World Occult Usage Guide

Chapter 67 [The Holy Grail]

"You used alchemy to fuse the Ouroboros and the Gem of Wisdom?"

Simon stared in surprise at the wand in Lin An's hand, who swung the straight wand in the air in a semi-circle, and five different colored energy aggregates appeared at the end of the two snakes that were intertwined.

The first thing embedded in the serpent staff is a red gemstone.

The serpent staff immediately became incredibly hard. Lin An made a move to strike down, and Simon blocked it with his angel sword.

"when!"

An invisible gust of wind scattered the documents on the desk, sending papers flying everywhere.

With a thought, Lin Anxin sent the blue gemstone into the serpent staff. Light energy slowly spread from the staff, forming a current that swept up the documents in the air and stacked them smoothly.

Simon was about to praise the wonders of alchemy when he saw Lin An point the wand at his finger. A deep brown hue surrounded the strange wand, and a sudden chill ran through his skin.

Has my perception of the outside world been affected?

Simon raised an eyebrow, silently admiring Lin An's performance.

The tip of the caduceus shone with golden light, attracting Simon's attention. Lin An flicked his wrist and pointed at a black feather that was swirling and falling from a distance. An unusual change suddenly occurred from within.

The angel's harmless feather suddenly transformed into a sharp little arrow, which plummeted straight down towards Simon's wrist.

"Brush it!"

A stinging pain came from the wound caused by the metal feathers. Simon raised his finger, and blood flowed from a small wound, but because of the previous cold, the pain was not intense.

The feathers softened again and fell onto the documents on the desk. The green serpent staff gently touched the wound. Simon looked up and saw Lin An smiling slightly.

Healing power surrounds you, wounds heal, and you are fully recovered in five seconds.

"Is the performance over?"

“Yes, this ‘magic wand’ can transform into a hard weapon, control airflow, manipulate the five senses, alter the structure of objects, and perform healing magic.” Lin An hung it on his belt. “Captain, how about it? Am I being honest with you enough?”

"Unfortunately, the five abilities of a wand cannot coexist. As soon as you switch 'gems,' the previous effect will immediately disappear," Simon said with a sharp eye.

"Yes, so in actual combat, only one effect can be retained."

"It's already very useful. Based on my feeling, this wand's mystery rating is the same as yours, Legendary C, and its radiation level is about 10%."

Simon's guess was close to the truth. The system identified the wand's radiation value as 11.4%, which, according to the ratio conversion, was approximately equivalent to 1% of the radiation value of a Class B source.

"Are you planning to include this in your report?" Lin An blinked.

“Don’t always test me,” Simon said. “If you’re confident in your control over your mysticism, there’s no need to report to the Foundation. The research department is just a supplementary insurance to prevent you from misinterpreting ‘Commerx’ and causing the contamination level to increase.”

"Okay, I think I can handle this wand."

“Then we won’t tell the research department.” Simon thought for a moment and added, “And for the time being, don’t tell Mish and Barry either.”

"why?"

“Unlike you, Lin. A month ago, they were just two ordinary people who knew nothing about the world’s mysticism. They not only needed the assistance of the research department, but also had to adapt to the energy of ‘Commerx’ step by step.”

Simon picked up his coffee, took a sip, and remained calm.

"I've noticed your progress is too rapid. I'm worried that they might feel pressured by their peers, become overly ambitious, or even jealous, which could create a rift between our team members. In any case, let's not talk to them about it for now."

"What if we can't hide it anymore?" Lin An covered the wand at his waist with his coat. "Captain, I can't wear a coat all year round. Winter in Dietrich will eventually pass."

“Don’t worry, Mishi and Barry can only…” Simon waved his hand, “If no one specifically explains it, Lin, do you think this is a ‘magic wand’?”

“Hmm…” Lin An thought for a moment, “I would consider it to be an ordinary metal cane.”

Mishi and Barry's radiation levels were too low, so they were cognitively blinded by the "Comerth" energy, just like Lin An saw the Canaanite Slab at Carmen's newsstand but had no awareness of it, only thinking that it was an inconspicuous black slab.

After the radiation level increased, Lin An discovered that the stone slab was inscribed with Hebrew.

Put yourself in Simon's shoes. His rating is lower than yours, and his understanding of Lin An is limited to the files established by the research department.

In Simon's view, Lin An "could not see" the full picture of the wand.

"Crench."

Speak of the devil, and he appears; Lin An's two companions appeared at the office door.

They were somewhat sleep-deprived; Barry had dark circles under his eyes, and Mishi's orange hair looked like a clump of popcorn.

Barry couldn't sleep all night because he had witnessed the bloody scene, and Mishi yawned widely and complained.

"I'm being driven crazy by the research department... Where's the coffee?"

"Mishi, good morning. Have they figured out the mystery of your awakening?" Lin An asked, seizing the opportunity.

"I'm a fairy..." "Huh?"

"No, I'm the Great Fairy." Mishi rubbed her face with both hands. "I'm the ruler of the Great Fairy!"

“Her mysterious name is ‘Fairy Queen’.” Simon picked up a stack of documents and handed them to them. “You’ve worked hard these past few days, but the Direct Department doesn’t get holidays, and we still have to keep going. We’re going to the International Bridge tonight. Here’s the itinerary.”

…………

Steam filled the luxurious bathroom with its black and gold tiles, blurring the full-length mirror. A short-haired woman, wearing a face mask, lay in a Roman-style bath surrounded by scattered rose petals.

She soaked in hot water, petals embracing every inch of her pale skin, flowing over her shoulders, slender arms and legs, the fragrant aroma seeping into her porcelain-like pores and penetrating every blue vein.

Doris crossed her fair legs, picked up a glass of chilled champagne from the wooden folding shelf, and flipped through the latest Vogue magazine with her other hand.

"Jingle Bell!"

The phone rang inappropriately from the radio, interrupting the young woman's pleasant moment. She frowned slightly and gave instructions to the language concierge with a hint of displeasure.

"Connect."

A magnetic male voice with elegant enunciation rang out.

"Darling, it's me."

"Father?" Doris's expression showed a moment of fear, and she spoke in a tone befitting her age, "Hmph, so you still remember me."

"I'm so happy to hear your voice again, Lily," the male voice said in a gentle tone that Doris knew all too well. "The family knows about the trouble you've been causing lately."

"Tick."

The hot air collides with the cold champagne, and dewdrops fall into the steaming hot water.

“Father, since when have such trivial matters been considered trouble?” Doris said curtly.

“Someone sent me a stone slab from Dietrich. Alas, my dear daughter, although the family has allowed you to stay at the University of Ann Arbor for three years, time is running out. You should return as soon as possible, otherwise it will put me in a difficult position.”

“You know that the family only regards me as a fragment of a doctrine, Father.”

“I’m sorry, my dear. For the sake of perfecting Tanakh, you and your two sisters will have to make sacrifices. I assure you that this does not mean death, just… becoming ordinary people, but I will protect you.”

“Yes, Father. Please tell the family to wait three more months. Once my ‘desire’ is satisfied, I will wait for my chance like a docile lamb,” Doris said coldly. “Is there anything else?”

"Oh, I just wanted to remind you to be careful."

“There won’t be a second time,” Doris said to the voice assistant. “Hang up.”

"Lili—"

The man's voice trailed off, and the bathroom fell silent again. Doris buried half her face in the hot water, gurgling a few bubbles as she tried to calm her complicated emotions.

Raising her head again, Doris spoke to herself in a barely audible voice.

Happy April Fool's Day, Father.

She stepped out of the bathtub, put on a long, wine-red bathrobe, and walked barefoot across the cool floor, through the villa's opulent corridors, where the lights gradually dimmed.

Doris skillfully unlocked the password, fingerprint, and iris recognition systems.

In stark contrast to the high-tech entrance, the interior of the room was elegant and refined, covered with vintage coarse carpets. Doris, like a dark shadow, drifted toward the stone altar in the center of the room.

Above the altar stands a life-size statue made of pure white marble, depicting a classic artistic image—La Pietà, the Virgin Mary.

When the Savior died, the Virgin Mary held the body that had been taken down from the cross, tears streaming from her eyes.

The original word "pietà" means pity or mercy, used to express Mary's maternal love in the face of great suffering; it is also known as "Mary's Seven Sorrows".

Beneath the statue lay a Holy Grail, its deep red agate resembling congealed blood, its chalcedony luster breathtaking. Its ancient aura imbued it with a vibrant atmosphere, and the holy light emanating from it was reflected in Doris's eyes.

“I will be reborn like the Messiah.” Doris stroked it with fascination. “Holy Grail, grant me healing for all my wounds, eternal happiness and freedom. I am not Doris, but the ‘Easter’ of April, I am ‘Easter’…”

Turning her gaze away, she looked to the other side of the altar, where a printed photograph sat incongruously within a classical oil painting frame.

“The ‘flesh’ and ‘spirit’ are ready; now only the final ‘blood’ and ‘sacrifice’ are needed.”

The woman in the photo is around forty years old, with an elegant and noble demeanor. Her deep blue eyes are like works of art, like opals. The corners of her mouth are turned up, which does not detract from the intellectual quality of her face, but adds a touch of Mona Lisa-like charm.

"Adria Hughes, granddaughter of the great mystic Duke Vasilica Tsepesh Hughes, the hidden bloodline of that vampire duke. I don't know what methods the witch used to summon her to Dietrich."

Doris stared at the smiling woman, her brows furrowing slightly.

"Why do I feel like I've seen someone who looks a lot like her before? That can't be..."

(End of this chapter)