Chapter 1081: [Genesis · Knowledge]
"When Sister Devlin and I visited the Goddess of the Lake, the Sister mentioned that the dangers in the Pantanal region are greater than those in Midhillburg."
Shade supported Luvia as he looked toward Iluna
"Although I know it might be too late to stop their plans ahead of time in the Voodoo Society's stronghold, you must still inform the Church about this. At the very least, they need to prepare for the unsealing of the evil entity, and know what our opponent is, what its weaknesses are, and how to seal it again. There must be a reason why Legins Prishia chose the Pantanal region for the ritual; it is highly likely that his ritual will cause the evil entity to return to the material world."
Iluna nodded once more
"Be careful yourself. The Epic has begun once again."
Iluna's departure was swift. The steam airship dispatched by the Church transported her south silently on Wednesday night. And it wasn't just Princess Margaret, Old John, and Iluna who left the area. On Wednesday, Luvia had intended to further investigate the movements of the Truth Society, but by Thursday, she told Shade that the Truth Society also seemed to be preparing to withdraw from the city. That Miss Pavo was no longer appearing under the identity of "Miss Witt."
The city, which had become lively due to Princess Margaret's visit, seemed to fall silent the moment the Princess departed. As the end of the year approached, everyone had matters to attend to; no one realized the disaster that was about to unfold further south.
Currently, almost everyone was likely on the road. After Shade went to Midhillburg to inform Grandma Cassandra and Sister Devlin, he spent the entirety of Thursday handling his affairs in Tobesk, so that he could later focus his attention on the matters of the Chosen.
First, naturally, he contacted his superior, Director Anlos, and delivered the note containing the bomb intelligence to MI6.
The handwriting on the note bore no resemblance to Shade's, and the paper had been torn from a notebook Shade never used; it was impossible to trace it back to him. Director Anlos, who was completely unaware of the connection between the note and Shade, was ecstatic
"Very good, Shade, you have exceeded your mission requirements. I heard that you and Princess Margaret have made good progress in your relationship. It's a pity; if only I could transfer you to work in Willendale City, like the missing Miss Brown, then..."
He likely thought of Miss Galina and did not finish his thought. It was impossible for Shade to be transferred to Willendale, the capital of Carsonrick; the Duchess, who was currently "resting in bed," would be the first to object.
The second matter he handled was the [Genesis · Knowledge] card, which had finally been sent from the headquarters of the Seer Association to Tobesk.
On Wednesday evening, the Seer Association had sent someone to deliver a letter to Shade, telling him to collect the card on Thursday. Thus, after meeting Director Anlos in the early morning, Shade went to the Seer Association with a hint of excitement.
President Stan of the local branch and Shade's friend, Vice President Mark, received Shade together on the third floor. Additionally, there was a priest from the Church of Dawn, as on the surface, it was the Church of Dawn that had facilitated this transaction.
"Good morning, Mr. Hamilton."
Once Shade was seated on the sofa in President Stan's office, neither side wasted too much time on pleasantries. Vice President Mark pushed a mahogany box, which had already been placed on the table, toward Shade.
The mahogany box was exceptionally exquisite, with an Ouroboros emblem on the lid. The four sides were carved with patterns of the sun, moon, and stars; it was a work of art in its own right.
With an excited heart, Shade opened the box and officially beheld [Genesis · Knowledge].
The front of the card still featured only white, black, and cool tones near the two colors, with three light spheres of varying sizes located in the center. The largest of the three was three times the size of the smallest; they were arranged in a triangular structure, connected to one another by white streaks of light.
The white of the spheres was not uniform; it was brightest in the center and gradually dimmed toward the edges, giving them a strong sense of three-dimensionality. The strange shape formed by the three spheres seemed to follow a peculiar rule, as if it were a pattern that should have existed since the birth of the world.
The background of the card was not simple darkness, but black punctuated by ambiguous white dots of light, resembling a silent, black starry sky. A single glance could make one feel the atmosphere of loneliness within the card.
Upon closer observation, hidden patterns could be seen within the blackness. It was the silhouette of a person showing only the upper body, outlined by the white dots of light; one needed a strong sense of space and imagination to perceive this pattern. The palm formed by the dots of light was supporting the image of the three spheres. However, no matter how one looked, it was impossible to know the specific image of the hidden figure.
The top right corner of the front was marked with the number 1, and the top left had a small "Flower" icon. Between the two, in the top center of the card, a black vertical line was drawn within a white circle—the symbol of the "Genesis" series.
At the very bottom of the card, in a small blank space, were densely written words
[If this card is the first card played, it nullifies any effect of one special card already played by the opponent; if this card is the second card played, the number can be adjusted between 1, 2, and 3; if this card is the third card played, the player may choose whether to force the opponent's total points to decrease by 3; if this card is the fourth card played, in the event of a bust, one card may be redrawn to replace the first card, but special rules cannot be used; if this card is the fifth card or later, the player wins immediately regardless of any circumstances.]
This was the card with the longest special rule text Shade had seen to date, yet the rules themselves were not complex at all. This was a brand new rule system among the special rules he had encountered: triggering effects based on the number of cards drawn.
Although the first four effects were not as powerful as those of other Genesis series cards, and the fifth effect was difficult to achieve, this card could trigger its effect in almost any situation, and its influence was quite comprehensive.
From this perspective, [Genesis · Knowledge] held a significantly strong role in the Rhode game, just like other [Genesis] series cards.
"This card is very interesting. The more cards drawn, the greater the effect when this card appears—only through the accumulation of knowledge can wisdom and power be forged."
Shade gave his evaluation of the rules, smiling as he looked at the card in his hand
"Flower 1, Genesis · Knowledge. Yes, I am very satisfied."
President Stan also nodded with a smile
"Indeed, and you must carefully control the position where 'Knowledge' appears; you cannot be greedy, which is where your wisdom comes in... The certificate of authenticity is at the bottom of the box, Mr. Hamilton. According to the contract signed previously, this card belongs to you until your passing, but you cannot gift it, trade it, or use it to gamble with others."
He added a cautionary reminder. Since the creation of the Rhode game, this card had remained at the Seer Association headquarters; if the Five Gods' Churches had not jointly sent a letter requesting assistance, Shade would never have been able to obtain it.
Shade nodded
"Of course, I understand... Speaking of which, are you still not sending someone to collect that blue crystal?"
He asked knowing the answer. President Stan glanced sideways at the five-ringed old priest, who coughed once. President Stan then replied
"Yes, we will take it now. Do you have it with you?"
"Yes, right here. I knew you would ask for the gem once I received the card."
Shade took a jewelry box from his overcoat pocket and opened it to reveal one of the two [Sage's Brilliances] in his possession.
"Please, take it."
"Not just taking it; please transcribe this and sign your name as a delivery record."
President Stan handed Shade a piece of stationery. The content roughly stated that Shade Soren Hamilton voluntarily gifted the [Sage's Brilliance] to Iluna Emilia Bias.
Any single Brilliance could only be gifted once. It seemed that even though the Church did not yet know who the Chosen was, they had already made their arrangements. Letting Shade hand it over to the Chosen was a precaution against the Brilliance being seized by others.
"So that stone has such a name, how interesting... Speaking of which, Miss Bias is a good friend of mine. What is her relationship with the Seer Association?"
Shade asked curiously. President Stan, Tobesk's finest diviner, replied with an unchanging expression
"The Seer Association has commissioned the Blackstone Security Company to escort this crystal to the headquarters in the Duchy of Ragson. You should know that Miss Bias is going on a long journey soon."
"Yes, I didn't realize she was going somewhere so far. I hope she can return before the Year-End Festival."
Today was Thursday, the 19th day of the Month of Slumber. Only a week and a half remained until the official end of the year 1853 of the Common Calendar. The outsider was about to complete his first year in this world.
Obtaining [Genesis · Knowledge] put Shade in a great mood. Corresponding to his mood, the clear weather he had waited a full week for finally arrived on Thursday night.
Regarding the "Yellow Moon" that the "Bard" he encountered while defeating the demon of proliferating desire was searching for, Shade planned to use the resonance ritual of the Core Spirit Rune to find it. Of course, this was a dangerous act, as no one knew what dangerous thing he might resonate with. Therefore, Shade specifically asked Luvia to come to his home to assist him in performing the ritual.
The ritual took place in the attic of his home, beside a long table set up for the "Sun Fire" and "Moonlight Water" rituals.
As the tricolor moonlight of the clear night sky spilled onto the ritual array on the wooden floor, Shade—having previously consumed the "Inspiration Potion" and a small amount of "Moonlight Water"—sat shirtless on the floor.