Brain bloom

(After staying up all night to finish writing this chapter, I remembered something: I forgot to redeem my leave slip for October... which means I'll miss one day of my perfect attendance record.)

More than a thousand yuan just vanished like that.

I don't think I'll be able to sleep tonight.

Book 1, Chapter 303: God's Storehouse

"...Is it...is it a very serious problem?" Across from him, B, reflected in the picture frame, had an extremely solemn expression.

"Maybe."

B rubbed her temples and took another deep breath, thinking to herself that this world was truly full of disasters. The fact that the coffin bearer would appear at such a time probably meant something significant... The fact that the coffin bearer had come in person to deliver bad news made her think about the problem as too heavy a burden.

She managed to regain her composure and asked cautiously, "What kind of trouble do we need to be careful of?"

Mori recounted the story, essentially saying that he had unintentionally encountered a woman and instinctively felt uneasy.

"Did you know about the conscription in advance...? Thankfully, it wasn't another disaster. May I ask this woman's name?"

"It seems her name is Zena Adelman."

"This...the eldest daughter of the Adelman family?"

She pondered for a moment, and seeing this reaction, she realized that the person knew who it was, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"If it's her, we shouldn't worry too much. It's not surprising that this woman knew the news in advance, after all, she's from that family."

"Huh? Is this normal?"

"Yes, her family bloodline is very special. Every person who inherits the bloodline has extremely high magical talent, so it has continued to this day and can be considered a prestigious family with a long history. And there was a great prophet in her ancestors who seemed to have blessed the family, and her descendants can occasionally foresee the future."

So that's why that person knew about the conscription in advance.

Sen Shi breathed a sigh of relief after hearing this, but at the same time, she felt a little embarrassed. She hadn't expected it to be such a small misunderstanding. Unlike her clumsy attempts, there really were charlatans in this world who could make prophecies…

"Is there anything else?" B asked tentatively.

"Actually, the previous topic was just an excuse. I'm here to talk to you about something else."

"Oh? I'm listening."

Mori cleared his throat, then casually tossed a handful of stray hair aside—

"With a great battle imminent, I have come to encourage you, resilient humans struggling against time, to win this struggle for survival! I am with you!"

After saying this without any shame, Mori immediately turned off the communication. Otherwise, it would be too awkward if B kept expressing his gratitude with tears streaming down his face.

The key thing is that the unease she felt gradually subsided. As for what to do next, she'll take a shower, get a good night's sleep, and go back tomorrow to continue her dandelion journey.

……

"Pope, did you hear that? This is encouragement from the coffin bearers."

"Listen... um, I can hear it very clearly."

B carefully put away the picture frame she used for communication. The weariness that had been clinging to her body like underwear vanished completely thanks to the encouragement of God. All that remained was a vibrant and energetic appearance, as radiant as the morning sun.

She was full of energy, quite different from the others in the meeting room.

The Pope remained bewildered, while the secular king looked deeply worried. An earlier communication had interrupted the meeting, prompting them to offer their opinions, but the fact that the message came from the coffin bearers... left them no choice but to listen in silence.

This is the first time I've heard the voice of this true god, and I just think... it sounds very nice?

B tapped the table—"Let's get back to the main topic. Besides the draft order, what else is there to discuss?"

They were talking about "the next topic" before Mori interrupted them.

The Pope took a sip of cold water, finding it tasteless, and slowly said:

“This calamity should not be underestimated. Previously, I was planning to open the Sacred Treasury Gate on behalf of the coffin bearers and bestow upon you a sacred relic to deal with the crisis…”

"Oh?!"

“I believe that…the supreme God, at this moment…interrupting the meeting and sending encouragement…should represent a kind of ‘permission,’ allowing me to make this decision on my own…”

Even though he spoke slowly enough, his words still became disjointed, as if the Pope's thoughts were not coherent at all.

B could understand, because it was an immense shock. When she first learned of the manifestation of the true God, she was equally shocked, unable to sleep at night, and her whole body trembled for a long time.

At this moment, King Rodrigo spoke up from the side—

"Your Holiness, open the Sacred Treasury. We should not fail the encouragement of the true God."

“Hmm—then let’s deal with this. And King Rodrigo, you are to summon the secular forces. It is urgent. The more magicians and devout believers the better. Before sunset tomorrow, summon them to the capital by any means necessary. I allow you to use any means of transportation.”

"I'll try my best." The king hesitated for a moment, then slowly nodded. "It's my duty."

After explaining this matter, the Pope took B to the Holy Treasury.

This is not a short road.

And Saint Ku—

It is the place where the belongings left behind by the coffin bearers are contained, and is also known as "inside the coffin".

It contained immense wealth that could reach the sky, as well as countless dazzling and powerful objects. However, according to the doctrines established by the first Pope, these things were the nation's foundation and were not to be used except in times of emergency.

But B couldn't help but wonder, now that the human world is facing a life-or-death situation, why is only one item being offered? Just how demanding are the conditions for taking it out?

If the world were to end here, what would be the point of these things?

This sanctuary stands at the very center of the entire Holy Coffin Kingdom, the very foundation of the nation. It is also the place where, over a hundred years ago, those who carried the coffin left behind sacred letters.

It was a massive, almost towering tower, entirely constructed of magically created special glass. Its exterior was painted with opaque white and bright blue, giving it a translucent yet ethereal quality, obscuring its interior.

This is also the foremost of the thirteen churches in the Holy Coffin Kingdom that are hailed as "divine creations"—the SB Church.

At the very top of the tower lies a unique sky garden, the residence of the "Attendant," a figure of equal status to the Pope and B, one of the three heads of the religion. This Attendant dedicates his life to attempting to communicate with the divine and is responsible for guarding the sanctuary's treasures and riches.

The Pope took out a small knife and slid it across his wrist.

Within the ruptured blood vessels, blood, like countless threads, surged upwards defying gravity, then coalesced into a line. When these blood-made threads covered the temple doors, they clearly curved into the shape of sacred letters.

"Activate," he commanded in a deep voice.

"Ding—" The crystal door rang out with a crisp sound.

It was open, divided into two doors, S and B. Suddenly, the light from inside illuminated the night as if it were daytime. The Pope and B quickly went inside and closed the doors in the same way.

The sheer quantity, scale, and grandeur of the treasure piled up inside were terrifying. It sent chills down B's spine, and the sheer awe kept her awake for seven nights in a row.

"Look—the guardian of the Blade of Chaos, this is what the first Pope saw, and it is also the reason why we are unwilling to touch it."

"Holy alphabet..."

"Yes, this is how the coffin bearers arranged it, and it is the foundation of our nation. If greedy hands take too much from it, it will no longer remain as it was, and our faith may collapse as a result."

B wavered, fearing that if he took one item from the list, the country would shake as it had in his own way.

"I will take one of the swords and give it to you." Having seen through B's mindset, the Pope added, "As long as you hold it and redeem the human world, then the lost faith will be made up by you."

……

cluck cluck cluck

Volume 1, Chapter 304: Fragments of a Nightmare

In the very heart of faith, even the contemporary pope cannot remain calm.

The Pope took a deep breath and, with reverent steps, entered the depths of the treasure that shone for miles. He searched for a long time among the piles of S letters before cautiously taking out one of them.

It was a two-handed longsword, entirely azure blue, with a dazzling and unique design, unlike any other. Its material was indiscernible, yet its distinctiveness was captivating. Its power was terrifying, overflowing from the blade with a saturated, yet gentle and sweet quality.

"The first generation left a will saying that it could be given to the glorious warriors of the future."

"Can...can I really handle this?"

The Pope nodded silently, then spoke gently: "Didn't the coffin bearers already make their promise? And acknowledge and encourage you. Accept it; it's yours now."

But B couldn't calm down, her mind filled with self-doubt. Could her hands really bear the weight of this treasure before her? Or would it break her?

"It is a sword powerful enough to cleave the blue sky. If you, like me, have studied the many myths that remain in the world, you will know that it appeared in an ancient incomplete book and is a remnant of mythological history."

Holding it respectfully, the Pope approached step by step—

"The ancient true god once used the two-handed longsword, Sunset Glow, to slay evil. When it is swung, even the azure sky will be cleaved in two. It can shake time and space, replacing the blue sky with the afterglow of the setting sun."

"But I can't reach that level..."

"Of course, otherwise you would be on equal footing with the true God we believe in. But no one but you can bear it."

Without giving a chance to refuse, the Pope handed it to B. The latter embraced the sword, yet found it remarkably light.

Although the title of Pope is the most prestigious, it is on par with B, so this was not a ceremony of bestowing a sword or a reward, but simply a transfer of power. He was merely giving some words of instruction to the girl he had watched grow up, simply because he was older.

"Prepare yourselves, protect the Blade of Chaos. Wipe away the primordial evil, and purify Hodge, the evil god who seeks to awaken it! We and the Coffin Bearers need more faith; it is time for that filthy ancient deity to fall."

……

The clock chimed at the end of the hazy street.

There, a twisted, dark mass resembled a cookie from a pastry shop, or a sunflower seed cake. Inside, something seemed to be hidden, with all sorts of eyes and hands trying to break free.

The screams were incessant.

The ground was covered with knives, which at times turned into cauldrons of boiling oil. Dead rag dolls were everywhere, their blood flowing and watering the surrounding grass.

The rats in the sewers grew enormous, like a bull running from one end of the road, chasing the child with their sharp teeth.

The child was young, wearing pajamas, and clutching a pillow as if it were his weapon.

He screamed, cried, and ran.

It tried to escape the giant rat's pursuit—but to no avail; the rat quickly caught up with it, pinned it to the ground, and opened its mouth to try and bite its neck.

The child screamed loudly—

Then, he and the rat disappeared. But the whole street was still permeated with the color of blood, which quickly turned into other colors, mixed together, hazy and indistinct.

"See that? That's what it looks like when it was startled awake." Dandelion pointed to the scene just now, laughed heartily, and then muttered softly, "It's a pity it woke up."

"...So, this is the truth about ghosts?" Yu covered her head, and beads of sweat could be seen running down her skin.

"Yes, the nightmare came true, I told you. That well-behaved child probably listened to some story before bed, but it's nothing serious."