"Shaman"

East Borough, abandoned Factory.

Bart and Arthur stood with their arms crossed and heads bowed, their faces filled with piety and fervor.

All around them were people doing the same thing, dressed in tattered clothes, thin, and pale.

"... He will resolutely carry out His divine decree, and He will surely return to the earth!"

On the high platform, the Gray-Robed Mentor concluded the morning's prayers with these words, and the Believer lowered their arms and raised their heads.

At the same time, the workshop door was pushed open from the outside.

Several Believer pushed in a wooden cart commonly used by street vendors in the East Borough, and the aroma of food immediately filled the air, filling everyone's nostrils.

Arthur's throat bobbed, and he couldn't help but swallow.

He lowered his voice and whispered in Bart's ear:

"Brother, be smart later. Don't be silly like last night and wait until the very end. If there isn't enough Holy Communion, you'll go hungry all day."

"Stay close to me, okay?"

Bart nodded hesitantly and said quickly in a low voice, "Understood."

At this moment, the Gray-Robed Mentor suddenly shouted:

"All Things Are Illusory; See Through to the Truth!"

Praise be to God!

Bart, along with Arthur and many other Believer, immediately stood up, raised his arms, and shouted, "All Things Are Illusory, See Through to the Truth! Praise be to God!"

Before he finished speaking, Arthur had already subtly tugged at Bart and started moving imperceptibly toward the direction of the Holy Communion distribution, successfully getting to the front.

This morning's Holy Communion consisted of freshly baked, still soft and fragrant dark bread, along with a soup made with carrots and mushrooms.

After receiving their food, the two strode out of the workshop to find a place to eat.

As they wolfed down their food, more Believer came out and found relatively clean places nearby to squat or sit and enjoy Holy Communion.

For a moment, no one spoke.

The only sounds above the empty, abandoned factory grounds were chewing or drinking soup.

"Call..."

Bart licked the last drop of carrot and mushroom soup clean, let out a satisfied sigh, and looked on with an expression of lingering enjoyment.

"Not full?" Arthur asked from across the table.

They were the first to arrive, and thus Luck enough to occupy two stone stools, unlike the people behind them who had to squat or sit on the ground.

"... a little."

Bart said somewhat embarrassedly.

"There's nothing we can do about it," Arthur sighed. "After all, with more and more brothers and sisters, each person's importance can only decrease."

He glanced around, his voice low:

"Moreover, the variety of Holy Communion is decreasing."

"In the beginning, there were only a dozen or so people, and each meal consisted of three or four different dishes. Although it wasn't as grand as a sermon day, it wasn't much different either."

"Eat whatever you want, as much as you want. If there are any leftovers, you can share some to take home for dinner."

"Look at it now, all we have in the morning is black bread and soup."

Bart thought for a moment, then asked in a similarly soft voice:

"Brother Arthur, have we been guiding too many people?"

"If..."

Arthur's expression changed slightly, and he coughed to interrupt:

"Are you confused? How can you be unrespectful to God and deliberately refuse to guide His Believer just because you want to eat more and better food?"

"Don't say things like that again!"

"Luckily, it's just me. You'd be in trouble if someone else heard."

He muttered a few harsh words in a low voice, then sighed heavily:

"To be honest, brother... I've had those thoughts too. But think about it, at least we can fill our stomachs now."

How many people in the East Borough are still suffering from hunger, Affliction, and cold?

"They are all pitiful people like you and me. We should gladly accept them instead of hardening our hearts and deliberately rejecting them."

"Don't forget, we are pleasing God and leading more Believer to Him."

"The God... won't abandon us!"

Bart's eyes flickered, and he nodded thoughtfully:

"Okay, I'll listen to you."

Just then, someone walked towards them.

When Arthur saw that the person in charge of distributing Holy Communion was Believer had joined earlier and held a higher position than him, he quickly picked up the ceramic bowl and pretended to drink soup.

"Your Mentor wants you to come find him after you finish eating." The person said, turning to leave.

Arthur quickly called out to him:

"Uh, do you know what it is?"

The newcomer glanced at Arthur, then at Bart across from him who had a pleased expression, a flash of jealousy crossing his eyes, and reluctantly began to speak:

"It seems to be because of the baptism."

Baptism? Arthur was taken aback by this.

"I'm probably not guiding enough people yet, am I?"

"You alone aren't enough, but with him, it'll be enough."

As he spoke, the man pointed at Bart: "Your brother has attributed all the Believer he's guided these past two days to you."

Upon hearing this, Arthur abruptly turned to look at Bart.

Bart smiled honestly:

"If it weren't for Brother Arthur treating me to dinner that night and bringing me here, I probably would have starved to death in some corner by now."

"Besides, I joined later, so it doesn't matter whether I get more or less credit, but it's different for you, Brother Arthur. I also want to repay you."

Arthur paused for a few seconds, then exhaled forcefully:

"Brother, don't worry."

"I, Arthur, will remember this kindness. After I receive my God baptism, I will do everything in my power to help you so that you can have the opportunity to be baptized as soon as possible!"

After saying that, he put down the porcelain bowl and strode towards the workshop where he had just been praying.

At this moment, the Sun slowly rises on the horizon, dispelling the damp chill of the morning and refracting dappled, dreamlike light and shadow through the condensed mist.

Bart basked in the Sun quietly for a while, then got up and walked out of the abandoned Factory.

evening.

Unable to find work at the docks and starving after a day, Bart followed his body's instincts, gradually moving away from the crowds until he reached the abandoned Factory.

He saw Arthur standing outside the door, looking Red Light and waiting for him.

So, he quickly walked over:

"Brother Arthur, have you been baptized?"

Arthur laughed heartily and nodded vigorously.

He quickly glanced around, a mysterious expression on his face. "Come on, let's find a quiet place. I have something important to discuss with you."

Having said that, he gestured for Bart to come with him.

The two entered the Factory one after the other and found an abandoned workshop.

Amidst the creaking noise, Arthur closed the rusty iron gate and said impatiently, "Brother, come work with me!"

Bart looked bewildered.

"As you know, I was baptized today under the auspices of the Archbishop..." Arthur's tone grew increasingly excited, and his expression became increasingly fanatical.

"So the doctrines were all true!"

"We have been deceived and have been living in a colossal Lie!"

"Under the guidance of the Supreme Being, I have seen through the deception of the Seven Deities, and am no longer an ignorant fool. I have officially Advancement to the rank of Gray-Robed Mentor."

"Moreover, I also received God power from baptism."

He said, "I am now Shaman!"