Exchange of Benefits

Iver actually didn't know the specific process of the advancement ritual.

This was mainly because the official version didn't have a Dream Realm map, and the player's experience during advancement wasn't complete. Among those necessary ritual materials, only a small number of one or two were slightly more expensive, and the rest were just extras.

As long as you gathered these materials, you could open a dungeon.

Before level 50, the advancement ritual opened into a nine-person dungeon, with only one spot for each Path. Then, these nine people wouldn't fight any mobs upon entering, and would directly fight a fairly easy random BOSS.

After completing the dungeon, all players would randomly be judged on whether they passed. The higher the level of the advancement dungeon, the greater the probability of failure. Without using additional materials to increase the success rate, the number of people who advanced during the full moon would be twice as many as during the new moon.

At the beginning, the success rate was quite high. When advancing from level 9 to the second level, six out of nine people could pass, and even in the new moon dungeon, three people could successfully advance; but as the level increased, advancement became more and more difficult. When advancing from level 49 to 50, only the full moon dungeon had a guaranteed minimum of one person passing. The new moon dungeon might even result in all nine people failing to advance.

The players were used to it.

It was like not getting the desired card when drawing. It was already considered a very normal thing.

From level 59 onwards, subsequent advancement dungeons were high-difficulty solo dungeons.

In version 6.0, the level cap for most Paths was opened to level 85. The Path of Authority, Equilibrium Path, and Path of Wisdom were the first to open to 90, while other Paths were unlocked sequentially. The final advancement from 89 to 90 was frighteningly difficult. As a result, although the level cap was opened to level 90, the vast majority of players were stuck at level 89. Only a few dalao who were both hardcore and willing to spend money, and who also had a hand-operated multiplier, could truly max out their levels.

It was estimated that the difficulty of passing previous Paths would only be lowered after the level 90 cap for all nine Paths was fully opened.

The official version had done this when the level 80 cap was previously opened.

However, although Iver didn't know how NPCs advanced, he could at least understand one thing.

That was that when NPCs advanced before level 50, they also had to match nine people of equal rank from different Paths in the Dream Realm. If nine people couldn't be gathered, the ritual couldn't be established—of course, low-level advancement rituals could definitely gather enough people.

When it was possible to gather enough people, priority would be given to grabbing the nine people closest to each other. If enough people couldn't be gathered locally, one or two would be grabbed from further away, keeping the distance between the nine people as short as possible.

According to the Path of Beauty's mystical texts' explanation of the advancement ritual, the advancement ritual was "prosperity with the full moon, loss with the new moon."

According to the dalao among the players, perhaps PVE was played during the full moon, and PVP was played on the day of the new moon. This could also explain why the success rate of the ritual was higher during the full moon.

And tomorrow was the full moon, a dungeon that required a certain degree of cooperation.

That meant that tomorrow Iver would enter the Dream Realm as a "Dedication Path." Sherlock was the Path of Wisdom.

The Equilibrium Path and Path of Authority should both be Avalon people. It was hard to say where the advancers of other Paths came from.

On the other side, after Sherlock exchanged pleasantries with Oswald for a while, he began to talk about business.

This thin man, with a somewhat lazy expression, seemingly unconcerned about anything, took out a black-covered book from his arms.

Sherlock handed the book over to the old butler upside down, with the title facing down, and said casually, "I'm just here to bring something to Iver for Mr. Kent."

"I thought that little girl with no sense of time would be doing this little thing."

Oswald obviously still remembered Hai Na being two hours late.

He handed the book to Iver, without looking at the name of the book himself.

This was Oswald's respect as a butler for his masters—since this book was a gift from the Bureau of Supervision to Iver, he wouldn't look at it.

Iver took the book and generously turned it over to look at its title.

Shepherd's Secret Covenant.

Also a secret covenant book. He didn't have any impression of the content.

But in terms of format, it should be an ancient art from the Dedication Path...

It's quite a good reward, Iver thought.

It's more like it's too generous—an ancient art that can be called a "Secret Covenant" is at least at the level of the Sacred Art of the Church. Only when Sherlock solves a major case for the Bureau of Supervision will the Bureau of Supervision give him a Secret Covenant book of the Path of Wisdom.

...You're giving me such a good reward for such a simple low-level dungeon?

Why don't you just beat me up? I'm a little uneasy holding this.

"Please open the book and take a look first, Mr. Iver. Confirm that you can open this book normally."

Sherlock's expression was flat and his tone was low. Like a government employee working overtime, he revealed a routine coldness: "If you can't open this book, then I will have to take it back to the Bureau of Supervision. Mr. Kent will give you another Secret Covenant book that you can open."

Hearing this, Iver flipped through it roughly.

Finding that he could indeed open it, he didn't pay attention to its contents, closed it first, and placed it on his lap.

And Sherlock, seeing that Iver had confirmed, gently took off his top hat.

"Hello, Mr. Iver."

At a faster pace than before, Sherlock routinely relayed, "Mr. Kent plans to hold an commendation meeting next Thursday. The location is the White Shoes Club in the Red Queen District, and the time is 5:30 in the evening. There will be a dinner after the commendation meeting.

"The nature of this commendation meeting is to give commendations 'in the Queen's name to outstanding supervisory personnel who have made outstanding contributions to eradicating evil' and to summarize the important events of this quarter. Mr. Kent invites you to attend. At that time, the Bureau of Supervision will award you a Crystal Cross Medal."

Hearing this, Iver immediately reacted.

—The Bureau of Supervision wants to ask me for help, and gave me a deposit in advance for fear that I would go back on my word.

What has happened recently that Iver can help with, and that only he can help with?

That's probably only the matter of Iver being in the newspaper today.

He independently solved such a big case, personally killed a dangerous wanted criminal, and even found and cleared a Noble Red Society contact point in Glass Island... The premise of him becoming a "hero" and a "celebrity" is based on the incompetence of the Bureau of Supervision.

After sealing up the Pelican Bar and conducting an in-depth investigation along this clue... the Bureau of Supervision can easily find that this is a transnational black market that has existed in Glass Island for a long time. Even if they are not transcendents, they often buy some contraband here, and even exchange top-secret information here.

If they can follow this clue from the Pelican Bar and start investigating... let alone small things like Demon Scholars and forbidden books of illegal Paths, they may even catch major cases such as smuggling, espionage, and treason.

But conversely, if they really start investigating along the Pelican Bar clue... then it is equivalent to slapping themselves in the face.

Such an important stronghold has not been discovered by the Bureau of Supervision under their noses for so long, but has become an almost public secret among the people, and has become an important market for people to trade illegal goods. In the end, this secret was even discovered by a college student who is not even a proper transcendent, a cripple in a wheelchair.

Then the Bureau of Supervision may be in trouble.

So Director Kent's meaning should be that he hopes that he can express his position—as long as he mentions at the commendation meeting that "he found the Pelican Bar incident was related to the Bureau of Supervision."

For this reason, he even gave Iver a rather valuable Secret Covenant book.

Not only that. As long as Iver takes this book, it is equivalent to accepting this commission.

It also means that Director Kent owes him a favor.

So, Iver thought for a while and showed a fox-like, ill-intentioned pleasant smile.

"—Supervisory personnel?"

He pretended to be confused, but he believed that both Sherlock and Oswald could understand what he meant: "But I'm just an ordinary person. I'm even a student in school."

Sherlock indeed understood what Iver was implying.

"That's not a problem."

He said without hesitation, "You aren't an official Supervisor, but even a student can become a consultant for the Bureau of Supervision. Just like me, you'd be registered with the Bureau. And there wouldn't be any substantial tasks, you'd only need to indicate that you're also a member of the Bureau at crucial moments. Afterwards, if you're interested in any incidents and want to participate in the investigation, you can join in with your consultant status."

Sherlock's words were very smooth. He had obviously recited Director Kent's original words directly.

With Sherlock's consultant status, being able to make such a promise directly to Iver clearly meant that Director Kent had considered Iver's reaction before Sherlock left.

The Director must have asked Hai Na in detail about Iver's personality, abilities, and what he wanted to do in advance.

When he realized that Iver was a smart man and not easy to fool, he immediately arranged more substantial benefits for Iver.

"Mr. Kent's original words were, 'This is a reward for your heroic actions, and also an advance appearance fee for inviting you to participate in the commendation meeting.'

"Of course, if you really don't want to attend, it doesn't matter. You can still accept the book, and I can refuse Mr. Kent on your behalf."

Sherlock put his top hat back on and pressed the brim down.

"—So, what's your answer?"

"Of course, I agree. Please tell the Director that I will attend on time."

Iver showed a gentle smile, but didn't mention the Shepherd's Secret Covenant at all.

It was only then that he truly understood the weight of his identity.

Now he wasn't a player without a background... he was Iver Moriarty.

While James was still alive and Avalon hadn't been destroyed, no one could swallow his achievements. No one could treat him as a tool to be used at will. As long as they wanted Iver's help, they had to exchange benefits with him and never take without giving back.

Immediately afterwards, Iver also realized another thing:

—Good kid.

So, when I was a player, these people secretly pocketed so many things!