Mage Manual

Chapter 149: Chapter 136: The Beast in the Guise of Civilization

Eight years ago, in 1660, Kaimon City.

On a hot summer day, Fernand drove his sedan to the lower district, to the very place he swore he would never set foot again, a cesspit.

At that time, the old mayor, Punk, was preparing to resign and retire due to death by Void Realm Exploration and frailty due to old age. Fernand seized the opportunity to collude with councilors and bribe bureaucrats, making the mayor’s position almost certain. It was also during this time that he founded the Forest Art Gallery, which had a significant influence on the upper echelons of Kaimon City.

At this critical moment when he was planning his candidacy for the next mayor, he set aside all official duties, postponed all meetings, and drove alone in his utterly ordinary sedan, stopping at the side of a decrepit road which seemed to grow dung on its own, turned the car air conditioning to the maximum, smoked his pipe, and stared at a studio at the street corner.

It was a common ogre studio.

This entire street was lined with ogre studios, so it reeked unbearably, having a disastrous effect on nearby property values.

Oil painting was an ogre’s unique talent; ogres, average citizens with education levels no higher than prenatal education, naturally did not challenge the difficulties of life. If they could loaf around using their talent, they would do so utterly and completely.

Although there were many practitioners, this industry wasn’t competitive; rather, there was a demand that exceeded supply. A true “ogre oil painting” was in high demand.

The reason for this lay in the fact that ogres occasionally triggered a resonance with the Void Realm while painting. Oil paintings created in this state could slowly increase a viewer’s faction realm, akin to navigating the Void Realm.

However, “ogre oil paintings” had a time limit, typically losing their effect after about 60 days. Hence, ogre oil paintings were not art pieces but consumables that were still effective for Mages, making them valuable.

But this was only if they could trigger a resonance with the Void Realm and create a true “ogre oil painting.” If they failed to trigger the Void Realm resonance, they were merely producing trash.

Therefore, most ogre painters would first work as Apprentices in studios for months or even years, working part-time while learning until they painted their first painting and earned their first pot of gold. As for the apprentices’ duties, they did not include cleaning, as ogres were few who cared for cleanliness.

If not for the sake of decency, Fernand wished he could tear up his white shirt that was tight enough to strangle him.

Sigh.

With a puff of smoke, Fernand slightly turned his head and saw a young ogre passing by his car.

The young ogre wore a tank top that was originally white but had turned brown and sported shorts full of holes. At 1.9 meters, he was considered short among ogres but had a face closer to the standard races, with fierce but not ugly fangs.

He carried two large lunch boxes in his hands; this was his duty as an apprentice: to buy meals for painters.

Ogres wanted to eat every two hours, preferring hot meals, but they were too lazy to go to restaurants. Ordering take-out was outrageously expensive due to labor costs—no delivery person would want to come to the ogre area, since incidents here were not even covered by insurance companies—thus, employing an ogre apprentice became the ideal choice.

After all, there was no need to pay them; just feed them.

The moment Fernand saw the young ogre, he was stunned.

The young ogre also looked at the car, seemingly locking gazes with the middle-aged ogre.

But after surveying his surroundings to confirm that no one was around, the young ogre smirked, spat a filthy and murky loogie towards the car window, then set down the lunch boxes, urinated on the car door, and afterward picked up a small stone and scratched the car body severely a few times, the grating noise piercing through Fernand’s eardrums like a knife.

The car windows and front windshield were double-sided, making it impossible to see inside from the outside.

Watching the young man tread the sweltering streets, whistling as he carried his lunch box to the studio, he seemed to be scolded by the boss as soon as he entered. He nodded and bowed with a face eager to please, then secretly spat into one of the lunch boxes before respectfully walking inside.

Throughout the whole process, Fernand didn’t move, his hand still posed holding a tobacco pipe.

His gaze followed the young man’s retreating figure until he disappeared from sight.

In the end, he drove back to the Government Affairs Hall and reported the car as damaged property.

He never bought a single painting from the young man, nor did he send anyone to help him; in fact, he never met the young man again after that.

Even to get the latest information on the young man, Fernand, under the name of “guarding against the violent crimes of ogres,” commissioned the Crime Hunting Hall to investigate several ogres, the young man being one of them.

When Fernand and the young man were separated only by a thin car window, but he dared not lower it, the man who had risen from the bottom to the pinnacle of power in Kaimon City finally understood the pathological horror of this kingdom.

Eight years later, in 1668, at the Shattered Lake Blood Moon Judgement scene.

Fernand, looking at Andrey’s pale face, said, “You know, in most countries, all species maintain the family as a fundamental unit…”

Kaimon interrupted subconsciously, “That’s because they are backward.”

“I’m not interested in arguing whether the family system is backward or advanced; I just want to point out one thing,” Fernand revealed a ferocious smile. “Other countries also have ruling species, but their ruling species can reproduce autonomously, even giving birth to royalty, to nobles!”

Everyone’s faces grew paler, illuminated increasingly red by the Blood Moon. Kaimon was almost pleading, “So their classes are solidified, they are backward, the Kingdom of Blood Moon is the most civilized nation—”

“We prohibit the existence of families because our ruling species cannot reproduce autonomously, they are naturally homeless!” Fernand roared loudly. “Blood Saints change blood, Moon Shadows cleanse their lineage, they lose the ability to reproduce after changing their species. To develop new offspring, they must alter other species members!”

“The Dual Blood Moon species are like parasites that can’t survive on their own, drawing the most talented from all species to become part of them, absorbing the nutrients of all species to strengthen themselves, thus enslaving all species for a millennium!”

“Why can’t we have families? Because Blood Saint Moon Shadow discarded the bond of blood, so we are also forbidden to have them! That way, we can’t form a whole due to family, love, or kinship.”

“Why emphasize racial human rights freedom? Because Blood Saint Moon Shadow are genderless, raceless, ageless monsters, they are almost a natural whole, and yet we will fight internally over race, gender, age, education, and other reasons! They deliberately incite different races, genders, and ages to fight each other! That way, we can’t form a collective with common interests.”

“The Racial Human Rights Bill erects high thick barriers around each of us, the “Ban on Blood Relations” prevents us from breaking this barrier. From then on, each of us is an independent entity, only facing the massive entities of the research institutes and Church alone!”

Fernand raised his left hand, weighed down by chains, pointing at the prison.

“Do we have any difference from those death row inmates? No,” the ogre said coldly. “The inmates are exploited by the prison for value, we are drained of value by the Blood Moon; inmates are controlled by chips in their speech and actions, while our thoughts are controlled for life!”

“In the Kingdom of Blood Moon, from birth to death, we only have two paths to walk: become Blood Saint Moon Shadow, or become their fodder.”

“The Blood Moon, cloaked in the guise of civilization, is a beast, the most barbaric of civilizations.”