Chapter 632 - 537: Three Deities

Chapter 632: Chapter 537: Three Deities

Roland gazed at the slender figure materializing from the endless Darkness before him. His eyes were calm, showing little ripple of emotion.

This was different from the Shire he had encountered in that "future" timeline.

The Lady of the Night from that time, though still possessing divine might, had an air of something ineffably "thin" and "detached" about her, a consequence of waning faith and the changing times.

But the one before him now...

Pure Darkness flowed and breathed silently around her like a living entity. Every wisp of Shadow seemed to carry the weight of ancient cold and oblivion.

That "concentration" of existence, that unquestionable authority and pressure born from the fundamental Laws of the universe, was so real it threatened to solidify into tangible Chains and bind the very souls of all who beheld it.

Her mere "existence" here seemed to overwhelm this space of consciousness, causing it to let out a silent wail.

The very concepts of light, sound, and even time seemed to be slowly eroding, returning to absolute Silence and Annihilation.

This was a True God—or rather, this was the despair-inducing magnificence and depth one would expect when their will is directly projected.

However, Roland was no longer the weak young man from the "future" who, upon first facing a Deity, could barely even think.

Countless battles on the brink of life and death, countless choices and experiences, and the constant breakthroughs and integrations of his own power system...

All of this had forged his soul and will into what they were now.

Facing this true Deity, the Lady of the Night, Shire, he could clearly perceive the chasm-like difference in their Power and fundamental nature, yet he was still able to maintain the clarity of his mind and the composure of his body.

And at this moment, he truly understood just how far his own strength had come.

It was the same Shire. In the "future" era of fading faith, her Power may not have been at its peak. Yet, a mere expression of her will had been enough to plunge him into an icy abyss, his body turning rigid and his thoughts bogging down as if trapped in mud, able only to passively endure and react.

But now...

He looked at the "black star" eyes in the Darkness, which seemed to absorb all light.

What they revealed was mostly a sense of intrigued scrutiny, like a Deity examining an unexpected artifact on an altar—one that bore its mark, yet whose origins were unknown.

The pressure was still there, but it was not unbearable.

Within the absolute Silence of this plane of consciousness, Roland slowly, deeply, let out a breath.

The breath didn’t form a white mist in this space of Darkness; it was merely a sign of relaxation on a spiritual level.

Then, he took a step forward.

His footfall made no sound, yet it was as if it had cast a clear, distinct ripple representing his "self-existence" into this Domain of Darkness ruled by Shire.

He raised his eyes slightly, his black irises meeting the pair of "black stars" in a calm gaze. The tip of his brow twitched almost imperceptibly.

A low, clear voice broke the dead silence, carrying a note of caution, but not of humility.

"Lady Shire?"

’Lady?’

Seeing the unexpected calm on Roland’s face, and even a hint of cautious, formal inquiry, a flicker of faint surprise crossed Shire’s face, which was veiled in flowing Shadow.

Immediately after, the lips formed of pure Darkness seemed to curve into an imperceptible arc.

"Not bad. Very polite. I... like this form of address."

Her voice was still husky and magnetic, her speech slow as if savoring every word.

"Well then..."

She began to step forward.

Her movements were impeccably graceful, as if Darkness itself were flowing and shaping itself.

She trod on no solid ground, but with every step she took, the pure Darkness around her rippled, each wave deeper than the last, as if her very presence was constantly redefining the "depth" of this Domain.

As she drew closer, Roland could feel the pressure originating from her very essence slowly intensifying.

It wasn’t a crude, crushing force, but a silent saturation, attempting to assimilate him into this eternal Silence and loss.

She stopped about three paces away from Roland.

At such a close distance, Roland could more clearly "feel" her inhuman presence.

She was not a physical entity, but the embodiment of some cosmic Rule—cold, ancient, and carrying a sense of destiny that all "possibilities" would be devoured and ultimately return to the Void.

Those black-star eyes "gazed" at him from up close, seemingly reflecting countless annihilated stars and forgotten eons.

"Your soul..."

She spoke slowly, her voice like a direct caress against the surface of Roland’s consciousness.

"It is... unexpectedly resilient. That scar... does it stem from forcibly plucking the threads of fate? Interesting..."

"To be able to withstand such a backlash without completely disintegrating, and even find a way to mend it... Your essence is far more... interesting... than it appears."

Her assessment held little emotion, more like a statement of objective fact.

"What makes me even more curious is..."

Shire’s head tilted slightly, as if examining him from another angle.

"The threads of ’possibility’ entwined around you are numerous and complex, an Entanglement of the past, the present, and even... some fragments of a ’future’ that should not exist."

"Interesting. Truly interesting. I preside over loss and oblivion, yet your path... feels both foreign and familiar to me. It is as if your very existence is a... subtle ’deflection’ of established destiny."

She paused. The aura of Darkness seemed to grow deeper, more profound, carrying a tempting Magic Power that beckoned one to fall into ruin.