Chapter 204
After all, Xia Er felt no sense of closeness to the spirit of the feather pen, nor to that raven.
The ability of "uniqueness" must also manifest in pollution, right? It greatly enhanced the inherent power of the "Touch of Fate's Betrayal," allowing it to accomplish things it couldn't do before.
Like those heavenly thunderbolts.
Like that fire tornado.
Like that meteorite.
Xia Er sensed that the heavenly thunder and the fire tornado were feats achievable by beings of the third tier or above, still within the realm of his understanding of the extraordinary. Even the third-tier Opode could withstand them.
If Xia Er hadn't been the one to lead them into danger, Lucy and Opode could have survived until the last meteorite strike.
Was it the meteorite that was strengthened by "uniqueness"?
This ability truly exceeded Xia Er's understanding of extraordinary beings.
If he could feel a sense of closeness, it meant that "uniqueness" was somewhat connected to him, and he should be able to explain the arrival of that meteorite... if he let his imagination run wild.
But what abilities did he possess?
The powers granted to him by the system were almost all related to time and the fates altered by it.
Whether through simulation or his exclusive sealing object, they were all tied to the concept of "time."
The results brought about by "time" lead to the transformation of "fate."
If we assume that "uniqueness" is a part of him.
The simplest explanation would be... that meteorite didn't exist in that time frame.
It could have come from tens of millions of years ago or tens of millions of years in the future, landing in the right place at the wrong time...
This hypothesis sent shivers down Xia Er's arm.
"System, is that your 'uniqueness'?"
Xia Er asked directly in his mind.
Previously, whenever he inquired about the feather pen sealing object, the system remained tight-lipped, refusing to divulge anything.
Now, even without the system saying a word, Xia Er had basically pinpointed the source of that "uniqueness" to the system itself.
In his mind, he recalled the words spoken when the feather pen first took possession of his body.
“(Ancient Ansu language) So you are a part of me... No wonder you could sense my arrival ahead of time.”
“(Ancient Ansu language) I am a deity who has survived countless epochs and wielded power... and you are merely a vessel containing a fragment of me...”
The truth was that he was not a part of it.
Rather, the "uniqueness" that polluted it was a part of the system.
When Xia Er was first possessed, he returned to the system space and did not hear the two phrases the raven uttered after he left.
“(Ancient Ansu language) Impossible... this can't be happening!!!”
“(Ancient Ansu language) You are fake! I am the real one!!!”
Had he heard those words, the system could no longer deny the truth.
Moreover, after experiencing the previous dream, Xia Er had a clearer understanding of where the "natural" ability came from.
The term "natural ability" was rarely used in the Holy Era and scarcely recorded in the Ancient Era; the only possible origin was the Chaotic Era—and the Chaotic Era was likely the Old Days.
After the raven took over his body, it claimed its "coroner" ability was a "natural" ability, and in the dream, the power that fused the raven with the feather pen resembled the "natural" ability.
That was why the raven was so familiar with it.
Xia Er knew that the system could detect her inner thoughts; it must know that she was contemplating something at that moment.
Yet the system offered no response.
After a long silence, just as Xia Er was about to drift off to sleep, a system panel finally appeared before him.
【Who knows?】
【Is it yours? Or mine?】
【In any case, I’ll give you a piece of advice】
【Take it back; it will be beneficial for you】
【^^_】
The tone was as infuriating as ever, but the system's words essentially confirmed Xia Er's suspicions.
Regardless of whether this "uniqueness" was a fragment of the system or something else, Xia Er had to collect it.
It was too dangerous to let such a powerful thing remain in the hands of a half-mad sealing object.
Who knows when it might go berserk and bring down a meteorite?
Xia Er had to get his hands on that thing, even if it meant completely dismantling the "Touch of Fate's Betrayal."
For now, Xia Er still had the upper hand.
He had nearly figured out the "Touch of Fate's Betrayal," but it couldn't find him at all—it merely regarded him as one of the fated betrayers.
It was just a counterfeit, a sealing object tainted by false memories, unable to recognize its own madness, let alone feel the same sense of closeness as Xia Er.
It had survived from the Old Days until now, not knowing how many fates it had severely altered... Its continued evasion of containment was crucially tied to its own strength, but the influence of "uniqueness" was undoubtedly a decisive factor.
How could he force it to reveal itself without killing Lucy and Opode?
Xia Er truly did not want to resort to Tara's power unless absolutely necessary.
But if it came to a point of no return, he would not hesitate to use the energy behind Tara to eliminate Lucy and Opode.
Survival came first; he could worry about offending organizations later.
Xia Er propped himself up on his arm and slowly sat up in bed.
In moments like this, he felt his body and spirit were far too weak.
Was this the limit of an ordinary human?
Yet becoming extraordinary, while it might strengthen the body, did little to enhance the mind, and it also posed the risk of backlash from potions.
A pure self, free from the pollution of potions, actually had a more enduring spirit.
This was part of the trade-off.
Knock, knock, knock—
At that moment, a series of knocks echoed from downstairs.
Who could it be? At this hour?
Aside from Ai Wei Na and the landlord, no one should know he was here.
This was a knock he hadn't encountered even in simulations.
If the visitor had ill intentions, with Xia Er's current residual mental strength, even transforming into "Judgment" Xia Er wouldn't be able to perform at half capacity.
He could handle a first-tier extraordinary being, but if it was a second-tier, he would be in trouble.
Xia Er shifted back to the bed, wanting to peek out the window and use the streetlight's glow to see who was at the door.
He cautiously opened the window a crack and looked down.
It was...
A maid?
Two maids were pushing a food cart, stopping at Xia Er's door, while three carriages parked nearby obscured the view of others.
When they realized no one was answering, the maids left the cart at the door, and the nearby carriages slowly drove away, as if nothing had happened.
The two women in plain maid outfits returned to the house across from Xia Er.
Those were Ai Wei Na's maids.
Xia Er closed the curtains and lay back down, letting out a sigh of relief.
It seemed he had been cooped up for too long, triggering a "special event."
Previously, whenever he entered a simulation, he would usually go out to act. This time, due to the prolonged simulation and deep sleep, the maids had come to deliver food.
This was likely Ai Wei Na's instruction.
Pale-faced, Xia Er leaned against the wall and made his way down to the living room, opened the door, and pulled the food cart inside before closing the wooden door.
The plates on the cart were covered with plain wooden lids, designed to be as discreet as possible.
One of the plates had a note tucked underneath it.
Xia Er took out the note and glanced at it; it was left by the maid.
【Miss Xia Er:】
【These meals were instructed by the young lady. She said you often stay holed up in your room and rarely eat, so when we see you haven't come out for a day, we should bring you food. If you don't need this service, you can push the cart back to the door and write 'not needed' on the note.】
【The Maid】
So it was indeed Ai Wei Na's doing.
Xia Er didn't move the food to the dining table, fearing it might spill.
Instead, he pushed the cart next to the sofa, sat down, and began to eat right there.
After finishing the meal, Xia Er felt a slight recovery in his body.
This sense of fullness also improved his mental state a bit.
He took out the water-dipping pen he always carried and wrote "not needed" on the note, then tucked it back under the plate before pushing the cart back to the door and closing it again.
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