Chapter 10 : Chapter 10
Chapter 10: Relic
The next day.
Lin Qi had just finished breakfast and was about to ask Alden about the murals.
"My apologies, little Isaris. I have business to discuss today. You and Elaine can stay at home or go out and play; it is up to you."
Alden spoke to Lin Qi with a hint of apology in his tone.
Did this old fox predict my move?
The moment I was about to ask him, he suddenly had business to attend to.
However, Lin Qi had no ground to complain. He simply said, "Alright, I understand, Uncle."
"What are we doing today?" Elaine asked from the side, a popsicle dangling from her mouth.
"Let us first take a stroll through the Pactum Mundi Chamber of Commerce," Lin Qi said, watching the carriage depart.
"What are we going there for?" Elaine asked curiously.
"To buy three portions of mid-sequence Sacred Pathway mystic substances."
"For what? Can you even brew potions?"
"Just consider it brewing."
......
The Pactum Mundi Chamber of Commerce was the largest trade organization in the world of Epoch of the End.
The reason it became the world's number one chamber of commerce was simple: as long as you had the money, you could obtain anything.
The Pactum Mundi Chamber of Commerce originated from the Republic of Catricia, which was the primary map for the Version 3.0 main storyline. Simultaneously, the chamber was the family business of the third protagonist, Malina Pactum Mundi.
The chamber was not far from Roland Manor.
Since this chamber of commerce served the wealthy, it naturally took root in the noble district.
As Lin Qi and Elaine stepped off the carriage, a fat man at the entrance of the chamber hurried over to greet them.
The man had his hair slicked back till it shone. A delicate gold necklace hung around his neck, and he wore a green jade ring on his hand.
"Young Master Isaris, welcome to the Pactum Mundi Chamber of Commerce. My name is Link. May I ask what you require?" Link asked warmly as he ushered Lin Qi and Elaine inside.
"Do you have any mid-sequence Sacred Pathway mystic substances here?" Lin Qi did not bother asking how the man knew who he was.
In Kissmark Town, Isaris was famous for being a bastard and for his looks, but the biggest reason was...
If Alden Roland remained unmarried and childless, then Isaris, despite being a bastard, would be the primary heir to the Roland family.
"We do, we do. Sequence 6, Sequence 5, Sequence 4—we have them all. Which grade would you like, Young Master Isaris?" Link asked enthusiastically.
In this world, mystic substances were primarily used for brewing potions because native Transcendents did not need mystic substances to advance their sequences.
They only needed to raise themselves to their level cap and then obtain the Transcendent Knowledge for the next sequence. Once they deciphered that knowledge, they could reach the next level.
Lin Qi, who possessed a character panel, functioned like a player. He did not need Transcendent Knowledge; as long as he reached the level cap and completed the advancement quest, he could directly enter the next sequence.
The grade of the mystic substance only affected the quality of brewed potions; for Lin Qi's advancement quest, it made no difference at all.
"Three portions of Sequence 6 will suffice," Lin Qi told Link as he sat on the sofa in the noble lounge area.
He believed in budgeting where it mattered while splurging where it counted.
"Certainly. Please wait a moment, Young Master Isaris," Link said before heading toward the innermost part of the chamber.
"What kind of potion are you planning to brew?" Elaine asked, sitting on the sofa and sipping the orange juice Link had provided.
"A potion that makes anyone who smells it obey me unconditionally," Lin Qi said with a feigned lecherous expression.
"Ugh, how disgusting. You truly are a playboy." Elaine knew Lin Qi was joking. Since he was unwilling to tell her, she saw no need to press him further.
Soon after, Link returned to Lin Qi carrying a small rectangular box.
"Young Master Isaris, three portions of mid-sequence Sacred Pathway mystic substances. Have a look." Link placed the box on the table in front of Lin Qi.
Lin Qi opened the box to find three orange, irregular spheres inside.
"Panel," Lin Qi thought.
[Sequence 6 Sacred Pathway Mystic Substance x3]
Description: Looks like dried mucus.
Wait, who asked the system to add that description?
"Fine, no problem. Let us settle the bill," Lin Qi said, closing the box.
"Excellent. Three portions of mid-sequence Sacred Pathway mystic substances at 30 gold coins each. That will be 90 gold coins in total." Link rubbed his hands together.
After paying the money, Lin Qi left the Pactum Mundi Chamber of Commerce amidst Link's enthusiastic farewell.
How expensive. Completing one quest only yields 30 gold coins, which is only enough to buy one portion.
Lin Qi felt a pang of heartache for his wallet.
After leaving the chamber, the two wandered around the neighborhood. After spending 2 gold coins at a jewelry shop to buy a pair of earrings Elaine had taken a fancy to, they returned to Roland Manor.
"There is one more place I want to check," Lin Qi said, knocking on Elaine's door after returning to his room and placing the mystic substances into his system inventory.
"Where?" Elaine asked curiously.
"The bedroom where my mother used to stay." With that, Lin Qi walked toward the room at the far corner of the third floor.
His mother's bedroom was the room closest to the Forbidden Object, [Rose of Truth].
The two arrived at the door, which was secured by an exquisite lock.
"Why is it locked?" Elaine asked.
Lin Qi did not reply. He simply crouched down and activated his Gravity Thread, trying to pick the lock.
After several attempts, Lin Qi realized it was completely impossible.
"It is no use. The internal structure of this lock is too complex. Elaine, use your Echo to help me see the internal construction." Lin Qi stepped aside.
"Hmph, leave it to me." Elaine closed her eyes and placed her hands in a triangular shape before her face.
After a moment, she opened her eyes. "Why is this lock so complicated? It feels as though there is no matching key for it. The inside of the lock requires three separate turns."
"That complex?"
"Yes. Most locks are straightforward, even if their shapes differ. But the internal mechanism of this lock actually curves." Elaine was powerless to help.
Hearing this, something clicked in Lin Qi's mind. "Panel," he thought.
Name: [Oblivion]
Type: [Lock]
Grade: [D-grade Forbidden Object]
Abilities: [Once locked, only the person who locked it and their blood relatives can open it using their blood.]
Cost: After locking it, you will forget what was placed inside.
Description: Money? Forbidden objects? Transcendent knowledge? Just kidding, it is just a sock.
This thing was indeed a Forbidden Object.
But who was the person who locked it? Was it his uncle?
Thinking of this, Lin Qi swiped his palm against the Rose of Truth on the adjacent wall. Blood welled up from his palm.
Elaine was stunned. Was he having an episode? What was he doing?
Before she could ask, Lin Qi gripped the lock with his blood-stained palm.
Click.
The lock opened.
"That was a Forbidden Object?" Elaine realized.
"Yes. I only just remembered it. I recall seeing it when I was a child." Lin Qi used his Gravity Thread to stitch the wound on his hand.
"The Roland family really possesses many Forbidden Objects. That sword must be one too, right? And that revolver of yours," Elaine remarked.
The higher the grade of a Forbidden Object, the easier it was for a Transcendent to sense it, yet the more likely it was to choose its own master.
"No, that gun does not belong to the Roland family." With that, Lin Qi pushed the door open.
The layout was exactly as it was in Isaris’s memories: spacious French windows, grey curtains, a dressing table, and a large, soft bed. To the left of the entrance stood a clothes rack.
Lin Qi felt a sense of disorientation as he looked at the scenes from his inherited memories.
"What is this?" Elaine pointed to a black leather suitcase sitting on the large bed.
This was... something that had not appeared in his memories.