"Earl and Countess Hall are both believers of the Goddess, and they should support you in doing something similar."
The Church of the Evernight Goddess has always encouraged female believers to go out and work and engage in certain professions. In aristocratic circles, many young ladies and ladies have become literary critics, musicians, pianists, painters, and so on.
"Psychologist?" Audrey was stunned for a moment. She didn't know about this profession before, only occasionally heard about it, and what she wanted most in her heart was to become a Beyonder rather than a regular psychologist.
Aaron nodded, knowing very well what Audrey was thinking, and deliberately guided the topic:
"There is a secret organization called the Psychology Alchemists. Its members all believe that the mind has infinite power and infinite magic."
"They found the ruins left by Hermes, one of the earliest masters of mysticism, the creator of ancient Hermes language, and discovered that Hermes was a master of mysticism in the field of the mind."
"Secret organization? Psychology Alchemists? Hermes!" Audrey's interest was instantly piqued, and her emerald eyes were like the purest gems.
Aaron looked at Audrey, who was full of curiosity, and added with a smile:
"They believe that the mind holds many secrets, each hidden in a very deep place, difficult to grasp. Any slight mistake in exploring those secrets will cause irreparable harm to oneself."
"They also believe that if the mysteries of the mind can be understood, on the one hand, the power hidden deep in consciousness can be unearthed, and many magical things can be accomplished, and on the other hand, the minds of others can be influenced or even controlled."
"And to achieve this, learning psychological knowledge and becoming a psychologist is the most basic step, and the Psychology Alchemists control a Beyonder pathway in the field of the mind."
"Psychologist, Psychology Alchemists..." Audrey silently repeated these two terms in her mind. As the youngest daughter of Earl Hall, Audrey also had some understanding of the Beyonder world, at least knowing a few pathways to become a Beyonder.
The simplest and most direct way is to join the Goddess's Church, and the second is to apply to join MI9. These two pathways are also the simplest and most feasible methods Audrey knows at present, but she is unwilling to do either because she doesn't want to lose her freedom.
"Exploring the mysteries of the mind, well, it's really attractive, but as a secret organization, how can one become such a Beyonder?"
Audrey, who had been a little excited, was instantly deflated, and then looked at Aaron, who was smiling, with hopeful eyes. Aaron understood Audrey's gaze and responded with a smile:
"I will help you find the potion formula for this pathway, but it may take a long time. You can add psychology courses to your usual studies and master psychological knowledge in advance, which will be very beneficial to your future development."
Audrey nodded heavily, carefully remembering everything Aaron said. If she hadn't been a little embarrassed, she would have already wanted to dance in the room to express her current happy mood.
-----------------
Port Kaiser, South Continent, the sun was setting, and the afterglow of the setting sun shone on the city.
Syd Watson sat opposite Sharon, with the 200 Ruen pounds he had just exchanged on the table, and he held "The Book of Secrets" by King of Sorcerers Kalamen in his hand, with an excited expression on his face.
Being so close to Sharon, he certainly didn't choose to bother that hidden existence to open the Door of Sacrifice and Bestowment, and directly found Sharon for a spot trade.
After the excitement, Syd Watson looked at Sharon and Maric standing at the door, remembering that he had almost obtained a potion formula for free, and immediately felt a little embarrassed, expressing his gratitude to his two friends who were about to leave Port Kaiser.
Sharon didn't speak, only nodded slightly. Maric stepped forward and gave Syd a hug, and the two officially said goodbye.
.....
North side of the Paz River Valley, the desolate Voged Coast.
The blood moon hung high, and the red moonlight shone on this barren coastline.
A cluster of colorful bubbles appeared out of thin air, shining with strange brilliance under the moonlight. The bubbles burst, revealing two figures, who were Sharon and Maric.
Bernadette wore an Intis-style women's shirt inside, an indigo patterned captain's coat outside, knee-high boots with off-white trousers, and a three-cornered hat with a feather, dressed like the leader of a pirate ship.
Bernadette floated silently above Sharon and Maric, but no one could find her.
This was based on the "Cloak of Hades" cast using "Mystical Reappearance", which could make her invisible, and based on Bernadette's Sequence, even with the "All-Seeing Eye", she could not be discovered below the demigod level.
#122Chapter 122 Raid on the Future
After Sharon and Maric waited for a while, they saw a huge sailing ship slowly emerge from the sea in the distance.
The sailing ship drew closer, its flag gradually becoming clear. The crimson but faint moonlight allowed Sharon and Maric to see ten white stars of the same size on it, surrounding a cold, lashless eye.
A lady wearing a black classical robe had appeared at the bow at some point. Her clothes were covered in various symbols and magical markings, like a powerful sorcerer from ancient legends.
Under the crimson moonlight, the area in front of her suddenly lit up. Bits of brilliant starlight sprinkled down, condensing into a transparent long bridge.
The long bridge extended forward continuously, landing on the desolate coast of Voggard.
Sharon and Maric exchanged glances, suppressing their curiosity. They walked steadily onto the starlight-condensed long bridge, covered the last ten meters, and stepped onto the deck of the Future.
Facing "Admiral of Stars" Cattreya, whose eyes were deep black with a hint of purple, Sharon, wearing a small black soft hat, showed no tension. She bowed with Maric:
"Thank you very much for your help."
As Sharon and Maric bowed, Cattreya, with her simple black hair down, had purple restrained within her eyes, seemingly turning into an abyss capable of devouring souls. The mysterious aura she already possessed became even more pronounced.
But at this moment, Cattreya was not looking at Sharon and Maric. Instead, she glanced left and right, looking around, as if searching for a certain figure.
After a moment, she withdrew her gaze in disappointment and gave Sharon a slight nod.
Numerous gazes from the sailors around were cast over. Sharon stood quietly, while Maric showed no awkwardness at all. Instead, he looked around and spoke in a hoarse voice:
"Fewer people than I expected."
"Admiral of Stars" Cattreya tilted her head, glanced at him, and simply replied:
"Her Majesty the Queen said in her letter that this mission is a very dangerous undertaking."
"Apart from the Future, none of the pirate crew's other ships will be going. Similarly, most of the sailors have been placed on other ships by me. Only the minimum number required to ensure navigation remains here."
Sharon, meanwhile, silently observed her surroundings, noticing that the deck, bulkheads, mast, and other parts of the Future were covered in mysterious, abstract symbols. The whole ship seemed to form a giant ritualistic magic array.
Sharon and Maric silently followed Cattreya to the captain's cabin door and saw a man wearing overalls and a white shirt. He was around thirty, sturdily built, with thick body hair.
He wore a round-brimmed hat with a dent in the middle, showing a hearty smile, and extended his right hand to introduce himself:
"'Future's' First Mate, Frank Lee."
Seeing that neither of them reacted much, Frank wasn't embarrassed. He just scratched his head and laughed heartily.
Cattreya then opened the captain's cabin door, pointed inside, and said:
"Your rooms are diagonally across. Frank will take you there. If you need anything, you can come directly here to find me."
"You can dine in the mess hall at any time, or you can have Frank send someone to deliver food to your room. It mainly depends on which way you prefer."
Sharon's delicate face, devoid of much expression change, withdrew her scrutinizing gaze from Frank, turned, and replied, "Okay."
Frank walked in front, chatting incessantly with Sharon and Maric. Even though neither of them responded much, he remained tireless.
"Guests, would you like some baked potatoes tonight? Trust me, they taste fantastic."
Finding Frank's enthusiasm a bit much, Maric's forehead twitched. Suppressing his inner emotions, he said word by word in a low voice:
"No need. We are both Living Corpses and don't require this food."
Frank was stunned for a moment, then seemed to realize something. His eyes suddenly lit up, and he spoke with some excitement:
"Is it the Sequence 6 'Living Corpse' from the pathway controlled by the Rose School?"
Seeing Maric nod, Frank became even more excited. Leaving behind a "Wait here for a moment," he hurried away.
A moment later, Frank ran back excitedly, holding a wooden box. Inside the box was a layer of soil with an unusual color, and a dead fish was stuck in the middle.
Without waiting for questions, Frank looked at Maric excitedly and spoke:
"I remember 'Living Corpses' have an extraordinary ability to manipulate living corpses, easily awakening and controlling the dead."
"This is a special breed I cultivated, a fish that can produce various fine wines. I originally thought I could plant it in the soil, but unfortunately, it failed."
"Can you help me turn it into a living corpse fish? I think this is a new direction for research..."
Looking at the excited and enthusiastic Frank, Sharon and Maric exchanged glances, both seeing the meaning in the other's eyes: "This is a lunatic!"
...
On a small island at the confluence of the Savage Sea and the Sonia Sea, a blood moon hung high.
The figure of a middle-aged man with the appearance of a mixed-blood from the Northern and Southern Continents emerged. He wore a white robe inlaid with gold threads, his hair was light yellow and slightly curly, his eye sockets were noticeably sunken, and his face was thin, showing bone.
In his brown eyes were unrestrained malice and madness. On his relatively thick lips were golden nails covered in intricate patterns, sealing his entire mouth, giving off an eerie and terrifying feeling.
It was Mahames, an important member of the Rose School who had reached Sequence 3 "Silent Disciple," a descendant of the Pharaoh, and one of the leaders of the Highland Resistance.
With his appearance, the small island instantly fell into a deathly silence.
The eyes of the creatures living on the island instantly turned blood-red, and their bodies were covered in cracks. Dark red blood flowed out in streams, becoming more and more numerous and obvious. In the end, tiny, hard black beetles even appeared inside.
They quickly fell, revealing heads with empty eye sockets and strips of flesh hanging off. Countless black beetles were drilling in and out there.
All living creatures on the island burst apart. Muffled popping sounds rang out one after another, joining together like a bloody symphony.
Mahames stretched out his arms, enveloped in the bloody moonlight. His lips, sealed by the golden nails, also curved slightly as he enjoyed this beautiful symphony.
The black beetles, covering the sky and ground, turned into a stream of black light and surged towards the sea area south of the small island.
Inside the Future's cabin, Sharon was startled awake by a sense of palpitations. She suddenly opened her eyes and, in just a few seconds, rushed onto the deck.
Around Cattreya, one star after another had emerged, densely packed and dazzlingly bright.
These stars cast down beam after beam of radiance, converging into a magnificent pillar of light that enveloped the surging black tide of insects.
Many black beetles were dissolved by the starlight, collapsing and dissipating, but more still charged towards the Future with undiminished momentum.
Cattreya's deep black and purple eyes narrowed slightly. She spoke in a low voice in ancient Hermes: "Starlight Cage!"
Immediately, the brilliant starlight swirling around her flew off one after another, descending around the Future.
The starlight instantly condensed, creating a giant transparent amber that enveloped the entire ship.
#123Chapter 123 Demigod War
The light converged from the black sea of insects struck the transparent amber enveloping the "Future", and a grating sound rang out. The transparent barrier shook but did not break.
This was the extraordinary ability of a Sequence 5 "Astrologer," the Starlight Cage, which could fully envelop a target, restricting them to their original position. By changing the approach, it could also be used to protect oneself.
Cattleya just let out a sigh of relief. With a little breathing room, she immediately began giving orders to prepare to activate the huge ritual magic on the hull of the "Future," preparing to escape.
The symbols and magic marks on the bulkheads, decks, and masts of the "Future" lit up in distinct layers, like a vast ocean of stars on a moonless night.
Suddenly, a sharp, malicious laugh came from an unknown distance, covering the entire "Future."
"Hahaha!
"Hahaha!"
The laughter echoed continuously, sometimes hoarse, sometimes chaotic, sometimes like a murmur, and sometimes like singing. Even through the Starlight Cage, it was still ear-piercing.
One by one, the sailors on the deck fell to the ground, desperately covering their ears, but still twisting and struggling in pain.
Some of the Beyonders' skin began to sprout scales, while some sailors' faces twisted and suddenly turned into shaggy goats, revealing a human-like terror.
Sharon was also affected, feeling her head suddenly filled with all sorts of thoughts, good and bad, bright and dark.
They were extremely chaotic and, combined with the constantly changing laughter, created a feeling of swelling as if her head was about to explode.
These chaotic and jumbled thoughts directly interrupted Sharon's prayers and also interrupted Cattleya's attempt to escape using the ritual magic Starlight Leap.
Cattleya let out a muffled groan, a look of pain on her face.
Sharon's exquisite face, which usually lacked expression, twisted slightly, and the suppressed malice in her pupils continuously surged out. Barely noticeable fleshy buds stirred beneath her skin.
-----------------
Backlund suburbs, the Easterk family manor.
A group of people were ready to go, including members of the Fourth Investigation Division and members of the Easterk family's guard squad. Aaron stood at the front of the team, just about to speak, when he suddenly heard a hurried prayer.
The voice was ethereal and carried a rare sense of urgency. It was extremely recognizable, and Aaron immediately knew it was Sharon's prayer.
Aaron pondered for a moment, giving up the idea of personally participating in this capture.
He looked at Solon Bent beside him and handed the capture mission to him. With a Sequence 5 Master of Chaos in charge, there should be no mistakes.
After a brief explanation of the mission, Aaron walked into the manor. After warning the servants not to disturb him, Aaron closed the door, skillfully set up the ritual, and arrived above the dark gold mist.
Passing through layers of dark gold mist, Aaron had just sat on the throne when Sharon's prayer suddenly stopped as if it had been forcibly interrupted.
Aaron frowned slightly, but the generated prayer light points did not disappear immediately. His spirituality probed in, and Aaron saw the ship that was being attacked. By comparing it with the wanted posters he remembered, Aaron quickly recognized it as "Admiral of Stars" Cattleya's "Future."
"It's under attack. Looking at the method, it seems like the style of the Rose School..." Just as Aaron was still thinking, a sudden change occurred.
Around the "Future," peach blossoms instantly fell, vibrant and colorful.
The sharp, malicious laughter seemed to instantly move away, blocked by a peach grove with lush vegetation and blooming flowers, and cut off by the mountain peak at the end of the water source in the forest, only trying to surge out from a small cave.
Mystery Reappearance created the "Source of Peach Blossoms!"
It could create a barrier that was isolated from the outside world and difficult to connect to.
Sharon was momentarily dazed, then regained her clarity, and immediately continued her low prayer from before.
Cattleya's gaze was somewhat fixed, completely disregarding her injuries, as she looked at the figure outside the barrier.
Outside the barrier, Bernadette, wearing a black old-fashioned soft hat, appeared surrounded by clusters of pea vines that grew out of thin air.
Her chestnut hair fell naturally, her eyebrows were long and straight, and her eyes seemed to condense a vast blue sea.
The black sea of insects that had been surrounding the "Future" was crushed by a thick pea vine, turning into black smoke and dissipating with wails.
Ripples appeared in the void not far in front of Bernadette, and the figure of Mehaums emerged. His brown eyes, filled with malice and madness, glanced at Bernadette. He raised his right hand and pulled at his mouth.
The golden nails piercing his upper and lower lips simultaneously flew out, no longer sealing his mouth.
Mehaums then opened his mouth.
Aaron, through the special perspective of the spiritual light points, did not hear any sound, but saw shadows flying out of Mehaums' mouth, seemingly wanting to surge towards Bernadette.
The large pea vines that had been hanging down suddenly twisted as if melting. In the blink of an eye, they turned into sheep with dull eyes and shaggy fur!
This was the Transformation Curse of a Sequence 3 "Silent Disciple," which could transform the target into other creatures. After transforming, they would temporarily "lose" most of their characteristics and extraordinary abilities for a certain period of time.
However, the invisible Transformation Curse landed on Bernadette, but it only distorted her shadow and failed to harm the "Master of Prophecy."
At this moment, Bernadette was the "Emperor's New Clothes," something that simply did not exist, and naturally would not be harmed!
The next second, Bernadette, wearing the black old-fashioned soft hat, suddenly became transparent and turned into a pile of foam. These bubbles quickly scattered, surging towards Mehaums.
Seeing that the attack was ineffective, Mehaums decisively took out a scepter from his embrace. Its surface was covered with dark black patterns, and its top was deep blue, almost black. The scepter exuded a tyrannical, evil aura.
This was the Rose School's Grade 1 Sealed Artifact, the "Scepter of Disaster." This was a powerful weapon temporarily granted to him by another angel of the Rose School, 'King of Curses' Baranka.
It was originally intended to prevent the member of the School of Life from escaping by sea, as the Prisoner pathway was far less powerful at sea than the Sailor pathway.
The gem at the top of the scepter lit up, and the violent wind collided with the air, creating an explosive sound. A terrifying hurricane, visible to the naked eye, appeared, swirling and coiling.
The air currents rapidly spun in circles, and an unrestrained tornado suddenly rose from the ground, instantly stirring up the pile of foam that Bernadette had turned into. Its momentum undiminished, it went straight towards the Future, which was in the "Source of Peach Blossoms."
Aaron raised his hand and brought the Black Emperor card into his body. After being promoted to Sequence 6 "Judge," he clearly felt that he could mobilize more power from the Kingdom of Disorder.
As the dark gold mist continuously merged into his body, the golden patterns on his body symbolizing divinity slightly shone. Aaron took the "Scepter of Sun" from the clutter pile and infused it with his spirituality like crazy.
The "Scepter of Sun" accumulated brilliant light, condensing a spear of extreme purity and extreme white, seemingly composed of pure sunlight.
Chapter 124 Take Action
Aaron observed the battlefield scene, choosing the right moment to strike. Whether in response to Sharon's prayer or to display his strength before Bernadette, this was an excellent opportunity.
The most core and fundamental purification ability of the Sun pathway is extremely effective against powers in the domains of corruption, defilement, decay, darkness, evil, and disease. It is particularly effective against undead, corrupted beings, and defiled entities.
Therefore, for Aaron at this moment, the ability of the "Scepter of Sunrise" would be most obvious and effective against Mahams of the Indulgence faction of the Rose School.
Looking at the terrifying tornado and accompanying tsunami in the prayer scene, Aaron then looked at the "Scepter of Calamity," its surface covered in dark black patterns and its tip deep blue, almost black, guessing it might be the Legacy of a Sequence 4 "High Priest of Calamity."
The tip of the "Scepter of Sunrise," the Spear of No Darkness, became even more scorching. Just as Aaron was about to act, a blood-red beam of light suddenly appeared, instantly piercing the incoming tornado and shooting towards Mahams in the distance.
The silhouette of an ancient-style spear appeared within the beam of light. From tip to handle, this spear was stained with patches and spots of bloody dark red, emitting a strong aura of destruction, as if it could injure true deities.
The Spear of Longinus!
This spear once appeared in ancient, untraceable eras, stained with the blood of a great existence. Now, through "Mystery Reappearance," it descended onto the battlefield.
Mahams, on the distant sea, his brown eyes filled with malice and madness, suddenly narrowed. Just as he was about to dodge, he found his movements becoming unusually slow, and watched as the blood-stained spear, emanating a terrifying aura, gradually enlarged in his pupils.
This was "Chessboard of Time," cast by Bernadette using Mystery Reappearance, which could slow down the target's actions, as if they had entered an area with a different flow of time.
Accompanied by a huge roar, a red and black light burst forth, and the surging waves smoothed out the original tsunami.
As the light dissipated, Mahams was covered in black viscous liquid, a large hole torn in his chest. Many black substances gathered, attempting to repair it, but were obstructed by some force.
Mahams' eyes were blood-red. Ignoring his injuries, he wore a cruel smile and stared coldly at Bernadette not far away.
At some point, a small doll appeared in his hand, inscribed with complex patterns and wrapped all over with black branches. The doll suddenly opened its eyes.
Before Bernadette could stop it, the doll mumbled a word incoherently, and with a strange smile, extended its hands wrapped in black branches, pulling open a blurry, illusory door in the air, inscribed with numerous mysterious symbols.
This is the "Gate of Summoning"!
The Sequence 3 of the Moon pathway is called "Master Summoner"!
This strange doll, clearly possessing a living characteristic, directly completed the "Summoning"!
However, its overall demeanor changed somewhat as a result. The rationality on the doll's face faded considerably, with madness and weirdness becoming more pronounced.
With an illusory creaking sound, the "Gate of Summoning" opened a crack.
Through the crack, two hands, whose aura alone was enough to make one tremble, reached out. Their skin was dull and lacked texture, like the cheapest rag dolls.
Looking at those arms, a thought suddenly flashed through the minds of both Bernadette and Aaron within the Kingdom of Disorder:
"Another Angel of the Rose School, 'King of Curses' Baranka!"
"Can't handle it? As soon as you're at a disadvantage, you directly summon the boss?"
Aaron sat on his throne, thinking with a slight headache, the Spear of No Darkness in his hand ready to strike.
The "Scepter of Sunrise," in its semi-sealed state, could at most unleash an attack comparable to Sequence 3, which was more than enough to deal with Mahams, but would be very strained against the "King of Curses" Baranka, even if only two arms were extended.
Thinking that this was his first formal move in front of Bernadette, showcasing his strength and status, Aaron gritted his teeth. He glanced back at the "Eye of Chaos" embedded in the top of his throne, and a thought stirred within him.
"There's no need to target the 'King of Curses' Baranka. It's also feasible to destroy the medium of His teleportation and force Him to leave."
After making up his mind, the golden patterns emanating divine light on Aaron's body instantly lit up. Waves of inexplicable fluctuations emerged and echoed in the grand palace. The dark gold mist followed the fluctuations, finally pouring into the "Eye of Chaos" embedded at the top of the throne.
A beam of light shot directly from the "Eye of Chaos" to the Spear of No Darkness at the tip of the "Scepter of Sunrise." The light, instead of being scorching, gradually became contained, like a volcano before eruption. Waves of heart-stopping fluctuations emanated, stirring the surrounding dark gold mist.
Outside, Bernadette slightly raised a finger, and a screen of light appeared, shielding the vision of those inside the Future, preventing them from seeing things they shouldn't and thus being contaminated.
Immediately, she displayed her mythical creature form, condensing pure white, illusory feathers.
With a flap of her wings, two more Spears of Longinus shot out, only to be directly shattered by the arms that looked like the cheapest rag dolls.
At the same time, a cold wind suddenly swept across the sea, forcefully pulling at Bernadette's spiritual body and preventing her from maintaining her invisible state and possession.
Bernadette's consciousness flickered for a moment, and her mythical creature state automatically dissolved. An eye-like pattern, as if capable of prying into the secrets of destiny, appeared on her forehead, stabilizing her spiritual body and clearing her consciousness.
Bernadette's pupils contracted slightly. Just as she was about to summon her messenger to retrieve her Grade 0 Sealed Artifact, she suddenly turned back to look behind her.
The Future, enveloped by the "Source of Peach Blossoms," was torn apart from within by a tremendous force. Everyone present, including Sharon, Cattleya, and Frank who were still conscious on the Future, seemed to see a scene:
In a grand palace surrounded by boundless dark gold mist, a majestic figure obscured by gray mist sat on the innermost throne, looking down at them.
To the side of the throne, a blurry figure covered in golden patterns and with 12 pairs of wings on its back slowly rose. A golden spear in its hand was hurled forth.
That golden spear seemed to emerge from the unknown void, constantly absorbing the light along the way, bringing extreme darkness.
Upon approaching the "Gate of Summoning," the Spear of No Darkness suddenly erupted, unleashing light that was pure to the extreme, scorching white to the extreme, seemingly composed of pure sunlight, like a blazing midday sun.
The pure light enveloped the hands and the door, and also encompassed Mahams and the strange doll beside them, dissolving all evil, corruption, darkness, defilement, and undead aura.
Accompanied by a soul-shaking roar, the blood moon in the sky suddenly brightened, unexpectedly turning into a full moon.
Aaron covered his forehead, which felt a little stinging due to excessive spiritual energy loss, and stared intently at the center of the brilliant light.
The "Scepter of Calamity," its surface covered in dark black patterns and its tip deep blue, almost black, along with Mahams' left arm, was blasted away, thrown into the distance.
#125Chapter 125 Backlash
The strange expression on the face of the small doll, wrapped in black branches, disappeared, replaced by panic and fear. Its raised right hand was already broken and gone.
The clearly visible "Summoning Gate," in the full burst of the sun's radiance, dimmed and melted, on the verge of shattering inch by inch.
At this moment, the miserable-looking Mahams let out a roar. Ignoring the flying "Scepter of Calamity" and his left arm, his flesh and blood strangely blurred and flowed into the "Summoning Gate" that was about to melt.
The two somewhat blurred arms that were originally visible reappeared, but they were covered in charred marks. One hand blocked the brilliant light, and the other hand instantly grabbed Mahams. Then, both hands instantly disappeared into the shattering "Summoning Gate."
Aarons sighed in relief, controlling the pure light that had not yet dispersed to sweep back the flying "Scepter of Calamity," Mahams' left arm, and the right hand of the strange puppet.
The pure golden light transformed into golden patterns attached to the three items. After a moment, they turned into three golden cocoons of light, drawn by an invisible force to Sharon's side.
"Sacrifice them to my Lord before the next Chaos Council..."
A strange male voice, one she had never heard before, echoed in Sharon's ears. She instantly remembered the blurry figure with 12 pairs of wings on its back that she had just seen. She felt both shocked and that it was only natural.
Bernadette, still suspended in mid-air, glanced at the pure light not far away that was still erupting like a miniature sun. Then she looked at Sharon and the three golden cocoons at her feet. Her eyes flickered, but she said nothing.
Cattleya also withdrew her gaze from Bernadette and looked at Sharon with an ambiguous expression.
Frank rubbed his swollen head. Just as he was about to say something, his vision suddenly went black. In a daze, he seemed to see boundless dark golden mist, and a pattern appeared and disappeared on his wrist.
-----------------
Above the dark golden mist, Aaron casually threw a ball of dark golden light towards Frank's prayer point and then withdrew his gaze, pressing his finger on the "Scepter of Sun Chasing."
As blood flowed out, the burning sensation on the "Scepter of Sun Chasing," which felt as if it could scorch the soul, gradually decreased until it returned to calmness.
Before Aaron could breathe a sigh of relief, as if some time limit had been reached, black ripples suddenly spread out from the calm "Eye of Chaos" at the top of the throne, extending in all directions.
The entire magnificent palace seemed to tremble. As the black ripples spread out, the high-backed chairs and stone chairs standing in the great hall tilted, as if battered by a storm.
"I..." Just as Aaron was about to say something, his vision suddenly went black and he lost consciousness. The golden patterns on his body, symbolizing divinity, resonated with the magnificent palace, jointly resisting the invasion of the black ripples. Dark golden mist surged within the magnificent great hall.
In a daze, Aaron seemed to see emptiness, vastness, and desolation all around, filled with boundless dark golden mist. Black patterns emerged, but were gradually eroded by the surrounding dark golden mist.
-----------------
Backlund, Cherwood Borough, 43 Seafield Street.
Fors, who had already fallen asleep, was suddenly awakened by a familiar yet strange stinging sensation. She painfully rolled off the bed and saw the blood-red full moon outside the window. Her remaining sanity constantly wailed:
"Why is it a blood-red full moon again?"
Hugh, in the next bedroom, burst in directly, holding the bottle of special potion Aaron had given her earlier.
-----------------
Backlund, in a simply decorated room.
Will Auceptin raised his head. In his pupils, countless tiny, transcendent, illusory wheels were rotating. They formed a long band, with the ends nearly touching.
He stared at the sudden blood-red full moon in the sky. After a moment, the corner of his mouth suddenly curved up, and he whispered in a very pleasant mood:
"Heh heh, fate tells me that Reyjold is safe. This deal was quite worth it."
Then he muttered:
"What on earth did that guy do to make the Rose School people so angry? He's still in Backlund, how interesting..."
-----------------
In a daze, Aaron seemed to grasp something tangible, escaping that illusory feeling.
Aaron suddenly opened his eyes and found himself still sitting on the throne. His vision was somewhat blurry. Looking at the scene around him, which looked like it had been hit by a storm, Aaron sighed silently.
This was the negative effect of using the "Eye of Chaos" to amplify the Unshadowed Spear. Even though Aaron did not directly target the angel, he only targeted the strange puppet using the "Summoning Gate."
Relying on the Unshadowed Spear's restraint against the defiled and using the amplification of the "Eye of Chaos," that strike barely touched the angel's level.
This level of backlash, even with the increase in status Aaron gained after accommodating the Black Emperor card and advancing, and with the Kingdom of Disorder bearing most of the backlash for Aaron, still caused the weakened Aaron to lose consciousness for a period.
This was also the reason Aaron did not directly bring the three spoils of war above the dark golden mist. He was worried about the potential backlash, which would leave him unable to attend to those three dangerous items originating from the Rose School.
Taking a deep breath, suppressing the stinging sensation in his brain, Aaron raised his right hand. As the dark golden mist surged, the magnificent great hall returned to its usual appearance.
Stripping away the Black Emperor card, a feeling of weakness that seemed to touch his soul welled up. Aaron struggled to return to the real world and immediately collapsed onto the bed.
-----------------
The sun hung high. In the suburbs of Backlund, Aaron woke up feeling a bit groggy. He glanced out the window and finally had the energy to recall what happened yesterday. He couldn't help but sigh:
"The effect of the 'Eye of Chaos' is indeed powerful. The backlash at the rule level should be related to the sequence of the affected target."
"Moreover, most of the backlash can be borne by the Sefirah. After I truly advance to demigod, I can further merge with the Sefirah. Coupled with the Black Emperor card, I should be able to truly withstand the backlash of the angel level."
"Based on this experience, the backlash is not only affected by the status of the affected person but also by the level of amplification of the Eye of Chaos."
"The backlash this time was not as strong as I expected, which should also be due to this reason."
Aaron weakly got out of bed and opened the door. The butler had been standing at the door. Seeing Aaron come out, he immediately bowed and replied:
"Lord Aaron, the operation last night was generally smooth, with only a small incident, but it was resolved by Mr. Solon Bent."
"Currently, all evidence has been collected, and the kidnapped people are temporarily housed in a nearby warehouse."
Aaron breathed a sigh of relief and nodded in satisfaction: "You did very well. Take me to Solon Bent."
In his heart, he pondered: "What kind of accident could cause a Sequence 5 to personally take action? Could there still be strong individuals left behind by the Demoness Sect guarding there?"
The butler walked ahead, leading Aaron towards the depths of the manor.
#126Chapter 126: Frank Joins the Club
Aaron pushed open the door to the room next to Michel Vede's forge and entered, finding Solon Bent and several injured action team members inside.
Before Aaron could ask, Solon Bent stepped forward and explained:
"During yesterday's operation, a Demoness of Pleasure, likely Sequence 6, appeared. Although I injured her, she fled without hesitation, leaving behind many spiderwebs along her route to hinder our pursuit. Therefore, we didn't catch her."
"However, the traces of our battle are enough to prove this matter is related to the Church of the Demonesses. Capim colluded with the Church of the Demonesses in human trafficking; he's finished."
Although Capim was a wealthy man with ties to many important figures, he was never truly part of the elite. Even if he had close relationships with certain nobles, councilors, and government employees, involving himself in human trafficking with a cult meant no one would be willing to stand up for him.
Aaron scanned the surroundings and nodded slightly. With the matter involving the Church of the Demonesses, it was time to stop. There was no need to get too involved in the remaining issues.
Thinking this, Aaron continued to look at Solon Bent, who instantly understood and quickly added:
"Captain Glenn has already returned to MI9 with the Demoness we captured earlier to report this matter."
"I have also leaked some details of this operation to the 'Citizen's Daily' and other influential newspapers in Backlund."
"I can assure you that by this afternoon at the latest, all the citizens of Backlund will know about Capim's collusion with the Church of the Demonesses and his harm to the public. No one can hide it."
Aaron nodded in satisfaction and said with a serious expression:
"Terminate the follow-up investigation. This matter ends here."
Solon Bent hesitated for a moment but still nodded.
-----------------
West Borough, Backlund, Bellotto Street, MI9.
Chunas Korg sat behind a mahogany desk, scrutinizing the documents on the table with his deep blue, almost black eyes.
A moment later, Chunas took a deep puff of his cigar, his deep blue, almost black eyes narrowed slightly. His stern, serious face showed no emotion. Glenn Will, standing opposite him, felt a sense of pressure wash over him and felt a little uneasy remembering Aaron's previous instructions.
Tapping his fingers lightly on the desk, Chunas asked in a steady tone:
"How did you discover Capim's collusion with the Church of the Demonesses for human trafficking?"
Glenn slowly exhaled, lowered his head, concealing the emotions on his face, and replied to Chunas according to Aaron's previous instructions.
Chunas listened in silence, and after a moment, he waved his hand, signaling Glenn to leave.
-----------------
Sonia Sea, the "Future."
There was a festive atmosphere on the deck. Thanks to Bernadette's mysterious reappearance and the protection of the "Source of Peach Blossoms," as well as subsequent treatment, most of the sailors had only fainted and were not severely contaminated.
Everyone was celebrating their survival from yesterday, except for a few who seemed out of place.
Cattleya, wearing a black classical robe, had a slightly vacant look in her eyes. After the battle ended last night, Her Majesty the Queen had disappeared.
She thought of the two arms that extended from the portal last night, emanating a terrifying aura, and the ethereal figure with 12 feathered wings on its back that made the final move.
Cattleya sat silently in the captain's cabin, reflecting on her weakness, and watched the revelry on the deck, lost in thought.
Sharon, wearing a complex and exquisite black Gothic court dress, sat quietly in her room. On the desk were three golden spheres of varying sizes.
After setting up the Wall of Spirituality, Sharon quickly arranged a sacrificial and bestowal ritual, placing the three golden spheres of different sizes in the center of the altar. She began to pray in a low voice:
"You are the source and shadow of order."
"You are the great Emperor of the Kingdom of Chaos."
"You are the Lord of Order who controls the rules."
"Your loyal believers request Your gaze;"
"Request You accept their offerings;"
"Request You open the door to Your kingdom;"
...
Aaron had just finished understanding the situation and was arranging for his butler to personally go to the newspaper office to urge the announcement of the news when he heard the familiar sound of prayer.
Aaron understood. He found a casual excuse, sent everyone out of the room, skillfully set up the Wall of Spirituality, and sank his consciousness, passing through layers of dark golden mist, arriving at the magnificent palace.
Sitting on the throne, Aaron cast his gaze towards the praying light spot below that was expanding and contracting. With a slight lift of his finger, the praying light spot expanded into a dark golden double door, somewhere between illusory and real.
Sharon felt a breeze pass through the room, and the items on the table disappeared.
Using Sharon's prayer light spot, which hadn't disappeared yet, Aaron cast his gaze towards Frank, who was squatting in his room not far away, staring blankly at a fish.
Looking at the creature that might have mutated slightly from yesterday's battle and didn't quite resemble a fish, Frank was about to pick it up for closer study when a burst of dark golden light suddenly erupted before his eyes.
The light was like flowing water, instantly engulfing Frank. At the same time, Bernadette's figure appeared, her two eyes without eyelashes constantly rotating in front of her.
When Frank initially regained consciousness, he found himself standing in a magnificent palace supported by massive stone pillars.
At the deepest part of the grand hall was a throne carved with mysterious patterns, situated atop a nine-step stone staircase. Upon the throne sat a blurry figure shrouded in dense dark golden mist.
Below the stone steps, on either side of the grand hall, stood nine high-backed stone chairs, each surrounded by dark golden mist.
Below the high-backed chairs, forty-nine strange stone chairs were arranged oddly, collectively embodying a sense of majesty, mystery, order, and chaos intertwined.
Beyond this, the surroundings were void, ethereal, and empty, while the bottom was filled with boundless dark golden mist and unreal deep red light spots.
Frank remained in a squatting posture, hands reaching forward, looking around in a daze, almost blurting out: "Where is this?"
Aaron didn't speak. With a slight movement of his spirituality, a ray of light appeared out of thin air and integrated into Frank's body.
Frank's body trembled slightly, and instantly, a lot of information appeared in his mind. He also learned about the hidden existence before him and his corresponding honorific name.
Aaron sat on the throne, looking down at Frank, who was still digesting the information, and couldn't help but feel a little emotional.
Frank's biggest problem was that his way of thinking was different from normal people.
He was purely terrifying. He even thought it would be great to have cows grow from the ground or have fish blood directly turn into alcohol.
What if one day he felt that having cows grow from the ground was too much trouble and just created a kind of cow that grew out already cooked?
If he felt there wasn't enough beef to eat, he would transform the soil into something edible and just eat dirt when hungry.
Thinking of this, Aaron couldn't help but feel a chill.
Frank's somewhat terrifying ideas and execution ability made Aaron feel it was safer for the whole world to bring him into his sight as early as possible and keep an eye on him.
After a brief period of shock and confusion, Frank stood up and scratched his head unnaturally, not knowing what to say for a moment.
Chapter 127: Counting the spoils
Looking at Frank, who was a bit restless, Aaron chuckled:
"I think your thought experiments are all very meaningful on some level. Many of your experiments may have failed simply because you lacked the strength."
Frank, who was currently only a Sequence 7 "Harvest Priest," immediately brightened, and his unease was instantly cast aside. He hadn't expected this hidden existence, whom he had never heard of before, to actually agree with his ideas.
Aaron looked at Frank's expression, nodded inwardly, and continued:
"There are some people similar to you here. I have established a regular gathering for them, and I am the witness."
Only then did Frank notice the other empty seats. He excitedly blurted out without hesitation: "Can I join that gathering?"
"Yes, but you cannot reveal it to others without my permission."
"Okay!" Frank responded without hesitation.
Aaron nodded in satisfaction, extended his hand, and with great self-control, broke the connection. Then, he watched the dark golden light shrink back, and Frank opposite him turned into a phantom and gradually dissipated.
"Phew, I finally managed to lure this dangerous guy into the society. From now on, I need to use my identity as a Blessed to properly guide this guy's thinking. I absolutely cannot let him go astray..."
As the prayer light completely dissipated, Aaron withdrew his attention and retrieved the three bundles of spoils of war that had just been sacrificed from the pile of miscellaneous items.
Aaron's mind stirred slightly, and the Black Emperor card instantly melted into his body. He clutched the "Scepter of the Sun" in his right hand in case of accidents.
The dark golden mist surged, and invisible forces integrated into the three golden spheres of varying sizes. As the golden outer shells faded, the items inside were revealed.
What attracted Aaron's attention the most was the staff with a surface covered in dark black patterns and a deep blue, almost black, tip. Even though it had been severely damaged, the staff still emitted a tyrannical, evil aura. It was the Rose School's Grade 1 Sealed Artifact, the "Scepter of Disaster."
The divination pendant in his hand hung down. Aaron slowly closed his eyes, already prepared for the backlash.
Accompanied by hazy illusions, a moment later, Aaron suddenly opened his eyes. Black patterns appeared on his face. As the dark golden mist churned, black smoke rose, and the patterns dissipated.
"Scepter of Disaster"
Ability 1: Tornado: Violent wind collides with air, creating explosive sounds, summoning a terrifying hurricane visible to the naked eye, destroying all items in its path.
Can be combined with other lightning abilities from the Sailor pathway, simultaneously accompanied by surging deep black waves reaching nearly 10 meters.
Ability 2: Lightning Storm: Summons streaks of silver-white lightning snakes, carrying a strong, almost tangible aura of tyrannical destruction, densely striking the surroundings, capable of enveloping an area of several hundred meters within a forest of thunder. Creatures covered by it will shatter, evaporate, and disappear.
The drawback is that it is an area attack and does not distinguish between friend and foe, which is why Mahamas did not choose this ability at the time.
Negative Effect: Each time the ability is cast, it is accompanied by strong pollution, an extreme craving for bloodshed and killing. Long-term possession will lead to an uncontrollable belief in a certain great existence.
Casually clearing the invading pollution, Aaron frowned, recalling the revelation he had just received from the divination.
Although expected, Aaron was still a little disappointed. As expected, it was a Sealed Artifact polluted by an Outer Deity. Ultimately, it had to be shattered and restored into Beyonder characteristics before it could be used.
However, being able to obtain a Demigod Beyonder characteristic from the Sailor pathway was already well worth it. Aaron turned his gaze to the remaining two defective items.
After divination, Aaron learned their functions. Mahamas's left arm also contained a portion of Beyonder characteristics, roughly equivalent to the Sequence 5 level. Even if the Beyonder characteristics were extracted, the left arm itself could serve as a carrier for certain ritual materials.
The puppet's right hand, however, was more special. Even when separated, it still had a certain connection with the main body, although this connection was currently blocked by the dark golden mist.
Aaron could use this to lock onto the puppet's location in the outside world, and naturally, the other party could also lock onto Aaron's location in reverse.
At the same time, it significantly enhances the user's spirituality, allowing them to use a weakened version of the "Summoning Door." The effect doubles during the full moon, but the user will fall into a state of bloodlust for a certain period.
Aaron nodded with satisfaction, suddenly feeling that the backlash he had suffered earlier was not so unacceptable after all. He calculated inwardly:
"Hmm, this is equivalent to a spirituality enhancer that can currently only be used above the dark golden mist. It can temporarily alleviate my problem of insufficient spirituality."
"However, I still need to find another magical item that can enhance spirituality in reality. I wonder if Louise has found anything recently..."
-----------------
Loen, Emmatt Port, a warehouse in the port district.
Shattered corpses lay scattered throughout the warehouse. Some children, who looked small, malnourished, and covered in injuries, were trembling in the corners. Some had already fainted, stimulated by the bloody scene.
Damien Tyle, the head of the local largest gang, stared with bloodshot eyes, but no sound came from his hoarse throat.
A woman in a black bodysuit held a snow-white dagger. Her lips were crimson, as if smeared with blood. She sliced Damien Tyle's body again and again, cutting through the skin to take flesh and blood but leaving the skeleton.
The woman stood up, looked at the imperfect work of art at her feet, and pursed her lips, somewhat dissatisfied.
Then, she looked up at her surroundings, observing the malnourished, injury-covered children, and a smile curved on her lips.
The few remaining children who hadn't fainted were startled and hurriedly lowered their heads.
Only one boy, with a round face, a friendly yet slightly shy demeanor, and no more than sixteen or seventeen years old, raised his head and stared at the tortured corpse on the ground, his eyes revealing a hint of hatred.
The woman walked over with the knife, pinched the boy's face, and stared into his eyes, asking: "What's your name?"
Feeling the dagger so close and seeing the corpse not far away, the boy swallowed with difficulty and replied in a low voice: "Triss."
The woman chuckled, dropped the dagger at Triss's feet, and recited in a preacher-like tone:
"The spirit is the essence of man; the body is merely a cage that restrains the spirit."
"The reason why people commit evil is due to the influence of the body. One must gain knowledge through spirituality, allowing the spirit to gradually break free from the body and see the true self."
"Only after passing through the layers of trials of the astral world, finally detaching from the material world and returning to the purest and truest self, can one achieve eternal salvation..."
Amidst these words, which seemed to carry some mysterious meaning, Triss's gaze gradually focused. He slowly picked up the dagger from the ground and walked towards Damien Tyle....
The chanting in his ears gradually faded. Triss seemed to finally come back to his senses, looking at the hacked-open skeleton, gradually recalling the memories of the children who were controlled by the gang just like him, and who had died by his own hand through deception, swindling, and theft.
Triss trembled and dropped the dagger covered in blood. The woman's figure slowly emerged, extended her hand with a chuckle, and said:
"Triss, welcome to the Gnosis Society..."
#128Chapter 128 Kapin
"Wealthy Capim colluded with cult organizations to harm the public, Lord Aaron uncovered the conspiracy and saved countless innocent people...."
Numerous newsboys hurried through the streets and alleys of Backlund, and when passersby heard such explosive news, they all stopped, beckoned a newsboy, and bought a newspaper.
"Capim? The wealthy man who's said to have connections with some nobles?"
"I've long heard that he's involved in some disgusting businesses. I didn't expect him to collude with a cult. Thankfully, Lord Aaron upheld justice."
Blending into the crowd, Hugh, who had deliberately dressed to appear taller, also heard the surrounding discussions and the newsboys' shouts.
Last night, due to the sudden appearance of the Blood Moon, Fors sustained many injuries. Hugh was out today to buy daily necessities and some medical supplies.
"Lord Aaron?" Hugh's eyes lit up slightly. She called a newsboy and bought a newspaper. After a quick glance, she found that the details were largely consistent with what Lucivede Joseph had told them.
Hugh felt a sense of relief and finally learned that the influential figure behind the organization they had joined was this very Lord Aaron.
Recalling Lucivede Joseph's earlier warning for them to stay away from the subsequent developments of this matter, and the looming presence of the Witch Sect in this incident, Hugh put away the newspaper and returned home, going against the surging crowd of indignant people.
-----------------
Cherwood Boro, Capim's residence, first-floor living room.
The living room, which was usually bustling with servants and the butler coming and going, was now empty. Capim lay on the sofa, his face ashen, his pupils dilated, clearly dead.
A man in a black robe and a golden mask stood quietly opposite, holding a newspaper in his hand.
Nadare Mana, the Sequence 6 "Pleasure Witch," who had just escaped from Solow Bent's grasp, still looked pale. Her combination of fragility and charm revealed a strange kind of beauty. She chuckled:
"Capim, the culprit, committed suicide out of fear of punishment."
"Don't worry about the others. I've already dealt with everyone who saw your faces. This matter is only related to my Witch Sect and won't implicate your MI9."
The man in the black robe with the golden mask turned his head and spoke coldly:
"It had better be. If you mess up the big picture because of this, you know the consequences."
"Disappear from here immediately. Don't let me see you in Backlund again. We absolutely cannot allow them to follow the trail and investigate further."
Nadare Mana's delicate face stiffened slightly. She put away her smile and responded in a low voice:
"Of course, I know. 'Despair Nightingale' Penatia has given me another mission, sending me to Enmat Port in Loen."
As she spoke, Nadare Mana narrowed her eyes and added:
"What exactly are you planning to do about Lord Aaron? Even if he didn't discover us this time, what about next time? The time after that?"
"With him poking around like this, our plans are bound to run into trouble sooner or later."
The man with the golden mask stared coldly at Nadare Mana, then slowly spoke after a moment:
"This is none of your concern. He's involved in too much, making it inconvenient to act directly. However, we will soon make him leave Backlund, so he won't have the chance to continue his investigation...."
-----------------
It was already evening when Aaron received the news. He was sitting in the living room, preparing to go to St. Samuel Cathedral.
"Heh heh, suicide out of fear of punishment? Just as expected."
Looking at the intelligence in his hand, Aaron clicked his tongue. It was an expected development, and he wasn't surprised.
After Glen reported back, MI9 quickly mobilized, thoroughly searched Capim's residence, and discovered the state of Capim's death and the civilians imprisoned in the basement.
Putting away the mocking smile on his lips, Aaron nodded to the butler and boarded the carriage bound for St. Samuel Cathedral.
Accompanied by the clip-clop of horses' hooves, he passed through streets and alleys to St. Samuel Cathedral and, after being announced, met Archbishop Anthony.
The moment Aaron saw the Archbishop, his body and mind involuntarily trembled, uncontrollable and irrepressible, as if he had returned to his childhood, facing the deepest fear within his heart.
With a thought, Aaron immediately understood that it was likely due to the significant increase in his spirituality after advancing to Sequence 6, and the "fear" brought by Saint Anthony was felt more clearly the stronger one's spirituality was. He quickly entered a meditative state, attempting to restrain it.
A moment later, Aaron placed a dark green ring and an arm opposite Archbishop Anthony, and facing his surprised gaze, slowly explained:
"This ring originates from a Witch and can be considered a relatively powerful Grade 2 Sealed Artifact."
"And this severed arm is from a Sequence 3 'Silent Disciple.' I have already extracted the Beyonder characteristics contained within, but even just the remaining arm is a very precious spiritual material."
Facing Anthony's surprised expression, Aaron didn't continue speaking but changed the subject:
"Among the civilians rescued from being trafficked in this incident, there are many children, not a few of whom are believers of the Church."
"As far as I know, the Church's charitable organizations don't have the capacity to accommodate so many civilians. If they are left to return to the East Boro, they will likely face death or become a disaster in another sense."
Anthony's eyebrows furrowed. After a moment, he looked at Aaron and slowly said:
"Do you have any ideas? You can share them."
Aaron took a document from his inner pocket and handed it to Archbishop Anthony. The title of the document was prominently displayed: "East Tussock Charitable Foundation."
Seeing that this was not something prepared on the spot but a plan drafted long ago, Anthony's eyes narrowed slightly. He took the document and read it carefully. After a quarter of an hour, he put the document away and looked at Aaron with an unclear meaning in his gaze.
Aaron's plan was not complicated. He intended to donate 150,000 gold pounds and 5% of East Tussock Bicycle Company's shares as the initial funding for the East Tussock Charitable Foundation.
The main focus of this charitable organization would currently be to help the liberated civilians rebuild their lives and to provide scholarships for children from impoverished families.
However, this organization would not be limited to Backlund. What Aaron wanted to do even more was to leverage the influence of the Church of the Evernight to promote this charitable organization in the Southern Continent.
This way, with a white glove acting as a public agent, establishing a charitable foundation as a front, they could ostensibly help the poor while secretly funding labor resistance movements in various countries.
This would allow them to both engage with the upper echelons of society, improving the lives of the lower class, and to a certain extent accumulate the power of the lower classes, releasing it at an appropriate time.
On the other hand, Aaron would also actively encourage other nobles to participate. Only by tying their interests together could they advance and retreat together when facing certain issues, reducing resistance.
Anthony's fingers lightly tapped the table. After a moment of contemplation, the ring and the severed arm on the table suddenly vanished. He then spoke:
"I understand now. Whatever the purpose, it is enough that the Goddess's believers benefit from it."
"Next Monday, I will host a charity gala and fully cooperate with you..."
#129Chapter 129 Party
Sonia Sea, the 'Future'.
Catleya returned to the captain's cabin and found a letter had suddenly appeared on the table, which had been empty before.
Catleya's eyes lit up slightly, and she quickly walked over. As expected, she saw the familiar handwriting. There was only a single sentence, similar to a prophecy:
"Your opportunity for advancement lies with Frank Lee."
Catleya was immediately somewhat stunned. As a Pirate General, she naturally knew that the ritual to advance from Sequence 5 Astrologer to Sequence 4 Mysticologist required completely analyzing a drop of a mythical creature's blood.
That corresponded to a true angel. For some reason, the figure with 12 wings on its back from that night immediately flashed in Catleya's mind, causing her emotions to fluctuate slightly.
On Monday evening, Aaron, dressed in formal attire, arrived at St. Samuel's Church by carriage with his butler to participate in the charity gala held by the Church of Evernight.
After passing through the main entrance, he was led by a priest to a hall on the side.
Here was a shrine containing the Holy Emblem representing the Goddess of Evernight. Several small crystal chandeliers hung above it, and in front were placed slender candles and inverted metal covers filled with oil and wax.
At this moment, they were all lit, illuminating the hall brightly and cleanly, creating a sense of divinity.
Aaron glanced around and saw rows of neatly arranged seats and guests dressed in extraordinary attire.
Among them, women's attire was mainly divided into two categories: one type had dresses that were either vibrant or dark, both bold and open, revealing large areas of fair skin on the chest and arms; the other type had clothes with fresh colors, quite conservative, where even the collarbones were only vaguely visible or even covered.
In the Loen Kingdom, this signified the difference between married and unmarried women. Widows and divorced women could choose either style, but the former's colors would tend to be darker.
Besides these, Aaron also saw sparkling necklaces, exquisite earrings, and various precious ornaments. Compared to the balls and banquets held by Councilor Macht and himself, the guests here were clearly more ostentatious.
Stepping into the hall, Aaron greeted the bishops he knew, Councilor Macht, and others, engaging in polite conversation.
Just then, a sound came from the entrance. Many guests turned their gaze there, all smiling and walking over to greet them.
Aaron's eyes lit up slightly, and he walked to the front. The arrivals were none other than Audrey Hall and Earl and Countess Hall.
Audrey's golden hair was casually styled, flowing down smoothly and lustrously. Her emerald green eyes were both deep like the sea and like the purest gems. Her features and face shape combined to create breathtaking beauty, and her temperament was elegant and pure.
After some polite conversation, Aaron and the Hall family walked towards the deeper part of the banquet hall while discussing Capim's criminal activities.
Marquis Rosent, Earl Gross, Viscount Laughland... one by one, noble believers of the Goddess actively came forward to exchange pleasantries with Aaron, their attitudes quite amiable.
Before Aaron finished his pleasantries, an old man entered through the door.
He wore a black clerical robe with red trim and five dark Holy Emblems on his chest. His face was clean-shaven, his eyes deep, dark, and serene.
Including Earl Hall, everyone turned to face the old man, bowing respectfully and saying:
"Good evening, Your Grace Saint Anthony."
This old man was Saint Anthony Stevenson, one of the thirteen Archbishops of the Church of Evernight!
He was the head of the Backlund Diocese, a true high-ranking figure within the Church.
Saint Anthony smiled, looked around, and tapped his chest four times clockwise, saying:
"Praise the Goddess."
"Praise the Goddess," the guests attending the charity gala responded one after another.
With the arrival of the Archbishop, the gala officially began.
As per tradition, everyone first took their seats and prayed devoutly to the Goddess for three minutes. Then, the church choir walked to the front of the shrine and praised the Goddess with ethereal and harmonious singing that seemed to cleanse the soul.
After the religious ceremony, Bishop Electra, assigned by Saint Anthony, came to the side of where the choir had just stood. There was a tall wooden stand there where various scriptures could be placed.
"Thank you all for coming. Your character is like the brilliant stars in the tranquil night..."
Bishop Electra first spoke a few polite words, then continued:
"The primary focus of the charity fund organization we are establishing this time is a scholarship fund for the poor, stemming from Lord Aaron's proposal."
"He is a truly noble aristocrat. His piety and character are impeccable, sufficient to serve as an example."
Aaron nodded slightly and walked towards Bishop Electra accompanied by applause.
Seeing Aaron leave, Earl Hall turned to look at Audrey and chuckled:
"My lovely little princess, would you like to work in this foundation after you come of age?"
Without needing Audrey to ask, Earl Hall sensed her confusion and explained with a smile:
"Aaron is a very insightful person. Some of his ideas inspired me and resonated with me. Furthermore, we cannot ignore suffering just because it objectively exists and is difficult to truly resolve for a long time."
He looked at Audrey again and said with a smile:
"You don't have to force yourself. I can find others to join this charity fund. I just hope that through this, you can see more and not regard certain things as inevitable, as if they will never change."
"Heh heh, and even if you miss this one, there are other charity organizations."
Before Audrey could answer, Earl Hall seemed to think of something and said with some emotion:
"Most of the commoners kidnapped by Capim lack skills or resources. Sending them directly back to the East Borough will only lead them into even more difficult living conditions and potentially increase the various challenges and risks they face."
"They will find it hard to find suitable work or make a living, will be more likely to become objects of social exclusion, and are very likely to become victims or participants in underground gang activities, or even be swayed by cults."
"After the Corn Act is truly repealed, grain prices should plummet. Even now, the rental standards for fields and pastures have begun to fall sharply."
"Furthermore, while the workers who protested the Corn Act initially did see a decrease in food prices, their quality of life has not improved and even shows a tendency to decline."
"Many bankrupt farmers have entered the city, competing for jobs with low wage demands. The wages of the working class in many areas of Backlund are currently falling rapidly."
Earl Hall glanced at Audrey, who was lost in thought, and continued to add:
"And all of this could lead to the appearance of a large number of vagrants and unemployed people. Therefore, this current charity fund is indeed a very good countermeasure. You can also get significant training here and build connections with other nobles at the same time."
Chapter 130 Flora-Jacob
Audrey was silent for a moment, recalling what Aaron had told her before, and raised her head to look at Earl Hall, saying:
"I'd like to add psychology to my home curriculum and become a true psychologist when I'm an adult. I think this will allow me to help more people."
"I'm also willing to join this charitable organization to truly do something for those suffering and to get to know the real world."
Earl Hall nodded, took out a check for 100,000 pounds, and handed it to a Deacon of the Church of Evernight nearby.
As the charity gala drew to a close, Aaron, while exchanging pleasantries with guests from various parties, also received the total amount raised and the list of donors.
The total donations for tonight had reached 500,000 pounds, with contributions from people in all walks of life. Seeing Earl Hall's donation amount just below his own, Aaron couldn't help but feel a little emotional.
After hearing Earl Hall's suggestion and Audrey's idea, Aaron readily agreed, as this was one of his original goals.
Since this was a charity gala initiated by the Church of Evernight in Aaron's name, and not just a simple family dinner, the feelings of guests from all sides needed to be considered.
After the gala ended, Aaron simply saw the Earl Hall family into their carriage before returning to the Church of Evernight.
Just as Aaron was preparing to discuss with Archbishop Anthony how to establish the charity foundation in the Southern Continent, and the assistance Aaron wanted to receive there.
Anthony Stevenson's deep eyes suddenly froze. He abruptly turned his head to look at a certain spot. Under Aaron's somewhat bewildered gaze, the figure of the Archbishop suddenly disappeared.
Williams Street, at the border of the West and Queen's Boroughs, inside a certain underground pipe.
A woman wearing a dark wizard's robe and dressed in a very strange manner was trembling slightly with excitement, holding a badge in her hand.
The badge was only the size of an eyeball, and its surface combined the symbolic patterns of "Fate" and "Concealment".
Originally, this badge would only change when the "Hermit of Fate" gathering occurred. But now it was sparkling, and a "Time Worm" symbol with twelve segments vaguely appeared in the void before her, echoing it from afar.
As a descendant of the Jacob family, and the last remaining member of the small, disconnected families created to avoid being completely wiped out by Amon.
Flora Jacob was incredibly excited. As early as half a year ago, she had come to Backlund, hoping to find the secret treasure left by the Jacob family.
"I've finally found it. The treasure left by our ancestors must contain a way to deal with that person. The Jacob family will definitely not perish in history."
Only this thought remained in Flora Jacob's mind. She impatiently reached out her hand to touch the symbol in the void.
A strange sensation came, and then a "clang" sound like a bell seemed to ring in Flora Jacob's ears. It was ethereal and indistinct, as if coming from an infinite distance.
Flora Jacob felt as if she had momentarily fallen into a trance, as though she saw the interior of an ancient and majestic palace filled with various Beyonder materials and magical items, and even two blurry Tarot cards.
Flora Jacob instinctively stepped forward, wanting to grab something. However, she couldn't take anything. These items seemed to be sealed by an invisible force.
In just an instant, a warning sign arose in Flora Jacob's heart. Immediately, information recorded in the books passed down through generations of her family appeared in her mind—Sequence 3 "Deception Master".
As well as its core ability, "Deception," which is essentially a deepening of the Trickster's abilities. It can mislead enemies, causing them to make errors in judgment, and can even deceive the laws of nature.
Thoughts swirled in her mind. Patterns instantly appeared on Flora Jacob's body, and she quickly retreated backward.
Just then, the "clang" sound rang in Flora Jacob's ears once again.
Unlike the previous sound, this time it was mixed with a babbling that could tear and pollute Flora Jacob's spiritual body.
As a Demigod of the Marauder pathway, Flora Jacob was fully capable of reducing the effects of this babbling.
The simplest and most practical method was to temporarily steal her own hearing. With the status of a Demigod, this theft would also extend to the spiritual body level, reducing the impact of the babbling to a certain extent.
But just as she was about to do so, Flora Jacob seemed to hear the true names of her ancestor and that blasphemer from the babbling.
Remembering the thousand years of fleeing and the silent demise of various family branches, Flora Jacob gritted her teeth. She didn't immediately defend herself but instead wanted to learn as much information as possible through this babbling.
Moreover, in her view, this was the treasure left by her ancestors. Even if there was danger, it was aimed at Marauder pathway Beyonders who were not descendants of the Jacob family.
As a descendant of the Jacob family and a genuine Demigod, she was definitely the best candidate to inherit the ancestral treasure.
Although Flora Jacob felt as if she had missed something, under the influence of this thought, she couldn't help but relax her guard slightly.
Suddenly, streaks of light shot out from all around, as if a pre-arranged net had finally revealed itself.
The surrounding scene suddenly became blurred, and not far in front of Flora Jacob, a pure and clear figure coalesced, like an angel, but without wings.
This figure was also a hundred meters tall, with faint lights constantly flashing and jumping on its surface, seemingly indicating the passage of time.
Due to her eagerness to gain information and actively accepting the babbling, Flora Jacob's spiritual body became somewhat chaotic. Her reaction was a beat too slow, and she failed to escape the range covered by the light.
After clearly seeing the changes around her, Flora Jacob's heart sank slightly. She subconsciously raised her hand, attempting to "steal" the Beyonder ability of this unknown entity before her.
At the Demigod level, for the same target, the number of Beyonder abilities that could be "stolen" had increased from one to three, and the duration of the theft was up to 2 hours. Of course, only one ability could be "stolen" at a time.
Immediately, Flora Jacob's expression became incredibly ugly, because she hadn't stolen anything at all, not even the most basic thoughts.
"Not good!" As soon as this thought appeared in her mind, Flora Jacob's skin quickly cracked and peeled off, revealing the withered flesh and bones beneath.
On her bones, holes cracked open one after another, and strange insects with seven or eight segments crawled out.
The transparent parts of these insects showed many three-dimensional patterns, and on their segments, time seemed to be flowing. These were "Time Worms."
Accompanied by hoarse and painful screams, Flora Jacob's entire body exploded. A small portion of the light appeared and merged into a circular object with a crack that was originally hanging on her chest.
This was an item that had been passed down through generations of her lineage, in addition to Beyonder characteristics. It was said to originate from the legacy of the first ancestor.
#131Chapter 131 Jacob Family Treasure
As the light poured in, the disc-shaped object, already covered in cracks, instantly shattered completely, then formed a huge, ancient, mottled illusion.
This illusion was like the surface of a stone-carved wall clock, divided into twelve segments in total. Each segment was either grayish-white or greenish-black, interspersed with one another, with clear boundaries, and each segment had a different symbol.
As the clock on it turned, an indescribable invisible torrent surged forth, as if traveling through long history.
This invisible torrent swept up most of the remaining light, broke through the obstruction of that pure and clear figure, and escaped from here.
As if sensing the intruder's departure, that pure and clear figure slowly shattered, turning into a stone sculpture.
The stone sculpture depicted a middle-aged man with a gloomy face, but a mocking curve hung at the corner of his mouth.
If one looked closely at the stone sculpture's right eye, there seemed to be a faint trace of a monocle.
The stone sculpture's skin cracked and peeled off, and one hole after another split open in the bones beneath, from which strange insects crawled out, one after another.
It was exactly the same as Flora Jacob's state just now, the only difference being that the Worms of Time on the stone sculpture didn't have seven or eight segments, but a full twelve!
If Flora Jacob could see this stone sculpture, she would definitely think of the ability to graft fate, Sequence 2 "Wheel of Fortune," recorded in her family's annals.
The surrounding scene gradually revealed itself. The stone sculpture stood in the middle of a spacious hall, with many items placed around it.
Not far from the foot of the stone sculpture, where Flora Jacob had originally stood, lay two corpses without any trace of decay, looking as if they had just died.
Two clusters of Beyonder Characteristics, emitting divine fluctuations, lay quietly on the chests of the two corpses respectively. They had not merged with any part of the corpses to form Sealed Artifacts, nor were there any unusual movements, as if the time of these two corpses had been permanently stopped at a certain moment.
Beside each corpse lay a Tarot card, depicting two different scenes.
One was a portrait of Roselle leaning against the starry sky, with an illusory door appearing before him, while the other was a portrait of Roselle leaning against a twelve-segment clock formed by the convergence of light and shadow.
And in the upper left corner of the two Tarot cards, brilliant starlight had respectively condensed into a line of text: "Sequence 0: The Door"; "Sequence 0: Error".
A mocking voice sounded:
"So it's a descendant of Jacob, how interesting."
"Although I really want to devour her, patience is the most valuable quality for hunting prey. I can't sacrifice the greater good for a small gain."
"I've been sleeping there for over a thousand years. Although I still haven't waited for that old fellow Pallez, I have a premonition that that day is coming soon..."
The mocking, ethereal voice gradually faded away, and the illusion of a disc appeared, as if it had deceived some rule, making everything here chaotic, unpredictable, and undiscoverable.
Above Williams Street, at the top of a certain clock tower.
Anthony Stevenson, wearing a black and red cardinal's robe, appeared, frowning as he scanned the street below, but was unable to find any abnormalities.
After pondering for a moment, Anthony whispered a prayer to the Goddess of the Night but received no revelation.
After observing the area below for a moment with no results, Anthony's figure disappeared and returned to St. Samuel Cathedral.
Aaron remained seated in his chair, deep in thought, without impatience. Seeing Bishop Anthony return, he did not rush to question him.
Anthony glanced at Aaron, remained silent for a moment, then spoke:
"Just now, I sensed an extremely subtle yet incredibly powerful fluctuation appearing on Williams Street in Backlund. That is definitely not something an ordinary demigod could cause."
"That fluctuation was extremely subtle. Even I could only faintly sense its presence thanks to the favor of the Goddess's hidden authority."
"But by the time I arrived, everything had vanished."
"Williams Street?" Aaron's brows furrowed fiercely upon hearing this.
His first reaction was that something had gone wrong with the Blood Emperor's ruins beneath the house on Williams Street and the Red Angel evil spirit within.
Aaron's heart sank. He didn't bother to conceal it, directly took out the Death Mask, nodded to Cardinal Anthony, and then teleported away using the Spirit World.
He wasn't going to Williams Street. If it really was the Red Angel evil spirit causing trouble, going now would be like walking into a trap.
The dense, colorful blocks dispersed, and Aaron was back in his bedroom. He ushered Evelyna, who was studying psychology books, out of the partition, skillfully set up the ritual, and arrived above the dark golden mist.
Aaron sat upon the throne, his divining pendant hanging down in his hand, softly incanting.
A moment later, in the hazy dream, Aaron saw the Ponder family's ancestral home on Williams Street shrouded in night, and the guards diligently on duty in the basement.
"Not the slightest abnormality?" Aaron exited the dream divination state, his brows furrowing slightly.
"Is this a trap? Or am I overthinking things?"
"And the Hunter pathway doesn't seem to have any means to interfere with divination. No, even if an angel is only left in the form of an evil spirit, what kind of methods they still possess is not something I can guess at my current level."
After pondering for a moment, Aaron reached out and summoned the Black Emperor card, integrating it into his body. Golden divine patterns circled his entire body. Amidst the surging dark golden mist, Aaron performed dream divination again, obtaining the exact same scene as before.
Aaron tapped the throne lightly, peeled off the Black Emperor card, then looked at the paper crane folded by Will Auceptin among the pile of miscellaneous items, and brought it back to the real world with him.
He wrote a passage on the back of the paper crane. After waiting for a moment, Aaron suddenly felt a desire to sleep. His heart stirred, and Aaron actively yielded to this feeling, closing his eyes.
In the hazy dream, Aaron seemed to see a scene where the symbolic representations of "Fate" and "Concealment" combined, appearing before a lady in a black robe within the underground pipes.
The dream shattered, and Aaron opened his eyes, falling into deep thought:
"This seems to be the corresponding symbol for the 'Hermit of Fate' gathering, the Marauder pathway?"
"It seems it really has nothing to do with that Red Angel. At least in the current state of that Red Angel evil spirit, it cannot deceive Will Auceptin, who is most familiar with fate."
Aaron immediately breathed a sigh of relief, then thought of more:
"Based on Amon's description at the time, after their ancestor's death, the descendants of the Jacob family had thought of a way to add another secret treasure near the place where Tudor became the 'Blood Emperor'."
"In other words, besides the Blood Emperor's ruins, Williams Street also hides the Jacob family's treasure. It's just a pity that an Amon's avatar is also lying within that treasure."