At this moment, Lynch felt as if he were seeing the boundless universe, the vast sea of stars, the rising and setting of the sun, the turning of the seasons, and the cycle of life and death.
It was an ocean of incomprehensible forbidden knowledge, each fragment of information interpreting the truth and essence of this world.
Without any warning or hint, Lynch realized instantly that everything he saw was the Great, the Sublime, and the supreme will itself.
It represented the laws of the world, the source of reality, and the authority of truth.
The moment of perception meant the beginning of understanding, and the act of understanding itself meant witnessing the truth.
But the supreme is not a realm mortals can touch. Seeking knowledge is a sin, for the soul of a mortal cannot bear even a glimmer of true radiance.
Lynch felt his soul gradually becoming void, merging with the world. He wanted to look away from the bizarre phantom, but the process of understanding had begun the moment he saw it; looking or not looking no longer mattered.
Under the impact of the supreme will, Lynch's consciousness blurred and his spirit grew empty. He felt his soul was about to dissipate under the weight of the truth, but at that very moment, a gentle red moon rose in the depths of his soul.
A mortal soul cannot bear the radiance of truth, but the authority of a god can.
The radiance of truth and the supreme will, these dangerous shocks, penetrated his soul the moment they touched the divine authority, merging with the crimson full moon.
His restless soul stabilized, and his chaotic consciousness quickly cleared. Lynch discovered that not only had he not weakened under the soul impact, but after enduring it, his spirit had become even more resolute.
However, before he could process this, a shrill cat cry pierced his ears.
The sound snapped his chaotic will back to clarity. The moment he regained his senses, Lynch was struck by a lingering fear.
He had actually lost himself in front of such a terrifying existence. He did not know how long he had been lost, but if the other party were hostile, it would have been enough to kill him many times over.
His gaze fixed, and he discovered the black cat beside him was not acting with hostility. Instead, it had stepped back a few paces, staring at him with a strange gaze. Within the phantom on the cat, the image of the human woman remained, but the bizarre cat headed human figure had vanished.
The phantom was blurry, showing only a lady in aristocratic dress. The black cat did not seem hostile; it lay back down on the sofa, flicking its tail and yawning, before speaking in human tongue:
"Sigh, are the Soul Severers of you fallen gods all this brave now? Daring to look at anything? And even staring closely after realizing something is wrong instead of hiding? It is quite unexpected that you managed to hold on."
"I did not expect it either." Lynch feigned a dazed, mentally exhausted appearance, while internally asking rapidly: 'Neighbor, did you not say this was an ordinary cat?'
【It was indeed an ordinary cat, until just now.】
Lynch understood, having roughly guessed what had just occurred.
The cat was ordinary, and the human woman must be the real Countess Anna Hathaway, using the cat as a medium to contact him. As for the cat headed human figure on the third layer, it was likely the entity behind the countess, which his high inspiration had inadvertently peeked at.
Hell, does high inspiration let you see such terrifying things? Can it be lowered? I came here thinking I would not encounter cultists, and instead of cultists, I stared straight at an evil god.
'Neighbor, is it really okay for me to stare directly at the supreme like this?'
【It is merely an evil god, not a true deity, so do not worry. As long as your will can withstand the first shock, it is fine. It is not harmful, but rather beneficial.】
Beneficial? Lynch paused, recalling the feeling of the supreme and true radiance merging into his soul, and immediately gathered his will toward the soul manifestation in the depths of his soul.
The soul manifestation was incredibly solid, especially the activated concealment authority, which was so clear it felt as if it were about to materialize. It was as if he had just undergone soul alienation. Could it be...
【Yes, by safely staring at an evil god and grasping the supreme will to use as your own, your soul is now filled with the power of divine authority. You can trigger the soul manifestation at any time to bring the power of the red moon down to the mortal world.】
'Recreating the power of that night?'
【Yes.】
Lynch suddenly felt an urge to cry.
Ever since starting on this path, as a Soul Severer with no attack capabilities, he had lived cautiously every day. He wondered constantly how he could confront powerful high tier experts or even evil gods with his current strength, as he could not even deal with a strong Soul Severer.
He had never found an answer, until today, facing an evil god directly, he had received an unexpected windfall.
【Please note, Lynch, this is a one time effect. It can only last for three minutes. Afterward, unless you complete your next alienation or stare at an evil god again to fill your soul with the supreme will, you cannot trigger it again.】
'Better than nothing. This is practically incentivizing me to go take pictures with evil gods. But what if I keep staring at an evil god?'
【It is the understanding you gained when first facing the supreme that takes effect, not the act of looking. It is that same understanding that would drive you mad.】
'So, since the understanding was generated during the first time, looking at the same evil god again is useless, and my soul will not collapse again?'
【Yes.】
That is not bad at all. A truly unexpected windfall.
Lynch withdrew his consciousness, shook his head to pretend he was dazed and deeply affected, and managed a weak smile.
Looking at the black cat now, he could no longer feel the terror and pressure from before, but the more this was the case, the more Lynch felt she was unfathomable.
Merely gaining a trace of supreme will from her had pushed his soul to its peak. How terrifying would her true strength be?
Lynch did not want to know. To avoid using up the divine authority he had just gained, he asked cautiously, "My apologies, I seem to have seen something I should not have."
"It does not matter. I understand this was just an accident; you did not seek death intentionally, so I do not mind. Besides, my existence is not a secret to some, so you need not worry about me silencing you for this."
I was seen through. Lynch rubbed his nose and smiled awkwardly.
"Let me introduce myself. I am Countess Anna Hathaway, who invited you here. Also, as you can see, I am a high level retainer of a relatively gentle Great Old One."
Lynch nodded and bowed slightly to the black cat: "Then, Lynch Levive, private investigator, at your service, Your Ladyship."
"You are indeed qualified to serve." The black cat glanced at him with human like expression, nodding, "I invited you here today for two purposes. The first is that you inadvertently did us a favor, and we would like to thank you."
"Hm?"
I helped?
Lynch's brain spun rapidly, sorting through what he had done these past few days. She used 'we'—it could refer to the ordinary cat, but Lynch felt it more likely meant her and that evil god. Since it involved the level of an evil god, the options were few. The most likely was...
"The Weaver?"
"Heh, you are truly a detective, quick to react. Correct. We do not like those cold spiders and have always wanted to dig them out and drive them away, but could not find them. I did not expect you to finish it for us. I have never liked owing favors, so I invited you here to give you your reward."
Lynch felt a stir. An expert whose depth was unknown but who was always accompanied by an evil god, and a great aristocrat at that—the reward was quite worth anticipating.
However, this was not the time to lose face, so Lynch took a deep breath and waited calmly for the countess to continue.
"So, what do you want? Money? Fame? Status? Power?"
"Power, of course. Preferably the holy memory of Lady Red Moon."
Lynch did not hesitate. Since he had embarked on the path of immortality, money and status were merely paths to acquire greater power; everything must serve the pursuit of power.
"I see. It seems you intend to go further on the path of the Soul Severer. However, this favor is not worth the holy memory of the Red Moon. My other gifts representing power are too dangerous and not suitable for you now. Hmm... very well, come here, I will give you a little toy."
Lynch was not worried about such an expert ambushing him. He obediently approached the black cat, only to be ambushed.
The beautiful black cat suddenly leaped up and bit Lynch on his right hand.
"Ow."
Lynch's first thought was that there were no vaccines in this world; what if he caught rabies? Only then did he realize, wait, why did she bite me?
But the black cat had already bitten him and lay back down. There were four tooth marks on his palm at first glance, but in the blink of an eye, the wound recovered as if nothing had happened.
Without needing a reminder, Lynch checked his soul. Sure enough, outside the Red Moon soul manifestation, a light sphere shaped like a cat's paw appeared.
Cat's Favor: The blessing of the cat god Bastet, permanently gaining balance and agility comparable to a cat.
"This..."
Lynch's expression was subtle. It was not the attack ability he had hoped for, but thinking about it carefully, it seemed far better than an attack ability or relic a novice with level one authority could use.
Cat's Favor applied to any physical ability and remained just as applicable no matter what level of authority he attained; it could be considered a skill he could use for a lifetime.
Moreover, his most powerful attacks at this stage were gun or staff strikes after lurking. Cat's Favor would be useful for both approaching and attacking, making it a very suitable ability for him.
"A very good gift."
Lynch shook his arm, adapting to the changes in his body. His strength had not increased, but his muscle control and physical coordination had improved significantly. He could easily perform many movements he could not before. Lynch even felt he could run across a tightrope. With this current flexibility and balance, he could easily climb the window to the third floor of the Scarecrow Club. No, what am I thinking?
Shaking off the dangerous thought, Lynch bowed to the lady's phantom on the black cat: "Thank you for the gift, Your Ladyship. I am very satisfied. Then, what is the second purpose?"
"Ask you a question, and I hope you can explain clearly: why do you have the scent of Mordiggian on you? Have you been mixing with those ghouls?"
The black cat lay on its front paws, two vertical pupils staring gloomily at Lynch. It looked lazy, but Lynch read a dangerous signal in its pupils.
If he did not answer well, he might be making a powerful enemy.
What should he do?
Play dumb or make up a story?
Lynch's brain spun, quickly analyzing the situation.
From the black cat's wording, it was clear she disliked ghouls and also disliked Mordiggian, the suspected evil god.
And while he had no grudge against the ghouls, if he wanted to save Maya, a conflict would inevitably arise.
Although this black cat was also a cultist, she was powerful and held a prestigious status. Plus, she had shown friendliness and sincerity throughout. Perhaps they could cooperate long term. And since they had similar goals, she might even bring him unexpected help during a conflict with the ghouls.
But first, he had to gain her trust, which required him to show enough sincerity.
After thinking for a moment, Lynch made his decision: he would only change Duke Vane's commission to a collaborative consulting role with the Watchers and tell Countess Hathaway everything else.
"So, you caught the ghoul scent at the lady journalist's cabin in the woods?"
"Yes." Lynch sniffed his body again, "I thought I hadn't caught it; I had smelled it many times."
"No need to smell. Humans cannot distinguish this concentration. The scent of a newborn ghoul, a follower of Mordiggian." The black cat glanced at Lynch calmly and said with satisfaction, "A reasonable explanation. It seems you are not in collusion with Mordiggian's followers. Then, the second purpose of inviting you here today is to give you a commission."
"Hm?" Knowing he had chosen correctly, Lynch sat up straight.
"Find out what Mordiggian's followers are doing, and stop them, no matter what their goal is." The black cat said coldly, "Mordiggian and the Great Old One behind me are hostile. My identity is not convenient for direct handling, so I must leave it to you."
"Can my strength resolve it?"
"That is your problem, not mine to consider. And I saw the red moonlight that night, too." The black cat thought for a moment and said, "The value of this commission is equal to the holy memory of the Red Moon you asked for earlier. As long as you complete the commission, I will get you a holy memory of the Red Moon."
"I can accept that." It did not conflict with his goals anyway; it was essentially a free benefit. The opportunity was rare, so Lynch agreed immediately and added, "But I need some extra assistance."
"Hm?"
"Information support. I have too many questions."
"Heh, no wonder. Whether it is the churches of the twelve major gods or official institutions like the Watchers, none will let this information spread. Many of their own people do not know, let alone an outsider like you." The black cat stretched, "But I do not have that concern. It is more lively if it spreads. Tell me, what do you want to know?"
"Information on Mordiggian and the ghouls."
"Mordiggian, the King of Gloomy Cold Bones, the King of Disease, the King of Ghouls, holds the authority over cold, disease, and death. It is the belief of most ghouls."
"Most?" Lynch pressed.
"Yes. There are a very small number of ghoul tribes that are hostile to Mordiggian, but the proportion is too low to usually ignore. Ghouls have human forms and can reproduce like humans, but they can also transform humans into ghouls through Mordiggian's power. The lady journalist you mentioned should be a victim. Most of the ghouls in Rhine live in the city's sewers, and some in caves, but they are rare to see. I received news that they have been very active recently and are likely plotting something under Mordiggian's instructions, which is why I sought you out to nip their conspiracy in the bud."
"What about the Valente family? With your status, you should know their intelligence."
"Are they not in the capital?"
"Their eldest daughter, Diana, is in Rhine and has connections with those hillman ghouls."
"Oh, I remember now. Part of the Valente family's industry is the mines on Bester Mountain. They have maintained deep ties with the hillmen for many years. However, I have met that Diana, and she is not a ghoul. I do not know the specifics. If you want to approach it through her, you will have to investigate it yourself."
Lynch pondered repeatedly, confirming that the black cat's requirements did not conflict with his goals, and reached out his hand to the black cat.
"Happy to cooperate."
Rate on N.U.
