Louise stood by the window, admiring the scene outside, looking at the faintly visible outline of the distant island, and the introduction to Bansy she had seen yesterday flashed through her mind.
"Mysteriously disappeared in the thick fog... bones appeared on the beach and in the mountains... the natives seem to have a tradition of cannibalism."
"And because of these legends, two unique customs have emerged in Bansy Port. One is to keep the doors tightly shut on nights with thick fog and drastic weather changes, not to go out, and not to respond to knocking sounds."
"The other is that they are fond of the fresh blood of various animals and have learned from migrating elves to add salt to it, causing the blood to coagulate into peculiar lumps. When combined with several local spicy seasonings, it is tender and fragrant."
"Hmm, what an interesting place. After the trade is completed, I must take a good look around Bansy and try their local delicacies."
Louise closed the book in her hand, looked at the overcast sky, and her thoughts gradually drifted.
After leaving Damir Port, the Moon Shadow's voyage had been quite smooth. With the help of the wind, the speed remained steady at 15 knots, so they arrived at Bansy Port much earlier than scheduled.
Louise followed Baron Casimir off the Moon Shadow. Even though they had decided to solve the problem with money, they couldn't be treated as lambs to be slaughtered, so having an experienced elder accompany them was quite necessary.
Just then, the weather at the port suddenly changed. Gusts of wind swept through, making the trees sway violently.
As expected of Bansy Port, the "Weather Museum"... Louise used her spirituality to erect an invisible barrier to block the strong wind, and she examined the surrounding scenery with interest.
The pedestrians on the street, whether gentlemen in formal tailcoats or ladies in beautiful dresses, were all in a hurry, ignoring the top hats blown away by the wind and their fluttering skirts. The sound of doors closing echoed, accompanied by the dim yellow light illuminating the interiors of the houses.
Louise was somewhat surprised by their reaction, but not all doors were closed. A bar not far from the port was still brightly lit, and the sounds of revelry mingled with the strong wind and drifted around. That was also the agreed-upon trading place.
Louise followed Baron Casimir into the bar, passed through the bustling crowd of drunkards of various skin tones, and arrived at a private room in the back.
Alger Wilson, with his deep features and rugged outline, sat on a chair in a very humble posture, looking at the great pirate Covaro, who was lying on his side on the sofa and drinking Sonia blood wine. He respectfully said:
"Respected Captain Covaro, are you interested in the conditions I just proposed? Can we obtain the information we want from you?"
Covaro drained the Sonia blood wine in his cup and replied in a relaxed manner:
"Heh heh, of course, as long as there's money."
"500 pounds, and I can tell you all the information about the 'Azure Avenger'. I don't like the captain of that ghost ship very much anyway, and I have high hopes for you."
Alger Wilson was slightly startled, and his heart immediately became conflicted. This was 200 pounds more than the conditions he had just offered. After exchanging glances with Saens, whose face was a bit stiff, he finally gritted his teeth and took out all the bonus he had received from his last report and placed it on the table.
Covaro scanned the gold pounds on the table with satisfaction. The first mate standing by quickly collected the gold pounds on the table and pushed a wooden box to Alger and Saens.
Alger quickly took the box, opened it, and glanced inside, then bowed his head respectfully. Saens's face twitched slightly. As a Storm Church priest, bowing to a pirate made him feel like he was blaspheming his faith.
Just as the atmosphere was becoming somewhat tense, the door of the private room was suddenly opened, and two handsome individuals with black hair and red eyes walked in. They were Louise and Baron Casimir.
The atmosphere in the private room immediately relaxed. After Alger bid farewell in a low voice, he quickly grabbed Saens and left the private room.
As the door of the private room closed, Louise withdrew her scrutinizing gaze and casually asked:
"Who were those two just now?"
Covaro felt the aura emanating from the two newcomers and saw their characteristic red eyes, and he understood. He lost his previous indifference and said with a chuckle:
"You two must be here to trade for that Beyonder characteristic left behind by the Blood Race Baron, welcome, welcome."
"As for those two just now..." He paused at this point, recalling Saens's unusual reactions earlier, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly.
"They might be from the Storm Church, or perhaps connected to a Pirate King or a hidden organization."
"They usually disguise themselves as ordinary pirates to collect information about targets for their true masters, making it easier for targeted elimination."
"At times, they act on behalf of the forces behind the scenes to do things that are inconvenient for them, such as silencing witnesses or robbing a specific item."
Louise immediately understood somewhat, and Baron Casimir, who had experienced many storms, obviously knew about this and did not take up the conversation. Instead, he asked directly:
"Where is that Beyonder characteristic left behind by the Blood Race Baron?"
The smile on Covaro's face became even more pronounced. He took out a wooden box from his Pregnant and opened it, revealing a completely crimson heart that was slightly expanding and contracting. Its surface was translucent, and liquid could be vaguely seen flowing inside.
"I want 4000 gold pounds. You are not weak, so you should know that this price is not expensive, it is a very sincere price."
"Of course, if you have the potion formula for Sequence 5 'Harvester' and are willing to exchange it, I can give you this Beyonder characteristic directly and compensate you with an additional 1000 gold pounds."
Baron Casimir remained silent for two seconds, then took out 4000 gold pounds from his Pregnant and placed them on the table. At the same time, he took the wooden box handed over by the first mate. After both parties inspected the items, the transaction was officially concluded.
Louise watched from the side, feeling somewhat bored. There was no verbal sparring as she had imagined, nor was there an opportunity for her to show off. Just as she was about to leave following Baron Casimir, a voice came from behind:
"Respected guests, to celebrate the success of our transaction, I'll give you a piece of advice: don't wander around on the streets. Either leave Bansy as soon as possible or find a place to stay."
"Remember not to respond to knocking."
The smile on Covaro's face had long since disappeared, replaced by seriousness. He pointed to the window, and only then did Louise realize that in just a moment, the strong wind had subsided, but strangely, a faint mist was gradually appearing.
On the mountainside outside Bansy Port, towering rock walls surrounded a naturally hidden altar.
The altar was inscribed with strange patterns, designs, and symbols. An ordinary-looking wooden door was embedded in a large rock, with a brass-colored keyhole and handle.
Six figures were revealed in the drifting mist, standing around the large rock. They were all wearing black cloaks, having lost their heads, with only their necks still gushing blood. Only the swirling breeze held up their hoods.
Six headless bodies, with their esophagi hanging, and their heads hovering in mid-air with strange smiles, circled around. At the base of the large rock where it met the soil, a little fresh red seeped out.
The fresh red gradually expanded, like blood spreading out.
However, it did not contaminate too much, confined to a very small area.
The entire altar was faintly glowing, and the sound of wind and thunder could be faintly heard.
A low, muffled voice filled with seductive and frenzied meaning sounded, echoing around the altar:
"What are you still hesitating about?"
"What the Storm Church cannot give you, the great 'God of Weather' can bestow upon you."
"As long as the great Lord can gradually awaken, let alone Sequence Five, even a demigod, the Lord can satisfy your request."
"As long as you open that door, you can truly become a believer of the Lord and listen to the Lord's voice."
Bishop Miller, wearing a dark blue bishop's robe embroidered with the symbol of the storm, lowered his head, his face pale, his breathing rapid, and his steps somewhat unsteady as he walked to the front of the large rock.
Seeing that he hadn't moved for a long time, the seductive voice sounded again:
"Miller, do you want to stay in that small church forever? Do you think you still have a chance to turn back now?"
Bishop Miller's body trembled. His slightly trembling arm grasped the handle and gently twisted it downwards.
With the slight metallic click, the wooden door swung open at an angle. Bishop Miller's eyes suddenly met a expanse of grayish-white mist.
Within the mist was a flattened mountaintop, on which were intertwined silver-white and crimson patterns, forming a complex design. In the center of the design was a rusty coffin.
Looking into the distance, through the mist, one could vaguely see a faintly visible street and rows of houses behind the mountaintop.
As Bishop Miller's pupils dilated, a vague murmur came from the rusty coffin shrouded in faint mist:
"Castiel Medici... the last hope... disaster..."
Along with the murmur, bright lights suddenly erupted in the mist, as if countless bolts of lightning were intertwined and striking down.
The mist immediately surged out, spreading towards Bansy Port with the strong wind.
In a dimly lit room in the deepest part of the Moon Shadow, which was docked at Bansy Port, an ancient coffin was placed.
As if sensing a certain aura, the coffin lid trembled slightly, and the low voice of Marquis Nibais Ordra echoed in the ears of Count Mistral, who was standing on the deck, frowning and looking into the distance.
"There's a problem in Bansy, leave as soon as possible."
-----------------
Irushiel, East Tack Manor Hunting Ground.
It had been more than half a month since returning to Irushiel, and January was nearing its end.
Aaron had carefully selected several Beyonders, and after this period of adjustment, he could barely use the ability of "Dominion".
During the practical process, Aaron also discovered a problem: the power that "Dominion" can borrow cannot exceed his own Sequence.
In other words, if Aaron borrowed power from a Sequence Five now, the upper limit of the borrowed power would not exceed Sequence Six.
And for the dispersion of damage received, the effect would be different against different attacks. The dispersion effect was best for physical damage, while for conceptual damage such as mental body, the dispersion effect was very small. Of course, it might also be due to the lack of tacit understanding within the team.
Aaron returned to the lounge with a slightly pale face, holding the "Sword of Judgment", and saw the stern and serious-faced Gusman Wilson standing with his hands behind his back.
Before Aaron could ask, Gusman Wilson nodded slightly and spoke first:
"Last night, a 'Iron-blooded Knight' from the Einhorn family of the Feysac royal family suddenly attacked in Nikiforos, West Balam, and a 'Witch King' also attacked secretly."
"With the help of a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact of the Church of Evernight, although Mathiana repelled them, she was also seriously injured."
"The ancestor's intention is for me to go to the Southern Continent to stabilize the situation together, and at the same time, be wary of Intis intervening in the situation."
As he spoke, he paused, a hint of worry appearing on his face, and continued:
"I originally wanted to travel with you to the Southern Continent and escort you safely, but now the family's demigods are tied up with the matters over there and cannot look after you. You must be careful before the situation becomes clear."
Aaron nodded, but thought of more.
"Sequence 3 'Bishop of War' truly begins to engage in warfare. They can gather the power of the army into one, and can truly integrate the army, making it as agile as an arm."
"And the ritual for advancing from Sequence 4 to Sequence 3 is related to this. Coupled with the previous plan for the Beyonder characteristic of that 'God of Weather', it seems that father has been included in the ancestor's list for advancement."
"Being sent to the Southern Continent this time is both a consideration for the situation and an opportunity to complete the ritual in advance."
#153Chapter 153 Garden of Eden (Two in One)
Thinking of this, Aaron's thoughts paused slightly. He suddenly thought of a possibility:
"Could that 'Iron-blooded Knight' from the Einhorn family be thinking the same thing?"
"If that's the case, then he should have a Sequence 3 Beyonder characteristic or a corresponding Grade 1 Sealed Artifact in his possession."
"Then the scale of this war will only grow larger until it satisfies his advancement ritual. The Rose School of Thought is also involved in this..."
Aaron looked up and saw the solemn expression on Guzman Will's face. As an "Iron-blooded Knight" himself, he had obviously also thought of these things.
After a moment of contemplation, Guzman spoke to Solor Binder, who was standing silently and unmoving beside him:
"Solor, you, along with Dallen Sherotto and Harland Rooney who are already in the Southern Continent, the three of you will continue to follow Aaron and obey his command."
Solor Binder, who had been silent, raised his head as if to say something, but was interrupted by Guzman's wave of the hand.
Aaron frowned slightly and immediately recalled the information he had obtained from the Red Priest card.
Compared to the advancement of demigods from other pathways, the Hunter pathway can be considered one of the least difficult. It only requires going through life and death together and personally cultivating a combat team.
Correspondingly, as part of the ritual, the members of this team are the "Iron-blooded Knight's" anchors. They help digest the potion and also maintain the self-awareness of the advancer who has just gained divinity for the first time, preventing loss of control.
Conversely, the "Iron-blooded Knight" can also amplify the team's combat power and even create a mystical connection between each member of the team.
Even Angel-level Hunters can summon each other through team members. In other words, even if they are alone and separated by vast distances, each person is effectively with the team.
However, as the price for a relatively simple advancement ritual, or perhaps an inevitable risk, the death of any member serving as the "Iron-blooded Knight's" anchor will shake the "Iron-blooded Knight's" self-awareness.
Others might not be very clear, but Aaron knew that the team for his father's advancement ritual back then was the current Duke's personal guard.
And as the Deputy Captain of the Duke's personal guard, a Sequence 5 "Chaos Master," Solor Binder could provide a lot of help to his father in every aspect.
With this thought, Aaron spoke:
"Father, the situation in the Southern Continent is unclear. Feysac and the Rose School of Thought have already made their moves. Once the situation becomes deadlocked, Intis will likely also try to fish in troubled waters."
"I can leave Dallen Sherotto and Harland Rooney, but you must take Solor Binder with you. You must maintain your best state and fully utilize your strength."
Aaron waved his hand as he spoke. A burly giant of a man, whose height was estimated to be over two meters, slowly walked over from the hunting grounds, knelt on one knee, and said in a booming voice:
"Respected Duke and Lord Aaron, please feel free to give your orders."
Aaron smiled and shook his head, helping the burly giant, who had distinct Southern Continent racial features, back to his feet:
"Byron Bail, I've said it many times, we are not master and servant, we are friends. You don't need to kneel to me."
Byron Bail raised his large, thick hand and scratched his slightly simple face, grinning:
"My life was saved by the family. I don't understand big principles, but I have two wishes."
"One is to avenge my dead family and friends, and one day personally kill the 'Undying King' Agarito."
"The other is to forever be loyal to the East Chester family, to repay the favor of saving my life back then and the family's cultivation over the years."
Seeing him say this, Aaron sighed and stopped trying to persuade him. He turned to his father, Guzman Will, and introduced him:
"Byron Bail, the captain of my newly formed personal guard, a Sequence 5 'Guardian'."
"I mentioned to the family before that I wanted someone strong enough, loyal enough, and knowledgeable enough about the Southern Continent to serve as the captain of my personal guard."
"And he has extremely rich combat experience in the Southern Continent and is very familiar with the situation there. After comprehensive consideration, I ultimately chose him."
Guzman Will examined Byron Bail, whose body faintly glowed like the morning sun, for a moment before slowly nodding.
Then he looked at Aaron and asked:
"Are all preparations made? When are you planning to depart?"
Aaron waved his hand, signaling Byron Bail to leave, and then replied:
"Next week, I'll depart in early February. However, before that, I need to go to Constant City in Intis Sea County once. There's a portion of my spoils of war that hasn't been recovered yet."
"Hmm, I wonder what Beyonder materials and Sealed Artifacts are left from the Flora Jacob lineage? I hope they bring me some surprises." Aaron muttered to himself inwardly at the same time.
Ruen Intis Sea County, Constant City, Constant Industrial University.
Lawrence Nord, with a head full of silver hair and a face full of wrinkles, slowly walked out of the campus, turned his head to look at the place where he had worked for a long time, and softly sighed.
He was here today to handle the formal resignation procedures. The stated reason was poor health and physical decline, making him unable to fulfill the duties of a public school teacher. The actual reason was that the frequent Blood Moons this year had almost completely destroyed his body.
Lawrence walked with difficulty through this purely industrial city, passing towering blast furnaces, chimneys, and tall buildings, arriving at a small two-story building by the Maris River.
Lawrence opened the mailbox full of hope, finding an extra letter inside. The smile that had just appeared on his face instantly froze.
He recognized the letter; it was the one he had written to Robert and Anlisa last week. It had appeared in the mailbox completely unopened, which meant only one possibility.
That the postman had not found Robert and Anlisa and had to return the letter the way it came.
Lawrence stood for a long time before opening the door and going up to the second floor. From a compartment, he took out a palm-sized notebook. Its cover looked very hard, was bronze-green, and appeared quite ancient.
On the cover, there was a line of words written in ancient Feysac:
"I came, I saw, I recorded."
Looking at this mystical item passed down through his lineage, which was also a symbol of his lineage's identity, Lawrence slowly sat down and muttered in pain:
"Where did Robert and Anlisa go... Richard died at the hands of the Aurora Order... Sam doesn't want to contact us at all, doesn't want to bear the responsibility of the surname..."
"Is the Abraham family really going to slowly perish like this?"
He then uncontrollably recalled the suffering the Abraham family had endured over the years.
After the disaster brought by the Aurora Order, the rebuilt Abraham family elder council reflected on their actions over the years but could not find a way to solve the problems.
Emotions like negativity, despondency, and despair shrouded the hearts of the few remaining family members.
Lawrence was unwilling to stay in such an environment, nor did he want to face sighs and a depressing atmosphere every day, coupled with not knowing how long his body could last.
He had just decided to leave Constant City and was preparing to come to Backlund to search for his half-brother Robert and his half-brother Sam.
Now, he suddenly discovered that he couldn't contact Robert.
And he himself was nearly eighty years old, and all his children had died in the disaster brought by Botis.
Just recalling these things filled him with uncontrollable grief.
What pained him most was seeing no hope for revenge and no dawn for the family's glory to reappear.
"I am already very old, and my physical condition is extremely poor. Unless necessary, I don't dare to use Beyonder abilities anymore. That would lead to loss of control or bring down the curse..."
"Where exactly is the future of the Abraham family?" Lawrence fell into a long silence.
On the other side of Constant City, west of the industrial district.
In a luxuriously decorated room, at a dining table laden with various delicacies, a strange figure sat at the head of the table.
This figure was wearing a formal three-piece suit, a semi-tall silk top hat, and a bizarre mask on its face.
The mouth on this mask was split wide open, extending almost to the ears, and remained constantly agape, as if wanting to devour everything its two eyes saw.
This figure had an extremely elegant demeanor, with an air of a scholar, but their hand movements were as fast as afterimages. In just a moment, a table full of food was reduced to empty plates.
A hint of satisfaction finally appeared on the strange mask. A young man wearing gold-rimmed glasses slowly walked in and personally collected all the empty plates, revealing a room full of stacked empty plates behind him as he turned sideways.
The figure wearing the strange mask nodded in satisfaction:
"Well done. Hmm, I might be going out for a while recently. The Psychology Alchemists in Constant City will be temporarily under your charge."
The young man was slightly startled, and then joy and gratitude appeared on his face. He replied excitedly:
"I will definitely not fail your expectations, Councilor Howard Philip."
Ignoring the young man, 'Mr. Gluttony', Howard Philip, one of the Psychology Alchemists' Council members responsible for Constant City in the Kingdom of Ruen, turned his head to look out the window.
A smile, whether mocking or wary, appeared on the strange mask.
His figure, now ethereal, had arrived on the street outside. People were coming and going, but no one noticed him with his strange attire, and they also avoided the central area.
A large carriage was parked there. The coachman was an ordinary middle-aged man wearing a worn top hat and a dark jacket.
However, in Howard's eyes, this coachman simply did not exist because he had no corresponding spiritual island or conscious activity.
In other words, the coachman was just an illusion, a dummy. The one in charge of the carriage was the horse itself.
Howard curled his lip slightly and walked over. The carriage door creaked open.
"'Mr. Gluttony', you're late," a low male voice came from inside.
The mouth on Howard's mask split wider. He boarded the carriage and saw a gentleman sitting in a black wheelchair.
He had long, light yellow eyebrows, his hair was neatly combed back, there were a few wrinkles on his forehead, and his face was an unnaturally pale color.
"Oh, President, I just ate a little longer. You didn't need to come and pick me up yourself, did you?"
Borry Delauro, the President of the Psychology Alchemists, rubbed the wheels on either side of his chair and said:
"This meeting is still very important. It will only officially begin after everyone has arrived."
'Gluttony' Howard remained silent, neither responding nor sitting down. The carriage had somehow arrived at a city shrouded in night, "Eden".
In the city stood magnificent buildings filled with a strong sense of mystery and darkness. Walking among them were "pedestrians" symbolizing bestial desires.
They either wore top hats and trench coats or elaborate and complex dark long dresses, trying their best to imitate humans in every detail, but unable to make themselves truly human.
The carriage traveled under the dim night, passing through these "pedestrians" and various Gothic buildings, and soon arrived at a church in the very center of the city.
This church was over eighty meters high, supported by massive black pillars. Each pillar was embedded with a certain number of skulls, some from humans, some from different creatures, but all directed their empty eyes downwards, as if watching every living being entering the church.
Getting off the carriage and passing through the main entrance, one entered a grand but empty hall.
In the depths of the hall, a massive cross stood, around which was coiled a statue of a gray-white giant dragon.
In front of the giant dragon statue, a not-so-large long table was placed. There were five chairs on each side of the long table, with only the head and the seat to the side still empty.
Borry Delauro maneuvered his wheelchair to the head of the long table. 'Gluttony' Howard casually sat in the seat to his side.
Hevin Lanbis, wearing the gray-white 'Pride' mask, spoke indifferently:
"'Mr. Gluttony' seems to have no concept of time. We have been waiting for you for a long time."
Howard glanced at him, let out a strange chuckle, and said mockingly:
"Oh, oh, oh, who did I think it was?"
"So it's 'Mr. Pride', who was almost killed last time. My apologies, my apologies."
He then changed to a serious tone and added:
"Although you narrowly escaped last time, I have a premonition that you will definitely be the first among us to die. My premonitions are quite accurate, so you better be careful!"
Hevin Lanbis looked at the mask with the mocking expression, his fingers clenched tightly. The 'Pride' mask emitted a faint glow.
The other Psychology Alchemists Council members wearing other personality masks around them remained silent, neither helping nor hindering, as if they were already used to it.
Borry Delauro raised his hands, clasped them together, and rested them on the surface of the long table:
"Enough. First, let's share our respective intelligence, then discuss the matters."
'Mr. Greed', responsible for the St. Millom area in the capital of Feysac, whose mouth was split up to his ears but not open, and whose eyes were closed, was the first to speak:
"According to the President's arrangement, the war between Ruen's East Chester family and Feysac's royal Einhorn family in West Balam has officially begun. Both sides are increasing their stakes, and everything is going smoothly."
Borry Delauro nodded, then looked at 'Mr. Lust', who was responsible for Trier, the capital of Intis.
'Mr. Lust', whose eyes were sunken to the middle of his nose, as if looking up at people from below, nodded and then spoke:
"My manipulation failed. Someone intervened and stopped my actions. Intis will not participate for now, only observe. To make them act, we would have to pay a greater price."
Borry Delauro frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, and then spoke:
"No need. The Einhorn family can already force the East Chester family to reveal their true strength. They have long wanted to swallow up the East Chester family."
"As for the true state of Varnal Will, the Fourth Epoch Angel, George III is very keen to know. Since He is willing to pay the price, we will help our partner."
Chapter 154 Hermes (Two in One)
Howard saw that no one was speaking anymore, and the corners of his mouth turned up:
"A Dream Stealer from the Marauder pathway used to live in Constant City. After she broke through to Demigod last year, she left Constant City and hasn't returned since."
The members of the council around him were not surprised by this. Unlike Backlund, where the forces of the churches, military, royal family, and hidden organizations were intertwined and many powerhouses were hidden, it wasn't impossible to encounter a Demigod.
Constant City was just the capital of the Balam Sea region. As a Demigod of the Spectator pathway, as long as one avoided the areas where the major churches were located, traversed the Collective Subconscious Sea, and roamed the Mind Islands, discovering a hidden Demigod was not uncommon, let alone when she hadn't even reached Demigod yet.
Tap tap tap
Pauli Derlau lightly tapped the table and looked solemnly at Howard:
"'Gluttony', you'd best stop monitoring that area."
"That group of thieves is prone to causing big trouble, and she's already a Demigod. Stay away from there, don't ask for trouble."
Seeing Howard nod slightly, Pauli Derlau immediately withdrew his gaze and said:
"The matter to be discussed today is the custom of dragon worship that exists in East Chester County of the Loen Kingdom."
"The custom of dragon worship in certain areas there hasn't weakened at all in recent years. I suspect a Mind Dragon is still influencing the area in some way. Perhaps we can use this to find clues about it."
"I wonder who is willing to handle this matter?"
The hall immediately fell silent. After a moment, someone broke the deadlock.
"This is a matter for Loen, it's not very suitable for us to intervene." Mr. 'Lust' looked around and said, "Unless Mr. 'Pride' and Mr. 'Gluttony' are truly unavailable."
Hvin Rambis spoke indifferently:
"I believe the matter I am responsible for is far more important than going to search for clues."
Pauli Derlau nodded and looked back at Howard:
"'Gluttony', you will be responsible for this matter then."
"If you are worried about danger, I can help you separate some identities. They can go explore, and even death won't affect you."
Howard chuckled lightly and shook his head.
Let one of the "virtual personalities" you separated enter my Mind Body, which I have voluntarily lowered the restrictions on?
Wouldn't I just become meat on the chopping block, do you really think I'm a fool?
Seeing that the few people around remained silent, he looked at Derlau and said:
"I will try to investigate. I won't trouble the Chairman to take action, but I need more detailed information."
Seeing that Howard was willing to try investigating, Pauli Derlau didn't continue the previous topic and nodded gently:
"Detailed information will be given to you later, but I must remind you, this matter is quite dangerous, you absolutely cannot be careless."
Speaking of this, Derlau paused and said:
"If you encounter an accident and cannot resolve it on your own, you can call out 'Adam', and this will save you."
Howard's eyes darkened. He didn't respond or speak further, while the other council members began an academic exchange in the field of the mind.
"Alright, this council meeting ends here." After a while, Derlau lightly clapped his hands and said.
Howard got up and walked towards the door. He paused slightly before the cross entwined with a gray-white dragon statue, took a step, and disappeared from Eden.
-----------------
Constant City, Balam Sea region. The bloody moonlight fell, covering this steel forest, creating a strange sense of beauty.
From the clock tower in the city center, whose colors had become rich and vivid, Aaron, wearing a top hat and with the "Sword of Judgment" slung across his back, his face having changed back to Lucivet Joseph, slowly walked out.
"Finally found it." Standing at a high point, Aaron glanced out at this purely industrial city.
Although it was his first time here, he had seen various photos of Constant in newspapers and magazines in the past.
Those photos were all black and white, documenting all aspects of the city.
Among them, three points left the deepest impression on Aaron:
First, the dense forest of chimneys and blast furnaces, as if a forest had been artificially created, was extremely visually impactful and represented industry more than Backlund;
Second, buildings widely used concrete and rebar, built taller, larger, and more densely than similar structures in Backlund;
Third, many places were covered in coal dust, including people's skin, but the air quality was slightly better than Backlund because of the strong winds from the Balam Sea.
Withdrawing his surveying gaze, he looked at the red moon in the sky and sighed helplessly.
He had departed from Irusil in the afternoon. Even if he had to cross the entire Loen, it wouldn't have taken until night to reach Constant City.
The main reason was that Aaron didn't know the corresponding Spirit World coordinates. Traversing the Spirit World relied mainly on the guidance of the divination bracelet, but divination wasn't omnipotent.
Some of the revelations given by divination needed interpretation, and for Aaron, who was not of the Diviner pathway, the revelations obtained in the chaotic information environment of the Spirit World were easily interfered with and distorted.
Because of this reason, Aaron went to several wrong places, and even accidentally ended up in Indo Port on the Balam Sea coast of the Feysac Empire, only arriving at Constant City in the evening.
The figure on the clock tower slowly dissipated, and Aaron's figure appeared on a street corner not far away.
Without expending effort on divination to search, Aaron directly reached out and hailed a hansom cab, asking the driver, who was familiar with the area, to go to 12 Iris Street, South Ras District.
This was Flora Jacob's previous residence, and also Aaron's destination for this trip.
As a heavy industrial city in Loen, even late at night, there were still quite a few pedestrians on the streets of the industrial district. Most of them wore worker uniforms and were covered in dust.
Accompanied by the sound of hooves, the carriage left the industrial district and arrived at the South Ras District, which was home to many nobles and wealthy merchants.
As cultured nobles and respectable wealthy merchants, they naturally wouldn't choose to go out late at night. The streets here were empty, but this environment was more suitable for Aaron's actions.
The carriage stopped at 12 Iris Street, in front of a two-story building. Aaron paid the fare and went around to the back of the building.
He first performed a divination with the divination pendant and received a revelation that there was some danger, but it could be dealt with.
Aaron put away the divination pendant. The Ring of Concealment on his finger flickered slightly, and a slightly illusory door immediately appeared on the wall at the side-rear of the building.
Aaron drew the "Sword of Judgment", slowly passed through the illusory doorway, and entered a room with ordinary decorations and covered in dust.
He didn't sense any dangerous aura. Aaron looked up and to the side. A subtle spiritual fluctuation came from the second floor.
Aaron pushed open the door from inside the room and saw the equally dust-covered hall on the first floor. Unlike the room, the remaining footprints in the hall indicated that at least four people had already gotten there first.
Aaron furrowed his brow slightly. After searching the first-floor hall without any findings, he slowly walked towards the stairs leading to the second floor.
One step, two steps, three steps. As Aaron took his fourth step, he immediately felt something was wrong. His thoughts began to slow, his body became slightly stiff, and his movements were sluggish.
Without any hesitation, the hand holding the "Sword of Judgment" swung down sharply. Along with the collapse of the stairs, Aaron used the force to retreat backward, returning to the first-floor hall.
The sluggishness in thought and movement he had just felt disappeared. Aaron looked at the stairs where a section had collapsed in the middle and activated his Spirit Vision.
But he still couldn't find the source of the problem. If not for Aaron's intuition far exceeding Beyonders of the same Sequence and his repeatedly enhanced Beyonder senses from the Constable pathway, it would have been difficult to notice the subtle changes in his body and react in time.
Recalling the feeling from just now and the lack of findings despite using Spirit Vision now, Aaron had a vague guess in his mind. This should be due to the Spirit Body Threads ability of a "Marionettist".
It wasn't strange for Flora Jacob, a Demigod of the Marauder pathway, to possess a Sealed Artifact or magical item from a neighboring pathway at Sequence 5 level.
After realizing this, Aaron actually felt relieved. With this Sealed Artifact corresponding to "Marionettist" protecting it, the probability of the items on the second floor still being there greatly increased.
After all, Spirit Body Threads are a very unique ability, involving the Mental Body, Astral Body, Mind Body, and Ether Body, and indirectly controlling the physical body through the Ether Body. It is very comprehensive, and therefore ordinary Spirit Vision cannot observe Spirit Body Threads.
And ordinary thieves or low-Sequence Beyonders don't have extraordinary perception and spiritual intuition like Aaron, they would just walk up to the second floor step by step and become controlled marionettes.
Standing in the first-floor hall, a smile appeared on Aaron's face. He was quite familiar with the abilities of a "Marionettist" and already had countermeasures.
The fundamental principle of a "Marionettist's" ability is to utilize the "Spirit Body Threads" that exist in every creature, controlling the target like a puppet and making them their marionette.
It can be said that for an ordinary "Marionettist", the strength and number of marionettes directly determine the upper and lower limits of their power.
In the battle where "Marionettist" Rosago was nailed to the pillar of shame, his dramatic counter-kill was also closely related to his lack of marionettes at the time.
Aaron stood outside the range of the Sealed Artifact's "Spirit Body Threads" influence. His spirituality surged, and the Ring of Concealment flickered slightly.
A translucent eye, significantly reduced and solidified, appeared. There were some disjointed, obscure patterns on the surface of the eyeball. It was the Historical Void Image of the messenger, Astolfo.
A "Marionettist's" Spirit Body Thread control does not include Historical Void Images that do not exist in reality. "Astolfo" slowly floated onto the stairs, following Aaron's will.
A restrained Wraith's Wail swept towards the second floor. The Spirit Body Threads, which even Spirit Vision couldn't observe, slowly twisted and suddenly snapped.
Four muffled thuds in succession. Four corpses fell from the ceiling, which had been swallowed by blackness, and crashed onto the floor, no longer recognizable. Two Beyonder characteristics emitting faint spiritual fluctuations appeared on the bloody, mangled floor.
If he were facing a real "Marionettist", the opponent naturally wouldn't be so helpless. Even if the Spirit Body Thread control was interrupted by the Wraith's Wail, the opponent could still use a marionette to switch positions and launch another attack.
But this was just a Sealed Artifact. Without anyone controlling it, the range of the Spirit Body Threads only covered the second floor, which is why it was broken so easily.
Seizing the gap while the Spirit Body Threads were temporarily interrupted, Aaron didn't look at the two Beyonder characteristics that had fallen to the ground. He pushed off with his feet, and with the sound of the floor cracking, he lunged straight towards the second floor.
There wasn't a single footprint on the dust-covered floor of the second floor. All the footprints stopped at the top of the stairs. Relying on his spiritual intuition, Aaron directly rushed towards the innermost room.
As soon as he violently broke into the room, that familiar sense of obstruction appeared again. Aaron ignored it and rushed directly towards a gray pocket watch placed on the desk.
He pressed the tightly clenched, rust-covered charm in his hand towards the pocket watch. With a cracking sound, the charm broke apart, transforming into interwoven silver-white and crimson patterns that wrapped around the pocket watch.
Aaron immediately felt his whole body lighten. Since entering this building, that faint sense of crisis finally disappeared.
A flying insect in a corner of the first floor slowly flew to the top of the stairs on the second floor, seemingly observing everything.
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The outskirts of the Riverside District in Constant City. Unlike inside Constant City, it was empty and desolate here, with no towering chimneys and blast furnaces, only vast forests.
Deep within the forest, a stone house with features clearly not belonging to the current era stood quietly.
Howard Philip, wearing the 'Gluttony' mask, walked out of the Collective Subconscious Sea, passed through a layer of light film invisible to the naked eye, and appeared at the entrance of the stone house.
Howard walked into the stone house and approached a mirror. As he entered the stone house, the corners of the 'Gluttony' mask on his face shrank and instantly detached, hovering quietly to the side, as if fallen into dead silence.
Howard, without any surprise, slowly walked towards the mirror. Suddenly, his steps paused. As if sensing something, he turned his head to look in the direction of Constant City, the corners of his mouth curved slightly, and his figure disappeared into the mirror.
Behind the mirror were layers of steps. In front of the steps was a solid, blurry, gray "sea surface".
Above, streaks of light and shadow swayed and roamed. They were dense, they overlapped, like an illusory sea.
Howard felt both familiar and unfamiliar with this. This was the Collective Subconscious Sea he knew well, yet it was different from what he usually saw and felt. However, he couldn't pinpoint exactly where the difference lay, only a vague sense of disconnection.
In the center of the gray, seemingly calm "sea surface", there was an isolated island. An ordinary-looking old man stood on the island, looking at Howard with a benevolent smile.
The old man's hair was completely white but sufficiently thick. There weren't many wrinkles on his face, and his appearance was unremarkable, yet he seemed like the center of the entire world.
Howard's body floated, crossing the "sea surface", and arrived before the old man. He bowed respectfully and said, "Teacher, I have something to report."
The old man's figure didn't move, but Howard felt his body straighten uncontrollably and heard a kind voice:
"Consider that I, Hermes, have survived from the Ancient Era until now and have had few disciples. You have already gained divinity and stepped into the Demigod domain, you don't need to be so restrained."
Howard nodded and directly released the restrictions on his Mind Body. Scenes from his memory immediately surfaced in the surrounding Collective Subconscious Sea.
Hermes watched calmly. After a moment of contemplation, he spoke kindly:
"Pauli Derlau hasn't discovered the connection between you and me. As for that person..."
Hermes was silent for a moment, then slowly continued:
"That place is indeed very dangerous. There should be a secret behind the dragon worship. I cannot get away right now, and I'm afraid I won't be able to help you at a critical moment."
"Later, I will separate an identity for you. 'He' will complete the exploration for you. Remember, you only need to do some peripheral exploration, no need to delve deep."
#155Chapter 155: Harvest and Meeting (Two in One)
Howard Phillips nodded. In the surrounding gray mist, points of light suddenly lit up, and within each light point was a Howard from a different period and with a different identity.
Hermes raised His right hand and outlined lines of shimmering light in the air with His index finger.
These were like scenes from the deepest dreams.
A few seconds later, those faint lights were absorbed by one of the light points, twisting and transforming into a middle-aged man with blond hair and brown eyes, becoming another Howard Phillips.
The difference from Howard was that this gentleman had a strong scholarly demeanor, and there was no hint of the coldness of someone who saw through everything in the depths of his eyes.
"Teacher, Mr. 'Gluttony', good evening."
"Howard" performed a standard Loen noble's bow, greeting them in a refined manner.
Howard looked at the identity that had been separated from him, seemingly recalling something. After a moment of silence, he waved his hand, and "Howard" immediately turned into a point of light and disappeared.
A few seconds later, the points of light that lit up in the surrounding gray mist converged to form a ball of light. The scene displayed within was the second floor of Flora-Jacob Villa.
Watching the scenes unfold, Hermes' eyes lit up slightly. As a Sequence 2 "Insight Master," He seemed to have discovered something interesting.
-----------------
Aaron glanced at the silver pocket watch corresponding to the "Marionettist" that had been sealed, and put it away with great satisfaction.
Without wasting time searching, Aaron took out the divination pendant and directly divined for high-value items in the room.
A moment later, Aaron pried open the wall of the compartment, broke through the spiritual wall on it, and found a brown box.
Without the obstruction of the spiritual wall, Aaron saw the colorful spiritual colors inside the box through Spirit Vision.
Feeling no danger, Aaron forcibly unlocked it, directly picked up the item with the strongest spiritual fluctuations, pried open the outer layer of gold, and saw the item wrapped inside.
It was a strange decorative item similar to a brooch, gray-white all over, with bizarre wrinkles and protrusions. Patterns and symbols formed a miniature door in the center of the brooch.
The divination pendant quietly floated above the brooch. After a moment, Aaron frowned and opened his eyes.
"Travel Brooch"
Ability 1: Teleportation Door - Allows for Spirit World travel that can sense the external world and self-position. Beyonders of different Sequences can withstand different teleportation durations due to the different strengths of their spiritual bodies, and the effect and distance of Spirit World travel will also vary significantly.
Ability 2: Record - Retains part of the Recorder ability at the Sequence 5 level, capable of recording one demigod-level Beyonder ability at most. The specific effect is close to Sequence 4.
Negative Effects: 1. Without gold isolation, it will continuously affect the wearer and even those around them, causing hallucinations until mental breakdown.
When opening the Travel Door, self-positioning will be affected, and there is a certain probability of being teleported to an unknown area.
Aaron looked at the "Travel Brooch" in his hand with a headache. He now roughly guessed why this item corresponding to Sequence 5 "Traveler" was sealed here and not used.
Although the abilities were good, the two negative effects truly affected the practicality of this Sealed Item.
Having to constantly use gold to isolate it was acceptable; worst-case scenario, he could carry a gold box with him. But the divination pendant's revelation about the "certain probability of being teleported to an unknown area" corresponded to too many possibilities.
Does he have to divine with the divination pendant before every trip to see if something will go wrong?
Sighing, Aaron decided to use it for now. Later, he would find time to extract the pure Beyonder characteristic and have Harlen Rooney remold it into a new magical item in the Southern Continent.
As for the remaining items, they were some mid-to-low Sequence Beyonder materials and a few low-Sequence Sealed Items. However, Aaron found a silver box at the bottom of the box.
He was quite surprised to find 5 "Worms of Time" inside. Although the Beyonder characteristics contained within had long since returned to their main body, they were still extremely high-level spiritual materials that could be used to make charms.
Looking at the "Worms of Time" quietly placed in the box, Aaron couldn't help but think:
"The essence of a charm is to pray for power from a high-level existence and fix the obtained power using suitable materials and corresponding symbols."
"But in actual operation, as long as one obtains divinity and becomes a demigod, they can create some charms. The sealing charm I used before was this type."
"These 'Worms of Time' can serve as unique carrying materials. Their level is high enough, their essence matches, and their spirituality is sufficient to meet the needs."
"However, the uniqueness of the carrying material will also affect the effect of the final charm. In other words, different special materials can induce different types of responding power."
"The charms I can currently make roughly correspond to the Arbiter, Black Emperor, Red Priest, Evernight, and Fate pathways, but these do not fit well with the 'Worms of Time.'"
"But among the three pathways that the 'Worms of Time' are most compatible with, except for Amon, the remaining high-level existences are either dead or injured. What a pity."
Aaron put away the "Worms of Time" with some regret. He went downstairs to retrieve the two Beyonder characteristics and put them into the brown box as well.
With a slight spiritual movement, the scene before Aaron instantly became richly colored, like an abstract painting. Stepping out, he arrived in the Spirit World. At this moment, he seemed to have forgotten something.
Recalling the Spirit World coordinates of Iruseel, Aaron did not stop, wandering in the Spirit World where direction was difficult to distinguish and which appeared exceptionally chaotic.
Taking a step, Aaron had already arrived in the study of East Tacker Manor. Duke Guzman Weil, who had originally set off for the Southern Continent, was now sitting quietly behind his desk.
Aaron's expression remained unchanged, as if he had expected this. He sat on the sofa next to him and heard a familiar voice:
"As soon as I arrived in the Southern Continent, I was besieged by at least two demigods. One of them seemed to have borrowed the power of an angel through some ritual, while the other was a demigod in the mental domain."
"Fortunately, I used my foundation in time to awaken my ancestor. As soon as He made a move, the entire battlefield was enveloped in storms and lightning."
Then, Guzman's tone carried a hint of worry and fear:
"Although the enemies were repelled, I could clearly feel that the ancestor's state was extremely poor. It seemed that after confronting the angel who secretly made a move, He could no longer maintain His own state."
"At the same time, I also felt certain prying gazes that only disappeared after the ancestor appeared. Finally, the mysterious head of Military Intelligence 9 in the Southern Continent made a move."
Speaking of this, Guzman sighed, with some surprise:
"I also didn't expect him to be Prince Grove of the Loen Royal Family, a Sequence 3 'Chaos Hunter' of the 'Arbiter' pathway."
"He brought a Grade 0 Sealed Item from the Royal Family to the battlefield in West Balam. Because of his involvement, the war ended quickly, so I returned to Iruseel."
Aaron listened attentively, without saying a word from beginning to end.
Everything Guzman said was so smooth, like a beautiful dream.
Yes, it was a beautiful dream.
Because of the Goddess of Evernight's blessing, Aaron, who could always remain conscious in dreams, realized as soon as he entered the Spirit World that he was already in a real dream woven by someone else!
There were only a few existences in the entire Spectator pathway who could create real dreams of this level. Aaron was also very curious about who the existence who made the move was and what His purpose was.
Therefore, Aaron pretended not to notice the situation of being in a real dream and proceeded according to the will of that existence, deliberately ignoring the unreasonable parts of the words like an ordinary Beyonder.
Because he hadn't sensed any malice, and even in the dream, he could still sense the existence of the Evernight Mark, which was Aaron's greatest confidence.
And through the information revealed in the words of this "Guzman" in front of him, Aaron already had many guesses in his heart.
With this thought, Aaron rose with a smile, bowed to "Guzman", and saluted:
"Thank you for your guidance, Senior. May I have a moment with you?"
As soon as the words fell, the real dream Aaron was in disappeared silently, and everything around him seemed to return to normal.
He was standing on the first floor of Flora-Jacob Villa, still holding the brown box in his arms. He had never left.
Aaron's eyes darkened. He suddenly turned to look at the corner of the room, where a mirror had appeared. The mirror surface was hazy, unable to even reflect a human figure.
Aaron's hand reached into his pocket, pinching a paper crane, and silently called out in his heart.
After a moment, Aaron stepped into the mirror. After an indescribable sense of strangeness, he saw layers upon layers of steps.
Aaron's originally powerful physical fitness seemed to have disappeared out of thin air, and the box he had been holding in his arms also vanished. He could only move forward step by step along the stairs.
What Aaron didn't notice was that points of light slowly appeared on both sides of the steps he had walked on. This seemed to be an external manifestation of a person's subconscious, reflecting his experiences, identity, and even emotions.
Unlike Howard, all of Aaron's points of light were covered with a thick dark gold mist, making them impossible to glimpse.
The concept of time here seemed to be distorted, or perhaps Aaron's perception of time was distorted. After an unknown period of walking, he finally reached the end of the stairs.
It was a solid, blurry, gray "ground," with light and shadow swaying and wandering above it. They were dense and overlapping, like a virtual sea.
The Collective Subconscious Sea...
This term subconsciously appeared in Aaron's mind. He then looked up and was surprised to find that his vision was no longer obscured, and the high altitude was clearly presented.
There were countless indescribable figures there, and seven clear and bright lights of different colors, containing infinite knowledge.
Although Aaron was not of the Spectator pathway, the cat in his family was a Spectator, so he had some understanding of psychological concepts. He instantly recognized it:
"The Spiritual Sky."
Suddenly, Aaron felt his consciousness explode, and his body seemed to be infected, becoming somewhat ethereal.
At this moment, his mental body, astral body, and etheric body seemed to have been absorbed and assimilated by his mind body. His entire being was like an aggregate of pure thoughts, floating upwards.
Because of this, he sensed the boundless Collective Subconscious Sea that connected all living beings, and the Spiritual Sky opposite to it.
Seemingly having crossed some obstacle, Aaron was momentarily dazed before opening his eyes vigilantly and looking around.
He saw an ordinary-looking old man floating in mid-air, looking at him calmly. He sighed and said in ancient Hermes:
"I cannot glimpse your Island of the Mind. I originally wanted to use dream guidance to show your uniqueness."
"I didn't expect you not to be fooled by the dream I wove. It seems your secrets are far more than this."
After saying this meaningfully, the old man in the gray-white robe chuckled lightly and added kindly:
"I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Hermes."
Hermes? The angel of the "Spectator" pathway who survived from the Second Epoch and created the ancient Hermes language.
Aaron was startled at first, then confirmed some thoughts in his mind, but also had many doubts.
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Southern Continent, Port Kaiser.
The civilian district here was far from the port area and the west district where the Church was located. Intis people turned a blind eye, and the local people didn't want to bother.
Therefore, the public order was extremely poor, it was a place where various gangs ran rampant, and it also bred various gray transactions.
In an unusually spacious basement in the civilian district, coffin after coffin were opened, filled with emaciated corpses. Although they were clearly civilians from the bottom layer, their faces were peaceful before death.
These coffins were strangely arranged according to the patterns on the basement floor. Accompanied by the low chanting of several members of the "Slumber Sect" of the Psychology Alchemists, line after line of patterns lit up.
Check Wald, who had recently become a Sequence 7 "Spirit Medium," first glanced at Anthony Uss standing at the very front, then turned his gaze to the patterns engraved on the ground.
As a Spirit Medium, he himself mastered various mystical rituals related to spirits and could directly communicate with the natural spirits in the real world and the wandering Revenant.
He had previously traded for King of the Undead Kalatman's "Book of Secrets" with Sharon, and had a deep understanding of knowledge such as mysticism and rituals, barely able to discern that this was likely a targeted awakening ritual.
Thinking this, Check suddenly felt a cold wind rise in the basement. The few natural spirits that were still present wailed and left one after another, as if sensing some kind of aura.
Anthony Uss took out a white feather stained with light yellow oil from his In arms, used it to cut his wrist, and his crimson blood merged into the patterns.
A mysterious door that seemed to lead to the underworld slowly emerged. A pale, skeletal hand reached out from it, and a figure slowly walked out.
This figure was dressed in luxurious clothing with a distinct Fourth Epoch style, but white feathers grew out of his back.
He tilted his head slightly, revealing the obvious red patches on his face, as well as his wooden, dull, and emotionless eyes. It was Faust Ellen, the "Undying," the only Saint of the "Slumber Sect" currently.
As an "Undying," he would die once and revive once every sixty years, forgetting most of his past memories, which he needed to slowly recover afterward, like starting a new life.
And this period was the stage where he was searching for his memories and slowly recovering, which was also the main reason why the Slumber Sect had been so weak recently.