Chapter 108 – The Mysterious Statue

As a mage, the High Priest actually possessed considerable wealth, at least in terms of equipment far surpassing Punk’s. Just this ten-cubic-meter Space Ring was much better than the three-cubic-meter ring Punk inherited from Mainaixi.

The ring contained at least five hundred Gold Coins and many precious alchemical materials. However, these were not what Punk valued most, as these alone were not enough to justify a mage spending time and effort to inscribe a self-destruction spell formation on the ring.

Some alchemical equipment seemed to have been hastily stuffed into the ring. Punk estimated that these items were likely what the High Priest urgently stored away when he broke through the door. This also explained why there were no experimental instruments visibly placed in this seemingly mage’s secret chamber.

The only things that truly made Punk feel rewarded were five peculiar items—two sealed iron cans, a letter that had already been opened, a book that had clearly been roughly torn with many pages missing, and a stone carving in the shape of a spider!

Punk carefully took out the two cans. They looked identical and weren’t inscribed with any defensive spell formations, merely hastily added with a rune to shield magical fluctuations. This could only deceive lower-level professionals below the Formal-Level. In Punk’s view, such trivial runes were merely decorative.

Through spiritual perception, the cans contained a viscous, gel-like liquid, with faint magical fluctuations slowly seeping out from within.

“This isn’t the time to open the cans and investigate thoroughly. Better wait until returning to the White Tower for detailed research!”

Thinking this, Punk put the cans back into the ring.

Next was that spellbook.

According to the System’s speculation and restoration, this spellbook originally should have recorded two spells, but one had its key model depiction artificially torn out, leaving only one spell that could be learned.

Punk increased the brightness of the light orb, then looked at the messy handwriting in the spellbook with his azure mana-circulating eyes.

“Formal-Level… Divination school spell—Foul… Divination”?

Punk could barely recognize the handwriting, which was as scribbled as hospital prescriptions from his previous life, only with the System’s analysis.

“Foul Divination? Does this thing have any connection with Entrails Divination?”

Punk silently recalled in his mind, remembering that bizarre but extremely effective “Entrails Divination” he had used back during his Apprentice Rank days.

“Regardless, this is also something to be studied later.Punk flipped through the spellbook roughly, then stored it away as well.

The final two items weren’t magical objects at all. That letter was just an ordinary piece of correspondence, only full of crumpled creases from apparently being hidden in a narrow space.

The letter was elegantly written in a beautiful, neat Noble script:”Your Excellency, High Priest Biailong, the recent plan implementation has been proceeding quite smoothly. The leaders of the Locke Merchant Guild, Gates and Cando, have both consumed the ‘Holy Water’. Under the enlightenment of the great Goddess Tisha Xia’er, they have finally agreed to contribute to the Goddess’s cause. However, a newly emerged merchant guild—the Minohorn Merchant Guild—has recently appeared in Doleiz City. According to investigations, this guild is led by a noble’s daughter named Lotalan, and it seems to have the support of a Formal-Level Mage named Punk Cyan. So far, they have shown no inclination to interfere with the ‘plan’. Therefore, I humbly seek the High Priest’s instruction on whether we should conduct ‘proselytization’ towards Lotalan—Minohorn————Your loyal servant, Zweig-Kaola!”

From the contents written on the letter, Punk obtained considerable information. He put away the letter and began carefully analyzing the intelligence revealed in it.

“First, this clandestine plan isn’t surprising. This suddenly emerged Tisha Xia’er Church didn’t appear just to hold a concert—of course they’d be scheming some conspiracy.

However, this conspiracy seems to require cooperation from certain nobles and merchant guilds, including the seemingly already converted ‘Locke Merchant Guild’ and this noble who has betrayed Doleiz City for unknown reasons. Moreover, this conspiracy affects Lotalan’s Minohorn Merchant Guild. Are they refraining from acting against this new guild because they’re estimating my presence? And what exactly does this so-called ‘proselytization’ refer to?”

Punk’s gaze grew increasingly cold. Before he completely abandoned his path as a reclusive mage and embarked on the road of plunder, the Minohorn Merchant Guild was an important source of income for him. These fellows actually dared to set their sights on his property—what backing do they have to act so recklessly? Do they think a reclusive mage is easy to bully?

With icy eyes and a heart chilled by anger, Punk expressionlessly returned the letter to his ring, then slightly narrowed his eyes to examine the final item—the peculiar spider statue.

The reason he said this wasn’t a magical item was because it was thoroughly a divine artifact. As a mage with considerable knowledge, Punk immediately recognized what ability was attached to this divine artifact.

“Projection ability? Which deity would be so low as to personally communicate with a Formal-Level believer?”

Punk felt quite puzzled. Although he had already guessed that this inexplicable ‘Goddess Tisha Xia’er’ wasn’t an orthodox deity, seeing this item with projection capability still surprised him greatly.

This projection divine art could project a deity’s image—devoid of any power or substance—beside a believer, allowing face-to-face communication between believer and deity. Using this ability only consumed a small amount of faith power, making it quite useful as a communication tool.

However, deities always carry themselves as if they’re supremely exalted—how could they possibly ‘condescend’ to meet with a Formal-Level ‘nobody’? But judging by the consumption of faith power stored in this statue…

“Does the High Priest frequently have ‘video chats’ with his deity?”Now Punk almost had to doubt whether the so-called “Goddess Tisha Xia’er” even possessed Lesser Divine Power—that is, Legendary-level strength. Her actions simply weren’t on a high enough level; even a Master-Level practitioner would undoubtedly have greater influence than her. Yet, the faith energy stored within this statue couldn’t be fake…

“Something’s wrong…”

Upon carefully sensing the faith energy within the statue once more, Punk suddenly realized it was unusually eerie. Unlike the pure, flawless faith energy condensed in church idols, this statue’s faith energy was saturated with violent emotions and seethed with frenzied desires bubbling and bursting like foam. Clearly, this faith energy hadn’t been purified by Divinity—it would only corrupt the consciousness of anyone who absorbed it.

The situation had taken a bizarre turn, and Punk rarely felt a sense of “incredulity.”

How could faith energy be gathered and absorbed without Divinity? Yet, the faith energy before him was undeniably collected and absorbed, yet it hadn’t been purified by Divinity. This was inherently contradictory.

“Since I can’t figure it out, I might as well ask this so-called ‘Tisha Xia’er’ Goddess. Using this statue, I’ll summon the Projection of Goddess Tisha Xia’er. If she truly is a deity, she couldn’t defy the laws of the Multiverse to deliver divine punishment. If she isn’t a deity… then there’s even less to fear!”

Calming his astonishment, Punk suddenly realized there was no need to speculate endlessly. He thought calmly and began channeling strands of mana into the statue.

The mysteries of this world were vast. Punk’s adoptive parents were merely peak Archmages, and the knowledge they passed down was but a drop in the ocean. As for the current unknown… it would require his own exploration.

(End of Chapter)