"Word has it that when the barbarians of the ancient grasslands abducted women, they would kill their firstborn children, since they couldn't be sure the children were theirs..."
Aaron Sothoth walked through Black Sun Town. "Still, we Green Foresters are at least a little better than those grassland brutes, right?"
Thinking of Grandmother Green Banyan's bloody sacrifices, Aaron couldn't help feeling a little guilty.
But he quickly put the matter out of his mind.
Xiu was already kneeling at the High Priest's feet, dressed in a black robe.
"Congratulations, new Unburnt!"
The High Priest wore a delighted smile. Black flames seemed ready to spill from his eyes, nose, and mouth at any moment.
"I vow to honor the Black Sun as my lord and follow His path!"
Xiu's cheeks were a little gaunt, but her eyes shone brightly.
Aaron could tell that the woman had definitely tried the church's breathing and meditation methods—and had reached a certain level of mastery.
"The Black Flame Meditation Method can be divided into four stages of heat: red flame, yellow flame, blue flame, and purple flame. You've already passed the trial of the red flame..."
The High Priest said with delight, "You can begin the Unburnt Ritual and become a true 'Unburnt.'"
He gestured for the black-robed followers nearby to step forward. They carried over a brazier full of roaring flames.
"Once your 'dark' spirituality awakens, ordinary flames will no longer be able to harm you."
The High Priest reached into the fire.
"I..."
Xiu gritted her teeth and thrust her hand into the flames.
Sizzle!
A moment later, pain shot through her, and the smell of burning flesh began to spread.
Not far away, Aike and Lin, who had been watching, immediately shut their eyes, unable to bear looking any longer.
Yet although Xiu's face twitched with pain, she managed to grasp the High Priest's hand inside the flames.
"Very good. It's only natural to suffer a minor injury on your first attempt."
The High Priest withdrew the brazier and saw that Xiu's right hand was badly burned. A faint smile appeared on his face. "Just keep trying. You need to let your body fully experience the heat of the flames. It'll help awaken your spirituality."
"I will heed your teachings."
A smile appeared on Xiu's face, damp with sweat.
"Aunt Xiu!"
As soon as the High Priest left, Lin threw herself into Xiu's arms, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Your hand..."
"Don't worry. My awakening has already begun, at least in part. It looks bad, but it's only a flesh wound."
Xiu comforted her. "This price is nothing compared to pursuing our lord and power."
Aaron couldn't help nodding to himself.
If Xiu hadn't partially awakened her 'dark' spirituality, her hand would probably have been nearly cooked through. As it was, she'd only suffered a serious burn.
After they returned to their room and Xiu had soothed Lin to sleep, she turned to Aike, her expression serious. "How are things with you?"
"I praise the Black Sun every day. They haven't suspected anything..." Aike replied in a low voice.
"Keep it up. Once I become a true Unburnt, I'll be able to access the spells and get you out of here," Xiu said firmly.
She didn't like this cult, but neither did she object to gaining power.
Aaron watched it all without a word.
He knew that the Black Sun's influence over its followers was subtle yet incredibly intense. Xiu had a good plan, but her chances of success were truly slim.
"But... why haven't I been affected?"
Aaron pondered the question.
From what he'd heard, even people who hadn't practiced the Secret Records of Darkness could hear the Black Sun's whispers.
And worshipping the Black Sun only made its influence surge!
But aside from that first time, Aaron hadn't heard a single whisper.
Not from the Black Sun, nor from the being that had emerged on the moon, nor from any of the other terrifying entities. Aside from that first time, none of them had affected him in the slightest.
He'd also secretly tested things a few times. Even the Obsidian Altar dedicated to the Black Sun couldn't detect his approach or sound an alarm, which had made him much bolder in his explorations.
"Maybe my level of existence is too high? No, that's unlikely..."
Aaron thought with some amusement. "So... these godlike beings have all ignored me?"
"When those beings first came into existence, their signals were strongest, which is why I could hear them..."
"Now they simply radiate their influence naturally. Their signals have weakened, so I can no longer hear them..."
"That's probably the most reasonable explanation?"
With a hint of curiosity, Aaron's consciousness returned to his physical body.
"Daili, bring me a brazier!"
He called toward the door. Not long afterward, Daili came in carrying a brazier with iron tongs. "My lord, it's a little cold, but if you're going to warm yourself by the fire, please remember to open the window."
"Mm. You can leave now!"
After dismissing the maid, Aaron faced the flames and began trying to meditate.
The Black Flame Meditation Method required the practitioner to use real fire as a reference. They had to imagine different colored flames burning in their mental space, scorching their bodies, and then endure each stage in turn.
According to the High Priest's instructions, one had to pray to the Black Sun before every meditation, hoping to draw a little closer to that being during the session.
Aaron didn't think he'd be able to master this meditation method, but he still couldn't resist giving it a try.
An hour passed, then two...
Then three...
After replacing the brazier several times, Aaron opened his eyes and reached out toward the flames.
"Ah..."
The next moment, his hand sprang back as if he'd been shocked, and a burning pain stung his fingertips.
"I can't do it at all..."
"If I keep this up, my hand will get cooked..."
"If anyone sees me, they might think I've gone mad!"
Aaron shook his head and let Daili, who looked confused, take the brazier away and close the door.
As she shut it, he seemed to catch a glimpse of the maid's gaze—a look of pity for a fool, mixed with concern for the mentally disabled.
"Did she see?"
"Never mind. It doesn't matter if she did..."
Aaron returned to his desk, unlocked the drawer, and took out his notebook:
[Attempted the Black Flame Meditation Method. Failed!]
[Conclusion: Maybe I'm not suited to the 'dark' path. Or maybe... this really is a world without magic?]
[Spirituality exists in everything in that world, but not in anything in this world... So where does spirituality come from?]
Aaron suddenly thought of the Scarlet Sun in the dream world.
And he remembered what Xiu had said: after the great cataclysm, everyone had gone mad, and the maddest people had turned into monsters.
[So... people in that world didn't have spirituality to begin with, but the Scarlet Sun gave it to them? That's why the maddest people had the most spirituality, and could mutate into monsters even without following the proper path?]
He suddenly felt that this was a very reasonable explanation.
[So... I'm the source of it all?!]
Aaron suddenly recalled the information he'd received back then.
[I am... the Dream Creator!]
Before you continue