Chapter 44: Successful Deception
After intimidating and deceiving the "Monster" Admisol, Ning Lu was in a very good mood.
The "Monster" Admisol is a promising seed on the "Fate" Pathway; although he isn't lucky enough to become an Angel, with proper cultivation he should be able to reach the middle Sequence and perhaps even become a demigod.
—Absorbed into the Aurora Order.
Ning Lu handed today's work over to Mr. Z, and the remaining plan was to wander around here, see if he could catch Triss, and meanwhile finish his own potion… Time passed quickly under Ning Lu's purposeful search, and by this morning he had gradually completed the options he had previously scheduled.
Although this area belongs to the Church of Storms, the screening of newcomers isn't that strict. With the help of "Superior Observation," Ning Lu selected a few prey and played the role of a "Marauder" against them.
He didn't obtain much gold, but he fully digested and devoured the "Marauder's" Beyonder characteristic, integrating it into his own body.
Now only the Cryptologist's Beyonder characteristic still bears the Divine's spiritual imprint… Ning Lu thought to himself, when he suddenly heard a faint commotion in the distance.
The moment he noticed the distant disturbance, Ning Lu silently activated a small combo of "Mind Interference – Illusion," hiding himself and slipping to the entrance.
[Ah, the juvenile form of a Demoness.]
Suddenly, the Divine spoke casually into Ning Lu's ear:
[This person resembles the Primordial One a bit; perhaps he is a post‑resurrection hand left by God. God once contained the City of Calamity; the Demoness Pathway is somehow related to it.]
"I know." Ning Lu answered while quickly approaching the source of the turmoil: "She—oh, now still he. He is a Divine Descent vessel prepared by the Primordial Demoness for herself, and can also be considered a post‑resurrection hand of God."
Ning Lu paused and chuckled quietly:
"God prepared so many post‑resurrection hands, what about you?"
[Can the matter of post‑resurrection hands be counted like this?]
The Divine widened his eyes, then rattled off a series of incomprehensible sentences—"post‑resurrection hands are valued for precision, not quantity," "God has a Mother Goddess assisting," "my progress is almost there," and so on—making Ning Lu smile.
He listened to the Divine, whose words were already devolving into nonsense, and walked slowly toward the direction where Triss was fleeing amid the clamor.
He extended his palm, and at the moment he brushed past Triss, Ning Lu pulled a wallet from his pocket and instead slipped a paper with writing into Triss's pocket.
Time seemed to slow infinitely the instant Ning Lu's fingertips left, and when he withdrew his hand, Triss shot out of the Evil Dragon Bar's underground market like a released arrow.
"—Catching Triss makes today's trip not entirely in vain."
Ning Lu spoke while moving toward Admisol, who was clutching his own legs from the over‑inspired strain, and after reaching him said lightly:
"Close your eyes."
Admisol hesitated, then closed his eyes without further thought.
Only then did he realize and scream, "You—didn't you say we'd wait until—"
He didn't hear Ning Lu's reply, only a crisp snap of fingers, and the surroundings instantly lightened.
You've already seen my face, yet you still think I'll give you a choice? Ning Lu withdrew his gaze from Admisol's face and looked at the young man whose eyes were shut tight like a quail's.
Just now, he summoned his messenger, who brought both him and Admisol back into the Aurora Order.
He, like an actor in a play, removed a silk top‑hat that matched his suit and bowed to the animated void before him as if to a servant:
"Thank you for your help."
The animated void felt the great presence mocking it, became frightened, and vanished before Ning Lu's eyes before finishing its sentence.
I finally get to "wear the hat" once… Ning Lu's mouth twitched, he sighed lightly, and said to Admisol standing before him:
"Open your eyes now; it's safe."
Admisol blinked bewildered, glanced at the lavish décor around him and asked, "Excuse me, where is this..."
"Oh, I haven't introduced myself yet." Ning Lu walked around the table, sat in the chair of his own room, and said to Admisol:
"Welcome to the 'Aurora Order,' Mr. Admisol. You may call me 'Mr. L.'"
"Mr. L"… "Aurora Order"… Admisol's mind was still a bit foggy, but he quickly caught some extraordinary words in Ning Lu's speech.
He thought for a moment, recalling something the church members had once chatted about.
He remembered… the Aurora Order seemed to be the Church of Storms' most guarded enemy?
"Aurora Order?!!" Admisol's eyes widened suddenly; for a moment his madness seemed to subside, becoming wise and clear: "Aren't you…"
"Shh."
Ning Lu placed his index finger to his lips: "Think about where you are. You still want to live, don't want to keep sinking into this madness, right?"
Seeing the fear on Admisol's face, Ning Lu lowered his finger, smiled, and said to him:
"Do you know why I brought you back?"
Admisol sat on the floor like a wilted flower, utterly still, and Ning Lu didn't mind:
"I think you have the talent of the 'Fate' Pathway, but you've been languishing here. Don't you feel you're wasting your life, lingering in suffering?"
"...Some priests and deacons of the church have approached me and told me some things." Admisol argued weakly:
"But they said the church has no potion suitable for me..."
"Ah, no potion—what a perfect excuse." Ning Lu suddenly felt his missionary talent flare, and with the Swindler's eloquence said to Admisol:
"Do you really believe that a massive church with a 'Great' lord of storms would truly lack a potion formula for you? Heh, I don't."
He looked at the shocked Admisol, whose eyes reflected the blasphemous words, and said calmly:
"Did you know that in the previous era the True Creator was the belief of the majority on the Northern Continent?"
"It was the church of this era that altered history and buried it."
"Even though the main faith has declined in this era, we still preserve many Pathway potion formulas."
"For example… the 'Fate' Pathway potion."