1334 - 1341

Chapter 1334 Night With The Moon

MI9's office building was located on Bellotto Street in West Borough, and it was an inconspicuous three-story building.

The entrance didn't show any signs of its identity. It simply hung a door sign: "9"

The core of this office building was underground, and above it was for the clerks. Of course, most of the Beyonders who were under MI9 wouldn't go underground for no reason. The environment there wasn't good, and the atmosphere was oppressive. It was possible that an accident could happen due to the failure to watch over a Sealed Artifact.

Xio was now the deputy team leader of the "National Security and Counter-Espionage Team." She was in charge of a rather small-scale Beyonder team, responsible for handling espionage cases regarding Intis in the greater area of Backlund.

"There's a mission here." Her superior, MI9's deputy director, the team leader of the National Security and Counter-Espionage Team, Lieutenant General Pantek, picked up a document and handed it across the desk opposite him.

"Is it very urgent?" Xio received it and asked cautiously.

Lieutenant General Pantek was a typical Loen old man with a case of severe hairline recession. He picked up a white porcelain coffee cup and took a sip.

"Not at all. It's quite low-risk.

"In fact, this mission will be sent to all members, hoping that someone will be able to complete it by luck."

This description was out of Xio's expectations, but she didn't open the dossier on the spot and directly replied, "I will inform my team members."

Xio returned to her own room after leaving Lieutenant General Pantek's office.

When she threw herself into her seat, she seemed to have hidden herself.

Xio quickly browsed through the documents in her hand and roughly understood why the deputy director said that.

The Utopia that needed investigation didn't seem to be anywhere in the Northern and Southern Continent, nor were there on any of the known islands in the Five Seas.

In the past two weeks, many people had entered the so-called Utopia, but the way they entered was completely different. Some entered from the Berserk Sea's Sonia Sea waters, arriving by a terrifying storm. Some were midway on a railway that led from Desi Bay to Backlund. Due to a heavy storm, they had been delayed and stopped at the city. Others were in Sivellaus County, and they entered because they were lost…

Up to now, no one has been affected by the damage or mentally influenced… It's no wonder Deputy Director Pantek said that the danger level is very low… Also, there's no way to conclude the rules regarding the case, making it difficult for one to find the true location of Utopia. Therefore, there's no way for them to send people in to investigate. Yes… I can only tell all members of the situation, and hope that one of them will chance upon Utopia and carefully gather information in secret when they are there… Xio put down the documents in her hand and stood up regretfully, preparing to inform the Beyonders under her.

She was regretful that the mission was so difficult that she almost couldn't see hope. This made her unable to accumulate more merit points.

In the past half-year, Xio had been very busy every day in order to deal with the pending apocalypse. As she dealt with MI9's matters, she completed all the missions Mr. Fool had given her, so as to accumulate contributions on both sides and exchange for the formula and Beyonder characteristics of the Imperative Mage formula and Beyonder characteristic, to fulfill the wish of becoming a demigod.

And up till now, Xio was still lacking a little on both fronts, especially in MI9. If she didn't make any significant contribution, Xio couldn't see any hope.

If not for the generous salary from MI9 and all kinds of benefits that came with it, and how she could rely on her status and identity to monopolize a large amount of information so as to help her complete the missions given by Mr. Fool, Xio yearned to resign and become a bounty hunter again. That way, she would have more freedom.

I can ask about this case at the next Tarot Gathering. Perhaps Mr. World will have some clues… As Xio thought, she pushed open the door to the room where her team members were.

After assigning the Utopia mission, Xio specially instructed, "If the situation isn't right, even if you have the chance to enter Utopia, you can give up immediately. The town of unknown authenticity hasn't shown any danger. Perhaps it's because it hadn't been triggered."

After busying herself for a while more, Xio finally ended her day in exhaustion. She returned home before half-past seven, and she had dinner with her mother, her brother, and Fors. She enjoyed a limited amount of relaxation.

At midnight, she washed up and walked to the bedroom window. She grabbed the curtain and prepared to draw it.

During this process, Xio naturally cast her gaze outside and discovered that the crimson moon in the sky had already turned bigger at some point in time. Furthermore, the color had clearly deepened as though it was flowing blood.

Blood Moon… Xio suddenly turned her head and looked next door in concern. She was a little worried about her good friend's condition.

However, she quickly recalled that Fors was a Sequence 4 demigod and no longer feared the effects of the full moon ravings.

…

In the room next door, Fors was lying in bed, taking in the Blood Moon outside. As she endured the pain of her head being pricked by needles, she heard Mr. Door say, "Although going from Sequence 3 to Sequence 2 is indeed a qualitative change, going from an incomplete Mythical Creature to a real Mythical Creature, I believe that Sequence 4 to Sequence 3 has a qualitative change as well. It can even be said that Sequence 3 is the best level in a Beyonder pathway.

"At this level, there is no need to rely on external forces to resist the madness and the inclination towards losing control. There is no need to endure the torment every second and minute. They will also possess Beyonder powers that completely exceed that of an ordinary person. They will be more godlike than they are human. Furthermore, they can obtain a small number of anchors and stabilize their mental state.

"If not for the fact that most Sequence 3 Beyonder's don't have long enough lives, with it being difficult for them to live to more than 500 years old. I believe there won't be many saints who have the motivation to advance to an angel…"

"Yeah, yeah." Fors nodded, indicating that she had already understood.

At the same time, her forehead twitched slightly and she yawned secretly.

She was already a little accustomed to the pain from her direct conversation with Mr. Door.

Mr. Door continued, "The Apprentice pathway's Sequence 3 is Wanderer. This means that the spirit world can no longer trap you. You can enter the cosmos, travel the astral world, head to different planets, and see true dead silence, true barrenness, true magnificence, and completely different civilizations.

"Only after experiencing it for yourself will you understand how insignificant the world you live in is…"

Mr. Door briefly explained "His" experiences as a showcase of the magnificence and beauty of the cosmos, displaying the stateliness and charm of different civilizations.

This made Fors fall into a trance. If not for the sharp throbbing pain in her head still reminding her, she would have even forgotten that the speaker was a dangerous King of Angels.

"As long as you help me escape, I'll give you the potion formula and Beyonder characteristic of a Wanderer and help you complete the ritual. Of course, this can be paid in advance." At the end of the full moon ravings, Mr. Door gave another promise.

"It really makes me look forward to it," Fors marveled sincerely.

When Mr. Door's voice gradually weakened and disappeared, Fors suddenly pulled out the pillow at her waist and lay down.

In less than three minutes, she fell asleep in peace.

To her, the vast cosmos was indeed filled with charm. However, it also contained the danger of being corrupted just from knowing about it. She had no motivation to explore it.

"I'll consider it after touring all the places in the Northern and Southern Continent and the Five Seas…" In her sleep, Fors muttered almost silently to herself.

At that moment, the blood-red moon outside the window had already faded. It returned to a light crimson color and wasn't full.

…

A huge blood-colored moon hung on the edge of the cliff, illuminating the swamp below.

The swamp was dark red and constantly bubbling, as though lava was boiling at the bottom of it.

At a glance, there was no end to the swamp, like a vast ocean.

Pa!

A stone fell from the edge of the cliff and into the swamp.

In the next second, a bubble appeared and silently burst, producing a blood-stained infant.

The baby staggered, swam towards the cliff, and attempted to climb up.

Pa!

The stone beneath Emlyn White's feet shattered as he fell off the cliff and into the swamp.

This Sanguine Earl suddenly jolted awake from his dream. He looked around in horror and confusion.

After confirming that this was his room, where there were many extremely familiar dolls of different sizes, Emlyn slowly exhaled and said to himself with a rather solemn expression, "That dream wasn't simple."

As a Shaman King, he had a good understanding of a dreamscape.

Could this be the so-called divine revelation? But I didn't receive any revelations… Emlyn thought for a few seconds but couldn't come up with an answer. Then, he decided to ignore the problem and prepare to ask Father Utravsky when he had the time.

…

The incomplete moon that had its blood-red colors faded illuminated the garden of the Cathedral of Waves.

Alger reached out his hand to grab the note "delivered" by the gale and read it.

"Verdu is looking for a pirate ship or a smuggling ship to Bansy."

Bansy Harbor had yet been rebuilt, and there were no liners from all over the world that headed there. Verdu, who treasured his limited "Teleportation" opportunities, could only rely on extremely normal methods.

Head to Bansy? Alger immediately frowned.

He knew what Bansy meant, but he didn't understand why Verdu wanted to go to Bansy.

There should be nothing there!

No, even if the Church has leveled Bansy, there's still something abnormal about it. Furthermore, the Church didn't investigate what problems Bansy had hidden in the past… As a cardinal, Alger was qualified to read through some confidential documents, including the records of the actions that the Church of the Lord of Storms had done when dealing with Bansy.

In addition, he had also learned more from Mr. Fool and The World Gehrman Sparrow.

After some thought, Alger quickly came to a decision. He planned on getting his Shadow Guard to arrange a pirate ship for Verdu.

In this aspect, Alger knew many key people to aid him. It didn't need him to show his face in person or use his name.

Of course, smuggling ships in the Rorsted Archipelago were often equivalent to pirate ships.

Chapter 1335 "I"

I'm sitting on the chair in a police station, looking at the mouths of two men in black-and-white checkered uniforms opposite me. It's like they're talking about something.

The man on the left has a cold expression on his face, as if he has been through too many unfortunate events. The man on the right is a little inexperienced, and there's a hint of pity in his eyes.

I don't feel any pain, nor did I regret delivering that final stab. At that moment, I even felt that I had been liberated. The warm blood that sprayed on my body was like salvation from a god.

I only regret my fervent pursuit of money in my youth. I had sacrificed my dignity, my body, and my freedom.

Over the past few days at the police station, I've had enough peace and quiet. I had the opportunity to ponder this question at a deeper level, far deeper than whatever that I've been thinking about over the years:

Me having a weak will and being immature were the source of the mistakes I made. But they weren't the only reason.

Ever since I was a child, all the education I received told me that working and striving hard is for that big house, those full floor-to-ceiling windows that let in plenty of light, to have more than three servants, a lawn and garden that I can call my own, silver-plated or even gold-plated cutlery, be able to host a banquet filled with delicacies, run balls that were filled with melodious music, etc.

The newspapers and magazines I'd read also told me over and over again that only those that showed a sufficient level of decency can be called middle-class. They are the true pillars of support for this kingdom. They are people of high-class, excellence, zero mediocrity, and integrity, while having compassion and knowledge.

At the same time, they also told me what decency was. It's wearing a beautiful dress, matching expensive skincare products, cosmetics, and exquisite fashion handbags for different occasions. It was to attend concerts, high tea, and gatherings filled with class.

And all of this translated means gold pounds, gold pounds, and gold pounds.

I have to admit that pursuing a better life is instinctual for everyone. However, when the influences on a girl tells her in every aspect that, when the mainstream views of society are all about appearance, exquisiteness, and elegance, it's very difficult to not have her thoughts become influenced.

I don't know what this phenomenon is called. I only know that if all of this can't be changed, then a tragedy like mine will continue happening, happening more and more often.

When that happens, someone would definitely curse.

"Look at these gold-digging women, selling out their souls!"

Subconsciously, I turn around and see the beautiful and bustling world outside. I see the bright red blood flowing in this world.

"Miss Tracey, are you listening to us?" A voice distracts my thoughts, coming from the slightly inexperienced policeman.

I grin at him, not telling him I'm thinking about some philosophical questions.

What a joke. A gold digger who sold her soul is actually thinking of such inane matters when she's being interrogated by the police.

The policeman nods and says to me, "Miss Tracey, you'll be put on trial soon. We'll arrange a lawyer for you.

"I'm sorry, We didn't manage to retain the witness. Just having his testimony isn't in your favor."

"It's okay," I say quietly to him.

I will try my best to defend myself, and repent for the crimes I have committed. I only hope that I can restart life anew.

I think for a moment and curl the corners of my lips. I say to the two officers, "Can you borrow a few books from the library for me while I wait to go on trial?

"Yes, 'Phenomena of Sociology and Education'…"

At that moment, I see the two police officers in a daze, and a hint of, yes—surprise.

…

I sit at the far end of the mottled table and hear Miss Judgment describe the Utopia incident.

After she finishes, I look around and hoarsely say, "This is a ritual."

Unsurprisingly, I see Miss Judgment's gaze freeze. I can sense Mr. Hanged Man and Miss Justice looking over with a hint of speculation in their eyes.

At this moment, I can almost guess what they're thinking.

They definitely suspect that this is The World Gehrman Sparrow's Sequence 1 ritual. And they are already long aware from the talks in the Tarot Gatherings that the existence of a Sequence 0 true god makes it impossible for a Sequence 1 to exist.

Regarding this matter, I have already prepared an explanation. It is to let them think about the ancient sun god and "His" eight Kings of Angels.

Unfortunately, no one raises any questions. They may have already made the connection to the Kings of Angels, or perhaps they believe that the ritual involving Utopia is mainly to help Mr. Fool awaken further.

…

I look at the lady who is lost in thought, and I ask after some deliberation, "Miss Tracey, where do your parents live?"

"They've already passed away…" the beautiful lady whose soul no longer belongs here replies with an ethereal voice.

I lower my head and record it.

"Do you have any other relatives?"

The lady turns to look out the window and answers casually, "No…"

I exchange looks with my colleague and raise my voice.

"Miss Tracey, are you listening to us?"

The lady opposite me retracts her distant gaze and smiles at me.

I don't know what she's thinking about. She's so quiet like a flower blooming alone in the night.

This analogy comes from an anthology of poems. My brother told me that reading poems makes me more charming.

Of course, up till now, the poems have only brought mostly mockery. All of the police officers believe that it's worthless.

When I tell the lady opposite me about the trial, I see a faint smile on her face as she pleads us to borrow a few books from the library—ones that I believe are difficult just from the title.

The smile and the names of the book combine together into an indescribable beauty.

After sending Miss Tracey back to the temporary detention room, I pack up the materials for the case and prepare to pay a visit to the lawyer. It's something that had been pre-determined long ago.

…

I lean back in my chair and listen to The Moon Emlyn describe his dream.

After Father Utravsky's appraisal, this dream has been confirmed to have not originated from the Earth Mother.

This inevitably makes people cast their looks of suspicion at The Moon, towards a state prior to being corrupted by the Mother Goddess of Depravity… I'm nearly amused by my own thoughts.

As an experienced Seer, a master at deciphering dreams, I'm not held back by modesty. I frankly reveal what I know:

"The three possibilities are that this dreamscape is trying to bait you into exploring and pursuing something. To a certain extent, it can interfere with your fate. Secondly, this dreamscape hopes that you can interpret it deeply and understand it. Then, through this, corrupt you in an indiscernible manner. Thirdly, you are too worried about the matter of becoming a Beauty Goddess, so you dreamed of that remarkably terrifying scene.

"The third possibility doesn't need elaborating on. The action needed for the first two possibilities are the same: don't think about it, don't investigate. There's no need to leave Backlund."

With that said, I see Emlyn nod without any hesitation.

I know it's his way of handling things.

…

"A murder case?" I browse the information on the case in my hand, and I use the changes in the tone of my voice to express my doubts. "You should hire a senior lawyer."

I'm just a solicitor, and strictly speaking, I don't have the right to represent anyone in court.

Of course, this is only in the strictest of cases, but in reality, that never happens. As long as the case isn't too serious and doesn't involve the criminal courts, a solicitor can provide assistance to the court.

The policeman in a black-and-white checkered uniform opposite me says with a smile, "Utopia is only a small city. We don't have senior lawyers; we'll have to hire them from elsewhere.

"Besides, this case is a case of self-defense. The sentence period will be very short, and the monetary aspect of this case doesn't even exceed 400 pounds. The trial can be done at the magistrate courts. When self-defense is deemed invalid, it'll be handed over to the criminal courts."

He knows plenty. Is he planning on switching professions to become a lawyer? However, in normal circumstances, he still has to hand a homicide case that has unjustifiable self-defense to the criminal courts. Heh heh, this is the benefit of a small city. There are many things that aren't that strict… I think for a moment and reply tersely, "I'll try defending the client by claiming innocence.

"Also, please arrange for me to meet Miss Tracey as soon as possible."

After flipping through the information from before, I'm already quite confident in this case. The biggest problem now is whether Miss Tracey's image can lead to the sympathy of others.

Yes, although my solicitor license was forged from elsewhere, this cannot deny my professionalism. It just so happened that I made mistakes on that examination.

…

Bansy? Verdu wants to go to Bansy? I sit at the bottom end of the long, mottled table and look at The Hanged Man who has reported to Mr. Fool. I have some doubts about the development of the matter.

Verdu, who's engrossed in mysticism and is trying to save Mr. Door, does have certain reasons to search Bansy Harbor. Furthermore, he has stayed in Bayam for almost half a year, so it's very normal for him to come into contact with information about Bansy… The main problem is that The Hanged Man's previous surveillance didn't provide any corresponding signs, making Verdu's actions seem a little out of place… The importance placed on this matter has to be raised… I nod inwardly and hear Mr. Fool instruct, "Continue monitoring."

…

I play the seven-stringed guitar by the fountain in the municipal square. I use my knife and fork to slice the steak. In the cathedral, I describe the teachings of the Goddess to the believers. I reach out my right hand and leave the carriage with the help of a gentleman. I get the new dress I had been eyeing for so long, and I can't wait to change into it. I stride forward with my four legs as I'm being chased by a child. I laugh loudly as I totter about and play with a dog…

Suddenly, we tremble. We look up into the sky and see illusory, thin lines drilling out from our bodies. They extend to an infinite height, extending beyond the grayish-white fog. They extend into an ancient palace and land in the hands of a tall figure shrouded in fog.

During this period of time, Klein's state had always been very strange, as though he had completely transformed into thousands of lives. Every clone had their own will, thoughts, knowledge, and fate.

However, above this collective consciousness was a primary consciousness that held control. It constantly suffered all kinds of attacks, as though it could be assimilated by the sea of consciousness that had been formed autonomously at any moment. However, it eventually withstood the barrage of attacks, allowing Klein to maintain a certain level of clarity.

His true body had been lying underground in Saint Arianna Cathedral. His consciousness would occasionally rise and enter Sefirah Castle, and occasionally sink into his body.

All the scenes that the marionette clones experienced constantly flashed in his mind like a dream formed from large amounts of fragments.

Chapter 1336 Interaction

Backlund Steam Locomotive Station, Platform 3.

Alfred chatted with his parents and sister for a while before rushing to leave the train during the gap in between. He came to the platform and said to his squire, "Give me an East Balam cigarette."

If the past few years had any negative impact on him, other than his mental suffering and pain, he still retained a few bad habits.

After smoking plenty of East Balam cigarettes that consisted of spices and herbs wrapped in roasted tobacco leaves, Alfred was no longer used to the paper cigarettes that remained popular in the Northern Continent. He believed that they were bland and tasteless, as though they were liquor diluted with water.

As for cigars, he felt that it needed a good environment to slowly savor it. It didn't suit his present situation.

Of course, his smoking addiction wasn't too serious. A Disciplinary Paladin had a good enough constitution and spirit to resist such influences. Alfred came to the platform to smoke because he felt that it was too stuffy in the train carriage. Besides, his mother often raised the issue of him not being married.

After the squire took it out and lit the East Balam cigarette, Alfred brought the stick that was nearly charred black to his mouth and sucked it deeply.

The strong smell entered his body, causing his spirit to jolt.

At that moment, he saw a blond-haired man who looked like a classic sculpture walking over with his valet.

Alfred hesitated and smiled. He raised his right hand and said, "Hibbert, I thought you wouldn't be returning to East Chester."

It was Earl Hall's eldest son, Alfred's brother, Lord Hibbert Hall.

Hibbert drew a perfect smile and said, "I'm just a cabinet secretary, not the cabinet chief secretary. I won't be so busy that I don't even have the weekend off."

In fact, he had no plans on being a cabinet chief secretary, either. His main goal was to accumulate experience at the various departments in the government and build up his own networks and resources to prepare for entering the House of Lords in the future.

Alfred took another puff of the East Balam cigarette and smiled.

"Happy weekend."

After watching Hibbert enter the carriage, Alfred sensed that someone was looking over and was discussing.

"Why aren't there any passengers waiting for that train carriage?"

"It doesn't seem to be full."

"Haha, that's a special carriage. It was pre-booked by an important figure for a large sum of money. I know that you might not have seen such a situation before, but you have to remember that this happens frequently in big cities like Backlund and Constant. When those important figures bring their entire family out, they will definitely have more than a hundred servants follow. Perhaps there might even be pets, so how can they squeeze in a train carriage with ordinary people…"

"Is that so…"

"I wonder who is this big shot?"

Alfred turned his head to look. There were dozens of people in gray-blue uniforms on Platform 2 who were quietly surveying Platform 3 across the empty tracks.

The distance between the two parties wasn't small. If Alfred's hearing wasn't outstanding, he wouldn't be able to figure out what they were discussing.

"They are?" Alfred turned to ask his adjutant.

He could only recognize that the uniform they were wearing belonged to a railway company.

The adjutant turned around immediately and asked the staff at the platform.

Soon, he jogged back and whispered to Alfred, "General, they're train dispatchers from all over the kingdom. They're undergoing short-term training in Backlund."

Alfred nodded slightly and glanced at the Platform 2 again.

The oldest of the train dispatchers had white hair and the youngest looked to be in their early twenties. Most of them were middle-aged men in their thirties or forties with gray sideburns.

…

In the Sonia Sea, City of Generosity, Bayam.

Verdu carried his luggage, which didn't contain many valuables, and boarded the boat at night. He left the harbor and boarded a pirate ship.

As a Sequence 7 of the Apprentice pathway, he wasn't very good at combat. And even though Verdu had a mystical item with him, he was rather afraid of its negative effects. He wasn't willing to use it unless it was critical to do so. Therefore, in order to avoid danger, he tried his best not to bring anything that would easily attract the greed of pirates which he didn't trust.

The pirate on the deck glanced at Verdu and scoffed.

"There's no need to be afraid. We always keep our promises. As long as you pay for the journey, we definitely won't throw you into the sea. Here, it'll be even safer than you taking a passenger ship. At least you don't have to worry about encountering pirates."

Seeing Verdu silent as though he appeared somewhat afraid, the pirate gleefully threw a key to him.

"The second floor on deck, the room at the end."

Verdu caught the brass key and entered the cabin. He climbed up the stairs and headed down the corridor.

This level seemed to be specially prepared for the people who boarded the pirate ship for various reasons. Along the way, Verdu encountered a few passengers that were totally unlike pirates.

Among them was a street girl who was dressed rather scantily, a middle-aged man with a protruding belly and oily faces, an extremely cold young man wearing a cloak and a top hat.

"Do you want to join me?" the lady smiled and asked when she saw Verdu looking over. She fluttered her eyes at him as she asked. It wasn't clear if she was planning to do some business on the trip, or if she was doing business while happening to make a trip.

Verdu ignored her and withdrew his gaze before walking to his room.

That well-defined and cold young man also stopped at the entrance diagonally opposite.

…

Backlund, West Borough, 9 Bellotto Street.

"Come in." Xio straightened her body from the huge, wide seat.

The door creaked open, and two MI9 members who were under Xio walked in.

"Colonel, we've found some information regarding the investigation of Utopia." A man in a dark-colored jacket handed Xio a report.

Xio was startled as she perked up.

"What is it?"

The man in a dark-colored jacket simply said, "In the past few days, we took advantage of the free time we had from completing our previous mission, to visit all the passengers in Backlund from that particular steam locomotive through our informants."

Without a doubt, he was referring to the steam locomotive that had stopped at Utopia.

"Okay." Xio nodded and gestured for her subordinate to continue.

The man in a deep jacket pointed at the report and said, "We have preliminary confirmation that none of the passengers that successfully arrived in Backlund show any abnormalities. They're in good spirits and have no problems with their memories.

"However, we discovered something: at that time, not everyone returned to the train. According to two passengers, their neighbors chose to remain in Utopia.

"One was a lady who loves traveling and exploration. She has a deep love for foreign places. After witnessing the outstanding red wine, desserts, and unique Fizzling Ice Tea in Utopia, she decided to give up on her original plans and stayed in this small unique city for a while longer to discover even more wonderful things.

"The two passengers learned about this when they were chatting with her. Not only did they share neighboring seats, but they also chose to stay in the same hotel. They met in the morning.

"That hotel happened to be the same one our intelligence agent stayed in. It's called Irises."

Xio slowly nodded and said, "Have you investigated the lady's situation?

"What's her name?"

"No, we can't be sure if she has left Utopia," answered the other MI9 member with a bushy goatee. "Those two passengers only know that lady's name is Monica, but they don't know her last name or background."

Xio tersely acknowledged.

"Your subsequent mission is to investigate this lady's background, find her family and friends, and confirm if she has returned."

"Yes, Colonel." The two MI9 personnel saluted and left Xio's office.

Xio read the report they had submitted and sighed silently.

Compared to her subordinates, she was actually closer to the truth of Utopia. She already knew that it was a ritual that had a certain connection with Gehrman Sparrow.

However, she had no way of reporting this news to her superiors for credit.

Without mentioning the origins of the information, Xio needed to consider whether Gehrman Sparrow was willing to let this news leak out.

Perhaps I can try contacting Gehrman Sparrow and ask him for his opinion… Xio tidied her desk in thought and left MI9.

After changing her clothes, she returned to East Borough and the bridge area. She headed to different bars, just like back in her bounty hunter days, to gather all sorts of information from different people.

During this process, she asked about Utopia in passing, but no one had heard of it.

Finally, Xio entered a bar located in the Backlund Bridge area and sat on a high stool. She said to the bartender, "Anyone suspicious recently?"

"A lot of people are suspicious, but they don't have any bounty," the bartender replied casually.

Xio circled around this topic for more information, and when done, she asked according to plan, "Have you heard of Utopia?"

"I've heard of it," the bartender replied as he wiped the glass.

Xio moved her gaze from the bar counter up slowly.

She looked at the bartender and asked, "Where from?"

"There was a guest who came earlier, and he controlled his drinking," the bartender said indifferently. "I promoted our specialty cocktail to him. He said that he has other things to do, so he could only drink a glass of beer. I praised him and asked where he came from. He said, 'Utopia.'"

…

Wendel had just finished his breakfast when the doorbell rang.

Through the peephole, he saw a police officer in a black-and-white checkered uniform standing outside. He opened the door in puzzlement.

"Might I ask what's the matter?" Wendel asked politely.

This house was a place he had been assigned to after coming to Backlund. This was because he would be staying in this city for quite some time, receiving internal investigations and monitoring.

The police officer was still young and a little inexperienced. He was only in his early twenties.

He forced a smile and said to Wendel, "Hello, I'm Biles, a police officer. There's a case that requires you to provide testimony in court."

"What case?" Wendel frowned slightly.

The young policeman named Biles said with a polite smile, "It's the Tracey homicide case in Utopia."

"…" Wendel's eyes widened.

Chapter 1337 A Chain Reaction

At that moment, Wendel felt his calves tremble slightly, as if he could no longer support the weight of his body.

After leaving Utopia, he had anticipated the worst possible outcome—sudden death with no explicable reason.

However, he never expected that he would meet someone from Utopia in Backlund, a real large city.

More importantly, the visitor had even invited him to Utopia.

To Wendel, this was an extremely scary nightmare. Him not experiencing a mental breakdown could only be attributed to his good mental fortitude.

Keeping his composure, Wendel forced a troubled expression and said, "I've had plenty of things to do recently…"

The police officer named Biles immediately said, "The trial will happen in two weeks. Here's the subpoena."

As he spoke, he handed the document to Wendel.

Frankly speaking, Wendel didn't want to accept it at all, but he had no choice but to accept it.

Biles took a step back.

"This concerns the future of a lady. I sincerely hope that you can testify in court."

"It depends on the situation…" Wendel didn't want to agree or refuse.

Biles didn't say anything else as he bowed.

"I'll wait for you in Utopia. I hope we meet again."

With that said, he turned around and left the residence, entering the street.

Throughout the entire process, Wendel seemed to have been frozen into an ice sculpture, standing there without blinking.

After another ten seconds, he finally woke up from his nightmare. He collapsed to the side weakly and held himself up by placing his right hand to the door.

Just now, he had been so afraid, afraid that Biles would forcefully bring him back to the non-existent Utopia.

If that happened, Wendel didn't know if he still had a chance to leave. Perhaps, he would disappear forever.

Compared to sudden death, this impossible-to-predict but clearly negative outcome left him even more fearful.

I need to quickly report this matter to the brass! Capture that policeman from Utopia and find out the real situation of this bizarre town and a suitable way to resolve the problem completely! Wendel snapped back to his senses and tried his best to perk himself up. He prepared to inform the MI9 members who were secretly monitoring him.

At this moment, he finally realized that there was a huge problem with his response. He didn't grab the opportunity to inform his monitoring colleagues with a hand gesture that the police officer who had visited him was problematic. He didn't try to stall for time either; instead, he waited for the monitors to realize that something was wrong. He also didn't show his talent as an intelligence agent, asking surreptitiously Biles which hotel he stayed in Backlund and what day he was setting off by train.

He was so terrified that he could only subconsciously use a response that wouldn't create an accident.

With that thought in mind, Wendel walked out of the door and looked in the direction where Biles had left, but he didn't even see his figure.

This police officer from Utopia had already blended into the carriages and pedestrians.

Retracting his gaze, Wendel looked down at the subpoena in his hand and suddenly felt a little uneasy.

What will happen if I don't go to Utopia to testify two weeks later?

The more Wendel thought about it, the more scared he became. His calves weakened again, and he hurriedly made a hand gesture to inform his colleagues that were hiding around him of the anomaly.

…

West Borough, 9 Bellotto Street.

After learning that a Utopia resident had arrived in Backlund, Xio was both shocked and confused.

According to her previous observations, Utopia was likely located in a secret location, or somewhere between real and illusory, allowing outsiders to enter through random entrances.

As for why they wanted outsiders to enter, it was probably a ritual requirement.

Therefore, according to Xio's understanding, the people of Utopia likely wouldn't leave their hometown and wander around.

This is also a ritual requirement? What's the true identity of these residents? Mr. Fool's believers, The World Gehrman Sparrow's companions? After Xio asked about the general appearance of the Utopia visitor, she had no choice but to return to MI9's headquarters due to the lack of further information. She hesitated on whether she should send her subordinates to perform a large-scale search.

She wasn't sure if Mr. World would be happy to see such actions being taken, and she was afraid of affecting the ritual.

After pacing back and forth in the office, Xio prepared to pray to Mr. Fool and ask "Him" to transfer her questions to The World Gehrman Sparrow.

As she walked to the chair, Xio swept her gaze across the report placed on the table.

It was an investigation report that her two subordinates had prepared. On the one hand, they had confirmed that there were no problems with the passengers that successfully arrived in Backlund. On the other hand, they had pointed out that there were passengers who had remained in Utopia.

Passengers… Xio's eyes narrowed as she made a guess based on her intuition.

That Utopia inhabitants had their own goals in coming to Backlund, and it wasn't for a random trip. And his goal is very likely related to a particular passenger who has left Utopia.

This… Xio was alarmed as she hurriedly sat down and attempted to pray.

Just then, someone knocked on her office door.

"…Please come in," Xio said after some hesitation.

As the door opened, Xio saw the goateed Locke and Wendel, who was in charge of the Utopia incident.

"Colonel, Wendel met someone from Utopia. He paid him a visit directly!" Locke said, fumbling over his words.

This development was equally unexpected.

Indeed… Xio wasn't surprised. Instead, she secretly heaved a sigh of relief.

She looked at Wendel and asked, "Why did he visit you?"

"He requested that I head to Utopia to testify about the homicide case I mentioned in my report." Wendel was clearly calmer than before.

He then added, "He's a policeman. Name's Biles. I don't dare ask where he was living. I don't know when he's planning to leave or which steam locomotive he's planning on taking to leave."

To express the weight she had on this matter, Xio stood up and thought.

"Locke, summon your team members to look for the rental carriage drivers who often prowl for customers around Wendel's residence, as well as the carriage drivers who passed by the nearby district, and ask if they've seen Biles before. If they have seen him, ask them where he was sent to. Also, send someone to the steam locomotive station and wait by the entrance to observe the passengers…"

After instructing her subordinates, Xio turned to look at Wendel.

"Cooperate with them and sketch out Biles."

"Yes, Colonel," Locke and Wendel replied in unison.

After they left and closed the door, Xio sat back down and began to pray.

Soon, she received Mr. Fool's response and saw The World Gehrman Sparrow praying in the gray fog.

Gehrman Sparrow told her:

"You can carry out normal investigations.

"When necessary, you can suggest that it's a ritual, but it must be included among a few options."

Xio immediately heaved a sigh of relief as she patiently waited for her subordinates to report the results of their investigations.

As night fell, Locke returned to Bellotto Street and reported to Xio,

"We found the rental carriage driver that took the Utopian's business!"

"Oh?" Xio showed her concern.

Locke explained simply, "That Utopian originally got the carriage driver to go to the dock area. However, as soon as the carriage entered the corresponding area, he requested to get off, saying that they had arrived.

"That street was very unfamiliar to the carriage driver, making him feel like he was lost.

"After leaving that street, he realized that his surroundings had become familiar.

"Our men accompanied him to that place again, but he couldn't find that street no matter what."

Xio nodded slightly and said solemnly, "It matches our preliminary descriptions regarding the entrances and exits of Utopia."

"Colonel, are you saying that one can enter or leave Utopia from any city and street?" Locke was in disbelief.

Xio thought for a moment before saying, "From the looks of it, yes. But I have a feeling that there's something wrong. Hmm… How does Utopia connect to different places? What does it rely on?"

As her voice trailed off, Xio said to Locke, "Tell Wendel that he'll spend the following two weeks here until that subpoena expires."

"Yes, Colonel." Locke turned around and left Xio's office.

Wendel didn't have any objections to Colonel Derecha's arrangements. He could even say that he would only feel safe inside MI9's headquarters.

His temporary residence was a simply refurbished duty room. Through the window, he could see the lawn, garden, and trees outside.

At a glance, Wendel saw a pitch-black raven standing on a tree branch, silently looking over.

…

Night in Bansy was abnormally creepy. From time to time, the cries of ravens or other seabirds could be heard.

Verdu stood at the window, watching the approaching dilapidated dock and the city that had already been reduced to ruins. The pressure in his heart grew.

After a few days at sea, the ship he boarded was about to reach Bansy Harbor.

The captain had already informed Verdu in the morning that they would only wait for two hours. If he exceeded the two hours, Verdu could only wait for the next ship on this deserted island. Who knew when the next ship would come.

After taking a deep breath, Verdu retracted his gaze and took off his coat.

Then, he opened his suitcase, took out a classic black robe, and put it on.

The surface of the robe was embroidered with golden and silver threads, and there were many gems the size of rice grains attached to it. It was a Sealed Artifact of the Abraham family.

After making preparations, Verdu left the pirate ship and entered Bansy Harbor.

Along the way, the ancient robe tightened, causing his face to turn purple as he nearly fainted.

As they walked, Verdu found the spot where the telegraph office stood based on the map he had bought. In the middle of the rubble, there were two bloody red marks—ones that remained fresh. It was as if they were left behind after two people were crushed into minced meat.

Beside the two figures, on a broken wall, there was an octopus-headed monster wearing armor. It stood on waves and was holding a trident.

Verdu raised the lantern in his hand high and was about to take a closer look when he suddenly felt a drop of cold liquid land on his neck.

Gripped with terror, he subconsciously reached out his hand. He found it sticky, nothing like rain. It was colorless. Not blood.

It's a little similar to saliva… Verdu's forehead twitched slightly and he slowly raised his head to look at the place where the drop of liquid could have dripped from.

It was a swath of pitch-black. It was the night sky without the moon or stars.

Chapter 1338 Exploration

Verdu subconsciously swallowed his saliva, feeling an indescribable sense of fear.

He didn't know what he was afraid of. There wasn't any real danger; yet, a drop of unknown liquid falling from above was enough to chill his spine and tighten his pores.

Perhaps it was because the environment was too eerie and silent, or perhaps it was because of the identity and unknown origins of the liquid… Verdu cautiously moved two steps outside and patiently observed.

In the next few minutes, nothing abnormal happened. No more liquid fell from above.

This made Verdu suspect that it was only a bird passing by. There was a freshwater fish from the island's streams or a sea fish in its mouth and a slightly sticky liquid dripped from its surface.

He calmed himself and then checked on the ruins of the telegraph office.

Ten minutes later, Verdu confirmed that there were only traces of blood and simple murals that were related to mysticism. It was worth researching.

He didn't rashly extract samples of the blood-colored soil or make copies of the strange mural. Instead, he took out a pure dreamy crystal ball from his pocket.

As an Astrologer, he naturally had to use his best techniques to confirm if he should take action.

Holding the crystal ball in his left hand, his right hand touched the top of the crystal ball as Verdu entered the state of an Astrologer.

In the next second, the crystal ball shone brightly.

Bang!

It exploded and scattered shards in every direction.

"…" Verdu's gaze froze. He stood rooted to the ground, completely ignoring the pain brought to him by the shards piercing into his body.

"It exploded… it actually exploded…" he muttered to himself in disbelief.

The crystal ball shards that stabbed into his body didn't seem to break through the classic robe. At that moment, they fell without any blood on them.

Of course, there were a few shards left on Verdu's jaw and face, peppering them with small wounds.

"Who is it?" Verdu suddenly came to his senses and turned to face another direction.

In the ruins opposite him, a figure walked out. It was the woman in scantily-clad clothes from the pirate ship.

She had hidden herself very well and wasn't discovered by Verdu. However, the explosion from the crystal ball gave her a fright and made her react excessively, causing her to fail to maintain her hidden state.

Verdu's injured face immediately twisted.

"Why are you here?"

The lady curled her lips and put on an indifferent attitude.

"This is Bansy Harbor, not your home. Why can't I be here?

"I felt bored and came down to take a stroll, hoping to pick up some jewelry from the ruins. Is there any problem with that?"

She retorted with a few questions without any intention of distancing herself from Verdu.

Verdu didn't argue with her. He took out the medicine and medical alcohol that he had prepared beforehand and treated his facial and chin injuries. He then pulled out the crystal ball shards and put them back into his pocket.

He didn't want his blood to remain in such a strange place.

Following that, Verdu pulled on an accessory on the classic robe.

It was a door-shaped symbol formed from three rubies, three emeralds, and three diamonds.

In an instant, the long robe tightened, accentuating the flesh on Verdu's body.

Just as Verdu's bones were about to be crushed, his figure gradually faded and he disappeared.

Then, he "Teleported" to the coastal mountain outside Bansy Harbor.

The mountain had collapsed and turned into rubble.

According to what Verdu knew, this was once the place where the Bansy residents used to worship the God of Weather. It was also the main target of the Church of Storms.

After the crystal ball exploded to warn him that the Bansy telegraph office was hiding an unknown danger, Verdu didn't dare to continue exploring the area or search for mysticism materials. He could only forcefully move to the next location.

And this allowed him to escape the woman's tailing.

As soon as Wilder's figure appeared, he bent down and took a deep breath. It was as if he had finally recovered from his suffocating state.

At the same time, Verdu felt a sharp pain in his right rib, as if a bone had fractured.

After taking several deep breaths, he endured the pain and walked a few steps forward with sweat on his forehead, arriving at the altar marked on the map.

Without a doubt, the altar had been destroyed. There was only a glassified, slightly-charred crater. There was gravel with different shapes scattered around it.

The gravel had traces of being engulfed in fire and lightning to various degrees.

After Verdu Abraham surveyed the area, he raised his right hand and waved his sleeve.

With a whoosh, a small portion of the gravel was "pushed" away from the spot, revealing the ground beneath it.

This was a Trickmaster's Wind Trick. Verdu used it to replace the need for manual labor to fully ensure his safety.

As the gravel flew, Verdu saw the charred ground. There were a few parts left in some areas that had extremely incomplete patterns, drawings, and symbols.

Woo!

The sound of the wind grew more intense as it resonated in Verdu's ears, causing him to look up in surprise.

The wind that could only blow small gravel had somehow turned into a hurricane. It even "pushed" him into a state of staggering about.

Wild clouds gathered in the sky, as if a storm was brewing.

Although he had heard that Bansy was a "Weather Museum," he had never thought that the changes would happen so suddenly.

For a split second, Verdu suspected that his "Wind Trick" had triggered a storm, or perhaps it had caused some changes to the cleared ruins of the altar.

This guess made his forehead break out into a cold sweat.

As the storm raged, Verdu saw the rubble in front of him fly up, revealing a boulder that was buried underneath.

The surface of the boulder was crisscrossed with deep cracks, giving off a feeling that it would shatter once it was touched.

At this moment, the wind had calmed down, but the heavy rain was still brewing.

Thinking about how he was already in Bansy Harbor, and couldn't afford to be scared off just like that, he mustered up his courage and approached the boulder covered in charred black cracks.

He then took out a magnifying glass that was engraved with strange patterns, and he seriously checked the state of the boulder.

Seven to eight minutes later, Verdu put away the magnifying glass, a mystical item, and sighed in regret and dismay.

He had already confirmed that there was nothing wrong with the boulder. It didn't involve anything related to mysticism.

Verdu was about to retract his gaze and leave when he suddenly saw that at the interface of the boulder's bottom and the earth, bright redness seeped out.

The bright redness gradually expanded, like blood flowing out.

However, it didn't spread into a huge area. It was limited to a very small area.

The two blood-red figures in the telegraph office's ruins instantly flashed across Verdu's mind. His scalp couldn't help but tingle.

His lips quickly turned dry as he instinctively thought that this wasn't a good development.

After swallowing another mouthful of saliva, Verdu raised his right hand and created another gust of wind, causing quite a number of miniature rocks to roll over to fill the bottom of the boulder completely, covering up the bright redness that seeped out.

He didn't stay here any longer. He forced himself to activate "Teleportation" again and headed for his final destination.

This time, another one of his ribs fractured again, causing him to almost faint from the pain.

In addition to the suffocation caused by the tightening, Verdu felt like he was hovering around the edge of death.

He took several seconds to recover and cast his gaze forward.

This place was also in ruins. A collapsed house covered the weeds.

According to a pirate who had once explored the ruins of Bansy, there was an item here worth researching.

It was an ordinary wooden door, but it was the only thing that remained intact in Bansy.

The pirate didn't find anything special about the wooden door, so he got his subordinate to carry it in an attempt to move it back to the ship.

However, they had only taken two steps when they suddenly collapsed. Dragging their spines, their heads separated from their bodies and rolled to the side.

This frightened the pirate. He didn't dare to stay any longer and led the rest of the crew away in a hurry.

Verdu didn't fully believe the story that the other party had told him. Although he hadn't experienced much life at sea, he knew that the sailors liked to exaggerate, often exaggerating something several times.

However, even if it was an exaggeration, Verdu believed that the door was worth studying.

After a round of searching, he discovered his target.

The ordinary-looking wooden door was leaning against a collapsed wall with brass locks and handles.

There were no corpses around it, nor were there any traces of blood. It was identical to the majority of the ruins.

Indeed, he's exaggerating. Heh, perhaps the pirate heard about this wooden door from somewhere else. Both he and his subordinates didn't dare to move it… Verdu looked around and suddenly said, "Who is it?

"Why are you monitoring me?"

He actually didn't notice anyone around him, but based on his experience and lessons, he could use words and a reaction to deceive the possible presence of a monitor.

A second later, a middle-aged man with a belly appeared in the shadows.

He said nothing and silently left the place.

Verdu heaved a sigh of relief as he didn't waste any time to approach the wooden door.

According to the information he had obtained, no matter which way he opened the wooden door, it wouldn't bring about any abnormal changes. There would be no danger if he didn't attempt to move it.

After thinking for a few seconds, Verdu retracted his hand into his sleeve and used his classical robe as a "glove" to pull the wooden door up.

He raised the wooden door, and the surroundings fell silent.

Verdu pushed the wooden door like he was normally opening a door, but there were no changes.

He tried many other methods, but he failed to make the wooden door display any abnormalities. It seemed to have just been lucky to be preserved in its entirety under the bombardment of the Church of the Lord of Storms.

Taking a deep breath, Verdu tried to calm himself down.

He thought for a moment and tried to open the door again.

However, unlike before, he held the handle and gently twisted it down.

After hearing the light click of metal colliding, Verdu pushed the wooden door backward and let it lean against a collapsed wall.

This time, a grayish-white fog appeared before Verdu.

In the fog, there was a faintly discernible street and a row of terraces.

Outside one of the houses, there was a wooden signboard. On them were a few Loenese words:

"Bansy Harbor Telegraph Office."

While Verdu's pupils dilated, a calm voice sounded from the telegraph office that was shrouded in fog.

"Are you… here to send… a telegram?

"Please come in."

Chapter 1339 Behind the Door

Although the voice coming from the telegraph office wasn't anything out of the ordinary, it was just a little intermittent. It lacked the obvious changes in tone. Normally, it wouldn't strike terror in others, but Verdu's heart suddenly erupted with a surge of fear.

It was like a bullet with flames shooting into an ammunition dump. It accurately hit a barrel of flammable gunpowder and ignited the fear that Verdu had accumulated and suppressed previously.

The horror that swept into every corner of his body was like a hand that grabbed Verdu's heart and blanked out his brain. He turned around abruptly and ran frantically towards the remnant pier where the pirate ship was.

During this process, Verdu had completely forgotten to think. He didn't remember wearing a classic robe that could "Teleport." All he did was run through the ruins with his feet, occasionally tripping over random items and falling heavily to the ground. Sometimes, his face would turn purple from his tightening clothes, and he had no choice but to stop to catch his breath.

However, every time he composed himself a little, he would crawl up and continue running. He looked like he had lost his rationality and was acting purely on instinct.

Without the force he provided, the wooden door couldn't maintain its balance. It slid down from the collapsed wall and fell to the floor covered with bricks.

The grayish-white fog and the shadowy houses disappeared.

After five minutes, Verdu ran back to the pier under the storm.

His eyes were wide open, filled with panic and confusion. He didn't notice that there was a figure standing on the deck of the pirate ship, quietly looking down at him.

This was the young man wearing a half top hat and a long black trench coat. He had a cold expression.

Verdu didn't even think about it and immediately used the gangway to return to the pirate ship. He rushed into the cabin and rushed to the second floor before rushing into his room.

Bang!

He slammed the door shut and curled up on the small, narrow bed. He wrapped himself tightly with the blanket and shivered.

When another of his ribs fractured again, the excruciating pain struck him and he finally recovered from his horror. He realized that his limbs were sore and his body was hot. Every breath he took was like thunder.

He struggled with all his might, and finally, he took off his classic robe and fell back into the bed. He felt dizzy and nauseous. The air just felt insufficient.

Outside the cabin, the cold-looking man suddenly raised his hand. He took out a human-skinned glove and wore it on his left palm.

Suddenly, the man vanished into thin air and appeared in a corner of the ruins. He appeared beside the ordinary wooden door.

He bent down and raised the wooden door, allowing it to stand in front of the collapsed wall.

Right on the heels of that, the man in the black trench coat mimicked Verdu's actions. He reached out for the handle and twisted it downwards.

Then, he pushed the wooden door forward and let it lean against the wall.

Almost at the same time, he saw a grayish-white fog. He saw the faintly discernible streets and houses in the fog.

Amidst the houses, the clearest, most eye-catching one was the Bansy Harbor Telegraph Office. The rest were more or less blurry.

At this moment, the calm voice in the telegraph office asked through the door, "Who… are… you?"

"I'm… Gehrman… Sparrow," the young man in a half top hat replied in the same staccato.

The interior of Bansy Harbor Telegraph Office suddenly fell silent as though someone was walking silently towards the door.

At that moment, Gehrman Sparrow turned his head to the other side.

In the deep end of the street, a figure walked over. He was wearing a straw hat and had a towel around his neck. He was bending over to pull something.

As the figure approached, the outline of the object behind him gradually became clear.

It was a black vehicle with two wheels. It had a roof that could block the scorching sun and rain.

In the vehicle sat a lady wearing a waist-length dress with an embroidered fan.

Both she and the driver were concealed by thick fog, making it difficult for anyone to see their exact appearances.

When they passed Gehrman Sparrow, he barely managed to see a few details through the fog.

The hunched man pulling the carriage had a rotten face with pale-yellow pus flowing. In areas where the lady wasn't covered by the fan and clothes, her skin was swollen with a glisten amidst many blue and black spots.

With a ring, a bell sounded. A blue train with two carriages sped out from in front of Gehrman Sparrow.

At this moment, Gehrman Sparrow realized that there was an iron-black track on the ground. Above him were long lines.

On the top of the train carriage, there was a rather complicated metal frame that slid over the long lines.

Through the glass window of the train, Gehrman Sparrow saw the passengers inside.

They faced the streets, but only their heads remained. Each head was dragging a bloody spine.

Gehrman Sparrow's pupils dilated as he silently watched this scene without moving for a long time.

After nearly a minute, he took a step forward in an attempt to enter the blurry street beneath the grayish-white fog.

However, the fog blocked him. No matter what method he used, he couldn't pass through it.

Fifteen minutes later, Gehrman Sparrow stopped his attempts and closed the wooden door, eliminating the fog. Then, he dragged the wooden door and "Teleported" directly to the pirate ship. He wasn't worried about being cursed at all.

He then placed the wooden door on the deck and reached out his left hand again to grab the door handle.

Suddenly, there was a cracking sound from Gehrman Sparrow's neck. His head seemed to be raised by an invisible hand as it dragged out a bloody spine.

Gehrman Sparrow's expression didn't change as he coldly raised his right hand and pressed it above his head, pressing his head back to its original position.

Immediately after, he turned the handle as though unaffected and pushed the wooden door open again, allowing it to lean against the shipboard.

However, this time, there was no grayish-white fog to be seen, nor were there any visible streets, houses, or trains. It could be said that there was nothing unusual.

In the next second, the wooden door rapidly decayed, turning into a pile of mud, as if it was trying to avoid the fate of being tested.

Gehrman Sparrow didn't stop it. He took out a golden ring embedded with a ruby and wore it for nearly ten seconds.

After the ring vanished, Gehrman Sparrow reached out with his right hand and pulled out the same ordinary wooden door from the void before continuing his attempts.

After confirming that the wooden door would lose its effects once it left Bansy, Gehrman Sparrow casually waved his hand, allowing it to vanish in midair.

Two hours later, the dark clouds in the sky gradually dissipated. The storm that had been brewing for a long time ultimately did not descend.

When the pirate ship was far away from Bansy Harbor, Verdu, who had finished treating his injuries, took a bottle of medicine and allowed himself to quickly fall asleep so that he could adjust his mental state.

In the hazy dream world, he ran in a desolate moor, looking for something frantically, but he found nothing.

Suddenly, Verdu heard a faint voice coming from deep in the moor:

"The great… God of War…

"The symbol… of… iron… and… blood…

"The ruler… of… chaos… and… strife…"

This sentence repeated over and over again, but it didn't alarm Verdu enough to snap him out of his dreams.

After some time, Verdu woke up and opened his eyes.

At that moment, the morning sun shone into the cabin outside the window, bringing with it a faint light.

Verdu slowly sat up and realized that he didn't need to use the powers of an Astrologer to recall the three lines of the honorific name that he had heard in his dream.

And his relatively rich mysticism knowledge told him that it was referring to a hidden existence at the level of a deity.

Is this the result of the incomplete symbols and labels around the altar, or a result of me witnessing that street in the grayish-white fog? Verdu frowned and fell into deep thought.

He didn't rashly attempt to recite that honorific name, because he knew how miserable people who had done something like that had died.

God of War… Verdu vaguely remembered that he had seen this deity's name in a book in his family. He decided to do some research before considering how to deal with it later.

…

Bansy Harbor, on the collapsed coastal mountain.

Red, blazing-white, or orange flames emerged from the crevices of the gravel, forming a figure.

This figure was wearing a black blood-stained armor, with a half-grown fiery red hair. He looked young and handsome.

There was a blood-colored mark on his glabella that resembled a flag. There were traces of decay on his face. It was none other than the Red Angel evil spirit, Sauron Einhorn Medici.

"If 'He' didn't have Sefirah Castle and an Attendant of Mysteries characteristic to allow his marionettes to run around the world without considering the limitations of distance, I wouldn't need to take such a roundabout route." The Red Angel evil spirit tsked, a mystery as to who "He" was speaking with.

In midair, a raven landed on the top of a boulder.

There was a circle of white on its right eye, and a human voice sounded from its mouth.

"You actually used 'Him' and not him. This isn't like your style."

The Red Angel evil spirit chuckled.

"That's because 'He' wishes others to call 'Him' as him, and not 'Him.'"

As "He" spoke, Sauron Einhorn Medici glanced at the raven.

"This form of yours looks cuter than your true self, don't you think? Lil' Raven?"

The white-eyed raven replied without any hint of anger, "Your mockery is just like you. Still living in the previous epoch."

The Red Angel evil spirit smiled and said, "The developments have been rather smooth, and 'He' has been fooled. However, I believe that even if 'He' discovers it, 'He' will probably turn a blind eye. For the two of you to become Great Old Ones, 'Door' has to return. The hypocritical 'Him' might still be hesitating about whether to do it, because if 'He' isn't careful, it will bring about a huge disaster. Haha, I like disasters.

"Lil' Raven, when are you going to make your payment? If you don't have enough strength, I won't be able to gain the trust of the brainless Abraham."

"When he prays to you," said the white-eyed raven. "If you're worried that such a state won't last long, I can parasitize a Worm of Time into your body and help you maintain it. There's no need to thank me."

As "He" spoke, the raven spread its wings and disappeared into the vast night sky.

The Red Angel evil spirit turned "His" head and, with the advantage of the terrain, wore a solemn expression as "He" looked down at the Bansy ruins.

Chapter 1340 Travel Diaries

"This small city called Utopia is intrinsically no different from the ones I had been to in the past. Be it the folk culture, the people, or architectural style, it follows very closely to the standard Loen styles.

"I've heard that the Southern Continent has many peculiar and unusual traditions. I hope that I can experience it myself one day. Of course, that's after East and West Balam's peace is restored.

"Speaking of which, the most special thing about this place is that the weather is always changing and there's always a storm. As a result, most people have umbrellas and raincoats that are smeared with Donningsman Tree Sap. The hotel attendant told me that for a person of a certain income level, which also has a need to work outdoors, they would have to save quite a sum of money to purchase a raincoat. Otherwise, the sickness would only take more away.

"There are no meteorologists here. I have no idea why there are so many changes in the weather here. I can only guess that it has something to do with it lining the sea and being close to places with hurricanes. Yes, there's a deep water harbor a few kilometers away from Utopia. However, they're lacking in manpower, and it isn't very well-managed. It can only maintain its operations on a small scale.

"They don't have local newspapers either. After all, it's just a small city with a few thousand people. The paperboys mainly sell the Tussock Times, Desi Mirror, and Seawind News…

"The second reason I like this place is because many people in Utopia are optimistic and are very enthusiastic about life.

"When I wrote this down, a band happened to pass by outside the hotel.

"It's not a professional band, but a group formed purely from amateur enthusiasts. Among them, there are civil servants, law enforcement officers, solicitors, professional policemen, school teachers, candy factory workers, shop owners… Among them, those with the money are responsible for the larger musical instruments, such as cello, violins, and other difficult musical instruments. The lower- and middle-class citizens use relatively simple instruments like seven-string guitars and harmonicas.

"On some rest days, they will walk the streets and set off from the municipal square. They will circle the city before returning to the Saint Arianna Cathedral near the square. They call this a 'musical tour.'"

"In the tour, not only do they not reject other citizens from joining, but they even encourage them to sing or dance along with the procession. According to my observations, the participants are very happy and very satisfied as they freely express their love for life. This gives me a feeling of being full of vigor.

"I have to admit that it's very infectious. I've tried to join the tour, and I've forgotten my troubles in the revelry of music, dancing, and singing. I only remember happiness…

"They aren't on a tour today. Instead, they're showering their blessings to a newly-wed couple at the cathedral.

"Speaking of weddings, what I don't understand the most is that it only has the Evernight Goddess's cathedral. One ought to know that in most of the kingdom, even in a small town, there would be at least two cathedrals, one belonging to the Evernight Goddess and the other, the Lord of Storms.

"Before today, I couldn't imagine that an ordinary town in the kingdom would only believe in one deity.

"However, this doesn't cause too much trouble for me. Before I turned eighteen, I could only believe in the Lord of Storms under the influence of my family. However, after I graduated from grammar school, I came to truly understand that the Goddess is the most compassionate and benevolent deity.

"Back to the wedding, I participated in a wedding a couple of days ago. I discovered that Utopia has some special customs in this area.

"Out of all of them, what I admire the most is that when the priest pronounces them man and wife, the groom and bride will bow to each other. No one is superior in this relationship as they only sincerely express their gratitude to be able to spend the rest of their lives together.

"This might be an expression of equality between man and woman in the Goddess's teachings…

"In addition, there will be some special game segments after the wedding. For example, let the groom and the bride publicly describe their love story.

"This may be a rather embarrassing matter for them, but to the guests, it's rather interesting. Yes, I think so too, but I definitely won't add similar segments to my wedding.

"At the wedding, I heard the best love story I've heard so far. If there's a chance, and if you my dear readers of this particular column enjoy it, I'll consider retelling it. Of course, I'll change the names and some details to prevent the couple from feeling troubled…

"The most important reason why I like Utopia is its food. The food here is very delicious. The limited number of restaurants are all very good, and the best is undoubtedly the attached restaurant to the Irises Hotel I'm staying at.

"Be it the most basic beef steak, fried pig chop, charcoal barbecued meat, spiced fried fish, or even more complicated, more difficult stewed mutton with peas, thick cream soup, butter potatoes, and roasted potato skin, all of them have reached the level of a master chef in the city. In addition, the chefs here are quite skilled in creating unique dishes and food. There are sweet-and-sour meat cubes, and grilled fish smeared with various condiments…

"In the staples that don't seem to allow for experimentation, the chefs of Utopia haven't given up. I've eaten all kinds of toasts in this city: yam, potatoes, butter, creamed, and ones with fruits… As long as I was willing to, I could make it so that I don't eat the same thing twice during the week.

"The best food of praise here is their desserts.

"Cream pudding, fruit pudding, black forest cakes, carrot cakes, milk cakes, muffins, egg tarts…

"I feel hungry writing this. This is the reason why I still don't wish to leave after staying here for a week. What I'm most worried about now is not my wallet but my weight. I'm glad that the hotel doesn't have a weight scale, and at the same time, I blame them for not including one.

"The red wine in Utopia is also rather outstanding. The only problem is that they lack the age to settle down. It seems like the vineyards around the city haven't realized this.

"Here, I need to seriously recommend a drink. Utopia's Fizzling Ice Tea. It's very special, and it has an even more amazing experience besides the sweetness and bubbles…

"Every night, I would go for a stroll in the municipal square. That's also the place where most Utopians like to go for entertainment. They have an extraordinary love for the pigeons.

"I met an artist at the municipal square. His name is Anderson. He's handsome, and his artistic skills are superb. Unfortunately, he's a mute…

"I also know another writer. His name is Alzu. It's a rather strange name. He said that he's writing a long novel and asked me to appraise the beginning.

"I won't comment on his novel, but I was just curious about a few familiar names at the beginning of the novel.

"It included Anderson, Wendy, oh yes, this is the boss of my favorite bakery…

"I raised this question, and Alzu told me very seriously that when a writer can't think of names for characters, it's very reasonable for them to use someone they know as reference.

"I agree.

"…

"Since this column is too narrow to contain my thoughts, I'll end it here.

Love,

Charlotte"

Monica put down her fountain pen and seriously read the manuscript twice. She changed certain words and any grammatical errors.

She was a writer. She wasn't famous at first, so she could only rely on writing third-rate romance novels to maintain her life. After she changed her faith to the Evernight Goddess, her father had almost cut off all ties with her.

However, ever since Miss Fors Wall, who had written "Stormwind Mountain Villa," established a travel column, and had received quite a warm response after the war, Monica had also started to write about her travels in some Backlund newspapers. This perfectly matched her hobby, and her hobby gave her a unique vitality to help her become a famous travel columnist.

Charlotte was her pen name.

After her writing dried completely, Monica specially wrote another copy and stuffed it into an envelope before affixing it with a stamp.

After confirming that the address was correct, the black-haired lady with a Desi Bay style carried her handbag and left the hotel, heading to the Utopia post office.

The post office was next to the telegraph office. Whenever Monica passed by the latter, she would always find it a waste.

From her point of view, Utopia rarely needed to send telegrams. It was too extravagant to specially build a telegraph office.

After sending the letter, Monica looked at the sky and walked towards the municipal square.

When she arrived at the entrance of Saint Arianna's Cathedral, she met Biles.

He was a police officer. He had once questioned Monica at the Irises Hotel due to the homicide witness.

Unfortunately, Monica didn't know that man named Wendel.

After greeting each other with a nod, Monica entered the cathedral and found a seat. She listened quietly to the sermon of the priest named Townsend.

This was a priest she found to be most clergyman-like ever since she changed her faith to the Evernight Goddess. His hair was half-white, and he spoke slowly and mellowly. His voice was deep and low, always calming down people without them realizing it.

Monica closed her eyes and listened attentively to the sermon.

…

East Chester County, in a forest belonging to the Hall family.

Alfred, Hibbert, and Audrey led their respective foxhounds with their servants around the forest and chased after their prey.

This was the first time the three of them had hunted together since they became adults.

In front of their sister, Alfred and Hibbert had a great time—at least on the surface.

And to Alfred, the biggest problem was how to control himself and not show that he was too extraordinary. Otherwise, if a Disciplinary Paladin were to join the hunt, no one else would have the chance.

He knew that his sister was a Beyonder, but he also knew that a Sequence 7 Beyonder of the Spectator pathway didn't have any actual combat ability.

As they chased their prey, they rushed out of the forest and saw a wheat field.

"Where are we?" Audrey, dressed in hunting gear, asked casually.

This was her first time hunting in this forest, and she didn't know where it led to.

Hibbert wasn't too familiar with the area as well. He turned his head and said to his attendant, "Ask someone."

As they waited, the three siblings laughed as they discussed their trophies. As for the golden retriever, Susie, she glanced at the foxhounds that wanted to get close to her and made them distance themselves.

After a while, Hibbert's attendant returned and reported, "Sir, there's a village called Hartlarkh nearby…"

Hartlarkh… That village with the dragon-worship customs? I came here from somewhere else? Audrey was taken aback when she heard that.

Chapter 1341 In the Dream

After regaining her senses, Audrey maintained her faint smile as she became wary.

She could vaguely feel a mysterious force pushing her to Hartlarkh, the village with the tradition of dragon-worship.

This was like an arrangement of fate.

Audrey had once entered the Hall of Truth, and she discovered that the murals inside had turned into reality. Furthermore, she knew that the Spectator pathway's Sequence 1 was Author. From this name, she had made some connections, so it was inevitable for her to suspect that something was amiss.

At this moment, Hibbert laughed.

"I've heard of this village. I remember that our family has a manor nearby."

As he spoke, he looked up at the sky.

"It's almost evening. Why don't we stay there and continue hunting tomorrow?"

Alfred wasn't opposed to his elder brother's suggestion. To him, staying the night at whichever manor was essentially the same.

He nodded and said, "Send someone back to inform Father and Mother."

Audrey didn't say a word. Her green eyes turned slightly, and her gaze swept across the faces of her two brothers.

Hibbert's brows immediately furrowed as he said, "I think it's best we return. This manor wasn't informed in advance, so they definitely weren't prepared. Perhaps there's no way for them to service so many horses, hounds, and servants.

"Besides, there's still an hour before the evening. There's enough time for us to return."

When Alfred saw his brother change his mind so quickly, he wanted to act contrary to him. However, on second thought, he felt that what his brother said made sense.

Considering that his sister was also here, he tersely agreed and said, "Then let's head back quickly."

With that said, he didn't wait for Hibbert. Squeezing at the horse's side and brandishing the horsewhip, he led the way.

Hibbert frowned, then relaxed.

Without saying anything else, he led his sister, the group of attendants, servants, and hounds, and turned around, following the edge of the forest and returning to a manor on the other side.

Audrey quietly followed behind him, not expressing her opinion on the development of the matter.

…

Late at night, in a manor in East Chester County.

Having used her Manipulator powers to change the thoughts of her two brothers to prevent them from approaching Hartlarkh, Audrey lifted the velvet blanket and crawled into bed, entering a deep sleep.

In her reverie, she suddenly sat up.

She then looked around and saw the familiar dressing table and the bathroom entrance. She realized that she was still in the room, but the crimson moon outside the window was gone. There were no stars, only darkness.

This isn't the real world… Audrey instantly made a judgment and inspected herself.

Soon, she came to a conclusion:

This was a dream. It was a rather strange dream that made her remain lucid.

It's really here… Audrey didn't feel any panic. She was just a little vexed.

She hadn't handled the development properly in the afternoon, which led to the problem extending to the manor where her parents were.

In hindsight, she believed that she should've followed Hibbert's idea and headed straight to the family manor near Hartlarkh. Then, she could reasonably "arrange" for Hibbert and Alfred to return here, leaving her to stay behind and wait for any possible developments.

This way, even if anything happened, it wouldn't affect their parents, brothers, and most of the servants.

However, at that time, her main goal wasn't to follow the arrangement of fate. As long as she could avoid Hartlarkh, she would try her best to avoid it.

To her surprise, danger would, at times, spring on you even if you didn't seek it out.

To avoid it and stall for time wasn't a universal solution.

Audrey immediately got off the bed and stood barefoot on the thick carpet.

She had already confirmed that, with her level of a demigod as a Dreamwalker, she could directly escape this strange dream and return to the real world, avoiding the suspected "invitation" once more.

After looking around, Audrey pursed her lips, removed the blue cloak hanging on the clothes rack beside her, and wore it.

She took a deep breath and walked towards the door.

During this process, a crimson star "tattoo" appeared on the back of her hand.

The "tattoo" vanished as though it had never appeared.

This was the mark left on her after her first entry into the ancient palace above the gray fog. For a very long time, it hadn't shown any special traits. It was only at the beginning of this year that Mr. Fool informed them that in situations in which they couldn't pray, they could use the triggering of the corresponding "tattoo" to skip the chanting of the honorific name.

Simply put, this was a treatment that a Blessed of a deity enjoyed.

Of course, there was no way to transmit any information. It could only be used in critical situations, allowing Mr. Fool to cast "His" gaze over.

And more importantly, the star-like crimson mark was rather eye-catching. It could be easily discovered by others and people who were secretly monitoring them. Therefore, under a situation where she needed to hide her uniqueness, Audrey was more inclined to use the various abilities of a Manipulator to implant the idea of praying to Mr. Fool to some inconspicuous human nearby. She got them to complete the prayer at suitable times and locations and pray for her protection.

At this moment, she believed that the owner of the dreamscape knew that she was problematic, so she felt that there was no need to go through all that trouble. All she needed to do was to hide the entity she was praying to.

When she reached the door, Audrey reached out for the handle and gently twisted it before pulling it backward.

The slightly dark corridor entered her vision.

The main building of this manor had a history of over a hundred years. Many places still had their former characteristics, especially the corridor section. It didn't have any gas lamps, and the walls were decorated with candle stands made of silver or copper. There were countless candles placed on them, emitting a dim yellow light that illuminated the entire corridor and creating all kinds of shadows. They gave a feeling that a phantasm might appear on the corridor at any moment.

Even this has been replicated in the dreamscape … Audrey looked around and entered the corridor.

As this thought flashed across her mind, a long, thick pale-yellow carpet appeared beneath her feet.

Stepping on the carpet, Audrey followed her spiritual intuition and walked to the right.

After taking two or three steps, she suddenly stopped. She felt as if there was something hidden behind the two tightly shut doors, giving her a strong desire to explore.

This is Father and Mother's bedroom. That is Hibbert's room. That is Alfred's room… Audrey made a slight note of it and frowned.

The ancient doors with relief were extremely mysterious under the dim candlelight. It made one eager to know what was hidden behind them.

As her thoughts raced, Audrey suddenly understood what they represented in a dream.

This was the door to the mind world. Behind each door was the mind world of their owner.

In other words, after Audrey pushed open Alfred's door, she would see the various secrets hidden deep in his heart.

By the same logic, she could pry into the secrets of Lord Hall and Lady Catelyn.

She slowly retracted her gaze. Audrey closed her eyes and continued walking forward, preventing herself from being affected.

After all her experiences, she gradually understood a principle:

A demigod in the mind domain needed to control themselves and respect others.

Under the premise that she could read people's true thoughts through their body language, facial expressions, and emotional fluctuations, if she wasn't satisfied, she could greedily explore the inner thoughts of others and dig out their secrets. In the end, she would suffer a backlash.

This was a very simple principle: Everyone had some darkness in them in varying amounts or nasty thoughts. However, they had control over them, preventing them from affecting their actions. Under such circumstances, if a demigod in the mind domain still insisted on digging these thoughts and dug out the ugly parts under the mask, it was very easy for them to be disappointed in human nature, be tainted by all kinds of negative thoughts, gradually becoming crazy without realizing it.

This was also one of the reasons why, despite Spectators being able to "Placate" themselves and treat corresponding mental problems, they were also one of the pathways who would easily go mad or lose their composure.

They were both safe and dangerous.

Therefore, Audrey established rules for herself to observe. She only did observations and read the minds of people she knew. She tried her best not to enter their dreams. This restriction didn't apply to strangers. If it wasn't necessary, she wouldn't enter the mind world of anyone.

Following the corridor, Audrey, who was wearing a blue cloak, reached its end.

She opened her eyes and cast her gaze at the room on the left.

It was a half-open solarium.

Pursing her lips again, Audrey held the door handle with her breathing steady.

As the wooden door opened, the scene inside was gradually revealed.

This was no longer a room. On the ground were round pebbles and bundles of bluish-black weeds. It was so dark deep within that space that one couldn't see clearly.

Audrey slowly walked in and closed the door behind her.

In the darkness, the silhouettes of some objects were quickly outlined.

A huge stone pillar that was tens of meters tall stood there. There was a tall lizard-like monster situated above it.

The monster was squatting at the top of the stone pillar like a tiny mountain. Its body was covered with huge grayish-white stone scales, and its eyes were pale-fold and vertical.

This was a mind dragon as spoken in myths.

With a whoosh, the two wings of the mind dragon spread open, almost covering the entire sky.

Their bones were like metallic leaf veins, covered with a gray membrane with mysterious patterns.

As Audrey looked up, the mind dragon emitted a buzzing sound:

"You've been to Liveseyd."

Without a doubt, it used Dragonese.

City of Miracles, Liveseyd… How does it know… Just as Audrey had these two thoughts, she heard the mind dragon say, "Everyone's consciousness in one's heart will make a certain exchange with the sea of collective subconscious. And for a unique place like Liveseyd, it likewise left a special impression in you. When your Virtual Persona roams the sea of collective subconscious and isn't too far from me, I can naturally sense this."

This exceeds the limits of my abilities, and it's not something a Dreamweaver can do… This mind dragon corresponds to a Sequence 2 Discerner? "He" actually didn't directly control me… As Audrey's thoughts flashed, the mind dragon spoke again.

"I'm sure you don't have any ill intentions at the moment."

Audrey fell silent for two seconds before looking up and asking, "Aren't you worried that it's a trap?"