Chapter 12: Secret Transcendent Gathering

"You are a Military Nun, primarily skilled in Mechanical repairs and healing, right?" Aske stated sternly, "I have two bloodlines: 'Life Songster' and 'Mechanical Artisan.'"

"Snort." Medea snickered through her nose, those names sounded made-up.

"Life Songster, which allows free manipulation of Life Bodies and Spiritual Bodies, corresponding to your healing skills," Aske explained rapidly, "The Magic Potion Sequence is Life I—Spirit Body I—Will I—Mind I—Life II—Spirit Body II—Life III—Spirit Body III—Life IV—Spirit Body IV."

Medea: ...?

"Mechanical Artisan, automatically masters knowledge related to material mechanics, power energy, and numerical control, excelling in the production and repair of firearms, ammunition, and other mechanical vehicle equipment; the Magic Potion Sequence is Projection I—Mechanical I—Power I—Numerical Control I—Mechanical II—Power II—Numerical Control II—Mechanical III—Power III—Numerical Control III," Aske summarized, "If you want to focus on healing, choose 'Life Songster'; if on mechanics, choose 'Mechanical Artisan.'"

I knew some of those Magic Potion Sequences.… Wait, how does he know them? He's just level0! Could what he's saying about the bloodlines be true? Medea was shocked. No way! If it's true, this secret knowledge is worth a fortune! Even mentioning it outdoors could result in immediate arrest by the Church, with the principle of 'better kill wrongfully than let go,' and be squeezed for knowledge till death! And he just disclosed it so casually in front of all of us?

"Um, Mr. Aske, could you repeat that?" Nora asked shyly, "You spoke too quickly, I couldn't note it down."

"Not possible," Aske said with a smile. He had revealed that knowledge merely to quickly crush any arrogance and establish enough team prestige. Seeing Medea completely befuddled, he strategically chose to withhold further information, "These are precious secrets, not to be repeated."

Damn! Medea was so frustrated she almost flipped the table, barely managing to conceal her true feelings. If it's not to be said, why did you say it!? And since you did, why can't you say it again?!

"Do you know the bloodline route for an Enchanting Demon?" she asked urgently, suppressing her dissatisfaction.

"'Enchanting Demon' is an ancient term from the Third Epoch," Aske said leisurely, "Actually, it consists of two routes. One is the Abyssal Enchanting Demon route, mainly Flames, Desire, and Chaos; the other is the Purgatory Demon route, primarily Flames, Desire, Mind, and Conspiracy."

So Miss Medea is on the Purgatory Demon route? The other three girls present quickly caught on and stared at Medea. Medea, initially cold and disdainful, was now visibly excited.

He really knows! He really knows! Medea screamed excitedly in her mind, trying hard to keep her tone from seeming too urgent and rude: "What about the specific Magic Potion order?"

"You've already taken Flame I and Mind I," Aske said, "Next would be Desire I and Conspiracy I."

"Yes, of course. The_Stable_Path, first collect all Sequence I," Medea nodded repeatedly, unintentionally revealing a respectful demeanor, and asked softly, "What are the upper limits for these four sequences? I'm willing to pay a certain price for this answer."

"No need to pay a price, I can tell you," Aske, seeing her completely persuaded, smiled slightly and replied, "Conspiracy I, Mind II, Flames III, Desire IV."

"Desire is the main sequence?" Medea paused, surprised, "Not Mind?"

"Think carefully about what constitutes an Enchanting Demon's lineage," Aske guided her, "Firstly, an Enchanting Demon itself is Desire, second is the Purgatory trait which is Flames, and then the Devil. However, 'Devil' is a broad racial designation, encompassing many races including Enchanting Demons. Do the Mind or Conspiracy sequences qualify to represent the essence of all Devils?"

"I see," Medea murmured, as if a puzzle that had long troubled her was solved, she was enlightened, "I see."

What do you even understand?! The other three girls internally wept. From the moment Medea asked her question, the conversation between the two was incomprehensible, leaving everyone feeling culturally inadequate.

"What about the specific Magic Potion Recipe?" Medea asked, clinging to her last hope.

"Of course, I don't remember," Aske said, "Ten kinds of Magic Potions in one route, how could I possibly remember each recipe?"

"Alright." That was expected for Medea. However, even just getting the complete Purgatory Demon Bloodline and Magic Potion combination was already a great gain for her. After all, it's harder to find a specific recipe when you don't even know what you're looking for!

This Aske guy, he's like a treasure trove of secret knowledge! Could he really be from some secret, transcendent family? The Achilles family, the Achilles family... Medea indulged in delightful daydreams, almost drooling. If true, this is a golden opportunity; I must hold on tight and never let go.

From today, I am a staunch member of this team! Goodbye, father and mother! Goodbye, Seljuk, my homeland!

Regardless of how Medea internally reconciled herself with her job, family, and homeland, Nora finally made up her mind:

"I've decided, I want to choose 'Life Songster.'"

"Smart choice," Aske nodded, pleased that the girl at least remembered that she had been chosen for the team as a healer, "The first Magic Potion for the 'Life Songster' route is Life I; you can look for that recipe."

"Okay," Nora nodded.

"And you, Eleanor?" Aske turned to ask, "What kind of bloodline do you want?"

"Can I choose too?" Eleanor was somewhat excited, "Is there anything suitable for a knight?"

"Crusader bloodline, Justice Order camp, very strong defensive power, and a significant boost in will," Aske said, "The other is the Royal Guard bloodline, which is more balanced in terms of offense and defense."

"I choose the Crusader," Eleanor immediately responded.

"Crusader bloodline, your first magic potion is Justice X, you should pay attention to the recipe," Aske said.

"X?" Nora asked curiously, "Shouldn't it be Sequence I?"

"Some special sequences exist only as X," Medea answered for Aske, "X is also known as the Foundation Sequence, usually placed as the first in the bloodline route, providing Transcendents with some powerful passive enhancements."

"I see," Nora noted fervently again.

"Peggy," Aske eventually said, "Between the two Blood Clan routes we discussed last time, 'Blood Moon Hunter' and 'Lord of Filth,' which one do you plan to choose?"

"Lord of Filth," Peggy answered, "Is the second potion 'Life Stealing'?"

"That's correct," Aske said somewhat surprised. Since the name "Lord of Filth" was not very appealing, generally, female players did not choose this bloodline route, yet Peggy seemed particularly fond of it.

"Mr. Aske..." Nora raised her hand to ask another question.

"Just call me Aske," Aske said gently, "What's your question?"

"How do we obtain the specific magic potion recipes?" Nora inquired.

I'm used to asking on forums... Aske pushed back the words that sprang to his lips and sighed:

"It's all down to luck. You can attend some unofficial secret Transcendent gatherings or join certain Transcendent organizations to exchange for recipes."

"Speaking of secret Transcendent gatherings, I actually know of a few," Medea volunteered, "There's one tonight."

......

Constantinople, modeled after Ancient Solomon's "Seven Hills City," marked out seven mountain peaks within the city, named from the First Mountain to the Seventh Mountain.

Since transportation up the mountains was inconvenient, these seven peaks were not fully commercially developed and were well-covered with green vegetation, serving as a popular spot for city residents to cool off in summer. Naturally, many secret meetings also preferred to convene in the mountains. If discovered by the Church, everyone would scatter and dive into the woods, with most managing to escape. It wouldn't be the same in the city, where ancient technology cameras littered the streets.

The secret Transcendent meeting Medea mentioned was on the Seventh Mountain. It was close to the inner district walls of Constantinople, thus not very populous.

They got on the "Middle Street" subway line, passed through "Tao Li Square Station" and "Povis Square Station," and alighted at "Golden Gate Station," then proceeded towards the Seventh Mountain.

Being a natural high point next to the city walls, the Seventh Mountain was once an important military restricted area in Constantinople during the Third Epoch. It was demilitarized after the Ancient Solomon Empire dominated the continent in the Fourth Epoch, so they could still see some abandoned sentry posts and watchtowers along the way.

The meeting venue was a summer villa located in the mountains. After nearly an hour of trekking on the mountain road, they reached the entrance of the manor. Arriving at the front desk, Medea knocked three times on the counter casually and said with a pre-prepared coded phrase:

"I'd like a card room to pass some time."

"We don't have a card room," the responsive desk clerk said with a smile, "We only have a large conference room, but it's been rented for a costume ball."

"Can we join?" Medea asked.

"Of course, the host welcomes anyone," the clerk waved his hand, "How many of you? The masks and costumes are in the room on the right hand."

"5 people," Medea said.

The clerk's gaze swept over Aske and the others, immediately appearing somewhat skeptical. Transcendents, due to their need for secrecy, found it hard to trust each other, hence they mostly preferred to keep to themselves. Occasionally, two who were close might attend a gathering together. Three was already rare, but five... Could they be from some secretive organization out on a mission? Could it be members of the Church?!

"Three of my friends are ordinary people," Medea quickly explained, noticing the spark of suspicion in the clerk's spirit, an orange hue emerging, through her Mind Vision. "I brought them to see if there's a chance for them to start."

"I see," the clerk, apparently also equipped with items like Spirit Light for identification, checked and knew she was telling the truth; thus, no issues arose, "Yes, dancing is an activity that requires skill and knowledge. After changing into your masks in the changing room, you can pass through the door next to the cabinet."

Thus, the five of them passed the counter and entered the changing room on the right. Just upon entering, Medea sniffed and told the others:

"This room has arrays set up against spying and divination... Everyone find a mask and a hooded robe, and then we'll need to disguise ourselves."