Black Lake Eleven

"Rembrandt was an exceptional alchemist who traveled and studied abroad for many years, mastering knowledge and power that transcended the mundane... Through the 'Path of the Flaming Sword,' he embarked on the so-called 'Furnace Star Coin' pathway, becoming a Rank 4 'Whisperer'."

"Judging by the contents of his diary, he perhaps possessed a mysterious power capable of hypnotizing others."

"Later, Rembrandt returned to his hometown to live in seclusion, only to inadvertently discover that the dormant volcano he resided upon was a place where a terrifying evil god had once lingered, leaving behind some form of horrific, mysterious power at the bottom of the lake."

"He could have escaped in time, but his thirst for knowledge led him to dive into the depths of the lake to investigate... He never returned, meeting his end at the bottom of the lake, and his death directly or indirectly caused the anomaly in the lake water."

"This anomaly imbued the lake water with a potent hallucinogenic effect, akin to 'hypnosis.' The 'Expeditionary Exploration Team' camped there—soldiers and prisoners alike—all suffered hallucinations after drinking the water, and their bodies underwent mutations based on their deepest, most obsessive desires."

"Lieutenant Colonel 'Dolomite' became a deformed mammoth because of his obsession with the creature, and those soldiers who craved the power of ancient beasts through human experimentation also grew fangs and sharp claws."

"As for the prisoners, their most intense desire was to escape the prisoner-of-war camp... Fearing bullets, they longed to be impervious to them; wanting to flee, they grew fleshy wings and extra limbs."

"Rembrandt's obsession was immortality, a delusion of concocting a non-existent 'Elixir of Immortality'... At the same time, he held deep affection for his hometown and wanted to benefit the locals."

"Thus, after his death, the locals who inadvertently drank the lake water remained unaffected, while outsiders saw the formula for the 'Elixir of Immortality' he had craved most. Even though it was a false delusion, they pursued it madly, performing living sacrifices in an attempt to brew it... This became the 'Lake God Cult'."

Gilan's thoughts raced, and he quickly sorted through most of the clues, connecting them into a largely complete picture.

At the same time, he learned a hidden piece of information from the flashback in his "Apocalyptic Dream": the water of Black Lake was not entirely detrimental... In fact, drinking it could permanently provide a minor boost to Gnosis.

Although Gilan did not have a deep understanding of "Gnosis," his intuition told him that this improvement was not a bad thing... provided one could ignore the "Miasma" filth hidden in the lake water and that mysterious hallucinogenic power.

Anyway, it's just a movie. Before I leave, I'll drink a few mouthfuls and see... Hmm, I could also use this information as a valuable piece of intelligence to sell to the Record Society as a favor.

Gilan thought to himself.

He left the wooden cabin and subsequently made a trip to the ruins of the burned-down prisoner-of-war camp.

Unfortunately, everything there had long since turned to charcoal, and he could not find anything of value... It was fortunate, however, that the Prisoner Monsters instinctively stayed away from that area, so Gilan did not encounter any combat.

He left with some disappointment and returned the way he came.

When he arrived back at the Black Lake Inn, it was past noon, around one o'clock in the afternoon.

To Gilan's surprise, Mr. Stork and the others were all injured, gathered in Mr. Oystercatcher's room with worried expressions.

Seeing Gilan return, a glimmer of hope appeared on their faces.

"Mr. Snowy Owl, you've finally returned," Mr. Stork said in a deep voice. "Did you find anything new at the library?"

He had multiple wounds on his body, crudely bandaged with gauze to stop the bleeding.

"I don't know why, but the cultists hiding in the town have gone mad, chasing us relentlessly. Fortunately, we managed to carve a bloody path out in the end."

As Mr. Stork spoke, he shook his head with a sigh.

"At the same time, through in-depth investigation, we confirmed our previous speculation: the local Public Security Bureau and the Tourism Bureau are indeed members of the 'Lake God Cult.' Furthermore, businesses run by outsiders, such as the television station and the beverage factory, are also inextricably linked to them."

"Mr. Snowy Owl, you aren't hurt, are you?"

Miss Sparrow, seeing Gilan covered in blood, asked with concern.

"It's all the blood of the cultists," Gilan shook his head.

He pondered for a moment and shared some of the intelligence he had gathered:

"There were 'Lake God Cult' eyes at the library, but I took care of them. Fortunately, I found the town's historical annals and discovered some secrets. The reason Black Lake became what it is today is because of an alchemist named Rembrandt..."

A moment later.

The members of the Record Society looked at Gilan in astonishment.

"You mean the anomaly of Black Lake is related to the death of that alchemist?!"

Gilan nodded silently.

Mr. Stork took a deep breath and retrieved a long, narrow package from the table behind him. He unwrapped the tattered cloth covering it, revealing an old saber with a hemispherical guard, and said thoughtfully:

"This is an artifact we snatched from the Tourism Bureau. The 'Lake God Cult' seems to value it highly... I suspect this Commander's Saber is also related to the 'Expeditionary Exploration Team' you mentioned."

"Let me see." Gilan took the saber and examined it carefully.

Soon, he discovered the blurred inscription "Dolomite" at the base of the blade.

Gilan's eyes narrowed.

This is that lieutenant colonel's sidearm. No wonder the 'Lake God Cult' isn't attacked by those Prisoner Monsters—as long as one holds this Commander's Saber, the monsters instinctively feel fear and dare not approach!

He weighed his words in his mind and then spoke:

"If I'm not mistaken, this saber should have the effect of repelling demons. We can use it to pass through the forest and safely reach Black Lake... Additionally, I suspect that the water of Black Lake can enhance Gnosis. Since the 'Elixir of Immortality' is a fake, the lake water might be the greatest harvest of our viewing this time!"

"Huh?!" Mr. Stork and the others were shocked.

"Mr. Snowy Owl, did you find this information at the library as well?"

Miss Sparrow appeared very surprised, her face filled with admiration.

"No wonder you risked going to the library to look for clues. It seems you had already guessed there was important intelligence there... We owe you a lot; otherwise, we wouldn't know how many times we'd have to watch this film before discovering these key pieces of information."

"Enhancing Gnosis... this is simply incredible!"

Mr. Stork's mouth hung slightly agape as he exclaimed in surprise.

"To my knowledge, one's level of Gnosis is innate and cannot be improved by external means, but if this is truly the case, it would be nothing short of a blessing!"

"Because Gnosis determines a person's perception and understanding of the mystical, it is a major component of what constitutes 'talent.' That is what an alchemist I once knew told me... If our Gnosis could be elevated, it would bring unimaginable benefits for our future!"

He took a deep breath, leaned on his Steel-core Cane to stand up, and tipped his hat in a nod toward Gilan.

"Thank you very much for this intelligence, Mr. Snowy Owl... Inviting you to join the Record Society was an exceptionally wise choice."