Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 162: No discussion!

Humans are mostly herd-oriented.

As social animals, contact with those around us is inevitable. The pressure from the group and the pursuit of recognition also force people to change their own views and deliberately cater to others.

Even for those professors and scholars who are well-read and knowledgeable, it is unavoidable.

Not to mention, the carving technique and expressive imagery of the [Sheep and Deer Human Figure] are commendable.

With the fervent adoration of the aristocratic class, who symbolize power and wealth in Newme, even those who were initially indifferent to it will gradually change their minds after repeated impacts from public opinion.

As for those "smart people" who have sufficient thinking ability and firm beliefs and are not swayed by the masses, they are naturally unlikely to publicly contradict others in order to show their differences, and often just observe silently.

Xia Nan had never met Jamie's mentor and didn't know what kind of person the mentor was.

However, the statue itself did not show any obvious abnormalities, and it had been circulating in the city for a long time, with many high-level professionals having come into contact with it.

There's nothing wrong with the other party not believing that he's a "countryside" adventurer who just came to the big city from River Valley Town.

To some extent, Jeff's family's extreme reaction was abnormal.

If it weren't for the encounter at the "Fairy Wind" general store and the strange description on the attribute panel, which made Xia Nan realize that the [Sheep-Deer Statue] was indeed strange.

He might even feel that he is making a mountain out of a molehill and recklessly squandering the trust Jeff and others have in him.

The wood carving has now been returned to Jamie's mentor, and the superficial crisis has been resolved.

Next, it was the turn of the Luna Church.

The group in the lobby didn't have to wait too long.

Jeff had just arrived when a series of soft footsteps came from the inner sanctum.

Led by the nun, a middle-aged man dressed in a priest's robe came into view.

He had an ordinary appearance, with a gentle smile on his face. His features were not particularly outstanding, and one could vaguely see some wrinkles at the corners of his eyes.

He looked like any other middle-aged man you'd see on the street.

But unlike most humans in Panyun Province, this human priest had a head of exceptionally bright silver hair.

It is definitely not the kind of hair color that shows signs of aging and naturally appears with age, nor is it an ugly color that clashes with one's own image after being dyed with special pigments in a hair salon.

Instead, it is a more natural color that reflects the moonlight and invisibly fits the identity of the priestess Serene, the "moon goddess".

The pure white robe was trimmed with silver, and its texture was delicate and soft, clearly indicating that it was very expensive. However, perhaps due to the late hour and haste, there were no other obvious decorations on the body.

Only a necklace with a holy symbol hanging around her neck:

Those were the eyes of a human woman, surrounded by seven silver stars in the darkness.

The necklace swayed slightly with the body's movement, and in the night, it met the holy emblem, giving one the illusion of being watched.

Xia Nan looked away, not daring to look again.

"Lord Isidore, these are the gentlemen."

The nun stopped and introduced him to the priest named "Isidore".

"I know what happened." Having already learned about the situation from the nun, the silver-haired priest smiled gently, showing no displeasure at being disturbed in the middle of the night.

"Please rest assured, under the moonlight, the goddess's holy radiance shines upon Neum."

"It'll be nothing."

His words were slow and firm, which, combined with his identity as a pastor and his attire, as well as the magnificent church they were in, made his speech more deliberate and firm.

It makes people unconsciously believe it.

It was clear that as soon as the words were spoken, the last trace of anxiety among Jeff and the others dissipated.

Gods, and their agents in the mortal world, naturally possess an irrefutable authority and hold an extremely high position in relation to the people of this world when it comes to supernatural powers.

After comforting Jeff and the others, the pastor turned to Xia Nan and said with a smile:

"As for the situation mentioned by this gentleman... although I am a little embarrassed, I have also come into close contact with several statues through some channels a few days ago."

"I did not find the kind of unnatural erosion of the mind that you described, nor did the goddess give any warning."

“Of course I understand your feelings, and I strongly encourage you to report situations that may involve ‘cultists’ or ‘evil gods’ to us or law enforcement officers.”

"but……"

The pastor hesitated for a moment, his tone noticeably lowered, and he deliberately adopted a humble posture, speaking in a low voice:
"I heard you are an adventurer."

"No offense intended, but I actually have many friends who have been or are currently in this line of work, but you should have some experience with it as well."

"Being in a dangerous, high-pressure environment for a long time, and fighting against ferocious monsters at a high frequency, is a huge drain on both the body and mind."

“Before I came to Newme, I had received many professionals who were exhausted by their adventurous careers.”

"They may be reliable teammates on the team, and good parents at home, but at other times..."

"Forgive my bluntness, but I may not be considered a 'normal person' in the universal sense."

The pastor took two more steps closer, and spoke even softer.

"If you feel overly exhausted after an adventure, or feel that there is some kind of psychological problem."

"For example, being overly obsessed with something, or suddenly feeling that the attitudes of those around you have changed abnormally."

"Perhaps you could consider coming to the church to pray a few times; the goddess will guide the lost."

"Thank you." Xia Nan nodded slightly, politely declining, "You flatter Ms. Baiyin."

He certainly understood what the other person meant.

It's simply a matter of doubting whether there's something wrong with oneself, leading to a misjudgment of the wood carving itself.

Xia Nan felt perfectly normal about this.

Even from a modern, peaceful society, let alone gunfights or brawls, even hand-to-hand combat was something I only experienced twice during my student days—a petty squabble that couldn't be brought to the table.

But after transmigrating, he seems to have adapted quite well.

In just over a hundred days, even if you're not a seasoned professional adventurer, you've at least gained a professional rank and learned a lot of related knowledge.

Their performance in the misty forest gradually evolved from their initial naivety and inexperience to maturity.

There is pressure, of course, but after getting used to it completely, it's not much different from the time in my previous life when I was working overtime all night under the threat of unemployment.

Perhaps one of the reasons is that I have been reborn?
As for the spiritual aspect...

Xia Nan believes she is mentally very healthy.

The ambiguous information on the attribute panel also indicated that there was indeed a problem with the [Sheep-Deer Statue], and that there was no misjudgment.

But since the pastor had said so, he didn't intend to refute it.

It's best if nothing happens, but if something does... he's already warned me.

"Well, although it's most likely just a false alarm, we can't rule out the possibility that there are indeed some deeply hidden evil creatures."

The priest Isidore turned and walked toward the altar in the center at the back of the church.

"Just to be on the safe side, please bathe in the goddess's radiance. Under the holy light, evil spirits will have nowhere to hide."

"I suppose this will put your minds at ease."

Upon hearing this, the already silent room fell silent.

Jeff and the others stopped whispering and instead kept their mouths shut and bowed their heads in reverence.

The priest stood behind the altar, his eyelids slightly lowered, his hands clasped together and gently placed on the holy emblem on his chest.

His lips moved as he recited a prayer.

hum-

Visibly, the shimmering silver light, which had been floating softly like a veil under the moonlight, suddenly rippled. It then shone brightly and brilliantly in the moonlight.

As if stirred by some invisible force, it transformed into an illusory stream of silver light, surging towards the crowd.

A sudden flash of inspiration struck me.

Xia Nan stared at the countless points of light in the air ahead, a faint gray light suddenly flashing deep in his eyes.

——【A Vision for the Mind】

In an instant, the whole world lost its original colors, leaving only the most essential black and white.

The priest's swaying sleeves, the gently flickering candlelight, even the nun's silent lips moving beside him...

The fine gravitational ripples collided and intertwined like ripples in water.

Where Xia Nan's attention was focused, the silver light spots that gathered and surged under the effect of the divine magic, which appeared to be illusory and without substance, actually emitted tiny ripples in his vision.

Unlike other things, the ripples created by the silver light in space and time somehow harmonized with each other, exhibiting a strange regularity that combined countless points of light to form a vast and blurry...

"hiss!"

Xia Nan suddenly felt a jolt in the back of his head, followed by dizziness and intense pain.

[Insightful Vision] was forced to be interrupted.

Color once again fills the world.

At the same time, familiar semi-transparent text appeared before his eyes.

"Proficiency +1"

"【Gravity Control】lv1: (3/100)"

"..."

A sudden feeling of surprise washed over me.

Before he could think any further, a thin, silvery light brushed across his cheek.

A mysterious cool stream seeped into his skin, enveloping his spirit and nourishing his energetic body and slightly depleted mind.

In the blink of an eye, the mental energy that had been depleted from using [Mind-Guiding Vision] was replenished and replenished once again.

Take a deep breath.

Xia Nan stood still, looking ahead.

There, on the pristine white altar, a priest in a white robe with silver trim stood quietly, his silhouette set against the backdrop of a huge stained-glass window.

Her silvery-white hair moved without wind, as if blending into the moonlight that fell on her shoulders.

……

……

The night was dark.

They escorted Xia Nan and his group out of the church.

The priest Isidore walked alone in the spacious corridor of the inner sanctuary.

The quiet, cool moonlight shone on his face, revealing no trace of fatigue.

For him, whose professional level was already close to the extraordinary, a simple purification spell was no more difficult than reciting the teachings of the main god.

The rules and domain controlled by the [Moon Maiden] Serene, whom they worship, also allow these clergy members to maintain abundant energy at night.

To some extent, for Isidore, the bright moonlit night was more relaxing and exciting than the well-lit daytime.

“Knock, knock, knock.”

He did not return to his room.

He went to a room inside the church used for entertaining guests and gently knocked on the door.

"Please come in."

A calm male voice came from inside the room.

Turning the handle, Isidore pushed open the door.

The man who came into view was a man with a refined appearance, wearing an indigo ramie robe, whose exact age was unclear.

At this moment, the other person was sitting with their legs crossed, in an extremely comfortable posture, on a luxurious chaise lounge with a down-filled cushion that shouldn't have been in this church.

A simple wooden staff leaned lightly against the corner of the wall beside him, while he held a hardcover book thicker than a brick in his hands.

The book cover is faintly visible, with a string of gilded characters printed in Elvish language using ornate and intricate brushstrokes:

Silver Leaves and Unicorn Mane: A Detailed Explanation of Classical Wood Elf Carving Techniques

"came back?"

Cornell didn't even look up, leisurely turning the pages of the book in his hands.

"Hmm." Isidore nodded slightly, poured himself a cup of hot tea, and sat down opposite the mage. "A few citizens who were terrified by the rumors."

"A rumor? About the missing Spore Druid?"

“How could that be? With that person chasing after him, he shouldn’t be coming back,” the pastor shook his head and replied.

"They believe that wood carvings are creations of evil gods."

"Oh?" Cornell raised an eyebrow and snapped his fingers.

The ring on her finger flashed with silver light.

The next second, a statue resembling a sheep or a deer appeared in his hand.

I stared at it intently for a few seconds, but I couldn't make out anything at all.

"It is a bit ugly, but it's probably not an 'evil thing'."

“Of course not!” Priest Isidore snatched the wooden carving away and replied irritably, “I don’t believe any evil god could hide himself so well under the goddess’s nose.”

"Why are you being so stingy? We've known each other for years. Just lend it to me for a couple of days. You're not losing anything."

Cornell shrugged, looking helplessly at the priest who had snatched the wooden carving back.

It was just a casual remark; I didn't really take it seriously.

Just as the pastor said.

The Luna Chapel in Neum, though far inferior to the "Moon Mansion" in Waterdeep, is still a large chapel that commands respect in the region and is often watched over by the goddess.

This statue has been circulating in Nium for so many days now. If there were any real problems, the goddess would have already given a divine decree to handle it. It's impossible that she didn't know about it.

I didn't detect any magical particle fluctuations on the statue, so it couldn't even be called an enchanted item.

Nothing to worry about.

It's impossible for them all to be like the "gravity device" in the goblin's lair, possessing the rare characteristic of being able to operate autonomously without the influence of magical particles.

It's just an ordinary sculpture.

I've never been that lucky.

"Have you prepared all the materials for the resurrection ceremony? The Moon Feast is only a few days away."

“Of course.” Cornell patted the pocket at his waist lightly with the finger adorned with the iron ring. “Enough to live twice.”

"But to be honest, name your price. My mentor might actually like this wooden sculpture. Once we get back to Huancai City, I can get you anything you want."

"No need to talk!"

(End of this chapter)