Noble Disguise
"So, the logic for the next steps is quite clear." Su Luo stuffed the last bit of food into her mouth. "First, investigate the method for restoration of the Essence; then, the local power structure of this world and the cause of its World Destruction; and finally, the other Survivors. Three steps, decreasing in priority, but none can be overlooked."
Su Luo began to take action.
About four hours later, as the sun was about to set, Su Luo, looking completely refreshed, appeared at the entrance of a dilapidated alley.
He wore a perfectly tailored charcoal black wool shirt underneath, which accentuated his shoulders and waistline to a perfect proportion. Over this, he wore a fitted, dark ebony swallowtail coat with a matte finish, as did his accessories. He also had a long coat as a backup.
A black silver pocket watch had a silver chain hanging from the waistcoat pocket, the hands of which reflected shimmering light in the sunlight. A simple black jade ring was worn on the left hand, and a long-handled umbrella with a solid wood handle was propped up on the ground.
Su Luo stood at the alley entrance, inexplicably surrounded by an aristocratic air, carrying a pampered indifference and the stench of money.
Even the most senior nobleman standing before Su Luo would genuinely believe that he is a well-mannered young nobleman, only wondering why he would be in such a filthy Lower City.
"This disguise works alright, let's leave it like this for now."
Su Luo looked at her clothes. She had never dressed so formally in her life. Back in her hometown, most people wore sportswear. Who would wear such things for no reason?
In order to officially integrate into this world, Su Luo enhanced her physical body while creating a fake identity that she didn't know if it would be discovered, and even got a set of clothes for it.
As for maintaining the body's nutritional needs and where the money for these things comes from...
In order to learn etiquette and dressing, Su Luo went to the Rich District and accidentally turned on Auto Pickup.
Sorry, I couldn't help it.
"Current Attributes... Constitution has reached 9, the improvement rate has slowed down, and the Control over the body is too low, so restarting is too slow."
Su Luo felt insecure. After all, she started with only an initial body and soul, nothing but consciousness and knowledge. It was already quite impressive that she had managed to surpass the human limit in just half a day of rebuilding.
However, the [Church] has Awakened. Even the weakest of these Awakened have Survival Attributes of over 11. It's unknown what kind of power they possess, as it's impossible to discern from the environment.
Dressed in aristocratic attire, Su Luo slowly raised her head and looked in the direction of the city [the Church].
Located in the northwest corner, it occupies the entire high ground, and from a distance, it is the largest building complex in the city, apart from the large Steam.
The classical, imposing granite church, its spikes piercing the gray smoke and grime of Contamination with the Steam, stands surrounded by a huddled mass of plebeians at its feet.
After walking for half an hour on the muddy road, Su Luo occasionally ate some snacks to replenish her energy, heading straight towards the [Church].
The road grew wider and wider, the number of people dwindled, and the ground transformed from a stinking dirt road into a gravel path, then into neat Bluestone Slabs. The lighting also changed from no streetlights to wooden poles, and then to metal lampposts carved with ✿.
There were no poorly clothed commoners, nor laborers who disregarded their appearance. People on the street became more and more presentable, and the colors of their clothes changed from dark gray to other brighter or heavier dark colors.
The ladies began wearing hats, and the gentlemen began carrying canes. Their gait was also different from that of the people in the working class; they walked slowly, as if time were no object to them.
When passing by Su Luo, many people cast envious or awe-inspiring glances, but no one stepped forward to speak to them. There are rules in the social interactions of the nobility here; if you don't know the other person and are of lower status, you cannot speak rashly.
A half-armored soldier carrying a spear saw Su Luo walk unhurriedly through the checkpoint without showing any identification. He wanted to stop her, but seeing that his companions were not moving either, he decided to ignore her.
Some people don't need proof. Identification is just to prevent sneaky people from showing up. This guy's aura must be from a family that has been noble for eight hundred years, and whose family has been full of royal relatives and big capital for the last hundred years. He's the kind of arrogant guy with his nose sticking up high.
With her aura of absolute nobility and her low-key yet high-quality attire, Su Luo passed through checkpoints and ignored the interrogations along the way, arriving outside the [Church] without any hindrance.
Upon closer inspection, Su Luo realized it wasn't a big deal; the city's [Church] wasn't even as big as his own Laboratory.
But in this world, the Church is the pinnacle of technology, the symbol of power, and the center of faith.
The Church's main gate is an archway, about ten meters high, carved from a single block of white stone, inscribed with the Text: "Holy Light shines everywhere, all things are illuminated."
Two guards stood at the entrance, their equipment extremely Fine. They wore full silver-white armor, and the Steam Sawtooth Swords on their backs were half a person's height, their serrated blades reflecting a cold, silvery light in the sunlight. They also had short swords and silver-white spears at their waists, and Hand Cannon beside their boots.
Even with their Fine equipment, Su Luo could easily tell from their posture and breathing that their Constitution attributes were no more than 6.5. With her current Attributes and skills, Su Luo could take on a hundred of them.
After observing for a while, Su Luo began to sneak around the area, then disappeared into the greenery to observe each member entering and leaving the [Church].
As she grew stronger, she also gathered and integrated information. By the time night had completely fallen, Su Luo had come to understand the lower-level authority of the [Church].
Each person's behavior patterns, clothing style, outing times, and social relationships are all statistically analyzed, and then the information processing capability automatically resolves the issues.
The men and women I see loitering around the entrance are all laborers or volunteers. They are either slaves registered under the Church's name or ordinary people who believe in divine Divine Light and are willing to dedicate their bodies and minds to the Church. They have no official status, are not considered clergy, and are just pure laborers.
The Fine- equipped Knights at the gate were actually just Pre-Apprentice Knights. Not Apprentice Knights, but Pre-Apprentice Knights.
Apprentice Knights are entitled to accompany Knights on missions and in daily life, just like noble servants. Their armor has bronze trim, their Steam swords are engraved with the Church's number, and the Holy Light Emblem on their chests is larger than that of Pre-Apprentice Knights.
Based on Su Luo's observation, those powerful humanoid beings who came and went with a large group of people, dressed in brightly colored clothes or Steam Mech, were [Knights ], or [Nuns ].
Above these are the [Judgment Knights ] or [Judgment Nuns ], who are qualified to manage Knights and intervene in city duties.
Based on her current physical perception, Su Luo only knew that the [Knight]'s strength was above 11 in Constitution, but she had never seen the [Judgment Knight].
"According to what these guys are muttering and the information they've gathered, the achievement of a [Awakened] requires an [Awakening Ritual]. Is this the foundation of this world's extraordinary power?"