Storm of Gods

Chapter 160 The Faceless Man's Sorrow

On the outskirts of Dipo City in the Misty Continent, the dim and lonely Lighthouse No. 108 shines brightly, indicating that the lighthouse keeper here is doing quite well.

The lighthouse's light consists of two parts. One part is the spire at the top of the lighthouse, which is forged from special psionic crystals and blessed by the Triads. It emits a light that deters the abyss and repels evil invasion. The other part is the lighthouse's torch, which is the job of the lamplighter. The torch that is extinguished is the lamplighter's torch. Once it is extinguished, a new lamplighter will be sent to take over.

Barty is alive, but now it's more painful than facing death. He feels like he's going crazy, falling step by step into the abyss. He's not afraid of any physical pain, nor of any kind of enemy. Death is salvation, liberation. But he finds his soul is uncontrollably adrift. He can't shake off what he heard and saw under that starry sky, and that word "sir," as if under a spell. He begins to question everything he's endured.

The ideas instilled from the moment of birth are deeply ingrained, but the instinctive, free-thinking mind is so alluring and penetrating, gradually eroding his brain. The occasional delirium further burdens his mind, and once he begins to contradict and consume himself, the delirium will invade even more fiercely.

Bati had heard many omens of the Fall in Camp Rathal, and this was the most obvious one: the Fall is when the demons of the Abyss dig into the desires and evils of human nature, gradually making people doubt everything, and eventually willingly becoming evil spirits, becoming lackeys of the Abyss, and turning around to slaughter their own relatives.

His family, his sister, and the thought of Elsa made Barty's eyes harden. He could die, but he could not become a Fallen One, because that would implicate Elsa.

Barty looked at the view outside the lighthouse with a touch of reluctance. He was a warrior who had hoped to die in battle and also wanted to see Elsa one last time.

Bati quietly tidied up the lighthouse from top to bottom and refilled the torch with black oil, but in the end, he still caused trouble for the city of Diva.

Barty now held a gleaming black knife in his hand. He took one last look at the world outside and said, "Elsa, live well and be happy."

Without hesitation, he plunged the black knife into his heart. Crimson blood gushed out, and his body collapsed limply. Blood seeped into the gray stone beneath him. As his soul was about to perish, the words "Mr. Lion" echoed in Barty's mind...

He smiled.

Inside the monastery, Estella, who had been praying in the Hall of All Life, was starting to feel restless. She... was really not suited for asceticism. Although she didn't dislike this kind of life, the gods would probably get annoyed if she, full of energy, stayed here every day complaining to them.

So Estella went to Sister Alassa, the headmistress. Alassa seemed to have expected Estella to come. In a room that couldn't be simpler, Alassa boiled a kettle of water and poured a glass for Estella.

"Estella, have you had any insights lately?" Alassa asked.

Estella stuck out her tongue. "Master, is it the truth or a lie?"

“I’d like to hear it all.” Alassa waved her sleeve, which hung empty; the nun was very thin.

“Truth is a quiet place where I can think a lot and clear my mind, while lies are like a feeling of divine will,” Estella said.

“Oh, that’s great. Whether it’s true or false, it’s all part of the Supreme Will’s plan. Tell me about it?” Estella smiled slightly.

“I want to go out and see the world, to experience it for real,” Estella said. “Master, whether as a devout believer or a princess of the kingdom, I’ve been stuck in a closed world, seeing and hearing only illusions. What am I?”

"What you feel is also real, so why would you say it's fake?"

“What I did is not my truth. I don’t think it’s the truth. If it is, I want to verify it through my own eyes and my own experience, rather than the truth that others tell me and forcibly interpret it. Teacher Vladimir often said that all knowledge divorced from experience is pseudo-knowledge, and I think faith is too.” Estella said earnestly. Yes, during meditation, she had been thinking about how to tell her master.

Dean Alasha wasn't surprised. "I once had a disciple, who was also your and Jialan's senior sister. She was very talented and devout. When she reached a certain stage in her cultivation, she requested to descend the mountain for training." At this point, Alasha seemed lost in thought. This was the first time Estella had heard that she had a senior sister; she must have been their master's last disciple. "And then, what happened to her?"

“One day, two years after she left the temple, she suddenly came back to say goodbye. She said she had found the path she wanted to take, and then she never came back,” Sister Alassa said.

Estella was a little confused. "You mean she betrayed her faith?"

Sister Alassa looked at Estella. "Yes and no. She no longer accepts the faith of the convent and walks on an unknown path, doing some things against humanity. Estella, overturning everything about yourself is extremely painful. It's like tearing your soul apart and then rebuilding it. Are you sure you want to take this step?"

Estella didn't know what her senior sister had gone through or what she had done, but it was her own decision, and it was obvious whether she would regret it for a moment or for a lifetime. "Yes, Master, I have been thinking about this question. I want to try. No, I must go out and make my way out!"

Sister Alassa stood up. "Come with me."

Estella was somewhat agitated. Leaving the palace was simply impossible; her two elder brothers had been beaten and were terrified. Although Grand Scholar Vladimir was highly respected by their father, he would not interfere in matters of the harem. Only the Abbot's Monastery, a sacred place that believed in the supreme will, held a special status and could find a way out.

Estella followed Sister Alassa back to the familiar Hall of All Life. The hall was still cold and had a slightly graveyard-like atmosphere. Suddenly, Alassa's figure floated up, as if weightless, and hovered in the air. She came to a cube, stretched out her withered wooden hand and placed it on the cube. The runes on it lit up, the door disappeared, and there was a box inside.

Alassa brought the box to Estella, who immediately recognized it as being made of the Wood of Life. Strangely, it felt different from any box she had ever seen before.

“Open it and take a look,” Alazar said.

Estella thought there would be some kind of test, but the box opened easily. Inside, a pale human face lay quietly. Estella was a little surprised but not frightened.

Perhaps it's her personality; she wasn't born a delicate little princess, and she even felt it wasn't scary enough. She thought it would be more exciting if something popped out from inside.

“This is a secret artifact called the Sorrow of the Faceless Man. Wearing it allows you to change your appearance according to your imagination,” Alassa said.

Estella instantly understood; this was practically a magic weapon for escape! "Thank you, Master!"

"There are two important points to remember about this concealment tool: choose one appearance to remember, and do not change it too often to avoid getting lost. It should not be used for more than two days, ideally within one day, and the interval between uses should preferably exceed the usage time."

"What happens if we exceed the time limit?" Estella asked curiously.

"Nothing will happen," Alassa said calmly.

Estella asked, somewhat puzzled, "What are its side effects?"

This is a problem inherent in any covert tool: the more useful it is, the more difficult it is to deal with the hidden dangers.

"If you wear it for too long, you'll forget who you are."

(End of this chapter)