Lord of Prayer - Chapter 188 146: Transaction

The Lamp God’s low, serene laughter echoed through the ancient and solemn hall.

‘I finally get to see Mr. Lamp God again. He seems to be in a very good mood…’ Lin Ya pursed her lips, secretly sizing up the figure shrouded in white mist.

‘I’ve been pulled in here again. The number of people seems reasonable, though—not too many, not too few. It feels like the Lamp God is being very selective…’ Soron glanced around, musing to himself.

‘Round Table Hall? That must be the name of this secret society. My codename is “Number Four.” Am I the fourth lucky person to meet the Lamp God?’ Colin’s thoughts raced. Suddenly, he saw a member to the left of the round table stand up, place a hand over his chest, and bow to the Lamp God in the main seat.

—That was “Number One,” controlled by Zhou Chen.

Seeing this, the other three hurriedly stood, placed their hands over their chests, and bowed.

Zhou Chen pressed down slightly with his right hand, gesturing for everyone to be seated. He spoke in a gentle tone:

“Here, you can exchange information, trade resources, and cooperate in any way you can, just like in other secret societies.

“Some of you have been looking forward to this gathering for a long time. Number One, why don’t you start by introducing yourself.”

Zhou Chen split his focus and took control of Number One’s body.

The figure to the left of the round table raised a hand, seemingly with a smile, giving off a very talkative vibe:

“Hello, everyone. I am Number One, a Tier Two Ascender, a Blacksmith, and an unregistered Alchemist. I have a few Extraordinary Weapons I’ve forged on hand. If you need any, you can trade with me. I’m currently in need of some Thunder Attribute Extraordinary Materials.”

‘A Blacksmith? That’s a rare profession…’ After hearing Number One’s introduction, Soron cleared his throat and said quite proudly, “I am Number Two, a registered Alchemist.

“Ahem… I only have one newly-made Alchemy Armament, called the Air Gloves. When activated, it can create a wall of air. If you’re interested, you can trade with me. I need five Red Dragon Treasure Scales, preferably from a dragon at least thirty years old. That’s all.”

Next was Lin Ya’s turn. She looked down at the mottled Obsidian Round Table, her fingers twisting together as she spoke shyly, “I am Number Three, a Tier One Ascender…”

After a few seconds, when she didn’t continue, the others looked at her in astonishment.

‘That’s… it?’

‘Judging by her tone, Number Three seems to be a woman who is not good with words and is overly introverted. She doesn’t sound very old and seems to have low self-esteem…’ Colin analyzed internally.

‘She’s not a Blacksmith or an Alchemist, and she doesn’t seem to have any other “side-gigs”… If she’s just a Tier One Ascender, her use seems limited. Unless she’s a very, very strong fighter, but Number Three doesn’t look the part…’

‘No, no, no, I’m probably oversimplifying things. Number One is a Blacksmith, and Number Two is an Alchemist. Number Three’s identity can’t be that insignificant, or else why would Mr. Lamp God have chosen her? Perhaps she’s just not good at expressing herself and failed to mention the key information. Or maybe… she’s doing it on purpose?’

Colin brainstormed for a few seconds, then cleared his throat and introduced himself. “I am Number Four, a Tier Two Ascender. I know some Alchemy, but I’m still a long way from being a registered Alchemist.

“I am very confident in my personal strength, my connections, and my family’s resources. Number One, Number Two, I’d like to trade with you. Could you show me your creations first?”

He simply and directly showcased the resources at his disposal.

For Colin, this was a golden opportunity to acquire weapons and artifacts to build up his own foundation. As an Ascender from the American Hurst Clan, the one thing he didn’t lack was money.

The members looked toward Mr. Lamp God in the main seat. Now came the problem: if they were to trade, could they even bring items into this space?

Zhou Chen wasn’t worried about this. He had already experimented. As long as an item was enveloped in one’s own Essence, it could be brought into this space with his permission.

“Envelop your items with your Essence, and you can bring them into the Round Table Hall. As for you, Number Four, you can take items directly from your Storage Artifact.”

Colin’s Player Backpack was bound to his Soul, so it could be used in this space as well—provided Zhou Chen released the spiritual pressure on him. If he didn’t grant “permission,” no one would be able to use their Extraordinary Abilities or Essence Materialization artifacts here.

“Before you do so, make sure there are no other Ascenders around,” Zhou Chen reminded Number One and Number Two.

“Mr. Lamp God, I’m currently at the Alchemy Association, so it’s not convenient for me to do that.”

Number Two, Soron, spoke up promptly, stating he couldn’t bring his item to the Round Table Hall. He looked at Number Four, Colin. “You should know about the Air Gloves, right? They can create a wall of air three meters long and three meters wide.

“The gloves display the air wall’s durability. It’s sturdy enough to withstand up to three rocket blasts. If the wall isn’t broken, it will dissipate within three minutes.”

Colin nodded. “I know of the Air Gloves, but I need to know the specific quality of the artifact.”

Soron pondered this, looking troubled. After a moment’s thought, he said, “How about this? We can trade through a platform. If you’re not satisfied with the artifact’s quality, you can return it directly. With express shipping, it can be delivered anywhere in the world within eight hours.”

Colin thought for a moment, then nodded. “That’s a good method. I can accept that.”

Using alternate identities to disguise oneself was a mandatory skill for every Ascender. As long as one was cautious, they wouldn’t expose their personal information or even their location.

He looked at Number One. “Are you going to use the same method?”

Number One shook his head. “Just give me a moment. Mr. Lamp God, if you would.”

As he spoke, Number One’s figure suddenly vanished. In the real world, Zhou Chen returned a portion of his consciousness to his body and used his Essence to envelop all the weapons he had prepared in advance.

Then, his primary consciousness in the Round Table Hall communicated with the space, transferring the weapons from the real world and placing them on the table in front of Number One’s seat. At the same time, he re-materialized Number One’s figure.

In the eyes of the others, Number One had returned with five weapons in just a few seconds.

Number One pushed the weapons toward Colin, who was farther away, and said with a confident smile, “Please, take a look.”

Colin first picked up the tachi. With a SHING, he drew it from its sheath. The sharp blade was wreathed in a current of white air, which whistled as it moved.

He narrowed his eyes slightly, a little surprised.

Beside him, Soron let out a soft “Huh?” unable to suppress his amazement.

“I call this tachi Wind’s Joy. It’s a Wind Attribute weapon. Holding it grants a ten percent bonus to movement speed. By accumulating Essence, you can unleash a small whirlwind. Each gust of wind is equivalent to the shrapnel from a frag grenade explosion,” Number One explained.

“Excellent quality,” Colin praised. He had seen many weapons, and this tachi could already be called high-grade. If Morishima Ryoko were to see it, she would undoubtedly buy it on the spot. It was just that the name was a bit odd.

“This sword is the Stone of Freedom, a Rock Attribute weapon. It’s heavy and can cast Sands of Protection. To put it simply, it generates a one-meter-radius shield of sand and dust around the user to block attacks.”

“This one is Frost’s Sorrow, an Ice Attribute weapon… You could hang it on the wall in the summer to use as an air conditioner.”

“This is Fire Joy, a Fire Attribute weapon. It’s also the first weapon I ever forged, so its quality is a little inferior to the others.”

“And this is Pink Fluffy Rabbit. It’s a weapon I created by accident. Anyone struck by it will fall under an illusion, seeing the sword as a pink, fluffy rabbit doll. The effect is a bit strange, but its sharpness is second to none, making it perfect for catching an opponent off guard.”

“…”

“Your naming sense for weapons is certainly… unique…” Soron coughed, trying to hold back his laughter.

“It’s a personal hobby. Don’t you have your own little rituals?” Number One, controlled by Zhou Chen, turned to look at him.

“Er, I’m a bit ashamed to say, the Air Gloves are the first Alchemy Tool I’ve successfully created.” Soron spread his hands helplessly. “Most of the time, I’m just assisting my mentor and participating in his research projects.”

“Being able to participate in your mentor’s Alchemy projects means you must be very capable,” Zhou Chen said, feigning surprise.

“Not at all, I’m just average.” Soron smiled humbly, subtly demonstrating his own value.

Nearby, Colin had finished his inspection. He looked at Number One and spoke in a steady voice:

“Name your price.”