Preparing for a Long Journey

Soren had been waiting quietly.

It was only after the funeral concluded that he approached Vivian. He gave a slight nod to the young Cleric before him, thanking her, "Sorry to have troubled you these past two days."

"I intend to take her with me."

Upon seeing Soren, a hint of joy appeared on Vivian's face. She reached out her small hand to tug at one of his fingers, saying happily, "Brother."

"You're back."

The young Cleric's face held a trace of sorrow; she still seemed to be grieving for the departed.

She glanced at Soren, and her brow furrowed involuntarily. A Cleric's perception was always sharp. In her eyes, the Soren of the past had been nothing more than a street thug—someone with decent reflexes, perhaps, but lacking any real experience in life-or-death combat. Yet, the Soren standing before her now felt like a warrior. He carried an aura similar to that of the Temple Guards, a settled, heavy killing intent. Many of the Temple Guards here were veterans retired from the battlefield or individuals who had survived countless skirmishes. How could Soren have changed so drastically in such a short time?

Could he have experienced something in these mere two days?

Soren bowed slightly toward Phil in the distance, then prepared to leave with Vivian.

"Wait!"

The young Cleric reached out to stop him, then spoke quickly, "Vivian possesses talents that ordinary people lack!"

"She might have the potential to become a Cleric."

"I think you should leave her here for now. If she can become a Cleric, it would be very good for her future."

"At the very least, it's better than..."

She cut herself off, but the implication was clear: it was better than drifting through the streets with Soren. Becoming a Cleric of the gods meant attaining a noble status and a meteoric rise in social standing. In her view, that was infinitely better than wasting time in a third-rate slum gang with Soren. Naturally, she had no idea that Soren had been slaughtering his way through the slums; Vivian would never speak of such things. In the young Cleric's eyes, Soren was still just a petty thief from some gang.

No matter how skilled a thief was, they would never be able to step into polite society!

"Hmph!"

Hearing the young Cleric's words, it wasn't Soren who spoke first. Vivian's expression turned sour, her small face puffed up in anger. She glared at the young Cleric, protesting indignantly, "I don't want to be a Cleric!"

"Being by Brother's side is the best!"

She would never allow anyone to look down on her brother.

So what if he was a thief?

If it weren't for Soren risking his life to steal, she wouldn't have survived until now.

These detestable, high-and-mighty faces!

Who could possibly know how difficult it was for a teenage boy to raise a three-year-old girl?

There was a time when her brother had worked carrying crates at the docks. No matter how hard he worked, leaving his back bruised and battered, the money he earned still wasn't enough to fill their stomachs. In Vivian's heart, it was her brother who held up her world. Therefore, she would never allow anyone to look down on him or speak ill of him—not even the Cleric sister she had always been close to.

The little girl glared at her fiercely, as if the other party were her sworn enemy!

The young Cleric looked stunned.

She had never seen this little girl lose her temper, especially not at her. She opened her mouth to apologize, yet she stubbornly maintained the belief that Soren could not provide her with a better future.

A thief from the slums.

At best, he would become a gang leader in the future, still living a life of uncertainty.

Vivian deserved a better future!

The young Cleric remained convinced that she was doing this for the girl's own good, so her expression remained stubborn. She turned her head to stare at Soren, seemingly hoping he would realize on his own that Vivian would only have a better future if she stayed at the Temple of Dawn.

Unfortunately, she was disappointed.

Soren merely smiled and gently stroked Vivian's small head, as if soothing a ruffled kitten.

He chuckled as he picked up Vivian's small frame and hoisted her onto his shoulders. The little girl immediately giggled and wrapped her arms around Soren's neck, rubbing her forehead against his hair.

She was always so joyful!

If no one went out of their way to provoke her, this quiet little girl could happily busy herself all day long.

Cleaning the room, washing clothes, tidying up.

Although the clothes were never perfectly clean, Soren never really minded.

"Sorry."

Soren used one hand to steady the little girl's waist; she felt light as a feather due to some malnutrition. He slowly shook his head and said earnestly, "Vivian will not become a Cleric."

A Cleric?

The Time of Troubles was about to begin.

The Lord of Dawn was among the first batch of gods to fall!

When that time came, the Cleric before him would lose the ability to cast divine spells, unless her perception exceeded 20 points, allowing her to re-analyze divine spells through her own ability and then entrust her faith to the Source of Order, re-understanding the world with a pan-faith core. Otherwise, she would be nothing more than an ordinary person in the future, at most possessing a few more combat techniques than the average person.

Soren had already planned to leave.

To stay far away from the chaos triggered by the Skinning incident!

How could he possibly allow Vivian to remain in the Temple of Dawn and become a Cleric of a god who was about to fall?

"Let's go."

Soren bowed slightly once more to express his gratitude for her care, then immediately left with the little girl sitting securely on his shoulders.

Regardless, the other party meant well.

However, for Soren, taking Vivian and leaving to find a safe place to steadily improve their strength was the best choice.

The young Cleric watched the two leave.

She opened her mouth as if to speak, but ultimately said nothing, her expression a mix of disappointment and envy.

Relying on each other for survival.

That was the thought that popped into her mind.

Perhaps for Vivian, there truly was nothing happier than staying by Soren's side.

The young Cleric gazed at the little girl's happy face as she departed, then glanced back at the cold, empty temple behind her, murmuring, "I hope you can take good care of her!"

She sighed softly and headed toward the main hall.

That group of evil Skinners had become increasingly brazen, and the three temples of Amber City were planning to join forces against them.

A great battle might be coming!

Perhaps it was better for her to stay with Soren, as she would soon have to join the fight herself.

Leaving Amber City was not as simple as closing one's eyes and walking out.

Not to mention the risk of getting lost, the accidents that could occur on the road alone were enough to cost someone their life.

Wandering the wilderness alone meant either one was incredibly skilled and bold, or simply courting death!

There was no third option.

Soren had many things to prepare. For instance, he needed to find a caravan and pay a fee to travel with them. He needed to recall his past combat techniques, strive to master Basic Swordsmanship, and train to grasp [Sword Stance - Heavy Cleave]. He needed to prepare emergency medicine, sufficient food, camping gear, and even a mount for Vivian.

It wasn't just monsters that were dangerous in the wild.

There were also venomous insects, wild beasts, bandits, and outlaws. If he hadn't been well aware of the chaos the skinning incidents would trigger, he truly wouldn't have wanted to take Vivian on a long journey.

But now, they had to leave, because according to his estimates, the skinning incidents would escalate further within half a month at most.

The first Child of God would also appear before the eyes of the world.

--[Witch of Fear] - Lillian.

The Demon Lord of Fear, who possessed great divine power within the Abyss, had foreseen his own fall. Thus, he left behind his offspring in the mortal realm and dispersed his divine power among them. Demon gods of the Hellish Abyss had done this before; they would plant their most primal divinity as a seed within a chosen offspring, intending to consume the offspring's soul with that divinity after their own fall, ultimately resurrecting themselves through the divine power inherited by the child.

Some succeeded, while others failed.

Some plans for the resurrection of demon gods were thwarted, leading to their ultimate demise in the mortal realm.

However, there were also those whose resurrection plans were highly successful; they were reborn within the broken bodies of their own offspring, restoring their divine power!

It was not possession.

It was the direct destruction of their own progeny, using divine power to reshape a body and resurrect!

It was cruel.

But this was the law of the Abyss!

If Soren remembered correctly, at least two dozen children of gods appeared at that time, and these offspring of demon gods possessed incomparably powerful strength.

The initial chaos was triggered by them.

The offspring of the Demon Lord of Fear slaughtered one another, spreading fear throughout the mortal realm. The Skinning incidents were a catalyst—an ancient and evil sacrificial ritual.

In the end!

Witch of Fear, Lillian, became one of the most powerful children of the gods.

Then, when the Time of Troubles began, she was slain by the Lady of Silver Moon (Goddess of the Moon), who had descended to the mortal realm in the form of an avatar after losing her divine power!

This was not the end.

It was merely the beginning of a more chaotic era, for the gods would descend to the human world in the form of avatars.