Crimson Nun

Not many people were trading keys to special rooms. After all, everyone knew special rooms held good things.

But with such a huge population, Lin Ye still managed to trade some basic supplies for five keys.

After all, not everyone had the courage to face a tier-one creature. Rather than leave a key gathering dust, they were better off trading it for urgently needed supplies.

Zhang Liang: Lin, are you there?

Lin Ye: Yes. What's up?

Zhang Liang: Do you have any spare Psionic Energy items?

Lin Ye: I do, but I wouldn't exactly call them spare.

Zhang Liang: I'll trade special keys for them.

Lin Ye: I've already got five. Any more than that, and I won't be able to use them anytime soon.

Zhang Liang: Is there anything you need?

Lin Ye: Do you have any rune cards?

Zhang Liang: Uh, we originally had two, but there's only one left now.

Lin Ye: ?

Zhang Liang: A member with a mental power talent tried using one. His name went black afterward...

Lin Ye: You can die even inside the shelter? Isn't it absolutely safe?

Zhang Liang: Our analysis is that he might not be dead, but the system judged him incapable of continuing to survive, so his name went black. Rune cards are used on yourself, after all. They count as changes to your own body, which might fall outside the shelter's protection.

Lin Ye: What's the remaining one?

Zhang Liang: Basic rune-speed.

Lin Ye: I'll trade you a psionic pistol and a Psychic Ring for it. The pistol still has eight rounds.

Zhang Liang: Deal.

The two quickly completed the trade, and both were very satisfied with it.

To Lin Ye, the psionic pistol was garbage. The Psychic Ring was somewhat useful, but it only made the difference between thirty and forty minutes per cycle, and he could shorten that time once he became more proficient at cycling.

To the Mutual Aid Association, the Psychic Ring was practically a divine artifact. After all, they had no evolution path, so channeling Psionic Energy was nowhere near as easy for them as it was for Lin Ye. Besides, they did not dare use rune cards at all right now. None of them wanted to die inside their shelter.

[Basic rune-speed]

[A card that allows you to learn the basic speed rune]

[Note: those with insufficient mental power should use with caution]

Lin Ye put away the card. He did not dare casually use such a dangerous card either, and he had yet to finish assimilating the Protection Rune. With Cutting, Splicing, and Collapse on top of that, he would have no use for this card for a while.

After briefly processing the remaining fresh food and pouring some hot water over the Abyssal Egg and the Xenomorph Egg, Lin Ye lay down on the bed holding the duck. He closed his eyes and continued assimilating the Protection Rune until he fell completely asleep.

[Please draw today's card]

"My turn! I draw!"

This time, the card depicted a girl in a nun's habit. Before Lin Ye could react, the card dissipated, and a silver-haired girl wearing a blood-red nun's habit appeared in the center of the shelter.

"Uh... hello?"

Lin Ye was a little nervous. This was the first time a young woman had entered his room.

The girl's body was covered by a plain, heavy, blood-red nun's habit. She wore a solid red nun's veil on her head, and a strip of red cloth covered her eyes. Twisted, chaotic symbols covered her habit.

These symbols resembled runes, but Lin Ye could not understand them.

Dressed in that strange habit, the girl gave off a mixture of holiness and eeriness. Even so, this was the first time Lin Ye understood what so-called holiness felt like.

The girl sat back on her heels in the center of the shelter without saying a word.

When the girl did not answer, Lin Ye did not approach her.

It was not because he feared any effects, but because this was the most basic respect owed to a lady.

Using the ingredients he had set aside, Lin Ye made two portions of breakfast and placed one in front of the nun. If she did not eat it, he could have it for dinner.

After finishing breakfast, Lin Ye lay down on the bed and began his daily simulation.

[Due to the Crimson Nun's influence, a religious anomalous event has been selected as this simulation's mission]

[Simulated D-class personnel: Isaac]

[Remaining simulations: 10]

Rumble, rumble, rumble...

Lin Ye opened his eyes to the familiar sound of a moving vehicle. An elderly man with graying hair sat opposite him, naturally wearing an orange uniform as well.

Isaac was also an elderly man, his body as frail as that of a bedridden patient. It took Lin Ye a while to gradually adjust to this fragile body.

For the first time in his life, he was this weak.

What the hell did this old geezer do to end up as D-class personnel?

A religious anomalous event... fine. At least I'm not going in completely blind.

"What's wrong, Isaac? Is your head hurting again?"

The fellow prisoner opposite him suddenly spoke. Clearly, he knew Isaac.

"It never stopped."

Lin Ye answered calmly.

"...You know where they're taking us?"

Gregory looked at Lin Ye in surprise and asked.

"Where else could it be? Come to think of it, I haven't prayed in a long time."

Lin Ye remained calm. He had been good at acting since he was very young.

"Why? Do you no longer believe in God?"

Gregory stared into Lin Ye's eyes, trying to see through him.

"No. My faith has never been stronger."

Lin Ye gave a gentle smile and met Gregory's gaze.

Gregory, however, averted his eyes awkwardly and looked out the window.

The guard who had been listening to their conversation curled his lip, silently cursing the damned religious charlatans.

Five minutes later, the prison van stopped outside a small white church. The stained-glass window near the top of the church was particularly eye-catching.

"Get inside. It's your turn to be sacrifices this time. Remember to confess to your Lord afterward."

This team's captain clearly disliked them. He herded them into the church without even having them put on helmets.

Lin Ye did not resist and walked into the church obediently. Of course, given his physical condition, he could not have resisted anyway.

The church's interior was very ordinary, with only a few rows of pews and a pulpit. There was nothing special about it.

Lin Ye stood in the center of the church and did not notice anything unusual.

But Gregory, who had entered with him, was clearly different. He seemed to be affected by some unknown factors and walked up to the pulpit step by step.

Lin Ye obligingly sat down in a pew, ready to listen to his fellow prisoner's sermon.

But as soon as Gregory reached the pulpit, he began tearing at his cheeks like a madman. At the same time, his body began to twist and deform. By the time he had completely torn off his face, his entire body had compressed into a cube with sides roughly thirty centimeters long. The torn-off skin landed right on top of the cube.

"A fine performance, wasn't it?"

At some point, the church's pews had filled with humanoid creatures in all manner of clothing.

The one speaking to Lin Ye was a gentleman in a gray suit whose face he could not make out. It was sitting beside him.

"Mediocre. Just a fool who mistook desire for faith. He couldn't even face himself. Even turned into a box, there was nothing surprising inside."

Lin Ye spoke offhandedly.