We attend school, find love, work, buy a house, pay our housing loans, insert weird faces in WeChat, watch movies… do any of you find anything amiss? One day, a group of strange people entered this world, equipped in strange clothing and possessing extraordinary powers, cold-blooded killers! They call themselves [Players]. 

Wait! Wait! You people want to kill me? You say I am NPC (Non Playable Character)? Stop joking around! You crazy bastards! I will fight you to the death! I will survive!

NPC beating up Players! Original residents beating up Transmigrants!

My world, my rules! What makes you think you bastards can come over and boss us around?

Treading the path of the strongest saviour in history, one destined to be filled with excitement!

…

Chen Xiaolian: From today onwards, an organization whose sole purpose is to oppose those bastards is established! Our guild shall be named… Player Thwarting Alliance!

Guild Member: Leader, this name, if we are to say it out, I fear we will be beaten up… 

Jean wore his Sunday's best early in the morning. He looked in the mirror. A clean-shaven, porcelain-like face stared with its piercing brown eyes and its somewhat thin eyebrows raised.

Jean checked his mouth for any remnants of the eggs and rice he ate almost half an hour ago. Then, he turned off the bathroom lights, ignoring his dirty clothes wrapped in his towel on the hamper at the door.

Jean opened his filing cabinet with his keychain and looked at his accounted expenditures. He wondered briefly about future purchases and profitable investments. Jean shook his head and locked up the cabinet.

Eventually, Jean slipped on his shoes and the standard-issue black clergy cassock. 

It was time. He had deacon duties to do.

The drive to the Renningberry Catholic Church took only minutes. Jean stepped out of his neat and tidy blue Ford Bronco. Although it was getting old, he took diligent care of it.

Jean jingled his keys and opened the rusty doors of the Church. Its noise brought peace to his mind. Even with all the tweeting of birds, it was nice to hear noises that could alert Jean.

Jean held his duties with solemn dedication and maintained the aging organ among many other things. Hours passed and soon, he was done.

Jean laid a Bible in his lap as he sat in front of the organ. His fingers danced across the keys, practicing different arrangement of Gothic music.

A loud thrum of a sputtering transmission broke into the melody, but Jean did not stop. Soon, Pastor Nick arrived. His large form comically contrasted his position, yet his aging appearance showed he did not lack experience. He was a decent-looking man in his fifties, after all.

"Jean! You're here early, like always, huh? You're such a good kid. Are you going to lead the liturgy again?" Pastor Nick called, walking towards the altar.

"Yes, Brother Nick. 'For the Lord Grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.' Proverbs 2:6." Jean replied. He stopped playing.

"I still don't know why you come in so early. A talented and good-hearted kid like you should be sweeping the entertainment industry!" Pastor Nick chuckled. "You play music like a Heaven-sent angel, you know that, Jean?"

"I have faith the Lord guides me to help others. 'Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.' Proverbs 3:5." 

"Jean! You don't have to be so stiff. Why do you need to quote the Scriptures when both of us are well-read?"

"We must stay true to our teachings. 'Without wise leadership, a nation falls; there is safety in having many advisers.' What better advisers can there be than the Scriptures themselves?"

"Well, I knew I shouldn't have argued with you. You keep drowning me in your faith. Lighten up a little, huh?" Pastor Nick scratched at his stubble.

"I'm just joking with you! I'm young but lacking experience. If I want to enjoy the world, I have to make my own fun, right?" Jean winked at Pastor Nick.

Pastor Nick jarred in his step as he was walking to his office in the basement, suitcase in hand. "Y-yeah. Life's too short to worry so much about. Just don't go overboard. You keep reminding me of old Pastor Francis."

"Fine, Brother Nick. I'll see you at Mass."

Jean continued playing the organ until the main congregation filed in.

Jean rang the bell as Pastor Nick stood behind him. They went through the Rites lethargically. When the hymns came up, Jean lively led the Choir and congregation. Jean preached for the sermon and homily about truth and happiness. He noted the tragic end of William and Veronica, with their children. The Profession of Faith and the Prayers passed quickly.

Small baskets were passed around for donations as offertory began. Soon, the end neared.

Pastor Nick only offered Natalie the pitiful amount of wine left in the chalice. She was recently accepted by Yaler, long served as a volunteer for the homeless and needy, and always had good behavior. 

After the drink, she became a little flushed so Pastor Nick helped her sit on the side. Pastor Nick blessed the congregation but said Natalie told him she wanted to confess her sins privately before leaving on Tuesday.

Members of the congregation shuffled out, slightly tired but invigorated by the teachings of Deacon Jean and Pastor Nick. Their cars slowly pulled out and left only three behind.

Jean softly smirked. He cleaned up the pews and after the Mass methodically. Today was special.

Jean stretched and decided he took long enough. Pastor Nick closed the Church doors for his private session with Natalie. It didn't take a genius to figure out what he was doing.

Jean tucked his thick, hardcover Bible under his armpit. He slowly walked down the steps, appreciating the history of the stone foundation. At the door, he heard muffled noises. Jean unlocked the door and then knocked.

"Brother Nick? It's getting late. Shouldn't Natalie get home soon?"

Jean opened the door mid-sentence.

There, Pastor Nick stood, half-way thrusting into the sprawled form of Natalie. Her hands were bound by taut rope to sconces on the wall and her mouth was filled with a ball gag. Her legs similarly were spread apart, tied, and weakly moving in resistance.

Pastor Nick's arm was drawn back, with a riding crop in hand. It fell out of his grasp. Already, long red lines drew across Natalie's skin, slightly bleeding.

"Jean, wait!"

Jean stood in place, imprinting the memory. How many years had he known this was going on? Too many, that's how many. Father Francis didn't go to the grave willingly, and Jean knew this too...

"Jean, I can explain! This is… yes. She wanted this! We're just having adult fun! There's no need for you to be here!"

"Brother Nick," Jean said, coldly. "I was going to debate the Scriptures with you. 'My eyes are red with weeping; dark shadows circle my eyes." Job 16:16. Is that not what I see from Natalie? 'Shouldn't someone answer this torrent of words? Is a person proved innocent just by a lot of talking?' Job 11:2. Can I trust you anymore, Brother Nick? Shouldn't I trust the words of Natalie?"

Pastor Nick slowly pulled up his pants and walked over to the door.

"Jean. Forget this ever happened. Next time--"

"NEXT TIME?!" Jean thundered.

"Jean!" Pastor Nick bowed to Jean for forgiveness. "Please!" They stood in silence.

Jean began mumbling quietly.

"What was that, Jean?" Pastor Nick asked. Another moment of silence passed.

"I called the police. They're going to arrest you."

"What?! NO! I CAN'T END LIKE THIS! HOW DARE YOU, UNGRATEFUL WHELP!! I WILL KILL YOU!!"

Pastor Nick charged at the door. Jean fled, dropping the phone.

They both ran up the stairs, and Jean let Pastor Nick catch up.

Pastor Nick tackled Jean's legs and screamed in fury. They both fell forwards.

"Let go! Let go! LET GO!!!" Jean yelled at the desperate man.

Pastor Nick pummeled Jean's androgenous legs as Jean tried to slip away.

Jean smiled brightly.

His Bible fell like a guillotine. A cold snap broke the air, and with a swift kick, Pastor Nick fell down the stairs like a ragdoll. A sickening thump splattered the end of his fall.

Jean slowly walked down the stairs, enduring the pounding his legs encountered.

At the bottom, Pastor Nick spawled like broken toy, probably looking like what the many women he groomed and tasted felt like. A pool of red began forming.

Jean bent down to feel his pulse. There was none.

Jean stumbled over to Natalie. He removed the ball gag to hear her sobbing and slowly untied her limbs. She cried endlessly, so Jean patted her head.

"There, there. It's all over. 'He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.' Revelation 21:4." he cooed.

Jean hugged Natalie until the police arrived.

The city launched an investigation into the incident. Many women attested to Jean's innocence and Pastor Nick's vile ways. There was enough physical evidence to put Pastor Nick behind bars for life and even more. People whispered rumors and spread gossip about Father Francis. Yet, Jean stayed a devout and proud Catholic Christian who acted in heroic self-defence. 

Jean took over the Renningberry Catholic Church. Pope Jon Paul the Great commended Jean and took measures to condemn the sexual misconduct of the Catholic Church while apologizing to victims.

Jean continued living normally, albeit with more respect and publicity. He removed one more shackle, all in the eyes of the public. He could use even more subliminal messages to imprint his alibi into the mind of the public. Jean smiled more brightly in public. It was all going to plan, after all.

Wasn't the best disguise in plain sight?

The camera views the actions of an aspiring serial killer. 

How far and how close can he come to reality?

(Written on my phone to spite Rebirth of A Serial Killer by Kotrem and because I always wanted to write  a serial killer series. 

Any similarities to real people, places, and works are not to be taken seriously.)

d@Xgj%F <***********@*****.org>
To: 2Lifw)r3<***********@****.com>, Ig4(3dl_d2 <***********@*******.com>
Dear Z and A,
I know you two have a lot on your plate. But I hope you find time to study this. I offered L to send him some of my sermon notes so that he can peruse it as it seems that giving him this information would be extremely beneficial for the future. But he rejected it.
He said that he would rather listen to me speak about it personally. Apparently, he wants to believe in it and given his intellectual bias, he may turn deaf ears to the lessons in my notes. He wanted to not only know of what I know but have a chance in believing and he hopes that listening to me would do far more benefit than just reading some letters. I understand his intentions. The best way to learn about something is to believe in it. So he suggested having a personal meeting. I'm wanted to conduct a Bible study but with the way things are now, I guess it will have to wait.
Z, I hope our previous discussions from so long ago, (it feels like it's been another lifetime, right?) have somehow created a foundation of belief. Perhaps what had happened to you is one of the miracles that the Almighty allowed. I firmly believe this. So I am hoping this letter would allow you to better understand what actions to take and that you could pass this information along to anyone who you think could help in this. You have been taking the right steps and I guess it would be attributed to our talks from long ago.
Anyway, here is the draft of a conference message I've prepared to give on one of our upcoming Bible Conferences. Perhaps this may give you some insight on what to do with your life and how you can be of benefit to the lives of others.
Also, that kid from Psalms 1 might also benefit from reading this. I have a feeling that he wouldn't want to attend a Bible study hosted by me because of our 'conflicting' methods.
Best regards,
Calvin Luther Eagle Senior Pastor at Grace From God Ministries
1 Attached File
A Study on Typology (I will be discussing more of this during the Bible Study and explain the key aspects in detail. Treat this study as a primer for the things to be discussed soon.)
Prophecy has always been something that people found intriguing and mystifying.
The Bible contains the most prophecies that have been accurately fulfilled in human history.
For example, the prophecy on Tyre in Ezekiel 26…
In that Prophecy, several prophetic elements that seem extremely unlikely to be fulfilled if we apply the science of probability. For the sake of time, I will only go over several key aspects of the Prophecies and will not deal with any other prophecies made against Tyre on other verses in the Bible.
I have selected five of the 'most intriguing' prophecies that were fulfilled right down to the dot and remind you, that the chapter consists of more elements that have been fulfilled.
As a background, Tyre as a city is composed of two parts. One city in the mainland, called 'Ushu' or Old Tyre, and another city built on a small island about half a mile away from the shore of Old Tyre. This city on the small island is commonly known as Tyre.
In Ezekiel 26, Tyre was supposed to be:
1.       Attacked by Nebuchadnezzar (v. 7)
2.       Attacked by "many nations" (v.3)
3.       The stone and timbers of this city would be thrown in the sea (v.12)
4.       Will be scrapped like a bare rock (v.4)
5.       The Ocean depths will rise over it (v.19)
A popular opinion regarding prophecies is that any prophecy may eventually be fulfilled as time pass by as the things that have been written may be fulfilled by chance. If Chapter 26 of Ezekiel talks about any city, with any conqueror, that is indeed true but this chapter exclusively talks about the city of Tyre.
This prophecy is not talking of any city. No, it's not the city of New Birth Forth or the City of World's Helm. It's taking about the city of Tyre.
And this city is to be attacked by Nebuchadnezzar. Not by Hitler, not by the Fire Nation, not by Team Rocket, but by Nebuchadnezzar. A specific person living in a specific time. And this city would also be attacked by many nations, its stone and timbers would be thrown in the sea and the city will be scrapped like a bare rock and that the Ocean will somehow rise over the city itself. It's interesting how specific it is.
Now, historically, the first aspect was easily fulfilled.
About a decade after the prophecy was believed to be written, Nebuchadnezzar attacked the city and we have evidence to support this historic fact. But Nebuchadnezzar was only able to conquer Old Tyre as the other city on the small island was naturally protected by the sea and Tyre had an impressive fleet of ships.
So none of the other prophecies were fulfilled. Numbers two to five on our prophecy list were not fulfilled during this attack.
Should we now mock the Bible for its inaccuracy?
Be aware, that the remaining clauses of this prophecy are almost impossible to fulfill.
Why would the city be attacked and someone would be so bored as to take the stones and timbers from the wrecked city and throw it on the ocean? Why would they do that to the point of scrapping the ruins of the city to a point that what remains will look like a bare rock? And how will the ocean rise over it?
The fulfillment of the other aspects of the prophecy occurred nearly 200 years later.
The Prophecy was written sometime on 587-586 BC, Nebuchadnezzar attacked it on 573BC, but the fulfillment of prophecy points numbers 2-5 would be on 332BC when a man who conquered nations led an army consisting of armies coming from different nations and attacked the very city of Tyre.
We know this man to be "Alexander the Great."
We know Alexander the Great would force another nation to submit and aid him in his conquest so many nations could easily be fulfilled at this point.
He led his armies and attacked Tyre, conquering Old Tyre once more. But this wasn't enough.
Tyre was arrogant and mocked Alexander for failing once more as the settlers have retreated to their city-island protected by their vast fleet of ships. Seeing as how Tyre remained safe like a turtle and having the sea as a natural barrier with a fleet of ships that even Alexander the Great could not easily destroy, Alexander and his armies came up with an ingenious plan.
A great task of building a man-made bridge from the coast of Old Tyre to New Tyre started. Alexander ordered his men to take the ruins of Old Tyre, throw it to the sea to build a bridge to which they can use to attack the city of Tyre.
In this, Prophecy points numbers 2-4 have been fulfilled. The prophecies which seem almost impossible actually happened.
Many nations came, attacked Tyre, took the ruins of the city and threw it to the ocean to make a small bridge, scrapping Old Tyre like a rock.
But what about number 5?
Well, because of the man-made bridge which supported and allowed Alexander to send his armies to attack Tyre, the topography of the island changed making the bridge leading to Tyre into a peninsula which exists to this day. Because of this change which led to a massive geographic change on the area, the location of the Old Tyre was eventually buried by sand and water ultimately, burying the location of Old Tyre underwater forever.
God sent Nebuchadnezzar and later fulfilled it some 200 years later in the person of Alexander the Great. But the last bit of prophecy would be fulfilled about a thousand years later as the coastline of Tyre changed because of the man-made bridge of Alexander.
Now you calculate the odds of this prophecy being fulfilled? What other nation, since 587 BC, was named Tyre, attacked by a Nebuchadnezzar and later by many nations, and apparently, the entire city structure is thrown to the sea, scraped like bare rock, and later sinks to the ocean? What are the odds of that happening? And remember, I haven't listed ALL the prophecies that Tyre is supposed to fulfill!
Now this may come as an intriguing historical study, but the reason I'm discussing Tyre is to formally challenge whether or not this Prophecy would have only ONE fulfillment or will it be fulfilled again? What if, the verses in the Bible may be foreshadowing something that will happen in the future.
Now, let me clarify, I honestly believe that in Ezekiel 26, most of the prophecies written there have already been fulfilled. What I'm saying, is that we open our exegesis to the possibility that it could be fulfilled again!
How would something that had literally happened be fulfilled again? To argue, I would like to point you to the study of Eschatology, or the interpretation of the End of Times. We call it the Apocalypse, the Last Days and so on. Many camps and theological schools all have different opinions and interpretations as to their fulfillment. And throughout the course of history, there have been several interpretations which the people of that time were sure of because it made sense.
During the time of Apostolic era, if you read the Book of Revelation, you would say, the anti-Christ is Rome.
Hundreds of years later, Martin Luther made the same conclusion during the Reformation period. Their study of the Word led to this conclusion.
Back in World War 2, everyone believed that the Anti-Christ was Hitler. The Jews who suffered so much would certainly think so as well.
During World War 3, everyone then blamed Graden Pouterfisx to be the Anti-Christ as it led to the further destruction of Israel.
Right now, because of the Australian Avarice, many even say that Australia is the Anti-Christ.
And for the Australian natives of today, they would say, Harker or that gamer-turned-terrorist Lowengren is the Anti-Christ. (Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised.)
Others believe, that it's the World Governing Powers, and still some point to that miraculous E-Sport Gamer, Seeker Carlean to be the Anti-Christ as he must have sold his soul to the devil to be that good in Piercing! (Z, as you noticed, I like to add current events like this as a sermon illustrations to draw attention to the younger audience. It really makes most gamers listen to my sermon if I mention famous e-sport players.)
And quite honestly, except those saying its Seeker, the rest had a valid reason to claim that this was the Anti-Christ as they displayed a shocking level of depravity, wickedness, and immorality.
Are we to assume that they were all wrong? Perhaps… Or maybe perhaps from Hitler, all the way to the Australian Avarice, they have been "Types" or signs that will simply point us to a Final Anti-Christ. Perhaps, God, in order to constantly remind us that His Word is True and indeed miraculous, has destined history, as written in the Bible to have several fulfillments, many of which are partial fulfillments or foreshadowing to a final fulfillment?
And it is in this vein, that we find ourselves in the study of Typology.
Typology is the study of signs, symbols and the interpretation of Types.
Let me take a positive example to further cement my case…
You've heard me say several times that I say Samuel in the book of 1 Samuel of a "typology" or a sign that points to Jesus. In many ways, an appropriate approach would be to read 1 Samuel with the assumption that Samuel foreshadows Jesus.
If we go to the prophecy in 1 Samuel 2, God got angry at the current High Priest, Eli, and prophesied to Eli that Eli's lineage would-be priest who wouldn't reach old age and that their line would stop serving in the altar. After that, God gave this prophecy in 1 Samuel 2:35,
"I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his priestly house, and they will minister before my anointed one always."
Now the immediate assumption as to the fulfillment of this prophecy, if we follow that story, is that we would assume it to be fulfilled through the priest to Samuel. Samuel took over when Eli died, he ministered faithfully and replaced the line of Priest that served in Israel.
According to the Bible, we do not have any records of Samuel ever committing sin, and even on his death, he challenged Israel of this, to which Israel responded that they have noted no sin in Samuel's lifetime. If you think David had a magnificent title, "a man after God's own heart," consider Samuel's title. A man who will do according to God's own heart and mind.
But on the other hand, many would challenge that this verse does not refer to Samuel but to Jesus because of the clause that this priest will "minister before God's anointed ones, always." Which basically implies this priestly line will forever serve God. And only Jesus could fulfill this role.
My interpretation and I hope this congregation's interpretation and conviction, would be that this verse was fulfilled in two ways.
Samuel was the initial fulfillment and is a typology to the final fulfillment, which is Jesus.
The Bible has been doing this several times and using a certain Old Testament verse and make it a sign that eventually points to Jesus. In other words, these verses have more than one fulfillment.
A partial fulfillment of the sign in the form of Samuel, a righteous Priest who was impeccable in actions and wisdom, and later the Great High Priest that we have in Jesus.
1 Samuel also introduces David, a typology of Jesus in the areas of being a King.
But of course, this alone could not be supporting evidence for my theory in the study of Typologies. So let's take a look at another interesting and puzzling verse which shows a unique example of a typology.
We go to Hosea 11:1 and find an interesting phrase here that was used by the Gospel writer Matthew.
"Out of Egypt, I called my Son."
This is a strange verse to use because mainly, according to the context of Hosea 11:1, the son here refers to the nation Israel. Why did Matthew later use this verse to mean Jesus? We all stand with the idea that the Holy Scripture is inerrant. So why would Matthew, in the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, use this verse in its wrong context?
My answer is Typology.
Let us first analyze what's going on in Matthew.
Joseph and Mary had escaped from Bethlehem because of Herod. They lived in Egypt and waited for Herod to die. Upon Herod's death, Joseph returns to Israel and so, Matthew summarizes it in verse 15 of chapter 2, And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son."
Matthew quotes Hosea 11:1 and immediately assumes that this is speaking of Jesus when in actuality, the context rules that we so hardly adhere to, dictates that Hosea 11 is talking about the nation Israel!
Typology easily resolves this issue. If we are to assume that Israel has always been a typology of Jesus, a temporary sign and can have more than one fulfillment in the great passage of time, we can then easily accept this verse.
By accepting that Israel in Hosea 11, represents Jesus, we can actually see that in many ways Israel did foreshadow Jesus.
Jesus, like Israel, stays in Egypt and leaves to return to the Promised Land. Jesus, Like Israel, is sent to the wilderness to spend a passage of time connected with the number of 40. Israel spent 40 years wandering in the desert, Jesus spent 40 days in the desert.
The Gospel records that Jesus was sent to the wilderness to be tempted and tried, wasn't this the case for Israel?
And isn't it interesting, that in the famous encounter between Jesus and the Devil in that same wilderness where Israel was tested, Jesus answered the Devil quoting verses from the book of Deuteronomy?
Deuteronomy discusses most of the consequences that Israel suffered because they failed. In this Typology, Jesus acts as the perfect version of Israel. He goes out of Egypt, is tempted by the devil in the wilderness exposing Him to hunger, thirst, and the danger of being killed by wild animals.
In Israel's hunger, they complained to God, and the reluctant response of God was to send Manna from heaven, Satan uses this same strategy and tells Jesus to make stone bread, but Jesus quotes from Deuteronomy saying that man shall not live by bread alone.
Jesus fasted in that 40 days in the desert. The Israelites feasted with unlimited manna and even by sending birds which the Israelites can easily capture and eat. I can go on and on, but if you analyze the remaining challenges that Satan poised to Jesus, we find that the Israelites actually failed on all of these temptations. In fact, I would go as far to say that the temptations Jesus faced and the temptations Israel faced were roughly the same!
But it doesn't stop here, if you've read through the Bible, you will know that the moment Israel finally enters the Promised Land, you'll be reading through the Book of Joshua. And in Hebrew, the name for Joshua is Yeshua, the very same name to which we translate the Name, Jesus!
So Joshua becomes a typology, a foreshadowing that the book of Joshua will also repeat in history. We've already seen hints of that! That scene in Joshua 10 where kings in their retreat hid in caves to flee from Israel. Is this not the same vivid imagery explained in the book of Revelation which will be the scene when Jesus returns?
At this point, I argue, that perhaps in the dogmatic ways of our interpretation of Scripture, we have long set aside the possibility that if the Bible is promised to be the Word of God, Inerrant, relevant and true, then would it not be true for all ages? Is it possible to see this foreshadowing's again and again?
I will not be surprised, ladies and gentlemen, that in the near future, the very events we read in the book of Revelation will become a typology! A sign that we may soon see, in anticipation of the Second Coming!
We have long interpreted the book of Revelation and its various events to have passed! How many writers and Bible teachers have risen up to explain how World War Three fulfilled many of the verses in Revelation.
I'm not saying they're wrong. I'm saying they could be right. But in this sense, that what they explained are but typologies and these signs that may repeat itself unto final fulfillment.
So read the Book of Revelation! Read the book of Joshua! Read the Book of Daniel! Of Zacharias, of the many verses and the many books in the Bible which speaks or alludes to the coming end!
We could all come witness to various typologies of events that will have its ultimate fulfillment when Christ return. As for me, I may sound insane, but with the recent events that have been happening, I am certain now, we will bear witness to many foreshadowing's itself! Make no mistake!
Perhaps, in the coming days, chaos will be revealed. And perhaps, in the coming days, someone will rise up perhaps as another foreshadowing of Jesus who will appear in Power and Might! Perhaps, in the days to come, you will all see the Way!
Let's close in prayer…
(A and Z, I do hope this gives us a roadmap of future actions you have to take. Revisit the stories in the Old Testament. I have a feeling that one of our friends may be anticipating the revisiting and fulfillment of the prophecies in Egypt. It might take some time until the Bible study after all. So the specific plans that I have in mind to make the world believe in God  cannot be explained. For now, read and follow the Word. Oh, and if C and G are free, have them visit me here in the Americas.)


An alien race invaded the Earth on June 6, 2128. At the midst of this war, many nations allied with the alien threat and the war nearly wiped out the rebelling humans of the planet. At the edge of mankind's survival, the United Nations Army launched its forces to eliminate the immediate stellar threats that loomed over Earth.

General Seeker Carlean, commander and leader of the mission, risked and gave his life to destroy the immediate stellar threat. The battle was won though Earth lay in ruins. Perhaps mankind will live to see a few years of peace before the alien threat returns to wipe out their existence.

At the immediate aftermath of the stellar battle, the fallen Seeker Carlean awakens and finds himself at aged 17, living the peaceful life he lived 16 years before he died.

So begins a new game in the battle for humanity's survival.

----
Cover art by Jayps. http://www.behance.net/Jayps

MORE OF A REALIZATION OF WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN THIS WORLD!

"Ano? Iniisip niyong lahat na labanan ako?" Ang pinuno ng mga tulisan na nasa ikapitong antas ng Void Transformation Stage ay mayroong madilim na ekspresyon habang tinitingnan ang tatlo niyang kampon sa harapan.
Ang tatlong kampon na ito ay hindi kahit nangahas na gumawa ng ingay sa harapan niya noon, lalong-lalo na ang gustuhing patayin siya.
"Patayin!" Malakas na sumigaw ang tatlong tulisan na nasa ikaanim na antas ng Void Interpretation Stage habang direktang inaatake ang pinuno ng mga tulisan, inilabas nila ang kanilang buong lakas habang kumikilos at pinuntirya ang mga nakamamatay na parte ng pinuno nang walang-awa.
"Nababaliw na ba kayong lahat?" Galit na sumigaw ang pinuno ng mga tulisan, ngunit hindi umatake, iniwasan lamang niya ang mga atake ng tatlong tulisan habang malakas na sumisigaw.
Gayunpaman, para bang hindi siya naririnig ng tatlong tulisan, at nagpatuloy na atakihin siya.
Sa huli, napagtanto ng pinuno ng mga tulisan na mayroong mali.
Ngunit ang sunod-sunod na atake ng tatlong tulisan na ito ay naging dahilan upang hindi niya mailipat ang kaniyang atensyon upang isipin ito, kaya't umatake na lamang siya ng buong galit na bumalot sa langit at lupa hanggang sa tatlong tulisan.
Ang lakas ng isang ikapitong antas na Void Interpretation Stage martial artist ay tuluyang nabunyag.
Kung ikukumpara sa ikaanim na antas ng Void Interpretation Stage, parang mayroong mahabang distansya mula sa ikapitong antas ng Void Interpretation Stage, at ito ay isang napakalaking pagkakaiba sa lakas.
Maliban kung ang isang ikaanim na antas na Void Interpretation martia artist ay mayroong espesyal na abilidad, kung wala, siguradong walang magagawa ang martial artist na iyon sa harap ng isang ikapitong antas na Void Interpretation Stage martial artist.
S loob ng 10 paghinga, pinatay ng pinuno ng mga tulisan ang tatlo niyang kampon dahil sa galit.
Matapos niya silang [atayin, bumalik siya sa kaniyang ulirat, at ang kaniyang paningin ay bumagsak kay Ke Zheng at nagtanong. "Ano ang ginawa mo sa kanila?"
Kababalik pa lamang ni Ke Zheng mula sa kaniyang pagkakagulat nang marinig niya ang sinabi ng pinuno ng mga tulisan, at bahagyang walang masabi sa loob ng ilang sandali.
Ano ang kaniyang ginawa?
Mula sa simula hanggang sa huli, para bang nakatayo lamang siya sa gilid at pinapanood ang palabas, tama?
Sa sumunod na sandali, huminga ng malalim ang pinuno ng mga tulisan, at nang mapakalma niya na ang kaniyang sarili ay naramdaman niyang namanhid ang kaniyang anit nang maalala ang eksena kanina.
"Hmph! Pagbibigyan ko kayo ngayong araw." Matapos niyang umatungal, pinanatili ng pinuno ng mga tulisan ang kaniyang tayo upang hindi mawala ang kaniyang tindig nang naging isa siyang boltahe ng kidlat,at balak ng umalis sa lugar.
Napansin niya ang aura ng panganib sa apat na tao.
"Dahil nagpunta ka na, huwag ka ng umalis." Isang matandang tinig ang tila narinig sa lahat ng direksyon.
Pagkatapos nito, isang anyo ang lumitaw mula sa manipis na hangin patungo sa pinuno ng mga tulisan.
Ito ay si Ke Zheng.
Kaagad namutla ang ekpresyon ng pinuno ng mga tulisan nang makita niyang parang multong lumitaw sa harapan niya ang isang anyo at kahit na siya ay hindi niya ito nahabol, at natatarantang sinabi, "Isa kang.. Isa kang eksperto sa Void Transformation Stage?!"
Hindi sinagot ni Ke Zheng ang pinuno ng mga tulisan, tiningnan niya ito nang kalmado at walang emosyon.
"Senior, maawa ka sa akin! Maawa ka sa akin!" Sa namamanghang mga tingin nina Duan Ling Tian, Ye Xuan, Chen Wei, ang pinuno ng mga tulisan, isang mataas na martial artist na nasa ikapitong antas ng Void Interpretation Stage ay lumuhod sa harapan ni Ke Zheng at walang tigil na humihingi ng awa.
"Ang isang kwalipikadong martial artist ay dapat mayroong hindi sumusuko at matatag na karakter at hindi natatakot sa kamatayan.. Ang isang duwag na taong katulad mo na natatakot sa kamatayang katulad mo ay hindi karapat-dapat na maging isang martial artist!" Nanlamig ang mukha ni Ke Zheng. Sa pagtaas ng kaniyang kamay, malawak na mga apoy ang bumalot sa katawan ng pinuno ng mga tulisan ay tuluyan siyang sinunog hanggang naging abo.
Mula sa simula hanggang sa huli, ni walang pagkakataon ang pinuno ng mga tulisan na makasigaw.
"Napakalakas!" Si Ye Xuan na nasa likod ni Duan Ling Tian ay nakatulalang nagsalita.
"Ikapitong antas ng Void Transformation Stage!" Kahit na nagpigil ang matandang lalaki noong umatake ito, nakita pa rin ni Duan Ling Tian ang isang palatandaan mula sa kaniyang Origin Energy na nakasanib sa Advanced Fire Concept.
Pagkatapos ng lahat, nakasanib sa kaniya ang buong buhay na alaala ng Rebirth Martial Emperor. Bagaman pansamantala niyang hindi magamit ang kaniyang Spiritual Force upang suriin ang cultivation ng matandang lalaki, kaya niya pa ring mapansin ang ilang bagay gamit ang kaniyang mga mata.
"Sa lakas ni Elder Ke, marahil na hindi mababa ang kaniyang istado sa Wood Peak." Hula ni Duan Ling Tian.
Samantala, kumislap ang mga mata ni Duan Ling Tian nang lumitaw sa harapan niya ang isang anyo, ito ay si Ke Zheng na kapapatay pa lamang sa pinuno ng mga tulisan bago siya nag-aalab na tinignan.
"Elder Ke." Hindi mapakali si Duan Ling Tian at bahagyang nahihiya nang matitigan siya ng ganito ni Ke Zheng.
"Gumamit ka ng isang abilidad na katulad ng isang illusory upang labanan ang walong tulisan kanina?" Sa huli, ay nagsalita si Ke Zheng ng mayroong kaunting pagkasurpesa.
"Hindi sila magkatulad.. Ang isinagawa ko kanina ay isang abilidad sa illusory realm." Matapat na sabi ni Duan Ling Tian.
"Wala akong naramdaman na anumang aura o pagdami ng Inscriptions o Inscriptions Formation.. Sa madakling salita, ginamit mo ang iyong Spiritual Force upang isagawa ng isang abilidad na katulad ng isang sol skill at gumawa ng isang illusory realm?" Bahagyang naging mabilis ang pagjinga ni Ke Zheng.
"Oo.: Tumango si Duan Ling Tian, hindi niya ito maitanggi.
"Hindi ka naman isang 'Demonyo', tama?" Sinuri ni Ke Zheng si Duan Ling Tian mula itaas hanggang baba at nagdududang nagtanong.
Natulala si Duan Ling Tian nang marinig niya ito.
"Hindi ito gagana. Kailangan ko itong mapatunayan." Biglang nagsalita si Ke Zheng.
"Paano?" Nabigla si Duan Ling Tian.
"Malalaman mo rin." Mayrong masamang intensyong sinulyapan ni Ke Zheng si Duan Ling Tian ng habang kinukuha ang isang sinaunang salaming tanso na binabalot ng dumadaloy na liwanag.
"Demon Revelation Mirror?" Tuluyang natulala si Duan Ling Tian nang makita niya ang bagay sa kamay ni Ke Zheng. "Senior... Kailangan pa ba ito?"
Ang isang Demon Revelation Mirror ay hindi isang bihirang bagay sa Cloud Continent.
Ang sinumang grade three Weapons Craftsman o mas mataas pa ay mayroong kakayahan na gumawa nito basta't mayroong taglay na mga materyales.
Ang Demon Revelation Mirror ay hindi isang spirit weapon at nagtataglay lamang ng iisang gamit, at ito ay patunayang isang 'Demonyo' ang isang tao na nagkatawang tao.
Basta't isa itong 'Demonyo' na nagkatawang tao, sa oras na iharap sila sa salamin, hindi nito ipapakita ang katawang tao nila bagkus ay ang kanilang totoong itsura.
"Hayaan mo akong makita kung isa kang 'Demonyo' na nagkatawang tao o hindi, kakaibang tao." Itinapat ni Ke Zheng ang Demon Revelation Mirror kay Duan Ling Tian bago tingnan ang harapan ng salamin.
Wala siyang magawa kung hindi makahinga ng maluwag ng makita niyang si Duan Ling Tian pa rin ang lumitaw sa harapan ng salamin.
Ngayon, sigurado na siyang si Duan Ling Tian ay isang purong tao at hindi isang 'Demonyo.'
"Hindi ka isang Demonyo, kaya't paano mo nagawang isagawa ang isang abilidad sa Spiritual Force na katulad ng isang soul skill?"
Ayon sa kaniyang kaalaman, maliban kung ang isang taong martial artist ay nasa Martial Emperor Stage, kung hindi, napakaimposible na magamit niya ang kaniyang Spiritual Force laban sa kaniyang mga kalaban, ngunit kinontra ni Duan Ling Tian ang kombensyon na iyon.
"Senior, narinig mo naman na ang Variants, tama?" Nanliit ang mga mata ni Duan Ling Tian dahil sinadya niyang iligaw si Ke Zheng.
Variant?!
Tuluyang natakot si Ke Zheng nang marinig niya si Duan Ling Tian.
Bilang isang elder ng Five Element Sect, paanong hindi niya malalaman ang pag-iral ng mga Variant?"
Ang mga Variant ay mga buhay na isinilang sa pagsasama ng tao at isang Demonyo. Minsan ay mga pangkaraniwan lamang sila o hindi kaya'y nagtataglay ekstraordinaryong natural na talento, at ang huli ay nagtataglay pa ng kakaibang Innate Abilities.
Gayunpaman, maituturing ang mga Variants na bihira sa buong Cloud Continent, at ilang magagaling na unang uring makapangyarihan lamang ang mayroong mga Variant sa kanilang mga sect.
Ang Five Element Sect ay maituturing na isang makapangyarihan sa silangang bahagi ng northern desert, ngunit isa lamang itong ikatlong uring sect sa buong Cloud Continrnt, at hindi ito karapat-dapat banggitin.
Kaya't hindi niya talaga naisip na si Duan Ling Tian ay isang Variant sa simula dahil hindi siya nangahas na mag-isip ng ganoon.
"Ikaw.. ikaw.." Tiningnan ni Ke Zheng si Duan Ling Tian at bahagyang hindi makapagsalita ng maayos, at ang kaniyang puso ay puno ng hindi maipaliwang na kasabikan.
Isang Variant!
Nakatagpo ako ng isang Variant mula sa alamat!
Dagdag pa rito, ang Variant na ito ay sasali sa aking Five Element Sect at magiging disipulo ng aking Wood Peak.
"HAHAHA..HAHAHA." Sa mga nalilitong tingin nina Duan Ling Tian, Ye Xuan, at Chen Wei, malakas na tumawa si Ke Zheng ng walang anumang dahilan, naririnig sa malayo ang kaniyang tawa.
Nagawang marinig ni Duan Ling Tian ang kasiyahan mula sa tawa ni Ke Zheng, at nahulaan niya kung bakit napakasaya ni Ke Zheng.
Sa huli, tumawa sa pagtawa si Ke Zheng.
Ngayon ay wala ng pagdududa si Ke Zheng sa kaniyang puso sa abilidad na isinagawa ni Duan Ling Tian kanina.
Innate Ability!
"Kuya Duan, ano ang isang Variant? Bakit napakasaya ni Elder Ke matapos itong marinig?" Sumandal si Ye Xuan sa likod ni Duan Ling Tian at nagtatakang nagtanong.
"Ang isang Variant ay isang uri ng nilalang.. Maiintindihan mo sila bilang isang nilalang na hindi mailalarawan ng kombensyon." Nakangiting paliwanag ni Duan Ling Tian.
Tumawa si Ye Xuan ng hindi lubos na naiintindihan ang sinabi ni Duan Ling Tian.
"Tara na!" Matapos ang sunod-sunod na malakas na tawa kanina, tila nawala na ng tuluyan ang kalungkutan na naramdaman noong una ni Ke Zheng, at parang kinakalat niya ang kasiyahan.
"Duan Ling Tian, salamat." Biglang dumating si Chen Wei sa tabi ni Duan Ling Tian at pinasalamatan ito mula sa kaibuturan ng kaniyang puso.
"Ano ang ipinagpapasalamat mo?" Nabigla si Duan Ling Tian.
"Alamat sa pagpapasaya kay Master." Bumuntong-hininga si Chen Wei. "Simula noong araw na naging disipulo ako ni Master, malaki ang inaasahan niya sa akin dahil sa sitwasyon ng Wood Peak noong panahon na iyon.. Bagaman wala siyang sinasabi hanggang ngayon, alam kong nabigo ko siya."
"Chen Wei, mayroon akong hindi naiintindihan." Kumunot ang noo ni Duan Ling Tian.
"Hmm?" Nalilitong tiningnan ni Chen Wei si Duan Ling Tian at nagtanong. "Ano?"
"Pakiramdam ko ay mayroong napakakakaibang pakiramdam si Elder Ke sa Wood Peak... Ang kaniyang pag-alala sa Wood Peak ay hindi ang pag-aalalang dapat taglay ng isang elder ng Wood Peak." Mababa ang tinig ni Duan Ling Tian nang sabihin, "Kung iba itong tao, marahil ay iisipin kong si ElderKe ay ang Peak Master ng Wood Peak at hindi isang elder."
"Napansin mo?" Bahagyang nagulat si Chen Wei nang marinig si Duan Ling Tian, at sinabi, "Sa totoo lang, hindi iyon isang sikreto.. Si Master ay ang ampong anak ng huling Peak Master ng Wood Peak, at lumaki siya sa Wood Peak, dahilan upang ituring niya ito bilang kaniyang tahanan."
"Para sa kaniya, ang pagbagsak ng Wood Peak ay katulad ng pagkabagsak ng kaniyang tahanan.
"Ganoon pala." Biglang mayroong napagtanto si Duan Ling Tian. Hindi niya naisip na mayroong ganoong relasyon si Elder Ke sa Wood Peak, at dahil ganito, nailagay na sa lugar ang lahat.
Sa takipsili, nakita ni Duan Ling Tian ang isang lungsod na nasa kapatagan sa iabab, para itong colossus na nasa berde at napakagandang illusory realm."
"Iyan ang Settlement City," sabi ni Chen Wei.
"Mmm." Tumango si Duan Ling Tian, pagkatapos ay tiningnan ng diretso ang lungsod sa unahan.
Bagaman ang Settlement City at mas maliit sa Ancient Desert City, ngunit hindi ito mas maliit sa Kabisera ng Darkhan at Darming Dynasty.
Sinundan nina Duan Ling Tian si Ke Zheng papasok ng lungsod, at mabilis silang naglakad patungo a isang malawak na lugar.
"Elder Ke!" Sa bawat daraanan ni Elder Ke, ang mga abalang taong nakapaligod sa lugar ay marespetong yumuyuko sa kaniya.


Ang kaluluwa ng pinakamagaling na weapon specialist ng Earth ay tumawid sa isang alternatibong mundo, taglay ang alaala ng Rebirth Martial Emperor, nilinang ang Nine Dragons War Sovereign Technique, winawasak ang lahat ng kalaban na mayroong hindi mapapantayang lakas!
Kayang gumawa ng medisina, may kakayahan sa paggawa ng mga armas, at alam ang sining ng inskripsyon...
Ang pagiging dalubhasa sa lahat ng propesyon ay gawi ng mga hari!


Thanks to Bismarck, the war, the businessmen from all over the world, and the capital pursuing profit, 5,000 tons of wheat and rice, 300 tons of corns, and tens of tons of spice and sugar had been sold out.
It was a shame that the Chicago Futures Exchange had just been established in 1885, and its business hadn’t extended to Germany. Otherwise, Huang Xuan would have celebrated when the 2,500 tons of wheat and the 2,500 tons of rice were sold out.
According to the statistics of the DEFRA, modern agriculture produced only eight tons of wheat on one hectare of land. 5,000 tons would be equivalent to the productivity of 600 hectares of land. However, this didn’t mean much to Huang Xuan. Since he had 120 thousand hectares of land, 5,000 tons was just a piece of cake.
Holding the 54,000 Talers, Huang Xuan felt that he had nowhere to spend them. If he had been in Paris or Hamburg, he would have been able to make ten times more profit. But now, he was in Rheinland-Pfalz, the remotest forest in Germany, where there were only lumber and farm products. He had only two days left. In a time without planes, the most convenient transportation was the railroad. However, the railway in Germany was special.
Maybe it was because of the long-time separation and war, the German railroads were constructed according to the cities. In other words, one usually had to transfer if he wanted to go to place C from place A via place B. It could be imagined how much time it would take to transfer at such an ineffective time. The people hoping the situation to be a little comfortable would get disappointed because the Germans weren’t allowed to enter in France.
Basically, the only material Huang Xuan could bring home was lumber.
“If only we could define the place and the time.” Huang Xuan was still holding on to it.
“According to the naive quantum theory , we can’t define the time and the place at the same time,” Rolin had to remind him again.
“I know.” Huang Xuan exhaled deeply and walked toward another chamber of commerce.
Although there were no masterpieces of great artists to buy, the quality of the lumber in Pfalz was pretty good if one’s demand wasn’t too high. Thanks again to Hartig who had conducted the afforestation campaign on a great scale when he had been the director of the forestry bureau. The Europeans were full of hopes and eagerness to conquer everything in the 19th century. They thought they had approached the essence of the world, perhaps even God. They were no longer content with possessing only farmland but also wished to make the forests grown according to their own needs.
Actually, in the early years of the afforestation campaign, the annual growth volume of these planted forests had increased steadily, but at the beginning of the 20th century, the forests had started to suffer from pests and diseases, and the strong wind had destroyed hectares of forests. For planted forests, the Germans had cut down and sold a lot of mature lumber that were at least tens of years old, among which, beech and oak took up the most.
When the owners of the forest farms saw Huang Xuan take out plenty of cash to buy the lumber, they were elated. It was not only because Huang Xuan didn’t need them to transport it but also because he paid in cash. The chambers of commerce here usually purchased on credit. Huang Xuan wouldn’t have got the cash if he hadn’t persisted or sold the grains at a price lower than the market. Most of the forests in Germany were private. As long as the owners paid taxes to the government every year, they could dispose of the forests at will. In this case, Huang Xuan (actually Rolin) could choose whatever kind of lumber he liked and its quality.
Rolin didn’t let Huang Xuan go home until he had spent two days selecting the lumber and finally collected 60,000 m³ of it. Huang Xuan fell asleep soon. 
In the morning, when the sun rose, the whole city of Sao Paulo turned the color of the sun.
Li Qing knocked lightly at the door and said, “Huang Xuan, there is a Mr. Aubrey White for you. He said that he knew you through Mr. Yu Liye.”
“Oh,” Huang Xuan responded and struggled to get up with untidy hair.
Aubrey White was an American from New England. He was a clean-shaven Catholic wearing a neat suit. Huang Xuan guessed that he was in his forties. He had brought an interpreter, a young Chinese, whom Huang Xuan guessed hadn’t been able to go back to China.
Huang Xuan washed simply and put on a T-shirt contrasting sharply with Aubrey’s suit. The latter showed the least care about it and greeted Huang Xuan as he held out his right hand.
“Mr. Huang, I am Aubrey White with Citigroup Global Markets. I have heard a lot about you from Mr. Yu Liye and hope to do business with you.”
“Would you like some tea or coffee?” Huang Xuan shook hands with Aubrey and his interpreter. Then he sat down and said, “What business?”
“Coffee, please,” Aubrey said in a low voice to Li Qing. Then he turned his head and said to Huang Xuan, “I think you must have heard that our company is specialized in property management. We are hoping to take care of your property.”
Huang Xuan touched his nose and smiled. “Have you ever talked with my parents? My property still belongs to my guardians.”
“I mean your personal property.”
Huang Xuan squinted. It seemed Aubrey was a typical American manager that first took care of the property of a young clan member, developed a good personal relation with their clients, and then became the manager of the entire clan when the young member inherited a legacy or started to manage the clan. It was common in the American banking and financial service industry. But the Europeans had been an excellent student in recent years.
Thinking this, a prank came to Huang Xuan’s mind. 
“Do you know the total value of my personal property, Mr. White?”
“Two million dollars in cash, 24% of the shares of Xinye Company, and an electrolytic aluminum factory,” Aubrey answered the question easily. Obviously, he had done some investigation before he had come.
However, this was the material one month ago. He had just spent all the cash and got 300 million dollars from a Japanese. He didn’t even need to pay the tax. Although it was not decent, it still could be counted as his personal property.
Seeing Huang Xuan go silent, Aubrey continued, “Although Salomon Smith Barney has been merged into Citigroup, our company still excels at property management and has richer experience in it. We can guarantee you that your property will increase by 6% in the next year. Normally, the property we manage usually increase by 10%. Furthermore, we are the best capital operating company in the world, which provides considerate and sound service for our customer including consultation, restructuring and acquisition and merger.”
The interpreter was good, but Rolin was better. Huang Xuan kept silent. He hadn’t been willing to let others take care of his property because Rolin possessed the basic financial knowledge, and the amounts of money he made and spent were huge. However, Aubrey’s last sentence interested him. He did need a specialized institution to operate his property since Rolin was too busy.
Huang Xuan tapped at the table with his middle finger and said, “I know Salomon Smith Barney. Your information is a little outdated.”
Aubrey wasn’t displeased to hear the interpretation. He nodded and waited for Huang Xuan to continue.
“I want to purchase a storing company, the business of which should cover Sao Paulo and the Port of Santos, the equipment must be sound and wonderful. The price is lower than 20 million dollars. I will consider your proposal if your company can complete this purchase.”
Huang Xuan sounded just like his mom. Aubrey nodded and said, “No problem. I will submit the acquisition outline within three days.”
“I look forward to your good news.” Huang Xuan stood up and shook Aubrey’s hand.


Many people felt frustrated by the lack of knowledge after time travel.

Many took their laptops with them during time travel and fell into an awkward situation with deficient electricity.

Many others took the troops with them and found that there were only logistics of 19th century.

Countless predecessors had died on the way, numerous on the land of another world. 

A large number of people had achieved both success and fame after time travel, but failed to find the way back home. 

Do you still regret not remembering the formula of glass?
Are you still confused about the ingredients of gunpowder?
Are you still trying to perfect the shape of mirrors?

Nowadays, a lot of colleges and universities are rushing about, looking for sponsorship; many institutions are drifting along the wave of bank notes; a host of experts’ and professors’ subjects have been brought to a halt  because they are short of funds.

There is a solution to every problem.
...



"Are you surprised?" Terrence smirked. The old Chukan mech designer revelled in airing the dirty laundry of his specialty field! "Much of the galaxy sees neural interfaces as safe, mature devices because trillions of man-hours have been poured into developing and refining them for widespread usage. Yet almost no one knows that most of those hours only broadened our perspectives to how serious neural interfaces can fail!"
Throughout this 'exchange' with Old Man Terrence, Ves had fallen into continuous shock. Almost every neural interface specialist should be aware of all of the pitfalls concerning the technology.
Even Iris Jupiter, who introduced him to this field, must have known as well!
What Ves found egregious was that the MTA's deliberate stance to conceal the actual risks of neural interface technology. By propagandizing that neural interfaces were much more sophisticated than the dangerous, pre-Age of Mechs models, an enormous amount of mech designers and mech pilots readily embraced something that must had led to an immense amount of damage!
In Old Man Terrence's case, the damage the tech had caused must have weighed heavily on his conscience! Now that he was nearing the end of his life, Ves found himself in a strange position of hearing the aging Journeyman's confession.
"Neural interface tech is the devil's tech." Terrence reiterated with a shaky fist. "Every mech designer unknowingly incorporates pieces of tech that slowly and gradually degrade the cognitive functions of the users of their products. Does that sound responsible for you? Are we truly serving mech pilots to the best of our abilities, as the MTA often likes to instill in people of our profession?"
"We swore an oath to serve mech pilots!" Ves retorted.
The old man laughed. "Hahaha! That is true, but the devil is in the details! There are multiple interpretations we can choose from. For one mech designer, it may entail minimizing the repercussions of piloting their mechs as much as possible. For another mech designer, it may entail pushing the limits as far as possible regardless of the consequences! Who decides which interpretation is right?"
Ves could very well imagine that different mech designers would not agree on a common interpretation.
Mech designers such as the Skull Architect would definitely try to push his neural interfaces to an extreme!
Having studied his mech designs extensively, Ves knew very well that the pirate designer cared nothing about mech pilots! Instead, he would seek to exploit every opportunity to raise the performance parameters of his mechs as much as possible!
If the lifespan of the users of his products halved as a consequence, then what did that have to do with the Skull Architect?
Perhaps paradoxically, a mech designer like Gloriana might choose the opposite. As crazy as she seemed, she genuinely seemed to care about the mech pilots of her mechs. As a principle, she would not allow her mechs to be marred by dangerously volatile neural interfaces that posed a clear threat to their mech pilots.
As for Ves? He was still in way too much shock to make up his mind!
He turned his attention back to the conversation. "I take it then that the MTA has already decided on the right interpretation on behalf of every mech designer."
"Correct! One of the main duties the Mech Trade Association has taken up for themselves is to set universal standards for mechs. After an extensive study in the risks associated with neural interfaces, their wise councilors at the top have decided that a certain amount of risk is acceptable!"
"Then wouldn't that make every mech in existence a defective product in a sense?"
The old man laughed again. "Again, there are multiple interpretations! The MTA just chooses to select the most convenient ones to suit their own needs. From my perspective, mechs aren't necessarily defective. Instead, they are all experimental products!"
"That's…"
"Mech designers like you unknowingly sell dangerous mechs to ignorant mech buyers who subsequently assign them to oblivious mech pilots. All of this would have been ethically sound if everyone was aware of the true risks associated with the neural interfaces built into the mechs. Unfortunately, the cold hard reality is that no one except a select group is aware! You can thank the MTA for keeping your conscience clean!"
Until now, Ves silently whispered. Calling it the devil's technology sounded very apt to him now. Every mech designer who made use of the so-called standard neural interface models made available by the MTA unknowingly treated every mech pilot as their experimental test subjects!
He wasn't surprised to hear that the MTA acted in a hypocritical manner. He just wanted to understand their reasoning.
"Mr. Reedan, what does the MTA get out of standardizing higher-specced but unsafer neural interfaces?"
"What do you think the MTA stands for?" Terrence prompted. "The answer is mechs! They worship mechs! They will do anything for mechs! If they have to choose between the wellbeing of people and speeding up the development of mechs, they will choose the latter each time!"
That sounded very extreme even for Ves!
"Unsafer neural interfaces speed up mech development?"
"Of course! While I've mentioned numerous negative consequences of using unsafe neural interfaces, risks are always associated with rewards! Perhaps the single most important factor is that unsafe interfaces are correlated with a higher emergence of expert candidates and expert pilots!"
This was another explosive revelation! If this was true, then Ves could definitely see why the MTA pushed for unsafer standards!
"So it's all about increasing the probability of expert pilots emerging from the masses of oblivious test subjects!"
Old Man Terrence grinned. "I see you understand. The MTA has performed several covert experiments to test whether there is a relationship. They secretly implemented divergent regional standards for neural interfaces across different star sectors. What did they find? Star sectors that made use of safer neural interfaces produced as much as twenty percent less expert pilots compared to star sectors that used highly unsafe neural interfaces!"
Naturally, the MTA conducted this grand experiment without disclosing the risks to the test subjects in question!
"The MTA cares a lot about expert pilots. The more, the better, right?" Ves questioned. He still possessed some doubts. "Why did they decide to set it at the point you mentioned when they could have pushed the limits harder?"
"Other than risk exposure, which would be very bad for the MTA?" Terrence chuckled. "They secretly tried it out in a couple of star sectors. What they found was that while the probability of expert pilots emerging from the ranks definitely increased, their quality deteriorated remarkably. An alarming proportion of them suffered from a host of issues such as suffering from personality disorders, premature aging of their brains or a total loss in interfacing ability. Over a longer period of time, these star sectors fielded less expert pilots than usual because too many of them died or ended up crippled!"
Ves knew that if not for the total decline in the number expert pilots, the MTA would have definitely pushed for more extreme standards!
"How many victims have these 'experiments' produced?"
"Too much to count." The old man shook his head. "While the experimental measures have helped propel many mech pilots to heights they ordinarily couldn't reach, plenty of talented mech pilots who might have been able to advance to ace pilots died or retired far before their time."
This was the real human cost of engaging in experiments. The MTA could have acted according to their own ethical standards and performed their experiments in a transparent and voluntary basis. Yet they instead opted not to disclose the risks, no doubt so they could keep the true nature of neural interfaces a secret while obtaining the most accurate data.
"Where do we sit now, Mr. Reedan?"
"The MTA performed various experiments over several decades in many different star sectors. Their internal research teams subsequently modeled and simulated these gains in order to determine the sweet spot that produces the maximum amount of expert pilots."
"I see." Ves nodded while resuming his petting of Lucky. The cat was getting rather grumpy about the lack of pampering! "So their current standards for neural interfaces is a mathematically-derived result."
"The neural interface standards still fluctuate from generation to generation and from region to region." Old Man Terrence warned. "The truth is that the sweet spots are different for each state and each star sector. Not only that, but the MTA sometimes wants to influence the amount of expert pilots that emerge from a specific region of space. For example, if they think the Komodo Star Sector needs more expert pilots, they might tweak the limits of the next generation of neural interfaces made available specifically for this region."
"So the MTA indirectly influences the rate of expert pilots emerging from star sector to star sector?"
"Yes! Don't think the MTA is completely politically neutral. In some cases, their decisions have accelerated the defeat of one star sector over another simply because the former hadn't been able to produce as many expert pilots!"
"What?! Shouldn't mech designers like you know about this?"
"So what? We are all complicit in this matter." The Chukan smiled ruefully. "While my hands aren't as drenched in blood as that of the MTA, I am still carrying the stains to this day. This is the price that every neural interface specialist has to pay."
A brief silence stretched as Ves processed the latest revelations. Both the MTA and neural interface specialists like Old Man Terrence had become accustomed to running dangerous experiments without disclosing the risks to mech pilots.
To Ves, it seemed like this entire field was rotten to the core! In order to maintain the popularity of neural interface, every neural interface specialist voluntarily turned into devils in order to advance this devil tech!
He suddenly recalled something important about Old Man Terrence.
"According to your record, your specialty is related to the relationship between neural interfaces and genetic aptitude."
"Indeed." The old man nodded. "Like many mech designers, I had a dream. Genetic aptitude plays a central role in how far a mech pilot can go. Those whose aptitudes are graded as D can barely pilot a frontline mech, while those whose aptitudes are graded as A have a much higher probability of becoming expert pilots. Doesn't this sound unfair to you, Mr. Larkinson?"
"Nothing is fair." Ves repeated one of his central beliefs. "Some people are simply better at something than others. Like many people, I used to dream of becoming a mech pilot when I was a kid. Reality gave me a good whack in the head when I became ten."
"This is true. Not everyone is capable of piloting mechs. Even I did not attempt to tackle this problem. My interest lay more in elevating the effective performance of mech pilots with lower-than-average aptitudes. My ultimate goal was to equalize the playing field between low-potential mech pilots and high potential mech pilots!"
That was a very ambitious dream! Ves felt a lot of admiration for Old Man Terrence for choosing to pursue such a far-reaching goal!
"Have you made a lot of progress in solving this problem?"
"Hahaha! No!" The old man laughed at himself. "I would have been in a much better position if I had! I severely underestimated the role genetic aptitude plays in facilitating the man-machine connection! It was a fool's dream for a lowly mech designer from a third-rate state to think they can solve this problem when even the best minds at the MTA failed to develop a solution!"
Ves narrowed his eyes in suspicion. He wasn't fooled by the old man's self-depreciating act. "You should have at least made some gains over your long years of designing mechs, right?"
"To tell you the truth, I have. What's it to you, though? My design philosophy is fundamentally flawed to begin with. I barely moved forward when I already encountered a dead end! Perhaps a more ingenious mech designer might have been able to climb over it, but it's impossible for the likes of you and me! The moment I conceded defeat against the strength of genetic aptitude was the moment I ceased progressing my design philosophy any further!"
Mech designers constantly struggled to make the impossible into a reality! Confidence was vital to their progression.
Giving up on pursuing their overarching ambitions was one of the worst outcomes that could happen to a mech designer!


Humanity has conquered half the galaxy and the Age of Mechs reigns supreme!

Ves Larkinson lacked the genetic aptitude to become a famed mech pilot. Fighting against his fate, he studied mech design in order to express his love for mechs as a builder instead of a soldier.

When Ves graduated from college, he returned to a new but empty boutique. Left with a small, newly founded mech workshop that his father painstakingly built with a mountain of debt, Ves somehow needs to make ends meet with the bank breathing down his neck.

In the midst of his despair, he found salvation from another legacy his father had left.

"Welcome to the Mech Designer System. Please design your new mech."

--Join The Mech Touch's unofficial Discord server: https://discord.gg/APB5KCU

LAW 
4 
ALWAYS SAY LESS 
THAN NECESSARY 

JUDGMENT

When you are trying to impress people with words, the 
more you say, the more common you appear, and the less 
in control. Even if you are saying something banal, it will 
seem original if you make it vague, open-ended, and 
sphinxlike. Powerful people impress and intimidate by 
saying less. The more you say, the more likely you are to 
say something foolish.

TRANSGRESSION OF THE LAW 
Gnaeus Marcius, also known as Coriolanus, was a great military hero of 
ancient Rome. In the first half of the fifth century B.C. he won many important battles, saving the city from calamity time and time again. Because he 
spent most of his time on the battlefield, few Romans knew him personally, 
making him something of a legendary figure. 
In 454 B.C., Coriolanus decided it was time to exploit his reputation 
and enter politics. He stood for election to the high rank of consul. Candidates for this position traditionally made a public address early in the race, 
and when Coriolanus came before the people, he began by displaying the 
dozens of scars he had accumulated over seventeen years of fighting for 
Rome. Few in the crowd really heard the lengthy speech that followed; 
those scars, proof of his valor and patriotism, moved the people to tears. 
Coriolanus's election seemed certain. 
When the polling day arrived, however, Coriolanus made an entry 
into the forum escorted by the entire senate and by the city's patricians, the 
aristocracy. The common people who saw this were disturbed by such a 
blustering show of confidence on election day. 
And then Coriolanus spoke again, mostly addressing the wealthy citizens who had accompanied him. His words were arrogant and insolent. 
Claiming certain victory in the vote, he boasted of his battlefield exploits, 
made sour jokes that appealed only to the patricians, voiced angry accusations against his opponents, and speculated on the riches he would bring to 
Rome. This time the people listened: They had not realized that this legendary soldier was also a common braggart. 
News of Coriolanus's second speech spread quickly through Rome, 
and the people turned out in great numbers to make sure he was not 
elected. Defeated, Coriolanus returned to the battlefield, bitter and vowing 
revenge on the common folk who had voted against him. Same weeks later 
a large shipment of grain arrived in Rome. The senate was ready to distribute this food to the people, for free, but just as they were preparing to vote 
on the question Coriolanus appeared on the scene and took the senate 
floor. The distribution, he argued, would have a harmful effect on the city 
as a whole. Several senators appeared won over, and the vote on the distribution fell into doubt. Coriolanus did not stop there: He went on to condemn the concept of democracy itself. He advocated getting rid of the 
people's representatives-the tribunes-and turning over the governing of 
the city to the patricians. 
When word of Coriolanus's latest speech reached the people, their 
anger knew no bounds. The tribunes were sent to the senate to demand 
that Coriolanus appear before them. He refused. Riots broke out all over 
the city. The senate, fearing the people's wrath, finally voted in favor of the 
grain distribution. The tribunes were appeased, but the people still demanded that Coriolanus speak to them and apologize. If he repented, and 
agreed to keep his opinions to himself, he would be allowed to return to 
the battlefield. 
Coriolanus did appear one last time before the people, who listened to

him in rapt silence. He started slowly and softly, but as the speech went on, 
he became more and more blunt. Yet again he hurled insults! His tone was 
arrogant, his expression disdainful. The more he spoke, the angrier the 
people became. Finally they shouted hirn down and silenced hirn. 
The tribunes conferred, condemned Coriolanus to death, and ordered 
the magistrates to take him at once to the top of the Tarpeian rock and 
throw hirn over. The delighted crowd seconded the decision. The patricians, however, managed to intervene, and the sentence was commuted to 
a lifelong banishment. When the people found out that Rome's great military hero would never return to the city, they celebrated in the streets. In 
fact no one had ever seen such a celebration, not even after the defeat of a foreign enemy. 

Interpretation

Before his entrance into politics, the name of Coriolanus evoked awe. 
His battlefield accomplishments showed hirn as a man of great bravery. Since the citizens knew little about hirn, all kinds of legends became attached to his name. The moment he appeared before the Roman citizens, 
however, and spoke his mind, all that grandeur and mystery vanished. He 
bragged and blustered like a common soldier. He insulted and slandered 
people, as if he felt threatened and insecure. Suddenly he was not at all 
what the people had imagined. The discrepancy between the legend and 
the reality proved immensely disappointing to those who wanted to believe in their hero. The more Coriolanus said, the less powerful he appeared-a person who cannot control his words shows that he cannot 
control hirnself, and is unworthy of respect. 
Had Coriolanus said less, the people would never have had cause to 
be offended by him, would never have known his true feelings. He would 
have maintained his powerful aura, would certainly have been elected consul, and would have been able to accomplish his antidemocratic goals. But 
the human tongue is a beast that few can master. It strains constantly to 
break out of its cage, and if it is not tamed, it will run wild and cause you 
grief. Power cannot accrue to those who squander their treasure of words. 
Oysters open completely when the moon is Jazz; and when the crab sees one 
it throws a piece of stone or seaweed into it and the oyster cannot close 
again so that it serves the crab Jor meat. Such is the late of him who opens 
his mouth too much and thereby puts himself at the mercy of the listener. 
i ,eonardo da Vinci, 1 452-1519 

OBSERVANCE OF THE LAW 
In the court of Louis XIV, nobles and ministers would spend days and 
nights debating issues of state. They would confer, argue, make and break 
alliances, and argue again, until finally the critical moment arrived: Two of 
them would be chosen to represent the different sides to Louis hirnself, 
who would decide what should be done. After these persons were chosen,
everyone would argue some more: How should the issues be phrased? 
What would appeal to Louis, what would annoy him? At what time of day 
should the representatives approach him, and in what part of the Versailles 
palace? What expression should they have on their faces? 
Finally, after all this was settled, the fatend moment would finally ar￾rive. The two men would approach Louis-always a delicate matter-and 
when they finally had his ear, they would talk about the issue at hand, 
spelling out the options in detail. 
Louis would listen in silence, a most enigmatic look on his face. Fi￾nally, when each had finished his presentation and had asked for the king's 
opinion, he would look at them both and say, "I shall see." Then he would 
walk away. 
The ministers and courtiers would never hear another word on this 
subject from the king-they would simply see the result, weeks later, when 
he would come to a decision and act. He would never bother to consult 
them on the matter again. 
Interpretation 
Louis XIV was a man of very few words. His most famous remark is 
"L'Uat, c'est moi" ("I am the state"); nothing could be more pithy yet more 
eloquent. His infamous "I shall see" was one of several extremely short 
phrases that he would apply to all manner of requests. 
Louis was not always this way; as a young man he was known for talk￾ing at length, delighting in his own eloquence. His later tacitumity was self￾imposed, an act, a mask he used to keep everybody below him off-balance. 
No one knew exactly where he stood, or could predict bis reactions. No 
one could try to deceive him by saying what they thought he wanted to 
hear, because no one knew what he wanted to hear. As they talked on and 
on to the silent Louis, they revealed more and more about themselves, in￾formation he would later use against them to great effect. 
In the end, Louis's silence kept those around him terrified and under 
his thumb. It was one of the foundations of his power. As Saint-Simon 
wrote, "No one knew as weIl as he how to seIl his words, his smile, even his 
glances. Everything in him was valuable because he created differences, 
and his majesty was enhanced by the sparseness of his words." 
It is even more damaging for a minister to say foolish things than to do them. 
Cardinal de Retz, 1613-1679

KEYS TO POWER 

Power is in many ways a game of appearances, and when you say less than 
necessary, you inevitably appear greater and more powerful than you are. 
your silence will make other people uncomfortable. Humans are machines 
of interpretation and explanation; they have to know what you are thinking. When you carefully control what you reveal, they cannot pierce your
intentions or your meaning.

YOUf short answers and silences will put them on the defensive, and 
they will jump in, nervously filling the silence with all kinds of comments 
that will reveal valuable information about them and their weaknesses. 
They will leave a meeting with you feeling as if they had been robbed, and 
they will go horlme and ponder your every word. This extra attention to 
your brief comments will only add to your power. 
Saying less than necessary is not for kings and statesmen only. In most 
areas of life, the less you say, the more profound and mysterious you appear. As a young man, the artist Andy Warhol had the revelation that it was 
generally impossible to get people to do what you wanted them to do by 
talking to them. They would turn against you, subvert YOUf wishes, disobey 
you out of sheer perversity. He once told a friend, "I leamed that you actually have more power when you shut up." 
In his later life Warhol employed this strategy with great success. His 
interviews were exercises in oracular speech: He would say something 
vague and ambiguous, and the interviewer would twist in circles trying to 
figure it out, imagining there was something prafound behind his often 
meaningless phrases. Warhol rarely talked ab out his work; he let others do 
the interpreting. He claimed to have leamed this technique from that master of enigma Marcel Duchamp, another twentieth-century artist who realized early on that the less he said about his work, the more people talked 
about it. And the more they talked, the more valuable his work became. 
By saying less than necessary you create the appearance of meaning 
and power. Also, the less you say, the less risk you run of saying something 
foolish, even dangeraus. In 1825 a new czar, Nicholas I, ascended the 
throne of Russia. A rebellion immediately broke out, led by liberals demanding that the country modernize-that its industries and civil structures catch up with the rest of Europe. Brutally crushing this rebellion (the 
Decembrist Uprising), Nicholas I sentenced one of its leaders, Kondraty 
Ryleyev, to death. On the day of the execution Ryleyev stood on the gallows, the noose around his neck. The trapdoor opened-but as Ryleyev 
dangled, the **** brake, dashing him to the ground. At the time, events 
like this were considered signs of providence or heavenly will, and a man 
saved from execution this way was usually pardoned. As Ryleyev got to his 
feet, bruised and dirtied but believing his neck had been saved, he called 
out to the crowd, "You see, in Russia they don't know how to do anything 
properly, not even how to make rope!" 
A messenger immediately went to the Winter Palace with news of the 
failed hanging. Vexed by this disappointing turnabout, Nicholas I nevertheless began to sign the pardon. But then: "Did Ryleyev say anything after 
this miracle?" the czar asked the messenger. "Sire," the messenger replied, 
"he said that in Russia they don't even know how to make rope." 
"In that case," said the Czar, "let us prove the contrary," and he tore 
up the pardon. The next day Ryleyev was hanged again. This time the 
rope did not break. 
Learn the lesson: Once the words are out, you cannot take them back. 
Keep them under control. Be particularly careful with sarcasm: The momentary satisfaction you gain with your biting words will be outweighed by 
the price you pay

Ima g e : 
The Orade at Delphi. 
When visitors consulted the 
Orade, the priestess would utter 
a few enigmatic words that seemed 
full of meaning and import. No one 
disobeyed the words of the Oraclethey held power over life and death. 
Authority: Never start moving your own lips and teeth before 
the subordinates do. The longer I keep quiet, the sooner others 
move their lips and teeth. As they move their lips and teeth, I 
can thereby understand their real intentions .... If the sovereign 
is not mysterious, the ministers will find opportunity to take 
and take. (Han-fei-tzu, Chinese philosopher, third century B.C.) 

REVERSAL 
There are times when it is unwise to be silent. Silence can arouse suspicion 
and even insecurity, especially in your superiors; a vague or ambiguous 
comment can open you up to interpretations you had not bargained for. Silence and saying less than necessary must be practiced with caution, then, and in the right situations. It is occasionally wiser to imitate the court jester, 
who plays the fool but knows he is smarter than the king. He talks and talks 
and entertains, and no one suspects that he is more than just a fool. Also, words can sometimes act as a kind of smoke screen for any deception you might practice. By bending your listener's ear with talk, you can distract and mesmerize them; the more you talk, in fact, the less suspicious of you they become. The verbose are not perceived as sly and manipulative but as helpless and unsophisticated. This is the reverse of the silent policy employed by the powerful: By talking more, and making 
yourself appear weaker and less intelligent than your mark, you can practice deception with greater ease.

I thought to myself 
with what means, with 
what deceptions, with 
how many varied arts, 
with what industry a 
man sharpens his wits 
to deceive another, 
and through these 
variations the world is 
made more beautiful.

My worries were just for naught as I saw all of the dead bodies of my pursuers turned to dust. These phenomenon happened when I fought against the impostor one.
"All of them are Homunculus?!" I didn't believe not a single one of them is human because they are perfectly looking like humans to me.
"Of course not. Human Magicians nowadays tend to be much more cautious that is why they use the homunculus as their slaves to do the deed. They are the perfect tool for assassinations, robbery and disrupting order. And if they are being defeated, they just crumble to dust and erases all of the information about him or her. Perfect for an easy getaway, there is not a single body to investigate and leaving no trace to track which is what you call perfect for sneaky people like rogues," Rena said as she goes out of the building entrance.
"Rena-san... the parcel is here. I brought it safely..."
"Good Job Kazuma. I know you can make it even though you almost lost your life from that."
"Ah, it's not a big deal. It also made me realize how weak and vulnerable I am to other enemies so I need to get stronger in the future. By the way, how is Mirai right now?"
"She is still fine but we need to find the right soul of her body while destroying the remains of the others that inhabit her original body. We already tracked the original body right now and we will be summoning her body here somewhere and perform the severing and rejoining of souls somewhere where the body thief can't occupy anything." Rena said.
"But will everyone be fine? I faced the Body thief before and I almost got killed by it if I didn't escape. It might cause a big rampage instead and hurt everyone."
Another guy appeared behind Rena and I never felt his presence. It was like he blended with the air as he just appeared without any sound. Also, this is the first time I have seen this guy before.
"Body Thiefs might be strong but I already defeated countless of them in the past. With me performing severing of Body Thief in the past due to my job as an exorcist. It's not a big deal for me to defeat a measly body thief."
When the others turned around, they suddenly exclaimed.
"Tsukoyomi? You are already done with your secluded training?" Rena asked.
"You usually train for a year or more depending on your training regime. What makes you come out of your seclusion?" Moonlight asked.
"This is a special event. I managed to get a revelation all of a sudden from the souls of the deceased on the upcoming doom event that might destroy the life of all creatures here on Earth if left alone so I came out to seek help with you guys. After I get out of my seclusion, Zan called me that our newbie, Kazuma, needs help, therefore, I rushed here immediately and managed to get a few info from Raigaki who is tied up in the corner."
"Wait, did you untie him from his bindings?" Rena suddenly turned her face dark.
"Of course not. I know the dangers of Raigaki once he is out of his bindings so it is better for him to stay like that. Don't underestimate what I know about Raigaki's power."
Rena's face turned back to normal after hearing that and she sighed in relief. "Well, thank goodness that you know the protocol."
So this was Tsukoyomi. He is indeed similar to those exorcists that I saw mostly in temples. He has a necklace of a cross which means he is somewhat a catholic man, but from his stances, he seemed to practice and follow Buddhism too? I don't really know. His clothes are a robe that is similar to the robes used in cultivation movies and novels. The only thing that differs him on cultivators is his short hair. He kept it on a crew cut which makes it short compared to the long hair of cultivators. Also, his aura seems very pure and most of the malice present seems to be avoiding him like a plague.
Tsukoyomi looked at me and smiled. "This is our first meeting, Kazuma. I am Tsukoyomi and I specialize in soul repairs, exorcisms, and expertise in soul knowledge. If you need help with that matters, you can ask me for help."
"I am Kazuma Fukuyama, I will make sure to remember that."
"Well, let's get in there shall we? Summoning the Body Thief needs to be easily done so let's get it quick this time so that I can inform everyone on the prediction."
...
We moved into an open space that Moonlight created using her Spatial Magic. I am tempted to learn that magic but I know that this magic element is one of the hardest to master. But if wanted to get the dimensional storage done, I need to learn that magic indeed. Anyways, back to the situation.
Since we are about to summon a Body Thief, we need to be in an open space, no living things around the vicinity and safe from the destruction that can cause casualty since I reported that the Body Thief occupying the body of Mirai is much stronger than it looks.
Tsukoyomi did a prayer first while concentrating on the cross on his neck. After doing it for a few minutes, he stood up and flick his hand that reveals different items which are all similar to the time I summoned Itazura here in this world.
Precise and expertly done, Tsukoyomi created a magic summoning circle that will act as the summoning circle.
"How can we summon that body thief? It was hard especially that their ties are cut so we can't exactly know where that body of hers is wandering around!" I exclaimed.
"Don't worry Kazuma. I got a bit of soul essence that Mirai exudes out. Since it is originally from Mirai's soul, the body thief would immediately know that this is Mirai and will be used as a bait for the guy to come out of the circle. And from my guess, it won't be easy since there are lots of enemies who eat soul essences too."
The soul essence that Tsukoyomi is talking about looks similar to smoke coming out from the fridge placed in a small bottle. It was on the blue and white side so I didn't bother doing much. If soul essences are the key to capture that guy, I hope that soul essence won't be wasted.
Tsukoyomi started forming different finger gestures before he sliced his thumb with his nails and squeezed out the blood before it landed to the ground where the summoning circle was found. As soon as his blood dripped into the ground, the magic circle started to float out of the floor and started to rotate like crazy. The power of the magic circle this time is so strong that electricity arcs started to appear out the magic circle and was like everything is drawn into the magic circle.
"Hold on tight everyone. This will be a bit hard to do!" Tsukoyomi said as he pulls out a scroll and started reading it in fast tongue that whatever he is about to say, it all passed down to the other side of our ears due to the intangible words he is spouting.
But I realized that the magic circle's rotation is not getting any slower. Instead, it feels like the whole place is spinning due to the high amount of magic being concentrated in one rate. It didn't take too long for something to slowly materialize out in the magic circle. Everyone around frowned as they slowly see the silhouette of the woman in the magic circle. So that means we might have summoned Mirai's body this time.
Tsukoyomi continued to chant even that I no longer know if he is still speaking something or he is speaking some gibberish. The silhouette gets darker and darker until I finally saw the summoned one. That same face and same grin on her face makes me want to remove that monster in existence. That same monster who almost killed me and killed Mirai. That monster who can turn anyone into stone and can destroy enemies in an almost one hit.
As soon as the magic circle stopped spinning, Yaya quickly activated her magic and targeted Mirai's body with her eyes and shot it out on her both hands and feet, immobilizing her. The face of Mirai started to twitch and started to show a disgusting grin. It was really different if you remove her face that is looking like Mirai and I will make sure to annihilate him or her.
"Body Thief is here!" Rena said as she defended the place. Tsukoyomi pulls out an exorcism wand out from thin air. He looks into the Body Thief and he started grinning.
"Looks like I will be enjoying this killing process for quite a while..."


After an incident from his past school, he was forced to transfer from Hokkaido to Tokyo. The timing was just right because his parents died from an incident a few weeks ago and he inherited what was left by his parents.

When he was inspecting the things left by his parents, he was greeted by a mobile phone with a chat group he didn't know of. After succumbing to curiosity, he was introduced to the hidden world that hides in plain sight to protect the humans from lurking danger.

And he was recruited to become one, the one they call "MAGICIANS"

--------------------------------------
This is under revision and the novel won't be connecting to the first chapters to the present at the moment. So unless the revised chapter is present on the author's note, that chapter is not yet revised.

After putting down the fountain pen in his hand, Klein removed the spirit pendulum from his left wrist, holding it in one hand and letting it hang down over the paper in close proximity.
"Edwina is in the story of this book," Klein closed his eyes and silently repeated the divination statement.
After he recited the statement, he opened his eyes and saw the topaz pendant spinning clockwise.
This meant that Vice Admiral Iceberg Edwina was inside Groselle's Travels!
It really is a world inside a book… Furthermore, the situation inside is very special. Without new characters, the story isn't able to continue… Klein indiscernibly nodded. Wounding the silver chain and the topaz pendant around his wrist again, he picked up a dark red fountain pen and wrote a new divination statement: "The method to entering Groselle's Travels."
This time, he used dream divination. In the gray, hazy world, he saw indistinct figures.
The figures were of varying sizes, some huge, others slender. The thing all of them had in common was that they held a book with pages of yellowish-brown goatskin.
The following developments branched off into two scenarios. A number of them vanished silently with Groselle's Travels on them. The others would accidentally or deliberately drip their blood on the cover while carrying Groselle's Travels with them before suddenly vanishing!
The scene shattered and Klein opened his eyes to see the mottled table in front of him. He frowned as he made an interpretation.
To enter or activate Groselle's Travels, it either needs prolonged contact with it to a certain extent, or you would need to drip one's blood onto the cover?
Isn't that too simple? Perhaps… it's really that simple. In the story, the Loen soldier's first appearance was as an ordinary person who didn't know mysticism. With the help of his companions, he slowly became a Disciplinary Paladin… Therefore, the activation method isn't too complicated. An ordinary person is able to accomplish it.
A small number of researchers before this, including Vice Admiral Iceberg Edwina, were Beyonders with sufficient amounts of mysticism knowledge. They knew not to rashly drip their blood; otherwise, death might occur without them even knowing it. This is akin to ordinary people using the correct form of magic mirror divination. It's very easy to provoke a powerful existence or secret existence. It's why no problems happened to them…
Furthermore, Edwina keeps Groselle's Travels in the collector's room most of the time and only interacts with it occasionally. As such, it was only when she recently had a new research concept that she had prolonged contact with it, completing the condition required to activate the book?
Yes, even Arrodes only knew that there's something strange with the book. Many of the past owners had vanished, and it's suspected to have something to do with the dragons and City of Miracles, Liveseyd. This means that Groselle's Travels will interfere with its surroundings when being activated; therefore, most of the collectors in the past do not know of its problem and had no thoughts of studying it.
The owners who disappeared likely aren't limited to the ones in the story. The others might've died for all kinds of reasons, failing to leave their names in the book.
Klein focused again and made another divination, hoping to obtain the method to leave Groselle's Travels.
This time, he saw a more tempestuous blizzard in the gray, hazy dreamscape. He saw a gigantic figure at the top of an ice peak. 
It was a translucent dragon who remained nearly five meters tall while standing on all fours. It resembled a lizard's cousin and had an ugly face with eerie blue eyes. It had a thick, powerful tail and a pair of gigantic wings covered in a skin membrane on its back. It seemed to blot out the sky simply by spreading its wings.
Its scales resembled ice crystals as they swirled with a crystalline glow. It was the most beautiful and dreamy part of its entire body.
Suddenly, the dragon which resembled an ice sculpture raised its neck and body, and it let out a terrifying roar that penetrated through the blizzard.
At that moment, it reached ten meters tall by standing up on its hind legs.
King of the North… That frost dragon… Klein left the dream and tapped the armrest of the high-back chair.
His interpretation of the divination revelation was that the key to leaving Groselle's Travels lay with the King of the North!
Klein's initial guess was that only by helping the main lead, Groselle, accomplish his goal—slaying the frost dragon—would the story come to a complete "end," opening a passageway to exit the book.
However, I can also attempt to see if I can forcibly break open the barrier between the world in the book and the real world… Klein relied on his rich experience to quickly come up with an attempt.
He first picked up the Black Emperor card which was facing down, and he infused it into his Spirit Body.
Suddenly, Klein's body was covered in black full-body armor. On his head was a heavy crown as his aura became majestic and dignified. It exuded an awe-inspiring vibe.
Following that, he stirred the powers of the mysterious space above the gray fog to the limit, making them surge over like a tidal wave.
Upon seeing this scene, Klein didn't hesitate to summon the Sea God Scepter from the junk pile before he infused his spirituality within.
The blue gems on the end of the bone scepter lit up one after another, emitting a blinding luster.
Countless silver bolts of lightning surfaced as they zapped about the grand palace as though they were forming a sea of lightning.
Finally, Klein used the suppressive power and balance from the Black Emperor's loftiness to infuse the stirred powers into the Lightning Storm.
Rumble!
Thunder resonated above the gray fog and into the distance as thick bolts of lightning smote down, striking Groselle's Travels.
Blinding light enveloped the entire palace for a full twenty seconds.
After everything was over, Klein looked at the target again and discovered the mottled table was in shambles. As for the dark-brown leather book, it was completely unharmed. Only its ends curled up a little.
It's far more impressive than I imagined… That's right, how can an item which can create a whole new book world be simple… Heh, I wouldn't have made a loss buying it for 8,000 pounds back then. It can be used as a shield. It can definitely defend against attacks from Saints. The only problem is its tiny size. It won't be able to shield much… Klein's thoughts raced as the bronze table was quickly restored to normal.
Since there was no way to forcibly tear open the barrier between the world inside the book and the real world, he could only consider how to enter it according to the normal procedures.
Get some blood, bring it up here and smear it across the cover, and then enter as a Spirit Body with the Blood Emperor card and Sea God Scepter? This way, I don't have to worry about encountering King of the Five Seas, Nast, as there's no way he can sense it. He won't be able to enter the world inside the book either. But the problem lies in the fact that rescuing Vice Admiral Iceberg this way will allow her to determine that Gehrman Sparrow is Hero Bandit Black Emperor.
Yes, there's a more important problem. Entering with a Spirit Body means that the body is still in the outside world—the captain's cabin of the Golden Dream. I have no idea how time flows in the world inside the book. It might easily be a few days. That way, my body might meet with an accident since it lacks protection. I'm in unfamiliar territory as well. When the time comes, I might rescue Edwina, but I would find "myself" gone. That would be fun. Klein quickly rejected the idea of entering as a Spirit Body.
He didn't trust most of the people on the Golden Dream, and he also felt wary of the Strongest Hunter, Anderson.
His attempt to divine if it was dangerous to enter the book to rescue Edwina was met with failure. Klein thought deeply for a moment before returning to the real world. Then, he unhurriedly brought back Groselle's Travels and removed the traces of the ritual.
Looking out the window at the impending dusk, he walked to the captain's cabin's door, unlocked the door, and opened it.
Gourmet Bru Walls, Singer Orpheus, and company were all outside. None of them had left. There were even sailors who peeked their heads out from the staircase.
"Any clues?" Bru Walls blurted out his question, but he didn't hear his voice because everyone at the door was asking the same question.
Klein swept his gaze and nodded.
Instantly, he heard sighs of relief, then he saw all kinds of happy and excited expressions.
If I were to vanish one day, who would act like that… Klein focused his thoughts and said to Danitz, "I need an assistant."
With that said, he turned to walk to the desk.
"Alright!" Danitz hurriedly followed and familiarly locked the door.
"Is there anything you need of me?" he hurriedly asked. He looked as though he could already see his captain being rescued through his hard work.
Klein stood by the desk and solemnly said, "What happens next will be very dangerous."
"Very dangerous?" Danitz instinctively gritted his teeth.
"You might vanish or even die immediately." Klein told him the worst possible outcome.
Seeing how serious the madman, Gehrman Sparrow, was, Danitz instantly understood the gravity of the situation. His heart sank as he subconsciously became frantic.
"W-what does this have to do with rescuing Captain?"
"It's directly related," Klein answered succinctly.
Danitz's expression twisted as he fell silent for two seconds.
"What will happen if nothing is done?"
"Your captain might be left there forever, or she might die in the next second," Klein said truthfully.
Danitz turned agape as he closed his mouth in silence.
His eyes turned adrift for a few seconds before they focused back on Gehrman Sparrow's face. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Let's begin."
"Dogsh*t!" he softly cursed himself.
Klein picked up the pen and paper on the table, scribbled a note, and folded it into a square before handing it to Danitz.
"Put it into your pocket. Read it after you enter."
"Enter?" Danitz asked, puzzled and clueless.
As he spoke, he automatically took the paper slip and stuffed it into his trouser pocket.
Klein didn't reply as he pointed at Groselle's Travels.
"Smear some of your blood on the book's cover."
This… As Danitz made a vague guess, he picked up the bronze dagger beside him and nodded heavily.
"Alright!" 


With the rising tide of steam power and machinery, who can come close to being a Beyonder? Shrouded in the fog of history and darkness, who or what is the lurking evil that murmurs into our ears?

Waking up to be faced with a string of mysteries, Zhou Mingrui finds himself reincarnated as Klein Moretti in an alternate Victorian era world where he sees a world filled with machinery, cannons, dreadnoughts, airships, difference machines, as well as Potions, Divination, Hexes, Tarot Cards, Sealed Artifacts… 

The Light continues to shine but mystery has never gone far. Follow Klein as he finds himself entangled with the Churches of the world—both orthodox and unorthodox—while he slowly develops newfound powers thanks to the Beyonder potions.

Like the corresponding tarot card, The Fool, which is numbered 0—a number of unlimited potential—this is the legend of "The Fool."

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