993 - 1001

Chapter 993 Another Possibility

Allowing the Spirit Body to receive protection of a dream to slow down the encroachment of danger at night… This is similar to the necessity to sleep when night fell in the ruins of the battlefield of the gods…

Also, the powers in the Forsaken Land of the Gods likely isn't under the Goddess's control. Once one vanishes in the darkness over there, they definitely won't enter the foggy town… Where will it point towards? Or would they stay in the same spot, unable to interact with companions and the real world until they die of starvation or old age… After reading Arrodes's reply, Klein was somewhat enlightened as he roughly grasped the crux of the issue.

However, he felt that this wasn't necessarily useful, because The Sun only required pure darkness so that he could be buried in ice that normally wouldn't melt to consume the Priest of Light potion. Once he entered a dream, there was no way for him to control his own body to complete that critical step. That way, even if he could remain in the darkness for prolonged periods of time, it would be meaningless.

Yes, I'll wait until Little Sun asks the chief of the City of Silver before coming up with an actual plan based on his answer… Of course, before that, I can try to get a corresponding solution from Leonard to figure out how to create darkness with a temporary dreamworld… Klein nodded slightly, acknowledging the answer provided by the magic mirror.

As for the first option of accepting corruption and turning into a monster in the darkness, it wasn't even considered. In the extraordinary world, this was equivalent to committing suicide which almost couldn't be reversed.

Upon considering how he still had one question left to ask, Klein deliberated and asked, "Where can I obtain the potion formula of the Seer pathway's Sequence 3, Scholar of Yore?"

The full-body mirror's surface had aqueous light ripple once again as it reflected a dark cathedral without any natural light.

Klein found this scene very familiar as he immediately recalled what it represented—this was where Zaratul, who had turned into a monster, hid!

However, this time, deep inside the cathedral, the cluster of blurry and huge maggots were no longer present.

Just as Klein's pupils dilated, the silver words appeared beneath the scene depiction:

"Great Master, Zaratul has vanished!

"I can't find 'Him'!"

Vanished… Klein momentarily forgot to breathe.

Although he had long known of Zaratul's return, since he was the one who began the chain reaction by opening the door to the foggy town, he never expected this big shot to secretly leave the cathedral; "His" whereabouts becoming unknown!

Even Arrodes is unable to locate "Him"… What is "He" plotting? The more Klein thought, the more a chill ran down his back.

Having become a Sequence 4 demigod, he could confirm one thing:

His control over the mysterious world above the gray fog was still insufficient. He could temporarily only converge the leaking specialness that it had augmented him with in the real world, making it difficult for Beyonders of corresponding pathways to see it, but it was unable to repress the law of Beyonder characteristic convergence. As for the gray fog, it had proven time and time again that he had an invisible form of attraction towards Beyonders of the Seer, Apprentice, and Marauder pathway. Amongst them, the effects on the Seer pathway was most evident!

Besides, I myself am quite an attractive Sequence 4 Bizarro Sorceror. It's not impossible for Zaratul to suddenly come to Backlund one day… Klein maintained a deadpan expression and said to the full-body mirror that was switching scenes, "Got it."

Antigonus presented another scene which Klein was equally familiar with. It was the Antigonus family's "treasure trove" at the peak of the Hornacis mountain range.

Below this scene, silver words quickly surfaced once again:

"Great Master, there's another possibility, but I can't tell. I just know that it's easier than the first two."

The Antigonus family's notebook isn't there this time? That's right. It will lead the wielder to the main peak of the Hornacis mountain range to seek out the Antigonus family's treasure trove. It's basically the same as the previous option… What's the possibility that even Arrodes can't tell? Based on what I know about the factions in control of the Seer pathway, it's implying that I should pray to the Goddess for it? The Goddess is the Mother of Concealment, so "She" can choose whether Arrodes can see it or not… Klein's thoughts scattered and quickly made a connection.

Of course, he didn't believe that directly praying for the Scholar of Yore potion formula would allow him to get it. It was too ridiculous, as though it was child's play.

From his experience as a Nighthawk, he suspected that he might need to make enough contributions before he could obtain the Scholar of Yore potion formula from the Evernight Goddess via a ritual.

Making enough contributions… This sure is a familiar phrase… Klein sighed as he began having some ideas.

Clearly, he had hints on how to do so-handle the Artificial Death faction of the Numinous Episcopate!

However, Klein suspected that the Goddess only had up to the Scholar of Yore Sequence for the Seer pathway potion formulas, and not the subsequent ones at the angel level. This was because the Antigonus family's angel didn't perish immediately back then but had hidden in a secret palace, losing control to become a monster and was in a half-sealed state. In addition, The Fool card was also there and hadn't been retrieved yet.

At this moment, Klein had the intention of asking about Amon's avatars, but he suddenly recalled that within the memories of the rat demigod, the warning about the Marauder pathway angel and Amon had been given by this very mirror!

As his thoughts flashed through his mind, Klein narrowed his eyes, looked at the full-body mirror, and nodded.

"Alright, that's it for today. Head back. If there's anything in the future, I'll summon you again."

"Yes, Master! Goodbye, Master~ Your loyal and humble servant, Arrodes, is constantly waiting to return to your side!" Light gathered on the mirror's surface, depicting a stick figure waving its hand.

After everything returned to normal, Klein turned around and picked up the paper with the previously drawn symbol. With a snap of his fingers, he made it burst into scarlet flames.

The ash floated down as he spread open his left hand. In it were two maggots shimmering with solid mysterious symbols.

The two maggots squirmed gently, using their lifeforce to fill the entire bedroom with madness and bizarreness. The surrounding lights then dimmed and brightened from time to time in a non-uniform fashion. They were none other than the Worms of Spirit which Klein had separated from himself.

Suddenly, Klein reached out his right palm, suddenly pressing them towards the two transparent maggots.

Instantly, his palm paused, just short of touching the Worms of Spirit. He raised his palm again, lowering it only to pause. He repeated this several times until he finally exerted his strength with a deadpan expression.

Amidst an invisible and illusory cracking sound, his head suddenly felt a stabbing pain.

This made his soul feel like it was being ripped apart. It was even more painful than encountering a gunshot or a slash wound.

Klein used his Clown powers to control the twitching of his facial muscles. After a few seconds, he raised his right hand to rub his temples, inwardly mumbling, Indeed, the death of every Worm of Spirit deals damage to the Spirit Body. My current limit is six. Hmm, I'll temporarily stop trying. Let's see how long it takes to recover.

Thankfully, this is a tolerable matter. Otherwise, it would be dangerous if a marionette is destroyed while the Worm of Spirit isn't able to be collected in time due to an intense battle…

Yes, it's different from Amon's Worms of Time avatars. A Bizarro Sorcerer's Worms of Spirit will not necessarily die when a marionette is destroyed. Most of the time, a Bizarro Sorcerer is able to retrieve them in time. It's because the distance between the body and the marionette isn't that exaggerated…

After confirming the situation, and waiting for the Beyonder characteristics contained within the Worms of Spirit to return to himself, Klein rummaged for some materials and set up a ritual to pray to The Fool.

After a series of tasks, Klein used the carcasses of two Worms of Spirit, two silver plates, and the complicated symbol which he had previously recorded down to make two silver-black bullets-of which the latter came from Snake of Mercury Will Auceptin.

The two bullets were carved with strange, indescribable patterns. They kept extending inwards as though they were coming together in the middle at one point. Their entire bodies were gloomy but not dark. Just one look at it made one's thoughts sluggish.

Klein flicked a gold coin and used divination, together with his spiritual intuition, to swiftly determine the abilities of the two bullets—the target would immediately enter a state of paralysis upon being hit!

The length of time that one was left in this state depended on the potency of one's Spirit Body. Even Sequence 3 saints would be in a state of stiffness for a second or two!

This already exceeds my powers. Of course, the premise is that contact can be made. Oh, this is a result of the gray fog's augmentation… These two bullets should be at the same level as the Fate Siphon charms. Although my Worms of Spirit can't be compared to Amon's and Pallez's Worms of Time, the amount of power I can now draw from the mysterious space above the gray fog is clearly superior to what I could do in the past… I shall call them, uh-Control Spirit Bullets… Klein drew Death Knell from his underarm holster, snapped open the cylinder wheel, and stuffed the two silver-black Control Spirit Bullets inside.

Following that, he spread open a piece of paper beside the altar and wrote:

"…Next, your mission is to seek out relatively high-level charms and Beyonder bullets. May God be with you.

"XXX who raised three requests from you."

This letter was written to Patrick Bryan of the Numinous Episcopate's Artificial Death faction.

With a subordinate at my disposal, why let him go to waste? As Klein mumbled, he folded his letter. At the altar from before, he summoned Patrick Bryan's messenger.

The surface of the desk burst into pitch-black flames and quickly gathered together, forming a translucent bird with dark feathers.

This spirit world creature glanced at Klein before slowly lowering its head to bite at the envelope.

Watching it disappear, Klein nodded slightly and inwardly muttered, Patrick's Contract Companion isn't of a low level either…

He quickly reined in his thoughts, took out another letter, and fluidly wrote:

"…I have already obtained the blessing of Concealment. You can attempt to gather items at the Marauder pathway demigod level. In addition, I've found a way to crack the theft and replacement of destiny. You don't have to be too anxious.

"…Do you know how to create a darkness that includes a temporary dream world?

"…If you have the time, can you head to Tingen and help me use 3-0782 to create Flaring Sun Bullets. The Mutated Sun Sacred Emblem has the divine blood of the Eternal Blazing Sun hidden in it… Only by sufficiently raising your strength can we be more confident at dealing with Amon's avatars…"

Chapter 994 Prelude

At 7 Pinster Street, Leonard, who had specially returned home to participate in the Tarot Gathering, was just about to head to Saint Samuel Cathedral's basement to read the dossiers so as to make preparations for his placating of souls at night when his vision suddenly went into a blur. He saw the messenger in a dark, full dress holding four blonde, red-eyed heads.

As a Soul Assurer, he could already see such creatures with Spirit Bodies.

After taking Klein's letter, Leonard didn't even have the chance to say thank you when Reinette Tinekerr turned around and walked into the void. She didn't even stay for long.

"…Old Man, why does Klein have a messenger of this level? Is this a perk of being a Blessed?" Leonard couldn't help but ask Pallez Zoroast with a suppressed voice.

He originally fantasized that it was standard for every Tarot Club member, but he later realized that he had been imagining things.

Pallez Zoroast's slightly-aged voice chuckled immediately.

"It is likely to solely belong to Klein Moretti. Everyone receives some special fortuitous encounter, isn't that the case? Isn't it the same even for a fellow like you?

"Heh heh, I thought you would use 'incomplete angel' to describe 'Her,' but you ended up using 'messenger of this level.' Not bad, you still remember my warning."

Leonard curled the corners of his lips, spread open the piece of paper, and read the content on it.

"He's indeed the Blessed of Concealment and Fate…" Pallez Zoroast quickly scanned the heading through Leonard's eyes.

Leonard didn't look at the ground. Instead, he took a few steps back and threw himself into the embrace of the sofa before saying, "Klein can see through the theft and replacement of destiny… Then, we don't need to rush to seek out items at the Marauder pathway demigod level."

"Even if you were in a hurry, you have no idea where to seek them out," Pallez scoffed.

Even for the gathering of the Hermits of Fate, similar items needed years to appear even once. And the next gathering was to happen at the end of the year.

Leonard was momentarily at a loss for words and could only cast his gaze at the last two paragraphs.

After a brief silence, he chuckled.

"I've always been curious as to where Klein received the high-level charm of the Sun domain when facing Megose. I thought it was provided to him by that Death Consul, but I couldn't understand why a Death domain angel would be gathering high-level charms of the Sun domain. Wouldn't that be suicide? Now, I finally understand.

"Old Man, I wielded 3-0782 before as well. Why didn't you notice that there was a drop of the Eternal Blazing Sun's divine blood hidden in that? If you could've stolen some of its power back then, things wouldn't have…"

Leonard originally wanted to mock Old Man, but as he went on, he fell silent.

Pallez Zoroast sighed in his mind.

"If that drop of divine blood could be so easily discovered, that Mutated Sun Sacred Emblem wouldn't have been in Tingen."

Leonard fell silent for a few seconds before asking, "Then how am I to create an opportunity to get that Sacred Emblem to create the Flaring Sun Charm?"

Although Klein made it sound simple in his letter, Leonard knew that it wasn't an easy task. This was because he wasn't a Nighthawk of Tingen City. Even if he returned to visit his former colleagues and teammates, he had no authority to enter Chanis Gate.

Upon hearing his question, Pallez Zoroast replied in a peeved manner, "Why are you asking me something as trivial as this? Can't you think for yourself?"

Leonard coughed uncomfortably as he began thinking seriously to seek out a solution.

"I'm currently working alone, but the archbishop has given me the authority to get the help of the local Nighthawks in the region of question.

"Hmm, if all the souls in Backlund have been placated, and if I haven't finished digesting my potion, wouldn't I have to do it at other dioceses?

"When that happens, if Tingen happens to have a paranormal accident, it will be very reasonable for me to return and get two Nighthawks and use 3-0782…"

After Leonard finished muttering to himself, Pallez Zoroast chuckled.

"Not bad. You came up with an idea so quickly.

"But have you thought about it? You are placating them, not purifying them. This is contradictory with obtaining 3-0782. It will easily incur suspicion."

Leonard, who had been praised, immediately laughed.

"Old Man, that's because you aren't aware. Back when I joined the Nighthawks team, there was one line in the education I received: Only under the premise of having the ability to purify can placating achieve the best results.

"Emperor Roselle had also once said that to solve problems, you need a stick in one hand and a carrot in the other."

Pallez Zoroast immediately tsked.

"Then follow your plan. Of course, that's assuming that you can finish Anthony Stevenson's missions in a week or two. If you haven't obtained the Sun Flare Bullets before the actual operation of eliminating Amon begins, then it would no longer be necessary."

Leonard recalled the list of missions written on the pieces of paper as his forehead twitched.

He then forced himself to forget about his worries and mumbled, "I wonder when the mission to punish the Sanguine will begin…

"I wonder if the Sanguine has a Sealed Artifact at the Marauder pathway's demigod level. "Temporary dreamworld… I can create it myself. I'll find a chance to make some charms, but can power at this level be able to resist the corrosion of the darkness in the Forsaken Land of the Gods?"

In an apartment in Cherwood Borough.

Fors took out a novel, sat on the sofa, and watched Xio walk towards the lobby as she wore her boots to head out.

Finally, Fors couldn't hold back her puzzlement as she said, "There's no rush. That gentleman said that he wouldn't assign the mission that quickly."

Xio shot her a glance and said, "I'm a bounty hunter. I have other missions."

Upon saying that, she paused and said after some deliberation, "Fors, do you think that Miss Justice resembles Miss Audrey?"

Fors was taken aback for a few seconds before she snapped back to senses. She subconsciously waved her hand and chuckled.

"How is that possible…"

Just as she said that, the similarities began flashing through her mind, her eyes widening in response.

After a while, she whispered, "It's not impossible.

"Spectator pathway, Psychology Alchemists, noble lady, blonde hair and green eyes… She's the only noble I know that meets those criteria… Of course, I don't know that many nobles. Furthermore, I have no idea if the ones I'm familiar with have anything to do with the Psychology Alchemists…"

Xio silently listened to her friend and said after some thought, "Fors, do you still remember the missions assigned to us by Miss Audrey? I originally thought that it was issued by Earl Hall, but on second thought, perhaps it came from the Tarot Gathering…

"Also, how did we know of Mr. Fool's honorific name? Do you remember? It was from books we borrowed from Viscount Glaint! In the book cover was a strange ancient slip!"

Fors nodded in enlightenment.

"If we could discover it, as a good friend of Viscount Glaint, Miss Audrey, has a chance of discovering it as well! This can explain why she joined the gathering…"

"Yeah," Xio agreed with Fors's guess.

Fors opened her mouth and was just about to say something when she recalled that the matter with the Sanguine wasn't completely over. She immediately looked around warily and said, "Xio, we should lessen our discussions of gatherings in the future."

"As for Miss Audrey, we can visit her once every week or two. We can continue observing when the time comes."

Xio snapped to her senses and nodded heavily.

"Alright!"

She then opened her door and went to a particular bar in East Borough and sat by the bar counter.

Rapping on the table, she said to the bartender who looked up, "Any new missions today?"

The bartender gave a rough list without mentioning any investigations of a particular Mr. Ernes Boyar.

Indeed, I'll have to wait till tomorrow or the day after tomorrow… Xio looked around, retracted her gaze, and asked in puzzlement and concern, "I haven't seen Sherman in a while. Do you know where he's been?"

Sherman was a young man who thought himself as a woman-one of Xio's informants.

The bartender chuckled.

"Perhaps he ran off with some man. You do know that he's happy to do so if a man fancies him."

"This isn't something worth ostracizing him about," Xio rebutted seriously, feeling a baffling sense of concern.

She then exerted strength in her palm and jumped off the high-stool, prepared to seek out Sherman in the places he was usually seen.

Backlund Bridge area, Iron Gate Street, Bravehearts Bar.

Holding down his hat, Emlyn pinched his nose as he passed through the crowd that exuded all kinds of smells before finding the red-eyed Ian in the card

room.

"Mr. White, what is it this time?" Ian smiled as he led Emlyn into an empty billiard room.

Emlyn took off his hat and quipped, "Something trivial. Help me put up a mission to the bounty hunters. The details of the mission is to track a man named Ernes Boyar. Figure out his daily activities. The bounty reward will be 100 pounds."

"100 pounds?" Ian subconsciously asked.

For investigations like tracking, 100 pounds was quite a ridiculous reward. One had to know that if a bounty hunter was able to complete this mission on their own, they could rest for an entire year, even if they were supporting a family!

Emlyn nodded.

"The target is rather dangerous."

After the discussion back with the Tarot Club, he had already thought it through. He believed that tracking Ernes Boyar was an easy mission. The Sanguine Viscount would definitely pretend as though he didn't notice anything and deliberately follow a fixed trajectory.

Therefore, this 100 pounds was in fact payment for Miss Judgment to take the risk of participating in this operation. Of course, to aid in the misdirection and concealment, it was almost certain that more than one bounty hunter would complete this mission, allowing them to earn different portions of the reward. All Emlyn could guarantee was that Miss Judgment would earn the most.

"I see." Coming to an understanding, Ian extended his hand. "Down payment, exact address, level of danger, looks and characteristics. It's best if you have a portrait."

Ernes Boyar then gave 30 pounds in cash and Ernes Boyar's portrait.

"Red eyes?" Ian flipped through the pieces of paper in his hand and couldn't help but blurt out.

"Yes." Emlyn nodded gently and looked around him. He suppressed his voice and said, "There's also something else. Help me seek out clues regarding the Rose School of Thought members in Backlund."

"… Rose School of Thought?" Ian was taken aback as he asked in puzzlement, as though he had never heard of the name.

Chapter 995 "Conjoined Person"

Emlyn glanced at lan, raised his hand to pinch his nose, and chuckled.

"It appears you don't understand me. It's okay. A more simple description is to gather information about foreigners that come from the Southern Continent, especially from the Star Highlands and the Paz River Valley.

"What information do you want exactly? There are plenty of pure-blooded people from the Southern Continent in Backlund. Those that you've mentioned are also common," Ian calmly asked without flaring up due to the contempt he received.

Emlyn laughed.

"The ones that are a bit more abnormal. They do things in a fishy manner and seem to all be mysterious. You should understand what I'm getting

at."

"There are definitely many people you describe. In Backlund, they are either servants, workers, or thieves-being part of gangs. As the latter will all meet your criteria of being abnormal, fishy, and mysterious." Ian sincerely pointed out how unpragmatic Emlyn's request was.

Emlyn was already prepared for this. With an unobvious smile, he nodded slightly.

"Then, give me all the information that meets those criteria. I'll do the filtering. Oh, I'll pay 50 pounds as down payment for this commission as the standard fees for the early-stage investigations. The subsequent payment will be counted based on how much information of value is provided. Each one will cost 20 pounds."

"Who is the one to determine its worth?" Ian asked after a few seconds of thought.

For him, having a 50-pound income for preliminary work like this was enough for him to accept the job. It was more than enough to hire a dozen people or so to investigate the areas from East Borough to Cherwood Borough for half a month.

He didn't mind how much he could only from the 50 pounds, as there were many people here who relied on him for their survival. He needed to arrange jobs with payment for them to do from time to time; otherwise, he would never be able to be kept abreast with the latest developments.

Emlyn sized up Ian and scoffed.

"Of course it will be me. You should know how trustworthy I am."

"Detective Moriarty never told me that…" Ian mumbled and sighed. "Alright. Our last cooperation was still pretty good. I choose to trust you."

Emlyn nodded in satisfaction, took out his wallet, and counted another 50 pounds worth of notes.

During this process, Emlyn momentarily felt the pinch when he realized he only had 407 pounds in savings.

And now there's only 357 pounds… He looked away from the notes and handed the cash to Ian.

He didn't stay. Putting on his hat, he walked out of the billiard room and left the Bravehearts Bar.

On the street, Emlyn stopped pinching his nose and looked up at the flame-like clouds. His expression gradually fell heavy as he silently muttered, That Wraith from before isn't around… Where did it go?

Humph, Ian acted as though he had never heard of the Rose School of Thought, but his racing heartbeat had betrayed him…

Also, he actually didn't ask if Sherlock Moriarty is back in Backlund. He didn't even show any concern… Could it be that Sherlock has already returned to Backlund and that he has already met him?

Rorsted Archipelago, City of Generosity, Bayam.

In an area near the harbor, Admiral of Stars Cattleya had brought along Frank Lee, who had his sleeves rolled up which revealed his brown hair, to an area outside a house with gas wall lamps. They came to an empty corner and watched as a figure appeared out of the shadows.

It was Bloodless Heath Doyle who was in charge of monitoring Artisan Cielf. He was thin and his skin was so pale that it was transparent. He looked so frail that a gust of wind could topple him.

"Did anything strange happen recently?" Cattleya nudged the gold-rim glasses on her nose.

Heath Doyle tersely acknowledged.

"Three days after you left, a stranger visited Cielf. He stayed for about fifteen minutes. I didn't approach for fear of being discovered.

"Based on your instructions, I sent men to tail the stranger, but they lost his trail."

"What did that stranger look like?" Cattleya asked with a slight nod.

Heath Doyle took out a piece of raw beef from a leather pouch by his waist. The blood on it remained fresh, but it didn't show any signs of contamination. It appeared to be a pure piece of solid meat.

Right on the heels of that, this piece of beef melted in Heath Doyle's hand, dripping to the ground like water. They then squirmed like they had life, drawing a portrait.

"This is the effect I want!" Frank Lee's eyes shimmered as he watched this scene, expressing his intentions with excitement.

Under his gaze, Heath Doyle, had the intention to run, but he slightly slanted his body and pointed to the ground.

"Roughly like this."

At this moment, a blood portrait had already taken form. It was that of a man with a mustache, with facial features that resembled that of the Paz River Valley. His greatest characteristic was the three ear studs on both his ears.

"Golden ear studs, thin body, not much fat, very athletic," Heath Doyle added.

Cattleya retracted her gaze from the ground and asked, "And then?"

Heath Doyle tersely acknowledged.

"No one visited Cielf after that, other than his temporary servants and chef he hired. I got men to investigate them. They are clean.

"Cielf has an evening stroll at a fixed time every day. He will bring a prostitute home, allowing her to leave only at daybreak… I've been constantly tailing him, but I never discovered any contact with odd people."

"He has been acting very normally all this time?" Cattleya asked with a frown.

From her point of view, not having any abnormalities made it most abnormal!

After all, this involved Rose School of Thought members that believed in the Primordial Moon.

Heath Doyle nodded in affirmation.

"Yes."

Cattleya turned her head to look at the building's main door and said after some thought, "I actually planned on using Beyonder powers to infiltrate and bring Cielf under control in the fastest speed possible before taking him away to prevent any accidents. But from the looks of it, the best solution is to knock on the door."

Unknown danger was what terrified people the most.

At the thought that he had been busy with his experiments recently and hadn't done his duty as first mate, Frank Lee hurriedly said, "Captain, I'll go with you."

Cattleya took off her thick glasses and hung them by her waist of her black warlock robe before nodding.

"Okay."

With that said, she left the shadowy corner and walked towards the main door of Cielf's residence.

As she approached, she looked up at the crimson moon that could be seen penetrating through the clouds. She curled her fingers and tapped thrice on the door.

Before long, footsteps approached and the door creaked open.

Cielf didn't show any obvious changes from the previous time. He remained thin and dark. His eyes were somewhat puffy, and his brown eyes were trying hard to force a smile.

"Admiral, is there something this time?"

He stood by the door, blocking the gas wall lamp's light behind him. It made the area appear dark and gloomy, as though he was sinking into the shadows.

Cattleya stared at him for a few seconds before saying slowly, "I have a new idea. I plan on making you a part of my crew."

She stood there motionlessly without any intention of stepping inside.

Cielf's expression warped as his voice turned somewhat dark.

"Why?"

Cattleya's eyes seemed to freeze as she slowly said, "Because I'm a pirate."

Pirates didn't need reasons. They did whatever they did out of their own desires.

Cielf's facial muscles twitched as a smile suffused his eyes once again.

"I can be your sailor, but as an Artisan, I'll be of much greater use in a city."

"I agree," Cattleya destroyed his resistance. "But before then, I need you to spend some time on the Future to be partners with others."

Cielf's expression gradually turned cold as he replied in an ethereal voice, "I'm afraid I won't be able to control myself. I have a strong urge to procreate every day…"

"Strong urge to procreate?" Frank Lee's eyes lit up as he asked, seemingly in confirmation.

Cielf was taken aback as he wasn't sure whether to nod or shake his head.

Frank then looked at Cattleya and asked in excitement, "Captain, is he going to be my assistant for my experiments?

"I love this trait of his!"

Cattleya fell silent for a few seconds before nodding heavily.

"Yes."

Frank immediately revealed a bright smile and offered his right hand to Artisan Cielf.

"Pleasure to meet you. Let me introduce myself. First mate of the Future, Frank Lee."

Cielf's expression returned to normal as he shook the man's hand with puzzlement. Then, he said, "Am I really going to spend a short period of time on the Future?"

"I guarantee it with my reputation on the line," Cattleya sincerely replied before inwardly adding, It wouldn't take long before Her Majesty personally handles you…

"Alright. It's not like I can beat you." Cielf shrugged. "Please permit me to pack my personal belongings."

He then took two steps back, turned around, and walked to the staircase at the end of the foyer.

As he walked, he suddenly paused and said in an ethereal tone to Cattleya and Frank Lee, "Today's moonlight is as beautiful as it always has been, isn't it?"

Without receiving a reply, he proceeded forward and vanished from the staircase.

At this moment, Cattleya's heavy expression became obvious.

After Cielf opened the door, she had already noticed an abnormality with her eyes.

In the past, Cielf's Spirit Body was that of an ordinary human, but now, he was a conjoined person!

Under the illumination of the moonlight, this "conjoined person" was being nourished and was rapidly growing stronger.

This isn't a problem I can resolve. I have to write to Her Majesty. Also, I mustn't forget Gehrman Sparrow's request for a meeting… Cattleya sighed silently as she subconsciously looked up.

High in the sky, a crimson moon remained bright and silent amidst the thin clouds.

Backlund, Hillston Backlund, East Balam Military Veterans Mess.

Dwayne Dantès and Macht got off their separate carriages and entered the lobby together.

Chapter 996 Card Game

After entering the East Balam Military Veterans Mess, Klein handed his cane and hat to his valet, Enuni, only to see Colonel Calvin of the Loen Kingdom's Ministry of Defense wearing an army uniform, waiting at the foyer with a glass of red wine in hand.

This long-faced officer smiled as he raised his cup at Dwayne Dantès.

"Long time no see."

"It really has been a while." Klein smiled as he walked over.

Colonel Calvin immediately offered his right hand.

"Congratulations. You did pretty well. Everyone was very pleased."

"I was very pleased as well." Klein used a Loen-styled euphemism to express his pleasure in cooperating. He then shook hands with him.

Calvin retracted his arm and glanced at Macht before he said with a laughing sigh, "Back when you first introduced Dwayne, I was quite distrustful of your judgment, but now I understand how you're a Member of Parliament."

"Anyone who interacts with Dwayne can easily tell that he's an expert at this," Macht accepted the colonel's approbation with the same Loen-styled euphemism.

Calvin retracted his gaze, sipped some red wine, and smiled at Dwayne Dantès, asking in passing, "How much did you earn this time?

"Don't worry, I won't raise prices in the future because of it. I'm simply curious."

"20,000 pounds in gold," Klein gave the midpoint value as an answer.

In actual fact, he had earned 25,000 pounds, but after paying Miss Messenger 10,000 pounds for "Her" services, he had only earned 15,000 pounds.

Calvin nodded.

"Not bad. If you need to convert those gold bars into gold coins, I can introduce you to someone from an imperial mint factory.

"How was it? Did you notice anything abnormal around Maysanchez's area?" Klein said directly without thinking, "Yes!

"There was a place called Revival Square under his control that was destroyed by lightning."

"That, I'm aware of," Calvin replied with a rather heavy expression.

But you probably do not know that the person before you was the one who created the lightning… Klein smiled and then said, "Also, Maysanchez seems to be maintaining a fragile balance among many factions, but in actual fact, he has already secretly aligned himself with a particular faction. Of course, I'm not exactly sure who it is."

He had no intention of betraying the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom. All he did was divulge a little to win the trust of the Loen military.

"The only thing that can be confirmed is that it isn't us," Calvin nodded and said with a deep look in his eyes.

"It's unlikely to be Intis." Klein helped him eliminate one of the wrong choices.

Calvin tersely acknowledged.

"That isn't a bad thing either. The few factions surrounding Maysanchez are supported by Intis. If he wishes to expand, there's no way he can circumvent them. When the time comes, perhaps we will have more arms sales on our hands."

With that said, he offered a toast.

"Holy Lord of Storms, to riches for everyone."

As believers of the Evernight Goddess, Klein and Macht smiled in response without giving a direct answer.

After taking another sip of red wine, Calvin pointed at the second floor.

"Dwayne, I brought you here today to play cards with a VIP. Texas Hold'em."

"Which VIP?" Klein asked with piqued interest.

Calvin's expression turned solemn as he said with an unobvious smile, "Admiral Amyrius. He has been given a post and is currently in charge of the Ministry of Defense."

Admiral Amyrius… The admiral whose younger brother was stripped of his post as governor-general, had his mistress corrupted by the Mother Tree of Desire, and ended up losing his post as highest commander of the Central Sonia Sea's navy? I've worked with him before and even pretended to be him for some time… Indeed, when it comes to a demigod, as long as they didn't screw up too badly, and if they are willing to hold it in, they will always be able to step out of the nadir… Klein recalled everything that had happened at Oravi Island, turning wistful.

Towards Admiral Amyrius Rieveldt, he still felt some guilt towards him. Although most of what happened back then didn't have anything to do with him, his mistress's anomaly was ultimately a result of the Mother Tree of Desire's wish to control him.

"That is to say that our future cooperation requires His Excellency's approval?" Klein asked in enlightenment.

"That's how it is." Calvin nodded and pointed up the stairs. "Let's head on up."

When they arrived at the second floor, they stopped in front of a pair of dark red double doors. Calvin turned his head to glance at Dwayne Dantès.

"Your mission today is to lose money."

Lose money? Klein sized up Calvin as he curled the ends of his mouth.

"I'll try my best."

By the side, Macht said with a laugh, "There's actually no need to be too deliberate. Admiral Amyrius has excellent card-playing skills. It's almost impossible if you wish to win any money. Heh heh, I always lose. Sigh, I just hope I won't lose too much today. Otherwise, I wouldn't even dare to return home."

Klein nodded thoughtfully.

"I only brought 200 pounds in cash. Would that be enough?"

"Definitely not." Calvin chuckled. "I've already changed chips worth 1,000 pounds for you. Just remember to return it."

Loen's best lawyers only earn about 1,000 pounds a year on the surface… You bunch of profligates… Klein sized up Calvin again.

This colonel didn't notice it as he knocked on the door.

After a while, the double door creaked open, revealing the scene inside.

It was a hall paved with thick, soft carpets. There wasn't a lot of furniture, making it appear rather spacious.

In the middle of the hall was a card table that could accommodate more than ten people. Surrounding it were luxurious-styled high-back chairs.

By the sides of the hall were gold-plated cutlery, marble-carved sculptures, coffee tables with books and newspapers, and a series of leather sofas.

Klein looked over and saw Amyrius Rieveldt sitting at the seat of honor. This admiral didn't look different from before. His black hair was neatly combed backward, with his blue eyes dark and profound. The corners of his lips drooped slightly, and his face was clean-shaven. He had an austere temperament, and he wore dark blue clothes with an epaulet. He was meticulous in every detail, appearing extremely serious.

When he swept his gaze, Klein found another "familiar person."

He had thick but neat black brows with a short and hard crew-cut of the same color. He had dark blue eyes and a high nose-bridge with a bushy mustache spreading out from his mouth. He had a long face with accentuated outlines as well as callous curves.

He was MI9's deputy director, Qonas Kilgor!

He was one of the targets for Klein's return to Backlund. He was the middle man in the dealings between the Demoness Sect and a particular faction in the royal family. He was one of the accomplices of the Great Smog of Backlund!

This brigadier general had abnormally broad shoulders, making his white shirt and black vest abnormally tight. He was playing Texas Hold'em with great focus.

There are two, no—three demigods at a card table. How can this even be played? Interesting… Klein sat down and began observing the others at the table.

During this process, an attendant delivered a huge stack of chips, worth a total of 1,000 pounds. In the first few rounds, Klein folded after looking at his cards. He acted very cautiously, acting as though he never called or raised unless he had good cards.

As for Admiral Amyrius, his style was the complete opposite of him. He was in no way conservative. He called almost every round, constantly raising in an extremely aggressive manner.

Every round that he was involved in seldom reached the point where everyone showed their cards. Most people failed to withstand such aggression and, with the admiral's domineering force, they would call a round or two before folding. At times, someone would attempt to call Amyrius Rieveldt's bluff, only to encounter four nines. The color in his face instantly drained as though he had been passed the death verdict by a judge.

Qonas Kilgor had a completely different style as well. He would occasionally lose a round, but the chips lost wouldn't be much, preventing him from having too great a loss. And in the next round after his loss, he would often be able to wipe out the person who won all his chips the previous round, forcing him to spend money to buy in again.

Is there a need? Why are you using powers to cheat when dealing with Low- and Mid-Sequence Beyonders or even ordinary people? Others might not be able to tell, but would I be fooled? One has the Arbiter pathway's dominance, and the other has the Baron of Corruption's Bribe… Klein looked at his Five of Hearts and Nine of Clubs as he shook his head indiscernibly.

He couldn't help but consider which powers of a Seer pathway could provide him help if he wanted to cheat.

Turn all my opponents into marionettes? In that case, I can win as much as I want. I'm practically invincible, but it's of no pragmatic value. It's not like I'm planning for some deathmatch poker tournament…

Unfortunately, there aren't any mosquitoes here. Otherwise, I can use their Spirit Body Threads and turn them into marionettes to help me check out their hole cards…

Faceless only allows me to change myself, not the cards…

Magician's Illusion? The effects would likely be pretty good when playing with ordinary people or Low- and Mid-Sequence Beyonders. But there are two demigods here…

Use a Clown's ability to swap cards? It's useless. The dealing and shuffling of cards are done by the croupier…

As his thoughts raced, Klein realized that apparently only his powers as a Seer was of use here.

He threw out his two hole cards to indicate a fold before taking out a metal chip and allowing it to move between his fingers.

At this moment, Amyrius Rieveldt suddenly looked up at him and retracted his hands before pushing all his chips in.

Indeed… Klein nodded inwardly without a hint of surprise.

During his last cooperation, he knew that Admiral Amyrius was able to distinguish ordinary people from Beyonders from his "position." He suspected that he could even determine a Beyonder's level, or in other words their "position."

However, Klein wasn't too worried, because a Bizarro Sorcerer had concealment powers to a certain degree. This was also why he could converge the augmentation effect the gray fog had on him after he reached Sequence 4. This made him confident that Amyrius wouldn't be able to determine his level. However, he didn't attempt any corresponding interference, as he suspected that Amyrius was able to tell that he was a Beyonder.

Therefore, he decided to reveal a tiny problem, making it easy to be seen through and be grasped.

Chapter 997: "Gambling God" Dwayne

Translator:Atlas Studios

Editor:Atlas Studios

The core rules of Texas Hold'em were very simple. It was to use two hole cards and five community cards to form a hand with any five-card combination. Whoever had the biggest hand won. And the community cards were dealt in three phases. Three community cards to form "the flop" in the first phase, a fourth community card called "the turn" in the second phase, and a fifth community card called "the river" in the third phase. Each phase allowed players to fold, check, call, or raise. This continued until everyone was done or until one person didn't fold.

Klein fiddled with the chip in his hand as he divined the existence of any lucky instances within the next few rounds. However, he was unable to tell which exact round it was. After all, it was only a quick and simple divination with average effects.

Using this method to play with ordinary people and Low-Sequence Beyonders wouldn't be a problem as long as the correct strategy is used, but it's definitely inadequate against demigods. It's already quite a challenge to defeat a Mid-Sequence Beyonder… Must I close my eyes each round and do a complete dream divination? Heh heh, if that were the case, Dwayne Dantès might end up with the title "Sleeping Gambling God"…Klein sighed inwardly. He continued watching the round play out as he sat by the side. At present, he had already lost a bigblind1and a smallblind2when it was his turn.

At this moment, Klein noticed one point: The MI9 deputy director, Qonas Kilgor, had lost 20 pounds to Admiral Amyrius.

A successful Bribe… Admiral Amyrius should be able to tell that Qonas is using his powers as a Baron of Corruption, but he might not know that this MI9 deputy director is a demigod… The next round will be interesting… Hehe…

Klein jolted to attention as the new round began. He didn't check his hole cards when the croupier handed him two new ones. Instead, he placed the metal chip he was playing with in his hand onto his hole card, taking on the stance of not planning to look at them.

After two people folded, the stern and old-fashioned Amyrius Rieveldt casually took a look at his hole cards. After counting five pounds worth of chips, he threw it into the middle of the table, having raised the stakes without garnering any surprises.

Another person folded as Macht called. Right on the heels of that, Qonas Kilgor, who had an unyielding personality, raised the stakes, throwing out a total of 20 pounds.

Calvin confirmed his hole cards once again before calling.

After one last person folded, Dwayne Dantès didn't do an actual count. He grabbed a handful of chips and threw it out.

The croupier who was in charge of counting the chips glanced at it before precisely announcing Dwayne's action, "20 pounds. Call."

"I thought it would be 50 pounds. From the looks of it, I'm still not very used to these chips," the white-sideburned Dwayne Dantès with an outstanding temperament said with a laugh.

However, he didn't add on the additional 30 pounds.

At this moment, no one made a move. It was Amyrius Rieveldt's turn again.

This admiral didn't even glance at the remaining players. Picking up five ten-pound chips, he threw them out.

"Another raise."

He didn't show any perturbations in his emotions, acting as though he was ordering a cup of black tea. However, that indescribable sense of dominance and the act of repeatedly raising the stakes pre-flop made the mood at the table freeze.

Such situations often implied that Admiral Amyrius had excellent hole cards. Perhaps they were a pair of Aces or a pair of Kings, or an Ace and King.

Macht decided to fold. Qonas Kilgor rubbed his high nose bridge and glanced around with his dark blue eyes before saying, "Call."

Colonel Calvin confirmed his cards again. After ten seconds of hesitation, he chose to fold.

Dwayne Dantès touched the metal chip on his two hole cards and smiled.

"Call."

After a round of expressing their intentions, there were only three players for the round. Then, the croupier flipped the three community cards in the middle of the table for the flop.

"2♠, 9♥, K♠."

The person who was up first was Admiral Amyrius Rieveldt. He leaned forward slightly and said in a domineering manner, "50 pounds."

He had immediately raised the stakes to 50 pounds!

Macht, Calvin, and company, including those who weren't in the game, felt stifled for some baffling reason.

"…" Qonas Kilgor trembled slightly, but he ultimately grabbed 50 pounds and threw it out.

Dwayne Dantès glanced at the deputy director of MI9. Completely unfazed by the pressure, he said with a smile, "Call."

Upon hearing this, Calvin turned his head and nodded at Dwayne Dantès with his deep blue eyes that resembled a nighttime lake, indicating his approval.

From his point of view, Admiral Amyrius's domineering stance didn't affect a person who came to lose money.

At this moment, the red-vested croupier revealed the fourth card—the turn.

"9♠."

There were three Spades, increasing the chances of a flush tremendously. However, Admiral Amyrius still didn't hesitate. He calmly pushed a stack of chips.

"100 pounds."

Qonas Kilgor's fingers tapped on his hole cards, showing his lack of confidence. But ultimately, he choose to call.

Dwayne Dantès glanced at this deputy director once again and maintained his warm smile.

"Call."

At this point in time, he had yet to see his hole cards, making Calvin somewhat worried. He believed that such an act was going overboard—a clear act of throwing money away. It wasn't something Admiral Amyrius, who was relatively conservative, might find acceptable.

At this moment, the red-vested croupier revealed the final card—the river:

"2♣."

As such, the community cards took form:

"2♠, 9♥, K♠, 9♠, 2♣."

"200 pounds." Admiral Amyrius pushed a pile of metal chips in with an extremely domineering attitude.

Qonas Kilgor took a deep breath before pushing two stacks of chips.

"500 pounds."

This amount of money was half of his purported annual salary.

Is he trying to bluff?Calvin and Macht exchanged looks, believing that Brigadier General Kilgor had made it too obvious, making it easy to see through him.

One had to know that when playing Texas Hold'em, apart from doing risk management and probability calculations, it also involved psychological battles most of the time. Be it in terms of body language, expression, or the style used for raises, they made it easy to expose one's hidden cards.

Of course, good players could also use these details to deliberately misdirect their opponents.

Dwayne Dantès sized up Qonas Kilgor before he laughed. Then, like the previous few times, he said, "Call."

Amyrius raised his hands, prepared to push all his remaining chips, to pressure his opponents into folding.

At this moment, he suddenly paused. His deadpan expression wore a look of solemnity.

After a few seconds of silence, he calmly said, "Call."

At this point, the hole cards could be revealed to compare each person's hand.

Admiral Amyrius flipped his card first. It was an A♠ and 10♠. It formed a flush with the 2♠, K♠, and 9♠. It was a rather high-ranking hand, with the only ones bigger than it being a full house, four of a kind, straight flush, and royal flush.

"It's your turn," Amyrius then urged Qonas.

Qonas first flipped open a single card—K♦. It made two pairs with the K and 9 from the community cards.

Following that, he picked up his second hole card. At that moment, the remaining poker cards at the red-vested croupier's end blurred.

Pa!

The hole card was flipped open, revealing itself: "9♣!"

"What?" Macht and company exclaimed, hardly believing their eyes.

This meant that Qonas Kilgor had obtained a full house—nines over kings!

It was bigger than a flush!

"Sorry about that. Full house," Qonas looked at Amyrius and said with a smile.

Then, he turned to look at Dwayne Dantès.

"You can reveal your cards."

"I'm also very curious as to what my cards are." Dwayne Dantès smiled. He picked up the metal chip that he had placed down on his cards and very casually flipped the two hole cards.

"Eh…"

"What?"

…

Calvin and company rubbed their eyes.

Dwayne Dantès's hole cards were a very weak pair: "2♥, 2♦."

There happened to be a very small pair in the community cards: "2♠, 2♣."

They formed a four of a kind—the smallest rank when it came to four of a kind, but it was higher ranked than all the full houses!

"Praise the Lady!" Dwayne Dantès drew the crimson moon across his chest in pleasant surprise, looking as though he had never expected it.

"An interesting round." Amyrius was taken aback for a moment before he gently clapped.

Qonas Kilgor gave Dwayne Dantès a deep look and said with a laughing sigh, "I never expected the final winner to be you."

Klein wiped the smile from his face as he inwardly grumbled,It's only right that I win over the two of you. On the one hand, Admiral Amyrius enjoys pressuring others and doesn't really rely on his Beyonder powers to cheat. As for you, you placed your focus and Beyonder powers on Admiral Amyrius; thus, ignoring me. On the other hand, the one playing cards with you is actually named Winner Enuni.

Without even looking at his hole cards, it was obvious that he was relying solely on luck!

At the moment he placed his chip on the hole cards, Klein had already swapped positions with Enuni as they switched faces with each other!

Although Colonel Calvin had gotten him to deliberately lose 1,000 pounds, Klein decided to win a killing after he saw Qonas Kilgor.

This wasn't because he couldn't bear to part with the money; instead, his main motive was to garner the attention of this MI9 demigod. He wanted to get familiar with him and build relationships!

Only by doing this could Klein have an opportunity to obtain intelligence from Qonas Kilgor and even carry out an assault on him. After all, he was a demigod. To deal with him in Backlund required sufficient care and caution. He would rather give up an operation if he lacked the confidence to guarantee a kill or lure him away from Backlund. Otherwise, he was bound to expose himself, ending up being surrounded by demigods and even angels in Backlund.

In the subsequent rounds, Klein won and lost different rounds. In the end, not only did he keep his 1,000 pounds in chips, but he had even won nearly an additional 1,000 pounds. During this process, Calvin had gestured to Dwayne Dantès to lose, but he was left stupefied by the latter's ridiculous good luck that left him undefeatable.

After the game came to an end, a person walked over to Dwayne Dantès with a smile—Qonas Kilgor.

----------------------

1 "big blind" is equal to the minimum bet.

2 The "small blind" is normally half the big blind.

Chapter 998 Establishing Relations

With dark blue eyes, Qonas Kilgor, who had crew cut hair which was seldom seen among members of high society, held a cup of champagne as he walked up to Dwayne Dantès. He said with a smile, "You had great luck today. You also had plenty of courage." 1

If he's referring to me immediately folding after receiving a Bribe, with me rather losing a big blind, that's not luck but knowledge… As for the other times, playing cards with all of you has pretty much drained all of Enuni's recently accumulated good luck… Klein swirled the cup with pale golden alcohol in his hand and said with a laughing sigh, "For a person who doesn't care about the outcome, there's naturally nothing to fear.

"Heh heh, Praise the Lady!"

He was using a Loen-style euphemism to indicate that he was mainly here to lose money and that his good luck was all thanks to the blessings of a deity. It had nothing to do with himself.

Qonas hadn't lost much tonight-approximately one to two hundred pounds. Although this was already a considerable amount when compared to his purported salary, to a brigadier general deputy director of MI9—a hidden demigod—his salary was the most trivial part of his income. Therefore, he didn't mind it. He shook his head with a smile.

"Humans often have no way of seeing through the arrangement of fate.

"You are an interesting person. It's a pleasure to meet you."

His final sentence was both a form of praise and also a part of the formalities. It indicated that their conversation was over.

However, Klein had "acted" all night to acquaint himself with this demigod of the Black Emperor pathway, so how could he give up? He first replied, "It's my pleasure as well." Then, he asked in a seemingly random manner, "Your Excellency, are you familiar with the manors in the Backlund suburbs? It's best if they come with forests for hunting."

According to the information Klein had received from Miss Justice, Qonas Kilgor didn't enjoy holding banquets, balls, or saloons at his place. Neither did he accept invitations on such matters. It was unknown if it was a problem with his character or due to his job.

He had very simple hobbies. First, he enjoyed smoking cigars, especially Chieftain Cigars from East Balam's Mikent-recognized as the best cigars in the world. Second, he enjoyed playing cards, especially Texas Hold'em. Third, he enjoyed hunting. He often headed to the Backlund suburbs during autumn and winter. He even headed to Awwa County or East Chester County for hunting.

Klein was already planning on buying a manor, an expenditure meant solely to integrate himself into high society. He hadn't made any decisions yet, but after meeting Qonas Kilgor today, he suddenly added this request in a bid to garner his interest. When the time came, he could even invite this MI9 deputy director to hunt in the suburbs over an enjoyable weekend. He could then seek out an opportunity to take action.

Qonas Kilgor drank a mouthful of champagne and said after some thought, "I'll help you take note of it. If there's anything suitable, I'll send someone over. Böklund Street, right? Yes, someone will inform you there."

"Thank you very much," Klein earnestly replied.

At the same time, he pitied his former valet, Richardson, who had now become an assistant butler. This young man who wished to better himself recently went out early in the morning and returned late at night. He had been gathering information about manors in Backlund's suburbs, filtering out those that met the requirements and the ones which were on sale. He had been personally visiting them in a bid to list down options which were all flawless. He didn't wish for his employer to spot something he fancied only to find out that it wasn't for sale, or that the actual conditions were far worse what was described.

And after Klein suddenly changed his request, all the work that Richardson had done was undoubtedly made useless.

The all-evil "Party A" in contracts always changes their requirements and requests… Yes, after this is done. I'll get Taneja to raise his annual salary by 5 pounds. As an assistant butler, he should naturally earn more than his time as a valet… 5 pounds… It was gone in just one or two raises in today's game… Richardson's annual salary is only enough to play a few rounds of Texas Hold'em… Klein sighed inwardly when he sensed eyes looking at him.

He directly looked back and realized that it was Admiral Amyrius Rieveldt.

This old-fashioned and stern middle-aged man nodded gently and retracted his gaze. He had no intentions of communicating with Dwayne Dantès, nor did he get anyone to arrest this unaffiliated Beyonder. After all, he was considered a working partner of the military, and it wasn't rare for a merchant, an adventurer with wide connections, to be able to obtain a potion.

At this moment, Colonel Calvin and Member of Parliament Macht walked over to Dwayne Dantès with wine glasses in hand.

"What happened?" Calvin asked with an exasperated and suppressed voice.

As Dwayne Dantès had won nearly 1,000 pounds, he and Macht had to change their strategies to prevent Admiral Amyrius from losing any money. They went from a tight strategy to an unrestrained one. They felt quite the pinch from losing several hundred pounds each.

As such, adding to everyone's losses, Admiral Amyrius had won a total of nearly 300 pounds.

With regards to this, Klein spread his hands.

"I didn't even look at my hole cards!" In between the lines, he meant that this was simply the blessings of some deity that controlled luck.

At the moment, the deities, angels, and secret existences who had authority in the fate domain included, but were not limited to, the Evernight Goddess, The Fool, Snake of Mercury Will Auceptin, Pallez Zoroast, Blasphemer Amon, and Snake of Fate Ouroboros.

"This is really such a vexing matter," Macht said with a bitter smile while shaking his head. "Calvin and I don't even dare to return home after what we've lost."

They had roughly lost about half their purported annual income.

Dwayne Dantès, with grayed sideburns, revealed a surprised look.

"When did you guys lose?"

He then pointed at the pile of chips at his seat.

"I just happened to retain the 1,000 pounds I bought in at the beginning. The rest are yours, isn't that so?" 1.

Calvin and Macht were taken aback as they exchanged looks. Then, they revealed smiles.

"We must've counted wrongly due to the anxiety." Calvin gave an approving nod.

Klein laughed and immediately changed the topic. He then began looking at supper that was placed on the coffee table beside him.

City of Silver, in the spire of one of the twin towers.

Derrick Berg once again met the Chief of the six-member council, Colin Iliad.

"You said that you have something you would like to ask me about?" Colin, who had quite a number of old scars on his face, calmly asked the youth who wasn't considered too tall.

Derrick bowed and replied frankly, "Yes, Your Excellency. In the advancement for Priest of Light, I need pure darkness, but once I do it, it will be extremely dangerous. I'm wondering if there are any solutions."

Colin Iliad listened seriously before nodding.

"You have to confirm one point: Is it pure darkness, or darkness with zero light? These two concepts are very different.

"If it's the latter, you can obtain that in the spire's underground dungeons. You've been there for some time, so you should know what I'm talking about."

Derrick had a deep fear for the spire's dungeons because it was there that he first met Blasphemer Amon. Not only did he see the former captain of the expedition team, but he had even been parasitized. Unless it was necessary, he really didn't wish to recall it.

At this moment, after receiving the chief's reminder, he began to slowly jolt his memories. He discovered that, under the spire, although each cell was given candles, one would have to wait for the guards to deliver food and medicine and ask for more once they finished burning. This didn't happen frequently, with it happening only thrice a day with the gaps in between being very long.

And in such an environment, phenomena like the appearance of monsters and the vanishing of humans never appeared.

Derrick recalled that he had been in darkness with zero light for some time without encountering any danger.

He pondered for a moment and hesitantly said, "The darkness with zero light at the bottom of the spire has external powers involved?"

It was this power that prevented the darkness from making people disappear or producing monsters? Colin Iliad looked at the two swords that were hung up in a cross-like fashion on the wall. He looked up and sighed.

"Yes, that's why it's called darkness with zero light, not pure darkness."

Derrick frowned slightly as he tried to recall.

After a few seconds, he said without certainty, "If that's the case, the darkness outside the spire's basement isn't pure darkness as well. In many historical records, the nights before the Dark Ages didn't make people vanish or produce monsters. Now, the darkness must've undergone an abnormal change or had some other forces mixed into it to turn it dangerous."

"Not bad. For you to make such connections shows that you've improved… Therefore, let me ask you again. Do you need pure darkness or darkness with zero light?" Colin's light blue eyes revealed a hint of surprise.

This… Could it be that pure darkness only exists outside the Forsaken Land of the Gods? Derrick turned gloomy before he pumped himself up.

"Your Excellency, I'm not too sure either. I'll take some time to confirm this."

He believed that the experienced and strong Mr. Hanged Man, Mr. World, and the other members of the Tarot Club could give him a good solution.

Colin Iliad didn't ask further as he said with a nod, "Go on then.

"Once you reach Sequence 5, even if you aren't able to become a demigod for a long period of time, you will have the chance of wielding certain Sealed Artifacts." 1

Backlund, Hillston Borough, Xio changed into a brown jacket and wore a cap, pretending to be a very ordinary short man.

She had officially taken the commission and had begun tailing and investing the gentleman named Ernes Boyar. There were also a few other bounty hunters who participated in this mission.

Ernes Boyar lifted his top hat and pointed his cane forward as he instructed the carriage driver, "To St. George Borough."

It was southeast of Backlund, separated from East Borough by the Tussock River.

Once he got on his carriage and took his seat, Ernes sniffed. He looked out the window and suddenly grunted.

As a Sanguine Viscount, how could he not have discovered the clumsy bounty hunters' tailing him?

Chapter 999 Instigation

When Ernes left on a carriage, the few bounty hunters hiding in the vicinity immediately appeared. Without being stingy about the costs involved, they immediately stopped any rental carriages that passed by. Some memorized the target carriage's traits and attempted to take shortcuts through the cramped, isolated paths to catch up to it. Others rode on the bikes they had prepared ahead of time, swerving through the crowds and carriages with their bells ringing. It was very easy for them to keep pace.

Among them, only Xio was completely composed. She remained in her spot, watching Ernes and her peers leave.

This transportation tool known as a bicycle is more useful than I imagined. It's no wonder so many bounty hunters have saved up to buy one. This can save expenses from taking carriages and save time walking… If one often has such tracking missions, then the money saved is enough to buy a brand new bike… The only problem is that this mode of transportation tool has very few models available. All of them have high seats… Xio was enticed.

At this moment, a tracked carriage drove over from the crossroads and stopped in front of her.

Xio happened to be at a station.

Glancing at the double-decker that stopped on the iron tracks, Xio took out a few pennies, walked over, and sat down by the window.

Such public carriages could seat nearly fifty people with its double decks. It wasn't too crowded, allowing Xio to easily observe the scenery outside.

However, she didn't admire the scenery. Her mind was quickly outlining the exact appearance of her target: brown hair, red eyes, pronounced features, a nose bridge that was so high that it looked deformed, and an oil painting catalog in hand.

With her supernatural senses as a Sheriff, as well as the distance between them not being too great, Xio could vaguely grasp her target's current location and predetermined destination.

Therefore, she remained very calm and even took off her cap while using the glass windows to tidy up her coarse and stubborn blonde hair.

After several stations, Xio suddenly got up when the public carriage came to a stop as she alighted.

This was the Backlund Bridge area. She had sensed that the target had already changed direction and was preparing to head towards the bridge.

Xio immediately went on foot, planning to enter another street at the bend up ahead to board the public carriage that headed for the south bank of the Tussock River.

She had good luck, with a public carriage driving over just as she arrived at the stop.

Xio silently exhaled and took out another batch of pennies she had prepared, her urge to buy a bike strengthened.

This tracked carriage was very crowded, but with her domineering aura as an Arbiter, she was able to easily pass through the crowd, head up to the upper deck, and find a seat.

The carriage moved slowly as Xio casually looked out the window when her gaze suddenly froze.

She saw Sherman who she hadn't been able to find anywhere!

This young man who thought himself as a woman was carrying a paper bag with a few long loaves of bread and a stack of newspapers as he entered a narrow alley.

His brown shoulder-length hair had grown longer, and his gray-patterned trousers seemed tighter. 1

Although his figure disappeared almost as quickly as he appeared, making it impossible for the average person to notice, Xio, who was a Sheriff, easily made the necessary judgment.

Sherman stopped renting his place in East Borough and moved here? Seeing that Sherman was fine and that she was still tracking her target, she held back her urge to jump off the carriage to chase after him to ask him about his recent situation.

Sherman carried the paper bag with several long loaves of bread and a stack of papers as he passed through alleys and streets, making a huge detour before entering an apartment building. He followed the cramped stairs to the third story, took out a key, and opened the door to where he lived.

He seemed to possess some pretty good anti-tracking skills.

With a creak, the door opened as Sherman's eyes lit up. He saw a lady wearing a black dress in front of him.

This lady had a sweet, supple face and an impeccable figure. Even while standing at the window and blocking out the sunlight, making herself become cloaked in the shadows, she seemed to be gilded, making her appear holy and beautiful.

"Why are you here?" Sherman stared at her in surprise but couldn't help but size her up.

His unobvious Adam's apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

The next second, he turned his head and looked to the side as though he didn't dare look at her head-on.

"Ma'am T-Trissy…" Sherman stammered a greeting.

Trissy slowly smiled as she allowed the poorly-lit room to appear to become brighter. Then, she asked with a teasing tone, "Why don't you dare to look at me?"

"I-I don't know. I-1 like men. W-why do I still have odd thoughts when looking at you…" Sherman continued looking at the ground to his side as he stammered an answer.

Trissy's expression immediately turned mixed before smiling as though nothing had happened.

"Females can also appreciate the charm of beauty within their gender."

She paused for a moment before saying, "I came here today because I have a mission for you. Your original progress has been very fast, leaving me very satisfied. But it seems like it has recently stopped."

Sherman's face immediately wore a look of horror as he subconsciously took a step back.

"I-I don't think there's a need to do such things…"

Seeing Trissy silent, Sherman's gradually eloquently stringed his words.

"I really don't wish to instigate others into stealing, robbing, and murdering. That's too evil, too despicable!

"Even at the very beginning, those people you got me to assassinate seemed to be a little overboard. Although they had indeed cursed me, beat me, ostracized me, and spread bad rumors about me, using all kinds of means to harm me in exchange for joy, their actions didn't require them to pay with their lives."

Unsurprised, Trissy smiled and said, "That's not what you said back then. You hated them and had wicked feelings for them. Once you obtained Beyonder powers, you were so eager to seek revenge on them. I just made a tiny suggestion, and you planned several assassination missions. I always remember how you looked-stained with blood, trembling in excitement and fervor."

Sherman couldn't help but retreat as he heard that until he was stopped by the door which had closed at some point in time. He then covered his face with his hands, shouting, "No!

"I have nightmares every night, dreaming of them surrounding me, covered in blood. They chase after me, bite me…"

Pa! The paper bag fell to the ground as the long loaves of bread were scattered. The stack of newspapers happened to drop just beside them.

"This is very normal." Trissy cut off Sherman. "This is a necessary psychological change for an Assassin. Think about it. Didn't you wish to kill them when they were bullying you?"

"…Yes," Sherman answered hesitantly.

Trissy then chuckled.

"Just treat it as self-defense when being bullied; thus, killing them."

Her speech had a natural allure that made one wish to listen and believe. Sherman rapidly calmed down and nodded.

"From this point of view, it does seem much better…"

Upon hearing that, Trissy's dimples appeared as she teasingly added, "Besides, they weren't your match when they were alive, so what's there to be afraid of when they're dead?

"Even if they become ghosts or specters, it's nothing. You just need to seriously complete the ritual and consume one more potion, and then you'll be able to burn all those souls to oblivion!"

"B-but I can't bear seeing people turn ugly, crazy, and evil under my acts of instigation." Sherman still seemed rather unwilling.

Trissy indiscernibly curled the ends of her lips as she said with her smile maintained, "Those are evil thoughts they had to begin with. It has nothing to do with you. Even without you, those evil thoughts will erupt at specific moments and situations.

"Also, the missions I arranged for you are all related to the gangs. Aren't you most aware of what those people are like? Getting them to fracture and kill one another is mercy and kindness for people like you and the innocent people of East Borough."

Sherman subconsciously widened his mouth, swallowing the words he was just about to say.

He instantly fell silent.

Trissy's eyes swept past him and continued with a soothing voice, "You're just one step away from your target. As long as you complete the remaining ritual, you can drink the third potion to completely become a woman.

"When that happens, you can use the name Shermane that you've already picked for yourself. What a nice sounding name it is, isn't it? Then, you can leave Backlund as a woman, heading for Midseashire or Desi Bay where you can begin a brand new life. You will no longer have anything to do with this place. Yes, you will definitely be filled with charm. Many excellent men will court you, and you can choose the one you like the most and are most satisfied with, walking down the aisle in a cathedral. You will have bubbly kids, and you can bring them up to be healthy children. You can bring them to Winter County for skiing, Desi Bay for holidays, and to the hunting grounds which are pleasures that only nobles have…

"Didn't you say that you were willing to do anything to regain your true self?"

Sherman's lips quivered, and after pursing them tightly for a while, he separated them and said, "Ma'am Trissy, I understand. I-I will proceed according to your instructions."

After saying that, he seemed to lose all his strength as he stumbled to the ground. He subconsciously reached out to hold onto a coat rack beside him.

During this process, his gaze happened to sweep past the stack of newspapers.

It had already spread apart, revealing a particular report:

"…Tycoon from Desi, Mr. Dwayne Dantès, shows interest in purchasing the Larryway Steel Company, believing that it has excellent profitability and a promising future…"

…

"Sir, are you really planning on buying Larryway Steel Company?" Enuni asked while walking upstairs at 160 Böklund Street.

Dwayne Dantès shook his head and smiled.

"That news is just pure fabrication. I've only met the owner of the Larryway Steel Company, Mr. Phil La Rivie, at a ball last week and had a chat."

By the side, Butler Walter heaved a sigh of relief as he warned, "Sir, the Larryway Steel Company is indeed seeking a buyer. There are quite a number of people who are considering the option."

That also means that this piece of news was released by the reporters under Phil's instructions so that he can sell it at a better price? Klein nodded in thought. He entered the room with the half balcony and prepared to head up above the gray fog. He wanted to use Enuni's praying point of light to see any abnormalities at Hazel's place.

This was something that he had been doing daily for the past few days.

Chapter 1000 Prelude

In the grand palace above the gray fog.

Through Enuni's prayer point of light, Klein saw the scene inside his valet's room.

As his vision pulled out and slowly extended out, he began taking in all of Böklund Street. Among buildings covered in fresh flowers and grass, Intis parasol trees that shielded the sunlight slowly swept past. There were slow-moving carriages that were elegantly or beautifully adorned, and youths dashing quickly on bikes.

Finally, Klein locked onto Unit 39– Member of Parliament Macht's residence. He then lowered his field of view and began observing every animal and human to see if there was any black-haired, black-eyed, monocle-wearing man.

Phew… There's no switching or grafting of fate… Nearly ten minutes later, Klein heaved a sigh of relief.

At this moment, a carriage drove into Macht's residence and stopped at their doorstep.

A young lady with curly black-green hair and bright, dark-brown eyes alighted from a carriage. It was none other than Hazel who had returned

home.

She was wearing a dark green dress that didn't expose her shoulders. Her lips were slightly pursed, and she wore a relaxed look with a hint of joy.

Upon seeing Hazel in such a state, Klein's heart skipped a beat.

This was definitely abnormal!

From Klein's point of view, the rat demigod had only two outcomes after meeting Amon's avatar. She either had a trump card and managed to escape successfully at the cost of being heavily injured, or she had turned into a Beyonder characteristic to strengthen Amon's avatar. And regardless of the outcome, there was no way Hazel could find her teacher. She would definitely be in grief and pain, feeling dispirited and sad. So how could she be relaxed and happy?

With her taking the risk to head to the manor in the suburbs to inform her teacher, she's not a cold and selfish person… Her present state indicates that she has confirmed that her teacher, that rat demigod, is fine. She has even been rewarded, perhaps obtaining all kinds of knowledge about the supernatural world… This is in conflict with my theory of the rat demigod's outcome. No, it's not in conflict. Once you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth… Klein leaned back into his seat and came to a conclusion:

Amon had not only obtained the rat demigod's Beyonder characteristic, but he had also stolen her fate and had replaced her identity!

Therefore, to Hazel, her teacher hadn't encountered any mishaps and would only need a period of time to lie low… After making the confirmation, Klein silently exhaled and felt a little relaxed.

To him, the most terrifying aspect of Amon was that no one knew what form or identity "He" would use to appear. It could be possible that Member of Parliament Macht would one day wear a monocle, or that insects in the garden would turn around with monocles on their faces. Therefore, after grasping the identity Amon might use to appear, Klein couldn't help but feel more assured.

As for Amon's performance being problematic in front of Hazel, Klein believed that it was impossible. After all, Amon was a King of Angels that was fundamentally good at deceit. Even if "He" mentioned something that differed from what the rat demigod had said, "He" could easily use the excuse of it being a test with what "He" now said being part of her formal education to fool her.

Of course, based on Pallez Zoroast's depiction, Amon definitely wouldn't appear as a rat demigod, so I shouldn't be careless… Klein did some observations before retracting his gaze and leaving the gray fog.

Inside his room, he sat on a reclining chair and drank some black tea with a lemon slice. He half-closed his eyes and considered how he could deepen his relationship with Qonas Kilgor.

After an unknown period of time, Klein suddenly opened his eyes and activated his Spirit Vision.

At the demigod level, he could already activate it at will.

Almost at the same moment, Reinette Tinekerr walked out of the void with the four blonde, red-eyed heads in hand. One of them had a letter in its mouth.

"Who's letter is it?" Klein asked as he reached out his right hand.

"Sharron…" Reinette Tinekerr's other head answered.

Miss Sharron? She should be making her final preparations for the advancement. Why would she suddenly write to me? Klein was slightly puzzled as he received the envelope.

After he opened it, he found very little content. There was only a simple line:

"Emlyn White is seeking out the Rose School of Thought."

Emlyn is seeking out the Rose School of Thought? Klein pricked up his brows in surprise.

His opinion of Emlyn was a Sanguine who was afraid of trouble. Unless necessary, he didn't even wish to head out. So how could he actively search for the Rose School of Thought?

This definitely isn't Emlyn's own will… Yes, Emlyn had mentioned that some important figure of the Sanguine was meeting him… This is a new mission that the Sanguine gave him? It's very possible! However, why didn't he mention it in the Tarot Club? Oh, it was focused on the punishment operation, and he had other clues, so he temporarily kept it from us? Klein thought as he leaned forward. Under the watch of Miss Messenger's eight eyes, he took out a piece of paper and a fountain pen from his coffee table.

He wasn't curious about Emlyn's clues, because it was an obvious matter.

Since Miss Sharron knew that Emlyn was seeking out the Rose School of Thought and had asked their mutual friend, Detective Sherlock Moriarty, about this matter, it meant that this Sanguine had likely asked the help of the black market arms dealer, Ian, from the Bravehearts Bar.

This also meant that, in Emlyn's previous commissions, he must've noticed Sharron or Maric; otherwise, it was impossible for him to mention the Rose School of Thought to an ordinary person.

I don't know enough about the Apothecary pathway. I can't determine how Emlyn discovered a Wraith or Zombie… Klein crossed his right leg as he placed the letter on his thigh and began scribbling:

"This is likely a mission the Sanguine's upper echelons gave Emlyn. They hate the Rose School of Thought members who believe in the Primordial Moon, and they have directed this anger at the other factions of the Rose School of Thought…"

Upon writing this, Klein paused and added, "I suspect that the Mother Tree of Desire has the intention of encroaching onto the authority of the Moon domain, but I'm unsure why the Primordial Moon believers would join the Rose School of Thought. This secret existence seems to have a very complicated relationship with the Mother Tree of Desire. They are at odds, but they have also cooperated. It's hard to tell…"

Putting down his pen and folding the letter, Klein looked at Miss Messenger who had been waiting. He asked with a chortle, "How did you know that I'll be replying?"

One of Reinette Tinekerr's heads succinctly answered, "Inkling…"

Right on the heels of that, the four blonde, red-eyed heads spoke one after another, "You…" "Seem a…" Little livelier…" "Recently…"

"Your expression…" "Has also…" "Become much…." "Richer…"

As Klein pulled out the box that was connected to his golden pocket watch, he took out a gold coin from it and said with a self-deprecating smile, "Repeatedly wearing a thick mask isn't good for one's mental health. I realized that after becoming a demigod."

Therefore, unless he was in situations where he needed to disguise or hide his feelings, he limited the use of his Clown's power to control his emotions.

Reinette Tinekerr didn't say a word as the heads bit on the gold coin and letter before vanishing.

Watching Miss Messenger leave, Klein leaned back slightly and inwardly muttered,

I wonder if Miss Sharron and Maric will use the Sanguine to deal with the Rose School of Thought members in Backlund…

Miss Sharron is probably focusing her time and efforts on her advancement. She might not involve herself, but I can't be sure about Maric…

Emlyn changed into his Church of Earth Mother priest robes, and then wore a red coat and a silk hat before walking out the Harvest Church. He then got into a rental carriage by the roadside.

After saying his destination, he casually cast his gaze out the window.

At this moment, Emlyn sensed something as he abruptly moved his body, leaving shadowy afterimages in his wake as he moved to the side.

Then, he saw a figure appear out of nowhere.

It was a young man whose coat wasn't buttoned, revealing the white shirt and black vest within. His brown hair was a little moist and messy as though he hadn't combed it in a while. His brown eyes were filled with temperance, as though he was restraining certain urges deep within his heart.

Upon seeing this pale corpse-like face, Emlyn tipped his chin and said with a smile, showing no signs of nervousness, "You have finally come."

"Aren't you afraid that I'm a member of the Rose School of Thought that's here to finish you off?" The young man's figure turned somewhat transparent.

Emlyn scoffed and said, "Would I not be aware of the Rose School of Thought's history? Or matters about the betrayal of the temperance faction and their escape?

"Well, how do I address you?"

"Maric," the young man replied. "Is this the information you received from the upper echelons of the Sanguine?"

Emlyn was taken aback as he tsked.

"You are smarter than I thought."

He used such a remark to confirm the other party's guess.

Maric slowly drew a breath and leaned forward slightly.

"How did you notice our existence from Ian's side?"

Emlyn leisurely leaned back into the carriage and said with a smile, "Humans have the smell of humans. Wraiths have the smell of wraiths."

Maric fell silent for a few seconds before asking, "You Sanguine wish to deal with the Rose School of Thought members in Backlund?"

"The important members," Emlyn replied by making an emphasis.

"If that's the case, we can use ourselves as bait to help you fish out the Rose School of Thought members. However, I need confirmation." Maric rubbed his eyes and said directly, "I know you are unable to make the decision. You can first return to seek permission from the Sanguine. After you obtain their assurance, you know where to find us."

Having said that, he handed a dossier in his hand.

"This is from Ian. It's the initial feedback from tracking Ernes Boyar. Many bounty hunters have completed this together."

Emlyn received the dossier and nodded in a rare look of solemnity.

"Okay."

Chapter 1001 First Movement

When the Wraith in front of him was gone, Emlyn White retracted his gaze, untied the thread on the dossier, and pulled out the documents inside.

As he read through them, Emlyn had a rough idea of Ernes Boyar's routine.

This Sanguine Viscount had a routine which was rather random-staying at home, out visiting exhibitions, partaking in wine tasting at manors in the city outskirts, shopping at department stores with female companions, or sketching female models. He was like the typical wealthy man.

However, Ernes had recently been visiting St. George Borough every other day to monitor the renovations of the furniture factory he had invested in. It was a bid to ensure that it could quickly resume work.

This way, the Sanguine Viscount's lifestyle became repetitive. The places he visited, the paths he took, and the places he had lunch were repeated every other day.

Emlyn pressed down on his temples, seriously filtering out three venues which were suitable for the operation.

The first was inside or at the entrance of the furniture factory owned by Ernes Boyar. The second was Saint Hierländ Square where he stopped along the way home for a meal and to feed birds. The third place was Backlund Bridge. Unless Ernes was willing to take a huge detour, he had to pass by this area when traveling between his home and St. George Borough.

These three spots meet the requirement of having plenty of people, making it chaotic. However, Backlund Bridge has too few entrances and exits. With the two ends locked down, one can only leave by jumping into the river, an act only chosen by idiots… Saint Hierländ Square comes under Saint Hierländ Cathedral, core to the Church of Steam in Backlund, and even the entirety of Loen. It's akin to the second Holy See. It meets Mr. Hanged Man's suggestion. It can effectively prevent conflicts from escalating, and it can interfere with any subsequent divination and investigations… Emlyn gradually had an inclination.

And once a living being had an inclination, they would unknowingly seek more reasons to affirm their choice, and Emlyn was no exception, without a doubt. The more he thought about it, the more he was convinced that Saint Hierländ Square met almost all the requirements.

First, Ernes wouldn't stay in the area for too long. He would have lunch at a restaurant with Sivellaus cuisine since he was born in Sivellaus County.

Secondly, there were several tracked carriage stops in the vicinity, making the area filled with traffic on foot. With most of them being people from the lower or middle class, accidents often happened.

Thirdly, with it as the origin, one would enter the area south of the Bridge if one didn't head to the Backlund Bridge. It would then be closeby to the Harvest Church.

Finally, at noon, the Saint Hierländ Cathedral would spew steam, turn its levers, and chime a clock. It was inevitable for everyone's attention to be attracted.

It's confirmed… Emlyn quickly made up his mind. Raising his right hand and adjusting his bow tie, his red eyes were filled with anticipation.

At this moment, he suddenly frowned, sensing that something wasn't right.

Saint Hierländ Square was just perfect for the job!

It was so suitable that almost all the conditions were met!

Will Ernes be wary against my revenge? Why would he allow himself to stay in such an environment for such long periods of time? Even if he's stupid enough to not realize it, wouldn't the earls warn him? The corners of Emlyn's mouth curled up slightly as he understood the reason.

Saint Hierländ Square was the venue the Sanguine upper echelons had designated "for him"!

Heh… Emlyn chuckled, keeping his mouth curled.

He decided to request Mr. Fool to have a gathering for the few members and also invite Mr. Hanged Man to discuss the plan in detail!

This was different from the framework that they had previously decided upon. They needed to consider every detail and consider every problem!

At fifteen minutes to twelve, St. George Borough, Saint Hierländ Square.

In a private room on the third story of a restaurant northwest of the square.

A figure stood in front of the window, holding a cup filled with scarlet blood-like liquid. He was leisurely looking at the fountain nearby and the crowds that came and went.

He was a lanky person, wearing a formal suit meant for banquets. His light-colored hair that was nearly silver and his bright red eyes combined together to give him a sense of coquettish handsomeness. There was a constant faint smile lining his lips.

"My lord, will it really be fine? Emlyn seems to be different from before. This can be seen from his recent hunt of the Primordial Moon believers." A middle-aged man in a dark suit walked to the window and said with some hint of worry.

The man who had been politely addressed cast his gaze at the square where Emlyn White stood. He was listening to a violinist busking on the street as he chuckled.

"Our preparations are enough even against a demigod, much less a kid who hasn't even become a viscount.

"Besides, we don't really plan on doing anything serious. Our only goal is to identify and make confirmations. This is a lot simpler than preventing certain people from escaping."

As he spoke, the man with the light hair and bright red eyes raised his right hand slightly, rotating the ring on his left ring finger.

The ring was made of silver, and embedded in it was a strange gem with a ghostly-blue hue.

On a carriage driving towards Saint Hierländ Square, Ernes Boyar had his right hand over his left. He naturally rotated the ring on his ring finger that had a ghostly-blue gem embedded in it.

He casually looked out the window and saw a trackless carriage slowly drive over from afar. A paperboy slightly taller than 160 centimeters had a sling bag across his chest as he peddled his papers along the street. Quite a number of bicycles had replaced the carriages that were often seen last year. They darted through the crowds in St. George Borough.

Here, the number of workers wearing light blue or grayish-blue uniforms with hats had far exceeded the number of people in formal suits and top hats.

Ernes retracted his gaze as he chuckled. He had no fear about what would happen next. He even looked forward to

it.

He believed that he had made enough preparations.

He wore Oath of Rose on his left hand. It allowed him to share what he saw, heard, and smelled with Earl Mistral from a distance away. It made sure that nothing would go wrong while ensuring that their objective was met.

In his inner pocket where his silver pocket watch was, there was a Moon Paper Figurine. These could suffer a single lethal blow or an attack that targeted his Soul Body. It ensured that he wouldn't suffer any serious injuries or death within a short span of time.

He also wore Alcohol Nemesis, a diamond brooch. It kept him brimming with energy with lucidity in his thoughts. It raised his resistance against spells that acted on the Body of Heart and Mind.

By his waist was a belt named Moonlight Sash. It could effectively reduce Sun and Lightning damage.

These mystical items were the accumulation of Ernes's wealth or were bestowed by Earl Mistral. It made sure that Ernes was a "target" that could hardly be quickly finished off or controlled.

With the Sanguine Viscount's natural resistance against Nightmare-type influences, Ernes was nearly without weakness. Even against a demigod, he could put up a fight as long as the latter didn't reveal their Mythical Creature form.

The only problem is that the negative effects of all these mystical items are quite excessive… Ernes's facial muscles twitched, but he quickly composed himself.

The Oath of Rose would make his thoughts appear in Earl Mistral's mind from time to time. And if he kept wearing it for a week without removing it, the pair who had the matching rings might very well end up in love, regardless of gender or race.

Moon Paper Figurine was an expendable item. It had nearly zero side effects apart from making the body slightly cold.

The Alcohol Nemesis brooch's problem was that it would deal continuous damage to one's liver and brain. If it was worn for excessively long periods of time, it might result in one losing one's thoughts and logical reasoning. Therefore, one had to take it off for fifteen minutes after every half an hour of equipping it.

Once Moonlight Sash was worn, it made all senses much sharper, making it easy for one to see and hear things one shouldn't see or hear. At the same time, the wearer would feel itchy at intermittent intervals.

Let's hope they don't cower in fear and that this doesn't drag on… Ernes Boyar checked on his condition once again, casting his gaze of anticipation at the Saint Hierländ Square's entrance nearby.

On the other end of Saint Hierländ Square, Emlyn White, who was taking in the sights of the buskers on the streets, suddenly looked up at a bird that flew over.

Following that, he raised his hand to press down on his top hat. Bowing his head slightly, he briskly walked to the middle of the square, approaching the fountain.

In this process, Emlyn's figure kept moving as he mixed into the crowd.

However, this failed to avoid Earl Mistral's tracking.

This Sanguine Earl with silver hair rotated the ghostly-blue gem ring on his left ring finger and coldly said, "Take note."

At the entrance of Saint Hierländ Square, Ernes Boyar grew increasingly pumped. He knew that the operation was about to come-finally.

Emlyn still chose Saint Hierländ Square after all… Ernes cast his gaze out the window once more, warily watching the pedestrians on the street, the trackless public carriages that were about to pass him, the ordinary paperboy who was peddling his papers, and the elegant windows of the surrounding houses and shops.

He didn't believe that Emlyn's potential partners were hiding in there, because there were even more, better spots in Saint Hierländ Square that made it conducive to take action. However, he still kept up the required level of wariness.

Suddenly, his body lunged forward slightly as he nearly got out of his seat.

The carriage he was on had stopped without any warning!

Right on the heels of that, the horses that pulled the carriage seemed to be in a nightmare as they raised their front hooves, struggling wildly, flipping the carriage to the ground.

During this process, Ernes Boyar actually had ample space, time, and strength to help the carriage driver control the berserk horse. However, he didn't do so, because he saw a transparent wolf-shaped specter jump over from outside the window. It had thrown a rose within its body.

A rose!

Ernes Boyar's eyes widened as the carriage toppled.

He hurriedly jumped to the side and out the carriage as he made an illusory and incorporeal black chain extend out of the void. It wrapped around the wolf-shape specter!

With a soft poof, the wolf-shaped specter dissipated without a struggle.

And when Ernes Boyar found his footing, he stood there motionless, his eyes turbid.

He had already been pulled into a deep sleep.

In a trackless public carriage that passed him by, a black-haired, green-eyed young man wore a thin trench coat. His back was facing the middle of the street as he focused on reading a notebook with a green-bronze hardcover.

Around him, the other passengers were either reading the papers or chatting. Some were looking out only to see the berserk horse quickly recover.

With a whoosh, the black-haired, green-eyed man flipped the page of the notebook.

The trackless carriage continued forward and gradually distanced itself.