Chapter 63

"Why is it so desolate around here when Dusk City is much larger than Moonlight City?" Jiang Junming asked, somewhat puzzled. Generally, the temples of the Church of Justice would be located in bustling areas, and it was unclear how long this place had been abandoned.

"As for why this place has become abandoned, I don't know either. The larger the city, the more this happens. There are more choices here, and as long as you have some ability, you can find a way to make a living and earn a meal in this city," Ilana's tone was indifferent, and the desolation around her seemed to have no effect on her mood. "Just like the priests of this Justice Temple, they tried every means to leave this place and go elsewhere. No priest was willing to spread the light of the gods in this desolate area, so the temple was abandoned."

It turned out to be an abandoned temple of the Church of Justice. Raphael the priest was right when he said there was no Church of the Goddess of Compassion in Dusk City. Ilana had only been here for a short time, and it was likely that this abandoned temple had only recently become a temple of the Goddess of Compassion.

As they continued forward, getting closer to the temple, Jiang Junming saw some small heads peeking out, carefully observing him.

"They are orphans, wandering around here. They used to take shelter here," Ilana said.

Orphans, even more pitiful than his own childhood. Even though he didn't have much to eat when he was young, he could still live in an orphanage and didn't have to worry about making a living. These children had to struggle to survive in this desolate place at a young age, living a hard and humble life. Jiang Junming smiled at the little ones, expressing his kindness.

It seemed that these little ones hadn't been driven away by Ilana, so they were temporarily staying here. Jiang Junming looked at the desolate stone walls, covered with moss, and the dirty little heads peering out cautiously. It felt more like an orphanage than a temple of the Church.

A few old women greeted Ilana somewhat nervously when they saw her return. Their smiles were stiff and awkward.

"They were sick, and I cured them. They stayed at the Temple of Compassion to help clean the place," Ilana said, as if she didn't see the old women's friendly, ingratiating smiles, walking past them as if they didn't exist.

Ilana's graceful figure was out of place in this desolate environment. She should have been at a brightly lit ball, not in this cold, dilapidated place filled with the smell of decay. Jiang Junming looked at Ilana's back and felt a sense of emotion.

"You will stay here." Inside the temple, Ilana assigned a room to Jiang Junming without further explanation and turned to leave. Although Priestess Ilana was cold to Jiang Junming, he still respectfully bowed to her retreating figure. After Priestess Ilana's figure disappeared, Jiang Junming entered the room she had assigned him, gently closing the door behind him and looking around the place where he would be staying for a long time.

The room wasn't large, with a window covered in vines. The morning glory flowers closed their petals in the night, gently drooping as if they were sleeping, waiting for the sun to rise the next morning and bloom again.

There wasn't much in the room, just a bed and a chair. The wooden furniture, with its peeling red paint, looked very old, having endured many years. However, the room was very clean, and the bed sheets were clearly freshly changed, faintly emitting the scent of sunlight.

As he was looking around, he suddenly heard a knock on the door. Jiang Junming's heart raced. Could it be Priestess Ilana returning? What would she want to say to him? His mind was filled with images of Priestess Ilana walking in front of him, her waist swaying, making him unable to control himself.

He walked to the door, a bit shy, and opened it, only to be surprised and then smile. It wasn't Priestess Ilana, but the old woman who had been cleaning the yard and washing clothes earlier.

The old woman held some toiletries, which looked new.

"These are from the priestess. Rest early, and if you need anything, just let us know." The wrinkles on her thin face gathered as she tried to make her smile more friendly.

Jiang Junming responded, took the toiletries, and smiled as he spoke a few words to the old woman. Perhaps his smile made the old woman feel more at ease, and she was no longer as nervous as before. Before leaving, she told Jiang Junming to stay indoors as much as possible if he wasn't familiar with the area, as it was very chaotic. She also told him where to get water and other daily tasks before leaving.

Jiang Junming smiled and agreed, then closed the door after the old woman left.

With no luggage to unpack, he washed up and lay down on the bed, looking at the starlight and moonlight filtering through the vines outside the window. He felt a bit tired. The bed was soft, though not luxurious, and it seemed to be carefully maintained. However, lying on the bed, Jiang Junming didn't feel the comfort he had imagined, always feeling a strange discomfort. He thought for a long time but couldn't figure out where this strange feeling came from.

He slowly fell asleep, drifting into a half-dream, half-awake state. Jiang Junming found himself inside the optical brain.

The space inside the optical brain seemed larger than the last time he entered. Jiang Junming looked around, and the six-sided rectangular space had become clearer and more vivid. He remembered that the optical brain had told him that his mental power had improved after absorbing high-quality energy during the temple test, which caused the six-sided rectangular space to change. This time, it was likely the same. Moreover, the energy absorbed by the optical brain in the church hall was more abundant than the last time.

"Your energy has been replenished, and your mental power has been enhanced," the optical brain's mechanical voice seemed to carry a hint of pleasure as it spoke to Jiang Junming.

Indeed, noticing that the optical brain's voice was no longer cold and mechanical, Jiang Junming felt a bit happy. Just as he was about to ask the optical brain some questions he didn't understand, such as why the blood was black after a burr hole drainage for an epidural hematoma, and whether it was due to divine magic, he saw his holographic projection appear on the screen in front of him, slowly rotating.

Then the optical brain said, "Your mental power has reached a critical value and will enhance your perception of the outside world."

Perception of the outside world? What is that? Jiang Junming looked at the rotating holographic image on the wall, which looked like his shadow, identical to him. As the optical brain's words faded, the holographic image stopped rotating, and many small light points, like snowflakes, appeared on the wall, falling onto the image.

******

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