Chapter 48 Aftermath
As Ning Lu's figure vanished from the spot, the surrounding Nighthawks slowly stood up—most of them bearing serious wounds, most of which came from the Monster Ruel.
"'2-049' is missing..."
At the same time, El Hassen let out a sigh, watching Dunn put on gloves and pick up the Antigonus Family's notes from the yellow‑black mess on the ground.
Dunn shook his head:
"There was no better method just now; I'll explain the matter in the mission report and consult the Church for their opinion."
Ning Lu took the "2-049"... Klein felt a pang of guilt and said to Dunn:
"Sorry, Captain."
Dunn shook his head: "No need to apologize. I saw the whole picture—you didn't call for help from the Aurora Order's emissary, you even persuaded him not to harm Leonard, so what you did was fine. Even if it were me, I couldn't have done better."
"You need to know that even the weakest Aurora Order emissary is equivalent to the captain of our entire Beyonder squad."
With that, Dunn said to Klein and the others: "Compared to the loss of '2-049', none of you died in this incident nor suffered irreversible injuries, and I'm pleased about that."
"...Captain, I also have something to report." Leonard stood up, his injuries tugging at him, causing a brief grimace.
"We'll discuss it later." Dunn lightly pressed his temple: "...There are too many matters to handle now."
...Ning Lu strolled the street with his staff, muttering to himself:
"Appearing before the Nighthawks on my own was unexpected, but it paid off handsomely."
"This operation yielded a Sequence‑5 Tier Beyonder Item; later I might trade it with the Church of the Night for a 'vessel of blood', though the Church probably won't agree. It also let Klein know I possess part of the Gray Mist power, making future interactions with him smoother; it reminded Leonard..."
Ning Lu paused, choosing more precise wording: "It reminded Pallez Zoroast and Adam of related matters; He will likely prompt Leonard to hint at the Church of the Night."
"Thus, after losing '2-049', regardless of whether the Church of the Night previously sent aid to Tingen, they will now certainly dispatch help; and Ince Zangwill's script will need to be rewritten..."
"Klein is being watched by the Evernight Goddess; She will open some backdoors for him in certain matters, so I won't lock Klein into the Goddess's mysterious house..."
"The only problem is that the Aurora Order's God Descent Ritual cannot continue."
At this point, Ning Lu smiled inwardly: "But I never intended for the True Creator to descend here..."
That was better news for him.
This unexpected "support" indeed gave Ning Lu a valuable Beyonder item, boosting his confidence to face the new enemies appearing in the second loop of the current Fate timeline.
He is currently preparing to fully digest the Cryptologist's potion in the Fate timeline, after which he can work toward promotion to Prometheus.
He has already spent six days in Cordu Village's dream, and each subsequent period will be shorter. After actively altering Lumian's state, the problems in the last two dream loops will inevitably erupt more violently!
Thinking of this, Ning Lu glanced at the gray countdown visible only to him on the back of his hand; about four days remained for preparation.
Returning to the Aurora Order's base, the Heavenly Sovereign appeared promptly in his room, smiling at Ning Lu:
[How do you feel? — These are methods God Almighty often uses to make all things obey His will. Though it isn't God controlling the events here, you're still not me.]
"I understand your thinking."
Ning Lu shrugged, ignoring the Sovereign's self‑praise:
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"But I must admit, the existence of the Aurora Order makes dealing with '0-08' much easier; a single sentence can keep '0-08' busy for half a day."
[That's also a sin committed by God Himself.] The Heavenly Sovereign said cheerfully.
"Speaking of which, I still have some questions for you."
Ning Lu spoke slowly, drawing the Sovereign's attention:
"I've never been clear on how deep my connection with 'Sefirah Castle' truly is—though it seems deeper than Klein's, I wonder how much it can help against a true high‑Sequence being."
The Sovereign smiled:
[How much can it help?]
[Sefirah Castle can grant you a status equal to an Outer Deity—of course, you already possess a rank beyond a pillar, but most of it is bound within this frail body; it can also let other deities recognize you as me, causing them to hate and fear you.]
[Your current Sequence is too low; without Sefirah Castle's power it's hard to pre‑emptively access high‑Sequence abilities—your rank is high but you lack the corresponding spirituality. Once your Sequence rises, things may improve.]
[Therefore, this question holds no meaning for you right now.]
"Really has no meaning?"
Ning Lu tapped the desk before him:
"Heavenly Sovereign, guess what the Evernight Goddess would do if, beside a 'Mysterious Inheritor' landing point, there stood something with 'Amon's' face, a 'Mysterious' aura and a pillar's status?"
The Sovereign listened quietly, his tone taking on a different nuance: [Hmm, I think I know what you're getting at. Amanises is the first vessel I released; she carries part of my traits.]
"Exactly." Ning Lu nodded:
"I don't think He would rashly attack me; He would likely use a gentle approach to get close—Klein, or even Himself, could happen."
[So, you must disguise yourself as a 'Nuclear Bomb'.] the Heavenly Sovereign said:
[If He can't gauge your status, He won't confront you outright—very human thinking. But if you truly are me, would that even matter? Why would humans think they can anchor a pillar with a mere anchor?]
"Thus, I need to confirm how deep my relationship with 'Sefirah Castle' truly is." Ning Lu said slowly:
"Fortunately, I really can disguise myself as a 'Nuclear Bomb'."
Although Ning Lu was already about seventy‑eight percent confident, dealing with deities required him to ensure his own safety.
After a few exchanges with the Sovereign, Ning Lu suddenly felt part of his spirituality stir. He snapped his fingers, and "animated void" fetched a letter from his mailbox and placed it before him.
The Heavenly Sovereign retorted: [Come on, you even have to go downstairs to fetch a letter?]