031: He's About to "Die"

"By the way, keep an eye out for Demigod-level characteristics of the Apprentice pathway," Don instructed, having the System first isolate and appraise those Apprentice pathway traits.

This "Meatball" wasn't just an amalgamation of Beyonder characteristics—it also contained corpses and mystical items fused together in a way that allowed the System's appraisal to roughly determine the origins of the characteristics and the identities of the deceased.

"If there are any characteristics or remains belonging to Abraham family ancestors, return them to Olsen and his family."

As for Sequence 5 and 6 traits... Don skimmed the System's table and confirmed there weren't many Apprentices among them, so he had the System appraise them one by one.

After all, his friend was a member of the Abraham family, and the man had helped him a great deal.

For the rest—those whose corpses were mostly destroyed, leaving only their characteristics—there was nothing he could do.

Clapping his hands, Don stood up. After burning the parchment and disposing of the ashes, he left his room.

Servants were already awake in the castle, preparing breakfast. After some thought, Don walked to the garden carefully tended by Lady Boianca and found the wicker chair his father had once woven. He sat there quietly, watching the crimson moon set in the distance as the stars dimmed and the sun gradually rose.

'System.'

[Host, I'm here.]

'Can [Theater With Curtains That Never Draw] still be optimized?' The question suddenly occurred to him.

Sealed artifacts were mystical items formed through the spontaneous convergence of Beyonder characteristics, unprocessed by Artisan. Their negative effects were comparatively severe, far less stable than those refined by craftsmen.

Previously, similar items he'd obtained were directly broken down and reconstituted by the System before undergoing Artisan processing. However, none of those involved divinity. Even processing Sequence 4 characteristics of the Undying caused varying degrees of mutation—handling a Sequence 2 Miracle Invoker's artifact would be even more challenging.

[It can be optimized.]

The System's reply surprised him.

'You can't even handle Sequence 4 characteristics without issues, can you?' He'd only asked offhandedly, not expecting the "Artisan" module to be capable of this.

Even if forced, there was an 80% chance of mutation.

[There's one condition that would allow processing.]

[The Meatball contains characteristics of a Sequence 4 "Alchemist."]

The System adopted a "Now that you've asked, I won't hide it anymore" tone. [After retrieval, the "Artisan" module's grade will correspondingly improve. Processing a Sequence 2 artifact will still be difficult, but much more manageable than now.]

Don: "Ah."

So this was the trap.

Now that he thought about it, whether it was the Mystery Pryer or the Reader pathways, the System never refused potions, mystical items, or corresponding Beyonder creatures from these sequences.

[After separating the marionette [Meatball]'s Beyonder characteristics, submit the Sequence 4 "Alchemist" characteristic of the Savant pathway?]

[Yes/YES.]

Don: "..."

"What if I say no?"

[Can't process it then~ Most likely will result in more negative effects~]

Scheming System. An overt conspiracy.

He gave the System an internationally recognized gesture of goodwill and clicked confirm.

'Do you want the remaining mid-to-low sequence characteristics?'

[Sequence 4 is the qualitative leap.]

In short: nice to have, but not essential.

"Then I'll keep them." He might be able to cultivate a few Artisans in the real world with these.

Relying solely on the System left him perpetually short on Artisan module charges.

The System was stingy.

The remaining spoils included:

Twelve demigod-tier Beyonder characteristics

Numerous mid-to-low sequence characteristics

One Bizarro Sorcerer characteristic

One Sequence 4 Demon

One Sequence 3 Warmonger Bishop marionette

Multiple mid-to-low sequence marionettes

A group of ordinary human marionettes

One Miracle Invoker sealed artifact

Plus various mystical items carried by the theater's marionettes

Oh, and one Black Knight characteristic. His father probably wouldn't want it—a bit of whining might secure it for him.

Excluding what went to the System, if he had no use for the two marionettes later, they could also be broken down for characteristics.

Fifteen demigod-tier characteristics plus one angel-level artifact.

This was his total haul.

Frankly, it was substantial—but the risks had been equally enormous.

Without the System, he wouldn't have taken such chances.

"At the end, if the theater had opted for a marionette swarm instead of trying to control us, I would've activated the knowledge Olsen and I provided."

He'd planted hidden triggers, though hadn't detonated them.

For the future Rosselle, who proposed steam engine principles, this probably wouldn't be a pleasant experience.

Being hunted down and beaten by animated knowledge? The mental image nearly made Don laugh.

Luck had played a role too.

He sighed inwardly, giving a silent thumbs-up to "The Celestial Worthy Who Holds Luck."

The Seer pathway had its ties to fate.

Facing the sunrise, Don stood from the wicker chair and spotted Owen approaching.

"Rare sight," Owen remarked, sounding almost proud. "You actually got out of bed this early."

Don: "...Your legs don't hurt anymore?"

Who was it that got strung up like cured meat yesterday?

Oh right—you.

Owen gave Don's back a hearty slap, nearly knocking him over.

Before his brother could retaliate, he said, "I feel like Father seems... off."

"Of course he's off." Don sat back down. "My advice: don't ask, don't think."

Even if they did, there was nothing they could do. The Death God's contingency measures were beyond their paygrade.

Owen took a seat as well. "His emotions feel colder—almost indifferent. Though it hasn't been long since his return, this feeling is much stronger than before."

An unnatural aura, transcending humanity, more akin to a deity overlooking the mortal realm.

He looked at Don, aware his younger brother harbored many secrets, and finally murmured his name: "Don."

"We can't fix it." Don gazed toward the sun, his expression turning nearly frosty. "Owen, what's Sequence 4 of the Death pathway called?"

Sequence 4 of the Death pathway—Undying. Dying and reviving repeatedly, losing and regaining memories in an endless cycle.

Death wasn't the end.

The Death Consul, who'd sacrificed half his soul, now existed in this state.

And...

He was about to "die."

Don had noticed it sooner than Owen. The warmth in their father's eyes had mostly faded.

Though still gentle, still carrying a father's affection when looking at them...

The Death Consul's divinity was relentlessly eroding his humanity. Don couldn't say how much longer this balance would hold, but it wouldn't be long.

"So grow stronger. Quickly."

Perhaps only by becoming a Death God could this be resolved.

(End of Chapter)