Looking at the little fella who was still sleeping on the blanket even though he had walked right up to it, Aaron's lips also twitched slightly. *How did it lose all its vigilance? It used to be so alert. Now, it wouldn't even know what happened if someone sold it.*
Aaron picked up Evelyn in one go, then put the bewildered fella back down on the blanket. Evelyn meowed, looking at Aaron with a resentful gaze.
Aaron pretended not to see, stroked its little head, and said with a smile:
"I'm cultivating your vigilance here, don't let anyone abduct you. Also, the gift I prepared for you is already on its way. It should arrive in about two more weeks. I put in quite some effort to find it, you know."
The White Feather Spirit Cat was already highly spiritual. After spending a long time together, it could understand the most commonly used Ruen language. Hearing "gift", Evelyn immediately forgot its previous resentment and happily wagged its tail.
---
Over the next two weeks, Aaron attended various social gatherings during the day, often going to Count Hall's residence for noble gatherings, promoting his East Chester Bicycle Company on various occasions.
At night, he wandered around the West District, accelerating his acting. Under the alias Lucifer Joseph, he became the most famous bounty hunter in the West District, hating evil as if it were his personal enemy, earning respect.
Feeling that his potion was almost fully digested, Aaron also expressed his desire to attend a local Beyonder gathering to Caspas, receiving the reply that it would only be possible on Sunday night.
On Sunday night, Aaron arrived at the "Braveheart Bar" on time but did not see Caspas. A drunkard eagerly and proactively led Aaron to a certain card room.
Caspas was playing "Fight the Evil," a game invented by Roselle, while betting on the boxing match happening outside. A glass of Southville beer was placed by his hand; he was living quite comfortably.
Seeing Aaron arrive, Caspas reluctantly put down his cards, gulped down a few mouthfuls of beer, and limped to the door, lowering his voice:
"I've already arranged the Beyonder gathering you wanted to attend. I know you're one of them, and you're also very strong. But you need to be careful, the people inside are not to be trifled with. Don't throw a tantrum; it will be very dangerous."
Looking at Aaron's indifferent expression, Caspas cleared his throat and didn't mention the reward. He turned back to his card buddies, said something, and then, limping, led Aaron towards the bar's kitchen area.
From there, they entered the alley behind, circled around to a completely dark house, took out an iron mask that covered the whole face, and handed it to Aaron:
"This is the rule there. After all, none of them want others to know their true identities."
Aaron nodded slightly, put on the mask, maintained his indifferent persona, and silently took out 5 pounds, handing it to Caspas.
Caspas immediately broke into a smile, no longer delaying. He stepped forward and knocked on the door with a rhythmic pattern.
A small wooden board on the door was suddenly pulled open, revealing a pair of brown eyes behind it. Caspas proactively spoke:
"This is that famous bounty hunter, Mr. Lucifer. I informed you about him earlier."
After confirming the identity, the large door opened inwards. A man wearing an iron mask stood there and handed Aaron a hooded robe.
He closed the door, turned around, and led the dressed-up Aaron through the dark living room into the first-floor sitting room.
On the coffee table there, a candle was lit. The dim, weak yellow light cast shadows throughout the room.
Around the coffee table, about a dozen people sat on the sofas and chairs, all dressed in hooded robes and iron masks.
Having put on the robe, Aaron quietly found a chair in the corner and sat down, silently observing the people around him. Unfortunately, everyone was very cautious, and there were no useful clues.
After his observation yielded no results, Aaron looked at an old man on a single sofa opposite him. The nasolabial folds on his cheeks were deep, and his skin was slightly withered. As if sensing something, the old man's previously closed eyes lifted and met Aaron's gaze.
Aaron politely nodded slightly before shifting his gaze, thinking to himself:
*This should be that old gentleman "Eye of Wisdom". He's also a follower of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom. His public identity is the great detective Eisenberg Stanton.*
#60Chapter 60 Divination Pendant
In Rome, do as the Romans do; on someone else's turf, one naturally has to follow their rules. Aaron sat quietly in his seat, waiting for the gathering to begin.
Seeing that most people had arrived, Old Mr. 'Wisdom Eye' looked up at the mechanical clock on the wall, gave a light cough, and spoke in a slightly hoarse voice:
'Most people are here. Friends who haven't arrived yet probably won't be coming, so let the gathering begin.'
A man wearing a black iron mask was the first to speak: '3 grams of Crown Jellyfish venom crystals. I am willing to pay 180 pounds.'
'200 pounds, cash transaction. If you're willing, it's a deal.' A neutral voice sounded from a corner, the voice indistinguishable between male and female.
3 grams of Crown Jellyfish venom crystals? Isn't this one of the main ingredients for Sequence 9 'Pharmacist'?
Aaron thought to himself, looking at the two people making the transaction. The man in the black iron mask clearly felt a pang of reluctance but still agreed to the deal.
After a few more transactions were either completed or fell through, Aaron heard a deliberately lowered female voice from the right side of the second row:
'This time, I've brought a magical item. I call it the 'Divination Pendant'.'
'Its appearance is a light blue crystal pendant. It has only one function, which is divination. The effect of the divination is determined by the level of the user and the level of the divined object.'
'Its price is 900 pounds. This is not expensive.'
Everyone, who had been a little puzzled by not hearing about the usual negative effects, instantly gasped upon hearing the price of 900 pounds. Many who had been interested immediately gave up and looked away.
Old Mr. 'Wisdom Eye' looked at the somewhat quiet gathering and chuckled hoarsely:
'So-called magical items are extraordinary items with fewer negative effects. Although the magical item offered by this lady has no combat abilities and belongs to the auxiliary type, it is indeed worth this price.'
'If no one bids, I would like to buy it as part of my collection.'
Aaron's eyes slightly narrowed. A lady, possibly supported by a craftsman... His heart held some guesses. However, he was also very interested in this magical item.
He didn't lack combat weapons; what he lacked were precisely these auxiliary items.
Especially the experience last time where Daren's divination result almost caused him to lose control, made Aaron understand that divination itself is extremely risky for certain matters. It's easy to see forbidden sights and hear forbidden sounds.
But if he performed divination within the Land of Disorder, with the status provided by the Source Substance, even without the Beyonder's Castle's bonus to divination, he could still divine a lot of information, and it would be easier to deal with potential contamination.
Having made up his mind, Aaron immediately spoke: '950 pounds!'
Such a high bid immediately attracted the attention of those around him, and a person in a black robe immediately said, '1000 pounds.'
Aaron's eyebrow twitched slightly. It seemed this person wasn't short on money, but compared to him, they were still a bit green when it came to wealth. He crossed his leg and said indifferently: '1200 pounds.'
The surroundings instantly became silent. No one spoke again. 1200 pounds was almost enough to buy all the ingredients for a Sequence 7 potion.
A magical item possibly crafted from the Beyonder characteristic or potion ingredients of a Sequence 9 'Diviner', even if its auxiliary effect was excellent, was not worth this price to many people—of course, excluding Aaron himself.
Seeing that there were no more bids, the lady on the right side of the second row announced the transaction successful and took out a palm-sized square iron box.
After being passed by the attendant, she successfully received 1200 pounds in cash, while Aaron held the iron box, snapped it open, and examined his acquisition.
The light blue crystal pendant exuded a tranquil atmosphere, made of transparent and pure crystal material, and presented an overall soft and gentle blue hue.
The shape of the pendant was an exquisite teardrop, carefully set in a silver pendant base, with intricate patterns covering the surface.
Just by holding the pendant, Aaron felt his spirituality elevated. After confirming the item, he put it away, looked at the 1200 cash the lady had received, and the corner of his mouth curved slightly.
Among it were several 10-pound banknotes that had been placed above the dark golden mist for over a month. After being repeatedly 'baptized' by Aaron, they had attached a faint aura of the Land of Disorder, an aura that even a demigod or higher-level expert from a similar pathway would find difficult to detect.
Thinking of the craftsman behind this lady, Aaron's heart couldn't help but feel a little heated, and he began to look forward to the end of the gathering.
Transactions continued. Perhaps stimulated by the previous transaction, significantly more people started offering items for trade. Aaron listened listlessly.
'All the blood of a Black Abyss Demon Fish. I am willing to pay 600 pounds. If it's a clue, 200 pounds, but it needs to be authenticated by Old Mr. 'Wisdom Eye'.'
The low, hoarse male voice came from the thin man in the black robe in the middle of the first row, pulling Aaron's scattered thoughts back.
All the blood of a Black Abyss Demon Fish? Isn't this one of the main ingredients for Sequence 7 'Witch'?
Aaron scrutinized the man who had made the offer with a strange look, guessing that he might be a Sequence 8 'Instigator' about to advance to 'Witch'.
He couldn't help but secretly click his tongue. Did he know that advancing to 'Witch' required turning into a woman? Considering the actions and practices of the Witch Church, they would surely never inform him in advance.
The transaction was quickly completed. Aaron also withdrew his scrutinizing gaze, thought for a moment, and said: 'A pair of eyes from an adult Manhal Fish, 200 pounds.'
Many people looked at Aaron, who had been quite generous in his two bids, with flickering eyes, and soon someone responded and completed the transaction.
Aaron was also quite helpless. Although the Easterwick family had a deep foundation, most of the extraordinary materials were in the family treasury in Illusory City, and the extraordinary materials kept in Backlund were not complete.
Only the three main pathways controlled by the Easterwick family - Lawyer, Arbiter, and Hunter - had relatively complete storage of extraordinary materials.
Seeing that no one spoke again, the atmosphere of the gathering became silent, and Old Mr. 'Wisdom Eye' announced the end of the gathering.
Old Mr. 'Wisdom Eye' pointed at Aaron and chuckled hoarsely: 'You go first.'
Aaron maintained an indifferent expression, nodded slightly, and followed the attendant out through the passage.
After circling to another quiet street and removing his disguise, Aaron quickly went to a nearby room he had prepared in advance, took out the box, and sacrificed the Divination Pendant into the magnificent palace above the dark golden mist.
Then he quickly sank his consciousness, passed through layers of dark golden mist, and arrived at the Land of Disorder. He sat on the throne, reached out and summoned the Divination Pendant, and also drew a ten-pound banknote from the pile of miscellaneous items.
After waiting for a moment, he familiarized himself with the usage of the Divination Pendant and made the Divination Pendant quietly hover above the ten-pound banknote.
Closing his eyes, he chanted softly. Aaron intended to use dream divination to see where the lady with the 1200 pounds in cash would ultimately go.
Aaron felt his spirituality being pulled, and vaguely saw a scene:
A tall lady with blonde hair knocked on a door. The house number not far away was clearly marked 'Backlund, Factory District, Seles Street 122'.
The scene shattered. Aaron's mouth curved up. He noted down the address, put the Divination Pendant away, and returned the banknote to the pile of miscellaneous items. He couldn't help but sigh with emotion, 'This method of tracking is truly unavoidable.'
Chapter 61 Sequence 7 Interrogator
Aaron got the answer he wanted, didn't linger, returned to his room, and retrieved the divination pendant through bestowal.
Glancing in the direction of the factory district, Aaron's eyes flickered, suppressing the idea of going tonight. Intense, abstract ink-wash painting scenes appeared around his body, and his form vanished into illusion.
After all, he wasn't going to harvest a Craftsman's Beyonder characteristic, but rather to recruit the Craftsman to work for him. Naturally, he had to be fully prepared so that the man had no reason to refuse.
Aaron tirelessly traversed the East District, using divination to pinpoint specific locations based on the combined intelligence provided by Kaspars and Darren.
Finding a small gang leader, he would knock them out, pin their accusations and crimes onto their clothes, and directly throw them at the entrance of the nearest police station.
He would immediately teleport to the next one, skillfully knock them out, pin their crimes, and throw them at the police station. It was a smooth, assembly-line operation, giving Aaron the illusion of screwing bolts in a factory.
With this almost insane efficiency, the entire East District's police stations were thrown into chaos, and Aaron's "Sheriff" potion was also nearing the end of its digestion.
In the East District, Aaron casually threw the knocked-out scoundrel he held onto the police station entrance and thoughtfully knocked on the door to prevent the wretch from catching a cold lying on the street in the middle of the night.
While lamenting the resurgence of his bleeding heart, Aaron also gave the unconscious fellow on the ground a kick, then teleported away, returning to his bedroom.
After a night of rest, Aaron felt refreshed. The spirituality consumed from constantly using the mask for Spirit World traversal to digest the last part of the "Sheriff" potion yesterday had recovered.
Aaron took out the "Interrogator" potion he had prepared earlier. It was a light blue, semi-gelatinous liquid with faint streaks of light passing through it, like lightning from the depths of consciousness.
Staring at the bottle of potion before him, Aaron suddenly remembered something. He put down the divination pendant hanging from his right hand, divined the result of his advancement, and after receiving a good revelation, Aaron exhaled slightly and drank the potion in one gulp.
The potion had no taste going down, only a slight spiciness. Suddenly, a chill shot straight to the crown of his head. Aaron felt as if his brain had been struck by lightning, and sensed currents of electricity coursing through the depths of his consciousness.
Amidst this sensation that made even his spirit body tremble, Aaron saw the magnificent palace above the dark gold mist more clearly. A wondrous feeling arose spontaneously but vanished in an instant.
Aaron suddenly opened his eyes, covered his head with his hands, and panted slightly, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead. After a good while, Aaron finally calmed down and slumped onto the sofa.
"As expected of an Interrogator! Is this the feeling of the Mid-Sequences?" Recalling the sensation that made even his spirit body twitch, Aaron couldn't help but wince.
Gathering his scattered thoughts, Aaron began to delve into the Beyonder abilities he had gained after advancing to Sequence 7 "Interrogator".
First, he became proficient in the use of various weapons and became an expert in explosives. He also gained a certain degree of physical enhancement.
Furthermore, whether it was the convincing charm and authority of Sequence 9 Arbitrator, the additional perception on the supernatural level, or his own combat abilities, all received significant amplification.
At the same time, he also gained two active skills. The power of both skills is determined by the degree of potion digestion and spirituality consumption.
Ability 1: Spirit Pierce: This is not a Beyonder ability that interferes with thoughts or affects the mind, but a means of directly attacking the spirit body. Essentially, it acts upon the "Mind Body", and its target is the "Spirit Body".
It can bring pressure on the spirit body level, consume spirituality to condense spirit, pierce the target's spirit body, directly attack others' minds, and cause temporary dizziness.
Ability 2: Whip of Pain: Makes the target feel currents of electricity coursing through their mind, forming a barbed whip that constantly lashes the soul. This "taste" is both painful and numb, as if originating from the depths of the brain, making it impossible to resist, leaving one only able to tremble and their knees to buckle.
Aaron was very satisfied with the abilities gained after promotion, especially the brief control effect brought by Spirit Pierce combined with the possession control provided by the spirit world creature resembling a wraith within the Death Mask. The continuous control is enough to buy time to use magical items or sealed artifacts against enemies.
Aaron calculated that even without using the few gifts left by the Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings within the Source, his current items and methods alone were enough to deal with ordinary Sequence 6 Beyonders.
Even if he was truly unlucky and encountered a Sequence 5 Beyonder, he could still escape if he couldn't win.
"Indeed, strength is the foundation of everything," Aaron sighed softly while looking at the morning sun outside the French window. He then asked the butler to prepare a carriage to the East Tarc Manor in the suburbs.
Accompanied by the clip-clop of hooves, the carriage stopped outside the East Tarc Manor.
Aaron got out of the carriage, wasted no words, directly took out the token bestowed by Valna, and activated its aura. A man in black appeared out of thin air beside Aaron, looking at him with pale gold eyes.
Joseph-Will was speechless. This kid came looking for him every few days. Did he really think he, a demigod, had no dignity at all?
Just as Joseph-Will was about to say something, he felt Aaron's undisguised, overflowing spirituality, and his face immediately twitched slightly.
After a good while, he slowly spoke, "What's the date today?"
Aaron replied smugly with a bright smile on his face, "July 18, 1346."
"If I remember correctly, this kid only advanced to Sequence 8 'Sheriff' last month when the Corn Laws were repealed. It's only been a little over a month, and he's already Sequence 7?" Joseph-Will couldn't help but gasp in astonishment.
After satisfying his mischievous streak, Aaron stopped provoking the somewhat rigid family demigod, became serious, and returned to the main topic, slowly saying:
"I have found the exact location of a 'Craftsman'. He does not belong to the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery. I think you can understand what I mean and the value he represents."
"I want to recruit him for my own use, so I would like to bring a powerful and influential expert to back me up, like you. This way, I can recruit him in a friendly manner."
Joseph-Will's pale gold eyes narrowed slightly. He did not refuse Aaron's request, but instead asked:
"These are just the best-case scenarios you've envisioned. What if he is unwilling?"
Aaron's expression turned cold. He lowered the divination pendant hanging from his right hand and said indifferently:
"Then kill him, imprison his spirit body, and I will forcibly divine the Craftsman's potion formula through dreams."
Joseph-Will nodded slightly in agreement with his approach. Then his figure vanished, leaving only a sentence drifting in the wind: "I will follow you throughout today. You can also mobilize the family's Beyonder guards during the operation."
A moment later, a team of over a dozen black-clothed guards emerged from the manor, boarding two other carriages. Led by the carriage Aaron was in, they headed to Selesfis Street in the factory district. Aaron planned to make some arrangements before taking action.
#62Chapter 62 Friendly Recruitment
Backlund, Factory District, 122 Seles Street.
The sky had already turned a dull yellow. Michel Vide stood quietly by the floor-to-ceiling window on the second floor, watching the bicycles coming and going outside, feeling somewhat restless. A faint sense of unease lingered in his heart.
Sevina Vide, with her light golden hair, held a thick copy of the "Loen Law Compendium" and looked at her father, who was lost in thought, and couldn't help but ask,
"Father, why did you come out? Weren't you working on an extraordinary weapon?"
Michel Vide put away his grave expression and smiled faintly,
"I just came out for some air. Now that you've become an Extraordinary, you must follow my instructions. This will greatly reduce your risk of losing control."
"Lawyers are good at finding and exploiting loopholes in rules and the weaknesses of their opponents, and are skilled at using order to strike at their adversaries."
"They also possess extraordinary abilities in eloquence and persuasion, and can, to a certain extent, distort or guide the thoughts of their targets, making them feel close and willing to believe."
"The premise of all this requires you to have a certain amount of knowledge stored up. For now, focus on Loen's laws."
Sevina Vide listened intently, simultaneously jotting notes in her 隨身 notebook.
As night fell, the factory district presented a different scene. The daytime hustle and bustle gradually faded under the cover of night, replaced by a deep stillness.
The red moonlight scattered down, dotted here and there, outlining the intricate industrial buildings and the silhouettes of chimneys.
On the streets, sparse streetlights cast weak beams, barely illuminating the footsteps of pedestrians.
Shadows spread through the narrow alleys and streets, making the entire factory district appear even more mysterious. A gentle breeze swept through, bringing the faint whistling sound of chimneys, as if whispering in the night.
Lonely workers shuffled through the streets, slowly emerging from the factory gates, their figures appearing tired and thin. Some were pale-faced, showing no trace of their former vitality. They hurried home, their rushed steps revealing their worry about tomorrow's work.
The factory lights still flickered, proving that work never ceased. Weak light seeped through the dilapidated windows, casting eerie images on the streets. Occasionally, the roar of a machine or two would sound, further emphasizing the silence of the night.
Aaron stood by the window, watching these scenes silently, collecting his thoughts, and turned to look at 122 Seles Street not far away.
He glanced at the time and said to Solon Bint behind him,
"Prepare for action. Be careful to control your strength and don't make too much noise."
In the master bedroom on the second floor, Michel Vide's spirituality stirred. The ritual magic he had set up around the house was triggered.
He suddenly opened his eyes, intending to turn over and stand up, while his right hand reached for the gun under his pillow, which contained extraordinary bullets he had prepared, and his left hand reached for the brooch on his chest.
Immediately, his pupils constricted as he realized he couldn't move. All his actions seemed to have been paused.
Under his slightly horrified gaze, two figures slowly emerged. The black-clothed man on the left with light golden eyes watched indifferently, his left hand already raised and closed.
This was the confinement derived from Sequence 4 "Lawful Mage."
Michel Vide clearly recognized this, and despair gradually surfaced in his eyes, followed by a hint of ruthlessness.
Seeing that the intimidation effect was complete, Aaron lightly coughed, signaling Joseph Will to release the confinement. Michel Vide was suddenly stunned, looking at the other uninvited guest with some confusion.
He didn't try to sneak away using a clever trick. Not to mention whether he could escape under the gaze of a demigod, even if he did run, what about his daughter?
Since the other party hadn't killed him directly, everything could still be discussed.
Thinking this, he suddenly found the uninvited guest who had spoken so familiar. He felt as if he had seen him somewhere before.
Suddenly, he remembered that the source of the familiarity was the "Citizen Newspaper." As a new newspaper, the most talked-about thing in the East District was Lord Aaron, who had repeatedly made headlines in the paper.
It wasn't until he met those eyes that seemed to smile yet not smile that Michel Vide finally confirmed his guess and breathed a slight sigh of relief. Fortunately, it wasn't those people.
He then straightened his slightly disheveled clothes and went downstairs to the living room with the two uninvited guests, where he found Sevina Vide sitting on the left side of the living room.
Two guards, who were clearly female despite wearing black robes, were watching her closely. Even without guns, at such close range, Michel Vide had no doubt they had the ability to instantly kill his daughter.
Giving up all fantasies and clearly recognizing his current situation, Michel Vide sat on the sofa in a resigned manner, showing weakness proactively:
"Respected Lord Aaron, may I presume to ask what brings you here late at night?"
"I can help with anything I can help with. If you like anything here, you can take it. I only hope you can spare my daughter's life."
His final tone carried a hint of pleading. Seeing her father's humble appearance, Sevina Vide, sitting on the other side, immediately had red eyes, staring intently at Aaron's figure.
Aaron looked at Michel Vide in front of him, feeling the gaze behind him that seemed capable of killing. He lightly coughed and slowly began:
"Mr. Michel Vide, I think you must have misunderstood something. As you said, I am just here to visit you this time. Perhaps the time and manner of my visit were slightly impolite."
"I also hope you can understand. After all, you wouldn't want this to be known to everyone, would you? This is good for both you and me. After all, craftsmen who don't belong to the Church of Steam are too rare. I cherish such talents very much."
"We are also full of sincerity. Besides disturbing your sleep, no one was injured. As long as you are willing to serve the East Chester Family, you will no longer have any worries, including those who are hunting you."
Michel Vide looked at his daughter, who was pressed down on the sofa, and then glanced at the two uninvited guests opposite him, feeling the tangible sense of authority. The words of refusal were stuck in his throat.
Time passed little by little, and the oppressive feeling gradually deepened. Cold sweat continuously seeped from Michel Vide's face, and the sofa even sagged by 2 centimeters. Finally, he lowered his head and chose to accept the recruitment.
A smile appeared on Aaron's face. He personally stepped forward to help Michel Vide up and brought him to Sevina Vide's side.
"You have made a wise choice. I presume you are also aware of the foundation and strength of our East Chester Family. Your daughter is on the 'Lawyer' pathway."
"I think you probably don't have the subsequent potion formulas, do you?"
"If you are willing to hand over the Sequence 6 'Craftsman' potion formula, I can arrange to provide you with all the potion formulas from Sequence 8 'Barbarian' up to Sequence 6 'Corrupted Baron'. Of course, you cannot spread these, which is one of the bottom lines."
"If you perform well, you can also exchange for various extraordinary materials you want based on your contributions. If you have subsequent potion formulas, I will also help you continue to advance."
Combining both kindness and severity, giving a sweet date after a slap, Aaron didn't expect them to be grateful, but they absolutely couldn't be ungrateful.
With the villa owner's consent, Aaron directed the guards to conduct a thorough search of the entire villa, collecting various extraordinary weapons and materials and loading them onto the carriage.
Looking at Michel Vide, who was reluctant but had regained his composure, and Sevina Vide, who was still somewhat indignant, he said with a smile,
"Don't worry, I'm not greedy for these things. They will all be moved to the East Chester Manor in the suburbs. There is a workshop prepared for you there, and from now on, that will be your new home."
#63Chapter 63 Audience
After sending the father and daughter, Michelle, to East Tarc Manor as well, Joseph-Will quietly appeared beside Aaron and spoke in an appreciative tone:
"You did very well. A Craftsman can bring considerable value to the family. There's no need to rush the matter of the Craftsman potion formula. Establish initial trust before conducting the transaction."
Aaron looked at Joseph-Will, whose expression was somewhat relaxed and whose lips were slightly curled up, sensing that he seemed to be in a good mood. So he spoke in a tentative tone:
"Cough, cough, there's one more thing I need your help with. Not today, but sometime this week. It might be a little bit dangerous, and at least requires a Demigod to provide support."
Joseph-Will's raised lips quickly froze. He stared intently at Aaron with his light golden eyes, making Aaron's heart pound.
After a moment, just when Aaron was about to take out the token, Joseph-Will spoke indifferently, "The last time this month."
As soon as he finished speaking, he immediately disappeared, not giving Aaron a chance to haggle.
"Tch, how stingy. It's not like I asked for your help that many times," Aaron slightly pouted, though of course, he only dared to mutter this in his heart.
Time quickly advanced to Wednesday. These past few days, Aaron had been gathering his scattered spirituality, familiarizing himself with the Interrogator's various abilities, and seeking an effective combination of the two abilities: Spiritual Stinger and Wraith Possession.
It's worth mentioning that Solon-Bint provided valuable reference opinions. The personal feedback from a Sequence 5 Mentor of Confusion accelerated the mastery of the combined abilities.
As for the effect, even the Mentor of Confusion, who has considerable resistance to mental attacks, would be paralyzed for 1 to 2 seconds when facing this combination of abilities, which is enough time for Aaron to escape using Spirit World Travel.
Aaron speculated that for other Sequence 5 Beyonders with less resistance to mental attacks, as well as Beyonders of lower Sequences, the control duration and even the damage dealt would increase.
After finishing today's training, Solon-Bint quietly guarded the door. Just as Aaron was about to leave, he saw Dallen rush up, saying respectfully:
"Lord Aaron, the items you requested have arrived in Backlund. They were just delivered. Would you like to go down and take a look?"
Aaron smiled and instructed Dallen to just leave the items in the living room on the first floor. He then turned around, walked back to the bedroom, and picked up Evelynna, who was lying on the blanket.
He stroked her head and said with a smile, "Evelynna, your gift is here! It's on the first floor, wait..."
Before Aaron could finish speaking, Evelynna nimbly leaped out of his arms, turning into a white blur and disappearing at the top of the stairs.
Aaron was slightly speechless and couldn't help but sigh in amazement. This cat eats and sleeps all day, yet can run so fast. It's truly remarkable.
Aaron slowly walked downstairs. In the center of the living room, Evelynna was squatting motionless, her smooth, white fur slightly puffed up in alarm. Her tail was wagging non-stop as she stared at the three cages in front of her.
Each cage contained a huge lizard-dragon whose skin changed color with the light. They were a full three meters long, and even when lying down, they were considerably taller than Evelynna when she was squatting.
Seeing Aaron arrive, Evelynna instantly darted onto his shoulder, meowing and purring in his ear, as if questioning if *this* was the so-called gift.
Aaron cleared his throat, placed the meowing Evelynna from his shoulder onto the floor, and looked at the embarrassed Dallen, saying:
"Hmm... I remember the telegram I sent requested young Rainbow Lizard-Dragons. Why are these so big?" He said, pointing at the three Rainbow Lizard-Dragons that were almost bursting out of their cages.
Dallen cleared his throat and replied, "The person in charge of the escort said they were indeed young Rainbow Lizard-Dragons originally, but transporting them from the South Continent to Backlund could only be done via the cargo route, so it took a long time."
"And Rainbow Lizard-Dragons grow extremely fast during their development period and have a very large appetite. In less than two months, they've nearly outgrown their cages."
Without continuing the topic, Aaron had the butler take the three Rainbow Lizard-Dragons to the backyard. He took a box from Dallen and returned to the bedroom with the sulking Evelynna.
Inside the box was another main ingredient for Sequence 9 Spectator: 35 milliliters of Black Horned Fish blood, specifically transferred from Irlusil.
The East Tarc family did not have the Spectator pathway potion formula, nor did they specifically store Beyonder ingredients for the Spectator pathway.
At least Aaron didn't find any in the family's vault in Backlund. Perhaps they were transported back to Irlusil for centralized storage.
As Aaron thought, he took out another main ingredient he had bought for 200 pounds at the "Eye of Wisdom" elder's gathering last time: a pair of eyes from an adult Manhal Fish.
The remaining supplementary ingredients were relatively common and available in the family warehouse in Backlund. Soon, a bottle of silvery-white liquid appeared on the table.
Evelynna acted as if she had smelled her favorite canned fish. With a whoosh, she leaped onto the table, staring intently with her eyes.
Aaron said with a smile, "This is one of your gifts, a Sequence 9 'Spectator' potion. The Rainbow Lizard-Dragons just now are the main ingredients for Sequence 8 'Mind Reader'. After successfully consuming the potion, you'll be a Beyonder cat."
Saying this, he poured the potion into a dish, placed it on the table, and instructed, "Remember to use the methods I taught you to accommodate the potion and avoid losing control."
Before Aaron could finish speaking, Evelynna eagerly licked up the potion in the dish and stared at Aaron with innocent eyes.
After checking several times, Aaron found no problems and finally felt relieved. He could only say that perhaps highly spiritual creatures like White Feathered Spirit Cats naturally had a certain degree of compatibility with the Spectator pathway.
Seeing Aaron walk out of the bedroom, Dallen, who had been waiting for a long time, stepped forward and said in a low voice:
"Lord Aaron, the task you assigned last time has been completed. The location of that mausoleum has been confirmed, and there have been no signs of entry or exit at the entrance for a long time."
Aaron's eyes immediately lit up. He quickly returned to the bedroom and looked at Dallen, saying, "Where is the exact location of that mausoleum? None of you went inside, right?"
Dallen nodded slightly. "I have strictly followed your instructions. Based on the approximate location information you provided, we searched an area of 10 kilometers."
"Finally, we discovered a hidden mausoleum entrance at the bend of the Stratford River near White Cliff Town. We simply noted the location and returned; no one ventured inside for a deeper exploration."
Hearing this, Aaron nodded in satisfaction. Looking at the respectfully standing Dallen-Sherlock, he thought for a moment, took out paper and pen, wrote a note, handed it to Dallen, and instructed him to burn it after reading.
Dallen took the note with a slight look of confusion, glanced at it, and froze on the spot.
"Sequence 6 'Faceless'"
"Main Ingredients: Mutated pituitary gland of a Thousand-Faced Hunter, characteristics of a Human-Skinned Wraith."
"Supplementary Ingredients: 80 milliliters of Thousand-Faced Hunter blood, 5 drops of Black Mandrake juice, 10 grams of Dragon Tooth Grass powder, 3 strands of Deep Sea Naga hair."
Aaron affirmed Dallen's work since arriving in Backlund and sent the excited gentleman out of the bedroom.
Aaron had originally thought about going to the manor himself to find Joseph-Will, but remembering the intense stare from last time, Aaron dismissed that idea.
He took out paper and pen, wrote down the details of the matter, emphasizing that the mausoleum was the Amon family mausoleum from the Fourth Epoch's Tudor Dynasty, extremely dangerous, and required assistance.
After finishing writing, he called the butler to personally deliver the letter to East Tarc Manor. After making the arrangements, Aaron sat on the sofa, feeling as though he had forgotten something.
Just then, Aaron suddenly felt something and abruptly turned his head, looking towards the spacious balcony outside the French window, towards the dark corner of the spacious balcony.
Within that shadow, a white cat sat quietly, its tail gently swaying. Its silvery-white pupils stared eerily into the bedroom, its small body completely hidden in the darkness.
Evelynna... Aaron's mouth twitched immediately. He couldn't help but rub his forehead, suddenly feeling that having a Spectator cat by his side was not a happy thing.
Chapter 64 I'm Just a Cat
The waiting time always felt long. A week had passed since the butler delivered that letter, and there was no reply, as if it had sunk into the sea without a trace.
Just as Aaron couldn't help but want to personally visit East Tack Manor to meet Joseph Will and understand the situation, a reply finally arrived, albeit late.
Aaron nodded slightly as he looked at the reply in his hand. It wasn't too late; he hadn't been idle this past week.
On the table in front of him were three iron boxes. Using available materials and his own ideas, he had Mr. Michelle Vid forge a batch of extremely practical extraordinary bullets.
The bullets inside the iron boxes were divided into three types, each placed in a separate box.
The bullets in the first box had a faint golden sheen on their surface, looking as if they had just been pulled from hot water. They were called 'Purifying Bullets'.
The surface of these bullets was inscribed with symbols and marks from the Sun domain, forming complete talismans that could effectively purify ghost-type monsters and harm more powerful grudge spirits and wraiths.
The bullets in the second box were entirely silver, covered in patterns, cold yet sacred, called 'Demon Hunting Bullets', highly effective against corrupted and fallen creatures.
The last box of bullets had a brass exterior, emitting a golden glow from within, where numerous symbols and marks were faintly visible. They were called 'Exorcism Bullets', relatively effective against evil creatures.
Besides these bullets, there was also a bottle of Sun Holy Water that Aaron had condensed using the Sun Ring by expending his spirituality.
After all, he didn't have the wealthy resources of the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery to squander, luxuriously using various scrolls and extraordinary consumables to achieve a bombardment-like effect.
Although a craftsman had joined him, those items required a significant amount of preparation time before they could be slowly forged.
Aaron was quite satisfied with these results in a short period, indicating that Michelle Vid was genuinely working for him and hadn't been slacking off.
Aaron felt a weight on his shoulder as a white cat jumped onto him, also staring at the letter in his hand, and read aloud in pure Ruhen with a noble accent:
"I have received and understood. We can act tonight."
Evelyn wagged her tail and asked curiously, "What kind of action? Is it like the detective catching bad guys described in *Stormcliff Manor*? Can you take me?"
Aaron, with a face full of black lines, picked it up by the scruff of its neck, sealing its fate, and placed it on the table.
Ever since this fellow drank the Audience potion, it had been constantly flipping through various books, eavesdropping on the butler's conversations, learning Ruhen, and somehow reading all sorts of weird and wonderful books.
Evelyn patted the table with her paw in dissatisfaction, protesting Aaron's impolite behavior towards her, and said loudly and proudly:
"If I'm not going, I'm not going. As a proud White Feather Spirit Cat, I don't like participating in any detective games."
After speaking, she secretly glanced at Aaron, observing his expression and micro-expressions, and became even angrier when she confirmed that he really didn't plan to take her.
Looking at the sulking Evelyn, Aaron smiled and said in a teasing tone:
"This isn't a detective game. We're exploring a Fourth Epoch mausoleum. It's extremely dangerous inside. I only dare to explore after inviting a demigod. I can't guarantee your safety then."
Evelyn, who had been sulking with her back to Aaron, immediately scrambled back onto his shoulder after hearing this and said in a well-behaved and fawning tone:
"Oh, so that's how it is. Then I won't go."
"After all, I'm only Sequence 9, and there's still a lot of knowledge I need to learn. I need to keep working hard to help you. I'll just stay home and study properly."
"Meow, and the books say that accompanying the master on hunts is what dogs should do, and I'm just a cat."
Looking at Evelyn, who was once again picked up from his shoulder and placed on the table, still sitting gracefully, Aaron didn't want to know which books she had read to find these words.
He just secretly decided to have the butler clear out the books in the house after he returned. After giving a few instructions, he got up and left to prepare for the night's operation.
Evelyn pretended to flip through the books on the table. After confirming Aaron's footsteps had faded, she quickly and elegantly jumped to a dark corner of the spacious balcony outside the ground-level window.
It wasn't until she saw Aaron's carriage leave the main gate that she slowly strolled with elegant cat-like steps, moving along the window ledge and leaving the luxurious villa of the East Tack family from another direction.
The red moonlight spilled down, and silence reigned all around.
On the outskirts of Backlund, in White Cliff Town south of the South Bridge district, a river rushed from afar, curving around the cliff ahead.
One side of the cliff was bare, revealing pure white rock, which, viewed from a distance, possessed an unusually sacred beauty.
At the bend of the nearby Stratford River, next to a hidden mausoleum entrance, men and women in black coats, carrying various artifacts, gathered around a concealed underground entrance.
Three people stood at the front by the underground entrance. Aaron looked at the two opposite him with a strange expression. Another man stood beside Joseph Will, an aura of iron and blood emanating from him.
Aaron recognized him: Reinhardt Will, one of the five demigods he had seen on the bottom floor of Zutah, a Sequence 4 "Iron-blooded Knight".
Aaron finally understood why he had waited so long; Joseph had apparently sought aid from his family. He glanced again at the expressionless Joseph Will and said briefly, "Let's begin."
The eight extraordinary individuals descended one after another. Reinhardt Will, holding a bronze spear, walked at the front, with Aaron following closely behind. Joseph Will remained at the end of the team.
The remaining five extraordinary individuals stayed in the middle of the group, keeping watch on their surroundings. Two extraordinary individuals also remained on the surface to guard the entrance and protect their rear.
The steps made of polished black marble, having withstood one or two thousand years of erosion, still maintained sufficient hardness with no signs of corrosion.
The group followed the steps all the way underground, where they saw asymmetrical stone pillars and patterns that looked like they had been carved by knives and axes, characteristic of the Fourth Epoch.
These pillars stood on either side of a wide path. Ahead was a massive, heavy, double-leafed dark grey stone door.
They checked the outer area according to the plan but found nothing of value.
Looking at the gap in front of them, wide enough for two people to enter side-by-side, and the profound darkness within, Reinhardt Will and Joseph Will exchanged glances.
The former raised his hands, condensing four searing white flame spears in his palms, waves of heat washing over them.
The latter's body glowed with a dawn-like brilliance, and he said word by word, "No entering the spirit world, no spirit body virtualization."
A wave of illusory ripples spread from Joseph Will's feet towards the deep space behind the stone door.
Aaron, standing behind him, immediately felt the uneasy thoughts of the spirit world creature within the Mask of Death. It could no longer hide in the spirit world or virtualize to avoid damage.
Before Aaron could react, the four searing white flame spears transformed into streaks of light and shot through the door. Only a rumbling explosion was heard, and the heavy stone door trembled slightly.
Inside the stone door, the searing white flame spears shattered, turning into long whips of flame that tore apart the fleeing, wailing illusory figures, turning them into scattered points of light or condensing into crystals that fell.
Aaron silently put away the Sun Holy Water he had prepared, pretending he hadn't taken it out, and then watched the churning sea of fire before him with some shock.
Joseph Will glanced at Aaron from the corner of his eye, withdrew his gaze with satisfaction, and the corner of his mouth curved upwards.
#65Chapter 65 Entering the Mausoleum
Looking at the sea of fire before him, Aaron suddenly felt that his previous preparations had been somewhat excessive.
At the same time, he couldn't help but marvel that high-sequence powerhouses of the Arbiter pathway truly lived up to their reputation as the strongest support class. The effect they could achieve when paired with other high-sequence powerhouses was far more than simply stating that one plus one is greater than two.
He also couldn't help but recall the effects of the combined skills he had practiced for a long time. Indeed, diversified development was the shortcut to constantly becoming stronger.
While Aaron was contemplating, the flames inside the stone door had already extinguished. The group waited for a while to allow air to circulate and prevent oxygen deprivation upon entering.
Aaron walked in the middle, passing through the stone door. He saw piles and piles of ash and charred fragments on the ground, making it impossible to discern what species of monsters had once been active here or guess what functions the mechanisms previously set up in this place had served.
Although it wasn't as extravagant as the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery "cleansing the area" with supernatural consumables, the effect brought about by two demigods personally joining forces to clear the field was even more significant.
In the process that followed, the previous scene repeatedly played out. The group advanced smoothly, exploring one area after another, occasionally collecting some Beyonder characteristics that had fallen to the ground.
Aaron tallied them up and found they were all just Sequence 9 Beyonder characteristics. Some could only be considered Beyonder materials, but there were quite a few of them, and their total value was close to 20,000 pounds.
Seeing the main tomb chamber in sight, Aaron's spirituality suddenly stirred, and a strange feeling emerged. This was an extra sense on the supernatural level stemming from being a "Sheriff," allowing him to detect abnormal factors and grasp subtle traces.
Aaron immediately turned his head to look behind him. A black-clad team member who had originally been walking along the wall on the right suddenly became two. Aaron's pupils contracted slightly, and he was just about to speak a warning.
However, someone's reaction was clearly swifter. Joseph Wilson, at the end of the team, glowed with a radiance like the morning sun. He raised his hand, pointed at one of the black-clad team members, and spoke indifferently, "Death."
Aaron felt a ripple spread from beneath Joseph Wilson's feet. He only heard a piercing wail, and the figure of the team member who had been standing there shattered, turning into a pale human skin with burn marks on its surface.
Beams of light shone through the human skin, like the light of the rising sun! The human skin immediately became semi-transparent, then shattered into dazzling light, and countless ashes fell.
They all twinkled with faint light and slowly began to gather, finally forming a large diamond with countless facets reflecting light, and each facet reflected different faces.
Those faces were dense and layered, making one dizzy. It was precisely the Beyonder characteristic of the Human-Skinned Wraith.
Aaron's eyes lit up. He stepped forward, picked up this Beyonder characteristic, and placed it in the iron box he carried with him.
Joseph Wilson also stepped forward from the back of the team, glanced at Aaron, and without saying anything, walked to the front of the team and stood side by side with Reinhardt Wilson.
The two demigods frowned and searched outside the main tomb chamber for a moment, but couldn't find any murals depicting the deeds of the Amon family. The group had no choice but to gather again and walk towards the passageway leading to the main tomb chamber.
At the end of the passageway to the main tomb chamber, the door that might have originally existed had simply vanished. The ground was covered in debris charred by flames.
Another diamond-shaped Beyonder characteristic reflecting human faces lay quietly at the bottom of the right wall, reflecting the light from the other two glowing items.
Throughout the entire passageway, including the walls on both sides and the stone slabs on the ceiling, there were charred marks.
On the wall opposite the entrance to the passageway were four deep pits, each the size of a bowl, still emitting faint smoke.
Aaron glanced at the few Beyonder materials on the ground, guessing that the four flaming spears from earlier might have directly penetrated here, dealing with the door and several supernatural creatures at the end of the passageway all at once.
However, no one went to collect the Beyonder materials at this time. Everyone's attention was focused on an item to the side.
It was a picture frame hanging seven or eight meters ahead. It was brownish-yellow in color with distinct wood grain. There was a layer of transparent glass on the surface of the frame, but there was no portrait inside.
"This is the Spirit Portrait Frame. As long as you step within its range and are reflected inside it, your spirit body will instantly detach from your flesh and blood, become a portrait, and be permanently sealed within it," Reinhardt Wilson turned his head and said to the group.
Joseph Wilson, standing beside him, took a step forward. A radiance like the morning sun appeared on his body, and the golden light in his eyes was intense. He slowly spoke, "Mystery Weakens, Reality Enhances."
A ripple enveloped the picture frame. At the same time, Reinhardt Wilson, surrounded by crimson flames, stepped forward towards the frame.
A figure surrounded by flames also appeared inside the frame, but the mirror surface was like water constantly splashing, the figure remained blurry and could not truly manifest.
Reinhardt Wilson stopped, took out the large piece of black cloth he had prepared long ago, which was almost opaque, and covered the "Spirit Portrait Frame."
The picture frame trembled a few times, but was finally completely covered by the black cloth and became still.
Aaron took the "Spirit Portrait Frame" covered by the black cloth. Recalling the scene just now, he felt some doubt.
Since there was a picture frame, where did the portrait that should have been there go? Could this be an incomplete Sealed Artifact?
There was no time to continue thinking. The team moved forward, heading towards the entrance of the main tomb chamber at the end of the passageway.
There was a black stone door there, covered in patterns that looked like they were carved by knives and axes, with a greyish-white disk embedded in the center.
The surface of the disk was divided into twelve sections, with a black pointer, like an external clock.
However, those sections were not evenly distributed across the disk surface. They varied in size, appearing extremely uncoordinated, and half of each section was covered in shadow.
Reinhardt Wilson stepped forward and pushed open this stone door, revealing an extremely spacious tomb chamber.
In the center of the tomb chamber, a high platform was built, upon which lay a deep black coffin.
On the surrounding walls, iron-colored lampstands extended out, holding white candles that were still quietly burning.
None of the candle flames flickered. They were so still that they seemed like frozen images, showing no signs of having been washed away by one or two thousand years of time.
Along the direct path from the stone door to the coffin lay three bodies. Looking at their clothing, it resembled the popular attire in Loen more than two hundred years ago.
Their Beyonder characteristics had long since precipitated out, and the spiritual fluctuations they emitted were at least at the Sequence 6 level.
After all, without high-sequence powerhouses leading the way, low-sequence Beyonders would also be unable to pass the checkpoints before the mausoleum. Moreover, they were still gripping their respective weapons tightly.
All three bodies had sparse white hair, dry and wrinkled skin, and obvious age spots, looking like old men in their eighties or nineties. There were no obvious wounds on their bodies; they seemed to have died purely of old age.
Aaron and the two demigod powerhouses all cast their gazes towards the black coffin on the high platform and a picture frame placed upside down at the bottom of the platform.
Reinhardt Wilson raised his right hand and pressed downwards, saying, "You all stop here."
Joseph Wilson lightly exhaled. He took a bronze talisman from Reinhardt Wilson's hand. The intertwined crimson and silver-white patterns on it emitted strong spiritual fluctuations.