Chapter 949
The Child of the Moon’s New Profession
According to the Lord of Scales and Feathers, the newly appointed Envoy of Mist has one major advantage: Ah Huan is highly unlikely to take action against her. This is because Envoys of Mist and Envoys of Banquet from the same Path of Devotion share a subtle mutual protection pact.
The Ouroboros Ring ritual requires “cycles.” This means that once an Envoy of Love is taken down, all other Envoys of Love are safe until the current cycle ends.
If one of them is taken down, another Envoy can act freely against an Envoy of Ring until the current cycle ends, but the Envoy of Ring cannot directly pull them into the Material Realm through the Ouroboros Ring ritual.
Although the Envoy of Ring may not fear retaliation, it’s best to avoid trouble. Ah Huan has lost his edge; his chosen strategies are all “safest” and “most conservative.” Thus, when an issue is clearly troublesome, he chooses to bypass it, opting to target an Envoy of Shadow or an Envoy of Blood instead.
Unlike the Birth of an Envoy of Banquet, which had little impact on humans and a greater impact on dragons, the Birth of an Envoy of Mist will completely alter the human social landscape. Because of the Envoy of Mist’s birth, the Child of the Moon now has a “legitimate profession on the good side.”
The Child of the Moon originally had few professions they could legitimately hold. After becoming a Child of the Moon, the desires of other Paths would wane, causing their Extraordinary Power from those Paths to weaken and reducing their profession level. While they could still possess the corresponding skills, their Extraordinary Power would diminish, leaving them with mere techniques but no foundation. This is why children of the moon from the Black Hawk Duchy who were originally hunters or assassins, for example, still possess the skills of hunters, assassins, or even warriors due to their rising species level, just like Gryphons, Sea Monsters, or Dragons. This might also explain why there are so many high-level Children of the Moon in the Black Hawk Duchy who can fight.
“Adapting to their new bodies” is also a kind of “adaptation” trial. When they can use the skills of their adapted techniques with their Child of the Moon bodies, their own adaptability will have largely recovered. After all, their Path is “Stealing Scales and Feathers,” so changing bodies is not considered rebellion for an adapter, especially when the primary purpose of changing bodies is to extend life and “survive.”
Even within the Path of Love, there aren’t many professions that Children of the Moon can inherit and maintain their level. This includes progressing from Blood Mage to Blood Lord by obeying the inheritance of the Blood Heavenly Envoy. If one possesses the level of the Path of Devotion and worships Hengwo, they can also reclass into a Moonlight Scholar with Healing Ability.
However, the Children of the Moon have no choice. Their faith is either in the Blood Heavenly Envoy or the Banquet Master. Sister Sasha has no power, and Hengwo completely ignores them. Thus, the path of Moonlight Scholar is essentially impossible; the “most correct path” is Blood Lord, with no other options.
The two viable paths are either selfish indulgence or brutal bloodlust. In such circumstances, how can Children of the Moon be guided towards good? To embrace good would mean voluntarily forsaking the protection of the gods, being unable to obtain the most suitable power, and being unable to integrate into any fighting groups of Children of the Moon. They would also face ostracism and persecution from other Children of the Moon and vampire hunters alike. It’s akin to demanding absolute lawfulness from impoverished individuals struggling for survival. Forcing them to possess morals contrary to their living environment is unreasonable when conditions are absent.
– But from now on, things are different!
Sister Sasha was originally the orthodox faith of the Children of the Moon during the Hrasal Empire era. Now that Hrasal is being revived, it is natural for Sister Sasha’s faith to be revived as well. During that period, the Children of the Moon did not face such significant external pressure, nor were they scattered across various regions. Their core demand was not for greater power. At that time, the secret faith of the Children of the Moon was Sister Sasha, as they were “those not favored by the gods” – since they could not ascend to the realm of the gods after death – they would rebelliously choose “goals other than gods” to worship.
The Children of the Moon at that time still had their own pride. But after experiencing a life-and-death crisis during the Territorial War, that pride vanished – power became the most crucial element. Now, with the Envoy of Mist, the Children of the Moon have a “possibility of leaning towards good!” They are no longer blood-drinking monsters, but mist-infused shadows under the moon…
Eivass made up his mind, found a bottle of red wine, poured it into a transparent crystal bowl, and set up a simple altar.
“I invite the Envoy of Banquet,” he murmured, “The Heavenly Envoy of Eternal Feasts, the Heavenly Envoy of Gluttony…”
The first half of Eivass’s prayer to the Envoy of Banquet was the same as that to the Blood Heavenly Envoy, while the latter half differed. As ripples appeared in the wine in the bowl before Eivass, he quickly established contact with the Envoy of Banquet. The entire process took less than half a minute.
[Oh, I remember you!]
It was a hearty and curious voice. The Envoy of Banquet laughed heartily, with the crisp clinking of glasses and the sound of people laughing in the background:
[I must thank you properly, Eivass! When are you coming to have a drink with me! It’s fine if you’re not dead, just drop by for a dream, and we’ll send a dragon carriage for pick-up!]
“I’ll come if I have time,” Eivass politely declined, and then asked, “I’d like to know the honorific name of the newly appointed Envoy of Mist…”
[You’re looking for her? She’s here too! Why don’t you come over and talk to her directly? Come chat!]
The Envoy of Banquet strongly invited Eivass to visit. But Eivass knew that when the Envoy of Banquet was still the Banquet Master, his eternal banquet was famously grand. Attending it could take an unknown amount of time; he might spend just one meal there, but years would have passed when he returned to the human world.
So Eivass politely declined again, and after much negotiation, he finally obtained the contact information for the Envoy of Mist. Eivass ended his prayer. He drank the wine in the bowl and then poured new wine.
“I invite the Envoy of Mist, the Heavenly Envoy of the Sightless and Speechless, the Heavenly Envoy of No Sun and No Moon…” As Eivass’s prayer ended, he instantly established contact with the Envoy of Mist. Perhaps because the Envoy of Mist already knew Eivass was looking for her, or perhaps she hadn’t announced her prayer yet. The bowl of wine before Eivass instantly evaporated, swirling with the surrounding white mist, forming a vague, indistinct outline—
At that moment, Eivass felt a warmth emanating from his waist. It was the heat from Sister Sasha’s skin! The mist condensed into a blurry humanoid shape before him. It was different from how Eivass had seen Sister Sasha before—
Previously, Eivass had seen Sister Sasha wearing a black silk eye mask and black silk gloves, wrapped in a heavy nun’s habit. But the current “Envoy of Mist” was wearing a white silk robe that evoked the image of a Pure White Saintess—but according to Eivass’s theological knowledge, this robe represented the “Moon.” It was a robe like pajamas, without any decorations, as if merely draped with a thin cloth. Her lost feet and arms had returned. Her long hair had also completely changed color—into a gradient of ashen white and deep blue, like the juncture where night fog meets the night sky. However, her face was hidden in the mist, with only her lips and a high-bridged nose visible. It looked as if the upper half of her face was missing. She floated down like mist and hugged Eivass.
But this time, Eivass did not feel that warm, soft sensation. He only felt an icy, damp chill, like being embraced by a winter night wind, and even the clothes on his body seemed to be permeated with moisture. In a moment of distraction, the white-robed woman disappeared.
Of course, it couldn’t have been a Heavenly Envoy descending—Apostles could manifest in the Material Realm, but Heavenly Envoys certainly could not. It was merely the Envoy of Mist manipulating the surrounding mist to take on her current appearance and greet Eivass.
[Is there something you need?]
A gentle voice echoed in Eivass’s mind. It was completely different from the jovial voice of the Banquet Master. The Envoy of Mist’s voice was so soft, as if she were afraid of waking someone from a dream, like a mother telling stories to a child, patient and gentle.
“I wish to know… what new profession you have prepared for the Children of the Moon,” Eivass asked seriously, “I want to give the Children of the Moon a new path.”
[You are a good child… I thank you on their behalf…]
[The path for the Children of the Moon is not viable. My ascension to the position of Heavenly Envoy was simply to give them a new possibility…] the Envoy of Mist murmured softly, her tone gentle and humble.
[However, I have only just taken up the position of Heavenly Envoy, and the new profession is still in preparation… But if His Holiness the Pope wishes to see it… he can offer some suggestions…]
As she said this, new information flowed into Eivass’s mind. It felt as if a new power had been injected into him by the system.
“I’m not the Pope at all! Why does everyone think I am the Pope…” Eivass muttered internally, and in a moment of daze, he obtained information about the new profession:
“Basic Profession: Scammer… A promotion from Scammer? The Scammer of the good side, upon passing the trial of [Lies and Jokes], can reclass into Mist Walker upon reaching the Fourth Tier…”
“Is it just one promotion profession?” But Eivass thought about it and felt it was acceptable. Don’t aim too high; take it one step at a time. The Blood Heavenly Envoy also only prepared one profession, Blood Lord.
“Mist Walker can hide in the mist at will; this ability is considered ‘Stealth’. When a Mist Walker is in the mist, they can freely traverse to any body of water within sight—as long as the volume of mist generated after this body of water evaporates is greater than their own volume… Is this to complement the mist transformation ability of Mist Demons? They can create multiple soundless clones… Oh, I’m familiar with this ability. The clones cannot cast spells but can move freely. They lose duration when attacked. Clones must be in a place with sufficient water vapor; otherwise, they will lose duration. Does this mean they last a long time in humid places? Many clones… but they don’t shatter when attacked, which is a plus.”
“They can create illusions in the mist, manipulate the five senses… or use mist to transform the imaginations and illusions of others or oneself into fragile reality. It is indeed an advanced profession for a Scammer.” Eivass marveled, “It’s not bad, quite testy of imagination. But this has little to do with the Path of Love, does it? It has a bit of the Path Adaptation vibe… and this profession is very strong; you’ll probably have to dedicate a lot of power to make this profession viable.”
The profession Scammer originally advanced to “Terrifying Clown” in the future. Now, this new profession gives those Scammers a possibility to continue developing upwards. Many Scammers in the Path of Love are at or above the Third Tier, like Law Masters; there’s no further path upwards, so they could only maintain this Tier 1 profession and continue developing. Now with Mist Walker, they have the possibility of reclassing, which also gives them the possibility of becoming Mist Demons.
[The essence of the Path of Love is desire, and the essence of the Path of Beasts is instinct… At the Scammer stage, they honed their cunning beastly instincts and greedy desires. Then, in the Path of Love, they must manipulate their own and others’ desires, which I think is acceptable,] the Envoy of Mist murmured softly.
[Moreover, the essence of the mist they create is actually their own souls. Creating with souls—creating mist, creating illusions, turning fantasies into reality—also conforms to the principles of the Origin River.]
[As for my own power… that kind of thing doesn’t matter. As long as the children are doing well, I can dedicate all my power.]
“…Then I have no objections. I think it’s quite reasonable; this profession should be viable.” Eivass nodded in confirmation.
[Yes, if His Holiness the Pope has nothing else to do, he can also teach the advancement criteria to other Scammers—the core principle is to view deception as magic, a joke, a stratagem, not a trick to steal property or take lives.]
“…Cannot kill with magic? Is that what it means?” Eivass confirmed.
[Exactly. However, it is not absolutely impossible to kill, but self-preservation takes priority—one must not be controlled by uncontrolled emotions. I think it is sufficient if the Children of the Moon can achieve this level,] the Envoy of Mist explained.
—Then you might as well just create a basic profession called “Magician.” Eivass grumbled inwardly, unsure if the Envoy of Mist could hear him. However, he felt a sense of novelty—after all, this was the first time Eivass had personally created a new profession in the truest sense of the word! The Great Sin Scholar profession was a “prophesied profession” Eivass copied; the Illuminator came from the inheritance of ancient elves. Now, this new profession was something Eivass personally witnessed being developed from scratch! Eivass himself was somewhat impatient—today was the New Moon Ritual, so perhaps he could promote a sample first.
“Do I know any Third Tier Scammers?” Eivass fell into contemplation for a moment. Then, he immediately thought of someone. —Yeats. But unfortunately, that werewolf had already reached the Fifth Tier… Eivass shook his head with some regret, “I can’t help with anything on my end.”
[You have already helped me a lot. Thank you,] the Envoy of Mist said gently, [And thank you… for being willing to give my children a chance.]
Eivass merely shook his head slightly, offering no comment.
(End of Chapter)
