Chapter 43: Advancement to [War Overseer], the Gray Mist Returns - My Settings Override Yours!

Investigation commission?

Ron raised an eyebrow and carefully examined the gaunt man before him.

Ron raised his eyebrows and carefully examined the gaunt man before him.

Looking closely at his appearance and sensing that chill, Ron understood exactly what he was. Clearly, he was a Beyonder of the [Death] sequence!

When Ron had first consumed the "Gravekeeper" Potion, the overwhelming corruption and loss of control had turned him deathly pale, like a corpse.

Yet the gaunt man before him looked far more terrifying than Ron had back then.

Sequence 8? Or Sequence 7?

Ron studied the man with interest, while Idrila beside him froze, seemingly somewhat surprised.

"Are you—Father Harvey?"

It seemed he really was from the Lost Church, and apparently not an insignificant figure. Ron pondered this as Father Harvey gave a stiff nod and said:

"It is me. You should understand that I do possess the Potion formula for [Death] Sequence 7. Even if the transaction is not conducted within the Society, I can guarantee that I can afford this payment."

"Now, are you willing to accept my investigation commission? If you are, come with me now. I will take you to the Lost Church." "This—" Idrila hesitated. "But you have not told me what exactly you want investigated—"

"..."

Father Harvey was visibly stunned. He fell silent for a moment, seemingly arranging his words.

Father Harvey was clearly startled. He fell silent for a moment, seemingly organizing his words:

Only then did his speaking speed return to normal as he said coldly:

"A [Gravekeeper] reported to me that a pit from which Corpse Shells crawl had suddenly appeared in the cemetery under his watch.

"After activating Magic Vision, he could clearly see that the tomb had been thoroughly contaminated by death magic power."

"After activating Magic Vision, one could clearly see that the tomb had been thoroughly contaminated by the power of death magic."

"But I alone am not enough. As a Beyonder of the [Death] sequence, I lack recovery methods. I need you, a [War Chaplain], to provide logistical support."

Logistical support?

Idrila gave the icy Father Harvey a suspicious look, feeling that something was off.

The Truth Society, the Scorched Earth Sanctuary, and the Lost Church—these three churches blessed by true gods maintained the stability of Evening Bell City. What they relied upon was not merely their status as orthodox god churches.

Strength—strength was the foundation of these three churches' status in Evening Bell City.

Whether it was President Elvis, Father Suul, or Father Harvey, all of them had reached Sequence 7 and were the strongest Beyonders openly known in all of Evening Bell City.

And now, a Sequence 7 was so urgently asking her, a Sequence 8, to explore a magical tomb from which even a Sequence 7 could not claim to emerge unscathed. What he truly wanted was definitely not this!

However, after glancing at Ron beside her, Idrila ultimately made up her mind.

Even if Father Harvey did not merely need her help exploring the so-called magical tomb and had some other objective, it would be fine as long as she received the payment.

After all, she did not think Father Harvey would harm her—in Evening Bell City, there were not many people with the backing of two orthodox god churches like Idrila.

Although Father Suul was currently preparing to sacrifice her, no outsiders knew that apart from President Elvis.

To others, Idrila was not only the sole nun of the Scorched Earth Sanctuary's Evening Bell City church, but also an honorary member of the Truth Society. Even Father Harvey would have to think carefully about whether he could bear the wrath of the other two churches if he tried anything against her.

As Idrila pondered and prepared to agree to Father Harvey's request, Ron's voice sounded beside her.

Idrila was thinking about agreeing to Father Harvey's request when she heard Ron's voice beside her:

Ron smiled and accepted the commission on Idrila's behalf, while also postponing the timing.

Ron smiled and accepted the commission on Idrila's behalf, but also postponed its start:

"...It will not."

Father Harvey gave Ron a deep look, then cast a cold glance at Idrila and said concisely:

Father Harvey gave Ron a long, deep look, then cast a cold glance at Idrila before saying concisely:

With that, he flicked his black robe and slowly departed, step by step.

Watching Father Harvey leave, Ron quietly asked Idrila:

As he watched Father Harvey leave, Ron whispered to Idrila:

"A grudge?"

Idrila was clearly stunned, her face full of confusion.

Idrila was clearly stunned, her face full of confusion:

"Although Father Harvey obviously lied, and perhaps does not truly need me to help investigate some magical tomb, that should have nothing to do with whether he bears me any hatred..."

As Idrila spoke, she could not help sighing helplessly.

"After all, I have not left the tower in a long time. Before this, I had only met Father Harvey once—"

That was true.

Ron had to admit that Idrila's words made sense. She had been trapped by Father Suul for so long, and had only met Father Harvey once before. There clearly should not have been any enmity between them.

But Ron also trusted his own judgment.

After struggling for so long at the bottom of Ideal City, Ron's ability to read people was far better than that of ordinary people.

The experience of two lifetimes had honed his skills. At the very least, he was certain that Father Harvey had displayed obvious hostility toward Idrila just now. That hostility had targeted only Idrila and had not fallen upon Ron at all, allowing Ron to determine that it was not because they wished to seize the [Death] Sequence 7 Potion formula.

During his casual conversation with Charles and Idrila today, Ron had learned quite a bit of relatively unimportant mysticism knowledge.

The introduction to the setting of [Age of Gods Remnant] had mentioned that loading it granted the ability to bear supernatural characteristics, allowing one to consume Potions and become a Beyonder.

Charles and Idrila had also spoken about "supernatural characteristics."

They said that if a Beyonder died, the Potion's power would not vanish with their death. Instead, it would precipitate from their blood and condense into supernatural characteristics.

If these supernatural characteristics were not handled, they would merge into nearby objects after a certain time, turning them into contained artifacts—like the mask Father Suul had taken out.

If handled properly and isolated immediately after precipitation, however, they could be used as the primary ingredient for a Potion of the corresponding sequence to make a new Potion.

In other words, even if Father Harvey truly became an enemy, Ron could kill him and use the supernatural characteristics on him to create a [Death] Sequence 7 Potion, thereby advancing to Lv.3!

At that point, because he possessed the primary ingredient, he could even use the magic book to directly learn the Potion formula.

Ron did not believe that he and Idrila, as they currently were, could take down a Beyonder who had been Sequence 7 for a long time without paying any price. Moreover, even if they had enough power now, they could not kill Father Harvey without cause.

The Potion Era was not a lawless society. If Ron truly did that, he would likely draw the pursuit of all the orthodox god factions in Evening Bell City, along with the official organizations of the Fran Empire. At least for now, he still wanted to be a law-abiding good person.

They only needed to prepare themselves to defeat Father Harvey. Better yet, if they waited until President Elvis returned, they would have someone capable of protecting their lives.

That way, whether Father Harvey truly tore off the mask and fought Ron and Idrila to the death, or whether he genuinely only wished to invite them to complete a commission and was not truly hostile, Ron could handle it calmly and obtain an opportunity to advance to Sequence 7.

As he thought this over, he asked Idrila:

"Do you know whether Father Harvey has any special abilities? Or any exceptionally powerful contained artifacts?"

"Probably not. Father Suul's mask remained in Evening Bell City only because of special circumstances. It is impossible for anyone else here to possess such a contained artifact. Father Harvey is merely an ordinary Sequence 7 Beyonder."

Idrila shook her head and looked at Ron.

Ron nodded. "Prepare for the worst—he is clearly hostile toward you, so a battle may be unavoidable."

"But I cannot give up this chance to obtain a [Death] Sequence 7 Potion. We must resolve his commission—"

"I see." Idrila was clearly hesitant, but eventually nodded, trusting Ron's judgment.

"Then I will listen to you, Mr. Ron."

"However, defeating Father Harvey may be difficult." Her tone carried some helplessness. "Although I know that you have that person's blessing and can temporarily unleash power comparable to a Sequence 7 Beyonder, he is still a priest of the Lost Church."

"The Lost Church will certainly have some contained artifacts under his control. Even if they cannot be as terrifying as that mask, they would still be enough to make him surpass an ordinary Sequence 7."

"If we truly become enemies, the two of us, as Sequence 8s, may not be enough to defeat him."

Although Idrila had put it tactfully, Ron could clearly understand what she meant. Two Sequence 8s wanted to defeat a Sequence 7 carrying contained artifacts? What a joke!

Ron actually thought the same way.

After learning of the existence of contained artifacts, even Ron at his peak, able to temporarily become Lv.3 through the "Ability Amplifier," would not recklessly fight a Beyonder whose abilities he knew nothing about by himself.

Ron actually thought the same way.

"Who told you that both of us are only Sequence 8?"

"If I remember correctly, you have remained at Sequence 8 for a long time. You have been a [War Chaplain] for quite a while, have you not?"

Ron curled his lips into a smile and pointed at the Society Codex floating above the round table.

"I only caught a glimpse of it earlier, but I saw the Potion ingredients for [War Overseer]—"

"Have you not considered taking advantage of this salon to gather the ingredients for a [War Overseer] Potion and advance?"

Advance to [War Overseer]?

"Have you not considered taking advantage of this salon to gather the ingredients for a War Overseer Potion and advance?"

Right. Why had she not considered advancing to [War Overseer]?

She had already been a [War Chaplain] for ten years!

She had become a [War Chaplain] when she was only eleven. She did not even know how long ago she had fully digested the Potion.

But because she had no merits, and because the Potion formulas of the [War] sequence were not circulated outside, she had been unable to advance for a full ten years, wasting away until now.

And now, both the Potion's primary ingredients and its formula were in her hands. She also had what could be considered an enormous amount of academic points in the Truth Society. Theoretically, as long as she wished it, she could immediately gather the Potion ingredients and make a [War Overseer] Potion!

Why had she not considered advancing herself?

And now, both the Potion's primary ingredients and its formula were in her hands. She also had what could be considered an enormous amount of Academic Points in the Truth Society. Theoretically, as long as she wished it, she could immediately gather the Potion ingredients and make a War Overseer Potion!

She touched the Society Codex with her spirituality, and names of ingredients appeared before her one after another. Before long, she selected the materials she needed.

"Fortunately, creations of Hundred-Battle Heroic Spirits are not rare. Anyone can encounter such supernatural creatures in battlefield ruins. Sometimes, one does not even need to kill them to find weapons they have left behind."

She murmured to herself, swiftly completing the transaction. She returned to Ron with a battered, rust-covered banner and a pure-black serrated blade of grass.

During that time, Ron carefully examined the Society Codex and found that there was nothing particularly useful to him at this gathering.

Still, he stopped Idrila and asked her to purchase a [Life] Sequence 9 "Apothecary" Potion formula for him.

During that time, Ron carefully examined the Society Codex and found that there was nothing particularly useful to him at this gathering.

Unfortunately, for some strange reason, Ron could not find a single primary ingredient for an [Apothecary] Potion throughout the entire gathering. He could only temporarily seal away the Potion formula, ending the transactions of this secret gathering early with Idrila and returning to her room.

After returning, Idrila did not waste any time. She immediately took out the Minotaur's heart and, according to the Potion formula, pierced it directly with the shaft of the rusted military banner. In an instant, crimson patterns appeared across the Minotaur's heart and extended along the banner pole, flickering with faint light.

Drop after drop of blood stained with an iron-rust hue flowed down the banner pole and fell into a beaker containing 300 milliliters of pure water, spreading through it in an orange-red color like the evening glow.

The [War Overseer] Potion required an entire day to drain all the blood from the Minotaur's heart. This was Idrila's first chance to advance in ten years, and she took it extremely seriously, sitting there and waiting for an entire day.

It was almost as though she feared someone would break in and steal her Potion ingredients. But putting himself in her shoes, if preparing the ingredients for a [Death] Sequence 7 Potion also required an entire day, Ron would stare at those ingredients without moving as well.

Who would not treat their opportunity for advancement cautiously?

Ron had nothing else to do, so he simply stayed with Idrila, preparing to protect her as she drank the Potion and advanced to become a Sequence 7 [War Overseer].

A day soon passed. Ron yawned and saw that the Minotaur's heart had finally stopped beating.

Ron had nothing else to do, so he simply stayed with Idrila, preparing to protect her as she drank the Potion and advanced to become a Sequence 7 [War Overseer].

A day quickly passed. Ron yawned and saw that the Minotaur's Heart had finally stopped beating.

Idrila carefully cut off a small section of Night Shadow Grass, weighed it, and only placed it in the beaker after confirming that it was the standard 15 grams.

Then, enduring the pain, she cut open her palm and measured out 35 milliliters of blood, dripping it into the mixture.

Idrila carefully cut off a small section of the Night Shadow Grass. Only after weighing it and confirming that it was the standard 15 grams did she place it in the beaker.

Shadows resembling striking weapons emerged within the murky orange-red mixture. The liquid in the beaker began to leap about violently, and rust-colored droplets sprang restlessly from its surface.

Idrila did not hesitate. She brought the Potion to her lips, tipped back her head, and drank it all.

The next moment, it was as though blades and steel spears appeared out of nowhere.

Dozens of wounds suddenly opened across Idrila's body, blood spraying out as though someone intended to slice her into pieces. Yet she shut her eyes tightly and furrowed her brow. Before long, the wounds slowly healed and vanished as if they had never appeared.

It seemed she had succeeded?

Ron watched Idrila's advancement with interest. In his Magic Vision, the magic power around her was rapidly rising, and its radiance was growing ever brighter. But at that moment—

Vaguely, a hazy gray mist flowed in from outside the door, transforming into a sharp arrow that shot toward Idrila at extreme speed!

If Ron had not decided to protect Idrila while she drank the Potion and kept his Magic Vision active to observe her advancement, he would not have been able to notice that arrow!

What was that?!

Wait, could it be the thing that had influenced Idrila before—

Remembering the gray mist that had controlled Idrila and, even after being erased by [Fantasy Dissolution], had transformed into a lance and stabbed toward him, Ron did not hesitate to reach out before the gray arrow and load [Fantasy Dissolution]—


["Setting: Fantasy Dissolution" was eroded by an extreme excess of "Mysticism Influence"!]

[Characteristic Damage: 75%]

The next moment, he immediately felt dizzy. The arrow formed from gray mist struck his hand and burst apart like foam.

The cold gray mist trembled and dispersed, leaving behind no trace.

At the same time, elsewhere—


[The Evening Bell Saint, driven by her desire for power, used improper means to advance to Sequence 7, but failed due to corruption—]

The murmuring voice cut off, only continuing after a moment.


[The corruption has dissipated. She successfully advanced to Sequence 7 and became a "War Overseer."]

After a long silence, an aged voice finally sounded in frustration.

"Damn it—"

RandomTranslator

Advancement to [War Overseer], the Gray Mist Returns

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