Translator: CinderTL
"In the eyes of mortals, Shar is the eternal darkness that devours light, the secret whisper of temptation, the cold comfort of the despairing. Her followers weave conspiracies in the shadows, while her enemies awaken screaming from nightmares."
In the spacious, brightly lit room, Roland flipped through the pages of the book in his hands, his brow furrowing slightly.
"...for she is not merely the embodiment of night, but also the cruel proclamation that all things must ultimately return to nothingness. Mortals may fear or obsess over her, but none can truly escape her gaze."
Sniffing the salty, damp air, Roland rubbed his aching temples.
"Death, disaster, oblivion, nothingness, mystery..."
His gaze finally settled on the last sentence on the page.
"Eternal darkness and corruption."
"This description doesn't have a single positive word in it," he murmured with a sigh, slowly closing the book, Shadow of the Gods.
It was an ancient text documenting mortals' fanciful notions about the gods before the Year of the Apocalypse.
"So... why am I entangled with a deity like this?"
He stared at the conspicuous "Shar's Favor" entry in the Job Panel's traits section, lost in deep thought.
His fingertips unconsciously traced the raised, gilded patterns on the book's spine, as if the answer lay hidden within its texture.
"According to Theresa's description, even when we first met, I was already entangled with some inexplicable strength."
The rhythmic crashing of waves outside the window punctuated his words.
"Now it seems... that was likely the divine power of Shar, the Goddess of Death."
Memories from his life before transmigrating surged through his mind like a tidal wave, forcing him to close his eyes.
It wasn't until a sea breeze swept through the open window, brushing against his cheek, that a sudden flash of insight struck him.
"Death... emptiness... darkness..."
Roland's fingers began tapping lightly on the desk, unconsciously.
"Before I gained Shar's Favor, the golden droplet bestowed by the Giant Dragon drove me to the brink of mental collapse. That sensation of consciousness sinking into oblivion... wasn't that akin to death? And even before that..."
The crisp tapping gradually softened, but his thoughts grew increasingly clear.
"When I transmigrated to this world, in a sense, I truly 'died' once."
The realization struck him like a bolt of lightning.
Roland stood up and began pacing the study, his boots thudding heavily on the oak floor.
"So, I've been under this deity's gaze since then?"
He shook his head helplessly and stopped at the window.
"That must be the reason."
"After all, the original body was just an ordinary mortal, yet it experienced the divine miracle of resurrection. No matter how you look at it, it's utterly incomprehensible."
Having barely managed to rationalize why a deity would be interested in him, Roland didn't dwell on the matter further.
While being connected to a deity did make him feel vaguely uneasy, so far, Shar's Favor seemed to have brought him no negative consequences.
In contrast...
Roland sat back down at the wooden table and gently flipped open another ancient text.
Unlike the thick and mysterious Shadow of the Gods, this book, titled Epic of Heroes, was remarkably thin, its pages yellowed and its edges frayed.
Even more striking was the messy, hurried handwriting, as if scribbled by some unknown wandering bard.
"...In the year 497 of the Crystal Calendar, Rudolph single-handedly repelled the demons invading the mortal realm from the Abyssal Eye, earning himself the title of hero..."
This was the only mention of "Rudolph" that Roland could find in all the ancient texts in Bronson's collection.
But...
"This is far too brief," Roland muttered, frowning as he continued flipping through the pages.
And...
He noticed that most of the so-called "heroes" recorded in this Epic of Heroes were figures who had distinguished themselves in battles against demons from the Abyss or Hell.
While their deeds were certainly commendable, they didn't seem particularly remarkable within the broader context of the continent's history.
"How could someone like this have any connection to Giant Dragons—ancient beings nearly akin to demigods? And how could they possibly make a Giant Dragon abide by some kind of agreement?"
Roland's brow furrowed slightly as his gaze returned to his Job Panel, focusing on the "Race" section.
During the chaotic events of that day, he had only glimpsed a blurry "Dragon?" entry in the race field.
But now, upon closer inspection, he discovered that his core attributes—strength, agility, and spirit—had each increased by a full three points.
"Did these attribute gains come from that drop of golden liquid, or... Shar's Favor?"
Just as Roland was lost in thought, footsteps approached from outside the door, growing louder until a crisp knock echoed through the room.
Knock, knock, knock!
"Roland, are you awake?"
"Mr. Bronson, please come in."
The door swung open, and the lean scholar hurried in, barely containing his excitement.
"Roland, the ship Mr. Colin arranged has arrived at the port! It's docked right by the pier, waiting for us."
"Understood."
Roland nodded slightly, carefully stowing the two ancient texts he had been studying into his satchel. He then tucked the sleepy Joe into his waist pouch.
Seeing this, Bronson immediately turned to lead the way, and the two men exited the inn one after the other.
Two attendants at the entrance bowed respectfully as they passed, then silently followed behind them, pushing a cart piled high with books toward the port.
Though over a month had passed since the Giant Dragon Incident, the residents of Far Ocean Port were still buzzing with rumors about the strange events in Mist Creek Town.
The murmur of conversations drifted through the streets.
A bearded merchant gestured wildly as he spoke to his companion.
"Did you hear? They say a massive flying demonic beast appeared over Mist Creek Town! Many claim it was a Giant Dragon!"
His companion waved dismissively, scoffing.
"You've been reading too many adventure novels, brother. Giant Dragon? Ha! That's just the sheriff making excuses for failing to defend against the demonic beast attack!"
"But..."
Another merchant wrung his hands anxiously.
"The demonic beasts in the neighboring Golden Valley Kingdom seem to be growing bolder lately. Could this affect our trade?"
A merchant wearing a wide-brimmed hat immediately lowered his voice to join the conversation.
"This gentleman clearly hasn't returned to the River Domain Nations in quite some time. It's not just the Golden Valley Kingdom—even the demonic beasts in the River Domain Nations are becoming increasingly ferocious!"
"I've also heard that strange mists have been spreading across low-lying areas and swamps. Anyone who enters never comes out!"
"Who says no one comes out?"
A red-nosed drunkard slammed his fist on the table, joining the conversation with a drunken shout.
"There's this guy calling himself the Wolf King who's claimed a mist-shrouded territory. He says he's going to establish a kingdom there!"
His companion burst into laughter, slamming his mug heavily on the table.
"A kingdom? Ha! More like a bandit's den!"
Roland absorbed every word of their conversation, his brow furrowing slightly as he continued walking.
The sudden surge in demonic beast activity must be due to the accelerated revival of the Magic Element. As for those strange mists... could they be anomalies caused by excessively high concentrations of the Magic Element?
His thoughts raced, but his pace never faltered.
Just a hundred steps from the port, a heated argument suddenly erupted.
Following the sound, Roland saw several fully armed port guards blocking a group of travelers, locked in a heated dispute.
But Roland's gaze instantly cut through the chaotic crowd, locking onto a young man dressed in dark green travel attire.
(End of the Chapter)
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