Chapter 715: Shadow Merchant |
Jebus reorganized his thoughts and said, "We can become more attuned to certain needs and find suitable candidates to fulfill them. We can also facilitate the corresponding transactions through our words and connections."
With his Conspirer's mind, Lumian pondered seriously for two seconds before fully grasping Jebus's true meaning. Amused, he said, "Put it in simpler terms that are closer to mysticism."
Jebus glanced at Franca and Jenna and eagerly explained, "I have two primary abilities. One is called Gray Perception. I can more acutely sense the gray areas between white and black, including my desire and need to enter that gray domain.
"The other is exceptional eloquence. This includes mastery of language and the ability to observe others' expressions and decipher their words."
"That's it?" Lumian asked, raising his eyebrows.
"That's it," Jebus replied candidly with a shake of his head.
"Don't Brokers charge fees for their services?" Lumian inquired with a smile.
"Before reaching a deal, we will agree on a price with both parties. Sometimes, we don't even ask for one. It's mainly to establish and maintain relationships," Jebus answered seriously. "None of this involves any superpowers."
I had thought a Broker's Beyonder powers could derive corresponding benefits from every transaction they facilitate, including Beyonder enhancements. However, this is clearly an exaggeration. It doesn't seem to belong to Sequence 9… The two abilities Jebus mentioned are very fitting for those at Sequence 9. From the looks of it, Brokers and Spectators are quite similar. They can hardly participate directly in Beyonder battles and are considered more supplementary support… Lumian nodded in enlightenment.
"It's Shadow Merchant," Jebus replied with a smile as he gazed at the Demoness of Pleasure's face.
Without waiting for Franca to inquire further, he took the initiative to explain, "We can detect mysterious creatures and dangerous entities hidden in darkness and shadow while remaining safe from their attacks, thereby allowing us to reach certain deals with them."
Jenna couldn't help but ask, "Invulnerable to hidden mysterious creatures and dangerous entities?"
Isn't this ability too powerful?
Jebus replied with a smile, "That's usually the case, but you can't attack the other party first or secretly exert any influence that's disadvantageous to them. You can't harbor malice when striking a deal, lest the other party discovers it. Furthermore, you'll suffer indiscriminate damage if embroiled in a battlefield. You can't make creatures engaged in combat stand down."
"What if you see something you shouldn't?" Lumian asked after some thought.
"I will endure the corresponding corruption," Jebus answered without attempting to boast.
"So it seems a Shadow Merchant possesses an aura that prevents nearby creatures from harboring malice towards them?" Franca realized.
Jebus praised, "Madame, your summary is better than mine. However, it's not that you don't generate malice at all, but that you reduce their malice to a certain extent. The higher the other party's level, the weaker the effect. In other words, interacting with those mysterious creatures and dangerous entities to reach a deal is still risky and requires courage."
At this point, Jebus chuckled.
"Taking risks is a necessary quality for successful merchants."
"From the looks of it, you embody that?" Lumian deliberately provoked.
"Of course," Jebus replied proudly. "I've made deals with many dangerous creatures and obtained valuable items. Then, through new deals, I used them to exchange for more useful items from believers of the Great Mother, the Mother Tree of Desire, and other Beyonders. These include bullets that can absorb life, bullets that cause a target's implosion, and bullets that can impregnate a human, among other things."
Bullets that can impregnate a human… Lumian was suddenly traumatized. He was grateful he hadn't given Jebus a chance to fire that bullet.
Franca and Jenna felt an inexplicable fear, their bodies turning cold. Even Anthony's expression shifted slightly.
Jebus's gaze swept across Franca, Jenna, Lumian, and his friend Anthony. He said solemnly,
"Using our connections with various creatures, we Shadow Merchants can assist you in obtaining anything you desire, as long as you pay a sufficient price.
"Of course, we can't guarantee success in every transaction."
"I want the Sequence 4 potion formula of the Hunter pathway," Lumian said with a smile.
Jebus fell silent for a moment before saying, "It will take an extremely long time to find someone who can provide the corresponding formula through multiple intermediaries.
"The one who ultimately makes the deal with you might even pose a danger to you."
Lumian had only been joking. He deliberately sighed and said, "Then let's put that aside for now.
"What other abilities does a Shadow Merchant possess? Your abilities can't be limited to just reducing the malice of surrounding creatures and detecting hidden entities."
Jebus finally met Lumian's gaze.
"I've used some of them in my battles with you, including concealing myself in shadows, transforming into a shadow, and creating fake shadows. They're more protective abilities. I collectively call them 'Shadow Utilization.'"
Franca sighed with emotion. "Shadow Merchants can utilize not only symbolic shadows, but also shadows in reality."
Encouraged, Jebus continued, "We can also sign contracts with the shadows of both parties as witnesses, directly connected to each other's souls. If we violate the contract, the shadows will harm our spirits. It's like a powerful curse."
"I see…" Franca recalled the fellow she had encountered earlier.
The man, who also appeared to be a member of the School of Truth, had mentioned that he had a way to ensure the binding power of contracts on both parties.
"And then?" Jenna pressed.
Jebus suddenly felt a little embarrassed. He coughed twice and said, "We can also rely on symbolic shadow power to secretly modify key terms the moment the contract is signed, making the other party offer more or less."
"No wonder…" Franca finally understood how the man suspected of being a member of the School of Truth had deceived her and Jenna.
No wonder he had revealed an abnormality once she mentioned divining the contract in advance!
Shadow Merchants are well-suited for dealing with Beyonders of the Marauder pathway. I wonder which side will ultimately suffer… Lumian didn't give Franca a chance to criticize the Shadow Merchant. He chuckled and questioned, "What about Sequence 7?"
"Sequence 7 is Prosecutor," Jebus introduced, as if trying to compensate for the Shadow Merchant's dark image. "A Prosecutor has two abilities. One allows them to discern a target's crimes, but they can't witness the process. The other is based on the first ability. First, declare the other party guilty, then point out the specific crime…"
Franca turned puzzled.
"How can this crime be determined?
"It can't be based on Intis law, can it? If we meet in the Loen Kingdom, won't your abilities be useless?
"Do they automatically adapt to local laws?"
This seemed to be the first time Jebus had been asked this question. After more than ten seconds of thought, he replied,
"It's likely an act recognized as a crime by most humans. It includes blasphemy, murder, rape, fraud, theft, and so on. Nothing more detailed or categorized."
Franca remained unconvinced. "That's not right either. Suppose we enter a ridiculous world where we can do whatever we want, including murder and blasphemy. Wouldn't that prevent you from declaring the target guilty?"
She was thinking of the recently concluded Dream Festival.
Jebus fell silent for a moment before responding, "I don't know…"
"Perhaps the charges stem from something more fundamental," Lumian speculated.
Jebus couldn't be certain.
Franca could only look at him and say, "Continue."
Jebus took a moment to recall where he had left off.
"After pointing out the crime, the target will receive the corresponding punishment from the world itself or some entity. The exact punishment depends on the severity of the target's crime. We can't know in advance. In short, from my experience, the most terrifying punishments are immediate death and loss of control on the spot.
"In addition, for ongoing crimes, we can directly declare the target guilty. There's no need to specify the charges, effectively saving time."
Franca nodded slightly, gaining a new understanding of the battle.
"What language did you use when you announced the charge?" Lumian recalled the corresponding details.
"It's the Words of Order. I automatically learned it when I received the Prosecutor's boon," Jebus confessed.
Lumian offered a curt acknowledgment. "What about Sequence 6?"
"It's the Ambitionist," Jebus said, his eyes seeming to blaze with flames. "An inexhaustible ambition brings about a powerful physique, keen perception, and outstanding spirituality, driving us to constantly pursue improvements in our combat abilities. And our burning ambitions make us unwilling to rest for a moment. Unless we're prepared to sleep, no one can force us to sleep or faint…"
"In other words, it can effectively resist being forced into dreams, comas, and other debilitating states? Or is it outright immunity?" Lumian immediately understood why Jebus could wake up so quickly when facing the Spell of Harrumph.
"It's resistance," Jebus admitted candidly.
Lumian inquired further about Ambitionists before asking, "You should be at Sequence 5, right?"
"Yes." Jebus puffed out his chest in front of the two Demonesses.
Franca asked curiously, "What's Sequence 5?"
Jebus replied with a smile, "It's Under the Table."
Under the Table? Franca, Lumian, and the others simultaneously thought of the Authority Holder's Under-the-
table Transaction they had obtained from General Philip.
Could it be formed by the power of a Sequence 5 boon of the Broker pathway?
Lumian gazed at Jebus, in no hurry to comprehend the hidden box's abilities. He asked thoughtfully, "What's your connection to the Carbonari?"
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