[It has been proven that the correct ritual in the dream world can send offerings to the real world.]
[The spirituality in the real world is actually slowly disappearing... Disappointing...]
[Trying again, I had Lin offer up another portion of spirituality to draw the ritual circle in reality, summoning myself... It failed again. I couldn't establish a complete connection.]
Bang!
Aaron snapped his quill and slammed his fist down on the desk.
This setback was a serious one.
If the real world couldn't contain the supernatural, then even if he had some kind of ability, he would never be able to achieve immortality.
Even this little "minor ability" might let him live comfortably, but it wouldn't be enough to stand against an army. That left him feeling very insecure.
[No... I can't give up!]
[Next... I should try all kinds of different elemental paths! And keep using spirituality, perhaps even... try an awakening ritual...]
[Although spirituality can only remain inside me for a short time, if I keep at it day after day, maybe each time will permanently increase my strength by a tiny, insignificant amount... And after enough time, perhaps my body will become superhuman?]
[But different elements and paths might conflict with one another, so I have to plan carefully and proceed with caution.]
After a brief moment of dejection and losing his composure, Aaron gathered his thoughts again. He put away his notebook, lay down on the bed, and began to dream.
The desolate city of Diat.
Lin walked along the shadowy streets, searching for survivors.
After the great cataclysm, the apocalypse had arrived. The mad had become monsters, while most of the rest had been caught unprepared and died at the monsters' hands.
Even so, life could still work miracles!
Among the ruins of this city, there was more than just Lin and the monsters!
"After I offered up the essence of 'Crimson' last time, my Lord seemed to like that kind of offering..."
Lin thought to herself.
For ordinary people to become extraordinary, they first had to choose a path, then accumulate spirituality, and finally undergo a ritual to become true supernatural beings.
She had now reached the second stage of the 'Crimson' path: 'Blood Overflowed'!
She had gained the ability to turn her whole body or parts of it into blood, then shape them into weapons.
Besides that, she could also wield a wide variety of spells and rituals.
Of course, since she no longer dared to listen to the murmurs of the beings above the moon, her knowledge in that area was sorely lacking.
At the same time, she could draw on the power of 'Crimson' to speed up her growth.
Lin was now growing at an astonishing rate, and was already not much smaller than an ordinary fourteen- or fifteen-year-old.
"The Light of Redemption needs more believers, and my Lord needs more offerings..."
She had rescued a few people before, but they were all ordinary folk. It would take time to guide them onto the supernatural path.
Before long, Lin found a new target.
It was a large department store. A barricade made of furniture and other odds and ends blocked the entrance, while several monsters prowled outside.
"If my guess is right, there should be survivors inside..."
Lin licked her lips, ready to transform her body into blood.
Just then, she sensed something amiss in the air.
A fine powder filled the area around her, making her feel drowsy.
"Powder..."
Lin abruptly looked up. The sky was empty, with nothing but the faint sound of wings beating, as if it were coming from inside her skull.
"Something's wrong!"
Lin took a deep breath and prayed softly. "Spirit of Unknown Void, Absolute Neutral Entity, Silent Observer... Sole Redeemer, supreme and transcendent Light, my Lord... I've encountered something strange. Please grant me good fortune and courage..."
In truth, she knew that her Lord rarely answered even when she used the ritual at a fixed altar, let alone when she simply prayed aloud.
But this was an expression of devotion.
Her Lord might not care about humanity, but humanity had to care about Him. He was the only Light of Reason!
"Hmm... Is the connection being established faster now? A spoken prayer is enough. Does that mean my occult connection with her is growing closer?"
Lin was in luck. Aaron happened to be by her side this time.
However, he had no intention of responding.
"Faith, an occult connection... If it's strong enough, could it let me overcome the limits of distance and hear prayers from afar?"
He thought to himself, "I can use my supernatural power to grant abilities to believers through rituals and have them perform all kinds of tasks, but they can't refine the supernatural. They can only offer spiritual items to me... Looks like this path won't work either."
Aaron felt that his supernatural energy might be the ultimate expression of spirituality.
Unfortunately... he was making very poor use of it so far.
"Having a fixed altar that often doesn't answer prayers is a hassle too... Could I set up some kind of automatic response or a message function?"
"But that would require a great deal of occult knowledge, and I can't do it. Unless... I have Lin go leech off the Mother Tree of Flesh, fall into that trance-like state, and listen to its murmurs. Then I could pull her back and have her repeat the knowledge she learned..."
Aaron was a little excited, but quickly shook his head. "This believer is precious. If I make her do that too often, I'll definitely be found out. Better to leave it to future believers..."
He flickered out of sight, crossing the plaza in an instant and arriving in front of the department store.
The monsters and the powder passed straight through him without leaving a trace.
Aaron passed through the obstacles and entered the department store. Inside, he saw several unkempt survivors holding hunting rifles and warily watching the outside.
At the center of the group they were protecting, a woman with a heart-shaped face and emerald-green eyes, dressed in a gray robe, was performing a spell.
"I beseech the symbol of life and change, the controller of the invisible threads, great Cocoon!"
"Please grant me the bewildering dust!"
"Please grant me the invisible threads!"
Outside the department store, Lin watched in astonishment as the prowling monsters abruptly froze, like statues.
Around them, extremely fine threads, thin as silkworm silk, connected them to the ground.
Suddenly...
All the threads pulled taut at once, slicing through the statues.
The tiny, transparent strands became the sharpest of blades, cutting the monsters into countless cubes with smooth surfaces in an instant.
"Lady Olivia, thank you so much."
The woman in the gray robe finished the ritual. A group of survivors gathered around her, thanking her repeatedly.
"It was nothing, Mr. Aldo. In a world devastated by disaster, we should help each other. Could you give me a quiet room?"
Olivia shook her head, her face a little pale. "I'd like to get some rest. Please don't bring me food or water."
"Of course!"
A man who looked to be in his forties, with a hunting rifle in hand and thick hair covering his arms, immediately agreed and led Olivia to a quiet room.
Click!
Olivia shut the door and immediately leaned back against it, her whole body trembling violently.
Under her gray robe, one lump after another rose and writhed, like little mice scurrying beneath the fabric...
"Haah..."
Olivia gasped for breath. At last, she couldn't take it anymore and fell to the floor, writhing in agony.
Nearby, Aaron watched calmly. "Using a ritual by force caused corruption? Still... she seems able to maintain control of her reason, barely, though it must be difficult."
He looked toward the door, and his expression suddenly turned inscrutable.
Before you continue