World Occult Usage Guide

The pus gushing from the dead man's eye sockets splattered the lens with filth, causing even the celebrities of Kinsasha, who were in the "Kingdom of Gods and Men," to pause slightly in surprise.

"Cut off their communication!" Misuru shouted sharply.

The dead person was turned into a snowy screen under the operation, and many people did not react in time. Fu Kai quickly cleared his throat and continued to host as if nothing had happened.

The third important announcement concerns the allocation of Mystics and the expansion of World Tree's workforce.

In short, the advisory department will send out teams of four mystery enthusiasts to screen the organizations of each celebrity for occult enthusiasts, and to identify those who will soon attract the "Commes" divine medium to participate in new recruit training.

After the training, everyone will receive a modified, mysterious prototype from the forest rangers using the [Edit] function as a reference. Once they officially awaken, they will be assigned to the instructor department under Misuru's jurisdiction for further training.

Only after passing Misuru's test can these people officially join the World Tree.

Influenced by the "Kingdom of Gods and Men," the celebrities listened quite attentively, while the forest rangers were somewhat distracted.

The scene of a dead person's eyeballs exploding and their eyes remaining open in death left a deep impression on them.

After the meeting, as the technicians cleaned up the site, everyone's eyes turned to Lin An.

“It was a kind of voodoo poison,” he said. “Someone remotely controlled that celebrity through some strange voodoo, and made him say those words.”

“Voodoo…” the crowd murmured this chilling word.

"Fukai, what do you know about the local Hu Du cult?"

“Kinsasha doesn’t have many followers of the Hudu (a type of Japanese drug) religion. They are mostly distributed among the primitive tribes in the Great Rift Valley, especially among the Kikuyu, Luheya, Kalanzin, and Maasai tribes in Bukawu,” Fukai pondered. “But I don’t think it’s them.”

"why?"

"According to my flight information, Kapend Kumasi went to Lacono, and his destination was Abidjan in Ivory Coast."

“Abishan…”

“Ah, my Lacoão, my construction base,” Fu Bin murmured to himself. Because of the civil war in Lacoão, he was forced to wander and was almost sold to the mines to work as an illegal laborer. “I wonder what the situation is like there.”

No one responded. The Bantu people didn't care about the lives of the Lakono people, who had once invaded their country. Lin An, the only one who knew a little about the inside story, remained silent.

This answer is destined to be cruel.

Kevin mentioned that the Red Poppy Merchant Guild had sent "peacekeeping troops" to Lacono, claiming to be helping the Southern Continent quell the civil war, but Lin An always felt that the Merchant Guild was the real culprit behind the civil war.

After all, the suffering Bantu is now entirely thanks to the great folly of the Flemish people back then.

"Book me a plane ticket to La Cono," Lin An instructed Fu Kai.

“I’m sorry, ranger, there are no planes flying at Kinsasha’s airport, let alone pilots,” Fukai said with a hint of embarrassment. “When I went there last time, there were people raising chickens there and planting cassava on both sides of the runway.”

Almost forgot, Bantu's planes were either dismantled or sold off by the defeated presidential army, the international transport company Red Poppy Merchants Association ran away, and companies from neighboring countries demanded an exorbitant amount of gold before agreeing to open the route.

"Let's discuss this matter further."

No one had any objection.

The enigmatic Hu Poison Cult, the menacing Red Poppy Merchant Guild, and the post-war reconstruction—the arduous work was like a mountain, weighing heavily on people's faces, leaving them frowning and filled with worry.

Until a cheerful and pure voice dispelled the gloom.

"Is the meeting over?"

Mezzo pushed a food cart over, covered with a mysterious curtain.

Lin An twitched his nose; he smelled an intoxicating fragrance.

"You've prepared afternoon tea." Edward's eyes lit up. "Thank you so much! Oh God, this is wonderful news!"

“Yes, it’s the New Year’s Eve celebration today.” Mezo smiled and lifted the curtain of the food cart, revealing a variety of desserts.

Fried bananas, fried coconuts, and various fried starch balls are piled together, their shiny surfaces covered with a thick layer of honey, making them crystal clear.

“Oh my God,” Edward exclaimed again, noticing the Bantu’s puzzled look, he quickly tried to smooth things over, “Miss Mezo, what is the New Year’s Eve festival?”

“Every year at the end of the year, the Lion Tribe holds a bonfire party. We sing and dance around the fire, and it ends with a sumptuous feast,” Mezo said. “It’s a pity we can’t hold a formal festival, so we can only use this as a substitute—I’ve been making these things for a long time!”

"It sounds a bit like the Winter Festival."

“The festival that the Savior Bishop uses to celebrate the birth of the Messiah originated from paganism, specifically from a Zoroastrian sect called Mithra near the Southern Continent,” Lin An interjected. “In fact, according to historians, the Messiah was most likely born in the summer.”

"What?!" Edward was shocked.

"Mithraism worships the sun god Mithras, whose birthday, Sol Invictus, falls on the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year, on December 25th, according to the ancient Roman calendar."

"Mithras, the sun god, was a god of war who was invincible. After he was introduced to Rome, he was revered by Roman warriors and gradually became the patron god of the Roman Empire. In 274 AD, December 25th was designated as the empire's national day."

"In 313 AD, after Emperor Constantine officially recognized Christianity, he regarded the sun god of Mithras and the God of the Saviour as the same god and combined the religions, thus giving birth to the Winter Festival."

As Lin An explained, he picked up a fried banana and popped it into his mouth.

“Therefore, it’s normal that the Lion Tribe’s New Year’s Eve celebration is similar to the Winter Festival.” “Lin.” Cool fingers grasped his arm, and Mezo, with a mysterious smile, took out a glass jar from under the food cart. “You kept your vow and spent the New Year of 2039 with us.”

“That is…” Lin An stared intently at her glass pot.

“I searched all over Kinsasha and finally found it in a merchant’s warehouse!” Mezo poured the steaming liquid into a wooden cup. “Try it, is this coffee?”

Lin An held up the wooden cup, which wasn't really suitable for drinking coffee, with both hands, and felt the warmth seep through his skin.

After a moment's hesitation, he took a sip.

The rich bitterness of coffee spread across the tip of his tongue, and the robust and slightly sour taste flowed into his brain like an electric current. Lin An carefully swallowed it, closed his eyes, and savored the faint aroma lingering in his nasal cavity.

"How...how?" Mezo asked nervously.

"Wow!"

Fu Bin answered her question. While Lin An was lost in thought, he made a cup of milk coffee, drank it all in one gulp, and smacked his lips with a lingering sense of satisfaction.

"I used to show off with Star Nine in high school. Back then, I thought it was the best-tasting coffee in the world."

“Star Nine Coffee? You must be joking, Mr. Fu.” Edward snapped out of his daze. “Star Nine Coffee is basically just flavoring! No—it’s bathwater!”

"It costs at least thirty or forty yuan a cup."

“In my opinion, any food from the United States is just mass-produced fast food, not worthy of being served at a formal table.” Edward picked up the coffee pot. “Let me teach you how to properly taste coffee, Mr. Fu. Double espresso is the only true way.”

"Give me a drink."

"Please make it yourself, thank you. I don't share food with others."

"As if anyone cares." Fu Bin rolled his eyes. "Mr. Roberts, may I ask what kind of food you like to eat?"

Smoked salmon scones.

Fu Bin rolled his eyes subtly and muttered in Chinese, "As expected of you." Noticing Edward's questioning gaze, he nudged Lin An with his elbow, "What do you think? Cappuccino or Ice Eagle?"

"Me?" Lin An snapped out of his daze. "Double concentration."

"Thank you!"

Edward glared at Fu Bin, who remained unfazed.

"If you can't even accept a caramel macchiato, what if I gave you the chance to try China's cilantro latte and century egg coffee? That would drive you crazy."

"Hehe, what are your thoughts on lamb offal dumplings and curry fries with xiaolongbao?"

"Depend on……"

"So, is it good or not?" Mezo persisted, asking again. "Lin, why are you staring blankly at your coffee?"

“It’s delicious, Mezo, you put a lot of thought into it.” Lin An stroked the rim of the cup. “It’s just that the taste… is nostalgic. This time last year, my friends and I were also drinking coffee. I was a mocha, and they were a double espresso, a cappuccino, and an ice eagle.”

“January 2038? Sigh, I was an expatriate with a precarious future then, and now I’m an expatriate with a precarious life.” Fu Bin sighed inappropriately, “It’s only been a year, but it feels like a century has passed.”

“Mr. Ranger, would you like to recreate that scene?” Edward asked considerately.

"No need, one must always look forward." Lin An raised his coffee and smiled slightly. "Happy New Year, everyone."

…………

"Crunch, crunch."

The dim light flickered, serrated blades cut through bread as hard as stone, the chef placed a piece of dried meat on the slice, spread jam on it, and handed it to the person sitting on a plastic stool.

"Mr. O'Connor, your lunch is ready."

“Thanks, Maori brother. But I already said, just call me David.” The young man held up his flashing phone screen. “You have no idea how explosive the email I received this morning was.”

"Sorry, I can't read English."

I'll read it to you.

David cleared his throat and began to recount the story.

Dear David O'Connor,

In my capacity as the Lord of the World Tree, I cordially invite you, as a representative of the World Pentecostal Grace Organization, to discuss cooperation with us on the following 19 items. See the attachment for details.

Please proceed to the northeast entrance of the Capitol Building at 1 p.m. on January 10, 2039.

I look forward to your arrival.

Your friend at a certain point in time,

Forest ranger. (End of Chapter)