The Truth Society

Chapter 5: The Truth Society

Night.

Linton lay in the dilapidated thatched hut he had rented from the village chief, gazing up at the starry sky through the window.

The starry sky of the Calvi Continent was incredibly beautiful.

A vast number of celestial bodies formed dreamlike nebulae, their colors shifting from deep green to light blue from the outside in. Observed from the continent, they appeared faint and ethereal. Occasionally, a shooting star would streak across, leaving a brilliant white trail as it plunged into the cosmic expanse, vanishing in an instant and becoming part of the ever-dissipating mystery.

"On Earth, perhaps only the auroras in the Arctic Circle could rival this view," Linton murmured to himself.

Necromancers required very little rest. He had managed to snatch a short nap earlier in the afternoon while waiting for the players, so he was currently full of energy.

But the night was long, and simply watching the stars was a difficult way to pass the time. Thus, Linton spent most of his nights, when not resting, immersed in thought.

"It's a shame, really. There are too few players assigned to Blackwater Village, and they're all too poor at the start. Even if I squeeze them dry, there's not much oil to be had," he sighed deeply. "When will I ever save enough money to leave the Truth Society?"

He couldn't help but feel a pang of resentment towards his former self.

Before his consciousness was usurped, Linton had been a notorious Necromancer in the Kingdom of Blossoms, taking pleasure in collecting corpses and taking pride in desecrating ancestral graves.

Not only that, but due to his immersion in the pursuit of the concept of "death," the Necromancer had also joined an organization.

—The Truth Society.

Linton knew this organization very well.

Because it was the genuine villain in the game's storyline.

Games needed opposing forces of black and white.

In the early stages of the game's plot, the Kingdom of Blossoms, which guided players on their journey, was undoubtedly the positive force, while the Truth Society represented absolute darkness and served as the main antagonist.

It was like the Inquisition in medieval Western Europe; every member was a brainwashed fanatic.

The members of the Truth Society were fanatically devoted to the so-called "True Lord," akin to the most "loyal" Papal Knights. As long as it was "in the name of the True Lord," there was nothing they wouldn't dare to do.

And the leaders of the Truth Society all seemed quite ambitious.

In the game's plot, they incited the populace, instigating riots in towns and cities across the Kingdom of Blossoms. When the Flower Knights, who guarded the royal capital Falasong, marched out to quell the rebellions, the Truth Society infiltrated Falasong extensively, even openly attacking the royal palace and nearly overthrowing the nation's government.

The ultimate goal of all this was to force the Lord of Blossoms to descend into the mortal realm and usurp His divine position!

For ordinary NPCs in the game, the nobles in the towns were already as powerful as gods. Yet, the Truth Society's hands reached out to beings that even their wildest imaginations couldn't fully depict.

Of course, due to the players' existence, their goals could naturally not be achieved. However, as the overarching antagonists of the game, they wouldn't simply disappear. They would remain hidden deep within the roots of various subsequent nations, until one day, they would be uprooted entirely.

Before Linton transmigrated, the game's plot had only progressed through three chapters. Only three or four of the Truth Society's top figures had appeared, and the developers hadn't released much more information about the organization, only a simple background introduction. Therefore, even with players' imaginations running wild, they couldn't guess its true purpose.

Why usurp the divine position? Did the Truth Society's "True Lord" truly exist?

And what would they do if they succeeded in usurping the divine position?

As a former player, Linton held no fondness for the Truth Society. But as a player, he was also filled with curiosity about the mysterious Truth Society.

This was because it was the only faction in "Kingdom of Heavenly Principles" that players could not join.

Of course, the prerequisite for uncovering the truth was that he was not a member of the Truth Society.

After the attack on the royal capital of the Kingdom of Blossoms, all members of the Truth Society were wanted nationwide. At that time, Linton wouldn't be able to "farm" players, let alone himself. If he encountered them, he would have to check if his health bar was lit. It would be difficult for him to appear on the streets openly—though it was already difficult now.

As for how to leave the Truth Society, it was quite simple.

He had already communicated with a minor leader. As long as he handed over one million gold coins to purchase an "indulgenc e," the True Lord would forgive his disloyal faith.

One million gold coins. If this were the late game, Linton would have thrown it away without a second thought, perhaps even throwing away another million because the weather was nice that day.

But now, he was a genuine pauper.

"What should I do?"

Just as Linton's mind was wandering, he opened his eyes as if sensing something.

—Under the starlight, a yellowed piece of parchment was eerily suspended in mid-air, emitting a faint glow.

This was one of the Truth Society's contact methods, a technique only accessible to high-ranking members.

The reason was that every follower of the Truth Society underwent an initiation ceremony upon joining, where their name was inscribed in the "Book of True Names."

According to them, this ritual was equivalent to allowing one's soul to receive the True Lord's care, ensuring that no matter where they were, the True Lord's radiance would illuminate their path forward.

To put it simply, it was like installing a locator that monitored one's heartbeat.

This book was said to be held by the Truth Society branches in every country, generally in the hands of their top figures. Ordinary members, except for the initial joining ceremony, had no access to it. Therefore, only they could use the teleportation parchment to contact others.

"Bloody hell, why are they looking for me now?"

Linton reluctantly sat up and took the parchment.

The handwriting on the parchment was very different from Chinese, but he could clearly understand the meaning of every string of text.

"Mr. Linton Klevishill, the great True Lord has bestowed His reward in Frazer Town. After consulting the 'Book of True Names,' I found that you are the closest to Frazer Town. Please proceed to Viscount Lizer's residence at midnight tonight to receive the reward bestowed by the True Lord and deliver it to Mr. Fred, the blacksmith located in Leibu City.

May the True Lord bless you."

Signed: 'Passas'"

"It's him?"

Linton's expression shifted slightly.

'Passas', one of the Truth Society's Twelve Stars, ranked last, and also one of the leaders of the Truth Society's branch in the Kingdom of Blossoms.

In the story, he and another Twelve Star were the masterminds behind the turmoil in the Kingdom of Blossoms.

And such a person was looking for him late at night, apparently just to collect a "reward bestowed by God?"

To others, this reward might be forbidden magic or some holy relic, but Linton, with the memories of a Necromancer, knew it was just the members' offerings.

"What Truth Society? More like a 'Money-Grabbing Society'."

"Meow, disturbing my sleep late at night to collect money? Who has the free time to play with you?"

[Daily Quest: Go to Viscount Lizer's place before midnight to collect the "offering money," then head to Leibu City and deliver it to the blacksmith Fred.]

[Reward: 100 Experience, 10000 Gold Coins]

[Quest Tracking Available]

[Accept?]

"Accept!"