Ned jolted awake from unconsciousness.
After he suddenly sat up and remembered everything, he discovered that he was no longer in that cold, pitch-black cave.
At this moment, he had already returned to the simple tent by the sea.
The Rot Spirit Staff was also lying peacefully inside the wooden box beside him.
Clearly, his clansmen had brought him back.
But Ned did not feel the slightest relief. Instead, he hurriedly looked toward his right hand.
He carefully turned his palm over.
On his right hand, the terrifying, densely packed eyes and deformities from before had vanished without a trace.
Aside from the power of Decay he had used earlier, which had caused some new rot to appear on the scabbed flesh of his palm, there seemed to be no other abnormalities.
"God, You saved us."
Ned hurriedly knelt down.
Without thinking too much, he knew
it was God's appearance
that had saved everything.
Before he lost consciousness, he had deeply felt
just how terrifying that eerie power contained in the golden bird claw truly was.
Although he was not sure
whether that was the power of the dead god the Cave Dwellers had spoken of, he had no way to resist such power at all.
Only God
could save everyone before that power.
After offering devout thanks to God, a trace of anxiety slowly appeared on Ned's face.
"Because I touched the bird claw left behind by that Black Bird, I brought disaster upon us."
His face was filled with worry and lingering fear.
And also
deep shame.
Clearly, that power
had come for the power bestowed by God inside his body.
He had almost caused a great calamity, letting it lay its fingers on something gifted by God.
He was still too ignorant.
Facing something so completely unknown,