Chapter Sixteen: The Newly Appointed Gatekeeper, The Church’s New Target
The heavy grey fog slowly dispersed, and Luo Ling’s figure gradually materialized on an ordinary street in Victoria.
The scattered passersby seemed to ignore her, walking right past.
It was almost evening, and unlike Iris’s Kingdom, Victoria held a palpable sense of impending doom.
“…”
Luo Ling touched her forehead. The faint burning sensation confirmed that what had just transpired wasn’t a dream.
Through this intricate floral pattern, she could return to the lost Kingdom at any time.
Of course, provided the owner opened the door.
Luo Ling had received a massive amount of information, feeling overwhelmed.
…Godchosen, Kingdoms, the path to godhood.
Contrary to popular belief, the Godchosen, or Grotesquery Apostles, had clear goals, not simply to manifest their worshipped Grotesqueries.
Moreover… the scale of the Grotesquery Apostles far exceeded the Company’s records. Even with hundreds or thousands of files detailing Apostle-caused disasters, compared to their actual numbers and power, it was still a small fraction.
For instance, the leader’s power was unimaginable. Luo Ling knew that even as the White Witch, she could at most achieve a stalemate, with no guarantee of victory.
The main issue was that the Puppet Ballad’s abilities weren’t combat-oriented…
Besides that, there was another crucial matter.
“Philosopher’s Authority, ‘Traveler.’ The Company files didn’t even have his name, let alone the details of his ability. Because whenever Philosopher acted, almost no one survived.”
“Even the ‘Auspicious Timing’ premonition, the foremost of the Speakers’ four premonitions, couldn’t glean any information about Philosopher.”
Luo Ling recalled the entry on Philosopher in the Company files, her unease growing.
The Company knew far too little about the Harbingers. So little that when Luo Ling searched for information, most of it consisted of loss reports. More detailed information was nowhere to be found.
For example, even now, the Company only had images of Philosopher and Educator. The most enigmatic, Historian, remained elusive.
Their subordinates were even less known, most without even a code name.
Of course, to seize the so-called “path to godhood” from Philosopher, the first step was to understand his Authority, at least to know which Grotesquery it belonged to.
To that end… Luo Ling had accepted the tea party’s commission.
To examine the Taboo Slate in the Company’s possession.
The leader’s bargaining chip was information on the Realm of Nothingness, which Luo Ling needed, while the others were willing to offer two petals each.
Unfortunately, Luo Ling had used the petals she just earned to repay her debt, unable to experience the benefits Camellia mentioned.
“Plucking a few strands of hair shouldn’t cause baldness, but it’s best to maintain a sustainable supply.”
Luo Ling pondered what else she could sell. She wasn’t sure if fingernails would work, or perhaps clothes…
No, that felt a bit too perverted.
Besides the information, Luo Ling had another unexpected gain from this encounter.
“I didn’t expect Iris’s little sapling to be so potent…”
Luo Ling sensed her current state. Her Naraku form had likely developed its first ability.
After awakening the innate ability, the basic first ability only required sufficient Grotesquery power to advance, though the second ability and beyond were more difficult.
The Puppet Ballad’s first ability was thanks to the Forgotten River Child, the second to the White Reishi Mushroom, the third to Ji Ying, and the Authority to… her sister.
“I remember there was another, stronger Grotesquery in Iris’s Kingdom… Forget it, I won’t target it. It seems pitiful enough already.”
Recalling Iris’s flushed face, which even the mystical veil couldn’t conceal, Luo Ling sighed. She truly couldn’t understand the thoughts of these old women.
“I should head back. Miss Cen and the others must be waiting.”
Luo Ling composed herself. Before setting out, they had agreed to try Victoria’s roast steak, supposedly a rare local delicacy, after completing the commission.
Although Cen Xiangyun had strongly opposed Lu Manqing’s suggestion, which seemed to invite trouble… well, regardless of the process, the commission was complete.
……
When Luo Ling returned to the apartment, the moon hung high in the sky. Even Elsa, her biological clock ticking, was drowsy.
She had been asleep throughout the memory predicament…
Luo Ling draped a coat over the dozing Elsa and headed to the adjacent room.
Only Cen Xiangyun was there. Lu Manqing was nowhere to be seen.
“Oh, Miss Luo Ling, you’re finally back. I was about to take a shower.” Cen Xiangyun approached Luo Ling, handing her a thick book. “Here, choose your commission reward.”
“Hmm?”
Luo Ling took the book. The cover read, “Company Points Redemption Catalog.”
“So many?”
Luo Ling flipped through the book, which resembled a picture book more than a catalog.
It vividly depicted the Company’s various collections, from Grotesquery Sacred Relics of all levels to mysterious alchemical Sacred Medicines, each with its corresponding price.
“Actually, we can’t redeem most of these. It’s just for you to browse.” Cen Xiangyun said. “From page one hundred onwards, they’re mostly stored in the Company’s vault, each one incredibly valuable.”
The Company vault stored various precious resources. It was rumored to be located within a space constructed by a powerful Sacred Tool, impervious even to a Taboo’s manifestation.
Of course, whether that was true remained to be seen, since no one had witnessed a Taboo’s manifestation.
Interestingly, Luo Ling saw a few familiar faces in the vault section.
“…Scientist’s remains, sixty thousand points?”
Looking at the grotesque, half-decayed face in the picture, Luo Ling felt a strange pang.
She had allowed Scientist to return to the present world from the Realm of Nothingness, anticipating her escape, but she hadn’t expected her to die.
Luo Ling didn’t know the details of her death, but judging by the picture, it wasn’t peaceful.
Sixty thousand points was a steep price, equivalent to ten of Cen Xiangyun’s annual bonuses. Otherwise, the remaining Naraku Sacred Relic within Scientist’s remains would have been incredibly helpful.
“How many points did we get for this commission?” Luo Ling asked.
“Actually, it’s not points, it’s Sacred Medicine. Ten bottles of random-path, third-order Sacred Medicine, to be distributed within the team.” Cen Xiangyun scratched her head. “But none of us are low-order Awakened Ones, so the effect isn’t that significant. It’s better to exchange them for points.
“But it’s still a loss. A bottle of third-order Sacred Medicine is worth 2 points, but they’re only giving us 15… Damn capitalists!”
Luo Ling pondered for a moment, then said,
“I… should be considered a low-order Awakened One, right?”
Her original body didn’t have any abilities. Currently, she only had the “Devour” Authority, of an unknown Path.
“Huh?” Cen Xiangyun blinked in disbelief. “Miss Luo Ling, you’re joking, right…”
Not to mention surviving her encounter with Scientist during the train incident, in the battles she had witnessed, Luo Ling’s power when repelling Artist was undoubtedly that of a high-order Awakened One.
Even if she had used some secret technique, her true strength couldn’t be below a mid-order Awakened One, could it?
Actually, during the fight with Artist, Luo Ling had used the Puppet Ballad’s power, not her own. At that time, her own Puppet Ballad hadn’t even awakened its third ability, making her equivalent to a mid-order Awakened One at most.
“It might be true. My situation is special, you know.”
Luo Ling said vaguely. Although not many people knew about her suspected status as a Seventh Path Awakened One, she hadn’t concealed it from the team.
“Really?” Cen Xiangyun looked puzzled, but said, “If you insist, I have no objections. But I have to warn you… the Company’s alchemical Sacred Medicines aren’t allowed to be circulated outside. Even if they’re ineffective for you, you can’t sell them.”
The Company regulated Sacred Medicines, not because they were particularly valuable, but because they were too dangerous for ordinary people. If they fell into the wrong hands, the Company would have to clean up the mess, making it a net loss.
Although some people risked selling them, Luo Ling had no need to.
“Understood.”
Luo Ling nodded.
“Miss Eve’s reward is separate from ours. Elsa said she doesn’t need it, so it’s all yours… How about this, you take five bottles of Sacred Medicine, and Lu Manqing and I will exchange the rest for points.”
“Whatever you say.”
Luo Ling had no objections. She didn’t care about these trivial things, she just wanted to see what Sacred Medicine was like.
Honestly, the small tree she had nibbled on in Iris’s Kingdom was worth hundreds, if not thousands, of points.
This commission, aside from the peculiar experience in the Kingdom, was practically a leisurely outing. A small reward was to be expected.
“By the way, Miss Cen, I have a question.”
Luo Ling remembered the other, more important commission, stopping Cen Xiangyun.
“Ask away.”
Cen Xiangyun stopped and turned around.
“…Roughly how many points are needed to see the Taboo Slate?” Luo Ling asked.
“Isn’t the Slate’s content public? You can find it in the lobby of any office. Why would you need points?”
Cen Xiangyun was puzzled by Luo Ling’s question, starting to suspect that she was ill, spouting nonsense.
“No, no, I want to see the… original.” Luo Ling clarified.
“Huh?” Cen Xiangyun was taken aback, shaking her head. “I don’t know about that, but… it’s highly unlikely there’s such an option.”
She paused, then continued, “Not to mention the Taboo Slate’s content is regularly publicized. You can just wait for the next release. Besides… what’s the point?”
Cen Xiangyun looked at Luo Ling suspiciously and continued,
“Wait, Miss Luo Ling, did you hear somewhere that the Taboo Slate is some powerful artifact? Besides recording the Grotesquery Sequences, it’s just an ordinary stone slab, albeit indestructible.”
“No, I just want to confirm something…”
“Confirm… Honestly, the Taboo Slate isn’t that interesting to look at. I’ve never heard of anyone mentioning seeing the original. If you really want to… you can ask the Company.” Cen Xiangyun shrugged. “But I doubt it’s possible. After all, if the Taboo Slate were lost, it would be a huge disaster.
“That’s why only the Company’s three directors have access to it.”
So, the reason for not allowing access was the fear of loss, not because of any issues with its content?
But was that… truly the case?
“Okay, I understand.”
Since Cen Xiangyun had put it that way, Luo Ling didn’t press further.
“By the way, Eve said she’s coming over tonight to celebrate with our team.” Cen Xiangyun said, unbuttoning her coat. “Miss Luo Ling, you don’t have to be so shy. We’re all colleagues, we’ll be working together from now on. More friends, more opportunities.
“The Company doesn’t have KPI assessments, but there are OKRs for annual bonuses and such… Do you understand?”
“Huh?”
Luo Ling, who had never experienced corporate life, blinked.
“I envy you. Only students can be blissfully unaware of such things.” Cen Xiangyun sighed. “Anyway, KPI is like your boss cracking the whip to keep you on track, while OKR is like your boss making you crack the whip on yourself… they call it ‘self-motivated,’ but it’s pretty much the same.
“In the Company, it means you have to complete more commissions to earn the corresponding rewards in your contract. You can’t survive on the base salary… Can you help me unbutton this?”
Cen Xiangyun, now only in her underwear, turned her back to Luo Ling, pointing to the clasp she couldn’t reach.
“Oh, sure.”
Luo Ling stepped forward, looking at Cen Xiangyun with a hint of envy.
Because she didn’t need anyone to unbutton her clothes.
Just as Luo Ling reached out, the apartment door creaked open.
Luo Ling and Cen Xiangyun turned to see Lu Manqing holding several ice cream cones, Elsa beside her, also holding a cone, staring at the scene inside the apartment.
“Excuse me.”
Lu Manqing closed the door.
“Miss Luo Ling!”
Elsa opened the door again.
“Really, excuse me.”
Lu Manqing closed the door again, pulling Elsa back with her.
Luo Ling looked at Cen Xiangyun, puzzled. “What are they doing?”
Cen Xiangyun: “…”
“I don’t know.”
……
Within a dilapidated, musty old church, several black-robed priests stood motionless, like frozen mannequins.
A barrier, constructed from blood and Grotesquery remnants, surrounded them, connected to a coffin at the center. A faint, sweet metallic scent lingered in the air.
Suddenly, the shadows within the old church distorted. The barrier connected to the coffin activated, slowly whirring to life.
Sensing the barrier’s activation, the priests’ wooden expressions melted away, their movements becoming fluid and casual.
A figure emerged from the rotating barrier. A middle-aged man with a solemn expression materialized in mid-air, looking down at the congregation below.
The priests immediately prostrated themselves, saying respectfully,
“Greetings, Educator.”
“Hmm?” Educator frowned slightly, his gaze sweeping over the black-robed priests. “You…”
He observed them for a moment, then continued,
“Are you all here?”
The lead priest raised his head and replied,
“Reporting to Educator, all priests of the Church of Light are present.”
Educator nodded silently after a moment.
However, he had other thoughts.
It was rare for them to all be present in the church. The other churches he had inspected were lucky to have even one priest remaining. Most had gone out carousing.
After all, these priests were ordinary people, merely wielding power they shouldn’t possess through his methods.
This was a headache for Educator, but he had no solution. A disorganized mob was still a disorganized mob.
Besides… he still didn’t know which church had been infiltrated. It remained a hidden danger.
Educator’s gaze sharpened, fixated on the Church of Light’s congregation.
In an instant, a subtle cut appeared on each priest’s arm.
“…”
The priests winced but remained silent.
“Not infiltrated. Seems… good.”
Educator had an idea. Since the leader here could maintain such devout followers, he must be somewhat capable.
He needed to focus his energy elsewhere and couldn’t afford to be distracted by this matter. It would be best to delegate some authority.
“What is your name?”
Educator looked down at the lead priest.
“Reporting to Educator, my name is Felix.”
“You’ve performed well. I admire you.” Educator smiled warmly, his previous solemnity vanishing. “I’ll consider entrusting you with some important missions. If you prove yourself capable, a higher position… isn’t impossible.”
Educator had already decided. He would first have him reorganize the other churches. If he produced results, he could entrust him with managing all the churches.
“Thank you, Educator!”
Felix’s face lit up with joy, but he quickly suppressed it, lowering his head and controlling his trembling.
Educator was pleased with Felix’s reaction. It showed ambition, which was a good thing.
“Alright, we’ll discuss this later. I’ve appeared here to assign you an important task.”
Educator composed himself and waved his hand, conjuring an image.
“From now on, the object of your worship… is Him. Spare no expense. You must utilize all ‘Forbidden Puppets’.”
The image depicted an ordinary-looking old man, hunched over, his eyes hidden behind thick glasses.
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