Chapter 187: The Gods Destroy the World
“History? Which country’s history do you want? And which version of the Bible?” the old shopkeeper asked doubtfully. This little girl always made such strange requests.
It wasn’t that the goods themselves were strange, but it seemed unlikely for a girl like her to be interested in history and religion.
Although many people practiced religion, only a select few truly read their faith’s holy scriptures. Normal people simply followed their priest’s teachings, performed daily prayers, and observed certain taboos. Studying doctrine was usually reserved for professional clergy.
Even fewer people studied history. Those who researched history were typically elderly scholars with white hair, or at the very least, middle-aged men working in archaeology or as administrators. It was certainly not a little girl.
Speaking of which, the last time he saw these two children, they were emaciated and sallow, wearing very cheap cloaks.
Now, they returned with rosy complexions, fair skin with a healthy blush. Their hair and bodies were clean, and they had even changed into apprentice outfits and Western-style dresses. He almost didn’t recognize them.
I pondered for a moment and said, “Uh, I’ll take one original version of the Bible and one Castilian version. For history, I want a general history that preferably includes some information about the Church.”
“I understand,” the old shopkeeper said, and soon brought me three books, all thick tomes.
The Bible was for Jayad. The English version we had encountered before was difficult for him to understand and for me to read smoothly, making progress extremely slow.
However, with my frequent tutelage, Jayad had now learned the Castilian alphabet and should be able to try reading some text himself. The Bible was also a good introductory text.
I wanted to see if the English Bible we found was special, or if Jayad truly had the Talent to become self-taught. If it was the latter, Jayad might learn to control the appearance of Holy Light, rather than turning into a human-shaped lightbulb every time he heard a sacred song.
As for the original version of the Bible, I bought it incidentally. The original was written in Latin, and there might even be an older Old Testament, possibly written in ancient Hebrew. I wanted to see if different versions would affect Jayad’s training.
Finally, there was history. I had been in this world for some time and had temporarily established myself. Perhaps it was time to learn more about the world and what had happened, to avoid being completely in the dark.
I casually flipped through the three books. They were exquisite and clear, with illustrations, and the quality was good. I was satisfied.
The three thick books were a bit expensive, but for someone who had just earned three Gold coins, a few Silver coins were no big deal. After paying, the old shopkeeper asked, “Is there anything else the Guest needs?”
I thought about it. It was perhaps time. Although I didn’t know what the consequences of asking would be, I wouldn’t know if I didn’t try. Moreover, I had already confirmed that this old shopkeeper was no ordinary person.
“Excuse me, do you have a guide to ferns here?” As soon as I asked, the old shopkeeper’s expression changed. “Who told you?”
Huh? Why wasn’t he playing by the rules? I had expected him to respond with a secret phrase, like “The sky king covers the earth,” and then I would reply, “The pagoda suppresses the river demon.” Instead, he immediately saw through me.
“Never mind where I heard it, just tell me if you have it?” I said, mustering up my courage. What if he was good friends with that alien parasite? Wouldn’t I just anger him? So, the source absolutely could not be revealed.
When we came, I had also told Jayad about this possibility. Now, Jayad was on high alert, ready to grab me and run if the shopkeeper suddenly turned hostile.
“Humph, if you can ask that question, what’s there to say yes or no to? What’s the next line?” The old shopkeeper felt he had lost his composure. But it was also because he had inadvertently revealed himself by asking the secret password last time.
“I want the one from the Bohemia region,” I said directly, feeling relieved. It seemed I had passed this test.
“Alright, two days later, at 8 PM, come here alone.” The old shopkeeper emphasized the word “alone” and glanced at Jayad, implying that only I could come.
This made me suspect if it was some kind of trap. Not having Jayad by my side made me very uneasy. But I nodded for now. I would weigh the options when I got back. If it seemed too risky, I wouldn’t go.
Back home, I impatiently threw the Bible to Jayad, telling him to try reading it himself and ask me if he didn’t understand. I would kindly explain.
As for myself, I went to read the history book. I mainly wanted to understand the position of religion and the level of technological development in this world.
Skimming through the outline, it seemed not much different from the history of my previous life. But clearly, many historical events were tinged with fantasy, appearing like myths, yet they were events that had actually happened in this world.
From the start, there were many gods in this world. And according to the history books, the number of gods was still increasing. But there was a different explanation in this book.
Gods are eternal, were, are, and always will be. Therefore, it’s not that gods increased, but rather that people continuously cognized the world, discovered new gods, or found methods to establish connections with new gods.
Before the Middle Ages, the records spoke of countless fantastical creatures, many of whom were older than human history. When humans were still savage, elves already possessed a vast and glorious civilization.
In early human history, humans were merely slaves to other otherworldly beings, from whom they learned some knowledge and barely survived while slowly multiplying and growing stronger.
But then, things took a turn. An event called “Wrath of the Gods,” or “Judgment of the Gods,” or “End of the World” occurred.
Gods, angered by the elves’ arrogance, rained down Heavenly Fire upon their cities, burning the magnificent Eternal Capital. They only warned humans to flee, and those who looked back would turn into pillars of salt.
The gods, enraged by the Orcs’ savage and Filthy nature, sent floods upon the world, submerging the land. They only forewarned humans to build an ark for refuge.
The gods, angered by the malevolent spirits haunting the world, raised nine suns into the sky, ensuring perpetual daylight to purify the world, but they bestowed upon the human leader a divine bow capable of shooting down suns…
Wait a minute. I seemed to have come across a myth that didn’t seem right. Isn’t this an Eastern myth? This is the story of Hou Yi shooting down the suns! But it’s very different from the version I know.
The author of this book did not plagiarize. It clearly stated that this was a story that came from the East.
This book compiled records of the gods’ interventions from myths heard from various countries. Ancient Dragons that dominated the sky were hunted by lightning spears. The magnificent cities of the Jackals were buried by yellow sand. The mountain palaces of the Dwarves sank into lava during volcanic eruptions. The once prosperous Lizardmen were wiped out by a meteor shower.
In conclusion, the gods purged all the otherworldly beings. The myriad races that had once flourished, one after another, were annihilated, but one race remained: Humans.
