[A chaotic-neutral moth-fly heroine greedily climbs higher and higher, all the way to becoming a Long]
"I came alone to this damp, cold city. My eyes fell upon the shadows beneath it, another history, and the woodlands growing beyond the walls of Mansus."
When Umbra transmigrated, all she had was a will. She had no choice but to make a living in rainy London.
The moment she opened the will, her heart pounded. She had gained her golden finger: a withered green desk of her own, inside her mind.
Found a cult, recruit followers, seek the secret of immortality.
A vision both mysterious and ancient, brimming with allure.
Umbra was tempted. Umbra accepted.
And just like that, little Umbra's life was completely ruined…
*
A cult: a secret and perfect organization for seizing knowledge, studying the invisible arts, and achieving great works.
Umbra: a cult leader devoted to a great undertaking.
That was how it was supposed to go.
It would have been even better if the authorities hadn't named her a top-priority villain to capture.
She operated in the shadows of the city under a false identity, but everything leaves a trace. She couldn't avoid earning a sinister reputation in the streets and alleys, while the hounds of the Bureau of Investigation were always hot on her heels.
In this game, Umbra competed with the immortals, studied lost languages, met the beings who dwelled in Mansus, and glimpsed the gods of the Seven Histories.
Found a cult and seek immortality? No, no. Becoming an immortal was only the first step.
Above the immortals were the Long, companions of the Hours: the named ones most beloved and most useful to the Hours.
Umbra's ultimate goal was to fight her way through the competition and become one of the seven named ones beneath an Hour… or not.
She followed the principle of the Moth, sinking into dreams and entering the Wood. When moths fluttered past Umbra's buzzing soul, a supreme yet blasphemous yearning had already taken root in her: the principle and creed she lived by.
Ascension was the goal. Ascending to become an immortal or a named one was their goal, not Umbra's.
The Grail indulged its appetite, the Lantern pursued its radiance…
The restless aspect of the Moth was Umbra's instinct. Like a moth drawn to flame, Umbra's heart pulled her toward the firelight, to sacrifice and ascend.
She would ultimately become the thirty-first god among the thirty Hours.
Reading tips:
1. So far, the author has only written the minor and major victories for the Grail and the Lantern. The story is intended to be accessible, so everyone can enjoy it.
2. No CP, because having to kill off a lover before ascending is too much hassle. There's only room for one person on the path to ascension.
Theme: All roads lead to Rome. If there's no road, fly to Rome.
