World Occult Usage Guide

Chapter 295 [The Four Living Gods] (Part 2)
It was already late morning when Lin An left the pharmacy. His watch showed that the entire process, from meeting the herbalist to the completion of the ritual, had only lasted about thirty minutes.

It was a quick rendezvous.

On his way back to the hotel, Lin An checked the message board for "Communication with Developers" and found that no one had noticed that he had gone to Mbanbuka town that morning.

The first report came from the diligent Maye, who said the plan to relocate rainforest tribes was progressing smoothly.

Led by Ap, the first group of 500 tribesmen successfully crossed the Kuba River and arrived at Mbanbuka, where they were accommodated on the third to fifth floors of the hotel.

The second report came from Misuru, who recruited Black Cat, who had performed exceptionally well in the raid, and made him one of the squad leaders in his army. He had just set off to cause trouble for the black boss of Mubanbuka.

Lin An warned him to be careful. The city of Mbanbuka has a population of 80, while the suburbs have 30. Based on the current awakening rate of "Comers", it is estimated that there are about 100 mysterious individuals hidden here.

Regardless of radiation levels and ratings, the Mysterious Ones, due to their different divine mediums, employ unpredictable and bizarre methods. Misuru has only recently come into contact with the world of "Comers," so she should be cautious in everything she does.

"When I was weak, I was very cautious. I would avoid conflicts whenever possible, and I would only tentatively approach other mysterious people when I was absolutely sure of my safety. Let alone you, who has no foundation at all," Lin An advised.

Misuru replied: Really? I don't believe it...

Lin An suddenly broke out in a sweat when he saw that he had sent another message.

"As a qualified hunter, I understand that only by knowing your prey well enough can you ensure a safe return after every hunt. Although I go hunting with the mindset of certain death, what I really want is to come back with my prey and reunite with my family."

She actually said the same thing as her father.

Lin An wanted to make another joke, but for some reason he couldn't think of a single word.

Just like every time he faced Lin Hainan, he had a thousand words in his heart, but in the end he always remained silent.

Misuru knew what he was doing.

Lin An moved the data aside, and the slope of the low hill beneath his feet gradually leveled out, revealing the outline of the Lambridge Grand Hotel.

Lin An took an inconspicuous route back to his office. Instead of immediately getting into his routine of deciphering documents, he collapsed onto the sofa and began examining the "prophetic legacy" he had recently acquired.

The fingers and knuckles of the Creator God...

This was the first time Lin An had obtained such an antique with such a significant provenance.

According to Zai, the sorcerer nganga of the Four Living Gods inherits the finger of "conceivedness," a word derived from vanga, meaning "to make," which can be translated as "operator."

Zai explained to Lin An that "sorcerers" can cast spells through the incantation n'kisi or some kind of material entity inhabited by a soul.

They are also known as herbalists, usually using healing spells, and also know some divination and prophetic spells.

If nothing unexpected happens, the "sorcerer" should be a mysterious figure who acts as a medium for the god of agriculture.

The second finger, "The Mortal World," is inherited by Chief Mfumu, who wields a scepter called Mvwala, which can defeat witchcraft or "separate" evil from the heart.

Unlike other heirs, the chieftain cannot be corrupted by magic and spells.

His awakening ceremony was quite interesting; it required the killing of one of his closest nephews. According to classical ethnography, the position of chieftain was always associated with the murder of members of the kanda clan, so those who aspired to the throne could use this to prove their authority.

Is it a choice between "Emperor of War" or "Chief Judge"?

Since Qisedik is the "Chief," Lin An prefers that the finger is more inclined to be the "Judge" rather than the "War Emperor." The former is only excellent in combat, while the latter has the power to control puppets and mobilize armies.

Once war breaks out, the mystique surrounding the War Emperor could easily inflict irreparable damage on Lin An's forces.

Tshisediq is the Bantu president, and although the number of mysterious figures under his command is unknown, the number of active soldiers listed on the international website is more than 134,000.

If they were all turned into puppets...

Lin An is really no match for him.

As for the successors of the third finger, Zai calls them "witch ndoki," who hold the crossroads of life and death standards.

The word ndoki comes from the Bantu word root Loka, which refers to the wisdom and knowledge shared by chiefs and witches, a power that is not inherently evil.

The text quoted by Southern folklorist Monzel states, "A witch is a recluse or wanderer with hidden knowledge. This extensive knowledge enables her to master the secret magic power makani, and those chosen by her will become her kind."

Based on his description, Lin An felt that the witch was either the "mother of desire" or the "seeker of knowledge," which matched his mysterious encyclopedia very well.

Unfortunately, this generation's witch died at the hands of Zisedik, and her fingers were also stolen.

The last of the four living gods is the Prophet, who inherited the finger pointing to the "underworld" and possesses the power to reveal hidden things.

Unlike the previous three, he does not need herbs, magical rituals or Enkis charms to cast spells. This finger is the result of his divine incarnation, Enzambhi's most hidden psychic knowledge.

Zai's description was vague, and Lin An felt that the medium of the "prophet" was either a "prophet" or a "visionary".

Both media are the most idealistic.

Once he had a clear idea of ​​what was going on, he began to explore the source of that contraction and expansion, the flow of energy, and the hazy, obscure light.

It is difficult to describe this thing that exists only in the mind in words. It has no concrete shape, like a window with the curtains drawn, on the other side of which is endless knowledge.

The "construction" of the window is not yet complete.

Speaking of which, in addition to the central eye, the historical pattern of the [All-Seeing Eye] also includes a base with a raised palm and outstretched fingers.

The Hand of Miriam, also known as the Hand of Fatima...

Perhaps I can use the finger of the creator god Enzambhi to perfect this legendary all-knowing and all-seeing "All-Seeing Eye".

Just the thumb... there's no way to get it.

Lin An spent nearly an hour examining the finger and confirmed that, like the Shroud of Turin, it was a genuine "antique".

One question still lingered in his mind.

Zai so easily gave him one of the Four Living Gods' most precious treasures?

Admittedly, the two shared an unspoken understanding. After receiving the prophet's finger, Lin An had no choice but to become an irreconcilable enemy of Qi Saidik.

For the desperate and nearly wiped-out remnants of the "Four Living Gods," relying on Lin An's power was the best option.

But he always felt that Zai was just too good.

Distrustful, Lin An used the "Blessing of the Primal Avatar" from the first volume of the "Complete Book of Magic," choosing "Free Will" and reconsidering his previous doubts.

Zai's actions were logically sound; I myself was not misled by the "prophet," and the finger did indeed belong to the "Lady with the Lamp"...

Am I just overthinking things?
After the blessing ceremony, Lin An frowned. Zai remained silent throughout, seemingly unconcerned by Lin An's subtle distrust, until the latter took the initiative to ask a question.

"Pastor, do I have to go to that pharmacy every day to receive your rituals in order to perfect this finger of the Creator God that points to the underworld?"

“That’s right, it lasts for six days,” Zai finally said.

Why can't you give it to me all at once?

"Back then, in order to prevent Qiseidik from opening the treasure of the Four Living Gods, I deliberately divided my 'Prophet' finger into seven parts, making it more difficult for him to perfect his divinity."

That made sense, and Lin An had no way to refute it.

So every morning thereafter he went to the pharmacy and, amidst the wailing songs of the herbalist and his assistants, received a portion of the "prophet's finger," for a week straight.

Finally, on the seventh day, the succession ceremony was completed.

The Creator God's finger is pure "Commons" energy, like a large library filled with all kinds of knowledge, each collection corresponding to a syllogism or a certain mystical principle in the central South Continent.

After learning everything, I'll probably become a walking encyclopedia of the mysterious world of BanTu. Lin An thought that he'd never see question marks again when opening the tree diagram.

Unfortunately, the "Lady with the Lamp" of the antique has been absorbed by the prophet, leaving only an empty shell of knowledge.

That night, Lin An slept in late. When he opened the window in the morning, he was surprised to see a foggy scene with traces of torrential rain everywhere.

Strangely, he clearly heard a light drizzle outside last night.

The sun in Bantu is scorching; this level of moisture can evaporate completely within three or four hours in the early morning.

"Crack."

The red frog croaked loudly and jumped from the window frame onto the wall. Lin An blinked, the scene seeming somewhat familiar.

Bantu's ecosystem is thriving, and even in the modern hotels of Mbanbuka, he often encounters animals such as frogs, snakes, monkeys, lizards, and spiders in various parts of his room.

They have lived alongside humans for millions of years.

Perhaps it's not so strange.

Watching the red frog disappear, Lin An closed the screen window, turned on the lights, poured water, and turned on the computer in one smooth motion.

Over the past few days, he has developed a fixed biological clock: he goes to the pharmacy first thing in the morning, deals with information "communicating with developers" in the morning, studies Nzambhi's fingers at noon, deciphers the Chamber of Commerce documents in the afternoon, and tours all six departments in the evening.

Misuru negotiated with local gang warlords and persuaded the three neighborhoods to accept the World Tree system's arrangements.

During this time, Misuru encountered three free-spirited mystics, all of whom were supernatural beings and no match for him.

The first group of tribesmen were provided with shelter by Maye. These shelters were gifts from well-meaning gangsters and warlords who offered Misuru as protection money because they thought he was too enthusiastic.

These people are users of the World Tree system. As members of the virtual community, they began a long process of adjustment with the three districts conquered by Misuru.

Ap returned to the rainforest to prepare to lead a second group of 800 tribesmen to Mbanbuka.

With the long rainy season approaching, if they don't migrate soon, it will be difficult to cross the Kuba River once it floods.

Edward recently announced Lin An's arrival to the residents of Mbanbuka via radio, igniting a huge uproar.

At the time, the image of the "Forester" was spray-painted everywhere on the streets, with some saying "This is the answer to all questions" and others saying "A symbol of the invasion of foreign evil!"

However, without government support, the people were leaderless and unable to stir up any trouble.

During this period, Edward took on the propaganda work. He and Fu Bin went deep into the streets and alleys of Mbanbuka. The former spread positive news about Lin An and suppressed opposition, while the latter conducted opinion polls.

Fu Bin told Lin An that most people didn't care who Lin An was or why he drove away the Red Poppy Chamber of Commerce; they only cared about daily necessities and long-term living conditions.

"As long as the requirements are met, they don't even care if you're an alien, haha." He laughed, thinking he was being humorous.

very eloquent.

Lin An thought to himself: Could this be the reason why your boss sent you to Nanzhou?

While waiting for the computer to boot up, Lin An opened the system. Green data fluttered around him like butterflies, and a message from Misuru appeared in the "Communication with Developers" section.

“Lin, I’ve captured a wild mystic on the streets of Udim. Would you like to examine his mystical origins on the spot? I can also bring him to the Grand Hotel.”

"I'll go check," Lin An replied. "Should I bring you a pair of rain boots?"

"No need, it's quite dry today."

Lin An glanced at the damp ground outside the window, frowned, and said nothing.

When I arrived at Udim Street as scheduled, it was already noon. The air was filled with the aroma of palm oil, burnt cassava, and bananas, a scene of bustling activity yet peaceful tranquility.

Using the World Tree system for navigation, Lin An walked toward Misuru until he stood at the entrance of an open L-shaped alley.

"Clang, clang."

A loud sound accompanied by sparks streaking across the dimly lit street. Lin An sensed the presence of "Comers," but for some reason, it didn't belong to Misuru.

With a slight frown, Lin An entered a state of mental blankness, and as expected, he did not see any light spots from Misuru.

He unveiled glowing green data that adhered to the walls and floors, shimmering fluorescently and illuminating the interior.

A blacksmith is forging a pot in front of a dilapidated house. His roof, battered by torrential rain, is teetering on the brink of collapse, while his wife sweeps puddles from the doorway.

Sensing Lin An's gaze, the blacksmith looked up, his face grim, giving him a warning look, assuming he was just an ordinary person meddling in other people's business.

He had only recently awakened and had not received systematic guidance, so he was not very sensitive to the energy of the other world.

This must be the free spirit, the enigmatic one.

The person has been found, but the question is, where did Misuru go?
Lin An thought the other party had been subdued and become a prisoner unable to move, but to his surprise, the blacksmith not only continued his life as usual, but even put on an expression that told Lin An not to disturb him.

The strangest thing is that, according to the World Tree's location, Lin An was clearly near Misuru, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Taking a step back, Lin An reminded her, "Misuru, I've arrived. Where are you?"

“A small alley on Udim Street. Hmm, the wall next to me is covered with thick sweet potato vines, and there’s a yellow monkey lying in front of me.”

(End of this chapter)