I, Lord of Prayer

"To be used as bait?"

"You want me to lure out the Gentleman and Li Xiaoxiao?"

Zhou Chen immediately had an answer in his mind, but he felt it was somewhat unrealistic. These two had just been dealt a heavy blow by the Star Society; instead of hiding properly, were they going to wander the streets? Even if they did, they might not necessarily run into him. ✋♣ ❻9𝓢ʰυˣ.¢Ⓞ𝔪 🐠👣

Besides, isn't the Stars Society planning to play the long game and catch bigger fish...?

You can think of it as a casual move.

Jiang Che explained, "Both the gentleman and Li Xiaoxiao have markings left by the action team. As long as the source matter is used, the markings will send back their location."

For the sake of concealment, the feedback time of the marker lasts only five minutes, and then it goes dormant until the next source fluctuation is detected, at which point it will be reactivated.

The gentleman is a former member of the Star Alliance, so he noticed the mark and used some method to shield it. The mark on Li Xiaoxiao is normal, and she should not have noticed it yet, but she has not used her source matter for the past four hours, so we have temporarily lost track of her.

Li Xiaoxiao hates you to the core. If she encounters you, she is very likely to secretly attack you. As long as there is even the slightest fluctuation of source energy, we can grasp her movements and send people to secretly track her.

Another possibility is that she noticed the mark but couldn't erase it, so she dared not use the source material anymore to avoid being exposed. In this case, even if she hates you, she won't take action—of course, the chances of you meeting her are very, very small.

That's why I said you're just a casual move. It's best if you catch something, but it's okay if you don't. There's a special team to handle that.

Your main task is to be Eileen's bodyguard and introduce her to modern society... consider it a paid vacation.

Jiang Che took a sip of coffee to moisten his throat and continued, "Eileen can't go home for the time being. The Kingdom of Ryan will hold a ruling party election at the end of the year. The current situation is very complicated, with various factions fighting each other openly and secretly. Since Eileen has been kidnapped once, she may be kidnapped a second time."

Since last year, many nobles in the Kingdom of Ryan have frequently been targeted by secret attacks from opposing factions, especially their children and descendants... Allowing Eileen to continue staying in Golden Bamboo is a form of protection for her, and it also allows Duke Elizabeth to act with peace of mind.

Eileen is the Duke's daughter and a distinguished guest of the Kingdom of Ryan. It would be impolite to let her stay in the Stars Gathering forever. The Duke of Elizabeth wanted to find someone who understood modern society.

She said she only knew you, and since the Duke of Elizabeth had seen your information, he specifically asked you to be Irene's guide.

Don't worry, there will be plenty of benefits. Besides providing the advancement ritual for your second-tier advancement, the Duke will also give you two alchemy materials as a reward.

Two more alchemy materials? Being a guide isn't difficult, and being bait is just a side effect, almost negligible… Zhou Chen decisively patted his chest and declared in a resounding voice, “Mission guaranteed!”

  

This is much easier than being a traitor!

Since I've decided to be a guide, I naturally need to meet the "students" I'm going to mentor.

Before Jiang Che made him do any work, Zhou Chen quickly grabbed the advanced planning document and slipped away. He went to the third basement floor of the medical department and met Eileen in a special ward.

Her smooth blonde hair was tied up in a bun, her face was fair, and she was wearing a loose white hospital gown. She sat cross-legged on the bed, watching TV with great interest. The TV was showing an animated film with amazing special effects.

"Mr. Zhou Chen, you're here~" She turned her head and saw Zhou Chen push the door open and enter, and was not surprised.

She had previously discussed with her father that she would stay in Jinzhu for the time being, and be taken care of by Zhou Chen, since Zhou Chen was the only person she knew.

Although Mr. Zhou Chen's smile is a bit perverted, he is a trustworthy and good person, and he even let her set off a big firework display.

"No need for 'Mr.', just call me Zhou Chen. I've come to see you." Zhou Chen smiled, pulled up a chair, and sat down. "Are you injured? Or is there something wrong with your health?"

Eileen shook her head: "I'm fine. They said it's a necessary test, and I can be discharged after the results come out at noon."

"I see..." Zhou Chen nodded. Eileen's identity was sensitive, and the Stars Club would definitely treat her with the highest level of hospitality.

He cleared his throat and said seriously, "Eileen, from today onwards I will be your temporary guardian. You can ask me for help if you encounter any difficulties. If I am not by your side and am unable to reply in time for various reasons, you can contact my superior, Ms. Jiang Che. You should have already met her."

As he spoke, he took a cell phone out of his pocket and handed it to Eileen.

"This is a cell phone used exclusively by the Stars Society. It contains my and Jiang Che's numbers. Let me show you how to make a call..."

Eileen took the phone, smiled slightly, and winked her sapphire-like eyes at him: "Mr. Zhou Chen, I'm not a caveman. I can use a phone and computer to go online. Although the kingdom has only been unsealed for three years, we learn things very quickly. The Royal Academy has long offered linguistics and basic computer science, and I graduated from them in just six months."

Ah... so you're a top student after all... Zhou Chen scratched his head awkwardly: "If you can use the internet, that makes things easier. You should know most of the knowledge. Is there anything you want to do?"

"There are many." Eileen's face was full of longing and anticipation at first, but then she deflated like a punctured balloon and whispered, "But my father and mother will definitely not let me do it."

In the words of her mother and etiquette teacher, "Eileen, you are a lady of the Elizabethan family, how can you do such an inelegant thing?"

Zhou Chen didn't care about this and spread his hands, saying, "Your father let you stay in Jinzhu because he wanted you to come into contact with modern society. Doesn't that mean he tacitly approved of you doing what you used to want to do?"

Besides, you're a million miles away from home now. Even if you did it, how would your parents know? Does drinking milk tea and setting off fireworks mean you're no longer a refined lady?

His words, like the whispers of a devil, instantly stirred the girl's heart. 🐝ൠ 😝🌷

Yes, my father allows me to experience modern society, so I can do whatever I want. Even if they don't allow it, they won't know if I do it... Besides, those things won't damage my image as a lady at all. It's my parents who are too old-fashioned...

With a little persuasion, Eileen was already getting restless.

"Then, when can we go shopping?" she asked tentatively.

"Tomorrow, please. I still have some things to take care of today. You can search online for fun places in Jinzhu City and make a plan," Zhou Chen said, stroking his chin.

"That makes sense!" Eileen's eyes lit up immediately.

·

·

After saying goodbye to Eileen, Zhou Chen went to have a minor surgery to remove the source communication device and camera from his body. He no longer needed to go undercover, so he no longer had to use these monitoring devices.

Afterwards, he took the elevator to the research department, found Xiao Yan slacking off in the office, and discussed with him the direction for advancement.

While eating a donut, Xiao Yan mumbled, "Fire-type ascendants basically all follow a violent path; otherwise, why would they become fire-type ascendants?"

Although you're a mentalist, your attack methods are similar to those of a fire-based ascendant, so I suggest you focus on that. Don't think about hypnosis, brainwashing, or altering common sense; you're not cut out for that, and it's not suited to your abilities.

"You know quite a lot..."

"Nonsense, they're classics, everyone knows them."

Xiao Yan handed back the completed proposal and got back to the point: "I think the first optimal option is the best, but of course, the specific direction depends on you."

Zhou Chen opened the planning document, and the first page contained Jiang Che's optimal choice: high damage output + sustained burn.

Using the Crystallized Flame Spirit, the Heart of the Lava Giant, and the Star Mango as the main materials, the flame power and source energy capacity can be doubled. There is even a certain probability of obtaining the "Flame Shuttle" ability of the Crystallized Flame Spirit, thus gaining a movement skill.

This is indeed a very good choice, and he does need displacement ability. It can be said that Jiang Che has considered things very carefully.

However, as someone who agonizes over choosing a class in a game for ages, Zhou Chen didn't want to make a decision so quickly. This wasn't a game; you couldn't start over or change classes and reset your stats.

So he returned to his dormitory, preparing to use the method of making a wish to determine which advanced ritual was more suitable for him.

Once the task is completed, the wishing bottle will contain fifteen stars.

Most of the wish points came from successfully delaying the gentleman, which was probably provided by many mission participants at the same time, hence the large amount. The rest came from helping Jiang Che dispose of the body and getting Eileen to set off fireworks, and finally some scattered ones... It's worth mentioning that Eileen provided two stars directly after setting off the fireworks; this kid really wanted to set off fireworks!

Zhou Chen felt he could extract a lot of wish points from Eileen...

He sat in the chair, closed his eyes, looked into the wishing bottle deep within his soul, and spoke his wish:

"—I wish for the best advanced arcane technique!"

A star shone brightly and merged into his soul. Zhou Chen suddenly felt countless alchemical knowledge surge into his mind. They were as vast and numerous as books in a library, instantly filling his entire mind and making it difficult for him to have any other thoughts.

Immediately afterwards, that knowledge began to disappear rapidly, as if it were being organized and archived, with only the useful knowledge being selected and left behind.

Four or five minutes later, the swelling sensation in his brain gradually subsided. Despite his splitting headache, Zhou Chen felt some knowledge reverberating in his mind.

Main ingredients: Crystallized Fire Spirit + Blazing White Sunflower + Star Mango.

Auxiliary materials: Radiant Stone + Life Potion + Hydrosol infused with Purple Coral...

My strange alchemical knowledge has increased!

"Is this the optimal solution? One of the main materials has been replaced, and several of the auxiliary materials have also been replaced. What should I say if Jiang Che asks about it... I'll just say I figured it out myself, and I'll go see her again in a few days..." Zhou Chen felt a sharp pain in his brain, and his mental energy was almost completely depleted. In this state, he couldn't even concentrate on meditation. The best option was to sleep.

He guessed that this wish did not generate the best answer out of thin air, but rather it was "calculated" based on the solution given by Jiang Che, plus his knowledge of alchemy, and finally arrived at the best answer that suited him.

Well, it's a bit unreliable.

Because he was just an alchemy apprentice, although he had memorized the alchemy encyclopedia and knew the effects of most alchemy materials, that was only basic knowledge. He didn't understand the more advanced things. For example, there were several materials in Jiang Che's writings that he didn't recognize.

If he were to modify the advanced ritual instrument based on his personal understanding, there's a high probability that the modification would result in a downgrade...

He would have to ask Jiang Che and the senior members of the Alchemy Department again later... Thinking of this, Zhou Chen's thoughts became increasingly scattered, and he fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

·

·

The next day.

The sun is shining brightly, and a fresh breeze is blowing from afar; it's a beautiful day.

Zhou Chen yawned as he arrived at the girls' dormitory building and met Eileen, who had just come downstairs.

She wore a white dress, white lace gloves on her arms, and carried a women's handbag. She didn't wear any fancy jewelry, but her every move still gave the impression that she was an elegant and wealthy young lady.

"Good morning, Mr. Zhou Chen~" Eileen said in a light tone, with a big smile, full of anticipation for today's schedule.

"Good morning," Zhou Chen greeted him. "How's your schedule coming along?"

Eileen took out a small notebook from her bag and showed it to him: "Let's go eat tofu pudding first thing in the morning. I've always wanted to eat tofu pudding. I often see people arguing online about whether sweet or savory tofu pudding is better."

What political party does Mr. Zhou Chen belong to?

"I've only ever eaten salty food since I was a child, I've never tried any other flavors." Zhou Chen shrugged. "But I know a breakfast shop that sells both flavors, I can go and try it."

"Yay~" Eileen smiled happily.

Half an hour later.

The two put down their bowls and tried both kinds of tofu pudding. For those who had reached the pinnacle, this amount of food was nothing.

"Hmm, the sweet ones are more like desserts and not really suitable for breakfast. The savory ones, if paired with roujiamo (Chinese hamburger), shaobing (sesame flatbread), or other noodle dishes, would be a very delicious and appetizing breakfast." Eileen jotted down notes in her notebook and took a few photos as souvenirs, ready to send them to her friends to show off.

After dinner, it's time for men to go shopping, which is the most despairing thing ever.

For Eileen, she had never experienced the joy of shopping before. All her clothes were custom-made by tailors. Now that she had a rare opportunity, she wanted to experience the thrill of spending money freely.

In the shopping mall, Zhou Chen followed Eileen, who was looking around curiously, with a look of utter despair on his face.

What happened...?

Why do I still feel so tired when shopping even after becoming an Ascended Being...?

Following Eileen into a clothing store, Zhou Chen immediately spotted the sofa. After sitting down, he inexplicably felt alive again, refreshed and invigorated. Then, he paused slightly in surprise.

He turned his head and looked at the mannequins in the store with a suspicious gaze.

Did that dummy move just now?

He got up and walked over, examining the mannequin up close. It wasn't anything special; it was the kind of plastic mannequin commonly found in shopping malls, dressed in the latest fashions and posing for a photo. Then he looked at the price tag on the clothes... Holy crap, three thousand two!

The mannequin stared blankly ahead, its anthropomorphic features giving it an eerie feel if stared at for too long.

Zhou Chen knew this was the uncanny valley effect, where people are afraid of anything that looks like a human, such as wax figures, dolls, etc. As long as the appearance is slightly scary, it will make people feel terrified and extremely uncomfortable, and they will start to imagine all kinds of terrifying scenarios.

"Mr. Zhou Chen, could you please check if this dress fits me?" Eileen's voice came from afar.

"Oh, here it comes." Zhou Chen responded and left the mannequin.

After he left, the mannequin's eyeballs silently shifted slightly in the direction he had gone.

()