Chapter 40: Monster

Right after receiving the payment, which amounted to roughly half a sack of gold pieces, I made my way back toward the building where Pero and I had been sheltering. Despite finally having more than enough funds for my journey, my mind remained fixed on that strange creature.

I could not stop thinking about it, especially the overwhelming helplessness I had experienced when facing something so completely beyond my understanding. I wanted to become stronger, strong enough that the next time I encountered something like that, I would not have to struggle simply to survive.

I stopped beneath the shade of the building’s entrance and spent several moments thinking about how I could accomplish that. Training harder was the obvious answer, but even that did not feel sufficient. Whatever that creature had been, ordinary training could not possibly explain how I could ever hope to defeat something of that caliber.

I searched through every possibility I could think of, but eventually, I had to admit that I had nothing. I did not even understand what kind of creature I had encountered, let alone how I was supposed to overcome something like it.

My thoughts eventually shifted toward the Entity. Perhaps it could give me another clue, just like last time. I slowly closed my hand and lowered my head before speaking.

"Entity, this creation of yours wishes to receive another revelation."

I closed my eyes and waited.

Several minutes passed without anything happening. I remained completely still, listening to the quiet surroundings while patiently waiting for a response. Then, a dull pain began spreading through my head. It slowly became sharper until it felt as though something were pressing against my skull from within. I gritted my teeth, but I did not panic. I already knew what this meant.

The Entity was trying to speak to me.

A voice echoed inside my head. It did not come from the left or right, nor did it come from above or below. It felt as though the voice existed everywhere at once, resonating through my entire mind with a weight that made my body instinctively tense.

"When your path brings you before an object upon which the Daggers of Divinity shine, take it into your possession."

My eyes slowly opened.

I did not dare move. The Entity’s voice continued, carrying an incomprehensible majesty that made every word feel less like ordinary speech and more like a command being engraved directly into my existence.

"What follows shall no longer be mine to reveal. The road beyond that moment belongs to you alone."

My breathing became shallow.

Then the final words descended upon me with such overwhelming authority that I felt as though the entire world had momentarily fallen silent.

"Prepare yourself, my creation, for when that blade reveals itself, the world shall tremble beneath the weight of what comes next."

The Entity’s voice disappeared.

I remained staring at the ceiling, completely confused. Once again, it had given me a revelation, yet I could barely understand what it meant. An object upon which the Daggers of Divinity shine? What kind of object was I supposed to find? And what did the Entity mean when it said the world would tremble?

"Take the object when the Daggers of Divinity shine..." I muttered, repeating the words inside my head. "Then, when that blade reveals itself, the world will tremble."

I frowned. There had to be some meaning behind it. The Entity would not have given me a revelation without reason, but that did not make it any easier to understand. It had deliberately left out the most important details, almost as if it expected me to discover the meaning myself.

I clenched my fist.

Regardless of what the revelation meant, one thing remained certain. I needed to become stronger, and I needed to do it as quickly as possible. I could not simply wait around hoping that another opportunity would eventually appear. If I encountered another creature like the one before, I wanted to be strong enough to stand against it.

Yet I still had no idea where to begin.

I lowered my head, frustration slowly building inside me. I had asked the Entity for guidance because I wanted an answer, but somehow I felt even more confused than before. I had received another revelation, but instead of giving me a clear path forward, it had left me with another mystery.

Then someone knocked on the door.

I immediately raised my head. Another knock followed, this time more urgently.

"Retian, the Chosen! We need your help!"

I walked toward the door and opened it, finding a visibly nervous man standing outside. His breathing was heavier than usual, and the concern written across his face immediately caught my attention.

My name already reached someone?

"What happened?"

"A giant monster has been spotted on the waters," he answered hurriedly. "It’s heading toward one of the Elven settlements."

I stared at him. "A giant monster?"

He nodded. "Yes. According to the people who saw it, it is enormous. They have never seen anything like it before."

I remained silent for a moment.

A creature so large that they had come directly to me for help?

My thoughts immediately returned to the creature I had encountered before. The same feeling of helplessness resurfaced, followed by the desire that had driven me to seek another revelation in the first place.

I needed to become stronger. But then, something inside my mind suddenly clicked.

My eyes widened.

The world shall tremble.

Those words came rushing back to me.

I looked toward the man standing before me, then toward the distant horizon beyond him. A giant creature had appeared from the waters and was now moving toward an Elven settlement. I had just asked the Entity for guidance, and its final words had specifically mentioned a blade and the world trembling beneath the weight of what came next.

Could this be it? Was this monster somehow connected to the revelation?

I could not be certain. The Entity had never given me enough information to know for sure, but for the first time, I felt as though the vague words were beginning to point toward something.

I slowly clenched my fist. Perhaps this was the beginning of the path the Entity had spoken about.

"Take me there," I said.

The man’s expression changed with visible relief as he quickly nodded.

I stepped outside, my confusion gradually being replaced by determination. I still did not understand what the Daggers of Divinity were, nor did I know what object I was supposed to find. I did not even know whether the monster before me had anything to do with the Entity’s prophecy.

But there was only one way to find out. I would face the creature myself.