041. Annihilation Priest
Seeing Li Aozi's confidence, Orlaville didn't say much.
The young man hadn't yet experienced the harsh realities of life or understood the terrifying power of a narrative-level civilization that could rival the [Society].
He led Li Aozi to the back of the bar, activating a Void Exchanger. After entering a sequence of exclusive frequency characters, the screen briefly delayed, transmitting data through the void channel. It was decoded by the narrative-level central system, then routed down to an individual.
Click!
The screen flickered to life, revealing a creature wearing a black-gold veil and a magnificent crown of scales.
The being displayed masculine traits, with porcelain-like skin that was exquisitely smooth, glowing with a dark blue crystalline light in its eyes. Four hands were clasped together, the figure floating in the air, draped only in a simple black robe.
His face bore glowing golden tattoos, lines of scripture that shimmered across his brow and nose like phantoms, intricate and ornate. It was impossible to discern his true appearance, yet his presence was impossible to forget.
A true member of the 「Temple of Annihilation」 narrative-level civilization. His porcelain skin marked him as one of the divine-blooded.
It was said that the skin of ancient gods, whether old or newly ascended, endured the damage of repeated ascension and curses, eventually evolving into this bio-ceramic texture capable of withstanding a million times the temperature of the sun's core, remaining unharmed even at the edge of a black hole.
The 「Temple of Annihilation」 took great pride in this, using it to reinforce their path to ascension, strengthening the faith of their followers.
However, beyond the priest's strange and ornate appearance, Li Aozi focused on his aura.
Damp, swirling, distorted.
He floated cross-legged, the scales of his balance bent, the space around him heavily distorted, the scriptures on his body twisted and crooked. Even the light around him bent upon contact.
Li Aozi's eyes narrowed.
This man has descended into the Abyss!
[Curse of the Abyss Descent: Distortion, permanent -50% to all attributes. Direct assault on one's path, the more who descend together, the less the attribute debuff for each.]
[However, descending into the Abyss unlocks the cap for advancing beyond the Kappa tier. NPCs are not bound by version limits. Those at Iota-tier who descend can break through to Kappa-tier.]
[For players, this raises the level cap by 100.]
[Though both ascension and descent reduce attributes, they grant the blessing of the Abyss: Independent Will.]
'This is a Kappa-tier! Watch your words!'
Seeing Li Aozi momentarily distracted, Orlaville hurriedly whispered in warning.
To mortals, a Kappa-tier was akin to a battleship or aircraft carrier, a weapon of mass destruction, practically a god.
"Orlaville, it's been a while. What brings you to disturb me?"
The priest asked calmly.
"I'm here to introduce a friend, Priest Konstantin."
Orlaville patted Leoz on the shoulder, prompting him to step forward:
"This is Leoz, from the Tanas tribe. He's currently seeking political asylum and would like to make a deal with you. I'm here to help smooth things over."
"Leoz? A fine name. Quite common, though. I like it."
The priest nodded subtly, politely pointing out how common the name was. Then, he said:
"Let's hear it. Orlaville, I trust you. Go ahead and introduce the proposal."
He spoke slowly, his gaze never focusing on Li Aozi.
Narrative-level beings were always arrogant, but Li Aozi was used to it.
"This."
Li Aozi didn't waste time. He knew how to deal with narrative-level beings. From his coat, he retrieved a prepared container of spirit larvae and placed it on the Void Exchanger's transfer platform.
Click!
Then, standing up casually, he asked:
"How much can you offer?"
'Hey!' Orlaville broke out in a cold sweat: 'Kid, you can't talk like that to a Kappa-tier! He could crush an entire planet with one hand!'
The Annihilation Priest glanced at what Li Aozi had placed and slowly said:
"Funds are tight."
"So?" Li Aozi rubbed his fingers together. "I greatly admire the Annihilation God and appreciate the temple's ways, particularly the Ontology philosophy of His Eminence, Plato VI."
The priest, Konstantin, raised his brows slightly:
"You're quite interesting."
He lifted a hand, brushing it over his veil, pondering for a moment before speaking:
"Six billion Alm Gold is the market price. But I can't offer that much right now. I can give you fifty thousand Alm Gold as a down payment. Don't worry, we'll compensate you through other means. Ultimately, you'll receive assets worth around 6.3 billion Alm Gold."
Narrative-level civilizations had no shortage of money, and slowly paying off in interest wasn't unusual.
Li Aozi was happy to take more money and resources.
As the deal progressed, Konstantin's tone grew warmer, no longer as condescending as before.
Li Aozi nodded. "I understand. Judging by the timeline, you should be preparing for 'Eternal Divine Fire,' to forge your divinity. (Annihilation Scripture) Boropata Indes, Meposula Ibis."
"A clever child. Though you're young, I sense your understanding of the temple and the Annihilation Doctrine."
Konstantin was in a good mood:
"Are you currently seeking political asylum? Have you encountered trouble?"
"I'm from White Candle Star, born as a lower-class worker, and I've faced discrimination and unfair treatment. By chance, I came across information about the Annihilation God and was immediately drawn to the Annihilation Doctrine. I even awakened Omega Energy—but on White Candle Star, magic is the orthodoxy. Someone like me, a mutant, is seen as a mere monster."
Li Aozi adopted a pained expression:
"The Crystal Tower civilization is waging an unjust war. My seniors have already been sent to the battlefield, slaughtering many people. Meanwhile, the opposing Night Butterfly Federation is using forbidden weapons. These war criminals must be held accountable! It's my duty as a galactic citizen!"
His performance was full of emotion, as if every word came from the heart, making his body tremble as if from cold sweat on a hot day:
"The actions of the Crystal Tower people are consistent with their suffering, but I've undergone deep reformation under narrative-level ideals and have awakened to the truth."
"I no longer see myself as a member of the Tanas tribe. I yearn to join a narrative-level civilization."
"Let the great narrative-level civilization judge the Crystal Tower and the Night Butterfly Federation! These sinful nations must be annihilated! To die under the guns of civilization is far better than being ruled by savagery. Even though they will perish, they will do so with awakened hearts, and if their spirits live on, they will surely be grateful to their liberators!"
Li Aozi's performance was incredibly sincere.
As a master of "escaping," he felt no moral burden. He could adapt his nationality and identity at will, mastering every possible trick.
Most importantly—his [Charisma] was high enough that it made Li Aozi incredibly likable.
The interesting thing about [Charisma] was that even when people knew something was wrong, they would forgive it because they liked you so much.
Plus, he was young, and the spirit larvae he offered were strategic materials, elevating Konstantin's view of him even further.