The black sun hangs high

Chapter 86 Information Gap

What exactly is the black sun?

To understand this concept, one needs to approach it from different fields and perspectives.

For the members of the team behind the game "Black Sun Age," the so-called black sun was the origin of the game's story, the background driving force behind the entire game's internal cycle and mechanics, and of course, a model hanging in the sky to provide atmosphere.

For players of this game, the rise of the black sun signifies that their gameplay will become more challenging, with more unknowns and dangers appearing in the game world, but also with more rewards.

However, for the real Vaan, for those who truly live here...

This is a black celestial body that replaced the original warm and bright sun and brought ominous omens.

When it hangs high in the sky, all the magic in Vaan will become chaotic. That power will cause the bodies of wild beasts to mutate, crops to wither, and docile livestock to become frenzied. Under its influence, people's desires and emotions will also be amplified. Moreover, the magic crystal mining industry, which has been the main productive force and technological pillar of Vaan in the past, will also suffer a severe impact.

The magic within the magic crystals has become active and elusive, its instability has increased, and the escaping magic will continuously affect everything around it, even causing the poor miners to suffer from strange illnesses...

Although none of this has happened yet, through Zeke Ernst's words, Hughes could already hear the heavy footsteps of this terrible disaster.

The absurdity lies in the fact that the footsteps of that black sun are clearly the rumbling sounds of cannon fire from humanity itself.

"Isn't that only son of the abyss who crawled out of the city of Seren, the pit of avatar sacrifice, sitting right in front of me?"

There are two completely different things between thinking something in your heart and hearing someone say it out loud, especially when those words came from Zeke Ernst, a member of the Black Sun Society, the impact of which was even more astonishing.

"I never imagined that I would one day receive treatment that is almost like 'official certification'."

Hugh sighed inwardly.

Hughes only dared to believe a portion of Zek Ernst’s current behavior and what he said.

The reason is simple: the head of the Ernst family and the former marshal of the kingdom should not be someone who blindly follows vague prophecies. If all the decisions of someone sitting in such an important position are based on so-called prophecies as absolute references, then replacing that person with an obedient dog would probably not have made much difference.

Hugh thought for a moment and decided to continue speaking in the same direction.

"Whether this old guy is putting on an act for me or is truly a loyal 'follower' of the Black Sun Society, it's not appropriate for me to directly question his story right now..."

So Hugh asked, "When did you decide that I would become the so-called... 'Son of the Abyss'?"

Perhaps due to emotional fluctuations, or perhaps because his mouth was a little dry, his voice was slightly hoarse.

"A long time ago."

"So that's yet another prophecy, right?"

The old man did not answer; he simply looked at Hugh and smiled quietly.

"Okay, then I'll try to understand what you mean..."

Hugh's body was tense, and his palms pressed involuntarily on the small round table in front of him. The light cast his face and expression onto the glass display cases that sealed various weapons, intertwining with countless shadows from all directions.

“My experience was meticulously planned by the Black Sun Society. They arranged all of this according to prophecy, and the reason why my family didn’t send someone to take me away before the peace celebration in Seren City is because…”

"The society needs the city of Seren to be turned into a pit of sacrifice."

The old man picked up where Hugh had left off, his voice as calm as a sharp, polished bayonet: “Everything is part of the sacrificial ritual, and Hugh Ernst’s existence and escape are naturally part of it… and of course, some other things as well.”

"But you know nothing about my experiences in Seren, so what makes you think that what was prophesied has already happened? Can't something unexpected happen?"

Upon hearing Hugh's words, the old man nodded approvingly. His gaze lingered briefly on Hugh's hand resting on the table before he said, "There are some changes that cannot be created by human power or magic, and now they have appeared on you... For the Society, this is the most powerful evidence."

"Only three people in this entire family know about the society and these prophecies."

“Me, you, and of course your father, Yerevan.”

As if worried that Hughes might have overheard something, the old man slowed his speech: "I am very, very old. Once I leave these secret rituals in the manor, I will die soon. So it won't be long before I lie in my grave and slowly rot. As for Erevan... heh, I know his abilities very well. He is not capable enough to lead the continuation of the Ernst family, nor does he have the ability to deal with everything that is about to happen."

He stared at the young man in front of him.

His gaze was so focused, as if he were looking in a mirror.

"For me personally, this is the real reason you're sitting here."

The snowflakes outside the window formed a continuous blanket, seemingly creating a barrier that could isolate any secret conversations.

Hughes pondered Old Zeke's words repeatedly, feeling that something was amiss, but he couldn't quite pinpoint the key.

So he decided to ask about the manor hotel first.

"Alright, even if I really am the so-called 'Son of the Abyss' that you're talking about, then what's going on with the things at the manor hotel? The manor has clearly not undergone any renovations, so why force all the younger generation to gather in a hotel that is obviously abnormal?"

The old man replied, "This is an ancient tradition upheld by the Ernst family. As early as the beginning of the cooperation between the family and the society, the family established this inheritance ceremony with the 'help' of the society."

"That manor hotel is actually the family's original residence. According to the society, the will of the Ernst family resides there... When the old and new generations change, all young people who are candidates for succession will move in there and be selected by the family's will."

"The screening you're talking about, you mean throwing your offspring off a building? That's a really wild method."

Hughes didn't hide his skepticism: "So, will what happened tonight continue?" "Maybe, maybe not."

The old man shook his head: "But in any case, members of the Ernst family must follow the family's will and accept whatever the consequences may be. This is one of the lessons that the association teaches the family."

"Let's set aside for now the reasons why you insist on making me the family heir... I just want to know what I should be doing at the manor hotel? And what if the 'family will' you speak of ultimately chooses someone else?"

"It will definitely come for you, so just do what you need to do."

Zeke Ernst stared at the young man in front of him: "Kid, in some ways you should know better than I do."

……

As Hughes was led away from the enormous Ernst Manor by the silent guards, his mind was still far from at peace.

This situation was caused not only by the many secrets Zeke Ernst revealed to him, but also by the strange sense of contrast that Hughes sensed in this Ernst family leader.

Zeke Ernst, known as the Three-Clawed Falcon, shouldn't be like this.

In Hughes's vision, the old man should be a wise and calm soldier, an absolutely rational and intelligent politician, rather than a believer in any association.

As Hughes walked to the entrance of the manor hotel, something suddenly occurred to him.

He suddenly realized why he found what old Zeke had said so strange.

"When he talked about the prophecy and the so-called only son of the abyss, he used the subject 'the society'... Only when he talked about the family succession did he use the word 'I' again. Moreover, old Zeke's way of expressing himself was very similar on the issue of the manor hotel. Could this mean that the old man's attitude towards the so-called succession ceremony and prophecy is actually very ambiguous? But he can't say it openly for some reason?"

Standing in the lobby of the manor hotel, Hugh felt his head throbbing violently.

I feel like I'm starting to develop a brain.

Under the watchful eyes of the guards, he headed towards the hotel's staircase and climbed up the stairs, one floor at a time.

On this night, a flood of information almost filled Hugh's mind. Despite being exhausted from a whole day, he felt no sleepiness at all.

It is too agonizing for one person to bear and think about these things.

As he climbed the stairs, Hughes realized that his predictions about the Ernst family were wildly inaccurate.

In fact, not only him, but even Princess Sophia had huge gaps and misunderstandings in her understanding of the Ernst family and old Zeke.

They have never been concerned with the same thing.

As a princess, Sofia Augustine's goal was to weaken or even eliminate the interference of the nobility in the kingdom's power as much as possible, to bring power in important areas such as the military and economy back to the royal family, and to make the nobles mere mascots of the kingdom, allowing them to focus on the continuation of their families and the upbringing of their descendants.

Zeke Ernst, whose primary target was Princess Sofia, didn't care about any of that.

"Compared to worldly power and profit struggles, what this old guy really cares about seems to be the survival of the family... And judging from all the previous signs, whether it is the so-called 'Son of the Abyss' identity that I have inexplicably taken on now, or the things that are happening in the manor hotel now, it seems that the Black Sun Society is inseparable from the existence of all the events related to the Ernst family."

"If Zeke Ernst is indeed wary of the Black Sun Society, as I suspect, then the fact that he hasn't fully sided with Princess Sophia under these circumstances suggests that he doesn't believe the kingdom's power alone can eliminate the society's influence on the family."

"Does he want... me to do this for him?"

While lost in thought, Hugh arrived at the floor where his room was located, where guards were also on guard.

He pushed open the door and went into his room.

"Judging from the Black Sun Society's actions and the summoning rituals they possess, they are very likely related to the ancient gods mentioned by Theseus. Therefore, what I saw and felt in this manor hotel might also be something similar to the offspring of the Dark Abyss."

"Only in this way can it directly provoke hostility and resistance from forces such as the Touch of Calron from the Dream Sanctuary."

Hugh went to the desk, and following his usual thinking habits, quickly pulled out a piece of paper and started scribbling on it.

"The Black Sun Society's judgments on those prophecies are clearly flawed."

"According to the Society's prophecy, the former Hugh Ernst is indeed dead. Just as I heard the eulogy when I was being corrupted by the Dark Abyss Spawn, the essence of this body is an empty shell without a soul... Therefore, according to their original plan, the summoned Dark Abyss Spawn should 'occupy' this body and complete the identity replacement."

"But in fact, this prophecy has obvious flaws—although it was already ambiguous enough, what happened in the city of Seren and the changes in my body have completely transcended the predictions of these sentences."

"Firstly, if the Abyss Child refers to the Dark Abyss Offspring summoned by the mages of the Black Sun Society, then the Dark Abyss Offspring is no longer complete. According to the memories I obtained before and the information from the Law Committee, it was forced to split its power after being severely injured. One part wandered around Seren City, and the other part became my 'food'."

"Secondly, if the Abyss's only son is referring to 'Shug Ernst,' then the members of the Black Sun Society would not know that this body had actually had its soul completely changed long before the Peace Festival incident. Moreover, the existence of the Dream Sanctuary and Theseus has brought new variables..."

“In addition, the role played by old Zeke in this series of events is also very subtle. I need to further verify and judge to confirm that he did want to convey some information to me, rather than deliberately guiding me.”

Hughes looked up, and his image was reflected on the glass window under the light.

The figure in the mirror appears to be smiling, yet it looks somewhat eerie and sinister.

"It seems that I still have the key information gap in my hands, which means that I can make some bold attempts and plans based on it... Theseus, is this what you call improvisation?"

Snowflakes drifted and swirled outside the window.

This was indeed a heavy snowfall.

(End of this chapter)