Warlock Apprentice

Chapter 3307: Chapter 3308: The Three Divine Oracles

Angel carefully recalled each clause of the six forbidden acts.

Indeed, almost all prohibitions seem ordinary, but triggering them is truly difficult.

Taking Angel as an example, if he were to visit Everstanding King City without knowing these prohibitions, based on his self-awareness, he would also not be caught.

Each prohibition seems close yet is far removed from the masses.

However, even if they seem distant, those living in Everstanding King City, or planning to go in the future, must remember these prohibitions in their hearts.

Just look at Luigi.

The reason he listens intently to these divine oracles is that he has been staying in Everstanding King City for years. If he does not figure out all the prohibitions, once violated and triggered, even Laplace couldn’t save him.

After all, no matter how small the probability, it’s ultimately not zero. What if by chance it happens?

So, listening attentively is necessary.

”Apart from the six forbidden acts, what are the three divine oracles?” After understanding the contents of the forbidden acts, Angel asked the point he was most curious about.

Divine oracles, in other spatial backgrounds, Angel understands its literal meaning, roughly: decrees issued by Divine themselves.

But in Everstanding King City, Angel doesn’t quite understand.

Because the ”God” in Everstanding King City is precisely Lady Mirror. But Lady Mirror is currently dormant; how can she issue decrees to them?

Besides, even if Lady Mirror were not asleep, she wouldn’t likely issue orders to Everstanding King City’s inhabitants? Whether she even knows of its existence is a question.

In such circumstances, how do ”divine oracles” appear? By whom are they issued?

Laplace clearly saw through Angel’s mind, and the first thing he said was: ”This oracle has nothing to do with Mirror Lady.”

”Though the Red Mirror Priest attempts to link this oracle with Mirror Lady, this only deceives ordinary people. Those who know the inside story know that Mirror Lady hasn’t returned to Mirror Domain since she left; she couldn’t be the one issuing decrees.”

Angel frowned: ”In other words, is the Red Mirror Priest issuing various false divine orders under Mirror Lady’s name?”

Laplace shook his head: ”Though the Red Mirror Priest indeed issues commands in Mirror Lady’s name, these commands aren’t false.”

Angel: ”Why say so?”

Laplace: ”This must be explained starting from the oracle itself.”

If Everstanding King City’s divine oracles are ranked by importance, at the lowest tier are eighteen laws, mid-level is the six forbidden acts, and at the pyramid’s peak stands the three divine oracles.

From this, it is evident that divine oracles are more important than forbidden acts.

The reason is quite simple.

Forbidden acts indicate behaviors not to be done; they regulate daily actions. Although this regulation is not seriously stringent, from some perspective, it acts as shackles imposed upon oneself.

Shackles, after all, are not necessarily beneficial.

However, divine oracles aren’t the same; they’re a form of alternative gain, like sweet nectar drawing swarms of bees to eagerly extract.

”Oracles and forbidden acts are essentially alike. Forbidden acts mean you must not do certain things, while divine oracles encourage you to do specific things so that you may receive divine blessings.” Laplace: ”Take this occasion’s three divine oracles as examples.”

”First oracle: At dusk daily, in the Inner City District Square of Everstanding King City, recite the divine prayer according to the host’s instructions to receive the twenty-four-hour Spiritual Thought effect.”

”Second oracle: Each morning, noon, and midnight, no matter where one is in Everstanding King City, bow devoutly toward Mirror Lady’s temple for three minutes to attain eight hours of Void Tranquility status.”

”Third oracle: Weekly participation in purification rituals at Mirror Lady’s temple can eradicate impurities, purifying oneself.”

Three divine oracles, three completely different effects.

Spiritual Thought can be understood as enlightenment. Once you gain the Spiritual Thought effect, wisdom will enhance, aiding work reliant on comprehension to more likely inspire.

Void Tranquility means inner peace. Implies that during cultivation, one can concentrate more deeply without external disturbances.

Purification, as its name suggests, can purify Aggregation Energy, expelling accumulated impurities from the body.

These three effects may not be especially strong, but daily and weekly adherence to norms to gain these benefits is essentially very cost-effective.

Moreover, don’t underestimate these slight advantages; their effects are enduring.

A resident of Everstanding King City enjoying divine oracle benefits and one outside practicing will show discernible differences over extended time spans of one or two years.

Thus, never underestimate these insignificant gains that accrue over time, creating widening gaps.

”Upon hearing this, it sounds pretty reasonable?” Angel murmured softly.

Laplace: ”Judging by results, the three divine oracles indeed seem beneficial. However, daily and weekly adherence to divine rituals is akin to gradually deepening ideological imprints, making you more dependent on Everstanding King City, more devout towards the temple. Although initially unnoticeable, over time, changes become visible.”

Laplace gestured towards the group of clergy in divine robes on the display platform.

”Look at them. Perhaps they were just ordinary citizens of Everstanding King City initially, but after years of prayer and recurring purification, they’ve come to regard Mirror Lady as the supreme divine, surpassing internal desires to become their sole faith.”

”So in my view, the three divine oracles and six forbidden acts aren’t very different. Forbidden acts regulate your behavior; divine oracles imprison your belief.”

Following Laplace’s pointing direction, Angel observed the clergy on the platform, each extremely solemn, eyes shimmering with fervor, appearing spirited. Yet, such spirit is unusual, tinged with fanaticism.

Especially, when speakers mention ”Divine,” their eyes seem even more fervent.

Evidently, these individuals have embarked upon the path of fanatics.

Seeing this, Angel frowned. Pursuing ”benefits” through daily and weekly prayers doesn’t bother him personally.

But if these small advantages eventually lead to unwavering belief in divine beings, he feels chasing such gains isn’t necessary.

Angel: ”If you continue to follow the divine oracle, will you definitely become a fanatical believer?”

Laplace remained silent, not because she was unwilling to answer, but because someone else spoke up with the answer first.

”Not necessarily. If your strength is great and your mental resistance high, you may not become a believer. But if you’re weak and easily influenced, there’s a high chance you’ll be nurtured into a believer.” The one speaking was Luigi, who had long lived in the Everstanding King City.

Because on the display stage, the speaker had already finished discussing the eighteen decrees, and the people of the Everstanding King City were beginning to prepare to leave. Seeing that there were no other regulations, Luigi shifted his thoughts back to Angel.

”Moreover, even if you’re weak, as long as you have a firm inner pillar, you might not become a fanatical believer.” Luigi said, glancing at Laplace out of the corner of his eye: ”Anyway, I think Laplace is being a bit too cautious about this matter.”

Laplace observed her nose with her eyes, turned her heart to her nose, and paid no mind to Luigi’s internal criticism, only saying blandly: ”You can’t just look at the surface of things.”

Luigi pursed his lips, remaining silent.

Angel hesitated for a moment, then asked: ”What do you mean?”

Luigi shrugged: ”She means that even if you don’t become a fanatical believer, the long years of prayer will subtly change their faith.”

Not becoming a fanatical believer, but even becoming an ordinary believer is a kind of change.

Even if you don’t become an ordinary believer, at least your aversion to the ’god’ of the Everstanding King City would be gone, isn’t this also a change?

In short, Laplace believes that as long as faith is changed, even if only slightly altered, it’s still a change.

But Luigi has a different view: ”I agree, indeed many people, after participating in the divine oracles, no longer resist the ’god’ of the Everstanding King City. But I don’t think there’s any big deal, after all, this ’god’ is Lady Mirror.”

If it were some evil god, or a demon god related to the abyss, Luigi would feel repulsed. But he knows well that the highest hierarchy of divine power in the Everstanding King City is Mirror Lady.

Mirror Lady is neither an evil god nor a demon god; not even a god, to say honestly. She belongs to the order faction in the Daylight Mirror Domain.

With such an existence, even having a favorable impression of her, or not being repulsed, isn’t that normal?

Luigi expressed his thoughts, and after hearing it, Laplace did not immediately refute but turned to Angel: ”Do you also agree with Luigi’s view?”

Angel thought seriously for a moment: ”I originally thought that the so-called divine oracle of the Everstanding King City was trying to cause trouble in the name of Lady Mirror. But if it’s just to this extent, not bringing criticism to Lady Mirror, personally I don’t mind.”

After all, Angel knows Mirror Lady. Mirror Lady, except for being obsessed with handsome men, doesn’t have any other major faults. Even if she truly became some sort of belief, it probably wouldn’t bring negative thoughts to the believers.

Laplace said lightly: ”You once said, Mirror Lady is just a symbol in the Everstanding King City. The divine attendant of the Everstanding King City is merely an excuse for divine rule.”

”In other words, the symbol’s existence is the most important. But whom the symbol represents, isn’t that important.”

”Once Mirror Lady truly comes from the Material Realm to the Everstanding King City, do you think the divine power rule led by the Red Mirror Priest would really let her ascend to the divine throne?”

”No. I believe your answer is the same as mine.”

”Since the symbol represented by Mirror Lady isn’t that important, do you think there’s a possibility of this symbolic replacement?”

Laplace paused, her differently-colored eyes flashing with a faint, barely noticeable light: ”You must know, although Mirror Lady is very famous in the Daylight Mirror Domain, the number of people who have actually seen her can be counted on one hand.”

Since no one has truly seen her face, wouldn’t it be easy for the Red Mirror Priest to find someone to replace her?

Moreover, Laplace remembers, a millennium ago the Red Mirror Priest put on a grand show of ’god descending.’ The will of divinity descended from the distant void onto himself, imitating ’Mirror Lady’s’ tone, and brainwashing the masses.

This means that the divine symbol doesn’t even need replacement; the Red Mirror Priest himself can use various justifications to replace Mirror Lady’s status.

”In this situation, do you still think the change in faith is harmless?” Laplace raised her eyes and asked.

This time, Angel fell silent. He considered the possibility of the ”god swap”, but his thought was after Mirror Lady enters the Daylight Mirror Domain, the Red Mirror Priest would swap the god then. But he didn’t think, even without Mirror Lady coming to the Daylight Mirror Domain, the Red Mirror Priest could still alter the belief.

Laplace: ”There’s one more thing to note.”

”Just like the world of wizards presumes an equivalent exchange; in the Daylight Mirror Domain, there is a similar idea.” Laplace: ”Everything is fair, whatever you gain, you must give something in return.”

”Divine oracles are the same; you gain benefits, but what have you given in return?”

Laplace left this question, but she did not choose to answer further, instead talking about another matter: ”Once, the Red Mirror Priest externally explained this matter, prohibition and divine oracles are two sides of the same coin.”

In other words, the six major prohibitions are the price paid for the three major divine oracles, so you don’t have to pay any price for gaining the three major divine oracles.

But is that really the case?

The source of the six major prohibitions, Laplace knows, comes from the Gloomy Mirror Domain.

But the source of the three major divine oracles is an unknown quantity.

Even though prohibitions and divine oracles have similarities, do they truly fulfill each other?

Laplace thinks there’s a lot of problems with this. If the prohibitions aren’t the price of the divine oracles, then what would be the price of the divine oracles? When you are enjoying the benefits brought by the divine oracles, are you paying with your loyalty?

In Laplace’s view, all of this is unknown. And all unknown risks should be highly alerted.

Just for the small benefits given by the three major divine oracles, risking this unknown risk is really not worthwhile.

After Laplace shared her thoughts, Angel’s inner balance had actually leaned towards Laplace. Yet Luigi still seemed indifferent.

After all, Luigi often visits the Everstanding King City, even though he hasn’t personally pursued the trifling benefits of the three major divine oracles, many of his friends have experienced such favorable seduction.

And after his friends completed the divine oracle rituals for a long time, Luigi didn’t see any changes in them, at most they just didn’t resist ’Mirror Lady’ anymore.

In Luigi’s view, this is not a problem at all.

Precisely because of this, Luigi believes he has more authority to speak about this than Laplace and Angel, who have never been to the Everstanding King City.

To this, Laplace doesn’t mind; everyone has their own ideas, even if Luigi is her temporal body, he also has his independent personality. The perspectives are different; this is completely normal.

As long as Luigi doesn’t meddle with the divine oracles, differing stances are no problem.