The Deceiver

Rayne's expression darkened.

No one liked being watched in secret, having every move exposed, even if Roger seemed to bear no hostility.

Most frightening of all, he had not noticed Roger's presence at all. Even his Soul Eye had not caught a trace of him. He had no idea how Roger had done it.

Was this the strength of a Legendary Demon Hunter?

Seeing the change in Rayne's expression, Roger's lips twitched as if in faint amusement. He walked over to the altar and fixed his gaze on the open tome resting atop the sacrificial corpse, reading it carefully.

Rayne followed, wanting to see what was written inside, but Roger raised a hand to stop him. "This is the Book of Loki. You cannot read it."

As he spoke, he closed the book.

"The Book of Loki?"

Rayne noticed a pattern on its cover: a black skull mask surrounded by a blood-colored glow, with sinister red light flickering from its eye sockets.

Roger explained, "Loki is the evil god worshipped by Shadow Blade. They revere him as the God of Murder, but aside from his followers, we generally call him the Deceiver."

"The Deceiver is an extremely powerful deity, possessing Divine Duties such as murder, Trickery, Lies, Conspiracy, and Strife. The Book of Loki contains his doctrines and is used in sacrificial rituals and believers' prayers. It carries a trace of weak Divine Power. If anyone other than a believer reads it without sufficient willpower, they will be bewitched into becoming his follower."

"Even if their will is strong enough to avoid becoming a believer, reading it too many times will still drive them mad."

Rayne shuddered inwardly. Thankfully, he had not looked.

Roger seemed very familiar with this evil god and continued, "Part of the reason the Deceiver was able to secretly develop so many followers and become a powerful deity was the bewitching influence of the Book of Loki."

"This Book of Loki was probably made recently. It has only been used in a few sacrifices, so its effects are not yet that strong, and the number of times it can be used is limited."

"The people you killed were probably all bewitched by this Book of Loki and became followers of the Deceiver."

Hearing this, Rayne could not help feeling puzzled.

When Esberg had taken him out to kill someone and tried to recruit him, he had gone to great lengths. Why had he not simply let Rayne read the Book of Loki?

Roger seemed to guess what Rayne was thinking. He glanced at him and said, "The Book of Loki can change a person's faith, but its effect varies depending on their previous beliefs. This is especially true for followers of the Goddess. Before reading the Book of Loki, it is best to first break down their mental defenses and have them commit acts that align with the Deceiver's doctrines, such as murder and deception. Those acts can please the Deceiver."

"So that was it." Rayne finally understood.

As for why he had not later been forced to read the Book of Loki or used as a sacrifice, that had probably been Ramsey's doing rather than Esberg's instruction.

Then Rayne suddenly realized that Roger truly had been following him in secret all along. He had heard Ramsey's words, which was why he could guess what Rayne had gone through.

Roger circled the altar, his pupils widening slightly as though he were examining something.

At last, Roger looked at Rayne and shook his head. "You may have provoked serious trouble."

Rayne was completely baffled. "Master Roger?"

"The Shadow Dancer you just killed had likely committed multiple murders recently, fulfilling the doctrines to please his god. He also performed a sacrificial ritual, so he received a response from the Deceiver." Roger pointed to a blood-painted symbol on the altar. "This is the trace left behind when a god responds to a believer."

"That Shadow Dancer had only recently received his response. The Deceiver's attention may not yet have moved away from him, and then you killed him."

Rayne finally understood and cursed inwardly.

He staggered back several steps, wanting to get farther from the altar, afraid that a bolt of lightning might descend from the sky and strike him dead.

Seeing Rayne's frightened look, Roger actually smiled. "No need to be so nervous. To a god, a mortal like you is not even worth more than an ant. Even if you killed several of his followers, you would merely be a slightly larger ant. Why would he waste Divine Power on you?"

"Besides, this is within the Empire, under the protection of the Goddess of Magic. The Deceiver would not dare reveal himself easily."

Rayne relaxed slightly, but Roger abruptly changed his tone. "However..."

Couldn't you just say everything at once? Rayne suddenly realized that Roger, who always presented himself as cold and aloof, was actually quite the tease. He liked messing with people, and he had become especially talkative.

"However what?" Rayne asked cooperatively.

"A god will not act against mortals, but his followers will."

Roger pointed at Rayne. "When you killed that Shadow Dancer, the lingering aura of Divine Power on him transferred to you. Because you are not a believer, it formed a Strife Mark. If other followers of the Deceiver approach you, they will sense this mark. They will do everything they can to kill you and please their god."

"A Strife Mark? Where is it?" Rayne searched himself from head to toe but found no mark.

"This kind of mark is invisible. We cannot see it."

Rayne was speechless. When he had killed Esberg, he had kept his Soul Eye active the entire time. Aside from absorbing the soul, he had not seen anything transfer onto him.

There had been no abnormal sign within Esberg's soul either.

It seemed that the Soul Eye was not omnipotent. At the very least, it could not see the aura of Divine Power.

"You do not need to worry too much. The Strife Mark will not last forever. It will disappear after some time." Roger rarely offered words of comfort.

"How long will the mark last?"

Roger replied, "That depends on how much Divine Power is in the aura. It generally lasts several years, though it may disperse in a few months. It depends on your luck."

"Several months, or even years? That's far too long! Master Roger, do you have any way to remove the mark early?"

Roger shook his head. "Only gods can manipulate Divine Power. There is nothing I can do."

Rayne felt a massive headache coming on.

He was still an ordinary person, not even a Transcendent. How was he supposed to deal with Evil God Cultists or Shadow Blade assassins if he encountered them?

None of those believers or assassins were easy to deal with, and they hid among ordinary people, impossible to guard against. When the time came, he might not even know how he died.

And there just happened to be a group of Shadow Blade assassins in Longsand City, plotting something major.

Anxiety rose in Rayne's heart, and his desire for power suddenly became urgent.

I have to become a Transcendent as soon as possible. At least then I'll have some ability to protect myself. I don't want to be assassinated for no reason.

"Master Roger, how should we deal with this place?" Rayne pointed at the altar. Since it involved a god, he did not dare touch it recklessly.

Roger looked utterly unconcerned and replied casually, "Burn it down. Or you can notify the Church and let them handle it."

Rayne chose to burn it without hesitation.

He turned and left the basement, bringing down a pile of wooden furniture and miscellaneous items from upstairs to stack beside the altar. He also went out to the road beyond the estate and carried Esberg's corpses inside, then poured over them half a barrel of lamp oil he found in the kitchen.

Rayne took an oil lamp from the wall and threw it into the basement entrance. A blaze soon erupted inside.

Before leaving, he did not forget to take the bag of money.

Roger saw the money bag in Rayne's hand but said nothing. After the two left, fierce flames soon rose from the estate. The entire house caught fire, visible from far away in the darkness.

Rayne returned to the city as quickly as he could, but he discovered that no matter how fast he moved, Roger could always follow easily at his side. His footsteps were almost silent, and he still had the energy to talk.

"Rayne, what are your plans now?"

"I want to become a Transcendent," Rayne answered honestly.

"That will not be easy." Roger sighed, seeming to recall his own past. "But in my judgment, you have a good chance of passing the Soul Transformation Ritual. If you prepare well enough, it should not be a problem."

Rayne said nothing. In truth, he had already been considering undergoing the Soul Transformation Ritual.

Passing the Soul Transformation Ritual was the prerequisite for becoming a Transcendent, unlocking the soul's ability to fuse.

The ritual itself was simple. One only needed to inject Soul Devouring Potion into the artery in the neck.

Soul Devouring Potion was an expensive alchemical drug. Its main ingredient was Soul Devouring Grass, which had once helped humanity resist the Blood Soul Curse. In essence, it was an extremely potent poison.

In the early days, humanity's ancestors directly consumed Soul Devouring Grass. Failure meant death, and the mortality rate exceeded ninety percent.

Now, people used Soul Devouring Potion for the Soul Transformation Ritual. It was not as dangerous. Even if the ritual failed, one would only lose around ten years of lifespan, with the soul weakened for three to five years.

Though cruel, it was still far better than dying on the spot.

Once Soul Devouring Potion was injected, its effects acted directly upon the soul within the brain. The pain was excruciating, comparable to the most horrific torture in the world. One could only rely on personal willpower to endure until the soul completed its transformation.

During the ritual, the Soul Devouring Potion would be continuously injected. The longer one endured, the greater the dosage, the better the Soul Transformation would be. After becoming a Transcendent, they would also have more career paths to choose from.

However, most people could not endure until the Soul Transformation was complete. Only a small number passed the ritual, with a success rate below thirty percent. And among those who passed, more than half only achieved Initial Soul Transformation, making them unable to choose Transcendent professions capable of casting spells.

Rayne had not yet considered what profession he wanted. Before that, he needed to undergo a Soul Test.

A Soul Test meant touching an alchemical creation called a Soul Grinding Stone, which simulated the effects of Soul Devouring Potion and produced intense pain.

If one could withstand the pain of the Soul Grinding Stone, they could proceed with the Soul Transformation Ritual.

Soul Grinding Stones were available in many alchemy shops, and their use was free. He would go take the test tomorrow.

Late that night, Rayne and Roger returned safely to the Basil Inn. People were still playing cards in the lobby, and no one paid much attention when the two entered.

Rayne was about to return to his room when Roger stopped him and said quietly, "Rayne, if you pass the Soul Transformation Ritual and are interested in becoming a Demon Hunter, you can come find me. Join my school, and I can guarantee your safety until the mark disappears."