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Backlund Steam Train Station, the setting sun was gradually replaced by night.
Aaron stood in front of his exclusive carriage, bidding farewell to Earl Hall and his family who were outside on the platform.
Evelyn lay lazily on Aaron's shoulder, her fluffy tail sweeping casually, but everyone around seemed to ignore her, as if deliberately overlooking her.
Audrey waved her hand reluctantly, then mumbled for a while before whispering,
"Remember to write to me. Let me know you're safe when you reach the Southern Continent. Um, I'll write to you too and share my holiday with you."
Susie, the golden retriever dog crouching at her feet, let out a bark, her big eyes blinking as she stared at Aaron's shoulder, a human-like puzzlement in her gaze.
Aaron smiled and nodded, gently hugged Audrey, then stroked Susie's head and said with a smile,
"Susie, you must listen to Audrey, okay?"
Looking at the golden retriever's obedient appearance, Aaron couldn't help but glance at Evelyn on his shoulder.
Having fully digested the Sequence 8 Telepathist potion, Evelyn keenly noticed Aaron's gaze, meowed, and said lazily,
"I'm just a cat, you know! Also, when are you giving me the Sequence 7 potion? I've been waiting for ages."
Aaron rolled his eyes. Where did she learn such a self-righteous tone? After some thought, he replied,
"We'll talk about it when we get to Osel. You'll have to perform well in the Southern Continent after that."
Because of the psychological invisibility cast with the help of the hypnotic necklace, only Aaron and Evelyn could hear these words.
After reiterating matters to the butler remaining in Backlund, Aaron turned and boarded the steam train, preparing to leave Backlund and return to Osel, the capital of East Tucker County.
Whoosh!
The sound of the whistle echoed in every corner of the platform, and the huge, Monster-like steam train engine, dragging more than a dozen carriages, slowly started.
As the layers of magnificent palaces and tall Gothic clock towers in the distance disappeared from view, the steam train finally left Backlund, which was known as the Capital of Capitals and the Land of Hope.
Looking at Backlund, which was half normal and half shrouded in a light yellow mist, Aaron's lips curved into a smile, and he murmured to himself,
"I'll be back. It won't be long."
As color blocks overlapped and a seemingly static "oil painting world" emerged, Aaron and Evelyn on his shoulder vanished in an instant.
As the heir of the East Tucker Family, Aaron was not suitable to leave quietly; at the very least, he needed to inform someone of his departure. After a high-profile departure from Backlund, he chose the fastest method, directly teleporting back to Osel via the Spirit World.
-----------------
Outside Pritz Harbor, north of the Berserk Sea.
Under the moonlight at night, the Sea was deep blue, almost black. Alger Wilson stood at the bow, looking at the quietly sprawling outline of Pasu Island.
This was the headquarters of the Church of the Lord of Storms, a place blessed by the True God!
As a low-ranking member of the Church, Alger remembered having only visited once.
That was a long time ago, when he, a mixed-blood with dark blue hair, was selected to join the headquarters as a member of the children's choir.
But having no talent for singing, he was soon sent away, returning to the small chapel on his birth island to serve as a servant with Qilangos, where the pastor was very brutal to his subordinates.
Whenever he recalled this experience, Alger's expression would become quite solemn, longing to reach a higher position.
Amidst the sound of the wind, the three-masted sailboat moved silently, sailing into the harbor.
Alger took off the cloth strip wrapped around his head, and the illusory scales beneath his skin emerged. He pushed off from the side of the ship with his feet, leaping directly from the vessel and landing steadily on the dock.
A man with soft yellow hair, dressed in a lightning-patterned robe, had been waiting for a long time.
Looking at Alger Wilson opposite him, he smiled, raised his right hand, and clenched his fist, striking his left chest, saying,
"The Storm be with you."
"The Storm be with you," Alger Wilson replied with the same gesture, smiling.
Then, the man dressed as a clergyman introduced himself:
"My name is Sains. I used to be a pastor, and recently I applied to leave the clergy system to seek meritorious service on the Sea."
"For the next period, we should be partners. Please take care of me. I will take you to this debriefing."
Inside the Thunder Cathedral, the dome was vast, arches connected, and murals covered the walls without a single blank space, predominantly in gold and blue, making anyone walking inside instinctively feel sacred and solemn, involuntarily lowering their heads.
Alger Wilson, like the surrounding Sailors, kept his head down, looking at the ground, slowing his steps, and not even daring to breathe audibly.
In the quiet atmosphere, they were led by the pastor to the back of the cathedral. Then, guided by a servant, Alger Wilson entered a room with a long table and was questioned by three "Punisher" deacons.
Among these three deacons, only one had dark blue hair, as this was not a guaranteed change after consuming a Seafarer Pathway potion.
However, this trait would be inherited quite stubbornly, much like the Elf race, which originally had more black hair than blue, but in modern times, most mixed-bloods with Elf ancestry have blue hair.
Alger sat at the lower end of the long table and answered the deacons' questions in an orderly manner, detailing what he had done on the Sea during this period, what he planned to do, what he had succeeded in, and what he had failed in.
This would then be compared with the accounts of other crew members to prevent anyone from lying.
Towards the end of the debriefing, the dark-blue-haired deacon looked at Alger and asked in a thick voice,
"Alger, do you know Vice Admiral Hurricane Qilangos?"
Alger's heart tightened, and he thought, 'As expected.' He had already suspected this when he received the debriefing order.
He dared not conceal anything and immediately recounted his experience of growing up with Qilangos in the small chapel on the island and serving as a servant together.
This was no secret; it could be found out if anyone bothered to investigate, so there was no need to hide it.
Another deacon sitting to the side seemed impatient, interrupting abruptly and asking directly,
"Then do you know if Qilangos had any abnormalities when he was still on the small island?"
"Or did he come into contact with any strange organizations when he was weak?"
Alger shook his head Keep calm, but he had some guesses in his heart.
The three deacons exchanged glances, and the one who had remained silent cleared his throat and slowly said,
"Alger, your performance has been consistently good, so the Church has decided to assign you a partner to carry out a mission together in the Sonia Sea."
"Before the next debriefing, if your performance is good, you will have the opportunity to be promoted to a Seafarer."
A look of surprise immediately appeared on Alger's rugged and deeply etched face, while a cold sneer rose in his heart:
"Partner? I think it's surveillance."
Then, with a solemn and proud expression, he replied,
"The Sea belongs to the Storm; this is the Lord's kingdom. I am willing to follow the Lord's will and patrol this kingdom for Him."
"Very good." The dark-blue-haired deacon nodded with satisfaction, clenching his fist and striking his chest, saying, "The Storm be with you."
"The Storm be with you," Alger replied with a standard salute.
Leaving the interrogation room and returning to his own room, Alger stood by the window, looking at the surging Sea, lost in thought.
There were countless Folk of Rage within the Church of the Lord of Storms, and their vast numbers made advancement difficult; many struggled for seven or eight years without getting a chance to advance.
Alger did not believe that he, a mixed-blood who had risen step by step from a servant, would receive any special treatment. He felt fortunate to experience less discrimination, thanking himself for his adeptness in handling people.
Moreover, within the Church, for members like them who drifted on the ocean, out of the Church of the Lord of Storms' sight, Sequence promotions were directly given as potions. There was no prior understanding of the formula or preparing oneself.
If Alger wanted to gain an advantage in the fierce competition, he could only accumulate enough meritorious deeds.
During this process, he had to constantly drift on the ocean, not join the Punisher team with its complex interpersonal relationships, and try his best to stay out of the Church of the Lord of Storms' sight to avoid exposing his secrets...
Once I have the opportunity to advance to Sequence 5 and gain enough strength, I will be able to secretly return there… Alger subconsciously looked to his right.
His gaze seemed to penetrate the vast ocean, landing on an ancient and secluded island.
-----------------
Southern Continent, Caesar Port, a basement in the East Borough, candlelight flickered.
A man in his forties sat on a single sofa, with a high nose bridge, nearly blue eyes, soft facial features, thick, slightly curly black hair, and a skin tone that was neither dark nor fair, seemingly a mix of Loen and Balam ancestry.
This was Enzo, the Winner, who had defected from the Life School of Thought under the Rose School of Thought's instigation.
Moreover, he was not one of those Beyonder who could become a Sanguine through the Apothecary Pathway, nor did he worship the Primordial Moon.
He simply no longer wanted to accept the various rules set by his teacher and his teacher's teacher, hoping to live a life as he pleased, and wishing to fully Exploit his advantages as a Winner.
This mindset made him highly approve of the Rose School of Thought's indulgent philosophy. It didn't take long for him to officially join them, indulging in all sorts of desires.
This time, he represented the Rose School of Thought to contact the Sleeping Faction of the Numinous Episcopate here in Caesar Port to discuss the possibility of cooperation on several matters.
As a Sequence 5 Winner of the Monster Pathway, his intuition and foresight had reached a very strong level. He glanced around and chuckled, then said in Dutanese,
"Anthony, since you're here, let's sit down and talk. We've come with great sincerity this time."
Whoosh!
Just then, a chilly wind blew without warning, and the dim yellow candlelight suddenly turned eerie green.
Behind the candlestick, a face abruptly protruded from the wall opposite Enzo, the Winner: a translucent face with no eyes, no nose, only a mouth!
"Enzo? Are you representing the Rose School of Thought or the Life School of Thought?"
The face opened and closed its mouth, speaking slowly. Its voice was ethereal and piercing, with strange syllables, but it could not conceal the mockery in its tone.
As the Numinous Episcopate's person in charge of Caesar Port, Anthony, although he also disliked the Life School of Thought, he despised traitors even more.
On the other hand, he was only a Sequence 6 Spirit Guide, and his strength often depended on which deceased and natural spirits he could find and command.
Without understanding the other party's intentions, facing a Sequence 5 powerhouse, Anthony still chose to communicate with Enzo through a controlled spirit, his true body not appearing.
Enzo looked at the translucent face on the wall that had only a mouth, not caring about the other party's mocking tone, and said with a chuckle,
"Of course, it's the Rose School of Thought. That's where I belong."
Enzo said, and without waiting for Anthony to respond, he took out a strangely shaped box from his pocket and opened it. A black-based, multicolored Door-shaped crystal lay quietly inside.
Hoo hoo!
A rapid gasping sound arose, and the translucent face distorted its form accordingly.
Enzo watched with a chuckle, saying nothing.
A moment later, the translucent face, without eyes, nose, or ears, suddenly laughed aloud:
"Tell me, what does your Rose School of Thought want to do?"
"I didn't complete your last mission. You're not planning to give me this Sequence 5 Gatekeeper Beyonder characteristic, are you?"
Enzo smiled and shook his head, putting away the box, and said indifferently,
"Of course not. I was ordered by Lord Klarman to specifically come and cooperate with you."
"As far as I know, you've been a Spirit Guide for many years and have been waiting for a chance to advance."
"Your Royalist and Death factions within the Numinous Episcopate occupy almost all the resources. Your Sleeping Faction is so weak; are you content with that?"
"Enough!" The translucent face suddenly roared, "If you only came here to say these things, I don't think there's any need to continue the discussion."
Enzo's expression was calm. He leaned back on the sofa, not at all anxious, and slowly began,
"Of course not. Lord Klarman wants to welcome back an old friend, but his current state is very poor; he has become a Wraith."
"Therefore, Lord Klarman has made a promise: as long as you are willing to help us, we can advance the payment and help you complete the ritual to assist you in advancing to a Gatekeeper."
Inside a house in the Dock District, Anthony, dressed in a black robe, heard all the conversations through the spirit he controlled.
Although he was only at Sequence 6 strength, he could already be considered a quasi-high-level figure within the Numinous Episcopate's relatively weak Sleeping Faction, which had only one Saint.
Because of this, he gained the Saint's attention and learned much more profound mystical knowledge.
He knew that most Wraiths were products of high-Sequence powerhouses after Death, and a small number were Resentment that had broken through their own limitations through various opportunities.
And a Wraith that could be called an old friend by the Shaman King Klarman must certainly be the former situation.
Wraiths would gradually weaken and eventually dissipate over time, but they could assimilate the area where they were born, allowing the Spirit World and even the Underworld to merge with it, drawing power from it to maintain existence and form a territory.
They could not leave their territory until they accumulated enough power and their form of existence changed, but there was a simpler way: by possessing a Death pathway Sequence 5 Gatekeeper, they could leave their territory by utilizing the small "Underworld" within the Gatekeeper's body.
Anthony narrowed his eyes slightly, tapped the table, and then manipulated the spirit to ask,
"Heh heh, I'm not completely ignorant either."
"I also know the use of a Gatekeeper for a Wraith. Do you think I'm stupid enough to carry an unknown bomb on me?"
"Moreover, if I remember correctly, Hell Admiral Ludwell, who also has some connection with your Rose School of Thought, is a Gatekeeper."
"Why do you bother coming all this way to find me?"
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