Super Righteous Player
Chapter 605 - 146: Why Not Call a Tragedy Playwright_1

Chapter 605: Chapter 146: Why Not Call a Tragedy Playwright_1

After giving Annan another warning, Benjamin left with his god through the mirror.

Annan could understand that Benjamin’s seemingly neutral but actually dissuasive explanation was a kind gesture.

It was meant to prevent him from recklessly using the dangerous item known as the "Egg of Dream Condensation."

That’s why he kept repeating how high the threshold was to use the "Egg of Dream Condensation" and how dangerous the otherworld inside was... without telling Annan specifically what he could gain from it.

But since Tricino Seti acquired the "Egg of Dream Condensation" from the Moth Mother through gambling, it indicated that Seti was indeed tempted.

Seti was willing to take that bet years ago against a True God... and he didn’t choose to sell it afterward but carried it with him until he was ready to give up the identity of "Dream Eater."

That indicated he was already prepared to use the "Egg of Dream Condensation."

In other words, Seti considered it to be something good.

Therefore, the rewards and gains obtained from it could not possibly be few.

Benjamin also mentioned to Annan that there aren’t many "Egg of Dream Condensation" left in the world because only a limited amount of otherworld knowledge is turned into "amber" by the Moth Mother.

Due to her racial characteristics, she witnessed many otherworlds. But there weren’t as many worlds that were fascinating enough for her to want to preserve.

For the Moth Mother, the act of expending energy to create the "Egg of Dream Condensation" is probably akin to creating specimens or models to preserve the rare things she has witnessed.

Of course, she has no need to sell them nor give such extremely dangerous items to her own followers. Only in very rare cases would she give them as prizes or rewards to outsiders.

According to Pope Benjamin, there are only three or four "Egg of Dream Condensation" known to exist that have not been used yet. Including those that may have been used, the total historic distribution amounts to only seven.

Even a saint once unfortunately died in another world; and the Orthodox Church has always prohibited clerics from using any items that could potentially take them to other worlds, which naturally includes the "Egg of Dream Condensation."

However, Annan wanted that book.

Actually, it’s not because he wanted to obtain something from another world.

After all, Annan’s ability development path was very stable.

He had an almost complete "Book of Truth" and more than one Saint’s Bone in the recognition period. He didn’t need to risk using the "Egg of Dream Condensation" to gain anything.

He just wanted to experience... or let some lucky player experience the difference between travelling worlds with the "Egg of Dream Condensation" and the "Book of the Celestial Chariot."

Through this method, Annan believed he should be able to deduce what the "Celestial Chariot" really is—and what the Book of the Celestial Chariot truly represents.

This could be useful for his mastery of truth.

But it’s only a "potential usefulness" and a matter of "considerable interest." It has not reached the level where he needs to call in favors from the Mirror Man to obtain it... After all, even if he had it, Annan wouldn’t have the ability to use it.

During the previous Ascension Ritual, the Mirror Man had already owed Annan a favor.

Owing another one... wasn’t a big problem.

One might say it’s like "a god raised in one’s own home."

There was no need to worry about accruing favors turning into resentment—not to mention the Mirror Man was not that kind of person, and Annan was far from a mere mortal.

With the grandmother and the Silver Baron around, the Mirror Man wouldn’t dare turn grace into enmity.

As Annan grew stronger and his status continued to rise, he would be keen to develop even more connections with Annan.

Although Annan didn’t know how much power Tricino Seti had leeched from the Mirror Man, it was clear it couldn’t be little.

—Because the Mirror Man gave too much.

The mark of holy light was not a one-time rental but a permanent power. And it came in fixed units—one from the Silver Baron or one from the Pale Princess. This "one" could be exchanged for different things depending on the divinity.

This had to do with each deity’s individual "business philosophy."

Some gods might prefer to let clerics exchange for Divine Arts, increasing their long-term capabilities, and patiently nurture future elders; but there were definitely False Gods who encouraged their followers to use sacred marks to exchange for more cost-effective "temporary abilities" for a quick return on investment.

After all, sacred marks aren’t "money," but "lifetime stocks."

If they were exchanged for Divine Arts or permanent blessings... then as long as the followers lived, that portion of power would always be theirs.

But if followers chose temporary abilities, even if the gods lost a bit and gave more,

they would reclaim those sacred marks much sooner.

Some gods—like the Paper Princess, the Stone Father, and the Iris Marquis—would directly choose to exchange sacred marks for corresponding help, seeking a shorter cycle to recoup their investment.

For example, they could purchase drawings from the Paper Princess using sacred marks, or even spend more sacred marks to commission drawings they desired; or ask the Stone Father for free assistance in constructing large and magnificent palaces... or have the Iris Marquis fight on their behalf in a duel.

Giving out twenty sacred marks in one go was already a substantial fortune for the Mirror Man, who had just attained godhood and didn’t have many followers.

With it, he could create twenty more clerics.

That’s equivalent to twenty churches—or rather, twenty mining shares.

Each cleric, even if clearing just one average three-durability nightmare a month, could fully recoup the investment in less than two or three months.

And the Mirror Man’s current clerics...

...Apart from Pope Benjamin, Annan really didn’t know who else there were.

Starting a business is tough.

For a deity just starting out, it’s also hard...

The twenty sacred marks given out gratuitously at the start, and the one hundred twenty scars that should have been fully allocated to Annan by the Tragic Writer, although objectively many times less, mean different things.

It’s actually surprising that the Tragic Writer could sponsor so much power to construct this nightmare; it’s quite unexpected for Annan.

——One hundred and twenty holy light imprints.

Annad speculated that, in the end, the ritual Tricino used to steal the power of the Mirror Man had probably failed.

It was the Playwright himself who intervened, exchanging an equivalent magnitude of power for that of the Mirror Man.

From this deduction, Annan estimated that the Mirror Man had about one hundred and twenty holy light imprints worth of curses locked in this ritual—already a significant sum for a new deity.

The share of debt the Mirror Man could recover for Annan was close to a 20% cut, which was indeed quite interesting.

The so-called response of the peach with the plum.

Annan really had no use for these holy light imprints.

He had already perused the divine arts list of the Mirror Man.

The divine arts available from the Mirror Man were mainly illusions, mirrors, duplicates, stealth... with the most valuable being mirror movement, a type of long-distance teleportation that required a pre-installed array.

But after all, it was a teleportation array, not personal teleportation.

Who wouldn’t use it?

If a player sets up a teleportation array and I freeload a bit, there shouldn’t be a problem, right?

To Annan, the divine arts list from the Mirror Man contained none of significant value.

At least there were alternatives in divine arts or rituals.

But this wasn’t the case for the players.

Their own mirror images, the enemy’s mirror images, making the battlefield like a mirror... These battling styles were still unformed for the players, and if they obtained divine arts from the Mirror Man, they might be inspired to come up with more ideas.

Annan planned to choose some players... find an excuse, and gift each one one or two holy light imprints. With just one, they could directly change classes to become clergy without occupying a career slot; with two, they could keep one to purchase divine arts.

——Of course, primarily giving them holy light imprints from the Mirror Man.

That could also conveniently expand the clergy pool for Him.

Although it might substantially reduce the average devotion... the players’ "work enthusiasm" was trustworthy.

They might be lazy about anything.

But grinding, running dungeons, running kickass dungeons—they wouldn’t be lazy about that.

And as for those ten holy light imprints from the Skeletal Noble... Annan wouldn’t give them to players, letting them become followers of the Skeletal Noble.

This always made him recall the fact that he seemed to have become the Skeletal Noble’s Pope.

As for the one hundred twenty holy light imprints from the Playwright...

"... How the hell am I supposed to spend all this?"

Annad, for a moment, felt a particular headache.

——He really didn’t need the divine arts and abilities to murder others!

He can’t just exchange them all for detection of hostility, can he?

What’s the difference between that and buying a twenty-year premium subscription of RapidX in one go?

Years later, when he ascends to the rank of the Grand Duke of Winter.

What kind of assassination would be more efficient than his decree as a grand duke?

Plus the Pope decree from his brother?

And the queen’s decree from Kafney?

And the senior... oh, the senior is now a commander without a baton, his words don’t carry weight.

And as for obtaining the secrets of others through conspiracies—couldn’t Annan simply inquire directly from the Crow family? The Hand of Winter in his own house was precisely tasked with this, and the Faceless Poet was quite acquainted with Annan.

"... Wait a second?"

Suddenly, Annan remembered something.

He had a mirror—"Mirror Man’s Mirror of Birth," also known as the Placental Mirror, which could be used to communicate with other deities.

Just by calling the other deity’s true name, he could summon their mirror reflection for free.

Although Annan did not know the true name of the Playwright, the grandmother or the Silver Baron probably did.

Maybe... he should "call" the Silver Baron to ask for the Playwright’s true name first.

Then, using the holy light imprints as payment, consult directly with this deity of conspiracy?

"—Hello, may I inquire if your Pope had any conspiracies previously?"

Would He respond?

Or perhaps let Him teach Annan how to detect or prevent conspiracies? He should be adept at that too, right?

In any case, it was better than letting these holy light imprints rot here.

With this in mind, Annan decided to get to work.

He promptly went to the inner room, modified the still-intact ritual slightly, and set up the mirror directly.