There can't be a Harvest Moon in the RimWorld.

"One hundred and twenty years ago, a prehistoric ruin was excavated at a beach site in the southern islands. A shipwreck with a fossilized shell and some special artifacts were unearthed. Among them was a metal rod with such patterns engraved on it."

“Past maritime civilization settlements have all shown a clear phenomenon of regional clustering, often radiating outward from a developed civilization to many scattered but interconnected regional civilizations.”

"But this site exhibits a very peculiar independence. There are no similar traces of civilization on the surrounding sea routes and trade routes. It could even be said that the deserted island where this place is located is a wasteland of civilization. In the time when prehistoric ships ran out of supplies, it was impossible for them to reach other civilizations!"

"At the time, some people suggested that it might be a settlement of a civilization that migrated from a continental empire. Due to the complex terrain and vast forests that isolate inland empires, civilizations are often scattered, independent, and self-sufficient, with different characteristics and even languages. If it is a migration of an inland civilization, it would well explain the origin of this site."

"However, after a long period of research, the academic community has not been able to find a reasonable explanation, nor has any civilization been found to have similar characteristic patterns."

"Later, Professor Voynich, the author of this book, used his extraordinary breadth of knowledge and unparalleled imagination to put forward a brilliant insight."

He speculated that the ruins were not a settlement of a civilization, but a foothold or outpost during the expansion of a civilization. A prehistoric empire that existed deep in the ocean once sent countless ships across the ocean to find the other side of the sea. At that time, this empire may have faced an unprecedented threat of maritime disasters, and therefore urgently needed land resources to continue its survival.

"This desperate exploratory expedition by the fleet resulted in a disastrous failure. Most of the ships were lost in the waves and perished in the bellies of fish. Only one fleet reached the edge of the southern archipelago and successfully landed on the small island."

"The overjoyed crew held a fervent ceremony here, offering the highest level of sacrifice—a ship—to express their gratitude to the heavens. These buried artifacts and the burned ship are the best proof of this."

"But what they didn't expect was that this place didn't have the vast land and abundant resources they wanted, nor could it reach the inland areas they longed for."

"In despair, some of the crew committed suicide, while others sailed back to the capital of the Ocean Empire, only to find a vast ocean in familiar territory, devoid of the familiar bustling scene..."

I was utterly puzzled and couldn't help but ask, "Father, what does this story have to do with my question?"

“Of course there is,” Father Carter answered me resolutely, and continued, “This story is just a bold conjecture, imagining that there is such a mysterious prehistoric civilization in the depths of the ocean. But this story is based on two points.”

"First, do you know the Navigators' Alliance? It's the organization that Zak came from. Their organization originated from a mysterious society with an extremely long history, and they have always been pursuing and exploring the secrets of the legendary depths of the ocean. Some people speculate that the so-called secrets refer to this long-destroyed empire."

"Secondly, there's the sacrificial artifact that was unearthed. Although it appears to be a rod-shaped object now, it was actually a sword made of a special material because during its storage, one of the caretakers attempted to destroy it and, when no one was looking, clipped both edges."

"The pattern on that sword is extremely similar to the patterns on your two collections."

At this point, Father Carter's expression suddenly turned ferocious, and the candlelight on both sides flickered and swayed, making the entire church look incredibly eerie.

"By the way, the custodian was also a historian. After keeping the ritual artifact safe overnight, he woke up in the morning and went mad, trying to destroy this historical treasure. After the people around him took the ancient sword from his hand, he frantically pierced his own heart with the tip of an anchor."

"His last words before he died were..."

“He called upon the priests, the people in the house, and me and the people…”

Chapter 246 The Primitive Cult

"...Father, do you think I would believe that?"

"...You didn't fall for it this time?"

I looked speechlessly at the unscrupulous priest, who was suffering from an occupational hazard, and covered my face, saying, "The problem is, if this hypothesis were proven, how could it be mentioned in the book in such a secretive way as just an assumption? It would probably have been the subject of a paper by now."

Father Carter chuckled twice, a little embarrassed, and said, "Your guess makes some sense. Actually, apart from lacking physical evidence, this theory is flawless!"

I said impatiently, "Stop talking nonsense, there should be some solid information, right?"

"Ahem, just flip to those folded pages and look at what's on them, and you'll understand."

Father Carter was referring to several pages in this historical manuscript that were noticeably raised, covered in signs of reading. I gently turned the pages and saw that these pages were recounting some ancient historical events.

"...No one can explain how the primitive empire was formed, developed, prospered, and eventually occupied the entire continent. These people, who should have only had barbaric customs, suddenly emerged from the dense forest and, relying on absolute power, shattered the city-state alliances on the continent."

"No one expected that the maritime city-states, which were initially driven to the islands, would become such an important place of refuge. According to excavations in various places, the Marando Pass and the Fokkrum Trail, which were originally wild places, rose up briefly during this period and received no less than a million refugees over a century."

"These refugees, while waiting for ships on the beach every day, spontaneously formed associations, developed commerce, and underwent cultural integration, giving rise to the later influential peoples of the southern islands. This great maritime retreat further expanded human exploration of the seas and completed some very important historical processes."

At this point, an excerpt from a historical work written in archaic language was inserted into the historical manuscript. It was a very famous paper by a contemporary historian, which emphasized the cultural significance of this migration. However, I noticed that this article made no mention of the primitive empire that drove them into the sea.

Only at the very end of the article are two blurry historical reconstructions attempted to depict a magnificent war, with one side being a coalition of various city-state armies and the other a powerful army clad in iron armor.

“Father, is there a missing section in the middle of this book?” I asked, puzzled.

Father Carter shook his head and closed the manuscript for me.

"From a historical perspective, apart from the distant period of human origins, the only real historical event that can be traced back is the conflict between the sea and the land that formed the dual civilization structure. The continuous wars between the maritime city-states and the continental city-states cover almost every contemporary site that can be examined."

"But what ended all this was a tribe that emerged from the forests further inland. They had all sorts of strange beliefs and a wide variety of languages, and they couldn't even communicate with each other properly. But they acted in accordance with a sacred covenant, never attacking each other, and instead targeting the various city-states together."

“Wherever they go, they spare no effort to destroy local cultural artifacts and destroy art museums, replacing them with their abstract and conceptualized mystical totems.”

Father Carter sighed. “But these noble savages disdain preaching to the outside world. Their only pleasure is proclaiming their unknown faith and planting their flags in every corner of the continent.”

"Then... what happened next? Such a large empire, how could it just disappear like that?"

From what Father Carter said, this was clearly a force of great importance in the progress of civilization. How could it be allowed to disappear into the dust of the world without even a complete work of research by scholars?

"There are two reasons for this. First, the mysterious demise of this primitive empire. After centuries of integration, the exiles of the continent and the rulers of the sea finally shared a common belief and accumulated enough power to reclaim their former lands. But when they landed, they found only long-abandoned megalithic cities and uninhabited wilderness villages."

"This mysterious primitive empire has vanished completely in the tide of civilization at some unknown time, leaving only countless ruins and rubble. Many pioneers who landed there claimed to have seen their ghostly figures in the ancient forests, heard their mournful songs in the dark caves, and some even swore that they had seen these ancient ghosts appear in every corner of the city overnight, repeating the unfinished sacrifices and celebrations of the past."

"But in any case, these people of the primitive empire simply vanished completely. Whether they died from an epidemic or their population collapsed and they retreated back into the dense forest, no one can explain the culture they brought with them or the meaning behind those wars."

I pondered for a moment: "And the second reason?"

Father Carter smiled and looked at me: "The second reason is that the Vatican has explicitly forbidden everyone from talking about the original empire."

"……Holy See?"

"Yes. In a sense, the Holy Spirit Church, which preached from north to south, was the last entity to have come into contact with the primitive empire. I once read the relevant scriptures in the Vatican, which vaguely referred to the primitive empire as a bubble that was bound to decline, a nightmare that was about to end."

"As for the priests and believers of the original empire's core force—the original religious order—the papal documents record a very fantastic story."

“A pastor who was preaching in the southwest once mentioned that when he came to a settlement on the edge of a dense forest, he encountered the last primitive order. At that time, he only felt a chilling whisper, as if many people in the village were packing their belongings.”

"They were silent, dressed in black, like ghosts, avoiding all light. They took everything they could from the village, tearing apart the patterns and totems they usually revered, turning into a silent torrent that moved deeper and deeper into the dense forest."

"That very night, the Holy Spirit priest witnessed firsthand how the silent members of the order suddenly erupted into chaos. They rushed and leaped along the forest path, emitting piercing roars. From their mouths, they continuously cursed the names of the gods and complained bitterly about their cruel fate. Anyone who heard such words would feel their scalp tingle; it was not a sound that should be heard by humans, but rather the angry roar of the dead buried deep in the earth!"

"Throughout the night, the fires in the dense forest never ceased, and the voices of the primitive cult members would abruptly fall silent, but more people joined this terrifying revelry until the sounds gradually faded into the distance and the first light of dawn slowly broke through, at which point these people completely disappeared into the vast and boundless depths of the forest..."

Chapter 247 A Dream of Nanke

"Father, what is the purpose of saying all this?"

After listening for a while, I slowly said, "Do you think the demise of the primitive empire was an accident?"

Father Carter's expression remained smiling, but he concealed his true feelings in the darkness.

"In a sense, I can fully understand the despair of the original religious order back then. When the Holy See stepped out of the Holy City and took the initiative to supervise the Twisted Point, it also paid a heavy price."

"In that era, many entire towns were wiped out by lakes, lava, boulders, and even unspeakable monsters. In some places, the inhabitants were all corrupted into indescribable blasphemous beings. In other places, unseen evils were quietly brewing. The most tragic event was the early séance in the holy city of Illing, in which 27 cardinals bled to death, 471 high-ranking priests perished, and the three major knightly orders were nearly wiped out..."

"The twists and turns of this continent are so numerous that they are almost indescribable. All we can do is use our shallow reason to uphold the light of the Holy Spirit and illuminate these disaster-ridden places."

"The disappearance of the primitive cult and the primitive empire was probably due to the gradual outbreak of the distortion point, which interrupted their ambition to unify the continent. Ultimately, they were powerless to resist and retreated to the mountains and forests in despair to seek final peace."

"Even now, there is a mysterious organization within the Vatican called the Order of the Dead, which is said to be the mourners prepared by the Vatican, who remain silent for a long time in preparation for the day the world is destroyed."

Father Carter seemed somewhat agitated, and strange, noisy sounds gradually rose from outside the church's dark windows. Some bizarre shadows were also projected onto the church's glass, leaving behind a horrifying sight.

The candle flame, swaying in the wind, could barely maintain its light; only the last tiny wick remained burning, clinging to life and refusing to die out.

“There was a period that later generations called the Dark Ages. At that time, anyone within 500 meters of the church would be mercilessly wiped out by evil forces. Sometimes, even inside the church, many ghosts would sneak in and seize the lives of innocent people at any time. Therefore, on special astrological days, the priests would gather the entire village and gather in the church all night to chant holy names, huddle together to spend the long night, and comfort these souls trembling with fear.”

"The inland areas were so dangerous back then that the entire population was concentrated in the ocean and coastal areas where the twist points were scarce, leaving only the Church of the Holy Spirit struggling to survive in these fallen regions."

I sat on a church bench, closed my eyes, and immersed myself in the dreamscape created by Father Carter, feeling the atmosphere around me.

In this environment, I suddenly sensed the dark age Father Carter had described—a time of constant uncertainty. Ghosts roamed the wilderness, and demons led beasts to devour people. In ordinary times, the people concealed their anxieties, cherishing the bright, clear days as they sowed and reaped. But at night, that unease intensified, gnawing at their hearts like venomous snakes. The only solace was the low, simple church and the deep, mournful sound of its bells.

How did that later era pass?

This dark age is quite different from what I've come to know. The so-called "impressionistic era" is one of political darkness and incompetence, cultural stagnation, and widespread suffering. But the dark age Father Carter describes is one where an entire region's civilization is on the verge of collapse, development is hopeless, its heritage is about to be severed, and the flame of civilization is almost extinguished.

Father Carter's expression gradually relaxed. He turned and sat down. The surrounding sounds and shadows slowly dissipated, and the entire church returned to its previous peace and solemnity.

"After a long period of research, the Vatican finally discovered the secret of the Twisted Point. As a result, the Twisted Point was gradually suppressed, and the terrifying events that accompanied it gradually became an unspeakable part of the annals of history."

"The mysterious stories that once circulated in the countryside have gradually become just casual conversations. The numerous graves in the suburbs have also gradually disappeared, turning into plains waiting to be cultivated."

"The events that occurred here have always been shrouded in secrecy, appearing neither in history nor in papal documents. The news of the entire primitive empire has also become a mystery, leaving these historians with a difficult problem to solve. Even a genius like Professor Voynich has been stumped by this mystery and can only complete the corresponding chapters of the manuscript based on limited information."

"But don't doubt it, this part of history, though mysterious, has never been far away. Appropriate concealment is also to protect the rational achievements that civilization has painstakingly cultivated. These fragments of history, whether they are from the Papacy, the Navigators' Alliance, secret societies in various places, or even the trust group that was eventually established, have all kept their mouths shut and have not spread even a few scraps of these things to the outside world."

Even in his vague description, I could feel a tremendous pressure, transmitted to me across the vast expanse of time and space. I had originally thought that the story of old Yorkson and old man Hook was just an isolated case, a cruel twist of fate, but I never imagined that it was the mainstream hidden behind the world, only slowly fading away in the distant past.

I had initially thought that the church power Father Carter represented would possess an overwhelming aura, enough to control this twisted point in Mineral Town, and even provide me with assistance when necessary. But now it seems that the pressure behind the priest is no less than the pressure I am under.

All I can do is bear some untold secrets and take responsibility within my capabilities. But in the priest's description, what he has to do is probably to face all disasters when necessary, becoming a witness and executor of everything.

“Father, I misunderstood you. I didn’t realize your people were under so much pressure…” I said in a low voice, but I saw Father Carter roll his eyes awkwardly.

"Me? Why do you think I'm under a lot of pressure?"

Father Carter chuckled and said, "Actually, the reason I came here is because there are too many twisted points in the core areas of the Vatican, and the pressure is too great. There is a risk of dying on the spot if you are not careful. That's why I chose this island."

"You...you actually..."

"I'm just too lazy to move, and I don't have any intention of sacrificing myself for a cause. You can understand that, right?"

"..."

"Also, what I just said was really just my speculation. The Vatican doesn't even allow us to talk about it, so how could they possibly write it down and let me read it whenever I want? It's all because my classmates kept telling me these ghost stories back then, making it hard for me to tell what's true and what's false..."

"Give me back my feelings!"

I roared angrily, suddenly waking up from Father Carter's dream to find myself sitting on a church bench, while it wasn't even completely dark outside.

Chapter 248 The farther the better

"Pah! That charlatan leader is wicked! I'm never coming to this awful place to listen to ghost stories again!"

I stormed out of the church, yelled at the empty hall, and then, seeing that no one was around and my outburst had gone unnoticed, I staggered away.

The priest's dream-entry skills were unparalleled. He had years of experience in being lazy and prone to oversleeping. He would rather lie down than sit, and he would rather fall asleep than stay awake. He had maxed out his talent in this skill thanks to his rich practical experience.

However, the downside is that, as a priest, he has maxed out his talents in sleeping and telling ghost stories, but hasn't added any points to faith, holiness, or piety. It makes one wonder if he's confused the words "preaching" and "intimidation."

What kind of priest talks nonsense?

Just before leaving, I stubbornly rushed to the podium, opened the Voynich Historical Manuscript, found the corresponding passage, only to find that the page contained a study of carnival customs in the southern islands...

As a priest, instead of placing a Bible on the pulpit, he keeps a bizarre history book and even uses dream manipulation to alter reality. Just how terrifying are this man's twisted tastes!

…………

"Hahaha, you actually went to Carter to ask for information!"