Mystery: Big Alarm Clock Ghroth Path

Chapter 279 Abdication and Preparations
The stone ground in front of them was mostly composed of low to medium sequence extraordinary traits from the "Abyss" pathway, and some were extraordinary traits from the "Bound Ones" pathway that seemed to have been corrupted by the "Abyss".

Roger began to walk among these extraordinary characteristics. Instead of rushing to collect them all at once, he planned to start from Sequence 5 and sort through them one by one, picking out the ones with higher value first, and then collecting the rest that had relatively lower value.

"Speaking of which, if those bastards from the Blood Worship Cult came here, they'd probably start fighting right there."

Roger muttered to himself as he quickly scanned the ground, and soon he discovered something quite interesting.

"The extraordinary characteristics of 'vengeful spirits' tainted with the aura of the 'abyss'?"

Roger squinted at the jelly-like object in front of him, from which black and yellow bubbles were constantly rising.

"...The aura of the abyss is also close to the level of Sequence 5. If this thing were made into a sealing artifact, it should be able to exert a portion of the power of two adjacent paths, just like the 'Concerto of Light and Shadow'."

Roger became more and more satisfied with the thing and decided to give it to Alger as a reward.

Alger helped him a lot tonight. If it weren't for this experienced seaman, he probably wouldn't have been able to get into the core area of ​​"Blackwing Reef" even after going through several more points.

Apart from the three "Apostle of Desire" extraordinary traits, almost all the remaining items were Sequence 6 and below extraordinary traits. Roger separated the higher-value items from the lower-value ones and selected several different locations in the "Old Box" to ensure that they would not aggregate due to being too close together.

After that, Roger could find some time to use the "parasite glove" to separate out all the contamination inside, thus turning him into a walking wholesale base for demonic traits.

"Speaking of which, wouldn't it be better to turn these things into sealed artifacts...?"

Although there were a few extraordinary individuals on Roger's own ship who believed in the "Abyss," he felt that helping these guys advance to the middle sequence was too unethical, so he thought that how to monetize these things was indeed a matter that needed careful consideration.

After sweeping away the extraordinary features of the scene like a whirlwind, Roger took away several relatively well-preserved stone carvings that appeared to be from the Second Period from behind the altar. These carvings had all suffered severe weathering, but they were still good for collection.

As his figure reappeared on the shore of the core island of "Blackwing Reef," Alger, Ophina, and the others all breathed a sigh of relief.

Roger used the "Parasitic Glove" to steal a great distance and "teleported" to the ship. After being stunned for a moment by this move, Alger reacted and began to tell Roger about what the people on the "Star Lord" and the other two ships had seen and heard after he left.

"From your description, this 'abyss' really does look a bit like a black hole."

Roger was a little stunned when he heard this, and then suddenly said something.

What is a black hole?

"You just encountered the 'Abyss'?"

Zeus and Alger spoke at the same time, each asking a different question, before exchanging a glance, seemingly realizing that the other's question was equally important.

"Black holes...it's nothing."

Roger shook his head and steered the conversation toward Alger's question:
"Yes, there was an entrance to the 'Abyss' up there, but I destroyed it."

"At present, the power of the 'Abyss' should no longer affect this sea area. If nothing unexpected happens, the mysterious 'Black Wing Reef' will become history."

"Become history..."

Alger was once again shocked. His lips moved slightly as he had to confirm that Roger's level was far beyond his comprehension.

"By the way, Mr. Wells."

Suddenly, Roger took out the extraordinary "Wraith" artifact, imbued with the aura of the "Abyss," from his person:
"This is a 'heterogeneous' pathway sequence 5 extraordinary property that has been tainted by the aura of the 'Abyss'. Find a safe container to put it in, and then find a 'craftsman' to make it into a sealed object. In this way, you can use a portion of the power of each pathway at the same time."

Two pathways? Sequence 5 level seals?

Alger was somewhat stunned. He was still only a "Wind Favorite" at the Sequence 6 level, and in the past six months, he had been forced to take double doses of magic potion in order to conceal it from the Church of the "Lord of Storms". Therefore, his digestion progress was very slow and he did not know when he would be able to advance to Sequence 5.

And now, this "Galactic Admiral" and "Dark Star Saint" has given him a dual-path Sequence 5 item right off the bat. This immediately made Alger feel that he had really latched onto the right person and that his night's work had not been in vain.

"Praise be to you."

Alger thanked him in a low voice, but kept the words "Mr. Wheel of Fortune" to himself.

Afterwards, Alger took the helm of the "Star Lord" again. Since the "Blackwing Reef" had stopped moving, and with the veteran "navigator" leading the way, the three ships quickly returned to the correct course.

"If you continue south following the navigation markers, you will arrive in Gilain around noon."

Before leaving the Star Lord with Roger, Alger made sure to give Philip and Zeus a final explanation of their upcoming course. Then, amidst the clear ringing of Philemon's bell, he and Roger disappeared onto the deck.

……

Around 12:30 p.m. that day, the three ships, "Star Lord", "Saturn" and "Moon", once again entered the port of Gilain. Because they were taking the route closer to the Sunia Sea, the journey was very smooth and there were almost no setbacks.

However, as soon as Roger stepped off the ship, he saw that the relatively quiet port of Gilain the day before had become very lively. Many people were talking loudly about something, and many others were rushing to buy newspapers.

This immediately piqued Roger's interest. He quickly stepped forward and stopped a middle-aged, balding man who had just bought a newspaper and was about to leave, and immediately asked:
"Hello sir, has something serious happened?"

Upon hearing Roger's question, the middle-aged balding man pointed excitedly at the newspaper:
"His Majesty the King has issued an abdication decree!"

An abdication edict? So fast?
Seeing Roger's somewhat surprised expression, the bald man unfolded the newspaper in his hand and pointed to the front page.

The abdication notice of King George III was published on almost an entire page. He explained that the main reason for his abdication was poor health and hoped that his beloved people would understand his decision. He also mentioned that the next king would be Prince Govington, the first in line to the throne.

This was consistent with the information Roger had previously obtained from Miss Justice. He nodded and thanked the middle-aged man softly.

You're welcome, young man.

Seeing that Roger seemed very interested in current affairs, the middle-aged man unconsciously stopped and chatted with him for a few more minutes:

"With such a big incident, everyone is wondering whether His Highness Prince Govington will declare war on the Fussac Empire after his coronation ceremony in two days."

"This will definitely affect maritime trade from the mainland of Rune to the southern continent, and many people's interests are involved... But if that's the case, there's nothing that can be done, after all, Fusak did such a thing."

"Some people say that His Majesty the King made the decision to abdicate in order to escape, but in my opinion, the reasons behind it are much more complicated."

The middle-aged man shook his head, revealing a very regretful expression.

"What kind of thing?"

Roger asked knowingly.

"By the way, you probably don't know about this yet."

The middle-aged man unfolded the newspaper again and turned to the second page.

The title on it was very long and much more eye-catching than the abdication edict:
"The intelligence agencies of the Fusak Empire have been secretly stealing the gold reserves of the Kingdom of Rune for a long time, which may have serious consequences."

Roger then realized that the abdication edict was, in principle, a matter of utmost importance, which was why it was placed on the front page. However, the theft of the gold reserves was also very important, so it also occupied almost an entire page.

"Releasing two major announcements at the same time is intended to intensify public anxiety and prepare for a subsequent declaration of war..."

Just as Roger was thinking this, the middle-aged man spoke again:
“Young man, judging from your accent, you’re from Backlund, right? I suggest you go back to your homeland, Loen, as soon as possible. If war breaks out, things might get very turbulent in Gilain.”

"If war really breaks out, Backlund will not be peaceful either."

Roger smiled, then patted his wide-brimmed hat, said goodbye, and left.

Roger then took a stroll around Port Gilain. The people there were generally in the same state as the middle-aged man, with anger and worry mixed together. There were even incidents of vandalism against shops and companies with shareholders who had Fissack's background. The local sheriff of Gilain was not good at handling these things and could only try to persuade them, but did not intervene deeply.

"It's a real mess. Luckily, I had arranged for Lu Ping and his men to purchase enough supplies in advance, especially coal. Otherwise, we might have been stuck at sea and forced to plunder ships or even warships."

“That’s entirely possible. Previously, the energy restrictions in Rune hadn’t affected Gilain because of the distance, but now it seems it’s only a matter of time.”

Roger sighed, bought some supplies from two stores, and returned to the "Star Lord" to prepare for the "Tarot Meeting" at three o'clock in the afternoon.

Soon, as a burst of rust-colored starlight erupted, Roger reappeared in the gray mist above the "Source Castle".

"Good afternoon, Mr. Fool."

Miss Justice's voice rang out once again, but compared to usual, this noblewoman's voice sounded much more subdued.

After she greeted the other attendees, Roger finally spoke and asked:
"What's wrong, Miss 'Justice'? You sound a bit down?" Huh? You noticed that?

Audrey was slightly startled. Her mind had been in such a state that she hadn't noticed the change in her tone.

She looked up at Mr. Fool at the head of the bronze table. He understood her meaning and nodded slightly, indicating that she could talk to Roger a little longer, while he could read Emperor Roselle's diary later.

"Yes, Mr. 'Wheel of Fortune'."

Seeing that Mr. Fool had given his permission, Ms. Justice nodded slightly.
"I think you should already know about the two major events that have recently occurred in Backlund."

“If you are referring to His Majesty the King’s abdication decree and the theft of the kingdom’s gold, then I am indeed clear on that.”

Roger nodded in agreement, referring to "The Wheel of Fortune."

"Yes, because I was there when His Majesty the King delivered his abdication speech, and it touched me deeply."

"Justice" Audrey shook her head:

"However, what really makes me uneasy is something else... From what I understand, His Highness Prince Govington will likely issue a declaration of war against the Fussac Empire soon after his ascension to the throne."

This news surprised several attendees, except for "The Sun" Derrick, who was far away in Silver City and unaware of the situation in the North Continent, as well as the puppet "The World" and "The Wheel of Fortune" Roger Abraham, who had forgotten to control the puppet because the main figure hadn't reacted yet.

The reactions of the two people behind them naturally caught the attention of Miss Justice and Mr. Hanged Man. Both remained silent for a moment before the latter tentatively spoke first:
"Mr. 'Wheel of Fortune,' you don't seem surprised by this news?"

"Yes, I predicted this."

Roger, the "Wheel of Fortune," readily agreed with Alger's guess.

really……

Mr. Hanged Man and Ms. Justice simultaneously confirmed in their hearts that Mr. Fool was behind this, because it was not only Mr. Wheel of Fortune who had an unsurprising reaction; Mr. World at the end of the bronze table had the same reaction.

Since these two people have almost been imagined as the "Fool's" favored ones, if they both show some kind of abnormality, it is highly likely that they have received a divine message from the "Fool" or have been instructed by him.

It’s none of my business!
At this moment, "The World" Klein suddenly came to his senses and realized that these people seemed to be making things up again.

During this time, he also obtained some unusual information through his own channels, especially when he communicated with his disciple Sam about the investigation through the messenger "Miss Exeggutor," he learned about the Ministry of the Interior's gold theft case.

Klein sensed something was amiss at the time. He returned to the "Source Castle" and used the aura of the "Gray Mist" to perform divination, which pointed to a potential disaster that would engulf tens of thousands of people.

At the time, Klein couldn't accurately guess the specifics of the disaster, but now, after hearing Roger and Audrey's explanation, he suddenly understood.

"So, Mr. 'Wheel of Fortune,' do you have any information to share about this matter?"

At that moment, Gadriya, the "Hermit" diagonally opposite Roger, seized the opportunity and asked a question.

As one of the pirate generals, she knew very well that the war between Rune and Fusak would most likely not only take place in the border areas and the sea between the two countries, but could also occur on a larger sea, especially in the vast waters of the Sunia Sea.

Therefore, she must take precautions in this regard—although the "Mysterious Queen" has given her some warnings, in Cattleya's view, the opinion of Mr. Wheel of Fortune is also very important.

She had already observed the "Galactic Admiral" in the vicinity when Roger went to Sonia Island to hand over the meteorite.

Even though Cattleya was far away, she could still feel the tangible pressure emanating from him.

Roger, the "Wheel of Fortune," thought for a moment before speaking:

"In my opinion, Rune has a better chance of winning this war."

"High odds of winning?"

Emlyn, the "moon," spoke with some confusion:
"However, the current economic situation in Rune is very bad, and the impact of the gold theft is still very bad."

Although he is a vampire who lives a life of routine, he has recently noticed a significant increase in the number of believers coming to pray because of bankruptcy and financial difficulties while working at the "Harvest Church".

"What I can tell you is that Rune has been preparing for this war for a long time, both militarily and strategically, so you don't need to worry."

"The theft of gold is a reason for war, but not the only condition. Putting aside the inevitable casualties in war, I personally tend to think that the outcome of this war will be favorable to Rune."

Roger's words were very cryptic. He did not directly deny the causal link between the gold theft and the declaration of war, because that would be "too much talk." However, he was reminding the Tarot Club members that they had been preparing for this war for a long time and that it was not a hasty decision made to divert domestic conflicts.

After saying that, he laughed again:

"Even when my stocks were losing so much money recently, I didn't even think about selling them. In fact, the next period of time is a great opportunity to buy at the bottom."

what?
The others were slightly taken aback and showed expressions of disbelief.

What is this, some kind of veiled investment advice?
When did "Tarot Club" start taking on the function of sharing stock market insights?

As “Fool” Klein silently memorized Roger’s words, he let out a soft cough.

“I’m very sorry, Mr. Fool.”

Upon hearing these words, Roger, the "Wheel of Fortune," immediately lowered his head and apologized for his "unrestrained speech."

"It doesn't matter."

Mr. Fool said softly, then looked around at all the members of the Tarot Club.

Everyone realized that Mr. Fool was asking if anyone had received a new copy of the Roselle Diary or mythological materials, but embarrassingly, none of the people at the bronze table had received a new diary because of the various things that had happened in the past week.

Just as Mr. Fool was feeling somewhat dejected, Roger, the Wheel of Fortune, suddenly spoke:
"Respected Mr. 'Fool,' I have some very rare information about the 'Abyss' that I have just acquired. I wonder if you would be interested?"

Roger's previous battle at Blackwing Reef had taught him a lot of secret information.

He noticed that almost all the abyssal creatures, including the two "devils," were exhibiting an abnormal mental state, as if two thoughts were colliding in their minds, with one of them gaining the upper hand.

It seems that this is precisely why the original will of the Abyss was significantly suppressed—until Roger threw a "demon" with divinity and a mystical connection to the great being that was eroding the Abyss into the starry sky, allowing it to be chewed up by one of the indescribable great beings. Only then did the dominant will suffer a significant impact in the process and have to make concessions in this protracted struggle.

This also explains why Roger could initially hear dense, erratic babbling, but later it turned into single, monotonous, and meaningful characters.

The original ruler of the abyss—the great being who was suspected to be the demon king Fabti—also suffered some damage, but it was less than that suffered by the one who tried to control Him.

This led to the eventual closure of the uncontrolled entrance to the "Abyss," and Fabti's situation temporarily improved. As a reward, He pulled Roger into a tributary of that Abyss and, with Adam's cooperation, enabled him to acquire the corresponding knowledge.

As for the identity of the great being who fought against Fabti, Roger had already guessed most of it.

It is very likely that "Mother Tree of Desire," because due to their adjacent paths, it can be said that it has a natural antagonistic relationship with Fabti.

Judging from the current murals, it seems that the "Mother Tree of Desire" began its erosion of the Abyss even earlier than Roger knew about it. When the "Alien King" Kvasitun fell and dropped 3+1 extraordinary traits and uniqueness, and Fabuti, who had long coveted this, obtained one of the "Godly Abomination" extraordinary traits, the "Mother Tree of Desire" had already found an opportunity with this extraordinary trait and began its erosion of the Abyss.

As for the subsequent environmental deterioration of the "Abyss," which made it uninhabitable for demons, that was a very later matter. However, Fabuti, the "Demon King" who was the ruler of the "Abyss," had been suffering from the pollution from the "Mother Tree of Desire" until Roger arrived and truly closed this nearly out-of-control entrance to the "Abyss."

The only two things that remain unclear are whether Adam had been planning this all along, and what He intended to do; and why Fabti speaks the language of the ancient people—does this mean He is also a time traveler? (Note 1)

These things all needed further confirmation, and Roger wrote down the parts of the whole incident that could be told and passed them on to "The Fool" Klein Moretti. The reason for doing so was that it was possible that the latter would have some interaction with the "Mother Tree of Desire" in the future. If he could have some advance awareness of the "Mother Tree of Desire", it might bring Roger some unexpected gains.

Of course, these things couldn't be said outright, but Roger believed that Klein could grasp the key information within them.

On the other hand, since Alger the Hanged Man had just gone through something related to the Abyss with Roger the night before, it's understandable that the latter hadn't had time to report to Mr. Fool.

So Alger was not surprised at this moment, but looked intently at Mr. Fool, waiting for His feedback.

As expected, Mr. Fool agreed and then received the document from Roger and began to read it.

"'The Mother Tree of Desire'... the ruler of the 'Abyss' who speaks a strange language?"

"Fool" Klein was somewhat stunned. He knew before that "criminals" and "prisoners" belonged to adjacent paths, and that the former had once been controlled by "Demon King" Fabti, but he did not know that such a big secret was hidden here.

Note 1: Regarding Fabuti's true identity, to accommodate readers unfamiliar with the novel *The Haunted House*, this book will assume a mysterious perspective in its narrative.

(End of this chapter)