Chapter 122: Information About Certain Systems

After the report concluded, Toru handed a bracelet to Lando.

“Sir, these are the antiques and relics collected recently. The market prices for similar items have already fluctuated significantly, and the quantity available is diminishing. There are even many cases where it’s difficult to distinguish genuine from counterfeit. Should we continue collecting?”

Lando pondered for a moment and replied, “In that case, let’s pause for now. We’ll resume once the market stabilizes or new sources appear.”

Currently, Toru’s guild could only conduct business within the sphere of influence of the Silver Tower. Compared to the colossal guilds that maneuver among various factions, they were still far behind. If the investment in the World Laboratory succeeded this time and they secured some flagship products, the guild’s scale would definitely expand further, naturally bringing new sources.

Toru nodded and quickly took his leave. Lando, having no intention to linger, followed suit.

Back at the laboratory, Lando began organizing his next phase of plans. Regarding the Elemental Body, he could exchange credits earned from academy missions for elemental essences or other related resources. After all, upgrading a standard Elemental Body was the simplest matter—just a matter of investing money.

As for the special power of the Core Flower, he still had no clear grasp of it. This power seemed to be in a symbiotic relationship with the Heart-Space, so he decided to observe how this power interacted with the Heart-Space before rushing.

Collecting the Fraycen Flowers could be put directly on the agenda. After all, for future research and applications following success, the more Fraycen Flowers, the better.

The current problem was how to gather as many Fraycen Flowers as possible. The last time the High Priest invested in Lando’s Core Flower, it was essentially an investment in him. Now, without hearing any results, how could he expect additional investment?

Lando began to assess the chips he held: rights related to the Four Kings World, Sentinel Automaton technology, and the Crystal World.

Sentinel Automaton technology was limited in value due to material constraints, and the Crystal World was not even to be mentioned.

As for the Four Kings World, aside from world ownership, its value to a single guild was immense, but to the Sylvan Elves, it probably meant little.

“This is complicated!” Lando rubbed his temples in frustration and turned his gaze back to the system.

Long ago, Lando had entertained the idea of whether the soul armaments in the system could be used by others, but after several secret experiments, all had ended in failure.

That was why when Hanna appeared in the Four Kings World, he was utterly shocked. Although he wanted to study further, a lack of necromancy knowledge left the idea dormant. However, through occasional brief contacts with Hanna during this time, he realized that the soul armaments could not be directly loaded onto her either, which puzzled him deeply. He didn’t understand what the connection between the system and Hanna truly meant. Was it merely to perceive talents and attributes? What use was that?

According to Lando’s earlier speculation, the system was a creation of some powerful entity or race. Such a connection should have been designed to nurture subordinates. This indirectly confirmed his suspicion that the system was incomplete.

Now, his thought was whether it was possible to develop a method to use the system’s talents or even the soul essence on others. In this world, there were still many ways to alter talents or aptitudes. If this research succeeded, and as long as it wasn’t abused, it would undoubtedly be a fast path to wealth.

Once he settled on his main research direction, Lando went to the antique and relic storage room in the lab to catalog the items Toru had given him.

As usual, he emptied the contents of the bracelet and compared them with previous hauls, feeling as if there were far fewer items this time.

Suddenly, a peculiar, ancient black sculpture caught Lando’s full attention.

A powerful attraction radiated from it. Lando understood that it wasn’t drawing him in—it was drawing the system within him!

The sensation felt strangely familiar, reminiscent of something he had experienced before.

He hastily picked up the sculpture, and faint traces of energy streamed out from it, absorbed by the system.

It wasn’t the special soul he had guessed. Lost in thought, he wondered what that familiar feeling truly was.

After a long moment, Lando’s eyes brightened. He recalled that when he touched the shattered armor at the Heart of the Four Kings World, he had experienced a similar sensation—both attraction and repulsion. The system had absorbed many strange substances from that armor.

This time, however, the feeling was purely attraction, like a wanderer returning home, the thrill of seeing family, or the joy of long-lost brothers reuniting after years apart.

In that instant, Lando instinctively understood: the system was indeed incomplete, and part of its components had been in prolonged contact with this sculpture, so much so that it bore traces of that portion of the system’s essence!

Find it! Then claim it!

That was the sole thought that arose in Lando’s mind.

After extracting the souls from the remaining antiques and storing them, Lando took the sculpture and headed out, contacting Toru to have the purchase list sent over.

Only then did Lando have the leisure to examine the sculpture in his hand. Made of a pitch-black wood, it was surprisingly light. The carving depicted a humanoid figure with two horns atop its head, dressed in a priestly robe, holding a bone staff crowned with a skull. The entire sculpture conveyed a twisted, unsettling aura.

Soon, the purchase list arrived at Lando’s assistant, Gray, along with Toru’s inquiry whether any other tasks were needed.

Lando gave no reply but instructed Gray to retrieve records related to the sculpture.

The transaction details—time, place, price—were all clearly documented.

“Yosef Patel?” That was the name of the person who sold the sculpture.

If this Yosef Patel, or someone in his family, possessed part of the system, a reckless investigation might alert them.

Lando then ordered Gray to gather publicly available information on Patel but found nothing. He next asked for data on the world where the transaction took place, which yielded results.

It was an ordinary world under the Silver Tower’s jurisdiction called Kinones. Indeed, the Patel family existed there—a fallen noble lineage whose ancestor had once been an arcane mage of the Silver Tower. For unknown reasons, he died, and the once prosperous family quickly declined.

Lando studied the information for a long time before deciding to personally visit Yosef Patel. He was determined not to entrust such a matter to anyone else.