Su Cheng originally thought she would have to travel across the ocean and endure a long, arduous journey.
She had forgotten that the Secret Cult of Eternal Night was still quite prosperous in the Northern Continent. Their temples were scattered across every country, though relatively fewer in number compared to the Holy Church.
After arriving at Golden Amber City, she and several black knights began using teleportation arrays.
They presented the token left by Horowitz, and the cult's clerics at the Golden Amber City temple welcomed the group with utmost reverence and trepidation.
Then, they activated the magic array.
This magic array transported them to the temple in the capital of the Anser Principality, and they repeated this process several times thereafter.
Therefore, most of their time was spent inside the cult's temples.
Of course, altogether it did not take very long. Including the time spent waiting for the magic arrays to be calibrated, the entire journey took little more than half a day.
At dawn, she emerged from a magical tower and beheld a port forged of pitch-black basalt, along with towering palaces lining the waterfront.
A profound sense of tranquility and overwhelming pressure washed over her.
It was a massive architectural complex constructed almost entirely of pure black. The bell towers, palaces, and covered bridges were primarily made of obsidian, looking heavy and solid, as if deeply rooted in the earth's veins.
Under the glow of the morning sun, the mirror-like walls faintly rippled with a deep, blue-purple luster.
The pillars' bases, window frames, and lintel symbols cast in gold and silver shone brilliantly, without any trace of wear or dullness from the erosion of time.
Horowitz's subordinates had clearly been here many times before, navigating a sort of staff-only passage with practiced ease.
There were not many sentries along this route, only a group of guards similarly clad in black armor. After checking their tokens and verifying their identities, the guards let them pass.
Su Cheng could sense that those guards were incredibly powerful.
They were at a level that even made her feel threatened.
She suddenly gained a tangible understanding of why the Holy Church had never been able to completely overthrow the Secret Cult, even though the fundamental reason was that the God of Light's power could not completely crush the God of Darkness.
They crossed an extremely vast square surrounded by temples towering into the clouds, resembling countless silent black giants.
Stalagmite-like spires rose and fell in jagged silhouettes, and countless aerial bridges crisscrossed, connecting the colossal temples.
Clerics dressed in dark trench coats or robes shuttled back and forth among these buildings, like a dense colony of ants.
After delving deeper into the High Court, Su Cheng looked up again. What she saw was no longer the pale blue-green sky of the early morning.
The profound expanse of the heavens was tinged with a veil-like blue-purple hue. Time seemed frozen in the moment just before nightfall.
Massive swathes of black-purple flames stretched across the sky like clouds, writhing faintly as if they were living creatures.
"What does this mean?"
"That is the power of His Holiness the God of Darkness," a black knight replied. "It shields us from harm."
Su Cheng suddenly understood. "Because wherever the 'Light' shines, it can be influenced by that person's power, right?"
As they approached the temple ahead, a priest wearing a black-purple robe came to greet them.
"Lord Vorey received Lord Horowitz's message," the person said politely. "He dispatched me to guide your way. Welcome, Lady Su Cheng."
Su Cheng thanked her. "Although I don't know who Lord Vorey is, please thank him for me."
The black knights had already retreated, leaving only the priest to lead her forward. They climbed a long flight of stairs and entered a quiet, magnificent corridor.
Along the way, they encountered quite a few people.
The cult's clerics all wore dark clothing. Aside from robes, trench coats, and armor, some wore everyday attire, but these were also predominantly solid black, black-purple, black-blue, black-silver, or black-gold.
They rarely greeted one another, mostly brushing past each other while looking straight ahead. It seemed only close acquaintances would exchange brief pleasantries.
Consequently, very few people paid her any mind.
"Lord Vorey is one of the keepers of the Tower of Omniscience and also the Grand Vault Overseer of the Secret Cult."
The priest said softly, "Lord Horowitz believes you are qualified to apply for reading access to the Forbidden Tomes Section, but this requires Lord Vorey's approval."
Su Cheng's heart skipped a beat.
She didn't think the God of Darkness would grant her an audience immediately. After all, that guy wasn't always at the High Court; he probably spent most of his time in his Divine Realm.
Therefore, during her time at the cult's headquarters, if she could freely browse their ancient texts, she could likely find some answers.
She had already considered this plan beforehand.
"This is the place."
They arrived in front of an exceptionally magnificent giant tower. The building's base was even wider than the previous square, and the towering structure disappeared into the misty clouds above.
The two entered through a small side door on the third floor. The door was engraved with many bizarre and arcane runes. She tried to identify them but couldn't even find a sense of familiarity.
A term flashed through Su Cheng's mind, and she couldn't help but ask subconsciously, "Is that ancient magic?"
The priest nodded. "If you haven't dabbled much in this field, it's quite normal not to recognize it. That is a rather ancient, composite-type, semi-permanent monitoring magic array."
Su Cheng was too embarrassed to admit that she had absolutely zero knowledge about it, aside from knowing the term itself.
The tower was permeated with a faint scent of incense and the cold smell of stone.
The internal spatial division was also magical. From the ground floor to the dome, the central hall was vertically connected, and the shelves embedded in the walls were piled high with scrolls and ancient books.
In the central axis stood a pillar equipped with an elevator. Thousands of corridors extended from the pillar, like the spreading branches of a giant tree.
Books were also placed in these corridors, and the ends of the corridors connected to the bookshelves on the walls.
The side door they took connected to one such corridor. The shelves on both sides were stacked with papyrus scrolls, leather-bound tomes, wooden slips, and some thick books with peculiar cover textures.
The bookshelves in the corridor were not very high and did not completely block the view. She could see figures moving about in the other corridors.
There were about several hundred people reading in the entire tower, but because the place was so massive, it still appeared extremely empty.
She looked at the priest curiously. "Can any member of the Secret Cult come here?"
"Yes," the latter nodded. "The Forbidden Tomes Section cannot be entered casually by just anyone, but this area is open to all cult members. Some travel thousands of miles from the Northern Continent just to seek knowledge here."
The priest paused for a moment. "And it's not just clerics. Anyone who is granted entry into the High Court, even if they have not pledged allegiance to His Holiness the God of Darkness, can freely come and go as they please, provided they are not prisoners here to stand trial or suffer punishment."
They took the elevator to the top floor, walked through another corridor, and then left the central public library area to navigate deeper into the tower.
After a while, the two arrived in front of a heavy stone door. A small star-chart magic array was engraved on the door, its silver runes shining brightly.
The priest reached out and touched one of the runes, and the door slowly slid open.
The space inside was comparable to a small auditorium, with a ceiling height of over ten meters. Glowing incantations were carved into the black stone walls, providing ample illumination.
The shelves on the walls were filled with all sorts of bizarre books. Some slowly turned their pages without any wind, some had strange eyeballs embedded in their covers that stared unblinkingly at visitors, some were crystal slates playing certain moving images, and others seemed to have pages made from the scales or bones of magical beasts.
The air was thick with the scent of ink, mixed with a smell resembling dried fungi.
Right in the center sat a massive stone table. Its base was densely covered in runes, and the items on top of it were in complete disarray.
A gelatinous creature emitting a faint green phosphorescence writhed inside a glass dome.
A large cauldron boiling a black potion rested on a magic array, occasionally spewing thick smoke. Distorted human faces appeared within the smoke, seemingly screaming in agony, yet making no sound at all.
Scattered around were more crystal boxes and metal cages, sealing away variously colored smoke, organs, or bones, as well as some tiny creatures—it was impossible to tell if they were intact bodies or severed parts.
There were also countless draft papers covered in calculation formulas, along with mountains of various books.
...My Lord, the priest spoke cautiously. Lady Su Cheng has arrived.
The figure previously buried among the mountains of books slowly lifted his head at those words.
The priest made his exit as if fleeing for his life.
Su Cheng blinked. Hello, Lord Vorey.
Sitting at the desk was a tall, brown-haired man dressed in a pure black uniform that perfectly outlined his lean, well-proportioned figure, making his waist appear exceptionally slender.
He had porcelain-white skin and handsome, elegant features. The curve of his cheekbones was graceful, his nose bridge straight, and his lip color very pale. His expression could even be described as gentle.
At first glance, he looked very young and refined, the spitting image of a scholar.
However—
He possessed a pair of chilling eyes.
Even though his irises were a very light color, like a kind of cold, icy green, they resembled a bottomless pool of water.
His gaze carried an intense, piercing power, as if it could puncture through flesh and skin to scrutinize a person's soul.
The man also wore a monocle that flickered with dense runes. A thin silver chain dangled beside the lens, further accentuating his peculiar aura.
Lady Su Cheng.
The brown-haired man nodded, revealing an almost fascinated expression. This is truly a surprise. For one person to bear the marks of three Ancient Gods...
He said this as he slowly stood up. ...And even a dragon's.
Su Cheng: ?
Su Cheng: Three?
Vorey's gaze landed on her face.
For a moment, she felt as if she were being stared down by a snake. A certain hair-raising interest burned within those cold, icy-green eyes.
Oh? The brown-haired man raised an eyebrow slightly. Is this beyond your knowledge?
Su Cheng could only think of that door, as well as the dancer in Ash Mountain Town. She was unsure where the third one came from.
Su Cheng: Since you can distinguish the number, you probably know who they all are, right?
No, Vorey shook his head simply. But if you cooperate with me and do a few experiments, we should be able to figure it out very quickly.
Su Cheng looked at him expressionlessly. No.
Vorey looked at her in silence for a few seconds, then showed a hint of regret. What a pity... You are a dragonborn. You would be a perfect specimen.
Su Cheng simply remained silent.
She had no idea how this guy managed to sense it.
Horowitz had never mentioned any of this—she did not know if he was just being polite and not asking too much, or if he simply wasn't that perceptive.
Vorey took a small stone token out of a drawer and casually tossed it over. This originally belonged to my deputy. You can use it to enter and exit any room in the Tower of Omniscience. Do not misunderstand; this does not mean we have any sort of superior-subordinate relationship.
Su Cheng noticed the tense he used. Where is your deputy?
He is right here.
Vorey said casually, reaching out to tap the large cauldron boiling the black liquid on his desk. The smoke rising from the cauldron once again formed a weeping human face.
Su Cheng: ???
Su Cheng: When you say he is in there, do you mean the soup brewed from his body is in there?
What? Vorey tilted his head to look at her, then suddenly let out a chuckle. No, there are no bones or flesh of his in here, only his soul.
He paused for a moment. He violated a taboo and was punished. According to the rules, I could take charge of concluding the matter.
Su Cheng: ...So you turned him into experimental material.
This is the last contribution he could make to the Esoteric Church, Vorey stated righteously. My research results will be shared with the entire church—
A look of extreme longing and greed shot from his eyes. His Holiness the Dark God will also reward me and grant me more arcane knowledge...
Su Cheng silently backed away with the token in hand. Yeah, that's great. I wish you success.
After saying that, she turned around and ran.
The priest had already slipped away without a trace. After leaving the office, Su Cheng looked around blankly, realizing she had forgotten to ask how to get to the Forbidden Tomes section.
However, she really did not want to turn back and face Vorey again. That guy was way too creepy.
So, she decided to properly explore the tower on her own.
Su Cheng spent three or four days and finally managed to wander up and down the place, also finding a few entrances to the so-called Forbidden Tomes section.
That token could indeed open any door. She even accidentally wandered into a few clerics' break rooms.
Of course, those people didn't mind at all. Especially after seeing her token, they entertained her quite warmly and told her where she could usually go to get her meals.
These people were all Vorey's subordinates, usually responsible for various maintenance tasks in the Tower of Omniscience, from repairing magic arrays to organizing books.
Su Cheng never saw Vorey again.
According to these clerics, His Excellency the Grand Vault Warden spent ninety-nine percent of his time every year locked behind closed doors in his office.
Aside from summons by His Holiness the Dark God or extremely important church meetings, people rarely got to see him.
Feeling reassured, Su Cheng dove headfirst into the mountains and seas of books.
She originally wanted to look at records of knowledge related to the Ancient Gods first, but in the process, she inevitably stumbled upon some books about so-called ancient magic.
Then, things quickly spiraled out of control.
The so-called ancient magic was exactly what it sounded like: magic from the ancient era. It was said to be the age of the elves, who could easily manipulate the elements without needing any incantations.
Moreover, the ancient elven language could easily complete complex magic arrays, allowing elemental spirits to permanently and voluntarily maintain a certain form.
Su Cheng read the books in a trance-like state of fascination for several days, unable to resist making some related attempts.
The clerics in the tower also knew a little bit of ancient magic. After chatting with them a bit, she became even more familiar with them.
She quickly discovered that elemental magic was only a part of ancient magic; there were many more forms of power within this field.
Su Cheng studied day and night for several months, during which she also crammed a lot of knowledge on illusions.
Finally, after being stumped by a difficult problem for two days, she stepped out of the Tower of Omniscience, wanting to get some fresh air outside.
She had also managed to dig up some records concerning the Ancient Gods.
But for some reason, certain information had clearly been intercepted, as if someone deliberately wanted to keep it hidden.
She wandered through the twilight-shrouded temple complex. Without realizing it, she walked for a long time, and the clerics passing by grew fewer and fewer.
Occasionally, a few figures in ornate robes would appear.
They wore an abundance of jewelry, with gold and silver chains draped from their waists and bright pearls hanging from their hems, looking as if they had just returned from a grand banquet.
—Although it also appeared to be the uniform of the esoteric cult, it looked far more elaborate than the attire of the other clerics.
The air grew moist and warm, smelling like precious vaporized balms, or perhaps like flowers and grass blooming after a fresh rain.
Passing through a colonnade carved with runes, she was instantly enveloped by a dense mist.
The view suddenly opened up before her.
Ahead lay a massive, circular sunken bathhouse. A hazy mist permeated the area, and the entire space was bathed in the soft, candle-like glow of magic crystal lamps.
The floor was made of rare white jade, which made the sapphire-like water in the pool look even more crystal clear.
In the hazy mist, there was a tall, slender, and naked figure.
His back was to the entrance as he sat casually sideways by the pool, his wet, pitch-black curls cascading down his ivory back.
A few curling strands clung to the hollows of his shoulder blades. Below that was a tight, powerful waistline and well-muscled thighs.
Water droplets slid down his pristine white skin, tracing captivating paths along his elegant spine and undulating back muscles.
It was a body brimming with power, yet extraordinarily exquisite.
Holding a long-handled bone comb, he stroked it through his thick, heavy black hair, stroke by stroke, his movements slow and elegant.
—It was not an innate nobility, but rather felt like a cultivated grace, a movement deliberately trained to exude charm.
The comb in his hand was also a lustrous white, almost blending in with his pale, translucent skin between his beautiful fingers.
As the teeth of the comb glided through the wet hair, water droplets were squeezed and shattered, making a faint but crisp rustling sound.
The next second, the black-haired young man turned his head to look over.
Meeting those garnet-like eyes, Su Cheng could not help but feel a wave of emotion.
"It is you," the man said, staring at her. "Are you also from the church?"
"...You still remember me?"
"Yes."
The man put down the comb and stood up.
Su Cheng's breath caught slightly.
She had met the God of Lust and Filth more than once, and had even engaged in intimate relations with him in both illusions and reality, so she could calmly face this seductive body.
Not to mention, he had not yet become a god. If one were to truly compare their charm, he probably could not match the figure in her memories.
After all, that was not a mortal body of flesh and blood, but a manifestation of divine power.
But—
On his bare, lean lower abdomen, there was strikingly a blood-red, heart-shaped crest entwined with rose vines.
Su Cheng: "..."
This thing looked about seventy or eighty percent similar to her curse mark.
Su Cheng: "What is that?"
The black-haired young man looked down. "I am not sure which thing you are asking about."
Speechless, Su Cheng raised her hand. "That mark—do I look like an idiot? What else could possibly make me ask that?"
"Apologies," he said calmly. "Some people use feigned ignorance as a form of flirting."
As the black-haired young man said this, the expression on his face relaxed a bit.
He seemed quite satisfied that she was not flirting with him.
His gaze toward her also softened, or in a sense, lost some of its wariness.
Then, a hint of bewilderment and confusion appeared on that sharply contoured, strikingly gorgeous face.
"As for this—"
His fingers landed on his lower abdomen. "They say it is the mark of the God-Favored."
