After hearing Anderson's question, Klein was momentarily at a loss for an answer. He couldn't just tell him that he had fallen out of a dream suspected to belong to Queen Mystic.
He coldly looked at the unlucky Strongest Hunter, raised his right hand, and pointed upwards.
"Is that so..." Anderson Hood nodded in enlightenment.
What... did you figure out... I don't even know what I'm expressing myself... Klein discreetly twitched the corner of his lips and changed the topic. He said in recollection, "I met someone just now..."
"Not someone we know? Not a member of the Future? The person who came out of the door from deep inside the hall?" Anderson suddenly became excited.
This fellow doesn't put on airs of being the Strongest Hunter. He's like a breaking news reporter... Klein lampooned without answering him. He directly said, "She got me to pass on a prophecy to you."
"She... What prophecy?" Anderson was somewhat puzzled.
If I were using my identity as Klein Moretti, I would've answered, "Sorry, I've forgotten. She only said it once"... As Klein imagined the prank that wouldn't have happened, he said with a deep voice, "The most lethal danger often lies in day-to-day life."
Anderson listened carefully as he drew a gasp.
"That's just too accurate! I was drinking beer and nearly made myself a ret*rd. Who would imagine that most of the alcohol on the Future is problematic!"
He ruminated for a few seconds and asked, somewhat worried, "That's it?
"Did you forget any details or keywords?"
I can tell that you're being provocative... Klein ignored Anderson Hood and walked to the entrance of the hall of murals where he looked at Frank and Nina outside.
Back in the library, he had been suddenly accused of being Hero Bandit Black Emperor by Queen Mystic. This inevitably caused him to be placed in a passive state. Afterwards, he attempted to throw her off and not be led by the nose; therefore, he remained extremely nervous. His thoughts were completely focused on what he should say in response, without the time to consider the entire process and figure out the details. Now, he finally had the time.
First, what's most important is to understand a question. To what level of comprehension does Queen Mystic have towards my identity and Roselle's diary?
Yes... She believed that I grasp the means to interpret the language created by Emperor Roselle, and not the language itself. Although the difference in meaning isn't great, it's enough to prove that our identity as transmigrators isn't something she has figured out or have any clues that point towards that conclusion.
Miss Sharron isn't a rookie who just joined the mysticism circles or got herself involved in complicated matters. While getting someone to fake an identity for me, it's impossible for her to divulge who she's doing it for. Besides, the picture I provided was already Gehrman Sparrow's image...
That means that Queen Mystic hasn't equated Sherlock Moriarty to Gehrman Sparrow. Yes, if she had already known about this, as I had previously imagined, a better form of address would be Mr. Black Emperor Sherlock Moriarty. This would've dealt my mental defenses a blow that was several times stronger than directly addressing me as Hero Bandit Black Emperor.
From her standpoint, how did she gather useful information from scattered clues?
She knows that the bookmark is the Black Emperor card. Hence, the specter-like Hero Bandit Black Emperor and the strange Spirit Body who stole the Card of Blasphemy from the Royal Museum were connected together. Later, King of the Five Seas, Nast, suddenly appeared in the Rorsted Archipelago. According to the law of Beyonder characteristics convergence, she guessed that Hero Bandit Black Emperor might've appeared in Bayam and the archipelago.
After her investigations, she discovered the familiar identity known as Gehrman Sparrow. Then, from his identical trajectory with Hero Bandit Black Emperor's actions, she made a prediction and engaged in pursuit. She infiltrated the Future and observed me up close.
This is logical, but there's a certain level of coincidences in all of this. King of the Five Seas Nast appears anywhere he likes. Perhaps he might be missing a particular lady from the Red Theater and got his ship to cross the spirit world to enter the waters around the Rorsted Archipelago, or perhaps Bayam happens to have the High-Sequence Beyonder ingredients of the Black Emperor pathway that attracted him... There's no way to directly link it to Hero Bandit Black Emperor.
Of course, it's not incomprehensible for Queen Mystic to make such a connection. Perhaps she abides by the principle of being wrong rather than feel sorry in regards to important clues. Heh, that's a good habit, but it's just tiring.
There's also a high chance that she didn't lock onto Gehrman Sparrow immediately. However, with the reputation of the crazy adventurer Gehrman Sparrow becoming more prominent in the Rorsted Archipelago waters and the City of Generosity Bayam, she matched the timing after hearing the name, and then she came to a preliminary conclusion.
Sigh, it's still better to keep a low profile in life. Thankfully, my acting has finally come to an end. Subsequently, I can make the identity of Gehrman Sparrow vanish! Klein ran through everything and felt that he had mostly understood the problem at its root.
However, he had another thought and guess.
It was the way Admiral of Stars Cattleya had received Gehrman Sparrow on her ship. She had done it in an ostentatious manner, as though she was afraid that it wasn't known to the world that the crazy adventurer was cooperating with her! @@novelbin@@
Perhaps, she was providing a certain level of clues. Later, Queen Mystic came and learned that it was Gehrman Sparrow. After figuring out the trajectory of my activity at sea, she had a certain speculation. Instead of trying to pull a bluff, she was actually rather certain! Klein held one hand in his pocket as he walked out of the hall of murals. He then headed straight for Cattleya, who was outside the black cloister. He planned on using her turbid state to question her.
At this point, he had actually relaxed significantly. This was because Queen Mystic clearly only knew that Gehrman Sparrow was equivalent to Hero Bandit Black Emperor, and he was a Beyonder who worked for some important figure. It didn't involve even more secrets.
Even if she had connected the loss of the Black Emperor card that night to Detective Sherlock Moriarty who was nearby, that wouldn't be a huge problem.
From a very long time ago, I had already equated Sherlock Moriarty to The World, and I also equated that to the Blessed of The Fool. Gehrman Sparrow is only an extension of that identity. Heh heh, this is my preparation for such matters. I always believed that I shouldn't treat others as ret*rds. As long as someone is active, any clues on their trajectory and social connections would lead to exposure. Therefore, I prepared this identity ahead of time for these smart people. I also strictly abided to these settings even in my everyday life.
And for the Blessed of an important figure to have a basic understanding of Roselle's dairy is completely understandable and acceptable. It's within the realms of an ordinary bestowment from a special existence.
Heh, you probably never expected that there's a mask under the mask!
Amidst his thoughts, Klein also felt that the help from the gray fog and his caution had played a significant role. If he hadn't noticed that he had been observed by someone ahead of time while instinctively abiding by his will, he might've summoned the messenger under Queen Mystic's surveillance.
The messenger alone might not expose anything, but it's worrisome that Queen Mystic might have a way of tracking it and finding Mr. Azik. From his recent sightings, it's possible for her to dig out my identity as Klein Moretti... Klein tore through a square filled with numerous giant arrows, walked out the black cloister, and saw Cattleya sitting there as she hugged her knees just like before. She was staring at the beautiful sunset.
Klein leaped onto the boulder and came to the side of the withered trees. He looked at the magnificent buildings on the opposite mountain and said in a seemingly normal manner, "At Nas, you showcased the star bridge to connect the dock to the ship. Were there any hidden motives behind that?"
Cattleya's head leaned to the side a little as she said, "I'm not telling you!"
"..." Klein was momentarily left at a loss.
He originally imagined that Admiral of Stars would be very honest in the dream world. He had never expected such a situation; of course, this was also a form of honesty, but it was an honest personality.
After two seconds of silence, Klein decided to pull a bluff.
"You wished to use this method to inform someone that I'm worthy of attention?"
Cattleya exhaled and remained sitting there, hugging her knees.
"Pretty much.
"It was mainly to tell others that if something serious happens or if I show obvious abnormalities, you will be the first clue."
As expected... Klein sighed inwardly.
He knew that Admiral of Stars had done such a cheap trick to protect herself, but as The Fool, he needed to punish her for such actions.
However, I can't use this matter to act up. It will appear as though The Fool protects "His" Blessed too much. That will be quite lacking in standing... Yes, Admiral of Stars must've done more than this. I can tabulate these series of actions as one and punish her for them... Klein quickly made up his mind. He wasn't as flustered towards what he encountered in this dream world again.
As for Queen Mystic's suggestion, he didn't even consider it.
Emperor Roselle's diary contained matters of his transmigration and Earth. If he taught Queen Mystic how to read Chinese, she would discover this point and make even more critical guesses!
She must have her qualms about the important figure who can randomly lend out the Sea God Scepter, so she wouldn't take any forceful actions. If there really are any matters that need her help or if she has some dirt on me, I can agree to help her translate a few important pages of the diary she wishes to know about. But I'll definitely not teach her Chinese. Yes, even if I translate it, it will be watered down with the use of synonyms. I just need to maintain the main points; that way, she has no way of reverse-engineering the language... Klein retracted his gaze and casually asked Cattleya, "Rumor has it that you and Queen Mystic had a falling out, but it doesn't seem to be the case?"
Cattleya's glazed expression suddenly had a lively change. She pursed her lips and said, "What right do I have to fall out with her?
"I was just banished."
Banished... Klein was just about to ask when blinding sunlight beamed as he naturally woke up.
Looking at the bright sky outside, he wiped his forehead and muttered silently to himself.
What a terrifying dream.
After dealing with his wistfulness, Klein rolled off the bed and came to the deck. He continued his observation and awaited the appearance of mermaids.
Nearly an hour later, he finally heard a faint, indistinct voice coming from the distance.
-x-X-x-
Mermaids?
Klein felt delighted as anticipation and excitement filled him.
Having left Backlund for nearly four months and experiencing a series of events, he finally arrived at the destination of his travels. He was completing the last condition needed for him to advance to Sequence 5 Nimblewright Master!
His irascibility and frustrations had been constantly growing ever since he entered these waters, and it was all thanks to the waiting. The various ridiculous and humorous matters on the Future, the matters that seemed abnormally harrowing on careful thought, and the dangers and unknown things contained within the night, noon, and dreams in the ruins of this war of gods had left him even more mentally tense. He lived through every minute and hour with great torment.
Now, the pressure from these emotions finally had a chance of being released!
Phew... Klein slowly heaved a sigh of relief. He directly returned to the cabin and entered the room that belonged to him.
Without being flustered or letting the joy get to his head, he followed the planned sequence of taking out Azik's copper whistle and Will Auceptin's paper crane to interfere with the possible spying of Queen Mystic.
After taking out the remnant spirituality of ancient wraiths, the pair of eyes from a six-winged gargoyle, drago bark, and a metallic bottle containing Sonia Island's Golden Spring from his suitcase, he spread them across his desk, entered the bathroom, and locked the door. He then familiarly set up the bestowment ritual.
After setting up the ritual, he wasn't in a rush to go above the gray fog to respond to the prayer. Instead, he set up another ritual of summoning himself!
While taking four steps counterclockwise and chanting the incantation, Klein arrived above the gray fog. He responded to the summoning ritual and used his Spirit Body state to come to the real world. He then brought Tinder back to the mysterious space.
After doing all of that, Klein didn't relax. He came to the seat of The Fool, conjured a pen and paper, and quickly wrote the divination statement: "The singing ahead comes from mermaids."
Taking off his topaz pendant, he used divination to confirm the situation.
The singing ahead of the Future was from mermaids!
After calming his emotions, Klein summoned the iron cigar case from the junk pile and made it land on the ancient, mottled bronze table.
With a snapping sound, he opened the lid and saw the pupil-less All-Black Eye sitting there in silence. He could sense the extreme madness and danger from it, but it appeared to be in deep slumber.
After observing it for two seconds, Klein took out Tinder and slowly wore it on his right hand.
After completing all of this, Klein didn't hesitate and reached out his right palm and spread his fingers.
All sorts of blobs of light surfaced before his eyes. Grayish-white, bronze-green, dark red, and black colors formed the foundation of this mysterious space.
And inside the All-Black Eye, there was a flaring and flailing iron-black beam lingering around the remaining colors.
Without using his spiritual intuition, Klein knew with certainty through his understanding of objects that the True Creator's mental corruption was represented by this iron-black light!
Feeling extremely wary, he closed his fingers and grabbed at the target before turning his wrist.
The iron-black light was instantly extracted as it fused with Tinder. Immediately, the illusory, evil, terrifying, and indescribable ravings boomed in his ear like déjà vu.
This destroyed his line of thought as it ground at his psyche. It brought about a fracturing pain to his brain, but it was soon repressed by the gray fog's power and turned completely silent.
Klein didn't think further. He followed his plans and reenacted the trial runs that he had practiced numerous times by grabbing Tinder with his left hand, pulled it off, and threw it onto the stone ground of the magnificent palace.
Right on the heels of that, Klein grabbed the All-Black Eye which was now completely fine. He quickly replied to the bestowment ritual and passed the Nimblewright Master Beyonder characteristic through the illusory door and into the altar in the bathroom.
He didn't dare delay any further. All he did was glance at the evil-exuding Tinder which was tainted with an iron-black color as its fingers twisted and its palm cracked opened. He then used his spirituality to envelop himself as he stimulated a plummeting sensation to return to the real world.
Klein opened his eyes, grabbed the All-Black Eye on the altar and ran out into his room. While doing so, he had a thought. If I allow Creeping Hunger to watch what happens to Tinder and its outcome, I wonder what its thoughts would be...
Coming before the desk, from the side, Klein took out an iron pot that originally belonged to the Future. He then poured 80 milliliters of Sonia Golden Spring into it.
As the pale gold liquid slowly spread out in a clear and transparent state, it made him subconsciously feel thirsty, as if he wished to drink a cup of it to quench his thirst.
The items—drago bark, eyes of the six-winged gargoyle, and the remnant spirituality of an ancient wraith—were thrown into the pot by Klein, causing different reactions. Finally, the potion turned into a pale gold color, but it looked ethereal as though it was weightless.
At this critical juncture, Klein became abnormally calm instead. He steadily picked up the pupil-less black eye and dropped it into the potion.
He had already confirmed that the True Creator's mental corruption hadn't penetrated the gray fog or returned inside the All-Black Eye!
And this was something he had expected.
The All-Black Eye was instantly submerged by the pale gold liquid as the surface began bubbling.
Every bursting bubble made the potion turn blacker. About ten seconds later, all the changes came to a halt.
Inside the pot, the potion took form as a completely black liquid. Inside, it seemed to contain countless tiny worms that were squirming about, worms that couldn't be seen by the naked eye.
Klein took out a gold coin and made a quick divination as a confirmation.
After receiving the revelation that it was a success, he heaved a sigh of relief and poured the Nimblewright Master potion into a metallic bottle he had prepared and stuffed it into his pocket.
He didn't act in a fluster or rush. He followed the process he had planned by quickly clearing up the altar in the bathroom, and he retrieved Azik's copper whistle and Will Auceptin's paper crane.
At this point, he walked out of the cabin and onto the deck.
At this moment, the symbols and magical labels on the Future had once again lit up, forming a resplendent sea of stars. It significantly reduced the mermaids' singing.
Rumors claimed that the singing of mermaids could make humans lose their reasoning and turn irrational. They would then jump off their ships to become food for the mermaids.
Klein subconsciously nodded at the window corresponding to the captain's cabin.
Admiral of Stars was standing there as her body swirled with starlight. The gaze she sent back at him appeared mixed.
Have you recalled what you said and how you acted in the dream? Klein lampooned as he said with a calm expression, "I need a dinghy."
"It has already been prepared." Cattleya pointed towards the shipboard without any signs of surprise. @@novelbin@@
Gehrman Sparrow had mentioned that his purpose was to seek out mermaids back when he hired the Future!
Soon, Klein left the Future and the protection of the resplendent sea of stars. He headed into the ocean on his tiny dinghy.
As the singing grew louder, a voice seemed to drill into his Spirit Body, numbing his body, making him wish to hear more of it.
This was far from sufficient for Klein. Besides, his spiritual intuition told him that he needed to be closer to make the singing clearer so as to satisfy the requirements of the ritual.
"Storm!"
Klein took out a charm made of tin, and he summoned a controllable gale that could push the dinghy ahead.
After an unknown period of time, the mermaid's singing increased in volume. They were so clear, it was as though they were singing softly by Klein's ears. Each tone stirred his Spirit Body, and the melody was intoxicating.
Klein felt his mind adrift as he nearly jumped into the sea and swam towards the source of the melodic singing.
He tried his best to control himself and discovered many reefs ahead. Figures were seated at its edge as they sang.
These creatures with a human head had quite some beauty in their clear, pure eyes. Their breasts were lifted up high, but they were also covered by dark red scales. The lower halves of their bodies were comprised of massive fishtails as they rhythmically struck the reef.
The mermaids looked different and had different colored scales. From a human's standpoint, they were all a different kind of beauty.
Klein relinquished his control of the dinghy, raised his right hand, and reached into his pocket for the potion.
At that moment, the mermaids sensed his approach and looked over.
Then, these creatures, who were also known as sirens, stopped singing out of shock. All of them leaped into the water with a splash.
Don't go... Klein feebly reached out with his right hand.
Isn't it said that you use your singing to attract humans for food? Why are you running with a human here? I'm not a bad guy. I'm only here to listen to your singing...
At this moment, Klein's heart was filled with "what the f**k" emotions.
He soon discovered that the mermaids' singing didn't completely stop. Further away on the reef were a few mermaids with their backs facing him. They didn't discover the fleeing of their companions, due to the crashing of the winds as they continued boldly singing.
Klein's mind stirred as he thought for a moment and took out a charm.
This was the charm from the Sea God domain that gave the user affinity with underwater creatures!
"Storm!"
Amidst the incantation, blue flames enveloped the tin plate, making it vanish from the real world.
Although the remaining mermaids noticed him, they didn't flee in fear. Immediately, Klein took out the metal bottle containing the Nimblewright Master potion and unscrewed the lid.
He made every second count so as to prevent any mishaps!
As he gulped the potion down, a somewhat bitter potion with a mustiness surged down his throat, into his gullet, and into his stomach.
Suddenly, Klein found himself abnormally stiff. He felt as though he had returned to Tingen, back when he was being controlled by the strange puppet known as Sealed Artifact 2-049.
He tried moving his joints, but he felt as though they were filled with lead.
At the same time, he felt that tiny worms were boring into every one of his cells and into his Spirit Body.
His thoughts slowed down as his brain reflected the gradual loss of control over his body.
The mermaids' singing floated over, stirring those desires, the accumulated fanaticism and infatuation, allowing Klein to hold onto his final lumps of emotions. Through this temptation, he slowly escaped the state of petrification.
A grayish-white fog quickly surfaced before his eyes as he heard the illusory ravings of "Hornacis... Flegrea... Hornacis... Flegrea..." Compared to his advancement to a Seer, Clown, and Magician, these ravings appeared staccato, as though they were being disrupted by something.
It's different from when I became a Faceless. The ravings are clearly much stronger. It can intermittently break through the obstacles produced from the fusion of the powers of the gray fog and reality... I can think again! Klein was delighted as he attempted to raise his arm.
His joints still felt heavy, but the feeling was weakening!
At the same time, Klein "saw" his present appearance.
His skin was yellowish-brown, like a puppet that had been buried alive for years with old bandages.
Fleshy tendrils were hidden beneath his skin as they squirmed, separated, and fused.
Klein immediately outlined the countless spherical lights in his mind, and he used Cogitation to calm his present state.
During this process, the mermaids' singing continued to reverberate in his ears, allowing his joints and muscles to twitch before the numbness slowly receded.
After an unknown period of time, Klein opened his eyes, his body having completely restored to normal.
He took a deep breath and silently sighed.
Finally...
I'm finally a Sequence 5!
I'm finally a Nimblewright Master!
-x-X-x-
Under the strong sunlight, the sea reflected a golden shade. Apart from that, deep in Klein's eyes were countless illusory black lines.
They extended from the nearby mermaids, from his body, and from the different parts of the neighboring waters. They were packed densely in thin and numerous threads, corresponding to different spots. Some extended into the infinite distance, to the ends of the void.
This strange, beautiful scene wasn't an unfamiliar sight to Klein. In the few times he used the All-Black Eye's powers and his usage of it to create the fake World, he had been able to see similar scenes.
This was the source of a Nimblewright Master's Beyonder powers!
From the knowledge he obtained from the potion, these illusory thin black threads were known as Spirit Body Threads. By controlling them, one could directly influence the target's Soul Body, Astral Projection, Body of Heart and Mind, and Ether Body. Then, with the Ether Body as a bridge, one could control the target's body.
Therefore, all the Beyonder powers of a Nimblewright Master was built on the Spirit Body Threads.
Firstly, it could find a hidden target using the Spirit Body Threads that existed in every creature. It was the best measure against a Demoness's invisibility and a Shadow Ascetic's hiding in the shadows. Of course, Klein wasn't aware if there were means to hide one's Spirit Body Threads.
Secondly, it was to control a target like a puppet. It would make the target's thoughts and body stiffen. This was a type of forceful control and was almost indefensible. The only way of escaping this control was to rely on the potency of one's Spirit Body. It was almost no trouble for a Sequence 5 Nimblewright Master to control anyone who wasn't a demigod.
Thirdly, through the passage of time, the control would deepen. A Nimblewright Master could completely turn the target into their nimblewright. Up to a certain distance, they could hide behind the scenes and control the nimblewright to do battle. While doing so, the nimblewright could use all of its original Beyonder powers!
This is truly magical, terrifying, strange, and indescribable. It's the perfect thing for someone working behind the scenes. It's no wonder Rosago claimed that the control of Spirit Body Threads is one of the most difficult abilities to deal with for anyone that isn't a High-Sequence Beyonder...
But it requires time. Control cannot be instantly achieved. It requires a process that deepens with each step until it's ultimately achieved. To obtain initial control, the present me needs 20 seconds. But with the digestion of the potion, the time needed will clearly decrease. Once my Nimblewright Master potion completely digests, I might be able to do it within five seconds. Yes, before the effects show, the target wouldn't even notice it. Perhaps those with prophetic abilities might be able to detect it...
Once initial control of the target has been achieved, they will immediately be slow to think. Their actions will be impeded and their bodies stiffened. Then, bit by bit, they will develop into a puppet, a nimblewright. If a Nimblewright Master has a partner, this process will make it easy to finish off a target that has been forcibly controlled. Yes, if the enemy's Spirit Body isn't strong enough, a Nimblewright Master will have the strength remaining to even draw a gun or use a mystical item to act in concert with himself.
If the controlling process isn't disrupted by an external force, the target will become my nimblewright after five minutes. In a sense, the nimblewright is truly dead and the process is completely irreversible. Once the potion is completely digested, the time it takes to convert someone into a nimblewright will definitely be greatly shortened.
The maximum number of nimblewrights I can control at present is one. I can't be sure how many I can control in the future, but it will definitely increase. The limit seems to max out at three.
This will not only need time, but there's also a distance restriction. I can only see Spirit Body Threads within a hundred meters. And to control them, I need to be five meters from the target...
When controlling nimblewrights, I cannot be more than 100 meters from it. I'm sure it will increase in the future.
Heh, apart from keeping its Beyonder powers, a nimblewright can also normally use mystical items and Sealed Artifacts. Furthermore, it expends its own spirituality and not mine. Of course, my controlling of the nimblewright will expend spirituality itself.
This ability is very suited for me. In extremely dangerous situations, with me having no choice but to investigate, I can let the nimblewright do it for me. Although it will be heartbreaking to lose it, it's better than having myself die. Heh heh, back when Nimblewright Master Rosago came to deal with me, he must've been engaged in another operation. This resulted in him losing his nimblewright. Yes, he must've not fully digested the Nimblewright Master potion. That's why he wasn't able to achieve initial control over me while waiting for me to open the door. He had to enter in order to converse with me.
In short, this lives up to being a Sequence 5 Beyonder power! Furthermore, the Beyonder powers before this have also been enhanced by 50%, or even more...
I'm really looking forward to knowing what kind of qualitative changes I'll experience when I reach Sequence 4 when possessing so many strange powers. Sigh, I don't even know what its name is... Klein ended the inspection of his body and reflected wistfully.
He then used the experience of setting an activation and deactivation method for his Spirit Vision to give himself a restriction of seeing Spirit Body Threads, so as to not see things he shouldn't see.
Activating by tapping my left thumb twice on the first segment of my index finger. Repeating the action deactivates it. Same for the right hand... He reined in his thoughts and looked ahead, and he saw that the remaining mermaids had turned around and were looking at him with watery blue eyes.
At the thought that he would've lost control and become a Sealed Artifact akin to 2-049 without their singing or this simple ritual, Klein gave them a friendly smile.
Affected by the charm, the mermaids also moved their lips and showed a somewhat embarrassed smile. @@novelbin@@
As their light purple or deep red lips parted, one by one, Klein saw their teeth—razor-sharp like wolf fangs. They were white and shiny and dripping from them was a sticky liquid.
Klein was taken aback. He discovered that this was even more unacceptable for him than a real monster.
He had originally mentally prepared himself and treated mermaids as creatures that swam in the sea. Therefore, no matter how crazy and terrifying they looked, he believed that he could tolerate it. However, the situation was somewhat beyond his expectations. Mermaids were clearly beautiful and alluring females on the surface. Their tails had a hetero sense of beauty, but their teeth were nasty and disgusting. This was a stark contrast that Klein couldn't take. He nearly moved his eyes away.
Waving his hand, he quickly took out a charm from the Sea God domain and created another gale of wind to push his dinghy back to the Future.
Along the way, Klein couldn't help but recollect the feelings he just had.
So the mermaids' singing is meant for neutralizing and balancing. Otherwise, most Faceless are unable to resist the corrosion of their own Spirit Body Threads by the Nimblewright Master potion. They would directly lose control. Heh. Lucky ones like Kalvetua aren't included. Perhaps, it's because of the lack of the ritual's help that it's relatively weaker.
In theory, as long as there's a voice or Beyonder power with similar effects, they can be used to replace a mermaid's singing, but people who haven't personally experienced it themselves wouldn't be able to tell the minute differences. Therefore, High-Sequence Beyonders who aren't from the Seer pathway will find it difficult to provide any effective suggestions.
Amidst his thoughts, the dinghy returned to the Future. With a rope, Klein easily returned to the deck.
Anderson Hood stood by the shipboard and chuckled.
"So your search of mermaids was a requirement of a ritual, and not because you wish to obtain the corresponding ingredients."
"That's obvious," Klein succinctly replied.
Anderson shrugged and said, "No, it's not. A normal person will guess that mermaids are the ingredients you need, as this doesn't match the rituals needed by a Sequence 4. But who knew that Adventurer Gehrman Sparrow, who was at the level of a pirate admiral, was only a Sequence 6."
What do you mean "only?" Klein resisted the urge of controlling Anderson's Spirit Body Threads.
Ignoring the Strongest Hunter who automatically had a provocative halo, he entered the cabin and returned to his room.
Just as he approached the captain's cabin, he heard a creak as the door before him opened.
Cattleya didn't wear her heavy glasses. She looked at Gehrman Sparrow as the dark purple hue in her eyes swirled.
"Congratulations on your advancement.
"P-previously in the dream, did I say something?"
"You know what you said," Klein replied with a deadpan expression.
Cattleya fell silent for two seconds before saying, "You questioned me about my relationship with Queen Mystic?"
As she spoke, she couldn't help but look around.
She guessed that Queen Mystic might be on the Future because of my rather sudden question? I really have to be careful when conversing with a smart person... Klein nodded, walked past her and returned to his room, leaving the corridor in silence.
Only when he opened the door and took a step inside did he hear Cattleya's voice sound out from the captain's cabin. It reverberated through the entire ship.
"Set sail for the return voyage."
Inside the room, Klein waited a few minutes before reentering the bathroom. He set up the ritual again and threw Creeping Hunger, which was turning more irascible due to the lack of food, above the gray fog.
After doing this, he wasn't in a rush to leave. He summoned the distorted iron-black Tinder and made it land before him.
After studying it for a moment, Klein placed Tinder inside the iron cigar case and threw it into the junk pile.
Although this expensive glove was now unusable, Klein was certain that trash could still be used.
Immediately following that, he slowly took off the already silent Creeping Hunger, and he similarly placed it into the junk pile.
Phew... Klein remained silent for two seconds before leaving the palace that looked like a giant's residence, and then he ventured deep into the mysterious space above the gray fog.
From his previous exploration, he discovered a bright staircase that seemed to lead to heaven. He suspected that the number of steps had something to do with his Sequence; therefore, he immediately came here to confirm it after he advanced.
After walking for a while, Klein finally saw the holy staircase made out of pure light. Compared to before, there was another step, making it a total of five steps.
Indeed... Klein sighed, unsurprised.
Then, he climbed up the staircase that appeared to be prepared for giants and arrived at the top.
At that moment, he wasn't that far from the gray fog which was hardened in midair. He seemed to just need one more step to reach that height.
Klein subconsciously looked up and seemed to see something.
-x-X-x-
That's... Klein's eyes reflected a nearly transparent object.
It appeared like a carapace of something, occasionally shrinking and vanishing from Klein's line of sight, and at times peeking out due to an invisible wind, revealing some of its outlines.
With it acting as an anchor point and looking further up, there were colors of green that was almost black, standing there silently. @@novelbin@@
They look like the colors of the trees of a dark forest... Klein mumbled without imagining what the object of those colors signified. All he could do was boldly guess that it had something to do with gaining a deeper control of the mysterious space above the gray fog.
Without trying to do something that was destined to be in vain, he jumped down from the staircase that seemed to lead to heaven and phased back inside the palace.
With the existence of Queen Mystic in mind, Klein did some simple tidying up before leaving the gray fog and returning to his bathroom.
After tying up the loose ends, he walked to his suitcase, took out the Sun Brooch, and wore it on his double-breasted frock coat.
After all the turmoil he had been through, the mystical items he could now use had returned to the state when he was in Backlund. However, he was already a Sequence 5 and possessed one of the most difficult powers to deal with below that of the demigods. He was, in the true sense of the word, a powerhouse in the Beyonder world.
I should be very agitated and happy, but I'm actually not. I'm even as excited as when I found mermaids... This is because I've just taken another step on my road to revenge. The true goal I wish to achieve is still a distance away...
Following this, I should conclude the principles and digest the Nimblewright Master potion and seek out the corresponding Sequence 4 formula and ingredients. Yes, I can only do all of these things after leaving these waters. Next, I'll seek advice from Mr. Azik, Will Auceptin, and Arrodes...
Heh heh, I should relax for the next few days. Being overly tense might break me down and cause me to have symptoms of losing control... Klein turned to look at the full-body mirror in his room. Looking at his 1.8-meter-tall build, black hair, and brown eyes, with a thin face and cut features; dressed in a white shirt, a suit with a bow tie, and a top hat that was matched with the pale gold Sunbird brooch. He wore a calm expression with a deep, dark gaze.
After looking at this in silence, he raised his hands and adjusted the buttons at his cuffs and patted his black suit.
...
Lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the stacked, dark buildings ahead.
Demon Hunter Colin Iliad, with two swords on his back, pointed ahead and said, "That's Afternoon Town."
He combed his grizzled hair that was flying about in the wind that swept through the wilderness.
That's fast... With his Axe of Hurricane in hand, Derrick sighed wistfully in surprise.
He soon realized that it was reasonable. This was because the Giant King's Court was located somewhere near the City of Silver. Afternoon Town was the intersecting point that connected both nodes.
With the lightning that illuminated the night sky, he clearly saw Afternoon Town in its entirety. It was built at the foot of a mountain and was naturally split into upper and lower levels. Instead of calling it a town, it wasn't much smaller than most of the ruins the City of Silver found.
Here, the gray stones were stacked into different buildings. Some were entirely emptied out, nearing ten meters. Some were similar to the residence Derrick currently resided in; it was short as though any normal person would hit their heads onto the ceiling.
These buildings were arranged close together before spreading out. Some of them had collapsed, while a number remained standing despite showing signs of age and tear.
It's completely different from what's described in the textbooks... Derrick suddenly recalled the knowledge he had learned from his history lessons.
According to the City of Silver's records, Afternoon Town was the door that separated reality from myth. It was a place where humans and giants lived together. There was day and night here, but most of the day was in a "noon" state. Regardless of the fog, storms, or snow, none of them were able to blot out the strong sunlight. But at this moment, it was dark and heavy. Even if the area was illuminated by light, it lacked a sense of brightness and there was no signs of life.
Clenching his axe tightly, Derrick, whose eyes had two miniature suns, was on the flanks of the exploration team. He followed Chief Colin into Afternoon Town.
This area had been cleared once on the first exploration. The streets were covered with signs of rotting flesh and dry pus. It was completely silent.
"Be careful. There are many strange monsters lurking in the darkness." Colin Iliad, with his scarred face, didn't let down his guard. He drew one of his dual swords as the silver light on his sword converged.
This is the mythical door? When the Creator abandoned this piece of land, even the myths were abandoned? Derrick couldn't help but imagine what Afternoon Town had experienced during the cataclysm. He instinctively felt that it was probably different from the Kingdom of Silver.
Before he could carefully observe his surroundings in search of possible clues, he suddenly heard a teammate on the other flank anxiously cry out, "There's something!"
Derrick turned his head and saw a transparent face growing out of the wall of a ten-meter-tall stone building.
The face was filled with countless cracks. With great regularity, they spiraled around the center, forming a single eye or mouth that resembled a vortex.
The hurricane within the vortex was corporeal as it spewed out with a howl. The dawn-like light from within was dense, as though they were arrows of light.
Bam! Bam! Bam!
They struck a few members of the exploration team, but they seemed to strike thick city walls. All they produced was dull and closely-spaced out thuds before disappearing into the dark environment.
At some point in time, City of Silver Chief, Colin Iliad, was genuflecting. He stabbed the silver sword in his hand into the rotting gray ground.
He had provided the front row with the strongest protection!
At the same time, the other members of the exploration team methodically unleashed their attacks. Hurricane's of light and scarlet fireballs struck the monster.
Right on the heels of that, the holy light that Derrick summoned had landed on the vortex that resembled a single eye.
Amidst the explosive boom, the boulder, which was originally covered in cracks, collapsed. A transparent face screamed as it vaporized.
Although the battle was simple, Derrick didn't feel happy at all. He had heard Mr. Hanged Man and Miss Justice discuss cases of Beyonder fights. Matching it with the experience the City of Silver had accumulated from resisting all kinds of monsters from the darkness, he worriedly discovered that the City of Silver had a limited number of pathways. Those who were not demigods lacked effective means of control, and the situation from before proved this point.
Thankfully, there are Sealed Artifacts that are formed when monsters die to make up for this... Derrick silently thought as he heard the Chief instruct, "Move according to plan. Three to four people a group. Search and clear the different areas."
"Yes, Chief!" The exploration team members were mostly rich in experience. They soon formed their groups.
Derrick's group consisted of three people. Apart from him, there was Joshua and Haim who had been to the abandoned temple with him before. The former was a Sequence 7 Weapon Master, and he had a mystical glove that could control fire. The latter was a recently advanced Sequence 6 Dawn Paladin. He was tall and reached a height of 2.3 meters.
The City of Silver, which had Warriors—also known as the Giant pathway—as the main force, had an average height of 1.8 meters (including children above the age of 6). Even if the Beyonder characteristics were inherited, the normal genes that were modified had accumulated with each generation. Although Derrick wasn't old, he was nearly 1.8 meters tall and still had room to grow.
According to the designated targets, Derrick, Joshua, and Haim entered an alley on the left in a triangular battle formation. They checked every building that still allowed entry.
Perhaps as a result of the former sweep, they didn't encounter any monsters. They couldn't help but feel a little relieved.
"Rumor has it that the six-member council plans to set up camp here and make Afternoon Town a stronghold," Joshua, who was wearing a scarlet glove on his left palm, said after observing the buildings.
Haim nodded and looked down at his two partners.
"The true target seems to be..."
He pointed diagonally upwards.
"The Giant King's Court?" Derrick asked in surprise.
Isn't it a search for the sea where Little Jack and company came from? Don't we need to circle the Giant King's Court? Derrick was filled with puzzlement.
Haim shook his head.
"I've only heard rumors."
He swept his gaze and pointed at the entrance to the underground chamber.
"Let's finish our search here."
Derrick answered tersely. With his night vision and ability to emit light, he wasn't afraid of the darkness as he stepped into the underground chamber first. Haim lifted an animal hide lantern while Joshua followed closely in tow.
This building's underground chamber was rather wide, with traces of dried, blackening pools. The smell of blood remained despite the many years that had passed.
Derrick surveyed the area and suspected that a sacrificial ritual had once been held here.
A very, very long time ago... he silently added and discovered a candle left on the stone table which resembled an altar. He felt more certain about his guesses.
Why would the residents of Afternoon Town secretly hold sacrificial rituals in their underground basement? When the Giant King's Court was in power, they were believers of the Giant King. Later, they came under the lord that created everything... The owner of this building secretly worshiped other gods? Questions arose in him as Derrick approached the altar. He saw that the stone table was originally carved with words, but they had been damaged by either natural or unnatural elements.
After some careful identification, Derrick found three names:
"Ouroboros;
"Medici;
"Sasrir."
Ouroboros? Isn't that the name of the Angel of Fate? Mr. Fool mentioned before that Medici is also a King of Angels. Sasrir is another one? Derrick suddenly felt excited and horrified as he hurriedly turned his head to shout out for his companions to take a look.
But in his vision, the underground chamber was empty. There was only darkness. Haim and Joshua who were supposed to be behind him were gone!
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They're gone?
There's only darkness?
Faced with such a sudden change, Derrick's first reaction wasn't horror; instead, he clasped his hands together and pressed it to his mouth.
Pure light was emitted out of his body as he dispersed the surrounding darkness, illuminating every corner of the underground chamber.
In Derrick's living environment, darkness was the most terrifying existence. Once they left the City of Silver, they had to constantly maintain the existence of light. Even a brief loss of light couldn't last for more than five seconds.
When Derrick first joined the exploration teams and lacked experience, he had nearly killed himself because of such a mistake. Thankfully, the Chief was standing nearby.
As the light slowly and continuously radiated from him, Derrick raised his tightly-gripped Axe of Hurricane and carefully observed his surroundings.
He discovered that apart from Haim and Joshua—teammates who had entered the underground chamber with him—vanishing, the stone slabs and tufts of black hair on the walls had turned blood-red at some point in time. They were moist as though they had just been sprayed on.
This calmed down Derrick, who was well-versed with exploration materials, to realize a possibility. The problem didn't stem from Haim or Joshua, but himself!
All I did was approach the altar and silently read three names... Typically speaking, even angels will require someone to read or write down an accurate honorific name in its complete form before they can receive "prayers." And it's supposedly limited by range... I wonder if the Kings of Angels require the same conditions...
Uh, one of those three names was the key to activating the hidden powers in the altar. I triggered the problem by using Jotun which can stir the powers of nature? No, that's not right. It needs to be said out loud. Even if these are the true names of the Kings of Angels, I've never faced such problems in the past... Derrick anxiously turned his body while feeling perplexed. He returned to the altar and came to the stone table.
He was surprised to see that the words and symbols on the stone table were a lot more complete and clearer than before. It was as though the host of the ritual had just drawn it.
The words were written in three languages. They were in Jotun, Dragonese, and a language that Derrick couldn't recognize. However, he suspected that it was the ancient Hermes previously mentioned by Miss Justice and Mr. Hanged Man. This was because he had a basic understanding of some words from the conversations during the Tarot Gathering. They were rather similar to the words used on the stone table.
The content expressed by Jotun and Dragonese were identical. They repeated the three names and their corresponding titles.
Angel of Fate, Ouroboros;
Red Angel, Medici;
Dark Angel, Sasrir.
Following these names and titles was an entity Derrick was very familiar with.
Rose Redemption!
Sasrir really is a King of Angels, one known as Dark Angel. "He," Angel of Fate, and Red Angel are the founders of Rose Redemption? I wonder if Mr. Fool knows anything about "Him"... "He" definitely knows a lot... The words in ancient Hermes should likely be the same content... In Afternoon Town, which had already converted to the faith of the Lord that created everything, there were residents who were secretly worshiping the three Kings of Angels beside the Lord... Upon having this thought, Derrick suddenly felt a chill run down his back. He felt as though he was close to the reason why the Creator had abandoned this land.
When he looked up again, he saw that the walls remained red, but Haim and Joshua were still nowhere to be seen.
Silently repeating them didn't do a thing. Perhaps they don't produce any effects on their own... Derrick drew a breath as he raised his Axe of Hurricane. He carefully walked towards the entrance of the underground chamber, hoping to find the problem at its roots, so as to determine what led to his present situation.
One step, two steps, three steps. Like a gigantic candle, he returned to the hall upstairs.
There were rich shadows here, making it gloomy and eerily silent. The rotting chairs and the remnants of stone tables remained sitting there in silence, no different from before.
Failing to find Joshua and Haim, Derrick could only walk towards the window while he felt high-strung. He wanted to see if he could encounter other members of the exploration team.
Thud... Thud... Amidst light footstep sounds, he approached a huge hole that should've been a window sill. He leaned forward and looked outside.
Countless dark buildings spread out, either tall or short, as they extended outwards like steps.
The lightning in the air happened at a very low frequency as many windows had candlelight emitting out of them. The dim yellow flames danced but weren't extinguished.
This... Derrick couldn't help but swallow a mouthful of saliva. He felt as though all the residents were still living in peace just before Afternoon Town encountered its cataclysm.
...
Haim, who was carrying an animal hide lantern, didn't need to bend his back to enter the underground chamber. He jokingly said to Joshua, "This house must belong to a human, but their family definitely has giant's bloodline in them. They're probably my height. Tsk, the last time we went to that ruined city, we had to bow our heads when using the main doors!"
Having a giant's bloodline didn't necessarily mean that they had giant blood flowing in them. Instead, it referred to a physical characteristic that was inherited by descendants thanks to the consumption of the pathway's potion. Being tall was one of its manifestations.
Joshua looked up at Haim and scoffed.
"That was you. I didn't need to."
"But you won't take long before you can advance. When the time comes, you won't be shorter than me," Haim said with a smile before glancing at Derrick via the corner of his eye. It was to prevent any accidents from happening when Derrick approached the altar.
Joshua thought before saying, "Actually, I'm very curious. Chief is a Sequence 4 Demon Hunter. He should be like an ordinary giant with a height of three to four meters. Why does he look very ordinary, with him being only half a head taller than me?"
Haim subconsciously surveyed the area and said, "Rumor has it that the Chief has a giant form."
"A giant form? Will his clothes tear when he becomes a giant?" Joshua asked with a laugh.
"Unless his clothes and pants are mystical items." Haim and Joshua exchanged a knowing smile.
They were just about to turn their heads to share the joke with Derrick when they realized that the youth was gone!
Derrick, who should've been standing before the altar, had vanished!
Haim's and Joshua's expression instantly turned heavy. One of them raised his huge broadsword, while the other raised his red-gloved left hand.
They carefully approached the altar and did a careful inspection, but they failed to identify anything suspicious.
Joshua was just about to attempt to identify the words on the stone table when Haim patted him on the shoulder.
"Don't look at it. I just recalled that Derrick was looking at those words before he vanished.
"Let's bring the Chief here."
"Okay." Joshua nodded.
They didn't leave in a fluster. They surveyed the surroundings before one of them rubbed his index finger with his middle finger to light the remaining candle on the altar.
This was to protect Derrick so as to prevent him from falling into true darkness!
In the past, the exploration teams of the City of Silver had similar encounters in the ruined cities. A teammate might appear to have suddenly vanished, but they had actually been concealed by some kind of power. He stood in his original location, but with his teammates eager to seek help, they would leave the area with their lanterns. Hence, the poor bastard would be devoured by the true darkness, never to be found again. If it wasn't for another teammate finding themselves in another similar situation and having been rescued on the spot, the others wouldn't have known the actual reason for the previous person's death.
With the candle lit, the dim yellow light spread outwards. Haim and Joshua immediately left and arrived at the alley where they released a spirituality signal that everyone carried.
They didn't wait too long for Colin Iliad who had jumped off from the roof of another building before landing firmly.
"What happened?" the Demon Hunter asked in a deep voice.
The silver sword in his hand was already covered with a layer of light gray oil.
Haim immediately recounted what had happened. Finally, he said, "We didn't discover the reason for Derrick's disappearance."
Derrick... Colin nodded in thought, walked past them, and headed straight into the corresponding building.
...
Despite the candles alight outside and the warm yellow color, Derrick felt as though he had fallen into a frozen abyss. A chill at the bottom of his heart kept spreading.
He clenched the Axe of Hurricane with his right hand and retracted his gaze from the town. He turned to return to the underground chamber and stood in front of the altar again.
He had already determined that he was the one with the problem!
However, he didn't have the urge to explore the strange Afternoon Town. He didn't even dare open the door.
Derrick wasn't nervous, nor did he show any obvious signs of flusterness. This was because he didn't believe that he had encountered something severe.
As long as it's not an immediate threat, it's nothing severe... Derrick took a silent breath, bowed his head, and reverently whispered, "The Fool that doesn't belong to this era.
"The mysterious ruler above the gray fog.
"The King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck..."
Klein, who had been admiring the scenery of the battlefield of the gods, had no choice but to enter the bathroom, set up the disruptive items, and take four steps counterclockwise to head above the gray fog.
He sat at the high-back chair at the end of the long bronze table. He stretched out his right hand and emanated his spirituality, touching the crimson star which represented Little Sun.
Suddenly, the prayers turned abnormally clear as the corresponding scene appeared before Klein's eyes.
He first saw the still-hazy Little Sun, before discovering that the environment around him was abnormal!
Swirling around The Sun was an unspeakable darkness, and in the darkness there were eyes of different shapes silently watching him.
The eyes were densely packed and hidden in the darkness. They were like unwelcomed observers which Little Sun hadn't noticed at all.
Afternoon Town is that dangerous? Klein was very aware of what dear Sun was up to lately.
He thought for a moment and instinctively believed that the darkness was extremely strange and surreal. Therefore, he abandoned the option of using the Sea God Scepter to respond to Little Sun. Instead, he switched to pulling him up above the gray fog.
Klein extended his spirituality, but he felt as though the crimson star seemed to be in a quagmire, making it rather difficult for him to pull him over.
Which King of Angels has he crossed this time? With a thought, Klein made the mysterious space and the gray fog beneath him produce ripples.
After advancing to Sequence 5, he could stir some of the powers above the gray fog, without the use of the Black Emperor card and the corresponding rituals!
Silently, Klein easily completed transporting Derrick as his figure appeared on the high-back chair belonging to him.
Meanwhile, Klein saw the strange darkness swirling around Little Sun's body shatter.
...
The Demon Hunter entered the underground chamber in high alert, followed closely by Haim and Joshua.
They saw that in front of the dim yellow candlelight, Derrick Berg's figure was quickly outlined like a picture.
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Above the gray fog, in the palace that was held up by stone columns.
Derrick quickly repeated his encounter to Mr. Fool.
Dark Angel Sasrir... The names and titles of these Kings of Angels seem to have been washed away by the rivers of history. Almost no one knows of them. If it weren't for Little Sun discovering them in the Forsaken Land of the Gods, or me directly encountering the ancient evil spirit suspected to be Red Angel himself, I might not even know a single King of Angels. At best I would've heard of the Amon family and would have no way of delving deeper into the Blasphemer... Where is this Dark Angel at present? Is "He" still alive? Is "He" still one of the upper echelons of the Rose Redemption? Klein felt wistful.
Afraid that Little Sun would ask him related questions that he couldn't answer, Klein instantly stopped his contemplations and leisurely leaned back into the chair and said, "You have been freed from your predicament. Your companions will soon find you."
As he spoke, he didn't give Little Sun a chance to speak by directly cutting off the connection.
As for an explanation in the event that Little Sun was discovered to be abnormal, Klein disdained the thought of reminding him to fabricate an explanation.
To mysteriously disappear and then appear again, wasn't it very normal that all sorts of strange scenarios accompanied it?
At that moment, Derrick was very grateful that Mr. Fool didn't ask him any further questions. This was because he was afraid that he would be exposed to the lethal darkness or hidden monsters once he escaped the alternate Afternoon Town. Therefore, he was eagerly hoping to regain control of his body as soon as possible, so as to prepare the necessary precautions. However, if Mr. Fool had really asked a question, he would still seriously and very patiently explain the corresponding situation.
With his consciousness returning to his body, Derrick rapidly recovered his senses.
When he opened his eyes, he saw a candle which was almost done burning. The wick's flame was wavering in the wind.
Immediately after that, he discovered that the Chief was standing to his side at some point in time. The tall Haim and the red-gloved Joshua were warily standing two steps behind.
How long have they been watching me like that... Although Derrick had already thought of a reason above the gray fog, he still felt guilty and nervous.
Colin's wrinkled face was deadpan. He asked in a normal tone as he looked at Derrick Berg, "What did you encounter?"
Derrick didn't immediately answer, as it would appear as though he had already fabricated an excuse. He used a trick taught by The Hanged Man—he deliberately paused for a few seconds, and as he recalled, he described while recalling the events in a rather staccato manner, "I saw the altar after entering the underground chamber. I suspected that it was an altar and tried to identify the remnant words and symbols on it. I recognized three names. One of them was Angel of Fate Ouroboros... At this point, the light from the lantern extinguished. When I turned my head to look, Haim and Joshua had vanished. I created a light source and walked out of the underground chamber and discovered that the outside was still... was still Afternoon Town. However, many of the buildings had candles lit inside them as though... as though humans were living in them.
"I didn't dare to leave the building, and I returned to the underground chamber. I attempted to do what I did again. Uh, Chief, in that Afternoon Town, the words on the altar were very complete. There were a total of three languages. One was Jotun, the other Dragonese, and another I didn't recognize. However, the first two languages expressed the same words. They were the names and titles of the three angels, as well as Rose Redemption...
"Later, I found myself back here."
What he said was the truth, and it was very complete. All he did was hide the details of how he returned.
Derrick didn't have any hopes of successfully lying to the Chief. He planned on being confused when he was pressed, pushing the reasons onto the abnormality of his body that he didn't understand.
This will definitely make the Chief suspicious, but Mr. Hanged Man and Miss Justice from the Spectator pathway all said that he wouldn't ask too many questions regarding such matters. By appearing abnormal, will he think more importantly of me? I will be viewed as a chess piece that can counterbalance Elder Lovia... The outside world sure is complicated. It was only recently that I fully understood their train of thought... Derrick couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
In a dire environment, the depletion of every ounce of strength would mean more danger for the City of Silver. It had very few instances in the past. And even if it happened, it was basically concentrated within the six-member council. The first thing the other Beyonders learned in their patrols and adventuring was cooperation.
Colin nodded gently, walked to the altar, and attempted what Derrick described, but he didn't disappear as a result of this. He remained standing in his original spot.
"From the looks of it, the remnant powers have already completed their mission," the Demon Hunter muttered softly to himself.
I didn't even need to fabricate an excuse... Derrick thought, feeling somewhat embarrassed.
Colin thought for a moment before turning his head to look at Derrick.
"What are the corresponding titles of Medici and Sasrir?"
"Red Angel and Dark Angel." Derrick was honest.
Colin nodded gently, seemingly in thought.
"In a small number of books, there is mention of a Red Angel, but with no actual name associated with it. As for Dark Angel Sasrir, 'He' has completely been lost to history."
Derrick was just about to take the opportunity to ask about the other Kings of Angels when he suddenly noticed that the candlelight in the underground chamber had dimmed, as though a shadow was surging in from outside.
"Let's leave this place for now," Demon Hunter Colin said cautiously, having sensed the same thing.
With the Axe of Hurricane in hand, Derrick immediately approached Haim and Joshua to form a battle formation with them.
However, just as he took one step, he discovered that Haim had retreated two meters to the side. Joshua had raised his left red-gloved hand. Both of them didn't hide their wariness as their eyes keenly observed him.
Derrick knew that this was a very normal reaction from them. This was because lessons regarding explorations had the corresponding teachings. Be observant and make less contact with companions who had just escaped a strange situation!
And I haven't clearly explained how I escaped that strange Afternoon Town... Derrick opened his mouth in a bid to explain, but he closed his mouth in silence again.
He felt ashamed and aggrieved as he pursed his lips. Holding the Axe of Hurricane, he turned and followed the Chief, taking one step at a time before leaving the underground chamber.
The quartet soon arrived at the entrance and was prepared to leave. To their surprise, they realized that the Afternoon Town with shadows cloaking its buildings had appeared to have darkened a little.
Almost instantaneously, there was candlelight shining out from different windows from different buildings. The dim yellowish lights were either connected or disconnected, silent and heavy.
...
Klein didn't stay too long above the gray fog. He quickly returned to the bathroom and put away the corresponding items.
Let's hope that there wouldn't be any more incidents on Little Sun's side. It wouldn't be too good for me to repeatedly enter the bathroom. People in the know will realize that I'm hiding a secret, but those not in the know would definitely think that Gehrman Sparrow has a bladder problem. It would be a tarnish on my persona!
Although I've already digested the Faceless potion, Nimblewright Master Rosago went from one Sequence to the next. The Beyonder characteristic he left behind obviously contains a set of the Faceless potion... Using this Beyonder characteristic as a main ingredient is equivalent to me drinking an additional Faceless, Magician, Clown, and Seer potion, or even more...
Sigh, I should still try my best to abide by the various principles I previously concluded, so as to digest the excess portions. Klein made some clean water and washed his face before walking out of the bathroom.
Just as he was wondering if it was almost time for dinner and was planning to take out his golden pocket watch to take a look, the scene before his eyes suddenly turned black. He could hardly see his fingers.
It's night again... The intervals don't follow a pattern... If we encounter a monster and both sides are in an intense battle, what happens when the sky suddenly turns dark? Monsters are also creatures, so they need to sleep as well; otherwise, there's a high chance that they will disappear into the night... Heh heh, both parties in combat have to lie down and sleep, only to continue when they wake up... Is this really a story that can pass the censors?
Klein, who had relaxed after successfully advancing, lampooned as he quickly walked to his bed.
Just as he got in bed, he suddenly thought of a problem.
The night here is very dangerous. If living creatures do not sleep, they will vanish completely.
The darkness of the Forsaken Land of the Gods, including the City of Silver, is similarly dangerous. If there's no light to disperse the darkness, humans would completely vanish if the darkness exceeds five seconds.
It's really similar... Could there really be some connection here?
Klein shook his head and, with Cogitation, entered a dream.
Amidst the dream, he realized that he had switched locations again once he became lucid!
The last time he left the dream, he was on the boulder where Admiral of Stars Cattleya was sitting as she hugged her knees. This time, he was facing a staircase.
The light of the sunset shined through the colored glass panes high above, making the black spiraling staircase adorned with sculptures look exceedingly beautiful.
Klein instinctively looked to the side and found Queen Mystic standing high up the staircase.
This long chestnut-haired lady wasn't wearing her dress with open hems. Her top was a white shirt with lace and flowery bands, matched with a simple dark blue coat. Her lower half was still the beige-colored trousers with black leather boots. However, Klein believed that Queen Mystic probably had an entire wardrobe, or even a room full of trousers and leather boots of the same style.
"What's the matter?" Klein took the initiative to ask.
Queen Mystic caressed the handrail with her right hand as she slowly walked down.
"Confidence might be a weakness at times.
"You trust that copper whistle and paper crane of yours too much. Perhaps one day, it will be the source of danger."
Klein felt a little uneasy at that, but he didn't show it.
"I don't understand what you mean."
"Confidence might be a weakness at times," Queen Mystic repeated again. "Cattleya trusts the Sealed Artifact she gave Heath Doyle too much. If I hadn't boarded the ship, then Nina, Frank Lee, and her would've died. But you might survive."
"That Sealed Artifact isn't actually able to block the ravings that fill these waters? That's how Heath Doyle mutated?" Klein acutely read in between the lines.
Queen Mystic nodded.
"Under ordinary circumstances, it can. But do you know who the ravings that fill these waters come from?"
Without waiting for Klein's reply, she gave the answer.
"The True Creator."
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