Chapter 11 The Usurper
Two days ago.
"Yo, I never guessed you'd still be such a kind‑hearted person." The Heavenly Sovereign's silhouette flickered across Ning Lu's retinas, watching Ning Lu neatly fold the denunciation letter, his tone tinged with a hint of mockery.
"I always have to do something that makes my body and mind feel refreshed." Ning Lu replied lightly. "Heavenly Sovereign, why do you always focus on these trivial details?"
The Heavenly Sovereign smiled and, taking the opportunity, sat down:
"Because it's entertaining—I've never met a fellow like you. To us, these lives are mere ants we could crush with a flick, yet you painstakingly nurture each ant's growth. In your world, are you a benevolent deity?"
His tone paused, steering the conversation in another direction:
"I'm eager to see what you'll do next. You're fascinating. If you could nail God to His own cross, then even if we can't separate, that would be an outcome I could accept."
Ning Lu glanced at the Heavenly Sovereign, thinking He said not a single truth.
Nevertheless, he didn't dwell on the Sovereign's words. He stood, soaked the letter in the power of "Sefirah Castle" to grant it anti‑divination ability, and handed it to Mr. Z, who was dutifully waiting outside the door:
"Please deliver this letter to the front desk of the Blackthorn Security Company. Make sure no one sees your face."
After speaking, Ning Lu still felt uneasy, fearing Mr. Z might interpret "don't let anyone see your face" as "kill everyone inside so no one can see you," so he paused and added:
"Don't harm the employees or guests inside… don't hurt anyone."
"Understood." Fortunately, Mr. Z grasped Ning Lu's meaning. He silently took the letter, then proactively asked:
"Anything else I should watch out for, Mr. L?"
Ning Lu thought for a moment: "That's a front‑line base disguised as a Night Church Nighthawks squad. Be careful not to get caught—that's part of the Divine Descent Plan."
Mr. Z hesitated briefly, then nodded, indicating he fully understood Ning Lu's instructions.
About half a day later, Mr. Z returned, cloaked in his signature black robe, to report back. After stealthily delivering the denunciation letter to the Blackthorn Security Company's front desk, he circled Tingen City to ensure he wasn't being trailed by the Night Church Nighthawks.
"Mr. L."
After detailing his actions and confirming he hadn't harmed anyone, Mr. Z turned to Ning Lu again:
"The Saint has sent word—he has verified the information you previously provided and asked me to relay a message to you:"
"The Aurora Order will spare no effort to forge the identity you need, but for certain reasons the Saints cannot travel to Tingen at this time..."
Mr. Z finished and stood straight, awaiting Ning Lu's next orders. Yet his words sent Ning Lu into brief contemplation… It seemed either Adam or "0-08" was at work; he leaned toward the latter.
When protected by "Sefirah Castle," I remain unseen by the Spectator's Pathway of Beyonders unless they decide to start tracking me.
And it now appears that Ince Zangwill's "0-08" suddenly began spouting lines like "Ince Zangwill is just too unlucky; Mr. Z's devout faith made him realize the creator's arrival was orchestrated by someone else, praying for The Dark Saint's aid"… such sentences.
Ince Zangwill then used "0-08" to block The Dark Saint's support for Tingen.
"That's enough."
Ning Lu pondered briefly before addressing the Mr. Z before him:
"The denunciation letter has been submitted. The Night Goddess's followers have noticed my hint. From now on, we only need to wait."
After Ning Lu's words faded, Mr. Z hesitated, then spoke to Ning Lu:
"Mr. L, I don't quite grasp your intention… Why would you let the Night Church know of your existence?"
A test? Ning Lu examined Mr. Z's expression and reached a conclusion.
It wasn't a test of his behavior; he genuinely wondered why he couldn't understand Ning Lu's purpose, hoping to receive guidance from this "God‑Favored" being who is closer to the divine than he.
Ning Lu gathered his thoughts and delivered the prepared reply:
"Z, I need to ask you a question."
"If the idea of the Lord's descent here isn't ours, what would you think?"
"What would I think…" Mr. Z's gaze flashed with unthinking anger and hatred: "It's impossible. The Lord's arrival is everyone's hope and wish. If I lacked that thought, it would be a betrayal of the Lord..."
"Z, I know your thoughts, but… existence doesn't equal blind obedience."
Feeling the pleasant digestion of the potion inside him, Ning Lu steadied his emotions and, in a slightly somber tone, instructed Mr. Z:
"Our enemies aren't just heretical sects close to our Sequence—don't forget, the current Seven Gods have all betrayed the Lord."
"What if a higher being, beyond our power, altered our thoughts? What if an angel serving a dark god rewrote the voice of the Lord in our ears?"
Seeing Mr. Z's gaze fall into prolonged silence, Ning Lu knew it was time to push further, and he added fuel to the fire:
"Unlike the Storm, Knowledge, and Sun deities, at least the Night Goddess… did not actively betray the Lord."
In Mr. Z's eyes, his tone was calm, a faint smile on his lips, his upper body shrouded in Darkness, whispering ancient secrets.
"Moreover… the Lord doesn't need mortal blood sacrifices, for He is the ten thousand."
Ning Lu stood up:
"The Lord willingly bears all sins, but if we cannot share his burdens, how are we any different from lost lambs? Z, we must lie low for now, and when the puppeteer appears, bring the Lord's wrath down."
As his words fell, Ning Lu felt something inside him shatter; the Beyonder abilities that had seemed veiled by mist slowly seeped into his being, becoming instinct.
From the corner of his eye, the Heavenly Sovereign stood silently, coldly watching the gray mist separate from his own body.
Ning Lu suddenly realized… he wasn't digesting a potion.
—but rather the "Usurpation" trait.