Chapter 361: Blasphemy

Chapter 361: Blasphemy

In Tinggen City, at the Black Thorn Security Company.

In the lounge, a few people were gathered around, playing a game of Evil Combat.

They were Luo Yao, a member of the Nocturne squad on duty today, Kline, who had taken a break from studying the mysteries of the occult, and Cresta, a particularly amiable senior deacon who had joined them.

"Three nines. It's been pretty quiet lately, hasn't it? No extraordinary events to handle", Luo Yao said, running his fingers through his golden hair.

"Three aces."

Kline kept an eye on Cresta's hand. "Probably because there have been too many patrols and strict security measures. I think it's a good thing."

Luo Yao glanced at Kline's hand, his lips twitching.

Cresta smiled and nodded. "It is indeed a good thing that there haven't been any dangerous incidents. Perhaps, in the near future, your work will become a bit easier."

Kline clapped his hands and handed over a prepared cup of black tea with a smile. "Sir Cresta, you have such good luck, winning every round! With you here, we'll definitely find the Antigonus' Notebook."

Luo Yao rolled his eyes at Kline, silently accusing him.

This damn newcomer always feeds Cresta the right cards. No wonder he never loses.

Kline's face turned red, pretending not to notice Luo Yao's glare, and inwardly grumbled.

Senior, playing cards isn't just about luck; it's also about human relations.

If you make your boss feel good, won't you have more opportunities for promotion and raises?

Besides, he really wanted to recover the Antigonus' Notebook to ease his mind.

Watching the two of them with a smile, Cresta, who had been sipping his tea leisurely, suddenly paused and slowly put down his cup.

"I have a message for you."

The senior deacon smiled gently. "The Nocturne squad's work schedule is returning to normal. The additional patrol shifts are canceled, and you can take a normal day off today."

Kline's heart leaped with joy. It was Monday, and they needed a meeting. He had been worried that with Cresta around, they wouldn't be able to have it!

Yeah, and he didn't want to be misunderstood by Mrs. O'Leanna, either. After all, spending too much time in the restroom wasn't very friendly for a single young man.

But why were they suddenly no longer on high alert?

...

In the dark, secluded environment, all the scenes that would make one blush and quicken their heartbeat were hidden, leaving only the sounds that stirred the imagination, hinting at the ongoing Hunting Battle.

The gods themselves are a leap in the hierarchy of life. Even though the Goddess of the Night doesn't possess the incomparable charm of the Goddess of Beauty or the allure of a Witch, she still brings an unforgettable and beautiful experience.

Lu Ke realized he was thinking along the wrong lines.

Because the Goddess of the Night mostly used her powers in battle, he had overlooked the fact that "Insomnia", being on the same path as a "Warrior", also had astonishing physical combat abilities.

For the first time in a long while, he felt the humiliation of being overpowered.

If he didn't take the initiative, wouldn't he just be taken advantage of?

Lu Ke mustered all his strength and fought back. Even though he couldn't turn the tide, he managed to gain some control, making the other side start to struggle and take him more seriously.

The Goddess of the Night transformed from her normal human form, growing additional arms covered in black fur from her ribs and waist, then shifted into her complete mythic wolf form, cycling through the three forms repeatedly.

Lu Ke stroked the divine fur, feeling the incredibly tough hairs soften in his hands, a wave of comfort washing over him. He couldn't resist reaching out to play with the ears, which felt incredibly good.

Waves of soul-soothing comfort washed over him as he played with the tail, and he suddenly felt a bit conflicted.

Was something off?

Although he did prefer dogs to cats, wasn't this a bit too much of a stretch?

No, no, no. Thinking about it, hadn't he already tamed Jörmungandr in the world of dragons? If a dragon king could do it, so could a mythic wolf. He wasn't the first Lu Ke to have a non-human partner.

And the Lu Ke from the inner world who had come in with him? He had more than just non-humans—elves, demons, magical girls, androids, succubi... the list was endless!

With that thought, he felt at ease and continued.

...

When the deep darkness that had enveloped everything receded, an additional large stone chair had appeared in the palace.

Lu Ke sat on it, his small size making him look like a child who had wandered into a land of giants.

He didn't ask the Goddess of the Night to resize the chair to fit his body; he simply propped himself up with his arms and sat there.

The Goddess of the Night once again donned her intricate, star-studded outer robe, appearing as she had at the beginning, seemingly unchanged. However, the atmosphere between the two had noticeably improved.

"Do you think maintaining this relationship will make you feel more at ease?"

"Of course not, I just wanted to try it out."

He certainly wouldn't admit that he had been playing a teasing game with his girlfriend, and that he felt better after letting off some steam, so he took the opportunity when it presented itself.

Lu Ke yawned, his body limp, and he leaned against the hard stone chair, his eyes sweeping over the figure that occasionally appeared in the darkness.

"How do you feel?"

The Goddess of the Night glanced at him and replied with a dispassionate tone.

"Alright."

Lu Ke: "..."

Alright, who's alright? How can it just be alright?

I'm only at Sequence 6, and I'm facing a Divine Projection. What do you expect?

And you bring up 'maintaining this relationship' as if it's nothing?

A fleeting smile flickered at the corner of the Goddess of the Night's mouth, but she didn't discuss what had just happened. Instead, she adopted a more serious tone.

"Do you plan to eliminate the royal family and the nobility, rewrite the laws of the Rune Kingdom, and launch a world-wide war to follow the Hunter pathway and become a Red High Priest?"

Lu Ke cleared his throat, switching back to a serious mode, and nodded slightly.

"For now, that's the plan. I'll know more once I reach the godhood stage, but I'll launch the war when I become an Angel."

After Sequence 4, he would try to choose the Extraordinary Traits that best suited him, such as "Ancient Scholar", "Prophet", or "Conqueror."

On the surface, he was only at Sequence 6, but as long as the conditions were right, the high-Sequence Extraordinary Traits that would normally take a long time to assimilate would be absorbed instantly. This was a unique characteristic of the Secret Path, where the pace of advancement accelerated as one progressed.

In short, godhood was not far off.

The Goddess of the Night pondered for a moment and shared the information she knew.

"The only uniqueness of the Red High Priest is the Sealed Artifact '0-01,' the Salinger Blood Flag, which is in the stomach of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom."

"As for the three 'Conqueror' Extraordinary Traits, one is in the hands of the Rune Royal Family, likely with King George Iii. Another is with the rogue Archangel Fumont Sorel, whose whereabouts are a mystery, having disappeared from my sight during the Fourth Era."

"The location of the last 'Conqueror' is unknown to me."

Possessing the authority of Secrecy did not mean she could know everything or predict everything. Beyond deep strategy, the Goddess of the Night's strength lay in her ability to make immediate, adaptive changes.

Lu Ke propped his chin up and spoke casually.

"Fumont is in Trier, the capital of the Intis Republic, though it's Trier from the Fourth Era... The last 'Conqueror' is in the hands of the Blasphemer Amon."

The Goddess of the Night's eyes widened in surprise. "Do you possess a symbol similar to Omniscience or Prophecy?"

Lu Ke smiled but didn't answer the question. "There's no need to force the acquisition of all three 'Conquerors.' With '0-01,' one 'Conqueror,' and two other Sequence 1 Extraordinary Traits, I can achieve godhood."

Strictly speaking, as the embodiment of Oneness of All, he only needed any three Sequence 1s and a uniqueness to support his ascension. Having an original Sequence 1 would make it more stable.

He shared this information with the Goddess of the Night because he felt relatively at ease with her now.

This wasn't because of their recent deep conversation. Even with a believer as an anchor, a deity's divine nature always outweighed their human nature, especially after enduring long ages.

The main reason was that Lu Ke had already demonstrated the symbol of Invasion.

Invasion wasn't just about helping others enter the Western Continent, sealed by the Lord of Secrets. It could also help great beings from beyond Earth cross the initial barrier!

Because of his "unknown" nature, including the Primordial Hunger, these great beings were unaware of this information. Otherwise, all the Elder Gods would likely begin hunting Lu Ke's true form.

And if Lu Ke's true form were to be controlled or consumed by the Primordial Hunger or another Elder God, the Elder God could directly cross the barrier, and Earth would be utterly destroyed without any preparation.

This was a powerful deterrent.

"I understand."

The Goddess of the Night was not overly surprised. Knowing that Lu Ke's Sequence 6 was not one of the first few "Secret Path" traits but rather the "Joyful Witch", and confirming that Lu Ke was in conflict with the Primordial Hunger, she could roughly guess that Lu Ke possessed a symbol like Devouring.

"Thinking this way, the flexibility of your ascension to godhood increases significantly."

"Even so, most ascension rituals are hard to keep hidden from other deities. Once you ascend, the influence will be global, and I can't guarantee complete secrecy. You need to be cautious."

Lu Ke nodded in deep agreement. He had become a deity when his golden finger first awakened, causing a ripple that drew the attention of the Elder Gods.

Of course, the main reason he was pursued by the Primordial Hunger was due to the "Oneness of All" symbol bestowed upon him by the Creator. Otherwise, Earth would still be the most delectable delicacy in the eyes of the Outer Gods.

The Goddess of the Night spoke in a gentle, soothing tone:

"You need to gain as many allies as possible. Even though you are unique, the ascension process will make you more vulnerable than usual. Being attacked would be very dangerous."

The Seven Major Deities are not a monolithic group. True Gods at adjacent Sequences are often each other's targets, especially as the barrier weakens and the end of days approaches.

Each deity has their pride, but each must also find a way to ascend to an Elder God, or when the barrier disappears, Earth will be divided and everyone will die.

"I know that without you saying. I won’t be arrogant enough to think I can face the entire world alone."

Lu Ke nodded lightly, not particularly worried.

Once he ascends to the Angel level, he will become a high-grade Divine Vessel, with support from his true form. He won’t fear True Gods, and after stabilizing at Sequence 1, he won’t even fear a True God siege.

Initially, his true form was one of the most powerful and versatile True Gods. After receiving the initial will and the Elder God status and symbol, he stood between True Gods and Elder Gods, making him a "half-Elder God."

Even if his true form can’t transmit too much power to avoid the Primordial Hunger, the "essence" sealed in the Western Continent will assist him, widening the gap between him and True Gods.

The voice of the Goddess of the Night sounded:

"Premature exposure will put you in danger. You must choose the right moment to seek help. I will only respond when you can seal the deal."

Lu Ke glanced sideways at the Goddess of the Night, crossing his right leg over his left, nonchalant:

"Don’t think I’m so fragile that I need your tender care and gentle treatment. This meeting is your opportunity, not mine."

The harsh words hung in the air, and the deep darkness fell silent.

After a moment, a gentle voice broke the silence.

"Acceptable."

Lu Ke: "I'm not that fragile, so don't think you need to handle me with kid gloves."

Before he could react, the darkness receded like a tide, and the surrounding white mist suddenly thickened, obscuring his vision. The grand and desolate Night Kingdom became hazy.

Everything began to feel like a dream.

Lu Ke’s vision blurred, and he saw the pure black church again, the holy emblem composed of stars, night, and a crimson moon, and the low chanting of the bishop preaching.

"They are naked and hungry, with no clothes or food, exposed to the cold."

"They are drenched by heavy rain, clinging to the rocks for shelter."

"They are mothers whose children have been taken away, orphans who have lost hope, and the poor who have been forced off the right path."

"The night has not abandoned them; it has given them its favor."

Lu Ke glanced at the bishop standing beside him, unaware of his presence, and then at the believers who hadn’t noticed him either. He realized the “Secrecy” effect was still on him.

He found an empty seat where no one was around and sat down, quietly listening to the bishop’s chanting, waiting for the “Secrecy” to wear off. The believers below held their breath, their eyes focused and devout.

When the Mass ended, the bishop made four marks on his chest, drawing the shape of the “Crimson Moon,” and softly called out.

"Praise the Goddess!"

The believers responded with the same gesture, “Praise the Goddess.”

The echoes overlapped, each word resonating, cleansing the soul.

After the bishop finished preaching and opened the door to the confessional, one by one, gentlemen and ladies lined up, waiting to confess their troubles.

At this moment, Lu Ke, who had already ended the “Secrecy,” stood out as he moved against the crowd, preparing to leave.

A young priest approached with concern, “Sir, a troubled heart needs to be expressed. You can wait for the confessional to be free, and the bishop will guide you.”

Lu Ke smiled and waved his hand, “Thank you, but it’s not necessary. My troubles have already been released to the Goddess.”

The young priest stood there, at a loss, watching Lu Ke leave. After a while, he reacted, his face turning red as he pointed in the direction Lu Ke had gone.

"You… you blasphemer!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end