Free Web NovelChapter 3: Chapter 3—Eye of prophecy
Chapter 3—Eye of prophecy
Lei Cheng rubbed his throbbing head and found himself standing in an endless space.
Blue water reached his ankles—yet his feet didn’t get wet. Drops fell from them anyway, as though the water existed only to suggest itself.
"Where am I?"
He glanced around, one hand still pressed against his heavy, aching head. He winced, narrowing his eyes, and pushed through the discomfort to take in the space around him.
’Did I die again?’
No visible end in any direction. It was like full daylight with no sun—bright, sourceless, and wrong. As he walked forward, the pain gradually eased.
’Wait—those flames. And that status panel—’
A brilliant golden light flashed from high above, cutting his thoughts short. Lei Cheng threw his palm over his eyes. After a few moments, the light faded.
"Isn’t that—"
He knitted his brows.
A cunning golden eye stared down at him—enormous, large enough to illuminate the entire boundless space. Its iris was black. Its pupil’s red.
"So you’re the one who brought me here." He pointed his index finger straight at it. "Why?"
Silence. Only his own voice echoed back.
’Is this thing unintelligent?’
He raised his brows. "Answer me!"
Silence again.
Then a beam of golden light shot from the iris and drove straight into his brow. He tried to run—it was far too fast. He barely managed to turn before it struck him. His already heavy head became unbearable. He dropped to his knees, pressing both palms hard against his temples, rolling across the shallow water floor. The cold liquid dulled the agony slightly. When it finally became bearable, he dragged himself upright, panting.
Three golden panels flashed into existence before his eyes.
He didn’t reach for them immediately. Instead, he went through the knowledge that had just been forced into him. The details didn’t settle cleanly.
It scraped against his thoughts—like something forcing its way in.
"An artifact," he muttered.
The golden eye was an artifact—that much the light had given him, along with a faint suggestion that it was tied to prophecy. What kind of artifact, and what its functions were, remained hidden. But he now understood how his Instant Enlightenment ability had been granted.
The golden eye didn’t blink. It watched him as if trying to measure him.
’The dark magic had actually worked.’
He grinned—bitter, hollow.
Then his eyes reddened slightly. "I’m sorry. I couldn’t avenge you..." His voice dropped to almost nothing.
Then it snapped back. His eyes went wide. He pressed his fingers to his forehead.
’That rich brat. I thought my luck had simply run out—that I’d died by accident. But no...’
’It was murder. A planned murder.’
"Killed." His voice spread through the space. "I was killed."
His voice cracked.
His heartbeat rose. He clenched his fists hard.
Thud! He smashed his right leg against the ground. Lei Cheng wanted to break something, but nothing was there.
The golden eye had revealed everything. The artifact had come to him through a deal—an exchange of his luck for power. Through dark magic in his past life, he had gained two things: Instant Enlightenment and the Artifact itself. It was only after sensing his death that the artifact carried his soul across to this world.
Lei Cheng clenched his fist. "I’ll get my revenge." He ground his teeth, then forced himself to breathe slowly. However, he knew.
"I am no longer Silva."
He said it quietly. He had to let go—for now. But a small, cold glimmer still burned in his chest. If he could truly reach the top, like the heroes in those novels, then returning to his homeland would become possible. And revenge would be the easiest thing in the world.
His eyes glinted with a cold red light.
He turned his focus to the three panels floating before him. One burned far brighter than the others—positioned at the center, a black snake coiled around its golden frame as though trying to devour it from the outside in. He read the words inscribed on it:
"The Dao bends towards the twisted and turns away from the living. Those who walk it rise only to be claimed in time. No height escapes its hunger. Only what is forged new may walk it and not be devoured."
"What is this?"
Lei Cheng exhaled deeply. He wasn’t foolish enough to curse his own cheat item—but he had expected something useful, not cryptic prophecy. He closed his eyes and walked through the lines again. frёewebnoѵēl.com
’The Dao bends towards the twisted and turns away from the living.’
He rubbed his chin. The Heavenly Dao is not favorable to the living. But "twisted"—what does that mean? freewebnoveℓ.com
"The Bizarre."
His mind clicked as he combed through Lei Cheng’s memories. The Bizarre—creatures said to be alive, yet not alive. Extraordinarily powerful. After inheriting Lei Cheng’s memories, he had already suspected his death was connected to a fox-type Bizarre creature. That suspicion had only deepened after what he had witnessed before fainting—the white flames vanishing.
’Illusion,’ he thought, raising his head.
The golden eye still blazed above him, though its light felt softer now, less oppressive. He opened his eyes. ’I comprehended Illusion Intent.’ He traced back through the final moments before losing consciousness in the courtyard. ’If those protective white flames had been nothing more than an illusion...’
He exhaled. "Things are far more chaotic than I expected."
"Not just mine. Everyone’s life in Azure Cloud City is hanging by a thread."
The white flames were a creation born from centuries of human ancestors’ work—a powerful force that repelled Bizarre creatures. As long as those flames burned with ferocious intent, no Bizarre dared set foot inside the city walls.
But they had been replaced with illusion.
His breath slowed.
"...No."
"That meant—the city had already fallen."
The water beneath his feet rippled. His stiff face reflected.
"So the Heavenly Dao truly does favor the twisted over the living." He nodded, the first line finally clicking into place.
He moved to the second line.
’Those who walk it rise only to be claimed in time.’
"What does this mean?" He frowned, scratched his head, and couldn’t crack it. He swiped that panel aside.
The next panel was gold, bordered in red, a fox shimmering faintly in its background. He read:
"The mark denies the bride’s end. Only when the mark’s purpose is fulfilled does that denial fade."
"The bride and the mark."
He glanced down at his chest—still feeling that cold, sharp prickling—then back at the fox symbol glowing behind the panel.
"...Yep. It’s the fox."
He nodded slowly. ’But what did the next line mean?’
