"The beasts of the earth cried out, declaring they needed no gods, and so the gods withdrew from their places, yielding to them."
"Endless light poured down, and the stars, the full moon, and the blazing sun appeared together in the sky."
"The beasts howled beneath the light, pleading for the gods to return to their rightful places."
"When the light had cleansed the earth, the gods returned, shedding tears for the fallen beasts, nourishing the land, and restoring life to the soil."
"Those tears were mercy." — The Divine Words: The Age of Desolation
Adam closed the book in his hands, not continuing any further. He knew well what the rest of the text entailed; he had only sought this book for its illustrations.
Due to the limitations of printing technology, the illustrations in the Divine Words missionary texts varied from region to region. These were typically crafted by the finest local artists.
From the illustrations, one could glean an understanding of the local artistic prowess.
Given the modest means of the Boku family, purchasing such a book was out of the question. It was, in fact, the monk named Fura who had lent it to him the day before. Fura held a favorable view of Adam, believing that with some study at the theological academy, he could become a monk himself.
Adam politely declined, citing the exorbitant tuition fees, and although Fura found it regrettable, he still entrusted him with the book.
A fleeting thought crossed Adam's mind, one tied to a less-than-pleasant experience, prompting him to massage his temple.
At present, he felt an overwhelming lack of security. With his identity, in a theocratic state like Saint Heavenly Sound, death seemed to hover in the air, a constant presence just beyond reach.
He desperately needed power. As for the power system of this world, Adam, for reasons unknown, was far less familiar with it than theology. At least in the realm of theology, he had learned a few rituals imbued with extraordinary power—rituals that could serve to conceal his true nature.
Thus, Adam's current supernatural abilities were limited to the immense physical strength granted by his werewolf transformation. He could easily overpower common thieves, but faced with another wielder of supernatural abilities, his chances of survival would be slim.
"Tonight, I must be especially cautious. Baron Mansra undoubtedly possesses extraordinary power," Adam reflected, recalling some of the intelligence he had gathered.
Although Adam was unfamiliar with the full scope of the supernatural powers in this world, he was acutely aware of certain facts.
Any noble, without exception, wielded some form of supernatural ability. A noble without such power was likely a counterfeit, or their bloodline was impure—such nobles would soon be stripped of their titles and reduced to commoners.
The fact that Baron Mansra had established a considerable presence in Roya City meant he, too, possessed extraordinary abilities.
"Is it true that a noble's powers are tied to their heraldry?" Adam mused. In his previous world, nobility also held "heraldry" as a form of identity, not only as an emblem but as a record of genealogy, honor, and deeds. In this world, however, heraldry was directly linked to power.
But to wield the power embedded in a noble's crest, one needed to possess the appropriate bloodline, and Adam had not given it much thought.
As the night fell darker, Adam exchanged farewells with Alis and Maggie, ruffling Lina's hair before retreating to the attic where he slept.
Shedding his outer garments, Adam lay in bed, waiting for the sounds from downstairs to gradually quiet. Once the house fell silent, he silently pushed open the attic's skylight, listening carefully for any disturbances. When all seemed clear, he began the transformation.
The moonlight that filtered through the skylight illuminated his face.
His skin was not particularly pale, and his gaunt features gave him an air of quiet resolve. His black bangs partially obscured a scar below his eye, a symbol-like mark, while his dark pupils turned a deep crimson as he blinked.
Every muscle, every bone in his body began to shift. His face elongated, his teeth grew into jagged fangs, his ears sharpened, and even his dark hair turned white during the process.
In just a few breaths, a towering, furry werewolf—its fur pure white—stood in the attic.
The sensation of transforming into a werewolf was indescribable, and Adam found it difficult to articulate the experience. Yet, this time, he sensed a heightened restlessness, a stirring in his bloodline. He believed his werewolf heritage was nearing full maturation, though he had no idea what that would entail.
Bending low to avoid hitting the ceiling, Adam's height increased from 1.5 meters to 1.8 meters after his transformation.
Once more, he listened carefully, then, without a sound, leaped from the attic, vanishing into the shadows cast by the moonlight, swiftly heading toward his destination.
The werewolf's transformation was rooted in his bloodline, which was not merely blood but contained something far more enigmatic within.
Unfortunately, Adam had no knowledge of how to fully tap into the power of his bloodline. He was more accustomed to concealing its strange traits than exploiting its strength.
The moment his feet hit the ground, Adam's long claws extended, anchoring him to the earth. His powerful body shifted from motion to stillness in an instant, hiding within the shadows, even his breath seemingly suspended.
Transformed, Adam was not the same as his human self. Though he retained a semblance of reason, his demeanor and thought patterns were altered. To compare it to human states, it was like the difference between being sober and drunk.
In human form, Adam was cautious, meticulous in his planning, and thoughtful in his actions. As a werewolf, however, he became more like a predator: cold, cunning, and decisive, driven by an instinctive hunger.
Two figures carrying oil lamps passed by, oblivious to the shadowy presence lurking nearby. With a single pounce, Adam could snap either of their necks before they even had a chance to cast a spell.
"Are we finally going to catch that wicked creature?"
"Yes, hurry, we can't let him escape."
Their voices, tinged with excitement, identified them as Church monks, and from their conversation, Adam inferred they had once again found an "evil being."
Adam silently watched them move on, his thoughts detached. His only hope was that their next destination would not be the Boku household.
Slipping past a street corner, Adam vaulted over the garden wall.
Inside the yard, two fierce dogs approached him, yet instead of barking, they wagged their tails and ran toward him, showing no signs of aggression.
This, Adam realized, was likely due to his own unique ability. After several encounters across the garden wall, the dogs had grown familiar with him and no longer saw him as a threat.
Patting their heads, he signaled for them to return to their resting place. He then scaled the ivy-covered wall with ease, his sharp claws sinking into the surface, leaving no trace behind.
Peering through a second-floor window, Adam surveyed the room within. His keen nostrils twitched as he detected various scents in the air.
In his werewolf form, Adam's sense of smell was far more acute, although he rarely relied on it. The environment in most parts of this world was far from pleasant, and some areas could even be classified as "toxic mist zones."
"Still no sign of extinguishing the lights?" he noted, observing the brightly lit interior. He had no intention of confronting the baron tonight.
Instead, he crouched by the window, quietly absorbing every detail—the smells, the sounds—gathering intelligence. Such subtle clues would give him an advantage in future encounters.
After 3 AM, once he confirmed that everyone inside had retired for the night, Adam silently entered the mansion, circling the interior before leaving again. He took a different route back, drawing nearer to the Boku household.
Only when he was sure there were no unusual activities nearby did he return to the attic through the skylight. In the distance, he could faintly hear the sound of noise, but it mattered little to him.
The next morning, Adam fetched some water from the well, preparing to wash up. His heightened senses made him somewhat obsessive about cleanliness.
Passing a street corner with a water bucket, he noticed a pile of firewood stacked on a nearby platform. It seemed the man they had been chasing hadn't managed to escape after all. Later, there would likely be a bonfire to celebrate.