In the "Happy" town on the island, "Admiral of the Deep Seas" Howl Constantine gazed toward the harbor, his heart surging like a storm-tossed sea.
Although he could not see clearly how many terrifying existences were clashing, just the dreadful auras emanating from the waters beyond the island were enough to suffocate him.
The black fog rising near the harbor nearly drove him into loss of control just by observing it…
In his heart he kept praying that the one known as "the Unknown" would be the victor. After all, if the "Rose School" and the Nors family won, then as a traitor, he would not even have the luxury of a swift death!
Fortunately, things unfolded just as he wished. That distinct-looking demon fled in a panic into the shadows, so the victor could not possibly be the enemy's side.
As the black fog dissipated, he finally saw the neatly dismembered corpse of the sea monster "Segust."
At that moment, he could no longer suppress his excitement and swung his arm fiercely.
Since the sea monster was dead, he no longer needed to fear being dominated again!
I'm truly free now!
Praise the Unknown!
In that instant, "Admiral of the Deep Seas" even developed a trace of genuine devotion toward Ebner… though it lasted only for a fleeting moment.
…
In the undersea cavern outside the small island, Ebner suddenly closed his eyes, for he sensed that his "Knowledge Keeper" potion had been fully digested.
Feedback from "Admiral of the Deep Seas"? When the mystic arts I developed allowed him to fulfill the wish he had harbored for years, even inspiring a faint sense of reverence for me…
Learning mystic arts, developing mystic arts, teaching mystic arts, letting mystic arts be no longer hidden… in the end, they must be put to use, solving problems!
This is indeed in line with the sequence from "Knowledge Keeper" to "Polymath."
I suppose the next stage, "Prophet," will be similar—helping others solve their problems and change their fates.
From "Knowledge Keeper" to "Prophet," the difference may only lie in details and emphasis, but the general direction should be the same… just like climbing a tower, where each floor shows you different things, yet the goal remains to keep ascending upward…
After letting his thoughts wander, Ebner felt greatly uplifted. Ignoring the inexplicable, probing gaze of the angelic doll beside him, he turned his attention back to his Owen avatar.
The sea monster's characteristics were already precipitating.
Looking at the lump of things tangled together like fishing floats, Ebner sighed inwardly: As expected, it's a mixture of many characteristics…
Without the "Pure White Eye," he could not identify them precisely, but roughly speaking, aside from the "Prophet," the rest were all mid- to low-sequence characteristics.
Hmm, fortunately the mix wasn't too large—only three or four kinds. The others must have been expelled by granting them to its thralls.
I might as well take advantage of that "Angel of Spirit" being here and ask Him to crush and separate them.
Acting on the thought, though Owen's avatar couldn't leave the island before May 1st, Mr. Fool could provide "cross-domain" service. Thus Ebner immediately held a sacrificial ritual, offering the characteristics and other valuable materials from the sea monster onto the gray fog.
Then, through the undersea cavern, his true body performed the "receiving" ritual and took back the mixed characteristics.
As for the sea monster's spiritual materials, he offered them to Mr. Fool as thanks…
Mr. Fool did not refuse, only saying mildly: "It will be passed on to one of my Blessed… that Blessed happens to be lacking in similar materials recently, so he is willing to assume the contribution that Mr. Tower has advanced in this 'support.'"
Faced with such a situation, what else could Ebner say? Of course, he praised Mr. Fool and His Blessed!
After this operation, Ebner handed the clumped characteristics to the exquisite doll.
As they had communicated beforehand, Tolznar did not say much and immediately activated angelic-level power to shatter the characteristics.
Soon, five pure Beyonder characteristics appeared before Ebner's eyes: "Prophet," "Wind-blessed," "Sun Priest," "Listener," and "Audience."
They corresponded exactly to the "All-Knowing, All-Powerful Five Pathways"… that sea monster really had ambitions… Too bad you didn't make it! Ebner had just finished the thought when he saw Tolznar stuffing the remnants of spirit and pollution from the shattering process into the doll's eyeball, turning its once-emerald green into pitch black.
Turning his head toward Ebner, he said earnestly:
"This doll, even with my modifications, has reached the limit of what it can bear. It is about to shatter…
"I must also return to be 'born' again… You won't make it in time, but it doesn't matter. When I reach my full month, you must come with a birthday gift!
"You can use this doll's eyeball… It holds the spiritual pollution of the sea monster and countless sacrifices, as well as the aura of the 'Tenebrous World.' Now it already counts as a sealed artifact with extremely dreadful side effects…"
Before he finished speaking, the life-sized exquisite doll collapsed into countless grains of sand, scattering across the ground.
Only that pitch-black eyeball remained intact, which Ebner drew into his hand.
After a brief examination, Ebner felt a stabbing headache. The thing was the purest kind of sealed artifact, impossible to use directly—at best, its negative effects could be used to trap others…
Not daring to hold it for long, Ebner thought for a moment, then again set up a sacrificial altar and offered it onto the gray fog.
This contains remnants of the sea monster and many human spirits… Klein may enjoy studying it…
Besides, no matter what, it's safer than the Sun God's divine blood or the Real Creator's polluted ear…
So this is what it means to be an angel? To demand such a "hardcore" full-month gift!
But the Northern Continent doesn't have the custom of "baby's full month"… could it be a tradition created in the Southern Continent by Senior Danyet?
After leaving the Angel of Spirit's full-month gift with Mr. Fool, Ebner stored away the Beyonder characteristics and left the cavern, surfacing above the sea.
By then, aside from Yaloran and the Lady of Black Fog on the island, the other angels and demigods had already gathered there. Seeing Ebner appear, they all flew over.
Renette Tinicole's four heads each swept a glance, and she was the first to speak:
"Already…" "Safe…" "Afterwards…" "Remember…" "Payment…"
Ebner smiled and replied: "Do you have an account? I can have someone transfer the money right now… you can withdraw the gold coins at any Suhit Bank branch."
Renette was visibly startled at these words, then her four heads nodded in succession:
"Transfer to…" "Gehrman's…" "Account…" "Will do…"
Having said that, she vanished as though she still had urgent matters.
After she left, Lady Helen said with a strange expression: "She has actually become Gehrman Sparrow's messenger… how odd."
Recently, Gehrman's name had been resounding across the seas, hailed as the "Craziest Adventurer." Even Helen, in Intis, had heard of him.
"Lady Helen, are you well acquainted with this messenger?" Ebner asked casually.
"Not only do I know her… before she was besieged by the Rose School's Liberators, I had quite a good relationship with her. When Sharon and Maric were hunted, I even lent them aid," Lady Helen answered briefly without going into detail.
At this, Karen suddenly realized: "No wonder Miss Sharon has that item of yours…"
Hearing this reminder, Ebner also recalled that time. When he and Judy met with Sharon and Maric, Karen, who should have been lurking in the shadows, had suddenly appeared and questioned Sharon… so this was the reason.
"I saw Sharon suffer at the hands of that 'Scarlet Moon Crown,' so I lent it to her temporarily…"
At this, Lady Helen smirked mischievously and teased:
"Speaking of which, I found Sharon suited my taste and wanted to trick her into becoming my daughter-in-law… After all, you hadn't become the 'Witch King' back then, and you were already over five hundred years old—it was high time you thought of descendants!"
No sooner had she finished than Karen felt Mr. Azik's sharp gaze from the side. His head throbbed instantly, and he changed the subject: "How are those Lydia and the others wanted to save?"
Some matters, even if one's conscience was clear, only grew worse the more explained, so the best choice was not to pursue it. Everyone could see that Lady Helen had been joking anyway.
"They must wait until May 1st, when this island returns to reality, before they can leave… Fortunately, the island has abundant supplies, so basic needs aren't an issue.
"And with the Admiral of the Deep Seas here, no chaos will arise.
"Next month, I'll organize a fleet to fetch them and resettle them."
Ebner thought a moment and gave his reply.
As for his Owen avatar, once the true body left the island, it would be left in the care of a "virtual personality."
Currently, the virtual personality he could arrange did not have high intelligence. It could manage daily life and combat, but not problem-solving.
So Ebner planned to have it simply hide for a month, avoiding contact with the others on the island—that was a task a virtual personality could handle.
"I see… I've been assigned to a mission in the Southern Continent. If I have time this month, I'll come take a look, to prevent any mishaps," Karen said with a nod.
After that, Ebner expressed his gratitude once more to his friends.
Although Krosfia and Helen had come at the Earth Mother's command, Karen was helping Lydia's group avenge and rescue Gwen's uncle, Mr. Azik had accepted Death God manuscripts as payment, and Madam Greed belonged to Sloth…
They had all risked their lives to fight on his behalf, and this favor Ebner acknowledged.
As for Sero? He could not appear before everyone, and the "Black Knight" identity was unwelcome. So as soon as the battle ended, Ebner sent him back to Trier directly.
Once the demigods and angels accepted Ebner's thanks, Mr. Azik asked: "Where are you heading? I still have some time and can take you there."
Recalling the message brought to him by the "Strongest Hunter" Anderson when he first became a "Knowledge Keeper," Ebner pulled from his pocket an invitation long kept sealed. Pointing at the address written there, he smiled: "Please take me to this place in West Balam!"
…
After everyone had left the island, Leticia Tamara transformed the black mist into white, wrapped herself in it, and turned into Vera Augustus.
From several kilometers away, she glanced at Owen hiding within the manor, smiled slightly, and in a shroud of mist took one step beyond the island's boundary.
The projection of the "Tenebrous World" could not hinder her in the slightest.
Reaching the sea's surface, she spoke into the empty void: "Since you're watching, why not speak? Don't you still need him to resolve your issue?"
After a long silence, a woman's voice echoed from the void: "It isn't time yet… wait a little longer… To go to him now would only burden him…"
…
In West Balam, Berensport, in an ordinary-looking house.
An old man in a plain white robe embroidered with brass-colored thread looked at Ebner, who had just entered, and smiled:
"Your arrival is far earlier than the time I foresaw…"
(End of Chapter)