Twisted Language

In a daze, Aaron saw the endless darkness before his eyes again. However, this darkness was fleeting, seemingly just a formality.

What followed was a strange realization.

This feeling was peculiar, as if it were an ability he had learned since birth.

And now, he had simply opened a dusty treasure chest and taken out a dust-covered item.

When he brushed away the ancient dust, the sight that met his eyes was still vibrant colors.

[Dream Speech: Twisted Language. Can store up to three uses, with one use recovered per sleep. Effect: Forcefully instills unknown transcendent information into the target, causing their speech to become nonsensical for a period of time.]

Huh?

Aaron stared, dumbfounded, and instinctively rubbed his eyes to confirm. For a moment, he didn't know what to say.

This skill, simply put... makes people talk in their sleep?

System, what are you doing?

Do you think this is funny?

Although Aaron had a mouthful of unspoken complaints, he couldn't actually spit them out.

The system's presence was minimal. As long as it gave him abilities, it was functioning normally. He didn't dare to hope for a chance to start over.

Aaron could only frown and accept this fact.

Regardless, this was at least the first transcendent ability he had acquired.

Even though it felt a bit ridiculous...

But when he came back to his senses, he found that the many transcendent individuals present were all looking at him quietly, their expressions varied.

Aaron was somewhat bewildered, but he accidentally met Siosand's gaze. He felt as if Siosand had witnessed some transcendent phenomenon, his eyes filled with disbelief.

What's going on?

What happened to me?

Why is everyone looking at me?

Aaron scratched his head, a triple wave of confusion washing over him.

"He didn't advance..."

Sart, at this moment, didn't know whether to feel relieved or regretful.

According to the records of the Star Tower, no one had ever been able to complete an advancement within a single night.

If Aaron could achieve it, it would mean he would be recorded in history, and they would become witnesses to this historical event.

However, he could feel the strong aura of the Dream Realm around Aaron dissipating, but it hadn't condensed into a Bronze card unique to him.

This meant his advancement had failed; he hadn't fully found his own path to utilize transcendent power.

A successful advancement didn't necessarily mean it was suitable. Multiple failures were, in a way, a form of selection.

In a sense, advancing from Black Iron to Bronze was merely the transcendent's attempt to find a suitable transcendent path. At this stage, advancement did not carry any backlash.

Thinking this, Sart walked to Aaron's side, gently patted his shoulder, and said hesitantly, "Don't rush about the advancement..."

Lord Bals coughed, interrupting Sart's words. "Master Sart, perhaps we should depart. The sky is about to brighten."

Although the sky had not yet turned white, it was already the deepest part of the night, the last darkness before dawn.

They stood on the empty street, surrounded by attendants holding torches silently. Occasional sparks made the street appear even more silent.

Bals looked down at the dark sewer and said, "I will go down first. If the cultists have already sensed our presence, then our time is likely short."

"Then, Lord City Lord, what about your subordinates?" Aaron asked nonchalantly.

At this point, why was Bals still like a lone commander?

As a transcendent of the Gold Tier, Holy Grail Path, why didn't he have any transcendent beings around him?

At least, Aaron could tell from the clothes of the surrounding guards that they were just ordinary people.

"My subordinates are still investigating this matter, and they also need to guard several key locations. I need to prevent the cultists from sneaking away from other places," Bals said unhurriedly. "In fact, the sewer beneath our feet has three layers and is quite complex. Without guidance, it would be almost impossible for us to find this deliberately hidden cultist."

As he spoke, his iron arm emitted a bright white light, and he was the first to climb down the rusty iron ladder.

Ed was about to follow when Alice grabbed him. "Ed, you stay on the ground."

"Miss?" Ed frowned, somewhat confused.

"Your role on the ground will be greater than if you went into this filthy sewer with us," Alice said, glancing at the surrounding guards intentionally or unintentionally. "If you feel something is wrong, report it to the merchant guild immediately."

The House of Iris was unrivaled throughout the Yagrant Kingdom. They would naturally not give up the immense profits from Badipila for nothing. They had also established a branch of the Iris Merchant Guild in Leyden City, responsible for handling various goods transferred from Leyden City.

As the publicly acknowledged heir of the House of Iris, Alice naturally had the confidence to request reinforcements from her family.

In fact, she had politely declined the suggestion of the branch's guild master, Degas, stating that she did not require additional protection.

In Alice's words, "True irises do not fear any wind or rain; challenges only become their nourishment."

Ed, using the torchlight, caught Alice's unspoken subtext, nodded silently, and then looked at Aaron.

"He will act with us," Sart said directly, glancing at Alice, and then deliberately looking at Siosand.

Siosand nodded, somewhat dejectedly, and casually sized Aaron up.

Unexpectedly, Aaron didn't see any hostility in the eyes of Siosand, who looked like a villain. He only saw a hint of existential doubt, as if Siosand were scrutinizing him, which made him feel a bit unnerved.

"If you encounter any unusual situations, extinguish your torches immediately," Alice casually said to the surrounding guards, then slowly descended the iron ladder, holding her torch.

Watching Alice's torch gradually grow smaller, Ed surveyed the attendants around him and said in a low voice, "Then I'll entrust the young lady to you all."

Without waiting for Sart's response, he quickly left the crowd, holding his torch and walking toward the distance.

The young lady could encounter danger at any moment in the sewers. He had to contact the family immediately; this was related to the entire family's plan and couldn't afford any delay.

As events unfolded, he realized the situation was gradually exceeding his expectations.

Not only did it involve a Silver Tier heretical cultist, but even a Gold Tier city lord had personally entered the fray. This was not a good sign.

Siosand looked up at the sky, gave a small yawn, and gently nudged Aaron. "Let's go."

"What exactly is your relationship with Sart?" Aaron hesitated for a long time before finally asking the question.

"Him?" Siosand curled his lip. "He's my senior, that's all."

"But you seem..."

"To look down on him?"

Siosand finished Aaron's sentence for him.

"Yes."

"How do you think you would face someone who stole the thing you wanted the most?"

Siosand slanted his eyes, looking provocatively at Sart, who seemed to want to say something but stopped himself.

The demeanor of the two immediately made Aaron imagine countless dramatic plotlines.

"That's enough, Siosand. You know, that was just a rumor," Sart said with a grim face.

"But what if it wasn't?" Siosand's tone was ambiguous. "Respected..."

He saw the anger in Sart's eyes and, acting as if nothing had happened, swallowed the rest of his sentence.

There's a test push today!!!!

Go for it!!!!

TAT (Although there are only three updates, I don't have much confidence... Recommended in the afternoon...)