Cyril and Hermes's quiet conversation did not last long. Adam, who had been sitting silently beneath the massive cross at the very front, suddenly announced the start of the gathering.
Prompted by Hermes beside him, Cyril rose and bowed to Adam, then they nodded to each other in greeting.
So even a massive secret organization like the Twilight Hermit Order had procedures like this!
The thought flashed through his mind, but the next second, Cyril forcibly cleared all his thoughts, refusing to let his mind wander or complain internally.
There were far too many high-Sequence "Spectators" here. Even if they restrained themselves, some powerful "Spectators" could still read others' true thoughts through microexpressions without using Beyonder Abilities.
Just as he reined in his thoughts, Adam's gentle voice sounded. "As a newcomer, you have one chance to view the Blasphemy Slate."
The moment Adam finished speaking, a dark stone slate covered in mysterious patterns materialized out of thin air and floated before him.
The patterns on the slate writhed like living creatures. With just one glance, a vast amount of information flooded Cyril's mind, leaving him briefly dazed.
The next second, Hermes's voice suddenly rang out beside him, pulling him back from his daze:
"Start by looking at what you need most. The newcomer benefit does not last long."
Regaining his senses, Cyril had no time to thank him. He immediately focused on the Blasphemy Slate again, searching for and memorizing the potion formulas for the Door Pathway that he needed most.
Sequence 9: Apprentice
Sequence 8: Trickmaster
Sequence 7: Astrologer
Sequence 6: Scribe
Main ingredients: One complete Asman brain, a cursed object of an Ancient Wraith.
Supplementary ingredients: Three diary pages more than twenty-two years old, 10 milliliters of mercury, 10 drops of Honeysuckle Essential Oil, and 30 milliliters each of seawater, lake water, and glacial water.
Sequence 5: Traveler
Main ingredients: One Siskun magic worm, one Shadowless Demon Wolf heart.
Supplementary ingredients: 10 grams of powder left behind by a trapped ghost, 10 grams of lemon balm powder...
Before he could finish reading all the supplementary ingredients, the Blasphemy Slate before him abruptly vanished.
No, I wasn't done yet. I was so close...
He instinctively reached out and grabbed at the air before him, then awkwardly withdrew his hand.
Noticing his disappointment, Hermes consoled him, "This is only a newcomer benefit. Although the time is short, it is enough to obtain the potion formula for your next Sequence."
"If you want more time to view the Blasphemy Slate, you will need to make contributions to us in exchange."
Cyril nodded with a bitter smile. "My strength does not seem sufficient for me to make many contributions."
A middle-aged woman seated diagonally across from him, with gentle features, little adornment, and an ever-resolute expression, chuckled softly and said:
"The Twilight Hermit Order reaches into every country, tribe, and social class across the Northern and Southern Continents and the Five Seas. Although our goal is grand, not everything we do is as lofty as you imagine."
"Interfering with the course of history and steering the tide of the era toward its intended destination naturally requires a great accumulation of events and time. Although we have already accomplished most of it, the further we go, the more matters there are, and the more meticulous we must be."
"Therefore, there are many details that even a Sequence 9 can take part in. And since you have joined the Twilight Hermit Order, you will inevitably advance rapidly for a time, until you reach a bottleneck."
Cyril lightly nodded in thanks to the woman across from him who had answered his question. "I understand. Thank you for the reminder."
Seeing that their exchange had ended, Adam finally spoke leisurely. "Begin."
After saying that, he clasped the silver cross pendant before his chest with both hands and began praying silently again, looking every bit the observer.
With Adam's signal, the Twilight Hermit Order gathering officially began.
The first to speak was the middle-aged woman who had just answered Cyril's question:
"Feynapotter has seen no changes in the past half year. Just as we initially predicted, as one of the relatively weak nations of the Northern Continent and a country that believes in Mother Earth, it is difficult for war to begin there."
"However, we have been strengthening our contact with the Feysac Empire over the years. Coupled with the special relationship between Mother Earth and the God of Combat, if Feysac starts a war, Feynapotter will inevitably follow."
The young man seated beside her commented with little expression, "At the level of the Seven Deities, interests outweigh family ties."
Cyril nodded in agreement inwardly. Especially since Mother Earth was not even the God of Combat's biological mother—not even a stepmother.
The meeting proceeded quickly. Most topics were either brushed aside or decided upon in just a few sentences.
Cyril did not speak from beginning to end. He sat quietly to one side, listening intently, yet feeling thoroughly lost.
Although he had a basic understanding of the Northern and Southern Continents and the Five Seas in this world, once specific details were involved, he was in the dark. As a result, much of the discussion left him confused.
Even regarding the Northern Continent, which he knew best, most of his knowledge was limited to Loen. Therefore, for most of the time, he could only force himself to memorize the contents, intending to study them carefully after returning.
As the gathering neared its end, he finally heard something familiar: a proposal from a high-ranking member of the Psychology Alchemists to assassinate Duke Negan.
"To start a war, the conservative faction within the kingdom must first be weakened. The most suitable target in the Loen Kingdom is Prime Minister Aguesid Negan's elder brother, Pallas Negan."
"He is also one of the representatives of the Church of the Lord of Storms in the kingdom's political sphere. He carries enough weight, but not enough to damage Loen's national strength or cause certain irreparable consequences."
His proposal was swiftly approved by most members, and an executor was selected: a pirate admiral, Vice Admiral Hurricane Qilangos.
He looked to be around thirty. His features were rugged, bearing obvious traces of years spent drifting at sea. His broad jaw was an especially striking trait. He had dark green eyes, and his brown hair was tied at the back in the bun of an ancient warrior.
Cyril's gaze discreetly swept over the man's right hand. There was an inconspicuous leather glove there. Clearly, it was Creeping Hunger, which would later have its meals docked for a long time before ultimately becoming Amon's toy.
After a brief glance, Cyril shifted his gaze toward the Twilight Hermit Order member who had proposed assassinating Duke Negan.
The man was a well-dressed gentleman, his hair neatly combed back. His pale yellow eyebrows were long, faint wrinkles lined his forehead, and his face had an unnatural pallor.
After memorizing his features, Cyril withdrew his gaze. This man was most likely the president of the Psychology Alchemists, a Saint of the Spectator Pathway. He was not only sensitive to gazes, but could also easily read microexpressions. It was best not to interact with people like him.
At the same time Cyril withdrew his gaze, the other man looked over as well, wearing a polite and gentle smile.
Cyril returned the smile. He felt that the man was most likely showing goodwill because he had seen Cyril speaking with Hermes earlier.
As a Beyonder organization established through excavating relics left behind by Hermes, Cyril believed that Hermes had most likely guided the man into joining the Twilight Hermit Order as well, so that they could more easily infiltrate and influence the Loen Kingdom's political circles.
After confirming the operation to assassinate Duke Negan, the group discussed several more issues concerning the advancement of legislative reforms in various countries. Then, with Adam's tacit approval, they concluded the meeting discussion and moved on to trading materials and information.
After quietly observing for a while and understanding the trading process, Cyril took the opportunity to state his own needs:
"I need some Beyonder materials. They are all low-Sequence materials, but relatively rare."
"A Spirit Eater's stomach pouch, Deep Sea Spearfish blood, Lava Octopus blood, and Star Crystal."
The first items were the main ingredients for the Trickmaster potion he needed, while the latter were the main ingredients for the Seer potion, which he could sell directly to Owen.
After all, he had gotten three potion formulas and a complete set of Apprentice potion ingredients from Owen for free. Giving some appropriate positive feedback would make it easier to keep getting things for free in the future—ah, trading.
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