Chapter 198
For Shaer, the fleeting silver glimmer before him was nothing more than a brief flash, leaving no significant impact.
Without Jidi, the "gambler" Shaer was not swayed by the cultists.
She gazed at the birdcage in her hands and spoke, "That's a question I should be asking."
"You should introduce yourself first and clarify why you sought me out."
"With that, I can consider where you might end up—whether back in the sealed object or in the other realm."
Shaer spoke clearly, her eyes briefly darting to the "Fortune Coin" left on the table by Tara, a sudden urge swelling within her to grasp it.
For a "gambler," such an object was hard to resist.
However, Shaer managed to suppress her impulse and refrained from reaching for the coin.
After a moment's wait, perhaps the sealed object had made a concession, as Shaer finally received a response in her mind.
"'The Touch of Fate's Betrayal'... that's the name of my current vessel."
The voice had calmed down, indicating that communication was now possible.
"The Touch of Fate's Betrayal"? The name of the vessel?
Shaer reached into her pocket; although the storage had changed, the items remained, and the feather quill was still there.
Is that the name of this sealed object?
It referred to itself as a vessel... isn't it a spirit born from the sealed object itself?
"What is the ability of 'The Touch of Fate's Betrayal'?" Shaer inquired.
"I can use it to search for those whose fate lines have shifted the most recently... with 'The Touch of Fate's Betrayal,' I can adjust the fate lines, steering them in the direction I envision."
"If the behavior of the person locked onto contradicts the adjusted fate line, they will face misfortune; conversely, good fortune will favor them."
"Each alteration of a fate line consumes the bloodline ink within."
To be locked onto by this thing without any awareness... it was indeed a formidable threat.
In a previous simulation, Lucy had nearly perished for defying her fate line, and it was only Shaer's presence that saved her.
Opode had also managed to grasp the rules little by little, thanks to his numerous and powerful sealed objects, but he had no way to break the cycle.
Moreover, fate lines could be altered at will... once the locked individual fully adapted to their changed fate, correcting the fate line would instantly turn their original luck into misfortune.
"What about the side effects?" Shaer asked, as this was her primary concern.
After a moment, a response echoed in her mind.
"I've never run out of bloodline ink, so I don't know the side effects."
Shaer took out the feather quill and looked at the half-full vial of bloodline ink.
Does this mean there won't be any side effects until it's used up?
However, Shaer was not inclined to experiment lightly.
Generally, the more powerful a sealed object, the more severe its side effects tended to be.
Once the bloodline ink was exhausted and the side effects erupted, it would be too late to lament.
This was something that could be checked in the system shop after returning to reality; Shaer had no desire to gamble on it.
So, it was her fate that had undergone a significant shift, leading to her being locked onto...
This method of locking was nearly impossible to guard against...
While it couldn't pinpoint her exactly, it was not out of the question that someone might seek her out based on shifts in fate.
"Since you say this sealed object is merely a vessel..."
Shaer redirected her gaze to the feather quill. "Then what is your true identity?"
As soon as Shaer posed this question, the voice in her mind fell completely silent.
After a long pause, a faint, low growl echoed in her mind.
"(Ancient Ansu language) I am a god!"
"(Ancient Ansu language) I am a deity who has survived countless epochs and wields great power... and you are merely a vessel containing a fragment of me..."
After another half-growl of incomprehensible Ancient Ansu, the sacred remains in the cage ignited fiercely once more, and this time, it seemed unwilling to cooperate at all.
Shaer frowned.
Previously, she had only suspected; now she was nearly certain that the spirit's mental state... was far from normal.
It oscillated between arrogance and humility, often speaking to itself, and only calmed down slightly after she had thrown it into the other realm.
But when it came to certain critical questions, like what it truly was, it would spiral into a frenzied state of non-cooperation.
Shaer understood only fragments of its words.
The spirit's essence and consciousness were incredibly strong; if it broke free, it could easily overpower her.
From its current behavior, it seemed determined not to cooperate.
It appeared indifferent to being cast into the other realm.
A mentally unstable spirit... was not good news for Shaer.
She could indeed take the feather quill, "The Touch of Fate's Betrayal," to the system shop, but she lacked the points to exchange for it. To investigate further, she would have to waste another simulation and ensnare it once more.
That was too much trouble.
Moreover, from the Ancient Ansu language it had just spoken, Shaer had caught the term "deity."
Was its true identity related to divinity?
Or was its mental instability connected to being a deity?
At this point, Shaer had essentially figured out how to find out more about it.
However, this method would severely damage her psyche and deeply bind her to the cult of the Holy Arrival, which was unacceptable to her.
She preferred to navigate without injury, seeking a swift resolution without any lingering concerns.
Should she take a gamble?
A plan began to form in Shaer's mind.
If this dragged on, the spirit would undoubtedly break free before the simulation ended.
She had to take a risk.
Thinking of "gambling," Shaer's spirits lifted slightly.
It wouldn't cooperate?
Shaer might have a way to learn its identity from elsewhere.
Spiritual summoning.
The entities summoned through spiritual summoning had corresponding counterparts in the other realm.
Any spiritual being in the other realm that had an affinity or goodwill towards Shaer could be summoned.
For instance, Xiao Zuo, who liked the fingers of extraordinary beings and was very friendly towards Shaer; as long as Shaer sacrificed a finger of an extraordinary being, she could reliably summon Xiao Zuo.
Since that spirit wouldn't cooperate...
What if she attempted to sacrifice this powerful spirit? Would it summon a spiritual being interested in or connected to it?
Although the intelligence of spiritual beings was generally low, some could still communicate—like the "divine servant" from the Holy Arrival cult.
That "divine servant" was summoned using an extraordinary being related to the Holy Arrival cult, a spiritual being that had goodwill towards Shaer; it could even write and think simply.
If she gambled and sacrificed this spirit...
If she lost, she could just rest for a few days and try again.
If she won?
Then she could bypass direct communication with it and glean some information from the spiritual being.
No matter how she looked at it, this was a gamble with no risk and high reward; Shaer had no reason not to take the chance.
She fixed her gaze on the "Fortune Coin" on the table.
Lucy's severed arm clutched the "Fortune Coin," her torso already tinged with purple.
Shaer reached out, breaking off a finger from Lucy's severed limb, touching the "Fortune Coin" and picking it up.
Gambling with the "Fortune Coin," if successful, would increase the chances of summoning a useful spiritual being.
As for failure?
It was just life.
Gambling with life was what she excelled at.
Because she had plenty of it.
The "gambler" Shaer curled her thumb slightly, flicking the coin into the air, then extended her right hand into a fist.
The rust-colored coin traced a beautiful arc in the air before landing steadily on the back of Shaer's hand.
The eye angel faced up, staring directly into Shaer's eyes, as if affirming her gambling spirit.
Now her luck had increased; if an ordinary person found themselves in this situation, they would surely pull back, securing their current gains and using or squandering them cautiously... but that was not the mindset of a "gambler."
It was either all or nothing.
That was the mentality of a true "gambler."
Without a moment's hesitation, Shaer flipped the coin back into her grip and then flicked it directly towards the table.
The coin arced through the air, spinning as it landed on the table, continuing to whirl.
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