Inside the abandoned church, a sculpture of a woman stood at the very back. This had once been a church of the Church of Fate, but the folk customs of the Western Continent's City of Smoke were far too "simple," and the Church of Fate had struggled to develop here. On top of that, when the Black Tide appeared twelve years ago, the Church of Fate abandoned its missionary work in the City of Smoke.
The so-called Black Tide was the source of primordial soul energy. Vast quantities of primordial soul energy erupted from a single point, filling the surrounding area within a radius of more than ten kilometers.
The concentration of primordial soul energy here was beyond what ordinary people could withstand. However, as long as they escaped quickly and received emergency aid from the Church of Healing, civilian casualties remained low. Those with enough luck might even become stronger and gain longer lifespans.
Even so, mentioning the Black Tide was enough to make even the refugees of the City of Smoke blanch. The frightening thing wasn't the Black Tide, but human nature. The Black Tide spewed out vast quantities of primordial soul energy. Primordial soul energy meant extraordinary power, extended lifespans, endless black crystals, and status. Who wouldn't be tempted?
The Black Tide itself wasn't frightening. What was frightening were the powerful figures and desperadoes who gathered after it passed.
District 30 of the City of Smoke had lost eighty percent of its population because the Black Tide erupted there. It was abandoned not long afterward, and the branch of the Church of Fate that had originally preached there had nearly been beaten to the point of sobbing.
Inside the abandoned church, Tiff was gasping heavily. Her legs felt weak, the result of heavy blows to her coccyx,