World Occult Usage Guide

Chapter 125 A Lively Gathering

The smoke blows westward, bestowing upon you the purification of the floating mist.

Lin An stared at the pipe in his hand and silently recited the hymn he had once heard.

A moose passed by.

However, in this situation, Lin An had no way to call for its help, so he silently watched the smoke rise and dissipate until it disappeared.

Why are moose in San Francisco?
Is its unique path related to the Thunderbird?

Speaking of which, when we encountered the beaver before, Sister Mouse also mentioned that it was "on its way".

Could their common destination be the headquarters of the St. Anilov Foundation?

The energy fluctuations in the distance ceased. Lin An looked up and discovered that the deacon had removed the "Judge's" domain, and all the kaleidoscope-like, multicolored angels had vanished.

Simon sheathed his holy sword and used a healing spell to soothe the bleeding wound.

Since there was no conflict of interest, the two sides dropped the matter.

Lin An used his airflow technique to pry open all the car parts and got up from the ground. Mishi and Barry realized that Lin An had saved them and gave him grateful looks as they struggled to their feet.

"Drip drip."

The man pressed the "white dove" to his ear, and a message came from the other end that the research department at headquarters had received the [Thunderbird] sent by the Dawn Association.

The deacon's expression changed rapidly. After a long while, he sighed and walked straight to the car parked in the emergency lane.

"I'm sorry for the attack. You can discuss the follow-up with them."

The deacon got into the car and left in a hurry, with some members of the inspection team emerging from the front and back.

The knights and members of the Dawn Society following behind pushed through the crowd and surrounded the group before they could reach them. They checked the group's injuries and asked them with concern if they needed to go to the hospital.

Thanks to Simon's treatment and Lin An's airflow technique, the four were basically unharmed. After politely declining his proposal, the knight nodded slightly to them and began negotiating with the members of the Dawn Association and the inspection team.

Listening to their conversation, since the Dawn Association had successfully delivered the Thunderbird to headquarters using a smokescreen, the inspection team had no choice but to give up trying to stop them.

As for Lin An's team, both the Dawn Association and the Inspectorate wanted them to return to Dietrich immediately and not linger near headquarters for too long.

"I still don't understand why one side is going to such lengths to prevent the Thunderbird from returning to the Foundation, while the other side is determined to get it there no matter what," Lin An pressed the knight. "Is it just a political maneuver, or is there something else going on?"

"In any case, this has nothing to do with you," the knight replied with a smile. "Get in my car and drive to the international airport. The Dawn Association has booked your tickets back to Dietrich tonight."

From a safety perspective, this doesn't qualify as discarding someone after they've served their purpose.

If any unrest occurs at headquarters, at least these individuals can stay away from the conflict and save their lives.

But Lin An didn't want it to end there.

“I have to stay because I’ve applied for training at headquarters to qualify as a squad leader in the direct confrontation department.” Lin An waved his hand in refusal. “If my application is approved later, wouldn’t I have to rush back from Dietrich again?”

“Your plane ticket can be reimbursed,” the knight advised gently. “I don’t plan to stay at headquarters anytime soon. Are you sure you want to do this? Join the Trojan War?”

The "Trojan Horse" mentioned by the Love Knight was meant to warn Lin An of approaching danger, but it unexpectedly piqued his curiosity.

Lin An wouldn't give up easily without getting a definite answer.

Moreover, they haven't even found the last material for the Philosopher's Stone yet.

“Thank you for the Dawn Society’s arrangements, but I can’t get away for the time being,” Simon continued. “The branch president, Emmanuel, has given me some tasks that use the headquarters database.”

"Ah, let's stay together!" Mishi quickly said, "A squad should be complete!"

“Please send us your flight itinerary,” Barry said. “Mishi, I advise you to come with me. Otherwise, it’s not only dangerous, but you might also hold others back.”

Remembering her helplessness during the battle, where she could only rely on Lin An and Simon for protection, Mishi lowered her head in disappointment and tacitly agreed with Barry's statement. Lin An patted her shoulder.

See you in Dietrich.

"I'm going to train hard during this time!" Mishi clenched her fist. "When you come back, I'll definitely become a super fairy! Up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, B, A! A better, stronger Melissa!"

Her energetic demeanor slightly eased the tense atmosphere. Although he still couldn't understand, Simon smiled a long-lost smile and made a praying gesture.

"I hope you have a safe journey."

And so, Mishi and Barry got into the Dawn Society's car, and Simon negotiated with the inspectors, who then granted permission for them to ride.

Putting aside the disagreements arising from Thunderbird, the inspection team and the foundation are essentially one entity, working together.

For example, the first member of the inspection team that Lin An encountered was Leon, the captain of the four-person team. Although he worked in the inspection team, he was always at the forefront of every mission carried out by the foundation.

As the scene outside the window receded into the distance, Lin An still found it hard to believe that things had ended so easily.

Of course, the Dawn Association and the Western Continent forces behind them, as well as the support of the government, were involved, but Lin An always felt that everything was not completely over yet.

Feeling the watchful gaze of the inspection team members, Lin An shifted his neck uncomfortably and asked Simon a question.

"Captain, what task has our guild leader assigned you this time?"

Simon remained silent, lost in thought.

"Do I not have permission to know?"

“No, no, this is closely related to the safety of our team and the entire city of Dietrich.” Simon squinted, his thick eyelashes casting shadows on his silver eyes. “The chairman asked me to get some research data on the ‘Lady with the Lamp’.”

"The Lady with the Lamp?" "That's right. He suspects that Alpha-002's [Ghost] is very likely the world's first sighted 'Lady with the Lamp' medium mystic."

You're wrong. At least Ghost Unit-01 is a "Seeker of Knowledge".

Whether the second-generation guy who uses my name to kill people indiscriminately is the "Lady with the Lamp" is really hard to say.

As Lin An pondered, he said, "What's so special about this medium? Although it's recorded as one of the twelve divine mediums, and is considered one of the two most powerful, unknown, and dangerous mediums along with the 'Lord of Dreams,' I've never encountered an awakened mysterious being with it."

Forget about the "Lady with the Lamp," he only ever got one of those mediums from Zomo the Rabbit.

Apart from that, everything about Him is a mystery.

“I’m not quite sure.” Simon subconsciously made a gesture to reach for a cigarette, but didn’t take anything out. “Research on the ‘Lady with the Lamp’ has always been top secret. I’ve heard that their nature is related to the ‘Commerx’… no, nothing.”

"Oh……"

Seeing that Simon's answer was vague, Lin An glossed over it.

It's unclear whether he didn't want to tell Lin An, or didn't want the inspection team to hear it.

Let's ask around more carefully when we get back to Dietrich.

As dusk fell, the car drove away from the bustling areas of San Francisco. The streetlights became fewer and fewer, and the surroundings quieted down, with only the sound of the waves lapping against the shore.

Until one moment, a sudden light illuminated the carriage.

Lin An looked outside, expecting to see a high-powered light or a flare, but the light was just shining from a distance, everywhere, and he couldn't find its source.

Deep within the light, a strange tower rises abruptly from the ground.

Everything was as smooth as a mirror.

Located in the center of a pool, the entire complex is vast and white, firmly occupying the entire artificial island. Its outline presents a diamond shape that rises continuously upwards, shrouded in a layer of floating, bubble-like light, like a magical barrier.

Within the bubble, he vaguely saw circular rooms designed like fruits, and corridors like tree branches, interwoven in an orderly arrangement.

The island is covered in lush green grass, and the intertwined roots of the natural trees partially obscure the captivating magic of the tower.

From a distance, it looks like a silver apple tree sitting on the earth and lake.

Lin An blinked, realizing that the "bubble" was a vision given to him by "Comers," and not something physically existing.

Is this the headquarters of St. Anilov?

Indescribably magnificent.

Suddenly, the surrounding light sources were cut off again.

The car had entered a narrow, empty, and deserted tunnel, and they needed to reach the tower on the distant island from underwater.

In the silence, Lin An suddenly felt the pipe on his chest burning hot again. He immediately lit the licorice, and the pleasant herbal aroma slowly wafted into the pungent car perfume, drifting eastward.

The smoke blows eastward, bestowing upon you the wisdom of the dawn star.

Sister Mouse?
Two native deities appeared near the headquarters of the St. Anilov Foundation at the same time, bringing the total number of Origin-level mystics to three, including the Thunderbird inside.

It must not be a coincidence.

"Lin, you actually smoke?" Simon glanced at the pipe in Lin An's hand.

“Just a tourist souvenir from Cannery.” Lin An took a deep sniff of his tobacco. “I can’t stand the smell of artificial perfume; it’s giving me an asthma attack.”

The inspector in the front seat snorted coldly, thinking he was just looking for trouble.

Having concealed the secret of the pipe, Lin An watched the smoke dissipate, thinking it was just another chance encounter. But the next moment, the rustling sound of yellow sand echoed in his heart, merging with the rumbling echo of wheels rolling over the ground.

"We meet again, kid."

The god of agriculture possesses the power of telepathy, and Lin An adapted to its communication methods, slowly drawing upon his thoughts.

"Guarding the tent, are you here to rescue Brother Lei?"

“Brother Lei?...You mean ‘Eagle Spreads Its Wings’? It’s never been trapped by anything,” Beaver said. “We don’t need to help it. Instead, we should gather together and, with a loudspeaker as high as the sky, tell those who still have faith, ‘The Holy Spirit is calling you.’”

It turns out that the Thunderbird's real name is Eagle Spreads Its Wings.

Lin An caught the key words in the beaver's words.

"Measure?"

"The haze of war obscures the azure sky, the filthy stars no longer shine. Wash away the sun's sand with their remains, and let the guiding light reappear on the earth." The beaver spoke enigmatic words in the tone of sand, "You should run away."

"Are you finally preparing to launch a full-scale attack on the Foundation?"

"Animals that live alongside humans will tell you that for thousands of years they have watched them destroy nature, destroy the sacred, and ultimately, in the same way, head towards self-destruction." The rustling sound fades away. "Listen carefully, we are still willing to answer your call."

Less than ten seconds after Beaver finished speaking, a rumbling sound, as if the earth were shaking, came from the bottom of the tunnel, and Lin An's pupils shrank.

Has the war that Sister Mouse just mentioned really started?

Thank you to 鶬赟, 黎明证, and Tea_TI for the monthly tickets, and thank you all for the recommendation tickets and subscriptions.

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(End of this chapter)