World Occult Usage Guide

Chapter 132 The Beginning of the Foundation (Part 1)
Lin An sat in the "basic" area of ​​the headquarters facility, waiting to be greeted by staff.

About five or six hours earlier, he had encountered the glowing Zhenni at the same spot.

The battle between the out-of-control Mystic and Foundation employees has left shattered light bulbs and glass fragments, broken cables, and the remains of furniture and electronic equipment scattered everywhere.

Limbs, bloodstains, and unidentified liquids were interspersed among the debris, making them difficult to see clearly in the darkness.

Now, when Lin An re-examines the lobby of the foundation's ground-level entrance, it is not as cold and spacious as it would be two years later; instead, it resembles a model of a modern hotel.

The spacious area is surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows, and ample light fills every corner, giving people a bright and open feeling.

Spiral lights are embedded in the ceiling, spreading outward clockwise like a vast galaxy in the universe, while the smooth marble floor reflects the colorful lights.

A series of contemporary photographs hang on the snow-white walls, infusing the hall with an artistic atmosphere.

One side of the lobby features an open bar offering drinks and snacks, while the other side boasts a massive floor-to-ceiling bookshelf filled with books related to mysticism, superpowers, and extraterrestrial civilizations.

A huge oval-shaped reception desk sits on the central bookshelf, where staff are chatting with clients. Behind them hang a dozen large-screen TVs playing original documentaries that seem mysterious and incomprehensible, possibly exploring the integration of mysticism into human culture.

"Mysticism is a belief that one can achieve union with or absorption of 'God' through contemplation and self-surrender, or a spiritual understanding of knowledge that is beyond the reach of intellect. With the next iteration of civilization, technology needs mystics."

"Technologies like blockchain and artificial intelligence are mysterious in themselves. They are sensing, self-regulating, and interconnected software that merges with hardware to create entirely new systems in the physical and virtual worlds."

"The virtual world is separate from the material world; it has its own rules, laws, and components that control its dynamics. Because humanity's endless pursuit of divine power has created a reality—the future Tower of Babel is under construction—this is Novus ordo seclorum (The New Age)."

Lin An just completed the "becoming a member of St. Anilov" procedure at the front desk.

A regular membership costs $150 per month and grants access to the "basic" area, including access to public facilities such as books and internet access. Drinks are charged separately.

However, since the handguns were provided by the foundation, it's essentially a case of the money coming from the consumer.

Without making a reservation in advance, the receptionist told him that he would have to wait at least two or three hours for a spot in the "meditation guidance class".

Leaning back on the sofa in the rest area, Lin An looked at the two green-glowing panels.

Taming Fairies IV: The Wasteland Banshee

Taming the Fairies IV: The Dwarf Demon

【Wasteland Banshee】is a new entry Lin An added to the "Kingdom" floor. Like his first entry, 【Dwarf Demon】, it belongs to the category of 【Taming Fairies】.

Fairies are the name given to mysterious creatures that coexist with humans in the northern part of the Western Continent.

Due to translation issues, various nicknames for fairies have been uniformly translated as "fairy," which, like the terms "zhenni" and "jingling," often leads to confusion due to language differences.

Lin An specifically switched the system to English and looked at the translation of "Banshee of the Badlands." It turned out that the entry was called "Banshee of the Badlands."

Bansi, in Irish Bean Sidhe and Gaelic Ban Sith, is a fairy in Celtic folklore that screams or howls at night; its cry is called "caoine," meaning "ardent."

The calls of the Banshees do not cause death; they serve only as a warning.

In the early Middle Ages, there was a local tradition in Ireland of women singing a song to mourn the dead.

These women were called "enthusiasts," and in the context of death, the word gradually acquired the meaning of "succubus."

It is believed that only those of pure Erran blood can hear the Banshee's warning, giving him ample time to prepare for the inevitable.

The Wasteland Banshee is a modern legend that arose after the Banshee crossed the ocean with the colonists to the New World, painfully assimilating the stories and traditions of the natives.

The Desert Banshee haunts the hilly regions of South Dakota, always roaming the desert, emitting chilling howls that unsettle those who hear them, and summoning bears and wolves to drive away colonists and their cattle and sheep.

Cowboys who have seen her claim that she is a long-haired woman with arms that swing in strange ways. She is usually very quiet; once she senses someone approaching, her screams will echo through the wilderness, and she will disappear.

Similar to Banshee, the banshee does not directly kill humans.

People in the small mountain area also believe that her calls are a reminder to predators that it's time to bring the cattle and sheep back into their pens.

Unlike Banshee, the Wasteland Banshee has a companion.

He was a fleshless skeleton, holding a lyre, playing along with the screams of the Wasteland Banshee.

If listeners find that its playing is louder than the screams of the Blade of the Waste and begin to listen intently, they will gradually fall into a state of ecstasy and madness, eventually coming to him to die.

Lin An remembered that when the Wasteland Banshee attacked the control team, there was indeed a companion, probably the skeleton musician mentioned in the story.

The banshee of the wasteland disturbed their thoughts, and the skeleton musician seized the opportunity to kill them.

The banshee is rated as an E-rank ghost story, her medium is the "God of Agriculture," and she has two abilities: one is to scream to disturb the mind of the other party, and the other is to scream to convey a warning message.

It's like saying "one is a jujube tree, and the other is also a jujube tree."

Neither of the two calls was of any use, but Lin An had obtained the entry for free by stealing the captain's kill, just to get the medium. However, the fact that it was also an entry for "Taming Fairies" caught his eye.

It and the [Dwarf Demon] can generate new entries through "Source Tracing". However, "Source Tracing" has a problem: when the two entries are merged, the new entry can still only retain two arcane spells.

The two abilities of a new entry have approximately a 50% chance of being selected from the four old abilities, and a 50% chance of generating a new ability.

The previously traced entry, "The 72 Demons of King Solomon II: Stoth," retains the "Stars to Me" and adds an ability related to the demon Stoth—"Introduction to Herbalism."

Stolas is the 36th of the 72 demon gods, one of the royal family of hell. He often appears in the form of a raven, teaching humans astronomy, art, the effects of herbs, and the uses of various gems. He commands 26 demon legions.

Unfortunately, Lin An did not include Stoth's combat abilities. [Introduction to Herbalism] is a healing spell, similar to the function of the emerald wand, and requires a medium. Therefore, this entry was basically shelved by Lin An.

Although you get the Star Gold, you lose the very useful scope [100% Accuracy] and the "Tracing the Source" function—or rather, the entire "Seeker of Knowledge" medium has a bit of a luck factor involved.

Of the two items for taming fairies, the more useful one is the "Little Helper," and it would be great if it could be retained after synthesis.

After thinking for a while, Lin An gave instructions to the system.

"Brother Tongzi, trace the source entries to 'Taming Fairies IV: Wasteland Banshees' and 'Taming Fairies IV: Dwarf Demons'."

"The tracing is complete. With your witness, the entry 'Taming Fairies III: Phantom Spirits' has been included."

Phantom Spirit Changeling?

This kind of fairy is also called a shapeshifter. Before Lin An could study it in detail, an enthusiastic staff member tapped him on the shoulder.

"Mr. Lin, a guest with a reservation couldn't make it, so a meditation spot became available. We've scheduled your appointment there. Please follow me."

"Ok."

Lin An simply reversed time, not traveled to another world. He used his phone to retrieve his electronic student ID, which served as identification for the foundation's membership verification.

Following the staff, Lin An arrived at the northern part of the "basic" area. The staff inserted his employee ID into the card reader, and after a few beeps, a male-sounding electronic synthesized voice said, "Verification successful."

At this point, the artificial intelligence used by the foundation is not X...

It seems that the synthesized voice he heard in the helicopter on Mount Saint was the true precursor to X.

Without the technical support of supercomputers and the Wood Group, the foundation's headquarters facilities, consisting of relatively new, shiny, and aesthetically pleasing rooms and floors, are somewhat like the headquarters of a fruit company if one had to make a comparison.

Just after 3 p.m., Lin An entered a single room on the "Temperance" floor, which was below the "Virtue" area.

He gave the last $5 bill in his pocket to the staff member as a tip, and the latter left with a beaming smile.

A smiling meditation instructor sat at a white desk, behind her a floor-to-ceiling window overlooking a turquoise artificial lake. In the distance, the distant mountains of San Francisco appeared and disappeared, gradually sloping down until they merged with the bay.

"Like it?"

"What a beautiful view," Lin An said casually.

The instructor smiled gently, picked up a stack of documents from the table, and handed them to Lin An to read.

"Hello, Mr. Lin, before we begin today's meditation, I would like to confirm whether you have any of the following conditions..."

After chatting with her casually, the instructor led Lin An to the next room.

The dimly lit meditation room was illuminated by incense and flickering colored nightlights. Vibrant light, like oil paint, spilled onto the dark walls, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of a vast universe with a miniature galaxy surrounding it.

Soft, gentle, and slightly ethereal music flowed, accompanied by a subtle citrus sweetness.

The instructor sat cross-legged on a yoga mat, with Lin An sitting opposite her. She took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, guiding Lin An's thoughts with a maternal voice.

"First, find a comfortable position, but don't fall asleep. Close your eyes and relax your muscles..."

"Observe your breathing, don't try to change your breathing in any way, just pay attention to how your body breathes... When thoughts intrude, ignore their presence, and then turn your attention to your breathing."

"Pay attention to each stage of a complete breath... from inhalation... to the subsequent pause... exhalation... imagine yourself floating above your thoughts."

Once Lin An's breathing had stabilized, the instructor opened his eyes and observed his condition.

"Huff, huff, huff... Haa..."

In an instant, her breathing became erratic.

The instructor was horrified to discover that Lin An's entire body was suspended in mid-air on the yoga mat, floating about half a meter above the ground.

Noticing her change in mood, Lin An looked at the pale-faced instructor and asked, feigning ignorance.

"Teacher, why did it stop? Was my floating posture wrong?"

Thank you to float_tea, Limitless Withering, Chief of the Divine Office, Nano, wscer, Shuyizhai, Bilibili Qiuba, Suhua203, Book Friend 20211115145552200, Helfe Legend, and Wielding Sword Like Bone Rain for their monthly tickets, and thank you all for your recommendations and subscriptions.

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(End of this chapter)