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In the middle section of the steam train, in the dining area.
Aaron sat at the head of the table, with Darren Sheroto and Harland Rooney on either side.
The food was plentiful, and Aaron specifically ordered Desi pies and sweet iced tea, which tasted quite good.
Aaron looked at Darren and Harland, smiling as he spoke, "Next, in Backlund, I will have to trouble both of you."
"I'd like to know what each of you specializes in?"
Darren and Harland exchanged glances, and Darren spoke first:
"I am a Sequence 7 Magician, skilled in divination, close-quarters combat, and I can also transfer fatal injuries."
"Besides that, I am also good at intelligence work and can help Lord establish an intelligence network in Backlund."
Aaron looked at Darren with a slight surprise, but then he remembered that the Mysteries Society had a lot of influence in Intis's intelligence department, and the Mysteries Society controlled the Seer Pathway.
Hmm... Seer, Faceless, Marionettist, they are indeed all suitable for intelligence work.
He nodded in satisfaction, then looked at Harland next to him.
Before Aaron could ask, he spoke up on his own:
"I am very proficient in various mechanical constructs, skilled in drawing blueprints and making weapons, and I can also appraise various items."
Aaron seemed to recall something, looking at Harland with anticipation, and as he spoke, he drew a rough model with water on a piece of paper next to him.
"I hope to create a new type of transportation tool that doesn't require horses. This could greatly improve transportation efficiency and hygiene."
"My idea is to create a two-wheeled contraption where a person sits in front and continuously pedals, connecting the two wheels through levers, chains, etc., to make them roll forward."
"As for the wheels, methods like rubber inflation can be used to make the ride smooth."
Harland listened carefully, thought for a moment, and then looked at Aaron, saying:
"Are you talking about that kind of bicycle?"
"I've heard of bicycles before, but most of them imitate the four-wheeled structure of a carriage."
"Therefore, those bicycles are very bulky, difficult to ride, and not very practical."
"But the simplified two-wheeled concept proposed by Lord is indeed different and has research potential."
Seeing that Harland approved of his idea, Aaron happily continued to elaborate:
"I believe that reducing weight and Magnifying the leverage will make riding more convenient, and only then can this mode of transport truly become widespread."
Aaron thought for a moment and continued:
"Once we reach Backlund, I will give you 10,000 gold pounds as initial capital to establish a research lab, a factory, and an assembly line."
"I can also recommend an assistant to you. His name is Leopard, and he lives in St. George Borough, Backlund, on Sachi Street."
"Hmm... He is a gentleman with great pioneering spirit and practical ability. You can take the East Tucker Family's invitation card and invite him to join our endeavor."
Harland did not ask why Lord knew the information about a gentleman far away in Backlund. Darren, who was nearby, had a vague guess, and they exchanged glances without saying anything further.
After dinner, Aaron returned to his bedroom on the train, dismissed the servants, and sat alone by the window, gazing at the dark night outside, lost in thought.
Even if no one else boarded the train from East Tucker County to Backlund, regular refueling and the inherent speed limitations of the steam train meant that they would not arrive in Backlund until tomorrow morning.
He pulled a gold pocket watch from his silk top and checked the time; it was already 9 PM.
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In a small cubicle in the southern district of Azshara, the capital of Lenberg.
On the table in front of Checker Ward lay a black iron box and the ancient short sword of a knight.
Checker had learned about the concept of Beyonder characteristic after the last Chaos Council, and thus he understood what the item his father left in the black iron box truly was.
It was a Sequence 7 Pyromaniac Beyonder characteristic. Thinking of the figure shrouded in dark gold mist, Checker couldn't help but tremble.
All gifts bestowed by fate come with a hidden price.
Checker had not heard this saying, but he understood the principle.
He took out the money he had accumulated as a bounty Hunter over the past year, as well as the main ingredient for a Sequence 9 Hunter potion and all the supplementary ingredients he had collected.
He did not crave more, only hoping to exchange for a potion to become a Hunter. He sat quietly by the table, waiting for midnight to arrive.
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In Feynapotter City, the capital of the Feynapotter Kingdom, in a high-rise villa with a garden but a slightly old appearance, located in the Srenzo District of the southern suburbs.
Louise Sears, tall and beautiful, had been sitting at the table early. The various books that had previously piled up were now gone.
In their place were the materials needed for ritual magic and a blue box.
After learning about the Sanguine's advancement method, Louise had been in a state of excited apprehension. On one hand, she searched for information about the Lord of Order within the Sanguine.
On the other hand, she borrowed one of his collectibles from her father, who was a Sanguine Viscount—a leftover item from a Sequence 6 Wind-Blessed. Louise knew it was a Sequence 6 Beyonder characteristic.
She planned to sacrifice this Beyonder characteristic tonight, praying for that great existence to bestow upon her a Sequence 6 Sanguine Baron Beyonder characteristic.
This was a risky move. If she sacrificed the Wind-Blessed Beyonder characteristic but did not obtain the Baron Beyonder characteristic, it would be troublesome.
Her original excuse, that a friend exchanged a Baron Beyonder characteristic for a Wind-Blessed Beyonder characteristic, would then be unusable.
But if everything went smoothly, after obtaining the Baron Beyonder characteristic, she would be able to advance to Baron with her father's help.
Visiting her grandfather in Backlund as a Sanguine Baron, that would be fitting for her status.
Louise looked at the red moon outside the window, waiting for time to pass while her thoughts wandered.
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In Hakata Port, Berserk Sea, within a dilapidated two-story building. Ferran Eddas stood by the window, silently gazing at the red moon outside.
This would be his last time standing at this window looking out at the red moon. Over the past two days, he had found a job as a Sailor on a freighter that was about to set sail for Desi Bay.
Even though this was a pirate haven, the necessary rules had to be followed. Freighters transporting goods to Hakata Port were not to be plundered; this was a consensus among all pirates.
Many pirates who intended to retire mostly became Sailors through this method. The captain of this freighter did not discriminate against Ferran for his mixed-blood identity.
Instead, his sturdy build made him stand out among a group of pirates who only knew how to get drunk in taverns.
Ferran sat at the table, looking at the candles and ritual materials laid out, and the pale blue dagger in the very center.
After the last gathering, the dagger's various manifestations made him certain that it was indeed a Mystical Item.
This was also the only valuable item he currently possessed. To change his fate, he was willing to sacrifice this dagger to that great existence in exchange for the opportunity to become a Beyonder.
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On the Southern Continent, West Balam, north of the Star Highlands, west of Paz Valley, at Caesar Harbor, a colony belonging to Intis.
Inside a building near the harbor, with a mix of Byerly and Intis architectural styles, Sid Watson was setting up a ritual of sacrifice and bestowal in the room where the ancestral altar was placed.
Since the last gathering, after his skull turned pitch black, he had sealed it away. This room, where the altar was located, was also strictly forbidden to other family members.
On his left index finger was a white bone ring. After he confirmed his joining the Numinous Episcopate, that Numinous Episcopate member had asked him to wear this ring, saying it would make it easier to find him.
After being coerced by the Numinous Episcopate member, he had also made up his mind to become a Beyonder, even if it meant being a Corpse Collector.
As an indigenous chieftain, he had selected several items from the family's secret treasury that were recorded as being Beyonder ingredients. He waited anxiously for midnight to arrive.
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