Mystery: The Last Shepherd

Chapter 38 Those Unfavored by the Goddess

Blackthorn Security Company, underground weapons depot.

"I've taught you everything I need to. Give it a try."

Klein said to Luzer. By this time, all the materials were ready and laid out on the table.

Lu Ze nodded, then picked up the ritual silver dagger, infused it with spiritual energy, and used the spiritual energy emitted from the dagger's tip to cut through the surrounding air, creating an invisible wall of spiritual energy. He took out two candles, one long and one short; the long one represented the gods, and the short one represented himself. He released spiritual energy from his fingertips, rubbed the wicks, and with a "whoosh," the flames ignited.

As the candlelight flickered, Lu Ze added a drop of Deep Sleep Flower extract to the flame. The flame hissed and released a faint fragrance. He continued to add powders of Moonflower and Night-blooming Jasmine to the flame, and the aroma in the air became more pronounced, like walking into a meadow at night and smelling the fresh scent of wildflowers and grasses, bringing a sense of peace and tranquility.

A silver sheet about two fingers wide was placed under the long candle. Luze picked up the engraving knife and softly recited in Hermes:

"The goddess of night, higher than the stars, and older than eternity."

"You are the Crimson Lord, the Mother of Secrets, the Queen of Calamity and Fear, the Lord of Sleep and Silence."

As he recited the name of the Goddess of the Night, Lu Ze suddenly felt somewhat embarrassed. Although he was a formal member of the Night Watch squad belonging to the Goddess's Church, he had never entered the Goddess's Church before, and this was the first time he had ever recited the goddess's name.

Outside the spiritual wall, Klein watched Luze's ritual progress and suddenly let out a soft "Eh."

But Luze inside the wall was unaware of this; he continued reciting the prayer as instructed.

I pray to you;

"I pray that you will grant me strength;"

"Grant me the power to complete the slumber spell."

"Great goddess, please transfer your power to my talisman..."

As the incantation was about to end, Luze reached for the carving knife. Following Klein's demonstration, the goddess would now respond to his prayers, bestowing divine power upon him. He would then use the carving knife to engrave this power into patterns on the silver sheet, solidifying it into runes, and so on. And the goddess's power?
Lu Ze froze, holding the carving knife. He had finished reciting the entire incantation, but nothing happened.

Turning to look outside, Klein also looked dumbfounded.

"Has there ever been a precedent for a goddess not responding to the prayers of her followers?"

"At least I haven't heard of it."

"Then why doesn't the goddess heed my prayers?"

".I don't know either."

In the basement of the armory, Luzer and Klein stared at each other, wide-eyed.

After that, they tried several more times and found that as long as it was Klein, the ritual could be completed smoothly, but if it was Luzer, they could never get the goddess's response.

What's going on?! Does this mean my goddess hates me?

Lu Ze was completely speechless. He sat on the ground, lost in thought.

He was pondering why the goddess was ignoring him.

To be honest, Luze had no faith in his previous life. But in this world, the existence of extraordinary power made him realize that there really is a god in this world. In addition, since the Rondor family were originally shallow believers in the goddess, he went along with it and pretended to be a believer in the goddess, joining the Night Watchers.

But from his heart, he still doesn't believe in God.

Could it be that this is the reason?

Lu Ze couldn't help but stand up.

In that case, given the pragmatism that Chinese people have always been, why not just go to the temple and offer a prayer?
So he turned and strode quickly out of the armory.

"Hey, Luzer, what are you doing?" Klein shouted in a panic.

"Go and pray to the goddess—"

"Lu Ze shouted. Instead of returning to the surface, he used the underground passage to quickly make his way to the Church of St. Serena. He rushed out of the hidden door, startling the priests who were guarding nearby.

"Is there a problem?"

The pastor's words.

"It's alright, I'll pray to the goddess."

Lu Ze answered.

The pastor was speechless. He couldn't stop a believer from praying to God, so he could only make way for him, reminding him, "Please be quiet and don't disturb others."

Lu Ze stepped out of the corridor, and after a few steps, the view suddenly opened up before him. Beneath the high dome, the altar, confessional, pulpit, and rows of pews were arranged in succession. The church as a whole was deep and quiet, except for the sacred emblem on the top floor, where holes were carved into the positions of the stars, allowing sunlight to stream in, like brilliant stars in the night.

It was afternoon, and the prayer hall was nearly empty. The pastors were all busy with their own tasks and paid him no attention. Lu Ze chose a secluded bench, sat down, clasped his hands together loosely, bowed his head, closed his eyes, and began to pray silently.

"The goddess of the night, more sublime than the starry sky, more enduring than eternity."

He first recited the goddess's name again in Hermes, then prayed softly in Rune.

“Great Goddess, I am by nature suspicious and have not been respectful to the gods. I hope you can forgive me.”

In short, admit your mistake first, and be polite.

"From now on, I will have even more devout faith in you."

He himself didn't believe it, but at least in form, he had to show enough respect to the goddess.

"Be as generous as the endless night, and bestow upon me your grace, granting me the opportunity to wield your authority."

Finally, the vision was expressed perfectly.

As soon as Lu Ze finished speaking, he immediately sensed that something was different.

The once lofty dome and deep, dark prayer hall seemed to soften, making him appear less out of place and more like a part of it.

In the darkness, someone could be faintly heard laughing, as if an invisible thread had descended and connected to Lu Ze.

Lu Ze's eyes suddenly widened.

He found it hard to describe the feeling, but he was certain that in that instant he had made a connection with some hidden and profound being.

The magic potion in his body was being digested rapidly, and in a short moment, a large portion of it was digested. His ears suddenly became quiet and clear, like the feeling when his eardrums return to normal after swallowing saliva after his ears had been blocked for a long time due to motion sickness.

Wow, it actually worked!

And why did my potion digest so much?
Lu Ze was filled with shock and confusion. He raised his hand and drew a crimson moon symbol on his chest with a lack of reverence, whispering, "Praise be to the goddess."

He rose and returned, still using the secret door. Once back in the armory, he expertly performed the ritual and chanted the name of the Goddess of Night. A sense of peace and profound power then filled his body.

That's it!
Lu Ze gripped the carving knife and began to trace and carve Hermes script and mysterious patterns on the silver sheet, fixing the power of slumber onto the talisman until the last stroke was completed, locking all the power of slumber into the talisman.

He picked up the talisman, feeling the cool touch of the silver piece, and smiled with satisfaction.

(End of this chapter)