Chapter 345: Star Supreme Commander

Above the grey mist, inside that seemingly unchanging grand palace.

Rekton sat in the high-backed chair belonging to the White Tower, with specks of starlight scattered around him, illuminating the space above the grey mist like a brilliant star river.

His eyes flowed with a rich purple light, his left palm lightly holding aloft a translucent piece of amber.

Within this amber, there flowed a thick, substance-like shadow, layered like a curtain, and deep within the shadow seemed to hide an eye full of depravity, impurity, and mutant power.

Surrounding specks of brilliant starlight scattered rays of radiance, continuously dissolving the shadow wrapped in translucent amber in Rekton's hand; they were dissolved into the purest information, recorded by Rekton with the Seer's Eye, while Klein sat silently in the high-backed chair belonging to the Fool, he exerted a bit of the grey mist's power, helping Rekton suppress the contamination in that drop of blood, making it easier for him to analyze.

About a quarter of an hour later, the shadow supported by Rekton's left hand vanished completely.

He reluctantly withdrew his left hand, leaned back against the chair, the surrounding brilliant starlight quickly dissipated, and the grand ancient palace returned to its former tranquility.

Rekton closed his eyes slightly, digesting the occult knowledge he had just analyzed:

One can briefly create a shadow domain, merging the power of depravity, impurity, mutation, etc., with shadow to produce various monsters, or directly imbue shadow with strange power to corrode everything within the domain.

It has a hint of a godforsaken land, though it does not require the absolute condition of lightless darkness. Sasilier's blood essence is extremely high, almost equivalent to the True Creator.

"How was the harvest?"

Klein, seated in the high-backed chair belonging to the Fool, saw Rekton open his eyes and asked in a calm tone.

"Not bad."

"I even want to collect the blood of mythical creatures from every path; for occultists, any genuine effective occult knowledge is our source of power."

Rekton leaned against the high-backed chair, speaking with a hint of anticipation.

"Just think about it, that's a bit unrealistic." Klein silently cursed in his heart.

He was about to speak, preparing to say something, when suddenly a crimson light flowed out from the endless grey mist, spreading like a tide.

A crimson star suddenly flared, continuously expanding and contracting; Mr. Fool's affairs were still busy, Rekton sighed slightly, rose from his chair, and prepared to bid farewell with a salute.

Klein, seated at the head of the mottled long table, narrowed his eyes; this crimson star was not aimed at any member of the Tarot Society, a newcomer? As his thoughts turned, he did not respond to Rekton's action, but directly extended his spiritual tendrils to touch that crimson star.

The crimson light suddenly expanded, then quickly contracted, condensing into a tangible-seeming scene and sound.

Rekton turned his head to look at the image behind him, his expression stiffened, and from the image he saw his familiar figure.

"Captain!" Rekton whispered, opening his mouth slightly.

Hearing Rekton's soft whisper, Klein reacted quickly and asked offhand: "'Star Supreme Commander' Gadeliya?"

Rekton's gaze lingered above Gadeliya's body, where there was a pair of cold, ruthless eyes, lacking eyelashes, nearly transparent.

He carefully stared at the eyes symbolizing the Hidden Sage, his brows gradually furrowing.

Relying on his familiarity with himself and the Hidden Sage, through this symbol he saw more; the Hidden Sage's state seemed off, as if it had fallen into some instinct, some frenzy, I wondered why I had such a feeling and judgment. As he pondered, he heard Klein's questioning voice.

"Is this Knowledge Imparter?"

Rekton came to his senses, frowned slightly, and gave a solemn nod.

"Yes, those who walk the Seer's path will inevitably receive the knowledge infusion from the Hidden Sage."

"If one can bear it, they can directly obtain the corresponding knowledge; if they cannot bear it, they will directly lose control, go mad, and collapse." "Hidden Sage, why do you do this?"

Klein pondered and asked.

He thought of Old Niel, who longed for the occult knowledge to resurrect his wife, but lost control because he could not withstand the Hidden Sage's knowledge infusion.

What state is the Hidden Sage actually in? Why do I feel that the Hidden Sage I encountered through Al and the Hidden Sage encountered by other Seer-path extraordinaries are two complete extremes?

Seeing Klein fallen into thought at this moment, Rekton cleared his throat and spoke up to remind him.

"Cough~ I think perhaps you could first help her."

Klein came to his senses, nodded, and immediately extended his spirit to touch the crimson star that kept contracting and expanding.

His spirit surged forth, pouring into that crimson star, and soon established a mysterious yet stable bond with Gadeliya, whom the star represented.

Gadeliya's figure suddenly appeared within this palace, sitting in the high-backed chair to Rekton's front-left.

After a brief silence, Gadeliya gradually recovered; she somewhat dazedly glanced at the palace, her gaze lingering between the figure leisurely seated at the top, shrouded in grey mist, and the somewhat familiar blurry figure to her front-left.

After a moment, she asked in a vague tone.

"Is this the underworld?"

"You are not dead."

Klein gave a light chuckle in response.

After seeing the chair where Gadeliya sat, the starlight-tinged symbol appeared, then he turned his gaze to Rekton and asked in a flat tone.

"What is your understanding of the Hidden Sage?"

Seeing Klein turn the question back to himself, Rekton reseated himself in his own high-backed chair, leaned back against the backrest, and pondered.

"He is activated from the Hidden One's uniqueness, is an embodiment of this world's knowledge and information, but at times he can also be equivalent to knowledge itself."

"Sometimes. So, is it because he is not always controlled by that corresponding source substance that I feel his performance shows two extremes? This may not be the whole story; there must be some reason I don't know about."

After a brief reflection, Klein gathered his thoughts, and to maintain his image as "the Fool," he again spoke enigmatically: "Knowledge Imparter is a necessity."

"A necessity? Is this a hint from the Fate's Signpost?" Rekton narrowed his eyes, thinking he should perhaps reconsider the relationship between the Hidden Sage and the Knowledge Wasteland; perhaps this uniqueness is not simply a result of contamination activation.

"Knowledge Imparter is a necessity? Why? Could it be that the Hidden Sage, to maintain a certain state, had to act this way?" Gadeliya likewise fell into thought due to Klein's words.

While Gadeliya was pondering, Klein casually glanced at her and spoke in an indifferent yet leisurely tone.

"You aren't preparing to introduce yourself?"

"This should be the most basic courtesy."

Gadeliya fell silent for a moment, then spoke in a low voice: "My name is Gadeliya, and I also bear the title 'Star Supreme Commander'."

"Thank you very much for your rescue just now; if there's anything you need me to do, you can directly order me, as long as it's within my abilities and does not violate my principles."

(End of chapter)