Chapter 8: The Dark Walker

This is an ancient book that comprehensively introduces the origins, development, and historical growth of the Supreme Deity Cult. For Ulysses, who aspires to become a priest in the future, it is an invaluable book.

This is a small manor-style building, featuring a spacious front yard and lawn, with a small fountain in the center of the lawn. A large expanse of grapevines bearing purple grapes covers the gazebo beside the fountain, exuding a fragrant scent of violet.

According to his knowledge, as long as one possesses formal qualifications as a cleric, it is quite easy to find adventurers willing to travel together. After all, the support and healing spells of clerics are considered very rare resources on this continent, and all adventurers are eager to team up with clerics.

It is simply as if she has run out of a fairy tale. Could it be that deep in the forest, there really is a witch who has imprisoned a princess

That girl, I wonder how she is doing now... After putting down the book in his hands, Ulysses naturally thought of the drowning girl he had rescued from the river during the day. Although some misunderstandings occurred later, for him, even if he had to do it all over again, he would still make the same choice.

At this moment, he sensed much more. It was not solely human; there were other, very small yet once striving forms of life present. In this darkness, they were everywhere.

Here is the home of the village chief of Mira. And the object that tempts Ulysses is located somewhere within the chief's house

Just now, he had a dream, a very strange dream

As the guardians of the village, they have long memorized the scent of the village children and are fully aware that they must never reveal their teeth to these children, lest they be visited by terrifying nightmares—sent by a powerful witch.

In the dream, a silver angel with enormous wings seemed to be speaking to him; soon after, a girl wielding dual swords stood proudly before him, her crimson eyes filled with defiance and resilience; a dark-clad sorcerer looked at him sorrowfully, as if he were about to leave this world.

It was a kind of flavor that evoked nostalgia, devoid of any malice. This feeling sometimes lingered for a long time, only to fade away unnoticed. The longest of these lasted about two years, remaining by the side of my granddaughter.

This made him feel that he was not walking alone on the road in the deep night; in the darkness ahead, it seemed that something was waiting for him. With each step forward, he felt himself getting closer to that mysterious source

That feeling had also appeared vaguely in the past. Since childhood, he had been able to sense things that ordinary people could not perceive. Whenever an elder in the village naturally returned to the embrace of the Supreme Deity, he would experience a similar sensation

At last, he arrived before his destination, which was the most beautiful building in the entire Mira Village, located at the back of the village, slightly closer to the small hill

The future holds infinite possibilities; this world is vast and truly remarkable. Ulysses believes that he will be able to see many, many things and visit many, many places in the future

After all, this is not a primer for children, but a religious text intended for scholarly research. It is indeed too much to expect a child to understand a topic such as the "interdependence and opposition between ancient religions and royal power"

It would have been better if there had been no unnecessary attempts to test her heartbeat. Remembering that awkward scene, Ulysses felt a bit embarrassed. Looking back now, it seems he indeed did some impolite things to that girl

On a summer night, Ulysses could not help but begin to daydream. For a child of his age, the world is wondrous and fresh, with new discoveries every day, and each outing reveals something different from before

However, it is evident that for someone as young as he is, the content of this book is too obscure and difficult to understand. Many of the events and issues mentioned are simply beyond the comprehension of a child his age

A cross mark hangs from the high roof, symbolizing the blessing of the Supreme God Church and representing a certain special emblem

Closer, even closer, the nearer he approached that place, the stronger the feeling in his heart became. That intense desire, like a boiling flame, continuously stimulated Ulysses' soul

... ...

It seems that those kind and gentle elders do not leave immediately; even when their bodies have returned to the great embrace, they can always faintly sense their presence, especially in the company of their loved ones, particularly the children.

Despite Ulysses' considerable efforts and the thick dictionary he brought along, the dictionary could not elucidate the profound questions for him. Thus, in the end, he had no choice but to temporarily abandon further study, as this was not a field he could immediately comprehend with the books at hand

Those memories are not real, they do not exist; there are no angels beside him, no girl wielding dual swords, and certainly no dark-clad sorceress. Accompanying him are his frail and sickly younger sister and his lively childhood friend, Lasha

However, the dream just now was somewhat different from the past. At the end of the dream, something appeared that felt both familiar and unfamiliar to him. That strange sensation, even now as he has awakened from the dream and the memories of it are quickly fading, still vividly lingers in his mind

This is a secret known only to him, a secret that even his mother and sister are unaware of. He does not know why, but sometimes he suddenly feels an impulse, as if he needs to search for something in the darkness. When he has this feeling, he quietly leaves his home and takes a walk in the dark

Thump! Thump! The heart was pounding violently, as if something was calling out to him, beckoning him to come closer

As Ulysses walked through the night in the village of Mira, he experienced a peculiar sensation, as if he were not alone on this dark road. Beside him, there were others, or rather, other "things".

Ah? Is Little Yuna going out so late for something? Hmm! That direction is... the old village chief's house. Could it be that he plans to launch a night raid? Is the target the village chief's young lady or that little princess who fell into the water this afternoon? A certain powerful witch sensed Ulysses' actions, but this was clearly not worth her attention. In her view, a night raid is completely a minor issue!

Of course, it is with the lovely Yulia. Without his care, the frail and ailing Yulia would be unable to do anything. If he could truly become a priest and recruit his own guards, it would not be impossible to travel the world with Yulia.

However, this time, such an impulse finally found its target and clearly indicated to him where the target was

The last girl was knocked down by Lasha, resulting in her falling into a complete unconsciousness. She was taken to the home of the village's elder, who is also the village chief. It is said that her injuries are not very serious, but it seems that she has not yet regained consciousness due to a head impact (caused by Lasha's true Rising Dragon)

The summer evening breeze gently wafted through the fence outside the door, bringing with it a trace of lingering warmth. Ulysses, who had encountered an unfortunate event during the day, was sitting at his desk in his room, earnestly reading a precious religious book that had recently come into his possession

However, he soon forgot. It is unclear when it began, but he found it easy to forget the things from his dreams. Perhaps it was because, as a child, he was unable to comprehend such complex matters, and thus he naturally forgot them

In the late night, with stars twinkling, soft moonlight streamed through the gaps in the window, leaving a faint silver sheen on the ground. Ulysses, who should have already been deep in the realm of dreams, suddenly opened his eyes.

However, if he did not do it that way, it would not work. He watched as the girl's breathing weakened; that was the only first aid method he knew. His light magic was still very weak, and he did not yet have the ability to cast healing spells, leaving him with no other options

The village of Mira was very quiet in the late night, with no sounds to be heard except for the chirping of insects. A few hunting dogs, raised to guard against wild beasts, lazily blinked their eyes, ignoring Ulysses as he walked past them.

In the village of Mira, the village chief is the highest authority and also the wealthiest person in Mira. There, she should be well taken care of

Fresh, prickly | stimulating, unknown, just like the first time he quietly left home to walk in the darkness. In that infinite darkness, he did not feel afraid, especially on nights filled with countless stars, his spirit would even be more tranquil than during the day

Driven by that feeling, Ulysses unknowingly dressed himself, quietly leaving his home alone

By the way, where exactly is that girl from? Judging by the clothes she is wearing, it is evident that she is not from the nearby village. Even in the closest small town to Mira Village, I have never seen such beautiful clothing, and the magical gemstones on that outfit do not appear to be fakes; they are genuine stones with magical powers.

The hounds, sensing the presence of the most terrifying creature in the village, collectively lay down, not daring to breathe a word, let alone bark. Animals are far more accurate than humans in assessing strength and weakness, and without a doubt, the most powerful being in the village at this moment is that fearsome witch.

Thank God for granting us bread and food, allowing us to live freely on this earth... After completing the routine prayer, Ulysses turned off the light, returned to his bed, and slowly closed his eyes

Without a strong body, and lacking agile hands and eyes, he could only place his hopes on his meager talent for light magic. He expressed gratitude to the great Supreme Deity, who, while closing the door to other powerful combat professions, quietly left him a window leading to the sacred support profession.