absurd deduction game.

Evan, watching from the corner, observed the subtle changes in the prayer hall.

He was indifferent to the difficulties faced by the false archbishop, and the safety of the secret cult members was not a concern for him.

His only concern was to ensure that the final ceremony at six o'clock in the evening could proceed smoothly, so that the Kingdom of God could descend upon the earth.

Since the operation had clearly gone wrong, he felt it necessary to contact Fernail to inquire about the situation; sitting here waiting idly was not a solution.

Evan rose from the prayer bench, straightened his perfectly wrinkle-free clothes, and then walked over to a nearby nun who was quietly comforting a nervous old woman.

"Excuse me." His voice was soft, and his tone was gentle and polite.

The nun looked up, recognized the young painter from the corner, and gave a professional, gentle smile: "Please speak, sir."

"Excuse me, which direction is the restroom in?" Evan asked.

The nun, unsuspecting, pointed to a small door at the back of the hall: "Go out from there, and walk to the end of the corridor on the right. If you are not familiar with the way, I can ask a priest to show you the way."

Evan nodded, seemingly accepting the suggestion, but then casually asked, "We can move around freely within the church now, right? I'm a little uncomfortable in crowded places, so I'd like to walk around the church a bit later to get some fresh air."

The nun's smile remained unchanged, but her eyes held a hint of caution: "Of course, sir. If you feel better from the weariness of the purification ceremony, you are welcome to move around freely in the areas that are normally open to the faithful. However, there are some areas of the church that are not open to non-clergy members, so please understand."

She paused, her gaze lingering on Evan's face for a moment longer, her tone still gentle: "Excuse my bluntness, but you look somewhat unfamiliar. You're probably not a follower of our Harvest Mother Goddess, are you? I have some recollection of most of the believers who come to worship every week."

Evan readily admitted, then casually made up a story: "Yes, I believe in the mechanical father god. If the whole town were gathered here today, I wouldn't be here."

“I see.” The nun nodded, making no comment on the differences in faith, but her caution did not diminish. “Since you are not familiar with the Harvest Church, in order to avoid accidentally entering forbidden areas and for your convenience, it would be better to have a priest lead you to the restroom.”

Evan sensed the wariness in the nun's words.

In the current tense situation, non-believers are naturally more likely to be suspected, especially esoteric practitioners—ordinary esoteric practitioners usually try their best to avoid entering the core area of ​​the Orthodox Church, as it is a torment and risk to their corrupted souls.

But today is a special day. All the lurking cultists received special potions distributed by High Priest Furnel in advance, which can temporarily block the perception of the power of the true gods. He also took one.

He gave a cooperative smile: "Of course, I understand. I will follow the priest and will not cause any trouble for you."

A young priest who happened to have overheard the conversation was about to offer to lead the way when a figure walked over from the side.

“I’ll take this gentleman there!” The speaker was a young man who looked very young, probably not even twenty years old. He had a youthful face and was wearing an investigator’s overcoat. It was Cang Nong.

Clearly, his ranking held firm yesterday, barely avoiding elimination.

He nodded to Evan and the priest, his tone casual, "I was just about to go to the restroom too."

Evan glanced at Cang Nong, not recognizing him, and didn't care.

It didn't matter who led the way; his goal was simply to temporarily escape the center of the hall's attention. He nodded slightly to Cang Nong: "Then I'll trouble you."

Cang Nong was indeed quite familiar with the church's structure, leading Evan through a side door into a relatively quiet corridor.

He walked at a leisurely pace, without much conversation, only occasionally reminding people to turn. Evan followed behind him, his gaze calmly sweeping over the religious murals and candlesticks on the walls on both sides, while he was calculating the next steps in his mind.

Soon, we arrived at the restroom.

Cang Nong stopped at the door, gesturing for Ai Wen to go in, while he leaned against the wall outside the door, looking like he was waiting.

"I'll be out soon," Evan said, pushing the door open and entering.

The bathroom was empty, filled with a faint scent of cleaning agents and incense.

Evan closed the door behind him, but instead of immediately heading to the sink, he stood there and listened intently for a few seconds.

There was no unusual movement outside the door, and the very young investigator seemed inexperienced and unaware of the need to be vigilant.

Ha, just a piece of trash.

Evan sneered inwardly, walked to the innermost cubicle, closed the door, and locked it.

Only then did he relax a little.

Without hesitation, he raised his right hand, his gaze falling on a ring with a dark red gemstone set on his middle finger.

Inside the gem, it seemed as if a nebula was slowly rotating. He whispered a short, ancient, difficult, and blasphemous prayer, his voice so low that only he could hear it.

As the last syllable faded, the ruby ​​ring suddenly emitted a dim, eerie light.

Immediately afterwards, the air in front of him began to distort and ripple silently, like the surface of calm water where a pebble has been thrown.

A phantom portal, barely wide enough for one person to pass through, with blurred edges shimmering with dark red and deep purple halos, silently unfolded before him.

The scene inside the door was indistinct, but a corner of his studio could be vaguely seen.

This is one of the reasons why he is a chosen one of the ancient gods—a divine gift containing spatial power. Although it is only a temporary short-distance teleportation and consumes a lot of energy, it is enough to get rid of most surveillance and restrictions at critical moments.

Without delay, Evan stepped into the portal.

The feeling of distortion enveloped my entire body for a moment, then quickly faded away.

He found himself standing in his familiar studio, the air filled with the scent of his favorite turpentine and paint, the sunlight streaming through the window a stark contrast to the oppressive atmosphere inside the church.

He breathed a sigh of relief and walked to the workbench against the wall, preparing to take out the specific pigments, spices, and symbols needed to set up the liaison ceremony from the drawer.

He must first contact Fernell to confirm the situation. If everything is normal, he can go back through the unclosed portal, making an excuse that he has an upset stomach, which is why it took him so long.

If something is confirmed to be amiss, he can simply abandon his identity as a painter, since that social identity will be useless after three hours anyway.

But, just as his fingers touched the drawer pull ring—

Behind me, I heard extremely faint yet crystal clear footsteps.

anyone? !
Evan's body stiffened abruptly, and his heart skipped a beat. At this hour, besides the townspeople and clergy who were forcibly gathered at the church, who else would be absent from the church?

He suddenly turned his head and looked at the half-closed door of the studio.

An unexpected figure was standing quietly at the intersection of light and shadow in the corridor outside the door.

The man was dressed in a well-tailored dark suit, with an upright posture, beautiful features, and a gentle charm unique to Eastern men. However, his eyes, which were looking at him, were deep and calm, revealing no emotion.

He even held a cup of slightly steaming, tempting-looking sweet fruit tea in his hand, his posture as relaxed as if he were simply taking a stroll in his own garden.

Is it...is it called a courtesan?

The investigator who was killed by the Corpse Heart in full view of everyone.

The performer seemed oblivious to Evan's momentary shock and wariness. He lowered his head slightly, took a sip of tea from his cup, and then frowned slightly, muttering to himself, "Too sweet. It's bad for the throat. The brewing and tea-making techniques of the Harvest Mother Goddess's followers really need to be improved."

Then, he raised his head, his gaze returning to Evan, and slightly raised the glass in his hand, making a casual gesture of clinking glasses in the air, a smile that was hard to decipher appearing on his face.

Good afternoon, Mr. Evan.

Evan's pupils contracted slightly, and his initial shock was quickly suppressed. He did not panic, nor did he immediately adopt a defensive or offensive stance. He simply straightened up slowly, turned around, and faced the performer at the door.

The vigilance remains, but not the same tension one would feel when facing a mortal enemy.

"...You're not dead?"

He remembered clearly that the idea of ​​showing Yu Xing the painting as a way to coerce Yu Xing into joining the esoteric sect was secretly handed to him by this seemingly gentle investigator.

He then realized that this person was by no means an investigator who upheld justice; there was a possibility of cooperation between them, or at least not an inevitable antagonistic relationship.

His expression pleased the actor, who smiled and slowly said, "You ran away from the church to contact the high priest of the esoteric sect and inquire about the situation, right?"

Evan's expression darkened further: "You knew everything. You made arrangements with those investigators who went to the church classroom?"

The actor held his teacup and took another small sip, seemingly oblivious to the questioning tone in Evan's voice. He spoke calmly, as if discussing the weather: "No, I have no connection with them; I just have more sources of information."

He paused, looking calmly at Evan: "And I do know quite a lot, such as the complete plan of the cult, the authenticity of the archbishop, the true identity of the high priest... and even the exact location of the final ceremony."

Evan raised an eyebrow, his face showing obvious disbelief.

The performer seemed unconcerned by his attitude, smiling slightly as she stated in a straightforward tone: "For High Priestess Fennell, the safest and most easily controlled place is naturally her own manor. It's large enough, and she's completely familiar with the terrain, allowing her to set up countless traps and defenses in advance."

“Even if the church and investigators discover something amiss and try to stop it after the ceremony begins, as the owner of the manor, she will have an absolute geographical advantage. She has no reason not to choose that location for the ceremony.”

The mockery on Evan's face faded somewhat, and his eyes became focused.

The musician continued, "Before this, you and Fennell were the only two people who knew the exact location. But you were very cautious, even deceiving Yu Xing into believing that this was important information known only to the High Priest. Such caution is rare among fanatics, isn't it?"

Evan chuckled, sensing that the words weren't entirely a compliment.

"It sounds like you want to play the role of an all-knowing sage? So, what brings you here now?"

The performer finished the remaining sweet fruit tea in his cup, casually placed the empty cup on the windowsill beside him, patted non-existent dust off his hands, looked up at Evan, his smile still gentle, but seemingly carrying a different meaning.

“Just like last time,” the actor said, “a reminder, a suggestion.”

Evan paused for two seconds: "I'd like to hear more."

The performer said, “Although your choice and arrangement of the ceremony location seem meticulous, it has already been found. Moreover, someone has done a little ‘sabotage’ there.”

Evan's expression instantly turned serious.

He scrutinized the actor again, sensing the darkness in his soul.

Without needing to ask further, Evan was almost certain that even if the person in front of him wasn't a fellow believer in the esoteric religion, he was definitely on the opposite side of the human order.

His reminders are likely motivated by a desire to secure a favorable position or treatment for himself after the Kingdom of God descends.

"How can you prove your intelligence is true?" Evan asked in a deep voice, his fingers unconsciously stroking the ruby ​​ring.

If the core of the ritual is truly destroyed, then there will be a huge problem.

The actor seemed to have anticipated his question.

He took two steps forward and calmly described a scene to Evan:
"That's the top floor of the main building of the manor, an attic that no one pays attention to, which has been emptied and renovated."

“At the very center is a three-tiered altar constructed from obsidian and the bones of some kind of creature, covered with esoteric runes and symbols of chaos. Around the altar, ritual materials are arranged in a specific orientation and sequence.”

He spoke slowly, but every detail was crystal clear: "In the southeast corner, there was a pile of human limbs that had been preserved but still smelled foul, mainly arms and legs. In the southwest corner, there were seven transparent glass jars containing seven human hearts of different ages and genders. In the northwest corner, there was the carcass of a giant insect monster that had been cut open and processed. In the northeast corner, there were the food and water that humans had put in today."

The performer smiled and said, "I'm sorry, I drank one of the sweet fruit teas."

As Evan listened, the doubt on his face gradually gave way to seriousness.

The performer couldn't possibly have fabricated these details out of thin air; he really knew them, and judging from the implication, he had just been inside today! Therefore, the performer's claim that someone had entered the ceremony site became believable. Since the performer could find it, others might be able to as well.

The actor continued his description, his gaze seemingly piercing through the wall to reach the hidden attic:
"A ceremonial silver dagger lay flat in front of the altar, and at the highest point of the altar was an oil painting depicting the starry sky."

"The last one was provided by you, to anchor your Lord during the ritual, right?"

"Who was it?" Evan's voice turned cold. He no longer needed to question the authenticity of the actor's warning. His tone was filled with suppressed anger and urgency. "Besides you, who else went in? What did he destroy?"

“Oh, that’s a very cunning fellow,” the performer said slowly, with a hint of amusement in his voice. “A little paper doll, as hard to catch as a mouse, who loves to perform little magic tricks.”

"Why don't we go and see for ourselves the 'gift' left by the Paper Doll?" (End of Chapter)