Secret: The years I served as a foreign aid for the Aurora Club

Chapter 182
436
To save Klein or not, that is the question.

Judging from his overall qualities, Klein is undoubtedly an extremely outstanding successor.

He did not waste any of the resources he had available to him, and did his best in everything related to promotion.

In addition, judging from the fact that he was prevented from descending from the gods and participated in the Backlund Great Smog, he also possesses considerable morality and sense of responsibility. For such a person to become the Lord of Mysteries is a perfect option like a dream.

Amon? Not familiar.

“Sometimes I really feel that you humans are very twisted.” The Decayed King peeled an orange for himself and said as he ate it, “The more you lose your humanity, the more you want to find a human with high morals to take your place at the top of the sequence, just to take advantage of their kind nature.”

"I heard that Mr. Men in the Fourth Epoch was the strongest competitor, but because of the ritual, he was contaminated in the starry sky and was exiled as a matter of course."

The innkeeper's daughter stared at the orange in the Outer God's hand, not noticing that her mother was constantly winking at her to leave.

He looked at the girl twice, then handed over the other half of the orange in his hand without caring about it.

The girl was flattered and took the orange, but she swallowed her saliva and dared not eat it. Her mother bowed repeatedly behind him to thank him for his generosity.

"It's strange, why didn't they kill him?" The Decayed King stood up, patted his clothes and went back to his room. "Contaminated things are only safe when they are completely dead, not to mention the path of the 'Door'. Why do they trust Mr. 'Door''s morality and humanity so much that they just leave him in our hands and believe that he will not lead us?"

The True Creator was silent for a while, and then spoke:
"It sounds like you have seen Him."

"Of course I have seen Him." The Decayed King said, "His mental state is very good, and he can chat when the Fallen Mother Goddess does not affect him. But He has forgotten almost everything. Because too much memory will give us an opportunity to take advantage of it, He has thrown away most of the things."

“It has become very pure because of this. There is no other goal except to watch over the Earth.”

"This state is actually very similar to ours. In a sense, we are the same kind."

"...I will protect Klein and the successor of this Celestial Lord." The True Creator said, "Humanity can no longer wait."

The Decayed King was not surprised by this choice.

"So, you also gave up Klein and chose his kindness." The Outer God said, "You are really interesting. Because of his perseverance, the Gate has endured nearly two thousand years of unnecessary pain, and his sacrifice did not bring him honor and praise, but only brought tragedy to his descendants, who even had to give up their surnames in order to survive."

"In your tribe, it seems that individuals with higher moral standards are always exploited. Are you advocating kindness and morality in order to better exploit them?"

"Humanity can no longer wait." The True Creator repeated, "There is no better choice. Moral blackmail doesn't matter. He must do this, and so must I."

The True Creator felt his scalp tingling when he thought that the Outer Gods had destroyed the clues of the Source Castle almost without the gods knowing.

"My friend, dear former Lord of the Astral Realm."

The Outer God said to Him expressionlessly in Edward's tone, "You really care about humans, but realistically you are still an evil god in transition. Your participation will add some additional dangers to Klein."

"In that case, let me give you a free suggestion. Kuroyoru pays a lot of attention to him, and he has a good relationship with the resurrection successor of the Grim Reaper. Maybe it was also arranged by Kuroyoru. You'd better not pay too much attention to him. I don't want to be implicated by you."

The True Creator's voice lowered slightly: "It seems that my half has some other plans..."

"I miss the feeling of someone calling my name," said the Decayed King. "But don't do it next time. It sounds strange in your language. The human throat cannot produce my voice."

The True Creator cut off the connection.

"It's really interesting, human, you always drive the flames of your own race to the brink of destruction."

A smile appeared on the face of the declining king: "From this perspective, I like you."

After a moment of silence, He began to respond to the prayers of the demon family:

"Just donate more money to the church. If you have some spare money, buy some indulgences. Killing people doesn't matter."

"Once Backlund's labor shortage ends, we can increase working hours. As long as the salary remains the same, there will always be people coming."

"If you can't control yourself, go kill the homeless. Don't use your Beyonder pride to give gifts to the congressmen to please them."

"Focus on food and industrial development. Making some war money will help you digest the potion."

437
Medici looked Klein up and down, comparing the differences between his three faces in his mind.

Klein looked at Medici with an awkward smile on his face.

What's wrong with the True Creator? I destroyed His divine descent ceremony in Tingen, and He still wants to favor me? !

What does He want from me? Sefirah Castle?

I can be resurrected once more, which means I can be resurrected four times in total? What does this number represent? What does destiny mean?
Is that really the "True Creator"? Isn't this a crazy evil god who brainwashes his followers with nonsense and turns them into lunatics? Why does he look so rational and human? And there are no nonsense in my mind, nor do I suddenly feel full of praise for the "True Creator"...

Klein thought quietly in his heart and repeatedly checked his thoughts and cognition, making sure that he had not been secretly brainwashed and had not become a believer of the "True Creator."

But isn't this right? If the "True Creator" has always been such a rational God, there is no reason why he is not one of the true gods, and there shouldn't be so many accurate negative descriptions... And I have met people from the Aurora Society, especially Mr. A. His madness is real, and his faith is also real - the only reason is that the "True Creator" has only recently, or in a very short time, regained his sanity!

Klein's heart skipped a beat, and he suddenly thought of the "Poseidon" he was playing.

The bloody, primitive, and crazy "Sea God" had become a humanoid god similar to a righteous god, had a holy emblem, and actively responded to prayers and gave blessings... Isn't this the same as my own situation? !
To others, is this also an incomprehensible anomaly?

Moreover, the "True Creator" even understood what he said in Chinese, "Zhou Mingrui". Hiss, it feels a lot like a time-travel novel. I always feel that this world must be closely connected to the Earth, otherwise there is no way to explain why there are so many time-travelers...

Klein was confused, not knowing whether to guess that "someone replaced the real creator" or "the real creator was originally an earthling." He felt that the latter was more likely because the other party's problems and behaviors were in line with the standards that a god should have.

Then he remembered himself pretending to be a fool.

…Forget it, I’ll think about these things later…I can’t trust the “True Creator” too much. He is an evil god after all. Maybe the images I saw were all my subconscious cognitions, not His true appearances. Phew, I can’t think about it anymore. It feels blasphemous…

...Wait, could it be that He already knows that I'm the "Fool" that the Aurora Society is looking for?

Just as he was daydreaming, Medici suddenly waved his hand in front of his eyes. Klein was startled and snapped back to his senses.

"The Lord said that you are barely one of the people He is looking for, and you can be treated as a loved one."

Medici had a scrutinizing smile on his face and patted Klein's shoulder hard, almost knocking him to the ground:
"Feel honored, and work hard for the Lord, boy."

Klein lowered his head to look at his toes, not knowing who he should praise now.

"The Lord has another word for you, which he says can answer some of your doubts."

"The Lord said 'the place you are looking for is under your feet,'" Medici said.

"And a P.S. 'If you don't understand, look at a world map.'"

The True Creator said it very tactfully and directly. This was the hint He chose after communicating with the Declined King. He couldn't say anything more straightforward, not because He missed his hometown... but simply because He felt that such a reality was a bit cruel to a young man who wanted to go home. But it's better to say it sooner rather than later, and it's better to suffer a short pain than a long one. Since he can't go back, he should find a new life goal in this era.

Klein was stunned.

What was I looking for? Where was I going? What was the True Creator trying to tell me?
World map, what do we need a map for?
Could it be...

Klein's hair suddenly stood up, and goose bumps appeared on his skin in waves as if he had received an electric shock.

He suddenly stopped caring about the powerful and mysterious man in front of him. He flew around him and rushed out of the living room - he had noticed before that there was a whole world map decorative painting hanging behind the sofa in the living room!
Klein ran straight to the sofa under the puzzled gazes of the others. His heart was beating like a drum. He raised his head and glanced around anxiously.

Klein's expression suddenly froze, his eyes slowly widened, and even his breathing stopped.

Pfft!Pfft!
Klein heard his own heartbeat, and common sense about the current world suddenly popped up in his mind:

"There are twelve months in a year, three hundred and sixty-five days, and there are leap years...

"Twenty-four hours a day, sixty minutes an hour, sixty seconds a minute...

“It is confirmed to be a planet…

"There is one and only one sun and one moon in the sky..."

Pfft!Pfft!Pfft!
Klein's instinct stopped him from thinking further, but a "voice" emerged from deep in his heart:
Could it be that there has never been such a thing as “time travel”, and I have actually always been on Earth... ?
As this idea took shape, many details that had not caught his attention erupted in Klein's mind like a volcano:

"The pirates have a rumor that at the easternmost part of the Sonia Sea, before entering the God War Ruins, there are decaying and collapsed steel buildings around the ancient deep-sea well. These seem to be left behind by humans..."

"The overall topography of the North and South continents is very similar to that of North and South America, except that the large area near the two continents was wiped out by some unknown force, forming a turbulent sea with complex waterways and twists and turns... Also, Sonia Island was formed by drifting southward like the big island in the north... The Sea between the Continents is like an expanded and connected version of the Great Lakes, as if it had been hit by a huge meteorite..."

"On the northern continent, the mountains and rivers have changed a lot, but the overall shape is still barely recognizable..."

Pfft!Pfft!
"Edward Vaughan told Mr. Azik that I came from an ancient past..."

The map is a hint from the "real creator". Could it be that He really...

Klein's eyes went dark. He simply couldn't accept this reality! At this moment, he suddenly broke away from his role as the "Faceless Man" and even unconsciously revealed the appearance of "Zhou Mingrui"!

"Huh? He has a face? This appearance is a bit like an elf..." Medici, who followed him out to watch with his arms folded, smacked his lips first, then suddenly frowned, "He's not in the right state!"

There’s no going back, this is Earth!
This is the Earth thousands or even tens of thousands of years from now! We are not traveling through the world, but through time!

I can’t go back. I can’t go back. I can’t go back. My parents are gone. They’re all dead. I was missing until they died. I couldn’t provide for them in their old age. Our world no longer exists. Even the gods can’t do anything. Why should I struggle? What’s the point of my living? There’s no need to move forward. Why did I travel through time? Why did it have to be me? How nice it would be if I could grow old and die with them? Why was it me? Why was it me? Why was it me? I can’t go back. I can’t go back—

This is the Earth!

Just as the flesh buds on Klein's body began to wriggle, two mind links fell on him at the same time, forcibly stabilizing his thoughts, causing Klein's mind to fall into a void burning with fire, and stopping his madness.

His eyes were wide open, his mind was blank, and he fell to the side in a state that was no different from fainting.

Medici grabbed his arm and lifted him to the sofa.

Klein lay there straight, still staring at the ceiling.
"Why did he lose control just by looking at a map?" Medici was confused, and felt that the Lord was unfathomable. "What does it mean that he can't go back? It seems to be related to the Lord's hint. He wanted to find a certain place, but found out that he had already found it. Did he just waste his efforts in vain?"

"I don't understand."

Traynor was not affected at all: "What should we do with him?"

"The Lord is willing to take care of this poor lamb."

Treanor nodded, lowered his head to the other side, curious but not daring to speak, and quietly looked at the woman in the direction of the living room and said:
"Elaine. You go look after him."

Elaine's face changed. She was a little afraid of this strange man who had investigated her in every detail. She stood up carefully, saluted, and then moved a chair to sit next to the sofa.

Medici whistled, "Good idea. This kid is thinking about not wanting to live anymore. This is a good opportunity to develop new feelings."

The "General of Disease" sat up in shock from his dying illness.

Elaine gave her a complicated look, then reached out and closed Klein's wide-open eyes with a heroic mood.

438
Zhou Mingrui had a dream.

In the dream, he had just got off work and was happy that he didn’t have to work overtime today. Overtime made his already thin hair even more precarious.

He was walking home happily with the sign in his hand. It was rush hour and the traffic on the road was jammed into a long line. Bicycles and electric bikes had already driven onto the sidewalk. While avoiding traffic, he was thinking about whether to go to his favorite beef stew rice restaurant tonight or have a barbecue and then go home to cook two dishes.

In the end, he chose beef brisket stewed with rice.

The store was busy and bustling, with no seats available for shared tables. Zhou Mingrui took out his phone and thought about ordering takeout to take home, but it seemed that his phone was out of battery, and the screen was completely dark, and no matter how he pressed it, it wouldn't light up.

It seems that he can only go home and cook some food. There is still some meat in the refrigerator and some rice left over from lunch... He left the store regretfully and returned to the busy sidewalk.

It is clear that if you walk a few hundred meters along this road you will see the old barbecue stall at the entrance of the community, and if you walk a few hundred more meters you will reach the downstairs of your home, but Zhou Mingrui walked for a long time and still hasn't reached the barbecue stall.

He looked back in confusion and found that the sign of the beef brisket stewed rice was also very far away from him. The silhouettes of countless people passing by became a gray wall, and the world seemed to be gradually losing its color. The people were gray, the vehicles passing by were gray, and the sign of the beef brisket stewed rice was red with yellow characters. The color was becoming more and more blurred, and everything was like an outline drawn with a pencil on a weathered and bleached paper.

Zhou Mingrui felt terrified. He thought of the dozens of horror movies and horror novels he had seen. He ran towards home. After running on the gray-white paper for a long time, he finally saw the sign of the barbecue stall.

The honest boss who was waiting for customers to come after dark saw him, waved happily under the eaves, and then he also turned into a grayish-white human silhouette with a simple smile composed of three arcs on his face.

Zhou Mingrui suddenly stopped and stepped on the spot hesitantly. Suddenly, a red moon rose in the sky, covered with stars that looked like eyes.

The ground beneath his feet collapsed, and he fell into a huge hole that suddenly appeared on the ground. He saw himself getting farther and farther away from the gray world.

As he fell, he saw seven rays of light hanging high in the sky, the floating sea and the ships on the sea, and the image of Backlund appearing in the air. In that shadow, he saw Benson and Melissa, the Church of Saint Samuel of the Church of Night, the East District, and the Holy Wind Cathedral. People were walking back and forth, chatting and laughing. Everything seemed so real.

The red moon and the sea were behind him, the sky and the earth were upside down, and he was falling or rising like a meteor.

Zhou Mingrui suddenly woke up from the intense and uncomfortable feeling of falling. He saw the gorgeously decorated ceiling, the candlesticks and gas chandeliers on the wall, and a decorative painting of a world map hanging on the wall above.

When the red-haired, green-eyed woman sitting next to him handed him a handkerchief, Zhou Mingrui realized that he was crying.

TBC
------

It's just a dream.

(End of this chapter)