Chapter 1601: Chapter 1601

"Good. As long as it's possible, that's what matters."

Jenkins had posed the question about the third path for Alexia. The petite woman had recently ascended to the rank of demigod through a most unusual method, and Jenkins hoped to help her find the next step on her journey, rather than see her trapped at the peak of mortality like all the other demigods.

The Star Spirit Rakul answered many of Jenkins's questions, but she was not a god herself, so there were some things she simply could not know.

"God of Lies, there is one more thing I must tell you. Do you remember your first visit to the Astral Plane?"

It was the night the Twin Demons incident had concluded. By creating a resonance between an object and the sea of stars, Jenkins had traveled into the Shadow Kingdom. There, he had traded a bag of rice with a young boy and his father for a fragment of a stone tablet. Judging by its shape, it was the corner of a larger slab, inscribed with only a few scattered, incomplete characters.

"That was a corner of the Creation Slate."

Jenkins asked, his voice hesitant. He had heard that name before. The late demigod, Constantine Sir, had searched for something of the same name in his quest to transcend the limits of his lifespan. During Jenkins's first accidental visit to the Gem Assembly, Constantine Sir had actually obtained information about it from a Miss Alexandrite. At the time, Jenkins had wondered if this so-called "Creation Slate" was the very thing he transcribed every day.

The fragment of the Creation Slate could not enter the material world, so Jenkins had entrusted it to the Star Spirits for safekeeping. In return, they had thanked him and regarded him as a friend, which only underscored the slate's immense importance.

"If it has no power of its own, then why..."

"The slate itself is powerless, but the records upon it hold power. They contain the most ancient knowledge—knowledge that would drive a mortal mad with a single glance. Countless malevolent beings have sought to possess it, and the races aware of its existence see it as a stepping stone to divinity. But those ambitious fools will never know what disasters can be unleashed by misusing the knowledge of the Creation Slate."

The complete Creation Slate was originally entrusted to the Star Spirits by the decree of the gods. But during the Third Epoch, it fell into the material world in an accident, sparking the Years of Turmoil. The gods themselves incarnated as Saints and entered the mortal realm, all seeking to claim the slate. The tales that unfolded from that conflict are more terrible than those of any End of an Epoch.

"Afterward, the God of Knowledge was born, and the slate was placed in his care. But during the turmoil, the slate shattered into fragments that scattered across the material world and beyond. That is the origin of the piece you acquired. If you wish to study the secrets of the slate's fragments, it is best done in your divine form, not as a Saint."

Jenkins now possessed a drop of divinity and could become a god at any moment. But he wasn't certain that a single corner of the Creation Slate would be enough to reveal a method to help Alexia.

For the time being, he had no intention of spending his divinity to decipher the slate. The fragment was likely of greatest use to a true god. Preserving his divinity for the coming final days was the most pressing matter at hand.

After thanking the Star Spirit for her answers, Jenkins returned to his small inn in the material world. He then took out his notes and recorded all the complete knowledge he had gained from the whispers that night.

Because the two Righteous Gods he had encountered possessed overlapping divine domains, the knowledge he acquired was mostly related to the night and the starry sky. Read full story at novel-fire.net

He had received the complete rituals for three abilities: Fickle Fate (Purple Destiny), Starlit Path (Yellow Spell), and Umbral Aegis (Golden Divine Art).

Fickle Fate didn't disturb destiny itself, but rather interfered with divination. An Enchanter with this ability could not be perceived by scrying, and any abilities or rituals that predicted the future would be ineffective against them. It sounded much like a side effect of his own ability, The Unknown Path, so Jenkins wasn't particularly interested.

Starlit Path was an ability derived from a grand ritual where ancient humans worshipped the Star Spirits. At night, it allowed the user to be blessed by the power of the stars, temporarily boosting their spiritual and physical strength while enhancing any other star-related abilities and rituals. In other words, it was a support ability that only worked at night, but its effects were quite potent.

Umbral Aegis was similar to the Aegis of Tomes, a divine art that provided a shield for oneself or another target. The strength of the Umbral Aegis was determined by the completeness of the "hidden moon" the user meditated upon. However, the "hidden moon" was inherently invisible, making it impossible to visualize and thus impossible to properly meditate on. Only a true follower of the Unlit Moon could grasp its secrets. Although Jenkins had glimpsed some of its workings through the Month's End Whisper, he figured it would be far more worthwhile to learn the Sage's divine art, Aegis of Tomes, instead.

After reaching level six, he had gained four empty ability bubbles. Three were now occupied by Whirling Blade Dance, Aura of Fear, and Spiritual Communion. He decided to use the last one to learn Aegis of Tomes once he returned to Nolan. He had coveted that ability for a long time.

The cat urged Jenkins to turn off the light and go to sleep, knowing full well that her master was indulging in wishful thinking.

The train stopped at cities along the route to rest for the night, so the entire journey took six full days.

The fifth day of the trip, which was also the fifth day of the Month of the Starry Sky and Long Night, fell on a Wednesday. That evening, the train pulled into New Truman City—the very city where the Church had first discovered the Evil God Scion.

Jenkins was staying with his parents and family this time, but after the train stopped, he first went to greet Hathaway and Briny. Once they had settled into the residence arranged for the royal family, he projected himself to see Alexia and Dolores, both of whom were thoroughly bored with the tedious journey.

Finally, he made his way to Ruen to meet with the little princess and listen to her report on the current situation in the Hamparvo Kingdom. With the king away, the atmosphere in the city had grown strange, and there were signs of military mobilization around the capital. The major event that Jenkins and Alexia had foreseen was about to unfold. Jenkins assured the princess that he would visit her every day, so she shouldn't be nervous or worried. Everything would be all right.