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Chapter 681: Indirect Answer

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Being the main focus of attention, Derrick didn't choke. He eagerly said, "I've recently been in an exploration team lead by the Chief to Afternoon Town.

"It's a key gateway that leads to the Giant King's Court. It's a door that separates myth from reality."

His opening perfectly garnered the interest of all the Tarot Club members as they awaited the rest of his account in different postures.

Derrick skipped the unimportant experiences that they had during the journey, and he directly started his story from Afternoon Town. He first described the dead silence and darkness before how his three-member team discovered an underground altar. He then described how he identified the names—Ouroboros, Medici, and Sasrir—and entered another side of the town without realizing it. There, he saw the titles such as Dark Angel and the words Rose Redemption.

Having said that, he thanked Mr. Fool once again for "His" help from the predicament.

Then, Derrick simply introduced the monsters that transformed from their shadows before emphasizing the ecclesiastic who was in constant penitence in the half-collapsed cathedral.

He used his own words to describe what was said, mentioning that the ecclesiastic suddenly self-destructed when he was about to say the name of the fourth King of Angels and was burnt to a crisp by a transparent flame.

Another King of Angels! And the mood in Afternoon Town is really dark and scary. The ecclesiastic's penitence has a very, hmm—a feel of a prophet predicting a calamity… Audrey listened in relish as she had her interest about the blank line and unspeakable name piqued.

At this moment, Derrick turned his body and looked at the end of the bronze table, sincerely asking, "Mr. Fool, who was it that tempted Dark Angel Sasrir? Who does the fourth name refer to? Why can't it be said?"

Here it comes… Behind the gray fog, Klein's smile nearly froze.

The reason that he had hurriedly sent Little Sun back to the real world was that he was afraid of facing such a question!

Back then, he was worried that Little Sun would inquire about Dark Angel Sasrir, and now, he was facing a question he didn't know the answer to.

Thankfully, a Magician never performed unprepared. After that day, Klein undoubtedly began to seriously consider how to answer such questions. Now, with great confidence, he landed his right palm on the armrest and said with a deep, meaningful glint in his eyes.

"It's because it's a secret."

He used his eyes and body language to hint to the Tarot Club members that "secret" wasn't to be taken at face level, and it had a deeper, more substantial meaning. As for what it was, they had to figure it out themselves. Deities had deep reasons to conceal certain matters.

After finishing this series of actions, Klein couldn't help but feel penitent. He felt that his charlatan vibes were increasing. Meanwhile, he felt regret that The Hermit's prying into his secrets was a result of his temptations. This was because Mr. Fool would use "His" eyes and body language to provide additional hints. Therefore, all the members would subconsciously observe "His" attitude.

That's because I have no solutions. Without doing this, how am I supposed to continue the act… It's not like I'm a real evil god! Klein sighed silently.

Secret? The name itself is a secret? The content which Mr. Fool wishes to point out is in here? Hmm, which names are secrets themselves… True gods at Sequence 0? Alger instantly thought of many things as he came up with a theory by combining many of the matters which Little Sun had previously mentioned.

When a name itself becomes a secret, it means that the matter involves a true god. Furthermore, it's very likely to have the Evernight Goddess involved. It's because she's the Mother of Secrets! The extreme danger of the darkness in the Forsaken Land of the Gods indirectly proves this point… Cattleya came up with an unconfirmed theory based on the knowledge she had and the hint from Mr. Fool.

Meanwhile, she was almost certain that the calamity the ecclesiastic was referring to was the Cataclysm that ended the Third Epoch.

A King of Angels who was tempted, Afternoon Town residents who fell from grace, a town being corrupted bit by bit, a black flower of calamity that blooms. All of that buried an epoch, creating the Forsaken Land of the Gods… What a heavy sense of history… Cattleya couldn't help but think poignantly.

While the Tarot Club members were in contemplation, Klein also began to analyze the reason for the empty name and the reason why it couldn't be said.

Could it be the true name of a deity? A true god had tempted Dark Angel Sasrir, and the fourth name representing the King of Angels also became a true god later?

But it's not like I haven't said the true name of a deity before. Primordial Demoness Cheek is understood by many to be on the same level as the seven deities. It's not like anything happened in the end…

Perhaps it has something to do with the language used? The languages of Loen, Intis, and Feysac, and even ancient Feysac do not possess the ability to stir the powers of nature. On the other hand, the commonly used Jotun in the City of Silver can. That ecclesiastic likely used a similar language.

I should later try to pronounce Cheek using Jotun? Then, I'll die on the spot and succeed in courting death… Forget it. Besides, having a blank name and an unspeakable name means different things… I've no idea why.

At this moment, seeing how Little Sun was still in a confused daze without understanding Mr. Fool's meaningful hint, Alger volunteered to give an explanation.

"The two names might separately represent two deities, so they cannot be said.

"Perhaps the True Creator had tempted Dark Angel Sasrir, leading to the fall from grace of the few Kings of Angels and the residents of Afternoon Town. This brought about a great calamity. It's why 'He' has a temple and statue in your Forsaken Land of the Gods.

"The fourth name that corresponds to a King of Angels might have benefited greatly from the calamity and succeeded in advancing to become a true god."

This is similar to my guess, but they can't be confirmed… Cattleya didn't supplement, as she didn't believe that their theories were facts.

Audrey, Fors, and Emlyn listened attentively as they couldn't help but feel poignant that the Tarot Club often made things appear especially high-end when discussing such matters. Things like Kings of Angels, evil gods and real gods, or ancient secrets all depended on a single word.

"Is that so… I get it." Derrick came to a realization as he earnestly thanked Mr. Fool once again.

Just as he was about to turn around, he suddenly recalled something and worriedly asked, "Mr. Fool, is the crux to leaving the Forsaken Land of the Gods really in the Giant King's Court?"

After all this time, he had already accepted Mr. Hanged Man's take that the region where the City of Silver was located was known as the Forsaken Land of the Gods.

That's what I believe, but the problem is that I'm unable to confirm it… To not search for the sea and switch to exploring the Giant King's Court was likely Shepherd Lovia's suggestion. This can partially verify my theory, but it cannot eliminate the possibility that it's a conspiracy… The Fool Klein's smile nearly froze again.

His thoughts raced as he quickly thought of a solution that didn't need him to give a direct answer without tarnishing Mr. Fool's reputation.

He immediately gave a relaxed chuckle, turned his head at The Hermit Cattleya.

"Speaking of this matter, heh. Bernadette already knows the method for entering the Forsaken Land of the Gods."

Cattleya immediately recalled her vague memories of the dream and subconsciously looked at the end of the bronze table.

"It's that shadow?"

Before she finished speaking, she suddenly realized that she was sizing up Mr. Fool again. She hurriedly closed her eyes and said, "M-my Eye of Mystery Prying is instinctive. It can only be enhanced and not be deactivated. I need to rely on a mystical item to seal it…"

But it doesn't exist here.

Is that so… Klein nodded gently.

"You can conjure a pair of glasses."

"Yes, Mr. Fool." Cattleya followed the instructions and conjured a pair of glasses.

During this process, Klein stirred a minute amount of the power above the gray fog and infused them into the pair of glasses.

By the time Cattleya wore them, she discovered that her Eye of Mystery Prying had been sealed as she had expected.

It was only at this point that Fors and company realized that Ma'am Hermit's eyes were extremely special. It had something to do with the prying of mysteries, and it didn't need to be activated to use it!

It's no wonder we didn't notice it. Ma'am Hermit was severely injured because of her attempt to pry into the mysteries of Mr. Fool… Audrey moved her lips in enlightenment, having one of her questions answered.

As for Alger, who recalled how The Hermit had previously sized him up and how he had been wearing the clergy clothes of the Church of Storms, his face nearly darkened.

Klein didn't wait for the members to calm down. He chuckled and replied to Cattleya's previous question.

"It's that shadow.

"The shadow of the Giant King's Court."

"So it's the shadow of the Giant King's Court…" Cattleya muttered in pleasant surprise.

Then, her mind went adrift as she thought, She likely also knows this answer…

Derrick spent a few seconds to digest the conversation between Ma'am Hermit and Mr. Fool, and he vaguely came to a realization. The key to entering the Forsaken Land of the Gods had to do with the shadow of the Giant King's Court!

Therefore, the crux to leaving the Forsaken Land of the Gods is really in the Giant King's Court? Derrick's heart palpitated as he bowed his head in excitement.

"Thank you for your answer, Mr. Fool."

Phew… Klein silently heaved a sigh of relief. He felt that such a situation was extremely draining on his brain.

Alger kept his emotions in check as he looked around before looking at The Hermit.

"Where's the shadow of the Giant King's Court?"

He didn't dare ask Mr. Fool, as his question about the Forsaken Land of the Gods had previously been rejected.

Cattleya answered frankly, "In the waters on the easternmost front of the Sonia Sea. In the dream of the night time there.

"I happened to wish to share with all of you what I encountered this time."

Audrey and Fors simultaneously slowed their breathing as they waited excitedly for Ma'am Hermit to recount her encounters which were bound to be fantastic.

Chapter 682: Seeking "Food"

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Cattleya controlled herself without looking at The World Gehrman. She said in a deep and slow voice, "Northeast from the Gargas Archipelago, there's a safe sea route that allows one to enter those dangerous waters…"

She began her description with the deep abyss which separated the seas, the sun chariot which couldn't be viewed directly, the night which required sleeping, the terrifying ravings that filled the entire sea, and the shadow of the Giant King's Court which stood on the opposite mountain peak in the dream world.

During this process, she didn't mention Gehrman Sparrow at all, deliberately avoiding any mention of him. As for the abnormalities that happened en route, she described them simply, such as the remnant aura of Mother Earth which caused hair to grow rapidly.

Towards the end, she placed her focus on the ruin with a sleeping corpse and the adventurers' sailboat which had the words written in blood, "Fountain of Unaging."

"This might mean that the Fountain of Unaging is in that ruin, and the corpse that produced such loud breathing is the keeper," Cattleya mentioned the common theories on the Future, but it didn't mean that it was hers.

Fountain of Unaging… One of the six major treasures at sea… Alger was tempted by what he heard as he considered the possibility of exploring those ruins after reaching Sequence 5.

Audrey finished listening attentively as she shook her head slightly.

"I don't believe that the decisive meaning behind those words in blood mean that the Fountain of Unaging is in those ruins."

After a second's pause, she attempted to analyze the deceased's state of mind.

"A person who's about to die after being attacked by monsters wouldn't point out matters regarding the treasure. If he wishes to warn companions or relatives who come looking for him, then he should've written that it's dangerous here, or speak about the source of the danger. If he plans to tell passing ships that the Fountain of Unaging is there, then he lacks the motivation to do so for a living creature at death's doorstep. Unless, a conspiracy is hidden in this matter—the conspiracy of enticing people to enter the ruin to seek out the Fountain of Unaging might be how he can be rescued."

"Yes, if I were in his shoes, I wouldn't think of desperately telling others that there's treasure here. What's in it for me?" Emlyn echoed. "Only hatred—bone-deep hatred—will make me write something like that on the brink of death. Otherwise, I'd rather tell others how I should be buried or what kind of burial items I want!"

He tsked and shook his head.

Klein nodded indiscernibly. Controlling The World, he said hoarsely, "The Fountain of Unaging is a scam."

He used absolutely certain words without any additional words that would signify other possibilities.

The Fountain of Unaging is a scam… Cattleya looked at The World before retracting her gaze in thought.

It seemed to corroborate with certain theories and guesses she had.

Alger frowned, not that he didn't agree with The World's judgment or that he believed that Miss Justice's and Mr. Moon's explanations were devoid of reason. Instead, he realized that he had completely failed to consider this possibility!

To him, this was a mistake he shouldn't have committed!

… After all these years, I'm still being temporarily blinded by immense profit… He fell silent for a few seconds and sighed.

After exchanging what everyone had seen and heard recently, everyone began to teach Little Sun ancient Hermes, and they learned some mysticism from each other.

Time quickly passed as The Fool Klein surveyed the area after everyone came to a stop.

"Let's end it here for today."

"By your will." Audrey stood up immediately and curtsied with her illusory dress. The rest of the members said the same almost at the same time.

As he watched the blurry figures vanish before his eyes, Klein wasn't in a rush to leave. He conjured a goatskin and fountain pen and wrote down the divination statement:

"The hope for my advancement to Sequence 4."

Putting down the fountain pen, Klein held the goatskin and leaned back. As he closed his eyes, he entered a Cogitation state and began silently reciting the divination statement.

After chanting it seven times, he quickly fell asleep and entered the dream world.

The gray, blurry sky cracked open as he saw a towering mountain tear through the clouds.

At the mountaintop, there was a collapsed palace whose walls were covered with weeds and moss as they showed obvious holes.

Inside the palace's hall was a huge throne carved out of stone. It was adorned with dull gemstones and gold. It was mostly mottled and damaged.

It looked as though it wasn't prepared for a human, as countless translucent maggots were bunched densely together. They squirmed slowly as they kept growing.

Around the throne was a raving that seemed to penetrate the long rivers of time and history. It was illusory, ethereal, and constantly echoing.

"Hornacis… Flegrea… Hornacis… Flegrea… Hornacis… Flegrea…"

The moment the ravings entered his ear, Klein jolted awake before he frowned.

It really is the main peak of the Hornacis mountain range. Furthermore, I can see and hear it more clearly than before…

This made him recall Queen Mystic Bernadette's prophetic words: "Your fate lies on the main peak of the Hornacis mountain range."

Is that my fate? It really makes me want to be rebellious and not go… Sigh, I can't deal with absolutes. It depends… Klein sighed and conjured the five bounty notices provided by Emlyn White. Combining the information he had, he used the methods of divination to find the locations of the Primordial Moon believers.

Finally, due to his lack of information, he could only confirm two points.

Galis Kevin, Windsor Behring, and Argos are all in Backlund.

Dandy and Lara are at Enmat Harbor and Pritz Harbor respectively.

This is as good as nothing… Klein shook his head and returned to the real world.

Recalling how he had already agreed to provide Little Sun with the Notary potion formula within three days, he wore his coat and a top hat, and he prepared to head out to find a target.

When he opened the door and came to the stairwell, he saw Anderson Hood walking up, twirling his deer-hunting cap with his hand while humming a folk song.

This fellow is really good at recovering from setbacks… He was just taught a lesson by a demigod in the morning and was forced to apologize and agree to a request, but I don't see any sign of trauma from him anymore… It's no wonder he became a Sequence 5 powerhouse. Just this state of mind alone makes it difficult for him to lose control… Klein looked at him, nodding slightly as a greeting.

"Good afternoon, Gehrman." Anderson chuckled as he waved his hand. "I've received the bounty and characteristic money. I'll pay you the rest now."

As he spoke, he took out stacks of cash of different thickness from different pockets.

"It happened pretty smoothly I see," Klein commented without much emotions involved.

Anderson immediately laughed.

"That's right. It happened far smoother than I imagined! Those fellows who should have rocks for brains were surprisingly friendly, polite, and efficient! I even suspect whether I've become a Blessed of Lady Luck!"

"There's no such deity." Klein ruthlessly shattered his fantasies.

"Why so serious? It's life. Relax a little. Relax a little." Anderson handed over the remaining 1,200 pounds. "Actually, I'm very clear about what happened. That gentleman doesn't want me to waste my time, so he secretly 'exhorted' those people."

Klein glanced at the cash, pressed down on it, and asked in passing, "Have you confirmed which pirates gave you the problem?"

He was asking about the prey that resulted in the Manipulator's involvement.

"There's no way for confirmation," Anderson said with a bitter smile. "Do you think I didn't confirm it ahead of time? Although I appear nonchalant in front of you, I will investigate the prey's background and situation ahead of time to avoid provoking someone I can't afford to. Who knows… Sigh, I can only blame it on my bad luck."

… This fellow is more careful than I thought… That's right, his previous Sequence was called Conspirer… Klein thought in enlightenment before asking indifferently, "Who deserves death the most in this area?"

Anderson was taken aback before he chuckled.

"Does our craziest adventurer plan on beginning his hunting activities?

"However, you have to consider it well. I do not wish for you to be my partner when completing the demigod's mission."

Don't worry, we're different. I'm a Seer. I have all kinds of means to hide my tracks. I will not allow someone to come knocking at my door. Besides, that's a demigod of the Spectator pathway. He's not good at divination or prophecies… Klein maintained his cold attitude that was unique to Gehrman and said, "You don't have to bother."

Anderson immediately gave a thumbs up.

"Your craziness is worthy of praise!"

He thought for a moment and added, "The person who deserves death the most is Molsona from the Loen's New Party. He's one of the pirates' best friends. He has in his control some kind of plant that's similar to cannabis, which is highly addictive. This helps him control many people in the Toscarter government and the police department. He's one of the most powerful mob bosses over here…

"He has committed many crimes, killed plenty of people, and basically did it with the help of pirates. On the surface, there's no apparent problem.

"Heh heh, he isn't a Beyonder, but the difficulty in killing him is how troublesome it is, yes—troublesome!

"He has three to five Beyonders from different pirate crews providing him with protection. On the rooftops, outside the building, beneath the windows, everyone there belongs to him. To finish him off, the only way is to forcefully storm in and kill a large number of people.

"I have the means to do it, but it's too troublesome. There's also a certain level of danger. You'll become a wanted criminal after that, so I didn't deal with him and only dealt with his safe at home."

Safe… To talk about banditry in such a fresh way… Yes, I previously heard that Toscarter's main industries are its plantation economy and pirates' black market trading. It also has flourishing bar, brothel, and gambling industries. I never expected that it includes new-age drugs… Molsona is an ordinary person and not a Beyonder… Perfect, Creeping Hunger happens to lack food… Klein nodded and indicated for Anderson to go deeper into detail.

…

Evening, in the Oaktree Bar.

A boxing match was about to unfold in the boxing ring. Many alcoholics surrounded it with mugs in hand.

They were like sharks who had caught the scent of blood. As they placed their bets, they loudly yelled words such as "kill him"!

This was a business of the head of the Loen's New Party, Molsona. The unique thing about the boxing matches held here was that death was permitted!

Molsona greatly enjoyed matches that resembled ancient wrestling competitions. He often came to watch a few matches. At that moment, he was seated on the second story, overlooking the ring.

Around him were several bodyguards. They were watching every direction, and among them were no lack of Beyonders sent from the pirates he worked with, as well as experienced adventurers he hired with large sums of money.

These people either had their backs or sides facing Molsona as they surrounded him, and they prevented anyone from approaching him. Revolvers, rifles, and hunting rifles were all aimed outside to leave the masses intimidated.

After confirming the situation, Klein pressed down on his top hat, entered the bar, and saw Molsona sucking on a cigar.

This mob boss had a very discernible face. Be it his brandy nose or thin brows, they were all very unique.

Klein retracted his gaze and first went to the bar to get a cup of local malt beer worth 4 pence. Then, he made his way to the railing beneath the second floor.

Although he wasn't directly under Molsona, as it was heavily guarded, he was already not very far from him.

I'm within five meters… Klein silently muttered to himself, raised his cup of beer, and looked at the boxing ring.

Chapter 683: So You Are Here as Well

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Black Spirit Body Threads that stemmed from different lifeforms appeared in Klein's vision, but he didn't immediately extend his spirituality to attempt to control them.

After distinguishing and confirming which Spirit Body Threads belonged to Molsona, he gulped a mouthful of malt bear as he began to focus on the boxing match in the ring, just like a real member of the audience.

The two boxers had their tops bare and didn't wear any protective gear. They fought all-out, constantly clashing with each other as fist met flesh, and the situation quickly escalated to a fervor.

Many of the alcoholic gamblers had adrenaline pumping through them as they shouted for the boxer they supported passionately, yelling, "Kill him!"

"Finish that son of a b*tch!"

On the second floor, Molsona also forgot the cigar in his hand as he was fixated on the ring below, his hands clenched tightly into fists.

Apart from those who had to have their backs facing him because they were keeping tabs on any suspicious people or watching the important regions such as the rooftop or area beneath, the people around him couldn't help but have their eyes peeled to the intense boxing match.

Klein raised his hand again, gulping a mouthful of beer as though he was out of breath from the tense atmosphere.

At this moment, his spirituality silently extended and grabbed onto the illusory black threads corresponding to Molsona.

One second, two seconds, three seconds… The brandy-nosed Molsona was just about to pump his fist a little as though he was in the ring himself when he suddenly found his brain go numb.

He felt the surroundings abruptly turn odd, as though several panes of glass were in between him and them.

Molsona immediately discovered that his thoughts had clearly slowed down, as though all the parts in his brain had suddenly rusted.

As the target was only an ordinary person whose Spirit Body was far inferior to that of a Beyonder, Klein took less than twenty seconds to achieve initial control over him.

Seven seconds!

All it took was seven seconds!

Oh no… Something wrong is happening… It's likely… a Beyonder… with relatively… special powers… Molsona, who often interacted with pirates, was no stranger to the mysterious world. It was why he spent large sums of money to hire Beyonders to protect himself. If he hadn't long destroyed his body with sex and alcohol, making his psyche relatively weak and his condition terrible, giving him a high chance of losing control if he were to consume a potion, he would've also wished to obtain supernatural powers himself.

At that moment, as his thoughts were slowing down and due to his lack of experience, Molsona spent more than ten seconds to figure out that he was under assault. He immediately reached out his arm and opened his mouth in an attempt to shout for help.

However, his actions were extremely slow, and his voice was weak. With a number of his bodyguards around him engrossed in the exciting and nerve-wracking boxing match, and the audience's roaring in an ever-increasing crescendo, as well as all the guards along the perimeter putting their attention on any possible attack locations to protect their employer, his obvious abnormality ended up being neglected.

When the climax of the match received a temporary respite, a number of bodyguards and subordinates turned to look back at their boss, and they saw that his eyes appeared somewhat in a daze. His hands didn't seem to be in the right place as if he was still caught up in the match, anxiously awaiting the final results.

The corners of the mob boss's eyes had tears welling up as he tried hard to release his fingers to drop the cigar to attract the attention of his subordinates, but he discovered in despair that his line of thought was becoming highly impeded and stiff. Even a simple action needed more than a minute to complete, and his fingers were even resisting his will!

Pa!

The burning cigar finally fell to the ground as Molsona's tears flowed down to his neck across his cheeks.

A few bodyguards discovered this and were just about to ask their boss if it was because the match was too exciting when Molsona suddenly bent down. As he wiped his face, he picked up the cigar.

"That was an excellent match! Give the victor more money!" Molsona flicked the cigar and pulled up his collar as he grinned happily.

He didn't say exactly how much was to be given, as Klein didn't know the market rates. All he could do was give a vague comment.

Yes, Molsona of the Loen's New Party had already become his marionette!

As this mob boss was only an ordinary person, and his Spirit Body was even weaker than most healthy humans, all it took was two minutes and fifteen seconds!

If the time needed was any longer, he would've had to divert his attention to create an illusion to create some chaos, making the bodyguards place their attention on protecting Molsona and not being able to discover his abnormality in time.

"Kill him!"

"Kill him!"

…

The shouts of the audience suddenly turned uniform as the match in the ring came to its end. Molsona also allowed his bodyguards to continue watching the match.

When a boxer collapsed to the ground unconscious, Molsona took a swig of his cigar and said, "To the lounge.

"I want to take a break."

"Yes, Boss." His bodyguards and subordinates immediately surrounded him, escorted him to the corridor on the second floor, and helped him open the door to the lounge.

After instructing his guards to guard different critical spots and to not disturb him, Molsona paced around and opened a safe. He found documents involving all kinds of new drugs and selected the most important ones.

Following that, he placed the documents and an address he cut from the newspapers, as well as a total of 758 pounds in cash into a briefcase.

With a creak, he opened the door and called for a subordinate.

"Throw this bag under the third street lamp around the alley."

"Yes, Boss." The subordinate didn't inquire why.

This was a rule!

After closing the door again, Molsona found three candles and items with spirituality and used a pen and paper to carefully draw the corresponding symbol of The Fool—a half Pupil-less Eye which represented secrecy, and the Contorted Lines which represented change.

Then, this mob boss who had become a marionette lit the candles, used cologne to represent essential oil and extract, and solemnly held a bestowment ritual.

He softly chanted The Fool's honorific name, and he used ancient Hermes, which he originally didn't know, to recite the corresponding incantation. Following that, he picked up the item with spirituality and let it fuse into the wind, constructing an illusory door with the transformed candlelight. If he couldn't find any items with spirituality, Klein had planned on using Molsona's blood. A human's blood was an item with spirituality to begin with!

In the washroom on the first floor, Klein took this opportunity by taking four steps counterclockwise and going above the gray fog.

He didn't use the Black Emperor card, and instead, he directly stirred some of the powers of the mysterious space, combining it with the paper figurine before throwing it through the bestowment door.

The pitch-blackness immediately transformed into an angel with twelve pairs of wings. It flew through the illusory and mysterious door, passing through the pitch-black depths of the void and arriving where Molsona was.

This was to disrupt any subsequent investigations via divination, prophecy, or other Beyonder powers!

Right on the heels of that, Klein picked up Creeping Hunger and threw it into the ritual's door!

Creeping Hunger arrived in the real world thanks to the bestowment ritual, and it arrived in front of Molsona. Having not eaten for a long time, it immediately became restless.

At this moment, Klein, who had returned to the washroom, controlled the frozen Molsona from a distance of dozens of meters away to immediately close his mouth and pick up the glove on the altar.

A crack opened in the middle of the glove as two rows of illusory, white, and eerie teeth were revealed!

The senses of the marionette he obtained quickly weakened as he decisively severed his control.

The slight backlash made his mind spin, but it didn't take long for him to recover.

Then, as though nothing had happened, he left the washroom, returned to the bar counter, and continued drinking the malt beer he didn't finish earlier.

At the same time, he found a rat on the second floor through the use of Spirit Body Threads, and he made it become his marionette in less than two minutes.

The rat began searching for a tunnel and path with rather awkward and unfamiliar motions, and it took quite some time before entering Molsona's lounge through a hole hidden by a bookshelf.

At this moment, a thin glove that resembled human skin lay silently on the ground as there was nothing left behind of Molsona, not even his clothes.

The rat climbed up to the table and bit on the paper with the symbol corresponding to The Fool, placing it close to the burning candle.

The paper quickly ignited and burned to ashes.

After extinguishing the three candles and returning them to their original locations, the rat came beside Creeping Hunger and bit onto it.

Then, it returned via its original path and left Molsona's lounge.

It stealthily ran all the way to the balcony facing the outside on the second story, and it silently climbed down.

On the first story where the bar counter was.

Klein finished drinking his last mouthful of beer, put down the cup, and slowly stood up.

He pressed down on his half top hat, stuffed his hands into the black double-breasted frock coat, and walked past the alcoholics and gamblers without any haste and came to the streets.

Following the light of the street lamps, he entered the alley at a normal pace. While pulling out a paper figurine and lighting it with a flick, he picked up the briefcase thrown under the third street lamp.

At this moment, a gray rat came with a thin human-skinned glove in its mouth out of the shadows.

Klein bent his back with a deadpan expression once again and picked up Creeping Hunger.

Then, the gray rat left on its own, climbing into a rubbish chute and lying there until it lost its breath.

With night about to fall, the street lamp illuminated Klein as he stood there, spreading his fingers in an unhurried manner while wearing Creeping Hunger on his left hand.

After stretching his finger joints and getting used to the glove, he carried the briefcase and followed the still vibrant and lively Oaktree Bar before vanishing at the crossroads.

…

He took out the address slip and stamps from the briefcase and left only with the important documents, pasting them onto it. Then, he placed it in a mailbox on the corner of the street. Finally, Klein changed back into Gehrman Sparrow, took a rental carriage, and headed for another bar around the pier.

It was a bar provided by Anderson that had relatively more pirates!

Upon entering the bar, Klein swept his gaze and took in the interior.

Suddenly, he saw a familiar figure.

The figure had a medium-sized build and his lips were purple. His brown eyes hid an intense maleficence that left one afraid. He was none other than the second mate of the King of Immortality Agalito, Slaughter Kircheis, with a bounty of 9,500 pounds!

Clearly, after escaping via the exit of the dangerous waters, the Death Announcer had arrived in the nearby Toscarter Island in search of replenishments!

So you are here as well… The corners of Klein's mouth curled up slightly, discovering in a chance encounter the Devil who couldn't be more suitable for hunting!

Just as he generated that ill intent, Kircheis sensed him and turned his head to the entrance of the bar.

Klein didn't hesitate to grab a beer on the table beside him and threw it over.

Right on the heels of that, he drew his revolver and coldly aimed.

Bang!

Chapter 684: Battle Encounter

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Kacha!

Kircheis only half-turned his body as the cup of beer hit the round table beside him, smashing to pieces.

Amidst the gunfire, he didn't attempt to dodge, as though he had instinctively seen through the illusion. It was as though he had a spring installed in him as he bounced to the forefront amongst the gamblers and alcoholics who were crouched down or scattered. His gaze was locked onto the cold adventurer wearing a suit by the door.

Gehrman Sparrow… Kircheis's pupils constricted as he opened his mouth and chanted the Language of Foulness that stemmed from the Abyss.

At this moment, Klein truly pulled the trigger as a pale golden bullet that appeared to be scooped out of boiling-hot water shot out, going straight for the "Slaughterer" who had a bounty of 9,500 pounds.

However, all Kircheis did was gently lift his right hand and spread his fingers to produce a light blue flame in his palm. Then, he grabbed the bullet in an unimaginable manner.

The bullet entered a "cage" as the light blue flames solidified. Following that, the bullet emitted sunlight, just enough of it to neutralize everything.

Two figures stood up beside Kircheis, one of them was a short-haired woman wielding dual pistols, and the other was a boorish man in boxing gloves.

Clearly, Kircheis didn't come to Toscarter's pier in search for supplies alone. Or it should be said that he definitely had partners he knew here!

Three Beyonders… Kircheis might even be a Sequence 5… At that moment, Klein nearly blurted out something along the lines of "sorry, my bad."

One couldn't make any preparations when attacking a Devil, relying on complete chance. Furthermore, there couldn't be any hesitation; otherwise, the Devil would immediately detect the ill intent and danger.

However, under such situations, it was truly hard to tell who held the advantage in such situations!

Klein didn't hesitate to turn around while holding his revolver. Then, he agilely dashed for the staircase leading to the bar's second story amidst the crowd and above the crouching alcoholics.

Just as he dashed in, a light blue fireball smashed into the side of the staircase before instantly exploding.

Boom!

A tiny part of the bottom of the staircase collapsed as the bar began to tremble. The strong smell of sulfur spread.

Kircheis and his two companions didn't delay as they jumped across the first few steps of the staircase in fervent pursuit of Gehrman Sparrow.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

Klein ran for the second story, and midway, he quickly began his examination of the corresponding Spirit Body Threads.

This allowed him to easily find an empty room without any humans. He turned around, took a step, and was about to enter the door before jumping off the window to escape from the bar.

At that moment, Kircheis and his two companions chased up to the second story, and upon seeing this scene, they tacitly split up. The former continued the pursuit, while the latter entered the rooms on the same side in a bid to head down to intercept Gehrman.

And Klein was waiting precisely for this opportunity!

He suddenly half turned his body as his left black-gloved hand grabbed at the air.

The woman with the dual pistols and the man in boxing gloves continued their actions without detecting any abnormalities. They rushed into the other rooms, jumped off the windows, and went far away without returning.

Their goal and actions of "separate and intercept" had allowed Klein to use the Baron of Corruption's Distortion to change it to "separate and take action alone!"

This wouldn't last very long, but it was enough time for Klein to fight Kircheis one-on-one for a brief moment.

Boom. Having completed Distortion, he fell to the ground, rolling inside the building and avoiding the light blue fireball which Kircheis kept shooting out.

Amidst the incessant booming, the buildings where the bar originally was wavered as though it had experienced an earthquake.

Right on the heels of that, Kircheis rapidly lunged forward, entering the rather vast room.

Seeing Gehrman Sparrow adeptly somersaulting and jumping without fighting him head-on while also controlling his emotions very well, Slaughterer immediately opened his mouth and used the unique Language of Foulness to say the word, "Slow!"

The entire room and all the objects inside seemed to calm down. Klein's somersaulting actions slowed down significantly and weren't as smooth as before.

Kircheis didn't hesitate to lock onto his target as he followed up with another word of the Devil language.

"Die!"

Klein's figure instantly froze as he stood rooted on the spot and gradually turned faint and thin, becoming a paper figurine filled with spotted red rust.

At the same time, he surfaced by the side of the door, wearing a half top hat and black double-breasted frock suit. He reached out his black-gloved hand, grabbed the handle, and shut the door to the collapsing room with a pull.

Creak!

The din outside vanished as the room seemed to stand out alone, becoming a firm cage.

Upon seeing this, Kircheis's body swelled as his clothes tore.

He instantly transformed into a behemoth nearly three meters tall. His skin appeared dark, but it was dark black and sinister. Goat horns filled with countless mysterious patterns grew on his head as a pair of bat wings on his back spread open. Swirling around him were light blue flames that emitted the strong smell of sulfur.

Sou! Sou! Sou!

Light blue fireballs shot out in unison, blanketing the region around the door. At the same time, the redness in Kircheis's eyes bloomed as he said with the extremely corruptive words of the Devil, "Corruption!"

This was also an area of effect attack!

The light blue in his eyes filled up as Klein clenched his left hand, which wore a sinister and noble glove, and quickly did a half twist.

The fireballs immediately lost their trajectories and acted chaotically as though in random motion.

They smashed into the ceiling, the door, ground, or flew backward at Kircheis. Immediately, the booming sounds in the room undulated. The seal created by the power of Distortion suffered an intense blow as it trembled, but it didn't show any signs of damage.

The light blue flames soared into the sky as the smell of sulfur spread. Klein's body suddenly bent down as his body was covered in a layer of clearly sticky black liquid.

Bang!

His figure exploded, turning into torn pieces of paper and corrupted black fog.

Immediately following that, he surfaced on the other side, his skin a clear dark shade. His clothes were torn from the explosive force and the flames from the abyss.

Corruption, which had splash damage, was useful against his Paper Figurine Substitutes to a certain extent, inflicting damage to a certain degree via an unavoidable influence. And the aftermath of the explosion wasn't within Klein's control. Similarly, it dealt damage to him.

However, upon their first encounter, Klein had "given" Kircheis a cup of beer, completing the Bribe; therefore attacks and control effects directed at him were greatly negated!

Kircheis clearly didn't expect the minor influence that Corruption had dealt to Gehrman Sparrow. Just as he pulled out a long blade formed entirely of flames, and before he could unleash his speed and strength in a fervent attack, he saw his opponent's left hand's glove transform as though it was made of gold.

Two blinding streaks of lightning tore out of Klein's eyes!

Psychic Piercing!

"Ah!"

Kircheis instantly let out a tragic cry as he felt as though a hundred bottles of holy water had been infused into his mind.

He was rich in actual combat experience and, knowing that having been struck by a psyche attack, knew that he would subsequently suffer a series of relentlessness attacks. Hence, he instinctively transformed into a pitch-black liquid and began spreading across the floor.

The liquid appeared to be the coalescence of the darkest and evilest desires of a person's heart as the liquid spread across the room towards Gehrman Sparrow, as though it would corrupt everything.

This state is truly perfect… In a battle encounter, either party would suffer the problem of not being sufficiently prepared… Thankfully, I've always remembered the suspected Desire Apostle I encountered, and I've completely held back all desires and emotions… Klein didn't dodge as the glove on his left hand rapidly bloomed with pure and clean sunlight.

He spread out his arms, allowing a pillar of holy light that had golden flames swirling around it descend from the sky. It illuminated every corner and every shadow of the room!

The column of light struck the richest parts of the pitch-black liquid as it radiated outwards in a rippling manner.

Amidst the bright and holy light, the pitch-black liquid quickly evaporated and mostly vanished.

Kircheis hurriedly materialized his body and reformed near the window.

He still maintained his state as a three-meter-tall Devil. He was as calm as always, but he could hardly hold back his intense bloodlust and desire to kill.

The present him was already rather weak. He didn't dare to circle around Gehrman Sparrow as he waited for him to show any emotion so as to control his desires. He ignited the two mysterious goat horns on his head in an attempt to forcefully attack his enemy's psyche, inducing emotions to a certain degree in an unavoidable manner.

Once he had any desires or emotions, the situation would be in the Desire Apostle's control!

At that moment, Kircheis's head suddenly turned numb, causing him to nearly lose the thoughts he previously had!

After both parties entered a range of five meters, the reason why Klein remained in a passive state, using Paper Figurine Substitutes and a Baron of Corruption's Distortion powers to barely put up a fight and stall for time, was to divert attention in order to control Kircheis's Spirit Body Threads!

With the strength of a Sequence 5's Spirit Body, it wasn't easy to obtain initial control over Slaughterer to begin with. However, with the cup of beer Bribe, it reduced Kircheis's defense and resistance. And after that, this Desire Apostle suffered a Psychic Piercing and was thoroughly purified once by Light of Purification. As a result, he had become rather weak!

Therefore, even though Klein was using his other powers, he still took fifteen seconds to obtain initial control over Kircheis.

The intense battle in the room instantly turned quiet. Although Kircheis's thoughts had turned slow, he still had the ability to complete certain actions. He could still forcefully resist the control that stemmed from the depths of his Spirit Body.

The bloodshot colors in his eyes converged as his eyes reflected Gehrman Sparrow's figure. The curled goat horns on his head began to burn intensely as hatred, greed, lust, wrath, and other emotions and desires began to spread outwards in a corporeal manner.

Klein entered a half-Cogitation state as he calmly focused on deepening his control, hoping to quickly make Kircheis lose all means of resistance.

Chapter 685: From A Delay to Disconnection

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

In the room that had been reduced to shambles, Klein, whose top hat had fallen to the side and clothes had become tattered, was about four meters away from Kircheis, who was a behemoth with bat wings. The situation was so quiet, as though a puppet show was being played.

In fact, Klein still had the means to do something else.

Back when Marionettist Rosago forcefully controlled both him and Sharron, he could resist the Wraith's possession and use Flame Controlling to summon a flame to destroy the shadow pulled in by Sharron. If he hadn't made a serious mistake by targeting the Sequence 5 Wraith, Rosago could've diverted his attention to killing Klein, snuffing out any chance of him using the Language of Foulness charm. Now, although Klein was definitely inferior to him, there was also only one enemy!

Of course, there wasn't really much he could do. Under the premise of not losing control over Kircheis, he could move, but he couldn't do it too hastily or quickly. He could use Beyonder powers which didn't expend too much of his spirituality, but he couldn't divert his attention to power the mystical items he carried, or use actions that required too much movement like drawing a gun.

And when a target was controlled to a certain extent, several attacks could nudge or stimulate the target, allowing them to resist the control of their Spirit Body Threads to a greater extent and even show signs of escaping from his control.

Therefore, Klein had to wait.

At that moment, his heart rate suddenly sped up as an uncontrollable sense of horror and anxiety surfaced in his mind.

He couldn't help but suspect that Kircheis's companions who had their intentions affected by Distortion were about to return!

No good! My emotions have been stirred! Klein was first taken aback as he tried to use Cogitation to forcefully calm his agitated heart.

Haha… He has… emotional stirrings… A chance… Kircheis was delighted as a slow thought flashed through his mind.

Then, using his Beyonder powers, he attempted to magnify Gehrman Sparrow's horror and anxiety, planting an emotional seed in him.

As long as he succeeded, all he needed was to completely "trigger" it, maiming his opponent, making him unable to influence him further!

No… How can it… be ineffective… His… emotional stirrings… have disappeared… Kircheis's bloodshot eyes constricted slowly as it was gradually filled with shock, alarm, and anger.

Klein, who imagined that he had given the Desire Apostle a chance to counterattack, discovered that nothing had happened after completely calming himself down. The curled goat horns on Kircheis's head were ignited, but he didn't attempt to use his emotional stirrings!

Moments after having this thought, Klein roughly understood the situation.

It wasn't that Kircheis didn't wish to control his horror and anxiety, but it was that he had failed!

From the moment he sensed the emotional stirrings, he had to take a few seconds to digest the situation before using two to three seconds to make the decision. Finally, he spent even more time to organize his thoughts before channeling the corresponding Beyonder powers. All of that took him at least ten seconds to complete.

Klein only took a total of three to four seconds to calm his mind after detecting the problem.

Therefore, Kircheis's Beyonder powers naturally failed to be effective against an enemy who was in normal condition.

To put it simply, the delay was too long! Under such situations, don't try to fiddle around with highly intricate matters… Klein lampooned before suppressing his sense of schadenfreude.

After another ten seconds, Kircheis finally understood the source of the problem. He no longer considered targeting desires and emotions, and instead, while flapping the bat wings on his back with great difficulty, he relied on a Devil's powerful body and Spirit Body to resist the control stemming from the Spirit Body Threads. He tried to make the swirling light blue flames slowly coagulate into a fireball.

Klein could almost foresee fireballs bombard him; hence, he didn't hesitate to split off some of his spirituality, snapping his fingers using his right thumb and middle finger.

Pa!

The light blue flames suddenly soared before they truly took form and collapsed completely. They were like fireworks blooming behind Kircheis.

Magician's Flame Controlling!

Kircheis continued struggling, but his actions became even slower as he resembled a rusting puppet. As for Klein, he casually moved his feet to dodge the Devil language Kircheis had launched with all his strength.

Three seconds, two seconds, one second… Klein suddenly stopped as his eyes locked onto Kircheis's head which had lost its curved goat horns.

At that moment, he still needed two and a half minutes from controlling this Desire Apostle to turn him into his marionette, but Klein didn't have such plans. He never had such plans in the first place!

It took too much time, allowing Kircheis's companions to rush back in time!

Klein only had one ultimate goal—it was to control Kircheis to a certain extent so that attacks within a certain limit wouldn't help him escape his predicament!

The bloodshot eyes, grimacing expression, and sharp teeth with drooling saliva reflected in Klein's eyes. He opened his mouth and said a word, "Bang!"

Air Bullet! An Air Bullet of a Sequence 5!

This was already comparable to a bullet shot from a steam rifle!

Bang!

The Air Bullet accurately hit Kircheis's forehead, causing him to throw up his head, yanking the Spirit Body Threads.

In between his brows, a bloody hole that wasn't too deep had appeared. It wasn't a mortal blow.

To a Devil, a Desire Apostle, their bodies seemed to be cloaked with thick and hard armor. Their blood and flesh had extreme elasticity and defensive strength.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

Klein kept creating Air Bullets while making gunshot sounds, striking Kircheis's forehead, again and again, slowly leaving it a contiguous mess. At the same time, he stably controlled the Spirit Body Threads to prevent him from using the feedback to weaken his influence.

Kircheis let out an angry stuttering roar as he tried moving forward in a bid to counterattack, but Klein was a lot more agile than him!

And his plans to liquefy undoubtedly failed because of the control of the Spirit Body Threads.

Bang!

Another Air Bullet struck Kircheis, completely shattering his forehead, penetrating his brain.

Bang! Bang! Bang! The subsequent bullets flew in, one bullet after another.

Bang!

Kircheis's skull was finally sent flying as black crevices filled his brain. At that moment it was a complete mess.

The aura of this Slaughterer worth 9,500 pounds quickly dissipated, but he didn't close his eyes, as he had already lost them.

Bit by bit, he collapsed to the ground slowly as Klein walked over and extended his left hand.

Two blood-red eyes split open in the middle of the glove.

A cold and eerie wind appeared as Slaughterer Kircheis's Spirit Body, as well as his black fog-like Beyonder characteristic shot towards Creeping Hunger amidst screams before fixing itself to a blank finger.

Soon, the glove turned black once again, but this time it was profound and pure, resembling countless squirming dots of the same color formed one layer after another.

Klein sensed the changes for two seconds before walking towards the shattered window, feeling somewhat disappointed and also somewhat delighted.

When Grazing Kircheis, he had actually considered which Beyonder powers he wished to receive and which he didn't wish to receive. The one he didn't wish for was the danger premonition of a Devil, as this needed to have Creeping Hunger constantly activated while maintaining Kircheis's soul. And this meant that he needed to feed the glove every day, which spelled an extreme inconvenience for himself. Furthermore, this also overlapped with his powers as a Seer to a certain extent.

As for whether the danger premonition of a Devil worked after making it into his marionette, Klein believed that it was targeted on the marionette and had nothing to do with its controller.

What Klein wished for the most was to "draw" the Desire Apostle's Beyonder powers of using a target's emotional stirrings or the use of any of the Language of Foulness, with the best being Death or Corruption.

At that moment, he had been quite lucky to obtain three Beyonder powers. One of them was Language of Foulness, but it wasn't Death or Corruption, but Slow. This allowed all targets in a seven-to eight-meter radius to instantly turn numb or even come to a halt. However, it could only be maintained for two seconds.

The second Beyonder power was Sword of Lava. It could create a flaming sword with extremely high offensive power. One strike could directly cleave through a thick stone column, leaving the sliced off end to appear to be melted off. This was the option Kircheis had used when he attacked maniacally.

The third was Sulfur Fireball. Not only could it create an explosion of considerable might, but it could also poison people and objects which had been stained by the flames. If matched with a Devil form's powers, ten to twenty fireballs could be launched at the same instance. Out of that form, it maxed out at three.

That's not bad. The damage delivered by Sword of Lava to non-undead or non-corrupt creatures is clearly higher than the Priest of Light's Light of Holiness… Klein came to the window and happened to see the backs of Kircheis's companions opening up a distance from him.

They haven't shaken off the influence? No, with so much time having passed, they must've shaken off the influence and returned somewhere nearby. Now, they're escaping? They sensed Kircheis's death? That's a little weird… Klein turned his head back and saw Kircheis's corpse still in his Devil form. His form didn't change back into a human as a result of his death.

He looked at the corpse for two seconds before coming up with a theory.

"Powers like the Devil form are a state that brings a body close to the state of losing control. However, they still have their reasoning and can change back while they're in control. Otherwise, they will maintain their forms."

Klein didn't delay as he searched the Devil's corpse. He discovered that Kircheis's gigantification had torn all his clothes and pants, causing his wallet and cash to scatter across the ground. Later, they were all destroyed due to the blanketing attack from the fireballs and sulfurous flames.

"…" Just as Klein looked away, he suddenly discovered something twinkling in the giant Devil's chest.

It was a thin and long crystal formed purely of blood. A faint smell of sulfur emanated around it.

"What's that?" Klein frowned, unable to figure out an answer.

Kircheis's Beyonder characteristics has clearly entered Creeping Hunger. Why would his corpse produce something strange? A question flashed across Klein's mind.

Furthermore, as the second mate of the King of Immortality, Kircheis didn't even carry a mystical item or Sealed Artifact. This had exceeded his expectations.

Chapter 686: A Hard-to-complete Ritual

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

After thinking for a moment, Klein, who didn't have an answer, put away the thin blood crystal when he didn't sense any danger from it. Then, he bent down to inspect Kircheis's Devil form which had lost half its head.

I wonder if I can still use this to exchange for a bounty, and if so, how much can I get… I have no idea who I can contact from the military over here. Send Oz Kent a telegram? This back and forth, together with the work he has to do remotely, it's hard to tell if it will finish in three to four days. I'll be leaving tomorrow… Also, I can't forget the middleman's cut. He mumbled, walked to the side, and picked up the clearly charred half top hat and wore it.

Then, he dragged the heavy and massive Devil's corpse and walked to the door before reaching out to open the door.

A howling wind blew in, breaking the silence in the room.

Klein tapped his finger joint to deactivate the Spirit Body Threads vision as he continued dragging the nasty and terrifying Devil's corpse across the corridor, down the stairs to the first floor.

At that moment, there weren't many people left in the bar. Tables and chairs were overturned, and there were shards everywhere. It was a mess.

Klein went past the heavily damaged staircase and into the main hall. He surveyed the area and found the forlorn bar owner behind the bar counter. Few of the bouncers he hired had remained. Most had scattered off.

Tap. Tap. Tap… Klein walked over one step at a time with the Devil corpse behind him bumping into the furniture.

"W-what are you planning to do?" the owner took a step back as he yelled at the top of his lungs.

His bouncers gathered over, shuddering in fear. Their eyes were darting around as their bodies revealed their own inclinations. It appeared as though they would immediately flee the moment any incident happened.

Klein stopped in his tracks, throwing Kircheis's corpse in front of him.

Then, he said in a deep voice, "Can you claim bounty rewards?"

The owner was stunned for a second as he instinctively moved his gaze down before seeing the huge Devil's corpse which still had some blue flames lingering around it.

He and his bouncers drew a cold gasp at the same time, many of them feeling surreal.

This was a real devil!

Apart from its lack of curled goat horns, it looked identical to the devils described in the Church's bibles or mythical stories!

To ordinary people living in the pirates' playground, it wasn't rare to witness supernatural powers. Here, their horizons were clearly broader than the colonies of Oravi and the civilians of the kingdom's native soil. However, as the owner and bouncers of a bar, they had never seen real devils before. They even suspected that it was an attempt by the Church to tarnish unofficial Beyonders.

The owner retracted his gaze with great difficulty as he looked at the stoic adventurer in tattered clothes.

"I can. Th-they should have the means to determine that this is Kircheis.

"It's Kircheis, right?"

Klein silently heaved a sigh of relief and silently nodded.

The owner hesitated for two seconds and forced a fearful smile.

"However, it's impossible to get everything. As you know, there will be some money spent during the process. The fees cost about 30%; otherwise, you'll have to wait quite a while. After all, 9,500 pounds isn't a small sum. For Toscarter's pier, it will take at least a week. I-its because there are pirates frequenting this area, and there are often adventurers here to claim bounties. Therefore, it constantly has quite a bit of cash reserves. If you were in Oravi Island or anywhere else, it might take two weeks or even a month."

9,500 pounds really wasn't a small sum. Klein clearly remembered that back in Tingen City, the Nighthawks team's monthly budget was only about 1,000 pounds. The budget was even split between the Church and the police department.

He thought for a moment and asked the bar's boss, "Do you know me?"

"Yes." The owner hurriedly nodded.

Klein swept his gaze across everyone and continued asking, "Can you figure out where I'm living?"

"Yes, yes." The owner didn't dare to lie.

Klein tersely responded before using a flat and direct tone.

"Send 6,000 pounds to me before noon tomorrow."

6000 pounds? That's less than 70%. That's about 600 pounds short… The owner was taken aback, never expecting the crazy adventurer to take the initiative to lower the price.

"Can you do it?" Klein asked again.

The additional 650 pounds was his compensation for the bar. After all, he had left the bar in a mess. However, this wasn't something the crazy adventurer would say himself. He believed that the bar's owner wasn't a philanthropist. There was no way he would hand over the excess to others.

The owner considered it seriously before replying, "Yes!"

Even though the official process wouldn't be that fast, there was nothing he needed to worry about. This was because he planned on borrowing some of the money and using his savings to pay the bounty reward which Gehrman Sparrow wanted.

To be able to earn several hundred pounds at once wasn't something he would miss out on!

Klein nodded and didn't speak another word. He turned around and walked to the bar's entrance.

When he came near, he took out a few yellow pennies and threw them onto a tiny round table that still stood standing.

After some clinking sounds, the pennies spun to a stop. They numbered eight pence.

While doing this action, the black-suited Klein didn't stop walking. His figure soon disappeared from the entrance.

"W-what's the meaning of that?" the owner said with a surprised and blank look.

Most of the bouncers shook their heads with the same expression, indicating that they didn't know Gehrman Sparrow's motive.

Only a bouncer who had been standing guard by the door thought with a frown. Then, he said uncertainty, "When he first entered, he took… he took someone's cup of beer and threw it at Kircheis.

"This is the compensation for that cup of beer, as well as the cup?"

The bar fell into silence once again. Although the owner and bouncers couldn't accept such an explanation, they had the baffling feeling that this matched the style of the crazy adventurer, Gehrman Sparrow.

…

Another set of clothes ruined. That's nearly 9 pounds… Thankfully, I made quite a lot this time… Yes, I'll have to make another set tomorrow… After turning into another street, Klein stopped and observed himself.

He wasn't in a rush to return to the hotel he stayed at. He first followed the information provided by the head honcho of the Loen's New Party, Molsona, and found a policeman who was controlled by drugs. The man helped the gangs commit several sordid deeds, to the point of creating a scheme to kill a witness. He channeled his spirit to confirm his crimes before allowing Creeping Hunger to enjoy a true feast for the day.

After doing that, Klein returned to his hotel via a carriage and entered his room.

After setting up the altar, he used a ritual to send Creeping Hunger and the thin blood crystal above the gray fog.

Sitting at the end of the long bronze table, Klein didn't hesitate to pick up the glove and release the soul of the Priest of Light.

This Sequence 5 powerhouse had a thin face and an elegant bearing. He was an amiable elder, and he wore a simple white clergyman's robe. He bowed to express his gratitude to the mysterious existence who was concealed by the gray fog.

Klein gently nodded as a response. Then, he conjured pen and paper and wrote down the divination statement: "The potion formulas for the Sequences above the Sun pathway's Sequence 7."

Leaning back into his seat, he began using dream divination to communicate with the spirit.

The grayish world quickly changed. He saw the Priest of Light roll open a piece of brownish goatskin in a room filled with sunlight. On it was a formula written in ancient Feysac: "Sequence 6, Notary.

"Main ingredients: 1 set of crystallized roots of the Tree of Elders, 5 feathers of a Spirit Pact Bird.

"Supplementary ingredients: 100 ml of Radiance Spirit Pact Tree's juice, 1 golden-rimmed sunflower, 1 white-rimmed sunflower, 5 drops of Aqua Fern juice."

After the scene paused for a few seconds, ripples surfaced again, outlining an opulent hall filled with golden statues.

Inside the hall, a man covered in pure light that prevented one from looking straight at him said to a half-centenarian elder, "This is the potion formula for the Priest of Light. Remember, dispel the darkness and praise the sun."

The elder received it in excitement and spread open the ancient goatskin.

"Sequence 5, Priest of Light.

"Main ingredients: red comb of a Dawn Rooster, a pure white Brilliance Rock.

"Supplementary ingredients: 5 grams of Rosemary, 7 drops of fingered citron juice, 10 ml of Rock Water, 60 ml of a King of Dawn Rooster's blood.

"Ritual: In pure darkness, bury your entire body in ice that usually doesn't melt, before consuming the potion."

The scene quickly vanished without any additional content.

Klein wasn't surprised. He knew very well that when it involved the domain of a demigod, the seven Churches would often directly provide the potions and rituals without giving them the formula.

At this moment, the Priest of Light's figure had mostly dispersed due to the forceful spirit channeling.

His painful expression eased as he raised his head and spread out his arms as though he was embracing sunlight.

"Praise the sun!" the Priest of Light closed his eyes as he piously said.

Those were his last words as his Spirit Body rapidly disintegrated and plummeted into the gray fog before completely disappearing.

A pious believer… Klein sighed in comment. Following that, he recalled what he had seen in the dream and recorded the formula.

The main ingredient of a Notary is the root crystal of the Tree of Elders… I remember that Miss Justice's Psychiatrist potion requires the fruit of the Tree of Elders… From the looks of it, the Spectator and Sun pathways might be interchangeable at High-Sequences… The difficulty of the Priest of Light's ritual for most people is to find ice that usually doesn't melt, but it's different for Little Sun. To bury a living person in pure darkness in the Forsaken Land of the Gods might lead to one's disappearance. A method to avoid this has to be figured out… Dispel the darkness and praise the sun is the acting method? Klein considered for a moment before picking up the blood crystal produced by Kircheis's body.

After a few seconds of consideration, he wrote down the corresponding divination statement in a serious manner: "Its origins."

Holding up the item and the piece of paper, Klein chanted softly once more and entered a dream.

In the gray, blurry world, he saw the gigantic sailboat, the Death Announcer, with its bow and stern curving up high. He saw Kircheis climb up a soft ladder and arrive on the deck.

Just as this Desire Apostle found his footing, a sticky black fog emanated from the deck's cracks. It was filled with a corruptive smell that enveloped Kircheis within it, corrupting and tainting all the shimmering objects on him, including his body.

The gas quickly contracted and entered Kircheis's chest. The color gradually turned red, as though it was a bloodstain.

Finally, everything was restored to normal. Kircheis genuflected as he said to the deck, "Your will is my will. Great Death Announcer!"

Following that, the scene shattered as Klein opened his eyes.

He sat straight and looked at the thin and long blood crystal. In thought, he silently said, The Death Announcer is alive?

A Sealed Artifact with living traits?

This crystal is the source of its control over its crew, and it comes equipped with an intense corruptive force. Therefore, mystical items of low levels will be corrupted by it?

Chapter 687: Blatherer

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Picking up the blood crystal and smelling the faint smell of sulfur, Klein could vaguely sense the corrosive powers hidden deep within.

Legend has it that the Abyss is an area with the greatest powers of corruption. Even an angel will fall and lose control there. The people guarding the Abyss will eventually be assimilated by the Abyss… The characteristic shown by the Desire Apostle does match this point. Hmm, deepening the assimilation of a Desire Apostle? Klein allowed his thoughts to wander.

Soon, he noticed a detail. Kircheis had declared loyalty to the Death Announcer, and not to King of Immortality Agalito!

Does this mean that the real King of Immortality is the Death Announcer? Agalito is only its spokesperson or the administrator to infect targets? Heh, rumor has it that Agalito isn't a demigod and isn't at Sequence 4. He relies solely on the Death Announcer to become one of the Four Kings. If that's the case, his actual situation is worse than I expected. He doesn't even have any autonomy…

Of course, I can't eliminate the possibility that he's a Sequence 4, and his relationship with the Death Announcer is just one of cooperating partners. He's a Demon after all. He's crafty and enjoys misleading people…

Klein contemplated for a few seconds before attempting another divination to see if he could obtain any revelation for the blood crystal's usage.

He wasn't afraid that it would incur huge trouble for him, or it could be said that he was already prepared to receive any. Even if it was connected to the Devil King in the Abyss, it would at most be equivalent to the backlash from the True Creator or Eternal Blazing Sun. Klein believed that the gray fog had the means to defend against and suppress it.

This is the first time. I won't have my location locked on, so it's not a big problem… Besides, I already divined its origins, and there wasn't any danger. Therefore, the Death Announcer definitely isn't a Sequence 0 Devil… Eh, isn't that obvious? If it's really a Sequence 0 Devil, or a Sealed Artifact at the level of King of Angels, Amon, then there's no need to avoid the joint forces of me, Queen Mystic, Admiral of Stars, and Anderson… Klein realized that he had been frightening himself. He began to seriously begin the dream divination.

In the blurry world, he saw a world covered with sticky black fog.

A monster formed from dark-colored lumps of flesh squirmed over as its body cavity produced a raging roar, "Blatherer!"

The scene changed, producing an ancient-looking altar which was splashed with fresh blood. Engraved on of it were words and symbols filled with a corruptive feeling; it was as though they were shouting something.

The hazy world shattered as Klein slowly opened his eyes and sat straight.

He tapped his finger on the edge of the long bronze table and muttered to himself, Blatherer refers to the state before the Death Announcer became a Sealed Artifact—a Blatherer from the Abyss. Or was it a gigantic monster formed from dark-colored lumps of flesh that became a Sealed Artifact after being killed by a Blatherer?

Heh heh, regardless, the final confirmation is that there's one ship involved. Otherwise, it wouldn't have solidified into its present state.

Hmm… From the laughter of the person on the brink of losing control, it's very likely that the Death Announcer corresponds to Blatherer. A preliminary prediction is that it isn't a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact; otherwise, King of Immortality would be the best of the Four Kings… It's probably a Sequence 3? Furthermore, Agalito clearly doesn't match well with it. The level of power shown isn't that high. It's at most Sequence 4…

That corruptive altar that gave off a feeling as though it was shouting suggests that the blood crystal is able to summon a high-level Devil? For example, the Blatherer?

Having no idea how to summon a high-level Devil, nor having any plans on doing so, Klein casually threw the thin blood crystal along with the Beyonder characteristic—the glowing crystal left behind by the Priest of Light—into the junk pile. Then, he perfunctorily named the former: Aura of Blatherer!

After doing this, Klein cautiously attempted another divination. It was to confirm if he would encounter any danger that night, danger that came from King of Immortality Agalito.

In fact, he already had a prediction for the divination's outcome. King of Immortality Agalito wouldn't touch ground on the island!

Firstly, it was because Toscarter had a hidden demigod. Ordinary Beyonders might not know, but the Four Kings would have some level of understanding. And it was unlikely Agalito would wish to have any head-on conflict with other demigods. Forcefully entering the "territory" of another person wasn't his style.

Secondly, Klein's previous theory had produced a conclusion: Agalito didn't dare to leave the Death Announcer, and the Death Announcer had no way of going ashore!

Indeed, Klein received the revelation that it would be very safe that night.

This meant that he didn't need to change his appearance and move to another hotel.

…

Around nine in the morning of the next day, Klein saw Anderson Hood appear the moment he walked into the restaurant on the first floor and found a seat. Anderson immediately sat opposite him.

This Strongest Hunter used his fingers to comb his short blond hair, making it part seventy-thirty. As he looked at Gehrman Sparrow, he tsked with a laugh.

"Impressive, you managed to hunt Kircheis even when fighting one-on-three!

"The way you dragged the Devil's corpse downstairs has already spread throughout Toscarter Pier.

"Heh, it's said that every pirate with a bounty on their head has decided to distance themselves from your sights. They will not appear anywhere within a five-kilometer radius from you!"

Ever since he acquainted himself with Frank Lee, Klein had quit drinking milk. He raised his hand to order a cup of coffee, a piece of white bread, two toasts, a roasted pork sausage, and a plate of butter. Then, he replied in an extremely calm manner, "Your ability at gathering intel is pretty good."

Anderson chuckled.

"This is necessary for a hunter. Heh, the Toscarter adventurers are discussing a serious question as to who is the strongest hunter!"

When Anderson saw Gehrman Sparrow look up with a cold and ambiguous gaze, his smile froze.

"They've all chosen you.

"Haha, after all, this is the Sonia Sea, and not the Fog Sea."

Why did you need to add that second sentence? It's just asking for a beating… Klein casually asked, as though being indifferent, "Anything else?"

"Ah?" Anderson suddenly felt his comprehension skills were impeded.

"Any other intel?" Klein repeated himself with more details.

"There is…" Anderson suddenly signaled with his eyes. "Molsona from the Loen New Party has mysteriously disappeared last night. He mysteriously disappeared in his own room while being protected by countless guards! The official explanation is that Molsona has already died. The reason was that he possibly consecrated an evil god or summoned a devil. Heh, no one believes that. It's because the Church of Storms has received an anonymous letter that has detailed records of Molsona's crimes, as well as evidence."

He stared intently at Gehrman Sparrow, hoping that the crazy adventurer would provide him with more information.

He clearly remembered that Gehrman Sparrow had just asked him who deserved to be killed yesterday afternoon. And his answer was Molsona from the Loen New Party.

Klein tersely responded without saying anything more.

At this moment, a figure rushed into the hotel. After looking around, he walked towards Klein in delight.

He was none other than the bar owner from before.

"Mr. Sparrow." The owner took off a bonnet that had a depression in the middle and bowed. "It has already been confirmed, but the process will take another two days. After all, it's too large a sum. Heh heh, I know you'll be leaving today, so in order to not delay your schedule, I've decided to cover the bounty for now. Well, a portion of it comes from the bar's liquid cash, and a portion of it I loaned from my friends. Please make sure the number is right."

He deliberately spoke in detail to express his goodwill to Gehrman Sparrow while earning a profit. He wanted to befriend this crazy adventurer.

As for whether King of Immortality would seek revenge on him, he wasn't too worried. Many a time, Kircheis would similarly claim bounties through him. After all, it was a reward for battles between pirates. Everyone liked gaining some additional cash. It was an unspoken rule at sea.

Klein did a count of the thick stack of notes worth 6,000 pounds. He split them into a few stacks and placed them into different pockets. Then, he said with a nod, "Not bad."

The bar owner heaved a sigh of relief. He then warily surveyed his surroundings before suppressing his voice.

"You have to be careful. King of Immortality is a very vengeful person. He might intercept your ship at sea."

He didn't dare to say that he had the means to arrange for someone to board certain ships to depart in secret, afraid that it would be detected by King of Immortality and that he would suffer retaliation as a result.

"I know," Klein replied indifferently.

The bar owner didn't speak further. He bowed once more and left the hotel's restaurant.

"Do you have the means to leave?" Anderson looked at Gehrman Sparrow with a look of curiosity.

"Guess." Klein revealed a gentlemanly smile.

The corners of Anderson's lips twitched.

"I'm relieved by seeing your confidence.

"By the way. The tickets. It sets sail at half-past one in the afternoon.

"Impressive. I thought I was rather amazing earning 1,600 pounds in a night. Who knew…"

Klein didn't respond as he began enjoying his breakfast.

Later, he made a new suit to prevent himself from lacking a change of clothes.

Time passed, and soon, it was time to board the ship. Anderson held a newly bought suitcase and looked at Gehrman Sparrow beside him. He asked, seemingly worried, "Are we just leaving on this ship?

"The Death Announcer should be around the surrounding waters. The Future left yesterday after it was resupplied."

He felt that leaving while under the wrath of the King of Immortality wasn't a wise choice.

It's impossible for Gehrman Sparrow to be crazy enough to just storm right into death, right… Unless, this is his trap… A thought came to Anderson as he had a hunch.

Klein didn't turn his head to look at him. He directly boarded the liner with his suitcase.

His thoughts were simple. It was likely that the Death Announcer could sense something wrong with its aura. Based on the King of Immortality's modus operandi, it was unlikely for him to make a forceful assault. If his assumption was wrong, then the moment the Death Announcer appeared along the horizon, Klein would immediately enter his room and pray to himself. Then, he would go above the gray fog to use the scepter to respond. He wanted to see who was stronger—the Blatherer at sea or the Sea God!

This wasn't Klein's original plan. He had planned on using the Sea God Scepter's ability to command sea creatures to find an underwater "carriage" for himself. Then, under layers of protection from his charms, he would pull Anderson out into the waters and escape the range of the Death Announcer's blockade before secretly boarding a liner he had tickets to.

However, in consideration that the target of revenge had disappeared all of a sudden, it was possible that the King of Immortality would vent his anger on others by slaughtering liners indiscriminately. After all, pirates didn't abide by the law, nor did they come with any proper morals. After divining above the gray fog, Klein ultimately decided to leave brazenly.

Chapter 688: Fruitless Wait

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

After hitting the deck, entering the cabin, and coming to his room, Klein was just about to say something when Anderson Hood spoke before he could.

"That's not right… If I were the passengers on board this ship, I'd definitely be very afraid and nervous to see an adventurer who just offended the King of Immortality. I'd either get the captain or first mate to convince you to switch to another ship, or I would switch ships myself. To my surprise, all of them are especially calm."

This guy is very sharp. He's able to notice the minute details… Is this a real Conspirer? Often acting happy-go-lucky, shooting off his mouth, and being optimistic, but in actuality, he has silently grasped the situation and made his preparations… As Klein opened the door with his key, he began considering if the ship had any real problems.

At that moment, Anderson raised his hand to slap himself in the cheeks before laughing dryly.

"I get it!

"It happened just recently. The matter is only spread among a number of adventurers and pirates. Typical tourists and sailors wouldn't even know of this. Besides, people who know what you look like are definitely people with good intel, not ordinary people."

Wow, he knows to answer his own questions… Do you know that time is life? Klein lampooned and entered the first-class cabin.

It wasn't that he wished to enjoy comfort, but that he needed to watch over Anderson Hood. He didn't want this "Unluckiest Hunter" to bring disaster to the liner, so he had gotten him to book a first-class cabin for themselves.

With a suitcase in hand, he walked straight to the master bedroom. Klein pointed at the guest room and the servant's room, and he said to Anderson, "Choose one for yourself."

Anderson was taken aback as he turned agape.

"You're very used to this…"

Of course, I have rich experience in interacting with hunters. If Danitz were here, I would designate him to the servant's room… Klein didn't answer as he entered the master bedroom.

Half-past one. The steam engine whistled as the liner set off on time.

After hanging his coat, Klein walked out of the master bedroom in pants, a shirt, and a vest. He looked out the window at the horizon.

Thanks to the wind, the green waves ebbed as they spread along the outline of Toscarter Island, inch by inch.

"That's no way to see the full situation." Anderson came over and smiled. "You can only ensure that there are no problems from one of the flanks, and the Death Announcer might appear from the other flank, or the front. The best option is to climb up to the crow's nest. Haha, there's definitely a crew member there, but an experienced hunter or pirate has a hundred means to fool his senses!"

Klein turned around and looked at Anderson with a stoic expression.

"Well said.

"I'll leave this to you."

"Ah?" Anderson was taken aback.

He snapped to his senses and asked in surprise, "You don't have any other means to observe?"

Without any other means to observe, how was he to lay a trap for the King of Immortality?

"No." Klein nodded his head with abnormal frankness. "I can only rely on you."

… Who gave you the courage to leave under the King of Immortality's scrutiny? Anderson was momentarily speechless.

As he muttered to himself, "Don't stop me. I'm jumping ship." He left the cabin room and headed for the bottom of the crow's nest.

In theory, King of Immortality Agalito, or the Death Announcer, should've long sensed my ill intent and sensed the danger that stems from me. Then, will they attack? Will they believe that I'm at the level I show myself as and that I don't have any help, or will they suspect that some powerhouse who can interfere in their premonition for danger did something? Klein retracted his gaze from the door and looked once again at the sea outside.

After a while, he suddenly sensed something as he quickly activated his Spirit Vision and turned his head to look to the side.

The tall skeleton messenger burrowed out of the ground, the black flames in its eye sockets jumping slightly.

It only revealed its upper body, so it wasn't too much taller than Klein. It looked at him at eye level and handed him a letter in its hand.

Mr. Azik replied pretty quickly this time… Klein politely nodded and received the neatly folded piece of paper.

After the skeleton messenger collapsed and disappeared, he unfolded the letter against the sunlight coming in from the window.

"… I'm very happy to hear about your advancement. Your travels have been more interesting than I had imagined.

"Those waters are indeed very dangerous. I vaguely remember that it might have to do with the source of the Cataclysm. As for why there's a remnant aura of ancient Death there, I'm not too sure.

"I will keep your warning in mind. Before completely recovering my memories, I will not enter those waters. The True Creator's ravings aren't pleasant to the ears.

"I'm somewhat interested in the ring worn by Admiral Hell. However, I've recently been embroiled in some past matters. I might need some time before I pay him a visit…"

Upon seeing this, Klein couldn't help but smile.

After replying to Mr. Azik, I'll tell him that I have the means to lock onto Admiral Hell Ludwell's location. I must get him to bring me along with him when he pays a visit. Oh no, I didn't divine the location of the Murloc Cufflink recently. I'm not sure if Ludwell has discovered it or thrown it away… Yes, I'll divine it above the gray fog after I confirm that the Death Announcer isn't pursuing me…

Moving his gaze away, Klein continued reading.

"The ancient chronicles I received from Katarina does mention matters regarding Artificial Death. To put it simply, the former royal family of the Balam Empire, present upper echelons of the Numinous Episcopate, had gained inspiration from the Hidden Sage's sudden coming to life and turning anthropomorphic. They wish to let Death, which is at present only a concept, to experience something similar.

"There's a possibility of it being fulfilled. Due to the indestructibility of Beyonder characteristics, the perishing of Death doesn't mean that the corresponding Beyonder characteristics and authority has been completely lost.

"According to the chronicles, the corresponding research hasn't reached a breakthrough, but that was from centuries ago…

"The Sequence 4 corresponding to Seer is Bizarro Sorcerer. The powerhouses from the Antigonus and Zaratul family left me with a deep impression. Even though I've already forgotten the details, my recollections are still able to bring me some feelings of fear.

"As for where to get the formula and ingredients, I'm not sure. Perhaps you can consider switching to neighboring pathways. I've already recalled matters regarding this. You can choose Sequence 4 Secrets Sorcerer of the Apprentice pathway or Sequence 4 Parasite of the Marauder pathway. However, I vaguely remember that these three pathways only allow switching at Sequence 3…

Indeed… There's only Arrodes left… Klein forcefully produced a grin.

After reading the reply, he took out a pen and paper and wrote down parts of the content he had already thought of, as well as asking about the exact definition of a "mythical creature."

After putting down the pen and paper, he wasn't in a hurry to summon the messenger. He planned to wait for the Death Announcer to appear before adding the request for help into the letter and then mailing it out. This way, he could hold out for some time with the Sea God Scepter, and he might even have Mr. Azik tear through the spirit world to rescue him. When the time came, the two of them could join forces and have a chance to claim the Death Announcer as theirs.

As for why he didn't write it ahead of time, it was because a Devil might not come again due to their premonition for danger. Of course, Klein had no idea whether they could sense the exact contents of his current ill intent.

After patiently waiting for a few hours, Klein heard the door open. When he looked back, he saw Anderson stroking the side of his face. He walked in with mixed emotions.

"The Death Announcer hasn't appeared. We've completely left the waters around Toscarter Island…"

The King of Immortality actually didn't seek revenge… This fellow is more impressive than I imagined! Anderson sighed inwardly.

Klein gave a regretful nod, walked to his coat rat, and took his coat and hat in preparation to head for the dining hall.

…

In a secret chamber, a small Red Gloves team was discussing a case they were on.

Soul Assurer Soest held a chalk and pointed at a blackboard.

"The Devil murder case this time has some similarities with the assassination of Duke Negan in Backlund.

"First, a human skin with its own smell and aura appeared. This is something that hasn't appeared in many of the Devil-related cases in the past.

"Second, there's more than one Devil. They take turns wearing the human skin in order to carry out their normal activities to conceal their partner's evil acts.

"Finally, they're suspected of belonging to the Beria family…"

At that moment, Leonard, who appeared to be listening attentively in the corner, couldn't help but recall something when his captain mentioned Backlund.

Having witnessed the complete destruction of the underground ruin, he wanted to find time for himself to investigate the mysterious detective, Sherlock Moriarty. He had planned on starting from Sherlock Moriarty's former landlord, but his team took on an emergency case and began to investigate a new series of serial murders. He had no choice but to leave Backlund.

"Leonard, what's your take on this?" After Soest finished his briefing, he named Leonard Mitchell to continue.

Leonard turned his head to the side in a daze and looked at the content on the blackboard. He quickly organized his words and said, "I believe that it's not only a form of concealment, but is also a requirement of a particular ritual. Captain Soest, as you know, Devils have many kinds of blasphemous and evil rituals."

"Reasonable deduction." Soest then gestured for another team member to speak his piece.

Phew, thankfully Old Man has recently been catching me up on Devil studies… Leonard heaved a sigh of relief and began attentively listening to the discussion of his team.

…

After a two-day voyage, the liner safely arrived at Oravi Island.

After checking into a hotel, Klein said to Anderson Hood, "Wait here for me. That demigod doesn't like strangers suddenly visiting."

He didn't wish to expose the contact person of the Life School of Thought.

"I hope I'll live to see him." Anderson smiled bitterly as he wished himself good luck.

The corners of Klein's mouth twitched, and he gave up saying anything further. He rode on a carriage and went straight for the Church of Storms's St. Draco Cathedral.

Before long, he arrived once again in the small room in the magnificent bell tower where he saw the tall, extremely asymmetrical and ugly bellman, Carnot.

After hearing Gehrman Sparrow's intentions, the hunched Carnot nodded.

"I'll bring you to Mr. Ricciardo. He has already recovered and is no longer where he originally was.

"Alright." Just as Klein gave a response, he suddenly recalled that Carnot was a product of the Church of Mother Earth's human body refining. He then asked a question, "Do you know Frank Lee?"