Black Sun Town.
It had once been an ordinary town, but the Black Sun Cult had occupied it and transformed it into the church's headquarters.
Thousands of believers had gathered there. They had even formed a patrol, led by a Son of Burning from the church, to clear out nearby dangerous creatures and other monsters. They had managed to build a vast camp in the middle of the apocalypse.
Aaron had followed the prisoner convoy to the town earlier. After confirming the cult's stronghold, he had logged off.
Now that he had entered the dream, he naturally appeared in Black Sun Town.
"Black Sun... I wonder if it can detect me?"
"Though this cult was cobbled together by a bunch of people blindly worshipping it, I'd better play it safe and avoid the place of worship..."
Aaron spent some time wandering around Black Sun Town, then quickly found Xiu, Aike, and the others.
They were locked up in a stone house, but hadn't been mistreated.
"Come along. The High Priest is about to preach. It's the greatest honor to receive his grace!"
A man in a black robe took out a key and unlocked the cell door.
Xiu stepped out, her eyes narrowing slightly as a dangerous glint flashed in them. But when she saw the believers converging from every direction, she wisely decided not to resist.
Soon, over a thousand people had gathered in the town center's public square. Many looked bewildered, and some were even openly hostile. They were clearly scavengers who'd been captured.
"Silence!"
The High Priest slowly ascended the platform and raised a hand to quiet them.
An invisible pressure descended, and the square fell utterly silent.
Only then did the High Priest smile with satisfaction and call out, "Praise our Lord!"
"Praise our Lord!"
The many members of the Black Sun Cult answered, their expressions devout and fervent.
"Sing our Lord's praises!"
"Bow before our Lord!"
After three rounds of cheers and responses, the High Priest's expression grew solemn. "Our Lord, [Black Sun], is the Lord of the Eclipse, the Undying Sun, and the world's only salvation!"
"He was born from the sun and reigns supreme in the heavens!"
"He commands the flames and holds dominion over the gates of life and death. He wears a triple crown..."
"Only by steadfastly following the Path of Darkness can we draw ever closer to Him!"
There was a fervor in his words. Aaron noticed that even the scavengers who'd been hostile at first were gradually softening.
"The Great Cataclysm is the end of days, a judgment, a trial set for us by the Creator! Our Lord is merciful. He offers salvation to the people, clears a path, and leads us to His kingdom!"
"...To become extraordinary, one must awaken their spirituality! Spirituality is the cornerstone of the extraordinary!"
"Where does spirituality come from? It is everywhere! It exists in all things. It once lay dormant, and now it must be awakened!"
"It is Sublimation. It is darkness!"
"Darkness symbolizes destruction and Sublimation. It can make us Unburnt. To awaken the spirituality of darkness, we must first burn ourselves and sacrifice our flesh. We must pass through three gates and undergo the Eclipse Ritual. Those who complete it will be reduced to skin and bones—but this, too, is a great deed!"
Aaron's expression shifted. "This High Priest really knows his stuff. He's actually revealed the secrets of the extraordinary."
These were the secrets behind true power, precious Secret Lore. Even Xiu was listening, utterly enthralled.
"Perhaps this is how the Black Sun Cult usually recruits people..."
Aaron analyzed the sermon calmly. "Awaken spirituality, gather it, and become extraordinary. Is that the supernatural path in this world?"
"Hmm, it seems there's more than one kind of spirituality. That means there's more than one path!"
"But of course, the Black Sun Cult will promote the path of 'darkness'! They need it for their preaching..."
Aaron felt that he'd more or less figured out how to get started on the Black Sun Cult's path to becoming extraordinary.
According to their doctrine, spirituality existed in all things, which naturally meant it existed within everyone.
To transcend the ordinary, one had to keep stimulating their spirituality until it awakened, then strengthen it through a series of rituals and methods.
Once their spirituality reached a certain level, they could undergo a ritual and become truly extraordinary!
"This theory doesn't seem like something ordinary people could have pieced together in such a short time."
Aaron's expression grew grave. "Could they have gotten this information from Black Sun?"
The Black Sun Cult worshipped Black Sun, and its members would inevitably spend more and more time immersed in Black Sun's mutterings.
A terrifying being like that was practically the embodiment of the mysterious. Some mysterious knowledge would naturally spill out.
Put together, it probably looked something like this.
As for how many people the Black Sun Cult had driven mad to obtain this information, Aaron couldn't even imagine.
"High Priest, I... I want to join the cult!"
A vagrant stumbled toward the edge of the platform, his expression devout and fervent.
"My child, welcome to the Unburnt!"
The High Priest personally helped him to his feet, a warm smile on his face. "Once you join the cult, we're all brothers and sisters... Next, I'll teach you the Unburnt Ritual. It will gradually awaken the spirituality of darkness within you, making you a person like me."
"Waaah..."
The vagrant burst into tears. "I want power! I want revenge for my parents and children, even if I have to fall into the abyss!"
Power!
It had become all the more important in the apocalypse.
And revenge was a flame that could stoke people's emotions!
At once, several more scavengers stood up and loudly declared their willingness to submit.
The Black Sun Cult welcomed them all and took them in.
Even Aike was moved by the sight.
He wanted to gain extraordinary power too, so he could protect everything he held dear!
Xiu drew the two siblings close and lowered her voice. "Be careful of that man. Everyone's a lunatic in the apocalypse; some are just crazier than others... I don't believe he's that selfless, like some saint. He must be plotting something!"
Aaron watched the group and figured they wouldn't hold out much longer. Soon, they'd throw themselves into the Black Sun Cult's arms.
Still, that didn't matter much.
What pleased him even more was that the High Priest had personally explained the extraordinary path to those who'd joined.
According to him, the Unburnt path had three stages. To start, one had to practice breathing techniques and meditation, while using exposure to flames to awaken the spirituality of darkness within the body.
Aaron saw many Black Sun Cult members with burn scars. They had probably been injured this way, though the cult called them Stigmata.
But walking the extraordinary path required a certain aptitude. Many Unburnt remained stuck at this stage, and some even burned themselves to death without ever advancing.
But that still couldn't stop countless cult members from setting out on this path.
Before you continue