174 LOTM

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

...This is some amazing material...

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

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

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

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

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

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

The corruption that stems from underground.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"And you are?"

-x-X-x-

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

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

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

"Of course not.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Guess."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"And then, you jumped down yourself?"

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

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

"Am I independent?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Amon shook "His" head.

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

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

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

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

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

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

"Those contents contain secrets about transcending Sequences."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A gigantic crimson moon covered half the sky.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

That Amon was indeed lying...

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

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

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

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

-x-X-x-

Loen Kingdom, Backlund.

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

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

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

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

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

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

...

The Intis Republic capital, Trier.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

...

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

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

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

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

"Could this be the moon?"

"The crimson moon?"

"We actually saw the crimson moon..."

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

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

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

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

"What happened just now?"

"Did you see that red circle?"

"Moon! That's the moon!"

"That's the crimson moon!"

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

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

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

...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

...Thanks to the seven deities?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He then focused his attention on something else.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-x-X-x-

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

She gradually adjusted her mental state.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"This is a simple problem in mathematics."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Audrey nodded slowly and suddenly smiled.

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

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

"Let's begin."

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

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

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

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

...

Backlund, Bridge area, in an apartment.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-x-X-x-

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

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

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

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

He frowned slightly and said, "Sherlock Moretti?"

Emlyn was puzzled as he shifted in his seat.

"Why do you think it's him?"

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

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

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

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

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

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

He immediately stood up and bowed gentlemanly.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Emlyn's evaluation of this was: very honest.

...

North Borough in Backlund. Outside Saint Samuel Cathedral.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"You deserve it."

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

"I gave my own share.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

-x-X-x-

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..."

-x-X-x-

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.

-x-X-x-

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!