The black sun hangs high

Chapter 178 "A Double Act"

As Hugh answered, the black sun above the sculpture flickered slightly, its dim light still falling evenly on Hugh, while a dim shadow also flashed across the face of the prophet Murnabi, who stood on the other side of the sculpture.

Hughes's answer was, of course, sincere.

But only he himself knows that his answer is based not only on his current situation, but also on his past.

However, for the Black Sun Society members present, it will probably take quite some time to understand the term "atheist".

The prophet Mullabbi sensed the change in the rites, and at that moment, an uncontrollable look of ecstasy appeared on his face—Shug's answer had passed the verification of the rites, which meant that the gods of Vain truly held no place in his heart.

This not only means that Hugh has the prerequisites to join the Black Sun Society, but also verifies the correctness of the Black Sun Society's past prophecies and decisions. Mullabby even feels that from today onwards, the status of prophets and "messengers of a thousand faces" will be elevated to an unprecedented level within the entire Black Sun Society!
It wasn't just Mulnabi whose expression changed.

When the others present realized that Hugh had actually passed the ritual's verification, their expressions began to change.

While the members of the Black Sun Society reacted differently to Hugh passing the first test of the ritual, Hugh, standing in the very center of the banquet hall and bathed in the magical light of the Black Sun Ritual, was also using his abilities to keenly observe the changes around him.

Hugh's perception encompassed the subtle movements of these people, their whispers, and their varied expressions.

He noticed that the gazes of several people who worshipped the Lord of the Sea, Calron, were becoming more fervent, especially those of the two scantily clad women. One of them was even licking her lips, and a suspicious blush appeared on her delicate face, making one wonder what she was thinking.

Behind the prophet Mullabbi, people who knew him were already gently patting him on the shoulder in celebration.

The twins from the Gesell family looked astonished, seemingly unable to believe that Hugh had never actually believed in any god.

The "instructor" who brought him to Black Forest Castle smiled, seemingly having great confidence in Hugh as one of the planners of the Seren City massacre.

Meanwhile, standing on the other side, Kezlov's gaze was somewhat strange. He was probably one of the few people present who remained deeply wary of Hugh.

"Cough cough!"

Herbert, who was presiding over the ritual, coughed lightly twice, successfully suppressing the commotion in the crowd. Then he gave Hugh a satisfied smile: "Very good, Mr. Hugh Ernst, you have not disappointed the Society... Now, we have two more questions."

"Please."

Hughes nodded, his expression remaining calm.

But in fact, his wariness of the people present had increased again. The reason was simple—the metal disc did not slow down its rotation after he passed the first test; on the contrary, it accelerated. Its current state was very similar to when Hugh faced great risks and hidden dangers in the past. As the metal disc rotated at high speed, the magic power emanating from the center of the disc was also spreading to every corner of Hugh's spiritual world.

Judging from Hugh's past experience, this can already be seen as the metal disc itself "preparing for battle".

So, while Hughes remained alert, Herbert posed the second question.

“Mr. Hugh Ernst, please tell us, are you still the same person you used to be? If not, when did the change occur?”

As Herbert asked his question, the black sun on the magical sculpture in front of Hugh began to slowly flicker and rotate. It became even more profound, and just as Herbert had said before, this eerie black sun seemed to be transforming into an "eye".

Hugh stared at it, and although the circular shadow looked completely black, he could still sense the strange changes it was undergoing.

He sensed that the shadow was transforming into a strange passage connecting to some distant space-time, and at the end of this passage, an extremely bizarre force was being directed at him.

That seemed to be the gaze of some being.

A gaze distinct from that of humans or intelligent beings, yet bearing a distinct sense of scrutiny.

At that moment, Hugh clearly felt a force spreading from the outside world into his spiritual world.

He initially thought it was an invasion similar to that of the Dark Abyss Offspring, but when they entered his spiritual world, Hugh was surprised to find that this power brought him a strange sense of familiarity.

Like a provocative act with a strong sense of wickedness, this force, after entering Hugh's mental world, did not directly collide with his magic. Instead, it followed the tide of Hugh's magic and lightly circled around his metal disc before suddenly changing direction and crashing into the metal disc.

Naturally, this faint power was shattered as the metal disc spun. At the same time, all the members from the Dream Sanctuary reacted, especially the Mirror Messenger and the Palace Hound, both of whom showed great excitement and joy. The hound even went directly to the Mirror Messenger's "room" and happily circled around there.

This is not a test or an attack at all.

Instead, it can be interpreted as "greeting".

After realizing the peculiarity of this power, Hugh felt a very subtle sensation when he tried to sense the gaze peering from the secret ritual.

"You said you were going on a long trip, did you end up in a place like this?"

Hughes made eye contact with the black sun above the shrine, but he was unable to ask questions under the watchful eyes of the Black Sun Society members.

Seeing that Herbert was about to ask a second question, Hugh quickly focused his attention and then gave an answer that was accurate in result but clearly wrong in process and timing.

"As you have all asked, I am indeed no longer the Hugh Ernst I once was... I have been completely changed since I left the city of Seren."

The moment Hugh finished answering, the black sun above the ritual instrument trembled twice. Amidst the slightly trembling, strange light and shadow, another surge of magic was "infused" into Hugh's direction. This time, Hugh was surprised to find that it contained clear information.

To be precise, it was a short sentence.

“Continue.” This time, Hugh was finally certain that only someone who called himself the “Master of a Thousand Faces” could provide such information.

Although Hugh didn't know why Theseus was "communicating" with him in this unusual way, he felt relieved since Theseus had given him such a clear hint.

He withdrew his gaze and looked at his side.

Under Theseus's manipulation, the Black Sun Ritual naturally reacted without any problems. When the members of the Black Sun Society discovered that Hugh had passed the ritual's test once again, they became even more satisfied, especially the lecturers and other spellcasters belonging to the 'Dark Abyss Historiography'.

To them, Hugh's answer and the cryptic response clearly revealed that the Black Sun Society's plan in Seren had been successfully completed.

This time, even Herbert, the second-in-command of the society, had a satisfied smile on his face, because as the presiding officer of the Black Sun Ritual, he could fully sense even the slightest magical fluctuations within the ritual.

As a spellcaster with the potential to reach the Deep Sea level, Herbert was certain that the ritual that the society had been using was in better condition than ever before. The flow of magic within it was so smooth that it was astonishing. Under its influence, the magic in the entire banquet hall seemed to be resonating, and the slight vibrations that acted on the mental level were simply the most beautiful music!
The fact that the cryptic device reacted further proved that Hugh Ernst had indeed passed the test, and that he had even received the Black Sun's approval in advance!

"good very good!"

Herbert exclaimed, "Well then, Mr. Hugh, we have one last question."

The host composed himself, then cautiously asked, "Please answer us, are you... from another world?"

"?"

Hugh was startled the moment he heard the question.

This kind of question would be an "absolutely untouchable slide" for any visitor from another world, yet the other party threw it out so directly, which was somewhat unexpected.

However, Theseus's hint followed immediately.

The prompt remains concise, consisting of only one short sentence.

"Normal answer."

Hugh narrowed his eyes, then nodded heavily: "Yes, I do not belong to this world."

The moment he heard Hugh's answer, Herbert's expression became extremely interesting. As the one presiding over the ritual, he could have judged the result by sensing the flow of magic, but at this moment he couldn't help but look at the black sun hanging at the top of the magic sculpture along with the other members of the society.

Just like before, after Hugh gave his answer, the shadow of the black sun flickered twice, and then everything returned to normal.

But at this moment, this calm response became a blazing fire that ignited passion. Even Kzlov's face showed an expression that could be described as surprise. As for the Society members who were already extremely enthusiastic about Hugh, they now almost wanted to rush towards Hugh and embrace him.

"Everyone! Everyone!"

Herbert's voice trembled slightly. After asking these three incredible questions and receiving equally incredible answers from Hugh, the second-in-command of the society was at the peak of excitement. He knew that the prophecy that had guided the Black Sun Society forward over the long years was about to be fulfilled, and some of it had already been fulfilled!

The young man before us, who had come into contact with the power of the Dark Abyss, was reborn in the city of Seren, possessed an unusual soul, and was recognized by the Lost Ritual, is the best proof of this!

Herbert believed that this night was enough to be a watershed moment in the history of the Black Sun Society!
He raised his hand, made a slight gesture, and then said loudly, "Then, let's complete the final step..."

Herbert looked at Hugh again, his once wise and profound eyes now filled with fervor: "Mr. Hugh Ernst, or rather, the son of the abyss who symbolizes the rise of the black sun, on behalf of the Black Sun Knot, I extend to you my sincerest greetings and invitation... The Society yearns for your joining, and all members of the Society in Vaan long for your guidance!"

Hughes did not respond immediately; he was waiting for Theseus's "attitude."

"Agree, and be prepared."

This time, Hugh clearly felt a chilling coldness in Theseus's words, something Hugh rarely did, sensing an undisguised emotional bias in Theseus's words.

This strange deity, whom Hugh had previously known as someone who viewed everything as "fun," now seemed to be in a state of extreme repression.

A simple message, yet it seemed as if it were a thin, fragile ice sheet covering a turbulent undercurrent.

The metal disc reached its maximum speed again, and the Dream Sanctuary creations, including the Mirror Messenger and the Running Rats, which had also received Theseus's prompting, were now ready. Even the Touch of Calron, a being that could not easily express its emotions, began to expand the coverage of its hardened keratin, as if it were ready to hunt.

"Boom! Boom!"

With each heartbeat, a surge of powerful magic emerged, maintaining Hugh's mental state and calming his emotions.

He then raised his gaze and nodded slightly to Herbert.

"I agree."

The moment they heard Hugh's response, everyone in the banquet hall took two steps back, making enough space for Hugh. Herbert's eyes welled up with tears of excitement. He clenched his fist, and a delicate staircase made of magic appeared next to the magic sculpture, connecting the ground, the black sun at the top of the sculpture, and the statue of the goddess Mel.

“In that case… Mr. Hugh Ernst, please step forward!”

"Pick up the chains, pierce the body of the traitor, and accept the gifts of the Society!"

As Herbert spoke, the enormous sculpture, which had already materialized under the influence of magic, began to tremble slowly. Under the gaze of the tiny black sun, the top of the sculpture slowly cracked open, revealing a delicate metal staff.

(End of this chapter)