In Tingen City, inside a house with a red chimney.
Ince Zangwill held 008 and kept writing new content in a notebook:
"Lanevus prepared to flee Tingen City. He bought a train ticket to Backlund."
"But due to a driver's error, two steam trains collided, and all trains were suspended. Lanevus had no choice but to change his approach..."
"Lanevus arrived at the harbor and boarded a ship."
"Coincidentally, three members of the Rose School of Thought's Indulgence Faction were aboard. One of them, bloodthirsty and unable to control his desires, began a massacre. This plunged the harbor into chaos. Official Beyonders arrived, the harbor was sealed off, and Lanevus's escape plan failed once again..."
"Lanevus hired a carriage to the outskirts. He prepared to leave Tingen City for Lamud Town."
"On the way, Lanevus was attacked by an evil spirit. Already injured, Lanevus was no match for it. Just as he was about to be killed, Madam D, one of the Aurora Order's Oracles, happened to pass by."
"Because Lanevus had previously come into contact with Sirius Arapis of the Aurora Order, he had been tainted with the True Creator's aura. Madam D noticed this anomaly and stepped in to save him."
"Just as Madam D questioned Lanevus about the matter, Lanevus used his Swindler abilities and prepared to deceive her..." This passage was crossed out.
"It was incredible! The True Creator actually sent down an oracle directly: He ordered Madam D to bring Lanevus back to Tingen City!"
"Though puzzled by the True Creator's oracle, Madam D was a faithful believer and strictly carried out the Lord's command."
"After returning to Tingen City, Madam D secretly left a mark on Lanevus and went to an Aurora Order base. She intended to learn everything about the situation in Tingen City there, so she could speculate about the deeper intention hidden behind the True Creator's oracle..."
"And the street Lanevus was on happened to be where the inn housing Amon's avatar was located. In the end, his escape failed."
"Lanevus fully recognized his situation and chose to cooperate with Amon's avatar. A grand deception was about to unfold in Tingen City."
"Phew!" Ince Zangwill rubbed his aching forehead, but endured the side effects of excessive Spirituality consumption and continued writing:
"Amon's avatar was very satisfied with Ince Zangwill's arrangements. He turned his attention away from Ince Zangwill and focused on the upcoming performance of deception."
"And this was also beneficial to Ince Zangwill's plan!"
On an ordinary street in Tingen City.
Half a day had passed, from morning to noon, and Lanevus had completely abandoned the idea of fleeing Tingen City, especially after meeting Madam D.
His intuition told him that if he dared do anything of the sort, something very bad would definitely happen to him.
Just then, Lanevus saw Wilt coming out of an inn.
Wilt also froze for a moment when he saw Lanevus. He hadn't expected to run into him at the door when he went out for lunch.
Could this be 008's doing?
Wilt quickly recovered from his surprise, however. Looking at the bedraggled Lanevus, he teased:
"Mr. Lanevus, why are you people still in Tingen City? Shouldn't you be trying every possible way to leave by now?"
"Or have you already tried, only for some bad things, or perhaps coincidences, to happen to you and make you face reality?"
"Bad things..." Lanevus gave a bitter smile.
"The Beyonder world feels so unfamiliar to me now."
Half a day of encounters and coincidences had filled Lanevus with boundless fear. His former pride had been shattered in those few hours.
Seeing Lanevus like this, Wilt chuckled. "So, what do you think of the cooperation I proposed earlier?"
"All right, I agree!" A sharp glint flashed in Lanevus's eyes.
"From now on, I'll follow your plan and help you carry out the script for swindling the nobles. But I want to know everything that's happened to me."
"Not help me, but help those two Saints," Wilt corrected him.
"Then let's find somewhere quiet to have a proper talk first."
"You also need to tell me everything you've experienced over the past half day, so I can better help you analyze the current situation."
Inside an office at the Lanevus Steel Company.
Lanevus told Wilt everything that had happened to him over the past half day:
"That's roughly what happened."
"Mm." Wilt nodded.
"Then what do you want to know first?"
"But let's be clear beforehand: I won't answer all your questions. I'll only answer some of them selectively, as a show of my sincerity in cooperating."
Lanevus fell silent for a while. In the end, he first asked the question that concerned him most. "I want to know about the Divine Descent Vessel."
"What exactly is this Divine Descent Vessel you mentioned?"
A smile appeared on Wilt's face, but he looked at Lanevus without answering directly.
Only when Lanevus was close to losing his patience did Wilt speak unhurriedly. "You must have some suspicions, especially after meeting Madam D of the Aurora Order."
Gulp. Lanevus swallowed.
"When did this happen?"
"I'm not a Beyonder of the Secrets Suppliant Pathway, so why did the True Creator choose me as a Divine Descent Vessel?"
"Sirius Arapis." Wilt spoke a name.
"When you came into contact with him, the True Creator turned His attention to you. From that point on, you were a candidate for the Divine Descent Vessel."
"As for why the True Creator chose a Marauder Pathway Beyonder like you as a Divine Descent Vessel, I don't know. After all, those are the thoughts of a God."
Then Wilt added inwardly, Perhaps seeing you reminded the True Creator of His son Amon, and that's why you became the unlucky one.
Lanevus frowned, less than satisfied with Wilt's answer.
But when he thought of his situation, he ultimately said nothing about it. Instead, he asked Wilt another question. "Everything that happened to me today wasn't an accident. Someone deliberately arranged it, right?"
"That's right."
"Who was it?" Lanevus pressed.
Wilt didn't answer, instead asking, "Do you really want to know?"
"I can tell you that this involves abilities at the Angel level."
"For now, you're better off not knowing. If you learn the truth, you'll never escape that person's gaze."
"I..." Lanevus opened his mouth. After a moment, he gave up on asking further.
"Phew!" Lanevus took a deep breath, then asked Wilt solemnly, "You said you had two Saints backing you, right?"
"That's right."
"Okay." Lanevus's gaze became unusually resolute.
"I can help you carry out the plan to swindle the nobles, but in return, you have to help me escape my fate as a Divine Descent Vessel and the fate of being manipulated!"