18
"No need. I know there is a safe passage. After obtaining the treasure map, we will make one last resupply at the northern archipelago before officially beginning our adventure..."
-----------------
In the sea area near the Sonia Sea on the edge of the Berserk Sea, in the luxurious cabin bedroom, Aaron suddenly opened his eyes, rubbing his slightly swollen head. It took him a while to recover.
Before he could breathe a sigh of relief, a familiar fluctuation appeared beside him. Astolfo floated out of the spirit world, releasing the black iron key and "Groselle's Travels."
Looking at Astolfo, who was completely different from before, Aaron carefully spoke:
"You must have devoured Jacks to recover to the demigod level. He should have been a fanatical believer and should be contaminated with a lot of pollution. If you need it, I can help you remove the pollution."
The face with only eyes quietly looked at Aaron. After a moment, it was no longer a thought transmission like before, but a neutral voice that was indistinguishable between male and female.
"I have already removed the pollution from him. After recovering to demigod, my memory is no longer incomplete. You can ask any questions you have, and I may need your help later."
Aaron's eyes brightened, and he asked with great anticipation:
"Then can your current state affect Him in the spirit world? Or can you borrow a part of His power from Him?"
Astolfo was silent for a moment, not directly answering the question. Instead, it said:
"Although the Beyonder characteristic 'Ancient Evil' that 'The Bound God' voluntarily separated into the spirit world after being corrupted transformed into a spirit world creature relying on the special nature of the spirit world, the corruption is still spreading."
"The source of the corruption is an existence I cannot contend with. The only way is to delay the corruption and wait for a turning point."
"With the help of the Seven Lights of the Spirit World, I found the remnants of the Giant King Olmert from the Second Epoch in the spirit world. That was the Sequence 2 'Glorifier' Beyonder characteristic mixed with a lot of His mad consciousness."
"It was by relying on the remaining will of Olmert within it that I could barely contend with that terrifying corruption."
"And the abnormally powerful distorted force brought about by the forced aggregation of high-sequence characteristics from different pathways also caused Scheria to return empty-handed time and time again."
"Sequence 2 'Glorifier'? Warrior pathway..." Recalling the huge figure covered in pus that he saw in the spirit world, Aaron was somewhat enlightened. Just as he thought of something and was about to speak, he heard Astolfo continue:
"Therefore, if I borrow His power, I can temporarily possess power comparable to an Angel, but it will also gradually destroy His original balance, and the corruption will become unstoppable."
Aaron frowned, no longer dwelling on this point. Matters involving Outer Gods must be treated with caution and not risked. He cast aside his original bold idea and instead asked:
"Then do you know the potion formulas for the high sequences of the Warrior pathway? I have a Sequence 5 personal guard whose potion has long been digested, but he lacks the potion formula and the ritual."
As soon as the words fell, two streams of light shot out from Astolfo's pupils, forming two segments of text and corresponding symbols in the void before Aaron:
Sequence 4 - Demon Hunter:
Main ingredients: One adult Demon Wolf's heart, 3 adult Feathered Serpent tail feathers.
Auxiliary ingredients: One piece of Dawn Stone, 80 ml of Phantasmal Beast blood.
Advancement Ritual: Drink the potion. Before losing control and dying, kill an aberrant creature filled with chaos and madness that has reached the demigod level. Advance to "Demon Hunter" in a baptism of blood.
Sequence 3 Silver Knight Advancement Ritual:
Set up a complex altar, place the remains of six powerful creatures you have hunted in the correct positions, and receive the blessing of an Angel or above.
Although the Silver Knight potion formula was incomplete with only the advancement ritual remaining, there was a complete "Demon Hunter" potion formula.
Looking at the starlight appearing before him, Aaron frowned deeply. Just by looking at the main ingredients of the potion, he could confirm that this must be the formula from before the second Blasphemy Slate came out.
Not to mention the remaining Feathered Serpents that might still be on some remote, hidden islands, just the Demon Wolves, which the Church of the Evernight has almost wiped out, make the main ingredients difficult to gather, unless one prays to the Goddess of Evernight, which might allow for exchange.
The potion formulas of the Church of the God of War must have undergone corresponding changes now, finding substitutes while ensuring the original efficacy.
However, Aaron had a more convenient method. Instead of painstakingly searching for materials, it would be better to directly kill a "Demon Hunter", and everything would be available.
It just so happened that the Forsac Empire's colonial area in the Southern Continent was at war with his family, so this was an opportunity to make a profit.
Having made up his mind, Aaron looked at the Demon Hunter's advancement ritual, and suddenly his expression changed. He looked at "Groselle's Travels" at his feet.
Wouldn't the "Northern King" in the book world, who combined different abilities, fit the requirements of the ritual perfectly?
With this thought, Aaron's eyes flickered. He had originally planned to enter the book world tonight, but he immediately changed his mind.
Seeing that Aaron had no further questions, Astolfo returned to the spirit world. Knowing the special nature of "Groselle's Travels," to avoid any accidents, Aaron sacrificed it and the black iron key together to the dark golden mist.
-----------------
February 23, 1347, Southern Continent, East Balam, the coastal city of Graine in the Loen colonial area.
Aaron stepped down the gangway and looked out at the city built on the mountain with distinct layers. Looking at the streets mixed with Southern Continent and Loen styles, he said to the adjutant beside him:
"Arrange a carriage as soon as possible. We need to reach Lloyd City in the Pass Valley before the end of the month. You can send a telegram to inform Glen Will that I will be arriving soon."
The adjutant took the order and left, while Aaron looked with satisfaction at the people riding bicycles back and forth.
Most of the houses in Graine were built along the winding roads, with occasional flatter and wider areas serving as squares or markets.
As a coastal city in the Loen colonial area, it was also exceptionally prosperous and currently the most popular area for bicycles in the Southern Continent.
The personal guard captain, Boyer Bayley, walked over slowly and reminded:
"Lord Viscount, please be extra careful. Although this area belongs to the Loen colonial area, the Church of the Storms, the military, and the Church of the Evernight all have influence here."
"But many of the local natives still secretly believe in other hidden organizations, such as the Spirit Lodge, and the Rose School of Thought."
"You just killed the Blazing Admiral last time, and the Rose School of Thought will definitely consider you their primary target."
Chapter 172 The New Pirate King
Aaron nodded calmly. In just the brief moment he had descended the gangway, the "Demon Button" had transmitted several faint waves of malice.
These waves of malice originated from the passing traffic, all indigenous people of the colonial zone. They would often look up in Aaron's direction, seemingly confirming something before quickly leaving.
Even though they had been at sea recently and hadn't gone ashore for supplies or intelligence, the ship's own telegraph room had been continuously receiving intelligence from the northern and southern continents.
The most explosive news among these wasn't the hunting of the "Admiral of Blood," but the emergence of a new pirate king.
This was a mysterious powerhouse who called himself the "Blood Moon King." Accompanied by a Sequence 5 "Wraith," he had absorbed the fleet that originally belonged to the "Admiral of Blood."
What was most astonishing was that this newly appeared pirate king had actually used some pirates as bait to slaughter the Loen Sunia Navy that was encircling the remnants of the Rose School's forces at sea.
Had Admiral Emlyn not arrived in time, the entire fleet would have been wiped out. Even with the use of a Sealed Artifact, they couldn't keep this pirate king.
Such a crazy act instantly solidified his identity as a pirate king. The bounty for the "Blood Moon King" in Loen skyrocketed to 150,000 pounds, even exceeding the 100,000 pounds for the "King of Undead," Agaturi.
Unlike the outside speculation, Aaron had already received precise intelligence from Admiral Emlyn.
The so-called "Blood Moon King" was an ancient "Witch King" of the Rose School named Tavari. He commanded a ghost ship and also possessed a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact.
Even with the assistance of the law that weakened mysticism and strengthened reality, Admiral Emlyn couldn't do anything to him and could only let him leave, unable to wait for the arrival of the Sea King.
Although he didn't know what the Rose School was thinking by sending a Witch King to take the place of the Admiral of Blood, combined with the previous warning from "Orange Light" Hillarion, Aaron felt it was better to be cautious.
Even if he was confident in dealing with a surprise attack from the Rose School, it would undoubtedly expose more of his trump cards, and without sufficient interest driving it, it wasn't worth it.
Under Aaron's arrangement, the group slowly traveled by carriage towards the Church of the Night in Graine City.
Under the cover of night, except for Aaron and Boyer-Baillet, the others disguised themselves as church believers and left in batches, taking a steam train directly to Lloyd City in the middle of the Pas River Valley.
Slightly illusory colorful blocks appeared. Evelyn perched on Aaron's shoulder, looking around, and the tall, burly Boyer-Baillet followed closely behind as they stepped out of the Spirit World.
The Ring of Mysteries on his finger flickered with a faint glow. Aaron felt the rate of spiritual energy consumption, frowned slightly, and looked at Boyer-Baillet, who was observing the surroundings beside him, asking:
"How is it? Do you recognize where this is?"
Hearing Aaron's question, Boyer-Baillet thought for a moment, then answered with a definite tone:
"Your Highness, this should be Tettenick City, southeast of Graine City. It's less than 200 kilometers from St. Annis."
St. Annis is the capital of the East Tack family's colonial zone in the Southern Continent. The name commemorates a certain Demigod who sacrificed himself over 100 years ago during the East Tack family's Fight of colonies after the opening of the new sea route.
The family's colonial territory extends from the easternmost end of the Pas River Valley to the vast ancient forest of East Balam, bordering the Forsac Empire which occupies the eastern coast of East Balam.
Hearing his personal guard captain's words, Aaron breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, they hadn't deviated from the route.
Because the essence of the Death Mask was the Demigod-level "Undead" Beyonder characteristic, and it even contained some power from the "Death Consul," using it in the Southern Continent carried significant risk, even though it was sealed.
This place was not like the Northern Continent; the Spirit Lodge's influence was immense. Aaron didn't want to encounter a Saint from the Spirit Lodge someday when he used the Death Mask to enter the Spirit World.
The mystical item made from the "Traveler" Beyonder characteristic hadn't arrived yet, so Aaron had to use the Spirit World traversal recorded by the Ring of Mysteries. Although this avoided the potential hidden troubles caused by Beyonder characteristic aggregation, it also caused a lot of inconvenience.
For example, the recorded Spirit World traversal was much worse than the original, not only in transmission distance but also in transmission accuracy, forcing Aaron to use the divination pendant in conjunction with Spirit World traversal to determine the direction.
"Hmm, we should arrive after at most two more traversals..."
Mentally calculating the distance and confirming the direction, Aaron, with one person and one cat, activated the Spirit World traversal again.
-----------------
Loen, East Chester County, Hall Family Castle.
Approaching March, the tail end of winter had quietly slipped away, and everything was beginning to revive.
Audrey, leading Susie, who now had the physique of an adult hunting dog, strolled through the manor's backyard, humming a little tune while taking the "People's Daily" she had specifically ordered from her personal maid, Annie.
Suddenly, she let out a gasp. Seeing Annie look over nervously, Audrey lightly covered her mouth and waved her hand, indicating she was fine.
Susie's intelligent eyes showed confusion and bewilderment. Looking at Audrey, who was walking quickly towards the castle with the newspaper, she barked, picked up the small ball on the ground, and wagged her tail as she followed.
Audrey quickly went to her room, spread the "People's Daily" on her desk, and read it with bright eyes.
Unlike previous issues, this issue had a blood-red headline on both the front and back pages.
"Shock! The 'Admiral of Blood,' famous across the Five Seas and a headache for navies of various countries, was actually killed by Aaron Well!"
"Loen Sunia Navy suffered a crushing defeat, and the fifth Pirate King is born!"
Limited by communication methods and costs, the two pieces of news that had already spread like wildfire at sea only reached Backlund and East Chester County more than a week later.
Audrey read this issue of the newspaper carefully, both shocked that the Loen Sunia Navy could be defeated by a group of pirates and extremely yearning for Aaron's actions.
"Pirate General, Pirate King..."
Audrey gently folded the newspaper, her yearning for the extraordinary world growing stronger. She took out stationery and ink from the drawer, thinking about writing a letter, asking Aaron about his adventures during this period, and expressing her curiosity at the end of the letter.
Picking up the freshly dried letter, Audrey read it twice from beginning to end to confirm it was correct, then summoned the information according to the ritual Aaron had taught her before.
A slightly cold wind blew through the room. Amidst the flickering candlelight, Astolfo's figure slowly appeared under Audrey's expression, which was a mixture of surprise and confusion.
Looking at this "strange creature," whose image was completely different from the previous messenger, taking her letter, Audrey somewhat unconfidently doubted whether she had performed the ritual incorrectly.
Just as Audrey was still hesitating, she saw this strange humanoid creature nod slightly at her before disappearing into the candlelight. The question that was about to come out of her mouth was suddenly stopped.
"Perhaps Aaron's messenger has evolved. Don't those folk tales have such plots?"
While Audrey was letting her imagination run wild, a "woof woof woof" sounded from outside the laboratory. Audrey immediately frowned.
She quickly extinguished the candle on the desk, put it away with various spiritual materials, then turned around and walked to the door.
"Susie, who is it?" Audrey twisted the doorknob, asking the golden retriever sitting at the door.
The golden retriever Susie wagged her tail, looking pleased. Following her gaze, Audrey saw her personal maid, Annie, appear in the nearby corridor.
-----------------
East Balam, St. Annis, a hidden alley unnoticed by anyone. Aaron was the first to step out of the Spirit World door.
Perhaps it was the blessing of Well-Onsetin, but the subsequent transmissions occurred without incident. The two people and one cat arrived at St. Annis smoothly.
The main purpose of coming here was to retrieve the mystical item made from his "Traveler" Beyonder characteristic, to see if there were any auxiliary materials needed by a "Demon Hunter," and to visit the family's Demigod, Joseph-Well, who had been stationed here for a long time and whom he hadn't seen in months.
Thanks to his exquisite makeup skills, no one recognized him as the famous Baron Aaron this time, but it still attracted the attention of the patrolling police.
This was unavoidable, as Boyer-Baillet's exaggerated physique couldn't be hidden by makeup.
To Aaron's surprise, this police officer, who was clearly an indigenous person of the Southern Continent, spoke fluent Loenese and even had a slight East Tack County accent.
But unlike other indigenous police officers in the Loen colonial zone in the Southern Continent, even when he saw Aaron's standard Loenese appearance, he showed no flattery, handling matters officially and without courtesy.
After successfully passing the interrogation, Aaron got into a carriage. The sights he saw along the way surprised him even more. Here, there was no obvious class gap between the indigenous people and the Loenese.
Noticing Aaron's surprise, Boyer-Baillet, who had to curl up to fit in the carriage, explained in a muffled voice:
"In the hundred years since occupying this place, the family has built nearly a hundred schools, teaching the local indigenous people Loenese and Loen culture."
"The family has investments behind various industries in St. Annis and even the entire family colonial territory."
"There is even a committee specifically set up under the City Lord's Mansion, inviting local indigenous nobles to serve as members, jointly promoting the prosperity and stability of the entire colonial territory."
Cultural colonization?
This word instantly appeared in Aaron's mind. Diluting the indigenous people's self-awareness, identifying with the culture spread by the East Tack family, reduced the hatred accumulated from violent colonization.
The only drawback was the long time cycle. The effect would only truly manifest after a generation of colonized people passed away, and 150 years was enough time to accomplish all of this.
Aaron's mind quickly recalled what his father had told him when he left Irusyl:
Establish a unique system or law, truly implement it for a period of time, leave an imprint in the minds of the people, and accumulate enough feedback.
Write the system or law that received feedback with spiritual blood on paper, and ignite it when consuming the "Law Mage" potion. This is the auxiliary ritual for advancing to "Law Mage."
The feedback brought by the established system or law can be positive or negative, and these will have an impact on the advancement.
Guzman-Well didn't know the specific impact, only telling Aaron to ask Joseph-Well when he reached Sequence 5 and began preparing for the Sequence 4 advancement ritual.
Looking at the orderly scene around him, Aaron guessed that this was likely a residual effect brought about by the advancement of one of the family's "Law Mages."
While Aaron was thinking, the carriage stopped at the City Lord's Mansion, which had an ancient style but appeared solemn and dignified.
After verifying his identity, Aaron was invited to the backyard and saw Harland-Rooney, whom he hadn't seen in several months. Looking at the deep dark circles under his eyes, Aaron coughed awkwardly.
Before he could ask, Harland-Rooney proactively took out a total of five boxes, one large and four small, and explained to Aaron, who looked puzzled:
"Your Highness, the mystical item made from the 'Traveler' has been completed according to your requirements. However, due to some issues with the item itself, it cannot be delivered to you through a messenger for the time being, so I had to trouble you to make the trip."
Saying this, he pointed to the badge embedded with transparent, almost illusory crystals in the largest box:
"I call it the 'Traveler's Badge.' It has two abilities."
"The first is the Traveler's Door, which allows the user to perform Spirit World traversal that can sense the outside world and self-locate."
"Beyonders of different Sequences have different Spirit Body strengths and can withstand different transmission times. The effect and distance of Spirit World traversal are also significantly different. The specific effect needs to be tried by Your Highness yourself."
"The second is recording, but to meet the requirement of minimizing negative effects, it can only record one Demigod-level ability, and the effect is only 70% of the original. It can only be used once a day at the Demigod level."
Aaron nodded with satisfaction. He didn't lack attack methods now; what he needed most was the Traveler's Door. He wasn't very concerned about the limited ability of the Recorder.
Then, with interest, he pointed to the other four small boxes and asked:
"What are its negative effects? And what are in these four boxes?"
Harland-Rooney took out four cone-shaped objects emitting strong spiritual fluctuations and explained:
"Its negative effect is that prolonged use or wearing has a certain probability of causing uncontrolled Spirit World roaming, and you might even get lost in the depths of the Spirit World."
Seeing Aaron's slightly strange expression, he hurriedly explained:
"That's also why I didn't have the messenger deliver it to you through the Spirit World."
"However, I have come up with a solution. You just need to place these four items in four completely different, widely separated locations deep within the Spirit World, using them as special coordinates."
"When encountering its negative effect, no matter where you roam, you can instantly return to any of those four special coordinates."
"Moreover, this negative effect will only appear at most once a month."
Aaron pondered, picking up the "Traveler's Badge," and thought to himself:
"This is equivalent to a directional teleportation array. The negative effect is not unacceptable. At worst, I can just divine every day."
"If I encounter danger, it might even have a miraculous effect. I'll have Astolfo place the beacons in safe locations deep within the Spirit World later."
Aaron first put away the items, planning to divine and confirm later to see if there were any other overlooked abilities or negative effects. This was an experience he had gained from the "Demon Button."
#174Chapter 173 Preparation before hunting
Looking at Harland Rooney, whose dark circles were heavy, Aaron patted his shoulder and praised,
"Well done. The family sees your contributions. I will help you search for the Beyonder characteristic formula for Sequence 5 'Astronomer'."
"I never mistreat those who work for me."
Aaron wasn't the type of boss who drew grand visions for his employees; he only made promises when he had a certain degree of confidence.
Before Russell crossed pathways to become the Black Emperor, he was the Sequence 1 'Knowledge Emperor' of the Mysteries Pathway.
As the Son of Steam, He definitely knew a lot about the 'Omniscient' pathway, which is adjacent to His, not to mention that He later created the 22 Blasphemy Cards.
As Russell's most beloved child, Bernadette, who is at Sequence 3 of the Mysteries Pathway, most likely also possesses some Beyonder characteristic formulas for the 'Omniscient' pathway.
Bernadette might also hold clues to some of the Blasphemy Cards, or even an unknown number of them. What is known for sure is that she currently possesses at least one 'Wheel of Fortune' card.
Even if she didn't have these, there was still her younger brother, a Sequence 2 'Knowledge Mentor' and a high-ranking member of the Church of Steam and Machinery. As long as there were clues, there would always be a way.
Harland Rooney nodded repeatedly in excitement, showing his loyalty.
Satisfied, Aaron withdrew his gaze from him. Not sensing any reaction from the token Joseph Weil had given him in Backlund earlier, Aaron looked towards the depths of the City Lord's Mansion in confusion and casually asked,
"Do you know where Joseph Weil is? I'd like to see him."
Harland Rooney's expression immediately turned solemn upon hearing this. He raised a finger and pointed towards the vast ancient forest on the east side outside St. Annes City:
"Lord Baron, the City Lord is not currently in St. Annes."
Meeting Aaron's questioning gaze, he explained,
"You may not know, but the war in West Balam has now entered a heated phase, with a subtle trend of escalating from local conflicts."
"Across East Balam, the colonial areas bordering Loen and the Feysac Empire have almost entered a state of war preparedness."
"A few days ago, the disastrous defeat of the Loen Mid-Soonian Navy made the Feysac Empire even more rampant. The situation in the area where the family's colonial zone borders the Feysac Empire in the ancient forest is now extremely tense."
"Even an Archbishop of the Church of the God of War has personally arrived. That is a Sequence 4 'Demon Hunter'. To prevent any accidents, the City Lord personally went to the front line and took many Beyonders and Sealed Artifacts from the city's families with him."
Aaron frowned slightly. He knew the truth behind that war in West Balam. He hadn't expected Feysac's appetite to be so large; they wanted to take this opportunity to annex all of the East Tack family's colonial territories at once.
"'Demon Hunter', huh..."
A mocking arc appeared at the corner of Aaron's mouth. He glanced at Boyer Bayle, who stood beside him with a face full of anger, and leisurely comforted him,
"Don't worry, maybe you'll even thank him later."
Without explaining to the bewildered Boyer Bayle, Aaron returned to the bedroom prepared specifically for him, planning to stay in St. Annes for a while.
Anyway, with the "Traveler's Badge," he could directly teleport for the rest of his journey without any concerns, and there was plenty of time.
Skillfully dismissing Evelina, Aaron was about to summon a messenger to place the object for setting the coordinates deep within the Spirit World.
Before he could even begin the ritual, Aaron's spiritual intuition stirred slightly. He turned his head to the side.
A letter floated down onto the desk. Astolfo, covered in complex patterns, stood quietly in the corner of the room.
Aaron glanced at the candle in his hand, silently put it back, picked up the letter on the desk, and unfolded it. Familiar handwriting came into view.
With a slight curl of his lips, he refolded the letter and put it in his pocket. Aaron took out the four conical objects emitting strong spiritual fluctuations and pushed them towards Astolfo.
After explaining the purpose of these items, Aaron looked at his messenger, who had quite the background, thought for a moment, and carefully said,
"My idea is to place them in a relatively safe place deep within the Spirit World, well, a place that is relatively safe for me."
Astolfo did not make any demands, simply nodded, and his figure instantly vanished into the Spirit World. The four boxes on the desk also disappeared instantly.
Sitting back down at the desk, Aaron unfolded Audrey's letter. After reading it carefully, he took out some stationery and began to write:
"Dear Audrey, I was very happy to receive your letter."
"I have already arrived in the Southern Continent and will reach Lloyd City in the Prynne River Valley in a few days."
"Your second brother, Alfred Hall, should have already arrived there. If you have anything you'd like to tell him, you can send a letter along next time, and I will forward it to him."
"As for hunting the Blood Admiral..."
Aaron's pen paused as he was writing the letter, hearing layers of ethereal prayers.
"Such unfamiliar voices, they should be male."
After making a brief judgment, Aaron frowned. His honorific name had not been leaked yet, and very few people knew it.
He lightly tapped the desk with his finger, blew the ink dry, and carefully put away the unfinished letter. His consciousness sank above the dark golden mist.
Aaron leaned back against the throne, following the source of the prayers to the palace wall. There was a point of light formed by a blocked prayer, from which spirituality extended, probing into it.
Through the hazy mist, Aaron saw an acquaintance, Yuri, the cultist who believed in the "God of Weather" and whom he had hypnotized in Bansy Harbor.
At this moment, he had stopped praying, having completely forgotten what he had just done, and was looking ahead with fanaticism.
There were protruding stone pillars there, with dozens of people tied to them, their eyes closed and their bodies covered in wounds.
Their blood slowly flowed, merging into the thick fog deep within the valley.
Aaron felt the sense of repulsion from the depths of the valley towards his gaze, secretly guessing that it was an instinctive repulsion between different Source Fields. He did not rashly continue to explore.
Based on the connection established by the prayer just now, Aaron already knew that a large-scale sacrifice would be held at midnight tonight. The people on the stone pillars were sacrifices, and the "God of Weather" who received the sacrifices would bestow power upon His believers.
Since the effect of the hypnosis had worn off and the other party was no longer praying, the scene formed by the prayer light point could be interrupted at any moment.
Without any hesitation, Aaron quickly raised his perspective. With the true vision provided by the Source Field, he finally discovered the hidden sacrificial site concealed within the thick fog.
Just as Aaron noted down the specific location of this valley, before he could explore for any more information, the prayer light point was directly interrupted.
Recalling the scene he had just seen, Aaron beckoned and drew the Black Emperor card, accommodated it, and then unclasped the divination pendant from his wrist, beginning a divination.
A moment later, looking at the randomly spinning divination pendant with no revelation, Aaron sighed.
Even though he knew that the influence of high-level existences might interfere with the divination and prevent him from getting effective results, he was still a little disappointed.
He stripped the Black Emperor card, put it back in the pile of miscellaneous items, and took out a paper crane that had been revised many times and was almost crumpled. Aaron then returned to the real world.
Unfolding the paper crane, Aaron found the finest pen and carefully wrote a sentence in the last intact blank space:
"I need help and want to see you."
After refolding it and placing it by his pillow, Aaron also lay down on the bed.
A familiar drowsiness came over him. Aaron suddenly opened his eyes and found himself on a desolate plain. Under his feet were black stones, without even a blade of grass.
A black spire stood in the center of the plain. In front of the black spire, Will Auceptin was playing with the slightly tattered paper crane, looking at Aaron and muttering,
"Didn't I give you several paper cranes? Why do you always use this one? You're too thrifty."
Looking at Aaron's sheepish smile, He didn't continue the topic and instead asked,
"Speak, it's already so late, what do you need me for?"
Aaron cleared his throat and got to the point:
"Esteemed Mr. Speaker, I would like to ask you to look at my luck tonight, well, it should be for the next few days."
Will Auceptin looked at Aaron strangely for a moment, then seemed to realize something, his face darkened, and he muttered softly,
"I knew every time I saw you, it wouldn't be anything good."
Feeling a strange fluctuation spread throughout his body, Aaron was a little awkward and didn't know how to respond.
"Hmm? Did you recently encounter those old men in the Spirit World?"
Aaron was stunned for a few seconds before realizing that the old men referred to the "Seven Lights of the Spirit World." He then nodded:
"Yes, I met the avatar of 'Orange Light' Hilarion and had a conversation with Him."
"That's right, so it was that fat old man." Will Auceptin clicked his tongue and continued,
"This old man helped you erase the traces in the Spirit World and also provided you with some concealment."
Aaron was immediately surprised, then frowned and asked,
"Hmm, will this affect your observation?"
Seeming very displeased with the questioning tone, Will Auceptin scoffed:
"I am the noble 'Mercury Serpent', not some strange Spirit World creature. That fat old man Hilarion can't affect me. It would be closer if the seven of them came together."
"Your luck has been good recently, hmm, as expected of someone favored by me."
Ignoring Will Auceptin's obvious self-praise, and having gotten the answer he wanted, a flattering smile appeared on Aaron's face:
"Mr. Speaker, the help I mentioned to you when I was in Bayam last time, I want to use it tonight, well, to hunt an Angel."
"You are so powerful, you surely won't refuse my request, right."
Will Auceptin's originally somewhat smug face instantly froze. He stared at Aaron and said through clenched teeth,
"Hunt?"
"That's an Angel, an existence that could be called a minor deity in the Ancient Epoch. They're not like cabbages by the roadside. Have you really thought through taking this risk?"
"Moreover, you didn't say that last time. Hunting an Angel and taking action against an Angel are two different concepts."
Looking at Will Auceptin's darkened face, Aaron, who hadn't expected such a strong reaction, quickly explained,
"Including you, I can enlist the help of three Angels for this operation, plus at least one Grade 0 Sealed Artifact."
"The target is just a severely injured Sequence 2 Angel. After the battle, I also have a way to erase the traces of our fight, so your arch-nemesis won't track you."
Hearing Aaron's explanation, Will Auceptin's expression improved significantly, and the look in his eyes towards Aaron became very strange:
"Alright then, working with you really gives me a headache."
Saying that, he threw the damaged paper crane in his hand towards Aaron and added,
"After you find Rejoiced, remember to give him this paper crane as well. The means I originally left for him won't be able to complete your task."
"Also, if the situation changes in any way, you must prioritize Rejoiced's safety. Don't even think about him; he has his own mission."
Nonsense, am I that kind of person?
Aaron coughed unnaturally, about to speak, but was interrupted:
"He will later carry an important Sealed Artifact from our School of Life and leave traces all over the world to attract the attention of another stinky snake."
"If you don't want to be tracked by an Angelic King, then protect Rejoiced well and make sure nothing happens."
"Destiny Angel" Uroboros.
This term instantly flashed in Aaron's mind. He immediately felt that Rejoiced was a hot potato. He had originally wanted to try and win him over, but now he instantly lost the desire to speak.
Seeing the disappointed expression on Aaron's face, Will Auceptin withdrew his gaze with satisfaction and finally said,
"Give this paper crane to Rejoiced, and he will know when to act. You can leave now."
Before Aaron could express his gratitude, the dream shattered with a roar.
Aaron, who had been politely asked out of the dream, picked up the paper crane by his pillow. The "Traveler's Badge" in his jacket pocket flickered, and a faint blue ethereal light appeared.
A portal suddenly outlined itself, as if reaching out from the void. Aaron's figure then faded and disappeared.
-----------------
West Balam, Intis Colony, Caesar Port, separated from St. Annes by the entire Prynne River Valley.
The peaceful night covered this place. In the spacious and luxurious reception hall of the aristocratic district, far from the civilian area, three people sat, but the atmosphere was somewhat strange.
Anthony Us, who was in charge of the Caesar Port diocese for the Spirituality Cult's Sleepers Faction, had now achieved Sequence 5 'Gatekeeper'.
Opposite him sat the Witch King Karamann. Enzo, also a Sequence 5 'Winner', was only fit to stand behind Karamann.
But he had no complaints. Looking at Anthony Us sitting on the sofa opposite, deep in his eyes was hidden pity.
Anthony Us put down the newspaper with a somewhat blank expression. A bloody gash appeared on his right cheek, and the outline of a human face faintly emerged.
Although no one spoke, a voice that seemed to come from the underworld echoed out of thin air:
"Heh heh heh, this is quite different from the Rose School of Thought I remember. When did they become so reckless and arrogant? But this is also good."
"But now it seems your little actions have been detected by them, otherwise this 'Blood Moon King' should have been you."
Glancing at "Anthony Us," Karamann's expression was calm, showing no joy or anger, as he replied,
"Your Highness Sass Egers, you fell at the end of the Fourth Epoch, and it was very difficult for me to find a 'Gatekeeper' to free you."
"And many things have happened since the Fifth Epoch, not only with our Rose School of Thought, but also with the former Church of the God of Death, and now the Spirituality Cult. I presume you must have also sensed this."
#175Chapter 174 Hunting for the "Weather God"
Karamar said, a mocking arc curving at the corner of his mouth, his tone full of disdain:
"As for that 'King of the Blood Moon', hehe, a tree that stands out in the forest will surely be destroyed by the wind."
"That fool Tavari probably doesn't understand yet that once he's pushed into a certain position, many things are no longer up to him."
Even though his belief in the Primordial Moon and various other reasons meant Karamar was not highly regarded within the Rose School, his demigod level still allowed him to learn many inside stories.
He knew very well that the Rose School had lost a "Puppet" in Bayam, and even the highly valued Sequence 3 "Silent Disciple" Mahams had perished.
Karamar didn't know, nor did he want to know, what had happened then. He had joined the Rose School based on the revelation of the Primordial Moon, essentially for the sake of living longer.
Karamar was very dismissive of becoming a so-called pirate king and directly clashing with the Loen military or even the Church of Storms.
The bloody wound on the right side of "Anthony-Us's" face squirmed, and Sass-Agges, who was parasitic in the Gatekeeper's body from the Underworld, let out a chuckle:
"Interesting. You actually match my impression of the Rose School somewhat. Hmm, you certainly know how to restrain your desires."
Ignoring the slightly sarcastic evaluation, Karamar looked calmly at the Death God descendant and asked:
"You've just escaped. Feel free to ask for any help you need. I also believe you have the capital to pay the reward."
"Anthony-Us" leaned back on the sofa in a leisurely posture, responding after a moment:
"I'm not interested in this body; only a body flowing with the noble bloodline of the Agges family is worthy of my status."
"Therefore, I need you to find an 'Ancient Alchemist' for me to tailor a body specifically for me. I have some of my original flesh and blood preserved here that can be used as raw material."
"Classical Alchemist," also known as "Human Alchemist," is the name for Sequence 4 of the Planter pathway, capable of achieving ultimate "Life Alchemy" using incomplete spirits and various materials.
As a demigod of a neighboring pathway, Karamar naturally knew this very well. His eyes flickered slightly, and he said:
"The Planter pathway is firmly controlled by the Church of the Mother Earth. Ordinary people can't find a 'Classical Alchemist' to help."
Then he changed the subject:
"However, I happen to know a 'Classical Alchemist' who doesn't belong to the Church of the Mother Earth. I can go personally to request her help, but the reward..."
As if he had expected it, "Anthony-Us" chuckled softly:
"I know of a hidden treasure, which I prepared in advance at the end of the Fourth Epoch. It contains a magical item created from an 'Undying' Beyonder characteristic."
"With it, even if you no longer believe in the Primordial Moon, you can gain a long lifespan, at the cost of only a slight side effect."
"To show my sincerity, and to thank you for helping me escape, I can give it to you."
Karamar lowered his eyes slightly, concealing the fleeting greed within them, and said in a low voice:
"Good. I will go discuss it with her tomorrow. The reward required for Life Alchemy can also be paid by me. I hope you won't go back on your word."
The bloody wound on the right side of "Anthony-Us's" face slowly healed, his lingering voice drifting:
"Hmm, this little guy just advanced to Gatekeeper, and the Underworld within him is not yet stable. Occupying his body for a long time can cause irreversible damage."
"Let's stop here for today. Come find me after you confirm the situation..."
-----------------
In the shadows beside the door of 76 Iris Street in the "City of Generosity," Bayam, Aaron's figure slowly emerged.
"The 'Traveler' ability is indeed very convenient. It can sense the outside world and self-locate, saving even the need for divination."
Aaron, who had just traveled from St. Annes on the Southern Continent, felt quite emotional. To give the esteemed councilor time to prepare and prevent any accidents,
Aaron did not directly teleport into his room but politely prepared to knock on the door.
As soon as his hand was raised, the door opened. Councilor Ritcher, already dressed and with his eyes covered by a black cloth, stood behind the door, his right hand catching the paper crane that automatically flew out of Aaron's pocket:
"Esteemed Lord Aaron, I am aware of your purpose. We can depart now."
Since the process of explaining was skipped, Aaron was happy to go along with it. Grasping his shoulder, their figures slowly became ethereal.
Bansy Harbor, shrouded in dense fog and swept by strong winds. Inside an unoccupied room in the harbor district, Aaron brought Councilor Ritcher here.
Aaron turned his head to look at Ritcher, whose eyes were covered by the black cloth:
"The target is on the coastal mountain peak outside the harbor, not far from here. I need to make some arrangements here. You can also use this time to prepare."
After speaking, Aaron walked into the adjoining room, closed the door, and retrieved the temporarily quieted "Staff of Scorching" and "Ring of Concealment" from above the dark golden mist. He put the "Crimson Eye," which enhanced spirituality, into his pocket.
Aaron placed the token that Valna had given him earlier in the center of the simply constructed altar and chanted in a low voice in ancient Hermes:
"Ruler of the Misty Battlefield;"
"Master of Weather Changes;"
"Totem of Flames and Lightning:"
"Great Valna-Will;"
Backlund, East Balam County, Irusil. In an underground palace somewhere, the armored figure seated on the high-backed chair suddenly raised his head, looking towards the southeast, lightning and flames flickering in his brown eyes.
Within the Wall of Spirituality, a whirlwind suddenly swept up, lifting the token. Feeling a gaze fall upon him, Aaron immediately handed over the "Staff of Scorching," which felt a high-level aura and was eager to move, to the whirlwind.
The circling whirlwind seemed to pause for a second, then a brilliant white light surged from the token, temporarily suppressing and shielding the aura of the "Staff of Scorching."
A phantom armored figure appeared, grabbed the token and the "Staff of Scorching," and then disappeared. Aaron, who lacked true vision, could only feel that the gaze was still present.
Clearing all traces in the adjoining room to avoid investigation by the Church of Storms afterward, Aaron opened the door and saw Councilor Ritcher, who had already stood up with a solemn expression.
Even with the isolation of the Wall of Spirituality, being so close, Ritcher, as a "Calamity Mage," still felt a certain power descend.
But seeing that Aaron had no intention of explaining, he didn't ask. Led by Aaron, he initiated teleportation again and arrived at the nearby coastal mountain peak.
Putting down the councilor, Aaron exhaled, looking at the mountain peak enveloped in thick fog. He took out the token that Lady Arianna had given him earlier and simultaneously prayed softly to the Evernight Goddess.
After doing this, he immediately reached out his right hand and grabbed into the air. The "Ring of Concealment" on his finger glowed, and spirituality surged in.
As he pulled his arm back, a figure appeared before him.
It was a lady with ordinary features, deep black eyes, wearing a simple long robe, tied with a bark belt, with long black hair hanging down, and bare feet without shoes or socks.
The Dean of the Abbey of the Evernight, leader of the Ascetics, "Servant of Concealment," terrestrial angel, Arianna.
It succeeded on the first try... Aaron was startled. Originally, he had even planned to pray to Will Auceptin for enough luck if he failed too many times before attempting again.
Feeling the frantic consumption of spirituality, Aaron immediately used the "Crimson Eye" to replenish the depleted spirituality. Without time to think further, he quickly said:
"Conceal this valley and cast misfortune upon the one within the valley."
Bansy Harbor is not far from Bayam. The surveillance of the nearby sea area by Aron Courtman, who had been tricked by the Rose School once, would certainly be far more intense than before.
Having Lady Arianna provide concealment assistance would not only buy time but also greatly reduce the burden on Aaron's spirituality.
"Alright, but the battle between angels will significantly increase the consumption of concealment, and you won't be able to last long."
Arianna responded calmly, not at all stiff or rigid.
It's not the real person who came, is it... Aaron's expression stiffened, then he denied the thought.
The most logical explanation is that the Dean of the Abbey of the Evernight, after sensing her past image being summoned in the Amantha Mountains, deliberately entered a state of concealment and disappeared from reality, allowing the projection to gain consciousness.
This is a completely feasible operation, especially since the authority in the "Concealment" domain likely gives her a certain grasp over her image in the historical void.
.....
Inside the coastal mountain peak outside Bansy Harbor, towering rock walls surrounded a natural hidden altar. Dense mist surged from within the valley.
Streams of blood from outside the valley converged onto the altar, which was inscribed with bizarre patterns, designs, and symbols.
The chosen sacrifices were brought into the valley one by one, and the bloody cannibalistic ritual had already begun.
Headless, withered figures appeared one after another in the increasingly dense mist. They were all draped in black cloaks, blood still gurgling from their necks, only the swirling breeze holding up their hoods.
Heads with attached esophagi, wearing strange smiles, were piled up in the center of the entire altar.
"Great 'God of Weather,' your humble servants offer sacrifices to you, praying for your recovery..."
Accompanied by hoarse, frenzied prayers, the dense mist swirled like a vortex, lifting the pyramid of skulls and surging towards the deepest megalith.
An ordinary-looking wooden door was embedded in a megalith, with a brass-colored keyhole and handle.
The entire altar glowed faintly, and the sounds of wind and thunder could be heard, accompanied by the slight clatter of metal. The wooden door eerily opened on its own, and behind the door was a world shrouded in gray-white mist.
The outermost area, closest to the wooden door, was a flattened mountaintop with silver and crimson intertwined patterns forming a complex altar.
In the center of the altar, the rusted coffin seemed to be stimulated by something. The lid was directly blown off, and a rotten, bone-exposed arm oozing pale yellow pus reached out.
Along with this arm, bright lights suddenly burst forth from the mist, as if countless bolts of lightning were entangled and struck down.
The megalith suddenly shattered, and lightning stained with a bizarre aura surged from within the wooden door, colliding with a light arrow that seemed to be composed of pure light.
An equally armored figure appeared, holding a staff emitting dazzling light. A spear entwined with lightning and flames had already condensed in his other hand.
Easily breaking through the lightning storm, the light arrow instantly plunged into the coffin. A miniature sun rose, and the bronze coffin melted away, revealing a rotten skeleton wearing tattered armor.
A violent, undisguised aura of madness then swept out. The bewildered believers and remaining sacrifices, who didn't know what was happening, gradually rotted away in painful wails, their heads dragging blood-stained spines as they floated out.
The entire valley seemed to be covered by a layer of dark mist. The aftermath of the battle swept over but was silently smoothed out. Aaron, with the "Crimson Eye" suspended above his head, turned pale, feeling that more than half of his spirituality had been drained.
Inside the valley, with the massive deaths of believers and the sudden attack, a large number of anchors disappeared simultaneously, and the previously fragile balance directly collapsed. The sanity of this corrupted "Weather Warlock" seemed to completely vanish.
He no longer counterattacked, but as if pulled by something, flew directly towards the city shrouded in gray-white mist.
In that city, on the streets dimly visible in the faint mist, rotten bodies with heads dragging their spines raised their heads to look at Valna.
Even through the power projection, Valna felt like he was being targeted by something terrifying. His movements paused, and he failed to prevent Him from approaching the city.
At this moment, a paper crane completely soaked in silver blood slowly drifted in the dim firelight, and starlight merged into Ritcher's body.
"He," or now it could be said "He," tore off the black cloth covering his eyes. A giant silver-white snake without scales filled "His" eyes.
The surface was made up of dense patterns and symbols forming one mysterious wheel after another.
It connected head to tail, as if merging with countless illusory rivers, evolving into a blurry, somewhat unreal, slowly rotating gigantic wheel.
Around the wheel, various symbolic signs represented different futures.
Suddenly, the "Weather Warlock," who had been very close to the strange city, retreated rapidly until He returned to the position near the wooden door. However, the raised heads in the city seemed unaffected.
"Restart of Fate" returned everything except the strange city to the point in time when the "Weather Warlock" had just been severely injured.
Valna had adapted to that gaze and eliminated the interference. The "Staff of Scorching" emitted terrifying fluctuations, and the spear condensed in his right hand was fiercely thrown out, piercing through the "Weather Warlock" near the wooden door with the enhancement of a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact.
Just as Valna intended to drag Him out, the originally simple wooden door seemed to sense something and rapidly disintegrated.
Arianna's historical projection appeared beside the wooden door, transforming into pure darkness to wrap it, delaying its dissipation.
Valna, surrounded by lightning and flames, had exerted all his strength and finally, at the last moment, dragged out the "Weather Warlock" who was beginning to completely lose control and mutate.
Just as Arianna's historical projection transformed into pure darkness and joined the battlefield, Aaron only lasted less than a minute before his spirituality completely dried up.
With the disintegration of the historical projection, the dark mist covering the valley also disappeared directly. With the terrifying aura overflowing, storms and lightning intertwined, as if the apocalypse had arrived.
Bayam, "Waves Cathedral." Aron Courtman suddenly looked towards the northwest, lightning and rage flickering in his eyes.
Chapter 175 "Angel of Destiny" Ouroboros
A deep blue, almost black electric bolt shot out from the majestic and spacious cathedral, accompanied by an explosive roar.
That was a terrifying sonic boom!
And unlike a normal sonic boom, it seemed to be mixed with the whimpering sound of the Wind domain.
This came from "Sea King" Arnn Cottman!
.....
Under the illumination of the "Crimson Eye," Aaron barely recovered from his spiritual exhaustion. Supporting his sore and swollen head, he looked at the surrounding situation, feeling a bit anxious.
Arianna's historical projection had dissipated. Without the concealment, the commotion here could no longer be hidden.
Not far away, at the very center of the battlefield, the severely wounded and utterly insane "Weather Sorcerer" roared, gathering the surrounding mist as if about to mutate into some indescribable monster.
The "Staff of the Sun Chaser" in Varnar's hand surged with endless light, seeming to instantly transform into the sun descended upon reality.
The Domain of Chasing Light enveloped the mutating "Weather Sorcerer." The pure and intense light, like the scorching sun, dispelled the mist and forcibly interrupted the mutation.
"Rejoice" had closed his eyes at this moment. Drops of silver blood emerged from his body, and complex mercury-colored symbols gathered one by one, instantly forming a giant, illusory, scale-less serpent.
On the surface of this silver-white giant serpent, dense patterns and symbols formed interconnected rotating wheels, with different markings around each wheel.
With a glance from its cold, crimson eyes, the giant serpent soared into the air, above the "Weather Sorcerer," curled its body, and bit its own tail.
Its shadow enveloped Him, like a mysterious and exaggerated rotating wheel. An illusory river flashed by, and that small area of space seemed to be isolated from the outside world.
"Cycle of Fate" plunged the defenseless "Weather Sorcerer" into a peculiar state. Time maintained a certain degree of flow but was fixed within a certain range, cycling repeatedly, maintaining balance and continuity.
Having realized that certain uncontrollable factors might appear next, Will Auceptin decisively sealed Him first and handed Him over to Varnar.
Using his last bit of strength, he disturbed the river of fate in this area, sent the bleeding Rejoice to Aaron's side, and said with a somewhat anxious tone:
"Leave quickly, I can already feel it, that guy is coming soon."
Looking at the giant serpent's illusion that had completely dissipated in the air, and Varnar who had disappeared along with the "Staff of the Sun Chaser" and the "Weather Sorcerer," Aaron breathed a sigh of relief.
He grabbed the unconscious Rejoice with his left hand and crushed a dark golden charm with his right.
This was an interference charm Aaron had made himself above the dark golden mist, using the power of the Beyonder characteristic to respond to himself. It could disrupt any potential pursuit and investigation later.
After doing all this, he looked at Astolfo, whose figure emerged from the Spirit World, nodded, and then began his journey.
Feeling Aaron's aura rapidly disappearing in the Spirit World, Astolfo stood at the center of the half-collapsed valley. The complex patterns on his body gradually became illusory, as if some kind of shielding had been removed, and invisible fluctuations spread into the Spirit World.
Spiderweb-like cracks covered the void. A bloody yellow arm wrapped in rags, with wriggling rotten flesh filling the gaps, pierced through the Spirit World and violently grabbed towards Astolfo.
Suddenly, a massive lightning bolt that illuminated the surrounding sea area struck down. Electric snakes began to dart wildly, followed by dense streaks of silver-white lightning, brandishing their claws, falling one after another.
The lightning storm successfully blocked the giant arm reaching out of the Spirit World. With a roar that made all living beings and spirits tremble, Astolfo's figure quietly vanished.
As if pulled by some force, the deep black waves surged up, reaching nearly 10 meters!
These waves were like a wall created by a deity, pushed by an invisible hand, surging towards the offshore mountain peak of Bansy Harbor.
This was the tsunami created by "Sea King" Arnn Cottman!
This could already be called a natural disaster!
Although He was still some distance away from here, having control over this sea area, He could exert influence from afar while on the way!
This was Sequence 3, a Saint close to the Angel level!
Upon sensing the aura very similar to that of the Rose School, He didn't hesitate at all and attacked with full force.
The sound of crashing waves was like an explosion. The travelers and residents staying in Bansy Harbor were all awakened from their sleep.
Looking at the sky covered with silver-white lightning, the swirling dark clouds, and the giant waves outside, they felt as if they had arrived at the apocalypse from myths and legends, and were all plunged into panic.
Inside the giant waves created by the tsunami, a chaos that completely defied logic and scientific laws appeared. An indescribable vortex rapidly formed, tearing apart the whole, causing the terrifying waves to collapse with astonishing speed!
A giant sword, seemingly condensed from the light of dusk, extended from the vortex. Accompanied by a chaotic and violent aura, silver armor with mottled bloodstains appeared on the arm holding the giant sword.
The terrifying lightning storm fell on the armor, without causing a single ripple. As the giant sword was swung, a sword light mixed with orange-yellow and brown split the layers of the tsunami and went straight into the distance.
Perhaps the object that attracted Him disappeared, or perhaps it was due to the limitations of the Spirit World itself, after unleashing this strike, the terrifying arm retracted back into the Spirit World.
A few minutes later, Arnn Cottman, enveloped in lightning, appeared holding the Sealed Artifact 0-23 "Staff of Divine Punishment" at the coastal mountain peak that had been completely destroyed by the aftermath of the battle.
There was a deep, bone-deep wound on His left arm. A power mixed with orange-yellow and black light was attached to the wound, like a maggot clinging to bone, wearing away against the flickering silver-white electric arcs.
Arnn Cottman closed his eyes and sensed for a moment, finding that not only had the Spirit World in this area been completely stirred up, but even the aura that might have originally remained was completely covered by the aura of that terrifying creature just now.
Besides the surging anger, there was also a strange sense of powerlessness. Suddenly, His spiritual intuition stirred, and He instinctively turned His gaze towards the back and side.
There, light and shadow flickered, an illusory portal appeared, and a figure walked out.
The figure wore a simple and plain linen robe and had long silver hair.
He was male, with soft features, a beautiful face, and gentle eyes tinged with a hint of indifference, as if observing fate and everyone in the world from the perspective of a bystander.
Behind Him, layers of light formed illusory, pure wings that spread outwards, obscuring the red moon.
A hint of surprise flashed across Arnn Cottman's still angry face, his pupils contracted slightly, and a record from the Storm Church's internal texts, which only Archbishops and members of the Divine Council could read, quickly came to mind:
"Angel of Fate! The Ouroboros, Uroboros!"
"The King of Angels who believes in the True Creator!"
Arnn Cottman, who was already injured, did not bother to consider why this terrifying being would appear here. He raised the "Staff of Divine Punishment" high and simultaneously chanted the honorific name of Pope Gard II of the Storm Church in his heart.
Even though He possessed a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact and could contend with ordinary angels, this clearly did not include the one standing opposite Him. Moreover, only angels could truly unleash the full power of a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact.
Uroboros paid no attention to what the Archbishop of the Storm Church was doing. To Him, who had accommodated two Sequence 1 Beyonder characteristics, with the gods of the Fifth Epoch having retreated to the astral world, the Storm Church would not actively provoke Him either.
Looking down at the ruined valley below, a shimmering river appeared simultaneously in His two eyes, encircling the entire area.
Silently, the valley that had been destroyed in the lightning storm reappeared. Suddenly, the illusory river was subjected to violent interference.
The auras of several angels mixed together, and the newly restarted scene shattered, returning to the ravaged state after the great battle.
"Ouroboros" Uroboros watched quietly, remaining still for a long time, the corners of His mouth slightly curved, as if He had discovered something interesting:
"Bincy... Medici... Will Auceptin..."
A beam of light composed entirely of lightning broke through the layers of rolling dark clouds, accompanied by the fear-spreading sound of thunder, and landed beside Arnn Cottman, transforming into a human figure.
He wore a triple crown inlaid with gems such as sapphires and emeralds, and a deep blue, almost black robe.
Embroidered on it with gold and silver threads were symbols of lightning, storms, and the ocean. His presence was deep and majestic, giving a sense of a massive storm about to strike.
It was none other than the terrestrial angel, the spokesperson of the "Lord of Storms," Pope Gard II, who had presided over the Privy Council for nearly a century.
The "Staff of Divine Punishment" actively delivered itself into His hands, behaving completely unlike a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact.
At the same time, Uroboros also slightly tilted His head to look at His Holiness the Pope. There was no longer any emotion revealed in His indifferent pupils.
-----------------
Loen, East Chester County, Irusil, East Chester Manor.
Aaron returned here with the bleeding Rejoice, completing the final disruption with Astolfo's connection to that terrifying being in the Spirit World.
As long as they didn't actively expose themselves, no one would know that the East Chester family had obtained a Sequence 2 Beyonder characteristic.
Thinking this, Aaron looked at the recovered Rejoice with some concern, as well as the hand that had grown some silver-white scales, and couldn't help but ask:
"Mr. Senator, your eyes..."
Rejoice's eyes were tightly closed, blood flowing down his cheeks. He skillfully took out a black cloth and re-covered his eyes, saying in a relaxed, even matter-of-fact tone:
"This is a necessary backlash. All gifts of fate require a price."
"I am already a demigod, and the Speaker bore some of the backlash for me, so this injury is only temporary. I will recover in at most a month."
Rejoice coughed twice and said hoarsely:
"I'll have to trouble Your Grace the Viscount during this time. My power is a bit out of control. Anyone who enters a certain range of me will be afflicted with bad luck."
Aaron was stunned for a moment, not feeling the so-called bad luck. Then he nodded. The reason he returned to East Chester County was considering that Rejoice's condition was not suitable for staying in the dangerous South Continent.
After settling Mr. Senator and explaining the precautions, Aaron went directly to the underground hall of the ancestral tower.
As soon as he entered the hall covered with verdigris, a strong scent of iron and blood, accompanied by a terrifying pressure that felt almost tangible, came over him.
Aaron's steps faltered slightly. He saw Varnar, dressed in classical full armor with red hair and brown eyes, standing in the center of the hall. The entire hall was enveloped by an ancient array pattern.
The "Staff of the Sun Chaser," entirely crimson-gold like the sun, was inserted into a ball of silver-white and blood-red light, which was also the center of the entire array.
"My father left a decree array pattern buried here, which can help me suppress and wear down that 'Weather Sorcerer.' With your Grade 0 Sealed Artifact, even if the pollution He suffered is of a high rank, it will be enough to obtain His Beyonder characteristic in at most a week."
Emphasizing the words "Grade 0 Sealed Artifact," Varnar said with a half-smile:
"Not only that, that Grade 0 Sealed Artifact can also extract additional Beyonder characteristics of Sequence 3 and below. No wonder the demigod Beyonder characteristics you handed over to the family before were so pure."
Aaron coughed dryly. Not yet having figured out how to explain, he simply played dumb.
Without pressing the matter, Varnar pointed to the "Staff of the Sun Chaser":
"I'll keep this Sealed Artifact here for now. Come back in a week to retrieve it."
Aaron nodded. After leaving the underground hall, he started his journey. After teleporting several times, he finally returned to St. Annes in the South Continent.
-----------------
The sea area where the Raging Sea and the Fog Sea converge, Seros Island, Port Area.
Anderson covered his face with his hat, legs crossed, lying on a chair, listening to William Blake's shouting from the side, and clicked his tongue:
"I didn't expect that after all this, you're still the one accompanying me. I didn't expect our friendship to be so deep."
William Blake stopped shouting, his face full of black lines:
"I'm a Sequence 6 'Notary,' not some nobody. You can ask anyone randomly in the Oladk Archipelago, and they'll know I've been hanging out with you lately."
"I'm stuck on your pirate ship, I can't run away. If I couldn't beat you, I'd want to tie you up and send you to those lunatics from the Iron and Blood Cross Order."
Anderson shrugged nonchalantly:
"I told you before, their brains seem to have been eaten by zombies. Even a demigod was still played around by me and easily shaken off."
"Don't worry, I'm the strongest hunter in the Fog Sea. I can definitely take you to find the treasure in the ruins of the divine war, hehe, then..."
Just as he was about to inject some more of his cynical wisdom into this not-so-firm crew member, Anderson seemed to sense something. He turned his hat back on his head and sat up.
A beautiful lady wearing a white linen shirt and a dark red jacket appeared at the dock.
Her dark, charming curly hair was piled high, wrapped in a white headscarf. She wore fitted beige trousers on her legs, and her figure was slender yet graceful.
As she looked around, her eyes occasionally lost focus, appearing hazy and exceptionally enticing.
"This is... a Witch?"
Anderson looked at the lady with great curiosity, sensing the strong feeling of temptation. He approached with a sunny smile.
Feeling the man walking towards her with a naked gaze, as if appraising a rare animal, Tracy, who had recently been promoted to Sequence 5 "Pain Witch" with the help of her mother, Catalina Pelle, felt a surge of killing intent.
Then she remembered her mission, and sensing that the other party's Sequence might not be lower than hers, she forcefully suppressed her twisted desire to kill and planned to enter the island as quickly as possible.
Suddenly, Anderson and Tracy turned almost simultaneously, looking towards the northern sea area of Seros Island. A massive naval fleet appeared on the horizon, slowly approaching, with the East Chester family's crest hanging from the flagship.
#177Chapter 176 Hunting in the Southern Continent
Watching the massive fleet grow larger in his pupils, feeling the oppressive aura emanating from the lead flagship, Anderson's smile faded, and his brow furrowed slightly.
Not far away, Tracy was even more decisive. No longer concerned about being noticed, a flicker of illusory black flames appeared and vanished, and her body quickly disappeared from the spot.
Amidst the sudden exclamations, Anderson withdrew his gaze from the sea, glanced sideways, his mouth curving slightly as if disdainful, and then returned to his stall.
He saw William Blake hastily packing his belongings, looking like he was trying to escape quickly, his expression quite similar to some of the pirates around him.
Anderson stood beside him, arms crossed, a smug expression on his face, watching him pack. Only when all the luggage was packed did he let out a chuckle:
"What are you doing? Are you so eager to go adventuring with me?"
Already used to this guy's foul mouth, William Blake glanced around and lowered his voice:
"I just found out that this fleet was sent by Loen to the Southern Continent, preparing to participate in the war in West Balam. They must be here for supplies, and there's definitely a demigod on board."
"We're already being hunted by the Iron and Blood Cross Order. It's best to lie low now and avoid causing any more trouble."
Anderson looked him up and down with an idiotic expression and retorted:
"Are you a pirate?"
William Blake was stunned for a second, then shook his head.
"Then are you on the Loen Navy's wanted list?"
Looking at his teammate who was still shaking his head, Anderson naturally countered:
"Then why are you running?"
"With this Loen demigod here, that not-so-bright demigod from the Iron and Blood Cross Order won't come even if they know we're here."
Remembering the Witch who had given him a sense of danger just now, Anderson looked back towards the interior of the island and muttered:
"But we really do need to keep a low profile. The danger here isn't just the Navy..."
---
In the sea area near Bansy Harbor, a cluster of crystal-clear, brilliant bubbles appeared out of thin air, converging to form a human figure.
Bernadette, wearing a white Intis-style shirt and a deep black jacket, stopped moving forward because she sensed danger.
As a Provoker Sequence 3 "Prophet," she could peek into the secrets of fate, gain revelations, and make prophecies.
It was also because of this that she could, to some extent, sense the fluctuations of fate, which was why she came here. Looking at the vague Bansy Harbor in the mist, she pondered for a moment, and her spirituality stirred.
A pair of indifferent, ruthless eyes, nearly transparent and without eyelashes, appeared, then attached themselves to the invisible servant Bernadette had summoned.
Controlling the invisible servant to move forward slowly, seemingly breaking through some boundary, Bernadette, through the vision of the "Eye of Peeping," seemed to see a lightning storm surrounded by an illusory long river.
As soon as it stepped onto the Bansy Harbor dock, before she could control the invisible servant to react further, a silver-white electric serpent directly shattered it. Thanks to the blessing of "Prophet," the "Eye of Peeping" did not immediately disappear.
As if momentarily dazed, the vision transmitted by the invisible servant recovered, and the invisible servant returned to its starting point, the injuries it had just sustained seemingly just an illusion.
Bernadette's eyes darkened. Possessing a portion of the authority over fate herself, she was not greatly affected. She voluntarily dispersed the invisible servant and the Eye of Peeping.
Looking at the illusory river that vaguely enveloped the entire sea area near Bansy Harbor, Bernadette murmured to herself in confusion:
"Cycle of Fate... Who could it be..."
---
Southern Continent, Paz Valley, Loyd City.
This ancient and majestic city is located on the vast plains of Paz Valley. Unlike other cities, it is divided into an inner city and an outer city, and the two have distinct stylistic differences.
The inner city is smaller, with obvious ancient Balam Empire and Highland Kingdom characteristics, while the outer city is much larger, and its style is entirely inclined towards Loen, with strong Northern Continent city-state features.
As the largest city in the northern part of the Loen Kingdom's East Balam colonial zone, the reason for such disparate styles is primarily because Loyd City itself was built upon Hameln City, which was under the rule of the Highland Kingdom.
The original city-state became the inner city, and the newly added outer city was built both to strengthen rule and to counter the watchful Intis colony to the west.
Aaron sat on the steam train, looking at the magnificent city outside the window while listening to the introduction of the city.
Since the battle at Bansy Harbor ended, Aaron returned to St. Annes, brought along Boyer-Bailer, Harland Rooney, and Evelina, left to find the main force they had separated from earlier, and together took the steam train to Loyd City.
Accompanied by the hum of the train, Aaron was the first to disembark and saw the crowd who had already received the news and were waiting there.
Leading the group were two men in Loen Lieutenant Colonel military uniforms. One was Glen Will, who had arrived earlier, and the other was a young man with blond hair and blue eyes, possessing distinct Loen features.
Feeling the fluctuations of the Judge's unique Law from the other party, Aaron's eyebrow twitched slightly, and he had already guessed this person's identity: Audrey's second brother, Alfred Hall.
Aaron smiled and nodded, handing the letter Audrey had sent with him last time to Alfred:
"Audrey asked me to pass this on to you."
Alfred took the letter quite steadily. He didn't think too much about it, assuming it was a letter his sister had given him when they were in Backlund. He obviously also knew that the two had a good relationship.
After exchanging pleasantries with the welcoming guests, Glen Will led Aaron to a carriage, where a strange man was already seated inside.
Seeing Aaron arrive, the man stood up to bow, and his face underwent a series of changes.
Then a familiar face emerged, it was Dallen Sheroto, the "Faceless" who had arrived in the Southern Continent much earlier to handle intelligence work.
As the carriage moved, Dallen carefully inserted a charm into a hidden slot inside the carriage compartment. With a wave of spiritual energy, the compartment was isolated from the outside.
He then lowered his voice:
"Your Lordship, my informant in Bayam received a piece of information."
"It seems something big happened at Bansy Harbor."
Unconsciously recalling the battle at Bansy Harbor and somewhat curious about how it ended, Aaron clenched his fist to his mouth, coughed twice, and asked very calmly without any guilt:
"What happened?"
Dallen thought for a moment and said cautiously:
"I'm not sure exactly what happened, I only know it might involve high-level powers from the Church of Storms. It's said that even 'Sea King' Jahn Kottman was injured."
"Affected by this, the planned encirclement and suppression of the 'Blood Moon King' had to be temporarily put on hold."