Chapter 268: Teacher Sharon
A different request? Miss Sharon, this is—she's not confident enough.
Well, I'm a Sequence 6 who's short on cash, and she's a Sequence 5 who isn't exactly rich either.
Lorne stared at her delicate but clearly somewhat embarrassed face, and immediately understood.
"Sigh—let's talk about the opponent's intelligence first." Lorne sighed. Looking at Miss Sharon's straitened circumstances, money was probably out of the question.
"I need to assess the risk of this matter." He pondered for two seconds, then continued, "What is the effect of the Sealed Artifact they possess? Why does it restrain you all?"
Sharon regained her cool demeanor and said flatly, "Because of curses."
"Curses?"
"Every Sequence of the Prisoner Pathway that Marich and I are on is accompanied by a corresponding curse."
Sharon began to explain.
"Starting from Sequence 7 Werewolf, one becomes a complete cursed being. Every time the Red Moon becomes full, one loses most of their sanity and uncontrollably grows black fur all over their body—"
Hearing this, Lorne's curiosity was piqued. He couldn't help but size up Sharon, finding it hard to imagine what this elegant, delicate, doll-like Gothic lady would look like as a Werewolf.
A slender lady in a Gothic court gown, covered in black fur, howling at the crimson moonlight—that image—just thinking about it was a bit jarring!
Sharon ignored Lorne's probing, curious gaze and continued in her ethereal, fleeting voice, "The curse of a Sequence 6 Zombie is a craving for warm human blood and fresh flesh. This craving becomes especially severe during the full Moon."
At this point, she paused, her cerulean eyes gazing deeply at Lorne, her voice growing even more ethereal: "And the curse of a Wraith is that on the night the Red Moon becomes full, one must either consume a certain number of human souls, or become extremely weak. And once the former is chosen, it means choosing to constantly walk on the edge of losing control."
Full Moon—the curses of this Pathway are all related to the full Moon. Lorne was thoughtful.
"Could it be that their item is related to the Moon?" Lorne asked tentatively.
"Hmm, almost." Sharon nodded slightly.
"That item is called the Crimson Moon Crown."
"It can create a full Moon-like environmental effect within a certain range. For those of the Indulgence Faction, it is an auxiliary item that allows them to unleash greater power. But for us of the Temperance Faction, it makes us weak."
A special weapon against the Temperance Faction, huh—
However, the ability to create a full Moon—did that also mean it could trigger "Full Moon Whisper"? He suddenly became interested in this item. Perhaps—it could be used to research Fors's problem?
"Besides a Sequence 5 Wraith, their team also has a Zombie and a Werewolf," Sharon added.
"Speaking of Werewolves," Lorne suddenly remembered something, "was the one we eliminated in the East Borough related to them?"
He was referring to the night he rescued Xio.
"That was indeed a member of the Indulgence Faction, but not directly related to the people responsible for capturing us this time," Miss Sharon explained.
In that case, it would be three against three. If it's just dealing with a Werewolf, with his current strength, it shouldn't be a big problem—Lorne quickly analyzed the combat power of both sides in his mind.
He looked up at the exquisite-faced Miss Wraith in front of him and took the initiative to say, "I can agree to help you. But I want that Crimson Moon Crown."
"No." Sharon shook her head without thinking. "The Crimson Moon Crown is very special, and I need it very much too."
Meeting Lorne's puzzled gaze, she added, "The person wearing the Crimson Moon Crown can be immune to the curse effects of the full Moon."
"After the matter is settled, I can give you the Beyonder characteristic of the Werewolf and the Zombie."
But I don't need them—Lorne smiled bitterly internally. "I still have a Wraith Beyonder characteristic that hasn't been sold, let alone lower Sequence ones—"
If I had known, I would have given it to the captain when we were at sea and let her sell it for me—
It seems Miss Sharon is even more hard-up than I imagined. She can only offer potential future earnings as my reward.
Thinking of this, Lorne suddenly remembered something else and asked, "Has Marich finished digesting his Zombie potion?"
"Yes." Sharon nodded.
Lorne hesitated for a moment before speaking, "I have a channel to quickly get a Wraith Beyonder characteristic. Does Marich need it?"
Sharon's cerulean eyes instantly lit up. She gave Lorne a deep look, a faint hint of longing in her gaze. Clearly, she was very interested in this proposal. If they could have two Sequence 5 Wraiths on their side, then the success rate of this operation would greatly increase.
But—she sighed almost imperceptibly and shook her head: "We don't have enough funds." Her tone revealed a hint of helplessness.
"You can owe me for now," Lorne said. He couldn't sell that Wraith characteristic for the time being, so using it to gain a favor wasn't a bad idea.
Sharon's eyes brightened slightly, and her calm expression seemed to show a subtle hint of emotion, but she ultimately shook her head gently: "Marich doesn't have enough time to complete the advancement ritual—"
"Is that so." Lorne felt a little regretful, then proposed a new plan, "How about this? After the matter is settled, you lend me the Crimson Moon Crown for a period of research, how about that? I have a friend who's encountered some trouble, and it happens to be related to the full Moon. I need to use it to do some experiments."
Hearing this, Sharon became wary. She admonished him in a teacher-like tone, "Don't try it casually. The mystical symbolism of the Moon is very complex and very dangerous."
"Besides spirituality, what special meaning does the Moon have?" Lorne asked subconsciously. Ever since he transmigrated, the crimson Moon in this world had always made him feel very uncomfortable.
He had also asked Edwina this question before, but he only received textbook answers.
—Miss Sharon lowered her head and fell silent.
Her teacher had once subtly mentioned a secret about the Moon to her. But specifically, according to her teacher, at her level at the time, she was not yet qualified to know.
"I can also provide you with some related mystical knowledge as compensation, which includes parts of the Moon domain," Sharon looked up and offered another exchange condition.
The exclusive knowledge of the Rose School of Thought—Lorne was immediately interested.
Although the knowledge the captain taught him was extensive, most of it was relatively superficial. An ancient secret organization like the Rose School of Thought would certainly possess specialized knowledge in a particular field.
Actually, Lorne now had another source of knowledge, and that was the Queen Mystic. As a long-renowned Pirate King, she must know many untold secrets.
But—Lorne didn't trust her yet. And by extension, he didn't quite trust Cattelya either.
"How about this," Lorne looked at Sharon and proposed a final plan, "just like last time when you were my bodyguard, this time, how about you be my teacher? Systematically teach me some of the mystical knowledge you possess for a period after our cooperation ends."
He stared at Sharon's calm, cloud-like face and added, "As for the potential spoils, I think Marich would want that Wraith characteristic, and you need that Crimson Moon Crown. The rest of the items, we'll distribute according to the actual situation."
His experience in school told him that when it came to learning knowledge, having a teacher was completely different in efficiency from fumbling around on your own.
Moreover, this matter could only be done if they were alive, which implicitly meant he was doing the other party another favor.
"Alright." Sharon was silent for a moment, then finally nodded.
Given her current situation, she really couldn't offer anything more valuable. The condition Lorne proposed could be said to be quite polite. After all, before the matter succeeded, everything was just an empty promise, and whether it could be fulfilled was still up in the air.
"Then, I wish us a pleasant cooperation, Teacher Sharon ~" Lorne smiled, his tone carrying a hint of teasing.
Hearing this, a strange flicker passed through Sharon's cerulean eyes.
"You should—return to your original tone."
With that, her body became slightly transparent, like watercolor blending into the air, and she vanished from her spot in the blink of an eye.
"She's already gone? How—individualistic." Lorne looked at the empty window, his lips twitching slightly.
He shook his head, turned and walked back into the room, collapsing onto the bed, staring at the ceiling, and letting out a long sigh: "Sigh—lately, whenever someone actively comes knocking, it's basically never good news."