Chapter 61: Three-Way Trade

Error, concealment...
Them... able to be connected?!

Muttering softly, Hermione immediately pulled on her connection with the Pillar of Stars, summoning the consciousness belonging to Amanises.

However...
She was rejected!

Hermione was startled at first. She even felt a brief wave of tension, worrying that something might have gone wrong on Amanises's end, but she quickly calmed down—
She continued trying to reach out to Amanises's aura, and the feedback she received was rejection, over and over again.

It was obvious...
Amanises was actively and repeatedly rejecting her connection!

Rather than guessing that something had happened to Amanises, this reaction felt much more like... pouting?

However, through Hermione's persistent efforts time and time again, Amanises's figure gradually materialized upon the Pillar of Stars.

Amanises stood upon the Pillar of Stars with no unusual expression on her face.
Yet this proved nothing... Amanises was not someone who wore her emotions on her sleeve.

*Well... I can clearly see Her expression, but She cannot see mine. The advantage is mine.*

With this thought in mind, Hermione asked directly in a calm tone: "Amanises, when did you make a connection with 'Error'?"

Amanises simply smiled, showing no trace of anger. Instead of answering, She asked in return: "When did you make a connection with the 'Giant King'?"

Uh...

Hermione guessed what Amanises was upset about. Clearly, the other party had somehow learned of the future of humanity plotted by the "Giant King."

After a brief silence, Hermione sighed: "I am confident I can leave the Giant King's Court unscathed."

"What confidence?" Amanises said calmly and quite swiftly. "Relying on that teleportation ability of a not-so-high sequence? Or taking a risky gamble to extract even more formidable power from the 'Sea of Chaos' origin?"

Having lived together for so long, the two of them could always accurately grasp each other's thoughts.

She did have some confidence, indeed, but right now Hermione was much more concerned with why Amanises had connected with "Error," and what the current situation of "Error" actually was...

Seeing that Amanises refused to dwell on that topic, Hermione had no choice but to take the initiative and ask: "What is going on with 'Error'? Has He really come back to life?"

At the mention of "Error," Amanises's expression turned rather peculiar. The faint anger from just moments ago vanished completely, as if She was holding back a laugh, and She spoke: "Well... He can speak and understands things. He begged me to save His mother."

Mother?!

Hermione nearly became the first sage in history to be choked to death by her own saliva.

She might as well have called Him father...
Um... Best not to get involved...

Hermione's mouth twitched as she let out a silent *heh*. By this point, she naturally guessed that the matter of the Giant King must have been revealed to Amanises by "Error."

The problem, however, was that relying on that passive and shattered mystical connection, "Error"'s understanding was incomplete, and His recounting definitely contained elements that would cause Amanises to misunderstand.

To rule out the interference and misunderstandings caused by incorrect information, Hermione spoke up: "For reasons unknown, the 'Giant King' is scheming for the future of humanity. He intends to use a human female to conceive a child, and let that child rule over all of humanity."

A flash of *as expected* crossed Amanises's eyes, and She said flatly: "'Error' said the Giant King wants to have a child with you."

So that was it...

It was hard to tell whether "Error" lacked the complete information, or if He had already developed that mischievous personality described in the original trajectory and was intentionally stirring things up in the conversation.

Hermione rolled her eyes, but remembering that Amanises could not see this change in her demeanor, she composed herself and said: "Then... what kind of deal did you make with 'Error'?"

Amanises replied: "It was a tripartite transaction."

Hermione said in surprise: "Tripartite?"

Amanises's eyes grew deep and wary: "Yes, including the 'King of Demonic Wolves,' a King of Demonic Wolves that is no longer so insane."

A King of Demonic Wolves that wasn't as insane?

A King of Demonic Wolves who simultaneously accommodated the Uniqueness of two non-adjacent pathways—not being insane would be the biggest joke of all.

Yet looking at Amanises's expression, this matter was clearly not funny at all.

Forcing the words "You're crazy" back down her throat, Hermione frowned and asked: "What is the exact transaction?"

Amanises said playfully: "'Error' saved His mother, I temporarily obtained a much more formidable power, and the King of Demonic Wolves gained the sanity She has always yearned for."

*"Error" saved His mother?*

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Is there no more specific explanation?"

Amanises shook Her head. "No. All of these transactions were orchestrated through 'Error' as the bridge; I didn't even have any direct contact with the 'King of Demonic Wolves'."

Would Amanises, who always sought safety and stability, actually make such a rash deal? As Hermione moved to issue a warning, her gaze fell upon Amanises, and from that calm figure, she vaguely sensed the crushing pressure of facing a true deity.

Hermione fell silent—putting herself in Amanises's shoes, if she were being coveted by an Ancient God, would she also take such a risky gamble to seek a breakthrough...

Refraining from reproaching what had already happened, and pondering what could possibly make the Sequence 1 Amanises even more powerful, Hermione hesitated and asked: "'Error' gave you the Uniqueness of the Darkness pathway?"

"Not quite," Amanises sighed with profound regret. "'Error' and the 'King of Demonic Wolves' could not find a way to extract the Uniqueness of the Darkness pathway from the 'King of Demonic Wolves'."

"However, 'Error' utilized the power of Sefirah Castle to temporarily transfer the status and authority of the Darkness pathway's Uniqueness onto me. I can feel the might of this power."

Hearing this, Hermione frowned firmly and said: "'Error' absolutely does not possess the power for such a transfer. Transfer... this feels much more like a manifestation of the 'Tampering' authority."

"Error" was clearly lying.

An "Error" that tells lies...

"Tampering..." Amanises, who had once suffered greatly under such torment and temptation, was not unfamiliar with this authority. Her expression grew solemn: "Was it the 'King of Demonic Wolves' who made a move? Do 'Error' and the 'King of Demonic Wolves' share a more secretive cooperative relationship?"

To this, Hermione shook her head once more:
"That shouldn't be the case... A living being born from the activation of the 'Error' Uniqueness can never truly cooperate with the King of Demonic Wolves, who wields the 'Fool' pathway."

"Both of them possess the potential to accommodate 'Sefirah Castle'; they are in a life-or-death competitive relationship in the truest sense."

Hermione sighed:
"Yet precisely because of that, I am puzzled as to what other hidden transaction lies beneath this..."

"The King of Demonic Wolves must have touched upon the 'Sefirah Castle' she yearns for so desperately during this transaction. Otherwise, she would never have been able to graft the power and influence of that 'Darkness' Uniqueness onto you."

"Therefore, the King of Demonic Wolves undoubtedly accepted this deal gladly."

"But what about 'Error'?"

"What is He plotting?"