Chapter 9 Return to mystery
"We now share the same interests and goals?"
Ning Lu quickly realized who was watching him the moment he noticed the gaze:
It was the former "Ancient Sun God", the current "True Creator", and the future "Omniscient Omnipotent".
Willing to sacrifice anyone for the whole "Earth", yet also willing to sacrifice his own pioneers.
Grisha Adam!
"He really has noticed me..."
The gray mist rushed to envelop Ning Lu's entire body, so dense it could even block Adam's sight. Ning Lu felt a scorching sting behind his neck, ignored the Heavenly Venerable's teasing tone, and muttered:
"So after He noticed my existence, He cut off the Heavenly Venerable, the Mother Goddess of Depravity, and Lady Salty Fish from seeing me, making them ignore my presence?"
The sting and heat behind his neck faded slowly under the gray mist, which then drifted away, revealing the scene before him:
Crimson moonlight streamed through the window's outline, bathing the room in an eerie pale red.
Ning Lu turned, gently tugged at the Amon‑exclusive Warlock robe he wore, and glanced at his reflection—now a black inverted cross tattoo emerged on the skin behind his neck, shrouded in a thin veil of gray mist.
Damn, with a tattoo I can't take the civil service exam.
That was the first thought that floated in Ning Lu's mind.
He then straightened his attire, and a frantic "dong‑dong‑dong" knock sounded at the door. Recognizing the knocker, he spoke:
"Please, come in."
Ning Lu could guess who would arrive at this hour—this place is one of the Aurora Order's strongholds, and fellow Divine Messenger Mr. Z naturally lives here as well.
Just before he returned to the "Lord of Mysteries" timeline, Grisha Adam's gaze projected onto him, forming a black inverted‑cross mark.
Grisha Adam = the future True Creator, and the current True Creator's will is nearly insane, sometimes making it impossible to discern the exact status of his Divine Attendants; his mutterings reach every low‑Sequence being indiscriminately.
Thus, the True Creator cannot tell whether the mark bestowed by the gaze is his own gift… In other words, Ning Lu has now actually become a Gods Favored of the True Creator, or the Proxy who personally cast the gaze and granted the blessing.
However, the aura of Sefirah Castle cloaks the mark Adam left on him, preventing this era's Adam from easily discovering it.
The moment Ning Lu finished speaking, the door burst open with a "bang", and a figure swathed in a black robe rushed in at lightning speed. His steps softened instinctively as he bowed respectfully before Ning Lu, lowering his head humbly:
"...Gods Favored, sir."
Hearing Mr. Z utter those words, Ning Lu felt a sorrowful wall suddenly rise between them.
"What's the matter?"
Ning Lu tried to speak calmly to the Mr. Z before him. Mr. Z hesitated a moment, then said gravely:
"I am guilty; I should not have doubted your devotion."
"It is my fault for not seeing the devotion and strength within you, for not hearing your faith in the Lord... I regret the harsh words I directed at you yesterday."
"I still prefer the rebellious you of before."
Ning Lu whispered to himself, gathered his thoughts, and prepared to gently sway his heart:
"No need for that, Z."
"We are both the Lord's Divine Messengers, gathered for the Lord's glory. Now we should unite to strive for the Lord's return, not blame each other here."
Pain still flickered in Mr. Z's eyes; his chest heaved violently, as if he would vomit his very lungs out at any moment:
"But a mistake is a mistake. I, I have slandered a saint of the Lord... I am guilty..."
"Very well, food and shelter included, your current state fits my stereotype of an Aurora Order zealot..." Ning Lu sighed lightly, helped the trembling Z to his feet, and said sincerely to him:
"Since you think so, atone through devotion to the Lord."
Before returning, Ning Lu might have expected Grisha Adam's gaze, but never imagined it would turn into the True Creator's favor.
The current situation is far better than Ning Lu imagined. The zealots he once expected to confront have become his allies, and now he only faces this era's Adam and, under Adam's arrangement and a deal with the Evernight Goddess, Ince Zangwill who wields "0-08".
Regardless, though sacrificing the entire Tingen City to summon the True Creator sounds thrilling, as a new‑age youth with relatively normal values, Ning Lu must stop the divine descent of the True Creator.
Moreover, setting aside that—can sacrificing a city's populace really bring a still‑mad True Creator back to his senses and into the mortal world?
The True Creator was once expelled by seven deities and fled to the eastern continent, now known as the Forsaken Land of the Gods. If he were to descend here rashly, the three wind‑white gods would surely launch a joint siege.
Of course, the True Creator's zealots have no brains of their own; they blindly believe that once their true god returns, he will sweep everything away.
Thus, Ning Lu has a different plan regarding the True Creator.
—Relying on the protection Sefirah Castle provides, the thoughts that surface in Ning Lu's heart will remain unknown to others, even the true god cannot pierce this shield.
From his and the Heavenly Venerable's perspective, the authority over the mist‑shrouded Sefirah Castle is now held by Klein, but the power granted to Ning Lu in the mortal world is even stronger.
"...You are right."
After Ning Lu covertly employed the Swindler's extraordinary eloquence and charm, the frantic Mr. Z quickly regained the little sanity he had left. After a long silence, he slowly addressed Ning Lu:
"Mr. L, although the Lord has already informed the other Divine Messengers and saints that you have become his Gods Favored and Proxy, I still need to report to The Dark Saint."
"But... you are no longer merely a Divine Envoy, so I must ask for your opinion: do you wish to contact The Dark Saint personally?"
Listening to Mr. Z's words, Ning Lu couldn't help but fall into a brief contemplation.
Having earned the True Creator's favor, The Dark Saint would have no doubt about his identity, and conversely, he would appear as a high‑ranking member in the eyes of the Aurora Order's elite—those elites even include several angels.
Now the question arises.
I am Amon's avatar.
Even if those low‑ and mid‑Sequence Divine Envoys don't recognize him without his monocle, the Aurora Order's top brass would certainly know "Angel of Time"; and as a divine favored one of the True Creator—a previously unnoticed yet devout presence in the elite's perception—he has no reason to refuse contact with them.
However, considering how the Aurora Order members have forsaken their brains, this matter carries some risk, though it offers even greater opportunity.
After a moment of careful thought, Ning Lu nodded:
"Very well, after sunrise we'll contact The Dark Saint. I just experienced something... unimaginable and now urgently need rest."
Upon hearing Ning Lu's words, Mr. Z raised no objection, simply bowed lightly, left the room after the salute, and carefully closed the door.
"Your fanatics of the Secrets Supplicant path are oddly considerate at a time like this..." Ning Lu muttered softly, feeling fatigue surge through his body; after shedding his clothes he collapsed onto the bed.
On the timeline of the Circle of Inevitability, the pressure and accumulated exhaustion Ning Lu felt were very real; he urgently needed rest... The next noon, after getting up, he removed his "Amon‑branded Wizard Robe" and put on a well‑tailored suit—after all, he isn't a true cultist and has no need for the black garb that looks anything but righteous.
He prepared to make contact with The Dark Saint in this appearance.
Entering the villa's basement, Mr. Z had been waiting there early, having properly prepared the Beyonder materials for the ritual, awaiting Ning Lu's arrival.
Seeing Ning Lu enter, Mr. Z bent slightly and said to him in a steady tone:
"We can begin at any time."
Ning Lu gave a gentle nod; under the specific circumstances that greatly boost his emotional intelligence, Mr. Z read Ning Lu's look and began activating the ceremony before him.
Soon, Mr. Z's shadow stretched forward, forming a youthful yet indistinct figure.
"Dark Saint" Karsma!
Ning Lu gently lifted his head, looked at The Dark Saint before him, and bowed his head low:
"Greetings, Your Saintship."
"Hello." The Dark Saint's tone was calm, correcting Ning Lu's address: "You are the Lord's emissary, the Lord's divine favored one; we stand as equals, no honorifics needed."
—It seems that before the True Creator and Adam merged, the Aurora Order maintained this strange hierarchy.
"Understood, Your Saintship." Ning Lu nodded lightly, speaking sincerely: "Mr. Z requested this report; should I explain how I obtained the divine favor?"
"Of course not necessary." The Dark Saint's tone softened a bit: "The Lord's divine favor is His gift to you; no one may question His gift—though I have one doubt I'd like you to interpret, Mr. L."
The Dark Saint sounded odd, as if he wanted to say something but forced it back down: "Your appearance resembles the rumored 'Angel of Time'; are you perhaps His offspring?"
The relationship between the Amon Family and the Ancient Sun God and the True Creator is vaguely understood among the Aurora Order's elite, yet during the Solomon Empire era the alliance between them was ironclad.
This Mr. L bears a strong resemblance to the 'Angel of Time' and has received the Lord's divine favor; does that mean he is intricately linked to the Lord…?
At this thought, The Dark Saint's gaze grew faintly more respectful.
"Unfortunately, I do not know." Ning Lu hesitated, then said, "Since I have consciousness, I have already been the Lord's follower."
"I do not know"—I'm not sure whether an Amon avatar counts as Amon's offspring.
"When I had consciousness"—when I crossed over.
Ning Lu watched The Dark Saint nod gently, feeling the still‑undigested "Swindler" elixir in his body showing significant signs of digestion again.
"—I see." The Dark Saint nodded: "Since that is so, I won't ask further. In the future, we will grant you the treatment befitting a divine favored one. You are a Beyonder of the Marauder path; we will seek a Prometheus elixir formula for you and provide an item equivalent to a Sequence 5‑level Beyonder artifact."
"However, due to certain… reasons, the Beyonder trait of the Marauder path is now extremely hard to locate, so you may need to wait a while."
The Dark Saint could not hold back, casting another secret glance at Ning Lu.
"You may freely choose the type of Beyonder item; thereafter The Saint of Secrets will deliver the chosen item to you. Moreover, the divine descent matters of Tingen are now entirely under your authority, as per the Lord's will."
Having said that, The Dark Saint's voice gradually faded, awaiting Ning Lu's reply.
"...something more offensive in weaponry." Ning Lu thought for a moment and said, "Preferably a melee weapon."
The Dark Saint nodded lightly, indicating he understood Ning Lu's intent. Just as The Dark Saint was about to conclude the exchange, Ning Lu suddenly spoke to him:
"Your Saintship, besides that, I have some matters to report."
"—Regarding the Lord's divine descent, I sense too many coincidences surrounding it; perhaps someone wishes to use the Lord's descent to arrange certain affairs."
Having said that, Ning Lu lowered his voice: "I suspect it involves the 'Spectator'."
Undoubtedly, as a demigod of the Aurora Order, his knowledge in this area is sufficient, and he naturally knows part of the information concerning the adjacent Spectator path.
"Although I cannot yet affect this era's Adam, can I not still handle the Sequence 5 Ince Zangwill you?"