Chapter 63: Gifts Must Always Be Returned

Chapter 63: Gifts Must Always Be Returned

After listening to the Old Man’s words, Leonard immediately relaxed quite a bit.

His attention returned to the angel-level battle that had taken place that afternoon. With considerable curiosity, he asked,

“Which pathway’s angel did that giant serpent phantom belong to?”

Pallez Zoroast fell silent for a moment, then sighed.

“The Snake of Fate—the chairman of the Life School of Thought. A Sequence 1 angel.

“I did not expect that He had joined them as well…”

The chairman of the Life School of Thought? He has also become a favored one of Mr. Fool? The corresponding Tarot card would be… Wheel of Fortune? Leonard’s eyes widened slightly. He increasingly felt that Mr. Fool’s faction was already comparable to the seven orthodox Churches, its depths impossible to measure.

Death Consul… Snake of Fate… An incomplete messenger… Under Mr. Fool’s throne, three angels have already appeared so far… No wonder Klein became a demigod so quickly… How long has it even been? I have already been pulled into an angel-level battle. What might happen in the future is simply impossible to imagine… Leonard held the letter and sat down on the sofa. Toward digesting the Requiemer potion and advancing to Spirit Warlock, his urgency increased by several more degrees.

During this period, he had been busy soothing the spirits in the Backlund region. However, because there were far too many tasks, he was still quite far from completion. He could not find an opportunity or excuse to go to Tingen City and steal the power of that drop of Eternal Blazing Sun’s divine blood. Amon’s avatar had arrived far faster than he had expected.

…

South Borough of the Bridge area, Rose Street, inside Harvest Church.

Emlyn White, who had changed into a brown clerical robe, stood beside the long table on which candlesticks were placed. Looking at Ernest Boyar, who was making a great effort to wipe the altar, he casually raised his right hand and pointed.

“The side. The left. You didn’t clean it properly.”

Ernest Boyar, who was similarly dressed in the clergy attire of the Earth Mother, glared resentfully at Emlyn, but he still obeyed the instruction and wiped again the area he had previously handled somewhat perfunctorily.

“I know you are very angry. It is just like when I learned that you sold me information about the ancient castle but deliberately concealed crucial details,” Emlyn said with a smile, not caring at all about the other party’s gaze. “Also, I forgot to tell you something. I am now a viscount as well. It happened just last week.”

A Sanguine viscount corresponded to Sequence 5 of the Moon pathway, Crimson Scholar. One of the conditions for the advancement ritual was to be bathed in the light of the full moon. Aside from this, one also had to gather metals, gemstones, and blood from extraordinary creatures that represented different states of the moon. It was quite complicated.

However, Emlyn had long since received the promise that the Sanguine higher-ups would hold the ritual for him free of charge. The moment the full moon arrived, he had successfully completed the advancement.

As for the digestion of the Potion Professor potion, he felt that he had not even put much effort into it before succeeding. After all, he often lectured willing civilian believers at Harvest Church on herbology and even on the pairing of certain potions for special uses. In everyday life, besides collecting dolls, researching history, and doing volunteer work at the church, he also enjoyed studying all kinds of potions for use in different combat situations.

“…You became a viscount?” Ernest Boyar abruptly straightened, his face full of astonishment.

Among the Sanguine, because they were all long-lived species, the accumulated population was far from small, while the number of Beyonder characteristics was limited. Raising one’s rank could be said to be extremely difficult. One had to wait in line for a very long time before there was any possibility. Yet Emlyn White had only become a baron around half a year ago!

Ernest remembered that it had taken him a full sixty years to go from baron to viscount, and that was only because his father had been attacked by an artificial vampire and died prematurely, leaving behind an inheritance.

“Of course.” The smile on Emlyn’s face became more obvious, though he still maintained restraint. “I obtained a Sequence 5 Beyonder characteristic from an artificial vampire.”

Ernest Boyar looked at Emlyn and, for a moment, did not know what to say. It was as though he had suffered a blow heavier than being turned into a volunteer at Harvest Church.

“Your expression is quite interesting.” Emlyn clicked his tongue. “Perhaps one day, you will have to address me as Your Excellency Count.”

“Arrogant! Conceited!” Ernest blurted out.

I am already being very humble. I did not say I wanted to become a duke, or even a prince… If I do not reach the angelic level, how can I become the savior of the Sanguine? Besides, within our Tarot Club, Mr. World has already advanced to demigod, and Madam Hermit will soon do the same. In the future, this will definitely be a gathering at the demigod level… Emlyn smiled. Unlike usual, he did not argue with Ernest. Instead, he adopted an attitude that suggested the other party’s words were not worth refuting.

Of course, he also understood that after the Crimson Scholar stage, the Sanguine’s racial advantage would cease to exist. The difficulty of becoming a count was no lower than that of an artificial vampire advancing to Witch King.

The digestion of the Crimson Scholar potion is relatively simple. As long as one devoutly likes the moon, worships the moon, and studies the moon, that is enough. This is something most Sanguine do normally… However, the corresponding ritual is held by the demigods. Without their permission, even if I can obtain a Witch King Beyonder characteristic from The Sun, I still cannot become a count… Proud as Emlyn was, he still clearly understood what the road ahead looked like.

The core abilities of Crimson Scholar were mainly twofold. First, one could create an environment advantageous to oneself. When the enemy was not skilled at spirituality or spirit-world-related matters, one could create the “full moon” effect; conversely, one could cause the moon in that area to hide. Second, within a certain range illuminated by moonlight, one could obtain an ability akin to short-distance teleportation, as well as a moonlight-form state. Even if one’s body was shattered, one could reform within moonlight.

The strength of these abilities depended on a Crimson Scholar’s understanding and research of the Moon domain.

As for strengthening darkness-related spells, improving potion effects, and obtaining resistance against Nightmare-type influences, those were attached benefits.

Ernest was enraged by Emlyn’s attitude and was just about to speak again when he saw Father Utravsky, the mountain-like half-giant bishop, walk out from the rear of the church.

He hurriedly bent his back, lowered his head, and continued cleaning the altar.

Emlyn White likewise picked up a rag and candlestick and skillfully wiped the surface.

In the quiet atmosphere, he thought of one matter: if he left Harvest Church now, would the Sanguine higher-ups make him hand over the mystical items or extraordinary objects he had taken from Ernest?

This… If they ask, I truly cannot refuse, because some of those items did not originally belong to Ernest… Emlyn thought seriously for a while and decided that he would return to his room later, set up a ritual, and sacrifice the spoils he had obtained to Mr. Fool. At that time, he would divide them with Star, Justice, and the other members.

Uh, the Oath of the Rose ring does not need to be sacrificed. This is only one of the pair. Whoever holds it would be discovered and confirmed by the holder of the other ring… I will treat it as my spoil and hand it directly to Marquis Nibais tonight. I should be able to exchange it for a reward… As for the rest, I will no longer participate in the distribution… Emlyn soon came up with a more concrete plan.

As for whether the Sanguine higher-ups would become angry or resent him because of this, he was not too worried, because when he submitted the Oath of the Rose ring, he would also mention in passing that an important member of the Rose School of Thought’s Temperance faction was seeking cooperation.

This had happened last week. Emlyn had wanted to inform the Sanguine higher-ups at once, but in the following small meeting, The Hanged Man had advised him to wait until the punishment operation was completed before doing so, in order to display his own importance and resolve the anger and resentment hidden beneath the surface.

Hit them with a big stick, then hand them a carrot? At this moment, Emlyn suddenly gained a deeper understanding of that suggestion.

…

At 160 Böklund Street, inside Dwayne Dantès’s bedroom.

Their spoils this time are rather decent: a diamond tie pin that increases energy, keeps one clear-headed, and resists mental influences; a substitute paper figurine that can guard against fatal injuries and spirit-piercing attacks; a belt that reduces damage from Sun and Lightning; and a wallet containing more than three hundred pounds in cash… Klein, who had just received the sacrifice and returned to the real world, sighed soundlessly several times. He sat down before the desk and took out a transparent worm.

The moment he saw that worm, he felt a headache and recalled the pain of his spirit body being torn apart.

This was a Worm of Spirit he had split from his own body, to be used in creating the remuneration for the Snake of Fate, Will Auceptin.

As for how to replicate that item which could temporarily restore a portion of the other party’s strength, he already had an idea. He would use the Worm of Spirit as the carrier, then use the complete symbol he had copied last time to draw out a response from the mysterious space above the gray fog.

His divination result for this was that the matter would proceed rather smoothly.

“The essence of that item is actually one of the abilities of Sequence 3 of the Seer pathway, Scholar of Yore. From history, from a past version of oneself, one temporarily borrows a portion of power… If I respond in the identity of The Fool, there should be no problem…

“The only trouble is that the corresponding symbol is three-dimensional, mystical, complex, and dangerous. There is no way to directly inscribe it onto all kinds of metal sheets… According to Will Auceptin, I have to use meditation to drive spirituality and sketch it directly onto the Worm of Spirit…

“If I succeed, I will make one for myself as well and look at what the past version of myself was like. I want to see whether it traces back to Klein Moretti’s childhood, or to the cocoon hanging above the Door of Light… If it is the latter, it would be best if I could confirm how many years I have been hanging there…” Thoughtful, Klein entered a meditative state. Then he repeatedly sketched the symbol in his mind, using it to guide his spirituality into reproducing the process outside and seeping into the Worm of Spirit.

This was a complex and difficult task. The slightest carelessness would lead to failure.

One invisible symbol after another descended, attaching itself to the Worm of Spirit. Suddenly, Klein’s body trembled slightly, and the Worm of Spirit ignited on its own, turning into ashes.

Looking at his empty palm, Klein felt a wave of headache. He remained silent for a very long time before finally muttering to himself,

“Life is truly difficult…”