Queens, the luxurious country villa of the Countess Hall. Cold air was kept outside by the windows and walls, while inside the room was warm and spring-like, with a refined fireplace. Audrey Hall was being measured by the fashion designer, Mrs. Gianni, so that she could design attire for the new year's ball based on Audrey's current body and demeanor. At that moment, the personal maid Anne approached her, lowered her voice, and said, "Miss Island has come to visit." How quickly she had already received a response! Audrey was delighted inside, yet her expression remained calm and composed, with a gentle smile. "Please have her wait in my studio," she said, "for a moment—five minutes, perhaps." "Studio?" Anne asked, surprised. "Yes," Audrey replied calmly and clearly, "I'd like her to see the oil painting I've recently completed. I believe that when someone is relaxed, their true thoughts and emotions are most clearly expressed." Anne immediately understood. "Yes, Miss." "Not more than five minutes later, Audrey entered the studio and spotted Islanthe admiring the paintings on the wall." "That's Senxi's 'Inner Night,' a truly serene masterpiece," she smiled and offered a brief introduction. "Senxi's 'Inner Night'? One of the top ten in The Tassok News' list of the century's hundred greatest paintings, from last year?" Islanthe clearly read the newspapers regularly. As a remarkable person who approached art as a viewer, her memory was quite sharp. "Yes," Audrey replied simply, as if it were an ordinary matter. "I'm truly fortunate to have seen the original..." Islanthe looked up again, her gaze fixed on the oil painting. She swallowed the remark about its value—worthy of at least a whole estate—wishing not to sound too commonplace. Audrey didn't introduce any other paintings. She found a reason to send Anne away and gestured with her eyes for the golden retriever, Susie, to go outside and stand guard. Suzy effortlessly picked up on her cues, wagged her tail, and bounded out of the room. Islanthe closed the door and returned to her easel, speaking proactively before Audrey could ask any questions. "We possess both the properties of the human-skin shadow and the recipe for the Wind-Weaver's potion, but we don't feel compelled to sell unless the other party can offer something we can't refuse." The willingness to talk clearly signaled potential! Audrey's bright eyes flickered gently, and she smiled softly. "What do you hope to receive?" Islanthe combed her hair, already prepared with her answer. "The properties of the human-skin shadow at 2,500 pounds, and the recipe for the Wind-Weaver's potion at 3,000 pounds." Quite a premium, indeed... Audrey didn't find the prices particularly steep, merely noting that the markup of the Psychological Alchemy Guild had exceeded 50%. — According to the "Emperor"’s description, under normal circumstances, the price of the potion formula for Sequence 6 is under 2,000 galleons. However, the farther one moves toward higher sequences, the less the formulas circulate—their availability becomes increasingly scarce, and they are hardly ever accessible under normal conditions. More importantly, even when one happens to encounter a genuine formula, it is often difficult to verify its authenticity. At this point, Islanth added: "If the other party can offer a magical item of roughly equivalent value, that would be acceptable." In other words, you would prefer to receive magical items and are willing to accept a price reduction for that—this is precisely where the "Psychological Alchemy" society falls short, as it is one of the youngest secret organizations, and its accumulated resources in this area are notably less developed than those of others. Audrey pressed her lips together and said: "I will relay this, but I cannot guarantee they will accept it." She didn’t worry at all that Psychological Alchemy might uncover her recent absence from the extraordinary beings’ gatherings, as her schedule was exceptionally packed—afternoon teas, music lessons, banquets, ball events, equestrian training, language classes, and dance lessons alternating throughout the day. With so many opportunities to interact with diverse groups, perhaps one of the banquets was simply a disguised gathering of the extraordinary, or perhaps the music teacher herself was a seasoned extraordinary, quietly operating in the background. It would be nearly impossible for Psychological Alchemy to uncover such hidden activities. At this point, Audrey asked with slight curiosity, “I thought you wouldn’t sell the ‘Wind-Keen’ potion formula, Master Iseleant. It’s already at Sequence 6 level.” “Iseleant smiled vaguely. ‘Well, spreading it further might actually be more beneficial to us.’ In her mind, while Miss Audrey was indeed a highly valued new member, she still remained a newcomer, and there were still many things she wasn’t yet aware of. Why is that? Audrey suppressed her curiosity, smiled warmly, and asked with genuine innocence: "Professor Iselland, if this transaction succeeds, can I count it as my contribution?" Iselland burst out laughing immediately. "Certainly." ... Kain remained "busy" all morning, only finding time and opportunity to listen to the appeals from the Gray Mists once he returned to Minsk Street, had his meal, and settled in for a rest. Is there someone with the Shadow of Skin trait on the side of the "Justice" lady as well? Truly, either they don't come at all, or they come in twos... As a secret organization, the "Psychological Alchemy Circle" has been fairly well-resourced. Kain now found himself caught in a state of happy indecision over which offers to choose. Though, including the 500 pounds still pending from the "Hanged Man," he only had a total of 1,335 pounds in cash, this did not prevent him from seriously considering the transaction requests from the Psychological Alchemy Circle. After thinking for several seconds, he first conveyed the message of "justice" to the "Hanged Man," observing what choice he would make. ........ 3,000 pounds? Even the "Hanged Man" Algernon Wilson, the generous mayor of the capital of the Rose Isles, seemed struck hard by the blow. Since acquiring the "Blue Avenger" and becoming its captain, he had occasionally adopted the persona of a pirate and, at other times, that of a law-enforcer, quietly eliminating several pirate factions. Yet, despite these efforts, his total prize earnings amounted to no more than 2,000 pounds—some of which had to be distributed among his crew. Of course, this figure did not include the ships and cannons captured, which were required to be surrendered to the Church of the Storm. This often led Algernon to sigh, realizing that most pirates were not particularly wealthy, as they had grown accustomed to spending their earnings immediately upon acquisition—wine, roasted meat, prostitutes, marijuana, and gambling draining their resources. It's hard to get rich unless you encounter a pirate crew of exceptional caliber... Aljer paced back and forth a few steps, then quickly made up his mind. From his innermost clothing pocket, he drew out a mask crafted of gold. The mask featured roughly outlined features, giving it a distinctly primitive, ancient jungle-like appearance. Aljer sat down and humbly recited the name of "The Fool," concluding with: "...I would like to exchange this magical item for the recipe of the 'Wind-Keen' potion. Wearing this mask will grant the user exceptional calmness, free from emotional fluctuations, along with powerful recovery abilities, remarkable speed, and outstanding strength, as well as the mastery of certain black magic and primitive curses. The drawback is that with each use, the wearer will grow less human, more detached and cold, eventually coming to see themselves as a deity. “……Klein sat in the position befitting the Fool, gazing at the five hundred pounds in cash, the five thick, serpentine strands of deep blue hair, and the golden, rustic mask before him. With his fingers lightly tapping the edge of the long table, he carefully pondered what magical items he could offer in exchange: ‘The Eye of All Black’? Certainly not—this is the primary material for the Sequence 5 ‘Master of Secret Figures,’ currently awaiting the young ‘Sun’ to discover a method to eliminate spiritual contamination. ‘The Emperor of Black’? This one is too obscure and undoubtedly worth far more than the skin-ghost’s inherent properties. Mr. Azk’s copper whistle? It currently serves only to summon messengers and is a vital communication tool—thus, unsellable. The copper whistle left behind by a member of the spiritual order who deposited white feathers within the coffin? Likewise, it can only summon messengers, and the recipients on the other side seem to pose a significant threat. ‘The Sun Brooch’? This is one I myself need—essential for compensating my own weaknesses. ‘The Universal Key’?” There are too many secrets surrounding Mr. Door, and furthermore, in terms of utility, his properties differ significantly from those of human-skin shadows. Biotoxin vials? These align perfectly with my ethereal state—when used well, they even enable me to single-handedly face a group of extraordinary beings. Hunter's bullets, purification bullets, and exorcism bullets? These are not magical items but rather consumable extraordinary weapons, offering much lower value. The Book of Secrets? This too is not a magical item; the Psychological Alchemy Guild would likely have ample knowledge of such texts. At present, only the extraordinary trait of the "Inquisitor" can be offered, yet the other party seeks magical items, and the transaction takes place in Beckett, where it would risk exposing the intelligence of the侠盗 "Black Emperor." Taking advantage of this situation, Caine systematically reviewed his own holdings and ultimately developed a well-rounded plan. He first materialized the "World" gentleman, guiding the other into a prayer posture, and responded in a hoarse voice: "…I accept the price of 2,500 pounds, but I need two days to raise the funds." Immediately thereafter, Klein projected the images of the "Hangman" and the "World" responding into the deep red star symbolizing the "Justice" lady. After receiving a favorable reply from the "Justice" lady, Klein patiently waited on Minsk Street throughout the afternoon. It wasn't until near dusk that Carlson, a member of the "Mechanical Heart," rang the bell at his home. Klein didn't ask any questions, simply following him all the way to the Lever Church near West Baylawn, and into the three-story building adjacent to it. The building's sign read: "Bekland Mechanical Research Society." Quite scholarly... Klein suddenly recalled the Black Thorns Security Company, and smiled slightly to himself. Under Carlson's guidance, he passed through a series of odd apparatuses and found himself in a room without any windows. On the long table within, there were numerous items with strong spiritual qualities—such as the ethereal characteristics of human skin and ghostly picture frames draped in black cloth—yet there were no traces of the unique traits left behind by the extraordinary ones. Clearly, the upper echelons of "The Mechanical Heart" didn't want him to know about the immortality and conservation laws of extraordinary traits—something Klein found entirely unsurprising. "You may choose one," Ikonsa, without his hat, pointed to the long table. Klein carefully examined the items several times before sighing, "None of these appeal to me. How much would I receive, in gold pounds?" He had already decided—he would not acquire the human-skin-ghost traits here at "The Mechanical Heart." While this might be interpreted as a need to create certain magical artifacts or attempt unique ritual spells, there remains a probability that it would reveal his own sequence—especially if better alternatives were available. Thus, Kline didn't want to take that risk. So, he decided to go purely for the money! This not only would help him raise the 2,500 pounds demanded by the Psychological Alchemists but also effectively ease the vigilance of the "Heart of Mechanism." Ikonser clearly exhaled in relief, combed his hair, and smiled, responding: "1,500 pounds. However, since we encourage you to choose cash, the total will be 2,000 pounds." Kline immediately beamed with genuine sincerity: "Excellent!"