Chapter 27: The Demon Oil Painting

Chapter 27: The Demon Oil Painting

Port Pritz, inside a warehouse currently being rebuilt.

After several days, Fors once again saw her teacher, Dorian Gray Abraham.

“Are you ready?” Dorian asked in a low voice.

During their previous meeting, he had already told Fors the ritual requirements for Sequence 4 of the Apprentice pathway, Secrets Sorcerer, so that she could make preparations in advance.

“More or less… It should be enough…” Fors answered without much confidence.

Comparatively speaking, the advancement ritual for Secrets Sorcerer was fairly simple. But this “simple” was the opposite of “complicated,” not the opposite of “difficult.” As far as Fors was concerned, she would rather have exchanged it for something else.

The ritual required the one advancing to seal a demigod-level creature with clear hostility. The less external assistance used, the better the ritual’s effect. As for the target’s own status, as long as it was not below demigod level, it was acceptable and would not substantially affect the ritual.

Hearing his student’s answer, Dorian nodded lightly.

“More or less is enough. For a Sequence 5 Beyonder who relies purely on herself, that ritual truly is too difficult. Seeking appropriate help is necessary, but you must grasp the degree well. You cannot exceed the corresponding boundary, or the ritual will certainly fail.”

The advice he had given Fors earlier was that she should only borrow one Grade 1 Sealed Artifact. It would be best if she did not even invite help at the level of a Saint.

Fors spoke somewhat vaguely.

“I only plan to make one wish to Mr. Fool—a wish to increase the success rate after I drink the potion. This is closer to obtaining good luck when consuming the potion, rather than receiving protection while sealing that demigod creature.

“Aside from that, I’ll use the painting you mentioned, Teacher.”

That painting was not the Grade 0 Sealed Artifact, Picture Scroll of God, but a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact belonging to the Abraham family, called the Demon Oil Painting.

During the Fourth Epoch, in the age when quite a few members of the Abraham family were still advancing to Sequence 4, Secrets Sorcerer, they had created that “oil painting” for the purpose of sealing corresponding demigod-level creatures.

However, after suffering an attack from the Aurora Order and losing many materials, Dorian Gray was not entirely clear how many terrifying creatures the Demon Oil Painting still sealed. He could only be certain that there were still some, and more than one.

His original plan had been to release one thoroughly mad demigod-level creature from the Demon Oil Painting, a creature that acted purely on instinct, and use it as his student’s ritual target. This was far easier than dealing with a rational and intelligent Saint, and it fully satisfied the ritual’s requirements. However, he had not expected Fors to prepare to directly borrow the Demon Oil Painting.

Dorian frowned slightly and reminded her,

“The Demon Oil Painting itself only has the effects of imprisonment and sealing. It does not possess the ability to actively influence a target. In other words, you must put the demigod-level creature into the Demon Oil Painting by yourself.”

Fors nodded, indicating that she knew this point.

“Teacher, you said before that my own Record ability does not count as external help.”

“Yes.” Dorian Gray gave a very definite reply.

If one’s own Record ability counted as external help, then almost no Traveler would be able to advance. After all, Record was the core ability of the Apprentice pathway before the demigod stage. If it were “invalidated,” Fors would practically be left only with abilities related to running, running, and running, making it very difficult for her to do anything to an enemy.

“In theory, that is true. But the demigod-level abilities you can record amount to four or five kinds at most…” Dorian said, still not very reassured.

Before he finished, he thought of Mr. Fool…