Chapter 14: Transmigration: Becoming a Godfather in Trier
"You were attacked?"
Roger asked the "Margot" in front of him, slightly taken aback. Nimrod honestly recounted his experience of being attacked by Lumian:
"Yes."
"Boss, I suspect the weapon the attacker had wasn't right. He didn't cause me much harm; he just cut my skin with that knife and then fled."
"Uh, I actually wondered if I put enough pressure on him to make him flee in a panic. But after thinking about it, I don't think that's possible, because his actions must have been planned, they must have been premeditated, Boss!"
As he spoke, Nimrod's tone grew excited, and he couldn't help but wave his fists. Roger glanced at him and praised him calmly:
"You're much smarter than before, and you even knew to come to me—but you can rest assured, I've already checked, and there are no traces of a curse on you."
"From your description, that strangely shaped knife might be a Beyonder weapon. Come with me, and I'll help you eliminate the hidden danger."
Nimrod followed Roger into the basement and saw a female statue with soft features placed there. Roger pointed to the statue and said to Nimrod:
"Open it up and crawl inside."
In "Margot's" memory, he had experienced this method of eliminating hidden dangers before, but the details of that experience were not inherited by Nimrod.
However, such a thing was not difficult for a Cryptologist. His eyes flickered slightly, and Superior Observation helped him find a way to open the statue.
[A standard idol for worshipping the Mother Goddess of Depravity.]
The Celestial Worthy added:
[It doesn't look like the kind my dear'sister' pays close attention to. With your current Sequence, you don't need my protection to directly isolate this symbolic ritual.]
"Okay." Nimrod replied in his mind and crawled inside.
After crawling into the idol and closing the opening, the surrounding light completely disappeared, becoming pitch Darkness. Even the room outside the idol seemed to fall silent for a moment with this action.
Nimrod knew this meant the ritual had officially begun, awaiting Roger to chant the most crucial incantation:
"Rebirth!"
Roger chanted in a low voice in Hermes Language.
Suddenly, Nimrod felt an evil black flame invading the inside of the idol from its exterior. Yet, this evil black flame carried a strange vitality.
The flame seemed to be burning away, one by one, the connections between him and the bodily tissues or items that had separated from him but still maintained a subtle mystical link.
However, the black flame quickly receded. Every mystical connection on Nimrod was quite deeply rooted, not something a low-level ritual could shake.
Moreover, he himself doubted whether this ritual, which did not involve divinity, could affect the fate exchange of the life-hunting blade—even if a Sequence 7 Warlock's abilities were bizarre, it would be impossible to cross multiple Sequences and solve mid-to-high Sequence problems with a ritual that had no divinity, only symbolism.
After confirming that "Margot" was fine, Roger only left an order for "Margot" to return to the study, while he himself stayed to look for clues related to the attacker.
This, however, gave Nimrod an opportunity. After returning to the study, he began to set up various mystical rituals.
He wasn't worried about whether Roger could find Lumian, because before he and Lumian agreed to carry out the attack on "Margot," he had already learned about what Lumian had encountered during this period:
Lumian first followed the commission given by the Angel Salted Fish to approach Osta, a Secrets Supplicant who made a living by swindling people in front of the catacombs. Then, he used Osta to connect with Mr. K of the Aurora Order and a leader of the Sava Party.
After that, Lumian encountered the "Monsour Ghost," which could kill anyone who encountered it and their relatives.
Although Nimrod arranged for one of his disobedient gang members to encounter Lumian in an alley, leading to Lumian exchanging the fate of "encountering the Monsour Ghost," thereby resolving Lumian's hidden danger, he was genuinely curious whether he, as Lumian's godfather, counted as Lumian's relative.
Soon, Nimrod set up several simple ritual magic spells, all of which shared the characteristic of concealment.
Some were to conceal the commotion here, others to conceal his own aura, and some were extensions of the Error Pathway Beyonder abilities, used to amplify manufactured Illusions.
He didn't underestimate Roger just because he was a Sequence 7 Warlock; instead, he made all sorts of preparations to kill Roger and complete the disguise in the shortest possible time.
Nimrod, who was already quite proficient in the art of "lying low," even made double preparations:
If he killed Roger but encountered a high-Sequence Beyonder favored by the Mother Goddess of Depravity before completing the disguise, he would use Sefirah Castle to help him escape, and then have Lumian perform a ritual to summon him.
—If no one set up a summoning ritual, then his landing spot when coming down from Sefirah Castle would still be the original location, which would give the opponent a chance to block his spawn point.
If the disguise was successfully completed, things would go much smoother. He could then lurk within the Stinger Gang, plotting his affairs and completely hiding behind the scenes in Trier.
"There's strong anti-divination ability..."
"This matter is not simple..."
Roger had just walked into the study with a solemn expression. The moment he closed the Door, his spiritual intuition suddenly reacted.
He looked up at "Margot" standing in the middle of the study and felt four Walls of Spirituality suddenly rise around him!
The act of "closing the Door" would complete the incantations of the ritual Nimrod had set up, triggering the surrounding mystical rituals!
—Nimrod had prayed to himself, and thus, these rituals were automatically responded to by Sefirah Castle the moment they were complete, producing their intended effects.
Faint grey mist flowed slowly downwards like water from the top of the Walls of Spirituality. Without careful observation, it would be difficult to distinguish the Walls of Spirituality created by Nimrod from ordinary Walls of Spirituality.
But for Roger, what he was currently experiencing was undoubtedly problematic.
Roger immediately shouted in a low, stern voice:
"What are you doing!"
His low shout already carried the Warlock's ability, "Evil Speech," a curse that uses language as a medium to create various negative effects on the target, such as accelerated heartbeat and dizziness.
Regardless, Roger's choice was to directly restrain the subordinate in front of him who seemed somewhat amiss; as for the truth of the matter, he planned to carefully discern it later.
How could a subordinate's life be as precious as his own?
However, the next moment, "Margot" let out a cold laugh. His wrist twisted slightly, and Roger felt something inexplicably disappear from his body.
He was both shocked and enraged for a moment, preparing to activate his most powerful Warlock ability, "Land of the Undead," to attack the "Margot" in front of him:
This was his territory. As long as he was within this territory, the undead he left here could absorb damage for him; and he could strangely shift positions, basically entering an invincible state in battles of the same Sequence!
However, the connection between him and his territory seemed to have been strangely severed, and a voice he had never heard before came to his ear:
"Looking for this?"
"Haha, is your 'Land of the Undead' like this for you? It's completely different for me, you know?"
Roger turned back in horror and saw a tall, slender figure standing behind him. This figure was wearing a classical Warlock robe and slowly took out a crimson-rimmed monocle from his embrace, putting it on his face.
"Provocation"!
After stealing the Beyonder ability "Land of the Undead" from Roger and severing the connection between him and the domain he had painstakingly set up, Nimrod immediately cast a "Provocation" to enrage Roger, making him unable to make rational judgments.
Roger heard Nimrod's words, and a surge of anger immediately flowed out from his chest. He frowned and let out a cold snort... Before the cold snort could fully escape, Nimrod's hand already held another scythe.
Golden flame cracks immediately burned on the black scythe. The next moment, a "Purifying Slash" landed on Roger.
Roger's eyes widened instantly. While feeling a pain as if being scorched by the Sun, he also felt his flesh and blood rapidly mutating.
As a favored one whose abilities leaned towards evil and Depravity, although he had the ability to treat any of these types of injuries, if he wanted to clear the Purification on him, he would have to endure the flesh and blood mutation exacerbated by using negative powers.
Similarly, if he wanted to clear the mutating flesh and blood on him, then the purifying power on him would surge like sharks smelling blood in the sea.
Whatever he did was wrong.
Roger felt a deep sense of disgust, but his excellent psychological quality as a gang boss quickly calmed him down. He prepared to burn his life, gaining stronger abilities at the cost of his vitality.
However, he again felt an inexplicable emptiness suddenly surge within his body. Roger staggered, almost losing his balance due to the sudden onset of powerlessness.
The ability to "burn life" also disappeared!
Which Sequence Beyonder is this, exactly?
The next moment, a revolver was pressed against Roger's forehead. Roger's pupils contracted. Just as he was about to beg for mercy, he heard the trigger pull.
In the last few seconds of his life, he heard a nonsensical remark:
"Still missing the left bow, curved ring, and guandao... Forget it, I think a pistol also counts as a bow, and a revolver can be used as a left bow!"
Several bullets quickly pierced Roger's skull, which still held intense unwillingness in his eyes. Before his head completely split open, Nimrod kindly supported him, placed the smiling face mask on his face, and waited for the white mask to begin to squirm.
After a few seconds, a strange black gas rapidly shot out from Roger's body.
But Nimrod was clearly quicker, grabbing it instantly and stuffing it into Sefirah Castle.
For other Beyonders who wanted to hunt the favored ones, the biggest loss was that favored ones would not drop Beyonder characteristic like ordinary Beyonders—but Nimrod was clearly unwilling to give this favored one a chance to escape, quickly stuffing it into Sefirah Castle.
[Why do you keep throwing all this trash at me?]
The Celestial Worthy said with a hint of displeasure, casually catching the favored one and kneading it into a black bead in his hand:
[How about you try harder and get me a few more?]
"Alright."
Hearing the Celestial Worthy's helpfulness, Nimrod gladly agreed to His request, then threw Roger, whose face had been peeled off, onto Sefirah Castle.
He also blocked the Celestial Worthy's words before He could thank him. Alas, he was just that benevolent.
Donning the mask, Nimrod familiarized himself with Roger's face and body, a smile unconsciously appearing on his face.
Now, he was the boss of the Stinger Gang, Black Scorpion Roger.
After all this, he simply tidied up the various Beyonder items placed in the study, then, following Roger's memories, he expertly walked to his bedroom, ready to sleep.
Next, he would operate openly as Roger, while secretly using the identity of the boss of the Passion organization, finding more members through Lumian, and gradually controlling the underground districts of Trier.
Of course, doing so would surely attract many seeking revenge, but what did others seeking the boss of the Passion organization have to do with him, Black Scorpion Roger, the boss of the Stinger Gang?
Nimrod chuckled softly. After lying on the bed, he slightly raised his fingers, and with a piano-playing gesture, "pulled" out his spiritual body and entered Sefirah Castle.
[Why do you throw trash here every day? This isn't a dump!]
The Celestial Worthy protested, but Nimrod ignored Him. Instead, he directly swiped his hand through the gray mist in front of him, feeling his thoughts flow within the gray mist, and found his connection with Lumian... "It's resolved."
Lumian was about to go to sleep when he suddenly heard Nimrod's voice.
He immediately said, somewhat surprised:
"Godfather?"
No, you can still talk to me even when you're with Black Scorpion Roger? Are you really not a god or an angel... Lumian silently complained in his heart.
"I can hear you."
Lumian's face immediately showed a serious expression: "Godfather, what are your orders?"
"Tomorrow, I will arrange for someone to take over the Golden Rooster Bar."
Nimrod said calmly: "Remember to deal with him as an executive of Passion."
"On my turf, the previous situation will not be allowed to happen again."
Problematic ad?Report it here
You can disable popup ads by becoming a contributor. Become a contributor
#132enthusiastic cadre Lumian
Chapter 15: Lumian Lee, the Passionate Cadre
"Okay, Godfather."
Lumian immediately said with joy and excitement.
He had long been displeased with those gang members. If it weren't to prevent his rash actions from disrupting Godfather's plan, and if it weren't for being new to Trier and unfamiliar with the area, Lumian would have already wanted to eliminate a few gang members who kept loitering in front of him.
However, now he had no such concerns—Godfather even specifically arranged someone for him to make an example of. Lumian was already eager for daybreak.
After Nimrod's voice faded from his ears, Lumian immediately lost all desire to sleep. He stood up and paced for a while, preparing to inspect his Golden Rooster Inn... The next day, Lumian disguised his appearance again, reverting to the identity of "Char" he used when he first arrived in Trier.
—Due to the contamination of the Circle of Inevitability, every morning at six o'clock, everything on Lumian except for his Beyonder characteristics would "refresh" to the state it was on the day he was first contaminated.
After buying half a cup of apple cider and a pork sausage sandwich to fill his stomach, he hid around the Golden Rooster Inn, waiting for the new Stinger Gang members to arrive at the Golden Rooster Inn to carry out his plan for the day.
Today, he planned to find the swindler, Osta Lord, whom the Magician lady had pointed out, and to attend the Beyonder gathering organized by Mr. K.
As Lumian walked slowly around, he pondered how to more efficiently let the people in this area know about the Passion organization.
Just then, he suddenly saw Charlie coming down from upstairs.
This immediately raised some doubts in Lumian's mind—if he remembered correctly, Charlie had told him just two days ago that he had done some "tender companionship" work for a rich lady, "Madam Alice," but he didn't go to the hotel today?
"I'm off today!"
Seeing Lumian walk in from outside, Charlie, though a bit sleepy, spoke with an excited tone, boastfully talking about his usual "work."
Just then, Mr. and Mrs. Ruel and Michel, who sold "academy beauty" erotic pictures on the surface at the steam train station but actually sold landscape photos, also walked into the inn.
Seeing so many acquaintances gathered at once, Charlie was momentarily puzzled.
"What, no one's working today?"
Hearing Charlie's words, the gray-haired Ruel swallowed:.
"The market district is a bit chaotic today, so we're taking a day off. Cough, Margot of the Stinger Gang is dead. Many gang members are looking for someone!"
Charlie was stunned: "Margot is dead?"
A strange fear arose in his heart. He had just thought yesterday that this guy deserved to die, so how could he be dead today?
Hiss, the Stinger Gang people wouldn't find him, would they?
Heh, I already knew about this. But Margot didn't die today; he was already disguised as my Godfather days ago... Lumian couldn't help but inwardly chuckle at their reactions.
Just then, Ruel sighed:
"Alas, no way to earn money today..."
"If you don't go out, you don't have to eat lunch, which saves some money." His wife comforted him, but the sound, reaching Lumian's ears, struck him as strangely harsh.
Recalling the description Godfather gave him a while ago about the place where he and his sister's "hometown" was located, Lumian's heart suddenly felt heavy.
His sister's hometown, where she grew up, was not like this.
This was the first time he so directly understood why his sister gazed at the Cosmos day and night, longing for her hometown.
When his sister was still alive, Lumian could never understand why she did that; now Lumian knew, but his sister could no longer hear his answer.
I will definitely revive my sister... Lumian gently stroked his chest with his left hand and patted Charlie's shoulder:
"Charlie, remember that rather nice black hat you just bought? Can I borrow it?"
"No problem, but what are you going to do?" Charlie asked casually:
"I'll take you to my room to get it first. I'm going to find Miss Ethans. Margot is finally dead; she can finally escape that Devil!"
Ethans, oh, that illegal prostitute whom Margot forced to stay in Trier... Lumian nodded thoughtfully and followed Charlie to his room to get the black hat.
Charlie excitedly hurried upstairs, while Lumian slowly walked up the stairs step by step.
Just then, Lumian heard a chaotic sound of footsteps from the stairwell. He looked down and saw a neatly dressed young man leading several thugs in gang member attire walking towards the fourth floor.
It couldn't be such a coincidence, could it? A thought flashed through Lumian's mind. He pressed Charlie's hat onto his head, a slow smile curving his lips.
After about three or four seconds, Lumian walked upstairs, one hand in his pocket.
He hadn't even reached the top of the stairs when he heard a polite yet chilling voice:
"I am Wilson of the Stinger Gang. From today onwards, I will take care of you in Margot's place."
"Bang!"
"Bang bang!"
Three gunshots rang out in quick succession from the stairwell. At this moment, Wilson's smile was still frozen on his face.
He turned his head in shock to see the heads of his three subordinates explode at the same time. Blood splattered everywhere, staining the recently cleaned and somewhat tidy walls of the Golden Rooster Inn a vivid red.
"Who's there?" Wilson immediately turned his head, his face contorted, and looked at Lumian with vicious eyes.
Following that gaze, a slight fear arose in Lumian's heart, but Lumian quickly overcame it. He immediately recalled the Sequence corresponding to this ability:
This was what Godfather once told him: a Sequence 9 "Villain" from an unconventional Pathway!
Lumian didn't hesitate. He raised the pistol in his hand and quickly pulled the trigger, firing two shots, "bang bang," into Wilson's legs.
The pistol had once belonged to Margot—the bullets were items Nimrod had specially given Lumian for self-defense.
The intense pain caused by the bullets entering his body was difficult even for a "Villain" with a strong physique to suppress. He immediately cried out and fell to the ground.
Charlie, quick-witted, pulled Miss Ethans, who had just been crying, to the side. His heart pounded, filled with a momentary panic.
Char, what did Char do?
Did he just murder three gang members? And now he's broken this gang Villain's legs?
Charlie reacted, and the fear in his heart increased significantly. He now looked at Lumian as if he were looking at a Devil.
He had originally thought Char was just an honest man like himself, who came to Trier to find work, but he never expected him to be so lawless, killing people in broad daylight.
Is he also a gang member?
No, I can't think that way... Even if he's a Villain, he's a Villain who helped me and Miss Ethans!
Lumian's attention was not on Charlie at this moment. He simply raised his wrist towards Wilson, a malicious arc forming at the corner of his mouth:
"Stand up."
Wilson looked at Lumian with extremely venomous eyes, but such a gaze only made Lumian scoff. He stepped forward and kicked Wilson in the leg wound:
"Stand up!"
"Don't say your leg is broken, hehe, I deliberately didn't break your bones."
Lumian's lips curved slightly, his finger resting on the trigger, pointing at Wilson's head:
"Are you going to stand up on your own, or do you plan to never stand straight again in this life?"
This bastard isn't kidding, he's a Lunatic! Doesn't he know I'm from the Stinger Gang?
A considerable amount of fear immediately arose in Wilson's heart. He clawed at the nearby wall, enduring the intense pain from his legs, and barely managed to stand up:
"What are you going to do? Are you going to confront the Stinger Gang...?"
Lumian didn't speak. He simply kept a stern face, one hand on his hat, while the hand holding the pistol suddenly rotated, using the grip of the pistol to smash Wilson's face, knocking out several of his teeth:
"You've been searching for so long, and you don't even know that I killed Margot?"
"Heh, did you misunderstand something? I know who you are; do I need you to introduce yourself?"
"Go back and tell your boss that this place is now taken over by Char of the Passion organization! If I see you here again, I'll kill every single one who comes—understood?"
Although Lumian had never been in a gang, he spoke in a deep voice, imitating the style of Gehrman Sparrow, the protagonist in "The Great Adventurer" series, naturally mixing in a lot of his personal understanding and malice.
Wilson looked at the black muzzle of the gun. Although unwilling, he could only nod, swallowing his anger.
However, Lumian wasn't so kind as to let this bully go. He raised his gun and pointed at him:
"Come on, now walk down, step by step, and walk out."
"Heh heh, don't try any tricks. If you walk out steadily, I'll let you go."
Because of the sudden gunshots, many guests in the Golden Rooster Inn were drawn to the commotion.
A few timid guests who were closer to the stairs even quickly ran downstairs, informing their familiar neighbors and urging them to evacuate together.
He wants to humiliate me this way! Wilson's eyes blazed with anger, but circumstances were against him. He lowered his head and said in a muffled voice:
"I understand."
"Understood? Good that you understand." Lumian smiled slightly, took a bulging wallet from Wilson's embrace, and tossed it to Charlie on the side:
"Come on, let's go."
Wilson walked down the stairs somewhat humiliatingly, but when he reached the third floor, Lumian raised the gun in his hand, signaling him to follow the corridor and walk to the other side.
He wanted everyone in the Golden Rooster Inn to know that the Golden Rooster Inn was no longer under the management of the Stinger Gang.
Along the way, feeling those gazes of astonishment, fear, and schadenfreude, Wilson felt that the harm those gazes inflicted was more painful than the two gunshots in his legs.
When he returned, he would definitely report this matter to his boss, Black Scorpion Roger. With such a big incident, his boss would definitely not swallow this insult!
Clearly, Wilson didn't know that Roger had already breathed his last a while ago.
Upon reaching the ground floor and entering the lobby of the Golden Rooster Inn, Wilson's eyes lit up as he saw three people quickly approaching him.
They were police officers in black uniforms, black vests, and white shirts.
Seeing this, a hint of surprise immediately appeared in Wilson's heart. He raised his head, looked at the police officers, whose eyes also showed astonishment, and wanted to call for help.
No matter what, the police should protect him, this minor leader of the Stinger Gang—there were also shadows of gangs behind the police!
What's the use of being ruthless? When you're in this business, you need influence!
But the next moment, Wilson saw even greater astonishment in the eyes of these police officers than before, and the splattering blood in their pupils.
"Bang."
Lumian mimicked the sound of a gunshot with his mouth, and Wilson's entire back of the head shattered, falling to the ground, blood flowing everywhere.
The several police officers in front of them immediately drew their pistols with a "swish swish swish" and aimed them at Lumian.
Lumian casually tossed his pistol aside, took off his hat, and placed it on Charlie's head, who had been following behind him:
"Calm down, everyone—gang matters, the gangs will handle themselves. Officers, please go perform your duties?"
"Are you from the Stinger Gang or the Sava Party?"
The leading officer's face was ashen as he spoke to Lumian, who then swaggered forward:
"Heh, neither, but this is now the territory of the Passion organization. I'm just helping the boss clear out some guys who wanted to steal our property."
Lumian patted the shoulder of the police officer next to him, casually slipped several banknotes into his pocket, and said in an intimate yet dangerous tone:
"Go perform your duties, officers, I wish you success. You don't need to worry about the Stinger Gang's affairs; 'we' will handle it."
"How many Ferkin is it a month? Why risk your life?"
With that, Lumian strode out of the inn.
The three police officers exchanged glances, and finally, the leading officer shook his head and said to Charlie, who was still standing stunned:
"Charlie Corrent."
"You're involved in a murder case. Come with us."
The three of them, stepping through the blood on the ground, walked over and took Charlie, the "suspect," naturally leaving the scene of another murder.
Chapter 16: The Organization's First Appearance
"Charlie is involved in a murder case?"
Lumian's expression immediately became a little strange. He couldn't imagine how Charlie could be linked to something like a "murder case."
But soon, Lumian heard a voice from behind him:
"Mrs. Alice is dead!"
No way? Although Lumian found it a bit absurd, he still quickened his pace and left.
If he lingered any longer, he might be surrounded and pursued by gang members who had heard the news. He needed to preserve the mystery and power of the Passion organization. He couldn't just keep killing people on the street, could he?
Killing one gang member was acceptable, but a series of murders on the street would show too little regard for the authorities.
As for Charlie's situation, Lumian planned to find a way to help him later. After all, he was a friend he had finally made, and he couldn't let him be wrongly imprisoned like this.
Moreover, Lumian believed that Charlie wasn't the type of person who would dare to kill.
Lumian, familiar with the area, avoided the gaze of the gang members and entered a dark alley. In the underground streets of Trier, such deserted places were common, often serving as residences for vagrants.
Lumian simply piled up some debris in a corner to form a wall, then wielded the silver dagger he carried with him, awkwardly creating a Wall of Spirituality.
—After consuming the Assassin potion, Lumian's spirituality had significantly improved. While it couldn't compare to those of Pathways specializing in spirituality, it was entirely different from when he had only consumed the Hunter potion.
After doing all this, Lumian pondered for a moment and took out some dried rations he had partially eaten earlier. He divided them into four portions and placed them in the four corners of the area.
He figured that his Godfather had only told him that the ritual required four portions of food, but hadn't specified the size of these portions, right?
Since it was his Godfather who responded to his prayers, he decided to see if he could complete a similar ritual this way.
After walking four steps backward, Lumian waited patiently.
Suddenly, Lumian felt his Provoker potion digest a little, but it didn't take effect.
There's no other way, it seems complete food is necessary... Lumian sighed slightly, preparing to go find Osta Lord as planned.
Besides asking him to take him to a mysticism gathering, he also planned to recruit Osta into his organization—yes, the Passion organization his Godfather told him about.
Although it was a facade, just the prospect of no longer having to repay Baron Buneril's debt to the Sava Party would surely tempt Osta, the money-strapped swindler. Lumian occasionally recalled his Godfather's comment after learning about the matter:
A Secrets Supplicant being bullied by others is truly amusing.
As for other members, Lumian believed that some fools would actively seek him out after hearing about his situation, even bringing other thugs to work for him.
However, this matter was not urgent for Lumian for now. He had to wait until his Godfather provided a way for the entire organization to generate income before truly recruiting people. Money reveals hearts; who would follow you without it?
But being temporarily unable to contact his Godfather did make Lumian a bit anxious.
Just then, another idea popped into Lumian's mind, a question he hadn't asked before:
Does Godfather have his own messenger?
Madam Magician and Hela, the Vice President of the Curly Baboon Research Society, whom his sister Aurore mentioned, both had their own messengers. So... Godfather, who knows Madam Magician, should also have a messenger, right?
Hmm, and can I also summon Hela's messenger?
According to the mysticism knowledge I've learned, the first two lines of messenger summoning incantations are mostly similar. I can try them one by one through elimination. The only question to consider is, will Hela's messenger pose a threat to me?
This matter isn't urgent yet. I'll hold another ritual tonight, ask Godfather, and then decide what to do... Lumian thought as he walked towards the agreed meeting place with Osta.
Just then, Lumian heard a familiar and calm voice sound in his ear:
"Just leave a message after the ritual, and I'll be able to hear your voice."
Lumian now knew why he had received feedback on the potion's digestion earlier... "God-man."
Nimrod's mouth twitched: "Even at my lowest point, I never thought of splitting one portion of food into four."
[Relax.] Celestial Worthy comforted Nimrod:
[Even at my lowest point, I never imagined sharing a room with someone else.]
Nimrod glanced at Celestial Worthy, and while following Roger's pace to gradually approach matters related to the Stinger Gang, he replied:
"Stop messing around. If you have time, why not help me analyze the movements of the Outer Deity believers? That would save us both some time."
"I have to go back tonight, and Qilangos's matter isn't resolved yet. Now I also have to deal with intelligence on those Outer Deity believers in Trier to prevent an Outer Deity from finding me. I really have too much to do." Nimrod paused:
"The most crucial thing is that I still have to handle the Black Scorpion Gang's affairs according to Roger's habits, and I have to guard against Madam Moon suddenly issuing orders..."
"Heh, before I come back next time, I'll also have to find a way to craft this boon left by Black Scorpion Roger into a Beyonder item, to prevent being unable to use the Warlock's related abilities and thus having my identity exposed."
[But there's no other way.] Celestial Worthy said comfortably:
[I could help you decrypt and arrange things, but would you trust it? You'd still have to painstakingly decrypt it again anyway. If that's the case, why would I help you?]
"Oh, I just can't stand how idle you are."
[Six.]
Celestial Worthy said expressionlessly: [By the way, do you need a suggestion from me?]
"Wait a moment."
As time passed, Nimrod suddenly felt some prayers echoing in his ears. He put down his pen, raised his hands, and slowly closed his eyes, putting himself in a resting state.
Lumian had found a safe place and had just completed a "transfer ritual."
"Godfather, I have completed the task you gave me, and I have also approached Osta Lord as Madam Magician instructed."
"Yes, I met Mr. K."
"As you previously instructed, I inquired about the materials you needed at the Beyonder gathering. But strangely, Mr. K immediately said that he possessed one of the materials!"
Nimrod's gaze suddenly became focused, and the corners of his mouth curved slightly.
It was not entirely unbelievable for Mr. K, a divine envoy of the Aurora Order, to possess a Sequence 5 material from the Error Pathway.
After all, Amon (the main body) had already passed away, and Adam might have kept some materials to give to the Aurora Order to recruit people.
But the problem was that this material belonged to Adam.
Lumian, who was being closely watched by Adam, had no reason to obtain the Beyonder potion formula for the Error Pathway. Therefore, Adam having Mr. K sell this material to Lumian was, in a sense, a display of attitude.
Moreover, there was more than just this one suspicious point in the matter.
After all, even if a transaction was necessary, Mr. K should have handed it over to Lumian in a more covert and simpler manner.
The fact that he couldn't help but speak up on the spot could only mean that Adam had heard Lumian's request and immediately issued a divine oracle, causing Mr. K to momentarily lose control.
With Sefirah Castle and my own status as a barrier, Adam's understanding of me is limited. He only knows that there's something that looks very much like Amon who invested in Lumian... Is this a gesture of goodwill towards me?
Nimrod pondered for a moment, then continued to listen to Lumian's message.
"Furthermore, I have recruited Osta Lord into the Passion organization as my subordinate. Of course, he doesn't know about your existence, only that I am an executive of this organization; I plan to gradually develop my subordinates later, at least to create a basic structure."
"So, dear Godfather, what method do you plan to use to replace what the original Stinger Gang did in these territories? If you want to make this work, at least give me some funds, right?"
So he's here for money... Nimrod's mouth twitched slightly. He took out about 500 gold pounds in banknotes from his bosom, preparing to give them to Lumian as startup capital later.
Of course, he couldn't give Lumian a concrete and feasible plan right now. He could only gradually control merchants through the gangs, form merchant associations, and then draw a certain amount of funds from these associations to reshape an order.
Extracting wealth from the common people, taking a portion of the ill-gotten gains from these cunning merchants, was clearly faster and more acceptable.
As for the issue of "the wool comes from the sheep"—rules would naturally be established, but money wouldn't be generated out of thin air. If one wanted to dump goods abroad, the cost would inevitably be paid by the people in the dumped region.
But to change the plight of the lower classes without any cost would merely be a fantasy, perhaps only Adam could achieve it.
Therefore, Nimrod still had to give Lumian some funds. Fortunately, Lumian could easily find places to exchange gold pounds in Trier, so he wouldn't have money he couldn't spend.
"Finally, I have one more question: I suspect Hela, the Vice President of the Curly Baboon Research Society, knows something related to my sister's situation. I want to try summoning her messenger, but I don't know if it will be dangerous."
"Also, do you have a messenger? If you do, we can communicate directly through messengers."
Nimrod did have messengers in mystery timeline.
But in this timeline, the animated void might have been taken as a Beyonder characteristic for advancement. Where would he find a messenger for him?
After a few seconds of thought, Nimrod placed his hand on the gray fog and gave his reply.
"I will teach you a ritual of sacrifice and bestowal. I'll give you some startup capital first."
"Afterward, the Stinger Gang will cooperate to drive some merchants into your area through various means. Then, no matter what method you use, make these merchants join us. Of course, it must be reasonable; I will write you a guide later."
"Heh, sometimes, if our treatment here is slightly better than elsewhere, people will flock to us."
"Compared to other gangs, our biggest advantage is that we only have you as an executive and me as a 'boss.' I don't need those useless middlemen who just line their pockets. The money saved can be used to improve local order."
"As for what you said about summoning Hela's messenger, I think it's feasible. Also, within the Curly Baboon Research Society, an organization called April Fools is closely related to your sister's death. You can mention this to Hela in your letter."
"By the way, I am not a member of the Curly Baboon Research Society, and I have no connection with them."
After Nimrod finished all this, he waited for a while. As expected, a glowing door symbolizing the "Bestowal Ritual" lit up next to Sefirah Castle. He threw the gold pounds in his hand into it, and the door slowly extinguished... The next day, not long after Nimrod woke up, he met a small gang leader who had come looking for Black Scorpion Roger.
"Boss, we investigated yesterday. The one who shot Wilson and killed Margot, taking over the Golden Rooster Inn, is the same person: a country bumpkin named Charles who just arrived in Trier not long ago."
"He proclaimed to the police yesterday that he belonged to the Passion organization and was one of its executives! Boss, do you know anything about this organization? What should we do next?"
Nimrod looked up, deliberately feigning a slightly stunned expression. This was the first time the subordinate had seen their boss show such an expression, and his demeanor instantly tightened.
"The Passion organization..." Nimrod said slowly, "I've heard of it. It's an organization with extremely ruthless methods and a mysterious boss, but... it's unlikely to appear in Trier."
"So, that kid named Charles just made up the name of an organization from somewhere else?"
Nimrod saw a hint of anger in the eyes of Black Scorpion Roger's subordinate, knowing that the opportunity was ripe, and immediately snorted coldly:
"Use your brain. Otherwise, why don't you go deal with that Charles?"
"According to my understanding, this 'Passion' organization has great influence in other regions. Who can be sure that this Charles isn't their vanguard?"
"If this organization wants to extend its reach into Trier, we might need to cooperate with the Sava Party to drive them out. Do you want to fight their executives to the death and then get wiped out by the Sava Party along with us?"
The subordinate opened his mouth, unable to speak for a moment, while Nimrod merely chuckled softly:
"Moreover, as far as I know, this organization has at least several different departments: the boss's 'personal guard,' 'assassination teams,' and ordinary members... Do you want to go up against all of them?"
"Go, challenge the Sava Party and claim that Charles was sent by them. Hmph, this matter can't be borne by us alone."
Nimrod, the boss of the Passion organization, said so.
Problematic ad?Report it here
You can disable popup ads by becoming a contributor. Become a contributor
#134What can be considered true?
Chapter 17: What is Real?
Deep in the night, the crimson moonlight spilled through the outline of the window, and patches of black shadows seemed to grow out of the window's darkness, gradually engulfing the entire room.
Nimrod, disguised as "Black Scorpion" Roger, lay steadily on the bed, seemingly having fallen into a deep sleep.
But just then, a Wind Blade instantly descended, striking "Black Scorpion" Roger on the bed!
The quilt was torn and the bed frame was broken. The "Roger" on the bed was instantly cut in half at the waist, and blood spurted out to the left and right, immediately staining the bedsheets crimson.
The End.
A black figure slowly walked out of the shadows, quietly observing the scene before them.
Suddenly, the attacker, who was completely wrapped in a black robe, twitched the nose hidden beneath the hood, keenly flipping over and abruptly rolling to the side.
The next instant, a divine light struck the spot where he had just been standing, instantly illuminating the scene in the room clearly.
Nimrod, who looked like Roger, stood to the side holding a scythe, without any injuries on his body; meanwhile, facing him, the attacker wrapped entirely in a black robe quickly stood up from the ground, launching a silent assault without uttering a word, his body contracting as he leaped toward Nimrod.
Before the attacker arrived, Nimrod's Spiritual Intuition had already reacted:
He first created an Illusion, and then immediately left the position of the bed, ready to seize the opportunity to attack at any moment.
The only thing he hadn't expected was that the attacker in front of him recognized that he hadn't achieved a kill but had fallen into an Illusion in less than two seconds after the attack, allowing him to timely dodge Nimrod's subsequent strike.
"Wind-Blessed"?
The Sequence corresponding to the Beyonder who could use the Beyonder ability "Wind Blade" surfaced in Nimrod's mind. He took out the crimson monocle from his chest and put it on his face.
He was just about to evade the attacker's straightforward strike, but the next moment, a Flash of light suddenly crossed the attacker's body, and the figure vanished from the spot!
"Flash!"
Nimrod felt a massive force coming from behind him. His body immediately twisted like a snake, narrowly avoiding the attack.
The next moment, he pressed his left hand onto the ground, twisting his wrist like soft rubber, pulling his body away from the original position.
This was the exceptional flexibility provided by the "Dancer."
In that instant, several instances of "Thought Misdirection" and "Mental Interference" plastered themselves onto the attacker, who had just launched the strike and hadn't yet been able to withdraw his strength.
As these disruptive Beyonder abilities took effect, the attacker's movements slowed for an instant, but just as Nimrod raised the scythe and slashed towards his head, a faint light flashed across the attacker's body again, and he immediately vanished from the spot.
Another "Flash"—this was the terrifying mobility of the "Traveler."
After about 3 seconds, several Wind Blades shot towards Nimrod's location from all directions, but after piercing his body, the Wind Blades did not draw blood; instead, they caused the figure to shatter piece by piece—the previous "Thought Misdirection" and "Mental Interference" were all meant to create this Illusion for this moment.
Countless pieces of information flashed through Nimrod's eyes. Although the "Cryptologist"'s abilities are singular and lack combat strength, nearly all of the Sequence 7 Beyonder characteristics enhance the "Cryptologist"'s decoding ability, allowing him to directly locate the enemy by analysis.
In this regard, the "Cryptologist"'s ability even approaches that of Beyonders on the "Spectator" and "Savant" Pathways of the same Sequence.
At this point, Nimrod had also confirmed the attacker's Beyonder Pathway. To possess the Beyonder abilities of both "Wind-Blessed" and "Traveler," the person must either be someone like him, holding various mid-Sequence beyonder items, or... a "Shepherd."
Nimrod muttered something. The monocle resting on his eye socket immediately began to grow countless fine blood vessels toward the center of the lens, covering the entire monocle with dense crimson patterns in an instant.
An inexplicable rage immediately surged in the attacker's heart—he stopped the steps he was preparing to retreat and conceal himself with. Inch by inch, blood-red substance grew from his body, tearing apart the pitch-black robe that had originally covered him, transforming into a blood-red gown!
The "Flesh Robe" of the "Shepherd"!
At this moment, Nimrod keenly noticed that beneath the blood-red robe, the attacker was wearing a mask and formal attire.
Nimrod frowned slightly, sensing that something was amiss.
He extended his right hand and abruptly twisted it toward the attacker. In his eyes, the attacker immediately glowed with multicolored light, but the light was too complex, making it difficult to discern which one was the "Shepherd"'s core ability, "Herding."
For a "Shepherd," if their "Herding" ability is stripped away, they are highly likely to fall directly into a semi-out-of-control state due to the incompatibility between the souls they herd and their own Pathway, completely losing combat effectiveness.
But the attacker reacted quickly. He raised his hand, and the generation of the blood-red robe immediately stopped, replaced by scorched black skin that emerged.
"Demonization"!
But the next moment, the process of Demonization was forcibly interrupted, replaced by Devil-like skin and patterns appearing on Nimrod's body.
He immediately recalled the inherent abilities of the "Devil." In his hand, a Flame Greatsword instantly materialized, looking like a cross between a long saber and a greatsword, composed of deep red magma and light blue flames.
Across from him, the attacker's pupils, hidden beneath the mask, suddenly dilated. He seemed completely shocked that the "Roger" before him possessed such an ability, and that he was so familiar with the "Devil"'s capabilities!
The greatsword slashed down, splitting the attacker, along with his formal attire, into two halves, upper and lower.
However, this was not enough to inflict fatal damage on a "Shepherd."
The scorched flesh only stalled his movement for 3 to 5 seconds. Soon, new flesh grew out of the wound, connecting the upper and lower halves of his body like wriggling tentacles.
The "sun scythe" in Nimrod's hand disappeared, replaced by a revolver. He quickly took several intricately patterned "Demon-Hunting Bullets" from his pocket and loaded them.
Before reaching the demigod level, even a "Shepherd" would be harmed by Beyonder bullets with special effects. These bullets can effectively curb their self-healing ability, making it difficult for them to recover from fatal injuries.
Nimrod was well aware that the "Shepherd" in front of him was a member of the Aurora Order.
However, even if he was a Saint of the True Creator within the Aurora Order in the "mysteries timeline," Nimrod had no intention of holding back against the attacker.
He unhesitatingly raised the gun in his hand, aimed at the "Shepherd" who was still repairing his injuries, and quickly pulled the trigger.
Just then, the "Shepherd" suddenly raised his head, shaped his left hand like a blade, and unhesitatingly cut off the still-unhealed wound. His entire upper body instantly vanished from the room.
Watching the attacker "Teleportation" away, Nimrod stood still for dozens of seconds before slowly exhaling.
He certainly could have used the "shadow lantern" and the aura of a "Profane Presbyter" on his body to forcibly keep this "Shepherd" and kill him, or even track him down without using these trump cards, but there was no need.
Firstly, he was currently impersonating "Black Scorpion" Roger, and secrecy was the primary objective.
Secondly, he could roughly guess the identity of this "Shepherd"; it was 99% likely Mr. K, who had interacted with Lumian yesterday. As a high-ranking member of the Aurora Order, Nimrod understood the organization's structure better than Mr. K himself.
In one parish of the Aurora Order, there were typically only one or two Beyonders of the Apostle rank at most.
"It seems that because 'Black Scorpion' Roger suddenly disappeared from the script written by Adam, Adam noticed something was wrong and sent his Apostle to investigate..."
"I was exposed to Adam's sight from the very beginning. Adam must be wary of me, something that is very likely the 'Celestial Worthy'."
While pondering the reason for his exposure, Nimrod squatted down and began checking the remaining lower half of Mr. K's body for any valuable items:
"For Adam, the Celestial Worthy reviving in someone else's body is not an entirely unacceptable event; it's part of his preparations for the worst-case scenario. After all, while the Celestial Worthy might not necessarily want to deal with the Outer Deity, he definitely wants to deal with God Almighty."
"And as long as the Celestial Worthy is willing to help him deal with the Outer Deity, the Celestial Worthy can be his ally. Amon's life is secondary; Adam is the type who can even sacrifice himself."
"Considering that Grisha Adam noticed me when I occupied Amon's body and came to Cordu Village, this speculation is likely correct."
Just then, Nimrod suddenly pulled something out of the pocket of Mr. K's remaining lower half. Upon seeing it, his gaze instantly froze:
It was a business card.
Printed on the front of the card was a simple line of text:
"Mr. Trier, Head of Human Resources for KKK."
...The Gray Fog surged like a tide. For the first time, an astonishment exceeding his expectations surfaced in Nimrod's heart—why was this thing here?
This shouldn't exist in this timeline. Has the timeline changed?
Nimrod suddenly sat up, looking at the familiar surroundings—the corner of his mouth twitched, and his face and hair color instantly changed, reverting to the appearance of "Dionysus."
While taking off his blood-stained clothes and tossing them into "Sefirah Castle," he subconsciously began to ponder.
Nimrod walked to the desk, placed the blood-stained business card on the table in front of him, pulled open the drawer, and took out a brand new business card:
"Mr. XXX, Head of Human Resources for AAA."
Aside from the missing designation after 'Head of Human Resources,' this card was exactly the same as the one he had designed for Mr. A; it was definitely not his Illusion.
If that was the case, the reason for this type of business card appearing in the [Future] narrowed down to a very small scope.
Nimrod turned his head to look at the Celestial Worthy, who was sitting to the side, pretending to leisurely sip tea, and slowly spoke:
"Celestial Worthy, do you have any leads?"
[Leads? What head pig?]
The Celestial Worthy said lazily, blowing on the tea leaves floating on the surface of the water in the cup:
[Perhaps something has happened to "Sefirah Castle"—but dare you believe what I say?]
"I believe you," Nimrod said calmly.
[It's right not to believe me. No one would trust an Outer Deity who represents fraud... Cough, cough, wait, what did you say?]
The Celestial Worthy had just spoken with a hint of schadenfreude, then looked at Nimrod with a suspicious gaze, as if he had choked on the tea:
[Are you sure I would tell you what I've discovered?]
"Shīyé is a master at playing dumb." Nimrod leaned back, a smile appearing on his face:
"According to your previous statements and my research, 'Sefirah Castle' is now half yours and half mine, and the current changes are caused by our combined influence."
"Of course, I don't understand the full situation, but... if this change really is heading in a bad direction, if something truly goes wrong, the worst outcome is merely both of us being finished."
"Heh heh, I still have the chance to revive by relying on my Beyonder characteristic, but your current will is done for. After all, the Future nine years from now has already [happened]."
"When that time comes, I'll send you to prison inside Klein's body. After Klein consumes my characteristic, I will come looking for you again. Wait, that won't be you then; it will be another Outer Deity Will named 'Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings'."
Nimrod quickly realized there was no need for him to be nervous, and every word he spoke was true (?). He never lies.
The Celestial Worthy fell silent for a moment. He had never thought in his life that someone's ability to survive could be more terrifying than his own—He Himself was a part of the Original Will, but... honestly speaking.
Wasn't the Will of the other "Original" more terrifying than His own Will?
This "Original" coming from the outside could also erase His spiritual imprint—that would be true death—but even if their own Original awoke, He couldn't rely on It to consciously erase Nimrod's spiritual imprint.
The Celestial Worthy sighed and quickly chose to compromise:
[My guess is that "Sefirah Castle" has begun to encroach upon the other timeline you descended upon.]
[First, you need to understand one thing.]
[The timeline of our world is linear. Our eternal existence isn't due to tracing back from the Future to the past, but because the spiritual imprint of the Outer Deities is inextinguishable.]
[Simply put, the "Outer Deities" are the oldest beings in this universe, but they are not the "One Proof, Eternal Proof" great existences from other worlds you told me about.]
The Celestial Worthy raised two middle fingers, forming a vertical, parallel line:
[Before you arrived here, the present and the Future nine years later were continuous. After you arrived, the present and the Future nine years later formed two parallel lines.]
[Judging from your previous actions, you can jump back and forth between these two timelines, but this doesn't affect the Future. On the contrary, the events of the Future are benchmarked against 'you never arriving in this timeline.']
[I can tell you in simpler terms:]
[Before this, I could confirm that these two timelines were more akin to two separate worlds, completely divided, neither influencing nor interfering with the other.]
Speaking of this, the Celestial Worthy gradually tilted His fingers, connecting them one above the other.
[But now it's different.]
[Because the "Error" you generated caused these two timelines, which should have been continuous, to separate, and now they have reconnected—events that happened in the past will begin to affect the Future.]
[However, as you can see: subtle changes won't cause a butterfly effect leading to a sudden shift in the Future. They will only generate "Errors" bit by bit, causing the Future timeline to produce anomalies that never existed before.]
[After all, the Authority corresponding to your Status is not "Destiny" or "Time and Space," but "Error."]
[Only the world you are in is real. This is also a characteristic of a "Beacon of Destiny," except this beacon is not yet strong enough to anchor the entire timeline.]
[Or perhaps, this is "Error."]
[An "Error" equivalent to the Authority and Status of the three pillars of the entire universe combined.]
[Relying on this "Error," we are currently devouring a world.]
Chapter 18: Monster
"Heh heh, but your current Sequence is too low. You haven't even truly grasped the authority of this world yet."
"It seems my previous guess was correct. You lost your own authority and only have the Sefirah—but the Sefirah is also the 'key' necessary for us to advance to the Primordial One."
Celestial Worthy chuckled, speaking in a cheerful and bright tone:
"Are you really not considering devouring the Beyonder characteristics of the Fool and Door Pathways? If we start devouring them little by little now, the process of us regaining authority will be much smoother later."
Nimrod shook his head: "Celestial Worthy, you are trying to mislead me."
"The mythical creature form of the three mysterious Pathways tends towards division. So, can I assume that:"
"Your mental imprint is also divided among the three Pathways, and when the three Pathways are gathered at the same Sequence, your mental imprint will have a tendency to strengthen?"
"That's pure rumor," Celestial Worthy said with a fake smile. "Would I harm you?"
"But that's not what you're trying to mislead me about; that part is too easy to see through."
Nimrod said to Celestial Worthy, and Celestial Worthy's expression gradually became solemn.
"What you truly want to mislead me about is:"
"'Only the world you are in is real. This is also a characteristic of some "Fate Beacons," but this beacon is not strong enough yet to anchor the entire circlet timeline.'"
"You want me to devour the Beyonder characteristics of the three Fate Pathways that badly?"
Celestial Worthy fell silent for a moment. Although He said nothing, His figure began to gradually fade. But just then, Nimrod called out to Him:
"Don't rush, I didn't say I disagree—but I have a question."
Hearing Nimrod's voice, Celestial Worthy's figure solidified again at a visible speed:
"Speak."
Nimrod said unhurriedly:
"From my personal understanding, Outer Deities have three different origins."
"The first type is the most widespread Outer Deities, born from the union of the Original Creator and the Mother Goddess of Depravity, and also the most common Outer Deities."
"The second type consists of the three born from the Original Creator: the Mother Goddess of Depravity, the Mother Tree of Desire, and the Son of Chaos."
"Their birth represents the emergence of the rational world, the separation of the real world from the Astral World of symbolic concepts, and the Spirit World."
"The last type consists of the 6 Outer Deities directly split from the Original Creator."
"Eternal Darkness, Calamity of Destruction, Demon of Knowledge, Key of Light, you, the Lord of the Mysteries, and your old rival, the Primordial God Almighty."
"So, a very simple question:"
"God Almighty once accommodated the City of Calamity, and you once accommodated the River of Eternal Darkness—the spirits of these two Outer Deities were worn down by you and God Almighty to the point of needing a long resurrection. So, does the Key of Light, which you have never accommodated, still contain the spirit of the Original Creator?"
"My guess is that the Key of Light contains the spirit of the Original Creator, and as I wear down its imprint, Sefirah Castle can gradually grasp the authority of Fate—that is your goal."
Celestial Worthy would certainly not do anything without benefit or fun.
Hearing Nimrod's words, Celestial Worthy gently tapped the nearby tabletop with a finger:
"I don't deny your guess, and you ultimately chose to agree to my proposal."
"During your process of accommodating the Key of Light's Beyonder characteristic, the Original Creator's mental imprint will be eroded little by little, thus becoming an ownerless Beyonder characteristic."
"Furthermore, since you are currently equivalent to Sefirah Castle, your process of accommodating is equivalent to Sefirah Castle accommodating, and by then, I will also gain some benefits from it."
Celestial Worthy's mouth, which seemed to be made of lines, curved into an arc:
"Your understanding of the Fate Pathway is incomplete. The three Outer Deities with the symbol of Fate stacked together constitute the complete authority of Fate."
"The Key of Light is the embodiment of chaotic Fate; the Goddess of Destiny is the eldest daughter of the Mother Goddess of Depravity. Her birth represents the river of Fate in this world becoming orderly and beginning to flow."
"And the Circle of Inevitability represents predetermined Fate, representing the correction of chaotic Fate, essentially a symbol born from the Original Creator's children to perpetuate the entire universe."
"As for the reason for 'misleading' you, heh heh, you must have guessed it. Before you get involved with the authority of Fate, the Outer Deities will still consider you another aspect of me. But once you devour a Sefirah—no, even if you just devour a Uniqueness without losing control—my brothers, sisters, and nephews will become anxious."
"After all, only the Primordial One is an exception; even a pillar will be unable to control the instinct to converge after devouring additional characteristics."
"Well, this time you can't blame me. It's not that I brought you all this hatred, but as an invader from outside the world, you yourself are equivalent to an Outer Deity among Outer Deities."
"How the gods on Earth treat Outer Deities, the Outer Deities will treat you with the same attitude."
With that, Celestial Worthy's figure completely disappeared, leaving Nimrod alone at the table.
"No matter what, I must first prepare for not being able to obtain the Beyonder characteristic of a Dream Stealer for the time being. I can start preparing to obtain the Beyonder characteristic of the Fate Pathway."
"Hmm... there's no way to obtain the Goddess of Destiny's boon for now, but there's a stable way to get the Circle of Inevitability's boon: once Lumian has completely digested the Assassin potion and his Beyonder characteristics are balanced, I can start drawing the Sequence 8 level Fate boon."
"The only problem is that there's still an Amon inside Lumian. I need to find a way to secretly trip up Amon, who's gnawing on the big pineapple, otherwise, when He comes out, I'll be the first one He targets."
"The Beyonder characteristic of a Monster only needs to be collected by others. With a Sefirah equivalent to the Original Creator, there's no need to worry if Fate will avoid me. This is enough to solve most of the problems in collecting the Beyonder characteristics of the Fate Pathway..."
"I can consider finding further revelations of Fate through Ademisaul. This process must be discreet. Before I have the ability to protect myself, I cannot let Ouroboros and Will realize that I am also gradually devouring this Pathway."
"During this period, collecting Beyonder characteristics and digesting potions are the things I plan to do..."
...In the next two weeks, Nimrod lived a rare, relatively stable life. On one hand, he didn't actively seek out Beyonder events. On the other hand, after disguising himself as a wealthy merchant and Black Scorpion Roger, he seemed to have escaped the vortex of the whole affair, and Adam's traces were no longer present in his surroundings.
In the circlet timeline, he had Lumian trade with Mr. K for a bottle of "stench of corruption," and now he was only missing a "Dream-Eating Rat" to complete the full Sequence 5 potion.
At the same time, he also collected the Beyonder materials and formula for the Monster Pathway through the Tarot Club's channels.
After Adam and the Evernight Goddess's gazes moved away from him, Nimrod felt life was exceptionally comfortable and refreshing.
In the Kingdom of Loen, a country where upper-middle-class individuals frequently interact, the identity of "Dionysus" as a rising wealthy merchant and a potential new noble reclaiming his title would attract attention and discussion even if he merely disappeared for a single day without cause.
Therefore, using the excuse of going on a trip, Nimrod deliberately changed his attire and went to a basement he had already chosen.
Of course, Nimrod's excuse to the Aurora Order was that he needed to change his identity to familiarize himself with the terrain of the East Borough, and didn't need anyone to accompany him.
In this hidden basement, Nimrod took out the Beyonder materials one by one from his briefcase and easily concocted a bottle of the Monster potion.
Nimrod slowly shook the potion, then tilted his head back and swallowed it.
After taking this potion, Nimrod didn't feel anything special, only that his spirituality had increased somewhat, and he vaguely had some perception of future Fate.
Aside from the main improvements brought by the Monster Sequence, other enhancements were not too obvious for him, a Sequence 6 Beyonder, but having the perception of Fate was already magical enough.
Immediately after taking this potion, Nimrod felt that the degree of its digestion was quite high—even close to being completely digested.
Perhaps to Fate, Nimrod, with his unusual Sefirah, was inherently a "Monster."
The matter of killing Qilangos, requested by the Hanged Man Alger, was gradually coming to light. Justice Audrey had submitted intelligence more than once at the Tarot Club, basically pinpointing Qilangos's recent activity:
The general location was not far from the Backlund Bridge area, including both banks of the Tussock River in the West Borough and Cherwood Borough.
Nimrod simply packed his things, put on the "smiling face" mask from the side, making his appearance ordinary. After changing his disguise, he walked out of the basement.
On one hand, he wanted to familiarize himself with the terrain of Backlund as he had done before; on the other hand, he wanted to try if he would experience any different changes after consuming the Monster potion.
Before this, he had specifically asked Ademisaul about his feelings after becoming a "Monster."
Ademisaul felt that the biggest change after becoming a true "Monster" was only a certain foresight of relatively significant future Fates—the rest was a certain degree of not-too-great good luck. This conclusion was drawn by comparing himself to those around him.
After consuming the Monster potion, Nimrod also had a vague premonition, but generally speaking, the sensitivity of the premonition was not too high, only serving as an aid to his intuition, far from reaching the level of foreseeing the future.
After wandering for a while, Nimrod had already left the East Borough and basically understood the structure of this part of the district.
Now he was ready to change direction and enter the suburbs, then meet with the waiting Mr. A, and then change back into Dionysus Fried to return to Backlund, completely finishing this disguise operation.
After walking for about 30 minutes, just as Nimrod arrived next to the prepared Mr. A, he suddenly saw a light flash in the distance for an instant, vaguely forming the shape of a light Door.
He frowned slightly and whispered to Mr. A:
"Let's go take a look."
At the same time, he quickly removed his disguised outer coat, and his face and figure began to change.
After putting on a set of expensive clothes, no one could guess that the current "Mr. Fried" had been a somewhat shabby commoner just seconds before.
Mr. A nodded silently, patted the shoulder of the Shadow Ascetic in front of him, and the Shadow Ascetic immediately drove the carriage, speeding forward... "First notify Miss Audrey, then call the police!... How could I act rashly? The gap between us and Qilangos is as vast as the Dixie Bay."
Xio dryly chuckled twice at Fors, but quickly changed her expression again:
"Fors, did you hear that sound?"
Fors's expression changed:
"It can't be Qilangos catching up, can it? No, that's impossible. Even if he were more capable, he couldn't cross such a long distance and directly pursue us. If he had such an ability, why would he need to sneak into Backlund?"
If Qilangos could simply "teleport" over, would he still need to hide? He could just accomplish what he wanted right on the sea!
Fors listened carefully for a moment, then let out a sigh of relief:
"It's not Qilangos, I heard the sound of a carriage. It must just be someone passing by..."
But just then, the sound of the carriage abruptly stopped, and footsteps came from not far away, making Fors's heart leap to her throat again.
It couldn't really be Qilangos, could it?
Fors held Xio with one hand and clutched the rosary with only two beads left in the other, slowly taking a deep breath, ready to teleport away the moment she saw danger.
As the footsteps grew closer, the two became increasingly nervous, but soon, Fors let out a surprised "Eh," causing Xio to nervously and somewhat irritably poke Fors's waist with her elbow:
"Fors!"
"Don't rush, don't rush." Fors slowly raised her head, a somewhat stiff smile on her face:
"Uh, Mr. Manager..."
She knew this person!
For Fors, this was a different level of fear.
Two weeks ago, Fors signed a long-term contract with Fried Company through an editor she knew well.
Although Fors originally wanted to refuse the heavy workload, they paid too much.
And this man in front of her, with an enchanting and beautiful appearance, even closer to a woman, whose gender she couldn't even determine when they first met... had come to urge her for manuscripts on time every time the deadline approached during these two weeks.
"Ms. Fors?"
Mr. A glanced at the two nervous women and said directly:
"I saw a flash of light here just now. Are you a Beyonder?"
Problematic ad?Report it here
You can disable popup ads by becoming a contributor. Become a contributor
#136Fors
Chapter 19: Fors
For Mr. A, that was a lie.
The always straightforward Mr. A pretending not to know the woman who had appeared at his Beyonder gathering already took a considerable effort, especially since Nimrod would always sigh at Mr. A's honesty and the Aurora Order's lack of funds whenever he recalled Mr. A's assassination of the ambassador back then.
However, being straightforward had its advantages. After hearing Mr. A's words, Fors's expression immediately froze on her face. She opened her mouth, unsure how to respond.
Thoughts raced through Fors's mind, and she immediately let out a dry laugh:
"You misunderstood, I was just with my friend..."
Before Fors could finish her sentence, Mr. A's gaze shifted back to her, and he said in a cold tone:
"I saw the door opened by a Traveler. But you don't seem to be a Traveler... Do you possess a corresponding Beyonder item?"
What is a "Traveler"? A trickle of cold sweat immediately ran down Fors's forehead.
Just then, Nimrod sighed and smiled as he said to Fors:
"Miss Wall, Backlund hasn't been very safe recently, and I don't recommend you come to a place like this—don't worry, my friend is also a Beyonder, and we won't report your matter to the Church."
Compared to this gentleman, Mr. Dionysus's answer was simply angelic!
Hearing Mr. Dionysus's words, Fors breathed a slight sigh of relief. She was about to gather her thoughts to speak, but then she heard Mr. A on the side say sinisterly:
"Miss Fors, if I remember correctly, your manuscript for this week..."
Why do you always bring up what's inconvenient? Fors's face stiffened again, even more so than before:
"I, I'll submit it as soon as possible..."
Remember our 101Novels
"Tomorrow is the deadline."
After saying this, Mr. A nodded silently, seemingly just making a routine inquiry, completely disregarding Fors's subsequent reaction.
Nimrod, on the other hand, glanced at Fors and Xio, revealing a smile:
"Do you need a ride? It's still quite a distance from the city center here."
Fors was about to agree, but Xio grabbed her wrist, shook her head, and politely said to the two:
"No, Mr. Dionysus. We still have some things to do, so we won't take up your time."
Nimrod watched Xio with a gentle gaze for two seconds, said nothing more, just slowly nodded, and returned to his carriage.
After the carriage drove away, Fors scratched her head and somewhat puzzledly said to Xio:
"Why didn't we let them give us a ride? I feel, I feel that this unknown minister who keeps rushing my manuscript is a very strong Beyonder..."
Now I finally understand why this gentleman could knock on my door punctually, rain or shine!
"Can he be stronger than Qilangos?"
Xio took a deep breath and said to Fors:
"Don't forget, Qilangos has already killed Darkholm. Although Darkholm was a Villain, but..."
Xio stopped there. Fors understood Xio's meaning and was speechless for a moment, but ultimately said nothing, just sighed:
"We should hurry and tell Miss Audrey about this, then call the police."
"And, I didn't expect to meet acquaintances here..."
..."This should be due to the Extraordinary Aggregation Principle..."
Nimrod stroked his chin, roughly guessing why he suddenly saw Fors, who had been teleported over.
The influence of a high Sequence had both advantages and disadvantages. Although the disadvantages were mostly negligible compared to the benefits of a high Sequence, the Extraordinary Aggregation Principle was the most obvious double-edged sword.
When Fors used her bracelet to open the "Traveler's Door," Nimrod happened to be near the cemetery. Perhaps, Fors was directly aggregated by the Sefirah Castle on him.
After all, "Beyonder Aggregation" was ubiquitous, and the higher the Sequence, the more likely it was to occur, which created the dark forest among high-Sequence Beyonders.
Although nothing happened this time, the next time he encountered other Beyonders of similar Sequences, they or even They might be aggregated around him immediately, which Nimrod found difficult to control.
Thinking of this, Nimrod immediately reviewed in his mind which high-Sequence Beyonders of the three mysterious Pathways were in Backlund.
The good news was that the Door Pathway was basically extinct now, and the only famous demigod had a deep connection with him—yes, it was Saint of Secrets Botis; as for the Error Pathway demigods, he only remembered a rat demigod parasitic on Hazel, and that rat demigod was also being raised as feed by Amon.
—Of course, in Nimrod's original preparations, this rat demigod was also one of his options for advancement.
As for the Seer Pathway, there were basically no high-Sequence Beyonders currently residing in Backlund. Therefore, the only one he needed to guard against was Amon, who could appear beside him anytime, anywhere.
To deal with Amon, Nimrod's disguise had to be perfect. When necessary, he could even directly reveal the original appearance of this body to try and deceive Amon's avatar.
From this perspective alone, Nimrod felt he had to thank the Lord of Storms. As long as Adam and Amon, the two brothers, didn't cooperate, once their true bodies appeared in Backlund, the Lord of Storms would immediately descend, which was a good thing for the current Nimrod.
Returning to his villa in Empress Borough, Nimrod looked out from the carriage window and saw a servant respectfully waiting at his door, negotiating with a Shadow Ascetic disguised as a "butler" in the villa.
Seeing the carriage, the noble's servant immediately turned around, took out a well-preserved envelope from his embrace, and handed it to Nimrod:
"Mr. Dionysus, this is something my master asked me to give to you."
Nimrod nodded slightly at the envelope, and after taking it, he returned to his house.
In the past two weeks, Nimrod had shown his intention to regain his title, contacting many barons and even viscounts.
Coupled with the recommendation letters Audrey had previously given to those Authors, some nobles with low titles or declining family fortunes believed that this Mr. Fried had some connection with the Hall Family, and thus actively established a relationship with Nimrod.
In the Kingdom of Loen, a baronetcy roughly cost about 1 million pounds. With corresponding land and sufficient donations, one could be ennobled as a baron by the King.
Coincidentally, in these two weeks, Fried Company had already demonstrated its strong commercial strength, with the company's assets rapidly expanding, and several investments led by Nimrod gradually began to show considerable economic potential.
Combining various factors, the identity of Dionysus would likely soon become a baron of the Kingdom.
Of course, Nimrod chose to spend so much money on this matter not only for disguise but also for a very important reason:
Considering the war that the Kingdom of Loen would face later, titles and land were indispensable.
A title was a basis for overt cooperation with the Evernight Goddess Church. With the Church's protectors by his side, if his identity were to be exposed, he could use the excuse of "being misled by an evil god's cult" to gloss over it.
And land could establish a huge refuge for the Aurora Order's believers and members.
As for money? Let other greedy nobles temporarily keep it for him.
As the saying goes, 'My neighbor hoards grain, I hoard guns; my neighbor is my granary.' Nimrod was planning exactly this.
Therefore, even though the nobles of Loen valued bloodlines and those pretentious courtesies, upon seeing a once-titled, fallen noble about to return to Backlund and foreseeably gain considerable power and wealth, some more astute nobles placed a portion of their assets and connections on Dionysus.
And even without "betting," nobles were willing to offer "Dionysus" a little goodwill, such as some support, or... an invitation to Duke Nigen's banquet.
Nimrod had his own considerations regarding Duke Nigen.
Although Duke Nigen held a high position and power, it was Adam who was going to kill him, and Nimrod himself had no intention of saving him. Therefore, Nimrod merely planned to use this opportunity to have Mr. A kill Qilangos for a reward. Whether Duke Nigen lived or died was not something he needed to consider.
Nimrod actively took on the mission concerning Qilangos for two reasons.
Firstly, the simplest factor: money.
As mentioned before, apart from the expanding, regulated company assets, the Aurora Order's current cash flow was not that abundant.
Anyone who has run a company knows that most of the time, a company's funds cannot be converted into readily available personal funds. Therefore, as a high-ranking member of the Aurora Order, it was important for Nimrod to acquire money through channels outside the company.
Qilangos's bounty was around 10,000 pounds. Although Nimrod couldn't claim it, as the one who proposed the reward, our Hanged Man Alger would definitely have to pay Nimrod this reward.
Coupled with Audrey being there, although Nimrod wasn't going to alert the Church of Storms, he was also planning to cooperate with Audrey.
He could have Audrey inform Duke Nigen through her father before Qilangos acted, which would prevent any encounter with the Church of Storms—since the "Singer of God" didn't make it in the end anyway, he could also obtain some funds through Audrey's channels.
Secondly, it was Klein's specialized weapon, "creeping hunger."
Nimrod had coveted it for a long time. Although he already had enough Beyonder items, even if he didn't use it, giving it to Klein later as a favor would still be good.
—After all, Klein had been helping him search for traces of the "Dream-Eating Rat" during this time. Although this wasn't worth a Sequence 5 Beyonder item, Klein was always grateful and was his only friend in this world, so he naturally couldn't treat him poorly.
Furthermore, even if purely from a mercenary perspective, every small bit of Klein's gratitude towards him would eventually aid him in ultimately taking Sefirah Castle. Perhaps Klein would even thank him after discovering the cost of becoming a god.
Everything that needed to be prepared was ready. Now, it was time to wait for Duke Nigen's banquet to begin... Nimrod's eyes flickered slightly as he walked down the corridor, turning his head to casually say to Mr. A beside him:
"There's news of Qilangos."
Mr. A's gaze suddenly froze: "Where is he?"
"On September 5th, at Duke Nigen's banquet, Qilangos will appear and attempt to assassinate Duke Nigen during the banquet."
Nimrod calmly stated: "I will attend the banquet. Qilangos's assassination attempt at the banquet will not succeed, and you—I will arrange for you to guard his inevitable path. The cleanup work will be left to you then."
"This matter concerns both the glory of the Lord and our future development, so there must be no Errors."
Mr. A's gaze immediately became solemn. He nodded, indicating that he understood Nimrod's meaning, but there was still some thought in his eyes, as if something he wanted to say was stuck in his throat.
Nimrod added:
"This time, you can announce that this matter is handled by the Aurora Order. The company will work hard on public opinion."
"Of course, this matter cannot be done by the company openly. All those opinions pointing to the Aurora Order are just made by reporters and editors bought with money by the Aurora Order. Do you understand?"
Mr. A's gaze suddenly became fervent, as if he saw glory descending upon him.
"I am willing to sacrifice for the Lord!"
His tone also became quite fervent, as if he could hardly endure the subsequent two days of waiting... "Sacrifice and bestowal ritual... Hmph, what Mr. Azik said and what Nimrod told me aren't too different, it's just that Nimrod is clearly more reckless..."
"Hmph, Mr. Azik also told me that he now has some understanding of his origins and some memories, and hopes to go out with me later."
"It's almost time. I'll write to Mr. Azik after the Tarot Club."
After reading the letter from Azik Eggers, who had arrived in Backlund, Klein rubbed his temples and, feeling slightly fatigued, created the Wall of Spirituality.
Gray mist surged out, and he once again sat on the throne.
Klein waved his hand, and Nimrod's figure appeared beside him. He was thinking of discussing with Nimrod whether to reveal some information at the Tarot Club when he heard Nimrod say to him in a gentle tone:
"Old Zhou, I've found Qilangos's location."
"Found him?" Klein was immediately surprised: "Uh, are you planning to share this with the Hanged Man today? Or..."
"Ah, of course not. This is paid information," Nimrod said naturally.
"He can just wait to pay."