Secret: The years I served as a foreign aid for the Aurora Club

Chapter 286 Bewitching
585
"really interesting."

Edward walked out of the spirit world and put on his coat. He turned around and confirmed that the real Creator had not followed him. Then he blended into the crowd in Enmat Harbor very naturally, like an ordinary gentleman going out for a walk after dinner.

He did not use his hat to limit his vision, but looked around casually with a smile on his face.

"He saw the rebellious Bishop of Night in Enmat Harbor..."

"He hasn't been caught for so long, 0-08 must still be on him. It shouldn't be 0-08 who brought me here. I'm right here, would 0-08 dare to write about me? - There's no reason for it to write about me, unless there's a higher-level narrator."

Long before the great smog, Adam or his "Twilight Hermits" had tried to sow discord in the fragile international relations of the Northern Continent, using the "Devil Card" as bait to lure Jason Belia into assassinating Duke Negan.

But in Edward's opinion, this was simply a scam. After all, it was an unspoken rule of the top leaders of the Extraordinary World to not allow the "Devil" to give birth to high-sequence and powerful people. Even if Jason Belia completed the task, he would most likely be killed on the spot and completely silenced.

It is better to believe me than to believe those charlatans who are superstitious about the "trend of the times" and the "choice of fate". At least when I am in a good mood, I will really give something. Besides, "trend" and "choice" are ultimately directed and acted by the charlatan leader Adam. He has written everything hundreds and thousands of years ago. In the eyes of other charlatans, his words are natural and everything is under his control.

"Means nothing."

"If it's the old theory that 'everything was predetermined when the universe was born', I'd be interested in learning more about it... Adam threw out the 'Devil Card' to attract me now. Is it because he thinks the current 'trend of the times' has completely shifted and he wants to start a new chapter? Or does he think there's still a chance to turn the tide after he kills me?"

Edward thought about it for a while and then gave up. He didn't intend to learn the way of thinking of the charlatan.

In addition to getting back the "Devil's Card", it's worth making a trip just to touch 0-08.

“It would be a good thing if I could die at the same time—” He looked at the eye hidden in his shadow and did not say this aloud, but He believed that the true Creator would definitely think of this.

Edward was not too worried about Adam appearing beside him. If He really came, he would beat Him with his fists until He left. There was no High Sequence in the entire Enmat Port that could kill Him, so the audience's mental incitement and hypnotic suggestion were useless.

"Anyway, how about eating first?"

The weather is getting warmer, but it is not yet completely dark in the northern continent.

The streets are a hodgepodge of people, appearing a chaotic mess in the eyes of the devil.

With just one glance, Edward could tell the general life stories of the food that was worth eating - for example, the female owner of a tailor shop seemed to be an excellent pirate, and at least ten people died at her hands. The man who was carrying goods to a ship was a fugitive, and the bald man who passed by was a loan shark, and seemed to have killed many people, with resentment and sin hanging clearly on him. Judging from the degree of his sin and desire, it was not bad, but the appearance was too bad to be served on the table.

In addition, there are thieves and murderers who are not worth looking at, and nobles who can only be eaten occasionally... The nobles are born with their own signs, which are very obvious at a glance, because it is rare for someone to have so many resentments at such a young age. In addition to the more vivid black, most people are more ordinary gray, ordinary people who are neither completely good nor completely bad.

These messy ordinary people gathered together, bustling about, and walking like pieces of colorful haze.

The number of evil people around us seems to be slowly increasing. The devil is here, and ordinary people will also be affected and develop evil thoughts imperceptibly.

If Edward stayed here for a few more days, the security of Port Enmat would be in vain.

The devil's eyes casually swept over the people nearby, wondering with interest whether to eat a few people for a quick bite or do nothing and wait for the holder of the "Devil Card" to come. He looked at the people who could be put on the table one by one, and suddenly, he met a pair of eyes in the crowd.

Edward thought it was just a coincidence, so he looked away and walked to the side of the street. But the other person seemed to be staring at him without blinking, with one eye always on him.

Then He turned His head back, smiled and greeted the owner of the pair of green eyes: "Hello?"

The green-eyed young man didn't seem to think that looking directly at others was impolite in Loen. His expression was extremely serious, even to the point of being a little nervous. Fear, anger, suspicion... When did I become a victim?
Considering that he would not remember any of the victims, Edward did not think too much, nor was he in a hurry. He smiled and waited for the other party to take out some weapons from his arms to hit him, or to take out some flares and throw them into the sky. After all, this young man looked like a mid-sequence Beyonder, with guns and spiritual Beyonder items on him. It was estimated that he was either a member of a secret organization or - He noticed the hand hidden in the other party's pocket - Oh, it turned out to be the "Red Glove" of the Church of Evernight.

To arrest the renegade bishop?

Just when He was bored and thinking about leaving, the green-eyed young man suddenly spoke, his voice was low and reached directly into His ears.

"It's you." He whispered, "Who are you?"

Edward raised his eyebrows, then nodded approvingly: "It seems that you know me, and there are people around you who know me - someone told you not to remember my face and name because you are worried that I will find out?"

The young man remained silent.

"Then how did you notice me? Is the person who guided you nearby?" Edward looked around casually, but did not feel any special emotions, and his sense of crisis did not react, so he turned his gaze back to the young man and said with a smile:

"Also, don't silently recite the name of the Goddess of Night in your heart."

Leonard Mitchell was horrified. He immediately stopped thinking about calling for help, and did not foolishly try to provoke the other party with his spiritual bullets and weapons. He never expected to run into him by chance while searching for Ince Zangwill. The fact that the old man suddenly disappeared was enough to prove the problem. Even when faced with the note "Amon is coming", the old man just gasped.

From this perspective, Leonard confirmed that the unknown mastermind was more dangerous than Amon in some ways.

He clenched his sweaty palms and felt the cold and dampness in his gloves.

"Tingen."

Anyway, there is no such thing as a safe distance in front of such a strong man. He didn't know whether the other party would kill him directly on a whim. Leonard simply took a step forward and stood in front of the other party, gritting his teeth and said:

"Do you remember Tingen? You killed there..."

"Four thousand three hundred and fifty-one."

Edward added: "So? Are you here for revenge? For someone, family, friends, or relatives?"

Four thousand three hundred and fifty-one? That many people? Leonard was suddenly stuck on this number. The church's statistics showed that there were more than three thousand eight hundred people, and the exact number was impossible to estimate... Are there still so many people? Are there still so many people that even the church doesn't notice?
"...You killed so many people, and you don't have any emotions at all?"

Leonard quickly came to his senses, temporarily putting the numbers aside, and said angrily: "The offspring of the true Creator were born there, and they needed a huge amount of negative emotions to mature, and you sacrificed more than 4,000 people for this!"

Edward touched his chin doubtfully and said:
"So? What are you doing here?"

"If you just want to express your dissatisfaction, there is paper and pen at the newsstand next to you. You can leave after you finish writing."

Leonard was stunned again.

The other party's reaction was within his expectations, but also completely beyond his expectations. The old man was the only one who understood the divine creatures. The old man would sneer, tease him, and give him advice. Therefore, Leonard always felt that even if he became a divine creature, he should still retain some of his own humanity and emotions. It was just like the madness brought by the potion, and he needed to be vigilant and resist at all times.

Faced with this High-Sequence Powerful One who had clearly cut ties with humans and talked about humans in the same tone as animals or insects, Leonard was speechless for a moment. Many people would not scald ants with boiling water or step on an ant colony out of curiosity, but even if they did, what would happen? Would someone feel like an ant and be furious about this behavior or even want to avenge the ants?
In this situation, Leonard suddenly felt that his anger was meaningless. Others were too lazy to even kill him. Looking at him was like looking at an ant with bared fangs and claws waving its antennae at his feet.

But I am a human being, I am one of the ants that was trampled to death, how can I not be angry about this!
"It's okay. I understand you. You are a human being. It must be sad to see your compatriots being killed so casually."

The devil spoke to Leonard very gently and considerately. Just like practicing Tai Chi, his few words quietly transformed Leonard's anger into confusion. Then, without waiting for Leonard to speak, he continued:
"Who are you accusing me of? Your significant other?"

Leonard was led to think, he found the opportunity to speak again, and immediately said:
"I am sorry for the more than 4,000 innocent people who died in Tingen."

"Is there anyone you know in there?"

Huh? Uh... Leonard thought about it carefully for a long time. It seemed that he knew only two people who died in the disaster in Tingen. One was the captain, but Dunn Smith, who had returned to their side, seemed to be the same as when he was alive. The other was his companion Klein Moretti, but he was a member of a secret organization. He used death to escape and joined the Nighthawks for other purposes...

Leonard frowned:
"…Even if not, isn't their death worth my anger, sadness, and hatred for you?"

The smile on Edward's face widened. He touched his chin and thought seriously for a while:
"I remember that most of the people I killed were from the lower streets, that is, the slums."

He looked at Leonard, as aggressive as a snake showing its fangs: "Then did you care about these people I killed before they died? Do you know their names? Since you don't know, since you don't care at all, why are you questioning me with false compassion?" "No! I've been to Lower Street, I..." Leonard was speechless for a moment.

He looked at Leonard and suddenly smiled:
"You must have killed someone important to you, right?"

"Otherwise, we wouldn't be unable to name a single victim among the four thousand people."

"In that case, then stop using the four thousand people you never cared about as an excuse. If they didn't die at my hands, they would have died of disease, hunger, pain, and poverty. Why don't you say that I gave them a merciful death?"

"How dare you say that they don't want to die? How do you judge whether they are suffering in life or in death?"

Which is more painful, death or life?

Then...it should be...death, right?

Leonard wanted to open his mouth to refute, but it seemed that he could not make a sound no matter what.

He suddenly thought of the family on the lower street that he and Klein had investigated a long time ago. The hostess could only earn a few pennies by pasting matchboxes from morning to night. She would not be able to do this kind of work for long before her eyes would be damaged. How long could she continue to do this job? Then what could she do after her eyes were damaged? ... They had no jobs, and even if someone died, they could not get compensation. Instead, they still lacked another source of income. What happened to them later... And in the East District, how many of those who died in the smog felt more relieved and relieved than in pain when death came?
Why on earth did he think that death must be painful?
Because I grew up in a church orphanage, but have I always lived a happy life?

After saying these cold words like a sword, Edward put on his most skilled warm and gentle smile. He approached Leonard, who was a little dazed by the huge impact, step by step, patted his shoulder, and spoke softly:
"You are the 'Red Gloves' of the Church of Evernight, right? Are you here to arrest your traitor? ... Then do you know that from the very beginning, 0-08 was released from the underground sealing room by your goddess?"

Leonard's pupils suddenly shrank, and he raised his head abruptly, staring at the pair of pure black eyes so close to him in disbelief.

The demon laughed softly, "Otherwise, how could a loser who failed to advance to Sequence 4 calmly leave the underground sealed room of your cathedral, which is heavily guarded and guarded by angels, with a Level 0 Sealed Artifact?"

After saying these words with a smile, He shook His head again, as if He was really sighing:
"How pitiful! You foolish and upright people! How much manpower and resources have you wasted to bring back 0-08? How many church members and innocent people have died because of this? How sad they would be if they knew that their tragedy was tacitly approved by God from the very beginning!"

"you!"

Leonard was almost terrified to the point of being a little angry. He didn't believe it. Of course he didn't believe it! This was the devil's temptation. It was tempting him to fall, blaspheme, and betray his own beliefs! Leonard almost jumped up. He said angrily:

"Stop saying those things! Don't blaspheme the goddess in front of me!"

"I can't possibly believe you!!"

After the outburst, he suddenly realized that his voice and reaction were a bit excessive. He quickly looked around, only to find that everyone was walking and living normally, as if they couldn't see the small area where he was.

If I were killed, no one would notice.

This idea suddenly popped into Leonard's mind.

He could have killed me directly, but he still spoke so much to me. Was it just to deceive me?
"Haha, I admire your faith, because I am a cold and cruel person who will not trust anything without any benefit."

The demon casually praised Leonard, and used both soft and hard tactics to dispel some of the anger and hostility rising in Leonard's heart:

"I don't expect you to believe it. Let me tell you a story."

“He” lowered his voice and said, “0-08 is an important item that a high-sequence Beyonder needs. Your Goddess of Night has cooperated with him before, so as a reward, 0-08 must be given to this high-sequence powerhouse.”

"This is impossible."

Leonard shook his head firmly. "Everything in the church belongs to God. If the goddess wants to give something to someone, there are many ways to do it. There is no need to use this method! And you even find a renegade bishop to steal it? It's so troublesome! You even have to find a renegade bishop to steal the seal. After going through so much trouble, hasn't the thing been delivered yet?"

"Because this is a private transaction between them."

Edward smiled and gave an analogy: "It's like you and I both like the goods in a store. You are not as financially capable as I am, but you happen to have something the owner needs, so he is willing to sell it to you at a low price. In this case, would you be stupid enough to come to the store and bid against me? What if my bid is too high and the owner changes his mind? Of course, it's better to trade with the owner in private."

"That's impossible." Leonard still didn't believe it.

"It doesn't matter if you want to believe it or not. Anyway, that strong man will come to take 0-08 soon." Edward disagreed. "You will just have to wait and see whether Ince Zangwill will be killed by 0-08, and whether someone else will come to take the item away."

Even if Adam doesn't come, I can still pick it up!
Besides, how could Adam not come? They had been preparing for so long.

Seeing Edward speak so confidently, Leonard couldn't help but feel a little suspicious, but the doubt only lasted for a few seconds before he shook it out of his mind. He even felt ashamed and confessed to the goddess for believing in the devil's temptation.

"By the way, do you hate me? Do you hate me, or do you hate 'the existence that can manipulate human life at will'?"

What's the problem?
Leonard answered without hesitation: "What I hate is people like you who kill innocent people for your own purposes."

"Well, then the same is true for the Seven."

"Don't spit blood! The gods have fought off monsters and protected mankind from disasters for thousands of years!"

"That's very strange. Why is the history of the Fourth Epoch interrupted? Why did all the people in the previous epoch die? Why were all the relics destroyed?" Edward answered casually, "Because the people in the previous epoch didn't trust God. God was afraid of them."

Nonsense! Leonard was about to refute when the underground ruins of the Pound family suddenly flashed through his mind.

At present, the academic community's research on the Quaternary Epoch is pitifully small. It was not easy to find a relatively well-preserved relic from the Quaternary Epoch in Backlund City. Just when he thought he was going to go in for archaeological exploration, the church completely destroyed the place.

How could God be afraid of man?

It is obviously God who maintains the normal operation of society and it is God who brings people a normal life and dignity. God loves the world!

"…This doesn't mean anything. After all, people who don't respect God will bring danger to society." He insisted.

"Haha, it doesn't matter. I don't need you to believe what I say."

Edward glanced at the clock in the distance, then at Leonard's red gloves, and spoke again with a smile:
"Wait until 0-08 is picked up by the customer who booked it, then you can think about this issue carefully."

"Think carefully, do you hate me, or do you hate the strong who killed innocent people, or do you hate yourself for not being strong enough? Otherwise, according to your logic, the goddess of night who released 0-08 and caused people to lose their lives is the same existence."

"You! You..." Leonard was almost furious, but before he could formulate his words, Edward pushed Leonard aside, walked away, and disappeared in the crowd in the blink of an eye.

Of course Leonard wasn't stupid enough to chase after him. He stood there for a while, then walked in the opposite direction. After walking for a long time, he heard an old voice coughing in his mind.

"Old man, the devil's words are really scary."

Leonard was angry and frightened: "You are full of lies, I can't believe a word you say. You are right, I will never, ever get close to the devil again next time!"

Listening to Leonard's self-hypnotic words, Pales sneered softly.

TBC
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I failed, I was just pretending.

A long time ago, in the mystery of "Guess who will be bumped into by Lao Ai and listen to the devil's reasoning until he doubts his life", everyone basically guessed it was Audrey, but it was actually Leonard.

Hey, hey, I’ll take another leave at the end of the month!

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(End of this chapter)