yet David smiled. He could feel it—he was healing. The unpleasant tingling sensation of rapid regeneration spread across his body, occupying every part of him.

Notifications flickered again at the edge of his vision, drawing his focus. Pride swelled in his chest as he checked them.

[Proficiency of Bless reached 100%.]

[Tier-0 I] → [Tier-0 III]

[Proficiency of Cure Wounds reached 100%.]

[Tier-0 V] → [Tier-0 VI]

[Proficiency of Holy Touch reached 100%.]

[Tier-0 IV] → [Tier-0 V]

[Holy Touch reached the first minor threshold.

Control increased drastically. Power output increased. Skill potency increased.]

[Your Rank increased by one.]

[Iron VI] → [Iron VII]

[One Attribute Point has been added.]

[The User managed to use three overclocked Skill Runes simultaneously, overcoming his limits to face death head-on.]

[Your Mind has grown.]

Middle(-)(Basic) → Middle(Basic)

[You faced the Divine Tribulation and survived. Your body was torn, but your Thread of Life overcame the thread.]

[Your Body has grown.]

Middle(-)(Basic) → Middle(Basic)

A sharp headache threatened to knock him out, but the notification about his Mind's growth, alongside the actual increment, arrived just in time. He'd been too busy battling a god's lightning bolt to realize how drained his mind had become.

But it had been worth it. Facing a god's fury had been… interesting, to say the least.

"Thank you very much," David muttered, a grin spreading across his face. This time, there was no mockery in his voice. Instead, a tinge of respect bloomed in his chest.

As much as David disliked the gods, facing their power head-on forced him to acknowledge their might. After enduring the second divine lightning strike, he was certain the Pantheon's gods could have killed him easily if they had wanted. But they didn't.

The lightning had been more than a warning. If he hadn't pushed himself beyond his limits, he would have died. Yet if the god—or goddess—who attacked him had truly wanted him dead, they could have sent a far stronger bolt when he first humiliated them.

He dismissed the thought. It didn't matter. He was alive, and he'd gotten the answers he needed.

While the gods were undeniably powerful, they weren't unlike humans. They had emotions, and they didn't hesitate to lash out when provoked. Most importantly, they were real—or, at the very least, something resembling gods existed.

The lifelike statues were intriguing, but the divine lightning was different. It was a tangible display of power.

So, gods exist. Or… something like gods, he reasoned.

Powerful beings that surpassed the limits of the possible—or what humanity had considered possible before the integration.

David tilted his head, ignoring the pain that shot through his skull.

No, that doesn't quite fit.

He was already stronger than what humanity had once deemed possible. His physical strength and endurance were remarkable, but his magical abilities were the true game-changer. They were proof of how much humans could grow in this new world.

He continued casting [Cure Wounds], the spell coming to him effortlessly after countless battles.

With each cast, David adjusted the speed and focus, prioritizing the parts of his body that hurt the most. These micro-adjustments, honed through experience, were second nature to him—at least when healing himself.

Finally, he pushed himself up from the temple ground, taking one last look at the floating island in the distance.

The gods hadn't spoken a word to him, but their actions revealed more than enough. They'd shown him everything he needed to know—for now.

A grin spread across his face as he turned to the exit, his chest bare and covered in rapidly regenerating skin. He was sore and in pain, but satisfaction radiated through him.