Chapter 441: "Channels" Increase
Cheek? Was the Primordial Demoness also a man in the past?
Klein almost raised his hand to his chin.
He had once guessed that it was because of the existence of the evil
goddess, the Primordial Demoness, that led to the Assassin pathway
having members of the opposite sex turn into a female after Sequence 7.
Who knew that Roselle's diary would indicate that the Primordial
Demoness might've been a male in the beginning as well?
This depicted two problems. First, the Primordial Demoness wasn't a
naturally born deity, and they had only relied on potions to reach
Sequence 0. Second, the purely feminine changes in this pathway were
inherent in its Beyonder characteristics.
*Roselle had once speculated about the truth behind the Law of Beyonder
Characteristics Conservation. He suspected that all Beyonder
characteristics originated from the original Creator, so there's no
increase, and that the total amount is conserved... Assuming that this
is true, does this mean that the Creator who created everything is
all-inclusive, masculinity, femininity, and gender-neutral all in one...
And the Demoness pathway is a representation of pure femininity? Of
course, that ancient book might actually be fake... There's a lot of
information in Roselle's diary entries today...* With thoughts
flashing through his mind, Klein let the diary disappear in his hands.
"You can begin," he smiled and said to Justice, The Sun, and the others.
Alger looked towards The World immediately.
"Your Werewolf characteristic has been sold. An Artisan paid 1200 pounds
for it. According to our agreement, I will receive 200 pounds.
"Also, I found clues to the hair of a Deep-sea Naga. 100 pounds a
strand, and you want five of them in total. If you're fine with this
deal, then I will complete it as soon as possible."
Klein had promised a higher share of the Werewolf's Beyonder
characteristic because he knew that The Hanged Man had spent more effort
and taken on a risk that far exceeded what Vampire Emlyn White had
spent.
At this point, he thought for a moment and controlled The World to
reply.
"No problem. Give me the five strands of Deep-sea Naga hairs and 500
pounds in cash as soon as possible."
*Now, only the Human-skinned Shadow characteristic remains, and the
amount of money I have has increased to 1,235 pounds, which isn't
enough. If I don't want to wait for the Machinery Hivemind's exploration
of the Amon family's mausoleum. I'd have to wait to receive another 500
to 1,000 pounds before I can buy it immediately when I see
it...* Klein subconsciously wondered what other items or
knowledge he could use to exchange for money.
Of course, this was on the premise that the target of these transactions
was able to pay the remuneration, in cash.
Hearing this, Audrey raised her hand very slightly, and without hiding
anything, she said, "I'd like to purchase three ingredients: a pair of
eyes from a Mirror Dragon, 50 milliliters of its blood, as well as a
fruit from the Tree of Elders."
*Miss Justice has gotten the formula for the Psychiatrist
potion...* Klein made this judgment in an instant, and The
Hanged Man came to a similar conclusion.
"... I will write to my teacher and ask him if he has one of these
ingredients." Fors thought for a moment.
Derrick nodded and said, "I'll also take note. Corroded Mirror Dragons
aren't rare, same for the Tree of Elders. Uh, in the City of Silver,
there's also the Beyonder characteristic left behind by a Psyche
Analyst; however, it's hard to make transactions for them, and it's easy
to be suspected.
Psyche Analyst was the ancient name of Psychiatrist.
When their conversation reached Klein's ears, he immediately manipulated
The World and made the dummy hoarsely and gloomily say, "I'll ask around
in my circle. Oh right, continue helping me find the Human-skinned
Shadow characteristic."
"Alright." Audrey confidently turned her head to face the person
opposite her. "Mr. Hanged Man, I'll also look out for the Wind-blessed
potion formula you need."
She had already joined the Psychology Alchemists and had a secret
organization backing her. With them, many ingredients were no longer in
short supply. She could obtain them as long as she paid the necessary
price.
Fors repeated, "I'll write to my teacher and ask."
Upon seeing this development, Klein felt rather gratified. After a long
period of hard work, the Tarot Club had finally developed two major
channels, the Psychology Alchemists and the Abraham family. Many things
would become simple.
The World chuckled and said, "Your answers fill me with hope, but you
must also take care to protect yourselves, and proceed in a way that
would avoid arousing suspicion as much as possible."
"Mr. World, you rarely talk so much." Audrey smiled in reply.
*...I got a little too pleased and momentarily forgot The World's
original character profile...* Klein immediately remedied the
situation and made The World chuckle and say,
"All of you have become sufficiently valuable. I hope that this kind of
transaction can last for a very, very long time. That's why I'm
reminding you."
"Thank you," Audrey gracefully expressed her gratitude.
At that moment, Derrick hesitated and said, "I'll give it a try as well.
I've recently completed several patrol missions, but there's nothing out
of the ordinary."
Very good... Klein said to himself, making The World shut his
mouth.
After a brief moment of silence, Alger looked thoughtfully at Miss
Justice.
"I would like to know the details of the assassination of Duke Negan.
What kind of reward do you need?"
*Why ask me? As someone close to the Church of Storms, shouldn't you
already know the full details of this case?* Audrey was
surprised for a moment, but then she understood the meaning of Mr.
Hanged Man's words.
*He wants to ask about the organization or force that instigated the
Desire Apostle, but he doesn't think it's right to ask The Fool
directly, thinking that it would be too sudden and invasive. So he took
a roundabout way by asking me to open up the topic, gently shifting the
focus to the things he wants to know... He knows that I'm a noble lady
and that I should pay attention to the assassination of Duke Negan. So
he's not worried that I won't answer him... Mr. Hanged Man is really
experienced...* Audrey said, with the corners of her mouth
curling up slightly, "No, there's no need for compensation. Isn't it the
purpose of our Tarot Club to freely exchange common knowledge amongst
each other regarding their respective regions?"
Only by doing so can our Tarot Club expand at a rapid pace!
she thought to herself, quite possessively.
"Your words shame me." Alger was stunned for a moment before he pressed
his hand to his chest and leaned forward a little.
"..."
Klein, who was shrouded in the thick gray fog, inwardly laughed dryly.
Audrey lightly pursed her lips, weighed her words, and said, "The Desire
Apostle used a unique situation to complete the assassination of Duke
Negan; by using his ability to trigger intense emotions and desires, and
at the cost of serious injuries, he successfully broke out of the
encirclement, entering the sewers.
"When the Nighthawks caught up to him, he was already dead. The Hero
Bandit Black Emperor was present. This gentleman didn't do it to silence
him, but to target the organization that entrusted the assassination
contract to the Desire Apostle.
Which organization? Just as The Hanged Man was wondering to
himself in puzzlement, The Fool, who was sitting at the end of the
table, silently praised Miss Justice and looked at her. He then gave her
a reminder in passing, "In the outside world, do not mention the name of
the organization or write it down."
"Why?" Audrey blurted out in astonishment.
Klein leaned back in his chair and replied in a gentle voice, "Any
mention of it will be known."
Any mention of it will be known... Audrey subconsciously
looked at Mr. Fool, only to feel that he seemed to be emphasizing
something with his eyes hidden in the fog.
*Mr. Fool is implying that if it's not in "His" kingdom or through
talking to "Him," mentioning or writing down the name of the Twilight
Hermit Order would allow them to sense it via some means or item... That
should be what he means... What an extremely secretive and high-level
organization! To a certain extent, it's even more terrifying than the
Church of the seven deities... And Mr. Fool, our Tarot Club is looking
for them...* Audrey instantly felt like she understood a lot of
things. She straightened her back and said, "As you command."
*Any mention of it will be known... A secret organization whose name
can't even be mentioned? A powerful organization that I don't know of at
all? Is this the faction behind the Desire Apostle? Mr. Fool had sent
his Blessed to search for them? This high-level situation in the world
really is more complicated than I thought. There are even more secrets
that I have no way of knowing...* Alger slightly nodded his
head, feeling both shocked and agitated at the same time.
At this moment, he had the urge to pay Mr. Fool for the name of the
organization.
However, after thinking about it carefully, he felt that there was no
need for that. Although understanding the situation involving the
higher-level entities would help him perfect his plans for the future
and play an important role in certain situations, he, who was currently
at the bottom of the Mid-Sequence levels, had no way of making contact
with matters related to the mysterious organization. What he needed the
most right now was the formula and ingredients for Wind-blessed, so he
had to save up enough wealth for them.
*After succeeding my advancement, I could seek an opportunity to consult
Mr. Fool...* Alger made a note of this.
Fors was confused by what she heard. Things like the Desire Apostle and
the organization in which "any mention of it will be known" were
completely different from what she had read in the newspapers.
*There are indeed many secrets behind the assassination of a duke...
It's a pity that the organization's name cannot be written down.
Otherwise, I can use it as the villain of a future novel; it will
definitely be a classic... I still owe ten diary pages and haven't
bought the Spirit Eater's stomach pouch. There's no need to spend the
money in order to understand such high-end matters for the time being...
Well, the secrecy and knowledge circulating in the Tarot Club are ten
times greater than Mr. A's gathering, or more!* Fors restrained
her curiosity as a writer.
As for Derrick, he didn't know who Duke Negan was, so he didn't care who
was behind the assassination.
He sat silently and was reserved, as though he were in class.
When the matter regarding the Twilight Hermit Order was over, Fors
looked around and probingly asked, "Lady and gentlemen, do you have a
way to solve the problem of accumulating too many Beyonder
characteristics of the same level?"