2-081
Furthermore, Kronos did not receive any connections from his family, so his relationship with the Church of Steam and Machinery was only a small part that he maintained himself. If he wanted to create Beyonder Item, he would have to find his own way.
They could either bring Sharf to Backlund, but he'd gone to sea to stay away from the Church of Steam and Machinery, or they could target the Artisan.
Upon hearing Kronos's words, the spokesperson spoke up, "Alright, sir, let's talk after the party."
Kronos nodded, then said nothing more; Kronos had lost interest in everything else.
The transaction proceeded as planned, and as Kronos had expected, the items at this Trading Gathering held no appeal for Kronos whatsoever.
Kronos was so sleepy from listening that he even yawned.
Just as Kronos yawned, the Eye of Wisdom turned its attention to him, because it sensed that this "regular customer" who had visited a few months ago had become much stronger.
The Eye of Wisdom gently took out a Ring inlaid with many diamonds and put it on her hand. The Ring was intricate and exquisite in design, with a bright green gemstone resembling an eye in the center.
This Ring is a Sealed Artifact possessed by Isengard, numbered "2-081". It allows the holder to know and understand a great deal, including the Beyonder Ability of enemies. The holder can quickly identify the specific situation, understand strengths and weaknesses, and has a chance to imitate to a certain extent. The stronger the opponent, the higher the chance of failure. Even if successful, the result will be very different from the original.
The negative effect is that it keeps the wearer's brain in a state of constant high-speed operation; if this continues for an extended period, the wearer will become mentally impaired.
Isengard used this Sealed Artifact to test Kronos's true strength.
Kronos was about to fall asleep when he suddenly felt the hairs on his body stand on end, instantly waking him up.
Kronos straightened up quickly, then turned his head to look around, immediately focusing his attention on Isengard, who was sitting in the head seat.
These are all abilities he's developed over this period of time. Whether it's Spirituality or Beyonder Ability, he can react instantly whenever it's applied to him.
However, Kronos did not rush to retaliate. Isengard was the founder of the gathering and also an informant for the Church of Knowledge. He would not dare to attack him so openly, so he could observe carefully.
Kronos didn't meet Isengard's gaze, but merely glanced at him briefly, his dark, deep eyes indicating that he had activated his Eyes of Mystery Prying.
This question was really easy; Kronos spotted Isengard's Ring immediately.
The Ring had appeared in the original story, so Kronos immediately recognized it.
Kronos is genuinely craving this Sealed Artifact; his mouth is watering. Beyonder Item from the White Tower Pathway are truly perfect for Beyonder like Kronos, who is focused on knowledge.
If this Ring were in Kronos's possession, he could Replication countless Beyonder Ability right now.
However, Kronos also knew that this Ring corresponded to the Polymath of Sequence 6 of the White Tower Pathway, which for Isengard would be equivalent to advancing him by one Sequence, so he basically had no chance of obtaining it.
Knowing what Beyonder Ability Isengard was using, Kronos was certain that it was just a matter of excessive curiosity, not necessarily malicious intent.
So Kronos returned to a state of drowsiness.
This wasn't an act; after all, I'd been studying the Justiciar Card so intently for so long that my daily routine was completely disrupted, so it would be strange if I wasn't tired.
However, Isengard was in a state of shock at this moment. If Kronos hadn't moved at all, he might not have been able to see anything, but when Kronos activated his Eyes of Mystery Prying, he saw some Information.
This "old friend" turned out to be a Sequence 6 Beyonder.
The last time he came was about half a year ago, and at that time he was clearly not as good as him. Now he has completely overtaken him. How could this not shock Isengard?
With the keen intuition of an informant, Isengard immediately sensed that this was a decent person worth befriending.
Such a rapid ascent must have come from considerable power.
If they were members of True God Churches, whether it be the Church of Evernight, the Church of Storms, or the Church of Steam and Machinery, or even the Church of the Earth Mother who doesn't have missionary qualifications, they wouldn't be so at ease at a private Trading Gathering.
This "old friend" is most likely a member of the nobility or even Royal Family. Such a person is truly worth befriending, as you can unknowingly extract a lot of information from them.
The Trading Gathering ended quickly, and Kronos Western Capital he liked, so he didn't make a move at all.
After the Trading Gathering, neither Kronos nor the Artisan's representative left, but waited for an opportunity to speak privately.
After Isengard had arranged for everyone else to leave, the conversation between the two began, with Isengard as his witness.
"Sir, what Beyonder Item would you like to order? Could you describe it?" the spokesperson asked first.
Although Kronos had dealt with a batch of Beyonder Characteristic before, there were still some in the family Treasury, so Kronos thought for a moment and then said.
"I possess the Beyonder Characteristic of a Weapon Master and wish to forge a melee weapon, so I would like to commission you."
The spokesperson actually thought Kronos wanted to forge Beyonder Weapons, but unexpectedly he pulled out a Sequence 7 Beyonder Characteristic, which was indeed forging Beyonder Item.
So he looked a little flustered, after all, he didn't know how to respond, and the Artisan hadn't expected this situation either.
After hesitating for a moment, the spokesperson said, "Sir, I really need to discuss this with someone; I can't make a decision on my own."
Kronos had anticipated this situation, so he wasn't in a hurry and immediately said, "It's alright, we can talk again next time. But I must remind you of one thing: I can't trust you with my Beyonder Characteristic. The contract you signed with me can't affect anyone else, so it's best to have that Artisan talk to me personally."
That's not wrong. Even if Isengard could notarize it, it doesn't mean that the representative can sign a contract on behalf of the person behind him. That would have no legal effect. Therefore, Kronos would not agree to hand over the Beyonder Characteristic that.
The spokesperson didn't seem to react much to these words, but Isengard's expression changed slightly. The words sounded normal, but something just felt off to him.
Because of his tone, Kronos's emphasis wasn't on the Beyonder Characteristic at all, but rather on the word "personally," Isengard sensed that Cronus didn't care about the Beyonder Characteristic at all, but rather wanted to speak with the Artisan face to face.
Artisan are good things. Isengard also wanted to meet one. After all, there are very few Artisan outside the Church of Steam and Machinery, and they, as unofficial Beyonder, can only have Beyonder Item made by such Artisan.
That's why this is such a sought-after talent, and that's why Isengard agreed to let the Artisan change his spokesperson repeatedly.
Although he sensed Kronos's intentions, Isengard remained silent and simply watched quietly.
"Yes, sir, I will pass on this message. I will also attend the next gathering, and I should have brought an answer then."
After the conversation ended, Isengard first arranged for the spokesperson to leave.
After the man left the room, Isengard asked, "Are you interested in that Artisan?"
"Aren't you the same?" Kronos wasn't surprised that Isengard could tell; all that life experience hadn't come from nothing.
"But this person is indeed very vigilant. I've tried many methods, but none of them have been able to get him to show up at the Trading Gathering, so you need to be careful and not be too hasty."
After hearing Isengard's suggestion, Kronos nodded slightly. "You want to befriend me?"
Isengard hadn't expected Kronos to be so direct, but since he'd already asked, he decided not to beat around the bush.
"You come from a good family and are very capable. Isn't it normal for me to want to get along with you?"
Upon hearing this, Kronos nodded slightly, neither confirming nor denying. It sounded true, but knowing Isengard's identity, Kronos naturally couldn't believe it.
But we can't just expose it directly like that.
Should I just say, "Don't play dumb with me. I know you're a spy. You think you're just some member of the Church of Knowledge? I'll report you to the Church of Evernight and the Church of Storms right now, and someone will come and execute you immediately."
These words immediately put the two of them in a life-or-death situation.
Kronos was very confident in his own strength, but Isengard's combat power was clearly not something that could be defined by a Sequence 7 alone.
While the number of Beyonder Item he possessed certainly couldn't compare to the Argel Family's Treasury, it was definitely more than what Kronos was currently carrying.
Not only are they numerous, but their quality is also quite high, and each one possesses considerable attack power, unlike Kronos's support gear.
Moreover, Kronos had no intention of being his enemy, so it was completely unnecessary for him to risk his life for a mere "2-081".
If Kronos really wanted it, he believed he could eventually get it. Although this Sealed Artifact was very suitable for Isengard, it was still a Sealed Artifact after all, and the side effects were not insignificant, so he needed to be careful at all times.
If you use Beyonder Item with fewer side effects, you'll still have a chance to exchange them, but the value of the Beyonder Item you give up might be higher than the Sealed Artifact itself.
But value was never something Kronos considered.