Chapter 5: Choosing Abilities

Chapter 5: Choosing an Ability

Sylen looked just like a human, nothing like the half-fish, half-human image Lyman had pictured. Then again, in fairy tales, mermaids could swap their tails for legs.

Now that he thought about it, his hair was indeed an unusual shade of blue, and upon closer inspection, you could spot tiny scales on his neck and near his ears.

"Yes, honored Lord of the Abyss. We used to live in the sea, but humans captured us and dragged us onto land as slaves." Sylen lowered his head. "Once we're out of the water, our tails turn into legs, just like humans'."

Guess this kind of thing was all too common in any world. Remembering that slavery was still widespread on Earth in the mid-1800s, Lyman couldn't help letting out a soft sigh.

The god's sigh drifted past Sylen's ear like a night breeze, sending a tremor through his soul. Was the god feeling sympathy for their kind? Or was He just thinking about how a slave owner had been killed by a slave—the hunter brought down by his prey? Life was so unpredictable.

No, he had no right to guess what the god was thinking! Sylen immediately shut down those disrespectful thoughts.

He'd never mentioned his last name, yet the "god" had said it out loud, and his full name was written on the card. The "god" really did know everything!

The "god" had also asked what his true wish was. When he couldn't even figure out what he truly wanted, the "god" had already seen right through him!

At that thought, the boy felt even more awed, feeling that the "god" was impossibly deep. His innermost thoughts seemed completely laid bare before Him.

"Why were those two chasing you?" the god continued.

An all-knowing god asking that must be testing whether I'm honest, Sylen thought.

He didn't dare hide anything and answered honestly: "The guy in blue was named Anthony Gurehan, a noble's son. He's got a thing for killing and buys slaves all the time for his 'hunting games.' The other guy, Will, was his friend who'd come from out of town every time to join in."

"Do people in this world all get off on these 'hunting games'?" the god asked.

This world? Right—the Lord of the Abyss travels the universe, so he must've seen plenty of other worlds. Did other worlds not have stuff like this? Or were all worlds just as messed up?

"I don't know. I don't know much about what goes on on land." Sylen felt deeply ashamed of not knowing anything. "All I know is that humans have hunted down a lot of my people. Some became slaves, some got sold to brothels, some were..."

His voice caught, and he couldn't go on.

Lyman's fists clenched just hearing that. If he had a body, he'd have kicked those corpses a few times for good measure.

Good thing he'd picked Sylen as his first Apostle and saved the kid. Too bad about the others, though...

"So what's your plan now?" he asked.

Sylen was caught off guard. Killing Anthony Gurehan and Will had taken everything out of him, and he'd never thought about what came next.

His card said his mission was to "become a warrior"—that had to be the sacred duty the god had given him. Was the god testing him on how he planned to pull it off?

But how did you even become a warrior? Should he learn sword fighting or train his body? Or kill more people to rack up combat experience?

Wait—weren't there still people out there waiting for him to save? Was that what the card meant—to fight to free his people?

"I'm planning to go find Old Gulehan. He's Anthony Gurehan's dad, and he's the one who supplied Anthony with his slaves. Two of my people are still locked up on his estate, and I want to get them out. Besides, I've got some questions for Old Gulehan."

"Oh?"

"My sister was sold to Old Gulehan's estate along with me. The old man later sold her to someone else. Only he knows who the buyer was."

Just thinking about his sister suffering somewhere unknown made Sylen's heart ache.

"Old Gulehan won't easily tell you where she is."

Sylen's gaze turned ruthless. "That's fine. I can force it out of him. Besides, I killed his son—he won't let that go. So I'll strike first!"

Old Gulehan's estate was several days' journey from this forest. Young Gulehan, meanwhile, lived in a nearby villa. He had come out hunting without servants—that was his mistake. He often roamed about, going whoring after hunts and staying away for two or three days at a time, so his servants were used to it. By the time they noticed their master missing, many days would have passed. And by then, Sylen would have already reached Old Gulehan's estate.

Lyman saw that his mind was made up and felt it was time to return to his prison cell. The youth bore the powerful ability of "rapid self-healing," and as long as he acted cautiously, his life shouldn't be in danger.

"Very well, Seleren Moon Tide. Proceed as you see fit. Your mission will aid me in achieving a greater undertaking." He spoke in a profoundly inscrutable tone.

A greater undertaking... Sylen repeated silently, suddenly stirred with excitement. He had been a helpless slave, far from home and kin, utterly alone. But in this moment, he felt like a single fragment of a vast mosaic, a small part of a magnificent world.

The god was orchestrating some grand design beyond his comprehension, and within that grand vision, there was a place for him...!

He heard the god say: "Now, I must depart for a time. I still need to watch over other parts of the world. If you pray to me, I will hear you."

"Revered Lord of the Abyss, will you keep watching over me?" the youth asked devoutly, then blushed, feeling his request was too demanding.

The great Lord of the Abyss roamed the universe, busied with countless matters—how could He possibly keep His gaze fixed on such an insignificant little believer as himself? That the god would answer his prayers was already more than he deserved; how dare he ask for more?

"I will surely offer You victory." He pressed his palms together and murmured softly.

An evening breeze swept by, and the god—that shadow of the universe's deepest darkness—had vanished.

Sylen picked up Anthony Gurehan's dwarven-forged sword and fastened it to his waist with its belt. In that moment, he truly felt he could become a great warrior, fighting for his people and for the god's grand cause.

***

Lyman opened his eyes. He was back in the Cape Prison. Still the same narrow, dim cell, the damp and moldy straw, the dinner that looked like vomit untouched, and his only companion being the squeaking rat in the corner.

Were it not for the Book of the Evil God in his hand and the card that had turned bronze, he would have thought everything before was just a dream before the guillotine.

"You have elevated Seleren Moon Tide to Apostle. The Book of the Evil God has unlocked a new chapter. Please check the table of contents."

Lyman flipped to the table of contents, and beneath "Chapter 1: Layman Vichard" appeared a new line of text:

"Chapter 2: Seleren Moon Tide."

Curious, Lyman turned to the corresponding page. This chapter recorded Sylen's general information: age, height, weight, Supernatural Ability and its functional description, as well as his background—essentially a brief character profile. The account ended abruptly at "Sylen set out on his journey to the Gurehan estate."

The chapter even included an illustration, done in a realistic sketch style reminiscent of classic literature: in a shadow-draped forest, a youth sat fallen on the ground, staring in astonishment at the sky, where a faceless dark silhouette floated, clutching a large book in its hands.

"...So that's how I appear in Sylen's eyes?"

No wonder the youth was so reverent. If Lyman had seen such a ghostly figure, he'd probably have been scared out of his wits too. Though, it did fit the image of an evil god.

Now he had his first Apostle, but that didn't immediately improve his situation.

The original plan was to order the Apostle to break him out of prison, but look at Sylen's state! Lyman would be glad just to see him survive. By the time he recruited an army to come rescue him, the "brother in faith's" corpse would probably be hanging from the prison gates, dried out by the wind.

"Hah, there's no savior in this world—I have to rely on myself!"

The reward for recruiting an Apostle was a Supernatural Ability, and that was Lyman's only hope at the moment. He tucked Sylen's Apostle Card into that page and flipped back to his own chapter.

[You have completed the mission "Pillar of Faith I." Please choose one of the following three Supernatural Abilities as your reward. Note: Your choice cannot be undone. Please carefully consider the circumstances and select the appropriate reward.]

"Supernatural Ability:

Grandmaster (B-rank). The blood of a farmer flows through your veins. Affinity with the land is your innate gift. You excel at farming, animal husbandry, fishing, and brewing. Your hands can cultivate a land of splendor."

Lyman opened his mouth, wanting to curse, but then thought better of it—he was a man of refinement—and swallowed the profanity back down.

"Book of the Evil God, are you messing with me? A farming grandmaster? Open your big eyes and look—I'm locked in a prison, not inheriting my grandfather's farm! Do you want me dead that badly?"

The Book of the Evil God said nothing, merely closing the eyes on its cover in silence.

Lyman rubbed his temples, forcing himself to calm down. There was no point in getting worked up over some brainless book...

Well, at least he still had two options.

"Supernatural Ability: Artisan (B-rank). People say your hands were kissed by an angel. You can analyze an object's structure to replicate or reinforce it. Items you craft have a chance of temporarily gaining supernatural abilities."

"Supernatural Ability: Masterful Acting (B-rank). You are a born actor, able to portray the joys and sorrows of human life effortlessly. You excel at reading people and know exactly how to draw out their emotions in the most fitting way. Unless someone has an ability ranked higher than yours that can see through 'Masterful Acting,' your performance can't be seen through."

Artisan would be perfect for a prison break—it could craft tools for the escape, or even create explosives more powerful than gunpowder.

However, Lyman's pressing issue was tomorrow's interrogation. The Inquisitor of Heresy was hardly going to give him the materials and time to craft tools.

If he had ample preparation time, Lyman might have chosen Artisan to try his luck, but now he had to rule it out.

That left only one option—Masterful Acting.

Its rank was only B, but it allowed Lyman to pull off a con convincing enough to make the Inquisitor believe he was innocent.

The catch was that the Inquisitor had to be a reasonable person and not possess an ability of B-rank or higher that could see through "Masterful Acting."

"No other choice—time to gamble. Book of the Evil God, I choose 'Masterful Acting'!"

The other two abilities on the page gradually faded away, while the text describing "Masterful Acting" transformed into a stream of light that flowed into Lyman's forehead.

A wealth of knowledge about supernatural abilities flooded his mind. The ability also subtly altered his body. His control over his muscles improved, allowing him to control his facial expressions with the ease of a film actor and perform complex movements like an acrobat.

His observational skills sharpened as well, enabling him to read others' emotions through subtle reactions and use that to his advantage. He wasn't just a great actor—he could be a charismatic politician or a sly con artist.

Perfect, with this, he would have the power to shift the odds in tomorrow's interrogation!

Lyman opened his eyes, and the Book of the Evil God had new text appearing once more.

"You have triggered a new quest: 'True or False.'"

"Description: A third-rate liar deceives with lies. A second-rate liar uses half-truths. A true first-rate master of deception never lies. Now, it's time to show the Inquisitor of Heresy your 'truth.'"

"Objective: Survive the Inquisitor of Heresy's interrogation."

"Reward: Unlock a new chapter in the Book of the Evil God."