Duncan's thinking was fruitless, because he didn't know where to find a second Sun Cultist still alive to test his conclusion.
This kind of thing depends on fate.
Duncan stood up slowly. In the basement, one green spiritual fire lamp after another swayed in the windless enclosed space. In the dim light and shadows, his thoughts slowly spread out.
Believers who believe in gods and receive blessings may be regarded as a "supernatural item" by the spiritual fire, but... what about ordinary people
When this flame burns ordinary people, besides the superficial "light and shadow effects", can it produce more effects? If not, to what extent do people have to believe in God for this flame to be regarded as an "extraordinary target" that can be effective? Cultists who believe in evil gods can be burned, but what about people who believe in righteous gods
Duncan looked calmly at the dim lights in the room, and suddenly smiled faintly.
“They are human beings.”
So all his thinking stopped at thinking, and he did not continue on this line of thought.
This flame is a powerful force. Powerful power itself is innocent, but weak will is very likely to lead to corruption. Ever since he discovered that he possessed an ability beyond imagination, Duncan never forgets to remind himself of this - no matter how famous "Captain Duncan" is, no matter how powerful the spiritual fire is, he must always be aware of his boundaries as a "human".
He cannot treat people as less than human beings just to test or master his own power—even in this alien world, even if the people he faces are not necessarily "human" in the standard sense.
It is one thing to attack in battle, but it is another to test your sword on the weak just to satisfy your curiosity.
Duncan exhaled lightly, looked at the dark green fireball still burning in his hand, and waved his hand to disperse it.
The flames obeyed his command faithfully and dissipated silently into the air.
Duncan smiled—he was, and always would be, the master of this flame.
After the spirit fire dissipated, the environment in the basement quickly returned to normal from weird. The green lights returned to their original bright and clear state one after another. Duncan looked around at the messy scene, wondering what to do next.
The strange girl named Shirley was missing, and it seemed that she had escaped by some extraordinary means. He knew nothing about it and didn't know where to find her - which was really a pity.
He still had many questions to ask, but now it seemed that he had no chance.
But Duncan always felt that he might meet the girl again someday. This was not an unfounded guess, but because the girl's purpose was obviously to cause trouble for the Sun Cultists and to find out something from them. Recently, the activities of the Sun Cultists in the Plande City-State were at their peak, and there would be countless similar gatherings in the dark. With the style of Shirley and "Agou"...
Sooner or later they'll create a big, lively mess.
Duncan carries the usurped Sun Emblem on his body, which allows him to sense the activities of the Sun Cultists in the city. Although the perception range of this thing does not seem to be very large at present, as long as he has nothing to do and walks around the city, he might come across new fun.
As for the mess here, Duncan had no interest in helping to clean it up.
He simply picked up the golden mask left by the Sun Priest from the ashes on the ground, and carefully wiped off the ashes and dust on its surface - this was his trophy, which he would take to the Lost Homeland for research.
The priest was burned completely, and all the supernatural items on his body turned into ashes. The Sun Mask was the only "relic" he left in this world.
"... A palm-sized amulet is fine, but this thing might be a bit too big..." After weighing the Sun Mask for a few times, Duncan muttered thoughtfully, "And if we run into professionals from the Deep Sea Church, we might be able to detect it using special means..."
It would be difficult to carry the mask back to the antique shop safely, and even if I did, Nina might find it, which would inevitably cause trouble.
The best way is to send it directly to a place that is absolutely safe.
While thinking, Duncan turned around and looked at the pigeon that was perched on his shoulder. He had a new idea for a test - without his help, could the pigeon bring the things back to the Lost Homeland by walking through the spirit world alone
The pigeon tilted its head and looked at Duncan in the eye: "The big hammer is eighty, the small hammer is forty!"
Duncan smiled and said, "Just think of it as working overtime. I'll find a way to get you some fries on the ship later. Try to bring this mask to the Lost Homeland by yourself."
The dove immediately flapped its wings and flew towards the mask in Duncan's hand while uttering its distinctive sharp female voice: "I wanted to refuse, but you offered too much!"
Before he finished speaking, Duncan saw a flash of light and shadow in front of him, and the pigeon and the mask disappeared from his sight at the same time - and in the perception deep in his consciousness, he clearly felt that Ai's breath suddenly appeared in the captain's bedroom of the Lost Homeland.
The time delay is less than one second!
This pigeon is so fast! Can it transport items so quickly
Duncan sighed in his heart, and then he felt a flash before his eyes. Ai Yi in the form of a bone pigeon jumped out of thin air and landed on his shoulder. The bird flapped its wings, and its undead body turned back into a white dove, and it raised its neck triumphantly: "Transfer successful!"
When Duncan saw the other party's state when he jumped out, he immediately nodded in his heart and felt that things made sense: it was natural that Bone Pigeon was faster than Ai Yi.
He then straightened his clothes and made sure there was no suspicious blood stain on his body and no trace of himself at the scene (in fact, he had not touched anything since entering the room, for fear of leaving fingerprints or something like that). Then he carefully used his clothes to pad his fingers to open the iron door and went back outside through the stairs he had come in from.
The sun that was bound by the double rune rings had gradually sunk to the horizon. The magnificent sunset glow spread over the jagged and messy roofs of the lower city, and in the sunset glow, the pale crack at the highest point in the sky was already faintly visible.
As soon as Duncan saw the sky, he gave up the idea of continuing to explore the city—Nina would be home from school soon.
The kid's "Uncle Duncan" had just gotten better, and he couldn't stay out all night.
Duncan quickly left the abandoned factory and walked towards the main road along the route he remembered. He passed through the winding alleys and the intersection of pipes where sewage was flowing and a strange smell was everywhere. Finally, he gradually heard the sound of traffic coming faintly from a distance.
It's not completely dark yet, so we should still be able to catch the last bus.
But Duncan suddenly stopped.
At the intersection not far ahead, he saw four men in uniforms - two of them were wearing dark blue sheriff's uniforms with epaulettes, with batons and revolvers at their waists, and the other two were wearing black jackets with a slightly church style, a shape between a windbreaker and a dress. Not only were there large revolver holsters at their waists, but also a long steel sword that seemed out of place in the current era.
The two men in black coats had another conspicuous object on their waists: a lantern decorated with runes, obviously used for night patrol.
The four uniformed men at the intersection seemed to be handing over their duties. Duncan was stunned for a moment, then quickly reacted:
They are sheriffs affiliated with the city hall and guardians of the church.
The sheriff maintains order in the city during the day, and the guards protect the tranquility of the city-state at night. Now the sun is gradually setting, and the time when day and night alternate is approaching - the moment when secular and divine power exchange positions.
This is a unique "scenery" in this world.
The four men didn't seem to notice Duncan.
Duncan walked over calmly - although he hesitated for a moment, he soon realized that he had a clear conscience.
It is not a crime for law-abiding citizens to walk outside before dark.
A church guard who was performing the handover work finally noticed the figure walking towards him. The tall young man raised his head, and when he saw Duncan, he immediately waved his hand and shouted, "Citizens! It's getting dark, go home as soon as possible, it's not safe outside."
"Gentlemen! I have something to report to you," Duncan quickened his pace and said sincerely after walking over, "I just heard a lot of noise coming from the abandoned factory over there, and earlier I saw a lot of sneaky guys coming in and out of there..."
He paused for a moment and added, "I read in the newspaper before that everyone should actively report abnormal gatherings and unusual noises around them..."