176 LOTM

After dealing with the spoils of war and bestowing the purified Shaman King Beyonder characteristic to Emlyn White, Klein was in no hurry to leave Sefirah Castle. He simply reviewed the battle today.

One thing he focused on was Abomination Suah's performance in various aspects, so as to assess how powerful an angel was.

If I encounter him head-on and do not hold back, I might not even have a chance to summon an angel projection. Unless I succeed on my first attempt... Of course, my target, Dark Demon Wolf, is a Sequence 2 Miracle Invoker. As for Abomination Suah, "He" is already a Sequence 1. The gap between the two is likely quite significant... However, Dark Demonic Wolf shares the same Seer pathway as me. "He" suppresses me in every aspect... I can only be thankful that "He" hasn't completed the ritual and advanced to Sequence 1, or I wouldn't have any hope of winning... Sequence 1... As his thoughts raced, Klein's gaze suddenly constricted as he sat straight.

He had thought of a possibility in a moment of inspiration.

Could the Dark Demonic Wolf, Kotar, have advanced and become a Sequence 1 Attendant of Mysteries? "He" created a marionette city to mislead possible trackers, such as Angel of Time Amon?

It can't be ruled out... Yes, there's another possibility. The Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar is in complete control of that "curtain" and has the strength of a quasi-Sequence 1... The more Klein thought about it, the more he realized that the operation was more dangerous than he imagined.

The Dark Demonic Wolf has survived in the Forsaken Land of the Gods for so many years. Even a God of Trickery like Amon is unable to capture "Him." This means that "His" strength and intelligence has reached a rather high level!

I still have to make more preparations for hunting "Him"... Klein frowned slightly and slowly exhaled.

...

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

Emlyn sat on a leather sofa in the living room, crossed his right leg, and placed it on his left thigh, patiently waiting for Baron Cosmi to enter.

Before long, the middle-aged Sanguine Baron entered the living room and swept his gaze across Emlyn.

"Viscount White, why are you visiting so late at night?"

Emlyn smiled and said, "Isn't this just the beginning of a day? Look, the crimson moon outside the window is so beautiful."

Cosmi wanted to retort to the young Sanguine, pointing out how Emlyn followed the "good practice" of waking up at seven in the morning and sleeping before eleven back when he went to the Harvest Church. After a moment of hesitation, he resisted the urge and said, "What's the matter?"

Emlyn raised his hand to pat the gown, tugged at his bowtie, and slowly got up. He raised his chin slightly and said, "Tell Lord Nibbs that he can begin preparing for the Earl conferment ritual."

"..." Cosmi instinctively asked, "What are you talking about?"

Just as he said that, he suddenly came to a realization as he recalled Emlyn's previous application.

"Y-you obtained an Earl—no, a Shaman King's Beyonder characteristic?"

Emlyn enjoyed this very moment as he replied with a smile, "Did you think I was just joking when borrowing Vision of White?"

As he spoke, he took out the bronze box inlaid with many ruby gems. He opened it and revealed the eyeball-shaped glass sphere inside, indicating that he hadn't lost it and was about to return it.

Cosmi's eyes flickered as he said, "The Rose School of Thought's temperance faction still has such powerful strength?

"Then why did they cooperate with you?"

The upper echelons of the Sanguine in Backlund, which was also the grandfather of Cosmi, Marquis Nibbs Odora, didn't think highly of Emlyn's previous application. He wanted to wait for the cooperation with the Rose School of Thought to fall through before Emlyn had no choice but to seek help from him or their demigods.

Emlyn glanced at him and replied with a smile, "It's a secret."

This was the tone he learned from Gehrman Sparrow. He found it cool and thought that it suited his preferences.

At the same time, this was the key point that The Hanged Man had repeatedly told him during the free exchange of the Tarot Club.

Only by maintaining a sense of mystery would the upper echelons of the Sanguine experience certain fear. This prevented them from finding excuses or using their status to take away the Shaman King characteristic.

Without waiting for Cosmi to respond, Emlyn threw the bronze box containing the Vision of White and buttoned up his suit. He walked past the baron and walked to the door of the living room.

As he was about to leave, Emlyn stopped. Without turning his head, he straightened his back and looked straight ahead.

"Remember to address me as Earl next time."

With the Ancestor's blessings and the importance the Moon had placed on him, he was filled with confidence in becoming a Shaman King.

Cosmi's facial muscles twitched, but he maintained his silence. Only after Emlyn left did he find it difficult to control his warped expression.

As a Sanguine who had existed since the time of Roselle, he was many years older than Emlyn, but he remained a baron. He was just slightly better than those without a noble title. As for Emlyn, who was considered a laughing stock amongst the younger generation of the Backlund Sanguine, he was about to cross the border separating mortals and gods. He would become a Sequence 4 Shaman King, a Sanguine Earl.

How could Cosmi not lose his composure? How could he not be jealous? How could he not be shocked?

After spending a few minutes to control his emotions, he headed down to the basement. Passing through several secret doors, he arrived at the gray hall where Nibbs was sleeping.

"Grandfather, Emlyn's operation has succeeded."

Inside the black iron coffin, there was a brief silence. After three or four seconds, Nibbs finally said, "The faction backing him is beyond our imagination..."

This Sanguine Marquis's voice was deep and old, with a hint of hoarseness as it echoed in the hall.

"Grandfather, Emlyn succeeded by relying on the Vision of White. A portion of the items he obtained rightfully belongs to the race," Cosmi said with some anticipation, feeling somewhat indignant.

Nibbs's voice grew louder.

"Buffoon!

"To be able to hunt a Shaman King while the Rose School of Thought was clearly prepared, is that something any faction can do?

"The Rose School of Thought's temperance faction has been in shambles for years, so how much strength can it have left?

"At most, they have an angel in a poor condition, or a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact, as well as two to three demigods. All these put together wouldn't be able to restrain Abomination Suah and the Rose School of Thought's other angels, other Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts, a sizable number of demigods, as well as the Chained God's projection, and the blessings of the Mother Tree of Desire.

"If Emlyn's operation succeeded, then you can count how many angels and Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts are needed at the very least. This is a power that can match ours!

"In the future, don't deliberately investigate Emlyn and his other companions!"

After shouting a few more times, Nibbs coughed twice, clearly struggling.

Cosmi's face turned pale as he finally calmed down.

"Then... are you really going to prepare a ritual for him?"

"What else?" Nibbs returned with a question before sighing. "Perhaps after Emlyn took the risk for the Sanguine's future, the Ancestor has truly begun showing 'Her' concern for him..."

...

Fog Sea, La Cha Island.

After leaving the Future on the safe sea route, Admiral of Stars Cattleya used her fairytale magic to arrive at a mountain peak. She recited a passage in Jotun to an empty cliff:

"Open sesame!"

A path immediately appeared on the cliff as though it was real and illusory. It was unknown where it led to.

Cattleya made use of her prophetic means to make a simple assessment of any danger. Then, she stepped onto the path and ventured deep into the cliff.

As she walked, her vision cleared up. She saw the sea that appeared clear like sapphires and a beautiful castle made of pure emerald.

This was Queen Mystic Bernadette's Emerald City.

Cattleya wasn't unfamiliar with this place. She easily passed the questions and tests of the magical guards and came to the half-open room that provided the best vista in the castle.

The tall Queen was standing behind the railing, looking at the waves that surged forward.

For some reason, Cattleya's hidden excitement, thrill, and joy suddenly calmed down at that moment as she felt a sense of security and freedom.

Back when she cruised the seas, she would occasionally feel lonely and sad, like a leaf that had left its tree, allowing the wind to bring her to different places. Now, she seemed to have fallen back to the ground, right beside the tree.

She opened her mouth, momentarily at a loss for words. Finally, she nudged the heavy glasses on her nose and simply greeted, "Good afternoon, Your Majesty."

Bernadette turned around and nodded.

"I summoned you back to Emerald City because I have some things to hand over to you."

Cattleya instinctively asked, "Why are you handing them over to me?"

The Queen had a secret organization like Element Dawn and a group of pirates under her!

Bernadette didn't directly answer Cattleya's question as she said, "I previously received a clue and left Backlund in a hurry."

"I remember the matter," Cattleya interjected.

Bernadette's long and straight eyebrows twitched slightly.

"Through this clue, I managed to piece together an incomplete sea map from the descendants of Edwards, William, and Poli. It records the area my father had explored in the Fog Sea those years.

With the help of this sea map and my prophetic abilities, I can roughly guess that a particular area out at sea that is far away from the safe sea route might be hiding his secret. I plan on heading there on the Dawn to do an extended search.

"I'm not sure when I can return. Perhaps I will never be able to return. Therefore, I have to hand over some items and matters to you in advance."

After listening carefully, Cattleya said without hesitation, "I'll go with you."

"It is my father. This is something I have to do, alone." Queen Mystic Bernadette slowly shook her head.

Cattleya fell silent for a few seconds before saying, "If you don't return, I would do the same."

-x-X-x-

Upon hearing Cattleya's words, Queen Mystic Bernadette looked at her silently for a few seconds before saying, "That is your choice, and also your freedom."

Cattleya stared straight at the Queen before pursing her lips and saying, "I know. You must've destroyed all the clues that will allow me to pursue your tracks...

"To you, this is to end the past—all of it—regardless of whether you return."

The chestnut-colored hair casually draped over Bernadette's shoulders as she maintained her silence as if she was using this method to confirm the Admiral of Stars's guess.

When Cattleya saw this, she smiled bitterly and said, "I won't harp on how I'll do everything I can to find you if you were to remain lost for half a year or a year. I just want you to remember to recite Mr. Fool's honorific name when the danger is gravest."

She said that title frankly.

Queen Mystic Bernadette slowly nodded and said, "I will keep that in mind."

Cattleya immediately revealed a smile as she said with misty eyes, "What items and matters need to be handed over to me?"

With a flip of her hand, Bernadette took out an item from somewhere.

The item was entirely gold in color, like a miniaturized kettle. Its surface was covered with mysterious and complicated symbols, and a part of a lamp's wick extended out from the mouth.

"It's name is the 'Magic Wishing Lamp.' Its serial number is 0-05. It might've originated from the First Epoch, and even a true deity can't shatter it. Normally, it wouldn't cause any harm, nor would it be of any use. However, it will constantly tempt you to rub it through dreams and illusions, to summon the Genie." Queen Mystic Bernadette simply introduced the item's origins and effects. "The Genie claims to be eternal and can grant you any ten wishes, but often, they are fulfilled in an extremely warped manner or with terrifying consequences. My father told me that the holder can avoid the harm brought by the first two wishes through proper wording and preparations, but the third wish is absolutely forbidden."

At this point, Bernadette emphasized, "Absolutely forbidden!"

"It sounds easy to get around it..." Cattleya thought for a moment before saying, "Can't you make two wishes before giving it to me. I'll make another two wishes, then give it to Frank, Heath, and the others. This will allow for many things to be done."

She was only using Frank as an example. She had no intention of letting him come into contact with something so dangerous.

Holding the Magic Wishing Lamp, Bernadette shook her head indiscernibly and said, "The owner is different from the wielder. Before I die, even if you obtain the Magic Wishing Lamp, you will only be a wielder. The first wish you make will also be counted as my third wish and your first wish.

"Also, although we can craft our words and make preparations to avoid the damage caused by the fulfillment of the wishes, this does not mean that the Genie isn't intelligent. On the contrary, 'He' is very smart, very cunning, and has a very strong sense of autonomy."

Cattleya tersely acknowledged.

"Then, is there any wish that 'He' cannot fulfill?"

"Nothing at the moment, but if it involves the level of a true deity, the distortion of the wish will exceed your imagination. To put it simply, if you wish to become a Sequence 0 true deity, then your body and soul will meld into one with an unknown evil god. Remember, the Genie's requirement is that the wish has to be simple and concise. Otherwise, 'He' will reject it and treat it as if you have already made a wish," Bernadette explained.

With that said, she got an invisible servant to fly towards Cattleya with the terrifying Sealed Artifact 0-05.

After Cattleya reached out her hand to grab the Magic Wishing Lamp, Bernadette continued, "If you dream of the Genie and are bewitched by 'Him' to make a wish, that means that I can no longer return. Following that, you will be its owner. I hope that your first wish is to retrieve all the items that were carried on Bernadette Gustav's person before she headed out to sea, including her own Beyonder characteristic. Yes, it's best to add the exact date when making a wish."

Cattleya looked down at the golden lamp and blurted out, "Can I make a wish to bring you back to life?"

After a few seconds of silence, Bernadette said, "The resurrected me might just be a monster.

"If you really wish to do so, you can ask Mr. Fool for 'His' opinion."

Cattleya nodded slightly.

"Okay."

"This is the item I'm giving you and the matters I need to settle. I'll leave the rest to the Element Dawn. They will have a new leader and won't collapse because of a person's disappearance." Bernadette didn't beat around the bush, indicating that this was the main reason she had summoned Cattleya to Emerald City.

The level of the divine lamp was extremely high, making it impossible to pass it through a messenger.

Without waiting for Cattleya's reply, Queen Mystic's expression suddenly softened.

"Haven't you always wanted to share what happened all these years with me?"

Cattleya was taken aback as she nodded.

"That's right."

She then walked to the Queen's side, pulled a chair over, and sat down, facing the blue sea beyond the emerald railing.

Bernadette sat beside her and listened to her talk about all the encounters after she left the Dawn.

These matters had been mentioned in the letter by Cattleya, but due to the limited length, she didn't provide any detailed descriptions. There were some that she was sharing for the first time.

At some point in time, Cattleya fell asleep and dreamed of a time many years ago.

At that time, she was just a maiden who stubbornly left the Dawn without looking back.

Suddenly, she woke up and realized that there was no one beside her. She realized that it had already turned dark at some point in time, and dawn was even approaching.

Cattleya suddenly reached out and threw out an illusory ball of yarn.

The ball of yarn rolled into the void, leaving behind a bright-colored thread.

Following this thread, Cattleya walked through the spirit world as though she had mastered "Teleportation" and arrived at the periphery of La Cha Island.

She stood at the edge of the cliff and cast her gaze into the distance. She saw that on the dark blue sea, a gorgeous and huge sailboat, which was tinted with an orange glow, was steering towards the horizon.

Cattleya slowly sat down and leaned forward slightly. She hugged her knees and looked in that direction for a long time.

The sun gradually rose and shone on her.

...

In Backlund, at a soup kitchen.

The veil-wearing Stelyn Sammer no longer lowered her head like the previous few months, afraid that others would recognize her. The only worry on her mind as she anxiously looked ahead was if the free food would last until it was her turn.

She could vaguely hear gunshots echoing in the distance. She didn't know if the armies of Feysac, Intis, or Feynapotter had breached the final line of defense, or if the police were dealing with a looter.

Please end it... Please end this war quickly... Stelyn, who had gone to three soup kitchens, silently prayed.

At this moment, a staff member raised his voice and said from a few meters away, "All the food here has been handed out!"

Stelyn's face turned ashen. She looked up at the dark sky and dragged her feet in despair and numbness before returning to the house at 17 Minsk Street.

The moment she opened the door, her two children rushed over and raised their innocent faces.

"Mommy, did you get any bread?"

"Mommy, I'm hungry..."

They were twins, a boy and a girl. Both of them were very adorable.

Stelyn held back her tears and forced a smile.

"Yes."

She then entered the house, took out some pieces of bread she had stashed, and split it among the two children.

As she watched the two children eat the bread without any regard for etiquette, Stelyn's expression kept changing. It cycled between sorrow and pain.

Not long after, her husband, Luke Sammer, returned home, but he, too, didn't have any food in his hands.

Ever since the Coim Company was taken over by the military during the war, this former manager had lost his job. He could only rely on their past savings and maintain his family via government aid.

"I didn't manage to..." Seeing his wife's hopeful gaze, this burly man with a messy beard lowered his head in shame.

Stelyn, who still looked rather pretty while in her thirties, took a deep breath and said, "Me too... I'll go out and queue again. There should still be places that haven't finished distributing food!"

Without waiting for her husband to respond, she rushed out of the door.

Luke immediately turned around and said to her back, "I'll find another one too!"

Stelyn didn't stop. She walked two streets and arrived in front of a house with a garden.

Not long after, she saw the owner of the place, a tycoon in his fifties.

"I want to buy some food." Stelyn took out a stack of crumpled bills.

The grizzled elder smiled and said, "And why should I sell it to you?

"I remember that you rejected me last time."

Stelyn's face paled. Without a word, she lowered her head and unbuckled her belt with her other hand.

With a snap, the leather belt that was originally very exquisite but now had quite a few stains fell to the ground.

...

Luke Sammer wandered aimlessly on the streets, unsure where he could find food.

Looking at the small number of pedestrians passing by, and the bags that they were trying their best to protect, the scholarly gentleman's eyes gradually turned red.

Unknowingly, he followed someone and turned into a street.

In less than an hour, the curfew would begin. This was a rare opportunity for him.

That person stopped outside a house and walked towards the door feebly.

At this moment, the person suddenly fainted and fell to the ground.

Luke subconsciously took a few steps back before quickly approaching to test the pedestrian's breathing.

His gaze unconsciously fell on the paper bag in the man's embrace, and he could smell the aroma of bread.

Luke gulped and reached out for the bag.

As he moved his hand, he looked back in fear at the house that this pedestrian was trying to enter. He saw a child's drawing pasted on the oriel window.

Luke's actions stiffened. A few seconds later, he stood up, walked to the door of the house, and rang the doorbell.

The house's mistress and child quickly opened the door and saw their weak father and the bag of bread.

The curfew arrived very quickly, and Luke returned to Minsk Street dejectedly.

Just as he opened the door, he saw his wife smiling at him.

"I got food!"

That's great... Luke heaved a sigh of relief and hugged her tightly.

...

Audrey walked along the streets and alleys, with no one capable of seeing her.

She didn't say anything and walked back to Empress Borough, all the way back into the luxurious mansion where she smelled the aroma of pan-fried foie gras and other delicacies.

After staring silently for a while, she saw the maids coming and going. Finally, she headed upstairs to her room.

In the middle of the night, she wore a cloak and entered her parents' bedroom before arriving at their bed.

After staring at them for a long time, Audrey knelt down on one knee and pressed her forehead against her father's hand.

Beads of water dripped onto the carpet.

Then, the blonde, green-eyed noble lady slowly raised her head and said to her sleeping parents, choking, "Daddy, Mommy, thank you. Thank you for teaching me what pity, kindness, and virtue are."

As soon as she finished speaking, she closed her eyes and stood up abruptly. Turning around, she walked towards the door, no longer wearing the slightest emotions on her face.

-x-X-x-

In the early morning, Earl Hall woke up at his usual time and took a stroll in his garden and lawn.

By the time he finished looking at his beloved thoroughbreds, he returned to the third floor of the villa and changed out of his outing clothes. His wife, Caitlyn, had already woken up and was instructing her lady's maid to relay her thoughts to the rest of the servants.

"It's time for breakfast." Earl Hall stood beside the coat rack and smiled at his wife.

At that moment, he heard a commotion outside, one that was getting closer and closer, but it did not quell.

With a slight frown, Earl Hall turned his head to look at his valet.

Without needing the noble to speak, the valet immediately walked to the window and drew open the thin curtain.

With a swoosh, more light shone into the bedroom. It was clear.

The valet then cast his gaze out the window and scanned his surroundings. His expression suddenly became solemn.

He turned around and glanced at Lady Caitlyn, who was still talking to the lady's maid. He walked quickly to Earl Hall's side and said in a low voice, "A protest! Many people are protesting!"

A protest? Earl Hall was no stranger to this term. As a powerful Loen Kingdom noble, and the second largest shareholder of the Constant Coal and Steel Consortium, he had seen many workers protest in demonstrations, requesting for a rise in their weekly salaries, as well as stipulate for maximum working hours. During the past two months, Backlund had also undergone several protests due to various problems, but they were quickly suppressed without causing too much of an impact.

His gaze moved back and forth across his valet's face for a few seconds. Eyes narrowed, he acutely sensed that the protest today might be different from what he had imagined.

Without batting an eyelid, he walked to the window.

Looking out, Earl Hall's eyes suddenly froze.

With the advantage of being on the third floor, he saw that the roads were filled with dense hordes of people, extending far into the distance. They gathered together and surged in this direction, as if they were a dark, gigantic cloud that was about to envelop Backlund.

"Bread!"

"We want bread!"

The shouts of tens of thousands of people, and even more people, grew into a crescendo—one that was loud and clear. It made Earl Hall's scalp tingle.

Having participated in the Mass at Festival Square, he was no stranger to seeing large masses of people or hearing people booming in one voice. But back then, he could barely be considered a part of the crowd. And today, he was one of the targets of the surging "tidal wave."

Earl Hall couldn't help but glance towards the end of the protesters, only to realize that there was no end to it. However, with his rich experience in handling matters, he could make a judgment based on the details he had observed.

He could see that there were very few police and soldiers on both sides of the protesters. Compared to the large number of people, they were like the eddies created by a tidal wave, a negligible detail.

Earl Hall believed that the protesters that targeted Empress Borough would definitely be clamped down upon with the greatest force possible. It would be impossible for large numbers of soldiers and police to be deployed. The current situation could only mean one thing:

There were too many people participating in the protest!

As such, the soldiers and police were spread too thin!

A protest numbering more than a hundred thousand people? Perhaps more... A protest arising from a food shortage can turn into a riot and looting at any time... It might still seem orderly now... because there are many organizers and leaders? Damn it. Didn't MI9 and the various Churches notice any signs? How could such a large-scale protest be organized overnight? Even if Backlund has become a gunpowder keg, it would still require quite a number of matchsticks to light it! Thoughts ran through Earl Hall's mind as his expression grew graver.

"Bread!"

"We want bread!"

The shouting became louder and more uniform, as if there was a tsunami in the city.

At that moment, the servants in Earl Hall's mansion sensed the commotion. All of them went to the windows and looked beyond the compound gates.

Their faces turned pale, as though they had encountered a flood that could not be avoided.

"Bread!"

"We want bread!"

Countless voices converged together, as the dense masses exuded a suffocating presence.

Earl Hall snapped to his senses. He subconsciously wanted to get someone to send a telegram to the royal family to get them to organize an army to suppress the protesters.

However, after further observation, he realized that quite a number of protesters were wearing military uniforms and were disabled.

"Bread!"

"We want bread!"

The soldiers in charge of maintaining order looked at the protesters with pity and pointed their guns at the sky.

Among those people were their old comrades, their parents and children, their friends, neighbors, and large numbers of people who simply desired the same right to live like them. They just didn't want to starve to death. How could they not feel pity and empathy?

At first, such feelings might have arisen in a handful of soldiers and police, but it quickly spread to almost everyone.

In the past, under their officers' supervision at gunpoint, they would have accepted all orders without any protest. But now, many people were thinking:

Any son-of-a-b*tch who dares to get me to fire shall be fired upon!

"Bread!"

"We want bread!"

From the shouts and the impact of the huge crowd, the color in Earl Hall's face drained.

He couldn't help but retract his gaze and look at the guards and bodyguards gathered outside the house. He looked at the Beyonders of the Church of Evernight who were responsible for protecting his family, and he realized that the reactions of the two were different.

The guards and bodyguards were filled with fear. The expressions of the secretly-hired Beyonders had already become rather solemn. As for the protectors from the Church of Evernight, their gazes were filled with pity and empathy.

To the Church, I might be equivalent to a thousand believers, but there are tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, or even more... Earl Hall instantly came to a realization of the consequences of what he had planned to do.

Even though they were armed to the teeth, there was no way they could fend off so many protesters with just a few bodyguards. Once the conflict erupted, the Beyonders of the Church of Evernight couldn't be counted on at all. It was already a blessing by the Goddess if his family could escape Empress Borough with the bodyguards he hired!

For the first time, Earl Hall experienced the strength of the masses. He experienced the terror of the unity of people.

As this thought flashed through his mind, he immediately turned his head and instructed his valet, "Send a telegram to the Prime Minister and send a telegram to the other nobles. Say that I'm willing to take the lead and donate most of our food!

"Get them to remain calm!"

As the radio signals exchanged across the air, the nobles living in Empress Borough all learned of his attitude.

The present Duke Negan looked out the window with a serious expression. After a moment of silence, he exhaled and said to the male secretary beside him, "Protect the mansion and give up any forceful stance. Follow Earl Hall's lead.

"Also, make the merchants who are hoarding food the first examples!"

By the time the upper-class society came to a consensus and came up with a solution, Earl Hall's heart finally settled back to its original position. He had the energy to head to the dining room to meet his family.

When he passed through the dining hall's entrance, he subconsciously scanned the situation inside.

His wife stood by the window, looking out the window with worry. His eldest son kept pacing back and forth, appearing very angry and anxious. His daughter stood beside his wife, watching the tidal-wave-like protesters in silence.

...

Fog Sea, Future.

Cattleya stepped on a resplendent bridge formed from starlight and returned to the deck.

"Captain, you have to do something about Frank this time!" Boatswain Nina, rushed over and shouted.

Cattleya's depressed and sorrowful mood was instantly shattered as she frowned slightly.

"What did he do again?"

Nina said angrily, "He asked me if I knew how to have children. He wants to study how life is born and how the soul is created!"

"...Did you hit him?" Cattleya fell silent for a second.

"I did!" Nina didn't hide anything.

Cattleya then looked at Frank who was not far away, ignoring his bruised face.

"You should first study how fish breed."

"Alright." Frank scratched his head and heeded his captain's orders.

Following that, Cattleya nodded at the shadow which extended out from the cabin—the pale-faced Bloodless Heath Doyle.

"Everything's fine now."

Heath Doyle clearly relaxed.

"Yes, Captain."

After this farce with her crew, Cattleya finally returned to the real world. While they weren't paying attention, she rubbed her temples and flew into the captain's cabin.

Following that, she sealed the cabin with magic and took out the Grade 0 Sealed Artifact—Magic Wishing Lamp.

After finishing her preparations, Cattleya sat at her desk and lowered her head. She used Jotun to recite Mr. Fool's honorific name to report to him about Queen Mystic.

Holding a lantern in hand, Klein surveyed the surrounding area of the northern city ruins. He turned his head slightly and listened for a few seconds before following the process of entering the world above the gray fog.

He then sat on the high-back chair belonging to The Fool at the end of the long mottled table, spreading his spirituality towards the crimson star representing The Hermit.

Queen Mystic has some preliminary clues to the primitive island. She plans on leaving the safe sea route to do an extended search...

That primitive island was discovered by Emperor Roselle by chance. It's very likely that one of his nine secret mausoleums is hidden on it... This is the only one that hasn't been discovered and destroyed at the moment. It's the hope of the Emperor's resurrection...

However, the living beings on that primitive island seem to worship an unknown power that comes from the cosmos. Just understanding the cosmos that will lead to corruption... I need to remind Ma'am Hermit to warn Queen Mystic...

Magic Wishing Lamp... Magic Wishing Lamp? So this Grade 0 Sealed Artifact is in the hands of Queen Mystic... It's a combination of a Miracle Invoker's Beyonder characteristic and a characteristic of unknown origins. Even a true deity can't shatter it... Just as he finished listening to 0-05's description, he immediately adjusted his vision and enlarged the scene of the golden kettle-like Magic Wishing Lamp.

Suddenly, the wick at the mouth of the Magic Wishing Lamp lit up!

-x-X-x-

The light emitted by the lamp's core was extremely viscous, like water that had been infused with quite a bit of sugar. It spewed out, forming a distorted and blurry golden figure.

This figure instantly occupied the crimson star representing The Hermit, cutting off his ability to sense Cattleya.

Sitting at the end of the long bronze table, Klein's eyes widened as a thought subconsciously flashed across his mind:

As expected of a Sealed Artifact labeled 0-05!

Although the serial number of Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts was usually based on the order of the time the orthodox Churches obtained or understood them, it had to be known that this set of rules was officially established after the seven Churches truly ruled over the world, which was the late Fourth Epoch and early Fifth Epoch.

Back then, most Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts had already appeared, and they had been learned of or obtained by the orthodox Churches!

This resulted in a situation where the ones with smaller serial numbers being Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts that were more powerful, terrifying, and unimaginable. Then, the rest were labeled based on the order of appearance.

In addition, although it wasn't wrong to say that an item was more powerful the more ancient it was, for an item from the First Epoch that the ancient gods were unable to affect, it definitely meant that even deities didn't fully comprehend their secrets.

This way, the smaller the number was, the more terrifying the Grade 0 Sealed Artifact was.

Of course, based on this rule, the Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts with higher serial numbers weren't necessarily worse than the first ten. Perhaps it was simply because they were discovered or obtained by the Church at a later date. Without any numbers left for them, they could only be serialized.

Just as a thought flashed through his mind, the golden figure's gaze pierced through the crimson star representing The Hermit and towards the ancient palace above the gray fog.

Following that, "His" voice echoed in an unusually magnificent manner:

"Long time no see."

Long time no see? Long time no see! He... He knows the former owner of Sefirah Castle, The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings? No, it should be "Him," a Genie who claims to be eternal... "He" can actually use Ma'am Hermit's prayer to directly talk to me... A thought flashed through Klein's mind as he tensed up.

Based on his experience over the recent years, as well as his ability as a Clown, his body suddenly relaxed and he leisurely leaned back into his chair.

Following that, Klein replied, "Heh."

He didn't give an affirmative answer, nor did he deny that he was a fake. He only showed a look of contempt and wore a supercilious look.

The blurry golden figure harrumphed.

"You've actually been weakened so much. It's no wonder that I haven't heard of your honorific name in the past few millennia."

Honorific name... Weak... "He" really knows the former owner of Sefirah Castle... Is that an existence who was active during the First Epoch? Amidst his thoughts, Klein smiled and said, "What you see might not be the truth."

"Haha." The twisted and blurry golden figure laughed and said, "You're still your usual self, always trying to scam others, but the condition of Sefirah Castle cannot fool me. Under normal circumstances, there's no way for me to pass through the outer layers of protection to communicate with you."

"How do you know that I didn't do it on purpose?" Klein asked in a relaxed manner.

"There's no point in lying to me," the distorted, blurry golden Genie immediately replied.

...Why do I feel like the victim of fraud is saying that I'm penniless, to the point of having sold my kidney... Back then, what did the previous owner of Sefirah Castle—the one suspected to be The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings—do to the Genie... Hmm, part of the characteristics of this Magic Wishing Lamp is that of a Miracle Invoker... Using his lampooning to relieve the pressure in his heart, Klein smiled.

"It's not up to you to decide whether there's any point."

The blurry golden figure trembled slightly.

"From the state of Sefirah Castle, you seem to have a need for a Miracle Invoker Beyonder characteristic."

"He" did not harp on the topic and instead pointed out the situation "He" had observed.

...This fellow can actually see through this matter... "His" level is really very high... "He" is able to separate the Miracle Invoker Beyonder characteristic from the Magic Wishing Lamp? Klein's eyes narrowed as he nearly lost his composure.

He immediately controlled his actions and expression and replied with a smile, "If you think so."

The blurry and distorted golden figure once again made "His" magnificent voice echo above the gray fog.

"We can make a deal.

"You will remove my seal and give me freedom. I will leave the Miracle Invoker Beyonder characteristic to you and only take away the portion that belongs to me.

"As for a witness, let's use our sefirot. Although both you and I have means to resist the backlash and reduce the damage caused by breaching the contract, it won't be without a price. We both need to consider the consequences.

"I promise I won't stay here any longer than necessary."

Sealed... Sefirot... The terrifying nature of the Magic Wishing Lamp is a seal of an existence that's at least at the true deity level? With a thought, Klein quickly analyzed the viability of the matter.

Soon, he made a decision. He was not to be bewitched!

There were two reasons for this. Firstly, he wasn't the real owner of Sefirah Castle. There was a limit to what he could do and handle. Secondly, he had received some mysticism education and had gleaned experiences as a Nighthawk. He knew not to trade with unknown existences or bear any hope in being lucky!

Having made up his mind, he calmed down and focused on how to gather more information.

The Genie was suspected to originate from the darkest, most chaotic, and most mysterious First Epoch, so "He" definitely knew a lot!

After some thought, the corners of Klein's mouth curled up.

"Do you think such conditions can move me?"

He planned to see how high the chips the Genie could offer, so as to pry into certain of "His" secrets.

Upon hearing this, the flickering golden figure's eyes suddenly lit up in a literal manner!

"His" gaze seemed to land directly on Klein as "His" magnificent voice quaked the ancient palace like thunder:

"You are not 'Him'!"

You are not "Him"... At that moment, Klein was a little stunned and also a little frightened. It was as if he was performing a grand magic show only to have a member of the audience suddenly point out his trick.

He didn't know what was wrong with his rhetorical question, nor did he know what exactly was wrong. It was difficult for him to analyze the pros and cons in a short period of time, and give a reaction that matched the current situation.

... Why did "He" suddenly realize that I'm not the former owner of Sefirah Castle—the suspected "Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings"... Isn't my rhetoric question very reasonable? Since we're talking about a deal, bargaining should be allowed... The former owner of Sefirah Castle that the Genie knew wasn't like that? Impossible, why would a person who's good at deceit show "His" hand so readily? How can there not be some level of negotiation and pressure? Sh*t, too many thoughts are running through my mind. Nearly ten seconds have passed... I didn't immediately answer the Genie's accusation, so it's a form of indirect admittance... When it came to being exposed, Klein didn't have much experience. He was momentarily unsure for a response.

Just as he raised his vigilance and was about to produce the Staff of the Stars and activate Sefirah Castle's powers to resist the possible attack from the Genie, the golden and blurry figure suddenly laughed.

"Haha. Hahaha. Hahaha."

This laughter seemed to stir his soul, causing Klein, who was inside Sefirah Castle, to nearly show signs of losing control. It wasn't easy for him to remain calm.

There's no intention to attack, but the influence of natural dissipation... What's the Genie laughing about? What's so funny? Klein frowned as he thought of one possibility after another, but he felt that they didn't match reality.

After a few seconds, the Genie's laughter stopped and "He" happily quipped, "Even for existences at our level, fate is still so miraculous.

"Regardless of who you are, the deal I proposed is still on the table. As long as you remove the seal and release me, I will return to the cosmos with the portion that belongs to me. As for the rest, I will leave the Miracle Invoker Beyonder characteristic to you. In addition, I will grant you three wishes.

"How's that? Isn't that enough?"

Cosmos... When Klein heard that, his eyelids twitched as he sharply sensed danger.

This was a warning from his spiritual intuition.

He had originally thought that he could pretend to agree and obtain more information before using Sefirah Castle to go back on his promise, but now he suddenly felt that he could not make the promise!

Hence, Klein decisively said, "Leave."

As he spoke, he cut off the connection between himself and the crimson star representing The Hermit.

The blurry and distorted golden figure suddenly expanded and dissipated, leaving only his voice echoing:

"You will eventually agree!"

Only when the world above the gray fog had its calm completely restored did Klein slowly let out a breath and silently mutter to himself, The Genie is a powerful creature from the cosmos. Was it sealed within the Magical Wishing Lamp in the First Epoch or earlier?

The person who sealed "Him" might be the previous owner of Sefirah Castle, the existence suspected to be The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings. This can be inferred from the ingredients used to form the Magic Wishing Lamp's Beyonder characteristics...

So, that's how the Genie sensed that I wasn't the previous owner of Sefirah Castle when "He" questioned me? But I did consider this point, so my question wasn't logically unsound. Unless, back then, the former owner of Sefirah Castle and the Genie had come to some sort of tacit understanding or had some secret...

The bulk of the Genie's powers likely can't extend out of the seal, but "He" can use the Beyonder characteristic that forms the seal... The unique characteristic of "granting wishes" is likely from the Miracle Invoker characteristic. Then, the Genie uses "His" level to magnify it...

Amidst his thoughts, Klein raised his head to look at the crimson star representing The Hermit. He discovered that Cattleya didn't notice anything unusual with the Magic Wishing Lamp.

Phew... Klein formed a stream of light that contained his warnings and threw it into the crimson star.

-x-X-x-

...The primitive island that the Emperor found by chance... The creatures on the island worship an unknown power that comes from the cosmos... Without reaching the level of an angel, just knowledge of it will result in corruption from the cosmos... Try not to make a wish to the Genie, nor bring it to that primitive island... Cattleya finally received feedback from Mr. Fool as she heaved a sigh of relief, even more worried about the Queen's quest.

She turned her head to look at the unresponsive Magic Wishing Lamp and quickly put it away. Then, she spread out a letter, picked up a fountain pen, and paraphrased the information she had just received, hoping that Queen Mystic Bernadette would take it seriously.

...

In a dilapidated apartment in Backlund.

A man with a full beard was sitting on a chair with his hands cuffed behind him.

Xio, who had become a middle-ranking MI9 member through her own capabilities, stood in front of the man, with a triangular blade in hand and her two subordinates flanking her.

"We already have enough witnesses and evidence to prove that you're one of the main organizers of the protest. If you wish to reduce your punishment, answer my questions honestly."

Before Xio could say a word, the bearded man felt an extremely powerful suppressive force. When she finished speaking, even his mind began to tremble. It was as though bolts of electricity were generated and a pain and numbness that couldn't be perceived could explode at any moment.

The bearded man suppressed the fear and weakness in his heart and said, "No one instigated me. I just did what I wanted to do.

"Don't you all know? The entirety of Backlund has become a gunpowder keg. Even a tiny spark can set off the entire city. And there are countless sparks like me who are willing to take the risk!

"Those darn nobles and merchants hoarded so much food while there are already people in East Borough who are starving to death!

"You can do whatever you want to do to me. I've never believed in their promises. The reason why we agreed to end the protest was because everyone had received a lot of food."

Xio was about to ask further when she suddenly turned her head to listen to the commotion in the distance.

Sounds of rumbling could be heard from somewhere. It was deep, hoarse, and layered.

Has the Feysac, Intis, or Feynapotter army broken through our defenses and begun to attack Backlund's defenses? Xio's expression instantly turned solemn.

...

Back in the Forsaken Land of the Gods, after Klein returned to the real world, he immediately attempted to reach out his hand to see if he could pull out the Magic Wishing Lamp from the fog of history.

Soon, he confirmed that he couldn't summon Sealed Artifact 0-05.

Indeed, it involves a Uniqueness, or should I say, sefirah? In short, the Genie is indeed a high-ranking existence that was sealed. At the very least, "He" is a King of Angels... There's no way to make use of "Him"... Klein let out a breath and turned his attention back to the hunt of Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar.

He had made a lot of preparations during this period of time, and he ran through and confirmed the plan above the gray fog.

However, he was in no hurry to take action. He spent quite a bit of time checking the loopholes and mending the imperfections.

Two to three days later, it was dark and silent in the wilderness. Wearing a silk top hat and a long black trench coat, Klein held a lantern that emitted a faint yellow glow. With a solemn expression, he reached out his right hand and grabbed at the air.

At that moment, a bolt of lightning streaked across the world, illuminating it.

Following that, he dragged out a figure. It was him holding the illusory Staff of the Stars and a lantern.

Right on the heels of that, his true body entered the fog of history as he dashed to a time before the First Epoch. He hid inside the old stacked cities.

His Historical Void projection suddenly came alive as an area that he had been exploring recently had surfaced in his mind. He used the power of the Staff of the Stars to directly move to it.

This was a huge distance away from where his actual body was. Even if there was a problem with the projection, no one would be able to lock onto the exact location of where his true body was when he returned to reality.

Surveying the area, he took in the dried riverbed and a boulder that stood deep in the darkness like a monster. He no longer maintained his Staff of the Stars historical projection, letting it quickly fade away and disappear with a shake of his right hand.

After doing all of this, he walked to the boulder, put down the lantern, and began chanting an honorific name in Jotun:

"The Dark Lord that exists alongside History,

"The Embodiment of Countless Miracles,

"The God of Wishes..."

This was the Dark Demonic Wolf's honorific name that he had obtained from the Evernight Goddess. Although the Mythical Creature might not be using it anymore, or had perhaps changed it a long time ago, it was undoubtedly referring to "Him" when it came to mysticism.

...

Deep within a mountain range, in an ancient castle.

Giants, elves, humans, and vampires each held the role as gardeners, chefs, servants, and guards. They all had different expressions and would whisper to each other when they met, making them appear lively and intelligent.

However, once they returned to their rooms, they would immediately turn dull. Their eyes would no longer move as their bodies floated up and hung from the ceiling.

In the depths of the castle, in a hall where only lightning could light it up from outside the window, a huge figure lay quietly in the darkness.

Its body was like a tiny mountain that was covered in dark short fur. Its pitch-black pupils covered at least three-quarters of its eyes, and at its forehead was a tuft of grayish-white fur. Its head resembled a magnified, twisted feral wolf.

This was none other than the God of Wishes, Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar.

Suddenly, this demonic wolf, which was more exaggerated than an ordinary giant, raised "His" head. Every strand of "His" dark and short hair began to sway as all the servants in the castle followed "His" actions.

Kotar's eyes moved slightly as "He" turned "His" head slightly, as though "He" was listening to something.

In the next second, "He" opened "His" mouth and let out a soundless roar and summoned another "Him."

As soon as this Dark Demonic Wolf appeared, Kotar's body leaped into the grayish-white fog as "He" dashed to a certain historical spot of light in the Second Epoch.

This was a piece of secret history that "He" knew.

In the real world, the Dark Demonic Wolf's Historical Void projection made a wish in a tongue-twisting language. Then, with a flash of "His" figure, "He" directly moved to a mountain near the northern city of Nois.

After making the necessary preparations, the God of Wishes allowed a strand of dark, short hair to fall off, turning into an illusory Worm of Spirit that expanded into the corresponding prayer point of light.

With its help, Kotar saw who was praying to "Him."

It was a young man wearing a strange hat and strange clothes. He stood beside a glass lantern and softly chanted the honorific name of the God of Wishes.

Hmm... The Dark Demonic Wolf's huge, pitch-black pupils turned and saw that the young man was covered in a layer of grayish-white fog. There were some things that could not be seen clearly in the fog.

As a Sequence 2 angel of the Seer pathway, this Mythical Creature could clearly sense that the fog was similar to the fog of history. It could sense a strong attraction force from something in the fog.

...Sefirah Castle? Having heard some matters from the ancient god, Flegrea, the King of Demonic Wolves, "He" instantly had a guess.

Under this premise, "He" had many thoughts regarding the young man.

Using Sefirah Castle to attract me and make me attack him on my own accord, and then confirming my location?

This is a bait?

Indeed, he's just a Historical Void projection. It's unknown which time fragment his true body is hiding in. It's unknown where the ambusher is hiding...

Previously, Sefirah Castle clearly had an anomaly. I controlled myself and didn't attempt to search for the corresponding region or the clues that might be left behind. Why do "They" think I will fall for it?

It's just an attempt, switching to another when it doesn't work? Or is there something wrong with this prayer?

Hehe, I've lived for thousands of years. After experiencing so many things, what kind of situation have I not seen?

The best solution now is to ignore him and not spy on him. I'll just remember him.

The Dark Demonic Wolf quickly made a decision and planned to observe for a while longer before destroying that prayer point of light.

At this moment, "He" saw the young man open his mouth again:

"The Sun that is Eternal;

"You are an Inextinguishable Light;

"You are the Embodiment of Order."

"..." The Dark Demonic Wolf was somewhat puzzled as to what the young man was trying to do.

In this forsaken land, praying to the other true deities was useless!

In the next second, Klein once again chanted another deity's name:

"The Lord that created everything;

"The Lord who reigns behind the curtain of shadows;

"The degenerated nature of all living things!"

The Dark Demonic Wolf's pupils dilated slightly. "He" was confused by the actions of the human in the prayer light.

Before "He" could make any guesses, Klein muttered the third honorific name:

"The Clock-hand that tampers with Time;

"The Shadow that roams across Fate;

"The Embodiment of Deceit and Trickery."

Amon... He is praying to Amon... The Dark Demonic Wolf was already completely at a loss as to what the other party was up to. "He" instinctively felt that something was amiss and immediately wanted to wipe away the corresponding prayer point of light.

Suddenly, "He" saw the young man lift "His" head and smile.

He then took out a crystal monocle and put it on his right eye.

In just one prayer, Klein's Historical Void projection had turned into Blasphemer Amon's avatar!

Almost at the same time, the Dark Demonic Wolf felt the other party's gaze pass through the prayer light and land on "Him." Then, Amon looked past "Him" and into the fog of history where "His" true body was.

Without any hesitation, "He" immediately destroyed the prayer light.

As for "His" true body, "He" dispelled the gaze and removed the maintenance of the historical projection.

In the fog of history, in the stacked city of old, Klein suddenly stood up. A scene surfaced in his mind.

A few seconds before this scene took shape, he had severed the connection between his body and the Historical Void projection, doing so in order to avoid having Amon descent right beside him.

The baffling actions that he had previously done were mainly to confuse the Dark Demonic Wolf. He wanted "Him" to continue observing after realizing that the supplicant wasn't the true body. This made "Him" increase the time "He" spied on Sefirah Castle.

In the end, he prayed to Amon, using the possible descent and influence of the God of Deceit to hide the tracks of Sefirah Castle's reverse corruption of the Dark Demonic Wolf!

If Amon hadn't responded and merely watched by the sidelines, Klein would use the monocle he had prepared to deceive the Dark Demonic Wolf.

-x-X-x-

Deep within a mountain range, in the ancient castle.

As soon as Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar returned from the fog of history, "He" instinctively removed all connections with the outside world. "He" was prepared to abandon this place and move elsewhere.

Although "He" still hadn't figured out what had happened, with an accident already happening, "His" experience told "Him" that "He" couldn't take any chances at all. "He" should retreat and give up as required of him!

At the same time, a thought came to Klein's mind in the city of old. His figure instantly appeared in the ancient palace above the gray fog. At the seat belonging to The Fool, he merged with the constantly distorted and scattered crimson figure and took form.

In this mysterious space, the crimson stars that represented Justice, The Hanged Man, The Star, and the other members of the Tarot Club were constantly expanding and shrinking. They emitted layers of ripples that formed a mighty "wave."

This was one of the preparations that Klein had made in advance. In the name of Gehrman Sparrow, he had used different reasons to get the members of the Tarot Club to pray to Mr. Fool one after another, asking this existence to pass a certain answer to Mr. World.

As such, the crimson stars resonated, affecting Sefirah Castle in reverse; thus, allowing it to summon The Fool to resolve the problem.

This was one of the key factors that could help him escape from Amon's clutches. It could help him remove the need to take four steps counterclockwise and recite the incantations. He could directly enter Sefirah Castle without wasting any time.

And in a battle at the level of angels, the difference a second makes would perhaps determine the difference in the outcome. To fight someone more powerful than him, Klein had to consider every detail!

Sitting in the high-back chair belonging to The Fool, he beckoned for the Staff of the Stars and Sea God Scepter while observing the other changes in Sefirah Castle.

In the grayish-white fog, there was an additional crimson glow that was rapidly shrinking, almost disappearing in no time. Around The Fool's seat, ripples of light bloomed as though they were forming a pure passageway.

He could barely make out a gigantic demonic wolf's figure from the crimson glow. This was a result of Kotar's spying on Sefirah Castle. Through the passage of time, "He" had gained a certain understanding of the situation and had unknowingly been invaded. As such, "He" established a preliminary connection with Sefirah Castle. Of course, as an angel and a God of Wishes of the Second Epoch, "He" had the right level and ability to sever such a connection and get rid of the corresponding corruption. If Klein didn't make use of these one or two seconds, he would lose his lock on the Dark Demonic Wolf.

And at the side of The Fool's seat, the rippling lights reflected the figure wearing a half top hat and a long black trench coat, "Gehrman Sparrow." On his right eye was a crystal monocle.

Amon!

It was unknown what loophole this Blasphemer's avatar could use to slow down the rate at which Klein's Historical Void projection dissipated. Then, "He" used the subtle connection between "Gerhrman Sparrow," Klein's actual body, and Sefirah Castle in an attempt to invade the world above the gray fog from the special scene summoned by Sefirah Castle!

As the halo spread out, "Gehrman Sparrow's" long and powerful palm pierced through the barrier and suddenly entered the ancient palace, as though it had opened an invisible door.

Although Klein had already prepared for this and knew that it wouldn't be easy to get rid of Amon, he couldn't help but feel his scalp tingle when he saw this scene. He was afraid that in the next second, he would grab a crystal monocle and put it on his right eye.

This was something that had to be resolved in one or two seconds. Otherwise, the ownership of Sefirah Castle would be a question left in the air.

Without any hesitation, distorted and transparent Worms of Spirit appeared on the surface of his skin. They quickly gathered together, forming another Klein.

After catching the Sea God Scepter, Klein stirred the power of Sefirah Castle. With the augmentation of the layers of invisible "waves," the blue gems lit up, causing violent bolts of lightning to form silver balls that rolled into the rippling light.

Amidst the crackling sounds, the palm that pierced through Sefirah Castle instantly shattered and evaporated.

The spherical lightning that was filled with destructive aura expanded outwards, descending into reality, enveloping the monocled "Gehrman Sparrow."

This Historical Void projection was only barely maintained with the use of loopholes, so it collapsed after suffering such a strike. "He" could only adjust the crystal monocle and shake "His" head in regret as "He" watched "His" figure rapidly fade away after being shattered by the electric bolts.

As a small portion of the Worms of Spirit responded to Amon's prayer, Klein grabbed the Staff of the Stars with his actual body.

He held the staff embedded with many gems and aimed the Grade 0 Sealed Artifact at the rapidly shrinking crimson light.

At the same time, a scene appeared in his mind.

The rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and pearls on the Staff of the Stars lit up one after another.

Gong!

The sound of a distant bell seemed to have transcended an infinite amount of time as it echoed within the grayish-white fog, reverberating within the crimson light.

The pitch-black darkness in front of Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar suddenly faded, revealing a huge stone wall clock.

The wall clock was ancient and mottled, and its surface was grayish-white and bluish-black, split into twelve segments. Each segment had different symbols that represented the different times of the day.

At the core of the wall clock, three needles seemed to be formed from Worms of Time of three different lengths, "short," "medium," and "long," were filled with a feeling that time had left its mark on.

This was a Beyonder power from Angel of Time, Amon. Using the Staff of the Stars, Klein had made it appear again!

Normally speaking, a Beyonder power at this level wasn't something that could be understood by just witnessing once or twice. It wasn't so easy to "Record" it, but Klein wasn't fighting alone.

During this period of time, he had made use of Miss Magician's summoning to return to Backlund frequently. He went to The Star Leonard to chat directly with Pallez Zoroast, and he gained a deeper understanding of the corresponding mysticism knowledge and supernatural details.

Although Pallez had already dropped to the Sequence 2 level and was unable to use the powers of the Time domain, "His" experience and knowledge remained.

Gong!

On the ancient and mysterious stone wall clock, the second hand suddenly jerked, causing everything around Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar to slow down. Even the deep darkness seemed to freeze.

This Miracle Invoker who was just about to completely cut off contact with the outside world and distance "Himself" from where "He" was by granting his own wish suddenly froze on the spot. There was a brief moment of "Him" being fixed in place.

There was no doubt that there was a huge gap in power between the original Beyonder powers and those replicated by the Staff of the Stars. However, for Klein, the effect was already enough.

The moment he saw the Dark Demonic Wolf being affected by the "Ancient Wall Clock," he immediately dropped the Staff of the Stars and made the Worm of Spirit he had just separated from his body to fly back into his body.

With a thought, he returned to the city of oil before the First Epoch. Then, he appeared in the dark desolate plains with the lantern that emitted a faint yellow glow.

His right hand extended forward and successfully pulled out a projection of the Staff of the Stars.

This method could effectively increase the success rate of summoning the Staff of the Stars, but it would clearly reduce the might of this Grade 0 Sealed Artifact. After all, he was summoning a historical projection of a historical projection. Of course, as it was a race against time, making such a choice was very easy.

Klein didn't enter the fog of history again. He reached out to grab "his" shoulder, and he used dream divination to outline the feedback he received from using Sefirah Castle to reverse-corrupt the Dark Demonic Wolf.

In the dark, unlit hall in the ancient castle, the mountain-like demonic wolf stood up.

Quickly filling in the details, Klein slightly adjusted the details according to the scene of his frozen target.

On the black staff, the corresponding gems lit up.

In his mind, the scene that resembled an oil painting suddenly swelled up, interweaving with reality, making it impossible to separate from each other.

He descended into that ancient castle's dark hall, landing in front of Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar, who had just raised "His" body with "His" eight legs.

He had finally officially met the God of Wishes that had been living since the Second Epoch!

Without any hesitation, Klein took the opportunity of the Dark Demonic Wolf having just escaped the influence of the "Ancient Wall Clock." As he dispelled the Historical Void projection, he took out an iron cigar case from his pocket and opened it.

Inside the cigar case, there was a Loen gold coin. Its surface flashed, reflecting Reinette Tinekerr, who was wearing a dark and complicated long dress and holding four blonde, red-eyed heads.

One of the preparations Klein made was to use the method that he had used to bring around Admiral of Blood Senor. This allowed him to bring Miss Messenger to the Forsaken Land of the Gods!

Reinette Tinekerr was no doubt a Wraith. Furthermore, "She" was an even more powerful Wraith. "She" could also possess the smooth surface of a gold coin. In addition, "She" was a spirit world creature and was intrinsically a spirit. "She" could enter the world above the gray fog and descend upon the Forsaken Land of the Gods just like Justice Audrey.

Based on this condition, in order to not expose the secret within Sefirah Castle and not expose The Fool's true identity, he first made Miss Messenger possess the gold coin before using the iron cigar case to seal it. Then, he sacrificed the item to the gray fog before bringing it to the Forsaken Land of the Gods through a bestowment ritual.

Of course, the prerequisite for these actions was that Klein had the level and strength of a Sequence 2 angel in Sefirah Castle. Even if something went wrong with Reinette Tinekerr, he could still handle it.

As for Reinette Tinekerr, "She" happily agreed to this matter because Gehrman Sparrow had just helped "Her" retrieve a portion of "Her" body.

Silently, Miss Messenger left the gold coin and occupied the pitch-black pupil of the Dark Demonic Wolf's eyes.

Wraith's possession!

-x-X-x-

Just as Reinette Tinekerr's figure appeared in Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar's pupils, "She" left the window to the heart and began expanding back to "Her" original size.

This meant that "Her" Wraith's possession attempt had failed.

The Dark Demonic Wolf's body rapidly shrunk and thinned as "He" madly absorbed the light around "Him," becoming a translucent black velvet curtain.

This was an item that Klein had seen via dream divination. It was ejected from the grayish-white fog and had landed in the hands of the Dark Demonic Wolf. It was suspected to contain the Sequence 1 Attendant of Mysteries Beyonder characteristic of the Seer pathway.

At this moment, Dark Demonic Wolf Kotor had borrowed some of the powers of the "curtain" to dodge Reinette Tinekerr's Wraith's possession at the critical moment via some unknown means, effectively avoiding the subsequent series of control.

The "curtain" was stowed away after "He" used it, allowing the Dark Demonic Wolf with "His" dark, short fur to appear in a spot that was originally empty.

Reinette Tinekerr wasn't surprised by the failure. Taking advantage of this opportunity, a golden-haired, red-eyed head in "Her" hand spat out a rectangular, diamond-like charm.

The other three heads used ancient Hermes, Jotun, and Elvish to say a word:

"Yesterday!"

The rectangular diamond-like charm was instantly engulfed in transparent flames as it fused with the void.

Reinette Tinekerr's body swelled as the four blonde, red-eyed heads flew up and landed on "Her" empty neck, stacked upon one another.

In the blink of an eye, Miss Messenger had transformed into a huge doll that could almost break through the Dark Demonic Wolf's castle.

"She" was wearing a black gothic dress with countless mysterious symbols and sinister vines. "Her" eyes were blood-red and "She" exuded an aura that no human should possess.

Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar didn't attempt to stop Reinette Tinekerr from borrowing strength from "Her" past, nor did "He" immediately show "His" complete Mythical Creature form. With eight feet on the ground, "He" raised "His" neck and let out a roar.

This roar seemed to be of a higher level, containing words similar to Jotun. It made the "curtain" float up and instantly expand, blanketing the ancient castle from top to bottom.

The "curtain" quickly turned transparent and fused with the building. It was as though it had never appeared or had any effect on it. However, Klein's spiritual intuition told him that this place was already isolated from the outside world. If he wanted to leave, he had to first break the invisible barrier.

In other words, that "curtain" made the Dark Demonic Wolf's castle become an independent "kingdom."

This was the embryonic form of a divine kingdom!

Klein, who had just failed and planned on continuing to summon angels to help him, had a spark of inspiration. He instantly changed his mind, reaching into the void and dragging out another him.

It was Gehrman Sparrow, one who was holding a historical projection of the Staff of the Stars.

Right on the heels of that, Klein controlled his historical projection to turn him into his marionette and transfer some Worms of Spirit over.

While he was busy with these matters, Reinette Tinekerr had already recovered to "Her" peak condition. "Her" bright red eyes reflected the eight-legged demonic wolf.

With a faint flash, the Dark Demonic Wolf turned into a white goat.

However, outside the dark hall, a giant holding a broom suddenly trembled and transformed into a demonic wolf with a tuft of gray hair on its forehead.

At the moment when the curse was cast on "Him," a Miracle Invoker, "He" had swapped places with "His" marionette!

"He" opened "His" mouth once again and let out a roar.

This roar also contained words that mostly resembled the source of Jotun, describing a beautiful wish:

"I wish for all godhood here to dissipate!"

In the next second, as the God of Wishes, the Dark Demonic Wolf granted "His" wish. Klein immediately felt his godhood being repressed. The Beyonder powers that stemmed from Scholar of Yore and Bizarro Sorcerer could no longer be used!

Fortunately, the historical projection was maintained with spirituality. As long as the summoning was successful, it wouldn't be dispelled by the Dark Demonic Wolf's wish. Similarly, as Klein had already turned his historical projection into a marionette and transferred a number of Worms of Spirit over, he could still swap locations with his projection.

Apart from him, Reinette Tinekerr and Dark Demonic Wolf were also affected by the wish that had been granted. Their Beyonder powers above Sequence 5 had vanished into thin air, making it difficult to use them.

Of course, be it the demonic wolf marionette that had turned into a goat, or the gigantic doll-like Reinette Tinekerr, there was no change in "Their" form. What existed was reasonable, so it couldn't be eliminated by the "Power of Wishes."

After making this wish, the Dark Demonic Wolf arched "His" back and bent "His" body slightly. It looked like "He" was about to engage in a battle with Klein and Reinette Tinekerr.

At that moment, "His" mountain-like body was about the size of the castle-like doll. "He" looked down coldly at Klein, capable of crushing him with a single swipe of "His" claw.

In addition, the castle had many marionettes rushing over. They consisted of giants, elves, vampires, humans, and deformed monsters.

Only a number of them were at Sequence 5, but now, they had Kotar's Worms of Spirit in their bodies. In other words, in this special environment, all of them were at Sequence 5.

After the dissipation of godhood, in this independent "kingdom," Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar's advantage became obvious.

More than a hundred Sequence 5s were besieging two Sequence 5s!

Furthermore, the Dark Demonic Wolf was itself a mutant. Even if "He" couldn't reveal any godhood, "His" massive size and terrifying strength made "Him" adept at combat. "He" wasn't on the same level as a weak human like Marionettist Klein.

At this moment, the body of Reinette Tinekerr, who was dressed in a black gothic dress that twined with sinister vines, suddenly turned incorporeal. First, "She" reflected on a floor-to-ceiling window, then it jumped into the pitch-black pupils of the Dark Demonic Wolf.

"She" had once again attempted Wraith's possession.

However, Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar swapped locations with another marionette in a timely fashion, preventing Reinette Tinekerr from successfully "possessing" "His" body.

Reinette Tinekerr wasn't discouraged as "She" continued using mediums such as glass windows, chandeliers, and eyeballs to "jump" through the different marionettes in pursuit of the real Dark Demonic Wolf.

As for the Dark Demonic Wolf, "He" relied on "His" numerous marionettes, and had the advantage of copious numbers of Worms of Spirit. "He" swapped between different marionettes without any pause to avoid being forcibly possessed by the Ancient Bane.

Amidst the two angels' silent conflict, a large number of the Dark Demonic Wolf's marionettes had surrounded the two Kleins.

Beyonder powers like a vampire's "Abyss Shackles," a giant's "Hurricane of Light," an elf's "Wind Binding," and a human's "Psychic Piercing" and "Holy Light Summoning" inundated their targets. They controlled, weakened, attacked, and purified Klein, acting with great rapport. Klein was only able to dodge a portion of the attacks before being "drowned" by the attacks.

Plasma exploded as the light blasted out. Klein's Staff of the Stars-holding figure quickly outlined itself to the side.

At that critical moment, he had exchanged spots with his marionette in time. He imagined his "Traveling" powers and had used the Staff of the Stars to complete the teleportation.

In this special scenario, this was essentially a release of "Recorded" powers.

After dodging this round of attacks, Klein discovered that a marionette was controlling his Spirit Body Threads before he could catch his breath.

At the same time, a human marionette reached out his right hand under the influence of the Dark Demonic Wolf and aimed at the Miracle Invoker's actual body.

In the next second, the Dark Demonic Wolf and another marionette switched positions. As for the marionette, it was "possessed" by Reinette Tinekerr.

This way, the human marionette's right hand was targeted at Reinette Tinekerr.

The marionette's palm clenched tightly as his wrist spun half a circle, stealing away the target's subsequent thoughts.

Right on the heels of that, he jumped and pounced on an ally.

Reinette Tinekerr was momentarily rooted to the ground.

When the Dark Demonic Wolf saw this, "He" immediately got several marionettes to spread open their arms and summon pure pillars of cleansing flames to surround them.

In the holy light, Wraith Reinette Tinekerr's body first began to melt. Following that, using "Mirror Jump," "She" moved to a glass window situated high above the castle to avoid the subsequent purification.

In just a few seconds, "She" and Klein inevitably fell into a perilous situation.

The restricted environment, being on "His" home ground, and "His" trait as the God of Wishes had magnified Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar advantage to the extreme.

If it were any other Scholar of Yore, there was only one problem he needed to consider—how to rely on Reinette Tinekerr to escape, but Klein had his trump card.

Just as he pulled back his Spirit Body Threads, he didn't hesitate to stir the powers of Sefirah Castle.

This trait of his wasn't suppressed by the Dark Demonic Wolf's "wish."

This was something even the Forsaken Land of the Gods couldn't screen!

In midair, grayish-white fog appeared. The ancient palace above the spirit world appeared faint.

Its appearance brought with it slight tremors. A certain power followed the connection and shook the demonic wolf's castle, causing the translucent black velvet "curtain" to jolt out of place a little, allowing the independent "kingdom" to intersect with reality.

Seizing this opportunity, Klein opened his mouth and shouted out a name in Jotun:

"Leodero!"

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Thousands of thick silver lightning bolts descended from the sky, smiting Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar's castle. The area transformed into a lightning forest that emitted a strong destructive aura.

-x-X-x-

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The bolts of silver lightning that were as thick as an anaconda struck the translucent black velvet "curtain." It shook violently as it distorted.

Taking advantage of this opening, Reinette Tinekerr's figure, which was reflected on the castle's glass, jumped back into Klein's pocket and returned to the surface of the gold coin in the iron cigar case.

The prepared Klein raised his right arm and calmly aimed the Staff of the Stars at the floor tiles in the hall.

A scene surfaced in his mind. It represented one of the Beyonder powers of a Druid.

The ground beneath his feet instantly softened, turning into a marsh. It made his body sink like it had fallen into a sea.

Underground Slink!

Boom!

The translucent black velvet "curtain" could no longer withstand the cleansing from the lightning storm the moment the marsh solidified. It curled into a ball and fell back into the castle.

No longer restricted, the few thousand thick bolts of lightning rained down the ancient castle.

A tower collapsed and the hall was left in shambles. One marionette after another burst into ephemeral illusions under the pricking of such a lightning strike. They were instantly charred black and reduced to ashes.

When the silver light that illuminated the entire mountain range subsided, Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar's castle was in ruins. Many spots were burning with red flames.

Klein immediately emerged from the bottom of a deep pit and saw that the demonic wolf, covered in dark and short fur, had performed the same action.

Relying on the three Druids among "His" marionettes, "He" had successfully hidden underground to avoid the lightning bombardment.

And at that moment, the independent "kingdom" created by the "curtain" had completely disintegrated. However, the Dark Demonic Wolf's wish hadn't completely expired. The return of godhood still needed some time.

Without any hesitation, both parties engaged in another intense battle.

Kotar allowed the crinkled "curtain" to fly up and drape "Him," so as to prevent the Wraith's possession. After all, there were only three of "His" marionettes left. Of course, this way, "He" could no longer swap locations with his marionettes.

At the same time, Reinette Tinekerr left the gold coin in Klein's pocket and floated towards the eight-legged demonic wolf.

"She" had given up on the idea of possession as "Her" arms suddenly swelled. A few strands of gray hair grew from the back of "Her" hand, and "Her" nails became long, sharp, and firm.

Werewolf Transformation!

This doll-like baneful entity became a huge werewolf. "She" kept moving at high speeds, waving "Her" sharp claws as "She" engaged in an intense battle with the hill-like Dark Demonic Wolf.

Amidst the clashing sounds, Klein was attacked by Kotar's three remaining marionettes.

One of them raised his head and roared, causing brown short hair to tear through his clothes. In an instant, he transformed into a terrifying giant bear that was twice the height of a person. One crouched down, pressing his palms against the ground, while the other raised his right hand and yanked his hair.

At that moment, a crimson flame surged out of Klein's clothes, instantly devouring him.

His figure appeared in a sea of flames to the side. Then, he jumped out, raised his staff, and charged straight at the huge brown bear.

And at the spot where he was originally standing, dark green mutated vines pierced through the ground and grew wildly, stirring the remnant flames in the middle.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

The huge brown bear didn't back down. With heavy strides, it rushed towards Klein like a high-speed steam locomotive. It spread open its arms, trying to give him a "passionate" hug that could crush all his bones and squeeze all his chest muscles together.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

As his black trench coat flailed to his back, Klein didn't retreat—he was about to collide with the huge brown bear.

Suddenly, he kicked his left foot and twisted his waist. He forcefully jumped up and flew past the brown bear diagonally.

Thud!

As the two crossed each other, Klein swung his black staff down and ruthlessly struck the brown bear's shoulder.

Normally, such an attack wouldn't have been able to hurt the thick hide of the brown bear. However, with the Staff of the Stars, the physical attack would lead to random abnormal changes or strange effects.

Of course, under the God of Wishes's suppression, these changes and effects wouldn't exceed that of a Sequence 4 Beyonder power.

Thud!

As the sound of the staff's strike reverberated, the huge brown bear's shoulder tore open diagonally from its shoulder. The bottom half of its torso "teleported" more than ten meters away while the remaining portion remained in place.

The brown bear's internal organs and blood gushed to the ground in a rather shocking scene.

However, the brown bear wasn't dead yet. Its two halves were squirming as it struggled to stabilize his center of mass and continued attacking.

As a marionette, he had long died. Such damage was nothing.

At this moment, Klein had already jumped behind the brown bear, his feet stepping on the ground.

Another wave of scarlet flames surged out, drowning his figure.

A flame that was about to be extinguished rose up as Klein leaped out and arrived close to the marionette which had both hands on the ground.

With his silk top hat, he ran past the marionette without turning his head as he swung the staff to the side.

Thud!

The marionette's body burst into golden flames as his figure instantly vanished.

A flame surged into the sky as the marionette jumped down. However, the golden flames didn't extinguish, quickly burning him to ashes.

Without even looking over, Klein had already rushed in front of the marionette that was yanking his hair.

The marionette immediately threw out the hair in his hand.

These strands of hair began to burn as they emitted black gases, sounding alarms to Klein's spirituality senses.

Poison!

An unknown poison!

With a creak, he forcefully stopped using his ability as a Clown. Using the inertia of his body, he extended his black staff.

All sorts of thoughts rapidly reformed in his mind, quickly forming a scene.

Before this operation, Klein had requested Miss Justice's help to hypnotize him. It made his brain unable to form scenes when he subconsciously thought of one. There would only be a single thought resonating in his mind, and he had to take the initiative to control it to construct the scene. This allowed him to use the Staff of the Stars for a long time without being affected by the negative effects. As for the flaws of thinking in such a manner, Klein felt that it was still acceptable under predetermined conditions.

Without a sound, the gems embedded in the Staff of the Stars lit up. A pure white and holy pillar of light descended from the sky, enveloping the black gas and the corresponding marionette.

The poison quickly melted under the Sun's burning. It was the same with the marionette.

With a remnant glow still in his eyes, Klein instinctively turned around and aimed his staff at the brown bear that was split into two.

Silver lightning flashed spontaneously before the separated brown bear's body finally collapsed, unable to get up again.

In just a few seconds, Klein had finished off the remaining marionettes of the Dark Demonic Wolf.

After Sefirah Castle's anomaly, be it him or the God of Wishes, time became abnormally precious. No one was willing to stall for time, because it wouldn't be long before high-level existences like the True Creator and Angel of Time Amon in the Forsaken Land of the Gods descended.

Upon seeing this, Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar trembled violently and flung out the translucent velvet curtain.

The curtain first vanished into thin air before it suddenly appeared behind Klein. Just as his spirituality was about to send a warning, it covered him and wrapped him within it!

Klein's vision immediately darkened as he felt his thoughts turn sluggish. His Spirit Body Threads were being inoculated onto the "curtain" one thread at a time.

He attempted using "Flaming Jump," softening his bones, and using the Staff of the Stars, but he was unable to succeed in such an abnormal state.

The black velvet curtain became tighter and tighter, revealing the corresponding marks of his eyes, nose, and mouth, as though it was squeezing out a brand new "person."

Reinette Tinekerr immediately "jumped" and appeared on the translucent "curtain," purging it from Klein's body and teleporting elsewhere.

The Dark Demonic Wolf seized the opportunity and raised "His" neck, letting out a roar.

The "curtain" stood up, as if it had become a cloak draped over an invisible person's body.

A terrifying suction force was born, causing the Spirit Body Threads of Reinette Tinekerr and Klein to uncontrollably float over.

If they didn't have the corresponding Beyonder powers, their Spirit Body Threads would've merged into the "cloak" in just three to four seconds, while they would become its marionettes.

Fortunately, Klein was a Marionettist himself. He immediately focused his attention and controlled his and Miss Messenger's Spirit Body Threads. He followed the method that he learned from Zaratul, allowing them to circle around him and return to their original positions, forming loops.

Roar!

The Dark Demonic Wolf spat out a gas ball, sending it flying towards Klein like a cannonball.

As he was focused on controlling his and Miss Messenger's Spirit Body Threads, Klein could barely duck. Just as he was about to be struck, Reinette Tinekerr floated over and stood in front of him.

Boom!

Reinette Tinekerr's blonde hair scattered as the evil vines wrapped around "Her" body broke apart.

The Dark Demonic Wolf's follow-up actions were one smooth continuous series of actions. Taking advantage of the moment when the "curtain" was desperately pulling at its target's Spirit Body Threads, "He" launched repeated attacks on Klein, forcing Reinette Tinekerr to block them. It caused the tough Ancient Bane to tremble under the attack of "His" claws, air blobs, and flaming attacks. More and more wounds appeared, making it look like "She" could not last any longer.

At this critical moment, as Klein controlled the Spirit Body Threads to resist the attraction of the "curtain," he reached into his pocket and took out another iron cigar case.

The seal was removed and the box was opened. Inside, there was also a gold coin lying quietly. There was also a Wraith on the surface of the gold coin.

This was a blurry female wraith, a true undying creature, and not a Wraith from the Mutant pathway.

It was the strongest trump card that Klein had prepared. Previously, because he was inside the isolated "kingdom" that wasn't connected to the outside world. He was afraid that he wouldn't be able to obtain the desired effect. Only when the "curtain" targeted him and Miss Messenger did he feel that the opportunity was here.

As the box was opened, the wraith suddenly jumped onto the surface of a glass fragment. On it were nearly illusory black tubes that extended into infinity, connecting to the unknown.

This was the symbol of Artificial Death.

And Artificial Death was equivalent to the Evernight Goddess!

This trump card of his was the reenactment of the time when the Evernight Goddess had used God of Glory Bladel's corpse to foil Amon's attempt to snatch Sefirah Castle.

For this, he deliberately found a wraith-like monster in the Forsaken Land of the Gods and imprisoned it, placing it together with the Artificial Death project's white feathers he summoned from the fog of history.

Through his repeated experiments and prayers during his specific trips to Backlund, this Wraith had finally established a certain connection with Artificial Death, allowing the Evernight Goddess to use this opportunity to exert a rather low level of influence!