Wandering Knight

"What are you doing?" Wang Yu asked, watching the Lady of the Night scrutinize his mental domain. Strangely, despite her towering, faceless presence, he could feel a sense of curiosity emanating from her.

"I am intrigued by this structure. Such a peculiar creation—one I have never encountered before," the Lady of the Night replied, not minding Wang Yu's casual tone. She openly expressed her interest.

"You're supposed to be a god, aren't you? How can you be curious about something like this? In principle, this is my mental domain," Wang Yu replied, raising an eyebrow. He knew that his mindscape was unique, but had no idea as to why. Perhaps this supposed goddess of the night could shed some light on the mystery.

"Your mental domain? I have never seen its like. It carries no trace of the void, only mental energy. How have you achieved this?"

The confusion in the Lady of the Night's voice left Wang Yu even more skeptical. She seemed almost too human-like for a god—not that deities had to be robotic, but her confusion felt surprisingly personable.

"I have no idea," Wang Yu replied, shrugging. It had been this way from the beginning, and he had gained some perks as a result: immunity to mental attacks, for one, and resistance to void corruption for another.

Wang Yu glanced at the tall figure in black before him, his thoughts drifting.

After recounting his encounter with Eunice, the so-called Lady of the Night, to Avia, she had used the spell Library of Memories to scour her vast mental archives. Eventually, she pieced together scattered mentions of this enigmatic deity.

In the folk histories of Selwyn, there was indeed a deity known as the Lady of the Night. However, she wasn't a prominent god and lacked both an official church and doctrine.

Her faith existed solely among the common folk, and there were few surviving records.

She was described as a deity connected to the night and wielding the power of darkness. She supposedly blessed her followers with the ability to conceal themselves in shadows and even jump between them.

Ironically, despite prayers to her invoking the sovereign of the night, the records suggested that her powers were modest. She was limited to granting stealth and shadow-based abilities.

Statues of this deity depicted her as a woman, leading to her title Lady of the Night. Her name Eunice was often associated with small fragments of myths found in folk chronicles.

Such minor deities were abundant and so plentiful that distinguishing truth from fabrication was nearly impossible. Many idle writers and adventurers loved inventing gods and spinning grand tales of their strength and influence.

In truth, however, many of these gods didn't exist. There were only a few gods that were publicly and widely venerated; the others were basically all strange and distorted evil gods from the void.

Even so, the consistency between the descriptions of the Lady of the Night in Selwyn's folklore and the entity now residing in Wang Yu's mental sanctuary left him with little doubt that they were the same being, and that she truly existed.

"Could she be an evil god...?" Wang Yu murmured, glancing at Eunice, who was still examining his mental domain with unbridled curiosity. He shook his head. She didn't look the sort at all.

Evil gods of the void were defined by chaos and madness. They were utterly incapable of coherent thought; any semblance of sanity was a definitive sign that the entity wasn't an evil god.

Even if these evil gods appeared sane, they radiated concentrated void energy, a corruptive force so intense that ordinary people would go insane merely by being near them. The Lady of the Night displayed none of these traits.

"So she's a real god? But she feels a little... underwhelming..."

Compared to the terrifyingly powerful Undying Lord, whom he had fought against, or even the brief glimpse of the god of light's power from Archbishop Fang's mindscape, Eunice seemed almost weak. She wasn't even able to choose her followers.

"May I ask a question? What did you mean when you said you couldn't choose your own followers, and that no one remembers you?"

Eunice's response was straightforward. "I mean exactly what I said. Long ago, many humans worshiped me, and I granted my blessings to those humans I favored. Over time, however, my believers began to die off, and no new ones arose. The fewer believers I had, the weaker I became.

"About a century ago, not too long in the grand scheme of things, my last follower perished. Since then, no intelligent being has remembered me, and my existence has been fading ever since. I am on the brink of complete dissolution. Somehow, a year ago, a group of mindless goblins began worshiping me. While I despise these unintelligent creatures, whose chaotic faith would pollute my being, their devotion has been peculiarly fervent. Their belief in me surpassed that of even my most pious human followers, allowing me to grant them my powers.

"But since then, two more humans have come to know me: you and a young woman. She doesn't believe in me, so I may not communicate with her."

"Avia? How strange. I don't worship you either, so why can we talk?"

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Wang Yu had no faith in this Lady of the Night, and yet there was a link between them that allowed for communication. Could it have been facilitated by his unique mindscape? From the looks of it, that was the case.

The Lady of the Night replied, "Indeed, I sense no faith from you, but our dialogue remains possible. You are... special. If you would allow it, I hope to gain your faith."

"I'm sorry, but I'm not interested," Wang Yu replied bluntly. In truth, he wasn't even sure what faith entailed.

Was it merely recognizing a god's existence, or did it require complete, heartfelt devotion?

If it were the former, he might consider it, but the latter would be too much of a commitment.

"What would I gain from worshiping you, anyway?" Wang Yu suddenly asked. Worship didn't cost any money. If the benefits were good enough...

Wang Yu's question was one that would have been anathema to a devout believer. Worship wasn't meant to be a transaction, but something voluntary and heartfelt.

"My followers receive my blessings, including the power to conceal themselves in darkness and traverse through shadows."

"Exactly as described by folklore..." Wang Yu thought. By now, he was completely confident that this was the Lady of the Night from Selwyn's myths, which Avia had uncovered.

But why would a Selwyn god have been forgotten, and why would she suddenly reappear in Aleisterre?

"Those are potent blessings, but unfortunately, I'm not your follower."

Wang Yu shook his head. It really was a pity, after all. He had experienced how potent those blessings were for himself. The three goblins' invisibility had to be the power to cloak themselves in darkness, and two of the goblins had managed to flash out of Vena's web of thorns using their ability to pass through shadows.

Wang Yu had to admit that these two abilities were enticing and certainly useful. Even unintelligent goblins had become formidable assassins; what could they do in the hands of far more intelligent and dexterous humans? Divine boons were so powerful that they bordered on the unfair.

Wang Yu himself was keen on obtaining the two abilities of concealment and shadow teleportation. Although they were only suitable for nighttime use, their effects were undeniably practical and powerful.

It really was a shame. This god seemed quite approachable. If Wang Yu were to believe in her, he might very well gain these abilities—but he doubted he qualified as a believer.

Wang Yu shook his head, deciding to wrap up the conversation for now. A little understanding of the situation was enough for the time being.

Since he couldn't gain anything substantial from the Lady of the Night, it might be best to pass the situation to Archbishop Fang. He was a high-ranking priest of the God of Light, and was far more suited to handle the situation than Wang Yu himself. After all, the church of light was known for being inclusive and was unlikely to engage in extreme actions.

"Perhaps we might give it a try," the Lady of the Night, Eunice, interrupted Wang Yu as he was preparing to leave.

Wang Yu turned to the deity, intrigued by her words. "You are unique. You can converse with me without any faith, so perhaps I can directly grant you my power as well. If you're satisfied with my power, I hope you'll eventually place your faith in me."

Wang Yu's eyes widened in surprise. Was this how other deities chose their champions? Was he supposed to consider this a stroke of fortune?

"I'd be happy to give it a try," Wang Yu replied, nodding.

"Then I shall bestow my power on this space. Try to gather and guide it, and you should be able to use my abilities."

The Lady of the Night's towering figure began to blur. Her black starry gown dissolved into flowing darkness, spreading like rivers over the clear, reflective surface of the lake beneath.

The black liquid rippled and writhed like swimming serpents. Wang Yu didn't know precisely how to "gather" it, and opted for the most straightforward approach: direct interaction.

He walked across the lake's surface, reached out, and dipped his hand into the inky liquid.

In an instant, he felt a distinct power, a complex, chaotic mix of forces interwoven with concepts like concealment, darkness, and evasion.

The energy was very much like the void energy that Wang Yu had encountered back at Avia's manor while facing the Undying Lord, with an imprint that designated its owner. This void energy clearly belonged to the Lady of the Night, Eunice.

Was he to attempt to absorb it? Not knowing how to handle it, Wang Yu treated it like void energy. He channeled his mental energy and began to draw the liquid into himself.

Perhaps because of Eunice's permission, the energy didn't resist his attempt like the Undying Lord's had. It flowed smoothly into his body and seamlessly integrated with it.

Once he absorbed the energy, Wang Yu discovered that he could invoke it in the physical world, just like void energy.

It was time to test them out. Wang Yu returned to the physical world, stood up from his desk, and walked to the bedside. He switched off the mana crystal lamp, instantly engulfing the room in darkness, save for the faint moonlight streaming in through the window.

Wang Yu drew upon the stored energy from his mental space, not needing to exert much effort. The power naturally began to envelop him.

He noticed his body gradually losing color, its hues fading until he seemed to be peeling away from the physical world.

Was this how it worked? This unique power would place him in the liminal gap between the physical world and the void, achieving a state in which his physical presence existed but couldn't be observed.

As expected of divine magic, it was capable of incredible effects. Wang Yu was genuinely impressed. If he could continuously borrow this power, it would prove immensely useful—hold on.

Wang Yu realized that, after his body turned almost entirely gray, the transformation halted. He neither vanished nor became transparent.

Instead, his form remained in this gray, desaturated state. The energy ceased responding to him, only serving to maintain this colorless state with a minimal consumption of energy.

"Hmm? Could it be because I'm not a believer?" Wang Yu wondered. Given the unusual restriction on this concealment ability, he expected that shadow teleportation would act strangely too. That would be his next test.

He channeled the energy again, feeling his body brimming with a sense of agility and fluidity in the darkness, as if he could swim freely through the shadows.

Was this shadow teleportation? He tried to jump between a pair of shadows—but just as before, he hit a wall.

He tried to leap through the darkness, but although he felt the technique activate, nothing happened. He simply didn't phase through reality, but his motion did seem to become significantly faster. His body felt light and responsive, as if the darkness itself amplified his agility. Even so, actual teleportation was beyond his grasp.

Wang Yu considered his partially granted powers. What use could they be to him?

He noticed that there was a rather large tree outside his window, with a black cat napping high up within its branches.

The tree wasn't far from Wang Yu's window, and the cat was within reach of his arm. In that case, he would use the cat as a test.

He opened up the window. The creak caused the black cat to raise its head alertly, but it quickly lowered it again as if letting down its guard.

Wang Yu glanced at the cat. It seemed very alert—but couldn't it see Wang Yu?

Wang Yu extended his hand tentatively out the window, a little at a time, as he discovered that his night vision had improved to an exceptional degree.

He still couldn't see color in the darkness. Everything was in shades of gray, but he could clearly make out contours of objects. Otherwise, he would have had a hard time even seeing the black cat to begin with.

Wang Yu's grayish-white arm slowly stretched toward the black cat's face. One meter, half a meter, a quarter of a meter—only when his hand was ten centimeters away, right about to touch the cat's whiskers, did the cat suddenly glance around alertly. Its paws twitched, seemingly sensing that something was amiss, but still didn't move.

At nine centimeters, Wang Yu's fingertip brushed against the black cat's whiskers. The cat let out a sharp "Meow!" as its fur bristled in alarm. Its back arched as it turned and leapt off the tree in a flash, then bolted away.

Watching the cat dart about in a frenzy, Wang Yu couldn't help but laugh mischievously. He admitted to himself that he had been rather mean-spirited.

"The concealment ability has been weakened across the board, but it's still a significant enhancement to my stealth. Even a cat, with sharper senses than most humans, was close enough to touch before it detected me. It's a solid ability," he evaluated.

"As for shadow teleportation, that's been reduced to enhanced agility in darkness. It's not as versatile, of course, but still a rather practical improvement."

Wang Yu nodded thoughtfully. If it were feasible, becoming a follower of Eunice didn't seem like a bad idea. That said, he still hadn't figured out exactly what faith entailed.

His consciousness returned to his mindscape, at which point the Lady of the Night, shrouded in black, eyed him thoughtfully. "How does my power feel? Are you now willing to place your faith in me?"

"It's quite impressive, but the abilities have been weakened across the board," Wang Yu replied, acknowledging the utility of her boons while pointing out their limitations. He speculated that these flaws stemmed from his lack of faith.

"It is not so. Anyone who borrows my power should be able to utilize it fully, but you cannot. Your uniqueness intrigues and puzzles me. Though you do not yet have faith in me, I hope to change your mind," the Lady of the Night continued persistently.

Wang Yu hummed thoughtfully. He understood that his mindscape was unique, but why would this peculiarity extend to the physical manifestation of borrowed divine power? It was baffling.

Even so, he figured there wasn't much use dwelling on it. Neither he nor the Lady of the Night had an answer as to what was going on.

Wang Yu rubbed his chin thoughtfully. The Lady of the Night's abilities were useful and could be well worth borrowing, but she was unlikely to allow him to continue using it freely.

"How about this?" Wang Yu suggested. "I don't fully understand how to place my faith in you, and—please forgive me—I don't entirely trust you yet. I'll consult someone strong I know, whose judgment I value. If everything checks out, I can help you spread your faith. In return, I hope to continue borrowing your abilities. Will that do?"

Wang Yu's plan was straightforward. The Lady of the Night seemed fine, but it was possible that she had ulterior motives. Consulting Archbishop Fang would quickly clear things up. If she could pass the vetting process, Wang Yu wouldn't mind helping her build a following.

Her abilities were simply too practical to ignore, and would be particularly coveted by rogues and other professions that worked in darkness. As for the so-called god of eternal night worshiped by the church of the night, Wang Yu figured he was in luck—that deity didn't seem inclined to interfere.

The god of eternal night had long since become a figurehead, with countless false churches of the night exploiting his name.

The deity didn't seem to care at all, and rarely even performed miracles. If not for the church of light and other organizations' recognition and claim of legitimacy, people could well have doubted his existence entirely.

If Wang Yu were to set up a statue of the Lady of the Night and recruit followers, he doubted the church of the night would intervene.

Once people realized that believing in this deity would grant such useful and practical abilities, the pragmatic, like Wang Yu, wouldn't hesitate to give the Lady of the Night their faith.

Compared to the complex rituals of mainstream divine magic, the Lady of the Night's two abilities were simple and effective. Wang Yu figured she would quickly gain a large following.

"Thank you for the offer," the Lady of the Night replied. "I do badly need faith. In exchange, my powers will remain available to you. Even so, I hope to receive your faith."

The Lady of the Night quickly agreed to Wang Yu's proposal.

"Let me figure out what faith means, first," Wang Yu replied, amused but satisfied. Gaining these two unique abilities had lifted his spirits.

However, this plan hinged on Archbishop Fang's approval of the Lady of the Night.

Wang Yu suddenly narrowed his eyes, reminding himself that this might be part of Selwyn's plot against Aleisterre. He couldn't rule out the fact that the Lady of the Night might be an enemy.

Reflecting on the keywords he had identified in his notes—"cult" and "disorder by the walls"—Wang Yu thought for a moment and asked, "Eunice, if I may address you directly, have you noticed any other deities like yourself gaining followers recently?"

Wang Yu wasn't particularly deferential to gods, but he would maintain at least a semblance of respect.

"I know little of the outside world," the Lady of the Night replied. "My followers are my eyes and ears, yet the goblins have brought me naught but reports of sordid slaughter..."

The Lady of the Night's tone carried a hint of human-like frustration and disdain.

Wang Yu decided not to press her further. Tomorrow, he would consult Archbishop Fang about the situation. He exchanged a brief farewell with the Lady of the Night before returning to the physical world once more.

He lay down in bed and activated his inner eye passively. As his head hit the pillow, he drifted straight into a deep sleep, his quality of rest as exceptional as ever.