Chapter 2998: Seedbed of the Palace

'I see. The Seedbed of the Palace?'

'The true name of the Birthday Party?'

Though it was only a tiny speck, that brilliance thoroughly illuminated his mind.

Fu Qian did not rush to take the dagger. In that moment, he merely sighed inwardly.

His myriad thoughts seamlessly connected, linking all the way back to a deeply memorable term.

As for the specific process of that connection?

Whether it was the brilliance on the dagger or the material beneath it that looked as though it were forged from ice crystals, it gave him a profound sense of déjà vu.

During the task where he first encountered the Holy Infant Calamity Star, four Knights of the Apocalypse had descended one after another, completing the setup for a direct execution.

Among them, the second Knight of the Apocalypse, Albino, had left an especially deep impression.

A peculiar figure, terrifying lethality, and an utterly unmatched will to fight—furthermore, it was a genuine Divine Emissary.

The radiance flowing over its weapon was exactly the same, and every part of its body was made of a similar material.

It was to the point that if someone claimed this thing was a secondary weapon it had dropped here, Fu Qian wouldn't doubt it much.

He vaguely remembered that under his relentless provocation, that little White-Hot Knight had displayed considerable despair, even spitting out a name: the "seedbed."

Something that allowed no blasphemy or defilement, something it had sworn to protect with its life.

As for why he inferred that the seedbed it protected might be here just because the dagger was here?

It did sound like a massive leap in logic, but it was known that Corvos had specifically requested this be given to him, and it was highly probable that Corvos belonged to the Conservative Faction alongside Kelin.

After all, even Old Man Henry, who would rather stay in the Sacred Night Capital, strongly disliked him.

Combined with Kelin's attitude, giving this thing to him was essentially an open display of ill intent.

Since Corvos had personally orchestrated it, one could assume the plot was massive.

But what kind of malice could such a gift contain?

Its Rank wasn't even very high; could it truly affect the thick-skinned Professor Fu?

In Fu Qian's view, the chances of overcoming him with brute force were slim. This item likely possessed some special, targeted effect.

But how exactly would it target him?

His past interaction with the White-Hot Knight had been conducted secretly during a task, so the chances of others knowing about it were relatively small.

So setting aside that past connection, from the perspective of Excellency Corvos, this thing should be quite unfamiliar to Professor Fu. Why would he think it had a targeted effect?

It was simple. It might not target a person; it could target a location.

He shouldn't limit his thinking. It might not be familiar with a person, but it could be familiar with the Birthday Party.

Could walking through the Birthday Party while holding this item hold some special significance?

This was a so-called indirect attack.

Since Professor Fu was as slippery as an eel, they would actively slip a hook onto him.

If that were true, from Excellency Corvos's perspective, this was undoubtedly a brilliant move.

But this also inevitably brought to mind the "seedbed" that the White-Hot Knight had mentioned.

Even how that being had repeatedly emphasized that the place allowed no defilement aligned perfectly with the filth he had felt along the way.

After all, tragic heroes generally saw their wishes thwarted. The seedbed being defiled seemed like a much more normal progression of events.

As for why the prefix "of the Palace" was added?

That was simple too. He hadn't added that prefix himself; Excellency Serpent of Destiny had added it.

1-008; Door.

It was a proven fact that during the task in the Nightmare Corridor, Excellency Serpent of Destiny—having been miserably tormented—had still played the part of a mystic in the end.

It hadn't said much, merely spitting out a location's name, which was exactly the "Seedbed of the Palace."

That had sparked some speculation at the time, making him wonder if it was related to the seedbed the White-Hot Knight spoke of.

Now, that speculation had only grown far more intense.

After all, it was a known fact that Excellency Serpent of Destiny, just like Corvos, harbored no good intentions toward Professor Fu.

So one could entirely assume the worst and interpret that final Death Rattle as maliciously as possible.

And how could ordinary items easily affect the King of the Abandoned Prison? Unless it was related to a critical juncture like advancement—after all, the process of transformation was a vulnerable state.

This point perfectly matched the guidance he had seen after putting on the Mask of the Destined God.

Finally, aside from all this, there was one detail that couldn't even be called a proper reason.

It was hard to say what the "Palace" specifically referred to, but in the Birthday Party before him, the buildings truly looked as if they were being nurtured in a seedbed, constantly sprouting upward.

'Is this destiny? It has quietly woven itself together.'

This trip to the Birthday Party was fulfilling popular expectations even more than it appeared.

Although it was just a guess, it didn't stop Fu Qian from suddenly feeling a greater sense of belonging.

The treachery of this Hongmen banquet had just climbed another step.

"Very nice. What's its name?"

In that moment, Fu Qian showed no intention of rejecting fate, picking up the dagger right in front of the onlookers.

"Unfortunately, it doesn't receive the delicate treatment of having a name. Here, it only has a number."

However, Kelin shook her head, indicating that the management system here wasn't as meticulous as the Warehouse.

Even a solemnly presented gift didn't have a name.

"And its effect?"

Fortunately, Professor Fu didn't mind. As he toyed with it, he merely savored that sense of familiarity.

It was indeed very similar. Back then, the White-Hot Knight had used a Sword-Spear of a similar material to execute a five-hit light-speed combo, forcefully piercing his head to pieces.

"That I do know. It's said to possess the power to sever earthly ties and return things to purity."

Faced with this new question, one had to admit the contrast was a bit stark.

A weapon without even a name, yet its effect sounded quite intimidating.

"Are you sure this thing can sever anything?"

Fu Qian just frowned slightly at this, gesturing with it in his hand.

A seamless whole, exquisitely translucent, practically glowing with its own light—

Although the item in the box truly didn't look like something forged by human hands, and such an ethereal effect was hard to disprove, the description itself seemed rather sloppy.

Its size was considered pocket-sized even among daggers. Any smaller, and it could be hung on a keychain. Its peculiar shape made even a stabbing motion difficult, and it truly didn't match the action of "severing."

"I'm not sure."

It proved that free gifts came with a stiff attitude. Facing Fu Qian's doubt, Kelin didn't even intend to defend it.

"Excellency Corvos merely instructed that this item be placed in Professor Fu's hands. He didn't explain how to use it or whether it would even have an effect."

Not only that, the conspiratorial tone in her words was no longer even veiled.

It had no name, its effect was unknown, and the excuse of it being a thank-you gift had clearly been improvised on the spot—

This dagger was obviously something Corvos, another giant among the Night Watchers, had been scheming to hand over to him for a long time.

Everyone present could undoubtedly hear this underlying meaning, so much so that Old Man Stoss's face had turned completely grim.

"Understood. Then how about we call it Fate-Binder?"

Perhaps the only mildly comforting thing was that the guest of this Hongmen banquet didn't seem to mind.

At that moment, as he continued gesturing against his body with the dagger, Professor Fu casually bestowed it a name.