Chapter 16: Always Here

Lucifer... Lin Qiye was still struggling to process the overwhelming information Zhao Kongcheng had just thrown at him. He stood there in a daze for quite a while.

"So, you're saying... after the fog appeared, gods from mythology just started appearing out of nowhere?"

"That's right. The higher-ups have been researching the cause behind this, and two possibilities have been proposed," Zhao Kongcheng extended two fingers.

"First, these gods didn't exist before, but after the fog appeared, some mysterious change took place, making them materialize out of the myths.

"Second, mythology wasn't just a fantasy of the ancients. The gods are real, and after humanity became more active, for some unknown reason, they have been lying dormant somewhere on Earth. The sudden appearance of the fog has now awakened them."

Lin Qiye nodded thoughtfully. "So what did you mean when you said not all gods exist?"

"Currently, the number of gods on Earth is still quite small. Not all mythological creatures have manifested here. What we're seeing is just a tiny part of the vast mythological system. We don't know why it's them—the gods who have appeared so far. It has nothing to do with their strength, popularity, moral alignment, or national borders. Their appearances seem completely random," Zhao Kongcheng explained.

"Not just the Bible—Greek, Norse, and even Cthulhu mythology... All these mythologies are represented among the gods we now know about."

Lin Qiye couldn't help but ask, "What about our gods from the Great Xia? The Monkey King, the Third Prince, the Four Heavenly Kings, the Jade Emperor... Where are they? If they exist, they should be able to wipe the floor with the Western gods, right?"

Zhao Kongcheng fell into a brief silence before shaking his head. "We've wondered the same thing. Over the past hundred years, we've searched countless times within the borders of the Great Xia, trying to find any trace of them… But for a full century, we haven't found anything. Not even a single Earth God like the God of Land."

"Some say it's because the fog hasn't fully swallowed the Great Xia, so the gods from our mythology haven't shown up."

"Others say..." Zhao Kongcheng trailed off.

Lin Qiye couldn't help but ask, "What do they say?"

"They say... they've always been here."

"Always here?" Lin Qiye was confused.

Zhao Kongcheng's eyes darkened. "Why do you think the entire Earth was consumed by the fog, yet only the Great Xia survived? The fog has reached the borders of our nation, but it's been blocked from entering. It can't even cross the border."

Lin Qiye's mouth dropped open. "You mean…"

"It's just a theory, or rather... a hopeful fantasy." Zhao Kongcheng shook his head. "Either way, we haven't found any trace of our Great Xia gods."

"Alright then."

After hearing all this, Lin Qiye felt like his entire worldview had crumbled. If he hadn't seen the Seraphim with his own eyes, he might've called the mental hospital and had Zhao Kongcheng locked away.

This guy is even crazier than he was back then!

"Then, what was that golden beam of light coming from me last night?" Lin Qiye asked, finally shifting the conversation to another pressing matter.

"The Forbidden Ruins." Zhao Kongcheng answered simply. "After the fog engulfed the Earth, changes didn't just occur with the gods. The fog seems to have some mysterious effect on our bodies as well."

"Although the fog hasn't entered the borders of the Great Xia, it seems to contain some kind of energy, like radiation, that catalyzes changes in the bodies of certain people. Children born after the fog arrived have a chance to develop a peculiar power inside them."

"Under specific environmental influences, these powers can be triggered, forming a special kind of ability that can affect the real world, kind of like a domain. The characteristics of these powers vary from person to person."

"This extraordinary ability to influence the surrounding environment is what we call the Forbidden Ruins."

Lin Qiye pondered for a moment.

"So, basically, the Forbidden Ruins are like superpowers for the lucky few."

"Exactly," Zhao Kongcheng confirmed. "For example, your ability to perceive everything within a 20-meter radius with a form of spiritual sense, along with your heightened dynamic vision, and the use of the Seraphim's divine power, is all an expression of the Forbidden Ruins."

"Can the Forbidden Ruins grow?"

"Yes. The abilities, range, and special characteristics of the Forbidden Ruins all increase as the user's mental power grows. Mental power is a crucial factor in determining the strength of the Forbidden Ruins."

"Through mental power, we've divided the Forbidden Ruins into six realms."

"First Realm: The Cup Realm. Like a cup filled with water, small and still. It's called the Zhan realm."

"Second Realm: The Pond Realm. Like a pond, more water but still. It's called the Chi realm."

"Third Realm: The River Realm. Flowing water, large and dynamic. It's called the Chuan realm."

"Fourth Realm: The Ocean Realm. Vast and boundless, like an ocean. It's called the Hai realm."

"Fifth Realm: Infinite. Almost endless, vast and imposing. It's called the Wu Liang realm."

"Sixth Realm: Klein. Unlimited, inexhaustible, breaking the dimensional space, almost like a Klein bottle. It's called the Klein realm."

Lin Qiye was silent for a moment, then asked, "So what about me? What realm am I in?"

Zhao Kongcheng smirked, seemingly enjoying teasing Lin Qiye. "You? You're in the Zhan realm. You're just a beginner at using the Forbidden Ruins. In other words... you're just a slightly stronger ordinary person."

Lin Qiye was immediately speechless.

So, his ability to open the mental hospital doors last night must have been because he had just broken through to the Zhan realm. That's probably why he could also open Nicks' ward door.

Does that mean every time he breaks through a new realm, he'll be able to release another patient?

"What about you?" Lin Qiye couldn't help but ask. "You're so strong, what realm are you in?"

Zhao Kongcheng's face turned red. He awkwardly turned to look out the window. "I... I don't have the Forbidden Ruins, so naturally, I don't have mental power."

"You don't have the Forbidden Ruins?" Lin Qiye's eyes went wide. "Then how did you kill that monster?"

Lin Qiye was genuinely shocked. That kind of monster had nearly overpowered him even with his dynamic vision, and yet Zhao Kongcheng had been dominating it. How could someone so powerful not have the Forbidden Ruins?

"That thing was called the Ghost-Faced Man." Zhao Kongcheng corrected him. "I killed it purely through years of training and combat experience. Before joining the Night Watch, I was a special forces soldier, skilled in close combat."

Zhao Kongcheng added, "There are three ways to acquire the Forbidden Ruins. One is the way I mentioned earlier—only a small group of lucky people are born with the ability to use the Forbidden Ruins. The second way is through objects that possess the Forbidden Ruins."

"It's not just humans who are affected by the fog; certain objects can also gain the Forbidden Ruins under special circumstances. These types of Forbidden Ruins are usually rare and extremely unique, but if humans can control them, they can also harness their power."

"I belong to this second category, but the object I have isn't an attack-type one. It's a special auxiliary item exclusive to the Night Watch—a signboard. Its only function is to open the Wujie Void Space."