Shapeshifting Kun Peng (Two-in-One)

The consultant was initially confused and didn't know what had happened.

Upon hearing that mocking laugh, Iver instantly calmed down upon seeing "Sherlock," rubbing his face and feigning sleepiness to justify his earlier lapse. "I'm still a little groggy... When I woke up, I thought I was dreaming..."

... You reacted pretty quickly.

Iver smiled slightly, praising him in his heart.

"It's just a pity," Iver said meaningfully, "This is not a dream, but reality."

—Unfortunately, this is a dream. And you are merely a figure within that dream, destined to vanish like a bubble when I awaken.

The advisor thought to himself sarcastically.

After calming down a bit, he realized what he needed to do.

The roar of war can be heard outside, and even in the secluded White Queen District, screams and cries can be heard – this is the Glass Island, the capital of Avalon!

Despite such a major incident, Oswald, the butler of the Iver household, did not appear to take him away. In fact, only he and Iver were present; everyone else had vanished without a trace... This could only mean one thing: they had all left Glass Island.

He may have lost some of his memory, or there may have been a problem with the ritual itself... either way is possible.

The consultants have also heard of special cases where the Promotion Ritual was interfered with, or the dream was disturbed by intruders, leading to accidents for the promoted individuals. This is why Drunken Dream Tincture is taken during promotions—if the dream lasts too long, or if the promoted individual's physical body is significantly affected in reality, the dream during the Promotion Ritual may become blurred.

But whatever the reason, it doesn't matter.

As a result, he lost the memory of one or several days.

Judging from the Golem outside, he probably lost more than just one day's worth of memories—perhaps the third day, or perhaps the fourth. Surviving the Golem... that's exactly the level of difficulty the Promotion Ritual set by the Lord of Scales and Feathers.

The fact that so many people left at the same time could only be to escort Isabel to the Theocracy!

The consultant's eyes flickered slightly, his mind racing as he analyzed the situation:

The fact that Sherlock was able to go to the Queen to inform her before the banquet began demonstrates his extreme loyalty to the royal family.

He has now been rescued by Shafiya, but he did not leave with the Princess... This can only mean that he has something to do while he is here.

Similarly, the same applies to Iver.

Although the advisors now possess top-secret intelligence, knowing that Iver and Princess Isabel's relationship is actually one of superficial harmony and mutual wariness, they clearly still trust each other deeply—otherwise, Princess Isabel would never have traveled to the Moriarty Manor at this time.

Rather than being enemies, they were more like rivals and friends.

Thinking about it this way, I'm actually a little envious of them. The consultant pursed his lips.

In this situation, the only reason Isabel would leave Iver and Sherlock here is to complete an important task that must be accomplished!

—Complete the Nation Protecting Ritual · Shadow of Avalon!

In that case, another problem arises...

The consultant looked at Iver, hesitant to speak.

He was cautiously considering how much "Sherlock" actually knew about this matter. If he had revealed something he shouldn't have known beforehand, or if there was something he had already said that he now didn't know, it would inevitably arouse Bishop Moriarty's suspicion...

Iver, seeing Sherlock suddenly fall silent, guessed what he was thinking.

So he very considerately passed a message to the consultant to ensure the conversation could continue smoothly—

With a serious expression, Iver said earnestly, "It seems we can't wait any longer. Even if the agreed time hasn't arrived yet, we must prepare for the ' Shadow of Avalon ' ritual in advance."

"If we wait until the Stibnite Person's army has complete control of Glass Island, it will become very difficult for us to take action."

--I see.

I already know this crucial information, but I'm not taking action yet because the time isn't right...

The consultant's eyes lit up, and he immediately grasped the current task progress.

Now there's only one question left.

Is "Olive," the transcendent being who Path of Transcendence, still alive? If he's dead, how can they find a Path of Transcendence being in Avalon who can gain Bishop Moriarty's trust and be considered controllable? Thinking this, "Sherlock" simply nodded. "As you wish, Your Excellency. What do you intend to do now?"

Just then, they seemed to hear some noise downstairs... and they also heard careful footsteps coming from upstairs.

—Are there still people here?

Iver and Sherlock both looked up at the building.

There stood an old man with white hair and a dignified face, as imposing as a lion. When he saw Iver and Sherlock, he paused, and his already furrowed brows furrowed even more.

That man was John Osborn.

One of the two Court Ritualist of Avalon, a colleague of Ibn's teacher.

He was also the only Court Ritualist the Avalon royal family before Ibn, a foreigner, was recruited by the Queen. Unlike Ibn, one could tell from his facial features and fair skin that this old man was a native of Avalon.

Without his presence... even Queen Sophia would never have dared to appoint a foreigner of unknown background as Court Ritualist.

In the Parthian Ancient Kingdom, the name "Ibn" could mean "son of someone," clearly a preposition within a string of names. Aside from indicating he was Parthians, the name offered no real distinguishing characteristics. The title "Ibn" was essentially equivalent to calling him a "Parthians"—a nickname.

According to Ibn himself, it was actually because when he first met the Scaleless Hand, his self-introduction was too long, so they didn't remember it and only remembered his "middle name, Ibn." Later, this became Ibn's new name in Avalon, and when Queen Sophia recruited him, she specifically sought him out because of "Ibn of the Scaleless Hand."

Osborn, like Ibn, was a Third Level superhuman—merely Ritual Mage, not yet Grand Wizard.

As a Ritual Mage, his appearance here at this moment, and his display of such surprise and hesitation...

The person playing "John Osborn" at this moment is probably none other than Ibn, codenamed "Olive"!

... Strange, why didn't he use his own body?

Is it because Ibn is no longer in Avalon in this Timeline?

As Iver thought to himself, he decided to test him and hint that he should not reveal his identity.

"Mr. Osborn, you're awake."

Iver nodded slightly to him and said politely, "I'm sorry, did I wake you? But I had to wake you anyway. It seems the Stibnite Person outside have already broken in. We must get to the Silver and Tin Palace as soon as possible to complete the Shadow of Avalon Ritual — Detective Hermes will assist us."

As he spoke, Iver introduced him to Sherlock: "This is Avalon's most reliable ritual master. I am quite familiar with him. We used to have a master-disciple relationship... We just invited him back last night. The ritual that Princess Isabel entrusted to us still needs to be performed by him."

Upon hearing this, Osborn immediately understood the identities of Iver and Sherlock, as well as the cause and effect of the matter.

The white-haired old man stroked his lion-mane-like beard, nodded slightly, and said solemnly, "I cannot be called number one. Compared to that ' Ibn ' sir, I am still far behind."

Upon hearing this, Iver almost burst out laughing.

He had to work very hard to keep a straight face and put on a serious expression.

Osborn came down the stairs and reached out his hand to Sherlock from a distance.

"Nice to meet you, Hermes the Great Detective."

The old ritual master said meaningfully, "I hope we can cooperate happily in the future—at least I hope to cooperate with you."

He guessed who Sherlock was, and at the same time realized that the other party definitely did not know Iver's true identity.

Otherwise, if they were all Ascended, there would be no need for such vague communication. Ascended individuals will not be punished if they only discuss matters outside of the ritual with each other in private, as long as it does not affect the "NPCs" or the rationality of the plot.

"Me too."

Upon hearing this, the advisor understood what the old ritual master meant.

—He was implying to me that he was Olive!

Thankfully, "Olive" came looking for them! The advisor breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that the ritual masters from the Parthian Ancient Kingdom still the most reliable.

If Olive is Demon Scholar or demon from Star Antimony, he's probably already acting alone...

The advisor then stepped forward, shook hands with the old ritual master with a smile, and subtly said, "I have long been ready to cooperate with you... I am even a little impatient."

The implication is that my Path of Rejection has not Path of Transcendence.

"—Then add me to the list."

Just then, a slightly cold but sufficiently calm voice came.

Iver looked in the direction the sound came from and saw another person.

He suddenly couldn't hold back anymore.

The man was dressed in a black formal suit, his hair was neatly styled, his expression was solemn and dignified, and he was holding a heavy cane.

He descended with impeccable manners, his steps light and steady. He bowed slightly to Iver and said softly, "It is truly a great trouble to take care of my brother Sherlock, Your Excellency. And the ritual master... We will protect your safety."

His voice was very soft and gentle, which made him appear very gentlemanly.

—But the problem is, this person's name should be "Mycroft Hermes".

Hearing the fat man's slow, polite, and gentle words, Iver felt goosebumps all over his body.

... Help, save my life.

How could Mycroft be so disgusting if he were speaking normally...

—I really want to expose Miss "Grape" directly! Iver only regrets that he is an Ascended One and has no ability to expose the abilities of other Ascended Ones.

Like him, "Olive" was also feeling unwell all over.

Ibn also knew Mycroft and what the fat man's usual style was like—generally speaking, very similar to Ms. Meg's casual attitude, and his daily actions were characterized by a three-pronged approach:

"None of my business," "None of your business," "I'm leaving if there's nothing else."

Now, this "Mycroft" looks like a polite, gentle, and well-behaved aristocratic young lady... even her usually messy and greasy hair is neatly combed. As if she has obsessive-compulsive disorder or a germaphobia, she makes herself clean and tidy in a very limited amount of time.

Iver even suspected that Grape might have used magic, like giving Mycroft a hair wash or something...

Olive guessed that Iver was keeping a facade, so he couldn't even hint to Mycroft that there was something wrong with his performance—if Iver saw through it all, then his lack of revelation would become suspicious. So, instead of revealing anything, both of them who knew Mycroft had to pretend that Miss Grape's performance was flawless.

Thinking about this, Iver felt fortunate.

Thank goodness, Sherlock didn't go with them into the ceremony.

But thinking about this, he suddenly felt a little regretful.

Because Iver really wanted Sherlock to see this scene.

Fortunately, Sherlock himself was completely unaware of any abnormalities in his "brother" persona, which existed only in the setting.

He merely frowned and scrutinized the other person, and soon seemed to discern their identity from some detail.

"Brother, come with me for a moment."

"Sherlock" said coldly to "Mycroft" and then pulled him away. Before leaving, he very politely Iver, "Your Excellency, please wait for us a moment."

After they left, Iver and Ibn exchanged a glance and sighed in unison.

What do you want?

Ibn lowered his voice and asked Iver, "You mean the Shadow of Avalon Ritual? Didn't you say there was something wrong with that ritual?"

Iver shook his head slightly. "Let's talk outside. Let me first tell you what this ceremony requires and how it should be performed."

So Iver relayed the information he had received from Isabel to Old Ibn.

The consultant and the grapes returned quickly.

Iver's voice returned to normal. "Is the Queen's Blood with you?"

"Yes, I brought it with me. I carry it with me at all times now."

"Then it's up to you... I will pray for and heal everyone."

Looking at the returning advisor and Grape, Iver nodded slightly and said solemnly, "I'll pray for everyone now, and then we'll set off. I have a bad feeling; we'd better not waste too much time."

"Whom do you intend to pray to?"

Just then, the consultant suddenly spoke up and asked a question.

"Naturally, I'll be the candle keeper," Iver replied.

Sherlock stroked his chin, his expression serious. "It's very dangerous outside right now. Just getting close to the Silver and Tin Palace might be difficult. In this situation, we might need the protection of the Path of Adaptation even more..."

"If possible, please ask Your Excellency to pray to the Lord of Scales and Feathers."

For some reason, after meeting with Grape, the consultant suddenly began to have doubts about Iver's identity.

This Promotion Ritual was entirely overseen by the Lord of Scales and Feathers —meaning He is most likely watching them right now. An ordinary priest wouldn't dare pray to Him at this moment. It would be as audacious as a student suddenly asking the proctor for their contact information during an exam, chatting as if no one else was around.

While not dangerous, it was at least disrespectful—priests typically held the Nine Pillar Gods in awe. And only those who had ascended knew that the Lord of Scales and Feathers was watching them.

Clearly, the advisor's suspicions were not deep.

However, his probing was meaningless to Iver, who had already prayed to the Lord of Iver Lord of Scales and Feathers.

"No problem."

Iver nodded, readily agreeing, "You're right... We should indeed pray to the Lord of Scales and Feathers at times like this."

His idea was simple.

Regardless of whether there was any unexpected event during this Promotion Ritual... in Promotion Ritual personally constructed by the Lord of Scales and Feathers, even if an unexpected event occurred, it would certainly be within His expectations.

The Path of Adaptation, controlled by the Lord of Scales and Feathers, includes two lineages: Prophet and Astrologer, both capable of foreseeing the future. The Lord of Scales and Feathers himself possesses the ability to glimpse the future. If he can see the future, then their current predicament is First Ring the Promotion Ritual.

It's even possible that their mission was determined based on the "altered Promotion Ritual"! Whether it's "the heart is the sanctuary" or rescuing Sherlock, both are closely related to their current actions.

It was because Iver saved Sherlock and killed Minister Drost that they were able to gather together at this time; Isabel also completed her task, fabricating a false "history" and making everyone believe it, which allowed her to come here to see Iver.

Therefore, she had the opportunity to let "Sherlock" know about the Shadow of Avalon Ritual, thus allowing the advisor to stay here.

From this perspective, whatever they thought or did was within the Lord of Scales and Feathers's expectations. He didn't design "enemies that would chase after them everywhere," but rather anticipated the Ascended Ones' every move from the very beginning, and thus planted enemies in advance along their inevitable path.

Therefore, even Iver's prayer at this moment should be within His expectations—

Iver asked Ibn for a pinch of Grandmother dust.

His left hand clutched the gem dust, while his right hand lightly touched his forehead, eyes, nose, mouth, throat, and heart once each. Then, Iver placed his right hand on the back of his left fist and loudly chanted, "I beseech the Lord of Scales and Feathers— "

As he spoke, he turned his hand over and opened it.

The powder hissed and turned into green smoke, rising up and enveloping everyone.

Iver's voice gradually lowered. "The god of the Sacred Number six, the God of Scaled Feathers, the god with a thousand garments and myriad appearances... the Shapeshifting Kun Peng!"

"Please grant us the ability to conceal ourselves, so that we may travel to our destination undetected!"

The four of them immediately concealed themselves.

It's not completely invisible; if you move around in bright light, you can still see some distortion and blurring with the naked eye. But it's sufficient for use at night when there's not enough light.

Iver's voice was also distorted by the blessing he received through prayer, becoming hoarse and indistinct. "The group invisibility will last for three hours. Everyone, go and pack what you need. Meet at the door in five minutes."

"The outside area is probably already blocked by the Stibium Army. We need to cross the blocked area, first go to the Silver and Tin Palace to get our things, and then go to the St. Genevieve Chapel."

In order to complete the Shadow of Avalon Ritual, the elven dagger that was separated from the holy sword "Arondight" and hung in the Queen's bedroom is essential.

But when Iver went there before, he didn't see it, so it must have been hidden somewhere else.

However, a new question arose in Iver's mind after thinking about this—

He remembered that the other Arondight had apparently been stolen by Vivian and hidden on Hai Na. Later, it mysteriously disappeared... perhaps someone took it, or perhaps it melted into Hai Na's body. In any case, it wasn't in the foundation of the Shadow of Avalon ritual at all, directly causing the ritual error that brought down the Shadow Angel.

... So here's the question.

Now that he's holding the Shadow of Avalon Ritual at this time, what exactly will he bring down? And where is the other Arondight now?

In this timeline, Iver has no desire to surpass, so could there be Hai Na?

... If Hai Na exists, wouldn't it be like they just pulled Hai Na soul over directly? And if in this timeline where Iver lacks the desire to transcend, Hai Na doesn't even exist...

"That would be a big problem," Iver murmured.