1219 - 1226

Chapter 1219 Changing the Goal

In the Fog Sea, which hadn't been engulfed by war, the Future slowly began to sail towards the Berserk Sea amidst a convoy of ships.

Admiral of Stars Cattleya hadn't had much to do recently. All she had to do was wait for the Moses Ascetic Order to respond to her request. As she strolled the deck, she enjoyed the sunlight that shone through the thin mist.

With a sweep of her gaze, she saw Frank Lee.

This first mate of the Future, the second most important person of the Star Pirates, was wearing light blue pants and a white shirt with the top two buttons unbuttoned, revealing thick brown chest hair. He was like a humanoid giant bear.

He stood at the bow of the boat, looking into the distance. It was unknown what he was thinking, but he looked rather down.

Cattleya involuntarily slowed down a little as she turned to enter the cabin.

"Captain!" Frank noticed her and looked over with anticipation, as though he was waiting for this Admiral of Stars to answer his questions.

Cattleya's figure paused as she adjusted the heavy glasses on her nose and asked in a seemingly casual manner, "What are you stumped with?"

Frank thought about how to phrase his question and replied in a serious manner, "I'm reevaluating the inventions and creations I've created over the years."

"…What are your thoughts?" Cattleya asked cooperatively.

Frank nodded and said in distress, "There are too many matters I need to reflect on.

"The most important thing is that the things I've created are still missing the most important thing."

Cattleya was puzzled, but she didn't wish to ask further. In the end, she still held onto the thought of taking responsibility for all the crew members on the Future. She deliberated and said, "What is it?"

Frank's expression instantly turned solemn.

"They all lack souls!"

"It's a good thing that malt, grapes, and mushrooms don't have souls…" Cattleya subconsciously advised before saying, "This isn't something you can dabble in right now. You're only a Sequence 5 Druid."

Frank's eyes lit up when he heard that as he blurted out, "I've got it!"

Cattleya frowned indiscernibly.

"What… did you get?"

Frank was no longer depressed.

"I understand the problem. That is, the creations I want have exceeded the limits of a Druid's abilities.

"Therefore, Captain, I'm not going to be a Druid anymore. I want to become a Classical Alchemist!"

This was Sequence 4 of the Planter pathway, the starting point of a demigod.

Cattleya's expression froze for a few seconds before she took on the posture of a captain and a demigod. She nodded gently and said, "Having a goal is a good thing, but you have to understand how difficult it is."

Underlying those words, she wanted him to not hold any hopes and not to take this goal seriously.

Frank Lee nodded heavily after receiving her "encouragement."

"I will do my best!"

To prevent Frank Lee from acting rashly, Cattleya decided to take the progress of the matter into her own hands.

"I will help you too."

When the time came, even if she had any progress, she could inform Frank Lee that she had tried to no avail.

Frank was very happy as he thanked his captain from the bottom of his heart before continuing, "I'll also write to Gehrman Sparrow and ask him for help.

"He's my good friend!"

What Frank didn't know was that the letters he had written for the past half a year had gone through a rather convoluted process:

The letter went to the messenger before being delivered to Fors. Fors would then transfer it to Gehrman Sparrow or request Mr. Fool's help at the Tarot Gathering.

Cattleya nudged her thick glasses again and, without another word, turned and entered the cabin.

She returned to the captain's cabin. Before she could think about what had just happened, she saw a letter on the desk with the brass sextant.

Cattleya was delighted. Ignoring the use of her Beyonder powers, she quickly walked over, picked up the letter, and opened it.

It was from Bernadette. After exchanging a few simple pleasantries, she wrote:

"If you are free anytime, you can come to La Cha incognito."

La Cha was a rather hidden island in the Fog Sea. It hid Queen Mystic's palace, also known as "Emerald City."

Cattleya repeated the sentence a few times before the corners of her mouth curled up involuntarily.

…

Backlund, West Borough, within the Odora family's villa.

Emlyn White once again met the middle-aged, gentlemanly Sanguine Baron, Cosmi Odora.

"What did Lord Nibbs say?" Emlyn controlled his emotions, trying his best to appear less eager.

Cosmi looked at Emlyn's bright red eyes and said, "He only wanted me to tell you that the entire Sanguine race doesn't have any excess Earl Beyonder characteristics. You can only wait for the present Earls to die of old age or accidents, leaving behind their inheritance."

Compared to humans, the Sanguine had a long lifespan. Even without a noble title, ordinary ones could live about three hundred years old. Under such circumstances, they could slowly accumulate and occupy every level, preventing any excess in Beyonder characteristics.

Therefore, it wasn't easy for ordinary ones to advance to Baron or become a Viscount. They either waited for the existing nobles to die, or they would obtain it from external sources. Otherwise, they would have to make sufficient contributions and receive the precious inheritance.

Compared to the first two Sequences, it was even more difficult for a Viscount to become an Earl. This was because being a Sanguine Earl meant being a demigod, and he could easily live for more than a thousand years. Those Viscounts' descendants had to pass generations before they could wait for a chance of an Earl's passing.

And it was precisely because of this that, as long as there was a vacancy in the Earl position, it would immediately be distributed and not "in stock."

For Baron and Viscount characteristics, they existed in the Sanguine's treasury in the form of Beyonder ingredients and Sealed Artifacts, but the numbers were few and far between. Every bestowment had to be strictly administered. There really weren't any spare Earl characteristics.

This answer was within Emlyn's expectations. He looked at Baron Cosmi and nodded slightly.

"In other words, as long as any Count passes away, it will be my turn?"

"No." Cosmi shook his head. "Although you have contributed plenty, you haven't reached first place on the waiting list yet."

"What's my ranking?" Emlyn first frowned before relaxing his brows to prevent his eagerness from showing.

Cosmi coughed and cleared his throat.

"Twelfth."

…This might not even happen when the apocalypse arrives… Since the Ancestor has given me the important task of saving the race, why didn't "She" arrange all these matters? My Scarlet Scholar potion has been digested for months… Could it be that another test? Emlyn thought to himself silently for a few seconds before asking thoughtfully, "If I obtain an Earl's characteristic from external sources, will the race help me prepare the ritual?"

Cosmi exhaled and said, "Of course!"

Emlyn didn't stay any longer. He left Odora's villa and took a carriage back to his residence.

Ever since Feynapotter declared war on Loen, he had never been to the Harvest Church. He had only heard from The Star that the door had been smashed and many things had been stolen. It had become a place for the homeless.

As for Father Utravsky, he spent half a month in a cell behind Chanis Gate. The rest of the month was spent in a room on the upper level of Saint Samuel Cathedral, with the archbishop of Backlund next door. This arrangement was repeated over and over again.

This was because they were worried that if Father Utravsky were to stay behind Chanis Gate for an extended period of time, he would suffer irreversible damage. Under such a tense situation, the Church of Evernight wished to leave some buffer time so that they could use this opportunity to express their goodwill and begin negotiations.

Although Emlyn wasn't a believer in Evernight, and he even somewhat detested the cathedral, he went to Saint Samuel Cathedral twice a month to visit Father Utravsky.

Where can I obtain an Earl's characteristic… Emlyn, who felt that he had fallen behind and might not be able to bear the responsibility of saving his race, looked at the bleak streets while seriously considering every possibility.

He quickly had some ideas.

Ma'am Hermit had mentioned before that the Aurora Order's Saint, Saint Tenebrous, had Grazed a Shaman King. This corresponded to the Earl characteristic. If I could hunt this demigod of the Shepherd pathway like the Saint of Secrets, the problem would be resolved…

However, after the previous lesson, Saint Tenebrous probably wouldn't fall into a trap so easily…

There's also a possibility of directly attracting a King of Angels…

This was something everyone had discussed in the Tarot Club. The conclusion was that they had been attacking the Aurora Order for the past year, so it was best not to provoke them further.

Apart from Saint Tenebrous having a Sequence 4 Shaman King characteristic, Emlyn White could only think of one other option:

The Rose School of Thought!

Be it the Life School of Thought's Artificial Vampires or the Primordial Moon worshipers that originally existed in the Southern Continent, they were now part of the Rose School of Thought.

Of course, there were definitely some people who sought freedom. They hadn't joined any organizations yet, but either they were not at high Sequences, or they didn't have enough information to leak out.

Upon thinking of the Rose School of Thought, Emlyn instantly recalled a person.

Maric!

Maric represented the temperance faction of the Rose School of Thought. It was a faction that resisted the Mother Tree of Desire.

They also appear like they want to obtain something from the Rose School of Thought. Perhaps I can cooperate with them… Emlyn nodded slightly.

…

A number of residents in Moon City anxiously gathered at the entrance, casting their sights east from time to time.

They were the relatives of the people who had previously been led by the High Priest. They were also the representatives of most people in Moon City.

Finally, as the flames flickered, High Priest Nim, brought Rus and company closer to Moon City.

A man went forward and looked at his sister. He noticed that there were still traces of tears on her face.

This Moon City resident, who wasn't deformed, could sense her brother's gaze. She couldn't help but open her mouth, tears streaming down her face.

"God, God is here to save us…" She started to cry. It was such a sad and free cry as she let out her emotions.

Chapter 1220 A "Curtain"

"God, God is here to save us…"

The words spoken in a sob-filled voice echoed at the entrance of Moon City, causing the residents who were waiting to fall into a trance.

…

At the edges of the grayish-white fog, a fire quietly burned.

After eating another batch of mushrooms, Klein dispelled the iron-black skewer in his hand and looked up at the crater described by Moon City's High Priest, Nim.

He then reached out with his right hand and gently pulled, dragging "himself" out from fifteen minutes ago.

After exchanging looks, Klein's true form rapidly vanished and entered the fog of history. He ran all the way to a time before the First Epoch, and he sat in the old stacked cities.

His historical projection stood up and snapped his fingers repeatedly, flashing through the crimson flames as he headed for his destination.

When the crater that was once a hill was almost right in front of him, he stopped. He cautiously extended his right palm and pulled Qonas Kilgor out of the void.

The burly Earl of The Fallen's facial muscles twitched as he quickly transformed into another Gehrman Sparrow.

He took out a lantern from the fog of history with one hand and rubbed his temples with the other as he muttered softly, "Why does a marionette have to change its appearance?

"There's no one else here…

"I can't develop OCD…"

A few seconds later, the marionette's projection carried a lantern that emitted faint yellow light as it walked towards the crater not far away.

As the light flickered, Klein saw his target location and realized that it wasn't too deep. The difference between the bottom and the ground wasn't more than two meters. Of course, compared to the original hill, this change was indeed huge.

Inside the "crater," the soil was smooth, and there were a few rocks in it. There were many twisted, mutated plants around it whose species were difficult to distinguish. It looked no different from other places.

After observing for a while, Klein, who had stealthily activated Spirit Body Threads and Spirit Body Threads vision, slowly entered the crater, planning on following his preplanned route and reassessing everything worth paying attention to.

As he walked, he frowned slightly and let out an exclamation.

He realized that his thoughts had turned sluggish, but it didn't affect his thinking!

It was as if he had slept too much and had just woken up—having a heavy head with insufficiently active thoughts.

This was a situation that a person would occasionally experience. Beyonders of the other pathways might not be able to detect it, but as a demigod of the Seer pathway, Klein could clearly sense something amiss.

If it were any deeper, it would be close to the effect when a Marionettist controls Spirit Body Threads… The influence left behind by Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar? That's not right. If "He" didn't mean to leave it behind, it means that "He" showed "His" complete Mythical Creature form back then. That would've resulted in Moon City's investigation team in breaking down and losing control… If "He" had intentionally left it behind, what would be the purpose? Telling others that "He" was here? Klein circled the area in puzzlement, but he didn't discover any anomalies.

After some thought, he let his main body that was hiding in the Historical Void in a time before the First Epoch take four steps counterclockwise as he recited the incantation and went above the gray fog.

He wanted to do a divination!

With the exact time and location, Nim's description, and a real-world survey of the area, as well as lighting up some of the historical fragments, he believed that the prerequisite for making a "divination" had basically been met.

This didn't mean it was enough, but that he could barely give it a try. Besides, if the hill turning into a crater incident had something to do with Sefirah Castle and him, then the chances of a successful divination would greatly increase. The revelation would be very clear and not be interfered with.

Without any further thought, he sat on The Fool's high-back chair. He conjured a dark red fountain pen and yellow parchment and wrote:

"28th June of June 1349 of the Fifth Epoch. The anomaly that happened here."

He put down the fountain pen and grabbed with his left hand. He pulled out a handful of crater soil from the fog of history to use it as a medium for divination.

With one hand holding the soil and the other holding the parchment, he leaned back in his chair and recited the divination statement seven times. Then, with the help of Cogitation, he fell asleep.

In the hazy dream world, Klein saw the grayish-white solidified fog. He saw the hill that was tens of meters high, and the twisted vegetation around it.

A few seconds later, the fog began to churn and rapidly "vomited" a black shadow.

The black shadow was like a huge velvet curtain, madly absorbing all the light around it.

Its translucency increased as it completely enveloped the hill.

Following that, the hill vanished without a trace, leaving behind only a crater.

The strange plants at the edge of the crater were also suddenly covered and had black illusory Spirit Body Threads that extended towards different parts of the black "curtain."

The "curtain" became more and more transparent and illusory until it reached a point where one couldn't see it with the naked eye. If not for the fact that he had Spirit Body Threads vision to observe the reality of the scene, Klein wouldn't have been able to discover that the "curtain" had covered the crater's surface.

The scene flashed, and the dreamscape twisted to reveal a new scene.

Moon City's 5-man patrol team approached and discovered that a crater had replaced the hill that had vanished.

They stopped in their tracks and left the area without hesitation. They didn't rashly investigate.

After an unknown period of time, a gigantic figure suddenly appeared in another direction.

It was a demonic wolf covered in dark fur with eight legs. It was about four to five meters tall.

The demonic wolf had a tuft of short, grayish-white fur on its forehead. Its pure black pupils covered at least three-quarters of the space of its eyes. It was none other than the Dark Demonic Wolf, Kotar.

The Dark Demonic Wolf raised "His" head and opened "His" mouth, as though "He" was screaming, but nothing happened.

In the next second, a figure appeared in front of "Him." It was another "Him."

The Dark Demonic Wolf's historical projection did a simple step with "His" eight legs and "He" instantly arrived beside the crater.

After "He" surveyed the area, "He" carefully lowered "His" head and picked up the completely transparent "curtain" that had made the entire hill disappear.

The "curtain" suddenly came alive as it rapidly contracted and spun. It wrapped around the black demonic wolf as if it was adding half a black translucent piece of clothing to "Him."

The Dark Demonic Wolf trembled slightly, as if it had become a "clothed" marionette in two to three seconds.

However, this was only a Historical Void projection. The next breath didn't happen as the main body stopped maintaining the projection.

The "curtain" lost its support as it instantly collapsed and lay spread out on the ground.

Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar didn't give up. "He" occasionally transformed the monsters around "Him" into marionettes or summoned historical projections, allowing them to go forward again and again, experiencing all kinds of failures. However, in the end, "His" newest batch of marionettes still managed to pick up and control the "curtain."

The entire process was silent, as though it was a mime act.

Following that, the gigantic demonic wolf made the marionettes bring the "curtain" to "Him."

At that moment, the grayish-white fog around "Him" churned again, forming a vortex that was comparable to a hill.

The vortex emitted an invisible suction force, causing the strange "curtain" and Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar to be thrown towards it at the same time!

Such a scene caused a substantial ripple to appear in the dreamscape. Countless points of light appeared, making it difficult for him to see the specific details.

When everything returned to normal, Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar draped the transparent "curtain" around "Him" and rapidly flew away from the solidified fog.

And at that moment, the Moon City investigation team arrived and saw the ancient subsidiary god leave.

Kotar glanced at them, but "He" didn't stop, vanishing into the darkness.

At this point, the scene shattered and the dream ended. Klein woke up.

He sat up straight and tapped the edge of the long mottled table with his fingers as he silently muttered, It's not that there weren't any anomalies before I arrived. More likely it is that the guards from Moon City didn't discover it. After all, the fog extends outwards to an unknown limit…

What's that "curtain" that was spat out by the grayish-white fog? It can cover a hill when it's large, turning it into a crater, as though by magic. When it's small, it can be used as "clothes" by the demonic wolf, turning "Him" into a marionette… It's a little like a high Sequence item of the Seer pathway…

It was spat out because I entered the world above the gray fog and completed the binding with Sefirah Castle?

It seems to be able to turn the surrounding vegetation into its marionettes… This gives me a familiar feeling…

Yes, there was something wrong with the food laid out in the rooms of the foggy town back then. Spirit Body Threads were growing out of them, reaching out towards the core of the cathedral. Once they've been eaten, one will instantly evaporate and vanish. Yes, they end up hanging in the cathedral and becoming a marionette…

In other words, once one reaches the level of Miracle Invoker or Attendant of Mysteries, one can make plants or objects with spirituality grow Spirit Body Threads, so as to turn them into marionettes?

…Is that "curtain" the Beyonder characteristics of a Miracle Invoker or Attendant of Mysteries?

Judging from the Dark Demonic Wolf's performance, it might very well be the latter…

This is the reason why one Attendant of Mysteries characteristic has been missing for a long period of time. There were only clues, but no one could find it?

Before Sefirah Castle had an "owner," the grayish-white fog unconsciously attracted the high Sequence characteristics of the three pathways across space and accommodated them? What is it trying to do?

That suction force is really very strong. It frightened even Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar. "He" didn't even stop, only having thoughts of escaping…

What was "He" suspecting? What was "He" afraid of?

After some analysis, there was a look of excitement on his face.

If he could successfully hunt down an angel like the Dark Demonic Wolf, it would be an unparalleled harvest!

Of course, the Dark Demonic Wolf, who now had the "curtain," was much harder to deal with than before. This matter had greatly reduced his confidence in succeeding.

As his thoughts raced, he suddenly recalled something:

From the timing of these sequence of events, the Dark Demonic Wolf clearly had the "curtain" by the time he arrived in the northern city ruins, Nois…

"He" turned the entire city into marionettes and created a marionette city. It wasn't to settle down, nor was it to accumulate helpers. It was to prepare the ritual for Attendant of Mysteries?

Chapter 1221 Leaving a Message

If the Dark Demonic Wolf really is preparing the Attendant of Mysteries ritual, then "His" whereabouts won't lack traces… Klein nodded slowly. He already had some vague ideas on his mind, but he was still unable to truly sort them out.

He instinctively wanted to divine the location of the "curtain" by using the soil that had been tainted by the "curtain," so as to lock onto the location of the Dark Demonic Wolf. However, considering how the latter was an angel, such a method would most likely alarm "Him," alerting "Him" and causing "Him" to take precautionary measures. Therefore, Klein rationally gave up on this idea and returned to the real world. He thought hard about formulating a plan.

The next day, when there was a high frequency of lightning, another batch of Moon City residents came to Gehrman Sparrow's bonfire under the leadership of a priest named Duke. They listened to his teachings, enjoyed the mushrooms, and waited to be cleansed.

After the residents of Moon City experienced the cleansing, with tears streaming down their faces, Klein looked around and casually asked, "The sun god told you to guard this land and to take note of anyone walking out of the fog?"

Duke, who had been cured of his bloated ailment, knew that the High Priest had mentioned this matter to the oracle before him. He answered rather calmly, "Yes."

Klein nodded slightly and continued on the topic.

"If you really discover someone walking out of the fog, what will you need to do?"

Duke said without hesitation, "Recite the honorific name of the great sun god immediately and… report this matter to 'Him'…"

As he spoke, his tone became very depressed. In the end, he was unable to formulate his words. This was because the sun god—the Creator—hadn't given any response for more than two thousand years. Even though Moon City had held the most complete rituals and repeatedly chanted the honorific name, there had been no response.

"Anything else?" Klein pressed as he sharply noticed something.

This was a revelation from his spiritual intuition, and also a result of a certain degree of deduction. It was obvious that the ancient sun god and the City of Silver Creator would have considered this problem. One possibility was that the person who walked out of the grayish-white fog was extremely careful. He was very cautious and didn't enjoy being watched or monitored. After discovering the patrol team in Moon City, he would be inclined to use his Beyonder powers to affect their minds, making them forget that they had seen him or reciting the honorific name.

In this situation, the ancient sun god should've made certain arrangements.

Of course, this wasn't absolute. If Amon's father could accurately predict that the person walking out of the grayish-white fog was a rookie, then there was no need to say too much in the revelation.

However, considering how the ancient sun god—the City of Silver's Creator—had made an error in predicting where he would come out from the grayish-white fog, Klein was doubtful of the aforementioned possibility.

Duke thought for a moment and hesitated before saying, "To welcome that person and tell him a single word."

Klein's spirits were immediately lifted as he asked without batting an eyelid, "What word?"

Duke's lips quivered as though he was mimicking the pronunciation. Then, he said in a strange tone, "Chernobyl."

"…" Klein's mind froze for a second before he let out a silent sigh.

…

The Loen Kingdom, East Chester County, in a forest.

The nearby villagers gathered here and plucked strange mushrooms that were covered in roots, deadwood, and shrubs.

According to the kingdom's laws, everything that grew in this forest belonged to its owner, Miss Audrey Hall. However, with the war escalating, the demand of food, and the high taxes, these factors made it so that the farmers could no longer care about breaking the law. It was something that needed to be considered only if they survived. Furthermore, with more people participating, they naturally became emboldened.

They formed small teams and very efficiently plucked the mushrooms that were covered in golden stars or marbling streaks. They were divided into two parts, and a small portion was reserved for consumption. Most of them were prepared to be sold to grain merchants waiting outside the forest to exchange for gold pounds, for salt, fabric and other essential items.

These farmers didn't go overboard. Other than the mushrooms, they only took a portion of the fruits on the trees. They left behind what was sufficient for the rangers of the forest to submit to their masters.

In just two or three hours, the farmers sold large amounts of mushrooms and fruits. With the gold pounds in hand, they returned to their hamlets with beaming smiles.

To them, everything that happened today was what they wanted to do and they had also achieved their predetermined goals.

The grain merchant who had a full beard was equally happy because this was an unexpected harvest. With the present situation, he could earn a lot of money.

He led the workers with him to move large amounts of mushrooms and fruits to the processing point outside the city. After making the necessary arrangements, he placed them all into the warehouse.

As a meticulous businessman, he checked the warehouse again after sending the workers away. After confirming that there were no mistakes, he closed the door and locked it.

At this moment, he saw a thick wad of cash on the ground. They were all ten-pound notes.

When did I drop so much money? The grain merchant bent down in joy and picked up the stack of notes.

As he counted, he suddenly recalled the origins of the money.

They were the profits from selling the mushroom powder, dried mushroom, and dried fruits!

How generous! The bearded businessman sighed in satisfaction and turned to leave the warehouse.

Inside the warehouse, Audrey, who was wearing a light blue dress, removed her Psychological Invisibility and took out a black pocket.

This was the Traveler's Bag that she had rented from Xio.

Following that, the blonde, simple-looking Audrey easily threw bags of food into the black pocket.

After doing all of this, she took out a hard-covered bronze notebook and flipped to a page with "Teleportation."

This was from Fors—Leymano's Travels.

And what had conspired here was secretly manipulated by Audrey.

She first gave the fast-growing mushrooms provided by Ma'am Hermit to the animals in the woods. With their help, she "planted" them at suitable spots. Following that, she "influenced" the farmers in the surrounding hamlets, strengthening their inner desires, and making them overcome their fear of the law. And that grain merchant "happened" to pass by and discovered this.

This sort of manipulation of a person's heart was intoxicating, like a master of all beings. However, Audrey didn't smile at all. Instead, she sighed softly.

It's still not enough… I'm still lacking plenty. Lots…

The mushrooms she had obtained wasn't the type that Little Sun said could absorb the flesh and blood of monsters to flourish. They needed sufficient nutrients to rapidly grow. Therefore, there was no way to plant a second batch of mushrooms in this forest in a short time; otherwise, it was very likely to become a desert.

Staring at the empty cloth bags that had been emptied out, Audrey's green eyes flashed. She couldn't help but think, A large amount of food is concentrated at the Church, the royal family, the military, the government, the nobles, and the businessmen…

There are also some from Feysac, Intis, and Feynapotter, but who knows how many times I'll have to move them with only Traveler's Bag…

Manipulating the nobles, businessmen, and military personnel is very dangerous. I might be discovered if I'm not careful…

If the situation hadn't deteriorated to such a state, I might have never known that some people would have such a side to them…

When the environment and circumstances are different, the masks that everyone wears are different. I have to take note of this in the future…

As her thoughts raced, Audrey, who lacked experience in handling such matters, decided to seek Mr. World's advice to see if he had any suggestions.

As The World Gehrman Sparrow had been walking alone in the uninhabited Forsaken Land of the Gods, he was surrounded by darkness and despair. Audrey suggested that he should seek her out regularly for psychological counseling. This might not necessarily imply any treatment. A casual chat could effectively relieve the pressure, loneliness, and misery.

Gehrman Sparrow followed his doctor's advice, and from their chats, Audrey knew that, apart from asking her for medical advice, this powerful adventurer would also gossip with Mr. Star above the gray fog from time to time, maintaining a rather good state of mind.

With this decision, Audrey immediately activated her "Traveling" ability and returned to Backlund.

But on second thought, she felt a little depressed.

This was because she knew that, even if she gathered a large amount of food, she could only quell the residents of Backlund for some time. If the war didn't end, the situation would still worsen.

War… Audrey closed her eyes. She had no idea how she could stop it.

She had heard from Ma'am Hermit that the nature of this war was very likely to be a battle of gods. And the prelude to a battle of gods had always been very consistent; it was to spend a certain amount of time and strength to shake the anchors of "Their" opponents.

After some thought, Audrey pursed her lips and decided to start with what she could do.

As the notebook emitted a misty glow, her figure quickly turned transparent and disappeared.

…

Beside the quietly burning bonfire, Klein, who had just sent away the "guests" from Moon City, couldn't help but recall the words Blasphemer Amon had said before.

"He" said that there were many clues and things in the past that "He" wanted to explore that were buried deep within Chernobyl.

The ancient sun god had also specially emphasized "Chernobyl"… Amidst his thoughts, he suddenly had the urge to explore Chernobyl.

This wasn't considered rash. It was something he had always wanted to do. However, he didn't dare to do so because of Amon.

I've been heading east for more than half a year. Who would've thought that I would suddenly arrive at Chernobyl… Amon has obtained the last Worm of Time Beyonder characteristic and is preparing the ritual. It's impossible for "His" true body to still be in Chernobyl… Yes, "He" is a very patient King of Angels. Perhaps, "His" avatars have been waiting in Chernobyl all this time… After analyzing the present situation, Klein decided to let a projection from the Historical Void make an attempt.

In any case, he would never head there directly with his actual body!

After making up his mind, Klein went above the gray fog to do a divination. Then, he returned to the real world and reached out his hand to grab into the void, dragging his past self from five minutes ago.

As his main body disappeared, his projection gained consciousness. Following that, he grabbed a few times and took out the black staff embedded with many gems.

The Staff of the Stars!

He wanted to use the power of the Staff of the Stars to directly "Teleport" to Chernobyl!

Chapter 1222 "Research Facility"

When he held the Staff of the Stars, Klein pulled out a gold coin out of thin air with his other hand and flicked it.

As the gold coin tumbled, a revelation from his "divination" appeared in his mind.

It was an extremely deep ravine. At the bottom of it was a thick and vast building that was covered in layers of "grayish-white."

Every detail was restored to the Chernobyl that Klein had seen at the beginning. However, it didn't originate from the spirit world, but from his own subconscious.

Using the technique of dream divination, he reproduced the images he had seen in his mind.

And the moment this scene was completed, the gems embedded in the Staff of the Stars emitted a faint glow. It instantly vanished along with Klein's Historical Void projection and appeared above the grayish-white building.

In just a second, Klein returned from the easternmost front of the Forsaken Land of the Gods to Chernobyl!

This was one of the main powers of the Staff of the Stars: if the corresponding scene that surfaced in the mind of the wielder still existed in the real world, then the Staff of the Stars could allow them to cross all obstacles and distances, directly descending to their desired destination.

Of course, the prerequisite was that the outlined scene had to be absolutely correct and not visually be any different from the original.

The reason why he chose the deep ravine where Chernobyl was located, and not the grayish-yellow fog, was because he knew that the Giant King's youngest son, the God of Glory, Bladel, had perished after being freed from the curse. The area would definitely experience major changes, and the only thing that wasn't affected was the mysterious Chernobyl, which was valued by the ancient sun god and Amon.

This also didn't mean that the deep ravine and grayish-white building wouldn't have any visible changes. In fact, Klein had already prepared himself for the failure of his "Teleportation" attempt. After all, the person performing it was fake, and the item in his hand was also fake. It wouldn't be a pity if he lost it.

In midair, Klein, with the Staff of the Stars in his hand, didn't even have time to examine his surroundings when his entire body suddenly sank and plummeted downwards.

He didn't wear Creeping Hunger, nor did he transform into an avian creature. He was currently unable to fly.

Therefore, even though the demigods of the Seer pathway were bizarre and terrifying, they actually had a human side to them.

As his thoughts raced, a Beyonder power appeared in his mind.

Following that, the Staff of the Stars lit up with different colors, causing the surroundings to be filled with violent winds.

The wind swirled around him, causing his black trench coat to flap and his body to slowly descend.

During this process, Klein's right hand trembled, allowing the Staff of the Stars's historical projection to return to its normal location, doing so to prevent accidents from happening to him because of him imagining certain scenes.

Right on the heels of that, his left hand pressed down on the half top hat on his head. Just as the lightning in the sky was about to pass, he pulled out a lantern from the void.

Under the dim yellow light of the lantern, Klein stepped firmly onto the ground beneath the deep ravine with his buckle-less leather shoes. The endless darkness around him seemed to contain monsters.

He was standing in front of the "grayish-white" Chernobyl which was formed in layers.

Under the synchronized effects of the lightning and the lantern in his hand, Klein quickly discovered a situation.

There was no door to this thick and vast grayish-white building!

Hmm, every place is sealed… I remember that the ancient sun god had opened an illusory crack on the grayish-white wall before coming out… As if in thought, Klein found the spot in his memories and began chanting the honorific name of The Fool.

At the easternmost front of the Forsaken Land of the Gods, by the solidified fog near Moon City, Klein, who was hiding in the Historical Void, immediately entered Sefirah Castle. With the help of the prayer light, he used his "true vision" to scan the situation at Chernobyl.

In the deep ravine and desolate plains with remnant grayish-yellow fog, there wasn't a single Amon present.

As for Chernobyl itself, even with the "true vision" provided by Sefirah Castle, it wasn't enough for him to clearly see what was going on inside.

Underneath the layers and layers of "grayish-white," there appeared to be absolute nothingness, a space without any color.

Indeed it's not simple… As expected of the place where the ancient sun god—the City of Silver's Creator—walked out of… After sighing inwardly, he quickly left Sefirah Castle and returned to the historical fragment from before the First Epoch.

Klein, who was standing outside of Chernobyl, regained consciousness. He reached out his hand and took out Leymano's Travels.

He quickly flipped to one of the pages and prepared to use the "Door Opening" power of an Apprentice.

Such an action was actually a little rash for him, but considering that this was just a projection in the Historical Void, he felt that there weren't any problems with that.

The Beyonders of the Seer pathway are indeed both cautious and reckless at the same time. They're careful when making preparations, but reckless after making preparations. They show traits of caution and recklessness at the same time… As he lampooned himself, Klein silently passed through the obstacle and entered Chernobyl's interior.

After "Door Opening" repeatedly, he finally left the "grayish-white" buildings. He saw an ajar heavy metal door in front of him.

The metal door wasn't very tall, only about 2.5 meters tall. It was obviously prepared for humans.

In front of it, there were two pitch-black marks and two machine guns that were more sci-fi than any weapon belonging to this era.

These two machine guns looked a little similar to the ones he had seen when he was flipping through some magazines in his previous life. However, he wasn't a fan of such things, so he couldn't be sure.

Klein didn't pick them up or attempt to study them. His spiritual intuition told him that the two firearm-like weapons had completely corroded. Any contact with them would instantly cause them to disintegrate.

After taking a few looks, he dispelled Leymano's Travels. With the lantern in hand, he passed through two pitch-black marks and arrived behind the metal door.

There was a wide aisle here, and on both sides were rooms of different sizes. The tables and chairs inside were toppled, some were fine and others were broken in half. The walls were covered with black streaks.

It looks like a research facility… Klein set off from the remnants and overall layout, coming to a preliminary conclusion.

There was no need for him to deliberately search for anything. He quickly found a room with a destroyed machine. There were a few pieces of paper on the table that had a yellow tint to it.

It seemed like someone had casually placed it there after collecting it.

The ancient sun god or Amon? After hesitating for two seconds, he finally stepped into the room.

The dim yellow light dispersed the darkness inside as he picked up the few pieces of paper and quickly scanned them.

Ten seconds later, Klein put down the piece of paper and the corner of his mouth twitched.

He didn't recognize any of the words on those pages!

In my previous life, I only barely passed English, let alone other languages? Klein suddenly felt the feelings of the other Beyonders in this world when they read Roselle's diary.

He slowly exhaled as he extended his hand into the void and took out an item.

This was a translating device that Zhou Mingrui had bought before going on a trip overseas which he had saved up for. When the luck enhancement ritual was held, it was inside a computer bag by his side.

To him, the greatest advantage of this translating device was that it could do offline translations—as long as it didn't exceed the internally stored database.

After fiddling with it, he finally understood what the few pages wrote:

…Research of the appearance of oil in a dried-up oil field… Why would they need to build a research facility in such an unimaginable place for such matters?

…God, what did they discover deep in the oil field…

…This is some amazing material…

…What exactly happened? The doctor turned into a puddle of black oil in front of me!

…More and more people have turned into oil. This research facility has been sealed from the outside… No one can leave. No one can leave…

…Mad, they've all gone mad. We're still normal, but our food is almost running out…

…I seem to be hearing things. There seems to be sounds coming from underground. It's summoning me. "He" is summoning me!

These lines of simple words sent a chill down Klein's spine. He felt as though he was walking towards madness and death.

At the same time, a thought naturally came to his mind:

The corruption that stems from underground.

The cause of all this was the unnecessary experiments involved after the discovery of some strange material in a dried-up oil field? Then, the world was destroyed? But if it was a disaster caused by such a coincidence, then there's no reason for me, Emperor Roselle, and the others to obtain items to help us "transmigrate" ahead of time… Perhaps, there are chances amidst inevitability, and in chance, there is inevitability? The underground corruption has always been influencing the human world in an unobvious manner. It can intermittently bring about certain mysterious events. Only when the research facility probed deeper was "He" fully awakened? Klein subconsciously swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

With the lantern in hand, he left the room and headed towards the depths of the research facility. He also paid close attention to anything that was worth paying attention to.

After walking for nearly a minute, his vision suddenly darkened.

More than half of the dim yellow light's radiance was consumed by the area ahead!

When he took a closer look, he realized that there was a cliff two steps away from him.

That portion of the research facility had collapsed into the ground. It was dark and empty, with no end to it.

Faintly, he seemed to hear a silent cry. It sounded in his mind from deep underground.

This feeling was something Klein had experienced before—from behind the bronze door in the Hall of Truth.

He frowned slightly and took a few steps back, prepared to dispel the Historical Void projection at any moment.

At this moment, a palm that was so dry that it only had skin and bones stuck out from the darkness, grabbing onto the edge of the cliff.

Then, a figure leaped out and landed in front of him.

He was wearing a pointed hat and a classic black robe. He had a monocle on his right eye. It was none other than Angel of Time, Amon.

However, this Amon's condition was very abnormal. It was like a skeleton covered in a skin membrane.

Klein subconsciously took a few steps back and saw the flesh and blood of the man before him rapidly fill up.

"He" adjusted "His" monocle said with a smile, "Ah, a visitor. I wasn't expecting that.

"And you are?"

Chapter 1223 That Level

Who am I? Just as Klein was about to remove the Historical Void projection, he was taken aback by Amon's question.

He controlled himself and didn't frown. Instead of answering, he asked, "You aren't Amon's true body?"

Standing at the edge of the cliff, Amon took a step forward and smiled.

"Of course not.

"You seem to know my true body or my other avatars?"

Although the Amon in front of him didn't take any action, the step "He" took still gave Klein an indescribable pressure. It wasn't easy for him to keep still without retreating, which would betray his cowardice.

He grunted and replied in a low voice, "That's why I'm curious as to why you don't know me."

"Are you very famous?" said the Amon who had crawled out of the darkness. "He" then raised "His" hand and adjusted "His" crystal monocle on "His" right eye.

This action lasted for a few seconds before it came to an end. As though in thought, Amon muttered, "There are no other 'me's nearby… Are there really none, or has the connection been completely severed?"

What kind of accident caused this Amon to be independent? No way, I can't believe this fellow's acts. "He" is a top-notch swindler… Klein's heart stirred at first before he suppressed his corresponding thoughts and asked, "Why did you crawl out from underground?"

Amon's expression returned to normal as "He" chuckled.

"Guess."

Be it "His" actual body or "His" avatars, the fact that he has a terrible personality doesn't change… Klein thought to himself and tried to probe with an answer, "You are exploring the secret that lays underground."

Amon nodded slightly and said, "Isn't that obvious?"

"He" then half-turned "His" body and pointed at the darkness beyond the cliff that the light failed to light up.

"My father crawled out of here just like I did.

"Ah, right. It has a name. You should have heard of it—Chaos Sea."

Chaos Sea? The Chaos Sea, one of the nine sefirots… It is indeed hidden deep underground… Is the corruption behind the bronze door really brought about by it? Previously, I was made aware of this mysticism knowledge through my casual chats with Amon… The ancient sun god was originally a member of this research facility. Then, he fell into the deep depths of the Chaos Sea, only to awaken in the Second Epoch and crawl out? As he was only an ordinary person back then, based on the law that proximity to the underground increases in danger with higher Sequences, he wasn't affected too much? Klein's mind raced as he recalled many matters and came up with various guesses.

Three seconds later, he said in response, "So you took the risk and jumped in to search for the truth of the buried history and the world?"

"Something like that." Amon man pinched the edge of his monocle and said in a self-deprecating tone, "But I didn't do it willingly."

"Ah?" Klein used a terse exclamation to express his doubts.

Amon smiled and said, "Every single one of me knows that it's very dangerous deep underground. We don't want to go down alone. We have tried many detours, including creating a marionette to replace us. However, we failed to succeed and failed to obtain any feedback.

"In the end, under the true body's watch, we held a fair vote. Unfortunately, I was chosen."

…It's a miracle that Amon hasn't completely gone mad yet… As expected of the God of Mischief… Internal decisions have to be done in such a way… Klein resisted the urge to lampoon.

"And then, you jumped down yourself?"

"What else? Let 'Them' throw me down?" Amon said as "He" spread "His" hands.

Having said that, "He" seemed to finally understand something as "He" muttered to "Himself," "The Chaos Sea made 'me' sever ties with my main body and the surrounding avatars?

"Am I independent?"

Independent… Previously, in front of the bronze door of the Hall of Truth, I felt that every cell and every Worm of Spirit were giving birth to a new consciousness, generating a different form of self… It's very normal for there to be similar changes in Amon's avatar after directly entering the Chaos Sea… An independent Amon avatar should be able to effectively trick Amon's true body… No, I can't trust "Him"… Klein validated Amon's words using his own experience, but he quickly reminded himself not to trust the God of Deceit.

He smiled and said, "I suspect you're bluffing."

Amon held up the crystal monocle and sized up Klein for a few seconds.

"It doesn't matter whether you believe me or not. Even if I want to find a partner, it wouldn't be someone as weak as you."

In the era of the eight Kings of Angels, were you very close to Red Angel Medici… Having made up his mind not to trust the independence of the Amon in front of him, Klein tried asking, "What did you discover in the Chaos Sea?"

"Plenty of things. Guess what they are," Amon said with a smile.

"You didn't discover anything," Klein said deliberately.

Amon shook "His" head.

"The other 'me's probably think so too. Besides, I haven't been out for a very long time, and I didn't respond. It's logical to believe that I had already been corroded and was digested by Chaos Sea."

Without waiting for Klein's response, Amon continued, "Chaos Sea is very large. It almost fills the core, and goes to a further layer. It's also the only sefirah that merges the real and the illusory and has an entrance in the real world. The others are either completely illusory and hidden somewhere unknown, or they're definitely real while existing in the real world.

"I found something very interesting inside. The first Blasphemy slate was likely born there, but it was later attracted by some power and left the ground before it was complete.

"My father might've browsed through that Blasphemy Slate in the beginning, which is why 'His' condensed into the second Blasphemy Slate when 'He' perished."

This is the origins of the two Blasphemy Slates? It's no wonder the ancient sun god was so powerful in the late stages of the Second Epoch… Klein vaguely understood something and subconsciously asked, "What's so different about the two Blasphemy Slates?"

Amon adjusted the crystal monocle and said, "The second Blasphemy Slate changed some of the Sequence names and added content.

"Those contents contain secrets about transcending Sequences."

"Transcending Sequences?" Klein's pupils widened slightly. He felt that his long-term guess had been confirmed. "Become the Creator?"

Amon smiled and said, "More or less, but this description isn't accurate enough.

"I like to refer to that level as 'Above the Sequences.' There are also a number of true deities who name it in other ways. Some call it 'Great Old Ones,' others refer to it as 'Outer Deities' or 'Cosmos.'"

Cosmos… The moment Klein heard this term, his spiritual intuition began to give crazy warnings.

He remembered very clearly that the ascetic leader of the Church of Evernight, Arianna, had told him before that unless he became an angel, he shouldn't attempt to understand the cosmos. Otherwise, just having knowledge of it would bring him great danger!

Without any hesitation, Klein, who had been hiding in the Historical Void's in a time before the First Epoch, gave up maintaining the projection. He stood up from the stacked cities of old, and he took four steps counterclockwise.

Almost at the same time, the violent lightning that streaked across the sky of the Forsaken Land of the Gods calmed down. The endless darkness vanished as well.

A gigantic crimson moon covered half the sky.

The light on the surface of the crimson moon stretched out as if it was alive.

Outside this world, the moon that was revolving around the Earth had a crimson sea flowing. It drowned everything, as though it was digesting this huge natural satellite.

The blood-colored sea boiled when Klein learned about the news of "Great Old Ones," "Outer Deities," and "Cosmos."

They quickly gathered towards the middle, constantly piling together until they formed an indiscernible, blood-red phantom image.

This phantom image was many times bigger than the moon. It had countless eyes, and "it" looked down at the blue planet. It cast its gaze at Klein's main body through the connection that was established the moment he learned about these matters!

As the crimson sea "receded," many craters appeared on the surface of the moon.

From the ground, the moon no longer crimson. It was bright and clear. It had remained the same despite the hundreds of millions of years.

Further out in space, the Brown Star, Orange Star, Scarlet Planet, Gold Planet, and Blue Planet twinkled like the blinking of eyes.

In the fog of history, boils began to emerge from the surface of Klein's body. Each boil had a mutated Worm of Spirit. They wore the faces of Zhou Mingrui, Klein Moretti, Gehrman Sparrow, and Dwayne Dantès. They were trying their best to drill out of his body.

Klein's thoughts quickly turned chaotic. His entire Spirit Body seemed to be torn apart by an invisible blade, but he still forced himself to finish reciting the last sentence of the incantation.

"The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings."

Silently, Klein's Spirit Body tore through the gray fog and entered Sefirah Castle. The power of the entire space began to boil as it surged forward and enveloped him, melting away wisps of black gas, streams of red light, and boils, severing the invisible connection.

Nearly ten seconds later, the struggling Klein finally regained consciousness. He stood up using the high-back chair as support.

Inside Chernobyl, Amon, who was standing at the edge of the cliff, said to "Himself" in a low voice as "He" adjusted the crystal monocle on "His" right eye, "Quite a fast reaction…"

If Klein had been a second slower and was embroiled in that chaotic state, Amon could deceive the connection between the projection and the actual body before Klein could remove the maintenance of the historical projection. "He" could then appear inside the corresponding historical fragment.

Above the gray fog, Klein sat down and rubbed his temples.

That Amon was indeed lying…

"He" should be the avatar that stayed behind to guard Chernobyl. When "He" discovered that I had come, "He" hid somewhere between the cliff and the Chaos Sea, pretending that "He" had just crawled out. "He" was unable to deal with my main body by bypassing the historical projection. Furthermore, "He" might not have the strength of a Sequence 2 angel. Therefore, "He" pretended to be an independent avatar so as to carry out the deceit…

On the surface, "He" attempted to make me believe that "He" was an independent avatar and could be cooperated with. "He" made me focus on this aspect, but in fact, "He" concealed the danger in "His" words…

Even in a normal conversation with the God of Deceit, one can still be scammed…

However, in order to achieve "His" goals, "He" had also given a sufficient amount of secrets…

Chapter 1224 Guesses About the Apocalypse

Loen Kingdom, Backlund.

Fors, who was still sleeping soundly, suddenly woke up from her dream. She subconsciously cast her gaze out the window.

She didn't lack similar experiences. Before she became a member of the Tarot Club, she often woke up in the middle of the night due to the curse of the full moon. But today, she didn't feel any familiar pain, but her heart throbbed for some unknown reason.

As the curtain had blocked the window, Fors was unable to determine what time it was from the weak light. She subconsciously got out of bed, walked to the window, and drew the curtains.

The sunlight that penetrated the thin fog shone into the room, dispersing the accumulated darkness. Fors stood by the window and looked up into the sky with an obvious look of confusion.

The sun has already risen, and the crimson moon had long set. Why do I still feel the sensation I have during the curse of the full moon?

Furthermore, there were still many days to the full moon!

…

The Intis Republic capital, Trier.

One by one, the astronomers, who had woken up early, as well as mysticism enthusiasts, as well as the covert Beyonders, cast their gazes high into the sky.

The layers of evening clouds disappeared, and the huge and bright moon outshone the light of the stars.

The moon's color was no longer the usual crimson color. It was white and unusually bright.

All who saw it were stunned. This was a moon that they had never seen before.

Be it the normal textbooks of human society or books related to mysticism, none of them recorded similar phenomena!

Apart from the common new moon, full moon, and the occasional Blood Moon, the moon had never experienced such changes. At least for the past 1300 years since the beginning of the Fifth Epoch, there had been absolutely no such change!

At this moment, the onlookers realized that, other than the crimson and blood-red states, the moon had another color.

…

The Forsaken Land of the Gods, the City of Silver.

As it was in the afternoon when the frequency of lightning was high, Derrick and company noticed the abnormality in the sky.

They were used to the familiar lightning and darkness. In just a few seconds, all of that completely disappeared without a trace. The blood-colored circular glow that blotted out half the sky was so obvious. It's massive size illuminated everything to great visibility.

The people of the City of Silver who had relatively agile thoughts immediately thought of the description and the corresponding picture of the moon in the general knowledge book. They suddenly had a thought that came to them:

"Could this be the moon?"

"The crimson moon?"

"We actually saw the crimson moon…"

Soon, the blood-red colors of the crimson moon in front of them drained inch by inch, revealing its bright and clear body.

The City of Silver residents were increasingly at a loss, unsure of what had happened.

Having heard Mr. Hanged Man, Miss Justice, and the other members of the Tarot Club talk about the outside world, Derrick Berg was even more shocked and surprised than them. This was because there was no such natural phenomenon outside the Forsaken Land of the Gods.

A few seconds later, the moon disappeared and the darkness once again engulfed everything. The frequent flashes of lightning became the main source of light.

"What happened just now?"

"Did you see that red circle?"

"Moon! That's the moon!"

"That's the crimson moon!"

"Is this a sign that we are about to escape our current situation?"

"Our second exploration of the Giant King's Court will go very smoothly and we will open the door that leads to the outside world?"

Amidst the confusion, most of the residents of the City of Silver subconsciously treated this phenomenon as a good thing, treating it as an auspicious sign from mysticism. Only the Chief, Colin Iliad, and the Elders of the six-member council like Lovia had serious looks on their faces as they frowned.

…

Above the grayish-white fog, inside the ancient palace.

Having gained a general understanding of Amon's scam, Klein instinctively turned his attention back to the "secret" he had learned.

He previously had some guesses about the corresponding content, but when it was truly revealed, he realized that it was even more terrifying and exaggerated than he had imagined. It made him even more hopeless.

To be able to successfully attract the attention of the Cosmos, this means that most of the secrets that Amon revealed are true…

There really is another level above Sequence 0. This should be the level which the ancient sun god was at. However, "His" condition didn't seem too right. "He" ended up being stabbed in the back, perished, and divided up.

…According to what Amon said, using the Creator to describe this level isn't accurate enough. "He" named it as "Above the Sequences"… There are also existences who use the term "Transcending Sequences" to describe that level, indicating that they have escaped the restrictions of the Beyonder pathway?

…Deities refer to this level as "Great Old Ones," "Outer Deities," "Cosmos"… From this, one can tell that there are two matters. One is the vast universe outside this world. In the boundless cosmos, there are "Great Old Ones" and "Outer Deities," who are existences at the Creator's level. For example, the one who controls the moon…

… From the looks of it, the brown star and orange star were the original planets. They have changed, making Emperor Roselle unable to recognize them… This is because there are Great Old Ones or Outer Deities entrenched in them, watching our world?

…The Box of the Great Old Ones mutated after being corrupted by the cosmos…

…Yes, there are most likely more than one Great Old One or Outer Deity… Why are "They" all surrounding this planet? What are "They" spying on?

…"They" didn't directly invade because there's a power that temporarily keeps them out?

…Thanks to the seven deities?

…Connecting this to the prophecy of the apocalypse in 1368, the seven deities might not be playing a crucial role in this. "They" have yet to transcend the Sequences… When the true barrier disappears in 1368, the Great Old Ones and the Outer Deities will no longer be obstructed. Then, the apocalypse will descend upon us?

Upon thinking of this, the questions that he had accumulated in his mind suddenly flashed through his mind.

Why did the Evernight Goddess take the risk of bringing about a battle of gods to seize the Uniqueness of the Death pathway?

Why did the seven deities tacitly acquiesce to having a Black Emperor?

Why did Adam, Amon, and the other Kings of Angels, after being silent for so many years, step out from behind the scenes in this era?

Why were the legacies of the ancient gods from the Second Epoch appearing one after another?

Why was there only one transmigrator released from Sefirah Castle in the first four epochs, but two in the Fifth Epoch, a period spanning slightly more than a thousand years?

Phew, be "They" good or bad, everyone is working hard to improve themselves to usher in the apocalypse… The Goddess, who is so good at setting things into motion, chose such a risky method because "She" wanted to transcend the Sequences and become a Great Old One? There's only a decade or so left. Time waits for no man… Did "She" provide me help in secret because "She" had similar hopes? Adam didn't take action even though "He" could finish me off twice. Apart from "Him" and me not having any significant grudges, this plays a role in everything? Klein gently rapped the edge of the long, mottled table as he muttered softly, "The key to becoming a Great Old One or Outer Deity is one of the nine sefirot?"

Looking around the empty Sefirah Castle, Klein sighed and muttered to himself, "As for the exact situation, I have to look at the second Blasphemy Slate to know. Unfortunately, I don't know when I'll have a chance…"

He then focused his attention on something else.

I'm not sure if the ancient sun god had completely transcended the Sequences… If a native Great Old One were to be born, humanity might still have a sliver of hope when the apocalypse happens… "His" death is even more complicated than I imagined…

It's no wonder Emperor Roselle said that only a Sequence 0 could preserve "Themselves" and protect the people "They" value…

I wonder if those Great Old Ones or Outer Deities have infiltrated the Earth with their powers?

Yes, according to how the seven orthodox deities and the other evil gods like the True Creator view the Primordial Moon and the Mother Tree of Desire with animosity, the latter might be Great Old Ones or Outer Deities…

It's no wonder the Mother Tree of Desire could directly mislead my divination above the gray fog. "She" is the most dangerous existence in my books!

I understand what those Great Old Ones and Outer Deities are gathered around this world for…

They likely want to obtain the nine sefirot; destroying the world is just something done in passing…

As he thought of this, Klein suddenly recalled the phrase the Mother Tree of Desire had said through Cynthia:

"Admiral, I want to have a child with you."

He couldn't help but shudder as he seriously considered his safety after returning to the real world.

He already had a certain level of understanding of the cosmos. As long as he subconsciously thought of something related, he would directly establish a connection with the Great Old Ones and the Outer Deities, and be corrupted!

If not for the fact that Sefirah Castle had cut off all contact from before, I wouldn't dare return to reality… After some thought, Klein decided to invite his psychiatrist, Miss Justice, to help hypnotize him and seal the corresponding information deep within his subconscious. Only when he saw a preset reminder would he recall it.

He originally wanted to directly summon the projection of "Justice" from the Historical Void to do this, but considering that this was an intricate task, it was very likely a mistake or oversight might happen if the person didn't have a deep understanding of the mind. And once there was a slip-up, the Great Old Ones and Outer Deities would cast "Their" eyes on him.

Phew, I need to remember to get Miss Justice to hypnotize herself to forget this matter… After some deliberation, Klein turned the corresponding request into a stream of light and threw it into the crimson star representing Justice.

Not long after, just after breakfast, Audrey, who had yet to leave home, arrived above the gray fog.

The long bronze table had vanished. There was a desk and two chairs placed in the ancient palace.

"Mr. World, what is the matter that you wish to forget this time?" Audrey looked at Gehrman Sparrow who was sitting opposite her and raised the most important question.

Klein rubbed his temples and used a deep voice to describe the secrets of the Cosmos, Great Old Ones, and Outer Deities.

Upon hearing this, Audrey's eyes widened bit by bit as if she had been possessed by an evil god.

After he was done, she fell silent for a few seconds before saying with the same deep and slightly confused voice, "This is the truth of the apocalypse?

"Even the seven deities are unable to save us?"

Without waiting for Klein's reply, Audrey laughed self-deprecatingly.

"I thought what I've been doing recently was very meaningful…

"I thought the worst news I could think of was the defeat of Loen and the annihilation of the Church…

"But compared to the secrets you told me, all of this is so insignificant."

Chapter 1225 Counseling

When he heard Miss Justice's slightly bleak and confused words, Klein could empathize with her. This was because he had previously had similar thoughts.

After recalling snippets from self-help books, he deliberated and said, "A father's death is so insignificant to the entirety of Loen. One or more cases might happen every day, but to his child's family, it is something that can change their fate.

"Similarly, if we don't reach the level of an angel, everyone's outcome will be sealed—death and be buried. But this doesn't mean that the time from when we were born to the time we die is meaningless."

Audrey nodded slightly when she heard that. She once again said in a self-deprecating tone, "I understand all of this. However, the secrets you mentioned had a huge impact on me, and I couldn't control my emotions.

"As a Psychiatrist, I actually needed someone else to counsel me…"

Klein smiled and said, "Isn't this very normal? Many times, we can tell if someone else's condition is normal, but we can't clearly see our own problems. Didn't you mention that you and Susie counsel each other from time to time?"

Due to the fact that Dwayne Dantès had seen Susie, the golden retriever, Audrey didn't hide anything related to her during their chats.

Audrey nodded gently and said, "Yes… that's right.

"I've already straightened my thoughts out. I should do what I can and not leave any regrets."

She gradually adjusted her mental state.

Klein then said, "It's not just a matter of not leaving any regrets; we might be able to add to the forces that resist against the apocalypse.

"Compared to the whole, this might be trivial, but even the vastest desert is made up of grains of sand. The boundless ocean is also formed by droplets of water. As long as everyone sends out as much light as the heat inside them[1], it might bring some hope."

"Sends out as much light as the heat inside them…" Audrey repeated the keywords in Gehrman Sparrow's words softly.

"Don't quote me," Klein added with a smile.

The corners of Audrey's mouth curled up as she replied with a faint smile, "Could it be something Emperor Roselle said?"

That I don't know… I have to endure a strong sense of shame when flipping through his quotations. I hadn't finished reading it all this time… Klein didn't give an affirmative answer, nor did he deny it. Instead, he said, "Start hypnotizing me. Let me forget things related to the cosmos, and only remember the corresponding reminder."

"A little while longer. I would like your advice on something." Audrey openly made a request. She took this opportunity to recount what she had been doing recently, as well as the difficulties and perplexities she had encountered. "…Mr. World, what suggestions do you have? What should I do to lessen the suffering of the people of Backlund before the war ends?"

As for stopping the war, although she wanted to, she knew that she didn't have the ability to do so.

At the same time, she also understood that even Mr. World wouldn't be able to do it. Even if Mr. Fool personally intervened, he would at most be able to turn the situation around. There was no way to stop the war. After all, this world war was essentially a battle between deities.

After hesitating for a few seconds, Klein calmly said, "Although the Spectator pathway tries to act behind the scenes as much as possible, and although I always keep the words 'caution' and 'carefulness' in my mind for everything I do, and try not to put myself in a dangerous situation…"

When he said this, Audrey subconsciously thought to herself, From the various rumors at sea, the descriptions of Fors and the others, and the demigod battle I witnessed, I really can't see the "caution" and "carefulness." There's only "dominance" and "radicalism"… Hmm, to be able to do those things and survive on strength alone is indeed not enough…

Seeing that Miss Justice was listening seriously with her green eyes filled with attentiveness, he continued, "In this world, nothing can be easily resolved without taking risks.

"Sometimes, I do something with the thought that 'death is a possibility.'"

The muttering in Audrey's heart stopped. She fell silent for a while before slowly saying, "I understand what you mean.

"There are many times when you can't do what you want while ensuring absolute safety. You can only choose one of them."

Klein nodded and decided to let Miss Justice understand the reality of this world better, so as to prevent her from being overly idealistic when she did things.

"The method you mentioned just now is the most feasible, with the least risks. The people who can help the people of Backlund are the nobles, Churches, businessmen, and the royal family.

"Why don't we rob Feysac, Intis, and the Feynapotter army of their food?" Audrey subconsciously asked.

Klein calmly said, "This is because the three armies have already entered the Loen Kingdom's borders. Even if you can escape a demigod's notice and successfully snatch the food, they will not collapse. They will definitely snatch the food from the surrounding people for sustenance. The effects will not be significant in the short term. As for the long term, we might not have the luxury of time to wait that long."

When that happened, it was obvious to Audrey who would be the true victims.

This was the difference between a war between deities and an ordinary war.

"Besides, I'm unable to do that. The capacity of Traveler's Bag is limited. It's the same for the "Teleportation" recorded in Leymano's Travels." Justice Audrey began to counsel herself as she asked thoughtfully, "If I were to really obtain food from the nobles, businessmen, and royal family, what reaction would the Church have when they discover traces of my interference?"

Klein maintained his previous tone and said, "A tacit acquiesce."

"…" Audrey vaguely felt that this was the answer, but she couldn't figure out the reason.

Klein continued, "Believers are the anchors of the deities. One believer is an anchor point. In this aspect, there is no difference between a noble and a poor person. In essence, no one is nobler or lowlier.

"Under normal circumstances, nobles and merchants can use their status, power, wealth, and influence to help the Church maintain its system and spread its faith. Therefore, they are more important. But in this situation, who is more important—thousands of anchors, or millions of anchors?

"This is a simple problem in mathematics."

Faced with the truth of the veil that had been ripped off, Audrey was momentarily speechless.

Seeing this, Klein added, "From this point of view, whatever you want to do on a wider level has its meaning.

"You will help the Evernight Goddess and the Lord of Storms stabilize their anchors. In the future, this might be critical to resisting the apocalypse."

Audrey pursed her lips bit by bit, holding them pursed for a long time before relaxing them. She chuckled and said, "Only now do I realize that I'm actually a little proud of my status as a noble."

"Nobility is in your character, not status." Klein helped her finish her sentence.

Audrey slowly exhaled and calmed her chaotic inner thoughts. She didn't make up her mind as a result.

She casually said, "Our Tarot Club and the Church… Uh, the relationship with the Church of Evernight seems pretty good.

"Mr. Fool and the Evernight Goddess are allies?"

This question stumps me… I do wish to become allies with the Goddess, but "She" might not be interested… After lampooning a few times, Klein said in a serious tone, "You can think of 'Them' as allies at the moment."

He deliberately emphasized that it was only now, so as to prevent himself from being slapped in the face by reality in the future.

At the same time, he muttered the real answer in his heart:

Based on the current situation, the Goddess was an angel investor of the Tarot Club, the major shareholder…

Audrey nodded slowly and suddenly smiled.

"I was just thinking about what you could be mumbling inwardly when you answered 'allies at the moment.' It must be interesting, just like when we were exploring Liveseyd."

…Lady, a Psychiatrist isn't suited to joking with a patient on such matters… Is it because we've been chatting for too long in the past half year and have become much more familiar with each other that you've revealed your true nature? Please show some respect to this adventurer in front of you who is famous for being cold and crazy… Yes, I have to say, the Spectator pathway's ability to adjust their own emotions is indeed impressive… It was all Leonard's fault that time… Klein was first taken aback before he pretended that nothing had happened as he leaned back into his chair.

"Let's begin."

Audrey immediately reined in her emotions and began to seriously and carefully attempt to hypnotize him.

After everything was over, Klein confirmed that Miss Justice wasn't under the notice of the Great Old Ones through the crimson star after she returned to the real world.

Of course, he had already forgotten anything regarding the Great Old Ones or Outer Deities. He was just able to confirm that nothing abnormal had happened from Miss Justice's condition.

Phew… Klein heaved a sigh of relief. He threw the piece of paper that could awaken his memories into the junk pile and told himself to wait until he became an angel.

…

Backlund, Bridge area, in an apartment.

Emlyn White looked at Maric, who had suddenly appeared in front of him. The former took off his hat and bowed in an extremely gentlemanly manner.

"What's the matter?" Maric sat on the sofa and leaned forward, his hands clasped.

Emlyn pulled a chair and sat down. He smiled and asked, "Do you still wish to deal with the important figures of the Rose School of Thought's indulgence faction?"

"Do you have any leads?" Maric asked indifferently.

Emlyn was definitely prepared before he paid the "visit," so he said unhurriedly, "I do not have any clues regarding the person-in-charge of the Rose School of Thought in Backlund.

"However, after the war escalated, the Southern Continent's East and West Balam, Star Highlands, Paz Valley, and Haagenti Plains have been thrown into chaos. Many of the Rose School of Thought demigods have emerged and walked onto the stage. They are no longer so difficult to lock onto."

Maric looked at the red-eyed and thin-lipped Emlyn and said, "Which duke or marquis of the Sanguine are you representing?"

"Am I not allowed to represent myself?" Emlyn raised his chin slightly and asked with a smile.

Maric shook his head seriously and said, "You are only a Sequence 5; you aren't qualified enough."

He had said it so directly that Emlyn was momentarily at a loss for words.

[1] Quote from a leading figure of modern Chinese literature, Lu Xun

Chapter 1226 Handing Out Mushrooms

Emlyn maintained his smile and calmed himself down before responding, "I can find helpers of a sufficient level."

He didn't wish to borrow the forces of the Sanguine too much on this matter, because if that happened, he would undoubtedly end up as a liaison, a bystander, and a messenger. He would not have any say in the eventual distribution of the spoils of war.

As for the Sanguine Dukes and Marquises, they had no lack of direct descendants who wished to advance to become a demigod and become an Earl.

At the very beginning, Emlyn believed in his identity as the Sanguine's savior. He believed that the important figures would treat every single member fairly. However, as The Hanged Man analyzed the various high-level Sanguine orders from Marquis Nibbs and the other high-level Sanguine, Emlyn gradually became wary of them.

He frowned slightly and said, "Sherlock Moretti?"

Emlyn was puzzled as he shifted in his seat.

"Why do you think it's him?"

If it was in the past, he would have directly said, "Why are you mentioning Sherlock Moretti? He has been away from Backlund for nearly two years." But now, he could acutely grasp that there was some hidden information in Maric's words. He subconsciously adjusted his question.

In the eyes of this Wraith, Sherlock Moretti isn't simple? Yes, indeed, he isn't simple… As he spoke, Emlyn made a guess.

Upon hearing Emlyn's question, Maric's expression immediately turned odd, as though it was his first time meeting this Sanguine Viscount.

He quickly restrained the abnormality on the surface and said without emotion, "We need to consider it.

"I hope you can come up with a more convincing plan the next time we meet."

"No problem." Emlyn secretly heaved a sigh of relief.

He immediately stood up and bowed gentlemanly.

After deciding on the means of communication, he put on his silk hat and walked out of the room.

As he returned to his residence, Emlyn couldn't help but run through his initial plan.

As long as I complete a cooperative agreement with the demigod of the Rose School of Thought's temperance faction, I can use it to apply for a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact from the Marquises and Dukes of the race…

Using the reason that it's under the cooperating partner's behest that they object to having demigods of the race be involved, I can stop them from directly interfering…

Yes, in order to make an agreement, I have to show enough strength to convince Maric and the others… I can only commission the mission at the Tarot Club to see if Ma'am Hermit, Miss Justice, and Mr. Hanged Man are willing to accept the commission. Miss Magician can also be considered. She can summon the projection of Gehrman Sparrow…

The biggest problem now is that I can't provide enough compensation…

I can only try to make an advance or a promise. Once I become an Earl, I'll return the payment one by one…

With this in mind, Emlyn suddenly felt thankful that he had joined the Tarot Club.

This was the only organization he knew that could use a future promise to exchange for current material goods.

And within the Sanguine, or in the orthodox Churches, one had to accumulate enough contributions until one reached the end of the line where the characteristics and advancement ritual was awarded. Sometimes, a Beyonder might not be able to accumulate enough contributions in their entire lives.

This is like a credit loan underwritten by Mr. Fool. It can be used to issue missions, and when the advancement succeeds, it can be paid in installments… Emlyn habitually leaned towards the things he was familiar with.

Although he had never borrowed money from the bank, some of the Sanguine had rich experience in such areas and would often talk within their own circles.

Most of them had a fixed, expensive hobby. The precious items might not be liquidated easily at times, so they had no choice but to borrow money from close friends or the bank to ensure the necessary cash flow.

Emlyn remembered that there was a Sanguine who wasn't good at wealth management. He relied solely on his profession as a doctor to earn money. When he took a fancy to a precious piece of art, he bought it using a loan from the Backlund Bank.

After that, he couldn't bear to pledge his property up for the mortgage. Exploiting his long life, he spent two hundred years repaying the debt. Of course, in name, his father had died, and the son took over the debt. When the son died, the grandson took over the debt.

Emlyn's evaluation of this was: very honest.

…

North Borough in Backlund. Outside Saint Samuel Cathedral.

The citizens lined up in rows as they received the grilled bread, dried mushrooms, preserved fruits, and other food from the workers of the Loen Poverty Relief Foundation.

Their lines extended from the main entrance of the cathedral all the way to the square and circled it several times. At a glance, it was densely packed with people.

Audrey stood on the steps behind Melissa and took in everything.

She saw the pale faces of the citizens, their eyes filled with longing. Seeing a mother holding a baby in her arms, she anxiously coaxed the child while eagerly observing the line in front of her that didn't seem to shorten. She saw many people dressed in bright clothes, formal suits, and long skirts. Some of them pressed down their hats and wore veils, as if they didn't want the people around them to recognize them.

At times, some people didn't want to keep order and were dragged out by the priests and policemen who were helping to maintain the order. They were thrown to the back of the lines.

As food was delivered, the cloth bags piled behind the long table slowly dwindled until there was none.

Finally, all the food had been distributed, but the long line had only been reduced by half.

The citizens who were unable to receive the help couldn't resist revealing their disappointment, frustration, and reluctance. However, they didn't make a scene or argue. They moved their feet mechanically towards other handout points.

They had experienced this many times in the past one or two months. They had long known that unnecessary emotions would only waste the energy they had little of. It would hamper their quick movements to other relief points or fair-price food outlets.

At this moment, their expressions were numb, their eyes vacant as they left the square like a bunch of zombies.

During this process, a woman carrying a child had her legs give way as she fell to the ground.

Her child started wailing loudly, his voice laced with pain.

As he cried, the child sobbed and said, "Mommy, I'm so hungry…"

"There'll be food soon. There'll be food soon. There's food at Memorial Square…" The woman carried the child and patted his back. Tears streamed down her face as she spoke.

Upon seeing this scene, Audrey was just about to say something when she saw Melissa take out a plate of food from a wooden crate under a long table and run towards the mother and son.

"I didn't see it just now. There's still one more…" Melissa crouched down and handed the bread, dried mushrooms, and preserved fruit over. Then, she explained in a soft voice, afraid that it would cause a dispute among the citizens.

The rest of the food was actually prepared for the foundation staff who had been busy all this while. The portion that Melissa had given them was hers.

The woman took the food and handed it to the child as she said repeatedly, "Thank you, thank you…"

The child hugged the food tightly and mimicked his mother in his nascent voice, "Thank you, thank you…"

Audrey subconsciously looked around and noticed that the Church's priests, most of the police, as well as the "Nighthawks" who were mixed among the people to secretly prevent any accidents, were all showing sympathy, pity, and sadness.

After the citizens had left, Audrey picked up her own set of food and handed it to Melissa.

"You deserve it."

Melissa looked at Miss Hall before her and shook her head.

"I gave my own share.

"Miss Hall, don't worry. I'll have food when I get home. My brother is a civil servant…"

With a faint smile, Audrey stuffed the grilled bread, dried mushrooms, and preserved fruits into Melissa's hands.

"You don't have to worry about me. My family has prepared snacks for me when I'm out busying myself."

As she spoke, she took a wooden box from her personal maidservant, Annie, and opened it for Melissa to see.

The wooden box contained exquisite cucumber sandwiches, cream muffins, and a small carrot cake.

A look of astonishment appeared on Melissa's face. She stared at the snacks for a few seconds before looking up at Miss Audrey Hall.

She immediately lowered her head and, without saying a word, she ate the grilled bread and water that Saint Samuel Cathedral had prepared.

As if "petrified" by her gaze, Audrey held the wooden box and stood rooted to the ground. For a few seconds, she didn't move and only pursed her lips tightly.

…

After the fifth batch of residents from Moon City received cleansing and treatment and enjoyed the magical mushrooms, this ancient city became a believer of The Fool without any resistance. It welcomed the saint and oracle, Gehrman Sparrow, into the city.

With that, Klein held a large Mass and used the Unshadowed Crucifix and the Life's Cane to heal the remaining Moon City residents.

High Priest Nim, who had finished his quarantine, came out and respectfully asked at the end of the Mass, "Oracle, what is the complete honorific name of the mighty Lord?"

Klein looked around and said solemnly with his face tightened, "The Fool that doesn't belong to this era…"

After giving out the honorific name, he specially emphasized, "Don't chant the complete honorific name in normal times. Do so only when important matters arise."

Otherwise, as Mr. Fool, he would suffer a mental breakdown from all the "phone calls from work."

Nim wasn't surprised at all, because the ancient sun god was the same.

After some thought, he asked, "What are the requirements for the ritual of the Lord?"

Klein said confidently like a charlatan, "God says: Eighth Commandment: Serve me with your heart, not with your offerings.

"The most important thing for a ritual is to be pious. There are no other requirements. It can be very simple."

After all, the Lord does not care[1]… After saying that, Klein silently added in his heart.

After explaining this, he raised his right hand and pointed at the pile of mushrooms in front of him.

"The Lord has bestowed these mushrooms to you because he wants you to enjoy a bumper harvest.

"These mushrooms are nourished by the flesh and blood of monsters. They can rapidly grow and accumulate all the toxins, corruption, and madness into those pure black mushrooms. This can be used as a medium for curses or to smear the heads of arrows…"

The Moon City residents listened in excitement as they clasped their hands and bowed their heads, shouting, "Praise be to The Fool!"

At that moment, it was as if Klein could hear countless illusory voices coming from the air. They were mixed with the real praises, circling him and anchoring him.

[1] Quote from The Dark Forest of the Three Body Problem trilogy.