Under the glow of the crimson moon, Ludwig, clad in a two-piece pajama set and a small coat, recounted the memories and knowledge he had absorbed from the black-robed elder's half-charred brain and internal organs. He did so methodically, like an emotionless time-reporting machine.
"Only the brain belongs to him. His name is Prinpino.
"Due to his advanced age and weakened body, he delved into mysticism. Unwittingly, he drew the attention of the Great Mother and acquired a wealth of secret knowledge, evolving into a Beyonder…"
Upon hearing this, Lumian muttered with a mix of mockery and fear, Despite gaining the Great Mother's attention, did he not turn pregnant?
Are you truly a follower of the Great Mother?
Ludwig continued, "I'm uncertain when Prinpino started losing his internal organs. I failed to absorb the pertinent knowledge and memories.
"Similarly, the time he became a human refinement product remains unknown.
"His philosophy is:
"Humanity, once the favored and proudest children of the Great Mother, fell into folly, aging, and weakness due to their detachment from her.
"Only by allowing the divine son of the Great Mother to descend into the world can humanity be saved. They can enter Paramita and regain their original form.
"When the time arrives, the Great Mother will return to the real world she governs."
Using the gender-oriented pronoun "she" to refer to the Great Mother instead of "She"… This implies that, in the eyes of individuals like Prinpino, pregnancy and childbirth are still feminine matters. A mother must be a "she"… This differs from the Nightstalkers… Lumian glanced at Ludwig and nodded approvingly.
Ludwig calmly detailed Prinpino's attempts and some of his abilities.
"The birth of the Child of God requires a specific body composed of various people's internal organs…
"This isn't the entire descent ritual. It lacks a crucial component…
"Prinpino possesses potent self-healing abilities. As a product of human refinement, he's immune to the influence of many Beyonder powers.
"He can indirectly control humans corrupted by the Child of God or specific Pathway Beyonders who have had direct contact with special patients. The range is 100 meters, and they must be unconscious…"
Upon hearing this, Lumian suddenly recalled a Sequence 7 Vampire of the Apothecary pathway.
Such Beyonders wielded formidable self-healing abilities and could craft Blood Slaves resembling their own marionettes!
Lumian refrained from interrupting Ludwig, patiently awaiting further details.
"He's adept in surgery and can directly heal others. He knows a ritual enabling a human to survive for a period even without internal organs.
"He can merge with trees and wooden articles for concealment, acquire a sturdy shell, and evade detection.
"He can stimulate the growth and reproduction of creatures, including but not limited to rats, fleas, bedbugs, fungi, and various plants. However, it drains his vitality. His vitality can be replenished through an unsuccessful Child of God descent ritual. Every nine rituals necessitate a batch of internal organs to be replaced…
"He can also inflict curses upon others, summon malevolent creatures, consume his life for the casting of a few nefarious arts…"
As Ludwig concluded, Lumian realized Prinpino's Beyonder powers were diverse. He possessed partial Vampire abilities and embodied certain traits of the Earth pathway's Planter, Doctor, and other Sequences. Simultaneously, he wielded a limited grasp of dark arts, expending vitality for their execution.
It's akin to the amalgamation of the Apothecary, Planter, and Heretic Spellmaster pathways, yet it's not exhaustive… Such a boon exists? The Great Mother truly reigns at the apex of these three pathways… Lumian reflected momentarily before taking Ludwig's hand and departing the suite.
He instructed Lugano, stationed at the door, "Summon the priest from the prayer room and inform him of all pertinent details you are aware of."
After issuing his directive, Lumian deliberated before appending, "Locate the captain first, then seek out the priest."
"Alright," Lugano assented reflexively before inquiring, "And yourself?"
"Of course I'm going back to bed. Should they seek an audience with me, they may wait until tomorrow morning." Lumian gestured dismissively, guiding Ludwig along the dimly illuminated corridor to his suite.
Am I solely accountable? Lugano mused to himself.
He suddenly noticed he stood alone at the suite's threshold, surrounded by scattered internal organs. A shiver traversed his spine, prompting him to hasten toward the captain's quarters.
…
Ten minutes later, inside the black-robed old man's suite.
The priest named Montserrat and the captain, Pedro, scrutinized the situation while listening to Lugano's detailed account.
Nervously, Lugano disclosed to them that he was a Beyonder, a Doctor of the Planter pathway. Enio sought him out due to his exceptional skills in treating patients. Later, during the late night, he experienced a sleepwalking episode. When he reached the suite, he found his internal organs almost removed. Fortunately, he was rescued by his employer.
Throughout the entire narrative, Lugano only omitted Ludwig's consumption of blood, sharing everything else he knew.
Pedro, the captain with the handsome brown beard, quipped half-seriously,
"Could it be that your employer killed a passenger in this suite and deliberately scattered his internal organs everywhere, concocting such a sinister Warlock tale to deceive us?"
Uh… Lugano found himself momentarily speechless.
Indeed, this possibility couldn't be entirely dismissed!
Father Montserrat, garbed in a brown clergyman's attire, shook his head.
"After confirming Enio's physical condition, we'll determine the veracity of this story."
"I concur." Captain Pedro stroked his beard and gazed at Lugano. "What's your employer's name?"
"Louis Berry," Lugano truthfully replied.
"Louis Berry…" Pedro's eyes narrowed. "The adventurer who hunted down the Demon Warlock, Louis Berry?"
Montserrat's eyes widened slightly.
"The one collaborating with the Church in Port Santa to covertly thwart malevolent forces disrupting the sea prayer ritual, Adventurer Louis Berry?"
Wh… My boss' reputation is so renowned? Did the Church of Earth Mother inform all the clergy that Louis Berry is a friend and collaborator? Yes, this ship departed from Port Santa. The priest on board must have been the first to be informed… Lugano had considered it, but he hadn't expected his employer's name to be so impactful.
Without hesitation, he affirmed, "It's him, Adventurer Louis Berry."
Just as Lugano concluded his account, the entire ship was abruptly sent airborne, landing atop a wave dozens of meters tall.
No dark clouds or torrential rain accompanied the phenomenon, and there were no violent winds or lightning.
After vaulting between the pitch-black waves several times, the steamship gently descended onto the sea's surface, restoring calm to its surroundings.
Captain Pedro surveyed the wrecked suite and the sliding windows, then turned to Lugano with a deep inquiry, "Is this the power of your employer? I heard stories of someone practicing sea wave magic at the bar tonight. Was that a genuine wave?"
"Yes." Although Lugano was uncertain about the events unfolding, he attributed the display of nature's power to his employer.
He added, "He's extending his greeting."
Captain Pedro and Father Montserrat fell into contemplative silence.
After more than ten seconds, Pedro addressed Father Montserrat, who seemed to be in his thirties,"Does the Church possess knowledge of such surgeries and rituals?"
Montserrat glanced at Lugano, indicating that the conversation need not be private.
The priest reflected for a moment before responding in a solemn tone, "There exists a faction of misguided Mother believers who contend that the decline of the modern world and the debasement of humanity result from their estrangement from the Mother.
"They are determined to employ any means to usher in the so-
called Child of God into the real world and invoke the Mother's descent through the return of the Child of God.
"We refer to them as the School of God's Descent."
Unconvinced, Lugano inquired, "You can summon a Child of God simply by using the internal organs of ordinary people?"
While he lacked knowledge about the specific surgery and ritual, he could deduce that internal organs were a crucial component.
Montserrat contemplated the remaining human organs in the suite and responded gravely,
"The Child of God is the Mother's child, and humans are also Mother Goddess's children."
Does this imply that, fundamentally, no one is superior or inferior, and they can serve as ingredients with quantity compensating for any shortcomings? Lugano grasped the essence of the priest's statement, realizing how many rituals involving blood sacrifices could be explained by this theory.
Father Montserrat offered no further explanation and turned to Lugano.
"Convey to your employer that we will take charge from here. Assure him not to worry."
"Very well." Lugano sighed with relief.
…
The next morning, Lumian woke up promptly and realized he no longer possessed the power of the sea, preventing him from tapping into the Governor of the Sea's authority.
He took a regretful sip of his light beer and commenced writing to Madam Magician, detailing the issues with the School of God's Descent and the purported birth of the Child of God in the spirit world.
Swiftly, the messenger returned, carrying Madam Magician's response:
"Encountering the School of God's Descent—I can't ascertain whether the issue lies with you or Lugano.
"The so-called Child of God has already been born in the spirit world—it's merely propaganda, you understand? Similar to the Church of The Fool's Holy Bible—just listen but don't take it seriously.
"Nevertheless, comparable incidents are unfolding, and they are brewing and evolving. This actually ties back to you. It originated from Cordu's empty cradle, the child Madame Pualis 'lost.'
"Additionally, based on various sources, Madame Night didn't perish in Fourth Epoch Trier. She encountered or acquired something that advanced the matter of the Child of God.
"Besides her, the Sinners' Voisin Sanson managed to escape Fourth Epoch Trier for unknown reasons. What he encountered remains unknown…
Voisin Sanson is still alive? Lumian was initially taken aback by the revelation in the middle of the letter, but a smile soon crept across his face.
At that moment, a knock echoed on his bedroom door.
"Who is it?" Lumian, aware that it was Lugano outside, asked casually.
Lugano replied fearfully through the wooden door, "I-I heard a baby crying again!"
