Chapter 73: Stealing the boon
Nimrod looked at Lumian, who was covered in blood and walking over while carrying the head of the "Noodle Man," and placed a hand on his shoulder:
"You did very well."
"Let's go. We'll head back first, then perform the ritual inside the'safe house' in this dream ruin of yours."
The two avoided the Monsters along the way and quickly returned to the vicinity of Lumian's "safe house."
Of course, since there were quite a few Monsters here, Nimrod used his "sun scythe," which had a double special effect against out-of-control Monsters, to hack many of them to death along the way, leaving Lumian, who was nearing his limit after "hunting" only two Monsters, staring with wide, dazed eyes.
As Lumian pushed open the door and stepped inside, he asked Nimrod:
"Godfather, what kind of ritual are you going to perform?"
"First, we need to conduct the occult ritual according to the most common 'Binary Ritual Method.'"
Nimrod took out the materials he had collected during the previous cycle in the mysteries timeline from his pocket:
"The materials corresponding to the Great One that is corrupting you are gray amber, tulips, cloves, and musk. We will use these materials to make candles and set up the ritual circle."
"Of course, the essence of this ritual is not to pray to that Great One, but to the Seal on your chest. Therefore, an additional medium is needed—mixing your blood into the candle representing the deity will serve as this medium."
Candles were an important component of occult rituals. Nimrod had already finished making these candles before arriving in the "circlet timeline," with only the one requiring Lumian's blood left unfinished.
Nimrod skillfully set up a "Wall of Spirituality" around them, feeling absolutely no drain on his spirituality.
Under Nimrod's instruction, Lumian used a small knife to cut his palm and mixed his blood with the materials used to make the candle.
Nimrod placed the "sun scythe" near the materials, and the heat radiating from it quickly melted them into a long strip, which Nimrod shaped into a candle.
After the candle was placed, Nimrod glanced at Lumian and said to him:
"I will now use the Hermes Language to complete the most important part of this ritual. After we leave this dream, I will begin to systematically teach you the languages of the occult world."
"I need to warn you: once you have learned the Hermes Language and other languages capable of invoking Beyonder powers, you must never recite the incantation I am about to say—merely reciting it would be enough to link you with the Great One that is corrupting you and cause It to notice you."
"There is severe corruption within your body. Once you are gazed upon, the corruption will inevitably become unbalanced. When that happens, you, with your unbalanced corruption, will be like a balloon that has been blown up too much... Pop!"
Nimrod opened his palm, showing Lumian the Fate of doing so.
Lumian shook his head resolutely.
Before he could successfully save his sister, he could not die, no matter what!
"Good. Since you understand, I will begin." Nimrod signaled for Lumian to sit down in front of him, then used his spirituality to ignite the candle and added the materials into it.
"Celestial Worthy." He said to the Celestial Worthy in the depths of his mind: "Prepare to begin."
[I am ready.] The Celestial Worthy smiled: [Begin. I am looking forward to the moment the 'Circle of Inevitability' discovers that Its authority has been completely stolen.]
[Now, this is our first step.]
Receiving the Celestial Worthy's response, Nimrod composed himself and solemnly declared in Ancient Hermes Language:
"Oh, power of Fate..."
Gray mist fell from the surroundings like a cloak, draping over Nimrod's body; illusory tentacles made of gray mist spread from beneath Nimrod, gradually merging with the blue-black Seal on Lumian's chest.
"You are the past, the present, and the future."
"You are the cause, the result, and the process."
Nimrod did not use any honorifics throughout, but even so, he naturally invoked the power within the Seal. The piece of flesh stripped from the "Mandible Monster" was casually thrown onto the ground by Nimrod, its luster gradually fading.
Flesh tainted with the power of Fate was an excellent aid for disguise.
With the cooperation of Nimrod and the Celestial Worthy, he stood there now, able to be recognized as the "Lord of the Mysteries" by the "gray mist Seal" and as the "Circle of Inevitability" by the "Fate corruption"!
Although it could only be used to defraud lower Sequences, this was completely enough!
"I pray to you..."
"...I pray that you grant me the power of a 'Dancer'."
The moment Nimrod finished reciting the incantation, the flame above the candle suddenly turned silver-black. Illusory liquid seemed to flow out from within it, hesitating in the air as if it did not know who to choose as its carrier.
This "Dancer" boon felt that there were two "boon Receivers" beside it!
However, this was enough.
This brief pause was exactly what Nimrod needed.
Nimrod stretched out his hands, and the gray mist beneath him, under his and the Celestial Worthy's control, enveloped the silver-black liquid—that is, the "Dancer" boon—together.
Immediately after, the gray mist rapidly contracted, quickly condensing into a small gray porcelain bottle.
He took the porcelain bottle and tilted his head back, drinking it in one gulp.
This—watching everything happen in a flash, Lumian's pupils suddenly constricted.
He watched as the blood vessels on Nimrod's exposed face and neck suddenly bulged, outlining silver-black threads.
He saw the flesh on Nimrod's body seemingly melting and twisting, as if it were about to dislocate at any moment, but in the end, it remained in its proper state.
After a few minutes, he saw Nimrod's body return to its normal state. Just as he was about to carefully ask how Nimrod was doing, he saw Nimrod stretch out his hand with superhuman joint flexibility, snap the two candles in front of him, and destroy the ritual.
Nimrod exhaled a breath smelling of blood and said to Lumian in front of him in a deep, hollow tone:
"The power I extracted from your body is equivalent to a Sequence 9 potion. Since this originally belonged to you, I will provide you with corresponding compensation."
"You helping me save Aurore is the best compensation!" Just as Lumian was about to refuse, he saw Nimrod wave his hand and say to him:
"No need to refuse. I am your godfather; it is impossible for me to let you suffer a loss—later, I will provide you with the formula for sequence 8 of the 'Hunter' Pathway and help you find the corresponding materials."
"...In addition, I will also give you an extra potion from the 'Assassin' Pathway."
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#74commune
Chapter 74: Secret Conversation
"Assassin" Pathway? Isn't that the Pathway that changes a person's gender?
Do you really want your godson to become your goddaughter?
Lumian felt a sudden tingling in his scalp. Just as he was about to open his mouth to ask, he saw his godfather sit down, lean against the back of the chair, and say to him slowly:
"The 'Assassin' potion won't change your gender in the early stages; you only gain that ability upon reaching Sequence 7, 'Demoness'."
"Furthermore, the 'Hunter' Pathway itself is similar to the 'Assassin' Pathway, having the effect of turning females into males. These two Pathways are adjacent. As long as you master the 'Acting Method', the risk of you losing control is not high."
Dunn Smith was the best example; he had consumed the characteristics left behind by multiple deceased teammates without even having acted beforehand.
"The 'Assassin' Pathway can compensate for your lack of spirituality, allowing your strength to surpass that of an average Beyonder."
"Heh, in another place, who knows how many people want to become a 'Demoness'! Intis's social atmosphere is just not open-minded enough in some respects..."
What place could be more open-minded than Intis? Lumian couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
Just then, he heard Nimrod continue: "Of course, there is one most important point."
"What?" Lumian blurted out subconsciously.
"Those deities investing in you require you to jump back and forth between 'Assassin' and 'Hunter' to better become the god they want. Because that way, the success rate is higher."
Nimrod drew a spiral pattern in front of him:
"Of course, you can choose to refuse. I will still help you continue to advance up the 'Hunter' Pathway. However, other great existences might not continue to choose you, but instead treat you as a discarded pawn and choose to continue using you."
"But if that happens, heh, on what grounds would they grant you the resources to save Aurore, giving you the chance to compete with other 'candidates' for the divine throne?"
Lumian pondered for a long time: "Will taking the extra 'Assassin' potion help me save Aurore?"
"The fact that you can become a deity with a higher success rate is already the greatest help." Nimrod nodded:
"Besides, if you want to make Aurore's will complete, the female side is also indispensable."
For Lumian now, Aurore was in a state of "incomplete consciousness," not "soul fragments." Therefore, Nimrod also avoided the term "soul fragments," preparing to wait for Lumian to discover it himself.
Only the moment he personally faces the disaster will he be able to wake up from this twelve-day nightmare of the Cycle.
Lumian's eyes could not hide his struggle and pain, but in the end, he nodded heavily.
...
"Yo, my little cabbages."
Lumian blocked the path of the Intis trio with a face full of smiles and said to them:
"Do you want to know the secret here? Yesterday, I investigated a bit with my beloved father and found a super big—secret here!"
Lia said vigilantly: "You aren't planning to take us to find the Parish Priest like you did yesterday, are you?"
"Of course not." Lumian's face was still piled with smiles. "This isn't the place to talk. The three of you, for the sake of the 'Eternal Blazing Sun', could you listen to my discovery? For example... I know who that person you are looking for is."
"Where are we going?" Valentine asked Lumian in a cold tone. Lumian raised his chin:
"Over there. The small grove at night is a favorite place for lovers, but there's no one there during the day."
"My father, no, my godfather is waiting there, ready to meet with you."
The three exchanged glances, and Lia nodded, speaking to Lumian in front of her in a joking tone: "Your godfather wouldn't happen to be the Parish Priest, would he?"
Unmasked hatred appeared in Lumian's eyes. He suppressed the emotions in his heart as much as he could, took a step forward, and lowered his voice to say:
"How is that possible?"
"That's a bastard raised by a sow who blasphemes the church and worships evil gods!"
If it weren't for the Parish Priest's ritual, his sister's will wouldn't have become incomplete, turning into a puppet within the Cycle!
Valentine's expression couldn't hold up for a moment; his face changed drastically, but after looking around, he suppressed his questioning.
Ryan nodded calmly: "Lead the way."
The grove was not too far from where the three were located, and they soon walked into the grove. Before entering, Lia gave an implicit signal to her two companions.
The Sealed Artifact on her that indicated danger did not make a sound; she felt there was no danger ahead.
After walking into the grove, Valentine was the first to speak, asking urgently: "What did you mean by what you said just now? Do you have evidence?"
"Yes." Lumian clapped his hands: "But I think we shouldn't discuss such confidential matters in such an unsafe place—at the very least, shouldn't we set up a 'Wall of Spirituality'?"
"You are a Beyonder?" Although Lia was a bit surprised, it wasn't to the point of shock.
"Yes." Nimrod's figure slowly emerged from behind the trees and walked toward where Lia was: "After being trapped here, I helped him become a Beyonder—actually, this is already our second meeting."
Nimrod spoke skillfully about the fabricated experience, making Lumian shocked for a moment that Nimrod had actually investigated so many places alone during the day in the previous Cycle—although the events were true, Nimrod had indeed not investigated them in person.
As for how he knew? That would be thanks to those events he knew before transmigrating.
"...Madam Pualis, the Parish Priest, the Twelfth Night." Even Ryan, the most composed of the three, found it hard to believe: "What kind of place is this?"
"I'm not a local, but I have to admit that this place is full of talented people." After basically gaining the trust of the Intis trio, Nimrod spread his hands: "This kind of bizarre Cycle is not something that is easy to solve, so we need more manpower."
Valentine's facial muscles twitched: "These guys who should be purified..."
He wanted to directly apply to the church for an operation to purify this place, but was persuaded by his two companions.
Except for Valentine, the other two were not members of the "Eternal Blazing Sun" church and didn't want to sacrifice themselves for Purification so early.
After some negotiations, the three reached an agreement with Nimrod and Lumian.
"We can cooperate, until the disaster here is resolved."
Lia extended her right hand and shook hands with Nimrod gently:
"But we need to know your overall plan. You know, just like you don't trust official Beyonders, we don't fully trust you either."
Chapter 75: Eve of Return
"This is only natural. I have previously assisted official Beyonders in some collaborations, so I am very clear about the status of wild Beyonders in the eyes of the official organizations."
Nimrod did not refuse; instead, he briefly explained the upcoming plan and finally made a summary:
"...In short, the administrator's residence and the underground of the church are the two places we need to investigate. This time, we cannot even take the initiative to interrupt the celebration of Lent, because that would cause us to enter the Cycle again."
"You have one day to consider. Of course, Lumian and I also need some time to prepare."
Lia nodded: "If we agree to your plan, how should we inform you?"
"At that time, we will meet here. At the latest, we must go to 'visit' Madame Pualis tomorrow morning."
Nimrod said with a smile:
"Although the pollution here will ultimately be handled by the Church, that is based on the premise that everything here is purified... I think you are still unwilling to give up your lives, right?"
"I am also unwilling to give up my life, so on this matter, we can cooperate."
Valentine just wanted to say something but was pulled back by Ryan, while Lia maintained a negotiating smile and said to Nimrod:
"You are right. No matter what, let's agree on a time. At this time tomorrow, we will all come here to tell you our choice."
"Tomorrow morning, Lumian and I will wait for your arrival here," Nimrod said to the three of them.
"In addition, we have another Beyonder companion, a Sequence 7 'Mystery Pryer'. You should know that the 'Mystery Pryer' is one of the Pathways controlled by the Evernight Goddess's Church; it is not the kind of Pathway that tends toward evil and chaos."
The three ended their negotiation with Nimrod and cautiously left the small woods. Lumian looked at their retreating backs and frowned, saying:
"They don't seem to believe what you said. Can they really help us..."
Hearing the irrepressible urgency in Lumian's tone, Nimrod comforted him:
"They are all mid-Sequence Beyonders, and their ability combinations are excellent. They are good combat power. What we lack most right now is manpower; otherwise, how can we break the Cycle and rescue your sister?"
Lumian was quickly persuaded by this: "Godfather, what should we do next?"
Time was very precious now; an entire afternoon could not be wasted, right?
"I already told you just now: go find your sister, Aurore." Nimrod sighed, seemingly lamenting the intelligence of Lumian, who was in a dream:
"Although she, like everyone else in Cordu Village, will become dull as time passes and will only act according to her own logic, a Sequence 7 Beyonder is indeed a significant help."
"Did you notice that in the previous Cycle, the Parish Priest already possessed not-weak Beyonder abilities? If it weren't for the fact that he wanted to pry into my Fate, he would absolutely not have been resolved so easily... Not to mention, I just mentioned the matter of Madame Pualis."
"I suspect that she hasn't obtained divinity yet and is only Sequence 5. But once we go to investigate her, we will inevitably be at odds with her."
"Don't forget, she can even make men give birth—if we don't find more helpers, will you be the one standing in front of Madame Pualis when the time comes?"
Lumian suddenly felt a certain part of his body tighten. Nimrod paused for a moment and continued:
"Aurore is a Sequence 7 'Warlock' of the 'Mystery Pryer' Pathway. With her there, we can avoid some unnecessary help. Of course, with the assistance of those three official Beyonders, we are not without the chance to forcefully kill a Sequence 5."
"Only engaging in head-on clashes is not something a 'Hunter' should do; that is what a 'Warrior' would do."
...
Late at night, Lumian lay quietly on his bed, waiting for the dream to arrive.
He had spent the whole afternoon today making Aurore believe that they were currently in a Cycle, and he had finalized the meeting with the official trio tomorrow with her.
But whenever he thought of Aurore's half-believing, half-doubting look this afternoon, and recalled that after every "Cycle" she would forget the memories of the previous one, Lumian felt an unspeakable pain in his heart.
Arriving in the dream ruins, under Nimrod's direction, Lumian began to practice hunting and acting as a 'Hunter' just like the night before—to him, this dream ruin was a perfect hunting ground. As long as there were no life-threatening injuries, he would recover most of his health when he returned to Cordu Village.
Nimrod, on the other hand, had returned to "Sefirah Castle" early. While diverting some energy to pay attention to Lumian's movements, preparing to return to the real world at any time to 'cart' Lumian back, he chatted with the Celestial Worthy about matters related to the "Circle of Inevitability".
After obtaining the "Dancer" boon, Nimrod had been pondering how to wear down the brand belonging to the "Circle of Inevitability" within it.
The method given by the Celestial Worthy was to give this boon to Him; He could digest the "Dancer" in three minutes. Nimrod vetoed the Celestial Worthy's method and prepared to become a real "Dancer" in Loen later.
By way of "digesting the potion," he could swallow the authority belonging to the "Circle of Inevitability" bit by bit, allowing the spirit He branded into the boon to completely disappear from this universe.
After becoming a "Dancer," Nimrod's physical fitness had improved significantly—at the very least, he was no longer as fragile as a normal "Marauder." His body's flexibility had also fundamentally changed, entering the Beyonder realm; his spirituality had also increased to a certain extent, though it was better than nothing.
Of course, it was also possible that the "Cryptologist" itself simply had a long enough mana bar.
But the most important thing, and also what Nimrod was currently discussing with the Celestial Worthy, was the "dance" that came with the "Dancer" itself.
"Tell me, if I continue to improve my Sequence and then design a dance that points to you..."
Nimrod suddenly came up with an idea:
"Can you log in and play for me?"
[I think this is feasible; after all, you are currently equivalent to me, and I am equivalent to you.]
The Celestial Worthy was clearly very interested in this topic: [Why don't you give it a try?]
Nimrod chuckled and then decisively abandoned this idea.
He was not prepared to try summoning the Celestial Worthy into his own body—at least not now. Who knows, the Celestial Worthy might be harboring evil intentions, preparing to take advantage of this opportunity to snatch his body.
Even if he were to try, it would only be after confirming that the Celestial Worthy could not occupy his body for long.
Just then, Nimrod suddenly saw that deep within the gray fog of "Sefirah Castle," specks of crimson stars were flickering.
He walked over slowly and touched these crimson stars with his palm. After a while, he whispered softly:
"April Fools?"
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#76April Fools' Day and Prayers
Chapter 76 April Fools and the Prayer
To say that April Fools is the most evil organization might be an exaggeration; there are far too many secret organizations in this world that cannot even be described as "humanoid," but rather require "metaphors."
But when it comes to the most despicable organizations, April Fools certainly counts as one.
Maliciously spreading prefrontal lobotomy surgeries throughout the world, entrapping fellow Transmigrators, driving patients seeking medical help insane—these are all things April Fools has done in the past.
Even everything Lumian is experiencing now, April Fools played a part in it.
They deliberately gave Aurore the wrong spell, causing Aurore to summon the soul of the original owner of this body—the soul of Rosie Louise Sanson, a Believer of the Circle of Inevitability—back into her own body, which led to the final tragedy.
If this organization were just a group of Beyonders who obtained knowledge from an Outer Deity, Nimrod would at most mentally group them with those evil god cults.
But every member of this organization is an "old day remnants."
The fun they seek and the malice they exude are simple and low-level. Most of them don't even have a clear goal; they are just evil for the sake of being evil, turning their blades against companions from the same hometown.
And in the end, their fate is something that makes one clap and cheer. They worship the Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings, yet they have never been in His eyes, merely treated as pawns to be used at will, each meeting a fitting end.
But Nimrod felt he could accelerate the ends for these people. Since he is now equivalent to the "Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings," it shouldn't be too much to let them have some "good luck."
[This is probably a Believer of me from this timeline.]
The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings withdrew His gaze from Nimrod:
[Sigh, I in this timeline look like I was forced into such a pathetic state by the 'Fool' that I am even willing to grant my boons to these fellows? It really makes me unable to help but laugh.]
"Do you even mock yourself?"
Nimrod was somewhat speechless. He dragged the brightest crimson star in front of him and gently touched its surface with his finger:
"If I remember correctly... this is 'Loki,' right? You even granted him four resurrections as a 'Miracle Invoker.'"
[Ha, such a thing can be chosen by me... It seems there is really no one usable.] The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings muttered, selling out his timeline's self without hesitation:
[Just send him some hints, and then hide some malicious options at the deepest part of the hints—believe me, this kind of arrogant Fool will fall for it.]
[As for the others? Heh, no need to use hints to disguise your malice. Just send them divine oracles, and they will sabotage themselves, thinking they misunderstood my meaning.]
...
When Nimrod opened his eyes again, he felt his mood was excellent.
It was clearly his first time disguising himself as a deity to send divine oracles, and his first time entrapping those despicable "newborns" who annoyed him. These two happy things overlapping together...
That is double the happiness; it is truly damn satisfying.
A slight smile appeared on Nimrod's face as he reached out his finger and touched the inverted cross tattoo on the back of his neck.
At this moment, the tattoo was radiating slight heat, as if the True Creator was watching him suspiciously through this boon.
Nimrod changed into more loose and comfortable clothing, and after casually throwing on a coat, he walked out of his room with ease.
He walked along the corridor. A slightly gentle cool breeze blew into the room along the contour of the window, carrying the unique dampness of the Kingdom of Loen. As Nimrod walked down the stairs, he swept his eyes casually over the bright firelight in the rooms on both sides—those were Believers who were praying.
—Those who are still praying devoutly until now are either Beyonders of the "Secrets Supplicant" Pathway or those devout reserves.
During the day, some of them are butlers, some are servants, and some are gardeners, but when night falls, they have only one identity.
They are all lambs of the Lord.
[I don't really like this scene.]
The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings expressed his dissatisfaction in the sheepfold of the True Creator without any avoidance:
[Lambs of God Almighty—ah, they only need to pray. As long as they hand over their brains to their supreme Lord, they can obtain the greatest happiness.]
As Nimrod walked towards the basement, where there was a prayer room dedicated to him and Mr. Z, he smiled and said to the Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings:
"Aren't your marionettes the same? They also don't need to think."
[That's different.] The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings said: [I only need the body; the brain isn't needed at all.]
"..."
Nimrod was rarely silent for a moment. He walked into his prayer room, skillfully sealed the place completely with a Spirit Wall, and lit the candles one by one according to the needs of the ritual.
Under the light of the candles, the statue of the "True Creator" being hung upside down slowly cast a shadow, completely shrouding Nimrod's figure within it.
Nimrod stared at the statue, reached out his hand, and wiped away the gray mist on the back of his neck. At the same time, his eyes were covered with a faint layer of gray—this was using the power of "Sefirah Castle" to protect his mind, a protective measure before directly communicating with the "True Creator."
"Lord who created everything, Master behind the curtain of shadows, the fallen nature of all living beings."
"I pray for you to cast your gaze and engage in face-to-face communication with me."
As Nimrod spoke the honorable name of the True Creator and completed the ritual, he suddenly felt a scorching sensation radiating from the inverted cross on the back of his neck.
The next moment, the surroundings seemed to be shrouded in layers of curtains made of shadows. Behind the curtains, blood-colored eyes seemed to open, staring coldly at Nimrod in front of them from various angles.
Nimrod's eyes were still misted with deep gray. He raised his head and looked at the statue that suddenly seemed to possess spirituality.
Chaotic gibberish rang in Nimrod's ears, but—after being filtered by the gray mist, he directly understood the meaning represented by this frantic gibberish:
"You, are not Amon."
"On you, there is the power of an Outer Deity."
"You, who are you?"
Feeling the suddenly rising sense of Depravity and malice around him, Nimrod smiled, and a faint gray mist emerged around him:
"You should be able to notice that I have the protection of 'Sefirah Castle' on me."
"True Creator, I know what you want, and I want to make a deal with you."
"How you love this world—but your King of Angels betrayed you, your attendant deities betrayed you, and your redemption betrayed you (Note 1). How pleasant to hear; they really did blame all the sins on you."
"But I can help you restore your normal sanity, so that your Believers will no longer die miserably because of listening to your voice."
"I can, help you save this world."
The malice surrounding him paused for a moment, seemingly weighing the pros and cons. After a long while, the next round of terrifying gibberish emerged from the curtain of shadows around the statue:
"You are, the incarnation of, Sefirah Castle...?"
"You are vying with, Lord of the Mysteries, for control of Sefirah Castle..."
"..."
"...State your transaction, I will, consider."
He mistakes me for an incarnation of "Sefirah Castle"? Nimrod's temples throbbed with a dull ache, but he still spoke calmly:
"As you can see, I control 'Sefirah Castle' and am the person most likely to become the 'Lord of the Mysteries' in this era."
"The Outer Deity power on me is a boon I stole from the 'Circle of Inevitability'. Heh, you know that 'Error', 'Eternal Calamity Incarnate', and 'The Eternal Life Decree' are adjacent Pathways, and I can erase the 'Circle of Inevitability's' spiritual imprint."
"Eternal Calamity Incarnate" and "The Eternal Life Decree" are the Beyonder Pathways of the "Circle of Inevitability" and the "Goddess of Destiny", respectively.
"Finally, I bear no malice toward your son. If we reach an agreement, even if I eventually defeat Him, I can spare His life and preserve His status as a Great Angel."
"This is my basic situation; in this regard, our interests are aligned."
"The transaction I propose is this: I will help you shake off the consciousness erosion of 'God Almighty', allowing you to return to normal and gain the upper hand in your struggle against Adam; in return, you must choose to help me in the contention for 'Lord of the Mysteries', enabling me to become the final 'Lord of the Mysteries'."
"After that, I will help all of humanity survive the apocalypse and protect the overall human population as much as possible during the apocalypse."
"Before I become the 'Lord of the Mysteries' and possess the ability of a fraud contract, I will find the 'Wish-Granting Lamp' for you, reclaim your 'Sun' Pathway, and grant you the ability to sign contracts with me that are difficult to renege on."
"As the price for this transaction, you must support me from now on, and I will help you add anchors belonging to you, allowing you to gradually regain your clarity."
The curtain of shadows around him paused for a moment, but soon, the frenzied gibberish flooded back into Nimrod's ears:
"I need a, vessel to bear the essence of Depravity."
"At the same time, I will give you, a baptism. Before you complete the contract, the power I bestow upon you will prevent you from becoming, 'mystery'."
The True Creator weighed this for a long time, thinking of a way to ensure this transaction could proceed.
"No problem." Before the True Creator, Nimrod calmly reached his hand into the gray fog and took out Ouroboros's scale:
"This is a talisman I requested from Ouroboros; it should be enough to bear a bit of your 'essence of Depravity'. If there are no issues, then fulfill your part of this contract, ally."
The True Creator did not answer, but a frenzied and mad consciousness gradually condensed in the air, drilling into the snake scale in Nimrod's hand.
The silver-white scale in Nimrod's hand instantly resembled a glass of water into which thick ink had been dripped, rapidly being dyed the same color.
But the next moment, droplets of silver-white liquid suddenly emerged on the scale, which had already been dyed pitch-black. These silver-white droplets outlined looping patterns, turning the pitch-black scale light gray.
Then, the black color once again occupied the vast majority of the scale, repeating the scene that had just occurred.
Nimrod only felt something growing within the inverted cross on the back of his neck, and a deep power was injected into that inverted cross using the scale as a medium.
The True Creator's voice came to Nimrod's ears. After being filtered twice by the gray fog and the "Restart" talisman, His voice also seemed less harsh and had become much smoother:
"I have bestowed my boon, upon you."
"You shall walk upon this land, as my Divine Envoy. The divine grace upon you symbolizes your authority..."
"You may use this talisman given to you by Ouroboros, to restrain my divinity..."
The True Creator's gibberish gradually faded, and then there was no more sound.
After His voice completely disappeared, the Celestial Worthy's voice came from Nimrod's other ear:
[A 'Profane Presbyter' characteristic? Sigh, I have a plan...]
"Celestial Worthy, put away your little schemes." Nimrod said casually, his spirituality surging as he extinguished the burning candles from the ritual that had just ended before him.
The True Creator's method was simple: He sealed His own characteristic and passed it onto Nimrod in the form of a "boon", "polluting" Nimrod with a Sequence 2 characteristic to make the characteristics within Nimrod impure, preventing him from becoming an Outer Deity.
Of course, the True Creator also knew that as long as one was willing to find a way, the "Error" Pathway could always find strange and varied ideas to wash away this characteristic He had sealed upon him. But the willingness to retain this characteristic was, in itself, a sign of sincerity in the transaction.
This was perhaps a form of PTSD from God Almighty regarding the "mystery".
Nimrod examined the divine favor mark on the back of his neck—at this moment, this inverted cross contained a Beyonder characteristic equivalent to an Angel level, well-sealed upon him by the True Creator and "Sefirah Castle", looking exactly like a birthmark unique to the Qiao family (Note 1).
However, because this Beyonder characteristic was sealed too well, Nimrod could not utilize the power contained within it; he merely had an additional thick aura of "Depravity" belonging to the True Creator about him.
The benefit was that it could intimidate some evil spirits and low-intelligence Spirit World creatures, as well as Beyonders of the "Fate" Pathway; after all, the True Creator's essence was the evil spirit of the Ancient Sun God, the strongest evil spirit in the entire world of Lord of the Mysteries.
But obtaining the True Creator's support was a good thing. Nimrod walked out of the basement in a good mood, only to unexpectedly see the doors of the rooms on both sides slowly open, with various "Secrets Supplicants", "Listeners", and a small number of "Shadow Ascetics" looking at him with fanatical gazes.
Mr. Z, who had previously been somewhat disillusioned in his faith after losing track of Megoos, also appeared here—behind him was a cloak of flesh and blood woven from the Beyonder abilities of a "Rose Bishop", and his handsome face appeared haggard yet excited:
"Divine Envoy!"
"Just now, just now, it was you..." He simply could not continue his words; his throat trembled, and his eyes were filled with ecstasy and disbelief.
Just now, his Lord had truly descended His will here! His Lord had truly gazed upon him; even if it was just a glance, that was an immense honor.
Looking at the people prostrating before him, Nimrod said in a calm tone, declaring:
"Yes."
"Just now, I met my Lord."
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#78Interlude
Chapter 78 Interlude
"The Lord is about to descend into this world; we are the luckiest batch of Believers since the Fourth Epoch."
Nimrod continued, "
Because we are able to witness the Lord's descent."
Watching the emotions of the Believers before him gradually rise, Nimrod raised his tone, "
And that is precisely why!"
"We cannot continue with our previous methods—everyone, the Lord has awakened!"
"Does it mean that the all-benevolent and all-merciful Lord actually requires blood sacrifices to descend into this world? Of course not, my compatriots. Our vision was previously blinded by the outer god. The Lord does not need blood sacrifices; what the Lord needs are the lambs He loves."
"The Lord's scriptures often say that the Lord will bear all sins. But this cannot become a reason for us to commit evil. 'If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us' (Note 1)."
"Even if the Lord has borne the sins we once committed, can we really face our past mistakes with equanimity?"
"Once our current disaster passes, we need a complete transformation—everyone, we must face our past mistakes openly and let the Lord see the piety and efforts of His Believers..."
The eyes of most of the Aurora Order Believers present burned with fanatical and pious flames, but a few Beyonders and ordinary people had evasive gazes—however, hindered by the fanatical gazes of those around them, they hid themselves well.
All of this was seen by Nimrod, and he did not feel surprised that such people existed within the Aurora Order.
On the contrary, given the Aurora Order's previous style of conduct, it would be strange if it didn't attract people who wanted to use the power of the Aurora Order to vent their own desires.
However, the most important "True Creator's oracle" was already in hand, and he could begin trying to completely overhaul the Aurora Order.
In this world, the seven current orthodox churches were all transformed from evil god churches at the beginning, but even if the underlying logic of this world is "people eating people," the churches cannot promote it this way when preaching to the outside world.
After all, Lunatics who think about destroying the world all day are rare; most people only look for a spiritual sustenance to help them endure the obstacles before them because they cannot survive or have committed some misdeeds.
The three churches of Wind, White, and Wisdom cannot be counted on. If they truly didn't have the slightest selfish desire to become an Outer Deity themselves, the faith of the True Creator would not have declined to that state after the Fourth Epoch.
The God of Steam and Machinery is likely in a neutral position, and the Earth Mother should tacitly allow the "True Creator" to preach in all places outside of Feynapot—after all, She cannot control things outside of Her own country.
The Evernight Goddess... I am not clear about Her attitude, but since She hasn't used an eraser to wipe me away yet, perhaps She is also worried that I am the Celestial Worthy Himself.
Therefore, if one wants to preach with the posture of an "orthodox church," one must remove people who hold such thoughts from the Aurora Order.
[Did you forget to mention one deity?] The Celestial Worthy said suddenly.
"The God of Combat's days are numbered; there is no need to worry about Him."
Nimrod shook his head and returned to his room, preparing to have a good rest for the night and handle the affairs of the Aurora Order tomorrow.
The digestion of "Dancer" cannot be rushed. Even if he could digest it himself, Lumian could not temporarily advance to the next Sequence, nor could he extract higher-level boons. And fully digesting "Dancer" would not bring him much improvement, so it is not a priority.
Just at this moment, Nimrod suddenly turned his head and looked at the Darkness beside him.
In the dark room, a patch of air suddenly twisted, and the "animated void" squeezed out from the cracks in the air. Within its circular white pupils, a rolled-up piece of parchment was floating there.
The "animated void" trembled slightly, conveying a message condensed into one sentence:
"Letter from two weak demigods."
Two weak demigods sent me a letter? Fine, The Dark Saint and Saint of Secrets... to an Angel, even an incomplete Angel, they are indeed weak.
Nimrod very smoothly decompressed the information given by the "animated void," propped up his upper body, rubbed his spirituality to light the candle beside him, and unfolded the letter in his hand.
"Found some auxiliary materials for the 'Prometheus' Pathway and one main material..." Nimrod briefly scanned the letter written to him by the two Saints.
The True Creator had already formally descended an oracle to them, designating him as His favored, so these two Saints were not surprised by the peculiarity of his messenger.
After finishing the letter, Nimrod shook his head: "It's just a pity that Crystal Worms might be extinct now; otherwise, Saint of Secrets would have already sent them to me."
There are about twenty thousand potions from Sequence 9 to Sequence 0; there is no need to compare it with the entire universe, even compared to a single planet, this number is really too small—Amon's many avatars were not split from a single Beyonder characteristic.
However, "The Dark Saint" mentioned in the letter that "Saint of Secrets" had divined that there was still a "Prometheus" Beyonder characteristic on the sea, and they were prepared to wait until the matters in Tingen City were over and they could act freely before going to "retrieve" it.
Nimrod thought about it and still felt that the Beyonder characteristic that "Saint of Secrets" divined was mobile. Coupled with the fact that there was a "Prometheus" characteristic in Tingen City, he felt that there was no need to trouble "Saint of Secrets" to go and kill it for him.
...
The next morning, Nimrod got up very early. He did not wear his expensive formal suit today, but instead took a set of cheap formal attire from the warehouse to wear, and put the True Creator's divinity talisman into his pocket.
It didn't take long for Nimrod to find Cyril, who was frantically looking for something under the arrangement of "0-08"—it seemed that Ince Zangwill's current state had indeed not fully recovered, to the extent that he was currently fighting with "0-08" for the direction of the script.
Nimrod walked past Cyril. He lowered his head, pressed the divinity talisman on his chest with one hand, and brushed his other hand over the corner of Cyril's clothes. A small inverted cross mark was quietly branded onto Cyril's body and quickly merged into it.
This was a trace of the True Creator's divinity.
Go and arrange it, Ince Zangwill. Only after walking far away did Nimrod take out the divinity talisman from his bosom and shake it gently.
Go and arrange the "True Creator's" Believers, and write your own ending with your own hands.
Chapter 79 Azik
Ademisaul stood before the entrance of the "Evil Dragon Bar," feeling somewhat trepidatious. He was momentarily lost, unsure if he should go in right now.
With the "sincere help" of Mr. L, he had successfully joined the Aurora Order, came to believe in the "angel of fate" who served the "True Creator," and received a gift from the angel of fate, becoming a "Monster."
And the "Aurora Order" and the "Church of Storms" were in a state of absolute hostility.
Then, surely he shouldn't have come here, right...?
"Yo, isn't this 'Monster' Ademisaul?" Inside the Evil Dragon Bar, a regular patron spoke up to Ademisaul, who was standing before him:
"We haven't seen you in days; we thought you were dead."
"I... I'm not dead," Ademisaul said, looking somewhat dazed.
He felt his mind was clearer than ever before. Those annoying, chaotic patterns that he had previously found difficult to see clearly had also vanished from before him. He followed his instincts and said:
"I was... I was frightened before, so I ran away and stayed out for a few days. I just couldn't find my way back..."
"Tsk, then you missed the excitement yesterday." The old patron walked unsteadily to Ademisaul's side, slung a strong arm around his shoulder, and led him into the tavern:
"Yesterday, a woman brought a fledgling here. Some bastard made a few snide remarks about her and suffered terrible luck—he inexplicably wet his pants, ended up losing all the money he had on him, and was stripped naked and thrown out..."
Upon hearing this, bursts of merry laughter erupted from those around them.
...
Klein's face twitched slightly as he inexplicably recalled the scene that occurred when Ms. Daly took him to the "Evil Dragon Bar" last night.
According to Daly, Old Neil had previously taken many newly joined "Nighthawks" to the underground market there, and it had already become a potential tradition—although Old Neil had returned to the Cathedral and was no longer a Nighthawk, this tradition could still be preserved.
And then... then a drunkard was disrespectful to Ms. Daly and was taught a lesson by her... Why am I suddenly thinking of this!
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Klein rubbed his temples, feeling that some changes had occurred in Ms. Daly—changes for the better.
"What's wrong, Klein?"
Just as Klein was distracted, a gentle voice suddenly came from the side. Klein looked up from his book and said to Azik, who was in front of him:
"Seeing these materials, I suddenly remembered some things just now."
He had come this morning to consult materials on the Hornacis Mountains. Firstly, to investigate what he had dreamt of in his dream, and secondly, because Nimrod had previously mentioned content related to "Antigonus."
After flipping through these materials, he began to suspect that the ancient kingdom within the "Hornacis Main Peak" written in the book was the divine kingdom of the "Half-Fool" Antigonus!
Upon hearing Klein's words, Azik naturally associated them with Klein's two classmates. He sighed:
"It is indeed a very regrettable matter. They were both children with great potential. Phew, let's not talk about this topic anymore. Klein, the dead cannot be resurrected. I do not wish for you to encounter similar dangers while pursuing this matter."
As expected, he associated it with the two classmates of the original body... However, Mr. Azik truly cares about "me"... Klein took a breath:
"I understand, Mr. Azik."
Just at this moment, Azik frowned:
"But Klein, I once came into contact with some courses related to divination. I just discovered that your fate seems somewhat uncoordinated. Have you come into contact with any dangerous matters again? Or rather, have you encountered any coincidences recently?"
Mr. Azik also knows divination? Klein glanced at Azik in some surprise and quietly activated his Spirit Vision, but didn't find any problems.
However, since Azik mentioned "coincidences," Klein also placed considerable importance on Azik's words:
"How did you know?"
"...It seems my reading was quite accurate," Azik said thoughtfully:
"Klein, you need to be careful recently. I feel that the sense of disharmony in your fate is rapidly increasing; it is already quite obvious. It is very likely that you will encounter danger in the near future. If possible, you had best request help from others, for example, the official authorities, or perhaps people with special abilities."
Request help from the official authorities? I am an official Beyonder myself... However, I can go above the gray fog to divine whether Mr. Azik's words are correct, thereby indirectly obtaining information!
Of course, it would be best to discuss it with Captain Dunn and Nimrod. Perhaps it is Ince Zangwill preparing to launch the final attack!
However, judging by Mr. Azik's tone, is he also a Beyonder?
Klein suppressed the excitement in his heart. After bidding farewell to Azik, he quickly returned to his home, took four steps counter-clockwise to arrive above the gray fog. When he prepared to reach out and touch the deep red star belonging to Nimrod, he abruptly stopped, hesitating as he said:
"I wonder what he is doing right now..."
If he is currently pitting his wits against members of the Aurora Order, wouldn't I be harming him by suddenly pulling him up?
Moreover, he also has the protection of the gray fog on him; I cannot divine his specific situation right now either!
That's right, Nimrod has a messenger that looks very oppressive. I can summon it and use his messenger to ask him some things.
Action followed thought. Klein quickly simulated the sensation of his spirit body falling, walked quickly to his desk, took a deep breath after writing down the matters related to Azik, and slowly recited the incantation to summon the messenger:
"A traveler who wanders the upper realms, a being of life that roams the void, the messenger that belongs solely to Ning Lu Emonsal..."
After completing all of this, Klein began to wait while thinking about what to do next.
Hmm, there might be a battle later; it is necessary for me to increase my combat means... Go to the Evil Dragon Bar to purchase some Beyonder ingredients? This is one of the backup options, but the best way is still to advance my Sequence.
By the way, I have now been noticed by the higher-ups of the Church of the Night, and the progress of my potion digestion is also very fast. Perhaps I can try to apply to the Church for a special promotion.
But the Church does not have the Clown potion formula on the surface... Does that mean I have to find it myself?
Just as Klein was feeling somewhat troubled, a letter suddenly appeared from thin air and slammed onto Klein's head.
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#80The guidance of "fate"
Chapter 80: Guidance of "Fate"
"This messenger is a bit unfriendly..." Klein muttered to himself in a low voice and opened Nimrod's letter.
Nimrod's letter was very brief, but it left Klein deep in thought.
"Azik? Ask him if his surname is eggers. If it is, then what he says is likely accurate and should be correct."
"As for the coincidence you mentioned, I have someone who was arranged by Ince Zangwill along with Hannas Vincent go missing. It looks like it's a script by '0-08'."
"You are a 'Seer' with specialized divination abilities. You can try to see if you can divine his location."
"—But be extremely careful. I have left some traps on him designed to target '0-08'. You must not divine anything other than his location. Once you divine the 'trap' I set on him, you might suddenly drop dead, or at the very least, be corrupted."
"By the way, also help me divine the location of a person named 'Ademisaul'. His personal belongings and the intelligence regarding the missing True Creator Believer, Cyril, are enclosed in the letter. Urgent."
Traps? You didn't extract the gray fog or get the True Creator's corruption onto Cyril, did you... Klein sighed while taking out a folded piece of paper from the letter.
Opening the paper with the information on "Cyril Aripis" and a few hairs belonging to Ademisaul, Klein memorized them before taking four steps in reverse to ascend above the gray fog to prepare for the divination.
...
Ademisaul had gone missing.
This was the information reported by several panicked True Creator Believers. Whether looking at it from the perspective of "fellows" or from the perspective that "this is the person Mr. L brought back", they dared not conceal anything.
After all, the disappearance of a Beyonder is often due to an arrest by an official church, and in such a situation, no one knows if the official church will follow the clues to find their headquarters in Tingen City.
After obtaining the information from Klein's divination, Nimrod familiarly arrived at the "Evil Dragon Bar" controlled by the Church of Storms.
Seeing Ademisaul standing at the door looking uneasy, Nimrod led him into a nearby alley and said to him:
"Why did you come here again? It is very dangerous for you here right now."
Hearing "Mr. L"'s gentle voice, Ademisaul scratched his hair with his finger and opened his mouth:
"S-sorry, Mr. L. I only came out to buy supplies with the fellows who joined the order before me, and after I got separated from them, I don't know how I ended up here..."
"It just feels like fate is guiding me to come here."
The Spirit Wall nearby emitted a calm sound. Nimrod had long guessed that Ademisaul would likely not think much and would address him directly by the title used within the Aurora Order in public, so he had set up a "Spirit Wall" in advance to prevent leaks.
After all, Ademisaul's gaze was truly too pure and simple, possessing a kind of return to simplicity.
However, after hearing Ademisaul's words, Nimrod narrowed his eyes slightly and immediately associated it with certain things.
"'Revelation of 'Fate'?" he whispered:
"Will there be anything special happening in the Evil Dragon Bar today? Oh, if it wasn't for Old Neil being sent back to the Cathedral, Klein should have already met Swain and tried to find clues about Cyril from him..."
Thinking of this, Nimrod suddenly smelled the scent of "coincidence" in the whole matter.
Knowing that Cyril's current state is basically that all actions are arranged by the in-poor-condition Ince Zangwill and the berserk "0-08", then Klein and Cyril meeting is definitely not a coincidence.
Even if Klein could divine Cyril's location, as long as "0-08" exerts its power, it would be difficult for Klein to find Cyril in the real world.
But it is obvious that Cyril is not the main force Ince Zangwill is using to attack the cathedral; the out-of-control Megoos is.
To prevent Klein from being implicated by the True Creator's corruption, he had specifically warned Klein about the scope of the divination—since that is the case, his previous arrangements should have worked.
It's just that Nimrod didn't expect it to work so quickly.
After Ince Zangwill arranged Cyril, the traces of fate generated by him and Cyril were captured by the True Creator, perhaps having already completed slight corruption.
Then, after he signed a covenant with the True Creator, as the True Creator's most loyal subordinate, would the angel of fate named "Ouroboros" also use His Believers to oppose Adam and give me a certain hint?
After so many prerequisites were listed in Nimrod's mind, he immediately realized that there must be something important enough in the Evil Dragon Bar today.
Nimrod glanced covertly at the Evil Dragon Bar and said to Ademisaul: "You go back first. For the next period of time, do not go out temporarily. I will have Mr. Z arrange new work for you later."
Ademisaul was stunned for a moment, then nodded like pounding garlic:
"O-okay, I understand, Mr. L."
After sending Ademisaul away, Nimrod's expression became slightly more serious. He walked quickly towards the underground market of the Evil Dragon Bar. After passing through the room, he immediately switched his state, putting on the appearance of someone collecting Beyonder materials of his liking.
—This is the basic quality of a "Swindler"; every successful "Swindler" is an excellent actor.
Nimrod strolled through the various stalls in the underground market while paying attention to whether there was anyone around worth his notice. He simultaneously activated "Superior Observation" and "Spirit Vision", and for a moment, a large number of light spots and colorful patches appeared before his eyes.
The underground market had not yet reached its peak, and neither the number of buyers nor sellers was very large. Along the way, Nimrod could only see some people negotiating, conducting the trade of Beyonder materials.
Just as Nimrod turned a corner, he suddenly heard a sweet voice coming from not far away. He turned his head and saw a lady wearing a tender green dress communicating with a stall owner:
"...In your heart, what is a 'Witch' like?"
Upon hearing this voice, Nimrod knew why Ademisaul had come here—this was indeed the guidance of "Fate".
Standing right before Nimrod now was the Divine Descent vessel of the "Primordial Demoness" Cheek:
"Triss Cheek"!