World Occult Usage Guide

Chapter 85 Misplaced Time

"'Wood Group'?"

Upon suddenly hearing the familiar words, Lin An was taken aback.

At Ann Arbor University, this name is like a celebrity. However, after learning that Doris belongs to an aristocratic family, Lin An felt that the Wood Group behind her should also be one of the aristocratic forces rooted in the United Kingdom.

Given the involvement of prominent families, this is probably not a simple "tourism cooperation" project.

How did you come to see them?

“I don’t live in the tribe every day,” Little Tooth said. “Although this place is designated as a protected area, it’s not truly isolated from the world. We know which road leads to the nearest town, and we go there to buy food every now and then.”

"That's it."

“I really love eating those candies, chocolates, and marshmallows. We even tried to get water and electricity connected to the house, or to build a convenient road for cars to pass through, but all of these plans fell through because of funding issues.”

Little Canine Tooth smiled helplessly.

“The people there think we should ‘isolate from the world.’ Not only do they not support our modernization, they also cleverly designate ‘protected areas.’ The elders of the Xunlang tribe also feel that we should not connect with technology, otherwise our local traditions will be lost.”

"what are you thinking?"

“Overprotection has turned our local people and culture into an interesting subject. People study our lives like they study the Maya, and they talk about it with great interest.” Little Fang patted his chest. “Look at me, Lin An, I’m a living, breathing person. We’re all human! No different from you!”

“There was a time when we might have actually lived on the same land,” Lin An said.

“Our culture is vibrant, so I wanted to find a way to preserve tradition while incorporating modernity.” Little Fang sighed. “So when the man who called himself Guy Agnimo told me he would give me enough money to make reforms…”

"You agreed?"

“Well, but his proposed method is unacceptable to me. A spiritual journey? That’s not help at all; it’s just a way to market us as special commodities. Because spirituality isn’t something you need to ‘own’ like a car or a house; it belongs equally to all of humanity from birth.”

Xiaoqiang pressed a few buttons and handed the phone to Lin An.

“He coveted my identity as the daughter of a priest and kept urging me to replace my mother and take control of the tribe… But I haven’t been honest with my mother and the other tribesmen yet, and I haven’t figured out how to balance their thoughts. But lately he’s been urging me more and more urgently.”

She doesn't know how to spell in English, and her communication with Guy is limited to the phone.

Scrolling through the call records, Lin An discovered that most of the addresses were from "San Francisco".

Before he could think it through, his pupils contracted, and he stared intently at the time at the top of the screen.

December 2036, 11.

"Little Canine Tooth, has your phone's time been...unchanged for a long time?"

“I’ve never adjusted it. Firstly, I don’t understand how to set it up, and secondly, our method of calculating months is different from the public one.” Little Fang tilted his head slightly. “Guy Agnimo told me that this display is automatically calculated by the satellite.”

“But it’s completely wrong!” Lin An exclaimed.

"Lin An, you're underestimating us." Little Fang pouted unhappily. "At least I know that public schools have 12 months."

"The problem is, isn't it 2038 now?!"

"2038?" Little Fang was taken aback. "It's clearly 2036! You must be trying to tease me again? Humph, if you keep doing this, I'm not talking to you anymore."

Looking at her genuine anger, Lin An was deeply shaken.

It turns out that the moose took him through real time, not space!
Time has turned back!
The power of the God of Truth is not to create something from nothing, but to the eternal flow of time!

The moment the RV disappeared, Lin An had already traveled through time and returned to November 2036!

The White Mist Clan, with its purifying winds, cleanses the soul, rekindles the past, and looks forward to a new life.

The mythological prototype of the deer is actually related to time travel!

How does this ability to travel through time work?

Could this create a paradox?
While the specific effects and conditions of the mystical technique were still unclear, Lin An, based on what he had seen and heard over the past few days, guessed the general outline of its origins.

Perhaps the moose had already traveled back in time once, and it played the role of the true incarnation of the divine deer. Therefore, the people of the Xunlang tribe easily accepted the fact that Lin An was a god as soon as they saw him.

Because Lin An took over the role of the moose during its time travel, it was unable to appear to provide explanations and guidance.

Unfortunately, despite possessing the ability to travel through time and space, based on Lin An's past experience, the God of Truth will be attracted by "neutral" decisions.

Does this mean that moose cannot do anything that affects the timeline?
It can only watch the past and the future repeat themselves over and over again...

Perhaps the moose tried to change the situation, but not only did it fail, it also led to increased pollution, so they eventually had no choice but to give up.

In this way, the moose's purpose becomes clear: traveling back in time to the time of the first sacrificial ceremony in the Xunlang tribe was likely to change something that would happen next.

What makes this tribe special...

The true purpose of the "Wood Group"...

What exactly is the "mission" that the moose entrusted to me...?

Lin An thought of the cloud illusions displayed by the moose, glanced at the bewildered little canine tooth, and suddenly had a flash of inspiration, realizing the truth.

Only those at the Source level can remain conscious under the moose's mystical magic. Besides Lin An, Little Fang's reaction unmistakably proves she is another Source-level mystic. The next priest of the Swift Wolf tribe, the coyote, one of the two great creator gods alongside the Thunderbird.

By the end of 2036, when the orbit of "Comers" was just approaching the vicinity of Titan, the probability of the Mysterious One awakening was almost one in a billion.

At that time, the St. Anilov Foundation had not yet been co-opted by the government and was still a non-profit organization that used the research on superpowers as a gimmick to raise donations everywhere.

Apart from the aristocratic families, no one believed that the power of the myth was about to come true.

The aristocratic families have gained an absolute information advantage by utilizing information left behind from four thousand years ago.

If I'm not mistaken, the aristocratic family was aware of the existence of the "coyotes" and, having prepared in advance, appeared during a certain sacrificial ceremony, preemptively attacking Little Fang, nearly causing her death. The image of the coyotes in the clouds is faint and shrouded in dark clouds, as if it could dissipate at any moment.

The moose hoped Lin An would stop all of this.

Having figured out the whole story, Lin An was left with only one question—why did the moose choose him?

While he is indeed a source-level mystic who can maintain his sanity amidst the moose's mystical arts, he has absolutely no connection with the local tribes. What if Lin An is unwilling to help Little Fang and secretly joins forces with the aristocratic families to kill the coyote directly?
Although if he really did that, Brother Lu would definitely show up and teach him a lesson.

While it can't affect past timelines, in reality, it could still wipe out Lin An's entire team if it got angry.

Forced by the pressure to survive, he had no choice but to obey it for the time being.

But what if I'm in cahoots with the aristocratic families?
Did the moose investigate me?
Lin An always felt that there were better candidates, such as the Thunderbird before it was controlled by the Foundation, or the muskrat—the illusion of the clouds proved that it had awakened and recognized the moose.

Logically, the moose should have chosen the local deity who stood on its side, rather than the complete stranger Lin An.

At least Thunderbird is not the medium of the "God of Truth". If it becomes a phantom that travels back in time, it can move freely and is not bound by "Commerx".

why me?
Is there some reason why I am indispensable?
"Are you alright, Lin An?"

Seeing Lin An with his head down and silent, Xiaoqiangya couldn't help but put a hand on his trembling shoulder. Seeing that he didn't resist, she stroked his dark hair.

Lin An grabbed her hand.

"Hehe, I understand, I understand everything! To be honest, I'm absolutely thrilled!" He looked into Little Fang's delighted eyes, leaned close to her ear, and said, "Satellite navigation, right? Little Fang, I have an idea..."

A few clouds dotted the azure sky. It was early winter, and the forest was shrouded in mist. The temperature was cold, and the dry, yellowed leaves were surprisingly thick, crunching underfoot.

After breakfast, the members of the Xunlang tribe walked along the path and climbed a majestic sacred mountain.

The leader was Lin An, followed by the priest, then a row of elderly women holding pipes, then children in a procession, followed by the young men and women of the tribe in the third line, then the middle-aged men and women, and finally the elderly people of the tribe leaning on canes.

Their discipline wasn't particularly strict, and their steps were far from synchronized, but each person wore a resolute expression, a light that shone through their eyes from faith.

The air is fresh and clean, and the hillside is covered with tall and dense pine trees. Their knotted roots cut through the ground everywhere, forming natural footprints that make walking on the terrain more difficult.

After climbing for about 30 minutes, the group heard the tinkling sound of the stream.

The tribespeople bent down and drank the spring water, which smelled like moss and soil, slightly sweet, and was cold and clear.

When they set off again, the mountain roads were crisscrossing, and Lin An and Little Fang disappeared from sight.

Instead, an increasingly thick fog descended, and the sun was obscured by dark clouds.

"Boom!"

The members of the Xunlang tribe looked up, and in the lightning of the dark clouds, they seemed to see the natural workings of the elements, and a black dot, like the shadow of a giant bird, seemed to drift across the sacred mountain.

"The Thunderbirds have appeared?"

"Oh, Thunder Clan, we have finally found you!"

May the rain fall upon the earth!

The tribespeople stood on tiptoe, straining to see into the distance, but the black dot did not respond to their calls, flying straight to the other side of the ridge.

"Da da da da——"

The flying black dot gradually became clearer in Lin An and Little Fang's eyes. It was a magnificent helicopter, its propellers emitting a piercing spinning sound.

The hatch was flung open, revealing a bearded, energetic smiling face.

"Finally found it! Hi, welcome to the Wood Group! Our motto is 'I come, I see, I develop'!"

The man with the parachute moved his high-powered scope away, shouted a greeting, and raised his right hand high.

The mercenaries in the cabin set up machine guns, aiming them at the two men halfway up the mountain.

The little dog saw the man's face clearly and cried out angrily.

"Guy Agnimo!"

The man made an exaggerated gesture of listening intently and then burst into laughter.

"That's right, partner! Ready? Uncle Sam will keep you brimming with enthusiasm and your pockets overflowing with Eagle Dollars every day!"

Thank you to the bitter Fat Seaweed, the monthly tickets from those queuing to be reborn, and thank you everyone for your recommendations and subscriptions!

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(End of this chapter)