A distinctive wide chin, an ancient knight's topknot, eyes holding a cold smirk… Xio Dilecha lounged half-reclined on the sofa, studying the sketch Audrey provided. Fors Wall, meanwhile, lazily stretched, letting out a long sigh.
"Xio, this is too hard. Not only is the search area massive, but this guy can change his appearance. Even as Beyonders, we can't track him under these conditions—Miss Audrey's commission isn't simple. We might need outside help." Fors flopped on the sofa, turning into a salted fish, too idle to move.
"Maybe we can investigate from these angles…" Xio mused, unconsciously tapping the table. "I'll gather data. You analyze that pile of pounds—er, that pirate admiral's habits and traits."
The salted fish immediately protested, "How can you make a delicate, frail, sensitive writer like me do detective work? I'm no sleuth!"
"Let me clarify, Fors," Xio said, exuding an undeniable charisma. "I'm just an Arbiter now, while you're already a Trickmaster… Plus, you know your teacher's returning to Backlund soon to check your digestion progress. So why are you still lazing here instead of acting your role?"
"And I recall your novel's deduction scene was brilliantly written. Are you sure you're just a 'writer'?" Xio said with a sly smile, stealthily closing in on Fors.
"You know how many brain cells that plot cost me… And I can't find the right chance to act…" The salted fish flailed, attempting to deflect, but succumbed to Xio's forceful nudge, landing in the sofa's center. "Fine, I'll ask my teacher if he has any ideas…"
"You sure?" Xio eyed Fors suspiciously, pinning the fleeing fish to the sofa. "With your current digestion progress, won't your teacher scold you?"
"I'll start acting soon…" Fors drawled lazily, reluctantly grabbing a pen to write a letter. " Teacher hasn't reached Backlund yet. There's still time…"
After writing, Fors folded the paper and recited the incantation her teacher taught for summoning a messenger: "Eyes wandering in delusion, sage hidden behind the curtain, messenger exclusive to Adrian Abraham."
Fors felt a dizzy spell, and the paper vanished from her hand. Suddenly, she sensed something in her pocket, her face paling. Trembling, she pulled out a letter and read it. Her lips quivered, turning ashen.
Xio looked at Fors with concern. "What's wrong?"
"Teacher's in Backlund… He's checking my digestion progress next Monday. I'm doomed… I just bragged in the letter that I'd digested a lot of the potion. I overblew it—"
"…"
Xio, speechless, muttered, "Serves you right."
"Xio, save me—!" Fors wailed.
Adrian gazed at the new light screen in his vision, nodding with satisfaction. He hadn't expected the uneducated Mr. A to reach such insight, but Mr. A's budding belief in "equality for all" despite his fanaticism was a pleasant surprise. Thus, the High-Dimensional Overseer decided to grant Mr. A a gift.
He pushed open Mr. A's door. "What troubles you, Mr. A?"
Mr. A looked up, seeing the familiar face of the Favored One. His eyes were sunken, his exhaustion belying a soon-to-be Sequence 4 Saint.
"I worry for the Lord's lambs," Mr. A said gravely.
"Your worries are futile. Instead of tormenting yourself, act and do something real. Your promotion's approved, Mr. A. You've little time left for grassroots study," Adrian said bluntly. "You lack the knowledge to understand what the truly poor need. You think your origins align with theirs, but you don't know why they suffer or the root causes."
"My enlightenment is a fraction of the Lord's. I am sinful," Mr. A said, crossing his chest. "Yet I can't fathom why it's like this…"
"I can give you a chance, Mr. A," Adrian said with a faint smile. "A mission. Complete it, and I'll gift you the answers you seek. Beyond Loen, the Southern Continent is better suited for your actions. After you reach Sainthood, I'll assign this mission to both you and Mr. Z. Whoever completes it earns the Lord's gift."
"For you, completing this mission lets you choose whether to shepherd farther afield for the Lord. You can ask me to request a Black Knight characteristic from the Lord or have me arrange shepherding foundations for you in the Southern Continent."
"Thanks to the Lord, I cannot let Him bear my sins further. Even if I stray from His pathway, I can ease His burdens. Favored One, if I switch pathways, will it aid the Lord in reclaiming His authority?" Mr. A asked.
"Yes. I personally suggest the Sun pathway," Adrian said frankly. "It'll make your Southern Continent preaching smoother—the Sun draws more attention than the Hanged Man."
"For the Lord," Mr. A prostrated, kissing the ground.
"Your believer's impressive, True Creator," the High-Dimensional Overseer said, peeling a shedding husk from his avatar while addressing the True Creator. The True Creator gazed at Mr. A through Adrian's light screen, silent. Seeing His quiet, Adrian pressed on, "Are your pathway's Beyonders destined to bear the suffering of all? You emerged from the Feast of Betrayal, yet your believer chooses the hardest path."
"Oh, I admire him. If he strides forward resolutely, he might lay foundations for humanity's cosmic journey before the apocalypse. Extraordinary powers can boost technology—space travel needs only a Traveler. Under your lead, humanity might endure in the cosmos, not vanish as gods' fodder in the dark universe."
"…It's my fault," the True Creator sighed. "I dragged my believers down. They deserved better lives."
"Hah—you're their spiritual pillar," the High-Dimensional Overseer scoffed. "You can't afford confusion. Without the Feast of Betrayal, could you have sheltered humanity forever? Aren't the Seven Gods echoes of your past self? Or do you think a civilization without a future is your ideal? True Creator, have you forgotten what you learned in Chernobyl?"
"And you pity your lambs? What about these nations' poor? The Southern Continent, colonized by Roselle?" the High-Dimensional Overseer mocked. "Since you're biased, you haven't been fully corrupted by God—your humanity's still kicking. Good. Keep it."
"…"
The True Creator stirred, Adrian's pollution spreading anew, cleansing some Chaos Sea residue. A chill hit Him—when had His once-firm beliefs, warped by the Chaos Sea, begun resembling God's?
"From the start, dear True Creator. When you became the Ancient Sun God, you weren't yourself anymore," the High-Dimensional Overseer said. "You didn't notice your shift. A Sefirot's will is unstoppable, making you believe its desires are yours. Hah—unless you abandon the Chaos Sea, you'll subtly become God one day."
"…Thank you."
"No need. Just don't forget my White Tower. By the way, I'm still eyeing your divine half. I fancy the Spectator's uniqueness. If you're grateful, gift me the Visionary's uniqueness and characteristics after absorbing Adam."
"…"
"Also, the Wilderness of Knowledge is on my list, though I can't claim it before the apocalypse, so no harm telling you."
"…What about you, Adrian?" the True Creator steadied Himself, asking. "How much has your Sefirot changed you?"
"Never," Adrian replied.
"Impossible," the True Creator said gravely. "The Primordial's awakening is inevitable. We only resist with our consciousness. Its will lingers in Sefirotnand pathways, like how I influence my pathway's Beyonders. However you were taken from our era, your Sefirot can't leave you untouched."
"Hah, I never said I was taken by a Sefirot like you," the High-Dimensional Overseer laughed. "From the start, I was the Sefirot. It can't change me."
…
"Here's the mission," Adrian said, his gaze distant. "Find and kill Qilangos. Then tell me what you observed during the hunt."
"Understood, Favored One," Mr. A nodded. "I won't fail your expectations."
"Expectations? I care about results. It's time to show your loyalty to the Lord," Adrian said casually. "I'll join this hunting game too. My useless student dared ask me for help finding Qilangos. If you find him after me, you'll both be confessing to the Lord."
"Understood, Favored One," Mr. Z, newly arrived, said respectfully. They watched Adrian leave, exchanged a glance, and sparks flew in their eyes.
Without hesitation, they dashed out—Mr. Z to his labor union, Mr. A to his noble circle. Before leaving, Mr. A slyly sent men to monitor vagrant hotspots, checking for missing vagrants.
As a seasoned Shepherd, Mr. A was savvier than Mr. Z. When digesting his Shepherd potion before the True Creator's awakening, he'd harvested flesh from vagrants countless times. Thus, he deduced Qilangos, sneaking covertly, would likely hide in overlooked vagrant areas.
…
Klein knocked on the door, facing Daly, acting captain of Tingen's Nighthawks. Daly sat at Dunn's desk, writing a letter, a faint smile on her face like a lovesick maiden.
"Lady Daly, I believe I've fully mastered the Seer potion," Klein said.
"I'd like to submit a special application."
Daly Simone's eyes flickered with surprise. Smiling warmly, she said, "Well done."
"But are you sure you're ready to advance now? Even I underwent lengthy evaluations after promotion. Little Klein, rushing as a gentleman can backfire, you know?"
"I'm certain, Lady Daly," Klein nodded firmly. "I want to advance soon—I feel too many coincidences in our recent operations. Stronger power would ease my mind and make future actions safer."
"That's a good mindset," Daly nodded. "These matters are serious. I'll report them for you—sigh, with Dunn gone and Luo Yao reassigned to Backlund, it's just me, you, and Leonard as Nighthawks here. If something unexpected happens, we're stretched thin…"
Thinking it over, Daly decided swiftly. "I'll contact Her Excellency Sword of the Goddess at once. Prepare yourself these next few days—you might face your promotion evaluation soon."
(End of Chapter)