The Badge

Kronos had originally planned to bring up the matter after the two had become more familiar with each other, but now Kronos suddenly wanted to give this "Eye of Wisdom" a little nudge.

Although I didn't intend to expose Isengard's true identity, I couldn't let him think he was easy to fool.

When dealing with spies and informants, be sure to keep this in mind: don't hide your true abilities, or they'll be constantly looking for ways to scheme against you.

So Kronos slightly raised his chin, as if gesturing towards Isengard's hand, and asked, "2-081? For sale or not? I'm open to money or goods."

At first, Kronos didn't react, but when he did, he suddenly stared at Kronos with wide eyes.

The concept of Sealed Artifact originated from the True God Churches when they were sealed away. These numbered Sealed Artifact have usage Record that can be found.

Isengard dared to flaunt this Sealed Artifact in front of Klein because he was certain that Klein lacked official influence and wouldn't be able to find anything wrong with it.

But Kronos is different. Even if he's not a member of the True God Churches, in Backlund, the relationship between nobles and the church is practically inseparable.

Therefore, Isengard believed that if Kronos wanted to investigate, he might actually be able to uncover some clues.

With his Eyes of Mystery Prying, Kronos could see Isengard's emotional changes, so he knew he couldn't let Isengard continue to overthink things, or a battle would be unavoidable today.

"I'm not interested in knowing who you killed to get this thing, but you should also know that this is a hot potato for you. How about you sell it? I can trade you something more powerful."

Instead of addressing the issue of the exchange, Isengard argued, "I didn't steal it; I bought it for six thousand eight hundred pounds."

This argument is completely unfounded. These Sealed Artifact rarely end up in the hands of individuals. Even if they are traded by the church, it is usually through transactions with other major powers.

The chances of someone ending up in the black market and being encountered by Isengard, especially if they happen to be of the same Sequence, are incredibly slim.

Moreover, the fact that Isengard was able to buy it at market price raises too many suspicious coincidences, making it utterly unbelievable.

But Kronos naturally wouldn't pry so deeply; to do so would be tantamount to deliberately stirring up trouble. If Isengard hadn't prepared his story well, wouldn't he be forcing Isengard to take action?

So Kronos calmly said, "I'm not interested in how you got it; I'm only interested in whether you can trade it to me. Anyway, you can't use it too openly, but I can. I can trade you an Beyonder Item that you can use freely."

"I sense that you are a respectable person, so it's necessary for you to be mindful of your belongings. If someone similar to me comes along and spots this Ring, you'll be in trouble."

Kronos's words silenced Isengard. He wasn't unaware of the matter, but he simply couldn't bear to part with this Sealed Artifact that suited him so well.

But he happens to be a person who has a strong desire to share, otherwise he wouldn't be stuck at Sequence 7 at such an advanced age.

What a contradiction it is to be a Keeper of Knowledge with a strong desire to share.

In fact, Isengard had already given up on the Acting Method long ago, because it was simply impossible to do.

It's one thing if my strength doesn't improve, but if I expose my identity, that would be a real problem, and this 2-081 is a huge weakness.

Seeing Isengard fall silent, Kronos did not press his advantage.

Actually, striking while the iron is hot is more suitable for slightly impulsive young people. It's not suitable for a steady middle-aged or older man like Isengard; in fact, it might backfire.

"Alright, think it over carefully. Let me Message you get together next time."

"As you know, it's hard to find a buyer who's more suitable than me. If you do find someone else, they might try to lower your price, so I hope you'll think it over carefully."

After saying this, Kronos left, trusting that Isengard would grant his wish.

As a middle-aged "informant" stuck in Sequence 7, no matter how much he cherishes his collection, none of these things are as important as his own life.

After leaving the party, Kronos didn't go straight home, but instead headed to the Grizzly Bear Bar.

Before leaving, Kronos had asked the Violent Bear to help him apply for membership in the Fence Association, but he hadn't received a reply yet. He could ask about it this time.

When I entered the Grizzly Bear Bar, Bar was already quite lively. Although the Boxing Match hadn't started yet, it wouldn't be long, so it was at its most popular time.

Kronos saw the Violent Bear's size as soon as he entered the Bar, so Kronos went straight to the Violent Bear's Table.

"Brother Violent Bear, do you remember me?" Kronos sat down directly opposite the Violent Bear.

The Violent Bear's attention was elsewhere, but the sudden sound immediately drew it back.

The Violent Bear stared at Kronos's face for a moment, then suddenly jumped up from his chair and said, "Brother Klein, you're here! Long time no see!"

Seeing the Violent Bear open its arms and give him a bear hug, Kronos had no choice but to stand up and then open his arms as well.

"Brothers, where have you been? You haven't come for half a year." The "you" in this context naturally refers to Gner.

After Kronos sat down again, he replied, "We weren't in Backlund; we went out to take care of some other things, which is why we haven't been here for so long."

As a Bar Boss frequently interacts with people, since Kronos didn't mention where they went or what they were doing, he naturally wouldn't pry.

Kronos didn't directly ask about the Fence Association, and the Violent Bear also tacitly refrained from asking Kronos what his purpose was this time, so the two simply chatted idly.

Two men, after drinking, can comment on the whole world.

The two talked about war, military affairs, politics, and then the global landscape.

Finally, at a very opportune moment, Violent Bear asked, "Klein, I remember your home isn't in the West Borough, is it inconvenient to go back so late?"

This is actually a subtle way of asking what Kronos is doing here. You know, when Kronos used to come here to fight, he would always leave at 1 a. m., and the Violent Bear never asked if it was inconvenient for him.

Kronos naturally understood the implication, so he replied, "Didn't I just return to Backlund? Then I saw the newspaper and it happened to be the extraordinary gathering of the Eye of Wisdom, so I came to attend. And I also wanted to see you."

For the Violent Bear, why Kronos came to the Bridge Borough was not important; what mattered was why he came to the Grizzly Bear Bar. So Kronos's words served as a wake-up call for the Violent Bear.

"Oh dear, I almost forgot. The Fence Association has approved your entry. Wait a minute, I'll go get you your Badge." With that, Violent Bear got up and headed straight for the back of the Bar.

Half a year has passed, so it's normal that the Violent Bear wouldn't remember this matter. That's why Kronos only touched on it briefly. Otherwise, asking for Badge upon entering would seem like he had some objection.

The Violent Bear went to find the Badge, while Kronos sat in his seat watching the Boxing Match in the ring, occasionally taking a sip of beer, looking quite content.

Less than twenty minutes later, the Violent Bear returned in a flurry, carrying a box in its hand.

After taking his seat, the Violent Bear pushed the box in his hand in front of Kronos.

"Here, this is your Badge. Just carry it with you. It will alert you to any Message, and you'll know when the time comes."

After taking the box, Kronos opened it immediately.

Inside the box lay a Badge the size of an eyeball, Badge front engraved with Symbol of Fate and concealment.

This Badge is exactly the same as the Badge that the Violent Bear had shown him before.

After taking out the Badge, Kronos flipped it over to see what the back looked like.

Because this Badge appeared in the original work, it was obtained by Klein from Lanevus, and it was the ticket to the Hermits of Fate.

The two are quite similar in style, but Lanevus's has a ring of small, tightly packed Ancient Hermes inscriptions on the back. "By possessing this, one may join."

However, after Kronos turned the Badge Badge, he found that there was nothing on the back.

Perhaps this is what distinguishes those Fence Association Hermits of Fate.

The Fence Association allows any Beyonder to participate, but the Hermits of Fate is merely an organization of Beyonder Error Pathway.

So Kronos decided that next time a flea Fence Association held, he would use the Yodsen Marionette to go and explore; maybe he would be absorbed into it.

By maintaining constant Concealment of Time and manipulating the Marionette from a distance, Kronos felt that even if Amon had his methods within the organization, they wouldn't dare to provoke him.

The reason Kronos was so fixated on the Hermits of Fate was mainly because he felt that Amon had used this Pathway to an extreme degree, making it seem a bit too powerful.

Adam and the Visionary's power felt more like a version buff, while the Error Pathway felt average, but in Amon's hands, they seemed omnipotent, which made Kronos a little envious.

But since it's impossible to switch to Pathway now, I'm thinking of getting a few Beyonder Item from the Error Pathway to use.

Kronos searched through his entire Storeroom, but still found no Beyonder Item that could be obtained through this Pathway.

As for trading outside, that all depends on luck; the only guaranteed path is through the Hermits of Fate.