Chapter 52: Transaction

The writing looked as if it had been burned by flames, the black dust and charred powder lingering in Selene’s vision. Then, the strange drawings slowly began to move, as if coming to life. The pale liquid corroded the ground, creating a pit, and white smoke rose and swirled—along with a layered, almost tangible, malicious voice that reached Selene’s ears.

It was a strange experience, a voice with color and smell, a touch with fragrance and sound. Her senses intertwined, making her feel dizzy.

She felt as if she were now in a dream within a dream, having entered another dream world within the dream world, a dream belonging to… the Scholar of Sin.

The sky was a dim darkness. The ground was dry and cracked. There were no clouds, no sun, no plants, no life—only seven dark holes radiating a faint light in the sky.

When Selene recovered from the sensory overload, this was the scene she saw. Realizing what it meant, she decisively looked away, then considered a very important question—was it too late to kill herself?

She was a woman of action, and after she decided that thinking was useless, she resolutely went to a crack in the ground, planning to jump in and test its depth.

Also, to test the quality of the dream.

But the master of the dream didn’t want her to do anything meaningless. The ground shook and closed up. Selene’s vision blurred, and a quaint-looking chair appeared beneath her. She involuntarily sat down, then looked up at the sky, at the “Scholar of Sin.”

To her surprise, astonishment, and unease—she wasn’t insane yet?

Selene chuckled, and, with an unexpected calmness, spoke,

“So… I just fell asleep while reading. Could you just let me go…?”

【A mage at the beginning of ascension… You’re quite special…】

The “Scholar of Sin” also spoke, as if he hadn’t heard Selene’s words, continuing in a low voice. Although his voice was still unsettling, he didn’t seem to intend on teaching Selene a lesson.

But as before, his words were beyond Selene’s comprehension. Much of what he said vanished after she heard it, leaving no trace in her mind. Many things turned into meaningless noise before even reaching her ears.

【I see many things on your body…】

【Three traitors. The serpent that eats its own tail. The water-boiler. The pointy-eared elder…】

【And… and… ■■■'s shadow…】

【You seem to have attracted a lot of attention… because of your unique origins?】

The Scholar of Sin’s words carried a strange power, creating a storm in Selene’s mind, partly due to his status as a god, and partly due to the meaning of his words.

… What is he talking about? Is he referring to the gods who are paying attention to me? I don’t even know that many… Does he know that I’m a transmigrator? If the gods are truly omnipotent… no, even if they’re only omnipotent within the limits of human understanding, this is still plausible… Wait, is the “Serpent that Eats its Tail” referring to Eternal Cycle, the God of Wisdom?

Selene suddenly felt a little amused, but her lips only twitched slightly. She didn’t make a sound.

Then, the Scholar of Sin’s words made her eyes widen slightly.

【…I want to make a deal with you, mage at the beginning of ascension.】

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“What?” Selene asked, confused. She had thought she might have her memories probed, that she might be eaten by the Evil god. She had also considered more positive outcomes, like suddenly waking up in the real world, escaping this ordeal, and even some unrealistic scenarios, like being rescued by some deity…

A deal? What could she possibly offer in exchange? Help a Evil god find his way back to another world? She didn’t even know where it was…

【…The dream world is my domain. No one can invade it. Not even that little spider can do anything but play with its silk on the outer layers.】

【…You’re on the path of the serpent’s ascension…】

【I will give you the method for your future ascensions… All I ask is that you continue on this path, always moving forward, always ascending, until…】

…The God of Wisdom’s path of “ascension”?

Selene remembered another name for the God of Wisdom—The Lurking Serpent—and countless suspicions arose in her mind. But she held her tongue.

There’s no such thing as a free lunch. Even if the “Scholar of Sin” only wanted her to keep ascending, anyone could see that agreeing to this meant antagonizing the Six Great Churches and the Four Great Empires—

【No one will know… and my pitiful fellows… they won’t care…】

“What about me?” Selene seriously asked, “What will I lose? My freedom? Or my soul?”

【I said, I don’t need anything.】

The holes in the sky seemed to tremble. Selene felt a sudden dizziness, and the surrounding colors shifted and changed. The environment peeled away and was replaced by new scenery.

...

An excavator had been working for half a day, digging for something unknown. A heavy, incessant noise, seemingly coming from nowhere, echoed in her ears. In a spacious yet crowded room, seven or eight people were working lazily, slowly, their movements lacking any focus or seriousness. Their faces were expressionless, and they said nothing. They looked like lifeless wax figures, or walking corpses.

A group of chattering, fresh-faced youths were huddled together. Having found no tasks that needed their attention, they didn’t dare to disturb the others, afraid that their enthusiasm would be met with an indifferent “No need” or “Don’t cause trouble.”

Among them, an inconspicuous person looked up, confusion and uncertainty in his eyes.

A great fear welled up within him.

He knew that he was facing death—not physical death, but spiritual death, a suffocating, decaying death, a death that would drain him of his vitality, his strength.

So, without hesitation, he turned and ran.

...

When Selene woke up, it was late at night. The sky was clear. It was a moonless night, quiet and beautiful, the cold starlight pouring down.

She felt a little heavy, so she slowly moved the book from her lap and stumbled to the window, seeing a shard of glass left over from the cleanup.

She looked at her reflection. Everything seemed normal.

Then, Selene took a card that had appeared in the book, went to the living room on the second floor, sat down on the soft sofa, looked at the scenery outside the window, and enjoyed the silence.

As if disturbed by her movements, faint footsteps came from downstairs, but no one came up. A warm lamp was lit.

Selene looked back at the lamp, as if making a final decision, then looked down at the object in her hand.

It was a sharply edged card. On the back was a drawing of the “Scholar of Sin.” The front depicted a naked man and woman, a serpent, a black-winged angel, an apple, and flames. All the images were reversed.

Selene saw the words on the card:

“The Immolated.”

“Go to a still, undisturbed lake. Use lilac, cypress, eternal flower, and white locust essential oils, and a saint’s relic as offerings. Perform the ritual, and pray for the grace of the Lord of Glory—”

【A reminder… after ascension, you will no longer be human.】

She ultimately accepted the Scholar of Sin’s deal.

On the one hand, she had no choice. Refusing probably meant death, and agreeing, though it meant she might become an enemy of the church and the empire in the future, would save her life for now.

On the other hand, she was, deep down, the type of person who sought excitement and couldn’t be content with a peaceful life. Although she was satisfied with her current situation, she still felt a certain sense of boredom. She always felt that, as a transmigrator, she should be doing something more…

If she hadn’t been a superhuman, she might have been content with the status quo, living a stable life. Her income as a detective would have afforded her a comfortable life anywhere in the Divine Construct.

Enough for one person, a family, to live a decent life. Enough to provide her children with a good education. If they wanted to, and had the talent, they could even go to university or join the church…

Well, I could still do that…

Selene’s mind wandered. Unconsciously, she leaned back on the sofa and fell asleep.

Richter quietly walked over. His eyes paused on her hand. It was holding a white card.

He stood there for a long time, then decided not to cover her with a blanket. He gently placed the lantern beside her, sat down in the nearby chair, took a book from the small bookshelf, and quietly began to read.

The night was quiet.