Hyperdimensional Player

Chapter 174 The law of cause and effect! Peep into the future
Night falls.

After marking all the locations, Duncan returned to his residence.

Just as he was about to push the door open, a middle-aged man with a high nose walked over from the corner of the next corridor. When the man saw Duncan, he nodded and greeted him, "Good evening, friend."

—The Cultist (Two-star Silver Gray).

Duncan stopped, looked the other person up and down, and nodded, saying, "Good evening."

The middle-aged man introduced himself: "Bert Conner, from E33."

Duncan paused for a moment, then slowly said, "Duncan."

The man, who called himself Bert, carefully observed Duncan and suddenly asked, "You seem to be injured?"

Duncan looked slightly surprised. The third human host was indeed injured, but not superficially. Instead, it was an internal injury, plus the life force lost during the ritual. Even after resting for a whole day, he still had a small section of his life bar that hadn't been fully replenished. It was probably a hidden injury, which reduced his maximum lifespan by a small section.

An ordinary person undergoing a cult ritual would likely suffer severe physical damage and require a long recovery period, but Duncan has been imprinted with regenerative abilities, so as long as he gets adequate nutrition, he should be able to recover in a short time.

The third human host was in such poor condition that any other human host would have recovered long ago.

"Please wait for me."

The middle-aged man pushed open the door and said to Duncan, "Perhaps I have a way to treat your injuries."

Ok?
what's the situation?
Duncan instantly became alert, switching to an omniscient perspective. He saw the middle-aged man enter the room and immediately walk to a shelf in the corner. To Duncan's great surprise, there was a plant in the room that looked like a small tomato, only the size of a thumb.

Because there is no sunlight underground, the plants have a very difficult time growing, and it is unknown how he cultivated them.

The man named Bert observed the plant, which had seven or eight fruits. He selected a ripe red fruit, carefully picked it, and began to recite something while holding it in his hands.

A faint magical breeze was stirring.

Although the human host of the third host has a very high power ceiling, the magic power is very thin. This is the first time Duncan has clearly felt the existence of the magic wind.

After a while.

A faint glow appeared on the berries in the middle-aged man's hand. He closed his eyes to sense them, and after confirming that he had finished, he walked out of the room again, handed the bright red fruit to Duncan, and smiled, "Friend."

"This is a cultivated medicinal herb from Zone E; it may have some effect on your injury."

Medicinal herbs?

Do you think I've never eaten cherry tomatoes before?
So you just gave it to yourself like that?
Duncan looked slightly surprised, reached out and took it, looked at the other person and said, "This is too valuable."

—Divine Berry (Healing Miracle): A food transformed through esoteric rituals that can slightly restore vitality.

The middle-aged man smiled gently and said, "It's just a small favor."

"Since we are neighbors, we should help each other."

"This is also the teaching of our Lord."

When he said 'My Lord,' his voice paused, as if there was a change in the syllable, but it was very subtle.

Duncan didn't stand on ceremony. After confirming that there were no problems, he ate it. It tasted like sweet and sour cherry tomatoes. After eating it, he immediately felt a refreshing sensation. Then his health bar began to slowly recover, and even the reduced upper limit was restored a little.

This feels a bit like a Druid's ability.

But without a doubt, the abilities possessed by this cultist are completely different from the style of this world. Duncan still hasn't figured out the difference between a cultist and a heretic, and since the other party has taken the initiative to strike up a conversation, he can take this opportunity to probe and learn more.

The middle-aged man hesitated for a moment, then asked expectantly, "Are you feeling better?"

Duncan nodded slightly.

The man's face lit up with a hint of delight, but hesitantly asked, "Would you mind if I came in and sat down for a bit?"

Duncan hesitated for a moment, then pushed open the door and gestured for someone to enter.

After entering the room, the other person looked around and then his eyes lit up slightly when he saw the untouched "Mechanical Bible" on the table. He turned to look at Duncan and said cautiously, "Friend."

"You don't seem to be a follower of the God of Machines?"

Duncan paused, his hand falling to his side beside the gun, and said softly, "Aren't you the same?"

Bert smiled upon hearing this.

Neither of them possessed the rigid aura of a mechanical believer, nor did they have that faint smell of machine oil. Formal members of the Cult of the Machine God are very serious, and some high-ranking clergy are more like emotionless robots.

The holy oil of the Cult of Machines is all kinds of machine oil. Their bodies are marinated with the flavor, and you can smell the odor of machine oil enthusiasts as soon as you get close.

The man stared at Duncan and continued, "As you can see, I am a cultist."

"If you don't mind."

"friend."

"I would like to tell you about the great mother I serve."

"The Mother Earth Goddess - Tia."

"She is the great goddess who governs the earth and life, and an ancient goddess who existed before the nest was even built."

The middle-aged man in front of him recited a long prayer, then looked at Duncan expectantly, observing the changes in his expression.

He seems to want to preach, but he's acting too rashly.

Aren't the Tantric practitioners afraid of being purged by the Machina Cult?

Duncan's expression grew increasingly surprised as he listened.

and many more!

Mother Earth?!
Is there really such a big difference between esoteric practitioners and cultists? The Earth Mother Goddess mentioned by the other party seems like a legitimate and true deity.

Could the other person be a druid?

What the hell!

Are there still druids in this godforsaken place?

possible.

Duncan had been here for two days and had hardly seen any real plants, vegetables, or crops. However, there was a small tomato plant in the other person's room. This thing was quite valuable. Heaven knows how much those people who were eating relief food every day longed to eat fresh fruit.

It belongs to the category of luxury goods.

Bert noticed the change in Duncan's expression and said solicitously, "Friend."

What's your decision?

“I have noticed that you have a strong sense of perception. If you are willing to convert to the faith of Mother Earth, you should soon be able to advance and receive the divine grace bestowed by the Great Mother.”

"It can make you live longer, and even allow you to survive on the earth's nutrients."

Ok?
Do they survive by relying on the earth's nutrients?
Will it turn into a plant?
Duncan keenly noticed a key element.

The man showed no hostility whatsoever; he was like an eager but somewhat inexperienced missionary. Because wouldn't a proper cult member's first question be about your desire for power, wealth, authority, and so on?
No, thank you, I long for Nako.

Perhaps because he had discovered something in Duncan, he seemed a little impatient.

But judging from the way he took the initiative to contact him, this person shouldn't be a bad one.

"and many more."

After a moment of contemplation, Duncan asked, "Does the Earth Tantric sect you believe in have any scriptures?"

"Could you show it to me so I can think about it?"

It's rare for a hidden force to take the initiative to contact him; it would be a shame not to take this opportunity to learn more.

Upon hearing this, the man's expression grew even more delighted. He hurriedly walked out, saying, "Yes. Please wait for me."

soon.

He took a thick book with a black cover, bearing the emblem of the earth and even a trace of supernatural power. He carefully handed it to him, saying, "Friend, please keep it safe and try not to let the Cult of the Machine God find it."

"Although it won't cause too much trouble, they will definitely cause some trouble."

Ok?
What does that mean? Even if the Cult of Machines finds out?
There aren't any major problems?

Seemingly noticing Duncan's puzzled expression, Bert explained, "Our sect is not publicly recognized, but it is a secret and legal cult."

"As long as you are careful and do not publicly preach your doctrines, no one will make things difficult for you."

Are there other religious sects?
Duncan reached out and took it, flipping through it casually. He only needed to look at the first few pages to determine that this was a legitimate true god sect, and some of its doctrines even aligned with Druidic beliefs, not some kind of evil god of dubious origin.

"Does this mean that Tantric practitioners believe in a true God?"

"Do cultists worship only the void beings?"

"wrong."

"If there are other true gods, where are they? They couldn't all have been suppressed by the god of machinery, could they?"

"But in the past two days, I've encountered fewer cultists than cultists."

Of the more than 100,000 people, there are probably only 20 or 30 esoteric practitioners.

Duncan continued to peruse the Earth Canon before him, sensing its age—at least several hundred years old, the yellowed pages revealing handwritten doctrines. Seeing how intently he was reading, Nabert politely excused himself, intending to ask Duncan for his thoughts the next day.

Nowadays, most of the talented individuals have been recruited by the Cult of Machines, and these cultists can only find a few who slipped through the net to maintain their lineage.

Today, Duncan was cut from the list and not selected by the Cult of Machines, and he was already keeping an eye on things.

The Cult of Mechanics is so large that it doesn't matter whether there is one more or one less Mechanic.

But he cares a lot.

He had essentially scouted the entire F46 district, and apart from Duncan, he hadn't found anyone with talent. The talented individuals in the lower hives had basically all been dealt with by the Cult of the Machines; these cultists needed a bit of luck to maintain their sect's legacy.

Normally, people prioritize joining the Mechanicus, the cult that dominates the world order, and only a very small number of people become cultists.

In order to win over Duncan, he did not hesitate to reveal his identity.

Today, the cultist from the Mechanicus clearly noticed Duncan. These cultists also have mission quotas, and talented people are sought after everywhere. If he doesn't make a move soon, Duncan might become an apprentice of the cultist in a while.

Once marked with the 'mechanical mindset' and smeared with holy oil, one becomes a true machine oil man.

It would be extremely difficult to learn the lineage of Tantric Buddhism again.

The night is getting darker.

Duncan had already finished reading the Earth Codex. The first half could be ignored; it mainly proclaimed the greatness of the Earth Mother Goddess, Tia. It wasn't until the second half that things got interesting, because it contained an incomplete cryptic message written in runes, similar to Celtic runes, which Duncan was able to understand.

—"The gods have retreated into seclusion!...The God of Machines has become the ruler of a new era!..."

—"The cults of the gods have transformed into esoteric Buddhism!..."

—"To continue the ancient traditions and beliefs in the new era!..."

hiss.

It feels like the God of Machines has really suppressed all the other gods.

There is only one legitimate state religion in this world.

That's the Cult of Machines!
The latter half of the Earth Codex also records some supernatural rituals and spells, and even methods to obtain the divine grace of the Earth Mother. In other places, this would be a method for cultivating into an extraordinary being, but Bert directly handed it over to Duncan.

However, it is not complete. According to Duncan's estimate, after completing the above training, one would only reach a level of about three stars.

Roughly equivalent to a late-game Severus, a Druid with a class level of 10+.

However, the first step to learning the magic rituals of Tantric Buddhism is to convert to their faith, because only in this way can one obtain the primordial magic bestowed by the gods. Almost all Tantric traditions require faith as the key to activate them, which they call the ritual of opening the 'gate of the extraordinary'.

If Duncan were to train according to the esoteric rituals, he would already be a member of the Earth Cult. Most of the extraordinary beings in this world are from the ranks of machine oilers, because the holy oil of the Machine God Cult is the easiest advancement material to obtain; even casual believers of the Machine God can purchase it through the black market and other channels.

The oil enthusiast possesses unique supernatural abilities when operating machinery.

The woman who had been in contact with Duncan earlier, Tasia, had a smell of perfume mixed with engine oil on her. Although she tried to cover it up, Duncan could still smell it. This was one of the signs that she had been anointed with the holy oil of the Mechanicus.

To put it simply, it's marinated in engine oil.

"It seems like a technological explosion has occurred in this world?"

"Although it is not explicitly recorded in the Earth Codex, it can be inferred from the few words that the other gods went into seclusion around the same time."

Duncan then opened the Earth's Secrets manual again and found a short passage to record.

—From 2260 to 2323 in the Gregorian calendar.

Around this time, all the churches of other gods transformed into esoteric traditions, while the Church of the Machine God became the sole ruler and began a reign that lasted for thousands of years.

The Earth's Secrets also contains a passage belonging to the 'Mystic Age'.

Magic was not uncommon in that era, and many people who believed in gods could cast all kinds of spells. It wasn't until technology and mysticism combined that a new true god was born—the God of Machines!
His birth triggered the Industrial Revolution across the world, directly impacting and destroying many ancient and primitive religions.

They swept through everything in their path, becoming one of the most powerful gods with almost overwhelming force.

The final result was that the gods retreated, and only the one true God and His seven angels remained in the world.

The ancient esoteric religion thus survived for a thousand years in the cracks.

The Mechanicus cult kills all cult members without mercy, but turns a blind eye to esoteric practitioners. As long as they do not openly proselytize, they are left alone. This is because they once destroyed an esoteric lineage in the past, which directly triggered a terrible chain reaction and led to a global catastrophe.

Of course, at the cost of all this, a certain ancient true god perished along with His esoteric religion.

After a long time.

Duncan put down the Earth Codex and fell into deep thought, muttering, "The esoteric religion worships the true god of the old era, while the heretical religion worships the void creatures that invade reality."

"Did the Cult of Machines suppress the gods back then?"

Most likely.

In the medieval era, during the time of Humanoid One, the Monotheistic Church sought to exterminate other religions. Given the strength of the Mechanicus and the explosive productivity brought about by technology, suppressing all other gods was not impossible. However, it seems that the Mechanicus later went astray; normal technological development would not have led to the current social structure.

To put it bluntly, Duncan felt that humans were like domesticated batteries of faith.

At least that's the impression he got from what he saw in the prayer room; he'd have to wait until he explored the world further to get a clearer picture.

Dimensional space.

Duncan switched the projection page, attempting to obtain information about causality by 'retreating'.

With his current level of authority, he is already capable of proactively predicting the future.

The projected page changed rapidly.

—"Causality [Experience Settlement]:"
In the first branch, you join the Cult of Mechanics and become an apprentice to a Mechanic. Over time, you quickly demonstrate extraordinary talent and are promoted to a true Mechanic.

But the penetration of the void into reality has become increasingly intense.

From the moment the seven guardian angels under the God of Machines slew the god, this world was completely exposed to the eyes of the chaotic void. A constant stream of void creatures is invading reality, and unknown beings from other dimensions are also eyeing it covetously.

A year later, a dark blood sacrifice broke out in your area, and a large number of void creatures obtained physical bodies in the real world through dark rituals.

You lead the Mechanic Order to suppress the cultists, but the ensuing battles are far beyond your capabilities. You are also corrupted by the void creatures. Left with no other choice, the Mechanic Bishop has to activate the Steel Angel's 'Purge Agreement'.

Hundreds of thousands of lives were wiped out in the entire region, and you, corrupted by it, also perished under the blades of the steel-cast angels.

Hold.

I knew there were so many cult members; something bad was bound to happen sooner or later!
Duncan's figure connected with his human host, using the power of an immortal spirit to once again deduce the possibilities of the future.

—"Causality [Experience Settlement]:"
In the second branch, you joined the Earth Cult, crossing the gate to the extraordinary through ancient rituals, and became a mystic of the Earth Cult.

With your powerful talent, you quickly completed your advancement and received the divine grace of the Earth Mother.

A year later, a dark blood sacrifice broke out in your area, and a large number of void creatures obtained physical bodies in the real world through dark rituals.

You sensed the danger in advance and managed to escape the area.

Relying on the ritual power of Mother Earth, you transformed yourself into a life form that is half plant and half human. You burrowed into the deepest part of the earth and survived the 'Purge Agreement' launched by the Mechanical Church by relying on the nutrients of the earth.

But just as you are about to flee the hive, the divine punishment of the steel-cast angels descends!
The escalating Void Corruption prompted the Mechanicus to activate the centuries-old 'Extinction Order,' erasing the entire hive from the map.

You have been subjected to an unknown nuclear attack!

Although you have stubbornly survived for now, you will soon die from exhaustion of your life force.

Dry!
The Machina Cult actually dropped a nuclear bomb?
Don't talk about martial ethics.

At this moment, Duncan's original consciousness had overlapped with Human Number One's, and relying on its powerful strength, it continued to deduce the possibilities of the future.

—"Causality [Experience Settlement]:"
In branch three, you decide to go underground with Tasia to excavate ruins. During this process, you save her life several times, gain her favor, join the resistance through her, and learn about the amazing secrets of this world.

The seven guardian angels betrayed the god of machines!
Together, they killed the human form of the Machine God, sealing its fragments and remains within obelisks to provide the immense computing power needed to sustain the world. The fragments of the Machine God became tools for converting faith power, thus freeing the Machine God Cult from its control and leading the world down an unknown path of civilization.

A year later, the ensuing Dark Blood Sacrifice did not affect you, but the rebels decided to take the opportunity to launch an uprising, capture the obelisk near the hive capital, and reclaim a piece of the remains belonging to the god of machines.

However, this move triggered a reign of terror from the Mechanicus, and the purge agreement was escalated into a large-scale extermination order.

You have been subjected to an unknown nuclear attack!

The entire resistance force was wiped out, and you perished in the nuclear bombing.

Damn it? !
The God of Machines is dead?

wrong.

Was the human form of the God of Machines killed by the seven guardian angels?
Duncan was shocked.

Causal deduction cannot anchor the future, but it can lock in what has already happened in the past, because the established facts are within the causal law.

The information derived from causality at this moment is too vast.

Duncan needs to take a break.

"wrong."

"The key to breaking the deadlock lies with the cult members!"

Looking at the three branches of the causal deduction, Duncan thought to himself, "If I had killed all the cultists beforehand, would the great purge of the Mechanicus have been avoided?"

"Moreover, the situation is not chaotic, and the resistance will not launch an uprising."

"Then there would have been no subsequent extermination order."

"I won't be killed by a nuclear bomb?"

There is a problem with this though.

That is, which branch Duncan will take? Branch one is the orthodox route, because the power of the Mechanicus is too great.

This is an extreme theocratic state.

Basically, the administrative governor of each hive city is appointed by the Mechanicus. Although the church does not interfere much in secular management, the political system is still under the control of the church.

Branch two is truly resilient.

In this branch, the third human host actually withstood the nuclear attack, although he eventually died from exhaustion of life force, but he wasn't killed by the explosion at the time.

A life form that is half plant and half human?
Is this a transformation ritual from a mysterious era in this world? It seems to be a kind of advancement in life form!
As for branch three...

Joining the resistance means you'll have girls and experience nuclear bombings. It's simply thrilling.

"Because we haven't come into contact with cult members."

"So you can't start the cultist side storyline, right?"

"wrong."

“I took the blood of the serpent, which is the bloodline ability of the cult leader.”

"Why can't I unlock the cultist side quest?"

Duncan is trying to proactively anticipate the future.

At that moment, the dimensional space trembled slightly, and the feather-shaped nebula and the mechanical pyramid nebula emitted a faint light at the same time. With the help of the first human host's position, Duncan attempted to activate his ability to foresee the future.

—"Causality [Experience Settlement]:"
In branch four, relying on the power of the serpent's blood, you quickly joined other cult organizations and were given important positions.

A year later, you learn the secret of the Dark Blood Sacrifice and sense the danger.

They were too reckless.

You are the best leader.

Before the Dark Ritual was launched, you plotted to usurp the throne, leading your mind-controlled henchmen to murder the cult leader and his cronies. Soon you took control of the cult organization throughout the region.

A catastrophe has been altered because of your usurpation.

You swiftly infiltrated the government departments of Hive City, using a disguised identity to rise through the ranks of the upper districts. Within a few short years, you gained control of the entire lower districts of Hive City and also wielded considerable influence in the upper districts. You attempt to seize the power of the Governor of Hive City, becoming the dark master who controls everything behind the scenes.

But your pursuit of power is also causing you to be increasingly corrupted.

finally.

When you transcended the boundaries of mortals and ascended to become a legendary being by relying on the power of the void creatures, you were met with their backlash, and they fought fiercely for your body.

The final Void Lord successfully possessed and descended, obtaining an extremely powerful and perfect legendary-level human vessel. (Dragon bloodline, giant bloodline)
The laws of reality have been distorted.

Countless steel creations transformed into flesh-and-blood demonic nests, and the flesh plague spread in all directions, eventually causing more than a dozen nests in the Western Hemisphere to transform into cavity mother nests that nurtured the arrival of void creatures.

Millions of Void monsters flooded the real world, greedily and thirstily devouring souls.

Once the Mechanicus realized what was happening, they immediately activated the extermination order, but the strategic nuclear strike could not kill the Void Lord who had taken over your body.

Ultimately, the church initiated the great miracle ritual of 'Descent of the Mechanical God'.

One religious wonder after another was activated.

Two of the seven archangels, the Steel Angel and the Clock Angel, descended to the real world, and the invasion of the Void Demons was ultimately suppressed by the guardian angel. The entire continental shelf of the Western Hemisphere was severely damaged, and the sea flooded many nesting cities, resulting in the perish of hundreds of millions of lives.

Your perfect body was destroyed, and the Void Lord, severely wounded, fled back to the Chaos Realm. Ultimately, only his skull was transformed into a sacred object by the Cult of Mechanics to house the fragments of the Mechanic God's remains.

It seems that none of them died of old age.

The cult branch that Duncan actively deduced caused an even more terrible disaster, because the engraved bloodline ability has already taken effect and will become stronger over time. If the third human host falls into the hands of the Void Lord, it will be an unimaginable catastrophe.

There aren't many people in this world who possess mythical bloodlines.

"But it's already like this?"

"Can the Cult of Machines really be suppressed?"

Duncan was somewhat surprised by the power possessed by the Cult of Machines. Only two of the seven guardian angels had descended, yet they had already killed the Void Lord who possessed the bloodlines of dragons and giants.

How powerful would it be if all seven guardian angels descended together?

or.

Should I just become a motor enthusiast?

………………

(End of this chapter)