Odis returned from the island with its eerie walls and prepared to hire the "Magician" to participate in the exploration at the tarot gathering that afternoon.
The main reason for this idea is that it is obviously difficult to enter that "secret realm" using sealed artifacts; it may require extraordinary individuals to use their abilities to enter.
Moreover, it is best to be a member of the Abraham family, or an extraordinary person related to the family, to enter.
Odis remembered that Fors's characteristics came from the Abraham family and that she was also suffering from the "Blood Moon Curse," so she could be seen as an "Abraham."
Of course, another major reason was that Odis trusted Fors.
In particular, the companions on such expeditions must be trustworthy people!
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If Fors couldn't get in either, Odis planned to use her to find members of the Abraham family to cooperate with.
Back on the ship, Odis went to her studio and organized the projects she needed to work on recently.
First, they studied several scrolls for dealing with undead enemies using the "dust of vengeful spirits" worth over a thousand pounds.
The second is to use the previously captured pocket watch-shaped seal to research a more powerful extraordinary weapon for the "extraordinary puppet".
These are two of the most important studies. Last week was very busy, and I didn't have time to do them at all. This week I have some free time, so I can arrange these studies.
Other research is not very urgent and can be postponed.
After having lunch and resting for a while, Odis returned to her room to attend the Tarot session.
At exactly three o'clock, Odis's vision was covered by gray fog, and he arrived at the venue of the Tarot meeting, in that classical and majestic giant hall.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Fool." With Miss Justice's clear and lively greeting, the tarot session officially began.
The "priestess" Cattleya, attending the gathering for the second time, glanced briefly at the other members, her deep purple eyes suddenly narrowing.
She noticed that the "Hanged Man," the "Moon," and the "Sun" opposite her all exhibited a slight spiritual overflow, which was quite different from what she had seen at the last gathering!
This means they've all just been promoted!
Cattleya took a deep breath: In just one week, three members of the Tarot Club had been promoted. Was this a coincidence?
But she quickly looked away, because "The Hanged Man" and "The Moon" among them had only advanced to Sequence 6, a level that did not require a ceremony, and last week they had already been trading the corresponding attributes and materials, so their advancement was not really surprising.
With that thought in mind, Cattleya completely reverted to being an observer.
No member provided Russell's diary this week, so there was no reading session for Mr. Fool.
Newly promoted "Sun" Derrick, seeing that no one initiated a trade, turned to the lower part of the bronze table: "Mr. World, I have obtained the method you wanted for separating the mental pollution of those who have lost control within extraordinary characteristics."
Klein, the "Fool" at the head of the bronze table, almost twitched his lips: Don't say it so directly! After all, this was a private commission given to you.
Gadriya glanced at "The World," and with her sufficient knowledge of the occult, she easily guessed that "The World" might be holding something with extraordinary characteristics left behind by the spirit of a person who had lost control.
Klein took a deep breath before manipulating "The World" to say in a hoarse voice, "Write it down on paper and send it to me."
After Derrick "expressed" his opinion, Alger the Hanged Man said, "I'm also very interested in this knowledge. What can I offer in exchange for it?"
But "Little Sun" said sincerely, "'Hanged Man', no need. You've always given me advice and helped me face difficulties. This is my way of thanking you."
Alger was momentarily speechless; the "Sun's" answer was completely unexpected.
He had been adrift at sea for so many years and had experienced a lot, but at this moment, he felt inexplicably ashamed.
A second or two later, Alger returned to normal: "Your character is truly admirable."
"The Moon" Omrin, however, cursed "The Sun" in his heart: Stupid donkey! No, even stupider than a donkey, a stupid sheep!
However, he immediately curled the corners of his mouth, because he had successfully been promoted to baron.
Emlyn couldn't help but think: I need to do something to let them know that I am now the noble Baron.
After reviewing the data "manifested" by "Little Sun," both "World" and Alger fell into deep thought.
At this moment, the "priestess" Cattleya said, "I wonder if there is one of these methods that I know of."
"I can give you a hint for free: the 'Dark-Free One' of the 'Sun' pathway can directly purify mental pollution within extraordinary traits."
Klein was slightly taken aback: "The Priestess" was much more proactive than at the last Tarot meeting. Had she adjusted her mindset and was trying to achieve something? Or had she realized that everyone else was weak and felt there was no need to be so cautious?
At this moment, the "Hermit" Odis also said: "Coincidentally, I also have a corresponding method and have the corresponding channels to find people who can provide corresponding help."
"If you don't have the relevant channels, I can ask around for you to see what kind of compensation is required."
Odis hadn't originally planned to get involved. He remembered that Klein had obtained a magical item through the "Thief" pathway by contacting Leonard, which allowed him to resolve the problem relatively smoothly.
For Klein, the only problem seemed to be that Leonard had asked for a very high price for that magical item, which made him feel a pang of regret when he paid for it.
However, while listening, Odis suddenly thought: Could the ramblings of the "True Creator" be made into scrolls?
If this were an ordinary "Scroll Professor," this idea would be suicidal. The best outcome would be that after hearing the ramblings of the "True Creator," his condition would deteriorate to the point of losing control.
However, it is estimated that very few extraordinary individuals possess such good fortune, and they would most likely lose control of the situation directly.
However, Odis has the protection of the "Wilderness of Knowledge," and after his advancement, he has just acquired the ability to remove mental pollution and shatter extraordinary characteristics, thus having the conditions to conduct corresponding research.
The other members all looked at the "Hermit," especially Klein and Alger, who had just obtained the relevant intelligence. They had never expected that the "Hermit" would have such a channel!
Because they obtained two methods: one is to use the sealed artifact that steals other people's abilities to "steal" the mental remnants of the out-of-control person, and then, before the "stealing" wears off, to concoct the extraordinary characteristics into a magic potion.
Another method is to set up a ritual, pray to a divine seal in Silver City, and use its feedback to shatter the extraordinary properties, causing the mental pollution to evaporate, while the extraordinary properties will condense on their own.
Regardless of the method, it's quite difficult for them.
After all, the magical items used for "stealing" cannot be of too low a level, otherwise it may be impossible to "steal" them at all.
Such a magical item must be very expensive, and it would take a long time to find one.
The second method is even more difficult. There is no way to ask "Little Sun" to borrow the divine seal of Silver City for help. The person who performed the ritual was definitely not him, or he did not complete the ritual himself.
In Silver City, there is at least a rigorous application process for such matters; not just anyone can use that god-level sealed artifact.
This is very troublesome. What if, during the review process, the chief of Silver City realizes that this special feature comes from outside and withholds it? Can we go to the "Forsaken Land" to ask them for it?
Therefore, they were surprised by the "Hermit's" channels, realizing that he might know "high-sequence" extraordinary beings, or extraordinary beings who possessed items comparable to level 0 sealed artifacts.
Klein had already connected this to the demigod friend that Odis had been searching for in Bansi Harbor that day.
Klein pondered for a moment before saying to the "Hermit," "I'll think about it."
He said that because he wasn't sure if the two methods provided by "Little Sun" could solve his problem.
Because that extraordinary property is not just a simple remnant of the spirit, but contains the utterances of the "true creator".
Such a high level, I wonder if it's possible to "steal" it?
Even if extraordinary characteristics can be shattered, the ramblings of the "True Creator" will most likely not evaporate. What if they then contaminate the re-condensed characteristics?
So Krahn plans to consult the oracle about these two methods after the gathering, and then have further communication with the "hermit".
So he manipulated the "world" and said to the "priestess": "Thank you for your generosity, 'priestess' lady."
Next, Klein had "The World" ask "The Sun": "Do you know a book called 'The Travels of Grosse'?"
Odis, who was listening in, thought to himself that this was the collection of "Iceberg General" Edwina that he had already visited.
Derrick thought about it carefully, then shook his head and said, "No."
Klein was slightly taken aback. He had assumed that the giants, as the mortal enemies of the dragons, would have information about the book.
As the "Silver Kingdom" ruled by the "King of Giants," it should have relevant intelligence.
But Klein was not discouraged. Instead, he asked "The World" to give a further hint: "It is a magical book from the dragon race. Almost all of its previous owners have disappeared."
"Justice" Audrey keenly noticed the key point: "From the dragon race?"
"Yes!" "The World" said in a hoarse voice, "An extraordinary being is planning to sell it for 8,000 pounds."
If "Justice" can be acquired, Klein might have a chance to take the opportunity to study it.
Audrey was slightly taken aback, not expecting the price to be so high, so she asked, "What's so special about it?"
Klein smiled helplessly to himself. Both his spirituality and that of "Iceberg General" could sense that this was a very unusual book, but they did not know what was unusual about it.
He could only operate the "world" and say, "It needs further research."
Audrey then said, "I'll think about it."
This was essentially a polite refusal. Perhaps the book truly contained astonishing secrets, but if she couldn't even figure out the "world," she probably wouldn't be able to figure anything out in a short time.
In that case, it would be better to keep the money and use it to communicate more about ancient history with the "hermit".
After this topic was over, Odis reiterated her request from the last gathering: "Keep an eye out for the Shining Star Tree, or clues about the Trickster Pegasus."
Both Audrey and "The Magician" Fors inquired through their own channels, the "Psychological Alchemy Society" and Teacher Dorian, but did not obtain any relevant clues.
Just when Odis thought there would be no more clues, the "Priestess" Cattleya suddenly said, "I have a clue about the magic pegasus, but that clue is from last year. I don't know if that magic pegasus is still there?"
At this gathering, she decided to make this deal in order to test the "hermit".
Odis immediately said, "I can check. What kind of reward do you need?"
In fact, his purpose in seeking clues at the Tarot meeting was to see if Cattleya, who had a background with the "Morse Penitentiary Order," had any relevant clues.
The "Mysterious Queen" seems to possess only extraordinary properties, but not extraordinary materials.
For Odis, it would be best to solve the problem of potion ingredients with money; otherwise, simply exchanging merits for recipes, rituals, and special properties would be too slow and could potentially affect his promotion.
Cattleya smiled and said, "I think you probably won't be able to complete the investigation on your own, because it's extremely dangerous there. You'll need a demigod-level helper to carry out the necessary exploration."
Odis frowned, gave Cattleya a deep look, and then smiled again: "So, what reward do you intend to give me? And a reward that can impress a demigod."
Gadriya was taken aback: "I..."
The other members were also taken aback. Wasn't the "Hermit" hoping to get clues from the "Priestess"? Why was the "Hermit" asking for a reward?
However, Klein and Alger quickly understood what was going on.
Klein thought to himself: This is a contest between two seasoned veterans.
"I think there should be something you need there, right?" Odis asked Cattleya with a smile. "Are you planning to say that you don't want any reward, but you also want to participate in this exploration and can choose one piece of loot first?"
Audrey and the other members roughly understood the "priestess's" plan. If it were a normal transaction, it would be difficult to refuse the "priestess" for stating her purpose in this way.
After all, it seemed like a fair trade: the "priestess" would provide people and clues, while the "hermit" would provide a demigod helper, and the two would work together to explore.
However, the "Hermit" saw through the "Priestess's" purpose, disrupted the normal transaction process, and bluntly stated that the "Priestess" also needed something there.
This would make the transaction unfair. Although the "priestess" has clues, she also has needs. Therefore, it would be fair for the "priestess" to pay half of the fee for hiring the demigod, and for the "hermit" to pay the other half.
Seeing that the "Hermit" had seen through her test, Cattleya smiled and said, "If you can really get a demigod to help you, then we can discuss the reward."
"I can get it," Odis said immediately.
The crowd paused for a moment, but then immediately realized that this was not surprising, since the "Hermit" must be backed by some organization to know so much secret historical information.
In that case, it wouldn't be surprising to need a demigod as an assistant.
The ball was kicked back to Cattleya, who pondered for a moment and asked, "How about a magical item that corresponds to Sequence 5?"
Cattleya has never opened her heart to fully accept the teachings of the "Hidden Sage".
According to the unwritten rules of the "Morse Ascetic Order," they will not provide demigod-level extraordinary properties or potion materials before opening their minds and hearts to the "Hidden Sages."
If Gadalia wants to be promoted, she will have to find the appropriate opportunities herself.
After years of searching, she finally found the corresponding characteristics of the "mystic" in a hidden sea area, but she didn't know if it was an out-of-control demigod hiding there or a monster that had devoured the corresponding characteristics.
In short, it was extremely dangerous for Cattleya.
However, if she reports that position to the "Morse Ascetic Order," it will only become her achievement, and she still won't get the corresponding benefits.
Therefore, Gadria needs to seek help from demigods to obtain the corresponding traits.
But all along, apart from the "Mysterious Queen," she has not trusted any other demigods. She avoids using this relationship if possible, as it might arouse even greater suspicion from the "Morse Penitentiary."
Of course, the main reason was psychological; it was the "mysterious queen" who drove her away back then.
Not a single mistake, not a single poem, not a single post, not a single piece of content, not a single look!
Although Cattleya knew that the "Queen" wanted her to become more independent, after so many years, she suddenly didn't know how to ask for such help; otherwise, she would have asked the "Queen" for help long ago.
Only after having access to the Tarot Club was she willing to try initiating such a transaction.
Because the transactions here are witnessed by Mr. Fool, there is no need to worry about being silenced by the Hermit and the demigods he invited.
However, she probably never dreamed that the helper the "Hermit" sought was the "Mysterious Queen".
It's not that she wasn't cautious enough; it's just that Odis's behavior at last week's Tarot meeting didn't seem like that of a member of the "Morse Penitentiary" or the "Elements of Dawn."
Odis could tell that Cattleya was really going all out, so he said, "Let me ask and I'll give you an answer in a few days."
"You can tell me about the approximate abilities and negative effects of that magical item first."
He didn't feel any guilt; he would just pretend he didn't know that the "Star General" and the "Mysterious Queen" knew each other.
Knowing that this kind of deal couldn't be made in a day or two, Gadriya nodded: "That sealed artifact is designed to counter the 'Apostle of Desire,' and its most important ability is 'demonic transformation,' with the downside being that it is easily influenced by various desires."
Although this sealed artifact is equivalent to Sequence 5, she rarely uses it because the process of "demonization" is very painful for her, and all her clothes will be torn after the "demonization" is over.
Therefore, she will not wear it unless her life is in danger.
The other members were amazed, realizing that the Tarot Club's trading had reached such a high level without them even noticing.
With the transaction concluded, "Justice" Audrey said, "Mr. Hermit, I would like to continue trading with you about the hidden history of the Fourth Epoch, hmm... next we should trade intelligence on the Tudor Empire."
"Alright." Odis showed his most friendly smile to this "regular client": "The relevant information about the Tudor Empire can be traded in one go, but it will cost 3,000 pounds."
"No problem," Audrey continued. "I'll pay £1,500."
Caldelia immediately replied, "I'll offer 1,000 pounds."
She also hoped to contribute one-third of the funds so that she could ask more questions.
The other members looked at each other in dismay, not expecting that each of them would only have a "share" of 100 pounds left.
Odiston paused for a moment before saying, "I suggest that 'Justice' and 'Priestess' each contribute 1,000 pounds, and the other members can cover the remaining 1,000 pounds."
"Otherwise, it would be unfair to you if you contributed less than £200."
He paused and then said, "I suggest that in future transactions, members who contribute less than one-tenth of the capital should only listen in and not ask questions."
Klein thought to himself: I think it's pretty fair.
Fors thought to himself: It's not impossible to only have the right to listen in.
The other members all agreed that the "Hermit" made sense. After all, this was a £3,000 deal, and it would be unfair for them to just listen in with only £100.
Besides, £200 isn't much, so there's no need to worry about that amount of money.
With everyone's unanimous agreement, "Justice" and "The Priestess" each contributed 1,000 pounds, and the remaining 1,000 pounds were paid by the other five members.
As usual, Odis advanced the £200 for "Little Sun," and Derrick paid for it with extraordinary materials of Sequence 9.
Odis organized his thoughts before beginning to speak: "Before we talk about the Tudor Empire, we need to talk about an era of 'joint rule'."
"When I was looking at the intelligence from the First Empire of Solomon, I learned that Tudor and Trensost were turned by the Six Gods and betrayed Solomon. They should have dealt a heavy blow to Solomon at a crucial moment, creating an opportunity for the Six Gods."
"With the fall of the First Solomon Empire, the Six Gods supported Tudor and Trensost in ruling the Northern Continent, which is known as the 'Tudor-Trensost United Empire Era'..."
Even Cattleya was taken aback; this was the first time she had ever heard of the term "United Empire Era"!
The other members were relatively calm, since they had never heard of most of the information involved in the transaction, and they weren't surprised to hear unfamiliar historical terms.
Only Klein recalled the ruins beneath Backlund, where two thrones stood side by side.
Odis continued, "...If you see thrones side by side and two rows of inverted candlesticks in asymmetrical numbers in the ruins of the Fourth Age, then it is basically a relic of the 'United Empire' era."
"At that time, the capital of the United Empire was in Backlund, and this rule lasted for about a century. However, the collapse of this 'United Empire' was not due to internal or external enemies, but because Solomon was going to be resurrected."
Klein was certain that the ruins he and his bodyguard had explored were products of the "United Empire" era. Because two Sequence 1 rulers ruled the Northern Continent, there were two thrones, not seats for a king and queen.
Audrey remarked with a touch of awe: "I never imagined that Backlund was such a big city back then."
Cattleya realized that she had a serious lack of historical intelligence regarding the "United Empire".
Alger, the "Hanged Man," noticed: Why did Solomon's resurrection cause the empire to collapse?
Odis adjusted his posture, thinking to himself: Here comes the important part.
He continued, "Here we need to talk about the special nature of the 'Black Emperor'. Once He begins the resurrection process, regardless of where the uniqueness and sequence 1 characteristics are, they will all return to the 'Black Emperor' one after another."
"Therefore, for Tudor and Trensost, once the 'Black Emperor' begins to resurrect, the Sequence 1 properties within them will return to Solomon."
This stunned everyone; no one expected such a thing to happen!
Klein suddenly felt enlightened: At last week's tarot meeting, I was wondering if the "Black Emperor's" resurrected state only possessed one Sequence 1 characteristic and uniqueness? It turns out that after resurrection, both uniqueness and Sequence 1 characteristics are "reclaimed", so in a "physical sense" he becomes a true god again.
Alger clenched his fists together: "More information about the divine realm!"
Then he realized: Doesn't this mean that no matter who killed the "Black Emperor," where are the extraordinary traits? As long as the resurrection process begins, the traits will all return!
After a brief moment of surprise, Gadriya recalls some clues that the "mysterious queen" had found in her early years and falls into deep thought once again.
Emlyn, the "Moon," exclaimed: "This is the power of the gods! No one can stop His resurrection."
After realizing what was happening, Audrey asked, "'The Hermit' Mr., what will happen to Tudor and Trensost, who are now Sequence 1, after their extraordinary traits return to Solomon? Will they lose control?"
"Theoretically speaking, no," Odis said. "They have only lost the characteristics of Sequence 1 and will become Sequence 2 angels again."
He paused and continued, "But there's something you need to understand: Tudor and Trensost both rose to Sequence 1 by betraying Solomon."
"When Solomon is resurrected, they become Sequence 2 again. Solomon, who has become a true god, will definitely seek revenge on them. If they hide in the dark corners of this world, they may still have a chance to survive."
"But that was a last resort. Before Solomon's resurrection, Thudor and Trensault began to desperately save themselves."
"Let's start with Tudor. According to some high-level intelligence obtained after the fall of the Tudor Empire, during the 'United Empire' era, Tudor once instigated the people to secretly build nine tombs for himself around Backlund..."
Cattleya immediately understood: "He...He wants to become the Black Emperor ahead of schedule?"
She has no limit on the number of questions she can ask this time; she can ask as many as she wants.
"That's right," Odis said. "As mentioned in the last deal, a quick and thorough way to bring down the 'Black Emperor' is for a new 'Black Emperor' to emerge."
"According to many people's later speculation, Tudor was preparing to secretly become the 'Black Emperor' at that time."
"This also exposes the internal contradictions of the 'United Empire.' Tudor and Trensost are, after all, two Sequence 1s from the same path, and the contradictions between them are actually irreconcilable."
"Moreover, once it involves the struggle to become a god, it will definitely be a life-or-death situation, and even the six gods cannot completely regulate it."
The other members recalled the information they had obtained from a long-ago transaction: to become a god, one must collect three Sequence 1 traits from the same source.
In this sense, the structure of the "United Empire" is quite intriguing. The fact that Tudor and Trensost cooperated so honestly makes one wonder if Liu Shen's "advice" and "mediation" were involved.
Audrey, however, was more concerned: "'The Hermit,' where are those nine tombs? I've never heard anyone mention them before?"
"That's normal," Odis said, shrugging. "Even if the Tudor Empire were to perish, not many people would know."
"But I suspect that Adam and Amon knew that these two 'Angel Kings' had been secretly supporting Thodol since very early on... probably shortly after the establishment of the 'United Empire'."
"Yes, this is a guess based on information we learned later."
"They were very likely involved in the secret construction of the nine mausoleums, and it is unlikely that these two 'Angel Kings' would have leaked the secret so easily."
Klein immediately noticed that the statement about the "hermit" was somewhat abrupt: why did he first say that few people knew about it, and then only indicate that Adam and Amon knew about it?
He considered it carefully, but because there were too few clues, he didn't understand why the "hermit" would say that.
Odis said this simply because he knew that it was very likely that Adam had provided George III with the corresponding coordinates and the method to enter.
Audrey nodded, indicating that she understood.
After answering the two questions, Odis continued, "Since we've come to the point about Adam and Ammon, we must briefly mention the five great nobles who supported Tudor."
"Among them, Abraham had previously secretly supported Solomon's Empire. Now that His power was close to that of a true god, He should have preferred to establish His own power rather than a power constrained by the six gods."
"And Amon has always been hostile to the Six Gods, so he is not recognized by the Six Gods."
"The other two great nobles, Antigonus and Tamara, also did not align themselves with the Six Gods for their own reasons."
"We've mentioned the Jacob family before; it's very likely that He was replaced very early on."
"I even suspect that during the reign of the 'United Empire,' Tudor may have secretly gathered some of these people and conspired with Adam."
"Later, after Tudor established his empire, he quickly built up his own faction."
"Comparatively speaking, although the Terensust Empire had four nobles at that time, namely the four angels including Augustus, they were relatively weak at the time, or to put it simply, they were only Sequence 2 at that time."
"Of the five great nobles of the Tudor Empire, only Tamara is a Sequence 2. The other great nobles are either archangels or angel kings."
The other members listened very attentively. Although there was no surprising information in the account, the description of the "hermit" made the history of the Fourth Age much richer.
Odis paused slightly before continuing, "The next scene is something we've already done."
"In order to deal with Solomon's resurrection and avoid becoming a Sequence 2 again, Tudor, with the support of Adam, Ammon, and others, killed Medici and became the true god of the non-adjacent path."
The other members momentarily forgot to breathe: Tudor... became the true god of non-adjacent paths!