Chapter 491: Suggestion

A sudden gust rose over the sea; Ke Lai En lowered his head slightly, pressed the half‑high silk top hat on his head, then, in a deep voice, said:

"The 'Secret Pair Master' possesses the most unbreakable extraordinary abilities below demigod level; the 'Traveler' moves freely, can stroll the spirit realm at will, and can record and store the extraordinary abilities it has witnessed, deploying them when needed, even those of demigod tier."

"Hearing you say that, I suddenly feel my 'Hunter' path's abilities are rather ordinary," An Desen twitched his mouth corner, speaking somewhat speechlessly.

"You're off topic," Lei Ke Dun said, reminding them.

"Wasn't you the one who raised this topic?" Ke Lai En muttered inwardly, then fixed his gaze on An Desen, waiting for him to tell his story.

An Desen's expression showed a hint of helplessness; sighing with his hands hanging naturally, he said:

"This sea region is extremely dangerous, yet it hides many treasures. Many treasure hunters have entered seeking adventures; most didn't survive, but some lucky ones both gathered items and materials and managed to leave safely."

Ke Lai En's gaze subconsciously scanned Lei Ke Dun, then quickly withdrew.

An Desen glanced around, then briskly bent his legs and sat cross‑legged on the beach, continuing:

"This treasure‑hunting party was organized by two former lucky ones; they claim they've mapped out which ruins are off‑limits and which are safe to explore on the first half of the safe route."

"I've always been curious about this place, and I was persuaded to join this treasure hunt."

"And then?" Ke Lai En asked, looking at the strongest hunter who showed no wariness toward them.

An Desen paused, then sighed and continued:

"At first our exploration went smoothly—really smoothly. We avoided danger, retrieved many garments left by previous explorers, hunted some monsters, and gathered several materials."

"Perhaps the early ease made us unprepared for the later dangers that struck suddenly."

"We discovered a temple on a submerged island, where many well‑preserved murals existed; this gentleman had also seen them in the dream world."

He jabbed his chin toward the expressionless Ke Lai En.

Reclining on a beach chair formed of starlight, Lei Ke Dun said evenly:

"You touched the mural left by Wu Luo Liu Si, then your luck turned, and in the end you, the unluckiest of all, lived the longest."

Though he made no movement, his eyes were profoundly deep, veiled by a vague white mist; through An Desen's narration he made a certain prophecy, replaying their lived experiences in his mind.

"Who is Wu Luo Liu Si?" An Desen raised his eyes in shock, his face showing astonishment, helplessness, and a flash of excitement.

He then waved his hands repeatedly to defend himself, saying:

"No, I didn't touch that mural; as a treasure hunter I wouldn't be so careless."

"I was the first to reach that mural; I merely stretched out my hand and habitually traced some lines in the air. Really, I didn't touch it directly—at least five centimeters away!"

"Who knew that could cause a change? The angel in the mural seemed to open its eyes at that moment; perhaps that's when my misfortune began."

That sounds far from innocent, Ke Lai En thought scornfully, lacking sympathy.

He adjusted his expression slightly and said calmly:

"The angel on the mural is the Tail‑Eater Wu Luo Liu Si, the Angel King of the Fate Path."

"Angel King?" An Desen asked puzzledly; seeing no one to continue the explanation, he laughed twice and said:

"After that, the treasure hunters gathered before the mural. Most were frightened by my description and thought they shouldn't continue exploring the temple, but the remaining one‑third, craving more treasure, pressed onward into the temple's depths."

"The two‑thirds of us who stayed waited a full day, through three cycles of noon and night, yet they never returned."

"We are all excellent treasure hunters; we knew those who kept going must have met trouble. After a brief check, we left the temple, since we already had plenty of loot and didn't need further risk."

None of the three, including Lei Ke Dun, spoke; An Desen, seeing this, offered no expression, merely sighing:

"After leaving the temple, we noticed changes in ourselves: on one hand we became extremely unlucky, everything we did went awry; on the other, we gained control over ourselves in the dream world, no longer vague and aware yet unable to act."

"Because of that, the remaining one‑third of our original companions chose, out of curiosity, to venture deeper into the dream world, and they never returned."

Jia De Li Ya, who had been quietly listening, asked curiously: "What about their bodies in the real world?"

An Desen took a deep breath, his expression noticeably stiff, and said:

"The mutation turned into monsters, killing many of the remaining companions."

"Although we managed to slay those monsters, we had lost too many sailors and faced a series of misfortunes, so we couldn't reach the island before the storm arrived."

"Our ship sank, taking the loot with it; the few remaining companions either drowned, were struck by lightning, or were devoured by water monsters. I, being somewhat stronger and a bit luckier, was tossed by the sea and managed to swim to the island."

"Later, I tried to craft a dugout canoe, but I broke my last axe, and that broke in the dream too; you saw that as well."

An Desen's mouth twitched slightly as he lifted his chin to look at the expressionless Ke Lai En.

This guy is truly unlucky—no, the whole treasure party is unlucky, Ke Lai En lowered his eyes, drawing a Crimson Moon for them in his mind.

Having finished recounting his experiences in this sea, An Desen smiled at 'Star Admiral' Jia De Li Ya and Lei Ke Dun, who lounged leisurely on a starlight‑formed beach chair, and said:

"Do I have the honor of boarding the Future?"

"I will pay the fare."

He acted as if he'd accept any price; Jia De Li Ya turned her head toward Lei Ke Dun, who was lying on one side enjoying the sun and sea breeze, seemingly asking him whether to agree.

"He has no issues, except the misfortune bestowed by Wu Luo Liu Si."

Lei Ke Dun said calmly, meaning you are the captain; whether to let him board is your decision.

Jia De Li Ya nodded thoughtfully, without speaking immediately.

Are you secret‑seekers so confident? No need for divination, just a glance and you reach a conclusion? Or can your eyes replace the divination process? Ke Lai En saw from their demeanor and words that they were inclined to let the strongest hunter board.

Seeing Jia De Li Ya still hesitating, An Desen added eagerly:

"I know the upcoming route well; I can help you avoid most dangers on the safe passage, tell you which areas are no longer explorable, and help you evade the mermaids' songs in time."

"Mermaid's song?" Ke Lai En almost couldn't control his expression; after searching so long for mermaids, he didn't expect the unlucky An Desen to have a clue.

An Desen suddenly seemed enlightened, glanced at Ke Lai En, and said with a light laugh:

"Yes, from here sail forward one more day—well, I mean an external day—circumvent a ruin, and…"

He didn't finish the sentence, but smiled at Ke Lai En, the meaning obvious.

Ke Lai En thought it over, then, as usual, took out a gold coin and performed a simple divination to confirm An Desen had no ill intent.

"Even if he were malicious, it wouldn't affect the Future; his misfortune is still less effective than his own curse."

Lei Ke Dun reminded calmly.

Reasonable. Ke Lai En nodded in agreement in his mind, then tossed the gold coin in his hand again to perform a divination.

It wasn't until Ke Lai En finished two divinations that An De Sen helplessly spread his hands and said, "May I board the Future and leave this cursed place with you?"

Jia De Li Ya glanced at the gold coin Ke Lai En was holding, then turned her head toward An De Sen and nodded, saying:

"I can grant your request, but once we leave this sea, you must give me half of your belongings. If you have nothing, then I want nothing."

"Deal!" An De Sen agreed to Jia De Li Ya's terms without hesitation.

After finding a way out of this sea, he visibly relaxed and said in a joking tone:

"I must warn you: although my misfortune only affects me, you should also be careful—the way it manifests can summon monsters. However, the monsters drawn by my misfortune shouldn't be a serious problem for a saint."

He paused there, fixed his gaze on Lei Ke Dun, and his expression grew solemn as he said:

"I wonder if this gentleman has a way to lift the misfortune from me? If so, what price must I pay?"

Lei Ke Dun looked at An De Sen with deep eyes, chuckled lightly, and said:

"One could say there is, or one could say there isn't."

"I'm not a demigod of the Fate path, nor do I carry any magical items. If you're willing to endure this unlucky state for a not‑short period, I can remove the misfortune from you."

"How long is a not‑short period?" An De Sen asked.

Lei Ke Dun replied expressionlessly:

"Perhaps half a year, perhaps a year, maybe even longer."

"Is there any other method?" An De Sen asked in a low voice, his head down. Being plagued by this misfortune, even a month feels unbearable, let alone a year or six months.

Lei Ke Dun rose from the beach chair formed of starlight, a slight curve at the corner of his mouth, and said:

"Pray to the beings who wield the authority of Fate; if they're in a good mood, they might remove your misfortune."

"For example, the Fate Angel Wu Luo Liu Si you saw in the mural, the Fate Council President who is also an angel of this path, the Queen of Fear and Calamity, the single‑lens glasses spirit known as the 'Shadow that Roams Fate', and the Yellow‑Black King who controls good luck."

"These are the only contacts I have. In the interest of the Church, even though you're a failing laggard, I'll grant you some assistance, though not for free."

An De Sen was stunned for a moment, his expression shifting constantly, reflecting his complex feelings.

Ke Lai En turned his head to glance at Lei Ke Dun, his thoughts drifting. The single‑lens glasses spirit—surely that refers to A Meng—he even knows the other's honorific name, worthy of someone who once stole from the Wave Church together. Come to think of it, these beings who wield authority over the Fate domain seem to have intersected with me to some extent; is it coincidence?

An De Sen quickly composed himself, his expression complex as he looked at Lei Ke Dun and defended himself, saying:

"I'm only a failing student, not even a laggard; otherwise I wouldn't have become the renowned 'Strongest Hunter' of the Five Seas at such a young age."

"You're from the Knowledge Church? How come I don't recall meeting you? To become a demigod at this age, you should be like Ai De Wen Na—one of the standout trainees."

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire island trembled, and a billow of smoke rose from the primeval forest deep within the island.

"No monsters appearing now, right?" An De Sen subconsciously opened his mouth, staring intently toward the rising smoke.

(End of Chapter)