The agonizing wails of countless souls, either murdered in cold blood or tortured to death, seemed to ring in their ears. The absolute baseness, the nausea-inducing depravity, and the warped dregs of humanity surged from the darkness like a thick, revolting sludge from a sewer.
Staring into this gloom was like witnessing the ugliest, filthiest evil in existence.
Two crimson lights flickered within the blackness, their greed completely unmasked. The dense shadows billowed outward, swallowing the entire town.
Mira gasped in horror.
"What... what is this?"
Her body couldn't stop shaking.
Gana could barely keep his grip on his daggers—not because he lacked courage, but because his primal survival instincts were overriding his will with pure terror.
"Probably the one responsible for this hellish scene," Mei remarked.
The Filthy Darkness pulsed with intense excitement, ignoring Mira and Gana entirely. Its scarlet eyes were locked solely on Mei, who stood there as if nothing was happening.
"Mortals... speak your desires. Whatever you seek, I can bestow upon you. All your lusts shall be sated!"
The seductive words carried a strange, hypnotic power, capable of coaxing out the deepest, most fervent longings from the human heart.
Mira and Gana intended to shout a challenge, but before they could speak, their eyes grew vacant. The gap between them and the Filthy Darkness was simply too vast for individual willpower to bridge.
This pathetic little trick was an embarrassment; Mei didn't give it a second thought. When the Filthy Darkness saw that Mei was unmoved, it was surprised, but not entirely shocked.
It knew this one had a powerful will.
It seemed it would have to put in some actual effort.
The firmer Mei's resolve appeared, the more ecstatic the Filthy Darkness became. Just as it prepared to employ a more potent technique, Mei actually spoke.
Mei said very seriously: "Make me Tier 10."
"Huh??"
The Filthy Darkness froze.
The moment Mei spoke, Mira and Gana snapped out of their trance. Still trembling with fear, Mira didn't forget her concern, desperately trying to stop her: "Don't believe him! He's an Evil God!"
Mei turned a deaf ear.
"..."
The Filthy Darkness fell into a long, heavy silence. Its crimson eyes flickered erratically, like a person turning red with humiliated rage—unable to say yes, unable to say no.
If it weren't restricted by the rules governing its own power—that it had to manipulate hearts to gain strength—it would have killed this brat already.
This "wish" was just making things difficult. If it could grant that, it would have wished for it itself.
A thousand unspoken curses finally condensed into two words.
"Change it."
Mei was polite enough to comply, offering another wish instantly.
"Give me two more Grades. If that's too much, just one Grade will do."
Instantly, the darkness began to churn.
"Hahaha!"
The Filthy Darkness let out a raucous, mocking laugh. "Is that the extent of your desire? As a divine blessing upon our first meeting, I shall grant your wish!"
The Tainted God had his principles: first, offer a boon to unearth the heart's deepest cravings, then subtly guide the victim, step by step, into the abyss of depravity. That was the essence of the Filthy Darkness. Even an Evil God kept his word—at least within the limits of his power—though the hidden costs and the price to be paid later were another matter entirely.
The shadows enveloping the small town grew even more profound. A wave of terrestrial evil surged as if to swallow the world whole, as the Filthy Darkness attempted to exert its vast power to elevate Mei's existence by a single Grade.
Mira's face was a mask of pure despair. She was certain Mei had succumbed to the Evil God's temptation.
However,
Seconds ticked by. Minutes passed.
Nothing happened.
The Filthy Darkness tried to touch Mei's fundamental essence, but only then did it realize it couldn't budge her power in the slightest. Before Mei, its strength felt like a single grain of sand within the Immeasurable Three Thousand Worlds—it couldn't even perceive her full scale, only its own ant-like insignificance.
In an instant, the darkness shivered.
If the Filthy Darkness had a physical body, it would have been trembling violently, drenched in cold sweat. It knew exactly what was happening now; how could a being of this caliber be unaware of its prying eyes?
This brat was clearly making a fool out of it!
Perhaps as far back as when that gemstone was activated—no, likely even earlier—this individual had been watching from a much higher plane of existence. The Filthy Darkness's thoughts raced like lightning. Since she possessed such power, crushing it would be easier than stepping on a bug. Why hadn't she acted yet?
There were many possibilities, but for the Filthy Darkness, this situation was practically a death sentence. Terrified and enraged, it couldn't help but blurt out a colloquialism from its origin:
"You fucking set me up!!!"
Mira had no idea what kind of mental odyssey the Evil God had just endured—going from a position of absolute superiority to a fit of helpless rage in mere moments was baffling.
Under the stunned gazes of Mira and Gana, Mei simply raised her hand.
HUM—
An invisible force swept across the area, drawing the Filthy Darkness into her palm like a collapsing cyclone. The entity immediately broke into a series of desperate wails and pleas for mercy.
"No! Spare me! I was wrong! I'll never do it again..."
The voice cut off abruptly.
The shadows blanketing the town vanished, leaving behind nothing but the ashen ruins of the fire. The Filthy Darkness had been compressed into a single dark grimoire in Mei's hand.
The Tome of Darkness.
From that point on, the Filthy Darkness was sealed within the grimoire, severed from the outside world. The very methods he once used to toy with and torment others would now manifest upon him, one by one, within his prison.
It wasn't that Mei was some paragon of justice; such Evil Gods were a dime a dozen. To a Grand Traveler, this was merely a common path of advancement.
The Filthy Darkness was simply unlucky, blundering headlong into Mei's causality. As the victor, Mei disposed of him as she saw fit.
For many, death was a clean escape. Mei rarely chose such extreme methods to deal with opponents, but this creature had been truly repulsive.
Short and sweet.
An Evil God, gone.
Gana stood there with his jaw hanging open.
Mira was rooted to the spot, her mouth moving for several seconds before any sound came out.
"You... what did you just..."
Mei casually tossed the Tome of Darkness to Mira.
"I sealed him in this book. It contains all his knowledge and power. If you have need of it, you can use it."
At those words,
Mira nearly dropped it out of instinct, finally snapping out of her daze. "You... you just sealed an Evil God?!!"
Gana was faster; he lunged forward to catch the Tome of Darkness, clutching it to his chest. He opened the book, his eyes wide. "This is the power of an Evil God!"
Mei's nonchalant attitude finally made Mira realize that her strength was beyond comprehension. An Evil God had been neutralized as easily as turning a page.
Mira felt her heart racing.
"Wait, why not just kill him? What if something happens and he escapes? Wouldn't the seal be for nothing?"
Mei never liked leaving loose ends. The Filthy Darkness's fate was already woven into the fabric of reality; what others called "accidents" were merely possibilities in time.
Mira saw the unwritten future as a sea of uncertainty, but from Mei's perspective, the future had already happened.
"There are no accidents."
Clearly,
This commission was another failure.
Fortunately, there was no collateral to lose this time. If it failed, it failed.
After sealing the Filthy Darkness, Mira and Gana fled that living hell of a town; staying even a second longer was a test of their sanity.
Mira quietly pulled out her travel journal.
[ Year 32 of the Era of Gods and Kings: An unnamed hero sealed the Evil God known as Filthy Darkness in a town that had become a living purgatory... ]
Now, she didn't believe for a second that Mei was just an ordinary traveler. Judging by her actions, Mira viewed Mei as a Hero through and through.
Perhaps she wouldn't be granted a grand chapter in the epics for future generations to venerate, but Mira felt she could personally bear witness to history—that such a person had truly existed.
Moreover, the thought that such a great and incredible Hero, and these legendary deeds, could be "monopolized" by a minor figure like herself made Mira feel a sudden surge of private joy.
Gana noticed the strange, involuntary smile spreading across Mira's face. He was puzzled. "What are you grinning at?"
Mira immediately composed herself. "Nothing."
Gana continued flipping through the Tome of Darkness, becoming increasingly absorbed. As he read many of the secret arts recorded within, he felt his skin crawl.
"Ugh, most of these are brutal rituals that strip away your humanity. No one could actually use these unless their heart was twisted to the extreme."
Mira's brow furrowed deeply as she caught sight of the arts as well.
Mei spoke up: "Power itself is neither good nor evil, right nor wrong. It depends on how the wielder uses it. Of course, for beings of a certain level, the concepts of good and evil simply don't exist."
In a world where Power was paramount, many people discarded their humanity in its pursuit; such a choice seemed logical enough. But from a human perspective, these secret arts still pushed the boundaries of their morality and sanity far too much.
Mira realized something profound and said seriously: "If we don't strictly restrain ourselves and instead get lost in the immense power of the Tome of Darkness, we'll eventually become the next Evil God."
Mei had absolutely no interest in the Tome of Darkness and remained indifferent.
"Probably."
Mira snatched the book from Gana's hands and began searching through the pages one by one. Gana watched her for a while, unable to figure out what she was looking for. "What are you doing?"
"Seeing if there's anything about Eternal Youth..." Halfway through her sentence, Mira shot Gana a sharp look. "None of your business."
Gana glanced at Mei, who was walking ahead of them, and let out a sly chuckle. "You're right, definitely none of my business."
He stepped up beside Mei and nudged her playfully with his elbow. Glancing back at Mira out of the corner of his eye, he asked Mei, "So, what kind of person do you actually like?"
In an instant, Mira stopped flipping through the book, her ears perking up as she listened intently.
Mei shook her head. "That kind of question has no meaning for me."
...
A few days later.
The trio reached the next small town. Gana went out to scout for information and returned with two significant updates, holding up two fingers: "First, the Holy Son of Alaya from the Kingdom of Graham has escaped and is currently a fugitive wanted by the Church."
This area was a considerable distance from Graham, but through merchant caravans and travelers, major news still trickled through. The rumors only said that the Holy Son had broken out of his cell and fled shortly after being detained. The specific cause and details remained unknown, leaving the Alaya Church deeply embarrassed.
Gana continued: "Second, the Chief High Priest of Antut survived an assassination attempt. He nearly died, but fortunately, he was treated in time: Saintess Stella literally dragged him back from the gates of death."
Mira was stunned. "Who would be bold enough to assassinate the High Priest of Antut?"
She vaguely recalled that the High Priest of Antut was a man named Visad. Antut had just defeated a powerful empire at its peak; their strength was unfathomable. Assassinating their High Priest now would surely ignite the fury of millions of believers.
Gana didn't know the specifics either. "It's still a mystery for now, but these high-profile Assassinations are actually becoming quite common. It happens so often it's hardly news anymore."
As they were chatting, Mira noticed Mei staring at the sky. She followed her gaze and saw a streak of fire tearing across the heavens, plunging directly into a nearby mountain range.
Shards of rock sprayed outward.
A moment later: BOOM!
A deafening impact accompanied by a shockwave swept through. The violent tremors nearly knocked them off their feet, and people everywhere cried out in terror. "What's happening?!"
Soon, two silhouettes burst into Mira's field of vision. Banging against each other, their massive Energy released blinding bursts of light. They tore through the sky and slammed into the earth, followed by a cloud of meteor-like debris falling like stars.
Gana looked as if his soul was about to flee his body. "Battle of Gods! Run!!"
Mira's pupils shrank. She shouted a warning, grabbed Mei, and bolted. When Gana snapped out of his daze, he scrambled after them, cursing under his breath. "Hey, hey, hey! Don't forget me!"
BOOM!
A meteorite slammed down just outside the town. The resulting shockwave leveled the buildings in an instant. Scores of people were tossed into the air, their desperate screams swallowed by the roar of the blast.
As clashes between self-proclaimed Gods and mortal Kings grew more frequent, the populace had come to realize one fact: some powerful Kings were in no way inferior to the Gods.
Deities fell in duels against Kings quite often, but none of that mattered to ordinary folk. When caught in a Battle of Gods and Kings, one that could shatter mountains and sever rivers, the only option was to run.
Mira knew Mei was strong, but sealing a minor Evil God didn't mean she possessed power superior to all Gods and Kings. Gods had levels of strength, too.
Mira didn't want Mei to get recklessly involved, nor did she want to become a burden that forced Mei to step in and protect her. So, running was the priority—and she made sure to pull Mei along with her.
"Help me!"
The townspeople shrieked in terror, only to be buried by the splintering earth. As the shockwaves of the battle swept past, the entire town was swallowed by a massive canyon opening in the ground.
BOOM!
A volcano erupted nearby. Volcanic ash spewed into the atmosphere. The world looked like a scene from the Apocalypse.
...
After running for an unknown distance, they finally escaped the reach of the battle. Mira and Gana panted, their eyes fixed on the terrifying scene in the distance, hearts still racing.
"That was too close!"
Gana wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Mira, however, didn't care about the fight. She stole a look at Mei, who remained impassive, and pretended to forget that she was still holding her hand.
It wasn't until Mei went to raise her hand that Mira gave an awkward laugh and quickly let go.
"Sorry, I almost forgot."
Mei had no interest in watching a battle this uninspired.
"Let's go."
As Mei seemed completely unfazed by her previous actions, a glint of successful mischief flickered in the corners of Mira's eyes, and her mood turned exceptionally buoyant.
As travelers, the group had no fixed destination. Usually, they just went wherever the road took them, unless they picked up a commission along the way that gave them a clear goal.
Mira recorded everything they saw in her travel journal, capturing the landscapes and stories of this land during the Era of Gods and Kings.
Previously, she had occasionally felt the journey was a bit tedious, but now she cherished every moment on the road. Occasionally, they encountered danger, but they always made it through safely.
Mira was lucky.
At the very least, they hadn't run into anything else as catastrophic as the Filthy Darkness or the Battles of Gods and Kings. The further they moved from the center of the continent, the fewer conflicts they encountered.
Until a year later.
WHOOSH!
Blue sky, white clouds.
An endless expanse of turquoise waves.
A warm sea breeze brushed against their faces, making their clothing rustle. Mira stood on the shore, gazing at the sight before her, momentarily dazed.
The ocean stretched beyond the horizon.
She whispered to herself, "Is this the end of the world?"
Gana spread his arms wide, welcoming the sea breeze and shouting out with pure exhilaration. He turned back to Mei and Mira. "Do you think there's another world on the other side of the ocean?"
Mira shook her head.
"I don't know."
According to the records, this was supposed to be the end of the world. No one had ever reached the other side, and perhaps there was nothing there but more ocean.
Mei suggested: "If you want to know, just go and see."
"Haha."
Gana didn't have that kind of courage. "I think I'll pass. What if I lose my way and can't come back?"
"I suggest you lot stay put."
An unfamiliar voice drifted from behind them, joining the conversation. The three turned to see an old man with white hair and a white beard walking toward them.
The old man spoke as he walked: "Some bored soul put a time barrier at the edge of the continent. The flow of time inside and out is vastly different. If you have family left, a trip out and back would probably leave you looking at their gravestones."
"A time barrier?"
Mira had never heard of such a thing.
"Why haven't we heard about it before?"
The old man didn't stop, continuing his forward pace. Mira and Gana followed out of curiosity, listening as he continued.
"Of course you haven't. It only appeared in the last few decades."
Gana guessed: "Probably the work of some god?"
The old man scoffed.
"A god? They don't have that kind of talent."
Mira respectfully asked: "Sir, who are you?"
"Call me Fu."
As they spoke,
The group followed Fu to a certain spot, and Mira suddenly realized there was an extraordinarily massive and grand building nearby, a breathtaking sight.
Fu expertly picked up a hammer and chisel and began carving into the building's wall. There were countless such carvings scattered across the walls already.
Patterns and script.
Mira couldn't fathom who would build such a massive palace in this desolate wasteland, especially with Fu being the only craftsman around.
She was about to ask what the carvings were, but her questions died in her throat as her gaze fell upon the wall. She walked closer to the carvings.
Stunned, she exclaimed, "This is the history of every kingdom!"
Mira scanned a few, quickly finding the history of the Kingdom of Graham—from the original duchy to Graham VII, and the kingdom's birth—all etched into the wall.
This palace was a boundless, epic saga; every significant event since time immemorial was carved there.
Mira followed Graham's history to where Fu was currently working. She asked curiously, "Whose history are you carving now?"
Fu didn't look up. "The Kingdom of Graham's."
Mira was even more confused.
"Hasn't Graham's history up to now already been carved onto the wall?"
Fu's next words left Mira speechless.
"The carvings before are the past. The ones behind are the future."
"The future?"
Gana narrowed his eyes, studying Fu, uncertainty etched on his face. "Old Man Fu, are you some legendary figure? Or are you a god?"
Fu didn't claim godhood; from his previous words, it was clear he held those who did in utter contempt.
He replied, "I'm just a gravedigger for civilizations."
Mira was confused.
"Why are you doing this?"
"Haha."
Fu said calmly, "The civilizations on this land aren't far from total destruction. My duty is to preserve the history that has occurred and carry it into the next era."
Mira was stunned.
The civilizations of this land weren't far from destruction?
She walked to a section of the wall where the carving was complete, marking the end of all history up to that point. If Old Man Fu wasn't lying, this was supposed to be the final scene of this era.
The wall depicted a hellscape—a darkened sky and countless people impaled by swords across the land. A knight, tears streaming down his face, held a child amidst the ruins.
This was how this era ended?
Mira guessed that Old Man Fu must possess some form of precognition or foresight; otherwise, knowing the future was one thing, but rendering it in such vivid detail was another.
Shocked as she was,
Mira didn't take it too seriously. She figured she'd live a century or two at most; she probably wouldn't survive to see the final act of this era.
Mei watched Old Man Fu finish the carving of Graham IX's ascension—a scene he had just added.
Then, she spoke.
"You've carved it wrong."
"What did you say?!"
The previously expressionless Old Man Fu looked as if someone had stepped on his cat's tail. His beard bristled as he glared at Mei, ready to use his hammer and chisel on her skull if she couldn't explain herself. This was his profession.
Mei, completely unruffled, pointed out the error in Old Man Fu's prediction of Graham's history: "After Graham's defeat in the war of faith against Antut, the kingdom existed in name only. This scene should represent the Alaya Church's usurpation of the throne—Graham's official downfall and the rise of the Alaya Holy State."