1227 - 1234
Chapter 1227 Summoning Ritual
After Mass, Klein followed the newly appointed Priest of The Fool, Nim, into the black tower.
With no reservations, Nim gave a detailed description of how many demigods and Grade 1 Sealed Artifacts there were in Moon City.
Three demigods… Five Grade 1 Sealed Artifacts… Moon City isn't weak at all… As expected of a power that can directly receive a revelation and guard the border… Furthermore, they had people relatively well-distributed across the twenty-two Beyonder pathways in the beginning. They could work together effectively so that some rituals didn't need any requests for external help or become restricted by the environment… Yes, compared to the City of Silver in how their surroundings is worse and how they do not have Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts to support them, it's already extraordinary for them to survive to this day… If it wasn't because they couldn't find suitable food, they should be able to survive in the darkness for centuries… Klein felt wistful after hearing the introduction.
At this moment, Nim said respectfully, "Oracle, we are willing to sacrifice all the Sealed Artifacts and Beyonder characteristics to the Lord. I wonder which one of them will be more pleasing to him?"
This High Priest had previously mentioned that apart from him, a Nightwatcher, Moon City also had an Iron-blooded Knight and an Imperative Mage. They were respectively the Lightning Priest and Night Priest.
As for the five Grade 1 Sealed Artifacts, one of them belonged to the Monster pathway. It seemed to be a portion of Misfortune Mage characteristic mixed with a little of a Chaoswalker's characteristic. One of them came from Puppet from the Mutant pathway, and the other was bestowed by Red Angel Medici. It allowed everyone to gather all their powers together. One of them was suspected to be the amalgamation of a Bizarro Sorcerer's characteristic, and there was one of an unknown pathway. It had extremely strong discernment abilities, but it was rather dangerous due to an unknown corruption.
Hearing that, Klein's eyelids twitched as he smiled.
"Serve the Lord with your heart, not with your offerings.
"The Lord accommodates the entire world and doesn't care about these things."
Having said that, he paused and said, "Of course, if you don't mind, you can bring me around for a tour to broaden my horizons."
"No problem!" Nim answered without hesitation.
He originally imagined that Gehrman Sparrow would take away a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact while taking the tour, but to his surprise, the Oracle only wanted to get a better understanding of the specific situation and had no intention of reaping any benefits. He picked up every Sealed Artifact to take a look but put them back in the end.
After the tour ended, Klein said to the three demigod priests, "The opportunity to leave this cursed land isn't here yet. You need to hold on for a while longer.
"And I will continue my journey to find other survivors and spread the light of the Lord."
"Yes, Oracle," Nim and the other priests replied without any hesitation.
With those mushrooms, they would be spared from annihilation for at least another three generations.
After settling the matters in Moon City, Klein walked out into the darkness in his trench coat and top hat.
What he was going to do next was very clear:
Find Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar and hunt for this God of Wishes!
My wish is to obtain the Miracle Invoker's Beyonder characteristic and that "curtain." I wonder if "He" will be able to help me achieve it… As Klein walked, he made a mockery in his heart.
With him out of sight of Moon City's residents, he pulled another "him" out of the fog of history.
His main body entered the Historical Void, causing his consciousness to shift to the projection.
This projection also summoned the historical projection of the Staff of the Stars. With its Beyonder powers, he descended directly into the place in his mind:
The completely destroyed northern ancient city, Nois!
After successfully reaching his destination, the projection quickly disappeared, and Klein's body returned to the wilderness outside Moon City.
Following that, he summoned the Staff of the Stars's projection and repeated the process, allowing him to instantly reach the Nois ruins.
The main purpose of the Historical Void's projection was to scout ahead and ensure that the scenes that surfaced in his mind were identical to the real world, without having any discrepancies. This prevented the Staff of the Stars from creating its random effects.
This was the cautiousness of a Scholar of Yore.
…
In the middle of the quiet and dark training grounds of the City of Silver.
Colin Iliad, who was carrying two swords on his back, stood by the side. He watched as Derrick Berg set up the ritual and prayed to Mr. Fool, asking him to send a holy spirit down upon him to provide him with help.
This was different from a normal summoning ritual. The corresponding incantation was more complicated:
"The Great Fool;
"You are the ruler above the gray fog;
"You are the King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck."
"I pray for your loving grace.
"I pray for your notice.
"I pray for the power of concealment and change.
"I!
"I summon in the name of the great Fool:
"The Holy Spirit that sees through Everything, the Loving Grace of the King of Yellow and Black, the Traveler from the Dream and Mind."
As the Jotun words echoed at the altar, the flames at the tip of the candles suddenly expanded, forming an illusory door covered in mysterious patterns.
The door slowly opened and a woman wearing a pure white dress and silver mask walked out. She stepped out of the void and walked across the ground.
Her hair was red and her eyes were golden. They were limpid and deep, as if they could see through everyone's hearts.
This was Justice Audrey. She had used Lie to change her height, and a mask to conceal her main features.
She came to the Forsaken Land of the Gods, the City of Silver in the form of a Spirit Body.
In fact, the summoning ritual wasn't complicated at all. Klein had pulled Audrey's spirit above the gray fog ahead of time. He waited for the Door of Summoning to be established before helping her open it, allowing her to pass through and settle the entire matter.
That also meant that the description of "Holy Spirit that sees through Everything" could equally have changed to "Sleeping Princess, the Holder of the Golden Apple, the Previous Owner of the Crystal Slippers," and Justice Audrey would still be able to descend. This was dependent on who Klein allowed to pass through the Door of Summoning. After all, the key point of the ritual was to use The Fool's name for the summoning and using the power of Sefirah Castle to communicate with the Forsaken Land of the Gods.
The silver-masked Audrey secretly surveyed her surroundings. She sized up the lightning-lit sky, the darkness that spelled lurking danger, and the City of Silver's Chief, Colin Iliad.
She then looked away and nodded at Little Sun.
"We can begin."
As she spoke, she couldn't help but sigh at his height.
Although this could be seen during the Tarot Gathering, it was still something that left her in a daze when she met him in real life.
She remembered very clearly that The Sun was a few years younger than her. According to Loen's standards, he was definitely still underage. To her surprise, he was more than two meters tall. This made Audrey, who had used Lie to deliberately increase her height, still have to look up.
Without any hesitation, Derrick relaxed his mind and cast his gaze at the golden potion placed on the altar.
Gradually, he felt a little dazed as scenes involuntarily flashed across his mind.
Scenes of his parents who remained alive inside the coffin;
The silver sword that stabbed down, hard. The blood that splattered and blinded his eyes momentarily.
It was the heartwarming scenes of his family in the past;
It was the City of Silver that was on the verge of collapse in the darkness.
They were teammates who supported each other and watched each others' backs;
It was the Elders standing in front of everyone, blocking the storm.
It was the repeated curses, the hope he saw in the lightning amidst the darkness;
It was a dream that had existed for more than two thousand years. It was something that generations of people yearned for daily.
The emotions that Derrick was most unwilling to give up were very complicated. It contained his anger towards reality, the fondness of the past, the pain of his circumstances, the repression of history, and the desire to save the City of Silver.
Audrey slowly separated these emotions as though she had experienced the despair and sadness of the City of Silver, experiencing their unity and sacrifices.
Her golden eyes sometimes turned gloomy and heavy, while there were glints at other times, as if she had grabbed something and taken it in; yet, she still remained lost.
After a while, she saw the twelve-white-winged angel of light. This was another response from Mr. Fool to The Sun.
Audrey seized the opportunity and attached all the intense feelings onto the angel phantom, preventing them from disappearing or undergoing a resurgence for a short period of time. By doing so, they didn't stay completely separate from Derrick's body.
It's done. She didn't open her mouth, but instead, allowed her voice to echo in his heart.
At this moment, Derrick's eyes became abnormally cold, as if he no longer knew what joy, sadness, pain, and depression were.
He picked up the golden potion in front of him and poured it into his mouth.
This was a demigod potion obtained from shattering the Unshadowed Crucifix.
The Sealed Artifact that originated from the ancient sun god no longer existed. Of course, for Klein, anything he once possessed remained as enduring as the universe.
A hot, violent liquid gushed down Derrick's throat, instantly filling his entire body and occupying his soul.
Rays of bright sunlight burst out from his body, washing away the remnants of his body's corruption and the heaviness of his soul.
Derrick's body became purer and clearer, like a holy spirit formed from pure light.
His self-awareness and emotions were being purified and repelled. It wouldn't take long for him to only have the instinct to praise the Sun.
At this moment, Audrey no longer let the strong emotions that she had stripped from him remain attached to the angel projection. She guided them back towards Little Sun.
One scene after another surfaced in Derrick's mind, causing him to experience abnormally complicated emotions.
He once again experienced the pain of personally killing his parents, the despair brought about by the circumstances of the City of Silver, and the joy of receiving Mr. Fool's loving grace.
This drilled deep into him, becoming a foundation of his mind world. It was very sturdy and very reliable, allowing him to withstand the last few rounds of the potion's cleansing forces.
Finally, Derrick opened his eyes—it was pure white.
When he saw a ray of light in front of him, he instinctively extended his right hand in an attempt to grab it.
However, the light quickly dimmed and extinguished.
Derrick was stunned for a moment before he clenched his right hand tightly.
Beams of light rose up and enveloped the entire City of Silver.
The legendary noon descended for a brief moment.
All the residents of the City of Silver were stunned by what they saw. This was even more shocking than any of the previous demigods' advancement.
Sunlight.
It was sunlight that illuminated the entire city.
…
After ending the summoning, Audrey returned above the gray fog.
At that moment, Mr. Fool was no longer around. The ancient palace only had The World Gehrman Sparrow, who had planned on observing the ritual.
"You don't seem to be in a good state?" asked Klein.
Audrey sat down and smiled.
"I'm just a little edgy, hesitant, and confused."
"That's very normal. Before truly making up one's mind, everyone would behave like this. There are countless people who retreat and regret their decision," Klein calmly said.
Audrey didn't directly answer the topic at hand and instead said with a faint smile, "Ever since I became a Spectator, I've always displayed what would be the most acceptable side to them in front of others, taking care of their most delicate emotions. This isn't a bad thing, but this way, I won't be able to know what I really look like in the eyes of others. I won't be able to unveil the gorgeous clothes and see the rotting flesh beneath me. I won't be able to figure out the problem.
"Recently, I've been trying to show my true state in some details. I want to see how the people around me will react under such a situation. I want to see if they still think that I'm the kind, amiable, and virtuous young lady."
At this point, she suddenly fell silent. A few seconds later, she sighed and said, "The gap…"
Chapter 1228 Wishes
Without waiting for The World Gehrman Sparrow to respond, Audrey, who was maintaining her posture, slowly said a few words:
"Heaviness…
"Pain…
"Shame…"
Klein listened silently without commenting on what Miss Justice said. Instead, he asked in a gentle tone that was closer to the image of Dwayne Dantès, "Why do you suddenly want to do such a test?"
"It's not a test." Audrey shook her head. "It's just to reveal the details that I usually hide and avoid. I want to see what I really look like in the eyes of others."
After pausing for a moment, she moved her lips without a smile.
"After our previous conversation, I really am trying to come up with a plan. I plan to secretly do some manipulating, so that the nobles, businessmen, royal family, and the Church can release enough food from their stockpiles.
"Theoretically, this is a simple matter, but when actually trying to put it into action, I realize that I can't be as determined and decisive as I thought.
"Some of them are my uncles and aunts, some of them are my cousins. Some of them are friends I've known since I was young, while others are elders who have been very protective of me. Some of them I often meet with during various charity events and are rather friendly. They formed my childhood and gave me too much. It was a part of my growth, a part of the beautiful memories of my past…
"Besides, the food they accumulated wasn't stolen. Their explanation is actually reasonable.
"I really can't do it—to make them my target in an attempt to rob them of a portion of their wealth. At least, it's like this now."
As she spoke, Audrey's voice unknowingly escalated into a crescendo, as if she was arguing with someone.
She then realized that she had lost her composure, and remained silent for two seconds before continuing, "That's why I want to know more about myself. I want to strip away the false image from our past relationships. Under different circumstances, I want to ask myself what I really want, whether my thoughts in the past were impulsive, hypocritical, and naive, or strong beliefs from my heart."
At this point, Audrey suddenly smiled.
"Although I haven't come to any conclusions, the attempt has already brought some added benefits.
"I used to think that I had strictly abided by the principle of 'you're only acting,' but now I realize that I'm almost addicted to acting.
"Other pathways require different identities and occupations. The Spectator pathway's acting is completely consistent with one's daily life. Sometimes, it's hard to clearly differentiate between them.
"The simplest example: Who wouldn't want to be loved by everyone? Hence, when facing different people, I would wear a different mask and use the powers of the Spectator pathway to create an image that suits the other party's expectations the best. When there are more and more of such things, when you face everyone, you would actually be obsessed with 'acting.' You would almost lose yourself."
Klein nodded slightly and said, "That's a good lesson."
He didn't comment on Miss Justice's prior words.
After a moment of silence, Audrey slowly said, "During this period of time, I've read the East Borough investigation report that my father hired someone to do. I've experienced many different things.
"Before the war, many of the poor people, workers, and farmers have lived lives that are as difficult as the lives today. They've been in constant hunger and pain. The changes to the Poor Law, and the strict laws about the working hours and environment, has indeed brought about some improvement to the management of the pollution in the air, but just a little…
"After the war ends, and if—if we overcome the apocalypse, will such things happen again?"
As she spoke, Audrey pursed her lips tightly and fell into silence.
Klein could sense Miss Justice's confusion and perplexity. After some deliberation, he didn't say the answer in his heart. He said in a deep voice, "These questions of yours, including what you said about your true thoughts, require you to find the answers yourself. No one can replace you.
"I can only give you some advice. Go to the fields and take a look at the hardworking farmers. Go to the factories and take a look at the diligent workers. Go to the East district and experience them. Go to the library and read through the past newspapers and other related works."
Audrey listened attentively and nodded seriously.
"I will try."
She immediately stood up and bowed towards the end of the long, mottled table. Although Mr. Fool had left, she believed that "He" was watching.
Just as she was waiting for Mr. Fool to send her back to the real world, The World suddenly said, "Hold on."
"Oh?" Audrey expressed her curiosity with a nasal grunt.
Klein looked at her and conjured a piece of paper.
"This is the description of a Mythical Creature's character and behaviors. I hope you can provide me with some help. Based on this analysis, determine what kind of reactions 'He' will carry out in different situations."
"Alright." Audrey did not refuse and agreed.
After she took the piece of paper and finished reading the content, Klein deliberated and said, "Regarding what you just said, I have another suggestion:
"There are two types of questions that you have. Some of them are indeed very pressing, while the others are not. You can wait for things to calm down and do a deeper investigation. Well, once a person is anxious, they will easily make mistakes. It's best you be clear about the differences."
Audrey thought for a moment and nodded solemnly.
"I understand."
After responding, she suddenly laughed.
"I thought you called me at the last moment to give me your blessings, hoping that I will still love this world after seeing the world as it is."
Klein was first taken aback before he asked with a smile, "You seem to have read a lot of Emperor Roselle's novels?"
"He's an outstanding novelist and also a very complicated and contradictory person," Audrey said with a faint smile.
Klein nodded indiscernibly and spoke slowly, "If I wanted to give you my blessings, I wouldn't have said that.
"I would have said, I hope that you will still love your family and friends after seeing them as they are."
Audrey was taken aback as her lips quivered, as though she was repeating the words.
After a few seconds, she closed her eyes and said with a slightly hoarse voice, "Thank you…"
…
Sonia Sea, in the waters of the Rorsted Archipelago.
The Blue Avenger led a pirate fleet through the battlefield that was ravaged by war.
Suddenly, a huge fireball flew over from nowhere. Intertwined silver beams split apart the surface of the sea, creating a passageway that didn't originally exist. Surrounded by the massive waves on both sides, it pointed straight at the Blue Avenger.
Alger Wilson, who was standing at the bow, raised his right hand without a change in expression when he saw this scene.
A violent hurricane suddenly appeared, sweeping up the azure-blue seawater and curling up the silver rays, like a long snake that shot into the sky, colliding with the huge fireball.
Boom!
The water splashed down like rain.
Alger immediately locked onto a battleship, opened his mouth, and let out an angry roar.
With a boom, the boat was suddenly lifted into the air by a ferocious wave.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, the Blue Avenger's cannons automatically fired as a series of salvos echoed continuously.
Realizing that the Beyonder on the other party's warship was trying to use the force of the fireball's detonation to allow the ship to drift sideways, Alger suddenly pulled down his right hand.
A thick bolt of silver lightning struck down, charring the Beyonder's body as he constantly convulsed.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
As artillery shells hit their target, the ship disintegrated in midair.
At that instant, Alger felt a little dazed. He couldn't help but look down at his right hand.
This is the power of a Cataclysmic Interrer. Is this how it feels to be a demigod? He sighed in his heart in a somewhat intoxicated manner before quickly snapping back to his senses. He got the Blue Avenger to pursue the enemy.
An hour later, the intense sea battle was over. Loen's side had once again secured the Rorsted Archipelago.
Alger was in a rather good mood. After returning to the port on the Blue Avenger, he called the sailors down and headed for one of the few bars that still remained open for business.
Loen had already issued an alcohol ban during wartime as a way to add to the food rationing efforts. But to sailors, alcohol was indispensable. Therefore, in the area controlled by the Church of the Lord of Storms, the restrictions in this area weren't too strict. Furthermore, the Rorsted Archipelago had plenty of produce and there weren't too many people. The shipping lines were under control, so their food supply hadn't been disrupted.
After walking for a distance, Alger's gaze suddenly froze.
The street in front of him had been hit, and many houses had already collapsed. One of them had a huge crater in a concrete field, while the four-story building beside it was left in ruins.
The smile on Alger's face gradually disappeared.
…
On Monday afternoon, 3:00 p.m. Backlund time.
Dark red beams of light shot up from both sides of the long bronze table, coagulating into blurry figures.
After all the members bowed to Mr. Fool, the gathering's transaction segment began since there weren't any more Roselle diary pages or accumulated questions.
Emlyn immediately sat up straight and surveyed the area.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I have a commission."
"Which Shaman King do you wish to hunt?" Cattleya asked according to her understanding of Mr. Moon.
"…" Emlyn took two seconds to digest her question. He maintained his elegant smile and said, "You guessed correctly."
Cattleya nodded slightly and said, "What kind of payment can you provide?"
Emlyn was once again at a loss for words, a little embarrassed to say what he had prepared to say.
At this moment, The World at the bottom end of the long bronze table suddenly said, "You found someone from the Rose School of Thought temperance faction to cooperate with?"
Emlyn heaved a sigh of relief.
"That's right."
"Then I can take on this commission." As this was related to Miss Messenger, Miss Sharron, and Maric, Klein controlled The World to take the initiative to accept the mission. "Of course, this requires a certain medium."
Without waiting for Emlyn to respond, he made Gehrman Sparrow look at Miss Magician.
"Make some preparations in advance."
??? Fors, who had been watching the entire thing play out like a performance, wore a blank look on her face.
Chapter 1229 Collective Wisdom
Seeing that Miss Magician had yet to react, Klein made The World add, "You don't need to be there. Just summon my historical projection in advance."
"…Alright!" Fors nodded hurriedly.
At that moment, because Gehrman Sparrow had accepted his mission, Emlyn clearly relaxed.
From what he knew, this meant that the success rate of the matter had skyrocketed.
In the next second, The World looked at him and hoarsely asked, "What kind of payment can you provide?"
Emlyn fell silent for two seconds before saying with his eyes darting upwards slightly, "Once I become a Shaman King, I'll provide a free promise on similar matters.
"Also, I only want the Shaman King's Beyonder characteristic. The members of the Rose School of Thought temperance faction should have a clear goal. The rest will be yours."
Mr. Moon isn't very stolid. He doesn't have much confidence… Through his actions and words, Audrey came to a conclusion.
This fellow, Emlyn, has learned how to use "consumption loans"… Klein secretly laughed and made The World indifferently reply:
"It looks like you can only afford a demigod like me."
If Mr. Moon can provide a large amount of food, I don't mind participating… Justice Audrey mumbled inwardly.
However, she didn't need to say anything to know what Mr. Moon would say.
Why would we Sanguine be hoarding so many snacks?
To the Sanguine, their staple was the blood of humans with abundant spirituality. Bread and meat products were all non-essentials.
Seeing that The World Gehrman Sparrow didn't reject his offer, Emlyn secretly heaved a sigh of relief.
"What other requests do you have? I'll try my best to fulfill them."
Gehrman Sparrow thought for a moment before saying, "Give me a mystical item or a Sealed Artifact that can greatly increase the wielder's spirituality for a short period of time."
This was for Miss Magician, allowing her to maintain the Historical Void projection for a few more minutes. And there was no doubt that the Moon domain had such Beyonder powers. For example, the Scarlet Scholar could create a full moon state, allowing their spirituality to be enhanced.
Phew… Emlyn quickly nodded.
"Alright, no problem."
Seeing that the human and vampire had come to an agreement, Fors hurriedly raised her hand and said, "No Full Moon."
That way, ignoring the enhancement of her spirituality, she would be considered lucky if she didn't die on the spot. After all, the higher the Sequence, the clearer one could hear Mr. Door's ravings. Fors had long since advanced from Sequence 6 Scribe to Sequence 5 Traveler.
Emlyn also knew about Miss Magician's "full moon curse," so he had no questions about it. He acknowledged tersely, indicating that he had taken note.
At this moment, Alger, who was listening to the completed transaction beside him, said in thought, "Although the Beyonders of the Rose School of Thought are easily controlled by their emotions and instincts, this didn't mean that their brains had already disappeared along with their zombification. Even if they're gone, they still have members of the Moon domain.
"Since their demigods were directly involved in the Southern Continent's war and have exposed their locations, they wouldn't dismiss the possibility of an attack from the Sanguine and temperance faction. I believe there's a high chance of them laying a trap."
"That's right." Leonard echoed, "Many dossiers indicate that, although the Beyonders of the Rose School of Thought are well known for indulging themselves in bloodshed, cruelty, and desires, they still act very meticulously. Their actions show certain cunningness and sinisterness."
Xio glanced at her friend and said, "I encountered a supernatural incident involving the Rose School of Thought two months ago. The target was obviously deceived and fell into a trap."
The World Gehrman Sparrow listened attentively before scoffing. He then said to Emlyn, "Which Shaman King is your target?"
Emlyn didn't hide anything.
"The Shaman King who led the natives from East Balam's North Olite County to attack the Loen's main colonial city."
Upon hearing this, a thought flashed across Klein's mind:
The Mother Tree of Desire doesn't seem to want the Goddess to control the Uniqueness of the Death pathway. "She" was driving the natives and using the war to waver the fundamental faith of the Church of Evernight in the Southern Continent.
As this thought flashed through his mind, he made The World Gehrman Sparrow look at Emlyn and chuckle.
"Then my target will be another Shaman King. This has nothing to do with your operation."
There was no need for him to be too direct. Emlyn, Cattleya, and company quickly understood his plan.
This was a simple plan:
Gehrman Sparrow hunted another Shaman King and took the initiative to step into a trap to attract the hidden forces of the Rose School of Thought. And at that moment, the Moon and the Rose School of Thought's temperance faction would take the opportunity to attack the real target.
"Isn't this too dangerous?" Emlyn subconsciously replied.
The danger was of course directed to Gehrman Sparrow who would be walking into a trap.
The World Gehrman Sparrow replied very calmly, "It will just be a historical projection."
If he dies, so be it…
Upon hearing such an answer, Emlyn, Leonard, and the other members of the Tarot Club were at a loss as to what expression to show as a response. It was unknown if they should reflect on the fact that Sequence 3 demigods were different, or be envious that Scholars of Yore had such Beyonder powers.
Klein continued to let The World speak, "If the Rose School of Thought has any doubts about my sudden attack, and only divert a portion of their strength to stop me so as to still maintain a relatively complete trap, then I will try to hunt that Shaman King seriously and turn the false target into the true target. After all, all you want is the corresponding items. You don't care who the original owner is."
A simple but effective plan… The key point is that Gehrman Sparrow has to have a strength that exceeds his limits, one that can put up resistance even when facing an angel… Audrey learned from him seriously and evaluated this inwardly.
Emlyn no longer had any doubts. After some thought, he said, "Before the official operation, I need to meet with the members of the Rose School of Thought temperance faction to finalize the details."
The World Gehrman Sparrow nodded and said, "Make arrangements for it."
After the exchange, Klein made The World conjure a paper stack and distributed it to the members of the Tarot Club.
"Some existences and I will be dealing with a Mythical Creature. You can raise your opinion and share your thoughts."
The piece of paper was written with the character and actions of the Dark Demonic Wolf, Kotar, as well as the various analysis Miss Justice had made.
He hoped that he could find inspiration through different people with their different personalities and knowledge.
Mythical Creature… The World has set his sights on Mythical Creatures? Alger, who had been much quieter than usual, couldn't help but look at the bottom end of the long bronze table.
Although he was already mentally prepared for this, he felt that he wouldn't be surprised even if The World Gehrman Sparrow suddenly called himself an angel. However, when he realized that the other party was really targeting a Mythical Creature, he couldn't help but feel a little shocked and perturbed.
Cattleya had similar feelings as well, but she immediately recalled the Snake of Fate, the Death Consul, and the Ancient Bane.
This matched the Gehrman Sparrow's words of "some existences."
It was very normal for three angels and a Sequence 3 Blessed to hunt a Mythical Creature!
One by one, they retracted their gazes from the bottom end of the long, mottled table, and they began reading the information in their hands seriously.
At this moment, as they weren't involved in the commission or involved in a transaction, nor were they sharing information; yet, the members of the Tarot Club had a baffling feeling of working together for one common goal. They felt like they were starting to feel like an organization.
After reading the contents, Alger was the first to speak.
"According to Miss Justice's analysis, no bait will trap that paranoid Mythical Creature. It will only push 'Him' to escape further.
"Under the situation of 'Him' suspected to wield a Sequence 1 Beyonder characteristic, 'He' really doesn't need to chase after other things. Advancing 'Himself' is the most important thing at hand. If you want to deal with 'Him,' we can only consider it from this point of view."
Upon hearing this, Xio said from a professional point of view, "But this Mythical creature is very cautious. 'He' doesn't leave any clues behind. And according to the intel, the location 'He' can use to prepare for the Sequence 1 ritual isn't actually restricted in an environment like the Forsaken Land of the Gods."
"Yes, there are too many monsters for 'Him' to use." Derrick confirmed what Miss Judgment had said.
There was silence immediately. Leonard thought for a moment and said, "Can we rely on the law of Beyonder characteristics convergence?"
As he spoke, he looked at Klein Moretti.
"That Mythical Creature seems to be from the same pathway as you."
"Just relying on the effect that comes from the convergence of Beyonder characteristic at this level to 'chance' upon this Mythical Creature might take a year or two, perhaps even longer. Furthermore, the other party is a complete Mythical Creature. 'He' has the ability to cause some interference." Klein overruled Leonard's suggestion.
Of course, if he augmented the power of Sefirah Castle onto himself, he might be able to meet the Dark Demonic Wolf the next time he used the Staff of the Stars's random teleportation. However, the problem was that if that happened, the chances of a "coincidental encounter" with Amon would be much, much higher. This was the standard way of knocking on death's door.
After hearing everyone's discussion, Cattleya said in thought according to what the Queen found taboo, "Can we use this Mythical Creature's honorific name to establish a connection?"
If the Dark Demonic Wolf hadn't been tracked by Amon in the past, that might have been possible. But now, what can be thought must have been thought of by Amon. Under such circumstances, the fact that the Dark Demonic Wolf hasn't perished implies that "He" is wary of such matters… The World Gehrman Sparrow slowly shook his head.
"With 'His' paranoid character, 'He' definitely wouldn't respond automatically."
Just as he said that, he suddenly had an idea.
Not receiving a response from the Dark Demonic Wolf didn't mean that "He" wouldn't pay attention to the corresponding prayer light!
Chapter 1230 Meeting Again
As he had personal experience, Klein placed himself in the shoes of the Dark Demonic Wolf and pondered.
Usually, he would shut down the automatic prayer response to prevent an enemy from using the feedback to establish a connection and lock onto his position;
Under this premise, to receive a sudden prayer from a stranger would no doubt lead to "Him" relying on the corresponding point of light to observe the supplicant and grasp more information. This allowed "Him" to make preparations for what might happen in the future;
If the person chanting the honorific name was a powerful existence like Amon or someone relatively more familiar, it would be best to destroy that point of light immediately. However, if the person was a stranger, under such a situation where "He" was completely safe, "He" would monitor him for a long period of time to understand the exact situation and see if there was a need for a counterattack. It was something that every rational creature would most likely do. At the very least, Klein would do so.
The essence of this matter was that non-Mythical Creatures were marked by high-level existences. They could die in a baffling and tragic manner at any moment. To the supplicant, this was equivalent to suicide or something even more terrifying. To the Dark Demonic Wolf, it was only a positive outcome, nothing negative.
At the beginning, the suspicious Dark Demonic Wolf would definitely suspect that there was a conspiracy. "He" wouldn't dare to establish a connection and influence Klein from a distance. However, with the passage of time, as the observations deepened and a confirmation was made that the other party was a non-angel weakling who possessed the aura of Sefirah Castle with signs of being unprepared, "He" would definitely find an opportunity to attack from afar. At the time when Klein was most unprepared, "He" would mark the prayer light and deal a remote attack.
This aligned with Klein's previous conclusion about his advantage that Klein—"I'm very weak."
The only problem with this plan was that the initiative was completely in the hands of the Dark Demonic Wolf. Everything Klein did would be monitored, and there was no way to prepare ahead of time. Once the other party tried to exert "His" influence on him, he would not be able to fight back and wouldn't be spared.
Phew, by doing so, I would successfully bait the prey, but kill the hunter as a result… It's meaningless… Yet, if I don't place myself in such a passive position, it will be difficult to bait an angel of the Seer pathway, the paranoid demonic wolf… This is something that a marionette or others cannot do in my stead… If only I can be certain that the Dark Demonic Wolf wouldn't rashly attack remotely because of "His" paranoia and will only choose to monitor and observe… Thoughts raced through Klein's mind as he sought out the possibilities amongst numerous impossibilities.
With regards to this, he could only sigh inwardly, feeling regretful for not being an angel from the Spectator pathway.
According to his assumptions, the angels of the Spectator pathway would more or less have some special characteristics of "the more others know about you, the more you understand them." When the Dark Demonic Wolf monitored him closely through prayer light and ended up carefully observing an angel from the Spectator pathway, "His" position would undoubtedly be exposed to the other party.
Unfortunately, I'm not… Besides, the Spectator pathway's Sequence 2 might not be able to do so. I can only be certain that a Sequence 1 has this special trait… Summoning 0-08 from the fog of history? No, let's not talk about whether I can summon that quill without Groselle's Travels. Even if I successfully create a projection, the quill is a quill while I am still myself. The Dark Demonic Wolf's understanding of me doesn't make 0-08 do the reverse. Also, I can only use it for a mere two minutes. It wouldn't be enough to sense anything… It can be used as supplementary to the plan, writing the development I wish to see happen, making the Dark Demonic Wolf's "choice" appear reasonable so as to eliminate uncertain elements… Klein considered for a long while, but he failed to find a suitable plan to bait his prey.
Apart from feeling regretful that he wasn't a Sequence 1 angel of the Spectator pathway, he had also thought of the cosmos:
Just learning of it would result in corruption from the cosmos!
If I had the nature of the cosmos, then after the Dark Demonic Wolf uses the prayer point of light to monitor me, "He" would be corrupted, allowing me to lock onto "His" position. However, the cosmos's nature is higher than that of an angel. How could I have it… I keep feeling like I've forgotten something… Klein made The World Gehrman Sparrow shake his head indiscernibly as he surveyed the area.
"There's no need to discuss the answer now. You can go back and communicate with the right person with suitable methods."
He focused his attention on The Star Leonard and The Hermit Cattleya, hoping that they would be able to get advice from the existences that were more experienced such as Pallez Zoroast and Queen Mystic Bernadette.
As for himself, he would return to Backlund with the aid of the historical projection. He would seek advice from Miss Messenger, Will Auceptin, and the ascetic, Arianna.
This is what it means to seek the opinions of angels or quasi-Angels before making a major decision… Klein made a self-deprecatory comment.
When Leonard and Cattleya heard that, they nodded in unison.
"Alright."
Following that, the members of the Tarot Club began discussing the situations of the various battlefields until the end of the gathering.
…
After returning to the real world, Leonard, who was resting in Saint Samuel Cathedral's basement, spoke in a low voice, explaining all the questions that Klein had posed to him and said, "Old Man, do you have any suggestions?"
"This is him trying to obtain the Miracle Invoker Beyonder characteristic left behind in the Forsaken Land of the Gods…" Pallez Zoroast was first enlightened before he chuckled. "Tell your former colleague that there's no way he can resolve this matter himself. I only have one suggestion. That is to seek help from The Fool!"
Leonard knew Old Man's character very well. He hurriedly asked, "Is this really the only suggestion?"
Pallez Zoroast harrumphed and said, "That's a Mythical Creature that even Amon can't capture. It's possible only by relying on The Fool's help."
Only then did Leonard nod and sigh.
"It seems that's the only way…"
…
Two days later, two minutes before the meeting time that The Moon Emlyn had agreed to meet Maric.
Fors sat on a reclining chair beside the fireplace and listened to the commotion on the second floor. She cast her gaze at her friend, Xio.
"If the war continues, Backlund will definitely suffer more attacks. Are you really not going to evacuate your mother and brother to the surrounding villages?"
Xio's short, light-blonde hair was parted in an asymmetrical fashion and was neatly combed. Compared to last year, she looked more serious and had the bearing of an adjudicator. She was like a high-ranking knight leading an order of knights.
She hesitantly said, "The population in the surrounding villages has reached its limit. Besides, I can still get enough food from MI9 now."
Having said that, she paused and said, "If the flames of war really reach Backlund, take them 'Traveling' to Intis and Feynapotter…"
"It seems that's the only way…" Just as Fors was about to mention the matter of her buying food in Intis a few days ago, she suddenly heard the alarm ring.
She shivered and suddenly sat up straight. She stretched out her right hand, which was wearing a red string, and grabbed into the air.
Her arm sank as she pulled out Gehrman Sparrow, who was wearing a silk top hat and a black trench coat without glasses.
The cold adventurer's eyes rolled and gained consciousness, reducing the amount of spirituality that Miss Magician had to expend.
He nodded gently as he made the glove on his left hand become transparent.
In less than a second, Gehrman Sparrow "Teleported" away and disappeared from Fors and Xio's rented apartment.
"…" Fors was stunned for a moment before the corners of her mouth twitched slightly. She turned to Xio and said, "I think I'm just a tool…"
…
The sky was already dark, but the street lamps weren't lit up. Only the crimson moon illuminated the entire city.
When Klein arrived at the agreed-upon place, he looked around and saw the unusually cold streets, the burning marks on the walls, and the collapsed buildings not far away for a few seconds.
Just based on what he saw, Backlund was desolate and dilapidated. It even had the smell of gunpowder wafting through the city.
At this moment, Emlyn White walked out of an alley and nodded at the crazy adventurer.
According to Gehrman Sparrow's instructions, he didn't say a word or bow. To prevent any delay in whatever precious time Gehrman Sparrow had, he led him to a nearby house and knocked on the door rhythmically.
With a creak, the door opened automatically, revealing a dark environment blanketed with faint moonlight.
The moment Emlyn and Klein entered, they saw the white-shirt and black-vested Maric sitting on the sofa. The door behind them seemed to have a life of its own as it slammed to a close.
After taking a glance at him, Emlyn smiled and pointed at him.
"This is my partner, Mr. Gehrman Sparrow."
Just as he finished speaking, he suddenly realized that the way Maric looked at him was even odder, as though he was examining an idiot.
"Long time no see." Maric immediately stood up, pressed his hand to his chest, and bowed at Sherlock Moriarty.
Since the other party didn't appear in the image of Sherlock Moriarty, he definitely wouldn't take the initiative to mention such matters.
"Long time no see." Klein took off his hat and surveyed the area. "Miss Sharron, please come out for the discussion. I have limited time."
As he spoke, he took out a silver adventurer's harmonica and blew into it.
A figure wearing a dark and complicated long dress holding four blonde, red-eyed heads walked out from the void.
The messenger summoned by the harmonica's historical projection was an objective existence. It didn't increase the spirituality burden of Fors.
At the same time, Maric nodded and said, "Alright."
He cast his gaze on the high stool on the other side of the room.
Emlyn looked at the Wraith in a daze, then at Gehrman Sparrow and the spirit world creature he summoned. For some reason, he felt like he had been ostracized and didn't belong here.
And on that high stool, a figure quickly outlined itself. Her skin was fair like a doll, and she wore an exquisite black regal dress and a small bonnet of the same color. Her blonde hair and blue eyes were slightly pale in color.
Chapter 1231 "Visiting" Everywhere
Emlyn subconsciously looked at the high stool on the other side of the room, and saw the "exquisite doll."
His eyes immediately revealed a look of amazement, admiration, ardor, and other mixed emotions. He opened his mouth and almost blurted out the question of where he could buy such a doll and who was the master behind this piece of work.
However, he was already an adult and had experienced plenty of things. He knew that bringing up such a question was very impolite, so he planned to find an opportunity to ask after the discussion on serious matters were finished.
Sharron frowned indiscernibly as her body floated up. She bowed at Reinette Tinekerr and Sherlock Moriarty.
"There's no need for small talk," Klein said simply. "Our initial plan is this…"
He shared how he would let his historical projection take the initiative to step into a trap to attract the attention of the Rose School of Thought and described it in detail.
Sharron with her black bonnet listened quietly and said with a slightly ethereal voice, "They might not fall for it.
"After realizing that you are the attacker, that Shaman King will likely choose to retreat under the protection of Sealed Artifacts or angels."
This way, it could only implicate a portion of the Rose School of Thought's strength.
Without waiting for Klein and Emlyn to respond, Reinette Tinekerr's four heads opened their mouths and said at a faster pace, "Their…" "Main…" "Target…" "Should… "Likely…" "Be…" "Me…"
Emlyn was a little lost hearing this, but he could roughly tell that the spirit world creature that Gehrman Sparrow had summoned had quite a status. Furthermore, it had a deep relationship with the Rose School of Thought's temperance faction.
That's right… Even if the Mother Tree thinks highly of me, the setup would most likely attract Miss Messenger… After a moment of silence, Klein gave an addendum:
"Madam, you and I will attack the other Shaman King in the form of Historical Void projections."
"…" Gehrman Sparrow is very respectful towards this spirit world creature… Just as this thought flashed through Emlyn's mind, he saw the eight eyes on the four heads sweep at him.
He shivered and instinctively joined in the discussion.
"Can this fool those from the Rose School of Thought?"
Since Klein had suggested that, he must have thought of a corresponding solution.
"I have an item that can be lent to Miss Tinekerr."
Having said that, he looked at Reinette Tinekerr and said, "That item can mimic the Beyonder powers that surface in your mind.
"I hope you can use it to summon your past self, then move yourself into a concealed state and inject your consciousness into the projection. This way, the Rose School of Thought won't be able to discover anything abnormal in a short period of time. It's very likely that they will fall for it and gather all their strength to surround and kill you and me, allowing Miss Sharron and Emlyn to find a chance to launch a surprise attack.
"If they're more cautious than I thought…"
Klein paused for a moment before revealing a smile.
"In that short period of time, if you join forces with me in your peak condition, there is a chance of killing the Shaman King despite him being under the protection of a Sealed Artifact.
"Now, the main point is, do you know enough about the Beyonder powers to summon Historical Void projections, as well as entering into a concealed state?
"I can demonstrate the former to you, but I will think of a way for the latter."
Reinette Tinekerr's four heads shook up and down at the same time.
"I…" "Can…" "No…" " Problem…"
"That's the general gist of it. You can confirm the details in the next few days." Klein silently estimated the time, as if he made his delivery succinct.
Sharron nodded indiscernibly and said, "The most important thing is intel. Teacher can provide a portion of it. The rest can be obtained through magic mirror divination."
Maric echoed, "I remember the symbol you drew back then."
She also remembered that the question posed by the hidden existence didn't violate much of her privacy, and didn't bring about too much shame.
Emlyn thought for a moment and carefully asked, "How do we communicate on both sides?
"If we can't grasp the timing accurately, the plan will definitely fail."
The Blood Clan's Oath of Rose was unable to transmit what they saw and heard at such a great distance.
Sharron glanced at Reinette Tinekerr and said, "Teacher's main body can stay on our side. Ten seconds after 'She' enters a concealed state, we will take action.
"Once 'She' exits the concealed state, we will immediately leave regardless of whether we succeed."
"She"… Emlyn jumped in fright as he instinctively turned his head to look at Gehrman Sparrow.
He remembered very clearly that "She" was summoned by Mr. World.
How terrifying… Emlyn didn't know if he was referring to the spirit world creature or Gehrman Sparrow.
"After the intelligence gathering is done, you can communicate again." Seeing that it was almost time, Klein took off his hat and bade farewell.
Emlyn's lips quivered, but he didn't ask anything in the end. He followed Gehrman Sparrow out of the house where Sharron and Maric were.
Miss Messenger actually didn't ask for any gold coins… This is because I'm helping "Her." If "She" really wants payment, all the gold coins I have are historical projections. I can only rely on Emlyn… I have to say, the Bangle of Spirituality that Emlyn provided to Miss Magician has pretty good effects. On the one hand, it can strengthen Miss Magician's spirituality, and on the other hand, it can speed up her spirituality recovery, allowing her to last this long… Just as the thoughts ran through Klein's mind, he heard Emlyn asked in puzzlement, "That ma'am—uh, Miss Sharron is a Sequence 4 demigod of the Mutant pathway?"
"That's right. The potion's name is Puppet," Klein kindly informed him.
Emlyn was instantly enlightened as he fell silent for two seconds before saying with a complicated expression, "If only she didn't speak or move, then she would be perfect."
…If it wasn't for the fact that a Clown could be described as a master in terms of expression management, Klein nearly spewed a mouthful of water at Emlyn.
He thought that the other party would praise Miss Sharron's beauty and doll-like characteristics, showing his infatuation and fervor, but in the end…
I can't understand what's on this fellow's mind… After controlling his urge to spew out whatever was in his mouth, Klein sighed inwardly.
Emlyn glanced at him and seemed to have guessed what he was thinking. He scoffed and said, "Which two things do you like the most?"
With Gehrman Sparrow's character, he wouldn't have answered such a mundane question. However, he was still Sherlock Moriarty—a friend of the vampire in front of him. After some thought, he walked into the alley and casually said, "Money and delicacies."
"Then, I'll give you a stack of edible gold pounds. Would you like it?" Emlyn asked further as he walked beside Gehrman Sparrow without any fear of the crazy adventurer like Miss Magician.
Klein imagined it and felt that this would taint the value of the gold pounds, but also caused the delicacies to lose their attractiveness. Hence, he slowly shook his head.
"So…" The corners of Emlyn's mouth curled up. "Although I also like exquisite, beautiful dolls and pure girls, if they were to combine together, it would inevitably make me find it a little odd. Yes, I believe that every doll of mine has their own character and story. If they suddenly come to life and not be like what I imagined. I would be very disappointed and worried… Of course, if I had the chance to obtain the Puppet potion and sprinkle some on all my puppets, I might try it…"
As Emlyn spoke of his contradictory thoughts, he acted like a philosopher.
If Miss Justice were here, she should be able to analyze Emlyn's mental state from such a reaction… Before he could respond, Klein's figure instantly faded and vanished.
…
In the rental apartment where Fors and Xio lived.
In front of the fireplace, Fors leaned back against the reclining chair with a pale face. She pulled up the wool blanket covering her body and, with the help of Cogitation, entered a deep sleep.
Two hours later, she woke up feeling energized, but there was still some fatigue on her face.
This Miss Magician took a slow, deep breath and extended her hand again, pulling Gehrman Sparrow out of the air in front of her.
Half of her demigod-level "Records" were the summoning of Historical Void projections.
Klein glanced at her. This time, without even nodding his head, he directly "Teleported" out of the house and entered an empty room in a hotel.
Two hours ago, he had been busy with Emlyn and Miss Sharron's matters. This time, he had "returned" to Backlund for himself.
Without wasting any time, Klein immediately took out the adventurer's harmonica and blew it.
When Miss Messenger stepped out of the void once again, Klein recounted how he wanted to hunt the Dark Demonic Wolf and finally asked, "Do you have any suggestions?"
Reinette Tinekerr's four blonde, red-eyed heads bobbed up and down at the same time.
"Sefirah Castle!"
In essence, it's the same as Pallez Zoroast's answer… Klein pressed curiously, "How?"
"I don't know!" Reinette Tinekerr's four heads answered in unison.
Klein silently exhaled and thanked "Her."
"Sorry to trouble you.
"You can leave now."
The blonde, red-eyed heads held by Reinette Tinekerr immediately replied:
"Bill…" "Records…" "For…" "1351…"
"September…" "For…" "Gehrman… "Sparrow…"
"Owes…" "Me…" "One…" "Gold coin…"
With that said, "She" turned transparent and returned to the spirit world.
"…" Klein was stunned for two seconds before he slowly took out his wallet from his inner pocket and picked up a paper crane.
"I have some questions to ask of you." He wrote on the paper crane he carried with him.
After doing all of this, Klein lay on the bed and fell asleep.
In the hazy dream world, he once again saw Will Auceptin, who was lying in a black pram and wrapped in silver silk.
You're already over a year old. Do you still think you're a baby that's a few months old? Pretending that he didn't see him sucking his fingers, Klein quickly described his conundrum.
The plump Will Auceptin retracted his thumb and sized up Klein.
"Isn't the answer obvious?"
"Ah?" Klein was pleasantly surprised and puzzled.
Will Auceptin smiled and said, "You must've been eating too few desserts recently, causing your memory to be bad… Do you still remember what happens to a Beyonder below an angel of the Fate pathway when they see you directly?"
This… Klein's eyes lit up.
Chapter 1232 Comparison Experiments
After becoming a demigod and gaining some level of control over Sefirah Castle, Klein was able to prevent its aura from permeating out into the real world and augmenting him. This made him stop considering similar problems. After all, this would result in abnormalities, causing him to be recognized by the Beyonders of the "Fate" pathway at a glance—it was rather unsafe. And at this moment, once he received Will Auceptin's reminder, he felt that it opened up new possibilities.
When I was only a subsidiary to Sefirah Castle and only had the right to use it, the aura and projection of Sefirah Castle made a saint of the Fate pathway not dare to look at me directly. I was equivalent to a Mythical Creature in the eyes to the corresponding Low- and Mid-Sequence Beyonders. Now that I have initial control over Sefirah Castle, there's a high chance I can make the "effects" better… This can affect angels who are complete Mythical Creatures "Themselves"? Sefirah Castle's level reaches that of Sequence 0 at the very least? Yes, according to my deductions, it might even be higher than Sequence 0… It has the trait that just knowing of it will result in corruption? Klein's mind whirred with activity as though streaks of lightning were flashing across his mind.
He quickly made up his mind. After returning to the Forsaken Land of the Gods, he would find the monsters in the depths of the darkness and do some experiments with the marionettes in the fog of history, so as to deduce if his idea worked.
He smiled and said to the one-year-old child in the black pram, "I understand what you mean. I'll get someone to send you ice-cream soon."
Will Auceptin, who was wrapped in silver silk, slowly turned his head and looked to the side.
"No, there's no need.
"I've been eating too much ice-cream during this period of time, and it's starting to affect my body's development…"
Klein pricked up his brows and asked, "Genuine, top-grade ice-cream produced right from the Intis capital, Trier."
"…Give it to me next week." Will Auceptin hesitated before answering.
With that said, the plump one-year-old child turned around and buried his face into a tiny pillow in the pram.
Due to the limited time Miss Magician had at maintaining the Historical Void projection, Klein didn't say anything else. Using his unique trait, he forcefully escaped the dream and woke up before getting out of bed.
Right on the heels of that, he stretched out his right hand and repeatedly pulled at the air.
Four to five times later, his arm sank as he dragged out a woman wearing a simple linen robe with a tree bark belt. She was barefooted and had long black hair. She was a lady with average looks.
The leader of the ascetics of the Church of Evernight, Servant of Concealment, Arianna!
At the same moment, in Hillston Borough, in an apartment, Fors, who was sitting in a reclining chair, seemed to be pulled by invisible threads as she sat up abruptly. Her body straightened as the blood vessels on her forehead throbbed.
She felt that her spirituality was like a flood that flowed towards the void in front of her, one that she couldn't stop no matter how hard she tried. She was on the brink of being sucked dry.
In the next second, this sudden surge eased quite a bit, but it remained frightening. It wasn't something that she could handle now.
In a hotel room, Klein spoke succinctly once he saw the Historical Void projection of Ma'am Arianna gaining sentience.
"I plan on cooperating with others to deal with a particular Shaman King of the Rose School of Thought."
Arianna nodded gently, indicating that she understood, but she didn't give any suggestions.
Seeing that the ascetic leader didn't give him any warnings, Klein felt a lot more at ease with the plan to hunt the Shaman King. He then said, "I've been planning on targeting the Dark Demonic Wolf recently."
Arianna opened her mouth slightly and said, "Be careful."
…Did "She" mean to say that I shouldn't belittle the Dark Demonic Wolf, Kotar? Just as he was about to ask a question, his consciousness suddenly blurred. He saw the woman opposite him and his reflection in "Her" eyes fade away as they quickly disappeared.
Thud!
Fors collapsed into the reclining chair as her facial muscles twitched slightly.
"This is more tiring than writing all night long…" She gritted her teeth and tried Cogitating to fall asleep.
Extreme exhaustion might sometimes paradoxically cause insomnia to a person.
…
In the Forsaken Land of the Gods, near Nois ancient city in the north, there was no one in the dark wilderness.
With the lantern emitting a faint yellow light, Klein circled around to confirm his surroundings.
Then, he found a rock and sat down, no longer shielding the aura of the gray fog from seeping into reality.
On this foundation, Klein consciously strengthened the projection that Sefirah Castle placed on him.
After he was done with his preparations, he quickly turned a monster hidden in the darkness around him into a marionette.
The marionette walked out of the darkness. Under the illumination of the lantern, it approached Klein and cast its gaze on him.
In the eyes of this monster marionette, other than the coated and hatted Klein having deeper, more profound eyes, his temperament had also become even more indescribable. There wasn't much of a difference from before.
After repeatedly testing the different types of monster marionettes, Klein confirmed that ordinary people, or most Beyonders, were unable to discover that he had the aura of Sefirah Castle on him.
Following that, he reached out with his right hand and pulled out his body from half a day ago. He controlled the rather dull historical projection to cast his gaze over.
This time, "Klein" saw a layer of grayish-white fog covering his body. Its interior was shimmering with light, but it didn't reveal its actual appearance.
He then removed the projection's support and attempted to pull out Marionettist Rosago and other Beyonders of the Seer pathway to repeat the experiment.
Yes, after enhancing the projection, Beyonders of the Seer pathway can directly discover something abnormal. However, those below the level of an angel can at least confirm that I'm related to Sefirah Castle. There's no way to directly see the strange door of light, which is also the projection of Sefirah Castle… This outcome wasn't too surprising for Klein.
He took a deep breath and, after preparing himself to "rescue himself," he raised his hand and pulled out Winner Enuni from back when he hadn't been his marionette for long.
Enuni raised his head bit by bit, and his eyes gradually reflected Klein's figure. There was a faint gray fog that emanated outwards.
Deep in the fog, transparent or translucent twisted maggots were clustered around countless spherical lights. The spherical lights formed a door of light that was dyed bluish-black.
The door of light was much clearer than before as it appeared even more textured. At the same time, its shape changed as it extended even higher up.
This made it look like a tall and thin, brilliant figure. And the grayish-white fog around it was the figure's hooded robe.
The spherical lights constantly flashed, making Klein feel like he was being watched by this deep, mysterious, towering, and terrifying figure with his numerous eyes.
With a boom, Klein's head involuntarily tilted back as blood mixed with transparent maggots spurted out of his pores.
The Worms of Spirit fell to the ground as they frantically rolled and struggled. Some of them rapidly dissipated, while some eventually calmed down before crawling back into his body and into his pores.
Man… It's much better than directly losing consciousness and suffering memory loss the last time… Klein rubbed his temples and sighed silently.
Enuni, who was standing in front of him, had already vanished because of the impact that Klein had received. Unable to maintain the Historical Void projection, Enuni vanished.
This was also one of the reasons why Klein didn't suffer too much damage this time.
Without Winner Enuni, he was unable to see the mutated strange door of light. This reduced the continuous assault on his senses.
After two seconds, Klein entered the fog of history, took four steps counterclockwise, and went above the gray fog.
Looking at the faint dark glow rising from his body and melting away, Klein finally heaved a sigh of relief and gave a self-deprecating laugh.
I nearly corrupted and corroded myself…
In the future, I'll use Rosago and the other Beyonders of the Seer pathway to do additional experiments: If there's no direct assault, I need to confirm if there will be a reverse corruption from Sefirah Castle's projection with the increase in observation time…
…
The Southern Continent, East Balam, Faoltec City that was under attack.
Under the illumination of the crimson moon, the Loen soldiers hiding behind a simple shelter took turns to rest to recover their energy.
Their faces were black and covered with traces of gunpowder. Occasionally, someone would wake up and take out some dried tobacco leaves and casually roll it. Then, they would use the remaining matchstick to light it up and bring it to their mouths to suck deeply at it. In turn, their eyes exuded mostly numbness and blankness.
When the soldiers guarding this line of defense smelled the tobacco, they instinctively sniffed and looked over.
"Do you still have any more tobacco leaves?" a soldier with a rifle asked his companion in a low voice.
His comrade shook his head.
"I've already finished smoking it."
"I don't know when the next batch will arrive… I'm going crazy without the tobacco!" The soldier who first spoke gestured outside the shelter with his chin. "Do you see that? There are so many corpses, so many hands and feet. They all belonged to living people."
Before the sun set, the Resistance had launched a fierce attack by feverishly storming the various defensive lines at Faoltec City. Their disregard for their own lives frightened the Loen soldiers and servant-army who had been guarding the city. They almost had victory at hand, but ultimately failed to break through the critical line of defense. They left behind copious numbers of corpses before receding like the tide.
His comrade fell silent for a moment before saying, "Maybe tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, we will be joining them."
Having said that, he looked up at the crimson moon and said in a dreamy voice, "I wonder how Backlund is. I haven't received a letter from home in a long while… I wonder if they have enough food, or if they can find a doctor when they are sick…"
The soldier who had wanted to smoke was about to curse at the damn war and the damned enemy when his eyes suddenly widened. Trembling, he raised his right hand and pointed ahead.
"Th-they… They're alive…"
One by one, the soldiers looked over and saw that under the crimson moon, the dismembered corpses that the Resistance had left behind were beginning to crawl up one by one, swaying as they tried to approach the defense line.
In the distance, a mysterious hooded person in black robe with embroidered crimson patterns stood behind the Resistance and spread out his arms slightly.
The spirituality of the entire battlefield was rapidly being nourished.
Chapter 1233 Two Spots
Ever since the war became prolonged, the Loen soldiers had seen countless unnatural phenomena. It happened so many that they were somewhat numb to it. However, the scene of the dismembered corpses crawling up remained a shocking scene. It left them horrified and confused. They felt as though they were unable to survive the impending disaster, and would eventually become zombies.
Of course, there was a reason why they were able to maintain their morale after seeing such unnatural phenomena.
Just as they were feeling extreme fear, a series of chants sounded from behind them.
"Lacking clothes and food, they have no shelter in the cold.
"…
"The Evernight did not forsake them, but bestowed them with love[1]."
The holy and sympathetic prayer reverberated across the entire defense line, causing the fear in every soldier to quickly dissipate, their bodies and minds turning tranquil.
Then, a number of the soldiers followed orders and moved out cannons covered in silver patterns. They adjusted the muzzles and aimed at the dismembered corpses that were rushing at them.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Sparks flew as shells landed in different spots on the battlefield, exploding and emitting a thick darkness.
The dismembered corpses collapsed, the strength within them vanishing; otherwise, they were directly destroyed, returning to their eternal slumber.
The mysterious black-robed man behind the Resistance army raised his arms upon seeing this, as though he was hugging the crimson moon.
At that moment, his body suddenly turned incorporeal, his body dyed a faint red as he transformed into a hazy ray of moonlight.
The moonlight shattered instantly, turning into red scales before dissipating in place.
Moonlight Transformation!
This was a Beyonder power that a Sequence 5 Scarlet Scholar of the Apothecary pathway possessed. To a Sequence 4 Shaman King, it was almost instinctive.
And at the spot where the Shaman King had been, a figure quickly outlined itself.
It was a huge cloth doll. "It" had blonde hair and bright red eyes, and wore a long black gothic dress with countless mysterious patterns engraved on it. Swirling around it was sinister vines. Its skin had a luster that no human should possess.
Reinette Tinekerr!
"She" had used the Staff of the Stars to summon "Herself" back when she was in perfect condition.
Of course, the Staff of the Stars that was lent to Miss Messenger was the real one. Klein had brought it back to the real world from above the gray fog ahead of time.
If that wasn't the case, it would be equivalent to Klein's historical projection summoning a Staff of the Stars projection; then, the projection of the Staff of the Stars would summon Reinette Tinekerr in her peak state. The whole burden would be placed on Fors, causing her spirituality to be quickly drained.
A solution to this problem was to temporarily lend the actual Staff of the Stars to Reinette Tinekerr. The draining of spirituality would be borne by this Ancient Bane.
At the same time, Reinette Tinekerr was probably one of the existences that were the least afraid of the negative effects of the staff.
As a key representative of the temperance faction, and as a Puppet and a "cloth doll," "She" could stop unwanted scenes from surfacing in "Her" mind. And after changing into a concealed state, the Staff of the Stars could hardly affect "Her" Historical Void projection.
The peak state Reinette Tinekerr had attempted to sneak closer to directly possess the Rose School of Thought's Shaman King and instantly end the battle. However, the other party had discovered the danger ahead of time. Using the moonlight's illumination, he was one step ahead of the Wraith's possession.
Amidst the crimson glow that enveloped the ground, red scales rapidly reformed into the black-robed, hooded Rose School of Thought Shaman King. His eyes were closed eyes tightly, not daring to look at the Ancient Bane opposite him.
At the same time, on the other side of the battlefield, a figure rapidly appeared. It was none other than Gehrman Sparrow, who was wearing a black trench coat and a half top hat. He had a transparent glove on his left hand as he raised his right hand and snapped his fingers.
Scarlet flames rose up from various parts of the battlefield, as if they were announcing the beginning of a grand performance.
Just as the Shaman King finished reforming, he reached out his left hand and tore apart the clothes on his chest. At that moment, Reinette Tinekerr's bright red eyes reflected his figure.
If things went as expected, the Rose School of Thought Shaman King would've transformed into a rabbit or a goat in the next second. He would "lose" most of his characteristics and Beyonder powers, but his body only emitted a faint glow without any change.
His exposed chest revealed a long, thin brown puppet which was embedded there.
The puppet seemed to grow out of the Shaman King's body, its body connected to his internal organs. Its eyes and mouth were like crescents. The surface of its body was grown with dried flowers and withered grass, giving off an indescribable bizarreness in the moonlight.
Suddenly, the puppet was dyed red as though it was soaked in blood.
It immediately turned into a pool of mud that surged into the organs of the Shaman King.
Amidst the mud, an arm stretched out.
Its surface was flowing with a black sticky liquid that kept protruding out with strange objects. Some were skulls, some had barbed tongues, while others had three-dimensional eyes.
Abomination Suah!
This Rose School of Thought's leader, an existence at Sequence 1, had crossed the vast distance and descended with the help of prior arrangements!
That evil aura instantly caused the surrounding members of the Rose School of Thought and supporting members to either die, mutate, or wildly attack their comrades. Apart from the Shaman King, no one was spared.
…
West Balam, in a port city.
Shaman King Klarman, who wielded the highest authority here, stood at the top floor of a cathedral that once belonged to the Church of Evernight as he looked down at the sparsely-lit city.
In a house not far away, Emlyn White glanced at the doll-like Sharron and took out a bronze box with many ruby gems embedded in it.
Inside the box was an eyeball-shaped glass sphere. It was a Sealed Artifact which Emlyn had requested from the Sanguine, known as the Vision of White—an artifact of the Sun domain.
It was very effective at dealing with the Mutant pathway's demigods and Shaman Kings. It could even be considered able to restrain them in certain aspects.
Of course, it wouldn't feel any sense of pity and kindness just because Emlyn and Sharron were Beyonders on its side.
Upon seeing Sharron nod slightly to indicate that there were no problems, Emlyn's body phased away as the moonlight that shone into the room, and he disintegrated into a series of colorful red scales.
At the apex of the nearby cathedral, Klarman was pacing back and forth with his puffy, black-and-white hair. He sneered at the city's Nighthawks and Mandated Punishers for moving the Loen citizens and all the Sealed Artifacts away ahead of time.
If the group consisted only of Beyonders, it wouldn't be impossible to escape, but with so many ordinary people, how can you effectively move without being noticed? There's no need for me to send people to track you. Simply locking down the surrounding docks and food supplies is enough to break you down without my interference…
As he muttered silently to himself, this Shaman King, who had been active in the Southern Continent since the early Fifth Epoch and was even suspected to be dead, cast his gaze out the window and stared at the crimson moon high in the sky.
Previously, the abnormal phenomenon of the "crimson moon turning white" made Klarman feel the anger of the Primordial Moon. He had always felt uneasy and disturbed.
He had become a Primordial Moon believer over time while researching natural interactions, secret deeds, and other mysterious knowledge.
Normally, it was relatively easy for a Shaman King to live a thousand years, but later on, his physical condition waned—an irreversible form of aging and the decay of his Spirit Body. Therefore, 1,200 years was commonly the natural limit of Shaman Kings and Sanguine Earls. To continue living, one could only rely on various methods to survive. For example, sealing oneself and sleeping in a coffin deep within a castle.
Klarman was nearly 1400 years old and still brimming with energy. He didn't need to limit his movements, because he had received the Primordial Moon's blessings.
This was also the reason why he had disappeared for so many years.
Later on, he received a revelation from the Primordial Moon and joined the Rose School of Thought.
In this aspect, Klarman always had his suspicions. Sometimes, he believed that the Mother Tree of Desire and the Primordial Moon were one entity. They were different sides of the same great existence. Yet, there were other times when he felt that the Mother Tree of Desire and the Primordial Moon were not only different, but there was also a deep conflict between them.
This resulted in the Primordial Moon believers not getting enough attention when they later joined the Rose School of Thought. Apart from receiving some bestowments in the form of items, they were placed in noncritical positions.
Just as Klarman was focused on sensing the crimson moon in an attempt to gain a revelation, the crimson moonlight that fell onto the cathedral's bell tower had pure red scales of light appear as they gathered together. It then manifested into Emlyn White who wore a tuxedo and a bow tie.
Behind this Sanguine, a thick black gas emanated, forming a pair of illusory bat wings.
Emlyn had already consumed the corresponding potion to remove his scent and spirituality fluctuations, allowing him to approach his target in secret.
Of course, he was up against a demigod, a Sequence 4 demigod of the same pathway. Even if he was fully prepared, he didn't dare get too close, or else he would easily be discovered.
Looking at the window where Shaman King Klarman was, he examined the projection on the glass for a second. Emlyn White opened the bronze box with the rubies embedded in it, and he used his black velvet-gloved left hand to pick up the Vision of White.
His expression twisted as he experienced the pain that came from being exposed to the blazing sun.
Suppressing the pain, Emlyn pushed the eyeball-shaped glass sphere to his right eye.
All the buildings in front of him had suddenly disappeared from his vision, leaving only shadows of cold, crimson, or fallen evil.
Among them, there was a figure that was like a huge black whirlpool that was crazily devouring the light around it, causing his body to become distorted.
This was Emlyn's target, the ancient Shaman King, Klarman.
A ray of light immediately lit up, condensing into a scorching, blinding light. It shot out from the Vision of White and went straight for the figure behind the glass window.
[1] Adapted from Job 24:8, Old Testament.
Chapter 1234 The Projection"s "Descent"
The blinding white beam penetrated the glass window and landed on Shaman King Klarman.
It then burst into an intense light, melting away all the undead, darkness, and evil.
Klarman's figure burned with a white flame, as though he was a paper figurine that had been brought near red embers.
But it really was a paper figurine, one that seemed to be condensed from the crimson moonlight.
The Shaman King's substitute spell, Moon Paper Figurine!
As the paper figurine turned to ash, the ancient Shaman King appeared at the top of the cathedral and cast his cold gaze at Emlyn White, who was standing near the bell tower.
At that moment, within Klarman's blood-red eyes, it reflected the figure of Sharron, who was wearing a black regal dress and a tiny bonnet. Her body stiffened as if she had lost control of herself.
Seeing this, Emlyn didn't hesitate. It was as if he had practiced it a thousand times before. He aimed his Vision of White at the Shaman King's left chest and prepared to activate the Sun domain's "Unshadowed Spear."
As long as this attack struck Klarman's heart, this Shaman King Klarman wouldn't be able to use "Moonlight Transformation" to resolve it. It would also be difficult for him to recover using an artificial vampire's super-recovery abilities.
Of course, this would definitely cause more serious damage to Sharron who had possessed Klarman. However, if they could quickly resolve their target, she was willing to pay the corresponding price.
In the previous discussions, Emlyn, Sharron, and Maric had already discussed a few similar plans and had come to a consensus.
This was also the reason why Sharron didn't restrict Shaman King Klarman by tightening his clothes. Compared to a Wraith's possession, that was easier to resolve for the opponent who could use "Moonlight Transformation." As for whether Klarman would be ashamed of running naked, the answer from the magic mirror was no.
Taking all these under consideration, they eventually chose to let Emlyn White attack the target, so as to deplete his Moon Paper Figurine to create an opportunity for Sharron to possess him.
The transparent glass sphere in Emlyn's hand glowed once again, extending out into a blazing spear that had turned extremely white. But at this moment, Klarman, who was standing at the top of the cathedral, suddenly underwent a transformation.
A crack quickly split open in the middle of his forehead, as if there was a blood moon embedded in it.
Moonlight surged out like a tidal wave, causing the illusory, blonde, blue-eyed Sharron to float out of his body uncontrollably.
Klarman's stiff and slow movements barely restored to normal and, under the radiance of the full moon, he turned into a pool of blood, splitting into countless fragments of light.
His figure rapidly took form on another steeple of the cathedral. Clinging closely behind him was Sharron. As for the Unshadowed Spear that Emlyn had created, it passed through the spot where Klarman was originally standing and flew into the distance, expanding into a miniature sun.
The entire port city was illuminated.
At the same time, Klarman's right shoulder began to squirm before something tore through his black robe and burrowed out.
This was an exquisite male doll. It was only the size of a palm and wore a dark red, gold-patterned tuxedo. Its eyes had been dug out, leaving behind two black holes.
The puppet sat on Klarman's shoulder and raised its hands, tapping all its fingers as though it was playing an invisible instrument.
Sharron's figure was immediately ejected from Klarman's back, as though she suffered a serious repulsion.
Emlyn felt his clothes tighten as they bound him tightly.
His bowtie also came alive in a bid to strangle him to death.
That doll was a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact given to Klarman by the Rose School of Thought. It was called the "General of the Pupil-less Eye." It was an item formed by a Sequence 4 demigod of the Mutant pathway who had suffered a sudden death due to an accident.
It had a living characteristic and could possess objects with spirits and awaken objects that didn't according to its wielder's will. However, the wielder needed to feed it with their flesh and blood; otherwise, it would gradually grow its eyes.
Once this Sealed Artifact was in a good condition, it would transform into an evil spirit that chased after its original owner while abhorring all humans.
When Emlyn heard the sound of his bones crying in pain from the burden, the Vision of White that was burning his soul emitted a bright glow, turning the surrounding area into a land without shadows or evil.
The effects of General of the Pupil-less Eye had on his clothes were severed.
However, at that moment, Klarman had already indiscernibly muttered a particular word with a cruel smile. He reached out his hands and pulled out an illusory door with many mysterious symbols engraved on it out of thin air.
This was the Door of Summoning!
The Moon pathway's Sequence 3 was Summoning Master!
Under the illumination of the "full blood moon" on his forehead, Klarman, who was only at the Shaman King level, was able to complete a summoning!
However, because of this, there was a certain change in his overall aura. He had lost a lot of his rationality, and his madness had deepened.
Amidst the illusory creaking, the Door of Summoning opened up a crack.
In the gaps, two human palms reached out. Their skin had no luster to it, and they lacked texture. They were like a most inferior cloth doll.
…
Outside Faoltec City, the Rose School of Thought believers and followers who had originally planned on attacking the Loen army's defense line after the corpse horde's attack had begun to kill each other, their rationality completely gone.
Some of them, who were originally ordinary people, bent their backs and grew grayish-black wolf fur. The corners of their mouths tore open as sticky saliva constantly dripped. Some of their skin was dyed black and had become as hard as steel. Some lost their hearts and fell to the ground, only to get back on their feet as though nothing had happened. Some of their bodies turned transparent, as if they had become shadows…
The descent of Abomination Suah's aura had tainted all the living creatures in the vicinity, causing them to either break down and suffer a tragic death, or turn into werewolves or zombies.
As a high-ranking Sequence 1, "He" could directly bestow the power unto "His" believers, but there was a time limit. However, this method might not be the hope of the Resistance.
On the other side of the battlefield, over two thousand meters away, behind the Loen shelter. Although the soldiers didn't see or hear anything, transparent blisters began growing on the surface of their skin, and their minds were filled with thoughts of venting all kinds of emotions and desires.
It wouldn't take long for them to go mad one by one and turn into irrational beasts. Across this base, even to the interior of Faoltec City, it would be a challenge to find humans who could still maintain their clarity of mind.
Suddenly, they heard a chant.
It was a chant formed from sacred and ethereal voices.
This chant came from the Evernight cathedral in the city. It was as though there were many choirs praising the Goddess.
The soldiers, citizens, and officers fell asleep one after another behind the shelter, inside the trenches, and on the streets.
They dreamed of a tranquil darkness, moon flowers, and night vanilla. Their bodies and minds became extremely peaceful, and they were no longer affected by evil.
In the Evernight cathedral in Faoltec City, the high-ranking deacon of the Nighthawks, the Goddess's Eye, Ilya, tried her best to maintain the dream that enveloped the entire city. She was unable to interfere with the demigod battle outside.
At the same time, Klein and Reinette Tinekerr felt the change in the surrounding spirituality. It seemed to transform into layers of barriers that attempted to restrain them and restrict their actions.
And in the bloody mud on the Shaman King's chest, a lump of squirming flesh covered in black sticky liquid drilled out right on the heels of Suah's arm, forming the body of this Abomination.
"He" was like a huge tree that had been splashed with oil. The extended branches were arms which had various strange objects protruding out.
On the surface of the trunk that was covered in thick black liquid, bloodshot eyes kept rolling. It cleared the minds of the onlookers, turning them into rabbits, goats, and pigs.
The dozens of arms rapidly extended outwards. Some of them sealed off the sky, while others burrowed into the ground. The rest either surrounded them from all sides or headed straight for Klein and Reinette Tinekerr.
At the same time, Abomination Suah let out a roar that pierced straight into one's Spirit Body. It caused the two targets to tremble at the same time, causing a certain degree of stiffness to rear its head. It made the crimson moonlight in midair become even richer, allowing a scene to appear on the red "screen."
The core to this scene was a mummy wrapped in a yellowing bandage. "It" had been pierced by countless brown tree branches and was suspended in midair.
Its stomach bulged, and at times, different parts bulged and shriveled, as if it was giving birth to new life.
The mummy's mouth was agape as it kept screaming. Although Klein couldn't hear any actual sounds, he felt pain resonating with his body and soul, slowly burdening him with the mummy's predicament.
The Chained God!
The roar of Abomination Suah was formed from ancient Hermes words that exceeded the imagination of humans. It was essentially praying to the Chained God and "He" had successfully received a response!
The Mother Tree of Desire was unable to infuse too much power into reality. If one wanted to pray to "Her" and obtain feedback at the angel level, they required a large-scale ritual. Of course, the influence the Mother Tree of Desire directly exerted and "Her" attention via the Chained God had qualitative differences.
The Chained God was originally not a true god, but "He" had contained the Mutant pathway's Uniqueness and two Sequence 1 Beyonder characteristics, making "Him" a King of Angels. After giving birth to Abomination Suah, "He" even lost a Sequence 1 Beyonder characteristic. When "He" was completely overwhelmed by the Mother Tree of Desire, "He" similarly suffered a life of isolation.
Therefore, regardless of the essence of the Mother Tree of Desire, the effect "She" had on reality was limited due to the indirect methods used. But no matter what, the trap targeted at Reinette Tinekerr was luxurious enough!
As the projection of the Chained God appeared, the entire land was dyed with a dark red color. Klein felt that his connection with the spirit world had been severed, and he could no longer use Teleportation.
His figure instantly leaped into a sea of flames. Taking advantage of the opportunity when Reinette Tinekerr was fighting against Suah, he reached his hand into the void and grabbed at different spots.
Finally, Klein pulled out a silver-black jewelry box embedded with various gems. Then, without any hesitation, he opened the second level.
Box of the Great Old Ones!
This Grade 0 Sealed Artifact's second level could transfer all living beings within its range to a particular scene recorded by it!