Deep in the Spirit World, in a bronze-colored complex of many classical bell towers and stone pillars, a misty light, coalesced from countless complex messages, surged closer, passing directly through walls and roofs, and re-forming Leyton's body inside the Library from a mass of complex and pure knowledge.
As soon as his figure solidified, Leyton saw many semi-transparent, rabbit-shaped spirit bodies swimming around in the air, each holding books larger than their own bodies, passing them to one another.
Beside Leyton, Mr. Hughes, holding a cup of still-steaming coffee, quietly appeared. He looked warmly at the Knowledge Rabbits bustling about and spoke calmly:
"Although they don't like to talk, they do make this place much livelier, and with a little training, they can completely take over my previous work."
Leyton thoughtfully glanced at Mr. Hughes. The other party's appearance had not drawn the slightest notice or vigilance from him, despite both being Sequence 2 angels. "If the Knowledge Rabbits are doing all the work, are you just responsible for drinking coffee and reading newspapers every day?"
Sensing Leyton's silent grumbling, Mr. Hughes chuckled and said:
"As the administrator of the Library, isn't it normal for me to have some special privileges here?"
Leyton nodded silently, no longer dwelling on the topic, and instead said:
"I didn't find the third Beyonder characteristic of the 'Knowledge Emperor' in the Forsaken Land of the Gods. Was it hidden by someone?"
Mr. Hughes, holding his coffee cup, took two steps forward thoughtfully, then said:
"There aren't many who can hide it from you. Perhaps you could ask the 'Mother of Concealment.' In exchange, She will most likely ask you to go to Calderon city to retrieve some water from the 'River of Eternal darkness.'"
Leyton shook his head and said:
"The 'River of Eternal darkness' represents absolute, eternal death, the end of all things. Ordinary objects cannot carry its water; even a Sequence 1 Beyonder characteristic would be corrupted by it."
Mr. Hughes stopped, his gaze penetrating the layers of bookshelves and walls of the Library, looking deeply into the Spirit World Depths, his eyes covered by a thick, cold, silvery-white layer.
A moment later, his eyes became clear again, and he said in an extremely calm tone:
"The Evernight has been planning for Death's legacy. I can see that the Son of Death will regain himself at some point, and the Evernight will most likely use that opportunity to find Death's Uniqueness."
Leyton nodded in agreement: "Among the Seven Deities, the Evernight is the most likely to become a Great Old One."
After a pause, he added:
"However, She probably won't trust a Uniqueness that is very important to Her to pass through my hands, just as the 'True Creator' wouldn't dare let me touch the first blasphemy slate. Even if I don't need these things, They still have to guard against the possibility of me secretly doing something."
Mr. Hughes nodded slightly, then moved past the topic and asked: "Is there anything else you came to see me for?"
Leyton awkwardly touched the tip of his nose and said: "I want a 'Prophet' and a 'Cognizer' characteristic. What do I need to exchange with you for them?"
Mr. Hughes was silent for two seconds before saying:
"If you can find a characteristic of the same Sequence from an adjacent Pathway, I can separate one characteristic for you, but only one. Characteristics of the Mr. Mr. Mr. White Tower Pathway are in short supply, and even the internal demands of the Church are difficult to meet."
Leyton nodded knowingly, then asked:
"Can I purchase information from you about Beyonders or Mystical Items of the Mr. Mr. Mr. Mr. White Tower Pathway outside the Church? If so, what price do I need to pay?"
Mr. Hughes calmly shook his head and said:
"No price is needed. Retrieving scattered characteristics is a good thing for the Church. My Lord does not mind the ownership of the characteristics."
"The Church of the Lord of Storms and the Twilight Hermit Order both have their own 'Prophets.' There are not many Mystical Items of this Pathway; most have already been recovered by the Church through trade and other means. Only parts belonging to the 'Eternal Blazing Sun' Church, the 'Earth Mother' Church, and the 'Lord of Storms' Church have not been recovered."
Pausing for a second, Mr. Hughes looked at Leyton's thoughtful expression and asked with a smile: "It seems you already have an idea?"
Leyton calmly nodded and said: "I will find a 'Dream Weaver' characteristic to exchange with you for 'Cognizer.'"
As his voice fell, his body suddenly blurred, breaking down into streams of complex and pure knowledge, surging like a torrent out of the Spirit World.
Back in his hotel room in Constant city, Leyton glanced at the lunch and drinks left by the hotel attendant on the table, quickly walked over, pulled out a chair, and sat down.
Before he could even pick up his cutlery, a thick Gray Fog suddenly emerged in his vision, and a deep Red Light rose within the fog, condensing into a blurred figure, half-reclining in an armchair. He had black hair and red eyes, a serious yet somewhat dashing demeanor, appearing to be about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, and was handsome.
"Emlyn White?" Leyton recognized the figure in the armchair at a glance, hesitating for a moment before remembering the trade he had discussed with him earlier, and couldn't help but lament inwardly: "Is the response efficiency of you Sanguine a bit too slow?"
As if responding to his thoughts, Emlyn White's voice echoed in his ears:
"Esteemed Mr. Fool, please trouble you to inform Mr. Tower that we Sanguine agree to the trade he proposed. All characteristics he helps us recover from the Forsaken Land of the Gods, we will purchase at market price, or exchange for items of equivalent value."
As Emlyn's words fell, the figure condensed from the Red Light instantly dissipated.
Then, Klein's voice echoed in his ear: "Are you going to refuse?"
"No, please reply for me, I agree..." Leyton gently shook his head, then added: "Please contact Little Sun for me. I'd like to ask their chief to help me hunt some Vampires, preferably those at the demigod level. I will purchase them at a suitable price, and at the same time, try to help them collect the 'Silver Knight' potion formula."
Above the Gray Fog, Klein, seated on the high-backed chair, twitched the corner of his mouth, silently complaining in his heart: "He's actually using information asymmetry to be a middleman... Why didn't I think of this before? Indeed, I'm still too kind."
After a moment of silence, he simply replied with a faint "Okay" and immediately cut off his connection with Leyton.
In the hotel, after Leyton finished the lunch provided by the hotel and rested for a while, he directly went out.
In the fountain square in front of the church, because most tourists and residents were still having lunch, the crowd here, though numerous, was not yet crowded.
Leyton walked on the grey-white marble floor, which was decorated with patterns of waves and ships, feeling a strange sensation in his heart: "My relationship with the Church of the Lord of Storms is arguably the worst, yet the number of times I've visited the Church of the Lord of Storms is the most, apart from the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom."
As he mused, he already saw Shawn, who was looking around at pedestrians near the fountain. He chuckled softly and approached him from behind, patting Shawn's head and saying:
"You're here early. Have you had lunch?"
Shawn, lowering his head and turning around, complained: "Don't touch my head, I won't grow taller!"
"Are you worried I'll just take the money and leave? I'm not that kind of person. We people of the sea are very trustworthy."
Leyton looked at Shawn's serious and earnest face, unable to resist teasing him:
"Didn't your father tell you that on the vast ocean, the people are what you need to guard against the most?"
Throughout the rest of the afternoon, Leyton was led by Shawn to enjoy the celebration activities. Although he didn't personally participate, feeling the emotions radiating from the surrounding crowd, he could sense his own state improving little by little.
No wonder every Church has its own festivals. This is not only a rare time for people to relax, but also deepens the anchors of the Deities, allowing their suppressed emotions to be released.
As he mused, a Knowledge Rabbit wearing a grey-blue waistcoat emerged from the Spirit World.
On its left chest was a bright-eyed rabbit pattern, and it held a dark leather briefcase and a iron-grey metal box in its hands.
Leyton's gaze swept over the briefcase and the metal box, seeing the neatly stacked banknotes inside, as well as the 'Black Knight' Beyonder characteristic. "So efficient, did Sasrir separate a characteristic on the spot?"
The Knowledge Rabbit hopped forward, offering the leather briefcase and the iron-grey small box to Leyton, while saying in a childish voice:
"Postage, 3 pounds, or, a piece of knowledge."
"Sending something to myself and it's cash on delivery?" Leyton muttered inwardly, then lowered his eyes, which sparkled with stars, reflecting a brilliant galaxy.
As he and the Knowledge Rabbit met each other's gaze, the stars in his eyes were reflected in the Knowledge Rabbit's eyes, and knowledge was infused into the Knowledge Rabbit's mind bit by bit.
This process did not last too long. To the surrounding pedestrians, Leyton merely stopped suddenly and stared intently at the spot in front of him for a while.
Except for Shawn, whose young face was filled with shock, his eyes wide as he stared at where the Knowledge Rabbit had been. Excitement, curiosity, confusion, and fear flickered across his face.
Only after the Knowledge Rabbit left did he slowly come back to his senses, looking at Leyton with curiosity, so excited that his words became incoherent:
"Was that a rabbit? What was that just now? It, and you…"
Leyton raised his left index finger to his lips, making a shushing gesture. Shawn immediately understood, covered his mouth with his hand, and nodded gently at Leyton, as if saying: "I'll keep your secret!"
Leyton chuckled and said: "It's called a Knowledge Rabbit, and it's a postman in the mystical world."
"You have a small amount of characteristics inherited from your parents, so you can be considered half a Beyonder, which is why you could see it. If you master the correct ritual, you can also summon it."