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"How could this be? I really can't compare to this divine trickster style unique to the Fate Pathway. But how did you find this place with your eyes covered? Could it be the guidance of fate again?"
Aaron felt both amused and astonished looking at the councilor, unable to resist complaining inwardly.
Immediately, he understood the accurate interpretation of the other party's premonition: don't look at him!
Aaron knew that Beyonders of the Monster Pathway could see things others couldn't. Therefore, even though most of his unique traits were concealed, Will Auceptin could still vaguely perceive some.
"Councilor Ricciardo had a premonition of danger and put on an eye mask in advance. Alas, if it weren't for that, I would have asked him what he could see…"
Although Aaron was also curious about what could be seen from him with such a special perspective, he had no hobby of forcing others to harm themselves. He reined in his thoughts and invited the gentleman into the living room.
Ricciardo leaned on his cane, walking slowly behind, without needing anyone to assist or guide him, as if he hadn't actually worn an eye mask.
Recalling what Will Auceptin had said in his dream earlier, Aaron guessed that she had sent this councilor to find him, and waited for the gentleman to state his purpose.
Ricciardo sat on the sofa and turned his head towards Aaron, but the dark eye mask covered all his gaze.
He paused for a few seconds, then smiled slightly:
"The Speaker asked me to tell you that the source of danger she previously predicted has disappeared. You can rest assured now."
"In addition, if your subsequent actions require the Speaker's personal help, you can come to me in advance; it will be safer this way."
Aaron nodded. Although he wanted to know why this would be safer, considering it might involve the secrets of the Life Council, he suppressed the urge to ask.
Councilor Ricciardo on the sofa had no intention of explaining and continued:
"I will remain in Bayam for one to two months, thanks to Lord Aaron who severely crippled the Rose School of Thought. They are no longer able to track me, and only need to deal with searches from the Royal Family and the military."
"During this period, if you need help, you can come to me at 76 Iris Street."
"If, by any chance, I leave Bayam later, you can also go to Oravi Island and find the Bell-ringer Cano in the port city; he will lead you to me."
The expression on Aaron's face stiffened slightly. He wasn't sure how much Will Auceptin had told him. After mentally noting the name and location, he cleared his throat:
"Councilor, you flatter me. All of this is the credit of that Sea King."
Then, as if remembering something, he said to Ricciardo:
"Please wait here for a moment. I'll go get something."
A moment later, Aaron returned to the living room with the "Lucky Scale." Looking at Councilor Ricciardo, who unconsciously straightened his back, he placed the Sealed Artifact opposite him.
Ricciardo seemed to have identified the residual aura on the Sealed Artifact through the peculiarities of the Fate Pathway. His mood instantly became somewhat complex, and he did not ask Aaron how he obtained the Sealed Artifact.
He merely took out a wooden box from his in arms. Inside was a dark, button-shaped object encased in an amber shell.
He placed the opened wooden box next to the "Lucky Scale" and, with his masked eyes, looked at Aaron and said:
"This is a Mystical Item I carry with me. Although its Sequence only corresponds to Sequence 6 Devil, for some people, its value even exceeds certain Sequence 5 Mystical Items."
"Its name is 'Devil's Button.' It was personally crafted by the Speaker. Besides retaining some fire-based and defilement-based spells, its most valuable feature is the almost perfectly preserved ability of a Devil to foresee danger."
"If someone intends to cause fatal harm to the holder in a very short time and has taken practical action,"
"then the holder can sense and perceive it, grasping where the danger comes from and from whom, thereby allowing for targeted elimination or retaliation."
"Different users have different effective ranges for their intuition, with times ranging from a few minutes to a day, and distances from a few kilometers to an entire metropolitan area, which depends on the holder's spiritual strength."
"Hmm, I was able to escape the encirclement of the Rose School of Thought in the Southern Continent back then thanks to its help."
"As for its negative effects, prolonged wear merely brings about negative psychological states such as cold-bloodedness and disregard for life. Hmm, this is not a difficult problem to solve."
Saying this, he pointed to the second-floor bedroom and added:
"As long as you regularly adjust it, the pet you keep can even help you eliminate its negative effects."
Even though he couldn't see Aaron's eyes suddenly light up, Ricciardo, who could still sense the corresponding emotional fluctuations, chuckled and pushed the item towards Aaron, while also pointing to the "Lucky Scale" on the table.
"I presume you are aware of the peculiarity of this Sealed Artifact. It is difficult for Beyonders not of the Fate Pathway to control how to use luck and how to deal with sudden misfortune."
"And this often brings unbearable consequences to the user. The Southern Continent does not only have the Rose School of Thought; a Mystical Item that can foresee danger will definitely help you a lot."
"I would like to exchange this Mystical Item for this Sealed Artifact. What are your intentions, Lord Aaron?"
Swallowing the "Good" that had reached his throat, Aaron pretended to ponder for two or three seconds before nodding reservedly.
For Aaron, exchanging a highly useless Sealed Artifact, one that could even backstab its owner at crucial moments, for such a useful Mystical Item was definitely a gain.
It was spoils of war, a no-cost transaction; any exchange was a profit.
Seeing Aaron nod, Ricciardo smiled, picked up the "Lucky Scale" from the table, and put it into his in arms, reminding him:
"The ability to foresee danger is not omnipotent. Certain Beyonders can conceal their actions and intentions, making it impossible for targets who can foresee danger to perceive them."
"This could be due to their Pathway characteristics, or it could be achieved through certain Sealed Artifacts or other means. Therefore, in some special circumstances, even if no danger is predicted, you must still be careful and cautious."
After exchanging the "Devil's Button" from Councilor Ricciardo, Aaron nodded, secretly taking note. When the councilor had no further additions and proposed to leave, Aaron rose to see him off.
After he left, Aaron took out his divination pendulum and suspended it over the "Devil's Button." Only after confirming through divination that there was no danger, and that its functions and negative effects were almost identical to what Ricciardo had described, did he wear it on his jacket.
The only thing to add was that the malice perception accompanying danger foresight was not limited to sources of malice that would cause fatal harm to the user.
Ordinary dangers and malice could also be sensed and perceived, and the source of the malice could be grasped, which could render most ambushes ineffective against him.
However, this frequent perception of malice could also be considered a negative effect to some extent, and in a real battlefield, it might even interfere with the most crucial danger foresight.
Just as Aaron was fiddling with and studying this newly acquired Mystical Item, a knocking sound echoed from the door again.
"What's going on today? The door has been knocked three times in one morning. Who is it this time?"
Not sensing any malice from the "Devil's Button," Aaron somewhat speechlessly put away the item, walked to the door, and pulled it open.
Outside the door was a gaunt visitor with gray but messy hair. He was wearing a cotton jacket that was not quite suitable for Bayam's current weather, draped in a woolen overcoat, and was popping a brown candy into his mouth.
Aaron, who had seen the portrait of "White Shark" Hamilton in Damir Port before, immediately recognized the visitor.
Turani von Helmosuin!
Or, more accurately, "Orange Light" Hilarion.
Hmm? Why would he come looking for me? I'm not some great sovereign above the Spirit World, what kind of connection could I have with the Seven Lights? Also, how did he find me?
A string of questions flashed through Aaron's mind, but he didn't voice them. As a guest, Aaron politely invited him into the villa.
Helmosuin seemed very pleased with Aaron's attitude. He walked in, sat on the sofa, and chuckled:
"Good morning. Please allow me to introduce myself. You can call me Turani von Helmosuin, or you can call me 'Orange Light' Hilarion."
"Heh heh, I also recalled many things because of the last Blood Moon and last night's battle, so I decided to find you before I leave."
Unsure of the Orange Light's purpose, Aaron nodded cautiously, then asked in confusion:
"May I ask what you need?"
Helmosuin chuckled:
"I'm here to warn you: beware of the Mother Tree of Desire!"
"Even if you have repeatedly thwarted the actions of the Rose School of Thought, those mere pawns don't represent anything."
"What's more, in the last battle, your messenger was exposed to her sight. In the next few years, the body she left in the Spirit World will suffer even more intense erosion."
"Even if I and the other Pure Lights assist with all our might, for erosion stemming from the Sequence system like this, we cannot offer much help."
"The only good news is that it met you, and has now recovered to the demigod level, giving this matter a turning point."
Aaron nodded silently. Just as he was about to speak, Helmosuin continued:
"Some of your characteristics, even if concealed, can still show slight clues to a few special, high-level Spirit World creatures, as long as they have been in close contact."
"Several deities with unique authorities or Beyonders representing fate can also discover this to varying degrees, provided, of course, that they have been in close contact."
"And in the prophecy of 'Yellow Light,' the existence corresponding to similar characteristics will be one of the variables of the apocalypse, but I cannot be certain; there are too many possibilities for you to possess that characteristic."
"For example, her Blessed, her child, her chosen divine messenger, but this does not prevent me from expressing friendliness."
Hearing the word "Blessed," Aaron instinctively felt a pang of guilt. He calmed himself down and, remembering what he had said earlier about "before leaving," he changed the subject and asked:
"Mr. Helmosuin, may I know where you are going?"
Helmosuin crunched on a candy, a satisfied smile on his face, and replied:
"The Fog Sea, the entrance to the Abyss."
He glanced at the slightly surprised Aaron, then simply explained:
"Unlike the Chained God, the 'Dark Side of the Universe' at the top of the Abyss Pathway was corrupted by the Mother Tree of Desire very early on."
"Anyway, this body won't live for many more years, and the apocalypse is drawing nearer, so I also need to observe the current state of the Abyss up close."
Aaron pondered, then after a moment of thought, asked:
"Mr. Helmosuin, I want to know if there truly is a passage in the Abyss that leads to the Forsaken Land of the Gods?"
Helmosuin put away his smile, his expression serious as he warned:
"There is indeed a passage, but the location of that passage can already be considered the boundary between the outer and inner Abyss. It can no longer be described as merely dangerous."
"Even an angel would be corrupted if they stayed there too long, let alone you, who haven't even achieved demigod status."
"Even if you manage to enter that passage while the 'Dark Side of the Universe' is not paying attention, once you attract her attention, you won't be able to return. It can be said to be a dead end with One Goes Without Return."
Looking at the serious-faced Helmosuin, Aaron cleared his throat and explained:
"I was just curious about the answer to this question; I won't personally explore it."
At the same time, he pondered the information revealed in the words of Helmosuin, this Orange Light incarnation.
"First, the Abyss can indeed lead to the Forsaken Land of the Gods, and Orange Light also knows the exact location of that passage."
"Secondly, Beyonders of non-'Chained' or 'Abyss' Pathways who possess the rank of an angel or are close to it have a chance to enter that passage with very little cost."
"Hmm, however, such an opportunity is only once. Once the 'Dark Side of the Universe' is on guard, that place will truly be a dead end."
However, Aaron only needed one chance to send someone in. As for getting out, he certainly wouldn't go through the Abyss again, and the best candidate for the mission was still sleeping in the Specter Empire, so Aaron was not in a hurry.
Looking at the pensive Aaron, Helmosuin sighed, popped a candy into his mouth, and then mumbled indistinctly:
"Later, if you need help, you can use the 'Mystic Ritual' to pray to my true body, 'Orange Light' Hilarion."
"Once you become a demigod and are capable of exploring the depths of the Spirit World, we will have a chance to meet again."
Aaron pulled himself out of his thoughts and, after a second of silence, said:
"Thank you for the reminder, Mr. Helmosuin."
-----------------
Rorsted Archipelago, Bayam, the 'City of Generosity' Governor's Mansion.
This place served as the stronghold of the Loen Kingdom's colonial rule in the Central Sonia Sea and was also the naval base of the Central Sonia Sea.
In the spacious, grand, and luxurious reception hall of the Governor's Mansion, only three people were seated, representing the Governor's Mansion, the Loen military, and the Church of the Lord of Storms, respectively.
Unceremoniously, the one seated in the main position was none other than "Sea King" Jahn Kottman. To his sides were Admiral Amyrius, who had just returned from inspecting the Oravi Naval Base in the past few days, and George Negan, the Governor of the Rorsted Archipelago, who should have been in the main seat.
As the weakest of the three, being only Sequence 5, George Negan, who had become the Governor of the Rorsted Archipelago only through a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact and the operations of the Negan family, finally couldn't bear the oppressive and dull atmosphere. He carefully began:
"The cause and course of the incident are largely clear. The losses were only a manor outside the city and a few mountains; Bayam was not damaged by this."
"On the contrary, several important members of the Rose School of Thought were killed. I think this is a great victory…"
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