Inspection

Ebner's mind was instantly flooded with various legends, stories, and films featuring the sword, mirror, and seal—some from Huaxia, others from foreign cultures.

Yet, when these three items appeared together, they almost always served as symbols or keys—either used to seal some monster or to awaken an existence…

Could this be a manifestation of "Mysticism"? Is that why these tropes are so eerily similar across different cultures?

Of course, it might also be a ritual requirement… I remember that when Roselle advanced from Sequence 2 to Sequence 1, he jumped to the Mystery Pryer pathway and became the "Knowledge Emperor."

And the sword, mirror, and seal are all objects that symbolize authority—representing emperors and kings… When brought together, they might also carry the "Mysticism" knowledge I previously speculated existed before the First Epoch…

Too bad I've never seen the "Hermit" card before. The original work didn't mention the ritual needed to advance to "Knowledge Emperor" either… Otherwise, I could confirm my theory immediately.

As Ebner's thoughts drifted, Leon shook his massive head and said,

"I don't know why Roselle created those three artifacts either… But I have a gut feeling that the Calamity Seal had another motive when it encouraged him to do it. That guy is best at scheming!"

The Calamity Seal and Roselle had different goals for those three artifacts? Hmm… That's quite possible. After all, the Calamity Seal seemed to know early on that more transmigrators would arrive and that it would eventually 'die'…

It makes sense that it had its own plans! I bet Roselle wasn't entirely unaware of this—he probably allowed it to happen.

But Leon, you sure sound resentful when talking about the Calamity Seal! I've never heard you mention it ever deceiving you… Could it be that you're just jealous that it was more favored by His Majesty?

After pondering for a moment, Ebner asked Leon a few more questions. But once he confirmed that the lion truly had nothing else to share, he let the matter drop.

By then, the clock's hands had already pointed to eleven. Since breakfast had been eaten late, neither Ebner nor Jane was hungry at all. They decided against staying at the club until lunch and instead hired a carriage to head toward the villa in the dock district, where Closfia and Dunn were staying.

Sitting inside the carriage, Jane recalled that she would be exploring the ruins with Ebner that evening. So, she briefly introduced the extraordinary items she carried.

"I currently have six extraordinary items, four of which I keep on me, while my secret puppet, 'Wraith' Steve, carries the other two.

"The ones I carry include the Death Ring I obtained from 'Admiral Hell' Ludwell, the 'Necromancer Iron Plaque' passed down from my ancestors, the 'Secret Puppet Gloves' used to control Steve, and the 'Cursed Scythe' you made for me.

"The Death Ring allows me to command and control most spirit-related entities below demigod level. It can also amplify necromantic abilities and spells.

"My ancestor's iron plaque also grants authority over spirits. It can even store numerous souls inside and release them when needed to assist in battle… Moreover, it suppresses Beyonders of the 'Corpse Collector' pathway. Those below demigod level can barely resist its influence, and even true demigods would find it quite a hindrance.

"When used together with the Death Ring, its effects become even more potent.

"The Secret Puppet Gloves are purely for controlling Steve and don't have any other functions… As for the Cursed Scythe, well, you're the one who made it…"

She paused for a moment before continuing, "As for the two items Steve carries, both were obtained from the 'Rose School' chieftain who was hunting me. After Princess Bruna killed him, she gifted both his corpse and his belongings to me as a greeting gift.

"One of them is a longsword imbued with the 'Reaper' ability. However, its negative effects are severe, and only a wraith like Steve can wield it for extended periods.

"The other is a necklace crafted using the 'Instigator' trait. It possesses abilities like 'Charm' and 'Persuasion'… But I don't like it, so I let my secret puppet use it instead."

She hesitated slightly, then added, "Speaking of which, that Rose School chieftain not only left behind two extraordinary items but also had two Sequence 5-level Beyonder characteristics.

"One was his own 'Wraith' trait, which I traded with Miss Sharon.

"The other came from a 'Disciplinary Paladin'—an MI9 colonel he killed in the labyrinth. Do you… or rather, does Miss Xio need it?"

Jane knew that Xio had already advanced to Judge, which was why she had kept that Beyonder characteristic on hand all this time…

Ebner thought about Xio's current financial situation. Even if she sold the Zombie characteristic she had obtained from the "Daniel Labyrinth," the shortfall would still be significant.

He initially considered buying it on Xio's behalf, but after calculating his own assets, he realized that after setting aside money to fund Leon's newspaper, he was actually stretched quite thin. After all, a Sequence 5 Beyonder characteristic was worth at least 10,000 pounds—and that was when one could even find a buyer!

Fortunately, I still have the Beyonder gatherings in Bayam as a steady source of income. Plus, I can sell a few time-limited artifacts every now and then… If everything goes well, I might be able to gather enough funds after the New Year.

"Can you hold onto the characteristic for now? I'll check with her later," Ebner asked after some thought.

"No problem. If she ever wants it, she can come find me for an exchange anytime," Jane replied with a smile, as if gaining some psychological advantage.

Ebner then briefly mentioned the extraordinary items he carried, including Lilith's Tears, the Ring of Light, and the Puppet Strings that allowed him to control spirits. However, when it came to the Cursed Tudor Emblem, a demigod-level item he used as a trump card, he kept the details vague.

As they were chatting, the carriage suddenly came to a stop and didn't move forward for some time.

Ebner glanced at his watch and frowned.

He had taken this route to Closfia and Dunn's villa multiple times before. The journey typically took between an hour and a half to two hours…

But now, they had only been on the road for just under an hour—clearly, they hadn't arrived yet.

Sensing the situation, Jane withdrew the spiritual blockade around the carriage and asked the coachman what was happening. The answer came back quickly:

"Police checkpoint. They're searching for a suspect."

A checkpoint? Did something happen in Indore last night while I was advancing to Mysticism Magister?

Ebner picked up the newspaper that the club had thoughtfully prepared for its VIP guests and skimmed through it. However, he didn't find any reports of serious incidents.

That means it's not just the police… No, this must be the official Beyonders from the Church of the God of Combat screening people heading toward the dock district. Are they trying to prevent any Beyonders from heading offshore tonight?

Even as he speculated, Ebner wasn't too worried about himself. His current identity had been verified by the Church of Earth Mother, and he was staying at the most prestigious club in the city—he had nothing to fear from an inspection.

But what about Jane? Her identity wasn't exactly legitimate…

With that thought, Ebner turned to Jane, only to see her give him a reassuring smile. Then, she reached into her Iron Plaque and drew out a special spirit, letting it envelop her body…

In an instant, her presence faded to the point where even without opening the Pure White Eye, she was nearly impossible to detect.

I totally forgot Jane had a spirit like that… Ebner thought to himself. Now that I think about it, her ancestor—the senior transmigrator who once held the title of "Death Consul"—really did leave behind quite a few useful artifacts!

With that thought, he quietly waited for the inspection to begin.

Before long, the carriage door swung open, and a young woman stepped inside. She had a healthy tan, wore a uniform with a sword at her waist, and carried a bottle of liquor in one hand.

Her gaze swept across the carriage, and without thinking, she ignored Jane's seat entirely. Instead, she took the seat right next to her, as if she didn't even realize Jane was there. Then, she turned to Ebner and said,

"Your identification, please."

As he retrieved his papers, Ebner discreetly studied the official Beyonder sitting across from him. It only took him a moment to recognize her—she was one of the two women he had seen outside the hot spring inn a few days ago.

Back then, I only "backtracked" the conversation between that red-haired girl, Nasali, and her teacher. This woman's presence was just a passing detail… But I do recall that Nasali called her by name…

Right, she should be called Siltana.

Ebner wasn't staring out of curiosity or attraction—it was because now that he was seeing her up close, he suddenly noticed something uncanny about her features.

She bore a striking resemblance to Mr. Azik, just with softer facial features…

Moreover, just below her right ear, she had a small black mole.

(End of Chapter)