Baal

In a grove of trees.

The Messiah stood on the giant rock, looking down at the circle of animals around him.

There were Raven, gray squirrels, grass snakes that had been attracted, foxes, and even a few wolves.

The mixed group of predators and herbivores did not immediately engage in a chase upon meeting, but instead knelt there quietly, as if vassals were paying homage to their monarch.

Messiah, with a serious expression, directed the animals to complete one action after another.

Mysterious patterns appeared on her face, a combination of tiger stripes and cheetah spots, exuding a wild charm.

"Congratulations! You have successfully become a [Herder]!"

Sulu clapped his hands beside him. "The next step, [Wolf Shepherd], requires you to herd wolf packs and enslave at least one extraordinary being, preferably a wolf."

"And the next [Beast Herder] will require several extraordinary creatures."

"The most important thing for a [Beast Master] is to master the techniques of breeding 'mysterious' creatures, using rituals, feed, and modifications... to elevate ordinary species to 'extraordinary'!"

"The last [Dragon Shepherd] is too early for you."

He took out an iron box, opened it, and inside were four crystals of different colors. "This is the legacy of Dragon I... Now it's time to return it to its rightful owner."

All the job information has already been recorded in the Attribute Panel, and the experience points contained within have been completely absorbed. Keeping this box of crystals is of little use; it's better to use it to do someone a favor.

"Thank you, teacher!"

Messiah took it and asked cautiously, "Are you preparing to leave?"

"Oh?"

Sulu was somewhat surprised; this little guy had remarkably sharp intuition.

"Indeed... I'm preparing to embark on an adventure that spans the entire continent! To pursue the mysterious and explore knowledge..." Sulu said, "And this is already the West Territory, and you are now a transcendent being. The final leg of the journey, and what follows, will be a test for you!"

"I understand, teacher. I will definitely succeed."

Messiah clenched her little fist.

"Very good!"

Sulu waved his hand and left gracefully, without taking a single cloud with him.

Only Messiah remained standing there, watching his retreating figure, biting her lip with a complicated expression.

Several months later.

Inside a small inn in the West Territory.

Sulu sat in the corner, with the meal served in front of him: a roasted lamb leg and blueberry pie as the main course, small cakes for dessert, and wine to accompany the meal, all emitting an enticing aroma.

As he skillfully cut the meat with his knife and fork, he listened intently to the boasts and curses of the other diners.

"The Queen has arrived in the West Territory and declared the Duke of Wolf Castle a traitor!"

"The Duke of Wolf Castle thus raised an army to attack the West Territory... but it did not go smoothly. As for the most powerful nobles in the south and east, they were all observing..."

"It seems Messiah did a good job; at least she didn't die at the very beginning... We can't ask for too much from a little girl."

He quickly finished his food, then casually tossed a silver coin to the innkeeper's son, a slightly overweight young man who worked as a handyman. "I'm looking for a guide, preferably someone familiar with local history and legends, and who has been to the nearby Meteor Forest... Where should we go?"

The slightly chubby young man took the silver coin, his eyes lighting up. "Sir, the old hunter Baal lives nearby. He sometimes goes hunting on the outskirts of the Meteor Forest."

"Very good. I'm a history enthusiast. You'll be paid for bringing Old Baal here."

At this time, Sulu defined himself as an archaeologist who loved adventure.

Because this continent was once home to 'legends', it must contain some unique relics and traditions. And because of Twilight of the Gods, they have become less dangerous, making it a good time to explore!

Just like during Twilight of the Gods in the Main World, when various nations sent vanguards and expeditions to the World Edge and the Dark Continent!

He took out a gold coin, tossed it in his hand, and the gleam immediately drew all the young waiter's attention.

"Wait for me, I'm coming right away!"

The other person ripped off his apron and said quickly, "As long as Old Baal is still alive, I will definitely drag him here."

This scene also attracted a lot of attention, drawing Greed glances.

But Sulu, drinking his wine, didn't seem to care at all.

His clothing, his weapons, and his mount all indicated that he was an "upper-class person" from a noble family, and even in the midst of war and chaos, he still possessed a certain degree of intimidation in crowded public places.

When he had drunk two-thirds of the wine in the bottle, the young man dragged an old man over.

Old Baal wasn't actually that old, only in his forties, but among the lower classes of that era, he was considered 'elderly'.

His temples were slightly gray, his hands were covered in calluses, and his right arm was slightly deformed—a result of frequent archery practice and improper posture.

"You wanted to see me, sir?"

Old Baal looked at Sulu with obvious wariness on his face.

"Yes, I'm an archaeologist. You can call me Sulu. I recently heard that there are ruins in the Meteor Forest, and I'd like to go and take a look..."

Sulu tossed the gold coins to the overjoyed waiter. "Give him a serving of smoked meat and a barrel of wine."

Glug!

Old Baal's Adam's apple bobbed, and he sat down opposite Sulu: "It's my pleasure to serve you, my lord!"

He'd never even heard of archaeologists or anything like that.

Even in the peacetime of the past, such Scholar were extremely rare.

After all, the scholars that nobles and lords needed were assistants who could help them calculate the annual harvest and taxes, design castle plans, write letters, and preferably also know a little about medicine!

As for studying ancient history? Only someone with a lot of free time would waste manpower and resources on such a pointless thing.

Only a very small number of Wizard and some well-off Scholar would pay any attention to this kind of content.

The information about the ruins and dangerous places on the mainland was obtained by Sulu from Silver Eye.

Although Wizard don't pay much attention to history, they enjoy exploring ancient sites in hopes of gaining more cutting-edge knowledge from the past.

Eat slowly, no rush!

Even hunters rarely have enough to eat every day.

Watching Old Baal wolf down his food, Sulu smiled slightly and said, "Let's discuss some local myths and legends first."

Over the past few months, Sulu has not only been exploring ruins, but also collecting myths, legends, and religious stories about the world.

By this time, they had already made considerable progress.

"Legend has it... that since the distant Dark Era, humanity has lived on this continent, suffering from all sorts of monsters and disasters... until the Mother Earth descended."

"He vanquished tens of millions of monsters, taught humans how to cultivate the land, spread faith and the power of knights, and brought hope to humankind..."

"And some of the surviving monsters merged with the evil among humans and became Wizard!"