NOVEL WEB Chapter 125
Chapter 125: My…
The word “Uniqueness” enveloped Xia’er’s vision in silver light.
Almost the moment the silver light dissipated, Xia’er’s eyes went black, and she immediately fell unconscious.
The massive amount of spirit power consumed during this simulation left Xia’er struggling against the overwhelming dizziness when she returned to reality.
Even in a state of unconsciousness, Xia’er did not experience any substantial feeling of rest.
It felt like she was merely lying on the bed with her eyes closed, still able to hear the noisy sounds outside the window and feel the dizziness, but her body felt immobilized as if pressed down by the bed.
After an indeterminate amount of time, Xia’er’s index finger trembled slightly, indicating a slight recovery of control over her body.
With great effort, Xia’er used her elbow to prop herself up, attempting to sit up slowly, but her body felt too weak to exert any strength.
Struggling with all her might, she managed to turn over in bed, from lying on her back to lying face down.
Xia’er no longer struggled; she simply lay there, feeling intense hunger and a lingering fear.
Her current aftereffects were so strong, almost entirely due to the “Gambler’s” reckless nature.
If not for the “Gambler,” Xia’er would not have experienced such a near-death sensation.
But without the “Gambler,” Xia’er could not have obtained so much information beyond her expectations in this simulation.
High risk, high reward… Xia’er now felt that the “Gambler” was far more dangerous than the “Tempter.”
Under the influence of the “Tempter” potion, Xia’er would only push things towards something interesting, but she would never do anything suicidal.
However, under the influence of the “Gambler” potion, Xia’er really might gamble away her life.
“Use the ‘Gambler’ potion sparingly…”
Xia’er sighed softly and summoned the system.
A silver-white screen appeared before Xia’er’s eyes.
[Reality]
[Sheng Year 741, June 24th, 19:00]
[Evaluation: Who are you? 🧐🧐 A person I can’t forget, someone very important… Who are you? What is your name? Why can’t I remember?]
[Haha, I have to admire your courage. You dare to sacrifice anything, summon anything… Next time, you may not be so lucky.]
[But… This isn’t entirely without gain, right?]
[Take it, this is what you deserve based on your performance.]
[Reward: Mortality Point ×37, [Charm Lv.3], [Calm Thinking Lv.3]]
[Mortality Point: 187]
[Charm Lv.3]: Your charm has moderately increased. Intelligent extraordinary beings and spiritual beings encounter a significant decrease in their desire to attack you. You gain their favor faster.
[Calm Thinking Lv.3]: You can remain calm in any situation except death. Your mental recovery speed increases slightly.
Charm Lv.3…
Xia’er felt a slight headache.
Could she request the system to stop increasing her charm?
If her charm continued to increase, maintaining a low profile would become nearly impossible.
Would all extraordinary beings or spiritual beings recognize her in a crowd at first glance? How different would that be from highlighting her with a spotlight?
It would be like directly sticking a note on her face saying, “I’m special, come find trouble with me.”
The improvement in Calm Thinking was not unexpected for Xia’er.
After all, in the simulation, she had gone through the torment of “Reversing Death” and then performed “Spiritual Summoning” while mentally exhausted, sacrificing something even the system found bizarre.
Xia’er closed the prompt in front of her and chose to continue lying on the bed, meditating quietly and waiting for her mind to slowly recover.
The passive mental recovery from Calm Thinking Lv.3 was negligible for Xia’er at this point, but any help was better than none.
At this time… Aivana should have met with Lucy and Obold, as well as Professor Ashford from the Redemption Society, and they should have already confirmed the details of tomorrow’s banquet…
For Xia’er, the upcoming time was not entirely safe.
Lucy and Obold would not immediately realize that Xia’er had been identified. Obold would not go to Clock Tower Lane District, and Lucy certainly would not stay obediently at Derton Manor.
Xia’er had two plans.
Either eliminate the quill pen before the banquet to prevent future problems.
Or recover her mental state and gradually simulate again, seeking opportunities while dealing with impending doom.
But Xia’er didn’t want to use either plan.
No, she couldn’t say she didn’t want to; rather, the first plan was completely unfeasible.
In both simulations, eliminating the quill pen required first subduing Tara through a divine servant, then having Tara lead others to kill Lucy and Obold, thus exposing the quill pen.
Even if Tara had arrived in Borough City, interacting with Xia’er would force her into a deeper connection with the Arrival Sect—unless she sacrificed all of Tara and her confidants, eradicating all loose ends.
Even solving Tara would be futile.
Killing Lucy and Obold would essentially mean clashing head-on with Derton Manor and the upper nobility. Xia’er wasn’t confident she wouldn’t be discovered.
As for the second plan of gradually simulating, it was also difficult to implement.
The longer she delayed, the more variables there would be.
Her current advantage was based on the intelligence gained from the simulation, which had a limited timeframe. Once the deadline passed, the intelligence would be worthless. She had to resolve everything within the timeframe where she alone possessed the intelligence.
There must be a better method she hadn’t thought of yet…
Xia’er felt a bit short of breath.
Just as her spirit and strength had recovered slightly, she used the mattress to flip over, lying face-up toward the ceiling.
Just a simple flip, and Xia’er once again felt a slight sense of exhaustion.
Even if she died in this room, it would probably take until next month for the landlord to discover her…
Xia’er couldn’t help but think this.
But in an instant, she pushed these negative thoughts out of her mind.
She had no time to indulge in self-pity.
Although she made progress in each simulation, in reality, she had taken no action other than staying away from the extraordinary.
Danger still lurked around her.
The sealed object quill pen, and whatever it had swallowed inside…
Xia’er reopened the system panel and directly accessed the system store interface.
Although she had fainted during the last simulation, she had securely held onto the sealed objects before losing consciousness.
The coma might last more than ten hours, but if Tara were slightly more perceptive, she would not remove the items from Xia’er’s arms.
The system interface unfolded before Xia’er, and seeing the contents stored inside, Xia’er felt a gradual sense of relief.
[Changing Defective Coin (Unawakened)]
[Mortality Point: 500]
[Gazing upon Signs of Death (Unawakened)]
[Mortality Point: 540]
[Polluted Fate Touch of Betrayal]
[Mortality Point: ???]
Xia’er frowned slightly upon seeing these sealed objects.
Xia’er was aware that the names people commonly referred to and the system names often did not match.
Although these two sealed objects were expensive, they were in an unawakened state.
The original name of the “Strong Fortune Coin” was “Changing Defective Coin.” From its name, it was clear that this was an incomplete sealed object, and it was unknown what its complete form would be.
As for “Gazing upon Signs of Death,” Xia’er had some vague recollection.
She had seen similar sealed objects before, and it was not long ago.
Xia’er selected “Sealed Objects” as the filter category in the system store. Soon, she saw the familiar sealed object.
“Glimpse of the Omen.”
This was the sealed object of the “Plague Doctor” Xie Lun, obtained from the Arrival Sect.
Both shapes resembled eyes… Could it be that sealed objects also had series?
What would happen if these series were brought together?
Xia’er kept this question in her heart, unable to answer it for now… because her Mortality Points were insufficient to buy these sealed objects.
Finally, Xia’er focused on the last sealed object.
[Polluted Fate Touch of Betrayal]
[Mortality Point: ???]
This was the first time Xia’er had seen a sealed object with a price of three question marks in the store.
Being displayed in the store indicated that the intelligent spirit within had been erased, leaving behind a sealed object without intellect.
Although its effect was extremely powerful, capable of rewriting the fate of third-tier extraordinary beings, bringing them great benefits and great misfortune, it seemed that its own capabilities were not as strong as described…
Xia’er clicked on “Polluted Touch of Betrayal” to see its abilities.
A new item detail panel appeared before Xia’er.
[Polluted Touch of Betrayal]: Special sealed object, the holder can see the lifelines of major fate changers, consume extraordinary traits to formulate rules, rewrite lifelines, those who comply gain benefits, those who defy suffer misfortune, accumulated misfortune triggers three rounds of calamities, intensity depends on the traits absorbed by the sealed object.
[Side Effect]: Can only be charged using the holder’s own extraordinary traits, the holder must constantly replenish extraordinary traits to avoid being completely consumed.
[Pollution]: This item has been polluted by an unknown uniqueness, enhancing the function of the sealed object significantly.
[Uniqueness]: Items with uniqueness cannot be exchanged.
So, it could only be used by consuming the user’s own extraordinary traits…
That means, a third-tier extraordinary person could potentially be drained into a normal human or even a madman?
To continuously recharge, one must constantly consume potions or extraordinary traits of the same path… effectively accumulating side effects within the body.
The stronger the person, the stronger the quill pen becomes.
But if the user becomes overly dependent on the quill pen, they will ultimately succumb to madness.
Traits get absorbed, but delusions and pollution do not disappear.
Xia’er had never heard of anyone drinking multiple bottles of potions—perhaps she had encountered too few extraordinary individuals. Most people could barely handle one bottle.
But Xia’er could confirm that a regular extraordinary person would never drink a second potion of the same tier.
Look at Aivana… If drinking a second bottle truly had benefits, Aivana would have been drinking potions like water instead of struggling to digest the “Psychologist” potion.
The system’s introduction revealed the hidden abilities of the mad quill pen and also explained the things it concealed or could not recall.
Pollution and Uniqueness.
This was the first time Xia’er had heard these concepts.
The system could replicate identical copies of various sealed objects, but items with “Uniqueness” could not be replicated, indicating their rarity.
This was truly worthy of the name “Uniqueness.”
After reading this introduction, Xia’er understood the situation.
Her previous speculation was correct.
The spirit of the sealed object had gone mad.
The thing that polluted it was “Uniqueness.”
As for what “Uniqueness” was, Xia’er could guess.
It was the thing the woman in the orange light ball showed her in the ruins and fire sea, trying to escape the “Mosaic” person by sending the quill pen with the “Uniqueness” into a portal-like place.
But the raven form of the sealed object, after escaping, could not resist the temptation of “Uniqueness” and swallowed it whole, going completely insane.
So, the vast knowledge and language poured into her when the raven possessed her were mostly not from the raven itself?
But from the “Uniqueness” trait?
This explanation made sense…
Although Xia’er didn’t understand what “Uniqueness” specifically referred to, the term suggested a connection to a deity.
In most people’s minds, including Xia’er’s, the powers or authorities of deities were unique.
The “Uniqueness” trait likely had some connection to a deity’s authority.
Xia’er recalled the raven’s words when it possessed her body, speaking through her mouth in a mad frenzy.
(Ancient An Su Language) “This is my power! This is my authority!”
(Ancient An Su Language) “You’re just a damned container!!!”
(Ancient An Su Language) “How dare you!!!”
(Ancient An Su Language) “I am a god!”
…
These words seemed to be spoken under the influence of the “Uniqueness” memory contamination.
The raven could no longer distinguish between its own memories and the “Uniqueness” implanted ones.
What a dangerous thing…
Could it be…
Xia’er suddenly realized the inexplicable closeness she had felt towards the quill pen.
Could this closeness originate from the “Uniqueness” rather than the quill pen itself?
After all, Xia’er had no feelings of closeness towards the spirit of the quill pen or the raven.
The power of “Uniqueness” was also evident in the pollution… It greatly enhanced the inherent ability of the “Touch of Betrayal,” enabling it to accomplish things previously impossible.
For instance, the thunderbolts from the sky.
For instance, the fire tornado.
For instance, the meteor.
Xia’er felt that thunderbolts and fire tornadoes were things a third-tier extraordinary being could achieve, not exceeding her understanding of the extraordinary. Even third-tier Obold could withstand them.
If not for Xia’er’s interference, Lucy and Obold could have survived the meteor strike.
Was the meteor strengthened by the “Uniqueness”?
This ability truly exceeded Xia’er’s understanding of extraordinary beings.
If she could feel a connection, it meant “Uniqueness” and she had some sort of link, and she should be able to explain the meteor’s arrival… if she let her imagination run wild.
What were her own abilities?
The abilities given to her by the system were almost all related to time and the fate altered by time.
Whether in simulations or with her personal sealed objects, the concept of “time” was always involved.
The result of “time” was “fate” transformation.
If assuming that “Uniqueness” was herself…
The simplest explanation would be… that meteor did not exist in that time period.
It might have come from millions of years ago or millions of years in the future, landing at the correct location but in the wrong time…
This hypothesis sent a shiver down Xia’er’s arm.
“System, is that your ‘Uniqueness’?”
Xia’er asked inwardly.
Previously, whenever Xia’er inquired about the quill pen’s sealed object, the system remained tight-lipped, refusing to reveal anything.
Now, even without the system saying it, Xia’er basically had the source of the “Uniqueness” narrowed down to the system.
Xia’er’s mind flashed back to the words the quill pen spoke when it first possessed her body.
(Ancient An Su Language) “It turns out you are part of me… No wonder you could perceive my arrival in advance.”
(Ancient An Su Language) “I am a deity who has lived through countless epochs, possessing authority… And you are just a container holding a fragment of me.”
The truth was that Xia’er was not part of it.
Rather, the “Uniqueness” that polluted it was part of the system.
When Xia’er was initially possessed, she returned to the system space and did not hear the raven’s words after she left.
(Ancient An Su Language) “Impossible… This is impossible!!!”
(Ancient An Su Language) “You are fake! I am the real one!!!”
If she had heard these words, the system could not deny this fact anymore.
Moreover, after the previous dream, Xia’er roughly understood where the “Natural Ability” originated.
This term “Natural Ability” was rarely used in the Holy Era and seldom mentioned in ancient times. The only possible origin was the Chaos Era—likely the Old Ones.
After the raven took over her body, it said her “Inspector” ability was a “Natural Ability,” and in the dream, the ability that resembled the “Inspector” and stitched the raven and quill pen together was also “Natural Ability.”
Therefore, the raven was so familiar with it.
Xia’er knew that her inner thoughts would be known by the system, which surely knew what she was pondering now.
But the system gave Xia’er no response.
After a long silence, just as Xia’er was about to fall asleep, finally, a system panel popped up in front of her.
[Who knows?]
[Is it yours? Or mine?]
[In any case, here’s some advice]
[Take it back, it will benefit you]
[^^_]
The tone was as annoying as ever, but the system’s message basically confirmed Xia’er’s guess.
No matter what, whether this “Uniqueness” was a fragment of the system or something else, Xia’er had to collect it.
Such a powerful item being used by a half-mad sealed object was truly worrying.
One day, it might go berserk and cause a meteor to fall.
Xia’er had to get her hands on that thing, even if it meant completely dismantling the “Touch of Betrayal.”
Currently, Xia’er still had an advantage.
Xia’er had almost figured out the “Touch of Betrayal,” but it couldn’t find her—she was merely one of the fate-changing individuals for it.
It was a counterfeit, a sealed object contaminated by false memories, unable to recognize its own madness, and even unable to feel the same sense of closeness with Xia’er.
Surviving from ancient times to now, it had caused havoc among many individuals with major fate changes… Its own strength was crucial, but the influence of “Uniqueness” was undoubtedly decisive.
How could Xia’er make it appear without killing Lucy and Obold?
Until the critical moment, Xia’er really didn’t want to use Tara’s power.
But if things got desperate, Xia’er would not hesitate to use Tara’s backing to kill Lucy and Obold.
She had to survive first before considering offending any organization.
Xia’er propped herself up with her arm and slowly sat up on the bed.
In moments like these, Xia’er felt her body and mind were too weak.
Was this the limit of a normal human?
Becoming an extraordinary person would make the body stronger, but the mind wouldn’t be much stronger and would face the danger of backlash from potions.
A pure, potion-free self would have more enduring mental strength.
This was part of the trade-off.
Ding-dong-dong—
At this moment, a knock came from downstairs.
Who? At this time?
Except for Aivana and the landlord, no one else knew she was here.
This knock was unlike any she had encountered in the simulation.
If the visitor had ill intentions, even if Xia’er transformed into the “Judge” Xia’er with her remaining spirit power, she would struggle to perform at half capacity.
Torturing a first-tier extraordinary person might work, but if it were a second-tier, Xia’er would be the one to suffer.
Xia’er moved back to the bed and tried to observe the door through the window, using the streetlight’s glow.
Xia’er carefully opened the window a crack and peered down.
It was…
A maid?
Two maids pushed a meal cart to Xia’er’s door, and three carriages parked nearby, partially blocking the view of others.
Seeing no one open the door, the maids left the meal cart at the door, and the carriages slowly drove away, as if nothing had happened.
The two maids in plain maid outfits returned to the house opposite Xia’er’s.
These were Aivana’s maids.
Xia’er closed the curtains and lay on the bed, catching her breath.
It seemed she had been out for too long, triggering a “special event.”
After entering the simulation, she usually went out to act, but this time, due to the prolonged simulation and sleep, the maids came to deliver meals.
This was likely ordered by Aivana.
The pale-faced Xia’er supported herself with the wall and walked downstairs to the living room, opened the door, and pulled the meal cart inside, then closed the wooden door.
The plates on the meal cart were covered with ordinary wooden lids, keeping the appearance as inconspicuous as possible.
One of the plates had a note tucked underneath.
Xia’er took out the note and read it. This was left by the maids.
[Miss Xia’er:]
[These meals were instructed by the young lady. She said you often stay in your room and rarely eat, so we should bring you meals if you haven’t come out all day. If you don’t need this service, you can push the cart back to the door and write “No” on the note.]
[Maids]
Indeed, it was ordered by Aivana.
Xia’er did not move the food to the dining table to avoid spilling it.
She pushed the meal cart beside the sofa and ate sitting on the sofa, using the cart as a makeshift table.
After finishing the meal, Xia’er felt a slight recovery.
This sense of fullness improved Xia’er’s mental state.
She took out a fountain pen and wrote “No” on the note, placing it back under the plate, then pushed the meal cart back to the door and closed the door.
Soon, she heard the wheels rolling, and the meal cart had been taken away.
In the future, if Xia’er had major actions and ordinary people got involved, she might not be able to guarantee their safety. The most important thing was to keep them away from her.
She could watch from afar and help deliver messages to Aivana, but close contact was best avoided.
Xia’er walked back to her room, took a clean, simple dress from the wardrobe—this was the dress she had worn before—and brought it to the bathroom.
The bathroom in this rental unit was more cramped, but it was separated from the washroom, which was standard in the Gemstone District.
Compared to Clock Tower Lane District, this was quite good. Most houses in Clock Tower Lane District lacked washrooms and had to use public washrooms and baths outdoors.
Without hot water prepared in advance, Xia’er could only use cold tap water to quickly clean her hair and body.
When she dried her hair and came out of the bathroom, the chill gradually faded, and Xia’er felt warm again.
Feeling the soothing sensation of her body, Xia’er tapped the table in front of her with her pen, opened an Ancient An Su dictionary, and started memorizing words while continuing her earlier thoughts.
How could she lure out the “Touch of Betrayal” without killing Lucy and Obold and offending their organization?
Right now, it must be hovering in the air, observing its targets.
Without high spiritual perception, one couldn’t see its raven shadow form.
But it could see her.
She had to focus on the fact that “it could see her.”
In the second simulation, she sent a letter to Lucy and Obold, and the contents were detected by the “Touch of Betrayal.”
In the third simulation, the simulated self left a lot of information in Chinese, and the “Touch of Betrayal” did not detect it.
Since it couldn’t understand Chinese, it did not interfere even if it couldn’t read it, allowing Xia’er to communicate with herself in encrypted messages.
Now, Xia’er had a certain grasp of Ancient An Su vocabulary. With more memorization, she could directly write what she wanted.
These Ancient An Su characters, the raven shadow could read. She could start from the text.
What could force it out or lure it out?
Could she start from its memories?
Xia’er began recalling the dream in the purple mist space.
From the dreams she had experienced, the “Touch of Betrayal” sealed object was in the hands of the female youth who created it for several decades or centuries.
The raven shadow had also mentioned the word “natural” before, clearly indicating that it still had residual memories of that period.