World Occult Usage Guide

Chapter 137 Brass-colored Snake
The top floor of the "smart" area is a circular control room.

The entire structure, from the ceiling and walls to the floor, is made of transparent material, with an LED screen behind it that plays a loop of images of the snow-white church and beautiful hymns, making you feel as if you are truly in the legendary paradise.

Countless computer screens, signals, and buttons, concealed by an unusual cool-toned electronic sheen, are embedded in these shimmering clouds, marble statues, and arches, creating a dazzling spectacle.

Lin An finally met Joshua in person.

He was very tall, about 1.9 meters, with a slender and graceful figure like a dancer. He stood casually next to a desk on the left side of the control room, one hand resting on the table.

For a moment, Lin An's previous guesses flashed through his mind. The system did not respond. He thought of several mysterious names that matched Joshua, but still could not see the exact panel.

"Seriously, Brother Tong, you can't even recognize this? Do I have to walk over and grab his shoulder and give him a cheek kiss for it to count as 'witnessing it'?"

“Not at all, Lin An. Because this mystery’s rating is higher than the [Encyclopedia of Mysteries], it is not displayed.” The system explained, “To answer your second question, it would be best to see it in person, otherwise I cannot sense its aura.”

Higher than the system?

Is Joshua a source of A-level quality?

Having been in contact with the "Commerx" world for nearly three months, Lin An encountered someone with a higher rating than him for the first time.

It's hard to imagine how terrifying Joshua will be two years from now...

He hoped his experiment would be successful.

If the real world were to encounter Joshua himself in 2038, such a mysterious being would be not only troublesome, but also invincible to Lin An.

I'm afraid even Deer Bro and Mouse Sister combined couldn't beat him; these two support-oriented mediums are no match for "Judge".

Joshua was also sizing up the young man.

This awakened mystery should have been handed over to the Grand Master, since he seemed out of place with the newly established inspection team and was simply one of the people who had been forcibly assigned to him.

Joshua reluctantly agreed to Jericho's arrangement only after considering the future expansion to the whole country.

As Joshua read Lin An's file, he suddenly sensed something was off.

This person is a freshman at the University of Ann Arbor, a native of the capital of China. He arrived in the United States two months ago. According to the report, he has always had a strong interest in the occult and came to the St. Anilov headquarters because of its reputation.

How did he come here?

Airplane, train? What kind of transportation is it?
Is the St. Anilov Foundation's intelligence network really that crude?

At first, Joshua thought Lin An was a naturally awakened "wild" mystic and didn't take him seriously. But when he saw him in person, he realized that the other man was radiating an unusual aura.

Why would someone whose background has nothing to do with "Commerx" care about him?
Not right.

Something's not quite right.

Ah, I see...

Joshua narrowed his eyes slightly, sat back in his chair at the desk, and spoke while using his fingers to operate the flashing hidden keyboard.

“You’re not someone who’s supposed to be around at this time,” he said bluntly.

As expected of someone of the Origin level with a prestigious family background, Lin An rolled his eyes and readily admitted it without hiding anything.

"How did you get it?"

"The 'God of Truth' can travel back in time. In order to immerse themselves in understanding history, they will create a logical 'plot' for their incarnation based on what happened, and get close to the key figures of the event."

As Joshua operated the elevator, the doors suddenly closed.

The two were confined to a closed space, and Joshua did not want to let a god of truth run wild in the Foundation.

Four tall robots were activated, their camouflage blending into the auspicious clouds disappearing as they approached Lin An; a slight creaking sound came from the ceiling as dozens of red dots aimed at Lin An.

"They float above the river of time like phantoms, disregarding the logic of reality. It's like reading a history book—because it has already happened. No wonder the Grand Master insisted on assigning you to me; after all, he's just an ordinary person."

Reminded by Joshua, Lin An recalled the explanation about the moose.

During the Holy Mountain incident, apart from Little Canine Tooth, the members of the Xunlang tribe also accepted Lin An's identity as a spokesperson for the gods without any doubt.

The reason why infiltrating the inspection team went so smoothly was probably because of the moose's mysterious magic, which made Lin An seem like a spectator floating outside of time and space. The events were developing according to the plot he wanted to advance, and only Joshua, who was also at the source level, noticed something was wrong.

“I believe the ‘God of Truth’ is not an omnipotent medium; they can only see the most superficial developments and cannot delve deeper,” Joshua grinned arrogantly. “When time was reversed, your state was also reversed, wasn’t it?”

Lin An smiled too.

"Yes, my phone was sent back to the factory with one click."

"Everyone is at the same time, and the radiation level is the same. What makes you think you can defeat other mediums and observe their secrets? The God of Truth has very few combat methods. Once you are detected by someone of the same rating, only death awaits you!"

That makes sense.

A stranger suddenly appeared in the core of their lives. Normally, as long as they are not affected by the "God of Truth", they should be able to notice it. The moose cannot go back to the distant past; its limit is November 5, 2036.

Joshua scoffed at Lin An's calm demeanor.

The God of Truth can freely alter the course of time fragments, but in any case, when the fragment is pasted back onto the Tree of Time, their actions will disappear, and time will return to its original course.

The death of the fragment of time is never counted, neither for him nor for the "God of Truth" himself.

"The current 'Commerx' projection is barely perceptible; almost any mystic can be killed by the machine! Whatever you want to know, this journey through time ends here, damn God of Truth!"

Joshua's fingertips twitched slightly, and the robot pounced on Lin An with incredible speed, while bullets rained down like a storm, leaving no trace of smoke, slicing through the air like sharp lasers, as if trying to riddle Lin An with bullets.

However, what he saw reflected in his eyes was shocking.

In an instant, all the bullets veered off course and clattered onto the floor.

The weight rules centered on Lin An were completely altered, and the gravity rules were completely changed, pressing down on the bullet like a thousand pounds pressing down.

Golden Dawn – An Extra Weight!
At the same time, the robot that first encountered Lin An suddenly floated into the air, gravity lost its effect, and the heavy machine became light and suspended.

Lin An grabbed the robot's shoulder, took the opportunity to lift off the ground, and dodged the robot's close pursuit.

Golden Dawn – Defy Gravity!
Joshua's disbelief turned into bewilderment; he turned pale, and incredible thoughts flashed through his mind.

how can that be!

It's 2036, so there's no way a mysterious person with such high radiation levels could appear!
—He doesn't even look contaminated!
Why is it so strong?

Isn't the God of Truth only able to rewind time and unable to retain the original power?
This person's radiation level should not have exceeded a certain threshold!
Yes, that doesn't make sense!

It does not comply with Comoros's rules!

And his mystical arts...

Not a god of truth, but the most compatible seeker of knowledge!
Joshua was about to reach for the keyboard when he found his body completely imprisoned in the chair, his intention to move completely denied.

The irrefutable rope fell on Joshua, rustling and growing, wrapping around his elbows, and continuing to extend towards his back and chest, until it bound him tightly in place, rendering him unable to move an inch.

[The Rereader - Najechen] - The Precepts of Mount Sinai!
"You used my mystical arts against me!"

Joshua struggled in vain, his eyes blazing with mad fury, and roared in despair, "Damn it, I think I know who you are! The source of all disaster, the culprit behind the destruction of the Tower of Babel!—You are the mastermind behind the Great Flood!"

"Nonsense! Do you think you're a 'prophet'? The last old woman who spouted nonsense at least praised me as the embodiment of glory, worshipped by people of all countries and languages. How come you've become a source of disaster? You just make up stories off the top of your head!"

Joshua's words could not sway Lin An, but to prevent the system from being affected, he shouted out without hesitation and pointed his index finger straight ahead.

"System, activate 'The Complete Book of Magic I: Necromancy, Fertility, and the Dark Earth - Hittite Worship Ritual' - [Underworld Divine Sacrifice]!"

The young man was expressionless, his dark eyes like indifferent and deep pools.

This is the scene Joshua saw at the end.

The shape of the soul became clearer and clearer. Lin An gazed at the moment that belonged to Joshua. His fingertips exuded the scent of earth and transformed into a huge pottery jar, which fell from the sky.

Joshua was enveloped by it, and all he could hear was a deafening roar.

Seven iron nails, seven copper nails, and seven copper and tin nails were used.
Believers, praise the Sun Goddess!
The ants offered sacrifices to the earth and rivers, digging a pit for her.

And they donated the pig's blood.

The sun shines, welcoming souls back to the eternal void, a world ruled by death, and the underworld worshipped and known to the Hittites.

Passing through the sky, billions of souls return to the dust of destiny.

Joshua felt as if he had become a tree without a crown, his soul completely shattered, falling endlessly.

Everything flows swiftly forward, and in the blink of an eye, life comes to an end. Days are like lilies, uncountable, while death is a treacherous purple serpent that bites into his young and vigorous soul, tearing it apart until it is shattered.

With his last ounce of strength, Joshua, his eyes bloodshot, almost frantically forced out a broken roar from his throat.

"Foolish...and wicked fellow!"

The head of the inspection team maintained his arrogant demeanor, swallowing all the painful wails, and stared intently at Lin An until blood of shock and anger flowed from his seven orifices.

The precepts gradually dissipated with the footsteps of death, and the dying corpses collapsed forward with a thud.

"Beep beep beep!"

An error message appeared on a row of keyboards, and a discordant black crack appeared on the image of the church on the LED display screen, as if a snake had torn apart the eternally beautiful picture of Eden.

The three robots stopped moving, seemingly unaware of what was happening, and remained motionless.

Lin An released the robot arm that was floating in the air and landed steadily on the ground, looking at Joshua who was still staring blankly in death.

The dappled light and shadow, riddled with bugs, fell upon him, creating mosaic-like, colorful checkered patterns. The energy was silent; the silence remained.

Brushing the dust off his body, Lin An let out a long breath.

"Go to that world and have a tea party in the underworld, you spiritual Spartan."

…………

The time is now the night of February 16, 2038.

The head of the inspection team on the private jet crossed his legs, anxiously watching the clouds fly by, his fingers nervously tapping his knees.

Suddenly, at a certain moment, his pupils contracted sharply.

"Cough, cough, cough...!"

An unbearable pain surged from the depths of his soul. Joshua slammed his head against the airplane window, forcing himself to stay conscious, and incredulously felt the approach of death.

The killings of the past are impossible now, yet this impossibility is being rebuilt.

Hertz...?
Death, which had been drifting along the river of time, became real at this moment. Joshua, as if committing self-harm, grabbed his own neck with both hands and made a decision in an instant.

He relinquished his consciousness, completely surrendering control of himself to the increasingly intense projection of "Comers," to the point that energy burst forth from his body.

The entire plane was still, becoming like an ancient mural.

Immediately afterwards, a low hum came from the cabin, a gust of hot wind blew, and the bronze staff slammed its sharp end into the ground, from which large jets of blue seawater spewed out.

It connects to the boundless blue sky around it, drifting and being tossed about in the distorted space.

The breeze turned into the sound of chainsaws, and the air was thick with the smell of smoke and burnt meat.

"Crack! Crack! Bang!"

The deafening crash of shattered equipment was mixed with screams, and the sound of running was like a rapid barrage of gunfire. In an instant, all the calamities described in the scriptures suddenly descended upon us without our knowledge.

The flight attendants' screams and resistance lasted for less than a second before ceasing immediately; their world became a sigh before execution.

At this moment, countless things were destroyed.

The physical shell suddenly collapsed, and the wind of fire swept everything away.

"Boom--!"

Tumbling and swaying, the plane plummeted toward the coast of San Francisco, turning into a small splash on the ocean surface.

Joshua's pollution level inevitably soared as he recklessly released energy without any method or restraint. At the same time, his appearance changed, and an ancient and great shadow returned, wriggling and replacing the original face.

With a spasm, Joshua's breathing stopped.

The sea was turbulent.

The San Francisco lighthouse shone brightly, alertly sweeping its light across the area where the chaos had occurred.

The very next second, a sacred, brass-colored snake tattoo snaked up Joshua's wrist, burning with divine flames, spiraling across the surface of his skin until it burrowed into his brow.

The air was thick with the aura of the dead coming back to life.

"Wow..."

Three days after the plane crash, a strange visitor arrived in a small coastal town.

He was a nearly naked, handsome man with skin as smooth as porcelain. His amber-brown eyes were like two beautiful, rare gems, yet they were blank and unfocused.

Several kind-hearted people saw this and wanted to help him, but when they got closer, they heard him muttering to himself in a mad manner.

"Who am I...who am I?"

"This man seems to have amnesia," people pointed at him curiously, whispering among themselves. "Should we contact a nearby charity?"

The man spread out his hands and caught the absinthe-like sweat.

"Amnesia? No, I don't have amnesia..."

After saying that, he shoved the kind person aside and dashed out of the townspeople's sight with the speed of a short-range gunner.

"I still have a mission I must fulfill. I must lead all mankind out of Egypt! Yes, to the north... to the north, the great catastrophe is happening in the northern cities!"

Thank you to ChaosMing, Qingxiao, Fifty-Stroke Bargain Engine, Book Friend 20221219213003270, SunsetAA, and Beyond the Illusion for the monthly tickets. Thank you all for your recommendation tickets and subscriptions.
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(End of this chapter)