Mystery: Big Alarm Clock Ghroth Path

Chapter 274 The rumbling wind
Before long, Roger's height reached nearly 2.4 meters, making him look like a little giant.

The shadows that had previously spread from his feet now enveloped him, transforming into black armor that exuded a chilling aura.

The armor looked imposing, but it also exuded an eerie, twisted, and chilling aura. Even though Roger tried his best to restrain himself, just by looking at it, Bandit could still feel some kind of force pulling at his mind, trying to drag it into darkness.

On the other hand, Roger's features and skin were completely covered by shadows, with only two deep red lights flashing in his eyes, and he held a straight, dark greatsword in his hand.

This is the "Black Knight" form!
Because his promotion was achieved through "deception," Roger didn't need to go through the potion digestion process and could immediately unleash his full power.

This differs from the "Shepherd's Evil Heart," which contains multiple extraordinary characteristics. Therefore, Roger needed to start as a "Secret Prayer," accepting the modifications these extraordinary characteristics would make to his body in turn, so that he could reach a state that could accommodate one extraordinary characteristic, and finally allow his physical and spiritual state to accommodate the souls of other extraordinary beings. This is the transformation of the "Shepherd."

Although the "Black Knight" extraordinary traits left by Kesma also include those from Sequence 9 to Sequence 5, Roger's body no longer needed modification, so he could directly enter the Sequence 4 level and unleash the full power of the "Black Knight".

At the same time, the soul of "Fallen Earl" Chunus Colger was rapidly taking shape beside Roger.

At this moment, he no longer had the fierce look that Roger had shown when he was promoted to "Black Knight". Instead, he became submissive, and his eyes showed a great deal of fear.

Compared to the "soul projection" Roger performed when he was the "shepherd," Chunus Korg's body was now more solid, with richer color details. If Bandit's spirituality hadn't told it that this was a spirit, it might have really mistaken it for a living person.

The next second, Chunus Colger reached out and created a large, distorted space in Roger's captain's cabin.

"Record."

Roger spoke in a low voice, his tone like that of a phantom deity.

Bandit then realized what was happening, and his eyes immediately conjured up images of turning pages and various mysterious symbols.

"Black Knight" Roger took a step forward.

The greatsword slashed down, leaving behind an extremely terrifying black sword beam. This sword beam almost distorted space and the surrounding light, and it seemed that everything wrapped in its sword wind began to sink into darkness and "corruption".

This sword light can not only corrode flesh and blood, obliterate souls, and shatter barriers, but also render the defenses of any creature with corrupting intentions ineffective!

The terrifying pressure formed by the pitch-black light instantly impacted the entrance to the captain's cabin, but it was distorted and echoed by Chunas Korg's chaotic space, and finally disappeared after a long time.

"Well, have you memorized it?"

Roger's eyes, flashing red light, looked at Bandit once again.

"No."

Bandit stuck out his tongue:

"Your move is very cool, but the level of power is too high. My 'record' crashed automatically when I was only halfway through analyzing it."

"Would you like to try again?"

"..."

Roger sighed softly:

"Delete those useless abilities you recorded. Kittens only have a limited brain capacity, don't be too greedy."

"it is good."

Bandit nodded confidently and began "clearing the memory".

Next, the person and the cat entered teaching mode.

Slash.

"Have you remembered it?"

"Again."

Swing again.

"Ok?"

"Come again."

After this happened seven or eight times, leaving Roger somewhat exhausted, a prolonged black light finally appeared in the tabby cat's eyes.

The light flickered for a while before disappearing completely.

"Is it better now, my dear brother?"

"Black Knight" Roger asked in a bitter tone.

"OK OK."

Bandit walked around on the ground very happily:
"I feel like my power has reached a very high level; I'm terrifyingly strong now."

"Alright, that's good, you've learned it."

Roger let out a sigh of relief, removed the "Black Knight" armor, and summoned Chunus Korg.

"It's really hard to find a demigod like me who has no prestige."

He plopped down at the table and started gulping down water.

"This is called helping you improve your proficiency."

Bandit meowed, still seemingly wanting more:

Do you have any other new abilities?

"There are several other things as well."

Roger put down his water glass:
"Take my armor and greatsword for example. I can absorb all lightning attacks, and my splitting ability has increased once again. Currently, there are very few extraordinary abilities of the same level, especially curse-type extraordinary abilities, that can directly attack my main body."

"My strikes can not only corrode flesh and blood, obliterate souls, and shatter barriers, but also render the defenses of any creature with corrupting intentions ineffective."

"In terms of 'enslaving' souls, in the past I not only could not release the souls of extraordinary beings below the demigod level, but I could also only use one soul at a time, and the range of abilities was limited to three of the abilities that the soul itself possessed."

"Now I can release the souls of extraordinary beings. The fewer the souls released at once, the more comprehensive the abilities I can use."

"For example, if I only unleash the soul of Chunus Korg—that is, the 'Fallen Earl'—during battle, then I can use all of his abilities."

"In other words, even without relying on the sealing artifact, I can't be considered a combatant, but rather a combatant at the level of two demigods!"

Bandit's eyes lit up as he listened:
"Wouldn't that make me invincible?"

"Not really."

Roger shook his head:

“The soul and the body are different. Although Quenas’s soul can obey my commands, it is not entirely autonomous in terms of intelligence or action. Therefore, I almost need to take care of the battle between him and me at the same time, rather than truly fighting alongside my ally.”

"Moreover, in his spirit form, he is very vulnerable to abilities from the 'Sailor' and 'Singer' pathways, and the 'Warrior' pathway of 'Demon Hunter' can also inflict effective damage on him in this state."

"Therefore, Quinas is more vulnerable than me. In actual combat, his auxiliary role will outweigh his positive role... such as providing bonuses to my attack and defense, creating home-field advantage for myself, and so on."

Bandit understood Roger's meaning and nodded:
"I understand. What other abilities do you have?"

"And then there's the ability related to 'shadows'."

Roger bit his lip:
"My understanding of the concept of 'shadow' has reached a new level. All shadows are tools that I can communicate with and use, and can create unexpected effects in battle."

"For example, there are a lot of repressed cognitions and complexes in the bottom of everyone's mind and in the unconscious. As people grow up and we keep choosing and optimizing our personality to adapt to the environment, these complexes will gradually evolve into the dark side of personality, that is, the shadow of the mind."

"This is the 'degenerate self' in a narrow sense. It is also linked to the darkest part of the collective unconscious, and these dark parts can in turn erode a person's subjective consciousness and even luck."

"Therefore, almost all supernatural attacks other than elemental and physical extraordinary abilities, especially curses, dreams, filth and distortion abilities, are essentially using the part of the corrupt nature that humanity cannot fully control, only the way they are used is different."

"However, the 'Black Knight' can directly separate its own corrupt thoughts and combine them with its own shadow to become an independent creature, thereby eliminating all external supernatural attacks and suggestions that do not belong to its own autonomous consciousness."

"Although I cannot directly control this separated shadow creature, it can assist in the battle. It can use various abilities related to 'shadow,' 'corruption,' and 'fallen' to create attacks or provide defenses in bizarre and twisted ways."

"Not only that, I can also control the opponent's shadow, making it come alive to entangle the target or directly divide it up for my own use."

"Most importantly, a person's shadow is conceptually part of the opponent, so once the shadow is cut off, the spirit loses its integrity."

"In short, the 'Black Knight' has a wide range of uses for the authority of 'Corruption' and 'Shadow,' and the variations that can occur in actual combat are also very large. You will understand when we have the opportunity to fight against external enemies again."

After listening to Roger's words, Bandit nodded as if he understood but not quite.

"I have a task for you."

"What mission?"

Bandit was somewhat puzzled.

"From today onwards, you will serve as the scribe of the 'Star Lord' and be responsible for recording the ship's log."

Roger calmly shared his thoughts:
"This will help you digest the 'Record Officer' potion, but in return, you will also need to set aside some time to observe the fleet's various experiences. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me."

"Oh? But I can't write!"

Although Bandit can read, it has never written anything. Before it became a "traveler" and mastered the ability to retrieve objects from a distance, its paws couldn't hold a pen, let alone write anything.

“It’s alright. I’ll find a junior sailor from Zeus’s ranks who is quick to learn to write it down for you. You just need to tell him what to record.”

Roger understood this matter very clearly. Because "recording" is essentially the overall planning of information, the information that the sailors at the grassroots level had would certainly not be as comprehensive as that of Bandit, who was with him all day. Therefore, from a mystical perspective, it was Bandit who truly completed the recording, and the sailor was merely an assistant who transcribed Bandit's words.

"can."

Bandit agreed, tilting its head and thinking for a moment:
"Why do you say you have a strong ability to learn?"

"Accepting that cats can talk is something most people can't do."

Roger smiled and then pressed down on Bandit's sharp cat claws, which were clearly unhappy.

"By the way, there's one more thing."

Roger patted Bandit to comfort him, then picked up his pen and began writing a letter to Mr. C: "C:

"Seeing this letter is like seeing the person in person. I have received the Lord's approval and have been promoted to 'Black Knight,' becoming a saint."

“The Aurora Society previously suffered a great loss; we lost two saints, and I am deeply saddened by this.”

"But now I have finally carried on their legacy... This is a good omen for the future of the Aurora Club, and it is also true for us."

“In the near future, you will select a loyal follower of at least Sequence 7 from among your subordinates to replace you as the Divine Messenger in Tingen City. I will personally bestow upon him a code name.”

"Once you've done this, you can go to Backlund, take over Mr. A's unfinished business, and reorganize the Aurora Society's organizational network in Backlund and the underground gathering of extraordinary individuals."

"Looking forward to your performance."

After writing the letter, Roger sent it out through "The Rat of De La Hoya".

In less than three minutes, the magical creature, half-rat and half-rabbit, reappeared, handed Roger a letter, and said with some concern:

"Reply now, your subordinate is wailing and saying he looks forward to seeing me again, it's giving me goosebumps."

"what?"

Roger was stunned for a moment, then suddenly realized that Mr. C had been ostracized by the other divine messengers for a long time. Now that he saw his superior being promoted to a saint, he must feel that his days had not been wasted.

He immediately opened Mr. C's reply, which contained only two sentences:

"Your Excellency, I was overjoyed to hear the news of your ascension to sainthood. Congratulations!"

"But I haven't yet asked you, under what name will you continue to spread the Lord's divine pronouncements?"

Oh... I didn't know that was it. I almost forgot.

Roger fell into deep thought.

He is now a dual-path extraordinary being, and nominally he has inherited the power of the two Aurora Saints, Kesma and Butis.

"Secret Prayer" corresponds to the shadow shrouded in darkness, while "Conspicuous Bag" corresponds to the power of the starry sky and destiny.

Kesma and Butis are also associated with these two symbols.

So Roger finally picked up a pen and wrote his reply on a piece of paper:
My name is:

"Dark Star Saint".

……

The next day.

A fierce wind was blowing, and Roger stood on the deck, looking through binoculars at the eastern coastline.

The weather has been perfect these past two days; a northwest wind has even picked up at the southern tip of the stormy sea, which has allowed the "Star Fleet," sailing at full speed, to quickly pick up speed and make progress much faster than Roger originally planned.

"We can vaguely see the Pas River Valley, so we should be able to reach Gilain tonight."

Gilain was to East Bayron what Berens was to West Bayron.

Both ports were important trading and colonial ports for major powers in the North Continent in the South Continent. Using these two ports as fulcrums, Intis and Rune radiated their influence from the northern end of the South Continent to the southern end.

Just as Roger was deep in thought, a series of illusory voices suddenly reached his ears.

"Is it Mr. Fool contacting me again?"

Seeing this, Roger lost interest in continuing to admire the scenery. Fortunately, there were no people around, so he stood still and closed his eyes.

The image transmitted by "Source Castle" this time belongs to Miss "Justice". This noble young lady seems to have just gotten up and is sitting in front of her dressing table in a very homey, loose white nightgown, praying to Mr. "Fool".

“Dear Mr. Fool, please convey to Mr. Wheel of Fortune that I have received some unusual news.”

"First, some high-ranking conservative members of parliament are secretly discussing the possibility of declaring war on the Fussac Empire at a meeting, and this is likely related to the recent high-profile gold theft."

"According to estimates from some authoritative figures I know, the government should soon issue a statement to the people announcing this plan."

"Secondly, there seems to be a major change in the royal family of Ruen recently. There are reports that His Majesty the King is unwell and is considering drafting an abdication edict to allow Prince Govington to ascend the throne ahead of schedule, but this matter needs further verification."

"Praise you, Mr. Fool."

Roger was somewhat bewildered by these two pieces of news.

The first message was alright, since Roger had already anticipated this outcome, but the second one was quite explosive.

King George III of Loen, a man of deep thoughts who had long plotted to become the "Black Emperor," was preparing to abdicate.

Although Roger knew that the three major churches and conservative nobles had been putting pressure on the royal family, he had previously thought that at most George III would step back and remain behind the scenes, but he did not expect that he would consider abdicating directly.

"But upon closer reflection, it's understandable. After all, he lost Adam's support, and from Luna's perspective, there seems to be a significant division within the Augustus family regarding George III's views."

“In this situation, electing a new king might be a more dignified compromise. In this way, George III would save face and temporarily save his life, while the conservative forces and the royal family would gain substance. In a sense, it is the result of a deal.”

After all, as long as the current system of the Kingdom of Rune does not undergo major changes, the Augustus family, which possesses angels, can still wield considerable power in national affairs. As for who to push to the forefront, that is a relatively minor issue.

By the time the eight ships docked, it was completely dark.

Roger gave the order that most of the crew, except for a small number of people, could go to Gilain for free time and relaxation, but they had to return to their respective ships to report by dusk the next day.

This made the crew cheer with joy. Normally, they don't have many opportunities to come to Gilain, and since they finally came, they naturally wanted to experience the local customs, culture, and food and wine.

Previously in Berensport, Roger did not allow them to move freely. Instead, he had them purchase various supplies in an orderly manner and return to the ship within a specified time. This was because West Bayron was not the territory of the Runes. Considering the awkward relationship between the two countries, taking rash action there could easily cause some trouble.

Roger himself put on some light clothing, strolled around the docks and bought some street food before heading to a small pub near Gilain Dock and finding an empty spot.

"Excuse me, is this seat taken?"

Roger pointed to the empty chair and asked a burly man across from him who was drinking alone with his head down.

Next to this man, facing him, sat two other men, who were also drinking. They would occasionally strike up a conversation with him, but the burly man would only nod slightly, looking rather dizzy.

"Have."

The other party replied in a deep voice, seemingly unwilling to give Roger a chance to discuss the matter.

"There's clearly none."

Roger raised an eyebrow at the other party's attitude, showing considerable dissatisfaction.

"This bar is only so big, and you're taking up two chairs with your butt. Do you really think you own Port Gilain?"

Roger sneered.

"I'll give you three seconds to get out."

The man opposite him was clearly a bit drunk; he pulled out a revolver and pointed it at Roger's head.

Roger, not to be outdone, also pulled out his large-caliber revolver and pointed it at the burly man.

This left many people around him stunned. The burly man's two companions whispered to him, essentially telling him not to act impulsively.

"Gentlemen, this is a small shop of mine. I hope you can be a little more polite and not frighten my customers."

The bar owner was a middle-aged man with a fierce-looking face, but he spoke very kindly, as if he was afraid that the two of them would actually fight in the bar.

"Hey boss, this guy is hogging the toilet without using it, which is preventing other customers from doing business with you, and you're not going to do anything about it?"

Roger sneered:
"This whole mess is all because of you."

"what?"

The boss didn't quite grasp Roger's line of thinking. At first glance, Roger seemed to be arguing nonsense, but upon closer listening, there was a certain truth to it.

However, as the bar owner, he couldn't directly admit his mistake, otherwise he would become a laughing stock in the dock area.

So the boss's tone became a little firmer:
"I don't care what your problems are. If you insist on a duel, go outside and settle it. Don't die in my shop."

"Boss, our friends have had too much to drink, you..."

The two men accompanying the burly man tried to persuade him again, but the burly man slammed his hand on the table and stood up:
"Let's go out and settle this. I don't believe this kid can kill me."

After saying that, he and Roger swung and pushed each other out of the bar, leaving the two men who were with them looking at each other blankly.

……

"No, it's just a meeting, why are we making it so complicated?"

In a dark alley, Roger looked helplessly at the burly man with a bruise on his eyebrow.

This man was none other than Alger, the "Hanged Man," who smiled and said:
"I'm sorry, Mr. 'Wheel of Fortune,' my situation is rather special, please understand."

"Although Gilain is not as heavily guarded as Bayam, as a church member, even on vacation now, there are always some eyes watching me that I can't shake off."

"So you think fighting will shake them off? Aren't you afraid they'll come looking for you?"

Roger said, somewhat amused and exasperated.

"Well, for us 'sailors,' getting drunk and fighting is actually a more understandable reason for skipping out on the bill."

Alger, the "Hanged Man," laughed heartily:
"Those two bastards always make me buy them drinks... Putting aside the fact that they don't really care about me at all, there aren't many people who can beat me."

"Okay, I believe that."

Roger nodded helplessly:

"My team is ready. Do you have any suggestions for the next steps?"

(End of this chapter)