Ritual

As if a church choir had started singing, an aura of dread filled the room. The atmosphere was both solemn and ominous, casting a dark shadow over everyone present.

"Mr. Riggs!" Adel was the first to react, bowing his head in respect.

The others, initially on guard, relaxed slightly, following Adel's lead.

Seeing this, Adam smiled and walked into the room with an air of authority. It was as if an invisible force parted the others, making way for him. He sat down on a chair, crossed his legs, and touched his mask, exuding an almost kingly presence.

"I believe you've heard about the God's Tear ritual," Adam said in a raspy voice. "I have some tasks for you."

"Please instruct us, Mr. Riggs," the supernatural beings replied, exchanging glances before addressing Adam.

"Don't worry; it's nothing too difficult. I just need you to gather some materials," Adam said softly. "If you perform well, I might consider conducting the ritual for you earlier."

He listed the items they needed to collect: a vial of holy water, wolfsbane from the cliff, common human clothing, various animal corpses, soil from the city's highest and lowest points...

Some items were indeed needed for the God's Tear ritual, while others were added to complicate the process, enhancing the ritual's mystique.

In a calm but commanding tone, Adam instructed the supernatural beings on their tasks.

"As for you, Adel," Adam said, looking at the kneeling blood slave, "at noon, stare directly at the sun and collect your tears in a bottle."

"Yes, Mr. Riggs!" Adel answered with joy. The tasks assigned to the others didn't concern him; he only had to collect his own tears, which seemed integral to the God's Tear ritual.

The God's Tear ritual didn't involve any supernatural powers. Essentially, it was a divine miracle, a godly intervention.

The first stage of the ritual was repentance. The tears of repentance symbolized the beasts' need for divine mercy. The beasts had not needed the god but suffered in his absence, which was their sin. The second son disobeyed the shepherd's warning and brought suffering upon the land, which was his sin.

Thus, to gain the god's mercy, both the beasts and the second son had to repent for their sins.

Watching the supernatural beings leave, Adam didn't relax. He remained seated, eyes closed, organizing his thoughts. Once Adel successfully completed the God's Tear ritual, all the supernatural beings present would be loyal. Adam planned to keep assigning them tasks, making them invest more in the ritual. The more they invested, the deeper they would be drawn in, eventually becoming his most loyal followers.

This strategy would establish a hierarchy among the gathered supernatural beings. Adam would use this hierarchy to manage them effectively, making the already involved ones support him and keep potential rebels in check.

"Jin? Adel invited him," Adam recalled. "Would a supernatural being in this kingdom not be interested in a ritual that could conceal their identity effectively? No, they definitely would be."

Anyone residing in the Holy Sound Kingdom would be interested in the God's Tear ritual, even if they had other means to conceal their true nature.

"The ones who are interested but didn't accept Adel's invitation are the most dangerous," Adam realized. "Such individuals, not yet part of the established hierarchy, would target me directly for control of the entire ritual."

Adam knew he had to be cautious during his dealings with Adel and the others, ensuring he wasn't followed back to his base of operations. He noted this concern but put it aside for now.

Outside, Adel was already staring at the sun.

In the divine scripture, it was said that after the god left, his endless light fell upon the beasts, cleansing them. Thus, many friars believed the god was a barrier protecting the world from excessive light. This belief gave rise to the Sky God, who divided the sun, moon, and stars, preventing them from appearing simultaneously.

Another belief was that the god replaced the sun, leading to the creation of the Sun God.

As the Sky and Sun God believers fought, a third belief emerged:

"God is perfect, encompassing both good and evil. He is the creator and the destroyer. The god left behind only his goodness, while his evil remained to punish the beasts."

This belief led to the creation of the All-God sect, which was opposed by many other churches because it contradicted the notion that god was purely benevolent.

The God's Tear ritual seemed to draw on the divine power recognized by these three different beliefs, using elements of the sun, sky, and the god's duality.

The first stage, repentance, involved the Sun God. Staring at the sun symbolized repentance, and the collected tears were the tears of repentance.

Holy water was used because of its divine properties. Wolfsbane, known for its toxicity and association with werewolves, was crucial. Common human clothing and animal corpses symbolized various aspects, while soil from the city's highest and lowest points connected to the god's presence.

Adam tapped his mask, feeling a phantom pain from his facial scar. He had endured much to learn this ritual.

Now, these supernatural beings were lucky to start the ritual so easily. Adam's memories resurfaced, and he calmed himself, focusing on the current task.

"Tracing ancestry, remembering the past, and discovering talents," Adam recalled the key aspects of bloodline awakening. "The signs are already showing. My excessive recollection and enhanced charisma are evidence."

He stood by the window, watching Adel perform his task, hoping to distract himself from his thoughts.

"Interestingly, blood slaves aren't harmed by sunlight," Adam mused, noting the difference from his previous world's myths. In this world, vampires, born from werewolf experiments, shared similar weaknesses with werewolves, mainly fearing silver.

The supernatural beings returned with the requested items promptly, motivated by the promise of the God's Tear ritual.