Gods' Ribs: Black Tide Hunting Files

The Black Tide is no ordinary disaster. It is a pollution formed by the mingling of vast spiritual energy, or “fragments of divinity,” released when ancient Eastern and Western gods or historical figures fell or entered slumber, and negative cosmic dust known as the “Black Tide.” Among the human survivors, a tiny minority possess unusual bloodlines, spiritual resonance, or sheer good fortune that causes their minds to “echo” the spiritual fragments of a god or historical figure, awakening the unique supernatural ability associated with that fragment. The central conflict: using these abilities intensifies the “echo,” gradually allowing the original fragment’s “personality” to erode the awakened person. Excessive use or a mental collapse may lead to complete replacement, turning them into a “divine abomination,” a terrifying monster stripped of its sense of self and driven only by the obsessions of the divine fragment. Eastern divine fragments, such as those of Fuxi, Chiyou, Jingwei, and Jiang Shang, naturally repel and clash with Western ones, such as those of Zeus, Odin, Hephaestus, and Medusa. The essence of cultivation is to absorb divine fragments of the same origin and strengthen one’s abilities, while holding fast to one’s own will and resisting the perilous erosion of one’s personality.