Chapter 255 Ancient times After Lumian's fireball failed to hit Charlotte, he saw countless branches and vines coming into the Golden Rooster Inn from all directions, covering the walls, floors, windows, and ceilings, with a mixture of brown and green, making it impossible to get through. With such changes, the scene around him suddenly became illusory and then became real. He saw a huge brown-green tree, its roots deeply rooted in the earth and its crown slowly growing towards the sky. Lumian's pupils dilated rapidly as he realized that he had been moved without realizing it, just like every time he entered the "other world" without noticing. He was no longer inside the Golden Rooster Hotel. He was standing on the gnarled tree roots that dotted the ground, looking up at the giant tree that seemed to have come from a myth or legend, and the blue sky and white clouds that looked like an oil painting. The giant tree was covered with disgusting, wet tumors, and each branch seemed to carry a building, a road, and something. The Golden Rooster Hotel is one of them. It is located at the top of a brown-green tree trunk, entangled by a large number of branches and vines, with only a dozen windows exposed. Through the glass windows, Lumian saw the eloped couple cursing at each other and exercising frantically, while the intelligence dealer Anthony Reid was huddled under the wooden table, trembling with fear... On other tree trunks, most of the things wrapped by branches, leaves and vines present a strange sense of blur and haziness, just like watching scenes of drama recorded by the magnetic field through the fog: There were ancient buildings with triangular lintels, gable roofs and leaded windows; there were women holding onto gas lamp posts and being hugged from behind; there were priests standing in front of naked men; there were men jumping out of glass windows while holding their buttocks; there were graceful curves carried on trays to the dining table; there were joyful parties with clothes thrown everywhere; there was an evil beauty who suddenly turned her head and grew two black horns; there was a bishop who was naked from the waist down in front of the holy emblem and accepted the confession of believers...
In different scenes, the architectural styles, characters’ clothing, and hair styles are all different. Some have a strong sense of age, while others seem to have happened yesterday. While Lumian burned the wound to stop the bleeding, he condensed a number of semi-illusory red fire crows behind him. He quickly looked around but failed to find Franka. Franka was not transferred to this place between reality and fantasy! On the chaotic street, vendors and pedestrians among the tree roots, branches and vines, some ate the food they sold with big mouthfuls, and did not stop until they vomited. Some pushed down the opposite sex next to them in the street. Some drew out short knives and slashed at their colleagues who had quarreled with them and snatched their seats with red eyes. Some walked to the glass windows on the street in such a chaotic scene, trying to invite themselves in the mirror to dance with a gentlemanly attitude... Outside these streets, pedestrians and carriages passed by normally, and there was nothing unusual to see - the vendors were still hawking their wares, the shops on both sides were all open, and the people walking around seemed to be addicted to the hustle and bustle and were reluctant to leave. What they didn't notice was that no one who entered that area ever came out again. ………… Market Avenue, on the fourth floor of the khaki building that houses the congressman’s office. Hugues Artois looked at the streets not far away, wondering what he was thinking. The red-haired Cassandra looked back at the door and asked with a little curiosity: "What on earth does Susanna of the Blissful Society want to do?" Hugues Artois smiled and said: "They said a lot, but I didn't have enough knowledge, so I didn't understand much. I only remember that they planned to let the underground sacred tree go down to the depths of Trier in the Fourth Epoch, and extend upward to a place called the Star Realm." Cassandra, Rona, Margaret, and Bodo looked at each other and said with doubt and worry: "Will this cause too much trouble? At present, there is still a big gap between our strength and the official Beyonders, so it is best not to conflict with them directly. You may not know this, but I was born in the Soran family and I am very familiar with the official situation. I know how exaggerated and terrifying their strength is. "Everything we did before was done in secret, trying to avoid investigation. If we were to be exposed to the sun, we would most likely be greeted by a saint, a '1' level seal. Above that, there are angels, and '0' level seals." Hugues Artois pressed his right hand down and said with a smile: "Don't worry, they can't implicate us. "I didn't instruct them to do this, and I didn't even give them any hints or help. I just knew their plan in advance and condoned their actions. "The only thing that has anything to do with us is the chemical plant explosion that brought more gifts of decay. But that was because Bono Goodwill misunderstood Rona's meaning and committed an unforgivable crime. As for the various emotions and desires brought about by the accident being exploited and magnified by others, accumulating the nutrients they need like a snowball, what does that have to do with us?" Seeing that the expressions of the team members had relaxed, Hugues Artois left the window and laughed in a low voice: “If they succeed, it means that our cause has taken another solid step forward, and we are one step closer to welcoming the arrival of the great beings. If unfortunately they fail, then we should be more restrained during this period of time and try not to be found in trouble by the extraordinary people of the two major churches. We are still the rulers of the market area.
"Whether they succeed or fail, it is our opportunity. “During the discussion in Congress, I will accuse the Beyonders of the two major churches of being corrupt and mediocre, allowing the cultists to destroy the market area again and again, each time more serious than the last! “I will ask the Eighth Bureau to set up a branch directly in the market area to help the incompetent church Beyonders share the heavy workload. “The Eighth Inning, which has always been keen to expand its power, will certainly support me in doing so. “By then, there will be three different official forces coexisting in the market area, and there will be many conflicts among them, which will be more conducive to our work. “Compared to the orthodox Beyonders of the two major churches, the people of the Eighth Bureau are the type that can be won over, corrupted, and induced to change their beliefs little by little. "This is my plan. In the long run, victory will belong to us!" Secretary Rona, who was wearing gold-rimmed glasses and had her hair neatly combed back, laughed: “This is what I do best.” To win over, erode and corrupt an organization will gradually decline and degenerate. Hugues Artois adjusted his tuxedo and bow tie, walked towards the office door, and prepared to go to the banquet hall. Before leaving, he looked around, his eyes moving from the faces of Cassandra, Rhone, Baudois and Margaret, feeling extremely confident and determined. These four subordinates all have extraordinary abilities. The red-haired Cassandra is particularly strong, which makes him feel safe. And outside the door, near the stairs, there was a team of official Beyonders responsible for protecting him. ——Not every member of Congress can be protected by a three-person team. Some members of Congress are powerful Extraordinary People themselves, some are of noble birth and have their own extraordinary bodyguards, and some have a certain strength and only need to provide an Extraordinary People to follow them to ensure their safety. Only people like Hugues Artois who have neither Extraordinary abilities nor family support need this level of protection. According to regulations, the Church of the Eternal Sun, the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery and the Eighth Bureau will take turns sending a three-person team to protect Hugues Artois' safety. Today it is the turn of the Church of the Eternal Sun. In addition to the extraordinary level, there are ten well-trained professional security personnel armed with guns in the entire building. They are all from the Seventh Bureau of the Intis Intelligence and Homeland Security Committee, also known as the Special Duties Bureau, and are responsible for providing basic protection for members of Congress and senior government officials. Hugues Artois stood at the door, waiting for his secretary Rhone to open the door, then he walked out with a smile on his face, his head slightly raised, his chest puffed out, and went down the stairs. ………… On the land covered with gnarled tree roots. Surrounded by half-illusory fire crows, Lumien once again saw Charlotte Calvino, the heroine of the Old Dovecote Theatre. She strolled among the imaginary scenes of different tree trunks in a performative spirit, sometimes wearing a corseted long skirt and an old-fashioned bun, sometimes wearing a tight skirt, a small jacket and long boots as is currently popular, and sometimes she seemed to have returned to the reign of the Sauron royal family, taking pride in her masculine dress, which was completely in line with the corresponding background. During this process, whenever she left a certain illusory scene covered by mist, she would appear in another place, as if she was walking through Trier in different eras. Under the dim light of the gas street lamps, Charlotte smiled at Lumien: "You should feel honored. You are the first heretic to enter the sacred tree and become one with it." The scarlet fire crows around Lumian remained silent because Charlotte kept flashing in and out of different illusory scenes, "changing" into different costumes. Her voice came from everywhere, combining into words. Lumian had quietly put on black gloves, put his right palm in his pocket, and tightly grasped Mr. K's fingers. Charlotte introduced herself with an aria, as if nothing else would satisfy her inner desire: "This 'Shadow Tree' was planted here, underground, before the current Trier was built. "It nourished the people of Trier with joy. With the help of the demon family and the devout believers, the atmosphere here gradually evolved in the direction that the gods wanted to see. The people of Trier did not disappoint it. Depravity and enjoyment are human nature. Year after year, they watered it with all kinds of excessive desires and provided it with nutrients.
“More than a thousand years have passed. Although Trier has not yet developed into the expected form, where pleasure is supreme and people indulge themselves to death, it has taken shape to a certain extent. The growth of the sacred tree has reached a critical moment. "Under this situation, pure desires and emotions can no longer play a major role and can only serve as firewood. We need a sacrifice, a sacrifice of sufficient weight, and you, who have angel-level pollution but lack the matching power, are the best choice!" Hearing this, Lumian was startled and his pupils dilated instantly, as if he wanted to see Charlotte's appearance clearly. Does she know that the power of fate is sealed in me? Charlotte smiled. "When High Priest Susanna was summoned by you for the first time, she discovered that you had the terrifying power of an angel sealed in your body and she didn't dare to attach herself to you. She wanted to kill you afterwards, but not just for Charlie!" (End of this chapter)