Nighttime, at the White Wax Town Church.
With the permission granted by Ed, Duolin easily entered this restricted area, which was nominally only open to players.
He sneaked into the church through the back door and watched from behind the icon as a group of Soul Returner were beaten up by archer priests and dual-wielding priests. In the end, he remembered his mission and resisted the urge to intervene.
At his feet, the Boston Ivy rustled together, forming a green and mixed arrow that pointed to a wall. As Duolin approached, the stone wall slowly opened, revealing a narrow staircase behind it.
Unbeknownst to the players, Duolin quietly entered the second floor and brazenly walked into the final boss room of the Dungeon.
"Ignorant ones, welcome to my holy land..."
Suspended in mid-air, Yiden suddenly opened his eyes, his throat muscles instinctively uttering his first line, only to discover that the person who had arrived was not one of those indestructible Soul Returner, but rather someone he knew.
It's you!
This was the first time the two had met since Duolin had personally returned to the church to put Yiden's mind at ease about two weeks ago.
However, the two were getting along very well when they last met. One was a bishop who was willing to delegate authority, and the other was a loyal deputy. Only half a month has passed, and their statuses have become worlds apart.
"You've come to see me, is there something you need?"
Yiden manipulated the vines behind him and slowly descended. Although he was not tall, his aura as Dungeon boss still made Duolin unable to completely underestimate him, even though Ed had said that he posed no threat to him.
The old man tapped his cane on the ground and began pacing around Duolin:
"Let me guess, it must be that experiment that stole the newborn Tree God that sent you here. So what for? Hmm, is there something you have to ask me to know..."
"Smack!"
The wooden cane struck the ground heavily, and a knowing smile appeared on Yiden's aged face:
"Could it be that he doesn't know how to cover this up?"
Sure enough, the old man was just as cunning as the Son of God had said. Luckily, the Son of God had already taught me how to deal with him...
Duolin's expression turned slightly cold, but he avoided the main point and said:
"Don't be presumptuous, Yiden! Whoever he was in the past, he is now the chosen Son of God of the Tree God, and the Tree Worship Church will surely be revived in his hands!"
"Oh, let's say that's how it is. So it seems I guessed right why you came here?"
A triumphant smile spread across Yiden's face.
"Even a Son of God cannot read memories, so what do you intend to offer in exchange for the cipher in my mind? If I say I want freedom, will he give it to me?"
Duolin shook his head, then asked:
" Yiden, His Highness the Son of God has asked me to ask you a question."
What is it?
He asked, "If you were a drowning person who was beyond saving, would you choose to give up struggling, or try to pull as many people as possible into the water?"
Yiden's confident smile suddenly froze on his face.
He and Duolin locked eyes, trying to see in each other's eyes the Son of God who seemed to have everything under control.
Yiden's intuition was correct; Ed, who was sharing the same view with Duolin, was also resting his chin on his hand, waiting for old Eden's answer.
After a few seconds or minutes of silence, the elderly man, well past seventy, suddenly burst into laughter.
He laughed so hysterically that he coughed incessantly while laughing, tears streaming down his face, and even the wound on his neck from the last battle reopened.
" Duolin, I take back my offensive words. That experimental subject truly deserves the title of ' Son of God,' and even if he doesn't, he has the potential to become a member of the College of Cardinals in the future."
So what's your answer?
Duolin stared expressionlessly at the elderly man, whose face was flushed with emotion, while Yiden opened his cloudy old eyes as wide as possible and spoke earnestly, word by word:
"If our great Son of God can guarantee that all the ' Stained Ones ' will meet the same fate as me, then..."
He laughed again:
"I am happy to serve you."
Ed, inside the castle, watched the live feed of the images being transmitted back to him, and a slight smile unconsciously crept onto his lips.
Although the original owner's memories were shattered into pieces, he had roughly figured out Yiden's personality based on the fragmented parts and his understanding over the past month.
How could such a short-tempered, obsequious, and arrogant old man, who hasn't had a chance for promotion in decades, not have a twisted mind?
He is already beyond redemption, trapped in the cycle of hell, so how could he be willing to let the other Stained Ones of the Tree Worship Church in the province and even the entire cult go unpunished?
Seeing that Yiden was already enthusiastically explaining the ciphertext grammar to Duolin, Ed asked Little Green to take notes, and then switched his focus to observe the progress of other projects.
Half an hour later, at the White Wax Town Church.
"That's it? It's that simple?"
As the environment grew increasingly noisy, Duolin stared at the old man in front of him with surprise and doubt, wondering if there was something the man was hiding from him.
"You think this cipher is simple, but if I don't teach you, can you decipher it on your own?"
"I..."
Looking at Duolin's naive and inexperienced appearance, Yiden sighed and said:
"The cipher writing of the Stained Ones is actually based on these three techniques: cyclical movement, letter substitution, and flipping at specific positions."
"Of course, besides that, you also need to pay attention to some more important things. For example, when writing ciphers, it's best to use the sap of Boston Ivy. The wording should refer to the style of my previous documents to avoid any loopholes. Also, you should draw a circle in the lower left corner of the cipher paper. This is the code between me and the Archbishop."
Watching Yiden spill out the secrets of the Stained Ones like beans from a bamboo tube, Duolin frowned and asked:
"Why are you... being so cooperative?"
"Snort."
Yiden said irritably:
"Of course it's for freedom. What good would it do me to deceive the Son of God?"
"You know that's impossible."
Duolin's face hardened, and he went on high alert.
Seeing that he had ultimately failed to gain any preferential treatment by using the secret, Yiden could only say helplessly:
"Alas, since my fate is already sealed, I hope that those Stained Ones, whether they be archbishops or those College of Cardinals, will come to join me soon."
"If that day ever comes, please remember to let me know, since we know each other, so I can be happy too."
"As for now, get lost, you good-for-nothing young man. I'm going to face those Soul Returner."
Duolin entered the hidden door of the BOSS room, and a commotion quickly erupted in the space behind him.
Amidst the chaotic footsteps, a majestic voice echoed from the sky:
"Ignorant fools, welcome to my sanctuary!"