Chapter 57: The Current Status of the Aurora Order in Tingen City
The Sun gradually rose from beneath the horizon, scattering its rays across every corner of Tingen City.
Sunlight spilled through the window frames into the stronghold of the Aurora Order, where several Secrets Supplicants dressed in cheap suits were diligently moving and counting the items before them.
Before this, Nimrod had sent his messenger to deliver a letter to The Dark Saint and the others regarding improving the style of the Aurora Order.
Although The Dark Saint and Saint of Secrets found it difficult to approach Tingen due to Adam's script, The Dark Saint, after adjusting their mindset, allowed Nimrod to first conduct a pilot program at the Tingen City branch of the Aurora Order, to see how it would work before promoting it to other branches.
However, because the internal funds of the Aurora Order were currently quite tight, the lower-level members of the Aurora Order could only wear relatively cheap suits.
Even these cheap clothes were not inexpensive, and the final price was written in units of "pounds."
"...All right, that's everything."
After checking the items on the carriage, a Secrets Supplicant wearing a formal suit slowly spoke to the delivery coachman in front of him.
The coachman who often came here to deliver goods nodded. Looking at this familiar "temporary servant" before him who was now wearing a formal suit, he couldn't hide the envy in his tone:
"Say, now that you've changed into a new set of clothes, have you become a formal servant here?"
In the Kingdom of Loen, the treatment of formal servants and temporary workers was worlds apart. Nobles had the habit of bestowing their old clothes upon their servants, while the middle class diligently chased after fashionable new clothes to prevent others from mistaking them for servants.
Besides the lack of dignity, the quality of life for a noble's servant was likely even better than that of some middle-class citizens.
The Secrets Supplicant's brain stalled for a few seconds, but he quickly reacted.
In this neighborhood, the God's Messenger's public identity was that of a somewhat eccentric wealthy man. He rarely interacted with other wealthy people, but he hired many "servants" to work for him—this was an identity specially created to cover up the fact that so many people were coming and going from this place.
The Secrets Supplicant mulled over his tone for a moment and said to the coachman in front of him:
"It's not exactly like that... The Master changed many of the servants into uniform clothes, saying it makes us look more spirited... As for whether I've become a formal servant, I'm not sure, but for the next few years, um, I'll pretty much be working here."
He spoke halfway, his tone filled with a hint of pride as he naturally adopted the identity of a servant—a servant of God was still a servant! Working for the God's Messenger was a supreme honor!
But the coachman clearly misunderstood what this Secrets Supplicant, with whom he had interacted before, was trying to express. He blinked and his tone was filled with unspeakable envy:
"This is already good enough—no, it's an exceptionally good treatment!"
"Sigh, I heard you guys say before that you only need to work five days a week, and only for eight hours... Sigh, I have a few friends who drive public carriages, and they have to work from six in the morning to nine at night! And their weekly wage is only 1 pound."
"I'm slightly better off, but my job isn't much better than theirs. Only at times like this can I rest for a while..."
The coachman's tone suddenly became despondent.
"...Before I came here, I also experienced a life like that." A sense of bitterness welled up in the Secrets Supplicant's heart for no reason. He glanced at the time:
"Besides, how should I put it, the Master wasn't as good to us before as he is now, but one day, he seemed to have received a revelation from the deity..."
"A revelation from a deity? Good heavens, when will the deities ever give that bunch of Vampires such a revelation?" The coachman's tone was filled with derision. He sighed and began to pack up the cargo boxes dragged behind the carriage:
"I won't hold out such hope... If only my son could get a job like yours, how wonderful that would be..."
"Perhaps, if you have a chance, you could come over and take a look? The deity that the butler (Mr. Z) believes in is the one who gave the Master the revelation." The Secrets Supplicant immediately seized the opportunity to preach:
"They believe in a deity from the North. If the butler knew about your situation, he might just give you a job?"
The coachman's face showed clear interest, but he was still a bit hesitant: "But I am a Believer of the 'Lord of Storms'..."
The Secrets Supplicant sneered: "Give me a break. Has He ever protected you? That bunch of Vampires you mentioned also believe in the 'Lord of Storms'! All right, all right, I have to go report to the butler. We'll talk next time we meet."
Listening to the Secrets Supplicant's words, the coachman pursed his somewhat chapped lips and said somewhat woodenly:
"I need to think about this carefully... Sigh, this is, after all, my faith of several decades..."
The Secrets Supplicant watched the coachman's receding figure and was silent for a moment, but soon beckoned to the ordinary Believers who were standing by behind him:
"Come, take these things to the kitchen—be careful! This is your lunch for today!"
...
Nimrod, wearing a white shirt, walked into the kitchen.
Several Believers who were originally cooks were carefully baking wheat cakes and portioning the freshly arrived fish, but when they saw Nimrod walk into the kitchen, they all stopped what they were doing. If Nimrod hadn't waved his hand to signal them to continue their work, the fish would have burned.
As a "model youth" of the new era, Nimrod had always opposed all forms of unnecessary waste.
"...Come to think of it, after things here are finished, I must find an opportunity to go to Frank and customize some affordable and high-quality food. The daily expenditure on food right now is enough to give me a headache..."
Compared to other Aurora Order branches, the food at the Tingen City branch was much better.
The holy meal of the Aurora Order was fish and bread, and since Tingen City happened to be near the port, the price of fish was much cheaper than other types of meat. Although there were many Believers in the Aurora Order, they were still able to have meat in every meal on a daily basis.
Under such dietary standards, Nimrod felt that the loyalty of his subordinates—especially the ordinary people who were not originally very firm in their faith, and the Secrets Supplicants—was constantly rising.
But the counterpart to this was the high daily food bill.
You have to know, the Tingen City Aurora Order had developed quite a few members, and recently Mr. Z had developed another batch of ordinary people to join the Aurora Order. Now, the income of the Aurora Order either came from the offerings of Believers or from the work income of the Secrets Supplicants and Shadow Ascetics.
Nimrod's next plan was to use the Aurora Order's funding to set up a shell "company," allowing the vast labor force under him to be put to use.
While thinking this, Nimrod began to knead the dough.
Judging from the experience of so many "Transmigrator predecessors," food from the Outer Deity era was simply a treasure that dealt special damage to the favorability of the foodie Klein.
Moreover, he was also feeling a bit homesick.
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#58The best way to win someone's favor
Chapter 58: On the Best Way to Build Favorability
No matter when, making something by hand is the highest form of table etiquette for Chinese people... This matter is also recorded in "A Bite of China."
Kneading dough, rolling out wrappers, preparing fillings.
Zongzi leaves, filling with rice, tying them up.
Nimrod skillfully replicated some of the foods he knew how to make before he became a Transmigrator in this world. Although some kitchen utensils were missing, the chefs of the Aurora Order made up for it all, constructing a simple steamer according to Nimrod's requirements.
Although the food in the Kingdom of Loen is often criticized, the desserts are crafted with exceptional delicacy. And precisely because of this, there was no shortage of kitchen utensils.
Xiaolongbao, Zongzi, pan-fried dumplings.
These foods were quickly packed into wooden boxes. Nimrod glanced at the time; it was almost the appointed hour, so he tossed the wooden boxes onto Sefirah Castle, using the magical gray fog to keep them fresh and warm.
...
Klein sat in the carriage, nervously adjusting the tie around his neck.
Before coming here, Dunn Smith had instructed him on a few things. He hadn't really intended for him to probe for information so rashly, just to have Klein be careful and figure out what direction this "Mr. L"'s attitude was leaning toward.
—Although this wasn't his first time dealing with Nimrod, coming here with a mission still made Klein feel a bit strange.
On one hand, there was the comrade he had experienced life and death with; on the other hand, there was the fellow countryman who came from the same place as him—no matter how he thought about it, Klein felt it was strange.
The carriage came to a slow stop, and Klein, holding his cane, slowly stepped down.
After he explained to the waiter where he was supposed to meet someone, the waiter led him through several magnificent rooms, leaving Klein wide-eyed.
—Not to mention after becoming a Transmigrator, the most high-end place he had been to since then was the Seer Club, and even before he transmigrated, he hadn't really been to places like this!
The hotel he used to accompany his boss to for business dinners didn't seem this luxurious... The evils of capitalism...
Klein let out the sound of poverty.
Nimrod was already sitting in the private room, his formal coat hung on a coat rack. Seeing Klein enter the room and take a seat under the waiter's guidance, he smiled and spoke to Klein after dismissing the waiter:
"Long time no see for a week, how have you been lately?"
As he spoke, he stood up and set up a Spirit Wall around the room:
"Alright, Old Zhou, now there's no need to worry about anyone monitoring this place. Look, doesn't the stuff on the Spirit Wall I set up look a bit familiar?"
Hearing Nimrod's words, Klein relaxed a little. He let out a long breath and carefully observed the differences on the Spirit Wall:
"...Gray fog?"
"That's right." Nimrod clapped his hands. "Old Zhou, originally I felt a bit sorry for hiding some things from you, but I didn't expect you..."
He looked at Klein with some teasing.
Seeing Nimrod's gaze, Klein suddenly broke into a cold sweat: "Didn't we both do that at the time..."
"Yeah, we both did." Nimrod shook his head:
"So, I don't mean to blame you, I'm just feeling a bit emotional—this world is very dangerous. If you aren't cautious, you might end up owing several lives."
Klein always felt that Nimrod's words were implying something, but he had no proof.
So, Klein pondered for a moment:
"Then should I reveal some information to you?... Hmm, I read the diary of Roselle Gustav before and had some guesses. I reckon that Transmigrators who chose the 'Seer,' 'Apprentice,' and 'Marauder' Pathways should all be able to obtain a portion of the gray fog's power..."
Your process is completely wrong, but you got part of the result right... Nimrod tapped the table lightly with his hand:
"Since it's come to this, let's eat first—we can talk about anything while we eat."
Talk while eating... For a moment, Klein felt as if he were in another lifetime. Listening to the familiar Chinese ringing in his ears, he scanned his surroundings and said with some emotion:
"You really went to great expense."
He saw various foods on the table, served on exquisite plates, basically no different from the "Western food" he had before he became a Transmigrator.
However, he didn't see any bread or rice-like food; it seemed to be lacking a staple food.
What made Klein most curious was that these foods were arranged in a circle, with an empty space in the middle that could hold a few more plates. However, out of politeness, Klein didn't ask.
"It's not much of an expense." Nimrod smiled:
"If the Aurora Order wasn't so well-off now, I wouldn't be willing to spend the money to invite you to this place—of course, this is the only time I'll come to a place like this. After all, there are many things to discuss this time, and I've prepared some gifts for you, which probably wouldn't be too welcomed by the owners of other restaurants."
"By the way, I specifically instructed the waiter at this place to serve all the food at once... Haha, although they didn't say anything, they probably mistook me for a nouveau riche."
"Then your sacrifice this time is truly not small." After Nimrod's few words, the atmosphere at the dining table became much more relaxed, and a smile appeared on Klein's face:
"But Nimrod, if you've prepared something valuable, I can't accept it... What's that saying again? One shouldn't accept a reward without merit!"
"It's not valuable, but you should like it—why don't you close your eyes first and wait for me to give you a surprise?" Nimrod said with a smile toward Klein.
I'll like it? Klein muttered in his heart; he really couldn't imagine what kind of gift Nimrod had prepared for him.
He saw Nimrod reach out his hand, probing into a gray mist, and then pull out a three-tiered wooden box from that gray mist.
Seeing Nimrod's action, Klein closed his eyes, still somewhat skeptical.
Nimrod opened the wooden box and took out some plates that weren't as exquisite as the ones on the dining table, placing them in the spot that had been deliberately left empty on the table.
Klein's nose twitched. As a familiar scent drifted into his nostrils, he opened his eyes, his gaze gradually becoming somewhat dazed.
"This is..." Looking at the familiar-shaped items placed in front of him, Klein's tone suddenly became excited.
"I was thinking, calculating by the time before I became a Transmigrator, it's almost time for 'Dragon Boat Festival.'"
Nimrod said in a tone filled with a hint of emotion:
"It's a pity that in this world, those things we are familiar with do not exist—there isn't even a country similar to the one we were in before we became Transmigrators. So, I can only use these things to cherish the memory of my past."
"Try it, I hope my skills haven't deteriorated."
Nimrod took out a pair of wooden chopsticks from the corner of the box and handed them to Klein.
Chapter 59: Communication and Inquiry
When the food he had prepared with his own hands was placed into his mouth, not only Klein, but even Nimrod himself felt as if he were in another world.
Klein was separated from his hometown by a vast expanse of time, while Nimrod was separated from his by a vast expanse of space. Although they did not come from the same place—in this world, they were equally lonely.
Coupled with the fact that their hometowns were highly similar in some respects, these two kinds of loneliness overlapped.
"It's delicious."
The silent atmosphere lasted for several minutes. Klein looked up, not noticing that his eyes were slightly red:
"It's really great, Nimrod. I really like this gift from you. Sorry, I didn't prepare anything for you, but I will definitely make it up to you next time."
Nimrod shook his head gently, appearing to comfort him: "It wasn't specifically prepared for you—making these things, it also counts as satisfying a bit of my own selfishness."
"Although I've only been here for two weeks, every place here is unfamiliar to us. In just two weeks, I've already started missing my hometown."
"Ha, but regardless, we both come from the same place..." Klein's mood eased a little: "If there's an opportunity, I hope that in a few months, when it's time for the 'New Year,' I can invite you to my home for a gathering."
"I will definitely come when the time comes." Nimrod smiled and used his chopsticks to pick up a fried dumpling and put it into his mouth: "If we had known each other before we transmigrated, we could probably have become friends."
"Alright, let's not talk about this topic anymore. If we keep going, we'll get sentimental again. Tell me, how did you pass the Church of the Night's screening? Regardless, my current identity is a Divine Envoy of the True Creator; the deacons of the Church of the Night cannot know my true identity."
"As far as I know, the Church of the Night is extremely vigilant toward the Aurora Order."
Hearing Nimrod's question, Klein frowned.
He carefully recalled the oath he had previously taken at the Church of the Night. After confirming that it did not involve any content regarding "whether he could tell others about the screening process," Klein gathered his thoughts and said to Nimrod:
"Actually, I also feel that the Church of the Night's screening of me was a bit too hasty. Logically speaking, for someone like me who hasn't joined the church for long and obviously has secrets, the church shouldn't have just done a superficial investigation... Even if they were preparing to train me as a spy to infiltrate the Aurora Order, they shouldn't have done it like this."
"I even suspect that the church still does not trust me."
Nimrod listened as Klein finished describing the process of passing the screening. A faint glimmer flickered in his eyes, and with the help of his 'Cryptologist' ability, everything Klein had encountered during the screening process quickly scrolled before Nimrod's eyes.
These events quickly combined into one interconnected incident after another before Nimrod's eyes. He pondered slightly:
"Judging from what you encountered, the Church of the Night does not completely trust you right now and is still keeping you under observation—although we could explain it with the reason that 'the Church of the Night hopes to make contact with the Aurora Order,' judging from the history of the Church of the Night, these are not reasons that the Holy Cathedral would give."
The instinct of a 'Cryptologist' pointed out the flaws in the answer the Church of the Night had given in such a hurry, forming the only answer in Nimrod's mind.
The only "clue" that hadn't been placed on the table yet was "the attitude of the Evernight Goddess." So, if that were added...
Nimrod added this element to his thinking. If the attitude of the Holy Cathedral was attributed to an "oracle from the Evernight Goddess," then everything could be explained.
As I thought, I have now entered the line of sight of the Evernight Goddess...
Nimrod could confirm this in his heart now, but he could not tell Klein about knowledge involving deities at this point in time, and his own identity should not know too much knowledge related to deities either.
Nimrod assumed a thoughtful posture. After a few seconds, he spoke in a speculative tone:
"Perhaps some Saint or Angel within the Holy Cathedral has taken notice of you. The 'gray fog' on us seems to have a very high 'priority,' even enough to block the gaze of an Angel."
"Since that's the case, even the Angels beside the deity have confirmed that you have no problems, but you are very likely related to the peculiarities of the 'Antigonus Family' and 'The True Creators Descent,' would the Holy Cathedral of the Church of the Night choose to erase you directly like those villain organizations in brainless novels?"
"In such a situation, winning you over is the best choice."
"Coupled with the fact that you have mastered the Acting Method and have practiced it well, having almost mastered the knack of digesting potions within two weeks, do you think the church would invest in you and help you implicitly?"
Klein immediately understood Nimrod's meaning:
"You mean the church saw my peculiarity, but is still willing to cultivate me?"
But speaking of this, Klein muttered again: "But the church doesn't have the subsequent potions for the 'Seer' Pathway..."
"I must remind you that for some potion formulas, whether it's 'divination' or 'spirit channeling,' they can be obtained from Beyonders who have been killed." Nimrod reminded Klein just at the right moment:
"Then... has the Church of the Night really not killed or spirit channeled a single high-Sequence 'Seer' from the Third Epoch until now?"
"It's just that, perhaps for certain purposes, the church hasn't disclosed these matters. But on the other hand, I think there's no problem with you taking the church's route for advancement now. As long as you can bring sufficient benefits to the church, the church will help you advance quickly."
Klein said thoughtfully: "I understand. I will consider it carefully. By the way, Captain..."
He hesitated for a moment:
"The Captain asked me to ask you, no, what is 'Mr. L's' attitude exactly..."
Hearing Klein's words, Nimrod picked up the wine glass beside him and took a slow sip before speaking:
"For Mr. L, the most important thing is definitely to let 'The True Creators Descent'—but for me, it is not so. I am not planning to let 'The True Creators Descent' happen. Right now, the most important thing for me is to advance to 'Sequence 6' as soon as possible. After all, my current situation is quite dangerous."
He looked at Klein's slightly dazed gaze and added:
"Of course, if there is an opportunity, I will also try to take down the guy who is writing the script behind the scenes."
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#60Shocking Change
Chapter 60: Shocking Change
"The one writing the script from behind the scenes?"
Hearing this description, Klein paused for a moment, but immediately recalled a certain file that Dunn Smith had shown him previously:
"You mean... Ince Zangwill? Is it the Sealed Artifact '0-08' that he took away? The script... Could this Sealed Artifact be like the Death Note, where whatever is written down becomes reality?"
"That's right." Nimrod nodded:
"You probably don't know the characteristics of '0-08', so let me explain it to you briefly."
"'0-08' possesses the characteristic of 'Whatever is spoken, shall be known.' In other words, the moment you know of it, you have already entered its line of sight. Don't worry, the reason I'm telling you this is because of our uniqueness."
The gray fog mentioned earlier... Is this gray fog that miraculous? Well, it is the thing that brought us across to this world... Klein took a deep breath and signaled for Nimrod to continue.
"I have read the files of the Church of the Night. The reason the Church's files deliberately omit the abilities of '0-08' is precisely because those who are known by '0-08' have a higher probability of being written into its story, thereby meeting an unfortunate end."
"Whatever is written down by '0-08' will surely come true. That is the main ability of this quill—and Ince Zangwill is currently holding this quill, plotting against something within the Church of the Night."
Using Sequence 1 characteristics to plot against Sequence 4 characteristics; what a case of using the big to gamble against the small.
Nimrod continued:
"But according to my tests, '0-08' cannot directly 'write' people like us who possess special traits; it can only influence you and me through a series of 'coincidences.' Furthermore, since '0-08' is currently controlled by Ince Zangwill, it might not necessarily reveal what it knows to the guy binding it. Therefore, we are relatively safe for the time being, and we have some time."
"I still have one most important thing left unsaid... because Ince Zangwill was heavily injured yesterday by me disguised as the Celestial Worthy, he needs a period of time to recover..." Nimrod continued:
"Next, I will use the channels of the Aurora Order to investigate in this direction. You can directly tell what I've said to the professionals in Tingen City. We will force him out together in a pincer attack—even if he is driven to desperation and erupts early, it is far better than waiting for him to finish writing the script and then erupting."
"Also, don't forget one thing: although you and I won't be directly affected by '0-08', others might not be. You need to think carefully about your explanation."
Klein nodded: "I have no more questions."
"If you have no questions, let's just chat. I'm quite interested in the life you lived before you transmigrated." Nimrod used his chopsticks to pick up the remaining steamed dumplings while cutting a piece of steak and placing it on his plate: "It's not very convenient to take food to go from this restaurant; it would be a waste if we don't finish it."
What an unexpectedly simple reason... Klein's face twitched, and after relaxing his posture and cutting a piece of meat, he said: "Sure, what aspects would you like to hear about?"
"..."
The two spent about an hour finishing the meal. When leaving, Nimrod also told Klein how to summon his messenger—after which, the two went their separate ways, taking carriages from different directions to leave the restaurant.
Shortly after Klein left, he saw a public carriage stop nearby. He subconsciously turned his head and saw Dunn Smith, dressed in a police uniform, standing outside the carriage, waving at him and signaling him to get off.
"Captain." Klein quickly stepped down from the public carriage and followed the silent Dunn into a deserted alley.
Crimson moonlight spilled across the alley. Dunn Smith looked at him with deep eyes and slowly recited the Goddess's eulogy; on the side, Leonard's figure emerged from the Darkness, slowly reciting a sacred prayer poem.
Seeing this, Klein also recited the honorable name of the Goddess once after Leonard finished reciting the poem. Dunn's originally stern expression finally softened significantly, as if frost melting away:
"Welcome back, Klein. But for safety's sake, you need to walk between us..."
"Actually, I didn't encounter any danger, although I was indeed nervous and apprehensive at the beginning..." Klein said with a self-deprecating tone: "When we return to the church, I have some very important matters to report."
...
On the other side, after returning to the Tingen branch of the Aurora Order, Nimrod slowly walked into the basement.
The basement was exceptionally quiet today. Mr. Z had been arranged by Nimrod to strictly protect Megoos, so Nimrod did not feel the sense of being watched emerging from the shadows from time to time.
He lit the candles one by one in the basement in a leisurely manner, letting the warm light gradually illuminate the entire basement. After finishing these tasks, Nimrod spoke:
"Celestial Worthy, help me take a look at this talisman."
There was no movement around him until Nimrod added:
"It's for catching God Almighty."
"You should have said so earlier, compatriot." The projection of the Celestial Worthy appeared beside Nimrod. He gestured for Nimrod to place the snake-scale-shaped talisman given by Ouroboros earlier onto the table where the candles were lit, and examined it carefully:
"—No problem. This is something the 'Snake of Fate' could produce. It is a talisman mainly composed of 'Cycle,' with a portion of ritual magic added to attract the attention of the True Creator. It can indeed capture the divinity of the True Creator."
"Heh heh, His divinity will inevitably contain a part of God Almighty's will. This old bastard has finally fallen into my hands..." The Celestial Worthy's tone carried undisguised excitement.
"When the time comes, how do you plan to clear away God Almighty's will?"
Nimrod put the talisman away and gently rubbed it with his fingers:
"You know, I can't clear away God Almighty's will, unless I grab the True Creator's divinity along with it and refine it instantly..."
"Rest assured, it won't go so far as to make you absorb the True Creator's divinity." The Celestial Worthy said:
"When the time comes, bring it to 'Sefirah Castle,' and I will teach you how to use the power of 'Sefirah Castle' to grind away God Almighty's will."
Nimrod nodded without refuting. On matters involving God Almighty, Nimrod felt that the Celestial Worthy was still seventy percent trustworthy.
Out of a thousand.
The Celestial Worthy glanced at Nimrod, suspecting that Nimrod still didn't believe his words, but He had no proof.
Nimrod and the Celestial Worthy discussed for a while longer. Just as the sky grew darker and it was approaching the second half of the night, Nimrod suddenly sensed a figure quickly detaching from the shadows beside him.
His gaze shifted, and he pulled this figure out of the shadows—it was Mr. Z.
However, it was Mr. Z, with half of his body's flesh completely melted, struggling to transform back into human form!
Chapter 61: Speculation
"Mr. L!"
Mr. Z said urgently, coughing up blood:
"Megoos has disappeared! She suddenly lost control and left my sight..."
"Don't be anxious." Nimrod steadied Mr. Z, whose body had yet to fully return to human form, and asked:
"How did she leave? What happened?"
"Shadows suddenly appeared on her body... That was the power of the Lord. I only took one look and could confirm it." Mr. Z gasped for air:
"Then she was suddenly swept away by the Lord's power and vanished before me. I am sinful; I looked directly at the Lord's countenance... This is the grace and punishment bestowed upon me by the Lord..."
Nimrod pieced together what had happened from Mr. Z's fragmented words, and he immediately knew what Megoos had encountered.
Given that there was no change from the original events from Megoos's perspective, Lanevus's affairs had not reached Megoos, and Ince Zangwill was currently recovering from his injuries.
In other words.
—Damn, Adam has started micromanaging.
Nimrod cursed inwardly, and the Celestial Worthy's gloating voice came from beside him:
[Heh, you should have known this long ago. It's impossible for you to avoid the attention of high-level existences forever. Even with the protection of Sefirah Castle, you are still an overly obvious void in the eyes of high-level existences.]
"...I know."
Nimrod whispered in a voice only he could hear. He first steadied Mr. Z, whose condition was clearly not right, and sent him to the prayer room. Then, he returned to the basement, which was protected by ritual magic, and cautiously set up a "Wall of Spirituality" infused with the power of the gray fog around himself.
After adding another layer of protection, Nimrod began to think.
If the "invisibility" of a Spectator is likened to blending in with the surrounding environment, then the defense formed by Sefirah Castle around Nimrod is like digging a human-shaped "hole" in the surrounding environment.
His protection is absolute. However, although there is no information related to "Nimrod" in the script written by "0-08" or in the "trends" that Adam can see—no appearance, no height, no characteristics, only a hurried mention of "Mr. L"—
Nimrod now suspects that Adam might have had a hand in Ince Zangwill's impatient attempt to deal with him earlier.
He didn't even need to write it personally; he only needed a few very subtle hints to pressure Ince Zangwill, who had failed a promotion once before and was not in a good state, into taking a risk.
And now, having determined that this "Mr. L" of unknown name and unknown essence is about to overturn the script he wrote to obtain "0-08," Adam has finally started to manually push the development of the whole situation.
Given Adam's cunning, knowing the situation regarding the "Outer Deity" and the "pillar," he would certainly not act rashly like Ince Zangwill; he would only proceed with step-by-step probing.
[It seems you have angered him quite a bit.]
The Celestial Worthy held a long pipe that was exhaling gray fog and said thoughtfully:
[He is probably not very happy right now.]
"It's good that he's not happy. I didn't do this to make him happy."
Nimrod's expression returned to normal, and he spoke calmly to the Celestial Worthy in front of him:
"If soldiers come, block them with soldiers; if water comes, cover it with earth. As long as he doesn't descend directly beside me, there will always be a way to deal with it."
While speaking, Nimrod took out the pocket watch from his pocket and checked the time, the clues he had gathered so far flowing through his eyes.
At the level of Sequence 7, Nimrod is currently the strongest "Cryptologist." Even Amon, a natural mythical creature suppressed to Sequence 7, would be slightly inferior; only the Celestial Worthy could be equal to the current Nimrod.
Coupled with the fact that Nimrod possesses extremely rich knowledge—from things happening or about to happen in Tingen City to knowledge at the Outer Deity level—he knows a thing or two. Although he is not very clear about those overly complex pieces of knowledge, the important pieces are all vividly present in his mind.
"Now, Ince Zangwill's condition is extremely poor. Even with the help of '0-08,' it is very difficult to contend with an entire Nighthawks squad. So, Adam now has two choices:"
"First, strengthen Ince Zangwill; second, weaken the Tingen City Nighthawks squad."
"Because of my existence, Adam will most likely let the Nighthawks squad come into contact with the Aurora Order bit by bit, but this will inevitably be much faster than usual. He will use a piece of news or a clue to let the Nighthawks squad's strongest combat power, which is the captain of the Nighthawks squad, Dunn Smith, come into contact with his half-body, the True Creator."
"—Hannas Vincent."
Nimrod quickly determined the most suitable candidate—this guy had previously been written into the script by "0-08," carried the corruption of the True Creator, and had even been in deep contact with "himself."
Regardless of the outcome, Adam can gain something from the event of "Dunn Smith contacting Hannas Vincent." At the very least, he can test the simple attitude of Nimrod, who is of unknown identity and suspected to be an "Outer Deity awakening."
"Then, I must also show some attitude to Adam now." Nimrod pinched his slightly burning eye sockets:
"As long as I, this 'unknown existence,' show the appearance of 'looking after' the Nighthawks squad, Adam will stop the operation of letting the Nighthawks squad make use of the True Creator's corruption."
—This is the answer obtained after the "Cryptologist" deduced this matter, and it is also the most likely answer.
But just at this moment, the Celestial Worthy suddenly spoke to Nimrod:
[I have some questions.]
Hearing the Celestial Worthy's voice, Nimrod looked up at the Celestial Worthy who had been standing on the side just now.
[Why must you save those ordinary people?]
The Celestial Worthy spoke to Nimrod in a slow, slightly puzzled tone:
[I saw the deduction process you just went through. These Nighthawks are part of a transaction made by the heir of God Almighty and the heir of Eternal Darkness. They were supposed to die; it is their god who wants them to sacrifice their lives.]
[For you, following the script of the heir of God Almighty, killing them while the opportunity arises, and seizing the Beyonder characteristics from within the Chanis Gate is the most convenient method.]
[Even the heir of Eternal Darkness would not have many objections. Compared to an ally at the Outer Deity level, the lives of the Nighthawks are really not worth mentioning.]
"There is no why, and I don't care about being 'convenient.'"
Nimrod said calmly, slowly standing up, and said to the Celestial Worthy:
"Because I want to, so I do it."
"Because I cannot stand the way the gods do things, so I will save them."
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#62stop
Chapter 62: Blockage
July 15th, at the home of Melissa's friend, Selena Wood.
Klein, who had been invited to the banquet, looked serious. He gazed at Elizabeth on one side and the shattered mirror beside them, asking cautiously,
"Are you sure Selena's occult teacher is Hannas Vincent?"
"Yes, um... For the past year, Hannas Vincent has been teaching her mirror divination... Selena said she peeked at her teacher's secret incantations and was sure she would succeed in the divination today." Elizabeth said with some fear,
"The things that appeared on the mirror just now were truly terrifying, Klein. It's a good thing you were here..."
Klein gently pressed his temples with his fingers, his gaze sweeping over the shattered mirror on the floor once more.
On the mirror, there were traces of ghostly green and silver luster seeping out, and shattered, mercury-like patterns emerged on the broken cross-section of the mirror.
Today was Sunday, and the Wood family had invited the Moretti family to attend the banquet held at their home.
Just moments ago, Klein's spiritual intuition had told him that a terrifying aura had suddenly descended on the second floor. If it hadn't only lasted for an instant, he suspected everyone here would have died on the spot.
Even so, it had taken quite a bit of effort for Klein to deal with the evil spirit that had been attracted.
Hannas Vincent? Wasn't that the veteran Seer that Nimrod had contacted at the Seer Club last time?
That was a Believer of the True Creator! Selena peeked at his incantations... That's not how you court death...
Klein looked at the chaotic floor, feeling a sudden, inexplicable headache and speechlessness.
If Nimrod's identity was Mr. L of the Aurora Order, then Klein didn't even need to think to guess who Hannas Vincent, Nimrod's subordinate, was.
And wouldn't the secret incantations of an Aurora Order member inevitably have some connection to the True Creator?
Klein even suspected that this incantation was connected to some high-ranking existence; otherwise, how could a momentary gaze summon an evil, fallen evil spirit?
After straightening out his thoughts, Klein took a deep breath, took out an identification document from his pocket, and said to Elizabeth,
"Please quietly call Selena's father up. You understand, it's not good for her if such a problem appears at a banquet like this. It's best not to let others know."
Since Klein had become an official Nighthawk specially approved by the Cathedral in advance, he had already received his completed police identification.
Elizabeth carefully took the document from Klein's hand and glanced at it quietly. Although she was surprised, she lowered her voice as much as possible and said,
"You, you're a police officer? I haven't heard Melissa mention this at all before..."
Klein exhaled and gave the explanation he had already prepared:
"My work has a certain confidential nature. If it weren't for the fact that this suddenly happened... In any case, I hope you can keep this a secret for me. Because of the confidentiality agreement, I don't want my family to know about this matter."
Elizabeth nodded, both excited and fearful, and ran downstairs on her tiptoes.
Watching Elizabeth go downstairs, Klein whispered,
"How could I run into this kind of thing just by attending a banquet... Is this what Nimrod called the 'Extraordinary Aggregation Principle'?"
His expression suddenly became serious:
"...Or is it another 'coincidence' like the ones I've encountered before?"
—At the dinner table earlier, Nimrod had supplemented Klein with some knowledge about the Beyonder world that he hadn't been too clear about.
While waiting for Old Wood to come up, Klein gradually straightened out his thoughts:
"Such a big thing happened here, I must report it to the captain, especially since it involves the 'True Creator' and 'coincidence'."
"And, since it involves the Aurora Order, I can ask Nimrod directly... Right, Nimrod gave me an incantation to summon a messenger before!"
Klein slowly took a breath, pulled out a piece of paper, and quickly wrote down his questions. Taking advantage of the time before the Wall of Spirituality dissipated, he slowly chanted:
"A traveler wandering in the upper world, an animated object roaming the void, the messenger belonging solely to Ning Lu Emonsal."
A messenger, huh? I wonder how it will appear in front of me...
Just as Klein was imagining what Nimrod's messenger looked like, he suddenly noticed the space in front of him slowly distorting.
A black crack appeared in front of Klein, and a white ring appeared in the middle of the crack, making it look like an upright eye.
A crazy aura emerged from the crack in front of him. Klein couldn't control his native language and almost blurted out "Holy crap"—but the next moment, the aura on the crack that seemed capable of driving everything insane retracted, only making Klein's temples throb.
Klein thought about it and felt he needed to respect this messenger that clearly looked like trouble:
"...Hello, I have a letter to send to Nimrod..."
The "animated void" stared at Klein for a second, and Klein only felt the letter in his hand vanish, and the pitch-black crack in front of him was also gone.
He raised his hand, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and immediately heard hurried footsteps coming from downstairs, unable to help but smile bitterly:
"It really doesn't give me any time to rest at all..."
...
Nimrod took the letter handed to him by the "animated void," quietly hiding in the shadows next to Hannas Vincent's residence:
"Help me write a letter, just don't include any Beyonder abilities—first, don't think too deeply about what I've written, then read on."
"The incantation provided by Haynes has the shadow of 'coincidence'. I am staking out Hannas Vincent. Also, tell Dunn Smith not to come to investigate him; something will go wrong."
"The full content of the incantation is: The lingering spirit, the kin of the True Creator, the eye that gazes upon fate. This is the incomplete honorable name of the 'angel of fate' Ouroboros, with the description of the True Creator added. I suspect that your friend learning this incantation is also the influence of coincidence."
"Alright, that's about it. Also, don't use your mythical creature form when delivering the letter—my pen pal is still quite fragile."
The last sentence was directed at the "animated void."
Watching the "animated void" disappear in front of him, Nimrod just exhaled when the Celestial Master, who existed only in his vision, said quietly:
[They are coming. Clearly, that 'Author' is advancing on multiple fronts.]
"Since Adam has started writing, it won't just be a simple probe, so I'm just warning Klein."
Nimrod nodded and slowly walked out of his hiding place:
"...But since he can't see my movements, then everything is manageable."
Chapter 63: Dissuasion
The moment Nimrod stepped out of the shadows, Leonard jumped up as if he were a cat with its fur standing on end.
Dunn stood behind Leonard, gently pressing his palm onto Leonard's shoulder to signal him to calm down.
"Captain!... You don't know what kind of things he's involved with, otherwise you would be scared too..."
Although Leonard immediately remembered what the old man had told him earlier, he quickly controlled himself, though his hand still moved uncontrollably toward his waist.
In this cold world, only the warmth of a firearm could bring Leonard a sense of security.
Daly, on the side, narrowed her eyes slightly, her eyes, coated with old-fashioned eyeshadow, showing a hint of vigilance. She watched "Mr. L" step out in front of her, waiting in silence for his first move.
Just as the tension between the two sides was about to snap, Nimrod gently pressed his hand against his chest:
"You two, there's no need to be so guarded against me—Mr. Dunn, I saved your lives last time, after all."
Dunn moved half a step forward, and after signaling to Leonard again not to act rashly, he spoke to Nimrod in a steady voice:
"I haven't had the chance to thank you yet, Mr. L."
"We have never cooperated with the Aurora Order, and I hope to believe that you are a gentleman with a conscience, different from other Aurora Order envoys. But personally, I find it hard to lower my guard against you."
Hearing Dunn's frank words, a smile appeared at the corners of Nimrod's mouth:
"But at least for now, we can communicate rationally and peacefully—battles between Beyonders will intensify our tendency to lose control. Having this opportunity now is not easy, is it?"
Nimrod raised his finger and pointed to the top of his head:
"[Coincidentally], both The Dark Saint and Saint of Secrets are currently too busy to pay attention to the Divine Descent ritual in Tingen City. I think, from my own personal will, I am willing to communicate with you."
Speaking of which, he deliberately let his gaze drift over both Dunn and Daly: "After all, I assume you aren't here for a late-night date?"
Daly let out a laugh, speaking half-sincerely and half to break the tense atmosphere:
"I would have hoped that he could invite me out late at night to spend a wonderful evening together, but unfortunately, I have never received an invitation from him."
"Then that seems to be Mr. Dunn's problem? I believe that as a man, one needs courage." Nimrod sighed: "Let's get to business, Mr. Dunn—why did you come here?"
Dunn's gaze froze for a moment. He glanced at Daly from the corner of his eye for half a second before speaking to Nimrod:
"My informant received a message regarding a report against Hannas Vincent."
"In this report, Hannas Vincent is involved with the 'True Creator' and is suspected of spreading secret incantations related to the 'True Creator'. This is a very serious matter, and I believe we need to investigate Hannas Vincent."
"...I see." Nimrod said thoughtfully.
An informant? If he remembered correctly, the Church of the Night had absolutely no deep-level informants connected to Hannas Vincent!
If it followed the normal progression, it should have been Klein who reported to Dunn Smith first, and only after that would Dunn go to investigate Hannas Vincent.
This also confirmed his previous hypothesis; regarding matters involving Hannas Vincent, Adam had indeed personally intervened to manipulate the subtle events occurring in Tingen City.
Fortunately, after realizing this, he had been squatting here for most of the day without making contact with anyone, so naturally, Adam would not have discovered the existence of this "loophole."
These thoughts flashed through Nimrod's mind, and he spoke to Dunn:
"—Hannas Vincent has been corrupted by the Lord."
"Mr. Dunn, as a senior 'Nightmare', you should know what exists in the dreams of someone corrupted by Beyonder powers, right?"
Hearing Nimrod's words, a hint of contemplation seemed to appear in Dunn's deep gaze: "...Few members of the Aurora Order describe the True Creator's blessings as corruption, even if it is undoubtedly corruption."
"Perhaps it is because my Pathway is different from the other envoys, and the 'blessing' I received did not start distorting my mind from Sequence 9." Nimrod shrugged his shoulders:
"I must admit, even I hope to let the Lord descend into this world and reclaim His original authority. It's just that I don't wish to use blood sacrifices to let the Lord descend, because that does the Lord no good, and instead, it would only make His already fragile mental state even worse..."
"—If I say this, can I gain your trust? If you still don't believe me, I can even drag Haynes out for a confrontation, but he is my subordinate, and I cannot let you take him away."
"Furthermore, the reason I am helping you is simple. That traitorous archbishop of your church, Ince Zangwill, wants to use the Lord's Divine Descent to obtain the ashes of Saint Selena from your church. To us, this is a profound blasphemy."
Nimrod spread his hands, seemingly completely unconcerned that Dunn and Daly might suddenly attack him.
In reality, he was indeed not afraid at all that the two might suddenly attack him under the script arranged by "0-08" or Adam.
After all, with the "sun scythe", which possessed Beyonder abilities equivalent to a combination of Sequence 5 and Sequence 6, for self-defense, even a Sequence 5 powerhouse like Master Luo would find it difficult to kill him.
"...I understand."
After a while, Dunn, as if convinced by Nimrod, stared at him with deep eyes:
"But I will report this matter to the Holy Cathedral, Mr. L. Considering our position, I will not lower my guard against you like my team member."
Dunn had also deliberated carefully before speaking.
Judging from the matters he had previously reported to the Holy Cathedral, the Church's attitude toward this clearly abnormal yet rational Aurora Order envoy was slightly special, and he needed to treat it with caution.
And if he were to fight to the death with an Aurora Order envoy here, it was clearly not a rational choice. Dunn was the captain of the entire Tingen City team; he needed to be responsible for his team members.
Although he had long been prepared to sacrifice himself, if he were to die, it would require others on the team to step up and sacrifice themselves in times of danger.
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#64suggestion
Chapter 64 Advice
"A rational choice, I have no objections."
Nimrod shook his head.
"But I hope you can hear me out—regarding Ince Zangwill, and matters related to the current situation."
"I hope that what I am about to say can become the premise for our sincerity—and only regarding the matter of Ince Zangwill—as well as a potential basis for cooperation."
Dunn exchanged a look with Daly, nodding ever so slightly.
"Klein should have already relayed the matters related to 'Coincidence' to you, but I need to emphasize one thing again. 'Coincidence' might arrive faster and more rapidly than you imagine." Nimrod said.
"Two days ago, I used my own methods to engage with Ince Zangwill, inflicting injuries upon him that would be difficult to heal in a short period."
"Heh, in other words, he is now like a crazed, trapped beast. If he cannot obtain the ashes of Saint Selena, his path to becoming a demigod will be completely severed."
"You should also understand just how much chaos and terror a crazed Beyonder can cause. Even a 'Spectator,' which seems to have the least destructive potential, can drive a large crowd of ordinary people insane when in a crazed state nearing loss of control."
Dunn's expression became serious, and Nimrod continued:
"Secondly, you have also accumulated quite a few tendencies toward loss of control. Your ability to master your potion is not very strong, yet it gives me an unusually powerful feeling—did you consume extra potions?"
Daly's gaze remained fixed on Dunn, with subtle worry and slight agitation in her eyes.
It seemed she knew what 'Mr. L' was about to tell Dunn next.
"What you need to do now is master the Beyonder characteristic within you, otherwise you are very likely to suddenly lose control and die amidst a 'Coincidence.' My advice is to attempt to 'act' as a true Nightmare, digesting your potion by acting out its name."
As Nimrod's words fell, whether it was Daly or Dunn, or even Leonard, who was observing from the sidelines, all fell into deep thought.
"Old man."
Leonard said quietly:
"Do you think he is genuinely acting out of kindness? According to what you said, Amon shouldn't be doing such unnecessary things..."
"He is indeed not Amon, I can be certain of that," the aged voice echoed in Leonard's ear.
"But do not have too much contact with him. He is absolutely not a normal human who has gradually ascended. Perhaps it is the spirit of some great existence reviving within this body that belongs to Amon."
"No one knows if this is good or bad..."
Leonard wanted to ask something more, but he saw Nimrod, wearing Amon's face, suddenly turn his head and look at him with a half-smile. His heart instantly stopped, and he subconsciously lowered his head.
"...That's about it. One final small tip."
Nimrod clapped his hands:
"You two, sometimes why not express your feelings? You are facing Ince Zangwill, who is a vicious thug—if you remain unwilling to be honest, you might end up regretting it for the rest of your lives, you know?"
Watching the corner of Dunn's mouth twitch subconsciously, Nimrod walked back into the shadows with a very good mood, smiling.
...
When Dunn and Daly returned to Blackthorn Security Company, he unexpectedly saw Klein waiting there.
"...Klein?" Dunn called out in confusion, his expression quite complex.
Along the way, thanks to Nimrod's last sentence, the atmosphere between him and Daly had become quite awkward.
And Leonard didn't know what to say either—after all, hidden beneath his frivolous exterior was a silly roe deer. For Leonard, asking him to mediate others' affairs might be a bit too difficult for him.
Therefore, the moment he got off the carriage, Leonard quickly reported to Dunn, said goodbye, and ran back to Blackthorn Security Company. His running speed had quite the air of a Scholar of Yore.
"—Captain!"
Klein, who had been anxiously waiting for Dunn, immediately walked over eagerly upon hearing Dunn's voice, not even noticing Daly, who was thinking on the side with an abnormal complexion:
"I just encountered a mystical event involving the 'True Creator'! You didn't go looking for Hannas Vincent, did you? There might be some problems with him!"
The corner of Dunn's mouth twitched:
"Unfortunately."
Klein's expression instantly froze there. Seeing Klein's heartfelt worry, Dunn's originally somewhat restless mood inexplicably became much more relaxed:
"We were stopped by Mr. L and did not Dreamwalk Hannas Vincent."
"I already know, you don't need to worry about how to explain it to me. Hannas Vincent carries the corruption of the True Creator. Heh, if he wanted to harm us, he wouldn't need to take the risk of communicating with us..."
Dunn said with some self-mockery:
"If I had Dreamwalked Hannas Vincent, perhaps by the time I opened my eyes, I would already be a devout Believer of the 'True Creator.' And the risk Mr. L took... after all, if it were the 'Punishers' of the Church of Storms, they would have jumped over with axes the moment they saw him."
He turned his head and said to Daly:
"Tonight is destined to be a sleepless night. Although I really don't want to admit it, I do have quite a few things to tell you... after I submit the report to the Holy Cathedral, and after we first confirm whether there is any mental corruption on us."
Daly also nodded with a heavy heart.
What happened? Why is the atmosphere between the Captain and Ms. Daly so strange? A few questions flashed through Klein's mind, and then he heard Dunn say to him:
"Klein, come with me. After we confirm that you haven't been corrupted by the 'True Creator' due to your contact with Mr. L, you can go back and rest... You don't need to report to the company tomorrow. Heh, I had originally arranged an 'entry mission' for you, but now I really don't feel at ease letting you go out alone..."
Klein knew that the 'entry mission' Dunn mentioned referred to the Nighthawks' tradition of 'newcomers needing to complete a mission alone.' He nodded and said:
"I understand, Captain Dunn."
He roughly sorted out what had happened before and figured out his next train of thought: Nimrod had helped him do so many things quietly. As an ally in the 'Anti-Ince Zangwill' alliance and a fellow countryman, he also had to step up.
If the power of the gray fog could obstruct the line of sight of '0-08,' then the effect of his 'Gray Fog Space' would only be better.
He wanted to try again to see if he could pull Nimrod onto the gray fog, into his 'Tarot Club'!