Concentrating all his strength on his right fist, Zhenin punched out, hitting the old man's face.
With a loud thud, the man fell over backwards as the stacked books fell on him.
Noticing that his mask had only 1% energy left, Zhenin felt sour.
Smart wearables are built in a way to last for at least ten years before dying out, that includes its non-rechargeable energy crystal.
The passage written on the page distracted him too much that he let down his guard—a fatal mistake.
Grabbing the holster in his waist, Zhenin pulled out his gun. Due to the lack of lights, Zhenin could only estimate where the old man landed.
But before Zhenin could speak, Mengsk spoke first.
"Stop! I'm sorry, I just needed the energy from your mask," Mengsk pleaded.
"Who are you?" Zhenin asked, still holding the gun in front of him.
"My name is Mengsk, I'm a priest. At least I was," Mengsk answered, not withholding anything.
"What did you need the energy for?" Zhenin inquired.
"I'm a half-camel, one of my abilities is to transform energy into nutrients. I mean look at me, even by humps turned flat long ago." Mengsk explained weakly. Feeling terrified, he began to spill everything, including his own status.
From this, Zhenin was able to deduce that the man did not hold any ill intentions. If he were, he would've thrown a book towards Zhenin or distracted him with the books. But the man remained even with his shaking voice.
After not getting a reply, Mengsk asked: "Are you perhaps the messenger of the god?"
Waking up from his thoughts, Zhenin began to think about it.
That's right, his mission.
For Ninzhe!
"I am," confirmed Zhenin.
"What church are you from?"
?… Church… Hey, Jack. Should we go with god Hemmons? Are you satisfied with that? How about your church, what should we call it? Oh, and our identities. What are we?
Those thoughts were only instant, yet with a loud ding, Zhenin received a notification.
[Hemmon's Herald]
Or Hemmon's messengers. It was the most accurate name to describe the people that Jack wanted to lead.
"I'm a follower of Hemmon's Herald," Zhenin answered.
"Another scam religion?" Mengsk answered curtly, clearly showing disdain on the so-called religion.
"It's not a scam, tell me, what do you wish for?" Zhenin replied sternly, ignoring Mengsk disdain towards him.
"I want to see my child." The old man demanded. Clearly unbelieving of Zhenin.
Zhenin fell into a silence. "Jack knew the name of the man in front of him, does he know who he is?" he questioned in his mind.
*DING*
[I got his information from his broken nails scattered around the books. He's got a daughter named Nova.]
After reading the message, Zhenin fell into deeper thought.
If he told that he knew about Nova, how would the man react? What would the effect be? What are my other options?
Remembering his quest item, he looked at his ring.
[Ring of Miracles]
[Charges: 3]
[Can fulfil wishes depending on the circumstances. Manipulation is permanent, creation is temporary. Triggered by whispering.]
Reading it once, Zhenin finally decided.
"You mean Nova, right?" Zhenin taunted.
The old man shivered as his hands holding the paper began to tremble. "Y..you… What do you want?" Mengsk asked, stuttering.
"I asked what do you want, you said you wanted to meet your daughter Nova right?"
"Yes…" Mengsk spoke before he regained his reasoning. His experience with the powerful and the rich remains as a shadow in his heart. Before he spilt his heart out, he managed to stop himself from speaking.
"You did a research on me," Mengsk spoke, wisdom gleaming in his eyes.
There was no other reason he could think of. No one comes to the library, who would care for riches and knowledge when you're about to die anyway. Everyone who had a smidge of capability has left the planet long ago, except for him.
His daughter died during the exposition. He couldn't let go. Even after he was offered passage by the people who took the church's ship, he decided to remain believing that heaven exists. Then, he must follow to where his wife and daughter ended up.
No matter how unscientific, it was his only light at the abyss that is the apocalypse—his source of faith.
But Zhenin's next words broke his calm.
"I didn't. My god told me." Zhenin stated as he remained expressionless. While the man exudes wisdom, the one moment where Mengsk broke let him know how to break the man.
"I don't really care if you believe it or not. But I do have the means to let you talk to your daughter."
Mengsk was trembling even harder. Zhenin's cold and careless manner of speech ticked him. "Is he disrespecting my daughter?" he thought.
Before he could express himself, Zhenin spoke first. "I don't care how you feel, you got nothing that I want. But my god wants you to be his priest. Stop the nonsense, if you agree to become a believer, I'll let you talk to Nova now."
Mengsk's trembling body calmed. Zhenin was right, every word and action without result are just nonsense. He has been hoping that heaven would save his soul and meet with his family.
And then, he laughed.
His laughter echoed throughout the library. The atheists had been long pointing at him for being blind. Even after all these years, there were no traces of any gods. The sacred texts, like the bible, just happened to be wisdom from old age authors. This statement had pieces of evidence, the peak of technology had been reached billions of eons ago, and spirituality had been one of the target research.
But so what? If he stopped believing, then what's the point of living? What's the point in dying? If that was the case, he should've long escaped his fate, forget about his daughter and have fun with his life.
And yet, here he is. Slumping on the ground as he was drowned in books. Wrinkles formed all over his face, his back humps flattened long ago. But in his heart, his daughter, Nova.
Fine! If it's nonsense then its nonsense. If his god is real, this should be something trivial, right?
"If you can. Genuinely. Make my dead daughter talk to me. Then I will be your god's most pious priest." Mengsk stated.
Zhenin had been impatient for this answer. Not because he wanted to get over this, but because he, too, wanted to see a real miracle.
It had been days since he last saw Ninzhe. Jack claimed he's a god, and he wants a church, but why is he only showing up now? There are so many things that made Jack very unconvincing in his eyes.
But if. This word. In all of the darkness, the word "if" can be a stain in a world of light or the only light deep in the abyss.
But if Jack really is a god. Then with this ring, it should work, right?
Zhenin and Mengsk had the same line of thoughts.
And so, Zhenin nodded. He put his fist near his mouth and whispered: "Nova, talk to your father."
It was audible for Mengsk. This made him clench his fist hard it turned white.
Suddenly, a golden light shot out of one of the triangles in the ring. It formed a golden ball the size of a basketball in front of the two men.
The light began to swirl as if sucking things. The two remained silent with wide eyes as they watched the scene unfold.
Specks of white mist formed inside the golden ball. At first, it looked like a mist, but the next second, it began to burn wildly.
Once the flame formed, Zhenin's necklace began to glow blue. As if a tranquillizer, the flames calmed down. White specks continuously gathered inside the golden ball.
A minute later, the golden ball scattered, leaving a white flame. Only Jack and Hjuutza was aware of what this flame is.
It was a soul.
Mengsk began to tear up because in the middle of the flame is a face. A face most beautiful. The look he's been dreaming of for the last century.
Then, the scattered golden light congregated once again. With the flames as the head, the light slowly shaped similar to the old man except it was only a meter high and adequately healthy.
As if dispelling all the darkness that filled all hell the golden light shone solidly and gradually, a figure formed.
Not able to control himself any longer, Mengsk stood up with his pitiful strength and tried to hug the golden figure.
The figure was only made of light. Thus he passed through and fell on the ground. But that didn't stop him. Mengsk looked up once again to face the figure glowing in resplendent golden light.
Zhenin, on the other hand, relaxed his body completely. There really was one area that science failed to explore. But here, in front of him, it happened—an actual miracle. A scattered soul formed once again.
With this, he was finally convinced. The voice in his head, the golden, translucent figure that took Ninzhe for recovery—That man, or the stone in his neck, is a god.
Filled with a sad expression, the figure faced the man slumped on the ground.
"Dad." A soft and sorrowful voice reverberated in the library.