Book of the Dead

"What exactly did the person who brought you into this world teach you?" Sebas asked helplessly.

"The true names of all true gods must not be spoken lightly. They can sense it, and if they believe you have disrespected them, you will be punished."

"Is that so?" Shaya nodded in realization. "I understand. I'll be more careful next time."

Sebas's brow relaxed as he continued, "Fortunately, the Grim Reaper is currently asleep as well. He will not awaken just because you called his true name."

After a pause, he added in confusion, "But that lord's true name is known by very few even among the Grim Reapers. How did you know it?"

"I heard a lot of myths before," Shaya answered honestly.

It seemed he had gotten the name right. The Grim Reaper and Sleep God they spoke of should both have come from Greek Mythology.

"Myths?" Sebas was even more confused. He truly could not recall any myths concerning the Grim Reaper.

The Grim Reaper had never held a high position in the pantheon, and he was feared by many. Naturally, no myths about him had been passed down.

"What about the other gods?" Shaya continued.

"The gods exist by relying on concepts," Sebas said. "For various reasons—because new pantheons rose, and because human civilization advanced—the world was gradually explained, and people gradually lost their reverence for the gods."

As the ages progressed, the gods grew weaker and weaker. Some died, while others fell into eternal slumber.

"But in this world, there are two concepts that will never disappear as long as humanity exists."

"Death and sleep," Shaya said.

"You're very smart." Sebas praised him. "Death and Sleep were given greater duties in the new age. Death governs the order of the dead, while Sleep governs the order of dreams, balancing illusion and reality."

Shaya nodded. "Thank you for telling me this."

"No need to thank me. It's only basic knowledge."

Sebas spoke as he looked at Shaya seriously. "In the several decades since I became a Grim Reaper, this is the first time I've seen a Sorcerer.

"Even some of my predecessors have never seen one.

"I have heard some of my older predecessors describe your abilities. Some among you can even manipulate souls, and that falls within my jurisdiction.

"If you do not know these basic rules and knowledge, you may cause me unnecessary trouble."

"You can solve that trouble right now," Shaya said with interest.

But Sebas shook his head. "I don't know your strength, nor do I know whether I can defeat you. If I can, perhaps I can eliminate the problem once and for all. But if I cannot, I will gain trouble for no reason.

"And you may have a teacher. Even if I can kill you, I may still invite trouble.

"Right now, we have no conflict of interest or disagreement. There is no need for me to take that risk.

"If possible, I would rather we became friends.

"I do not have much of a sense of mission. To me, 'Grim Reaper' is merely a job, but I do not want to lose that job either.

"You make things convenient for me, and I can make things convenient for you."

"You see things quite clearly." Shaya smiled. "My name is Shaya. I live at 221B Doyle Street in the Imperial Capital. Nice to meet you."

Sebas smiled as well. "I need to take this fellow to Hell for judgment. When I have time, I will certainly visit you for a drink."

Shaya raised his brows and teased, "Having a Grim Reaper come knocking doesn't seem very lucky."

"I have a shop in the Imperial Capital. Most of the time, I'll be there, at 122C Cole Street."

Sebas said this as he grabbed one end of the chain with one hand and stepped on the nightmare beneath his foot. He raised his other hand, and an ancient parchment book appeared in it. The parchment book opened on its own like a bird spreading its wings. Looking at the words on its pages, he read aloud to the nightmare.

"Hagules, you have violated Article Three of the Hell Management Regulations by entering the human world without authorization, as well as Article Thirty-Two by occupying a human body.

"You will be taken back to Hell for judgment and subjected to the harshest punishment!"

Os's eyes widened slightly, and terror was clearly visible in them. He struggled violently, but the chains quickly crept over the upper half of his face that remained exposed to the air, binding him like a mummy.

"What is that?" Shaya asked curiously, looking at the book in his hand.

"The Book of the Dead," Sebas said. "A divine artifact bestowed upon the Grim Reapers by the Three Fates. Of course, the one in my hand is merely a copy. The true original is in that lord's possession.

"The names of everyone nearby who is about to die will appear in this book, along with their locations. I only need to guide their souls according to the information inside.

"At the same time, it can reveal everyone's lifespan, name, life experiences, and more. It can even uncover some information about demons, though true names cannot be found.

"Only true gods and certain other special existences cannot be looked up."

Shaya examined the book with curiosity. Three goddesses with their eyes closed were depicted on its pages. They should be the Three Fates Sebas had mentioned.

It was probably something like a register of life and death, Shaya thought.

"Can you look me up?" Shaya asked. "I want to know how long I can live."

"This..." A trace of difficulty appeared on Sebas's face.

"Can't you?" Shaya asked.

"Grim Reapers who operate in the mortal world inevitably make some mortal friends, so it is not as though no Grim Reaper has ever let a mortal read the Book of the Dead."

Sebas said solemnly, "But everyone fears death. Once they learn the date of their own death, or the death of someone most important to them, they always want to change it all."

"Has anyone done that before?" Shaya asked with interest.

Sebas nodded. "The final result was not pleasant.

"Every name displayed in the Book of the Dead has already had its date of death declared by Fate. It is fixed.

"Anyone who attempts to resist Fate must pay a price.

"The person whose death was interfered with did indeed live a while longer. But when he eventually died, someone who should not have died perished because of him.

"It was the person who interfered with his death.

"Even the Grim Reaper who leaked the information was affected."

Cause and effect...

Shaya thought.

That was not much different from the knowledge he had obtained from the old man.

Sow a cause, reap an effect. Reversing a predetermined death involved such enormous cause and effect that an equivalent death had to be paid.

Fate had its constants, but there were variables as well.

Since that person had lived several more years, Fate had in fact been changed.

It was simply that the person who changed Fate had paid a terrible price.

If someone capable of paying that price altered Fate, perhaps the outcome would have been different.

But perhaps only existences stronger than humans, such as gods, could afford such a price.

Yet changing a human's Fate held no meaning for gods.

And gods likewise could not afford the price of changing a god's Fate...

"Then forget it." Shaya said. "It's not something I absolutely need to know, and I think I should live for a long time."

"Indeed. Sorcerers are generally long-lived." Sebas nodded.

"Then I'll be leaving first. I have things to do," Shaya said.

Sebas nodded. "I must send this nightmare down to the Underworld as well."

"Remember to come find me for a drink." Shaya smiled.

With that, Shaya turned and flew away.

Sebas did not leave immediately. Instead, he watched Shaya's departing figure. Suddenly, he spread open the Book of the Dead in his hand and aimed it toward the increasingly distant Shaya.

The Book of the Dead fluttered rapidly through its pages like a bird beating its wings, searching for Shaya's information.

He had not seen a Sorcerer in the mortal world for a very long time, so he was extremely curious about Shaya's past.

At first, Sebas's expression was calm. But as the seconds passed, it shifted from calmness to confusion, then utter bewilderment.

Five minutes later, he stared at the book still searching in his hand, and his previous composure had completely vanished.

His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. Then he abruptly raised his head and stared in disbelief toward the direction Shaya had gone.

He had never seen the Book of the Dead take so long to search for a single person.

There was only one possibility.

The Book of the Dead contained no record whatsoever of the person before him.

And only existences at the level of true gods could not be searched.

Sebas recalled everything Shaya had said and done earlier.

"Is your original Grim Reaper called Thanatos?"

He had spoken Death's name directly, without the slightest reverence or fear. There had only been indifference and detachment in his tone, as if he were addressing a junior he had not seen in a long time.

At first, Sebas had thought it was merely the Sorcerer's ignorance. But thinking about it now...

How many people in this world knew Death's true name?

Come to think of it, Sorcerers had not appeared for centuries.

Over the years, mystery had been weakening rapidly. There was simply no soil for Sorcerers to survive in, much less for new Sorcerers to emerge.

For such a Sorcerer to suddenly appear now was simply too strange.

There was only one possibility. This "Sorcerer" might have lived from several centuries ago until now, or perhaps even earlier.

No. The Book of the Dead could not find him. He could not be a Sorcerer, but an existence far more terrifying than that.

Sebas's hairs stood on end. He immediately turned into a cloud of black smoke along with the nightmare and vanished from the spot.