"Less than half a year left...." Aaron rubbed his chin, looked at the red moon outside the window, and fell into thought.
-----------------
December 31, 1346, afternoon, Count Hall's luxurious villa in the Queen's Borough.
The cold air was blocked by the windows and walls, and it was warm as spring inside the house, with an elegant fireplace.
Audrey Hall wore the latest dress designed by the fashion designer Mrs. Eugenia based on her recent physical condition and temperament. It was graceful and luxurious, revealing a hint of a girl's playfulness.
Aaron stood beside Audrey, leaning against the white gilded railing on the second floor, watching the servants downstairs coming and going, busy with their tasks.
From the second half of the year to the New Year, the nobles of the Loen Kingdom would traditionally come to Backlund to attend various banquets, balls, and salons, which were very important events for them.
Many things would also be decided within these few months, just like the previous resolution to abolish the "Corn Laws."
As years passed, this tradition gradually acquired a fixed name, called the "Backlund Social Season."
And according to the customs of the Loen Kingdom, nobles with fiefdoms would leave Backlund one week after the New Year and return to their territories to enjoy a pleasant country or castle life.
They would only return to the capital in June to begin the day-to-day social activities. Of course, influential nobles and great bankers like Count Hall would certainly have to travel back and forth between the two places frequently to handle affairs.
Count Hall expected that after the New Year, the proposal to establish the "Kingdom Air Pollution Investigation Committee" would be officially passed in the House of Commons.
And according to past practice, the discussions and wrangling in the House of Lords would be very lengthy and could not be resolved in a short time.
Therefore, in order not to waste time, and also to celebrate the victory of the past year, Count Hall decided to take his family back to East Chester County in advance to enjoy life.
However, "moving" was not an easy task. Many things had to be sorted out in advance, and some servants would take them back to the manor or castle beforehand. Only after everything was ready would the masters embark on their journey.
Audrey looked at the busy servants downstairs with a smile and spoke softly:
"Compared to the grand and expensive family castle, I still prefer the beautiful manor and the scenery of the countryside."
"I already miss that kind of life. The various social events in Backlund inevitably make me feel constrained, and the air here is indescribably bad."
Seeing Audrey's keen interest, Aaron looked around and said with a smile:
"Why don't we go for a walk in the suburbs and chat?"
Audrey's emerald eyes lit up slightly, and she nodded gently.
And from the corner, a large golden retriever rushed out instantly. It was Susie, who had grown much bigger, excitedly holding a small bag in her mouth and wagging her tail, circling around Aaron and Audrey.
-----------------
December 31, Loen, Enmat Port, a basement in the port area.
Cold air filled the dark and damp basement. Tris, with a round face, wore a single layer of clothing and endured the cold, standing resolutely before an altar.
Unlike before, the youthful shyness and fear on his face had faded, replaced by ruthlessness and cunning.
A female figure completely shrouded in a black robe spoke with a light laugh:
"Congratulations on passing our assessment. You are now qualified to officially join us."
"As long as you drink this bottle of potion and successfully become a Beyonder, you will instantly gain various powerful abilities and become a formal member of our Spirit Lodge."
"But if you don't make it through, you will lose control and become a monster."
At this point, the woman paused, her voice becoming somewhat strange.
"Hmm, I forgot to tell you, the name of this potion is 'Assassin.' Good luck."
Looking at the viscous potion pushed in front of him, recalling his experiences during this time and his miserable childhood life under the gangsters.
A hint of madness flashed in Tris's eyes. He grabbed the potion from the table and drank it down.
In the corner of the basement, the figure of "Black Saintess" Marisca slowly appeared. A sapphire ring floated in her hand, and she watched this scene quietly with a smile on her face.
-----------------
Backlund, Queen's Borough suburbs, a spacious but empty racecourse.
".....There is a village in East Chester County that worships dragons, and an ancient ballad is also circulated there:"
Aaron roughly recounted the ballad based on his memory:
"Monsters are in your dreams;
"Dragons are in your dreams;
"That imagined, great palace floating in mid-air is also in your dreams;
"There, you will have everything, until you awaken."
Under the shade of a tree, Audrey Hall, holding a bay mare, listened attentively to Aaron's narration.
She wore white trousers and knee-high black boots, with a simply decorated lady's shirt and a black jacket-style riding suit with a cinched waist on her upper body.
Coupled with a helmet of the same color, she looked unusually dashing, with a beauty different from her usual self, while the golden retriever Susie squatted obediently at her feet, seemingly carrying a small leather bag.
After Aaron finished telling the strange legend of East Chester County, Audrey slowly exhaled, her curiosity instantly satisfied as she imagined the appearance of dragons in her mind.
Looking at Audrey's face full of longing, Aaron said with both emotion and teasing:
"A beautiful lady riding a horse is a sight no matter what she does."
Audrey was pulled back from her thoughts by the sudden compliment. Then, as if she remembered something, her delicate brows furrowed, and she spoke with some distress:
"When I get to East Chester County and you get to the Southern Continent, how should we communicate?"
"Telegrams are too short, and writing letters will take a long time to arrive..."
Looking at the suddenly somewhat unhappy Audrey, Aaron smiled mysteriously and said suggestively:
"Haha, don't worry about that. Later, I will teach you a mystical ritual that can facilitate our communication."
#146Chapter 146 Dorian Grey Abraham (two in one)
Aaron led Audrey to a lounge in the racecourse and took out herbal essential oils and candles from his satchel.
Looking at the excited Audrey, Aaron smiled and said,
"This is a relatively simple ritual magic. It can summon a unique spirit, my spirit, and my messenger."
"Spirit?" Audrey chewed on the word, her mind involuntarily flashing with the evil spirits described in folklore and storybooks. Her expression froze slightly, and she seemed hesitant to speak.
Seeing Audrey's expression, Aaron thought for a moment and explained in simple terms:
"My spirit is a spirit naturally born in the spirit world. It is inherently a spiritual body, not the undead transformed after creatures die. You don't need to be afraid."
Audrey nodded, half-understanding, and secretly decided that she must read more occult books later.
Aaron arranged the candles while saying,
"You give it the letter you have written, and it will deliver it to me accurately. It's not as fast as a telegram, but faster than a steam train. If you finish it at noon, even if I'm still on the Southern Continent, I can receive it before that night."
"And this is not one-way; it can also bring a reply to you, and I can send you a letter through it."
"That's really convenient. I wonder what other ritual magics have such amazing effects."
Audrey watched the position where Aaron placed the candles, secretly memorizing it, while sighing in her heart and listening attentively, like a serious student in class.
Aaron chuckled softly, then pointed to the "Emerald Chain" Audrey was wearing:
"The characteristic of this kind of ritual magic is to pray to oneself, drawing power from one's own spirituality, without going through deities, which makes it quite concealed, but the power is often not great."
"And the spirituality drawn can be replaced by the spirituality of the 'Emerald Chain' itself. As long as you don't perform the ritual multiple times in a short period, it won't affect your state."
Saying that, Aaron lit the candles, and at the same time took out a bottle of dark purple liquid, opened the stopper, and sprinkled a few drops into the golden candle flame:
"This is a hydrosol distilled and extracted from a mixture of night-scented grass, deep sleep flower, and chamomile, called 'Amanda,' which means tranquility in Hermes."
"It is also a hydrosol we often use when performing various rituals as followers of the Evernight. It smells very good."
As he spoke, the candlelight flickered a few times, and the drops of hydrosol quickly evaporated, filling the room.
An extremely familiar, serene, and charming scent entered Audrey's nose, relaxing her tense emotions and quickly calming her mind, as if looking down at the darkness in the dead of night.
Aaron placed the other materials properly and then spoke in ancient Hermes:
"I!"
"I summon in my name;"
"The spirit wandering in the void, the upper-world creature driven by others, the messenger belonging solely to Luciferd Joseph."
Seeing the slightly confused Audrey, Aaron repeated it in Loen and then explained:
"That's the incantation part, there are three sections. Luciferd Joseph is my alias, mainly to prevent others from locating me through the messenger."
Audrey nodded, and with Aaron's help, she repeated it several times, a little unskillfully.
Seeing that she had roughly grasped it, Aaron looked at Audrey and emphasized solemnly:
"Remember, do not change the specific description of the summoned creature casually, as that can easily attract terrifying monsters."
"Yes, okay." Audrey nodded obediently, her golden hair falling down and scattering with her movements.
With Aaron's encouragement, Audrey rearranged the candles and other ritual materials.
Immediately after, she dripped the Evernight's blessings, "Full Moon Essential Oil" and "Amanda Hydrosol," onto them.
Amidst the sizzling sound, the surroundings suddenly became quiet, with an invisible, subtle feeling surging.
Audrey, feeling a bit nervous and excited, softly chanted in the not-so-familiar ancient Hermes:
"I!"
"I summon in my name;"
"The spirit wandering in the void, the upper-world creature driven by others, the messenger belonging solely to Luciferd Joseph."
Whoosh!
The wind stirred up a buzzing sound, and the golden candle flame instantly took on a quiet blue hue.
Under its illumination, nearly transparent ripples spread out from the center of the three candles.
Suddenly, Audrey saw an eye, a perfectly round eye, an eye with distinct black and white.
That eye stared at her unblinkingly, with no head it belonged to, and no corresponding body.
The huge eye, with its distinct black and white, was semi-transparent, quietly floating behind dense, vivid overlapping color blocks. One could not discern hostility or friendliness from it.
It was Astolfo, the spirit world creature residing within the Death Mask. As Aaron gained more strength and methods, he used it less frequently.
However, it had also gradually grown by continuously devouring other spiritual bodies and had shown a craving for the Beyonder characteristics of the Prisoner Pathway.
Aaron had fed Astolfo the portion of Beyonder characteristics roughly equivalent to Sequence 5, which was separated from the left arm of Mehaums obtained last time.
Perhaps it was because the Beyonder characteristics had not been fully digested, or perhaps it was a transformation after this special spiritual body grew to a certain level.
The spiritual body, which was originally slightly illusory and lacked a concrete form, solidified to a certain extent after swallowing that Beyonder characteristic.
However, this did not affect its activity in the spirit world; on the contrary, it gained abilities far stronger than other spirit world creatures, perfectly meeting the requirements of a messenger.
Although its current strength was not high, Aaron did not intend for it to participate in battles that would involve demigods or even angels in the future; it was merely for delivering letters.
If there were better options in the future, the messenger could be replaced.
And the most suitable messenger in Aaron's mind was Elvin Gallo, the leader of the Night Emperor's guards, who might be sleeping in the "Ghost Empire," an angel from the Fourth Epoch.
But with Aaron's current strength, he could not open that treasure, it was out of reach, so he had to focus on the present. After communication, Aaron signed the messenger contract with Astolfo.
Looking at Audrey, who was full of excitement because she had successfully completed the ritual magic, Aaron smiled and introduced:
"This is my messenger. You can call it Astolfo."
Saying that, Aaron demonstrated. He handed over a letter he had prepared beforehand and placed it in the center of the ritual magic.
Behind the dense, vivid overlapping color blocks, the huge eye with distinct black and white suddenly turned pure black, like an abyss, and directly swallowed the letter.
Then it turned pure white again, ripples spread, a letter emerged from it, and flew back into Aaron's hand.
Astolfo's huge eye, with its distinct black and white, stared blankly at Aaron, as if somewhat confused why it was summoned for such a delivery.
-----------------
Pritz Harbor, Oak Island, Royal Naval Base.
A group of officers from MI9, who had just passed the New Year and were about to be transferred to the Southern Continent, walked out of the carriages in neat military uniforms, their chests adorned with badges, holding their heads high.
Glen Will was among them. He did not return to East Chester County with Aaron but took an airship directly to the Southern Continent.
As the assistant to Lord Aaron, the newly appointed Deputy Director of MI9's Southern Continent Branch, Glen Will was warmly received by the surrounding officers.
Although not used to such occasions, Glen Will patiently engaged in conversation until everyone's attention was drawn to the scene not far away.
In the naval port not far away, thousands of workers were hammering and building on a majestic warship that shimmered with metallic light. It was still far from completion, but its general outline could already be seen.
It had no sails, only a crow's nest, and had two towering funnels, and two open gun turrets positioned fore and aft.
It was so magnificent and so huge that the sailing battleships anchored nearby looked like newborn dwarves surrounding a giant.
"Above the Storm, is this, is this the Navy's latest equipment..."
"Oh, my Lord, it's incredible."
...
Exclamations mingled softly. Glen Will, standing at the front of the line of officers, had a solemn expression, carefully memorizing every detail he could see of the colossal object.
He intended to report everything he saw to his grandfather, Joseph Will, after arriving on the Southern Continent.
When he was in Backlund, he had heard that the Loen military was developing a new type of weapon, and the East Chester family, which had great influence in the Navy, was kicked out of the research team by the King in a barbaric and unreasonable manner.
Glen Will had initially been indifferent. As a Beyonder who had reached the Middle Sequences, although he wasn't very clear about the fighting methods of High-Sequence powerhouses, he knew very well that those terrifying existence, half-gods and half-humans, were not something one or two weapons could deal with.
It wasn't until he saw this colossal object that he couldn't help but doubt his previous judgment.
After an unknown amount of time, a black dot in the air grew from small to large, gradually occupying one-third of the sky, re-attracting everyone's attention and making the atmosphere suddenly solemn.
This was a massive object floating and flying in the air. It had extremely smooth and elegant lines, painted entirely in dark blue, with a sturdy yet light alloy frame supporting the cotton fabric containing hydrogen gasbags.
Below hung the gondola with machine gun ports, bomb bays, and flat-firing gun ports. The exaggerated buzzing sound of the high-combustion steam engine and the frantic rotation of the tail propellers formed a breathtaking symphony.
The airship that would take them to the Southern Continent had arrived, carrying an air of superiority that looked down upon everything.
A "Sword of Judgment" emblem, vertical downwards with a ruby crown hilt, reflected the sunlight on both sides of the gondola. This was the Augustus family's ancient symbol, traceable back to the previous Epoch.
-----------------
Pritz Harbor, White Oak Street, Pritz Harbor Fishermen's Association.
Dorian Gray slowly sat down, his face full of fatigue. He was of medium height but had exaggeratedly strong arms, and his hair was neatly combed, completely different from the bird's nest hairstyles of most people in the association.
Ignoring the red tea and pastries, newspapers and magazines on the table, Dorian Gray furrowed his brows in thought.
After an unknown amount of time, accompanied by a heavy sigh, Dorian Gray stood up and drew the curtains, plunging the office into dimness.
Walking around the room, confirming the environment, Dorian Gray lit a candle mixed with crimson sandalwood.
In the flickering yellow light, he walked to the front of the candle, took out two bottles of essential oil the color of water and some common herbal powders.
After completing the initial part of the ritual, Dorian stepped back and, with a solemn expression, switched to ancient Hermes:
"I!
"I summon in my name:
"The peculiar spiritual body roaming the upper world, the void creature who loves music, the contracted partner of Dorian Gray Abraham."
Whoosh!
A wind suddenly blew through the living room, carrying a trembling wail, and the swaying candlelight was consequently tinged with a quiet blue hue.
Rings of light rapidly spread out, seemingly forming a door beyond the normal concept.
A semi-illusory, semi-real spherical object flew out from the "bottom" of the light circle,
It was milky white all over, with no eyes, nose, arms, or legs on its surface, only a slit resembling a mouth opened on its surface.
Dorian opened his mouth and softly hummed a folk-style lullaby.
The "sphere" immediately swayed from side to side, appearing extremely content.
After finishing the song, Dorian reached out his hand:
"Malmos, give me the inherited 'Mystic Eyes' that I deposited with you before."
The "sphere" bounced up and down, its body suddenly swelled, and its "mouth" opened wide.
Then, it spat out a crystal ball of strange brilliance, as if made of numerous worms clinging together. Under the candlelight, the crystal ball showed brilliant "waves."
Dorian caught the "Mystic Eyes," interrupted the summoning, and ended the ritual.
He held the "Mystic Eyes" in his left hand, cut a wound in his right palm and lightly touched the top, stroking it back and forth, while continuously murmuring in his mouth, like a whisper.
Along with the murmuring, the blood gradually merged into the "Mystic Eyes," and the scattered brilliance within the crystal ball became brighter and more distinct, as if the night sky had cast its reflection.
And these stars, often used to determine the direction of destiny and the trajectory of life, appeared one by one, forming a three-dimensional astrolabe, mixed with many spiritual world revelations that seemed to be symbolic.
Dorian Gray's face remained pale, his shoulders trembling slightly as he finally stopped his actions, burying his head in examination. After a moment, a low, hoarse voice sounded:
"Why is there still no revelation? Where is the future of the Abraham family?"
"It is clearly prophesied in the family records that one of the Seven Lights of the Spirit World, the 'Yellow Light' Venitan, foretold that the Abraham family's curse would be lifted by an 'Apprentice' who received help from a hidden existence."
"When will this prophecy, which has been passed down by word of mouth and even recorded in 'Spirit World Observations,' finally come true?"
The light of the crystal ball gradually dimmed. Dorian stood up, feeling confused and somewhat anxious, his blue eyes even revealing a hint of despair.
For some unknown reason, the frequency of full moons has increased significantly in the past year, far exceeding previous years, and most of them were blood moons, which are enhanced versions of the full moon.
Having become a Sequence 7 "Astrologer," he was more strongly affected by the full moon whispers. Every time the full moon whispers arrived, Dorian Gray felt it was difficult to endure, unable to see the day when the Abraham family would be free from the curse.
Perhaps it was luck, perhaps it was firm belief, Dorian Gray managed to endure each time, but a considerable number of other family members with whom he could originally correspond by letter were no longer reachable.
And after the great upheaval when the "Traveler" Butis rebelled against the Aurora Order, the upper echelons of the entire Abraham family were almost completely wiped out, leaving only scattered branches in various places.
There wasn't even a decent strong person, let alone someone who could roam the spirit world like the Abraham family's Traveler ancestor and seek answers from the "Yellow Light" Venitan.
#147Chapter 147: Leaving and Trading (Two in One)
Backlund Steam Locomotive Station, the setting sun was gradually replaced by the night.
Aaron stood in front of his exclusive carriage, bidding farewell to the Earl Hall family outside the platform.
Evelyn lazily lay draped over Aaron's shoulder, her fluffy tail sweeping casually, but everyone around seemed oblivious, as if deliberately ignoring her.
Audrey waved goodbye with reluctance, muttering for a while before saying softly:
"Remember to write to me. Let me know you arrived safely in the Southern Continent. Uh, I'll also write to you and share my holiday with you."
Susie, the golden retriever squatting at his feet, let out a bark, her large eyes blinking as she stared at Aaron's shoulder, a human-like confusion in her gaze.
Aaron smiled and nodded, giving Audrey a gentle hug, then stroked Susie's head and said with a smile:
"Susie, you must listen to Audrey well, okay?"
Looking at the obedient golden retriever, Aaron couldn't help but glance sideways at Evelyn on his shoulder.
Evelyn, who had completely digested the Sequence 8 'Mind Reader' potion, keenly sensed Aaron's gaze, let out a meow, and said lazily:
"I'm just a cat, you know? Also, when are you giving me the Sequence 7 potion? I've been waiting for ages."
Aaron rolled his eyes. Where did she learn that self-righteous tone? After thinking for a moment, he replied:
"We'll talk about it when we get to Irlusi. You'll have to perform well in the Southern Continent after that."
Because of the psychological invisibility cast using the Hypnotic Necklace, only Aaron and Evelyn could hear these words.
After instructing the butler who remained in Backlund one last time, Aaron turned and boarded the steam locomotive, preparing to leave Backlund and return to Irlusi, the capital of East Tussock County.
Woo!
The sound of the whistle echoed in every corner of the station. The massive, monstrous steam locomotive head, pulling more than ten carriages, slowly started.
As the layers of magnificent palaces and the tall Gothic clock towers in the distance disappeared from view, the steam locomotive finally left Backlund, known as the City of Ten Thousand Cities and the Land of Hope.
Looking at Backlund, half normal and half shrouded in a pale yellow smog, the corners of Aaron's mouth curved up, and he murmured to himself:
"I'll be back, and it won't be long."
As the color blocks overlapped and the 'Oil Painting World' resembling a still image emerged, Aaron and Evelyn on his shoulder instantly vanished.
As the heir of the East Tussock family, Aaron wasn't suited to leaving quietly. He had to at least inform someone that he had left. After leaving Backlund conspicuously, he chose the fastest method, directly using Spirit World Teleportation to return to Irlusi.
-----------------
Outside Port Pritz, north of the Raging Sea.
Under the moonlight at night, the sea was deep blue, almost black. Alger Wilson stood at the bow, looking at the quiet, sprawling outline of Pasu Island.
This was the headquarters of the Church of Storms, a place blessed by the True God!
As a low-level member of the Church, Alger remembered only coming here once.
That was a long time ago, when he, as a mixed-race child with deep blue hair, was selected to join the headquarters and become a member of the children's choir.
But having no talent for singing, he was quickly sent away, returning to the small chapel on his birth island to work as a servant with Xilingus, where the priest was very rough with his subordinates.
Whenever he recalled this experience, Alger's expression would become quite solemn, yearning to climb to a high position.
Amidst the sound of the wind, the three-masted sailboat moved quietly, entering the harbor.
Alger removed the cloth wrapped around his head, his phantom scales appearing beneath his skin. He pushed off from the side of the ship with his feet, jumping directly out of the vessel and landing steadily on the dock.
A man with soft yellow hair, wearing a robe with lightning patterns, had been waiting for a long time.
Looking at Alger Wilson opposite him, he smiled, raised his right hand, and struck his left chest with a fist, saying:
"The Storm is with you."
"The Storm is with you." Alger Wilson responded with the same gesture and a smile.
Then the man dressed as a clergyman introduced himself:
"My name is Saionce. I used to be a priest, and recently I applied to leave the clergy system to seek merit on the sea."
"For the next while, we should be partners. Please take care of me. I will now take you for this performance review."
Inside the Cathedral of Thunder, the dome was high and vast, the arches connected, and the murals on the walls were continuous, without any blank spaces. Dominated by gold and blue, they made anyone walking inside feel unconsciously sacred and solemn, causing them to lower their heads involuntarily.
Alger Wilson, like the sailors around him, kept his head down, looking at the ground, slowing his steps, and not even daring to breathe noticeably.
In the quiet atmosphere, led by the priest, they went all the way to the back of the cathedral. Then, guided by a servant, Alger Wilson entered a room with a long table to be questioned by three 'Punisher' deacons.
Among these three deacons, only one had deep blue hair, as this wasn't a change that necessarily occurred after consuming the 'Sailor' pathway potion.
However, this characteristic would be inherited quite stubbornly, just like the Elf race, which originally had more black hair than blue hair, but in modern times, most mixed-race individuals with Elf blood have blue hair.
Alger sat at the lower end of the long table and answered the deacons' questions in an orderly manner, recounting what he had done at sea during this period, what he planned to do, what he had succeeded in, and what he had failed at.
This would be compared with the accounts of other crew members to prevent anyone from lying.
Towards the end of the performance review, the deacon with deep blue hair glanced at Alger and asked in a rough voice:
"Alger, do you know Vice Admiral Hurricane Xilingus?"
Alger's heart tightened, and he thought, 'As expected.' He had suspected this when he received the order for the performance review.
Not daring to conceal anything, he immediately recounted his experience of growing up with Xilingus in the small chapel on the island and serving as servants together.
This was no secret; anyone who wanted to investigate could find out, so there was no need to hide it.
Another deacon sitting to the side was a bit impatient and interrupted roughly, asking directly:
"Then do you know if Xilingus had any abnormalities when he was still on the small island?"
"Or did he come into contact with any strange organizations when he was weak?"
Alger shook his head calmly, but some guesses formed in his mind.
The three deacons exchanged glances. The one who hadn't spoken yet cleared his throat and slowly said:
"Alger, your performance has always been very good, so the Church has decided to assign you a partner to go on a mission in the Sonia Sea together."
"Before your next performance review, if you perform well, you will have the opportunity to be promoted to 'Navigator'."
A look of surprise immediately appeared on Alger's rugged face, while a cold sneer arose in his heart:
"Partner? I think it's surveillance."
Then his expression became solemn and serious, and he replied with a proud look:
"The sea belongs to the Storm. This is the Lord's kingdom. I am willing to follow the Lord's will and patrol this kingdom for Him."
"Very good." The deacon with deep blue hair nodded in satisfaction, striking his chest with a fist, "The Storm is with you."
"The Storm is with you." Alger returned the standard salute.
Leaving the interrogation room and returning to his own room, Alger stood by the window, looking at the surging sea, lost in thought.
There were countless 'Furious People' within the Church of Storms. The large number made promotion difficult. Many people worked hard for seven or eight years and still couldn't get a chance for promotion.
Alger didn't believe that he, as a mixed-race person who had risen step by step from a servant, would receive any preferential treatment. He felt fortunate to receive even a little less discrimination and was grateful for his ability to handle relationships.
Moreover, within the Church, for members like them who drifted on the ocean, out of the sight of the Church of Storms, promotion to a Sequence was directly given as a potion. There was no prior knowledge of the formula or preparation involved.
For Alger to gain an advantage in the fierce competition, he had to accumulate enough merit.
During this process, he had to keep drifting on the ocean, not join the complex network of relationships within the Punisher team, and stay out of the sight of the Church of Storms as much as possible to avoid exposing his secrets...
Once I have the opportunity to be promoted to Sequence 5 and gain enough strength, I can secretly return there... Alger subconsciously looked to the right.
His gaze seemed to penetrate the vast sea, landing on an ancient and hidden island.
-----------------
Southern Continent, Caesar Harbor, a basement in the Eastern District, candlelight flickered.
A man in his forties sat on a single sofa. He had a high nose bridge, almost blue eyes, relatively soft facial features, thick, slightly curly black hair, and a skin tone that wasn't dark but couldn't be called fair either, seemingly a mix of Loenese and Balamese.
It was Enzo, 'The Winner', who had defected from the Life School under the instigation of the Rose School.
Furthermore, he wasn't one of the Beyonders from the 'Pharmacist' pathway who could become 'Vampires', nor did he worship the 'Original Moon'.
He simply didn't want to follow the various rules set by his teacher and his teacher's teacher anymore. He wanted to live a life as he pleased and fully utilize his advantage as a 'Winner'.
This mindset made him highly approve of the Rose School's indulgent philosophy. It didn't take long for him to formally join them and indulge in various desires.
This time, he was representing the Rose School to contact the Sleepless Faction of the Numinous Episcopate here in Caesar Harbor to discuss the possibility of cooperation on several matters.
As a Sequence 5 'Winner' from the 'Monster pathway', his intuitive premonition had reached a very high level. He glanced around and chuckled, speaking in Dutanese:
"Anthony Uss, since you're here, sit down and talk. Our sincerity this time is quite substantial."
Woo!
Just then, a cold wind blew through without warning, and the dim yellow candlelight suddenly turned eerie green.
Behind the candlestick, a face abruptly protruded from the wall opposite 'Winner' Enzo. It was a translucent face with no eyes, no nose, only a mouth!
"Enzo? Are you representing the Rose School or the Life School?"
The face opened and closed its mouth, speaking slowly. Its voice was ethereal and piercing, the syllables strange, but it couldn't hide the mockery in its tone.
As the person in charge of the Numinous Episcopate in Caesar Harbor, Anthony Uss, although he also disliked the Life School, he despised traitors even more.
On the other hand, he was only a Sequence 6 'Necromancer'. His strength often depended on which undead and nature spirits he could find and command.
Without understanding the other party's intentions, facing a Sequence 5 expert, Anthony Uss still chose to communicate with Enzo by manipulating a spirit, not revealing his true body.
Enzo looked at the translucent face on the wall with only a mouth, not at all bothered by the mocking tone, and said with a chuckle:
"Of course the Rose School. That's where I belong."
As Enzo spoke, without waiting for Anthony Uss's reply, he took a strangely shaped box from his pocket and opened it. A door-shaped crystal, black at the base with mixed colors, lay quietly inside.
Hoo hoo!
A rapid gasping sound arose, and the translucent face twisted in shape accordingly.
Enzo watched with a chuckle, saying nothing.
After a moment, the translucent face with no eyes, nose, or ears suddenly laughed out loud:
"Speak, what does your Rose School want to do?"
"I didn't complete your last mission. You're not going to give me this Sequence 5 'Gatekeeper' Beyonder characteristic, are you?"
Enzo smiled and shook his head, putting away the box, and said indifferently:
"Naturally not. I was ordered by Lord Kalaman to specially come and cooperate with you."
"As far as I know, you've been a 'Necromancer' for many years and have been waiting for a chance to be promoted."
"The Royal Faction and Death Faction within your Numinous Episcopate occupy almost all the resources. Your Sleepless Faction is so weak. Are you willing to accept this?"
"Enough!" The translucent face suddenly roared. "If you only came here to say this, I think there's no need to continue talking."
Enzo's expression was calm. He leaned back on the sofa, not in a hurry at all, and slowly said:
"Naturally not. Lord Kalaman wants to welcome back an old friend, but his current state is very bad; he has become a wraith."
"Therefore, Lord Kalaman has made a promise that as long as you are willing to help us, we can prepay the reward and help you complete the ritual to assist you in your promotion to 'Gatekeeper'."
In a house in the dock area, Anthony Uss, dressed in a black robe, heard all the conversation through the spirit he controlled.
Although he only had Sequence 6 strength, within the Numinous Episcopate, where the Sleepless Faction was relatively weak with only one Saint, he could already be considered quasi-high-level.
Because of this, he had gained the attention of that Saint and learned a lot of more profound mystical knowledge.
He knew that most wraiths were products of the death of high-Sequence powerhouses, and a small number were vengeful spirits that had broken through their limitations through various opportunities.
A wraith that could be called an old friend by 'King of Wraiths' Kalaman must certainly be the former case.
Wraiths would gradually weaken over time until they dissipated, but they could assimilate the area where they were born, allowing the Spirit World or even the Underworld to merge with it, drawing power from it to maintain their existence and form a territory.
They could not leave their territory before accumulating enough power and changing their form of existence, but there was a simpler way, which was to possess a Sequence 5 'Gatekeeper' from the Death pathway and use the small 'Underworld' within their body to leave the territory.
Anthony Uss's eyes narrowed slightly. He tapped the table, then manipulated the spirit to ask:
"Heh heh, I'm not completely ignorant either."
"I also know the use of 'Gatekeeper' for wraiths. Carrying an unknown bomb on me, do you think I'm stupid?"
"And if I remember correctly, 'Admiral of Hell' Ludwell, who also has some connection with your Rose School, is a 'Gatekeeper'."
"Why go to the trouble of finding me?"
Chapter 148 Angels in the Spirit World (Two in One)
Enzo raised his eyebrows, a hint of surprise flashing across his face. After a moment of silence, he spoke:
"That's right. Lord Karaman's intention is that after you become the Gatekeeper, you will provide temporary shelter for that evil spirit."
"And as you probably know, evil spirits can strengthen themselves by devouring souls. Obtaining Beyonder characteristics of sufficient rank from their original pathway can turn them into special Spirit World creatures."
"By then, he won't need to reside within you anymore. You only need to be a vessel for a period to successfully advance to Sequence 5 and gain Lord Karaman's friendship."
Looking at the translucent face on the wall opposite him, which had no eyes or nose but only a mouth, Enzo added in a slightly unnatural tone:
"As for 'Admiral of Hell' Ludwig, he is indeed an option, but not the best one. If there's a chance, we'd prefer to cooperate with you."
"I can also tell you clearly that I only represent Lord Karaman. This can be considered a private cooperation, do you understand?"
"Only represent Karaman? This..."
The translucent face immediately fell silent. As the eerie green candlelight flickered, the basement was enveloped in a strange atmosphere.
Having received no response, Enzo maintained his composure outwardly, but felt a little annoyed inwardly.
As a new member who had defected from the Life School and joined the Rose School, he was neither a Beyonder from the 'Pharmacist' pathway who could become a 'Vampire' nor did he
worship the 'Primitive Moon'. He merely strongly agreed with the Rose School's philosophy of indulgence.
As a heretic and defector like him, he was quickly marginalized after joining the Rose School.
If not for his own Sequence 5 strength and the important information he provided during the encirclement and suppression of the Life School, he would probably have been sent to some remote corner long ago.
Originally, this was fine; it didn't matter if he wasn't valued. After all, he simply didn't want to abide by the various rules of the Life School anymore and only wished to live a life as he pleased.
However, ever since he learned that the previous attempt to apprehend the Life School had failed for some reason, and that Ritchard, a member of the 'Council of Fate', had actually escaped successfully and was currently nowhere to be found.
That was a Sequence 4 'Calamity Mage'. If Enzo encountered other Sequence 4 demigods, he might still have a chance to escape, but if he encountered a 'Calamity Mage' of the same Sequence, he would surely die.
After quickly realizing this point, Enzo, who had originally planned to just coast along, quickly began trying to curry favor within the Rose School, but made no progress.
In desperation, Enzo had no choice but to seek refuge with 'Witch King' Karaman, who was also marginalized, hoping to gain his protection.
Naturally, Karaman was happy to accept a Sequence 5 powerhouse seeking refuge, as his own life hadn't been easy recently.
A crucial Sealed Artifact of the Rose School was lost, another important Sealed Artifact was damaged, Sequence 3 Mahams was severely injured, and the mission to capture important members of the Life School failed.
Among all these incidents, only the last one was related to him. The other matters, one could even say all the problems, were caused by Mahams.
However, as a student of 'Divine Abnormality' Se'ah, a descendant of the Pharaoh, and one of the leaders of the Highland Resistance, no one in the Rose School dared to truly do anything to Mahams.
But Karaman didn't have the protection of such prominent identities. When accountability was sought, some people wanted their subordinates to advance further, coveting his Beyonder characteristics, and even proposed executing Karaman as a warning to others.
Although this punishment was not adopted, Karaman had already keenly felt the danger.
After all, he had joined the Rose School originally because he had received a gift from the 'Primitive Moon' and yearned for a longer lifespan.
Feeling deeply isolated, Karaman decided to find a helper for himself. As a demigod who had lived for a long time, he had an excellent candidate in mind: Arsas Eggers, who had fallen during the Pale Disaster at the end of the Fourth Epoch, a Sequence 3 'Ferryman' from the Death pathway.
That was a true descendant of a deity. In terms of identity alone, he was far more noble than Sia Palenque Eggers, who called herself the 'Pale Empress' and currently led the Royal Faction of the Spirit Cult.
However, considering that cooperating with the Royal Faction, which had no shortage of Angel-level demigods, was akin to playing with fire, and also considering the attitude and possible reactions of the 'Pale Empress'.
Karaman ultimately chose to cooperate with the declining Slumber Faction. Even if problems arose, the other side only had one demigod.
Tap, tap, tap...
Enzo lightly tapped the table. After the translucent face slowly turned back towards him, he spoke in a low voice:
"You can think about it carefully, and you can also ask for the opinion of the Saint behind you. But you must give me a reply within a month at most. This is also the deadline given by Lord Karaman. I hope you cherish this opportunity."
-----------------
Even though there is no distinction between near and far, high and low, up and down, left and right in the Spirit World, and positions and distances are very chaotic, it still takes a considerable amount of time to travel from Backlund to Irusyl.
To prevent unnecessary trouble caused by the Law of Beyonder Characteristics Convergence, Aaron had already sacrificed the Red Priest card and the Mystery Ring to the dark gold mist before entering the Spirit World.
Evelyn, perched on Aaron's shoulder, widened her eyes, looking at the surroundings filled with countless illusory transparent things of indescribable forms.
All colors became vivid and distinct yet overlapped with each other, while the hazy mist spread and enveloped everything, fading to nothingness.
And in the depths, high in the air, seven clear streams of light of different colors slowly swam. They seemed to possess life and contained endless knowledge.
This was the Spirit World, completely overlapping with reality, omnipresent.
Although it wasn't the first time she had teleported through the Spirit World with Aaron, previous Spirit World teleports had always been within Backlund, and the teleportation was basically completed in an instant.
Therefore, this could be considered Evelyn's first serious observation of the Spirit World. Her curiosity exploded, and she instantly cast aside the matter of the Sequence 7 potion, chirping and asking questions about everything.
Aaron patiently explained to her, but his hands kept moving. Spirituality surged into the Mark of Night on his wrist, and a layer of dark mist quickly enveloped both him and the cat, entering a semi-'concealed' state, erasing their traces.
The existence of the Spirit World is quite wondrous. It completely overlaps with the real world, entirely overlapping, so everyone can receive revelations from the Spirit World at any time.
But the Spirit World has no up, down, left, or right. Past, future, and present can all converge here, like a bizarre ocean formed by the aggregation and compression of countless pieces of knowledge, countless pieces of information, and countless illusory spirits, completely different from the 'world' in normal concepts and normal logic.
Therefore, moving around in the Spirit World, a place full of various information and revelations, will inevitably leave many clues, and there is always the possibility of being divined.
So whenever he uses Spirit World teleportation, Aaron habitually erases traces and conceals his whereabouts.
However, in the Spirit World, without positioning, it's easy to get completely lost and never be able to leave.
Furthermore, Aaron is not a Beyonder from the Death pathway who can traverse the Spirit World. He is using a Beyonder item, and his means of discerning direction in the Spirit World are very limited.
Except for places he has already been to, where he knows the corresponding Spirit World coordinates and can teleport directly, many unfamiliar places require the aid of divination from the Divination Pendant to identify the location.
But Aaron now has a simpler method, which is to let the messenger lead the way.
Aaron had previously sent a letter to his father, Gusman Will, in Irusyl using a messenger, so Astolfo knew the corresponding Spirit World coordinates.
The surrounding colors instantly deepened and layered together, and a distinct black and white round eye appeared. It was Aaron's current messenger - Astolfo.
The huge, distinct black and white eye was in a translucent state, quietly floating among the rich and vivid overlapping color blocks. It looked around but didn't find Aaron's figure.
It let out a questioning low chirp, but still followed the command Aaron had given it before entering the Spirit World and flew towards the area in the Spirit World corresponding to Irusyl.
Astolfo floated forward at a moderate pace, while Aaron and Evelyn, in a semi-'concealed' state, followed it, flying through the Spirit World which was both real and illusory, both strange and mysterious.
Aaron chased after Astolfo, which sometimes darted forward and sometimes dropped down, traversing through the distinct and overlapping colors, passing by one indescribable, semi-hidden Spirit World creature after another, making it difficult to know how far the destination was.
During this time, Aaron explained to Evelyn the content recorded by that ancestor of the Abraham family in "Spirit World Observations":
"'Try not to make eye contact with any Spirit World creature for more than three seconds. This is considered a provocative act, unless they have already expressed a desire to communicate.'"
"'Also, don't appear fearful or nervous, as this will increase the predatory desires of certain creatures.'"
Looking at Evelyn, who had suddenly become eager to learn, Aaron suddenly remembered that the Emerald Necklace he had given to Audrey also had the ability to teleport through the Spirit World.
"'Next time I write a letter, I should also tell her about the precautions for the Spirit World, just in case.'"
Aaron continued to follow Astolfo, which was flying ahead, at a moderate speed.
After all, in essence, the Spirit World is a very dangerous place. One might encounter a terrifying demigod-level existence if they are not careful.
Aaron continued to traverse. Although the seven clear streams of light that could mark positions were always high up, covering the "sky", they could also often be seen below, to the sides, and in front or behind him.
While floating, Aaron saw Astolfo ahead suddenly contract its body and become transparent, instantly losing all its aura, as if hiding from something terrifying. If not for the special connection with his messenger, Aaron would have thought it had vanished into thin air.
Just as he was surprised that his messenger had such an ability, Aaron's heart suddenly skipped a beat, and he sharply dodged to the side.
A flash of yellow-green swept past his eyes, and a foot so large it could flatten him entirely came down, stepping into the interwoven red and blue color blocks.
Above that foot was a festering long leg dripping with yellow-green liquid, the whole exceeding three meters. Further up was a massive body wrapped in corpse oil bandages.
In the aura that nearly solidified the surroundings, those two legs dripping with yellow-green pus lifted alternately, carrying the hard-to-see body, and quickly moved away, disappearing into the depths of the Spirit World.
Aaron hid further away, feeling the soul-shaking oppressive sensation, not daring to make a sound. Having seen several Angels before, he silently exclaimed in his heart:
"An Angel, this is actually an Angel...."
After a long while, Aaron finally confirmed it was safe. While soothing the bristling Evelyn on his shoulder, he grinned and thought:
"I always feel like He's looking for something."
"This Angel's state is also a bit strange, but He should still be considered within the scope of Spirit World creatures. It's just that His consciousness seems to be unclear. Fortunately, He didn't find me, otherwise, it would have been a big problem today."
"Covered in pus, wrapped in bandages, could He be the reassembled body in the Spirit World of an Angel from a different pathway who fell in a certain epoch? But why is He in this state?"
Aaron shook his head, no longer pondering, merely silently noting down the question.
Looking around, Aaron had dodged in a panic to avoid that existence earlier, and now he couldn't quite tell where in the Spirit World he had wandered to.
However, relying on the Divination Pendant and the connection with his messenger, Aaron only took a short while to find Astolfo.
However, the messenger's state was a bit strange. The originally translucent huge eye had somehow shrunk and solidified considerably, and some disjointed patterns had appeared on its surface, seemingly trying to connect and form something.
Aaron watched for a while. Because the patterns were disjointed, he couldn't guess what they represented, but he had a premonition that once Astolfo successfully digested that Sequence 5 characteristic, the patterns would become completely connected.
Aaron, who had gained an unexpected bonus, immediately felt much better. He didn't dare to stay any longer, fearing he might encounter something else.
Perhaps his previous bad luck had run out, as there were no further incidents on the remaining journey.
Following Astolfo, he stopped at a certain area in the Spirit World. Aaron silently noted down the location information and then revealed his form.
There was no other way. Earl of East Tack Gusman Will must have written the letter to Aaron in his study, so this critical coordinate corresponded to the study.
To prevent certain unnecessary misunderstandings and being hit by his old father right after returning home, after all, the fluctuations of a Beyonder using Spirit World traversal are different from those of a messenger delivering a letter, and his father, being a demigod, would definitely be able to distinguish them.
Aaron took out the token symbolizing his identity that Valna Will had given him. He infused spirituality into it to activate the token and display his aura.
Backlund, Irusyl West District, Earl of East Tack's Manor.
On the desk in the first-floor study, several newspapers with slightly creased edges were laid out. This was clearly the result of frequent reading:
"Lord Aaron Assists Police in Solving Serial Killer Case"
"East Tack Bicycle Company Established, Lord Aaron Attends Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony"
"Lord Aaron Foils Capin's Conspiracy, Saves Numerous Innocent Citizens..."
"Lord Aaron Awarded Medal by the King..."
"Lord Aaron's Proposal to Establish the 'Kingdom Air Pollution Investigation Committee' Bill Passed in the House of Commons..."
Earl of East Tack Gusman Will smiled as he flipped through the newspapers on the desk. His usual stern expression was gone, replaced by a sense of relief and satisfaction.
Suddenly, he raised his head and looked at the corner of the study, his brow slightly furrowed. A pale flame spear appeared out of thin air.
Then, as if sensing a certain aura, a hint of surprise and unexpectedness flashed in Gusman Will's eyes. He immediately thought of something and dispersed the flame spear in his hand.
Without any visible action from him, the newspapers on the desk folded themselves neatly and jumped into an open cabinet. As the cabinet closed, Gusman Will leaned back in his chair, his face regaining its serious expression.
In the corner of the study, that area suddenly became rich in color. Aaron, with a white cat perched on his shoulder, holding a dark gold token, stepped out of the Spirit World with a chuckle.
Looking at the familiar surroundings, Aaron took a deep breath and said to Gusman Will behind the desk in a somewhat complex tone:
"Father, I'm back."
#149Chapter 149 Conversation and Warning (Two in One)
Gusman-Will's stern and serious expression softened slightly, then he gave a light cough:
"Alright, as the future heir of my East Tarc family, you must have a calm heart. Come and sit down."
Aaron nodded, straightened his clothes, walked to the desk, and casually took Evelina off his shoulder, placing her in front of Gusman-Will, and introduced her with a smile:
"Father, this is my extraordinary pet, Evelina."
"Mother and sister should have mentioned her to you when they returned from Backlund last time."
Gusman-Will hummed in acknowledgement, his large palm stroking Evelina's smooth fur, which had no trace of Noise , his lips also curving slightly upwards as he smiled and said:
"You did very well in Backlund."
"When Joseph and Reinhardt escorted that batch of sealed artifacts back from Backlund, they both praised your abilities to me."
Aaron was momentarily stunned, taking a few seconds to recall that Reinhardt was the Sequence 4 'Iron-blooded Knight' who had explored Amon's mausoleum with him back then.
At the same time, he muttered to himself:
"That old tool Joseph-Will actually praised me to Father. It seems the flattering words in the letter he sent me before were indeed his genuine feelings."
"Ah, my charm has nowhere to rest."
Not noticing Aaron's daze, Gusman-Will continued with a hint of deeper meaning:
"The things you did in Backlund afterwards have brought fame to my East Tarc family and brought many benefits."
"This has established sufficient prestige for you among the lower-ranking members of the family, laying the foundation for your future inheritance of the title."
"Perhaps in a few more years, this old man can retire early."
Aaron immediately snapped back from his thoughts and said with a chuckle:
"How can you be an old man? You are in your prime now, and retirement is still far away."
Gusman-Will smiled and shook his head, not responding to his little cub's flattery, his tone becoming much more serious:
"This is the ancestor's arrangement and has been approved within the family's high command."
He then scrutinized Aaron for a moment and continued with satisfaction:
"Very good, you are already Sequence 6, much faster than I expected."
Aaron showed a shy and innocent smile:
"Just average, this speed is only acceptable."
Gusman-Will glanced at Aaron, and only after Aaron realized something was off and dropped his innocent smile did he slowly speak:
"I think you also have a lot of talent as a Hunter. Perhaps following the Hunter pathway would lead to faster advancement."
Aaron coughed dryly, feeling that these words sounded somewhat familiar, as if someone had said something similar to him recently.
Evelina, being stroked, looked at Aaron, who was engrossed in conversation and ignoring her, and felt the oppressive presence of divinity from the hand, feeling extremely wronged.
Back in Backlund, how majestic she was as the leader of all cats. Now she could only pretend to be cute and adorable, which was simply an infringement of cat rights.
Not dwelling on the topic, Gusman-Will pondered for a moment before speaking:
"Although I am not on the Arbiter pathway, I have also communicated with the 'Law Master' of the family, well, her name is Matheuiana-Will."
"Her? A female 'Law Master'."
Aaron was not surprised by this. After all, given the extraordinary pathways the East Tarc family held, a female could only become a demigod through the Judge pathway or the Black Emperor pathway.
"Originally, Matheuiana knew you were coming back soon and wanted to talk to you in person, but there was a problem with the colony of the Loen Kingdom at the southwestern tip of the Southern Continent."
"The local resistance forces were secretly funded by the Feysac Empire, causing considerable losses to Loen. The King sent her to lead a fleet to suppress the rebellion, and it is said that the Rose School was also involved."
"That colonial area is surrounded by Feysac colonial areas, Intis colonial areas, and the undeveloped indigenous areas of West Balam. It is far from Loen's other colonial areas in the Southern Continent and is considered an enclave, making the situation extremely complex."
"Hmph, they say it's an opportunity to build merit, but only such thankless tasks seem to fall upon us."
"If a demigod of my East Tarc family were to fall there, perhaps that would be to the King's liking."
Aaron's brows furrowed upon hearing this. Gusman-Will also realized he had said a bit too much and quickly reined in the conversation, returning to the previous topic:
"Before Matheuiana left, she also entrusted me with some things to tell you."
"In her understanding, the sequence advancement of the Arbiter pathway reflects the process of gradually evolving from an agent of order to a formulator of order."
"At your current sequence level, you should already be able to vaguely perceive this."
Aaron collected his thoughts and nodded, confirming some of his previous conjectures.
Low-sequence Arbiters, Sheriffs, and even Inquisitors, who have gradually been classified as mid-sequence since the Fifth Epoch, can be said to be merely agents of order.
The essence of the Sequence 6 'Judge' extraordinary ability is to establish new rules within a certain area, where everything within the area must act according to the rules, and violating them will result in being bound by the rules.
Starting from Judge, one gradually touches upon the formulator of order or rules, and the various abilities of subsequent sequences are based on the various laws obtained during the Judge stage.
Looking at the contemplative Aaron, Gusman-Will gave him some time to think before continuing:
"Therefore, starting from Judge, the advancement rituals of the Arbiter pathway begin to gradually connect with the established order and formulated rules. The higher the sequence, the closer the connection."
"Based on the understanding of 'Law Master' and the advancement ritual, Matheuiana speculates that the subsequent Sequence 3 and even Angel level advancements will require establishing an area similar to a territory with its own established order and formulated rules in advance."
"These will take a considerable amount of time to establish, so do not be impatient for success. This is the foundation for your future advancement to higher sequences."
"It can be considered as advanced acting for the potion and advanced preparation for the ritual. Although the speed of advancement will slow down in the short term, it will be helpful for your advancement to demigod and even higher levels."
"These are also the ancestor's intentions. As for the subsequent potion formulas and rituals that the family lacks, the ancestor said that 'He' will solve them."
Aaron was listening intently, as this was advice from a high-sequence expert of his pathway, until he heard the last sentence, and he couldn't help but curl his lip.
"The ancestor will solve it for me? If 'He' could solve it, 'He' would have done so long ago, and the family's 'Law Master' stuck at Sequence 4 would have advanced to Sequence 3 long ago."
"In the end, I'll probably still have to rely on opening the treasure left by the Night Emperor."
Looking at Aaron, who was listening attentively, Gusman-Will softened his tone and said with a smile:
"As for the area in the Southern Continent you are going to, although the situation is quite complex, the family will give you the greatest possible support, and this is also the final test for you to inherit the Duke of East Tarc title."
"I believe you will not disappoint the family's expectations, right?"
Aaron was stunned for a few seconds, then after a moment of silence, he nodded firmly.
Looking at the clock on the wall, it was already close to midnight. Aaron decided to return to his room to rest first and talk more with his father about his experiences in Backlund tomorrow, and also give his mother and sister a surprise.
Just as he was about to take his leave, he heard his father say:
"Ancestor Valnar issued a secret order before, telling you to go to him as soon as you return. You don't need to prepare anything else, just hold that token, and you can pass unimpeded."
"You have been here with me for a long time. Go now."
"Don't bring your pet. I will have a servant prepare a room specifically for her."