Chapter 43: The Fool, Mr. Courier
This was derived from the law of the indestructibility of extraordinary characteristics... Alice thought with sudden clarity.
"Why similar sequences?" Alger couldn't help but ask.
"What will you offer in exchange for the answer?" Klein asked with a smile.
Unable to suppress his curiosity, Alger respectfully inquired, "Mr. Fool, what kind of compensation do you desire?"
Alice... Alice was also curious about what Klein was aiming for with all this effort.
"Information related to the Secret Order," Klein replied with a smile.
The Secret Order? The hidden organization that controls the Seer pathway!
Alice glanced at the others. She wasn't surprised by the expressions of "Justice" and "The Sun." "The Sun," being in the Forsaken Land of the Gods, knew little about most things, and "Justice," as a Ruen noble, had scant knowledge of the occult.
Among these three, the only one likely to know what Klein wanted was probably "The Hanged Man."
"The Secret Order..." As expected, "The Hanged Man" Alger repeated the name of the organization. After a few seconds of silence, he carefully said, "I will accept this commission and gather information about the Secret Order for you. Can you pay the 'compensation' in advance?"
"No problem. If the information you gather exceeds the value of the answer, I will compensate you additionally," Klein agreed to the request.
Who decides if the information exceeds the value... Alice felt a subtle pity for the deceived.
"I would like to join this transaction," Audrey couldn't suppress her curiosity and raised her hand.
"Sure," Klein agreed as well.
Next was Derrick: "I am willing to exchange the previous compensation for the answer."
"Ah." Derrick, who was initially deemed unable to offer compensation, also made a request. Alice realized that remaining silent would seem odd, but speaking up might seem even stranger.
They all seemed to have noticed the deeper connection between her and Klein... No, between "Fate" and "The Fool"... At least, it was clear that she lacked the reverence for deities—Alice, who had recently faced a true god, thought.
With these thoughts flashing through her mind, Alice smiled and said, "I am willing to gather the information you want... for you."
As expected! Miss "Fate" treats Mr. Fool as an equal... Alger and Audrey thought simultaneously, even "The Sun" vaguely sensed this.
But aside from the uninformed Derrick, Alger and Audrey hadn't forgotten the information Alice had revealed herself—she should only be at Sequence 7.
They simultaneously recalled Klein's initial introduction of Alice—a lucky "Lucky One." Did that statement hide some deeper meaning?
Lacking information, they hadn't figured it out yet, but Klein began to explain:
"The so-called similar sequences refer to pathways that can be interchanged at high sequences."
"Let me give an example. The Sequence 5 'Gatekeeper' of the Death pathway can not only advance normally but also choose the 'Giant' pathway, which is the Sequence 4 'Demon Hunter' of the War God pathway.
"This won't lead to the risk of losing control or accumulating madness, unlike consuming the wrong potion.
"Of course, if the sequences are not similar, the best result is half-madness."
Alice tilted her head. She knew that 'Gatekeeper' was Sequence 5 of the Corpse Collector pathway, which meant the so-called Death pathway was the Corpse Collector pathway, and the Death God was probably the pinnacle of this pathway.
So, the pinnacle of a sequence pathway is a true god? No wonder it's called a god's pathway... Wait, where had she heard of the god's pathway?
Alice held her forehead, but to her surprise, this time she didn't see any images from her lost memories, only a few inexplicable terms surfaced in her mind.
Desecration Slate... Primordial Substance... God's Pathway... What are these? Nine Primordial Substances, twenty-two God's Pathways...
Ouch!
The nonexistent headache stopped Alice from thinking further. She came back to her senses just in time to hear Audrey's question: "Mr. Fool, I want to ask, which pathways can the 'Audience' pathway interchange with at high sequences?"
I guess Mr. Fool also wants to know... Alice silently added for Klein.
Audrey, with a justified tone, continued, "I can pay for the answer to this question. How many gold pounds do you think would be appropriate? I think your followers might need some operational funds..."
"Let's wait until enough information about the Secret Order is gathered before we proceed with this transaction." Under the allure of money, Mr. Fool left some room for negotiation.
After a few seconds of silence, Audrey raised her hand. With permission, she asked Alger, "Mr. Hanged Man, my information helped you deal with Admiral Hurricane. Have you prepared the complete pituitary gland of the adult Rainbow Dragon?"
Zilingers! Alice recalled the question she had forgotten.
"I have obtained the extraordinary material you wanted," Alger nodded slightly, "but how should I give it to you?"
This question left Audrey at a loss. Clearly, she had no experience in this area... Well, at least she didn't directly leave an address, so there's hope.
At this moment, Klein lightly tapped the edge of the long table and asked with a smile, "Miss, Sir, would you be willing to cooperate with me in an experiment regarding this matter?"
What is he planning? Could it be... a sacrificial ritual? Alice straightened up slightly.
"I would be happy to cooperate," Audrey restrained her excitement and answered gracefully.
"Your wish is my command," Alger replied cautiously, bowing his head.
Only Derrick looked at the others in confusion, feeling somewhat out of place.
Klein's fingers paused on the edge of the bronze long table, and he smiled, "This experiment will make your transaction simple, safe, and sufficiently confidential."
Alice lowered her head to prevent her expression from being noticed—she knew she was far from being able to hide her emotions.
Klein slightly tilted his head and looked at Alger, speaking slowly, "Do you remember the sacrificial ritual 'The Sun' described?"
He's not even a bit guilty... Alice marveled silently.
"I remember. I have also come across such things," Alger replied.
Klein nodded slightly, "My idea is for you to use the ritual to sacrifice the extraordinary material to me, and I will then bestow it upon Miss Justice. This form of transaction benefits both of you."
After the signal base station, Mr. Fool is now becoming a courier? Alice's mouth twitched as she restrained the urge to laugh.
(End of Chapter)