After a while, Leonard cleared his throat, a smile unconsciously forming on his face as he lowered his voice:
"Old man, Klein's… this proposal seems pretty good, quite feasible, and the results should be decent. Why don't you consider it?
"Didn't you say you'd do your best to help me with my revenge?
"Haha, I thought the 'Worms of Time' could only serve as simple clones doing auxiliary work…"
He rambled on subconsciously, while Pales Solaoster remained silent throughout. After a long time, the latter let out a soft sigh:
"Right now, I can give you at most two 'Worms of Time.'"
Before Leonard could speak, he added two more sentences:
"Seeking revenge against a demigod who commands a Grade 0 sealed artefact — the most important thing is your own level and strength. Otherwise, even with high-grade charms, you won't have the chance to use them."
Leonard reined in his smile and nodded solemnly:
"I've been working hard on digestion.
"If I finish digesting before I've accumulated enough contribution points, I'll gather the Beyonder materials needed for the 'Spirit Warlock' myself."
He felt no disappointment whatsoever about receiving only two "Worms of Time." In his view, this was already an unexpected gain—one would be a windfall, and two meant he and Klein could split them evenly, one "Destiny Stealer" charm each.
After stating his attitude, he asked with considerable curiosity:
"Old man, do you think Klein might have already turned that earlier 'Worm of Time' into a charm?"
He remembered clearly that at the time, in order to find out who Emlyn White was really serving, the old man had parasitized a "Worm of Time" inside the "Spark" glove, but afterward contact was lost and it served no purpose at all. Now, re-examining the matter, just from the fact that Emlyn White and Sherlock Moriarty were closely connected, he could relatively easily arrive at the truth—understanding that the "Worm of Time" had been eliminated by the higher-ups of that secret organization, or even by the "Fool" they worshipped himself, and with considerable probability bestowed upon Klein. Otherwise, this former colleague couldn't possibly have known about the existence of the "Worm of Time."
Pales Solaoster let out a "heh":
"If he hadn't already used it and witnessed its effects, why would he have proactively brought this up, hoping to get more?
"Alright, I'm going to start separating the 'Worms of Time.' This will put me to sleep for at least two weeks. If you have any questions, find someone else to answer them."
With that, giving Leonard no chance to ask questions right now, he dispersed his spirituality and created a ball of light that "hovered" within Leonard's mind, adopting an air of not wanting to talk.
Leonard reflexively gave a dry laugh and redirected his attention back to the letter sent by Klein Moretti, reading through it carefully once more:
"Wraith possession… the origin and main purpose of wraiths…
"I don't have enough understanding of wraiths at all. I have no idea where to even start…"
After thinking for several minutes, Leonard took out a box of matches, burned the letter, then left the resting room temporarily assigned to him by the local Nighthawks and went to the room diagonally across, rapping his knuckles against the door.
Before long, Dali Simone—who hadn't yet removed her blue eyeshadow and matching blush—opened the door and raised an eyebrow:
"When did the 'Sleepless' suddenly find the courage to knock on a lady's door at a time that reminds one of bed?"
"Ahem, I have some questions I'd like to ask your advice on." Leonard didn't dare engage with Dali's banter and went straight to the point.
Dali looked him up and down and chuckled:
"I'm not responsible for guiding the psychologically underage to grow up."
As she spoke, she stepped aside and let Leonard into the room.
Not daring to look around, he casually pulled up a round stool and sat down. Leonard went straight to the topic:
"Ma'am, I'd like to learn more about wraiths.
"You're Sequence 5 of the 'Death' pathway, and your clearance level is higher than mine. You should know quite a bit."
"What do you want to know this for?" Dali leaned back with both hands bracing against the edge of the table.
Before Leonard could answer, she continued on her own:
"Most wraiths are the product of high-sequence powerhouses after death. A small number are resentful spirits that broke through their own limitations through various opportunities.
"The first situation is more common. After high-sequence powerhouses consume potions and acquire divinity, their spirit bodies have actually undergone a fundamental transformation. This means that even after they die and their power dissipates, their spirit bodies leave remnants that possess considerable divine qualities—quite terrifying. The essence of the second situation is no different.
"Normally, wraiths gradually weaken over time until they dissipate completely. However, they can assimilate the area where they were born, causing the Spirit World—or even the Netherworld—to merge with it, drawing power from there to sustain their existence.
"Therefore, many wraiths have their own 'territory' and range of activity. It's not that they don't want to leave—it's that they can't, unless they've accumulated enough power to undergo a fundamental change in their form of existence."