Every gift that fate bestows has already been secretly marked with a price.
Perhaps Trissy doesn't know this saying, but having already become a Sequence 7, after experiencing all sorts of things since becoming a Beyonder, this truth has been carved into her instincts.
No one will help you for no reason at all. When someone gives more than they expect in return, it often only means they can harvest even more.
Looking at Trissy's captivating eyes, the black cat suddenly stood upright on its hind legs, spread its front paws, and said with a helpless expression:
"It's not impossible to tell you, but before that, I think you should understand—if you know nothing, we're just making a transaction. Perhaps I'll gain 'favors' by giving you returns that exceed your payment, but it would only be limited to having you do things that don't touch your fundamental interests when necessary. Although there's some risk, once completed, you won't owe me anything anymore.
But once you know the reasons behind it, you'll no longer be a chess piece that can leave the board when one game ends. Whether you're willing or not, until you completely die, you'll continuously be dragged onto new chessboards, staking your life again and again.
So, are you certain you want to know the reason?"
"Gulp..."
Tris involuntarily swallowed, suddenly regretting asking too much. If she hadn't asked about that damned "gift" earlier, wouldn't she be spared from facing such a choice now?
Looking at the black cat's burning gaze, Tris felt her heart violently convulsing.
Should she be a chess piece, unknowingly placed on the board when she should play her role, quietly exiting when the game ends, or should she understand everything and then bear the risks that only chess players should shoulder?
She was just a Sequence 7!
In topics that could casually involve True Gods, what qualifications did he have to be a chess player?
Seeing Trissy fall into silence, the black cat showed no intention of urging her. Instead, it kept scratching at the box containing the Beyonder materials, until a single-eye symbol with the ∞ symbol as its pupil was carved on it. Only then did it stop its actions and say indifferently:
"You don't need to rush to respond. We still have a long time to spend together."
"..." Trissy took several deep breaths, calming her emotions. She indeed needed to think carefully about this.
However, when she looked at the small kitten in front of her and the box several times larger than its body, she suddenly remembered the purpose of her preparations and said:
"How do you plan to take the things away? Do you need me to give you a ride?"
"Just help me seal the room." The black cat gave Trissy a look, then assumed a prayer posture and chanted in Ancient Hermes:
"The Traveler from Distant Space and Time,
You are The Paradoxical Spiral of Logic and Wisdom,
You are The Reflection of Knowledge, Reverse Side of Truth."
"Your faithful servant prays for Your attention;"
"Prays for You to accept his offering;"
"Prays for You to open the gates of Your kingdom."
This ancient incantation echoed within the Spiritual Wall that Tris had opened, slowly accumulating violent winds.
"No spiritual materials were used?" The Witch potion had given Trissy considerable knowledge of rituals, and precisely because of this, she immediately recognized this as a Sacrifice Ritual, while also realizing just how incomplete this sacrifice ritual was.
There were no candles representing oneself and the deity, no offerings to please the deity, and no spiritual materials to communicate with the Divine Kingdom.
Apart from the three-part honorific name representing the True God's status, the only thing serving as a lock was that single-eye symbol with ∞ as its pupil.
Yet this crude ritual had already begun to take effect.
Under her dumbfounded gaze, an illusory door formed of white mist appeared beside her bed, and on that door was precisely that symbol of the double-pupiled single eye (∞).
Creeeak—
Though there was no actual sound, Trissy seemed to hear the sound of an ancient door opening. The illusory misty door slowly opened, revealing the indescribable vast sea of clouds beyond.
"Stop gawking! Send the box in!" The black cat suddenly turned to glare at Trissy. Trissy was immediately flustered, but intimidated by the terrifying pressure emanating from the misty door, she instinctively lifted the box with both hands and presented it before the door.
A suction force suddenly appeared at that moment, then quietly disappeared, and the only change in the room was that the box had vanished without a trace.
The door formed of mist quietly dispersed, and Trissy finally caught her breath.
'Ignoring so many conditions yet still completing the sacrifice, and merely to transport the raw materials for a single Sequence 9 potion—this cat... or rather, the person behind this cat, is probably a Blessed One enjoying tremendous divine favor.'
At this point, Trissy no longer doubted the existence of a "True God" behind this cat. Even if it wasn't a True God, anyone who could use a three-part honorific name must be a great existence approaching the status of a True God.
Seeing Trissy's terrified expression, the black cat showed a humanized smile, leaped onto the windowsill in a few steps, and turned back to say:
"The deal is complete. If there's anything, I'll come find you again. As for you, if you have any matters, you can pray to my Lord."
With that, the black cat jumped down from the windowsill and disappeared into the shadows of the city.
"Pray?" Trissy recalled the honorific name the black cat had told her, slightly lost in thought. She didn't set up any flags like "I, Tris, would rather die than..." because she clearly understood that she wasn't praying now simply because she hadn't yet encountered a crisis that would force her to pray.
Compared to sliding into the abyss in the future, dying immediately was the most unacceptable outcome.
...
In a guest room on the second floor of the Fragrant Tree Inn in Tingen City, Snow endured the whispers echoing in his mind as he opened the summoning door.
Thanks to the near-infinite spiritual output of "The One-Foot Staff" he could luxuriously maintain any skill that didn't exceed a quarter of his total spirituality in a single instant output for extended periods.
Although most of the time he reserved this to ensure he could activate "Concept Theft" at any moment to evade certain active probing from the Spectator pathway, opening a summoning door like this was still within his capabilities.
Actually, if he wanted to, he could even use the summoning door as a teleportation skill. The only problem was that Lily didn't have enough spirituality to actively open the summoning door.
But now, the spirituality had arrived.
Snow opened the box and began using the inn's teapot and cups to concoct the potion. As a gorgeous starry black potion appeared in the cup, Lily's figure also appeared outside the window.
"My time calculation abilities seem to have improved again." Snow chuckled as he released the consciousness attached to Lily, handing the cup of potion to her—
"Drink it. This is the fate of a meow."
Irresponsible Complaint: You never know what has actually been boiled in an inn's teapot...
(End of Chapter)