After the Librarian walked off, Esau returned his focus to the book. He shifted his gaze to the Blessed.

  The Blessed only began appearing centuries after the Deities returned to the Deification Domain. Their abilities were similar to the divine powers displayed by the other six gods, and it wasn't until thousands of years later that every known Ascent was recorded.

  There was the Body Ascent, which gleaned off the divine powers of the Goddess of Ever-changing Form; Mirelda. People of this Ascent were largely known as ‘Vessels’. They believed that the body was a stepping-stone for something greater, and at the same time, could be the hindrance to transcendence, if one couldn't let go of worldly links.

  Vessels wielded magic that could affect the body, or whatever was regarded as a ‘shell’.

  There was also the Soul Ascent, which corresponded to the Monarch of Spirit; Atman. ‘Dead men tell a lot of tales’, Ushers believed. They possessed an uncanny desire to dissect the souls of both the dead and living, conducting all sorts of vile experiments in the Spirit Plane.

  “Ritualists.” Esau’s face contorted into a scowl.

  He shook his disgust and continued reading.

  The Mind Ascent was derived from the God of Boundless Thought; Sodros. Blessed from this Ascent were known as ‘Visionaries’. They lorded over the subconscious and Astral Plane. They held the belief that knowledge was the ultimate form of power.

  “Your imagination is your limit.”

  Esau frowned when he read that line.

  Your imagination is your limit? Isn't that similar to a Dreamer? Or, maybe both Ascents can achieve similar results?

  He exhaled and continued reading.

  The Energy Ascent. A result of the divine powers of the God of Forever Might; Mammon. All Blessed of this Ascent were regarded as ‘Radiants’. They could manipulate all forms of energy at will, and their might was close to Absolute.

  In the darkest of nights, Radiants could light up the entire world, bringing with them celestial bodies of immeasurable size.

  As for the Dream Ascent, it was naturally dependent on the God of Eternal Repose; Hanuman. Esau was familiar with this Ascent, so his gaze shifted to the next page.

  “The Void Ascent emerged due to the divinity of Void of the Endless; Anukkah. The corresponding Blessed of this Ascent are regarded as ‘Nulls’, and they possess the ability to create gaps in reality and space. They devour and spread destruction. They are the end, oblivion embodied.”

  After reading the Ascent’s capabilities, Esau suddenly frowned. He found that last line somewhat familiar.

  He didn't have to think too long, because that particular night had left a deep impression on him.

  The Ghost Knight… Esau’s eyes flickered unnoticeably.

  Could it be? The Ghost Knight is from the Void Ascent? Then, is it an Ascendant? There are two Ascendants from the Void Ascent in the world? Hm, that doesn't seem very plausible… Heather wouldn't have been so terrified of someone, something on her level.

  That entity, what exactly is it?

  Eventually, Esau sighed and closed the books. He'd had enough reading for one night. Although there were other precious things to learn about the Ascents—like the core slate—he needed to calm the turmoil in his heart.

  “Shall I return the books?” Tilly asked.

  “Yes. I'll come back tomorrow if there are other things I wish to know.” Esau said in response as his mind wandered to the matter concerning the mysterious figure named Sodom.

  Hm, what if I'm going about this the wrong way? I was initially of the opinion that this Sodom person was someone within the castle’s surroundings, which in turn guided my following thoughts. But what if the owner of the dream wasn't even in the royal district to begin with? I still don't know much about the Dream Ascent, so it's hard to make accurate judgments..

  Am I reading too much into this? It could've just been a regular nightmare… Esau grumbled inwardly and felt rather useless. He wished his Essence Pool would take shape quickly, so he could access his full capabilities. At the very least, understand the fundamentals of the Dream Ascent.

  Reading text and records from deceased Dreamers didn't give him the information he needed. The problem stemmed from the natural scarcity of people from the Dream Ascent, as well as the low level of those who were born into the Ascent.

  Seriously, is there no single ounce of talent in this domain? Esau shook his head and followed Tilly out of the library. They returned to one of the resting chambers, where they found Heather, Imogen and Queen Aldine.

  The walls of this room were adorned with portraits of members of the royal family. The ladies sat on cushioned settees, with two of them having their legs crossed, while the queen sat with her usual grace.

  Placed on the table before them were fruits and a flagon containing wine.

  “I hear the Barinettes have a new child?”

  “Yes, a boy.” Aldine responded simply.

  Imogen took a sip from her silver goblet and laughed, “That makes eight children now. I dread to wonder how ‘active’ Lady Blaire’s husband would be during the month of passion.”

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  Heather couldn't hold in her laughter. She dropped her cup and cleared her throat, lest she choked. “I've actually wondered too. He would be a total beast!”

  Hearing her daughter's words, the queen couldn't help but chuckle softly. The beautiful woman with raven-black hair said with a slight smile, “Surprisingly, during that time, it's us women who are most affectionate. Although their passion is heightened several fold, they still tire easily. Perhaps the Goddess could've bolstered their endurance in that aspect.”

  The ladies simultaneously giggled.

  Esau stood by the door, listening to their conversation with an expression of utter horror. He resisted the urge to turn around, grab a knife from the pantry and carve out his own ears.

  What in Hanuman’s name are they talking about?!

  He could even hear Tilly cover up a snicker behind him.

  How shameless! The boy felt hurt for some reason.

  Still, he couldn't deny that the scene was quite heartwarming. His mother, who was usually silent and busy with numerous affairs, was actually joking and having fun.

  It's quite peaceful…

  As the boy had the thought, his smile slowly faded.

  Maybe too peaceful.

  Esau’s brows knitted when he recalled what he had read in one of the books from just before.

  “When there was an insurmountable evil running amok, the world would birth an equally powerful savior to maintain a delicate balance. And when the forces of light were too great… it would trigger the rise of an abominable adversary.”

  Why had peace reigned in the world for so long? Because the five kingdoms reached an understanding after the death of King Angelos, and war quickly became a term lost to history. Why had peace reigned in Oralio for so long? Because there was an Ascendant who belonged to the Royal family, and the various cultists and evil factions could only disperse under her crushing might…

  Esau’s lips quivered as he muttered, “Currently, there are three Ascendants in the world, which is the highest recorded number of Ascendants in a single generation. From what I've heard, there might not even be an Ascendant for hundreds of years.”

  So why was the world pouring out such powerful figures now?

  “There isn't any great evil that needs conquering. Or is the world preparing us for the emergence of something sinister?”

  What could possibly be coming that we need the might of three Ascendants to overcome?

  He suddenly felt the machinations of fate twist, ensnaring the entire world.

  The boy thought, at that moment: Are we doomed?

  …

  Somewhere beyond the town of Avon.

  A little girl with a frail body treaded the lonely path under the moon’s soft radiance. She seemed to be on death's door, and every step she took was agonizing.

  Her scream was abrupt. Marie's belly twisted and she fell to her knees next to a tree. Immediately after that, she retched violently and expelled the contents of her stomach— even though there wasn't much there to begin with.

  She coughed twice afterwards, then collapsed to her side. Her breath was ragged, and it seemed like the world was slowly rejecting her.

  Marie had spent the entire day searching for her brother. She left Avon a while ago, after scouring the town and finding no traces of him. Her already weak body had been pushed to the limit.

  She was slowly losing her grasp on reality.

  Why was she trying so hard to find him? Would it have been better if she waited patiently for him to return?

  Even though it would sound utterly ridiculous to the common man, Marie had felt a sudden shift in her brother's fate. Perhaps it was due to her special trait, but she could tell that something was horribly wrong.

  It was that very thought that kept her going. No matter how exhausted she was, no matter how terribly her legs trembled, she just had to keep going.

  The scent of grass beneath her jolted her nerves awake. Marie parted her chapped lips and bit on the soil. She hungrily devoured sand and grass alike, unbothered about the inevitable consequences.

  She would do anything to fill the void in her belly.

  In the silent night, a colorful bird perched on a nearby tree. Its eyes glimmered as it watched the little girl struggle to stand.

  How hurtful life was.

  A child of not more than ten years walking around alone and looking lifeless, yet not a single head turned. The thought of having to part with a measly loaf of bread, or a bowl of soup, struck them as an insurmountable task.

  They would rather turn a blind eye.

  The girl finally managed to stand. She collected herself, held back the tears, and kept walking. She had no idea where to, but she just kept moving, following the illusory thread that guided her into the night.

  The colorful bird followed quietly behind.

  …

  Esau slipped into bed after Tilly shut the door. He calmed his loud thoughts and tried to get some sleep.

  After an unknown amount of time, the boy's eyes snapped open. Esau looked around and found himself in a desolate moor. The ground here was scorching, and the wind carried nothing but violent dust.

  He quickly realized he'd stepped into another dream. The question now was— whose dream?

  “This again? I hope I'm at least able to find some answers this time.” The boy sighed and shook his head with a hint of frustration. He glanced at his exposed feet and winced slightly. The heat here was awfully unbearable.

  As there wasn't a single structure in sight, he couldn't determine where to go. In every direction, there was nothing but stretched plains of mudcracks and scorching sand.

  How long do I have to walk for?

  Ah, isn't this essentially a dream? If I try to guide the dream, will I be able to cut the journey short? Hm, I don't know if it's possible within the dreams of others. Actually, I don't know what's possible and what isn't anymore.

  I'll just give it a try… Esau glanced around and casually picked a direction. He squinted and focused his eyes on the farthest spot he could see, trying to will his figure there.

  In the next instant, Esau felt a subtle shift in the air around him. When he came to, he realized he had indeed ‘teleported’ a great distance.

  “It really works!” The boy was beyond elated. However, that feeling of accomplishment rapidly vanished when he realized that he could still only see nothing but barren land up ahead.

  Esau looked up. The sky was tainted with a dirty brown color.

  He disappeared from his position and appeared high in the sky.

  As he fell from that ridiculous height, he tried to observe everything possible within the short time he had.

  A few heartbeats later, he caught a glimpse of a gargantuan edifice at the edge of this desolate moor. In the next instant, he strained his mind and willed himself before the strange structure, arriving within a blink.

  Esau had no time to praise his intelligence. He swept his hair backwards and craned his neck. The structure before him turned out to be a temple of sorts. However, it had a very archaic architectural design, resembling nothing like the temples and churches of the current era.

  The temple was extremely large, as though it had been built for the Giants— or whatever creatures that even towered above the barbaric race. As no such creatures came to Esau’s mind, he simply used the giants as a comparison.

  Following that thought, Esau suddenly mused, “No one's seen a Giant for more than two hundred years. I wonder if they're still around?”

  Even the Druids that lived in seclusion were sometimes seen around travel routes. As for the Giants, it seemed like they suddenly disappeared from the face of the realm.

  He shook the thought and focused on the temple before him. The walls were made of a shifty-black material Esau couldn't quite place a name on. It looked like solid liquid… If that made any sense. There were also runic engravings that made his thoughts disperse when he looked at them.

  In this endless plain of desolation, the black temple appeared very out of the ordinary.

  There was a large double-door barring the entrance, or at least, what Esau assumed to be one.

  Do I go in? What if there's danger inside?

  Esau thought back to how the corpse from the previous dream had reached out from beneath the soil, as well as the repulsive feeling of worms crawling all over his body. He resisted the urge to retch and muttered, “Well, this is essentially a dream, so I should be fine. If anything happens, I'll simply wake up.”

  He took a step forward. Then another, and another— until he was right in front of the massive, glistening double doors.

  Just before he took another step, Esau abruptly paused. The boy’s back broke into cold sweat as he felt like there was a scythe hung before his neck, daring him to take another step forward. The overwhelming dread that gripped him didn't vanish even when he took a step back, rather, it intensified.

  The air burned fiercely all around him.

  Something was coming. Something that couldn't be put into words.

  He turned his head, very slowly, and behind, in the far distance, the silhouette of a figure was outlined.

  Esau’s eyes widened, terror quickly defining his frame. That was because upon glimpsing the approaching entity, he immediately lost control of his body and mind.

  He couldn't move, nor could he formulate thoughts.

  He couldn't even leave the dream if he wanted to. He had become a brainless husk.

  If Esau could think, he would've realized that the figure slowly approaching him bore an uncanny resemblance to what the sailors on the Knuckleback had described. He would've realized that it was the very entity Heather had spoken of— Calamity.

  If it wasn't for the fact that he was frozen in place, the little boy would've long collapsed due to sheer oppression.

  The Ghost Knight, covered in a complicated layer of pitch-black armor that appeared both corporeal and illusory, reached its hand into the void. Its hand sunk slightly, then rapidly pulled out a gleaming black greatsword from the tear in space.

  The greatsword carried the stench of death, as well as the agonizing cries of those that had fallen to its jagged edge.

  As the entity from legends raised the sword to strike from that distance, a sharp crack suddenly resounded throughout this barren land.

  Following the sound, the dream abruptly shattered and Esau was quickly expunged.

  Esau woke up with a gasp.

  His eyes betrayed unbelievable horror, and his body, still like a frozen sunset.

  He sat there for the longest time, unable to process what had just happened.

  …

  In a land unknown to man.

  The Ghost Knight returned Sombre to the void. It stood still for a very long time, before silently muttering a name in a tongue long forgotten;

  “Goldheart.”