We walked through the forest in silence for a few hours until we found a clearing as it was already getting dark.
Euphy soon let out a deep sigh while searching for some items in her bag.
[ There are two types of divinity. ]
She said suddenly as she began to draw a five-pointed star on the ground.
[ Neither good, nor evil. ]
She then searched for flowers and herbs in the surrounding woods, which she soon gathered with a knife.
[ Left and Right. ]
She finally pulled a few more items from her bag and set up an improvised altar on which she placed the flowers and the bear's head.
She then coughed before looking at me.
[ It would require a separate lesson to explain to you what Left or Right would be, but understand that good and evil do not exist for beings so powerful and that they never wish us harm. ]
She then placed the bear's body in the middle of the pentagram while I only watched without reacting.
Euphy soon stretched her own body as she let out a satisfied moan.
[ Just watch and then ask questions, okay? ]
I nodded while Euphy continued the long preparations.
She lit candles, burned herbs over coals, recited chants, and so on for hours on end.
The moon was already shining high in the sky with its silver light.
I was lying down, almost falling asleep after so many hours of watching, when then…
"Kai…come…come here…come closer… come to me…"
An almost inaudible whisper was caught, giving me chills and immediately making me arm myself as I searched for the origin of the sound.
But there was nothing there.
The forest was empty.
It was just a dark and empty forest.
Contradicting me, a wolf howled loudly in the night.
However, the sound didn't seem to come from the forest but from the circle.
PACK PACK PACK
The sound of paws echoed around Euphy as she rang a golden bell.
A wolf seemed to run around her.
"Kai… I know… know that you hear me… come to me… don't ignore me…"
'Shit…'
I immediately stood up and approached the circle, distancing myself from the sinister, shadowy forest.
Approaching the circle, I looked at the forest in front of me.
There was nothing there.
It was just a forest.
However, the wind grew increasingly stronger and, contrary to expectations, the candles burned even more intensely.
The flames only grew.
The howls grew louder.
The whispers grew closer and closer…
"Kai… don't ignore me… I know you hear me… I know, I know, I KNOW!!!"
[ EUPHY!!! ]
I immediately shouted to her, the whispers turning into screams as the forest changed.
Shadowy figures with horns rose in the forest, with silver eyes staring at me from afar.
The trees began to open, eyes appearing from fissures. Staring deeply at me.
[ Don't be a crybaby, it'll be over soon. ]
She continued the rite without stopping.
However, instead of relieving me, it only terrified me even more.
In all directions the shadows approached with slow steps toward us.
THUMP THUMP THUMP
My heart beat harder with each step they took, my body instinctively retreating into the pentagram.
However, the shadows came closer and closer.
Until then…
The shadows stopped just one step away from the pentagram.
They refused to take even a single step further.
…
[ Euphy? ]
Suddenly, Euphy's body began to rise and fall rapidly, letting out a soft laugh.
"Hahaha, finally! Ah, finally. How long I've wanted to come down to Earth."
'I'm so fucking screwed!'
A heavy chill ran through my body when I heard English being spoken in another world.
Euphy didn't know that language, and yet she was speaking it.
She turned to look at me, a wide smile spreading across her face as black lines ran down her cheeks.
Her body moved in a natural yet strange way, considering Euphy's habits — as if an old woman were inhabiting the body of a young girl.
With slow steps, the entity that had taken possession of her approached me, each step she took forcing me to retreat one more.
"Don't run, don't run, little one. There's no reason to fear those who live in the shadows, and consequently, no reason to fear me."
I clenched my teeth, realizing there was nowhere left to retreat.
"Are you a being of the shadows?"
"Yes, precisely. An absolute and irrevocable truth. One that no one can contest."
"As far as I know, those who hide in the shadows are the ones with sinister intentions."
"Yes, yes, you're right, little one! Absolutely right! How clever you are!"
The entity smiled broadly and burst into laughter.
"Exactly for that reason, I live in the shadows, because only shadows can kill other shadows."
She continued laughing loudly as the wolves howled and the shadows screamed along.
"Everywhere there are shadows and light. But light rests, while shadows never sleep. They see everything and know everything, and unlike the light, they can do anything."
I listened cautiously.
"We are those who bring justice and defend the truth, no matter the cause. Blood will be paid with blood."
I nodded before speaking slowly.
"And in theory, I am a Sinner…"
"Oh yes, how terrible. You did what you shouldn't have, more than a few times. But who has never made a mistake, right?"
The entity shrugged.
"But what?" I said, surprised. "And what about all that blood-for-blood talk? Not that I'm angry… but…"
"Did you do it on purpose?"
"No."
"Did you hurt any conscious being?"
"I don't know, maybe?"
"Tsk, no, of course not. Those creatures were just common beasts—stupid and dumb. What the hell changes if you kill one or two of them? As far as I know, none of them is going to become the next Einstein or Tesla. We're not losing anything by killing them."
"Hey! Hey! Hey! I know that somehow you know about the other world, but what the hell! Don't mention them so casually."
The entity rolled her eyes and sighed.
"Natural balance is important, but do you really think all life is worth the same? Not even humans are equal among themselves—imagine animals. I couldn't care less if you cross the line once in a while. You're worth far more than them, even more than this girl here or this entire continent!"
"…"
I was left speechless for a few moments.
"Anyway, let's get down to business, boy," the entity said, sitting cross-legged and resting her face on her hand.
"Kai, right? That's your name now. I have the duty to purify you, and that requires exposing you to the four elements. But I'd also like to add a bonus and expose you to healing. All of that for a few virtual decades—another bonus. You can refuse and go with the classic purification, or you can accept."
"Why?" I asked, feeling that this offer was far more elaborate than I had expected.
"Primordial Force. They've already told you about physical reinforcement, so we'll skip that part. But no one told you about skill development, did they?"
The entity chuckled softly.
"Primordial Force is stubborn—very stubborn. It hates changing form, no matter what. But that doesn't mean it's impossible."
"Tell me more," I said, intrigued by the persuasive tone.
"Primordial Force can be molded into infinite forms, but they require the user to have such intimate knowledge of the desired form that developing a skill becomes practically impossible—unless you spend decades exposing yourself to that desired form. For example, if you want metal abilities, you'd need to touch metal, lick metal, hug metal, and even eat metal. For decades, you'd have to treat it better than your wife."
"And what you're proposing is spending decades studying Primordial Force in a 'virtual' world."
"Exactly!"
"Why?"
"Well… first, it's a purification ritual—more advanced, but still one. Second, no one in this world really knows how to use Primordial Force properly anymore, and it's an opportunity to encourage that culture. Third, you're special—very special—and after you finish playing in bed with this girl, you'll be perfect for teaching others about it. So, are you in or not?"
"Who's the idiot who refuses power?"
The entity laughed, amused.
"Very well then. Let's begin."