World Occult Usage Guide

Chapter 230 The New Era (Part 1)
Lin An lowered a wisp of consciousness, traversing the sticky yet icy ground like a falling meteor, and landed at the red dot that resonated with him.

The space spun around, and a wave of dizziness washed over Lin An. After a short while, the little figure in the bottle opened its eyes.

"Lin Sang, I will definitely not let your sacrifice be in vain... Ah, turn into a thousand winds..."

"Yakamashi! Shut up!" Lin An shouted. "I'm not dead, Sasaki, whose funeral are you mourning here?"

"Gah——!"

Sasaki let out a scream that sounded different from his usual tone, took a few steps back, peeked out from between his fingers and looked at Lin An, who had jumped out of the Philosopher's Stone, and swallowed hard.

"Lin...Lin-san...Why are you back..."

"Because your singing voice went up to outer space, the magical sound traveled hundreds of kilometers, amazing, bro."

Sasaki gave an awkward "uh," trying to figure out how to explain his actions without losing Lin An's favor, when the latter said, "Besides howling like ghosts, what other useful plans do you have?"

"Please wait five seconds."

Sasaki flicked the corner of his shirt, unbuttoned the top button of his coat, and his eyes suddenly sharpened.

"President Mode, on!"

His left hand conjured a long-handled weapon resembling a naginata, draped with rustling pieces of paper and ears of rice. Sasaki shook it, and several ninja-like men appeared, led by a man who had met Lin An once before, and knelt on the ground.

"Great Master, what are your instructions?"

It turned out to be the new logistics manager of the St. Anilov Foundation.

The Dietrich branch has truly been infiltrated like a sieve...

“Start the plan. I’ll catch up with you in a few hours.” Sasaki handed him the naginata. “Begin.”

"Yes!"

The group responded in unison, and Lin An saw them place their bodies into snow-white coffins, which were then carried out of the New Tower of Babylon like a grand sedan chair carried by eight men.

"President mode, off." Sasaki watched his subordinate disappear from sight, then breathed a sigh of relief. "Staying home is still more suitable for us."

"So you're a member of the 'Ancient Dynasty'," Lin An said expressionlessly.

“I’ve never hidden it from you. I told you long ago that I am the heir to Takamagahara Corporation.” Sasaki held up a finger. “Think back carefully. I answered every question you asked, just like Doraemon. I even told you the name of Duke Hughes from the very beginning.”

This is true.

During his three years at university, Sasaki often mentioned that his family's company was called "Takamagahara Co., Ltd.", but Lin An never expected that this was actually the code name of the prestigious family of Sakura Country.

[Xi Yong], [Thirteen Heavens], [Black Capital], [Dawn Association]...

Placing any known family name next to "Kukaisha" (株式会社) just feels out of place.

"This name is far too unmystical."

"Otherwise, wouldn't 'The Black Knights' sound even more cringeworthy?" Sasaki mimicked Jun Fukuyama's voice in a serious tone. "The world will be judged by my Izanagi!"

Lin An's lips twitched, speechless.

The last time he saw Sasaki's light spot, it resembled a magatama, but it was missing the other half. If he was Izanagi, then his sister must be Izanami, mentioned in the Kojiki.

Seeing his former roommate fall silent, Sasaki made a hand gesture, and three-colored goldfish appeared, merging together with a "poof." The giant goldfish lifted Lin An up, its surface soft and supple, full of elasticity.

“Lin-san, no matter where you want to pick up girls this time, as long as you're on this planet, you have to stay with me for now to avoid being detected by [Black City].” Sasaki made a shh gesture. “I’m going to retrieve the Complete Book of Magic. Do you want to come with me or go back to outer space?”

Before leaving, Lin An placed the "Complete Book of Magic" in the Land of Bliss, guessing that Sasaki had obtained the location through the prophet and happened to be going the same way as him.

Judging from the bright sky, Lin An guessed that quite some time had passed since his battle with Doris, and the witch and Anna should have retrieved Joshua from the water.

"Since we're already here, it would be a shame to go back without taking a look."

"Let's go!"

As Sasaki finished speaking, a cloud carried them into the sky.

Riding a goldfish with bulging eyes, gliding through the familiar streets and alleys of Dietrich, Lin An glanced at Sasaki Haruto in front of him, filled with emotion.

He recalled the day he took the bus to the University of Ann Arbor to retrieve the remaining volumes of "The Complete Book of Magic," and knocked on Sasaki's dormitory door. Five months had passed in the blink of an eye, and the world had changed dramatically.

Overlooking Dietrich, the two passed through what was once a bustling commercial center, with skyscrapers reaching into the clouds, a constant flow of traffic, colorful neon lights flashing incessantly, and pedestrians bustling about.

Overnight, the city was reduced to ruins.

The air was thick with the scent of desolation and death. Broken glass, discarded metal, rusty car parts, and the shattered remains of various corpses were scattered across the dusty, rubble-covered streets.

The air was thick with the smell of gasoline and blood. The exterior of the building was completely destroyed, leaving only broken walls and lonely steel bars.

The shops and restaurants Lin An frequented during his university years have turned into dark ruins, with a few dilapidated signs hanging on them, displaying the signature dishes of the past.

Sasaki was moving very fast. Ahead of him appeared a wide river, the international waterway between Dietrich and Domundo, its surface shimmering in the rising sun.

The swaying black ship came into view, and what made Lin An uneasy was that it was no longer covered by the Visionary's energy, like the sleeping Grim Reaper.

The chattering conversation coming from the shore made him prick up his ears.

"Wake up, are you alright?"

"Where is this?"

"You were just floating around in the water. I noticed you were the Mysterious One, and you still had a breath, so I called everyone to pull you out," a boy said. "Would you like instant noodles or an energy bar?"

The girl sat up, groggily rubbing her forehead: "Then...then where's my ship? I can't go with you. I'm going to wait here for Lady Ghost, Lady Witch, and Lady White Dove."

"You actually know ghosts? Great, great, it seems we're like-minded believers." The boy was overjoyed and rubbed his hands together.

"My online name is ChayanDas2017. I'm a slightly well-known online artist on the World Tree Forum. I made a pilgrimage to Dietrich to gather material, but I almost died in the chaos a few days ago."

"what?"

“Since you are also a follower of Lord Ghost, why not join the Ghost Worshippers Association?” the boy said. “We just had an offline meeting, and the number of surviving mystics and ordinary people was about 20/80, so we can barely be considered a united force.”

"Can……"

"Young lady, currently the transportation, network, energy, and public institutions of the Eagle Nation are almost completely paralyzed. All those in charge are dead, and the few remaining broadcasts are telling the people to fend for themselves until rescue arrives."

A short-haired woman shrugged and explained to the girl.

"Considering the rampant and unruly mystics that have been roaming around recently, as well as the dangerous monsters lurking in the water, I do not recommend that you venture out alone, even if you are a mystic; besides, you don't seem to be good at fighting."

The girl was silent for a moment. She wanted to cry, but she knew there was no one left to comfort her or take care of her feelings. She forced back her tears and bit her lip to speak.

“My name is Annabelle Dee.”

“Welcome to the team. Our base is located at the former Dietrich City Police Department, where the officer in charge is also a member of the Ghost Worshippers Association.” The boy pulled out a bag of supplies, the plastic bag rustling. “Have something to eat; you look very weak.”

As the sweet chocolate melted on her tongue, Anna could no longer hold back her tears. She cried as she ate the energy bar, while the short-haired woman patted her back.

"Let's go, I'll take you to the base to report for duty."

"Um……"

The boy parted ways with the two and continued his journey to find the remaining survivors.

"Crench."

The small boat, which was sailing further and further away, suddenly sank, and a vaguely indifferent gaze shot over, causing the boy to shiver involuntarily.

However, he was not afraid, because he had felt that gaze before, on that rainy night when he was almost captured by the Foundation.

"Lord Ghost, is that you?" The boy waved vigorously at the ship. "How can I help you?"

"Take good care of that girl."

The ethereal voice, with its strangely calming charm, rang in the boy's ears.

Overwhelmed with emotion upon receiving a response from his savior, the boy gazed at the figure on the boat with adoration.

"I will! We will all survive, and we will all see the sun rise in the future!"

"Head south."

"Yes, Lord Ghost."

The boy clenched his fist excitedly and led the group following him along the route the ghost had indicated. When their view suddenly opened up, they found a nearly intact supermarket filled with supplies.

This made the survivors, who had been harboring doubts, feel a deep sense of respect.

Perhaps, as the boy said, even in Dietrich, where everything is destroyed, order has collapsed, and the population has decreased by two-thirds, there are still various god-like guardians who stand firm, secretly protecting the survival of mankind and igniting the dawn of hope for them.

The supermarket supplies came from Sasaki's prophecy, who was compiling the "Complete Book of Magic" and speaking casually.

"This isn't the person you wanted to see, is it?"

"The recycling is complete. Would you mind taking a stroll around?" Lin An didn't answer directly. "At least visit Senior Zhou's restaurant. She's someone we know."

"Yes, I'm also a little worried about Senior Zhou."

The two disembarked from the boat and strolled through the city.

Despite the devastating blow, life did not cease. In the harsh environment, rustling sounds could be heard constantly, and some people, driven by their survival instincts, had already taken the lead in searching for useful supplies in the ruins.

Like a huge, dilapidated machine, it still struggles to operate even though it has lost its former glory.

However, after such a drastic change, most people were immersed in repressive and sorrowful memories, recalling that night of death and darkness, with indescribable sadness and despair pervading the air.

"Hahaha...haha..."

The next moment, a hoarse laugh wafted over with a wonderful fragrance, as enchanting as a whispered pillow, caressing people's cheeks, making them feel not only the softness of an embrace and a kiss, but also dispelling the haze that lingered in their hearts.

More and more people stood up and walked through the smoke-filled ruins. They made simple armor out of their tattered clothes and explored this unrecognizable and unfamiliar city, searching for a way to survive.

Lin An froze, looking in the direction from which the laughter came.

The beautiful, half-human, half-goat phantom flashed by and disappeared, like a dazzling mirage, or a dream constructed from cotton candy and balloons.

Elysium.

It is undoubtedly a fantasy creature living in a paradise.

As Homer described in the Odyssey, go to Elysium, the most comfortable world for mankind, where there is no snow, no storms, and the ocean always blows gentle west winds that bring coolness.

Lin An recognized her, and the illusory figure also noticed his gaze. The blurry figure stopped in place, and the two stared at each other for a moment until Sasaki urged them on.

"Lin Sang, that's enough."

"Alas, happy souls always dwell in no fixed place."

When Lin An looked at the illusory figure again, it had disappeared into the cracks of reality, vanishing without a trace.

Thank you to Medieval Fantasy Lazybones, Starry Sky is Me, Silver Snow Flying, Book Friend 20170813192140558, and Bearing Sword to the West Mountain for the monthly tickets, and thank you all for the recommendation tickets and subscriptions.
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(End of this chapter)