Chapter 718: Bullets (Thank You, livy37, for Again Sponsoring the Silver Alliance)

Yebusi, who had been preparing to explain what "dark box" meant, paused in surprise and said:

"We are making great progress in gaining control over the Charcoal Party."

As he spoke, this member of the "School of Truth" laughed:

"They seek to overthrow the government and establish their own order—that is precisely what we wish to see and desire."

"But isn't your goal to gradually seize control of the government through figures like Moran Avini from the upper class?" Jian Na felt Yebusi's current statement contradicted his earlier account.

Yebusi chuckled in a teaching tone:

"A mature merchant never puts all his eggs in one basket; neither does a skilled ambitious one."

Hearing this, Lumian suddenly changed the subject:

"According to your description, 'Ambitious Ones' mainly enhance the body, perception, and spirit—do they not involve the mind at all?"

Franca, anticipating Yebusi's reply, smiled in perfect sync:

"No one says an Ambitious One needs a sharp mind.

"It's different from a Conspirator—Ambitious Ones emphasize ambition itself, not the ability to achieve it; a brilliant intellect is not a required trait.

"Throughout history, we've often seen foolish Ambitious Ones."

Their back-and-forth left Yebusi speechless.

Fortunately, Lumian did not pursue the topic further, redirecting focus back to the Charcoal Party:

"Albert Gonguer is already one of yours?"

"Probably," Yebusi answered uncertainly. "I'm not in charge of Charcoal Party affairs."

"Is it because of you 'Brokers' that the 'Dream Seekers' charity organization established contact with the Charcoal Party?" Lumian recalled General Philip's case.

Yebusi smiled again:

"Philip is a man full of ambition—he's long wanted to unite various secret societies. As Brokers, as Shadow Merchants, as Ambitious Ones, of course we helped him. Unfortunately, his plan succeeded, but was exploited by others; he himself vanished inside that ancient city sealed beneath the earth. Hmm—I don't know if you're aware, but it was actually Trill from the Fourth Epoch."

"You people…" Franca seemed to recall something but said nothing, only sighed.

Only then did Lumian ask about the "dark box":

"At Sequence 5, what new abilities did you gain?"

Yebusi's gaze still shifted back and forth between the two witches:

"Only the 'Dark Box' ability—but it has two methods of implementation:

"One is during combat or emergencies: directly creating an invisible, peaceful dark box environment, forcing the enemy to meet your demands by offering them something valuable, without harming them or altering their other states, and you must behave normally enough that the enemy, once agreeing to the dark box deal, doesn't sense anything wrong and awaken.

"Hmm, this kind of dark box transaction isn't guaranteed to succeed—the higher the target's involvement in gray areas and past experience, the greater the success rate; this can be judged using the 'Perceive Gray' ability of the Broker Sequence. If facing a 'No-Dark' of the Sun Path, even without divine suppression, success is nearly impossible."

"No-Dark" is the title of Sequence 4 on the Sun Path.

"When you asked me to let you go earlier, was that done through this kind of 'dark box transaction'?" Lumian suddenly understood.

"Yes," Yebusi replied frankly. "You have extensive experience entangled in gray areas and a strong inclination toward them."

"You really know how to read people!" Franca complimented Yebusi on Lumian's behalf.

"'Perceive Gray' is an ability gained at Sequence 9 as a Broker—but it's incredibly useful," Yebusi said, feigning objectivity while clearly boasting.

Jian Na pressed further:

"What about the other method of 'dark box transaction'?"

Yebusi smiled in reply:

"That requires time—it cannot be used during combat or emergencies.

"Simply put: take a barely sealed space as the target, and create a true dark box. Inside it, you are one party to the transaction; mysterious beings and dangerous entities hidden in shadow and darkness are the other. But we do not know beforehand who the counterpart is, nor can we sense who they are during the transaction—they might be someone we've dealt with before, or someone entirely unknown.

"In short, under this state—where you don't know who the counterpart is, nor how your demand will be fulfilled—you state your need and offer the item they demand, and you might receive the result you want. How it's achieved doesn't matter."

"Can the transaction involve only two parties?" Jian Na asked with keen curiosity.

"No—it can involve three, four, or even more parties, as long as they follow the dark box's rules," Yebusi generously shared his occult knowledge. "This kind of dark box operation also isn't guaranteed to succeed—it depends on the difficulty of the target and the value of the item offered. Also, don't assume those mysterious beings or dangerous entities will keep their promises; many among them are frauds who can escape the dark box's constraints."

"After successfully accomplishing something extremely difficult through this dark box operation, are there additional risks?" Jian Na thought of her own "Dark Box of the Ruler."

Yebusi nodded seriously:

"Yes—it depends on who the mysterious being or dangerous entity is that aided you, and whether they harbor malice. Once, I was cursed for a full week and nearly got discovered by a 'Purifier' as abnormal."

Jian Na nodded thoughtfully, murmuring inwardly:

"So the 'Dark Box of the Ruler' is a corrupted, mutated version of the normal 'Dark Box'—instead of the counterpart demanding something, we directly offer valuable items, but can only simplify complex matters or make difficult ones easier; we can't directly achieve results, and there are severe limitations…"

The cost has become fixed: afterward, one will inevitably face a transaction with a devil or other demonic entity…

"What do you know about the 'Overseer'?" Lumian asked, having finished discussing the "dark box."

Yebusi's face darkened, and he did not answer.

Seeing this, Lumian changed the subject:

"What items do you have on you?"

Yebusi glanced at Franca, then pulled several small objects from hidden pockets in his clothing:

"This is a healing potion traded from a follower of the 'Great Mother'; this is 'Sleeping Gas,' 'Awakening Gas,' and 'Confession Elixir' traded from a follower of the 'Mother of Desire'…"

Healing potion, sedative, occult smelling salts, and truth serum—these are all valuable items… Lumian glanced at the four small metal vials labeled differently and nodded slightly.

His gaze then shifted to Yebusi's other palm, where six bullets lay:

All six bullets were made of brass, but each bore unique patterns and hues: one looked ordinary, one had a vividly pointed tip, one appeared corroded by strong acid, one shimmered faintly with a faint green glow, one seemed dusted with starlight, and one had a dull luster, as if repeatedly treated for a matte finish.

Yebusi enthusiastically explained:

"This is the Pregnancy Bullet, this is the Poison Bullet, this is the Rot Bullet, this is the Weakness Bullet, this is the Implosion Bullet, this is the Deprivation Bullet—all traded from followers of different deities."

Franca, curious but keeping her distance, pointed at the ordinary-looking bullet:

"This is the Pregnancy Bullet?"

"Yes," Yebusi said, slightly fearful. "Anyone or any animal hit by it will inevitably become pregnant, and show signs quickly."

"Regardless of gender?" Franca pressed.

"Regardless," Yebusi affirmed firmly.

"Huh…" Franca made a sound—both repulsed and intrigued.

Jian Na asked with concern:

"It looks just like a normal bullet—what if you mix them up?"

Yebusi shook his head:

"You won't mix them up. It's extremely light—like it's made of wood or dirt."

Phew… Lumian and Anthony both exhaled in relief.

Lumian then pointed to the matte bullet:

"This is the Deprivation Bullet? What does it do?"

The effects of the other bullets were clear, but the Deprivation Bullet's purpose remained ambiguous.

"Anyone struck or grazed by it will lose one supernatural ability within fifteen minutes—exactly which one cannot be predicted beforehand," Yebusi answered honestly.

This could pair well with the 'Hunter of Fate's' ability—specify the deprivation… Lumian sized up Yebusi and asked, "No other items? As a Shadow Merchant, don't you own even one miraculous artifact?"

Yebusi replied with slight embarrassment:

"I only recently received the 'Dark Box' blessing. Before, to complete the ritual and please Truth, I traded away everything I acquired—kept only these.

"A merchant's rule: everything can be bought and sold!"

"Broke-ass…" Franca mocked with disappointment.

She then told Yebusi:

"Hand over all these items. It's because of them that you keep getting dragged into danger, entangled in divine conflicts. Give them up—you'll be free, safe, and get a new life."

It echoed Anthony's earlier hypnotic words. Yebusi believed it and handed everything to Franca.

Once Franca had secured the items, Lumian looked around and said:

"Where is your 'School of Truth' headquarters?"

"Who is your direct 'Overseer'?"

Upon hearing these two questions, Jian Na, Franca, and Anthony subtly moved to stand beside Lumian.

Yebusi hesitated for several seconds, about to answer—when his expression suddenly twisted.

Seeing this, Lumian immediately told Franca:

"Throw the idol!"

Franca obeyed, pulling the Bone Idol of the "Primordial Witch" from the "Traveler's Satchel" and hurling it toward Yebusi.

Simultaneously, she, Anthony, and Jian Na gripped Lumian's shoulders and arms.

The next instant, all four vanished from their spot.

BOOM!

Yebusi exploded from within outward—his shattered flesh and pale mist merged into a strange crimson mist.

The mist slowly settled, swirling around the Bone Idol of the "Primordial Witch," then seeped into the soil.

A few seconds later, Lumian and the others reappeared via teleportation.

PS: Thank you to livy37 for again sponsoring the Silver Alliance!

(End of Chapter)