World Occult Usage Guide

Chapter 152 Casualty Report
Lin An found Simon in the president's office.

After the three deacons were forced to vanish, he discovered that the road leading to the upper levels of headquarters was no longer shrouded in mist and sand. He quickly found other high-ranking officials and relayed the message to the various branches.

Although Simon wanted to work with rescue workers to control the chaos in San Francisco, his poor condition led to his rejection by higher-ups, and he had to remain in the area.

Upon meeting, Lin An discovered that Simon's contamination level had risen by 5%, reaching a very dangerous 53%.

His appearance also changed; he not only gained a pair of dark golden wings, but his body became smaller and smaller—not a juvenile shrinkage, but a transformation in the terrifying direction of the Old Testament—his feathers no longer fell off, and his gaze could be faintly seen from within them.

It was as if countless prying eyes were brewing within them.

Simon was overjoyed to see Lin An.

"Lin, you're safe and sound!"

"I wandered around the 'Basic' hall, spending the whole night in a daze, and I don't remember anything. But Captain, what are you doing here?" Lin An asked first.

Simon narrowed his eyes, his deep gray pupils splitting into four parts, forming five triangles, obscured by his thick eyelashes, making them difficult for others to see clearly.

“After saying goodbye to you, I encountered the deacons of the inspection team… For some reason, they suddenly started fighting with me, seemingly suspecting that I had just come down from the ‘Priestess’ floor and caused X’s paralysis; I don’t know why they had this misunderstanding.”

The inspection team was unaware of the deal between Yelig and [Xiyong], so why were they suspecting the captain? Lin An wondered.

"I was no match for the three of them working together, and I didn't want to get into a fight with them, but they wouldn't listen to my explanations, so a battle was inevitable. In my hazy state, I seemed to see someone..."

"Who?" Lin An felt a sense of foreboding.

“I don’t know. It was a humanoid shape that shimmered with green light all over its body, with indistinct features, streaking across the darkness of the ‘Virtue’ area like an aurora.” Simon frowned deeply. “I don’t know who it is, and the Foundation has no information about it.”

Were you still awake at that time?
Lin An was glad he hadn't removed the code.

"This person was like a ghost detached from the world... like a daydream I had between unconsciousness and wakefulness. In the end, it did not harm me, but healed my wounds in some way and drifted away."

“It sounds like a kind person!” Lin An said quickly.

“Perhaps treating me is just a manifestation of its whims.” Simon sighed. “I reported this sighting to the higher-ups, and they believe that this person is very likely the intense humanoid light in the sky whose face is indistinct.”

"Wait, why did we come to this conclusion..."

"They are equally mysterious and powerful, and the direction that humanoid left was clearly the path leading to the 'Crown' area. Combined with the subsequent battle above the Foundation, the person I saw was most likely the real body of that terrifying light."

Simon felt a chill run down his spine as he recalled the memories of darkness.

"Lin, stop asking. This mysterious person is definitely one of the most terrifying beings in the United States, no, even in the world. At that time, it had a terrifying battle with two unidentified people. Anyone else who dared to look directly at it, let alone intervene, was blinded."

“That’s right, young man. Just like in the novels of H.P. Lovecraft, investigators who become interested in things far beyond what we know will eventually end up in tragedy.”

An office worker walked over and interrupted their conversation.

"You should be glad you didn't see that light with your own eyes."

“The light…” Lin An knew she was referring to Adam Cadmon of Jericho.

When civilian staff talked about that aerial battle, for ordinary people who didn't know the ins and outs, it was undoubtedly the most terrifying scene they had ever seen in their lives.

"We still don't know what it's fighting, but both sides are undoubtedly mystical beings at the source level or higher. However, the Foundation has unanimously decided not to delve any further into it, so as not to step into the realm of the unspeakable."

"Because it is unobservable, once seen, loss of sight is only the mildest symptom. That bright light can even cause those who observe it to lose their senses and go insane."

"The surviving witnesses suffered severe memory damage and could not recall the specific scenes. They only knew that at that moment, they saw a bright light spreading out like the Tyndall effect."

Simon continued, speaking cautiously and offering his advice.

"Although I don't know why it spared me, a mysterious being of this level is undoubtedly a god. Their thoughts, actions, and methods are beyond the comprehension of ordinary people. Lin, never pry into its secrets out of curiosity!"

It's not a matter of investigating or not, Captain. The first ghost you mentioned was me, and the second ghost has probably already been taken by Brother Lei and Little Fang Yang.

Lin An, described as "indescribable," had mixed feelings.

"We've temporarily given this mysterious figure a nickname: 'The Light of the Ghost,'" the clerk said.

Lin An could barely contain himself and said, "From your description just now, wouldn't 'crepuscular light' or 'mass light' be more fitting?"

How much do you guys like this nickname?! Is it some new hawkish trend that I don't understand?
“The holy Lord will not recklessly burn the eyes of believers; only the devil’s brilliance is unbearable.” The clerk adjusted his glasses, ending the conversation, and handed the documents in his arms to the two men. “Someone asked me to give these to you.”

“There’s also a Ghost in Dietrich…” Simon muttered as he took the document.

That's enough, there's a stack of buffs here!
Am I a ghost or a composite scapegoat watermelon?
Lin An's lips twitched, and he interrupted the captain's wild imagination: "Madam, who asked you to give us these documents?"

“Representatives from the Washington Congress are here to assist the foundation,” the clerk said. “I don’t know the specifics, but you should read this document first. The situation is very chaotic right now, and since you are not headquarters staff, it would be best if you stayed put and waited for further instructions.”

"Okay, I understand, thank you."

Upon opening the files, the first thing that comes to mind is tonight's casualty report.

The numbers, even more horrific than those at the Dietrich City branch, leapt off the page, vividly depicting the bloody battlefield where Lin An had not participated. 515 deaths in the civilian department, 385 in the logistics department, 127 in the research department, and 79 in the direct combat department.

This is almost a quarter of all employees, and the total number continues to rise as the rescue operation unfolds.

This does not include the staff of the inspection team office. Apart from team leader Joshua and six deacons, many ordinary staff members of the inspection team unfortunately died in the riots. They were all elites from the research and frontline departments.

Because the out-of-control mysterious figure was roaming around the surrounding towns and the city of San Francisco, the civilian department did not produce a specific report.

No one knew that the root cause of this disaster was simply that their leader wanted to perfect Adam Cadmon.

There may be a deal between Xi Yong and the Dawn Association involved, since the root cause of the loss of control was that Xi Yong took the core of X and failed to complete a peaceful handover with the Dawn Association.

As to whether their negotiations broke down or they agreed to carry out a hardcore "layoff," Lin An had no idea.

In any case, only the foundation's ordinary employees and the people of San Francisco suffered; the Dawn Association or Xion probably got what they wanted.

"Brush it."

Lin An turned to the next page of the report and found it to be a schedule.

…………

"Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, members of the St. Anilov Foundation."

"We lost so much in the riots: former Grand Master Jericho, Inspector General Joshua, and many more fighters. May God bless their time in that world."

"Their sacrifice was not in vain. St. Anilov has overcome the darkest period and is about to usher in the dawn of a new life. Let us forever remember the sacrifices of the dead and inherit their beliefs to protect the lives and property of the people and to coexist with 'Commerx'."

The day after the unrest subsided, the head of logistics at headquarters gathered all the surviving employees in the "Virtue" area for a grand memorial ceremony.

After saying this, he saluted the three flags that were lowered to half-mast outside the window.

"May God bless the Eagle Nation."

Hymns and the national anthem played in succession, and the people below the stage prayed softly, asking God to bless the souls who died in the darkness.

Not everyone was immersed in grief; many people looked at the figure sitting on the stage with curious eyes, their minds filled with uncontrollable thoughts.

Most of the familiar high-ranking officials were still there, but there were more than a dozen unfamiliar faces. The original inspection team members were either dead or missing, and they were replaced by a group of strangers.

I heard that these people are a new inspectorate sent by Washington to assist the "Special Investigation Team".

"Dawn Association"

Moreover, some well-dressed men were mixed in among them, and their every move exuded a military aura that was difficult to imitate.

The changes left the employees feeling uneasy and anxious.

With the president and head of the inspection team gone, where will the foundation go under the new leadership?
Noticing their confusion, the logistics minister quickly explained.

"Now, please welcome Lord Arthur Williams, the representative from the Washington Congress. Let's give him a warm round of applause."

A middle-aged man with a full forehead, a hooked nose, and thin lips took the microphone. His blond hair was so light that from a distance it looked like he was bald.

"What a wonderful place this is!"

He first praised the bravery of each foundation employee.

"For myself, although I only stayed in this place for two days, I saw more in the titles I have held than I have so far."

"I am proud and honored to temporarily assume the leadership role. In this magnificent fortress, no one can help but be moved by its atmosphere, and there is no doubt that this legacy can be traced back to the mists of history."

"The St. Anilov Foundation has nurtured many courageous individuals over the past two years; they are princes, knights, and great guardians. I hope and believe that I can make my contribution in a timely manner, and for this I seek the cooperation and understanding of all ladies and gentlemen."

“Since the approach of ‘Commerx’ two years ago, the social situation has changed, and of course, it is still changing. The government’s requirements for the foundation have changed, but I am determined to serve and do my best to meet those requirements, now and in the uncertain future.”

Although this grandiose and empty speech was devoid of substance, the Lord delivered it with great passion and enthusiasm, eliciting enthusiastic applause from the audience.

The lord bowed deeply, sat back down, and asked his secretary a question.

What are my plans for the upcoming days?

"You will be having a meeting with the captain from Dietrich who completed the Thunderbirds transport mission, and his team to discuss the implementation of new policies."

The secretary tapped the tablet in her hand with the tip of her tail to bring up the calendar.

“Hmm, very good, excellent!” Lord glanced at his watch. “It’s almost two o’clock in the afternoon. Have the tea server prepare some tea and snacks for those two gentlemen as well, Crowley.”

“I am not Crowley, Lord.”

Thank you to Username Display Error, Sangeng Wuxing, Kanglong Wuhui, Fenghua Juedai Meng Xiaoxiao, and Shuangsheng for the monthly tickets, and thank you all for the recommendation tickets and subscriptions.
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(End of this chapter)