Encounter

Yes, the Pure White Eye could even analyze the source of Beyonder Characteristics. In just a few seconds earlier, it had used the blue gemstone representing Sequence 8 to analyze part of the main ingredient formula for the Sequence 9 Reader of the same pathway!

"I think if I activate the Pure White Eye two or three more times like before, I should be able to fully analyze the Reader formula... But I can't rush it. I'll wait until tonight. I don't want to be forced unconscious for another whole morning."

While grumbling inwardly, Liu Bo used the candle flame to burn the two sheets of paper in his hand, which contained the analysis results and a summary of the Pure White Eye's current functions, reducing them to ashes. Although they had been written in simplified Chinese, this world had Roselle as a predecessor. Even if others could not understand the meaning, it would still be troublesome if someone saw them.

After burning the notes, Liu Bo stood up and stretched. Then he put on his shoes, preparing to head out for something to eat and find out the exact date. For some time before the original owner's death, he had lived in a daze due to the erosion of the Beyonder Characteristic and the upheaval in his family. He had completely lost track of the days. Besides, many of his plans could only be set in motion after confirming what point in time he had arrived at.

By then, it was already broad daylight. There were quite a few pedestrians on the streets, and cries of vendors and various greetings came one after another. Looking at the vivid, lifelike scene before him, Liu Bo sighed inwardly. "Looks like I really can't go back... From now on, I'm Abner Brain!" (From this point onward, the protagonist will be referred to as Abner.)

Confirming the date was not difficult. Abner casually bought a copy of that day's Backlund Post and easily resolved the matter.

Seeing the words "Tuesday, May 29, 1349" on the newspaper's front page, Abner breathed a sigh of relief and teased himself inwardly, "I arrived a month earlier than Mr. Fool. That's not bad. If I'd come over only after He fell asleep, that would've been truly awful." After all, by then, not only would he have completely lost the advantage of knowing the plot, the Apocalypse would also have been closer!

Lost in thought, Abner wandered into a small roadside restaurant. There were not many people inside. Or rather, there was practically no one. For one thing, most East Borough residents lived in extreme poverty. They could not even be sure of getting a full meal every day, much less eating at a restaurant. For another, it was already working hours, and most of the restaurant's regular customers had long since gone to the factories.

Therefore, the rather leisurely Abner stood out, prompting the waitress at the counter to glance at him several times in puzzlement.

Seeing this, Abner could not help sighing inwardly. Neither he nor the original owner belonged in a place like this!

As for him, there was no need to say more. The original owner, however, had been the only son of a wealthy merchant just over half a month ago. His father had dealt in grain, while his mother had been fond of hosting parties with neighbors and Friend. His family not only owned a terraced house in Cherwood Borough, but also a villa with a garden near Saint Hilleland Church in Saint George Borough.

Abner himself had also been sent to a public school by his father to prepare for entering university in the future.

However, more than half a month ago, the kingdom's Grain Act had been repealed, causing grain prices to plummet. His father, a major grain merchant who had stockpiled large amounts of grain, went bankrupt as a result. All the family's assets had been auctioned off just to barely repay their debts. Unable to bear the sudden drop in her quality of life, his mother suffered a mental breakdown and was deceived by a merchant from Midseashire. In the end, no one knew where she had been trafficked off to. His father, unable to endure the double blow, had also committed suicide.

At the time, Abner had been living at the boarding public school and preparing for his graduation exams. When he heard the news, it was like being struck by lightning, leaving him to spend the following days in a daze.

Fortunately, he had several close friends and classmates at school. Sympathizing with Abner's plight, they pooled their pocket money and helped him bury his father and rent a one-room apartment in East Borough as a place to stay.

Recalling those events, Abner touched the hidden pocket sewn into the inside of his clothes. The money inside added up to about 3 pounds. It was not much, since his classmates' pocket money could not have been too extravagant, but in East Borough, it could still be considered a "huge sum"!

After taking out 10 pence to buy breakfast, Abner ate while considering what he had not finished summarizing at home earlier—or rather, what he had not dared write down on paper.

"Blocking knowledge of Outer Deities and preventing me from recalling Potion formulas above Demigod level—this is clearly my cheat protecting me! The former keeps me from being corrupted simply by 'knowing,' while the latter prevents the top powerhouses of certain Sequences from discovering my abnormality too early. Lower and middle Sequences are one thing, but High Sequence formulas are all controlled by a handful of people or organizations. If I somehow knew the formulas for no reason, it would inevitably attract their interest. It's not enough to simply keep quiet, either. Some Gods are said to be 'Omniscient'! Heh, perhaps my cheat has more abilities than the ones I've summarized. Most of its power is probably being used to conceal me from Gods and Great Old Ones? Maybe I should join the Tarot Club and use Sefirah Castle to help hide myself. That might free up more of my cheat's abilities?"

Just as Abner's thoughts began running wild, the restaurant door was pushed open and a middle-aged man in blue work clothes walked in. His face was full of worry. He first looked around, then chose a conspicuous seat, sat down, and ordered a cup of coffee. (Anyone who did not order something would be thrown out.)

Abner took only one glance at him before judging from the man's mannerisms and appearance that he was likely a skilled worker with a decent income. This was one of the benefits of his enhanced insight.

At that moment, the restaurant door opened again. A short girl, barely over 1.5 meters tall, walked in with steady steps. Her cheeks were slightly babyish, and her features were delicate and gentle. Though she had messy, coarse shoulder-length blonde hair and wore a traditional knight training outfit, she possessed an indescribable sense of Majesty and a charm that made people trust her.

Abner's gaze was instantly drawn to the girl, not because he was smitten by her looks, but because the Beyonder aura around her nearly caused his Pure White Eye to activate on its own and make him faint on the spot.

He rubbed his temple and forcibly shifted his gaze away, clicking his tongue inwardly. "As expected of Backlund. You can run into Beyonders even in a slum restaurant like this! Still, I need to learn from how Klein activated Spirit Vision in the novel and set a 'switch' Suggestion for the Pure White Eye, so I don't nearly embarrass myself like just now."

The girl who had just entered looked at Abner strangely. She found his gaze from earlier difficult to describe, but she did not say anything. Instead, she walked straight to the work-clothed man and asked sternly, "Mr. Rian Hardy?"

The man seemed startled and hurriedly stood up, replying respectfully, "That's me! You must be the famous Arbiter, Miss Xio?"

The girl named Xio nodded. "That's right. Don't be so nervous. Sit down. What did you seek me out for? Tell me everything clearly!" With that, she took the seat opposite the man first.

The middle-aged man, Rian, hurriedly nodded, sat back down, and called over the waitress to order a cup of coffee for Xio as well.

Abner had already finished breakfast and was about to leave when he suddenly heard words such as "Xio" and "Arbiter." He narrowed his eyes and did not rise in a hurry.

"Could this girl be the future Miss Judgment from the Tarot Club? Hmm, her name matches, and her appearance and clothing fit the novel's description, especially her height... And that sense of Majesty around her... Did she recently drink a Potion and still fail to fully rein in its power, causing some of it to leak out?" Abner unconsciously began reasoning through it, becoming increasingly convinced that his judgment was correct, because Mr. Rian had already begun explaining his predicament.

It turned out that Mr. Rian had once been a Steam machinery repairman with a very decent income. But his son had suddenly developed a strange illness some time ago. To pay for his son's treatment, he had no choice but to borrow usury from a gang leader in East Borough. However, because there was a trap in the loan contract, he discovered that the interest was several times higher than he had expected. Even bankruptcy would not be enough to repay it! After failing to negotiate with the gang leader, the desperate man happened to hear of Arbiter Xio Dilcha and had someone ask her for help, hoping she could persuade the other party to waive the unreasonable portion.

"This is the case where Xio physically persuaded the other party at first and ended up in prison, right?" Abner stroked his chin. After recognizing Xio, he had wanted to go over and strike up a conversation to build goodwill, but he realized he lacked a suitable opening and was temporarily unable to offer her any help.

"I could get acquainted with her under the pretense of selling the Arbiter pathway's Sequence 8 formula, but without a reliable Arbiter or Presider, she wouldn't be able to tell whether the formula was genuine. She definitely wouldn't buy it... Looks like I have another reason to join the Tarot Club. There may be no more convenient or safer trading platform in this world than Sefirah Castle. Even at the relatively reliable Beyonder gatherings in Backlund from the original novel, if I sold too many formulas, I would surely attract greed and danger."

While Abner sighed inwardly, Xio had already finished speaking with Rian. She told him she would investigate and asked him to wait patiently. There would be results within two or three days. With that, Xio stood up without hesitation and headed outside. Just before leaving, however, she gave Abner another serious look, as if committing his appearance to memory.

"Miss Judgment's intuition is sharp. My Pure White Eye nearly activated earlier, and that must have put her on guard!" Abner understood Xio's attitude perfectly and was not nervous. After all, she was a kind and upright woman who would not harm him.

Elsewhere, Xio returned to the house she rented and saw her "famous" Author roommate sprawled on the sofa like a salted fish. She pursed her lips and could not help saying, "Fors, I just accepted a task. I need your help."

(End of chapter)