When the plot-skips players into the game world

Chapter 385: Chapter 293 James and Jacob Chapter 385: Chapter 293 James and Jacob Merlin narrowed his eyes slightly.

Because he recognized the old man, and was very familiar with him.

They had known each other a long time ago.

——The man who was locked in the birdcage by Titania was none other than James Moriarty, Aiwass’s foster father.

Despite being confined in a cage, the elderly man seemed to be in good health.

He was dressed as if he was going to attend a banquet, his hair neatly combed and slicked back.

In addition to the horizontal bars for birds to perch on, the birdcage also had a chair for a person to sit.

At this moment, James sat steadily and even crossed his legs, smiling as he looked at Merlin.

“…I heard you’ve been missing for a while, and here you are.”

Merlin spoke, “Everyone thought you had an accident in the Holy Nation.”

“I did indeed visit the Holy Nation.

On one hand, it was to retrieve something, and on the other, it was to pay my respects to The Great Tree.”

James said with a smile, “I have much respect for The Great Tree—with its own strength, it bears a civilization and creates a race with its flesh and blood.

If only the power of The Great Tree were a bit stronger, I’m sure it would choose to nurture the entire world.”

“I’ll take that seriously.”

Merlin said offhandedly, “How’s your research going lately?

You haven’t summoned me for a long time, things must be going smoothly, right?”

“You could say that.”

James laughed lightly, “But before Her Majesty, let’s not talk about these boring things—what are you doing in the Fairy Kingdom?”

“You should ask your child that.”

Merlin said unceremoniously, “While you’re here as a guest, they haven’t been idle.”

“Which child of mine?”

James countered, “Son or daughter?”

“Of course, that little fox from the Alexander family.

Thanks to him, I discovered that Vivian was up to something again—she modified my Ceremony of Avalon’s Shadow.

But she doesn’t have that ability, so I suspect it was Jacob who helped her out.

As a ‘great wizard,’ he frequently uses rituals to borrow the power of other paths, and the Angel Envoy he knows on the Path of Love is Vivian.

So, they are connected.

“But if Jacob isn’t the one who made the change…

then the situation is even more complex.

It might involve the Celestial Marshal and the Pillar God.

Although my skills are not the best, it’s not something ordinary people can change at will.”

Merlin adjusted his wide-brimmed hat, speaking seriously to both James and the Fairy Queen, “So I need to go to the Valley of the Beheaded and see if Alexander left anything else behind.

But it has been engraved by the Amber God, and I, who no longer have a physical body, can’t enter through the normal path.

“So I need to use the Fairy Hole.

If he left behind any rituals, there would definitely be clues there.”

“Shadow of Avalon…”

The Fairy Queen, Titania, asked with interest, “Is it the ritual that revived Lancelot?

What has Vivian changed it into?

Is it fun?”

“I can’t say for sure.”

Merlin shook his head cautiously, “What it resurrects definitely isn’t Lancelot.

Whether it’s fun or not, I’m not sure, but it will definitely be troublesome.

So I’ve stopped the ritual first.”

He actually wasn’t sure whether the ritual would, as Aiwass said, pull down a Shadowy Celestial Marshal.

In Merlin’s understanding, there is no ritual that can directly pull a Celestial Marshal into the Material Realm.

If Celestial Marshals could be dragged down so easily, wouldn’t they have been pulled down long ago?

Though Celestial Marshals and Angel Envoys could reincarnate, it was always a voluntary act.

Usually, it was to advance further or switch paths that they would choose to “start afresh.”

Merlin had some understanding of the ritual, solely because he was half a demon and possessed a certain intuitive ability beyond the Path of Transcendence.

However, he was ultimately not a professional Curse Ritual Magician…

His main Path was that of Wisdom.

In terms of rituals, he was only an amateur — albeit at the level of an Angel Envoy.

He analyzed the situation logically and felt that indeed the ritual could have such an effect…

but Merlin was not sure that was the ultimate effect once it was in motion.

Generally speaking, when Merlin encountered a ritual with uncertain effects, he would let it run a trial first.

But this ritual felt deadly, and he did not dare to test it — in case it really dragged someone familiar into misfortune.

What exactly were Vivian and Jacob up to?

Is this something you can meddle with?

“Regarding this, I might actually know a bit,”

James raised an eyebrow and calmly said, “When Aiwass’s parents came to Glass Island back then, they brought a letter with them.

The letter mentioned his father’s research…

It was a letter sent by his brother.”

“Whose brother?”

“Giulio Alexander, Jacob’s second son, also Aiwass’s father.

His brother — that is, Jacob’s eldest son — had sent the letter to Giulio.”

“…I don’t really remember.”

“Well, Giulio was just a young priest.

He wasn’t even a bishop, so it’s normal that you don’t remember.”

James nodded and continued to explain to his old acquaintance, “His eldest son was not very famous either.

He later inherited Jacob’s ambitions on the demonological Path and infiltrated the Noble Red.

But then he was killed by the people of Noble Red.

It was because of this that Noble Red became aware of Jacob’s research.”

“I’ve never heard of it.”

Merlin shrugged his shoulders and smiled helplessly, “Just tell me, what did the letter say?

What exactly was Jacob researching?

I only know it seems to be related to artificial humans…

It was Erinys who told me that he used the wrong means to reach the ultimate pursuit of alchemy.

Consequently, Jacob was cursed by the Hourglass.”

“Jacob hid his name back then because of his research.

I was also in the Lohar Society at the time and had many confrontations with him when I was younger.”

James said softly with squinted eyes, “He was indeed a genius.

But geniuses usually only go one step ahead, and two steps ahead makes a madman.

“He went more than two steps ahead — his research was truly taboo.@@novelbin@@

Even replicating souls was merely a necessary component of his associative technologies.

I believe what he truly wanted to do was to create a deity.

“The letter mentioned that he attempted to integrate fragments of a Phantom Demon into human souls to create people with innate peculiarities.”

“…Isn’t that the Phantom Demon Egg?”

Merlin frowned tightly, “What’s the point of that?”

“I don’t know.

His death was mysterious, and I actually suspect he didn’t die…

Either that or he quietly became an envoy for a certain deity.

Although I’m not sure what he intended to do, it’s definitely right to destroy all his plans.”

James answered calmly, “According to his original plan, Aiwass Alexander should have been handed over to Bishop Mathers by Giulio, and Yulia Heracles would ultimately be adopted by the Barton Couple.

“So I interfered to a certain extent…

I raised Yulia and Aiwass right before my eyes.

I just didn’t expect the two of them to end up together.”

“Your sudden faked death, was that for this reason?” Merlin asked in return.

“Hmm, after Aiwass came into contact with Noble Red, he suddenly became very wary of me.

Moreover, he inexplicably gained some secret knowledge that he shouldn’t have had, involving Celestial Marshals and Pillar Gods.

I suspect he was influenced by Jacob, perhaps receiving part of the knowledge in his dreams.”

James narrowed his eyes, “So I decided to give them some space…

to see what they would do without me.

That’s why I came to seek Her Majesty Titania’s shelter for a while.

“Since you’ve been keeping an eye on Avalon, please tell me — what have they done during this time?”