join p atreon.com/KeyofStars and become a Sequence 9: Reader for advance chapters | Every 100 powerstones = 1 extra chapter | Report issues @discord.com/GVBdncd9Wr
Pallez Zoroast, his eyes narrowing, looked at Aaron, who was smiling but silent, and asked directly without beating around the bush:
"Now that the matter of the Church of the Earth Mother is settled, Duke, what can I do for you? Please speak frankly. Since I have signed the contract, I will not refuse what I am obligated to do."
"Straightforward!" Aaron nodded slightly, took out a blood-colored bat token from his in arms. After lifting the suppression of the Wall of Spirituality, numerous illusory and hazy mysterious symbols emitted a faint glow, and a life aura distinctly different from that of a Pallbearer, but inherently higher, emanated.
Pallez Zoroast's expression froze slightly, then he heard the Duke continue:
"Tonight, I plan to visit the Sanguine ancestral land to meet the three Sanguine Dukes, so I'd like to invite Senior to come along."
After Pallez's great-grandfather, the first Sequence 1 of the Zoroast family, perished, it was only with Solomon's help that the family was preserved from Amon's prying.
This is also why the Zoroast family has always supported the Solomon Empire, but it also led to deep grudges with the great nobles of the Tudor and Trunsoest Empires, and the Sanguine were naturally no exception.
Considering these factors, Pallez was somewhat hesitant. If he really went to the Sanguine ancestral land and something unexpected happened, his clone wouldn't be able to escape.
But seeing the half-smile on Aaron's face, he still sighed, and the "Bizarro Pendant" floated up into Aaron's hand. He finally added:
"I ask Duke to lend a hand."
Aaron nodded in satisfaction. It's better to make friends than enemies, but with changes imminent, there must be no rifts among the high-level combatants within the alliance. Resolving conflicts beforehand was also his goal for this trip.
The last rays of the setting sun completely vanished, and the crimson moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating the blood-colored bat token. With the sudden expansion of yin power, a pair of illusory, hazy, gigantic bat wings, inscribed with numerous mysterious symbols, appeared.
They instantly enveloped Aaron, transforming into a hazy moonlight. This moonlight shattered in an instant, turning into countless red scales that dissipated on the spot.
It wasn't until Aaron's figure disappeared that Mobet finally breathed a sigh of relief. The thought of Siatas also becoming a Cataclysmic Interrer suddenly brought a sense of urgency to his heart.
---
Tingen City Docks, along the Khoy River, "Witch's Whisper Bar."
Klein, disguised, parked his bicycle in the shadows of the street and walked in casually.
Tingen City's underground trading market wasn't limited to the "Evil Dragon Bar"; it was just that the latter was a semi-official market, offering the highest security for transactions.
The materials used by Beyonders not only come from extraordinary species but also from normal animals, plants, and minerals.
They may not possess Beyonder properties, but they all have their own characteristics. Through blending and fusion, they can achieve certain effects.
As long as secret organizations are not completely eliminated, similar underground trading markets cannot be entirely prohibited. After all, knowing is better than not knowing, and the churches can only try to prevent the circulation of more special, higher-level materials.
Although such markets would inevitably lead to the appearance of contraband, as long as it wasn't too dangerous, official Beyonders wouldn't interfere. Klein believed this was likely due to the mutual checks and balances between the major churches, preventing them from adopting overly drastic measures.
As a formal Nighthawk, Klein's authority also increased. After reviewing the internal Nighthawk archives, Klein finally chose the "Witch's Whisper Bar."
The underground trading market here is backed by a secret organization called Oravi Island, established by the Sea King, Queen Mystic, over a hundred years ago, controlling the Mystery Pryer Pathway.
Thinking of Old Neil's often-repeated Mystery Pryer motto – "Do what you will, but harm none!" – and the benevolent records in the archives, Klein finally made up his mind.
The reason he didn't go to the "Evil Dragon Bar" was, on one hand, that he was concerned his transaction might attract the attention of official spies and he didn't want to conflict with them and expose his identity.
On the other hand, he didn't want to run into Admiral Sol there. At least until he understood the intentions of the so-called Life School of Thought, Klein didn't plan to proactively contact them.
Entering the somewhat noisy bar, the bartender behind the counter, wiping glasses, changed expression upon seeing the disguised Klein. Without asking, he gestured and led Klein downstairs.
"Did he realize I'm a Beyonder?" Klein was a little surprised but didn't say much. His hands in his pockets, one gripped his revolver, the other clenched a charm, guarding against possible accidents.
None of these occurred. Passing through a corridor adorned with symbols of unknown meaning, they arrived outside a door at the deepest part. Klein took the black robe handed to him by the bartender, quickly put it on, and pushed open the door.
Inside was a not-too-large secret room. On a raised platform in the center, an elder in a Warlock robe was introducing something. The number of attendees was not many, but most were Beyonders.
After a quick assessment, Klein's heart slightly chilled. He reined in his aura and sat down on a chair in a corner. As soon as he looked up, his gaze met another pair of eyes.
Beneath the black robe was a gentle, sweet, round, and delicate face. And looking at that beautiful face, Klein's heart immediately pounded violently, and his right hand, gripping the gun, instantly tensed.
He had seen this face recently in a dream divination; it was the Instigator, Tris, after transforming into a woman, who caused the Clover Incident.
The loose black robe concealed Klein's anomaly. Trissy merely turned her head, glanced at the newly arrived member, then turned back to look at the stage, and a very pleasant voice rang out:
"The eyes of a Succubus, 1300 pounds."
The already few competitors instantly fell silent, and the secret room plunged into quiet. Klein finally relaxed his tense nerves, feeling a slight toothache as he looked at Trissy, who was shrouded in a black robe.
He truly hadn't expected to encounter this wanted Instigator here. But to be fair, after transforming into a woman, both her temperament and appearance were beyond ordinary women.
Just as Klein was racking his brain on how to reasonably inform the Nighthawks about this, his gaze inadvertently shifted, and he saw Trissy's outstretched right hand.
The palm was fair and delicate, smooth and shapely, with long, slender, graceful fingers, well-proportioned in bone and flesh. Most notably, on the little finger of this hand, she wore a uniquely styled ring inlaid with a sapphire.
Klein, who had quietly activated his Spirit Vision, was slightly stunned. A dense gray-white mist immediately appeared before his eyes, and complex whispers echoed in his mind. The lucky gold coin in his pocket flickered faintly, and Klein instantly came to his senses, fine beads of sweat appearing on his forehead.
"What was that thing...?" Klein's expression management almost failed. The suffocating sense of death was still vivid. Regaining his composure, he hastily closed his Spirit Vision and looked forward again.
Trissy had already left at some unknown point. Klein was slightly taken aback, noticing that several members sitting in the corner were getting up and heading out, while the elder on the platform paid them no mind, continuing to introduce the next item.
"Did she leave already?" Klein breathed a sigh of relief, while also looking with some pity at those who quietly departed. His body felt somewhat weak as he leaned back against the chair.
After a brief moment to compose himself, the gathering had moved to the free trading segment. Klein looked at the remaining half of the attendees, thought for a moment, and spoke in a hoarse voice:
"I want to sell Beyonder potion formulas."
"Sequence 9 'Monster' and Sequence 8 'Robot.'"
"The former for 220 pounds, the latter for 450 pounds."
A brief silence fell over the room. The remaining people cast curious glances. After a moment, a man in a deeply pulled-down hood in the corner, his voice deliberately sharp, said:
"Perhaps I can give them to my child; at least it's stronger than my Sequence."
"Sequence 9 for 200 pounds, Sequence 8 for 420 pounds. If you agree, it's a deal."
To be able to produce 620 pounds at once, he's rich. That's enough to buy a house in Tingen City... Klein pretended to ponder, looking at the other attendees, observing their reactions.
Seeing that no one had an impulse to raise the price, and the other party's offer had reached his psychological bottom line, Klein deliberated and said:
"Add one condition: you cannot sell these two formulas at this gathering. You're free to sell them elsewhere."
The man didn't hesitate much and readily agreed:
"Alright, Mr. Witch's Whisper can be a witness."
Klein didn't know how to prove the formulas were real, nor did he want to ask and expose the fact that he hadn't attended a gathering here before. He could only silently pull up his robe, take out the two pre-written Beyonder potion formulas, and hand them to the attendant.
The attendant walked to the high platform and handed them to the Warlock known as Mr. Witch's Whisper. He unfolded the papers but didn't look at them closely, placing them on a small round table beside him.
He then pulled out a fist-sized pure crystal ball from his clothing pocket, placed it on top of the papers, and activated his spirituality. The crystal ball quickly began to emit brilliant "waves."
"Is this astrology?" Klein looked enviously at the crystal ball, which emitted strong spiritual fluctuations, guessing that this Warlock, known as Mr. Witch's Whisper, was likely around the same Sequence as the Captain.
After the confirmation by "astrology," the transaction was quickly completed. Klein received a thick stack of cash, all 10-pound banknotes.
After counting them three times, he didn't fold the banknotes and stuff them into his pocket; he simply held them in his palm, waiting for an opportunity to spend them.
Of the two essential materials for the "Charm of Misfortune," the "powdered mandrake snake skin" was available in the Nighthawks' treasury. Although it required a high amount of merit, the credit for successfully recovering the Antigonus family's notebook was enough for him to exchange quite a bit.
He only lacked the "bark of the Blood-Patterned Tree." Then he could attempt to craft this high-level charm. According to records, this material generally grows on isolated islands at sea.
Klein waited a while longer, and after two more transactions were completed, he spoke again:
"I wish to purchase 'Blood-Patterned Tree bark.' If it's a complete piece of bark, I can even pay a premium."
The originally somewhat lively trading atmosphere instantly fell silent. Many people exchanged bewildered glances. Just as Klein was feeling a little disappointed, Mr. Witch's Whisper on the platform suddenly spoke:
"I do have a complete piece of bark. If you agree, you can take it for 800 pounds."
Klein's face twitched slightly. After a long moment, he responded in a hoarse voice:
"Alright..."
Taking a piece of dry bark, covered in blood-red patterns and only two palm-lengths in size, from the attendant, Klein, having achieved his goal for this trip, quickly rose. His keen spiritual perception already sensed several figures rising almost simultaneously with him.
Pretending not to notice, Klein returned the way he came. After leaving the "Witch's Whisper Bar," he headed directly to a dark corner on an adjacent street.
It was nearing midnight, and there were no pedestrians on the street. Klein subtly glanced behind him, sighed inwardly, and took out the "Moonlight Ring" from his in arms, infusing it with spirituality.
Dense black mist quickly emanated from his back, forming a pair of illusory bat wings. As the few followers behind him reacted and quickly approached, Klein had already soared into the air, using the cover of night to fly somewhat unsteadily towards the outskirts.
"These cunning fellows..."
Angrily smashing his fist against the wall, his black robe was violently torn, revealing a somewhat rugged man. The wall cracked in response, and illusory scales appeared on his arm, only stained with a little dust, not scratched.
They were spies from the Church of the Lord of Storms planted in the underground gathering, responsible for tracking and identifying suspicious individuals. Klein, who had sold two Beyonder potion formulas at once and bought a Beyonder ingredient clearly not belonging to a low Sequence, had obviously been noticed, but they hadn't expected him to have such a means of escape.
As a Sequence 8 Folk of Rage, he had no way to catch up to someone who could fly. As he raged in impotent fury, a man with a solemn expression quickly ran up the nearby street and said in a deep voice:
"Don't worry about him for now. The team that was tracking that woman has lost contact. I've already notified the church to send more people to search."
---
Klein, who had deliberately flown a distance towards the south of the city, circled halfway before returning to 124 Zouteland Street.
Although using the Dark Wings with the "Moonlight Ring" was a burden on his spirituality, Klein didn't hesitate. He immediately set up a Wall of Spirituality.
First, he sacrificed the purchased "Blood-Patterned Tree bark" to the gray fog, then reversed his steps four times to reach the head of the bronze long table.
Looking at the magnificent palace, Klein, leaning on the bronze high-backed chair, tried to recall the sapphire ring he had seen, wanting to materialize it in this mysterious space, just as he had recalled the lucky gold coin before.
Klein tried several times, each time dissipating just as he was about to succeed. A solemn expression appeared on his face. After a moment of thought, a piece of parchment instantly appeared before him.
Trissy's beautiful face gradually emerged on the parchment, and the citrine pendant quietly floated. Klein quickly performed a dream divination. Since the item couldn't be materialized, he would directly divine the person.
The hazy dream world suddenly brightened. Trissy stood in an alley, in front of her was a beautiful, voluptuous woman, and around them lay several men with distorted faces and distorted bodies.
The scene zoomed in. Just as Klein saw a distorted smile appear on Trissy's face, the entire image suddenly became just a sapphire ring, and the dream immediately shattered.
join p atreon.com/KeyofStars and become a Sequence 9: Reader for advance chapters | Every 100 powerstones = 1 extra chapter | Report issues @discord.com/GVBdncd9Wr