Mystery: Big Alarm Clock Ghroth Path

Chapter 358 Master Qiu and his repeating disciples
A moment later, someone opened the door.

She was a slender, elegant woman, also dressed in a cloak. Upon seeing Roger, she lowered her voice and spoke:
Who are you looking for?

“My name is Jack Cabinet, and I have come at the invitation of Ms. Natalie.”

After hearing Roger's words, the woman in front of her nodded knowingly:

“I see. I’ve heard of you. Please come with me, Mr. Cabbeen.”

"Good work."

Roger nodded politely, and then followed the woman into the building in front of him.

Unlike its simple exterior, the interior of the building was quite nicely decorated. The polished ceramic floor tiles reflected the gas lamps above, and in the very center of the front hall was a huge rust-colored circle, with a strange rune in the center of the circle.

Roger knew that the rune was a root word in Old Fussack, meaning both "inquiry" and "knowledge".

"Is this a symbol of faith representing 'He Xing'?"

Roger immediately realized what was happening, because the members of the "Hercules School" had never seen Gherus's true appearance. They had only vaguely seen a rust-colored star in the sky on the night he was promoted to "Living Star Chart," so they did not know that Gherus had an eye.

Even so, they still managed to draw some symbols in the center of the circle based on their ideas and intuition. This may be due to humanity's inherent obsession with geometric symmetry or mystical symbols, or perhaps it was influenced by Roger.

On the other hand, drawing the roots of the ancient Fusak language is safer than drawing eyes directly. If official extraordinary individuals or police agencies come to investigate, they will not subconsciously associate the activities of the "Hertz School" with cult beliefs.

"Madam, may I ask your name?"

Roger looked away and asked.

You can just call me Isabella.

The slender woman answered softly, and then continued:

"Two members of the senior review panel are already waiting for you inside... To be honest, I've been in this organization for quite some time now and have mentored many newcomers, but this is truly the first time I've seen a newcomer impress the senior review panel with just their interview answers."

I take your words as a compliment.

Roger responded with a smile. By this time, he was completely certain that there must be someone in the "Hercules School" who understood his answer sheet and was surprised by it, which was why they made such a big fuss.

As for the so-called judging panel members, there is a very high probability that they are level 4 or even level 5 members, and Roger is also very much looking forward to meeting them.

After passing through the forecourt, Roger heard a commotion coming from both sides of the corridor. He looked up and saw many rooms on both sides, where many people seemed to be having a heated discussion.

"Ms. Isabella, what is going on here?"

He asked with great interest.

“Within our organization, new members often have their own mentors, which is called ‘master-apprentice’ succession within our organization.”

“Generally speaking, each master organizes teaching and lectures at least twice a week. These masters are basically experienced astrologers or astrologers, and today happens to be the day of a group lecture... I think the judging panel invited you here today in the hope that you will learn more about this aspect.”

Isabella smiled:
"Master, isn't that a strange title? I also felt it was odd when I first heard it, but I got used to it."

Suddenly, Roger stopped and looked at a classroom on his left.

Strange sounds were coming from inside.

A group of young voices were closely following the voice of a middle-aged man, as if they were reciting something aloud.

"A single line opens horizontally, and the four symbols are divided in the mid-sky!"

"A single line opens horizontally, and the four symbols are divided in the mid-sky!"

"The first palace rises flat, and the palace head indicates ascension!"

"The first palace rises flat, and the palace head indicates ascension!"

"The first house determines fate, the second house determines eclipse, and the third and fourth houses determine the heavens and the earth!"

"The first house determines fate, the second house determines eclipse, and the third and fourth houses determine the heavens and the earth!"

Upon arriving at this point, the middle-aged man suddenly slammed his fist on the table and roared:

"Robert, you're spacing out again!"

The sounds of "bang, bang, bang" echoed through the classroom, followed by a deafening roar from a large group of young people:
"Robert, you're spacing out again!"

"Don't learn this phrase!!!"

"Don't learn this phrase!!!"

"Stop, stop, stop!" The middle-aged man's voice sounded somewhat broken.

"Stop! Stop! Stop!" But the crowd's shouts did not stop.

"Ms. Isabella, what are they doing?"

Roger's lips twitched at the abstract teaching content. He suppressed the urge to complain and asked a question.

"Ah, this."

Isabella glanced up at the signboard above the classroom door and gave an awkward laugh:
"This is Master Otto's class. He really likes to design some astrological formulas and then lead his students to memorize them in class."

"However, because such memorization takes a long time, often up to an hour, the apprentices often develop a mechanical conditioned reflex, and will subconsciously repeat whatever he says."

"I see."

Roger also looked up at the name "Otto" written on the signboard above, and said with some surprise:

“Ottum…that seems to be a word derived from Old Fussack, meaning ‘autumn’?”

"You are indeed very knowledgeable."

Ms. Isabella nodded:

"That's why Master Ottom is privately referred to as 'Master Qiu' in Rune by his apprentices."

"By the way, Ms. Isabella, what are the requirements to become a master?"

Roger asked curiously.

"That's not an easy thing."

Isabella smiled and glanced back at Roger, a gesture that allowed Roger to see her deep blue eyes:

“This requires qualifications and a series of assessments... I’ve been here for so long and I’ve never seen a ‘master’ under 40 years old.”

But she quickly realized something and added:

"No, there seem to be some exceptions... but they are very rare."

"What exception?"

You'll find out later.

Seeing that Isabella showed no intention of speaking, Roger changed the subject:
"To be honest, I originally thought this was just a small club, but I didn't expect there to be a mentorship system... Also, your venue is quite impressive, and the organization seems to be quite wealthy?"

"You can't say that."

Isabella shook her head:

"This is a business owned by a master's family. That's all I know. I don't know anything else."

"I see."

Roger nodded; to be honest, he was quite surprised.

He originally thought that the "Hexing School" was full of peasants, but he never expected that there would be such a rich person among them.

A property like this in Queens would probably cost at least six figures in pounds.

Roger was soon led to a spiral staircase leading upwards. He followed Isabella to the second floor, and was then led by her to a double door.

The door was slightly ajar. Isabella knocked and then spoke:

"Mr. Carbin has arrived."

"Let him in."

At that moment, a very calm male voice rang out from behind the door.

"Yes."

Isabella responded, pushed open the door to let Roger in, and then stepped back to close the double doors.

Inside the room, Roger met a middle-aged gentleman dressed in a formal suit rather than a cloak, as well as two people wearing cloaks and masks.

The gentleman in the formal suit was dressed in very expensive clothes, and his skin showed obvious signs of mixed North and South continental ancestry.

When Roger saw him, he felt that the man looked somewhat familiar, but he couldn't immediately recall where he had seen him before.

Judging from their physiques, the two people behind them are a man and a woman.

The man crossed his arms, revealing a pair of dark eyes and a sharply defined jawline, and he seemed to be scrutinizing Roger.

As for the woman, her posture was rather languid. Roger felt she looked somewhat familiar when he saw her, but before he could observe her closely, he heard the gentleman in formal attire speak:
“Mr. Jack Carbin, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“You can call me Madison, I am one of the mentors of this organization.”

Madison... Madison Industrial's Madison?
Roger finally realized that he must have seen the face of the middle-aged gentleman in front of him in the newspaper. He was most likely a direct member of the Madison family.

Madison Industries, as its competitor, has lost the vast majority of its market share in the phonograph market due to its own portable wind-up phonograph and portable dual-purpose phonograph. Now it has had to shut down all its production lines, and even the heavy phonographs they used to produce have become worthless and obsolete products.

Nowadays, apart from a few people with special sentimental attachments, almost no one uses Madison Industrial phonographs anymore. A large number of old phonographs are being sold off, making these products dirt cheap.

But even though they lost the market for phonographs, Madison's industries still thrived because their main business was the military industry.

Especially during the recent North Continent War, Madison Industries' 7.62mm bolt-action rifle, the Madison-2, became a hot commodity due to its reliability, accuracy, and rate of fire of 15 rounds per minute. The large orders from the Ruen military made Madison Industries a fortune from the war.

As a result, the Madison family's business not only did not shrink during the war, but even grew. They have now become one of the top five financial groups in Rune, and even have many people in Congress.

In a sense, Madison Industries was truly incredibly wealthy, so Roger was quite surprised when he learned that a direct member of Madison Industries would join the "Hercules School" and become a mentor in the school.

After all, joining such a secretive organization and contributing one's family fortune as a venue for its activities does carry great risks. However, on the other hand, the Madison family's assets can also serve as a form of protection. Even if official extraordinary forces come to investigate, they will not dare to do anything unless there is particularly conclusive evidence.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Master Madison."

Roger nodded and greeted Madison in front of him.

Upon hearing Roger's voice, the woman in the cloak visibly stiffened, and her previously languid demeanor immediately became more composed.

This woman is now one of the Level 5 judges of the "Hexing School," and the only member of the organization whose strength level has reached Sequence 6.

Fors Wall, the Magician!
Because although Roger changed the details of his appearance and physique, he did not change his voice. For Fors, who had fully digested the "Recorder" potion, this was practically the answer being delivered to her face.

At the same time, Fors finally understood why Jack Cabinet was able to give such a good answer in the assessment.

Because the person in front of you is none other than Mr. "Wheel of Fortune" himself!
"What's going on? How could this be?"

Fors suddenly felt her mind was in a mess, and at this moment she didn't know what to do.

As the current head of the Abraham family, a Sequence 4 Saint, and a Grandmaster Astrologer, what is his purpose in participating in the "Hexing School" assessment as a newcomer?
Is it a lack of humanity, idle wandering around, or just playing around with fishing for fun?
"Speaking of which, is Mr. 'Wheel of Fortune' here to inspect my work?"

At this moment, the salted fish under the "Fool's" command was tense all over. She cautiously looked at Jack Cabinet, but saw him looking back at her and saying:

"How should I address you two?"

"This……"

Fors swallowed hard, then feigned composure and said:

“This is Mr. Jupiter, and as for me, you can call me Ms. Mercury.”

Fors restrained himself from using honorifics, lest he reveal anything unusual to his companions.

Roger was slightly taken aback when he heard the voice, because he was extremely familiar with it.

It's Miss Magician's voice! "Fors has come to test me?"

Roger suddenly had a strange feeling. He had considered the possibility of meeting Fors before, but he never expected it to be such a coincidence.

He suppressed the urge to laugh and respectfully bowed to the two people in front of him:

"It is a pleasure to meet you both, Mr. Jupiter and Ms. Mercury."

Hey, why are you bowing to me like that?!

Fors clearly heard the seemingly casual pause Roger made when calling his code name, and understood that the other party must have recognized him.

After all, Fors herself could recognize Roger by his voice, so he could also recognize her by Fors' voice, right?
Fortunately, Mr. Jupiter took over the conversation at this moment. He gestured for Roger to sit in the chair opposite him and then pushed an astrological chart in front of Roger.

Roger looked closely and realized that it was the same astrological chart he had drawn during his assessment the day before.

Just as he was about to ask what she meant, he saw Ms. "Mercury" place a thick stack of manuscript paper in front of Roger.

Roger took it with great interest and found that it contained calculations of the Trenshorst point based on the celestial chart he had drawn, as well as a large number of deductions about orbital deviations caused by gravitational perturbations between asteroids and planets.

“Mr. Jack Carbin, look, isn’t this what you wanted to say?”

Fors spoke with some trepidation. At this moment, she was not at all like an "examiner" on the judging panel, but rather like a candidate preparing to have her learning outcomes checked by her mentor.

The day before, when Fors saw this exam paper, she was stunned for a long time. It wasn't until about ten minutes later that she figured out what was going on.

The reason why it took her, a Sequence 6 "astrologer," so long was not only because of the symbols of those asteroids and the corresponding markings of the Trenshorst point, but also because she thought for a long time before realizing that Mr. Jack Carbin had indirectly answered the question of the offset of the celestial body's landing point through orbital perturbations.

The original exam requirement was for him to answer the degree of deviation of the star point's landing point, limited to a single point. However, this has raised the accuracy of the answer to a whole new level, to the point that even the second level cannot be easily summarized.

After all, on an astrological scale, a difference of one arcsecond is not considered very precise, because it is just a simple geometric division and does not take into account the subtle deflection effect caused by gravitational perturbation.

Therefore, this little-known Mr. Jack Cabbeen solved the problem from a completely different perspective. Most importantly, these calculations were completed in just 20 minutes, which made Fors, a seasoned "astrologer," feel his scalp tingle and deeply doubt himself.

That's why she called on another Level 5 meeting member to conduct the review together.

Now that she finally knows Jack Cabin's true identity, her doubts about herself have lessened considerably, and she has even felt a little bit of smug satisfaction.

I, Fors Wall, am practically an astrology master!
"That's right. It is indeed a very precise calculation."

Roger's praise relieved Fors, and then Fors spoke again:
"Hello, have I passed the assessment?"

"Of course, you are indeed an excellent astrologer."

Mr. Jupiter nodded, and then asked:
"But before that, please allow me to introduce our organization."

"This information needs to be kept strictly confidential, so we need to sign a confidentiality agreement. If you violate it, you will pay a very high price."

"Can you accept this, Mr. Carbin?"

Upon hearing this, Roger immediately feigned wariness and asked in return:

"What price? You don't mean I have to pay money, do you? I don't have any money."

"You don't need to pay any money... As long as you don't violate the agreement, you won't have to pay any price."

Fors did not attempt to explain the specifics of the punishment to Roger, but instead gestured for Mr. Jupiter to take out the agreement and hand it to Roger.
"In any case, you can take a look at the contents of the agreement."

Roger took the agreement, read it carefully, and confirmed that it contained only ordinary confidentiality clauses and commitments. The confidentiality was regarding the content of today's conversation, which might involve the organization's name and secrets. The commitments were that Roger needed to guarantee that he had no official extraordinary background and that his identity was genuine.

"Looks like there's no problem... By the way, if I sign this agreement, will I be able to become a legendary Extraordinary?"

Roger put down the agreement and asked a question.

"...That's a story for another time."

Fors glanced at Mr. Jupiter, who was about to change the subject, and spoke up.

Mr. Jupiter glanced at Ms. Mercury beside him with some surprise, but did not ask any further questions.

After all, although he was the vice-chairman of the "Secret Council" and his official status was second only to the chairman, Yale Nicholson, he was still much weaker than "Mercury" in terms of influence and decision-making power.

After all, the other party possesses many potion recipes, and Jupiter's subsequent advancement to Sequence 7 still depends on her. Therefore, even if Ms. Mercury's actions might lead Jack Cabinet to make unfounded speculations without a signed agreement, as long as they strictly control the direction of events, there will be no problem.

"Okay, I'll sign."

Roger nodded, and then he and Mr. Jupiter each signed their names on the paper.

It was a contract imbued with the power of a "notary," and after Roger signed it, it burst into flames and soon turned to ashes.

At the same time, a faint, almost imperceptible constraint of rules bound Roger, but this had no effect on Roger, who possessed the ability to "alter his identity."

However, out of respect for Mr. Jupiter and Ms. Mercury, Roger appropriately displayed an expression of surprise and uncertainty.

Seeing that Roger had signed the contract, Mr. Jupiter was relieved and began to tell Roger about the "Hercules School".

After Roger listened very attentively, "Jupiter" spoke again:
"...As I just said, generally speaking, new members are usually 'Level 1' members after joining the organization, but considering your outstanding talent, you can be promoted directly to 'Level 2' member and have the privilege of choosing your master and potions first."

"This is the preferential treatment that the 'Hexing School' gives to outstanding newcomers. I believe that with your talent, you will be able to become a 'master' in at most two years."

"Of course, if you are not willing to accept this, our conversation will end here. From now on, we will not interfere with each other. As long as you do not disclose the content of today's conversation, there will be no problem."

"However, it is important to note that once you have chosen your master and potion, you cannot change them, and the potion must be taken on the spot and cannot be taken out of here."

As he spoke, he handed Roger a roster that listed the names of all the masters of the "Hexing School" and their areas of expertise.

Roger nodded slightly, took the roster, and began to quickly flip through it.

"Madison, 47 years old, specializes in analyzing natal charts, transit charts, and secondary progression charts. Her professional strengths include..."

"Unifus, 44 years old, specializes in divination, astrology, and celestial chart analysis..."

“Santors, 41 years old…”

Roger quickly scanned through the introductions of the mentors while asking:
"You just mentioned choosing potions... what potions are available?"

"Within the 'Hercules School,' the potions currently available are Sequence 9 potions from the 'Apprentice' and 'Secret Seeker' pathways."

Mr. Jupiter answered:
"Potions start from Sequence 9, and the smaller the number, the stronger the power. For an extraordinary being, once you choose a path, you cannot change it midway."

"If you are eligible for promotion later, you must do so gradually. For example, you cannot jump from Sequence 9 to Sequence 7; you must first take a Sequence 8 potion."

Next, Mr. Jupiter began to explain the characteristics of the two potions to Roger, while Mercury Fors watched the conversation between the two men with some nervousness. She really didn't understand what Mr. Wheel of Fortune planned to do next.

After all, as far as Fors knew, this saint was neither an "apprentice" nor an "observer" of extraordinary abilities, so it seemed very incongruous for him to take any kind of Sequence 9 potion.

"He won't choose it, will he? He'll have to think about it, right?"

Just as Ms. Mercury was pondering a solution, Roger spoke up:
"I choose the 'Apprentice' potion."

“Very good, I myself am also an extraordinary one of the ‘Apprentice’ pathway.”

"Jupiter" nodded slightly, and then said:

"It is worth mentioning that, compared to the 'Secret Seeker,' the 'Apprentice' path only requires advancing to Sequence 7 to experience a qualitative change in astrological abilities."

Upon hearing this, Ms. Mercury immediately spoke up:

"I'll help Mr. Carbin concoct the 'Apprentice' potion later."

Seeing Roger nod, Fors finally breathed a slight sigh of relief. She planned to pretend to prepare the potion and give it to Roger later, or simply give him the ingredients.

Since most of these materials were obtained from Mr. C, returning them to Roger now is like returning them to their rightful owner.

"In addition, which mentor have you chosen?"

At this moment, Mr. Jupiter spoke while glancing at Madison sitting next to him:
"If you don't mind, I can recommend a master to you."

Roger naturally realized that this member of the Madison family in front of him had somehow learned about his special abilities in advance, and that he seemed to have a very close relationship with the Secret Council. He had also made a special trip to attend this review meeting today, as if he had already made up his mind to take Roger as his disciple.

However, he didn't give the other party that chance at all. He thanked them as a gentle way of refusing, and then pointed to a name called "Otto" on the list in front of him.

"I choose this master."

Roger smiled, his tone carrying an undeniable certainty.

"you sure?"

At this point, Ms. Mercury finally couldn't hold back any longer and spoke up to remind him:

"This master is only a level 3 instructor, and his skills may not be sufficient to teach you."

"Not only that, his teaching style... well, not everyone can accept it."

“I understand, I already saw it downstairs.”

Roger smiled slightly, then suddenly slammed his hand lightly on the table and growled in a low voice:

"Don't learn this phrase!"

Because he used his "singer" abilities to alter his breath, his imitation of Ottoman's voice was at least 80% similar.

Roger's sudden, nonsensical action startled Fors, Mr. Jupiter, and Madison. Fors couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Then she realized her lapse in composure and began to wave her hands while trying to apologize in a serious tone.

Mr. Jupiter's lips were also hard to suppress, while Madison maintained his dignified and gentlemanly demeanor, though Roger could tell he was trying hard to control his emotions.

Although the three of them wanted to persuade Roger again, they finally gave up on this idea after seeing his firm attitude.

Although Madison looked somewhat regretful, he didn't show it too much. Afterwards, he and Mr. Jupiter explained the various rules and regulations of the "Hercules School" to Roger, and then he left the meeting room first, saying that he had other things to do.

Fors, under the pretext of preparing a potion for Roger, temporarily sent Mr. Jupiter away and took Roger to a separate alchemy room on the second floor.

"Ms. Mercury, is the 'Apprentice' pathway very powerful?"

Upon hearing Roger's question, Fors finally couldn't help but rub his temples.
"Mr. 'Wheel of Fortune,' please stop making fun of me, okay?"

"I even thought I was putting on a pretty good act."

Roger scratched the back of his head, feigning annoyance.

"I won't mix the 'apprentice' potion for you. I'll give you the corresponding materials later, and you can just recycle them."

Fors sighed, and then said:

"Besides, if you want to know about the 'He Xing School,' you can just ask me. Why bother coming here in person?"

“It’s different. You have your own things to do, and if we only meet once a week, there are some things that can’t be explained clearly.”

Roger shook his head: "There are some things that you should know for yourself."

"Okay, you're right."

Fors nodded slightly upon hearing this, and then said:

"In addition, Madison seemed very keen to take you as his disciple before. Although his astrological skills are certainly not comparable to yours, he is a very easy-going gentleman."

"You should have noticed this by now, so what I don't quite understand is why you chose Master Ottom?"

"It's very simple. Someone like Madison probably doesn't have many disciples, and they are all highly talented elite students, right?"

Upon hearing Roger's question, Fors nodded slightly.

"so."

Roger snapped his fingers:
"In comparison, what I value more about Otto is the large number of his disciples."

"Is it important that there are so many?"

Fors was stunned for a moment, not understanding the meaning behind Roger's words.

(End of this chapter)