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*****
There was another crucial point George understood through his knowledge of the "clown" killer.
High-sequence Beyonders of the Marauder pathway possessed the ability of Parasitism, while those of the Monster pathway possessed the ability of Reincarnation. Either of these could plausibly explain his current state. Even though he was currently treading the Seer pathway—not Marauder or Monster—it didn't particularly matter. He could simply frame it as having accidentally consumed a Magician characteristic and survived by a stroke of luck.
In truth, he felt he didn't need to offer an explanation at all. He would let the people of the Church fill in the blanks themselves; they were bound to brainstorm a reason that fit their own logic. As long as his existence benefited the Church, and as long as he refrained from mindless destruction or spreading the faith of evil gods, the Church wouldn't pry too deeply.
"Mr. George, may I ask you a question?"
Old Neil, the Nighthawk member who had been silent until now, spoke up with a face full of yearning. "Tell me... is it possible for someone who has already died to come back to life?"
This Mr. George was likely the highest-sequence powerhouse Old Neil had ever encountered. The fact that George could miraculously restore a rampaging Beyonder to sanity suggested that some "impossibilities" were merely a matter of perspective. Recently, Old Neil had been hearing constant ravings in his ears, whispering secrets on how to resurrect the fiancée he had loved so dearly in his youth.
Perhaps, he thought, it really could be done.
"Old Neil, what are you talking about?"
Before George could respond, Swain's expression turned grim. Resurrection was a concept that usually only surfaced when cultists were tricking commoners into worshiping evil gods—and the endings were invariably tragic. Once an ordinary person harbored such thoughts, it was dangerous; when a Beyonder harbored them, it was a catastrophe.
"I'm just curious, that's all. Don't forget to reimburse me for the materials of those two Slumber Charms," Old Neil said, quickly pivoting with a laugh as he sensed this wasn't the right setting for such a query.
Swain didn't give it a second thought and replied grumpily, "Don't worry, I'll pay you back double!"
"Regarding resurrection... it's better not to believe in such things," George added casually.
To him, resurrection wasn't an impossibility; there were multiple ways to achieve it. However, the prerequisite was that the soul remained and hadn't yet been reincarnated or moved on. Even so, he wouldn't do it lightly, especially in a world he didn't fully understand yet. He didn't know where souls went after death here; if summoning a spirit alerted a God of Death, it would lead to significant trouble.
Unless, of course, someone offered him a benefit great enough to justify the risk. Old Neil, a Sequence 9 Nighthawk, clearly had nothing that could move him. Furthermore, in a world watched by many malevolent deities, performing a resurrection ritual was indeed a suicidal endeavor.
"There's always a way..." Old Neil muttered, his spirit seemingly drifting as he made a silent decision in his heart.
Is something wrong with this guy's mental state? George glanced at Old Neil, his brow twitching. Just now, he had sensed a flicker of abnormality within Old Neil's soul.
If it's not a physical issue, it's a psychological one. Beyonders in this world really have it rough. I wonder if the seven Orthodox Deities face similar problems.
As he was lost in thought, the door to the room was pushed open.
Two middle-aged men in trench coats entered. One was Dunn Smith, the Nighthawk Captain George had met previously; the other was a stranger, likely the current Captain of the Mandated Punishers. They were followed by two young men: the Nighthawk's diviner, Klein, and a "Sailor" sent by Swain.
When the four of them entered the room and saw George sitting on the sofa sipping red wine, they froze instantly. Like the others, they hadn't realized George was an infant and had assumed he was a naturally small man. After undergoing a mental process similar to Swain's, they quickly recovered and stepped forward to introduce themselves.
"Dunn Smith, Captain of the Nighthawk squad!" "Jayne Alvin, Captain of the Mandated Punisher squad!"
George put down his glass and stood up on the sofa to give a formal introduction: "George Burton, Sequence 7 Magician, an unaligned rogue Beyonder."
"Sequence 7 Magician?"
Doubt flashed across everyone's faces. They had assumed George was a high-sequence powerhouse—at least a Sequence 5—but hearing he was only a Sequence 7 was a shock. How could a mere Sequence 7 restore a rampaging Beyonder? They suspected George was lying.
"The Sequence 7 Magician has an ability called 'Damage Transfer,'" George explained calmly. "I've modified this ability so it can transfer the Beyonder characteristic directly out of the body, which is how I was able to save the one who lost control."
He wasn't lying. According to this world's Beyonder grading system, his level was indeed equivalent to a Sequence 7 Magician. However, his actual combat strength was no worse than a Sequence 1 or 2. If he exerted his full power, he could likely suppress a Sequence 0 True God.
Dunn and Jayne exchanged glances. They clearly didn't fully believe the explanation, but they didn't voice their doubts. Instead, they began a friendly conversation with him. Their goal for this trip wasn't to arrest George, but to make initial contact with this "high-sequence" presence and gather intelligence. Only then could they report the details to headquarters and let the higher-ups decide how to handle him.
"Thank you for your assistance to the Mandated Punishers. If you need anything in Tingen, you can contact me through Swain," Jayne said politely.
"Your residence is within the jurisdiction of our Nighthawks," Dunn added. "You can also find me at the Blackthorn Security Company on the second floor of 36 Zouteland Street."
After some polite small talk and learning George's current address from Swain, the two Captains left the Evil Dragon Bar. They needed to immediately verify George's information and await further instructions from headquarters.
"The trading market is inside, right? Since it's my first time, I'll go have a look," George said, pulling his hood back up and donning his black silk scarf after the Captains departed. Although the list didn't have his materials, he wasn't in a hurry to leave. Since he was already here, he might as well browse.
"If you see anything you like, Mr. George, just take it. Let the vendors bring this to me later to settle the bill," Swain said, handing George a medallion engraved with an evil dragon. George didn't refuse and nodded as he accepted it.
Klein, who had come to the market to buy items anyway, saw an opportunity. "Mr. George, it's also my first time here. Why don't we go together?"
"No problem," George smiled, not rejecting the offer. "It seems you haven't been a Beyonder for very long."
(End of Chapter)