1138 - 1145

Chapter 1138 "Scholar of Yore"

In the highlands, on an altar with eyes, arms, heads, and organs embedded in it.

Dark red blood-red light surged out like a tidal wave, distorting into the shape of a deformed tree.

Amidst a buzzing sound, the human bones, candles, silver plates, and gold boxes trembled, as though they could slice through one's Spirit Body.

The surrounding supplicants instinctively bowed their heads and prostrated.

Then, they simultaneously came to a realization:

"The Berserk Sea, reef island…"

When he saw the ancient palace above the gray fog and sensed the slight tremble of the mysterious space, Klein felt that he had a deeper connection with the so-called "Sefirah Castle," one that was hard to accurately grasp.

At this moment, he truly felt that place would gradually belong to him.

In just a few seconds, all the abnormalities disappeared. Without any delay, Klein got the two marionettes to put away the items that were still of value, and destroy the rest. He took out a paper figurine and shook it.

With a smacking sound, the paper figurine ignited with a scarlet flame as dense illusory wings appeared behind his back.

When he saw this, Klein was stunned. He never expected that the simple Paper Figurine Substitutes would have hints of Angel's Embrace.

He then grabbed Qonas and Enuni, using "Teleport" to vanish from the island formed by reefs.

After using several islands in the Sonia Sea as waypoints, he took a huge detour before finally returning to his residence in Backlund's East Borough.

During this process, he repeatedly used Paper Figurine Substitutes, which had undergone several qualitative changes, to disrupt divination, prophecy powers, tracking, and observation.

Phew, I didn't expect it to really trigger the changes in Sefirah Castle, resulting in an unconcealable phenomenon… Fortunately, I was sufficiently careful and cautious. I wasn't careless. If I had advanced in Backlund or the surrounding areas, I'm certain that Amon and Zaratul would've already "seen" me… Klein heaved a sigh of relief as he hurriedly took four steps counterclockwise and went above the gray fog to do a divination.

After confirming that he was in a safe situation, he didn't stay for long. He immediately returned to the real world, and with the help of Cogitation, he began to restrain his diverging spirituality.

After doing this, he took off his clothes, threw himself into bed, and fell into a deep sleep.

Normally, a Bizarro Sorcerer wouldn't be as exhausted as he was after successfully advancing to Scholar of Yore. He would definitely have energy left to check his physical condition. However, while traveling through history, he relied on his mark to travel a very far distance. He relied on his own mastery of ancient secrets, that far exceeded his current level, to reach the establishment of the Giant King's CourUn the early of the Second Epoch or the end of the Epoch.

This was equivalent to digesting the potion.

After a few hours of deep sleep, Klein woke up as he slowly opened his eyes.

He sat up, pulled a pillow to prop him up from behind, and rubbed his temples.

After ten minutes of regulating himself, he was completely awake and began to inspect himself.

Indeed, I've digested most of the potion right after I consumed it. At least eighty percent… This is roughly what I expected… but I wonder how much more ancient history I'll have to obtain before I can digest it completely…

From the looks of it, the acting of a Scholar of Yore has two main directions: One is a scholar from ancient times, and the other is a scholar who studies ancient history. Both of them are required. The first is relatively easy because the ritual itself contains the key point of making one a person from ancient times. Once the advancement is successful, one can naturally act as a scholar from ancient times.

The second point is extremely difficult. It would be alright in normal society, but in this world with true gods, devils, and evil existences, just gathering ancient information is a very risky matter. If I endeavor to gather the truth of history, I might die a horrible death at any moment without any reason. The more I understand, the greater the danger…

The reason why I know so much is mostly thanks to the arrangements of a few existences, as well as the complicated fate that Sefirah Castle brings me. This makes me encounter all sorts of things. Of course, even so, I've already died once despite being a true deity's Blessed; what's more, other Scholars of Yore?

Changing the spot of Miracle Invoker and Scholar of Yore will make acting relatively simple. Unfortunately, there's no such thing…

In addition, the previous two meanings have an inclination towards ancient times. I have to pay attention to the word "scholar." What must I figure out from history before I can be considered a "scholar"?

Next, there are a few directions towards my digestion. First, I need to figure out Dark Angel Sasrir's current state and truly replicate the actual process of the Cataclysm. Second, I need to spend some effort to connect the history of the Fourth Epoch together, and not just be fine with having them in disconnected segments. Third, I need to go deep into the details from a macroscopic view. For example, the rise and fall of the Antigonus family…

After confirming that prior acting was effective, and considering his future path ahead of time, Klein combined the mysticism knowledge he had gained from his advancement and his observation of his godhood's divinity, and he had a trial run of his powers to slowly figure out the powers of a Scholar of Yore.

Worms of Spirit can be split into six hundred pieces. The godhood patterns have also changed to a certain degree; it's even more complicated, and it can showcase concepts of strength, strangeness, and supematuralness…

The changes in my godhood patterns firstly originate from the newly obtained characteristic, and secondly, it comes from the mysticism knowledge contained within the potion. This is both a result of the Beyonder characteristic and also something obtained from a higher level… After becoming a true High-Sequence Beyonder, is it possible to directly change the knowledge at a higher dimension to affect Beyonders at other Sequences?

Deciphering a potion formula from the godhood patterns seems like an actual example…

Also, at the level of Sequence 3, the changes in godhood patterns have a personal effect. This is closely related to prayer and responses. As a Scholar of Yore, the corresponding honorific names will be different in nature. This is because of different personalities, experiences, and traits.

Yes, I can allow different Worms of Spirit to instinctively listen to prayers and respond to them when it's a relatively uncomplicated matter. It doesn't affect my other actions… The specially marked ones and more complicated matters will be handed over to my actual body…

A Scholar of Yore can use a Worm of Spirit to act as a god, but what about other Sequence 3 Beyonders from other pathways? It's impossible for them to respond while sleeping, right…

Heh heh, I'll think of my honorific name as a Scholar of Yore later. I'll first study the specific abilities.

Uh… A Scholar of Yore's main ability is to obtain help from history. This is split into two parts. One is to borrow strength from my past self.

This is rather embarrassing for me. It's currently useless because the past me is definitely weaker than the present me. Yes, when I was hanging above the door of light above the gray fog, I was just an ordinary person… Compared to those who were important figures in the past but are now weak due to all kinds of reasons, this is a godly skill. One can be a baby crying for ice cream while engaging in a Sequence 1 battle. It would be impossible to find any weaknesses… The only problem is that it's not long-lasting…

Of course, as more time passes after I become a Scholar of Yore, this will begin to show its effects. I can often borrow strength from my past Scholar of Yore self so that I wouldn't have any moment of weakness. Even if I were to suffer serious injuries… To a certain extent, this is something that's self-perpetuating, preventing myself from ever being in a nadir until my spirituality is completely drained.

Yes, before my spirituality is drained, I can always borrow energy from my past self. There's no limit to the number of times. As for my current spirituality, even without the process of recovering, I can borrow power nearly ten times a day, maintaining it for five minutes each time.

The second part is to summon images from the Historical Void. It can be humans or objects. The more detailed and the better the understanding I have of the corresponding piece of history and matters, the higher the chance of success is and the longer it will last.

Similarly, the lower the target's level is, relative to me, the higher the chance of success and the longer it can be maintained.

In addition, increasing my affinity with the target will increase the chances of success and the time it can be maintained.

These are the three conditions to succeed. Furthermore, when summoning someone of a higher level than myself, or an item, even if I barely succeed, the final projection will only have a portion of the strength and quality of the original. It can't be one who's at full strength. Also, I can only maintain three images summoned from the Historical Void at any point in time, including those summoned by my marionettes…

Currently, even if it's the most ordinary item or something that was once mine, I can maintain its availability for a maximum of fifteen minutes.

The fact that the target has a close relationship with me is worth rumination. In essence, borrowing power from one's own body is also a form of summoning. It's just that one's relationship with oneself is extremely close, so there's no possibility of failure. It's an extreme example.

In other words, if I were to summon the important figures from the Historical Void, it would be best to establish a friendly relationship with "Them" and maintain it for a long time. Yes, if I were to summon Mr. Azik's projection, the chances of success will definitely be higher than projecting other angels…

How is this a Beyonder power? This is obviously studies related to EQ, Relationships, and Interpersonal Communication!

As he sighed with emotion, Klein sincerely felt that the core powers of a Scholar of Yore were godly. After all, those that involved history and time were most likely extremely magical.

However, in order to put it to use to its fullest potential, one had to have sufficient intelligence, and also make the necessary preparations.

This was an unchanging requirement of the Seer pathway.

Yes, when summoning images from the Historical Void, there's no way to communicate with them. That is to say that a Scholar of Yore can't interfere with history and change the past. From the angle of acting, this can be summarized as "witnessing fate, affecting the present, and the inability to reverse the past…"

Apart from the ability to transfer a certain part of ailments, wounds, curses, attacks, prophecies, and observations to Paper Figurine Substitutes, there's another power. It can transfer a certain part to the target. Before one discovers that it's fake, things can continue proceeding as per normal. Heh heh, if anyone loses their heart while their brain remains active, I can give them a paper heart for a short period of time. He will be able to obtain strength from history to beat and circulate blood…

The time it takes to attain initial control of Spirit Body Threads has shortened to two seconds, and completely transforming into a marionette takes ten seconds. The maximum range for the two is 500 meters… By controlling a marionette, the limit to swapping positions is five kilometers…

Flame Jump is also five kilometers… I can freely control the might of Air Cannon, and at its maximum might, it's equivalent to a coastal defensive cannon…

A creature that can transform into a physical form whose characteristics have a difference that does not exceed a certain level. Some of the organs created can be used, while others are only decorations…

Phew, this is a Scholar of Yore who has digested most of the potion… After examining himself, Klein slowly stood up.

He planned on entering the world above the gray fog to check on the changes in Sefirah Castle.

Chapter 1139 A Different Form of Companionship

Above the endless grayish-white fog, Klein's figure appeared in the ancient palace.

He only looked around briefly, and he realized that there were a few changes.

The most obvious point was that the state of the mysterious space and its layout had been fully projected into his Spirit Body. Even at a great distance, he could still see the grayish-white clouds and that strange door of light.

Apart from the palace that I conjured and the door of light that originally existed, there's nothing here. It's empty, boundless, and full of power of a high level… As he murmured, he sat down, raised his right hand, and gently lifted it up.

In the blink of an eye, the entire gray fog boiled. The mysterious space it carried quaked as beams of slightly dark light emitted.

When the light gathered together, it condensed into a translucent angel with illusory wings on its back, as per Klein's will. It had the same level and power as an angel. It was majestic and sacred, with an oppressive aura.

There's no need to add the Black Emperor card, the Tyrant card, or the Red Priest card. There's no need to use the Sea God Scepter either. With my power alone, I can stir most of the powers of this mysterious space to its fullest potential, allowing The Fool's angel to become a true Sequence 2 angel. Of course, this angel is unable to respond to prayers or be maintained for too long. It only exists in the "embrace" form and within a few attacks, having some powers in the domain of miracles…

Indeed, being able to revive is a gift from Sefirah Castle. As for how many more times I can be resurrected, I can't come to a conclusion now. If I can obtain a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact and use its level to observe it, I should be able to see it more clearly… I'll just treat it as one more time. It's not a bad thing to err while being cautious. This reminds me to be careful and cautious… This is the way for Beyonders of the Seer pathway to survive…

Unfortunately, this "miracle" can only be used for myself for now…

Yes, at most, in order to truly possess and control this mysterious space, I have to become an angel or even a Sequence 1 angel at least. It lives up to its name as Sefirah Castle. As for that strange door of light, its requirements are even higher. It's impossible to tell if there are any hidden dangers at the moment…

What's the meaning of the existence of Sefirah Castle? "Baiting" transmigrators to revive the original Creator? With a flick of his right hand, the holy and powerful angel dissipated in midair.

The entire Sefirah Castle calmed down.

Following that, Klein stood up and took a step towards the grayish-white cloud in midair. He stood in front of the strange door of light formed from countless spherical lights.

The door of light was tainted with some bluish-black color. Each spherical light's essence was a transparent and translucent worm that formed into a ball.

As he stared at the transparent "cocoons" hanging by the black threads, Klein extended his right hand and slowly reached out to the door of light in an attempt to touch it.

One inch, two inches, three inches. His hand finally touched the edge of the door of light, but it passed right through as if it was just an illusion.

However, compared to his previous attempt, the illusory door of light was clearly a little stickier, as though it was about to turn corporeal.

This is an item that represents the essence of Sefirah Castle? After pondering for a few seconds, he turned and returned to the ancient palace.

Without any delay, he left the world above the gray fog and began experimenting with the various powers he had just acquired.

I have to first get an honorific name… The prayer response range for a Sequence 3 Beyonder is a region. This range is different depending on the authority that one wields. Clearly, a Sea King's range is a relatively far-reaching type… Therefore, this honorific name of mine also has its limits. The protector of all the poor children in Backlund? It feels odd…

Yes, other people might have a limitation, but it's not necessarily the case for me. I can use the spirit world and the Blessed of Sefirah Castle as a replacement. I should be the only one who is Blessed in both regions. It's unique enough. This way, as long as someone is in the same city or district as me, they can use this honorific name to pray to me.

There's nothing I can do if we're not in the same area. I can't possibly do the same as throwing the Sea God Scepter above the gray fog, splitting a few Worms of Spirit to the world above the gray fog, and using Sefirah Castle's level to respond throughout the entire world… Although I can't confirm the relationship between the Dark Angel and the ancient sun god, this is enough to remind me to be careful with my avatars and marionettes. Also, it's not as simple as splitting a few worms. A large number of Worms of Spirit have to be left in Sefirah Castle to achieve the desired effect. I'm currently unable to do that…

Right, my mental state isn't too bad. I don't have a dissociative disorder, nor do I have the irresistible urge to become cold and terrifying. This means that the mark of a Scholar of Yore in history is his anchor… Also, the emperor's situation worsened only after he became an angel, causing him to have no choice but to rely on his believers as anchors to "anchor" him in place. I'm still one huge level away… I need to find out what else can be used as anchors, apart from believers, to ensure that nothing goes wrong… Amidst his thoughts, Klein picked up pen and paper.

He wrote the first line of his honorific name:

"The Blessed of the spirit world and Sefirah Castle."

After some thought, he began writing the second and third lines based on his rich experience and knowledge he got from his godhood patterns:

The Mystery stemming from ancient times;

The witness of an extended history."

Since a Sequence 3 Beyonder wasn't a true deity, he couldn't use a three-line description. After some thought, he added two more lines:

"Protector of magic and drama performers;

"The great Gehrman Sparrow."

In fact, non-true deities could also use three-line descriptions, but one of them had to rely on the level of a true god. For example, Klein could use "Blessed of the Evernight Goddess." Under such circumstances, it was essentially similar to a type of summoning incantation, not an honorific name for prayers, similar to that of messengers. And if the messenger was a spirit world creature, the restriction of being the Blessed of a particular true deity was unnecessary. Therefore, it was often unknown what would be summoned, making it rather dangerous.

After repeatedly deliberating for a while, Klein controlled his marionette, Enuni, and recited the honorific name in ancient Hermes.

A few seconds later, Klein raised his right hand and rubbed his temples with an odd expression.

He didn't "hear" the prayer.

What's wrong with this honorific name? Klein carefully deliberated over it a few times and gradually came up with an idea. I might not be the only Blessed of the spirit world and Sefirah Castle. The Hounds of Fulgrim also count… I have to add a limitation…

After some modifications, Enuni once again recited in ancient Hermes, "The Blessed of the spirit world and Sefirah Castle;

The Mystery stemming from ancient times;

"The witness of an extended history;

"Protector of Backlund magic and drama performers;

"The great Gehrman Sparrow."

"I pray for your blessings. I hope you can light up the darkness in front of me."

Just as Enuni's voice faded, Klein heard his prayer. Furthermore, it was only heard by a few Worms of Spirit. It didn't affect his actual body at all.

This is very different from the prayer coming from Sefirah Castle. It's very clear… With a thought, his Worm of Spirit gave a response based on the rules he had made ahead of time.

With a whoosh, a ball of fire appeared in front of Enuni. It floated in midair, illuminating the entire room.

Not bad… If I use Hermes to pray, I have to set up a ritual and draw symbols… As for essential oils and herbs, it doesn't matter if they're provided or not. Am I someone who will be pleased by these things? The symbols are formed from the scrolls representing history, the complete eye that represents witness, and the lines symbolizing change… For the time being, Klein had no intention of spreading his honorific name. After all, letting others know that Gehrman Sparrow had reached Sequence 3 would be a case of him losing a trump card. Furthermore, he had the alternate identity as Sea God and The Fool. There was no need for a new honorific name.

Pa!

With a snap of his fingers, he lit the paper with the honorific name of Gehrman Sparrow on the table.

A Scholar of Yore also has the means to create a fog to lower the temperature, but it's not a core power… Next, I have to try to summon a projection from the Historical Void. Who shall be my first volunteer? As he muttered silently to himself, Klein suddenly sighed.

He then half-closed his eyes and used his godhood to allow a portion of his spirit to enter the gray fog and roam amidst history.

Following the various locations that he had previously established, he instantly arrived in front of a spot made of light.

There was a spacious and bright room with two rows of floor-to-ceiling windows in the spot of light. In the room, a man wearing a dark red coat embroidered with golden lines was standing by the window, looking at the place where the sun had set.

He looked to be in his thirties, with long chestnut curly hair, blue eyes, high nose bridge, and thin lips. He had a neat mustache and looked rather good.

Roselle Gustav.

In a street in North Borough, a thin-faced young man with a wide forehead and a monocle was sitting in a coffee shop by the side of the road. He held a fountain pen and thought seriously.

He raised his other hand and pinched his monocle. Finally, he wrote down a sentence:

"The Blessed of the spirit world and Sefirah Castle…"

Then, the fountain pen stopped moving, as if he had not thought of what to write next.

In a rented two-bedroom apartment at East Borough, Klein took out his golden pocket watch and opened it.

He had already made an appointment with Miss Sharron and Marie to meet in an uninhabited house tonight.

After some thought, he raised his right hand and grabbed at the space in front of him.

A simple, ancient brass key appeared in his palm.

This was the Master Key that had once helped him defeat Wraith Steve and prevent the True Creator from descending. It allowed one to hear Mr. Door's ravings on the night of the full moon.

Now, by summoning it back from the Historical Void, it could be used for ten minutes.

Heh heh, to a Scholar of Yore, anything that they once possessed, regardless if they were eventually sold, returned, destroyed, or lost for all sorts of reasons, can never really be considered lost. They just exist alongside the Scholar of Yore in a different form of companionship… Looking at the Master Key in his hand, Klein sighed in satisfaction.

With this item, if he could grasp the corresponding ritual, he could directly speak to Mr. Door as well.

After putting away the Master Key, he put on his double-breasted frock coat and silk top hat, picked up his golden cane, and walked out of the room.

Chapter 1140 Plans

Backlund, East Borough, 7 Pinster Street-

After a busy day, Leonard finally had the chance to ask his questions:

"Old man, what is Sefirah Castle?"

The slightly-aged voice in his mind fell silent for a few seconds. He chuckled and said, "The place where you meet every Monday is most likely Sefirah Castle."

Leonard never expected to hear such an answer. His mind went blank for a moment. He was surprised, shocked, and confused, mixed together with the thoughts of it being impossible for to pop out of nowhere and the poignant feelings of how complicated things were.

After a while, he pressed in a low voice, "What kind of place is Sefirah Castle?"

As though sighing and laughing self-deprecatingly, Pallez Zoroast said, "Actually, I'm not too sure. I've only heard some rumors.

"It's different from the creation myth you know. Rumor has it that the original Creator left behind nine different entities. They were kingdoms, cities, rivers, oceans, and keys. Sefirah Castle was one of them.

"It might not actually be a castle, but something else. As for what its exact form is, you might know it better than me.

"The reason why I'm certain of its existence is because I sensed it when I became an angel, but I was unable to see it and establish a connection with it.

"My great-grandfather mentioned a theory that the nine entities might have something to do with the sefirot of the second Blasphemy slate. Unfortunately, because of various reasons, 'He' was unable to decipher the details related to the sefirot."

Leonard calmed down. Leaning back against the sofa, he asked thoughtfully, "Old Man, do you suspect that Mr. Fool is the embodiment of sefirot?"

Based on what he had seen and heard from the Tarot Club and Old Man's occasional lecture, he had a certain understanding of matters regarding the deities.

After a long silence, Pallez Zoroast replied, "Perhaps…"

Under the strict curfew at night, there were almost no pedestrians on the streets of Backlund. Occasionally, there would be carriages passing by, carrying people of status.

After arriving at the agreed-upon house, Klein wasn't in a hurry to enter. He half-closed his eyes, raised his right hand, and grabbed at something in front of him. He pulled out another Sherlock Moriarty wearing a black double-breasted frock coat and a silk half top hat while holding a gold-inlaid cane.

This was the image of him from the Historical Void when he left his residence earlier.

As Klein was right in front of him, this image appeared stiff, like a prop on-stage.

According to his previous experiments, Klein knew that this was the mysticism principle of "a unique shared consciousness in time." To put it simply, everyone was essentially unique. If one's true body remained sentient, the projection wouldn't remain sentient.

It was the same when summoning projections of the deceased from the Historical Void, a result Klein suspected to be attributed to his insufficient level. In short, his projections could only engage in more mechanical and instinctive battles. Something that was unknown to the Scholars of Yore had prevented them from giving a corresponding answer even if they experienced it for themselves.

This confirmed one of Klein's guesses. Those fragments a Scholar of Yore could see in the historical fog was something he had learned in real life and had studied. Simply put, the fog needed a Scholar of Yore to light it up, bit by bit.

Of course, Klein also suspected that if the historical fragments of the same matter had been mostly lit up, the rest would very likely be presented naturally.

At least the corresponding ability won't be lost just because I don't understand it well enough. As long as there's a projection in the Historical Void, that state will be a complete snapshot… That's enough… Klein looked at the projection that could only act on instinct. His body suddenly vanished and entered the grayish-white fog.

Since Hounds of Fulgrim, who weren't full Scholars of Yore, could live in the Historical Void, there was no reason that a true Scholar of Yore couldn't. The only problem was that there was a time limit. In addition, if time dragged on, the marionettes in the real world would definitely die. However, this was only changing the form of companionship it had with a Scholar of Yore.

As Klein's body entered the grayish-white fog, his consciousness suddenly came alive in the projection.

He raised his hand and pressed down on his top hat. Wearing the face of Sherlock Moretti, he came outside of the house. Following their agreement, he took out the Master Key and placed it against the door, turning it gently.

His figure appeared in the room, and under the crimson moonlight, he quickly surveyed his surroundings.

The sofas, cupboards, high-back chairs, coffee tables, and other furniture were evidently old. They seemed to come from the previous century.

In the dark environment, in a gothic regal dress and a matching bonnet, Sharron suddenly appeared on a high-back chair.

"Good evening," this Puppet lady nodded slightly and greeted him.

If she hadn't spoken, she would be a classic and most exquisite doll.

At the same time, Marie, who was wearing a white shirt and black vest, also phased into existence on the sofa.

…Sir, it's already winter. Aren't you cold wearing just this? Ah right, you're "dead," one who isn't afraid of the cold… After lampooning inwardly, Klein took off his hat and bowed at the blonde, blue-eyed, pale-faced Sharron.

"Good evening, Miss Sharron."

He then turned around and said to Marie, "Good evening."

To this Wraith who was formerly a Zombie, the deepest impression Klein had of him was his card game with the zombies he controlled.

We should play cards when we have the time… He sighed silently.

The reason why he suddenly thought of playing cards was because he had previously analyzed the combat styles of Scholar of Yore, and he realized that if he were to encounter Zaratul, both sides would very likely end up playing a card game.

You throw a Consul Roselle card, I'll throw an Emperor Roselle card. You throw a Bernadette card, I'll throw a Benoit. If you throw The Half-Fool card, I'll match it with Amon…

I didn't expect that the battle between a Seer would one day become "playing cards." It's a realistic, abnormally harrowing "game of cards"… Sigh, but Zaratul is a Sequence 1 angel, and he wouldn't give me a chance to play cards. Besides, my success rate at summoning the important figures in the Historical Void is rather low… Klein retracted his gaze and took the initiative to say to Sharron, "I've recently needed to do something. It's rather difficult and dangerous. One of the steps is to collect Beyonder blood from the twenty-two different pathways. As for the Wraith pathway, the only person I can ask for help is you and Marie. You should be skilled at hexes, and you should have a way to remove the connection between your blood and yourself."

In fact, he could've attempted to summon Admiral of Blood Senor on the spot and mix his blood into the porcelain jar. However, he didn't know if it would be effective, nor could he divine it. After all, this involved a level that exceeded Sequence 1, and he lacked information. The only thing he could confirm was that drawing that symbol didn't bring him and the suppliers any danger.

Due to the fact that a Scholar of Yore had many means at their disposal, he had even tried to summon the former Witch Trissy. He easily subdued her and smeared her blood onto Groselle's Travels.

However, it was useless.

After some thought, Klein believed that a logical contradiction on the timeline had happened, preventing him from success. That blood was formerly provided by Trissy of the past. The person Groselle's Travels pulled in would undoubtedly be the former Trissy, so it was equivalent to changing history.

Since history couldn't be changed, the experiment failed.

After listening to Sherlock Moriarty's request quietly, Sharron said without any change in expression, "Okay.

"How much do you want?"

Miss Sharron's reaction is exactly as I imagined… Klein took out a glass tube.

"One tube would suffice."

Dressed in a gothic regal dress, Sharron raised her right hand slightly. The glass tube seemed to possess a life of its own as it left Klein's palm and flew over.

Right on the heels of that, the doll-like lady's right hand landed on her left wrist. Her nails suddenly grew long and became unusually sharp.

With just a light stroke, a wound opened up at her wrist. Blood seeped out, but it didn't drip down. Instead, it floated up and entered the glass tube.

By the time the tube was filled, Sharron's wound had healed instantly, leaving no scar behind. The stopper jumped into the tube and spun a few times to automatically seal the tube.

During this process, the pale-faced Sharron wore an impassive expression, as if she had suppressed all the feelings in her heart.

Looking at the tube of blood in her hand, Sharron reached out with her left hand and touched it, slowly sliding from top to bottom.

This was done to remove her connection to the blood.

After doing all of this, the blood tube leaped up and flew back into Klein's hands.

"Is there anything else I can help you with?" Sharron sat on a high-back chair and said calmly.

"Not for now. Thank you." Klein shook his head and snapped his fingers, igniting a scarlet flame in his palm.

The flame quickly rose and enveloped the glass tube.

By the time the redness dissipated, the blood was gone.

This was a new change in "Flaming Jump." It could transfer the items on him to his marionette or body.

Apart from this, all sorts of Beyonder powers from before had been enhanced and modified.

Having used his new powers skillfully, he looked at Sharron and asked casually, "How's the digestion of your Puppet potion?"

When he first met Miss Sharron, he felt that she was like a doll. He believed that, regardless of her nature, or it being a result of the temperance principle, it would've been a form of "prior acting." It would be of great help to the digestion of the Puppet potion.

"Not bad," Sharron replied calmly. "I should be able to digest everything in another one to two years."

One to two years… Indeed, no matter how fast it is, it's counted in years. But for me, it's been less than half a year…

This isn't something to be proud of. It was all arranged… Of course, if you count the time I was hung above the door of light, it's counted in millennia… Miracle Invoker… If I can escape this fate, I might be able to create a miracle… Klein sighed inwardly and gently nodded.

"What are your plans for the time being?"

Sharron said, "I hope to restore Teacher's body."

Marie, who was sitting on the sofa, added, "But didn't you say that the leader of the Secret Order, Zaratul, is in Backlund and is closely related to the Rose School of Thought?"

"Yes," Klein said with a smile. "Wait patiently. There will be a chance."

This was actually a form of consolation. Even though he had become a Scholar of Yore and had found many helpers, he had no intention of dealing with Zaratul at the moment. A Sequence 1 in full would definitely be unimaginably terrifying!

Furthermore, the more he exposed himself to the path of Seer, the more Klein could understand how terrifying and difficult it was to kill Zaratul.

After stopping George Ill's apotheosis, Klein planned on leaving Backlund and giving himself more time to grow.

Chapter 1141 Deep Winter

Sonia Sea, Pasu Island, Chasm of Storm Cathedral.

This was the headquarters of the Church of the Lord of Storms, the holiest of holy temples, a place blessed by a god.

The murals that were painted in blue, silver, green, and golden colors seemed rough, but they had a sacred and majestic vibe to them. Coupled with the dome that stood at a height with an excess of a hundred meters, it made all who stood there feel how puny they were. It made one unable to resist bowing their head.

Alger Wilson had already undergone the ritual and had "truly" become a Sequence 5 Ocean Songster. At this moment, he had come here with the same batch of recently advanced Beyonders, awaiting the preaching of Pontiff Gaard II.

Indeed, it's really easy to lose control when consuming excess potions. I've already digested all the past potions, but I nearly succumbed this time… After I leave Pasu Island, I'll borrow the Unshadowed Crucifix from The Sun and purge the excess characteristic.This can both be exchanged for money, and it can also be used to secretly nurture some Beyonders who are loyal to me… Alger used the reflection of the blue stone tiles on the ground to see that his hair had darkened and thickened.

At this moment, the sound of a booming musical instrument exploded in the hearts of every Beyonder, spreading extreme fear.

Pontiff Gaard II walked out with a scepter in hand, went up a dais, and faced the crowd. He said in a deep, rumbling voice, "Congratulations, everyone. You are one step closer to the Lord."

He was wearing a papal tiara with sapphires, emeralds, and other gems. He wore a dark blue robe that was nearly black. On top of it was silver and gold silk embroidered with symbols of lightning, storms, and oceans. His aura was deep and majestic, as though a tempest was about to strike.

This Grounded Angel, the spokesperson of the Lord of Storms, was a middle-aged man who looked to be in his forties. However, everyone knew that Gaard II had been helming the Council of Cardinals for nearly a century.

As a Blessed of the Gods, this level of longevity wasn't strange in the eyes of the believers. It was normal to not have anything to fear.

Upon hearing the pontiffs praise, Alger didn't have any thoughts. He clenched his right fist and struck his left breast, shouting, "Holy Lord of Storms!"

In the next fifteen minutes, they quietly listened to Gaard II's preachings.

After completing this process, Alger received his mission from a high-ranking deacon. He was to head to Sonia Island and lay an ambush in the surrounding waters, in search for opportunities to attack the port, or supply ships and Feysac merchant ships.

Backlund, Empress Borough, Inside the Hall family's luxurious mansion.

Just as Audrey put on her blue cloak in preparation to bring her golden retriever, Susie; her maidservant, Annie; and the others to the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation at Phelps Street, she saw her father, Earl Hall, enter through the main door.

"Father, good morning. Did you… not come home last night?" Audrey looked him up and down in puzzlement.

You could tell?" Earl Hall stroked his lovely mustache and asked with a smile.

Realizing that her father was in a good mood, Audrey turned her green eyes and said with a faint smile, "Your coat reeks of cigarettes. It implies that you haven't taken it off for some time. Not to mention that's an outdoor set of clothing."

Apart from this, there were many other details that could lead to the same conclusion, but Audrey deliberately didn't mention it.

As Earl Hall took off his coat and handed it to his valet, he chuckled and said, "Not bad at all. You're very observant. It looks like your work at the bursary foundation has greatly benefited you.

"I was at the Prime Minister's the entire night, waiting for news."

Having said that, Earl Hall sighed and said, "Winter County and Midseashire's front line has once again repelled the Feysacian attack. With the onset of the harsh winter, we can finally catch our breaths."

Audrey blinked, perfectly expressing her surprise.

Earl Hall immediately smiled.

"I understand your puzzlement. The newspaper only mentions what we want the people to know.

"The defense lines at the Amantha mountain range and the various cities along Midseashire's coast aren't as robust as you think. In the first round of the attacks, our fleet and soldiers suffered a tremendous loss. In order to not cause any panic, we announced that there were wins on both sides. We also made all the large shipyards and factories work like mad to contribute to the war machine.

"In this period of time, the two lines were almost breached several times. Many critical areas were lost and recovered. These repeated "see-saws" was apparently a human meat grinder.

"Luckily, we've finally lasted to this point. This winter will be the turning point of the war."

Actually, I know… The number of people who died, went missing, and the casualty numbers might be concealed, but it still presents quite a few problems… Besides, winter might not necessarily be a good thing. Feysac's Weather Warlocks are very good at using such situations… Audrey's heart sank as she hurriedly controlled her emotions and smiled.

"That's great. I hope we can quickly have peace restored."

Earl Hall was taken aback as he said, "His Majesty plans to give a speech to everyone in the kingdom on Saturday and tell them that we will prevail.

"When the time comes, the cities and villages will be gathered at their respective squares. The latest technology will be used to allow everyone to hear his speech."

The latest technology… Gather the entire kingdom in various squares to listen to the king's speech… Audrey suddenly thought of Mr. World's reminder and decided to inform him of this matter.

Organize a large number of people to listen to a speech… This must be the corresponding ritual, right? George III is about to hold the Black Emperor ritual? After receiving the latest news from Miss Justice, Klein returned to the real world with a solemn expression.

He paced back and forth in the rental apartment and didn't delay any further. He took out a pen and paper and quickly wrote:

"I've already gathered the Beyonder blood of twenty pathways. I'm just short of Assassin and Criminal.

"George III will be holding a speech for most of the kingdom's citizens this Saturday. You should know what this might mean.

"In addition, I need the ritual to communicate with Mr. Door."

After folding the letter and getting Reinette Tinekerr to send it out, Klein slowly exhaled as he couldn't help but think of all sorts of thoughts.

The Demoness's blood shouldn't be a problem. Trissy seems very determined to foil George Ill's scheme…

I can reveal something to Queen Mystic, that I'm able to enter the secret mausoleum… Although her main goal is to revive the emperor and she is unwilling to make an enemy out of George III, the emperor might not be able to return if George III succeeds…

I'm waiting for the Chief of the City of Silver to return to provide the Devil's blood… The hunting team that he led has set off for more than ten days. They should be returning soon… In theory, there's still time. There's no problem… If not, I'll use the two contingencies. First, I'll use the Blatherer's aura to replace the blood. Second, I'll summon the Devils that I've encountered in the past from the Historical Void and extract their blood…

In a room in the Backlund Bridge area that didn't look anything special.

The lustrous black-haired Trissy reached out and retrieved a letter from the mirror.

She opened it and her brows gradually frowned. It was especially endearing.

Is it finally happening…? Trissy's expression changed a few times. She seemed hesitant, resistant, afraid, and confused.

Finally, she smiled and muttered in a twisted voice, "I've killed so many people and caused so many tragedies. Even if I were to die this time, it wouldn't be a total loss…"

After a few seconds of silence, Trissy took out a glass test tube from her black dress's pocket.

It wasn't her blood, but another Demoness's. Her original name was Sherman, who had later called herself Shermane.

As a qualified, senior Demoness, Trissy had found an opportunity to take some of Shermane's blood while nurturing her. A necessary component for curses; it might not have been of use most of the time, but it could effectively prevent any accidents.

After Shermane's death, Trissy didn't abandon the tube of blood. This was because there were many occasions when Demonesses needed such materials, just like now.

City of Silver, in a particular residence.

As soon as the lightning frequency increased, Derrick got out of bed, lit the stove, and quickly grilled some mushroom bread.

This bread was even more exquisite and delicious than the original Black-Faced Grass. He loved it very much, and he looked forward to his three daily meals.

The only problem was that the yield of mushrooms that could make bread wasn't too high.

Due to the limited number of monster corpses, every resident was only limited to one claim a week, enough for four to five meals.

After thousands of years of hard work, the area around the City of Silver was relatively safe, with relatively few monsters.

Derrick heard that someone had deliberately placed himself in the darkness to hunt monsters for the nurturing of mushrooms, hoping to be bait.

Then, he was eaten.

Those mushrooms have made everyone feel optimistic." That_s not good." Derrick thought of the wistfulness before the Chief left and shook his head. He picked up a jar he obtained from another city ruin and poured out some white milk.

Frankly speaking, he didn't like milk, but it was described by Miss Justice as something that could help humans grow taller and stronger. This was enough to move him.

As a resident of the City of Silver, Derrick knew that, as he hadn't chosen the Giant pathway, the chances of him growing taller and bulkier in the future were low. However, he secretly hoped to reduce the gap between him and his friends. Milk gave him that opportunity.

Gulp. Gulp. With a serious expression, Derrick drank today's milk rations.

Just as he was about to get some mushroom bread, he suddenly sensed something and looked out the window.

A person grew out of the shadows outside the door and said from afar, "Derrick, the Chief wants me to give you this bottle of blood."

The Chief is back? Derrick suddenly stood up and said, "Alright, thank you."

The moment he finished speaking, he saw the shadow in the gap come alive, pushing out a small metal bottle.

Derrick knew very well that it contained the Devil blood that Mr. World wanted.

Chapter 1142 Warning

After removing the Paper Angel wrapping the ceramic jar, Klein poured the bottle of Devil's blood into it, and he stirred it with a glass stick he conjured for some time.

Phew, I've finally gathered everything. He looked for a few seconds and sighed.

This way, he still had enough time to prepare before George III's ceremony.

As for whether the Assassin and Devil blood had enough time to be rid of the connection with its original host, he wasn't concerned, as he had confirmed that the original owners of the two sets of blood were dead.

He divined the origins of the Assassin blood to figure out if it belonged to Demoness Trissy. If it did, he considered leaving some and smearing it on the surface of Groselle's Travels after everything was over.

He was left in disappointment, but he wasn't surprised. He had long realized that Trissy was as cautious as he was.

The Demoness pathway also has the Instigator Sequence. It requires a high level of intelligence… Yes, the Instigator and Conspirer potions should have the effect of increasing one's intelligence. Otherwise, Danitz's future would be bleak… As he thought, he threw the ceramic jar into the junk pile.

He then returned to the real world and began to browse through the detailed ritual Trissy had provided.

This was a ritual that could help him speak to Mr. Door during the full moon.

"A total of nine gems… Isn't this too extravagant?" he casually muttered as he read it.

As a tycoon who had donated quite a bit of money, he still had nearly 30,000 pounds in liquid assets (14,000 pounds in cash, 15,000 pounds worth of gold bars, 35 pounds of gold coins, and some change). It wasn't that he couldn't afford gems, but it was too wasteful.

After thinking for more than ten seconds, he decided to try using the images in the Historical Void as stand-ins. After all, he had no intention of pleasing Mr. Door. Once the ritual ended and the gems disappeared, Mr. Door wouldn't be able to do anything to him.

If it doesn't work, I'll consider purchasing it at the jewelry store… Klein stood up and set up a ritual in the room outside the rental flat.

After finishing his other preparations, he stretched out his right hand and slowly and heavily grabbed at the thin air in front of him.

He pulled out an ancient brass key from the air.

This was the key tool to summon Mr. Door, the Master Key.

Right after that, Klein grabbed at the air in front of him solemnly again and pulled out an object from thin air.

The item emitted a tranquil glow that was in the shape of the full moon. Embedded around it were a row of scarlet gems. In the middle was a symbol representing the moon and many mysterious patterns.

Scarlet Lunar Corona!

It was the Scarlet Lunar Corona that currently belonged to Sharron!

It could create the effects of a full moon, allowing the person holding the Master Key to hear Mr. Door's ravings.

If he only wanted to hear what Mr. Door was shouting, this would've been sufficient. There was no need to hold any more rituals, but his goal was to speak to the King of Angels. Therefore, he had to follow the procedure.

After placing the Master Key and the Scarlet Lunar Corona on the altar, he recalled for a moment and reached out his right hand again, pulling out a handful from thin air.

This time, he took out a gorgeous necklace made studded with diamonds and jadeite.

Hmm… My experiences as Dwayne Dantès are rather useful after all. Otherwise, how could I have come into contact with so many female members of high society and dance with them, allowing me to see accessories of different styles and materials? And without such close proximity for observation, how could I easily summon the corresponding Historical Void images? This can last fifteen minutes. That's enough… Having met his simple goal, Klein sighed in satisfaction.

Then, he continued to extend his right hand, preparing to gather the nine gems he needed from the ladies and madams he knew in the past.

In a second, his hand stopped in mid-air and his expression turned odd.

I forgot that I can only maintain three Historical Void images… What should I do? Swap this necklace and find an accessory that has at least nine gems? Hmm, let me think about whether I've seen anything like that before. Yes, I can use dream divination to recall… This… Is dream divination meant for times like this? Seer and Scholar of Yore are quite compatible after all. Well, this is also an extreme form of magic… Amidst his thoughts, Klein was just about to find a chair and do the divination when he suddenly frowned.

He realized that something was amiss.

Under normal circumstances, it was impossible for him to forget that he could only summon three Historical Void images at the same time.

This is a subtle warning from my spirituality? Looking at the Master Key and the Scarlet Lunar Corona on the altar, he waved his right hand gently, causing them to vanish.

Then, he took four steps counterclockwise and recited the honorific name. He went above the gray fog and sat at the seat belonging to The Fool.

He conjured a pen and paper and carefully wrote:

"Speaking to Mr. Door now is dangerous."

This divination was clearly directed at Mr. Door, so Klein was bound to suffer a certain backlash effect. However, he had already obtained basic ownership over Sefirah Castle, allowing him to use the power of an angel, so he believed that he could withstand Mr. Door. After all, "He" was exiled and sealed.

He removed the spirit pendulum on his left wrist and held it with his left hand, allowing it to hang over the surface of the paper.

He closed his eyes and recited the divination statement seven times in a high-strung manner.

Without a sound, a shadow suddenly flashed across his mind. It seemed to completely screen his spiritual perception.

He hurriedly opened his eyes and saw that the topaz pendant had shattered into powder.

After my initial grasp of Sefirah Castle, some divinations are more concealed. It won't cause any accidents?

Yes, is it because my safety is involved in the matter that this has happened, or is it because the gap between me and Mr. Door has been narrowed to a certain extent? Of course, this is referring to the Mr. Door who is in a sealed state… Or perhaps, the effects of the two combined?

The present result shows that speaking to Mr. Door holds untenable danger… Why though? Klein frowned, unable to come up with any effective speculations or reasonable explanations.

After a while, he leaned back against the high-back chair and shook his head with a sigh. He gave up on his original plan.

I can only make more preparations in other areas… With his left hand pressed down, the topaz pendant instantly recovered. After all, it was only a projection above the gray fog.

Because of the changes in the divination earlier, Klein made some connections. Perhaps prying into the secrets of the twisted and translucent maggots on the main peak of the Hornacis mountain range might not be as dangerous as before.

That's highly likely to be a Sequence 1 angel of the Antigonus family. It might even be The Half Fool that Leonard mentioned to me… If my prying can hold on for a while longer, I can directly discern the formulas of the Sequence 2 Miracle Invoker or Sequence 1 Attendant of Mysteries. Hmm, there's only one chance. I don't know what sort of developments would happen when dealing with a crazy monster… I'll wait till I'm completely accustomed to the Scholar of Yore potion before making the attempt… Klein rubbed his temples before disappearing from above the gray fog.

After returning to the real world, he wasn't in a hurry to clean up the altar. Instead, he sat down and seriously considered what other abnormal preparations he could make.

The so-called normal ones were: meeting Queen Mystic once to discuss the details of the cooperation; give Will Auceptin, Reinette Tinekerr, Pallez Zoroast more gifts; pray to the Evernight Goddess and increase the chances of summoning the ascetic, Arianna's Historical Void image; familiarizing himself with the core powers of Scholar of Yore…

As for the abnormal ones, it was purely based on Klein's own imagination.

After some thought, Klein's expression turned solemn. He frowned slightly and reached out his right hand to grab the air.

This time, he didn't drag anything out.

Klein did it another ten times, but all of them met with failure. He had no choice but to accept a fact:

It was impossible to succeed purely by relying on himself!

He then took out his wallet and took out a paper crane. On the surface, he wrote with a pencil:

"Give me some luck. I'll bring you some ice-cream from the Srenzo Restaurant."

After folding the paper crane, he entered the room and lay down on the bed. He restored his spirituality by sleeping.

In his hazy dream, he saw thin, silver snakes forming a response:

"Five!"

"No problem." Klein smiled and made a promise.

At the next moment, he woke up.

He sat up and reached out his right hand again, grabbing a total of ten times.

He still met with complete failure!

I can't do it even if I'm lucky enough… It's too difficult… Klein subconsciously wanted to use his finger to rap the edge of the bed, but he instantly restrained himself. It was a habit of his above the gray fog, so it wasn't suitable for him to bring it to the real world.

After pacing back and forth for a long time, he seriously considered all kinds of connections. Finally, he left the bedroom and went to the altar outside which had yet been tidied up. He brought an item back to the real world.

It was an ancient book made of goatskin with a dark brown cover.

Groselle's Travels.

Picking up the book, he took a deep breath, half-closed his eyes as if sensing something.

Slowly, he reached out his right hand and grabbed very lightly.

Failure.

Another grab.

It was still a failure.

After five consecutive failures, Klein's actions became even slower, as though he was taking out a piece of charcoal from a glowing-red stove.

Suddenly, the muscles on his arm tightened and he carefully pulled back.

His right hand slowly retracted, slowly dragging out a rather dull, ancient-looking quill.

This came from Revival Square of the Southern Continent's West Balam's Northern State, right beside Ince Zangwill's corpse.

This was 0-08 before Amon's brother picked it up.

Chapter 1143 Reasonable Developmen

I can only maintain it for about a minute or so… That's way too short, isn't it? A thought flashed through Klein's mind. Without thinking about anything else, he took two steps to the desk.

He put down Groselle's Travels and quickly wrote on a piece of paper with 0-08:

"George III plans to use this speech to bait out all his enemies who want to sabotage his ritual. However, if everything goes smoothly and nothing happens, he'll take the opportunity to consume the potion and reveal his trump card to aim for divinity. After all, there are too many unknowns in the future, making it unsafe. Furthermore, he has made appropriate preparations for the ritual, they're already prepared to an adequate level.

"This is a very reasonable development."

After Klein wrote the last sentence, and before he could check if there was anything wrong with the written content, the dim quill in his hand disappeared without a trace, as though it had never existed.

And those few words seemed to drain all of his energy, making him feel dizzy. He took a few steps back and collapsed into his chair.

It doesn't make sense… It wasn't exhausting for Ince Zangwill back then… Uh, it should be because I forcefully summoned it, and I didn't dare let 0-08 weave a story on its own. When I wrote on the piece of paper, I had to rely on my own spirituality to support it. As for Ince Zangwill, he could get 0-08's cooperation, so it wasn't that draining… Klein closed his eyes and used Cogitation for a while before feeling better.

Under normal circumstances, having had no physical contact with 0-08 and merely meeting it once had made it impossible for him to summon this Grade 0 Sealed Artifact. However, on the one hand, he had the Snake of Fate to personally augment his luck, and on the other hand, he had Groselle's Travels. This was the item left behind by the Dragon of Imagination Ankewelt. Inside it was the City of Miracles, Liveseyd. It had a connection to a certain degree to an existence like 0-08. If it wasn't for some high-level existence's disruption, these two items would've long been reunited.

Klein didn't know if this fate and particular connection could increase the chances of a successful summoning. He only wanted to give it a try since he didn't stand to lose anything. To his surprise, he really succeeded.

And it was precisely because of this that he didn't dare to use Groselle's Travels to bear the contents of 0-08's projection. He didn't even dare to let them come close, afraid that something irreversible would happen.

This was Backlund, which had an extremely dense population!

Yes, logically speaking, there shouldn't be any accidents. After all, 0-08 is a Historical Void projection. It's fake. Groselle's Travels was conjured by the Dragon of Imagination, and it's also fake. A fake combination can't be real in any way. They lack the foundation of a Beyonder characteristic… I can go back to the uninhabited reef island to test it… Klein rubbed his temples and returned to the desk. There, he began reading what he had just written.

He didn't directly write that George III would be unsuccessful in his advancement and die on the spot. He believed that if he interfered with a Sequence 1 angel, the projection of 0-08 wouldn't be able to be so direct. He had to be more tactful.

Furthermore, there was also the Psychology Alchemists and Amon's brother. Overly obvious effects would definitely be detected and easily made use of. All he could do was beat about the bush to mitigate the unknown.

I hope it works… After staring at it for a while, he folded the piece of paper and stuffed it into his pocket.

Then, he sacrificed Groselle's Travels back above the gray fog.

After doing all of this, Klein began to consider another problem. It was when he would head out to buy some ice-cream for Will Auceptin.

Backlund has Zaratul, and it's very possible that Amon is there. If I head out too frequently, we might run into each other. It's a little dangerous… Why don't I summon some ice-cream for Will from the Historical Void? It's very real when eating it, and it'll disappear in fifteen minutes. There's no need to worry about gaining weight at all. It's just splendid… Klein couldn't help but mumble inwardly.

In the end, he decided to change his clothes and leave the house because he had to keep his promise!

…

Saturday morning, the sky was gray and misty. It made one feel inexplicably stifled.

This was a common scene in Backlund's deep winter. Although the smog wasn't as thick and pungent like last year, the geographical environment and climate characteristics had determined that such situations would definitely exist for a long period of time. Furthermore, victory over environmental pollution was never something that could be declared in a year or two.

After putting on a black coat that covered her knees, and a black veil hat, Melissa quickly walked to the door.

Benson held his hat and shook his head.

"A young girl who isn't even twenty years old should be dressed like a teenager. You look overly mature and old-fashioned in that, understand? Old-fashioned."

Melissa glanced at her brother and simply replied, "The price of a pound of bread has risen by a quarter-pence."

"This price…" Benson tsked.

He then took out a silver pocket watch covered in vine-leaf patterns and snapped it open.

"Let's go. There's still a long way to go to the municipal square."

Melissa tersely responded and went out into the streets with her brother.

"Good morning, Mrs. Daniel." After taking a few steps forward, Benson saw a neighbor leaving. He greeted her with a smile.

He was good at chatting and had long established a good relationship with his neighbors.

The lady named Mrs. Daniel wore a pure black dress. She was in her forties and had a thin face. Her face was covered in a thin black veil that hung down from her hat. When she heard the greeting, she nodded and replied simply, "Good morning, the two of you."

She didn't make any small talk, and she coldly walked away.

As he watched her back, Benson deliberately slowed down his pace. When they finally opened up a distance, he turned to ask his sister, "What happened to Mrs. Daniel?

"I've been too busy recently, so I haven't visited the neighbors in a long time."

Melissa pursed her lips and said, "Mrs. Daniel's eldest son was confirmed to have died on the front line at the Amantha mountain range. News from yesterday."

"That tall, bashful, but thoughtful, kind, and sincere young lad? When he came back the last time, he said that he was promoted in the army and became an officer…" Benson asked in surprise.

Melissa nodded.

"I couldn't imagine that Larry would die just like that…"

Just like how she couldn't imagine the tragic deaths of her classmates at school.

In just a few seconds, some people could no longer speak, communicate, or study.

Benson was silent for a moment before sighing.

"I've been busy lately. Actually, I've been dealing with bereavement payments, but perhaps the list I received didn't include Larry, so I'm not sure.

"There's a lot of information on that list. Some are cheerful, others are humorous, others are the only child within a family. Some are determined, while others are the leaders of the soldiers around them. Some just got married and don't have children. Some are preparing presents for their youngest daughter, while others had love letters with them. They planned on sending it at the post office after the battle… But, they're all dead."

Melissa and Benson fell silent at the same time, and neither of them spoke for a long time.

When they were almost at the intersection, Melissa looked at the road ahead and said in a low voice, "What do you think His Majesty will be talking about in his speech today?"

"Perhaps it's a form of musters, or perhaps it's to convey the faith that we will prevail," Benson said in passing.

Melissa turned to look at her brother.

"This isn't like you, Benson. Shouldn't you be making some snarky remarks?"

"It should wait till the speech is heard and the specific content is understood. The most basic principle of being a person is to not make comment on things that one doesn't know enough of. Otherwise, they would be worse than a curly-haired baboon," Benson said with a smile.

At this moment, he saw another neighbor.

The other party's hair was white, and his face was half-covered with a scarf. He was wearing a thick jacket and was holding a cloth bag in his hand as he hurried past the siblings.

"Mr. Thomas's dressing is so strange… Does he still need to do something else?" Benson looked at the back of the man and asked in puzzlement.

Melissa replied in a low voice, "Mrs. Thomas is sick, and that spent quite a bit of their family's savings. Recently, with food prices sharply increasing while Mr. Thomas's income remains the same, he has to queue up at the soup kitchen every few days to get some bread. He's a decent gentleman, so he probably doesn't want others to recognize him.

"Also, the food at the soup kitchen is always limited. If one's late, there might not be any left. They'll have to go to the cathedral, the workhouse, and other places. The handouts just happen to start after His Majesty's speech, so Mr. Thomas probably wants to go there directly."

Benson nodded slowly and asked in concern, "What's wrong with Mrs. Thomas? I know a few good doctors."

"A disease caused by anxiety," Melissa explained what she had heard. "Mrs. Thomas is very worried about her youngest child who's serving in the army."

"You mean Thomas Jr.?" Benson frowned slightly.

After receiving his sister's confirmation, he fell silent, as if recalling something.

After a while, when they approached the nearest municipal square, Benson looked ahead and whispered, "Thomas Jr. is already dead…"

"…" Melissa didn't respond, but her expression was a little dazed.

They walked forward silently, as if they were relying on inertia.

More and more people appeared in front of them. These people were either dressed in formal attire or holding canes, dressed up as gentlemen. Otherwise, they were dressed in blue, green, yellow, and red-colored skirts; sweaters and leather jackets matched with pants; or dark-colored petticoats. Their colors were dull.

They came out of their houses and from the streets they were on, like water droplets splashing upward. They merged together at the intersection, forming a tiny stream.

The stream surged ahead, combining with other tributaries, and flowed into the square's entrance, interweaving into a majestic torrent.

The torrents slowly surged forward, flooding the square.

Amidst this torrent of humans, Melissa felt like she was as puny as a water droplet.

Chapter 1144 Narrowly

Due to the fact that they had arrived early, the seats that Melissa and Benson could choose from weren't too bad. They could directly see something strange on the grayish-white stone pillars in the middle of the square. Its two heads dramatically differed in size and were painted with dark blue paint. It was connected to some cables.

At the foot of the object was a troop of soldiers in red shirts and white pants. They were carrying grayish-white metal backpacks, as well as complicated structures and small-caliber rifles. They were watching their surroundings in high alert.

As more and more citizens gathered, the square began bustling with activity.

At nine o'clock sharp, the strange object on the stone pillar suddenly produced sizzling sounds. Finally, it changed into a deep and thick voice:

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm your emperor, ruler of Loen, East Balam, and Rorsted Archipelago, George Augustus III."

…That thing can talk? It's using the principles behind the telegram? Melissa's eyes widened as her attention shifted from the speech to the strange thing.

…

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm your emperor, ruler of Loen, East Balam, and Rorsted Archipelago, George Augustus III."

At Memorial Square in West Borough, Audrey accompanied her father, mother, and elder brother near the platform. She looked at the king in his formal attire as she attentively listened to his speech.

As she knew in advance what George III would be focusing on today, and the mood that would be created, Audrey didn't wear anything that she was fond of. Be it the colors or style, they were nothing a girl would wear. It was the same as the Earl's wife, Caitlyn. The dress was simple and conservative. It was black in color without any traces of accessories.

"…I'm very happy but also feel heavy-hearted to tell everyone that we've finally stopped the first stage of the Feysacian attacks. We've foiled their plans of annihilating Loen within three months…

"…But many outstanding young people have already died at the front lines and died in this war. They had a better future ahead of them. They should've accompanied their parents in growing up, aging together with their spouses, and allowing their children to grow up in a loving environment and have a good childhood…

"…The Feysacians have destroyed everything…"

Knowing why this war had started, Audrey wasn't incited by the King's speech. She only felt that he definitely had talent in inciting drama.

She heard slight sobbing sounds coming from the crowd around her. She could feel the sadness rising bit by bit as they intertwined and brewed.

Her eyes reddened uncontrollably.

The king's speech was very fake, but the sorrow of the people was real. In particular, Audrey had seen many family members who had been killed, having helped those who had lost their children, husbands, and father overnight.

This is a great resonance of emotions, the best place to consume the Manipulator potion… Audrey suddenly came to a realization, but she was unable to make use of it because, not only had she not digested the Dreamwalker potion, but she had yet to provide enough contributions to Mr. World.

She slowly took a deep breath and controlled her emotions. She shifted her gaze away from King George III and let her thoughts wander.

Mr. World is very concerned about today's speech. I wonder how he's going to exploit this…

I hope it won't lead to a serious accident…

That thing called a "radio broadcast" is based on the principles of wireless radio transmission? Mr. World mentioned that certain factions at sea have already put such technology to use… Compared to the sea which is constantly affected by storms, something like this is clearly more suitable for use on land…

As the thoughts flashed through her mind, the stern and old-fashioned George III finished the first part of his speech and solemnly said, "Let us mourn for our heroes here. Ladies and gentlemen, recite this together with me in your hearts:

"In the name of Emperor George III, I wish for the dead heroes to be at peace. I hope they will become eternal in the kingdom of the deity they believe in."

This sentence carried an indescribable sense of dignity, making everyone, including Audrey, involuntarily lower their heads, clasp their hands, and silently recite, In the name of Emperor George III…

…

In the name of Emperor George III… On the other side of Memorial Square, Klein, who was wearing a black coat and an ordinary face, stood and prayed with the crowd around him at the same time. He appeared completely normal.

After three minutes of silence, he used an avian marionette standing on the roof of a nearby building to carefully observe George III's every move in an attempt to find a sign that the king was about to quietly leave and enter the mausoleum to consume the potion.

According to Klein's understanding, the "in the name of Emperor George III" segment was core to the entire Black Emperor ritual. If one were to consume the potion, it would definitely happen at this moment, or within two to three minutes after the collective mourning. The effects would likely be lacking if there was any delay.

Eh, George III is also silently mourning. He isn't doing anything else… Klein held back his impatience and puzzlement as he patiently waited.

Tears streamed down many people's faces as the mourning gradually came to an end. Everyone opened their eyes one after another. At this moment, George III didn't do anything. He spoke again and continued his speech.

"We've already endured through the most difficult part. We'll definitely defeat this evil and brutality. This is the power of justice. This is the power of every soldier at the front lines. This is the power of every factory worker…"

This… The arrangement by 0-08 wasn't successful. George III has no intention of becoming a god today. He's just trying to "bait" any enemies who want to destroy his ritual. In any case, he can still give many more speeches like this in the future? Klein frowned slightly as thoughts flashed through his mind.

Suddenly, his expression turned solemn as he thought of a possibility.

In the blink of an eye, Klein switched places with Enuni, who was hiding in the sewers. The latter was dressed the same as him, and his external appearance looked identical to him.

Following that, Klein took four steps counterclockwise and went above the gray fog. With the help of the crimson star representing Miss Justice, he used his "true vision" to observe the situation in the square.

He was already a Sequence 3 Beyonder, so there was no need for him to use the Sea God Scepter to widen his field of view. Of course, compared to a Scholar of Yore, a Sea King's "true vision" was obviously much larger. However, there was no need for that.

The moment his gaze landed on the stage where King George III was giving his speech, his gaze froze. There was no one there, or rather, there was only a fake "phantom"!

It was an "imagined" George III giving the speech!

Before the speech, Klein had been wary of this problem. He had specially observed and confirmed that it was the real George III. Who knew that, within a few minutes, the real George III would become an imaginary George III.

In the midst of his silence, he had used the Black Emperor pathway's powers to distort and silently swap himself with a substitute? George III should've already entered a secret mausoleum and is consuming a potion in an attempt to advance! With a thought, he quickly checked the surrounding area and discovered that there was something abnormal beneath the platform. Boundless black energy was secretly emanating from there.

He then picked up the Black Emperor card on the surface of the long bronze table and tried sensing it. Using the law of convergence of Beyonder characteristics, he confirmed that the power belonged to the Black Emperor pathway and came from "Distortion" powers.

Impressive. While using a speech to "bait" the enemy, he disguised himself as a fake person and secretly left to consume the potion… There's not much time left… Klein's heart tightened as he immediately returned to the real world. In the sewers, he recited in Jotun, "The sacred spirit that pursues knowledge;

"The mysterious world's lighthouse;

"Eyes that pry into fate;

"The royalty above the sea;

"The pure and holy Bernadette Gustav…"

This was the honorific name of Queen Mystic, but it was somewhat different from a normal Sequence 3's. Its range was very large and was effective all across Backlund. With regards to this, Klein suspected that the eldest daughter of Emperor Roselle had used a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact to achieve this effect.

Bernadette rarely told her honorific name to anyone, afraid that some enemies would use the prayer and automatic response property to lock onto her position before she reached Sequence 2. This was very similar to what Klein had thought of.

Klein had come to an agreement with her that, as long as he recited her honorific name, she would choose any secret mausoleum and open the door with the symbol drawn by the blood in an attempt to destroy it.

Both of them didn't have any hopes of success, because the guards in the mausoleum would definitely chant the honorific names of the angels every once in a while, causing a situation that allows "Them" to see the corresponding areas through the prayer point of light. Once "They" discovered something amiss, "They" would immediately rush over to help.

Bernadette's main purpose was to attract attention!

Of course, if those angels were to arrive at a slower pace, Queen Mystic could also go from providing support to being the main offensive force.

After doing this, Klein immediately stretched out his right hand to grab the air.

As his arm pulled back, a figure appeared in front of him.

It was a woman with average facial features and dark eyes. She wore a simple robe and a tree bark belt. Her raven-black hair hung down as she stood bare feet without any shoes or socks.

The Evernight cloister's matron, the ascetic leader, the Servant of Concealment, the Grounded Angel, Arianna.

I succeeded in one try… Klein was shocked, but he didn't think too much about it. He quickly said, "Keep my existence concealed and protect the people of Backlund."

He was worried that after George III lost control due to the destruction of his ritual, he would rush out of the mausoleum and harm the people of this city.

"Alright," Arianna replied with a calm expression. She wasn't rigid or stiff at all.

…It can't be "Her" in person, right… Actually, my summoning wasn't successful, but the Goddess had already gotten Ma'am Arianna to secretly return to Backlund. The moment "She" sensed that "She" had been summoned, "She" came over… An angel of the concealment domain also has a certain degree of control over "Their" Historical Void image? As a thought flashed through his mind, he realized that he had entered a special state, no longer being sensed by the outside world.

Chapter 1145 Three Arrows At The Same Time

Klein didn't have the time to think about such trivial matters. After having his existence "concealed," he immediately got Enuni to switch places with a new marionette who was formerly a pirate.

Immediately following that, he activated Creeping Hunger and brought Enuni and Qonas to the secret mausoleum in Awwa County.

As he could only maintain three images from the Historical Void at the same time, it was impossible for him to abandon his marionette and directly come over by using a summoned projection. It would occupy a crucial spot. As for the remaining marionettes in Memorial Square, they wouldn't die on the spot in half an hour. They would only appear to be in a daze. However, this wasn't something that would attract too much attention while listening to a speech. Finally, if he didn't return, the Red Gloves team from the Church of Evernight would clean up his tracks.

At the same time, outside the secret mausoleum in East Chester County, there was a young lady in a yellow layered dress and a black, old-fashioned bonnet. Pea vines grew out of nowhere as they appeared.

Her chestnut hair cascaded down naturally. Her eyebrows were long and straight, and her eyes appeared as though they were filled with a blue sea.

Looking at the mountain wall in front of her, Queen Mystic extended her right hand and quickly formed a symbol in the void.

Following the movement of her fingertips, drops of bright red blood that resembled shattered gems seeped out and froze in midair.

Soon, a complicated symbol formed from layers of "doors" appeared. They trembled slightly and seemed to resonate with something somewhere else.

In the blink of an eye, the blood-colored symbol extended into an illusory translucent door. Through it, one could vaguely see a gigantic mausoleum formed from black rocks.

Bernadette immediately walked through the illusory door and arrived inside a dim and dark area.

The light here came from the lights of stone pillars and strange underground moss growing on the cliff walls. Together, they illuminated the secret mausoleum in the light fog at the bottom.

The symbol provided by Mr. Door was really useful!

At this moment, as a ritual was being held deep underground, faint lights gathered, forming a figure midair in the darkness.

The figure had a square face, black hair and blue eyes, a high nose bridge, and a thick beard. He looked rather solemn.

His appearance and image wasn't unfamiliar to many citizens of the Loen Kingdom. This was because he had been printed on the front side of ten-pound notes. Of course, people who had never touched ten-pound notes in their entire lives could also see his statue or portraits at Memorial Square.

He was the Loen Kingdom's Founder and Protector, the first king, William Augustus I.

This was an entity referred to as "He"!

With the help of the ritual, "He" had come here directly from Backlund!

Bernadette remained impassive. With a flip of her hand, a new item appeared.

The item was golden in color, like a miniaturized water flask. However, a candlewick extended out from the mouth of the flask.

As Bernadette caressed the surface of the item with her right hand—one that was covered in mysterious and complicated symbols—the candlewick silently ignited.

The light it emitted was like a sticky water stream that sprayed upwards, forming a blurry and twisted golden figure.

"Eternal Genie of the Lamp, my second wish is to obtain the strength of a Knowledge Emperor for one day." Seizing the opportunity when William Augustus I had yet to fully descend, Bernadette spoke in a solemn voice.

The item in her hand was called "Magic Wishing Lamp." It might've come as early as the First Epoch. Although it had never been obtained by the seven Churches, it had the corresponding Grade 0 Sealed Artifact number.

"0-05"!

This item could grant its owner any ten wishes, but this was either done in a distorted form, or it came with unpredictable and terrifying outcomes.

None of its previous owners had a good ending, including Roselle Gustav.

This emperor had warned his daughter that she could use the proper choice of words and make preparations to avoid the harm brought about by the first two wishes, but she absolutely couldn't make the third wish. Absolutely not!

…

Meanwhile, the concealed Klein arrived near the secret mausoleum in Awwa County without alerting anyone.

Although time was tight, he didn't rashly approach the mausoleum by drawing the symbol and opening the door. Instead, he reached out his right hand and grabbed at the air in front of him.

After five consecutive attempts, the muscles on his arm suddenly tightened, as if he was pulling something extremely heavy.

As he retracted his right hand, a figure quickly appeared.

The figure's skin was bronze in color. He had a medium build, black hair, brown eyes, and soft facial features. Beneath his right ear was a very thin mole. It was none other than Azik Eggers.

However, unlike the Mr. Azik that he knew, the figure's gaze was cold. He wore a deep black robe embroidered with golden threads. He wore a golden bird-shaped crown, as though he was looking down on all living creatures.

This was the former Death Consul, a former Sequence 2 angel!

Without sizing him up further, Klein reached out again and "grabbed" into the void.

This time, he didn't seem to have pulled anything out, but in fact, he had summoned the former him from ten seconds ago, the him who was in a concealed state!

Then, Klein threw a small metal bottle at his projection and made himself enter the gray fog's Historical Void.

In his past self, his consciousness suddenly came alive and became extremely agile.

This concealed Klein brought the projection of Death Consul Azik and came to the secret mausoleum where the entrance couldn't be seen. He took out a small metal bottle and used his spirituality to draw with the blood that shimmered like gems. In midair, he quickly outlined the symbol that Mr. Door had given.

The symbol rapidly formed and resonated with a particular point in the mausoleum, expanding into an illusory door.

In a concealed state, Klein and Death Consul Azik passed through the door and entered the corresponding secret mausoleum.

At that moment, the guards inside had already discovered that there was an intruder and had activated the ritual they had prepared in advance. However, all they could see was the lofty Death Consul.

Somewhere in Backlund, the former, former Duke of Southville, Dlink Augustus, was just about to use a ritual to open a passageway and descend into that secret mausoleum when a man beside him suddenly frowned and said, "That's Azik Eggers. No, 'He' is very rigid. It's like a historical projection summoned by the Secret Order's Scholar of Yore.

"Your Highness, let me go over. Stay here and be wary of the Scholar of Yore who's lurking in the dark. Although they aren't angels, they're quite troublesome."

Dlink Augustus was a slightly arrogant elder. His black hair was mixed with silver threads, and he was clean-shaved. Upon hearing that, "He" laughed and said, "Isn't the Scholar of Yore just beside 'Him'? Although he's in a concealed state, I've already discovered him through the disorder of the surrounding area.

"He's misleading us, making us think that he's deliberately attacking with a historical projection while his true body has gone elsewhere. In fact, he's hidden beside Azik's projection. Once this Death Consul attracts the attention he wants, and when we place our main forces elsewhere, he'll use the concealed state to approach the mausoleum to cause destruction.

"Besides, regardless of the reason, since he's summoned an angel's projection, you won't be able to kill the target in a short period of time even if you carry a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact. If this implicates the mausoleum, our efforts and persistence would've been in vain.

"If that Scholar of Yore has done three levels of misdirection and really went to another mausoleum, he won't be able to summon an angel from the Historical Void. You can easily eliminate him."

While he said his first sentence, Dlink Augustus had already entered the passage through the ritual's activation. The rest of "His" words were spoken by the phantoms that "He" had left behind.

Inside the secret mausoleum in Awwa County, Azik Eggers scanned the area with an indifferent expression. "His" body suddenly swelled and transformed into a giant serpent that covered the area above the mausoleum.

This giant serpent was both illusory and real, as though it was formed by something incomprehensible to humans. Its entire body was covered with huge dark-green scales. White feathers grew out from the gaps, and each scale and feather had strange symbols of different shapes. Just the mere sight of them made one's flesh decompose, turning them into zombies.

This was "Quetzalcoatl," the serpent spoken of in Southern Continent myth. "His" eye sockets were burning with pale-white flames as an exaggerated, thick pair of wings spread from "His" back.

Amidst the howling wind, the feathered serpent in midair lunged forward with its upper body and spat out a pale-white flame that covered the entire mausoleum.

…Mr. Azik's Historical Void projection is definitely much weaker than before, but it's still very powerful… As expected of the biological son of Death, the consul of the Balam Empire… Although the concealed Klein had done a summoning experiment previously at sea, he never expected that Azik's projection would be so powerful.

At that moment, points of faint, gloomy glows flew out of the mausoleum, putting an end to the tidal-like pale-white flames' advancement.

Following that, they formed a figure. It was none other than the Sequence 2 Balancer, Dlink Augustus.

The moment the concealed Klein saw "Him," he suddenly turned rigid and stiff. He began acting based on instinct—a result of him returning to the Historical Void and being outside the secret mausoleum.

Then, he teleported to a secret mausoleum under the Tussock River and took out another small metal bottle. In a concealed state, he used his spirituality to draw the blood out to outline the symbol.

A few seconds later, the symbol resonated and turned into a door. With his marionettes, Qonas and Enuni, he walked in.

Of course, in the river and forest outside, he still had marionettes he just converted.

…

A figure appeared near the Ruins No. 1 in the outskirts of Backlund.

Her raven hair was radiant, and her face was slightly round. She looked beautiful, with a hint of sweetness and an outstanding bearing. She was none other than Demoness Trissy.

After Trissy approached Ruins No. 1, she also took out a small metal bottle and drew the symbol provided by Mr. Door with the blood.

An illusory door rapidly took shape.