Clinging to the last shred of clarity in his mind, Bruce acted decisively and used Breakthrough. What had just happened? What had happened to his body? What effects would it have, and how could he resolve it?
Bruce felt he had been set up.
"The process is somewhat painful, but overall, there is no serious harm. There is no need for alarm. This is merely an inevitable effect of a connection. The host's body does indeed have a certain connection to the Dark Bible. It is not a major problem, and there will be no harmful aftereffects. Please endure it. It will pass shortly."
Bruce was falling apart inside, torn between despair and the urge to cry.
What do you mean, it will pass shortly? Do you have any idea how unbearable this feels?
What do you mean, there is no need for alarm? How could I not be terrified when something this horrifying suddenly happened to me?
Although Breakthrough's response left him speechless and even angry, it had at least confirmed that he was currently safe. Bruce felt a little more reassured, and his fear and panic gradually subsided.
He struck his head several times in succession. After a prolonged bout of excruciating pain, his condition finally improved considerably. The screams and whispers gradually faded, and his mind began to clear.
Lying on the floor, Bruce was covered in dust and looked utterly bedraggled. His eyes were red and bloodshot, and a noisy buzzing still lingered in his ears.
Bruce glanced at the wall, unable to keep a trace of fear from rising within him. He had never expected a simple touch to provoke such a violent reaction. There really was some kind of connection.
A few suspicions rippled through Bruce's mind. Fortunately, there had been no danger, or he would have died without even knowing why. Was everything related to the occult this frightening? He had only touched it lightly!
It seemed some of the descriptions in stories were true. Touching a seemingly ordinary object or seeing something one should not see could lead to madness and corruption.
"Bruce, are you all right?"
Fawcett crouched beside Bruce and asked with concern.
"I'm fine. I'm fine." Bruce shook his head, as though trying to shake all the grogginess and noise out of his head and ears.
It had happened so suddenly that Fawcett and the ghost had also been startled. Neither had expected such a violent reaction from Bruce. What they had just witnessed had truly frightened them.
"It seems my guess was correct. You really are favored by the Dark Bible. Only you would react so strongly." The ghost gave Bruce a penetrating look.
"I once controlled Danvers and had her touch this wall. There was no reaction at all," the ghost continued, reaching a hand into the wall.
Bruce fell silent.
At that moment, he also began to consider whether the reason lay within himself. Why did he have a connection to the Dark Bible? Breakthrough had also indicated that this body of his had an inevitable connection to it.
Was it a link through the power of his bloodline?
An arrangement made by the course of fate?
Bruce could not guess.
Fawcett patted Bruce's shoulder with its short doll arm. A trace of sympathy showed in its gray-brown eyes. Was it trying to comfort him?
Bruce still felt shaken by what had just happened.
He opened his Character Status Panel, wanting to see whether the Grand Trend had changed. The disturbance had seemed fairly significant, and he wondered whether it had attracted the Church's attention.
He also wanted to check the change in his spirituality.
This counted as coming into contact with a mysterious power, surely. He wondered whether his spirituality would increase.
Sure enough, when Bruce saw the Character Status Panel, his delight knew no bounds. He almost failed to contain it, and the lingering unease and fear vanished from his heart.
The Grand Trend had not changed, but his spirituality had leaped from 21 to 67, surpassing the requirement of 50 for developing an ability.
That rate of growth was simply astonishing.
It also meant he could develop another entirely new innate ability.
As he gazed at the ordinary yet eerie wall, an idea occurred to Bruce.
Should he touch it again?
Of course, the moment the thought arose, Bruce promptly suppressed it. He could not go courting death like that.
He had only just experienced something so horrifying, and he knew exactly how it felt. The pain had been far too intense, utterly unbearable. Even if there might be some benefit, it was better not to do this sort of thing too often.
He had no strange penchant for finding pleasure in torment.
"Hozniya. Have either of you heard that name?"
After thinking calmly for a moment, Bruce asked in a low voice.
That name, whispered into his ear, had brought him immense terror. It was also the only name he had heard clearly.
He wanted to know where it came from.
Yet the moment he uttered the name, the lights in the basement dimmed. Strange sounds followed, like chains rattling and clashing at great speed. The temperature dropped several degrees as well, taking on the chill of a winter night. Their exhaled breaths nearly condensed into white mist.
An inverted pentagram even appeared on the wall, flickering with an eerie scarlet glow.
Bruce could not help shivering. After looking around, he shut his mouth.
Fawcett and the ghost exchanged a glance and silently shook their heads. They had noticed the strange changes in the basement too and deliberately refrained from uttering the name. Both stood frozen in place, waiting for the changes to subside.
If merely mentioning this being's name could trigger strange phenomena, they had best avoid saying it, lest they bring trouble upon themselves.
Lane Village, the Goddess of the Night Church.
Night Watcher Cruno began trembling uncontrollably. He had sensed a powerful force flash through Lane Village. The sensation reminded him of the changes that occurred when he prayed to the goddess at the Goddess of the Night Church.
That power came from a deity's attention.
However, the deity's power seemed very faint. It was probably a demigod. Judging by its aura, it should belong to a righteous deity and was not evil.
"Who spoke a god's name?"
Cruno shook his head. Speaking a god's name was a grave act of disrespect. Some novice who had only just entered the realm of Extraordinaries must have violated that taboo. Whoever it was would have to fend for themselves.
Only once the basement gradually returned to normal did the ghost and Fawcett breathe a sigh of relief and begin moving again.
"What just happened...?"
Bruce asked timidly. He seemed to have mentioned the name Hozniya just now, and then more changes had occurred. He did not really understand what had happened.
"I haven't explained this part to you yet," Fawcett said.
"There is a rule in the code of conduct for Extraordinaries: some beings' names must not be spoken. Once you say them, you will attract Their attention. They may be demigods or gods. Broadly speaking, the names of beings possessing divinity must not be mentioned. You can only refer to Them by other designations."
There was a pronoun reserved specifically for deities. Throughout the Southern Continent, the words for "he," "she," "it," and the divine pronoun were all pronounced differently.
Bruce understood now. It was essentially a rule against taking a god's name in vain.
"Then did I just make that deity notice me?"
Bruce was rather worried. There was something abnormal about his identity. Attracting a deity's attention now would be practically throwing his life away.
Fawcett nodded. "Yes. Since something unusual happened, that means They noticed you when you spoke Their name. There are three possibilities after a deity notices you: ignoring you, continuing to watch you, or erasing you. Since you didn't suddenly drop dead, this deity bears you no ill will. But we cannot rule out the possibility that They will continue watching you."
Fawcett had another question in mind that it did not voice. Normally, only people with special abilities could attract a deity's attention by saying its name. It seemed Bruce harbored quite a few secrets.
Being watched by a deity really was troublesome, even if it was only a possibility.
Would his identity as a transmigrator be exposed?
Would his Character Status Panel be discovered?
Breakthrough, Bruce silently invoked.
"You were indeed noticed by Hozniya just now. Fortunately, deities only pay attention to an individual's abilities. You have not yet acquired Extraordinary status, your strength is far too insignificant, and you had no intention of offending Them. They ignored you."
Ignored me? Good.
Bruce breathed a sigh of relief. He was safe. At the same time, he noticed the additional information Breakthrough had revealed. Deities only paid attention to individual abilities, especially an individual's Extraordinary status. Did that mean deities only took notice of powerful Extraordinaries?
Then why had the name Hozniya sounded in his ears when he touched that wall? Was there some connection between Hozniya and the Dark Bible?
"Do you know anything about this deity?"
Fawcett and the ghost both shook their heads.
Although Fawcett had been an Extraordinary in life, it had not been an all-knowing one. The divine name Hozniya was utterly unfamiliar to it. The only thing it could be certain of was that this deity was still alive.
If an Extraordinary spoke a deity's name and nothing happened, that could mean only one thing: the deity was either trapped in dire circumstances or dead. If They could not even resolve Their own troubles, how would They have the strength to pay attention to anyone else?
Gods could die too.
"By the way, when will the Dark Bible's seal break? Will there be any warning signs?"
Bruce changed the subject and stood up, brushing the dust off himself. He really had ended up in a miserable state today. Once he got out, he would definitely need a bath.
"Will it attract the Night Watcher's attention?"
Fawcett also looked at the ghost. The ghost had come into contact with the Dark Bible and was bound to know more than it did, so it added that question.
If the breaking of the Dark Bible's seal caused a disturbance and drew the Night Watcher here to investigate, it would undoubtedly be extremely troublesome, both for Fawcett and for Bruce. As a vengeful spirit, Fawcett would certainly be eliminated.
Bruce also looked at the ghost. He had no desire to face interrogation by the Church.
"From what I know, it should happen within the next few days. There probably won't be any unusual phenomena. We will sense it the moment the seal breaks. The only thing to be careful of is that after you open the Dark Bible, you may come under its influence. The question is whether you have the ability to withstand that influence."
The ghost watched Bruce intently.
"What would happen?" Bruce asked.
"You would lose control and become one of the fallen."
"But I think that connection you have with the Dark Bible will allow you to find a balance. You will gain power without becoming one of the fallen who have lost their minds."
The ghost continued, offering Bruce some reassurance.
Bruce roughly assessed the dangers of opening the Dark Bible.
There was definitely danger, and it was impossible to gauge. He had understood that perfectly well from the moment he learned of the Dark Bible's existence. But the powerful forces it might contain were also something Bruce craved.
He could take the risk, provided he also took precautions.