World Occult Usage Guide

Looking back on his bizarre memories, Lin An came to a general conclusion.

[Alfonso III] Jacob spread the rumors about the [Forester] to an audience from half the planet through a press conference.

Therefore, in his trance, he saw the reflections of many gods. Due to the increased attention, the measurement value exceeded the threshold, and the degree of integration increased, so much so that Lin An experienced something similar to what he had experienced during Adria's ritual.

As Ansius's spirit drew ever closer, Lin An nearly succumbed to its symbiotic connection and lost himself.

Fortunately, Lin An is not so easily swayed now, and the rumors spread by Jacob are not enough to keep him in a dazed state for long. Lin An estimated that his dazed state only lasted for a few seconds.

Following this, journalist Edward successfully reported on the Chamber of Commerce's discharge of radioactive waste into the Kuba River, diverting public attention and making them forget about the "Forest Rangers."

In the minds of most Westerners, the renowned Jacob van Hofwegen was more worthy of attention than an unknown Southerner.

The bridge to the gods broke, and Lin An regained consciousness.

The system placed the panel in front of him, with the green data just centimeters from his nose.

[Letter Names]: Forest Ranger, Bantu Tyrant, Developer of the World Tree, Governor of Kinsasha, Ghost of Dietrich
[Rank]: Guardian Deity

[Integration Progress]: 5.3%
[Measured value]: 352.5
[Deviation value]: 62.2%
Bantu tyrant...

Lin An's lips twitched. Rumors spread so fast. Jacob had barely finished speaking when he received a new, high-profile alphabetical name.

However, what the Red Poppy Merchants Association President didn't expect was that the "bad reputation" actually lowered Lin An's deviation value, which led to a significant increase in his integration progress.

And he gained some new insights.

If I remember correctly, those thoughts indirectly shaped "me".

Lin An pondered for a moment, unable to sense any changes in his mind or emotions in the short term, but he was certain that the illusion he had just experienced had caused a subtle change in his mind.

The fusion of the "Lady with the Lantern" medium seems to be far more complex than it appears on the surface...

“Dobry (Polish: Well done), you’re awake now.” The woman’s voice interrupted Lin An’s thoughts. “As a celebration, would you like to sing me a song from ‘The Three Crows’?”

"Mrs. Adamek, thank you for the invitation, but I would like to maintain social distancing because my eyes are almost blinded by your brilliance."

"Heh, Mr. Rachel, I'm not a woman you can just get rid of as you please."

The woman before him was the real Mrs. Adamek, who had not been misled by the "prophet." She looked less sorrowful and more sinister.

A strange fluctuation, incongruous with the real world, came through, and several guesses surfaced in Lin An's mind. A panel appeared.

[Name]: Percy Bolica, Lady of Noon, Noon Demon, Spirit of Noon

[Rating]: Disaster Level E

Radiation level: 0.2%
[Pollution Level]: 8.2%
[Media]: Presiding Judge

This time the system reacted quickly.

When facing a voodoo priest, why is it so difficult to bring up the panel for the known prototype...?

Lin An suppressed his thoughts and examined the semi-transparent Mrs. Adamek.

When the "Imprint of Thoughts on the Path of Primordial Beginning" was activated, the lady's physical body had died, leaving only her soul. Lin An originally intended to create a spiritual portrait of her.

As he made his move, the soul suddenly trembled, attracting the divine medium and simultaneously breaking free from his control.

Although Lin An could forcefully complete the creation of the spiritual portrait, he had no grudge against Mrs. Adamek, and he was also somewhat curious about the mysterious prototype of the Slavic region, so he allowed her to awaken as a mystic.

Poudnica, a figure from Slavic mythology, is known as Полознича in Slavic languages ​​and translated into English as "Lady Midday".

The root word Polder or poluden means "noon," while nica means "lady."

In the legends of the eastern Slavic regions, she is a young woman dressed in white, carrying a whip and a sickle, strolling through the fields; in the west, she is believed to be an old woman with thick curly hair and thin clothing.

In any case, both regions believe that Pusipolnica is an agricultural guardian similar to a scarecrow. She is an invisible spirit most of the time, silently protecting the crops, and only comes out to patrol around at noon.

Priscilla, wielding a sickle and whip, would punish farmers who were still working in the fields at midday, as this was her designated rest time.

She is said to originate from the Slavic demon Meridianus, symbolizing all "diseases that can destroy the body at midday," warning people not to work during the hottest time of day to prevent heatstroke and other illnesses.

It's truly a mysterious entity that adheres to labor laws.

Lin An glanced at the light spot behind Madame Adamek's head. It looked just like a small sun, always there, the light outlining the woman's figure through the interplay of light and shadow.

In just a few minutes, the light grew brighter, making her even more clearly visible.

It was around 10 a.m., and Lin An estimated that Mrs. Adamek's power would reach its peak with the arrival of noon.

According to legend, once Pusipolnica is out of the midday sun, he will fall into a deep sleep.

Does this mean that the lady can only use the mystery when the sun is at its hottest?
Fortunately, she lived near the equator where it was summer all year round. If she had returned to the cold, rainy, and dimly lit winter in the Northern Hemisphere, Mrs. Adamek would probably only have about an hour of conscious time a day.

Even more tragically, Mrs. Adamek was only conscious at noon, remaining in a state of "dormancy" at other times. After all, she had already died at the hands of Lin An.

But he wouldn't admit to killing the other person. He cleared his throat, briefly explained the whole story, and shifted all the blame onto the voodoo priest.

“So that’s how it is. This guy used me as bait to scheme against you…” Mrs. Adamek narrowed her eyes. “One of them has been lying to me for half a year, and the other has been manipulating my mind.”

“I’m sorry, that’s true,” Lin An replied. “Putting everything else aside, how much do you know about the Noon Lady [Psipolnica] from the Slavic story?”

"Heh, putting everything else aside, they've fooled the Gilgood family." The lady's left hand reached into the hem of her dress, pulling out a folding fan with two fingers, which she then unfolded with a "whoosh." "Mr. Rachel, the biggest problem now is—how should I retaliate?"

"Well..."

Lin An looked up and saw that the light representing Alfonso III had disappeared. The Red Poppy Merchant Guild Master realized something was wrong and immediately made a hasty retreat.

At the same time, the points of light that displayed the "Little Angels of Kindness" went from twinkling like stars to a deathly silence, like emotionless walking corpses.

The "Mother of Desire" removed the little souls that protected the spirit, and now that the voodoo priests are dead, the last line of defense protecting these people's souls has shattered.

In other words, any voodoo loa can possess them anytime, anywhere, without paying a price.

To return to normal, they would have to become mystics like Madame Adamek...

But they are so completely numb and confused, how can they possibly awaken?
Moreover, looking at the rapidly increasing pollution levels on these people's panels, Lin An sighed.

These unfortunate and innocent reporters are beyond saving; they are doomed to die.

Either the pollution levels are off the charts, or they've been murdered.

The legendary "Mother of Desire" is so dangerous.

Fortunately, this medium is extremely rare. Lin An had only ever heard of a mysterious figure known as the "Mother of Desire"—the Lord of [Xi Yong], who caused Doris Wood's madness in Dietrich.

I really don't know how terrifying the highly rated "Mother of Desire" really is.

Lin An couldn't help but think of the mastermind behind the indirect killing of President Tshisekedi, the "Mother of Desire," who was at least at the C-level.

This person harbors a strange hatred towards me. He thought, hoping it was just an illusion, perhaps the person's energy itself was filled with resentment.

Mrs. Adamek moved her open folding fan toward Lin An, who wiped away the still-wet blood on the ground and wrote "Red Poppy Merchant Guild" with his finger.

"Brush it."

The lady closed her folding fan, her eyes darted around, and her brows furrowed.

“Mrs. Adamek, I’m going to cause trouble for the Chamber of Commerce president,” Lin An hinted. “Could you leave me here alone?”

“Go ahead, I’m going to cry for my husband here for five minutes, then I’ll go to their house in person and reason with them in the Gilgood way,” Mrs. Adamek laughed. “If you want to interrogate them, you’d better catch some alive before sunset.”

"Including Generals Kapend Kumasi and Loon Rubabasas?"

Lin An casually mentioned the two hot candidates in Abishang City, who were clearly Jacob and Black City's lackeys.

“Oh, democracy is a good thing for us; for you, this wonderful word may have a different meaning,” the lady said ambiguously.

She didn't want the presidential election to end prematurely. The Gilgood family were the largest smugglers and arms dealers on the west coast of Southern Continent, and as long as the war was ongoing, they held considerable power and connections.

Lin An had no choice but to do this for the time being.

See you at noon tomorrow.

"Three crows perch in the tree, downe a downe... Where is their breakfast? In the field over there, lies a fallen knight in shield, ha ha ha..."

Mrs. Adamek drifted past Lin'an, singing a chilling folk song. With a flick of her wrist, her folding fan transformed into a long whip, the crackling sound of it striking the air fading into the distance.

"The russet doe slowly approached, raised her bloodied head, and kissed the still-fresh wound. She buried him at dawn, but did not take her own life here as evening prayers approached. May God accept the soul of every gentleman, and may the devil bless the raven that dies tonight."

"The stars tonight will probably bless that raven more than the devil."

Lin An took a deep breath, his thoughts racing.

"System, use the entry for [Gold Nibo] - [The Mediator Between Life and Death]."

Benan's words crept onto his lips, the smoke from burning herbs billowed, revealing a hollow, skeletal face, a tall hat on his head, a pipe filled with hemp grass between his teeth, puffing out clouds of smoke.

Gerd Nibo, the body finder.

Lin An's pupils became mirrors, taking in the completely opposite shapes of the Gede people compared to normal people.

His thumb was positioned where his little finger was, and his heart was pounding in his right chest.

"Whose corpse? Are you searching for it? Summoning it? I heard you!" Gerd Nibo grinned, revealing a mouthful of yellowed, rotten teeth, and asked in reverse order of words.

“Tell me Lin Xile’s whereabouts,” Lin An said. (End of Chapter)