World Occult Usage Guide

Chapter 63 The Essence of Salvation
Hearing Simon's call, Lin An quickly closed his eyes and curled up weakly.

The code surrounding him was removed, and the energy from the basilisk's chaotic movements before its death caused some damage to Lin An. His clothes were torn, and he bled in several places, making him look quite miserable.

That's exactly the kind of show effect we wanted.

As the light grew brighter, strong hands dragged him out. The pungent smell of reptiles dissipated from his nose, and a fresh, slightly chilly breeze from the courtyard caressed his face.

Finally, we're out of the basilisk's belly.

Ah, what a strange experience. Lin An thought to himself.

Simon laid Lin Anping on the ground and checked his breathing and injuries. For some reason, an ominous premonition swept over him. Lin Anping felt as if he had forgotten something.

"Thanks be to God. You are still alive, Lin."

Simon breathed a long sigh of relief, cradling Lin An's head with one hand and raising the fingertips of his other hand. Lin An, who was pretending to be unconscious, felt the clean atmosphere slowly gathering, and warm, fragmented light scattered like stars.

Unable to open his eyes to see what was going on, he tentatively questioned the system.

"System, can you see the scene around me clearly?"

"OK."

What is [Sariel] doing?

"You have come into direct contact with the mysterious [Basilisk]. Due to its radiation, your body is covered with a layer of distorted, erroneous, and malicious energy. If you do not expel it as soon as possible, it will cause the [Encyclopedia of Mysteries] to become more contaminated."

The system explained in a cold, mechanical voice.

“Sariel is using his mystical arts to purify this energy.”

"Purify?" Lin An repeated in confusion.

"To learn more, you can collect detailed information about the mysterious [Sariel] by defeating the opponent. To find out how to complete the collection, please tell me 'How to obtain the [Sariel] encyclopedia entry'."

"I won't search! Brother Tongzi, are you really the embodiment of my subconscious? You're so extreme." Lin An sighed helplessly.

Although Sariel is the archangel who governs portals, the moon, and the fight against the Evil Eye, some books also record his healing power.

Legend has it that Sariel can not only instantly heal the wounded, but also replenish the life force lost by humans, even resurrect the dead, or allow wandering souls to enter eternal heaven.

In fact, Sariel's healing power is second only to Raphael, who is known as the Archangel of Healing.

Based on past observations, the captain has mastered at least three mystical arts: the longsword that pierces evil, the transparent flames that burn flesh, and this healing ability.

The touch, neither too hot nor too cold, was like a hot spring, enveloping Lin An's skin. Moon-white fragments, like fireflies, danced in the air, their divine healing power kissing the wound.

Wherever this light shines, the burning pain slowly disappears.

Having filled up enough, Lin An slowly opened her eyes.

The halo's afterimage disappeared just as Simon was about to pass behind him, and the hazy moonlight illuminated the angel's handsome face, making it appear as benevolent, holy, and inviolable as a medieval mosaic.

After moving his limbs, Lin An found that all the wounds caused by the snake monster had healed, and his fatigue and muscle soreness had also disappeared.

Despite not having slept a wink all night, I felt incredibly energetic, my body bursting with new vitality.

He couldn't help but think of a Latin inscription: Omnesangeli, boni et Mali, ex virtute naturei habent potestatem transmutandi corpora nostra.

All angels, good and bad, have the power to change our bodies.

The two angels Lin An encountered tonight were one who could use oaths to restrain human behavior, and the other who used energy to purify human injuries and exhaustion.

Before he could thank him, Simon gripped his longsword and thrust it at Lin An without a word.

"team leader?!"

Caught off guard, Lin An didn't have time to use his magic. Fortunately, Simon didn't harm him; the sharp sword light left a trail of silver light, tearing through his shirt pocket.

"Dang Cang..."

A heavy piece of metal fell to the ground, its golden surface gleaming brightly; it was clearly the Ouroboros.

Lin An's pupils constricted.

This is the source of my ominous premonition!

"This sword could end your life at any moment, but its master is willing to give you time to defend yourself," Simon said calmly. "Tell me, why did you, as a 'Seeker of Knowledge' mystic, use the 'Ouroboros' medium of the 'Lord of Dreams'?"

Killing the mysterious one to obtain the medium is a privilege of the system; apart from Lin An, others can only attract the divine medium through their behavior.

Using one's own mystical arts does not consume any medium. If there is no system prompt, ordinary people would not know that the medium exists. The Foundation has not told this theory to newly hired employees.

Using information asymmetry, they infer employee behavior from the extent to which mysterious items are used. For example, at this moment, the Ouroboros is the best evidence that Lin An is attracting the "Lord of Dreams".

Based on Simon's reaction, "Lord of Dreams" means that this person did something that the Foundation did not allow!
Is this how you test me?

In fact, the system's use of mystical arts is invisible and cannot be detected by the Foundation. However, not long ago, Lin An injected a "Lady with the Lamp" medium, causing Ouroboros to "wear paint."

Now, anyone who isn't blind can tell that Lin An used it.

Having figured out the whole story, a desperate, all-or-nothing thought flashed through Lin An's mind.

"System, detect a solution to the dilemma!"

"Based on the entry 'King Solomon's 72 Demons V: Demon Shooter,' a matching option has been found—【Stars to Me】. Do you wish to use it by consuming the medium 'Lord of Dreams' x1?"

Damn it, I didn't ask you to solve my problem!

Whether it's because [Sariel] possesses the ability to protect souls, or because the difference in radiation levels between Simon and Lin An is too great, the system is helpless against him!

They were clearly urging me to kill the captain just moments before...

The most direct solution was ruthlessly rejected, and Lin An's thoughts began to race.

The "Lord of Dreams" is the most dangerous medium. Its power is immense and its effects are swift and decisive. The two mystical spells of the [Magic Bullet Shooter] perfectly embody "death" and "destruction".

However, the medium through which murder is attracted is the "presiding judge".

It wasn't just simple killing...

No, based on the information I have, I cannot decipher the true symbolism of the "Lord of Dreams" for the time being.

Since that's the case, why not start with the captain himself?

Two clues came to mind, and Lin An quickly organized his thoughts, speaking in a sincere, aggrieved, and slightly provocative tone.

“I seem to have awakened long before I joined the Foundation.” Simon’s longsword trembled almost imperceptibly.

"you cheated me."

“At first, I only had a vague sixth sense. I felt that I had some kind of superpowers that defied common sense at times,” Lin An continued. “For an ordinary college student, this was terrifying, so I tried my best to suppress these wild thoughts.”

What did you do during this time?

"Study hard and prepare for the final exams," Lin An licked his lips, "and kill someone in the street."

"..."

"That day, to change my mood, I was studying at a coffee shop in the parking lot of Xiajie Street when I inadvertently saw a man wearing a cotton hat handing a package to a buyer outside the window."

Lin An used his fingers to block Simon's blade and fearlessly pushed him away.

"You know who he is, right? Dietrich is close to Canada, and its messy borders, the international bridge that allows free passage, and its dubious laws have fostered the evils beneath the city's glamorous exterior, which makes me incredibly angry."

“So it was you.” Simon concealed his fluctuating emotions. “The police department classified that case as a gangland revenge killing. Apart from the kind of people who should have been in jail long ago, nobody cares who the killer is… Lin, you really did a good job.”

Mishi mentioned that the captain might have been a narcotics officer in the past, but this profession is a tragic and unfortunate one in the United States.

Observing Simon's expression, Lin An knew he had found the right direction and quickly stood up.

“Captain, if justice is not served, poverty is forced upon us, and ignorance prevails, anyone will feel that there is no hope for the future! Unfortunately, I was unable to control the mystical arts accurately, and the talisman of [Baopuzi] went astray, failing to kill him directly.”

“Lennancing is never fair. You should be glad no one died,” Simon said. “I will report this to the president and let the foundation’s senior management decide on your punishment.”

Hearing his criticism, Lin An, who was getting more and more into the zone, clenched his fists excitedly.

"Isn't showing pity for the guilty a betrayal of the innocent? Since criminals won't die at the hands of the law, let them die at the hands of others—like me!"

Is this all you need to tell me?

“That’s right! The next day I was placed under surveillance by the Foundation for witnessing [Lanarona], and you know better than I do what I did! Even if I left the facility, you could still track my route through my phone’s location, couldn’t you?”

“St. Anilof…” Simon sighed softly, “I just want to ensure your personal safety.”

"Heh, you're kidding me!" Lin An cursed. "You've ruined my life, leaving me constantly on the brink of death! Just a few minutes ago, I was swallowed whole by a snake monster and almost died a gruesome death! Is this your protection? Is this what you call safety?"

“With the arrival of ‘Comers,’ no one can remain unaffected. You were simply drawn into the vortex of chaos sooner.” A dark light flickered in Simon’s eyes. “Lin, you haven’t answered my question yet.”

"When was [Ouroboros] used? Just now!"

"Just now?" Simon was taken aback.

"I don't know how to use the mysterious item of the 'Lord of Dreams' medium either. After all, the Foundation doesn't even tell us the specific uses of divine mediums! When I was devoured by the basilisk, I was in a daze and only wanted to survive. I don't know how I activated it."

Lin An picked up the ouroboros and took out the crystal-clear wisdom gem. He stacked them together and handed them to Simon.

The fragments of the Philosopher's Stone resonated strangely.

"Captain, would you like to explain this to me?" Lin An said matter-of-factly.

“Eastern alchemy, the Gem of Wisdom, and the concept of ‘merging with the Dao’,” Simon muttered to himself. “Could it be that the Ouroboros’ second ability is ‘merging’?”

In the St. Anilov Foundation's research, in addition to linking fate, the ouroboros possesses another unclear and unknown ability.

Given that it is an image of alchemy, could this ability be similar to a magnet, attracting other Philosopher's Stone fragments?
No wonder the serpent monster seemed to be suffering during the battle.

It turned out that its alchemical gem had been attracted by Lin An's [Ouroboros].

Fortunately, otherwise, relying solely on his own mystique, Lin An would inevitably suffer more distorted negative radiation, and his still immature healing power would hardly be able to completely dispel it, inevitably causing his level of contamination to soar.

Simon fell into deep thought.

It was Lin An himself who put him in a life-or-death crisis.

If he hadn't made a mistake, the basilisk wouldn't have run into the lobby on the first floor.

If he couldn't use the Ouroboros, if there had never been the madness to destroy the existing order, if there hadn't been the medium of the "Lord of Dreams," Lin An might already be...

Combining the data from the research department, Simon pondered the causes and consequences of the incident without saying a word, while Lin An seized the opportunity and suddenly erupted in emotion.

“Simon Lloyd, I’ve had enough of the surveillance in St. Anilov! Since you suspect me so much, why don’t you just have the research department dissect me? That way you’ll turn me into a pile of completely transparent data with nothing to hide!”

The lingering sound stirred the quiet night.

Simon looked at him calmly, a strange feeling rising in his heart.

At this moment, Lin An's eyes widened, his cheeks flushed slightly with anger and tension, making him completely different from the calm, intelligent, and curious young man he had always been.

The passion unique to young people blossoms like a flower, and endless possibilities come to greet their souls.

Driven by his belief in what was "right," he allowed his naive and passionate impulses to override his reason. Fortunately, unlike himself, he did not commit any unforgivable mistakes...

The president gave me a chance to make amends, so he should also get the same chance.

After a long silence, Simon sheathed his weapon, regained his usual composure, and returned the Ouroboros and the Gem of Wisdom to Lin An.

"Aren't you going to confiscate it?"

"The Ouroboros was originally yours. As for this alchemical gem... the Direct-Action Department is currently lacking in combat power, and I believe it is more valuable in the hands of an alchemist than gathering dust in the exchange warehouse."

"Hmph, whatever, your foundation has utterly disappointed me." Lin An curled his lip.

Simon hesitated for a moment, then suddenly said, "Lin, I have only one request—please be more honest with me. If you promise to do that, I won't include the above conversation in the report to the foundation, okay?"

Lin An was stunned. He had only wanted to keep the captain calm for the time being and find an opportunity to escape, but he did not expect that Simon would be willing to conceal the truth.

Whether out of dissatisfaction with the foundation or for some personal reasons, Simon undoubtedly did Lin An a great favor.

Currently, Lin An prefers to maintain the status quo and continue exploring the mysteries of the occult, rather than becoming a wanted criminal living under the shadow of persecution and unable to control his own destiny.

Staying with the Foundation is a good option, at least until he reaches the strength of the Thunderbird.

He pretended to think for a moment, then nodded solemnly.

"I'm willing to make a promise with you, Captain."

“Very well, son, you have a few things to keep in mind,” Simon said wearily. “Now let’s meet up with the others. This night has been far too long.”

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(End of this chapter)