Evidently, Regexima sensed the confusion swirling in Eros’s mind and promptly explained:
"I recently dealt with a group of cultists in Hydalam who worship the Endless Mist. I was slightly affected by the fog they summoned because I wasn't careful."
"Though the impact is minor, it is ultimately a power related to the Mist. I feared that looking at you might trigger a reaction from the layer of mist shielding your bloodline. That is why I chose to blindfold myself."
Eros was struck by both realization and curiosity. "The mist shielding my bloodline?"
Regexima sounded surprised. "That fellow Anthony didn't tell you?"
Eros shook his head. Regexima frowned, pondered for a moment, and then spoke:
"Forget it! It’s not that important anyway—just don't go spreading it around. When Anthony was verifying your lineage, he discovered a layer of mist shrouding the 'upstream' of your bloodline. The nature of that mist is identical to the fog found at sea."
"Therefore, we suspect that the benevolent Lord of the Elves—to prevent others from accidentally spying upon Him—deliberately intercepted a segment of mist and placed it over your bloodline to block all prying eyes. Any being powerful enough to perceive that mist would immediately understand the significance of what it represents and wouldn't dare peer any deeper."
Eros felt a sense of clarity. So, the Elven Goddess had actually placed a protective fog over his bloodline. However, according to the High Priest, this mist was the same kind found at sea, and it might even be related to the evil god known as the Endless Mist.
I didn't misunderstand that, did I?
But why would the Elven Goddess use fog associated with an evil god to shield me? Isn't She afraid that putting such a thing on me would attract that evil god's attention?
Likely not. She must have processed the mist to ensure it wouldn't draw the gaze of the Endless Mist. Or perhaps, this 'Endless Mist' is only an 'evil god' in the eyes of the Church, much like my own ancestor.
Still, it was better to confirm. Eros organized his words and asked curiously:
"Is the mist in my bloodline truly related to that evil god, the Endless Mist? I’ve never even heard of such a deity."
Regexima let out a small, amused huff. "The 'Endless Mist' is simply what people call the fog surrounding the sea. Some warlocks believe the mist itself is a deity, so they started worshipping it and gave it the honorary name: The Endless Mist."
"They believe the fog encircling the entire Croatia Continent is a symbol of this god 'ranching' humanity. They think that by being devout, they will be chosen to leave this cage and head to the 'Real World.'"
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"Because that mist is indeed connected to an ancient evil god in the deep sea, their prayers were heard. That deity began to respond. Most who received a response turned into indescribable monsters."
"However, a small fraction didn't lose their sanity. They merely transformed into half-human, half-fish beings. They view this change as a divine blessing—the true form of people from the Real World. Those who turned into monsters are dismissed as being insufficiently devout and thus punished by the god."
"Half-human, half-fish?" Eros blinked and tested the waters: "Like the legendary merfolk?"
Croatia had legends of merfolk. Could those legends have started because someone saw these followers of the Endless Mist?
Regexima shook his head and chuckled. "No! A merman's upper body is indistinguishable from a human's. These things... they are just fish that grew limbs. They call themselves Deep Ones (深潜者) and refer to normal humans as the 'Forsaken'."
Does that mean real merfolk actually exist?
Wait! Deep Ones? Is it the 'Deep Ones' I’m thinking of? Eros’s eyes widened.
"You've heard of them?" Regexima looked at Eros with surprise.
Eros quickly suppressed his expression and shook his head. "I was just shocked by the idea of a fish growing limbs."
Regexima smiled. "Until you reach the Beyonder rank, avoid looking into their appearance unless absolutely necessary. They are linked to that ancient evil god of the deep sea. Even though the transformation is just a result of His unconscious response, they carry pollution far beyond their actual strength. If you aren't strong enough, looking at them too often will contaminate you."
Eros nodded, indicating he understood. However, hearing Regexima mention the "ancient evil god of the deep sea" several times made him think of the "Tentacle Bro" who spent all day wandering around his soul space. Barbara had explained that Tentacle Bro was the oldest life form in the world.
Ancient evil god... deep sea... it's hard not to connect the two.
Unfortunately, with Regexima present, Barbara couldn't answer his questions. He would have to wait until the conversation ended.
"Alright, let's stop there. You're still at a low sequence; the more you know about the ocean, the easier it is to be contaminated." Regexima clapped his hands to end the topic. He then faced Eros with a serious expression.
"My goal in finding you wasn't just to see you. I also wanted to ask about the specific situation in that Sin Realm. For instance, when did the mutation occur, and what exactly changed?"
Eros thought for a moment. He didn't hide everything but chose specific parts he could safely share. After listening, Regexima frowned in deep thought before asking:
"Is that all? Did you notice any other strange phenomena? Anything else worth noting?"
Eros shook his head. Regexima’s expression flickered with disappointment. He fell silent, lost in thought.
Seeing this, Eros asked softly: "I want to know what exactly happened during the assessment. Why did the rescue take so long? Of course, if my clearance isn't high enough, you don't have to say."
As a High-Positioned One on the scene, Regexima undoubtedly knew the details.
Regexima shook his head slowly. "There’s no need to hide this from you. The Evil God on the Red Moon awakened for unknown reasons. He cast a gaze upon this Sin Realm, which caused the contamination to intensify and the realm to start sinking."
"If I hadn't arrived in time, this realm would have plunged back into the Abyss. Even so, it took me several days to pull it back to its original position. That is why the rescue was so slow."
"I am currently trying to figure out why that Evil God woke up. An Evil God who has slept for ten thousand years suddenly awakening is not a good omen for the physical world."
By the end, Regexima’s voice was laced with worry.