On the raging sea.
The surging waves rose higher and higher, the wind howled, blowing the seawater up and splashing it onto the sea surface, while lightning flashed and thunder roared in the sky.
The "Azure Avenger" sailed through the raging storm, nearly capsizing several times. Fortunately, being a ghost ship, it possessed an excellent balancing system and eventually managed to navigate smoothly through the terrifying waves.
Captain Alger, sitting in the bridge, looked at everything before him and loudly issued commands.
The "Blue Avenger" was sailing safely on its course, but the sudden storm put the ghost ship in danger.
This reminded Alger of the warning given by the "Hermit" at the Tarot meeting.
Although the Hermit's advice was simply not to go ashore and not to approach dangerous waters, Alger still planned to temporarily sail away from the raging sea.
However, due to a mission assigned by the church, he only left the raging sea yesterday and has been sailing along a safe route ever since.
Just now, for some reason, the safe shipping lane suddenly became so dangerous.
After battling the raging wind and rain, the situation improved.
Alger's spirit seemed to sense something and looked up at the cloud-covered sky.
Click~
A bolt of lightning illuminated the sky, revealing two enormous, ethereal bronze gates behind the dark clouds.
Alger immediately recognized it as the bronze gate that symbolized the "Gateway to the Underworld"!
Although he was not good at divination or deciphering, he could still deduce from these appearances that the underworld seemed to have established a certain connection with the real world of the raging sea.
This made Alger wonder: Was this really an operation planned by the "Witch Cult"?
...
Blue Mountain Island, within the underground ruins of the Byron Empire.
The battle situation changed significantly at this point. Bradrick suddenly had an internal conflict with the "Witch Cult," which gave Odis's side, who had been at a slight disadvantage, the best opportunity to counterattack.
Just as Bernadette and Odis joined forces to deal with Bradrick, Ariana suddenly attacked Yarenna, whose spirit body had been damaged. Darkness surged in like a tide, enveloping the legs of the "ageless witch".
Yalena quickly tried to use a "mirror substitute," but suddenly discovered that she couldn't switch places with any mirror.
At the Sequence 3 level, one can perform the "Mirror Substitute" ability even without a mirror on their person.
But at this moment, Yalena discovered that she was in a "hidden" state and could not connect with any mirror, not even a conceptual mirror.
To put it simply, Yalena is in a state of "disappearance," and her reflection cannot be seen in the mirror, so there is no way to establish a real or conceptual connection with the mirror.
This is tantamount to Ariana using her authority over "secrets" to completely sever Ariana's connection with the "Mirror World".
Flames immediately ignited around Yalena, attempting to burn away the surging darkness and escape her current state.
Suddenly, Ariana held a black longsword covered in strange patterns in her hand. With a gentle swing, the tidal wave of darkness surged even more violently.
Yalena turned her head, but she saw nothing. However, her intuition sensed that something extremely dangerous was watching her from the darkness.
This awakened the deepest fear in Yalena's heart, leaving her frozen in place, afraid to make any move.
On the other side, Judith, the "Disaster Witch" who had just been ambushed by Bradrick, coldly burned the "Ferryman" with black flames.
But soon, He took a deep breath, abandoned Bradrick, and a crystal-like mirror appeared in his hand, which he threw at Yalena, who was about to be swallowed by darkness.
Whoosh~
Ariana shattered the mirror with her longsword.
Odis immediately looked at Bernadette. Their long-standing understanding made Bernadette instantly realize that Odis meant: I will hold him off.
Bernadette took out the "Sage's Forehead Ornament," put it on, and transformed into a stream of information that rushed towards Judith.
If Ariana were given just a few more seconds, she could take down the "ageless witch" and completely change the course of the battle.
At this point, Katarina's attack on Ariana and her rescue of Arena were almost negligible.
After Judith and Bernadette left one after another, Bradrick, who was already somewhat weakened, felt a significant reduction in pressure. With the "Scepter of the Dead" taken away by Odis and the failure to seize the "Pale Death," the plan to resurrect the "Emperor of the Underworld" had completely failed.
Although the remnant soul of the "Emperor of the Underworld" can still linger within Bradrick's body, it has lost the conditions for further revival. Unless he finds something to replace the "Scepter of the Dead," he cannot restart the same ritual.
So Bradrick is now determined to leave this place; if he can escape to the underworld, he will still have a chance.
Pfft~
Suddenly, a tremendous force ripped Bradrick's head and spine out, leaving him "hanging" in mid-air.
The headless body paused for a moment, then touched its neck with both hands, as if to confirm that it was headless, before collapsing to the ground.
Bradrick strained to turn his head and saw Odis staring intently at him, her staff, emitting a soft glow, pointing at him.
Idiom story: Pulling up seedlings to help them grow!
A second or two later, the upward force finally disappeared. Bradrick quickly regained his balance, got up from the ground, caught his spine and head, and quickly put them back in place.
After regaining control of his body, he continued his journey to the underworld.
Although Bradrick is still some distance from the underworld, given his affinity with it, he can jump there in just two more steps.
Odis raised the "Staff of Gus" high in his hand, and two figures emerged from the underworld, one with a bull's head and the other with a horse's head, dressed in clothing with an oriental charm.
Mythical Magic: Ox-Head and Horse-Face!
Holding steel forks and long knives, they drove Bradrick away, making it difficult for the "ferryman" to enter the underworld.
Bradrick turned and glanced at Odis, his gaze suddenly turning cold. Odis quickly turned away, avoiding direct eye contact.
That is the "death gaze," an ability possessed at the level of the "ferryman." As long as one looks into the eyes of the other, even a demigod's spirit will be severely injured, and those below the demigod level will die instantly.
Even without seeing the other person's eyes, just being stared at made Odis's life rapidly slip away, and she felt herself constantly withering away.
In the previous battle, Bradrick was initially suppressed by "Pale Death," then tried to seize the "Scepter of the Dead," was attacked by Judith and Bernadette, and finally just kept running away.
Only then did he focus all his efforts on dealing with Odis.
After all, there was a difference of one sequence between them, and Odis suddenly felt immense pressure.
Fortunately, he only needed to stop Bradrick from escaping; there was no need for a direct confrontation.
So Odis ran wildly, raising his staff high, and a burst of brilliant starlight solidified, erecting a starlight barrier between Odis and Bradric.
This is another application of the "starlight cage," designed to block Bradrick's view.
Under the gaze of the "ferryman," the starlight quickly dimmed and became transparent, and that sense of helpless decay once again gripped Odis.
Ah~
Just then, a shrill scream came from the other side of the battlefield.
The "ageless witch" Yalena was completely swallowed by darkness amidst her unwilling cries.
Without pausing, Judith raised her hand slightly, and a huge mirror appeared on the wall in the distance, reflecting the images of everyone present.
Immediately afterwards, He and Katarina's reflections in the mirror turned away, while Judith and Katarina in the real world disappeared.
Ariana did not give chase; without overwhelming superiority, it would be difficult to stop an angel who wanted to escape.
Under the combined attack of Odis, Bernadette, and Ariana, Bradrick was also torn into the darkness by the surging power.
Bradrick was filled with resentment; this was his last effort, and he never expected it to end in this way.
Then, the phantom of the underworld gradually disappeared, and its connection with the real world was also severed.
...
The edge of the raging sea.
This is a safe area of water, and the sea is calm.
But in the nearby sea, dark clouds gathered and lightning flashed, as if we were in two different worlds.
On the "Future", Cattleya stood on the deck and gazed towards the raging sea.
After receiving Odis's warning, she simply left the raging sea and sailed around it to see what the "Witch Cult" was planning to do.
Then she saw that the entire raging sea had become extremely turbulent.
Within the dark clouds, it seemed as if some occult information flashed by. Gadria opened her "Eye of Mystery" and looked at the location of the dark clouds.
Amidst the dark clouds, a phantom throne carved with elements such as skulls and feathered serpents suddenly collapsed.
Cattleya immediately shut down the "Eye of Secrets," interpreting it as a significant change in the authority of the "Death" pathway.
This made her even more confused: what exactly had the "witch cult" done?
However, it is certain that the raging sea has gradually calmed down.
...
Blue Mountain Island, within the underground ruins of the Byron Empire.
Ariana emerged from the surging darkness with two extraordinary properties and a feather about the length of a forearm that shimmered with a pale white light.
Ariana waved her hand toward the door again, and a mirror that looked like it was covered with a film of water flew out from outside.
Odis knew that this was about dividing the spoils, so he also took out the "Scepter of the Dead".
Ariana said to them, "You have made significant contributions in this event, and each of you may choose one item from the spoils."
Bernadette glanced at it and chose the "ageless witch" with its extraordinary properties.
Odis glanced at the remaining spoils of war. The feather of the feathered serpent most likely contained a wisp of the remnant soul of the "Emperor of the Underworld," which might be able to mobilize some advanced power of the "Death God" pathway under certain conditions.
But doing that would definitely be very dangerous.
The mirror also seemed dangerous. Odis needed to use "witchcraft" or "reproduction" to enter the "mirror world," so this sealed object wasn't of much use to him.
So Odis ultimately chose the "Scepter of the Dead," and had already decided on the scepter's purpose.
After dividing the spoils, Odis and Bernadette left first, leaving the official extraordinary individuals to finish up.
After sealing the remaining artifacts, Ariana released the two people trapped in her hair with a wave of her hand.
Felix breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing the abbot of the Dark Night Monastery.
Upon seeing the scene before him, Yachikov, from the Church of the God of War, resigned himself to his fate and adopted an attitude of "do whatever you want with me."
Ariana, however, said to Yachikov, "Go and report everything that has happened here to your Patriarch."
Yachikov was taken aback: "Are you really going to let me go?"
Ariana ignored him and instead sent Felix to meet up with the members of the "Red Gloves".
Yachikov seemed to realize that the goddess of night had taught this angel that she was unwilling to kill him while he was being captured by the secret organization.
Because doing so would be tantamount to helping a secret organization.
After bowing slightly, Yachikov quickly left.
...
Odis and Bernadette returned to Backlund, and in Ambassador Remburg's room, the two reviewed the operation.
Overall, the operation was quite successful.
However, there were two things I didn't expect. First, I didn't expect that Bradrick's body would contain the remnant soul of the "Emperor of the Underworld".
Secondly, it was unexpected that the "Witch Cult" would send out an angel.
Previously, Katarina said they were going to resurrect an angel. Although Odis did not believe her, he and Bernadette subconsciously felt that the level involved in this event would not exceed Sequence 2.
This situation usually involves multiple demigods, but it's unlikely to involve angels.
However, the situation developed in a way that far exceeded their expectations.
Fortunately, the Church of the Goddess of Night was there to back her up, and Bernadette seemed to have realized the benefits of cooperating with the church.
The two went out for dinner together, and Bernadette stayed overnight in Backlund before returning to Vote State the next day.
Odis then went to the island of Crus and prepared an altar in a wooden hut on the mountaintop. He lit candles and dripped "sleep-inducing flower essential oil," which could please the "Goddess of Night," into the candle representing the gods.
Then Odis placed the "Scepter of the Dead" in the center of the altar and began to recite the honored name: "You are the goddess of the night, more sublime than the stars and more enduring than eternity."
"She is the Crimson Queen, the Secret Mother;
"Queen of calamity and fear; Lord of slumber and silence."
"Great Goddess of Night, your devout followers beseech your gaze, please hear the prayers of your followers."
A strange wind suddenly blew up inside the "wall of spirituality," but it quickly disappeared, and a surge of peace descended upon it.
Odis said, "Great Goddess of Night, this is my offering to you. I beg you to allow me to ascend to Sequence 3 in your chapel."
This is the purpose of the "Scepter of the Dead" that Odis envisioned. For Odis, the authority over the underworld was not of much use.
However, the arrangements of the "God of Steam and Machinery" have not yet surfaced. Odis was afraid that the other party would use some underhanded tricks to hinder his advancement, so he came up with the idea of simply advancing in the church.
Immediately, the voice of the "Goddess of Night" rang in Odis's ears: "Yes."
As soon as the other party finished speaking, a huge suction force suddenly came from in front of the altar, and the "goddess" took away the "Scepter of the Dead".
The next second, the power of tranquility vanished, and the ritual ended.
Odis took a deep breath, blew out the candles, tidied up the altar, and poured himself a glass of red wine. Most of the obstacles to his advancement had been cleared. As long as the advancement ceremony achieved the desired effect, he could quickly complete the advancement.
etc...
Odis's hand holding the wine glass froze; there was still one auxiliary material she hadn't received.
Then Odis slapped his forehead, realizing he had forgotten to ask the goddess if she had any of the auxiliary materials he needed.
But Odis soon realized that he was now a demigod and it was virtually impossible for him to forget anything.
I had overlooked this matter just now, perhaps because my own spirituality was reminding me: the "goddess" didn't have this auxiliary material.
The most awkward thing about asking a deity for something isn't forgetting to ask, but asking and then finding that the deity doesn't have it.
Not only were the gods embarrassed, but Odysseus was also embarrassed.
However, Odis had two other options to try: first, the demigod of the "Ascetic Order of Morse," and second, asking the messenger.
After a period of observation, Rosalind Ray, the demigod of the "Morse Ascetic Order," is in much better condition than before.
This means that the path pointed out by Odis is correct, and the true meaning of asceticism is not just about shutting yourself in and meditating, but also about observing the world and participating in it.
Since the other party's situation has improved, it means that now is the best time to win them over.
Rosalind has now moved from Pulitzer Bay to the East End of Backlund, where she tirelessly drives her mobile library every day to teach the children in the East End alphabet and phonics, and to explain some of the questions in the books to adult readers.
Odis planned to contact the other party first to see if she had any relevant materials.
If not, Odis would seek the help of a messenger.
Because the closer it got to such a critical period, the less Odis trusted the messenger, after all, she was the sister of the "goddess of steam and machinery".
Back in Backlund, Odis found a letter on his desk. He opened it and saw that it was from "Iceberg General" Edwina.
Odis had previously written to her, saying that he had obtained the extraordinary property of a "prophet" and asked her if the Church of Knowledge would be willing to exchange it for a seal of the same level.
Of course, it wasn't just a matter of replacement; Odis had an additional condition: this property could only be used by Edwina, and once Edwina became a demigod, she had to protect Odis's interests at sea.
Odis's current focus is on Backlund and Remnantburg, so he is unlikely to appear on Cruz Island frequently.
However, his most profitable businesses are all on this island, and his future expansion of power at sea will require someone to provide him with demigod-level support at all times.
Odis then thought of Edwina, who, although she belonged to the Church of Knowledge, was one of the more agile members.
Simply asking Edwina to protect his interests at sea is not an unreasonable request.
After all, most of her operations were already at sea, so protecting Odis's interests was just a side job.
At this point, Edwina finally replied, expressing her hope to speak with Odis the next day.
Odis replied with a simple letter, and then began to ponder how to communicate with Rosalind.
We definitely can't jump straight to the point; we need to lay some groundwork first.
Moreover, we can't just go like that. If there's a misjudgment and Rosalind goes all out, that won't work either.
After thinking for a moment, Odis decided to let the larger one clear the way first.
So he entered the "wilderness of knowledge," and at an opportune moment, poured his power into Rosalind's "Staff of Guth."
...
East End, Eric Street.
Rosalind was enjoying her lunch, which was very simple: a piece of bread with some jam on it.
There were many children around, watching eagerly.
Rosalind smiled, took a big bite of bread, then put the bread down and took out a large bag of black bread she had bought that morning from the carriage, which she then distributed to the children around her.
Watching the children wolf down their bread, Rosalind sat back down on her little stool and continued munching on her own piece of bread.
Just then, a majestic figure suddenly appeared in her mind, carrying a lantern in his left hand and a cane in his right.
Then the imposing figure said, "Very good."
"You are already a practitioner of spreading knowledge."
"However, you still need further guidance."
Having said that, Odis immediately withdrew his power.
Rosalind paused for a moment before quickly thinking of offering a compliment, but then realized she didn't know how.
She then ate her lunch while pondering what the "Lord of Mysteries" had just said.
Rosalind had recently received intelligence that the "Morse Penitentiary Order" had just clashed with the power of the "Lord of Mysteries" on Crus Island. The "Revelationists," who advocated understanding the universe, gaining knowledge, and solving problems through divine revelation, suffered heavy losses in this battle.
It was at this time that Rosalind learned that the "Mysterious Queen" was actually a subordinate of the "Lord of Mysteries".
At this moment, Rosalind was conflicted. She knew very well that establishing contact with beings other than the "Hidden Sage" was dangerous.
However, this being did not seem to want anything from her. Instead, it saved her once and guided her on the path of ascetic cultivation, making her condition better and better.
The latter, in particular, was something she had prayed to the "Hidden Sage" many times, but received no help whatsoever.
This left Rosalind somewhat at a loss as to how to face the "Lord of Mysteries." In the end, she suddenly smiled, realizing that she might have been overthinking things. If the "Lord of Mysteries" had any ulterior motives, then she might already be dead, or she might have been brainwashed.
The fact that such a thing hasn't happened yet means that I'm not in that much danger.
When the "Lord of Mysteries" really decided to deal with him, he had no ability to resist at all.
Thinking about this, she felt relieved.
Then Rosalind found herself somewhat looking forward to further guidance from the "Lord of Mysteries".
...
Odis returned to the real world, and now all that was left was to wait.
If a divine being were to offer guidance, they could not do so immediately; they would have to wait a while, otherwise it would seem that the divine being's followers were too idle.
That evening, Odis observed the "wilderness of knowledge" and, after confirming that there was no one around Rosalind's mobile library, he used his "reproduction" ability to travel underground and arrive at the East District.
It's past nine o'clock at night, and the people still walking on the streets of the East District are either homeless people who have nothing to steal, thieves or robbers, or gangsters.
Ordinary people appearing on the streets at this time are like lambs to the slaughter.
No one came to bother Rosalind because she was no ordinary person. On her first day in Backlund, she single-handedly beat a group of gangsters so badly that they wouldn't recognize their own parents.
Under the dim streetlights, on the somewhat dirty side of the road, Rosalind was tidying up her books.
Suddenly, her spirit was stirred, and she slowly drew the "Gus Staff" and looked into the dimly lit alley.
A handsome and cheerful man in his early twenties, wearing a trench coat, walked out from inside.
"Odis Gar?"
As someone whom the "Hidden Sage" had mentioned many times, Rosalind certainly knew what Odis looked like and knew that he should be a follower of the "Lord of Mysteries".
However, Rosalind did not sense any danger, indicating that Odis had no intention of fighting.
Then Rosalind realized: Could it be that the "Lord of Mysteries" sent Odis to guide her?
Odis smiled warmly and said, "The great gods sent me here to share my recent insights with you."
Rosalind was stunned. It really was the "Lord of Mysteries" who sent him!
But she remained very wary: "Do you know who I am?"
"I know," Odis replied, "but when you share knowledge with others, would you share more because they are rich and not share less because they are poor?"
"No." Rosalind slowly put away the "Gus Staff" and saw the "Gus Staff" at Odis's waist.
At this moment, she was completely certain that Odis must be a follower of the "Lord of Mysteries," and that ordinary believers could not possibly obtain such a high-level magical item.
Rosalind pointed to the small stool opposite the bookstall and said, "Please sit down."
Odis sat down and casually flipped through a book in front of him: "Hmm, not bad, it's a children's picture book."
Rosalind sat on another stool: "Most of the people who come here are kids from the East Side."
Odis put down her book, looked at Rosalind and smiled, "What are your feelings after interacting with these ordinary people?"
"Although I've been very busy, I've figured out a lot of things." Rosalind decided to voice the questions that had been accumulating in her mind, hoping the other person could help: "But then some new questions arose."
"For example, sometimes my self-awareness suddenly becomes a bit blurred, and I can't tell whether I am a highly advanced extraordinary person or just a free lecturer on the street?"
Odis thought to himself: Thank you, ancient thinkers.
This question can easily stump some people with philosophical thinking, especially extraordinary scholars like Rosalind who like to think about the essence of things; they can easily be troubled by such a simple question.
Rosalind's question leads to a whole host of other questions, such as: Am I extraordinary? Or just human? Should I be an upright person? Or a humble one? ...
Ordinary people wouldn't be troubled by this kind of question. Only after seriously considering concepts such as the nature of humanity and the nature of the extraordinary, as well as the nature of integrity and the nature of humility, would they have such doubts.
Odis, like a missionary, said, "To dispel your doubts, I will tell you a story."
"In ancient times, a wise man and his disciple went on a journey. When they came to a hillside, they saw that almost all the trees there had been cut down, except for some crooked trees with burls all over them that had not been felled…"
The story told by Odis has been modified in many ways because there were some nouns that he could not use and had to use other things to refer to them.
This allowed Rosalind to understand his meaning, and it conformed to the basic logic of common sense in life on the North Continent.
For example, trees covered in burls might have been cut down to make bracelets in the country before Odis traveled there, but in the northern continent, such trees would only be used as firewood because they have little value, so basically no one in the forest is willing to cut them down.
Odis continued, "...The wise man asked his disciples, 'What comes to mind when you see this scene?'"
The disciple replied, "You must disguise yourself and make yourself appear as if you have no talent, so that you can live a long life."
The sage said nothing and continued onward, arriving at a restaurant to try their roast goose.
"The restaurant owner immediately picked up a knife to catch the goose, but the disciples noticed that when the restaurant owner chased after the flock of geese, one goose broke away from the group and showed no intention of running away."
"The restaurant owner didn't try to catch it at all; instead, he chased after other geese."
The disciples were very curious, so after the boss caught the goose, they went to ask him: "Why didn't you catch the goose that didn't run away?"
The restaurant owner said, "We'll keep it because its call is so beautiful."
Rosalind listened intently, and by then she understood that Odis was making an analogy between "useful" and "useless," and she suddenly felt that Odis had found the root of the problem.
In fact, the root of her current mental dilemma lies in the concepts of "useful" and "useless".
Is the identity of an extraordinary being useful? It forces me to constantly fight against madness, to always be aware of my own condition, and to never let my guard down for a moment.
But is it useless? In such an extraordinary world, ordinary people are like lambs.
Is an ordinary free lecturer useful? If someone is truly an ordinary person, they simply cannot complete the process of disseminating knowledge. This mobile library would have been looted long ago, and I would probably have been sold to some dance hall to work as a streetwalker.
Are free lecturers useless? They showed me the true nature of the world, helped me understand many things, and improved my overall well-being.
The real problem Rosalind faced was how to view the "useless" aspects of herself, and how to choose the "useful" ones.
She knew that the story was about to get to the point, so she listened even more attentively.
"...The sage then asked his disciples, 'What are your thoughts?'" Odis continued, "Some disciples said, 'Display your talents, and you will live long.'"
The wise man laughed and said, "You are both right and wrong."
"If you are in the wilderness, you should be like a lizard, living among the roots, soil and rocks, eating insects and grass to survive, and hiding your sharpness."
"'If I were in the sky, I would be a giant dragon, soaring through the clouds, enjoying the worship and offerings of the people, and fulfilling my ambitions.'"
This is what is known as the "Dragon-Snake Transformation"!
At this point, Odis looked at Rosalind with a smile.
Rosalind began to ponder, and then entered a state similar to an epiphany.
Half a minute later, she suddenly breathed a sigh of relief, stood up, bowed deeply to Odis, and sincerely thanked him.
Odis nodded: "It seems you understand."
"Yes, I understand," Rosalind said. "The Extraordinary is me, and the grammar teacher on the street is also me. They are just different faces I present to different environments."
"That's all me. There's no need to agonize over which one is the real me, nor is there any need to worry about what face I should wear when facing different people. Just wear the right face at the right time."
Odis nodded in satisfaction: "Do you have any other questions?"
This time, Rosalind truly got into the discussion: "I've also encountered a problem that's frustrating for me, but I really want to solve it."
"I felt the children in the East District's thirst for knowledge and their desire for a better life."
"But I am very clear that what awaits them in the future is that they will have to enter factories at around ten years old and work in harsh conditions."
"Most of them probably won't live to be twenty, won't live to meet the person they love, and won't live to have their own children born."
"I am increasingly realizing that I cannot ignore these issues."
"I can't always be a passerby and ignore people's misery."
Odis nodded and said, "You have indeed made considerable progress and can now teach others how to run a mobile library."
"Teach others." Rosalind's eyes lit up. "Yes, my own strength is limited. When more and more people get involved in this cause, we will eventually find a solution to the problem."
"What I mean is, you've reached the point where you can guide others onto the same path," Odis said seriously. "As for the solution to the problem, I can show you my thoughts on this issue and my methods for solving it tomorrow afternoon."
"This might be helpful for you."
He paused for a moment and then said, "Today I will only discuss the theoretical aspects of this matter with you."
"Many things we encounter in life do not have fixed answers, and some questions do not even have a general direction for the answer."
"At this point, we can't wait until we have a mature idea before we do it. Instead, we have to do it first and think about it as we go so that we can find the right answer."
This is an application of the concept of "unity of knowledge and action".
Odis had long discovered a phenomenon: what he considered to be a simple intellectual problem had stumped some scholars from the Northern Continent.
It wasn't that those scholars were too stupid, but rather that Odis brought his own "cultural archive," with principles like "the transformation of the dragon and the snake" and "the unity of knowledge and action." Even without having heard those stories or read the corresponding ancient texts, one could still receive the relevant education in daily life.
For example, when Odis was talking to Mandy and the others about guerrilla warfare, Odis simply explained the concept of "when the enemy advances, we retreat; when the enemy retreats, we harass; when the enemy is trapped, we attack," and Mandy and the others praised him as a tactical genius.
Of course, the person who came up with this tactical idea was indeed a tactical genius.
What's truly remarkable is the extent to which this tactic is so widely known. Even someone like Odis, who had never served in the military, understood these tactical concepts. Although he might not necessarily use them, he certainly knew them.
This puts Mandy and the others far ahead.
The same principle applies now. What is a commonplace theory to Odis is a precious treasure and a manifestation of wisdom to Rosalind.
So after Rosalind pondered for a while, she thanked Odis again for resolving her inner conflict.
Odis stood up and said, "Let's stop here for today. I'll come pick you up at one o'clock tomorrow afternoon."
"Okay." Rosalind watched as Odis disappeared into the ground. She stared blankly for a while before continuing to pack her books, feeling a little excited about tomorrow's itinerary.
...
Odis returned to his office, lay back in his armchair, and thought to himself: Being an evil god is relatively easy, but being a follower of an evil god is exhausting!
Then he thought: Klein doesn't seem too tired... Hmm, thinking about it that way, there aren't any difficult guys among the Fool's followers! The Fool's followers are lucky!
After resting for a while, Odis read for a bit and then went to rest.
The next morning, after having breakfast, Odis "reappeared" as "Vermilion Bird" and went to the captain's study of the "Golden Dream".
Because the Vermilion Bird was too fast, the other crew members didn't see Odis at all.
So this time there were no crew members cleaning outside the captain's study.
With her oval face and intellectual beauty, the "Iceberg General" Edwina was already waiting in the study. Watching the Vermilion Bird disappear rapidly, she asked curiously, "What kind of creature was that? How could it be so fast?"
"This seems to be an extinct species…" Odis suddenly felt that this was not quite accurate, so he said, "At least it was an extinct species in the northern and southern continents."
Edwina said, "It looks a bit like the phoenix in some murals, except the color is completely different. Could it be a mutated phoenix?"
Odis laughed and said, "I'm not entirely sure either."
He thought to himself: I guess the phoenix is the mutated species.
Edwina didn't continue the discussion, but instead asked, "Would you mind telling me where the extraordinary properties of that 'Prophet' came from?"
Odis didn't hide anything: "Do you remember those extraordinary demigod-level properties that we saw at the bottom of the 'Ancient Sun God' church that weren't recovered? I believe this 'Prophet' property is one of them..."
He then recounted how he destroyed the "God of No Light".
There's no problem with its origins, Edwina said. "The Church has agreed to your proposal. As for the Level 1 sealed artifact to be exchanged, we've provided you with two options; you can choose one."