"I’ll be going now."

Iz left in quite a hurry this time.

Lu Cang finally learned Pari’s identity.

A Level 6 Divination Master.

So when Iz said she was looking for a friend, she meant she was going to find Pari to help her locate Meiser and get rid of him.

Under normal circumstances, finding Meiser wouldn’t be easy.

Without an object strongly connected to him, even a Divination Master would have nothing to go on.

But now, Lu Cang had a note written by Meiser himself, one that was imbued with his Root Magic.

The connection was simply too strong.

This gave the Divination a channel to work through.

It seemed that if he didn’t want to be easily found in the future, he had to avoid letting things too strongly connected to him fall into others’ hands.

’No, I shouldn’t call her Pari anymore. Her real name is Betti.’

’Though, I thought you were in league with Meiser.’

Lu Cang was just about to say this out loud.

"Just call me Pari. It’s the name I use now. I am not in league with anyone."

"Even if a Low Tier Divination Master might have some selfish motives, a Divination Master of my level is always neutral."

"Those who know Destiny can only be its spectators. If we enter the stage, it’s like the flap of a butterfly’s wings—the known becomes unknown."

’But you helping Iz find Meiser... isn’t that detrimental to Meiser?’

Lu Cang thought, about to ask.

But Pari said, "Him being found is simply part of his original Destiny."

Lu Cang mulled it over, wanting to say: ’If it weren’t for you, how would Meiser have been found?’

But once again, before he could speak, Pari said, "A Divination Master isn’t a character who stands outside of Destiny."

"We are also a part of the world."

He had to admit, the things she said sounded really pretentious.

Just a bunch of riddles.

’So, you can tell what I’m about to say?’

Lu Cang still didn’t say it out loud.

Pari said, "I only know what you intend to say."

’How convenient, not having to speak.’

Lu Cang prepared to say: ’If I ask you for a Divination, will you give me an answer?’

Pari: "I won’t refuse anyone’s Divination, as long as you can afford it."

Lu Cang: "When will I become a Level 3 Mage?"

"5,000 Gold Coins."

"..."

’Forget it. That’s too expensive, and knowing the time won’t make much of a difference anyway.’

"What will my next Profession be?"

"5,000 Gold Coins."

...

Lu Cang’s mouth twitched. ’Back then, when you told me about the Beast Tide and the Secret Scroll, I don’t remember you charging me.’

"Fine."

Lu Cang paid the 5,000 Gold Coins.

Pari replied, "Decryption Scholar."

He instantly felt like he had wasted his money.

Now he finally understood why Divination Masters were so annoying.

"What if I insist on not changing my Profession to Decryption Scholar?" Lu Cang asked.

"Then my Divination was wrong."

...

For a moment, he was speechless.

He had expected her to start spouting that whole theory about Destiny and fate again.

But her answer was... the Divination was wrong?

"Then do I get a refund?"

Pari: "No refunds."

’Divination Master... what a cursed Profession.’

"Do you want to ask something meaningful?"

Lu Cang nodded.

"Knowing the definite answer to something isn’t as meaningless as you think."

Of course, Lu Cang knew this.

After confirming that he would become a Decryption Scholar, many new questions did indeed pop into his mind, like why Meiser had prepared all these things for him.

But...

he still felt like he’d been ripped off.

"Don’t you want to ask about your Future."

"Or... about your hometown."

THUMP—

Pari’s words struck a chord deep in Lu Cang’s Mind.

Hometown...

"Can I... ask about that, too?"

"Of course you can... However, the price for a question about your hometown is different."

"How much?"

Pari replied, "1.5 billion Gold Coins."

’Are you messing with me?’

"Do you think I’m messing with you?" 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Pari answered faintly, "This is the price one must pay to know their own Destiny... In other words, a cost."

Lu Cang thought carefully about his questions.

He certainly had many questions about this world, but upon reflection, it felt like there was nothing worth asking.

If he had to pick one, it would be about the Root Source, but she probably couldn’t answer that.

And even if she could, it would likely be outrageously expensive.

In the end, Lu Cang asked the question that concerned him most.

"Why is Meiser looking for me?"

"Fifty thousand."

’Son of a...’

’Do you think I make money easily?’

It made Lu Cang want to change his Profession to Divination Master, too. Just sit here all day running his mouth, and the money would come rolling in.

’One moment she’s asking for a billion and a half, the next, fifty thousand.’

Lu Cang suddenly recalled what Luo Si had said: a proper Divination Skill costs Ten Thousand Gold Coins just to learn.

Now he was discovering... there’s a reason it’s so expensive.

You don’t have to risk your life in battle; just open your mouth and the money comes in.

What’s even more ridiculous is that there are no refunds even if the Divination is wrong! Is that even fair?!

’Iz is off chasing Meiser. Will she be able to get these answers in the end? Not necessarily... Even if she kills Meiser, he might not tell her the truth. Then again, Iz might know some Magic that can uncover the truth. But... this self-proclaimed "neutral" Divination Master, an old acquaintance of Iz’s, was right here. She was more likely to give the real answer.’

"I might be traveling to the next city in a little while. You might not be able to find me again."

Hearing her words, Lu Cang’s eyelid twitched.

’Seriously? Using scarcity marketing tactics on me. You don’t look like a spectator of Destiny at all; you look like a fortune-telling scammer.’

"Fifty thousand..." Lu Cang held out his Ring.

His heart was bleeding.

He never thought the windfall he’d made at the Magic Item Shop this morning would be spent like this.

Pari took the money and even inspected it to verify the amount.

Then, she said in a comforting tone, "Don’t be sad. Your money isn’t gone; it’s just accompanying you in a different form."

"Just give me the answer," Lu Cang said, not wanting to hear her platitudes.

Pari didn’t seem to use any Divination methods and answered directly, "Meiser’s Time is running out."

"His road has come to an end."

"He wants to find someone to be his successor, so he chose you."

Lu Cang frowned. "That irredeemable sinner would really be so kind?"

Pari shook her head. "You’ve misunderstood one thing. He doesn’t kill for the sake of killing; he kills in his pursuit of the Root Source."

"If one could attain the Root Source by killing indiscriminately, this world would have fallen into chaos long ago."

"If he wants a successor, why look for me and not Iz?"

"Iz’s Talent for Magic is universally acknowledged as the strongest, isn’t it?"

Pari said slowly, "Who says... he didn’t intend to?"

That one sentence was a wake-up call for Lu Cang.

Lu Cang looked to the northwest.

"This is worth 50,000 Gold Coins?"

"Is it not?"

Lu Cang was at a loss for words.

Besides, this was just the Divination Master’s side of the story. Lu Cang had no way of verifying if it was true.

No wonder Iz said it’s best to ignore what Divination Masters say.

"I also want to know the fastest way for me to make money."

"And a way to obtain a large number of Demon Souls."

Pari paused for a moment, then responded, "I can answer both of those questions for free."

Lu Cang asked dubiously, "Didn’t you say that Divination is the price of Destiny?"

"These fall within the scope of a Scholar. There’s no need for Divination. Consider it a bonus for your last Divination."

’Oh... so besides being a Divination Master, she’s also a Scholar.’

"As for making money, there’s no better channel for you right now than grinding Dungeons."

"I imagine you have more of a clue about that than I do."

"Regarding the souls, the Distant Thousand Caves to the east of the City in the Circle often spawns a large number of ant-type Demons."

Lu Cang: "Right, since you can’t interfere with Destiny, why did you tell me about the Demons back then?"

Pari looked up. "As a Scholar, seeing such a celestial phenomenon, I naturally knew Demons were coming."

"As for the warning after that, weren’t you the one who asked me?"

"You asked me a question, so I could perform a Divination for you. Something as minor as divining good or bad fortune isn’t worth charging for."

...