“Look, what is that?”
Suddenly, exclamations erupted from around Charles Square below. People began to realize something was wrong, pointing their hands toward the sky in astonishment.
Soon, more and more people noticed the anomaly, lifting their gazes to look toward the east.
It was already eleven in the morning, approaching noon, with the red sun hanging high—the brightest moment of the day.
Yet, at that very instant, a crimson moon suddenly rose slowly, hanging high in the east in the blink of an eye, shining in tandem with the dazzling sun.
A natural anomaly; the sun and moon hung in the sky together.
People in the open space looked up, those in rooms gathered by the windows, and carriages stopped in the streets as heads poked out from inside. At this moment, almost every citizen in Rhine City was gazing at the sky, watching this unprecedented phenomenon.
Ordinary people did not know what was happening, assuming it was merely an unusual celestial event. However, in hidden corners of the city unnoticed by the public, pairs of eyes—some playful, some wise, some sinister, and some violent—looked toward the direction of Charles Square almost simultaneously.
The moon rising in broad daylight, the power of the red moon fluctuating again. Who had invoked the power of the Lady of the Red Moon, or had that supreme being already embarked on the path of return?
For a time, in every church and every secret society, all the high level powerhouses capable of sensing mysterious anomalies stared blankly at the unprovoked rising of the red moon, unable to tear their eyes away for a long time.
Lynch, however, knew nothing of this. At that moment, he felt he had come to understand a great deal.
If one's existence is rooted in this world and one's power derived from the faith of mortals, then one naturally bears an innate responsibility toward the world and its people. This is the connection between cause and effect. Just as Lynch had realized before, because he had brought in ill intentioned people, he had a responsibility to protect the innocent Martha.
Perhaps this was what Lady Luna had pointed out as his insufficient understanding of divine authority. Becoming a supreme being came with a price; if one could not grasp the meaning of responsibility, one could never truly advance toward the supreme. And the moment Lynch truly internalized this responsibility rather than using other reasons to convince himself, everything happened naturally.
His soul seemed to be suddenly pulled from his body, his vision rising rapidly, overlooking himself, the apartment, the square, and the entire world.
His will seemed to merge with the red moon, once again feeling the crimson moon's care and attachment to the world. It was the favor of the red moon, the love of a deity.
At this very moment, Lynch was high above, feeling as if he were omniscient and omnipotent.
Withdrawing his consciousness and refocusing on his soul manifestation, the crimson full moon pulsed rhythmically like a beating heart, as if something were about to break through its shell.
Once, twice, and when the soul manifestation pulsed a third time, a force erupted within the red moon. Immediately, a second orb of light burst forth, slowly circling the soul manifestation like a satellite.
【Divine Name, Red Moon, Authority, Death.】
Boom.
His spirit jolted, his consciousness plummeting rapidly, returning to his body in an instant.
The moment he opened his eyes, a beam of moonlight descended from the sky, connecting the red moon in the heavens with the one on earth.
His soul filled rapidly, and the phantom of his soul manifestation became increasingly solid. A powerful sense of omnipotence surged within him. Lynch opened his eyes abruptly, blood red moonlight seeming to overflow from the corners of his eyes. His scorching gaze passed through the open window, landing squarely on the strangely dressed man on the street below.
The strange man had also just recovered from the anomaly of the sun and moon rising together. As he turned his gaze back toward the window, his eyes were fierce and his face wore a sneer. He gave Lynch a thumbs up, then rotated his wrist into a provocative thumbs down gesture.
However, the moment the gesture was completed, it was met directly by Lynch's moonlight infused gaze.
Time seemed to pause for an instant, with tiny sparks of lightning flickering where their gazes met. The next second, the strangely dressed man suddenly stumbled back two steps, his back hitting the wall. At the same time, he covered his mouth and nose, and several streaks of fresh blood spilled from his nose and mouth, flowing down his fingers.
The moonlight in Lynch's eyes grew even more intense. He leaned forward, while the strange man below glared at him fiercely, pulled down his hat as if afraid Lynch might pursue him, and hurried into the passing crowd, quickly disappearing at the end of the street.
Lynch let out a breath, his tension easing, and the moonlight connecting heaven and earth dispersed along with it. Everything returned to calm.
Only then did Lynch realize his body had changed. His five senses had stepped up a level, becoming much sharper, and his physical condition had improved significantly. Even his leg, which had been in a cast and felt somewhat sore and swollen, had now fully recovered to normal.
When his spirit sank into his soul, he could clearly see the second orb of light orbiting the track. That was the authority representing Death, though he had yet to comprehend any specific abilities. The divine authority of Death was still an empty shell, waiting to be slowly understood in the future.
Behind him, little Martha clutched one of Lynch's hands tightly. Her body was trembling slightly, looking quite nervous, but she remained obediently hidden behind Lynch, pouting without making a sound.
Lynch scanned the street below, confirming the strange man had left, and finally breathed a sigh of relief. He turned back, patted little Martha's head, and comforted her softly, “It is alright now, he has left. You do not need to be afraid. Do you know him?”
The little one dove into Lynch's arms, hugging him tightly, and rubbed her head against his stomach for a long time. Only then did she look up with a wronged expression, shaking her head and saying, “I do not know him. It is just that I suddenly felt so terrified. I do not know why, and I thought I was going to encounter that kind of thing again.”
Lynch then remembered that this child was also a survivor of a mysterious incident; her father had died at the hands of those cultists from the Thorn Flower. No wonder she was so sensitive to the pressure of mysterious powers. Softening, Lynch stroked the little one's head pityingly and comforted her gently, “That person was likely not targeting you, so do not worry. Go help your mother, and when Natalie arrives in a moment, tell her to come straight up.”
Lynch had not lied to her; the strangely dressed man was clearly targeting him rather than little Martha, which was why she had been at the window for so long without being attacked until he appeared.
However, who exactly was this person? Why such deep resentment toward me?
Lynch felt quite puzzled. He asked himself, he had not offended anyone since he transmigrated. Calculating carefully, there were the believers of the Ancient Flicker, the believers of the Abyss Weaver, the wanted fish faced man Walter Davis from the sea, Chairman Grant, the Ranger trio of Walker... No, he had only been here for seven or eight days and had been bedridden; how had he offended so many people?
The more Lynch counted, the more alarmed he became. By the end, he dared not count any further. The problem was that these were all troubles coming to his door; it must be the mystery attracting constitution he had gained from walking the path of immortality at work, and certainly not because he was too asking for a beating.
【Heh.】
Regardless, no matter how many people he had offended, he had at least successfully saved Maya. The commissions from Duke Vane and Archbishop Trinlais were also partially completed, establishing his initial footing in this world.
The next step was to find a way to make a fortune with the information on Zur-Baha-Sahr, to free himself from the fate of poverty, while continuing to follow up on the commission for the Norin-Rhine Railway. A case of this magnitude for a family like the Valente family was merely the tip of the iceberg, and it might involve some behemoth later on, so he had to remain highly cautious.
There was also the Shadow Alliance. The Black Spider was backed by a certain major god; his strike through the frame certainly would not have been fatal. This person was vicious and sinister, and would never give up their malice toward him. This person... was likely the greatest enemy on his path of immortality and must never be underestimated.
That should be everything. Once the cast was removed today, he would find time to first visit that young lady at the Valente family, then pay a direct visit to that capitalist Grant, and solve all the problems that could be solved first.
Right, there was also that fifty pound check. Once he could move, he had to cash it as soon as possible. With the second authority just activated, he would have Officer Natalie take him to see if he could buy some suitable abilities and test his affinity for secret arts. He wondered what abilities could be comprehended under the divine authority of Death. He hoped it would not be as useless as that person from the Black Night Cathedral. He was truly quite looking forward to it.
After writing and drawing on his detective notebook to organize his future plans, Lynch finally revealed a satisfied smile. He tossed the pen aside, lifted his clothes, and reached out to touch his smooth stomach.
There were no scars from the two wounds. Lynch pressed left and right, no longer feeling any pain, and had to marvel at the magic of the abilities in this world. Just as Lynch was bending over, engrossed in his study, using his pen to circle the injured area on his stomach to compare it with the surrounding skin, he suddenly felt something. Looking up, he found Officer Natalie standing at the bedroom door, staring at him being foolish with a conflicted expression.
“You really are bored to the point of sickness, aren't you.”
“Hmm.” Lynch nodded, feeling quite aggrieved. Anyone who had been confined to bed for sixteen days would be bored enough to grow fur all over.
“That is perfect, then. You should have your cast removed today, and then you can get out of bed and move around, right?”
“Hmm? Is there activity?” Lynch's eyes brightened.
Officer Natalie looked around and lowered her voice, saying, “Klin, the archivist for the Watchers, sent a letter to me, asking us both to go over when we have time.”
“Those photos? Are there results?”
“Yes.”
Rate on N.U.
