Unspeakable bubbles

The man's words made Professor Nakamura's mouth drop open in surprise, and he looked incredulous.

That's right, if they didn't have something to ask of them, why would these guys suddenly show up?

Professor Nakamura felt that they must have encountered some difficulties and needed his help to suddenly appear. Otherwise, why would they come looking for this old man after so many years?

Seeing Professor Nakamura's expression, the man shook his head slightly.

To be honest, he didn't really take Professor Nakamura's power seriously.

A seasoned scholar of mystery from the Third Ring Road may have some influence in this city, but so what?

To outsiders, the people in the Apocalypse Tantric sect are a bunch of lunatics who spend their days plotting bloody sacrifices to please Chaos.

They are ashamed to be seen by others, and cannot even walk openly on the street.

People like Professor Nakamura, who only have a superficial understanding, might assume that the Apocalypse Tantric Church is a small organization with extreme beliefs and some mysterious powers.

Wrong, wrong.

He never entered the core of the Seven Rings Tower and didn't understand what kind of power stood behind this seemingly easy-going man.

“We ask for nothing,” the man said sincerely once again.

"...Then what are you doing here? You didn't come just to chat with this old man, did you?" Professor Nakamura said noncommittally.

"I've come here specifically to give you one last chance."

The man stepped forward and placed the scripture he was holding on the table.

“The path to the mystical is not limited to ‘benign awakening.’ Our esoteric religion has other methods.” He pointed to the scriptures. “This is my gift to you, comrade.”

Professor Nakamura remained silent, his face displaying an expression of "I knew it."

After all that talk, the final result is still the same.

Nothing more is desired?

Once he truly accepts the scriptures and becomes a follower of Chaos, will he be able to refuse any demands from the Tantric sect?

only,

Professor Nakamura looked at the scriptures not far away, his eyes filled with struggle.

Is there really another way?

The man didn't rush him; he wasn't lying.

Whether Professor Nakamura refused or accepted, he didn't really care.

If Nakamura had been able to make the decision to abandon everything and join the esoteric sect thirty years ago, under heavy surveillance, he would surely have become a core member.

If it were ten years ago, and Nakamura had hesitated greatly but still firmly believed in his beliefs, and had contacted esoteric Buddhism in order to find like-minded people, he would have received special training.

Unfortunately, Nakamura was now an old man filled with resentment.

Furthermore, the man felt that Nakamura's beliefs might not be pure now.

Why does he still firmly believe that 'chaos is chaos' after all these years? It's hard to say that it's not a rebellious mentality stemming from being treated unfairly.

You all say I'm wrong, fine, I'll just not do as you wish, I won't admit I'm wrong!

His beliefs were no longer so pure; to be honest, the man was quite disappointed in Nakamura.

however,

'I'm a soft-hearted person, and after hearing about Professor Nakamura from my father, I just couldn't ignore it.'

Looking at the frail and elderly Nakamura, the man silently thought, "No matter what, you are a comrade who shares our beliefs. At the very least, we must fulfill your wish in the very end."

With this in mind, the man gave Nakamura a "gift".

That was indeed something that could give Nakamura, whose life was flickering, real power. Well, of course, there were also some minor negative effects.

I suppose he wouldn't mind since he has no hope left.

The man couldn't help but feel moved by his own compassion; his father would surely be very pleased with him.

"Let me think about it, let me think about it," Professor Nakamura said, uttering words that disappointed the man.

He felt that Nakamura had let him down.

He shook his head and said, "No need to rush, Professor. Think it over carefully and make a decision later."

After saying that, the man turned around and was about to leave the bedroom.

"How can I contact you in the future?" Professor Nakamura was taken aback, not expecting the man to leave so suddenly, and he asked hurriedly.

"We'll meet again if fate allows," he said calmly, waving his hand.

Nakamura frowned and said, "Then, at least tell me your name."

The man turned his head and smiled slightly: "Matthew, just call me Matthew."

Section 34, Chapter 034: The Fourth Ring

Even long after Matthew and the others had left, the old man's gaze remained fixed on that 'canonical text'.

He reached out several times, but withdrew his hand halfway through.

Nakamura understood one thing very well: there is no such thing as a free lunch.

For thirty years, he has given countless efforts but has not been able to achieve a fundamental transformation. Now, suddenly, a stranger comes to your house and says, "I have a gift for you. Use it to fulfill your wish."

Is it possible? Is it possible?

Hmm, perhaps.

However, this will inevitably come at an unimaginable and painful price.

The Awakening Esoteric Sect has a notorious reputation; their possessions are not easy to take.

Even if Matthew's words were entirely true, Nakamura could tell that he hadn't told the whole story!

Nakamura stared at the 'scripture' and fell into deep thought.

As he grew older, his desire for life became pathological.

Ordinary people can only sit and wait for death to approach, but he is different, he is not the same!

Matthew is wrong about one thing: he hasn't really been standing still all these years.

Rejected by the mainstream of the mystical world? No problem, he's not the only heretic.

Among those 'predecessors' who walked on the edge of order, there were also powerful beings who broke through the 'fourth ring' and completely transformed.

Several years ago, Nakamura exchanged one of his treasured possessions with one of the 'Awakeners' for the secrets of the Fourth Ring, and he was not as ignorant of the Fourth Ring as Matthew thought.

I haven't forgotten a single word that senior said back then, and the scene at that time is still vivid in my mind.

"Please, tell me the secret of the Fourth Ring!" The no-longer-young Nakamura bowed deeply to the person in front of him.

"Ha, don't be so polite. I always keep my word; it's all about equal exchange," the bartender-looking man said with a smile.

"What exactly is awakening?" Nakamura asked impatiently.

“Awaken your mystery, literally,” the bartender said, his hands still busy. “How about a drink, let’s talk as we drink.”

“Okay.” Nakamura nodded without refusing.

"There are many terms like 'awakening,' 'transformation,' 'benign mutation,' and 'benign awakening,' but they all mean the same thing."

The bartender chuckled: "Simply put, once you break through to the fourth ring, you will possess some kind of mysterious power that belongs to you."

"Mysterious power?"

Nakamura pondered for a moment: "But I can manipulate mysterious powers right now."

“That’s different. Okay, let me give you an example.”

The bartender pushed the prepared drink in front of Nakamura, saying, "Heat it up, with your 'mysterious' power."

Nakamura stared at the wine glass, all sorts of thoughts popping into his head, only to be rejected one by one.

The man's request was simple: just 'heat it up'.

However, Nakamura did not think this was an easy task.

An unfamiliar place, completely unprepared, with no relevant materials...

Fortunately, it wasn't too difficult for him.

Nakamura smiled slightly, reaching into his robes as if preparing to show off his skills.

However, the wine in the glass began to bubble and boil.

"This... how did you do that? No, I could do that too, just heat it up, but it would take time, you..."

“You’ve hit the nail on the head.” The bartender nodded. “That’s the difference between you and me. What you need materials, time, and relevant occult knowledge to do, I can accomplish with just a thought.”

"You may not have a clear understanding of this yet."

The bartender smiled maliciously: "I can heat up this drink in an instant, and I can cook you in the blink of an eye. Tell me, if I wanted to cook you right now, what would you do?"

Nakamura's face stiffened. He realized that if this man harbored ill intentions towards him at this moment, he was completely powerless to do anything about it.

Damn it, if only I had time...

“‘If I had some time, I could have prepared myself.’ Dude, you don’t really think that, do you?”

The bartender shook his head: "Unfortunately, even if you had plenty of time to prepare, you couldn't change anything. As for why... well, the levels are different."

He pointed to himself: "The mysticism possessed by awakened beings like us is beyond your comprehension in terms of level. Once the level difference becomes too great, no amount of preparation will be of any use."

"You might be able to buy some time, but the outcome won't change."

“Higher mystery…” Nakamura’s eyes slowly lit up.

"The fourth ring is the dividing line between geniuses and ordinary people. In fact, there are not many mysterious experts in the entire Federation who have reached the fourth ring. You don't need to underestimate yourself."

"How do we break through the fourth ring!" Upon hearing this, Nakamura blurted out.

"Hmm, I don't know. I'm not kidding you, it's just that everyone's breakthrough opportunity is different."

"For example, the day my son had his head bitten off by a chaotic creature, I inexplicably awakened. Ah, don't make that face, I actually think I'm pretty lucky."