Chapter 184: Mourning Ceremony
Flames had spread everywhere, smoke filled the sky, and yet the pilgrims were still desperately looking for ways to save their fellow brothers and sisters.
Daniel raised his hand and used the Ragzar ring along with his understanding of the fire element to start dispersing the flames.
Suddenly, a massive wave of energy was released from his finger and began suppressing the fire.
The fire that had consumed everything around them slowly began to die down.
The pilgrims, who just moments ago were panicking in fear, now stood in silence and shock, staring at everything around them in confusion.
What just happened? How did the fire that had spread so wildly vanish so suddenly?
Where did all those flames that were burning the tents go?
What exactly had occurred?
Still, it wasn’t like no one understood what had just happened.
Malrik looked at Daniel in astonishment and disbelief. He had seen it with his own eyes—his friend raised his hand, and then boom! The fire just began to disappear.
How could that be anything but supernatural?
Could his friend be one of those powerful sorcerers who could destroy mountains and seas?
With that kind of power, how could he have been running from bandits? Is there even a bandit who would dare attack someone like him? The excuse Daniel gave him now seemed even more unbelievable.
While he was still in shock, Daniel was frowning—deeply.
He immediately activated his spiritual sense to try and see how the fire had started. His senses covered a wide area, but unfortunately, he still found nothing.
He glanced over at the pilgrims, who were searching the area to figure out the cause of the fire.
In the end, they assumed it had been an accident—something natural.
After that, they gathered the dead bodies. But it was clear—they were furious.
They were angry at the mechanisms of this world.
Angry at death itself. But the only thing they could really do was pray for the dead, hoping their souls would remain eternal.
They formed a circle around the bodies and sat down. The crowd of thousands had almost filled the area.
An old man with long white hair and a neatly trimmed beard stepped forward and sat above the bodies. He began whispering words:
"Let this breath be my last in time,
And my first in forever.
Horund, Keeper of the Endless Thread,
Guide me through the fracture—
Past the veils of decay and dawn.
Strip me of names, of shape, of self,
Until only the truth remains.
I walk into stillness,
Not to end, but to begin again.
In silence, I endure.
In eternity, I awaken."
After reciting the prayer, suddenly a light appeared between the sky and the earth, enveloping the bodies. They were cleansed and then slowly turned into ashes.
No one slept that entire night. At dawn, the pilgrims rose from beside the burial site, packed up the tents, and prepared to move on.
They didn’t sleep at all last night, and even after what happened, they’re still ready to continue... Daniel looked at them with a bit of admiration, then his gaze shifted to Malrik.
He could still feel Malrik’s occasional suspicious glances since last night—which was understandable—but Daniel had no intention of comforting him or explaining anything.
He was still somewhat angry about what happened and knew he had to make sure something like that didn’t happen again.
At the very least, last night confirmed something—the ones who hurt or will hurt the pilgrims are among us, he thought, pushing his mind to work.
Unfortunately, even though he now knew this, it wasn’t like he could identify them just like that.
All he could do was wait for them to attack again—and stop them.
But he hated that kind of passive feeling. He didn’t want to wait for them to act first. He wanted to find them before they could strike.
His golden pupils flickered coldly.
Maybe... I can do something about it, an idea crossed his mind, though he wasn’t sure if it would work.
He decided to wait until night to execute his plan. He didn’t want to waste a whole day hunting and delay the time it would take to reach the church.
This floor had three phases, and he wanted to clear it as fast as possible.
"You’re really quiet today," Malrik suddenly pulled Daniel out of his thoughts.
"I was thinking about what happened last night."
"Oh? You don’t need to worry. Yeah, it’s really sad when death happens on the Everlasting Way, but it’s not like we can do anything about the world’s mechanics. In the end, death is death."
Daniel looked at him. According to Malrik himself, the followers of the Faith of Eternity hated death more than anything.
And yet here he was, saying death is just death.
Still, Daniel nodded—because the words weren’t wrong.
Even the strongest beings in the world die eventually.
In the face of death, everyone is equal.
As someone who had comprehended the Supreme Law of Death, Daniel understood this better than anyone.
But still—it was strange to hear it coming from a follower of Eternity.
"I guess you’re right. No need to overthink it," Daniel replied, and the following hours were spent discussing all sorts of topics.
Until finally, night fell once again. The tents were set up again, the fires were lit, and dinner was being prepared.
The singers began singing again.
Perfect timing, Daniel thought as he saw how all the pilgrims were distracted.
"Going somewhere?" Malrik glanced at him.
"Just going to the bathroom. I’ll be back soon."
"Don’t take too long. The kebabs are ready."
Daniel nodded and walked toward the bathrooms. After making sure no one was around, he used his death energy to create a black mask for himself.
The exact same one he had used back in the Erin Free Zone.
His feet lifted off the ground, and he rose into the sky, now looking down at everything like a god from above.
Much better. Even if something happens, I can control it more easily now, he thought to himself.
It was finally time to begin his plan.