"It sounds really powerful..."
Angel seemed to be able to see through the gray fog Miss Justice's eyes shining with light.
"Then this 'Creeping Hunger', I mean 'Shepherd', belongs to which pathway?"
Perhaps remembering that 'Creeping Hunger' needs to devour a living person every other day, Justice finally woke up from her envy and continued to inquire of the Sun.
"It belongs to Sequence 5 of the 'Secrets Suppliant'."
Before the Sun could speak, Mr. Fool at the head of the long table answered first.
Secrets Suppliant's Sequence 5... So after "Rose Bishop" comes "Shepherd"?
First manipulating flesh and blood, then manipulating souls and the abilities souls possess... Although there's no connection in names, the abilities' functions are quite reasonable.
Secretly noting down this important information, Angel prepared to tell Dunn Smith about this matter the next day.
After all, there's still such an "Aurora Order" member hidden in Tingen City, and very likely Sequence 5! If they couldn't know his extraordinary abilities in advance, once confronting him, they would suffer great losses.
Looking toward Mr. Fool who fell silent again after briefly speaking, Angel once again praised and thanked Him for His guidance in her heart.
The Hanged Man was similarly attracted by the Fool's hint. He turned his gaze toward the mysterious Fool and respectfully asked: "Mr. Fool, may I ask if your favored one could provide help at the crucial moment of capturing Qilingos? I think I can pay a price that interests you."
The gray fog space fell quiet again. Even Mr. Sun looked toward the Fool, expecting how He would respond.
"The premise is that he is near Backlund at that time, and he will prioritize completing my tasks."
"Yes."
The Hanged Man lowered his head and responded, no longer continuing this topic.
The crimson light appeared and disappeared. Angel returned to the single room surrounded by spiritual walls, returned to the third floor of Blackthorn Security Company.
Looking at the pocket watch in her hand showing only three-thirty, Angel realized that this Tarot Club meeting was shorter than all previous ones.
Perhaps because of the increase in members? Or the Fool had other arrangements? Angel dared not think too deeply. She prepared to record the information about "Shepherd" and submit it to the Nighthawks as soon as possible.
But the next moment, spirituality surged within her body. It seemed something was rapidly dissolving and spreading throughout her entire body. In her mind came a "pop" sound, as if a glass container had shattered.
This familiar yet strange feeling made Angel quickly think of the only possibility: The "Instigator" potion within her body had finished digesting.
But previously when she saw from newspapers that the "Wild Bear Gang" and "Workers' Mutual Aid Association" were instigated to harm each other and were finally caught by police in one sweep, the potion's digestion progress was still far from complete...
Even with Cole's "acting experience", she didn't think she could just sit and do nothing while digesting the remaining portion of the potion.
Unless...
Angel remembered that just now at the Tarot Club, when she was complacent about "using language to influence the kingdom's institutional reform", there seemed to be a joy similar to "successful instigation", but possibly due to the gray fog space's influence and suppression, she hadn't shown signs of potion digestion at that time.
Could it be that her actions before becoming an "Instigator" could also promote current potion digestion? Thinking carefully, she increasingly felt this possibility was great.
After all, "Cole Granger's" acting could affect "Angel Granger" who took the potion later, so why couldn't acting before becoming an Instigator affect her current self?
According to the "Acting Method" theory, to master the potion's power and eliminate the potion's influence, one needs to conform to the "role" represented by the potion's name in their behavior, summarize corresponding rules, and by following these rules, avoid being affected by the potion's residual mental influence and losing control.
Her "instigation" behavior during the "Assassin" stage inadvertently conformed to the next sequence's behavioral rules. This might count as a kind of...
"Acting in advance?"
Angel murmured to herself.
Taking it to extremes, if the potion's residual mental influence is considered "poison", then the "Acting Method" is equivalent to the antidote for this poison, while "acting in advance" means taking the corresponding antidote in advance. When the Extraordinary takes the "poison", it can directly neutralize this portion of toxicity.
But Lady Sharon's teachings to Cole didn't include this content. The church's internal texts... No, within the Church of the Evernight Goddess, let alone "acting in advance", even the "Acting Method" itself has no records...
Regardless of why the church is so secretive about the "Acting Method", just regarding the Instigator's acting requirement of "using language to influence others, causing harm, and letting as many people as possible know", having the kingdom implement civil service reform conforms to the acting rules.
And the completely digested potion within her body is the clearest proof.
Slowly clenching her right hand, Angel felt her further mastery of "Instigator" extraordinary abilities. Now she could not only more skillfully persuade and guide others, but also accurately perceive the negative emotions in their hearts. She didn't even need to speak - a gesture, a look could detonate others' greed and desires.
These abilities could even be directly used in combat...
Recalling the process of fighting that "Pleasure Witch" while tracking the curse altar, the opponent's few words could interfere with her, even making her turn around distracted to check her teammates' situation...
Perhaps this is how "instigation" should be used in combat.
After completing her summary of "Instigator", Angel withdrew her scattered thoughts and focused on the white paper before her.
This was her habit after every Tarot Club meeting - preparing blank paper and fountain pen in advance, so once she heard important news in the gray fog space, she could record it immediately upon returning to reality.
"Secrets Suppliant's Sequence 5", "Shepherd", "can shepherd multiple Extraordinaries' souls, diverse abilities"...
Angel copied down key information that didn't involve her own or the Tarot Club's secrets on paper, preparing to tell her captain as soon as possible.
Even though "Red Gloves" were about to arrive in Tingen to participate in capturing this "Aurora Order" member, facing a Sequence 5 Extraordinary was still extremely dangerous.
Being able to understand more of his abilities and prepare corresponding countermeasures would increase the chances of success.
After doing all this, Angel took the record paper, undid the spiritual wall surrounding the room, and walked toward the door.
Tingen City, Golden Sycamore District.
Inside a detached villa standing in gardens and lawns, surrounded by fountains and stables.
Councilman Maynard with golden short hair finished bathing and returned to the bedroom wearing a bathrobe.
The gray-white long-haired woman who had just battled with him in bed still sat on the chair beside the bed, wearing the councilman's own ill-fitting shirt, gazing toward the crimson moon outside the window.
"Do you need to stay the night here tonight?"
He seemingly considerately inquired, but his azure blue eyes showed not a hint of intention to make her stay.
"I'll leave after bathing. At this critical moment, we can't let your wife catch evidence."
The woman lowered her head and looked back. Half her face in the backlight was blurred, but the curves outlined by her forehead, nose bridge, and thin lips made the flame that had just calmed in Maynard's heart rise again.
"You know she won't return from Backlund until next week. You could stay here for a few days."
He swallowed saliva and changed his mind.
"No need. I'll come again on the weekend."
The gray-haired woman seemed to know how to provoke Maynard's heart. Wearing the ill-fitting shirt, barefoot, she walked past the councilman, leaving behind a trail of heart-stirring fragrance.
"By the way, Councilman," reaching the door, the woman turned back as if remembering something: "About what we discussed last time, you'll see results in the newspapers within three days. I hope you can keep your promise about the North District central park contract..."
"The premise is that you keep your hands clean and leave no evidence."
When it came to business, Maynard's expression became serious, and his tone returned to formal.
"Of course—"
Leaving a long trailing tone, the gray-haired woman smiled charmingly and disappeared behind the door.