Chapter 224
You Bomb Fish, I Bomb Fish
After a brief silence, Eivass was the first to speak, his voice carrying a youthful charm. “Then I’ll start. I am ‘Fox’, Path of Devotion… I hope we can cooperate.”
Hearing his voice, Isabel immediately lowered her head. Otherwise, she might have burst into laughter.
“I am Pure White, Path of Authority,” the girl, dressed entirely in white, said softly.
The tall Elf youth then followed up: “I am Topaz, Path of Love…”
After everyone had introduced themselves to Sherlock and Isabel one by one… Isabel suddenly felt something was amiss. Originally, there was already one empty seat, and Merlin had mentioned that this was an Absent Seat Ritual. She had subconsciously assumed the missing seat belonged to the Extraordinary of the Path Adaptation, whom everyone disliked. But after the reintroductions, she felt something was off. They were originally a team of three, plus Pure White, Wisteria, Topaz, and Quicks. That made only seven people. Why did Lord Merlin say everyone was present? Moreover…
Isabel quickly scanned the room and couldn’t help but ask, “Why are there only eight seats in total, Lord Merlin?”
Sherlock’s heart stirred upon hearing this, and he looked up at Merlin. He had actually realized something was wrong the moment he landed. This ability to instantly ascertain everyone’s presence was as simple as eating and drinking for him. However, he was cautious and did not voice his question—because no one else had. He believed Fox must have noticed too, yet he hadn’t asked.
Those four seemed to be together… and they likely guessed that he and Isabel were also allied. Fox’s appearance in a different location might have been to conceal himself… But apart from Topaz, who seemed a bit reckless, the others appeared experienced. Yet, they also remained silent—Sherlock himself dared not inquire in such a bizarre atmosphere. He always felt that speaking up at such a moment would put him at a disadvantage or expose some information. If the other party understood what was happening, then his own inquiry would reveal his hand. But if they were also unaware of the current situation, then even clarifying it would merely be sharing information, not only revealing his hand but also benefiting the other party for free. Therefore, if they didn’t ask, Sherlock wouldn’t ask.
Fortunately, Isabel wasn’t very good at reading the room. She completely ignored the somewhat dull and tense atmosphere and directly voiced everyone’s unspoken question: “Even if the ‘Adapter’ is excluded, shouldn’t there be one Transcendent? This eighth empty seat should belong to him, right? … Shall we wait for him a little longer?”
“No need.” A somewhat flippant voice responded. The air rippled like water waves, and in the empty seat to Isabel’s right and Fox’s left, a person suddenly appeared. It was a youth with messy black hair, wearing a Monocle. He was dressed in a dark blue mage robe, sitting cross-legged with a smile. His right hand held a Staff, planted in the void, its end featuring a blue Magic Circle, supporting the Staff as it hovered in mid-air. He rested his left arm on the armrest, his left hand propping up his face.
“Wasn’t I already here?” the youth said with a smile. “In fact, I was the first to arrive—Miss Lulu, the seat you are occupying is the eighth.”
Isabel was startled by the sudden appearance of the youth. Sherlock frowned slightly, Wisteria pursed her lips, and Topaz assumed a defensive posture. Fortunately, the faces and expressions in the waiting hall were blurred, so not much information was revealed. Pure White and Quicks, however, showed no reaction, while Eivass sighed inwardly. “I knew it.”
From the moment Isabel entered, Merlin had been eager to start. He likely intended to hide something… and now it seemed, it was to hide this. The Ascension Ritual originally had nine seats. The environment was dark, and with everyone introducing themselves one by one, it was easy to overlook someone. Most people calculated in reverse, judging the number of people by the number of empty seats. This made it easy to miss such details—even if one fewer person, the Adapter, was accounted for, the seats still wouldn’t be full. If Isabel hadn’t asked, he would have easily blended in.
“Among those present, only Pure White and Quicks have experienced an Absent Seat Ritual,” the youth said with a smile. “So others may not understand one thing… Once an Absent Seat Ritual occurs, a penalty mechanism must be introduced. If someone is missing, it means that most others have formed alliances. This goes against the very essence of the Ascension Ritual—which is essentially a play for the Nine Pillar Gods to appreciate, and you are the actors representing your respective Paths. To exclude the representative of one of the Pillar Gods for the sake of victory violates the original intent of the Ritual. I might as well state it directly—at this moment, **at least one** Pillar God is watching you all.”
Hearing this, even Eivass couldn’t help but gasp. “The Nine Pillar Gods are watching?”
No wonder Merlin had stopped talking mid-sentence earlier and suddenly pulled someone in. It turned out the ‘Boss’ who was slacking off had suddenly been discovered. With a direct shortcut, the work interface was pulled up. It was just a tier-two to tier-three Advancement Ritual, why was there anything to see? Could it be… His heart stirred, and he looked to his right. He saw Pure White still sitting quietly, her head lowered without any reaction. If anything, this might not be his problem, but hers. Speaking of which, when those four appeared, their first reaction was surprise that Pure White wasn’t the first. Although it was brief, Eivass caught their astonishment. That’s why they were so enthusiastic about ‘Fox’, engaging him in conversation. But when the Detective and Lulu appeared, they became very indifferent.
Because they didn’t know Fox’s background—though not absolute, the entry order of the Ritual was related to individual strength and total level. …Then, if those four were all from the Church, who was Pure White? Could she be the Saintess of the Eternal Holy Kingdom? But in Eivass’s impression, the Saintess wasn’t a little girl… Was he mistaken? Or does the Saintess have some disguise ability? … Good heavens. You bomb fish, I bomb fish; an Ordinary game turns into a King’s game, right?
“Precisely because of this… when an Absent Seat Ritual occurs, a penalty mechanism must be introduced,” the youth said with a smile, introducing himself. “The Host of the Ritual will join your Ritual—yes, I am Merlin.” Merlin raised his Staff and gave everyone a magician’s salute from afar. He then immediately reassured them, “Of course, you don’t need to be too scared. This Absent Seat Ritual is only missing one person. I won’t be too serious… I’ll just slightly level the advantage you gained from teaming up, and reduce the pressure from having one less person. Moreover, this Ritual site was personally constructed by the Great Philosopher—”
Merlin raised his Staff high. A flash of light illuminated the surroundings, and the previously dark environment was suddenly filled with color. But while filled, it wasn’t completely filled—the surrounding environment remained quite dim. In the Stagnant time, outside was a dark night. Looking closely, one could see frozen raindrops outside the window and the fragmented splash of water hitting the glass. They were sitting around an unlit Inn dining table. This seemed to be the venue for the upcoming event.
Merlin continued his effusive praise: “Great Philosopher creatively used minimal space and the fewest simulated souls to create a layered structure. And Hourglass’s fair and just scoring details were the icing on the cake. This is undoubtedly good news for all of you—this Ascension Ritual is hosted by the Great Philosopher, who dislikes violence. He prefers intelligent people… Therefore, the intellectual component in this Ritual is very significant. And Hourglass’s bonus points are fair and just—”
“This is your confidence, as seven people, to confront me.”
