Chapter 538
“Alright... you can start preparing the resurrection ritual and the potion, but don’t drink it yourself,” Xiar stood up and turned to look at Aivina. “You must call me when it’s time for the ritual and the potion, understand?”
His tone was different from the usual gentleness he showed Aivina; it was firm, leaving no room for her to argue.
If Aivina was to ascend, Xiar would have to spend 10 Destiny Points to simulate whether she could succeed... Spending 10 points to ensure Aivina’s safety felt very worthwhile to him.
“What about you? Do you need any potions?” Aivina asked, looking at Xiar. “Charles has almost taken control of the upper echelons of the royal orchestra; the ‘Performer’ potion is easy to obtain... In fact, after the death of Qiangyin, the ‘Performer’ potion has already appeared at the Dedun Auction House.”
Back when Xiar was in Boren City, he had asked Aivina about buying a title to get the ‘Performer’ potion, and Aivina remembered that conversation well.
Now that Charles’s power was growing, and the queen trusted him immensely, acquiring a title was a piece of cake. In fact, Xiar wouldn’t even need to buy one; it would just take a word from Charles in front of the queen.
Hearing Aivina’s question, Xiar began to ponder the paths he still lacked.
He had already collected 13, but to unlock the Old Ones, he still needed 3 more paths.
They were the “Ascetic,” the “Listener,” and a mysterious path that remained unknown.
At this point, Xiar had experienced so much, especially in the simulations, that he could drink almost any first-tier potion without hesitation. While the “Ascetic” and “Listener” potions might not be as easy to consume, failure was certainly not an option.
For Xiar, the only challenge left was that mysterious, missing path...
“Just one left?” Aivina noticed Xiar was deep in thought for a bit too long and seemed to have guessed which potion he was missing.
“Pretty much,” Xiar replied, looking at Aivina and nodding slightly. “The other paths are easy to obtain, but the one corresponding to the ‘Butcher’ is still a mystery.”
“I’ll keep an eye out for you,” Aivina said. “If I hear anything, I’ll let you know right away.”
Though Aivina only mentioned casually keeping an eye out, it seemed she was already determined to use all means necessary to help Xiar find out what that path was called.
Just as Xiar was about to continue planning, a knock at the door interrupted his thoughts.
Knock, knock, knock—
The soft, weak knock, with a point of force lower down, was unmistakably Tara’s.
“Come in,” Xiar called out, looking toward the door.
What did Tara want to report this time?
The door slowly opened, and Tara appeared at the threshold. After giving a slight nod to Aivina, she stepped forward to Xiar and said, “Lord Xiar, Miss Adele requests an audience.”
Adele?
Xiar blinked.
What brings her here?
Just in time, Xiar wanted to ask Adele if she had any thoughts about her upcoming ascension to “Newborn.”
Their strength needed to be bolstered; only then could Xiar feel more at ease.
As for Aimi... although she had just recently become an extraordinary being, with the protection of a divine servant, she was the one Xiar worried about the least among his friends.
As long as she didn’t provoke a fourth-tier, other extraordinary beings would likely kneel at the sight of her divine servant.
“Bring her in,” Xiar nodded to Tara.
Aivina didn’t rush to continue the discussion but instead sat down on the sofa, waiting for Adele’s arrival.
About half a minute later, there was another knock at the door, and then it opened again, with Tara leading in a tall figure cloaked in a white robe.
The figure wore a thick cotton mask, and her eyes were covered with bandaged goggles, concealing all her skin.
Xiar and Aivina were momentarily taken aback by her appearance, but Xiar quickly regained his composure.
Adele’s height and figure were still quite recognizable, especially the strand of silvery hair peeking out from the robe.
“What’s with this outfit?” Xiar asked Adele, curiosity evident in his voice.
“Disguising my identity,” Adele crossed her arms proudly, puffing out her chest. “What do you think? You can’t tell who I am, right?”
“You came out of the house dressed like that?” Xiar couldn’t help but ask.
“Of course,” Adele lifted her chin slightly, revealing her delicate, fair neck.
“Did the maids and butlers see you like this?” Xiar smiled, pressing further.
“Yeah,” Adele removed her hood and goggles, pulling the mask down to hang around her neck. Wiping the sweat from her forehead, she looked at Xiar and asked, “Why do you want to know?”
“Just curious,” Xiar chuckled and shook his head. “You’ve disguised yourself well, but next time, don’t bother.”
Dressing like this only made her stand out more...
“Why are you in disguise? Did something happen?” Xiar gestured to the sofa beside him. “Have a seat.”
Hearing Xiar’s invitation, Adele remembered the purpose of her visit. She sat down across from Xiar, took the tea that Tara offered, and politely said “thank you” before turning her gaze back to Xiar.
“Xiar...” Adele lowered her voice and said, “Professor Ashford sent word, asking me to meet him at the Redemption Society... Should I go?”
Ashford?
Wasn’t he blown up?
Xiar knew that “Newborns” had a strong constitution, but in the previous simulations, Ashford had been “severely injured” and had never appeared again.
In the simulations, Adele had indeed gone to find Ashford at Xiar’s command, and Xiar knew Ashford hadn’t fallen into a so-called “deep coma.” He was hiding in the Redemption Society to avoid the aftermath of Qiangyin’s targeting and the potential assassination by the Pleasure Society.
Now that Qiangyin was dead, Ashford seemed to be becoming active again after a few days of recovery.
“Did he say why?” Xiar asked.
“The ‘Plague Doctor’ who delivered the message told me not to tell anyone...” Adele hesitated. “So I came to ask for your opinion.”
Adele still remembered her promise to consult Xiar about any matters and to seek his permission before acting.
The last mess she got into left her feeling guilty toward Xiar, and she didn’t know how to make it up to him.
Ashford...
Now, aside from Mond, he was the only one who knew the truth about the mutated violet.
Previously, Xiar had considered erasing Ashford’s memory, but after realizing that Ashford’s memories had no impact on the arrival of the Pleasure Society, he abandoned that idea.
However... Ashford could represent the Redemption Society to some extent. The collaboration between the Redemption Society and the Goddess of Salvation Church was significant, and there might be a chance to “win” the Redemption Society over to Xiar’s side.
The method was simple.
Every organization has something they desire, and Xiar was skilled at uncovering those desires.
He would present an offer that the Redemption Society could not refuse.
That was an opportunity to research the antidote for the “Rotting Plague.”
The plague created by the “Poison Master” was also an opportunity for the “Physician” to complete the resurrection ritual... The two were fundamentally opposed, existing in a natural state of conflict.
And the mutated violet samples that Xiar could exchange would accelerate the research speed of the “Physicians”... If they could truly resolve the “Rotting Plague,” even fourth-tier potions might become easy to consume.
Who could refuse such an opportunity?
Xiar would attempt to win over every organization worth allying with, especially those in irreconcilable conflict with the Pleasure Society.
The merger of the Salvation and Holy Orders was merely a matter of time now that there were no obstacles. Xiar had always held onto the pain points of the Order of the God of Order, and he could play his cards to ensure cooperation.
On the other hand, he had less contact with the Redemption Society and the Dedun Group, only interacting with a few third-tier members from each organization.
“Alright,” Xiar looked up and said to Adele, “I’ll go with you.”
The lesson from the simulation where Adele went to find Ashford and ended up poisoned and dead left a deep impression on Xiar. Although Mond was gone and Lafayette had fled, he still felt a lingering concern.
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