Mystery: Big Alarm Clock Ghroth Path

Chapter 327 Bernadette's Gu-Raising Therapy

Afterwards, Leomaster, Jack Burton, and Alexis explained in detail the ascension rituals mentioned in the "Prophet" and "Darkness-Free" potion recipes as he knew them.

The ascension ceremony for a "prophet" involves performing a ritual magic act against a mythical creature in the realm of destiny without resorting to deception, and receiving its blessing.

In a sense, the powers gained by the "Prophet" of the White Tower pathway Sequence 4 and the "Mystic" of the Hermit pathway Sequence 4 are somewhat similar, and the Sequence 3 potion that the "Mystic" ascends to is called "Master of the Prologue," which is also similar to the abilities of the "Prophet."

However, the difference lies in the fact that the authority domain corresponding to the mythical creature required in the "mystic's" ascension ceremony does not necessarily have to be the domain of "fate." Other domains are also acceptable, from which they can obtain the corresponding knowledge.

From a convenience standpoint, analyzing the blood of mythical creatures in the realm of "fate" makes it easier for ascendants to advance to Sequence 3. This is essentially an understanding of the mystical manifestation of authority in the realm of fate, leaning towards the acquisition of knowledge.

However, according to Leomaster, the requirement in the "Prophet" ascension ceremony to receive the blessing of mythical creatures in the realm of "fate" is essentially to use high-level fate-related abilities to help the ascendant establish a side track of fate. This allows him to separate his vision from a single trajectory of fate, thereby gaining detailed insights into the original fate tracks of himself and the people, things, and events around him.

Because destiny itself is partly a manifestation of cognition and insight, a person's breadth of cognition and insight determine their choices in life. Once these things are limited by subjective will, destiny has a strong inertia, to the point that even the person themselves cannot see it clearly.

The "prophet's" side track of fate is somewhat like a train maintenance track. When necessary, the train can be moved from its original track and inspected on the side track. In this way, he can temporarily enter a bystander's perspective and gain a more nuanced understanding and stronger insight into the knowledge of fate.

Moreover, "prophet" can also gain a certain ability to temporarily escape their predetermined fate through this "destiny deviation" - using prophecy to avoid disaster, which is also the prerequisite authority of "the insightful".

As for the ascension ritual of the "Dark Ones," it involves extracting the strongest and most unwilling emotions, then taking a potion and reintroducing these emotions during the process.

Neither of these promotion ceremonies is simple, but for Roger, achieving them is not difficult.

First, during the "Prophet's" ascension ceremony, Roger can use the level of the "Primal Core" to simulate the status of a complete mythical creature and respond to Jack's prayers.

As for the ascension ritual of the "Dark Ones," he also had a way—Roger could use the "invisible bracelet" to separate the part of Jack Burton's emotions that needed to be temporarily stripped away under hypnosis, and then use "identity manipulation" to temporarily complete the integrity of his destiny in a mystical sense. When he took the potion, Roger could slowly release this separation, thus fulfilling the requirements of the ascension ritual.

Afterwards, Leomaster briefly explained to Jack Burton the specific manifestations and corresponding authority of these two demigod powers. After listening attentively, Jack asked with some curiosity:
"So, what are the abilities of the 'Manipulator' and the 'Calamity Priest'?"

"The 'Manipulator' is mainly skilled in the mental realm, while the 'Disaster Priest' is skilled at invoking natural disasters... The latter is not useful in the 'Forsaken Land' for the time being, and the 'Manipulator's' advancement ceremony requires the emotional resonance of at least 10,000 people to be completed, which may not be easy to complete in the Forsaken Land, after all, the entire 'New Fog City' does not seem to have 10,000 people."

“I once witnessed a ‘manipulator’ being promoted, so I know some of the inside stories.”

At this point, Bernadette spoke up and shared what she knew.

"If you wish to advance to the rank of 'Prophet' or 'The One Without Darkness,' I can help you."

Roger also found an opportunity to express his willingness to help.

"Um……"

Jack Burton fell into deep thought:
“If possible, I would like to choose ‘Prophet’. On the one hand, ‘New Fog City’ already has the inheritance of ‘Reader’ from Sequence 9 to Sequence 5, which can form a complete system. On the other hand, if I have the ability to predict the future, I can also help ‘New Fog City’ avoid some dangers in advance.”

Roger breathed a slight sigh of relief upon hearing this, as this was exactly the outcome he had been hoping for.

If Jack Burton were to become an elder through his own power, he would have a way to spread the faith of "Hellstar" to "New Fog City".

Although they believe in the "true creator," it doesn't matter—Roger can easily position himself as His servant, after all, he is not only a demigod of the "Aurora Society," but also the son of the "true creator."

Although fewer people now recognize this identity than before, it is still an expression of the "true creator's" will and has strong mystical significance. In addition, Roger can alter his own destiny, so he can gain faith from the "true creator".

"...By the way, Your Excellencies."

Jack then looked at Alexis beside him and asked:
"Is Elder Alexis really beyond saving?"

Whenever he talked about this, his eyes would redden. Alexis was not only an elder and spiritual leader of "New Fog City," but also Jack Burton's personal mentor. He couldn't bear to watch Alexis perish.

"Actually, it's not that there's no way out at all."

After about ten seconds, Bernadette suddenly spoke.

These words immediately attracted the attention of everyone present, and Jack Burton looked at Bernadette with a surprised, expectant, and puzzled expression.

Even Alexis looked at her with some surprise.

"Lady Alexis, if it's convenient, could you please tell us about yourself?"

Bernadette paused:
"For example, what kind of pollution have you encountered, and have you suffered any harm? This way, we can have a more complete understanding of your situation and may be able to develop a plan to help you extend your lifespan."

Alexis sighed. To be honest, she didn't want to die either, but her internal problems were too serious. However, now that Bernadette had asked, she couldn't hide it from her.

Although she didn't think Bernadette had any way to solve her problem, she figured she might as well try it out, since there was no harm in saying anything.

"...I have three main problems."

The elderly head opened its mouth, followed by the middle-aged head opening its mouth:
"Three problems, these numbers are quite fitting."

"Yes~ Just like the three of us!"

Young Alexis also spoke, replying in a childlike, almost singing tone.

Immediately afterwards, Alexis's young head spoke again:
"The first problem is that we have eaten some bad things in the past. Although the impact is not very big, over the years, we often feel uncomfortable."

The food they ate... was the unclean food that "New Fog City" ate, which contained all sorts of evil and pollution. Some of it may have been contaminated by the divinity of the "True Creator," which intensified the "Three-Headed Sanctuary's" already out-of-control tendencies.

Roger immediately understood what the young Alexis meant, and he nodded thoughtfully.

"The second issue is the imprint left by the 'Crown of Creation'."

The middle-aged Alexis picked up the conversation, sighing:

"That was the magical item that 'Fog City' relied on for survival. It made the land around us arable... But in return, it also turned a large number of 'Fog City' people into blood monsters, inspired their faith in the 'Primordial Moon,' and most importantly, we all have that mark on our bodies."

“This kind of imprint has a certain indestructibility. It is attached to our spirituality. Now, people who are a little older in ‘New Fog City’ are affected by it. It has both good and bad effects, but in my case, it has manifested mostly as the bad effects.”

Roger, somewhat curious, asked:

"What do you mean when you say there are both good and bad aspects?"

"Let me explain this point."

After obtaining Alexis's consent, Jack Burton, who was standing nearby, explained:

"Extraordinary beings who follow the 'Secret Prayer' path often hear many whispers that come directly from our Lord. However, because our own power is too insignificant, these divine oracles can drive many extraordinary beings with insufficient mental fortitude insane or cause them to lose control."

"So this is both a blessing and a risk, but the mark of the 'Crown of Creation' will balance the effects of whispers on a spiritual level and reduce the possibility of us losing control."

"But Elder Alexis, as a pioneer of the New Fog City, was the first to lead the residents of the New Fog City in the search for viable food."

"And by consuming those foods over the years, Elder Alexis suffered irreversible contamination. Although this contamination is different from the divinity of my Lord, it is consistent with it to a certain extent."

"Thus, the balance between the original divinity and the 'Crown of Creation' mark was broken, causing Elder Alexis's flesh and blood to grow endlessly, worsening her condition once again."

"The pollution of the 'brand' did not disappear. It began to erode inward and further affected Elder Alexis's astral body and spiritual body. On the one hand, it prevented her humanity from being completely extinguished, but on the other hand, it also brought her severe mental interference."

"In fact, another elder of 'New Fog City' also died for this reason."

Roger nodded:

"So you're also a beneficiary of this kind of branding?"

"Yes."

Jack Burton nodded:

"Ever since Elder Alexis figured out the cause and effect of the matter, she has strictly forbidden me from eating food from outside the city, and I can only eat products from within 'New Fog City'."

Roger knew that the resources Jack mentioned in "New Fog City" were probably the clean "white flesh" produced by the seal of the "Rose Bishop" extraordinary property, which was a Sequence 6 item. This "Shepherd" may have maintained his inner balance precisely because of this.

This also explains Roger's initial doubts: why Jack Burton, a shepherd living in the "forsaken land," was still able to maintain a considerable degree of humility and rationality.

"I see."

He nodded, then looked at Elder Alexis:
"Your Excellency Alexis, please continue."

Alexis's aged head nodded:

"Thirdly, when I led the people of Fog City away from Fog City, we were ambushed by some kind of divine creature on the way."

"It was a monster we called a 'soul stealer,' which had the ability to attack a person's soul. I was ambushed by it, which is why I lost part of my spiritual integrity."

"For a Triad, losing the integrity of the spirit is far more serious than for other demigods, because the inner balance of the Triad is inherently fragile, and the weakness of the spirit can lead to unpredictable consequences."

“The problem didn’t show up at first, but it got worse and worse, and I was almost swallowed up by the shadow divinity.”

At this moment, Cattleya suddenly spoke up and asked:
Is there a way to remove these pollutants?

Roger immediately shook his head:

"No. The pollution caused by that 'brand' is different from other pollution. It has the characteristic of being indestructible. Unless the 'Crown of Creation' is completely destroyed, it will never disappear."

"But as far as I know, that sealed artifact has been contained by the 'Angel of Fate'."

Roger has a relatively deep understanding of the corruption of the "Fallen Mother Goddess" because he currently possesses four sealed artifacts that have been tainted by this corruption.

Their pollution all originates from Mr. "Door," so unless Mr. "Door" is killed, the pollution will not truly disappear.

"...If that's the case, it is indeed quite troublesome, but it's not without a solution."

Bernadette paused for a moment, then continued her analysis:

"There are currently two ways to cure Lady Alexis. One is to find the Dementor that attacked her, separate the part of her spirit that belongs to Lady Alexis, and then sew it back into her spirit."

"I know something about these supernatural creatures called Soul Reapers. They forcibly tear off a part of the target's spirit and sew it onto their own body, but this part of the spirit will not be transformed; it will only become part of the spirit that gives it its sentience."

“When the Dementors are killed, the stitched-together spirits will dissipate. At this time, there is a certain chance to preserve the corresponding part of the spirit and bring it back to Lady Alexis... This will allow her to regain some of her power and have more opportunities to fight against the corruption within her.”

"Preserve a part of the spirit?"

Roger narrowed his eyes slightly:
"A shepherd shouldn't be able to do something like that, right?"

"It's really impossible."

Alexis nodded:
"The 'shepherd' may seem to be good at manipulating spirits, but in essence, he is good at manipulating himself... We can utilize the darker part of our 'self' and turn it into part of the astral vessel, thereby expanding our ability to contain souls."

"Moreover, our inner self is like a porous structure that can accommodate not only different astral entities but also their corresponding extraordinary characteristics. In this way, these extraordinary characteristics will not engage in unnecessary mutual exclusion and aggregation, and we will not go mad because of the act of 'herding' itself."

“If you can find my spirit, I can stitch it back together, but the ‘Mystic’ method is not good at the delicate handling of spirits, so even I can’t easily store a broken spirit.”

"Is it possible to take you there directly and let you absorb that part of the spirit on the spot?"

Roger suddenly spoke up.

"That should be possible."

Alexis's three heads nodded in unison, then she said:

“But given my current condition, it’s not realistic to pack us up and take us out.” What she meant was that her flesh and blood had spread too much, making transportation a huge problem.

"Don't worry."

Roger shook his head:

“If we can pinpoint the location of the ‘Soul Reaper,’ I can make preparations in advance… I have a sealing artifact here that can store living beings for a considerable period of time, and its storage capacity is extremely large, enough to take you out.”

After saying that, Roger looked at Bernadette and asked:
"Bernarde, what is the second method you mentioned?"

"The second method... can be used in conjunction with the first method, but it is more radical and much more difficult."

Bernadette paused, then continued:

"That is, we can introduce a new kind of pollution into Her Excellency Alexis, so that this new pollution can achieve a new balance with the existing 'brand' pollution on her body."

"In this way, her humanity can be freed from the struggle against the 'brand' and focus on the process of wrestling with divinity. Thus, Lady Alexis has the possibility of returning to normal, both on an external and internal level."

"To put it simply, let divinity and humanity clash, and let the remaining two forms of corruption check and balance each other... This should be possible, but for it to truly succeed, there is a prerequisite: Lady Alexis must ultimately prevail in the confrontation with the enhanced 'Shadow' divinity."

After Bernadette finished speaking, everyone present was stunned.

It must be said that her plan does sound very feasible, and given that the "mark" of the "Crown of Creation" cannot be removed, it is indeed the optimal solution.

This "poison-raising therapy" not only treats the symptoms but also the root cause. If it can be implemented, it can indeed save Alexis.

The only two questions are: how to find the "Dementor," and where to find a new form of contamination?
Just then, Roger suddenly spoke up:

"I have some transitional methods for repairing the soul... I can weave a false fate for Lord Alexis's 'Shadow of Fallen Soul' to make it more supportive of Lord Alexis's soul, so that we can stall until we find the 'Dementor'."

"You can leave the pollution to me; it's not a difficult task."

Roger may have lacked everything, and you could even say he lacked money—after all, maintaining a large fleet is very expensive.

However, no one can say that Roger was free of pollution; in a sense, he himself was a mobile source of pollution with two legs.

Roger only needed to have Alexis pray to the "Primal Core," and then Roger would deliberately corrupt her to solve the problem.

In terms of status, Gherros is absolutely no less than the "Fallen Mother Goddess," and only needs a little bit of corruption to rival the mark of the "Crown of Creation."

Everyone except Bernadette looked at Roger again. They knew that Roger could always pull out something unexpected, but they never expected that he could even pull out the corruption of the gods.

If Roger were to pull a bomb out of his pocket one day and say that it could destroy the entire Loen, they would have absolutely no doubt.

"Is it the pollution of Mr. 'Fool'?"

Sure enough, Cattleya's thoughts once again veered off to strange places.

She glanced silently at her mother, but seeing Bernadette's indifferent expression, she didn't dare to speak.

Both Jack Burton and the three heads of Alexis had completely different expressions than before. The latter's dejected look, which had almost gone out of control, had improved considerably.

"Then... let's get started?"

Seeing that no one had any objections, Roger tentatively asked.

"can."

Leomaster stood up:
“I will try to find the trail of that ‘Death Reaper’ and hunt it down. Lord Alexis, do you have anything related to it?”

"Have."

Alexis nodded:
"When I was fighting it, I cut off a piece of its cloak... I've kept it ever since, thinking I might need it someday."

After saying this, one of Alexis's fleshy tentacles burrowed into the darkness, making a rustling sound as it ransacked the place.

After a while, a small metal box was taken out and handed to Leomaster.

Leomaster breathed a sigh of relief:
"Great."

"Well then, Lady Alexis, this is my part."

Roger also stood up and looked around the room:
"Ladies and gentlemen, our next actions may put you at risk of being corrupted by divinity. Please leave for the time being."

"Everyone, please leave."

Bernadette knew Roger was up to something unspeakable, so she called out and led everyone out.

Leomaster and Jack Burton also withdrew, thus giving Roger and Alexis ample space.

Alexis looked at Roger with great interest, wanting to get his next guidance.

Because he was no longer able to speak Bernadette's Giant language, Roger could only tentatively utter a single word in Old Fussac:
"shadow."

To everyone's surprise, Alexis actually understood Roger's meaning. She nodded, and soon a three-headed shadowy figure appeared in the room, with a posture similar to Alexis's but smaller.

Roger pondered for a moment and then used "Fate's Gift" on the "Shadow of Corruption".

Then Roger made a "merge" gesture, and Alexis understood and took back the "Shadow of Fall".

Sure enough, as soon as she did that, the expressions on her three faces improved considerably, and most of the previous dejection disappeared.

“It really works!”

She couldn't help but marvel. Alexis had never seen such an extraordinary ability before and was momentarily confused about its origin.

In fact, not only Alexis, but even the people in the North and South Continents didn't know the details of Roger's abilities—the only ones who really had some understanding of them were probably Adam and Amon.

Roger then handed Alexis a note containing his own name in the language of Giants, which he had recently translated using the correspondence between Old Fussack and Giants.

However, he made some modifications to better suit the situation of "New Fog City".

"The intersection of the starry sky and the spirit world, the crimson retinue of the shadow veil, the living embodiment of the starry sky and the calendar, the protector of the scattered souls of 'Mist City'."

Alexis took the note and read it silently.

When she read "the crimson retinue of the shadow veil" and "the protectors of the scattered souls of 'Fog City'", her body trembled noticeably.

For any follower of the “True Creator,” the words “veil of shadow” almost refer to His divinity, or even the “True Creator” himself.

On the other hand, there is a big difference between the words "family" and "fellowship". Although both are close to the gods, "family" emphasizes the mystical kinship, which is consistent with Roger's identity as the "son of God" and does not point to the "Red Angel" Medici.

In this way, Alexis would trust Roger even more, and there would be a high probability that she would spread the name of Roger.

Originally, Alexis was a little unsure if it was pollution, but now it seems more like a divine gift from a "true creator," which has its own fertile ground in the environment of "New Fog City."

As for "protector of the scattered creatures of 'Fog City'", Roger changed it on the spot. This was to enhance the sense of gain of the people of "Fog City" so that Roger could promote the astronomical calendar later.

"Prayer, request, blessing."

Roger paused, then spoke haltingly.

Alexis nodded and then began to pray to the name.

Soon, Roger felt the call coming from the "Original Motion Core," which relieved him and confirmed that this new title could also point to the "Original Motion Core."

He also made a prayer gesture, but his spirit had already arrived at the central platform of the "Primal Core".

Roger glanced at the spiritual sky of the "Original Core" and indeed found a very large rust-colored spot flashing in the half of the spirit world corresponding to the "New Fog City".

That was Alexis's prayer for "gift".

Roger naturally responded to her request, and he tentatively released a small amount of the aura of the "Original Dynamic Core" based on his estimation.

In fact, this was Roger's first attempt to actively use the "Primal Core" to corrupt others; previously, this process had been accomplished using "Celestial" talismans.

Given Alexis's unstable mental state, the contamination of the "Celestial Body" spell could easily cause her to lose control immediately. Therefore, using the "Primal Celestial Core" to release the rust-colored contamination is a more reasonable approach.

After Roger did this, the spots representing Alexis became much larger, and Roger could clearly feel that her condition was rapidly improving.

"It should be done."

Roger glanced up again at the "Original Motion Core" that sealed the five extraordinary characteristic orbs, then exited the rust-colored platform and returned to reality.

As soon as he returned to reality, he saw Alexis's entire body begin to emit a rust-colored light.

The rust-colored light, mixed with shadows, resembled the mythical creature form that appeared when Roger's advancement went out of control, making him feel somewhat dazed.

However, Alexis's expression did not show any pressure; instead, a hint of surprise and confusion appeared on her face.

In the dark room, the rusty light accompanying the shadows quickly contracted into her body, while the uncontrolled flesh and blood on the floor also began to writhe and contract rapidly.

Alexis's complete chest began to emerge, albeit very slowly, but the flesh was gradually reshaping into a normal human form.

Roger observed for a while, but eventually he felt it would be impolite to keep looking, so he took the initiative to use "Benjamin's Gloves" to leave Alexis's room.

"How is it, Mr. Roger?"

Jack Burton and his group waited outside. As soon as Roger came out, the candidate elder of "New Fog City" asked anxiously.

"It seems there's no problem."

Roger nodded, patted the beaming Jack Burton on the shoulder, and then the group stood outside waiting.

During this time, Roger looked down and saw that the residents of "New Fog City" were all celebrating as if it were a major festival, and the whole city was filled with long-lost joy and smiles.

In Roger's previous life, there was an old saying: "Food is the first necessity of the people." This saying is indeed true when applied to the present-day "New Fog City."

More importantly, for the first time, the residents of "New Fog City" felt cared for and loved. For the first time in all these years, the "God's grace" they had been waiting for became tangible.

Just then, the door behind Roger and the others suddenly opened.

"Please come in, everyone."

Three voices rang out at the same time, and everyone's hearts tightened. They all tried to go inside.

On the stone chair at the head of the room, all three of Alexis's heads were displayed. For the first time, her fair shoulders and collarbones were revealed, while her lower body was a shadow that vaguely resembled a human figure.

This is the manifestation of the "Black Knight's" authority in Sequence 3. Since Alexis has no clothes to wear, she is temporarily using this shadow as a substitute for concealment.

All of this was instinctive, proving that Alexis was still able to use her divine power and that a temporary balance had been achieved.

Jack Burton looked at the long-lost scene before him and immediately burst into tears.

(End of this chapter)