1079 - 1086

Chapter 1079 The Hardworking Gardeners

Above the gray fog, Klein, who was sitting at The Fool's seat, beckoned for the Unshadowed Crucifix.

The bronze cross was tied together with an ordinary-looking button, and the surface of the latter was already covered with a layer of crystalline but heavy-feeling particles.

This was The Hermit Cattleya's Judge button. It was reserved for Judgment Xio at a price of 3,500 pounds. Therefore, Admiral of Stars had sacrificed it to Mr. Fool in advance, requesting the mighty existence to get an angel under him to shatter it.

And on Monday's Tarot Gathering, Xio had made a reservation for the Judge potion formula at a price of 2,000 pounds.

According to their agreement, Justice Audrey wasn't to share anything they obtained from exploring Groselle's Travels —other than knowledge. She was only providing free help for The World killing Hvin Rambis. As for The Star Leonard, he had the right to sell the potion formulas and historical knowledge, but obviously, Judgment Xio trusted The World Gehrman Sparrow more.

The purging should be almost done. This way, I can trade the Unshadowed Crucifix with Little Sun without any worries… In the future, if there are other similar requests, they'll definitely be more willing to trade with Little Sun, instead of asking Mr. Fool for help. No one will dare frequently disturb a hidden existence, unless there's really no other way…

When Little Sun has the chance to become a demigod and transform the Unshadowed Crucifix into a special characteristic, I should be a Sequence 3. I'll be able to use the power of this mysterious space above the gray fog to shatter Sealed Artifacts…

After the "disinfection" process of the gray fog, Adam probably wouldn't be able to rely on the Unshadowed Crucifix to lock onto Little Sun. However, even if he were able to find it through this, it wouldn't be too serious. His brother,

Amon, knew long ago that Little Sun is related to Mr. Fool…

Yes, it seems that Amon can freely enter and leave the Forsaken Land of the Gods. I wonder if that's also the case for Adam… As Klein separated the Unshadowed Crucifix from the button that had begun to praise the sun, he looked at the Beyonder characteristic that had been purged while waiting for Little Sun to hold a sacrificial and bestowment ceremony.

The City of Silver, within the spire.

Derrick Berg had finished setting up the ritual. He watched as a black, mud-covered doll approached with a wooden cane which looked like nothing special, and he placed it on the altar.

After a serious prayer and doing some work, the illusory sacrifice and bestowment door opened and took away Life's Cane, leaving behind a bronze-green and spiky cross.

At the same time, the name of the cross suddenly appeared in Derrick's mind, including information of its usage and its negative effects.

He suppressed his excitement and first thanked Mr. Fool before ending the ritual. He walked to the front of the altar, picked up the Unshadowed Crucifix, and scrutinized it repeatedly.

After tidying up, Derrick left and went to a room opposite and knocked on the Chiefs door.

"Come in." Colin Iliad's deep voice rang out.

Derrick turned the doorknob, pushed open the door, walked in, and openly revealed the bronze cross.

Your Excellency, this is the item left behind by the Lord I previously mentioned. It's called the 'Unshadowed Crucifix.' The method is to let the spikes on it be stained with the blood of the holder."

He had deliberately changed the term "relic" to the "item left behind."

The white-haired Colin had already cast his gaze over when Derrick took out the ancient cross. After listening to the introduction, he walked towards it with heavy steps. He took the item and kept examining it.

Finally, Colin Iliad placed his thumb on a thorn and allowed fresh blood to flow out.

The mottled bronze-green started to peel away as the Unshadowed Crucifix revealed a physical body formed from pure light, illuminating the entire room without any trace of darkness.

After an indescribable sacred feeling filled the surrounding area, Colin released his fingers and sighed.

"This is indeed the Lord's item…"

Although he was born in an era more than two thousand years since the City of Silver was "forsaken," making it impossible for them to sense the aura of god, this city still had quite a few things that were used to offer sacrifices to the Creator. Every time the Black-Faced Grass was harvested, they would be taken out and used in the ritual. Through a comparison with these items, Colin Iliad could almost confirm the origins of the cross.

Derrick had wanted to give a response, but the heavy tone in the Chiefs words suddenly pressed down on his heart, preventing him from speaking.

Colin Iliad didn't make any further comments and just stood there silently with the Unshadowed Crucifix in hand.

After a few seconds, the City of Silver Chief broke the silence and said with a slightly hoarse voice, "The return of the Lord's item is a sign. We shall welcome the sign of dawn.

"I will hold onto this Unshadowed Crucifix for half a day. I want to gather all the Elders in the city to present this item to them.

"Heh heh, even I can't casually deal with a saint-level Sealed Artifact. Since I lost Life's Cane, I have to explain it to the other Elders and request to be punished. You must remember that, as Chief, you must have the courage to shoulder the corresponding responsibilities. You can't avoid punishment just because you think that it's good for the City of Silver. You might be right this time, but you can't guarantee that you're always right.

"Don't worry. This Unshadowed Crucifix will eventually return to you."

The Chiefs words are deep and profound… I'll get Mr. Hanged Man to explain it to me at the next Tarot Gathering… Derrick instinctively wanted to raise his right hand and scratch the back of his head, but in the end, he endured it and informed Colin Iliad of the negative effects of the Unshadowed Crucifix.

Backlund North Borough, 160 Boklund Street.

Klein sacrificed Winner Enuni above the gray fog to ensure "marionette preservation." This was to make it convenient for him to use him in the future. He planned on getting Earl of The Fallen Qonas Kilgor to wear the Flower of Blood ring and wield Life's Cane. In day-to-day life, he would create some harrowing and bizarre situations from time to time, helping him expedite the digestion of his potion. This way, Enuni had no way of using Flower of Blood to hide in Qonas Kilgor's stomach. He needed to hide in a more concealed manner, making it rather troublesome. Therefore,

Klein decided to simply leave him above the gray fog. After all, Klein could create ordinary marionettes anytime he wanted.

Why does the action of placing a marionette in a preservation cabinet to keep fresh feel odd… It's not like I'm acting in a horror movie… However, this does fit the name of Bizarro Sorcerer a bit. The angel from the Antigonus and Zaratul family all hang up their marionettes to "wind dry," so I'm much better than them! After rubbing his chin, Klein stuffed the ordinary wood-colored cane into a specially-made cane he bought through Miss Judgment.

The cane was hollow, and it could be used to contain a sword that wasn't considered too wide. It was perfect for hiding Life's Cane.

After he was done with this work, he allowed the servant who looked like Enuni, who was actually Qonas, to take away his cane and return to the room next door. He washed up himself before getting into bed.

While sleeping soundly in a pleasant, relaxed state, Klein's spiritual perception suddenly stirred. He abruptly sat up and cast his gaze at the attached balcony.

The curtains weren't fully drawn, and he could see the situation outside.

It was dark green outside the window with vine-leaves, and flowers were growing all over the place in layers. This made him suspect that he had been transported to the forest.

This… The corners of his mouth twitched as he vaguely guessed what was going on.

He rolled out of bed and walked to the balcony, drawing the curtains open.

What entered his vision was no longer the garden in the residence of Dwayne Dantes. Instead, it was a lush forest.

This is what it means to make the surrounding area become filled with a vibrant life force. Be it animals or plants, they're all flourishing and growing rapidly. Isn't this a little too fast? Klein's expression instantly turned a little blank.

Previously, when he had divined that the Life's Cane's negative effects, he had "seen" similar scenes. However, the revelation he received was that it wasn't harmful to the surrounding area. Thus, he believed that the growing and proliferation process took a fairly long period of time and could be effectively controlled, allowing one to pay no attention to it for a very, very long time before seeing such a scene.

With this thought in mind, he observed all the Spirit Body Threads in the surrounding area. He realized that humans weren't affected at all, but the number of rats and cockroaches was clearly increasing.

This result made him heave a sigh of relief. He looked out of the window at the "forest" and sighed silently.

Indeed, there isn't much danger. It's just quite exaggerated… I still have to keep it above the gray fog most of the time…

More than ten seconds later, figures appeared within the "forest." Some of them were very thin, and others were thick. They all wore black trench coats, and their faces were very flat. They had no eyes, noses, and mouths.

These figures were either crouching or standing—busy burning weeds, cutting the vines, and removing the unnecessary flowers in the quiet night.

The next morning, Butler Walter woke up as usual and opened the window.

The garden outside was bathed in the morning fog. There was some dew that gathered, emitting a fresh scent.

Better than yesterday… Walter nodded slightly and praised the two gardeners.

The vibrant scene made him feel a little restless as he began missing his wife for no apparent reason, so he left the room to patrol the estate and made arrangements for all sorts of affairs. Finally, he waited at the entrance of the dining room.

Not long after, his employer, Dwayne Dantes, led his valet, Enuni, down from the third floor.

"

Walter went forward to bow and talked about today's arrangements before taking the initiative to mention it.

"Sir, I would like to take one day leave from the current month's allowance."

As he spoke, he suddenly saw the mixed-blood servant's neck split open, revealing a black eye.

Walter was shocked and nearly tumbled backward. But in the blink of an eye, he realized that there was no strange eye on Enuni's neck.

It must be because I didn't sleep well last night and had a strange dream, resulting in me being distracted and having hallucinations… Walter hurriedly gathered his thoughts and lowered his head slightly.

In his heart, Klein apologized and nodded.

"No problem. Have a wonderful day with your family."

Chapter 1080 The Line of Thinking for Acting

After watching Butler Walter leave the second floor, Klein entered the dining hall. As he looked around, he realized that the servants were much more energetic than usual. They even felt a little agitated.

Indeed, Life's Cane also affects humans, but it's not that ridiculous. It's at a rather normal level and still within acceptable levels… According to this logic, the servants' reproduction abilities would definitely increase. The only problem is that they don't have spouses, so there's no way to show that…

Eh… Will Mr. Butler's act of returning home today result in him having another child in nine to ten months… His wife is almost 40 years old. It's a little dangerous for her to have children at this age. Of course, as the other party in the copulation process, the effects of Life's Cane would pass over to them. There shouldn't be any problems…

Man, I wonder if the potential effect will result in an increase in conceiving a child. If Dwayne Dantes's moving into Boklund Street causes one to have an increased chance of having children, my reputation will practically be doomed… Klein's thoughts drifted without end. Finally, he concluded in his mind:

Life's Cane truly is very sinister!

In the future, he would only bring it into the real world for some time each day and try his best not to affect the humans around him!

After breakfast, Klein brought his valet, Enuni, to the first floor and prepared to take a stroll.

At that moment, two chambermaids were cleaning in the main hall.

"Good morning, sir." Upon seeing Dwayne Dantes approach, the two chambermaids immediately stood up, made way for him, and greeted him.

Of course, if they were in a more remote comer, they would try their best not to make a sound, just in case they disturbed their employer. This was something they learned from Butler Walter's teachings.

Klein nodded and gave a simple response as he slowly approached the door.

At that moment, the two maids suddenly saw a wheat head embedded in Enuni's head. It was full of golden particles and was extremely attractive.

Before they could even take a closer look, the valet seemed to have sensed something amiss. He raised his right hand and yanked off the piece of wheat using plenty of force.

The two maids looked at each other in surprise and amusement.

They imagined that Enuni had accidentally gotten some wheat on his body when he followed Mr. Dantes over to Maygur Manor, bringing it all the way back to 160 Boklund Street, where they scattered in places that weren't easy to clean. For example, under the pillow he slept last night. In his dreams, he pushed the pillow away and ended up lodging a piece of wheat into his hair without realizing it when washing up in the morning and during breakfast.

Although this process was complicated and not easily achieved, it was still possible.

It can't be that Enuni grew a single wheat head, right… The two maids mumbled to themselves as they continued with their work.

After exiting 160 Boklund Street, Klein and Enuni slowly walked with one behind the other under the withered Intis parasol trees, breathing in the fresh autumn air.

Like him, a number of neighbors were taking a morning stroll.

Of course, this wasn't a habit belonging to those amongst Backlund's high society. Last year, the smog was very serious, and the air was quite pungent. No one was willing to waste their time in the streets, braving the cold wind and the humidity.

As a neighbor, since they had met each other, there was no doubt that they would greet each other. When they walked past each other, one of the lawyers glanced at Dwayne Dantes's valet from the corner of his eye—he had raised his hand to cover his mouth as if he was yawning.

When the mixed-blood youth put down his right hand, the lawyer suddenly realized something was different.

His nose seems to be even higher…

Haha, I must've been thinking too much about such matters, causing me to hallucinate…

If only my nose was slightly higher…

As the lawyer thought about it, he raised his hand and rubbed his nose. At the same time, he saw two wild dogs engaged in a chase in front of him, attempting to reproduce on the street.

After the stroll, Klein returned to the activity room on the third floor and sent Life's Cane above the gray fog.

Indeed, there's a certain effect. The main point of the Bizarro Sorcerer's digestion is actually to create shocking scenes to scare people, as well as use a strange method to make people horrified… This really does resemble a "director," but it's just a horror flick's director…

Yes, I don't have to really scare them… Peaceful daily life events contain terrifying scenes, but the surrounding humans don't notice them at all. They only occasionally made the connection, and when they think about it, they would feel a sense of fear from certain possibilities, to the point of not daring to turn off the lights and ending up having nightmares. That's also a horror film archetype… As Klein observed his condition, he summarized his experiences over the past few months and finally summed it all up with the keyword "horror film director."

After understanding this, he had many ideas on how to quickly digest the potion.

Not only did he have to deal with enemies, but he also had to turn his enemies into the main characters or important supporting roles in a horror film!

This will be quite troublesome. I definitely have to give my all to the targets at the demigod level. I wouldn't be in the mood to waste my time and effort on pulling some tricks… Well, there's no need to find a demigod target. There's no restriction for acting like this. I can "Teleport" to the sea, and find some lucky pirates to "participate," creating some horror stories…

That's right. Since I'm a director, I have to let my "works" spread! It seems like I have to let some of the actors escape successfully every time and spread the nightmare that they experienced, creating a corresponding myth at sea. I can't feed them to Creeping Hunger… As he formed his plan, Klein suddenly thought of a question:

In the horrifying legends of the people in the Northern Continent and the sea, how many of them were deliberately created by Bizarro Sorcerers?

There must be some… Sigh, if Amon were to act as a Bizarro Sorcerer, "He" would probably be able to digest the potion in less than a month. "His" talent in this aspect is astounding, and "He" doesn't consider the consequences… In truth, while looking for pirates to "film the horror movie," I can find an opportunity to scare other demigods. I don't have to fight them to the death. Once my goal is accomplished, I can escape… With this thought in mind, Klein came up with a plan for the supporting role.

Hence, he carefully considered his targets.

There's no way I can find an angel or higher. Those who I'm not familiar with will make me the leading character of a horror movie on the spot. Those who are familiar with me are well aware that I'm a Bizarro Sorcerer, so there's no way to scare them…

There are many saints that I have no idea about their whereabouts. Frightening the archbishops will easily cause unnecessary chain reactions, causing the world situation to become even more tense and for the war to erupt premature^"

Uh, after eliminating all the possibilities, the most suitable target is the Numinous Episcopate's Artificial Death faction's demigod, Patrick Biyan, as well as the councilors of Will Auceptin's Fate Council, as weH ^

After creating a name list, Klein decided to take some time over the next two days to visit Dr. Aaron Ceres. He wanted to bring some ice-cream for a certain baby to ask where the "councilors" were recently seen.

If he wanted to frighten someone else's subordinates, he had to get the approval of the president!

Klein was in a good mood after organizing his thoughts. He went out again and went to Saint Samuel Cathedral to pray and donate before heading to the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation where he stayed till noon.

In the afternoon, he saw a few businessmen and professional lawyers and accountants who were seeking investments, behaving like a normal tycoon.

After filling his stomach, he returned to the half-opened room with the balcony. Just as he was considering whether to visit Dr. Aaron Ceres's house directly tomorrow, or invite their family to have a nice dinner at the Srenzo Restaurant which served excellent ice-cream, his spiritual perception was triggered.

He turned his head and, without any surprise, saw Miss Messenger walk out of the void with four blonde, red-eyed heads.

One of the heads bit on a letter.

"Who sent it?" Klein habitually and expectantly asked.

As he had yet to receive the letter, Reinette Tinekerr could only answer with three heads.

"King…" "Of…" "Idiots…"

Patrick Bryan? This nickname has even evolved? Klein reached out and took the letter. When he opened it, he realized that it was indeed from the Artificial Death faction's demigod.

He wrote on the letter:

"…I've already prepared the special ritual that will help my teacher, Haiter, recover further. Your Excellency, I will hold it tomorrow at midnight given your permission…"

The ritual that points towards the angel, Haiter? There's no way to avoid the Numinous Episcopate's Artificial Death faction's testing of Patrick… This can be interfered with using Paper Angel… Just in time… With a flick of his wrist, Klein burned the letter.

Following that, he took out a piece of paper and wrote down an answer:

Yes, you may. You must be careful."

In the quiet night, near midnight, in a uninhabited clothes factory in St. George Borough.

There was an open area that had been cleared. Nearly ten black-robed figures were standing there.

In the middle of them was a deep black coffin that looked rather heavy. Around the coffin were many golden ornaments with mud stains. There were many candles flickering with pale-white flames, as well as one skull after another.

The hideous white skulls belonged to humans, others from animals. Some were extremely strange and had a deformed look to it. It was hard to imagine their original appearance.

The skulls were piled the highest up at the front, with Patrick Bryan standing there.

He had also changed into a black robe, but he didn't pull up his hood, revealing a deep outline. He had black hair, brown eyes, and a rather long face.

This demigod hadn't done anything, but his surroundings had turned extremely cold, as though countless invisible creatures were celebrating.

As Patrick Bryan raised his right hand, the hooded believers jumped up and twitched a little. It was a crazy and rhythmic dance.

This was a Spirit Dance, a ritual that Death loved. The stronger the spirituality of the dancers, the better the effects.

As the dance became more intense, a cold and formless wind blew out from the coffin. Patrick Bryan lowered his head and recited in a language that seemed to come from the Underworld:

"The King from the depths of Hell;

"An Angel playing the music of death;

The Ruler above River Styx."

Chapter 1081 The Returnee

With Patrick Bryan's chanting, the bones around the black casket were gradually stained with a dark green layer. They blended with the white, bringing out an extremely scary sensation.

As the Spirit Dance became more and more intense, as though the voices from the Underworld were constantly reverberating, the bones floated up one by one, as though they possessed lives of their own.

Then, they were cast towards the heavy and pitch-black casket in what could be described as orderly chaos. They passed through the lid and entered as though they were incorporeal.

The casket immediately transformed into a deep whirlpool that seemed like it couldn't be filled. It expanded on the spot, emitting a cold aura that was high and mighty. This made Patrick Bryan instinctively tremble and lower his head.

This was an angel, the aura of a Death Consul!

At that moment, the believers of Death, the ones who were dancing Spirit Dance, all collapsed to the ground with their bodies left convulsing. Their consciousness became muddled, as though they were touring the Underworld.

And above the gray fog, with the help of his marionettes' prayer points of light, The Fool Klein secretly heaved a sigh of relief because the leader of the Numinous Episcopate's Artificial Death faction, the angel who was sleeping in the mausoleum, the High Priest Haiter's test didn't exceed his expectations. Using the enslavement and control higher Sequence Beyonders of the Death pathway had on lower Sequence Beyonders, "He" could directly obtain information from Patrick Bryan.

From a certain point of view, this was an "interrogation" at the psyche level, something that Klein was rather proficient at dealing with.

He immediately let the Red Priest card fly into his hand and enter his body.

All of a sudden, Klein had a dark red robe draped over him. This appearance seemed to look like rust and settled gunpowder. As for his face, it was covered by a dark gold mask. The patterns on it were ancient and set off a contrasting appearance with the crown he wore that was embedded with gems that sparkled red, blue, and green.

Following that, he mobilized all the powers of the mysterious space above the gray fog that he could, turning them into invisible torrents that surrounded the paper figurines he had prepared in advance. Through the prayer lights, it shot towards Undying Patrick Bryan.

At this moment, Patrick's body trembled slightly due to the feeling of submission he felt towards his teacher's aura, as though he could see layers of holy wings.

Klein had hidden the exact appearance of the flaming angel, allowing a portion of it to be revealed. This also meant that he had interfered with the special effects.

One holy wing after another enveloped Patrick before vanishing, causing him to hallucinate in confusion.

As a Sequence 4 demigod, he quickly came to his senses. He realized that he no longer yearned to submit and not be able to disobey his teacher's orders. His consciousness seemed to have been pulled out of his body as he stared calmly at everything above the mind world.

At the same time, as a zealot, Patrick Bryan didn't hesitate to view Angel's Embrace as a gift from Death. There was no doubt about it.

At that moment, in the deep vortex formed from the black casket, an old and cold voice sounded out—one that could rip out a person's soul from their bodies:

"Not bad.

"Any progress in awakening God recently?"

Patrick Bryan followed the instructions given by the Blessed, and he described his efforts and intentions in a half- truthful manner.

After a series of questions and answers, the Death domain angel on the other side of the vortex, Haiter, didn't suspect anything. "He" calmly said, "Very good. Continue doing it. I will support you."

"He" paused for a moment and nonchalantly said, "I'll send you an assistant first. A Sequence 5 Gatekeeper to help you in completing the corresponding tasks to relieve your stress."

Is this what His Excellency mentioned about not being at ease with me? Teacher is indeed unwilling to see me gain the favor of God and threaten "His" position… Having been slowly influenced by Klein through his daily communications with him, Patrick Bryan, who had slowly changed his mindset, had no way of rejecting such "kind intentions." He could only answer politely, "Yes, Teacher."

Just as he said that, the pitch-black vortex suddenly opened up. It transformed into a mysterious pattern, conjuring up a pair of indescribable double bronze doors.

With a creaking sound, the door opened and a crack widened.

There was still darkness behind the rift, and there seemed to be eyes hidden in the depths of the darkness, quietly watching the outside.

At that moment, a palm stretched out and rested on the door crack.

Its skin was rather pale, allowing one to see the blue blood veins underneath.

With a tug, a figure leaped out of the door.

This was a young, tall man wearing a black robe with red linings with his hood pulled up.

His facial features were gentle, and his skin was slightly brown. It was obvious at a glance that he was from a Southern Continent bloodline. He was rather handsome, but he looked anemic.

Stepping on the solid ground beneath his feet, the young man didn't even glance at Patrick Bryan. He raised his head and looked into the sky. The corners of his mouth curled up as he narrowed his eyes and sighed.

"This intoxicating atmosphere…"

As a Beyonder of the Death pathway, to be ignored by someone whose Sequence was lower than his, there was no doubt that Patrick Bryan was a little angry, but in front of his teacher, he had no choice but to follow the flow and end the ritual.

During this process, The Fool's response above the gray fog was even more intense than Patrick's.

Because through the gray fog's "true vision," he could see the abnormality of the new Gatekeeper!

The Gatekeeper's internal Underworld expanded in an odd manner, covering every part of his body. And there was only one soul in the Underworld—a young and handsome soul with red hair, signs of rotting on its face, and a flag mark on its glabella. It wore black blood-stained armor.

Klein wasn't unfamiliar with this soul, for he immediately recognized it:

The Red Angel evil spirit, Sauron Einhom Medici!

This fellow has returned to Backlund again, and had a certain working relationship with the angel of the Numinous Episcopate's Artificial Death faction… Klein instinctively took out the Red Priest card and accommodated the Tyrant card before summoning the Sea God Scepter. He planned on giving the Red Angel evil spirit a zap of Lightning Storm, but as his thoughts raced, he restrained this impulse and gave up on the corresponding thoughts.

This would expose Patrick Bryan's problem and let the angel from the Death domain guess that something had happened to Artificial Death!

This wasn't beneficial to the Evernight Goddess's control and digestion of the Death pathway's Uniqueness.

Amidst his thoughts, he quickly left the world above the gray fog and returned to the real world. He made his marionette secretly leave the clothing factory and "Teleport" away with his body.

He had originally planned on creating a shocking experience for Patrick Bryan after the ritual. He had even made some preparations beforehand. Now, he could only give up to prevent the Red Angel evil spirit from discovering him.

Inside the clothing factory, the young Gatekeeper, who had been possessed by Sauron Einhorn Medici, pulled his hood even lower before turning his head slightly and looking in a particular direction outside.

That was the spot where Klein's marionette, Qonas Kilgor, had been hiding, nearly a kilometer away from the factory.

After staring at it for a few seconds, the young Gatekeeper revealed an obvious smile.

Just as Patrick Bryan was about to say something, planning to use his identity of the person-in-charge of the Numinous Episcopate's Artificial Death faction to haze the envoy of his teacher, his spiritual perception was triggered. He turned around in a bizarre manner, casting his gaze on another building in the factory.

On the second floor of the building, behind a glass window in a room, there was a pair of emotionless black eyes staring at them.

Patrick Bryan's eyelids twitched, and his body suddenly vanished.

Woo!

A cold wind blew, causing the glass window to rot silently. Without any movement, it crumbled into countless "snowflakes."

In the corresponding room, a skinny Patrick in a black robe and a thin face emerged. He saw that the master of that pair of cold, black eyes was a rough mud doll.

Who made the doll… Who moved it here? Patrick Bryan looked around cautiously, not missing any corners.

Just as he turned his gaze towards the corridor and faced the glass window with his body slanted, the crude, black eyes of the mud doll suddenly turned. Then, it raised its hands and grabbed Patrick's neck.

Halfway through the action, the mud doll seemed to lose its support and lost all mobility. Many cracks appeared on its surface as it instantly shattered into pieces.

Patrick Bryan's figure disappeared first before he appeared in the corridor, staring at the collapsed doll as if he was facing a most powerful enemy.

At that moment, he had really jumped in fright. Although there were all sorts of bizarre and harrowing matters related to spirits, it was still quite scary for a puppet to suddenly come alive without the influence of an external Spirit Body.

The mud doll lay there quietly in fragments without so much as a stir. Patrick Bryan waited patiently for a while before finally confirming that there were no more abnormalities.

He shuttled through the spirit world once again and returned to the place where the ritual had been held.

At that moment, the heavy, pitch-black casket had completely decayed. It was as if it had been buried in the ground for centuries, if not millennia. And the surrounding Underworld believers were slowly recovering from their semiconscious state.

Patrick Bryan looked around but could not find the young Gatekeeper sent by his teacher. He didn't know when he had left.

Isn't he here to spy on me? The demigod of the Death pathway was at a loss.

Taking into consideration the abnormal discovery he had made—the living mud doll—Patrick Bryan didn't delay any further. He quickly snapped his followers awake and cleaned up the scene and removed all traces.

After he was done, he suddenly heard a voice:

"Is this clothing factory yours?"

Patrick Bryan's figure instantly disappeared and appeared again, now facing the person who spoke. That was the young Gatekeeper who had gone somewhere.

"No." Patrick frowned slightly.

How could he do such a thing in his own factory? If he was exposed, wouldn't there be no way out?

"Not too stupid…" The young Gatekeeper nodded gently.

Patrick narrowed his eyes and suppressed his anger.

"Where did you go?"

The young Gatekeeper chuckled and said, "I visited some familiar spots and met a friend."

Chapter 1082 Sudden Turn of Events

160 Böklund Street, inside Dwayne Dantès's mansion.

After "Teleporting" back, Klein didn't delay at all. He immediately set up an altar and held a ritual to pray to Death.

"You are the essence of death;

"You are the lord of the dead;

"You are the final home to all living beings.

"I pray for your help. I pray that you will know how to resolve the problem of the Red Angel evil spirit. 'He' has possessed the body of a Gatekeeper and is cooperating with the Numinous Episcopate's High Priest, Haiter. He has come to Backlund and been made an assistant to Patrick Bryan…"

With regard to this matter, there was really no choice but to seek help from the Evernight Goddess.

Ignoring the possibility of seeking out the ascetic leader, Arianna, in a cooperation effort, or whether he had the ability to get finish off Sauron Einhorn Medici, even if he could, once the Red Angel evil spirit disappeared, the Numinous Episcopate's Artificial Death faction's High Priest would immediately understand that something major had happened here. "He" could then connect it to other abnormalities and determined that there was something wrong with Artificial Death's condition. Then, using "His" own level and status, possible Sealed Artifacts, and "His" familiarity with the pathway, "He" might be able to create mutually harmful acts of destruction.

And if he ignored the Red Angel, this evil spirit who was a Conspirer wouldn't take long to detect something abnormal with Patrick Bryan. With "His" knowledge and intelligence, it wasn't difficult to guess the nature of the problem.

No matter how I deal with it, it'll be a problem. As expected of an angel in the War domain. Even if "He" is a three-in-one Spirit Body, "He" can still create unresolvable problems for others. This must've actually been an idea that "He" gave Haiter…

Actually, I do have an extreme idea; that is to let the Red Angel evil spirit be killed by other Churches, official organizations, or secret organizations for another whole different matter. In short, anything related to the Goddess cannot come center stage. Things must be made very clear…

The difficulty with this approach is how to let an extremely experienced, high-ranking member of the conspiring domain fall into a trap… If I don't handle it well, it might backfire on me… After the prayer ended, Klein casually let his thoughts wander as he waited patiently for the Evernight Goddess to give him a response.

After more than ten seconds, the herbal dregs that pleased the deity were swept up by an invisible wind. They flew out and landed on the table, forming words:

"His' coming spells the raising of arms."

What does that mean? Looking at the sentence that gave him a sense of déjà vu, he frowned slightly.

As a Seer, he habitually interpreted it:

Due to the king's problem, Loen has fallen into the shadows of war. Hence, the Red Angel that symbolizes war came.

This means that it might no longer be possible to stop the war.

Upon reaching Sequence 1, one would become a symbol of certain phenomena.

As these thoughts flashed through Klein's mind, the invisible wind came to a stop. The altar which was completely isolated by the wall of spirituality turned extremely silent.

There are no other revelations? After waiting for a while, Klein confirmed that this was all, so he ended the ritual and cleared the altar.

He then walked to the sofa in the room and sat down to see if anything else would happen.

After a full fifteen minutes, he didn't usher in the arrival of the matron of the Evernight cloister, the leader of the thirteen archbishops, angel of Concealment, Arianna.

I don't have to deal with the Red Angel evil spirit, and I should just leave "Him" be? Or, there's another solution, but my involvement isn't needed? In essence, he wasn't a devout believer of Evernight. Since the Goddess said that he didn't need to bother about it, he naturally couldn't be bothered to do so. After all, this matter was not only extremely troublesome for him, but it was also extremely dangerous.

Shaking his head, Klein took out a pen and paper from his pocket and began a dream divination.

What had happened tonight made him feel that he couldn't waste any time. He had to digest the Bizarro Sorcerer potion as soon as possible.

Above the Fog Sea, inside a steam-powered merchant ship that was extremely close to a pirate ship.

One by one, the men and older women were tied up and pushed to the edge of the deck. Then, the pirates either used their hands or legs to throw them into the sea.

The splashing sounds didn't affect the pirates at all, guffawing over this bloodless massacre.

After clearing the captives, they carried their guns and lanterns to the shipboard, preparing to enjoy the pitiful bugs' struggling.

However, under the light, the dark blue sea beside the boat quietly undulated. No one was there.

"They sank so quickly," a pirate blurted out in surprise.

The leader of this pirate crew frowned. After looking at it for a while, he said, "Perhaps some sea monsters passed by and treated those who dared resist us as food bestowed by the gods.

"Perfect timing. If we feed it, it won't attack us…"

Upon saying this, the leader waved his hand.

"Everyone, enjoy yourselves!"

As a fairly experienced pirate, he knew that there were many strange things at sea. It was best not to seek out the reason and try to figure out the truth. Since it didn't harm him or his crew, he would thank the Lord of Storms for his blessings, doing so as though nothing had happened.

After making sure that there were people on duty, the pirates began gulping down copious amounts of alcohol, ate huge chunks of meat, and sang loudly, and fought for the rights to the young female captives.

In the noisy and lively atmosphere, the pirate leader led a beautiful passenger that he had long taken a liking to into the captain's room. He eagerly began the final process for that night of revelry.

In the middle of the night, the tired pirate leader stretched out his right hand and touched something cold.

He jolted awake. Through the crimson moonlight shining through the window, he saw a piece of coarse wood in his arms.

A series of branches with green leaves grew out from the wooden block, hugging him like a human's limbs.

Pa!

The pirate leader's pupils rapidly dilated. As he pushed away the wood, jumped off the bed, and stumbled back.

Was I with such a thing previously? His mind was filled with terror. He couldn't care less about his clothes, picking up a flintlock and cutlass before leaving the room immediately.

Outside, there was a pirate on duty.

"How can I be happy to steal your ear…" When the pirate saw his leader open the door, he quickly asked.

The pirate leader had originally wanted to chide the other party for secretly drinking, resulting in his incoherence. However, when he looked up, he saw that his subordinate's mouth and his surroundings were filled with golden grains. Even the surface of his tongue was covered in dense clusters.

The pirate leader's scalp tightened as he felt a numbing chill run down his spine.

At this moment, the door across the corridor opened as well. A pirate shouted with a sobbing tone, "Oh no! Boss, I-I have a lot of mushrooms growing there!"

As he spoke, the pirate ran out.

At the same time, he felt his eyes itch. He raised his hand and rubbed his right eye.

As he rubbed his eyes, a green vine slowly grew out from the gaps between his eye socket and his eyeball. There was a dark red grape at the end of it.

The flesh around the grape was a blur.

The pirate leader's body froze when he saw this. He asked in a voice that didn't belong to him, "What… did you guys encounter…"

While rubbing his eye, the pirates who didn't notice the problem said without any recollection, "A pole-like shadow struck me!"

"W… Ye You…" The pirate whose tongue was covered in golden wheat echoed.

He was blocked by his leader and didn't see his fellow crew member's terrifying appearance.

The pirate leader's legs began to shake uncontrollably. He instinctively turned around and ran out of the cabin.

At this moment, he saw a long wall that looked like a shadow from a pole rapidly sweep towards him before lashing out at him.

The shadow flashed and soon disappeared. It was as though it was a surreal nightmare.

The pirate leader was just a beat slower before he subconsciously raised his hand to block. This was obviously not effective.

Then, he looked at himself in panic and didn't find anything unusual.

"Thankfully, thankfully…" The pirate leader couldn't help but let out a sigh.

Before he could finish, he suddenly heard a slightly muffled voice:

"Thankfully, thankfully…"

This voice seemed to come from his body!

The pirate leader's pupils dilated to the extreme as he involuntarily lifted up his clothes.

He then saw three cracks appear between his chest-one big, two small.

Two rows of white teeth were neatly arranged in the large crack, and in the middle of the small crack were two lively and nimble eyeballs embedded in them.

It was a mouth and two eyes!

The pirate leader had a mouth and two eyes on his chest!

"No!

A scream rang out from the boat, filled with indescribable terror.

In the next fifteen minutes, some of the pirates went mad and killed their companions. Some successfully escaped back to their own ship, only to discover that the people on it had also turned mutated. Hence, they jumped into the sea in despair.

By the time everything calmed down, there were only about ten normal pirates slumped on the deck and hiding in their rooms. There was a stench around them.

After a while, passengers came out of the cabin one after another.

They looked at the scene in front of them in disbelief. They either thanked the gods or stood there in a daze.

It was early in the morning. Klein got out of bed and began to wash up.

Just as he was changing his clothes with the help of his valet, Enuni, he saw Butler Walter, who had just returned from a leave of absence, walk to the door and say, "Sir, Bishop Elektra is here to pay a visit."

"… Let him wait for me in the activity room where he can enjoy a cigar." Klein hesitated for a moment before saying.

He suspected that this was a late response from the Goddess.

Walter immediately turned around and went downstairs to make the arrangements. Before long, he returned and said, "Sir, Bishop Elektra has already bade farewell and left. He wanted me to tell you that you must go to Saint Samuel Cathedral in the morning. He said that the Church and the government are going to hold an air-raid drill together."

"Air-raid drill?" Klein frowned.

At that moment, his spiritual perception was triggered. He turned around and looked out the window.

In the air, there were rows of dark brown-colored airships approaching.

These airships had slanted patterns of red, white, and yellow emblems. This was the flag of Feysac!

Upon seeing this scene, Klein suddenly understood what he had overlooked.

War might not be initiated by the Loen Kingdom!

An ancient and hidden organization definitely had very high-ranking members in other countries. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been able to affect the world's situation!

Chapter 1083 – Backlund in Chaos

Although the Sonia Sea wasn't like the Fog Sea, with it often being filled with fog, the northern regions would occasionally fill up with a rather thick fog every autumn and winter morning.

Alger Wilson's Blue Avenger was sailing in such an environment, following the borders of the Sonia Island back to the Loen coast.

He had already spent too long in the North Sonia Sea, so he needed to return for a routine report.

Within the pale white fog, the ghost ship quietly proceeded forward, occasionally appearing like a dream that didn't leave any traces.

Alger was wrapped by the wind as he stood in midair in front of the window, admiring the white world outside. He allowed his thoughts to wander in different directions.

Suddenly, his eyes focused as some silvery-white light flashed in his pupils. He saw a large sail through the fog in the distance, and a massive ship silently cruised past.

This ship wasn't alone. Behind it were several similar ships. One, two, three… they formed a fleet that spanned a great distance.

Feysac's Sonia Sea Fleet… They've all been mobilized… Where are they heading to? Alger's feet landed on the deck.

His gaze immediately turned to the other side, where Sonia Island was located.

After the various exchanges at the Tarot Club, Alger was already certain that the world situation was tense, with war about to break out at any moment. At that moment, he made some connections and made a guess.

To the Feysac Empire and the Loen Kingdom, Sonia Island was extremely important. If it were occupied by the Loen Kingdom, Feysac's eastern naval fleet would be completely blocked off in the cold north, unable to vie for any of the various colonies in the Sonia Sea or head to East Balam. Meanwhile, after waging war, if they wanted to threaten the Loen Kingdom's hinterlands, they would have to cross the Amantha mountain range or cross the Midseashire, passing through the defenses of several counties. That would be extremely difficult.

And if Sonia Island was conquered by the Feysac Empire, then they could use that as a base to attack all the ports in the north and central regions of Loen, including but not limited to Enmat Harbor or Pritz Harbor. If the Feysac commander was more daring and unfazed by the losses, he could even be able to directly target the capital of the Loen Kingdom, Backlund, which was not far from the port.

It was precisely because of this that the two countries had waged the Twenty Year War. The Feysac Empire clinched victory, and they had obtained the crucial southern path.

In the Battle of the Violated Oath, Loen had won the war but had failed to regain this territory. Its strategic goals for the war were only half-achieved.

Alger stared at this scene for a moment before speaking in a serious tone, "Is war about to erupt…?"

In Backlund, a large number of airships from Feysac had entered from North Borough and arrived above the huge city.

As soon as they drew near, the Holy Wind Cathedral seemed to have made certain precautions. The howling of the wind intensified, turning into several giant bluish-black blades that whistled towards the target like surface-to-air missiles.

Seeing that the huge blades were about to hit the airbags of the airship, an invisible layer of defense appeared and shielded it from all the attacks.

Under the violent strike, the transparent "wall" shook, but ultimately managed to hold on.

At the same time, the compartment for guns, projectile launchers, and cannons of the airship opened up and aimed downwards.

Boom!

As a hurricane around the Holy Wind Cathedral took form, a loud explosive boom emanated in every direction.

In such a terrifying storm, the airships were like boats sailing through the sea where they met mountain-like waves and were about to be tossed into the distance.

At that moment, the blood and rust-like beams of light flashed on the leading airship. They enveloped all the other accompanying airships and connected them together.

Suddenly, Feysac's airship fleet had stabilized in the hurricane and was no longer a puny boat in the gigantic waves. The power of the high-level Red Priest pathway belonged to war, and war was the art of gathering the masses!

This was the authority of a War Bishop!

After the Feysacians blocked this wave of attacks, they took advantage of the gap in between the wave of attacks to deliver their bombs through the hatches and allow them to drop beneath them.

And in the hurricane, the trajectories of the bombs became unpredictable.

Boom! Boom!

The cannon hatches also lit up and showed off their prowess that would honor the God of War.

This airship fleet didn't attempt to travel through Backlund. After entering North Borough, it immediately turned to West Borough, the center of politics for the Loen Kingdom.

North Borough, Backlund University of Technology.

The withered Intis parasol tree leaves swayed in the wind. Students were either carrying books or bags as they walked around the campus.

As a member of an institute of higher education, as the first batch of students of this reorganized university, these young adults were full of vigor. They looked forward to their future and would gather together every day to discuss their ideals, recite poems, and research technology. They were pure and happy.

Melissa Moretti walked amidst them as she raised her head to look at the wall clock at the top of the main teaching building and involuntarily hastened her pace.

She had to go to Chancellor Moment's office today to prepare for the upcoming mechanical laboratory that was to be officially launched.

This was something that she enjoyed greatly, something which made her feel happy every day. She felt that life on campus was so wonderful and that her classmates were so adorable.

Subconsciously, Melissa looked at the steam locomotive in the middle of the square. Its massive, complicated body was displaying its infinite charm in the machinery industry.

Quite a number of students liked to gather there, knocking, hitting, and analyzing its structure. As for the school, it didn't encourage or forbid it.

The corners of Melissa's lips curled into a smile as she moved to look away.

Suddenly, a metallic gray object descended from the sky and landed in the middle of the square.

Boom!

The ground shook violently as all the windows of the main teaching building shattered. If not for the distance, Melissa might've been thrown up by the blast of air.

Countless screams rang out, and like the other students, Melissa fled in panic, not knowing what had happened.

She was only 16 years old after all—she had never experienced such a scene before.

The billowing dust and smoke gradually fell. After hiding behind a tree, Melissa subconsciously looked at the spot where the explosion had just occurred.

Her expression instantly froze, and her eyes glazed over.

The steam locomotive's head was already in pieces, its components and fragments were scattered everywhere.

The students around it, and those passing by, had already collapsed to the ground, their bodies no longer intact. They were no longer breathing. Some of them were covered in blood, others charred. There were some moaning in pain.

This scene was like an oil painting that wasn't realistic enough. Melissa stared at it in a daze, momentarily at a loss for a reaction.

Carter—she knew that male student who had a great spirit for research. Every time everyone was in discussion, he would confidently say that he was going to be a ship engineer. Now, he only had half his lower body left, and his intestines were all over the ground.

Eudora—she was a student from the same faculty as her. Despite studying machinery, she loved poetry very much and was rather talented in this aspect. She was loved by the people around her. Sometimes, Melissa would also attend their gatherings and quietly listen to Eudora's recital. She felt that this girl was really attractive, but now, her leg was badly mutilated, and she was moaning half-consciously in pain.

In just a few seconds, these people's future had been cruelly changed.

It was only when many teachers rushed out of the teaching block and started to rescue the injured and evacuate the students that Melissa woke up from her trance and hurriedly moved closer to the teachers.

"Listen to me! All of you are to split up into two groups. One batch will head to the laboratories, and the other to Tiffany Cathedral. They all have an underground area that you can hide in." One of the teachers wore a look of terror, but he still held his breath and made arrangements with his clear voice as though he had been specially trained.

He looked around and saw that the students didn't dare to leave the teachers. He hurriedly said, "Don't worry. The enemy's airship has already turned and gone to West Borough. There's no danger here."

His words were accompanied by a rumbling explosion that came from the southwest.

West Borough… The kingdom's parliament, various departments, and municipal halls are there… Upon hearing the teacher's words, Melissa immediately thought of many things.

As the light in her eyes flickered, she suddenly pursed her lips tightly and ran towards the school gate, ignoring her teacher calling from behind.

As she moved along a sheltered area, Melissa quickly arrived on the streets. She panted heavily and looked around, trying to get her bearings.

At that moment, she saw the subway entrance nearby. Although she was flustered, she still remembered what the teacher had just said.

"…underground area that you can hide in!"

Isn't the subway underground? The bombing has just started, and the subway probably hadn't stopped moving… As her thoughts raced, Melissa rushed towards the entrance that showed signs of bombardment.

Upon going underground, she realized that the people here weren't as many as she had expected. Most ordinary people who had never been trained wouldn't think of hiding in here immediately.

The subway had indeed not stopped moving, but no one was checking the tickets. After a short wait, Melissa ran over, her lips tightly pursed and her face filled with anxiety.

After three stops, the subway stopped at King's Avenue. Melissa squeezed through the crowd and rushed out of the carriage.

She had already recovered her stamina. She ran along the stairs, her speed increasing ever so slightly before she quickly reached the surface.

At this moment, whatever she could see was in a state of chaos. Many buildings had collapsed as they were burning in scarlet flames. Broken limbs, blood, and the dead were everywhere. She could hear cries, screams, and orders.

Upon seeing this scene, Melissa became even more anxious as she tried to run towards the four-story building where the kingdom's Ministry of Finance was located.

However, the area had already been sealed. She could see that many window panes had shattered. The walls were riddled with bullet holes, and there were still traces of an explosion.

Melissa tried to enter the perimeter but was stopped by the soldiers who were maintaining order. This only served to increase her anxiety as her eyes reddened.

At this moment, she saw a familiar figure. It was the black-haired, brown-eyed Benson who wasn't wearing a hat.

Upon seeing Melissa, Benson immediately rushed over. He looked anxious and angry as he shouted, "Why are you here? Why aren't you hiding underground! I'm very safe here!

"Quick, follow me there!"

Didn't you not go underground either… Melissa, who had never been shouted at by her brother, wanted to instinctively retort, but her vision was already blurry.

"Phew…" After he shouted, he let out a breath and softened his tone. "It's good that you're okay. Quick, don't wander around on the streets."

Upon hearing his words, the panic and concern in Melissa's heart calmed down. At this moment, she felt that even if she were to die, it wouldn't be that scary anymore. At least, she wouldn't be the only one left at home.

At this moment, a bomb was blown over by a hurricane and was landing towards the area.

But suddenly, the bomb changed directions abruptly and flew off horizontally.

Boom!

It exploded in midair, only stirring up a blast of air.

Chapter 1084 The People in War

Boom! Boom!

In the building at Cherwood Borough's 17 Minsk Street, the female owner of the building, Stelyn Sammer, and her maidservants heard a loud explosion from afar. She fearfully hid in a corner of the room, feeling as though the ground beneath her feet was trembling.

Only after the constant, terrifying commotion started to fade away did she straighten her body and look left and right with an unusually strained mind.

"What exactly happened?"

The two maidservants simultaneously shook their heads. They were both at a loss and also afraid.

As soon as she left the comer of the room, she instinctively wanted to walk out of the room and talk to her neighbors to figure out what had just happened. However, she was worried that another attack would happen again, so she had no choice but to pace around in the living room.

After a few minutes, she suddenly heard the sound of the door opening. She quickly turned her head and realized that her husband, Luke Sammer, had returned with his valet.

"Aren't you working?" Stelyn asked subconsciously.

The stout Luke replied solemnly, "I happened to pass by the vicinity and came back immediately.

"Quick, put on your coat. Let's go to the cathedral now!"

"What happened? What happened?" Stelyn asked again.

Luke took two steps forward and said, "Feysac's airships are bombarding Backlund!"

"How… How could this be?" Stelyn's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Now is not the time to discuss this. Whatever it is, it has already happened. We have to go to the cathedral immediately!" Luke gave his wife a hug. "Don't worry too much. I think those airships aren't heading over."

"Alright, alright!" Stelyn replied in a panic.

As she wore the coat the maidservant had brought over, she instinctively said with concern, "What about the children?"

"They're at the Church's school, so there will be people who will arrange for them to take shelter. We don't have the time to reach them," Luke said calmly.

"Alright." Stelyn made a prayer gesture, hoping that the deity she believed in would provide them with protection.

The two of them, along with their male and female servants, quickly exited their house and walked towards the other end of the street.

As she passed by Unit 58, Stelyn took a glance and whispered, "Previously, I had laughed at Lawyer Jurgen, saying that he gave up a lot of opportunities in Backlund from moving to the south just because of Mrs. Doris's ailments. Now, I'm starting to envy him…"

Luke shot her a look and said, "Don't worry too much. It'll be fine."

While walking quickly, Stelyn couldn't help but ask, "Luke, are we fleeing Backlund?"

"No, there's no need!" Luke Sammer answered firmly. "This was just an accident."

Seeing that his wife was clearly confused, he added, "Backlund is the capital of the kingdom, so it has to be the most well-defended area. This time, it was just an oversight that no one expected. The next time, the Feysacians won't have another chance!

"The kingdom has the strongest military in the Northern and Southern continents. The Feysacians will definitely be taught a lesson. There's no way they can invade Backlund again. After this, Backlund will definitely be the safest place to be!"

"I see…" Stelyn felt that her husband's words made sense, and she was willing to believe him.

After the explanation, Luke fell silent for a few seconds.

"However, we still have to make some preparations. Once the Church announces that we can move freely, we'll immediately fetch the children back and buy more food. We'll buy as much as we can!"

Inside a public school in the Backlund Bridge area.

Due to the distance, Daisy and her classmates didn't realize what had happened in the North and West Boroughs, nor did they sense the chaos that had spread from Hillston Borough to Cherwood Borough.

However, teachers still came to their classrooms and arranged for them to line up to head to the nearest cathedral.

This made Daisy recall the Great Smog of Backlund last year. Back then, they had also been asked to hide in the cathedral beside the school.

D-did something similar happen again… The trauma in Daisy's heart made her tremble slightly as she felt intense sadness and anger.

When she passed by the door, she couldn't help but turn her head to look at the teacher in charge and ask, "Is it another disaster?"

"Maybe…" The teacher didn't know the details and had only followed the orders sent by a telegram.

"Is there a disaster like this every year, or maybe even more than one?" Daisy asked with a slightly ethereal voice with a tinge of innocence.

The teacher looked at her with pity and shook his head.

"All difficulties will pass. God will protect everyone."

Daisy didn't waste his time and followed the crowd to the nearest cathedral in a somewhat blank manner.

North Borough, 22 Phelps Street.

After hearing the explosion inside the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation, the first thing Audrey did was to conceal her dragon scales before rushing to the window.

Seeing the airships with the Feysac flag appearing in the air and the bombs being carried away by a hurricane and being thrown into the distance, either landing on the ground and exploding or disappearing as though they had entered the spirit world, a thought flashed across her mind—the words that The World Mr. Gehrman Sparrow had said, as well as the mission of the Psychology Alchemists. She came to a realization:

War had truly erupted!

She immediately turned her head and said to the huge golden retriever, Susie; her personal lady's maid, Annie; and the others, "Quick, hide in Saint Samuel Cathedral!"

Although Audrey didn't know how to deal with an air raid, the education she received from a young age told her to go to a cathedral as soon as possible if she ever encountered danger.

In fact, she instinctively wanted to rush back to Empress Borough to protect her mother. However, considering that Annie, the other servants, and staff were ordinary people who lacked experience and the ability to deal with su^ crisis, she had no choice but to take care of them and accompany them to Saint Samuel Cathedral.

In order to resolve any dangers that she might encounter along the way, she planned to put on Hand of Horror and Lie. On the one hand, she could "Distort" the trajectory of bullets, while on the other hand, she could control flames and trigger the bombs in advance.

In the face of long-range attacks, the Beyonder powers of the Spectator pathway were indeed not effective.

While secretly protecting her servants and the foundation's staff, she successfully entered Saint Samuel Cathedral and saw a few bishops and priests approaching her.

"Miss Audrey, you don't have to worry about the Earl and his wife, as well as Lord Hibbert. They have people to protect them. An air raid like this won't harm them. Besides, you also know how grand your family basement is and how strong it is." One of the bishops quickly brought her to the side to console her.

After taking off her fishnet gloves, she nodded and acknowledged the words of the bishop. She was no longer in a hurry to return home and instead asked, "What's the current situation like?"

The Feysacians have lost two airships and have moved towards West Borough. Don't worry, all the defenses have been mustered. They won't cause any further damage." After a simple exchange of words, the bishop led Audrey's group towards the underground area of the cathedral. And further below was where the Nighthawks were active.

160 Boklund Street. Butler Walter and a group of servants hid in an underground area which was used as a wine cellar.

This was done under Dwayne Dantes's orders, and this gentleman had headed out to find Bishop Elektra with his valet.

After an unknown period of time, Walter and company heard a knock on the door. Through the peephole, they confirmed that their employer had returned.

"There aren't any more raids now, but it's best you hide at Saint Samuel Cathedral for a while," Klein said as he surveyed the area.

"Yes, sir," Walter replied on behalf of the servants before asking, "And after that?"

As a qualified butler, he often read the papers and understood that the situation was tense. It wasn't difficult to guess that a war would break out after the explosions.

Klein thought for a moment before saying, "Once the Church has verified the situation, we'll head to Maygur Manor. You can bring your family along.

"No matter what, the capital of the kingdom is definitely a relatively safe place. And the manor at the periphery of the capital definitely wouldn't be a target of air raids, as it's of no value. Yes, there's enough food in Maygur Manor, and there's a large supply of wine. Even if the war were to be extended for a long time, we won't have to worry about starving to death."

Upon hearing the employer's words, the servants who had already formed a family immediately revealed looks of delight, wiping away their pale looks of fear. Walter expressed his gratitude directly.

He said with some deliberation, "You can buy more food. Under such circumstances, no one will find it excessive.

"Also, there might not be any more attacks near Backlund, but I can't say the same for security. The manor outside the city must be on guard."

Klein nodded.

"I've also considered this. I'll discuss this with Member of Parliament Macht and military personnel about purchasing a batch of 'decommissioned' weapons and bullets. You must practice more.

"Anyway, during this period of time, Enuni and I will return to Backlund to handle certain matters according to the situation. If there's anything I haven't considered, I'll make up for it later."

As for the food, he didn't forbid Butler Walter from buying it. This way, if a famine really happened, he would have the ability to save them.

After discussing the follow-up procedures, everyone in the residence of Dwayne Dantes packed up their luggage and brought their valuables. They followed their employer into Saint Samuel Cathedral and arrived underground.

With a single glance, he saw Audrey walking amidst the people, Placating their moods. He smiled and nodded at her.

Upon seeing Dwayne Dantes, Audrey smiled back and confirmed that nothing major had happened from his attitude.

Fors and Xio had moved again, but they were still at the borders of East Borough, and they were even closer to the Backlund Bridge area.

After waking up naturally, Fors rubbed her hair and walked out of the bedroom to prepare lunch.

As she looked around, she saw Xio, who had gone out early, sitting on a chair and flipping through the newspapers. "What's wrong?" Fors asked blankly.

Xio frowned and said, "The Feysacians air raids bombed North and West Borough…"

"What?" Fors first blurted out before recalling the matters that had been discussed at the Tarot Club.

At that moment, a paperboy's voice came from outside.

"Extra! Extra! The kingdom declares war on Feysac!"

"Extra! Extra! The kingdom declares war on Feysac!"

Chapter 1085 Scrutinizing the Situation

"Extra! Extra! The kingdom declares war on Feysac!"

On the way from Maygur Manor to Backlund, Klein heard the paperboy shouting on the streets with brisk steps while on a horse carriage.

Although he had already made preparations, he still sighed after confirming that the war had truly erupted. He couldn't help but feel depressed again.

The grudge from having Sonia Island, a key territory, taken away… The conflict over the rights of the colonies… The defeat from the previous war… The political corruption leading to a recession… Ever since the repeal of the Grain Act, many farmers of the kingdom have gone bankrupt due to the importing of foreign food products… The lower-class live in abject conditions… The rich-poor divide only grew deeper…

The middle class's blind confidence in the Loen Kingdom's might, and the eager desire to raise their own positions… The intensifying conflict between different political factions in high society leading to a fracture… The king and his faction wish for a large-scale war… With all these factors combined, just from an objective standpoint, and considering this from the angle of materialism, it's almost inevitable for Loen to start a war… Reality is the best author… Jumping out from his experience from the past, Klein scrutinized the Loen Kingdom's situation from a fresh point of view. He realized that the tides of the times had already formed and were surging over. Without a true deity's descent, it was completely unstoppable.

In comparison, what puzzled him more was why the Feysac Empire would be willing to initiate a war.

Even if the members of an ancient secret organization were indeed members of the upper echelons of Feysac or the Church of the God of Combat—key figures who had the right to make the decision—there was no way they could be alone in deciding such an important matter. How could the others agree to a world war?

Could it be that the conflict between the various classes in the Feysac Empire has also completely escalated to the point that it urgently needs a war? With his lack of understanding of the empire of the north, it was difficult for Klein to make an accurate judgment. But they just won the East Balam war and reaped more of the rights to the colonies. There's no reason for its situation to be more serious than Loen's… Yes, the royal family—the Einhorn family—is in control of the Red Priest pathway. It's understandable that they crave war, but the Church of the God of Combat has no reason not to stop it. As a member of the orthodox deity alliance, they lacked the motivation to help Amon's brother advance to Sequence 0.

Thinking of this, Klein suddenly came up with a theory.

Did that brother of Amon realize that the Goddess has already acquired the Uniqueness of the Death pathway and is in a critical stage, so "He" revealed this information to the Church of the God of Combat? And the God of Combat is in a neighboring pathway with the Goddess, so there's no way "He" can ignore this matter; "He" will definitely make an intense response…

Of course, it might not be done by the brother of Amon. It might also be because of the Numinous Episcopate's Artificial Death faction's angel, Haiter. After being warned by Einhom Sauron Medici, this Conspirer expert, "He" discovered the abnormalities ahead of time. On the one hand, "He" pretends not to notice anything and continues to set up a probe. On the other hand, "He" pulled in the Church of the God of Combat to worsen the situation and make it more chaotic… The Red Angel evil spirit is truly a symbol of war…

If this is really the case, then it's inevitable for Feysac to wage this war. Furthermore, the matter regarding the Uniqueness of the Death pathway has no room for compromise. At the critical moment, the God of Combat might descend, causing a battle of gods that hasn't happened since the end of the Fourth Epoch to happen…

This time, for the airship fleet from Feysac could stealthily to travel from the coast for nearly a hundred kilometers without being detected, it would definitely have a Weather Warlock providing protection. Otherwise, even if they were to take a detour across places with few people, they'll still be seen ahead of time and definitely be stopped by the Loen airships… A Weather Warlock is an angel. Since the Fifth Epoch, the number of wars that have Beyonders at this level are few and far between… After Emperor Roselle's death, most soldiers don't even know of Beyonders, even in the colonial wars… To have a Weather Warlock be involved in this means…

This is really a battle that will sweep through the entire world. It involves battles at all levels. Is this what Amon's brother wants?

When the time comes, the Lord of Storms, the Eternal Blazing Sun, the Earth Mother, the God of Steam and Machinery, the God of Knowledge and Wisdom will have to take their respective stances. Would the conflicts that "They" have temporarily suppressed for almost two thousand years be escalated…

Earth Mother likes the giants, and even amongst "Her" Blessed, they are Feysacians. And because of the splitting of Lenburg, Masin, and Segar, these made the Feynapotter Kingdom bear a bone-deep grudge with the Loen Kingdom and Intis. The king's powers and the divine powers are highly likely to be unified, and they might form an alliance with Feysac. From the south to the north, they will attack Loen and Intis. Of course, countries like Lenburg and the Church of Knowledge, who are in the crossfire, will definitely try to stop it. Uh… As for Desi Bay, Feynapotter, and the Loen Kingdom are directly connected, the south wouldn't be peaceful either…

The more Klein thought about it, the more he felt that the situation in the Northern Continent would become abnormally chaotic. And no matter what direction it developed into, he couldn't stop it.

Even if he were a Sequence 4 demigod, under the tide of the times, there was no way for him to cause any major impact in this battle of gods, or exert any key influence. It would be pretty good if he could protect himself and the people he cared about.

Previously, when the Feysac air fleet attacked, the first thing he did was arrange for Butler Walter and company to hide in the underground area that was used as a wine cellar. Then, he "Teleported" to Backlund University of Technology. At that time, a bomb had already hit the ground. Some had died, and others were injured. The only thing he was thankful for was that his sister, Melissa, wasn't within the vicinity of the explosion.

By the time Melissa and Benson met, the airships from Feysac didn't stay for long and quickly retreated from Backlund. Only then did he return to Dwayne Dantes's residence.

Phew…Klein let out a slow sigh of relief. He turned his head to look out the window and saw that, after hearing that the kingdom was declaring war on Feysac, a small number of pedestrians on the street wore a look of horror as though they had recalled the air raid in the morning. Most of them wore blank expressions with a look of panic. They had no idea what they could do even if they wanted to.

They might not have truly understood what this war would bring, but they instinctively felt that peace had been broken. The future was a chaotic mess, fraught with danger.

Klein retracted his gaze and looked at his valet, Enuni, who was sitting opposite him. From his eyes, he realized that he was somewhat at a loss.

He gave a half-smile and sighed. He raised his hand to rub his temples and wiped away his depressed and helpless feelings. He thought about what he could do and what he needed to take note of.

No matter what, with this experience and lesson, the king's faction has had a war spark out as they wished. Before all of Loen collapses, it's nearly impossible for Feysac to invade Backlund again. It would be safer for Benson and Melissa to stay here…

What's most worrisome is the lack of food and various assassinations. The latter is nothing. The place where Melissa and Benson live in is decided by their own levels. They aren't anywhere close to coming into contact with someone important who is a target for assassination, so they won't be implicated. Fortunately, Portland Moment's research laboratory has just been established, and there are no results from it yet. It won't become a target that must be destroyed. As for the former, I can provide some "help" through Miss Audrey…

The Winter County at the Holy Cathedral is located in the far north reaches of the kingdom, next to Feysac. It's always the front line of every war. Ma'am Arianna might've returned to help the military. Oh, "She" might also be sent elsewhere to protect the coast. After all, the defenses of Backlund are sufficient. The royal family definitely has Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts and also angels. The three Churches most likely have hidden tricks up their sleeves… In that case, my greatest pillar of support is gone. At most, I can get some help from the Church and use some Sealed Artifacts…

In the past, I wasn't too worried about the effects the Red Angel evil spirit's return has on me. Now, I have to raise my guard for this matter.

Patrick Bryan knows very well that Dwayne Dantes is equivalent to Gehrman Sparrow, who is equivalent to the Blessed of Death. I had intentionally revealed this information, hoping that it would direct the points of suspicion to Mr. Azik, the Death Consul. And now, this also means that the Red Angel evil spirit would be able to grasp this information in no time…

The Red Angel evil spirit currently only has a high level, but "His" actual standard shouldn't have recovered to the level of an angel. There's no irreconcilable feud between "Him" and me, nor do I have what "He" wants. Even if "He" knows that Dantes is equivalent to Gehrman Sparrow, it would be very unlikely for him to deal with me directly…

Other than attacking me directly, what harm will it bring after "He" grasps this situation?

Is he using this to set up a conspiracy or sell the intelligence to someone who needs it?

What conspiracy… Who would want it…

Many thoughts and names surfaced in his mind, but they were quickly eliminated by him. This included Amon's brother and the Angel of Fate Ouroboros. From the Red Angel evil spirit's past actions, for the time being, "He" wouldn't make contact with Rose Redemption, and Amon's brother is a sworn enemy of Medici and company.

Suddenly, a name appeared in his mind:

Zaratul!

The leader of the Secret Order, the Sequence 1 Seer pathway angel, Zaratul, who had returned to normalcy after becoming mad!

According to Arrodes's feedback, this powerful and concealed existence had already left "His" original location, and "His" whereabouts were unknown.

Previously, Klein had been wondering if "He" would come to Backlund due to the law of Beyonder characteristic convergence.

Medici and the Zaratul and Zoroast families were serving under the Solomon Empire. Even if they weren't friendly with each other, they must be very familiar with each other… In the foggy town, Zaratul had met Gehrman Sparrow. If he really wants to pursue something, he would definitely chase after the crazy adventurer… With a thought in his mind, Klein instinctively began to assume that Zaratul was in Backlund in search of Gehrman Sparrow, and with that, he began to analyze the situation for other abnormalities.

At almost the same instant that he thought of something, Klein recalled the failure of the joint operation between Sharron and the Sanguine.

The Rose School of Thought is also looking for Gehrman Sparrow, so would Zaratul, who received the corresponding news, work with them?

Back then, the operation was on the brink of success. The Rose School of Thought's person-in-charge in Backlund had left in a hurry. Clearly, he had only noticed the problem at the last moment. With the Sanguine preparing the corresponding Sealed Artifact, it's rather impossible for such a failure to happen. Even the Sanguine Duke was puzzled and confused, but what if—what if it was thanks to the perceptive intuition of a Sequence 1 angel of the Seer pathway?

This would explain it perfectly!

Back then, Zaratul was sitting opposite the Rose School of Thought's Backlund person-in-charge?

The Rose School of Thought retreated in a panic and had even deliberately left behind a doll to create moonlight and cleanse everything so as to cover up the existence of Zaratul?

Also, the fact that Gehrman Sparrow has a certain relationship with the Death Consul isn't a secret. Will Zaratul spread out all his marionettes and sense if there's the power of Death in Backlund? Previously, when Patrick Bryan was holding rituals, there was actually Zaratul's marionette watching him?

If the Red Angel evil spirit has already sold the intelligence to Zaratul, then wouldn't my returning to Boklund Street in such a chaotic situation be giving myself up?

His pupils constricted, and he immediately said to the coachman in front, "Just stop here. I suddenly thought of something else I need to settle."

After he said that, he felt extremely tense, afraid that the coachman wouldn't answer him and continue driving.

Fortunately, none of this happened. The horse carriage stopped by the side of the road, and with his valet, Enuni, Klein walked towards a small alley nearby.

Immediately following that, he snapped his fingers and allowed the scarlet flames to emerge from his pocket, covering both himself and his marionette.

He had to rush to Saint Samuel Cathedral as soon as possible in a concealed manner!

With a flash of flames, their two figures disappeared.

However, after completing a leap, the flames within his senses suddenly disappeared—all of them.

A spacious living room appeared in front of him. On an ordinary reclining chair was a tall and thin man. He was young and had Southern Continent blood in him. He looked rather handsome and appeared a little anemic.

The Red Angel evil spirit, Sauron Einhom Medici!

This Red Angel played with a ball of scarlet-red flames in "His" hand as the corners of "His" mouth curled up.

You actually sensed it earlier than I expected.

"Heh, using Flaming Jump in front of me…"

Chapter 1086 A Simple Inference

The moment he saw the Red Angel evil spirit, Klein's pupils dilated. The human-skinned glove on his left hand suddenly turned transparent.

He didn't listen to what the other party had to say. His instinctive reaction was to immediately "Teleport" away, but at this moment, the spirit world that entered his eyes was different from usual.

Countless transparent creatures in indescribable forms were all dyed in a color that was a mixture of iron and blood. The surrounding area was filled with thick smoke, and there were seven rays of light that contained infinite knowledge hidden above them. It was almost impossible to see them.

Klein's heart skipped a beat. He didn't rashly "Teleport."

Upon seeing this, the Red Angel evil spirit chuckled.

"What are you afraid of? Zaratul?"

Upon hearing this, Klein subconsciously looked around, but he didn't discover anything unusual.

The Red Angel evil spirit maintained that annoying smile and pointed to the sofa opposite the reclining chair.

"If I had already informed him that Dwayne Dantes is Gehrman Sparrow, and that you will return to 160 Boklund Street in the morning, then the person waiting in the wine cellar wouldn't be a living person. Instead, it would be your hungup butler and servants, looking as though they were ham left to dry-age. Of course, they would similarly welcome you warmly.

"Sit. Under such circumstances, listening to my thoughts and intentions first isn't a bad thing."

He imagined the scene described by the Red Angel evil spirit. Although Klein had done similar things himself, his hair stood on end, and he was horrified.

He kept his guard up, allowing the marionette, Qonas Kilgor, in the form of Dwayne Dantes to sit on the sofa while he waited by the side as though he was his personal servant, Enuni.

He had unknowingly swapped places with his marionette and instantly changed their appearances.

"Perhaps it's because you just learned of this information from Patrick Bryan, and you haven't even informed Zaratul yet?" Klein retorted through his marionette.

At the same time, he determined from the words of the Red Angel evil spirit that Zaratul had really come to Backlund!

This was a complete and unrestricted, terrifying, and bizarre Sequence 1 angel. It was enough to be called a hidden existence!

The Red Angel evil spirit's gaze swept across the valet and his master before smiling.

"I'll be able to get something I want to know in 15 minutes from a fool like Patrick Bryan. Furthermore, an entire night and a morning has passed since the ritual."

…You and Miss Messenger might have something in common… Klein made the marionette raise his eyebrows.

"And so?"

The Red Angel evil spirit gently rocked the reclining chair it was in.

"I'm not sure if you've heard of such a saying. When you choose a Beyonder pathway, your corresponding friends and enemies will be determined. As for us, we aren't friends, but we aren't enemies either.

"Of course, you did have some conflicts with me, but no one suffered any great losses. The matter has passed. To me, your growth will bring great trouble to a few people I hate, so I don't want to kill you in advance. I'm happy to see you continue your advancement."

The emperor had said similar words… A few people "He" hates… Klein deliberated and asked, "Blasphemer Amon?"

"Not that ignorant and not that stupid either." The Red Angel evil spirit laughed and stroked "His" chin.

Be it "His" words or actions, "He" gave people the urge to hit "Him."

After some thought, Klein calmly pointed out a question:

"Then you can definitely choose Zaratul. If 'He* can rise up because of this, 'He' will similarly bring about extreme trouble for Blasphemer Amon. Compared to 'Him,' I'm still too weak. I'll still need a long time to grow. There are too many possible accidents from this point forth."

The Red Angel evil spirit nodded seriously.

"Indeed, that's what I thought in the beginning as well. A fellow like you, who isn't much stronger than a wild dog, what are you going to use to compete with the already Sequence 1 Zaratul? Die faster than anyone else?"

At this point, the Red Angel evil spirit changed the topic and sighed.

"However, if one can choose the most ideal proposal in this world, that would be too wonderful…"

Before "He" could finish "His" sentence, a bloody gash appeared on "His" left bloody cheek.

The wound opened up in a wide manner, opening and closing like a mouth, and revealed two rows of illusory white teeth.

"I've investigated. The collapse of the Sauron family was caused by Zaratul and Roselle!"

Is this the spirit left behind by the ancestor of the Sauron family? The dissociation of the Red Angel is worse than I imagined. No, this isn't considered a normal split personality, but three people being stuffed into one body. No matter what they do, they have to first come to a unanimous decision, or there will be internal strife… Klein believed that the Red Angel evil spirit wasn't setting up a trap, but that "He" had no way of informing Zaratul of the relevant information.

This is 'His' weakness. I can use it in the future… Klein muttered silently before asking, "Then why did you come to me? Just to say those words?"

The Red Angel evil spirit raised its hand to rub "His" left cheek, causing the mouth that appeared to slowly disappear.

At the same time, "He" smiled and said, "Aren't you investigating the Loen royal family?

"It seems to involve a high-ranking Demoness named Katarina. If you have any tracks from her, inform me before you carry out any operation."

Saintess of White Katarina… Why is the Red Angel evil spirit looking for her? Hmm, the Hunter pathway's Sequence 4 can cause women to become men. The Sequence 7 of the Demoness pathway can make men into women. This should be two separate Beyonder pathways that can be interchanged… The Red Angel evil spirit can't find a suitable Hunter pathway Beyonder characteristic, so it plans to jump to the Demoness pathway? That's right. As an evil spirit, as long as "He" resolves his issue of survival, "He" can still advance using potions and characteristics… Klein was first taken aback before he used the secrets he knew of to come up with a guess.

He suddenly had a strange idea:

When there are both High-Sequence Beyonder characteristics of the Hunter and Demoness pathways within a body, would the Red Angel evil spirit display a male form or a female form? Whoever has a higher level and is in charge decides?

At that moment, the Red Angel evil spirit looked at Dwayne Dantes and his valet and scoffed.

You have a great talent for provoking others."

I haven't said anything… Klein inwardly replied in a daze.

The Red Angel evil spirit curled his lips and said, "I can guess what you're thinking, unless you admit that you're ignorant.

"However, this might be a good thing for 'Them.'"

"Shut up!" A bloody mouth appeared on both sides of the Red Angel evil spirit's cheeks.

Looking at the dissociative identity disorder happening before him, Klein rationally gave up on the idea of going deeper into the topic and said, "It's not impossible to inform you in advance, but the problem is how should I inform you?"

From his point of view, the Demoness of Unaging, Katarina, was a vile person. It was the same with the Red Angel evil spirit. It wasn't a bad thing to have them clash.

The Red Angel evil spirit smiled and said, "Of course it's by reciting my honorific name:

The great God of War, the symbol of iron and blood, the ruler of chaos and strife."

"Pui!" The mouth on both sides of the Red Angel evil spirit's cheeks let out a disdainful sound, as though they didn't approve of it.

This is a standard deity's honorific name… After gaining control of the Uniqueness, to a certain extent, Medici had already become a quasi-god? And as long as no one can accommodate the Uniqueness of the Red Priest pathway, this evil spirit's level will not drop? The honorific name will always point towards "Him"? Klein nodded thoughtfully and probed, "What do you know about the secret ruins of Blood Emperor Alista Tudor?"

Upon hearing this name, the Red Angel's facial muscles twitched slightly before sneering.

"Are you asking what the secret of the Loen royal family is?"

"You might not know this, but you might be familiar with the Blood Emperor's secret ruins," Klein said deliberately.

The Red Angel evil spirit suddenly laughed out loud and slapped the armrest of the reclining chair.

"Your tricks are so childish that they look like a three-year-old's!

"Haha, the secret hidden by the Loen royal family is very simple. I could guess it just by reading the newspapers. Tsk, you only have a smart-looking face. Your brain is filled with squirming worms."

"You can guess it just by reading the newspapers?" Klein frowned and asked.

The Red Angel evil spirit finished laughing and curled "His" lips.

"Of course, it needs some basic knowledge. I believe you should have it.

"How about this? I'll ask you a few questions, and you'll understand how simple the answer is.

"Is that Blood Emperor secret ruins the kind known by the Churches?"

"No." Klein shook his head firmly.

The Red Angel evil spirit smiled and continued asking, "Do you know which Sequence the Blood Emperor, Alista Tudor, was in before he advanced to Sequence 0?"

"The Black Emperor pathway, Sequence 1 Prince of Abolition," Klein calmly replied.

The Red Angel evil spirit nodded slightly.

"Did you know that before Alista Trunsoest became Blood Emperor, 'He' was one of the two consuls of the Tudor- Trunsoest United Empire and that the ones supporting him were six of the seven present deities, including Evernight and Storm?"

Klein nodded and gave an affirmative answer.

The half-slumped Red Angel evil spirit crossed one leg over the other.

"Then do you know that, after Alista became Blood Emperor, 'He' had truly gone mad and even died during the battle of the gods?"

"Kind of." Klein didn't dare to be too sure, because this was something he had read from Roselle's diary, and the Emperor had learned it from Mr. Door.

The Red Angel evil spirit chuckled and said, "Then do you think that Alista Tudor would have the rationality and opportunity to leave behind secret ruins after 'He' became Blood Emperor?"

"No." Klein slowly shook his head.

The Red Angel evil spirit spread its hands and said, "Since it's a ruin left behind by Alista before 'He' became Blood Emperor, and if the six deities who supported 'Him' aren't aware of it, what could it be? If you had a choice, would you take a path destined to go mad?"

This… Klein instantly thought of the nine mausoleums that the Black Emperor needed in the ritual needed to become a god.

To a Prince of Abolition, before the return of the former Black Emperor, secretly seeking out a way to advance to Black Emperor was something "He" wanted to do!

"Is that ruin related to the Black Emperor?" Klein asked in a deep voice.

The Red Angel evil spirit rubbed "His" chin and chuckled.

You seem to know the Black Emperor's ritual.

"Isn't that simple? What has the King of Loen been doing in the past two to three years? The Grain Act was abolished; there's the Civil Servant Unified Examination, a restructuring of the military, the House of Lords and nobles are struck down a notch, strengthening the authority of the House of Commons… Isn't this something that was published in the newspapers?

"Besides, isn't it common knowledge that the Justiciar pathway can be switched to the Black Emperor pathway?"

As many of these things were the trends of the times to Klein, with one of them being pushed by him, he had never considered them from a mysticism perspective in the past. Now that they were connected, he immediately understood.

Soon, he recalled something else:

The last person who wanted to become Black Emperor was Roselle. He happened to be related to Amon's brother!