Chapter 39: “The Prophet from the Twilight Doomsday”

Chapter 39 "The Prophet from the Twilight's End"

"Great and merciful divinity, your loyal worshiper welcomes your arrival."

Kurt pressed his forehead against the cold stone of the altar; the chill sent a shiver through him. He could almost hear the rapid pounding of his own heart.

The unknown divinity's momentary silence filled him with unease. He felt as though he were walking on a fraying tightrope, with an abyss yawning beneath him.

Meanwhile, Yi Fengchu was briefly lost in thought.

He had merely glanced at this checkerboard-like continent, completely unaware of the "dire predicament" faced by the worshiper and its people, nor the nature of the vast, unnatural twilight. In truth, he knew nothing.

But could a divinity—the higher being in Kurt's eyes—admit to such ignorance?

Impossible!

Just as only the True God "Truth's Fallacy" could claim true omniscience in the realm of knowledge, nearly every divine scripture claimed their gods were all-knowing, even all-powerful.

If Yi Fengchu wished to gain initial respect and a voice on this unfamiliar continent, he could not afford to show weakness.

Fortunately, he had plenty of experience with deception. After a brief pause, he spoke cryptically:

"I can see the fate of disaster circling above you."

Kurt remained in his bowed position, though the tension in his heart eased slightly.

The divinity's tone seemed gentle, approachable and seemingly without malice, he judged.

Of course, if such a being had cruel intentions, toying with them before tearing off its kindly facade at the last moment, reveling in their agonized screams as they faced death... there would be no resistance they could offer.

Kurt had no other choice. All he could do now was bet everything on the mercy of this unknown divinity and do his utmost to convince himself to trust its words and actions.

With careful deliberation, Kurt began recounting the dangers his people faced.

As the interim High Priest, Kurt had studied the skills for communicating with divine beings. His words were concise yet precise, creating a vivid picture before Yi Fengchu—from the ancient arrival of the "Twilight" to their current plight, with the High Priest gone and disaster looming.

Yi Fengchu lost all sense of time as he listened, unknowingly absorbing the history of survival of this continent and its people.

After speaking almost without pause for so long, Kurt's throat was parched, yet he remained humble, summoning the courage to plead, "Might you guide us, your lost followers, to a path of survival?"

As his words faded, the two crimson serpents on the altar gazed silently at Kurt, giving no immediate response.

Yi Fengchu felt the seriousness of the situation—it concerned their very existence. He needed time to sift through his collection of artifacts and treasures, to consult his phone for strategies.

If all else failed, it would be Bryce's turn. He could store Kurt's entire people within Bryce's memories and carry them out of this world...

Of course, he couldn't reveal this "uncertainty" to Kurt, lest it plunge them back into despair.

So Yi Fengchu kept his tone mysterious, replying cryptically, "The path of life lies before you. Yet you must wait until your veiled eyes can perceive it."

What Yi Fengchu meant was a diplomatic request for them to wait—while he figured out a solution.

But to Kurt, these were profound words from a divinity, with deeper meaning!

The hope for survival was "before them"... had they simply overlooked it?

Kurt pondered deeply, until the candles at the altar's edge guttered out one by one, and the crimson serpents melted back into a pool of blood.

Perhaps transformed by divine power, the blood now gleamed with silver veins amidst its deep crimson, like streaks of meteors across twilight skies.

After a long silence, Kurt slowly straightened his aching back, his gaze drifting until it settled on the altar.

Before them...

Yes, before them!

Wasn't the most precious thing right there on the altar?

—The "sacred blood" that had once borne the divinity's consciousness during its descent!

A light dawned in Kurt's emerald eyes as he cried out joyfully, "Praise your patient guidance and generous gift!"

Yi Fengchu, about to end the connection, paused in confusion.

What revelation? What boon? Hadn't he merely gathered information?

Under Yi Fengchu's bewildered gaze, Kurt reverently crawled to the altar's edge, scooping up a handful of the blood in his claws—like holding a glowing pigeon-blood ruby edged in silver.

Then, with complete devotion, he tipped his head back and drank it all.

The act happened too quickly for Yi Fengchu to intervene. He could only watch in silence.

Well... it was just their own blood. Surely harmless?

Yi Fengchu wasn't so sure.

The blood flowed like liquid fire down Kurt's throat, soothing its dryness.

As the sacred blood settled, an invisible force seemed to surge through his body, transforming his very being.

Kurt gradually bent forward, the white feathers on his lower half shedding like falling snow, piling softly at his feet until only the magnificent tail feathers remained.

The sudden transformation left Yi Fengchu stunned: Had his power... caused this shedding of feathers?

Since when did he have an ability to make feathers fall?

Unaware of Yi Fengchu's confusion, Kurt was consumed by the ecstasy of evolution. His eyes widened in exhilaration as a vast river appeared before him.

This river swept past all things, carrying the fates of countless beings toward an inevitable end. Once, Kurt had been but another oblivious speck in its flow—yet now he could see it, even step into it.

This was the river of "Fate," flowing above the mortal world, formless yet omnipresent.

Gazing at it, Kurt nearly wept.

The land had forsaken them, life had rejected them, and the sky was ruled by Twilight...

Only Fate, in their darkest hour, had opened its doors to them!

Toward the river, Kurt instinctively swayed his tail—for at some point, his legs had fused, flesh knitting together beneath shimmering scales into a powerful serpent's tail.

He swam into the intangible current, feeling an unprecedented freedom, as though transcending life itself.

From now on, Twilight could no longer threaten him. Even space and time would fail to constrain him.

He would forever follow the great "Fate," gliding through its domain, its eternal river!

Yi Fengchu observed it all in silent astonishment.

After Kurt swam into the illusory space, its life form seemed to undergo a transformation, becoming a voidborne creature that no longer relied on material existence, rendering its movements undetectable to the naked eye.

Yi Fengchu didn’t know where it had gone either—he simply… could still "see" Kurt’s every move.

Even more clearly than what he had witnessed in the material world.

This gave Yi Fengchu an uncanny feeling: as if the place Kurt had stepped into belonged entirely to him—

No, more accurately, it was as though Kurt had stepped into and merged with a part of his own consciousness.

With this strange feeling, Yi Fengchu watched as Kurt transformed from a half-human, half-peacock hybrid into a grotesque hybrid—a human torso with avian wings, adorned with ostentatious peacock plumage and a trailing silver-white serpent’s tail.

At the same time, his phone chimed with a congratulatory message: *"Congratulations on gaining a zealot: Kurt of the White Peacock."*

*"Your zealot currently serves as an interim High Priest among the White Peacock Tribe, possessing considerable prestige and influence."*

*"Rest assured, it will undoubtedly proclaim your majesty far and wide!"*

…What?

What had just happened in the span of a single minute?

For once, Yi Fengchu was momentarily dumbstruck. Meanwhile, the reborn Kurt had already returned from the River of Fate above the mortal world to reality.

It lifted the silver ritual chalice, filling it to the brim with the sacred blood from the altar. The crimson liquid, streaked with argent light, swirled within the vessel as though brimming with unknown power.

*"All glory unto you,"* Kurt sighed toward the empty altar. *"I shall spread your blessings among our people, ensuring all receive the sacramental blood rite…"*

*"When you manifest again, I swear not a single soul among us will dare disrespect your might or fail to acknowledge your beneficence."*

*"Only then, I pray, will you permit us to know your true sacred appellation and become your devoted followers…"*

Yi Fengchu studied Kurt’s transfigured form and nodded slowly.

Though he wasn’t sure what enlightenment Kurt had reached, it seemed to have grasped a path to salvation for its people.

That was a good outcome… right?

Even if the process had been decidedly unanticipated…

At the same time, Yi Fengchu discerned with clarity from Kurt’s words that it had likely discerned he wasn’t the true *High Priest*—otherwise, it wouldn’t have so obliquely petitioned a desire to know his real name.

Or perhaps, from the very beginning, Yi Fengchu’s unique ophidian sigil had already exposed his identity, and Kurt had simply refrained from calling it out due to reverence and flattery.

After all, in their present tribulation, no matter how historically significant the *High Priest* might have been, the survival of the entire tribe took precedence.

—Whoever sheltered them would rightfully be their guardian deity.

Having pieced this together, Yi Fengchu withdrew his consciousness, planning to check back later. If needed, he could offer some assistance.

However, Kurt’s efficiency far exceeded his expectations.

By nightfall, Kurt had likely already distributed the *"sacred blood"* to the entire tribe, transmuting them into a newborn lineage bearing traits of humans, peacocks, and serpents alike.

Instantly, several new omens appeared on his phone:

[*"The White Peacock Tribe’s records have been updated, officially renamed as the 'Crowned Peacock Snake Tribe.'"*]

*"Tribe Description: Henceforth, they are no longer confined to a single world, nor do they dwell solely upon the earth. With the approval and blessings of the Lord of Fate, they freely sail the currents of His design, traversing time and space to herald His divine will."*

*"Congratulations on gaining devout followers—the Crowned Peacock Snake Tribe."*

Yi Fengchu opened the *"Chosen Registry"* app and, unsurprisingly, found many new names added to his congregation.

The intensity of their faith rendered the tribe’s name a blazing vermilion, second only to Bryce, who held the title of *Apostle*.

*"Devotion Level: Fanatical."*

*"You have bestowed rebirth, allowing them to partake of the sacrament imbued with extraordinary power. Thus, they will offer undying fealty until their bodies perish and consciousness fades."*

Yi Fengchu pondered—faith, huh?

According to many tales, accumulated faith could nourish a deity, empowering the worshipped being.

—But was that truly the case?

He dispassionately gauged the sensation. These fervent beliefs didn’t seem to affect him in the slightest—at most, they provided him with a group of sworn vassals, sparing him the trouble of handling everything alone.

*"Makes sense. If faith were truly vital, the gods wouldn’t be so indifferent to mortal suffering, nor would they inflict harm indiscriminately…"*

Yi Fengchu mused aloud.

Just then, a spectral zephyr brushed past his ear, carrying a whisper so soft it was nearly imperceptible:

*'Thank you… for fulfilling the final promise…'*

His phone stuttered briefly before delivering another message: [*"Congratulations on obtaining a shard of destiny—'The Prophet from the Twilight Apocalypse.'"*]

*"You may use this to fill the gaps in your fabricated identity, ensuring your disguise appears flawless in every particular."*