CHAPTER 98: CHAPTER 96: CLOSING THE NET!

If not for seeing Ebert’s resentment, Wu Chang wouldn’t have figured out that this old man, knocked down by a single move and clueless even in death, was such a big shot.

An ordinary person from a medium-sized family, slightly reclusive, yet managed to attract the Church’s attention, design and implement a god-making plan, enough to showcase Ebert’s immense capabilities.

Ebert’s life was filled with resentment and regrets, but in Wu Chang’s eyes, much of it was self-inflicted.

His life could be summed up in two words: twisted.

He dared defy the world and research taboos deemed blasphemous, yet he didn’t want to do it secretly; he insisted on publishing for public recognition.

Finally getting a platform and support from the Church, they erased all who knew his past, leaving over a hundred dead for his sake.

To prove his research, he could watch these people die without flinching, but when it came to getting his hands bloody, he couldn’t bear to sacrifice even Erin, an artificial creation.

Later, recruited by Count Jermaine, he abandoned his status and wealth, came to Briff Island, determined to see things through to the end.

This time, finally hardening his heart, he watched Count Jermaine take action against Erin, but before dying, he couldn’t resist a moral reckoning, his only blood-colored will being to have Wu Chang destroy his life’s work.

If Ebert wasn’t already dead cold, Wu Chang would’ve wanted to shake his head hard and say, "You had your chance, but you blew it!"

Wu Chang learned two lessons from Ebert.

First, never hesitate in your choices; decisiveness may not always pay off, but hesitation leads to defeat.

Second, a brilliant mind is no match for a hard fist; Ebert’s mind was sharp enough, but his fists not hard enough, still manipulated by the Church and Count Jermaine.

He seemed like a technical investor, but he was just a pathetic worker, every move beyond his control.

Not helping the Church would have seen him hanging at the Church’s door.

Reaching Briff Island’s final step and daring to stop Count Jermaine’s action against Erin, his fate would be to burn alongside Erin.

Let’s not speak of the distant past, but of now.

Thinking he knew the inside story, he tried to negotiate conditions with Wu Chang, issuing a task, only for Wu Chang to send him on his way with a swift counter.

Without enough power, no matter how high the status, no matter the organization’s importance, he was but a pawn.

Ebert’s tragic life, apart from leaving one deep-red, high-value blood-colored will for Wu Chang, also answered a few of his questions.

When he initially interacted with Erin, he felt something off, as if she was a hollow shell, completely devoid of any negative emotions.

Now it seems she was a doll created by the Church and Ebert, which explains everything.

To harness the miracle known as the Holy Mark, the Church aimed for Erin’s utmost perfection, aligned with the image of a Saint or God, even crafting her soul artificially.

From the start, the Church never imparted any negative emotions to her.

But the Church and Ebert overlooked something important: within the Dungeon World’s plane, whether naturally or artificially created, any soul generates will bear the Seven Deadly Sins.

This meant Erin couldn’t command the Holy Mark’s power at will, as intended.

But due to the Holy Mark within her, she possessed near-hypnotic preaching ability, converting Briff’s townsfolk with brief contact.

Regrettably, this played right into Jermaine’s hands, who used Erin’s power to unearth the townsfolk’s Seven Deadly Sins, fully constructing the seven Inner Worlds.

Ebert’s identity also explains why the Saintess’s disappearance was such a major event that Bishop Gelman sought help from a professor.

Wu Chang found a hammer on the lighthouse’s first floor and struck the obsidian plate hard, causing it to crack at the impact, revealing a chess piece with a prostrated figure carved atop it.

"Item Name: Proof of Greed"

"Item Type: Special"

"Item Description: Holding the Proof of Greed grants free entry into the Special Space - Starlight Lighthouse, with full permissions within."

The Starlight Lighthouse within the Inner World represents Ebert’s sin, the sin of Greed.

This is the only area without a Divine Envoy because Ebert’s greed tolerated no sharing of his sins with others.

With the Proof of Greed and the key entrusted by Ebert, all lighthouse capabilities automatically appeared in his mind.

The Starlight Lighthouse serves three main purposes: Alchemy Workshop, island-wide monitoring, and the Inner World’s operational core.

The Alchemy Workshop needs little explanation; all of Ebert’s alchemical experiments on Briff Island were completed in the lighthouse under the guise of observing the stars.

After creating the Inner World, Ebert moved his entire workshop to the Starlight Lighthouse; if Wu Chang understood alchemy and mysticism, he could enjoy the top-tier Alchemy Workshop of a C-Level Dungeon here.

Regrettably, the workshop’s instruments and facilities are Dungeon Items, and cannot be taken out of the Dungeon, otherwise, just this set of facilities would be immensely valuable.

The lighthouse serves as both a guide and a surveillance tool.

The light from the Starlight Lighthouse penetrates barriers between different Inner World areas, clearly revealing ongoing events, including those at the Count’s Manor.

No actions within the Inner World can escape the notice of the Starlight Lighthouse’s owner.

The last function is what Wu Chang currently needs most.

Although the Starlight Lighthouse is located in a remote area, as the first fully developed Inner World, it is actually the hub for Briff Island’s Inner Worlds.

It connects various Inner Worlds on the island, allowing direct access to any Inner World through the lighthouse’s light beam.

If someone attempts to forcibly enter the lighthouse and performs threatening actions toward it, the Lighthouse of Light randomly transports the target to some Inner World.

Back then, Deep Water Society’s seasoned players attacked the lighthouse hoping to trigger the teleportation light, gambling on being randomly sent to the Inner World where the Count’s Manor is located.

Unfortunately, they guessed wrong; the Deep Sea Gift they sought wasn’t in the Count’s Manor.

If Deep Water Society’s seasoned players had received the former postman’s letter, continued protecting Logan’s work, and become a member of the town council, they might have known about the Golden Flying Fish already.

Wu Chang returned to the top floor of the lighthouse, where he saw a huge magic lens capable of converging starlight into beams, opening any specific Inner World.

He had now gathered the four sins of Sloth, Envy, Lust, and Greed and had taken control of the Starlight Lighthouse.

It was time to draw in the nets.

Besides the Starlight Lighthouse, other Inner Worlds only appear after the sun sets.

He sat atop the lighthouse, waiting for night to fall in the real world.

During this spare time, he delved into Ebert’s manuscripts, which were written on paper still bearing the Church’s emblem, showing Ebert hadn’t fully severed ties with the Church.

Even in the desk drawer, Wu Chang found correspondences between Ebert and Archbishop Gelman, dated a year back.

In the letter, Gelman indicated new progress in the Church’s research on the Saintess, urging him not to remain despondent and to return to the Church to fulfill his dreams.

Unknowingly, time passed until nighttime.

Wu Chang activated the magic lens, gathering the starlight power above the lighthouse, directing it toward the beach where the Golden Flying Fish thrived, while simultaneously guiding his True Self toward the shore.

He intended to start with the already explored Inner World.

In the real world, the artistic man sitting on the beach suddenly looked up at the silver-white light streaking across the sky, showing surprise.

Then he bowed his head, speeding up his brushstrokes.

He had to hurry, or he’d be too late.