After drawing the tarot card, the two of them remained inside the gray fog palace for a long time, exchanging everything they knew.
Rowan shared information about the possible future branches connected to Klein's path, including the trickster, illusionist, and faceless variants, as well as details he had extracted from the masked killer about the hidden mystic order operating in the shadows.
The sooner Klein understood what lay ahead, the faster he could grow.
And weakness, in this world, was a death sentence.
In return, Klein provided Rowan with fragments from Roselle's notes, rumors surrounding the first and second blasphemy slates, and pieces of forgotten history that never appeared in official records.
By the time they finished, both had a clearer picture of the world than before.
They discussed a few remaining details, then parted ways and returned to their respective homes.
Far above the material world, beyond the stars.
Within a kingdom woven from eternal night.
The Night Goddess watched.
Amanithes.
Her expression carried a trace of puzzlement.
"Rowan Mercer…"
As a god, she did not monitor every believer.
Even prayers only drew her attention under specific circumstances.
Klein, however, was different.
She had been watching him long before he ever became one of her followers.
Because she, like Klein, originated from a lost modern civilization that predated recorded history.
Long ago, she had been an executive in a powerful corporation.
Later, her soul had been seized by an ancient cosmic entity and suspended within a mysterious fortress beyond reality for countless years.
Eventually, she was cast into the body of a monstrous wolf and awakened with immense power.
Across successive epochs, she climbed higher.
Until she became a true god.
Over time, she uncovered fragments of the truth behind the world's creation.
The original creator had fashioned reality, then fallen into a catastrophic internal collapse.
Fragments of its will splintered into multiple dominant personas, each maneuvering in secret while the creator slept.
Two of those personas stood above the rest.
One represented absolute order.
The other was the master of secrets.
Fearing destruction in their endless struggle, the master of secrets began storing human souls from a modern era within a hidden stronghold, preparing vessels for possible resurrection.
Amanithes herself had been one of the earliest souls released.
Later came Roselle.
And now Klein.
Only three.
That was all.
Which meant Rowan did not originate from that same source.
She was certain of it.
Rowan was not a reincarnation.
Not a possession.
Not a parasite.
She had observed him beneath the cover of night.
Nothing about him matched known patterns.
And yet he walked a path adjacent to Klein's.
He consumed a magician-related essence.
He claimed to be from another world.
And his physical body possessed abnormal strength.
"Could he be tied to the Sea of Chaos?" she murmured.
Another ancient power had once prepared contingencies of its own, storing living humans rather than disembodied souls.
But that theory collapsed quickly.
Those who emerged from that abyss arrived with bodies.
Rowan had not.
The Night Goddess shook her head slowly.
No answer fit.
"For now… I'll watch."
Rowan Mercer was unusual.
But not yet dangerous.
If he continued to grow, his true nature would eventually surface.
Until then, her attention remained focused elsewhere.
On the hunt for the authority of Death.
And on the slow, careful plotting of a god who intended to steal power from another god.
'
...
Read up to 100 chapters ahead and access exclusive novels by joining my Patreon!
patreon.com/Zyxxar