Chapter 127: Dual God Belief, Late Winter Wolf Howl

(Long chapter, and there will be another update later featuring the protagonist's character attribute and skill cards. Please leave some comments; your feedback is my daily motivation, haha.)

After wandering aimlessly through the complex alleys of the Royal City, Wang Yu found a secluded spot. The Void Blade bracers connected with the rift, and amidst a ripple in space, Wang Yu once again stepped into the corridor compressed sixteen times over.

Though he still struggled to grasp the mechanics of this space—a sliver wedged between the void and reality—he walked for a time before pushing open a door along the passage and stepping through.

Inside was a familiar office, reminiscent of the one Ziggy usually occupied. Yet, this was clearly a different space; while the style and layout were similar, the details betrayed a different personality. It was far more cluttered, lacking the abundance of books, which had been replaced by stacks of files tucked into paper envelopes.

Shuguin, seated at the desk, lifted his head as Wang Yu entered. He pushed aside the documents he had been reviewing and sat upright.

"You've arrived. You've made significant progress this winter; judging by your physical constitution, you've already reached the level of a junior official knight. The last person to advance this quickly was likely the Grand Commander of the Imperial Guard."

Shuguin scanned Wang Yu. Having not seen him for the better part of the winter, he relied on his wealth of experience to make a rough assessment of the young man's level.

"Yes, my physical fitness has reached the threshold, but my battle qi remains unchanged, and there is no sign of an inner potential emerging. I cannot compare to him."

Wang Yu knew of that Grand Commander, Uller—a man with terrifying knightly talent. To put it in perspective, what took others decades of toil, he could achieve in a single year.

"Garcia mentioned your unique circumstances. You handled your battle qi issues on your own before, so I trust you can resolve this as well. If you need anything, the library of the Night's Edge is open to you, though you'll have to find the Professor for that. My domain is archives; his is where the books and research materials are kept."

"My thanks. So, Captain Shuguin, are you certain you wish to introduce the worship of the Lady of Night to the Night's Edge?"

"Yes, that is the conclusion Ziggy and I reached. As you know, half of the Night's Edge is non-denominational, while the other half follows the God of Light. The God of Light is a unique deity who does not reject the worship of others, but as you are aware, other religious sects still harbor deep prejudices against him."

Wang Yu nodded. His assessment of the followers of the God of Light had never wavered: to him, they were ordinary yet great beings. When they shouted "For the God of Light," they were often thinking not of the deity himself, but of the justice standing right before them.

When a massive hammer of holy light crashed down upon the head of an evildoer, they would realize that the justice in the hearts of these hulking priests was as heavy as their iron fists.

A large part of why this winter had been so peaceful was that the primary faith in Alastair was the Church of Light. Other faiths, due to their inherent rejection of the God of Light, had very little presence there.

When the kingdom faced invasion, even those followers of the Church of Light who were not part of the military would spontaneously join the war to resist the foreign enemy.

Conversely, the Church of Light in the invading kingdom would refuse to provide any divine arts or assistance related to the war. In the eyes of the followers of the God of Light, defending one's homeland was always just.

The brief winter truce had allowed these warriors of the Church of Light a chance to return to the Royal City. Truth be told, the thieves and bandits in the city had no desire to be surrounded by a group of hulking, muscle-bound men who might pop out of nowhere while they were in the middle of their misdeeds.

However, with most of the winter gone and the truce nearing its end, the majority of the army and the followers of the Church of Light had regrouped and returned to the front lines against Sewentan.

Only a small unit led by Garcia, which functioned as a mobile team, remained in the city.

As for the Archbishop of the Church of Light in Alastair, Father Stuart, he had not returned to the Royal City even during the winter. Though his status was hard to define, he was certainly superior to both Ziggy and Shuguin, and choosing not to return to the undercurrents of the Royal City was likely a wise decision.

"So, after much consideration, we hope to introduce a new power to the Night's Edge. Furthermore, after Ziggy visited the Nightfall Church and communicated with the avatar of the Lady of Night, he basically confirmed that she is a deity who can be trusted."

"Trustworthy? Captain, how did you reach that conclusion?" Wang Yu asked, puzzled. While he believed the Lady of Night was indeed trustworthy, he didn't know how Shuguin and the others had arrived at that verdict.

"She is special. Her true identity is currently known only to Father Stuart, myself, and Ziggy. You know she is the product of a certain project by Sewentan, right?"

"Correct." Wang Yu hadn't forgotten. The Lady of Night was the result of a project for which Sewentan still had no answers. The God of Life, Erfin, and the "God of War" that Shuguin and Ziggy had captured and sealed outside the Royal City, were all of the same origin.

"Here, this is the divine emblem of that so-called God of War. You should be able to face these deities directly. Take a look at the form of this god, and you will understand why Ziggy and I believe the Lady of Night is special."

Shuguin pulled from his desk drawer a divine emblem that looked very familiar to Wang Yu—it was identical to the one the Lady of Night had once possessed. However, this badge depicted a robust man, bare-chested, with his back bristling with arrows. Was this the God of War?

Taking the medal, Wang Yu recited the inscription on the back with practiced ease: "Praise to you, Master of War, King of all fighters, Destroyer who brings the power of endless slaughter, God of War, Guy."

As Wang Yu finished the prayer directed at the so-called God of War, Guy, something extra appeared within his mental space—similar to when he had first seen the Lady of Night, though the sensation was quite different.

Closing his eyes, his consciousness returned to the lake beneath the brilliant starry sky. Wang Yu looked into the distance. Far away lay a massive, twisted thing—a mountain of flesh, writhing and contorting. Upon this living, crawling peak, one could see armor, war banners, swords, bows, ballistae, magic wands, and a terrifying, chaotic array of weapons.

This mountain of flesh was not merely composed of meat; it was made of the bodies of countless soldiers, even warhorses. These armored warriors were piled into this twisted existence, their flesh melted and fused onto the armor, covering the blades and steel, binding to the armor and bodies beside them.

Bones had detached from the flesh, mixed into the chaotic mass. At the very base of this mountain, one could see white—countless skulls. The mountain seemed to move by the rolling of these skulls.

Some soldiers stitched into the mass seemed to retain a trace of "activity," their boneless muscles writhing as they tried to detach from the armor and other soldiers. Their fragile bodies would break and snap, sickening, melted remains falling from the peak to be smashed into sludge on the ground, only to be crushed by the rolling skulls and absorbed back into the mountain.

No one could escape this horrific "war." This hellish purgatory was an eternal cage; even the dead could not break free. It reminded Wang Yu of something he had seen before: the Ossuary...

"The embodiment of war? He has completely lost his sense of self. He is powerful, far more powerful than I, but that means nothing..." The Lady of Night appeared beside Wang Yu, looking at the distant, vaguely blurred mountain of flesh.

"Is he the God of War, Guy? A mountain of corpses and a sea of blood—it truly is the face of war."

"Yes. He was once the entity with the most followers among the common folk of Sewentan. During armed disputes between villages, people would often pray for his blessing."

"And as long as it was war—regardless of scale, time, or place—he never refused. If they asked, he gave. It often happened that by the end of a battle, everyone else had fallen, leaving only the followers of the God of War, fellow believers from different villages, beating each other to death."

"..." Wang Yu thought about it for a moment. It was quite a vivid image, and he almost wanted to laugh. But looking back at the twisted, writhing mountain of flesh that seemed to be the very concept of "war" made manifest, the urge to laugh vanished. It was tragic. Was Erfin the same? Sewentan, what are you trying to do—twist your own gods?

"So, Darkness, do you have any objections to the Night's Edge adopting you as their object of worship?" Since the Lady of Night was there, he might as well ask if she was willing to be the new faith for the Night's Edge, as Ziggy and the Professor had requested.

Having seen the twisted form of the God of War, Wang Yu understood why Ziggy and Shuguin considered the Lady of Night special and worthy of worship. The abnormal gods Sewentan had churned out were incapable of normal communication, unlike her.

"No problem. Whether they worship me is their freedom. To observe the actions of these different people, to watch the trajectories of their lives—to me, that is something very close to the human concept of 'happiness.' So, having more believers is a good thing."

"Of course, I must thank you again, my friend. If you hadn't killed those three goblins back then, I fear I would have become just as twisted as they are."

The Lady of Night answered with a faint, smiling voice. Wang Yu had expected that this deity, who loved observing human life and was satisfied when her followers lived well, would not refuse such a request.

"You're welcome. You've helped me a great deal as well. Until next time."

"Until next time."

As his consciousness returned to reality, Wang Yu nodded, signaling that he had seen the twisted God of War. "I understand. The Lady of Night is indeed special. I asked her, and she has no objection to the Night's Edge using her as an object of worship."

"Does she not object to being worshipped alongside the God of Light?" Shuguin asked, posing the question that had made dual-god worship impossible until now.

"She does not. Compared to a god, I feel the Lady of Night is closer to a unique and powerful human. She would never object to a faith like that of the God of Light."

It was a strange thought—the Nightfall Church and the Church of Light, two such eccentric groups, coming together to create what might be the first dual-faith in history.

"That is good. Then, we will place statues of the Lady of Night and the scripture you produced in several locations of the Night's Edge. Of course, as the Archbishop of the Nightfall Church, there will be additional funds allocated to you. How you use them is up to you."

"Understood. But please, do not let my identity as Archbishop become public. Recently, the major families have turned their attention toward me; I could feel their eyes on me on the way here. If this identity is exposed, I fear it will bring more trouble."

"That is unavoidable... You know the level of chaos within the Royal City. Both Sharl and Edward already have established forces and backgrounds. Only you have no backing to speak of. As time passes, it is inevitable that your growth will draw their attention. However, I will keep your identity as Archbishop a secret."

Shuguin knew that as the standoff between the major families intensified, they had begun looking beyond their existing power bases. The Night's Edge was one such place, and it would likely bring about many changes—some good, some bad.

"Fine. By the way, why does the Night's Edge need to introduce the power of the Lady of Night? She isn't exactly powerful. You must have felt it during the process of suppressing and imprisoning that so-called God of War. The gap between these so-called gods and true deities is an unbridgeable chasm."

Wang Yu wondered about this. The Lady of Night could easily lend power to her followers, but because her own power was limited—restricted to "Night Concealment" and "Shadow Movement"—it wasn't particularly formidable. It also required followers to pray for a period to accumulate enough faith, or the energy expenditure would outweigh the gains.

For an organization like the Night's Edge, which had the Royal City as its logistics base, this didn't seem necessary. So what was driving Shuguin to risk introducing her faith?

"The divine arts are only a small part of the reason. The more important factor is this." Shuguin pointed to his head.

"Mental state?"

"Yes. The primary duty of the Night's Edge remains facing the void. Despite the 'Heaven's Dimming' ritual provided by the royal family, the members still face immense mental pressure. It is clear that members with a faith have much stronger mental resistance when facing corruption."

"With most of the Night's Edge members who follow the God of Light having gone to the front lines, the number of members suffering mental breakdowns and being sent to border sanitariums this year is three times that of previous years."

"So, if we need new faiths to fill the gap, the faith of the Lady of Night is an excellent choice. If we have her faith, it can greatly alleviate the corruption from the void. That is a massive help to us."

Shuguin explained the reasoning, leaving Wang Yu stunned. The purpose of introducing the faith was to share the burden of void corruption?

It seemed to be true. Followers of the God of War, the God of Life, and the God of Light were indeed less susceptible to void corruption.

According to what Wang Yu had learned, it was highly likely that the corruption of the void was transferred through the link between faith and the believer, shifting a large portion to the deity, who bore the burden on behalf of the follower.

In other words, the primary goal of the Night's Edge in introducing the Lady of Night was not her power, but to have her shoulder the corruption from the void.

Recalling the twisted form of the God of War, Guy, Wang Yu wondered if that was the change wrought by bearing such corruption. If the essence of faith was merely exploitation, could it still be called faith?

The only god Wang Yu truly knew was the Lady of Night. The others were either evil gods like the Lord of Extinction or creatures like the God of War, Guy—trapped in the depths of the Abyss, their forms blurred even in his mental space due to the nature of that prison.

But clearly, the Lady of Night was, in Wang Yu's view, a very good deity. She cared for her followers and never demanded sacrifices or offerings. Her rare hobby was simply observing their lives to see what they were doing.

Taking a step back, even setting aside her status as a deity, they were decent friends. Shuguin's plan to use her left a sour taste in his mouth. Perhaps not everyone could converse with gods as he did. He could understand Shuguin's perspective for the sake of the Night's Edge, but understanding did not mean Wang Yu could accept it.

Wang Yu narrowed his eyes slightly. "Captain Shugin, while I acknowledge the immense benefit this would bring to the Blades of Night, I still do not wish to see the Blades embrace faith in the Lady of Night as a mere instrument of utility. That would bode ill for us."

Wang Yu looked into Shugin’s eyes with a solemn intensity; because he understood the man, he did not hesitate to voice his dissent directly to his superior.

"I have said it before: the Lady of Night is more akin to a person. Faith predicated on exploitation—I cannot bring myself to call that faith at all. I would much rather the Lady of Night be an ally to the Blades, not a cold, utilitarian tool."

"Therefore, Captain Shugin, I hope you will reflect deeply on what truly binds the Blades of Night together. Father Fang once gave me the answer, and it is the very reason I hold this organization in such high regard."

Wang Yu finished his piece in a calm, earnest tone.

"…You are quite right. Go back for now; I shall reconsider this matter." Shugin fell silent for a heartbeat, his eyes swirling with a complex, visibly turbulent emotion.

"Understood." Wang Yu said no more, pulled the door shut, and departed the office.

Once Wang Yu had gone, Shugin shed the composed mask he had worn so long, leaning back wearily into his wooden chair, raking his fingers through his hair in a daze.

"Shugin, when did you become like this..." he murmured, a stifling weight pressing upon his chest. The recent turmoil within the capital and the mounting pressures from all sides had subtly warped his mindset, drawing his methods toward the very pragmatism he once despised, all without him realizing it.

"Old man, is this why you left...? I am beginning to feel it too. But perhaps it is for the best; at least your choice was sound. This fellow Wang Yu possesses a certain uniqueness—he has remained clear-headed throughout. My trust in him no longer stems from you, but from his own actions."

Shugin stared at the light overhead, whispering to the void, his thoughts drifting far away, his mind’s eye fixed on the familiar, distinct vambrace on Wang Yu’s arm as he had closed the door.

……

Having left the gap, Wang Yu shrugged his shoulders, hoping Shugin would see reason; otherwise, he would have to have a chat with the Lady of Night about how her followers were planning to slack off.

Stepping out of the alley, Wang Yu looked up in surprise. Sounds were drifting in from beyond the city walls—the rising and falling of wolf howls, wave after wave, continuous and unending, echoing from the distance and spreading toward every corner of the horizon. Had the late-winter beast tide begun?

Yet, was it not far too early in the season for the tide to arrive?