Chapter 281 The Messenger
The middle-aged man froze at Elbert's outburst.
Dawn, looking all conflicted, pulled Elbert away.
As the sun set, Dawn and Elbert sat on a crumbling wall, both lost in their own thoughts.
Elbert remembered passing by three mud houses, one of which was Dawn's room. It was simple but neat, filled with books, many of them worn from being read so much. The candle on the desk had been reused so many times, the wax was all murky.
She was the girl with big dreams and relentless effort in this backward village. But sadly, the culture here was super old-fashioned. Even Dawn's own dad didn't understand her at all!
Plus, he had a bad temper from years of poverty and never showed his daughter any kindness.
To the other villagers, only kids who could work the fields and grow crops were considered good kids.
"Mr. Perry, I'm really sorry," Dawn said with an apologetic smile. "You saw what happened. I can't help you with the mine exploration. And you don't need to pay me, either."
Elbert shook his head slightly. Yeah, it would be tough to get the liquid metal without the landowner's consent. But it wasn't impossible.
Elbert smiled a bit, "Dawn, you seem different from the other villagers."
Dawn tucked her hair behind her ear, looking into the distance with a captivating light in her eyes. "I want to go to college to study agriculture and then come back to help all the villagers. But..."
Dawn smiled sadly, "It's probably really hard. In our village, no one will support me, not even my dad. My ultimate fate is probably to marry a guy from the village and have a bunch of kids."
Elbert shook his head gently and said softly, "It won't be like that."
Just then, a fire suddenly flared up in another part of the village, lighting up the area with a reddish glow.
Dawn suddenly smiled lightly, "Mr. Perry, you're in luck. Today is the day our village holds a festival. Let me take you to see it!"
Elbert nodded, "Alright."
They walked to a corner of the village. In an open space, a ten-foot-high bonfire was burning merrily.
In front of the bonfire, behind a wooden table, stood a long-haired man with his hands behind his back, wearing a robe with various patterns.
Dawn whispered to Elbert, "This is Master Debussy, a messenger of God. He recently came to preach near the village and help us with the festival."
Elbert squinted his eyes. Could he be a cyborg? But Elbert couldn't sense any energy from him!
Soon, the villagers came out one by one, gathering in the clearing, looking at Debussy with respect.
Elbert shook his head helplessly.
These backward areas of Evalia, suffering from hunger and cold, had no choice but to place their hopes in the gods.
Dawn's dad also hurried over. After glaring at Dawn, he respectfully joined the line.
Elbert sighed again. From his room, it was clear that he was deeply obsessed.
"People of God!" Debussy spoke solemnly, "Why doesn't the land beneath our feet grow crops? Because it is cursed!"
"Someone's ticked off the evil god, and now the evil god's sent a messenger! It's here, in this land! Today, I'll show you the messenger of the evil god!" Debussy went on.
With a serious look, Debussy grabbed a basin and filled it with soil. He placed it on the table, giving a mysterious glance to the terrified villagers. Then, he got all serious, raised his hands to the sky, and started chanting incantations.
Elbert frowned a bit. What was this guy up to?
Debussy took a burning branch from the bonfire and pointed it at the basin. He shouted, "Messenger of the evil god, show yourself!"
Then, something weird happened. A black cylindrical object started growing out of the soil, twisting and writhing like a snake trying to break free!
More of these snakes popped out of the soil, intertwining and spreading outside the basin!
The villagers, seeing this, widened their eyes and started trembling!
After a bit, the snakes in the basin stopped growing and solidified into a tangled sculpture!
Debussy smiled creepily, then slapped the snakes, shattering them. "Look, these are the messengers of the evil god hidden in the soil. I have killed them with magic!"
The villagers trembled, falling to their knees, bowing to Master Debussy, prostrating themselves.
But Elbert had seen through it all.
What messenger of the evil god! This was just the famous chemical reaction known as Pharaoh's Serpent.
Mercury thiocyanate decomposed when heated, rapidly expanding and growing from a single point. The expanding material cooled upon contact with air, solidifying and twisting. The reaction was super dramatic, like a giant snake appearing out of nowhere.
Master Debussy had secretly added mercury thiocyanate to the soil and then used the fire to create the effect.
Elbert frowned and sighed. This was a scam, deceiving the ignorant villagers.
Debussy continued, "You saw it, I only eliminated a small part of the snakes in the soil! To get rid of all the messengers of the evil god in this land, I need more magic! Because of your sincere devotion, I'm willing to help you once!"
"But, my magic requires rare metals. Tomorrow, I'll set up a grand magic circle. You must bring your precious gold and silver jewelry to me overnight! Once my magic circle is complete, your land will be fertile and prosperous," Debussy shouted.
The villagers, lying on the ground, were utterly shocked. Not only had they witnessed magic, but they were also getting help from a divine messenger to improve their land!
"Yes, messenger of God!" someone quickly responded.
"I can offer my family's heirloom gold bracelet," someone else chimed in.
"My son's wedding gift is a gold ring. I'll bring it to you tomorrow," another one said.
The villagers, not thinking of anything else, nodded and promised.
Suddenly, Debussy saw Elbert and Dawn standing with their hands behind their backs, frowning. He shouted, "Why aren't you kneeling before me, the messenger of God!"
Dawn's father sensed trouble, glanced over, and was terrified. "Damn it, Dawn, kneel down!"
Dawn, who had been hesitant, trembled. She grabbed Elbert's sleeve, trying to pull him down to kneel together.
But Elbert lifted Dawn up, looked at Master Debussy, and said, "Get lost."
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