Chapter 92 - Chapter 89: Hainas's Path to Redemption

Less than a minute after Nairn left, a figure stirred.Hainas Vansant slowly opened his eyes.His head felt as if a red-hot iron rod had been thrust inside and stirred for a long time; it throbbed with intense pain, and his thoughts were a chaotic mess.Taiwan Novel Website is super practical, easy to read."What—what was I just doing?"He shook his head, trying to recall what happened before he lost consciousness.Fragments of memory pieced themselves together bit by bit.He remembered being at home, and then a man suddenly appeared.Right, that man—he said he was an Oracle of the Aurora Order? A comrade?No, that's not right!A chill surged up Hainas's spine.That rhetoric, that logic—now that he was sober and thinking about it, it was riddled with holes! How could he have believed it so easily?He was a most devout believer of the "True Creator"; how could he have been deceived by such a clumsy Lie!It was a Beyonder ability!His mind must have been influenced by some kind of Beyonder ability from the other party!Hainas broke into a cold sweat instantly.He remembered that in that controlled state, he had practically laid bare all his secrets.His status as an Aurora Order member, his purpose for lurking in Tingen City, and even some secret codes and contact methods known only to internal members—He had said it all!"Damn it! Damn it!"He cursed under his breath, his heart pounding wildly.Who was that person? Why did they trick him into talking? Would they report him to the Nighthawks?No, he couldn't wait any longer! He couldn't stay in Tingen City!He struggled to crawl up from the ground, his bones feeling as if they had fallen apart.What a pity; he had lurked in Tingen City for so long, and besides idling away as a top diviner at the Divination Club, he hadn't even developed a single formal "Lamb."According to his original plan, he had wanted to make a move on Elizabeth, but before he had the chance, everything was now completely ruined.He had to leave immediately.However, just as he was preparing to flee, a thought surfaced uncontrollably."That place—before I fainted, there seemed to have been a very intense battle there—what exactly was it?"""An impulse mixed with fear and morbid curiosity gripped his heart.He needed to go and see.He had to know what that mysterious person, who had toyed with him in the palm of their hand, had actually done there.This might be a matter of his own life and death.Once this thought arose, it could no longer be suppressed.Curiosity, along with a Beyonder's instinctive desire to seek high-level power, overwhelmed his fear. He wanted to go and see what exactly had happened there while he was unconscious.What kind of Existence could twist his cognition in such an inconceivable way? And what kind of battle could make him feel palpably shaken even now as he recalled it?"Just one look, just one look, and then I'll leave."The further he walked into the depths of the alley, the more Hainas Vansant's heart sank.A pungent scorched smell permeated the air, mixed with residues of multiple distinct yet equally heart-stopping Beyonder powers. The walls were covered with pits and cracks of various sizes, and there were several spots on the ground that looked like they had been corroded by something, emitting wisps of black gas.A battle he completely couldn't imagine had just taken place here.Hainas carefully bypassed a pool of thick, foul-smelling liquid; his diviner's spirituality was frantically warning him, telling him that everything here was extremely dangerous.He suppressed the urge to turn and run, continuing to explore further inside. There must be a Connection between the mysterious man who tricked him and this battle.Finally, he reached the deepest part of the alley.And then, he saw it.A corpse lay quietly in the corner.Hainas took only one look, and the blood in his entire body seemed to freeze instantly.That corpse—it was too bizarre.It wore a set of black classical robes and a pointed soft hat, with a broken crystal Monocle hanging over its right eye.This corpse of "Amon" had a slightly bulging belly, like a woman three or four months pregnant.On that face, so handsome it was flawless, the lines were excessively soft, even carrying an indescribable sense of bewitching charm.It had both the handsome silhouette of a male and the soft, supple lines of a female; divinity and wickedness, Holiness and Depravity—these two diametrically opposed temperaments were perfectly integrated into its body.Hainas could swear that even those Oracles within the Aurora Order who had been "beautified" by a "Rose Bishop" would pale in comparison to this corpse.This was the direct consequence of bearing the pollution of the Mother Goddess of Depravity, the Mother Tree of Desire, and a bunch of other Outer Deities, radiating an aura that was both sacred and fallen, both maternal and eerily bewitching.Gulp.He swallowed hard, feeling his throat so dry it was as if it were about to smoke.He stood frozen in place, his body unable to move due to extreme shock.What is this?What—is this thing?Is it a Monster? A Devil?No—Hainas's pupils suddenly contracted, and a fanatical fire ignited in the depths of his eyes.From this corpse, he felt an unspeakable "divinity"!Although this divinity was wrapped in countless jumbled, mad, and fallen auras, its core was incomparably pure, incomparably—close to his Lord whom he prayed to day and night!This isn't a Monster!This is a miracle! A "Sacred Object" sent down by my Lord!As a fanatic of the "True Creator," Hainas had seen far too many mad and bizarre things. His mind was already wandering on the edge of losing control.To him, the corpse before his eyes was both extreme fear and extreme temptation.It was too mysterious, too powerful.Could this be a revelation from the "Lord"? A test Bestowed upon him by the "Lord," or—a reward?What was the intention of that mysterious man knocking him out and then leaving such a corpse here?Countless thoughts collided frantically in his mind, giving him a splitting headache.He stood there, staring at the corpse for a long time.The corpse's eyes were closed, but Hainas always felt there was a pair of invisible eyes watching him, scrutinizing his soul.Ultimately, fanaticism triumphed over fear."O Lord, if You are watching Your humble servant, please guide my path forward—"Hainas knelt on the ground, praying in a low voice in Ancient Hermes Language.He received no response.But he "realized" it on his own.This must be the Lord's arrangement!That mysterious man—he was the messenger sent by my Lord to test me!And this corpse is the Sacred Object Bestowed upon me after passing the test!Yes, it must be so!An absurd but logically self-consistent thought instantly formed a perfect closed loop in Hainas's already paranoid and mad mind.His previous fear, despair, and unease were all replaced at this moment by a fanatical religious emotion.He looked at that corpse as if he were looking at his only salvation.The wind in the alley carried a cold, putrid smell, blowing against Hainas's face, yet it couldn't cool his fanatical heart in the slightest.He stared intently at that "Sacred Object," his breathing becoming heavy and hurried.Flee?No, why flee?This is my Lord's Bestowal! It is supreme glory! It is the final affirmation of his devout faith!Hainas slowly, step by step, walked towards the corpse. Every step felt as if he were treading on the edge of a blade; the chaotic spiritual residues in the air constantly bombarded his mind, giving him a splitting headache, but his eyes grew brighter and more fanatical.He squatted down and stretched out a trembling hand, wanting to touch the corpse.Just as his fingertips were about to touch the cold skin, an unspeakable throb came from the corpse. He seemed to see a boundless Cosmos, heard countless mad whispers, and felt the primitive temptations of "Depravity," "Desire," and "Chaos."He jerked his hand back, his face turning deathly pale instantly.Su—Such terrifying power!Just getting close almost caused his spirituality to lose control.This was no longer something a mortal could touch.Hainas panted heavily, his inner fanaticism and fear intertwining violently.This "Sacred Object" was both a massive opportunity and an Abyss capable of grinding him into powder.What to do? Just give up like this?No! Never!Hainas grit his teeth, a hint of ruthlessness flashing in his eyes. He pulled out those crude divination tools from his chest and began to perform a divination around the corpse.He had to confirm whether this was truly his Lord's Bestowal or a trap set by some evil god.The pendulum shook violently in his hand, almost breaking free from his control.The pointer spun frantically, sometimes clockwise, sometimes counter-clockwise; finally, with a crisp snapping sound, the silver chain holding the pendulum broke directly.The divination failed.The status of this "Sacred Object" was too high—high enough to interfere with or even destroy any form of prying.But Hainas obtained the answer he wanted from this failed divination.Only when it involved the Lord, or matters on the level of deities, would such a situation occur!No mistake! This is definitely the Lord's will!He no longer hesitated; he took off his relatively clean coat and, with a pilgrimage-like devotion, carefully wrapped the corpse.The moment he touched it, the cold, slimy sensation and the mad whispers rushing straight into his mind returned. Hainas let out a muffled groan, a trace of blood overflowing from the corner of his mouth, but he endured the discomfort and, using all his strength, hoisted the heavy "Sacred Object" onto his back."My Lord—Your Lamb will never fail Your expectations—" he murmured in a low voice, as if praying, and also as if encouraging himself.He didn't dare to be the least bit negligent; at his fastest speed, carrying the bizarre corpse of "Amon" on his back, he left the alley that he would never forget and ran towards the final safe house he had never thought he would use.He had to contact his superior immediately, contact Mr. Z!He wanted to tell them that he had received the "Lord's" Bestowal, a "Sacred Object" capable of changing everything!Carrying this blasphemous "Sacred Object," Hainas felt as if he were carrying a volcano that could erupt at any moment.With every step he took, he felt his mind and body being torn apart and reorganized.But he didn't stop.Relying on his familiarity with Tingen City's terrain, he once again plunged into those unknown dark corners, avoiding all possible patrols and eyes, and moved towards his most secret safe house.A tenacity belonging to the "past," along with loyalty to the "True Creator."Supported him in reaching this place.Even Hainas himself didn't know.How he had managed to endure.But—Salvation—the salvation that had liberated him from that icy, rainy night long ago.Had long been imprinted in the depths of Hainas's life.Even though he had once again come to the residence he had long ago abandoned.He didn't regret it at all!It was a basement located in the East Borough slums, long since abandoned.Damp, moldy, and filled with rats and cockroaches.Hainas used his last bit of strength to gently place the "Sacred Object" on a broken wooden table, and then he collapsed onto the ground in exhaustion, gasping for breath.His face was as pale as paper, his eyes bloodshot, but his spirit was exceptionally excited.He struggled to get up and dug out a small oilcloth-wrapped box from a crack in the wall.Inside the box were some ritual materials used for emergency contact.A candle woven from the hair of the deceased, a small bottle of crow's blood, and a bone fragment carved with complex symbols.He had to report this great discovery to the organization immediately!He wanted to tell the organization that the Lord has not abandoned us! His glory is about to reappear in Tingen City!Hainas's hands trembled as he drew a twisted, asymmetrical symbol on the ground with the crow's blood.He placed the candle in the center of the symbol and lit it.A green flame flickered to life, emitting a nauseating stench of corpses.Hainas knelt before the flame, holding the bone fragment in both hands, and in a tone mixed with fanaticism, fear, and anticipation—every word filled with a devotion from the depths of his soul—he spoke: "You are the Creator of all things, the omniscient and omnipotent Lord;""You are the only salvation, the final Judgement;""I pray for Your gaze, and I pray for Your messenger to hear my voice—"His voice echoed in the small, sealed basement, flickering along with the eerie green candlelight.He recounted the process of discovering the "Sacred Object" and his theory of "test and Bestowal" in a rambling but passionate manner."—Mr. Z, this is the Lord's will! This is an unprecedented opportunity! Please, as an Oracle, come to Tingen City to guide us—on how to enshrine this Sacred Object, and how to welcome the Lord's descent!"The chanting ended, and he cast the bone fragment into the flame.The bone fragment quickly blackened and curled in the green flame, finally turning into a wisp of blue smoke and dissipating into the air.The contact was complete.Hainas sat slumped on the ground, drenched in cold sweat. He raised his head and cast his gaze once more toward the wooden table.On the table, the "Sacred Object" wrapped in the coat lay quietly, casting a bizarre and twisted shadow under the flickering candlelight.He didn't know if what he was waiting for was a divine oracle or a Judgement.But he knew that from the moment he picked up that corpse, his fate—and even the fate of all Tingen City—had been completely changed.He waited nervously, waiting for a response from "Mr. Z," waiting for the final verdict that would decide his life or death.