Hidden Cult

Midnight.

The gas lamps along the streets of Trino City had long since gone out. The empty streets were filled with nothing but the sound of the night wind.

Creak~

The old wooden door groaned, its sound harsh in the stillness of the night.

In a dim alley, Gais peeked out from behind the door, looking around in the faint moonlight.

After making sure no one else was coming, he carefully closed the hidden back door.

The room looked like a Small Chapel. Neat rows of seats stood before the platform, filled with commoners.

Most wore old coats, stiff from washing, with frayed cuffs.

They huddled together, whispering, their voices full of anticipation.

"Little George, what are you doing here too?"

"Uh, it can't hurt to find out more. You can't report me to the Church."

"The Church of Divine Grace? Hmph, they don't have time to bother with poor people like us."

Gais's footsteps interrupted their murmurs.

Under the people's reverent gazes, he strode calmly through them, speaking as he went.

"Brothers and sisters of the Hidden Cult, just look at the state of the world.

The factory owners' machines trample our hard work, and the nobles' steam carriages roll over the roads we've paved.

When have the Eyes of the Lord ever looked upon us? When has the Lord's God Blood ever baptized us?"

But we believe the Lord has not abandoned us completely.

His spirit has always wandered through this world, ever ready to show us mercy."

As he spoke, Gais slowly walked onto the platform.

"Brothers and sisters, the Lord's spirit has descended upon the Hidden Cult, and upon each of you!

This miraculous sight is the Lord's revelation to us!"

He placed his hand on the black cloth beside him.

A covered object, as tall as he was, stood motionless in the center.

The crowd's eyes followed his words as Gais nodded to his assistant.

Click.

The dim gas lamps went out completely.

Gais yanked away the black cloth, revealing a large glass tank.

A huge, graceful Jellyfish appeared before them.

Countless slender tentacles hung like strands of silver, or tassels sewn onto a young woman's skirt.

Its entire body was transparent, and its head glowed a ghostly blue in the dim chapel, making it seem both eerie and sacred.

The moment they saw the giant Jellyfish, the people below the platform excitedly closed their eyes, clasped their hands tightly together, and began to chant in unison.

"Lord, You are the many and the one, the spirit of all and the all of spirit."

"All spirits and all natures, all natures and all spirits. You are the Lord of All Spirits, the source of all natures, the origin of spirit, the resting place of souls."

"May our souls follow the Lord's spirit through this polluted age, and find a pure resting place."

Little George followed along with the rhythm around him, reciting the words clumsily. He was the only newcomer at today's gathering.

Gais watched the praying crowd with satisfaction. He pursed his lips, signaling his assistant to bring the collection box to the front.

Ivan the Jellyfish in the tank watched the scene with satisfaction too.

Hmm, just a few more rounds of prayers, and I'll have enough Spirituality to escape this lousy tank.

That's right, this Jellyfish really was sentient, but he wasn't the spirit of any Lord.

He was the soul of Ivan, a transmigrator.

He'd already been in despair when he transmigrated into a Jellyfish.

To make matters worse, when he opened his eyes, he found himself caught in a fishing net.

The coarse hemp rope had cut one wound after another into his body. An ordinary Jellyfish would have been on its last legs.

But Ivan didn't know what species he'd transmigrated into. Not only could he glow on his own,

he was also huge, extremely resilient, and even possessed a remarkable regenerative ability.

No matter how badly he was injured, he could heal himself by splitting into a juvenile form and then reassembling himself.

It was a little like giving birth to a whole new version of himself...

It sounded kind of creepy, but it worked.

He could use this method to reset all his injuries.

Even his lifespan.

This miraculous ability had let him cling to life through the rocking of the fishing boat for who knew how long.

He'd shrunk smaller and smaller, until the con man Gais bought him.

Gais used him as some kind of revelation of the Lord's Spirituality, to deceive inlanders who'd never seen a glowing Jellyfish.

Ivan had already given up hope for his life.

But he never expected that the devout prayers of the people below would make him feel strange things drifting toward him through the air.

By absorbing what the prayers produced, Ivan discovered he could control the brightness of his glow.

He could even control his regenerative ability better.

He no longer had to wait for it to trigger automatically after he was injured.

Now, he could keep another version of himself ready inside his body at all times.

Like a cicada shedding its shell, he could cast off this outer layer whenever he wanted, leaving an empty Jellyfish husk behind to confuse his enemies.

If he were in the ocean, Ivan couldn't imagine anyone withstanding that combination of tricks.

Unfortunately, he was in human society, in an era of steam and booming factories.

Inside a glass tank.

At that moment, Ivan worked hard to absorb the energy gathered by the prayers.

His spirit was gradually growing fuller, and his confidence in escaping the tank grew stronger.

Gais was still on the platform, speaking passionately and whipping the crowd into a fervor.

"Brothers and sisters of the Hidden Cult, the Lord's spirit has descended upon each of us through this holy relic.

Your desires will be conveyed through the Lord's spirit. The Lord will grant all your wishes!"

He pointed at Ivan in the tank.

"But the spirit's presence must be sustained by its vessel, the holy relic. The Spirituality it consumes each day must also be replenished with Holy Water."

"Without your help, the Lord's spirit can't remain with the Hidden Cult."

The people's eyes below the platform burned with fervor, as if they'd found the only thing their lives could depend on.

They dropped the coins clutched in their hands into the collection box, where they clinked sharply.

Even Little George, who'd only come to have a look, offered the only Copper Penny he'd earned that day, muttering under his breath:

"Lord, if Your spirit can hear my prayer, let me find a Silver Shilling on the street! No, a Gold Pound!"

If your Lord can really grant people's wishes, the first thing he should do is get himself out of this tank.

Ivan watched silently from the tank. He knew all this money would end up in Gais's pocket.

As for Holy Water, Gais couldn't even be bothered to change Ivan's seawater. He just added a little salt to fresh water and passed it off as the real thing.

Ivan was nothing more than a glowing prop in this scam.

The atmosphere in the room grew more and more feverish as the people prayed to the Jellyfish with even greater devotion.

Their prayers mingled with the clatter of coins, forming a strange, oppressive melody.

Seeing that he'd achieved his goal, Gais didn't want to waste any more time.

He cleared his throat and covered the tank with the black cloth again.

"Everyone of the Hidden Cult, I'm sure each of you has already received the Lord's blessing.

But the Lord's spirit has expended too much today. His revelation must reach more brothers and sisters."

Tsk, this guy's going to run as soon as he's made enough money.

Ivan flashed unhappily, but no one could see beneath the black cloth.

Every time his Spirituality was being nourished so comfortably, Gais interrupted him.

He silently calculated how long it would take at the current rate of absorbed faith energy.

At most, three more days, and he would break through the hazy barrier inside his body.

Ivan felt a little excited, imagining all kinds of miraculous abilities.

He wondered what these prayers would grant him once he had gathered enough energy.

But one thing was certain: no matter what happened, his situation then would be much better than it was now.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

A sudden knock came from the front door behind the assistant.

Through the door, a muffled voice with a hint of authority called out.

"Open the door!"