Chapter 1214: The Divine Cold Case

The answer from the Dragon Clan leader left Modir utterly stunned. The old mage had always prided himself on his steady mind and calm demeanor—rarely thrown off balance no matter the situation. Yet now he realized that his composure had only held because he’d never faced anything truly absurd before. A god who had been missing for over 1.8 million years suddenly “crashing” down right before his eyes—that was enough to stir even the most unshakable heart into turmoil.

“You… tell me everything in detail,” Modir couldn’t help but lean forward, his face a mixture of shock and curiosity. “A missing ancient deity? Do gods even go missing?”

“Of course,” Hragor said solemnly. “Gods can be killed, banished, they can flee, hide, and under certain circumstances, even take their own lives. Divinity and mortality are two sides of the same coin.” Before continuing, he carefully gauged Modir’s state. “Talking about gods is dangerous. Master Modir, are you absolutely sure you faced that… god? And heard its voice?”

“I’m certain. One hundred percent. Otherwise, why would I joke about it?”

“Apologies, it’s just so unbelievable I had to double-check,” Hragor nodded. “When you heard the voice and saw the figure, you didn’t feel any spiritual corruption? No lingering whispers or strange sounds in your mind after waking?”

“No, and that puzzles me too. I know what spiritual corruption is—I’ve encountered cursed relics in ancient ruins, tainted by evil spirits and restless souls, and their effects can last a long time. But after seeing that ‘lady,’ I suffered no lasting damage. Although, I should mention, that terrifying entity that emerged from the city ruins felt extremely dangerous. I’m certain that if I had looked at it even once longer, I wouldn’t have walked away unscathed.”

“You mentioned the ‘lady’s’ throne bore a starry pattern, but you can’t recall the details?” Hragor pressed on. “And you tried to record the dream she described, but when you woke, your notes had turned into indecipherable scribbles?”

Modir nodded. “Yes. It’s as if some force is blocking that knowledge from entering the real world. Whether through my memory or my notes, all traces are erased.”

Hragor furrowed his brow, muttering in confusion, “A typical divine ‘miracle,’ but without the usual spiritual taint… What happened to her? And that starry sky—she shouldn’t have authority over that domain…”

“So, which god are you talking about?” Modir finally asked. “I mean, I already…”

“The Shadow Goddess, the Lady of Night, sovereign and protector of shadows and darkness. Her mythic traits include a vast form draped in a night-like cloak that covers the earth, flickering lights and shadows dancing around her, and a black-and-white scepter marking the boundary between light and dark,” Hragor said without hesitation, locking eyes with Modir. “In this age, only a handful of ancient dragons and other primordial beings remember these myths in their true form.”

Modir sat back, mouth agape for a few seconds before finally speaking. “Oh wow… so this deity has been missing…”

“Yes, missing. But very few mortal races even know that,” Hragor said slowly. “Those who master the path of shadows are rare, and even fewer mortals worship her. Because divine magic and clear oracles from her domain are nearly impossible to obtain, shadow faith has always been sparse, fragmented, and intermittent throughout every civilization. Most believe the Shadow Goddess or Lady of Night is a god indifferent to the mortal realm, some even doubt her existence. Only the oldest beings know she truly exists—but she’s been missing for over 1.8 million years. And since her disappearance, no new shadow deity has emerged in this world.”

The ancient dragon’s deep voice carried the weight of countless civilizations rising and falling. He himself was one of those ancient beings who knew these secrets: in his youth, before the Voyagers arrived, when dragons were just one of many extraordinary races on this planet, and other continents had their own intelligent species and gods, the Shadow Goddess was one of the main deities of the Loren continent. She was the night’s sovereign worshipped by several dark races, exactly as Modir had described.

After the Voyagers’ arrival, the dragons sealed themselves off, and the gods who had gone mad beyond Talrond were purged. Almost all deities were destroyed by the Voyager expedition fleets—except the Shadow Goddess, who somehow miraculously escaped their hunt.

This was a secret known to only a very few on the entire planet—and certainly not to Modir.

So the scenes the great adventurer described could not have been fabricated.

“…Looks like I’m in deep trouble,” Modir said, watching the dragon leader’s increasingly grave expression. With his vast experience, he nodded knowingly. “Yeah, definitely in trouble.”

Hragor looked at the adventurer seriously. “Have you ever come into contact with strange relics from the shadow realm, or touched anything resembling a divine ruin?”

“I don’t remember,” Modir admitted honestly. “I don’t even recall ever going to a place like the Shadow Realm, let alone encountering divine ruins related to it… but you know my memory—who can say for sure?”

“…That is a problem.” Hragor withdrew his gaze, a hint of helplessness in his voice. Modir thought for a moment, then asked, “What about that twisted thing that appeared from the city ruins… do you know anything about it?”

Hragor’s expression grew serious as he pondered, seemingly sifting through nearly two million years of memories. In the end, he shook his head regretfully. “I’ve never heard of or seen anything like it. It must never have appeared in the real world before. But one thing is certain—if the lady you saw is the Lady of Night who’s been missing for over 1.8 million years, then the entity opposing her can only be another god or a being equal to a god.”

Modir rubbed his temples, as if a headache was coming on. “If that’s true, she’s the ugliest god I’ve ever heard of. But seriously, how did I suddenly get involved with these beings?”

“I don’t know the reason. But often, when it comes to gods, neither mortals nor gods themselves control their fates. Maybe it’s coincidence, or an accident from many years ago,” Hragor said, lifting his head with utmost seriousness and sincerity. “Whatever the cause, fate has entwined you, Master Modir. From now on, be extremely cautious. After you leave here, don’t discuss your dreams with ordinary people unless absolutely necessary. And avoid mentioning the Lady of Night or that twisted chaotic entity in any way, to prevent those two high-level beings—wherever they may be—from establishing further contact with you through words or cognition.

“Also, if you encounter any similar strange experiences again, come to me immediately. Let me check your soul’s condition. At least when it comes to divine matters, I know more than most.”

“I understand, and thank you very much for your help, Lord Hragor.” Modir nodded sincerely. He knew it was rare for an ancient dragon leader like Hragor to personally assist a stranger of unknown origin. Perhaps the dragon had his own plans, but whether it was the ancient knowledge he’d just shared or the help he was willing to offer, it was genuine.

Hragor nodded lightly, not forgetting the original reason he had summoned Modir. “By the way, Master Modir, there’s something else I wanted to discuss.”

“Oh right, I almost forgot,” Modir slapped his forehead. “What did you want to see me about?”

“…Please stay at the adventurers’ camp for the time being. A visitor from afar wishes to meet you,” Hragor said carefully, choosing his words deliberately. “She has already departed from the Loren continent and should arrive soon.”

“A visitor from afar? Coming all this way just to see me?” Modir was taken aback. He couldn’t imagine who would go to such lengths to cross an ocean to meet a forgetful old man like himself—after all, he had no family or ties in this world. “Who is it? I don’t recall owing anyone a debt that would make them chase me across the seas…”

“She’s one of your descendants,” Hragor interrupted, unable to hold back. “We… have ‘found’ one of your descendants on the Loren continent.”

As he spoke, he watched Modir’s expression closely, sensing the magical fluctuations around him, observing every reaction the adventurer had to the news. Modir remained stunned for over ten seconds after Hragor’s words, until the dragon leader cleared his throat twice, prompting him to snap out of it and exclaim, “What?”

“One of your descendants…”

“Oh, I heard you. I heard you. My descendant. I just didn’t react right away,” Modir quickly waved his hands, speaking rapidly. “But… you’re serious? No joke? My descendant?! Where did you find them? Descendants… I didn’t even know I had any…”

Modir’s reaction was exactly what Hragor expected. The dragon leader waited patiently for the old mage’s emotions to settle before speaking softly, “We used some rather special channels. And in a way… your descendant wasn’t hard to find. It’s just that the circumstances are complicated, and I can’t explain everything to you right now.”

“Alright, alright. Nothing about me is ever simple…” Modir said, summoning a bright arcane orb in his hand, spinning the dangerous ball of energy between his fingers as if it helped calm his nerves. “Descendant, huh? You found my descendant… Wait, what’s her name? What does she do?”

He looked up, eyes wide, staring at Hragor, who could only shrug helplessly. “Sorry, some things…”

“Oh, okay, I won’t ask,” Modir said, sensing something unspoken, though he wasn’t sure he fully understood. “Sounds like things really are complicated. I’ll just wait for her to arrive then… By the way, is there anything I should prepare? Like a gift or something for when we meet?”

“…That’s your descendant. If anyone needs to prepare, it’s her,” Helagor said with a sigh. “All you have to do is wait.”

“That’s true…”

Faced with this sudden news, the great adventurer was genuinely at a loss for a moment. Then he proceeded to bombard Helagor with a barrage of questions, confirming all sorts of details. After half an hour of back-and-forth, he finally left the room wearing a strange expression.

The reception room fell silent, leaving only Helagor sitting quietly behind the desk. The dragon leader stared in the direction the old mage had gone. After a long pause, he gently tapped a spot on the desk. An ancient, mysterious magical device activated, and one side of the wall gradually brightened. The image of the black dragon Andal appeared in the center of the display.

“Revealing the matter of the ‘descendant’ so directly seems to have unsettled the adventurer,” Helagor frowned. “Are we sure this was the right approach?”

“That was Lady Victoria’s request, and it has Gawain Cecil’s approval,” Andal’s deep voice rumbled. “They’re bound to come into contact eventually. This encounter gives us a chance to observe if Modir undergoes any new changes, which will help us better understand his ‘condition.’ As for the risks of his consciousness breaking or resetting… haven’t we already tested that? As long as we don’t directly tell him the surname ‘Wilde,’ there won’t be any issues. Even if he hears the name, it’s fine—just don’t let him know it belongs to him.”

“…A reaction like that of the undead, huh…” Helagor murmured, then shook his head and shifted the topic. “You heard what Modir said about his ‘experience’ just now. What do you make of it?”

“The lady wielding the black-and-white scepter must be the Shadow Goddess who escaped from the Arbiters over 1.8 million years ago. Both the mythological traits and her strange current state serve as evidence. I never expected that such a cold case, hanging for nearly two million years, would suddenly yield clues today—and that those clues would point to a mortal’s dream. The world is full of surprises.”

“Perhaps Modir’s current strange condition is due to the influence of that ancient deity,” Helagor nodded thoughtfully. “There are too many mysteries behind this. Where exactly is that ancient god now? What is their true state? What are their intentions? We simply don’t know. Maybe it’s time we fulfill our responsibilities as members of the alliance and submit a report at the next internal meeting of the Divine Authority Council.”

“That’s certain,” Andal replied, his expression grave. “In fact, compared to the clues about the ‘Lady of Night,’ what concerns me more now is the other ‘suspected deity’ Modir mentioned… that indescribable monster.”

(End of chapter)