On Tuesday morning, Miao Miao was sitting lazily by the window, sipping a cup of tea. As her eyes scanned the pages of the Backlund Morning Post resting on her lap, a special signal caught her attention. Hidden within an advertisement, the signal informed her that the Eye of Wisdom Beyonder gathering would be held tomorrow night.
Miao Miao fell into thought for a moment. She possessed a supernatural system with a Beyonder store, from which she could purchase any pathway formula or ingredient with pounds. So what was the point of going to this dusty, secret gathering?
Soon, a familiar sly smile curled at the corner of her lips.
"If there's money to be made, why wouldn't I go? I get more than 80% profit from the Beyonder store. It wouldn't hurt to pocket some extra pounds along the way!"
She scrolled through her system's inventory. What should she sell? Something rare, something in extremely high demand.
"The Sequence 9 formula of the Monster pathway is quite rare. That will do. As for materials… hmm, one of the main ingredients for the Black Emperor pathway Sequence 8—'Barbarian'—could also be sold. These two items alone would make the members of Eye of Wisdom fight each other."
Miao Miao adjusted her silver-framed glasses on the bridge of her nose. Behind the lenses, her eyes turned both mysterious and cunning. She thought to herself that Klein would definitely buy the Sun Brooch from the Eye of Wisdom gathering. On the outside, however, she looked completely harmless, her face carrying an innocent, moon-like smile.
"I'm not pickpocketing," she thought. "I'm just transferring pounds from other people's pockets into mine using the difference in information and materials. If I'm going to be a thief, I'll do it with elegance."
---
Miao Miao had prepared some Chinese-style desserts. The warm, sweet aroma briefly made the surroundings feel like the modern world again. Carrying the dessert container, she hurried toward Klein's rented apartment, thinking, "These desserts will definitely remind him of his past life."
After ringing the doorbell, Sherlock Moriarty opened the door.
Blue text appeared over the lenses of her glasses:
[ Pathway: The Fool ]
[ Current Sequence: Sequence 7 — Magician ]
Klein knew that Miao Miao was a transmigrator like himself, yet he still regarded her as an ordinary person.
"Thank you, Miao Miao. Please come in," Klein said calmly.
Miao Miao sat down on Klein's sofa. That familiar mischievous thought surfaced again. Looking directly into Klein's eyes, she said in a light yet sharp tone:
"Sherlock Moriarty… huh? Looks like you stole both the name of Sherlock Holmes and James Moriarty. Tell me, what is the real name of the original owner of this body?"
Klein froze for a moment.
Miao Miao thought to herself, "I want to see how much Klein trusts me as a fellow transmigrator."
She remained seated on the sofa. Suddenly, Klein stood up, leaned closer, and whispered near her ear in a very low voice:
"Klein Moriarty."
Miao Miao's heart skipped a beat. Her heartbeat quickened slightly. She hadn't expected Klein to trust her so much. A faint blush spread across her cheeks. His straightforward confession and the depth of his trust left her momentarily speechless.
_ _ _
Using the help of a Attendant, Miao Miao arrived at the gathering room at Bravehearts. The meeting began. Sitting to one side, she noticed the symbol of Klein's Fool pathway.
A few minutes later, Eye of Wisdom clapped and said, "Let's begin."
A woman, disguising her voice, asked, "Is the friend who wanted to sell the bribery formula last time here?"
"I'm here," Klein replied simply.
"What is the Beyonder weapon?" Klein asked. Though slightly excited, he suppressed his emotions.
The woman spoke clearly, "This whip is woven from the feathers of a sacred sun bird."
"It can usually be disguised as a belt."
"When used, it will be covered in flames of pure holy light. Any undead creature struck by it will be severely injured, and weaker ones will be destroyed outright."
"It can also be soaked in liquid to create Sun Holy Water. However, this reduces its spiritual durability. Each use reduces its lifespan by one month."
"It currently has thirteen months of effective durability."
"If you're willing, you can exchange it for the bribery formula without paying additional cash."
A sacred sun bird? That's not the Sun Divine Bird… If it really is from that creature, I'll take it! Even just the tail feathers would be enough. They can be used for the Sequence 4 Unshadowed potion…
Klein was quite satisfied with the weapon, but the problem was its limited duration. Every use would reduce its lifespan. Eventually, he would need to replenish it with similar materials.
Thirteen months… and it's a whip. I need something more convenient at a distance. Using a whip means getting close to ghosts or spirits. If I'm not careful, I could get hurt. And it can only be used thirteen times… I need something more permanent.
Klein then looked respectfully at Eye of Wisdom.
"Mr. Eye of Wisdom, could you describe the brooch you introduced last time in detail?"
"Oh, I'll write it down on paper and include a price I'm satisfied with."
Klein was cautious. If others became interested, the price might rise. He couldn't afford to lose it if it suited him. However, he didn't have enough cash and had to rely on potion formulas, so he asked for it to be written instead.
Klein unfolded the paper and began reading silently.
Sun Brooch, also known as Midsummer. It is considered a relatively weak Grade 2 Sealed Artifact.
It emits pure and warm energy within a ten-meter radius. Ordinary people cannot feel it, but spirits and demons will be continuously harmed, evaporating like water under blazing fire. Shadows and wraiths suffer similarly, though more slowly.
In such an environment, powerful spirits are significantly weakened.
The wearer becomes extremely resistant to possession or corruption by evil spirits. It allows the use of spells such as Holy Light, Holy Water creation, Light Flame, Purification Strike, Terror Immunity, Sacred Oath, and Sun Halo.
The downside is that the wearer will never feel comfortable. A constant unbearable heat will persist. Do not take this lightly—irritation and heat may gradually lead to loss of control.
"I will sell it for only 2,000 pounds."
"Do not attempt to bargain. As you know, I am not short of money, and I am a collector."
This is far more powerful than I imagined, and very useful in combat…
After a few seconds, Klein looked at the woman behind the craftsman.
"What is the maximum price you want for the holy whip?" Klein asked, as he had initially planned to trade the formula for 900 pounds. He didn't want to regret missing an opportunity.
"One thousand pounds at most," the woman replied calmly.
"Then this potion formula is worth one thousand pounds."
The gathering was stunned. Raising the price like that was unexpected. It seemed the woman had trapped herself with her own words.
After a few seconds of thought, she said, "Deal."
The average price of a Sequence 7 potion formula was around 800 pounds. But without the Sun Brooch, Klein would have had to reluctantly trade the Barbarian formula, so he pushed for maximum value.
"Wait… in the original novel, he sold the Barbarian formula for 900 pounds…"
Miao Miao thought quietly from the side.
"Has he become more cautious… or is this change happening because of my presence? No… he definitely just wants to maximize his profit." Miao Miao pondered silently.
---
Klein successfully purchased the Sun Brooch from the Eye of Wisdom.
After a while, Miao Miao observed her surroundings. Lowering her voice slightly, she spoke in the tone of a middle-aged woman,
"I am selling herbal potion formulas and a material."
"The Monster pathway Sequence 9 'Monster' and Sequence 8 'Robot'. As well as the material 'Grass of Madness ," she added.
"The first formula is 250 pounds, the second is 500 pounds, and the material is also 450 pounds."
Miao Miao thought to herself that she could assume the Eye of Wisdom would want to buy both formulas, and the woman looking for the Barbarian formula would definitely want the material as well. Moreover, these two formulas and the material had only cost her 250 pounds in total. From this, she could easily make at least 1000 pounds.
The profit wasn't bad at all. She could also sense the presence of many valuable items in this gathering. This was one of the characteristics of the "Marauder" sequence.
"'The tongue of a maze parrot'… that's one of the main ingredients for the Sequence 8 Barbarian potion. The Monster pathway? These formulas are extremely rare in Backlund. Could she be part of a major organization?" Klein thought to himself.
Miao Miao, on the other hand, was thinking that according to the novel, the 'Monster' pathway was mainly controlled by the Life School of Thought. This organization was in fierce opposition with the Rose School of Thought. Even if the Eye of Wisdom or others tried to investigate these formulas, their suspicion would fall on a fugitive member of the Life School of Thought. They would definitely not come after her just for selling the formulas.
Miao Miao thought one step further:
"The biggest advantage is my system. Because of its protection, no Beyonder—whether it is Amon or Ouroboros—can successfully perform any 'divination' or prophecy on me. My existence lies outside the destiny of this world."
The Eye of Wisdom spoke in a deep voice,
"I will give you a combined offer. In exchange for these two formulas, I will directly offer 650 pounds."
The offer and the person were within Miao Miao's expectations. She glanced around once to make sure no one else was interested in bidding, then replied, "Agreed."
Knowing that the Eye of Wisdom possessed a Sealed Artifact capable of verifying authenticity, Miao Miao took out the two pre-written potion formulas and handed them to a nearby attendant. The attendant took the folded papers to the person sitting on the single sofa—he was the Eye of Wisdom himself.
The old man opened the papers without even looking at them and placed them on a small side table. Then he took out a handkerchief, wiped his right palm, and retrieved a ring embedded with small diamond-like stones from his pocket.
Suddenly, the green gemstone on the ring shone with a bright golden light like sunlight.
The old man extended his right hand, allowing the gem to touch the potion formulas.
The golden rays gradually became purer and more intense, eventually forming a seal-like imprint.
The old man extended his right hand, allowing the gem to touch the potion formulas.
The golden rays gradually became purer and more intense, eventually forming a seal-like imprint.
"Authentic and effective!" the old man declared. He immediately removed the ring and placed it aside, unwilling to wear it for even a moment longer.
Miao Miao received a stack of cash in ten-pound notes.