Chapter 365: The Mysterious Queen

Chapter 365: The Mysterious Queen

"Did you ever think it would come to this?"

Wearing an orange dress with brown, slightly curly hair, Fours stood outside an apartment in Zaowu District, surrounded by a mess of luggage. She lit a cigarette with a wistful expression, her weary, beautiful face blurred in the smoke.

Luke, who was in a similar predicament, glanced at the Slacker Author and snatched the cigarette, taking a deep puff before exhaling slowly.

"The main problem is you. If you hadn't come in, none of this would have happened."

Not all trios can be as harmonious as "Burning Winter." While Fours' arrival did push the atmosphere to its peak, once the passion wore off, Xiu coldly threw both of them out.

The Master of Tricks, of course, couldn't resist the more combat-skilled Warden, and Luke didn't feel right about resisting either, so he obediently got thrown out.

Fours looked miserable. "Let's be reasonable, Mr. Genoa. You told me I could come in yesterday morning!"

"I only said you could enter the room, not climb into bed, and certainly not kiss Xiu."

Luke, with a haughty air, glared at Fours. "If it weren't for your impulsive actions, she wouldn't have been upset, and we wouldn't have been kicked out."

"I only kissed her cheek. In some places, cheek kisses are more intimate. Xiu was clearly upset because you were the one cheating..."

"You initiated it, and you kissed my girlfriend right in front of me. I'm clearly the victim here."

Luke, despite his weak argument, spoke with confidence. Seeing Fours' dissatisfied expression, he immediately interrupted:

"Enough, no more talking about this. I forgive you."

"..."

"Make sure it doesn't happen again!"

Fours nearly burst out laughing, amazed at how shameless a person could be. Recalling the peaceful days she spent with Xiu, she couldn't help but sigh, feeling incredibly unlucky.

"What do we do now?"

"Find a new place to stay, and move back when Xiu calms down."

Luke and Fours took a carriage to Queen's District. Under the watchful eyes of the guards, they arrived at the villa of a viscount under Luke's command, where Fours was temporarily settled.

Faced with a room so luxurious she didn't know where to put her feet, Fours was visibly stunned. Her gaze wandered over the gilded furnishings, the pure silver knives and forks, and the expensive furniture, feeling as if the air itself was infused with the scent of gold.

"Aren't you the heir of some great noble family? The butlers and servants treat you with such humility, and even the viscount just now was very respectful."

"That viscount is my servant."

Luke, who had been putting his clothes in the wardrobe, answered calmly.

A titled noble is your servant...

Fours was speechless, her heart racing, and she swallowed hard.

"Don't tell me your real surname is 'Augustus.' The cliché of a powerful prince falling in love with two down-and-out ability users is too trite, even a third-rate novel wouldn't write it that way."

Luke, having almost finished packing his personal belongings, smiled faintly and stepped closer to Fours, his muscular body overshadowing her.

"What do you think?"

"I... I don't know."

Fours, feeling the pressure, looked up at the handsome face that was getting closer, feeling a strong hand grip her wrist. Thinking he was getting excited, she struggled internally for a few seconds before closing her eyes, her eyelashes trembling.

But she only felt the pressure on her wrist disappear, and Luke's calm voice followed.

"In terms of status, I'm a commoner now, but I will become a king... or rather, an Emperor. The title of Emperor is more dignified."

"..."

Fours looked at her wrist, where the bracelet she had been wearing was now gone. Not far away, the rugged man was playing with her bracelet, tracing the patterns on it.

"This bracelet has severe side effects. Give it to me, and I'll prepare a better 'Traveler' Extraordinary Ability for you."

The bracelet was a relic given to Fours by an elderly man who had brought her into the world of the Extraordinary, originating from the Abraham Family. Over time, using it would establish a connection with the "Door" beyond the stars.

"Alright."

Fours, feeling ashamed of her recent behavior, awkwardly acknowledged him and began to casually organize her belongings. However, she accidentally stubbed her toe on the cabinet, the sharp pain instantly snapping her back to reality.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Fours frowned, waiting for the pain to subside before pouting.

"I feel like my luck has been bad lately. I should go to Saint Cirren Cathedral and pray for the God of Steam and Machinery to grant me good fortune."

Luke chuckled. "I remember the God of Steam and Machinery is known as 'The Incarnation of Essence, Protector of Craftsmen, and the Light of Technology.' He doesn't have any powers over fate."

Fours’ expression turned serious, and she said mysteriously, "That’s not necessarily true. I always feel a bit luckier after each prayer."

Luke didn’t argue, "Since it’s free, might as well believe a little, right?"

Even beings of the Old Gods’ level found fate to be a wondrous thing. Whether it was the Lord of Gloom, the Key of Light, the Goddess of Fate, or the Ring of Destiny, they only grasped a part of the entirety, differing only in the scope and scale of their influence.

Upon reflection, the original God of Craftsmen, Stiano, had smoothly ascended to true divinity even before fully digesting the Sequence of the Civilization Enlightener. The Emperor of Rossel had brought Earth’s ancient technology to help him digest the Magic Potion, transforming him into the God of Steam and Machinery.

In the original story, when the nine Old Gods descended, He was just about to self-destruct when Lumian, the Cataclysmic Disaster, appeared and interrupted Him. Afterward, He established a connection with the primordial essence of the Western Continent, leaving open the possibility of becoming an Old God in the future.

This deity was indeed a bit lucky, far surpassing someone who claimed to control good fortune.

As he was musing, he heard Fours continue.

"Since you have a task for me at Saint Cirren Cathedral, I might as well go now."

"Sure."

Luke didn’t object, taking something from his pocket and handing it to her, "Take this to the cathedral for me."

Fours took the item and examined it. It was about two inches long, entirely black but with a metallic sheen, and one end was inlaid with a silver metal plate.

"What is this?"

She looked at the intricate mechanism, curious.

Luke smiled and said, naming something that didn’t belong to this world, "A Usb drive."

"U... Usb drive?"

Fours struggled to repeat the strange, tongue-twisting name, "What’s this thing for? Is it a sealed item? I don’t sense any Spiritual Energy on it."

"It’s a storage device, containing a vast amount of knowledge. To put it in terms you understand, it’s a library."

"A library in such a small thing? It’s not an Extraordinary Item."

Fours was clearly skeptical.

The technology in the Gloom world was roughly at a Victorian level. Without the impetus from figures like the Emperor of Rossel and the Seven Lights of the Spirit World, it would have developed even more slowly, making it difficult for the natives to comprehend.

Luke didn’t explain further, only instructed, "Just give it to someone at the bishop level or higher. Don’t worry about what happens after."

Fours rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on, "You’re asking a wild Extraordinary to deal with a bishop from one of the three major churches. Aren’t you worried I’ll be thrown into the Inquisition?"

"Don’t worry."

Luke answered with certainty, "No one will detect your identity. After you hand over this item, you’ll be welcomed as a guest of the entire Steam Church."

The God of Steam and Machinery was, after all, the Embodiment of Essence and the Light of Technology. If He couldn’t crack the information in a Usb drive, He would be truly useless.

"Got it."

Fours didn’t press further, tidied up, and left the room.

After the door closed, Luke stood quietly for a moment, his expression growing increasingly grim.

Although he hadn’t detected anything unusual, he was aware that his being kicked out by Xiu and Fours’ unfortunate plan to go to the cathedral were the results of the Queen of Calamity and Fear’s covert influence, urging him to ascend quickly.

Unable to affect him directly, she was now influencing those around him?

Luke furrowed his brow. The obvious nature of this manipulation was likely intentional, meant to anger him and spur him to ascend. After all, only by becoming stronger could he take revenge.

Being manipulated and having the emotions it triggered achieve the other party’s goals was indeed frustrating.

No wonder the people Adam arranged for had severe aftereffects.

But that was fine. He was capable of exacting revenge. Once he reached Sequence 1, he would show the Goddess of the Night what it meant to be a Conqueror!

Luke took a deep breath and began preparing for the Extraordinary Trait he had chosen for Sequence 4.

At the higher Sequence levels, with sufficient secret knowledge, Extraordinary Traits became easier to find than at the mid and low levels. After attaining divinity, one could begin to respond to prayers.

As long as one knew the true name and was within the range of the target’s response, contact could be established.

The Old Gods had a response range encompassing the entire universe, true deities could cover an entire planet, angels a continent, and saints a city.

In the current Barkeland, there is a demigod who inevitably possesses the Extraordinary Ability and key artifact that he desires.

Luke snapped his fingers, and the surroundings grew dark and profound. In a low, solemn voice, he recited the venerated name of the demigod he wished to contact.

"Chaser of Knowledge, Holy Spirit;"

"Lighthouse of the Mysterious World;"

"Eye of Fate;"

"King of the Seas;"

"Pure and Holy Bernadette Gustav!"

A few seconds later, a powerful surge of Spiritual Energy rippled through the air. Pea vines descended silently, wrapping around the room, muffling all sounds, and covering the ground in green, transforming the entire space into a fairy-tale world.

A figure materialized from the ethereal.

It was a lady with an air of long-held authority, wearing a white blouse in the Intis style, paired with beige trousers and black leather boots for ease of movement.

She sat gracefully on a pea vine that dangled in mid-air, her chestnut hair flowing naturally, her perfectly arched eyebrows, and her deep, azure eyes, which seemed to encapsulate the entire ocean.

Bernadette, the "Mysterious Queen" among the four Emperors of the Sea, the eldest daughter of the Emperor of Rossel!

Her ocean-blue eyes fixed on Luke for a few seconds before she spoke coldly, "Who are you, and how did you learn my venerated name?"

Unlike divination, prophecy is a glimpse into the future, even able to reveal fleeting images involving deities.

As a Sequence 3 Master of Prophecy, she should have foreseen some image of the person before her, but she had seen nothing, which was highly unusual.

Luke blinked and smiled kindly, "Nice to meet you. I am an old friend of your father’s, you can call me Uncle Luke."

Bernadette did not speak, but her expressionless face grew colder. She pointed at Luke, and brilliant starlight rapidly coalesced, forming a prison that trapped him.

At the same time, black slits appeared around the starlight prison, instantly splitting open to reveal bloodshot eyes with deep, dark pupils. In the center of each pupil, tiny, hair-like white worms wriggled incessantly.

The Eye of Secrets!

One of the core abilities of the Secret Seeker pathway, capable of piercing through appearances to reveal hidden information.

One, two, three... the black slits opened one after another, and more and more eerie eyes appeared in the air, their gaze cold and merciless, fixed on the seemingly immobilized Luke.

Then, indescribable, layered light enveloped the entire scene.

"Ugh..."

Bernadette groaned, taking three steps back. The countless Eyes of Secrets in the air, now bloodshot, let out a terrifying, bone-chilling scream as they exploded one by one.

She closed her eyes, her face pale, blood streaming from her eyelids and dripping to the ground. She could no longer maintain her extraordinary ability, and the fairy-tale-like environment returned to its original state. The starlight prison that had trapped Luke quietly dissipated.

The man before her spoke with a tone of both frustration and comfort.

"You are the bravest child I have ever met, but next time, don't be so brave."

A burning match suddenly appeared in the air, its warm, ethereal light illuminating the surroundings, making everything seem surreal and hazy.

The flame burned out, and Bernadette’s figure vanished, reappearing a few meters away, her appearance restored to how she had looked when she arrived, though her complexion was slightly paler. Her gaze on Luke was filled with more surprise.

"Who are you, really?"

Luke sighed and spoke a word in Chinese.

"Hometown."

Bernadette froze, her tense expression melting away like ice in spring.

The word Luke had spoken was the one her father, the Emperor of Rossel, had always taught her to remember from her childhood.

"Hometown."

She repeated it, her hostility completely dissipating. She hesitated before speaking.

"Uncle... Luke?"

"Good girl."

Luke nodded with satisfaction. "Uncle has some good news and some bad news. Which would you like to hear first?"

Uncertain about Luke’s true nature, Bernadette cautiously replied, "The bad news."

"The bad news is that George Iii is ascending to Sequence 0, the Black Emperor, and your father will truly be dead!"

Bernadette’s pupils constricted, her already pale face turning even colder, darker than ice.

"What’s the good news?"

"Your Uncle Luke will help you take him down."

Luke smiled sheepishly. "All I ask is a small price."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end