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Chapter 665: Spirit Body Threads

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Under the strong sunlight, the sea reflected a golden shade. Apart from that, deep in Klein's eyes were countless illusory black lines.

They extended from the nearby mermaids, from his body, and from the different parts of the neighboring waters. They were packed densely in thin and numerous threads, corresponding to different spots. Some extended into the infinite distance, to the ends of the void.

This strange, beautiful scene wasn't an unfamiliar sight to Klein. In the few times he used the All-Black Eye's powers and his usage of it to create the fake World, he had been able to see similar scenes.

This was the source of a Nimblewright Master's Beyonder powers!

From the knowledge he obtained from the potion, these illusory thin black threads were known as Spirit Body Threads. By controlling them, one could directly influence the target's Soul Body, Astral Projection, Body of Heart and Mind, and Ether Body. Then, with the Ether Body as a bridge, one could control the target's body.

Therefore, all the Beyonder powers of a Nimblewright Master was built on the Spirit Body Threads.

Firstly, it could find a hidden target using the Spirit Body Threads that existed in every creature. It was the best measure against a Demoness's invisibility and a Shadow Ascetic's hiding in the shadows. Of course, Klein wasn't aware if there were means to hide one's Spirit Body Threads.

Secondly, it was to control a target like a puppet. It would make the target's thoughts and body stiffen. This was a type of forceful control and was almost indefensible. The only way of escaping this control was to rely on the potency of one's Spirit Body. It was almost no trouble for a Sequence 5 Nimblewright Master to control anyone who wasn't a demigod.

Thirdly, through the passage of time, the control would deepen. A Nimblewright Master could completely turn the target into their nimblewright. Up to a certain distance, they could hide behind the scenes and control the nimblewright to do battle. While doing so, the nimblewright could use all of its original Beyonder powers!

This is truly magical, terrifying, strange, and indescribable. It's the perfect thing for someone working behind the scenes. It's no wonder Rosago claimed that the control of Spirit Body Threads is one of the most difficult abilities to deal with for anyone that isn't a High-Sequence Beyonder…

But it requires time. Control cannot be instantly achieved. It requires a process that deepens with each step until it's ultimately achieved. To obtain initial control, the present me needs 20 seconds. But with the digestion of the potion, the time needed will clearly decrease. Once my Nimblewright Master potion completely digests, I might be able to do it within five seconds. Yes, before the effects show, the target wouldn't even notice it. Perhaps those with prophetic abilities might be able to detect it…

Once initial control of the target has been achieved, they will immediately be slow to think. Their actions will be impeded and their bodies stiffened. Then, bit by bit, they will develop into a puppet, a nimblewright. If a Nimblewright Master has a partner, this process will make it easy to finish off a target that has been forcibly controlled. Yes, if the enemy's Spirit Body isn't strong enough, a Nimblewright Master will have the strength remaining to even draw a gun or use a mystical item to act in concert with himself.

If the controlling process isn't disrupted by an external force, the target will become my nimblewright after five minutes. In a sense, the nimblewright is truly dead and the process is completely irreversible. Once the potion is completely digested, the time it takes to convert someone into a nimblewright will definitely be greatly shortened.

The maximum number of nimblewrights I can control at present is one. I can't be sure how many I can control in the future, but it will definitely increase. The limit seems to max out at three.

This will not only need time, but there's also a distance restriction. I can only see Spirit Body Threads within a hundred meters. And to control them, I need to be five meters from the target…

When controlling nimblewrights, I cannot be more than 100 meters from it. I'm sure it will increase in the future.

Heh, apart from keeping its Beyonder powers, a nimblewright can also normally use mystical items and Sealed Artifacts. Furthermore, it expends its own spirituality and not mine. Of course, my controlling of the nimblewright will expend spirituality itself.

This ability is very suited for me. In extremely dangerous situations, with me having no choice but to investigate, I can let the nimblewright do it for me. Although it will be heartbreaking to lose it, it's better than having myself die. Heh heh, back when Nimblewright Master Rosago came to deal with me, he must've been engaged in another operation. This resulted in him losing his nimblewright. Yes, he must've not fully digested the Nimblewright Master potion. That's why he wasn't able to achieve initial control over me while waiting for me to open the door. He had to enter in order to converse with me.

In short, this lives up to being a Sequence 5 Beyonder power! Furthermore, the Beyonder powers before this have also been enhanced by 50%, or even more…

I'm really looking forward to knowing what kind of qualitative changes I'll experience when I reach Sequence 4 when possessing so many strange powers. Sigh, I don't even know what its name is… Klein ended the inspection of his body and reflected wistfully.

He then used the experience of setting an activation and deactivation method for his Spirit Vision to give himself a restriction of seeing Spirit Body Threads, so as to not see things he shouldn't see.

Activating by tapping my left thumb twice on the first segment of my index finger. Repeating the action deactivates it. Same for the right hand… He reined in his thoughts and looked ahead, and he saw that the remaining mermaids had turned around and were looking at him with watery blue eyes.

At the thought that he would've lost control and become a Sealed Artifact akin to 2-049 without their singing or this simple ritual, Klein gave them a friendly smile.

Affected by the charm, the mermaids also moved their lips and showed a somewhat embarrassed smile.

As their light purple or deep red lips parted, one by one, Klein saw their teeth—razor-sharp like wolf fangs. They were white and shiny and dripping from them was a sticky liquid.

Klein was taken aback. He discovered that this was even more unacceptable for him than a real monster.

He had originally mentally prepared himself and treated mermaids as creatures that swam in the sea. Therefore, no matter how crazy and terrifying they looked, he believed that he could tolerate it. However, the situation was somewhat beyond his expectations. Mermaids were clearly beautiful and alluring females on the surface. Their tails had a hetero sense of beauty, but their teeth were nasty and disgusting. This was a stark contrast that Klein couldn't take. He nearly moved his eyes away.

Waving his hand, he quickly took out a charm from the Sea God domain and created another gale of wind to push his dinghy back to the Future.

Along the way, Klein couldn't help but recollect the feelings he just had.

So the mermaids' singing is meant for neutralizing and balancing. Otherwise, most Faceless are unable to resist the corrosion of their own Spirit Body Threads by the Nimblewright Master potion. They would directly lose control. Heh. Lucky ones like Kalvetua aren't included. Perhaps, it's because of the lack of the ritual's help that it's relatively weaker.

In theory, as long as there's a voice or Beyonder power with similar effects, they can be used to replace a mermaid's singing, but people who haven't personally experienced it themselves wouldn't be able to tell the minute differences. Therefore, High-Sequence Beyonders who aren't from the Seer pathway will find it difficult to provide any effective suggestions.

Amidst his thoughts, the dinghy returned to the Future. With a rope, Klein easily returned to the deck.

Anderson Hood stood by the shipboard and chuckled.

"So your search of mermaids was a requirement of a ritual, and not because you wish to obtain the corresponding ingredients."

"That's obvious," Klein succinctly replied.

Anderson shrugged and said, "No, it's not. A normal person will guess that mermaids are the ingredients you need, as this doesn't match the rituals needed by a Sequence 4. But who knew that Adventurer Gehrman Sparrow, who was at the level of a pirate admiral, was only a Sequence 6."

What do you mean "only?" Klein resisted the urge of controlling Anderson's Spirit Body Threads.

Ignoring the Strongest Hunter who automatically had a provocative halo, he entered the cabin and returned to his room.

Just as he approached the captain's cabin, he heard a creak as the door before him opened.

Cattleya didn't wear her heavy glasses. She looked at Gehrman Sparrow as the dark purple hue in her eyes swirled.

"Congratulations on your advancement.

"P-previously in the dream, did I say something?"

"You know what you said," Klein replied with a deadpan expression.

Cattleya fell silent for two seconds before saying, "You questioned me about my relationship with Queen Mystic?"

As she spoke, she couldn't help but look around.

She guessed that Queen Mystic might be on the Future because of my rather sudden question? I really have to be careful when conversing with a smart person… Klein nodded, walked past her and returned to his room, leaving the corridor in silence.

Only when he opened the door and took a step inside did he hear Cattleya's voice sound out from the captain's cabin. It reverberated through the entire ship.

"Set sail for the return voyage."

Inside the room, Klein waited a few minutes before reentering the bathroom. He set up the ritual again and threw Creeping Hunger, which was turning more irascible due to the lack of food, above the gray fog.

After doing this, he wasn't in a rush to leave. He summoned the distorted iron-black Tinder and made it land before him.

After studying it for a moment, Klein placed Tinder inside the iron cigar case and threw it into the junk pile.

Although this expensive glove was now unusable, Klein was certain that trash could still be used.

Immediately following that, he slowly took off the already silent Creeping Hunger, and he similarly placed it into the junk pile.

Phew… Klein remained silent for two seconds before leaving the palace that looked like a giant's residence, and then he ventured deep into the mysterious space above the gray fog.

From his previous exploration, he discovered a bright staircase that seemed to lead to heaven. He suspected that the number of steps had something to do with his Sequence; therefore, he immediately came here to confirm it after he advanced.

After walking for a while, Klein finally saw the holy staircase made out of pure light. Compared to before, there was another step, making it a total of five steps.

Indeed… Klein sighed, unsurprised.

Then, he climbed up the staircase that appeared to be prepared for giants and arrived at the top.

At that moment, he wasn't that far from the gray fog which was hardened in midair. He seemed to just need one more step to reach that height.

Klein subconsciously looked up and seemed to see something.

Chapter 666: Afternoon Town

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

That's… Klein's eyes reflected a nearly transparent object.

It appeared like a carapace of something, occasionally shrinking and vanishing from Klein's line of sight, and at times peeking out due to an invisible wind, revealing some of its outlines.

With it acting as an anchor point and looking further up, there were colors of green that was almost black, standing there silently.

They look like the colors of the trees of a dark forest… Klein mumbled without imagining what the object of those colors signified. All he could do was boldly guess that it had something to do with gaining a deeper control of the mysterious space above the gray fog.

Without trying to do something that was destined to be in vain, he jumped down from the staircase that seemed to lead to heaven and phased back inside the palace.

With the existence of Queen Mystic in mind, Klein did some simple tidying up before leaving the gray fog and returning to his bathroom.

After tying up the loose ends, he walked to his suitcase, took out the Sun Brooch, and wore it on his double-breasted frock coat.

After all the turmoil he had been through, the mystical items he could now use had returned to the state when he was in Backlund. However, he was already a Sequence 5 and possessed one of the most difficult powers to deal with below that of the demigods. He was, in the true sense of the word, a powerhouse in the Beyonder world.

I should be very agitated and happy, but I'm actually not. I'm even as excited as when I found mermaids… This is because I've just taken another step on my road to revenge. The true goal I wish to achieve is still a distance away…

Following this, I should conclude the principles and digest the Nimblewright Master potion and seek out the corresponding Sequence 4 formula and ingredients. Yes, I can only do all of these things after leaving these waters. Next, I'll seek advice from Mr. Azik, Will Auceptin, and Arrodes…

Heh heh, I should relax for the next few days. Being overly tense might break me down and cause me to have symptoms of losing control… Klein turned to look at the full-body mirror in his room. Looking at his 1.8-meter-tall build, black hair, and brown eyes, with a thin face and cut features; dressed in a white shirt, a suit with a bow tie, and a top hat that was matched with the pale gold Sunbird brooch. He wore a calm expression with a deep, dark gaze.

After looking at this in silence, he raised his hands and adjusted the buttons at his cuffs and patted his black suit.

…

Lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the stacked, dark buildings ahead.

Demon Hunter Colin Iliad, with two swords on his back, pointed ahead and said, "That's Afternoon Town."

He combed his grizzled hair that was flying about in the wind that swept through the wilderness.

That's fast… With his Axe of Hurricane in hand, Derrick sighed wistfully in surprise.

He soon realized that it was reasonable. This was because the Giant King's Court was located somewhere near the City of Silver. Afternoon Town was the intersecting point that connected both nodes.

With the lightning that illuminated the night sky, he clearly saw Afternoon Town in its entirety. It was built at the foot of a mountain and was naturally split into upper and lower levels. Instead of calling it a town, it wasn't much smaller than most of the ruins the City of Silver found.

Here, the gray stones were stacked into different buildings. Some were entirely emptied out, nearing ten meters. Some were similar to the residence Derrick currently resided in; it was short as though any normal person would hit their heads onto the ceiling.

These buildings were arranged close together before spreading out. Some of them had collapsed, while a number remained standing despite showing signs of age and tear.

It's completely different from what's described in the textbooks… Derrick suddenly recalled the knowledge he had learned from his history lessons.

According to the City of Silver's records, Afternoon Town was the door that separated reality from myth. It was a place where humans and giants lived together. There was day and night here, but most of the day was in a "noon" state. Regardless of the fog, storms, or snow, none of them were able to blot out the strong sunlight. But at this moment, it was dark and heavy. Even if the area was illuminated by light, it lacked a sense of brightness and there was no signs of life.

Clenching his axe tightly, Derrick, whose eyes had two miniature suns, was on the flanks of the exploration team. He followed Chief Colin into Afternoon Town.

This area had been cleared once on the first exploration. The streets were covered with signs of rotting flesh and dry pus. It was completely silent.

"Be careful. There are many strange monsters lurking in the darkness." Colin Iliad, with his scarred face, didn't let down his guard. He drew one of his dual swords as the silver light on his sword converged.

This is the mythical door? When the Creator abandoned this piece of land, even the myths were abandoned? Derrick couldn't help but imagine what Afternoon Town had experienced during the cataclysm. He instinctively felt that it was probably different from the Kingdom of Silver.

Before he could carefully observe his surroundings in search of possible clues, he suddenly heard a teammate on the other flank anxiously cry out, "There's something!"

Derrick turned his head and saw a transparent face growing out of the wall of a ten-meter-tall stone building.

The face was filled with countless cracks. With great regularity, they spiraled around the center, forming a single eye or mouth that resembled a vortex.

The hurricane within the vortex was corporeal as it spewed out with a howl. The dawn-like light from within was dense, as though they were arrows of light.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

They struck a few members of the exploration team, but they seemed to strike thick city walls. All they produced was dull and closely-spaced out thuds before disappearing into the dark environment.

At some point in time, City of Silver Chief, Colin Iliad, was genuflecting. He stabbed the silver sword in his hand into the rotting gray ground.

He had provided the front row with the strongest protection!

At the same time, the other members of the exploration team methodically unleashed their attacks. Hurricane's of light and scarlet fireballs struck the monster.

Right on the heels of that, the holy light that Derrick summoned had landed on the vortex that resembled a single eye.

Amidst the explosive boom, the boulder, which was originally covered in cracks, collapsed. A transparent face screamed as it vaporized.

Although the battle was simple, Derrick didn't feel happy at all. He had heard Mr. Hanged Man and Miss Justice discuss cases of Beyonder fights. Matching it with the experience the City of Silver had accumulated from resisting all kinds of monsters from the darkness, he worriedly discovered that the City of Silver had a limited number of pathways. Those who were not demigods lacked effective means of control, and the situation from before proved this point.

Thankfully, there are Sealed Artifacts that are formed when monsters die to make up for this… Derrick silently thought as he heard the Chief instruct, "Move according to plan. Three to four people a group. Search and clear the different areas."

"Yes, Chief!" The exploration team members were mostly rich in experience. They soon formed their groups.

Derrick's group consisted of three people. Apart from him, there was Joshua and Haim who had been to the abandoned temple with him before. The former was a Sequence 7 Weapon Master, and he had a mystical glove that could control fire. The latter was a recently advanced Sequence 6 Dawn Paladin. He was tall and reached a height of 2.3 meters.

The City of Silver, which had Warriors—also known as the Giant pathway—as the main force, had an average height of 1.8 meters (including children above the age of 6). Even if the Beyonder characteristics were inherited, the normal genes that were modified had accumulated with each generation. Although Derrick wasn't old, he was nearly 1.8 meters tall and still had room to grow.

According to the designated targets, Derrick, Joshua, and Haim entered an alley on the left in a triangular battle formation. They checked every building that still allowed entry.

Perhaps as a result of the former sweep, they didn't encounter any monsters. They couldn't help but feel a little relieved.

"Rumor has it that the six-member council plans to set up camp here and make Afternoon Town a stronghold," Joshua, who was wearing a scarlet glove on his left palm, said after observing the buildings.

Haim nodded and looked down at his two partners.

"The true target seems to be…"

He pointed diagonally upwards.

"The Giant King's Court?" Derrick asked in surprise.

Isn't it a search for the sea where Little Jack and company came from? Don't we need to circle the Giant King's Court? Derrick was filled with puzzlement.

Haim shook his head.

"I've only heard rumors."

He swept his gaze and pointed at the entrance to the underground chamber.

"Let's finish our search here."

Derrick answered tersely. With his night vision and ability to emit light, he wasn't afraid of the darkness as he stepped into the underground chamber first. Haim lifted an animal hide lantern while Joshua followed closely in tow.

This building's underground chamber was rather wide, with traces of dried, blackening pools. The smell of blood remained despite the many years that had passed.

Derrick surveyed the area and suspected that a sacrificial ritual had once been held here.

A very, very long time ago… he silently added and discovered a candle left on the stone table which resembled an altar. He felt more certain about his guesses.

Why would the residents of Afternoon Town secretly hold sacrificial rituals in their underground basement? When the Giant King's Court was in power, they were believers of the Giant King. Later, they came under the lord that created everything… The owner of this building secretly worshiped other gods? Questions arose in him as Derrick approached the altar. He saw that the stone table was originally carved with words, but they had been damaged by either natural or unnatural elements.

After some careful identification, Derrick found three names:

"Ouroboros;

"Medici;

"Sasrir."

Ouroboros? Isn't that the name of the Angel of Fate? Mr. Fool mentioned before that Medici is also a King of Angels. Sasrir is another one? Derrick suddenly felt excited and horrified as he hurriedly turned his head to shout out for his companions to take a look.

But in his vision, the underground chamber was empty. There was only darkness. Haim and Joshua who were supposed to be behind him were gone!

Chapter 667: Prayer

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

They're gone?

There's only darkness?

Faced with such a sudden change, Derrick's first reaction wasn't horror; instead, he clasped his hands together and pressed it to his mouth.

Pure light was emitted out of his body as he dispersed the surrounding darkness, illuminating every corner of the underground chamber.

In Derrick's living environment, darkness was the most terrifying existence. Once they left the City of Silver, they had to constantly maintain the existence of light. Even a brief loss of light couldn't last for more than five seconds.

When Derrick first joined the exploration teams and lacked experience, he had nearly killed himself because of such a mistake. Thankfully, the Chief was standing nearby.

As the light slowly and continuously radiated from him, Derrick raised his tightly-gripped Axe of Hurricane and carefully observed his surroundings.

He discovered that apart from Haim and Joshua—teammates who had entered the underground chamber with him—vanishing, the stone slabs and tufts of black hair on the walls had turned blood-red at some point in time. They were moist as though they had just been sprayed on.

This calmed down Derrick, who was well-versed with exploration materials, to realize a possibility. The problem didn't stem from Haim or Joshua, but himself!

All I did was approach the altar and silently read three names… Typically speaking, even angels will require someone to read or write down an accurate honorific name in its complete form before they can receive "prayers." And it's supposedly limited by range… I wonder if the Kings of Angels require the same conditions…

Uh, one of those three names was the key to activating the hidden powers in the altar. I triggered the problem by using Jotun which can stir the powers of nature? No, that's not right. It needs to be said out loud. Even if these are the true names of the Kings of Angels, I've never faced such problems in the past… Derrick anxiously turned his body while feeling perplexed. He returned to the altar and came to the stone table.

He was surprised to see that the words and symbols on the stone table were a lot more complete and clearer than before. It was as though the host of the ritual had just drawn it.

The words were written in three languages. They were in Jotun, Dragonese, and a language that Derrick couldn't recognize. However, he suspected that it was the ancient Hermes previously mentioned by Miss Justice and Mr. Hanged Man. This was because he had a basic understanding of some words from the conversations during the Tarot Gathering. They were rather similar to the words used on the stone table.

The content expressed by Jotun and Dragonese were identical. They repeated the three names and their corresponding titles.

Angel of Fate, Ouroboros;

Red Angel, Medici;

Dark Angel, Sasrir.

Following these names and titles was an entity Derrick was very familiar with.

Rose Redemption!

Sasrir really is a King of Angels, one known as Dark Angel. "He," Angel of Fate, and Red Angel are the founders of Rose Redemption? I wonder if Mr. Fool knows anything about "Him"… "He" definitely knows a lot… The words in ancient Hermes should likely be the same content… In Afternoon Town, which had already converted to the faith of the Lord that created everything, there were residents who were secretly worshiping the three Kings of Angels beside the Lord… Upon having this thought, Derrick suddenly felt a chill run down his back. He felt as though he was close to the reason why the Creator had abandoned this land.

When he looked up again, he saw that the walls remained red, but Haim and Joshua were still nowhere to be seen.

Silently repeating them didn't do a thing. Perhaps they don't produce any effects on their own… Derrick drew a breath as he raised his Axe of Hurricane. He carefully walked towards the entrance of the underground chamber, hoping to find the problem at its roots, so as to determine what led to his present situation.

One step, two steps, three steps. Like a gigantic candle, he returned to the hall upstairs.

There were rich shadows here, making it gloomy and eerily silent. The rotting chairs and the remnants of stone tables remained sitting there in silence, no different from before.

Failing to find Joshua and Haim, Derrick could only walk towards the window while he felt high-strung. He wanted to see if he could encounter other members of the exploration team.

Thud… Thud… Amidst light footstep sounds, he approached a huge hole that should've been a window sill. He leaned forward and looked outside.

Countless dark buildings spread out, either tall or short, as they extended outwards like steps.

The lightning in the air happened at a very low frequency as many windows had candlelight emitting out of them. The dim yellow flames danced but weren't extinguished.

This… Derrick couldn't help but swallow a mouthful of saliva. He felt as though all the residents were still living in peace just before Afternoon Town encountered its cataclysm.

…

Haim, who was carrying an animal hide lantern, didn't need to bend his back to enter the underground chamber. He jokingly said to Joshua, "This house must belong to a human, but their family definitely has giant's bloodline in them. They're probably my height. Tsk, the last time we went to that ruined city, we had to bow our heads when using the main doors!"

Having a giant's bloodline didn't necessarily mean that they had giant blood flowing in them. Instead, it referred to a physical characteristic that was inherited by descendants thanks to the consumption of the pathway's potion. Being tall was one of its manifestations.

Joshua looked up at Haim and scoffed.

"That was you. I didn't need to."

"But you won't take long before you can advance. When the time comes, you won't be shorter than me," Haim said with a smile before glancing at Derrick via the corner of his eye. It was to prevent any accidents from happening when Derrick approached the altar.

Joshua thought before saying, "Actually, I'm very curious. Chief is a Sequence 4 Demon Hunter. He should be like an ordinary giant with a height of three to four meters. Why does he look very ordinary, with him being only half a head taller than me?"

Haim subconsciously surveyed the area and said, "Rumor has it that the Chief has a giant form."

"A giant form? Will his clothes tear when he becomes a giant?" Joshua asked with a laugh.

"Unless his clothes and pants are mystical items." Haim and Joshua exchanged a knowing smile.

They were just about to turn their heads to share the joke with Derrick when they realized that the youth was gone!

Derrick, who should've been standing before the altar, had vanished!

Haim's and Joshua's expression instantly turned heavy. One of them raised his huge broadsword, while the other raised his red-gloved left hand.

They carefully approached the altar and did a careful inspection, but they failed to identify anything suspicious.

Joshua was just about to attempt to identify the words on the stone table when Haim patted him on the shoulder.

"Don't look at it. I just recalled that Derrick was looking at those words before he vanished.

"Let's bring the Chief here."

"Okay." Joshua nodded.

They didn't leave in a fluster. They surveyed the surroundings before one of them rubbed his index finger with his middle finger to light the remaining candle on the altar.

This was to protect Derrick so as to prevent him from falling into true darkness!

In the past, the exploration teams of the City of Silver had similar encounters in the ruined cities. A teammate might appear to have suddenly vanished, but they had actually been concealed by some kind of power. He stood in his original location, but with his teammates eager to seek help, they would leave the area with their lanterns. Hence, the poor bastard would be devoured by the true darkness, never to be found again. If it wasn't for another teammate finding themselves in another similar situation and having been rescued on the spot, the others wouldn't have known the actual reason for the previous person's death.

With the candle lit, the dim yellow light spread outwards. Haim and Joshua immediately left and arrived at the alley where they released a spirituality signal that everyone carried.

They didn't wait too long for Colin Iliad who had jumped off from the roof of another building before landing firmly.

"What happened?" the Demon Hunter asked in a deep voice.

The silver sword in his hand was already covered with a layer of light gray oil.

Haim immediately recounted what had happened. Finally, he said, "We didn't discover the reason for Derrick's disappearance."

Derrick… Colin nodded in thought, walked past them, and headed straight into the corresponding building.

…

Despite the candles alight outside and the warm yellow color, Derrick felt as though he had fallen into a frozen abyss. A chill at the bottom of his heart kept spreading.

He clenched the Axe of Hurricane with his right hand and retracted his gaze from the town. He turned to return to the underground chamber and stood in front of the altar again.

He had already determined that he was the one with the problem!

However, he didn't have the urge to explore the strange Afternoon Town. He didn't even dare open the door.

Derrick wasn't nervous, nor did he show any obvious signs of flusterness. This was because he didn't believe that he had encountered something severe.

As long as it's not an immediate threat, it's nothing severe… Derrick took a silent breath, bowed his head, and reverently whispered, "The Fool that doesn't belong to this era.

"The mysterious ruler above the gray fog.

"The King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck…"

Klein, who had been admiring the scenery of the battlefield of the gods, had no choice but to enter the bathroom, set up the disruptive items, and take four steps counterclockwise to head above the gray fog.

He sat at the high-back chair at the end of the long bronze table. He stretched out his right hand and emanated his spirituality, touching the crimson star which represented Little Sun.

Suddenly, the prayers turned abnormally clear as the corresponding scene appeared before Klein's eyes.

He first saw the still-hazy Little Sun, before discovering that the environment around him was abnormal!

Swirling around The Sun was an unspeakable darkness, and in the darkness there were eyes of different shapes silently watching him.

The eyes were densely packed and hidden in the darkness. They were like unwelcomed observers which Little Sun hadn't noticed at all.

Afternoon Town is that dangerous? Klein was very aware of what dear Sun was up to lately.

He thought for a moment and instinctively believed that the darkness was extremely strange and surreal. Therefore, he abandoned the option of using the Sea God Scepter to respond to Little Sun. Instead, he switched to pulling him up above the gray fog.

Klein extended his spirituality, but he felt as though the crimson star seemed to be in a quagmire, making it rather difficult for him to pull him over.

Which King of Angels has he crossed this time? With a thought, Klein made the mysterious space and the gray fog beneath him produce ripples.

After advancing to Sequence 5, he could stir some of the powers above the gray fog, without the use of the Black Emperor card and the corresponding rituals!

Silently, Klein easily completed transporting Derrick as his figure appeared on the high-back chair belonging to him.

Meanwhile, Klein saw the strange darkness swirling around Little Sun's body shatter.

…

The Demon Hunter entered the underground chamber in high alert, followed closely by Haim and Joshua.

They saw that in front of the dim yellow candlelight, Derrick Berg's figure was quickly outlined like a picture.

Chapter 668: Confidence Might Also Be a Weakness

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Above the gray fog, in the palace that was held up by stone columns.

Derrick quickly repeated his encounter to Mr. Fool.

Dark Angel Sasrir… The names and titles of these Kings of Angels seem to have been washed away by the rivers of history. Almost no one knows of them. If it weren't for Little Sun discovering them in the Forsaken Land of the Gods, or me directly encountering the ancient evil spirit suspected to be Red Angel himself, I might not even know a single King of Angels. At best I would've heard of the Amon family and would have no way of delving deeper into the Blasphemer… Where is this Dark Angel at present? Is "He" still alive? Is "He" still one of the upper echelons of the Rose Redemption? Klein felt wistful.

Afraid that Little Sun would ask him related questions that he couldn't answer, Klein instantly stopped his contemplations and leisurely leaned back into the chair and said, "You have been freed from your predicament. Your companions will soon find you."

As he spoke, he didn't give Little Sun a chance to speak by directly cutting off the connection.

As for an explanation in the event that Little Sun was discovered to be abnormal, Klein disdained the thought of reminding him to fabricate an explanation.

To mysteriously disappear and then appear again, wasn't it very normal that all sorts of strange scenarios accompanied it?

At that moment, Derrick was very grateful that Mr. Fool didn't ask him any further questions. This was because he was afraid that he would be exposed to the lethal darkness or hidden monsters once he escaped the alternate Afternoon Town. Therefore, he was eagerly hoping to regain control of his body as soon as possible, so as to prepare the necessary precautions. However, if Mr. Fool had really asked a question, he would still seriously and very patiently explain the corresponding situation.

With his consciousness returning to his body, Derrick rapidly recovered his senses.

When he opened his eyes, he saw a candle which was almost done burning. The wick's flame was wavering in the wind.

Immediately after that, he discovered that the Chief was standing to his side at some point in time. The tall Haim and the red-gloved Joshua were warily standing two steps behind.

How long have they been watching me like that… Although Derrick had already thought of a reason above the gray fog, he still felt guilty and nervous.

Colin's wrinkled face was deadpan. He asked in a normal tone as he looked at Derrick Berg, "What did you encounter?"

Derrick didn't immediately answer, as it would appear as though he had already fabricated an excuse. He used a trick taught by The Hanged Man—he deliberately paused for a few seconds, and as he recalled, he described while recalling the events in a rather staccato manner, "I saw the altar after entering the underground chamber. I suspected that it was an altar and tried to identify the remnant words and symbols on it. I recognized three names. One of them was Angel of Fate Ouroboros… At this point, the light from the lantern extinguished. When I turned my head to look, Haim and Joshua had vanished. I created a light source and walked out of the underground chamber and discovered that the outside was still… was still Afternoon Town. However, many of the buildings had candles lit inside them as though… as though humans were living in them.

"I didn't dare to leave the building, and I returned to the underground chamber. I attempted to do what I did again. Uh, Chief, in that Afternoon Town, the words on the altar were very complete. There were a total of three languages. One was Jotun, the other Dragonese, and another I didn't recognize. However, the first two languages expressed the same words. They were the names and titles of the three angels, as well as Rose Redemption…

"Later, I found myself back here."

What he said was the truth, and it was very complete. All he did was hide the details of how he returned.

Derrick didn't have any hopes of successfully lying to the Chief. He planned on being confused when he was pressed, pushing the reasons onto the abnormality of his body that he didn't understand.

This will definitely make the Chief suspicious, but Mr. Hanged Man and Miss Justice from the Spectator pathway all said that he wouldn't ask too many questions regarding such matters. By appearing abnormal, will he think more importantly of me? I will be viewed as a chess piece that can counterbalance Elder Lovia… The outside world sure is complicated. It was only recently that I fully understood their train of thought… Derrick couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

In a dire environment, the depletion of every ounce of strength would mean more danger for the City of Silver. It had very few instances in the past. And even if it happened, it was basically concentrated within the six-member council. The first thing the other Beyonders learned in their patrols and adventuring was cooperation.

Colin nodded gently, walked to the altar, and attempted what Derrick described, but he didn't disappear as a result of this. He remained standing in his original spot.

"From the looks of it, the remnant powers have already completed their mission," the Demon Hunter muttered softly to himself.

I didn't even need to fabricate an excuse… Derrick thought, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

Colin thought for a moment before turning his head to look at Derrick.

"What are the corresponding titles of Medici and Sasrir?"

"Red Angel and Dark Angel." Derrick was honest.

Colin nodded gently, seemingly in thought.

"In a small number of books, there is mention of a Red Angel, but with no actual name associated with it. As for Dark Angel Sasrir, 'He' has completely been lost to history."

Derrick was just about to take the opportunity to ask about the other Kings of Angels when he suddenly noticed that the candlelight in the underground chamber had dimmed, as though a shadow was surging in from outside.

"Let's leave this place for now," Demon Hunter Colin said cautiously, having sensed the same thing.

With the Axe of Hurricane in hand, Derrick immediately approached Haim and Joshua to form a battle formation with them.

However, just as he took one step, he discovered that Haim had retreated two meters to the side. Joshua had raised his left red-gloved hand. Both of them didn't hide their wariness as their eyes keenly observed him.

Derrick knew that this was a very normal reaction from them. This was because lessons regarding explorations had the corresponding teachings. Be observant and make less contact with companions who had just escaped a strange situation!

And I haven't clearly explained how I escaped that strange Afternoon Town… Derrick opened his mouth in a bid to explain, but he closed his mouth in silence again.

He felt ashamed and aggrieved as he pursed his lips. Holding the Axe of Hurricane, he turned and followed the Chief, taking one step at a time before leaving the underground chamber.

The quartet soon arrived at the entrance and was prepared to leave. To their surprise, they realized that the Afternoon Town with shadows cloaking its buildings had appeared to have darkened a little.

Almost instantaneously, there was candlelight shining out from different windows from different buildings. The dim yellowish lights were either connected or disconnected, silent and heavy.

…

Klein didn't stay too long above the gray fog. He quickly returned to the bathroom and put away the corresponding items.

Let's hope that there wouldn't be any more incidents on Little Sun's side. It wouldn't be too good for me to repeatedly enter the bathroom. People in the know will realize that I'm hiding a secret, but those not in the know would definitely think that Gehrman Sparrow has a bladder problem. It would be a tarnish on my persona!

Although I've already digested the Faceless potion, Nimblewright Master Rosago went from one Sequence to the next. The Beyonder characteristic he left behind obviously contains a set of the Faceless potion… Using this Beyonder characteristic as a main ingredient is equivalent to me drinking an additional Faceless, Magician, Clown, and Seer potion, or even more…

Sigh, I should still try my best to abide by the various principles I previously concluded, so as to digest the excess portions. Klein made some clean water and washed his face before walking out of the bathroom.

Just as he was wondering if it was almost time for dinner and was planning to take out his golden pocket watch to take a look, the scene before his eyes suddenly turned black. He could hardly see his fingers.

It's night again… The intervals don't follow a pattern… If we encounter a monster and both sides are in an intense battle, what happens when the sky suddenly turns dark? Monsters are also creatures, so they need to sleep as well; otherwise, there's a high chance that they will disappear into the night… Heh heh, both parties in combat have to lie down and sleep, only to continue when they wake up… Is this really a story that can pass the censors? Klein, who had relaxed after successfully advancing, lampooned as he quickly walked to his bed.

Just as he got in bed, he suddenly thought of a problem.

The night here is very dangerous. If living creatures do not sleep, they will vanish completely.

The darkness of the Forsaken Land of the Gods, including the City of Silver, is similarly dangerous. If there's no light to disperse the darkness, humans would completely vanish if the darkness exceeds five seconds.

It's really similar… Could there really be some connection here?

Klein shook his head and, with Cogitation, entered a dream.

Amidst the dream, he realized that he had switched locations again once he became lucid!

The last time he left the dream, he was on the boulder where Admiral of Stars Cattleya was sitting as she hugged her knees. This time, he was facing a staircase.

The light of the sunset shined through the colored glass panes high above, making the black spiraling staircase adorned with sculptures look exceedingly beautiful.

Klein instinctively looked to the side and found Queen Mystic standing high up the staircase.

This long chestnut-haired lady wasn't wearing her dress with open hems. Her top was a white shirt with lace and flowery bands, matched with a simple dark blue coat. Her lower half was still the beige-colored trousers with black leather boots. However, Klein believed that Queen Mystic probably had an entire wardrobe, or even a room full of trousers and leather boots of the same style.

"What's the matter?" Klein took the initiative to ask.

Queen Mystic caressed the handrail with her right hand as she slowly walked down.

"Confidence might be a weakness at times.

"You trust that copper whistle and paper crane of yours too much. Perhaps one day, it will be the source of danger."

Klein felt a little uneasy at that, but he didn't show it.

"I don't understand what you mean."

"Confidence might be a weakness at times," Queen Mystic repeated again. "Cattleya trusts the Sealed Artifact she gave Heath Doyle too much. If I hadn't boarded the ship, then Nina, Frank Lee, and her would've died. But you might survive."

"That Sealed Artifact isn't actually able to block the ravings that fill these waters? That's how Heath Doyle mutated?" Klein acutely read in between the lines.

Queen Mystic nodded.

"Under ordinary circumstances, it can. But do you know who the ravings that fill these waters come from?"

Without waiting for Klein's reply, she gave the answer.

"The True Creator."

Chapter 669: Exchange of Information

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The True Creator? The ravings that fill these waters come from the True Creator? Upon hearing Queen Mystic's answer, Klein was surprised while feeling somewhat joyful.

He was rejoicing because, just as Queen Mystic said, if she hadn't boarded the ship, Heath Doyle might've undergone a mutation even with the existence of a Sealed Artifact which could reduce his auditory senses to a certain effect.

Towards Low- and Mid-Sequence Beyonders of other pathways, they would only feel repressed and frustrated, or they would occasionally suffer from nightmares when faced with the True Creator's ravings without actually listening to them. But to a Rose Bishop, the Sequence 0 for his corresponding pathway was the True Creator. To be immersed in the ravings of this evil god, even if he was deaf, something would've happened to him sooner or later.

Once Heath Doyle went mad or lost control, together with the uniqueness of these waters, it was truly difficult for the rest of the people on board the ship to be safe. However, Klein believed that as long as he could survive the sudden attack, he would have the chance to pray to The Fool and use the Sea God Scepter above the gray fog to provide a response to resolve the problem.

He was surprised that the owner of the ravings was in complete contradiction with his theory. He originally imagined that these waters were the battlefield between the ancient gods and the Creator worshiped by the City of Silver during the Second Epoch. He suspected that the subsidiary gods, who were also the corresponding angels, had participated in it as well. To his surprise, this appeared to be wrong from the beginning. This was because the True Creator had apparently first appeared after the Third Epoch's Cataclysm!

I cannot rule out the possibility that the ravings were later left behind… Klein didn't blindly make a conclusion. He watched as Queen Mystic walked past him as she caressed the sculptures on the handrail and slowly walked down.

The lady's back was tall; neither fat nor thin. Her figure was extremely proportioned, and her long chestnut hair simply cascaded down.

This made Klein feel a sense of familiarity. After recalling the matters involving Queen Mystic, he finally recalled the source of the familiarity.

Back when he was searching for the Cards of Blasphemy at the Roselle Memorial Exhibition, he had seen a similar back. Back then, the figure dressed somewhat oddly. Despite wearing a yellow layered dress which had the vibes of a young girl, she wore a black, out-of-fashion bonnet.

She was likely Queen Mystic. She had also visited the Roselle Memorial Exhibition ahead of time… Back then, she was looking at the basic education books the emperor had improved for his children and the Chinese Chess and toy blocks… She was certain that I had taken the Black Emperor card…

The emperor's eldest daughter, Bernadette, established the Element Dawn to resist the Moses Ascetic Order. And from the diary, that lady appreciates the maxim, "do as you wish, but do no harm." Therefore, from these two points, it can be inferred that she's likely a demigod of the Mystery Pryer pathway…

The Mystery Pryer pathway's Sequence 4 is Mysticologist… Queen Mystic… Of course, the reputation of Queen Mystic has long been known across the seas for more than a hundred years. She's definitely not a Sequence 4 anymore. Yes, after Cattleya left Queen Mystic, she joined the Moses Ascetic Order…

This queen seems to take the interpretation of Roselle's diary very seriously…

All sorts of fragmented pieces of information came together as Klein suddenly had a theory.

Perhaps Queen Mystic was Emperor Roselle's eldest daughter, Bernadette Gustav!

This might explain why this queen dresses in the style that resembles Earth's but also appears rather strange. She has been deeply influenced by the emperor's preferences, and she's unable to completely extricate herself from the fashion trends. Hence, she mixes them into a unique and strange style she can call her own… As for it being aesthetically pleasing, that's a whole other matter. A beautiful person will look good and fashionable even with a gunny sack… Klein lampooned inwardly, but he wore a solemn expression. He unhurriedly followed Queen Mystic down the beautiful staircase.

Queen Mystic didn't turn her head. As she walked, she said, "This dream world isn't vast. There are only two parts. One of them is the shadow of the Giant King's Court on the opposite mountain, and the other is the black cloister over here."

Giant King's Court? The majestic building complex that seemed frozen in the sunset surfaced in Klein's mind.

This is actually the shadow of the Giant King's Court!

And Little Sun and company happen to be at the entrance of the Giant King's Court, Afternoon Town!

Queen Mystic said with a gentle but emotionless tone, "This is my theory, as it resembles the Great Twilight Hall in Feysac.

"And in the Fourth Epoch, there has always been rumors that the God of Combat is an ancient giant who survived the Cataclysm."

The God of Combat pathway is the Giant pathway… Klein inwardly expressed his agreement with Queen Mystic's theory.

At that moment, he recalled the mythical information he had received from Little Sun. He realized that the description of the Giant King's Court being "forever residing in the sunset" matched the spectacle of the opposite mountain.

From the True Creator to the Giant King's Court, she has revealed two extremely valuable pieces of information… She's expressing her goodwill to me, no⁠—the entity backing me. Heh heh, and the person backing me is myself… Klein calmly replied, "The real Giant King's Court is in the Forsaken Land of the Gods."

He said this matter in an indifferent tone, so as to accentuate his value and the entity backing him.

Queen Mystic stopped in her tracks as she pressed down on the beautifully sculptured handrail with her right palm. She half-turned her body to face Gehrman Sparrow and said at an adequate speed, "Rumor has it that the path leading to the Forsaken Land of the Gods is hidden in the mountain across us, hidden in the shadows of the Giant King's Court."

So Little Sun and company have begun exploring Afternoon Town? But didn't Little Jack mention that they appeared by the sea? The Giant King's Court and the shadow of the Giant King's Court must have switches in them. Only by opening them ahead of time can the two seas meet?

This place is filled with the True Creator's ravings, and it hides the secret of the Forsaken Land of the Gods. It has remnant powers of the Evernight, Sun, Storm, Earth, and Spectator pathway. This seems to correspond to the Cataclysm!

After the Cataclysm, the Forsaken Land of the Gods was isolated from the outside world. The Goddess, Eternal Blazing Sun, Lord of Storms, Earth Mother, and company saved the world while the True Creator appeared… Only the Spectator pathway's imagination doesn't exactly add up… Klein made a guess based on whatever information he knew at hand.

Queen Mystic continued walking down as she said, "The black cloister here doesn't appear big, but each building and every level represents a different part of these waters. Behind every door might hide the dream of a creature."

I see… Klein glanced at the handrail and discovered that the sculpture on it was mainly that of a human's head. It was beautiful at a glance, but terrifying on careful inspection. Hence, he asked in passing, "Whose dream does this staircase belong to?"

"An Undying from the Numinous Episcopate. He came here in search of Death's remains⁠—one of the main requirements of the Artificial Death. However, he lost control as a result of the ravings, and he's forever loitering in an underground ruin, turning every adventurer who dares to enter into becoming his zombie," Queen Mystic calmly explained.

Death was also involved in the battle of gods that happened here? It's no wonder Admiral Hell would take the risk and enter these waters from time to time… Klein felt enlightened.

He wasn't alarmed about the matter regarding Artificial Death, as he had previously heard Demoness of Unaging Katarina Pellè mention it before. Furthermore, the Numinous Episcopate seemed to be rather far from success.

At this moment, just as Queen Mystic finished walking down the stairs, she turned to glance at him.

Right on the heels of that, the lady turned into a corridor and entered a building.

Klein surveyed the area and discovered that there was no longer any stairs leading downwards. They were apparently at the bottom level.

Queen Mystic stopped in front of the black wooden door filled with strange patterns. She gripped its handle and said, "I've always suspected that the dream within is the key to sustaining this place. The remnant powers of Evernight only provides the possibility of such a development."

As she spoke, she twisted the handle and opened the door.

The black door slowly moved backward, and behind it wasn't a room as Klein had imagined, but a sea.

The sea was illuminated by blinding sunlight. The waves were huge swaths of rich gold.

As the door opened, Klein felt an unimaginable aura seep out from inside. The entire building began to quake in an obvious manner as the dust and bricks on the wall began to fall.

Subtly, Klein felt that the dream was on the brink of shattering.

At this moment, Queen Mystic pulled her right hand, shutting the black wooden door tightly. Everything was restored to normal as a result of this.

"Even I do not dare enter," this mighty figure in the mysterious world said.

"This place has the dreams of certain remnant deities," Klein said calmly as though he had someone backing him, allowing him to grasp the situation ahead of time.

Queen Mystic turned around as her blue eyes swept over Gehrman Sparrow's face.

"These waters and this black cloister hide a lot of secrets. My understanding of it might not even reach a single percent."

She didn't continue as she silently looked at Gehrman Sparrow, as though waiting for something.

What intense pressure… Klein thought for a moment and asked probingly, "Do you know the activation incantation of the Black Emperor card?"

Queen Mystic fell silent for a few seconds and shook her head.

Klein looked her in the eye.

"Bernadette."

The entire corridor turned so silent that even their breathing could be heard. Queen Mystic's lips moved a little before they pursed together.

Her blue eyes temporarily lost their focus, but they quickly recovered their profundity.

Queen Mystic turned around at an adequate speed, walked to the black staircase, and said without a change in tone, "The dream is ending."

Klein looked at her back move up the black staircase until the blinding light drowned out everything.

…

Afternoon Town.

Upon seeing the candlelight light up in the buildings outside, the silent town seemed to come to life. Derrick felt as though they had plummeted into a nightmare as they instantly tensed up.

Demon Hunter Colin observed for a while before solemnly saying, "We are in the real world.

"The power of the altar has leaked out."

Chapter 670: Repenter

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

That strange Afternoon Town has infiltrated the Afternoon Town in reality? Derrick vaguely understood what the Chief was saying as he had a rough guess as to why this had happened.

He suspected that when Mr. Fool pulled him out of the strange Afternoon Town, "He" had broken an intricate balance, causing the powers to seep out.

This also explained why Demon Hunter Colin Iliad didn't vanish immediately when he repeated the attempt.

Just as Derrick was wondering what kind of changes this would bring, the chief of the six-member council, Colin, had taken out a luminescent powder from a pouch on his belt, and he scattered it in the air.

The powder suddenly blasted apart, spewing silver light upwards. It made it appear extremely obvious in such a dark environment.

Derrick, Haim, and Joshua knew very well what this signal meant. It meant not to run about haphazardly. Stay in your area, be wary against any incoming enemies, and await rescue!

Without a doubt, this was a signal to all the other exploration teams scattered across Afternoon Town.

Colin consecutively released the signal thrice in the span of two lightning bolts. Then, he turned and said to Derrick and company, "We shall meet up with the rest by combing outwards.

"Be careful along the way."

"Yes, Chief!" Derrick had already forgotten the grievance from before, only wishing that he could help his partners as soon as possible.

Following Colin's instructions, he took the left flank of the small team. On the other side was the red-gloved Joshua who held an iron-black sword. Lining the back was the relatively stronger Dawn Paladin, Haim. And right in front was the Dawn Paladin who was about three steps away.

As lightning flashed at relatively fast intervals, the gloomy Afternoon Town would go from being bright to darkness. The candlelight from each window showed a wavering flame that burned in silence and calmness.

Derrick was no longer the fledgling he once was. Although he was nervous, his palm didn't sweat while holding the Axe of Hurricane. He skillfully moved his gaze around, wary against any monster that might leap out from the buildings on both sides.

After a flash of lightning, the world was thrown back into darkness. The bits of candlelight in Afternoon Town seemed to await travelers that needed lodging.

As for the animal hide lantern in Haim's hand, its light scattered outward, but it failed to produce much light in a radius around him. It wasn't as effective as Derrick's night vision.

The only usage was that it appeared to dispel the rich darkness around them.

At that moment, Derrick suddenly felt a chill down his neck, but there wasn't any cold winds!

He didn't turn his head subconsciously. Instead, he took one step diagonally, half-turned his body, and glanced through the corner of his eye.

He saw the nearly 2.3-meter-tall Haim looking at him with a gloomy expression. He cleaved down with the broadsword in his hand!

*Bang! *

Derrick somersaulted to dodge the strike as he seemed to still hear the echoing sound of the intense wind.

Following that, he heard the Chief's voice.

"What happened?"

"Haim attacked me!" Derrick rolled towards Colin's direction and stood up.

"Me?" Haim held the animal hide lantern in one hand and his broadsword in the other, asking with a look of puzzlement.

Colin glanced at Derrick.

"I didn't discover any abnormality on his part."

As he spoke, the Demon Hunter's eyes produced two dark green symbols.

He surveyed the area and said, "The attacker transformed its appearance to Haim's?"

Before he finished his sentence, the silver sword that was clenched tightly in his right hand stabbed backward!

Oof!

Amidst the dull clashing sounds, a figure appeared in the dark environment. He had grizzled and disheveled hair, with deep wrinkles. He had weathered but profound blue eyes and he held a silver sword with light gray oil slathered over it⁠—looking identical to Demon Hunter Colin. The only difference was his gloomy expression and dark skin.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

Two silver swords clashed in midair, sending sparks flying.

Meanwhile, Colin Iliad shouted with a deep voice, "Light!"

Light? Derrick instinctively raised his hands and pressed them to his mouth and nose.

At that instant, he discovered three figures dashing out from the surrounding darkness. One of them was the tall and muscular Haim, another the red-gloved Joshua, and the last one was a tall person with a child-like appearance⁠—Derrick himself!

Derrick wasn't thrown into a fluster. He acted in accordance with the Chief's instructions and released lustrous brilliance from his body.

The three figures seemed horrified of this as they raised their palms to cover their faces while attempting to escape to the sides.

However, their speeds were in no way comparable to the speed of light.

The lustrous brilliances illuminated the surroundings, enveloping the three figures within.

They opened their mouths and let out silent screams, but they soon dimmed and vanished.

As the light surged outwards, the two Demon Hunters were consumed by the light. The actions of one of them immediately turned stiff and was impeded before losing its color and turning completely black.

Oof!

The silver sword with light grayish oil slathered on it penetrated the monster, but it seemed to stab into air, failing to cause any actual damage.

At this moment, the black monster suddenly immolated itself, cracking into distorted shadows as they corroded the light and flames, inch by inch.

Colin retracted his silver sword and turned his head to Derrick and company.

"The monsters this time are our shadows.

"Their weakness is the brightness of light!"

As he spoke, the Chief's body produced a bright and holy light of dawn, illuminating the entire street as though it was day.

This was a Beyonder power a Dawn Paladin would receive from the Warrior pathway. The reason why he didn't use it from the beginning was because the effects were obvious, and he had no idea what kind of accident it might bring. Now, he was already aware of the weaknesses of these monsters in Afternoon Town!

The light of dawn produced by the Chief was like a domain. Haim gave up his plans on using a similar Beyonder power. He continued holding up his animal hide lantern, and he followed behind Colin Iliad with Derrick and Joshua as they turned into another street.

Before long, the quartet arrived at a half-collapsed cathedral.

The cathedral originally had a tower, and its entirety was made up of classical stone columns and masonry. They were heavy and dark.

Passing through the door that even a giant would find wide, Derrick followed the Chief and came to the prayer hall. They saw the deity's statue destroyed, but the candle on the altar had been lit by some unknown entity.

In front of the altar, a figure donning a spartan white robe was prostrated there, praying so softly that no one could hear him.

"He's not one of us." Haim, who also had night vision, was the first to discover the abnormality thanks to his height.

This means that it's not a monster that was transformed from our teammates' shadows… Derrick helped Haim express the context between the lines inwardly.

This meant an unknown, and an unknown often represented extreme danger!

"There should've been an exploration team here." Colin converged the range of his light of dawn to prevent himself from provoking the white-robed figure.

Haim, Joshua, and Derrick suddenly fell silent. Under such a situation, the absence of the exploration team's immediate appearance basically meant an undesirable outcome.

Their minds raced as two men dressed in tight black clothes walked out from the right side of the hall. They were the two members of the exploration team at the cathedral.

"Chief, those shadows… Those shadows are problematic! Laroya was swallowed by his own shadow!" One of the teammates swiftly made his way to Colin and immediately said in agitation and fear.

Has someone already been sacrificed… While Derrick's heart sank, he saw the light of dawn expand, enveloping the two teammates within.

The two of them suddenly wore ferocious expressions as their bodies rapidly darkened. Just two seconds later, they completed vanished like shadows that had been illuminated.

Smack! Smack! Smack!

White bones and globs of bloody flesh fell from their bodies, smashing to the ground.

Light slowly effused out of these mangled carcasses.

Colin retracted his gaze as he said, without an expression, "Go to the side of the ecclesiastic and hear what it's reciting."

Derrick and company nodded in silence as they set off towards the collapsed statue.

About ten steps later, they discerned the white-robed figure's appearance from diagonally across. He was a crying middle-aged man with deep features.

This ecclesiastic's face was nearly plastered to the ground as he muttered to himself, "Omnipotent Lord, I repent. … tempted Sasrir. The Kings often came to the palace belonging to the dusk to conspire.

"It was unknown when the people in this town changed. They set up secret altars and held strange rituals, doing things you forbade.

"It was already too late by the time I discovered all of this. Degeneration, bloodshed, darkness, rot, murders, corruption, and shadows had already drowned this piece of land.

"A huge calamity will begin here!"

These words kept repeating like a prophet describing the inevitable future with a heavy voice.

*A huge calamity would begin here? The abandonment from the Lord that created everything of this land, is this where it began? Also, who tempted Dark Angel Sasrir? This ecclesiastic should've stated who. It's because after he said the words "I repent," there should've been a name, but it was blank… He had originally said it, but the name vanished by itself? Who wiped it away? This ecclesiastic should've been from that strange Afternoon Town. After the balance was broken, he appeared here. Otherwise, he should've been discovered on the previous exploration… *Many thoughts flashed through his mind in a short span of time.

At that moment, he saw the Chief take a stride, walking to the side of the ecclesiastic in white.

…

Klein woke up from his dream as the midday sunlight shone at his eyes from outside the window.

He rolled out of bed, and he unhurriedly arrived at the pirate's dining hall.

When Frank Lee saw his arrival, he immediately waved at him.

"Gehrman, I discovered something new!"

F**k, what now… Klein immediately felt his heart in his mouth.

"A new invention of yours?"

"No, it isn't. Frank shook his head in excitement. "I was planning on studying the fish in these waters. They will likely be able to dream! Just as I tried fishing, I ended up getting this strange item."

Chapter 671: The Fourth Name

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Strange item? Klein instantly felt a headache, but he asked with an unperturbed expression, "What is it?"

"Fish with human fingers growing in them!" Without waiting for Gehrman Sparrow's reply, Frank ran into the dining hall. Before long, he ran back and held a strange bluish-black fish in his hand.

The fish was of normal length. In the space where its eyes were, it had a face resembling a human. Its belly had been dissected, and three bloody fingers could be seen stuffed inside.

"It wasn't inserted by me. It was originally like that! Look at its teeth. It's very unlikely that it will eat something like that, so it can only be the case of the fingers producing themselves! Of course, I'm currently unable to determine what the fingers will do to its body," Frank hurriedly explained his judgment.

Klein glanced at the fish and said after some deliberation, "It might also be stuffed inside by someone."

"… Makes sense. Then it's not the most unique fish." Frank was stunned for a second as he appeared somewhat disappointed. "Fingers are considered flesh and blood. I'll ask Heath. He's an expert on such matters."

As he spoke, he surveyed the area and found Heath Doyle who was huddled in a corner eating.

Frank quickly went over and placed the bluish-black fish before Bloodless.

Heath Doyle extended his hands and pressed his face to the fish.

Upon seeing this scene, Frank had a baffling feeling that something was amiss.

He soon reacted and laughed.

"No, this isn't food for you. You've been eating fish all this time to the point that even your body smells of fish.

"What I meant was to ask if you know the fingers inside the fish's stomach? Can you find its original owner?"

Heath Doyle stopped his leaning actions and carefully studied it for a few seconds.

"They belong to a Rose Bishop's, at least a Rose Bishop's."

He took out the three bloody fingers and stacked them together.

After a brief moment, the fingers melted like wax, turning into a puddle of sticky flesh and blood.

The flesh and blood squirmed as they drew a word in blood-red: "Help!"

Fingers from a Rose Bishop… "Help"… Upon seeing this scene, Klein instantly made some connections.

He recalled the Saint of Darkness and Leomaster from the dream world!

This Aurora Order saint was in a particular ruin, and he was affected by the remnant powers of an angel or deity of the Spectator pathway, causing him to dissociate and transform into a kind character. This resulted in him being trapped there.

His good and evil side constantly fought, often clashing at the psyche level. The main persona, which was more inclined towards the darkness, gradually held the advantage as the good personality hid everywhere in the mind world in search for help.

Therefore, this is an attempt by Leomaster's good side to call for help? As a saint of the Aurora Order, he might very well have advanced from a Shepherd, so it's nothing strange to have the Beyonder powers of a Rose Bishop… Klein nodded in thought, believing that his judgment was likely close to the truth.

"Help? How?" Frank Lee turned his head at Gehrman Sparrow with a blank look.

You should ask your captain, not me… Klein shook his head.

"You don't have to bother.

"There are too many oddities with these waters."

The reason for giving this opinion was that, from the dream, Leomaster's main persona held the absolute advantage. To really rescue him, he needed to make preparations to deal with a demigod. Although the good side would definitely interfere with it, all it could do was lower the Saint of Darkness's strength to a certain extent. It would still remain a demigod.

Of course, with Queen Mystic on board the Future, to make any actual attempts wasn't impossible. But if Leomaster were so easily rescued and have him become a completely good Saint of Darkness, Klein believed that the queen would've long done so. The reason why she didn't take action had to be because it was unrealistic.

For example, the place where Leomaster is at causes one's spirit to dissociate, so much so that Queen Mystic doesn't even dare challenge it… Leomaster's dream was only partially restored. It nearly made me face a situation I couldn't deal with. Finally, I resolved the problem quickly with the Sea God Scepter. If I were to meet him in the real world, I'd really suffer a dissociation in personality, becoming a member of an asylum. I would have to find a way to borrow the Mental Terror Candle from Father Utravsky to have a chance of being treated… Heh heh. I can also get Miss Justice to treat me, but she's still lacking in strength at the moment… Klein recalled the past as he jested inwardly.

"Yeah." Frank Lee trusted Gehrman Sparrow a lot. "Perhaps the fellow who's asking for help is long dead…"

Upon saying this, his eyes suddenly lit up as he stared at Heath Doyle.

"Can you wipe out the mental imprint left on this flesh and blood?"

"Yes," Heath Doyle replied succinctly.

The ends of Frank Lee's mouth cracked open bit by bit as he smiled like a two-hundred-pound child.

"I've always been very curious about the flesh and blood structure of a Rose Bishop.

"I've always thought of the outcome of using similar flesh and blood as the medium for crossbreeding."

One day, you will die amidst your experiments. Thankfully, I'll be leaving this ship soon… Klein had the baffling impression of a brattish child entering an armory.

Heath Doyle, whose face was nearly translucent from the paleness, was taken aback for two seconds before sincerely saying, "Thank you."

"Why thank me?" Frank Lee scratched his head, looking completely puzzled.

He's probably thanking you for being able to hold back your curiosity and not using his flesh and blood as the experimental subject. You are a partner worth trusting… The corners of Klein's mouth twitched a bit in an attempt to interpret the reason. He realized that the Future's first and second mate had rather strange thought processes.

…

Afternoon Town. In the half-collapsed cathedral.

Colin stood by the side of the ecclesiastic in white and softly asked, "Who are the Kings?

"What is the huge calamity?

"Who tempted Sasrir?"

The ecclesiastic didn't seem to hear him as he continued prostrating to the ground. He repeated his words of penitence as though he was an illusory recording left behind by the environment.

A wraith, specter, or an evil spirit? Derrick looked in that direction, feeling somewhat nervous.

Seeing no response from the ecclesiastic, Colin reached out his right hand, inching his silver sword towards the person.

However, despite the sharp blade tip reaching the back of his head, the ecclesiastic remained in penitence, as though nothing had changed.

Colin Iliad retracted his silver sword as he surveyed the area with dark green symbols in his eyes.

Then, he walked diagonally to the altar ahead as he cast his gaze onto the candle emitting a yellow light.

After a few seconds of silence, he reached out his left hand and extinguished the entirety of the candlelight.

The collapsed deity statue in the middle of the altar suddenly turned dim as the prostrating white-robed man finally stopped his penitence.

He slowly lifted his head. It was a gloomy green, and his gaze was filled with hatred.

Before Derrick, Haim, and Joshua could react in time, the devout ecclesiastic had pounced forward with an exceedingly fast speed, drawing out an afterimage.

Colin was already prepared for it. He took a step diagonally forward with his right foot, turned his body halfway, and swept backward with the silver sword in his left hand.

On the sword, spots of light soared, instantly forming a gigantic storm.

The storm that was formed purely out of light swept the surroundings, leaving the ecclesiastic frozen in midair before he was completely devoured.

The storm quickly came to an end as Colin looked at the ecclesiastic whose body had been infused with the light of dawn. Then, he repeated his previous questions again.

"Who are the Kings?

"What is the huge calamity?

"Who tempted Sasrir?"

The ecclesiastic whose figure was already very indistinct replied in a dazed manner, "The Kings are Sasrir, Ouroboros, Medici…"

Just as he was about to say the fourth name, a transparent flame tore through him from the inside!

The flame instantly engulfed him, burning him into a spreading black gas.

*So the Kings refer to the Kings of Angels… What's the fourth name? Why did he self-destruct just as he was about to say it? Is it the one who tempted Sasrir, or someone else? *Derrick was filled with questions.

As the ecclesiastic died, the streets outside and the entirety of Afternoon Town suddenly produced roars that sounded like wild beasts.

Derrick subconsciously looked out the window and saw a gigantic face.

The glass where it was originally plastered to had grown a single unique eye. On its face was short and dense black hair.

*Tap! Tap! Tap! *Another similar monster rushed out from inside the cathedral. It had the build of an ordinary human and two eyes, but the surface of its body was similarly covered with short black hair that resembled a beast's.

"A degenerate town that has been completely corrupted…" Colin sighed as he faced one of the monsters.

Derrick, Haim, and Joshua also took up battle positions in a bid to fend off the remaining monster.

…

The Future continued cruising in peace before encountering a brief night once more.

After Klein entered the dream world, he found himself back in his original position—by Admiral of Stars Cattleya's side.

He was just about to look at the shadow of the Giant King's Court on the opposite side of the mountain to seek out more possible clues when he suddenly heard Cattleya ask heavily while hugging her knees.

"Have you met her?"

Klein acknowledged tersely without hiding the truth.

Cattleya pursed her lips and asked, "She's on the ship?"

"Yes." Klein turned his head and looked at Admiral of Stars as he said in passing, "You have very deep feelings for her."

Cattleya's expression wasn't as lost and dazed as before. Biting her lips, she said in a self-deprecating manner, "That's right.

"I was by her side before I was three. Heh heh. That's what they say, but I no longer have any actual memories of that.

"She taught me, and she held me by the hand as we adventured. She watched me grow up. To me, she's my captain and my teacher, as well… as well as my mother…"

As Cattleya spoke, she suddenly fell silent.

Chapter 672: Bystander

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Upon glancing at the silent Cattleya, Klein suddenly felt a little awkward.

He didn't speak again as he turned and jumped off the boulder. He walked into the black cloister through the half-opened door.

In the square surrounded by a gloomy tower and the buildings, there were remnant fires from a war. Gigantic arrows were embedded in the ground, with the end of their shafts softly wobbling from the wind.

Frank Lee was still digging and planting something, but there wasn't food by his feet anymore, but a pool of flesh and blood.

"What experiments do you plan on performing on them?" Klein, who walked past, couldn't help but ask.

Frank smiled in excitement.

"Plenty!

"For example, all I need is one ox that can satisfy the meat requirements of an entire ship. Every time a piece of meat is sliced off, it will regrow new flesh again!"

… Why is it oxen again? Klein was momentarily unable to provide a response. All he could do was silently draw the crimson moon inwardly.

Along the way, he encountered Navigator Ottolov, who was reading on the ground; Nina, who was almost taking off her clothes due to her inebriation; Heath Doyle, who was hiding silently in the shadows of a corner, before arriving at the hall filled with murals.

At some point in time, Anderson Hood had conjured a reclining chair and was leisurely lying on it, observing the extremely religious and holy murals on the dome.

"Sigh, we're finally about to leave these cursed waters. It will just be another two noons and nights!" Seeing Gehrman Sparrow enter, the Strongest Hunter sighed from the bottom of his heart. "As long as we successfully leave this area, then I'll no longer need to worry about any remnant problems."

Klein originally wished to ask him to shut up, but since he was talking about himself and no one else, he couldn't be bothered. He asked in passing, "Are you from Intis?"

"Barely. My father is from Intis, and my mother is from Segar," Anderson answered, with the full intention of having a chat.

Klein continued taking a few steps forward.

"Then, do you believe in the Eternal Blazing Sun, God of Steam and Machinery, or the God of Knowledge and Wisdom?"

Anderson's expression suddenly turned a little odd.

"My faith was originally in the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, but their priests are too despicable. Just because I failed my examinations, they ignored my ordinarily handsome face and treated me as a ret*rd. Pui! I'm just better at other topics. My intelligence is in no way lacking! My eye for aesthetics and my basic foundation in drawing has always been excellent! Heh heh, before becoming a hunter, my dream was to be an artist.

"Of course, after coming to the sea, my faith is more or less in the Lord of Storms."

Upon hearing Anderson's description, Klein suddenly thought of a joke*—a priest from the God of Knowledge and Wisdom might make such a statement: "He failed his examinations? This child is hopeless. Just bury him."*

He was about to lead the conversation into Anderson's life as a hunter, as he was the only person apart from Queen Mystic who could communicate with him normally in this dream world when he suddenly heard the sound of a door creaking open.

In the depths of the hall of murals, there was the sound of a door opening!

Anderson just mentioned about successfully leaving these waters… Klein felt an inexplicable urge to facepalm himself as he focused his gaze on the source of the sound.

Following that, he saw a man in a short linen robe running out from the depths of the hall of murals and towards them.

The man had luxuriant raven-black hair, but he had wrinkles on his face, as though he had suffered plenty of hardship.

Saint of Darkness Leomaster! Leomaster's good side! Klein recognized the man, and he immediately discovered a tall figure surface in the depths of the hall of murals.

The figure was dressed in thick and heavy black full-body armor. His eyes emitted a deep redness.

He held a huge sword as he chased after Leomaster.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

His metallic boots hit the ground repeatedly, releasing clear and hurried sounds.

It's the real Leomaster! The main persona of the Saint of Darkness! Klein saw the two approaching figures as he instinctively turned to the side and quickly retreated.

He immediately held himself to the hall's wall before realizing that Anderson Hood had leaped up from his reclining chair at some point in time, clinging close to the other side of the wall.

Sensing Gehrman Sparrow's gaze, Anderson grinned, returning a smile that meant "so you are the same as me."

Who's the same as you? This isn't cowardice. If you weren't around, I would've taken out the Sea God Scepter and fought the Saint of Darkness! I've always been considering what would happen in the real world if I were to help the good Leomaster kill the main persona in the dream…

Yes, there are crewmembers from the Future outside. If Leomaster's main persona really goes mad, Queen Mystic will definitely take action…

It shouldn't be a coincidence that these two fellows left their own dreams and came here… Both parties are already very close in the real world? Perhaps someone had directed the good Leomaster over. Queen Mystic? Many thoughts flashed through Klein's mind.

Leomaster, who was dressed in short linen robes, saw the two men ahead. He had wanted to cry for help, but in the blink of an eye, he discovered that the two of them had escaped to the two ends of the hall, as though they didn't wish to partake in any of this.

"…"

He desperately ran as he rushed out the hall of murals.

The redness in the armored Leomaster's eyes darkened. He continued his pursuit, completely ignoring Klein and Anderson who were clinging close to the mural walls.

By the time they left the hall, Klein, who had some theories in mind, didn't hesitate to take a stride forward and rush out like a hunting leopard.

"…"

Anderson raised his right hand and grabbed at thin air, failing to stop Gehrman Sparrow in time.

"This guy was still rather rational a moment ago. Why did he suddenly go mad? He discovered something? What a strange person…" Anderson looked at the square outside, hesitated a few seconds, and finally chose to follow.

They chased all the way out the black cloister, and they arrived in the region where the Admiral of Stars was. Klein saw the linen-robed Leomaster circling around the boulder to escape his evil counterpart. Then, he took the opportunity and faced the shadow of the Giant King's Court on the opposite mountains, praying softly with ancient Hermes, "The Lord that created everything;

"You are omnipotent and omniscient…"

After making another circle, the good Leomaster continued chanting,

"You are the source of everything great. You are the Beginning and the End;

"You are the god of gods. You are the ruler of the vast astral world!"

With the honorific name spoken, the sea of clouds that separated the two mountains suddenly stirred before slowly splitting apart and revealing a deep crevice at the bottom.

The shadow of the Giant King's Court on the opposite side suddenly sucked up the frozen dusk that was extremely distant!

However, nothing happened after that.

Klein seemed to figure out something as he turned his head to look at the buildings near to the black cloister's door. He saw that, behind a clean floor-to-ceiling window, the beautiful but distant Queen Mystic Bernadette was watching everything that was happening in silence.

She was indeed the one who made the good Leomaster escape from his dream and arrive here… Since a Listener from the Aurora Order was able to bring Little Jack into the Forsaken Land of the Gods, it doesn't make sense that the Saint of Darkness isn't able to do so! When there's no path ahead, and with him seeing the shadow of the Giant King's Court, Leomaster's split personality will definitely wish to escape into it. Hence, he demonstrated the way to enter the Forsaken Land of the Gods to the person observing in secret… Klein retracted his gaze with great certainty.

As for why Leomaster didn't succeed, he believed it was because—he wasn't in the right location!

He needs to be deep in those waters, and he needs to find a particular spot that is surrounded by danger and strangeness. Then, only by chanting the honorific name of the City of Silver's Creator in the dream brought about by the night, will the passage that's hidden in the shadow of the Giant King's Court be opened? Following that, one can enter with the aid of a dream, bringing one's body and ship to transmigrate through the fog that mixes reality and illusion, so as to reach the shores of the Forsaken Land of the Gods? Klein thought of certain possibilities.

To him, the method of entering the Forsaken Land of the Gods wasn't something he needed to care about. If he wished to do so, once he advanced to Sequence 4 and truly obtained a certain level of godhood, he could get Little Sun to set up a descent or bestowment ritual for him to directly descend!

However, if he used this to reverse engineer the way to leave the Forsaken Land of the Gods, it would be extremely useful. This was priceless for the City of Silver!

From the looks of it, the key to leaving the Forsaken Land of the Gods is really in the Giant King's Court, but as to what it is, there's no way of guessing it… Amidst his thoughts, pea vines rapidly grew out from the soil, instantly turning the area outside the black cloister into a green forest, and it also forcefully separated the Saint of Darkness's main persona and the good persona.

Then, Klein saw through the gaps of the pea vines that Cattleya had stood up. She was no longer sitting there hugging her knees.

…

Sizzle!

Derrick first did a roll before he jumped up, cleaving down at the giant's leg which was covered in short, black hair. Stimulated silver lightning smote down, causing the single-eyed monster to tremble as he stood rooted to the ground.

Derrick didn't miss this opportunity as he immediately opened up his arms.

Bright and pure holy light descended and enveloped the mutated giant.

In the brilliance, the monster collapsed with a tragic cry as its body produced black fog.

After a series of battles, Derrick discovered that the monsters produced by the strange Afternoon Town were all afraid of intense light despite their different traits.

Such an experience had allowed him to avoid injuries, allowing his teammates to keep their lives.

After a while, when Colin finished the strongest monster, Afternoon Town was restored to its silence. All the lit candlelights were already extinguished.

The Chief of the six-member council surveyed the area before saying with a sigh, "Let's regroup before we set up camp."

At that moment, the teams that had gathered together had already been reduced to a third. There were only six people!

Colin Iliad's true goal was actually the Giant King's Court, but their encounter in Afternoon Town had made him realize that the exploration couldn't be done in haste. This was because the Giant King's Court might hold deep secrets about the cataclysm, with unimaginable danger. Therefore, he needed half a year or more, perhaps even two years of preparation and preliminary explorations before he could attempt opening it.