807 - 814

Chapter 807: Mediocre Luck

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Sensing the land quake, Alger's heart tightened as he glanced at Gehrman Sparrow, using his actions to replace his words.

The sound of wind howled beside him, allowing him to run more easily and quickly to the side.

The reason why Alger had done so was because he was worried that Gehrman Sparrow would suddenly go mad and decide to hunt the terrifying creature inside the dark underground cave. If that were to happen, even if they ultimately clinched a victory, it would've been extremely disadvantageous for the subsequent explorations.

As an experienced Sailor, he knew that decisive action spurred companions who remained indecisive into subconsciously following his actions.

Upon seeing this, Klein heaved a sigh of relief as he gave up the discussion about politeness. He widened his stride and ran behind The Hanged Man.

Following that, he sensed a strong wind blow at his feet, thrusting him forward. This significantly reduced his need to overcome gravity, allowing him to obtain additional mobility that instantly doubled his speed!

Amidst the rustling sounds, Klein and Alger ran out of the sparse woods and circled around the flank of the eerie darkness.

At this moment, their heartbeats suddenly slowed. It was as though they hadn't been engaging in intense exercise and were instead in a state of reverie that resulted from the tanning of the afternoon sun.

Klein immediately felt his body turn cold as an inexplicable and baffling sense of gloom arose as they tried invading his body.

Meanwhile, he saw the light from Alger's lantern be swallowed inch by inch by a gigantic black shadow. A corresponding scene naturally surfaced in his mind.

In the depths of the dark underground cave, a thick, humongous serpent snaked out. It had dark green scales with exaggerated eyes that seemed to burn with fire.

In between its scales were white feather covered in yellow oily stains. Along its back was a pair of thick wings that could be spread.

While slithering and flying, this giant serpent raised its body high, coiling itself around a thick tree and extending its pitch-black tongue. It stared intently at the two figures that had barged into the surrounding area.

Around it, the trees were rapidly withering along with the weeds. Countless corpses burrowed out of the soil as invisible shadows surged to its side.

Feathered serpent!

It was a feathered serpent!

In the Southern Continent, it was a symbol of holiness. It was the emblem of the descendants of Death, the Eggers family!

Klein and Alger didn't pause as they held back the coldness of their bodies and their slowing heartbeats. Under the intense winds, they charged into the depths of the dark forest, pulling a distance away from the sparse trees.

Badump! Badump! Badump! The duo's heartbeats gradually returned to normal as the coldness of their bodies were dispersed by the heat generated from the intense exercise.

Klein's spiritual intuition told him that the danger had passed. Hence, he slowed down his pace and turned to glance back. He said calmly while facing the depth of the darkness, "A demigod-level feathered serpent."

"Demigod-level…" Alger similarly slowed down as the blood vessel in his forehead pulsed.

He paused for two seconds and exhaled lightly.

"Don't worry about it. The Beyonder creatures here are very territorial. Unless they wish to hunt, they will not enter other zones, especially when it's near the mountain. That feathered serpent wouldn't chase after us."

Klein nodded and said, "The Beyonder creatures here are very strong."

Alger retracted his gaze and replied with a shake of his head.

"No, there are also many weak ones.

"I've been here at night before, but I've only discovered the traces left behind by Beyonder creatures at the demigod level without encountering them. I actually encountered one this time.

"Such matters are mainly about luck. The chances of this happening again isn't too high."

As a Seafarer, being able to calculate was a necessary ability.

Are you looking down on me, the King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck? Klein gave a self-deprecating laugh as he said with a deadpan expression, "Absolute judgments often result in the opposite results."

When translated into Earth speak, it was: Don't raise death flags!

In fact, if it wasn't a feathered serpent at the demigod level, and instead was something at Sequence 5, Klein would be happy to bully it. After all, with Azik's copper whistle in hand, the Beyonder creatures in the Death domain would lose at least half their combat strength.

As for encountering a Beyonder creature at the demigod level, he wasn't too alarmed. This was because The Hanged Man had previously mentioned it, and he had made the corresponding preparations. He had the Fate Siphon charm, three pages of demigod-level Beyonder powers in Leymano's Travels, and the ability to Travel. Although it wasn't necessarily the case that he could resist a demigod, it was enough to help him create opportunities to escape.

As long as I do not encounter angels… Klein silently added inwardly.

After hearing Gehrman Sparrow, Alger was somewhat puzzled. This was because the crazy adventurer was clearly informing him to be more careful and cautious.

A cold and crazy fellow? That's right. If he's just crazy, he wouldn't have lived to this day… Alger looked up at the sky as he tried hard to look past the mist and distinguish the blurry stars.

After two minutes, he retracted his gaze and pointed in a direction.

"We'll head in that direction."

Klein had long drawn his iron-black Death Knell. He allowed the muzzle to naturally point downward as he silently followed alongside Alger. He wore a cold and composed expression that had no signs of anxiety.

After traversing the extremely dim forest for some time, Alger suddenly stopped. As he looked to his left, he said in a deep voice, "If we head forward more, there will be an Illusory Chime Tree. I hope to handle it by myself."

"The second Beyonder creature we encounter will be handled by you. I won't involve myself in the hunt."

Unless you can't handle it alone… Alger swallowed the second half of his sentence.

He wasn't like the Hunters who were often seen at sea, people who often couldn't hold their tongues as they habitually said things that infuriated others.

The main Beyonder ingredient which Miss Justice needs… Mr. Hanged Man has quite a bit of adventuring experience under his belt. He knows that being frank at times is more useful than concealing matters, and that negotiating is more effective than scheming… Klein maintained Gehrman Sparrow's persona as he nodded with a hint of gentlemanliness amidst his coldness.

"Okay.

"If you can't deal with it, it's best you shout for help; otherwise, I'll treat it as your persistence."

The style of a crazy adventurer appears to be different from hunters, but in certain aspects, they are surprisingly similar… Alger silently drew a breath as he continued forward with his lantern.

As they walked, they heard weak chiming sounds, and they immediately felt as though they were home, their bodies and mind at ease.

Klein acutely sensed that his wariness was melting away in an irreversible manner. No matter how much he emphasized it to himself, he was unable to tense up.

At that instant, he even had the urge to head for the source of the chimes, believing that there was something extremely dear and familiar to him located over there.

As they were quite a distance away, the chiming was sporadic. Klein was barely able to hold himself back as he turned to look at Mr. Hanged Man.

Alger no longer looked as staid as before. The eyes of his rugged face were slightly red. It was unknown if he had recalled something that caused him to plunge into some emotional state.

I wonder what Mr. Hanged Man looks like when he's crying… It must be quite terrifying… Klein couldn't help but muse.

At this moment, Alger said softly with a hoarse voice, "Leave it to me."

Just as he said that, he put down the lantern and slightly turned the sinister ring on his left thumb. He made the protruded thorn that looked like it was stained with old bloodstains turn brighter.

This was his mystical item, Whip of Mind. Its side effects was to place the wearer in a state of a constant headache, one so bad that the wearer would yearn to slam their head into a wall.

However, at that moment, the excruciating headache made Alger maintain his basic lucidity amidst the chimes without being truly hypnotized.

At times, a side effect might actually provide benefits to the wearer… As Alger remained poignant, he took out a wooden box from his pocket and snapped it open.

Inside it was a gray rat!

Mr. Hanged Man wishes to use the rat as bait, so as to attract the Illusory Chime Tree's attention before taking the opportunity to attack it? Not bad. He made adequate preparations. He already had a detailed plan ahead of time… As an experienced adventurer, Klein instantly guessed The Hanged Man's thought processes.

Alger held up the rat and shook it when his expression suddenly turned odd.

The gray rat was no longer moving. It wasn't breathing and was cold. It wasn't able to take on the responsibility of being bait!

Back when they encountered the demigod-level feathered serpent, although Alger was in the periphery of the entity's focus and had escaped quickly without being overly affected, the gray rat he carried with him was only an ordinary animal. It didn't have a strong constitution and vitality, so it perished from the effects of the feathered serpent.

It's dead… It's dead… Mr. Hanged Man now understands a principle—plans often can't keep up with change… His luck is mediocre… Upon seeing this scene, Klein couldn't help but twitch the corners of his mouth. He wanted to laugh, but he didn't make a sound, afraid that it would destroy his persona.

Such situations were rare to the experienced and meticulous Hanged Man.

Alger quickly reined in his emotions as he proceeded forward with the dead gray rat. Klein bent down and reached out for the lantern as he unhurriedly followed behind him.

The chimes grew clearer as it made them more and more silent, with the urge to run towards it becoming greater.

After taking another few steps forward, Klein finally saw that strange tree.

Above its brownish-green trunk were thin cracks. Deep inside each crack was a darkness that looked as though different eyes were growing inside them.

The branches that extended outwards had chime-like metal-gray objects hanging from them. They were swaying automatically, letting out melodious sounds. And on the branch closest to the trunk, there was a fist-sized, colorless, translucent fruit.

Alger stared in that direction as he pressed at his throat before saying to Gehrman Sparrow with a heavy voice, "It's best you cover your ears and converge your spirituality."

Chapter 808: Awful Singing

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Upon hearing The Hanged Man, Klein's heart skipped a beat. He had an ominous premonition as he ignored his persona, put down the lantern, and took out two slips of paper. He then crumpled them into a ball and stuffed them into his ears.

Seeing Gehrman Sparrow do it without any questions, Alger heaved a sigh of relief. He reflected on how nice it was to work with an experienced fellow. Even though he was an adventurer known to be crazy, he was someone who followed reasonable instructions. He knew what and what not to do.

Just as he was about to throw the dead rat which still retained some of its warmth at the Illusory Chime Tree to divert its attention, he suddenly saw the shrubs shake as a yellow-skinned, black-striped tiger appeared.

Amidst the melodic chimes, the tiger walked towards the strange tree normally, but its eyes were glazed over. It felt indescribably creepy.

When Alger saw this, he lowered his arm and abandoned his attempt of throwing the dead rat. Resisting the headache, he calmly watched as the tiger walked closer to the tree due to the growing influence of the melody.

It crouched down, raised its right claw, and bared its claws, slicing itself at the neck.

Despite the oozing blood, the tiger seemed to have lost all sense of pain. It continued digging in deeper, engorging the wound before it began to skin itself, revealing a "naked" body covered in mangled flesh and blood.

The chimes gradually weakened as the branch suddenly came alive. It extended downwards, stabbing into the tiger's sorry, unprotected body.

Alger, who was already prepared, immediately drew his dagger, opened his mouth, and sang hoarsely, "Break, break, break;

"On thy cold gray stones, O Sea!

"Break, break, break;

"At the foot of thy crags, O Sea 1 !"

His voice had bold overtones, but it was completely out of tune. It was at complete odds with the comprehension of both humans and creatures. It was a jarring boom that had a metallic sound to it. It was filled with the power that left one frustrated and disgusted.

Meanwhile, the Illusory Chime Tree's branches trembled as they retracted like they were huddling together. Following that a melodious chime lessened the terrifying noise to a small extent.

At Alger's side, although Klein had used paper balls to stuff his ears and had converged his spirituality, he immediately felt his forehead's blood vessels throb. He instantly had the urge to kill the singer and destroy everything before him.

Furthermore, his mind had the feeling of being ripped apart. His muscles and vessels were squirming as a result.

Others charge people money to sing, but Mr. Hanged Man's singing charges you with death! Klein lampooned as he resisted the irascibility in his heart.

"Break! Break! Break!"

Every word Alger said burst out like waves striking reefs. Bolts of silver lightning descended in turns, as though in euphoric praise.

As silver flashes lit up one after another, they smote down at the Illusory Chime Tree's surface, causing it to tremble incessantly. Its branches shook in a numb and random manner, making it difficult for it to produce the melodic hypnotic music.

Alger took this opportunity as he threw the dead rat and thrust the dagger in his hand forward.

With a howling wind, invisible blades swooshed over, slicing at the branch at the top and nearest to the Illusory Chime Tree's trunk.

Kacha!

The colorless, palm-sized, translucent fruit fell as it was swept up by a gust of wind and flew into Alger's palm. The tree bark which was covered with eye-like cracks froze as the remaining branches drooped down, having lost their ability to move.

Indeed, as long as you gather the correct intel ahead of time, Beyonder vegetation at the same level is a lot easier to deal with than animals due to its lacking intelligence… Alger took out a golden container he had prepared, and he put away the Illusory Chime Tree's fruit.

Then, he turned around to look at Gehrman Sparrow.

"Let's continue…"

He suddenly stopped speaking as the word "forward" vanished from his vocal chords.

At that instant, he saw Gehrman Sparrow's cold expression looking somewhat warped. The whites around his brown irises were slightly red, as though he would unleash an attack upon him at any moment.

Alger felt tense as he slowly drew a gasp and completed his sentence.

"Let's continue forward."

"Let's go," Gehrman Sparrow replied softly. He first circled around the withered Illusory Chime Tree and walked deep into the dark forest.

He didn't get any bark, branches, or materials that were rich in spirituality, because they were bound to encounter many Beyonder creatures later. Furthermore, he didn't have any so-called storage artifacts. Naturally, he left whatever space he had for worthwhile spoils.

Besides, having too many things on him would only weigh him down and prevent him from fully displaying the agility of a Clown.

Unfortunately, those are materials without any vitality or blood, making it impossible to enter Groselle's Travels… I can let my marionette bring them in, but that will be very troublesome and detrimental to the subsequent exploration… As Klein sighed, he calmed his mind, extricating himself from the remnant effects of The Hanged Man's singing.

This was the most jarring and terrible singing that he had heard in both his lives!

If The Hanged Man continued for another one or two minutes, he couldn't guarantee that he could stop himself from beating him up.

Using just paper balls to stuff my ears and converging my spirituality can only weaken the effects. There's no way to really block it out… Even a deaf person can hear it. This includes an "exchange" at the spirituality level… This is probably the most indefensible attack from an Ocean Songster. Furthermore, there's no way of dodging it once it happens. There's only Lightning Strike which can be dodged ahead of time. This is a rather powerful Sequence 5 as well… However, why does Mr. Hanged Man's singing feel completely different from Elvish Songster Siatas… As Klein summarized and analyzed his experience, he was somewhat puzzled.

At this moment, the lantern-holding Alger, who was walking beside him, couldn't help but consider a question:

Even Gehrman Sparrow can't stand my singing. How should I act as an Ocean Songster…

In that silent environment, the two quickly proceeded forward amidst thick trees that appeared to be covered in snakeskin as they approached the ancient ruins.

With a Seafarer beside him, Klein saved himself the trouble of using Dowsing Rod Seeking. He focused on watching out for any sudden attacks.

The dark and silent environment resembled a horror story. As the two proceeded forward for an unknown amount of time, they discovered that the trees were beginning to systematically become sparse.

This was completely different from the situation back when they met the demigod-level feathered serpent. The trees there had abruptly become sparse, while what they were encountering now was a progressive change. It made them have the misconception that they were about to leave the dark forest.

"After passing through this zone, we will arrive at the periphery of the ancient ruins." Alger broke the silence.

He paused and then added seemingly casually, "Based on my experience, it becomes more dangerous as we approach it. The signs of a demigod creature I found last time was around here. However, oddly, the periphery of the ancient ruins doesn't have any signs of Beyonder creatures. However, I have no idea about deep inside it."

This is probably because there's an even more terrifying existence inside the ancient ruins. That zone is its territory, so other creatures do not dare to approach… Klein mumbled inwardly.

He had a sense for the danger level of this expedition. He had previously performed the corresponding divination above the gray fog, and the revelation he received was that it had its ups and downs, as well as its problems. However, leaving safely wasn't much of a problem.

After The Hanged Man said that, Klein chuckled.

"You likely know what my guess is."

He didn't say anything further as he entered the zone with sparse vegetation.

Alger silently walked beside him, increasingly convinced about his judgment of Gehrman Sparrow: He was calm and crazy!

After proceeding dozens of meters forward, they suddenly saw a pair of ghostly-blue eyes situated at where the lantern's glow could reach.

It was a black baboon crouched on a branch. Its fur was naturally curled, and its head grew black crystals. These crystals grew upwards in a random manner, forming a strange crown.

Upon seeing the black baboon, Klein and Alger simultaneously had the urge to bow their heads to not look directly at it. They felt as though it was the ruler of the nearby region, their sovereign.

Sovereign… Alger relied on the excruciating headache which the Whip of Mind brought him in order to escape its influence as he hurriedly took a step to the left in an attempt to avoid any direct clashes. He left the unknown Beyonder creature to Gehrman Sparrow.

They had agreed to it prior.

However, despite walking to the left, he ended up walking forward. His legs also hobbled as though he suddenly needed crutches.

Subconsciously, Alger drew his dagger, causing sharp wind blades to swish towards the curly-haired baboon.

At that moment, the baboon grinned.

The wind blades suddenly changed direction in midair, moving in every direction at random to perfectly avoid hitting the target.

Upon seeing this scene, Klein gave up his plans on approaching through ordinary methods. His left glove instantly turned transparent as he turned invisible.

Alger stopped his actions that resulted from his stress when he saw Gehrman Sparrow in his top hat appear behind the black curly-haired baboon. The distance between them was less than five meters.

Right on the heels of that, the black curly-haired baboon's body abruptly stiffened as though it lost control of most of its body. It even tried hard to raise its palm, trying hard to dig at its eyes in an attempt to distort something.

And at this moment, Gehrman Sparrow had already made use of this delay to raise the iron-black revolver in his right hand, aiming the dark barrel at its head.

Then, without any emotion, the crazy adventurer pulled the trigger.

Chapter 809: The Danger Amidst the Darkness

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Bang!

The loud gunshot reverberated in the sparse and open region as they extended outwards. If it was an ordinary island with an ordinary forest at night, it would've alarmed the birds and beasts, sending them scattering away. But here, everything remained quiet, so quiet that it didn't seem like any living creatures existed.

As for that black curly-haired baboon, its head had burst open, splattering blood and brain matter everywhere like it was raining.

The black crystal at its head shattered as well, with not a single piece remaining intact.

Klein bent his arm and slowly retracted Death Knell which was still spewing out smoke. He watched as the mutated curly-haired baboon's stocky body, one more that was muscular than a human's, collapse to the group.

By approaching with Traveling, forcefully controlling with Wraith, and seizing the opportunity to deal a lethal strike with Death Knell, it was an instant kill!

Klein wasn't doing this to flaunt his strength, but via his observations, he believed that the mutated curly-haired baboon had unique powers. If he didn't quickly finish it off while it didn't understand anything about him, there was a very high chance that the situation would be reversed, making the battle rather tricky. Besides, on such a dangerous primitive island, it was imperative he avoided situations from escalating, for no one knew what things could be lured by an intense battle.

Therefore, after Klein possessed the mutated curly-haired baboon with a Wraith, he gave up on the more reliable and more unnoticeable method of controlling Spirit Body Threads, because it took longer. Instead, he chose to cock the gun and use Death Knell to finish it off while it was stiff and slow as a result of the Wraith's influence.

The effects were identical to his expectations. The possible accidents that could happen midway were as he imagined. With the help of Distortion and Chaos, the mutated curly-haired baboon did possess the ability to extricate itself from the unfavorable situation of the Wraith's possession, and it would allow the bullet's trajectory to violate the laws of physics and avoid its body.

Unfortunately, its efforts had come to an abrupt stop before it could change any effects. Klein had seized that brief moment of sluggishness to decisively deliver the lethal strike.

If he had switched to controlling Spirit Body Threads, the outcome might've been very different.

It's worth it to suffer a weakness for this… Furthermore, there's a higher chance of me being needed to use Death Knell later. Compared to realizing what I'm afraid of in a more dangerous environment, it's better to know the problem ahead of time and avoid similar situations. That's the better option… Klein allowed his revolver to point downward as he walked to the side of the mutated curly-haired baboon.

At this moment, under the Wraith's control, the Beyonder characteristic of the Beyonder creature rapidly appeared.

Alger held up the lantern as he watched this scene from a distance away. It took him nearly a minute to snap back to his senses. Frozen in his mind was ultimately the scene of the flare from Gehrman Sparrow's muzzle and the bursting head of the curly-haired baboon.

The Chaos they encountered in the beginning had made him understand that the Beyonder creature they had encountered was at a Sequence higher than that of the Illusory Chime Tree. It was a relatively difficult creature to deal with, one that required sufficient caution during combat. Furthermore, there wasn't any guarantee of victory. Yet, Gehrman Sparrow had finished the battle in three seconds. The speed at which it happened was as though he was engaging in target practice.

Being a Sequence 5 Beyonder as well, the difference was unbelievable!

Combining a short-distance teleportation ability and a strange power that can control an enemy for a certain amount of time, along with that astoundingly potent revolver, the effects are unimaginable terrifying… If I were to encounter it for the first time, I would definitely be killed instantly. And even if I'm prepared, it wouldn't be easy to resist it. The best solution is to use my singing to affect my surroundings indiscriminately. It will prevent Gehrman Sparrow from successfully completing a Teleport… As expected of a crazy adventurer with a bounty of 50,000 pounds. Even without Mr. Fool's help, just him alone isn't weaker than Admiral Hell. It's possible that he's even stronger… While sighing poignantly, Alger reined in his thoughts as he considered how he could deal with the situation if he were in the curly-haired baboon's shoes.

Compared to the descriptions from others and his own guesses, witnessing it himself was more convincing and shocking!

Inside the corpse of the curly-haired baboon where the shattered black crystal was, a faint blob of light quickly appeared and converged together, turning into a translucent, pitch-black fist that was tightly clenched.

Indifferently to their thoughts, the fist produced a feeling of strength and sinisterness. The palm's lines, luster, and fingernails seemed to follow ordinary principles, but they were filled with an abnormal charm. It seemed to hide large amounts of madness and chaos.

Sequence 5 Mentor of Confusion from the Black Emperor pathway? I wonder what weakness I received. I hope it's not too odd… Hmm, I can use Death Knell as much as I want in the next six hours… As Klein muttered, he bent down to pick up the Beyonder characteristic and stored it in a prepared metal container.

In fact, he could attempt to Graze the curly-haired baboon and see if he could obtain the corresponding Beyonder powers of a Mentor of Confusion so as to swap away his glove's Baron of Corruption. But ultimately, he gave up on that idea since he wasn't sure what the Beyonder creature had done that made it deserve such torture.

His encounter had been an encounter on a battlefield. Ensuring his enemy's death was nothing out of the ordinary, but Grazing was an extremely excruciating pain that left a soul yearning for liberation. Klein had his own principles and stubbornness. He didn't easily violate them, and he often cautiously chose his targets.

Of course, to him, creatures of lower intelligence were not the same as humans. Even if he attempted to Graze it, it wasn't crossing the line. However, many of his past experiences told him that persisting to keep to his principles and not relax the requirements for himself was not only a moral question but was something to prevent himself from losing himself. He couldn't keep pushing the envelope just because he thought it was nothing. As the trivialities accumulated, it would eventually result in a terrible mistake.

In this crazy and chaotic mysterious world, actions aren't for others to see, but for myself. A person can fool humans and even deities, but they can't fool themselves. Uh, I wonder if High-Sequence Beyonders from the Spectator pathway can fool themselves… As Klein's thoughts raced, he took out Groselle's Travels that he hid near his chest, intending to smear the curly-haired baboon's blood over its cover.

At that moment, his heart tensed up as the hair along his neck stood up.

This was an intense premonition of danger!

And in this premonition, no scene had surfaced in Klein's mind!

Not good! Klein instantly found his heart wrapped in layers of shadows as everything before his eyes seemed to be covered in a layer of dark glass.

Without the luxury of time to consider what was happening, the glove on his left palm turned transparent once again.

His figure turned invisible before he appeared beside Alger, reaching out to grab his shoulder.

At that instant, Alger also sensed the abnormality. His heart contracted and expanded like the source of a storm as his blood surged through his veins and arteries like a tidal wave.

Meanwhile, he saw Gehrman Sparrow's right hand which was grabbing his shoulder. From the finger nails, it was turning gray and turning dull, bit by bit, just like any stone that could be found anywhere in the dark forest. And his feet, knees, and muscles were turning stiff as though they no longer belonged to him.

The two figures quickly turned transparent as they vanished from their location and entered a saturated and clearly overlapped spirit world as they quickly traversed it in the direction of the ancient ruins.

Suddenly, the red, green, black, and other stacked colors before Klein's eyes uniformly darkened as they produced fine patterns that resembled raven black hair.

Raven black hair!

A chill rose up from their soles as Klein didn't hesitate to leave the spirit world with The Hanged Man and return to the real world where they landed in an area mixed with rubble and weed. Not far away was a mostly collapsed building.

Through the corner of his eye, The Hanged Man had already turned grayish-white from the waist down, as though he had turned into a stone sculpture!

Pa!

Klein snapped his fingers, igniting the grass tens of meters away in preparation to leap over.

At that moment, he suddenly felt his heart palpitate as his body began to tremble involuntarily.

The appearance of the soaring flames was terrifying to him!

The weakness Death Knell gave him this time: fear of fire!

Seeing the dark "glass" thicken before his eyes, Klein felt a howling wind sweep him up from below before he could overcome the fear, causing him and Alger to fly up, passing through the invisible border and entering the vicinity of the ancient ruins.

Bang!

The duo fell to the ground simultaneously, producing the sound of crashing rocks.

The thick shadow over their hearts vanished as the danger that hid in the darkness receded like the tide.

Phew… Klein heaved a sigh of relief as he saw the grayish-white color that had spread to his elbow turn faint and recede. He felt his physical condition was rapidly recovering after he left that zone.

His back was covered in perspiration that soaked his shirt.

And what left him most horrified was that he didn't know what monster had attacked him or what powers were used!

Did Death Knell's gunshot alarm some monster in the vicinity, or is it the existence that rules over this forest at night? Thankfully, it doesn't dare to enter the vicinity of the ancient ruins… This isn't necessarily good. This means that deep in the ancient ruins is something that makes it fearful… I should be prepared to retreat at any moment… Klein stretched his hands and slowly stood up.

At this moment, Alger escaped from that grayish-white layer as he turned his head to glance over.

"That zone was petrifying us."

That zone… Petrification… Klein nodded in thought as he walked towards the mostly collapsed building that was strewn with weeds and covered in vines. He then replied in a deep tone, "The problem now lies ahead."

Alger didn't speak further as he sped up his pace, steadily walking by his side.

After approaching, Klein looked at the building. His gaze swept the spires and stone columns, as well as the damaged walls that remained standing.

He stopped and asked seemingly casually, "What kind of building do you think this ruin was in the past?"

Alger remained silent for a few seconds before saying, "Cathedral.

"A cathedral."

Chapter 810: Whose Cathedral

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

A cathedral… We came to the same judgment… Klein looked at the ruin ahead of him as he silently muttered to himself.

At that moment, the tiny amount of crimson moonlight that penetrated the mist had scattered onto the collapsed building. Compared to before, it was a lot richer in color, almost approaching the color of blood.

Klein maintained Gehrman Sparrow's trademark cold attitude as he said in an unperturbed manner, "Where did you previously explore?"

As he spoke, Klein glanced at the lantern in The Hanged Man's hand which remained unshattered despite all the ordeals. He subconsciously tensed up his muscles and skin when he saw the glow from the flame.

Although the flame was ultimately contained by thick glass and metal frame, it still left him a little afraid.

Alger didn't notice the minute changes in Gehrman Sparrow as he raised his dagger-wielding right hand and pointed at the grandest building amidst the ruin.

"There."

All that was left of the building was its main structure. It was impossible to know what it originally looked like. The only things that could only be determined were that it had thick walls with narrow windows, and the building's scale and its magnificence. Furthermore, it once had a spire and clock tower. It had a spartan facade and an ancient architecture.

"This is an architectural style from the early Fourth Epoch. There are records of these in the Church of Storms's canon. It's said that in that period, the various Churches used such styles to build their cathedrals in a widespread fashion." Alger had a deep impression on the ruin. Over the years, he had flipped through many books and had acquired quite a bit of the background. "Its greatest trait is the temple found above and the catacombs found below. Life and death were both unified here. However, I cannot confirm that the ancient cathedral's interior is as I described, as I've never ventured deep into it."

This might be an architectural style left behind from the Third Epoch… Klein made a guess as he walked straight to the opening of the ancient cathedral ruin's abnormally huge door. By keeping the lantern behind him, enjoying only the light emitted from it, he didn't need to suffer from his fear of fire.

The duo quickly moved up the grayish-white stairs that were ridiculously high, and they arrived at the door's opening. Inside, they saw remnants of stone columns and arches that extended upwards towards the center.

Klein wasn't in a rush to enter. He reached his left hand into his pocket and took out a gold coin as he allowed it to weave between his finger while seemingly muttering something.

Suddenly, he flipped the gold coin and opened his palm to await its descent while saying to The Hanged Man, "How did you determine that deep in this cathedral is something of value that is not less than that of the Cards of Blasphemy?"

After he said that, he looked at the gold coin that had fallen into his palm before putting it away.

Alger pointed inside and said, "I've said before that my strength was inferior to Qilangos, and I didn't go as deep as he did. I had no idea what he saw, other than the judgment that there was something extremely precious and important inside from his remarks. Furthermore, it was something that only a true Sequence 5 could obtain.

"However, the murals near the entrance and the marks on the ground might be able to explain something."

Klein nodded and walked through the dark door's opening that the crimson moonlight was unable to illuminate. The black trench coat he wore fluttered gently behind him as Alger held up a lantern and clenched his dagger while following behind.

Passing through the opening, Klein used the crimson moonlight that shone in from the opening at the dome to see the hall of considerable depth up ahead. A few of the ancient stone columns supporting it had already snapped.

At the end wasn't an altar, nor were there any staircases that led upwards. It was completely dark and difficult to tell the details. It appeared as though it led underground.

It isn't a temple above and a catacomb beneath… The temple is underground in the catacombs? It's impossible to determine that. We'll know only by venturing down… Klein subconsciously glanced around and discovered side doors along the two sides, but the regions they led to had already completely collapsed with no usable path.

The murals near the entrance and the marks on the ground… he recalled what The Hanged Man had just said, and he took two diagonal steps before releasing the invisible Wraith Senor. With his night vision, he began observing the remaining murals.

The mural's background was of a towering and magnificent mountain. At its peak was a gigantic cross that was covered in a lustrous glow.

In front of the cross were grand and abnormal figures that were clustered around. They were angels with two wings, four wings, or six wings.

This… Klein did a cursory glance and felt a strong sense of familiarity.

He had seen a similar mural before, back in Blasphemer Amon's mausoleum!

When he focused again, Klein quickly noticed the difference. There weren't the two infants that represented Amon and Adam, nor were there any twelve-winged angels. The grand figure in front of the cross held its arms to its chest as it held an ancient, spartan slate.

The slate was drawn in an extremely indistinct manner; yet, it felt both ancient and young, holy and sinister. It was in extreme contradiction.

Slate… Klein's pupils dilated slightly as a specific term flashed in his mind:

Blasphemy Slate!

This is likely that ancient sun god, the Lord that created everything which the City of Silver worships… Indeed, the Blasphemy Slate is closely related to "Him"… I wonder if this is the first Blasphemy Slate or the second… Klein roughly guessed at the cathedral's worshiped entity, and he also began to believe that the depths of the ruin hid items that were very valuable and important.

He withdrew Senor's gaze and allowed the marionette to turn to face the ground.

Apart from the slates being covered in cracks and some odd marks remaining, they were dark red in color, smaller than a human's forehead. They overlapped with one another at times as they extended all the way to the ends of the hall.

At that instant, a scene naturally appeared in Klein's mind.

Devout believers were prostrated on the ground as they proceeded forward, slamming their foreheads heavily onto the ground after covering a certain distance, leaving blood oozing out.

Noticing Gehrman Sparrow look around without any scrutiny, Alger probed, "The ancient sun god?"

At that moment, he felt the baffling sensation of a cold wind blowing from Gehrman Sparrow's side. He suspected that hidden around them were shadows or wraiths.

Recalling the strange restraints the mutated curly-haired baboon was under, Alger made a vague theory that he didn't voice out.

Upon hearing The Hanged Man's question, Klein had wanted to chuckle and reply, "you can also call 'Him' the Lord that created everything, the omnipotent and omniscient God," but he felt that such a tone and choice of words was closer to that of The Fool and not Gehrman Sparrow. Hence, he held himself back and nodded slightly.

"It's not hard to tell."

Alger silently heaved a sigh of relief as he held a sense of anticipation for the item buried deep underneath the cathedral.

The two simultaneously decided to walk towards the end of the hall.

When they approached it, Klein finally saw the staircase that led downwards.

"An underground area?" he asked succinctly.

Alger shook his head.

"I can't be sure. I've never gone down.

"Although Qilangos had attempted to venture in, he returned in less than ten minutes with his aura becoming relatively weak."

Klein nodded thoughtfully and said in passing, "You seem to be very familiar with him."

If it were said by anyone else, Alger would've pretended to have not heard it or answer directly. But deep in his heart, The World Gehrman Sparrow was Mr. Fool's Blessed. His question could possibly represent the intentions of that existence, so he needed to view them seriously.

After deliberating for a few seconds, Alger said in a deep voice, "We were fellow-townsmen, and we were servants at the same cathedral.

"The priest there was an easily irritated person who enjoyed punishing the servants. Qilangos couldn't bear it and escaped secretly to become a pirate."

So there was such a past… Mr. Hanged Man is also a man with a story… Klein didn't probe deeper as he headed down the staircase in the extremely silent cathedral ruins.

Although his footsteps were extremely light, they still sounded obvious in such an environment as they echoed.

Soon, the two of them came to the end of the staircase and saw the opening of an arched door.

On both sides of the opening were two shadows that stood there silently in an immutable fashion.

Klein and Alger halted at the same time as they looked at the two shadows, only to discover that they were two stone statues.

They were both men with their surface being grayish-white. One of them wore full-body armor that resembled a barrel, and the other work a jacket that looked more contemporary. Their expressions were writhing in pain as their eyes protruded as though they were glaring at something.

Upon seeing this scene, Klein realized something as he recalled the encounter outside.

He and Alger had also shown signs of petrification, and it was thankful that they extricated themselves of the effects, or they might have really become statues!

This… Don't tell me they're humans who met with the same situation… If we had been petrified, would we be "moved" down here, standing guard at this door opening for centuries or even millennia? The source of that petrifying power isn't afraid of these ruins? Klein felt explicable horror as his scalp tingled.

He controlled his emotions and turned his head to look at The Hanged Man. He discovered that the pupils of the boorish man at sea had similarly dilated and was clutching the dagger tightly.

Mr. Hanged Man has come to the same conclusion without me needing to speak further… Klein pointed at the door opening and said, "There might be even more stone statues inside."

Alger nodded as he said worriedly and jokingly, "Let's hope we don't see ourselves."

If we're convinced that we have escaped the effects of petrification, only to see our statues in this underground area, that would be quite the horror story… Klein thought for two seconds and said to The Hanged Man, "Do you have night vision?"

His true meaning was that the light of the lantern was especially eye-catching in the dark catacombs and that it might easily cause unwanted developments. Therefore, it was best to extinguish the flame if he had night vision.

And he believed that Mr. Hanged Man was able to read in between the lines.

Alger replied frankly, "Yes."

As a Beyonder of the Sailor pathway who could dive, it was a given that he had night vision.

Klein glanced at him without a word, but his meaning was obvious.

Then why are you still using a lantern?

Alger seriously replied, "Firstly, it's to misdirect the enemy into instinctively believing that I don't have night vision because of my use of a lantern. When they destroy my lantern and try hard to create a dark environment, I'll give them a pleasant surprise."

How sinister… Klein was momentarily at a loss for words.

Alger continued, "Secondly, it's to avoid situations similar to the City of Silver. There might be extreme darkness lurking within complete darkness."

Makes sense… Klein didn't insist that Alger extinguish the lantern as he first stepped past the two stone statues. Under their pain-frozen gazes, he stepped into the entrance that led underground.

As he didn't know what the petrified statues represented, nor did he know if they were completely dead, Klein didn't attempt to shatter them to obtain their Beyonder characteristics and mystical items.

Chapter 811: The Picture in the Catacombs

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

After passing through the door opening and going underground, there wasn't a sliver of natural light in front of Klein and Alger. The ceiling was intact, preventing any crimson moonlight from seeping in after penetrating the mist.

Alger raised the lantern in his hand, lighting up the area up ahead with a limited dim yellow glow.

Klein took a glance and discovered at least six stone statues of both sexes. They were entirely grayish-white in color, and even their clothes looked like they were engraved.

These stone statues included elves, giants, and humans that had an ancient dress sense. Apart from their frozen expressions of pain and despair, there wasn't anything similar.

Klein felt a chill down his back when he saw their eyeballs watching him without moving, having made the connection that they were once alive. He felt that darkness ruled the depths of this passageway, as though a terrifying monster had widened its mouth as it lay in wait for the two to walk into its belly.

Reining in their stirring emotions, Klein and Alger remained silent as they passed through the grayish-white statues with warped expression, and they proceeded forward.

After walking for more than ten seconds, Klein didn't need to use Senor's night vision to see the damaged and dark murals thanks to the lantern.

There were a few murals that were relatively intact, allowing them to recognize what was being depicted. They were no doubt focused on the cross that glowed and the grand figure that stood before it.

This blurry and solemn figure either faced cities that had been flooded, stepped upon fractured lands, or looked up at the starry sky where it locked eyes with the pairs of evil and maniacal eyes.

When the apocalypse happens, the ancient sun god will rescue the world? This is somewhat similar to the murals that Little Sun and the others found in the True Creator's temple… Or perhaps it's just plagiarism from both sides, with no one giving up on working towards this goal. After all, it's to emphasize that "They" were once the messiah and a deity worthy of one's faith… Klein quickly swept his gaze across the wall as he slowly entered the depths of the passageway.

Alger was also observing the damaged murals when he suddenly suppressed his voice and said, "I suspect that the True—Fallen Creator's description of 'Himself' has references to some of the content here."

Indeed, everyone has the same views… Klein lowered Death Knell and chuckled.

"I won't be surprised if we see matters related to the True Creator up ahead."

"That might be a particular connection between 'Him' and the Creator that the City of Silver believes in." Alger agreed with Gehrman Sparrow's judgment.

The duo continued ahead as they tried hard to soften their steps. However, there were still some echoes that reverberated in that extremely silent environment.

At this moment, Klein's spiritual perception was triggered. He immediately took two steps forward and put himself in front of Alger, blocking out most of the lantern's light.

Less than two seconds later, he heard a dull sound emitting from afar.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

The ground shook gently as the sounds became clearer. Then, Klein saw a figure nearly four meters tall walk out.

It was also grayish-white in color, with armor plating patterns engraved on its body. Its head had goat horns and a mouth that resembled a hound's. Its half-opened mouth revealing snarling fangs.

And what attracted attention the most were its pair of eyes which burned red and the six pairs of white-membraned wings.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

The monster held an eight-meter-long stone trident as it slowly entered a passageway. It shook the land with every step as its great weight was spread out.

Although Klein hadn't seen it before, he instantly recognized what it was.

It was a six-winged gargoyle!

Its core crystal was one of the main ingredients of a Marionettist, and the Beyonder powers it possessed were extremely special and indefensible!

Based on its external build and from what it's made of, it definitely has extremely potent combat strength while not being afraid of most damage… All it needs to cause terrifying damage is to storm over and perform a downward smash with its stone trident… Klein relaxed his left hand and wasn't in a rush to react.

He and Alger remained on the spot, one using his body, and the other using his clothes to conceal the lantern's light.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

The six-winged gargoyle didn't look towards the duo, and it instead passed through the passageway, its footsteps slowly distancing themselves from them.

Indeed, it's not very perceptive… It's no wonder Qilangos was able to venture deep down and return safely… Klein proceeded forward again when the footsteps were undetectable as he went past the crossroads.

In fact, with his current strength and gear, and his understanding of his target, killing a six-winged gargoyle wasn't something too dangerous. Furthermore, The Hanged Man could provide him with help. The reason why he gave up attacking it was because he had no idea how many six-winged gargoyles there were in the catacombs. Once a battle ensued, any large commotion could result in them swarming over. When that happened, they could only escape using Traveling. In addition, if they were to stir the existence in the ruins that even nearby Beyonder creatures were afraid of, the problem would only worsen.

Curbing one's greed was a premise for a risky exploration.

Alger was also rather pleased at the crazy adventurer's calm and rational actions. His suspicion was that Gehrman Sparrow was under the orders of Mr. Fool; thus, resisting his urge to attack the six-winged gargoyle.

The calmer he appears, the crazier he will be when he encounters his true target… As this thought flashed in Alger's mind, he followed Gehrman Sparrow straight down the crossroads.

The murals on both sides remained damaged, and they were still describing the greatness and holiness of the ancient sun god.

Finally, Klein and Alger arrived at the ends of the passageway. Here, there was an eight-meter-tall stone double door. It depicted various symbols of death, sleep, end, new birth, and beginnings.

"A tomb?" Klein turned to say to Alger.

Alger nodded and said, "It might also be a temple."

Clearly, he was also wondering if it was both a temple and tomb.

The grayish-white stone door before the duo wasn't shut completely. It was cracked open with a tiny gap that allowed a child passage. Alger glanced at the floor and walked over. Putting the lantern down and securing his dagger, he pressed his hands onto one side of the door.

He slowly drew a breath as he bent his knees, his arm muscles swelling suddenly.

Silently, the gap widened significantly.

Klein pricked up his brows when he saw this scene, feeling somewhat astonished because The Hanged Man's pushing of the door didn't produce any sound at all.

He didn't doubt an Ocean Songster's strength, but he didn't believe that it could prevent the stone door from making contact with the ground.

As he moved his gaze down, Klein saw a pool of slightly sticky liquid gathered under the door.

He quietly produced a lubricant effect… Mr. Hanged Man is very meticulous… Is this the power of a Seafarer or an Ocean Songster? Hmm, he probably also used the powers of a Wind-blessed to control an air cushion; thus, resulting in this door silently opening… Klein roughly figured out the reason.

Although he approached the stone door, he wasn't eager to enter it. Through the widened gap, he observed the scene inside.

Reflected in the eyes of the Wraith was the corner of the room where there was a row of grayish-white stone coffins.

It is indeed a catacomb… As for whether it's also a temple, it's an unknown for now… As Klein thought, he took out Leymano's Travels with his left hand. On it were Beyonder powers that were suitable to handle matters related to the Death domain.

Meanwhile, he used a silver dagger to quickly create a wall of spirituality and sealed the iron cigar case to prevent Azik's copper whistle from causing the dead to rise from their graves.

Alger also drew his dagger again and placed his left palm over it before sliding his palm outwards.

Amidst light crackling sounds, the dagger swirled with silver bolts of lightning that snaked outwards.

Having made their preparations, Klein, who was acting as the crazy adventurer, Gehrman Sparrow, was first to pass through the door and into the tomb.

Of course, Wraith Senor had already acted as a scout by circling the tomb before he entered.

To a Marionettist, there was no need to take risks on many matters once they had a marionette!

The tomb's ceiling was soaked with water droplets, a clear indication of the humidity. The room was divided into two regions that each had twelve grayish-white stone coffins. In the middle was a circular region where there appeared to be a beautiful and complicate picture placed on the ground.

Klein didn't approach it as he stopped Alger. Then, he controlled Senor to appear as it quickly floated to a spot above the circular region.

Admiral of Blood… Alger's facial muscles twitched.

Although he had already guessed so, he couldn't stop his subconscious reactions when he saw it with his own eyes.

At this moment, Senor descended and was able to fully take in the scene in the central region.

The picture had dark, dull colors with the background being filled with blurry figures. In the foreground was a long table.

On the table was a figure with a resplendent cross glowing from it, and surrounding the figure were three people shrouded in shadows.

One was handsome and youthful, another solemn and bold, and the last looking wise with his white beard. The three pairs of eyes exuded an indescribable sense of evil, just like the actions of their owners.

One of them had ripped off the figure's arm, stuffing it into their mouths, and gnawing at it as blood was filling his mouth. Another held up a brain and sucked at its juices, while the last had dug out a beating heart, chewing at it in a ravenous manner.

In contrast to them, in the figure's chest was a long and wide crack. Sitting cross-legged in there was a dark and sinister infant who was masticating on the intestines that had fresh blood gushing down.

These four entities seemed to sense someone prying into their act as they looked up in unison, as though they were staring at any being that placed their eyes on the picture!

Chapter 812: Myth from Another Perspective

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Upon clearly seeing the picture through Senor's vision, Klein's heart raced so loudly that even he could hear it.

As a Seer who was good at interpreting revelations and symbolism, he felt his blood gush to his head, leaving his head swelling. It seemed to prevent him from engaging in thinking deeper into it.

Even so, there was an ethereal voice belonging to him that resounded in his mind. It was filled with alarm.

Th-that figure that's dismembered and eaten likely represents the ancient sun god, the Lord that created everything, the omnipotent and omniscient God which the City of Silver believes in!

And I-I've seen the three evil figures surrounding "Him" before!

In the underground ruin in Backlund, the place that sealed that terrifying evil spirit!

They existed in the form of a statue but didn't look as evil as the picture depicts them to be. Th-they each respectively represent:

The Eternal Blazing Sun, the Lord of Storms, and the God of Knowledge and Wisdom!

Suddenly, Klein recalled the name he had once received, one that he had directly received when looking straight at the Eternal Blazing Sun:

White Angel!

No… no way… Could it be that the Eternal Blazing Sun was once an Angel by the ancient sun god's side? Little Sun once mentioned that they heard an ecclesiastic's penitence and prophesy of a matter in Afternoon Town. One of the sentences was "The Kings often came to the palace belonging to the dusk to conspire…" the Eternal Blazing Sun was originally named White Angel, which is also a King of Angels, one that betrayed that Creator?

And "He" and the Lord of Storms, the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, and the dark infant who I have no idea what it represents had benefited the most out of consuming the City of Silver's Creator… The bibles of the various Churches mention that the three most ancient deities were born from the Original Creator's spirit… In a sense, it's actually hinting at this dark history?

If my theories are correct, then the Lord of Storms and the God of Knowledge and Wisdom are likely the Kings of Angels that served the Creator, the ancient sun god, who the City of Silver worships. Perhaps, "They" should be addressed as Wind Angel and Wisdom Angel…

This way, all eight Kings of Angels are accounted for—Dark Angel, White Angel, Wind Angel, Wisdom Angel, Angel of Imagination, Angel of Time, Angel of Fate, and Red Angel… From what Little Sun heard, and from the subsequent developments of these Kings of Angels, it seems that apart from the two sons of god, Amon and Adam, the other Kings of Angels had betrayed the Creator… No way, this ancient sun god ended way too tragi… However, this picture might not be real. It might be sacrilege. It's still suspect…

I wonder who the dark infant sitting in the ancient sun god's abdomen represents… It feels like the True Creator is the greatest suspect… Klein instantly thought of many matters as he felt the urge to leave and pretend that he hadn't seen the picture the deeper he pondered over the matter.

At that instant, he felt an irrepressible sense of fear, to the point of feeling that the Eternal Blazing Sun, the Lord of Storms, and the God of Knowledge and Wisdom were casting their gaze down from the astral world in his imagination.

Who left this picture behind? Who could've known so many secrets and clearly be on the ancient sun god's side? One of the other Angels or Saints that have been constantly following the City of Silver Creator with enduring faith? Klein's back oozed with sweat as his body trembled slightly.

Although Alger's observational abilities were inferior to Miss Justice, he was an experienced Beyonder. In this environment that needed a high sense of vigilance and awareness, it wasn't difficult for him to notice that something odd had happened to Gehrman Sparrow.

"What happened?" he asked with a suppressed tone.

Klein suddenly snapped to his senses as he made Senor move his gaze away as he pointed at the circular region in the middle.

"You'll know just by looking at it."

A picture that can make Gehrman tremble? Will it make me lose control immediately? It's probably not a problem since he's not stopping me but suggesting that I take a look. However, I cannot eliminate the possibility that he has already lost his reasoning and is just acting normal… Many thoughts flashed through Alger's mind, but ultimately, he steadily walked towards the central region with his lantern in hand.

After about eight steps, he saw the gloomy picture.

In just three seconds, Alger's hands trembled with the dagger and lantern in his grip. It was as though he was suffering from some kind of mental illness.

Thanks to The World Gehrman, he had once seen the six orthodox deities' anthropomorphic statues in the Tarot Club. He naturally recognized that the arm-eating, heart-ripping, and brain-guzzling figures were respectively the Lord of Storms, the Eternal Blazing Sun, and the God of Knowledge and Wisdom!

In the past, he had committed a disloyal act to the Church whilst under Qilangos's coercion, he joined the Tarot Club and distanced himself from the Chasm of Storm, believed in Mr. Fool and wished to gain more strength and power, and he leaked the Church's intel and was unmotivated in certain matters. Even so, he ultimately believed himself to be a believer of the Lord of Storms, albeit someone who wasn't devout and passionate enough. But at that moment, he felt deep down in his heart that he had committed a grave sin of sacrilege. He nearly dug out his eyes in horror.

To not kill myself directly, it means that I really have become a false believer… Alger didn't dare take another look as he turned around and looked at Gehrman Sparrow. With a trembling voice, he asked, "Those three are Kings of Angels?"

"I can't give you confirmation. All I can say is that the Eternal Blazing Sun is intimately connected to the White Angel," Klein vaguely answered.

As expected… Alger immediately felt that the possibility that the Lord of Storms, the Eternal Blazing Sun, and the God of Knowledge and Wisdom were once Kings of Angels.

As for Gehrman Sparrow not being able to confirm the situation, he wasn't too surprised. It wasn't odd since he was only a Blessed and not Mr. Fool.

Alger was just about to say something when he heard a sharp screech.

It was as though someone was using their fingernails to scratch the lid of a stone coffin!

No, it wasn't an analogy, and it was exactly what was happening!

Schwing! Rip! Sizzle!

Sharp, jarring sounds of scratching sounded from three stone coffins on both sides. Then, the heavy lids were either flung open or blasted open as three warped figures stood up.

One of them wore an ancient white robe that had nearly turned gray. Its face was riddled with pockmarks, and across its neck, forehead, and the back of its hands were deep eyes. Beside it was a figure with huge palms and thick fingers that looked as though they were made of wood. Slathered around its body was a layer of yellow-green pus as a mist of the same color emanated out of it, seemingly capable of eroding away the stone coffin.

Opposite the two was a figure in a tattered brown jacket with a triangular hat with a skull on it. Many parts of its skin had rotted away, revealing the bone beneath.

Under its clothes and pants, thick and slimy tentacles that had fish scales embedded inside had burrowed out as it released a domineering, savage, tyrannous, and terrifying aura. This even made Klein feel as though he was facing a High-Sequence Beyonder from the Storm pathway. However, its body didn't appear to reach that level.

The three deceased bodies that crawled out of the coffin cast their eyes in the direction of Gehrman Sparrow and Alger. One produced silver bolts of lightning that crackled. Another reflected the duo's figures in the countless eyes it had. The last one spread its yellow-green mist and created brown vines.

At the same time, they stormed over with loud and hurried footsteps as a six-winged gargoyle was rushing over.

Upon seeing this, Klein didn't panic. His Leymano's Travels-wielding left hand reached into his pocket, tore open the wall of spirituality, and used two fingers to pick out Azik's copper whistle.

Right on the heels of that, he flicked his wrist and threw the copper whistle to the other side of the room. Without any surprises, he saw the three deceased bodies with terrifying auras turn around and rush towards it like trained hounds.

Upon seeing this scene, Alger's gaze froze before he made a decision. He threw his lantern and rushed for the door.

His experience told him that while Gehrman Sparrow could deal with the three terrifying deceased, he needed to hold back the six-winged gargoyle to prevent it from interfering with the crazy adventurer's battle.

Bang!

Just as Alger arrived at the door, he saw the double door crack. A six-winged gargoyle was charging in with an eight-meter-long trident.

He immediately drew a gasp as his eyes burned with rage. His muscles swelled, and under the aid of the wind, he charged forward and brandished the dagger that swirled with silver lightning.

Bang!

He dodged the stone trident that smashed downwards, and he cleaved at the gargoyle's abdomen with a dagger.

Instantly, sparks flew as rubble sprayed everywhere. Alger flew backwards as the gargoyle's charge was disrupted.

Bang! Alger heavily slammed into the ground. As he had created an air cushion in time, he didn't suffer any serious injuries.

And at this moment, the three deceased bodies had gathered together to vie for Azik's copper whistle.

Klein looked at them and calmly flipped Leymano's Travels to a charred-yellow page with complicated patterns and symbols.

This was a demigod-level power that he recently recorded—Lightning Storm!

Then, Klein slid one finger across the notebook page with his Death Knell-wielding hand.

At the same time, he looked at the three mutated deceased bodies who were vying for Azik's copper whistle. With a deep voice, he greeted them:

"Bye bye."

Amidst sizzling sounds, bolts of lightning burst forth, meshing together to form a hurricane, enveloping the region where Azik's copper whistle was, as well as the three deceased bodies.

The entire tomb was instantly lit up like it was daytime. Even Alger nearly failed to open his eyes. His body instinctively trembled as a result of the terrifying aura.

With the aid of the wind, he leaped up with the hurricane taking form in his eyes. He once again charged at the six-winged gargoyle that attempted to attack Gehrman Sparrow.

Chapter 813: Tyrant

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Aside from the Sailor pathway's Raging Blow, Alger knew that he didn't have any powers that were adequate against the six-winged gargoyle's strong body due to its immunity to lightning strikes.

Of course, directly creating a resonance with its hearing organs and Body of Heart and Mind through the use of his singing was the most effective method. If this encounter had been anywhere else, Alger definitely would've exploited the gargoyle's great weight and lack of agility to circle around it. Then, as he sang to affect it, he would attack the same spot with sharp wind blades, slowly grinding away at his enemy through the cumulative damage over time.

But now, he was in a catacomb, and due to the environment's limitations, any acts of directly avoiding it would only cause the gargoyle to turn its gaze to Gehrman Sparrow. It would then attack the crazy adventurer with its eight-meter-long trident, preventing him from seizing the opportunity to finish off the three deceased bodies. And most important of all, Alger suspected that his "singing" will have more adverse effects on Gehrman Sparrow than what the gargoyle was capable of.

Bang!

The stone trident crashed heavily into the ground, blasting open an exaggerated crater. It left the catacomb shaking as if an earthquake had happened. As for Alger, he didn't attempt to parry it. With the help of strong winds, he dodged to the right and soared up, agilely dodging the gargoyle's attack as he dashed for the monster's head.

At that moment, he saw the grayish-white eyes which burned with flames.

Alger's mind turned sluggish as his body instantly stiffened. He had the feeling of being petrified again, but his skin didn't show signs of spreading grayish-white colors.

Thanks to the inertia, he continued soaring upwards, but he wasn't able to brandish his dagger. He slammed straight into the gargoyle's head before loudly being repelled backward, his body aching in pain.

The heavy grayish-white trident reflected in his eyes again as his thoughts were sluggish, making it impossible for him to put up any effective resistance.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him to the side.

Bang!

Rubble flew as sparks were produced. The gargoyle's heavy trident had blasted open a huge crater again.

Alger's body trembled as his vision regained its clarity while his thoughts were rapidly restored back to normal.

He was like someone who woke up from an irresistible nightmare which he was helpless against as he regained control over his body.

Only then did he realize that Gehrman Sparrow had appeared by his side. There were still remnant flashes of lighting and sizzling sounds in the corner where the three deceased bodies were.

"Do not lock gazes with it. Attack its chest." As Klein pulled Alger away quickly in a bid to dodge the stone trident, he succinctly advised his companion.

Alger had personally experienced and witnessed many battles, so without further explanation from Gehrman Sparrow, he knew what the latter meant. He stopped receiving aid as he nimbly circled to the gargoyle's flank.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

He ran towards the gargoyle and waited for the stone trident to sweep over him, before soaring high up with the help of the strong gales to dodge the attack.

Whoosh!

Another hurricane pushed Alger towards the gargoyle's chest.

During this process, he closed his eyes, pulled back his right arm, and bulged his muscles.

Then, with his ability to judge distances as a Seafarer, he threw out his dagger-wielding right fist.

Howling wind blades and sizzling lightning were emitted along with his fist.

Bang!

Alger's right fist heavily struck the gargoyle's chest, producing an explosive effect. It caused the gargoyle stone to be covered in fine cracks as silver lightning snaked around. Following that, the cracks widened and depressed into a pit!

With a cracking sound, his dagger exploded, turning into countless fragments that scattered everywhere.

The strong recoil sent Alger flying back. In midair, he saw through the corner of his eye that the hatted Gehrman Sparrow had at some point in time circled to the front and cocked his revolver.

Right on the heels of that, the cold adventurer suddenly raised his hand and aimed the black barrel right at the gargoyle.

Bang!

Amidst a loud echo, a bullet tore through the pit in the gargoyle's chest and pierced it.

Following the explosive boom, the grayish-white stone monster convulsed a few times before the flames in its eyes were extinguished.

After a brief pause, it collapsed like a mountain, producing an exaggerated sound and earthquake-like shaking.

Death Knell had delivered a lethal blow!

And at this moment, Alger had just maintained his balance and found his footing thanks to the wind.

Klein didn't speak to him or search for the spoils of war. He immediately turned around and headed for the charred area where Azik's copper whistle sat silently.

Slippery tentacles covered in fish scales moved as the deceased body with nearly half its body gone had stood up. Bolts of lightning continued snaking around its body.

It was the domineering, savage, tyrannous deceased body that wore a tattered brown jacket with a triangular captain's hat. It was missing its left arm and right leg, as well as having half its head. Its body was covered in traces of charred and melted flesh.

But even so, it didn't sleep in peace. It was still attempting to fuse with the surrounding flesh and blood in order to obtain a stronger state.

One had to know that Klein had used Lightning Storm, which he had recorded from the Sea God Scepter. Even if the act of recording had reduced its might, it was definitely the Beyonder power at the demigod level. Just the fact that the other two deceased went silent without letting out a grunt was a testament of its might!

This awakened deceased body is problematic… Klein's heart stirred as he made Senor leap onto the smooth surface of Azik's copper whistle before attempting to reflect onto the deceased fish scale on its slippery tentacle.

At that moment, through the marionette, Klein sensed a tyrannical and high-level repulsive force. The Wraith was unable to possess it!

Senor was even repelled as it couldn't help but lose its invisibility.

Upon seeing this, Alger didn't question the situation. He raised his hands and created a spiraling wind around the deceased body, hoping to restrain its actions. However, the wind didn't sweep inwardly, as though it was afraid of something. It was forcefully dissipated as it rapidly vanished.

The only thing to be happy about was that the deceased body didn't immediately attack the duo. Instead, it jumped to the left, bent its back, and attempted to pick up Azik's copper whistle.

Klein immediately flicked his wrist and precisely flipped Leymano's Travels to the page with Abyss Shackles.

This was a Beyonder power which Emlyn had recorded, one belonging to a Sequence 7 Vampire.

As Klein swiped his Death Knell-wielding right hand onto the notebook, the shadows around the deceased body suddenly came to life and manifested chains that shackled it firmly to the ground.

Taking advantage of his opponent's brief pause, Klein raised his revolver in a deadpan manner.

Different colors—red, green, and white—immediately appeared in his vision.

Aiming at the white, Klein pulled the trigger.

Bang!

A pale golden beam shot into the head of the deceased body, causing it to rupture immediately into a spray of blood. At the same time, the Purifying Bullet also emitted a sun-like radiance that illuminated the target's body.

The deceased body melted like wax as it bent its waist and lost its balance, collapsing right beside Azik's copper whistle.

Monsters without any intelligence that only move on instinct are much easier to deal with than Beyonders of the same level… However, am I letting the copper whistle down? Ever since it was given to me, it has suffered explosions, the catharsis of lightning, and the purification of sunlight. Life sure isn't easy for it… Klein repented for a second before controlling Senor to pick up the ancient and exquisite copper whistle and stuffing it inside his body.

He didn't directly head over, afraid that a deceased body would awaken. Hence, he continued letting Senor to investigate the fellow who could resist the possession effect.

Klein suspected that the deceased had an item of a rather high level!

Soon, Senor in his non-Wraith form touched something and pulled it out.

It was a card!

On the face of the card was a man wearing a papal tiara with both hands held up. Before him were prostrated believers, and behind him was lightning, dark clouds, gales, and waves!

Klein was very familiar with the man because he had a portrait of this person in another set of attire.

It was Emperor Roselle!

And to the top left of the pontiff-dressed Roselle, there was a line of text formed from resplendent starlight: Sequence 0: Tyrant!

The Card of Blasphemy from the Storm pathway? The Tyrant card? Klein instantly recalled how the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom addressed the Lord of Storms: Tyrant!

Alger also saw the Card of Blasphemy as his gaze froze instantly. Flames of greed flared up in his eyes.

He took a deep breath and moved his gaze away as he looked to the side and said, "The battle was intense. Perhaps other entities deep inside this cathedral have been awoken by us. So, let's store away the things as quickly as possible and prepare to leave."

Mr. Hanged Man, do you think I'm not aware of that? There's no need for you to nag. What happened to our tacit teamwork from before? Heh, indeed. The Tyrant card has affected you. You can hardly calm down, and you have become talkative… As Klein got Wraith Senor to pick up the Card of Blasphemy and enter one of the deceased bodies to accelerate the production of the Beyonder characteristic, he coldly said, "You've already wasted five seconds."

Alger was taken aback. Without saying another word, he walked to the remains of the six-winged gargoyle and dug out the eyeball that glowed red. Then, he patiently waited for a moment and reached into its shattered back to extract a gargoyle translucent crystal.

Elsewhere, with the Wraith's help, the deceased body that was covered with yellow-green pus produced a blob of brown "soil." It had roots to it with hidden "blood vessels." It appeared rather strange.

Without wasting time to guess at the Sequence or pathway it belonged to, Klein got Senor to store it away before heading for the deceased body whose slippery tentacles were still twitching slightly, to accelerate the production of the Beyonder characteristic.

Seeing what looked like a jellyfish with azure-blue seawater in it take form, Klein and Alger suddenly heard a dragged out sound.

"Sigh…"

This sighing came from deep within the cathedral, bringing along with it an indescribable sense of ancientness.

Chapter 814: Disappeared

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The long sigh that sounded from deep within the cathedral had left the back muscles of Klein and Alger tense as they were pumped with adrenaline.

Without any hesitation, Klein's left glove turned transparent as he vanished, appearing beside The Hanged Man.

As he reached out to grab his shoulder, Senor also picked up the jellyfish-like Beyonder characteristic and, with the help of mirror leap, returned back to the gold coin inside the iron cigar case.

Right on the heels of that, Klein's and Alger's bodies turned incorporeal and invisible, leaving the catacombs silent again.

The two of them were directly teleported into midair a distance away. Their figures came into existence amidst the shadows of the clouds and the crimson moonlight.

Subconsciously, Klein and Alger turned their heads in unison to look at the primitive island, wishing to know if any changes would happen to it.

When they heard that sigh, they had relied on their instincts and experience to immediately escape despite not sensing any actual danger. Now, they couldn't help but feel curious and puzzled.

In their vision, the thick mist that cloaked the primitive island had quickly dispersed. The moonlight shone straight down without anything obstructing it.

Amidst howling winds, Klein and Alger floated in midair as they saw the primitive island's present state through the sparse mist.

It had vanished.

This primitive island that had a demigod feathered serpent and all kinds of Beyonder creatures had vanished!

The region it was in had dark-blue seawater which was almost black was ebbing slightly. Nothing appeared out of the ordinary!

Alger couldn't help but reach his hand into his pocket where he touched the six-winged gargoyle's core crystal that had left his mind sluggish.

If not for his battle spoils still being in existence, he would've suspected if it was all a dream. He wondered if he and Gehrman Sparrow had somewhat gotten lost, that they hadn't found the real primitive island, and ended up completing the exploration in their dreams.

Klein had similar thoughts as well. He even felt as though he was hallucinating. After all, a giant island with so many powerful creatures that hid secrets from mythical times couldn't just vanish without a word. Even the seawater didn't show any corresponding signs of its existence.

Thankfully, I didn't hesitate at all and chose to immediately escape. Otherwise, Mr. Hanged Man and I might really vanish, never to be found again… Klein suddenly felt a deep sense of joy. He didn't dare stay any longer as he activated Traveling once again and vanished with Alger as they traversed the spirit world.

And the final scene of this body of water that froze in their eyes was of mist spreading once again with increasing density.

After another Teleportation, Klein and Alger returned to the deserted island. They stood on a reef and watched the waves strike the shore loudly.

Alger looked around and heaved a silent sigh of relief. He took out the core crystal of the six-winged gargoyle and said, "This is a shared spoil of war. You get to choose first."

After weighing the matter, he considered the six-winged gargoyle to be a monster that the duo had killed together. As for the three deceased bodies, they were solely Gehrman Sparrow's.

Klein didn't directly respond. He made Senor float beside him as he took out the Tyrant card, the brown soil Beyonder characteristic, and the jellyfish-like Beyonder characteristic. The latter was suspected to be that of an Ocean Songster's.

After doing all of this, he said, "One battle. I'll choose first. Thrice."

He meant that in the battle the duo faced, they had fought three deceased bodies and a six-winged gargoyle. He had contributed greatly in the entire battle, so the spoils of war received in the tomb belonged to the pool.

Of course, based on the contributions, Gehrman Sparrow had the right to choose first and choose three consecutive times.

Alger was taken aback as he gained a new understanding of the crazy adventurer. He then nodded.

"Okay."

Klein immediately reached his hand towards his marionette and calmly took the Tyrant card with Roselle's face on it.

"This counts as twice."

With the Card of Blasphemy, along with the Sea God Scepter, he could barely be considered a fake demigod when taking action in his Spirit Body state.

This was also very useful when acting as Sea God.

Of course, the greatest value the Tyrant card provided was the High-Sequence potion formulas of the Storm pathway, as well as the subtle ability to sense the ingredients needed after reaching Sequence 4.

And it was precisely because of this that Klein didn't wait till they returned to the City of Generosity, Bayam, to split the spoils of war. He was afraid that the Tyrant card would directly attract Sea King Jahn Kottman.

It's up to you to say how many times it counts… Alger didn't retort, nor did he plan on objecting to Gehrman Sparrow's claim. He watched as Gehrman reached for the jellyfish-like Beyonder characteristic which likely corresponded to Ocean Songster.

To Klein, it could be used to create a mystical item in the Storm domain; thus, replacing the Murloc Cufflink that had been taken away by Admiral Hell. It could also be bestowed to the Rorsted Archipelago's Resistance in the future to raise their survivability at sea. Of course, the condition was that they had greatly pleased Sea God.

Putting away the Tyrant card and the jellyfish-like Beyonder characteristic, Klein glanced at The Hanged Man, indicating that it was his turn to choose.

Alger deliberated and said, "Can I choose the Sequence 4 potion formula from that Card of Blasphemy?"

"No problem." Klein nodded without much of an expression. "I'll give it to you in the future."

Although the Tyrant card had been activated, using it was bound to cause quite a stir. Therefore, to be safe, Klein planned on heading above the gray fog to study it after he returned to Backlund.

"Alright." Even with Alger's stateliness, he couldn't help but smile.

After this adventure, once his digestion of the Ocean Songster was almost done, he could showcase his strength and take the path of being advanced by the Church. When the time came, drinking an additional potion wasn't a big problem. Even if he didn't give birth to a child, just time alone could allow him to resolve the matter completely. The key obstacle was that going from Sequence 5 to Sequence 4 was a qualitative transformation. It was a sublimation of life's natural order. Countless Ocean Songsters in the Church of Storms had worked hard for decades, but they had failed to obtain an opportunity. Alger didn't believe that he, as a mixed-blood, one who had promoted himself from a servant, would receive any special treatment. He felt that not being ostracized was already something to be happy about, a result of his ability to build social ties.

Furthermore, in the Church, the potion was directly given for the advancement to Sequence 4. There was no advanced understanding of the formula or its preparation. For Alger to gain an advantage in this intense competition, he had to have other ideas apart from being ranked within the top three in terms of contributions.

His present line of thought was to kill a famous pirate. From him, he could "obtain" the Cataclysmic Interrer's potion formula. Then, he could let the clues point towards the mutated deceased body in the primitive island. It was likely a powerful pirate who had once been active at sea before suddenly vanishing.

This way, the upper echelons of the Church of Storms would definitely suspect that this powerful missing pirate had obtained the Card of Blasphemy, and this undeniable reality could be verified via many different means.

Alger could use the advantage of already knowing the Cataclysmic Interrer's potion formula to obtain a chance to become a Sequence 4.

Of course, that's working on the premise that the Church doesn't have a Sealed Artifact that can directly wipe out any corresponding memories… If this method doesn't work, and there's no real way to advance, I can only secretly gather the corresponding ingredients and prepare the required ritual for advancement. Once I become a Sequence 4, I'll immediately leave the Church and become a Pirate King… Alger reined in his thoughts and watched as Gehrman Sparrow took away the brown soil-like Beyonder characteristic.

Glancing at the remaining items, he put away the grayish-white translucent crystal and handed the six-winged gargoyle's eyeball to Gehrman Sparrow.

With him not lacking any powerful offensive means, and him being well-rounded when it came to the sea and land, it was rather useful for him if the Beyonder ingredient could be made into a mystical item.

Back in the tomb, if it wasn't because he was uncertain if Psychic Piercing could affect the gargoyle, and the battle situation didn't allow for any mistakes, he would've chosen to first use the Whip of Mind.

After splitting the spoils of war, putting them in different boxes, and sealing them with walls of spirituality, Klein stored away Senor. Reaching out his hand to grab The Hanged Man, their figures turned faint as they entered the spirit world.

After the Traveling was completed, the two appeared on a mountain beside the sea in the Bayam city outskirts. It was still close to the cemetery, and it was as though they had never left.

Alger didn't harp on the topic as he nodded at Gehrman Sparrow.

"If you need any mystical items created, I shall bear the corresponding costs.

"It's a pleasure working with you."

Wearing the transparent glove, Klein tersely answered before vanishing.

He left The Hanged Man behind, and he directly teleported himself to a secluded corner in Bayam City.

Next, I need to select a lucky pirate… Klein surveyed his area as he muttered silently and stretched his fingers before walking out into the street.

Of course, he didn't forget to change his appearance. He also smeared blood over Leymano's Travels. After all, there were bounty notices everywhere for Gehrman Sparrow, and Sea King Jahn Kottman remained in this city. If he were recognized or got lost, things would be nasty.

…

On the mountainside outside the city, Alger looked up at the dark night where there were the crimson moon and the countless stars. He slowly inhaled and exhaled, allowing the refreshing and saltiness of the seaside to cleanse his body.

The exploration he had just completed was the most dangerous adventure he had ever had. If not for the Teleportation from Gehrman Sparrow's Creeping Hunger, he doubted that they could escape alive.

However, as Mr. Fool's Blessed, The World should have other trump cards. For example, those demigod-level Beyonder powers in Leymano's Travels…

But in that case, we might not have successfully reached the tomb, with us encountering more trouble along the way…

Yes, that Card of Blasphemy of the Storm pathway is the target that made him restrain his madness… Was this was an instruction from Mr. Fool? "He" had already foreseen it! Perhaps, "He" even knows the existence that produced that sigh from deep within the cathedral!

Back then Qilangos might've seen the Tyrant card but had lacked the ability to obtain it. That must be why he said that… Alger's mind churned as he slowly walked to the foot of the mountain.