Aaron shook his somewhat groggy head. After a few seconds, he finally sorted out the information in his mind, his eyebrows furrowing involuntarily.
He suddenly turned his head sharply, directly meeting Bernadette's ocean-blue eyes, and murmured with some uncertainty:
"The Hermit's advancement ritual…"
Bernadette seemed to have anticipated Aaron's reaction. She raised her hand, summoned the two Cards of Blasphemy, carefully put them away, and then calmly responded:
"Using a torrent of information formed by oneself, and leveraging the opportunity of advancement, to momentarily replace the information of the Spirit World, Astral World, and the real world."
"Based on the information of that instant, deduce the future, and from the infinite possibilities of the future, choose the future one desires, thereby completely controlling the next two or three moments and integrating with the abstract concept of 'Knowledge'."
"Endure the information surge of the entire world, re-condense from abstract knowledge, and return from the Astral World."
"This kind of advancement ritual, without sufficient anchors, is almost impossible to succeed."
"Even if successful, extracting consciousness from the immeasurable torrent of information and re-condensing the body would likely not be something that can be completed in a short time."
Aaron nodded, his eyes flickering. He looked at Bernadette and asked, somewhat uncertainly:
"Is the Hidden Sage truly just a Uniqueness that has become active?"
"Could it be…"
Knowing Aaron's meaning, Bernadette did not immediately respond. Her blue eyes slightly unfocused, as if she had fallen into a memory, before she continued after a moment:
"You should know that since the Fourth Epoch, the only feasible way to accommodate a Uniqueness is to temper it into an incomplete potion, and consume it with a simplified God-ascension ritual."
"Combining this with his discoveries after he advanced to Knowledge Emperor, the Hidden Sage is more like suddenly awakening from slumber than suddenly becoming active."
Activated, awakened… The meanings represented by these two words were completely different. Aaron inexplicably thought of the Fourth Epoch, that God of Craftsmen who forcibly advanced before fully digesting his potion, and this roughly coincided with the Hidden Sage's appearance.
Glancing at the thoughtful Aaron, Bernadette finally added:
"Although the relevant knowledge has been completely erased from the Spirit World, making it impossible to verify, I still have a conjecture."
"The Hidden Sage is very likely the product of an accident that occurred when the original founder of the Moses Ascetic Order attempted to accommodate the Hermit Uniqueness."
This bold speculation made Aaron look at Bernadette a few more times, but he did not refute it. For the Hermit Pathway, which leans more towards the mystical side of knowledge itself, Bernadette's conjecture was not impossible.
But if it were true, then the accident that occurred while accommodating the Uniqueness might very well have originated from the corruption of the Knowledge Moor.
As his thoughts churned, Aaron exhaled lightly, first noting this matter in his mind, then actively changing the subject:
"I'll be returning to Backlund later. Does your goddaughter still need the blood of a Fate Pathway Angel?"
Goddaughter? Bernadette was momentarily stunned, her gaze softening. She did not correct Aaron's address. After a moment of silence, she slowly spoke:
"The Moses Ascetic Order already knows that I recently advanced to Angel, so Cattleya is not suitable to attempt advancing to demigod during this period, as it would invite suspicion."
"However, the blood of a Fate Pathway Angel can be prepared in advance. I will pay the corresponding remuneration."
Aaron glanced at Bernadette, tutting inwardly. He felt a strong sense of déjà vu, like watching an old Mother toil for her own child.
Nodding, Aaron strode out of La Cha Island. Before his figure disappeared, his last words slowly echoed through the Emerald Palace:
"Seal the Magic Wishing Lamp well! Do not be tempted by It!"
-----------------
Loen Kingdom, Backlund, Dr. Aaron's house.
After advancing to a complete Mythical Creature, Aaron could now autonomously restrain the peculiarities of the Nation of Disorder. As long as he didn't directly encounter the few Angels of the Loen Royal Family, he could freely enter and exit Backlund, even without the secretive effect of the Darkness Mark.
Aaron, emerging from the Spirit World, walked through the living room as if no one else was there and entered the bedroom. Looking at the pregnant woman with her belly greatly swollen on the bed, an amber, crystal clear and seemingly made of night stars, appeared in his hand.
The milky white "Die of Probability" was firmly sealed within it!
Observing so closely, even the special nature of Restart could not obstruct Aaron's vision. Dr. Aaron's wife had turned into an boundless deep black, and the oval light mass in the shape of a baby appeared exceptionally dazzling.
It was too late to feign death. A childish voice suddenly rang out, sighing rather plaintively.
An invisible force struck, and Aaron's lips curved into a smile. He did not resist.
The warm and comfortable bedroom suddenly distorted, and Aaron was already in a barren plain.
Not far away stood a black spire, around which a giant silver-white serpent coiled. Its head was already raised, its crimson eyes coldly watching Aaron.
Will Auceptin, wrapped in silver silk and sitting in a black baby carriage, appeared at the lowest part of the spire. He pulled the small blanket in the baby carriage and said rather plaintively:
"Can't you be more careful, you fellow?"
"If the 'Die of Probability' were to fully activate, it might directly abstract itself and merge into the River of Fate."
"By then, let alone me, even Ouroboros, with the True Creator's help, probably wouldn't be able to find It again."
Listening to the nagging complaints, the smile on Aaron's face stiffened slightly. He cleared his throat and raised the crystal amber, which sealed the "Die of Probability," in his hand:
"Last time was indeed a special situation, I had no choice. I've already paid the price and asked Mother to help me seal It again."
"Hmm, this time, firstly, I wanted to see how your 'Restart' is progressing, and secondly, to return the 'Die of Probability' along the way. Or if you have other arrangements, you can tell me directly."
"Finally, there are some things I'd like to ask for your help with…"
Before Aaron could finish, the chubby infant in the black baby carriage began pounding the bassinet, crying very sadly, and interrupting Aaron's words with sobs:
"The seal on the 'Die of Probability' is entirely formed by misfortune. You are the Blessed of that being, so you are naturally unaffected by misfortune at the God level."
"But if I were to give it to Ricciardo, he might run into that snake as soon as he steps out the door."
At this, Will Auceptin lowered the hand that was wiping away tears, sniffled, and pointed to himself, adding:
"As for asking me for help, you've already advanced to Angel. Are you going to make things difficult for an unborn infant like me?"
Aaron's face twitched slightly. Looking at the chubby infant with tear stains on his face and staring at him, it was hard to believe that this was an old Monster who had lived for thousands of years.