Chapter 363

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Protagonist:

Lin En

Lena

The State Religion chapel aboard the James Tong was forever permeated with the heavy scent of incense and wax.

Stained glass cut the starlight outside the porthole into mottled patches of color, which fell upon the golden Emperor's Holy Image, lending that majestic visage a few more degrees of solemn mystery.

Candle flames swayed before the altar, and the choir's deep chanting drifted and echoed beneath the vaulted ceiling, causing one's heart and mind to involuntarily grow still.

Bishop Wenka stood beside the altar, watching as Dominic placed the envelope and ring upon the holy table covered in white cloth, his brow knotted into a tight frown.

"Major General Adult, do you suspect this item has been tainted by Chaos Corruption?"

"Better safe than sorry." Dominic stood beside the holy water font, letting the icy holy water pour over the back of his hand.

"A letter of unknown origin, a ring of unknown provenance — one cannot simply put it on one's hand without caution." Dominic thought to himself.

Although Bishop Wenka was quite displeased with Dominic's previous attitude of protecting Lin En, when it came to identifying heretical corruption, he was never ambiguous.

He picked up the sapphire ring, first rinsing it three times with holy water, then holding it above the holy candle's flame and slowly rotating it, chanting Purification Prayers under his breath.

The pale gold candle flame burned steadily, showing no sign of the item spontaneously combusting, nor any distortion or sign of extinguishing.

"No traces of Chaos Corruption." Bishop Wenka set down the ring, his tone carrying a hint of disappointment mixed with a measure of relief.

"At least from the perspective of divine arts, it is clean."

Dominic then had the ship's Mechanical Priest summoned.

That priest, clad in a red-brown gown, cradled a bulky scanner and ran the ring under its probe for three full scans.

Strings of complex data jumped across the humming instrument's screen.

"Adult, this is a Psychic Shielding Device." The Mechanical Priest's electronic voice carried a metallic texture.

"Its principle is similar to the Silent Sisters' Anti-Psychic Ability Field, but its effective range is very small, covering only the wearer themself."

"Once worn, ordinary Spirit Energy Users' perception and Psychic Scans will simply 'slide past' the wearer, unable to lock on or probe."

"Are there any surveillance, eavesdropping devices, or toxins?" Dominic asked.

"No relevant structures detected." The Mechanical Priest shook his head.

"The core is a single refined Psychic Shielding Crystal. The craftsmanship... doesn't much resemble Imperial standard issue; it's more like a Xenos technology product, but it possesses no harmful properties."

Dominic picked up the ring, re-examining that sapphire.

The other party had gone to such great lengths to send a harmless Psychic Shielding Ring, merely so he could silently infiltrate the Bottom City to see the so-called "truth"?

No poison, no traps, and even their identity was concealed airtight — it didn't look at all like they were out to get him.

Heh, how interesting.

He slipped the ring onto the middle finger of his right hand.

An icy sensation instantly spread through his entire arm, and those faint, barely-there Psyker Fluctuations in the surrounding air.

For instance, the priests' weak prayer Spirit Energy in the chapel, or the residual ripples from the psychic communicators on the distant Bridge.

All of it seemed to hit an invisible barrier and flow around him.

As if, from a psychic perspective, his whole person had "disappeared."

The corner of Dominic's mouth curled into a faintly interested arc.

He wanted to see just what ghosts lay hidden in Brevis's Bottom City.

……

That night, as per years of habit, it was time for Dominic to conduct his family prayers.

This habit had persisted since his first day of enlistment; even on the fiercest battlefields, when the hour came he would find a quiet corner and silently recite the family's Prayer Words.

This is the tradition of most Imperial Noble Faction families; the more powerful and ancient the family, the more they value the inheritance of their line.

Everyone in the fleet knew that during the Major General Adult's eight hours of prayer, unless the sky fell, no one was permitted to disturb him.

This time was no exception.

But Dominic had already changed into an Imperial Ministry of Military Provisions Lieutenant Colonel's Uniform.

Ordinary gray military attire, bearing no general's insignia, with a simple biomimetic face mask pasted on to conceal his overly distinctive facial contours.

Standing in a crowd, he was just an utterly unremarkable middle-level officer.

Behind him followed two figures in dark cloaks — two Silent Sisters.

They belonged to the Black Ship's reconnaissance team, skilled in stealth and identification, and could also protect his safety.

The three of them blended into a Valkyrie Airship routinely bound for the Main Hive's Middle Level to procure supplies, and as the altitude gradually dropped, the scenery outside the window transformed bit by bit.

From the Upper City's Gilded Spires and clean streets, to the Middle City's dense pipes and roaring factories.

The scent of incense and disinfectant in the air was gradually replaced by the smell of oil fumes.

The airship stopped at the Middle City's cargo port; the three of them disembarked with the flow of people and descended along dilapidated stairs, ever downward.

The deeper they went into the Bottom City, the murkier the air grew; the stench of rot and sulfur grew heavier, and the clamor in their ears grew ever more noisy.

Hawkers' cries, quarrels, distant sirens — all mixed together, composing the Bottom City's unique chaotic symphony.

Dominic frowned slightly. He had fought countless battles, seen countless bloody battlefields.

Yet the Bottom City's deep-in-the-bones oppression and filth still made him feel discomfort.

This place was like a massive tumor, growing beneath the Nest Capital's glorious bright shell, silently rotting, breeding sin and heresy.

But he sighed, also knowing that this was the true foundation hidden beneath the Empire's splendid exterior.

……

When Dominic received the mysterious letter, inside the Governor's Office.

Lin En sat in the main seat, Butcher stood opposite him, reporting the latest situation with a grave expression.

"Adult, the situation at Starport is more severe than Expected." Butcher's voice was low.

"The State Religion representatives aboard the Tithe ships, Bishop Cavan's people have already arrested hundreds of Suspected Believer Recruits, and the content interrogated out is increasing."

"Rumors about the Purge Plague Sect have already spread throughout the entire Starport District."

"There are even people deliberately spreading news, saying... saying the Purge Plague Sect is secretly supported by the Governor's Mansion."

Lin En listened halfway through, and his mind roughly had a decision.

"Luna."

He lightly spat out this name, his Tone without a shred of surprise.

Butcher froze for a moment: "You mean, the Saint Galus Family's Regent King?"

"Besides her, who else could it be." Lin En stood up, picked up a cup of coffee and took a sip.

"After Kal II she disappeared without a trace for so long, I thought she had shrunk back to lick her wounds, Unexpected she held back such a vicious scheme."

This is too in line with Old T's style.

Not directly acting, not frontal Conflict, hiding in the Shadow manipulating pieces, using the most insidious way to pry your foundation, letting you fall into the Trap yourself.

But Lin En at a glance still saw through the other party's thoughts.

The Purge Plague Sect's Core is Gene Thief, this is his Largest weakness.

Luna doesn't need to produce ironclad evidence, only needs to plant the thought "Purge Plague Sect connected to Governor's Mansion" in Dominic's heart.

Then step by step Guide him to discover the non-human characteristics in the Sect, Dominic himself will follow the vine to the melon, investigating onto Gene Thief.

At that time, the charge of "Governor Kerry colluding with Xenos, privately establishing a Cult, exploiting Imperial subjects" will be pinned dead on his head.

Dominic even if he appreciates his ability more, before Empire Law and Xenos Taboo, absolutely will not go soft.

This is still only the most basic, if Dominic continues to investigate deeply, discovers his own Connection with And Lena......

At that time even if he wants to flee, afraid Empire also won't easily let him go.

More vicious is, this is an open scheme.

If he immediately withdraws the Purge Plague Sect, Abandons Gene Thief's screening Efficiency, three billion healthy Soldier Source simply impossible to gather on time.

Tithe cannot be paid, he this Governor also cannot continue, all previous Layouts will come to nothing.

But if continues using, must risk exposure risk, being led by the nose by Luna step by step, finally revealing true colors before Dominic.

Pinching precisely, is his thought of still wanting to continue playing this "Governor Roleplay Game".