World Occult Usage Guide

Chapter 90 The Ring of Nations
The headquarters of the St. Anilov Foundation, the "Queen" floor.

This is the highest-level conference room in the headquarters. The room is spacious, clean, and unsettlingly tidy. More than fifty chairs are filled with people, and there is complete silence.

"Gada—"

A waiter with two ram horns pressed a switch, dimming the lights until darkness engulfed everything. With the sound of cables turning on, the entire touchscreen desktop activated, displaying a holographic X and several distorted photos of corpses.

Those present showed no reaction; they were already used to bloodshed and violence.

“本次紧急事件的来龙去脉如下：2038年2月04号，基金会督察组高级执事之一盖伊·阿格尼莫于‘战车’走廊死亡，死因为灵魂撕裂，死亡时间在20:17分08秒。”

X's androgynous electronic synthesized voice resonated in everyone's ears, like a soothing and flowing piano.

"According to President Firdaus Jeligor, there were no suspicious persons near the corridor at the time. Moreover, the entire foundation's security system, defense departments, surveillance cameras, and AI monitoring programs did not detect any signs of intrusion into the entrances and exits."

3D dynamic and static data appeared on both sides of the artificial intelligence, projected in 360° without any blind spots.

"Due to a lack of intelligence, the identity of the murderer cannot be determined. These are all the surveillance videos from the 'Chariot' floor at the time, recording the process of Deacon Guy Agnimo's death, as well as his autopsy report and the 'Seeker's' autopsy report. Please take a look at them one by one."

A slight commotion broke out in the quiet conference room.

"President Jericho, why is this autopsy report so short?" asked a man whose face was covered with worm-like characters. "Is it because there wasn't enough time, or has the murderer's rating surpassed mythology?"

"What we can confirm at the moment is that this person's rating is 1 or above the Source level, while the rating 2 is still unclear," President Phildos Jeligor replied solemnly from his seat.

"Deacon Agnimo was completely powerless to fight back and was killed in less than ten seconds..."

"And they didn't leave a single clue that would expose their identity..."

"Preliminary findings by the research department suggest that he is the world's first sighting of a 'statue'-sized figure..."

The murderer moved freely in the Foundation's headquarters, a place teeming with powerful figures and strict order. He swiftly killed a highly skilled inspector, leaving President Jericho, who was face to face with him, powerless to stop him or even track down the murderer!

The mere thought of such a mysterious and enigmatic figure roaming San Francisco sends chills down some people's spines.

Just how terrifying is this guy?
If he can kill Guy Agnimo without breaking a sweat, who at the Foundation headquarters can stop his assassination attempt?

"Everyone, please control your imagination."

The speaker was a woman nearing forty. She leaned languidly against a dark blue chair, which stood out from the light green chairs of the others, and exuded an indescribable sensual charm with every move she made.

"If this guy is really as strong as you all imagine, then not only Deacon Guy Agnimo, but all of us will be meeting the God of Light."

“Perhaps he only had a grudge against Deacon Agnimo,” someone suddenly interjected. “After killing his enemy, he can get away unscathed and avoid further entanglement with us.”

The woman gave him a seductive glance, and he shuddered.

"Many powerful mystical arts come with limitations and conditions. A more reasonable inference is that this murder was clearly the result of meticulous planning and months of preparation."

"You mean, this person's attack was merely a result of surprise, not the 'image-like' level that the research department speculated?" President Jericho chimed in at just the right moment.

“That’s right. Although his strength is undeniable, it’s not as powerful as we can imagine. He might be worth as much as you and me combined, but he certainly can’t compare to the entire St. Anilov Foundation.” The woman winked at Yelige.

"Based on the information we have, the murderer is a powerful stranger we have never heard of before. He does not belong to any ancient family in mainstream society, but we cannot rule out the possibility that he comes from another continent."

An arrogant man standing next to the woman continued speaking.

“We have contacted the families in the Western Continent, and they have assured us that they have not sent any core members into the Upper or Lower Eastern Continents in the near future. Although there are a few subordinates on the job, none of them are powerful mystics, and they have no intention of assassinating our seniors.”

His fingers brushed across the cold, flat surface.

"The inspection team reviewed the wanted list and identified several names."

On the same blue seat, a short old man chuckled and stroked his beard.

"Without realizing it, we've accumulated so many dangerous individuals. To be honest, the branch's efficiency is too slow, President Jericho. After all, mystical arts related to 'souls' are taboo."

"Please understand, many branches are just starting out, and we are really overwhelmed."

Despite the president's humble apology, many foundation members showed signs of resentment.

“The Foundation must find out this person’s identity as soon as possible,” the man commanded from above. “I suggest you start with Guy Agnimo’s network of contacts. Such a targeted killer is not accidental; he must have some purpose.”

“Deacon Agnimo made quite a few enemies during his lifetime,” a discordant voice rang out.

"Then, we'll need everyone's utmost effort," the woman said, resting her chin on her hand. "Everything the inspection team does is for the prosperity of the Eagle Nation and world peace, so we hope you'll all cooperate."

In the darkness, several foreign employees rolled their eyes.

“I understand. The foundation will, based on the supervisory team’s recommendations, send personnel to assist the various branches in focusing on these wanted lists,” Yelig said.

"Your efforts are worthless," a blond young man said sarcastically. "Let me help you solve a more immediate goal. It will save us from sending emails back and forth, leaving us only with reports of failure."

“Oh, thank you in advance, Deacon Efron Ruben,” Jericho said in a tone that was neither humble nor arrogant.

Under the leadership of the Inspectorate and Jericho, headquarters redistributed resources and manpower, with investigating and resolving Guy Agnimo's death becoming the top priority.

On the contrary, the original purpose of this meeting, namely the second vote to decide whether Thunderbirds should stay or leave, was intentionally or unintentionally postponed and ended hastily.

...At the same time, Lin An, the instigator, was completely unaware.

Even the moose himself swore that the "God of Truth" could not retain the ability to alter the timeline.

Little did the two know that in San Francisco, thousands of miles away, the death they had unintentionally caused would further sow the seeds of division and unease within the Foundation's headquarters.

Upon hearing what the moose said, Lin An fell silent.

He wanted so much from this mysterious C-level source.

For example, those beautiful antlers are excellent alchemical materials.

Without uttering his suicidal thoughts, Lin An pondered for a moment, then cupped the moose's furry chin in his hands and leaned close to its ear.

“I have nothing to ask of you, because in helping Little Canine Tooth I have found the spirit of the Holy Spirit.”

Lin An suddenly realized that the local culture and logic did not have the concept of "equivalent exchange." When they gave a gift to someone, it was usually free and did not require any corresponding price to be paid.

The moose might be testing his thoughts.

Moreover, Lin An didn't know what the local deity could offer him at the best price. The moose wasn't the Foundation's exchange warehouse, and it clearly listed the name and description of each item.

Sure enough, upon hearing this, the moose's pure eyes gleamed with emotion.

"Ah, what a noble person, Lin An. Even in the local tribes, there are very few people with such a selfless heart as you."

The sound of the wind brought a sense of relief.

"Of course I have a gift for you! I, the god of the west, the deity who governs the purifying mist, will give you illusions and blessings, which you will use in your future adventures!"

"phantom?"

Lin An was overjoyed.

The moose illusion wasn't the first cloud PowerPoint presentation it had shown. Legend has it that local deities would bestow power upon individuals within the illusion, allowing them to cast spells with the help of the deities each time they used it.

"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu"

The moose's energy spread outwards, causing the clouds to churn and be shaped into a pipe.

He handed the pipe to Lin An, and the moment the latter grasped the pipe with his fingers, the ethereal clouds took on a physical form, transforming into patterned clay.

“We have no fixed abode. Whenever you feel this pipe getting slightly warm, it means that I, the Thunderbird, the Muskrat, or the Coyote have passed you by. As long as you call out 'Hey-ah-hey,' we will help you.”

Lin An played with the rough clay pipe, feeling the warmth of the moose on his fingertips.

But here comes the problem.

Lin An's mission was to transport the Thunderbird, which meant he was always with the Thunderbird.

Even if other gods pass by, he would hardly notice them.

The moose seemed to have thought of this. A gentle breeze blew by, and a small licorice root was instantly ignited. The smoke transformed into butterflies and flew towards the rainbow gate.

"By lighting licorice in the pipe and observing where the smoke drifts, you can determine our identities."

The clouds were blown away by the wind, revealing the road surface that Lin An was once extremely familiar with.

The moose raised its head and sang a powerful song.

The smoke blows southward, granting life to your flowering tree;

The smoke blows northward, bestowing upon you the creation of divine thunder;
The smoke blows eastward, bestowing upon you the wisdom of the dawn star;

The smoke blows westward, bestowing upon you the purification of the floating mist.

As the hymn ended, the moose released Lin An back onto the gray road, the hard asphalt giving him a moment of indescribable disorientation.

"As long as nature exists, you will always be able to find us."

Looking up, Lin An saw the lonely Thunderbird statue.

The wooden artifacts stood silently, and he couldn't help but think of the local people's "ethnic ring" theory—that during the process of growth, humans are separated from their whole selves by external forces, and only by constantly searching can the soul return to the body.

"Brother Lu, aren't you going to rescue Thunderbird?"

"Its actions have their own philosophy." The moose's massive figure slowly disappeared into the white mist, the sound of the wind echoing for the last time on the empty highway. "My real name is 'Gao Ma'."

"Crack!"

The fog completely dissipated, and Lin An heard the children laughing and joking by the river. Barry pressed the shutter button, and Mishi made exaggerated hand gestures.

"The scenery here is so beautiful, come on, let's take another picture!"

Thank you Jianyunxue and Xuewuchen123 for the monthly tickets, and thank you everyone for the recommendation tickets and subscriptions!
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(End of this chapter)