North Shore of Conquest Sea, Adria.
In the morning, inside a luxurious suite at a hotel in Adria, Miss Dorothy, dressed in light, thin clothing, stood there, intently staring at the floor.
At this time, a huge map was laid out on the floor of the hotel suite. This giant map, two to three meters in length and width, covered more than half of the room's floor. It was clear that Dorothy had moved the bed to make enough space to lay out this map.
This was a world map, depicting the four continents of this world. It was the most detailed and comprehensive map Dorothy could find at the moment, but even so, large areas on this map were still depicted very vaguely and unclearly.
In terms of detail, the most detailed area on this map was the Main Continent. Every country and city was depicted clearly, with countless geographical names densely scattered and arranged on the map, generally showing a situation of dense in the west and sparse in the east, indicating that the development and prosperity of the western part of the Main Continent were superior to the eastern part.
To the south of the Main Continent, the Ufeiga Continent was second only to the Main Continent in detail, and the northern part of the continent was also more detailed than the southern part. Next was the Starfall Continent to the west of the Main Continent. The eastern part of this New World was depicted in more detail on the map, while the influence of the Main Continent's colonists weakened further west, and the depiction became increasingly blurred. Finally, the polar continent to the north of the Main Continent had almost no depiction, just a rough outline.
This huge and extremely detailed world map was exactly what Dorothy had found for pendulum divination. Dorothy only had one chance for divination, so she had to divine the most detailed and definite location in one go. Therefore, the map used for divination also needed to be the largest and most comprehensive.
After examining the map on the ground for a few more glances, Dorothy took a few deep breaths. Then, she took out a string of amethyst pendants from her purse. After taking off her shoes, she stepped onto the map as if stepping on a carpet. Then Dorothy walked to the center of the map, staring at the location of the Holy Mountain on the Main Continent at the map's center point, and then let the amethyst pendant in her hand hang down.
"Where is the specific information for the Pure Reason Path Scarlet Tier promotion ceremony?"
Standing on the map, Dorothy spoke the divination words. After paying one point of "Light" and one point of "enlightenment" to officially start the divination ceremony, Dorothy swung the amethyst in the air. Gradually, the purple crystal continuously swayed over the vast map, its sharp tip passing over one geographical name after another.
During this swaying process, the crystal seemed to be pulled by some unknown force, beginning to tilt in one direction inconsistently with the influence of gravity. As the swaying decreased, the tilting gradually stabilized, and finally, when the amethyst stopped, the tip of the crystal pointed to the south of the map.
Seeing the appearance of the amethyst, Dorothy began to move her feet, walking south from the Main Continent on the map. Finally, when she left the Main Continent, the tip of the amethyst still pointed south. So Dorothy crossed the Conquest Sea and walked directly over the Ufeiga Continent to the south, and the amethyst's southward tilting posture gradually flattened, gradually becoming a vertical downward pointing.
Staring at the changes in the amethyst pendant in her hand, Dorothy began to gradually move on the part of the Ufeiga Continent on the map. Only after finding the position where the amethyst was completely vertical did Dorothy slowly squat down, letting the amethyst gradually approach the map, until she saw the lower tip of the amethyst pointing directly to a precise location on the map.
This location is in the northern part of the Ufeiga Continent. Judging from the place names marked on it, it is somewhere in the eastern part of the Adus Kingdom.
Seeing where the tip of the crystal pointed, Dorothy remained silent, then took out a pen she had prepared beforehand and drew a mark on it. After marking the divined point, Dorothy put away the amethyst pendant. After the divination ended, the crystal on this pendant immediately lost its purple color and returned to its usual transparent crystal.
After doing all this, Dorothy walked back to her sofa and sat down, then began to ponder the result of the divination just now.
'North Africa... I didn't expect that the method for my Scarlet Tier advancement would be in North Africa. Isn't there more of the First Dynasty's ruins there? Does it also preserve the secrets of the 'enlightenment' path?
'Come to think of it, I remember that the Judge of Heaven, whom the First Dynasty once believed in, seemed to be a deity of the 'enlightenment' path. This pendant, which can divine the location of the Xing Shu Xiu Shu Hui (Star Numerology Scripture Society) ruins, was also unearthed in North Africa, and the decoration style is also from there. This means that the First Dynasty, which was destroyed in the second season, and the Xing Shu Xiu Shu Hui (Star Numerology Scripture Society), which has been passed down since, are actually related in some way. Is the Xing Shu Xiu Shu Hui (Star Numerology Scripture Society) the legacy of the First Dynasty that remained in the world after the second season?
'It seems that if I want to find the method for Scarlet Tier advancement now, I have to go to North Africa. This is equivalent to going to another continent. I don't know how much time it will take to find the item after I get there. Should I take advantage of this trip to go directly there? Or should I go back to Tivian to rest for a while before going?'
Sitting on the sofa, Dorothy thought seriously about this in her heart. The place North Africa was indeed a bit too far for her, and it was relatively chaotic over there, with more unknown risks. The divined location falling here was not a good thing for her.
Sitting on the sofa, Dorothy continued to ponder the situation in North Africa. After thinking for a long time without coming up with anything, she decided to temporarily not think about these things and instead focused her attention on the colorless crystal pendant placed beside her, which had lost its color.
It was this crystal pendant that helped Dorothy locate the secret of Scarlet Tier advancement, and this pendant itself also contained a secret. When this pendant had just recovered its divination state, Dorothy had used appraisal on it, and the result was very interesting.
"Key of Reading, a key that can obtain access permission to the 'Great Library'. The Great Library will issue access permission to different Keys of True Sight at specific intervals. When holding the permission, one can view the information within through the information barrier that protects the Great Library. This Key of Reading is only authorized to browse geographical information, with a browsing interval of once every three years."
'Great Library... It feels like a closed information library. This so-called information barrier is the Xing Shu Xiu Shu Hui (Star Numerology Scripture Society)'s anti-divination system? And this Great Library is equivalent to the Xing Shu Xiu Shu Hui (Star Numerology Scripture Society)'s own database. The information barrier was created specifically to protect the content of the Great Library, and this Key of Reading is equivalent to the Great Library's authorization. The authorized holder can view the content in the database through the barrier...'
Looking at the pendant in her hand that had lost its color, Dorothy couldn't help but fall into deep thought. At first, she thought the function of this thing was to bypass the Xing Shu Xiu Shu Hui (Star Numerology Scripture Society)'s anti-divination, and it should be a very powerful extraordinary item, but she didn't expect the reality to be completely different. This thing didn't have the function of bypassing the Xing Shu Xiu Shu Hui (Star Numerology Scripture Society)'s anti-divination; it was just that the anti-divination system periodically granted it access permission.
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'Looking at the appraisal result, there should be more than one such Key of Reading. The Xing Shu Xiu Shu Hui (Star Numerology Scripture Society) should have created many different Keys of Reading. These Keys of Reading all have access permission to the Great Library, but the scope of permission and the access method should be different... The one in my hand can only read geographical information, and the access interval is a crazy once every three years.
'This also explains more clearly why this thing has no extraordinary traces during the cooldown period. It is not the extraordinary power itself, but merely a carrier of extraordinary power. The source of the extraordinary power is the Great Library of the Xing Shu Xiu Shu Hui (Star Numerology Scripture Society). The Great Library sends it permission every three years, so it can only access the Great Library once every three years.
'The Xing Shu Xiu Shu Hui (Star Numerology Scripture Society) created this kind of key, and its main purpose should be to limit the extent to which the information it stores is spread outwards. I don't know if these keys are used by the Xing Shu Xiu Shu Hui (Star Numerology Scripture Society)'s own lower-level personnel, or given to other organizations friendly to the Xing Shu Xiu Shu Hui (Star Numerology Scripture Society), or both?'
Looking at the pendant in her hand that had lost its color, Dorothy speculated like this in her heart. From the information obtained so far, although the Xing Shu Xiu Shu Hui (Star Numerology Scripture Society) has been destroyed, some of its legacy should still be having an impact. For example, this so-called Great Library, this Great Library should be managed by something similar to AI. Although there are no Xing Shu Xiu Shu Hui (Star Numerology Scripture Society) people left now, that AI continues to operate, faithfully guarding the Xing Shu Xiu Shu Hui (Star Numerology Scripture Society) information library, and also not forgetting to issue permission to the Key of Reading every year, which makes Dorothy feel a sense of post-apocalyptic déjà vu.
'There is clearly more than one such Key of Reading. If I can find other Keys of Reading, maybe I can use them to search for more information about the Xing Shu Xiu Shu Hui (Star Numerology Scripture Society)...'
Dorothy thought like this. After thinking for a while longer, she decided to temporarily not think about things in this regard and put the crystal pendant, which was temporarily useless, back into the magic box.
"Anyway, I finally know the location of the advancement clue now. The next action can be centered around this clue.
"Hmm... Let's go out for a walk now. After wandering around outside until noon, I can have lunch outside. But for now, let's pack up the things first."
Stretching, Dorothy stood up from the sofa. After putting on her slippers, she looked at the room in front of her, then opened the magic box and placed it on the ground, controlling two Corpse Puppets to crawl out of it.
Then, Dorothy controlled the Corpse Puppets to start tidying up. She had the Corpse Puppets put away the large map that was spread out on the floor like a carpet, and then had the Corpse Puppets move the bed that had been moved to make space back to its original position. After putting the giant map into the magic box, Dorothy had the two Corpse Puppets return to the magic box as well, then Dorothy, who had put away the magic box, also rubbed her arms, preparing to change clothes and go out for a walk.
However, just as Dorothy was rummaging through her luggage for clothes and skirts, a familiar voice suddenly sounded in her mind.
"Great Aka, please contact Miss Dorothy for me. I have an urgent matter to discuss with her."
Listening to this voice, Dorothy paused in place. She, who was originally rummaging for clothes, couldn't help but stand up, her eyebrows slightly furrowed as she thought in her heart.
'This voice... is Neff's? What happened that she suddenly needs to find me? Could it be that Thief K's matter has been exposed?'
Since she had been causing trouble with Naifnis using the identity of Thief K before, Dorothy couldn't help but worry when she heard Neff's words. Then, she, who was preparing to go out, immediately sat back down on the sofa, took out the "book-sea navigation record" from the magic box, and after turning to Naifnis's contact page, picked up a pen and wrote.
"What's the matter that's so urgent? Senior Nefelnis."
Not long after Dorothy's words were written, Naifnis's reply immediately appeared on the paper. It was clear that the other party had been holding the book and waiting for Dorothy's information.
"Miss Dorothy! Things are bad. I received an urgent telegram from home early this morning. Uncle Nu Nuo Te is missing!"
'What? Neff's old butler is missing?!'
Seeing the words displayed on the book page, Dorothy couldn't help but be startled. She didn't expect that the person who had an accident was the old butler of the Boyle family far away in Tivig, Davis's old servant, and the keeper of his notes.
"Write in detail and let me see what exactly happened?"
Dorothy immediately picked up a pen and wrote on the book page, and after a while, Naifnis's handwriting appeared before Dorothy's eyes one after another.
"It's like this, because my father was seriously ill last year due to a curse, he has been recuperating at the manor in the countryside with my mother. The home and business in Tivian have always been managed by Grandpa Nu Nuo Te. After I went traveling, there were only a few servants at home besides Grandpa Nu Nuo Te.
"Yesterday was the King's coronation day, so Grandpa Nu Nuo Te gave the servants leave to go home, and this morning when the servants returned, they found that my house had been completely ransacked, worse than if robbers had been there. Grandpa Nu Nuo Te was also missing. The servants were very panicked when they saw this, and immediately contacted others after calling the police.
"Because Grandpa Nu Nuo Te had instructed those servants before, in order not to disturb Dad's recuperation in the countryside, if something big happened while he was away, they should prioritize notifying me. Since I have been in Adria for some time and have sent several telegrams home to report my safety, the servants knew about my situation here and went directly to the telegraph office to send an urgent telegram. I just received it this morning."