Enforcer Manual
Chapter 385: Believers_1

Chapter 385: Chapter 385: Believers_1

This afternoon, Medea faced complaints for conducting dangerous experiments in the landfill.

To pull Song Lan up from the sofa, the others sent Xinyue.

Reluctantly called to Medea’s lab while recuperating, Song Lan endured Xinyue’s relentless onslaught of pecking at his clothes and clawing at him.

The normally bright and clean lab was now strewn with black blocks, and the wall at the entrance had been peeled away significantly, leaving all sorts of experimental equipment variously damaged. As they entered, Medea was holding a metal cube in her hands, peeling off its exterior in front of everyone, revealing the metal skeleton underneath.

It’s worth noting that the landfill was mainly populated by criminals wanted by the United Government, and experiments considered dangerous by them were rare.

"What are you doing?"

"Researching pollution,"

Medea replied with an assured and matter-of-fact tone.

Pollution was originally a concept proposed by Father Bruno on the website, characterized by its ability to corrupt all objects and living beings, rapidly peeling away their surfaces to expose what lay beneath.

This concept, drawing on the process by which Devourers assimilate matter, lacked substantial scientific basis. However, thanks to the website update, "Big Radish Head," who survived the erosion of the Void, brought back the concept of Medea, the Pollution Master, and she discovered certain changes in her body.

For instance, she could completely corrode objects like the blanket in her hand just by willing it.

This ability matched the description in Father Bruno’s text perfectly, but its efficacy paled in comparison to the powers of the Pollution Master as depicted in the setting. She could only spread contamination through touch, and the contaminated parts did not possess the ability to spread on their own. This was far from the depicted ability to corrode an entire corridor or building at once.

Just now, she had been studying the impact of pollution on materials, but when the experiments reached living organisms, she met with complaints from the others.

"Touching it a bit won’t do any harm."

Medea, looking innocently at Bai Zhu, said they were the best of friends, and she sincerely invited Bai Zhu to volunteer. However, not only did Bai Zhu decline the invitation, but she also lodged a complaint against her.

"I don’t like being touched by others,"

Bai Zhu said from behind Song Lan, "I think the landfill should implement a new regulation to prohibit touching each other!"

"People from the Neutral Country Number Six are really too conservative," Medea said. "Such things are common in companies, you can ask Falena about it sometime."

Unfortunately, Falena had to work overtime for the United Military Industry and rarely appeared at the landfill unless necessary.

It is said that after the incident in Neutral Country Number Four, the United Government’s Spy Master had brought back Wild Bone’s "remains," and the military company had been trying to revive his long-inactive brain recently.

"Are you referring to human experiments or the latter?"

Bai Zhu asked with a shiver and a wary tone.

"Both, it is the year 2166 after all."

...

"We can discuss matters of style later, right now we should talk about something serious— the changes occurring in you are due to your unique talent."

To prevent the two from lingering on the meaningless topic of "touching," Father Bruno, who had heard the news and rushed over, steered the conversation back on track.

This was the fundamental reason he drove the propagation in the Void; the Lunar Eclipse Sect had already provided them with successful experience.

"In the Church, those who can transform believers’ faith into tangible power possess the potential to become the High Priest,"

"I still don’t quite understand; as long as we come up with a random story, and many people believe its reality, the ’settings’ in the story can become real?"

Bai Zhu lacked understanding of such phenomena that contradict the spirit of science.

"Any story, any ability, but whether the faith can be transformed into actual power is another matter,"

Father Bruno said, "Inside the Lunar Eclipse Sect, there is a place called ’Prophecy Hall,’ where only a select few believers are granted the privilege to enter. Once inside, you can inscribe your own story or experiences into the ’Holy Book,’ part of which is collaboratively written by the believers.

"Every day, the ’Holy Book’ is perused by tens of thousands of believers. If they can transform the power of the words into reality during this process, they have passed the first test. We record the names of these individuals and monitor them as potential candidates for the future High Priest."

This was the system established by the Lunar Eclipse Sect over dozens of years.

Priests must not only remain absolutely loyal to the Church but also need to possess a unique charm that convinces others beyond doubt.

Clearly, Medea possessed the potential to become the High Priest.

"The existence of the website itself is akin to a ’Holy Book’ that is constantly being read. Now, many people already believe in the existence of ’Pollution Master Medea,’ but you have only completed the first step,"

Father Bruno surveyed the polluted research lab, "The way to enhance and master this power is not through experimental research, but by letting more people know and believe in the existence of the Pollution Master. It’s clear that your current ’believers’ are still far too few, and the impact of pollution is very limited."

Song Lan was fascinated by what he heard, as Father Bruno had never mentioned the Prophecy Hall and the ’Holy Book’ before.

Deciding the candidates for the High Priest in a manner almost akin to a storytelling contest was something he had not anticipated.

"This path is not as easy as you think."

Father Bruno reminded everyone.

At best, this was only a good start. In the Lunar Eclipse Sect, there had been countless believers who had this kind of beginning, but very few ended up qualified to become the High Priest.

"I understand,"

After Father Bruno finished speaking, Song Lan already had a corresponding plan in mind, "Which means we should progress the version of ’Legacy of the Void’ to ’Legacy of the Void 1.1 Shadow of the Polluter’... Medea, prepare yourself; there might be new work tonight."

The difference in identity also brought decisive changes in propagation.

A single broadcast by Oberna convinced most residents of the United Government of the Void’s existence overnight, which directly made the Devourer’s consciousness strong enough to cover every corner of District Seventeen.

But "Big Radish Head" was a bit less effective.

Firstly, not many people online knew his identity, and many doubted the reliability of the news he brought from the Void.

"Big Radish Head"’s online behavior of wantonly insulting others and challenging them to fights was still fresh in everyone’s mind.

Everyone was a keyboard warrior; why should you be the only one to escape the Void’s corruption with your life intact?

With this in mind, Song Lan said, "Medea, you need to meet with Fengling in person."