"I'm ready, Mr. Tower."
Audrey, Justice, spoke at once. She had been looking forward to this moment for an entire week.
"I'm all ears."
Alger, the Hanged Man, also spoke in a deep voice.
"Excellent. You are both people of your word."
Julian, The Tower, nodded slightly, then said:
"I need the heterochromatic irises of a Mimic Disaster Beast and thirty grams of its mimic bone powder. Failing that, I need at least some relevant information."
"A Mimic Disaster Beast?"
Alger, the Hanged Man, was startled.
"Are you certain you mean a Mimic Disaster Beast?"
"Mr. Hanged Man, what is that?"
Compared with Mr. Hanged Man's surprise, Miss Justice looked more confused.
"A Mimic Disaster Beast is a shapeshifting creature with no physical form. They disguise themselves as other creatures and infiltrate the corresponding populations as parasites, spreading rapidly like a virus. They use their hosts as nourishment for their own growth until they have replaced them completely.
"And humans are also among the populations Mimic Disaster Beasts parasitize."
"To think such terrifying creatures exist..."
Miss Justice was shocked. She could not imagine how horrifying it would be if her parents, siblings, and friends were silently replaced.
"Yes."
Mr. Hanged Man nodded.
"Because of the danger these creatures posed, the Beyonders of the orthodox churches exterminated the Mimic Disaster Beasts across the Northern Continent during Emperor Roselle's reign. Since then, they have vanished from land, with only occasional reports of sightings at sea.
"As a result, materials from Mimic Disaster Beasts are extremely difficult to find. They are not only expensive; finding them also requires a great deal of luck."
Hearing this, Miss Justice let out a long sigh of relief, though she also felt a little worried.
She wanted to praise Emperor Roselle, but she also regretted that Mr. Tower's request would not be easy to fulfill.
"I can keep an eye out for you at sea, Mr. Tower."
Alger, the Hanged Man, paused briefly before continuing:
"But given how rare Mimic Disaster Beasts are at sea, this may take some time, and I cannot guarantee any results."
"That's all right."
Julian, The Tower, shook his head. In fact, he had expected this outcome.
For an extinct creature like the Mimic Disaster Beast, the most likely place to find one was neither the Northern and Southern Continents nor the Five Seas, but the Forsaken Land of the Gods.
If he remembered correctly, Derrick Berg, the boy from the Forsaken Land of the Gods, would soon join the Tarot Club.
When that happened, Julian could simply ask Derrick for help. Since the Forsaken Land of the Gods was isolated from the outside world and had a different system of values, the price he paid would probably be much more reasonable than buying a Mimic Disaster Beast specimen or a fresh body outright.
"Besides that, you have another option."
Julian, The Tower, glanced at the two people beside him before saying:
"I need an offensive Beyonder item of at least Sequence 7, something easy to carry and without overly severe side effects."
After Calvin Walker's last attack, Julian had realized that he still had far too few means of attacking directly.
Both the Scholar's Legacy and Chris Jacob's Ring were Sealed Artifacts geared toward support. Even though Scene Recreation could produce the corruption of the Colour Out of Space, certain conditions still had to be met.
In a truly intense battle, most opponents would not let Julian aim the lens of the Scholar's Legacy at them. And even if Julian did kill his opponent, a Beyonder characteristic corrupted by the Colour Out of Space would not fetch much money.
Not to mention that he now frequently had to face those lunatics from the Aurora Order. Having some offensive options in reserve would help him stay alive.
"To be frank, I do know of items like that."
Alger, the Hanged Man, relaxed a little.
"But a Mid-Sequence Beyonder item will not come cheap."
As he spoke, his gaze drifted toward Miss Justice, seemingly by chance.
Judging by what he had seen before, this young noblewoman ought to be very, very wealthy. Alger therefore hoped that he could supply the information while Miss Justice supplied the money, allowing them to complete this transaction together.
Sure enough, Miss Justice spoke immediately after hearing this.
"I can pay."
As soon as she said it, she felt she might have sounded too eager, so she added in a more measured tone:
"Of course, provided the price is reasonable."
"Thank you both."
Hearing Audrey's words, Julian, The Tower, knew the matter was already halfway settled.
He turned to Mr. Hanged Man with a smile.
"Then I'm sorry for the trouble, Mr. Hanged Man, but could you tell me about them?"
"Certainly."
Mr. Hanged Man nodded.
"I have two friends who are selling Beyonder items that meet your requirements.
"The first is an ear stud. It can summon destructive holy light, and it can also produce high-temperature flames with a purifying effect or enchanted slashes. It is extremely effective against evil spirits and Wraiths.
"In addition, it can help its wearer produce holy water that wards off evil and dispels the cold. Its side effect is that it randomly inflicts burns on its wearer. Some of these burns can be fatal-but the good news is that, with timely treatment, they can be healed."
It sounds like a Beyonder item corresponding to Solar High Priest, Sequence 7 of the Bard Pathway...
Julian, The Tower, nodded.
"And the second?"
"The second is a pair of framed glasses. They grant the wearer a certain amount of magical knowledge, allowing them to use various offensive spells with advance preparation.
"These include Invisible Hand, which can control and attack opponents from a distance, Lightning Spell, and so on. There is also some witchcraft for warding off evil, removing weeds, and generating wind.
"If the wearer already possesses extensive knowledge, they can even create spells of their own... But this item also has a severe side effect: while using it, the wearer hears maddening whispers filled with vast amounts of knowledge. Some of that knowledge is safe, and some is dangerous, but even the safest knowledge can cause a mental breakdown when it is poured into the wearer's mind at such an overwhelming rate.
"Both of these Beyonder items cost between 2,000
"and 2,400 pounds. I will have to inquire before I can confirm the exact prices, but I assure you that both are still available for sale."
Both of those Beyonder items sound very interesting...
Mr. Fool could not help feeling tempted as he listened.
He had previously stood guard at the Chanis Gate and had come into contact with quite a few Sealed Artifacts as a result.
However, the requirements for taking those Sealed Artifacts out were extremely strict, so Klein had not had many opportunities to use them himself.
While he was considering this, Mr. Tower's voice rang out again.
"I would like the second Beyonder item you mentioned. Would that be possible?"