Enforcer Manual
Chapter 290: Do You Believe in the Universe?_1

Chapter 290: Chapter 290: Do You Believe in the Universe?_1

Song Lan hadn’t expected his confession or prayer to turn into an interrogation right off the bat; the room reminded him of an interrogation room in the department. He was the criminal hauled into the station, and sitting across from him was Bruno, the interrogator.

The case began with a theft in a small town of the third country.

Despite passionately defending himself during the interrogation, the suspect argued it was merely normal industry competition. Xinyue, as a freelancer who hadn’t yet signed a labor contract with the third country, had the right to decide the direction of his future work.

During this time, he also pointed out that the overbearing terms of the Lunar Eclipse Sect had provoked Xinyue’s rebellious spirit.

Therefore, it was entirely a reasonable and legal commercial competition, protected by the United Government.

However, the stubborn judge had no intention of listening to any explanation, and without any evidence, classified the case as theft. They believed that even after Xinyue had clearly expressed his disgust, it still belonged to the property of the Lunar Eclipse Sect and the third country, and they found Song Lan guilty.

"See, this is the harm of biased people having the power of judgment."

The interrogation lasted nearly fifteen minutes, far exceeding any previous believer’s prayer.

Song Lan, forcibly declared guilty, could only express his dissatisfaction helplessly.

The Lunar Eclipse Sect’s purpose for this visit was very clear: apart from taking Xinyue back to the third country, they also demanded to know the details of his destruction of the Sky Curtain. If necessary, they would take him back to the Lunar Eclipse Sect for a final verdict because, in their doctrine, the Sky Curtain was the executor of the Moon God’s will, and destroying it was an extremely grave sin.

"Next, you must honestly tell us the details of your destruction of the Sky Curtain, as well as the reasons for your refusal of the Moon God’s guidance."

Song Lan felt that Father Bruno seemed to have fully assumed the role of judge and law enforcer, treating him with an attitude that echoed a judge’s proclamation: "Confess and be lenient, resist and be strict."

Perhaps his identity as Father had accustomed him to this manner of speaking.

"What if I refuse?"

"You have no room to refuse,"

Father Bruno emphasized his tone.

The next moment, the environment around Song Lan changed. The walls, chairs, and partitions all disappeared without a trace, and those floating holographic projections seemingly transported him to the cosmos, where he floated between the stars in an eerie manner.

After conversing with the other party for over twenty minutes, Song Lan saw Father Bruno’s face for the first time.

With a hooked nose, cracked lips, and a sinister gaze, he looked anything but approachable. Dressed in a long black robe, he stood less than a few meters in front of Song Lan.

Rather than resembling a gentle priest, Bruno looked more like a church law enforcer.

But considering the Lunar Eclipse Sect had come all the way from the third country, they surely hadn’t arrived with peaceful communication in mind.

Hallucinatory space.

But unlike the last time, with its small town full of twisted figures, this hallucination space morphed into the depths of space.

In fact, when Song Lan had clashed with Sky Curtain in the third country’s town, he sensed something quite amiss, for as a Psychic, the large eye seemed rather dull. This was reflected not just in its underdeveloped abilities but also in the fact that it had stubbornly waited nearly a month in the town after Xinyue had refused to incubate it.

Nor had it taken action against Doctor Oleg’s team. Judging from the events the night Xinyue hatched, its shelter was by no means sufficient to ward off the hallucination’s invasion if it chose to attack.

Song Lan felt it was more like a pre-designed program than a Psychic or a Devourer.

The interrogation from Bruno earlier had inadvertently answered the questions in Song Lan’s heart. The term he had repeatedly used was "destruction", not "kill", which indicated that in the eyes of the believers of the Lunar Eclipse Sect, Sky Curtain was a tool meant for mass mind control, and operating hallucinations were a function bestowed by the Moon God.

With the same ability to operate hallucinations, Bruno’s dive into space looked far more stylish than the Sky Curtain.

Song Lan tried to control his body and took a step forward.

The step was successful, yet the distance between him and Bruno did not close; in this environment completely alien from Earth, he might as well have been marching in place.

Father Bruno observed Song Lan’s movements and said in an icy tone, "Depending on the extent of your sins, the Moon God will strip away your rights to live one by one until you open your heart completely to the Moon God, starting with your hearing."

In an instant, the world fell silent, with not a hint of noise remaining.

Yet Father Bruno’s words seemed to transcend physical rules, appearing directly in his mind, "Confess your sins to the Moon God, only then can your soul be baptized."

The feeling of deafness did not last long.

When Song Lan attempted to gather Spiritual Energy around his ears, his hearing returned.

He had an epiphany.

Although Father Bruno had orchestrated the event to seem like a trial from the center of the universe, everything ultimately came down to the strength of Spiritual Energy; at least Father Bruno’s psychic abilities were not strong enough to penetrate his defenses.

Based on the fact that his every third word was "Moon God," it was likely that he was not the true possessor of this ability; it was either the Moon God or someone else who had granted him this power to judge those opposed to the Church on behalf of the Church.

For those who could not resist the hallucinations, Father Bruno was akin to a deity.

In this trial, he could easily manipulate the boundaries of time and space and arbitrarily decide life or death for the judged.

This made Song Lan wonder, to what extent had the true possessor of this ability refined it?

"Father, I confess I am guilty."

Song Lan’s response actually took Bruno by surprise. Until now, he had judged countless sinners opposed to the Lunar Eclipse Sect, including some stubborn hardheads, some of whom still wouldn’t open their hearts to the Moon God even after being deprived of breath. When physical punishment could not change the will of the judged, he could only wipe out their existence from the soul with pity and remorse.

Bruno had thought Song Lan would be a tough nut to crack but didn’t expect him to compromise just after losing his hearing.

However, this was also good news.

The Church placed great importance on Xinyue’s uniqueness, and bringing her back to the Third Country was an instruction from the Moon God himself. Compared to Xinyue, the one who had destroyed the Sky Curtain was insignificant.

"One last time, where is Xinyue now?"

"In a safe place. We’ve provided her with a warm home, friendly colleagues, and artificial intelligence that can chat with her 24 hours a day. She is living well now; you can rest assured and let her stay in District Seventeen."

Song Lan’s answer caused Bruno to frown; this was not the answer he wanted to hear.

"Hopeless..."

"If I were you, I would seek a legal resolution to the problem."

Song Lan’s tone was sincere; in fact, he had offered them a peaceful way to resolve the issue from the start.

Let the citizens return to normal, give up the pursuit of Xinyue, withdraw from District Seventeen, and then everyone could have a brighter future.

Regrettably, the autocratic Father Bruno had rejected his suggestion, branding him a criminal and turning a corporate competition into a criminal offense.

"A small problem for the Law Enforcers—when a criminal’s deeds are exposed, what’s their first reaction?"

"What are you saying..."

"It’s to silence the witness."

Father Bruno’s pupils shrank. Just now, there was a brief void in his consciousness, and when that void vanished, Song Lan was no longer in front of him.

The final sentence came from behind him, close at hand.

—"The Sky Curtain you’re so obsessed with was probably destroyed just like this."