After a while, Leonard cleared his throat and wore a smile without realizing it. He said with a suppressed voice, "Old Man, Klein's... This suggestion seems pretty good. It's very... very viable. The effects should be quite substantial. Why don't you consider it?
"Didn't you mention that you would do your best to help me exact revenge?
"Haha, I thought Worms of Time could only be used for avatars and act as support..."
He subconsciously droned on while Pallez Zoroast remained silent the entire time. Only after a while did he sigh lightly and say, "I can only give you a maximum of two Worms of Time."
Without waiting for Leonard to say a word, he added, "To exact revenge on a demigod who wields a Grade o Sealed Artifact, the most important thing is still your own level and strength. Otherwise, you won't have a chance of using it even if you have a high-level charm."
Leonard wiped away his smile and nodded seriously.
"I'll do my best digesting my potion.
"If you finish digesting it and fail to accumulate enough contribution points, I'll help you seek out the Beyonder ingredients needed for Spirit Warlock."
As for only having two Worms of Time, he wasn't disappointed at all. It was already a bonus. Just getting one was a great boon. Having two meant that he and Klein could split it, each of them having one Fate Siphon charm.
After expressing his attitude, he asked in puzzlement, "Old Man, do you think Klein has already used the previous Worm of Time as a charm?"
He remembered very clearly that, back when they were figuring out who Emlyn White was supporting, Old Man had parasitized Tinder with a Worm of Time. Later, it lost contact and failed to be of any use. Now, on retrospection, just Emlyn White's and Sherlock Moriarty's close relationship made it easy for him to figure out the truth. The Worm of Time had been eliminated by the upper echelons of the secret organization or even The Fool "Himself." Furthermore, there was a high chance that it had been bestowed to Klein. Otherwise, his former colleague wouldn't have known of the existence of the Worm of Time.
Pallez Zoroast immediately scoffed.
"If he hasn't already used it and seen its effects, why would he raise the issue and ask for more?
"Alright. I need to separate the Worms of Time. This will make me fall asleep for at least two weeks. If you have any questions, find someone to answer them by yourself."
With that said, not giving Leonard a chance to raise further questions, "He" scattered his spirituality and created a blob of light that hung "high" inside Leonard's mind as though "He" didn't wish to speak.
Leonard's instinctive response was to chuckle dryly. He focused his attention back onto the letter from Klein Moretti as he carefully read it again.
Possessed by an evil spirit... The origins and primary goals of the evil spirit...
I don't know much about evil spirits. Nothing comes to mind...
After a few minutes of thought, Leonard took out a matchbox and burned the letter. Then, he left the room which the local Nighthawks had assigned him at the last minute. He came to a room diagonally opposite his and knocked on the door.
Before long, Daly, who hadn't removed her blue eyeshadow and blush, opened the door and pricked up her eyebrows.
"When did a Sleepless have the courage to knock on a lady's door at a time highly associated with a bed?"
"Ahem. I have some questions I'd like to consult you about." Leonard obviously didn't dare respond to Daly's comment as he immediately expressed the reason why he was here.
Daly sized him up and chuckled.
"I'm not responsible for counseling minors."
As she spoke, she made way and allowed Leonard to enter her room.
Without daring to let his eyes wander, he casually pulled a round stool to sit on. He then went straight to the point:
"Ma'am, I'd like to know more about evil spirits.
"You're a Sequence 5 of the Death pathway. You have higher clearance than me. You should know quite a lot."
"Why are you asking me this?" Daly propped herself with her hands on the edge of the table behind her.
Without waiting for him to reply, she continued, "Most evil spirits are the result of dead High-Sequence Beyonders. A small number of them are wraiths who break through various restrictions via using various opportunities.
"The first situation is more common. After High-Sequence Beyonders consume a potion to obtain godhood, their Soul Body would have experienced a mutation. It would be a mutation at their core. This allows their Soul Body to remain even in death or when their powers are dispersed. There will be a certain level of divinity to it, making them rather terrifying. The second situation isn't different on a fundamental level.
"Normally speaking, evil spirits will weaken with the passage of time until they completely dissipate. However, they can also assimilate into the region where they were born, making the spirit world and even the Underworld fuse with it. They then extract power from this to maintain their existence.
"Therefore, many evil spirits have their own territory and active range. It's not that they do not wish to leave, but they can't. The only exception is when they accumulate sufficient power, allowing their existence to experience a fundamental change."
Leonard habitually crossed his right leg over his left and pressed in thought, "Can evil spirits leave their territory by possessing a person?"
"Yes, but ordinary humans and most Beyonders are unable to withstand the extraction effect the evil spirits have on their bodies. They will quickly lose their spirituality and body temperature and be unable to last long." As Daly spoke, she raised her hand to point at herself. "The best method is to rely on Beyonders of the Death pathway. Of course, it has to be at least a Sequence 5, because from Gatekeeper, we will have our own dead spirit prison in our bodies. It can be called a miniature Underworld. It can provide an evil spirit with an adequate environment for their existence. Once you become a Spirit Warlock, you will also have similar powers. However, it will be more about sealing and sleeping than an internal Underworld. Heh heh, those natural spirits and wraiths are truly troublesome when they come in and out."
Ince Zangwill's Sequence 5 is Gatekeeper... It's no wonder that the evil spirit can possess him for long periods of time. Or could it be that he failed at an attempt to enslave an evil spirit? Leonard's thoughts opened up as he immediately made connections.
He deliberated for a few seconds before asking, "What sort of needs does an evil spirit have?"
"Needs? Singing? Dancing? Poetry? Men? Women? The Sea of Stars?" Daly returned with a question, amused.
Leonard realized that his usage of words was problematic as he awkwardly ruffled his hair.
"I mean, what desires will an evil spirit have?"
"That depends on what it desired while it was alive. Typically speaking, the remnant spirit will inherit the original obsessions, without being able to balance it rationally. If it were you, that evil spirit might attempt to write poems, imprison a group of spectators, and seek acknowledgment. Or it will do things in an ostentatious manner like the protagonist of a play," Daly joked. "However, regardless of what it was while it was alive, as long as one becomes an evil spirit, they commonly desire two things."
"What are they?" Leonard turned attentive.
Daly shot a glance at him and said, "First, it's to feed on the souls of living creatures. This can pleasure them, an innate pleasure that stems from the need to maintain their existence. In addition, a large number of souls will allow them to escape the restrictions of their territory and active range. It will replace the power provided by the spirit world and Underworld.
"Second, it's to seek out Beyonder ingredients from their pathway while they were alive. Through this, they could create another foundation. At a certain stage, the evil spirit would no longer need to draw on the powers of the spirit world and Underworld. They would no longer be restricted by their territories or active range. In a sense, they would have transformed into a special spirit world creature."
Leonard seemed to realize something as he thought.
"This also means that evil spirits can consume Sequence potions?"
"No, Sequence potions are created for human consumption. They reduce the risk of losing control. To many supernatural creatures, there's no need to do so. They can directly consume the ingredient raw. It's especially so for evil spirits. Their obsession, cruelty, ferociousness, and penchant for souls make them half-crazy to begin with. There's no need to regulate it from other sources. Furthermore, they are Spirit Bodies, so the method of consumption is direct accommodation and slow digestion." Daly corrected Leonard's point.
This... To the evil spirit that possesses Ince Zangwill, whenever it has the upper hand, it will control the body to seek out Beyonder ingredients of its pathway while it was alive! Leonard was first surprised before he had an idea. He said in a pleasant surprise, "I understand. Thank you for answering my questions."
With that said, he hesitated for a few seconds and asked after some deliberation, "Ma'am, I believe we shouldn't just figure out the motives behind Ince Zangwill's meeting with the Numinous Episcopate demigod, but we also need to track his trajectory since Backlund to East Balam. We need to know what he did midway, what items he found. This might lead us to effective clues."
Daly suddenly fell silent before she pricked up her brows and said, "Well said.
"But what does this have to do with evil spirits?"
"...Nothing. I raised the question so as to make preparations because I believe that since we are investigating the Numinous Episcopate, we might encounter evil spirits. The latter half was a suggestion I wished to make after the break. I just wished to talk to you about it beforehand." Leonard's mind raced as he slowed down his speech and fabricated an excuse on the spot.
Daly listened in silence and chuckled.
"If you actually work so hard to fabricate stories in front of other girls, you'll no longer be single with those looks of yours.
"Unfortunately, I'm not a clueless girl. Alright, there's no need to explain further. Leave."
Leonard stood up lamely without trying to emphasize his point. He then walked towards the door.
Just as he gripped the handle, Daly's slightly ethereal voice sounded behind him:
"I don't know what secret you're hiding, nor do I know what you know. None of that matters.
"But when it comes to Ince Zangwill, if you need any help or aid, you can find me."
Leonard paused for two seconds as his mouth quivered. He then pulled open the door and walked out.
City of Silver.
Derrick Berg had received the order to join an expedition team. Leading it was Chief Colin Iliad. Their target was Nois City. It was in a northern city's ruins where the Shapeshifter and other terrifying creatures lived!
