World Occult Usage Guide

Chapter 231 The New Era (Part 2)
Lin An and Sasaki walked through the desolate and dilapidated city of Dietrich.

Dust filled the air, replacing the former prosperity and bustle. The streets were piled with debris, making it difficult for the survivors to move. The towering buildings had either collapsed or were reduced to bare ruins.

The wind howled past, carrying the smell of sand and dust, but the vegetation still grew lush and green, with the dense canopy casting swaying shadows.

Pigeons, crows, and seagulls flew across the sky; the radiation from Comors was unrelated to the planet's flora and fauna.

Several wary survivors approached, dressed in relatively clean clothes, armed with guns, and guarding each other. They seemed to have transformed in just a few days from modern people living in a civilized society into primitive people adapted to the law of the jungle and the survival of the fittest.

Sasaki's fog had a "concealing" effect, and the survivors were unaware of it, passing by the two men.

"It's really depressing," Lin An said.

“Alas, we are truly powerless to help other countries,” Sasaki commented. “We can only wait and see if the Stonemasons’ Association will step in.”

"The Stonemasons' Association... is that the Dawn Association?" Lin An quickly made the connection between the two.

"That's right."

“Ever since they took over the management of the Eagle Nation’s mysterious figures, they’ve turned the St. Anilov Foundation into a place with cumbersome systems, low efficiency, and rules that are barely there.” Lin An’s lips twitched. “They’re not even as good as that certain [White Dove].

“Lin Sang, not every aristocratic family is willing to meddle in these mundane worldly affairs. Especially helping unrelated foreign residents survive is a thankless task. We still have an even more terrible struggle ahead, so we have to preserve our strength.”

Sasaki sighed.

"If it weren't for the need to increase the planet's mass by increasing the population and pulling the bidirectional gravitational pull of the 'Comers' chakra, let alone protecting the people, some powerful families would probably treat people like pigs."

"So what do you think?" Lin An asked.

He had already glimpsed the madness of the noble families in Jericho, Adria, and Loki.

Compared to them, Sasaki, who was also a core member of a powerful family, was considered to be within the normal and law-abiding range.

But Lin An wanted to test his thoughts.

"Actually, our [Takamagahara Co., Ltd.] and the Stonemasons Association are the same type, and our main principle is—display," Sasaki said, downplaying the issue.

"...Should we just give up?"

“Yes, yes, yes.” Sasaki nodded. “Actually, Takaten originally didn’t want to get involved in your affairs, but the Dragon Kingdom sent a mysterious person who summons a bunch of monsters and is like a Pokémon Master, who kicked down the gate of my shrine…”

"You'll side with whoever has the bigger fist, right?"

"He who knows the current affairs is a hero."

From Sasaki's joking message, Lin An roughly summarized the different families' operating principles.

First, there's the "radical" faction represented by Adria's "Black City," who are solely focused on pursuing "Comers," wishing the two planets could overlap forever, even at the cost of destroying their own home planet.

The second group is the "Guardians," comprised of the father and many other unknown families. They view "Commerx" as an alien disaster and, despite possessing knowledge, tend to protect humanity and their home planet.

The third group consists of Sasaki's "Takamagahara" and Lord Arthur's "Dawn Association," who are considered "lying flat" and lack initiative. However, they actually wield considerable power, and Lin An felt that they should not be underestimated.

The fourth type is the owner of the MGM Grand Casino and Asgard, where Loki resides.

They used their ancestral traditions to move between different factions and conduct business, making them a kind of merchant-type "neutral faction".

As Lin An was deep in thought, the goldfish flew several kilometers away.

The roadside was still filled with urban ruins, with crumbling signs emitting a faint glow, and a few broken utility poles standing there, crackling with a faint electrical current.

Modern artworks and sculptures were destroyed by the turmoil, and incomplete fragments were piled up in corners of walls covered with street graffiti. The faint smell of blood wafted in the wind, and uncollected bones and garbage drifted everywhere.

Occasionally, one can see some out-of-control mysterious figures wandering aimlessly among the abandoned buildings, their twisted bodies appearing strangely eerie in the sunlight.

Suddenly, a vibrant song began to play, accompanied by the resounding "thump thump thump" of rock drums and the deep bass playing with a strong low-frequency impact. Accompanied by soaring female harmonies, it instantly attracted the attention of all the out-of-control mysterious figures in the ruins.

I don't want to be just one of the masses.

This is my life.

Seize the moment, for opportunities are fleeting.
I do not wish to live forever.
I just want to live each day to the fullest.
My heart feels like it's racing along a wide road.

Everyone should live their life to the fullest.

“That voice…” Sasaki exclaimed in surprise, “That’s our roommate Mike Smith.”

"You sang not badly," Lin An said.

"In this situation, music is a great mood regulator, especially rock."

Mike frequently held karaoke parties in the dormitory's common areas, with extremely poor manners. The constant noise tormented Sasaki and Lin An, who preferred quiet, and was the main culprit that led the latter to rent a place outside.

Both of them have already appreciated this person's singing voice extensively.

But this wasn't a dormitory at the University of Ann Arbor, but rather the perilous city of Dietrich after the disaster. Hearing the loud and boisterous performance by the microphone, the out-of-control mysterious figures in the area followed the sound.

"Should we go take a look?" Lin An asked, slightly surprised.

"I don't want to say hello to Mike," Sasaki said pettily. "I put up with him for three whole years to avoid revealing my identity... How many more three-year periods do I have in my youth!"

“He has matured a lot since entering society.” Lin An took over his role as the dormitory mediator. “Aren’t you curious about what he’s doing?”

Sasaki reluctantly leaped onto a high ground, taking in all the band members.

To Lin An's surprise, Mike is now a mysterious being who is the master of the earth. Judging from his appearance, he should have awakened the [Bigfoot] shown in the "Mysterious Tree Diagram".

Bigfoot, one of the most classic folk tales of the Eagle Kingdom, also known as Sasquatch, is said to be a huge, hairy humanoid creature that inhabits the forests of northern Eagle Kingdom.

Since the 20th century, numerous cryptologists have provided various forms of dubious photographs or records to prove they have witnessed Bigfoot, but all the evidence has been largely disproven.

Folklorists trace the Bigfoot phenomenon back to a variety of factors and sources, including indigenous cultures, the image of the Western Wild Man, and some folk tales that have traveled across the ocean.

In fact, there are stories of wild, hairy humanoid animals all over the world, such as the Almas in the Caucasus region, the Shennongjia Wild Man in China, and the Yowei Yeti in Australia.

Bigfoot originated from humanity's fear of giant creatures. After being transformed into mythology, giants in the Eagle Kingdom have developed into urban legends and popular culture versions.

Standing beside him were all the people Lin An was relatively familiar with.

Mishi strummed the guitar, Barry played the bass, Sangsang was banging on her portable snare drum, and the loud screaming female voice came from an old friend of Lin An's, April.

The woman, whose lower jaw was half-open and only bones remained, clapped her hands as if keeping time, her throat emitting accompaniment melodies.

"scare--!"

The out-of-control mysterious figures swarmed towards the band singing rock and roll in the apocalypse, scattering the five members. Mishi spread her wings and took flight, her almost transparent fairy wings tracing an arc as she rushed towards several new, somewhat abruptly appearing packages.

Barry cooperated by lifting several heavy stone slabs to block the out-of-control mystery's path, buying time for Mishi.

As the crazed monster shattered the stone slabs and lunged at Barry, he bared his fangs and claws and began to fight them.

"Brush it!"

The monsters were too fast and too numerous, so wounds inevitably appeared on Barry's thick fur, and blood splattered everywhere. But soon a blue spell flashed, and his flesh healed, returning him to normal.

With one hand, Sangsang cast a healing spell, while with the other, she unleashed blinding energy, locking onto several survivors who were about to attack Mishi.

"Oye will punish you!"

"Goo!"

The out-of-control mystery was surrounded by darkness, and it flailed its limbs haphazardly. Barry took the opportunity to throw out a few scattered stones, leading them away.

These inexperienced newcomers have already developed a mature fighting style through crises and trials.

Their coordinated movements were so skillful that Lin An couldn't help but recall the day he encountered the Foundation's four-person team. He watched the four-person team's expert teamwork with his [100% Accuracy] skill and marveled at it.

At this moment, he remains an observer.

“Captain Mishi, I’m here to help you.” Sangsang saw Barry distract the mysterious man and approached Mishi. “This should activate a lot of the equipment in the base. It’s a pity that the Dawn Association can only airdrop supplies and can’t send people to help us.”

It turns out these packages were delivered by the Dawn Association.

They did not directly intervene in the situation in Dietrich, but instead sent various supplies from time to time to help the St. Anilov survivor base overcome its difficulties.

He truly is a prime example of the "lying flat" attitude.

I really don't understand why the Dawn Association volunteered to manage the Eagle Nation. Is it because their ancestors were a father-son nation?
No, it's most likely a decision made by the Western Continent. Lin An thought.

“The situation in all the states of the Eagle Nation is probably not optimistic.” Mish pursed his lips, his seriousness almost unsettling. “We must rely on ourselves to pull through, until…”

"Don't think too much about it." Sangsang patted her shoulder. "You've already done a great job! When the foundation resumes operations, make sure they give you a huge raise! A bonus! And a big villa by the sea!"

“But I’d rather take $1.2 a month, at least then Captain and Lin would still be by my side.” Mishi muttered to herself, quickly composing herself. “Sandel, you stay with Mike and April.”

"I'll listen to you, Captain Mishi."

"This is our first test of this anomaly, so we should gather as much information as possible. If, as observed, 'Lion Here' only targets mystics with a rating higher than Disaster, we can use it for many more purposes in the future."

"Chief, you're awesome."

Sang Sang gave her a thumbs up and jogged over to where Mike and April were.

Mishi was left alone to pack the packages dropped by the Dawn Association, her dry, orange hair hanging down like an unhealable wound.

Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice singing the rock song that Mike hadn't finished.

This song is dedicated to those who hold firm to their beliefs.

This is dedicated to the ever-resilient fairy.

Undoubtedly, the future will be even more challenging.

Lady Luck won't smile upon you again.

But don't give in, baby, don't give up.

"Forest?!"

Mishi's eyes widened suddenly, but the sound had already faded away.

Her expression changed from shock to disappointment, but she quickly smiled, her bright green eyes crinkling into a smile, and she hummed a tune as she swayed her head while packing the supplies.

"Mishi, you're smiling." Barry, who had returned, blurted out instinctively, "Did the Dawn Society give you something good?"

“Not much different from last time.” Mishi stood up. “However, the black-haired Hope just kissed me, like the eternal lamp he gave to your child.”

"Oh, he came by..."

Without needing an explanation, this man, a regular at gambling tables, naturally understood what she meant.

"Then let's keep going, and perhaps we will meet again someday in the future."

After saying goodbye to his two teammates, Lin An caught up with Mike and April.

When attacked, April screamed, stopping the out-of-control Mystic. Mike picked her up and strode away.

Besides the monster that Barry lured away, three out-of-control mystics relentlessly pursued the two.

Mike ran wildly until a strange sound surrounded him, at which point he stopped and held his breath.

"Splash... splash..."

A fierce wind howled, making the advertising signs on the street flutter loudly. A human figure walked on the sand, holding a long staff in his left hand and scriptures in his right, pointing at the howling monsters.

"Boom!"

Thunder descended from the sky, shattering them all into charred remains.

Before Mike could catch his breath, the shadowy figure turned its attention to April in his arms, raised its staff, and the red comet pierced through the clouds, almost obliterating the two of them.

Strangely, the shadowy figure looked in a certain direction and remained motionless.

Mike seized the opportunity to rush out of the Lion's range.

It turns out that it's not just about rating; whether to take action against this anomaly also depends on the individual's contamination level. After returning to the survivor base, Mike decided to record the new intelligence.

"Mike, April! Are you two alright?" Sang Sang rushed over from not far away.

“Great, but I just don’t quite understand.” Mike put April down, and she immediately took her boyfriend’s arm. “Why did the Lion Here stop at the last minute when it clearly wanted to kill us?”

"Uh huh... uh..."

April made a whistling sound, and Mike handed her a small twig.

“It must have seen something amazing,” April wrote on the ground, her face beaming. “It was as excited as a Thanksgiving turkey at the time! Muahahaha!”

(End of this chapter)