Everyone fell silent for a moment. Future number one?

Annan did not elaborate. Instead, she shifted to introducing the Book of Gospel.

"The Book of Gospel is a gift from the Omniscient Weaver and the very foundation of Gospel Civilization. The Omniscient One does not hoard His glory. He allows us to hear the truest Gospel, confirm our talents, and discover our place in the world. The rankings exist as a means for the Weaver to both challenge and reward humanity.

"According to current statistics, there are 3,788 different rankings. There are overall rankings, regional branch rankings, personal rankings, and organizational rankings. They cover every sorcery class, along with common professions and special achievements.

"For example, the Azura Task Ranking tracks the offices in the Azura region that complete the most assignments with the highest efficiency. My Funeral Agency ranks ninth, which places it among Azura's first-tier agencies. Then there are the Acts of Bravery Ranking, the Singer Ranking, and even the Flower Rope Trick Ranking. Ordinary citizens with no sorcerous talent can appear on the rankings as well."

At this, everyone instinctively glanced at the only sorcerer present who had not ranked. He quickly raised the Book of Gospel to shield his face. The silence stretched, heavy with regret.

Iger raised a hand. "Are there rankings related to inventing new devices, promoting advanced tools, transforming cities, or improving public life?"

"The Pioneering Invention Ranking, the Enterprise Ranking, and the City Comprehensive Ranking," Annan replied while glancing through the floor-to-ceiling windows at the layered city beyond. "I think I understand your question. Answer me, Pankey. Has Azura changed much over the past decades?"

The young butler at her side sighed with old-fashioned nostalgia. "Miss, sixty years ago, Azura still used pit toilets. Thirty years ago, it wasn't even a two-level city. When I was a child, I never imagined I would one day see towering buildings hanging upside down."

Annan continued, "Competition between the rankings is fierce. Every second, new inventions, tools, and designs emerge across the Gospel Kingdom. They move rapidly from concept to application, reshaping the world in real time."

So it really comes down to systemic advantage...

The Blood Moon Kingdom already possessed a solid research system. Its long-lived beings devoted themselves entirely to research, allowing its leading figures to remain productive for decades and to pursue foundational studies without chasing short-term gains. It was, in truth, indeed a resource-rich kingdom; otherwise, it could never have implemented its Socialized Upbringing system. Nevertheless, compared with the competition-driven Gospel Kingdom, those vampire bats still seemed overly conservative.

Perhaps a thousand years ago, the two nations stood on equal footing. The Blood Moon Kingdom depended on the slow, decades-long efforts of a few long-lived beings, while the Gospel Kingdom fostered competition across all levels of society. The contrast between a system driven by a small minority and one shaped by the majority was stark. Over several millennia, this difference naturally widened the gap between the two nations, turning it into a massive gulf.

Iger asked, "If rankings matter so much to both organizations and individuals, the rewards must be generous."

Annan nodded. "Points. Compared to gold and silver, points are the true hard currency of the Gospel Kingdom. With enough points, you can obtain anything you desire."

"Anything?"

"Anything."

She extended her hand. In the next instant, a cluster of fresh grapes appeared in her palm. She picked one up with her mouth, bit gently, and let the juice burst across her tongue.

"For example, you could spend points to obtain a bunch of fresh, chilled grapes. All tangible goods, spirits, and Miracles. Anything you can imagine, provided you have enough points. That said, it still has its restrictions. You cannot harm others or break the law. Other than that, the Book of Gospel can accomplish things like extending your lifespan, healing near-fatal injuries, teleporting instantly to a destination, or acquiring a rare Four-Winged spirit."

"Expensive, I assume?"

Annan laughed. "Absurdly so. The points spent on this single bunch of grapes could purchase an entire vineyard. Godshroud, come eat."

At her call, a pale-yellow lizard emerged from her shoulder. Its bright vertical pupils darted about with lively curiosity. Its mouth snapped rapidly, and in the blink of an eye, the grapes vanished, leaving only the stem behind.

The trio could not even follow its movements.

"Crimson-Gold Dragon Lizard," Iger murmured.

"An endangered species?" Ashe asked.

Harvey shook his head. "Not endangered. It simply doesn't exist in the real world. It's a rare creature from the Continent of Time. Once it recognizes its master, it can travel between reality and the Virtual World. There, it helps capture fleeing spirits. It's an extremely valuable companion."

Compared with owning a luxury flat, running an office, or maintaining connections with the Red Hats, this achievement in the Virtual World was what finally made the three smuggler sorcerers recognize Annan's true strength. In a sorcerer's world, real-world influence meant little. Only strength in the Virtual World truly counted.

Annan gently stroked the dragon lizard's head. "The true use of points is to purchase guidance from the Book of Gospel. In other words, information and knowledge.

"If your sorcery class reaches a plateau, you can spend points to seek guidance, and the Book of Gospel will tell you how to progress. If your experiments stall, it will identify the problem. If you are unsure of your talents, it will reveal your potential. You can even verify whether someone is lying."

Ashe, as the "mana-thieving mud-breed" he was, felt unimpressed. To him, the book sounded not much different from a search engine.

Iger and Harvey, however, were already stunned. As true sorcerers, they understood the value of such guidance. If the Book of Gospel truly came from the Omniscient Weaver, then every citizen effectively carried a personal divine mentor at their side. This was extraordinary.

The Blood Moon Kingdom is garbage. From today onward, I'm a citizen of the Gospel.

Iger's voice trembled as he asked, "So... roughly what proportion of people here are sorcerers?"

"Because the School Comprehensive Ranking factors in students' healthy development, the sorcerer ratio has gradually declined over the past few decades," Annan replied, flipping through her Book of Gospel. "Currently, it's 10.19 percent."

Harvey muttered under his breath, "So one out of ten people here is a sorcerer... The corpse resources here are top-notch..."

"It might sound a little strange... but don't think too highly of the sorcerers here," Annan said, spreading her hands. "In your country, you probably wouldn't rank as particularly powerful Two-Winged sorcerers. Yet here, in a society with such a high sorcerer ratio, you still rank first and second. That alone speaks volumes.

"For the population as a whole, the Book of Gospel is an enormous advantage. But for individuals, it's a double-edged sword that must be wielded carefully."

Ashe said bluntly, "Independent learning ability. If someone develops the habit of instinctively consulting the Book of Gospel whenever difficulties arise, their independent thinking gradually erodes. Eventually, they won't make any progress without the Book of Gospel's guidance. It's like a well-fed housecat raised as a pig, and eventually getting chased by mice."

"Exactly," Annan said, playfully holding the dragon-lizard's tiny paw. "We divide sorcerers into Gospel Sorcerers and Silent Sorcerers. Gospel Sorcerers rely on the Book's guidance. Since the amount of help is either unlimited or nonexistent, they usually stagnate at the Two-Winged level. Even with the Gospel instructing them on how to improve, it's extremely difficult for them to break through.

"To become a Three-Winged sorcerer, you almost always have to be a Silent Sorcerer, someone who hasn't relied on the Book of Gospel even once."

"Take Cliose, the Weeping Sand you met earlier, for example. She's never consulted the Book about anything except the birth of her destined lover."

Ashe's jaw dropped. "It can even answer questions about love?!"

Annan shrugged. "Of course. It's just an uncommon question. I haven't asked it myself. A destined lover is someone you recognize instantly. There is no trial and error. Once you meet, you never part. Many people spend their entire lives waiting... and die before they ever find theirs."

Ashe muttered in astonishment, "So there really is such a thing as a preordained lover..."

Harvey glanced at Lys. "Looks like you won't have a mother, huh."

Lys nodded seriously. "Compared to having a mother, I feel like I'm more likely to get a second dad..."

Harvey nodded gravely. "Fair enough."

Annan continued calmly, "I've told you all this to show you how powerful the Book of Gospel truly is."

She set the dragon-lizard on the table. "Once you understand that, you'll see how ambitious my plan is and what I'm wagering on you. You are not to tell a single soul what comes next."

Then Annan turned her gaze sharply toward Ashe, making him both nervous and confused. She's staring at me... is she coveting my looks? Is this some kind of test? Or is she trying to get me drunk? Ugh, it's all 222's fault for enhancing my appearance. Even Freya keeps eyeing me... If the new boss insists on breaking rules, do I go along or play hard to get?

As Ashe spiraled into chaotic thoughts, Lys mimed zipping her lips. "Daddy, I'll be good."

Ashe blinked. He finally caught on. "Lys, you're not allowed to reveal a single thing you hear next either."

Since Annan couldn't command Lys directly, Ashe had to act as the intermediary. Only then did she withdraw her gaze and continue, "What do you think this office does daily?"

The three spoke almost simultaneously.

"Transport unprocessed bodies."

"Human trafficking."

"Biological transport."

Annan raised an eyebrow. "That is indeed one of our main tasks... but let me clarify, so there's no misunderstanding.

"Among the various rankings, one category evaluates regional development and ruler competence, including the Internal Affairs Ranking, Innovation Ranking, Security Ranking, and City Comprehensive Ranking. Talent is a key metric in these rankings. Now, how do you think talent should be measured?"

Lys raised her hand. "Good kids like me who appear on the ranking count as talent."

Harvey and Iger turned toward the only zero-star trash in the room. Ashe slammed a hand on the table. "Miss Annan, they're not even paying attention! I officially report them. I, Ashe, despise slackers in meetings!"

"Exactly. Only those on the rankings count as true talent."

The Purple Moth blinked. I haven't even done anything yet, and the three of them are already turning on each other.

"Not every regional ranking can be filled. Each ranking has a minimum threshold. If you don't meet it, you cannot appear at all. Rankings that are fully populated are called complete rankings."

"The more complete rankings a region has, the higher the ruler's competence and the stronger its development. City rankings update every six months, so every ruler scrambles to fill empty spots before the evaluation period ends."

The fraudster's eyes lit up as he spotted a loophole. "If we bring top-ranked people from other regions into ours, then—"

"Exactly," Annan said, lightly adjusting her purple crystal earrings. "When someone's location changes, they're counted in the rankings of whichever region they're in."

"So each evaluation period becomes a war for offices like ours. We abduct specific talents from neighboring regions to fill vacancies. Remember the vehicle you rode in before? It's used only to prevent these talents from resisting for a brief period. No one is harmed. Once the evaluation ends, we release them. Physical contact is minimized to ensure a short, comfortable trip for the talents."

"Please don't misunderstand. The Funeral Agency operates properly and professionally."

The three exchanged glances. Temporary detention, coordination with security forces, abducting and restraining outsiders... Somehow, we don't feel like we've misunderstood any part of it... 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"By now, you should have a clear idea of what our office really does."

Ding.

Purple Moth lightly scraped her earrings with a fingernail and accepted a wine glass from the young butler, Pankey.

"Our tasks may vary, but at the core, we discover, study, and exploit loopholes in the Book of Gospel.

"In other words... we desecrate the Book of Gospel."