Mystery: Big Alarm Clock Ghroth Path

Chapter 388 Trier

Upon hearing Roger's question, Alliste and Perseus exchanged a glance, and then the former spoke first:
"Cousin, we're taking the university entrance exams this month."

Upon hearing this, Roger realized that it was early October, and generally speaking, universities in the Kingdom of Rune had two enrollment seasons, spring and autumn. The spring enrollment would begin in late March of the following year, and the selection exams were starting one after another.

"So fast? Didn't you just start grammar school not long ago? You've already learned all the lessons?"

Roger raised an eyebrow. To be honest, he had been so busy with his own work that he had become somewhat unaware of the brothers' progress in their studies.

"That's right, cousin."

Allist began to explain:

"After becoming extraordinary, our cognitive abilities, memory, learning abilities, and thinking abilities have all improved significantly. Although Perseus and I have not yet passed all the exams at the grammar school, we have already completed all the courses through self-study."

"After learning about this, Attorney Jürgen decided to recommend that we take the entrance exams for the gifted youth programs at several universities in Backlund—a program that would take five years to complete compared to a normal three-year undergraduate degree."

"However, the advantage is that, because the gifted youth program is part of the national high-intelligence talent training program, graduates will have more opportunities, such as being recommended to work in certain institutions and schools with high-level connections."

"Sit down and talk."

Roger then realized that the brothers' learning progress seemed to have far exceeded his expectations. They were already intelligent, and after becoming extraordinary individuals, they gained unimaginable advantages.

This advantage is enough to make them stand out in competition with their peers, or even with people much older than them.

The grammar school established by Jürgen and his lawyers was normally a three-year program. Roger originally thought that it would take Alister and Perseus at least two years to complete all the courses, but to his surprise, the two brothers completed all the courses by themselves in less than a year.

As for what Arist said, most majors in the universities of the Kingdom of Rune are three-year programs, which is very different from other countries in the Northern Continent. Except for a few majors that take four years, the vast majority of majors have a three-year study period.

"If we pass the exam, we can directly enter the gifted youth program; if we fail, we can try again next year."

"The worst-case scenario is that we complete the three-year program and graduate—but that would take us two more years, which would be very detrimental to our progress in digesting the potion."

Roger nodded. Perseus was alright, but Alister's role as a "lawyer" required acquiring a corresponding social identity—although it wasn't the only way, it was a shortcut.

For example, the role of the "Corrupted Baron" does not require the extraordinary individual to necessarily obtain the corresponding baronial title, but necessary social connections and influence are essential. If he were only in an environment like a grammar school, his advancement would inevitably be very difficult.

In contrast, the prestigious schools in Backlund all have royal backgrounds, and studying there allows him to access more interpersonal and social resources, which is more helpful for him to play and digest potions.

This is not considered forcing growth, because for members of the Abraham family, a family of extraordinary individuals, improving their extraordinary powers is always the most important task.

To achieve this goal, the Abrahamic family even established its own 12-year school in history, specifically to provide a relaxed environment for cultivating extraordinary individuals for their family and collateral branches, while also teaching them cultural and scientific knowledge.

After speaking, Allist shrugged, his tone somewhat unsure:
"Of course, there is another reason, which is that Perseus and I caused quite a bit of trouble at the grammar school while digesting the 'Barbarian' and 'Clown' potions."

“If it weren’t for my cousin being a shareholder in the school, we would probably have been expelled by now.”

Upon hearing this, Roger chuckled.

"You two brats, my reputation has been ruined by you two."

Roger shook his head. He spent 10 minutes giving the two guys a symbolic lecture, and Alister and Perseus both responded very well to their cousin's instruction, nodding vigorously.

Finally, he sighed:
"So what do you want us to do for you?"

"So, cousin, can you lend us some good luck?"

Perseus spoke, his eyes shining:
"I heard from my sister that your extraordinary ability can help others improve their luck, so if you can do well in the exam..."

"No need to discuss."

Upon hearing this, Roger waved his hand:
"I can help you with matters in the realm of the extraordinary, but ultimately, improving your personal cultural refinement is something you have to do on your own."

To be honest, Roger wouldn't rule out using special methods to help his younger siblings digest the potion, but he wouldn't help with things like college entrance exams that require fair competition.

In his previous life, he was extremely disgusted by such things, and even now that he has a social status and wealth that surpasses that of ordinary people, this kind of thing is still Roger's bottom line.

Hearing Roger say this, the two brothers were immediately disappointed. After a while, Perseus spoke again:

"Then, cousin, could you give us two Sequence 6 or Sequence 5 sealed artifacts?"

What is it used for?

Roger's brow relaxed a little upon hearing this.

Cecilia had been controlling the two brothers, preventing them from coming into contact with sealed artifacts of lower or higher order. However, for Roger, this was negotiable, especially compared to cheating on exams with supernatural abilities, this was already a legitimate request.

Cecilia, who was drinking water nearby, almost spat it out upon hearing this. She turned around angrily, ready to reprimand Alister and Perseus, but saw Roger deep in thought.

This made Cecilia swallow the words that were already on the tip of her tongue. Then, she heard Allist say:

"We want more extraordinary methods; our current methods are too limited."
"Another reason is that our current capabilities are not strong enough. For example, apart from the 'barbarian' fighting skills, I don't have any effective offensive methods."

“Sam isn’t in Backlund right now. If we get attacked by those wild superhumans, it will be very dangerous.”

Roger nodded upon hearing this:

"That makes sense, I agree."

"However, all I can give you are Sequence 6 level seals. In addition, you must promise me that I will not misuse these seals or use them to cause trouble. Is that alright?"

Roger was an enlightened parent in this regard. Although he wanted to protect Alister and Perseus, ultimately, both of them were children of the Abraham family, and this surname inherently meant that their lives could not transition smoothly like ordinary people.

Furthermore, with Sam no longer in Backlund, the brothers have lost one more protector, making it essential to provide them with means to protect themselves.

"Thank you, cousin!"

Alister and Perseus immediately thanked them with beaming smiles.

Immediately afterwards, Roger grabbed Allist's ear:

"You little brat, are you using me to digest the 'Briber' potion?"

"Ouch, cousin, it hurts!"

Allist gasped in pain, his mouth twisting in pain.

Perseus, standing nearby, glanced at Alister with a look of shock, then suddenly realized something and revealed an expression of sudden understanding.

Allist was just using a feigned retreat as a tactic. He knew that Roger would never agree to help him cheat on the exam, so after his cousin refused, he instead asked for a sealed artifact.

For this reason, he specifically brought Perseus into the picture. Normally, Roger would have to consider Cecilia's feelings, but with Allister's groundwork, he would be more likely to agree to the matter.

By mentally "bribing" a Sequence 3 saint, Alistair successfully digested his potion.

Through Allist's observation, his cousin usually turns off most of his supernatural abilities, including "Secret Insight," when facing his family in order to relax. This was the key to Allist's "bribery."

After Roger released Allist, the latter spoke with a wronged expression:

"You can help my sister digest the potion, but you can't help me digest the potion?"

"can."

Roger suddenly laughed, a laugh tinged with a hint of satisfaction:
"I must say, to think of such a method, you are indeed an excellent 'briber'."

Then he added:
"However, you've got one thing wrong. The real point of your bribery wasn't your strategic retreat, but rather the feeling of satisfaction you gave me."

Upon hearing this, Allist realized what was happening:
"So you already knew I was trying to 'bribe' you?"

Roger nodded:

“Yes, after being promoted to Sequence 3, few people can fool me. And bribery in the mystical sense requires the bribed person to actually get something. So I saw through your ‘retreat to advance’ as soon as you made the request related to the sealed item. Therefore, there was no way for me to truly get the dialogue situation you wanted to create for me in the mystical sense.”

"So, by comparison, your behavior itself generates more emotional value for me, so I went along with it and helped you complete this 'bribe,' giving you the promise you wanted."

That being said, Roger was still very surprised by Allist's quick wit. To be honest, if Allist hadn't been unaware of the Black Prophet's abilities, Roger might have actually been bribed by him.

Although the process was wrong, the result was correct. Although Alister was very young, he had already become the third person in the family to digest a Sequence 7 potion and had the opportunity to advance to Sequence 6.

This made Roger sigh inwardly, realizing that the Abraham family truly did not support idlers.

"I see."

Allist suddenly understood, nodded thoughtfully, and then asked:
"Then, cousin, does the sealed artifact you mentioned earlier still count?"

"Calculate."

Roger glanced at Allist:
"However, I don't have that many ready-made Seal 6 seals here, but I do have quite a few extraordinary properties. I can make them for you if you need them."

Upon hearing this, Alistair and Perseus became excited again.

After discussing with Roger, Alliste ultimately chose the "Judge" extraordinary ability, which could directly enhance his offensive capabilities, while Perseus chose the "Zombie" extraordinary ability to strengthen his survivability and physical attack capabilities.

Roger then used his abilities to create the two sealed artifacts for the twins, as requested by them.

Seeing Alister and Perseus's beaming faces, Cecilia sighed:

"Cousin, just spoil them."

"When children grow up, they always need some kind of 'seal' in their hands."

Roger made up a random statement, and then he called on Bandit to work together to create some defensive magic around the Abraham family's house in Worston Gardens, in case anyone tried to attack it while he and Sam were on their way to Trier.

"By the way, Cecilia, when you have time, take a look at Queens or Hillston and see if there are any bigger houses you can buy."

After setting up the defenses, Roger returned to the sofa and said to Cecilia:

"You can deduct the money from my share of the profits, and also give me an extra key. I also need a high-class house to entertain guests."

Because Roger is currently involved in both oil and shipping trade, he may need to frequently host business partners, and neither 15 Minsk Street nor Worston Gardens is a suitable place to play that role.

Roger's plan is that once this business is settled, he can keep a dummy with some of the "Black Prophet's" abilities there to deal with guests and even organize banquets. This way, he can save himself a lot of trouble and have more opportunities to balance his life and career.

"Okay, cousin."

Although Cecilia is a bit of a busybody and likes to keep a close eye on Roger's finances, she always listens to Roger when it comes to spending money.

Cecilia is especially supportive of things that can expand the foundation of a business and rarely says anything.

"good."

Roger ruffled Cecilia's hair, which made her kick him in the calf in annoyance. Only then did he whisper:
"Contact Mr. C tomorrow and ask him to help prepare a set of materials for the 'Corrupted Baron' potion. I'll give you the potion recipe later."

"Of course, don't forget to avoid bothering him with the auxiliary materials that are readily available on the market."

"Understand."

Cecilia nodded. She always did this, partly to avoid causing trouble for Mr. C, and partly to prevent the potion formula from being leaked all at once.

"As for the timing of promotion, it will be available after Allist finishes his exams."

"With this guy's brains, getting into the Backlund School of Political Science and Economics won't be difficult... I have a feeling that in six or seven years, the entire Backlund high society might be thrown into chaos by this kid."

Roger chuckled, then got up and went upstairs.

Back in his bedroom, Roger wrote a letter to Fors, telling her about Master Qiu's unusual behavior and the actions he had taken to prevent the situation from escalating.

Of course, he avoided mentioning the title "Super Star Ruler" during this process, only talking about how Master Qiu was influenced by the "Hidden Sage" and almost converted to another evil god.

Fors replied shortly after, indicating that he had grasped the situation and would discuss targeted contingency plans in the Level 5 Council, while also spreading the faith of "Hexing" within the "Hexing School" as appropriate.

Roger then sent an email to Klein, saying that he would arrive in Trier the next day. A little while later, Klein replied with some suggestions and plans for a rendezvous.

After doing all that, Roger changed into his pajamas and went straight to sleep.

By the afternoon of the following day, Roger had already packed his luggage for his trip to Trier. At seven o'clock sharp, he arrived at the "Hercules School" classroom. "Good evening, Jack."

Soon, Roger met the sisters Clotty and Vivian, and through "Secret Insight," he realized that they had become extraordinary individuals in the "Diviner" and "Spectator" pathways, respectively.

Sure enough, they immediately began excitedly recounting their newfound abilities. Roger pretended not to know anything and listened with curiosity, even asking some questions to satisfy the sisters' sense of pride.

"By the way, I wonder if Master Qiu will come today."

After a while, Vivian suddenly sighed:

“I’ve been complaining about him in private all the time, but I haven’t seen him for two weeks and I miss him a little. I wonder how he’s doing.”

In fact, what Vivian said was the common sentiment of many apprentices in Master Qiu's class.

Although they often spoke ill of Master Qiu, they all knew in their hearts that apart from being rather old-fashioned, he was essentially a very responsible person.

“I visited him yesterday. He’s recovering quite well. If nothing unexpected happens, he should be able to come to class today.”

When Roger heard Vivian say that, he also took the initiative to mention it.

To everyone's surprise, Vivian first breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, then her face fell again.

"Time to memorize again..."

Roger chuckled dryly and didn't say anything more. At this moment, the three of them had already arrived in the classroom.

"good evening."

Roger greeted Regulus and his trio when he saw them already in the classroom. At the same time, he glanced at Royce Selleren and noticed that the tall boy had also become a "spectator" of Sequence 9.

Roger had expected this situation, and he guessed that Royce Selene had probably pooled his money with Vivian Polk to buy the "Audience" potion recipe.

After chatting for a while, around 7:25, Master Qiu, carrying a briefcase and wearing a long robe, came into the classroom.

This scene immediately sparked a flurry of discussion among the students present, and Roger took the opportunity to observe Master Qiu's condition.

The two opposing forces of pollution within his body were still present, but Master Qiu's mental and spiritual state was much better than before.

Roger knew that this was probably because the other party had slept well after taking Emlyn's medicine and had received his protection, which improved their health.

Master Qiu glanced at Roger, then roared:
"What are you all whispering about? Let's start class!"

"stand up!"

Roger also spoke up.

"Hello, Master Ottom!"

All the students stood up and greeted Master Qiu.

"it is good!"

Master Qiu gestured for everyone to sit down, and then called Roger up to help distribute the materials.

"I heard that the last two classes were taught by Master Unifos and Master Madison. Did you all learn anything?"

After everyone had received their documents, Master Qiu finally spoke up and asked a question.

"Uh……"

Everyone was somewhat confused about what Master Qiu was up to, and none of them dared to answer.

After a dozen seconds, Regulus, that stubborn fellow, tentatively said:

“Master Unifos taught us the mystical significance of asteroids, and Master Madison taught us the method of calculating retrograde cycles.”

"So, have you learned it, Regulus?"

Master Qiu nodded and asked.

"almost."

Regulus nodded. He dared not say that he had learned it, as that would seem like Master Qiu had not taught him well, nor did he dare say that he had not learned it, as that would seem very stupid.

In fact, he only half-understood what he learned, because the two instructors were not aware of the class's learning progress and subconsciously assumed that they had already mastered some advanced theories and calculation methods.

When Master Qiu first set up his class, he didn't care much about the students' backgrounds or qualifications, so what he taught was more focused on the basics.

Regulus was already considered one of the better students in the class; even he himself only half understood what he had learned, not to mention the others.

Do you know where you're lacking?

Master Qiu asked again with a serious expression.

"do not know."

Regulus shook his head.

"You're missing out because you're not learning in your comfort zone. You'll naturally get it once you've memorized it a few more times."

As soon as Master Qiu said this, the whole class immediately chuckled softly.

Everyone could tell that Master Qiu's words were joking, and at that moment, the middle-aged man's lips curled up slightly.

"Master Qiu does seem to be in better spirits..."

Upon seeing this, Roger nodded to himself.

Roger now has a clearer understanding of Master Qiu's situation. He has done what he can, and now it depends on Master Qiu's recovery.

Afterwards, under Master Qiu's arrangement, the whole class, led by Regulus, began to recite in unison the knowledge about the theory of solar return. Compared to before, everyone's attitude seemed better this time.

This seemed to confirm what Master Qiu had said: although his students didn't like memorizing, they had long been accustomed to this learning method.

However, Roger was also well aware that the students had developed a sense of crisis from the previous two lessons. They knew very well that if Master Qiu did not continue to teach the class, most of them, with their aptitude and comprehension, would probably not even have the opportunity to be accepted as disciples by other masters.

After the course ended, the students all took the initiative to say goodbye to Master Qiu, while Roger came to Master Qiu once again.

"Master Ottom, are you feeling better?"

Roger smiled and asked.

"better."

Master Qiu nodded:
“After you came to see me yesterday, I felt very sleepy and fell asleep after a while.”

"I woke up at 9 a.m. this morning and felt much better physically and mentally than before. It seems like my biological clock has also been adjusted."

"That's good. It's probably because the medicine I gave you is working. Please remember to take it on time from now on."

Roger nodded and gave him another word of advice.

"it is good."

Master Qiu nodded:
"Thank you, Cabin."

"You're welcome, Master Ottom."

The two chatted for a few more minutes. This time, "Autumn" Master did not ask Roger any questions, but simply told him about his recent teaching plans. Then the two parted ways.

After leaving the Hellstar School, Roger found a place to change his appearance and clothes, and then used his Traveler ability to move to an alley in Trier.

Because of its location in the west, the sky over Trier was not yet completely dark at this time; it was still in the twilight of navigation.

"Twilight" is used to describe the stage where the sky is about to darken, and it can be divided into three stages according to the area it affects: civilian twilight, maritime twilight, and astronomical twilight.

After the astronomical twilight passes, it will be true night.

Roger glanced at the main road not far away, took a deep breath, and seeing that no one was around, he quickly walked out of the dark alley.

It was the start of Trier's nightlife, with many vendors selling alcohol and food still on the streets, and the dance halls, bars, and other establishments on both sides lit up with bright or dim lights.

The air was filled with the occasional cacophony of Intis profanities, and many brightly dressed women would peek out from the dark alleyways, creating an atmosphere of decadence throughout the main street.

Roger remained unmoved by the scene. He went to the nearby botanical garden and released the "Whisperer" Sebastian Montoya in a secluded corner.

After Roger's two days of training, this Sequence 3 demigod has put away the demon horns on his head and the demonic features on his face, and has become more like an ordinary person—of course, if we don't talk about his evil eyes and gloomy temperament.

As soon as he came out, he glanced back at the path Roger had taken and subconsciously licked his lips.

"How does it feel? Coming to Trier feels like coming back home."

Seeing the guy's reaction, Roger smiled and made a sarcastic remark, which immediately made Sebastian look away and lower his head to Roger.

"You flatter me, sir."

He looked up at Roger, then asked curiously:

"Did you come to Trier to settle scores with the 'reformers'?"

"Mind your own business and just listen to what I say."

Roger glanced at Sebastian, then said:

"In Trier, besides you, are there any other 'criminals' who have passed through the demigod or angelic path?"

"If you are referring to members of the 'Blood Cult' outside of the Demon Family, then besides me, there is another 'Devil' of Sequence 4."

"Among the current 'conservatives,' I am the one at the highest level."

After listening to Sebastian Montoya's words, Roger nodded slightly and then said:

"What about the Demon Family?"

"Reporting to my lord, there are currently three main demon families involved in the 'Blood Worship Cult': the North, Andrerad, and Belial demon families."

"Because the structure of the 'Blood Worship Cult' is relatively loose, although the demon families are nominally under the jurisdiction of the 'Blood Worship Cult,' they actually have an internal management system that is different from that of other members."

After listening, Roger continued:
"Let me introduce these three demon families."

"Okay, my lord."

Although Sebastian Montoya was somewhat puzzled as to why Roger, who was associated with "Demon King" Fabuti, would be unaware of the situation of the three major demon families, he showed no reaction, simply nodding and saying:

"Among these three families, the North family is the most powerful, while the Andrerad family and the Belial family have been declining for at least a thousand years and have now become vassals of the North family."

"These three families all have their own branches in Trier. The main body of the North family is currently in Trier, while the Andrerad and Belial families have relatively few members."

"In addition, as far as I know, there should be members at the Sequence 2 level in the North family. As for whether the other two families have them, I'm not so sure."

Roger nodded slightly upon hearing this. In fact, according to his guess, there should also be angels in the Andrerad family and the Belial family. However, due to the changes in the "Abyss" and the deterioration of the environment, those angels either died or their living environment deteriorated to an extreme degree, which led to the decline of the families.

How the North family angel survived is still unclear, and when Roger tried to ask Sebastian Montoya about the North family angel, the latter said he didn't know either.

"Never mind, I'll see Klein later, maybe I can learn more from him."

Roger nodded, then spoke again to Sebastian Montoya:

"Go and gather all the people you can from the 'Blood Worship Cult,' and I'll come find you later."

"Don't try anything funny. If I find out you're up to no good or contacting the demon family, I'll kill you immediately... You should know that I can find you easily."

(End of this chapter)