After listening to Mr. Puppet’s introduction, Mr. Black Cat licked his paw, his tone carrying a hint of disdain:
"This kind of combat that requires close-quarters brawling is far too vulgar. it lacks aesthetic appeal, isn't elegant in the slightest, and does not suit my status."
Mr. Puppet didn't seem surprised by Mr. Black Cat’s rejection. He scanned his gaze across the remaining participants—excluding the cat—as if asking, Are any of you interested?
A flicker of desire flashed in the eyes of the terrifying Mr. Doll, but he hesitated. After all, 700 pounds was not a small sum; parting with that much cash would certainly leave his finances crippled for a long while. After agonizing for a moment, Mr. Doll finally made up his mind and gritted his teeth:
"500 pounds! After all, it's only effective against beings with physical bodies!"
Ultimately, Mr. Doll decided to buy it. Sealed artifacts with such minor side effects were rare, and he was quite satisfied with the effect itself.
"Deal!" Mr. Puppet agreed without a second's hesitation.
This instant acceptance made Mr. Doll feel a twinge of regret; he realized he probably should have haggled a bit more. He could see now that Puppet was truly desperate to leave Intiles, which was why he was offloading these artifacts so quickly for cash—likely to have enough capital to start over elsewhere.
Having struck a deal, Mr. Puppet’s mood was clearly excellent. He reached out and opened the chest cavity of his wooden body, taking out a wooden box and handing it to the Doll. The Doll, in turn, sliced open his own stomach and pulled out stacks of cash, which looked to be around 700 pounds in total. He counted out 500 pounds and completed the "cash-on-delivery" exchange with Mr. Puppet.
After tucking the money away, Mr. Puppet looked at the group again:
"I also have two Sunset Fruits. These peculiar fruits grow under the radiance of the Sun God and possess power from the Sun Domain. Eating one can purify the pollution within your body."
"I imagine this should be very useful for people like us, who dare not seek purification help from the Church."
"The price is 100 pounds per fruit. Of course, I must warn you: Sunset Fruits are useless against Transcendent pollution. If you are contaminated by Transcendent power, you’d best start preparing your funeral arrangements!"
Just as Mr. Puppet said, items capable of purifying pollution were extremely valuable to "wild" warlocks who weren't registered with the Church. As soon as he finished speaking, Mr. Paper Crane immediately placed a bid:
"200 pounds! I’ll take both!"
Mr. Snake clearly wanted to bid as well, but he was a step too late and could only grumble:
"Dammit! This snake is furious! I was one step too slow!"
Having secured the trade, Mr. Paper Crane looked at Mr. Snake with a chuckle: "How about you give me 200 pounds, and I'll sell you one?"
"What a profiteer. I don't want it anymore!" Mr. Snake muttered a curse.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
Mr. Paper Crane didn't mind the insult. He flapped his paper wings in a rhythmic cadence, as if performing a ritual. Soon, a strange, round creature floated over from the distance.
The round creature approached Mr. Paper Crane, spat out 200 pounds in cash from its mouth, swallowed the box containing the two Sunset Fruits into its belly, and then drifted away.
Is that... a Messenger? Eros watched the scene with some surprise.
He hadn't expected Mr. Paper Crane to have a contract with such a friendly Spirit Realm entity. The Spirit Realm didn't just contain "Weird Things"; it also housed beings relatively friendly toward humans. If you gained their approval, you could sign a mutual-aid contract. Whenever you needed help, you could perform a specific ritual, and they would rush over to assist.
The others showed no surprise at the sight of the Messenger; evidently, they already knew Mr. Paper Crane possessed one.
Several more trades followed, and Eros watched from the sidelines because... he hadn't brought any money! But even if he had, he wouldn't necessarily have bought anything. The items these people were trading were essentially useless to him.
During this time, Eros noticed something odd: Ms. Paper Figure seemed to be secretly observing him. What is she doing? Is it because of my status as a Remnant of the Night? Or something else? Since he couldn't figure it out, he didn't dwell on it; it was impossible for her to see through the shadows shrouding him anyway.
Soon, the item trading reached its end, moving into the information exchange phase. Mr. Black Cat turned to the exquisite Ms. Paper Figure and spoke:
"I want to know what exactly has been happening in Intiles lately. What price must I pay?"
He had heard earlier that Ms. Paper Figure knew something about the recent events. Just as she was about to speak, a voice rang out from the side:
"I know the answer to that. As a newcomer participating in this gathering for the first time, I'll give you the answer for free."
Everyone turned their gaze toward Eros. Looking at the figure completely cloaked in shadow, Mr. Snake sighed:
"Mr. Onii-chan is truly generous!"
Eros’s mouth twitched. That name sounded weirder every time he heard it.
Mr. Doll, hearing that Eros was willing to give the information for free, was already impatient. He hurriedly followed up: "So, what exactly happened?"
Eros thought for a moment and said in a relaxed, casual tone:
"It’s nothing major, really. It’s just an unknown existence ascending to the Divine Throne. The recent changes in Intiles are merely insignificant ripples caused by that event."
This wasn't exactly a secret; the high-ranking members of the Church likely knew already. If one knew the use of the Copper Ring of Original Sin, it wasn't hard to guess that someone was ascending.
It’s nothing major, really. It's just an unknown existence ascending to the Divine Throne...
They understood every word, but when put together, they suddenly felt like they couldn't comprehend the language. Ascending to a Divine Throne isn't a major event? Then what the hell counts as a major event?
Silence. A long, heavy silence. After Eros finished speaking, the other six stood frozen as if they had been turned to stone.
After a long while, Mr. Snake forced a laugh, his voice trembling: "Ahaha, Mr. Onii-chan is quite the joker. You nearly scared this snake to death!"
Eros shrugged. "I'm not joking. This isn't some big secret. If you don't believe me, I can give you the specific details."
As Eros prepared to speak further, Mr. Black Cat suddenly shrieked:
"Stop! Stop! I don't want to hear it!"
Mr. Paper Crane chimed in frantically: "Yes, yes! We don't want to hear it!"
With their level of strength, even if the information didn't carry pollution, they didn't want to know things involving the level of Gods. There was a saying: The more you know, the more dangerous it is.
Eros feigned a look of disappointment, letting out an "Oh," and then turned to the others: "Well, do the rest of you want the details?"
Mr. Puppet gave a dry laugh, his voice raspy: "Better not!"
Mr. Doll also shook his head in refusal. Finally, Eros looked at Ms. Paper Figure. She shook her head and spoke softly:
"There is no need."
Fine then! Nobody wants to hear it! He had to admit, these "wild" warlocks were indeed cautious. When they didn't know if a piece of knowledge carried pollution, the best course of action was to suppress their curiosity and stay ignorant.
A period of silence fell over the group. It was only natural—someone asks what's been happening lately, and you lead with "Someone is becoming a God." It was like playing cards; you start with a 3, and the opponent immediately drops a nuke. It leaves your brain ringing.