World Occult Usage Guide

Another Lin?

Lin An was taken aback at first, then realized what was happening.

This unfamiliar, mysterious person is most likely an envoy sent by Lin Hainan and the conservative aristocratic families!
Calculating the time, it has been about half a year since he landed on the banks of the Kuba River.

The messenger arrived as promised.

"When did he arrive?" Lin An asked Misuru.

“Two nights ago. This guy’s mystery… is quite formidable. Strangely, he showed no hostility,” Misuru said reluctantly. “While he was trapped by the [Prophet], he never even resisted, just sat there silently.”

Like Atisha of Brahma, most conservative mystics do not particularly enjoy fighting.

After a moment's thought, Lin An decided to go see Lin Hainan's envoy immediately.

Even the most peaceful person will inevitably harbor resentment if left out in the cold for too long.

After briefly explaining the precautions to be taken, Lin An headed towards the Presidential Palace along the dirt road in Kinsasha.

The roads leading to the Engaliema and Gombe districts were unobstructed. The high walls separating the wealthy districts from the rest of Kinsasha had been damaged in the war, and World Tree builder Fu Bin did not rebuild them, but instead opted to have the construction team begin paving the roads.

The half-finished cement road gradually connects the entire city, and a slight stench wafts through the air as construction teams rebuild the messy underground sewer system.

The only thing that made Lin An frown was that the walls that used to be covered with presidential posters were still covered with brightly colored political images, and the person who replaced Qi Sekedi was none other than Misuru.

Okay, he's campaigning for the upcoming presidential election.

Upon closer inspection, the poster also featured an image of the World Tree, which might help increase the World Tree's and his own visibility, Lin An thought to himself.

His immediate priority was to get to the Presidential Palace, so he put all other thoughts aside.

The scene shifts from the dust and turmoil of construction to tranquility, revealing a private garden bursting with flowers and lush greenery.

The central fountain's water jets soar high, reflecting a vibrant rainbow in the sunlight.

The moment Lin An stepped in, everything around him was spiraled and twisted into his presence, with the splashing water droplets, lush flowers and trees, and the Roman-style gate collapsing inward.

The shadow of a giant snake flashed by, hissing in greeting to Lin An before disappearing into the spiral.

The vortex extends outwards, and the scene of the Presidential Palace reappears.

Lin An, who had fought the Prophet, understood that although the scene looked exactly the same as before, time in this space had begun to repeat infinitely.

The thick python had half its body coiled around the white archway, its bright, almost dangerously vibrant color reflecting a dizzying light. It flicked its tongue and lowered its enormous head.

“Zai, long time no see.” Lin An stroked the python’s cold nose. “Are you getting used to life in Kinsasha?”

Half a month after the World Tree occupied Kinsasha, Zai brought some of the members of the Four Living Gods of Mbanbuka to the capital. Lin An ordered it to continue guarding the presidential palace, making it a "safe house".

The "God of Truth" is not good at fighting, nor does he like conflict. Moreover, according to Lin An's observation, once they get involved in a dispute, they need to remain neutral for a long time to digest the increased level of pollution during that period.

Therefore, Zay is only suitable to stay at the base camp.

In a sense, this mysterious creature is like a "guardian beast" that I raised for my sect...

“I have no memories of the past, everything is new and exciting to me.” Zai tilted his triangular head. “Forest ranger, I’ve done my job.”

Since losing his memory, this source-level mystery has been like a newborn baby, extremely dependent on Lin An and the World Tree.

Even though he possessed greater power than the rangers, Zai was willing to abide by the World Tree's authority level and, as the leader of the disciplinary squad, complete the tasks assigned to him.

"Well done." Lin An nodded slightly.

"I also made you a gift." The python used its tail to curl up a handmade item. "Here, take it."

"..."

Initially, the civilian department reported that Zay was sleeping and nothing could arouse its interest.

For the mysterious, a life of idleness can easily lead to wild thoughts, which can seriously cause pollution to get out of control. So Lin An tentatively gave Zai a set of woodworking tools.

From then on, it was like a switch had been flipped, and it started sawing with its tail every day, and there was no stopping it.

Besides guarding the presidential palace and dealing with emergencies, Zai buried himself in his work, even making some temporary wooden tools for Fu Bin's construction team.

If I remember correctly, "Zai" was indeed an ordinary carpenter, but the priest who later lived in his mind was the real "Four Living Gods" prophet.

Can we interpret its current performance as Zai's personality gaining the upper hand?

Lin An accepted the gift with mixed feelings; it turned out to be a small wooden puppet of a child bound with hemp rope.

“I have one too.” Zai raised the tip of his tail, on which was a wooden puppet of a man with a long beard. “I don’t know why, but carving these two figures makes me very happy, and I think you must have one.”

Do these two puppets represent Zai's subconscious longing for his deceased son? Or are they the embodiment of the prophet's deep desire to start a family?

Regardless, Lin An's lips twitched, and he put away the puppet.

I treated you like a subordinate, and you want to be my father? His previous plan to kill Zai, erase its memories, and collect new entries and a large amount of media once it showed abnormal behavior now seemed unnecessary.

What threat could a guy who's obsessed with crafts pose?

Regardless of whether killing Zai would cause its pollution levels to spiral out of control and drive it into madness, Lin An was unsure whether Zai, with its third memory blank, would still have such a harmless personality.

“Thank you, [Prophet].” He steered the conversation back on track. “Where is the person you’ve trapped?”

"He's not here. Come with me."

The python writhed along the edge of the archway, its vibrant patterns dazzling the eye, making it difficult to pinpoint its exact location and direction with the naked eye. Lin An controlled the "One Eye of God," and saw Zai crawling at an incredible speed toward the city, opposite the presidential palace.

He spun the Philosopher's Stone, and then activated the Flow spell.

A low, red-roofed building appeared, with a few egg-yolk-yellow lanterns hanging from its eaves, and a few broken plastic stools and tables placed at the entrance. A string of teru teru bozu (Japanese teru bozu dolls) hung at the entrance, which was filled with grease and smoke.

If it weren't for the war-damaged decor, this would resemble one of those oddly shaped buildings that would appear in Chinatown, England.

However, Kinsasha has no Chinatown, and even the naturally tenacious people of the Middle States dare not start businesses in the harsh climate and chaotic Bantu, let alone settle down.

This place was originally called "Middle Continent Stew," a restaurant owned by a mixed-race owner from a Middle Continent country and a Bantu.

Due to the recent civil war, the place is now deserted, and the fate of the restaurant owner is unknown.

Lin An took a breath. In addition to the lingering stench of garbage, sewers, and animal carcasses, there was also a faint, fragrant aroma in the air.

He was familiar with this smell—the unique aroma of fresh garlic stir-fried over high heat.

Is someone cooking?
Zai curled up into a ball and hid in the shadows at the street corner. Lin An also landed and observed the "Zhongzhou Mixed Stew" restaurant, from a distance, where fumes were wafting out.

"...The lake there is always clear, the air is filled with tranquility, the bright white moon illuminates the earth, and it holds your deepest secret..."

The sound of the spatula stopped, and as a slightly off-key tune played, a figure lifted the curtain at the door and came out carrying a steaming plate of food.

He placed the plate on the plastic table and turned toward Lin An and Zai.

The man was between 20 and 30 years old, with dark chocolate skin, delicate features, and some resemblance to people from the Middle States, but his eyes were the deep blue unique to people from the Western Continent.

When their eyes met, Lin An suddenly had a strange feeling.

He was looking at himself as if in a mirror.

"You must be Mr. Kobayashi." The young man said with a smile, speaking in fluent Beijing dialect. "I'm sorry I'm a little late. I thought you were in the Bantu Rainforest that Mr. Kobayashi mentioned... I've been looking for you for ages."

“Staying in that primitive world for half a year is really too much to ask of anyone.” Lin An stepped out of the shadows at the street corner and gazed into the young man’s sapphire-like eyes. “What’s your name?”

“Stinle Nach.” The young man smiled and picked up the bowl in his hands. “I made a bowl of stir-fried pork liver with what I found in it, but unfortunately the dough hasn’t risen yet. Mr. Kobayashi, would you like to eat with me?”

It's such an obvious pseudonym.

Seeing Lin An hesitate slightly, the young man who called himself Stingle Nach suddenly realized what was going on and quickly took out a silver device that looked like a radio from his pocket. After operating it for a few moments, a clear male voice came out from it.

"Ding! Host has been bound! -- Hahaha, Lin An, I am your father."

Lin Hainan's tone, as usual, carried a hint of playfulness, which immediately ignited Lin An's anger.

This guy first set a record of disappearing without saying goodbye for 17 years. When he finally had the chance to see his father, he abandoned him without saying a word and gave him the cold shoulder for a whole six months!
Despite being rationally aware that Lin Hainan, as a conservative, was busy fighting against Adria, Lin An still had reservations about his various actions.

Just as he was about to speak, Stinle Nach made a "shh" gesture.

"Don't interrupt the recording, Mr. Kobayashi."

"it is good."

While answering coldly, Lin An was already planning a hundred ways to become a dutiful son after meeting Lin Hainan.

"Congratulations, host, on completing the initial task and successfully establishing your sect. The system will issue a newcomer reward and the title of 'All-Purpose Helper' Stingle Nach! The next reward will be issued one year later, so please keep up the good work!"

There was a brief pause at this point in the recording, and Lin An couldn't help but grit his teeth.

Lin Hainan, is this what you fucking said to me?

After a moment of silence, the voice rang out again.

"Xiao An, I'm so proud of you." Before Lin An could even feel moved, Lin Hainan added, "You're the man of men, the epitome of masculinity! The ruler among men, the dominant force among men—"

"I believe you are the person in question. Please turn this thing off."

Lin An said to Stinle Nach with a blank expression that his father's mental state was still worrying as always.

At least the young man in front of them was indeed a member of a conservative family. Whatever "Stinle Nach" was hiding, he was the only bridge between Lin An and Lin Hainan.

The aroma of freshly cooked meat filled the air. The young man put away his silver communicator, pulled out two disposable chopsticks, and tore open the packaging.

“Mr. Kobayashi, we are comrades on the same side.” He patted the plastic stool beside him. (End of Chapter)