Joining

"This is... the ability to heal injuries by forming a chrysalis?"

Lin had a strong ability to accept various mysteries and quickly deduced the gist of it.

She took a step forward, looking at the large chrysalis with a pleased smile on her face.

"Great, this person is fine, the Lord's oracle can still be fulfilled..."

She saw that inside the Chrysalis, there seemed to be some kind of light source, casting a human-shaped shadow that vaguely appeared female. She looked like an embryo, arms hugging her curled-up legs, as if a fetus in the womb.

But as the heartbeat grew louder, from behind the dark shadow, it seemed as if endless dark shadows were writhing and rapidly expanding... transforming into... a pair of deformed wings?

The human shape also became strange, with elongated mouthparts, a distorted body, as if evolving into some kind of insect...

"This isn't good... This is... pollution?"

Lin's expression turned grave. She knew this was the result of the other party's severe injuries making it impossible to maintain sanity, transforming into a monster.

In fact, Olivia's transformation was also related to overextending her spirituality and performing rituals earlier.

If this continued, the one breaking out of the Chrysalis would definitely not be her.

"So that's it; the Lord had already seen everything. This is the true meaning of soul salvation?"

Lin suddenly understood: "She has been attracted by the terror at the end of her path, deeply entranced by the abyss. Only the Lord's brilliance can bring her redemption..."

She knew what she had to do.

Lin immediately started arranging a ritual, praying to the Spirit of Delusion:

"You who wander the unknown, Spirit of Delusion, absolutely neutral being, silent observer..."

"Please grant your gift, save this lost soul before me!"

...

"Can I say that this wasn't my plan, that I just ran a little slower, so I almost missed it?"

Alan Sothos muttered to himself, accepting the ritual.

He looked at the giant Chrysalis in front of him, also deeply shocked, but still mobilized the mystical energy generated by his Dream Entry, pouring it into the Chrysalis.

"Thank the Lord!"

Lin felt this change, looking towards the illuminated Chrysalis. She saw the hideous dark shadow gradually fade away, returning to a human form.

Rip!

The gray Chrysalis shell was torn open, and the naked Olivia struggled to step out. Seeing Lin, her face showed a slight blush but more surprise: "That is..."

"Fortunate one, you have received the Lord's grace, obtaining His salvation..."

Lin glanced at Olivia, casually pulled a piece of clothing from a corpse on the ground, and threw it over: "Put on the clothes first, I will explain everything to you slowly."

A moment later, in a department store.

"So... you were inspired by a being, established the Light of Salvation, and received an oracle to save me?"

Olivia said in surprise: "What kind of benevolent being is that? To show mercy to an ant like me... No... Would such a being even communicate with mortals? [Chrysalis] never communicates with its followers, not even the highest level 'Chrysalis Person'. Rumor has it that anyone who truly sees [Chrysalis], whether they are a follower or not, dies!"

"[Chrysalis]? 'Chrysalis Person'?"

Alan was a bit puzzled. Then Lin asked directly: "What is [Chrysalis]?"

"It is the master of the 'pupa' element, a symbol of life and change..."

Olivia's expression became exceedingly complex: "I come from the southern forests, where many worship [Chrysalis]. They call themselves 'Chrysalis People' and have established a cult called '荒木之芜' (The Arid Wood of the Wild)... Many people underwent terrible changes in character after joining, and after several metamorphoses, some even became non-human... I didn't want to stay any longer, so I traveled far away..."

Lin suddenly thought of the fanatics of the Black Sun Cult, and the high priest who transformed into a black flame beast, gaining sudden insight: "The path of the mysterious is too dangerous, accompanied by madness and terror at every moment. Regardless of the path one takes, only under the Lord's protection can one maintain humanity. Praise the Lord!"

"May I be fortunate enough to hear His holy name?"

Olivia solemnly asked: "Originally, after leaving the cult, my hallucinations and some symptoms had become very severe. But after receiving that one's grace, I feel completely healed. I want to understand that one's doctrines, and... Will He accept a follower like me from [Chrysalis]?"

"Of course, the Lord accepts all."

Lin's eyes brightened, immediately beginning to preach: "He stands at the pinnacle of the realm of light, as the Light of Salvation, the only hope for humanity!"

'Hey, hey, I only told you I'm a spirit! Just a spirit! Don't arbitrarily add all these strange things!'

Alan listened on the side, feeling incredibly awkward.

Especially since Lin self-assertively granted herself so many powers, salvation, protection... He hadn't agreed to any of that!

"Forget it, at least I didn't acknowledge it... Besides... A 'pupa' huh?"

Alan consoled himself. In addition to that, he was quite interested in the new element and path that emerged.

"I have to think of a way to get Olivia's secret knowledge, no... an exchange! An exchange!"

"But, life and change, doesn't it overlap with '赤' (Scarlet) a bit? No, 'Scarlet' leans more towards reproduction and vitality... Moreover, 'pupa' gives me a sense of stubbornness, conservatism, and unchanging..."

He watched as Olivia was swayed by Lin, becoming a member of the Light of Salvation.

This was quite normal.

As long as Olivia wanted to continue on the path of the mysterious, yet avoid being influenced by [Chrysalis] and turning into a monster, she would have to bow at his feet.

Alan could tell that although Olivia was somewhat naive, she was still more mature than Lin. Could she really not see that there was something off about this 'Light of Redemption'?

Rather than saying she was coaxed into joining this cult, it was more accurate to say she was captivated by the 'miracles' she witnessed...

"Olivia, since we have become fellow cult members, I will now announce the first major event."

Lin surveyed the department store, very satisfied with the place: "I will requisition this as a branch of the cult... Hmm, the headquarters cannot be moved; it has our Lord's altar. Unless we get His permission, we cannot relocate."

Olivia pursed her lips, watching Lin's pretentious display of grandeur, and suddenly asked: "So... Your Holiness, how many members does our cult have in total?"

Lin's imposing manner diminished significantly as she answered in a low voice: "Including you, five... There are only you and I among the extraordinary ones."

Olivia's expression froze. Although she had some mental preparation and guesses, she did not expect the cult to be this bizarre!

One should know that those real esoteric cults have thousands of members, with the cult leaders being powerful individuals.

In comparison, their cult was not even as good as a small combat team.

Is it still too late to quit the cult?