"The God is dead."
I didn't know what to say about it. This world wasn't mine before. And now it is. If someone told you that the god of your world had died, what would you do?
Of course, they'd say, "huh, are you joking?" No one would believe it.
If I used comic and novel knowledge, the most probable cause would be a great war between gods that shattered the world.
Eh, if that's true... will I be affected by Corruption?
Without being asked, Demonic Crow seemed to answer Evan's thoughts.
"No, Corruption only infects those who reveal the secrets of the world openly. If it's just part of your own thoughts, it doesn't matter."
"In simple terms, that means a Contractor defines the world's secrets as whatever they personally perceive?"
"What else can we do? Unless you see 'the world' itself with your own eyes, then people can only perceive it half-blindly."
This is difficult. Assuming that all Contractors do not see the true nature of the world, and merely walk without a guiding light, then it's possible that many of them have splintered off and conducted research or training independently.
"Especially with the growing influence of the Church of Gods infecting the world, exploring the world's secrets becomes even more difficult. It's as if they're trying to hide everything from us."
The Church of Gods? They were likely the masterminds behind the experiments done to this body.
"Are they enemies of Contractors?"
Just to be sure, if I ever meet them, I'll need the option to either kill or flee.
"Worse than that," Demonic Crow spread his wings and struck a pose like a mentor explaining a lesson, "Contractors and the Hierophants under the Church of Gods are two sides of the same coin in this world. It would be death to not stand on either side, relying only on yourself."
Evan's expression tightened.
"Which side is winning?"
That was the question he wanted to ask, but like a drop of water swallowed by the earth, he chose not to say it.
Sensing Evan's reaction, Demonic Crow answered as if he could read his mind.
"Kuhuhuhu, actually, the Contractor's side is currently ahead. They—the Hierophants—need three or four people of the same level to defeat one of us. Remember this, Hierophants always fight in groups, while we Contractors are often surrounded by them."
"..."
This... isn't this the classic case of a Player trying to Raid a Boss?
Evan remembered someone he had met before, Magnus. If that man was already that strong even before ascending to a higher Accord, then treating every Contractor as a Raid Boss wasn't an exaggeration.
"Don't think that just because Contractors are powerful, you can charge into their base and court death. We Contractors are actually outnumbered. If there's one Contractor in this world, there will be a hundred Hierophants to oppose him."
"..."
Damn, we really are Raid Bosses—
No, maybe we're each the Final Boss!
Besides that, a 1:100 ratio... isn't that just overkill?!
Completely unbalanced. It might be better to live on the 'edge of the coin.' To live as an ordinary human, farm, socialize, and have a family. But if I choose that, I know with absolute certainty that I'll never make it back home.
"Then, what about ordinary people caught between the two sides of the coin?"
Demonic Crow tilted his head, as if unsure how to respond.
"Living as a regular human is actually quite safe. Especially in the Kingdoms or Empires under the banner of the Church, where people enjoy the resources and peace provided by the Church."
Oh! Oh! When I get out of here, I'll head for one of those Kingdoms and start exploring this isekai!
"Hehe, I can see the resolve in your eyes. My goodness, I almost forgot. Congratulations on awakening your 'Aura,' Aphotic."
"...?!"
Aura! That supernatural ability only possessed by Swordsman?
"It's better to try it yourself rather than have me explain too much. Don't ask too many questions. I'll leave you with a new world to explore. Wouldn't it be boring to know everything now without seeing it with your own eyes?"
Evan nodded, agreeing with Demonic Crow's words.
Receiving this much information without effort was definitely a blessing. But to 'know' without ever 'experiencing', that was exactly what he was going through now.
It's like being a student who understands theory but doesn't know how to put it into practice.
Eh, why does that sound familiar?
Ah, I've been through that before.
"..."
A broken education system.
"Try to feel the Aura you now possess. I'll take a short nap, wake me up when we're close to their camp, Aphotic."
I nodded and let Demonic Crow rest atop my head.
At the moment, we were surrounded by the same dense forest as before. The monotonous scenery made me wonder if we were trapped in an illusion. There wasn't a single living creature around us.
Not even a single ant.
"... Fuck, Demonic Crow. You left me alone in this horror setting."
No matter what, I had to keep walking and watch every step I took. Sometimes I had to blur the traces of my movement.
Because of the thick underbrush, each step I took left a fairly visible trail.
Right now, the most important thing was figuring out how to mobilize the Aura I had just awakened.
In fact, there were no signs, no traces, not even the slightest change during its awakening. If Demonic Crow hadn't told me, I'm sure I wouldn't have realized it.
"Hmm..."
Evan thought, trying to recall the sensation he felt when he stared down and strangled the knight he had killed earlier.
He had also felt what Aura was like. Gentle, soft, and elusive like mist.
He thought, and kept thinking. Evan focused on one single desire. He wanted to try whether the classic method of enlightenment would help.
Evan stopped and sat in a lotus position beneath a large tree, closing both his eyes. He didn't know whether this 'weird' method would work, but he wanted to see if he could feel the Aura.
What he wanted to do was meditate, a universal method believed to be possible anytime, anywhere (according to manhwa logic). The essence of this method was to focus the mind on the body and the flow of energy.
Even in his old world, Evan used to do it five minutes a day to improve study efficiency. Using it to circulate energy was a whole different matter.
Psssshh—
And as he focused, a burning flame ignited within his existence. It spread through his soul, body, and mind.