Alice in the Land of Steam

Chapter 31 Is the Singularity of Destiny a Game?
The Red Prayer Society's church headquarters in Linville City has a very aesthetic name: Night Mother Sacrifice Cathedral, which is located in the church district near the municipal square, facing the office building of the city parish committee, and next to it is the Fisher District where nobles, wealthy businessmen and barristers live. In terms of geographical location, it is even more advantageous than some Orthodox churches. For example, the Pure Fire Church affiliated with the Scourge Mission is located in Duolong Town on the outskirts of the city, a full three hours' drive from the city center - of course, I mean by carriage.

This is not without reason. Duolong Town is close to the wild forest area. Forest fires occur frequently in summer and autumn every year. In order to predict disasters in time and rush to rescue, the people of the natural disaster mission built the church in such a remote location. Even the name of the Pure Fire Church comes from this.

As for the reason why the Crimson Prayer Society risked provoking the seven orthodox churches and built the Night Mother Ritual Cathedral in the church district, it was even simpler - there were many rich people here.

In this era, the only irrefutable truth is: the richer you are in material terms, the emptier you are in spirit, and therefore, the more you seek self-comfort, regardless of whether it is mixed with some other things. For faith, whether it is pure is not important, but whether you have it is the most important.

The overall style of the Night Mother Cathedral is gloomy and dark, with gray and black tones creating a solemn atmosphere. It is often open to believers from dusk to nightfall, providing prayer, confession and repentance services like a normal church. But few people know that for those believers with special identities, real prayer often starts at midnight, just as they don't know who the so-called "Night Mother" is in the Red Prayer Society that believes in the "Lord of Heaven".

Blurry lights, intoxicating aroma of wine, and swaying figures on the dance floor...huge chandeliers hang countless crystals, casting dreamy spots of light; smooth marble walls are decorated with colorful glazed tiles, blocking out the dim night; the band is playing hard on the stage, and joyful music flows from the piano keys.

Some people danced gracefully, looking at their partners with lustful eyes; some people hugged each other, wishing to rub each other into their flesh and blood; and some people fell to the ground, twisting and squirming like maggots. All the ugly postures that humans can imagine can be found here.

The atmosphere was ambiguous, noisy and full of madness, like a blissful feast.

The joy of the whole night made them stay away from this cold earthly world and gradually approach the kingdom of the Lord. It was the supreme and empty heaven, the finale of all the feasts, and the palace of dreams and fragrance. Only those who shed all the blood they should shed and suffered all the sufferings they should suffer could be recognized by the Lord and see the ladder leading to the divine world.

They believed it and saw it with their own eyes.

Fei Yali trembled even more. The mission given to her by Bishop Closel was indeed just to test the truth of Tianxin Church. As for the so-called interview, it was all because she was angry in the church and couldn't control her emotions for a while. She made the decision to make trouble for the crazy golden-haired maid and the three-no face-paralyzed priest. Now being questioned by the bishop, she was naturally uneasy.

The stairs spiral upwards, and the rooms on the highest floor are covered with large painted glass windows, which highlight the sacredness of the church, but are out of tune with the scene below. Bishop Closel stood in front of the window, shaking a glass of red wine that was brighter than blood, watching the wine rise and fall in the glass, just like people rising and falling in the world, with an elegant smile on his lips: "It only takes a drop of blood and some hallucinogens, and people will be more brutal than the beasts they despise, because this is their nature."

"And what is the reality?"

The person crawling behind him dared not say a word, almost pressing his forehead against the carpet. She knew that this bishop, who had a philosophical temperament, had not yet expressed all his views. If she rashly agreed with him at this time, it would not be a way to please him, but a way to seek death.

"Interview? Report?" Closher frowned slightly when he heard this: "I don't think I have given you such a task."

"It was all my subordinates' own decision!"

"In fact, our doctrine is more popular than the order they pursue." Closel asked meaningfully: "Only after shedding blood and suffering can we enjoy the fragrance of feasting. Why do you think those people of status believe this, dear Miss Fialli?"

"exactly."

Fiyali tried her best to control her heartbeat and swallowed hard. She whispered, "Because the blood and suffering belong to others. They just need to enjoy the feast."

Fei Yali quickly replied: "Yes, I have already conducted an on-site investigation. Based on current observations, the church that obeyed the "Religious Decree" did not possess any magical power. It was just an object that was affected and chose to surrender because it was weak and could not resist. Perhaps under pressure from the church alliance, the pastor of the church did not discuss it with me in detail. Therefore, I found a resident nearby who claimed to be a believer of the goddess and interviewed him. I planned to publish the content of the report in the "Citizen Evening News" where I work, to create an advantage in public opinion for the convening of the negotiations..."

She knew the gap between herself and the bishop, not only in status, but also in that the other party was a favored person blessed by the Night Mother and also trusted by the "Lord of Heaven". The latter gave him power, status and the qualification to lead the diocese, while the former gave him power beyond humans.

"The secretary general of the City Hall, the deputy director of the City Transportation Bureau, the wife of the director of the City Education Bureau, the daughter of the senior police inspector of the City Police Department, and even a deputy director of the City Religious Affairs Bureau... The significance of their presence here is to prove how stupid the people of the religious group are. They naively thought that as long as they took action, they would achieve their ideals. However, corruption often comes from within, and it is often easier for people to fall than to rise. This is a scientific fact. The great philosopher Galileo has already verified this truth for us."

In simple terms, Fialli was a "vampire" of the "monster" path sequence 7, which was the magic path mastered by the Crimson Prayer Society, or the Crimson Feast. Bishop Closel was a real vampire, a gift from the Night Mother.

Closel laughed, very satisfied with the answer. He took a sip of the red wine in the glass and asked casually, "How is the task I asked you to do going?"

There is no comparison between the two types of vampires.

Just crawling in front of him, Fei Yali felt the blood in her body boiling and surging, almost leaving her blood vessels and merging into a dirty vortex. This was proof that her life was controlled by others. Once the bishop had the intention to kill her, she would not have any strength to resist.

Fortunately, Bishop Closel did not seem to care about her presumptuous behavior. He just nodded slightly and said, "It is indeed a good idea to use newspaper propaganda to guide public opinion. You have done a good job. I don't actually object to you exercising your subjective initiative. Only in this way can humans be distinguished from mechanical creations. The only requirement is that you don't do stupid things like that guy Virol." The guy who tried to use the blood of cattle and horses instead of flesh and blood sacrifices had already reserved the right to clean toilets in the most remote parish for life, which would be implemented after this negotiation.

call.

Fiyali breathed a sigh of relief, glad that her selfishness was not discovered by the bishop.

But in fact, Closel knew her little thoughts very well, but he didn't expose them. The bishop who was well versed in human nature knew that not everything had to be traced to the bottom, unless it involved his own career.

He ignored Fialli who was still crawling on the carpet, and turned his gaze to the joyful feast below. The ease just now disappeared from his brows, and there was only deep thought: If it is as Fialli said, then the so-called Tianxin Church is not only not a threat, but can become a sharp blade stabbing the united church, helping them to gain an advantageous position in this negotiation.

But why did he always have a vague sense of foreboding in his heart?
***
Smooth and dust-free feet gently stepped across the field at midnight. The spires of the floating ruins loomed in the night, like a giant beast slowly cruising in the depths of the fog, giving people a sense of oppression.

The girl leading the sheep stopped in the shadow of one of the ruins. When she looked up, she saw a silver moon like a string.

Her vague memory told her that a long time ago, there were three moons in the sky. But since some time ago, only the silver one remained.

"Not here."

She whispered to her lamb, "Keep looking, it must be near this city."

But the lamb did not move on. Instead, it turned back and bleated twice in embarrassment.

Saint Shallia was startled for a moment, then she realized something seemed to be wrong. She looked back, and in the darkness, the huge image of the city rose like an endless mountain range, with the edges of the buildings staggered and the tops of the towers and pointed arches overlapping, forming a distorted double image. Looking up, through the floating mist, she could see a golden line that ran through the streets and alleys of the city, weaving a huge network that covered the fate of everyone.

A few days ago, Saint Xia Liya followed this web, searching for the familiar breath in her memory. But now, this web...

"Entangled?"

For the first time, the girl showed a surprised expression, seeing that the net was collapsing downward with a certain point as the center, and began to pull the things in the net and fall in the same direction. It is said that the mysterious and strange black holes in the universe will attract celestial bodies, swallow up matter, and create a realm of absolute nothingness. At this moment, this web of fate covering the city is doing the same thing.

There is a singularity, which is the center and source of collapse.

"Let's go back, lamb." Saint Shallia made a prompt decision and pulled the gray rope around the lamb's neck: "We must find that singularity."

This could be the turning point of everything.

A man and a sheep turned around in the night, left the ancient floating ruins, and chased in the direction they came from.

……

same moment.

Tianxin Church, on the second floor, in a narrow and dim room.

"Nice!" Alice excitedly raised the cassette in her hand: "Finally finished!"

　Give me some meow
　　
　
(End of this chapter)