"My Lord, that's what Lady Otilia said."
"What do you think?" Qi Ji walked side by side with her.
"Lady Otilia hinted that I should not interfere with her arrangements." Hill shook the document with the "Pure White Gate" logo in his hand:
"I think her actual plan is definitely not as simple as simply expanding the territory...but I'm not sure what her plan is."
"So what are your plans next?"
Qi Ji said casually.
When Hill was talking to Otilia just now, Hill followed her own instructions and did not tell anyone about her existence, so now in Otilia's eyes, she, the messenger of the "real creator", is still out of contact.
"I……"
Hill stared down at the voucher, thinking hesitantly:
“To be honest, I’m not sure.
“With my current status, I am not qualified to interfere with the will of the Pope. Moreover, I do not have a good grasp of the divine power you bestowed upon me. It is difficult for me to play a key role in combat.
"If I act rashly now, I might end up causing trouble for everyone."
She did not explain her current "flame" divine aggregate in her communication with Otilia. This was not Qi Ji's request, but Hill's own decision, and she didn't know what she thought.
"so?"
"So... Master 105, I have decided to follow the instructions of Master Otilia and return to the headquarters to practice with peace of mind. When the day comes when I am strong enough, I will..."
Hill paused, his tone became heavier, and his eyes showed determination:
“Contribute to the Last Kingdom again!
"I don't know what Lady Otilia's true intention is, but it doesn't matter. What matters is what I can do."
"It doesn't matter..." Qi Ji nodded slightly, but didn't say much. He smiled and said:
"Then I'll give you another push."
"Huh?" Hill tilted his head in confusion.
Qi Ji didn't explain and just snapped his fingers.
Suddenly, a picture of information like a scroll unfolded in Hill's mind!
"This is a contract, and it is also the grace bestowed upon us by our Lord."
Chapter 505 Mysterious Code
I accidentally made this chapter late...but it will still be counted as the update on the 17th.
====================
"Whisper of the Void: Wisdom...
"The world's evil: violence...
"The instrument of desire...
"The end of reincarnation, the end..."
At the same moment when the crisp snap of fingers bloomed at Qi Ji's fingertips, four messages with extraordinary charm unfolded in Hill's vision.
At the same time, Hill, who had traded with the "True Creator" many times, also understood what Qi Ji meant:
"Is this... some kind of deal like before?"
According to the character shown by the "True Creator" in the past, no matter which "contract" she chooses, she will gain unprecedented powerful strength.
But along with it comes a price that is, in a sense, "equivalent".
Although the "True Creator" has always been generous in terms of "price", every transaction basically makes Hill feel that he has got a great bargain.
This time...I guess it's about the same.
Hill, who had many experiences, was not too surprised. His mind quickly calmed down and he examined the specific contents of the four "contracts" unfolding in his field of vision.
"Well, no matter which one, the explanation below is quite... obscure and profound. I can only say that it is worthy of the handwriting of the gods. It is indeed difficult for mortals like us to understand...
"But fortunately, each 'contract' has relatively easy-to-understand annotations behind it."
105 did not specify a time limit, but facing such a solemn and important occasion, Hill did not dare to neglect it. His brain worked rapidly, and he considered the pros and cons of each option as quickly as possible:
"Although the explanations under each 'contract' are very obscure, we can roughly see that the one who provides the signatory with abilities is some hidden existence with consciousness?
"The first one is Whisper of the Void... The label is 'wisdom'. From the literal meaning, after signing, will a hidden great being continue to transmit knowledge to me?
"It sounds good, but I don't know if that hidden being is the real Creator or some other great being... This is very dangerous. If that hidden being harbors even the slightest bit of malice, it will be very troublesome."
Today, Hill is no longer the naive person who was open-minded to almost any gift.
When faced with "choices", she also learned to consider the pros and cons from both sides first, and focus on thinking about the worst side and making prudent decisions.
Apart from the "True Creator" himself and the great "Pure White Gate", the long-time protector of the Last Kingdom, she would no longer trust other great beings unreservedly.
"Let's take a look at the latter part first... 'World Ghoul', marked as 'violence', obviously it is likely to allow me to obtain extremely powerful attack and destructive spiritual power.
"As for the risks and costs... well, the secret existence that provides this powerful violence is not very friendly...
"The third one is the 'Instrument of Desire' marked as 'Desire'. It seems to be some kind of ability that can directly create material resources? If so, it would be a very valuable ability for the resource-poor Last Country.
"But what is the price for such an intuitive and direct gift? This is a question that deserves more consideration than the benefits..."
His eyes scanned the first three items one by one, and finally stopped at the last contract - "The End of the Reincarnation":
"The End... Both the label and the description are vague, and there is no meaningful information at all... I will rule this out first."
Hill stopped, lowered his head and frowned in thought.
"I made a decision."
About a minute or two later, she suddenly raised her head and looked at Qi Ji without any hesitation or confusion in her eyes.
She said in a very serious tone:
"Whisper of the Void... that's it."
"as you wish."
Qi Ji said lightly, and then the picture-like scene disappeared from Hill's mind, and everything returned to normal:
"The contract has been signed, and the price will be collected later."
“…Done?”
Hill calmed down his mind with a little suspicion, and focused his attention on his own body and mind. After a while, he realized... it seemed that there was a hint of mumbling secret language, echoing in his ears?
She listened attentively, trying to hear what the whispers were saying.
But no matter how hard I concentrated, it felt like there was a ball of thick cotton in my ears. I could only hear intermittent and unclear syllables, and couldn't make out any meaning.
When she listened for a long time, she would feel dizzy for no apparent reason, and her mind became confused and muddled, so that she dared not pay attention to the mysterious whispers anymore.
"It will take some time to adapt and practice." Qi Ji glanced at her and asked:
"Can you tell me why you chose it?"
"Well, sir, I mainly feel that I have already received your gift of divine fire. Before I have fully mastered it, choosing abilities related to strength... is too greedy.
"Moreover, with my limited supernatural knowledge, I am putting too many irrelevant powerful energies into my body and spirit without concentrating on studying and digesting one of them. This is an extremely aggressive and risky behavior. If something goes wrong..."
Hill patted the divine flame hidden in his arms and said thoughtfully:
"The most optimistic outcome would be that I would go crazy. So I thought, instead of choosing an extra powerful force, I would choose an ability that can further assist and consolidate the power I already have.
"Combined with my current reality, whether it is the 'Mage' system or the divine fire bestowed upon me by the 'True Creator', if I want to speed up the process and efficiency of digestion and mastery, 'knowledge' and 'wisdom' are likely to be very effective.
"So... I chose 'Whisper of the Void'. I think this is the most suitable contract for me."
After listening to her analysis and judgment, Qi Ji did not respond, but nodded slightly approvingly and said:
"So you are planning to go back to the headquarters directly now?"
"Well, with the certificate given to me by Lady Otilia, this camp will arrange someone to escort me back... although with my current strength, it's not really necessary."
Hill couldn't help but puff out his chest with pride.
"Good luck to you then."
Hearing Qi Ji's words, Hill looked at him strangely, hesitated for a while and said uncertainly:
"Sir...I feel like you're about to leave."
"I will indeed disappear from your sight for a while," Qi Ji did not deny and shrugged, "You don't have to think too much about it, it's just that I need to...deal with some other situations."
Seeing that her guess had come true, Hill immediately showed a look of reluctance and worry, but she did not get angry to keep him. She just nodded and said in a slightly depressed voice:
"Is this... the will of the 'True Creator'?"
"...Of course." Qi Ji said guiltily.
She immediately changed the subject:
"I have already given you all the grace bestowed by my Lord. As for me, there are basically no more enemies who can help you.
“The Last Kingdom is your kingdom, your homeland. Its future and direction… ultimately, will be in your hands and yours.
"Whether it's me or my Lord, we can only be an external force that intervenes occasionally, a temporary pusher. At the real decisive moment... we are not qualified to interfere."
After hearing her words that seemed to be quite meaningful, Hill seemed to understand something and figured something out, and his expression was relieved:
"...I understand. Thank you, Master 105. I have seen the way forward clearly. I will no longer be confused. We will meet in the future."
Qi Ji smiled, looked up at the gray, lead-black clouds, and let out a long breath:
“May we meet in a place where there is no darkness.”
Hill was stunned for a moment, his pupils suddenly contracted, and he remained silent for a long time.
After a long silence, she nodded gently, her lips moved slightly, and she repeated the words:
“May we meet in a place where there is no darkness.”
At this moment, her tone, her eyes, and her expression were more resolute than ever before.
Chapter 506: Shortage
Chapter 2 will be updated later.
===================
As the sky gradually darkened, the gray field, which already had little light, gradually fell into darkness where it was difficult to see anything.
The dilapidated and deserted ruins of the city are brightly lit.
This ruin, abandoned for at least fifty years, is now full of life again. Military tents are dotted in the streets and open spaces, and people are walking hurriedly.
Strong workers carried all kinds of equipment and building materials and transported them to various locations in an orderly and regular manner. The burly craftsmen directed the construction in the ruins without stopping, building one wooden house and scaffolding after another.
In full swing.
And all of this revolves around the huge and daunting abyss in the center of the ruins.
"Great Elder, the third group of personnel has arrived. However, they were attacked by evil spirits on the way and suffered some casualties. They may need to rest and recuperate for a while before they can go back to work."
In a wooden house near the entrance to the "Abyss", the commander in charge of the on-site work held a document and handed it to the person in front of him with both hands:
"Here is the personnel list and route details, please take a look."
In front of him was Julian, the final Grand Elder of the Church. This middle-aged man in a black robe with a harsh and gloomy face took the document with one hand, and quickly scanned it with his eyes filled with thick haze, and said in a cold voice:
"We agreed to have 48 strong workers and 12 senior craftsmen, but how come there are only 40 people in total? There are only eight craftsmen, and two of them are mid-level craftsmen. It's a huge reduction."
"Uh... Great Elder, I'm sorry I'm incompetent..."
His words were as cold as frost, and it was hard to tell what his tone was, but the commander could still clearly sense the elder's anxiety. He lowered his head in embarrassment and said ashamedly:
"But there is nothing we can do about it. As you know, the Pope's plan to launch an expedition to open up the 'resting place' will require a huge amount of manpower and resources.
"A large number of human resources of the Last Kingdom have been transferred to Camp No. 19 along with His Holiness the Pope. These people are the result of our efforts to obtain them from the Last Church..."
Julian remained silent, his eyes becoming even colder, but he did not embarrass the commander. After putting away the report, he was silent for a moment, then said in a hoarse voice:
"Oti...what's the status of the Pope's expedition plan?"
