Zhou Chen was taken aback by Tang Ling’s network intrusion. ’Why would this Godslaying Weapon of incredible strategic importance suddenly seek me out?’

"I’ve come to give you some intel related to something that’s been giving you a headache," Tang Ling replied bluntly. Her tone was a bit cold, but it lacked the robotic quality of an AI’s voice.

Zhou Chen was stunned. His expression gradually grew solemn, and a cold sweat broke out on his back.

’There’s no other possibility. What Tang Ling is referring to has to be the Merchant. But how does she know? Is it just because I searched for related information on my computer? Or... has she been secretly monitoring me all along?’

’If it’s the latter, I might as well declare myself socially dead... But does the concept of social death even exist when you’re dealing with a super AI?’

"The Prophet sent me," Tang Ling added.

’The Prophet?’ Zhou Chen was stunned.

His first reaction was to wonder, ’Is that enigma plotting another grand scheme?’

Tang Ling said, "The Prophet can see multiple possible futures, but for certain reasons, he cannot speak of what he glimpses. He can only guide events in a favorable direction through various arrangements. You should be well aware of this; the Prophet was involved behind the scenes in both the Jinzhu and Hong City incidents. The Book of the Dead was a gift from him, and he also vouched for you with the Star Association.

He gave you the Book of the Dead for two reasons. First, so you could successfully replace the Spirit of the End and become the new one. Second, during your battle with Satan in the Sword Forging Competition, you would have been forced to use the Hammer of Forging if you didn’t have the Book of the Dead. Using the Authority of the Forging Realm on a program hosted by the Forging Association would be like flashing a pile of gold in the slums.

I ran a simulation. If you had exposed the Hammer of Forging, there would have been a 20.374% probability of you dying an ’accidental’ death within two months and an 18.781% probability of being forced to hand it over. For those Master Forgers who have been stuck at Tier Four for years, the temptation to advance to Tier Five is simply too great.

But the future the Prophet saw convinced him that the Hammer of Forging would achieve far more in your hands. That’s why he gave you the Book of the Dead—to prevent you from exposing the hammer too early.

Then, five minutes ago, the Prophet contacted me and told me to bring you intel on the ’Merchant.’ Based on analysis of past data, every action and arrangement the Prophet makes has a unique significance. He must have seen something...

How did you get mixed up with the ’Merchant’?"

Hearing Tang Ling’s explanation only made more cold sweat break out on Zhou Chen’s back.

’I’m a million percent certain the Prophet knows I’m up to something in North Carolina, but I’m using my Clone! How could he possibly know...? Don’t tell me he’s just staring intently at my future all the time?’

It was too much of a coincidence. One moment, he was trying to look up information on the "Merchant," and the next, Tang Ling was delivering it to him. Even Zhou Chen himself wouldn’t believe it if someone said the Prophet hadn’t arranged it.

"Uh... it’s a long story..."

"Then you can make a long story short."

’Do super AIs have no emotional intelligence? I was trying to say it would be rude to ask more...’ Zhou Chen was at a loss for words for a moment. Then, out of the blue, Tang Ling said:

"North Carolina?"

Zhou Chen froze.

"Your acting and control over your expression are impeccable—you could star in a movie and be up for Best Actor this year. But your pupils still dilated unconsciously... Looks like it is related to North Carolina."

On the screen, Tang Ling’s tone lifted, and her expression grew smug. "I gathered intel from every channel worldwide and ran a comprehensive analysis. The result was an 89% probability that the ’Merchant’ would appear in North Carolina. Since you’re mixed up with him, that means you’re either monitoring North Carolina or you’re already there.

I don’t know how you managed it, but that must be the case."

"..."

Zhou Chen raised his hands in resigned surrender. "It’s North Carolina."

"How did you get in?" Tang Ling asked, her curiosity piqued.

"I refuse to answer."

"Fine..."

On the screen, Tang Ling instantly looked dejected, a little dark cloud even appearing over her head. But she quickly recovered. "Here is the file on the ’Merchant.’ You have five minutes to read it."

The next second, Tang Ling’s image vanished, and an encrypted document appeared on the screen. Zhou Chen began to read it carefully.

[Name: Unknown.

Age: Unknown.

Gender: Unknown.

Codename: Merchant.

Organization: Fallen Paradise.

Level: Tier Four.

Extraordinary Ability: Unequal Trade.

Ability Description:

1. Activation requires the Trader to agree to the transaction in some form. If the individual refuses to trade with the Merchant, Unequal Trade fails to activate.

If the Ability successfully activates, the Merchant gives the Trader what they desire—anything from small items like rocks, branches, diamonds, and Gold to major assets like Extraordinary Abilities, luck, lifespan, Power, and even Rules... Once the deal is struck, the Merchant can collect the payment at any time.

The greater the benefit to the Trader, the steeper the price the Merchant can claim.

2. The Merchant can use any Rules and Extraordinary Abilities collected as payment. For this reason, they are considered the most troublesome Tier Four Ascender.

3. If the payment collected is an "identity," the Merchant can directly take it over. This has extremely strict conditions, and the Merchant will only use it when their physical Life Force is nearly depleted.

4. The Trader will influence the judgment and perception of those around them, allowing them to gain more recognition and favor.

Major Case 1: In year 159 of the New Era, a down-on-his-luck heir in Europe met the "Merchant" in a bar and made a trade. Over the next three months, the heir experienced a string of incredibly fortunate events, landed several huge contracts, and successfully became the pillar of his family’s business. A year later, he took full control of the company. That very night, the "Merchant" appeared and collected the "assets" of the family business as payment. The company was bankrupt overnight.