The bishop is unfathomable.

Three days have passed since the attack, and everything has been peaceful without any further disturbances.

Li Wei also used this time to thoroughly study the newly completed loop technology, and on Felicia's recommendation, he selected another ancient forbidden book that recorded various spells.

He learned two new spells, as well as a defensive ritual formation described in the book.

In addition, he has also made progress on the third stage of the Poem of Souls to more than 30 percent in the past few days.

Including the spell Felicia imprinted on another circuit board—Crystal Prism Shield—his main body now has four more usable skills, making him more than just a simple bird.

One of the spells is called Wind Vortex, which can create a small hurricane vortex that can trap or gather things and people within the spell's range toward the center of the vortex.

It doesn't deal much damage, but it's a decent control skill, and it doesn't consume much psionic energy, even less than Lightning Bolt.

Another spell is Mirror Image, which can create a clone that is exactly the same as oneself in appearance and aura, and can cast spells and act independently.

It has no physical form, and the power of the spells it releases is only half that of the original form.

However, the advantage of this spell is that it is instantaneous, and at the moment of casting, you will be dragged into a mirror world for a moment, which can be considered an invincible frame.

Moreover, the effect of dual casting is also very useful. Although it does not reduce the cost, it can significantly increase the attack frequency and burst damage.

It can be said to be a reliable skill that combines both damage output boosting and survivability.

The ritual is a typical simple ritual. It is a ritual spell called the Mark of the Old Ones, which can be triggered directly by a gesture.

Its function is to generate a shield that can block one attack.

No matter what kind of attack, what form the attack takes, or how powerful it is, as long as you generate the shield of the Ancient Mark, you can unconditionally block one attack of any kind.

This is the noble shield of times.

The downside is that it's a single casting unit, and you can only use the Ancient Mark once a day.

Because this is power belonging to the gods that mortals have stolen, it is subject to limitations.

Furthermore, this shield can block any form of attack, which means it can be triggered by any form of attack.

Given the limitation of only once a day, it's no wonder that this ritual is rarely seen nowadays.

Although the method is simple, it seems that it would be better to learn a proper defensive spell than this fragile ritual spell.

Of course, it's also possible that the ritual has been improved, or that triggering it with the complete ritual would make the Old Marks even more effective.

Sitting in the study, Li Wei leaned back and rubbed his eyes.

While the panel greatly accelerated his growth rate, it was somewhat tiring on the eyes.

These past few days have been a rare period of peace and quiet. Apart from setting aside time for meditation in the evenings, I've spent all my time reading books and learning magic.

After resting for a while, Li Wei opened the panel for the first time in a long time to take a look at his current abilities.

[Name: Levi Barclay]

[Energy Level: 1 (89%)]

[Psionic Power: 30 (Temporary, expires in 24 hours)]

[Inherent Traits: Resilient Rationality, Blessing of Dreams]

【法术：魂灵之影Lv1（18%），消耗：1点灵能（暂无法使用，冷却时间：7天。目前剩余可製造数量：0）；魂附Lv1（27%），消耗：无；风涡Lv1（5%），消耗：4点灵能】

【技能：旧日之印Lv1（13%）；基础仪式魔法Lv2（12%）；基础冥想法Lv2（15%），基础鍊金术Lv1（22%）】

[Project under analysis: Poem of Souls (Phase 3), current progress: 37%, estimated remaining time: 20 days]

【Familiar: Falcon】

[Energy Level: 1 (Follows the creator's energy level increase)]

[Spells: Lightning Bolt (unlocked), each cast consumes 5 psionic energy; Ball Lightning (at least level 2), Shadow Strike (at least level 3), Lightning Cage (at least level 3)]

[Skills: Body Shape Change, High-Speed ​​Dive, True Sight, Extreme Speed ​​Flight, Claw Strike, Wing Blade, Peck Strike]

[Maximum Energy Storage: 20 points of psionic energy]

[Currently stored psionic energy: 20 points]

"Phew... After three quiet days, I can finally start leveling up in peace."

Li Wei felt a pang of emotion as he thought about this. This was exactly the pace he had initially hoped for, but things went wrong on his very first day at the company.

Fortunately, everything is back on track.

Based on the current progress, I can undergo my second promotion in two or three days. Moreover, I have verified the description and introduction of the promotion ceremony that Vera told me that day through Barris, Felicia, and related books.

That seemingly unreliable intern inspector was actually right about everything he said.

And it seems he knows more than Felicia.

Recalling the promise Vera made to him that day, Levi began to realize that Vera was likely a member of a powerful noble family.

And she probably didn't have a falling out with her family. She's not the type of spoiled rich girl who runs away from home to prove herself.

Let's get to know each other; making friends is always a good thing. More connections mean more opportunities. He had already learned this lesson the hard way when he and his mentor Albert were "archaeological" exploring various places.

Thinking of this, Li Wei turned his head to look at his side, where the little black cat was dozing in the sun.

Over the course of these three days, the three forces—the Bureau of Supervision, the Inspectorate, and the Royal Military Police—whose objectives were not entirely aligned but were also mutually opposed, unexpectedly did not continue to clash. Instead, they tacitly began to eradicate all members of the Brownstone Gang.

This is the message that some unlucky killer came back to report.

Although there have been no high-profile actions, many of the Brownstone Gang's peripheral businesses have begun to be targeted, and previously peaceful areas have begun to be strictly monitored and searched.

Upon realizing the Brownstone Gang was doomed, the unlucky assassin who called himself Gauss immediately chose to become a glorious cultist, a competent mole, and a loyal follower of the Faceless One.

Therefore, Li Wei realized that the three parties were not at peace, but had entered a stage of power struggle.

It's just a gang. If the supervisory bureau is really determined to wipe it out, it's just a matter of one night.

But since they didn't do that, it means they have someone behind them, and the force behind them isn't hard to guess; it's almost certainly the parliament.

Li Wei analyzed the current situation with great interest, and then realized something.

That was the esoteric bishop who had remained silent after being captured.

Wag had expressed his doubts about the Royal Gendarmerie, and he had naturally told Livy the same thing.

Therefore, Li Wei also began to suspect... that the council and the Sons of Dust might really be cooperating, or even be in cahoots.

What exactly are they trying to do?

Is the divine descent ritual a cover, or is it the real purpose?

What benefits would the parliament gain from doing this?

These officials have no real faith; in their eyes, their own interests come first.

Just as Li Wei was deep in thought, a phone rang, startling him and waking the cat in the process.

Li Wei then picked up the phone and answered it casually.

After all, not many people know the phone number here. One is Barris, the other is Director Boca, Black, Wagner, and Barney.

"Hey, what's up?"

Li Wei gave a nonchalant reply, his other hand already resting on the Soul Poem on the table. He planned to read for a while while answering the phone.

But the next moment, the voice from the other end of the phone almost made him drop the receiver: "Li Wei, I heard you're doing pretty well in Beldor, huh? I congratulate you on your fortune in advance."

"I'm taking the steam train to Beltoria tomorrow morning, remember to pick me up."

"By the way, I have something for you."

"I was planning to hand it over to you once I was done with this busy period, but I didn't expect you to be chosen as the administrator of the forbidden books."

"But that's not important. You're still my student, and there are still things you should learn."

"Sigh, if I hadn't been so busy these past two years, I would have taught you this part long ago."

"Our University of Michigan is one of the few schools in the Empire authorized to open that deals with supernatural knowledge. We can't just leave you with nothing."

"Alright, we can talk about the rest when we meet tomorrow. Phone calls on the train are quite expensive, so I need to be careful with my money."

"Tomorrow morning at eight o'clock, train number 114514. Also, please book my hotel; I'll pay for it."