177 LOTM

The Dark Demonic Wolf that was attacking Reinette Tinekerr seemed to sense something. "He" slowed down and turned to look at the wraith that had just appeared.

"His" pupils which already occupied two-thirds of "His" eyes had suddenly dilated, as if "He" caught scent of a familiar but dangerous aura.

In the blink of an eye, the wraith raised her arms.

The "Power of Wishes" in the surrounding area rapidly diminished at an accelerated rate. Godhood began to return, having reached the level of Sequence 4. Under the soil beneath the Dark Demonic Wolf's feet, pale-white and illusory arms emerged. They were densely packed like a forest, grabbing onto Kotar's eight legs, making this Miracle Invoker feel like "He" had fallen into a cold and dead silence. "He" was temporarily unable to break free.

Using this opportunity, Reinette Tinekerr, who had turned sluggish due to "Her" controlled Spirit Body Threads, turned illusory as "She" vanished.

In the pitch-black pupils of the Dark Demonic Wolf, the blonde Miss Messenger in a dark and complicated long dress that was wrapped with vines suddenly phased into existence and completed the possession process.

The actions of the God of Wishes instantly stiffened, as if "He" had degraded from a living creature to a marionette.

"He" attempted to influence Reinette Tinekerr's Spirit Body Threads, so as to resist the Wraith's possession. However, from time to time, "He" would be interrupted by the pale-white arms created by the female wraith. Success eluded "Him."

Klein maintained the looping of their Spirit Body Threads as he slowly raised the Staff of the Stars, aiming it at the black velvet curtain that had turned into a cloak.

He then constructed a scene in his mind.

The surrounding darkness suddenly flowed, as if it contained an unimaginable secret. Bit by bit, illusory candles lit up in such an environment, illuminating a long table laid out with flesh and blood.

On the two sides of the long table, three extremely blurry figures were holding up the flesh and blood, ravenously devouring them.

In the next second, the three figures turned their heads simultaneously and cast their gazes at the translucent black velvet "curtain."

The crazy suction force emitted by the "curtain" came to an abrupt halt as it hovered in its original spot. It was as if it had momentarily forgotten who it was, whose side it was on, and what it should do.

Feast of Betrayal!

Fairy tale magic's Feast of Betrayal!

The fairy tale magic that Klein had just used was the "Feast of Betrayal" that originated from The Hermit Cattleya. Its effect was to temporarily awaken the items in the target's hands or imbue them with intelligence, allowing them to carry out "betrayals"!

This was a Sequence 4 Beyonder power, so it couldn't be used under the restrictions of the "Power of Wishes."

At the same time, as the Staff of the Stars's emulated spell was lacking compared to the original spell, as well as the fact that it didn't harbor any ill intentions towards the Dark Demonic Wolf, it only appeared lost and didn't fervently attack its master.

And the moment Klein extricated himself from the influence of the "curtain," he immediately snapped his fingers, letting the scarlet flames drown him.

In an instant, he appeared in a flame beside the Dark Demonic Wolf wearing a half top hat and a long black trench coat.

The scarlet flame soared up, transforming into a blazing flame that allowed him to easily leap out.

He arched his back slightly and raised the Staff of Stars as he dashed towards the towering demonic wolf.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

Klein ran faster and faster, as though transforming into a strong gust of wind. What welcomed him was the Dark Demonic Wolf that barely managed to lift up "His" front two claws that had broken free of the restraints.

Pa! Pa!

Klein waved his black staff to his left and right, accurately hitting the two front claws of Kotar, making them pause momentarily.

At the same time, he crouched down and slid under the Dark Demonic Wolf's two front claws.

Amidst the howling winds, Klein turned around in midair and thrust upwards with the Staff of the Stars.

With a poof, the gem-embedded black staff pierced through the dark and short furred skin, driving deeply into the Dark Demonic Wolf's body. A ludicrous gash tore open.

Whoosh!

Deep black blood with hints of red gushed out like a flood, spraying a substance with strong corrosive properties that belonged to a Mythical Creature at Klein.

But at that moment, Klein's momentum had brought him flying under the Dark Demonic Wolf. He was preparing to launch his second round of attacks.

Suddenly, he heard an intermittent roar.

This was from Wraith's possession. Due to the difficulty in moving, what Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar meant was:

"Leo... de... ro!"

"..." Klein's gaze froze as the Dark Demonic Wolf's mocking smile appeared in his mind.

He wasn't the only one who could stir the remaining divine powers. He could do so, but so could Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar!

Even though this Miracle Invoker didn't know that Wind Angel, Leodero, had already become the Lord of Storms, he naturally knew what to do thanks to Klein's demonstration from before.

Who wouldn't know how to do a simple imitation?

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Silvery-white bolts of lightning smote down like gushing water from a water pipe. They rained over the ruins of the ancient castle, completely drowning all the figures.

Klein didn't manage to react in time. After hearing the first half of the word, he had already used the powers of Clown to forcefully twist his body around. With a stomp of his right foot, he returned under the Dark Demonic Wolf's body. As for Reinette Tinekerr, "She" had jumped onto the gold coin in his pocket.

Immediately following that, Klein genuflected and inserted the Staff of the Stars into the ground.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The vast storm tore through everything in its way.

By the time the terrifying lightning forest dissipated, the ancient castle that belonged to the Dark Demonic Wolf couldn't even be considered a ruin. There were no traces of it at all, leaving only a charred crater.

Within the deep pit, paper figurines were blown up as they were reduced to ashes.

Without a sound, a piece of soil that shimmered with the glint of rainbow-colored glass softened. Klein's burnt hand reached out.

With the Dark Demonic Wolf suffering the brunt of the damage, he had used "Paper Figurine Substitutes" and "Underground Slink" to barely survive. He could faintly smell the aroma of roasted meat exuding from his body.

After returning to the ground, the tattered-clothed Klein turned his gaze and took in the battlefield's situation.

The remnants of the Dark Demonic Wolf's corpse were scattered everywhere. Its flesh was charred and lifeless.

The "curtain" was curled into a ball, having fallen to the edge of the deep crater, motionless.

The "Power of Wishes" had been completely wiped out, and godhood had returned to this region.

The wraith that had a connection with Artificial Death had been destroyed.

If it were any other Beyonder, they would probably think that the Dark Demonic Wolf had chosen an outcome of mutual destruction, but as a demigod of the Seer pathway, and having enjoyed the benefits of a Miracle Invoker ahead of time, something else flashed across Klein's mind.

What is a miracle? A miracle is to be resurrected from the dead!

When the Dark Demonic Wolf saw that the situation wasn't right, "He" didn't hesitate to summon divine punishment in an attempt to kill everyone. Then, "He" could revive somewhere nearby!

I almost used up my last revival...

With regards to such matters, Klein had a certain contingency plan. He immediately used a charm engraved with The Fool's patterns, and used it as a proxy for praying to Mr. Fool in front of Miss Messenger. Then, he used the "summoning" of Sefirah Castle that had yet to disappear to enter the world above the gray fog with a thought. He then relied on the prayer light's "true vision" to inspect the surroundings to seek out the resurrected Dark Demonic Wolf.

At this moment, Reinette Tinekerr left the gold coin in Klein's pocket and appeared beside the "curtain" that was curled into a ball. "Her" voice was slightly ethereal as "She" said, "It has a Miracle Invoker Beyonder characteristic."

A Miracle Invoker's Beyonder characteristic? That's right. The Dark Demonic Wolf possesses one of the six Miss Miracle Invoker characteristics under the premise that all the Attendants of Mysteries are accounted for. Under normal circumstances, the remaining Attendant of Mysteries Beyonder characteristic also has one set of Miracle Invoker Beyonder characteristic... As Miss Messenger spoke, Klein's spiritual intuition also sensed it. After confirming "Her" judgment, he connected it to Will Auceptin's answer.

There should be a total of nine Miracle Invoker Beyonder characteristics, but under the premise that the Attendant of Mysteries are all filled, the three Sequence 1s would definitely each occupy one Sequence 2 characteristic. The remaining six Miracle Invoker characteristics belong to Zaratul, Antigonus, the Magic Wishing Lamp, Theater With Curtains That Never Draw, The Last Banquet, and the Dark Demonic Wolf respectively.

He had originally hoped to obtain the Dark Demonic Wolf's characteristic, but he hadn't expected that the "curtain" not only had a Sequence 1 Attendant of Mysteries characteristic but also a Sequence 2 Miracle Invoker characteristic. It was also the one that had disappeared.

It looks like the reason for its disappearance was also because of the gray fog. Later on, it was spat out... Do I still seek out the resurrected Dark Demonic Wolf? No, I don't know when the True Creator and Amon will descend. Furthermore, I've already exhausted most of my preparations. The Dark Demonic Wolf is still in perfect condition. "He" can make a wish, summon, and create miracles... After all, my goal has already been met... As his thoughts raced, Klein looked up and said to Miss Messenger.

"I'll put this curtain away."

He gave up the thought of chasing after the Dark Demonic Wolf and decided to control the "curtain" while it was still weak.

Reinette Tinekerr nodded slightly and turned "Her" head, casting her gaze at the charred remains of the Dark Demonic Wolf.

The remains immediately emitted a faint glow, either turning into white rabbits or transforming into goats. They were the kind that smelled rich and flavorful.

...

In a hidden area nearby, the dark, short-furred Dark Demonic Wolf quickly took shape.

"He" gave up on "His" original corpse and immediately made a wish and granted it. "He" teleported to a distant spot and then ran off without looking back.

This God of Wishes didn't even consider the loss of the "curtain." "He" didn't choose to revive where "He" died, because "He" hoped to use the "curtain" to stall the fellow who was closely related to Evernight. This gave "Him" plenty of time to escape.

Since he could survive from the Second Epoch until now, "He" had followed his true feelings—cowardice. "He" refused to be greedy when the situation didn't allow for it.

With a flash, the demonic wolf with a gray tuft of hair on "His" forehead disappeared into the darkness.

...

Klein didn't stop Miss Messenger from venting "Her" anger. As he approached the "curtain," he sighed inwardly:

An angel is really hard to kill. It's especially so for the Seer pathway!

As this thought flashed through his mind, and just as he was about to drag his past self out to pick up the "curtain," he suddenly felt a familiar aura descend.

This aura was dark, foul, and full of degeneration. It immediately made him think of the True Creator!

The "curtain" suddenly floated up and turned into a cloak.

Inside the cloak, the darkness turned into a whirlpool as it hummed:

"Mysteries."

-x-X-x-

Mysteries... Klein's heart palpitated when he heard that. He subconsciously wanted to return to Sefirah Castle and leave the scene.

However, no matter how much he tried, his Spirit Body remained inside his body without any changes.

Man... This vexed Klein. He instinctively cast his gaze towards Reinette Tinekerr who was beside him. He saw that Miss Messenger had already floated over, looking like "She" was facing a terrifying enemy. And the surrounding darkness froze like a cold lake. Lightning stopped streaking across the sky.

Mysteries... Klein felt a slight sense of security as he thought back to the title he had just heard.

He was no stranger to that. However, the last person who addressed him in this manner was the ancient sun god—the City of Silver's Creator—from two thousand years ago. Before "He" died, "He" sensed Klein's divination and shouted this out through an insurmountable distance of space and time!

No way... The True Creator is equivalent to the ancient sun god? No, "He" is only a Sequence 0 true god, far from the level of the Creator that I assumed. Furthermore, from Amon's attitude, the ancient sun god must have really perished... The True Creator is the pitch-black infant that emerged from the ancient sun god's stomach and inherited some of the ancient sun god's characteristics and memories. "He" is the degenerated body of that Creator? Klein composed himself and attempted to rapidly think of a solution to his present conundrum.

At this moment, in the cloak formed by the "curtain," the dark whirlpool made another sound:

"Go to the Giant King's Court and meet Sasrir."

This sentence directly reverberated in Klein's mind. Then, in the form of an illusory word, it shrunk into a pitch-black membrane, forming a strange "seed."

The "seed" immediately fell into his body and Spirit Body, melting inside.

Without waiting for a response, the dark whirlpool dissipated. The cloak formed by the "curtain" lost its support and fell back onto the ground.

The True Creator's consciousness that descended had corroded a portion of my Spirit Body and some of my physical body. I'm compelled to go to the Giant King's Court and open the slumbering Dark Angel Sasrir's palace... This is a matter that many deities are paying attention to. After watching for a long time, the True Creator has finally found an opportunity to force me to do it... Klein looked around and summoned his past self, picking up the "curtain."

Then, he said to Miss Messenger without hesitation, "Let's leave immediately!"

The True Creator had already sent a sliver of "His" will over. Would Amon still be far away?

In addition, Klein also tried to seize the opportunity to enter the world above the gray fog, hoping to use the power of Sefirah Castle to remove the corrosive influences that plagued him.

"Alright." Reinette Tinekerr nodded, allowing the numerous Beyonder characteristics left behind in the crater to fly over and be contained within "Her."

According to their prior agreement, other than the spoils of war that involved the high Sequences of the Seer pathway, half of them would go to "Her," with "Her" having the priority to choose. After all, Klein had also received some of the spoils back when dealing with Shaman King Klarman.

As for the remaining half of the spoils, Klein planned on offering it to the Evernight Goddess as a form of gratitude. Regardless of whether the deity needed it or not, he still needed to do the necessary procedures. He had to express his gratitude when needed.

After clearing the battlefield, Reinette Tinekerr entered the iron cigar case in Klein's pocket and "possessed" the gold coin's surface.

Klein didn't immediately seal "Her." Holding the Staff of the Stars, he conjured a scene in his mind.

That was one of the scenes he had memorized during his inspection of the terrain.

As the gems flashed, his figure disappeared from the crater as he teleported far away.

A few seconds later, the air there fluctuated as a tiny creature that was difficult to see with the naked eye crawled out.

The creature rapidly expanded, turning into Amon who wore a pointed hat and classic black robe.

The corners of Amon's mouth curled up as "He" adjusted the monocle on "His" right eye and chuckled.

"Someone is finally opening that door."

...

After two rounds of teleportation, Klein took out the iron cigar case that Miss Messenger was hiding in, and used the Staff of the Stars to create several layers of seals—the kind that would be removed the moment he touched it.

Right on the heels of that, he entered the fog of history and dashed all the way to a time before the First Epoch. He relied on the prayers he had yet to reply to and instantly entered the world above the gray fog through the summoning of Sefirah Castle.

As the roars and the ravings echoed, he felt the corrosion in his Spirit Body gather together, curling into a ball. Despite passing through layers of cleansing effects, it managed to maintain its stability and didn't completely evaporate.

Is this the power and level of a true deity? Yes, and it's a true deity who wields the domain of degeneration... Sitting in the seat belonging to The Fool, Klein frowned slightly as he observed his state.

The corrosion created by the True Creator wasn't strong. If they were to leave the protection of Klein's Spirit Body, they wouldn't be able to last long above the gray fog. This was also the main reason why he had made the judgment and dared to directly enter Sefirah Castle.

However, unless he planned on dying again, there was no way he could bypass his own Spirit Body to remove the corrosion.

With the help of divination and other abilities, Klein quickly figured out the various effects of the corrosion.

It wouldn't mutate, send a message to the True Creator, or interfere with what he did. It would only continue to steer him via mystic means towards the Giant King's Court. It compelled Klein to open the palace where Dark Angel Sasrir was in deep sleep.

It's partly in the mind, and also at the level of fate... When I become a Miracle Invoker and become an angel, deepening my control of Sefirah Castle, I should be able to clear this "corruption"... However, if I want to become a Miracle Invoker and become an angel, I have to go to the Giant King's Court and open the door to that palace, helping the City of Silver find a way to leave the Forsaken Land of the Gods... As Klein thought, he revealed a wry smile.

Fortunately, this was something he was prepared to do, and it didn't burden him further.

Following that, Klein summoned the Unshadowed Crucifix from the fog of history, attempting to use the power of Sefirah Castle to drive it into purifying his body. Unfortunately, part of his body was also merged together with the corrosion, preventing him from completely cleansing it.

This also made him truly understand how terrifying Sequence 0 was.

I can't just pray to an evil god like the True Creator unless I'm in a hopeless situation... Klein shook his head and returned to the real world before sacrificing the "curtain" above the gray fog.

It does indeed contain the Beyonder characteristic of an Attendant of Mysteries, as well as a Miracle Invoker's Beyonder characteristic... There's even Scholar of Yore and Bizarro Sorcerer characteristics... It has a rather high level. The power I can use from Sefirah Castle at present isn't able to directly shatter it. However, this place seems to be at the highest level of the Seer pathway, so it can effectively suppress it. Through the accumulation of time, I should be able to slowly separate it...

The first to be separated should be the Attendant of Mysteries characteristic. The rest can be used to concoct a potion directly... Hmm, it doesn't have any living characteristics. The one that was summoned just now has already disappeared... With the translucent black velvet curtain in hand, he looked at it for a while.

Then, he activated Sefirah Castle and conjured a metal pot which was boiling with invisible power.

After staring at it for a few seconds, he threw the "curtain" into the "metal pot" and pressed down with layers of seals onto the pot's lid.

In about three to four days, the Attendant of Mysteries Beyonder characteristic would separate. The supplementary ingredients could be thrown into what remained, and it would then be a Miracle Invoker potion, one that included the characteristics from Sequence 9 to 2.

Looking around, he raised his right hand and took a piece of paper from the junk pile.

This was one of his other preparations.

He had spent a large amount of time in advance and had failed time and time again to successfully summon 0-08. Using this quill, he wrote down what reasonable reactions Dark Demonic Wolf would have. This was to prevent the other party from reacting in unexpected ways from the very beginning, causing his plans to fail.

With the cooperation of this short script, the Dark Demonic Wolf had been attracted by Klein's strange behavior. Therefore, it was very reasonable that "He" didn't extinguish the prayer light immediately.

Similarly, without knowing how many enemies or what strength the other party had, the Dark Demonic Wolf didn't flee in a hurry. Instead, "He" created a complete independent "kingdom," isolating it from any possible reinforcements. It was a very reasonable reaction.

With a flick of his wrist, Klein burned the piece of paper, then he hurriedly sacrificed the sealed iron cigar case to Sefirah Castle. He then responded to Miss Magician's prayer and relayed The World's message.

Fors didn't dare to delay any further. She immediately got up and used her "Recording" Beyonder powers to grab at the area ahead, dragging out Gehrman Sparrow from history.

With that, Klein "Teleported" to the empty room in a nearby hotel. He set up a ritual and brought the iron cigar case back to reality, releasing Reinette Tinekerr.

After thanking Miss Messenger and watching "Her" take away half of the Beyonder characteristics, he changed the ritual and began to perform a sacrifice to the Evernight Goddess.

At the end of the ritual, he prayed with anticipation:

"I pray for a hint on how to purify the corrosive influences in my body."

In his opinion, at present, only an existence at the level of the Evernight Goddess could deal with the corrosion provided by the True Creator.

If the Goddess agreed to it, Klein planned to descend in a way that would allow his actual spirit to return to Backlund and receive purification.

As for removing the part of his body that had been corroded, he hadn't thought of a solution yet.

As he said that, a ball of darkness enveloped the altar.

When the darkness vanished, all the Beyonder characteristics disappeared.

Apart from that, there were no other hints.

...It looks like I can only rely on myself... Klein wasn't depressed. He raised his right hand and tapped his chest four times, drawing the crimson moon.

"Praise the Lady!"

His gratitude was very sincere. After all, he had received a lot of help.

After dealing with the subsequent matters, his historical projection vanished and he returned to the Forsaken Land of the Gods in person.

He held the lantern he had pulled out from the past, and he looked at the silent and desolate plains under the dim yellow light. He felt much more relaxed and couldn't help but sigh.

Finally...

-x-X-x-

In the primitive forest outside Bayam City of the Rorsted Archipelago.

The leaders of the Resistance gathered in a mountain cave as they looked respectfully at the Sea God's Blessed. He was wearing a black cloak, his brows were yellow, and his blue eyes were dark blue.

"Lord Danitz, this is an opportunity!" a bald man in a wheelchair with a green beard, Kalat, said in excitement.

His partner, Edmonton, whose face was colored with short red patterns, immediately said, "Lord Danitz, according to our intelligence officers, the situation in Bayam is chaotic. Be it the Church of the Lord of Storms or the governor-general's office, everyone is feeling anxious because of the encirclement of Backlund by the Feysac military forces."

Having said that, Edmonton looked at Kalat and got the person-in-charge of the corresponding field to give a more detailed description.

Kalat looked at the solemn-looking Lord Danitz and deliberated over his words.

"Internal cracks amongst them can already be seen. Some people wish to commandeer the forces of the colonies to support Backlund, while others wish to hold on to this place as the tinder for their resurgence.

"This difference in opinion has caused the military and the Beyonders of the Church of the Lord of Storms to be at a loss. There are flaws in every aspect.

"Lord Danitz, this is our chance. We can agree to the conditions of Feysac and the Feynapotter navy. We can cooperate with them to attack Bayam and take back our kingdom!"

It's indeed an opportunity... But is this something I can decide? It's not like I'm stupid! Danitz listened quietly to the leaders of the Resistance and muttered to himself.

Having grown up in Intis, this famous pirate, treasure hunter didn't have any qualms about attacking the Loen colonies. He had zero hesitation or uncertainty about it.

Of course, he didn't have a strong sense of belonging to the Intis Republic either. In fact, when he was occasionally a part-time pirate, he preferred targeting businessmen from Intis. This was because they often carried more valuable luxury items with them.

There was only one reason why Danitz didn't agree on the spot to the request of the Resistance's leaders. It was because he had become a Conspirer, so he knew very well what his position was.

A human mouthpiece!

A tool that was responsible for passing messages between Gehrman Sparrow and the leaders of the Resistance!

Gehrman is most likely Loenese. If I were to agree to it directly, I might not be able to see tomorrow's sun... However, he acts like he doesn't care about Loen at all... Dogsh*t! I can't be fooled by such superficial appearances! Danitz cleared his throat and surveyed the area.

"This matter is of grave importance. Prepare a clean and serene altar immediately. I need to pray to God."

In an organization that believed in the Sea God, such a request didn't surprise the likes of Kalat, Edmonton, and the others. It even met their expectations. Hence, they immediately arranged for people to prepare for the sacrifice.

...

The Resistance in the Rorsted Archipelago can't sit still any longer... They were also supported by countries like Feysac, Intis, and Feynapotter to survive this long, or else they would've been annihilated by Loen and the three Churches... I even got them to extract quite a bit of help from the various countries... After hearing Danitz's prayers, he sighed.

Sitting in the ancient palace, he lightly tapped the edge of the mottled table in front of him. After pondering for a few seconds, he conjured The World Gehrman Sparrow.

The crazy adventurer immediately took on a praying posture and said in a deep voice, "...Use the current situation to directly negotiate with the upper echelons of the Church of Storms and the governor-general's office. Exert pressure on them... The goal is to force them to give in and accept the idea of self-governance by the people of the Rorsted Archipelago...

"...The Resistance can guarantee that the Loenese will have most of their interests protected, allowing them to mobilize the troops and Beyonders to reinforce Backlund..."

...

Inside the clean and tidy altar, Danitz, who received the feedback, straightened his back.

He turned around and looked at the leaders waiting outside. He said with a solemn expression, "I have received a revelation.

"God has informed us that every citizen of 'His' is precious. Unnecessary sacrifices for the sake of war should be avoided.

"We absolutely wouldn't want to start a war but we are not afraid of having one. In short, let's try to use the present situation to negotiate with Loen with our forces, forcing them to make a concession that will satisfy most of us. If not, we can consider war.

"God says to remember the hatred, but don't let it blind your rationality. The people around you and a beautiful future are the most important things."

After becoming a Conspirer, Danitz realized that his powers of persuasion and his ability to fabricate explanations were increasing by leaps and bounds. Many a time, his thoughts would automatically take shape when he opened his mouth.

Kalat, Edmonton, and the other leaders of the Resistance all had a deep hatred for the Loen colonial masters, but the words of the Sea God and Lord Danitz had successfully wavered their resolve.

They had a clear understanding of how powerful the Sea King was over this period of time. If the war developed to the point where both parties were blinded with bloodlust, the Blue Mountain Island where Bayam was located might be completely submerged by the sea and become a ruin. All the locals would end up being dragged to the grave by their actions.

The powerhouses from Feysac and Feynapotter were indeed capable of stopping the situation from collapsing. However, how much power could they divert to this peripheral battlefield in the Rorsted Archipelago?

As for them, Kalat and the other leaders of the Resistance didn't trust them much. They believed that these fellows were no different from the Loenese. They were all bandits from the Northern Continent and could rip off their masks at any time to become the new colonial masters.

After a moment of silence, Kalat, who was sitting in a wheelchair, looked at the man in a black cloak on the altar and said, "Lord Danitz, we are willing to work hard for peace."

He paused for a moment before saying, "According to the intel, the one who has the final say in the Rorsted Archipelago is Sea King Jahn Kottman. It's best if we negotiate with him directly."

Danitz nodded slightly and said, "That's exactly what I was thinking.

"We need to send someone to represent us and enter Bayam to face Jahn Kottman..."

Just as he was about to ask who was willing to go, he suddenly noticed that the gazes of Kalat, Edmonton, and the others were all on his face. It was as though they were saying that the Blessed of Sea God, the Intis pirate who had a relatively extraordinary status, was the most suitable candidate.

...Dogsh*t! Danitz cursed silently as he looked at the crowd and quickly thought of something.

"Yes, this is an honor, and it also contains extreme danger. I know that some of you are filled with the spirit of sacrifice and want to make the necessary contributions. Uh, how about this, let's draw lots to decide. This is the fairest way."

"I have no objections." Kalat and company didn't hesitate to give an answer.

A few minutes later, Danitz looked at the card in his hand as his facial muscles twitched.

...

City of Silver, at the top of the spire, in the Chief's room.

Colin Iliad cast his gaze at Derrick Berg, who appeared less physically developed when placed in contrast to his surroundings.

"Are you ready?"

With the leg bone-like object in his hand, Derrick held the ghostly-blue Thunder God's Roar, which was wrapped in lightning bolts, and nodded heavily.

"Ready and good to go."

He didn't act like a Beyonder from the Sun domain, but more like a berserk warrior.

With white hair and an old scar on his face, Colin Iliad immediately shifted his gaze and looked at Lovia.

"Are you ready?"

Lovia, who had a head of silvery-gray hair and a pair of light gray eyes, no longer wore the usual black robe with purple stripes. Instead, she wore a set of black armor.

She nodded her head indiscernibly and said, "Ready."

Demon Hunter Colin, who had become a Silver Knight, cast his gaze on the others in the room and asked if they were ready.

After receiving a positive response, Colin Iliad slowly walked to a wall, removed the two swords hanging on it, and carried them behind him.

"Let's set off." The City of Silver Chief gave the order in a concise manner.

The team that he led would once again head to the Afternoon Town camp. They would explore the Giant King's Court further, and find a path to the real sea.

Amidst the clinking sounds of metal, Lovia, Derrick, and company silently followed behind the Chief. They walked out of the room and down the stairs in an orderly manner.

Along the way, they saw Waite Chirmont and the other elders of the six-member council. They saw the City of Silver residents maintaining order in the spire.

These people were either leaning on a railing or waiting at the staircase. Their expressions were abnormally solemn, as though they were sending off the team that was carrying hope.

No one spoke. The entire place was silent, but when Colin Iliad and the others passed by, the City of Silver residents raised their right arm and clenched their fists.

Amidst the sound of this action, Colin and the other members of the expedition team left the spire and hit the road.

They immediately lit lanterns covered in animal hide.

Under the dim yellow light, residents of the City of Silver walked out of their houses and stopped by the roadside.

They looked at Derrick and company with admiration and anticipation. One by one, they raised their right arm and clenched their fists in front of their foreheads.

Derrick subconsciously straightened his back, his heart burning.

Just like that, the expedition team followed the path to the city gate under the watchful gazes of the crowd and walked out of the City of Silver.

As though they had a tacit understanding, Colin, Derrick, and Lovia, who had just left the protection of the city walls, turned their heads at the same time to look at their home, which had stood in the darkness for 2,584 years.

They saw that the residents of the City of Silver hadn't left. They were all standing near the city gates, looking at them.

With a swoosh, everyone raised their right arm and placed their fists in front of their foreheads.

This was the highest form of respect and also the deepest heartfelt blessing they could give.

Colin Iliad stared silently for a few seconds, then he closed his eyes and raised his right arm, waving it downwards.

"Set off!"

Derrick and company immediately turned around and carried the animal hide lanterns which emitted a faint yellow light. They stepped onto the dark path in silence and determination.

Destination: Giant King's Court.

-x-X-x-

Boom! Boom!

In an underground shelter in Backlund, Audrey, who was dressed in hunting attire, listened to the distant explosions.

When she turned around, she happened to see Melissa looking at her in confusion.

The young girl, who had just reached adulthood, asked in a dreamy tone, "Miss Audrey, will the war end if we're completely defeated? Will we no longer have to worry about bombardments, raids, and having insufficient food?"

Audrey looked at her deeply and said, "But if that happens, you will have to change your faith."

Melissa hesitated, not knowing how to respond. At this moment, a commoner curled up against the wall blurted out, "I believe in the God of Steam and Machinery! Even if Feysac and Intis win, I don't need to change my faith!"

When that happens, life would return to its original warm and peaceful state!

These words stirred the commoners who were hiding in the shelter. They whispered to each other and discussed possible developments. There were no lack of Evernight believers.

To most people, faith wasn't that important compared to life. After all, a true deity would eventually still protect them.

The police officers who maintained the order of the shelter didn't stop the commotion from spreading. They watched on coldly, some even having a hint of anticipation.

However, the defeated will definitely suffer something far crueler than you can imagine. It's not something that can be summarized with just a change of faith... Be it a lesson from history or her conclusion deduced from the human psyche, all of them made Audrey more pessimistic than everyone present.

She looked around and could not help but sigh inwardly.

"The Goddess's anchor is already greatly shaken... If not for the grain support from before, it might have completely collapsed..."

As for what this situation meant, Audrey knew very well in her heart. She closed her eyes, tilted her head slightly, and muttered to herself silently, "The battle of gods is about to begin..."

The final outcome was about to appear.

After nodding at Melissa, Audrey turned and left the area, arriving at the entrance of the shelter.

The golden retriever, Susie, was seated there, looking like a qualified guard.

"You... don't seem like you plan to return?" Susie's nose twitched as she asked with a suppressed voice.

Audrey had hidden herself in this shelter from the beginning of the siege that began today; therefore, she hadn't had the time to return to her own residence in Empress Borough. As the battle had decreased in intensity slightly, Earl Hall had already sent two people to urge her to return, so that she could head for a sanctuary for nobles.

Audrey shook her head and said with a faint smile, "I have to do what I need to do."

Without waiting for Susie's reply, she smiled and said, "Stay here on my behalf and secretly placate them. Don't let any commotions happen here. If they want to pat you, let them do so."

Susie hesitated for two seconds before saying, "Alright."

Audrey didn't say anything else. She left the shelter, completely ignored by the troop of soldiers guarding the shelter.

The sky outside was dark, and there were many buildings that had collapsed. They burned with flames that were about to be extinguished. The streets were empty, with no carriages or pedestrians.

This was completely different from what Audrey remembered of Backlund.

Backlund was originally blue, yellow, and beige. It was lively, bustling, and full of vitality. But now, it was gray, black, and scarlet. It was in shambles, disorder, and somewhat silent.

Looking left and right, Audrey identified her bearings while in her hunting attire, and walked towards the city borders.

What she wanted to do was simple:

Join the war and do her best to help Loen not collapse before the end of the battle of gods.

If the winner of the battle of gods was the opposing side, she would use various methods, such as "Cue," "Hypnosis," "Mental Plague," and other means, to prevent the soldiers, officers, and Beyonders from venting their emotions, as well as reduce the damage brought by the war.

Amidst the flickering flames, Audrey quickly passed through them and ran into the distance.

...

Rorsted Archipelago, City of Generosity, Bayam. In a room at the top of the Cathedral of Waves.

Dressed in a black cloak, Danitz met the legendary cardinal of the Church of Storms, the high-ranking deacon of the Mandated Punishers, Sea King Jahn Kottman.

Glancing at the muscles that filled up his priest robes, Danitz swallowed the words he was about to say, and he deliberated for a moment before saying, "I come with good intentions."

For some reason, he felt that his skin was numb, as though invisible lightning was dancing on them.

"Good intentions?" The tall, muscular, well-defined Jahn Kottman grunted.

Heh, I had already considered the fact that fellows from the Sailor pathway are more irritable, making them incapable of telling the difference between a joke and sarcasm. Once their anger erupts, they don't even consider the overall situation. Otherwise, I wouldn't even need to speak like this... Dogsh*t! Danitz mumbled to himself, maintaining his smile as he explained the Resistance's intentions.

Jahn Kottman stared at the pirate whose affiliation with the Golden Dream remained unknown and suddenly sneered.

"If we withdraw most of our strength, can you defend Bayam and the archipelago?

"If you can't defend it, how are you going to guarantee that the interests of the Loen migrants will be maintained when the Feysac and Feynapotter combined navy forces breach the defense lines?"

As a demigod, he was extremely certain that Sea God Kalvetua had already perished. However, he didn't know who it was that was using the name of "Sea God," or if that entity had the ability to protect the Rorsted Archipelago.

That's a good question... Only with questions can there be room for a successful negotiation... In fact, Danitz had never thought of how the Resistance would defend against the Feysac and Feynapotter after Loen's powerhouses were transferred back to Backlund. He fully believed that Gehrman Sparrow and Mr. Fool behind him had the ability to protect this place.

As his thoughts raced, Danitz looked at the extremely oppressive Sea King and said, "I will pray to my Lord and ask 'Him' to protect the Rorsted Archipelago."

"Oh?" Sea King Jahn Kottman narrowed his eyes and took a step forward.

The aura from the Tyrant pathway made Danitz involuntarily take two steps back. He lowered his head and prayed on the spot.

"Blessed of the sea and spirit world, guardian of the Rorsted Archipelago, ruler of the undersea creatures, master of tsunamis and storms, the great Kalvetua, please send down your powers to protect the Rorsted Archipelago..."

After the prayer, Danitz carefully cast his gaze out the window, but he didn't discover anything unusual.

Jahn Kottman sized him up for a few seconds before saying, "Your god doesn't seem to be responding..."

"Ahem." Danitz cleared his throat and felt his heart beating like a drum.

At that moment, the sky outside suddenly darkened. It was as if a large number of dark clouds were flying over, blotting out the sun.

Sea King Jahn Kottman instinctively turned his head and looked out the window. He saw a shadow cast over the border between the sea and the sky.

With his control of the archipelago's waters, scenes of the overall situation rapidly surfaced in the Cardinals cardinal's mind.

The Rorsted Archipelago, along with the surrounding seas, was shrouded by thick fog. It became indistinct and surreal.

A seabird flew past and attempted to land on the dock, but it failed to pass through it, unable to set foot.

The commoners in the archipelago continued living normally, aside from noticing the brewing storm.

This... Jahn Kottman's dark blue pupils dilated significantly. He subconsciously turned his head to look at the Sea God's Blessed, Blazing Danitz.

Danitz's mouth gaped slightly as he forgot to close it. His shock was not lesser than the shock Sea King experienced.

A few seconds later, the fog dissipated and the shadows faded away. Everything in the Rorsted Archipelago returned to normal.

"..." Danitz blinked. When Sea King Jahn Kottman looked over again, Danitz chuckled and said, "My Lord has responded to my prayers."

As he spoke, the pirate with a bounty of more than ten thousand pounds slapped himself inwardly.

Dogsh*t! You actually dare to suspect Mr. Fool! Isn't this the might of Mr. Fool?

Jahn Kottman remained silent for a few seconds before saying, "I will consider your proposal carefully. I will immediately convene a meeting with the key figures in Bayam to discuss this matter. I will give you an answer in an hour."

Danitz lifted his chin slightly and laughed.

"I will wait patiently."

With that said, he followed his instincts as a Hunter, and he indifferently bowed before leaving the room.

Amidst the creaking sound, silver bolts of lightning lit up in the blue eyes of Jahn Kottman.

...

In the ancient palace above the fog.

Klein threw the "curtain" back into the "metal pot" and sealed it again.

He had used the power of a Sequence 1 Attendant of Mysteries and stirred the power of Sefirah Castle to respond, creating a shocking effect for Jahn Kottman.

In another half a day, the Attendant of Mysteries Beyonder characteristic will be separated, and the rest can be used to concoct the Miracle Invoker potion. Yes, when it's only at the Sequence 2 level, I can attempt to use the power Sefirah Castle to shatter it and let the Beyonder characteristics such as the Scholar of Yore and Bizarro Sorcerer to seep out in a shorter amount of time. That will lower the risk brought by the potion... Klein mumbled before rapidly returning to the real world.

He wasn't situated in the dark moors anymore, but the frozen dusk of the Giant King's Court.

He had entered the Giant King's Court before the City of Silver's expedition team arrived at the Afternoon Town encampment.

Under the orange light, Klein felt the degeneration and exhaustion of his body. He cast his gaze at the magnificent and beautiful buildings situated high above.

The countless palaces and towers still had the remnant glory of the Second Epoch, as though they were a manifestation of myths.

No, it was a myth.

Before the City of Silver's exploration team officially took action, Klein planned on attempting to open the palace where Dark Angel Sasrir was sleeping.

This way, if there were any accidents, the City of Silver's expedition team would still have time to make targeted preparations. As for Klein himself, it would definitely be much safer for him compared to the others since he was using a historical projection.

-x-X-x-

As he had the information from the City of Silver's previous explorations, Klein knew which places were dangerous and how to avoid them. It didn't take long for him to follow the small path, pass through the Waning Forest, Barren Tunnel, and use the ancient elevator to arrive at the residence of the guards.

After waiting for a while—until the "curtain" above the gray fog split into two, separating the Attendant of Mysteries Beyonder characteristic—Klein reached out to pull his past self out.

He didn't know if the other divine kingdoms would isolate the fog of history, but at least without the Giant King's Court having its owner present, no one would be able to stop his attempts.

Unfortunately, this matter involves too many levels. I can't obtain any results from divination; otherwise, I will feel more at ease... Klein shook his head and muttered to himself.

He was in no hurry to jump into the fog of history. He first took out two items and handed them to his projection.

One of them was a deep-black wooden box. It contained the ashes of Giant Guardian Groselle.

Klein had never forgotten his promise.

He had originally wanted to wait for Little Sun's second exploration of the Giant King's Court before handing him Groselle's ashes and getting him to help do the burial. However, due to various matters, he ended up coming to the Forsaken Land of the Gods and entering the Giant King's Court.

As for Snowman's ashes, Klein planned on scattering it into the golden sea just as he was about to leave the Forsaken Land of the Gods—it was a sea churning with the divine blood of the ancient sun god.

After handing over the urn and the black iron key from Vice Admiral Iceberg, Klein followed his usual practice and leaped into the fog. He dashed to the fragment of light that represented a time before the First Epoch, and he allowed his consciousness to naturally shift to the projection he had summoned.

This projection didn't hold the Staff of the Stars and only wore Creeping Hunger. This was because the palace that the Giant King lived in was still quite a distance away. There were many troll statues blocking him, so Klein couldn't guarantee that he would reach his destination in five minutes.

Right on the heels of that, he made the glove on his left hand transparent as he disappeared from where he was.

In the next second, Klein appeared outside the guards' residence with the huge black iron key. He hadn't "Teleported" too far away.

Yes, in the Giant King's Court, it's clear that most of the powers within have weakened... Only a guard acknowledged by the divine kingdom can perform at relatively normal standards? Uh, Beyonder powers similar to "Teleportation" have also been suppressed. I can only do "Blink" within a relatively small area... From the looks of it, even if I were to summon the Staff of the Stars, I wouldn't be able to appear outside the Giant King's palace by outlining the corresponding scene in my mind... As expected of an ancient god's divine kingdom... Klein seriously observed the influence his surroundings brought him.

After making a preliminary judgment, he turned and walked back to the guards' residence. Opening the wooden box in his right hand, he solemnly scattered Groselle's ashes in every corner.

According to the scene he saw in Groselle's dream, this guards' residence was where the giant lived for a long period of time. It was the "home" that he had the deepest impression and was most fond of.

It could be imagined that during that period of time in ancient times, Groselle and the other rational Giant Guardians from future generations would rest, rabble, gossip, talk about music, and think of fun games to play. They didn't need to worry about food and ailments. They would live every day of their lives happily...

With the shaking of Klein's hands, the ashes scattered on the wall, the ground, the bedside, the tables, chairs, and stone pillars.

The orange light outside the window shone forever, making everything look peaceful.

When the last speck of ashes was scattered, the dusk suddenly deepened. It dyed the scattered ashes orange, becoming a part of the divine kingdom.

Klein closed his eyes as though he could sense Groselle's joy.

A vagrant who had been forced to leave his hometown for three thousand years had finally returned to the place he had missed day and night.

The light of the dusk softened, making Klein feel that he was less ostracized.

Eh... It's equivalent to being acknowledged to a certain extent. I've become a guard that has been accepted by a number of people. Klein emanated his spirituality to confirm the changes.

He didn't stay any longer. He used Creeping Hunger and the path scouted by the City of Silver's expedition team to constantly "Blink" and take detours. From time to time, he would pull out the Unshadowed Crucifix. He passed through the hall where the fateful plot was made with relatively little difficulty, and he arrived at the residence of the Giant King. There, he saw a row of huge stone columns on the left that formed railings. Beyond the railings was an orange-red gas and a churning dark blue sea.

Taking a deep breath, he returned to the hall he had just exited. He reached out his hand and dragged out the marionette, Enuni, who hadn't been "Parasitized" by Amon.

Even if it was a historical projection, he didn't want to open the door himself!

Looking at the slightly dazed Enuni, Klein handed the black iron key that he had tucked under his armpit over to him. He controlled Enuni to leave the hall and follow the railings formed from stone pillars to the tallest and most magnificent building in the Giant King's Court.

The dusk's glow seemed to be corporeal as it covered the palace's surface, bringing with it a strong sense of decadence, as though the curtains had drawn on everything in the world.

Lining both sides of the palace were separately steeples and spires. The grayish-blue front door was covered with mysterious symbols as it stood at a height exceeding ten meters.

To the left of the door, there was a pitch-black hole that was the size of an adult's fist at the height of three to four meters.

Enuni stared at it for a few seconds before raising the black iron key that resembled a seven-string guitar and inserting it into the deep crevice in front of him.

It fit perfectly without leaving a single gap.

As the gigantic black iron key entered the deep hole, Klein held his breath in the nearby grand hall, constantly preparing to remove his existence.

With a click, the black iron key in Enuni's hand reached the end.

It suddenly turned soft, as if it had fused with the hole as it emitted grayish-blue light.

The various symbols, labels, and patterns on the door lit up as they protruded.

All the lights quickly interfered in a constructive manner, pressing down heavily into the inner chamber as it slowly opened the grayish-blue palace door.

The gap between the door widened when Enuni's eyes suddenly reflected a turbulent pitch-black, viscous, and illusory sea.

Not good... Warning bells sounded in Klein's mind.

Without any hesitation, his consciousness returned to his body as he severed the connection with his Historical Void projection.

In the next second, his vision suddenly darkened. The left side of his head felt a sharp pain, as though someone had inserted a red-hot chisel into it and kept rotating it.

At the same time, he heard indistinguishable ravings that seemed to come from an era older than ancient times.

Klein's expression instantly twisted, appearing extremely ferocious.

He could still barely maintain his rationality, but he had no energy left to remain in the historical fragment.

Without a sound, Klein landed in the guard residence of the Giant King's Court. With a thought, he entered the world above the gray fog.

Before undertaking such a dangerous task, he had no doubt found a reason and excuse to arrange for the members of the Tarot Club to pray collectively to awaken Sefirah Castle's ability to "summon" its master. This allowed him to skip taking four steps counterclockwise and reciting the incantation at critical moments to return above the gray fog.

However, just as Klein's Spirit Body saw the grayish-white fog, he heard a familiar roar, he felt himself be rejected by Sefirah Castle, as though it had accepted an order from someone else to stop him from entering.

This... In his shock, he saw a black shadow leap past him, heading straight for Sefirah Castle!

It wasn't Amon, but a shadow that exuded an aura identical to his!

Subconsciously, Klein influenced Sefirah Castle and made it reject the intruder.

Then, he succeeded. The shadow was also blocked by the grayish-white fog as well.

Right on the heels of that, he and the shadow fell back into the real world at the same time.

After his Spirit Body returned to his body, Klein bent down in pain, like a curled shrimp.

The half top hat on his head fell to the ground.

He took several seconds to eventually recover. He slowly straightened his body and cast his gaze on a glass window ground from orange gems.

The window reflected his current appearance:

With the bridge of his nose as a border, his right face was the same as usual, but countless objects were crawling out of his left face.

Klein narrowed his eyes.

He hurriedly took a deep breath to calm himself down and regain the Clown powers of control.

His mind outlined a clear image of his appearance.

He was dressed in a black trench coat, had black hair and brown eyes. The right side of Gehrman Sparrow's cut face was the same as usual, while the left side had become translucent and was formed from twisting maggots.

As he looked down, his neck was in a similar state. It was the same with his body that lay beneath his clothes.

The edge of losing control... Man, I need to resist the inclination towards intense madness... W-why? Suddenly, he sensed something. He instinctively lowered his head and looked at his feet.

It was empty. He was missing the shadow that was supposed to exist.

The orange light of the evening shone through the window, but it didn't create a shadow by his side.

"Haha, I understand." Klein bent down and laughed uncontrollably.

He suspected that the "seawater" that surged out from the Giant King's palace had not only "drowned" his marionette and historical projection, but it had also used the latter to slice off his own shadow, causing his spirit to lose its completeness. He was unable to completely suppress his inclination towards losing control.

As for the shadow, which was slightly equivalent to him, it could also affect Sefirah Castle. This resulted in a situation in which both parties were unable to head above the gray fog.

As long as I get rid of that shadow, the problem can be solved... The corner of his right forehead twitched as he straightened his back.

At that moment, the orange light that shone from outside was dyed gold, becoming rather resplendent. It made the entire Giant King's Court seem to retrograde from dusk to noon.

With a thought, he cast his gaze out the window as an image appeared in his mind.

In front of the tallest and most magnificent building in the Giant King's Court, Marionette Enuni stood there, facing the door.

It was dark past the door, impossible to see anything clearly.

Suddenly, Enuni turned around and looked down.

His face was covered in a shadow, and his hair turned deep black that draped over his shoulders and curled up slightly.

On his back, there were pairs of dark illusory wings.

In the grand hall nearby, a pure shadow's lower body was pressed against a stone brick as its upper body came over in a ramrod manner.

-x-X-x-