When the plot-skips players into the game world

Avalon, White Queen District.
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Aiwass, Lily, and Miss Ligeia entered the sealed Griffiths Manor openly and aboveboard.

"The right person appears nearby, only then can they be discovered?"

Miss Ligeia raised her eyebrows, "Do you know what you are talking about?"

"Of course."

Aiwass nodded slowly, "I'm talking about Relics."

Relics.

That's a category among Extraordinary Equipment, derived from the remnants of Angel Envoys.

Because if it were a level higher, blessed directly by a Celestial Marshal or even a Pillar God, then that would be a holy-level Divine Artifact.

If you look at it in terms of game categories, Relics basically start at dark purple, with only a very few being purple. And a set of Relics is the level 50 PVE graduation set for each profession.

When players reached level 50, and as the level cap for the nine Paths gradually opened with the version, it was already version 3.0. And the set of Relics is already T6 – as the name suggests, it's the sixth set of graduation equipment for that version. This is also the strongest set of PVE equipment in the old era.

Even the PVP top rewards like "Eagle of the Shadow" cannot match the PVE performance of the Relic set for their corresponding Path.

—The so-called PVE performance is a concept that only existed from version 3.0 onwards. It primarily denotes the ability to combat the descending Celestial Marshals.

Of course, these things are only common among players at the level of gameplay.

In the narrative or rather, in the setting, there's only one set of these Relic sets. It's not the same concept of rarity due to lost craftsmanship like with "Eagle of the Shadow."

"Griffiths actually hoarded Relics."

Miss Ligeia couldn't help but exclaim, "You didn't decide to kill him just because you heard this news, did you?"

Aiwass: "..."

The expression on Miss Ligeia's face suddenly changed, "I didn't guess right, did I?"

"Not really."

Aiwass said calmly and coolly, "It's mainly to kill the chicken to warn the monkeys."

"[Mainly to]…"

Miss Ligeia repeated.

"There is somewhat of a reason."

Aiwass admitted honestly, "But look, his collusion with Star Antimony is already a certainty... It's not like I killed the wrong person, is it?"

Miss Ligeia wanted to say something but ended up sighing, "Forget it, do as you like. You are after all, a Transcender, and asking you to honestly follow the rules is definitely impossible..."

"Little Isabel is, after all, lacking the strength of the Path of Authority. You helping her demolish these old relics is also doing a good deed."

The naive girl spoke words beyond her years.

Aiwass said helplessly, "I was joking, Miss Ligeia. You didn't actually believe that, did you?"

"And the truth is?"

"It's because he insulted Isabel and wanted to harm Yulia."

Aiwass's voice was low.

Miss Ligeia abruptly stopped in her tracks. She turned her head to look at Aiwass beside her, observing a momentary shadow on his otherwise splendid face.

Aiwass turned back with a radiant and bright smile, "Ah, did I scare you, old lady?"

"Not really, kid. I'm hardly old."

Miss Ligeia said coldly, following Aiwass again.

She pondered for a moment and nodded.

That's better. This guy is somewhat protective... or perhaps "somewhat" is an understatement.

And that girl Yulia has a protective nature too. At least with this, Isabel won't be at a disadvantage.

After Sofia's funeral, Yanis will be going to the Holy Nation. But even if she leaves... if someone bullies Isabel, Aiwass will definitely take action.

Aiwass is not the kind of Knight who makes a fuss and insists on dueling in the Round Table Hall.

—In Miss Ligeia's view, Aiwass doesn't possess a knight's masculine vigor, not even a bit.

He seems more like a villain filled with a somber air—wearing a gentle smile on his face and speaking of killing someone as soon as he opens his mouth. Yet, when compared to a real villain, the "evil deeds" Aiwass commits with "bad methods" somehow always turn out to be good acts.

And with this thought, Ligeia suddenly froze.

She looked up at Aiwass, but could no longer see his momentary displeasure, only the mild, polite, and distant faint smile.

Because just now, Ligeia suddenly realized something:

The way Aiwass conducted himself now basically adopted two completely opposite strategies—either dedicating Transcendent actions or achieving Transcendence through acts of Dedication.

Whenever Aiwass did something that seemed cruel and ruthless, the outcomes he eventually wanted were all good; and when he did something like a hero, his ultimate goal was often for "Transcendence".

"...Truly a contradictory and awkward person,"

Ligeia murmured softly.

Meanwhile, Aiwass was practically sweating bullets.

—Because he wasn't even sure the Sasha's reliquary was here.

His boast was just a result of one thing leading to another in the conversation.

Strictly speaking, Griffiths could make use of the equipment. And he had acquired it even before he became the Son of the Moon—hence he was transformed into a special Son of the Moon, bearing the "Dragon Blood Sigil".

This relic was bestowed upon him by his lord, Count Leipzig.

As one of the three heads of the Rose Cross Society and a progeny nurtured by the Red Chancellor, Count Leipzig practically inherited the political connections of the Red Chancellor, a hero of the founding of the Holy Nation. Though in Star Antimony where the Sons of the Moon held no special privileges, he could still be considered overwhelmingly powerful and rich. A mere relic... was something he could easily award as a gift.

If Griffiths was an important piece that the Eye Demon had its sights on, then to ensure the plan proceeded smoothly, Count Leipzig, generous as he was, would very likely offer up something nice as a deposit.

The Eye Demon, transformed by Prince Wolfram's elder brother, also had a master who was a "descendant" of the Red Chancellor.

—"Succubus" Emma, one of the first Demon Incarnations to be sacrificed in the ritual of the Ring of Ouroboros when the Fallen Celestial Marshal descended.

If the "Red Chancellor" was used as an intermediary, then Wolfram, the Eye Demon, Emma, Count Leipzig, Griffiths... all these individuals could be connected in one line.

That was also why Aiwass was confident that Griffiths must have something valuable in hand.

...If he didn't find it, he would be ridiculed by Ligeia.

Both Aiwass and Ligeia were apparently searching for evidence but, in truth, neither were very dedicated to the task. It was more like they were wandering around the manor, appreciating the antiques and artworks of the Imperial era that Griffiths had collected.

Suddenly, Aiwass's footsteps came to a halt.

"Ligeia—"

He called out, his voice tinged with unabashed excitement.

"Here it comes, here it comes, here it comes!"

Ligeia hurried over with her short legs, "What is it?"

"I've found it."

Aiwass said softly, staring at the sacred figure in the shrine before him.

Ligeia's expression changed, looking up at the shrine.

Inside was a statue of a nun, bound in a highly provocative posture. She appeared no bigger than a figurine, with eyes covered by a black veil, arms crossed and bound over her chest with a veil, yet both hands were missing. Her abdomen was also wrapped with a black veil... These veils looked like cut stockings.

If not for the fact that Ligeia indeed felt a very faint divine presence, she would have been completely unable to confirm that this was actually a sacred figure—that it could actually be a sacred figure.

She squinted and stared for a long time, but still did not dare to confirm it.

So she hesitantly asked Aiwass, "Who... is this revered by?"

She had some study in theology, but indeed did not recognize the figure before her.

"She is not a Celestial Marshal, nor an Angel Envoy. She is the lover of The Banqueter, Sister Sasha."

Aiwass watched Her, murmuring softly.

"...Not even an Angel Envoy?"

Ligeia naturally knew of The Banqueter.

That was the Angel Envoy of the Eternal Self, a Dragon.

But to hear it was just "the Angel Envoy's envoy", she felt somewhat disappointed, "Is her relic what you're looking for?"

"Exactly."

Aiwass replied, his smile relieved.

Here, sealed was the "Torso of Sister Sasha's Banquet"—the skin from Sasha's abdomen, waist, and the lower half of her back, peeled off by herself, formed a warm, twisting, butterfly-shaped "living skin" that moved on its own.

—Its name was, the "Wings of Freedom Offered".