Chapter 420: Lack of Imagination
The lips of the girl in white curved up, and her pitch-black eyes were dark like an abyss.
Mu'en wasn't like Boss Lin who would give guidance to others and come up with all sorts of means to sell books and make money. Her task was to spread books, and anyone could read them. If they didn't descend into madness, then they would be someone that Boss Lin had chosen.
But if they became insane, then they weren't qualified to become a follower of Boss Lin and would need to be eliminated as soon as possible. After all, unnecessary people were a waste of resources and might even affect the end game.
Blythe trembled as he observed the girl's smile. Why isn't she following the usual script? Aren't you supposed to take a whole lot before getting to the point? Why are you so straightforward right off the bat?
"Th-thank you, Miss Assistant," Blythe forced a smile. "I'll have this book and bring it back to read."
"Bring it back?" Mu'en's smile disappeared instantly, and she tilted her head to the side. She appeared cute but also, in a sense, vaguely terrifying.
"You can go back," Mu'en said casually, "but I suggest you read it now. After all, if this book isn't suitable for you, I might be able to give you a less challenging one."
Blythe's mouth twitched. He didn't dare to read this book at all. His talent was average, but before he came, he had gotten several white magicians of his family clan to put sigils on him that could help him resist the power of the books.
Blythe really didn't intend to read this book now. His goal was to obtain the book and bring it back to run experiments on it.
"So, it's still better to read it here," Mu'en concluded.
"No, no, no, I'll read it back home. I don't want to disrupt your business here," Blythe quickly declined.
Upon hearing these words, Mu'en paused for a moment before responding, "It won't be a problem, but if you can't handle the book, I will have to take it back. Otherwise, that would really be wasting my time."
"Wasting what time? Miss Assistant, you are really humorous," Blythe pretended to gloss over what she said.
"Time wasted to collect your corpse," Mu'en replied with a deadpan expression, which left Blythe at a loss for words. "After all, I will still have to retrieve the book."
Blythe gulped and felt immense pressure just looking at Mu'en. This was something he had never experienced before. As a member of the adjudication bureau, though having a low status within, he was still a Destructive-rank transcendent being. Before coming here, he had also been buffed by several sigils from white magicians. But right now, he was completely suppressed by Mu'en, and if he were to try to escape, Mu'en could probably kill him with a single blow.
Blythe slowly took the book, recalling the sigils granted to him by the magicians. He closed his eyes, then opened them again—
In his mind, colorful and vibrant illusions appeared, like a rainbow of stained glass. When Blythe gazed at the book, it was as if he was looking through a thick layer of glass.
This thick glass was his insurance policy and his trick to pretend he was reading the book. Blythe finally breathed a sigh of relief, feeling glad that he had made preparations for this beforehand.
Suddenly, he heard a man's voice behind him. "How does it feel?"
Blythe was startled and nearly dropped the book. He turned around in his hazy state and was met with a brilliant glare of light.
"Ahhh!!!" Blythe cried as he fell to the ground.
The one who had spoken merely glanced at Blythe, then ignored him.
"Miss Mu'en, is this the newcomer who has come to undergo the trial?" Vincent asked as he observed Blythe lying on the ground.
Mu'en nodded. "Mr. Vincent, your arrival was quite sudden."
"I was passing by while preaching and came here to pay my respects to you," Vincent replied politely.
Mu'en nodded and eyed Blythe. "Mr. Lin's plan has already been completed. This man is just a pawn sent by the central administration to probe Boss Lin's gospel."
"As expected, you were able to see it right away," Vincent said admiringly.
Mu'en came out from behind the counter, but in Blythe's eyes, all he saw was the glowing light of that book diffusing as a myriad of rainbow colors due to the white magician's sigils acting as a prism.
However, Blythe hadn't expected Vincent, who was akin to a sun-like ball of fire, to suddenly appear. The power of the sun that protected Vincent assaulted Blythe's face, causing his eyeballs to burst. Now there were only two empty sockets, and he lay screaming hoarsely on the ground.
Mu'en squatted beside Blythe, smiling as she observed him.
Blythe gradually calmed down. Anyone beside her would be able to feel the peaceful tranquility of night.
Mu'en moved her hand and gently wiped at his eyes. Like gentle moonlight, she healed Blythe's eyes.
Blythe slowly opened them. At that moment, it was as if he saw the moon. A round moon that existed above the endless stars, with Mu'en's smiling face on it.
"Get up," Mu'en said nonchalantly. In a blank state of mind, Blythe was helped to a seat by Mu'en.
"What's this...?" Vincent asked with a frown. He couldn't help wondering about Mu'en's reason for doing this.
Boss Lin's goal is to eliminate all weak humans; those who can't be selected. This Blythe person can't even look me in the eye, let alone become one of Boss Lin's chosen ones.
"He is from the central administration. Since the central administration wants to investigate Boss Lin's strength and goals, then we'll just make use of them." Mu'en smiled as she gazed at Blythe, who had a vacant expression, and continued to place the book in front of him.
"Did you just give him this book?" Vincent raised an eyebrow when he saw the book, Echo of the Abyss. "It's the scripture written by Boss Lin himself."
Vincent could only lament. Although he very much wanted to read and appreciate it, he knew that this book wasn't for him and he would never touch it.
Since it's the Goddess of the Night's judgment, then perhaps this book belongs to Blythe.
Blythe carefully read the book, and his body started to gradually transform.
"The central administration is underestimating Boss Lin," Mu'en said expressionlessly. "Since that's the case, let's give them a time bomb."
As Mu'en said that, she took out a cup of milk tea from beneath the counter and vigorously shook it, causing the pearl-like black and red eyeballs inside to sway.
Mu'en kindly placed the milk tea that had been specially prepared for Blythe in front of him.
Blythe's inner self was immersed in an indescribable calmness, as if he had returned to the rainy night of his childhood, lying in bed and listening to his mother telling stories...
And the book in front of him, Echo of the Abyss, was like the reverberation of a long and beautiful song from a deep valley.
From Vincent's point of view, after Echo of the Abyss was opened, countless tentacles grew out of it, reaching into Blythe's facial orifices and stirring his brain.
Soon, he will become a puppet of Boss Lin, helping us monitor every move of the central administration.
Vincent revealed a smile. All these blasphemous actions were perhaps due to a lack of imagination.