Something Seems to be Missing...

"Colors that cover everything?"

"Yes, respected Sublime One, I saw colors that are difficult to describe. They seemed to be the source of every flash of inspiration in the world; they encompass all things and cover all things."

"I can only see the parts that I am capable of seeing, but I intuitively feel that they still exist in the places I cannot see."

"Apologies, great Sublime One, my description may be inaccurate. It is a magnificent scene that is difficult to describe with my limited knowledge."

"Also, thank you for your gift. I have gained quite a bit of inspiration. I have discovered that my quiz game can be taken a step further. Simply using questions to cause their social death is too low-level. I should proceed step by step, adding enticements to the questions so that they can enjoy the fun of the quiz game while simultaneously suffering."

Cyril: ...(⊙_⊙;)...

Don't talk nonsense, I'm not taking the blame for this.

Unaccountably, he began to mourn in his heart for the holder of Arrodes within the Heart of Mechanics. He felt that Arrodes seemed to have awakened some strange things this time.

He suddenly didn't want to continue chatting with Arrodes. To end this quiz game as quickly as possible, he directly asked the question he had intended to ask at the beginning:

"Do you know what happened at the Blood Axe Gang's base?"

On the floor-length mirror, the rippling silver water suddenly became chaotic and fine, as if it had been interfered with. Arrodes was struggling against something.

Half a minute later, the rippling silver waves vanished, and bright red words that looked like dripping blood emerged:

"Apologies, respected Sublime One, there are many terrifying auras remaining there. Even much of the information within the Spirit World has been destroyed and affected. I cannot filter out what you need from it."

"However, I have made some other discoveries. Do you need to know them?"

Cyril nodded gently: "Speak."

Soon, new handwriting appeared on the mirror surface: "A portion of the residual auras there is very, very similar to you, but it also feels a bit different to me."

"Besides that, I also saw decay and desire. Each of these auras is very dangerous. The sense of crisis they give me even far exceeds that of the Seven Deities."

Cyril nodded with a calm expression: "I understand. What is your question?"

On the floor-length mirror, lines of silver words emerged cautiously: "This is compensation for my failure to answer your previous question; it does not count as a question."

"Apologies, great Sublime One, the people from the Church of Steam are almost at my main body. I cannot continue to stay here."

"If you have other questions, you can call my name again later, or draw a symbol like this on the mirror. As long as it is within the range of Backlund, I can see it and respond."

Cyril looked at the symbol on the mirror that blended concealment and peeping, and silently memorized it.

The symbol he had drawn on the mirror before couldn't be said to be wrong, but it was definitely wildly off the mark.

The symbol provided by Arrodes used peeping as the main body, with some distorted lines representing concealment added. The one he had drawn before had the focus completely reversed, using concealment as the main body.

After memorizing the symbol that could be used to contact Arrodes, Cyril nodded gently toward the mirror surface:

"That is all. You may leave."

"Arrodes takes its leave of you, great Sublime One."

A line of text briefly appeared on the mirror surface and then quickly vanished. At the same time, the cold feeling in the room receded, and the dark mirror surface once again reflected the scene in the room and Cyril's figure.

It feels like something is missing...

A moment later, Cyril realized with a start as he looked at himself in the mirror... it was the emojis!

Arrodes didn't use any emojis when talking to me, and although its attitude toward me was respectful, it wasn't a sycophant at all. Is it because I don't have the aura of the gray fog on me, so I can't enjoy the exclusive treatment Klein gets?

He paused, stopped thinking about this somewhat derailed train of thought, and turned to consider the issues revealed by Arrodes' words:

Was it subtly telling me at the end that the symbol drawn on the mirror was wrong, so my ability to contact Him actually relied on me whispering its name at the time?

What is this? If you keep thinking about something, there will be an echo?

That's a bit of a misuse of the phrase. It should be that my unintentional murmur at the time touched my own level, allowing my voice to be transmitted directly to its ears—er, does it have ears?

Arrodes didn't mention words like "pillar" or "dominator" just now, so even though my level has reached the level of an Old One, it hasn't reached the level of a pillar?

An aura of an Old One other than the "High-Dimensional Overseer" appeared at the Blood Axe Gang's base. Did He unite with an Outer Deity?

No, this involves His most important symbols. There are many among the Outer Deities who covet the authority and symbols of the "High-Dimensional Overseer." Asking for help with this kind of thing is an easy way to get yourself swallowed by others. It should be that He borrowed power belonging to other Old Ones.

With the barrier left by the Original Creator, the power He can infiltrate is extremely limited. In a situation where control is insufficient, it would instead become my nourishment. Therefore, He must use power mixed with other Old Ones; even if He fails to achieve His goal, I won't be able to obtain His power.

So what should I do now? Ask Adam for help? But I don't seem to be able to afford the price for the other party's assistance?

As these thoughts drifted, he turned his head to look at the rolled-up tablecloth on the desk by the window. There was still a portion of the "High-Dimensional Overseer's" power inside. He naturally didn't want to give it up, but he couldn't do anything about it either.

"A mission. If you can complete it, I will lend you a Sealed Artifact. It can help you separate the energy within the magical item."

Adam's voice suddenly rang out. Cyril hurriedly turned his head to look around, but did not see the other party's figure.

"This is just a virtual personality lingering in the mind. I have not come here myself."

Adam's voice continued to sound. This time he heard it clearly; the voice was coming from his own body.

Immediately, he looked at himself in the floor-length mirror. There was no change in his appearance.

After a moment of silence, he quickly reined in all the thoughts in his mind, thinking of nothing and guessing nothing.

There was no help for it; in front of such a powerful "Spectator," his thinking was completely transparent. Although doing this couldn't stop the other party from peeping into his mind, at least he had tried.

After a brief silence, he asked curiously: "What is the mission?"

The next second, a lifelike scroll in the form of a wanted poster appeared before him:

Above was a brown-haired, brown-eyed woman with deep-set features, carrying a fierce temperament mixed with a touch of affected daintiness. Her face was painted with heavy, gaudy makeup, and she was draped in numerous flashy accessories, creating a jarring, incongruous blend of a noble lady and a female bandit.

Below the portrait, lines of small Loen text introduced her identity:

Zoila Hernandez, leader of the Blood Axe Gang in the East District of Backlund, Sequence 8: Listener. She went insane after hearing voices from the starry sky and is currently missing, though it is confirmed she is still wandering around Backlund.

As his gaze swept over the text, Cyril quickly grasped a key point: "...heard voices from the starry sky?"

Adam's voice echoed leisurely in the depths of his mind: "You should be able to guess who it is. This mission is most suitable for you; drawn by fate, she will inevitably move toward you."

Rather than saying she is moving toward me drawn by fate, it would be more accurate to say that I am her target.

Unable to resist sighing inwardly, he immediately reined in his thoughts and asked aloud:

"No problem, I will complete this mission. However, may I have an advance on the reward for completing it?"

"I am only Sequence 9; accumulating more power will give me a better chance of completing the mission."

Adam's voice echoed leisurely: "You may."

Then, the portrait in front of him rapidly turned transparent and vanished. Immediately following, a cross ornament stained with verdigris emerged out of thin air.

Its style and characteristics were unlike anything from the nations of the Northern Continent in the Fifth Epoch, exuding an ancient charm. Several sharp spikes protruded from it, as if it had once pierced through someone.

"This is the Cross of Unlight. After absorbing blood, it can be used to cast purification, solar flares, and other spells of the Sun pathway at the demigod level."

"Due to the powerful and pure purification ability of this item, it repels contact with other mystical items and Beyonder characteristics. It cannot coexist on the same person, as it will purify anything that comes near it."

"You can use this property to slowly extract the power from that portrait!"