Elyon was quite content with the abilities he had just learned about. They sounded even more advanced than the Eagle's Eye.
Composite eye techniques? Quite the stroke of fortune for the patient, Drake mused.
I have complex abilities just upon awakening too? The transparent Martin pondered.
"Your passive ability is an enhanced premonitory sense of impending danger. You can call it 'Danger Intuition' if you like. Most transcendents have this ability to some extent."
It's a common ability, but Elyon was still pleased. From the get-go, he had three abilities.
"Respected sir, I have no further questions."
Seeing the fun that comes with being transcendent, Elizabeth was even more resolved to become one.
"So, what would you advise, sir? How do I become transcendent?" After listening to the others, Elizabeth asked the orb.
"I'm just here to facilitate your meeting. I won't engage in other matters unless necessary, only when destiny decrees will I intervene. You could seek help from others who attended this meeting," the orb remained unwilling to grant powers directly.
"If you want to get your hands on a transcending potion, it's not impossible. I have a list of materials here, though it's a bit tricky to compound. I recommend buying the finished product from the black market. Of course, there's no guarantee you won't be swindled or the potion's efficacy," Drake offered.
"Could I ask you to prepare it for me? I'm willing to pay, of course," Elizabeth said generously.
Seeing the conversation between the two, Martin suggested, "Why don't we all take code names? It'll make talking easier. And since we're having a meeting, we're a kind of organization now, right? We might as well think of a name for it."
"An actual secret organization? And they all follow those deities?" Elizabeth perked up with interest, her tone rising a notch as her attention shifted from the potion.
Elyon, too, couldn't resist chipping in, "There are those who worship the Four Malevolent Gods. I encountered a case like that last week."
So he's from the Special Actions Division and a policeman? Drake immediately formed his judgment about the bandaged man and added, "Aside from those who worship evil gods, there are underground organizations of vampires and werewolves, as well as independent societies that simply don't want to be governed by governments or churches. They don't have a unified faith and are more like a business guild. The maritime and Northern Continent's Mutual Aid Societies are of this type."
"In Dunland, there's also a secret society proclaiming that both righteous and evil gods are usurpers of the Supreme Being's authority. They split a few years ago, with one faction advocating for the return of the true god to recreate heaven, called Dawn's Morning Star, and another faction advocating for the destruction of this world, called Dusk's Waning Moon."
Elizabeth's eyes sparkled at the mention of these factions. She straightened her chair and addressed the orb.
"Respected sir, would you give our organization a name?"
The orb remained motionless, like a crashed computer. Elizabeth's proposal was met with silence, making the atmosphere awkward.
"How about we call ourselves the Justice League?" she suggested boldly.
Justice? Elyon certainly didn't see himself as a crusader just passing through, and the supposed pirate next to him was even less likely to believe in such a thing. As Elyon was about to interrupt, Drake cleared his throat and said,
"The name Justice League is too conspicuous and could attract scrutiny from the righteous religious factions, especially the God of Justice and Order."
Martin, a clergyman of that very god, knew how the church dealt with groups that blatantly used their name.
"That won't do. Since this place is called the Origin, why not call ourselves the Origin Society?"
"I advise against that, as it may lead you to be tracked by various organizations," the orb countered Martin's suggestion.
"This place resembles a library; let's just call ourselves the Classical Literature Society," Elyon proposed, recalling his favorite novel's literature club on Earth.
"Why such a mundane name?" Elizabeth inquired.
"Mundane and simple keeps us under the radar. It makes us sound like a book club or a pen pal group, allowing us to hide in plain sight under the noses of the churches," Elyon explained. "Outside, we can say we've made friends with a group of pen pals."
"But isn't our mission about revolution? Isn't that a glorious undertaking? Why the need for secrecy?"
"Miss, achieving change is bound to affect some people's interests, especially those of the nobility and clergy. Do you think instigating change is child's play?" Elyon decided to bluff his way through for now.
"Fine, then everyone should choose a codename. Let me think... call me Rose. It suits a lady, and it's also my favorite flower," Elizabeth quickly came up with a name.
Rose? The sigil of the Seithsack region bears this emblem; this young lady must be from the capital, Lumang. Elyon pieced together her identity.
Not just Elyon, but Drake reached the same conclusion—aside from the bandaged patient, the other two didn't have very complex thoughts. Drake mused to himself.
"Sailor, you can call me Mr. Sailor," Drake went next.
"So Mr. Sailor is really a seaman? I thought you were dressed up for a costume ball," Elizabeth quipped.
"You flatter me, Miss Rose. I'm not a seaman, but my work is somewhat similar," Drake introduced vaguely.
That settles it – he's either a pirate or navy, Elyon thought.
"I'll go by Libra. You can probably guess I'm a clergyman from my clothes, but I ask that you allow us to build mutual trust before revealing more details," Martin suggested after the others had chosen their names.
"Detective, then. That's what you can all call me," Elyon said, thinking that, officially, he was a detective, even though his job mostly involved clerical work.
"So, our Classical Literature Society is established. Oh, and Mr. Sailor, could you prepare a transcendent awakening potion for me? Of course, I'll have the cash ready."
Elizabeth was somewhat elated, not only having joined a mysterious organization but also surrounded by transcendents, with the prospect of becoming one herself soon. If she did awaken, she'd be able to sneak out for fun without needing so many guards and secret protectors.
Hearing this, Drake was caught in a dilemma, but after a glance at the orb, he gritted his teeth and said,
"I can disclose to you the materials needed for the potion. Actually, if you spend a hundred pounds at sea, you could buy the information. The ingredients aren't hard to find, but the potion must be consumed within half an hour after its creation, and there's some risk involved. Are you sure you want to take it?"
"Yes, Mr. Sailor. As for the material costs, as long as it's under ten thousand pounds, I can pay you in cash. If it's over that, you might need to wait a few weeks."
"Ten thousand pounds? In cash?" Drake was taken aback. The heist at the port bank didn't even total that much, and it took four desperate criminals a long time to amass that sum, which cost them their lives in the end. And to think, this young lady was willing to pay so much just for a chance to awaken? Miss Rose was clearly not just ordinarily wealthy.
Drake was shocked by the offer of such a large sum, enough to hire his entire pirate crew to work for her for months. Aside from the chance of seizing a treasure ship, his crew didn't even receive a fixed salary, with the lowest-ranking sailors earning only five or six pounds a month. His own bounty varied from a few thousand to forty-five thousand in different countries. But Miss Rose seemed to miss the point that the potion had to be consumed within half an hour.
"Miss Rose, the potion must be taken within half an hour to be effective. As for the materials, they're simple: the main ingredient is 50 milliliters of blood from a Levitating Flounder from the North Continent's coast, and a small piece of Rock Crystal from the East Continent. Mix them with two pounds of pure water in a silver cauldron and boil until golden, about 50 milliliters left. Honey can be added if you're worried about the taste."
"The potion sounds easy to make. How much should I pay you?" Elizabeth was thrilled at the prospect of becoming transcendent so easily.
"The materials would cost around seventy or eighty pounds. The key is how to get it to you within half an hour after it's made. I'm in the Narrow Sea Archipelago off the North Continent, and you're presumably in the Brugel Kingdom. Unless you seek help from some powerful beings," Drake said, casting a glance at the orb, hinting that Miss Rose could seek help from it.
Elizabeth stood and bowed to the orb, "Respected librarian sir, the next time our Classical Literature Society meets, may I trouble you to allow Mr. Sailor to bring the potion and me to bring the cash into this space for the transaction?"
"That is possible," the orb's voice remained devoid of emotion.
"Thank you for your generosity. Next time, Mr. Sailor, please have the potion ready to bring into the space, and I'll have 200 pounds ready as your compensation."
"The materials will only cost 80 pounds at most. You don't need to pay 200 pounds; I can't accept that much for labor."
"No, Mr. Sailor. One hundred pounds is for your consulting fee, and twenty pounds is the labor charge," Elizabeth smiled.
"Thank you for your generosity."
I wish I could make that much money, Elyon thought enviously as Mr. Sailor made 120 pounds just by talking, while his own injury had only netted him 150 pounds.
"This meeting is adjourned. Next Monday, August 11th, at 8 p.m., you can continue to exchange information and offer assistance."
As the orb disappeared, Elyon and the others began to fade. He had wanted to inquire further about transients and traditional characters, but time had run out. He would have to wait until next time.
When he opened his eyes again, he was back in his bed on Valen Street No. 9.
Ah, it seemed he was no longer alone in his mission to end the age of the gods. Being part of an organization and having colleagues to work with was a nice feeling, much like when he used to skip school with friends to head to the internet café back on Earth.
Yare yare daze, he occasionally thought of Earth. Despite being only two months apart, he was slowly adapting to this world void of air conditioning and the internet.