183 LOTM

Putting away The Fool card, Klein took out Creeping Hunger from the void, equipped it to his left hand, and activated "Teleport."

After returning to the miniaturized city library, he immediately said to the Servant of Concealment, Arianna, "It has been thrown into the abandoned palace on the main peak of the Hornacis mountain range."

That was an entrance to the foggy town.

As for how to deal with 0-02 later on, it was the Church of Evernight's problem.

"Alright." Arianna nodded and didn't say anything else. "She" entered a "Concealed" state and vanished, as though "She" had been erased.

"She" didn't thank him, nor mention any payment. It was just like how "She" had never made any requests when "She" helped Klein in the past.

Does Ma'am Arianna know that I've obtained The Fool card? Klein looked around thoughtfully and slowly sighed in the darkness.

Although the supernatural incident had been resolved in less than two hours, there were still quite a number of people who had lost their lives under the strict "rules."

The Belltaine citizens had more or less committed certain mistakes, but the punishments they suffered were far more disproportionate to the crimes they had committed. The most innocent party in the matter were the tourists who came or passed by Belltaine. They had to face a nightmare simply because they were foreigners.

Klein had tried his best to do some things to protect many outsiders, including Roy and the others, but he was also limited in what he could do due to the restrictions he suffered. There weren't many loopholes that could be made use of, making it impossible to make it seem like none of that had ever happened.

What I need to do next is to mainly provide treatment to the survivors... Klein retracted his gaze and planned on "Teleporting" to Biles's house to deal with the remaining problems.

At that moment, Reinette Tinekerr, who was holding four blonde, red-eyed heads and was wearing a dark and complicated long dress, walked out of the void. One of the heads bit onto a black goat's horn.

"'He'..." "Escaped..." "The spirit world..." The remaining three heads of Miss Messenger said.

"As expected of a former chief shepherd." Klein, who had long sensed it, sighed without any surprise.

Then, he pointed at the black goat's horn.

"Did Larrion leave that behind?"

After Klein received the item, Reinette Tinekerr's head that hadn't spoken earlier said, "Yes."

After encountering the curse of deformity, "He" had still managed to barge out of the encirclement and escape from the spirit world. "He" is indeed powerful... Is this a Sequence 2 angel who's best at fighting head-on? Klein flicked his wrist, causing the black goat horn in his palm to shatter into countless tiny specks of light as it dissipated, dispersing the remnant psyche.

The limbs left behind by a Beyonder after them undergoing a "Transformation" contain a portion of their Beyonder characteristics that couldn't return to the main body.

When the points of light were reassembled from Sequence 9 to Sequence 7, as well as a Sequence 4 Beyonder characteristic, Klein chose the Sequence 8 Pugilist from it and returned the rest to Miss Messenger with a smile.

"These are your spoils. I'll only collect the intelligence fee."

Reinette Tinekerr didn't stand on ceremony. "She" raised one of the blonde, red-eyed heads and had it open its mouth, absorbing the Sequence 9, Sequence 7, and Sequence 4 Warrior Beyonder characteristics.

After watching Miss Messenger leave Belltaine, Klein "Teleported" back to Biles's home and smiled at Roy and company.

"The problem has been resolved. You are no longer foreigners who have to be treated with animosity."

The four Beyonders were just about to respond with heartfelt and relieved smiles when they saw the magical Mr. Magician invite a stranger from the air.

It was an old man with a dark red bow tie. He wore a shirt, vest, formal suit, and blue striped trousers. His hair remained thick despite it being all-white. His aura was warm and elegant.

This was the marionette, Hvin Rambis, whom Klein had once possessed. He planned on using this Manipulator to seal away their memories of 0-02.

Not being corrupted by a sefirah didn't mean that Biles wouldn't encounter terrifying matters when he recollected the matter!

As there was only one relevant period of memory for Biles, and he didn't know the truth of the matter, what Klein needed to do was rather simple. Therefore, he didn't seek Miss Justice's help. He planned on using his marionette's Historical Void projection to complete it.

"You didn't tell them about what happened in the city library, right?" Klein got Hvin Rambis to walk to his side as he asked Biles.

Biles hurriedly shook his head and said, "I remember your advice."

"Very good. Next, I'll give you some psychological treatment. I'll help you forget all those matters. Otherwise, you'll be targeted by 0-02 and never be able to obtain peace until you die. Believe me, Sealed Artifacts at this level can definitely do something like that—even if it has been taken away," Klein explained his goal frankly.

Biles's lips quivered as he said, "Alright."

He chose to obey and believe.

After inviting Roy, Pasha, and Phil out of this rental apartment, Klein controlled Hvin Rambis to do a series of mental control processes and successfully made Biles forget the brass book he had seen, as well as the contents on it.

After doing this, Klein carefully took out the magic mirror and looked at it.

"Arrodes, are there any other hidden dangers?"

On the surface of the ancient silver mirror, the aqueous light flickered and reflected a line of silver words:

"Great Master, there aren't any latent risks in Belltaine. As for other places in Loen and Feysac, as it involves 0-02 itself, I'm unable to see it clearly.

"Perhaps you can confirm it yourself?"

"Alright." Klein nodded slightly, took out a gold coin, and softly chanted the corresponding divination statement.

With a ping, the gold coin flicked up and tumbled in the air.

During this process, scenes naturally surfaced in Klein's mind. They were chimneys, streets, and cities. They were extremely vague and lacked specific directions.

With a slight frown, he collected his thoughts and reached out to catch the gold coin.

Then, he got Pasha and the others to return to Biles's home. He smiled and said to Roy, "Didn't you wish to obtain the next potion? You can make a wish now."

Roy's eyes revealed surprise and he asked nervously, "I can still make another wish?"

"This is a gift," Klein replied with a smile.

Roy's heart stirred. Without asking any more questions, he seized this opportunity to fulfill his wish of obtaining the next potion.

Klein then threw the Warrior pathway's Sequence 8 Pugilist Beyonder characteristic to him.

"This is essentially a potion, but for safety, I suggest you search for the corresponding formula and find the correct supplementary ingredients."

"Your amazing feats are worthy of praise." Roy expressed his gratitude.

His first potion had, in some sense, been a Warrior Beyonder characteristic that he devoured. As the apocalypse was approaching, along with his relatively low Sequence and good luck, he didn't lose control on the spot. He didn't even have any serious psychological problems.

After that, he gradually came into contact with other Beyonders and came into contact with true mysticism. Only then did he learn how dangerous his actions were, and he didn't dare make a similar attempt again.

Faced with Roy's praise, Klein looked around and smiled.

"Next, follow me out of Belltaine. This doesn't mean that there's still danger here, but I have to make use of this time to fulfill your wishes."

One wish involved Roy hoping that Klein could help them leave the Belltaine, while the other wish involved Pasha's wish to have Klein protect them and allow them to leave Belltaine City alive.

Although these two matters were meaningless under the present situation, to Klein, he had to fulfill the wish even if there was no point in doing it.

I'm just a heartless "wish-granting machine"... Klein lampooned himself as he smiled at Biles and company.

Pasha and the others glanced at each other, not daring to raise any objections. Just like before, they held each other's hands.

Then, Klein brought them to the outskirts of Belltaine with "Teleportation."

"The magic show has come to an end. It's time to say goodbye." Klein took off his hat and bowed. He tried his best to make himself a true wandering magician.

This was a habit of his acting.

Upon seeing this, Pasha blurted out, "Can we know your name?"

Klein smiled and said, "I have too many names. Different people have different names for me. You can call me the 'Miracle Magician,' Merlin Hermes."

"Mr. Hermes, are you a believer of the Evernight Goddess?" Roy asked after some hesitation.

"..." For a moment, Klein didn't know how to answer. He really wanted to say that he once was, but not anymore.

After some consideration, he decided to act as an Attendant of Mysteries in advance.

He immediately restrained his smile and solemnly said, "The one I serve is The Fool, the Lord of the Mysteries, the great ruler above the spirit world.

"If you wish to believe in this mighty existence, or wish to gain more of an understanding, you can go to the Sonia Sea's Rorsted Archipelago. The Lord's missionary, Danitz, is currently preaching there."

Furthermore, the City of Silver definitely has all the potion formulas from the Warrior pathway under Sequence 2... Klein silently added, but he didn't say it out loud.

Roy nodded slightly and said, "It's my first time knowing of such a mighty existence in this world. Your miraculous nature has shown 'His' brilliance."

He didn't directly respond to Mr. Merlin Hermes because he was still hesitant.

Pasha, Biles, and Phil were the same.

Without another word, Klein turned around and left the four Beyonders, before making a detour to Belltaine.

He didn't forget his purpose in alighting at this tiny city. He planned on immediately finding a room to study The Fool card above the gray fog.

...

In a city in Midseashire, at a particular library.

A young law researcher took out a book from the bookshelf and walked to a table by the window and sat down.

As he carefully read through the book, he realized that there was a page of yellowish-brown paper in it.

"What is this?" the young law researcher muttered to himself in confusion and reached out to pull out the paper.

After confirming that it was written in ancient Feysac, the content was rather rare.

"...In the Fourth Epoch, there was a book named the 'Trunsoest Brass Book'..."

-x-X-x-

Above the gray fog, in the ancient palace, Klein's figure appeared.

At that moment, on the high-back chair belonging to The Fool sat a person shrouded in grayish-white fog.

As Klein returned to Sefirah Castle, this "person" instantly disintegrated, turning into transparent and distorted Worms of Spirit that flew to Klein and entered his body.

Thankfully, the restrictions placed by 0-02 only involved no leaking of secrets or returning. I didn't have my connection with the Worms of Spirit that were guarding Sefirah Castle severed. Otherwise, they would've already lost control and become monsters... Klein sighed inwardly as he sat at the seat belonging to The Fool and picked up The Fool card he had previously sacrificed to himself.

As the Card of Blasphemy had already been activated, there was no need for him to seek out any additional incantations. All he needed to do was inject spirituality into it to see the corresponding changes.

The Fool card quickly transformed into a miniature, illusory book. With Klein's guidance, it kept flipping back until it reached the last two pages.

"Sequence 1: Attendant of Mysteries

"This is an angel who serves the profound mysteries. 'He' has gained initial control of the corresponding domain's authorities. 'He' can summon Spirit Body Threads of objects that originally existed. 'He' can combine many physical objects or abstract concepts together...

"The potion formula is as follows:

"Main ingredients: One Attendant of Mysteries Beyonder characteristic.

"Supplementary ingredients: Nine spirit world specialties.

"Advancement ritual: Build a town consisting only of marionettes, and design a trajectory of fate for every marionette. By letting them interact with each other, they would act as a sufficiently real-life painting and create a corresponding area in the spirit world.

"The larger the town, the more the marionettes involved, the more detailed the daily lives are, and the more realistic and extensiveness the different fates are, the better the ritual's effects would be.

"Sequence 0: The Fool.

"This is a true deity. In a sense, 'He' is an embodiment of the corresponding authorities...'He' is adept at using all kinds of methods to fool all things, showcasing all kinds of fascinating miracles...

"The potion formula is as follows:

"Main ingredients: The Uniqueness of The Fool. Two Attendant of Mysteries Beyonder characteristics apart from one's characteristic.

"Supplementary ingredients: Control at least a quarter of the fog of history.

"Advancement ritual: Fool time, history, or fate once."

As he read, Klein slowly frowned and silently muttered to himself, Compared to the advancement ritual of Attendant of Mysteries, The Fool's ritual is just too abstract... What does it mean to fool time, history, or fate? How does one decide if it's successful?

Controlling at least a quarter of the fog of history is relatively simple for me. On the one hand, I know a lot of ancient secrets and have lit up many historical fragments. On the other hand, I can directly influence the fog of history through Sefirah Castle...

I'll put The Fool's matter aside for now. Currently, my focus is on Attendant of Mysteries. You have to walk one step at a time before running is possible. Uh, of course, some lucky ones can fly directly...

It's very easy to find the nine specialties in the spirit world. Be it to get Miss Messenger to help, or to seek the Seven Light's advice, this isn't a problem... The advancement ritual is very close to the environment around Zaratul and the Antigonus family's ancestor. Furthermore, it matches what the Seven Lights said about having a close connection with the spirit world. I can determine it to be true for now.

With this in mind, Klein took off the topaz pendant wrapped around his left wrist and used divination to confirm the authenticity of the Attendant of Mysteries potion formula.

It wasn't that he didn't believe in Emperor Roselle, but his fellow countryman had likely been influenced by Mr. Door before he created the Cards of Blasphemy. He had gone to the moon and suffered the corruption and contamination of the Mother Goddess of Depravity; thus, resulting in distorted memories.

It was precisely because of this that it was highly possible that Roselle had buried some traps in the key areas of the Cards of Blasphemy in his final days.

In this aspect, Klein had always been cautious and careful.

Speaking of the Primordial Moon's true form, the most powerful Great Old One, the Mother Goddess of Depravity, could it be that the Emperor had unknowingly been tainted based on "Her" title... On the moon, perhaps there are many younger brothers and sisters that Bernadette has never met before. Of course, it's unlikely that there are gender differences...

The marionettes needed for the Attendant of Mysteries ritual can be obtained from the Forsaken Land of the Gods. The copious number of monsters there is a good thing. Furthermore, I've accumulated quite a few of them previously. As Klein's thoughts wandered, he turned his head to look at the other side of the ancient palace and made the grayish-white fog beside the junk pile dissipate.

As the fog receded, rows of brownish-yellow seats appeared, each of which sat a figure.

Those figures were either giants covered in silver armor, humans with deformed facial features in linen clothes, and large chunks of flesh overgrown with eyes... They sat quietly in their rows of seats, their eyes glazed over and indifferent as they stared in the direction of the long mottled table.

These were all marionettes that Klein had gathered in the Forsaken Land of the Gods. Every time he needed to switch location, and it wasn't convenient for him to carry too many with him, he would sacrifice a batch of them above the gray fog.

Of course, this had nothing to do with environmental protection. Instead, it was what had happened to the foggy town and the scene displayed by Zaratul. It made Klein instinctively believe that there was a high chance that a particular ritual would require many marionettes. Therefore, he had always been very frugal in this aspect.

As for why he didn't hang these marionettes up, and had made them sit in rows in a conjured theater as members of the audience, this was because Klein felt that the actions of the Antigonus family's ancestor and Zaratul were a little perverse.

He had tried to imitate and mimic them, but the goal was for acting. Now, he didn't need it anymore.

But how can such a marionette city produce corresponding spirit world information? The spirit world is a gathering of the past, present, and future information, but it doesn't directly include such fake objects...

Generated from what others know? Every living being's actions and words would be reflected in the spirit world in an abstract manner, becoming the source of divination. When their actions, words, and certain intense feelings are clearly built into a marionette city, the city's spirit world projection would appear, turning into a "true" existence...

The interactions involved in this are linked to the more profound secrets of the spirit world... Klein closed The Fool card in thought and played with it.

As he had already reached the angel level, he had a certain understanding regarding the creation of the Cards of Blasphemy.

Back then, not only was Roselle able to draw powers from knowledge, but he could also give actual powers to abstract knowledge!

As for what kind of material the Emperor used to create it, and how he accomplished the effects of anti-divination and anti-prophecy at the level of deities, Klein was unable to figure it out.

After some thought, Klein tried to accommodate The Fool card in his body.

His condition immediately changed. His body was covered with colorful clothes, and there was an extremely gorgeous piece of headwear on his head. His aura was deep and terrifying, but it gave off a comical, ridiculous, ludicrous feeling. It was a condition filled with a strange conflict.

The space attached to Sefirah Castle gently swayed, as though it wanted to surrender to the feet of this indescribable deity.

My level has been enhanced a little. There aren't any substantial changes. After all, I'm already the owner of Sefirah Castle. Heh, it's like I have a fashionable costume that can accentuate my aura... Klein shook his head and said a few self-deprecating words.

At the same time, a transparent and distorted Worm of Spirit crawled out from his body, forming a figure that was identical to him.

After splitting off a Worm of Spirit of "himself" that could respond to prayers at any moment, Klein returned to the real world and strolled around Belltaine City. He used the method of granting wishes to treat the injuries of people, and he learned about the war from them.

...

"Dogsh*t!" Danitz couldn't help but curse when he heard the crew's report. "They actually finished the whale oil? Why didn't you stop them?"

As they passed by the Gargas Archipelago, Danitz and his crew bought a batch of whale oil that hadn't been refined. They planned on bringing it back to Bayam and selling it at a high price. Who would've expected that a portion of it had been "secretly eaten" by the City of Silver's half-giants?

The crew member glanced at the Oracle and whispered, "They don't understand what we're talking about. We don't understand what they're talking about either. Only the shortest one can communicate, but it doesn't mean we can find him at any time. He always Cogitates in places where the sun shines, changing positions every time."

Danitz subconsciously sneered.

"This is what happens to illiterates.

"If you could grasp all sorts of languages like ancient Feysac, Jotun, and Elvish like me, something like that wouldn't have happened.

"Of course, linguistic talent is related to intelligence. You don't have to force yourself."

The crewman carefully looked at Danitz again.

"Oracle, they ate the portion of whale oil you bought."

...Dogsh*t! Danitz's reaction was faster than his thoughts as he rushed towards the cabin.

After a period of chaos, Danitz received compensation with a Sequence 8 Beyonder characteristic. He didn't know if he had profited or suffered a loss. After all, the dirty bodily fluids left on the characteristic made him feel disgusted and nauseous.

By the time the ship returned to peace, City of Generosity, Bayam, was already in front of the City of Silver's reconnaissance team.

Derrick led Liaval, Candice, and the others to the deck and looked at the destination of their "journey."

Although they had passed by many ports, they had never been allowed to alight from the ship. They could only watch from afar. Now, it was finally time for them to step onto the land outside.

Even so, the large number of people, houses, and hardships that they had seen from afar were still unable to conceal their bubbling enthusiasm. They continued to yearn for life in the world of light.

Of course, having been used to the darkness and lightning, they took quite some time before they could get used to the sun outside. If not for the fact that they were Beyonders, they would've suffered permanent damage to their eyes.

As he looked at the docks and the numerous people, the airships that were traveling high in the sky, and the other ships around him while hearing noises that he could barely understand, Derrick suddenly felt a sense of nervousness. This would be the area where the City of Silver would take up residence in the future.

As he swept his gaze, he suddenly saw a man standing on the coastal lighthouse. He was wearing a long robe embroidered with the symbol of Storm. His hair was dark blue— nearly black—like a clump of seaweed. His face was rough and carved.

As their gazes met, Derrick instantly calmed down and no longer felt uneasy.

-x-X-x-

After the huge ship belonging to the Resistance docked, all of the City of Silver citizens changed into round-neck shirts, brown jackets, pantaloons, and dark-colored caps before following Oracle Danitz down the ship. They prepared to pass through the dock to enter the City of Generosity Bayam. Those clothes had been prepared beforehand.

"It's really uncomfortable wearing this. It's not suitable for battle..." As he walked, Liaval moved his limbs and whispered to Elder Derrick.

Derrick nodded slightly and said, "But it's better to hide ourselves and not be too eye-catching. We don't want to become the focus of attention."

Derrick's analysis wasn't a problem at all. After all, they were outsiders and they only numbered twenty-one people. It was best if they didn't attract the attention of others, but he seemed to have forgotten a crucial detail.

"B-but, they're all looking at us..." Candice quickly surveyed the area and whispered.

The workers who were dressed crudely or half-naked at the pier all looked over at the tourists who wore all kinds of getups.

"They're tall..." A Bayam resident with bronze skin and slightly curly hair could not help but sigh.

His height was only around 160. This was the height of all the male commoners in the current colonial era. As for the people of the City of Silver, other than Derrick, who was only slightly over two meters tall, the rest were on average above 2.3 meters. The tallest of them exceeded 2.5 meters.

To have such half-giants walk through the docks amidst the crowd was equally eye-catching no matter what they wore.

"Feysacians?" A Loenese in a top hat and formal suit turned his head to gossip with his companion. "Has the slave trade begun again?"

He believed that the City of Silver entourage were Feysacian slaves that the Rorsted government had bought from the Loen Kingdom. After all, in this world, the only ones he could think of who had such heights in such numbers were the barbarians who claimed to be descendants of giants.

His partner shook his head and frowned.

"It doesn't seem like the case. Most Feysacians have light-blue eyes. Furthermore, even if they are Feysacian, few of them exceed two meters in height. Un-unless these are nobles or high-ranking prisoners of war..."

Although Feysac didn't have a clear rule, in all kinds of industries, especially in the military, there was a phenomenon that one's height determined one's status. Of course, this wasn't the only condition. It was also a combination of family background, nobility, and ranks.

Due to such "traditions," the descendants of Feysacian royalty and the military brass were generally taller than two meters.

This was actually a superficial phenomenon that, at its essence, was an influence of their Beyonder characteristics.

Those who became one of the brass of the Feysac military were either nobles or at least Sequence 5. And for the latter, due to the repeated influence of the Giant pathway's potions, their height would definitely reach the "standard" height. Those who chose the Red Priest pathway would also have a certain increase in height. However, the signs weren't as obvious in their early stages as those from the Giant pathway, and the total increase in height was only a few centimeters. They had to become a demigod to experience a qualitative change.

For noble descendants, their ancestors were more or less "giants," or had marital alliances with "giants." Regardless of whether they inherited the Beyonder characteristics, the corresponding genes accumulated over generations would definitely allow their normal height to exceed two meters.

Among them, families who were still in control of a portion of the Giant pathway's potion formulas, and those who had a certain heritage, tend to be in the same situation as the residents of the City of Silver.

The royal family in charge of the Red Priest pathway maintained the heights of their descendants through marital alliances.

The residents of the City of Silver, who were being scrutinized by numerous gazes, felt increasingly uneasy. It was as if they had returned to the cursed land where they were being watched by monsters as they walked in the dark.

Derrick was very calm and composed. He looked around and said to the members of the reconnaissance team, "They don't have any ill intentions."

After confirming that Mr. Hanged Man was in this city and how he knew that he had arrived, Derrick no longer felt isolated and helpless.

It wasn't that he didn't trust the messenger that Mr. Fool had appointed, but that he believed that he didn't want to trouble a god as much as possible in his daily life. The best thing to do was resolve problems himself.

And when it came to dealing with his own problems, Derrick was ultimately unfamiliar with the outside world, so he wasn't too confident. At this moment, to have an experienced, trustable, extremely intelligent "native" with a meticulous mind help him would definitely be the best option.

Of course, Derrick also knew that Mr. Hanged Man wouldn't make any contact with him on the surface because he belonged to another faction. He wasn't a believer of Sea God, so if he acted too warmly over matters regarding the City of Silver, he was bound to be suspected.

However, there will always be a proper reason and suitable opportunities to meet... Derrick thought in anticipation.

Amidst his thoughts, he and the members of the City of Silver's reconnaissance team followed Danitz out of the dock and arrived on the streets.

Their vision suddenly broadened as they saw more people than before and heard all sorts of voices.

To the people of the City of Silver, this was even more lively than the grandest "harvest" in their hometown. At a glance, there were countless people dressed in strange clothes with all kinds of unique characteristics. Some were in a hurry, others were strolling leisurely, and some were carrying large pieces of fruit. They used pipes to suck in the liquid, or held food that looked like the delicious pies on the ship, occasionally taking a bite.

Apart from these, horse-like creatures that pulled carriages producing tinkling sounds, the metallic objects that moved extremely fast, and the smell of the various spices that filled the streets made people of the City of Silver feel like they had come to another world.

And to them, this was indeed another world.

Even though they were a little fearful and uneasy, and were not too used to such a scene, everyone could clearly feel the vibrancy of this scene.

This was like the sunlight in one's soul, reflecting the sun in the sky.

This is the place where we will live, battle, and reproduce in the future? Derrick, Liaval, Candice, and the others subconsciously had similar thoughts. They felt a little uneasy but didn't reject any of it.

Danitz looked at their faces which had been stunned silly by Bayam's bustling scene in satisfaction as he inwardly muttered, This is only Bayam. If you were to go to Trier and Backlund, are you going to kneel down and kiss the ground?

This world-famous pirate controlled his urge to mock them, as he was now Mr. Fool's messenger. He couldn't ruin the image of a deity.

After leading the City of Silver people to a rather luxurious hotel, Danitz gestured for the crew to handle the check-in as he spoke in fluent Jotun to his guests:

"It's getting dark. We'll stay here for one night and leave the city tomorrow.

"The place where you will build your city has been arranged. It's on the other side of the forest. There's a natural harbor and a few roads that lead to Bayam. Heh, roads to this city. After that, we'll expand the main road and build a railway that leads to your city."

Railway... Derrick, who had studied during the Tarot Gathering, knew what it meant. He nodded gratefully and inwardly praised Mr. Fool once again.

Danitz continued,

"We've already helped you level the area, and left the space needed for some basic facilities such as water pipes and gas pipes. When you begin building houses, we'll send a team over to help with the matters.

"Also, the corresponding construction materials and temporary tents have been prepared for you. Thank Mr. Fool. Uh, there's also the help of the Church of the Lord of Storms in this matter. Otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to purchase so much material. However, they mainly did so to earn additional funds."

The Rorsted new government hadn't been established for long, and its connections with the outside world weren't comprehensive enough. What they didn't expect was that the Church of the Lord of Storms had taken the initiative to provide help on the City of Silver's matter.

Water pipes... Gas pipes... Derrick gradually couldn't understand what was being said, but he still put on a pensive expression.

There were a few times when Danitz nearly said the word "dogsh*t" in passing. Without speaking another word, he introduced the hotel:

"This is a hotel that Feysacians like to live in at Bayam the most. The ceiling might be a little too low for you, but it won't be low enough to hit your heads."

With that said, Danitz smiled.

"At the end of this street is Red Theater..."

He revealed a smile that all men understood.

However, the people of the City of Silver didn't understand.

Seriously, the Emperor said that the most ancient human occupation is the selling of their bodies. They actually don't know what I'm talking about... The corners of Danitz's mouth twitched as he gave up on the topic.

After his second and third mates were done with the check-in, he led the entourage up to the second floor and assigned them their rooms.

After doing this, he took out a stack of cards that he had long written, and he distributed them to the members of the City of Silver, who were scouting the area.

"Every card has a few words in the local language and the corresponding word in Jotun. If you need any services or food, you can ring the bell here. When the attendant comes over, show him the card. Of course, they might not be able to understand it, but they will definitely seek help from people who understand it."

This was a simple and easy method to understand. The people of the City of Silver easily grasped how to use the cards, secretly excited that they could finally communicate with the people here.

Following that, Danitz demonstrated how to switch on the water and how to use the toilet, and how to light up the gas wall lamps. It made Derrick, Liaval, and Candice feel like they had arrived at a divine kingdom.

All it took to have water flow was to press a switch. A button was enough to wash away their excrement without leaving any stains. There was a lantern that kept emitting light once it was ignited. These were all things that they didn't dare to imagine in the past.

And these things would become part of their new lives.

By the time the City of Silver's members had gotten used to the hotel, the sky had completely darkened. Night had begun to rule the city.

Although Derrick and company had long confirmed that there was no danger of monsters attacking in the dark in the outside world, they were still instinctively afraid. Therefore, they would either emit light themselves or light up the gas wall lamps.

At that moment, they saw gas lamps lighting up one after another on the streets, the houses—both near and far—outside the glass windows. These lights dispersed the darkness in their respective areas.

In the eyes of the people of the City of Silver, the bright and dim lights were like the galaxy landing on the ground at night.

-x-X-x-

In a warehouse that was being rebuilt in Pritz Harbor.

Fors met her teacher, Dorian Gray Abraham, once again a few days later.

"Are you ready?" Dorian asked in a low voice.

Back when they met, he had already informed Fors of the ritual requirement of the Apprentice pathway's Sequence 4 Secrets Sorcerer, so that she could make advanced preparations.

"More or less... I should be able to satisfy the requirements..." Fors replied without much confidence.

The advancement ritual of a Secrets Sorcerer was relatively simple, but in this case, "simple" was the antonym for "complex," and not "difficult." To Fors, she wished that it was something else.

The ritual required the candidate to seal a demigod-level creature with clear animosity. The less external help one received, the better the ritual's effects. As for the target's level, as long as it wasn't lower than a demigod, it was fine. It had virtually no effect on the ritual.

Upon hearing that, Dorian nodded and said, "That should be fine. That ritual is really difficult for a Sequence 5 Beyonder to complete it on their own. It's necessary to seek help at appropriate times, but you mustn't go overboard, such as exceeding the corresponding limitations. Otherwise, the ritual will definitely fail."

The suggestion he had previously provided to Fors was to borrow a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact. It would be best if she didn't even hire a saint-level helper.

Fors said vaguely, "I only plan on making a wish to Mr. Fool to increase the success rate of advancement after consuming the potion. This is closer to obtaining good luck when consuming the potion, rather than being blessed and protected while sealing the demigod creature.

"Other than that, I'll be using the painting that you mentioned."

The painting wasn't a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact, the Scroll of God, but the Abraham family's Grade 1 Sealed Artifact. It was called "Devil's Oil Painting."

In the Fourth Epoch, when many members of the Abraham family had advanced to Sequence 4 Secrets Sorcerer, they had created the oil painting to seal the corresponding demigod-level creatures.

However, after being attacked by the Aurora Order and losing a lot of documents, Dorian Gray wasn't sure how many terrifying creatures were sealed in the Devil's Oil Painting. He was only certain that there was definitely more than one sealed inside.

His original plan was to release a demigod-level creature that was completely insane from the Devil's Oil Painting, one that acted purely out of instinct. This could then be his student's ritual target. This made it much easier than dealing with a rational and intelligent saint. Furthermore, it was completely in line with the ritual's requirements, but he never expected Fors to directly borrow the Devil's Oil Painting.

Dorian frowned and reminded her, "The Devil's Oil Painting only has the effect of imprisonment and sealing. It doesn't have the ability to actively affect the target. In other words, you have to stuff a demigod-level creature into the Devil's Oil Painting."

Fors nodded, indicating that she knew this.

"Teacher, you mentioned that one's 'Record' ability isn't considered external help."

"Yes," Dorian Gray gave a definite answer.

If her "Record" powers were considered external help, almost no Traveler could advance. After all, "Record" was the core ability of the Apprentice pathway before they became demigods. Once it was "excluded," Fors would be left only with the means to flee, making it difficult for her to do anything to her enemies.

"In theory, that's the case. However, you can only record at most five demigod-level powers..." Dorian said worriedly.

Before he finished his sentence, he thought of Mr. Fool and "His" Blessed and felt a little more at ease.

"If the powers are matched well, it isn't impossible for me to succeed. It's just a mad creature that's acting on instinct." Fors tried convincing both her teacher and herself.

Dorian nodded indiscernibly and didn't say anything else. He immediately summoned his contracted creature, Malmouth, who loved music, and took out the Secrets Sorcerer main and supplementary ingredients. He then concocted a bottle of Secrets Sorcerer potion for his student.

"If there's no way to complete the seal, there's no need to forcefully consume it. Even if the potion and glass bottle fuses together and turns into a Sealed Artifact, we can also pray to Mr. Fool to restore it to a Beyonder characteristic." Dorian continued to warn her worriedly before handing the potion to Fors.

Inside the glass bottle were layers of stellar radiance, as though the Milky Way in the sky had been sucked into the potion.

"Alright." Fors nodded heavily, indicating that she wasn't worried that the potion would be wasted.

She had made plans ahead of time. She would immediately "Teleport" away once she realized she couldn't seal the released demigod-level creature before making a wish to Mr. Fool and getting him to resolve it.

Dorian then took out an oil painting from his suitcase, which was filled with abstract images. It was an image that no one could understand. Just looking at it would make one feel dizzy and mentally weak.

This was the Devil's Oil Painting that had sealed countless terrifying creatures.

"If you can successfully advance, I only have one request." Dorian held the Devil's Oil Painting and said solemnly to Fors, "That is, on the night of the full moon, listen to what Mr. Door is saying and ask 'Him' the reasons for 'His' actions."

The members of the Abraham family still couldn't fully accept that the curse they had suffered from had stemmed from their ancestor. They felt that Mr. Door might not know the consequences of "His" plea for help.

They wished to figure out the full truth.

"Alright." Faced with her teacher's sincere request, Fors agreed without any hesitation.

Following that, she took the Devil's Oil Painting, "Teleported" out of Pritz Harbor, and came to a vast desert where no humans lived.

This way, even if an accident happened during the ritual, she had plenty of time to resolve it and not affect ordinary people.

After checking the surroundings and preparing herself, Fors inserted the Devil's Oil Painting into the ground.

She then clasped her hands together and bowed her head to pray to Mr. Fool. She wished that "He" could increase her chances of advancing after consuming the potion.

Without any pause, she saw the illusory grayish-white fog and knew that Mr. Fool had already responded.

After stalling for a few seconds, Fors finally convinced herself. She took out the herbal powder she had prepared, and she scattered it on the Devil's Oil Painting.

Then, she recited the incantation to release the seal in Jotun.

This was an incantation that only released one creature.

Without a sound, the powder that was floating in the air landed on the oil painting and rapidly spun around a central point.

As it spun, the surface of the oil painting turned illusory as if a deep vortex was forming.

Suddenly, a bluish-black hand emerged from the "vortex," one that showed signs of decay.

It stretched out from the oil painting to the outside world!

Fors's body suddenly turned cold as though she had fallen into a frozen lake.

While clearing up her mind, it also made her seem to lose control of her body. No matter how hard she tried, she was unable to move her limbs.

At that moment, Fors seemed to return to her past state of writing books at night and sleeping during the day. At that time, she often felt that she had woken up, but she couldn't move at all. It was as though she was being pressed down by an invisible creature.

Although the terrifying creature in the Devil's Oil Painting had yet to fully escape, its influence on the outside world with its godhood made Fors lose most of her ability to resist. Once it fully escapes from the oil painting, Fors would even lose control merely from looking at it directly.

The difference between the two in their lives' natural order was unimaginable in certain aspects.

Gradually, Fors's consciousness blurred a little, having a nagging feeling that she was already lucid. She raised her arm and moved her feet, but on second thought, she realized that it was only her imagination. As her body turned colder, the feeling of being pressed down by an invisible creature became more obvious.

Fortunately, she had a bunch of demigods providing her information, allowing her to close her eyes in time. She didn't look at the Devil's Oil Painting; otherwise, the consequences would be dire.

Using Cogitation to maintain a certain level of clarity, Fors began counting down.

According to Mr. World's warning, she knew that the terrifying creature would need five seconds to completely escape the Devil's Oil Painting.

4... 3... 2... With just one second left, an illusory book appeared in Fors's eyes. It quickly flipped and stopped on one page.

1! Just as Fors finished counting, she suddenly spread open her arms.

Around her, peach blossoms fell in a colorful resplendence.

The bluish-black hand that was about to grab her neck moved away from her and was blocked by the peach forest that was blooming with vegetation and flowers. It was separated by a mountain that was the forest's river source, making it only possible for it to enter through a small cave.

This was a fairytale magic Fors had "Recorded" from Ma'am Hermit. It was called:

Peach Blossom Source!

It could create an isolation barrier from the outside world, making it very difficult for the outside world to connect to it.

Seizing this opportunity, Fors, who barely managed to regain control of her body, took out a "Queen" chess piece from Roselle's chess from a pocket and threw it at the source of the peach blossom scene, throwing it at the cave that penetrated through the flowing river.

This was another fairytale magic she had "Recorded," called:

The Chessboard of Time!

Its effect was to slow the target's movements, as though it had entered a region in which time flowed slower.

With a smack, the actions of the bluish-black palm that was trying hard to break through the Peach Blossom Source changed from extending outwards to squirming.

Fors didn't even look at the effects. She used an invisible hand to pick up the Devil's Oil Painting that was stuck in the sand, and she held it right up to the cave.

After one or two seconds, the bluish-black palm returned to normal. Its movements became extremely fast as it charged out of the Peach Blossom Source and crashed into the oil painting.

As the oil painting shook, the terrifying creature penetrated the surface and landed in it.

Fors was delighted. Without any hesitation, she recited the incantation and closed the outer seal of the Devil's Oil Painting.

Thankfully, that demigod creature has already lost control. It's left with nothing but madness and lacks intelligence... I wonder if I will directly hear Mr. Door's shouts after consuming the potion... Still nervous, Fors took out the Secrets Sorcerer potion bottle and poured it into her mouth.

-x-X-x-

If that demigod creature didn't slam into the Devil's Oil Painting on its own accord, I'd have to summon Mr. World's Historical Void projection... Uh, I wonder if that can be considered as directly hiring a helper at the angel level... As Fors pondered, she drank the potion.

To her, the potion was like icy water that could hurt someone due to the extreme temperature. All her senses vanished in the areas that it passed, leaving only her still thoughts.

It was inevitable that a person would hallucinate in extreme cold temperatures. In Fors's vision, a night sky instantly appeared. It was dotted with countless stars that weaved together to form a dream-like river.

Fors's body began reflecting bits of stellar radiance as if they came from her own body.

The tiny bits of pure stellar radiance formed an invisible connection with the different stars in the night sky. As the light shimmered, they twisted and squirmed as insect-like creatures crawled out of Fors's body. They wanted to seek refuge in the Milky Way formed by an array of embedded diamond shards.

Each of them carried a portion of their own flesh and consciousness, as though they were uncontrollable avatars.

Fors's thoughts quickly turned chaotic, and she fell into confusion. She almost couldn't control the urge to separate herself.

At that moment, she sensed an illusory object.

It was the seal that she had completed using the Devil's Oil Painting. It was projected into the mysterious world created by the potion, forming an abstract, blurry mark.

Fors didn't think further as she instinctively extended a portion of her consciousness along with her spirituality, and intertwined with the abstract symbol.

The mark wasn't exactly harmonious with her, as if it wasn't part of her, but it managed to barely merge with her.

Suddenly, in Fors's mind, the abstract symbol became rather clear. It consisted of a "door" that was layered with mysterious symbols.

This door hid Fors behind it, allowing her to isolate herself from the surrounding cosmos.

At the same time, on the other side of the "door," the sealed creature seemed to sense the aura of an enemy. Using its own godhood, it wildly corroded the illusory door. It happened to be able to reduce the influence the cosmos had on Fors.

After maintaining it for more than ten seconds, the resplendent Milky Way's night sky slowly faded away. The stellar radiance then returned to Fors's body fused with her.

At this moment, a deep darkness appeared in front of Fors. Deep in the darkness was a perpetual storm and occasionally flashing lightning.

The next second, Fors heard a familiar voice. It stabbed into her head like steel nails stirring her brain matter.

Fors grimaced immediately. If she hadn't experienced such things over and over in the past, and had some level of resistance, as well as the fact that she was at the saint level, she would have likely lost control.

Of course, there had to be some influence of "good luck" here.

After a few seconds, she finally managed to calm herself down and hear what the voice was shouting by using Cogitation.

It was calling for help!

It wasn't Jotun, Elvish or ancient Hermes. Instead, it was a language that Fors had never come into contact with before. However, she could understand it the moment she heard it. She felt like it was the true source of many languages.

Mr. Door would crazily shout for help every full moon. How disgraceful of a King of Angels... However, even if "He" is seeking help, it's still a terrifying thing that I can't withstand... Fors lampooned silently. She was considering if she should pretend not to hear it and wait until she had converged her spirituality and grasped the Beyonder powers of a Secrets Sorcerer before conversing with Mr. Door during the next full moon, or to do it now.

Suddenly, the shouts from afar stopped and the surroundings became deathly silent.

After two to three seconds, a wispy voice that could pierce through Spirit Bodies entered Fors's mind.

"You used the Beyonder characteristics of the Abraham family."

This sentence was said in a flat manner without any rise or fall, but it made the blood vessels on Fors's forehead throb. Her eyes turned bloodshot as her body turned resplendent.

She almost lost control of herself.

"Who are you?" Fors composed herself and asked deliberately.

The voice that seemed to lure her into losing control said in a low smiling voice, "You can call me Mr. Door.

"You should be familiar with me."

The King of Angels from the Fourth Epoch directly pointed out that Fors had a certain connection with "Him." She could hear the full moon ravings.

...I'm going to write you into a novel! Fors secretly gritted her teeth and asked, "Honorable Mr. Door, are you the ancestor of the Abraham family, Your Excellency Bethel?"

The voice that had crossed countless barriers returned to its flatness.

"Yes."

"Then, do you know that your cry for 'help' has caused the entire Abraham family to be trapped in a curse that has lasted for more than a thousand years? It's basically impossible for anyone to become a Traveler or even a Scribe? They often lose control during advancements or the night of the full moon." Fors felt that she couldn't speak to Mr. Door for a long time; otherwise, her inclination towards losing control would be irreversible. She directly posed the question that the Abrahams were most concerned about.

Mr. Door fell silent for two seconds before saying, "They no longer have Secrets Sorcerer or demigods?"

"There aren't any after the War of the Four Emperors. And the curse you brought has made it impossible for them to advance to a demigod. If you can stop crying for help for ten years, a new Abraham demigod might be born. This will greatly aid in your escape," Fors sincerely suggested.

Mr. Door sighed and said, "I have been exiled to an eternal darkness, and suffer the blockage of a perpetual storm. I have no way to know what's happening in the real world, nor did I expect that there isn't a single demigod left in the entire Abraham family."

Lies... The one who calmly made this conclusion wasn't Fors, but rather Klein, who had accommodated The Fool's card as he held the Staff of the Stars while sitting in Sefirah Castle. He had been closely monitoring the corresponding crimson star.

He remembered that the Emperor had mentioned in his diary that Mr. Door had a certain understanding of reality. "He" seemed to be able to use the changes brought about by the full moon to see the situation outside the seal.

After sighing, Mr. Door continued, "Besides, I can't control the cries for help during the full moon."

"Why?" Fors asked in surprise.

Mr. Door said in an ethereal voice, "You're already a demigod, so you should know very well that the higher the Sequence, the greater the threat of going mad.

"An ordinary angel, even those who can walk the land freely and do what they like, without needing to engage in any additional battles, could also be gradually influenced by the Beyonder characteristics and become less like themselves. They might even enter a half-crazy state. I'm a King of Angels who has been exiled and sealed for more than a thousand years, and I don't even have someone to communicate with. My not going crazy means that I'm sufficiently powerful and lucky.

"On each full moon, the madness in me will be strengthened. I can't control it and can only constantly call for help."

So that's how it is... If I were locked up like this, I might've gone crazy in a few months... Uh, if I'm provided alcohol, newspapers, magazines, all kinds of books, and various delicacies, I can last a year—no, half a year... Fors nodded in enlightenment and asked in a perfunctory manner, "Is there anything I can do for you? How can the Abrahams dispel the curse?"

Mr. Door fell silent for a few seconds before saying, "Set up a ritual and help me escape. That way, the curse will cease to exist.

"There are two rituals that can be used. One is to sacrifice three demigods that are respectively from the Seer, Apprentice, and Marauder pathway... The other is to extract the blood of at least ninety-nine Beyonders from the Abraham family. Use it to draw such a symbol..."

"...I'll tell them," Fors immediately replied.

At the same time, she added inwardly, That's if Mr. Fool permits it.

Mr. Door laughed and said, "If I can escape because of this, I will help you become an angel..."

"His" voice became more ethereal and weaker, as though "He" was slowly returning to "His" original state as Fors advancement came to an end.

About two to three seconds later, Fors couldn't hear the sounds that slowly pushed her onto the path of losing control. The deep darkness and horrifying storms in front of her also vanished.

However, before the scene completely faded away, Fors could vaguely see that, on a vast land formed from dark red rocks, there was an ancient building that resembled a pyramid erected there. Behind the building was a deep darkness and twinkling stars. It was completely different from the cosmos that she had seen as an Astrologer on the ground.

What's this? Fors shook her head and controlled her scattered thoughts as she began to carefully rein her spirituality back.

After getting accustomed to the state of a Secrets Sorcerer, she immediately took on a praying posture and reported her previous experiences to Mr. Fool without missing anything.

After doing this, Fors put away the Devil's Oil Painting, "Teleported" back to Pritz Harbor, and met her teacher, Dorian Gray Abraham, who was waiting in the warehouse.

Seeing that his student was safe and sound, Dorian heaved a sigh of relief and said in a pious manner, "Thanks to Mr. Fool for 'His' blessings."

He had finally taught a Sequence 4 Secrets Sorcerer who didn't show signs of betrayal.

Due to Mr. Fool's lack of response, Fors didn't inform her teacher of her conversation with Mr. Door. She planned on waiting until the next full moon.

She also relaxed and smiled.

"Apart from thanking Mr. Fool, I have to thank you, Teacher."

...

In the ancient palace above the fog.

Klein didn't have any doubts about Mr. Door calling "Himself" half-crazy. He only felt that there had to be more secrets hidden in the matter. For example, why did Mr. Door keep enticing Emperor Roselle to visit the moon? It was a place that was occupied by an Outer Deity.

After some thought, he took out the Scarlet Lunar Corona and Master Key from the fog of history. He planned on creating a full moon environment and listening to Mr. Door's shouting.

The effects of the combination had long been confirmed. Klein quickly heard the voice that seemed to pierce through his Spirit Body.

The content of the shouting was:

"Don't save me... Don't save me..."

-x-X-x-

"Don't save me... Don't save me..."

Being located in Sefirah Castle and having accommodated The Fool's card, Klein already had the status of a King of Angels. He no longer suffered any direct corruption from Mr. Door's cries, but the contents of the cries made his scalp tingle. His pupils dilated, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of horror surging in his heart.

He originally believed that Mr. Door was constantly shouting for help, but what he heard now was:

"Don't save me!"

Amidst Klein's silence, the weak, wispy voice pierced through his Spirit Body like needles. After shouting for more than ten seconds, it suddenly changed.

"Help me... Help me..."

This time, there was a certain change in the language used.

"..." Klein expressionlessly leaned back into his chair and listened for nearly ten seconds.

Following that, he removed his control over the Master Key and the Scarlet Lunar Corona's Historical Void projection, allowing the atmosphere of the space above the gray fog to completely return to silence.

Phew... He exhaled as he tapped the edge of the long mottled table out of habit and muttered to himself, Mr. Door is indeed half-mad, but the mad part isn't the "Him" who is desperately screaming, but the "Him" who appears calm, the one that's able to communicate with people rationally... The latter can influence the former to a certain extent, distorting the contents of "His" shouts?

When Mr. Door is lucid, "He" actually shouts "don't save me"... To a King of Angels who had been imprisoned for more than a thousand years, this definitely isn't a normal reaction. Unless "He" feels that "He" will bring a disaster that "He" doesn't wish to see upon returning to reality... A King of Angels that has completely lost control?

Together with Mr. Door's communication with the Emperor, and how "He" had been constantly enticing him to visit the moon which is occupied by an Outer Deity. There is another possibility to this matter:

Mr. Door, who was exiled, lost the protection left behind by the original Creator. "He" encountered the corruption of a particular Outer Deity and lost most of "His" rationality. "His" condition is only slightly better than the Chained God...

The Apprentice pathway can wander the cosmos at Sequence 3. Mr. Door's honorific name also includes the title of "Guide of the endless cosmos"... Does this mean that before this King of Angels was exiled, "He" might have already made contact with Outer Deities and came under some influence?

Yes, what does Miss Magician's final glimpse of the crimson land, pyramid-like buildings, and cosmos in a different area represent? This doesn't seem like it's in the current solar system, but it's a little different from the mausoleum that a Black Emperor needs... It's the lair of some Outer Deity who affected Mr. Door; or should I say that when Mr. Door became a Planeswalker and left legends behind on other planets with living beings, this is one of "His" anchor points? It's highly likely the latter, because when Miss Magician saw this scene, she didn't encounter any corruption from the cosmos...

The more Klein thought about it, the heavier his heart became. This was because it was possible that this was a reflection of how the apocalypse would dawn.

The apocalypse was definitely not something that wouldn't happen by not thinking about it or pretending not to know!

It's no wonder Yellow Light Venithan had prophesied that the day when the curse is removed is the beginning of the true disaster for the Abrahams... Mr. Door keeps calling for help, causing the Abraham family to be unable to produce another demigod. Perhaps it's a certain form of protection... Although this will make the Abraham family lose their status and most precious items, making them mediocre, it can at least save their bloodline... Heh heh, in the prophecy, the solution to resolving the curse is in the hands of an Apprentice who has obtained the help of a secret existence... Klein chuckled softly and had an idea about the response to give Miss Magician.

He planned on getting Fors to give a half-truth when informing her teacher.

Firstly, it was to emphasize that Mr. Door was already half-crazy and extremely dangerous. Even communicating with "Him" implied tremendous risks. Secondly, it was to not mention the second ritual for the curse removal. All she would say was about the sacrificing of a Seer, a Marauder, and an Apprentice demigod.

With the first point, the Abrahams could understand why their ancestor was insistent on calling for help. This was because "He" had already lost "His" mind and could do all sorts of terrifying things.

This could effectively eliminate the anxiety of the Abrahams, preventing them from helping Mr. Door escape, and allowing them to quickly start believing in The Fool.

The second point was to dispel the small number of extreme Abrahams who wanted to try their luck. This was because they lacked the ability to complete such a ritual.

At the same time, informing the Abrahams of the ritual increased the trust they had in Fors.

Ignoring the small number of Secrets Sorcerers available, those who can become Bizarro Sorcerers are definitely very difficult to capture. Furthermore, most of them are concentrated in the Secret Order. To deal with them is to provoke Zaratul. Even if the Abrahams have a demigod, and can use a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact for a short period of time, it's impossible for them to complete the ritual so easily. Yes, dealing with a Parasite is the most dangerous. If they aren't careful, they might end up targeting Amon's avatar. When that happens, it will be equivalent to serving Amon desserts...

Also, I'll use The World's Gehrman Sparrow in the future to remind Miss Magician to keep her guard up against the Abraham family's extremists... Klein thought for a moment before replying Fors's prayer.

...

After returning from the fog of history to the real world, Klein boarded a steam locomotive and arrived at the capital of Midseashire. In the past, it was the second-largest city in Loen, and also the frontline of the recent war, Constant City.

...The damage suffered here is very serious... After getting off the train and leaving the platform, Klein stood up high and looked at the industrial city.

Although it was his first time here, he had seen all sorts of pictures of Constant in newspapers and magazines.

Those photos were all black and white, and they recorded the various aspects of this city.

Among them, there were three points that left a deep impression on Klein:

Firstly, it was filled with chimneys and tall blast furnaces. It was as though it was a man-made forest. It gave a striking visual impact, one that was more representative of industry than Backlund.

Secondly, the majority of the buildings used concrete and steel. They were more densely built than their counterparts in Backlund.

Thirdly, there were many places that were stained with coal ashes, including the bodies of humans, but the air quality was better than Backlund because the sea breeze was strong.

And now, the towering blast furnaces, chimneys, and tall buildings had become rather sparse. All that was left was a pile of ruins.

However, in comparison, the damage dealt to the factory district was lesser than the residential areas. This was because there were many steel and military factories that were equally important to Feysac.

The death toll here is definitely more than 100,000... Klein sighed inwardly. He carried his luggage and walked down the stairs to the steam locomotive station and entered Constant City.

On the way to the hotel, he continued his acting as a Miracle Invoker and randomly chose a young, burly man in his thirties.

"I'm a wandering magician. My best magic trick is to grant anyone's wishes. Do you want to try it?" The previously thin-skinned Klein was now able to strike up a conversation naturally.

The burly man glanced at him and waved his hand impatiently.

"Can you let my father, mother, two brothers, and a child be revived?"

With that said, he didn't wait for the magician to respond as he walked towards the nearest public carriage station in a slightly irritable manner. He struck his left chest with his right fist.

Klein stood where he was and maintained the smile on his lips as he quietly watched the man leave.

He recalled a magazine he had read on a steam locomotive. It contained several pages of images reflecting the current state of each cemetery in Constant City.

The tombstones were similar to the original chimneys and blast furnaces. The racks that held up urns of ashes resembled tall buildings that had collapsed...

The entirety of Constant City seemed to be buried in a cemetery.

Retracting his smile, Klein walked around the already dried-up fountain and walked to a nearby inn.

Along the way, he heard many pedestrians discussing haunted places and the places with terrifying monsters.

"When I was passing by the Maris River, I heard a lot of people crying in the water. I didn't dare to look and ran back into the city like the wind..."

"That's nothing. I saw something even scarier on 9 Hyacinth Street! There was a face plastered on the window there! A very pale face!"

"A few passersby disappeared behind my house, and the blood continued all the way to the nearest ruin, but the police couldn't find the bodies..."

"How terrifying. May the Goddess bless us!"

"Holy Lord of Storms. Let these ghosts and monsters stay away from us."

"By the way, City Hall has posted an announcement that we are to report it to the police the moment such things are discovered."

From the looks of it, the meatgrinder-like war made it impossible to placate many corpses, allowing them to turn into ghosts. Phew, most of the time, some of the dead might not even have their bodies left intact... Yes, there are definitely many Beyonders who lost control due to a mental breakdown or from losing their limbs... Also, most of those who didn't consume the potion according to the normal procedures also easily lose control... The Nighthawks and Mandated Punishers will definitely clear up these matters, but at least in Constant City, people might have encountered plenty of Beyonder matters for quite a long period of time. After all, some ghosts and monsters are good at evasion and hiding. They are innately very cunning... Klein walked straight and gained a new understanding of Constant's situation.

Here, encountering supernatural events was no longer a coincidence. Instead, it was a daily occurrence with a certain probability.

At this moment, Klein saw a group of Nighthawks wearing red gloves and black trench coats walk across the crossroad ahead of him. However, he didn't recognize any of them.

Indeed, the Cathedral of Serenity has sent the Red Gloves team to help... Uh, what's happening nearby? Klein nodded indiscernibly and, following his spiritual intuition, cast his gaze to a particular apartment building behind a pile of ruins.

On the fourth floor, behind an oriel window, a greatly rotting face was plastered to the window, looking out through the glass. Pale yellow liquid with black hints slid down the window one after another.

-x-X-x-

Eric had become a captain of a Red Gloves team during the later stages of the war, as well as advancing to Sequence 5 Spirit Warlock.

He had witnessed the deaths of the ex-captain and ex-ex-captain. He knew that a higher Sequence wasn't a guarantee that he would be safer. Care and caution was what mattered.

To the elite Red Gloves of the Nighthawks, this was a concept that almost everyone believed in. This was because ordinary Nighthawks might only encounter ordinary problems that looked like supernatural events. Occasionally, there would be slip-ups, and it was highly likely that they would rely on their Beyonder powers to turn the situation around. As for Red Gloves who worked on various important cases, their hidden targets were definitely rather dangerous.

At that moment, Eric stood on the fourth floor of the apartment on 14 Priya Street. Facing the tightly-shut dark brown wooden door, he surveyed the area and said, "Two Nighthawks have already gone missing here. We must not be careless."

Initially, several residents of this apartment block reported it to the police. They claimed that Unit 403 had a stench, and the tenants of Unit 303 often heard heavy footsteps from above.

The policemen in charge of the area took two days before coming to investigate. However, they didn't walk out of Unit 403.

After the police confirmed this, they immediately transferred the case to the Church of Evernight. However, the two Nighthawks who came to deal with it also disappeared. The door to Unit 403 remained tightly shut.

Due to this premise, the Church of Evernight's archbishop of the Midseashire diocese entrusted the matter to Eric's team and allowed them to apply for a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact as support.

"Yes, Captain." The members of the Red Gloves team either nodded or spoke in response.

Eric didn't say anything else as he stood in front of the dark-brown door of Unit 403 which remained tightly shut. He raised his red-gloved left hand and knocked on one of his teeth.

A blurry figure suddenly appeared in front of him. As though it had no substance to it, it passed through the gap in the door and entered Unit 403.

Eric's expression was unusually focused, as if he was observing the situation in the room through that blurry figure.

It was a natural spirit that he controlled. It wasn't especially powerful but it had special abilities. It usually lived on his left front tooth.

Under the current situation, Eric believed that they shouldn't barge in directly. It was best to do reconnaissance first. Even if his team had a good mix of powers and a powerful Sealed Artifact to help them, they had to be cautious.

If he could figure out the situation inside and prepare for it in a targeted fashion, he believed that things would be much easier.

Right at this moment, tiny blood vessels protruded in Eric's eyes, and some of them even exploded.

When his vision turned bright red, Eric heard a heavy creak.

The dark-brown door suddenly opened!

There were a total of six figures in the room. Three police officers wore black-and-white uniforms. They were sitting on high-back chairs, high stools, and the sofa. Two of them were wearing half top hats, black trench coats, of which one was standing by the door, and the other was standing behind the oriel window. His face was pressed to the surface of the glass as if he was watching the streets downstairs.

There was also a figure sitting on a high stool at the edge of the balcony. In front of him was an exquisite astronomical telescope.

The skin of the six figures began to swell, as though they had been injected with gas. Some parts of the body had even cracked and were highly decomposed, but they still hadn't dried up. They exuded a bluish-black glisten as light-yellow liquid with hints of black flowed out.

Sensing the door open, the six figures turned to look at Eric and the others.

The first was the Nighthawk standing in front of the door. The last was the man wearing a cotton shirt behind the astronomical telescope. He had one of his eyeballs—its blacks and whites separated clearly—glued to the telescope's lens, allowing him to only use his remaining black, empty socket to scan the Red Gloves team outside.

A faint stench drilled into the noses of Eric and the others as an indescribable coldness filled the surroundings.

Eric instinctively raised his hand to hit his teeth, releasing more spirits. Then, he used his Nightmare Beyonder powers to forcefully drag all his targets into a dream.

However, no matter how he tapped his teeth, he didn't release his soul. His Spirit Warlock Beyonder powers seemed to have vanished instantly.

At the same time, a Nightmare in the Red Gloves team also discovered in surprise that he was unable to pull someone into a dream!

At that moment, apart from the enhancement in their physique brought by the potion, their Beyonder powers mysteriously vanished.

"Leave this place!" Eric ordered without hesitation.

He had never encountered such a strange situation before. All he could do was get the team to retreat first before choosing a Sealed Artifact to handle the situation in a targeted manner.

However, he and his team members didn't move despite his orders. It was as though their bodies were no longer taking orders.

Eric instinctively lowered his head and looked at his lower body. His legs were swollen and his pants were torn.

In addition, he could clearly feel that his skin was decaying, rotting, and running with pus.

He and his Red Gloves team had yet to truly come into contact with their target, but they had fallen into a "nightmare" of watching themselves die, swell, and rot bit by bit with no way to escape.

Right at this moment, Eric's bloodshot eyes reflected a normal palm. He held the handle and gently pulled it.

Thud!

The dark-brown door of Unit 403 closed once again, separating Eric and his Red Gloves team from the creatures in the room.

They instantly regained control over their bodies. However, their legs seemed to have suffered significant injuries. It was a little difficult to move them, be it raising their feet or bending their knees.

Eric didn't bother checking on his injuries. He quickly cast his gaze on the palm that closed the door, and its owner.

It was a young man wearing an ancient hat and a long black robe. His facial features were ordinary, making it impossible for one to have a deep impression of him. It was a face that one forgot in seconds.

"I sincerely advise you to return now and leave the matter to the archbishop or high-ranking deacons to handle. Of course, you have another choice. That is to ask me to grant a wish. I'm a wandering magician named Merlin Hermes. My specialty is granting the wishes of others." Klein spared no effort in enticing others to make a wish.

When he saw the rotting face on the oriel window earlier, he suddenly had an ominous feeling, so he specially came over to confirm what had happened.

Grant wishes... Eric recalled the education he had received during his training in the Holy Cathedral:

A High-Sequence Beyonder might be in a state of being imprisoned or sealed. They will pretend to be mystical items that can grant wishes, and they will entice you into helping them escape. The corresponding examples include: granting three wishes and wishing pools...

Is this a High-Sequence Beyonder? But he doesn't look like he's imprisoned or sealed... Eric looked left and right and deliberated for a few seconds before probing,

"If we don't ask you to grant us our wishes, will you not resolve the abnormality in the room?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he saw the wandering magician who called himself Merlin Hermes fall deep in thought, looking a little troubled.

A few seconds later, Klein raised his hand to stroke his tall top hat. He smiled and sighed.

"Even if you don't make the wish, I will still attempt to resolve it."

"...Do I need to read your honorific name or your true name to have my wish granted?" Eric asked after exchanging glances with his team members.

Klein shook his head.

"No, just tell me your wish."

This wouldn't create a mysticism connection... Eric probed in a joking tone, "Then I wish the abnormalities in this room will be resolved and will no longer affect the surroundings."

Klein curled his smile and gently clapped his hands.

"Your wish will come true."

Without waiting for Eric to respond, he smiled and said, "The abnormalities inside can suppress Beyonder characteristics, causing the corresponding powers to be ineffective, but that isn't absolute.

"Typically in such cases, my suggestion is..."

As he spoke, Klein reached out with his left hand and took out an eyeball-shaped glass ball. He then twisted the handle with his right hand, opening the door a little.

Then, through a crack, he threw the glass ball into Unit 403.

As the glass ball flew, it constantly absorbed the surrounding light and gave off a brilliant, pure, extreme sunlight that resembled a miniature sun.

The next second, Klein closed the door with his right palm, lest Eric and company's eyes couldn't take it.

"My suggestion is to use a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact in the Sun domain to purify the entire area." While saying that, Klein recalled the Mutated Sun Sacred Emblem behind Tingen City's Chanis Gate. Although it was only a Grade 3 Sealed Artifact, it could still deal with the rotting creatures inside given enough time.

Just as Eric was about to say that they had brought a similar Sealed Artifact, but just didn't have the chance to use it, he saw Mr. Merlin Hermes open the door to Unit 403.

The six figures inside had vanished into thin air, and the different Beyonder characteristics were slowly condensing. The originally cold and sinister stench had been completely melted by the warm feeling.

"It's been resolved?" Eric asked after some hesitation.

Klein shook his head with a smile.

"No, the root of the problem is still here.

"Have you investigated the owner of this place?"

Eric replied immediately, "He calls himself John, an amateur astronomer. He likes to study the cosmos using specialized telescopes at night."

Studying the cosmos... Klein walked into the room without batting an eyelid, and he casually instructed:

"Search the area and find any possible clues."

For some reason, Eric suddenly felt that Mr. Merlin Hermes was the captain from back when he first joined the Nighthawks. He was professional, calm, and trustworthy.

He nodded at his team members, signaling them to follow his instructions.

As for him, he continued following Klein. It was both to provide him help, and also for necessary precautions.

Klein ignored him as he swept his gaze and approached the exquisite astronomical telescope. Then, he bent down and drew his eyes towards the lens.

This might be dangerous... Eric had planned to warn him, but he fell silent when he thought about how high the other party's level and status expressed.

At that moment, through the telescope, Klein saw a resplendent, dream-like dark night sky. Every star there was blinking slightly.

Suddenly, his vision was occupied by a huge eye.

The eye seemed to be directly attached to the lens on the other end of the telescope. It was grayish-white with a pale-yellow iris. Veins swelled outwards and seeped out disgusting translucent pus.

-x-X-x-

Boom!

The Red Gloves captain, Eric, shivered involuntarily as he saw Merlin Hermes, who claimed to be a wandering magician, explode behind the telescope.

However, there was no splattering blood or flesh. The shredded limbs disappeared into the air like soap bubbles.

"..." Eric and his team members, who looked over due to the commotion, were stunned. They didn't understand the reason behind such a sudden sequence of events.

A second later, Eric said in a deep voice, "Retreat!"

He wanted to evacuate his team before the danger truly spread.

At this moment, another figure walked in from the open door of Unit 403. It was none other than Merlin Hermes who had just exploded.

This wandering Magician was wearing a tall hat and a long black robe. As if nothing had happened, he spoke to Eric and his team members:

"The root of the problem really is from that telescope."

As he spoke, Klein walked to the balcony and tapped the telescope with his right hand.

Another bang rang out as the telescope suddenly shattered into metallic points of light that emitted a foul stench of bluish-black gas.

The moment the grayish-white fog appeared, the stench vanished and the room returned to normal.

...What exactly happened? Eric forced himself to forget about the other party's death and asked cautiously.

As a captain of the Red Gloves who was rather experienced, he had some guesses about the truth of the matter. The main goal of asking was to seek confirmation.

Klein smiled and said, "Simply put, the telescope mutated for some reason, causing the owner of the room to see something that he shouldn't have seen.

"If you want to understand more details, you can only search for clues yourself. I'm not too sure either."

Eric nodded slightly and cast his gaze at his team members, signaling them to continue their investigation.

After a series of work, Eric said to Merlin Hermes, "There aren't many clues left in the room. We can only confirm a few things:

"One, John is a local resident, and he served in the military during the war. It seems that he had some mental problems as a result. Two, he had been an amateur astronomer. At the end of the war, he joined an academic organization known as the Celestial Research Association, but we didn't obtain any information about this organization. Three, John was seeking the way to see the true cosmos."

Upon mentioning the word "cosmos," Eric paused slightly, as though he had received a warning from the upper echelons of the Church of Evernight.

He joined an organization known as the Celestial Research Association after the war ended... Sought the way to see the true cosmos... Klein combined this knowledge with his "experience" and had a certain level of confidence in the matter. He nodded and said, "You should know that the cosmos means danger. You can't even try to understand it."

"We will report this case to the archbishop as soon as possible and classify the Celestial Research Association as a dangerous organization," Eric said as if speaking to a Nighthawk superior who wasn't directly in charge of him.

Klein didn't respond as he walked to the door and sighed.

"Indeed, war really does have an irreversible impact on all aspects..."

After the fall of the God of Combat, the already crumbling barrier set up by the Primordial One lost parts of its support. As for the Evernight Goddess, "She" has yet to fully gain control of the corresponding Uniquenesses. As for becoming a Great Old One, who knows how much longer that will take. Under such circumstances, the intrusion of the Outer Deities into this world would naturally deepen. This has combined with the damage that many ordinary people have suffered from the war.

Klein suspected that, during the subsequent period of rebuilding after the war, many cults that pointed to the different Outer Deities or Cosmos would appear secretly in Loen. If he allowed them to spread their faith and attempt various risky attempts, the apocalypse would definitely be brought forward.

As he sighed, he walked out of Unit 403. His figure blurred, turning transparent until he disappeared.

In a hotel near Priya Street, Klein, who had long since moved in, picked up the coffee in front of him and took a sip.

Taking advantage of the fact that it was still early, he went out once again and took a carriage to the outskirts of the coastal Constant City.

There was a cemetery. The stone tablets stood erect like a short forest.

Klein walked through the cemetery and found a tombstone with the help of his spirituality.

The name on the tombstone wrote:

"Welch McGovern."

This was the original Klein's university schoolmate. As he had bought the Antigonus family's notebook, he had mysteriously died in Tingen. This had indirectly caused Zhou Mingrui to "transmigrate."

Welch McGovern's father was a banker in Constant City. He had spent money to bring his son's corpse back to his hometown and buried it in this cemetery.

Klein stared at the photo on the tombstone for a few seconds. He bent down and placed the bouquet of white flowers in his hand in front of Welch's grave.

Just as he was about to turn and leave, he suddenly stopped in his tracks. Twenty to thirty seconds later, an old man with a black cane walked over from another direction.

Klein recognized him and knew that he was Welch's father. He was the Midseashire County banker who had once invited him and his schoolmates to a sumptuous meal.

However, compared to a few years ago, this gentleman had aged significantly. He was originally a very energetic middle-aged gentleman, but now, his hair was half white. There were many wrinkles on his eyes, mouth, and forehead.

"Who are you?" Welch's father looked at the stranger in front of the grave. He asked, puzzled and wary.

Klein sighed and said, "Mr. McGovern, I'm Welch's friend. I just happened to pass by Constant City recently."

Welch's father nodded slightly and said in a deep voice, "He's a very sociable person. I only know a number of his friends."

His words were an attempt to explain why he hadn't invited Klein to the funeral and how sorry he was.

Klein didn't say anything else as he looked around and said, "Is there anything you need help with? Or do you have any wishes that you wish to have fulfilled? I hope I can provide you with some strength."

Welch's father looked around and smiled bitterly.

"Can you allow all the dead here to stand up again?"

It's not impossible, but they will be different from what you have in mind... Klein sighed and shook his head.

"Then can you allow Constant to return to its original state?" Welch's father asked with a bitter smile.

Without waiting for Klein's reply, he sighed and continued, "There's no need to provide any help. I can achieve what is possible myself. If it's impossible, then I can only pray to the deities."

As he spoke, the banker went past Klein and walked to his son's tombstone. He bent down and put down the bouquet of white flowers.

Klein looked at his back and muttered to himself, "I will try my best."

With that, he turned around and left the cemetery.

...

Constant City, in a bar with a style that resembled the previous century's.

A man donning a thick jacket carried his beer and walked to a wooden board beside the bar counter. He tried to find a part-time job on the notices pasted on it.

Suddenly, he saw a strange mission:

"I'm a reporter. I want to gather all kinds of stories from different people. It's best if you had personally experienced it yourself. The remuneration I can provide is to satisfy your wish to repair and rebuild your house for free. I have sufficient resources in this aspect.

"Merlin Hermes."

The man subconsciously frowned. He felt that this request was too strange, like it was a prank.

"Can you read the words on it?" A thin man who was sitting beside the wooden board took the opportunity to ask.

Few patrons of this bar were literate. Even if they wanted to find a job, or accept the corresponding commissions, most people were unable to understand the notices on the wooden board, and the bartender could only remember the few with the highest pay.

As a result of this situation, the thin, feeble man relied on the common Loenese terms he learned at the free schools to provide the corresponding interpretation at a quarter-pence.

This was how he made a living.

The man shook his head, indicating that he understood Loenese. He pointed at Merlin Hermes' request and said, "Is this real?"

"It is. That reporter is sitting by that corner, the one wearing a very tall hat." The thin, feeble man enthusiastically pointed him in the correct direction.

The reporter had promised him a quarter-pence for every person he introduced.

The man holding the beer fell silent. After hesitating for a full ten seconds, he walked to the corner and found the reporter named Merlin Hermes.

"W-will you really help me rebuild my house?" he asked worriedly.

Klein pointed at the documents on the small round table and said, "We can sign a contract."

"...There's no need. Even if you provide some materials, I'll still be very satisfied." The man sat opposite Klein and said rather cautiously, "I don't have a very touching story."

"As long as it's real enough." Klein nodded slightly in encouragement.

The man looked down and stared at the table.

"I'm a Constant native, and I used to have a decent job. I bought a terrace house along Lowtide Street. Later, war broke out. My house was reduced to ruins during one of the bombings. My eldest son, the child who just entered primary school, was buried inside...

"We had no choice but to rent a two-bedroom room until the Feysacians occupied Constant. Th-they dragged my wife away and she never returned...

"Some time ago, someone requested me to identify her corpse. I couldn't even recognize her. She had rotten so much that you wouldn't even call it a corpse. However, in the pockets of her clothes, there was still... there was still our old water bill...

"When she was still at the rental apartment, she had always missed our home. It's the same for my younger daughter. I don't have much money now and can only barely maintain my life, but I wish to rebuild that house bit by bit.

"To be honest, I don't like telling others about my misfortune. I'd rather stay silent. But if I can really get help with the rebuilding efforts, then I can..."

Klein held a pen and paper and pretended to jot it down. He nodded gently and said, "Your wish will come true. Wait for me in front of the ruins of that house on Lowtide Street tomorrow."

At the same time, he pushed a one-soli note over.

"This is for your drinks. My treat."

The man's eyes flickered. He seemed to want to refuse it, but in the end, he still picked up the note.

The next day, after sending his younger daughter to the church school, he walked along the familiar path to the familiar Lowtide Street and saw that familiar house.

Its chimney, its windows, its door, and the weeds on its walls hadn't changed at all. It was so familiar, as if its beautiful female owner would open the door in the next second and walk the two children out to welcome their father.

The man was stunned, unable to believe that this was real.

However, even if it was an illusion, he was willing to embrace it.

...

After several days, Klein, who had completed a slew of similar wishes, pushed open the window of the hotel and snapped his fingers in the morning light fog.

In an area of the city overlooking Constant, Welch's father woke up out of habit due to his dreams of his dead son and family. He walked to the balcony to take in the morning air.

Under the light of dawn, he suddenly saw chimneys and blast furnaces that resembled a forest. Alongside them were tall buildings.

The former Constant City had presented itself to him, bathed in the orange light of dawn.