Mystery: The Last Shepherd

Chapter 251 How to Play the Shepherd
"Cecilia, you've lost a bit of weight. Have you been eating properly lately?"

After finishing tying his sister's hair, Lu Ze asked with some concern.

Her younger sister's body was as slender as a kitten's; her calves, beneath her white dress, could be encircled with one hand, and her collarbones were clearly defined. Just now, as she sat by the fireplace, Lu Ze even felt the firelight shining through her body, making her appear somewhat unreal and ethereal.

"Saying a woman is thin is a compliment."

The girl smiled gently, "Don't say things like that to other ladies, they might misunderstand."

"Ok."

Lu Ze casually remarked, "But actually, no matter what I say, they're willing to misunderstand."

His face always brought him trouble, and he had grown accustomed to the kindness of strange women. However, since arriving in Backlund, he had been disguising himself or concealing his face, and such encounters had become much less frequent.

"By the way, Cecilia, has there been any news from Miss Fors?"

The atmosphere on the streets has gradually eased recently, and the underworld is also reviving. Lu Ze estimates that it's time for that lazy lady to make her move.

"There's news. She said Miss Audrey has joined the Psychological Alchemy Society and is willing to offer help. However, Miss Audrey still needs to contact the Psychological Alchemy Society to inquire whether the other party is willing to provide treatment."

"This round trip will probably take several more days."

Lu Ze said, "However, so far things have gone smoothly."

"Don't worry, brother, everything will go smoothly."

She smiled and said, "Okay, I need to go prepare dinner. What would you like to eat?"

"Wooden fireplace roast."

“I was just kidding. You can’t really roast yourself in the fireplace.” The girl smiled and glanced at him before turning and going into the kitchen. “Sit down and warm yourself by the fire. We’ll have dinner soon when Miss Emily, our landlady, comes back.”

"Good good."

Luze agreed and sat down in front of the fireplace.

Although the changing climates no longer had much effect on his body after reaching Sequence 5, the temperature of the fire still made him feel very comfortable, and the chaotic sounds in his head seemed to have diminished considerably.

Facing the quietly burning flames, his thoughts surged and rose.

Besides the problem of that sea, he had other things to solve.

First and foremost are one's own various enemies.

One of his enemies, Ince Zangwill, is in Backlund and is currently believed to be a Sequence 4 Beyonder. With Luzer's current abilities, he's not capable of dealing with him for the time being; he even needs to conceal himself from Zangwill's discovery that he's still alive.

The second enemy is the true creator, who is even more troublesome than Ince Zangwill. However, since He is a god, before His physical form descends into reality, the threat He poses is limited to the spiritual realm; He can simply continue to resist. Of course, if unforeseen circumstances arise, then further plans will be made.

The third enemy, and the one most likely to discover him, is Mr. A, the shepherd of the Aurora Society.

Lu Ze shattered his long-cherished wish, causing him immense pain. As he fled the scene, although his consciousness was in disarray, he still heard Mr. A's roar and his mad declaration to hunt him down.

"Hopefully the Goddess Church will catch Mr. A soon."

Lu Ze said to himself once again.

Besides external enemies, one's own mental state is also a major problem.

Lu Ze hoped the Psychological Alchemy Society could provide assistance, even if it meant paying a fee, but fortunately, his financial situation was quite good. Besides a large amount of cash, there were also several extraordinary items and attributes. Internal documents from the Goddess Church indicated that the Psychological Alchemy Society was a relatively new organization, established only in the last century, and should have an urgent need to strengthen its organization; such extraordinary items would certainly be highly sought after.

Of course, in addition to external treatment, Lu Ze also needs to make his own efforts.

He still has a portion of the shepherd's potion within him that hasn't been digested. The mental imprint within this potion is also affecting his mind, pushing him towards loss of control and madness. Therefore, he must quickly master the role of the "shepherd" and digest the potion as soon as possible.

But how should one play the role of the "shepherd"?
The flames in the fireplace were dimming. Lu Ze picked at the ashes, added more firewood, and thought to himself.

First, as is customary, following the instructions in Roselle's diary, we'll start with the names of the potions.

A shepherd, as the name suggests, is someone who herds sheep. What does a shepherd do?

Luze recalled his "herding," which, in a mystical sense, involved plundering lambs, then keeping and imprisoning them, whipping and driving them when necessary.

It shouldn't be "herding" in that sense.

He thought to himself.

So far, Luze has herded several souls, but the Shepherd's Potion in his body has not shown any obvious signs of being digested, which proves his idea that simply "herding" is not the key to his role.

So, what are shepherds, or similar herders, doing in the real sense?

Obviously, the first thing you need is a herd.

That is, the lambs.

If the soul within me doesn't count as a lamb, does that mean I need a lamb in reality?

Lu Ze thought to himself.

Of course, this "lamb" definitely doesn't refer to real cattle or sheep; it should be a person.

“Gathering a large number of believers, teaching them, bewitching them, and driving them like livestock does indeed seem like what this path would do.”

Lu Ze thought with disgust.

But there was no other way; since he might have to play this role to digest the information, he had no choice but to do it.

The good news is that "herds" are not too hard to find in the East District.

It's almost ironic that Backlund, the largest city in Loen, also has Loen's largest slum. Countless people struggle to survive, their emotions extreme, the air thick with the scent of death. For food and shelter, for a break from their suffering, they're willing to do anything. These people are the natural targets of their faith.

"No wonder the aurora keeps being eradicated, yet it always manages to reappear."

Lu Ze sneered inwardly.

He decided that after meeting the members of the Psychological Alchemy Society, he would begin secretly proselytizing in the East District, gathering a group of sheep to believe in him. Then, based on feedback from the digestion of the potions, he would modify his role-playing, slowly exploring the principles of the "shepherd" role.

This whole process will probably take quite a while. But no matter how troublesome it is, we have to keep going.

Backlund, in some unknown abandoned building.

"I repent, I repent."

Mr. A is praying.

He lay almost face down on the cold floor, his voice filled with pain and sorrow, his handsome face contorted with tears of blood.

"Bang, bang!"

Mr. A slammed his head against the floor, one strike after each prayer. A pool of blood had formed on the floor, and chunks of flesh occasionally splattered from his head, landing on the ground and twitching slightly. Yet he seemed oblivious, continuing his painful prayers.

Opposite him, the tall statue hung silently upside down, its outline blurred in the darkness.

"Heh, what a sorry sight."

A voice suddenly sounded from behind Mr. A.

It was an extremely soft and charming female voice, which made the men who heard it unable to help but have all sorts of sensual thoughts arise in their minds.

"."

Mr. A stopped praying, his eyes bloodshot, and slowly turned his head away.

A beautiful woman in a white robe stood before the dilapidated window of the building, giving him a seductive smile.

(End of this chapter)