Chapter 572: Mausoleum

The pale gold twisted figure let out a disdainful chuckle and said:

"Being able to reclaim all authority and attributes before the distant barrier shatters, becoming a 'Knowledge Demon', is already your best state."

"To simultaneously oppose the 'Superstar Overlord' and the 'High-Dimensional Overseer', you need one—or even several—old‑level allies."

Leikton raised an eyebrow at the pale gold figure before him and, in a calm tone, said, "Are you recommending yourself to me?"

"You've been sealed by the Celestial Lord for so long; that part of the starry sky has already developed self‑awareness. After returning to the starry sky, who do you think will lead—both of you?"

"We lack the so‑called humanity of this world's gods; when our divinity is aligned, partial conflicts don't affect us much."

The Lamp God's voice carried no emotion, as if emphasizing its nature as a purely mythic being.

Leikton chuckled, skipped the topic, and said, "Give me three wishes, and I'll tell you the state of the 'Disordered Country' on the Western Continent torn by the Primordial."

The Lamp God's voice suddenly turned indifferent and solemn, saying:

"I refuse; returning to the starry sky matters more to me than reclaiming authority. Your terms aren't worth three wishes to me."

Leikton wasn't surprised by the Lamp God's refusal; after a slight nod, he added a new condition:

"I can add another condition: help you corrupt a 'Hand of Order'. Whether you aim to return to the starry sky or reclaim scattered authority, this will greatly aid you."

"Deal!" After a one‑second pause, the pale gold figure added, "We must swear by the Source Essence each of us controls. Our current states are poor; even if we could break the oath, we certainly wouldn't."

The unlucky Lamp God, still suffering the Celestial Lord's aftereffects, sighed inwardly and nodded lightly, saying:

"Fine, but you may not deliberately twist my wish, or the deal becomes void!"

After the agreement, the pale gold figure suddenly vanished into thin air, as if never having appeared.

The rule‑twisting ability is truly handy; I even want to snatch two 'Assassin Prince' traits. The wishing lamp has already arrived at Gardelia, indicating that Bellnadé has set out to find her long‑lost father.

Moments later, the overlapping green vines that formed a forest quickly retracted; the isolated space merged back with reality, and a faint glow composed of countless tangled pure knowledge rose from the void, flowing northward beyond the Mist Sea.

In the northern Mist Sea, near the Indist Republic's Oladek Archipelago, lies Indist's first overseas colony, also called the Archipelago Province.

It is also Indist's principal overseas colony, the largest archipelago on the Mist Sea, and a gathering spot for adventurers and treasure hunters.

The architecture here is heavily influenced by Indist, predominantly bright yellow, with gold inlays or gold paint decorating everywhere.

The locals have a yellowish complexion, eyebrows and hair tinged with varying shades of burnt yellow; their clothing is bolder and more open than that of Luen and Fenebot, and unlike Luen's restraint, they love to display their bodies.

In the provincial capital, Farlin Port, on a moderately busy street, an imperceptible faint glow surged from the deep spirit realm, coalescing in midair to reform Leikton's figure.

The surrounding pedestrians seemed oblivious to the marvel; none shouted or questioned. Until Leikton merged into the crowd and vanished, the onlookers didn't notice the sudden appearance and swift departure.

In the dock district, at an inn called Red Agate, Leikton leaned by the third‑floor window, calmly watching the bustling crowd outside. On the windowsill to his left rested a bronze mechanical glove set with three differently colored gems.

The glove's fingers formed an OK sign, its palm bearing a gaping mouth, actively reporting its findings: "Honored master, I have scoured the nearby collective subconscious sea and found some information. Lately, treasure hunters and adventurers sailing out have reported seeing the Mysterious Queen's Dawn Vessel deep in the Mist Sea."

"Now rumors on the sea say that the Mysterious Queen has obtained a clue to a lost treasure and is actively searching."

"The treasure hunters think it may be the legendary 'Ghost Empire' or the 'Lost Nuwins'; only such a legendary treasure would prompt the Mysterious Queen herself to hunt."

"Um, also, the 'Eternal Blazing Sun' Church and the ignorant Steam Church seem to have sent ships to scout, but I can't see any more information."

"Well done." Leikton whispered praise to the glove dancing its fingers on the sill, then leaned against the frame, closed his eyes, and entered meditation.

In this state, his spirit gradually detached from his body, linking with a grand consciousness hidden in the unknown. Prayers grew louder in his ears, reverberating in layers; the intense emotions and will within them naturally calmed and rationalized him, like a holy, wise, and indifferent sage.

The rational, clear faith stabilizes his mind exceptionally well; as it spreads, even the 'Hidden Sage' is less mad. Unfortunately, that island still harbors remnants of the Fallen Mother God's power; otherwise I could find it easily myself.

While sighing inwardly, he had already, with the Hidden Sage's aid, located the marked Bellnadé.

Deep in the Mist Sea, aboard the Dawn Vessel sailing smoothly between storms and waves, Bellnadé perched with one leg crossed on the wooden chair before the desk.

She wore beige trousers suited for movement, short black leather boots, and a light brown knee‑length skirt whose slanted hem exuded a touch of wildness and nonchalance—more an oceanic adventurer than a pirate queen.

Sensing a gaze cast from great heights, Bellnadé lifted her eyes slightly; her stare was deep and dark, as if she could see Leikton across the void despite countless barriers.

"After locating him, inform me; there is residual contamination from the Primordial Moon there."

Leikton's voice echoed faintly and ethereally in Bellnadé's ears. She tilted her head slightly, listened carefully, discerned the content, then, expressionless, nodded and whispered:

"You truly are…"

Without replying to Bellnadé's trailing words, Leikton cut the connection outright.

After opening his eyes, he glanced at the glove still dancing on the sill and whispered, "What if I assassinate a high priest of the Eternal Blazing Sun Church here?"

The dancing glove abruptly halted, its five fingers splayed, then it grasped twice forcefully, saying:

"Great master, I think that's a fine idea. You could also snatch a level‑1 seal item from the White Tower route, or perhaps two?"

Leikton lowered his head, stared at the increasingly animated glove for a moment, and chuckled:

"No rush; when the war begins, we may yet have a chance to hunt angels."

"I cannot suppress so many traits of my own tier; inevitably, the mad wills and psychic imprints among them will contaminate me."

The glove perched on the sill wavered its fingers twice; Leikton laughed lightly twice and slipped it back onto his right hand.

Leikton had stayed in Farlin Port for two weeks; that day, while feeding seabirds on the pier, a prayer belonging to Bellnadé echoed in his ears.

It was a bit faster than I expected; it seems she found some clues before departing, pinpointing the general location of the Primeval Island.

As thoughts fluttered, his body suddenly became ethereal, breaking into streams of tangled pure knowledge that surged into the spirit realm like a torrent.

Deep in the spirit realm, Leikton raced forward as a torrent of information, and guided by Bellnadé's marker, he quickly reached the spirit‑realm sector corresponding to the Primeval Island.

The tangled pure knowledge rapidly reassembled Leikton's body; peering out through the spirit realm, he saw the entire island cloaked in deep red, suffused with the aura of decay, evil, and life, as if the island itself were about to awaken.

He scanned the island carefully but found no sign of Bellnadé; finally his gaze fell upon the central region, a spot his eyes could not penetrate.

His body instantly fragmented into countless data streams; an imperceptible glow surged from the spirit realm, coursing across the Primeval Island, passing through trees, stones, soil, and even the people conducting strange rituals.

Soon he had gathered most of the island's information; after completing this, the flowing data on the island began to converge spontaneously toward the grand, mysterious mausoleum at its center.

Inside the mausoleum, Bellnadé faced a wholly black silhouette; its face bore two small and one large fissure, like eyes and a mouth, from which deep‑red light erupted.

Bellnadé's expression was complex as she stared at the figure before her, tiny glimmers flickering at the corners of her eyes.

"It seems I arrived at an inopportune moment," Leikton, whose body had coalesced from tangled pure knowledge, cleared his throat and interrupted the tender gaze between father and daughter.

(End of Chapter)