Chapter 343: War

Chapter 343: War

"I am deeply grateful, Emperor. Your hints are as precious as life itself, and they have helped me understand many things. Of course, I believe I have yet to fully grasp and comprehend everything."

Algy bowed deeply to Luke, his eyes filled with newfound reverence. The ability to rapidly assimilate the secrets of magic potions indicated that the person before him was undoubtedly a powerful Unique Talent.

Audrey, witnessing the usually composed Hanged Man displaying such a deferential gesture, was equally astonished. She followed suit and bowed respectfully.

Luke accepted their bows with a nonchalant demeanor, then glanced at the 'Fool,' the only one privy to advanced esoteric knowledge, whose composure was gradually faltering as Luke had preemptively revealed his secrets. A faint smile played on Luke's lips.

"You should thank Mr. Fool."

Audrey and Algy looked at the mysterious figure seated at the head of the bronze table, shrouded in hazy gray mist, with puzzled expressions.

What did this have to do with Mr. Fool? Kline himself was equally bewildered, but fortunately, the mist obscured his features, preventing anyone from noticing his confusion.

Luke spoke leisurely, "If it weren't for Mr. Fool lending me a hand when I was being pursued, and if this gathering weren't his initiative, I wouldn't have taken an interest in this clandestine organization that is yet to fully develop."

Mr. Fool, who had been feeling like a thorn in his side, a lump in his throat, and sitting on pins and needles, quietly heaved a sigh of relief. He now recalled that the 'Emperor' had indeed thanked him upon entering this realm of hazy gray mist.

Only now did he realize that his ritual had inadvertently aided the 'Emperor.'

But... being pursued?

Could such a powerful Unique Talent like the 'Emperor' encounter such a situation? Moreover, weren't they only supposed to enter this world in their spiritual form? How could they evade pursuit? No, the 'Emperor' had acted as if he were truly present in this space during the first meeting.

Could it be that this space allowed physical entry and item storage, and he was simply unaware of it?

A multitude of thoughts flooded Kline's mind. He lowered his voice and feigned nonchalance.

"It's just a minor matter."

As he spoke, Audrey and Algy's gazes towards Mr. Fool became even more reverent.

Kline's mood lightened as he felt his prestige not only remain intact but also rise even higher.

However, his initial plan of using the method of playing to obtain Emperor Rossel's diary had fallen through. What could he offer as compensation? Gold pounds?

The thought made him shake his head inwardly. No, he couldn't insult others with money. Let others insult him instead.

He was still in debt!

As Kline struggled with his dilemma, Algy spoke up from below, addressing Luke, "Is there anything you need my assistance with? Although I can't guarantee success, I'll do my best to repay your guidance."

Luke shook his head, "I don't have any specific needs for help at the moment. If you wish to repay a small portion, you can direct it towards Mr. Fool."

"Mr. Fool, is there anything we can help you with?" Audrey asked in a lighthearted tone.

Kline secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Although the process had been somewhat convoluted, causing his heart to flutter with anxiety, it was ultimately heading in a positive direction.

At this point, he couldn't afford to be reserved anymore. Smiling faintly, he proposed the task of collecting Emperor Rossel's diary, to which both Algy and Audrey readily agreed.

With the main matters discussed, they moved on to exchanging intelligence at Audrey's suggestion.

After a moment of contemplation, Algy spoke, "The self-proclaimed Admiral Ludewig has embarked on another voyage to explore the eastern end of the Soniah Sea."

"Hmm, the owner of the 'Black Tulip'?" Audrey asked in response.

"Yes," Algy nodded.

A barely noticeable glint flashed in Luke's eyes, "You mean Admiral Hell, Ludewig?"

"In the Five Seas, he is indeed known as Admiral Hell, but the official church doesn't recognize the titles of the four sea emperors and the seven sea admirals."

Algy, having grown up under the Storm Church, replied in this manner.

Four emperors and seven admirals... Kline couldn't help but wonder where he had heard those titles before.

In his mind, he silently mocked, Could this be another concept inadvertently mentioned by Emperor Rossel in a certain anime, only to be twisted by his descendants?

"I recall that Ludewig is a 'Gatekeeper' of the Death Sequence 5, and his strength is quite formidable. How renowned are the seven sea admirals?"

Algy froze for a moment, his heart racing.

Admiral Hell was among the most powerful of the seven sea admirals, and information about him was scarce. He never imagined that the 'Emperor' would not only identify his Unique Path but also accurately state his sequence and name.

The man's voice grew more solemn, "Aside from those four who are already demi-gods, the Sea Emperor, every pirate in the Five Seas yearns to replace those seven admirals. Even the authorities have placed bounties on them."

Kline above had been diligently taking notes on their conversation, preparing to indirectly gather information about Old Neill and the captain.

Luke stroked his chin, suddenly thinking that the Digestive Magician might also be a suitable role to play as a hunter of admirals.

His original plan was to target Ms. Shelun, and although the Joyful Witch could alter his body into a female, it wouldn't be an issue to reverse the changes with Dual-Hand. At most, there might be some rejection between his body and the Extraordinary Trait until it was fully digested.

Moreover, digesting the Joyful Witch was relatively simple. If he counted the experiences he could stack, a single beastly Luke could digest the Joyful Witch multiple times, not to mention the countless iterations with the lewd Luke in the shared space.

That person was even more formidable, the chosen child of fortune, who could randomly encounter such opportunities just by going out. His 3D model size was comparable to those in anime.

Even if Luke's joyful experiences in other worlds didn't count, he wouldn't mind finding high-quality women and starting from scratch to digest the Joyful Witch.

But now, thinking about it, all seven admirals possessed Sequence 5 strength and were quite capable. Each had their own fleet and influence, and their fame was substantial. Hunting and killing them would also fulfill the conditions of the "Magician" role.

With formidable strength and danger, their fame indicated that many people paid attention to them, and killing them would undoubtedly stir emotions among the spectators.

Who could say that murder magic wasn't magic?!

Just then, the Admiral of the Hurricane, a Sequence 6 "Wind's Beloved" with the Tyrant Path, would arrive soon. The writhing hunger on his hand was the "Shepherd" of the Secret Worshipper Path, Sequence 5, and he had shepherded five Sequence 6 or Sequence 5 Extraordinary Traits.

A perfect high-level small monster to hunt.

Hmm... Two choices could be executed simultaneously. Ms. Shelun was conveniently located in Tinggen, so he could take care of her, acquire the Extraordinary Trait of the Joyful Witch, and experiment with the "Magician" role in the process.

Before fully digesting the "Magician" Extraordinary Trait, if Admiral Hurricane Qingles arrived, he would hunt him to complete the digestion. He would consume the "Wind's Beloved" if he hadn't arrived yet, and if not, he would consume the "Joyful Witch"...

At that moment, Kline tapped the table and casually brought up a topic:

"The Order of Esoteric Studies recently lost a notebook."

Antigonous Notes, the core item that introduced him to the Extraordinary World. Although the members of the Order in Tinggen City had been killed by his fellow countrymen, the notebook hadn't been found, indicating that the danger hadn't been completely eliminated.

Taking advantage of the presence of the "Emperor" and the "Hanged Man," Kline intended to listen to the opinions of these two Extraordinary individuals, gather more information, and see if they could find a solution to the problem.

This news wasn't exclusive to the Nocturne in Tinggen City; the Order of Esoteric Studies and their closely related Extraordinary individuals were also aware of it.

"The Antigonos family's notebook?"

Algy repeated, chuckling softly as he shook his head, "I wonder how the Darkness Goddess Church would react upon hearing this news."

Why mention only the Darkness Goddess Church? Kline keenly sensed the issue but hesitated to break the image of the "Fool" as a mysterious and profound figure.

Aurelia, also a novice in esoteric studies, helped him resolve the urgent matter.

"Why specifically mention the Darkness Goddess Church?"

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Algy glanced at the "Fool" above, then at the "Emperor," before answering.

"The Antigonos family was indeed destroyed by the Darkness Goddess Church in the Fourth Era, but the specific time is beyond my knowledge."

The Antigonos family was destroyed by the Darkness Goddess Church? Kline's pupils constricted, and a chill ran down his spine as countless questions arose. Why did the Darkness Goddess Church want to destroy the Antigonos family? What secrets did that notebook hold? And where was it now?

Luke glanced at the Fool and slowly spoke, "If the official Nocturne knows enough, they should be aware that cultivating a Soothsayer can quickly find clues."

...

Kline truly hated that he could only sit there like a block of wood. He should have been an all-knowing, powerful entity by now!

"Why can a Soothsayer find that notebook? Are Soothsayers' predictions especially accurate?"

"Audrey, with her insatiable curiosity, eagerly asks a question, leaving Kline touched.

"Miss Justice, you're truly my savior..."

Kline explains, "The principle of Divination is the interaction between one's spiritual energy and the Spirit Realm, which grants symbolic visions. These visions are then interpreted to gain information."

"The Spirit Realm is a world independent of the physical one, where the rules of matter do not apply. There's no concept of time, space, or direction, so anything is possible, and past and future intertwine."

"The Antigonous Notes likely possess the Soothsayer Path's Extraordinary Trait, but it's unclear which Sequence it is. However, a Sequence 9 Soothsayer is unlikely to find it through Divination."

"What do you mean?"

"Although Divination can't locate it, Extraordinary individuals and items from the same Path are easily encountered. This is due to the 'Aggregation' effect of Extraordinary Traits."

A smile tugs at Luke's lips.

"Aggregation?" Algy repeats, puzzled. Indeed, most of his colleagues are Extraordinary individuals of the Storm Lord Path, which is quite normal. After all, it would sound odd if an Expiator of the Storm Lord Church chose a different Path; aside from some supporting roles like Soothsayers or Esoteric Worshippers, all Extraordinary individuals of the various Great God Churches are believers.

"Yes, high-Sequence items from the same Path will intermittently and unconsciously attract mid-to-low Sequence Extraordinary individuals to their vicinity, and there's a tendency for them to aggregate. The higher the Sequence, the greater this Aggregation effect."

Luke chuckles, "This is the Law of Supernatural Aggregation."

"So, the Antigonous Notes most likely ended up in the hands of an Antigonos Family descendant. This is a Destiny-level Aggregation. And if the Night Shift Squad cultivates a Soothsayer or uses an Extraordinary item from the Soothsayer Path, they might also find the Notes."

Ah, so that's how it is...

Kline frowns in thought, overwhelmed by the influx of information. His spiritual energy is also being rapidly depleted, contributing to his confusion.

Algy's gaze shifts to "Emperor," whose expression has transformed from initial suspicion and vigilance to gratitude and, gradually, reverence.

This is yet another valuable piece of news, and "Emperor" reveals it so casually.

Finally, it's Audrey's turn to speak. She pauses, recalling how to elegantly feign a faint to avoid social interactions, something she's often done as it doesn't involve the Extraordinary.

"Since the war on the Byron Coast, the King, the Prime Minister, and all the Lords have felt immense pressure and the desire for change."

She recalls her father's insights as she organizes her thoughts.

"They believe the current government structure is too chaotic. After each election, a change in ruling parties leads to a complete turnover of officials, from top to bottom. This creates a mess, with extremely low efficiency, resulting not only in war losses but also great inconvenience for the people."

Kline is slightly taken aback. The original Kline was a bookworm, and since entering the Night Shift Squad, he's been preoccupied with the Antigonous Notes, spending his days off cramming Esoteric knowledge. He's unfamiliar with the current government structure.

What surprises him is that Emperor Rossel, the predecessor, didn't bring his own system. Although corruption and bureaucracy are inevitable, Kline believes his family's system is quite good.

Just as he's about to suggest implementing his family's civil servant system from his past life, Luke speaks up.

"This problem is actually quite simple to solve."

Audrey is momentarily stunned by his words. Although well-protected due to her gender, she cannot inherit her father Earl of Hall's title and ancient technology. She's.

"The root of all problems lies in the incompetence of the mushroom's with divine power. Discover the secrets of the mushroom's civilization."

Everyone falls silent at these words, even the gray mist seems to sense the shock, as each person stares blankly, mouths agape, speechless.

Huh?

How did the conversation turn to a war spanning the entire world? Were they discussing such a grand matter?

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end