15

The blood-stained white feather with light yellow oil slowly floated to Faust Ellen's forehead and directly merged into it. His wooden, dull, and emotionless eyes instantly became sharp.

Everyone present felt as if they were frozen in an instant, having the illusion of becoming corpses.

Anthony Uss stiffly raised his fingers, signaling everyone to retreat. After everyone had left, he recounted the cooperation request made by King of the Undead Kalatman in detail from beginning to end.

#156Chapter 156 Hermes's Answer (Two in One)

In an atmosphere of oppressive terror, Anthony Uss finished recounting the events and waited for the Saint's decision.

Faoss Eren was silent for a moment, then spoke as if reminiscing:

"Those blasphemers of the Artificial Death God faction are trying to emulate the 'Hermit of Disguise' and create a new Death God themselves."

"The former Great Archpriest of the Death God Church, Haital, who has disappeared, is also the current controller of the Artificial Death God faction."

"Later, thanks to the Artificial Death God project, He became an Angel, which made Him even more fanatical about this plan."

"If it weren't for the existence of the 'Pale Empress' making Him cautious, coupled with the severe erosion He suffered during a certain ritual, which currently prevents Him from leaving His mausoleum lest He directly lose control. If not for this, He would probably have wanted to devour us long ago."

Anthony Uss's pupils constricted greatly. This was the first time he had heard such inside information. As he was lost in thought, he heard Faoss Eren continue:

"However, in recent years, the Artificial Death God faction seems to have made some progress. The 'God' they speak of seems to have awakened a little, giving birth to many byproducts of the Artificial Death God project."

Speaking of this, the corner of Faoss Eren's mouth seemed to curl slightly, and he said with a mocking tone:

"The most successful product is arguably Patrick Brain. That fool actually thought he was rescued by members of the Spirit Sect and survived after receiving the grace of that 'God' in a ritual."

"In fact, the Artificial Death God faction originally only intended to use him as a sacrifice or material for a certain ritual. As a result, their attempt, which was inherently uncertain, produced an accident."

"The uniqueness left by the 'Death God' developed a preliminary instinct, or some other change occurred, causing Patrick Brain to survive and establish a certain connection with the so-called Artificial Death God, with both his spirit and body tainted by something special."

"So he has always been watched by Haital. If you ever encounter him in the future, you must be careful. Hmph, he is also a fanatic."

Anthony Uss's mouth slightly opened, and information quickly surfaced in his mind:

Patrick Brain, achieved "Undead" 7 years ago, is one of the three Saints of the Spirit Sect's Artificial Death God faction.

Unexpectedly, he, who was already a demigod and held a transcendent position, was also experimental material and was never truly considered a member of the Spirit Sect's Artificial Death God faction.

Looking at the slightly stunned Anthony Uss, Faoss Eren sighed:

"The internal factions of the Spirit Sect are constantly vying for power. The Royal Family faction has always been eyeing our smaller factions, and the Artificial Death God faction has been making moves in recent years."

"We do need helpers, but you must always remember one thing. External forces are always external forces; they can be obtained, and they can be lost."

"I will provide you with the necessary assistance, and I hope you can become the second Saint of our Slumbering faction."

Anthony Uss bowed his head respectfully and responded solemnly:

"I will not fail the Saint..."

-----------------

Looking at the amiable Hermes in front of him, Aaron couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth:

"I just came to collect my spoils of war, how did I run into this person? I don't have any high-level items from the Spectator pathway on me."

Looking at this young man whose mind was even shrouded in a dense dark gold mist, Hermes smiled, and two chairs instantly appeared on the barren isolated island.

Seeing this Angel sit down casually, Aaron had no choice but to follow suit and sat down somewhat awkwardly.

"No need to be nervous. I cannot pry into your thoughts, only see a layer of mist. If I continue to force my way in, I'm afraid there will be some unpleasant consequences."

Hermes smiled, his posture relaxed, without the airs of an Angel, and at the same time hinted meaningfully:

"At most, it will be like the previous dream, where through the guidance of the dream, you will reveal yourself."

Aaron breathed a sigh of relief, noting this point. Connecting it to the previous events, he no longer deliberately suppressed his thoughts, and his brain worked rapidly.

"The information Hermes revealed through the dream before is very interesting. Those things haven't happened yet, but they are logical, like something about to happen."

"It sounds like a prophecy. Is this also one of the abilities of Sequence 2 'Observer'? Or is it information obtained from the Twilight Hermit Order?"

"Is it a kind reminder? Or is it part of a trap?"

Aaron hesitated a little, looking at the always smiling Hermes, pretending to be completely ignorant, and slowly spoke:

"Why did you think that Ancestor Varnal's condition was extremely poor before?"

Hermes sized Aaron up and down and chuckled:

"At the end of the Fourth Epoch, during the Pale Disaster, Varnal, who had already become an Angel, paid the price of severe injury and near madness to seize a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact belonging to the Witch Sect at that time."

"Later, during the disastrous defeat in Loen's 'Twenty Years War', a Sequence 3 'Bishop of War' from the East Tack family was severely wounded by an Angel from the Feysac Empire."

"That was nearly a thousand years ago. That 'Bishop of War' has been missing ever since, whether he fell into slumber to delay his injuries or has already perished and become a Sealed Artifact is unknown."

"Even if he fell into slumber, except for those few special pathways, a demigod's lifespan is at most 1000 years, and they will inevitably age and die."

"And that 'Bishop of War' is Varnal's son, and also the core of Varnal's previous demigod advancement ritual. Heh heh, there is a special characteristic or rather a flaw after becoming a demigod in the Red Priest pathway."

Aaron's pupils slightly constricted, and he almost blurted out: "Anchor?"

Immediately, his heart trembled, and he suppressed the unusual emotion in his heart, quickly stopping his words. Looking at the always smiling Hermes in front of him, who made people want to confide in him, he thought to himself:

"This should be one of the inherent characteristics of high-level beings in the Spectator pathway. I must be careful and absolutely not let anything slip."

Hermes smiled and nodded, not paying attention to Aaron's small movements.

"That's right, the stronger you are, the more important your anchor is. Such an anchor being severely injured or even dying is adding insult to injury for Varnal's condition."

"This is also why Varnal signed a contract with William Augustus I of Loen at that time. His condition was at its worst."

"Many high-level beings speculated that He wouldn't last long, but He still hasn't perished to this day. This is the fundamental reason why many existences are curious about His condition now."

Aaron slightly lowered his head, suppressing the emotions in his heart. He had seen Varnal, and his condition was surprisingly good, completely unlike what Hermes had said.

For Hermes to think his condition was extremely poor indicates that Ancestor Varnal was indeed severely injured at that time, to the point where even Angels were somewhat helpless. And to fully recover in less than a thousand years, there is only one possibility.

Varnal, who secretly became a Blessed of the Evernight, received the help of the Evernight Goddess and secretly recovered to normal.

Without continuing to ponder, Aaron raised his head again and asked tentatively:

"The demigod in the Spectator pathway you mentioned in the dream you wove?"

Hermes didn't act like an Angel, but more like a knowledgeable and kind teacher, and said in a gentle tone:

"That is a member of the Psychology Alchemists' Council, but that is just one identity that has been separated."

Psychology Alchemists... George III...

A flash of lightning crossed his mind. Combining the hints in the dream with Hermes's explanation, Aaron finally confirmed the idea in his heart.

And this also made him recall the problem he had overlooked before. Neither George III nor Adam were ready to become gods.

Starting a war prematurely now was not their demand, which was why Aaron hadn't thought so much at first.

But combined with the final hint in the dream, after the appearance of Prince Grove carrying a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact, this sudden war also came to an abrupt end and did not trigger a larger war.

This made Aaron realize that from beginning to end, the essence of this sudden Southern Continent war was to force Varnal to act and test his true condition.

And the one capable and motivated to do so was only George III.

After all, not everyone wanted Him to achieve Black Emperor, and having an unknown hostile Angel would also make people feel uneasy if they put themselves in His shoes.

The corner of Aaron's mouth curled slightly, unable to tell whether it was mockery or sneer, and he sighed in his heart:

"What a good plan, George not only tested the ancestor's condition but also did not lose the colony, and incidentally consumed the family's strength."

"That 'Iron-Blooded Knight' from the Einhorn family also obtained the opportunity to complete his advancement ritual."

"Heh heh, it's truly a win-win solution."

Having understood, Aaron stood up, bowed to this Angel, and asked the last question:

"Why are you helping me like this?"

Hermes remained seated in his chair, his smile unchanged:

"The first time I saw you, I felt you were very much like a friend of mine. He was as mysterious as you, but you are more composed and know more than he did at the same time."

"It's just a pity that He has already perished. I hope you can go further with His help."

"The tide of the era is coming, and the apocalypse is not far in the future..."

"He? Perished, does that mean Roselle?" As this thought arose in Aaron's mind, his consciousness became momentarily blurred.

When he opened his eyes again, the subconscious sea and the spiritual sky had disappeared. Aaron looked around, hugged the brown box in his arms tightly, took out a dark gold charm from his pocket, and threw it towards the second floor.

This was a disturbance charm that Aaron had made by responding to himself above the dark gold mist, which could disrupt any potential subsequent searches and investigations.

After confirming that his condition was normal again, Aaron activated Spirit World Traversal. He was somewhat impatient to return to Irusil to verify some of his conjectures.

-----------------

The southernmost tip of the Southern Continent, the indigenous area of East Balam.

Near the southern coast, there is a huge canyon spanning hundreds of kilometers, which the natives call the Ferrying Abyss.

Legend has it that many years ago, black river water flowed here, and the creatures in the areas it flowed through would slowly wither and fall into the embrace of the Death God, as if they were crossing the river of death inch by inch.

After the Death God Church was eliminated, the entire Ferrying Abyss was shrouded in dense black smoke, looking like a giant abyss from a distance.

Patrick Brain grew white feathers stained with light yellow grease on his back, held an ancient token from the Balam Empire period, and followed the pull, passing through the eerie black smoke.

He arrived at an unusually large, entirely black mausoleum that was embedded in the ground upside down, like an overturned pyramid.

Around this mausoleum, a city with even more characteristics of the ancient Balam Empire was built. Ghost fires surrounded the city, and pale lights flickered everywhere, replacing the sun.

The city was divided into two parts by a black river. Walking on the streets were not only living people but also rotten corpses and countless vengeful spirits and phantoms.

This was the headquarters of the Spirit Sect's Artificial Death God faction - Manuel, where the "City of the Living" and the "City of the Dead" faced each other across the river, forming a complete picture of life and death.

Patrick Brain stopped at the entrance of the huge mausoleum. A gray-robed woman with obvious Balam blood turned her head, her lifeless gray eyes fixed on Patrick: "Follow me to meet the Great Archpriest."

After speaking, she ignored Patrick and walked directly towards the mausoleum. Patrick showed no discomfort at being treated so coldly.

Because the person who had just spoken was Flora Tristan, the spokesperson of the Great Archpriest Haital, a Sequence 3 "Ferryman."

Silently following behind this lady, descending continuously along the passage and stairs, in a completely silent environment, he showed no impatience or unease, letting the sound of footsteps echo around him.

Until a river suddenly appeared before them, a illusory and dark river.

Flora's gray eyes shifted slightly, and a hint of pleasure appeared on her delicate but lifeless face.

Beneath the surface of the river, countless skinless bloody arms, green vines with baby faces growing on them, and slippery tentacles with eyes were densely packed together, constantly leaping upwards, lifting a black and red boat from the river.

Patrick's eyebrows twitched slightly, suppressing the faint sense of crisis conveyed by his spiritual intuition, and followed Flora onto the "Ferrying Boat."

At the edge of the river near the entrance, figures of varying heights and wearing old clothes were standing with their backs to the two, walking back and forth, seemingly troubled about how to cross the river.

Suddenly, they all slowly turned to look at Patrick, revealing faces that were unusually numb. They were all people who had sacrificed their lives for the Artificial Death God project.

"As long as the God awakens from slumber, your sacrifices will be rewarded with God's grace and eternal life in God's kingdom..."

Patrick's eyes became frenzied, and he kept muttering. Flora, in front of the "Ferrying Boat," curled the corner of her mouth and said nothing.

The "Ferrying Boat" sailed across the illusory black water, leaving a long wake, and arrived in front of an altar. On it was placed a heavy coffin wrapped in white feathers, surrounded by pale skulls.

Some of these hideous white skulls came from humans, some belonged to animals, and some were extremely strange and deformed, making it impossible to imagine their original appearance.

Patrick felt a momentary trance, and his spirituality seemed to be drawn by some homologous power, as if he saw nearly illusory black tubes extending from the deep, dense, evil, and cold boundless black mist, plunging directly into the coffin.

In just an instant, this scene disappeared. Patrick shook his head, suppressing the doubts in his heart, and quickly walked towards the altar.

Standing in front of the coffin, Patrick lowered his head and chanted in a language that seemed to originate from the underworld:

"King of the depths of hell;

"Angel who plays the symphony of death;

"Ruler above the River Styx."

Chapter 157 Family Secrets (Two in One)

As Patrick Brayne chanted, the various skulls surrounding the deep black coffin gradually took on a layer of eerie green, which blended with their original white, creating an extremely chilling sensation.

The sound, seemingly originating from the Underworld, echoed continuously. The skulls floated up one by one, as if possessing their own vitality.

Then, they flew towards the heavy, pitch-black coffin in a chaotic yet orderly manner, passing through the lid as if without substance and entering inside.

The coffin instantly transformed into a deep, insatiable vortex, expanding in place, emitting an aura that was cold, sinister, and lofty, causing Patrick Brayne to instinctively tremble and lower his head.

This was the aura of an Angel, a 'Death Consul'!

Within the deep vortex formed by the black coffin, an ancient, cold voice, which seemed to make souls want to leave their bodies, emerged:

"Go to Backlund, spread the faith of the deity, and collect clues about the various things the deity left behind."

"Lead the loyal believers and continue to attempt to awaken the deity. You are the host of the action and a core element of the ritual."

Patrick Brayne didn't question Archpriest Hital's words, nor was he surprised about going to Backlund, because the other party was a favored one of the deity, an agent of the deity!

He respectfully nodded and said:

"I will keep the deity's teachings in mind.

"May every spirit live eternally in the deity's kingdom!"

As he spoke, he used the current prayer stance of the Artificial Death God faction of the Spirit World Cult: raising both hands, thumbs touching, placed against the center of the forehead.

—In the relevant mystical theories, this is the core of the Underworld within every 'Gatekeeper', representing the position of the Death God.

After Brayne finished speaking, the ancient, cold voice sounded again:

"That will be all for today. If you have anything else, contact Flora Tristan; she will meet your requirements."

"Yes, Your Eminence Archpriest," Patrick Brayne rose, bowed, and retreated to the edge of the altar.

The "Ferry Boat" slowly emerged on the illusory black water. Patrick stepped onto it alone, the pale light tinged with eerie green gradually fading. The "Ferry Boat" eventually disappeared into the darkness, as if it had never appeared.

Seeing Patrick leave, Flora Tristan, who had been standing in silent solemnity, spoke faintly:

"Archpriest, might it be inappropriate to send him to Backlund? There are several major Churches and the Loen Royal Family there."

This demigod hadn't done anything yet, but her words alone made the surroundings even colder, as if countless unseen beings were reveling.

A sigh came from the coffin:

"'Uniqueness' activation has recently stagnated. Relying on ordinary sacrifices is no longer sufficient to accelerate the process."

"More fitting rituals, however, would cause unknown changes. The last change caused me to slumber in the mausoleum until now, still unable to leave."

"But for the deity to awaken faster, some risks are necessary. Even if something unexpected truly happens, we can still destroy Backlund."

-----------------

Ilsede, East Tack Manor.

Aaron's expression was somewhat solemn. After returning from the Spirit World to reality, he first confirmed the current location of his father, Guzman Wall.

Through exchanged telegrams, it was finally confirmed that Guzman was currently in Connaught City in Desi Bay.

That place not only has a large port but is also the closest Loen mainland naval base to the West Balam colony on the Southern Continent.

Unlike 'Order Mages', 'Iron-blooded Knights' can establish hidden connections with the military, concentrating the power of an entire fleet upon themselves and unleashing terrifying strength.

However, both military deployment and fleet arrangement require a certain amount of time, so Guzman was still in Connaught City and had not yet officially departed for the Southern Continent.

After understanding the situation, his previously somewhat anxious state of mind finally calmed down. Regardless of why Hermes showed goodwill, the information He revealed must be taken seriously.

With the token granted by Warner, Aaron easily entered the underground hall of the ancestral tower.

Looking at the figure still seated on the bronze high-backed chair, Aaron recounted his encounter with Hermes exactly as it happened, only omitting his own secrets.

Warner was silent for a while, then spoke in a low voice, as if already knowing what Aaron wanted to ask:

"I did indeed gradually recover with the help of that one. Relying on that one's hidden authority, no one knew I had recovered."

He paused, then continued with a hint of complexity in His tone:

"The 'Bishop of War' that Hermes mentioned is my child, Ward Wall."

"He was born at the end of the Fourth Epoch, and thanks to the chaos of that era, he achieved the rank of 'Bishop of War' through continuous warfare."

Speaking of this, He sighed, then changed the subject:

"As you know, after a High-Sequence powerhouse dies, the distilled Beyonder characteristics retain the original mental imprint. This is very strong and resilient; relying solely on time, it might not completely dissipate for hundreds or even thousands of years."

"Many people consume 'Potions' similar to their own spiritual body to effectively reduce the difficulty of advancement."

"But most of them will be affected by the residual mental imprint within, unknowingly developing personality splits and other conditions, gradually evolving into a mental patchwork, as if the original High-Sequence powerhouse has resurrected within them."

"During the Twenty-Year War back then, the 'Bishop of War' from the Einhorn family of the Feysac Royal Family, who we were at war with, was in this situation."

"The precarious mental balance they were maintaining could not be sustained after their fierce battle with Ward Wall, leading to an unknown mutation."

Meeting Aaron's surprised and curious gaze, Warner sighed:

"Although Ward won a narrow victory in the end, he was also on the verge of losing control because of it. Under the influence of the Convergence instinct, he ultimately formed a mental patchwork with the 'Bishop of War' from the Einhorn family."

"And the 'Bishop of War' before going completely mad was already a patchwork to some extent mentally. Part of His self-cognition and mental imprint belonged to a certain ancestor of the Einhorn family contained within the Beyonder characteristic."

"Ward is not an Angel; there are many methods he cannot withstand. He can only rely on slumber to wear down the invading mental imprint, but he is still sleeping even now."

Aaron nodded, his mind racing. The most proficient in the field of mind is naturally the Spectator pathway; this is difficult for other pathways to match.

If Hermes were willing to act, He would certainly have a way to deal with a mental imprint at the Sequence 3 level.

But this is not urgent. Without sufficient strength, rash contact would only expose more.

Suppressing the thoughts in his heart, Aaron spoke thoughtfully:

"We must prepare. Since someone wants to force You to act, they will not give up easily, no matter how we try to avoid them."

"Therefore, we must be prepared and show them what they want to see."

Warner lightly tapped the chair with his finger, then suddenly flipped his right hand, and a dark golden token appeared out of thin air, floating above his palm.

Aaron felt a strange pull and couldn't help but look up at the token, his pupils immediately contracting.

He recognized it; this was the very token that could find and open the treasure of the Ghost Empire.

Before Aaron could speak, Warner chuckled lightly, and the dark golden token inscribed with complex patterns floated before Aaron.

"You have given me many surprises. This token is officially given to you. I hope you will not disappoint my expectations...."

-----------------

East Chester County, Hall family manor.

Audrey sat before her dressing table, recalling the ritual Aaron had taught her. After setting it up somewhat awkwardly, she lit the candles and began summoning a messenger.

She took out the Amanda Pure Dew. As the candlelight flickered, the few drops of pure dew quickly evaporated, filling the room.

An extremely familiar, clear, and captivating scent entered Audrey's nose, relaxing her tense emotions and quickly calming her mind, as if she was overlooking the darkness in the dead of night.

Then she spoke in somewhat awkward Ancient Hermes:

"I!"

"I summon in my name;"

"Spirit wandering in falsehood, upper realm creature driven by others, messenger belonging exclusively to Lucifer Joseph."

As the spirituality stored in the "Emerald Chain" spread, a translucent eye, much smaller and more condensed, appeared, its surface covered in interconnected obscure patterns.

Audrey took the letter and also placed her own letter in the center of the altar. Then she looked curiously at this messenger with a rather peculiar appearance. She clearly remembered it wasn't like this when she was in Backlund.

After observing for a moment, Audrey suddenly realized this was impolite. She withdrew her gaze, suppressed the confusion in her heart, and bowed slightly with great politeness:

"Thank you, Mr. Messenger."

After the messenger disappeared, Audrey put away the candles and other items, went to her desk, and eagerly unfolded the letter.

Sunlight filled the room. After an unknown amount of time passed, Audrey was suddenly startled awake by loud, urgent barking, followed immediately by a familiar voice:

"Alright Susie, stop barking. What are you doing squatting outside Miss's door?"

Audrey stuck out her tongue in a rather unladylike manner. She glanced at the time on the wall and was immediately stunned:

"Oh no, it's already been over an hour! If I don't go on today's exploration now, it will be too late."

Audrey skillfully put away the letter on her desk, slipped it into an infrequently used book, and placed it on the small bookshelf in her bedroom. Then she walked briskly to the door and pulled it open.

A large golden retriever was sitting obediently outside, with her personal maid Annie standing beside her, looking helpless.

Audrey's lips curved up, revealing a radiant smile like sunshine. She praised inwardly:

"Susie, you did a great job completing your task!"

"A Detective Miss indeed needs a large dog following behind her."

Personal maid Annie saw Audrey come out and said with a somewhat helpless tone:

"Miss, the outdoor activities you proposed yesterday are all prepared, but you haven't changed your clothes yet."

"As a noble, you must change into different clothes for different occasions and display the proper etiquette."

Looking at the chattering Annie, Audrey couldn't help but rub her forehead and said gently:

"Alright Annie, I understand. Come help me change."

....

East Chester County in early February was still cold, with lingering snow often visible. The woods were bare-branched and leaf-strewn, beasts hidden, utterly lifeless.

East Chester County, in the vast and beautiful countryside, a side gate of a sprawling manor.

Audrey was wearing a fitted black riding habit over a simply decorated lady's shirt. She sat very skillfully on the back of a reddish-brown mare, without the slightest wobble.

Her black leather boots were in the stirrups, her white-trousered legs slightly clamped inwards. She tilted her head to look at Susie, the golden retriever running playfully beside her, carrying a small leather satchel on her back.

One handsome horse after another followed, ridden by attendants, maids, and even a Nighthawk, whose sole task was to protect Miss Audrey.

Galloping on the snow-dusted road, Audrey recalled Aaron's descriptions and the villages in East Chester County with dragon worship customs mentioned in her family records.

A cold wind blew past, and Audrey's delicate face seemed to momentarily lose focus.

She suddenly reined in her horse and stopped, then very naturally turned the horse around and returned in the direction they came from, seemingly having forgotten her previous thoughts and plans.

And the surrounding attendants and the Nighthawk followed without any question, as if all this was perfectly natural.

Only Susie's eyes showed human-like confusion. After a bark, she glanced at Hydrak Village, whose outline was beginning to appear ahead, before chasing after them.

Below the spiritual sky, the deep and dark Collective Subconscious Sea. Every drop of liquid here is like a streak of light, seeming to represent a point of consciousness or an imprint.

Near this vast sea, there are several islands, corresponding to the Mind Islands of Audrey and her group.

Standing above these Mind Islands was a figure, dressed in a thin, pure black coat and a tall top hat, possessing a gentle and amiable demeanor. It was the separated identity of "Gluttony" Howard Philip.

His gaze was deep. Through the Collective Subconscious Sea, he saw the group leaving in the outside world and murmured thoughtfully in a low voice:

"Audrey Hall, Aaron Wall...."

He then withdrew his gaze and floated above the islands, looking to the west.

There was a large expanse of lonely, silent grayness that obscured the view.

Even with Howard's demigod status, he could only see the vast and deep black outlines of the subconscious and the illusory, rippling Collective Subconscious Sea, unable to obtain much information.

Within that gloom, the outlines of some things were vaguely sketched out:

They were giant stone pillars, tens or hundreds of meters high, standing alone or supporting majestic but ancient palaces together.

These stone pillars and palaces were primarily gray and white, resting on island-like foundations, with a long, slender lizard-like monster perched on top.

This monster crouched on the top of a stone pillar like a small mountain, its body covered in large, gray-white stone-like scales, its eyes pale gold and vertical.

This was a Mind Dragon from myths and legends.

Although this scene vanished in an instant, disappearing into the illusory and rippling Collective Subconscious Sea, it still caused Howard's breath to hitch slightly.

"Hydrak Village..."

Howard sighed. After silently repeating the name in his heart, his figure disappeared into the Collective Subconscious Sea.

He had no intention of going to Hydrak Village to investigate the truth. With Hermes' reminder and warning, he already understood that a demigod's strength was not enough to deal with that Mind Dragon.

Even though this was just a separated identity, logically, even death wouldn't affect the main body.

But facing a Mind Dragon that might also be a high-level existence of the Spectator pathway, and being unsure of the opponent's methods, Howard was unwilling to take risks for a Psychic Alchemy Society mission.

#159Chapter 158 The Secret of the Messenger (Two in One)

North of the Raging Sea, east of East Tack County.

A ship rode the wind and waves. Even though the sea was choppy, the hull remained stable. The ship was unusually large for humans, reportedly capable of carrying hundreds of passengers.

It had the strong characteristics of this era, with chimneys and sails standing side-by-side. There were 12 cannons and their corresponding positions on each side of the hull – a necessity for defending against pirates and rivals.

The sturdy sailors and crew on the deck uniformly wore the East Tack family crest. The proportion of Beyonders among them even exceeded half.

In the luxurious dining room inside the cabin, Aaron enjoyed some deep-fried fish with a distinct Dixi flavor. He thought the taste was decent, but he definitely couldn't eat it all the time.

Next to the dining table, Evelina, who had already advanced to Sequence 7 "Psychologist", pushed her plate away with a look of disgust, not forgetting to grumble a couple of sentences:

"Aaron, the books all say that fried food isn't healthy. This method completely destroys the original taste of the ingredients."

"Hmm, I still prefer that merfolk you caught a few days ago. When are you going to catch a few more?"

Aaron drained the glass of Suniya Blood Wine before glancing at the smug Evelina and letting out a soft snort.

"If you want to eat, go catch it yourself. I can even help you by throwing you into the sea so you can eat your fill."

Seeing Evelina immediately deflate and obediently eat her meal, Aaron cleared his throat, pointed at the pale gold necklace around her neck, and urged:

"You just advanced to Psychologist not long ago. This is when your emotions are most easily stirred. You need to quickly familiarize yourself with your abilities, especially psychological suggestion."

"With your current Sequence, you can already fully utilize the ability of the 'Hypnotic Chain'. I'll need your help after we arrive at Damir Port."

Evelina sat up straight, almost thumping her chest with her paws, and promised with a look of determination:

"Don't worry, I'll get familiar with my abilities very quickly. Just give me any task you have."

Aaron nodded in satisfaction, then seemed to remember something, his face darkening as he said:

"If you dare to use psychological suggestion on the ship again to make the crew do those strange things, I'll just throw you into the sea to keep those merfolk company."

After giving Evelina a good talking-to, Aaron went up to the deck and saw the extremely burly Bayer-Bailey, who had distinct South Continent racial features.

As the captain of Aaron's personal guard, Bayer-Bailey's actions these past few days had lived up to Aaron's trust.

Seeing Aaron approach, Bayer-Bailey instructed the rest of the personal guards to continue training to build teamwork, while he respectfully came to Aaron's side.

Looking at the bright sunlight, Aaron asked with a smile:

"In your impression, what is Llyod City in the Pas River Valley like?"

Llyod City, the largest city in the northern part of the Loen Kingdom's East Balam colonial region, was also Aaron's final destination for this trip.

It and Valterk City in the Hagarti Grassland in southern East Balam were the two most important strongholds of Military Intelligence 9 in the South Continent.

One in the south and one in the north, they jointly maintained Loen's rule over the South Continent colonies and continuously transported resources back to Loen.

Bayer-Bailey scratched his head honestly, thought for a moment, and replied:

"Llyod City was originally established to resist the invasion of the Intis Republic. Therefore, even though Loen later conquered other areas in the Pas River Valley, the location of Llyod City is still very poor."

"To its west is the Intis Republic's colonial area, and to its south, it borders the indigenous areas of West Balam. The forces there are extremely mixed and complex, but due to the high pressure from the Church and the Royal Family, the area still maintains a superficial peace."

Aaron listened carefully, couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, and asked directly:

"Superficial peace?"

Bayer-Bailey nodded and explained:

"Llyod City is different from Valterk City in the south. The strongest Church force is the Church of Storms, which is very hostile towards the Church of the Eternal Sun in Intis's Kaiser Port on the other side of the Pas River Valley. There have always been skirmishes on the border."

"What's more troublesome are the indigenous areas of West Balam in the south. That area belongs to the eastern part of the Star Plateau, and there are many remnants of the Highland Kingdom's resistance forces from the early Fifth Epoch."

"They have received support from the Rose School and have built many secret bases there, disrupting Loen's colonies. Small-scale wars frequently occur."

"There are also some other organizations, both public and clandestine, mixed in, such as the Spirit Lodge, and also the East Balam Restoration Society, among others."

Aaron nodded in understanding. He wasn't unfamiliar with the Highland resistance forces; after all, he had once cut off an arm of one of their leaders, Mahoms, nicknamed "The Silent One."

Just as he was about to ask something else, his spirituality was suddenly slightly stirred. Aaron's lips curved upwards, and he waved Bayer-Bailey away first, then walked back to his spacious bedroom.

Evelina had long since run off to who knows where. In the empty room, the colors suddenly became vibrant, and a translucent, significantly smaller and more solid eye appeared. Obscure patterns were continuously interwoven on the surface of the eyeball.

A letter dropped, but Astolfo remained there, not returning to the spirit world as usual.

Aaron took the letter and frowned as he examined his messenger. Astolfo's state was clearly much better than before, and the patterns on its body were now completely interwoven.

This meant it had fully digested the Beyonder characteristic of Sequence 5 "Wraith". However, it was well known that advancements from Sequence 6 onwards required the assistance of rituals.

Aaron had originally wanted to discuss with his messenger how to help it complete its advancement ritual, but the current situation made him think of many things.

There was another very similar situation where advancement could occur directly without a ritual, and it was one Aaron was relatively familiar with: the evil spirits formed after the demise of High-Sequence powerhouses.

For example, the Red Angel evil spirit could directly absorb and accommodate Beyonder characteristics of its pathway without needing ritual assistance.

Of course, the prerequisite for doing this was that the evil spirit's own status had to be high enough; it couldn't directly accommodate Beyonder characteristics of a higher Sequence than its Sequence when alive.

But Aaron was certain that his messenger was definitely not an evil spirit.

Just as Aaron was observing Astolfo, the eyeball with obscure, continuously interwoven patterns on its surface turned slightly. The distinct black and white eyeball looked at Aaron, and intermittent thoughts were transmitted:

"I need more Beyonder characteristics to recover more memories and to give you greater help."

Aaron's eyes narrowed slightly. Although he didn't sense any malice, he still took out his "Sword of Judgment" and placed it in front of him before frowning and asking:

"Who exactly are you?"

A human-like confusion appeared on the distinct black and white eyeball. The obscure, continuously interwoven patterns on its surface also glowed slightly. After a moment, it spoke faintly:

"I am Astolfo now, but I think you should have also heard of one of my past identities. At that time, believers called me 'The Bound God'."

Aaron's pupils suddenly contracted. He looked at the messenger before him in disbelief, momentarily unsure of what to say.

The consciousness became coherent and smooth, no longer pausing, and continued:

"No need to worry, I am not Him, or rather, not the complete Him. I only possess a part of His memories."

Aaron had now recovered from his initial shock. He frowned as he looked at the messenger before him, unsure whether he should believe it.

"The Bound God," as the King of Angels of the Prisoner pathway, had been corrupted by the Mother Tree of Desire a thousand years ago, living completely in endless pain. Not only was He forced to give birth to Salinger, but He was also used by the Mother Tree of Desire as a vessel for faith.

Logically, "The Bound God" should have long since lost the ability to resist by now. So, this one before him...

As if sensing Aaron's doubts, Astolfo did not answer directly but transmitted another thought:

"There is one extremely important step in the process of making Pharaoh mummies in the ancient Highland Kingdom."

"That is to hold a 'Purification Ritual', place the body on the altar, and pray to 'The Bound God', hoping that half of the deceased's spiritual energy will remain in the body. This neither affects the return of the Son of God nor prevents the finished mummy from maintaining its spirituality for a long time."

"And the memories I can recall now tell me that I am just another small part of 'The Bound God's' spirit that was separated."

"The Angel we encountered when I took you through the spirit world back then was the corresponding other part of the spirit."

Aaron was stunned for a moment, and the image of the massive body with festering long legs dripping yellowish-green fluid and wrapped in corpse oil bandages instantly appeared in his mind.

Some of his original doubts were answered, but they were followed by more questions. If that Angel in the spirit world was truly formed by a part of "The Bound God's" spirit combined with Beyonder characteristics, why hadn't the Rose School taken any action?

They, who indulged in desire, wouldn't just watch an Angel-level Beyonder characteristic remain outside, and the Outer Deity behind them shouldn't allow Him to continue existing in the spirit world either.

Moreover, Aaron had seen that Angel at the time. It had no trace of rationality, only instinct. Although it was just a fleeting glance, Aaron could be sure that He couldn't simply be summarized as a Sequence 2 "Ancient Evil Creature"; there were some strange things mixed within Him.

Originally, Aaron had just considered those strange aspects as inherent peculiarities of spirit world creatures and hadn't thought deeply about them, but now it seemed things weren't that simple.

Aaron thought for a moment and still voiced the doubts in his heart.

The will transmitted by Astolfo, however, greatly disappointed Aaron. Its memory originally only contained vague consciousness. It wasn't until after it finished consuming that Sequence 5 Beyonder characteristic last time that it recovered a significant amount of memory.

It might be missing a lot of important memories. What exactly happened back then, it couldn't explain clearly now.

Aaron shook his head with some regret. Although he was very curious about how his messenger was born, since he couldn't find out what exactly happened back then, he wouldn't force it.

Looking at the distinct black and white eye, Aaron cleared his throat and asked:

"Can you control that existence walking in the spirit world? I might need His power."

Astolfo stared at Aaron for a moment before transmitting its thoughts:

"No, although I share the same origin as Him, the difference in status is too great. Even if He only has instinct left, I cannot do it. On the contrary, He would sense it because of this, bringing disaster upon you."

When he heard the first half of the refusal, Aaron's eyebrows were already furrowed, but upon hearing the second half, the phrase "divert disaster to the east" suddenly popped into his mind.

"Bansi's operation is now more certain..." Thinking this to himself, Aaron looked at Astolfo, who was still floating in front of him, and slowly said:

"I agree to your initial condition. I will collect Beyonder characteristics of the Prisoner pathway for you, but this will take time."

The distinct black and white eye floated up and down slightly, as if nodding, and then disappeared into the colorful spirit world.

---

Woo!

The whistle blew, and the ship carved with the East Tack family crest sailed into Damir Port.

It would replenish fresh water and food on this colonial island and set sail again the next morning.

"Flying Fish and Wine..." Aaron, who had already changed his appearance, glanced at the sign and found that the bar's door was covered in various wanted posters. Evelina, on his shoulder, boredly flicked her tail.

Thanks to the psychological invisibility of the "Hypnotic Chain", no one noticed it.

The wanted posters here included the 800,000 pounds for the "King of the Five Seas", as well as hundreds of pounds for ordinary pirate captains. From high to low, they were layered one on top of another, forming a unique scene.

Retracting his gaze, Aaron pushed the door and entered the bar. It was extremely noisy inside. He went to a high stool at the bar and lightly tapped the wooden countertop:

"A glass of Southville Beer, and a plate of special cured meat."

"5 pounds and 6 pence." The bartender, with bronze skin and white teeth, said unenthusiastically while wiping a glass.

The bartender still had that cold face. He pushed open the door and entered the kitchen in the back, and quickly brought out a plate of sliced cured meat, clearly red and white with fine texture.

Not minding the bartender's attitude, Aaron chewed the cured meat, drained the Southville Beer in one gulp, and asked with a slight curve of his lips:

"Where is your boss, 'White Shark'?"

Evelina, who was psychologically invisible on his shoulder, instantly had her pupils turn pale gold, and the "Hypnotic Chain" on her neck glowed faintly.

The originally very cold bartender seemed to have his soul drawn out. He smiled foolishly with a look of infatuation and replied impatiently:

"'White Shark' is in the basement of the second to last private room. You can find the basement entrance by opening the back of the wardrobe."

Looking at the bartender who seemed completely infatuated, Aaron looked back at Evelina on his shoulder with a slight surprise, and then walked towards the private rooms in the back.

In the dim basement, Aaron's figure quietly appeared.

"You..." "White Shark" Hamilton, who was sitting in front of a strangely shaped machine, was startled at first, then opened his mouth wide, trying to shout.

At the same time, illusory fish scales appeared on the back of his hand, and his already tall and fat body swelled by another circle.

Suddenly, his heart pounded faster, and a strong, instinctive fear clutched at his throat.

At this moment, he felt that the stranger standing by the door was a demon that had been hungry for many days, examining his flesh and soul back and forth with cold, craving eyes.

Aaron's lips curved slightly, and a low voice sounded in Hamilton's ear like a demon:

"I finally found you. I heard you work for 'Admiral of Blood'. I have something I want to find him about. I wonder if you can help me out?"

#160Chapter 159 Intelligence and Gathering (Two in One)

In an instant, "White Shark" Hamilton fell into extreme panic, unable to react effectively.

Aaron leisurely walked over to the sofa, sat down, and smiled politely:

"You have two choices."

"One is to answer honestly, and the other is to be killed by me, and then answer honestly."

Killing and communicating with spirits? "White Shark" Hamilton had heard similar rumors, and the words of sophistry immediately died in his throat. He swallowed hard and said with difficulty:

"You, are you crazy?"

"That's the Admiral of Blood, the epitome of bloody brutality on the sea. Anyone who dares to disrespect him is buried at the bottom of the ocean!"

"If I dare to betray him..."

Before the fear in his heart could fully vent, he saw a pair of pale golden pupils light up on the shoulders of the man opposite him. His unfinished words abruptly stopped.

Looking at Hamilton, whose expression was gradually becoming infatuated, Aaron frowned, resisted the urge to kick him, and said directly:

"Find the frequency spectrum and codebook you use to contact 'Admiral of Blood's' intelligence officer, Old Quinn."

"White Shark" Hamilton's eyes were hazy, and he responded obediently:

"Okay, beautiful Miss Thea."

Saying this, he turned and went to the gray-white safe behind him, pried open the floor in front of it, and by turning a mechanism, made a secret door appear in the wall.

"Huh? Miss?"

Aaron's face darkened. He lifted Evelyn from his shoulder, pinched the back of her neck, and gritted his teeth as he asked:

"What did you do?"

Evelyn meowed, resisted symbolically for a moment, then gave up, and then argued:

"I just catered to his deepest desires, using another application of psychological invisibility combined with hypnosis, to replicate the image of that Witch you caught in Backlund onto you."

"How about it, aren't I amazing? Look how obedient he is now."

"Also, hurry up and put me down. Although this guy is only a low-sequence Beyonder of the Sailor pathway and his potion digestion is a mess, if the hypnosis lasts too long, he will always detect something is wrong."

Aaron exhaled deeply, suddenly having the thought that perhaps he didn't need this cat after all. He casually tossed it onto the floor, and turned to look at the opened secret door.

Behind the secret door was a hidden cabinet divided into three compartments. The top layer held some documents and bills, the middle contained weapons like revolvers and new half-arm pistols, and the bottom was stuffed with complex black machinery.

Hamilton took out the radio transceiver and codebook from the bottom layer and said with a fawning and solicitous expression:

"This is the thing. The messages sent out can be received by similar devices as far away as the Rorsted Archipelago. Any further depends on the weather and luck. Usually, usually it's also very troublesome, with many restrictions."

Looking at the expression on this guy's face, Aaron resisted the feeling of nausea. His peripheral vision caught sight of the documents at the very bottom, and his gaze paused. He then took them out as well.

The content of the documents was all missions and information transmitted by Old Quinn, the intelligence officer in Bayam. Two things among them caught Aaron's attention.

The first thing was that "Admiral of Blood" Senor was moving from the waters near Toscat Island in the Sonia Sea towards the Rorsted Archipelago, encircling and suppressing the fleeing Rose School defectors.

Intelligence personnel on all islands near the Rorsted Archipelago were required to report any trace of the defectors.

The other thing was that Hermosuin, the father of the second-generation difference engine, had left the Northern Continent and arrived at sea. Intelligence personnel on all islands along the way needed to closely monitor this key figure.

Once his exact location was found, he was to be secretly captured immediately. The end of the document also included Hermosuin's appearance characteristics and peculiar habits to facilitate identification.

Aaron was not surprised that Sharon could escape the encirclement. The sea was not the Southern Continent after all, and the power of the Rose School was limited. Two Sequence 6s plus a Sealed Artifact equivalent to Sequence 5 was enough power to handle most situations.

Coupled with the heavy losses the Rose School suffered last time, they were unlikely to dispatch powerhouses above the Demigod level before obtaining definite intelligence.

At most, it would be a continuous encirclement by a Sequence 5 like Senor, carrying a Sealed Artifact similar to the "Crimson Moon Crown" which could bring about the full moon effect and greatly weaken the power of the Temperance faction.

But what interested Aaron the most was that Hermosuin. The last time he heard this name was in Backlund. He didn't expect to hear it again, and now he was at sea.

The second-generation difference engine was indeed very important, but even more crucial was his other identity - the avatar of "Orange Light" Hilarion.

As one of the Seven Lights of the Spirit World, "Orange Light" Hilarion already possessed the status of an Angel. For such a noble existence, the fact that the Pure Light Brotherhood did not send anyone to protect him genuinely puzzled Aaron.

Putting away his scattered thoughts, Aaron thoughtfully put the documents back in place, put his hands in his pockets, and quietly listened to Hamilton's explanation, memorizing all the content of the frequency spectrum and codebook.

He didn't plan to deal with the "White Shark" for the time being, fearing to disturb the real prey. Anyway, a guy like this, who was on land, had a fixed territory, and whose weakness he had grasped, could be easily dealt with afterwards.

Of course, in order not to alert the enemy, necessary measures were indispensable, such as hypnosis.

Aaron then had him put all the items back in their original places, and gave a slight cough. Evelyn on the side immediately understood.

She jumped onto a nearby table, stood up on her small body, her pupils turned pale gold, and the "Chain of Hypnosis" emitted a faint glow. "White Shark" Hamilton's expression immediately stiffened and became dull:

"Remember, you are very tired and want to sleep. After you wake up, you will forget everything that happened tonight..."

After repeating it three times, Hamilton walked towards the sofa and lay down stiffly.

Looking at Evelyn, who was already a little unsteady from the excessive consumption of spirituality, Aaron sighed, picked her up, cleared all traces, and opened the Spirit World passage.

What Aaron didn't notice was that the corners of Evelyn's mouth, who was originally weak in his arms, curled up slightly, looking like she had succeeded in her scheme.

-----------------

Rorsted Archipelago, Bayam, the City of Generosity.

The red moonlight penetrated the clouds and shone into a dark alley, revealing a figure wearing a boat-shaped hat, with a thin face, sharp features, and an aggressive appearance.

A lock of black hair hung down, half-covering his left dark green eye, which softened his inherent coldness considerably. This was none other than "Calm Scallor," with a bounty of 1500 pounds.

He weaved through streets and alleys until he reached a nondescript house on an unknown street and entered it.

"Long time no see, Scallor." The person who opened the door was an old man with more white hair than black. He was dressed as a local, wearing loose, wide-legged trousers.

Old Quinn chuckled as he opened the door:

"Everyone has been waiting for you to come back, come in quickly."

Saying this, he walked ahead. Scallor tugged at his black trench coat and nodded coldly.

He didn't light the gas wall lamps, but held a silver candelabrum in his hand, leading Scallor through the dark hall into a spacious, sturdy, windowless basement.

Scallor saw the flagship's First Mate, "Steel" Macvity, sitting on the living room sofa, waiting for him.

The other accomplices were lying, standing, or sitting, forming a semicircle, while the puppets and living corpses acted as guards around them.

Macvity had thick lips, dark skin, and hair curled in strands, like the steel balls commonly seen in factories.

"What did the Captain say?" His arm muscles twitched, showing great power, but his overall presence gave off the illusion of being cold and gloomy, not like a living being.

Scallor sat on the empty sofa on the other side. With a living corpse massaging him, he relaxed his body and took out a wooden box from his Arms. Inside the box was a mass of black, viscous liquid, seemingly full of life.

"The Captain told us to continue collecting information. The most important task at the moment is to capture that old guy Hermosuin. Other matters can be put aside."

"This is also the intention of several Lords. This item is what will help us complete the mission, a gift from that great existence."

Scallor said, pointing to the wooden box on the table, and then added:

"As for those two traitors, we just need to keep track of their whereabouts. Once they leave Bayam, the great figures will naturally deal with them."

-----------------

Meanwhile, in the Ruen settlement in Bayam, which is the upper-class residential area.

Inside several terraced garden houses, Louise sat bored in her room, flipping through the Secret Book of Karamian that she had borrowed from Sharon through the Sacrifice and Bestowal ritual.

The Rorsted Archipelago was the ruling stronghold of the Ruen Kingdom in the Central Sonia Sea, and also a key diocese of the Church of Storms. A High Deacon who could participate in the Privy Council was stationed here for a long time.

Regarding the arrival of the vampires, these irritable old men chose to temporarily ignore it, but this was only on the premise that they didn't cause trouble.

Count Mistral had also rarely appeared recently, seemingly doing something in secret. Louise only knew that she would have to stay in Bayam for a while longer.

Looking up at the clock on the wall, a smile appeared on Louise's face. She skillfully set up a Spirit Wall and began waiting for the gathering to be convened.

As the clock struck 0:00, a thick dark golden mist appeared before Louise's eyes. Accompanied by a familiar sense of daze, she opened her eyes and found herself in the magnificent palace.

Aaron sat in the high-backed chair belonging to Mr. Keeper, looking at the spiritual light points of the members below, and nodded secretly.

Frank, who had already been promoted from Sequence 7 "Harvest Priest" to Sequence 6 "Biologist," scratched his head and said in a rough voice:

"Thank you very much for the suggestion Mr. Keeper gave last time. My experiments have made great progress. Mushrooms are indeed an extremely high-quality research direction, which has given me more inspiration and ideas."

"I have already made many samples. Although they all have some flaws, I will continue to improve them. If you need them, I can also send them to you."

Aaron politely declined Frank's offer. He didn't want his ship to be covered in mushrooms. However, he could find a specific area as an experimental site after arriving in the Southern Continent.

Currently, the lowest sequence of all members of the Chaos Council is Mid-Sequence. As the digestion and acting time for the potions lengthens, the demand for potion formulas and Beyonder characteristics decreases in frequency.

The trading session also shortened accordingly, mostly trading certain special charms and magical items. This was the fastest way to become stronger when the sequence could not be improved in the short term.

Watching the other members exchange various charms from Mr. Keeper, Louise patiently waited for the trading session to end, and became increasingly certain that the organization behind Mr. Keeper had an extremely vast foundation.

At the very least, it controlled or possessed "Artisans." The sheer number and variety of charms were enough to prove all of this.

Seeing someone propose a trade, Louise spoke impatiently. She looked around, explained her current situation, and the internal competition within the Blood Clan that Count Mistral had told her about.

Except for Frank, who was single-minded and only thought about experiments, the other members were secretly amazed.

For them, who were only Sequence 7, disputes involving Demigod levels, whether from the Blood Clan or the Rose School, were too far away.

Sharon, who had been silent, slowly raised her head and spoke:

"If you are going to deal with the Rose School, I can provide some help."

"My potion has been fully digested, and I can prepare for promotion to Sequence 5. This will be a very good opportunity."

Seeing Louise's gaze turn towards her, as if to strengthen her persuasiveness, Sharon continued to add:

"The most crucial part of the ritual for advancing to Sequence 5 is to consume the potion in a state where spirit and flesh are separated, and to transform into a true 'Wraith' under the baptism of the Spirit World."

"And this requires setting up a specific ritual formation. From the start of the ritual until the baptism and final transformation are completed, it must rely on the peculiarities of the Spirit World, and this will produce a special resonance."

"This special resonance is extremely difficult for Beyonders of other pathways to detect, even at the Demigod level, it is hard to detect without authority related to the Spirit World."