Chapter 516: I Don't Need Believers
Mole's figure trembled slightly, unable to conceal his inner turmoil.
He subconsciously extended his hand, as if searching for an unknown signal, but suddenly realized his offense and quickly withdrew it.
Despite this, his gaze remained firmly and passionately fixed on Xia Xiu, filled with longing for the future.
Xia Xiu observed every action of Operator Mole. Before deciding to assess Mole, he had already obtained sufficient information from Tours to gain a comprehensive understanding of Mole's abilities and potential.
Over the past few days, his evaluation of Mole has steadily improved, confirming his initial impression of him—an ambitious Operator worthy of training.
Most importantly, he has discovered the true purpose of Mole's deepest desires and the driving force behind his ambition.
This is crucial, because ambition is like bile in the human body. If secretion flows smoothly and unimpeded, it will be a vigorous, agile, and active bodily fluid. However, if it encounters resistance and obstruction, it will be unable to develop freely and freely, becoming agitated, stagnant, and even toxic.
Xia Xiu has always had very clear ambitions and goals. He knew his objectives at every stage, from studying abroad at Luyuan, to becoming the Fourth Swordbearer of the Heavenly Kingdom, to his current position as a reserve member of the Heavenly Kingdom...
His next step is to ascend to the highest echelon of power in the Heavenly Kingdom and become one of the Thirteen Members of the Resolution Assembly.
Merit and virtue are the primary goals of human action.
Feeling that one has these two motivations is the minimum achievement of self-sufficiency.
Before this, he must first broaden his wings.
The Five-Year Plan, the Third Academy of the Heavenly Kingdom, the Ivy League War...
These are all necessary steps, but what he is doing now is both necessary and sufficient.
Assembling a burial team completely under his command was his essential task.
"I regret to inform you that I cannot challenge the Daevite Empire's Book of Time at this stage. The miracle represented by the six Books of Time is comparable to the [Wall of Sighs] in Heaven. Behind this miracle lies the absolute rule of the Hanged King. Therefore, I can only tell you this—I cannot dispel the Time Virus at this stage."
On the steps, Xia Xiu stood like a statue. He looked down at the mole with sympathy, taking the mole's right hand as it tried to withdraw. His five fingers clasped the cup of his hand, inscribed with the [Time Scale]. The moment they touched...
"But... just because it can't be eradicated doesn't mean it can't be contained."
The 'Supreme Hand,' capable of reaching everything, activated. Under Xia Xiu's gaze, countless dense balls of red thread frantically spread outward, connecting every blood vessel, every nerve, every organ of the mole...
The mole's body became the intersection of these dense balls of red thread. These red threads, like a web of life, completely engulfed the mole's existence.
Under Xia Xiu's palm, the mole felt an unprecedented warmth and power. It was a magical energy beyond ordinary comprehension, gentle yet powerful, as if it could penetrate every secret.
Three halos, like white jade, appeared behind him, emitting a pure and soft light. They slowly swirled in the air, their smooth surfaces reflecting a faint luster in the sunlight.
[Torino Type I Activation]
[Crown Blessing · Timing Control]
The space surrounding the [Triple Crown] seemed to undergo a subtle shift due to this power. The air was filled with an indescribable rhythm, as if nature's most fundamental rhythms had been rearranged, playing the universe's most harmonious melody.
A powerful and pure elemental force surged out from the point of contact between Xia Xiu and the mole, a force imbued with the potential for creation and transformation.
It acted directly on the chain of fate formed by the [Time Scale] on the mole's wrist. Time, once a relentless countdown, seemed to have been paused by an invisible hand, its entire flow coming to an abrupt halt.
Even more astonishingly, on the other side of the [Time Scale], an electronic hourglass icon appeared. It not only represented the pause of time, but also symbolized the redefinition and control of its passage.
This icon seemed to offer the Mole a fresh start, a chance to break free from the constraints of his former fate.
Mole's eyes widened as Xia Xiu's words continued to echo in his ears.
"This is a virus lock. It can only block the Book of Chronology's targeting and exploitation of you. Of course, this is also because you are outside the Daevite borders. If you were inside, they would never allow such a blockade."
"...Even outside the borders, if they sense any signs of resistance, they will send the Imperial Guard to wipe it out—just like they wiped out the Ikaros Rebellion," the Mole muttered to himself, an indescribable emotion.
"Then let the Hanged King's Imperial Guards give it a try. This isn't the Hanged King's territory."
Xia Xiu stood at the top of the steps, gazing at the Mole not far away. The sunlight shone on him, causing his golden eyes to gleam with a mysterious light.
Mole stood there quietly, seemingly feeling the blond youth's gaze piercing deep into his soul.
"Now, let's get down to business." Xia Xiu's voice echoed through the empty space, calm yet powerful.
From then until now, he had done only four things to Operator Mole: forgiveness, fear, reward, and hope and motivation.
As a member of the Administration, he had forgiven Mole for his audacity in deciphering [Adam]. When Mole attacked him, he had inflicted the deepest fear. And the Mole's blockade of the Chronovirus was his welcome gift.
Finally, his existence was Mole's hope and motivation, for he was not only the "Fire Thief" who had stolen the God of All Machines.
He was also—the "Regicide."
"Will you pledge your loyalty to me?"
Operator Mole realized he owed the blond youth on the steps a gesture of loyalty and respect.
Like an ancient knight submitting to his king, he slowly knelt, clenching his right fist and placing it over his heart.
"I will offer all human supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings to Om Messiah; all mechanical souls and all those in authority will do the same, so that we may live reverently, solemnly, and righteously under the protection of the God of All Machines."
Xia Xiu faced the half-kneeling Mole. He knew this was a baptismal ceremony of the Mechanicus.
This ceremony is presided over by a Mechanicus priest or pastor and is performed at the altar or designated baptismal font of the Mechanicus Church.
During the ceremony, the officiant uses holy oil (usually 150-octane gasoline, sometimes 98-octane gasoline), or, for civilians, plain water. This special liquid is sprinkled on the head of the person being baptized, symbolizing the sacred power and spiritual cleansing of the Mechanicus.
The baptism process is often accompanied by specific prayers and declarations, demonstrating the person's commitment and faith in the God of All Mechanics.
The significance of baptism is to symbolize a person's cleansing and redemption from sin and filth, becoming a member of the Mechanicus.
This ritual is considered a symbol of the Mechanicus's faith and a rite of initiation, marking the beginning of a new life and commitment to the beliefs and lifestyle of the Way of Mechanics.
Xia Xiu symbolically formed a water ball and gently waved it over the mole, releasing a cloud of shimmering mist.
In this simple yet symbolic ritual, the magical power of the water ball technique transformed into a cool mist that fell upon the mole, symbolizing a rebirth and baptism.
The man smiled at the mole and said, "I don't need believers, I only need loyal companions and subordinates."
The mole, facing Xia Xiu's words, didn't simply respond. Instead, he spoke deeply:
"As you say, I will not be a broken mechanical servant, but a mechanical priest—this is the truth."
"I offer you a fatherly reverence and a chivalrous loyalty."
Xia Xiu said nothing more.
Admittedly, some people in this world constantly falter in their words and actions. They believe that if a person has so-called faith, they are merely placing themselves in shackles. Therefore, in both thought and action, they deliberately demand openness and freedom of will.
In reality, people are often more willing to believe lies.
The reason isn't just that people have to endure countless hardships in their search for truth; nor is it that, once found, the so-called truth will constrain their thoughts and freedom; rather, it's that human nature seems to have an innate tendency to lie.
So-called truth is merely an understanding within the scope of self-perception.
Perhaps within the human realm, truth has never been discovered, and we are constantly searching for it to satisfy our own desire for knowledge.
He has already said that he doesn't need believers, but the Mole will accept the Om Messiah as the truth. This is a leap of faith for the Mole, and he can't speak of the openness and freedom of his own will.
As the Om Messiah, he can only ensure that his "truth" does not constrain people's thoughts.
"I don't need believers," Xia Xiu said again. As he finished speaking, he gently extended his index finger, and azure flames danced on its tip, like a beam of light drawn from the deep sea. Within that profound blue light, boundless streams of data clung to the mole's waist, like a burning digital ocean.
The overlapping layers of blue flame, imbued with an unknown power, drifted gracefully toward the mole's waist, where the peripheral device, "Adam," hung, seemed its destination. The moment the flames gently touched the mechanical sphere, the surrounding air seemed to tremble, and time seemed to freeze in that moment.
A digital expression suddenly appeared on the surface of the sphere, a smiling face, warm and friendly like an intelligent being.
This smile, beneath the cold, mechanical exterior, seemed remarkably vivid and genuine, as if showcasing the mole's new life.
"I have a mission for you now. Bring this field operator from the border zone."
As soon as Xia Xiu finished speaking, the mouse-like sphere erupted with a mysterious vitality. It hovered gently in the air, its surface suddenly gleaming with a strange light, as if processing some complex data.
The electronic emojis on the surface of this small mechanical sphere suddenly came alive, their smiles seeming to evoke a certain intelligence.
Soon, seemingly complex strings of information were transmitted into the Mole's mind in a way only he could understand. This wasn't just a transmission of words; it was a direct implant of knowledge, allowing the Mole to instantly grasp all the necessary mission details: the target operator's identity, their current location, and how to safely retrieve them from the complex area known as the Border Zone.
"Evan Rowell, Operator codename—Green Ox."
He subconsciously recited the target's name in his mind.
********
Daevite Empire, City That Never Sleeps.
The Daevite Empire was shrouded in a layer of frost in winter, as if a cold and ruthless ruler had tightly bound everything within its territory.
The black stone spires, the slave pits, and countless smoking chimneys were all covered in a layer of frozen lead, appearing even colder and more merciless.
Snowflakes and dust danced in the air, eventually blending into an indescribable cold mud that quietly covered the narrow, winding streets.
The city lights flickered hard in the endless darkness, but seemed unable to dispel the surrounding haze, barely outlining the surrounding objects.
Amid this desolate silence, only the faint sounds in the shadows seemed particularly piercing.
A pack of stray dogs, searching for food in the shadows of a street corner, stumbled upon a figure trapped by the bitter cold: a slave who had failed to return to the warmth of his home before nightfall.
In the chill wind, the dogs surrounded the frozen corpse, greedily licking the cold remains, their muffled chewing sounds echoing in the darkness.
This scene was like a silent elegy, telling of the suffering and helplessness of the lower classes of the empire.
In the Daevite Empire, winter is more than just a change of seasons; it reflects the relentless challenges posed to life.
The drifting snowflakes and the biting north wind silently told the story of this land—some lives are destined to be unable to escape this icy fate, while darkness and cold are the eternal themes of this empire.
Deep within the Daevite Empire's Sleepless City, in a hall brimming with mystery and power, the Night King, the city's "Royal Divine Machine," slowly opened his eyes, as deep as the night sky.
The air around him seemed to grow heavy with this gesture, and an indescribable aura permeated the hall.
His voice was deep and powerful, each word uttered from the abyss, carrying an irresistible majesty and mechanical coldness:
"The Hanged King has issued a hunt—target: Eddiesi Federation, Hell's Kitchen!"