"What is this?"
Silas looked at the small booklet Ma'am M handed him and asked with a frown.
At this moment, his heart was filled with doubt and wariness. Ma'am M had been hiding in his house all this time, never going out.
Now she had suddenly slipped out in secret, doing who knows what behind his back.
Ever since drinking that bottle of red liquid, her injuries seemed to have stabilized somewhat, allowing her to move around more freely.
"The holy scripture of the Lord."
Ma'am M said, "Read through it, and it will help you digest the 'Listener' potion faster."
You want me to read the evil scripture of the True Creator?
Are you kidding me!
"No need. I think slowly digesting it this way is working just fine."
Silas refused.
During this period, he had been role-playing as a Listener and had used the "listening" ability several times.
Some attempts were active, others passive. For instance, he had thrown caution to the wind and prayed to the Hidden Sage, receiving a massive forced infusion of knowledge, as well as inadvertently hearing what seemed to be the murmurings of the "Primordial Witch" from the bone statue.
Though these experiences were incredibly stimulating, thanks to these evil gods' "blessings," his potion was digesting rapidly.
Once he figured out the key to role-playing as a Listener, perhaps in another two or three months, the potion would be fully digested.
However, Silas had to admit that the Secrets Suppliant pathway was truly insane.
If it weren't for the illusory sound of ocean tides protecting him, he probably would have mentally collapsed under the influence of various hidden voices and lost control, turning into a monster.
But Ma'am M was unwilling to wait.
"I don't think you have the right to refuse."
She said with a smile.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, if you're unwilling, I'll make your sister die."
Ma'am M stated concisely and clearly.
"...!"
Silas's body instantly froze. He watched as she placed the human-skin scripture in his hand and walked toward the coat rack.
Perhaps for the convenience of going out, today Ma'am M wore a masculine black coat and black trousers, giving her a certain charm of a woman in men's clothing.
But when she removed the coat covering her body, the full curves that filled out her white shirt beneath and her slender, taut legs unmistakably displayed her feminine beauty.
Yet her appearance didn't amaze Silas in the slightest. It only made him utterly disgusted.
Ma'am M returned to the sofa, crossed her shapely legs, and folded her hands together. Between her delicate white fingers, that exquisite rose ring was red and lustrous.
"Within one week, finish digesting the 'Listener' potion, then continue advancing."
Her golden eyes scrutinized Silas. "Understand?"
"...I understand."
Silas lowered his gaze.
"Good."
Ma'am M smiled gently. "Then what are you waiting for? Get started."
Silas held the so-called scripture in his hand, walked a few steps, then suddenly said, "Why do you care so much about my advancement?"
Their previous hatred had been as deep as the ocean, yet after Ma'am M came to his house, she had consistently been pushing Silas, intentionally or not, toward higher sequences.
Her reason for controlling his sister seemed to be just to threaten him.
Before this, Ma'am M had already given two reasons, but clearly, both were brushing him off. What exactly about him was she so covetous of?
Was it that ocean tide sound?
Or my inexplicable connection with the True Creator?
A gentle smile appeared on Ma'am M's face. She didn't answer, but lightly tapped the sofa.
"Ugh!"
Intense pain struck from his internal organs. It was the flesh and blood she had left inside Silas's body, continuously inflicting suffering.
Silas immediately collapsed to the ground, his handsome face turning pale. He groaned through clenched teeth, trembling, his fingers gripping the scripture so tightly it creaked.
After a moment, Ma'am M tapped the sofa again. The pain receded like a tide. Silas was completely drained, sweating profusely.
"Pick up the scripture and start reading."
He heard Ma'am M's indifferent voice.
"Alright."
Silas caught his breath, got up, took the scripture, and sat in the corner of the sofa.
Opening the booklet, the pages inside were the same texture as the cover: soft, yellowed, carrying an ancient smell.
Written in ancient Hermes script were poetry-like sentences, content that looked like some kind of religious text praising the greatness of the "Lord."
"Don't read silently. Read it aloud."
Ma'am M was still giving instructions.
She leaned slightly toward Silas, her posture conveying quiet anticipation.
Silas's ear twitched as he heard the sounds coming from her body.
Her wounds were tearing and healing, and compared to when she had just drunk the red liquid, the sounds seemed to have grown louder.
Perhaps her injuries could only be stabilized for a period of time, which was why she was in such a hurry.
Silas formed a theory in his mind.
So does this mean she cares about me so much because she's planning to devour me and obtain a new body?
But that still seemed strange. Logically, the divine envoys of the Aurora Order were all fanatic believers of the True Creator, completely indifferent to their own lives for the sake of the Lord.
In Port Enmat, she had been the very definition of a fanatic believer, but the current version of her didn't seem like that at all.
She hadn't worn white robes in a long time, and hadn't prayed to the True Creator again either.
Thoughts raced through Silas's mind, but he didn't have much time to think. Ma'am M was watching him right now.
He could only steel himself and begin reading the text aloud.
"In the beginning, the Lord returned from chaos..."
Boom!
His head felt like it was exploding, producing a violent sound. Warm liquid quickly flowed from his nose. Without a doubt, he was having another nosebleed.
What the hell is this thing...
Silas thought with lingering fear. He looked up at Ma'am M, only to find she still wore a smile on her face, watching him.
"Continue."
She said gently but without room for objection.
Damn crazy woman...
Unable to help himself, Silas cursed inwardly. He could only continue from where he had left off, reciting in ancient Hermes:
"The Lord said, there should be brightness in heaven and earth. And so, there was light..."
With every word he read, his brain felt like it was being hammered hard. His vision quickly became blurred, and a constant ringing filled his ears.
However, as he read on, he discovered this seemed to be a story about the Original Creator creating the world.
In this world, there were also creation myths.
After an Original Creator made all things, He transformed into the world itself, the seven gods were born from it, and history began its era.
The Evernight Goddess Church's scripture, the Revelation of Evernight, also contained similar records.
Could this "scripture," seemingly made of human skin, be the Aurora Order's version of history written from their perspective?
But why does this thing cause so much harm? I just read a bit and my head feels like it was hit by a car...
As he read on, Silas's consciousness became somewhat hazy. He felt he was hearing peculiar murmurings, and his vision was gradually being shrouded by hallucinations.