Chapter 159: So the System Played the Long Game
In reality, Roger hadn’t remembered where he’d previously encountered the term “Source Sea” until the Empress of Eternal Night prepared to visit the Arcane Society that evening to consult some information.
The news that the Seven Gods were close to the ultimate mysteries of the Multiverse was explosive and would certainly pique the curiosity of mages. Although the true insider information was likely confined to the God King and the God of Knowledge, such news was far from good for the Empire.
Perhaps the void planes created by the Seven Gods were related to the Source Sea?
With such doubts, even though the Empress of Eternal Night had resolved to take a break and spend more time with Roger, fostering their relationship in private, she chose to be prudent that night.
*What’s more fun than romance? Magic!*
*Men only slow down my spellcasting speed!*
If one were to dissect young Master Ao’s inner thoughts at this moment, these would likely be the only sentiments remaining. Some people remain single until now, and they should certainly look for reasons within themselves. Would it be like this if there had always been a mutual effort?
Roger didn’t overthink it; it would be strange for an unrivaled mage not to be curious about such ultimate mysteries. He didn’t stay at the Moutai Wine Estate, a manor with a distinct character, but returned to the Charles Mansion. He had to discuss the matter of moving with Angelina sooner or later and also stay there for a few more days to reminisce about the place where he’d first transmigrated. That large bed was certainly more nostalgic than an apple stall.
“It really was given to you…” Angelina didn’t seem too surprised by the news of the Moutai Wine Estate’s ownership, only sighing softly. As the head steward of the Empire’s finances, she naturally knew about the construction of such a large project within the City of Mysteries. Since the Empire had been at war less recently, opportunities for ennoblement were scarce. Someone meeting the standards of a Duke could indeed only be her younger brother. Thus, Angelina had already subtly guessed, but hearing it from Roger’s own lips now made her admit that she was reluctant to part with this scoundrel.
Roger was also saddened by her reaction. Although their time as siblings wasn’t long, and she was an elder sister who prioritized the Empire, Angelina’s character was indeed worthy of admiration. At least he knew that if he were in Angelina’s position, he wouldn’t be able to be so pure.
“Actually, you could move with us too, sister,” Roger said quietly.
Angelina was amused by this bad idea. “And then when you find a sister-in-law, you’ll conspire to exploit me?”
It was a joke, but if Roger’s sister-in-law were some wretched empress… wouldn’t she already be exploiting you? He chuckled awkwardly. “How could that happen? If you both fell into the river, I’d save my sister first!”
“No need, I taught you how to swim,” Angelina retorted cheekily, pinching his cheek. “It’s good that you have your own place. This place will be mine from now on, and I’ll be more at ease, doing whatever I want.”
“Like finding a few more brother-in-laws?”
“Hmm?”
“Aren’t a few enough? If there were a dozen, wouldn’t it be tiring to remember all their names…?”
“What do you take me for, Thebelia?”
A chaotic chase ensued.
…
…
Regardless, Angelina was on board, and there were no tearful scenes. Her younger brother had also been made a Duke. Though she was reluctant, it was a family honor, and their parents in heaven would be happy… right? Even if they separated, Angelina believed their bond wouldn’t change. Well… it probably wouldn’t, right? The elder sister, who had raised him since childhood and watched him grow handsome, had complex feelings. But at such an occasion, she couldn’t spoil the mood. What else could she do but smile and bless him?
Roger couldn’t comprehend a girl’s complex emotions. In his eyes, the fact that they could still joke and laugh freely meant she didn’t care. It was just a move, and with teleportation arrays, he could be back in a flash. After chatting about trivial matters with his sister again, he returned to his room. He informed young Joey of his travel plans, replied to Tasika’s message from the mage encampment, and pondered his gains and losses over the past few days, confirming that there were no important matters he’d forgotten to handle before lying down.
Alas, women are truly troublesome creatures!
In the blink of an eye, it was midnight. Roger casually opened his daily “Nirvana Treasure Chest.”
[De De De De Demacia’s Wings: Specially sponsored by a certain company, extended absorption type, comfortable, close-fitting, and highly breathable. Each pad is printed with a random hero. The skin can be changed as the absorption increases! 30/30 pads]
“A co-branded sanitary napkin… Doesn’t it feel like selling to female players, and co-branding with Honor of Kings would have better sales? Besides, would anyone be looking at which skin they changed into at different stages of absorption?”
Looking at the extra-large promotional family pack of sanitary napkins that came out of the chest, Roger truly felt that this item was riddled with flaws. So, Fujii’s luck was as abysmal as ever. It wasn’t surprising that a group of oddballs who could misaward medals would produce some macabre co-branded products. Although he had once again drawn useless trash, the system’s storage was infinite, so he didn’t throw it away but casually tossed it to the bottom to gather dust. If any girl around him urgently needed it someday, he could still act like a gentleman and help out. After all, based on past experiences, buying such an item at a supermarket under the scrutiny of elderly aunties would be more embarrassing than having a glowing Teemo or Vayne reflected on one’s backside.
Glancing at the guaranteed drop rate that had increased by 1% on the system interface, Roger casually closed it, thinking that this unreliable system only gave out such nonsensical items every day… He suddenly sat up.
He finally remembered where he had seen the words “Source Sea”: Amongst the pile of trash that the system had given him, which he had no idea how to use, there was actually a “Source Sea” series! Roger’s spirits immediately lifted, and he began searching his system storage. Fortunately, although he hadn’t organized his warehouse, the space was infinitely large, and it could be sorted by date or name, which was quite user-friendly. It was likely designed with the assumption that a host capable of playing the Nirvana System well wouldn’t be a germaphobe who liked organizing boxes…
Soon, Roger found four items related to the Source Sea:
[Source Sea Ark: A special creation that can counteract Source Sea Erosion. Its creator is unknown. Shield Energy 1000/1000, Maximum Dive Depth 100 meters (upgradable)]
[Source Sea Telescope: Increases vision by one fold within the Source Sea range. Activation consumes Mental Power]
[Source Sea Anchor: After successful anchoring, the next teleportation will be to this location]
[Source Sea Secret Potion: Moderately repairs Eorsion caused by the Source Sea. Usage count 3/3 (automatically refills upon returning to the material world)]
“I wonder if this Source Sea is the same one Her Majesty mentioned…” Previously, these four items were all considered inexplicable trash with no clear purpose. But now, it seemed he had misunderstood. The system had already given him crucial items for navigating the mid- to late-game, but he simply hadn’t triggered the relevant plot, so he didn’t know? Could this relevant plot be self-studying magic? This darn system, making him lie down and study at the same time, is truly schizophrenic. So, all the mistakes are the system’s fault, definitely not his laziness, right?
These four items couldn’t be used yet and would likely only become active upon reaching the Source Sea. Roger could only study the item descriptions, finding that two mentioned “Erosion.” One also mentioned a shield, all indicating that the Source Sea was a high-risk environment where one would passively lose health even without encountering monsters. This aligned with what the Empress of Eternal Night had said—no one had yet discovered the Source Sea and lived to tell the tale… But if there was the Source Sea Ark, could it guarantee a certain period of safe exploration of the Source Sea, then save the game with the Source Sea Anchor, use the Source Sea Telescope for navigation, and the Source Sea Secret Potion to treat accidental injuries…? Did this achieve some kind of set effect? By traveling back and forth between the material world and the Source Sea, could it become some kind of perpetual motion machine?
“System, you’ve quietly played a grand game!” Roger’s expression was quite pained. “But with so many related items, isn’t there a single map to tell me where the Source Sea is? Are you expecting me to kidnap the God of Knowledge to ask?” Roger rubbed his temples with some helplessness. A traverser who completely relied on the system wouldn’t get far, but if this system was completely unreliable, he was also in grave danger. However, the items provided by the system also indirectly proved that the Source Sea truly existed. The Seven Gods continuously expending vast amounts of Faith Power, whether searching for the Source Sea or already exploring it, indicated that the place was extremely important—the kind of importance personally endorsed by the system. Therefore, this was a location he absolutely couldn’t skip, right? Roger sighed softly, knowing that hoping to draw more Source Sea-series items was too wishful thinking. He should focus on how to explain the items he had and then trick the Empress of Eternal Night into searching for the Source Sea. The future was in his own hands; he couldn’t rely on the system’s randomness…
…
…
The next morning, at the Maple Spirit Moon Shadow Palace.
“Her Majesty didn’t return last night…?” Roger’s expression became peculiar upon hearing Madame Mosconi’s reply. Yesterday, he discovered that he had unknowingly assembled a set of equipment for exploring the Source Sea, but after much thought, he realized he didn’t know where the Source Sea was. Given the system’s randomness and his own lack of luck, he felt he had no choice but to cling to the Empress of Eternal Night’s thigh. Once she found the location of the Source Sea, he would provide the equipment, and they would embark on an adventure together. After pondering for a long time this morning, he finally thought of a suitable reason to explain these items, only to find he couldn’t contact the Empress of Eternal Night. Her message from last night had yet to be replied to. He went to the Maple Spirit Moon Shadow Palace, but no one was there. When he inquired further, the Empress had been out all night.
The combination of these factors inexplicably gave him a desolate feeling of being played with and abandoned, his wife having run off with someone else… And it’s likely that the person she spent the whole night with was a group of old geezers! Young Roger, who had just seen a glimmer of hope, suddenly realized that his handsomeness was insignificant in the face of magic! Okay, the truth was that the Empress of Eternal Night had gone to the Arcane Society last night and hadn’t returned to her palace yet. Most likely, new information had ignited everyone’s imagination, and they were currently brainstorming. They might even be venturing into the void for various experiments. Anyone who knew the execution ability of that wretched Empress understood. Roger wouldn’t be surprised if she had fallen into some strange space where magical beacons couldn’t reach her. However, after being inseparable for several days, the sudden separation made him feel a bit unaccustomed…
With a long sigh, Roger understood that even though he could wield the Empress of Eternal Night’s Magic Power and become one of the Empire’s top-tier mages in terms of combat power, his perspective on problems was completely different from that of a true mage. Every mage above legend, regardless of their talent, possessed an inherent obsession with magic and the laws of the World, leading to their ultimate achievements. On Earth, they could all be categorized as mad scientists. Firstly, magic is more uncontrollable, and many operations lead to dangerous consequences. Moreover, the repeatability of the process is highly questionable, yet mages still bravely opened the blind box; at the same time, mages have very few restrictions. Even if they didn’t conduct human experiments, experimenting with succubi would involve talking, intelligent, and good-looking test subjects… If such actions were exposed online in the 21st century, that scientist would face social death. But for mages, it’s just routine. The Empress of Eternal Night wasn’t a homebody mage obsessed with research, but when encountering a topic that interested her, she became quite engrossed. After all, it was a vacation, and it wasn’t necessarily about accompanying him; researching magic was more fun! It’s fine, I’m a magnanimous person and wouldn’t hold this against her, right? With practically palpable resentment, Roger left the Maple Spirit Moon Shadow Palace under Madame Mosconi’s worried gaze.
He first went to the Chapter of Imbalance. Among the advisors of the Arcane Society, Frankenstein was the one he was most familiar with; the mechanical girl also enjoyed chatting with him. “Source Sea? Then Her Majesty must be at the Sky Sea Tower,” Frankenstein replied with great certainty. “Take teleportation array number 17… Never mind, I’ll send an assistant to take you there.”
“Is there a problem over there?” Roger sensed that Frankenstein’s words implied something and asked curiously.
“Heh, you’ll understand when you get there,” Frankenstein winked. “The owner of the Sky Sea Tower, our chief advisor Lord Nikolai Galilei, has always been arrogant and believes that those entering his Magic Tower must have sufficient magical ability. He has set up some trials…”
“Alright, I don’t need you to say any more!” Roger understood. Because he was a poor student, he needed someone to escort him in, otherwise, he wouldn’t be able to enter the Magic Tower even after passing the teleportation array. My apologies, I feel offended! Frankenstein comforted him. “Actually, this problem is quite easy to solve. I have the latest mechanical auxiliary magic crystals, external memory modules, and auto-casting neuro-connections. With a simple implantation surgery, you can possess the knowledge and operational skills of a legendary mage in just three minutes, easily passing the Sky Sea Tower’s test… Hey, don’t go!” What was meant as comfort was a sales pitch. Seeing Roger leave without looking back, Frankenstein felt helpless. Flesh is weak; why be so stubborn? Mechanical modification could solve so many problems! Foolish mortals!
…
…
The Sky Sea Tower, a magic tower shrouded in mist. Roger’s teleportation landed him outside the tower. He was following the footsteps of the brown-haired young girl, cautiously making his way through the mist. The trial that Frankenstein had warned him about didn’t seem difficult? “Mages are all crazy. Why go through all the trouble when a powerful figure can carry you through?” Roger casually quipped to the girl leading the way. “I’m not a powerful figure; I’m just a recent graduate assistant, and I still have a lot to learn…” the brown-haired girl replied nervously. Calculating the movements of the mist and finding a safe path, they entered the Sky Sea Tower about two minutes later.
