Chapter 9: Sequence Nine: Seeker of Secrets

"It seems I have something extra on me," Leiketon, after calming down, noticed that some change had occurred on his body. He immediately closed his eyes, settled his mind, and felt the changes within himself.

"Sequence Nine: Seeker of Secrets, Eye of Secret-Viewing!" Leiketon opened his eyes.

His originally pale blue eyes were instantly cloaked in a violet radiance; Leiketon felt the world within his sight change dramatically, and for a moment he thought he could perceive the very essence of the world.

However, Leiketon knew this was merely an illusion from his first use of the Eye of Secret-Viewing, and anyone who had read the original work knew it was useful yet truly dangerous.

After a brief curiosity he stopped actively trying the Eye of Secret-Viewing; even without his initiative it would still activate passively and could not be shut off, but at least it would not possess such strong secret-seeing power.

"But aren't I a Deduction Trainee of the Reader Path, Sequence Eight? How did I become a Seeker of Secrets of Sequence Nine?" Leiketon was puzzled.

Moreover, Leiketon sensed that the extraordinary trait of the Reader Path still resided within him, and he could still employ the corresponding extraordinary ability.

The primary extraordinary ability of a Deduction Trainee is rapid thinking; as the name suggests, it dramatically boosts an extraordinary being's mental and observational faculties for a short period, after which a spell of mental fatigue follows, preventing successive uses in quick succession or else mental collapse and loss of control ensues.

The violet halo around Leiketon's eyes just faded, replaced by a faint blue‑white glimmer; the glimmer was so subtle that one could hardly notice it without close inspection. Leiketon felt his thoughts unusually clear, and the slight brain swelling from the flood of knowledge earlier subsided at that moment.

Leiketon quickly organized his memories and thoughts:

"First, the Seeker of Secrets trait that appeared on me is odd, most likely brought by that massive eye just now, but I haven't lost control; this Sequence Nine extraordinary trait doesn't need to be digested—I can fully master it, though it will require an adaptation period.

It's strange that it doesn't need digestion, as if it doesn't belong to me but is merely temporarily stored here—could this be the so‑called Gift system? One only offers faith to receive a great being's response, without needing elixirs, role‑play, or digestion, yet still must master and adapt to it.

Second, the information the massive eye fed me was Sequence Two: Sage—so that huge eye is a Sequence Two Sage?

Sages indeed possess data‑processing abilities; I wasn't contaminated, merely passively received so much information my head nearly burst, so it was most likely not a true Angel but a Sequence Two extraordinary trait.

That explains many puzzles: receiving a Sequence Two Sage extraordinary trait as a Gift; in this world only the Hidden Sage and the Knowledge Wasteland can do that.

In a sense the two are equivalent, because my speculation before crossing was that the Hidden Sage was the sole entity activated by contamination from the Knowledge Wasteland, essentially the Knowledge Wasteland's front outside the Western Continent.

"So the place I first arrived at when I crossed was the Knowledge Wasteland, and I was captured by it?? Then the Knowledge Wasteland, via the Hidden Sage, implanted me onto Leiketon and even gave me a Sequence Two Gift?" Leiketon felt a tingling on his scalp.

"The Knowledge Wasteland probably didn't intend to immediately contaminate and assimilate me—no, I was already polluted; my body had turned into a mosaic, and my soul was certainly contaminated back then.

But why then embed me onto Leiketon? Moreover, it gave me a Sequence Two extraordinary trait; although it's in a strange state I can't use directly, perhaps this was to prevent me from being instantly overwhelmed and losing control by the Sequence Two trait?

And what's the point of letting me simultaneously wield the Reader and Seeker of Secrets extraordinary traits—two non‑adjacent paths that share many similarities—rather than simply manifesting as an Angel? The Hidden Sage is already suppressed by the God of Steam and Machinery, and in such a situation a Sequence Two Angel would be useless.

I must have other uses?? Two different‑path extraordinary traits—I'm sure as hell going crazy someday." The more Leiketon pondered, the more his head hurt; the Deduction Trainee's rapid‑thinking ability was simply insufficient.

The faint blue‑white glimmer in his eyes faded, and Leiketon instantly felt his mind grow dull, like the sluggishness after overexerting one's brain.

Leiketon stopped pondering, slowly collapsed onto the bed, and began to close his eyes to recuperate his energy.

Until the Butler came to call Leiketon downstairs for a meal, he rose from the bed, not hurrying to dinner but first standing before the huge floor‑length mirror placed in the corner.

Leiketon examined his reflection, repeatedly confirming that nothing strange had appeared on his body nor any parts missing, and he breathed a sigh of relief; although he knew the Sequence Two trait hadn't polluted him, he still worried whether the two differing path extraordinary traits might cause a mutation.

Fortunately, aside from his eyes shifting from pale blue to a faint bluish‑violet—a result of the Eye of Secret-Viewing, which cannot be shut off—the ocular change was irreversible.

"I urgently need a pair of glasses. Fortunately, this change isn't obvious; unless someone familiar looks closely, they won't notice. The Butler and others are just ordinary people lacking that perception, but the Executor Squad is a different story—though I've just met them, most are extraordinary beings of the Reader Path with maxed‑out observation and deduction abilities. Sigh! What a hassle," he sighed helplessly.

He hoped the glasses could be a magical item, both to conceal the color change of his eyes and to block the Eye of Secret-Viewing so that he couldn't see what shouldn't be seen, especially since he remains within the Executor Squad and might at any moment be doomed by glimpsing a contaminated seal or magical artifact.

After gathering his thoughts, Leiketon went downstairs to the dining hall for dinner.

Aunt Shali's cooking was as excellent as always, and today she had specially prepared a fruit‑flavored drink with a trace of alcohol plus some specialty snacks: a rare western‑region roast meat from Finneport, resembling barbecue, with various meats skewered on wooden sticks, interspersed with a lemon‑like fruit that was mildly sour with a lingering sweetness, seasoned with unique spices that elevated the roast's flavor by several levels; the fruit interludes also prevented the dish from feeling greasy despite rapid consumption.

Leiketon ate the dinner with great satisfaction, noticing that the Butler and the male servant Luobote, seated at opposite ends of the table, were also enjoying their meals.

Because there are few family members, Leiketon usually dines together with the Butler and others; only when his parents are home or guests arrive does he separate meals so someone can attend to the visitors.

Servant Aunt Shali lives within Ma Dan City, not far away; a public carriage ride takes just over ten minutes, so she usually returns home after preparing dinner to be with her family.

Only the Butler, who has a strained relationship with his son, and the single male servant Luobote reside here long‑term; of course the house also has quarters for the Butler and servants. Although Leiketon's parents are often away, they frequently travel, and the family's wealth remains substantial.

"Life here isn't that bad, were it not for the ever‑approaching apocalypse. Indeed, being away makes one miss home; I wonder if I can ever return? Perhaps only when I finally confront the Knowledge Wasteland will it give me an answer," after eating and drinking Leiketon's thoughts rose, recalling past and present, yet yearning most of all to go home.

(End of Chapter)