Chapter 633 - 537: Three Deities

Chapter 633: Chapter 537: Three Deities

"Such qualities, such potential... It would be a shame to waste it all on mortal struggles and confusion."

Shire’s voice lowered, yet grew more piercing. Each syllable seemed to carry a cold weight, striking at the listener’s defenses.

"I have observed you for a time, from within the Shadow... You are no stranger to the power of the ’Shadow,’ and even... bear a ’mark’ from my Domain. This is good."

"How about becoming my Divine Envoy?"

Her invitation was direct and plain, yet it held an authority that permitted no refusal.

"I shall grant you the Authority to peer into the true Shadow, the freedom to walk the rifts of oblivion, and... Power from the primordial night, far beyond what you can currently imagine."

"You will walk the world in my stead, spreading Silence and guiding the lost. You will become an extension of my will. In return, your soul will enjoy the sanctuary of eternal Darkness, your existence will be woven into my divine tapestry, and you will share with me... a certain degree of ’Immortality.’"

Her gaze seemed to pierce through Roland’s physical form, staring directly into the depths of his soul.

"You need not answer immediately, mortal."

"But remember, not every being draws my attention, and certainly not everyone receives such... grace."

For the first time, her hoarse voice held a subtle, almost imperceptible undulation that bordered on temptation.

"Before the true long night descends, consider this carefully... Embracing the Shadow may be your destiny’s most perfect conclusion."

’Embrace the Shadow?’

Hearing her choice of words, Roland’s mind was filled only with calm analysis, not the slightest ripple of feeling flattered or overwhelmed.

Although the specific records about the Deities from the "future" timeline were already fragmented and vague, certain basic knowledge and historical lessons were deeply ingrained in his understanding.

Becoming a Divine Envoy was far from a simple Blessing and transaction.

It meant his soul would be indelibly branded by a God, and his will would inevitably resonate with, and even be assimilated by, the Deity’s Domain and inclinations.

From then on, his personal path would be tightly bound to the Deity’s doctrines, goals, and even their conflicts with other Gods and powers.

’Freedom?’

’Under the twin shackles of divine favor and divine punishment, that would become a word in need of redefinition.’

’It looked like gaining immense Power and potential "Immortality," but in reality, it was to completely anchor the very foundation of one’s existence to another’s hand.’

’If he were to follow a God with a decent reputation and relatively gentle, neutral doctrines, perhaps the price would be acceptable. At least he could maintain a degree of personal will and freedom of action.’

’But if it were Shire...’

’The Lady of the Night, mistress of loss and oblivion, the embodiment of Silence and conspiracy.’

’Her Domain is Darkness, endings, secrets, and betrayal.’

’Becoming her Divine Envoy would almost certainly mean walking the shadowy side of civilization, spreading Silence, and guiding the lost.’

’The final destination would likely be a long, endless night of Darkness, where even the meaning of one’s own existence would gradually dissolve into the "Void" she symbolizes.’

’The so-called "shared Immortality" sounded more like a synonym for eternal damnation.’

Just as he was pondering this...

"VMMMM!"

A "sensation" utterly different from the absolute Darkness and dead Silence of Shire’s arrival abruptly intruded upon this domain of consciousness.

It was not a sound or a light, but a sudden intensification of a "presence."

It was a cool yet vibrant "radiance," like a bright but distant moon in the depths of a cold winter’s night suddenly casting its clear light, unopposed, upon a stretch of absolute Darkness that should never have been illuminated.

The pure night seemed to have been plated with an extremely faint, almost illusory silver edge.

"Sister..."

A cool, ethereal voice that seemed to be condensed from moonlight itself rang out, carrying with it a distant Echo and a hint of...

...suppressed, profound compassion and disapproval.

"Are you once again whispering promises of a return to Silence to a lost soul?"

As this voice spoke, on the other side of Roland’s consciousness...

...at the edge of the space dominated by Shire’s Darkness, a soft, silvery-white radiance quietly began to spread.

Within the radiance, the figure of a woman slowly appeared. She stood tall, shrouded in hazy moonlight and a light mist like starlight gossamer.

Her face was also indistinct, but she gave off an intuitive sense of serenity, sorrow, and sanctity, like the full moon in the night sky gazing down upon the earth.

Based on how she addressed Shire, Roland identified her in an instant.

The Moon Goddess, the Lady of the Silver Moon, Suren.

Shire’s movements paused for a fraction of a second, and the flowing Shadow veiling her face seemed to ripple.

She did not turn around, but the surrounding Darkness suddenly grew somewhat "viscous," as if resisting the "invasion" of the moonlight.

"Sister..."

Shire’s voice remained elegant and slow, but it was now laced with a cold irony that felt as if it could freeze the soul.

"Your ’glow’ is as... inappropriately glaring as ever."

"I was merely discussing another ’possibility’ for his destiny with an interesting soul. Is not pursuing the profundity of Silence more... real than embracing your fleeting, futile ’Hope’ that is doomed to fade?"

"Real?"

The compassion in Suren’s voice deepened.

"Sister, the ’reality’ you see is only endings and oblivion. But the meaning of life, the journey, and even the scars themselves... lies in the experience, the growth, and the Hope of continuation."

"The living will eventually wither, and the clamor will return to silence. Such is the inevitable fate of all things,"

Shire said slowly.

"I am merely bestowing upon this inevitability a more... elegant form. Whereas you, sister, cling to fleeting light and illusory Hope."