Chapter 159: Transformation, the Growing Night Sky Tree

This would bring about a transformation for the Blade of Night, and Shugin was convinced of it. The moment Wang Yu described this network of faith that linked all believers together, he had clearly grasped the significance of the matter.

The primary enemies of the Blade of Night had always been those creatures in the Void saturated with psychic corruption.

The greatest cause of attrition within the Blade of Night was not casualties sustained in battle, but the gradual erosion of the mind through mission after mission, until one day, the string belonging to that member simply snapped.

For the restoration of the mind—or rather, the soul—the Blade of Night, and indeed the entire continent, possessed no effective remedy.

Detection itself was a problem; only the soul truly knew its own state, and without a systematic method of examination, it was difficult to even confirm the depth of a person's psychic contamination.

Recovery methods were even harder to come by. Beyond hoping for the soul’s own innate resilience, only a few exceptionally rare, naturally occurring treasures could repair the soul of a living being. While there were not a few items capable of repairing the souls of the undead, the two were entirely different paths.

These elusive treasures with soul-mending properties were naturally beyond the reach of ordinary Blade of Night members.

Did the Kingdom possess them? Certainly. After all, a vast kingdom would inevitably collect such precious artifacts for a rainy day.

But only those at the level of Shugin and Gilbert might be provided with them when necessary; ordinary members need not even dream of it.

Once these iron-willed warriors suffered a mental collapse, all that awaited them was the remainder of their lives spent in a border sanatorium.

And that place, despite its seemingly beautiful environment, hid a stifling oppression beneath the smiles of the caregivers—an atmosphere even Shugin was loath to touch. There was no Void contamination there, yet the air itself made every normal person struggle to breathe.

The thing Wang Yu had created had fundamentally overturned this regrettable reality. Psychic contamination, to a certain extent, was no longer a source of agony for the Blade of Night. These resolute warriors would no longer be tormented by the ravages of psychic corruption.

When Wang Yu informed Shugin and Gilbert that faith in the Lady of Night could shunt away psychic contamination, the Blade of Night had already ushered in a new era. From this point forward, the Blade of Night would be reborn.

As for Wang Yu, his contribution was far more than what could be repaid by the highest honors Shugin and Gilbert could offer. Though he himself had no lofty ideals and was certainly no "great man," he was, undeniably, the benefactor of every member of the Blade of Night.

"Your contribution shall never be forgotten." Shugin addressed Wang Yu with solemn sincerity, feeling not the slightest discomfort in bowing to a subordinate.

"This debt of gratitude, I will surely repay." Gilbert was even more forthright. Regardless of anything else, Wang Yu had preserved the integrity of his mind amidst immense psychic corruption; he was, without question, a savior.

"The same as before: remember to keep this confidential. This matter requires even more secrecy than my identity as an Archbishop of the Church of Night. It is of great consequence. However, my identity as an Archbishop can be gradually revealed; once the Church grows in scale, it will be difficult to keep it hidden anyway."

Wang Yu pondered; he could not yet let everyone know of this achievement. It was enough for Shugin to inform all members of the Blade of Night about the existence of the prayer communication network.

If all went well, faith in the Lady of Night would see explosive growth within the Blade of Night. No one understood the benefits of faith in the Lady of Night better than they did.

That recognition of the deity would also guarantee their "piety," which would greatly facilitate the growth of the Lady of Night’s power. This was the very definition of a mutually beneficial arrangement, and the benefits Wang Yu would reap from it would be far from trivial.

When necessary, both the Church of Night and the Blade of Night would become his solid backing. He had already glimpsed the threats to the Royal City beyond war when facing the Golden Rain Merchant Alliance, and more insurance was exactly what he needed.

Wang Yu soon discovered that he had underestimated the influence of the "prayer communication network" on the members of the Blade of Night. Shugin had laughed and agreed to keep Wang Yu’s role as the creator a secret, while disseminating the news that faith in the Lady of Night would grant the ability to shunt psychic contamination.

Soon, the changes brought by this news swept through every communication channel of the Blade of Night—whether they were enjoying a brief respite in the Echoing Cabin, currently executing a mission, or even those retired due to injury or age.

Upon learning that psychic contamination could be shunted away through faith in the Lady of Night, almost everyone, without hesitation, sincerely began to pray to the Lady of Night.

The news flowed downward from Shugin, was relayed by squad leaders to their respective teams, and those captains who could reach their members chose to inform them immediately.

In less than five minutes, the news had reached almost every member of the Blade of Night who was capable of receiving it.

"Great Lady of Night, I pray to you..." This prayer, written in the scriptures of the Church of Night—a fabrication Wang Yu and the Lady of Night had concocted together but which nonetheless functioned—resounded in the mouths and hearts of all who learned of the "prayer communication network." And it was sincere; it was an acknowledgment from the depths of their hearts.

A call from the mental realm prompted Wang Yu to shift his consciousness into his own mind. Upon entering, he saw the towering tree standing above his lake, and the tall Lady who had risen from her lounge chair to gaze at the tree undergoing such immense change.

"It is growing more vast... I can feel it. Many new threads of faith are appearing on this tree that represents my power. It is growing continuously, and the faith of these new believers is pure, and... devout."

The Lady of Night’s voice drifted into Wang Yu’s ears. It was her call that had summoned him into the mental realm, and Wang Yu saw the changes in the Tree of the Night Sky she spoke of.

The giant tree, its surface resembling the starry night sky, was now flickering with the light unique to stars. He could see the stars representing believers, scattered across the boundless night, increasing at a speed visible to the naked eye.

This made the once empty night sky no longer deathly silent; a vitality unique to this night was permeating it. It was something entirely different from the magnificent yet lifeless starry sky above his mental realm.

The Tree of the Night Sky was growing rapidly because of the Blade of Night members who had chosen to believe in the Lady of Night without hesitation. The Lady of Night’s power was not inherently strong, and precisely because of that, the addition of new believers—which might not mean much to other sects—was causing her power to surge.

The Tree of the Night Sky was growing in size; its trunk was becoming thicker, and the branches and leaves, which had once appeared simple and blurred, almost like a facade, were becoming real, rich with detail.

The night sky that formed the tree’s bark was no longer silent or monotonous. Stars flickered from time to time, and one could see subtle currents of light streaking across that night sky; other stars would light up in response, one after another. A multitude of newly added stars were twinkling, making this starry sky look exceptionally moving and beautiful.

"These must be the new Blade of Night believers. They are likely testing the real-time communication function."

Wang Yu watched these constantly flickering stars, guessing what they were doing. They were probably experimenting with the new abilities they had gained through their faith.

"My friend, this is truly remarkable. I can feel that my own power is undergoing a qualitative change due to these new forces, and this tree is growing into something different."

The Lady of Night marveled at the changes brought by these new believers. Just as she said, the tree was evolving into a new form; the trunk no longer merely grew thicker and taller, but branched out in all directions, transforming into countless boughs and leaves.

Was the tree’s form spontaneously adapting to the believers because of their increase? Was this a characteristic of a deity?

Wang Yu did not know, but it was clear that the Tree of the Night Sky was shifting into a form better suited to its believers. Believers could influence their deity; this was what the Lady of Night had told him.

However, at this moment, the Lady of Night herself did not seem to have changed due to her believers; the Tree of the Night Sky was taking on this process of change instead. Perhaps this was a good thing? After all, the Lady of Night had said she wanted to be herself, not a shackled deity.

The Tree of the Night Sky no longer looked bare and abstract, merely a tree-shaped silhouette; it had truly become a lush, flourishing tree composed of the starry sky.

The star-points had shifted from the trunk onto the flourishing branches and leaves, bringing the stars representing believers closer together. The power required for their communication was thus reduced, and the tree had transformed into a new form because of the believers' power.

"This isn't exactly anything extraordinary. My particularities just happened to align with it. Compared to the scholars in the Academy seeking the essence of things, I’d say this is just a matter of good luck and the fact that I can communicate with you."

"To be honest, the God of Light and other deities should be able to do this as well. It’s just that no one has ever thought to apply this ability in this direction."

Shunting contamination—this was a power all deities should possess. But Wang Yu was unique; he had used "Void Programming" to take a leap forward in the vertical channel between believer and deity, successfully linking believers to one another horizontally. It was this step that had facilitated the metamorphosis of the Tree of the Night Sky.

The God of Light could likely have done the same, but only a freak like Wang Yu meeting a freak like the Lady of Night could have successfully taken this step.

"It’s quite good. Later, let the members of the Church of Night in the Royal City Shadows know as well. Even if they don't need to shunt contamination, the communication between believers will still be useful."

Wang Yu looked with satisfaction at the fully grown giant tree, its stars shining brilliantly in the night sky. Honestly, it was quite an accomplishment.

Opening his eyes and exiting the mental realm, Wang Yu was just about to say a few more words to Shugin when he suddenly noticed an exceptionally familiar rocking chair had appeared abruptly near the window in Shugin’s office.

The figure of the Lady of Night slowly emerged from the space, took form, and reclined on the rocking chair, swaying gently.

"Uh..." Wang Yu scratched his head, not knowing why the Lady of Night had suddenly appeared here.

Shugin, who had jumped up from his desk, hand reaching for the lantern at his waist, only to realize something and sit back down, must have been far more astonished than Wang Yu.

"This is the Lady of Night." Wang Yu gestured toward her, signaling to Shugin and Gilbert to make an introduction. He couldn't let the Lady of Night be treated as a sudden invading enemy.

"Greetings, great Lady of Night. I pay my respects." Shugin hesitated for a moment before choosing to stand and perform a formal gesture of respect common in human kingdoms.

The sudden fluctuation of the Void had startled him, and he had nearly drawn his weapon to face an intruder before realizing who it was.

His calm and seasoned image had been shattered twice today. After all, no one had told him what kind of etiquette to perform when a true god manifested. Should he have knelt on the spot?

But thinking of the atmosphere of the Church of Night—which held no superficial fanaticism toward the deity, only a deep-seated reverence—Shugin felt it wasn't necessary.

"Why have you come here? Manifesting an avatar outside the Royal City Shadows must consume quite a bit of your power."

Wang Yu was, in a sense, the most disrespectful one toward the Lady of Night, directly questioning why she had abruptly appeared in the Blade of Night’s headquarters.

"Many members here have become my believers. For me, within this domain, although I do not feel as at ease as I do in the Church of Night, manifesting an avatar is no longer a problem. At the very least, it does not require a constant drain of power."

That made sense. A large number of Blade of Night members had chosen to believe in the Lady of Night upon learning that it could shunt psychic contamination; the ratio had already exceeded seventy percent. Once the remaining members who hadn't yet received the news were informed, that proportion would likely rise further.

With so many Blade of Night members now her believers, this headquarters—save for the lack of the special fusion of Void and reality found in the Royal City Shadows—was no different to the Lady of Night than being in her own church.

"And the purpose of my arrival: Wang Yu is my Archbishop, so I am his superior, am I not?"

"Yes." The Lady of Night asked a very strange question. Deity to Archbishop—while the term "superior" was odd, it was technically correct. She was asking Shugin, who nodded in confusion, acknowledging it.

"And you, as one of the leaders of the Blade of Night, are also Wang Yu’s superior, are you not?" The Lady of Night asked her second question, and Shugin nodded in confusion again.

"Then I believe that, as a fellow superior of Wang Yu, I should also possess a status in the Blade of Night similar to yours. I believe I should hold a position within the Blade of Night."

The words that followed nearly made Shugin spit out his drink. The Lady of Night wanted to hold a position in the Blade of Night? A god? Was she serious?

And the Lady of Night seemed to place her status on par with his own. Equal status with a deity—this was, well, a bit overwhelming...

Wang Yu turned to look at the Lady of Night, wondering how this deity, usually so languid, had suddenly transformed into a master of logic.

This line of reasoning could only be described as inexplicable, yet as she was a goddess, a veneer of legitimacy clung to the absurdity, and Wang Yu even managed to discern a hint of "I've got your back" in her gaze.

What else was there to say? He could only shrug and wait to see how Captain Shugyin would respond.

"I agree..."

(As expected of our mascot, writing this part of the plot was actually quite amusing, haha.)