Chapter 450: Letter

Around the private harbor, Lati Xiya and the members of her adventuring party walked lightly on the gravel‑paved road.

Except for Lati Xiya, the others were ordinary people; although adventurers, they mainly explored on land. After such a long sea voyage across the dangerous raging ocean, the constant jolting and harsh weather took a heavy toll on their bodies and minds.

The youngest member of the adventuring party, a pale‑faced boy, said in a sighing tone:

"Huh— finally off the Golden Dream! Captain Ai Dewenna's relentless morning lessons are truly torturous; I feel she's trying to build a university for pirates!"

When he mentioned Ai Dewenna, his words faltered, his perception of the captain seeming conflicted, like a student who dislikes a class but admires the attractive teacher.

A middle‑aged man beside him, supporting each other, sneered and teased:

"You're more eager for Captain Ai Dewenna's morning lessons than most of the crew."

"I‑I'm just passionate about learning! Isn't Lati Xiya also very eager in class?"

The boy blushed slightly and retorted.

Hearing the teammates discuss her, Lati Xiya sighed softly:

"Ai Dewenna is a highly learned lady and also a decent teacher."

"Ai Dewenna? The Ice Mountain General of the sea? She's come to the Southern Continent?"

A clear female voice rang out suddenly; before Lati Xiya and the others could react, the surrounding light dimmed, and one eye after another pierced the air, cold and indifferent, as if the temperature itself had dropped.

A phantom glow of tangled data materialized, coalescing in midair into the image of a beautiful woman clad in a classic wizard's robe.

She had striking gray‑brown eyes, and her thick brown hair fell loosely, looking somewhat disheveled.

"His Highness Ge Lan!"

Lati Xiya gasped, her face full of disbelief as she stared at the person before her.

His distinctive eyes let her recognize him at a glance: one of the Ten Pillars of the Morse Ascetic Society, a true angel!

"I didn't expect that kid's 'assistant' to be you; I thought you'd already perished under the Storm Church's investigation."

"Your nerve is far greater than I imagined—daring to steal the Book of Catastrophe as a mere mortal. Even if the Storm Church doesn't act, that book alone could kill you countless times."

Ge Lan's words were blunt, both mocking and admonishing.

Lati Xiya gave a wry smile, shook her head, and at a loss for words.

"You should stay here and teach with me—for your own grounding, and while we await the Great Sage's next plan."

Ge Lan's gaze suddenly turned distant, looking through the River of Fate toward a vague, hazy future.

After handing over the cargo, Ai Dewenna took Yuedeson to the tavern downstairs, eating fresh fruit to replenish nutrients while waiting for Bishop Luka, who was still upstairs discussing other matters.

In the third‑floor room, Bishop Luka, Plak, and Mei Sangyes continued to discuss personnel assignments; when they finished, evening had slipped in unnoticed.

Bishop Luka's figure shifted, appearing beside the relaxed Yuedeson on the chair, smiling broadly as he addressed Ai Dewenna:

"Sorry to keep you waiting; I talked with those two for too long. Let's return to the Knowledge Church. After drifting at sea for so long, I think you both need a proper rest."

"And this 'Dream Thief' gentleman, the esteemed one is already waiting for you. He seems to have many tasks to assign. If the Golden Dream weren't about to dock, he would have used spirit‑realm traversal a few days ago to bring you here."

"Damn, I haven't even arrived yet, and they're already scheduling my life?" Yuedeson's face twisted, his eyes flickered, then he spoke earnestly:

"No, I'll stay with the captain. The Pas River Valley is too dangerous; as the Third Officer of the Golden Dream, I must ensure the captain's safety!"

"I'll remain at the Knowledge Church for the next few days; there'll be no safety concerns."

Ai Dewenna calmly rejected Yuedeson's excuse.

"Ugh," Yuedeson opened his mouth but could not speak.

Luka's gaze softened as he smiled at the two, saying, "Don't resist; I'll take you on a spirit‑realm traversal."

Finishing his words, he placed a hand on each of Yuedeson's and Ai Dewenna's shoulders; a bright pale‑blue glow erupted from his eyes, and the three figures instantly faded, vanishing from the tavern.

On the north bank of the Pas River Valley lies the area garrisoned by Luen military forces; its architecture differs markedly from the surrounding city, built entirely in Luen style.

In a three‑story detached villa guarded by an officer, a handsome young man in a black trench coat sat upright at a desk; his hair shone golden, his eyes were lake‑blue, his slender frame exuded an indescribable authority.

He was Audrey's brother, Alfred Hall, also the colonel stationed by the Luen military in the Xibailang Pas River Valley region.

Neatly arranged documents lay on the desk before him; he sat upright, but his page‑turning was casual, and he soon set the papers aside.

"Hm?" His hand paused, and he turned his head toward the protruding window on his left.

A dim‑witted, semi‑transparent rabbit emerged from the glass reflection, cradling a dark‑gold brooch; a single glance of his spiritual intuition confirmed it was his.

"A spirit‑realm creature? Not a powerful or hostile one. Why does it have my item? If I recall correctly, that brooch should be in Beikeland…"

While pondering, he saw the rabbit‑like spirit‑realm being pull a letter from its own translucent body, handing it to him along with the brooch.

"Messenger? Who wrote this? And they used my item to locate me…" Alfred, puzzled, reached out to take the paper and brooch, already forming an unwelcome suspicion.

Audrey has always been fascinated by the occult; she once asked me to find a rainbow lizard. Though her reasons seemed convincing, on reflection they weren't entirely logical—so perhaps she actually needed the creature as a magical ingredient?

Feeling a mix of apprehension and annoyance, he unfolded the letter in his hand:

"Dear Alfred, when you read this, please don't be too surprised, as it doesn't match the image you usually present."

"As you guessed, I am now an extraordinary being, a true 'Observer.'"

"We'll discuss how I became extraordinary later; I wrote to you because of something crucial, daring to expose my status as a reminder."

"I attended a relatively secret extraordinary gathering and obtained information that a major event will occur in the Pas River Valley of the Southern Continent, possibly sparking a clash among extraordinary beings."

"I know your colonel rank prevents you from leaving the military zone lightly. This letter warns you: if battle erupts, don't linger—withdraw when needed, and if you're expelled from the battlefield, don't try to return."

"Due to confidentiality, I can't reveal more, but please trust me!"

"I will explain your doubts later; you needn't return to Beikeland. I've found a messenger—the Knowledge Rabbit that just delivered this letter. Its summoning incantation is: 'Spirit wandering in illusion, a rabbit‑shaped spirit cherished by Knowledge, the exclusive messenger of Su Xi.'"

"One more thing: keep my becoming extraordinary a secret. Only you and Su Xi know; you won't outdo Su Xi, will you?"

"Missing you, sister, Audrey!"

"She actually became extraordinary in secret—that's too dangerous; without proper guidance, she could easily lose control."

Alfred frowned and murmured, now more concerned that his sister had hidden her transformation from the family than the grand dangers she mentioned.

"I must have a proper talk with her. Sigh~"

He muttered to himself, then sighed, abandoning his plan to telegram his father about the matter.

He knew that, given Audrey's personality, if he didn't help her keep the secret, she would never tell him anything in the future the way she does now.

This would be even more dangerous, and she has already become a Beyonders; telling her parents about this wouldn't change anything. Perhaps her father already knows—Audrey looking for magic potion ingredients would likely target the family's treasury, and even if she paid for the materials herself, large movements of funds in her bank account would alert her father to the problem.

After pondering for a moment, Alfred immediately took out a few sheets of paper and a pen from the nearby desk, and began to write down the issues Beyonders need to pay attention to, as well as some basic occult knowledge.

In the clergy lounge behind the prayer hall of the Knowledge Cathedral, Rekton made a slight modification here: the original tables and chairs were moved out, replaced by rows of neatly arranged long tables, with only a few wooden chairs placed side by side near the bookshelf at the far end.

Rekton sat against the wall on a wooden chair, and on the desk in front of him were already stacked two piles of books that the Knowledge Rabbits had organized and copied.

Besides the Knowledge Rabbits, he himself was also organizing some spell knowledge similar to tricks, compiling it into an introductory manual for Spiritworld Spellcasters to cast spells.

As he leaned against the wall to relax his mind, a sudden flash of inspiration struck, and with his motion of raising his head, three figures suddenly appeared outlined in the lounge ahead.

The white-haired Luca Bruce had one hand on a person's shoulder, and as their figures quickly solidified, Bishop Luca this time drew back both hands.

His gaze fell on the Knowledge Rabbits diligently organizing and copying books around him, and then he turned to Rekton:

"Are you still making them help? Even Spiritworld Creatures would get tired under such high-intensity pressure."

"Don't worry, this isn't the previous batch—I've assigned each Knowledge Rabbit a work number, so I definitely won't overwork the same rabbit again!"

Rekton chuckled as he explained, and he also pointed to the slip of paper stuck on the translucent belly of a Knowledge Rabbit, which bore the strange symbols from Russell's Diary.

Standing to Bishop Luca's right, Yodesen's face suddenly darkened, as if he saw from these Knowledge Rabbits a future of himself being overworked.

Rekton's gaze lingered on the three of them for a moment; he sensed no aura of the three-headed sea snake, and he asked curiously:

"Wadge Veer isn't with you guys?"

"It said it was going to find a big shot, and after reaching the port it split off from us."

Yodesen shrugged, looking indifferent, paused a moment, then feigned curiosity and asked:

"Do you know who that important figure he mentioned is?"

"I do." Rekton gave a slight nod, meeting Yodesen's curious gaze, but said nothing more.

Yodesen twitched the corner of his mouth, then quickly collected his thoughts. Moments later, his brow furrowed slightly as he wondered what was going on with these guys—how could he not steal the inner thoughts and ideas of even one or two of them?

(End of chapter)