Lord of Prayer - Chapter 59 - 53: Then, State Your Wish

Chapter 59: Chapter 53: Then, State Your Wish

—The Lamp God.

In the well-known old story, the Lamp God is a mythical creature dwelling within a Divine Lamp. Its owner need only rub the lamp three times to summon the being, who will grant three wishes.

Soron secretly observed the mysterious figure shrouded in white mist but saw no “Divine Lamp” nearby. Considering what the figure had just said, he guessed this wasn’t the Lamp God from fictional tales, but someone who had simply borrowed a title he would easily understand.

He wracked his brain to recall the noble etiquette he had learned, placed his right hand over his chest, bowed, and did his best to remain calm. “It’s an honor to meet you, Mr. Lamp God. May I ask why you’ve invited me here?”

Zhou Chen smiled. “I am merely welcoming a guest.”

’Welcoming a guest? What does he mean?’ Soron was completely baffled. Before he could ponder it further, he heard the “Lamp God” remark, “You have a strong desire in your heart, something you desperately want to achieve. That is why you came here, though you did not intend to.”

’So the “Lamp God” didn’t pull me here. I came here by accident, and he just opened the door to let me in. But I was asleep in my own home… Is this an Essence entanglement? Or some other strange Extraordinary phenomenon?’ Soron quickly pieced together the sequence of events but wasn’t fully convinced, remaining on high alert.

He asked, his voice laced with apprehension, “Excuse me, Mr. Lamp God, but I have some very important matters to attend to. May I return?”

“Of course.”

Zhou Chen raised a single finger and said unhurriedly, “But you must tell a story. Preferably, one you’ve personally experienced. If your story is interesting enough, I can grant you a wish of equivalent value.”

’A story…’ Soron mused. It seemed the man wouldn’t let him leave so easily, but just telling a story didn’t seem like such a terrible price to pay.

He paid no mind to the offer of some “equivalent wish.” In his view, every move this con artist made was designed to lure him into a trap. Even if he told a magnificent story, the man would surely find an excuse, claiming it wasn’t interesting enough, and would never actually grant his wish.

After a long moment of serious thought, Soron came to the sad realization that he had no talent for making up stories. He stood there in awkward silence, like a student called to the front of the class to introduce himself, unable to utter a single word.

Feeling the Lamp God’s calm gaze on him, his heart began to beat faster. He grew anxious. ’If I can’t tell a good story, will I be trapped here forever?’

Finally, he gritted his teeth. “Mr. Lamp God, I’m going to tell you a story about myself.”

Zhou Chen gave a slight nod but said nothing.

Soron took a few deep breaths and began his tale:

“Long ago, my family was one of the wealthiest houses in the Old Paris region. But ever since my great-great-grandfather’s death, the family business went into a steep decline. By my father’s generation, we had fallen so far that we were no longer even invited to high-society gatherings. Many new-money families felt bold enough to trample on us, and for a time, my family became the laughingstock of our circle.”

“As a child, no one wanted to play with me because of my family’s status. That is, until I met Kalina at a banquet… She was a year younger than me.”

Hearing this, Zhou Chen was inwardly stunned. ’So “Miss Kalina” is a real person? I thought she was some anime character or a VTuber… Is it really a good idea to be so open about it? Aren’t you worried it’ll be awkward if she finds out?’

Outwardly, however, he maintained his profound and mysterious persona, listening in silence.

“…She was very kind. Unlike everyone else, she didn’t see me as some low-class, poor boy. We gradually started spending all our time together. Later, we even went to the same school, were in the same class, and sat next to each other many times… To be honest, we’ve been in love for a long time.”

A smile touched the corners of Soron’s lips, but it quickly faded, replaced by an expression of melancholy, resignation, and finally, a quiet calm.

“But later, when our family was in desperate need of funds to keep the business afloat, we were backstabbed by a partner. We went bankrupt overnight, and our entire house was devoured.

That night, a group of assassins stormed our home and murdered my parents. I barely escaped through a secret passage, becoming a homeless stray. Kalina’s family forbade her from ever seeing me again, even locking her away.”

“Fortunately, I had an unexpected awakening and became an Ascender, gaining the ability to protect myself. After evading my pursuers, I brazenly used what was left of my family’s old connections to find an Alchemy Master and begged him to teach me the art of Alchemy.”

“Once I became his student, I was a registered apprentice with the Alchemy Association. Between that and my status as an Ascender, my enemies no longer dared to touch me. The very people who had once mocked and despised me began to fear and flatter me. And Kalina’s family, they permitted her to see me again.”

’I thought Xiao Yan was the definitive “scorned-youth-gets-revenge” protagonist, but it looks like you’re the real thing,’ Zhou Chen snarked internally.

After a pause, Soron continued in a low voice, “I want revenge. I want to earn the approval of Kalina’s family. But more importantly… before he died, my father told me that behind our family’s decline and destruction lies a century-old secret. He said that if I couldn’t protect myself, that secret would one day kill me, too.”

’Oh?’ Zhou Chen straightened up slightly, his posture showing a flicker of interest.

Noticing he had piqued the Lamp God’s interest, Soron breathed an inward sigh of relief and continued,