"Don't look at like that. I'm not worthy of your admiration. I've spent my entire life simply drifting along, doing only what I pleased. It was only when I looked back that I realized I had saved so many people. Since you're here to see , it ans you've accomplished great things as well. We are the sa. Even with ten thousand years between us, you are also a hero."
The stranger before the bonfire wore a faint smile.
"No, I'm no hero. Most of my actions have been driven by self-interest. I'm adept at deceiving others with carefully crafted lies, and I spend most of my ti hiding behind a false facade."
In the presence of such a legend, Jenkins set aside his usual deceptions and chose to be sincere.
"To persuade the clans of the southern kingdom to dispatch their armies, I once used a curse to threaten an elder's youngest son. To vanquish the vampires infesting the royal court, I posed as a nobleman, mingling at high-society galas and dancing gracefully with the ladies. But none of that mattered; I was still called a hero. And I have done far worse."
The man spoke, placing his sheathed sword beside his helt and gazing into the bonfire with Jenkins.
"A hero isn't a saint. In truth, there are no saints in this world. Even the Saints, those closest to the gods, are not perfect, flawless beings. I once adventured with a Saint from the Church of the God of All Stars, and I witnessed him do many terrible things."
"A Saint is not a perfect being. I know that well, because I am a Saint myself... May I ask, who is the God of All Stars? I've never heard the na of this great being. Oh, but if it's difficult to speak of, please don't answer. I know so things are better left unsaid."
"The God of All Stars was the Righteous God who commanded the domain of the starry sky in my era. If you haven't heard of Him, it ans He found a successor, inherited a collapsing Epoch, and beca a Sovereign. I suspect your current era also has a Righteous God with the domain of the Starry Sky. You can consider their authority to be one and the sa."
"Hmm?"
It took Jenkins a long mont to process the man's words. He started to wonder if this was a dream—these were the secrets he had been chasing all this ti.
"A Sovereign is a Righteous God..."
"I know what has surprised you, but judging by your expression, you must have suspected so of this already. It's true that certain things cannot be spoken of lightly. However, I am long dead. What you're speaking with is nothing more than an imprinted mory. I have no reason to fear those feeble rules, but what I've said is all I can reveal. I'm sure you can grasp the implications. The difference between the Sovereigns and the gods... is not as vast as people believe."
As he spoke, he added more wood to the bonfire, making the flas leap higher and burn brighter.
"My long life of adventuring allowed to learn most of the secrets of my age. If I could, I would share every secret I possess to help you, but the rules forbid it. You said you are a Saint? That is highly unusual. Typically, this ability selects the naless, those who are lost to history, to bear its weight. They are the most suitable candidates... Are you now at the end of an Epoch?"
The ancient hero suddenly asked, his voice still deep and somber.
"Yes. It is the end of the Eighteenth Epoch. The ons of the coming catastrophe are already manifest."
Jenkins nodded. The man instantly looked up, his gaze easily finding the purple star in the sky.
"The Star of Destiny? I see... So this ti, the Hero has appeared to beco a Savior. Now I understand."
He spoke in a tone of sudden enlightennt, his expression turning serious as he looked at Jenkins:
"If that is the case, young man, then the responsibility you bear will be heavier than mine—heavier than that of any hero before you. A Savior at the end of an Epoch determines the fate of generations to co. You must wield your power with caution and beware the other Saviors. You are about to enter the most ruthless of contests."
"Actually, I... Never mind."
Jenkins decided not to complicate matters. He carefully pondered the incredible information he had just received, realizing he wasn't as surprised as he might have been. It all followed a certain logic; only this explanation made perfect sense.
A worthy successor takes the place of a Righteous God, completing the divine transition without leaving much of a trace in the history books. The departure of a Righteous God creates an opportunity for a Pseudo-God to ascend, but...
"Could this be why the Righteous Gods create new deities from their avatars? But wouldn't that lead to a perpetual monopoly on certain divine domains? It's the end of an Epoch now... I wonder which Righteous God will depart this ti, and which Pseudo-God will take their place..."
A thousand thoughts swirled in Jenkins's mind. It took him a long mont to refocus on the conversation with the stranger.
"May I ask a question? I've been very curious... why is the Hero ability classified as a 'Black Sacred' type?"
He had read about the ability's classification in a book. It was only the second of its kind Jenkins had ever encountered. He had previously assud that only abilities capable of creating Sin Coins fell into the Black Sacred category.
"That's quite simple. The Hero ability exists to absolve the sins generated by intelligent life. Any ability that can either absolve or coalesce sin is classified as Black Sacred. 'Black' signifies its connection to sin, while 'Sacred' indicates that the ability is beneficial to the world."
The hero from the last epoch replied, then added:
"When I manifested here, I received a asure of this era's common knowledge. I know that in the Orthodox Churches' item classifications, 'black' often denotes A-class Cursed Items. That's because most Cursed Items are also coalescences of sin, hence the color designation. I am aware that in most cultures, black does not typically hold a positive connotation. But in the supernatural world, anything connected to 'Sin'—be it an ability that absolves it or a Cursed Item that embodies it—is associated with the color black.
The Hero ability is also black. We never boast of our deeds. Everything we do is simply for the sake of our own peace of mind."
"I understand now. Thank you for explaining all this. The nature of Black Sacred abilities has puzzled for a very long ti, but now it's finally clear."
"There's no need to thank . In truth, I should be thanking you. Because of you, the legacy of the Hero can be passed on. But rember this: we pass down not only strength, but also conviction. A hero is a link in a chain. Soone will always be there to inherit that link and make it shine once more."
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