With that, they all left the awakening room, bearing nothing but the indifferent gazes of gods.
The moment they stepped outside, a man halted their advance.
He did not block their path aggressively, nor did he radiate authority openly. He simply stood there, perfectly positioned, as though fate itself had paused him at that exact point in space and time.
He was a man with blue hair and golden eyes, clad in a martial robe that fit him flawlessly. Purple, interwoven with red, formed its body, while gold adorned the shoulders. His attire resembled that of a Heavenly Demon, yet he clearly lacked the murderous intent such a title implied.
And yet, that very absence was what made him dangerous.
His aura was smooth, nearly non-existent, like still water concealing an abyss beneath.
"Hello. I believe you are Veldra and Lucien, correct?" the man said.
His voice was calm, courteous, and perfectly measured. It was the kind that invited trust without ever demanding it.
"My name is Aeron. I am the chairman and ruler of this county. You are friends of Veldron, correct?"
"Indeed. All of that is true," Lucien replied.
His eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly.
Lucien had lived too long and seen too many truths stripped bare beneath layers of lies to take such a man at face value. He had never seen this man before. Not in records, not in whispers, not even in the shadowed undercurrents of forbidden knowledge he had once brushed against.
Yet this man stood here as ruler.
That smile hid many things, things Lucien could not see.
The realisation unsettled him.
Is this man an outer worlder? Lucien thought.
It was the only answer that made sense, and he was so certain of it that he dismissed every other possibility without hesitation.
As Lucien pondered Aeron's identity, a quest unfolded before Veldra.
== <<[| QUEST |]>> ==
Objective 1: Discover the identity of Aeron.
Objective 2: Kill Aeron and take control of the county.
Reward: A soul containing Aspect, Origin, Physique, Weapon, Talent, Age, Existence Classification, and Class.
Status: Pending...
== <<[|--------|]>> ==
Veldra smiled the moment he saw it.
It was not a smile of excitement, nor one of cruelty, but of recognition.
His thirst for blood had been suppressed for a short time. Even that thirst was fading with each passing thought of malicious intent. The deeper he sank into power, the less emotion was required to justify slaughter.
He looked at Aeron, still smiling, and stepped forward.
"It truly is a wonder to be here today."
The air shifted subtly, like a predator adjusting its posture before a hunt.
"My name is Veldra, Lord of the Forest," he said.
His void-black eyes, embodying nothingness, absence, and a formless hue of purple, met Aeron's golden gaze with devouring intent. They were not eyes that reflected the world, but ones that erased it, as though existence itself lost definition when stared into for too long.
Veldra's black hair swayed gently, and his stature rose taller, more imposing than Aeron's. His robe spoke of the royalty of the Absolute.
Not a king crowned by men.
But an entity acknowledged by inevitability.
"It is a pleasure," Aeron replied with a smile.
Yet deep within, he was drowning in desperation.
He felt as though he stood before a wall that could never be climbed, never broken. A wall of steel so dense and absolute that effort itself became meaningless. It was not arrogance, nor intimidation, but a disparity in existence so vast it rendered resistance irrelevant.
So this is my target. I never thought I would encounter him so soon. Truly, this is a blessing from the Oracle.
Lucien stepped forward as well and shook Aeron's hand.
"I am Lucien, servant of the Lord of the Forest," he said.
They began to walk together.
The other Transcenders halted, whispering among themselves in confusion.
"Why is the Chairman with that man?" one of them murmured.
Veldra noticed the chatter and arguments around them. He recognised that ninety-eight percent of the people present were human. Even Aeron himself was human.
"I will show you around the county," Aeron said. "But first, I will take you to the church of this county."
"Oh," Veldra replied as he walked beside him. "And what exactly do you mean by Church?"
"A church is a sanctum of ritual, worship, prayer, and faith," Aeron said calmly. "It is the dwelling of a god's authority, a place where belief takes form. Every god possesses a church of their own. In this county, it is the Church of Growth, Seeds, and Decay."
"An interesting church," Veldra said. "Who is its god?"
"Urfuros. God of Growth, Seeds, and Decay."
The name hung in the air, alive. Lucien felt it like a pulse beneath his skin, subtle yet wrong. He had seen churches before, studied them, known their hierarchy, their popes and their saints. Yet this place, this one, felt different. Not welcoming. Not hostile. It simply existed, and that alone unsettled him.
Then the hint appeared.
== <<[| A hint is being given... |]>> ==
== <<[| HINT |]>> ==
Second in command of the church hierarchy.
Vessel of a god.
== <<[|------|]>> ==
Veldra's eyes widened.
Second in command. A vessel.
In a church, the pope ruled. Saints followed. But a vessel was different. A manifestation of the god itself. That meant the man before them might not merely serve the god. He could be the god, in part. Urfuros' will, his growth and decay, channelled through a living body.
Veldra felt a thrill, sharp and cold. The subtle madness at the edge of understanding whispered that what should not exist could exist.
Every gesture Aeron made, every word he spoke, could conceal a fragment of divinity. In that fragment lay power, danger, and the impossible truth. In this county, nothing was ordinary, and nothing was merely human.
As they walked, Aeron suddenly stopped mid-conversation and drifted into thought. I am a devout man, loyal to my god, yet something feels… off. I was sent to kill the Lord of the Forest. So why am I speaking to him with courtesy? Why do I feel a pull, a strange certainty, a bond toward a man I am meeting only once? Should I allow myself to enjoy this feeling, or should I suppress it? Aeron lingered on the thought, weighing it carefully.
Veldra noticed, yet said nothing. He let the silence stretch, letting it settle between them like a tangible presence.
"What do you think of religion?" Aeron asked.
The question caught Veldra off guard. He had not expected it, had not expected a question at all. He concealed the flicker of surprise in his eyes and replaced it with an expression of careful indifference.
"Personally, I see religion as a human attempt to grapple with the unknown; the vastness of existence, the inevitability of death, the mysteries of life. It is both beautiful and dangerous. Beautiful in how it inspires awe, morality, art, and community. Dangerous in how it can be twisted, used to control, or blind people to the truth.
I find it fascinating when viewed as a system of power and belief, rather than just faith. It's not just about gods or rituals; it's about the interplay between authority, devotion, and the human mind. That tension, the mix of wonder, fear, and manipulation, is what gives religion its depth, both in reality and in stories.
In this world, it could be less about "good" or "evil" gods and more about how people, mortals, and even powerful beings interact with these ideologies. That makes it alive, unpredictable, and dangerous."