join p atreon.com/KeyofStars and become a Sequence 9: Reader for dozens of advance chapters for over a dozen fics | Every 100 powerstones = 1 extra chapter
Thursday, Backlund.
Since Klein successfully advanced to Faceless, and Lin Ruo's Beyonder power evolved once again, the matter of cooperating with Mr. Pallez to retrieve someone from "Groselle's Travels" could naturally be put on the agenda.
However, because the life scepter was still in the hands of a certain Red Angel and had not been returned, Lin Ruo felt he should first inquire about the situation with that Red Angel.
So, on the second day after his advancement, Lin Ruo returned to his detective agency and decided to make a call to a certain Red Angel.
"Great God of War, symbol of iron and blood, Dominator of turmoil and strife. Have you returned to your normal state? I need to use the life scepter for something. If you haven't recovered, return it to me first, and I'll lend it back to you after I'm done."
After solemnly reciting the honorific name as usual, Lin Ruo's tone became casual. He then waited. After about a minute, brilliant flames ignited before him, then condensed into a figure very familiar to Lin Ruo.
The familiar face, the familiar red hair, but he was no longer wearing the black armor he always wore in his evil spirit state. Instead, he had changed into a black trench coat paired with a white shirt and black trousers, though the buttons were, as always, not properly fastened.
Medici looked at Lin Ruo, his smile unbridled and carrying his usual mockery. He casually tossed a box to Lin Ruo, saying, "Lin Ruo, you've changed quite a bit in a few days, evolving from an ant to a small, thorny mouse."
The implication was that he was still a weakling.
—Because Lin Ruo hadn't deliberately restrained the inherent prestige of a Judge, Medici could more or less discern the difference in him compared to a few days ago.
"I can't compare to you, Grandpa Medici. You've gone from a hotpot to a mythical creature again. Impressive, impressive." Lin Ruo took the box, and without hesitation, retorted with a sarcastic tone.
He weighed the box, and sensing the weight was off, he didn't bother opening it, directly asking:
"Is there anything else inside?"
"The information about Artificial Deaths you asked for before." Medici replied casually, crossing his arms, looking at Lin Ruo, "So, where's the information I asked for?"
"What's the rush? It's not like I'd forget." Lin Ruo smoothly pulled out a stack of papers from the coffee table drawer and handed them to Medici, saying:
"All the information I could collect is here. If nothing unexpected happens, the Demoness Sect and the Augustus will make a big move before the end of the year. However, I'm not sure exactly when they will trade the conqueror characteristic."
"Anyway, seize the opportunity yourself. I believe a dignified War Angel wouldn't even be outsmarted by a few Witches and Augustus."
Through the Aurora Order and various channels, including Justice Audrey, Lin Ruo had collected a good amount of intelligence on the Demoness Sect and the Augustus. He was now basically certain that the Augustus did possess a conqueror characteristic, and the Demoness Sect's deep cooperation with them was based on this. However, he couldn't gather more information on this aspect.
After all, it concerned the conqueror characteristic, and both sides were keeping it very tightly under wraps.
"Heh, just them." Medici scoffed, regardless of what he was thinking internally, at least on the surface he looked disdainfully mocking. He took the stack of papers, casually flipping through them as he said:
"This is what you asked me to help with before, isn't it?"
"Yes, but this time you probably won't need to directly intervene in the main battle... Just focus on getting that conqueror characteristic. It'll help me tie down some of their combat power and divert attention. If there's any unexpected situation, I'll call you then." Lin Ruo waved his hand, saying so.
Before he brought Huang Beibei and others into the fold, he was quite short on combat power. But now, with a Sequence 3 Huang Beibei who had ritualistic needs, a Bornova who was equally eager to save his father and didn't mind helping his sister, and Lin Ruo's own strength reaching a level where he could directly confront a Sequence 3 without issue, considering the official Church's stance on this matter, the Evernight Goddess's divine descent vessel in Backlund, and so on...
Although the Backlund Fog indeed involved high-level powers, such as the Primordial Demoness and the True Creator who almost descended, leading to the Evernight Goddess directly intervening through her divine descent vessel in the original work, theoretically, it would perfectly satisfy Bernadette's advancement ritual.
But it wasn't time for the decisive battle yet. Neither the Demoness Sect nor the Augustus evidently intended to directly confront the official Church. So, even though the Backlund Smog had deep undercurrents, likely with Adam's shadow behind it, not many high-level individuals were directly involved. Theoretically, with the combat power Lin Ruo had arranged now, resolving it directly would be no problem at all.
So Lin Ruo felt there was no need to have Medici directly confront the Augustus and the Demoness Sect. Rather than having an overflow of combat power, it would be better to let Medici see if he could fish in troubled waters in this matter, get his hands on the conqueror characteristic, and at the same time help him attract some firepower and make the waters even murkier.
"Tsk!" Medici clicked his tongue, uncharacteristically not mocking anything. He merely looked at the material, seemingly recalling something, a few more traces of coldness appearing in his eyes as he said, "You'd best not directly contact those Witches."
"Huh?" Lin Ruo was momentarily stunned, somewhat surprised. He instantly recalled Adam's words, "Beware of Witches," and his expression became a little strange. He couldn't help but ask:
"Do I have some deep-seated grudge with the Demoness Sect?"
"You almost died in an attack by the Primordial Demoness once." Medici seemed to be recalling something, and the atmospheric pressure around him dropped slightly. His gaze grew colder, "She has always wanted to kill you, seemingly to seize something from your hands."
"Huh?" Lin Ruo was stunned again, feeling that the information in Medici's words was a bit overwhelming, and asked, "I almost died at the hands of the Primordial Demoness? When was that?"
"As for the time, it was before Solomon's first fall." Medici did not conceal it. He just paused slightly, looked at Lin Ruo, and continued:
"At that time, you wanted to seize a Characteristic of the Order of the Hands for Alista, but you fell into a trap set by the Primordial Demoness and the God of War, almost perishing. It was only because the Lord discovered it in time that we saved you."
"But even so, you paid a heavy price and had to fall into a deep sleep for a period."
Lin Ruo pursed his lips. The information he had recently received connected in his mind at this moment. He said with a hint of realization:
"Solomon fell during my slumber, didn't he?"
"That wasn't your fault." Medici did not answer Lin Ruo's question, merely saying so, but the information revealed was very telling.
"I know..." Lin Ruo pursed his lips, recalling the seemingly similar yet largely consistent history he now understood in many places, and couldn't help but say, "I just suddenly feel a bit emotional about fate..."
The fate of this world, after all...
"Tsk, Lin Ruo, aren't you always the one who least believes in such things as fate?" Medici raised an eyebrow, looking at Lin Ruo as if he were a rare creature.
"Not believing doesn't mean I can't feel a little emotional." Lin Ruo immediately broke free from that emotional and confused state, saying grumpily. His gaze fell on Medici, who had returned to his normal state, and then he thought of Bornova's changed personality, the Emperor waiting to be rescued...
Lin Ruo suddenly curled his lips into a smile.
He didn't believe that fate couldn't be changed.
"So, do you have anything else? If not, I'm leaving. Do you really think I'm as idle as you are?" Medici said abruptly, his tone as sarcastic as ever.
Lin Ruo, however, glanced at him and said directly, "Then go, I won't see you off."
"Tsk!"
join p atreon.com/KeyofStars and become a Sequence 9: Reader for dozens of advance chapters for over a dozen fics | Every 100 powerstones = 1 extra chapter