Chapter 1303 Overlord’s forceful conquest
After returning to Iberia, the adventurer also handed the Golden Scepter to some friends or to equipment shops for appraisal. However, he feared that possessing such a treasure would bring him doom, so he dared not let too many people see it.
Most of those who had seen it either lacked the Spirit Vision to see the text on the stone tablet, or their knowledge was insufficient to recognize the Aztec ancient script, and they were not followers of Tezcatlipoca, thus unable to activate the scepter.
In the end, they all unanimously concluded that it was a scepter symbolizing authority, which could be used as a magic apparatus because gold is a good conductor of magic. However, none of them considered it a divine artifact.
The adventurer was not a caster, and he needed a sum of money to embark on new adventures. Thus, he decided to auction the Golden Scepter, which is how I saw it at the underground trading fair.
Next, from a third-person perspective, I witnessed the underground auction. The appraisers at the underground trading fair were indeed discerning. Although they didn’t fully understand that it was a divine artifact of Tezcatlipoca, they still placed it as one of the final items.
From an outsider’s viewpoint, the underground auction was quite interesting. I saw myself, and I also saw Safah’s surprised expression. Other people were looking at the Golden Scepter, some with confusion, some in deep thought, and some ecstatic.
My current knowledge is incomparable to what it was back then. In fact, when I saw that bizarre painting at the underground auction, I had some understanding. Different people have different levels of Spirit Vision, and they can see different things.
I remember that at that time, what I saw on the stone tablet was a spell that I couldn’t learn, called Heavenly Radiance Torrent. It should have been inscribed by a former owner and was completely different from the legend of Tezcatlipoca that I see now.
It can be imagined that the people present at the time saw different content on the stone tablet. Safah clearly recognized the value of the Golden Scepter, and the person who later attempted to snatch it also understood it.
What happened next was the same as what I remembered. Safah spent a huge sum of 180,000 gold coins to bid for the Golden Scepter. Afterwards, someone attempted to snatch it, but was killed on the spot by Safah’s bodyguard.
Fearing complications, Safah left the auction with the Golden Scepter directly, heading home and missing the subsequent auction of the feathered serpent egg.
Following the perspective of the Golden Scepter, I finally saw Safah’s lair. It is said that he himself is extremely secretive, fearing assassination by his enemies. Safah’s lair is hidden very deeply, known only to his most trusted subordinates, and even Older Brother Jayad had never been there.
In fact, it is true. Safah lives in obscurity, with his lair hidden within an entertainment district mixed with nightclubs, brothels, and taverns. In reality, his properties encompass the entire surrounding area.
His home is surrounded by these establishments, each controlled by one of his subordinates, with secret passages to his lair behind every establishment.
Further inside is the mafia base. It is guarded by Safah’s most loyal subordinates everywhere. The entire complex is intricate, and the rooms store a large quantity of arms and food, as well as treasures.
His own home is located in the deepest part, concealed and protected by a large number of buildings. Such a place is not only difficult for enemies to approach for revenge, but even an army attempting an encirclement and suppression would take an hour or two to breach it.
Safah’s home is luxuriously decorated. Any piece of furniture, decoration, or ornament inside is priceless, comparable to a noble’s residence. At least, compared to Albrisque’s home, I found Safah’s to be more luxurious.
However, it cannot be directly compared. Albrisque has greater ambitions; his energy and wealth are primarily spent on building an army and strengthening his defenses. His mansion is built on the scale of a castle. Although his industries are not as numerous as Safah’s, his social status is higher.
Upon returning home, Safah hid the Golden Scepter in a secret room within his residence and researched it day and night. His Spirit Vision seems to be quite high, and he also understands a bit of Aztec text.
However, his level of understanding is limited, and the Golden Scepter has been passed down for so many years, with the script continuously evolving. The recording methods of people from different eras or tribes vary, which led him to be unable to achieve any results. In the end, he had no choice but to hire an Indigenous translator.
After the Indigenous translator translated the text on the stone tablet for him, Safah could finally use the Golden Scepter. By reciting the divine miracles or incantations recorded on the scepter, he could activate it.
Although Safah is not a follower of Tezcatlipoca and cannot truly activate the scepter to its full, world-destroying power as wielded by its former chief, he can achieve the power of spells normally used by a Mage. For Safah, who cannot cast spells at all, this Golden Scepter is indeed very practical and precious.
At this point, the illusion was drawing to a close. The final scene was Safah handing the Golden Scepter to Older Brother Jayad. Without any collateral, under the guise of a loan, he entrusted the magic apparatus, which could make him a powerful Mage, to Jayad.
This decisiveness alone was enough to earn my high regard. After witnessing the history of the Golden Scepter, I had seen too many plots of usurpation, patricide, and fratricide driven by the desire for the Golden Scepter. Safah’s swift decision to give it away showed his remarkable state of mind.
The illusion ended. Older Brother Jayad and I were still holding the Golden Scepter. At this moment, the Golden Scepter was fully activated, returning to the era when it once commanded the world.
The scepter shone with golden light, and black and golden divine power surged within it. The text inscribed on the stone tablet emitted a faint black glow, making the entire artifact appear both sacred and slightly bizarre.
The anomalies surrounding Older Brother Jayad also disappeared, integrating into his body. Jayad tried to let go of the scepter, only to find that it was very easy to do so. As was I; after letting go, the scepter simply floated in mid-air.
Older Brother Jayad and I exchanged glances. Then, I let out a wry smile. “It still managed to succeed, didn’t it, Older Brother Jayad? Do you feel any changes in your body?”
I could already feel the divine power aura resonating between Older Brother Jayad and the Golden Scepter. This indicated that he had also been bestowed with divine favor by Tezcatlipoca, becoming his chosen one, or rather, a Divine Favorite.
This is truly vexing. Tezcatlipoca, such a cruel and merciless god, actually took a liking to Older Brother Jayad. And this blessing is like a forced sale, utterly unscrupulous, worse than a hoodlum.
But upon reflection, it seems all the gods who bestowed blessings upon Older Brother Jayad did so through unconventional means. God’s case at least involved reading the Bible, Lord of Dawn merely drank Holy Water, and the King in Yellow simply came into contact with an ancient stone tablet.
