Deep within the stone cave lay a gigantic cavern, one that seemed to lead to the center of the earth.

In a long-forgotten era, someone had sought to explore the secrets of this deep abyss, building a stairway that was visible even now.

Perhaps it was Pence himself, the ancestor of the Royal Court of Ten Thousand Serpents.

Now, the stairway was severely worn, with broken gaps marring its edges.

The prophet supported herself against the stone wall as she followed the stairway downward. She, too, wanted to uncover the secrets hidden in the depths.

The stairway spiraled downward, circling endlessly.

It seemed as if it would never reach an end.

The further she descended, the more she felt a bone-chilling cold. It was not a physical coldness, but a dangerous premonition that froze the soul.

After descending for an unknown amount of time, she stopped.

The path had ended, yet she was still far from reaching the bottom of the cavern.

“Is this the end of the path?” she murmured softly.

“Does it truly stop here?”

The stairway did come to an abrupt end, leaving the blind woman at the edge of a precipice.

She stood in the darkness at the end of the stairs, gazing downward.

As she peered into the abyss, she felt something below watching her in return.

She sensed a darkness that consumed everything, while to the presence below, she was but a tiny ant gazing into the abyss.

She could not know how deep the cave truly was, only that its depths exceeded her imagination.

If her vision were intact and she had brought a lantern, its light would have revealed a terrifying scene below.

In that all-consuming darkness, a terrifying gray mist surged, continuously billowing from the depths of the earth.

Frightening, enormous creatures swam through the gray mist at the bottom. They resembled gigantic, headless serpents of unimaginable size, their tails indistinguishable from their forms.

The gray mist was discharged from their bodies.

Even the smallest among them measured tens to hundreds of meters long.

The largest ones, only partially visible through the unfathomably deep mist, were so massive they nearly filled the entire cavern.

Those demon worms, tens to hundreds of meters long, appeared tiny before them.

The blind prophet could never have anticipated what awaited her. Hidden beneath the royal city, deep under the Mountain of Life’s Origin, was a sight beyond imagination.

But she felt a presence, a subtle shift in the air.

“What is that?” she wondered.

“Is something moving?”

“Is it… coming toward me?”

From the darkness, an immensely huge demon worm offspring emerged, extending continuously upward.

Other demon worms followed, their forms surrounding the spiral staircase.

Their bodies writhed as they underwent various transformations.

Some grew antennae, others developed mouths, and still others formed eyes.

Then, they watched the mortal who had dared to step into their sacred, forbidden ground.

The Mountain of Life’s Origin was a place where death itself seemed forbidden. It was the domain of the Ruhe beast, buried deep underground and entirely hidden from the eyes of ordinary people.

The monsters observed the blind prophet. Though she had not become a witch, she carried the aura of the Ruhe Great God.

Because of this, the offspring of the Ruhe Great God saw her as one of their own.

The prophet sensed them as well. As they drew near, she felt brilliant lights ignite before her, each one an immensely powerful and flourishing life force.

The blind woman grew excited, for such powerful life rhythms already proved something.

At the very least, it proved she had found the right place.

“Who are you?” she asked, her voice filled with awe.

“Your life essence is so powerful. I have never sensed such a strong and flourishing life force.”

“You cannot be mortals, for mortals do not possess such power.”

“Are you… the servants of God?”

The blind prophet extended her hand, and one of the creatures lowered its head.

Her hand met the surface of an enormous eye, one beyond description.

In the darkness, a snake-person woman without eyes stood surrounded by monsters from an ancient era, one of which, with a single massive eye, allowed her to touch it.

It was a terrifying scene. An ordinary person would likely be frightened to madness in an instant.

These monsters were the offspring of the Life Ability demigod, the burrowing demon worm known as the Ruhe beast.

Their appearance and the scene below made it evident that this was not a divine passage to the underground. It was merely an entrance to the surface, carved by these terrifying monsters from the depths.

These horrifying creatures moved through the earth, excavating countless tunnels and building a vast underground labyrinth.

The gray mist was their secretion, a substance that could make rocks more solid while simultaneously petrifying living things.

The giant monster offspring ate large quantities of rock layers, growing increasingly massive. When their cycle was nearly complete, their immense bodies would transform into mineral veins.

Their essence and divine blood would then return to the body of the burrowing demon worm, beginning the next cycle.

Mortals lived on the surface, while far below, the lairs of these monsters spread across the earth.

The seven Ruhe beasts supported Ruhe Beast Island, and their offspring each had their own responsibilities, managing everything on the island.

Just as the waters of the Sele Sea Spirit flowed ceaselessly throughout the land, the burrowing demon worm and its offspring managed the birth of mineral veins.

Although current mortals had only explored the surface of this giant island, the gods had long ago buried their gifts secretly beneath.

In a sense, the myths and legends spoke truly. This was indeed a land of gods, blessed by their presence.

The blind prophet suddenly recalled what Sukob had said, and the scenes before her now completely proved the truth of his words.

“Beneath the earth, secrets are hidden!”

The blind prophet looked toward the bottom of the cavern. She knew that deep within the earth, at the source of these Ruhe offspring, lay the dwelling of the divine.

“At the bottom!” she exclaimed.

“It must be at the bottom.”

“The divine being is waiting there.”

“The protective deity left by the Life Sovereign must be there!”

She did not know the name of the deity, but she had a method.

She would go down and face the deity directly.

She would plead with it.

She would ask it to accept the faith and offerings of mortals.

On the wasteland

Sukob, leader of the Wasteland Witch Spirits, lived in a simple dwelling. Like others on the wasteland, his house was built against a mountainside, similar to a cave.

Through the wooden window, he could see the small town below, its earth houses built in layers along the mountain foot.

In the distance lay cultivated fields and irrigation canals.

Sukob reclined on a long chair, gazing at the blue sky and white clouds outside.

Before his eyes appeared a massive door with the Path of Wisdom upon it.

The voice of the divine being echoed in his ears.

“The reincarnation method no longer suits the times, Sukob.”

“There is no need to adhere to the ways of those who came before, for those who come after will surely find stronger, better paths.”

“You stand upon the foundation they laid.”

“Discover the path to godhood meant for the Witch Spirits, for this era, and for yourself.”

These were the words the God of Knowledge and Truth had spoken to him.

Although the god had told him he did not seem ready, he had still bestowed the Path of Wisdom upon Sukob in the end.

The God of Knowledge and Truth was not as rigid as the God of Alchemy, who believed the Path of Wisdom was meant only for reincarnation, to be reserved for the final moments.

He had long seen that if mortals continued to adhere to previous methods of godhood, this era would never produce another demigod.

Current mortals were different from those before. With multiple demigods having already appeared, the nature of their existence and the path of mythology had been thoroughly explored.

They were no longer feeling their way across the river by touching stones.

Just as with the Art of God’s Grace, the Path of Wisdom also needed to change.

However, Sukob had yet to comprehend the Witch Spirit Art of God’s Grace, nor had he discovered his own path as an apostle.

To this day, his Book of the Witch Spirit remained blank.

Sukob examined the Path of Wisdom again. The mythical classic was no longer manifested through books or physical inheritance, but was imprinted directly in his mind.

Moreover, Sukob could not reveal its contents to anyone. No one could extract the secret classic from his mind without alerting the God of Knowledge and Truth.

The God of Knowledge and Truth knew best how terrifying it would be if such a mythical classic were to spread.

Even a fragment of it contained methods to create mythical artifacts.

That alone was enough to demonstrate its danger.

“The Tree of Mythology, or the Path of Mythology.”

“The roots of spirituality, the trunk of wisdom, the branches of desire, the leaves of memory!”

“From this comes wisdom, from this civilization is born.”

“Even divine beings are born from this.”

“Witch Spirits control the power of memory.”

“My Book of the Witch Spirit is the symbol of memory’s power,” he thought. “How should I use this power? What do I want to accomplish with it?”

Sukob pondered this deeply.

“What exactly is the power of memory?”

“A carrier of information?”

“Is it text? Images? Sound? Or something else?”

What confused Sukob even more was a question the God of Truth had asked.

“Sukob…”

“What kind of divine being do you wish to become?”

Perhaps it was because of this question that his Book of the Witch Spirit remained blank.

He felt that filling his Book was not just about selecting a power. It was about deciding his future and the path he would take toward godhood.

That afternoon, Sukob received a letter from Fort Pence, delivered by a rainbow tree.

The sender was the prophet of the Snake Deity Temple. She wrote that, following his hint, she had found the path to the realm of the gods.

She had already begun preparations to journey to the divine hall.

She intended to make a contract with the divine being personally, to borrow its protection and power for the Royal Court of Ten Thousand Serpents.

Sukob rose and began to write a reply.

“Prophet of the Snake Deity Temple,”

“I have received your letter. Although I speculated about it before, I never imagined the rumors were true.”

“Still, I wish to remind you of a saying that circulates among the people of Avel: The divine is like the sun. Whether you approach too closely or move too far away, both will bring catastrophe.”

“I have also recently investigated ancient texts, examining many records left by King Sidi.”

“It is highly likely that Nia, the Moon Witch, failed. She suffered a backlash because she tried to wield a power completely different from our bloodline, the power of the Life Sovereign.”

“We are a race of the Wisdom bloodline. To merge with the power of the Life Ability will surely bring terrible suffering and irreversible consequences.”

“So I still advise you to be more cautious.”

The Temple of Knowledge worshiped the main deity Crown of Wisdom, also known as Redlichia, the King of Wisdom.

As a candidate apostle chosen by the divine, Sukob had reached great heights and come to understand some distinctions between the Wisdom and Life Abilities. He knew they were a wisdom species, drawing power from the Crown of Wisdom.

Although their power came from the Crown of Wisdom, their very life form was created by the Life Sovereign.

The power of the Crown of Wisdom, combined with the bestowal of the Mother Conch of All Things, gave birth to a species possessing both life and wisdom.

However, more ancient secrets remained unknown to him, so he could not elaborate further in his letter.

After completing his reply, Sukob read the prophet’s letter again. He paused when he reached the part about making a contract with the divine.

“Making a contract with the divine!”

“For a mortal, this must be the most extreme thing imaginable!”

He thought the prophet could never imagine that his own deity, the God of Knowledge and Truth, had not only made an apostle contract with him but also hoped he would become a new divine being in his service.

But as he thought about the word “contract,” Sukob paused.

A sudden idea struck him.

“A contract,” he mused.

“Gods and humans make them. Mortals make them with other mortals. They are formed of words, yet through the power of the contract, these ordinary words create an invisible force.”

“Could contracts themselves be a type of power?”

“If someone could bestow power upon contracts, would that not grant order to the world?”

He recalled a rumor.

“I’ve heard that Wood Nymphs use the power of the Dream Realm to have contracts witnessed by the dream world, giving them supernatural effects.”

“How is that power formed?”

“Can we mortals borrow and use it?”

Sukob suddenly stood. This flash of insight seemed to illuminate a new path for him.

He quickly called for his student to send the letter, while he returned to the underground palace of the Witch Spirit organization to consult its vast stores of information and intelligence.

Meanwhile, the prophet soon received Sukob’s reply. She ran her hand over the letter, her touch reading the words on the paper.

When the prophet read the part where Sukob had consulted ancient texts for her sake, a trace of joy touched her face.

“The Divine Blessed Sukob is a truly kind person,” she thought. “Even after leaving Fort Pence, he still thinks of me and looks into such things on my behalf.”

Although Sukob had ultimately declined her invitation, the prophet understood his reasons.

After all, from any perspective, Sukob had no reason to involve himself in the messy affairs of the Royal Court of Ten thousand Serpents.

When she read about the Moon Witch Nia’s failure, the prophet felt a pang of distress, yet she still managed a slight smile.

The blind woman was saddened not only that her predecessor had failed on the witch’s path, but also that she had to grieve another witch’s tragic fate.

“Is this what is meant by ‘the divine is like the sun, one cannot approach it’?”

The irony was that Moon Witch Nia had, in the end, achieved her aim. The people of Avel ultimately embraced the prosperous future she had envisioned.

She felt that she and Nia were so similar.

They had both yearned to borrow divine power to protect their country.

But thinking on it more deeply, who would willingly endure the pain of having their wisdom bloodline stripped away, facing irreversible consequences, unless they had something they desperately needed to protect?

The blind woman folded the letter and put it away.

Despite Sukob’s repeated warnings, she still resolved to try.

“If one can bring fire to mankind, then being melted by the sun would not be a bad ending.”

The captain of the Temple Knight Order rushed in from outside.

“Prophet!” the captain exclaimed. “The Dark Moon General is taking His Majesty away!”

The prophet seemed to have anticipated this. “Is he proposing to move the capital again?”

“This time, he has abandoned that idea,” the captain said, “but now he claims he is restoring the dual-capital policy from hundreds of years ago.”

“That was so long ago! The situation was completely different back then. The Royal Court was just a collection of migrating tribes. Now, it is a vast kingdom with extensive agriculture in the south, vast pastures in the north, and countless docks, fleets, and workshops.”

“We no longer need to migrate! If he takes His Majesty to Mooneclipse City, how could they possibly return?”

“This is just another way to relocate the capital!”

The prophet regarded the indignant captain. This time, she did not offer firm opposition as she had before.

“Let them leave,” she said calmly. “We will stay here and fulfill our duty.”

The captain was stunned, unable to understand why the prophet’s attitude had changed so drastically.

The prophet looked toward the Mountain of Life’s Origin.

“God has left us protection.”

“He uses his methods to build the country he wants, and I will use my methods to seek divine protection.”

“If he cannot save this country in the end, then let me try!”

The city of Fort Pence, recently struck by disaster, echoed with wails of pain and despair that hung heavy in the air.

At this time, a rumor began to spread, becoming the talk of the city.

“Have you heard? This disaster was caused by the southerners. They wanted to destroy us,” people whispered on the streets.

“They caught the spies,” another added. “I heard they planned to destroy all of Fort Pence and then send troops to attack.”

“Fortunately, the Dark Moon General responded quickly and brought the Eclipse Legion,” said a clear supporter. “Otherwise, the entire royal city would have suffered, not just the western district.”

“It was the southerners who did it,” insisted a snake-person dressed as a merchant. “Many of their merchant caravans came last week. It was them.”

“That’s right,” someone agreed. “I saw those people with my own eyes. I heard they’ve all been arrested.”

The stories varied, but the sentiment was the same.

Everyone claimed to have evidence, to have witnessed it firsthand.

Even those who initially disbelieved were gradually convinced. As more people spoke, the emotions accumulated and spread rapidly.

And so, the original wailing and sorrow began to transform into anger.

On the streets, everyone was filled with rage. Someone climbed onto a platform and began to shout.

“Revenge! We must make them pay!”

“Those southerners were never any good! I’ve always known it!”

“They betrayed their faith long ago! I heard that when the Suinhor people came, they wanted to remove the Mother of All Snakes from the temple just to please them!”

“I heard the Suinhor people didn’t even suggest it! They volunteered to do it themselves, just to distance themselves from us!”

“Traitors! They will all be punished!”

That very afternoon, news arrived that the rebellious southerners had sent a fleet up the Shepherd’s River to attack Serc Harbor, a vital port for the Royal Court.

This act, an attempt to sever the supply line between Fort Pence and the Royal Court’s core regions, seemed to confirm the rumors.

With this news, the simmering anger in Fort Pence completely exploded.

Thousands of citizens surged forward, surrounding the palace and demanding that the royal court take action.

The Dark Moon General did not appear. Instead, his vice-commander emerged to address the crowd.

The vice-commander stood before the palace, addressing everyone, “The Dark Moon General is currently in discussion with the officials,” the vice-commander announced. “The meeting has not yet concluded.”

“But what you all know is correct. This disaster was indeed caused by the southern five lords in collusion with the infamous Abyss Cult.”

“The spies we captured have already confirmed that this was a conspiracy orchestrated by the southern five lords.”

“Recently, they declared their separation from the Royal Court and formed what they call an alliance under the influence of the City-State people.”

“But the Dark Moon General has assured us that they will face the consequences.”

The vice-commander’s words inflamed the crowd further, and they shouted for the Southern City-State Alliance to pay a bloody price.

At this point, the vice-commander appropriately said, “Revenge will certainly come, but we must first make preparations.”

“Since the rebels from the southern five lords have attacked Serc Harbor, they pose a direct threat to our safety.”

“In response to this crisis, the Dark Moon General intends to reestablish Mooneclipse City as the second capital. At the same time, he plans to recruit soldiers to form a new legion. The current capital, Fort Pence, will remain operational as well.”

“Those willing to leave can choose to go to Mooneclipse City, where people are needed to defend the country.”

“Those unwilling to leave can choose to stay in Fort Pence.”

The protests among the people were noticeably smaller than the last time.

Many of those displaced by the disaster shouted loudly.

“To Mooneclipse City!”

“I’ll be the first to go! I want to join the new legion!”

“Yes, I will follow the Dark Moon General and make those southerners pay!”

Meanwhile, in the palace’s administrative hall, the Dark Moon General was meeting with nobles to discuss the King’s southern tour. Despite the proposal, many voices of opposition remained.

However, as the crowd outside grew more frenzied, nearly overtaken by madness, the atmosphere in the hall began to shift.

In the end, everyone unanimously approved the Dark Moon General’s proposal.

The Dark Moon General did not declare war on the Southern Alliance directly. At this point, they lacked the capability for a distant expedition. More troubling, the Royal Court did not know the extent of support the Southern Alliance had received from Suinhor.

He decided to reorganize internally first, moving the capital to Mooneclipse City, which was closer to the sea and its harbors.

Although the Dark Moon General ultimately “compromised” by restoring the dual-capital strategy, the compromise was merely to comfort others and held no real significance.

In practical terms, Mooneclipse City would become the new capital.

The Dark Moon General planned to take the disaster victims and the King to Mooneclipse City. There, he would implement his plan to relocate the capital and reform the system. His once controversial national policies would be fully enacted, with provinces divided and placed under new administrative systems.

As the meeting concluded, the Dark Moon General leaned back in his chair.

He appeared extremely fatigued.

He allowed himself only a brief moment of relief. The challenges ahead were still daunting, but he had managed to take the crucial first step.

The arrival of this disaster was what had allowed him to take that first step.

In addition, the Dark Moon General had secured a new asset, a powerful trump card.

The Dark Moon General recalled the Son of Wrath created by the Abyss Cult.

“Byron…”

If that power could be properly utilized, it would be decisive.

Apostle-level power. Currently, only two such beings could be found on the entire Ruhe Beast Island.

One taught in the Land of Sunrise, while the other lived in seclusion on the wasteland.

Although Byron did not yet know how to use this power, it was only a matter of time. He completely believed in the Dark Moon General, determined to seek revenge against both the Southern City-State Alliance and the Abyss Cult.

The relocation plan progressed smoothly and in an organized fashion.

The day before he escorted the King of Ten Thousand Serpents from Fort Pence, the Dark Moon General visited the Snake Deity Temple.

Recently, the Snake Deity Temple had not expressed support for him, but neither had it opposed him.

This puzzled the Dark Moon General.

Upon meeting the blind prophet, he spoke to her immediately.

“Prophet, I hope you will reconsider and leave with us.”

The blind prophet stood beneath the divine statue. She seemed to have known he would come, but she did not speak of leaving. Her mind was already made up.

After finishing her prayers, she turned to face the Dark Moon General.

She could not see his appearance, only perceive the light of life within him. This made her empty gaze all the more intense and imposing.

To be looked at by her was to feel as if one’s deepest self was being observed.

She shook her head.

“Dark Moon, you have no faith.”

The Dark Moon General asked, “Is it only because I am leaving Fort Pence?”

“Are those who do not live at the foot of the Mountain of Life’s Origin not considered believers?”

The blind prophet replied, “It has nothing to do with that. You know what I mean.”

“You simply have no faith. It has nothing to do with anything else, especially not your relocation of the capital.”

The Dark Moon General fell silent, then raised his head to look at the divine statue.

Even in the temple, he spoke without concealment.

“You speak the truth, Prophet.”

“I do not believe in gods, because they cannot give me what I want.”

“You are honest,” the blind prophet replied, “even before the face of God.”

The Dark Moon General smiled, unconcerned.

“If I did not say it, would God not know?”

“Does God not know what is in our hearts? Does He not know if our faith is sincere?”

“We must acknowledge our selfishness, acknowledge our baseness, acknowledge our ambitions.”

“This is the nature of mortals.”

“We may rise to nobility for a moment and stand tall for a time, but most of the time, we are base and dark, driven by our desires.”

He moved past two divine statues, his voice echoing in the hall.

“Perhaps it is because the gods dwell above the clouds, while we live in mud and dust.”

“Even when facing the lofty gods, our desires and greed remain unchanged. If the gods are of no use to us, if the gods do not respond to us, if the divine cannot satisfy our desires,”

“We will not continue to sincerely believe in Them!”

“Just because they created this world and created us, we should respond with eternal devotion? No. What we always want is more.”

“Our greed is endless, our desire has no bottom line.”

“Once the divine fails to respond, we doubt them, we question them, we even grow to resent them.”

He gazed at the prophet.

“It is not just me. Others in this city, even the divine servants in this very temple, question their faith.”

“Do they truly believe?”

“Some are merely confused followers. Others only enjoy the benefits their faith brings them. The moment believing brings no benefit, they will abandon the divine, just like the lords in the south.”

He even questioned the prophet directly. “And you, Prophet? Do you truly entrust everything to the divine?”

“Are you not also seeking something?”

Finally, the Dark Moon General shook his head.

“I have no faith in gods. But I also do not question them, nor do I resent them.”

“From the beginning, I never intended to take anything from the gods. I simply use my own methods to pursue the results I desire.”

Listening to his words, the prophet understood for the first time what kind of man stood before her.

“I see your plan now.”

“You have used everyone in the most selfish way,” she said, her voice flat. “You sacrificed countless people without hesitation to carry out your plan. And now, you have succeeded.”

The Dark Moon General was not surprised that she knew these things. Prophets of legend, after all, possessed foresight.

“Then why did you not stop me?”

“Because I could not,” the prophet answered. “By the time I realized what you were doing, it was already too late.”

“I cannot see the future. I can only see distant places or things that have already happened.”

“And once they have happened, it is too late to stop you.”

“You have already made yourself the only pillar of this country.”

Her voice softened. She addressed the steel-hearted man with an almost pleading tone.

“Dark Moon, slow your steps.”

“You are too radical. You will make this country collapse even faster.”

She was asking for more time. She believed she had discovered another method, one that might be more practical, but she was still uncertain if it would succeed.

The Dark Moon General was silent for a moment before he answered.

“The world waits for no one.”

“Our enemies will not wait. Time will not wait.”

The prophet asked him one last question.

“Dark Moon,” she asked, her voice steady, “what kind of world do you truly want to create?”

The Dark Moon General did not answer.

In the end, neither had changed the other’s heart.

The Dark Moon General remained firm in his plan. The prophet, in turn, chose to stay in Fort Pence to do what she believed was right.

Ship after ship arrived at the edge of Fort Pence, and thousands of people boarded them, all bound for Mooneclipse City.

Byron was among the crowd. Many people looked back, gazing at their homeland one last time, but he never once glanced back.

He looked only to the south, his eyes reflecting the great fire from that day.

Now, he would go there and carry that endless fire to his enemies.

At the foot of the Mountain of Life’s Origin

The blind woman returned to the ancient cave once more. In the darkness, giant shadows emerged one by one to surround her.

This time, the prophet did not hesitate, for she had made her preparations.

She spread her arms and leaped from the edge of the spiral staircase.

Her life flame connected with the flames of the dark shadows below.

“Please, take me to the realm of the divine!” she cried, her voice echoing through the cavern.

The massive, dense shapes of the giant creatures entangled together, engulfing the blind prophet in blackness.

The demon worm offspring suddenly grew agitated. On the Herdsman’s Plain above, the earth trembled slightly as thousands of enormous creatures surged beneath the ground.

They surged as one toward that unknown realm.

The prophet of the Snake Deity Temple disappeared. For a long time, no one would see her again.

Group after group of people departed from Fort Pence, heading toward Mooneclipse City.

Meanwhile, the Temple Knight Order stationed at the Snake Deity Temple remained steadfast, continuing to guard the silent city.

They waited patiently, anticipating that the prophet would return with a new identity.