Chapter 181: Enough to Worry a Wolf to Death

Chapter 181: Chapter 181: Enough to Worry a Wolf to Death

’A hidden god?’

Ella’s wolf ears perked up.

The so-called hidden gods.

They were the few deities who lurked behind the radiance of the Seven Great Gods, lying dormant in the world’s shadows.

Most of them had done things in the age of myths that defied common reason, making them unsuitable to be openly presented as True Gods for public worship.

Some of the more fanatical ones were even listed as absolute taboos by the major churches.

’Is Rein finally going to reveal the core secrets of the Black Iron Command Bureau?’

Ella immediately lowered her head, pretending to still be focused on the meaty bone in her hands.

In reality, her two furry ears were already pricked high, and she was concentrating with all her might, afraid of missing a single important word.

Even as a member of the Cyan Moon Royal Family, she rarely had the opportunity to learn such hidden human Knowledge.

Seeing the doubt flash in Lance’s eyes, Rein smiled reassuringly.

"Don’t be nervous. I’m not talking about those Evil Gods who demand bloody sacrifices of living people."

The old soldier explained patiently.

"There’s a top-secret department within the Kingdom."

"All the core elites in that department use a specific ritual from this hidden god when they take up their Profession."

"According to a century of verification by the military, His ritual is completely safe and stable."

"Because in a way, this god can be considered a semi-officially recognized True God."

"If he’s a hidden god, how can he be connected to the True Gods?"

Lance was now truly and intensely curious.

"Because His identity is very special."

Very few people in this world knew this secret; the Black Iron Command Bureau only discovered it after continuous investigation.

"He is the brother of Justinian, the True God who governs order, contracts, justice, and judgment."

"The hidden god, Chaos."

"And the authorities He wields are: rebellion, reversal, absurdity, and trickery."

Lance was quite surprised to hear these strange words of authority.

’The brother of the God of Order governs rebellion and absurdity?’

These diametrically opposed authorities were inherently filled with a sense of destiny.

But as these words swirled in Lance’s mind,

he suddenly felt that the words "rebellion" and "reversal" inexplicably suited his current situation perfectly.

’To break the script of that false, pre-arranged destiny...’

’Aren’t rebellion and reversal the very power I crave and need most right now?’

"If I choose this Chaos..."

Lance looked up, his gaze fixed seriously on Rein.

"Uncle Rein, are there any special benefits to taking up my Profession through His ritual?"

’Since His authority is rebellion...’

’...then the boons this god bestows definitely won’t be as conventional as those from a god representing order.’

Rein met Lance’s inquisitive gaze and opened his mouth, as if he wanted to explain.

But with great restraint, he closed it again.

The old soldier knew, of course, exactly what that hidden benefit was.

But he absolutely could not say it out loud.

Because Chaos, a god full of mischievous humor, had a prerequisite for his initiation ritual.

Precisely because He governs absurdity and trickery,

the special boon He grants cannot be known by the recipient before it truly descends upon the believer.

Once this secret was revealed by anyone in spoken or written word beforehand,

the element of surprise would be completely ruined, and the god’s grace would be rendered null and void.

"I can’t tell you the specific benefit."

Rein shook his head, giving an ambiguous answer.

"Only at the moment you truly complete the ceremony for your Profession will you be able to experience that gift firsthand."

"The only thing I can promise you is this."

"He is more willing to shower mortals with generous boons than the True Gods are."

The living room fell silent again.

Ella sat opposite them, so anxious she wanted to reach out and claw at the tablecloth.

’What kind of bullshit answer is that?’

’Leaving things half-said is enough to drive a wolf crazy!’

Lance weighed the pros and cons.

’Since Uncle Rein is so certain it will benefit me, it must be worth the gamble!’

Besides, the core of the Profession ritual wasn’t about praying to a god for power, but about resonating with the world.

Choosing a god was just because they granted boons to Adventurers who were embarking on their Profession at this stage.

And whether the initiate accepted the boon or not was entirely up to them to decide when the time came.

Besides, Lance firmly believed that this elder, who treated him like family, would never try to harm him in a matter like this.

"Alright!"

Lance nodded heavily.

"I choose Chaos."

Hearing Lance’s answer, a gratified smile appeared on Rein’s face.

’This kid not only has extraordinary Talent for cultivation...’

’...his decisiveness and courage to embrace the unknown make him a natural-born Adventurer.’

"I know what materials are needed for His Profession ritual."

Rein picked up his wooden spoon again and, in high spirits, ladled himself a large spoonful of meat broth.

"The materials are very simple. Nothing expensive is needed."

"For the next two days, don’t worry about anything. Just focus on getting your Spirit and your body into peak condition."

"Once everything is ready..."

The old soldier’s eyes were full of anticipation. He wondered if his old comrades at the Black Iron Command Bureau would be in for a big surprise.

Especially around midsummer, when the new recruits inside the Black Iron Command Bureau should also be starting their Profession rituals.

’Chaos’s boons are biased; He loves to play tricks, just like Zelos of the Twin Gods.’

"When the time comes, we’ll begin the ritual!"

After dinner,

Ella, still not giving up, tried to bribe Xiaohai and Bean Bun with a few bones that had scraps of meat on them, hoping to win the two puppies over to her side.

She wanted to use this to deal a heavy blow to that annoying Dragon Descendant.

Meanwhile, Lance, sitting to the side, paid no mind to such childish hostility.

He was merely staring with great interest at the fluffy tail swaying back and forth behind her, wondering what it would feel like to grab it.

...

「The next morning, just as the sky began to brighten.」

Lance packed his bags and boarded the public carriage to Baihua Town.

As the carriage gradually left the vicinity of Gray Rock Town, the scenery outside the window began to change noticeably.

The dense forests on either side of the road gave way to endless fields of vibrant green wheat.

A mild early summer breeze blew across the vast plains, creating wave-like golden ripples in the wheat fields.

The air was filled with the fragrance of soil mixed with the fresh scent of plants, an aroma that was refreshing to the soul.

Sitting in the bumpy carriage, Lance could even clearly see several bare-bottomed village children by a clear stream in the distance, laughing and roughhousing without a care in the world.

They held crude, self-made fishing spears, joyfully chasing fish in the cool stream water.

Looking at this vibrant picture, Lance mused to himself.

’The prosperity of Gray Rock Town is built entirely on adventure.’

’In the taverns there, people only ever talk about Demons, Underground Cities, and the fall of this or that squad.’

’But the environment around Baihua Town is filled with the rich atmosphere of daily life.’

’It’s a down-to-earth sense of peace.’

This seemed to be the first time since Lance had crossed over into this world that he had truly left Gray Rock Town.

He suddenly felt that this world wasn’t as dangerous as he had imagined; it turned out there were peaceful and tranquil corners like this too.

Following the general description Toby had left him earlier,

Lance didn’t get off the carriage in the bustling central area of Baihua Town.

He left the carriage early at a fork in the road outside of town and followed a dirt path marked with deep ruts straight toward the nearby hills.

After walking for about half an hour,

a rather large breeding farm came into Lance’s view.

The farm was built against a mountain, situated in front of a gentle hill.

The entire area was enclosed in a huge circle by thick wooden stakes and sturdy wire mesh. Inside, he could faintly see sturdy Iron-skinned Wild Boars lazily rooting at the soil with their snouts.

Several buildings, constructed from irregular stones and thick wooden planks, were scattered along the edges of the farm.

Wisps of cooking smoke rose from the roof of the largest building, and the air held a mixture of a distinct meaty aroma and the smell of fermented bean cakes.

Lance walked up to the wide wooden main gate.

A dark, sturdy man who was bent over, mending the wire fence with an Alchemy Melting Agent, noticed the stranger.

"Hey, young fella, who’re you lookin’ for here?"

The worker stopped what he was doing, wiped the sweat from his forehead with his shoulder, and called out in a common tongue thick with a rustic accent.