The sound of machines running echoed throughout the factory facilities, roaring water rushed through giant pipes, and the pungent smell of chemicals filled the air, making people feel nauseous.

Agatha stood by the guardrail and leaned her head to take a look at the buffer pool below. She saw the filthy liquid rolling and surging in the huge reservoir, with bubbles and strangely colored glows coming out from time to time, as disgusting as the stomach acid of a giant beast.

A manager wearing a light brown coat and with thinning hair stood behind the young gatekeeper with a nervous look on his face, one hand subconsciously pulling at the buttons on his chest.

"The drainage from the northern area of ​​Oak Street and the surrounding area of ​​Cemetery No. 4 all converges here," the manager noted the gatekeeper's expression and reported carefully, "After receiving the order, we immediately cut off the surrounding pipe connections and checked the alarm devices of each buffer pool. No signs of desecration or pollution were found..."

Agatha listened silently, and after a while she suddenly asked, "How is sewage usually treated?"

"How to deal with it?" The manager was stunned for a moment, and quickly answered, "First, use high-pressure steam to purify the possible blasphemous pollution in it. You know, the sewage has been in contact with humans and flows in dark pipes, so it is inevitable that it will become a carrier of certain things. After steam purification, it is sedimentation and filtration. What you see is the sedimentation tank. Then there is a second steam purification. After this purification, part of the water will be sent to the factory for recycling, and the other part... will be discharged into the sea."

Agatha nodded slightly, and then asked, "How long will it take for the sewage discharged from the North District of Oak Street to flow here?"

"It depends on the specific situation, but generally no more than two hours," the manager replied.

“How long has the sewage stayed here?”

"The water in the sedimentation tank is replaced every 72 hours," the manager raised his hand. He became more and more nervous under the gatekeeper's questions. He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, but still answered accurately. "The purification and inspection process has strict regulations and will not be shorter than this time."

Agatha nodded slightly, and quickly calculated the time of the "fake incident" in the house and the time relationship between sewage treatment, and said thoughtfully: "In other words, if that thing can really escape through the drainage system, it should still be here now..."

"Sir, gatekeeper," the manager wiped his shiny forehead again, and finally couldn't help but speak out of curiosity, "What on earth... happened? Is there pollution spreading through the sewage system?"

"...We can't rule this out," Agatha glanced at the manager, then looked at the black-clad guards who were collecting samples and testing facilities not far away, "but based on what we have tested so far, everything here is normal."

"Yes," the manager smiled a little reluctantly, "Every link here has an alarm device to detect possible blasphemous pollution. There are also three resident pastors in the treatment center, and they also test water samples every day..."

"Resident priest?" Agatha seemed to have suddenly thought of something and turned around. "You said there are several resident priests here?"

"Three...three," Agatha's tone suddenly became a little scary, and the manager stuttered subconsciously, "Any questions?"

"You can only have two pastors here - there are strict regulations on the number of resident pastors in municipal facilities at all levels. Where does the third one come from?"

The manager's expression froze for a moment, and then a layer of sweat appeared on his forehead, which was visible to the naked eye, and a look of tension and fear appeared in his eyes.

Seeing this, Agatha immediately raised her cane and placed it on the man's shoulder, forcibly suppressing the "fear" from his mind. At the same time, she said with a serious expression: "Listen, you must stay calm next - go and bring all the resident priests, and tell them that the gatekeeper needs to know more about the situation. Don't show any other emotions, understand?"

The manager's mood quickly calmed down, but he still felt a little nervous. He nodded hurriedly: "Yes, I understand... I understand... I'll go right away."

Agatha nodded and put away her cane, but just as the other party was about to leave, she remembered something and quickly said, "Wait, not just the resident pastor—call everyone."

The manager turned around and was stunned: "Everyone?"

"Everyone," Agatha repeated in a deep voice, and then asked worriedly, "Has anyone left this processing center since yesterday?"

"No!" the manager replied immediately, "We received the order exactly fifteen minutes before the shift change, and everyone working here stayed."

"Very good, bring them all here - just say it's necessary for inspection, be more relaxed and don't arouse suspicion, go ahead."

The balding manager turned around and walked away quickly, calming himself down as he walked. Agatha stood motionless beside the buffer pool until she saw the other person's figure disappear behind a door not far away. Then she raised her hand and signaled to the guards around who had noticed the movement here.

The nearby black-clad guards immediately sprang into action, placing hidden runes in the open space around the buffer pool, sprinkling essential oils and crushed incense powder at intersections and between pipes, and standing in specific locations, pretending to be still inspecting the facilities.

As the guards moved, Agatha raised her cane and slowly drew the outline of a triangle about two meters long around the area where she was standing. She then stood in the center of the triangle, leaning on her cane with both hands, and waited calmly.

Not long after, footsteps were heard from the direction of the gate. The manager returned to the factory building where the buffer pool was located, followed by a large group of people.

Among them, three priests wearing robes of the Church of Death and holy emblems can be seen.

A dozen employees of the processing center, led by the manager, came to Agatha and lined up in a loose queue. They nervously greeted the "gatekeeper" in front of them. The three resident priests came from the side of the queue and saluted Agatha according to the etiquette and status of the clergy of the Church of Death.

Agatha ordered the three priests to stand apart, and then her eyes slowly swept across all the faces.

She sensed a sense of disobedience.

Although she did not see any suspicious expressions or actions, and although she did not sense any abnormal aura, Bartok's blessing had confirmed the existence of a sense of disharmony - hidden in the breathing of these people, hidden in their heartbeats, and even hidden in the shadows they cast on the ground.

Agatha blinked, confirming once again that what she saw was normal, and then she understood.

Sure enough, cognitive interference existed—and even when the “gatekeeper” himself was present, this cognitive interference still existed.

Is it simply because he is very brave? Or is it because he does not understand the power of the gatekeeper? Or... this cognitive interference is not controlled?

Agatha slowly turned her head and her eyes fell on the three priests.

Leaving aside the dozen or so staff members, one of the three priests must be a fake—but which one?

"Recite Bartok's name," Agatha said slowly, "Let the Lord of Death look upon us, and let us discern the falsehood in this world."

"In the name of Bartok, the Lord of Death," a priest immediately spoke up, "may He watch over us..."

Then the second and third priests immediately spoke up: "In the name of Bartok, the Lord of Death..."

Three voices sounded one after another, like echoes.

Agatha frowned.

The fact that they can chant the name of God shows that they are not "fakes" made of mud, nor are they cultists with heretical beliefs. Otherwise, the violent conflict in faith would be enough to tear apart their sanity.

But how is it possible that all three priests are real?

Agatha's thoughts raced, but her expression remained calm. She nodded to the three of them and said, "Next, I need to do some necessary tests. Please understand."

As she spoke, she reached out to her left eye - a living eyeball immediately jumped out of the eye socket and fell accurately into her hand.

Agatha held up the eyeball and "looked" at the three priests opposite.

The figure of the first priest came into her sight—a skinny old man in a linen robe, with inky black chains extending from under his ribs. The Deep Hound at the end of the chains was raising its head towards her, and the blasphemous and filthy energy in its mouth was quickly gathering and taking shape!

heresy!

How dare you stand here so openly!

Agatha's face changed slightly, but she was prepared. The moment the Deep Hound opened its huge mouth, her figure had already dodged to the side. At the same time, the cane in her right hand was raised, and a pale flame was burning at the end of the cane.

However, just as she was about to ignite the heresy, another low and obscure spell chanting suddenly came from the side.

The eyeball in Agatha's left hand suddenly turned, and the next second, she saw a young man with dry yellow hair and a high nose bridge raising his hands to her. Behind him was a gray-black jellyfish floating, which seemed to be condensed from mist.

That was the second "Pastor".

Agatha felt dizzy and was about to steady herself when she heard the third spell being chanted.

A pale woman raised her hand towards this side at the edge of the vision. Crawling beside the woman was a cat made of bones and fog.

That was the third priest.

All pastors are fake.

Roars and sounds of fighting came from all directions.

The moment the three Annihilation Cultists launched their attack, the surrounding defenders reacted and tried to provide support, but they also encountered their own enemies.

The dozen or so "staff members" brought by the management engaged in a fierce fight with the nearby black-clad guards.

From the corner of Agatha's eye, she could see that after being hit, the "staff members" had a sticky, filthy substance like mud bursting out from their body surfaces.

Only the manager with sparse hair ran to a nearby pipe and screamed helplessly and terrified.

There is only one "human" in the entire sewage treatment center.