“The omnipotent deity is our eternal Lord, granting us peace in this world, allowing us to evade all sorrow and pain, rejoicing solely because of the Lord’s salvation!”
Inside the church, several devout townsfolk, eyes closed, faced the central deity statue, their expressions pious and fervent. The colored light from the stained glass windows cast vibrant hues, and the handsome deity statue looked down upon the people with compassion, giving the otherwise empty little church an air of sanctity.
Sitting in the corner of the left bench, Ledell withdrew his gaze and began recording today’s observations in his notebook.
It was the third day since he moved into the town. After these two days of exploration, he discovered that this newly emerged deity, known as the Nameless Mist, had appeared only in the last three months. According to rumors, many severely ill patients had been cured under this deity’s influence, which led them to become its followers.
However, at the same time, the town had begun to exhibit some peculiarities.
Many people had started to worship this suddenly emerging deity, with even those who had been devout followers of the Sun God for decades converting their faith. Such a rapid change was almost unbelievable.
Typically, people who have worshipped a deity for most of their lives are genuine fanatics. The speed at which they switched to another deity, especially one as obscure as this, struck Ledell as highly unusual.
Furthermore, in the process of visiting the townsfolk, Ledell also noticed a common trait among those who followed the Nameless Mist: they were all remarkably emaciated.
Their thin bodies seemed as if they were made of withered twigs, looking like they could be blown away by a gust of wind. In the shadows, he could barely see their unusually bright eyes. If not for their smiles when they met outsiders, Ledell might have suspected they were walking corpses.
These townsfolk spoke with an unusual excitement, displaying a fervor that seemed abnormal. They would eagerly preach about the omnipotent Nameless Mist to Ledell, their mouths even drooling uncontrollably as they spoke.
Sometimes, Ledell felt that they were gradually becoming less human, which made him somewhat unnerved.
After several days of exploring the town, Ledell acutely sensed that this outwardly peaceful and beautiful town was deeply unsettling. The air seemed to be filled with a vague restlessness, causing him to feel increasingly agitated.
Touching the inverted cross necklace in his palm, Ledell furrowed his brow, uncertain whether he should continue his investigation.
He had observed this inverted cross necklace on nearly every townsfolk’s neck. To understand more, he had recently been frequently observing this necklace.
The delicate inverted cross necklace seemed like an ordinary piece of jewelry at first. However, upon closer inspection, Ledell felt that he could see twisted shadows within the distorted patterns on the cross, resembling human shapes or demons, as if peering into an abyss beyond human reach.
Ledell thought it might be an optical illusion from staring too long, but these twisted shadows had indeed left a mark on his mind. Recently, he had been experiencing minor distortions in the world around him and a growing sense of paranoia.
Despite this, he remained skeptical about the existence of the new deity, believing that someone was likely causing these disturbances from behind the scenes.
After all, in this desolate era following the plague, human nature could be a terrifying thing.
Thinking of this, Ledell's frown deepened. He stopped writing and looked up at the deity statue in front of him.
Since this new deity had appeared only recently, there was no dedicated church built for it. The townsfolk had instead repurposed the most mainstream church of the Sun God on the continent for the Nameless Mist, even modifying the Sun God’s statue.
Originally, the Sun God’s statue depicted a robust man, with perfect muscular lines, a face reflecting the popular masculine beauty of the continent—sharp features, chiseled and defined.
Now, across from Ledell, the statue was of a handsome young man sculpted from ivory-white marble, looking down upon the people in the church.
The figure was calm, with rounded yet shallow facial features, and an otherworldly, almost妖異 quality that did not match the characteristics of the era. It still wore the same complexly draped robe as before, but the limbs had become somewhat slender, resembling more of a youthful image rather than a mature man. The entire steam continent had never seen a deity in a youthful form; people usually preferred to envision deities as mature men.
However, for some unknown reason, Ledell found himself unable to tear his gaze away from this peculiar statue. From the intricately carved edges of the robe to the ivory-white face glowing with a holy light, there was a mysterious and mesmerizing beauty everywhere.
Even though he did not believe in this false deity, Ledell had to admit that the statue was exquisitely carved, almost as if it would awaken at any moment, opening its compassionate eyes to redeem the world.
“Do you also think the deity’s face is kind?”
A magnetic voice interrupted Ledell’s thoughts. He startled, turning his head to see a man with flaxen hair, black eyes, and deep features standing next to him, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.
The man was intently gazing at the deity statue on the altar, his eyes filled with a complex emotion that Ledell could not fully comprehend—a mix of pure admiration and a kind of fervent, almost crazed faith, contrasting sharply with his otherwise detached and rational demeanor.
Noticing Ledell’s surprise, the man turned away from the statue and offered a pale smile: “Hello, stranger. I’m Kate Decepler. You can call me Dr. Kate.”
Kate looked at the unfamiliar visitor who had arrived in the town, his pale face’s smile deepening.
Lord, we need more converts... or sacrifices.
Looking at the doctor praised by the townsfolk, Ledell’s eyes flickered, scanning Kate’s pale face and emaciated form.
He found Kate’s smile somewhat unsettling, and the strange glint in his eyes made Ledell feel very uncomfortable. He quickly introduced himself and took his leave, exiting the church filled with the sounds of the faithful’s prayers.
Kate seemed not to notice Ledell’s aloofness. He bade him farewell with a smile and watched as Ledell departed, his gaze gradually darkening with a hint of bloodlust.
Turning back to the imposing, elegant statue, Kate’s smile revealed a hint of sickness. His plan was about to succeed, and tonight everything would come to fruition.
The deity would awaken on this filthy land, bringing judgment and purification to all sinners.
Outside the church, Ledell glanced back at Dr. Kate’s retreating figure, his face showing worry and deep suspicion.
After this period of investigation, he believed that the person most likely causing the town’s abnormalities was Dr. Kate.
Although Dr. Kate was regarded as a benefactor by all, curing the townspeople without holding grudges, Ledell knew that these peculiar changes had started only after Dr. Kate’s clinic opened.
Ledell sat on a roadside bench, jotting down the information and plans he had discovered in his notebook.
[Date X Month X]
The townsfolk keep introducing their new deity to me, but I know they are simply being bewitched, their minds enchanted by some mysterious and unknown force.
I suspect it is Dr. Kate. It seems he has not forgotten his sister Mary’s death. While I sympathize with him, I believe his vengeance should not extend to all the townspeople.
I don’t know what means he has used to bewitch the townsfolk, but I can sense the scent of conspiracy and evil on him. I believe it is necessary for me to uncover his true face, awaken the townspeople, and free them from his control.
Recently, the innkeeper, Old Tom, often stopped me, urging me not to go out at night. I suspect Dr. Kate’s secret might be hidden in the darkness. Tonight, I will investigate.**
Putting away his notebook, Ledell stood up, ready to return to the inn and prepare for tonight’s operation. Behind him, in the towering spire of the church, the statue continued to gaze upon the world, no longer in its previous pure form. Threads of blood and flesh crawled over it, staining the ivory-white statue with a blood-red hue.
At night, the lamplighter lit the street lamps along the roadside. As the mist thickened, Ledell saw the lights in the downstairs lobby go out, assuming Old Tom had gone to bed. He went downstairs with his preparations but encountered Old Tom standing in the darkness, smiling at him—resembling the frightening appearance of the Nameless Mist’s followers he had seen during the day.
Startled, Ledell was quickly ushered back to his room by Old Tom. Feeling frustrated, he peered through the door crack to see Old Tom staring unblinkingly at his room, standing in the darkness like a zombie.
Ledell hurriedly shut the door, feeling that the town was becoming increasingly strange. The truth seemed shrouded in mist, making it impossible for him to uncover, and a fear of the unknown surrounded him.
What is going on? What has happened to make the townsfolk so strange, even turning the friendly innkeeper Old Tom into a figure of fear?
Ledell even wondered if Old Tom had stood in the darkness watching his room like this on previous nights. The mere thought of it sent chills down his spine.
“What should I do?” Ledell, distressed, scratched his curly hair, feeling unprecedentedly tense knowing someone was watching his room downstairs.
The turning point came in the dead of night. Unable to sleep and filled with anxiety, Ledell heard the whispering sounds for the first time.
Rustling—
A rustling sound emerged, as if someone were whispering right beside Ledell's ear.
Startled, Ledell looked toward the source of the eerie noise and saw the townsfolk on the road moving like mindless zombies, with Tom among them.
Observing this scene, which seemed like something out of a horror novel, Ledell felt a deep, primal urge from within to stop probing for the truth. Yet, his intense curiosity and an inexplicable desire for discovery led him to follow the zombie-like townsfolk, moving deeper into the darkness.
He wondered what lay in the depths of the night—whether it was some kind of scheme by Dr. Kate or if there were truly indescribable, sinister entities causing trouble in this small town.
It couldn’t be. There were no gods in this world, so demons, by extension, did not exist either. This had to be Dr. Kate's scheme.
Ledell reassured himself with this thought, but the deep-seated unease in his heart did not diminish. He carefully followed the townsfolk through the darkened streets, feeling as though he was walking deeper into hell. What he was about to witness might be the most terrifying thing in the world.
He couldn’t understand how he had transformed from a bard simply collecting poetic material into a person obsessively seeking the truth about this town. He could vaguely sense that he was doing something irreversible—perhaps he should never have entered this town.
As Ledell moved with the crowd, he suddenly felt a pang of regret. Trembling, he wanted to stop, but his rational mind stopped him. His purpose was to uncover Dr. Kate's potential scheme and save the people in the town. How could he stop just because of an inexplicable fear?
Stopping would mean abandoning everything he had worked for.
Thus, in the midst of his internal struggle, Ledell saw the crowd reach the end of their path. Looking up, he saw the ominous building before him—Dr. Kate's family estate.
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