The fifth-order gilded giant’s head fell, and as the grey mist emerged, Su’en was certain he was dead.
The battle seemed perilous, with the second-stage Red Demon severely injured, and the others from the Thousand Stripes also bearing significant wounds.
But, in fact, it was not so.
Seeing Mr. Black’s composed demeanor, Su’en knew that everything was probably under his control.
Su’en had observed the entire battle,
And now, upon reflection,
He noticed some issues.
He guessed that Mr. Black must have encountered fifth-order professionals before, or at least was clear about the power of a fifth-order.
That’s why his calculations were so precise.
Otherwise, they wouldn’t have come with only five people to ambush an unknown fifth-order powerhouse.
It was as if everything was just right, not revealing more of the “Mirror Organization’s” strength than necessary, just enough to kill the target.
Moreover, Su’en felt that even without the Black Scythe, Mr. Black probably had other methods to kill the guy.
After all, these top experts should not lack sealing artifacts.
Su’en had personally seen them with a 【Vulcan’s Furnace Lamp】 in their possession.
The Dawn Relic was a treasure trove, buried with too many ancient high-order alchemical products.
The “Mirror Organization” surely had plenty of good stuff.
Like the weapons used by the Thousand Stripes in battle, they were clearly not ordinary.
Thoughts raced through his mind, connecting the “coincidences” together.
Su’en felt like he understood something.
Ever since he learned that the “§” symbol of the Mirror Organization was the mark of Sir Isaac from Dawn City, he also guessed that this organization’s understanding of the ancient history buried in the dust far surpassed the Black Tower.
He vaguely felt that Mr. Black probably knew about his talent through some channels.
After all, his talent originated from the altar in the Storm Manor.
…
The grey mist was right in front of him, but Su’en was not in a hurry and walked over slowly.
It was like visiting an elder’s home; even if the food was tempting, you couldn’t help yourself without the host’s invitation.
After successfully killing the enemy, the cloaked figures quickly cleared the scene and removed the sealing barrier.
They nodded to Mr. Black, not even uttering an extra word, just like last time, and dispersed.
Only Mr. Black and Su’en remained.
Mr. Black removed his cloak, revealing his signature genial smile.
As expected, he looked at Su’en and got straight to the point: “I heard from the teacher that you should need this corpse…”
Teacher?
This title…
Upon hearing this, Su’en felt slightly strange.
But communicating with a 【Mind Reader】 like Mr. Black, there was no need for beating around the bush. With the conversation at this point, he knew Mr. Black must be aware of his talent.
Su’en smiled noncommittally and walked over.
Devouring the grey mist was the most urgent matter; other questions could wait.
With this separation, like a floodgate opening, a torrent of memory fragments violently surged into his mind.
「You have obtained ‘Grot Lester’s’ memory fragments*8」
「You have gained a piece of intelligence: ‘The situation in the Empire is getting worse, and the pirates of the North Sea have been increasingly rampant. Last month, the merchant fleet’s steam airship was attacked, probably by a squad leader under the ‘King of the North Sea’. Oh, those damned people…’」
「You have gained a piece of information: ‘Miss Theresa is getting more and more beautiful, but it seems she has been ignoring young master Ewen lately. The Duke probably intends to arrange a marriage with the Rega family to increase his influence in the Empire…’」
「You have comprehended a vast amount of flesh and blood alchemy knowledge, understanding 【Diamond】」
「You have acquired ‘Muscle Overload Micro-Control Techniques’, comprehending the movement technique 【Extreme Step】」
「You have mastered a large amount of ‘1~5th order alchemy knowledge’」
「You have grasped the incomplete fifth-order metal laws」
「You have acquired some fragmented memories: the Duke’s maritime territory, the Black Tower mines on the reef, the Luyin Empire, the Mechanical Sect…」
「You have acquired a large amount of combat fragment information, combat experience +424」
「Spiritual power +4.3」
This was Su’en’s first time separating such “high-intensity” soul fragments.
He hadn’t had time to digest the detailed content of the knowledge.
Suddenly, like the aftereffects of drinking, his head felt heavy, and he felt drowsy.
It wasn’t just the quantity of knowledge, but also the quality!
This directly elevated his understanding of the laws by several levels, and the impact was not as “gentle” as absorbing the soul fragments of first or second-order professionals.
One was like a river flowing into the sea, the other like a flash flood into a river;
It was like jumping directly from the Stone Age to the Steam Age, just witnessing the huge impact of the difference in the levels of laws between the ranks was enough to make one dizzy.
…
He didn’t know how long he was in a daze, digesting the vast memory fragments, making Su’en feel as if a long time had passed.
When his gaze refocused, there seemed to be a new spark of wisdom in his eyes.
“Indeed, too strong soul fragments can impact the main consciousness…”
Su’en felt fortunate that he could perfectly separate some other emotions, ensuring the clarity of the main consciousness. If an ordinary person had this 【Death Harvester】 talent, they would not be able to absorb much before merging their own consciousness with the harvested consciousness, becoming a “mental fusion monster.”
This S-rank talent was strong, but not so easy to control.
It’s like watching a movie,
You can consider yourself an audience, gathering information;
But you can’t immerse yourself as the protagonist, becoming a character in the story.
Looking at it this way,
His condition, awakening this talent, seemed very “fitting.”
As for the gains,
Too many.
Su’en couldn’t sort them out for a while.
He gained countless combat techniques, two complete skills.
The most precious was the understanding of the laws.
With the perspective of a high school student, even if one is a “science slacker,” looking back at elementary school knowledge suddenly feels effortless.
First, second, and third-order alchemy knowledge seemed to be integrated; even if it wasn’t “metallic,” it was universally applicable;
As for fourth and fifth-order knowledge, there were also some incomplete fragments. Although not enough to form a system, at least it was like seeing the North Star in the vast sea, at least knowing the general direction for the future.
After digesting the content of the memory fragments, Su’en’s eyes trembled slightly, and he murmured in shock: “The Endless Sea, the Twilight Ruins, the Ancient God Sites, the Plane Fragments… So the world outside is so vast, and besides humans, there are other races…”
This world was more fascinating than he had ever imagined.
…
Mr. Black had already cleaned up the materials on the corpse.
Seeing Su’en’s gaze clear, he smiled warmly: “Su’en, how do you feel?”
Su’en replied honestly: “A bit dizzy.”
Mr. Black wasn’t surprised and said: “Your spiritual power is about to lose control. If you don’t find a suitable mental secret technique to practice and control that spiritual power, the situation will be very grim.”
“Understood.”
Su’en nodded, aware of the problem.
But he also asked: “Mr. Black, you just mentioned your teacher?”
By now, he was certain that Mr. Black indeed knew his talent was 【Death Harvester】.
But he was very curious, who in Old Lingdun could be a teacher to the “all-knowing and all-powerful” Mr. Black?
“Indeed.”
Mentioning “teacher,” Mr. Black’s face was filled with respect. He pondered for a moment before saying: “Well… you can call him ‘Mr. Mirror,’ the leader of our organization.”
Upon hearing this, Su’en realized that’s where the “Mirror Organization” got its name.
He immediately thought of his previous speculation.
He felt that Mr. Black had seen fifth-order professionals; could it be this “Mr. Mirror” he mentioned?
Mr. Black didn’t say more, beckoning Su’en: “Let’s go, we can talk while walking. Someone will come soon.”
“Alright.”
Hearing this, Su’en followed Mr. Black into the dark depths of the dungeon.
Because of the spatial barrier, the previous battle did not leave too many traces in this cavern.
The two
Mr. Black looked at Su’en and smiled, “I was curious about your talent, Su’en, but couldn’t figure it out. It was only after the teacher told me that I knew you had awakened that rare talent.”
Su’en chuckled in response.
He asked curiously: “Can your teacher discern people’s talents?”
“You don’t have to be surprised. After all, the teacher is learned and has an understanding of the history of Dawn City that others can’t imagine.”
Mr. Black seemed to recall something, hesitating slightly: “The teacher’s abilities are very special… but it’s complicated to explain.”
He didn’t intend to elaborate and instead said: “If you’re really curious, you can ask the teacher yourself next time. I think the teacher would be happy to enlighten you…”
Very special abilities?
Su’en pondered for a moment.
It seemed that Mr. Black didn’t want to discuss the secrets of that “teacher” behind his back, so he didn’t continue to ask, but he couldn’t help but recall the cloaked person he saw at the 【1911 Hotel】.
He didn’t even know if that person was male or female, and he probably wouldn’t recognize them next time.
But from Mr. Black’s tone, it seemed he had seen them somewhere else before?
…
The two talked as they walked.
Su’en also learned that Mr. Black had invited him over at the behest of the leader.
As usual, he offered a gift, an equivalent exchange, and also asked him for a favor.
Su’en looked at Mr. Black handing over a golden card and a sealed wooden box, not too surprised, “So… you want me to go into a cursed space and deliver something?”
Mr. Black corrected Su’en’s words with a smile: “No, not me. It’s the teacher’s intention.”
Su’en grew more curious.
Although he knew Mr. Black had no reason to send him to his death, something felt off.
Mr. Black didn’t wait for Su’en to guess and directly revealed the significance of these items: “The sealed wooden box contains something number nineteen brought out from the Black Tower laboratory. Don’t open it outside, or you’ll be detected. After entering the space, find a lady named ‘Sereya’ and give her the item.”
Taking a breath, he continued: “Did I not mention the founder of your ‘Puppeteer’ profession last time? Lady Sereya was the greatest forging grandmaster and puppeteer in Dawn City a thousand years ago. With this card as a token, it will be easier to communicate.”
Hearing this, Su’en looked at Mr. Black with an increasingly strange expression: “Mr. Black, may I ask… why did your teacher choose me?”
If possible, he definitely wanted to get his hands on the Puppeteer’s mental power secret technique.
But no matter how he looked at it, Mr. Black seemed to have arranged everything for him.
With tokens and all.
It all felt like a “mouse trap with bait,” didn’t it?
Mr. Black didn’t hide anything and directly said: “Because that 【Isaac’s Alchemy Manuscript】 is in your hands.”
Su’en: “???”
What does the notebook being in my hands have to do with anything?
At that moment, Mr. Black said: “Fate is an endless chain of causality, and the world itself develops following this principle and causal relationships. That is a notebook tainted by fate. If it doesn’t belong to you, it wouldn’t be in your hands.”
“…”
Su’en found this very familiar; wasn’t that the original text written in the notebook?
Although he knew this world had some strange and mysterious forces,
But this…
It didn’t seem very reliable.
He just happened to get the notebook, and now it seemed to have no use at all.
And looking at the situation, Mr. Black definitely knew the contents of the notebook.
So now, if I give the notebook to you, doesn’t it belong to you?
At this time, Mr. Black seemed to see through Su’en’s inner mockery and said with a meaningful smile, “You should know, the talent of Sir Isaac, who was known as the ‘Demi-God,’ was 【Fate Controller】.”
After a pause, he looked at the still confused Su’en and joked for once: “So, you don’t need to ask me why, because I don’t know either. Hahaha…”Hearing this, Su’en couldn’t help but laugh and cry.
Mr. Black continued, “I’ve heard from the teacher that Sir Isaac’s manuscript contains the ultimate secret of alchemy. However, the manuscript touches upon a strand of the law of fate, one of the supreme laws of the world, which no one can clearly define. Therefore, all we can do is watch and wait. But for now, it seems most fitting in your hands…”
“…”
Su’en felt like he was listening to loneliness.
At first glance, the words seemed to make sense. But upon further reflection, it seemed like nothing had been said at all.
But since even Mr. Black didn’t know, the topic was closed.
Skipping over the topic of the notes, Mr. Black moved on to the mission at hand, saying, “You must have guessed something, but don’t speak of it. Certain supreme beings possess indescribable powers. Merely mentioning Their existence will alert Them.”
“Mm.”
Su’en nodded.
The manuscript recorded a method for crafting an alchemical augmentation called “Isaac’s Heart,” and considering the item number nineteen brought out, along with the need to find a master blacksmith, the purpose was self-evident.
Legend has it that the names of deities must not be spoken aloud.
He didn’t ask further about this matter.
…….
As the two walked, Su’en asked about some “mission” details, and Mr. Black answered them all in detail.
His relationship with the Mirror Organization was getting closer, and now their conversations were less formal.
Su’en directly asked the most crucial question.
“Mr. Black, is that cursed space dangerous?”
“The teacher says it is, but not fatally so. And if it’s you… it might even be safer than if we went.”
“Is it because I have the manuscript?”
“That’s one of the reasons.”
“…”
Hearing there was no fatal danger, Su’en put aside his worries.
The more he understood about this world, the more he felt Mr. Black was trustworthy.
Moreover, he could sense from Mr. Black’s words that the “teacher” had an extraordinary understanding of the Dawn Relics.
Otherwise, others wouldn’t even know what lies at the core of the relics; they only knew there was a cursed space and a remnant named “Lady Sereya.”
Besides, Su’en was not one to shy away from risks.
Having obtained a fifth-tier soul shard, the reward was already enough to risk one’s life.
This transcendent knowledge was of great significance for Su’en’s future, especially since he was currently a “prisoner”!
Moreover, the space contained the exclusive mental secret techniques of the “Puppeteer Founder,” which he naturally intended to visit.
The two walked through the caverns without any pursuers catching up.
Mr. Black was not in a hurry to leave,
And Su’en took this rare opportunity to ask some of his questions.
What he was most curious about was Mr. Black’s omniscience and omnipotence, so he asked, “Mr. Black, how come you seem to know everything? Could it be that your awakened ‘Mind Reader’ ability can also be used for learning knowledge?”
Mr. Black smiled, probably having anticipated Su’en’s curiosity about this question, and explained, “The ‘Scholar’ profession I hold is very special. It cultivates the ‘law of wisdom.’ My awakened abilities are also chosen around the needs of my profession. The first-tier ability is ‘eidetic memory,’ second-tier is ‘brain domain development,’ third-tier ‘universal understanding,’ fourth-tier ‘glimpse of truth’… Of course, the most important are the ‘teacher’s’ guidance and some special opportunities. My talent is not the best, but I am diligent.”
“Mr. Black, what is brain domain development?”
“According to ancient texts, human brain potential is actually limitless. But for some reasons, it’s been restricted, and the usage rate is very low, so ancient sorcerers thought about developing the extent of brain domain usage… but it’s also very dangerous.”
“…”
Listening to Mr. Black’s explanation, Su’en suddenly understood.
But clearly, Mr. Black was being modest.
Without cheating, to be this powerful,
His talent was not the best… as if!
Hearing about Mr. Black’s career planning, Su’en suddenly had some thoughts about his own third-tier advancement.
Manipulating puppets… brain domain development?
The compatibility seemed quite good.
According to Mr. Black’s description, this ability was a bit like upgrading a computer’s processor, allowing the brain to process more information efficiently.
“Brain domain development” was a concept that also existed in his previous life, but it was still theoretical.
In the ancient world of this universe, it was possible to achieve this through some transcendent materials.
Su’en felt that this world hid too many secrets…
But the materials for brain domain development were not easier to find than spatial materials.
They were rare and hard to come by.
Su’en felt that this could only be a future plan.
The two talked for a long time.
Now, Mr. Black probably considered Su’en an ally and no longer spoke in riddles.
He asked, and almost always received an answer.
And all the answers were forthcoming!
From this conversation, Su’en gained a lot.
And at that moment, he thought of another question he was very curious about, “Also… Mr. Black, I’ve noticed that members of your organization can awaken their talents a second time. Is there a shortcut to talent awakening?”
It could be said that, except for Kay, all the people Su’en had seen awaken their talents a second time were from the Mirror Organization.
This made him wonder if Mr. Black and his colleagues had some special method for awakening talents.
The answer was no.
Instead, the recruitment threshold for their organization was “second-tier awakening.”
As Mr. Black put it, without a “second-tier awakening,” except for some with special abilities, there was almost no capacity for transcending one’s rank in battle.
They could only be “targets for observation.”
Like the previous encounter with the fifth-tier professional, an ordinary third-tier facing them would likely die in a single encounter!
Not very useful for storming the tower.
Mr. Black: “Second-tier talent awakening can only be realized through life-and-death experiences; there are no shortcuts. Everything in the world is equal, including talents. The lower the grade, the easier it is to awaken; the higher it is, the more difficult. The difficulty of a second awakening for a C-grade talent is far less than for a B-grade… Those with A-grade talents who have awakened a second time have all gone through great trials and possess supreme talents…”
Upon hearing this, Su’en thought,
What about S-grade?
And two S-grades?