Chapter 406: We Await Your Return
Chapter 406: We Await Your Return
Humphrey joined the Central District's central administration when he was 21, having a job that almost everyone would envy.
The so-called central administration was considered the uncrowned king of Norzin, or rather, was the ruling authority resided in the first place, just that they hid the crown. The upper echelons were the adjudication bureau made up of twelve people of noble status. With this adjudication bureau as the highest point, they managed the whole of Norzin from the top down.
They allowed other transcendent organizations such as Secret Rite Tower and the Truth Union to emerge, but they had to obey the central administration.
Mortal organizations were allowed to rise as well—Rolle Resource, for example. However, everyone knew that Rolle Resource was the former army of the kingdom and lackeys to those nobles.
Therefore, a job in the Central District's central administration was considered a true 'iron rice bowl.'
Every citizen of Norzin was governed by the central administration from the moment they were born, a truth written in stone.
The central administration's management wasn't cruel, and no one objected to it because they had a large number of transcendent abilities and beings that controlled and protected Norzin's lifeblood.
Humphrey's background was rather ordinary. His family's repute wasn't spectacular, but still much stronger than most commoners. However, at the same time, Humphrey didn't have the talent of a transcendent being. People like him who came from such backgrounds formed almost all of the lower echelons of the central administration.
However, Humphrey was very fortunate, because he witnessed an extraordinary phenomenon and became a transcendent. This phenomenon was the awakening of a power within the bloodline of his family, just that it hadn't appeared for a long time.
Logically, he received training from the central administration, unexpectedly discovering his abilities of detection and countersurveillance, and becoming a white magician.
Thus, he became an overseer.
He traveled throughout Norzin, assuming various identities, with the main task of investigating all reactionary acts that might threaten the peace of Norzin and the rule of the central administration.
This current auction of Ji Zhixiu's was considered a rather potentially dangerous act since it involved the bookstore.
As an agent of the Central District's secret agency, Humphrey naturally knew about the existence of the bookstore. However, the central administration had always kept a laissez-faire stance toward it.
This existence had clearly turned Norzin upside down. It wasn't just a simple matter of stirring up slight trouble for the central administration; it was more like setting a fire and watching the Norzin burn.
Humphrey had always been puzzled by this. Why was the central administration so lax? But today, he finally knew.
Boss Lin was an absolutely great and unfathomable existence!
Just as Ji Bonong had said, everyone present had received Boss Lin's favor this time. After the auction ended, Humphrey, who had received Boss Lin's personal work, was simply the envy of everyone else.
It was a feeling of reaching the peak of his life and being bathed in holy light as he stood by the side of a divine entity.
Humphrey didn't know why either, but when the book was placed on the table, he suddenly felt a hint of conviction—the greatest purpose of his life was to obtain this book.
And thus, he had gotten up stubbornly and said the greatest thing of his life, "I want that book."
Now, the auction was already over and Humphrey was holding the book with the unusually peaceful cover that said Dream of Chaos.
Dream of Chaos.
This was a book written by Boss Lin himself, perhaps detailing an endless dream realm.
Clutching the book in his arms, Humphrey walked openly on the streets, which he rarely did so as an overseer. In truth, he had been assigned the task of watching the auction and obtaining at least one of Boss Lin's books.
However, the owner of each book had already been decided by Boss Lin. Wanting to obtain one was a mere fantasy.
Yet, Humphrey had gotten it.
However, his goal had changed. Now, he no longer worked for the central administration and just wanted to walk around more. This was because he held Boss Lin's book in his arms and was now the messenger of that oracle.
Perhaps he should go to the slums where the poor lived, to the cruel and cold capitalist factories, or to the underground Lower District, to continuously spread Boss Lin's gospel...
"W-what's that in your hand?! What exactly are you?"
Someone suddenly shouted out in an unfamiliar accent from behind Humphrey.
Humphrey stopped in his tracks and turned around to see a burly figure wrapped in a black cloak.
A black hood covered the face of this mysterious figure and even the boots he wore were jet black. Moreover, the pure black robe seemed to be absorbing the surrounding light. Even when this figure raised his head, his face couldn't be seen as if he were just a walking cloak.
Humphrey frowned. He was sure he had never seen the person standing in front of him, but now that this situation had reached such an unprecedented state, no matter how ruthless a person was, he would be able to deal with him.
Hence, he said kindly, "Hello, I'm the same as you. We're both creations of Mr. Lin in this world. My name is Humphrey. Please let me tell you about our Lord and Creator, Mr. Lin..."
"I can smell a powerful yet familiar scent coming from you," the black-robed figure immediately cut the chatter and said, "What is... Mr. Lin?"
"The creator of this world and our savior." As he said that, Humphrey took out the book and gently flipped it open.
The moment the mysterious black-robed figure saw the book, his eyes, which were hidden beneath his hood, seemed to be on the verge of popping out. A golden glint flickered in them, like those of a ravenous beast, as he clearly saw the words written on the cover—
Dream of Chaos.
"…" That black book was like a giant abyss of darkness staring straight back at the black-robed figure.
"Chaos within chaos, with no distinction between you and me…" Humphrey actually opened the book and started to read aloud the contents.
He's crazy! He's actually reciting that book...!
The black-robed man was taken aback, but he then seemed to understand. No, he's crazy to begin with!
The recited words didn't flow into Humphrey's ears. Instead, they entered the black-robed man's mind like an electric current that kept crackling...
Humphrey looked up and saw the robed figure start to tremble and let out a mournful moan. That strong burly figure started to bend gradually, and as more contents of the book were revealed, the figure started to feel a pain that kept multiplying, and he twisted up like a shrimp.
This is salvation!
"This process might be painful, but after listening to Mr. Lin's teachings, you will feel as if you have been reborn." Humphrey couldn't help but smile as he observed the robed figure that seemed to be squirming in extreme pain.
The black-robed figure twitched continuously before he suddenly became lifeless.
Humphrey put down the book and said as he walked closer to the robed figure, "Your pain is a new life… Huh?"
Just as he squatted down to check on that robed person, he noticed the body twitch again. Moreover, he could hear a hoarse chanting from beneath the hood.
"The beginning of all beginnings, master of all things, originator of all chaos and order. Everything in front of you is just a dream of yours. Wake up quickly, but don't wake up. In your eyes…"
Humphrey's eyes widened as he stared hard at the book in his hand. What was being recited by the robed man was actually the continuation of the passage he had been reading.
"How do you know the rest of it?!"
Humphrey was thoroughly shocked. How does he know? Clearly, I was the one chosen by Boss Lin. But how is he able to comprehend it so quickly?!
The black-robed man clutched the ground as if his entire body was in pain from being run over by a truck. Then, he slowly got up and lifted his hood.
An indescribably grotesque face appeared.
"Why? Of course it's because you fake believers are just idiots who follow blindly."
The robed man's skin was covered in snake-like scales. His lower jaw was lined with numerous tentacles like those of an octopus, each full of circular suction cups. His hair was sparse, with only a few strands of flowing white.
"Y-y-y-you…?!" Humphrey broke out from his state of fanatical calm by this shocking sight as he fell to the ground clutching the book tightly in his arms.
This gruesome appearance wasn't one a human ought to have.
It was ancient and terrifying, hideous and ugly.
Only the upper echelons of Norzin knew what sort of appearance the residents of the Lower District had.
The robed man slowly removed his gloves, revealing his similarly scaled hands with thick appendages and sharp nails like the claws of a crocodile.
"What the hell are you—Ahhhhhhh!" Before Humphrey finished speaking, the robed man's right hand moved so fast like a green-gray afterimage, grabbing onto Humphrey's neck and stabbing his fingers through Humphrey's throat as easily as a hot knife cutting through butter.
Blood spurted out as Humphrey struggled like a wounded prey.
"Thank you," the robed man said hoarsely. "Thank you for bringing my Lord's gospel to me. Please die peacefully and accompany Him to sleep."
"May my Lord's dream be safe," the robed man prayed, his forked tongue faintly discernible when he spoke.
The robed man threw Humphrey's corpse to the side, then shook off the blood on himself before taking the book—
Dream of Chaos.
When he saw the book, he looked up and saw a dark shadow against the farthest wall of this deserted alley.
Thud!
The moment he saw the black shadow, the robed man immediately knelt to the ground. His entire body trembled, and his yellow, feral eyes seemed on the verge of tears. He placed the book to his forehead, and beads of tears fell.
His voice trembled as he uttered, "O Great Lord, thank you for your guidance. You have led me from the Lower District all the way here. We await your return at the promised land."
The black shadow seemed to nod, yet it also didn't seem to have done anything. It just stayed in the place where light and darkness intertwined and disappeared the moment the street lights came on.