STG 16
Chapter 16: Always Here
“Lucifer…” Lin Qiye was still processing the flood of information from Zhao Kongcheng, standing frozen for a long moment.
“So, you’re saying… after the Fog appeared, the gods from mythology inexplicably began emerging one after another?”
“Exactly. The higher-ups have been investigating the reasons behind this and have proposed two possibilities.” Zhao Kongcheng held up two fingers:
“First, these gods didn’t originally exist. But after the Fog appeared, some mysterious change manifested them from myth into reality.”
“Second, mythology wasn’t just ancient imagination—it was real. As human activity grew, these beings hid somewhere on Earth for unknown reasons, and the Fog’s sudden emergence awakened them.”
Lin Qiye nodded. “Then what did you mean earlier by ‘not all gods exist’?”
“The number of deities currently on Earth is limited. Not all mythological beings have descended—only a small fraction of the vast pantheons have appeared so far. We don’t know why these specific ones emerged. It’s unrelated to power, fame, morality, or nationality. Their appearances seem random.”
“And it’s not just the Bible. Greek myths, Norse legends, Lovecraftian horrors… the confirmed entities span every mythological system.”
“If it’s all mythologies, then what about our gods?” Lin Qiye asked curiously. “Like the Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Nezha, the Four Heavenly Kings, the Jade Emperor… Where are they? If they existed, couldn’t they easily overpower the Western pantheon?”
After a brief silence, Zhao Kongcheng shook his head. “We’ve wondered the same. For a hundred years, we’ve searched every corner of Daxia, trying to find traces of them…”
“But in all that time, we’ve found nothing. Not even a minor earth god.”
“Some say it’s because the Fog hasn’t swallowed Daxia yet, so our gods remain dormant.”
“Others say…”
Lin Qiye pressed, “Say what?”
“…They’ve always been here.”
“Always?”
“Think about it. Why is Daxia the only nation untouched by the Fog? The mist surrounds our borders but can’t advance an inch. Why?”
Lin Qiye’s eyes widened. “You mean—”
“It’s just speculation. Or… wishful thinking.” Zhao Kongcheng sighed. “Either way, we’ve found no proof of Daxia’s deities.”
“Alright.”
The sheer scale of this revelation had already shattered Lin Qiye’s worldview. If he hadn’t witnessed the Seraph himself, he’d have called the asylum to haul Zhao Kongcheng away on the spot.
This guy was crazier than he’d ever been!
“So, what was that golden pillar of light from me last night?” Lin Qiye asked next.
“A Forbidden Zone,” Zhao Kongcheng answered. “The Fog’s effects aren’t limited to gods. It seems to catalyze human biology in mysterious ways.”
“Though the Fog hasn’t entered Daxia, its energy—like a form of radiation—can trigger mutations in some people born after its emergence. Under certain conditions, these latent powers awaken, creating supernatural fields that alter reality. Like personalized domains.”
“These transcendent domain are called ‘Forbidden Zones’.”
Lin Qiye pondered this.
In short, a Forbidden Zone was a lucky individual’s supernatural domain.
By that logic, his abilities—20-meter spiritual perception, hyperdynamic vision, and Seraphic authority—were all expressions of his Forbidden Zone.
“Can these Forbidden Zones grow stronger?”
“Yes. Their scope, potency, and uniqueness evolve with the user’s mental strength—the core metric of power.”
“Based on mental energy, we classify Forbidden Zones into six tiers:
- ‘Lamp’ Tier: Mental energy like a cup’s worth—small and still.
- ‘Pond’ Tier: Like a pond’s water—more, but stagnant.
- ‘River’ Tier: Flowing like a river—abundant and dynamic.
- ‘Ocean’ Tier: Vast as the sea—limitless depth.
- ‘Infinite’ Tier: Boundless and immeasurable.
- ‘Klein’ Tier: Defying spatial dimensions—a self-sustaining paradox.”
“And me? What tier am I?”
“You?” Zhao Kongcheng smirked. “Barely ‘Lamp’ Tier. A rookie who just unlocked his powers. At best, you’re a slightly enhanced civilian.”
Lin Qiye rolled his eyes.
So, breaking into the “Lamp” Tier had allowed him to open the asylum’s gates—and Nyx’s ward. Did that mean each new tier would unlock another patient?
“What about you?” Lin Qiye eyed Zhao Kongcheng. “What tier are you at?”
Zhao Kongcheng’s face reddened as he awkwardly looked away. “I… don’t have a Forbidden Zone. No innate powers, no mental energy.”
“None?!” Lin Qiye gaped. “Then how did you kill that monster?!”
He was genuinely shocked. Even with his hyper-reflexes, he’d barely survived that fight. Yet Zhao Kongcheng had dominated it—without any supernatural abilities?!
“That thing’s called a Masked Fiend,” Zhao Kongcheng corrected. “I killed it with training and experience. Before joining the Nightkeepers, I was special forces—CQC specialist.”
He added, “There are three ways to gain a Forbidden Zone:
- Born with it—the rare innate talent.
- Artifact-bound—some objects develop Forbidden Zones. If mastered, users can wield their power.
- Divine bestowal—gods granting fragments of their authority.”
“I fall under the second category. My artifact isn’t offensive—it’s the Nightkeepers’ standard-issue support tool: ‘The Signboard’.”
“It has one function…”
“Deploying the [Boundless Void Domain]!“
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