Communication

"Mother..."

After running a short distance, Lin hid in a cave, hugging her arms as she began to tremble.

Her nighttime hunting was more like an instinctual thirst; even though her body had grown, she was essentially still a child forced to mature prematurely.

"I'm so scared..."

Lin thought again about that night. She gazed at the moon and, inexplicably, thought of her mother.

Then, some strange knowledge appeared in her mind, accompanied by an intense thirst.

Driven by this thirst, she went out at night and attacked the members of the Black Sun Cult.

In the little girl's heart, there was also resentment towards those cultists.

After all, they had sacrificed her Aunt Shu!

In the end, things became like this.

The terror of the High Priest made her feel like she would be killed on sight, so she didn't hesitate to leave a decoy behind while she, now fully grown, escaped.

After a while of fear, Lin began to draw a ritual track in the ground.

Even though she lacked the candles, essential oils, and standard procedures required for the ritual, she still began to pray: "I beseech the gods... or any unknown entities wandering in the void, please help me..."

"This ritual, the track is not standard, and the prayer is extremely flawed... the subject is unclear. Did the existence on the moon not tell Lin its revered name? Oh... right, an entity like that, just one glance would doom Lin. She only sensed a sliver of its brilliance. No wonder the ritual is so incomplete, clearly due to fragmented knowledge."

Alan commented slowly from the side: "This girl, is she already half-mad?"

Suddenly, a faint echo seemed to ring in his ear.

It was so indistinct and faint that it was almost impossible to hear if not focused.

"Unknown entity wandering in the void... please help me..."

Alan's expression changed: "I heard it... a prayer? This ritual is directed at me? No... it's a matter of range, isn't it? I should have figured this out sooner!"

He was elated, realizing there must be no shortage of lunatics conducting rituals to unknown entities. The reason he hadn't received any signals was because he was too weak, with too narrow a reception range.

Now, a vague-directed ritual appeared right in front of him!

Alan could feel that, along with the thoughts he received, a link of some sort was established.

From a new perspective, he examined the girl before him.

In his 'view,' the girl's entire body was filled with a flowing crimson; in terms of mysterious fluctuations, it even surpassed that of an ordinary Burning Child!

However, this flowing crimson completely enveloped the girl's brain and was continually trying to penetrate deeper.

"The connection is established, what can I do now?"

Alan pondered: "Hmm, I have today's unit of mysterious energy for Dream Entry... one-third used for movement, one-third for storage, and the remaining third for strengthening myself. Maybe I can try something."

...

Lin was instinctively trying to pray.

Moreover, she actually wanted to add the revered name of 'Mother.'

But before she could speak, she felt an ethereal connection being established.

The world before her turned into a kaleidoscope of dazzling colors.

Amid the myriad shards of light, a terrifying gaze emerged.

Just a single glance was enough to make Lin collapse to the ground, unable to withstand it.

Moreover, one crack after another appeared on her body, expelling embryonic blood meat that hadn't fully formed.

"Ugh!"

Lin couldn't bear it anymore and started to vomit. Among the vomit were strange blood-colored insects, struggling as if they were fish out of water.

Her body continually shrank, reverting to her previous form as a little girl, with the crimson in her eyes gradually dissipating.

"What... what have I done?!"

Lin murmured to herself, terror filling her eyes.

...

'Hmm? It seems my mysterious energy washed away her pollution and madness?'

Alan could see that Lin still had crimson within her, but it had become incredibly pure, devoid of the previous repulsive writhing sensation.

He thought for a moment and then mockingly said through the connection, "I purified her gift. I imagine you wouldn't want to start bearing countless offspring at such a young age, right?"

Lin froze. She heard this voice directly in her mind, making her entire body tremble: "You... who are you, the entity in the void?"

She realized that her earlier ritual had truly summoned an unknown entity.

"Finally, this opportunity has come!"

Alan was excited but sighed, "You can call me —— the Spirit of Illusion Wandering in the Unknown, Absolute Neutrality Existence, the Silent Observer!"

He wanted to directly say he was the Creator above all creators, the source of all mysteries. But he realized that would be too boastful, and if he were noticed by those from the Black Sun, his current weak form wouldn't stand a chance. So he gave up on that idea.

"Lord Spirit of Illusion, thank you for responding to my plea."

Lin didn't understand how incredible it was for an entity to respond to a ritual and communicate.

After all, she was just a child and lacked significant knowledge of the occult.

"You seem to be in trouble..."

Alan spoke in a very calm tone.

"Yes, I am being hunted by the Black Sun Cult..." Lin lowered her head, her tone full of longing.

"I am an absolute neutral observer, and I won't help you actively unless... we make a deal!"

Alan smiled.

He was interested in the mysterious knowledge Lin possessed.

While manipulating flesh was disgusting, it could at least enrich his knowledge and collection.

Yes, he was so pitiful that he didn't even have the ability to dig out her brain to check her memories directly —— truly a low-tier evil god.

"A deal?"

"Offer a sacrifice that satisfies me, and I will respond to your plea."

Alan said, "Anything tangible or intangible can be a sacrifice, for example... mysterious knowledge!"

"My... my most precious possession is the knowledge about 'Crimson.' I am willing to offer it to you, please help me escape this peril!"

In the moment Lin spoke, Alan's gaze pierced through her body, seeing a crimson light orb.

As his thoughts made slight contact, streams of information emerged in his consciousness:

{ 'Crimson' exists in all living beings, within flesh; it is sweet, with an unforgettable aftertaste... }

{ Method to create flesh puppets: ... }

{ Banquet Ritual: ... }

...

All this could form a fragmented secret scripture on 'Crimson.'

"Not bad!"

Alan glanced at Lin and found that the light orb in her memory had not disappeared. Clearly, the transfer of knowledge hadn't depleted her; she still remembered everything.

"Very good, you have a piece of food, I have a piece of food. After we exchange, we still only have one piece of food. But if you have a piece of knowledge and I have a piece of knowledge, after we exchange, we both have two pieces of knowledge."

Alan retorted in his heart and said, "You can leave now, I will protect you. Remember, do not pray to that existence on the moon, unless you want to have children..."

This is the protection of metaphysics, although he is very reluctant for this sole believer to die, if she gets caught, Alan has no other way...