"And a few days ago, all shipping routes to Bansy Harbor were cancelled, and all ships entering the sea area near Bansy Harbor disappeared."
Aaron's brow furrowed slightly. He really didn't know what happened in the end, only that Astolfo, who acted as bait, was fine.
Could some mutation have happened at the end that I don't know about? Recalling Will Aucetin's last words, Aaron's expression shifted slightly, and he silently offered a prayer for Jahn Kottman in his heart.
Then, suppressing the emotions in his heart, he spoke calmly:
"What were the results? What is the Church of Storms' attitude?"
Even though the "Punishers" are known for being violent and reckless, on matters of this magnitude, the necessary procedures will still be followed, such as preliminary confirmation and blockading the surrounding sea area. Of course, these all take time.
Dallen recalled the information in the intelligence report, sighed, and smiled:
"There won't be a Bansy Harbor for a long time."
"The Church of Storms has officially blockaded that sea area. The public announcement is that it's due to the mischief of an ancient evil spirit worshipped in Bansy Harbor."
Aaron hummed in acknowledgment, not expressing his own opinion. After thinking for a moment, he changed the subject and asked:
"How are you doing with the task I gave you before? Have you investigated it thoroughly?"
This matter concerned the ritual for advancing to Sequence 5 "Punisher Knight." Aaron, whose "Judge" potion was almost fully digested, attached great importance to this.
Dallen nodded with a serious expression, took out a small booklet from his In arms and handed it to Aaron, explaining at the same time:
"These are the Intis and Feysac Beyonders confirmed to be lurking in Loyd City during this period."
"Intis's intelligence department in the Southern Continent is controlled by a 'Marionettist.' The other party also possesses the ability of 'Faceless' and has evaded many searches."
"During this time, even with the help of MI9 and the Church, and using a certain Sealed Artifact, we haven't been able to pinpoint the other party's location."
Aaron flipped through the list in his hand and said nonchalantly:
"The situation is not clear right now. Even if Intis is restless, they haven't joined the war. There's no need for us to provoke them at this point."
Dallen nodded in agreement and said with a smile:
"I agree with Your Lordship's thinking. Therefore, our focus for investigation is the hidden Feysac personnel."
"When Feysac suddenly started the war in West Balam, the other party left many traces in Loyd City. After various methods over such a long time, we finally confirmed her identity and address."
"She is now using the alias Valerie Susan, the owner of a red theater in the outer city, and she is also a Sequence 5 'Reaper'."
Aaron's expression was a bit strange. It was the first time he had heard of a female "Reaper." He wondered if transforming into a male was...
Quickly stopping his train of thought from going astray, he glanced at the setting sun outside the carriage window and said to Glen Will and Dallen Sheroto:
"No time to lose, let's act tonight..."
Loyd Outer City, East District. Late at night, the "Red Rose" theater was still noisy and lively.
In the backyard parlor, Valerie Susan, with a strong build and distinct Northern Continent features, sat grandly on the sofa. She used dried, yellowish tobacco leaves to wrap nearly ten kinds of Southern Continent specialty herbs and spices layer by layer inside, cutting them into long strips.
She then lit it, bit the end, and after taking a deep puff, Valerie Susan slowly exhaled white smoke tinged with light blue, saying contentedly to the guest on the single sofa beside her:
"This is what you call a cigarette, a real cigarette."
Enzo, sitting on the sofa opposite, looked at the slightly wild lady expressionlessly and got straight to the point:
"King of Sorcery Caraman is currently occupied and has left Paz Valley, so he arranged for me to meet with you."
"I can relay anything."
After nodding and taking another deep puff, Valerie smiled and spoke:
"No need to be so nervous. Haven't our collaborations with your Rose School in West Balam been quite successful?"
"If all goes well, the war in West Balam might end soon. The demigod from the East Tack family in East Balam is currently confronting the Archbishop of the Church of the God of Combat."
"Lord Aaron arrived in Loyd City today. The Archbishop's intention is to invite His Excellency the King of Sorcery to find an opportunity to assassinate him together, making the situation even more chaotic."
As soon as Valerie finished speaking, she saw Enzo's face opposite her change drastically. Her hunter's instinct gave her a slight premonition of danger.
This came so suddenly, so urgently, that Valerie instantly judged that the problem was significant.
But before she could lunge from her original position, her vision went dark, as if she had directly seen the deep night outside, and a strong sense of sleepiness overcame her.
Enzo, on the other hand, suddenly had an ineffable, indescribable strange premonition. He immediately closed his eyes, shutting them tightly.
He didn't know why he did this, but as a Mid-Sequence Beyonder of the "Fate" pathway, trusting intuition was a natural reaction!
Immediately after, Enzo turned in a panic, trying to rely on his spiritual intuition to rush out of the room, but suddenly his body stiffened, and he stood frozen in place.
"Imprisonment," "Death"...
As the Law was cast, invisible ripples spread, and Aaron's figure suddenly appeared. Without the slightest hesitation, the "Sword of Judgment" in his hand, imbued with the Law of "Death," slashed directly towards Enzo.
Enzo, whose eyes were still closed, felt a sudden surge of alarm in his heart. He suddenly stepped on a small stone, immediately lost his balance, and fell heavily to the ground.
Thud!
The pain and shock instantly freed Enzo from that sluggish state, and he regained a sense of fluidity.
Enzo was no stranger to such accidents. As a "Winner," he was always able to gain advantages and seize victory through various low-probability events.
Without any hesitation, having regained his mobility, he instantly directed all the ill luck he had accumulated towards the direction from which the sense of crisis came.
Enzo, who was just thinking about which direction to escape after the opponent's attack missed, hadn't even curled up his lips when a sharp pain struck, and his consciousness rapidly slid into a bottomless abyss.
Looking at the horror and confusion remaining on the head with tightly closed eyes, and feeling the Red Moon mark on his wrist, Aaron moved his arm slightly, shaking the blood off the sword.
As a Favored of the Night, blessed by the authority of ill luck, even the misfortune of Reichord, who was already a demigod, couldn't affect me, let alone someone who wasn't even a demigod.
Withdrawing his gaze from this unfortunate soul who had underestimated him, he looked at Valerie, who had already broken free from the nightmare's influence. Even under the effect of "Imprisonment," she had managed to get close to Aaron thanks to her powerful physique.
Having witnessed Enzo's tragic death and realizing she had fallen into an ambush, she had given up hope of escaping and decided to fight with all her might. The silver ring on her index finger disintegrated, condensing into a terrifying "Sword of Dawn."
Crimson light surged, and the greatsword swung out, accompanied by the "Reaper's" weak point attack. Aaron looked at the suddenly appearing "Sword of Dawn" with some surprise.
Feeling that tyrannical aura, Aaron's expression became a bit more serious. His figure constantly disappeared and reappeared, as if he was running at high speed around Valerie.
Relying on the short-distance teleportation provided by the "Traveler's Badge" and the danger premonition from the "Demon's Button," Aaron was always able to dodge the opponent's attacks in advance.
For a moment, Valerie, who had fallen into madness from using this Sealed Artifact, even thought her enemy wasn't just one person, but a group.
A "Traveler" can always create the effect of an encirclement by themselves!
#178Chapter 177 Sequence 5 "Punishment Knight"
After about 5 minutes, Valerie, whose eyes had not yet hit their target, gradually turned gray and white, her movements suddenly became sluggish, and she slowed down, as if glue had been poured into her mind and joints.
"Good chance!"
Aaron, who had been dodging with short-distance travel, instantly had sharp eyes. He used the 'Imprisonment' and 'Whipping' laws again, forcefully controlling the abnormal Valerie. He raised the Judgment Sword in his hand and chanted indifferently:
"Death..."
Feeling the threat of death, Valerie, who had fallen into madness due to the side effects of the sealed item, finally had a moment of clarity in her mind. Just as she was about to manipulate the flames, merging herself with them to teleport a short distance and avoid danger.
As if expected, the low ancient Hermes words sounded, echoing with invisible fluctuations within the area isolated by the 'Confinement' law.
"Teleportation is forbidden here."
The crimson flames surrounding Valerie flickered for a while but failed to carry her away from her spot.
Correspondingly, Aaron's short-distance travel was also forbidden, and his figure appeared directly in front of her. This was also why Aaron hadn't used 'Forbidden' before.
Having missed the last chance for a counterattack by using the flame flash, Valerie looked at the longsword emitting a deathly aura, knelt on one knee, and plunged the "Dawn Sword" in front of her.
A light like the morning sun emerged, erecting an unbreakable invisible wall on either side, and slightly illusory silver-white armor covered her body wrapped in crimson flames.
The sword light, a mix of crimson and gold, struck the invisible wall. Accompanied by a sharp, piercing roar, Aaron groaned and rapidly retreated.
Valerie, who was also sent flying, slammed heavily into the barrier formed by the 'Confinement' law. The silver-white armor on her body shattered, and the "Dawn Sword" in her hand was knocked away, landing in the distance and transforming into a simple silver ring.
Having lifted the 'Forbidden' law, Aaron shook his slightly numb arm. The high-frequency use of the laws and the 'Judgment Sword' made his head feel a bit swollen.
Looking at Valerie, who seemed to have fainted not far away, Aaron was about to go up and capture her alive to interrogate her for some information. Before he had taken a few steps, the 'Demon Button' in his pocket emitted a cool sensation.
A scene instantly appeared in his mind: Valerie, with bleeding eyes and a miserable appearance, grinned hideously and took out a crimson charm from her In arms, throwing it towards him as he slowly approached.
Even though his spirituality had not yet given a warning of danger, he decisively activated short-distance teleportation, and his figure flashed and disappeared from the spot.
The next second, a bloody charm emitting a suppressive aura appeared, enveloping the entire space isolated by the 'Confinement' law, naturally including Valerie herself.
Along with the shattering of the barrier, crimson flames rose from the backyard of the 'Red Rose' theater, and a scorched pit with a radius of over ten meters appeared.
Two extraordinary characteristics covered in ash lay quietly at the bottom of the pit, while the dim silver ring suddenly flew out of the pit.
A silver portal appeared at the edge of the giant pit. Aaron walked out slowly, flicked his sleeve to disperse the scorched smell lingering near the deep pit, and at the same time caught the ring.
After personally physically judging two Sequence 5s, the last bit of 'Judge' was completely digested. Feeling the sense of comfort spreading through his body, Aaron couldn't help but smile.
Taking off the divination pendant and suspending it over the ring, Aaron was still very interested in this sealed item that could switch between ring and greatsword forms.
However, the result of the divination left him a little disappointed. Although the ability was good, in addition to the strongest attack method "Dawn Sword," it also had a "Guard's Armor" derived from a "Guardian."
But the negative effects were significant and difficult to effectively avoid. As long as it was used, one would inevitably enter a state of frenzy, with greatly reduced rationality. After continuous use for more than five minutes, there would be desperate, inhuman roars, causing thought and action blockage, and normal battles rarely end within 5 minutes.
Recalling Valerie's performance in the previous battle, and her final choice of mutual destruction without even begging for mercy, Aaron also understood a little.
"To turn a Sequence 5 extraordinary characteristic into a sealed item with such ridiculously large negative effects, these Forsac people are really wasting good things."
He put it away, planning to extract the extraordinary characteristic from it when he had time and have Harland Rooney craft a new magical item.
At Aaron's request, Darrell Shelotto and Glenn Will, who were only controlling the surrounding area and did not directly participate in the battle, quickly approached the deep pit. Seeing that Aaron was safe and sound, they breathed a sigh of relief:
"Lord, we have completely controlled the entire Red Theater and captured several extraordinary individuals mixed in. As for Valerie..."
He withdrew his gaze from the bottom of the pit, not in a hurry to put away the two extraordinary characteristics, they would be useful later. Aaron's mouth curved up as he looked towards the inner city, smiling and saying:
"There's been a slight change in the situation. Besides her, there was another Sequence 5 winner, but they have both been dealt with by me."
"Send word down, form up the teams, and prepare to welcome that Judge."
Somewhat surprised by the strength of His Lordship, who could kill two Sequence 5s at the same time, but hearing the latter sentence, the two exchanged glances and a cold smile appeared at the corners of their mouths.
The person Aaron mentioned was named Tavari Maher, the Judge of the Military Intelligence Section 9 'Anomalous Affairs Tribunal' in Loen City, belonging to the second most important figure here.
After the original demigod-level Deputy Director was transferred due to a secret mission, Tavari had been serving as the acting Deputy Director.
Before Aaron received his title from George III, almost everyone believed that he would go further, take charge of a Grade 1 sealed item, and become the true Deputy Director.
And all of this was ruthlessly shattered after Aaron's arrival. Already dissatisfied, after gaining the tacit approval of certain important figures, his actions became increasingly arrogant and rampant.
Even after being removed from the position of acting Deputy Director, he still retained the titles of Judge of the 'Anomalous Affairs Tribunal' and Colonel. He constantly tripped up Glenn Will, and only reined in a little after the arrival of Alfred Hall, who also had a noble status.
A few minutes later, two rows of guards wearing the black armor of the East Tack family stood on either side of the deep pit. Many scantily clad men and women squatted in place in terror, looking at this group of people.
Aaron quietly looked at the red moon in the sky, his brows furrowing slightly as he looked towards the inner city. The extraordinary vision and supernatural perception provided by the 'Sheriff' allowed him to see a black dot slowly enlarging from far to near.
Accompanied by an indescribable sense of distortion and chaos, in just a few breaths, Tavari Maher arrived nearby, the distant distance seemingly shortened to a few steps.
Looking at this expressionless Sequence 5 'Chaos Tutor', Aaron enthusiastically stepped forward:
"I've heard a lot about you, former acting Deputy Director. I'm sorry to bother you so late."
Hearing the emphasized "former acting," Tavari's eyes darkened. He glanced at the two rows of murderous extraordinary guards and the burly man who was staring at him intently.
Recalling the rumors of Aaron killing the Admiral of Blood before, he still suppressed his anger and said stiffly:
"It's alright, Lord Aaron. I had something to do this afternoon, which is why I couldn't attend your welcome. I hope you don't mind."
He then looked at Glenn Will behind Aaron and reprimanded him severely:
"Glenn, as the Deputy Judge, don't you know the rules of our Anomalous Affairs Tribunal? You didn't report such a big operation. Do you even see me as the Judge?"
With someone backing him, Glenn Will was not afraid at all. He no longer tolerated it as before and responded sarcastically:
"I was just afraid that reporting it to the Judge would give those people a chance to escape."
Before Tavari could respond, Aaron raised his hand and beckoned. Two bones emitting spiritual fluctuations drifted out from the pit and landed in his palm.
Sensing the spiritual fluctuations from the two bones, comparable to those of a Sequence 5, Tavari, who was originally getting angry and ready to reprimand, felt as if a basin of ice water had been poured over him.
"Both Sequence 5s are dead?"
Feeling the unfriendly gazes around him, his Adam's apple moved slightly, and he regretted why he had come alone. He forced a stiff smile and said:
"As expected of the Deputy Director who successfully hunted the Admiral of Blood. Such strength is truly admirable to this subordinate. Since the operation is over, I will head back now. I will personally host a welcome dinner for you tomorrow."
Casually resealing the two extraordinary characteristics in his hand with a wall of spirituality, he looked at Tavari, who was turning to leave, and said with a meaningful smile:
"The public order in Loen City indeed needs to be strengthened. I plan to establish a new enforcement team directly under me, outside of the Anomalous Affairs Tribunal. Glenn Will will serve as the captain, and Alfred Hall will take over the position of Deputy Judge."
"I once heard an old saying, 'A new emperor brings new officials.' What do you think?"
Feeling the gazes like thorns on his back, Tavari, with his back to Aaron, showed anger and unwillingness on his face and said in a low voice:
"It's all up to Deputy Director Aaron's decision, but I will report it to the Military Intelligence Section 9 Headquarters..."
After speaking, his figure disappeared from the spot. He didn't pay attention to this harmless complaint. The chaos of the colonial territories of the various countries in the Southern Continent confronting each other and the distance from the Northern Continent gave the local Military Intelligence Section 9 a great deal of autonomy.
Although Aaron was nominally only a Deputy Director, neither of the two important Military Intelligence Section 9 strongholds in the Northern and Southern Loen colonial areas of the Southern Continent had a Director position. The Deputy Director could manage all affairs of the Military Intelligence Section 9 within the region.
The entire Military Intelligence Section 9 in the Loen colony of the Southern Continent only had one Director, who was the Sequence 3 'Chaos Hunter,' Prince Grove. However, this ancient prince had not appeared for decades.
After giving this not-so-honest subordinate a warning and having the excited Glenn Will handle the follow-up work, Aaron did not linger and teleported back to his mansion in the inner city.
Skillfully setting up the wall of spirituality, Aaron began to prepare to set up his auxiliary ritual. He took out the three altars he had prepared earlier, used spiritually rich blood to draw complex symbols and patterns, connecting the altars together.
The auxiliary ritual for advancing to Sequence 5 'Punishment Knight' was not complicated. It only required the advancer to consume the potion within the array.
The array consisted of three support points, each requiring a separate altar. Inside the altars were extraordinary characteristics obtained by the advancing 'Judge' through solo hunting, which had to be at least Sequence 6 level. The higher the level, the better the effect of the ritual.
It was important to note that the extraordinary characteristics participating in the ritual should retain as much of the residual spiritual imprint as possible. If they were made into extraordinary weapons before participating in the ritual, they would lose their effect.
In addition to assisting in advancement, the three altars could also directly strengthen any three laws at the 'Judge' level into rules designated by the 'Punishment Knight,' without the need for long-term application and further digestion of the potion.
Exhaling lightly, he placed the two extraordinary characteristics in his hand on two of the altars. Aaron's consciousness sank into the magnificent palace above the dark golden mist.
He took out the Sequence 5 'Punishment Knight' extraordinary characteristic and auxiliary materials he had exchanged for when he was in Irusil from the pile of miscellaneous items, and also beckoned to retrieve the 'Wraith' extraordinary characteristic he had obtained from hunting the Admiral of Blood earlier.
He responded to his own prayer, bestowing these materials, and then eagerly returned to the real world.
He placed Seyniol's extraordinary characteristic on the last empty altar. As the array patterns lit up, three different voices of painful wailing immediately sounded in the room isolated by the wall of spirituality.
Aaron watched this scene with satisfaction. It completely matched the description of the 'Punishment Knight' he had met in Irusil, at least indicating that his array was drawn correctly.
Looking at the bottle of golden-yellow viscous liquid he had just prepared, which faintly shimmered with a light like the morning sun, Aaron exhaled. After adjusting his state to the best, he directly drank the potion from the bottle.
A cold and viscous sensation passed through his throat. A moment later, a hot current surged from his abdomen, spreading throughout his body. His entire body felt as if it was being whipped by invisible soft whips, and he experienced excruciating pain as if his body was being torn apart.
Under this sensation, Aaron found that his spirituality was spreading outwards, and he once again saw the surrounding void, ethereal, empty, filled with boundless dark golden mist.
Before Aaron could observe carefully, this scene flashed away. His spiritual vision, which could only see dense spiritual light points and aura colors, seemed to have broken through some kind of restriction.
He saw fine lines of different colors spreading from his body, or more accurately, from the potion he had just swallowed, wrapping around the three altars along the array. A strange sense of control emerged in his heart.
After an unknown amount of time, the previously noisy wailing gradually subsided. Aaron's body trembled, and he suddenly opened his eyes. Accompanied by the crisp sound of bones, he stretched his body.
'Punishment Knight' greatly enhanced the physical body. The abilities he already possessed at the low and mid sequences were strengthened to varying degrees, and he mastered the most core ability, 'Punishment.'
When attacking a target of punishment, a light like the morning sun will appear on the body surface, enhancing the power of the attack against the target of punishment, including but not limited to extraordinary abilities, magical items, etc.
Attacks against enemies who violate the rules set by the Punishment Knight will be strengthened by an unknown force and possess the characteristic of guaranteed hit, somewhat similar to a further sublimation of the 'Death' law.
Chapter 178 Code and Meeting
The three laws of the 'Judge' level: 'Prohibition', 'Imprisonment', and 'Whipping' were directly strengthened into rules for the 'Punisher Knight'. The casting range and intensity will continuously increase with the further digestion of the potion.
Zhou Zhou's three altars seemed to be destroyed by an invisible force, becoming dilapidated. The three extraordinary characteristics of different sequences on the altars also became dim.
Even without using the divination pendant, Aaron could tell that the remaining spiritual imprints on these three extraordinary characteristics had been consumed quite a bit, as if they had endured the 'punishment' Aaron suffered after taking the potion.
After destroying the carved array and the altars and putting away the extraordinary characteristics, since the ritual was over, Aaron planned to return to Irusil to give the 'Winner' extraordinary characteristic to Councillor Rechard.
In Bansy Harbor, Rechard and Will Onsetin contributed a lot. This was a thank you for Will Onsetin's help, and also an opportunity to learn from the Mercury Snake what else happened in Bansy Harbor after they left that day.
As for the 'Wraith' extraordinary characteristic, Aaron planned to sell it to Miss Sharon. Of course, if she was willing to increase the price, the precipitated low-sequence extraordinary characteristics such as 'Living Corpse' and 'Werewolf' could also be bundled and sold together.
Aaron planned to give the 'Reaper' and the previously obtained 'Puppet Master' extraordinary characteristics as rewards for their work during this period, to Glen Will and Darren Sherlotto respectively.
As his true core team, they and the brought personal guards were the focus of Aaron's cultivation.
The former deputy director of Loyd City who was transferred away was a demigod from the royal family. As for why he was transferred, Aaron guessed that it might be to return to Backlund to guard the secret mausoleum of the Blood Emperor.
Although he had been transferred, there were still many royal supporters in the Abnormal Affairs Tribunal. To prevent some of his orders or plans from being followed in appearance but not in reality, Aaron immediately gave a warning to the Chief Justice.
And he reorganized the personal guards specially brought from Irusil into his direct law enforcement team.
After cleaning up the traces, Aaron opened the door. The sky outside the window was gradually turning white.
-----------------
Southwest of the Furious Sea, in the waters west of the Southern Continent, the East Tacc fleet, which had completed resupply on Seros Island a few days ago, had passed through the safe channel and left the Furious Sea.
Standing on the deck of the flagship, which was covered with mysterious symbols, Gusman Will, dressed in pure black armor, quietly looked at the distant sea. After a moment, he asked:
"When will the fleet reach Niciforus in West Balam?"
Solo Bent, the deputy captain of the Duke's personal guards, respectfully replied:
"Today is March 5th. After leaving the Furious Sea, our speed can be further increased. If there are no accidents in between, we can arrive in ten days at the earliest."
No accidents? A strange expression flashed across Gusman Will's stern face, and then he asked:
"How has the mainland been recently? Have there been any new intelligence reports?"
Solo Bent thought for a moment and answered in detail:
"Although the situation in Niciforus in West Balam is currently tense, there are only small-scale conflicts, and no demigod battles have occurred. Intis currently shows no signs of getting involved."
"However, there have been constant incidents in the ancient forest bordering the colonial territories of the East Balam family and Folsac. Lord Joseph has repeatedly taken action to block the Archbishop of the Church of the God of Combat, and the situation is not optimistic."
He glanced at the expressionless Duke, then said:
"However, His Excellency the Viscount arrived in Loyd City a few days ago and eliminated a Sequence 5 hidden by the Folsac Empire on the first day."
Looking at the Duke whose expression had softened, Solo Bent's face showed admiration. He took out a thick telegram from his Pregnant and handed it to Gusman Will:
"His Excellency the Viscount also implemented the laws he promulgated there. I have read them. Although they are somewhat immature, they are indeed very practical. His Excellency the Viscount's wisdom is admirable to this humble servant."
Gusman Will raised his eyebrows, took it with great interest, and glanced at the striking title on the first page - "General Code", then began to read it carefully, his expression becoming more and more serious as he read.
He had originally thought that the laws proposed by Aaron and implemented in Loyd City were just borrowing or modifying the laws of the East Tacc colony or the Northern Continent, but as he read, he found that this was not the case.
Currently, the most influential legal code in the Northern Continent is the "Civil Code" proposed, formulated, and promulgated by Roselle more than 100 years ago. Even today, the laws of various countries and even the legal systems of colonies have the shadow of the "Civil Code".
And this "General Code" includes but is not limited to land law, criminal law, civil law, commercial law, etc. Although some parts are slightly immature, it is undeniable that it is the prototype of a mature legal code.
The core idea of the "General Code" is that past precedents have a decisive influence on future judgments. Judges will make rulings on new cases based on precedents or prior cases similar to the past.
This greatly enhances the authority of judges and is also very consistent with the acting requirements of the Arbitrator pathway. With the blessing of extraordinary power, the speed of rebuilding order will be faster.
Its precedents can provide guidance with broad applicability, and its conservatism can also ensure that laws do not change arbitrarily. It is quite suitable for the current turbulent colonial areas of the Southern Continent and also suitable for eliminating the impact of external colonial expansion.
Although there may be issues with the timeliness of precedents in the future, this is not a problem in the short term. The current scope of application is only Loyd City.
As for Roselle's "Civil Code", it pays more attention to the systematicness and completeness of legal texts. There are differences in their origins.
Gusman Will, who was still at Sequence 4, had a complicated expression. He was also very familiar with the Arbitrator pathway and instantly understood the significance of this "General Code". This was the cornerstone of Aaron's promotion to demigod.
On the one hand, he was proud that his child could formulate such a legal code, and on the other hand, he was a little melancholy. The thought that Aaron, who was still an ordinary person a year ago, was now preparing for the demigod ritual, while he, the father, was still a Sequence 4.
However, recalling the message from the ancestor a few days ago, a trace of fervor flashed in Gusman Will's eyes:
"Whether I can seize the opportunity to become a Sequence 3 'Bishop of War' depends on this trip to the Southern Continent..."
-----------------
Loyd City, Duke's Mansion, Aaron stood by the window looking east, towards the direction of the East Tacc colony. Behind him was Darren Sherlotto in plain clothes.
"How is the implementation of the 'General Code' in Loyd City? I want to hear the most truthful situation."
Darren nodded and said respectfully:
"Thanks to the deterrence of His Excellency the Viscount killing those two Sequence 5s, although some of them still listen to orders but not declarations, they no longer dare to obstruct us."
"But Loyd City itself is a mix of various forces, and there are frequent harassments from the Highland Resistance Army in the south, and it is adjacent to the Intis colony in the west."
"Therefore, although the code you promulgated is currently effective in the inner city, in the outer city, especially in the areas close to the west and south, there are mixed gangs with significant backing, who only follow their own rules."
Aaron withdrew his gaze looking east, exuding an aura of authority, and snorted coldly:
"Aren't they just the black gloves of a few great nobles and the royal family? If they block my path and don't repent, there's no need to be polite with them anymore, understand?"
Looking at Darren, who lowered his head and dared not speak, Aaron's tone softened, and he said lightly:
"Glen Will should be able to complete the promotion ritual tomorrow and become a Sequence 5. I have also bestowed the 'Puppet Master' extraordinary characteristic upon you."
"How is your digestion of the 'Faceless' potion progressing now? How much longer will it take?"
Darren breathed a sigh of relief, but still dared not look up, and replied in a low voice:
"Thanks to the acting method bestowed by His Excellency the Viscount, I can complete the digestion and attempt promotion in at most a month, but the mermaid mentioned in the promotion ritual..."
Aaron nodded with satisfaction, looked at his loyal guard, and said with a smile:
"Mermaids are indeed very rare now. There might be some in the ruins of the God War east of the Sonia Sea."
"However, as far as I know, the Church of the Evernight also raises some mermaids. I can talk to the Archbishop and hope you don't let down my trust and expectations for you."
"Continue to implement the 'General Code' here in Loyd City. This is very important to me."
"The situation in East and West Balam is unstable now. For a long time in the future, I may not be in Loyd City often. If there is anything important, contact my messenger."
Looking at His Excellency the Viscount, whose figure suddenly disappeared from the spot, Darren's tense nerves finally relaxed, and he was excited by Aaron's promise just now.
-----------------
Irusil, East Tacc Manor, Aaron first came to the underground hall to retrieve his "Scepter of the Sun".
Looking around the underground hall, which had returned to normal, Aaron looked at Valna Will on the bronze throne, and finally couldn't help but ask curiously:
"How many extraordinary characteristics were precipitated from that 'Weather Sorcerer'?"
Glancing at Aaron's expectant face, feeling the unique aura of a Punisher Knight, Valna nodded with satisfaction and threw over a crystal wrapped in flames:
"One Sequence 2 extraordinary characteristic, two Sequence 3 extraordinary characteristics, and two Sequence 4 extraordinary characteristics. I didn't continue below the demigod level. They are all in that crystal, you can deal with them yourself."
I've made a fortune, as expected of an angel, this is a big gain... This thought instantly flashed through Aaron's mind. He skillfully took the crystal mixed with extraordinary characteristics and put it away.
As if guessing what he would ask, Valna continued without waiting for Aaron to speak:
"One of the Sequence 3 'Bishop of War' extraordinary characteristics will be bestowed upon your father. The response to the war in West Balam will proceed according to our original plan."
"I have also informed Gusman Will of the inside story. As for whether he can seize the opportunity to successfully advance, it depends on himself."
Having received the desired answer, Aaron's face was also beaming with a smile. Then, as if he thought of something, he coughed lightly:
"That... when you are going to make a move in West Balam, can you inform me? I want to do something during that time."
Valna looked at Aaron and the "Scepter of the Sun" beside him with a headache, and finally nodded.
Without delay, Aaron teleported away and arrived outside the room he had previously arranged for Councillor Rechard.
The door was already open. Rechard, whose eyes were covered, seemed to have anticipated Aaron's arrival. After making a gesture of invitation, he sat on the sofa.
Looking at the black cloth, Aaron clicked his tongue. After sitting on the sofa, he took out Enzo's "Winner" extraordinary characteristic and said with a smile:
"In the Southern Continent, he unfortunately ran into me, so I conveniently dealt with him. It can be considered revenge for your Fate Council."
"Consider this extraordinary characteristic as extra compensation for your help in Bansy Harbor last time. I happen to have something to consult with your Speaker. I contacted Him but didn't receive a response."
Without refusing Aaron's kindness, Rechard, with a complicated mood, took the extraordinary characteristic on the table and took out a silver dial, placing it on the table:
"A few days after the last battle ended, I received a dream revelation from the Speaker, learning that He is currently being pursued by a powerful enemy. To hide His whereabouts, He is no longer responding."
"However, there is another way to contact Him, but this is an ability only possessed by high-sequence powerhouses of the Fate pathway, so I need to assist."
After obtaining Aaron's consent, Rechard used his own blood to draw complex symbols on the silver dial. With the influx of spirituality, the silver dial turned into a illusory, scale-less long snake and drilled into Rechard's body.
Aaron, who was sitting opposite, was instantly in a daze for a second, and only reacted when he heard a familiar voice:
"You guy really got me into trouble. You have to pay extra, understand?"
Aaron was silent for a moment, then asked uncertainly:
"You... are you Speaker now?"
"Rechard" snorted and said with great dissatisfaction:
"Nonsense, if it wasn't to help you, would I be in such trouble?"
"I've hidden myself well enough, but that hateful stinky snake Uroboros still found my trace."
Aaron's heart skipped a beat. Before he could ask, he heard the subsequent explanation.
"However, that guy can only determine that I am in Backlund. The specific information has not been leaked, and He doesn't dare to make a big fuss in Backlund."
"But I still need to be cautious. At least after that guy leaves Backlund, our contact won't be so troublesome."
Aaron breathed a sigh of relief and nodded, then asked:
"Speaker, I want to know what happened in Bansy Harbor after we left? I heard it has been listed as a restricted area by the Church of the Storms."
Hearing this question, "Rechard" clicked his tongue with a strange expression and said with a wicked smile:
"Hehe, that stinky snake Uroboros had a fight with the Pope of the Church of the Storms."
"You don't need to know the specific process, you just need to know that the sea area near Bansy Harbor is completely covered by 'Fate Loop'. Uroboros seems to have discovered something and deliberately isolated that area from the outside world."
"In short, stay away from Bansy Harbor, and you should also be well-behaved recently. If anything happens, I won't have time to help you."
"Rechard will also leave here soon. If there are other matters during this time, I will have him contact your messenger."
Aaron coughed awkwardly. Knowing that the Mercury Snake was in a difficult situation, he gave up the idea of asking for help.
Anyway, with his current sequence, above the dark gold mist, and with the "Scepter of the Sun", it was enough to complete the plan.
#180Chapter 179 The Sudden War
Immediately, he recalled the conversation he had overheard when hunting the Sequence 5 "Reaper" previously. If the Archbishop of the Church of the God of Combat had a subsequent cooperation with the Witch King Kalam, the situation could become very complicated.
Kalam himself possessed a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact, "The Eyeless General," and that Archbishop should also have been hiding a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact or been under the watch of high-ranking members of the Church of the God of Combat to act so brazenly.
Aaron's mind stirred, and he opened his mouth to ask:
"Mr. Speaker, if I want to create a charm in the domain of Fate, what are the corresponding symbols?"
"Richaud" remained silent for a long while before slowly speaking:
"The specific symbols to be engraved are those you just saw. You can choose any part of them to combine. Whatever effect comes out depends entirely on your luck."
"Also, I won't be able to respond to such high-level rituals for a while. Don't hold onto any Luck mentality and pray to Ouroboros; that will only make Him discover the anomaly in your fate."
Aaron recalled the mysterious symbols that appeared when Will Auceptin descended earlier and explained with a smile:
"Thank you for clarifying. Don't worry, I plan to pray to the Goddess."
In the Evernight Goddess's honorific name is "Empress of Calamity and Terror." Calamity includes ill luck and is part of fate. The Goddess has corresponding authority and can naturally respond.
"Richaud" dragged out the sound of "Oh":
"If you are praying to that one, then no matter how you choose the symbols, the effect of the final product should lean towards the domain of ill luck."
"Also, if you want this charm to have an effect on angels, in addition to the prayer target, the material carrying the power is best to choose the drop of blood I gave you back then."
"Of course, if it's not for dealing with angels, ordinary spiritual materials in the domain of Fate are sufficient."
Then, without waiting for Aaron's response, as if afraid he would ask other questions, Will Auceptin directly ended the descent ritual.
Looking at Richaud, who was covered in black cloth and calmly put away the silver dial, Aaron awkwardly said:
"After you leave this time, can I still find you at the two addresses you mentioned before?"
Richaud chuckled lightly and handed Aaron an ancient-looking gold coin and a small bottle of pale silver blood from his In arms . Then, as he walked towards the door, he said:
"I shouldn't be returning there for a while. Your messenger can sense my location through this gold coin. Thank you for your help during this time, Lord Baron."
"My blood is already tainted with divinity and is a very good spiritual material. It should be helpful to you."
Aaron watched the gentlemanly Member of Parliament leave, examined the Solomon Empire era gold coin and the small bottle of blood in his hand, and then put them away.
Without the trouble of finding another room, Aaron directly set up the wall of spirituality and the ritual in the living room, placing Richaud's blood and the precious metal symbolizing the domain of Secrets that he had prepared earlier on the altar. He then engraved the symbolic patterns from Aaron's memory onto them.
Skillfully chanting the Goddess's honorific name, the candlelight flickered, and a deep darkness enveloped the altar. As the peaceful and serene aura dissipated, a silver-grey charm appeared on the altar.
Aaron picked up the charm, drew a crimson moon on his chest, and devoutly chanted, "Praise the Goddess."
Then he dismantled the wall of spirituality and put away the ritual candles and other materials. Looking at the charm in his hand, Aaron decisively hung the divination pendant above it and closed his eyes.
"Curse of God," a charm of the Calamity domain. The activation incantation is "Calamity." It can bestow a curse of ill luck with a divine aura upon the target. The effects produced will vary depending on the Sequence.
Very satisfied with this charm, Aaron was just about to take this opportunity to see his sister and mother when Valna Will's majestic and solemn voice instantly echoed in his mind:
"They have started to act, in the sea area off West Balam. The colonies in East Balam have also begun fighting. You must immediately go to East Balam to help Joseph..."
Aaron's pupils suddenly contracted. The "Traveler's Badge" flickered slightly, and his figure disappeared from the spot.
-----------------
Off the coast of the West Balam Fosac Empire colonial area, the East Tarc fleet, deliberately sailing away from the coastline, gradually slowed down.
Gusman Will stood on the flagship, watching the small storm ahead that happened to block the fleet's path. Thick dark clouds and mist obscured the view.
The "Hunter" pathway is not known for its spirituality, but the hunter's intuition from the demigod level and the information previously transmitted by Valna made him abandon the idea of directly passing through the storm.
Gusman Will used the hidden connection between the "Iron-blooded Knight" and his soldiers to notify Sorro Bent, ordering the fleet to turn around and bypass the storm ahead.
Suddenly, a chilling sensation enveloped his body. Gusman Will, who had already realized something was wrong, threw out the gold-inlaid cane in his hand, leaving afterimages in its path, like a cannonball being fired.
For an "Iron-blooded Knight," even the most ordinary object could turn into a terrifying killing weapon under his enhanced characteristics!
The cane, like a cannonball, didn't hit anything but stiffened in mid-air. Along with the other objects around it, it simultaneously shot towards Gusman Will.
Gusman instantly ignited, turning into flames that shot out in all directions.
After these reddish-yellow flames dispersed, they converged again in front. The cane had also exploded, and tiny fragments, like a storm from machine gun fire, were swallowed by the flames.
Gusman frowned tightly, looking ahead. The space there was distorted, and a life-sized puppet appeared.
This puppet was identical to Gusman, surrounded by reddish flames and clad in black armor.
"Rose School Saint, Sequence 4 'Puppet' Zatvin..."
His heart sinking slightly, this information surfaced in Gusman's mind. The crimson spear that had condensed in his hand was already thrown.
Looking at the attack heading straight for him, the Gusman puppet that Zatvin had turned into did not dodge or evade. He even actively welcomed the attack with his vital points, a mocking smile on his face.
As the puppet's right chest was pierced, Gusman on the deck groaned, his face suddenly turning a few shades paler.
This was one of the extraordinary abilities of the "Aberrant" pathway's Sequence 4 "Puppet," called "Source of Curse."
In addition to affecting non-living things, "Puppets" can also turn into mystical puppets, magical paper figures, and other items, cursing targets in various ways through established connections.
This extraordinary ability undergoes a qualitative change at Sequence 3. At the current stage, it belongs to the type that harms oneself when harming the enemy. Under normal circumstances, "Puppet" demigods rarely use it.
In other words, the "Puppet" harms the enemy by harming itself.
Zatvin dared to do this because he was confident that since they were both Sequence 4, the "Puppet" could definitely withstand damage better than the "Iron-blooded Knight" for damage that was not of a divine evolution type.
He never thought his initial "Wraith Possession" would truly succeed. Its main purpose was to establish a connection with Gusman through this method, preparing for subsequent curses.
His pulling out that strand of hair was a sign that the curse had officially begun. Of course, as a demigod, Gusman would not be cursed to death so easily, but he was not the only demigod here.
The small storm not far away shattered with a roar. A burly man, over two meters tall, with a thick mustache, walked out from within.
Gusman, his face somewhat pale, narrowed his eyes, already recognizing the newcomer.
It was the commander of the Fosac Empire's Sonia Sea Fleet, Admiral Yegor Einhorn. This was a demigod born into the royal family, and currently also a Sequence 4 "Iron-blooded Knight" of the "Red Priest" pathway!
Sonia Sea and East Balam are separated by the entire Southern Continent. Mobilizing the entire fleet would be too conspicuous, so he came alone. But even without the blessing of the entire fleet, a demigod is still a demigod.
Without any hesitation, Gusman's figure flickered, and he rushed towards the cabin. At the same time, he reached into his pocket. There was a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact of a "Law Master" at the bottom of the cabin, and he needed the assistance of this Sealed Artifact.
Just as the thought flashed through his mind, affected by the "Source of Curse," his actions were interrupted, and his figure stiffened in place, forcibly taking an attack from Yegor Einhorn.
Relying on the connection established with every sailor and soldier in the fleet, Gusman distributed the damage, causing every member of the fleet to tremble.
Just then, a deep voice came from the bottom of the cabin, accompanied by invisible fluctuations spreading in all directions:
"Mystery weakened, reality enhanced..."
It was Sorro Bent. As a Sequence 5 "Chaos Master," he was qualified and capable of temporarily activating this Grade 1 Sealed Artifact.
With the law of mystery weakening, Gusman broke free from Zatvin's "Source of Curse" and concentrated the power of the entire fleet onto himself.
Feeling the terrifying aura that had condensed, the puppet Zatvin had turned into instantly disappeared from its spot and reappeared beside Yegor Einhorn, dodging the attack.
Seizing this opportunity, Yegor quickly chanted the honorific name of the "Supreme Commander" of Sonia Sea, who was a "Weather Master" from the royal family:
"Master of Battlefield Mist, Symbol of Weather Change, Totem of Storms and Lightning, Great Ahomatova Einhorn..."
The sky suddenly darkened, and the law of mystery weakening instantly collapsed. The raging wind, mixed with lightning, swallowed the subsequent attack that Gusman had unleashed by concentrating the entire fleet's power. Its momentum undiminished, it swept a tsunami towards the entire fleet.
A portal composed entirely of brilliant starlight appeared, and from it walked out a being whose face and figure were somewhat illusory, covered in mysterious symbols, barely discernible as humanoid.
All living beings felt the mad brutality emanating from that figure. The rolling dark clouds in the sky also became larger as a result.
"Is that Valna Will? It seems the war back then caused him great damage, to the point of losing control..."
Behind Yegor, the illusory figure of Ahomatova Einhorn, this angel, also appeared. He, who was originally somewhat uncertain, finally confirmed the identity upon seeing the brilliant crown atop the head of the suspected Valna Will, the "Weather Master."
That brilliant crown, which seemed entirely carved from gems, was precisely the Grade 0 Sealed Artifact that Valna Will had seized from the heavily wounded Demoness Sect during the Pale Disaster back then.
Although Ahomatova did not participate in the war of the Pale Disaster for various reasons, He later learned that this Grade 0 Sealed Artifact was formed from a Sequence 2 "Traveler" extraordinary characteristic.
It is said that its original origin came from the Tamara family in the Fourth Epoch, and it was later controlled by the Demoness Sect, containing various bizarre and peculiar powers.
However, because it was not controlled by the Seven Orthodox Churches, it did not have a corresponding number. Angels who knew about this Grade 0 Sealed Artifact preferred to call it the "Crown of Stars."
-----------------
Southern Continent, East Balam Ancient Forest, at the border between the East Tarc colony and the Fosac Empire.
East Tarc soldiers in black armor and Fosac Empire troops were fighting fiercely at the edge of the forest. With the assistance of the law of mystery weakening, the East Tarc soldiers, even without a numerical advantage, were not at a disadvantage in the battle.
Aaron, who had traveled from the Northern Continent, appeared not far from the battlefield and looked into the depths of the forest based on his spiritual intuition.
Joseph Will, his figure somewhat disheveled, was struggling to maintain the law of mystery weakening while being attacked by two figures also emitting demigod auras.
The burly Archbishop of the Church of the God of Combat, Andal Corvette, had complex dark green symbols appearing in his left and right eyes, which were the "Demon Hunting Eyes."
A dark green light flashed, seeming to find a flaw. The "Sword of Dawn" in his hand, completely condensed from light, was swung fiercely, accompanied by a "Storm of Light" that seemed capable of destroying everything.
Joseph Will, who was entangled with the Witch King Kalam, felt the danger approaching. The pure black ring on his right hand flashed with light, and his figure suddenly shattered, turning into pieces of mirrors.
Although he dodged the fatal blow, black patterns gradually crept across Joseph Will's face, and the trees within a few meters around him gradually withered.
The Grade 1 Sealed Artifact on his hand, which originated from the "Despair Witch," could help him hold off these two demigods, but the corresponding negative effects were also extremely severe.
Looking at the perilous battlefield, Aaron restrained the urge to immediately step in and help. This was a very good opportunity to hunt that Archbishop.
To prevent any possible unforeseen circumstances, he must be dealt with as quickly as possible. The best and most realistic method was to use the "Sun-Piercing Staff."
And this must be done above the dark gold mist, where various blessings could maximize the duration of using this Sealed Artifact. He in reality could not withstand the negative effects of this Grade 0 Sealed Artifact.
Passing through layers of dark gold mist, Aaron sat on the throne, beckoned the Black Emperor card and the Sun-Piercing Staff, and at the same time felt the further enhancement of the Source power he could mobilize after achieving Sequence 5.
Through the light spot formed by praying to himself, Aaron looked at the demigod battlefield where the fighting was intense, staring at the burly figure covered in silver-white armor.
Since there were no subsequent prayers, this prayer light spot could not last long. Although Aaron didn't have time to wait for a good opportunity, he could create one himself.
Decisively taking out the "Curse of God," he immediately spoke in a low voice in ancient Hermes:
"Calamity!"
In his right palm, the silver-grey charm suddenly ignited with a deep black light.
Without any hesitation, Aaron mixed the deep black light with the stirred dark gold mist and threw it into the scene expanded by the prayer image, throwing it towards the Archbishop of the Church of the God of Combat, Andal Corvette.
#181Chapter 180 Killing and Accident
The complex dark green symbols in his pupils flickered slightly, as if sensing something, and Archbishop Andorra-Corvette of the Church of the God of Combat suddenly raised his head.
It was as if he saw a deep black light appear from nowhere, covering the entire sky and making his surroundings extremely dark.
This change was fleeting, and everything around him instantly returned to normal, appearing completely ordinary. However, relying on the strong sensitivity of the "Demon Hunter's Eye" to negative states like evil, corruption, and curses, Andorra-Corvette keenly "sniffed" out the scent of danger.
"East Tarak's reinforcements have arrived..."
This thought flashed through his mind. When he and the Witch King Karaman failed to kill Joseph-Well immediately after joining forces, he had already anticipated the current situation.
But he wasn't overly worried. The East Tarak family's only angel would be tied up along the coast of West Balam. As long as it wasn't an angel, even if a Sequence 3 Saint arrived, the two of them could calmly retreat by joining forces.
His eyes, bearing complex dark green symbols, scanned the surroundings, but found no further abnormalities. He frowned slightly, thinking of the strange influence he had just experienced. After a moment of hesitation, he extended his left palm and crushed a ball of golden light.
Golden fragments drifted down, revealing the object wrapped inside: an eyeball that seemed to contain mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Without the isolation of the golden shell, dark red, almost black threads spread outwards from the eyeball.
This was a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact of the Church of the God of Combat, numbered "1-05" and also known as the "Eye of the Devil".
It was obtained by Andorra-Corvette before he took office in the Southern Continent, from hunting a Sequence 4 "Devil" on the northernmost side of the Sea of Mist in the Northern Continent.
Sequence 4 "Devils" are both devils of the body and devils of the mind. Although displaying an incomplete Mythical Creature form can easily lead to losing control, Devils can make a certain part of themselves exhibit the characteristics of a Mythical Creature and maintain it long-term, thereby gaining unique, strange effects.
This eyeball was the body part of the slain Devil that had taken on a Mythical Creature form. It not only retained numerous vile and evil spell abilities but also possessed enhanced malice perception and control over desires.
But these were not the reasons for its high number among the numerous Grade 1 Sealed Artifacts of the Church of the God of Combat. The most important reason was that it contained partial corruption from the Abyss, which was evident not only in its attacks but also in its terrifying negative effects.
Under normal circumstances, Andorra-Corvette would not use this Sealed Artifact. Although its effects were powerful, the negative effects after each use had to be completely eliminated by returning to the Giant Hall of Dusk in St. Millom, the capital of Feysac, otherwise it would leave significant hidden dangers.
However, the strange deep black light just now and the enemy that even the "Demon Hunter's Eye" couldn't detect still prompted him to use this Sealed Artifact. He believed that the demigod-level malice perception would be sufficient to find the guy who was playing tricks.
Just as Andorra-Corvette was using the "Eye of the Devil"'s malice perception to search for Aaron, he failed to notice that streaks of dark red, almost black patterns had gradually crept all over his "Armor of Dawn".
Above the dark golden mist, Aaron watched the prayer light spot with a strange expression. Through the true vision provided by the Original, he could see that the black mist symbolizing bad luck on Andorra-Corvette's body was all surging towards the sinister eyeball.
The powerful bad luck brought by the "Curse of the Divine" seemed to make this demigod ignore the abnormality on his body, fully dedicating himself to searching for Aaron's whereabouts.
"Tsk, doesn't this add another layer of counter property to my damage?"
Feeling the evil and corrupt aura, Aaron clicked his tongue and tilted his head to glance at the Scepter of the Sun on his right hand, which was hot, pure, and emitted endless purifying light.
Time was limited, so he no longer hesitated. He immediately mobilized all his power. Accompanied by the rapid consumption of spirituality, endless radiance condensed, mixed with a bit of dark golden mist, forming a blazing white arrow of light.
The increase in spirituality gained from advancing to Sequence 5, along with the assistance of the "Crimson Eye" and the Black Emperor card, only made Aaron's face slightly pale; he didn't become completely exhausted as before.
Waving the Scepter of the Sun forward with his right hand, the "Arrow of the Sun", mixed with some dark golden mist, suddenly plunged into the prayer light spot, heading straight for Archbishop Andorra-Corvette of the Church of the God of Combat.
On the battlefield in the center of the forest, the Witch King Karaman, who had lost his moonlight transformation ability due to Joseph-Well's prohibition of the full moon effect, awkwardly crashed into the ground, creating a large pit.
Facing a demigod who controlled the Law of Mysticism Weakening and Reality Enhancement, Karaman, also a demigod, was directly suppressed when alone.
His dark wings vibrated slightly, and Karaman instantly left his original position, appearing in the distance. While marveling at the power of "Law Masters" in his heart, he cursed his unreliable teammate for what he was doing.
He didn't sense the aura of the "Curse of the Divine". Being tightly entangled by Joseph-Well, he also had no time to worry about Andorra-Corvette.
It wasn't until now, after enduring a blow to break free from the entanglement, that Karaman turned his gaze to his teammate. Upon seeing the figure in the silver armor covered in corrupt patterns in the distance, before he could utter a warning, he witnessed something that would be unforgettable for the rest of his life.
An arrow of light, seemingly condensed from pure radiance, appeared out of thin air above Andorra-Corvette, accompanied by terrifying pressure. And merely seeing the flowing patterns on the light arrow, Karaman, who was a considerable distance away, instantly had black blood flowing from his eyes.
Karaman, whose body was trembling continuously, didn't hesitate for a moment. He decisively fled into the distance. He completely cast aside the rewards promised by the Feysac Empire and the orders of the Rose School, leaving only one thought in his mind:
"An Angel! There was actually a Sun pathway Angel hidden in the dark! Run, run quickly..."
Karaman didn't know, nor did he want to know, why an Angel had suddenly appeared. As for whether this Angel was from the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun, or some other unknown secret organization, he didn't care.
At this critical juncture, saving his life was naturally the most important thing. When disaster strikes, everyone fends for themselves. As for the Archbishop, he could only wish him good luck.
The feeling of death that pierced his soul awakened Andorra-Corvette, who had fallen into a strange state. Without the slightest hesitation, in the blink of an eye, he turned into a four-meter-tall "Giant".
His body was intertwined with dark blue and black, every inch of skin, every pore, every piece of flesh, seemed to defy normal human senses, combined in a special form, containing an unimaginable sense of impact.
He activated an incomplete Mythical Creature form. His head didn't change significantly, only swelled a bit, while a dark vertical slit, like an eye, split open from his forehead to his nose.
Although this came with intense madness and a tendency to lose control, it also brought a significant increase in his strength and level, and it was the most likely way he could think of to survive at the moment.
His remaining sanity made him crush a token made of unknown material on his chest. The token was engraved with the "Giant Hall of Dusk". He immediately knelt on one knee, and a strange light mixed with dawn and corruption appeared around him. A protective force connected to the earth enveloped him.
The Grade 0 Sealed Artifact, empowered by the dark golden mist, instantly shattered the protective barrier. Endless scorching light emerged, accompanied by Andorra-Corvette's final desperate and painful wail.
Joseph-Well, who was constantly emitting an aura of plague and disease due to the Sealed Artifact's influence, did not pursue the fleeing Witch King Karaman. Instead, his figure shifted, using a Law to transfer his position, and he looked with a solemn gaze at the miniature sun that had suddenly expanded in the distance.
He also judged the level of the attack. Although he was worried about the purpose of this unknown Angel, behind him was the territory of East Tarak. He could neither retreat nor had anywhere to retreat to.
Watching the giant lava pit formed by the dissipation of the sun and the terrifying aftershocks spreading outwards, his body tensed, and he continuously chanted the honorific name of Varnal-Well in his heart.
On the battlefield at the edge of the ancient forest, the soldiers of both sides almost simultaneously stopped their attacks. Both looked with horror at the distant sun, and without prior agreement, they all knelt on one knee, relying on their heavy armor to resist the sweeping aftershocks.
At the forefront of the battle between the two sides, a Sequence 5 "Guardian" wearing the "Armor of Dawn" and a clergyman's badge began to tremble after hearing the unwilling roar. He clearly recognized that it came from the Archbishop.
Realizing that the situation was wrong, he immediately gathered all the soldiers, suppressing his grief and anger, and covered their retreat in turns.
Above the dark golden mist, Aaron leaned back against the throne, looking at the giant lava pit that had appeared out of thin air in the ancient forest, and clicked his tongue slightly. Just as he was about to collect his spoils of war, his gaze suddenly focused.
Orange-red radiance appeared from the horizon, illuminating the entire forest. Under the light of dusk, directly above the giant lava pit, a burly old man appeared, wearing a black robe with white edges, sporting grizzled stubble, and a square hat.
His eyes were light blue, with few wrinkles, and he possessed an inherent air of looking down on everything. Aaron, who was familiar with the information on the major Orthodox Churches, instantly recognized the identity of this Angel.
A Sequence 2 "Glorious One" of the "Warrior" pathway, Patriarch Larion of the Church of the God of Combat.
Aaron looked through the prayer light spot at the way this Angel appeared, bringing celestial phenomena with him, and a feeling of things getting out of hand immediately surfaced in his mind.
However, after careful observation through his true vision, he discovered that it wasn't the true body that had arrived, but rather a power projection formed based on some medium. This also made Aaron heave a sigh of relief.
In the waters off West Balam, two "Weather Warlocks" stood in silent confrontation. After roughly confirming that Varnal-Well's condition was indeed poor, Ahomatova-Einhorn, who believed he had probed the situation, was considering how to retreat.
After all, he had only sent a power projection, which was inferior to Varnal, who had roamed here in his true body with the help of the Grade 0 Sealed Artifact "Crown of Stars", both in terms of duration and strength.
The distorted figure, suspected to be Varnal, grabbed at the void with his right hand. The "Crown of Stars" shone brightly, and the thick clouds, lightning, and storms filling the sky instantly twisted and deformed. The entire space continuously shrank, like a seal.
A gray-blue illusory door with seven brass keyholes slowly emerged, seemingly wanting to swallow the entire sealed space. Behind the deep, boundless illusory door was a glittering starry sky.
As if he had already obtained the answer he wanted, an illusory figure walked out from the boundless sea of subconsciousness. As it walked out, the figure rapidly expanded, transforming into a giant dragon covered in huge gray-white scales.
Incomplete Mythical Creature Form - "Dragon Transformation"!
The dragon's head underwent some changes, becoming more like a lizard than a human. Its pale golden vertical eyes and the facial scales that formed mysterious patterns were cold and twisted.
And with the manifestation of this incomplete Mythical Creature form, thoughts, spirits, desires, and wills of all kinds across the entire sea area surged towards "Varnal" and the fleet behind him like a storm, half-illusory and half-real, invading the mind islands of everyone.
This was a combination of "Mind Deprivation" and "Mental Plague", which could cause every affected and corroded creature to suffer contamination and go mad on the spot.
And for Angels, such an attack was the most insidious, because their mental states all had certain issues, and they could lose control directly at any time due to the balance tipping!
The sealed space, swept by the lightning storm not far away, immediately stopped shrinking. The scene behind the deep, boundless illusory door suddenly changed, replaced by a vast blue, waveless sea surface.
Layers of illusory doors appeared, hindering the invasion of the "Mental Plague".
With the cooperation of Guzman-Well, the space where the entire fleet was located twisted and shrank, instantly dyed with brilliant starlight, becoming extremely illusory, as if transforming into a dazzling gem, actively throwing itself into the deep, boundless illusory door.
In the last instant before disappearing, the distorted figure wearing the "Crown of Stars" condensed a spear woven with fire and lightning in his hand. An illusory portal suddenly appeared beside the giant dragon covered in huge gray-white scales.
The huge gray-white scales had no effect and were instantly pierced by the spear extending from the portal. Fire and lightning wreaked havoc, directly destroying half of the dragon's body.
The uncontrolled shrinking space not far away was pierced by a silver-white spear wreathed in flames. The seal originating from the "Crown of Stars" was violently broken.
The power projection of Ahomatova-Einhorn, which had become illusory, slowly walked out, watching the scattered starlight left behind after the illusory door dissipated in the distance, his eyes flickering.
And Yegor and Zatwen, the two demigods who walked out behind him, watched the severely damaged giant dragon not far away with slightly twitching eyelids, while simultaneously feeling fortunate that they were not the ones who received the direct attack.
Ahomatova also cast his gaze over, and after a brief examination, spoke calmly:
"I really didn't expect that even the President of the Psychology Alchemists would personally come."
As his words fell, another illusory figure appeared beside the damaged dragon corpse, chuckling with a voice that made one feel comfortable:
"Greetings, Your Excellency Ahomatova. Our Psychology Alchemists would naturally not let our allies in cooperation be in danger."
"Using a separated identity to ensure the safety of our allies is also a demonstration of our sincerity."
Saying this, the damaged giant dragon slowly disintegrated. A part of it turned into streaks of light and reintegrated into the illusory figure, while the other part turned into a ball of light wrapped in fire and lightning.
#183Take a day off! (By the way, answer questions from book friends)
Your humble author has a business knowledge assessment tomorrow morning that's quite important, so I'll be reviewing and doing practice questions tonight. However, tomorrow's update will be much earlier.
Some readers also pointed out a few typos in previous chapters, but my permissions only allow me to edit chapters from the last few days. The earlier chapters are locked, and I can't change them. So, a few typos in the previous chapters will have to remain as they are o(TωT)o.
There are also many readers asking when we will reach Cthulhu. I'll take this opportunity to answer everyone at once: based on the timeline, it's still two years away. However, most of the foreshadowing I laid out earlier has been filled in, with only one or two plots remaining, such as the Ghost Empire and the God-Forsaken Land.
After I fill in the remaining plots, the next almost two years will be fast-forwarded while maintaining plot fluidity, so we should get there quickly. Please don't worry.
To be honest, I never expected to write over 400,000 words on my first book. I'm also grateful for everyone's continuous support, and please bear with me for any parts that weren't written well.
PS: If there are any special circumstances that require me to take leave in the future, I will inform you in advance and won't keep you waiting (・ω・)...
#184Chapter 182 Incomplete Mythical Creature Forms
Just as Aaron was about to use the last bit of time to deal with Witch King Kalaman, who was frantically running on the ground in the distance, he saw a phantom portal appear in the void.
Behind the door was a phantom, dark river emanating endless death intent. On the surface of that silent river, a gloomy small boat seemed to have sailed from the depths of the underworld. An arm suddenly reached out, grabbed Witch King Kalaman, and dragged him behind the door.
Kalaman's figure disappeared behind the river beyond the door, his aura completely concealed by the death intent. Aaron withdrew his gaze with some regret and pondered in his heart.
"Such dense death intent, like a river leading to the underworld... This is somewhat like the 'Ferryman' of the Death pathway. Did the Spirit Cult take action in secret?"
There was no time for further thought. After sealing the strange heart, he placed it in the miscellaneous pile. Aaron beckoned, drawing over a medal that was crystal clear and transparent, as if cast from black gemstones. It was Arianna's Emblem of the Night.
He threw it into the rapidly dissipating prayer image, towards Joseph Wall, who was full of vigilance and had a solemn gaze.
Watching Kalaman being dragged into an unknown space by an arm, and the sudden end of the Angel-level battle, Joseph's mind was in a bit of chaos. While guarding against potential attacks, he continuously chanted Valna's honorific name in his heart, but received no response.
Just as he was on guard, a faint light flashed before him. A black token quietly floated, giving a strange feeling that it was truly there when he looked at it, but would disappear when he didn't.
"Joseph, no need to be nervous, it's Aaron."
"The Angel of the Sun pathway just now was a helper I invited. Although the projection of Archbishop Larion of the War God Church was defeated, you still need to be careful of potential accidents."
"This token doesn't possess characteristics or power. Its only function is that once activated, it will establish contact with 'Servant of Concealment' Arianna, no matter where you are in the real world."
"Due to certain reasons, I might be out of contact for a while, so I'll lend you this token for now."
"If you encounter danger and need more direct help, and the ancestor doesn't respond to your prayers, you can activate this token while chanting the name 'Arianna' in ancient Hermes."
In this quiet and peaceful atmosphere, Joseph's mouth slowly widened. After hearing the content of Aaron's telepathic message, he was at a loss for how to respond for a moment.
The prayer light spots then dispersed. Although he didn't know what kind of backlash he would suffer, to be safe, Aaron stirred up the surrounding dark gold mist and spoke in a low, majestic voice:
"I need some time for further recovery. The Chaos Assembly is temporarily suspended."
Just after transmitting this scene to every member of the Chaos Assembly, before Aaron could even take a breath, as if some time limit had been reached, invisible ripples suddenly spread out from the previously calm "Eye of Chaos" at the top of the throne, diffusing in all directions.
The entire magnificent grand hall seemed to tremble. Along with the spreading golden ripples, the high-backed chairs and stone chairs standing in the grand hall all toppled, as if ravaged by fire, bearing marks of scorching.
Looking at the backlash before him, far more violent than the last time, a premonition of ill fortune flashed through Aaron's spiritually depleted mind. Without leaving any time to breathe, his vision suddenly went black, and he directly lost consciousness.
The golden patterns on his body, symbolizing divinity, resonated with the magnificent palace, jointly resisting the invasion of the golden ripples. Inside the magnificent grand hall, the dark gold mist surged incessantly.
In a hazy state, Aaron seemed to see nothingness, etherealness, and emptiness all around, filled with boundless dark gold mist. His consciousness seemed to be crushed and merged into it, spreading outwards with the diffusion of the dark gold mist towards the infinite distance.
On the north side of the Sounia Sea, Sounia Island is the largest island in this sea area, and also the source of the Sounia Sea's name, almost equivalent to a small continent.
It was originally the only remaining settlement of the elves after the Great Cataclysm, but as time passed, this ancient Beyonder race was plagued by various factors and gradually died out, leaving only occasional, sporadic appearances to prove they were not completely extinct.
At the end of the Fourth Epoch, the Loen Kingdom occupied this island, but in the "Twenty Years' War," they suffered a crushing defeat and handed Sounia Island over to the Feysac Empire. This was over seven hundred years ago.
Chek Vold followed the crowd off the "White Dove" and watched the people coming and going in the port area with interest. Among them were many people with deep blue hair, but more were sturdy, muscular Feysac people nearly two meters tall.
He graduated from Bishop Montella over a month ago and arrived at Sounia Island after leaving the Southern Continent and passing through the safe passage of the Raging Sea.
During this time, the Arsonist Beyonder potion was almost digested. However, it had been nearly a month since that hidden existence, who called himself the "Lord of Order," announced the suspension of the Chaos Assembly. The idea of exchanging the Sequence 6 Conspirator potion formula could only be temporarily put aside.
Chek sighed in his heart, feeling a mix of anticipation and anxiety, wondering what new changes that hidden existence would bring after his recovery. As he was thinking, his powerful spirituality allowed him to overhear a conversation between several Feysac people who were clearly dressed as pirates not far away.
"Joh, I heard that if we sail a few hundred nautical miles northwest from our Sounia Island, we'll enter a sea area that many explorers haven't officially explored."
"That place isn't a ruin of divine battles filled with killing intent. It's a sea area full of treasures and opportunities. I wonder who will get there first."
One of them, a scar-faced man emitting spiritual fluctuations, sneered and took a big gulp of expensive Sounia Blood Wine. Under the envious and fearful gazes of the others, he slowly spoke:
"Foolish. A Naga tribe is active there. They have been dedicated to searching for the underwater city rumored to seal powerful monsters. That's the object of their faith."
"Although the danger there isn't as terrifying as a divine battle ruin, it's not something a small Sequence 9 like you can fathom. Even a Pirate General would face some risk there."
Looking at the expressions on the faces of the subordinates around him, he nodded with satisfaction. Then, as if he thought of something, he said with a slightly excited expression:
"You just returned from the sea, so you might not know that something big happened in our Feysac recently. A few weeks ago, the Archbishop of the War God Church who had been stationed in the 'Dawn Giant Hall' in St. Millon went to Trier, the capital of Intis."
"Nobody knows what happened, they could only see the entire sky covered by twilight. Tsk, it was simply like a miracle. It finally put those mystical Intis people in their place..."
Chek silently listened to the end with his extraordinary hearing. As a former Intis noble and a victim of Roselle's assassination, he was always quite concerned about similar matters.
Layers of phantom whispers echoed within the magnificent palace. The vortex formed by the dark gold mist covered the entire grand hall, and time here seemed to lose its meaning.
On the throne deep within the palace, a figure with a vacant expression leaned back. The Black Emperor Card had fallen at his feet, dim and lifeless. The dark gold vortex above the throne slowly contracted, condensing into a majestic and vast figure.
Aaron, immersed in the phantom whispers, slowly opened his eyes. An unprecedented feeling emerged in his heart. He subconsciously raised his arm, only to see a hand completely composed of dark gold mist, and mysterious symbols faintly visible on the palm.
His previously somewhat sluggish mind instantly cleared. Following the sensation transmitted by his spirituality, Aaron looked down and saw himself sitting on the throne with his eyes closed, or more accurately, it was just his physical body.
As his emotions fluctuated, the surrounding dark gold mist continuously surged in, making Aaron's phantom more and more solid. However, this was accompanied by a strong spiritual warning. His intuition told him that if he continued like this without stopping, he would likely become completely lost.
Although he was still a bit unclear about the situation, Aaron instinctively floated towards the throne and merged with his body.
As if some process was interrupted, the surging dark gold mist stopped flowing in. Aaron's body suddenly opened its eyes, but found that one arm still couldn't integrate with him. It seemed to have contained too much dark gold mist, reaching its capacity limit.
Before Aaron could react, along with the return of his spiritual body, a series of knowledge suddenly appeared in his mind. After an unknown amount of time, Aaron reopened his eyes.
His spirituality connected with the Source. The phantom arm that couldn't integrate into his body instantly detached and, under the control of Aaron's main consciousness, transformed into an even more phantom figure.
This was different from the figures he had casually molded with dark gold mist before. This figure, originating from himself, still had mysterious symbols flowing across its surface. Both hearing and sight could be shared, as if it were another him.
Looking at the vivid and flexible figure before him, which could stir the dark gold mist with every movement, and recalling the knowledge in his mind, Aaron murmured in disbelief:
"Is this my incomplete Mythical Creature Form?"
Unlike the previous encounter with the Rose School's Sequence 2 Angel, "King of Curses" Baranka, that time it was less about Aaron repelling Him and more about Him retreating voluntarily after the "Gate of Summoning" was destroyed.
This time, the direct confrontation using the "Eye of Chaos" was against an Angel who displayed a complete Mythical Creature Form. The damage inflicted far exceeded Aaron's expectations, and due to the characteristic of Uniqueness, the backlash, comparable to the Angel level, also possessed the traits of the Sun pathway.
That terrifying purification and repulsive force directly stripped the Black Emperor Card, which was integrated with Aaron, by force. Losing the protection of the divine patterns, Aaron's consciousness directly faced this backlash.
The moment his consciousness collapsed, it was reassembled by the power of the Source. Under the superposition of various factors, Aaron, through this misfortune, further deepened his integration with the Source and prematurely obtained an incomplete Mythical Creature Form within the Source.
In the knowledge transmitted by the Source, this Mythical Creature Form is called the Mist of Order. The edicts implemented and receiving feedback within his territory are the foundation for obtaining divinity, and also the mysterious patterns formed when creating the Mythical Creature Form.
From the moment he obtained the Mist of Order Mythical Creature Form, he could gradually transition from being an agent of rules in the low Sequences to a higher-level formulator of rules.
In the future, after Aaron becomes an Angel and possesses a complete Mythical Creature Form, with the bonus from the "Kingdom of Disorder," he can even achieve the alteration of certain shallow rules within a certain period.
However, the figure he had separated before him was more like a minimum configuration version of an incomplete Mythical Creature Form. On one hand, this was because only Aaron's soul had undergone transformation; his physical body was still Sequence 5 and had not received divinity.
Although the soul can reassemble and recover, the physical body is difficult to restore once it manifests the Mythical Creature Form.
On the other hand, this incomplete Mythical Creature Form can only be manifested within the Source. In reality, without sufficient anchors and the support of divinity, the outcome would only be losing control.
But even so, this was not useless to Aaron. This separated portion of consciousness could exist independently within the Source, responding to prayers and making responses on Aaron's behalf.
It could even borrow certain sealed artifacts to launch attacks. Although this would incur extra spiritual consumption, it could prevent Aaron from having to go above the dark gold mist every time and also allow him to separate the identity of "Lord of Order."
Moreover, with the bonus from the Source, having obtained the incomplete Mythical Creature Form in advance, he could be considered to truly have the confidence to face certain matters. Even if he faced the previous backlash again, he would have the true ability to handle it.
With this thought, Aaron looked at the miscellaneous pile and removed the seals he had originally placed. The layers of dark gold mist dispersed accordingly.
Looking at the quietly placed and undamaged Will Auceptin paper crane and several other sealed artifacts, Aaron breathed a sigh of relief and beckoned, drawing over the divination pendant.
After a moment, he opened his eyes with a somewhat complex expression and muttered softly:
"I didn't expect to be unconscious for nearly a month this time. Fortunately, I informed the members of the Chaos Assembly beforehand. However, this time was a blessing in disguise. A month's time was well worth it."
Gathering his thoughts, Aaron looked at the items that had fallen below the throne. He first put the dim Black Emperor Card and the restored Sun Chasing Scepter back into the miscellaneous pile.
The original strange heart seemed to have been shattered by the power of the backlash. After reassembling, it split into two parts. He used the divination pendant to perform a divination:
The head-sized heart on the left, flickering with dawn-like radiance, was a Sequence 4 Demon Hunter Beyonder characteristic.
The black crystal on the right, emanating corrupted evil and foul aura, was a Sequence 4 Devil Beyonder characteristic. The abyss pollution contained within it had not been completely destroyed and had contaminated it again after the Beyonder characteristic reassembled.
He isolated and sealed the contaminated "Devil" characteristic. He placed the Demon Hunter Beyonder characteristic next to the Sun Chasing Scepter. After that Demigod Beyonder characteristic precipitated, he could enter Grosell's Travels.
After confirming through divination that there were no dangerous omens, Aaron returned to the real world. He entered a concealed state for a while and looked towards the Ancient Forest using the true vision provided by the consciousness left within the Source.
Even after a month, the center of the battlefield was still shrouded in the decay of twilight. The giant lava pit also emitted a strong purifying aura. There were no dangerous omens, and no new traces of battle had appeared.
It seemed the one from the War God Church was very restrained, and the worst-case scenario didn't happen. Aaron couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. After lifting the concealed state, he quickly traveled to St. Annes and found Joseph Wall by sensing Arianna's emblem.
#185Chapter 183 Entering "Groselle's Travels"
"Teleportation is forbidden here!"
A majestic voice reached Aaron's ears as he traveled through the Spirit World following his senses, and an invisible ripple swept over his body.
Aaron did not resist. Following the repulsive force, he detached from the Spirit World, his figure solidifying. He looked at Joseph-Will, who was standing opposite him with a stunned expression, and spoke with a smile:
"Long time no see. Has anything happened during this time?"
Joseph composed his surprised expression and returned the faintly glowing Arianna crest to Aaron. He smiled, which was rare for him, and said:
"The Feysac people have been repelled, and the war in East Balam is over. We are now using the battlefield ruins of that ancient forest as the new boundary line."
"However, the war in West Balam is entering a white-hot phase. Duke Guzman's fleet has successfully joined the war, recovering the previous disadvantage. Based on the current situation, the war will continue for a considerable time."
Speaking of this, his tone was a little strange. He glanced at Aaron, whose expression was normal, and continued:
"In addition, according to reliable sources, the Great Hierarch of the God of Combat Church personally went to the Cathedral of the Eternal Blazing Sun Church, but no battle occurred..."
"Aaron, that person from that day... He..."
Seeing Joseph hesitate, Aaron chuckled and said:
"That angel is a member of a secret organization I participate in. Yes, it's a gathering organized by a hidden existence. Ancestor Varna is also considered a member of that organization."
That hidden existence is myself... Aaron immediately mocked himself inwardly.
But his expression remained as usual, very natural without the slightest hint of guilt. His skill at using others' prestige was simply maxed out.
Whether it was the sudden appearance of a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact or the unclear connections with several angels, Varna probably had his suspicions long ago.
Therefore, Aaron was not worried about Joseph confirming with Varna later. That old fox had that much tacit understanding.
As his strength increased and his value was demonstrated, and also out of consideration for the future, he no longer resisted showing some secrets appropriately.
"Angels are just members, and the ancestor is even one of them. That hidden existence wouldn't be a deity-level being, would it? Who could it be..."
Somewhat overwhelmed by the vast amount of information in Aaron's words, Joseph was unsure how to respond and at the same time his imagination ran wild.
Aaron looked at Joseph's expression, nodded with satisfaction, and did not dwell on this topic. Instead, he stated the purpose of his visit:
"The war in East Balam is over, and it's unlikely to have problems again in the shortest time. Therefore, I want to invite you on an adventure."
Joseph snapped out of his brainstorming, his eyes flickering, and he asked in return:
"Adventure?"
Aaron nodded and took out the "Groselle's Travels" he had prepared from his Pregnant. He pointed to the book bound with yellowish-brown parchment and said with a smile:
"Inside this book is a 'conceived' world, and within it, there is a frost giant dragon called the 'Northern Dragon' which I have chosen as Bayer-Bailey's demigod ritual object."
"Moreover, inside this book, there are giants, elves, and several people who will be very useful for my future plans."
"Both for safety's sake and to prevent them from doing anything too rash, I want to invite you to support me. After all, the cost of inviting an angel is too great."
A world within a book? A Warrior pathway demigod ritual? Joseph didn't know how many times he had been stunned by the information Aaron revealed today, until he heard the last sentence, and the corner of his mouth couldn't help but twitch.
He sighed helplessly and nodded. He glanced at the thin brown book and couldn't help but ask:
"How do I, well, enter this world within the book? Also, when are you planning to start? I might need a little time to make some arrangements and can't enter immediately."
Seeing him nod in agreement, Aaron withdrew his gaze with satisfaction and put "Groselle's Travels" back. He explained:
"Dropping your blood on the cover will force you to enter the world within the book. I still need to return to Loen City once to bring Bayer-Bailey back. We will enter together then."
After finishing his conversation with Joseph, Aaron directly activated teleportation and returned to his mansion in the inner city of Loen.
Looking at Glen-Will, who had already advanced to Sequence 5 "Reaper," and Darren-Sherlock, who had completely digested the "Faceless" potion, Aaron nodded with satisfaction and said to Glen-Will:
"I just talked to your grandfather, and we are both very satisfied with your performance. Your loyalty and ability are beyond doubt."
"So, as my personal reward, I will inform you of the demigod advancement ritual in advance. This is unrelated to the family's contribution system. You can prepare ahead of time without any reservations."
Seeing Glen-Will instantly become excited, Aaron added with a smile:
"The ritual to advance to Sequence 4 'Iron-blooded Knight' is to form a team of at least thirty people, cultivate deep camaraderie with them, help them become strong successively, and cooperate tacitly."
"They should be able to understand your intentions through your eyes and actions, almost becoming one with each other. Then, they will form the ritual. The stronger and more tacit the team, the better the effect of the ritual."
Aaron then looked at Darren-Sherlock, who also had an excited expression, and after a moment of thought, he asked:
"How is the "Code of Law" I assigned last time being implemented recently?"
Darren coughed lightly and responded in a solemn tone:
"For some reason, since Duke Guzman arrived in the Southern Continent last month and the war in East Balam ended, those troublesome individuals have quieted down."