Danitz jumped in fright as he blurted out, "Sorry, I didn't see anything..." Before he could finish his sentence, he had already pulled the door handle towards him.
Bang!
The door closed, emitting a sound that echoed through the corridor.
At this point, Danitz finally came to a realization.
What was I doing just now...
What is Anderson doing?
He instinctively removed the black boxing glove and thought bitterly with a frown. Finally, he decided to return to his room, pack his luggage, and leave.
As for what Anderson was trying to do, he felt that something was amiss despite his curiosity. He had no plans on getting himself involved in it, lest he fell into a trap.
Captain said that I should maintain fear and respect towards the unknown. So, I should distance myself from this... Just as Danitz turned around, he suddenly heard the door unlock before being opened.
Anderson, whose buttons on the lower part of his shirt weren't buttoned up, walked out with a dull, pitch-black knife. He looked at Danitz with a mixed expression.
"Aren't you going to try to stop me?"
Danitz acutely noticed the chance to mock him as he sniggered.
"That's your freedom.
"If you didn't leave a will, I'll be rich!"
Anderson rubbed his cheeks.
"Aren't you curious about what I encountered?" @@novelbin@@
Danitz glanced at him suspiciously.
"I keep feeling as though you're up to something."
Anderson roared with laughter.
"Well, I had been captured some time ago and was soaked in strange blood with all kinds of ingredients. I was corroded by it for an extended period of time until a strange chrysalis was formed inside my body. This was to create the effect of having a certain level of attraction towards High-Sequence Beyonders of the Hunter pathway."
As he spoke, he pointed at his abdomen.
Danitz was taken aback.
"I've never really heard of something like that.
"If you were another sex, I might've imagined that you're pregnant..."
He paused for a moment before asking, "That strange fellow in Revival Square was attracted by the baby, no— 'chrysalis' in your stomach?"
Anderson nodded as Danitz gestured with his hands.
"You were trying to cut open your abdomen to extract the 'chrysalis'?"
Anderson replied honestly, "Yes, I'm worried about how it would affect me, or if it will continue attracting demigods. I have to make every second count to remove this latent problem."
Danitz thought before asking in puzzlement, "Then why aren't you making the attempt?
"You forgot to set up a will, and you want me to be your witness?"
Anderson's facial muscles twitched as he chuckled.
"Not bad. Your Provoker potion should almost be digested."
He then sighed.
"After some careful analysis, I believe there's no direct way to extract it. Otherwise, they wouldn't have soaked me in blood and allow the ingredients to seep into me. They could've just opened up my stomach and placed the chrysalis inside before sewing me up."
Without waiting for Danitz's reply, he said in thought, "Don't you have the method to contact Gehrman Sparrow? He's been through so much and knows so much, so I would like to consult him on how to resolve this problem."
In recent months, Danitz was extremely afraid of people raising the matter about him knowing Gehrman Sparrow, so he subconsciously retorted, "No! I haven't seen him since I left the Golden Dream!"
Anderson curled the corner of his lips and said, "When you were writing to Gehrman Sparrow, I was beside him and have met his messenger."
Danitz's expression immediately froze. He forced a smile after a few seconds.
"Then why don't you directly summon his messenger?"
Anderson raised his hand again and touched his throat, chuckling.
"I don't know the ritual for summoning his messenger."
Danitz still suspected that Anderson was up to something, and was unwilling to confirm that he had been repeatedly communicating with Gehrman Sparrow. He then suggested, "Actually, you can always seek the help of our captain on such matters. She's very knowledgeable and good at research. She knows many secret techniques and can also seek the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom for help. She should be able to give you the solution for resolving the matter of the chrysalis in your stomach.
"Haha, if you're embarrassed, I can talk to her for you."
Just as he said that, he saw Anderson's face beam. He quickly replied with a rushed tone, "Alright, let's do that!
"I've already packed my luggage. When shall we set off?"
"..." Danitz fell into a daze for a few seconds, feeling that he had been tricked by Anderson.
He returned to the room, drank his remaining beer, and threw all the miscellaneous items into his luggage bag, leaving behind a dried leaf with golden patterns.
This was the token Danitz previously used to establish contact with the Northern State's dominant leader, General Maysanchez. Following Gehrman Sparrow's instructions, he left the leaf inside and allowed the person-in-charge to follow up.
In the room that Danitz checked out of, a candle was suddenly lit as a two-meter-tall scarlet flame burgeoned.
Amidst the flames, a figure walked out. He was wearing a silk top hat, black formal suit, and had white sideburns. He looked outstanding with his deep, blue eyes and mature demeanor. He was none other than Klein as Dwayne Dantès.
After picking up the leaf with golden patterns, Klein left the hotel, circling around the sealed-off Revival Square, and came to Cookawa's core region, White Feather Square.
Maysanchez's residence was there, located beside a Death cathedral that descended downwards.
As a standard Loenese gentleman, Dantès looked out of place when walking through the city. Here, the foreigners were a minority, with most foreigners seen around the few major embassies located around Rejoice Square. The other places were filled with mostly locals from Balam.
Their skin was slightly brown, and they had curly black hair. Their facial features were soft, and in the eyes of most people from the Northern Continent, people of the same sex all looked the same, aside from the differences in height and weight.
These locals, be it male or female, enjoyed rolling dried tobacco leaves into Balam cigarettes. Along the way, Klein would see residents spewing out smoke alongside the road from time to time.
In addition, many of them hung a fruit known as Dalawa by their waists.
This fruit was the size of two fists, with thick skin. After digging open a tiny hole and eating the flesh inside, one could use it to store water, alcohol, and other beverages.
Based on Klein's observations, they mostly drank an orange-yellow Gwadar. It was sour with a hint of sweetness, good at quenching thirst and relieving heat. It was also great at keeping people awake.
I didn't have a chance to try it before... Klein mumbled as he found the guard manning the general's residence and sought to meet a man named Haggis.
Due to his appearance as a Loenese person and a gentleman, the guard didn't deny his request or make it difficult for him. He got a person to head in to get a man in his thirties.
The man's facial features and skin were that of a standard Balam native. However, his curly black hair had been pulled straight and neatly combed back as though he was trying to mimic members of high society in the various countries of the Northern Continent.
He wore a white shirt and a black vest, matched with a very formal bow tie. Upon seeing Dwayne Dantès, he said in standard Loenese, "Good afternoon, I'm Haggis. Nice to meet you."
His accent was a little odd, different from any borough in Loen.
Klein had lived in high society for quite a period of time, so he wasn't too surprised. He said with a smile, "Good afternoon, I'm Dwayne Dantès. I never expected to meet a gentleman who's so good at using the accent of Loenese nobles."
Haggis couldn't help but smile.
"Many children of noble birth from Loen have one come to East and West Balam to seek out opportunities. I was fortunate to learn from them."
"Oh, I might know some of them." Klein wasn't in a rush to talk business as he began making small talk with Haggis like a gentleman.
Haggis smiled.
"My friend includes Colonel Alfred Hall, the second son of an earl."
Hall... Klein let out a soft chuckle.
"I once met Earl Hall at a charity party. He's a true noble.
"What a small world."
Haggis nodded in agreement.
"Perhaps this is an arrangement of fate. Unfortunately, Alfred was transferred to East Balam last year."
He didn't continue as he immediately invited Dwayne Dantès into the general's residence.
When passing through the side door, Klein suddenly looked up, glancing at the embedded stained glass above.
The glass shimmered like a rainbow under the illumination of sunlight, as though gazes were sweeping past.
-x-X-x-
Klein retracted his gaze in a natural manner, held his gold-inlaid cane, and followed closely behind Haggis before entering the general's residence.
The architecture style was completely unlike those found in the Southern Continent. It didn't make any use of light manipulation to make the rooms appear dark and gloomy, nor did they boldly use some human bones as accessories to produce a strong visual impact. Instead, it was more in the style of the Northern Continent. Furthermore, there was an undeniable hint of Intis influence.
Every column was covered in segmented gold foil. The use of colors in the murals were warm, and there were sculptures embedded with gold. A beautiful spiral staircase descended from above, connecting all four stories before ending in the middle of the huge hall where it faced the entrance. It was extremely grand.
I have to say that countries led by the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun are really at the forefront when it comes to gold artwork. It doesn't have the feeling of the gaudy nouveau riche... Klein swept his gaze to the palm-sized golden angels that extended out from the staircase's railings and mid sections of the columns, holding back his urge to caress them.
Looking at the guards standing by the two sides, he casually found a topic and said to Haggis, "Colonel Alfred Hall seems to have made some significant contributions in West Balam?"
Haggis nodded and used a Loenese noble accent to say, "He's a determined and brave man. He once led a special forces team of more than thirty men to raid an Intis battalion with more than a thousand people, completely crippling them. I heard that he had also made significant contributions in East Balam; therefore, becoming a colonel before the age of thirty."
Sounds impressive... Perhaps Miss Justice's brother has already become a Beyonder with quite a significantly high Sequence... Hmm, in every aristocratic family, every generation should have some members taking the Beyonder path... Heh heh, if this Mr. Alfred finally reaches his goal of becoming a Beyonder with a relatively high Sequence and gaining the rank of brigadier general or major general through hardship, I wonder how sad would he be when he returns to Backlund to realize that he's no match for his sister's dog... Having drank his medicine before heading out today, Klein used the act of lampooning to adjust his mental state.
He didn't ask further about Alfred as he asked with a curious tone, "I realize that there are some differences in the traditions of East and West Balam. Here, in many houses, there are people with human bone decorations, but it's not present in East Balam.
"I've been here several times, but I've never been able to bring myself to get the answer to this question."
Haggis stopped and pointed to the exaggerated spiral staircase.
"Mr. Dantès, the general will be here in a few minutes."
After informing him of this, he chuckled.
"It's actually not common to see human bone traditions. Only fiefs that came under the royal family of the Balam Empire still have this tradition. To us, the death of family members doesn't mean that our relationship has come to an end. After the burial, we will take a piece of their bones and place it at home as a decoration as a way to indicate that the deceased continue being with the living. @@novelbin@@
"As for which bone to choose, it will be decided by the interring priest through a ritual. The best and most symbolic part is the skull.
"Some families will even make the skull into a vessel for drinking alcohol, using it only when entertaining the most honored guests.
"Mr. Dantès, if you close a deal this time, I wish to invite you home. I wish to offer Finis Wine in my grandfather's skull to show my respects to you."
II
11
Klein's expression nearly fell apart. He felt that he was incapable of accepting the local customs in this aspect.
He laughed and was just about to be perfunctory when he saw a figure slowly walking down the golden railings of the staircase.
The person didn't wear a hat. He was wearing a cut black military attire with shimmering gold buttons. The sash he wore was red like blood.
He had light-brown skin and a rather soft facial outline. His facial features looked scrunched up in the middle of his head, making his face appear abnormally big
Klein, who had obtained the relevant information from various channels, instantly recognized the man to be the dominant ruler of West Balam's Northern State. He was Maysanchez who declared himself as general.
On the surface, he wavered between the factions of Loen, Intis, Feynapotter, Feysac, and the Resistance, maintaining a balance, but secretly, he had received the support of the Numinous Episcopate's royal family faction.
Meanwhile, Klein suspected that this native general had established a solid working relationship with the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom.
As for Maysanchez's strength, be it Vice Admiral Iceberg Edwina or Admiral of Stars Cattleya, he was noted to be a Sequence 5. But the two ladies didn't mention which pathway he was from, as the powers this local general exhibited were mostly related to spirits, but he carried a mystical item from the Death pathway.
"Good afternoon, Your Excellency." Klein took off his hat, pressed his hand to his chest, and bowed.
At this moment, he sensed gazes locking onto him from some unknown location. They were like lights that flashed across the golden angel figures, the sunlight reflected from the stained glass or the lustrous glow from the smooth marble.
"Hello there, Mr. Dantès," Maysanchez replied in Dutanese.
Having grasped Dutanese through his marionette, Klein naturally was able to understand him. However, in the Southern Continent, the longer he stayed in East and West Balam, the more he felt the similarities between Dutanese and ancient Feysac.
Although these two languages obviously followed different systems, making it much more difficult if he were to truly study Dutanese, certain details were shockingly similar as it was as though they shared a common heritage.
Klein could only be certain that the heritage wasn't Jotun.
Pretending as though he hadn't noticed anything, he very naturally chatted with Maysanchez until the other party raised the topic of the arms deal.
"How many goods do you have in total?"
Klein laughed and replied, "It wouldn't be a problem equipping three to four thousand people. In addition, there will be a few cannons."
Maysanchez fell silent and said, "Name your price."
Klein pretended to deliberate and said, "If you wish for me to send the goods to the Northern State, the price would be 50,000 pounds. If you send your troops to retrieve the goods with me and be responsible for the subsequent transportation and safety, it will only cost 40,000 pounds."
Maysanchez thought and said, "The latter.
"Take the down payment and go with my men. Once they see the goods and move it onto our carriages, my men will pay the rest."
He paused for a moment and then added, "However, I do not have much Loen gold pounds."
So you don't have enough foreign reserves... Klein surveyed the area and said with an unconcerned smile, "You can directly pay me in gold coins, or even gold bars or gold bricks."
Maysanchez was rather decisive. He didn't waste any time to nod and say, "Deal. I'll get Haggis to bring my men and money to you tomorrow."
Not bad. I like doing business with people who don't haggle... Klein first heaved a sigh of relief before suspecting if his price was too low.
After Klein left the general's residence, Maysanchez suddenly looked up and said to the person above, "Your Excellency Lucca, is this the person you're waiting for?"
One story above the beautiful staircase, a figure slowly appeared.
He was an elder in a white robe with inlaid brass lines. His hair was completely white and neatly combed. His pair of gray-green eyes were so deep that they appeared bottomless.
He replied with an unhurried tone, "There's no way to be certain. Although my prophecy tells me that I'll meet the person who can resolve my future predicament in the next two days here, that person was too ordinary. Besides being a Beyonder, there's nothing worth taking note of.
"Of course, I can't tell the more profound truth. He might have an existence that's at least not weaker than me behind him."
Having said that, he slowly walked down and, after a few seconds, said, "I'll attempt to use a dream to see if I can discover more."
"Do I need to prepare a special room for you?" Maysanchez asked reverently.
Lucca shook his head.
"I'll use the activity room here. Hmm... The best time will be four hours later. Don't disturb me before that happens."
He then entered the room, sat down, and leaned against the sofa. He relaxed himself, closed his eyes, and fell silent.
Only when it slowly turned dark did the old gentleman fall asleep.
In the dream, he found himself standing in the hall of the general's residence, standing at the first floor of the beautiful staircase. By the side was Maysanchez and numerous guards.
The middle-aged man named Dwayne Dantès was standing opposite him when he suddenly curled his lips into a smile, revealing an exaggerated smile.
Flames soared up as poker cards fell from above.
Lucca's green eyes instantly darkened as Dwayne Dantès's body instantly fell into a strange darkness that appeared.
The old white-robed gentleman immediately spread his arms open, revealing a dark vortex at his chest.
The vortex expanded and devoured Dwayne Dantès.
Before Lucca could confirm the situation, he felt something. He turned to the side and saw Maysanchez's face squirming and turning tall before instantly becoming another Dwayne Dantès.
Almost at the same time, Haggis and all the guards present turned into Dwayne Dantès. All of them were casting their gaze at Lucca!
Lucca was jolted awake, and under the watch of Maysanchez, who had entered at some point in time, he faltered for two seconds and said heavily, "I have to personally meet that gentleman from before and see the demigod behind him."
Before he finished his sentence, he subconsciously turned his head to look out the window.
At this moment, the street lamps lit up. It was dark outside, and the crimson moon's moonlight was strangely tainted with a bloody color.
Another Blood Moon!
Thankfully there's Mr. Fool... I must say that there are way too many Blood Moons this year... It's only been two months since the last time... I didn't even have any time to prepare! Fors who sat up, wiped her cold sweat, and muttered silently.
She had arrived at a town near Delaire Forest and had checked into a hotel. She shared a room with Xio, and they had made preparations to do some investigations of the abandoned castle early tomorrow morning. To Fors's surprise, there was a Blood Moon just as she was preparing to get some rest.
At this moment, she seemed to recall something as her body stiffly turned to the side.
Xio, who had exhorted her to sleep early, had already woken up at some point in time. She was looking at her with her eyes open.
-x-X-x-
Fors's gaze met Xio's in midair as both parties remained silent.
After a while, Fors chuckled dryly. @@novelbin@@
"Haha, you haven't fallen asleep?"
Xio frowned and said, "What happened to you?"
"Nothing. Didn't I tell you before? Whenever the full moon happens, I won't be in a good state. It's even worse during the Blood Moon," Fors replied as though everything was normal.
Xio sized her up and pulled her blanket.
"I remember that you brought sleeping pills?"
"There's no need for that. I've fine now." Seeing that Xio wasn't pressing further, Fors secretly heaved a sigh of relief. "Go back to sleep. We still have to head into the forest early tomorrow morning."
Xio didn't say another word as she turned around, gripped the blanket, and closed her eyes.
Before long, her breathing turned heavier and became more drawn out and uniform.
Fors stared blankly at the ceiling as her thoughts ran wild. At some point in time, she fell asleep as well.
The next day at noon. In the core region of Delaire Forest, in front of a collapsed, ancient castle covered in green vines.
Fors wiped the perspiration on her forehead and exhaled.
"We're finally here..."
Xio shot her a glance and said, "The boss at the hotel told me that we only need two hours to get here."
They had set off before six in the morning, but they had spent nearly seven hours to arrive.
The corners of Fors's lips twitched as she said, "Ideal conditions and reality are different. There weren't any trails for us to take towards the end. We needed to explore and forge a new path ourselves!"
Xio took out her triangular blade, nodded, and said, "You should've foreseen this from the beginning, but you refused to have a guide as suggested by the hotel's boss."
"As an Astrologer, I don't believe such trivialities will cause any trouble. Look, aren't we there now? Besides, the time is perfect. The wraiths and ghosts are definitely in their weakest state." Having forced a smile, Fors held Leymano's Travels in one hand as she pointed with the other. "I didn't notice it before, but the more I think about it, the more puzzled I become."
"About what?" Xio also cast her gaze to the ancient abandoned castle that was covered by vines.
Fors casually found an excuse.
"Tell me, who would build a castle in the middle of a forest? Furthermore, they didn't open up a trail to it..."
Before she finished her sentence, she really found the matter a little odd.
Xio thought and said, "Perhaps there was a trail, but after the castle was abandoned, whatever traces of it had been wiped out with time."
Fors stroked the hair by her ear and shook her head.
"Then why would they abandon it?
"If they had considered safety back when building it, it would be more dangerous building it far from the town in an uninhabited castle. If it's just for vacations, with the way nobles do things, they wouldn't abandon it even if the maintenance and repairs are difficult."
Xio blurted out, "Could it be because it's haunted?"
Fors thought for a few seconds.
"Won't someone who can build such a huge castle hire Beyonders to deal with the ghosts?
"I suspect that the three Churches and the kingdom's government don't know of this ancient castle. Otherwise, it doesn't make sense that they will leave the Beyonder ingredients inside..."
Upon saying that, she raised a possibility:
"An ancient castle of the Sanguine?"
Such extraordinary creatures enjoyed living in places with few people. Furthermore, they were usually connected to dark forests and ancient castles.
In addition, information about this ancient castle came from the Sanguine to begin with.
"It's possible," Xio first agreed before disagreeing. "Will the Sanguine be afraid of ghosts? They definitely have the means to deal with the ancient wraiths inside."
Makes sense... Don't tell me those Sanguine don't like money and don't care about the search for Beyonder ingredients? Fors recalled Mr. Moon's behavior and denied her hypothesis. In deliberation, she said, "Unless there's some problem that's not easy to resolve. That's what made the bigwigs choose to skirt around it."
In that case, her operation would become more dangerous than she had anticipated.
Xio tersely agreed.
"Let's do some preliminary investigations while the sun is still strong."
"Alright." Fors held Leymano's Travels and approached the half-collapsed ancient castle one step at a time.
The two soon arrived at the entrance which was two-thirds blocked by rocks. They discovered that, beneath the green vines, the stone walls were mottled and heavily weathered as though it had been in existence for a very, very long period of time.
Xio wasn't in a rush to enter. Calling out to Fors, they circled around the castle slowly.
When they returned to the entrance, she said in puzzlement, "This castle's style is purely defensive. It doesn't seem to consider the problems needed for living in it. Besides, many of the peculiarities of the building are ones I haven't heard of before. It has probably existed in the late Fourth Epoch or even earlier."
"What's there to defend again? Beastmen? Treants? They've all gone extinct after the Cataclysm. Haha, don't tell me that it's a building from the Second or Third Epoch?" Fors casually replied.
She observed the terrain and left the entrance with Xio before arriving at a relatively complete wall. She reached out her palm and pressed on it.
Although she lacked combat experience, she was rather skilled when it came to the various aspects before a battle.
An illusory light appeared in front of her, allowing Fors and Xio to instantly enter the abandoned castle.
The first thing that they saw was a collapsed staircase and layers of remnant concrete from above. There were rays of pure sunlight shining in from above, as well as masonry and rotten wood. There weren't any animal or bird feces or any green weeds on the ground.
With a whoosh, the wind seeped into their bones, chilling them despite it being noon.
Fors activated her Spirit Body and surveyed the area, but she failed to see any Spirit Bodies.
However, she noticed that on the right of a remnant collapsed wall, there was a rather intact stone staircase.
The staircase was mottled and scuffed as it extended downwards to an unknown location.
"Shall we head over there to take a look?" Fors shot a glance at Xio and made a suggestion.
From her point of view, everything else in the castle could either be taken in at a glance or collapsed and stacked together. If they wished to do thorough investigations, it was certain that it would take a rather long amount of time. Therefore, it was better to gain a general understanding of the overall picture to assure themselves.
Xio glanced around and nodded gently.
"The cold wind is gathering underground... I suspect that all the wraiths and ghosts are hidden in the area where the staircase leads to."
"Yeah." Fors cautiously walked towards the mottled stone staircase and followed the steps, which were covered in gravel, down.
The staircase was rather narrow, allowing only one person to pass at a time. Furthermore, they spiraled down, leaving Fors shaken.
Tap. Tap. Tap. As their footsteps echoed into the distance, the light that shone inside the staircase darkened.
Xio lit the lantern in her hand as Fors opened Leymano's Travels, swiping a page with great familiarity.
A bright and warm light burst out, illuminating the mottled stairs ahead of them. Tensed, Fors and Xio walked down one level at a time.
On the way, cold wind blew past them, making them overreact and nearly cause them to launch attacks at nonexistent enemies.
Tap. Tap. Tap. In the narrow and silent environment, Fors finally walked down the steps and stepped onto rather flat and solid ground.
She had originally wanted to say "being in a place like this for too long will really make one go mad," but due to the silent and heavy atmosphere around her, she didn't make a sound. She was afraid that breaking the silence would result in extremely terrible developments.
Using the blob of light that was floating above her, Fors cast her gaze forward in an attempt to see what was at the end of the staircase.
It was a huge hall that was nearly ten meters tall. There were black tiles laid on the ground with water droplets seeping out. There were signs of damage everywhere.
Dozens of meters away, where the light nearly failed to illuminate the other end of the hall, there was a pair of double bronze doors sitting there silently.
It went from the bottom to the top, and the rocks on the walls to its side had peeled off. The statues were in shambles, revealing the dark brown mud underneath.
The surface of the door was engraved with dense symbols and strange patterns. They had a very mysterious and heavy feel, as though they were sealing something or blocking out something.
Fors finally couldn't help but say with a hushed tone, "Have you seen such large doors before?"
Beside her, Xio shook her head.
"No."
Fors immediately drew a gasp.
"Say, what could be behind that door? Where does it lead to?
"C-could it be the reason for building this castle in the first place? To prevent the creatures behind the door from coming out?"
Xio circled the area but didn't find any murals that could provide any information. All she found was that the closer she was to the bronze door, the more water seeped out from the ground. There were also more and more abandoned silver-black swords on the ground.
"During the Fourth and Fifth Epoch, murals were very common in all castles and buildings. And before the Cataclysm, it can be seen from various elvish ruins that supernatural creatures similarly like to use murals to praise their deities and to record their daily lives..." Xio said slowly, using her experience and knowledge from being a bounty hunter.
Fors nodded slightly and said, "That's indeed the case.
"This ancient castle is more magical than I imagined."
At this moment, she felt hesitant. She even had thoughts of leaving and seeking Mr. World's help.
Having heard Little Sun describe so many horror stories when exploring abandoned ruins at the Tarot Gatherings, her mind couldn't help but wander when placed in a similar situation. She was scaring herself.
"Perhaps we can gather more clues by going closer." Xio boldly took a few steps forward and approached the heavy sealed door that seemed to lead somewhere.
Fors gripped Leymano's Travels tightly and hurriedly chased after her.
As she walked, she suddenly saw bright redness appear before her.
What seeped out from the cracks of the black tiles was no longer water but staggering blood!
This... Fors immediately flipped open the notebook with a bronze-green cover and cast her sight on Xio through the corner of her eye.
It was unknown when Xio had turned pale. Her eyes were dark-green, and her lips were red. The area around her was dark and gloomy as her expression looked extremely distorted.
-x-X-x-
Fors's pupils dilated as though she was trying to absorb more light into her eyes to better see Xio's current circumstances.
Meanwhile, the light in front of her suddenly exploded with a flash several times more blinding than old-school cameras, blanketing the surroundings with whiteness.
Following that, her finger swiped on a page on Leymano's Travels as black fog soared from her feet, enveloping her entire body.
The thick black fog quickly transformed into palm-sized illusory bats as they flew in different directions of the underground hall.
This was Wings of Darkness which The Moon had recorded in Leymano's Travels!
Its original use was to enhance one's speed and bestow temporary flight capabilities while producing a horde of blood-sucking bats to attack the enemy. However, Fors didn't use it for this purpose. Instead, she used it as a "prop" for her performance.
After the illusory bats flew away, the space where Fors stood was already empty.
At some point in time, she had appeared more than ten meters away!
After subconsciously escaping and defending herself, Fors could finally calm down as she hurriedly cast her gaze onto Xio, who had turned abnormal.
However, Xio only appeared to have slightly disheveled blonde hair with malt-colored skin due to her continuous forays out in the sun. Besides looking somewhat blank as though she was surprised as to why her friend had such a huge reaction, she didn't show any signs of being influenced by wraiths or ghosts.
sor
as
"What happened?" Xio asked warily.
Fors narrowed her eyes without directly replying to her. Flipping through Leymano's Travels's pages, she asked, "Xio, how tall are you?"
Seemingly realizing something, Xio answered, "152. Isn't that so?"
Just as she said that, Fors's fingers slid across the notebook's page which was filled with symbols and magical labels.
Silently, a holy light swirling with fire plummeted down from above.
The unadulterated and bright light instantly enveloped Xio before rippling outward with sunlight.
As the blazing light stabbed into Fors's eyes, she saw the hall collapse and the surroundings space shatter like glass.
This feeling was gone in a flash as Fors realized that she was still in her original spot. She had yet to flee.
That was an illusion? She hurriedly turned to the side and saw Xio looking at the damaged region of the heavy door.
Fors deliberated for a moment and asked, "Xio, how tall are you?"
Xio glanced at her and angrily said, "Stop asking such inane questions!"
Phew, she's real... Fors heaved a sigh of relief as she quickly described her encounter to Xio.
After a few seconds of thought, Xio used her lantern-wielding hand to nudge Fors's arm.
"Let's retreat. Perhaps the closer we are to that door, the easier it is to hallucinate."
"Yes, that's possible!" Fors nodded in agreement as she quickly moved back a few steps.
Following that, she surveyed the area and asked in puzzlement, "Why can't we find any wraiths or ghosts here?
"Such an environment should be something that they enjoy."
Xio was perplexed as well. She then did a careful observation before landing her gaze on the blob of sunlight floating above Fors's head.
"Try extinguishing it," she suggested.
Fors came to a realization as she immediately dispelled the light. Silent darkness blanketed the area and ruled the underground hall once more. Only the lantern's faint yellow light put up a resistance against all of this. @@novelbin@@
Then, Fors saw two figures in her Spirit Vision.
They were rather close to the bronze door. One was a female with coiled hair, wearing a knight's trousers and a garish shirt for ease of movement. The other was a man wearing silver-black armor as he held a sword that was almost snapping due to rust.
The former's face was a blur as it kept wandering between the door and where Fors and Xio arrived. The latter was loitering beside the door, muttering something
These are the two ancient wraiths? Fors nudged Xio and said with a suppressed voice, "I see Spirit Bodies."
"I see them as well. They aren't hiding at all." Xio curved her back as she readied herself for a fight.
Fors hurriedly nudged her.
"Don't be hasty. We aren't sure that they're the targets."
She attempted to take three steps forward, but the two relatively blurry figures didn't even look at her.
Fors thought and suddenly said, "Ma'am, what are you doing?"
She had heard of stories in other mysticism circles that wraiths, shadows, and other higher-level Spirit Body creatures could be communicated with.
However, she regretted it the moment she said that. This was because communication didn't allow her to achieve her goal. There was no way she could persuade the other party to kill themselves and hand over the cursed item and remnant spirituality of an ancient wraith.
O
m
Just as Fors was considering if she should launch a direct attack, the lady in the garish shirt and knight's trousers replied with a flat tone, "I'm searching for my husband.
"He's a guard here."
Communication is really possible... Fors pressed out of curiosity, "Where did he go?"
At this moment, Xio approached as she wore a look of extreme vigilance.
The blurry-figured lady answered blankly,
"He's a guard here. He told me that magical power seeps out from behind the door, corrupting his teammates. He got me to leave as quickly as possible with a messenger.
"He said that he would ensure that I escaped safely, but I don't wish for that. I want to leave with him... After sending off the messenger, I returned midway and returned underground. But I can't find him..."
With the age of this castle exceeding the present Epoch, the last defender has definitely transformed into an ancient wraith. Hmm, this lady's story has moved me. I really can't bear to attack her... Fors's mind whirled as she carefully took a few steps and circled around the ancient female wraith and approached the bronze door.
This time, she and Xio didn't suffer any more hallucinations. This seemed to imply that her encounter was subconsciously created by the lady.
A distance from the silver-black armored knight with a rusty sword, Fors attempted to ask, "Sir, what are you doing?"
The knight paused and said with a humming voice, "I'm guarding this Door of Blackness. I need to ensure that my wife has escaped safely.
"If you meet her, tell her that her knight will fight for her to the very last moment."
Ah... Door of Blackness. It's clearly a bronze door... Wait, what did he say? He said that he's guarding the door to ensure that his wife can safely escape? I-isn't this the other half of that woman's story which she described? This is her husband? Fors was taken aback as she kept looking back and forth between the two ancient wraiths.
The lady wearing a garish shirt and knight's trousers slowly approached the bronze door before returning to the middle of the hall repeatedly. As for the silver-black armored man, he was patrolling about the door with a rotting sword in hand. At times, they would pass by without noticing each other.
Such a scene must've gone on for at least fifteen hundred years, or even longer... Fors commented silently as she turned to glance at Xio. She realized that her friend's eyes were already welling with tears.
What an easily touched person... Fors couldn't help it as she shouted at the female wraith, "Look at the door. Your husband has been there all along!"
The lady slowed down her pace and first glanced at Fors before casting her gaze at the heavy door.
Her blank gaze penetrated the knight, landing behind him.
"Why can't I find him..." the wraith repeated her words and repeated her actions.
Fors felt an explicable sense of sorrow, and just as she was about to shout again, she saw the knight turn to look at her and Xio. He shouted, "Who are you?"
Just as he said that, the female wraith cast her gaze at Xio and Fors again.
Fors immediately felt her thoughts slow down as a coldness quickly formed inside her body and rippled out, freezing her flesh and joints. As for Xio, she too was suffering from the same condition. The area around the lantern dimmed significantly.
At this moment, two bolts of lightning lit up in Xio's eyes.
This made the wraith let out a painful cry as his body turned faint.
Xio instantly escaped from her frozen state and threw out the triangular blade in her hand towards the female wraith.
Bolts of illusory lightning swirled around the triangular blade's tip, stabbing straight into the lady.
Psychic Lashing!
The female wraith screamed as her body turned faint.
Fors instantly snapped awake as she slid her fingers across the open Leymano's Travels.
Life seemed to immediately gather from the surrounding shadows, turning into a pitch-black chain that restrained the male wraith to the ground, sealing off his "mouth."
Abyss Chains!
Meanwhile, Xio rushed out, and with an illusory brand in hand, she stamped it on the female wraith.
With her holding back the female wraith, Fors's actions became more composed.
She flipped through Leymano's Travels and slid her fingers.
Silver lightning that branched out and blasted out of thin air, smiting the male wraith and turning the area into a lightning hellscape.
Finally, a holy pillar of light that had flames swirling around it appeared. It enveloped the male wraith and completely purified him.
With one enemy taken down, Fors immediately turned and dealt with the female wraith with Xio.
She didn't hold back on using powers from Leymano's Travels. She came up with wise combinations of them, and using Xio's suppression, she switched between restrainment powers and offense from time to time. Soon, they finished off their target.
Everything fell silent as Fors heaved a sigh of relief. She then looked at the battlefield with a look of disbelief.
"Is that it?"
She originally imagined that two ancient wraiths had unique powers, and with their higher levels, they weren't something sub-Sequence 5 Beyonders could deal with. However, she realized that everything happened rather smoothly.
This made her truly realize how godly Leymano's Travels was. She also began looking forward to the next Sequence as a Scribe.
Xio was somewhat astonished as she thought for a few seconds.
"It's no wonder someone told me that, beneath the level of demigods, the number of Beyonders, their cooperation, and usage of powers are more important than the Sequence."
Just as she said that, she heard knocking sounds resonate.
It broke the silence of the hall, and it came from behind the bronze door.
-x-X-x-
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Behind the bronze door, the slamming sounds continued incessantly, echoing throughout the vast underground hall as though they came from an abnormally distant past.
Fors clamped up and couldn't help but tremble. Unable to help it, she suppressed her voice:
"What could be behind the door?" "I've no idea." Xio honestly shook her head, subconsciously gulping.
Her right hand, which had just picked up her triangular blade, had her joints protruding out as her blood vessels surfaced. Clearly, she was gripping the triangular blade tightly.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The slamming sounds continued without any change in frequency. Each sound seemed to strike at Fors's and Xio's hearts, leaving their hair standing and scalps tingling
"It likely won't be able to come out, right... If it could so easily come out, it wouldn't have waited until today." Fors tried to console herself with parched
lips.
Xio nodded heavily and said, "We leave once the ingredients form."
"In such an environment and atmosphere, her curiosity had been completely overwhelmed by her innate fear.
"Alright!" As Fors glanced at the spots where the two ancient wraiths had been cleansed, she blamed The Moon for providing undetailed information. He hadn't mentioned that there was such a strange door beneath the ancient castle.
At this moment, glowing dust was landing on the ground like shattered gems, forming into two piles as they gathered together.
Around them, nearly formless remnant spirituality condensed into a seemingly ethereal crystal.
Accompanied by the crystals and dust were two different items. One was ring-shaped and completely transparent as though it was a corroded ring. The other was an eye carved from crystal, with faint black gas swirling within. Upon seeing this scene, Fors suddenly realized something
An ancient wraith was a ghost-like creature with a Beyonder characteristic mixed in. The cursed item would be related to a particular item while they were still alive, fusing with the characteristic and turning into a foundation to which they relied on for their existence. It was precisely because of this that different ancient wraiths had different corresponding cursed items in shape and form. However, they were essentially the same. And the dust was another type of characteristic. It was the source of most of their strength, stemming from remnant spirituality, slightly equivalent to the blood and ingredients of monsters.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The entity striking behind the bronze door didn't let up at all. It kept testing Fors's and Xio's psyche.
Being afraid and cautious, the duo's bodies trembled so much that they even imagined that the door was shaking slightly. Their racing hearts were in their throats.
With them being able to head for the staircase at any moment, Fors finally waited until the ancient wraiths' powder and cursed items took form.
As she signaled to Xio to be wary, she crouched down and took out three square metal boxes she had prepared.
After some hesitation, Fors looked up at Xio and said, "These two ancient wraiths have been waiting for each other for so long. I-I'm thinking of separating a little of what they left behind and burying them together... Uh, in that case, I'll get a cursed item, and you'll get a pile of dust. We'll split the remaining spirituality, alright?"
Xio didn't hesitate as she nodded.
"Alright!"
Fors silently heaved a sigh of relief as she pursed her lips. Flipping through Leymano's Travels, she slid her finger across a particular page.
The five nails on her right hand immediately grew long and sharp, covering black patterns and symbols.
This was the Claw of Corrosion from the Sanguine.
Upon seeing her palm transform, Fors grabbed at the ground, easily digging a hole and leaving behind a corrosive mark.
Right on the heels of that, she placed the crystal eyeball-like cursed item and a pile of dust into the hole before filling the hole with the gravel and soil she had dug up.
She lightly grazed the flattened ground with her fingernails, writing an epitaph.
"Returning for you; Defending for you; Together forever."
After doing all of this, Fors sighed when she heard the slamming behind the bronze turn louder.
Bam!
She jumped in fright and hurriedly placed the pile of dust, ring-shaped curse item, and remnant spirituality into the different square metal boxes.
Then, she put the boxes away, stood up, and slowly walked to the spiraling and cramped staircase with Xio.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The slamming sounds behind the bronze door grew intense as Fors and Xio subconsciously gritted their teeth, following the staircase and rapidly heading up.
They increased their speed until they began running. They ignored the possibility of falling on the staircase and tumbling down like a wheel.
Finally, Fors and Xio saw sunlight.
Sunlight beamed in from outside, shining upon the staircase ahead of them. It was bright, pure, and warm.
At this moment, the slamming sounds from underground had come to a sudden stop without any follow-up.
Fors and Xio exchanged looks, slowed down their pace, and after a few large strides, returned to the top of the abandoned ancient castle.
The duo didn't say a word and directly left the area, returning to the periphery of the forest.
After walking for some time, Fors calmed down and pursed her lips.
"It was really terrifying. Although the thing behind the bronze door didn't deal any harm to us, nor did it even show itself, I think it was more terrifying than the ancient wraiths. Compared to all my past experiences—uh, it's far more terrifying. In those few minutes, I couldn't help but imagine all the different tragic deaths I might suffer. Each one was more terrifying than the last, but none of them were as terrifying as the slamming sounds."
Xio turned her head and agreed with a nod.
"Yeah. I felt as though I was walking on the edge of a cliff."
Fors was about to continue when she saw two streams of bright red blood flowing down Xio's nose. @@novelbin@@
"Xio, Xio! Your nose is bleeding!" Fors hurriedly warned her friend.
Xio was taken aback as her pupils dilated.
"You too!"
"Ah?" Fors blankly reached out her hand and wiped her nose. It felt warm to the touch, wet and sticky.
She was appalled as she hurriedly held her right hand in front of her and saw red blood smeared across it. It was bright and striking.
"A result from being overly-anxious?" Fors muttered in puzzlement.
At this moment, through the sunlight diffusing through the forest's canopy, she realized that faint black spots were quickly growing on her wrists at a discernible pace.
The black spots rapidly spread, covering her arms and the back of her hands.
"Ah!" Fors subconsciously cried out as she hurriedly looked at Xio.
She saw Xio's cheeks and neck covered with black spots!
"Th-this isn't normal!" Fors blurted out.
Xio sensed the abnormality happening to the both of them as she recalled and said, "Do you still remember what that female wraith said?
"She said that the guards from before had been corrupted by the forces that seeped out from behind the bronze door!
"Could it be that we've been corrupted?"
Fors was taken aback for a second before she nodded heavily.
"It's possible!"
She hurriedly took out the medicine that she had prepared, handing over some of it to Xio. Then, she twisted the lid off and downed two bottles.
However, they didn't show any signs of recovering. The black spots grew in number, turning their vision blurry.
Badump! Badump! Before long, Fors, whose efforts to save herself were in vain, could hear her heartbeat and sense her body beginning to lose strength.
Out of ideas, she quivered her lips, clenched her teeth, and turned her body around. She took a few steps to open up a distance from Xio.
Then, she bowed her head and chanted Mr. Fool's honorific name.
In about ten seconds, she saw dark red light appear, engulfing her like the tide.
The ravings and roaring vanished and Fors saw the familiar mottled table and the ten high-back chairs opposite her.
She then realized that her dizziness and blurred vision had vanished. There weren't any more of the strange, accentuated black spots on her Spirit Body.
"Thank you for your help." Fors hurriedly stood up and bowed at the figure shrouded in gray fog at the end of the long bronze table.
Then, she heard Mr. Fool say in a calm tone, "Your spirit had been corrupted by some force.
"It should be fine now."
Cleansed by Mr. Fool? Fors's heart stirred. Just as she wanted to make a request to Mr. Fool regarding how Xio could be saved, the scene before turned red as light soared up.
After a brief pause, she found herself in the real world, back in Delaire Forest. The black spots on the back of her hands and wrists were rapidly fading and receding. The blood that kept dripping from her nose had already come to a stop.
Returning to her body, she saw Xio weakly slumped on a tree. Her face was covered in black spots, making her look terrifying. The muscles on both sides of her neck were tensed up as her mind spun.
A few seconds later, she walked over quickly, pressed Xio on the shoulders and rapidly said, "I have a way to save you, but you need to follow my instructions!
"Use ancient Hermes to say this: The Fool that doesn't belong to this era..."
Xio could hardly turn her swollen eyelids. Looking at Fors for two seconds, she heavily chanted, "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..."
Just as she said that, Xio saw dark red starlight surge out from the void, sweeping over her.
Indescribable roars continued for a second before vanishing from Xio's ears. She then saw herself seated in an ancient and majestic palace. She was sitting beside a mottled, bronze table. At her feet was a boundless grayish-white fog. In front of her was a lofty figure looking down upon her.
This scene was both unfamiliar and familiar to her. She had once seen it in a "dream," but she hadn't ever had it again after the exorcism ritual.
That purification was actually useless... Xio suddenly had this thought as she stood up in deliberation, bowing at the figure enshrouded in gray fog.
"You are the great King of Yellow and Black?"
She didn't appear too surprised or alarmed, as though she had already expected it.
"You can call me Mr. Fool. Have a seat," the figure with an epic aura replied calmly.
Xio bowed again and sat down, confirming that she had escaped her unwell state.
She looked to her sides and thought before asking, "Honorable Mr. Fool, does Fors Wall have a seat here?"
Shrouded in the gray fog, The Fool nodded gently and said, "Yes." Xio fell silent for a second and directly asked, "Can I join just like her?"
The Fool chuckled.
"It's a gathering they organized on their own accord but is convened by me.
"There's still a seat available at present. You may join.
"Draw a card. They use one of the Major Arcana cards as their code name."
Xio didn't ask or speak further. She immediately nodded.
"Yes, Mr. Fool."
On the bronze table in front of her, a deck of tarot cards immediately appeared.
Xio reached out her right hand and solemnly cut the deck, pulled out one card, and flipped it over.
Her card depicted an angel with a trumpet and the sleeping dead awaiting salvation: the Judgment card!
-x-X-x-
Looking at the Judgment card in hand, Xio was taken aback.
"This greatly meets my expectations."
Shrouded in the gray fog, The Fool nodded and calmly said, "The gathering is held here at three in the afternoon on Mondays, Backlund time. Be prepared.
"During the gathering, you can exchange information, ingredients, formulas, and knowledge. You can also pay a certain price to entrust missions to the other members."
Xio recalled for a moment before nodding in enlightenment.
"Yes, Mr. Fool."
Believing that this was all for the day, she heard the voice coming from the end of the bronze table.
"What did you do before being corrupted by that force?"
We really were corrupted... Xio composed herself and completely recounted her exploration of the ancient castle with Fors. She emphasized the bronze door which had been named the Door of Blackness, as well as the ancient castle's guard that had been reduced to a wraith due to the corruption.
Then, she noticed Mr. Fool nod slightly as he said calmly, "Don't enter that ancient castle again before you reach Sequence 4.
"It's time for you to return."
Xio then got up, and following the descriptions in the religious rituals, she bowed and said, "Your wish is my wish."
Just as she said that, the dark red color surged in front of her. After everything dissipated, she was back in the real world and leaning against a thick tree.
Subconsciously looking at the back of her hand, she realized that the black spots were rapidly turning faint. Xio looked up at Fors who was staring at her worriedly.
As their gazes met, Fors was first delighted before revealing a smile. She opened her mouth but was at a loss for words.
Xio slowly exhaled and pointed ahead. @@novelbin@@
"Let's first return to the town."
"Alright!" Fors answered without any hesitation.
At this moment above the gray fog, The Fool Klein was tapping on the edge of the mottled table as he considered Miss Magician and Miss Judgment's encounter.
The object or power sealed behind the Door of Blackness could still corrupt the guards and explorers outside, even without escaping. Just the mere thought of it was terrifying!
Furthermore, this corruption stemmed from the Spirit Body. To resolve it, Klein had only two solutions. One was to make the corrupted entity hold a complete secret deed ritual as he used the powers above the gray fog and the Sun Brooch to complete a purification. The other was to directly pull the Spirit Body over, using the gray fog to "cleanse" them. As he didn't have the luxury of time, he had chosen the latter.
What could it be?
The most corruptive power belongs to the Devil pathway... That place connects to the Abyss? That's not impossible. Based on Little Sun's description, during the early and mid-stages of the Second Epoch, Devils often left the Abyss and were active over the land. It was only when the ancient sun god appeared, causing ancient gods to perish one after another, did they retreat into the Abyss and seal themselves in. Based on that, it's rather normal to have an underground ancient entrance in the Northern Continent to lead to the Abyss... It can also be imagined that a castle is built with men sent to watch over it...
But the problem lies in the fact that it's been millennia. Why would there still be an existence slamming the door? Are the Devils planning on returning? Klein made a preliminary guess.
He temporarily had no plans on exploring the abandoned castle to verify his thoughts, because it was unlikely that there would be any changes anytime soon. After all, since it was news that came from the Sanguine, he could get The Moon Emlyn to do some gathering of information to figure out the history of the castle.
Reining in this thought, Klein removed the topaz chain from his wrist and divined if the matter regarding the ancient castle was pressing. He received a negative answer.
He immediately returned to the real world and waited for the local ruler, General Maysanchez, to send over the down payment.
At two in the afternoon, Feynapotter time, Haggis, with his hair combed backward while dressed as a Northern Continent gentleman, carried a black leather suitcase with a team of guards as he knocked on Dwayne Dantès's door.
"Please come on in." A warm and elegant voice sounded from the inside. It was first Loenese in a Backlund accent before it was changed to the local language of Dutanese.
Haggis turned the doorknob and entered. He saw Dwayne Dantès with his white sideburns and deep, blue eyes stand up from his reclining chair while pressing down the ends of his black vest.
"Good afternoon, my friend." This Loen gentleman with good looks and bearings took two steps forward and extended his right palm.
This time, he switched to using Loenese.
Haggis replied using the accent of a Loenese noble, "It's my honor to be your friend."
After he shook hands with Dwayne Dantès, he surveyed the area and chuckled.
"Is this your servant?"
He pointed at a mixed-blood youth standing behind the arms dealer. In between the lines, he was asking if he was trustworthy. After all, Dwayne Dantès hadn't brought any servants back when he visited the general's residence yesterday.
"Yes, his greatest strength is the ability to keep secrets." Dwayne Dantès smiled as he pointed to the leather sofa across the reclining chair.
With two guards following Haggis, he closed the door and sat down. He then said with a smile, "I've heard of an Intis proverb that's said to be from Emperor Roselle.
"He said that dead men tell no tales."
Dwayne Dantès said with a laugh.
"Emperor Roselle also said something else:
"Corpses can speak."
"Is that so? This is my first time hearing of this." Haggis enjoyed conversing with a Northern Continent gentleman, so they continued their conversation for a while before he lifted up the leather suitcase beside him and opened it.
At that instant, there seemed to be overflowing golden lusters. Under the illumination from the sunlight outside, the entire room seemed to brighten significantly
Haggis then looked at Dwayne Dantes and said, "5,000 Loen gold pounds, as well as 5,000 gold coins and gold bars.
"This is the down payment.
"I'll bring along the remaining 30,000 pounds in cash and gold the entire time, and will hand it over when the arms deal is completed."
Dwayne Dantès scanned the stacks of cash, the gold coins, and gold bars in the leather suitcase before retracting his gaze and saying with a smile, "When do we set off?"
Haggis closed the leather suitcase and handed it to Dwayne Dantès's servant and said simply, "Tomorrow morning."
He paused for two seconds before saying, "Mr. Dantès, the general has a guest who would like to meet you."
Dwayne Dantès's expression didn't change as he fell silent for a few seconds.
"When?"
"Now," Haggis said without daring to show any signs of being perfunctory. "He's downstairs."
Dwayne Dantès nodded slightly.
"Please invite him up."
Haggis immediately heaved a sigh of relief and left with his guards. They followed the stairwell down.
Before long, Lucca, in a simple white robe with brass lines adorning it, walked up. His silver hair had been combed very neatly.
When he arrived by Dwayne Dantès's door, he heard a voice from the inside just as he raised his hand.
"Please come in."
This time they spoke using ancient Feysac.
Lucca's expression didn't change as he naturally pushed open the door.
He then saw the middle-aged gentleman who had rather good looks and qualities from yesterday standing beside a reclining chair facing him.
And sitting on the reclining chair was a young man. He had black hair and brown eyes, with a thin, cut face. He had a cold temperament.
Lucca was taken aback as he took a step forward, entered the room, and closed the door.
After he sat down on the sofa in a composed manner, his gray-green eyes clearly reflected the young man in front of him.
"Gehrman Sparrow?" Lucca addressed him with a rhetorical question.
Gehrman Sparrow curled the corners of his mouth.
"Directly addressing others by their full name is impolite."
Lucca nodded and said, "My apologies for my faux pas. I recall that you advanced to Sequence 5 less than half a year ago, or it might have only been three months. Yes, it should have been completed when you were in the ruins of the battlefield of gods. I never expected... that you were already a demigod. It left me a little bewildered."
Gehrman Sparrow smiled without giving any explanations.
After a brief moment of silence, he said in an unhurried tone, "Why are you visiting me?"
Lucca calmly replied, "I don't know."
The atmosphere in the room suddenly turned somewhat odd. Gehrman Sparrow seemed to forget that there was an elderly man sitting opposite him that needed him to speak again.
Lucca indiscernibly nodded and said, "This is the thing: I made a prophecy by chance not too long ago. In that prophecy, I will be in a rather thorny situation in the future. And one of the people I met with over these few days will help me deal with it.
"I'm not sure if it's you, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. So I decided to meet you and get to know each other.
"My name is Lucca Brewster, a clergyman who serves the God of Knowledge and Wisdom. I'm presently in charge of various matters in West Balam."
Gehrman Sparrow nodded and said, "Not bad. I now know you. I don't believe I need to introduce myself, right?"
"Of course," Lucca thought and said. "You should be a Bizarro Sorcerer. I recently received some intel that there has been some reshuffling among the Secret Order in Intis."
He didn't see Gehrman Sparrow reveal any looks of shock. This powerful adventurer, who was famous across the Five Seas, said after a moment of silence, "Zaratul has returned."
The look in Lucca's eyes changed immediately before being restored to normal.
Then, he stood up and nodded.
"Since we've gotten to know each other, it's time we bid farewell."
After saying this, he walked to the door, twisted the doorknob, and left the room.
Sitting on the reclining chair, Gehrman Sparrow watched as his figure was concealed inch by inch by the wooden door until he completely disappeared. Then, he chuckled.
"What a charlatan."
"Yes." Dwayne Dantès, who was standing beside the reclining chair, found a seat and sat down. Then, he picked up a cup of tea and sipped from it.
With white sideburns and deep blue eyes, he and the thin, angular-faced Gehrman Sparrow exchanged looks and smiled in unison.
On Monday afternoon, Dwayne Dantès took out his golden pocket watch, opened it, and said to Haggis opposite him, "We're almost arriving at our destination. I believe you and your men need some rest."
"An excellent suggestion," Haggis was rather agreeable.
Dwayne Dantès pointed at the street ahead.
"There's a hotel ahead. Let's rest there for half a day before we set off again tomorrow."
Haggis didn't object to it as he turned to the front and instructed the carriage driver.
After checking into the hotel, Dwayne Dantès declined Haggis's invitation for afternoon tea by using an afternoon nap as an excuse.
Slightly more than half an hour later, above the boundless gray fog, Klein sat in the seat belonging to The Fool.
-x-X-x-
Dark red beams shot up, materializing into different figures on both sides of the long bronze table.
The unchanging silence above the gray fog was broken as the eternal palace seemed to have an additional, inexplicable sense of life to it.
Just as Justice Audrey regained her senses of her surroundings, she prepared to stand up to greet the existence at the end of the long bronze table.
At this moment, as a senior Spectator, she acutely noticed a difference:
There were two more members than last week!
One of them was a man sitting to the right of Mr. Moon. The other was a lady sitting to the left of The Hermit.
Audrey first felt happy that the Tarot Club was developing and becoming stronger, but then she kept to her professional instincts and quickly began observing
Due to where she sat, the man opposite her was much easier to observe compared to the lady two seats away from her. Therefore, she placed her attention on the man.
Black hair... Green eyes... He doesn't wear a coat... A vest matched with a shirt... He sits a little oddly. He's not accustomed to sitting properly... He's probably about 180 cm tall... He has quite a desultory temperament... He's rather tense... At one glance, Justice Audrey had "read" plenty of information from the rather blurry figure.
She then noticed something different.
The man was quickly surveying his surroundings.
Such an action wasn't a problem in itself. Anyone who came to this strange and secret location would definitely subconsciously size up the other members and attempt to grasp their traits and general situation so as to calm down. But the problem was that the man was moving his gaze too quickly!
His gaze had swept past The Moon, The Hanged Man, and the other members without pausing.
To Audrey, this was a very clear phenomenon. It didn't mean that the man was observing his surroundings and studying the members, but that he was finding someone!
He was looking for someone he had in mind!
Audrey instantly felt a little excited, as she believed that this newcomer knew one of the members present!
Who could it be? She observed for another second and realized that the man sitting diagonally opposite her had fixed his gaze on The World Gehrman Sparrow.
Audrey was thrilled as though she had discovered a secret. She thought in enlightenment, The newcomer is a friend of Mr. World, or it's at least the case that they know each other in the real world. He also knows that he's a Tarot Club member...
Or it could also be said that Mr. World had inducted him into the gathering... No, that's not very possible. If that were the case, the newcomer would be much more certain. He wouldn't be eagerly searching for someone he knows. He definitely would've placed his gaze on the other members for a longer period of time...
Furthermore, such an action also proves that he's not a Blessed of Mr. Fool.
What is his relationship with Mr. World?
Audrey held onto her thoughts of continuing to observe as she stood up and turned to face the seat @@novelbin@@
of honor.
During this process, she took the opportunity to sweep her gaze at the new member sitting beside Ma'am Hermit.
She's exchanging looks with Miss Magician... Her height... Xio has finally passed the test and joined the gathering? Upon identifying her, Audrey did a curtsy towards the figure shrouded in gray fog.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Fool~"
Just as she issued the brisk greeting, she realized something:
Mr. Fool is a little different from before.
This great existence seemed to be more one with the entire gray fog, palace, and space. "His" aura was lofty and mighty, like the sea or sky.
This feeling isn't something that can be described with words... Mr. Fool has taken one more step to "His" awakening, allowing him to retrieve more of "His" authority over "His" divine kingdom? Audrey's eyes darted around, feeling curious and delighted, as well as a little sense of pride.
At this moment, The Hanged Man Alger and The Hermit Cattleya had noticed the two new members. They noticed that the lady was a little short and was secretly exchanging signals with Miss Magician. She was both unfamiliar but also familiar with the Tarot Gathering. At the very least, she was unlike the man in the white shirt and black vest. He had frantically stood up only after everyone began bowing.
In addition, they sensed that the new male member took special notice of The World Gehrman Sparrow, causing them to have many guesses.
These thoughts resonated in their minds, but they didn't express them. The Hanged Man and The Hermit completed the usual first steps of the gathering with Miss Justice.
As for The Sun Derrick, he was just happy because the Tarot Club had new members again! The Moon Emlyn had mixed feelings. On the one hand, he felt a sense of superiority being more senior compared to the newcomers, but on the other hand, he had a feeling that there were just too many messiahs for the apocalypse.
After some searching, The Star Leonard determined that the one sitting at the bottom end of the long bronze table was Klein Moretti. This was because his physical characteristics were similar to that of Gehrman Sparrow's description.
He's hiding his true identity... He doesn't relax even in such a secretive gathering, using two levels of disguises. I have to take note... Just as this thought flashed across his mind, Leonard saw the girl sitting to the left of Mr. Fool stand up. Then, she led everyone into bowing.
He was taken aback, failing to react in time. He stood out when amongst all the standing members.
After a second, Leonard snapped back to his senses and hurriedly stood up to deliver the greeting.
Opposite him, Xio glanced at him, equating him to Fors to a certain extent.
Fors shared the same thought; however, she had equated the man with Xio to a certain extent. This was because Xio had appeared rather unreliable when they first met.
"This is The Star, and this is Judgment. Take your seats and introduce yourself." The Fool Klein raised his right hand and casually pointed.
The name "The Star" keeps making me think that it's the code name for a lady... As Leonard thought in exasperation, he focused and began labeling the members in the order of their introduction.
Miss Justice. Seems like a young lady, but she might've donned two levels of disguise like Klein... She's rather optimistic and cheerful. Although I can't tell the details of her attire, it appears to be very classy...
Mr. Hanged Man. Burly, restrained. He's likely to be a straightforward but rash person...
Miss Magician. The way she looks at me is weird. From time to time, she will glance at Klein. I've no idea what's on her mind. She seems rather ordinary overall with nothing standing out...
Mr. Sun. He's very tall, but the way he speaks sounds like he's going through puberty. Although he's silent, he does seem rather friendly...
Miss Hermit-uh, Ma'am Hermit. She exudes a mature and staid demeanor. She's likely a very experienced Beyonder...
Mr. Moon. Rather young and looks a little reserved. Makes me feel like I've seen him somewhere before, but I can't recall it. I'll continue observing...
Miss Judgment. Very short with very obvious traits. However, I can't be sure if she has donned two levels of disguises...
The World. Very, very gloomy. This is likely his disguise... Well, it might also be his true nature... He wasn't a demigod before, meaning that this gathering has no lack of Mid-Sequence Beyonders. I wonder if I'm the weakest one...
As Leonard was observing the other members, Judgment Xio Derecha was also using her powers as a Sheriff to extract the traits of the different members and keeping them in mind.
A noble lady... Sailor or a crewmember... Rather young and introverted, but it's not serious... Rather strong. The leader of at least a mid-sized team... Arrogant, of pretty good family background... Desultory, not staid... Gloomy, terrifying...
Amidst their thoughts, the other members finished their self-introduction. The Hermit Cattleya looked towards the end of the long bronze table and said with a bow, "Honorable Mr. Fool, I didn't receive any new Roselle diary pages this time."
Didn't receive... Does this mean that Queen Mystic didn't reply? I wonder what Bernadette is busy with... The Fool Klein nodded and calmly replied, "Begin the transactions then."
As he said that, Audrey noticed the reactions of The Hermit and The Hanged Man. She realized that they had yet to notice Mr. Fool turning loftier and sublime.
Was I the only one who noticed it? Audrey darted her eyes slightly in thought, feeling somewhat poignant and a little happy.
Of course, she also knew that Ma'am Hermit and Mr. Hanged Man didn't dare to look at Mr. Fool too much, especially the former. Most of the time, she only dared to look at the table edge in front of Mr. Fool.
Table edge... Eh, there's an additional Card of Blasphemy! Audrey's gaze froze before she retracted it in pleasant surprise.
With her intuition as a Spectator, she was quite certain that the obtaining of the new Card of Blasphemy was likely to be the same matter as The World Gehrman Sparrow's mental problems but with different outcomes.
She hesitated for a moment and observed the area.
"I have nothing I need."
Cattleya, Derrick, Emlyn, and Fors had already made preparations and were about to advance; therefore, they didn't have any requests. Likewise for Alger who was still digesting his potion.
Instead, it was Leonard who had the desire to purchase a mystical item. However, with no one showing him an example, he was momentarily unsure how to begin. All he could do was divert some attention to considering Mr. Fool's need for Roselle diaries.
After selling Tinder, he wasn't lacking in money. Furthermore, having had the experience using Creeping Hunger, he realized that having a powerful mystical item was rather useful.
At this point, Fors looked at the silent Xio before looking opposite her.
"Mr. Hanged Man, I have a material that I wish to be made into a mystical item by that Artisan."
She was referring to the ancient wraith powder that Xio had.
Alger shook his head.
"That Artisan has been controlled by some members of the Rose School of Thought who believe in the Primordial Moon. That's all I know. The subsequent matters have been left to Ma'am Hermit to handle."
Rose School of Thought... Primordial Moon believers... Left to Ma'am Hermit to handle... Leonard and Xio looked around and suddenly realized that the gathering they were participating in wasn't as loose as they imagined.
They were secretly traversing through the shadows of the world!
-x-X-x-
Cattleya turned her body slightly to the side and looked at The Magician.
"It's a little complicated. I suggest that you wait for another one to two weeks. I'm unable to promise anything. All I can say is that there should be someone to help you create the mystical item when the time comes."
Should be someone... It also means that it might not be the original Artisan... Does this mean that she's planning on nurturing an Artisan for herself? Or could it be that she's thinking of a way to turn the original Artisan into a Sealed Artifact, using a machine to create machines? Hmm, Ma'am Hermit is indeed an experienced Beyonder... Leonard listened quietly while doing some analysis. It was the first time he was this serious during a meeting.
"No problem." Fors had the utmost confidence in Ma'am Hermit. After all, she had already obtained the Mythical Creature's blood and was likely to undergo a qualitative change in time.
At this moment, she heard The World say with a hoarse voice, "If this matter requires my help, you can get my help."
To Klein, the Mother Tree of Desire's abnormal interest in the gray fog, as well as Emperor Roselle's warning to "be careful of the moon," which made him, who was determined to figure out the secret of transmigration and the door of light, take note of matters involving the Rose School of Thought and the Primordial Moon believers more than ever before. Furthermore, the Artisan was now involved in both matters.
Cattleya never expected The World to offer his help. After some silence, she nodded slightly.
"Alright. If I'm unable to handle it, I'll seek your help through Mr. Fool."
She had deliberately said "through Mr. Fool" to inform the two newcomers that the Tarot Club had a magical way of contacting one another. There was no need for them to be stumped or be in a dilemma in such aspects. It was something they would understand in due time.
As the pirate admiral with the highest bounty across the Five Seas, and as a pirate crew leader of hundreds of subordinates, she wasn't doing this solely out of goodwill, nor was she worried that the two newcomers would affect the progress of the gathering because of excessive questions. Instead, it was a way to assert dominance in front of newcomers.
Of course, unless time was of the essence, leaving Cattleya no time to set up a ritual, she would in fact rather summon Gehrman Sparrow's messenger than trouble Mr. Fool.
Seek help through Mr. Fool... Xio vaguely understood something and held back her urge to look at Fors.
Seek help through Mr. Fool? Leonard's thoughts raced quickly as he made a guess.
Seeing that someone had begun, he relaxed a little and deliberated for a few seconds. Then, he said, "I need a mystical item."
"What kind?" Audrey answered at the perfect time to prevent an awkward atmosphere from descending upon the area.
Leonard verbally showed his indecision and subconsciously replied, "I don't know..."
He only had such a plan, but he hadn't thought carefully into the details. He only realized that there was this possibility after being pulled into the gathering
Doesn't know... Is he an idiot... The Fool Klein, who knew Leonard's desultoriness and casualness, resisted the urge to laugh and criticized him inwardly.
Seeing everyone's gaze fall on him with mixed expressions, Leonard immediately felt embarrassed as he hurriedly added, "I mean there are no limits on the type. As long as it's geared towards offense, has rather stealth-oriented attributes, and lesser negative side effects, it would be fine by me."
This was to boost his Nightmare's control to its full extent. At times, he could control a target by himself while Pallez Zoroast controlled the mystical item, giving the dazed opponent a lethal strike. Once he became a Spirit Warlock, with a natural spirit or wraith or shadow sealed in his teeth to aid him, he could do two or even three things at a time.
After Mr. Star finished his explanation, Alger didn't harp over the details. He asked, "Roughly what level is needed?"
"Somewhere around a Grade 2 Sealed Artifact but slightly stronger. Uh, corresponding to Sequence 5 or 6." Leonard had habitually described the item using the parlance of an official Beyonder before switching to more common terminology.
At that instant, a thought flashed across the minds of Audrey, Cattleya, Alger, and Xio: Mr. Star is an official Beyonder, or at least he once was!
From their point of view, although Beyonders that didn't belong to any official organization would at times use the concept of grades when describing Sealed Artifacts, they wouldn't consider using such a vague description when precision was needed in expressing their thoughts and requests. One would often choose a method of explanation that was more direct and easier to understand.
Therefore, the conclusion easily appeared.
This way, things turned way more interesting.
Uh, Mr. World is actually very familiar with an official Beyonder... How did they get to know each other? Why would he rope in an official Beyonder into the Tarot Club? Audrey didn't say a word as she maintained her state as a Spectator while enjoying herself.
At this moment, Alger tersely acknowledged.
"A mystical item at Sequence 5 costs at least 9,000 pounds. For one that matches your request, it can typically exceed 12,000 pounds."
Very frank... Leonard nodded.
"I understand."
After hearing his reply, Klein nearly facepalmed as he sighed inwardly.
A-aren't you showing your hidden card to Mr. Hanged Man by doing so?
I dare bet that if he has something suitable, the price will definitely be above 12,000 pounds!
Aside from the 7,000 pounds from Tinder, Leonard still actually has other savings... With the guidance of a grandpa from the Marauder pathway, he has likely amassed quite a bit. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to purchase Tinder...
I get it. He's not afraid of being fleeced, because he still can purchase from the Hermits of Fate. He can compare the traits and prices from both sides... But the problem is that gathering happens once every half a year. It's totally not at the Tarot Gathering's pace...
At this moment in time, Klein couldn't help but consider selling items to the dear poet that had repeated effects or were of little use after becoming a demigod.
He then heard Mr. Hanged Man reply in a deep and calm manner, "Alright. I'll keep an eye out for you."
"Okay." Cattleya and the other members expressed their stance as well.
Following that, there weren't any transactions, allowing the gathering to automatically enter the free exchange segment.
Without waiting for Mr. Hanged Man to inquire, Derrick raised his hand and said, "I'm already back in the City of Silver. The chief has informed me that we will begin another round of preliminary explorations of the Giant King's Court shortly.
"Does he mean that I should make use of this time to advance to become a Priest of Light?"
Giant King's Court? Explorations of the Giant King's Court? Leonard cast his gaze to the pubescent youth one seat away from him in surprise.
From what he knew, the Giant King's Court had already been destroyed long ago in the Second Epoch. Pallez Zoroast, as an angel, had already said that it had vanished from the rivers of time.
To his surprise, The Sun of the Tarot Club was about to explore the area, but none of the members were astonished!
Yes, not one of them. Leonard subconsciously looked at Miss Judgment who was also a newcomer, but he realized that she was apparently aware of this and had remained rather calm.
This... Miss Magician has privately kept Miss Judgment up to speed. Only Leonard doesn't know anything... The Fool Klein leaned into his seat and seriously analyzed himself.
After he pulled Leonard above the gray fog and assigned him The Star card, he had ignored him. He didn't even write to him or introduce the Tarot Club's general situation to him!
Compared to women, men truly aren't meticulous with the details... Klein was just about to control The World Gehrman to explain to The Star Leonard when he saw The Moon Emlyn glance at the poet beside him and say with a rather faint smile, "The Giant King's Court is in the Forsaken Land of the Gods."
After saying that, he ignored Leonard's reaction, and he said to The Sun, "Have you obtained the ingredients to Priest of Light?"
He knew that someone had only received the formula just one to two weeks ago.
"Yes, I've gotten it from Mr. World," Derrick answered honestly, but he didn't go into the details of the transaction.
At this moment, Leonard's mind was filled with the words "Forsaken Land of the Gods" and "Giant King's Court." He had a feeling like he had walked out of a fantasy or myth.
He instinctively reassessed his knowledge of the Tarot Club, realizing the weight of the simple words of how "the members come from different places."
Even the Churches of the seven deities are unable to find the Forsaken Land of the Gods, but the Tarot Club can do so. It has even roped in a member from there... Right, Azik Eggers, who I believe wields the Death card, doesn't appear at the gathering... Apart from the members here, there are others that come directly under Mr. Fool? It's as I first imagined. It's a secret organization that might develop into an orthodox Church. It's not much weaker than the Aurora Order or Rose School of Thought, and it might even be stronger in certain aspects... This is really a Divine Council... Amidst Leonard's thoughts, Alger agreed with Derrick's guess.
"That's what it is.
"Exploring the Giant King's Court is a very dangerous matter. He wishes that you quickly grow stronger to resist that Elder Shepherd's level."
Derrick nodded in vague acknowledgment.
"I get it. Thank you, Mr. Hanged Man."
He then shared information about what he saw at Nois City, leaving Leonard and Xio dumbfounded. They had no idea how such a strange state and atmosphere was generated.
However, The Fool Klein noticed something familiar. He felt that Nois City and the foggy town resembled each other to a certain degree.
The walking crowd was suspected to be lifeless marionettes!
Could it be that there's a higher Sequence item of the Seer pathway or some monster there? Klein didn't say a word as he silently took note of Nois City.
At this moment, Xio glanced at The World and said, showcasing some goodwill, "MI9 has recently been investigating Gehrman Sparrow's origins."