Chapter 346: Aurora Society

Chapter 346: Aurora Society

At the docks, two suspicious figures moved stealthily in the dark night, stopping at the ship's berth. The flickering light from the watchtower illuminated their faces.

The younger-looking man in the lead had a high collar and thick, unruly eyebrows, beneath which were a pair of bluish-gray eyes. The middle-aged man behind him had noticeable dark circles under his eyes, his hair standing on end like a porcupine, and his face wore a look of fear.

The two Aurora Society members were waiting for a ship arriving from Enmart Port, and they had decided to personally greet their superior, Archon Z, who was coming after receiving their message.

In the chilly night breeze, the middle-aged man hesitated before speaking,

"Sirius, is it really the right decision to call upon Archon Z? We will surely face severe punishment for the mistakes we made."

"It is precisely because we made mistakes that we must make amends. The Lord is omnipresent and omniscient."

Sirius's voice was icy, and his beast-like eyes glanced at the middle-aged man.

"Haines, your faith in the Lord is not sincere enough, which is why you have been unable to digest the 'Esoteric Worshipper' potion of Sequence 9."

"We shouldn't have taken the Antigonous Notes, and we were afraid that the Order of Esoteric Studies would track us down through fortune-telling. We sold it to university students, which led to their deaths and attracted the attention of the Night Shift Team."

A hint of regret flashed in Sirius's eyes.

He didn't understand why he had made such a foolish decision. There were so many ways to handle the Antigonous Notes, yet he chose to sell it to university students, who were the most curious and fragile beings, easily perishing.

"If our plan goes well, we can offer the Lord a great achievement by converting dozens of people in Tinggen City. This will be enough to erase our sins."

Hainas fell silent. He knew that Sirius was the one who had arranged the fraud ritual of Ranulus, and he had played no role in it. But he couldn't argue because he knew his lack of loyalty.

The 'Hanged Man' Path of Sequence 9, the 'Esoteric Worshipper,' required a simple and pure portrayal. One only needed to pray devoutly to a great being to quickly digest the potion. In theory, a qualified Aurora Society member could fully digest the potion in one or two months.

If Tinggen City, a small city, was not worthy of having its own Archon, Hainas might have been dealt with by the Archon above long ago.

This was also a selection mechanism.

The 'Esoteric Worshipper' selected Aurora Society members who were not devout enough to the true creator, the 'Demonspawn.' Meanwhile, the 'Listener' of Sequence 8 had to endure the delirious whispers of the true creator, twisting their minds and driving them insane.

Every Aurora Society member with some status, including the Archons of Sequence 5, the 'Shepherds,' and even the saints who had attained godhood, were all fanatical believers of the true creator. They were ready to offer their lives at any moment.

Hainas spoke with a bitter tone, "I hope the Night Shift Team finds the clues later..."

Suddenly, a cold and chilling voice interrupted their conversation, so close that it felt like a whisper.

"So, you mean that before the Lord's offspring is even born, you've already drawn official attention?"

Sirius and Hainas were startled and turned their heads. In the shadows behind them, a figure had appeared without them noticing.

The figure was tall and wore a dark gray cloak, with a hood that concealed their face, which was carved with sharp features, as if crafted by the most skilled artisan.

It was Archon Z of the Aurora Society!

Hainas immediately knelt, explaining with trepidation, "Please forgive us, but the Lord's offspring is yet to be born."

Sirius, on the other hand, clasped his hands together and prayed devoutly.

"I am guilty, and I am willing to give everything as long as the Lord's offspring is born safely."

Archon Z remained silent for a few seconds, then suddenly turned to Hainas, his tone unreadable.

"How long has it been since you digested the 'Esoteric Worshipper' potion?"

Hainas's body trembled, and large drops of cold sweat formed on his forehead. He answered shakily,

"Two years..."

Before he could finish, Hainas's body exploded, sending flesh and bones in all directions, forming a bloody flower in the night sky. It then closed back into a ball and disappeared into Archon Z's robe.

"Your loyalty is lacking."

Archon Z's voice was indifferent.

The stench of blood filled the air, causing Sirius's pupils to contract. He clenched his jaw, waiting for his judgment, but instead, a bottle containing black liquid was placed before him.

"And you, you are guilty, but the Lord will bear it for you."

"This is the 'Hermit' potion of Sequence 7."

Archon Z looked at Sirius with an emotionless gaze, "It will grant you the ability to infiltrate shadows, move short distances through them, and control some shadow spells.

"When the child of the Lord is born, if you're still alive, I'll ask the Holy Shadow Saint for permission to make you one of the Archons."

Sirius suddenly looked up, his eyes sparkling with joy. Instead of expressing gratitude to Mr. Z, he began to pray devoutly.

"Creator of all, the Lord behind the veil of shadows, the one who governs the fall of the self."

"Praise be to You!"

"Praise be to You for creating all!"

"Praise be to You for bearing the sins of the world!"

Mr. Z didn't get angry at Sirius, who was praying without paying attention to him. Instead, he smiled and nodded in satisfaction.

"Tell me about what happened, especially about the woman who was blessed to bear the child of the Lord."

"Yes, it wasn't my intention to bear the child of the Lord. It's impossible for me to complete such a difficult ritual on my own."

Sirius began to explain what had happened: "At first, I just happened to see a fraudster named Lanuos, who seemed suitable to join the Aurora Society. I secretly taught him the relevant rituals."

"Surprisingly, Lanuos actually succeeded in the ritual, allowing a woman named Meghoss to conceive the child of the Lord. She's not an extraordinary woman, nor does she have any unique traits, but she endured the ritual and successfully became pregnant with the child of the Lord. Although it's unbelievable, it must be the Lord's arrangement."

Mr. Z furrowed his brows, deep in thought about what Lanuos had said.

"An ordinary woman is pregnant with the Lord's child...?"

He vaguely sensed that something seemed off, but he quickly gave up on his thoughts.

Regardless of the cause, the fact that the Lord's child is being conceived is already set in stone. As long as the child is born, everything will be fine.

Moreover, the Lord hasn't given him any revelations, which means the Lord has His own plans.

As an Archon of the Aurora Society, he doesn't need to think too much. The Lord will guide him!

"Let's move to a new location, find a place where we can observe Meghoss's residence, and I'll secretly protect the child of the Lord, ensuring no harm comes to Him."

Mr. Z stopped thinking, and his mind suddenly felt much clearer.

He placed his hand on Sirius's shoulder, and their figures faded away.

...

Blackthorn Security Company.

Leonard, with his romantic poet's temperament, was dressed in black pants for ease of movement and a white shirt left untucked. He held a cup of steaming coffee and walked down from the recreation room.

Due to his previous notoriety, he had been confined to the company for the past two days, relegated to handling clerical work.

He was leisurely enjoying his coffee at the clerical desk when Roxana, reading the newspaper beside him, suddenly exclaimed in a high-pitched voice, almost piercing his eardrums.

So noisy... What are women's voices made of, and why can they make such sounds?

"My Goddess, Ms. Shelun is dead!"

Leonard tapped his chin, "That name sounds familiar."

"That's Ms. Shelun, a well-known woman in Tinggen City, but not for any good reason."

Roxana seemed to realize that she had gotten too excited and muttered apologetically:

"Ms. Shelun is a beauty consultant for many cosmetic brands, and her makeup skills have been featured in numerous magazines."

Leonard recalled the name and raised his eyebrows, "I only remember her being involved in scandals with some nobles or wealthy individuals, causing a lot of emotional turmoil."

Roxana smiled, "You seem to have experienced it yourself."

At that moment, the sound of the door opening echoed.

Kline, dressed in a formal tailcoat and a half-high silk top hat, entered the room and smiled at the two of them.

"Let's go to the library on the sixth floor and start the new book!"

"Good morning, Kline."

Roxana put down the newspaper and glanced at Kline, "Why do you men always wear formal attire in this weather? It's not too hot in Tinggen's summer."

Kline shrugged helplessly, "That's the price of maintaining decorum."

"You can't dress inappropriately, eat food that doesn't suit your status, or play games that don't match your age."

Roxana smiled, "You seem to understand that well."

"Kline always restricts himself with rules, trying to be a decent person. In our hometown, we call this behavior 'pretentious.'"

Another voice sounded, and Luke emerged from behind Kline, removing his top hat and greeting Roxana and Leonard.

"Hey, don't undermine me in front of my colleagues."

Kline shot Luke an embarrassed look and gave him a vicious elbow nudge, but unfortunately, the "Fortune Teller" path didn't offer much in terms of physique enhancement, and his small arms and legs were completely unable to budge Luke.

Leonard: "..."

Facing the culprit who had put him in a review crisis, Leonard couldn't remain calm. The old man, Palles, who was with him, kept reminding him to keep his distance from Luke.

When asked for the reason, the old man couldn't provide a clear answer.

After confirming that Luke wasn't Ammun, it seemed unnecessary to fear an ordinary person, and his spiritual premonition didn't indicate any abnormalities. But Palles had an inexplicable sense of panic.

He awkwardly dodged Luke's gaze and politely nodded before turning to leave.

"Sorry, he's not usually like this."

Shelun awkwardly explained for Leonard.

"It's okay."

Luke nodded gently, his gaze falling on the Honest Man newspaper on Shelun's table.

The newspaper's headline was a large, eye-catching banner, and almost half of the front page was dedicated to news about Ms. Shelun's death.

Numerous celebrities expressed their deepest sadness and condolences for Ms. Shelun's passing, and the police had begun investigating the scene of her death. They initially ruled it as a homicide, but the suspect had not yet been identified.

This murder case involving a socialite became the most discussed topic of the day, a popular topic for conversation, and a source of entertainment for ordinary people's mundane lives.

In fact, it wasn't just the Honest Man newspaper; the Early Edition, Evening Edition, Barkeland Daily, and Tasok newspapers, as well as numerous family magazines, interviews, and journals, were all filled with this topic.

As the news spread, the "Magician" extraordinary trait did indeed digest more than it had initially, but the effect didn't seem particularly good. It seemed to have only saved about a week's worth of digestion time.

Luke speculated that the problem might lie in the timeliness of the performance. While the idea of triggering more people's emotional fluctuations was correct, he should have performed in front of an audience's gaze instead of secretly doing it in the quiet of the night.

Specifically, he needed to guide the audience's perception correctly, letting them know that he was the main performer of the magic and that they should cheer for him as the "Magician."

"So, is there something specific you came here for this time?"

After confirming that Luke wasn't actually angry, Shelun breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.

"Well... I'd like to say that getting to see Miss Shelun again is the reason for my visit, but I do have a small favor to ask."

Luke replied with a smile, his gentle voice causing Shelun's face to gradually blush.

"I heard from Kline that you can take on commissioned tasks here?"

He planned to make a temporary trip to Barkeland, where there were many influential figures and many extraordinary individuals suitable for being an audience. Killing a figure with sufficient influence and status in front of everyone should be enough to complete the digestion of the Magician.

Although he would be returning soon, it was better to take care of some matters in advance to prevent forgetting them later. For example, there was Old Neill, who was polluted by the "Hidden Sage."

Shelun nodded, her face showing some difficulty. "Yes, but we've been very busy with recent affairs, and there might not be anyone available to take on a commissioned task in a short time."

"It's not a very difficult task. I just want to ask you to translate a diary."

Luke smiled and took a thin booklet out of his pocket, handing it to Shelun. He spoke slowly.

"I recently found this diary while sorting through my grandfather's belongings."

"My grandfather was a lover of esoteric studies and had studied a portion of ancient languages used in rituals, such as Giant, Elven, Old Hermetic, and Old Fusax."

Shelun's eyes widened as she listened. "Your grandfather was indeed very knowledgeable..."

It sounded a bit like a cult leader.

Luke didn't offer much explanation. "I'd like to hire an elderly gentleman who is also well-versed in esoteric studies and has some knowledge of these languages to translate the diary. The reward is fifty pounds."

The diary was a product of his prayer to his original body, and reading it would result in "pollution." It would be covered by a higher-dimensional pollution, masking the pollution of the Hidden Sage.

An elderly gentleman who was an expert in esoteric studies, had some command of languages that could stir the spirit, and needed money—this description pointed directly to Old Neill.

Kline, who was unaware of the situation, listened with wide eyes and couldn't help but raise his hand. "Actually, I can give it a try."

Fifty pounds!

Luke's mouth twitched slightly.

You can boil a teapot!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end