Every gift bestowed by fate comes with a price, marked in secret.
Trissy, a Sequence 7, may not have known this adage explicitly, but her experiences as a Beyonder had etched its truth into her instincts.
No one offers help without reason. A favor exceeding its reward often means the giver expects a greater return.
The black cat met Trissy's captivating gaze, suddenly standing upright, paws spread in mock exasperation. "I could tell you, but first, you should understand the stakes. If you stay ignorant, we're just trading. I might give you more than you paid for to earn a 'favor,' but that's limited to asking you for minor tasks that don't cross your core interests. There's some risk, but once it's done, you owe me nothing.
But if you learn the reason, you're no longer a pawn who leaves the board when the game ends. Like it or not, until your final breath, you'll be dragged into new games, risking your life again and again.
So, are you sure you want to know?"
Gulp…
Trissy swallowed hard, a pang of regret hitting her. If she hadn't asked about that damned "bonus," would she be spared this choice? The cat's piercing stare made her heart pound.
Be a pawn, moved onto the board unaware, exiting quietly when the game ends? Or know everything and bear the risks meant for a player?
She was only Sequence 7!
In a matter casually tied to true gods, what right did she have to play the master?
Seeing Trissy fall silent, the cat didn't press. It scraped at the box of extraordinary materials, carving a one-eyed symbol with an ∞ pupil onto it. Only then did it pause, saying nonchalantly, "No need to rush. We've got plenty of time."
"…" Trissy took deep breaths to steady herself. She did need to think this over.
Glancing at the tiny cat beside the oversized box, she recalled why she'd gathered the materials. "How're you getting that out? Need a lift?"
"Just seal the room." The cat shot her a look, then assumed a prayer pose, chanting in ancient Hermes:
""Traveler from distant time and space,
The paradoxical spiral of logic and wisdom,
The shadow of knowledge, the reverse of truth;
Your loyal servant beseeches Your gaze;
Beseeches You to accept his offering;
Beseeches You to open the gates of Your kingdom."
The ancient incantation echoed within Trissy's re-established spiritual wall, stirring a gathering storm.
"No spiritual materials?" Trissy's Demoness potion granted her extensive ritual knowledge, which made the flaws in this sacrifice ritual glaring. No candles representing self or deity, no offerings to appease the god, no materials to bridge the divine realm.
Beyond the three-part honorific marking a true god's rank, the only anchor was the one-eyed ∞ symbol.
Yet, this crude ritual was working.
Before Trissy's stunned eyes, a phantom gate of white mist formed by her bed, adorned with the double-pupiled eye.
Creak—
Though no sound existed, Trissy swore she heard an ancient gate open. The misty door parted, revealing an indescribable sea of clouds beyond.
"Don't just stand there—send the box through!" The cat glared at her. Trissy, momentarily flustered but cowed by the terrifying pressure from the gate, instinctively lifted the box with both hands and offered it to the threshold.
A sudden suction pulled the box in, vanishing as quickly as it came. The only change was the box's absence.
The misty gate dissolved. Trissy exhaled shakily.
"Ignoring so many requirements yet completing a sacrifice—and just to transport a Sequence 9 potion's materials? This cat… or whoever's behind it… must be a favored divine servant."
Trissy no longer doubted a "true god" backed the cat. Even if not a true god, only a near-divine being could wield a three-part honorific.
Noticing her rattled expression, the cat flashed a human-like grin, leaping to the windowsill. "Deal's done. I'll find you if something comes up. If you need anything, pray to my Lord."
With that, it jumped down, vanishing into the city's shadows.
"Pray, huh?" Trissy recalled the honorifics, lost in thought. She didn't make any grand "I'd rather die than pray" vows—she knew better. She wasn't praying yet because she hadn't hit a crisis dire enough.
Sliding into the abyss later was better than dying now.
…
In a second-floor room at Tingen's Fragrance Tree Inn, Snow endured the echoing whispers in his mind as he opened the summoning gate.
Thanks to One Foot of the Staff's near-infinite spiritual output, he could sustain any skill costing less than a quarter of his total spirituality indefinitely.
Most times, he kept Concept Substitution ready to dodge active Spectator pathway probes, but opening a summoning gate like this was well within his margin.
If he wanted, he could even use the gate as a teleportation skill. The only hitch? Lily lacked the spirituality to open it herself.
But now, the spirituality had arrived.
Snow opened the box, using the inn's teapot and cup to mix the potion. A shimmering black potion, radiant as a starry sky, filled the cup. Lily's form appeared at the window.
"My timing's getting better," Snow chuckled, releasing the consciousness attached to Lily and handing her the potion.
"Drink. This is your meow's destiny."
(End of Chapter)
Author's Notes;
Irresponsible Remark: You never know what's been boiled in an inn's teapot…
PS: Some didn't catch the last chapter's punchline. Feng Xue's final line meant—"I'm serious about deals" was worth less than the potion…