Chapter 149: The Venerable One of the Single Try (Second Update)
After Nimrod left the corridor, Lumian checked his condition. Confirming he could contact his godfather at any time, he felt a bit more at ease.
Walking along, Lumian pondered his next move.
He was no longer the rural ruffian he had been at the start. With so many people to support and his sister's vengeance to seek, Lumian didn't mind leveraging the power of others.
After all, the benefits of owning a faction were obvious. Besides Anthony, his subordinates could serve as his eyes, helping him track down his enemies.
Just as Lumian was considering whether to bribe the police or find leverage to blackmail them, Franca smiled slightly, turned her head toward Lumian, and said, "You're Ciel? Mind if we have a private chat?"
She wouldn't be trying to assassinate me to vent her lover's frustrations, would she?
Hearing Franca's words, a hint of vigilance rose in Lumian's heart. After crossing the corridor, he waved his hand to dismiss the subordinates following him.
With police officers and other invited guests present, it was impossible for the Sava Party to carry out a blatant assassination unless they were foolish enough to give up on their future development here.
Lumian also had a certain level of confidence in himself. He raised his guard, maintaining a safe distance from Franca.
"Miss Franca? I recall you sent me an invitation earlier." Lumian stopped near the edge of the area and said with a hint of banter in his tone, "To have a gang leader's mistress personally deliver an invitation to me, it seems I'm quite successful."
"Heh, I only came because I can't sit still. Otherwise, why would I need to deliver an invitation personally? I just didn't expect you wouldn't even open the door for me." The corners of Franca's mouth curled slightly, her tone carrying a hint of suggestion.
Lumian replied mercilessly, "Why should I open the door for you? Is it because you think I'm very charming?"
"Haha, you are my type, actually. Hmm, a different feel from Gardner." Franca spoke to Lumian in a natural tone, flashing a charming smile. "Life isn't that long. Letting go of unnecessary restrictions and trying more things always brings more joy."
Hearing this, Lumian felt it sounded familiar for a moment, but he couldn't recall where he had heard similar words before.
"Speaking of which, I'm quite curious about 'Passion.' Who is the boss of Passion?"
After a few seconds, Franca finally revealed her true purpose and pressed for an answer.
"Why do you think I'd tell you that? I'm not one of your subordinates in the Sava Party. The boss doesn't like people investigating his identity or learning about him."
Hearing Franca's words, a trace of doubt rose in Lumian's mind:
If you're fishing for info, just fish for info. Why is this person's method so direct?
Doesn't like people knowing his identity? That's exactly right! Isn't that just like 'The Boss'? Franca was delighted, thoughts flashing through her mind. Feeling she had tested enough, she spoke directly with a hint of mockery, "You wouldn't happen to be the boss of Passion yourself, would you? Or perhaps you have a brother named Doppio (Note 1)?"
At that moment, a flash of inspiration struck Lumian's mind:
He remembered that after his godfather gave the organization he now managed the name 'Passion,' his godfather had worn a strange, prankish expression.
He had also given him a few keywords, telling him the name could bait certain'special groups' and to watch out for those with a strange attitude toward the organization 'Passion.'
Could it be that the mistress of the Sava Party's boss was exactly the kind of person his godfather was looking for?
Lumian suppressed his thoughts and intentionally drew out his words, making himself sound innocent and confused, as if he didn't understand Franca at all: "What makes you think that?"
"You really are a strange person. How could I be the boss? I'm just an ordinary leader!"
Seeing Lumian's blank expression, Franca, who had been certain of Lumian's identity, was now stunned.
It couldn't really be a coincidence, could it? You're really not an old day remnant?
Then my performance just now— Franca's face suddenly stiffened. She opened her mouth, momentarily at a loss for words.
Franca felt like curling her toes in embarrassment, but she shrugged and sighed, trying to cover for her behavior by asking, "Haven't you read the literary works popular in Trier lately? In those—"
But just then, Lumian remembered his sister's words.
In the dream of Cordu Village, Lumian clearly remembered his sister Aurore mentioning that in the Curly Baboon Research Society she belonged to, a member had drunk the corresponding potion because they liked the 'Assassin' Pathway. But upon learning the 'Witch' Sequence would change their gender, another member had advised them:
"Life is short, why not give it a try?"
What Franca just said meant exactly that!
Moreover, Lumian realized in a very short time that the people his godfather wanted to find through the organization's name were people from the same place as his sister and godfather—for example, members of the "Curly Baboon Research Society."
Lumian narrowed his eyes, feeling that the Franca before him was the 'Venerable One of the Single Try' his sister had mentioned.
Thus, in less than half a second, Lumian made up his mind.
The moment they stepped through the corridor, Lumian lowered his voice and said to Franca, who was about to leave, "Life is short, why not give it a try?"
The moment she heard those words, Franca's entire body froze instantly:
Holy crap, I've been doxxed!
If Franca had known Lumian's identity from the start, she wouldn't have had such a strong reaction.
But after her repeated questioning, and after her mental preparation that this Passion executive was a fellow countryman was ruthlessly shattered, the lethality of Lumian's words was exceptionally high.
Franca spun around almost instantly, using a nearby decorative pillar for cover, and glared at Lumian, who was wearing a look of feigned helplessness.
She suppressed her voice as much as possible and said through gritted teeth, "And you still say you're not the boss of Passion?"
"Don't you know perfectly well?"
"Who are you? What's your code name?"
"Do you think it's fun to tease me?"
As expected— Lumian showed a smile and pointed to the lively banquet beside them. "Are you sure you want to talk here? Heh, I don't want to expose my secrets—unless you want to expose yours?"
So this is someone from the same world as my sister— Lumian had heard his subordinates talk about what 'Red Boots' Franca had done.
Similar to the methods his godfather taught him, although it only applied to a few dance halls controlled by the Sava Party, Franca still promised the showgirls a certain level of protection, a base salary, and a lower commission cut.
Meeting a third person from the same place as his sister and godfather, Lumian first felt a natural sense of closeness and joy, but after thinking of his sister, his mood sank again.
Franca hesitated, glanced at the banquet, and quickly made a plan: "Tomorrow, tomorrow night I'll find an opportunity to come find you!"
"I see—"
Franca listened to Lumian's explanation and gradually understood his situation. "You're 'Muggle's' younger brother, and then you found a fellow countryman who hasn't joined the Research Society? Why don't you introduce him to us? Maybe I'll get along well with him."
"By the way, don't tell him about my earlier stuff. If your godfather finds out, he'll definitely mock me or say something like 'Brother, you smell so good'—"
Hearing the difficult-to-understand words Franca spoke, and thinking of his sister again, Lumian cast a subtle glance toward Nimrod, who was beside him, unable to suppress a smirk and using 'Illusion' to mask his position. Lumian sighed inwardly:
Sorry, Miss Franca, the person you're looking for is right in front of you—
Even though my godfather isn't a Beyonder of the Spectator Pathway, he came over earlier saying 'I want to be a bloodthirsty Spectator'—
Recalling the psychological changes Franca underwent before and after drinking the potion, his gaze toward her gradually became one of profound respect.
Although he was willing to drink the 'Witch' potion to resurrect his sister, that didn't mean he was willing to give up his gender identity or be willing to have relations with men.
But this fellow countryman of his sister seemed to have absolutely no qualms in that regard, adapting and accepting everything very quickly.
To prevent Franca from breaking down again and to stop his words from provoking this sister's countryman who seemed capable of anything, Lumian didn't comment further. He just shook his head and declined Franca's offer: "Godfather doesn't want others to know his identity. I'll have to speak with him later and ask for his opinion."
"Fine, he really is a boss. Although you might not understand, your godfather couldn't be some socially anxious otaku, could he?
Uh, that's not an insult, don't take it to heart." Franca let out a breath, her mouth again uttering words Lumian found hard to grasp. "By the way, I used an excuse to come here this time. Gardner asked me to tell you that Roger isn't someone to be trusted. But well, considering you're 'Muggle's' brother, just take what he says with a grain of salt and never trust him."
You backstabbed your bedfellow that easily? It seems you didn't join this gang or become Gardner's mistress out of sincerity—judging by my situation, you might even have a secret organization behind you.
Lumian thought for a moment and asked Franca, "Aren't you a member of the Sava Party?"
Franca smiled. "Heh, how could I wholeheartedly join a gang? These people's values don't align with mine at all. Hmm, if I had to say, I prefer the 'Passion' organization your godfather set up. But you guys should be careful too. How does that saying go—"
At this point, Franca scratched her head. "Right, if you take too big a step, it often backfires. Something like that."
"Also, since you're Muggle's brother, I can help you with your investigation into your sister's matters. But I can't help directly with Sava Party business. At most, I can give you some intelligence when I have the capacity."
Saying this, Franca's gaze became heavy again. "Sigh, I really can't believe 'Muggle' really left us—if you need anything, I'll do my best to help. We can collaborate if anything comes up later."
By now, Franca had understood the truth of Muggle's passing from Lumian's earlier account.
Lumian's mood had long since calmed. "Miss 'Dart,' I'd like to ask you to keep this matter hidden and not tell the other members of your organization."
"I am currently investigating the truth behind the entire disaster and looking for a way to resurrect my sister."
"No problem."
Franca nodded, but after reflecting on her own situation again, she couldn't help but ask Lumian, "By the way, since Muggle raised you, do you find the things I usually do, well, disgusting?"
Under Franca's gaze, Lumian shook his head, his voice low. "You mean the showgirls? No. On the contrary, I feel you've at least given them a shred of dignity and made their lives better than showgirls elsewhere. I don't think that's something to be condemned."
He thought of Miss Isangce, whom he had seen before.
Uh, I was actually talking about the part where I have relations with men— Franca opened her mouth, but at this stage, she couldn't bring herself to say it.
However, recalling what she had seen and heard in the Sava Party, Franca felt Lumian's assessment was exceptionally fitting.
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#150Return and conjecture
Chapter 150: Return and Conjectures
As the gray fog dissipated before him, Nimrod woke up on his bed once again.
After so many travels, this controllable crossing had become a habit since he arrived in this world—traveling nine years into the future and then returning here to wake up. The only thing he found difficult to adapt to was that every crossing made his sleep quite poor.
However, he still had to thank the physical fitness of a Beyonder and the idle lifestyle of the Loen nobles. In this country, a banquet often lasted a long time, followed by the nobles, whose bodies were hollowed out by wine and lust, waking up late the next day, day after day.
It wasn't like this for those nobles who wanted to hold real power, but—for most nobles, it was exactly like this.
Nimrod sighed slightly, unsure if he was lamenting his own loneliness or the heavy pressure of various Beyonder events. However, he quickly lifted his spirits and began to review the events of the past three days.
During this crossing, he successfully extracted a sequence 8 "Mendicant Monk" boon from Lumian and incidentally intimidated Amon. Aside from the banquet Gardner Martin invited him to being unexpected, everything else was proceeding steadily.
Simply put, if his Sequence isn't high enough, being anxious is useless. Even if he is special, he would need to be at least Sequence 5 or even a demigod to participate in and attempt to resolve matters related to Trier.
However, the distance to being a demigod wasn't too far now. After all, the most troublesome matter had been resolved through Nimrod's efforts—the "Dream Stealer" Beyonder materials had been collected, and only a bit of the spiritual imprint on "Prometheus" remained.
Nimrod was confident he could completely digest "Prometheus" before Dunn brought that "Dream-Eating Rat" from the Church of the Night to complete their trade.
Of course, as payment for the pollution in Lumian's body—though Lumian himself didn't care and even felt gratitude toward Nimrod—Nimrod's intention was originally to win people over.
Lumian was the type who responded to kindness but not force. The kindness Nimrod showed him would accumulate in Lumian's heart, turning into a tacit understanding and trust between the two.
Moreover, under the combined effect of Nimrod's own psychological counseling and the treatment provided to Lumian by Lady "Justice's" (Angel version) dog, Lumian maintained his hatred for his enemies and his hope of resurrecting his sister well.
Or rather, Lumian deceived himself, taking the resurrection of his sister as the pillar of his future life. This sliver of hope was like a blazing fire, making Lumian willingly throw himself toward the light, even if he burned himself out in the process.
As for the Stinger Gang, Nimrod naturally had no intention of operating it properly—he only planned to use Black Scorpion Roger's identity to hide himself and backstab Madame Moon during the "shadow tree" incident to see if he could obtain something with enough symbolic connection to the "Mother Goddess of Depravity."
The "Marauder" Pathway allowed one to disguise oneself as a Believer of another god to steal divine boons—this was also one of the origins of Amon's title, "Blasphemer." Ordinary Marauders couldn't do this because Amon had actively modified it.
But Nimrod could. The ability modified by Amon would eventually return to him the moment he wore down the spiritual imprint within it.
Considering the situation of the "Marauder" Pathway, Nimrod might have to choose to switch his Pathway once he reached the high Sequences. "Mr. Door" and Pales were his only two choices.
If he chose "Mr. Door," he would have to try jumping to Sequence 1 of the "Door" Pathway, but that would mean risking deceiving the Mother Goddess of Depravity. If he chose Pales, he would have to consider how to obtain that Sequence 1 characteristic from Pales.
Both had certain risks, and the reason Nimrod didn't directly rule out the "Door" Pathway was that he was very afraid of physical attacks but not afraid of corruption at the level of status.
As for imitating Amon's situation of letting "Door" descend into this world first, it was also impossible:
If Nimrod needed the Sequence 1 characteristic of the "Door" Pathway, he couldn't steal Mr. Door's identity, and unlike Amon, he didn't have the blasphemy slate to plug the cracks in the barrier.
And as for Pales—sign a contract? Nimrod thought to himself, then immediately rejected it: Pales would have to be crazy to trust me. As for the "Fool" Pathway, considering the location of the "Half-Fool" Antigonus, Nimrod highly doubted whether the Evernight Goddess would choose to give the "Fool" Uniqueness to him.
The Evernight Goddess invested in Klein, and would certainly need to use Klein to check and balance him, a guy who looked like the Celestial Worthy's revival. Nimrod even suspected that the Evernight Goddess wanted to use him to check Amon, and then let them, the Lord of the Mysteries candidates, fight for the final position.
Thinking about it this way, the possibility of breaking the deadlock in the "mysteries timeline" wasn't very high because there was too much resistance, whereas the breakthrough point was actually in the "circlet timeline."
Therefore, resolving the most difficult crisis in the "circlet timeline" became Nimrod's major goal for the coming period.
Thinking of this, Nimrod prepared to change his thoughts and took the "shadow lantern," which had been soaking in the gray fog to remove God Almighty's will, out of Sefirah Castle. For the current Nimrod, the True Creator active in the Fourth Epoch was the most convenient channel for obtaining information.
"True Creator, huh." Nimrod placed the lantern in front of him and said with a smile, "How have you been lately?"
The flame inside the shadow lantern flickered, and the True Creator's will woke up from its chaotic slumber. Due to the increasing anchors in Tingen and Backlund, He quickly became clear-headed: "What is it, ally?"
He obviously didn't understand Nimrod's greeting just now.
"I want to ask you some things." However, Nimrod didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point: "From the information I've gathered, during the Fourth Epoch, Alista Tudor had some special research on the 'City of Calamity,' but eventually the 'War of the Four Emperors' broke out, and He was killed by Cheek and Salinger. Do you know what He was researching?"
The True Creator's voice came from the lantern, filled with intense doubt: "You don't know?"
"Should I know?" Nimrod was surprised. "I was still slumbering then, only having a certain degree of revival through 'Mr. Door' and Antigonus. Although your son and they were all dukes of the Tudor Empire, I am not clear about the secrets involved."
"I told Salinger the knowledge of the Fourth Pillar, and you influenced Salinger." The True Creator's voice rang in Nimrod's ears, seemingly convinced by Nimrod's words but still with a hint of doubt: "Otherwise, He wouldn't have tried to forcibly accommodate the 'Red Priest'—and you, who exerted influence, should know what Tudor and Cheek were pursuing."
Nimrod's smile gradually faded, replaced by a thoughtful expression: "—Are you sure? I was still in a slumbering state then; perhaps I just sensed that the Primordial God Almighty was about to revive, so I made some arrangements."
[Is that so?] The Celestial Worthy said somewhat uncertainly, but the corners of His mouth, which He couldn't suppress, showed He was acting, somewhat gloating. [I left an influence on Door just to prevent the revival of the Primordial One. But—after that, it accidentally awakened a certain great horror. Originally, this was my trouble, but now, my friend, it has become yours.]
In the Fourth Epoch, "Mr. Door" created a special Mirror World for Alista Tudor and the Primordial Demoness Cheek. Under the influence of the divinity in "Mr. Door," some of the Celestial Worthy's arrangements also entered the Mirror World—
Nimrod frowned. He indeed wasn't very clear about things related to the Fourth Epoch, only remembering that this time the arrangements of the Celestial Worthy and God Almighty intertwined, ultimately leading to the birth of the "Mirror Original Creator."
If I had known I would transmigrate, I would have learned more about the content of the Fourth Epoch—fortunately, I still remember those "official histories" that Lady Hairdryer (Cheek) spoke of which debunked wild histories, giving me a deep impression of that part of the plot—
Nimrod thought for a moment and used ambiguous language to state the information he knew: "I can vaguely feel that something extremely terrifying seemed to have been born at that time."
"Yes." The True Creator spoke, seemingly also lost in thought: "Your arrangements, God Almighty's will, and the special traits of Cheek and Tudor—these things superimposed, allowing the 'Mirror Original Creator' to be born."
"My half-self discovered something was wrong in advance, and when the 'Black Emperor' revived, with his subjects providing me with enough anchors, my state at the time was relatively rational, so I also noticed where the problem lay."
"After that, it's the history you know. We used Salinger to stop their research, causing the War of the Four Emperors to break out."
"Later, as Solomon was killed again, my main body also returned to the Forsaken Land of the Gods."
After quietly listening to the True Creator's conjecture, Nimrod nodded and said to the True Creator: "It seems we have more enemies now."
The Mirror Original Creator, Primordial God Almighty, Cheek, Tudor—considering that Tudor in the "circlet timeline" has been trying to revive, the future schemes of those two lunatics, Cheek and Tudor, are hard to stop, so Nimrod counted them in as well.
Outside the barrier, there are also Outer Deities coveting "Sefirah Castle" and its subsidiary Pathways. This situation is truly "excellent," so good that Nimrod wanted to show a heartfelt smile.
Most crucially, for Nimrod, the Original Creator is the greatest enemy. If he can erase the Original Creator's will, the Original Creator can likewise erase his. Right now, he is pathetic, weak, and helpless—clearly no match for the Original Creator.
As a true Outer Deity, he would undoubtedly be plucked and kicked around like a ball by the Original Creator once He returns in the stable state of the "Mirror Original Creator."
"What do you want to do?"
Noticing Nimrod's serious expression, the True Creator slowly followed up with a question.
"No one wants the Original Creator to revive, including me. The revival of the Original Creator represents the end of everything—I don't want to end my young life yet. Cheek and Tudor's research hasn't yielded many results yet; I think I need to make some arrangements in advance."
After saying this, Nimrod changed his expression and said to the True Creator: "By the way, I recently learned something. Well, it's my own information, and I think you'll be interested in it."
"What?"
"The evil spirit of Sauron-Einhorn-Medici is currently in Backlund."
At the request of the True Creator, Nimrod still had to go find Medici.
Considering that Tudor's descendant, Baron Pound, is currently selling his house, Nimrod prepared to imitate a certain terrifying Bat-man and use his "money power."
However, Nimrod had no intention of paying this money himself, so he asked the True Creator for the money to buy the house—he put it this way: "You're going to save the Angel of War, the King of Angels, who has followed you for so long; you surely can't expect someone else to pay for you, right?"
"I didn't ask you for my own reward, and that's already out of consideration for the fact that as allies, the Aurora Order has helped me a lot."
"How are you even better at getting free resources than I am?"
The True Creator remained silent, only persistently urging The Dark Saint to allocate funds to the Backlund Aurora Order.
After receiving financial support from The Dark Saint, Nimrod left his room satisfied, letting a specially trained member of the Aurora Order contact Baron Pound to prepare to buy that house.
Just right, the remaining bit of potion digestion progress can be finished through Medici. Giving hope to Medici, the former King of Angels, is enough to completely clear the imprint in "Prometheus" and finish the digestion of Sequence 6.
—
In a quite good mood, Nimrod walked toward the carriage, ready to see his newly purchased house. Just then, a shadow formed tremblingly beside Nimrod, elongating into an eye.
Why does this messenger look so terrified?
Nimrod glanced at the messenger beside him, withdrew his gaze, and unfolded the letter that had been delivered to him.
"The government and the Church have approved the repatriation and punishment of Backlund, but Captain Dunn went to ask Deacon Crestet and believes that Ince Zangwill is very likely to use this matter to attack us—"
"Once Backlund dies in the Kingdom of Loen for unknown reasons, Backlund will fall into chaos afterward, and chaos is exactly what Ince Zangwill wants."
Messenger: Why does the boss have the scent of another Great Being on him? It's a bit scary.
Chapter 151: The Night of the Full Moon
At night, a full, crimson moon hung high in the sky, casting its scarlet light upon the earth—within the spirituality imperceptible to ordinary people, mindless plants grew vigorously, receiving the generosity that belonged to the Mother of Life.
However, an abundance of spirituality is not always beneficial. The full moon often means the 'Mother Goddess of Depravity' can exert her greatest influence on the real world, and the 'Door' controlled by the 'Mother Goddess of Depravity' also radiates his own influence under her power.
This is the 'full moons mutters' rooted in the connection of bloodlines.
Fors curled up as if enduring excruciating pain. In her ears, there was a sound so intense it was nearly unbearable—each roar brought Fors a feeling close to losing control, making her feel as if she were in an endless purgatory.
After using that miraculous bracelet that could open doors, Fors had been suffering from this extreme torment.
To her, it was like a painful curse.
After the long experience bordering on losing control finally ended, Fors immediately collapsed onto the bed like a pile of mud.
Every time the full moon arrived, she would find an excuse to sleep in another room, separate from Xio, to prevent her condition from being discovered.
Although she was reluctant to admit it, Fors truly did not want her current state to be exposed in front of Xio. It would only cause her dearest friend to worry about her.
Clearly, Fors knew that Xio had no way to resolve the situation she was in.
But just then, Fors suddenly realized something was off about her surroundings:
It was the full moon. Logically, moonlight should stream into her room through the window—after all, Fors still held onto the fantasy in her heart that 'maybe one day, when I pray to a deity, I might actually receive a response.'
But why was her room so dark today? It seemed as if something was blocking the moonlight.
After realizing this, Fors struggled to prop herself up and raised her head to look at the sky.
There was a human figure.
A figure shrouded in a black robe looked down at her from above—the aura of this figure reminded her of Mr. A, who organized the Beyonder gatherings. This subconscious thought suddenly froze Fors's mind.
Could it be that last time, when she attended Mr. A's gathering with Miss Audrey, she had been too presumptuous, leading Mr. A to feel she had offended him and now wanted to eliminate her?
No, no, Mr. A couldn't possibly care so much about me!
But there must be some reason for him to come after me————
This thought jolted Fors out of the lingering pain. However, a sliver of hope remained in her heart:
What if it's not Mr. A, but some other Beyonder?
————Well, wouldn't that be even worse? What other Beyonder would accurately find their way to her and Xio's home?
Moreover, my condition just now must have been seen by the person before me————Fors's face paled momentarily. Anxiety now dominated her thoughts, filling her with considerable worry about what would happen next.
However, under Fors's nervous gaze, this figure in a black robe, suspected to be Mr. A, suddenly removed his hood, revealing a face that felt familiar to Fors.
Fors immediately breathed a sigh of relief: What, it's just the Department Head————
So, the Department Head from Fried Company has come again, persistently urging me to submit my manuscript. How could I have associated him with the terrifying Mr. A just now?
Although she hadn't figured out how to explain what just happened, at least she was definitely not in mortal danger anymore.
Meanwhile, standing outside the window, Mr. A's eyes held no extra emotion, though a slight doubt arose in his mind—he was wondering why this 'internal Aurora Order asset' didn't recognize him just because he was wearing a hood.
He could usually see through others' disguises at a glance.
However, despite his doubts, Mr. A's body acted before his brain. After pushing open the window, he landed lightly on the floor without making a sound.
Fors watched as the 'Department Head' before her pulled out a chair by the table and sat down on his own. Her gaze momentarily went blank, unable to process the current situation.
"Are you from the Abraham Family?"
At that moment, Mr. A's voice reached Fors's ears, filled with intense confusion.
"Huh?" Fors instinctively made a questioning sound. But after seeing the 'Department Head's' expression, she shook her head and honestly replied, "Ah————No, I'm not?"
She made no attempt to hide her bewilderment, but a glimmer of hope quietly surfaced in her heart—Fors knew this person, whose public identity was the 'Personnel Department Head of Fried Company,' was a subordinate of the recently famous Mr. Fried. Perhaps he had some understanding of her condition!
Indeed, Mr. A did know some information related to the Abraham Family—from 'Saint of Secrets' and 'The Saint,' he knew his colleague, that Mr. X who betrayed the Abraham Family, was once a student of the Abraham Family. The reason the Abraham Family accepted students from outside their surname was precisely because a curse existed within their family:
Every Beyonder of the Abraham Family would hear mad ravings during the full moon and the blood moon. The once extremely glorious Abraham Family of the Fourth Epoch rapidly declined because of this curse, eventually no longer possessing even a single demigod.
What Mr. A was contemplating now was the condition of this 'human-shaped asset' before him. He did know how to help the 'human-shaped asset' resolve the ravings she heard. Moreover, Mr. A was utterly convinced this method could save the 'human-shaped asset's' situation.
As long as she prayed to the 'True Creator,' everything would get better.
After all, in the eyes of Mr. A, who had rich experience dealing with out-of-control 'Listeners,' this 'human-shaped asset' before him was indeed on the verge of losing control. If the curse on her continued a few more times, the fate awaiting her would be collapsing into lumps of flesh in despair.
However————thinking of this, Mr. A became hesitant again.
Recently, the Aurora Order's missionary work had been limited to the poor in the East Borough. The Aurora Order's missionaries gave them food, helped those struggling to survive find work————although the faith gained this way couldn't be considered devout or solid, at least they wouldn't actively betray them.
But to pass on the Lord's honorific name to other Beyonders—this was something worth discussing with 'The Saint.'
Under Fors's expectant gaze, Mr. A pondered for a moment and said, "I have a way to solve your raving problem."
Really? Fors's heart immediately pounded wildly, as if she had grabbed a lifeline. But before she could actively ask, Mr. A's next sentence plunged Fors into an icy abyss: "But I can't tell you now."
"I need to report to Mr. Fried. Only if he approves your assessment can I tell you the method."
Thank goodness, thank goodness, it's not an outright refusal————Fors swallowed hard: "Assessment?"
Mr. A gave no answer. After informing Fors of this matter, he turned and left her room coldly.
Watching the 'Department Head' disappear before her without telling her the method to resolve this inexplicable curse, Fors still sighed. However, a sliver of hope welled up in her heart.
Even if an assessment is required, it's still better than running around like a headless fly before!
"————That is all regarding the observation of Ms. Fors Wall." Mr. A stood in Nimrod's room, reporting everything to Nimrod.
——
"I believe that to resolve the Abraham Family curse manifesting on Fors, she needs to pray devoutly to our Lord. Our Lord will naturally protect her————Saint, is there a need to recruit her?"
Nimrod did not answer, quietly contemplating the matter Mr. A had just reported.
Undoubtedly, according to the normal course of events, Fors would later learn the honorific name of the 'Fool.' During a blood moon when she was about to lose control, she would pray to the Fool and ultimately receive Klein's protection, becoming the 'Magician' of the Tarot Club.
But the problem is————the honorific name of the 'Fool' that Fors knows was leaked by the Aurora Order.
That was after Lovia of the City of Silver discovered the 'Sun's' prayer target and reported it to the 'True Creator.' Then, under the True Creator's divine decree, it was passed to the major divine envoys, who in turn disseminated it to various Beyonder gatherings!
But now, even if the True Creator learns the honorific name of the 'Fool,' the first thing he would do is come ask me—even if he wanted to investigate, he wouldn't do it as openly as before. So, would Fors still have the chance to learn the 'Fool's' honorific name?
Of course, I could also reveal the 'Fool's' honorific name to Fors, but————this was precisely the issue Nimrod was pondering.
Undoubtedly, unable to ascend to the 'Sefirah Castle' in this timeline, I cannot imitate Klein in protecting her. The True Creator is not an option; it would be better to let Klein gain another Tarot Club member than to seek the True Creator's help.
Then, after eliminating the unfeasible options, the final viable plan becomes clear.
Nimrod intended to have Klein bring Fors into the Tarot Club, but————he planned to be the one to act as Fors's guide.
He planned to forge the identity of a high-level existence in the manner of Klein, then use that identity to guide Fors into joining the Tarot Club.
As this plan took shape, a rough scheme also formed in Nimrod's mind.
After a long period of thought, as his mind raced, Nimrod raised his head and spoke to Mr. A before him: "I will consider it."
"But she is connected to the Abraham Family. Before that, I will have someone investigate her relationship with the Abraham Family. You may continue interacting with her as usual."
"In the future, when encountering such matters, report to me immediately————do not blindly recruit people into the Aurora Order. There may be Church Beyonders among them."
"Understood."
Mr. A lowered his head and spoke to Nimrod, then left the room shortly after.
Nimrod lowered his head and continued studying the mysticism book in his hands. After some time, knocking sounded at his door again. It was the 'Shadow Ascetic' disguised as his butler.
The Sun had now risen. After breakfast, Nimrod had his butler complete the transaction regarding 'Baron Pound's residence' that had been in progress for the past two days.
"The procedures for the transfer of the Baron Pound residence you wished to purchase have been completed. It now belongs to you." The butler stood before Nimrod, speaking respectfully. "Additionally, several nobles wish to conduct a transaction with you————the kind not monitored by the authorities."
"What is the content of the transaction?" Nimrod did not raise his eyes, casually asking the butler.
The butler diligently replied to Nimrod: "They learned through certain channels about the shipping routes you are currently establishing and hope to use your ships to transport a batch of obsolete weapons to the Southern Continent."
This time, Nimrod raised his head with considerable interest.
Did I intercept the deal originally meant for Dwayne Dantes? No, it seems Loen nobles have long been involved in smuggling arms to the Southern Continent—it appears even Loen nobles understand that money in the national treasury belongs to the country; only what goes into their own pockets is truly theirs.
Poor George III. How can one govern a country well with these vermin?
However, this was an opportunity for Nimrod. If someone wanted to give him money for free, he naturally had no reason to refuse.
"Have the other 'Shadow Ascetics' investigate their identities. If they are confirmed not to be trying to set us up in this matter, then agree to their proposal."
However, this meant the order of the tasks he originally planned to do next needed a slight adjustment————in the afternoon, go find Medici to get him out, then coordinate with the Aurora Order missionaries first.
To get Medici out, Nimrod had long prepared the same monocle as Amon.
To prevent the Aurora Order forces in the Southern Continent from differing from those here and affecting the True Creator's situation, he also needed to coordinate with The Dark Saint to get Mr. Z transferred over————
Medici should know the 'Witch' potion formula; I can just ask him for it later. However, Klein also mentioned that Ince Zangwill was preparing to stir up trouble in Backlund, so that needs to be dealt with as well.
It's time to write a letter to Triss, who I'm not sure has been sent to Prince Edsac yet. This would also be a good way to add fuel to the fire in Backlund.
If Triss is willing to cooperate with me, that's best. If not————Nimrod currently wouldn't mind cooperating with the Church of the Night to turn the vessel for the Primordial Demoness's Divine Descent into a Sequence 7 Beyonder characteristic.
Nimrod pulled out a piece of letter paper from the side and began writing on it with a smile.
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#152Medici
Chapter 152: Medici
"How long have we been here?"
"Since our deaths—more than two thousand years."
"Are you still begging your Lord to save you, Medici? Heh, you're like a stray dog who lost its master, wallowing in the past for all this time."
In the thick Darkness, a sickeningly heavy smell of rust was the only scent, like a cage cast from iron and blood. Within this black-and-red world, a voice sounded, followed by several mocking sneers.
"A pity, the descendants of Tudor's bloodline haven't come for a long time—could it be that they were killed too quickly last time, so much so that their courage was shattered? I thought Tudor's descendants might have some backbone, but thinking about it now, they are just as foolish as those commoners!"
A rustling sound echoed; the voice seemed to lick its lips, its tone carrying an uncontrollable madness. Just as chuckles and mockery were about to erupt from within its body, its gaze fixed directly onto that door, which had never stopped dripping blood for the past two thousand years.
Heavy and slow footsteps echoed from a distance.
Upon realizing this, the evil spirit's mouth curled wider and wider, revealing a sinister smile: "Someone is here."
Nimrod pushed open the stale and dilapidated wooden door, walking along the deep stone slabs into the ruins beneath this house.
The path to the ruins was paved with thick stone slabs. At the end, a pair of stone double doors stood there quietly. Those stone—
—doors looked quite heavy, matching the style of the black stone slabs on the ground.
Nimrod expressionlessly pressed a hand against it, pushing it open with only a slight force. Within the vision of "Superior Observation," tiny, long strips of spiritual luster fell from above, seemingly about to drop onto Nimrod's body.
But at that moment, Nimrod happened to take a step forward, and those spiritual lusters slipped past him by pure coincidence, as if they were intentionally avoiding him.
After the boons of "Monster" and "Mendicant Monk" combined to a certain extent, my luck has improved—Nimrod withdrew his gaze from these falling venomous snakes. With a glimmer in his eyes, the snakes immediately stiffened in place.
In the next moment, these snakes seemed to receive an order, shrinking back toward where they had originally been, twisting and tangling into a large ball of snakes.
For these animals that were not Beyonder creatures, the "Prometheus" ability of Thought Interference could achieve an effect similar to a "Beast Tamer," making their simple-structured brains obey his commands.
Entering the hall, Nimrod dealt with the venomous snakes resting in this dark and warm hall in the same manner, making them scatter toward the edges of the room.
This entire hall was constructed from deep-black stone slabs, with eight circular pillars of the same color standing within it, supporting the dome above.
Along both sides of the dome, metal rods hung from above, with the bottom of each rod carved into a candlestick shaped like a creature—inverted candlesticks were a characteristic of Fourth Epoch architecture. Walking toward the end, two massive iron-black chairs sat steadily upon a platform raised above the ground.
This was a secret ruin of the Tudor-Trensost United Empire. The architectural standards of the Tudor-Trensost United Empire were clearly hierarchical, and the dense array of inverted candlesticks around was enough to demonstrate the majesty and status of the ruin's owner.
Or rather, this was once the throne belonging to the "Blood Emperor" Alista Tudor and the "Night Emperor" Trunsoest, the two Consuls who once walked side-by-side!
Although Nimrod really wanted to try sitting on the throne, he worried whether the petty Tudor might have left some malicious traps on it to harm descendants—given Tudor's mad state, such a suspicion was entirely possible. This was also the place where Tudor had ascended to "Red Priest."
However, he quite liked this place. Considering this property belonged to him and not the Aurora Order, and that the Aurora Order was unaware of the underground ruins or the "Red Angel" evil spirit, Nimrod considered whether to move his future secret base here.
Of course, if he were to do so, he would need to make modifications to guard against high-Sequence Beyonders, explore the situation here thoroughly, and clear out all the traps.
Most importantly—shielding the gaze of the deities.
Coincidentally, the ritual magic he mastered related to "Sefirah Castle" could achieve all of that.
Nimrod withdrew his thoughts from his previous idea and continued toward the end of the platform. After walking several meters, he saw seven tall and heavy stone doors at the far end of the hall. These stone-made doors were lined up in Sequence, arranged in a pattern of two on the left and four on the right.
As for the one separating the left and right sides, it was a lone stone door standing in the middle. Nimrod merely glanced at the doors on either side and recalled what was inside them.
Within these six doors were placed humanoid statues of all the deities except for the "God of Steam and Machinery," who had not yet been born at that time—humanoid statues that could be considered blasphemous in the current era!
In the Fifth Epoch, only evil gods had specific forms and carved statues; the orthodox gods were represented in the eyes of the world only by the abstract symbols on their Holy Emblems.
Of course, from a realistic perspective, this was merely to unify their image in the subconscious of their "anchors" and—to distinguish themselves from evil gods.
This was knowledge unknown to the vast majority of Beyonders, and Nimrod, who possessed this knowledge, held a treasure trove that could allow him to cooperate with the gods.
Nimrod withdrew his gaze from the six doors beside him. During the Tudor-Trensost United Empire period, the Six Gods had chosen a brief alliance to oppose the return of the terrifying "Black Emperor" Solomon and the "True Creator."
This was the most likely origin of these statues.
However, Nimrod had no intention of opening these doors; instead, he prepared to deal with the matter of the Red Angel evil spirit first.
Nimrod walked straight toward the central stone door. The passage leading to the central stone door was quite wide, enough for four people to walk side-by-side, and the entire passage was paved with those stone slabs.
After reaching the end, Nimrod saw a door on both the left and right sides of the passage, identical to the seven stone doors he had seen earlier, except the one on the left had a gap left open, while the one on the right was completely sealed.
Nimrod walked forward calmly. The further he went, the more he could feel a chilly aura gradually emerging around him, as if some Beyonder corruption wanted to follow this chill and invade his body.
However, a faint grey fog appeared on the surface of Nimrod's body, guarding its master like loyal soldiers.
However, the light of the lantern grew increasingly dim. Nimrod's footsteps paused slightly, and his left hand holding the lantern emitted a brilliant light—this was an ability of a "Sun" spirit grazed by "creeping hunger." While not enough to dispel the "Red Angel evil spirit," it was sufficient to drive away the surrounding chill and illuminate the environment.
Nimrod used his free hand to push open the door and stepped into this small room. His spirituality gushed out, forming a "Wall of Spirituality" to Seal the stone door that had closed automatically.
This room was piled with skeletons that had been dead for a long time, with brilliant Beyonder light flickering among the piles of bones. Directly opposite Nimrod was a pair of double doors from which blood continuously flowed.
The smell of blood permeated the entire room, giving one the feeling that a murder had just occurred here.
"At that moment, he heard some crazed laughter and a voice of intense confusion: "You actually dare to walk right in?"
"Heh, I don't know what reliance you have that allows you to walk here safely, but the treasure you desire is right before your eyes. Why not push open this door?"
"Little Marauder, I can guess your purpose. You have a good grasp of your potion. As long as you let me out of this predicament, everything here can be yours."
The double doors ahead seemed to crack open slightly, and blood-red eyes seemed to be pressed tightly against this gap, looking mockingly at this "Marauder" who had entered the ruins relying on some support.
But in the next moment, the evil spirit's gaze suddenly stiffened.
"Didn't recognize me?" Nimrod raised his head, a monocle over his eye, the corners of his mouth curling slightly into a smile: "Then it seems your eyesight has indeed deteriorated quite a bit."
After a long while, as if frozen in place, the Red Angel evil spirit also noticed that Nimrod's monocle was on his left eye, and a hint of mockery appeared in its tone: "Heh, a good disguise, but your monocle is on—"
"My apologies." Nimrod naturally moved the monocle to the other side: "I put it on the wrong side."
As Nimrod put on the monocle, grey fog that was difficult to detect with the naked eye rose at the "Wall of Spirituality," masking the mystical connection between Nimrod, who was wearing the monocle, and Amon.
As long as one consciously wore a monocle and imitated Amon, Amon could use this mystical connection to descend directly onto the imitator. This was something Amon, who possessed the "Error" Uniqueness, could achieve.
However, even if Amon possessed the Uniqueness, his priority in this matter would not be higher than "Sefirah Castle." The aura of "Sefirah Castle" was enough to mask this mystical connection, and Nimrod's own status could also mask the aura of "Sefirah Castle," ensuring that "Sefirah Castle's" appearance in the physical world would not be discovered by Amon.
A perfect closed loop.
Seeing the expression on the Red Angel evil spirit's face, Nimrod lightly ran his fingers over the "smiling face," withdrawing it into "Sefirah Castle" and revealing the appearance of Amon beneath the disguise.
Upon seeing Nimrod, who wore a monocle and looked identical to Amon, the mockery and malice on the Red Angel evil spirit's face vanished completely, replaced by obvious disbelief: "You—"
At this moment, the emotions in the hearts of the three—Medici, Sauron, and Einhorn—rarely reached a consensus:
—How did this thing find this place?
The same doubt filled the hearts of the three of them.
"The True Creator commissioned me to rescue you." Nimrod's mouth curled slightly as he took another step forward, casually pocketing the nearby Beyonder characteristics—these few characteristics alone were worth four digits: "What do you say, Medici?"
"Little Crow, if I remember correctly, you were the one who killed me alongside Tudor and that paranoid freak because you didn't believe in the Lord." The shock on the Red Angel evil spirit's face vanished in an instant. He sneered, looking at the grey fog around Nimrod: "After getting 'Sefirah Castle,' are your eyes, which have been blind for over two thousand years, finally healed? It seems you haven't forgotten who held you back then; it seems you still have a bit of a conscience."
"No, I think Amon's eyes probably haven't been healed yet." Nimrod's tone was filled with amusement: "Don't look at me like that. I don't believe I ever said I was Amon. Otherwise, why don't you guess who I might be, possessing 'Sefirah Castle'?"
This time, an expression of shock that was difficult to suppress appeared on the Red Angel evil spirit's face, lingering for a long time.
Adam had once joined forces with Amon and Alista Tudor to kill him. At that time, Amon thought the "True Creator" was Sasrir, who had betrayed his father, and that he himself had also betrayed his father.
Medici knew that Amon would not show mercy to traitors. Even though he had raised Amon, his own status in Amon's eyes was not as high as the Lord's. Therefore, he did not resent Amon.
Medici had originally thought Amon had obtained information related to the Lord after getting "Sefirah Castle" and wanted to find him to join forces to complete the "True Creator" and resurrect the "Ancient Sun God." He never expected that the one inside Amon's shell was that "Mysterious" one!
Considering the relationship between "mystery" and "the Primordial," it wasn't hard to imagine that he would be willing to help the Lord. Having known many secrets while following the "Ancient Sun God," the Red Angel couldn't help but ponder, recalling the clash between these two oldest ones: the "Lord of the Mysteries" had caused a great deal of trouble for "Primordial God Almighty," even splitting off a part of himself and throwing it near the Lord, interrupting the resurrection of "Primordial God Almighty," and ultimately allowing the Lord to grasp the two authorities of "Sun" and "Hanged Man," becoming a true deity.
Medici was able to know this because of Amon and the "Error" Uniqueness, but he was not clear about "Primordial God Almighty's" interference with the "Lord of the Mysteries'" resurrection.
As the Red Angel evil spirit's gaze froze, Nimrod's left hand twitched slightly. The lantern changed its appearance within the shroud of grey fog as he reached out and took the "shadow lantern" from "Sefirah Castle."
A familiar aura seeped out from the "shadow lantern." The Red Angel evil spirit's eyes widened, seemingly unable to suppress the emotions surging in his heart.
Sauron and Einhorn, who made up the other two-thirds of the Red Angel evil spirit, felt a sense of unease. However, even so, under the gaze of the "Hanged Man," they had no power to resist and could only be bound here, unable to move.
"True Creator, I'll leave the task of breaking the Seal to you."
Nimrod let the "shadow lantern" hover in the air, found a random spot to sit down, and spoke words that the Red Angel evil spirit found difficult to comprehend: "Remember to have Medici leave the 'Hunter' card for me. That is my deserved reward."