"Right now, that's too far and too heavy for you. Knowing too much is sometimes not a good thing."
She deftly changed the subject: "Tell me about your current doubts, or would you rather talk about other things?"
Karl nodded, understanding that it was too early to delve into such matters.
He hesitated for a moment, thinking about the other important purpose of his trip, and then asked.
"Do you know... the being known as the Glass Boy, or more commonly called the Master of Mirrors?"
As soon as these words were spoken, Melitele's soft smile instantly vanished.
Her brows furrowed deeply, an obvious anger appearing on her face, along with an elusive... fear.
"Gaunter O'Dimm?!" She coldly spat out the name, her voice trembling.
"That guy who loves to hide in the shadows and play tricks! Has he found you?"
Karl was also stunned by Melitele's fierce reaction—he had initially thought the other party might not know of this being's existence.
Unexpectedly, she not only knew, but even his name was clear, and she reacted so strongly.
He quickly shook his head and denied it: "No, he hasn't found me."
"It's just... I have a feeling that I may come into contact or even conflict with him in the future, so I want to know in advance and be prepared."
Learning that Karl wasn't yet a target, the goddess Melitele's expression eased slightly, but it remained serious.
She snorted coldly, her words full of contempt and warning: "He is a demon from another world, a complete speculator!"
"He chose the 'perfect' time to sneak in while our world was suffering disasters, many powerful gods had fallen, and the power of the guardians was at its most hollow."
"He is extremely obsessed with playing with the fates of mortals, using the pain, despair, and souls of others for his amusement and sustenance."
"He is skilled at exploiting loopholes in contracts and rules to deceive others into making wishes, and then fulfilling them in a twisted and cruel way."
"In the end, he receives what he considers an equivalent reward, usually the other party's most valuable thing—the soul."
She solemnly warned Karl: "You must clearly understand that what actively appears in the outside world is merely a power clone of his divided body."
"But even so, for a demigod below a true god, he is dangerous and cunning enough."
"The forms of his power are very strange, involving layers of fate, contract, and authority."
Finally, she looked at Karl, and a flicker of determination passed through her eyes: "It is extremely difficult to forcibly expel or even destroy his clone with pure force."
"However, to avoid his traps to some extent is not impossible."
She beckoned to Karl: "Come, I will teach you a few spells that carry my blessing."
......
By the time Karl flew over the von Everec Estate, night had already enveloped the academic environment of the city and its port.
The outlines of the city below were faintly visible in the darkness, only occasional fires in the streets like fireflies.
These were the torches held by the Redanian soldiers patrolling at night.
He had come to find Iris, but looking at the sleeping city below, he shook his head.
He didn't know the exact address; although he could use clairvoyance and super senses to search, Iris might have rested early.
He landed in a secluded alley, planning to walk around the city first.
However, just as he turned the corner, a faint, pained voice came from the shadow beside him.
"Well... kind sir... please, give me a few copper coins..."
"I... haven't had a proper meal in days..."
Karl turned his head at the sound and saw a figure curled up in the darkest corner of the alley.
It was a gaunt man, around forty years old, with sunken eyes.
His face was full of pain, and occasionally one or two uncontrollable moans of pain escaped his throat.
He emitted a repulsive smell, a mix of festering wounds and filth.
The stench was so strong that anyone who approached would cover their nose and run away.
Karl frowned slightly and immediately lowered his sense of smell; his super sensitivity made him more aware of these odors.
His clairvoyance activated and swept over the beggar's body, making his heart clench.
The beggar's right calf was in extremely bad condition; the muscles were severely necrotic and rotten, pus and blood soaking his torn trousers, and the pale bones beneath were even faintly visible.
With this level of infection and necrosis, death was almost certain in a world lacking antibiotics, and the process could be extremely painful.
Without hesitation, Karl bent down and reached out to help the dying beggar up.
"Sir?! You, what are you doing?!" The beggar was shocked by his actions, his voice full of terror and weakness.
His body subconsciously wanted to resist, but he couldn't muster the strength.
Karl's voice was as gentle as possible, and he reassured him: "Don't be afraid, I'll take you to a doctor. Your leg won't be left untreated."
"No... no, sir! I don't have a crown, not a single copper!" The beggar waved his hand hastily, despair on his face.
"Those doctors... they won't see me, they'll throw me out like trash!"
"I'll take care of the money. What you need now is treatment." Karl spoke firmly, supporting him and letting him lean on him.
With that, Karl turned his head, his vision penetrating many buildings, and his hearing spreading like radar, searching for traces of doctors who hadn't yet closed up shop.
In that brief moment when Karl turned his head and his attention was slightly distracted,
the expression of intense pain on the beggar's face instantly vanished, like an ebbing tide.
In the deep sockets, the eyes that had been cloudy and lifeless suddenly flashed with a bright light of curiosity.
His gaze swept over every detail of Karl's body—from his clothes, his posture, to the faint aura of divine power.
Immediately, his brows slightly lifted, and the corners of his mouth curled into a barely noticeable, playful, and knowing smile, as if he had discovered something extremely interesting.
And all of this happened quietly and faster than one could imagine.
When Karl locked onto a direction with his super senses and turned his head again,
the beggar's expression instantly returned to the pained and dying one.
Even the suppressed moans of pain in his throat returned to their previous frequency and intensity, so perfect that no one could find a flaw.
Karl supported the "dying" beggar, avoiding the soldiers patrolling the city with torches, and finally approached a wooden house with a primitive medical sign.