Mystery: Big Alarm Clock Ghroth Path

Chapter 282 Grossell’s Travels
Of course, Roger wouldn't tell these things to the other participants in the "Tarot Club." This information was too dangerous; unless they became demigods or even angels, they weren't qualified to know these things, or it would surely bring disaster upon themselves.

After all, it involves the interests of the Lord of the Abyss and the greatest "writer," two powerful figures in the 3+1 system. If he were to get involved in their plans, there would be no good outcome.

Afterwards, Roger clarified some details of the "Honest Demon" plan with Fors and indicated that he would write to Sam to discuss the follow-up plan. He then asked the other members of the "Tarot Society" to look for ordinary people in the Greater Backlund region who were suitable and interested in becoming "Criminal" extraordinary individuals. After a preliminary assessment, they could be recommended to Roger, who would be responsible for the subsequent assessment work.

Having done all this, "The Sun" Derrick looked at "The Hermit" and said:

“‘Hermit’ lady, I have received the ‘Notary’ potion recipe you gave me earlier. Thank you very much.”

"That's good, no need to be so polite."

The "Hermit" nodded, and then took the opportunity to confirm some questions about the ancient legends of Silver City with "Sun" Derrick, which she had compiled since her last return to the "Future". After Derrick answered, the "Secret Seeker" once again fell into a thoughtful state.

Seeing that Ms. Hermit had nothing more to say, Mr. World cleared his throat and looked up at Mr. Sun.

Do you know a book called "The Travels of Grosse"?

This was an item that "Iceberg Admiral" Edwina Edwards had previously mentioned to Klein, stating that it was a magical book belonging to the dragon race and that she was willing to sell it to Klein for 8000 pounds.

"I don't know, what do they do?"

"The Sun," Derrick shook his head blankly and asked in return.

Mr. World paused upon seeing this and briefly recounted what he knew, which quickly caught the attention of Ms. Justice.

What's so special about it?

"This noble lady asked curiously."

"Needs further research."

"The World," Klein answered honestly. At present, he only knew that the book seemed to have the ability to draw people into its world, but he was not sure what other features it had.

"I need to think about it."

Miss Justice was in no hurry to agree. She had been buying unusual items too frequently lately, and had even asked her father for reimbursement for some of them. Now, if she asked for another £8000 to buy a book whose purpose she didn't know, Earl Hall would most likely not agree.

I've heard of this book before.

At this moment, Roger, the "Wheel of Fortune," suddenly spoke:
"It appears to be an item left behind by the 'Dragon of Imagination' Angelweid."

"The Imaginary Dragon" Angelweid?

The name immediately caught the attention of Mr. World and Ms. Justice. For Ms. Justice, who had been studying the dragon race for some time, the name was extremely tempting.

Just as she was about to speak, Roger, the "Wheel of Fortune," spoke first:

“This item is somewhat useful to me, and I’m willing to buy it. I will pay you later, Mr. ‘World’.”

Roger deliberately avoided saying things like "transferring the money through Mr. Fool"—although that would indeed be a way to handle the situation, keeping it silent helps him maintain his image as someone who, in the eyes of Mr. Hanged Man and others, belongs to Mr. Fool's faction, just like Mr. World.

"The Fool" Klein also understood this, but he didn't correct him. Although Roger was usually quite composed and calm, he had done his fair share of showing off, so he wasn't surprised.

For both him and Roger, it's often enough to know the facts themselves, but it's important to provide emotional value to others. Otherwise, once Mr. Hanged Man and the others learn that Mr. Fool is not a god and Mr. Wheel of Fortune is not Mr. Fool's benefactor, the psychological gap will definitely leave them very confused, which will not be conducive to their subsequent progress in their plans.

When you're out and about, the persona you project is something you create for yourself. Don't take empty fame too seriously, but it can be very useful in many situations.

“Ah…yes, Mr. ‘Wheel of Fortune’.”

"Justice" Audrey was immediately disappointed, and she couldn't help but feel regretful.

After all, it was something left behind by the "Dragon of Imagination." Even if its current use is unclear, it must contain some incredible secrets that would greatly benefit her research on the dragon race.

With just a moment's hesitation, Miss Justice lost her right to receive the item.

"However, this also means that, Audrey, that travelogue may not be something you are qualified to obtain at this stage... Relics left behind by the ancient gods must also hide great dangers."

"Justice" Audrey couldn't help but comfort herself, and she made up her mind that it wouldn't be too late to ask Mr. "Wheel of Fortune" to rent the "Grossell Travels" after he had determined the details and sealing method of the book.

By then, it will be much easier for Audrey to ask her family for money.

Just as she was thinking this, she heard Mr. "Wheel of Fortune" speak with a smile:

"Don't worry, Miss Justice, after I've used this item, I can rent it to you... Rest assured, I'll definitely give you an extremely favorable price for the rental fee."

"Thank you so much, Mr. 'Wheel of Fortune'."

Audrey was overjoyed upon hearing this and immediately expressed her gratitude.

To be honest, if it weren't for the fact that Mr. Hanged Man and Ms. Hermit had a considerable understanding of Mr. Wheel of Fortune's strength and terrifying wealth, these two guys, who had spent years at sea and were extremely experienced in deceit and treachery, might have really thought that Mr. World and Mr. Wheel of Fortune, these two "Fools," were manipulating things from one hand to the other, using a strategy of starvation marketing on Audrey with almost no cost, so that this noble lady would willingly pay a hefty rent in exchange for limited time to study "The Travels of Grosseus."

"You are Welcome."

Mr. "Wheel of Fortune" nodded and smiled.

"By the way, Mr. 'World'."

The "Hermit" Cattleya suddenly spoke:

"If I remember correctly, you were previously looking for information on 'General of Disease' Tracy?"

"Yes, what can I do for you?"

Mr. World shuddered dramatically and spoke urgently.

"There are reports that she is operating in the waters south of Simim Island, and her general direction of travel is Alethe."

The Hermit, Cattleya, spoke in a deep voice:
"However, you will need to confirm the exact location yourself."

Aresser is a major town in the northeast of East Byron, bordering the South Sunia Sea. It is another colony of the Kingdom of Loen where casinos are legal, besides the Rothschild Islands, and gambling is a pillar industry there, similar to Las Vegas in a certain major Western country in Klein's previous life.

"The World" Klein nodded gratefully:

"Okay, what kind of payment do you need?"

"This is a small favor for me, and I don't need to pay for it. Besides, the information I provided wasn't very accurate."

The "Hermit" smiled, leaving Klein momentarily unsure whether she was doing him a favor or simply helping out. However, since Cattleya had already said so, Klein didn't stand on ceremony and simply expressed his gratitude again.

"Oh, right, friends, there's one more thing."

Roger, the "Wheel of Fortune," once again remembered something important:

“I have a batch of ‘Nightmare Jellyfish’ products here, including those of various ages, such as charged gland fluid, tentacles, and bells. If any of you know of any suitable sales channels, please contact me.”

At the same time, fearing that the participants of the "Tarot Club" might not understand the uses of these things, Roger thoughtfully shared the information he had heard from Ophina King for free as a pre-sales service for selling his products.

"The product of the 'Nightmare Jellyfish'? The main ingredient of the 'Ocean Singer' potion?"

Alger, the "Hanged Man," was immediately drawn in. He was about to speak when the "Hermit" lady asked first:
How big is the batch?

It seems that whenever Roger mentions obtaining something, the quantity is not measured in units of one or two, but rather in vague terms like "a batch" or "two batches." At first, Gadriya thought he was just exaggerating, until she heard Roger say that he had hundreds of extraordinary properties of the "Abyss" and "Bound One" pathways. Only then did she finally understand that he was really just roughly saying "a batch."

So now everyone is concerned about just how big Roger's "batch" actually is, and no one doubts that he was just making things up or exaggerating.

"A super swarm of about a hundred 'Nightmare Jellyfish'."

Roger, the "Wheel of Fortune," laughed as he made a throat-cutting gesture:
“I had just left the Rothschild Islands when I ran into these bastards trying to cause a thunderstorm and capsize my ship, and then I took care of them all.”

"Mr. 'Wheel of Fortune,' I must say, those 'Nightmare Jellyfish' were truly unlucky." Alger, the "Hanged Man," wiped the cold sweat from his brow.

“A ‘Nightmare Jellyfish’ that is over five years old is already a Sequence 5 level extraordinary creature. Even a strong swarm of them is enough to wipe out a medium-sized naval fleet… I have heard many survivors’ stories, and it is indeed a terrifying creature.”

Alger was making this estimate based on his own observations, because every year there are incidents of "Nightmare Jellyfish" attacking merchant ships and even warships passing through the Stormy Sea.

However, he had never heard of the specifics of the super-strong fleet. This was probably because it was almost impossible for any fleet that had encountered a super-strong fleet to survive, so this was indeed firsthand information.

For someone like Roger to encounter an extremely powerful group and not only escape unscathed but also retaliate by blowing up the "Nightmare Jellyfish" group is truly insane, horrifying, and unheard of.

Although Alger was already used to Roger's outrageous fighting power, and this demigod would always use the method of eliminating the root of the enemy and exterminating their entire family whenever he encountered a battle, even so, Roger would still be able to subvert Alger's mind frequently. It was as if the other party had an endless potential for creating trouble, and would create some big news every one or two weeks.

"If it's the electrified gland fluid from a five-year-old 'Nightmare Jellyfish,' I need a sample."

After saying that, the "Hanged Man" spoke again and purchased the most expensive potion ingredient Roger had acquired.

"Your 'Windbringer' potion seems to be digesting quite well?"

Roger said with a smile.

"It's not fully digested yet, but I estimate it won't be long."

In fact, due to Alger's intense acting, he should have already finished digesting the "Wind-Chosen" potion he received from Roger. The reason it was delayed until now was because, in order to prevent the Church of the "Lord of Storms" from noticing anything unusual, he took another dose of the "Wind-Chosen" potion given by the church, which delayed the digestion process.

Mr. Hanged Man admitted it, and then immediately added:

"Although the number of 'Ocean Singers' is not small, the turnover is very fast. This is actually a result of the high mortality rate of extraordinary beings at sea... But as far as I know, while the extraordinary characteristics of 'Ocean Singers' are in high demand, the original ingredients for potions are even harder to find."

"I didn't understand why before, but after hearing what you said today, I finally understand—if it's about hunting 'Nightmare Jellyfish,' which are extraordinary creatures that appear in large groups at any time, then there aren't many people who can do it."

"So when I came across it, I just accepted it, which will save me a lot of trouble later."

Alger needed a promotion, and he also took the initiative to become Roger's customer to help him sell his goods—after all, he had recently received a large sum of money in a transaction with Mr. "Moon", so his financial pressure had been greatly relieved compared to before.

Roger, the "Wheel of Fortune," nodded upon hearing this:

"I also have the potion recipe for 'Ocean Singer' here. Do you need it?"

This was the potion recipe he obtained from Ophina King, the lover of Borno Stone IV, who had once helped him collect the potion ingredients needed for his advancement, so he had also memorized the potion recipe.

Of course, Roger didn't get this item from Ophina for free—Amon had already fulfilled his promise and removed the "locks" that restricted the extraordinary individuals with the "Thief" pathway from Ophina and her subordinates, granting them the full power of the "Thief" and greatly enhancing their combat strength.

Of course, Roger also made some excuses to explain the matter to Ophina, in order to show that he had indeed paid the price in advance for the "Ocean Singer" potion formula.

Although Roger was Ophina's superior, Ophina fought alongside Roger not only because he helped her avenge her, but also to improve the lives of herself and her men.

So psychologically, Ophina wouldn't mind Roger taking things from her for free, since Roger had done something she couldn't do herself.

However, Roger needed to be even clearer about what he had done for them in this situation. Although Ophina and the others' unlocked abilities had essentially helped him, leaving a record of his actions would let them know that he, as their captain, always cared about them. Therefore, if he needed them to provide valuable items or information in the future, they would maintain this enthusiastic attitude.

This is the management principle that Roger has always adhered to: often it is not important who actually benefits, but what matters is attitude. Attitude, which seems very metaphysical, can often play an immeasurable role in an organization.

"It is necessary... but if it is a potion formula, it will take some time. Please allow me to raise the funds."

Alger, the "Hanged Man," had a bright look in his eyes upon hearing this, but quickly became conflicted again.

He had been quite satisfied with his financial situation, but now that he heard Roger still had the potion recipe for "Ocean Singer," the "Hanged Man" suddenly felt embarrassed again.

This is what is meant by the fact that poverty is often a relative concept; the greater one's desires, the poorer one becomes. Being content with modest wealth is not something everyone can achieve, especially for a man like Alger who is determined to climb the social ladder and change his destiny.

The market price of the electrified gland fluid of the Nightmare Jellyfish alone exceeds 3500 gold pounds, and this is only one of the two main ingredients. To collect all the main ingredients for the potion, it would cost around 7000 gold pounds.

If it's a Sequence 5 potion recipe, it would cost over 5000 pounds, so Alger can only afford one potion ingredient at the moment.

Unless he turned the extraordinary dual-path Sequence 5 item that Mr. Wheel of Fortune gave him into a sealed artifact and sold it—but Alger obviously couldn't do that, because sealed artifacts that can express the abilities of two paths at the same time usually have great side effects, but can also unleash extremely powerful and unexpected combat effects.

For an extraordinary individual, it is always inevitable to be drawn into all sorts of battles.

In these battles, the direct clash of extraordinary abilities and even the contest of combat intelligence are all secondary matters; the initial stage is always a contest at the intelligence level.

From this perspective, extraordinary individuals who follow the "niche" path have a natural advantage over those who follow the "mass" path, because the abilities of extraordinary individuals who follow the "mass" path are more widely known—especially the extraordinary individuals trained by the Church of the Righteous God, who are often sent out on missions, so it is always difficult for others to know what their extraordinary abilities are.

To give a rather extreme example, in the Sunia Sea, a "vengeful spirit" encounters an "ocean singer." Although the "ocean singer's" abilities have a strong restraining effect on the "vengeful spirit," as long as the "vengeful spirit" stays at sea long enough, it is more likely that it will gain an intelligence advantage over the "ocean singer," thus achieving a draw or even turning the tables.

This is why teams like "Night Watchers," "Punishers," and "Mechanical Hearts" all need to be equipped with storage space for sealed artifacts similar to that of Charnis Gate. Compared to information about their own path, which is easier to obtain, sealed artifacts are a much more unpredictable supplementary means. Most importantly, these supplementary means are replaceable and constantly evolving.

These are the guarantees upon which the official Extraordinary Teams rely for survival. Therefore, the sealed artifacts are subject to strict secrecy levels in various churches. If you are not a member of this team, it is extremely difficult to obtain any information.

On the other hand, the item given to him by Mr. "Wheel of Fate" that has multiple pathways and means, once it becomes a sealed artifact, will inevitably greatly enhance Alger's survivability and ability to survive in battle. Such an item must never be sold, even if it means starving to death. He will not consider such a thing before becoming a demigod.

At the moment, Alger knew that there was a skilled "craftsman" capable of turning it into a decent sealing artifact, but that "craftsman" was still on Toscart Island, and he would have to wait until he returned to have a chance to meet him.

Fortunately, he was not in a hurry to get promoted, so the remaining materials could be considered in the long run.

Roger naturally understood Alger's thoughts, and he readily agreed to let him pay for the potion ingredients first. After all, compared to the "Nightmare Jellyfish" electrified gland fluid, which was sold out one by one, potion recipes would never run out, so this "Hanged Man" could afford to wait.

After discussing this matter, "The Fool" Klein once again manipulated Mr. "The World" to speak:
"Does anyone have, or can obtain, a magical item with very strong offensive power?"

His question was primarily directed at Roger and "The Hermit" Cattleya, both of whom were pirate generals with outstanding combat abilities. They should have obtained some kind of offensive sealed artifact during their adventures.

"I do not have."

"The Hermit" Cattleya shook her head: "However, I will keep an eye out for similar things during the Extraordinary Gatherings I attend later, and I will contact you as soon as I find them."

"Ok."

After hearing Cattleya's words, Mr. World nodded and then looked at Roger, the "Wheel of Fortune".

"I do have some, but I'm afraid you can't afford the price."

Roger smiled.

"Renting is also an option."

"World," Klein, inspired by Roger and Audrey's recent transaction, began to speak:

"If you'd be so kind as to ask, could you give me a brief overview of the effects and side effects of that extraordinary item?"

"can."

Roger, the "Wheel of Fortune," nodded, then looked at Mr. "The Fool":
“Dear Mr. Fool, I request to discuss this topic privately.”

"can."

Mr. Fool nodded and set up the soundproofing mechanism to allow the two to discuss the matter in this environment.

Upon hearing Roger, the "Wheel of Fortune," say this, the remaining curious members of the "Tarot Club" were inevitably a little disappointed.

But Roger had no choice but to do this, because this conversation might indirectly reveal some information about Klein, and also some information about himself.

"My sealed artifact is a Sequence 4 level sealed artifact, and its attack power is among the strongest of all extraordinary items of the same level."

Roger, the "Wheel of Fortune," smiled slightly:

"However, its side effects are also quite obvious. I wonder if you can accept them?"

(End of this chapter)