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Mobet noticed the abnormality due to the spiritual intuition from his Sequence 7 Cryptologist Pathway's judgment of his surroundings, but he did not act rashly.
Spirituality dispersed around him. A Dream Stealer could exploit the subconscious ocean to a certain extent to steal thoughts or invade dreams, and could also use it to sense sources of danger in the surroundings.
In the shadow of the street, a figure quickly outlined itself.
It was a gentleman, wearing a mysterious black robe, with slightly curly, stiff brown hair, and deep, profound eyes that seemed to hide countless things.
He was none other than Botis, the Secrets Sorcerer, one of the five Holy Sages of the Aurora Order.
From the Dream Stealer's perspective, the Secrets Sorcerer Botis seemed to be holding an object completely shrouded in dim light in his right hand.
Perhaps it was the direct feedback of this image from his spirituality, but Mobet felt a dizzy spell in his brain and couldn't help but let out a muffled groan.
The Secrets Sorcerer Botis also noticed the abnormality of his prey, and a dangerous arc formed on the corner of his mouth. A crystal ball appeared in his empty left hand.
This crystal ball was neither clear nor transparent, as if it had been filled with profound Darkness.
As Botis stroked it with his left hand and his lips moved, points of brilliant light appeared within the strange crystal ball.
They were like stardust, slowly rotating, forming a complex symbol.
The block where he and Mobet were located suddenly distorted and disappeared.
The original bustling flow of people on the street, and the bicycles that occasionally passed by with a jingling sound, also vanished.
This was the Secrets Sorcerer's Space Concealment!
They could use this ability to divide a place into two, hiding a part of it, which could only be entered through a specific Door.
"Tsk, I wasn't prepared enough last time and let that fellow Crestet Cesimir escape. This time, I won't make such a low-level Error."
A voice laced with mockery echoed in Mobet's ears, who had just recovered. At the same time, faint, illusory chewing, gnawing, and digesting sounds, whose origin was unknown, could be heard.
This was a negative side effect from his previous encounter with Crestet Cesimir, who was carrying a Sealed Artifact.
Mobet couldn't help but shiver, feeling an undisguised malice and hunger.
"If it weren't for this place being too close to the Church of the Evernight's Saint Selena Cathedral, a mere Sequence 5 like you wouldn't be worth using this item on…"
Botis curled his lips into a slightly cruel smile, appearing before Mobet, his eyes showing the playful mockery of a cat toying with a mouse.
The original crystal ball had disappeared; he was now holding a three-tiered jewelry box with both hands.
This jewelry box was quite large, difficult to hold with one hand. It was silver-black, with many exquisite openwork decorations on its surface, inlaid with rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and diamonds, making it appear quite luxurious.
As he held this "jewelry box," a hint of panic and fear faintly emerged from the depths of Botis's mocking eyes, as if he were facing the Abyss or listening to the ravings of an Outer Deity.
His spirituality warned him frantically, and Mobet didn't hesitate for a moment. Although his Sequence 6 Prometheus could temporarily steal others' Beyonder abilities for his own use, if the target's Sequence was higher than 6, there was a possibility of failure, and the higher the Sequence, the greater the chance of failure.
Moreover, what truly made Mobet feel a death threat was not the demigod who suddenly appeared, but rather the luxurious jewelry box in his hand.
Experienced Mobet quickly made a decision, closing his eyes and raising his hands, his spirituality surging frantically.
Botis, with a distorted smile, instantly stiffened, a moment of blankness appearing on his face, as if he had forgotten what he was supposed to do next. Mobet, not far away, held his hands up, as if supporting an extremely valuable item, while muttering softly:
"The Origin and Shadow of Order."
"The Great Emperor of the Land of Chaos"
"The Lord of Order who controls rules."
A Dream Stealer can steal others' memories and steal the thoughts they are about to put into practice, causing them to temporarily freeze. However, at this stage, they cannot retain the stolen thoughts; they must act on behalf of the stolen target.
Mobet stole Botis's thought of using that terrifying Sealed Artifact next. Although, given his Sequence, it only affected the demigod Botis for a few seconds, it was enough for Mobet to chant a True Name.
Botis, who had recovered, instantly turned grim. The low chanting echoed in this hidden space. Although he had never heard of a hidden existence named "Lord of Order," as someone who frequently prayed to the True Creator, he clearly understood the meaning of that True Name.
Without any hesitation, his stolen thoughts reconnected. The Box of the Great Old Ones in his hand emitted a dark light, opening the uppermost layer of the "jewelry box."
Mobet found his body suddenly stiff, his head barely able to turn, like a wind-up toy. The surrounding street instantly turned silver-black and granular, as if cast from metal. However, the dark gold mist appearing before his eyes made a mocking arc appear on his lips.
The Secrets Sorcerer Botis looked at the mocking Puppet-like figure in the uppermost layer of the Box of the Great Old Ones, feeling an inexplicable irritation and a sense of unease rising in his heart.
He exerted force with his right hand, closing the lid of the "jewelry box." Botis directly dispelled the Space Concealment, and the vanished area returned to the real world.
The pedestrians on the surrounding street were instantly affected by the undisguised malice and hunger emanating from the suddenly appearing Botis, scattering in screams.
Ignoring those ants, Botis made no further Stay, not even glancing around, and his body rapidly became transparent.
He held the silver-black Box of the Great Old Ones, inlaid with many "gems," and "traveled" through the Spirit World, where colors were rich, overlapping, and strange creatures were everywhere.
Feeling somewhat irritated by that inexplicable True Name, Botis planned to head to the easternmost point of the Sonia Sea, attempting to enter the War of the Gods Ruins through the Abyss that divided the sea.
Just then, Botis in the Spirit World slowed his steps and stopped in mid-air.
He narrowed his eyes, and his pupils instantly turned deep black, dotted with countless sparkling lights.
It was as if the Cosmos had been reflected in his eyes.
The "gravel" composed of stars rapidly rotated, and a figure suddenly appeared in the richly colored, overlapping Spirit World space before him.
It was a bizarre Puppet covered in complex patterns, with empty eyes and an extremely illusory body.
A demigod of the Rose School of Thought?
Botis instantly dismissed his thought. Looking at the illusory and empty Puppet, his mind recalled the Abraham family's introduction to the historical void images commonly used by high-level Beyonders of the neighboring Seer Pathway.
A warning sign suddenly arose in his heart. Botis, already aware of the danger, was about to chant the True Name of the Lord's most devout believer, the Angel of Fate Ouroboros, when he felt a chill spread throughout his body.
The illusory Puppet appeared in Botis's two pupils. Possessed by a Wraith, his mouth twitched, but he couldn't make a sound, and his connection to the Spirit World was also blocked. His stiff body detached from the Spirit World.
Boundless dark gold mist swirled. Aaron's sub-consciousness, remaining in the Nation of Disorder, sat on the throne, the Ring of Mysteries glowing dimly.
He calmly watched the Aurora Order's Secrets Sorcerer being pulled out of the Spirit World by Astolfo's historical projection within the prayer light spot.
Although Mobet had been absorbed into the Box of the Great Old Ones, the image generated by his prayer only dimmed considerably but did not directly dissipate.
The waters of Tingen City were deep. The reason Aaron let Mobet go first was to observe the reactions of all parties and, incidentally, plan how he should enter the game later.
He just didn't expect to provoke the Aurora Order as soon as he arrived in Tingen City. This deliberate coincidence also confirmed to Aaron that Ince Zangwill had not only arrived in Tingen City but had also noticed Mobet.
However, this was not bad. Aaron had long wanted to find that Secrets Sorcerer, not only because of the Box of the Great Old Ones, which was comparable to a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact, but also because of the Secrets Sorcerer's ability to block perception through Concealment.
Aside from having to disguise himself as Varna, who was nearing his limits, Aaron's most effective current aid was Cavendish Lancer.
As a common enemy of the three Pathways, that blasphemer was not only interested in the Marauder Pathway. This was also why Aaron had always kept Cavendish Lancer with him: to use the hidden authority at any time to obscure the aura generated by battles, avoiding Amon's pursuit.
As long as Botis was dealt with, relying on the Secrets Sorcerer's Concealment, and with Amon's main body still in the Forsaken Land of the Gods and only his avatars active outside, Cavendish Lancer could independently conceal himself and better execute Aaron's plan.
In the eastern suburbs of Tingen City, southeast of the Khoy River, on a hill covered with fallen leaves, the stiff-bodied Botis instantly appeared, and the Box of the Great Old Ones in his hand fell.
His sluggish thoughts returned to normal, and Botis regained control of his body, directly chanting in ancient Hermes:
....
The surroundings were eerily quiet. Botis's lips moved, but no sound came out, as if it had been eliminated by an invisible force.
His pupils constricted. Botis was about to continue teleporting when his heart suddenly quickened, and he felt a chill surge from the depths of his soul.
He then heard illusory gnawing, chewing, and digesting sounds from beside him, and felt an undisguised malice and hunger.
Botis's eyelids twitched, and he quickly lowered his head, casting his gaze on the Box of the Great Old Ones that had fallen at his feet.
The silver-black, mysterious box had opened on its own at some point!
Damn it!
Looking at Mobet, who was like a Puppet in the first opened layer of the Box of the Great Old Ones, Botis's hair stood on end, and he inexplicably felt a sense that he too would join and become one of them.
He instinctively wanted to react to the Grade 0 Sealed Artifact in his hand, at least not letting this ominous item drag him into the Abyss.
An illusory figure appeared again above the hill. It was the historical projection of Trunsoest, the Chief Law Enforcement Officer, whom Aaron had re-summoned.
Cavendish Lancer, who was rushing here with Aaron's main body in the Spirit World, felt his projection being summoned. He glanced at the calm-faced Aaron, and his figure became illusory, entering the historical mist.
The originally blank pupils of Cavendish Lancer's historical projection in the real world instantly rotated, gaining consciousness.
The Ring of Mysteries's restriction meant Aaron could only summon one historical projection at a time, and there was a certain time interval for changing historical projections.
This was also why Botis had escaped the Wraith possession earlier. However, the hidden power seemed to have stimulated the Box of the Great Old Ones. This Grade 0 Sealed Artifact held Botis back, making him lose the only chance he had to escape.
Botis's pupils suddenly widened. He saw another historical projection, emanating a stronger aura, appear behind the historical projection in the sky. With a resolute heart, he reached forward with his right hand, seemingly lifting an invisible veil that covered the void.
Instantly, a series of illusory Doors appeared around him.
Some opened in pairs, some were deep, some were covered in mysterious patterns, and some were hollow in the center, faintly revealing the boundless Darkness beyond…
These illusory Doors were numerous, dense, and overlapping, almost completely enveloping the Secrets Sorcerer Botis.
Botis didn't have time to look or think much. He immediately pulled open a grey-blue illusory Door with seven brass keyholes.
This was the Secrets Sorcerer's Exile, which could throw a preliminarily controlled target into the corresponding space-time turbulence, with different illusory Doors representing different scenes, where danger and opportunity coexisted.
The lesson from his Spirit World travel just now made Botis directly choose self-exile. As for the Box of the Great Old Ones, which was about to open its second layer, although it pained him a bit, looking at it from another perspective, leaving it behind was the best way to hold back that Scholar of Yore.
As a demigod of the Apprentice Pathway, Botis, who had traveled many places, witnessed many things, and recorded various abilities, made the most correct decision in an instant.
Looking at the series of illusory Doors, the historical projection of Trunsoest, even more illusory behind "Cavendish Lancer," spoke with authority:
"No teleportation is allowed here!"
His moving body stiffened in mid-air. An invisible Door seemed to appear before Botis, tightly sealing the "Pathway."
Aaron, who was extremely familiar with Botis's various abilities, had already informed Cavendish Lancer of the intelligence while traveling through the Spirit World towards Tingen City. This overwhelming intelligence advantage put Botis in a dead end.
-----------------
Tingen City, the once noisy street had returned to calm.
Several men in police uniforms walked around the temporarily closed street. The leading officer, about thirty years old, had a prominent nose and grey eyes that gave people an indescribable sense of depth, like a forgotten lake in an ancient forest.
He was Dunn Smith, the captain of the Tingen City Nighthawks team.
After his team members finished their investigation, he surveyed the street and spoke in a low voice:
"It can be confirmed that there were indeed traces of Beyonder power interference here just now, Old Neil. Did you find any other clues?"
An old man with grey hair, whose classic black robe could faintly be seen under his police uniform, turned his head:
"The residual aura is very strong. My suggestion is to report to the Church and apply for a Sealed Artifact investigation."
Dunn nodded, his grey eyes then turning to a young man with green eyes standing at the outermost edge, who possessed a poet's romantic temperament but seemed somewhat distracted at the moment:
"Leonard, what are your thoughts?"
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