Secrets: Priestess

Chapter 170: Testing and Contact

After entering the compartment, the quality of the items brought by the participants with admission tickets was indeed of higher grade, ranging from uncertain extraordinary materials and extraordinary items, to even magical items.

Claire studied the bottled flame in her hand, using her spiritual sense to assess its effects and potential side effects. After a long pause, she said,

"The bottle incorporates a certain Beyonder characteristic, allowing it to generate and absorb flames. The flame-generating function is equivalent to a lighter without kerosene, with a temperature not exceeding 600 degrees Celsius. The flame-absorbing ability is worth developing. The downside is that wearing it for an extended period can easily lead to hyperactivity."

When Claire was talking about excitement, she saw the woman in front of her who brought the magical item twist her body unconsciously. Claire sighed:

"The reason the negative effects are negative is because they are difficult to control. Each time the excitement effect is applied, it will last longer. After repeated use, it will eventually cause the holder to die from excitement."

"If you really want to make use of this magical item, I suggest you find a craftsman to weaken its negative effects."

As the participant expressed his sincere gratitude, Claire felt the potion digesting in her body. Then she saw Tessa, dressed in a waiter's uniform, leading a woman wearing a mask with petal patterns into the dark room.

Claire said in a low voice, "Sir, please take out the item you want to be appraised."

The woman glanced sideways at the waitress beside her, Tessa.

After Tessa turned and left, the woman sat down opposite her, pulled out the Red Gloves Team 7 identity badge from her bosom, and said, "Hello, Miss Viper, I'm Tulip."

It turned out to be Audrey.

Claire placed the ID badge in her palm and examined it carefully before saying, "Captain Galadilla mentioned you before the party, saying that the new team member 'Tulip' would be attending. She also asked me to provide you with free appraisal services... Hmm, you don't seem to be here to appraise items?"

Audrey smiled and replied, "Thank you for your kindness. I don't have anything that needs to be appraised at the moment. I'd actually rather buy some tools or weapons to protect myself."

Claire thought for a moment and said, "Props for self-protection? The attendees tonight provided quite a few weapons and magical items. What kind of dangers are you talking about? Guns, spirits, swords... Different types of dangers require different preparations."

Audrey replied, "I recently planned to visit a gathering of unfamiliar wild Beyonders. I'm not sure if I'll encounter any danger there, and I'm even less sure what kind of danger it will be. I just happened to be attending this gathering, so I wanted to buy some life-saving items."

Who is Audrey planning to contact?
Something that made Audrey so serious, and even seemed to be a bit dangerous... Considering Audrey's performance at the Tarot Club, could it be that Audrey finally found a way to contact the Psychological Alchemy Society?

Claire didn't ask too many questions, simply offering her own advice based on Audrey's situation: "Then focus on escaping and getting treatment... Do you have a ration of 'Goddess's Solidification'? This potion, issued by the church, can significantly increase the chances of survival in the case of severe injuries."

"I've collected all these potions," Audrey said. "Are there any escape tools at this party?"

"We don't have such high-end props for this party." Claire said regretfully.

Even she herself wanted to acquire props or items with similar abilities to "spiritual travel", but Fors's bracelet and Tessa's leg bones were both rare and magical items.

Claire recalled her previous recommendation that Audrey learn ritual magic and spells. Judging by Audrey's personality, she must have been diligently studying them recently. She said, "We have an invisibility spell for sale. It's a one-time item, but it only renders you completely invisible for five seconds, which might just meet your needs. But have you learned the spell system? Unleashing the full power of a spell requires more than simply chanting a spell and throwing it."

"I'm learning about spells." Audrey's eyes lit up, and she was indeed quite interested in the items recommended by Claire.

This type of talisman can not only improve her life-saving ability, but also help her learn talisman knowledge through practice, which is really killing two birds with one stone. Audrey then asked, "Are there any other talismans at this party? Any type will do. I'd like to buy some. Money is not a problem."

Money is not a problem... After paying a reward of 20,000 pounds, "Justice" was still so generous. Claire said:
"You just write down your purchase intention on a small piece of paper and hand it to the waiter waiting at the door. The 'arbitrator' will then arrange for you to complete the transaction with the seller."

"Also, you can actually ask Captain Galadria to purchase some of the church's spells, such as the 'Sleeping Spell,' the 'Requiem Spell,' and the 'Dream Spell.' These spells will also enrich your abilities. Also, the biggest drawback of spells is that if they're not used for a long time, they need to be recharged by the maker..."

That's waste money.

"Thank you for your reminder. I know this shortcoming of the talisman. Personally, I can accept it." The more Audrey learned about the talisman system, the more she felt that this subject was suitable for her. It was so convenient to be able to use various extraordinary abilities by spending money.

The only problem was that learning the spell system was quite time-consuming. It would have been much better if she had a teacher to teach her... Captain Galadilla had once introduced her to the "psychic" Daly, but that teammate was clearly tainted with trouble, and it had almost implicated her...

Audrey thought so, looking at Claire hidden in her classical robes, and suddenly asked, "Ms. Viper, do you have time to teach me about spells and ritual magic? I can pay you well."

High salary? How high can it be?

"Ten pounds an hour." Audrey tentatively said a price.

Claire was so strapped for cash that she was even thinking about selling extraordinary materials, properties, and objects. After a moment's silence, she replied, "Since it's an hourly rate, I can accept this commission."

Besides the reward, Claire had been planning to teach Audrey all along: "The location is right here. It's safe and secret."

Not wanting to reveal her identity, Audrey naturally nodded in agreement.

After making a relatively detailed agreement, Audrey came out of the appraisal darkroom, listed the items she wanted to purchase on a piece of paper, handed it to the waiter who was suspected to be a Beyonder, and then returned to the party hall.

After returning to the lobby, Audrey continued to look at the blackboard listing transactions. Suddenly, she saw a familiar name listed.

Elf Spring Marrow Crystal! Priced at £400.

"Isn't this the material the new member, 'World,' has been looking for? It's 400 pounds, not too expensive. I can buy it and trade it with 'World.' Even if I can't get the Top Sequence secret in return, I'm sure I can still get some interesting Extraordinary secrets from 'World.'"

Audrey was about to make an offer when she saw Xio, who was wearing a knight's uniform and disguising his height, erase the column of "Elf Spring Marrow Crystals".

Sold?
Audrey changed her voice and asked, "Dear 'Arbitrator,' has the material for the Spirit Spring Marrow Crystal been sold? I'm interested in purchasing it."

Before Xio could say anything.

A burly man in the audience, whose ferocious figure was barely concealed even by his cloak, stood up and said gruffly, "No, this is the material I want to sell, and I still have it in my hands."

Xio frowned and said, "Sir, you should have accepted the purchase request, so I have temporarily erased the information about your sale."

The sturdy man scoffed, "But I think there's something wrong with this rule. My materials haven't even been traded yet, so why should they be erased from the transaction board just because I received an inquiry? Isn't there another buyer? This rule is too biased towards buyers."

Hugh explained, "Compared to high profits, we don't want to see disputes at the party. That's why we remove the transaction information when someone asks about the price."

The man scoffed, "You're such a sissy! All I attend outside are auctions. Why would I host a trade party if it's not for high profits?" In order to successfully host the party, Xio had done plenty of homework in advance, anticipating various questions. Facing the man's challenge, he said coldly, "Are you a pirate back from the sea? But you have to understand, this is Backlund, not the chaotic seas. Security and stability are more important than high profits. Furthermore, auctions aren't suitable for communication and transactions within this circle... No one here wants to cause a stir due to a trade dispute and attract official attention."

Xio's words were recognized by most of the participants. These wild Beyonders and mystery enthusiasts living in Backlund, under official supervision, clearly placed greater emphasis on safety, and their mindset differed significantly from that of the profit-seeking pirates.

The more people there are, the more chaotic it becomes. This time, the expansion is a bit too fast... Xio reflected on the problems exposed during the gathering and said firmly, "Every regulation is adapted to the local environment. If you are not satisfied with the transaction method, please leave."

Seeing that his proposal did not gain more support, the man who looked like a pirate sat down angrily and planned to give in and sell the goods according to the regulations.

Because the material of the Elf Spring Marrow Crystal can only be sold for a little over 300 pounds in the sea, and the consulting price he just received is close to 400 pounds. With a profit difference of tens of pounds, he naturally does not want to give up.

But when the man came to a trading room, he found that the trading partner who came in was the latecomer who had just asked the question, not the original bidder.

Feeling quite lucky, Audrey sat on the other side of the trading table in the room and said to the man, "The waiter just told me that the previous buyer canceled the deal, so I'm making the offer. Sir, I'm willing to offer four hundred pounds."

Hearing the high price of four hundred pounds, the man didn't think about why the person who had just made the offer canceled the transaction. He also saw that the woman on the other side would not increase the offer again. After some hesitation, he took out the materials and completed the transaction.

Audrey held the Elf Spring Marrow Crystal in her pocket, feeling lucky, but at the same time she was also wondering why another mysterious buyer canceled the deal, giving her the opportunity to purchase the material.

Another buyer was sighing beside the trading blackboard in the hall.

Xio listened with some melancholy to Cham's report that the transaction of the Elf Spring Medullary Crystal was successfully completed.

She originally planned to purchase this material because it was commissioned by a pharmacist at the "Eye of Wisdom" gathering, and the reward for the commission was a clue to the pharmacist's formula.

If she could get hold of this clue and resell it to Viscount Grallint, who dreams of becoming a pharmacist, she would make a profit of at least a hundred pounds.

But Xio had not expected this incident to happen, so she was too embarrassed to go and do business with the man who looked like a pirate.

What if the other party misunderstood that she wanted to intercept the transaction materials at a low price and therefore erased the transaction information on the blackboard...that would be like mud falling into your crotch, which would be shit if not shit.

Perhaps Viscount Greylint really had no connection with the "Pharmacist" formula, Xio thought with a wry smile.

In the corner of the hall, Tessa, who had observed this little episode, had a look of amusement in her eyes. "So many people are actually interested in the Spirit Spring Marrow Crystal?"

Maybe these people are all after clues to the pharmacist's formula...

Tessa just complained about this in her heart and had no interest in getting involved. After all, it was just a pharmacist's formula and was of little value to her. It was not worth wasting her energy and time.

What's more, there are more important things for her to do now——

As the party drew to a close, Claire, who was in the appraisal room, became more relaxed. Thanks to her appraisal skills, she had a deep understanding of the most valuable items at the party.

There was one that Claire was interested in, but she had no money...

Just as Claire was about to call it a day and leave, she suddenly felt something strange in her body.

It is from all the sensitive parts of the body.

A strange feeling of heat.

"?"

Claire immediately noticed that something was wrong.

Ever since she switched bodies and became a woman, Claire has been like an ascetic, trying her best to spiritually reject the influence of lust.

After obtaining this body, Claire had also had various thoughts of seeking it out, and even thought that this pursuit was a form of revenge against that woman.

But in the initial period, events such as time travel, memory fusion, body swap, first meeting Feifan, etc., happened one after another, leaving her no time to turn those thoughts into actions.

After being enlightened by Xijia, and realizing that her body could not be exchanged, and gradually accepting this body and her female identity... Claire truly regarded this body as her own, and naturally no longer thought about revenge.

Some people even go too far in being chaste, gradually weakening their sexual needs and becoming de facto sexually apathetic.

So... this sudden out-of-control feeling of lust is definitely not normal!
Claire endured the discomfort in her body and began to investigate the abnormalities around her. Soon, relying on her clairvoyance, she found a hidden ritual array in the room that was functioning.

This ritual array seems familiar.

Claire frowned, realizing that this ritual array itself had nothing to do with lust and could not arouse the body's lust.

The patterns of this ritual array are somewhat similar to those of the reincarnation ritual...

When this thought came to Claire's mind, the suspect for this matter was immediately locked in - it must be that Tessa who did something!
Drugging? Or some similar extraordinary ability?

When Claire frowned and tried to wipe away the ritual array in front of her, the image that emerged in her mind made her angry and ashamed!
The ritual array in front of him was indeed not of a romantic nature, but would allow the two parties who had switched bodies to regain some of the feelings of their original bodies after certain conditions were met!

The image that emerged in Claire's mind at this moment was exactly the appearance of that woman Ziwei... Claire had never thought that the crazy woman could achieve such a connection through the reincarnation ritual!

Of course, Claire could guess the reason why the crazy woman did this - Tessa simply wanted to confirm whether "Viper" Flora was the person she suspected.

"This crazy woman!"

In fact, Claire had already consciously wanted to reveal Flora's identity, but Tessa's confirmation method still broke Claire's expectations.

Claire bit her lip as the growing discomfort in her body made her say, "Stop it! Bastard..."

(End of this chapter)