This time, the Saint Raymond Purification Array was completed by Lin, Dorothy, Solaire, and Fia.
Solaire is an angel, while Lin, who also holds the rank of an angel and possesses a hint of divinity as a special believer, joined forces with Dorothy and Fia, both of whom are Silver Believers. Dorothy, being a legendary witch, could provide the array with an endless supply of magic, making the Saint Raymond Purification Array's power extraordinary. Even if there were more than ten mermaids trapped inside, it would still be nothing to fear.
Thus, the moment the array was activated, the mermaids and sea witches inside could only passively await their fate.
Lucina wanted to use her voice to call out to her companions in the Pink Hotel, especially the Lady Baroness. Unfortunately, their voices could not penetrate the array's walls.
Even the merfolk's unique telepathy was blocked.
Moreover, as a precaution, Dorothy had temporarily moved Lucina's Pink Hotel out of the Fairy Tale World. This way, after the mermaids enjoyed the delicious food, they would naturally leave the hotel on their own and not linger. Once the ten mermaids were dealt with in the Fairy Tale World, they could also leave the hotel smoothly without immediately facing the next battle, let alone receiving reinforcements from more mermaids.
As for the human nobles devoured by the sea witches, they would have to wait until they returned to the Blue Whale to inform Count Holbert. The kingdom would then issue a warrant for their capture, and upon finding anyone similar, send witches to handle it. On land, witches were the strongest force. Without the protection of the sea, mermaids' strength was at most equivalent to that of knights.
Amidst the mermaids' cries of despair and unwillingness, the Saint Raymond Purification Array eliminated them one by one. The process lasted about two hours, and in the end, only mermaid crystals and an oil painting remained inside the array.
【Acquired new entry: [Mermaid Eradicator]】
【You, along with Dorothy Holle, Solaire, and Fia Edeland Mollie, have joined forces to use the Saint Raymond Purification Array to erase nine mermaids from this world. You have become a Mermaid Eradicator.】
【Carrying this entry, you will be marked by the merfolk. As long as you are at sea, you may face counterattacks and revenge from the mermaids.】
Ugh, this is no different from being red-tagged in the mermaids' world!
Lin frowned, noticing that both Fia and Dorothy had acquired this entry, while the angel Solaire was immune to this red entry.
Soon after, Lin discovered another new entry.
【Acquired new entry: [Loss of Taste]】
【During your use of [Time Traveler], you sacrificed the [Permanent Blindness] trait. Since this is a curse of the [Eye of Misfortune], the [Time Traveler] cannot directly confront the [Eye of Misfortune]. It twisted the rules, causing you to lose your sense of taste.】
Indeed, each use of [Time Traveler] comes with an additional cost, or rather, an extension of the cost.
But losing his sense of taste had no effect on him, as his taste was already vastly different from that of a normal person. At most, it would make it harder to tell if the blood in a blood bag was expired.
This also showed that while both the [Eye of Misfortune] and Abel were called "evil gods," the [Eye of Misfortune] was clearly superior to Abel. Thus, the [Time Traveler] could directly take away the [Devil's Descendant] entry but could not directly take away [Permanent Blindness]. However, it could exploit a bug and twist everything.
Moreover, the last time he used [Time Traveler], he lost his memories and someone very important to him, while this time, he only lost his sense of taste. This proved a point: the greater the impact on the course of history, the greater the cost that must be paid.
Last time, Lin had changed the fate of over two million people, but this time, he had only changed the fate of a few. Therefore, the [Time Traveler] had only sacrificed his sense of taste.
"Thank you, generous angel," Lin expressed his gratitude to the angel Solaire, mainly for Dorothy and Fia to see.
Although Dorothy was his symbiotic contractor, she still didn't know all his secrets. As for Fia, who was a member of the church, Lin didn't want her faith to crumble.
What? Is the angel your blood slave?
Do you think you're someone important? The illegitimate child of Teg?
Lin didn't want Fia to make such remarks.
Solaire smiled faintly, her figure gradually fading away.
Fia knelt reverently on the ground, performing the highest church ritual to see the angel off.
This was Fia's second time seeing the almighty angel, and her heart was filled with even more enlightenment and admiration. She felt that she had taken a significant step forward on the path of a Silver Believer.
Meanwhile, the exceptionally talented Dorothy directly advanced from a Silver Believer to a Special Believer through this use of the Saint Raymond Purification Array.
A golden light enveloped Dorothy as she was about to receive her divine gift from the God of Teg.
However, guided by Lin's mental prompt, she refused the divinity.
Lin and Fia were both shocked by Dorothy's growth. Seeing her, they understood what it meant to be a true genius and what it meant to be an ordinary person.
Dorothy, still young, could become a Special Believer through her own strength alone. Without any cheats, Lin couldn't compare to her.
So Lin thought, picking up the oil painting from the ground.
The painting depicted Baya sitting on a rock, singing. This was... a Blessing Item?
Lin was delighted to sense the painting's special properties. No wonder he had been drawn to it when he first entered the Pink Hotel. At the time, he had simply thought it was because the mermaid in the painting was beautiful. Now, it seemed it was because of the [Blessing Item Radar].
He would subconsciously notice any [Blessing Item] he came into contact with. Unfortunately, the entry identification only applied to humans and not to objects, so Lin hadn't realized the painting was a Blessing Item immediately. The information from the [Blessing Item Radar] was also quite vague and indirect.
Moreover, perhaps this [Blessing Item] had a mermaid owner, as Lucina was clearly its holder.
Now, after Lucina's death, Lin could feel a strong resonance between himself and the oil painting.
【Acquired new entry: [Blessing Item Canvas Holder]】
【Canvas: This is a specially made canvas. Everything depicted in the painting can be controlled by you, as long as you possess sufficient imagination and painting skills. Anything you paint can become reality.】
【Cost of use: Each time you use it, you must endure the pain of having your skin peeled off. If you can shed your skin, this side effect can be ignored.】
Lin put the oil painting away. The pain of skin peeling was tolerable for him, as long as his heart wasn't injured. Any wound could heal quickly, a benefit of being a Blood Rider.
"Lin, thank you. I owe you one this time," Fia said, looking at him seriously.
Lin waved his hand. "We're even. Just don't ask me to help you catch any more sea witch pets."
"I'm sorry," Fia said, feeling that her own recklessness had played a large part in this kidnapping and had brought so much trouble to Lin.
"We're friends. You don't need to be so polite," Lin said, patting Fia's shoulder.
"Friends?" Fia wondered for a moment before nodding in acceptance.
If Lin already considered her a friend and was willing to risk his life to save her, then she should also treat him as a true friend from the bottom of her heart.
This was Fia's second friend.
Fia crouched down, picking up the glittering mermaid crystal on the ground. "What's this?" she asked. As someone well-versed in knowledge, she naturally knew nothing about the deep sea or the merfolk's crystals.
Lin gathered up the other crystals. "I don't know either. Maybe we can ask Dorothy after her promotion ceremony. Trust me, this should be something good."
It was common sense that defeating enemies dropped equipment. So, the mermaid crystals were definitely good items.
Fia nodded slightly, handing the crystal to Lin. "This is yours."
"You were involved too. Take this one," Lin said.
Fia didn't refuse and took the mermaid crystal, examining it carefully. She wasn't coveting treasure but was simply curious about something she had never seen before and wanted to research it to gain new knowledge.
Dorothy's promotion from a Silver Believer to a Special Believer took several hours to complete. Everyone's promotion process was different, and Dorothy's duration was clearly longer than Lin's.
She didn't feel much joy about her upgrade; she was just surprised at how it had happened.
"Congratulations, Dorothy," Lin and Fia offered their blessings.
Dorothy smiled and nodded. "I feel that my soul has been enhanced to some extent."
"I hope I can experience that soon," Fia said. She felt that it would take her at least fifty or sixty years to reach that level, or perhaps she would remain a Silver Believer forever. Many people stopped there.
"Don't worry, it's not difficult," Dorothy said, encouragingly patting Fia's shoulder. "Lin reached Special Believer before me."
Fia didn't want to talk to a genius like Dorothy right now; she just wanted to be alone.
Lin's mouth twitched, and he quickly changed the subject. "Dorothy, what are these crystals?"
Dorothy opened the fairy tale book and explained according to its contents,
“This is a mermaid crystal, a magical crystal left behind after a mermaid’s death. Even if an ordinary person consumes it, there is a chance to gain magical power, but they will forever be cursed by the sea. Once they come into contact with seawater, they will automatically lose their magic.”
“This is similar to witches, isn’t it?” Fia asked.
“Yes, exactly.”
Peachlys nodded thoughtfully.
Lien, on the other hand, was deeply disturbed.
If witches weren’t naturally existing beings, could they be artificially created by hunting mermaids for their crystals?
The probability was low. The creation of witches, in essence, was to reclaim the authority that the God of Tigre once granted to the fallen angels. However, most witches were failed creations because they couldn’t bear the immense magical power and would inevitably lose control.
If witches were artificially created, they would have no connection to the God of Tigre whatsoever.
But this did provide a clue.
If you wanted someone to become a witch or a warlock, they could consume a mermaid crystal.
“Mermaid crystals can only be consumed by female children, and there’s a 90% chance of dying immediately after consumption. Only 10% might gain magic, and even then, only 1% can survive to adulthood. Most will die from magic going out of control.”
After reading this description, Peachlys was deeply shocked.
So were Fia and Lien.
They all knew that witches couldn’t touch seawater; it would trigger the curse. Witches were girls who awakened their magical abilities from a young age. They would be taken by the Guardian Bureau and the Church for reeducation and task assignments. Most witches didn’t live past 16 years old.
And these characteristics matched the mermaid crystals perfectly.
Could it be that these children never originally had the “witch” attribute, but were instead selected by the Church and the Guardian Bureau, forced to consume mermaid crystals, and thus artificially turned into witches?
And the real witches might only be Peachlys.
There were many differences between real witches and artificial ones, just like the differences between Peachlys and the others.
But Lien had cleared so many word entries and entered the memories of Sophie, Dora, Ellie, and Cameron. He never saw any of them consuming mermaid crystals; they all seemed to have awakened their powers naturally. Why was that?
Were their memories altered?
Did the wise ones have the ability to modify memories, or could they alter them at a subconscious level?
If that were the case, it would be terrifying.
If the hypothesis were true, then the idea that “witches are the chosen guardians of God” would be the world’s biggest lie.
Because witches were nothing more than artificial weapons.
Just as mermaids liked to eat human flesh, humans were eating their “flesh.”
This was a world cruel to the extreme.
“It seems we’ve all thought of the same thing.”
Lien took a deep breath. “But this is a secret that cannot be exposed.”
“Yes, otherwise, we’d be hunted down by the entire world and become the biggest heretics.”
Fia’s expression returned to calmness. She realized this world was far more complicated than she had imagined. But she was no longer a little girl; she was a mature person.
Peachlys nodded slightly, feeling a strong sense of mission rising within her. She clenched her small fists.
“No matter where witches come from, we will save them.”
Fia and Lien looked at her.
“I won’t participate,” Fia said.
“No, Fia, you must. You know the world’s biggest lie. If you don’t want to be the world’s enemy, you need to lean on a powerful organization. We are that organization. Join us and let’s change the world together.”
Peachlys had finally advanced from a magical genius to a chuuni girl.
Lien covered his forehead with one hand. If she weren’t so beautiful, he wouldn’t want to admit that this chuuni girl, with her brain full of magic and redemption ideas, was his fiancée.
“What organization?” Fia asked suddenly, her interest piqued.
“The Word Entry Mutual Aid Association. We serve those poor witches who have acquired red word entries—”
Peachlys began her sermon.
Lien quietly pocketed all the crystals and checked if there were any other spoils of war. Except for the Bestowal item, the “Canvas,” and nine mermaid crystals, there was nothing else.
When he came back to his senses, Peachlys was already discussing the rules for joining the association with Fia.
“First, you must never reveal any information about the association to others, no matter what.”
“Second, you must unconditionally believe in the president of the association, Lien, because only he has the power to save everyone.”
“Third—”
Seeing Fia listen seriously, Lien felt a headache coming on.
Did Peachlys really want to turn the Word Entry Mutual Aid Association into the empire’s first cult?
“I just want to know if I can get knowledge for free in the association,” Fia asked.
“Of course, but you can’t share this knowledge. Do you understand?”
Peachlys asked solemnly.
“I understand.”
Fia nodded. “I’m willing to join.”
Fia enjoyed the academic exchanges with Lien and Peachlys. Joining their association would allow her to gain knowledge for free, which she looked forward to.
She had already read through most of the Church’s documents. What she couldn’t access at her level were the hidden materials that would take her decades to obtain.
So, why not betray for knowledge?
People who would join a heretic organization for knowledge would also betray the organization for knowledge.
Peachlys also knew this. This was the typical behavior of a stubborn scholar who pursued only what they believed to be the truth.
So, on the day Fia joined the association, Peachlys added a compulsory loyalty spell on her. The spell made Fia unable to mention anything about the association to anyone outside of it.
Seeing Fia’s new word entry, 【Loyalty Curse】, Lien realized that Peachlys wasn’t just a simple chuuni girl. She had her own cautious procedures.
“Do mermaid crystals have any other uses?” Lien asked.
Peachlys shook her head. “The fairy tale book isn’t an encyclopedia. It can’t explain the full scope of things. If we want to know more about the crystal’s properties, we’ll have to test it ourselves. But for now, we have another tricky problem.”
“What is it?” Fia asked.
Lien looked at Fia. “Fia, you should leave here first. Notify the supply army and the ships to leave Golden Island as soon as possible. This island might sink.”
Fia’s pupils constricted. She looked at Peachlys in disbelief. “Are you going to lose control?”
“In the fairy tale book, my magic is restricted. Once I leave, my body will inevitably head toward losing control, and there won’t be any transition period. Because when I used the fairy tale book, I consumed 10 years of my life, and when I used the purification array, I consumed another 10 years.”
Peachlys explained frankly.
“In that case, the best way is for you to stay in the book forever.”
Fia said seriously.
“That is an option, but it would mean I lose my freedom and become part of the book. I don’t want to do that, and I don’t need to. I believe Lien can save me.”
Peachlys had investigated Lien’s background before meeting him. When the devil Kroos investigated Lien, he accidentally found out about the strange recovery of the disease witch Dora after her loss of control. At the time, Peachlys didn’t link Dora to Lien until she knew he had the ability to clear word entries. So, she believed Lien could save her. She just didn’t know how.
When the disease witch was saved, she was probably still spreading the virus. So, when Peachlys was saved, she might also be constantly destroying things around her.
Having the army and ships retreat and leave the island was the best choice.
“Alright.”
Fia agreed to the proposal.
Peachlys sent everyone out of the fairy tale book and stayed behind temporarily.
Parker, Ruben, and the others left the fairy tale book and regained their senses. They only remembered being captured by the ugly mermen and didn’t recall the auction that followed.
When they saw Lien, they naturally understood that he had rescued them and were moved to tears.
“Mr. Lien, I knew you’d come to save us.”
“Brother, the mermen on the island are problematic.”
“They actually dare to kidnap nobles. How—”
Their words stopped abruptly when they saw Baron O’Neill.
They were shocked to see the beautiful mermaid woman.
Fia and Lien were also slightly surprised. Why did the female baron stay? Was she waiting for something? Did she discover that Baron Jyles was a replicant? Or did she want the Bestowal item, the “Canvas,” or uncover the secrets of the “Fairy Tale Book”?
Lien’s mind raced with countless possibilities and guesses, but he reacted immediately.
First, he used magic to silence the naive noble children to prevent them from saying anything they shouldn’t.
Second, he distanced himself from the female baron and smiled politely, probing her, just in case she stayed for something unrelated to him.
“Baron, why haven’t you left?”
“I, a vampire, have been waiting for you.”
Murphy’s law struck again. Fear what might happen, and it happens.
When Li En's smile gradually faded, the beautiful merman baroness revealed a playful smile.
"I was just joking. I was waiting for Lucina, as we still have some unfinished business to discuss. It seems, however, that I won't be seeing her today, will I?"
"Yes."
Li En replied honestly.
"If you've killed her, then trading with you is the same. I want that painting. I believe it's in your possession now, don't you?"
Baroness O'Neill said.
"Very well, since this is a trade with you, let my blood servants leave first. They still need to prepare the ship for my departure. I'm sure you're aware that vampires aren't welcome on this island."
"Of course. I understand."
The baroness stepped aside, unbothered by the departure of these insignificant individuals. Moreover, she wasn't worried about anyone taking the 【Canvas】 because she was familiar with its scent and was certain it was on Li En.
Li En nodded slightly to Feia, who understood his gesture and quickly led Parker and the others away.
Baroness O'Neill's gaze never left Li En. She knew how fast vampires could move; perhaps if she let her guard down for even a moment, Li En might slip away.
Meanwhile, she was more concerned about the object that had made Li En and Lucina disappear earlier, which might be another Grace Item, just like the 【Canvas】. Even merfolk, like humans, pursued that ultimate, extraordinary power.
"Baroness, are you alone?" Li En asked with a smile.
"It sounds like you think I'm alone, and you're planning to rob me."
Baroness O'Neill retorted.
"No one would dare rob a sea witch noble at sea."
Li En sat down on the soft sofa across from Baroness O'Neill. "Are you dissatisfied with the food?"
"Compared to beautiful young girls, the taste of Duke Gyles is indeed indescribable."
Baroness O'Neill said, "But what I want to trade for is the Grace Item in your possession."
So, she was after the Grace Item? That meant she had known about Lucina's possession of the 【Canvas】 or was now after the 【Fairy Tale Book】. Though she likely didn't know its name.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Vampire, let's be honest. I can no longer sense Lucina's presence, proving she's dead, and you carry the scent of that Grace Item. Lying to me now is pointless. The Northern Continent is a paradise for vampires, but at sea, it's the kingdom of merfolk. You hold an item that belongs to the merfolk. Even if you don't trade it to me, others will covet it, and they won't be as easy to deal with as I am."
The baroness calmly analyzed the situation for Li En, who was somewhat surprised. The merfolk had mentioned the Northern Continent twice, so it seemed the continent indeed harbored many vampires.
"Very well, Baroness, tell me your terms. I'm not short on money, but can you offer something of equal value?"
Li En looked at the baroness as if genuinely considering her proposal, while in reality, he was thinking of releasing Dollis and taking her down directly. Before that, he might still extract some useful information from her.
"If I were to offer you a Grace Item of equal value, I can't provide one, but I can give you three replicated items in exchange."
"Replicas have the advantage of lower costs. Even ordinary people can use them. If you're a merchant, you should understand their value."
Baroness O'Neill said.
"I'd be happy to hear about these three replicas."
Li En listened intently.
Baroness O'Neill nodded slightly. "The first item is called the Mermaid's Heart. It can replace your original heart, giving you two hearts. For vampires, this should be quite tempting, shouldn't it? After all, if your heart is injured, it means immediate death. Two hearts would give you two lives."
"How can I be sure a mermaid isn't taking over my body?"
Li En asked.
Baroness O'Neill was slightly surprised but nodded. "True, the Mermaid's Heart works through symbiosis. That's the cost of using it, but rest assured, its consciousness won't overpower yours. It will only occasionally influence your decisions."
"The second item is the Wisdom Conch. When you encounter confusing problems, it can give you three hints."
"What's the cost?"
"The cost is that the conch will borrow something from you."
"You mean the Wisdom Conch is alive?"
"Yes."
"Don't worry, it's just something insignificant."
Baroness O'Neill said.
"At first, it's something minor, but later, it might borrow your organs, right?"
Li En asked dryly.
Baroness O'Neill hadn't expected Li En to know even that. "Yes, as the number of times you use it increases, it will ask for more excessive things. But if you have two hearts, you won't need to fear that."
Li En wiped the sweat from his brow. These replicas were also traps.
"The third item is called the Mermaid's Silver Coin. With it, you can move freely underwater like a mermaid, learning to breathe beneath the waves. The cost is that you'll yearn to enter the sea."
After hearing the baroness's introduction, Li En's mouth twitched. The cost of yearning for the sea was too great. In this world, the ocean was a death trap for humans, utterly inhospitable.
"It seems you're not satisfied with any of these items."
Baroness O'Neill said.
"I'm sorry, Baroness, but compared to the painting, these items are indeed far less valuable."
"Tell me what you're interested in."
Baroness O'Neill wasn't surprised. Someone capable of killing Lucina and hiding another unknown Grace Item wouldn't easily resort to force unless absolutely necessary.
Li En pulled out a mermaid crystal. The crystal shimmered beautifully in the fading sunlight, like the purest gemstone. Indeed, time in the fairy tale world passed faster; in the real world, night hadn't yet fallen, and the sunset was gently touching the Golden Isle.
Sunlight streamed through the colored glass, filling the first-floor hall of the wooden inn with warmth. Baroness O'Neill's beautiful eyebrows rose slightly. She knew mermaid crystals all too well; they were remnants of her kin's deaths.
"I'd like to replace the Frank family in trading crystals with the merfolk nobles. If you have connections, this trade could mark a friendly beginning."
If the witches were artificial and humans feared the ocean too much to hunt merfolk, then only the Frank family, who had historically held the throne, would be involved in such trade. This also explained why the Holy Empire's Guardian Bureau had a reserve of 2,000 witches.
Of course, even if he was wrong, it didn't matter. Li En had nothing to lose.
Baroness O'Neill narrowed her eyes, gazing deeply at Li En. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Very well, I'm sorry, Baroness. Let's hope we can cooperate next time."
Li En elegantly adjusted his half-silk top hat, picked up his diamond-encrusted cane, and prepared to stand.
"Unless you tell me the name of your other Grace Item."
Baroness O'Neill conceded.
Li En's eyes sparkled slightly; he had guessed correctly. The empire was indeed trading with the merfolk.
"My other Grace Item is called the Death Note. As long as I know someone's name, writing it down will erase them from existence, regardless of race or ability."
Li En lied. He wouldn't tell Baroness O'Neill about the 【Fairy Tale Book】, so he fabricated a story to placate her.
"The cost is simple: for every name I write, I lose a close relative. One for one."
Li En revealed the cost of the Future Eye, believing Baroness O'Neill wouldn't know it, as it had always been in Old Jack's possession, even his closest aides unaware of its cost.
"I know Miss Lucina's full name, which is why she died. Don't worry, Baroness, I only know your surname, so I pose no threat to you."
"But you've just told me the cost of using the Grace Item, which makes me think you're lying."
Baroness O'Neill said.
"Very well, I admit I embellished the cost, but it's not a complete lie. Every Grace Item requires a secret price, known only to its holder. Holders won't reveal these secrets easily, just as you didn't fully disclose the costs of your replicas when you introduced them."
Li En's words were true. The costs of Grace Items were even more secretive than their abilities, often known only to their holders, who would never lightly reveal them, just as Baroness O'Neill had withheld information when explaining her replicas.
True Grace Items required even greater secrecy, which was also a lifeline for their holders.
If the other party wants to take away the Gift but doesn't know its specific function or the cost of using it, they might end up dying from misusing it.
That's why, when seizing a Gift, one would consider whether to kill its original owner.
This is how the trading of Gifts came to be.
If both parties possess Gifts or items of equal value, they can trade with each other.
Such trades can be temporary or permanent.
The *Fairy Tale Book* that Dorothy holds is a result of such a trade, which is why she can use it three times.
This is also why Baron O’Neill targeted Lucina's painting from the start but didn’t take it by force. In reality, her strength far surpasses Lucina's, and as a baron with many subordinates, she holds considerable power.
However, she doesn’t possess Lee In's unique ability to analyze the terms of a Gift and understand its usage.
"Fine. I do know some things, but I’m not at that level yet. I don’t have the authority to decide whether you can represent the human side in this trade. It’s extremely secretive."
Lee In couldn’t tell if Baron O’Neill was telling the truth or lying.
Some lies in this world are so convincing that even the liar themselves believes them.
For example, Sophie, Dora, Ellie, and Cameron all think they were born as witches.
This secret requires one to uncover it themselves. Perhaps only by returning to the Guardian Bureau and seeing the reserve witches can the truth be revealed.
"Perhaps we can stay in contact. In the future, when you can help me make connections, we can discuss the trade then."
Lee In said.
Baron O’Neill glanced at him. "While I can’t help you with this matter now, I can tell you a secret that might save you at sea."
She truly didn’t want to resort to violence, but Lee In possessing two Gifts made her tempted.
If Lee In could become her partner, even for a short-term trade, she could gain significant benefits.
But if he refused, Baron O’Neill wouldn’t hesitate to eliminate him here.
A mere vampire means nothing at sea, where merfolk fear no race.
"If you're saying that killing Lucina would lead to the merfolk pursuing me endlessly, that's something I already know."
Lee In said.
Baron O’Neill slightly froze. "It seems you know a lot about us. No wonder you dare to appear at sea. Could you be a descendant of the Zmit family?"
Lee In’s extensive knowledge made the distrustful Baron O’Neill suspect that he might be a noble from the bloodline of the Zmit family.
Lee In gave a non-committal expression, neither confirming nor denying it. This only strengthened Baron O’Neill’s belief in his identity.
She casually took out a paper boat and placed it in her coffee cup. The boat sank into the coffee.
Baron O’Neill retrieved the paper boat from the cup, and to Lee In’s surprise, it wasn’t stained by any coffee. It remained as white and pristine as before.
She placed the paper boat in her palm, stood up, and said to Lee In, "I look forward to our next meeting. I’ll prepare the right chips for our trade."
Baron O’Neill turned and left without looking back.
Just now, Baron O’Neill had tested Lee In with her Gift replica, the *Mermaid's Paper Boat*. She had thought about using force to take the Gifts from the man before her. The boat would tilt if the action was unwise and float steadily if it was safe.
But this time, the boat sank completely, indicating that using force to take Lee In’s Gifts would be suicidal.
This was the first time Baron O’Neill had received such a warning since obtaining the paper boat.
She suddenly understood.
The man before her was far more complicated than he appeared.
Leaving now was the best decision.
Lee In had wanted to stay a bit longer, as Dorothy would soon come out of the *Fairy Tale Book*. But to his surprise, the merfolk baron, the beautiful and noble Baron O’Neill, turned around and ran without any dignity.
Her speed was the fastest Lee In had ever seen, surpassing even Mary when she faced the evil god Abell.
This made Lee In reevaluate the baron and feel that she would surely achieve great things in the future.
Ten seconds after Baron O’Neill left, Dorothy emerged from the *Fairy Tale Book*.
She had actually been waiting all this time, giving Lee In time to prepare. She knew that once she left the fairy tale world, she would lose control.
With her appearance, an uncontrollable surge of magic erupted from her body, like an uncontainable flood, spreading in all directions.
The magic gradually turned into swirling magical turbulence, forming a massive vortex in the air that covered the entire island with dark, oppressive clouds. These weren’t real clouds but electrical clouds formed by compressed magic.
The air seemed to be squeezed to its limit as dazzling rays of light shot out from Dorothy, tearing through the sky and illuminating the surroundings like daylight.
Thunder and lightning crackled, and the small island began to shake violently, as if a gigantic beast was awakening from the depths of the earth.
The ground split into massive fissures, the trees withered instantly under the force, houses collapsed, stone bridges crumbled, and everything turned to dust.
