Chapter 507: Once Again Starting

As the names of Punk, Kane, and Smile were written upon the Eye of Judgment Contract, a brilliant radiance instantly illuminated every rune on the contract. The eye pattern at the center of the parchment seemed to come alive, scanning Punk and the others before a small crimson eye slowly materialized above the contract.

Similar to how a wisp of consciousness from the Bird of Filth manifested as a projection, this small eye was also a fragment of the Eye of Judgment’s consciousness. However, unlike the “terrorist” Bird of Filth with its chattering tendencies, the Eye of Judgment—acting as an absolutely impartial enforcer—proceeded methodically. It merely confirmed that all three present had signed the contract of their own free will before the floating eye suddenly split into three. These projections of the Eye of Judgment, transformed into three red beams of light, abruptly pierced into the souls of the three individuals.

Feeling the intricate eye-shaped rune branded onto his soul, Punk knew the Eye of Judgment Contract had been successfully established. Though displeased by the sensation of being perpetually monitored by the rune etched into his soul, he understood that the Eye of Judgment would never tamper with his soul. Once this adventure concluded as stipulated in the contract, the brand would completely dissipate.

Punk had signed an Eye of Judgment Contract once before. Although both the Eye of Judgment and the Bird of Filth were entities that emerged in the multiverse after the destruction of the Netherese Civilization, and even Grand Arcanist Vedrasha’s memories contained no information about them, Punk could still glean some knowledge about these powerful beings from the inherited memories of his so-called parents.

“Alright, with that, the contract is complete. From now on, we’re good companions,” Kane cheerfully declared, removing the dagger from Smile’s neck and restoring his “sunny boy” smile. After the contract was signed, Kane breathed a deep sigh of relief. His strength truly couldn’t match Punk’s—otherwise, he wouldn’t have stood by and let Punk take all the spoils during their last encounter in the Raging Wave Desert. Only with the absolute “proof of alliance” provided by the Eye of Judgment Contract could Kane now confidently prepare for this adventure.

“Phew, Uncle, and you, Mage Brother… Do you always have to press something sharp against vital points when talking to people?” As the tension finally eased, Smile wiped the sweat from her forehead and relaxed her posture. She even found the mood to tease the good-natured Kane, deliberately addressing him as “Uncle”—a particularly stinging remark—as a small retaliation for his earlier undisguised killing intent.

“Hey, hey, hey! I won’t just let that slide! What’s with this ‘Uncle’ nonsense? I maintain the appearance of a forever seventeen-year-old! And… why does that hooded guy get to be called ‘Mage Brother’?”Pointing at Punk standing aside, Kane raised his voice an entire octave. The flamboyant knight was quite obsessive about his pretty-boy image.

However… Smile’s reply left Kane no room for argument:

“Ehehe… Because the mage brother is way more handsome than you, uncle! Especially the aura – aura is the biggest bonus for handsome guys!”

“…What a fatal finishing blow.”

Smile was absolutely telling the truth. In terms of handsomeness, Kane simply couldn’t compare to Punk, a half-elf. And as for aura… one was a goofy, flamboyant knight while the other was a mysterious, cold spellcaster. Even Kane could only purse his lips and remain silent on who had more “aura.”

Seeing Kane and Smile steering the conversation to completely irrelevant topics again, Punk suddenly felt a headache coming on. Having one goofy knight around was annoying enough, but now there was also a tsundere girl who could happily bicker with said goofy knight… Could a team like this really search for divine treasures?

Before the conversation could stray completely off track, Punk quickly interrupted Kane and Smile’s debate about aura. Ignoring the lively atmosphere that had developed in the hall, Punk reminded Kane in his usual emotionless voice:

“Mr. Knight with ‘aura,’ I think you contain more ‘annoyance’ than ‘aura.’ Note that we have no time to waste. With Smile’s talent as a ghost-seeing practitioner, she likely has no hope of advancing to Formal-Level. This means her lifespan is only one hundred and fifty years. If we can’t locate all the Crimson Sand God bloodlines within that short time, our treasure hunt becomes a joke!”Unapologetically criticizing Smile’s poor practitioner talent, Punk never hesitated to use harsh words that could hurt others when stating facts.”

As Punk’s icy voice and aura filled the space, the excellent conversation-killing effect successfully made the lively atmosphere between Smile and Kane instantly disappear.

“Hey now, Punk, you’re so boring…”

Seeing that Punk was already preparing to begin their journey and adventure, Kane could only shake his head and voice a complaint. But at the same time, Kane had to admit Punk was right – Smile’s talent was truly terrible. Even with abundant precious resources, it would be difficult to help Smile advance to Formal-Level. Even her current Apprentice-Level Stalker class was the result of Kane consuming numerous rare treasures for her training.

As Punk said, they only had about 130-140 years at most. If they couldn’t gather all the Crimson Sand God bloodlines within such a short time, this adventure would be considered a failure, and the so-called treasures would become mere illusions.

Therefore, shaking his head helplessly, Kane seriously adjusted the lance on his back and asked Punk:

“Then let’s quickly start the adventure. Speaking of which, are you planning to use that powerful Divination Spell first for searching? If you need a Master-Level powerhouse’s corpse as a ‘sacrifice,’ I happen to have one that could serve as material!””Not only do we need the corpse of a powerful individual, but also a destroyed city. The ‘Foul Divination’ spell summons a mere Projection of the Foul Bird—its appearance demands a grand reception! Although this spell can be used as long as one reaches the Formal-Level, theoretically, as long as the ‘sacrifice’ is of sufficient caliber, there is nothing the ‘Foul Bird’ cannot answer.”

“Wait a minute, Punk. You’re not suggesting we choose my small town for the city, are you?”

With a strange expression, Kane watched Punk stride out of the hall and shook his head helplessly as he asked.

Punk’s reply was, as always, brief and cold:

“Since it’s your country anyway, for convenience, let’s just pick this one”!

The final sprint for the Legendary begins. Votes, please~

(End of Chapter)