Chapter 990 - 155 LOTM

Outside Room 2016 at the Hat Trick Inn on Cherwood Borough's 22 Hope Street.

Fors directly walked through the wall without drawing anyone's attention. Then, she knocked on the door in a rhythm that was previously agreed upon.

Not long after, Dorian Gray Abraham, who was dressed in black, with his broad shoulders and thick arms, unlocked the door and turned the doorknob.

The gentleman quickly sized up the area and made way for Fors to enter the room.

"I really didn't expect you to become a Scribe so soon..." After closing the door, Dorian carefully examined the door's lock before turning around and sighing.

Based on the standards of this era, he was considered a middle-aged man, but he was still a Sequence 7 Astrologer. He had no hope of advancing

Yet, his student, Fors Wall, took about a year to go from Sequence 9 to Sequence 6.

This comparison between the two made Dorian feel poignant and sad.

The Abraham family's bloodline should've been noble and enviable, but now, it was a heavy curse that made him depressed.

"It's because you taught me well." Although Fors didn't like going out and enjoyed staying at home, she would still be invited by the nobles from time to time. She was a best-selling author who participated in high society's literary salons, so she wasn't clueless as to how to speak. Furthermore, she had indeed obtained quite a bit of help from her teacher—from providing knowledge and money to formulas and ingredients.

Dorian looked at her and shook his head with a smile.

"It's not like you're my only student. As far as I remember, this advancement speed can only be matched by one person."

He paused and continued, "Next up, your target is Sequence 5 Traveler. And I have even higher expectations for you. I hope that you can obtain godhood and become a Sequence 4 Secrets Sorcerer.

"Of course, I also have a request. When you truly become a demigod, try to pray to a hidden existence and listen to 'His' answer to figure out what 'He' is talking about.

"This is indeed a bit dangerous, but a Sequence 4 demigod would have sufficient power to withstand it. Without any other elements at play, there shouldn't be any problems."

"Teacher, is this answer important to you?" Although Fors knew what was going on, she still acted curious and puzzled.

Dorian fell silent for a few seconds before sighing

"It's very important. My parents, my brothers, my sisters, my children, too many people have sacrificed their lives in pursuit of this answer, but to no avail...

"Don't worry. We paid such a huge price because there's an ancient curse on our family's bloodline, and you aren't related to us by blood.

"I don't expect to find a way to break the curse through that answer during my generation. However, I hope to know where it originates from and understand the cause of my death..."

Upon saying this, Dorian took a deep breath and didn't continue.

For some reason, Fors could feel the weight of time that had accumulated over a thousand years, generation after generation, bearing down on her shoulders.

She really couldn't imagine how painful it would be for a person's ancestors, parents, brothers, sisters, and children to directly or indirectly die from the same curse.

Thinking of how well her teacher had been taking care of her, Fors, who had only received this type of care from her elders, opened her eyes, lowered her head, and nodded. @@novelbin@@

"I'll try my best."

Dorian held back his feelings and nodded slightly.

"The most praiseworthy trait of yours is your kindness."

Fors felt a little embarrassed as she turned to talk about a phrase the teacher had mentioned.

"Family?"

She remembered that her teacher had never told her about the Abraham family. He had claimed that he, Lawrence, and Aulisa were members of a secret organization.

In order to differentiate between matters which her teacher had told her and what she had learned at the Tarot Club, Fors had done a serious list of what she should know before she left home, to prevent herself from accidentally revealing information she shouldn't have.

Dorian answered simply, "In order to solve the curse, everyone in my family joined that organization."

He immediately changed the subject.

"Why did you move out in a hurry this time?"

"I was targeted by official Beyonders." Fors first said a half-truth before complaining a little about the mailman.

Dorian didn't say anything else as he stepped away from Fors and set up a ritual. He summoned the music-loving void creature, Malmouth, and he made it spit out three items.

One was a transparent, nearly illusory crystal, and the second item was a piece of ancient goatskin parchment. The third was a small hunter's backpack.

"This is a Beyonder characteristic left behind by a Traveler. With it, you don't need to gather any additional main ingredients. This is the Traveler potion formula. This backpack contains the corresponding supplementary ingredients. If you don't have a good way to preserve them, try your best to finish digesting the Scribe potion within half a year. Otherwise, their spirituality will be completely lost..." Dorian handed everything over to Fors.

"Thank you, Teacher," Fors said sincerely.

Then, she unfurled the goatskin and quickly skimmed through the potion formula before placing her focus on the ritual.

"Set up special coordinates in four completely different spots deep in the spirit world which are all set up extremely far away from each other."

"The goal of this ritual is?" Fors thought for a few seconds and asked her teacher.

"After consuming the Traveler potion, you will wander the spirit world chaotically. When you grasp some degree of initial level over your powers, you will realize that you have lost your way. At that moment, you can use the four special coordinates to return to the real world. Otherwise, you will be trapped in the depths of the spirit world for a long time. Not only is it dangerous inside, but it will also assimilate you, making you lose your mind and become a living creature that is attached to the spirit world." Although Dorian had no hope of becoming a Traveler, he had seen students advancing to Sequence 5 before.

"Then there should be another alternative..." Fors muttered in thought.

"Yes." Dorian nodded and said, "Previously, there was something in the organization that could allow people to instantly return to the real world from the spirit world. Unfortunately, it was lost."

Without waiting for Fors to ask, Dorian said, "If I'm saying-if you really become a demigod and fulfill my wish, I'll hand over an important item that I'm in charge of to you. This is an expectation your teacher has for

you."

One of the powerful Sealed Artifacts of the Abraham family? Fors had a vague guess, but she didn't dare promise anything. She said the same thing, "I'll try my best."

Following that, she asked curiously, "Teacher, you mentioned that Sequence 4 is a Secrets Sorcerer. What about Sequence 3, 2, and Sequence 1?"

Dorian immediately laughed.

"You're only a Sequence 6.

"Yes, Sequence 3's name is 'Wanderer.' Sequence 2 is 'Planeswalker,' and the Sequence 1 potion name is 'Key of Stars.'

"Heh heh, it's a good thing that you mentioned this. I actually forgot to organize a list of things to take note of in the spirit world. These are things that must be remembered after becoming a Traveler.

"In that case, I'll stay for another night. You can visit me tomorrow for the documents."

As Fors ruminated over the names of the High-Sequence potions of the Apprentice pathway, she agreed.

"Alright, Teacher."

After settling these matters, Dorian paced back and forth and thought for a moment before instructing, "The Beyonder characteristics of the same pathway have a certain attraction towards each other. It's not obvious when one's at a low Sequence, but the higher the Sequence, the stronger it becomes.

"Sometimes, this kind of attraction isn't something you can directly feel, while also making you unknowingly approach a High-Sequence Beyonder of the same pathway. When you become a Traveler, you have to pay attention to this matter."

At this point, Dorian paused and said, "Not many demigods of the Apprentice pathway are still alive. Among them, you need to be extra careful of a man named Botis. He is the Saint of Secrets from the Aurora Order and, just like Lewis, he's a traitor of our organization. I will give you his portrait tomorrow."

Botis... Fors repeated the name her teacher had mentioned in her mind.

At the same time, she had a new understanding about the Aurora Order Oracle, Lewis Wien, over the previous chance encounter.

Perhaps it wasn't a chance encounter, but the attraction force between Beyonder characteristics. Teacher had a sufficiently powerful Sealed Artifact from the Apprentice pathway on him!

Fors quickly suppressed this thought and began asking for advice on how to act as a Scribe.

In the Berg household in the City of Silver.

There's actually a path that can bypass the front of the Giant King's Court and enter the interior from the Waning Forest and Barren Tunnel... Derrick Berg recalled the information he had been shared by Mr. World above the gray fog.

This was very important to the City of Silver, as the early-stage explorations after the Afternoon Town camp had set off implied that the closer they were to the Giant King's Court, the stronger the monsters that originated from the darkness were.

"I have to tell the Chief!" Derrick abruptly stood up and rushed out of his house, heading straight for the spire. As he wished, he saw the Chief of the six-member council, Colin Iliad.

He followed Mr. Hanged Man's instructions and said that he had recalled some murals he had seen in the Afternoon Town's "shadow." On it was a secret passage that led into the Giant King's Court.

Colin Iliad listened quietly without interrupting Derrick's narration. Finally, he nodded gently and said, "Good, you did well.

"What do you want to exchange for this contribution?"

"A mature mind dragon's complete brain." Derrick was prepared.

Colin didn't ask why as he thought for a moment and said, "If that secret passage is real, then the value will definitely exceed the complete brain of an adult mind dragon. Hmm... You can pick something else. Are you interested in the potion formula for a relatively higher Sequence of the Planter pathway?"

This is a question for Mr. Fool... While Derrick was enlightened, he said in surprise, "Do we have a relatively higher Sequence potion formula for the Planter pathway?"

He had no recollection of it.

"Of course. You should remember that the Giant King's queen is the Goddess of Harvest, but the surrounding areas lack the corresponding Beyonder ingredients. There's no rush. You can think about it again." Colin Iliad calmly changed the subject. "Are you skilled with your Priest of Light powers?"

"Yes," Derrick replied succinctly.

Colin was silent for a moment as he looked at the adolescent child before him and said, "What kind of Saint-level Sealed Artifact do you want to choose?"

-x-X-x-

What kind of Saint-level Sealed Artifact do I want to choose? Derrick Berg subconsciously considered what he needed.

Due to the fact that the Sun pathway was rather powerful against the monsters in the darkness, and with Thunder God's Roar, he didn't have the desire for Sealed Artifacts that provided offensive or supportive effects. Instead, the pain from being beaten up while making friends made him subconsciously hope to obtain a mystical item that could provide stronger defensive capabilities.

As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Derrick suddenly realized that the question wasn't directed at the Saint- level Sealed Artifact he wanted, but which Saint-level Sealed Artifact could be used to exchange for the Creator's cross from Mr. Fool.

He hesitated and frankly asked, "Your Excellency, do you have any suggestions?"

Colin glanced at him and left his original position. He slowly walked to the window and turned around.

"There are four Sealed Artifacts that are relatively suitable for you.

"The first item is called 'Sword of Silverdawn.' It was left behind by an elder who died thirteen hundred years ago.

"With this sword in hand, one can hide their malicious intent and certain actions, effectively interfering with divination and prophecy. They would obtain an exaggerated amount of strength and bring to their surroundings a dawn that can resist evil and degeneration.

"It can also stir up a powerful destructive Hurricane of Light. It can create an invisible and sturdy defensive wall around the wielder. Every time it connects to the land, its defensive strength will be unshakeable.

"At the tip of the hilt is a single-eyed, huge-mouthed head engraving with living characteristics. Feeding the corresponding herbs, essential oils, and medicine to this engraving will give the Sword of Silverdawn different effects. For example, Lightning Strike, Freeze, Purification, Decay, and Exorcism.

"This sword has strict requirements for its usage. It's impossible to lift up if one isn't at least 180 centimeters tall. Below 200 centimeters, it will be hard to unleash its full strength. In addition, the head engraving at the hilt is very fond of talking. It's always talking non-stop. If the wielder doesn't respond, the Sword of Silverdawn might suddenly give up resisting at a critical moment and even attack its owner. If the wielder is willing to converse with the head engraving, they will be pushed to the edge of madness."

This is what I want, a Sealed Artifact that's good at defense... Derrick muttered to himself. He didn't interrupt the Chiefs explanation as he quietly listened to him introduce the other Sealed Artifacts.

"The second is 'Twilight Mask.' This is from the first Chief. It's a mask made from a skull. It can hide any malicious intent, thoughts, and inclinations. It makes the wearer feel like a dead person without any thoughts.

"As long as one puts on this mask, one will possess the power of a real giant and have control over the undead. Any living creature that looks directly into the eyes of the wearer will immediately die. Even those that possess godhood will be seriously injured. And even without any direct eye contact, the target of the wearer will slowly wither away as if they were floating across a river of death.

"The person wearing this mask can also create a terrifying Twilight Storm. Any item stained with the dim light will disintegrate, rot, wither, and die, losing the vibrancy of life.

"Most of the attacks, aside from purification, are ineffective against the wearer of Twilight Mask, as though no one can kill a dead person.

"This Twilight Mask is extremely powerful, but it's extremely dangerous. Even if it's not doing anything, the people around it would suddenly die one after another for no reason. Therefore, it must have a proper sealing method...

"No matter who it is, once you put on this mask, you will hear the sharp shriek and howls that seem to come from deep within the Underworld. This is a psyche attack that will drive people crazy and make them lose their minds. At the same time, as long as you wear this mask for more than five minutes, you will permanently become its slave."

This Sealed Artifact is almost useless. Although it's powerful, it can only be sealed... Uh... Only a mighty existence like Mr. Fool can ignore its negative effects... Derrick opened his mouth but didn't say a word.

Colin Iliad did some recollecting and continued, "The third item is called 'Life's Cane.' It can control Beyonder creatures with low intelligence and reduce their insanity for a short period of time. It can use incomplete spirits and various materials to complete the ultimate 'Alchemical Life.' This could create an ordinary human that can exist for a long time. It can also create different dolls that could be used for battle and various kinds of things; this includes stone golems, mud golems, and steel golems.

"Any living creature lashed by this cane would have an increased tendency towards madness and losing control. Their bodies would also have a certain chance of mutating, producing watermelons, mushrooms, and wheat. Of course, these things cannot be eaten, as they would result in contamination.

"As for the living beings touched by the cane's tip, they'll be healed no matter how seriously injured they are—other than those that have already lost control.

"This cane will fill the surrounding areas with a vibrant life force. Be it plants or animals, it can grow with exuberance and reproduce rapidly. Unfortunately, it is useless against this land that is cursed.

"The person carrying Life's Cane has a high chance of mutating. The longer one holds it, the higher the odds. This will result in additional organs, or even them having missing body parts, being replaced by various plants."

Sounds very sinister... For some reason, Derrick felt a little horrified. Finally, he couldn't help but ask, "What's the fourth Sealed Artifact?"

"It's from a demon which lost control. I hunted it and called it 'Fallen Flute.'

This is a plain-looking silver flute. However, once someone blows it, the living around it will fall into an unavoidable illusion. Their anger, sorrow, pain, greed, vanity, arrogance, and other desires would rapidly swell. Some would have their mind explode, others lose their sanity or experience a loss of control.

"Being in the vicinity of Fallen Flute, all sentient beings, other than the wielder, will significantly have their mental facilities deteriorate and will easily make mistakes.

"At the same time, the wielder of the flute is exceptionally sensitive to danger. Sometimes, they can even predict the possibility of a threat to their lives one to two days early.

"Wherever this Fallen Flute is, one's humanity will gradually degenerate, and all kinds of desires will enter center stage as their beliefs are cast aside. The wielder will also turn cold and be unable to have normal emotions again. The more they use it and the more they carry it, the worse it will be. And this might result in conflict with their own pathway's acting, leading to an increased risk of losing control."

After introducing the fourth Sealed Artifact, Colin Iliad's light blue eyes, which seemed to be filled with stories, looked at Derrick and asked, "What do you think?"

"...I need some time to consider," Derrick replied rather skillfully.

"Indeed, this is really important to you. You can't rashly make a decision." Colin nodded. "Three days later, we will set off for the Afternoon Town camp. Tell me your answer before we set off, and reserve some time to familiarize yourself with the Sealed Artifact."

"Yes, Your Excellency." Derrick bowed seriously and left the Chiefs room.

He wasn't in a rush to return home to pray to Mr. Fool. Instead, he planned on heading to the training field first to temper his various "Sun" domain theurgical spells.

This was a habit engraved deep within the pulses of every single person in the City of Silver. Only a self-disciplined person who could endure hardship was able to live longer in these desolate and dark lands.

In a dark alley in the Backlund Bridge area.

Xio once again met the golden-masked MI9 member who clearly showed kindness to her.

The Judge potion formula might take some time," the golden-masked man said.

This was because, although the investigation into Xio didn't continue, it didn't end.

Xio pursed her lips and nodded, as though she had finally made up her mind.

"I don't want that formula anymore."

"You... gave up?" The golden-masked man was surprised and couldn't hide his joy.

Xio didn't directly answer as she turned her head to the side and said, "I-I'll exchange all my contributions for cash." After hearing her answer, the golden-masked man nodded in relief.

"It's best that you understand.

"Let bygones be bygones. You, your mother, and brother will have a brand new future.

Yes, if your contributions are exchanged for cash, it'll be about 2,000 pounds. I'll help you gain more. After that, you can continue being an outer circle member of MI9. Having an official status is very useful for unaffiliated Beyonders."

Xio was silent for a few seconds before her lips quivered.

"Thank you."

She could clearly sense the kindness coming from the man in front of her, so she sincerely thanked him.

However, there was no way she was giving up. The reason why she chose cash was because she had already reserved the Judge potion formula from The World Gehrman Sparrow—the crazy adventurer had also claimed that the Disciplinary Paladin potion formula would subsequently follow.

At the same time, giving up on the surface could effectively dispel the suspicions of MI9.

After briefly explaining the progress of the previous commissions, Xio bade farewell to the golden-masked man and left the alley.

On Tuesday morning, Fors went out early and came to the Hat Trick Inn in Cherwood Borough where she met her teacher, Dorian Gray.

"This is one of the things to take note of in the spirit world. This is a portrait of Botis." Dorian covered his mouth and yawned before handing a thick stack of paper to Fors.

Fors wasn't in a rush to read the documents as she cast her gaze at the portrait.

On it was a black-robed man who likely wasn't even forty. His brown hair was slightly curled, but it gave off an unusually firm feeling. His dark eyes seemed to contain countless objects.

This is the Saint of Secrets... Fors rubbed her fingers together and used her Trickmaster powers to burn that portrait. "Not bad. Very cautious." Dorian nodded approvingly.

He then carried his suitcase and said to Fors, "I have to return to Pritz Harbor. It will arouse suspicion if I come to Backlund for too long."

Fors knew that the situation in Backlund had been tense recently, so she was eager for her teacher to leave as soon as possible; therefore, she didn't hold him back and watched him leave the room.

Then, with the help of Door Opening, she walked all the way to the alley behind the hotel.

Just as she got her bearings and turned into a street, she suddenly saw a man in a black trench coat walking over.

The person swept a glance at her before looking away naturally. However, Fors's back muscles tensed up.

Her eyes reflected the other person's appearance:

A man who likely wasn't even forty. His brown hair was slightly curled, but it gave off an unusually firm feeling. His dark eyes seemed to contain countless objects.

-x-X-x-

Saint of Secrets Botis... Fors had experienced many things recently, to the point of being watched by a King of Angels, so she didn't show any signs of abnormality. She retracted her gaze in a natural manner and didn't slow down her pace as she walked towards the man in the black trench coat.

After a few steps, they brushed past each other.

...Did he happen to pass by here because of the attraction between Beyonder characteristics? If he knew that Teacher was here, he wouldn't be so slow and would use Teleport to chase after him... Luckily, Teacher has already boarded the carriage and left the inn... Fors's heart calmed down, her tense mind relaxing a little.

She took a few more steps forward and looked up at the sky. She wanted to confirm if it would rain later.

At this moment, a raven flew over and landed on a tree along the way. It faced the spot where Fors had just passed by.

Fors stopped thinking about Saint of Secrets Botis as she maintained her speed and left the street.

As the Aurora Order hadn't held a gathering in Backlund for a long period of time, and with the target being a demigod, Fors didn't have any thoughts of seeking revenge for her teacher. Ignoring her lack of combat strength, just finding and locking onto a Secrets Sorcerer was a nearly impossible task.

...It's best that I wait till I become a Traveler. I might encounter Botis by chance before entrusting Mr. World the corresponding mission. I'll take the time to save up money... Now, it's certain that the Aurora Order has saints in Backlund... Hmm, I can't eliminate the possibility that during Botis's "Travel" elsewhere today, he was influenced by the attraction force of Beyonder characteristic and had accidentally lost his way in Backlund... Fors very naturally considered looking for The World Gehrman Sparrow's help.

From what she knew, this gentleman had killed two demigods with his own hands, and he had only become a demigod for three months!

In the upper echelons of the seven Churches, they only have about ten demigods... Based on Mr. World's progress, it will take him at most two years to wipe out the powerhouses of a Church... Of course, the real world isn't an ideal measurement... Having received higher education, Fors, who had been a surgeon, gradually let her thoughts wander. She walked to the street and boarded a rental carriage.

Above the gray fog, there was a mini-gathering with The Sun Derrick, The Hanged Man Alger, and The World Gehrman Sparrow.

However, unlike before, Mr. Fool was present as the witness because The Sun's main motive was to find out which Sealed Artifact could please this great existence, as well as to exchange it for the cross left behind by the Creator.

At the same time, he still had some questions to consult Mr. Hanged Man and Mr. World about, so he had applied for a private exchange.

Sword of Silverdawn, Twilight Mask, Life's Cane, Fallen Flute... These were all items that have outstanding powers and negative effects, ones that require sealing. This also confirms that the City of Silver doesn't have any Beyonders from the Artisan pathway. All the spoils can only be formed naturally. Even with a godlike Sealed Artifact, they can shatter the characteristics, but they are unable to reform them in a better way... As The Fool Klein listened to Little Sun's description, he quickly analyzed the pros and cons of different Sealed Artifacts in his mind.

The first thing he did was eliminate the Twilight Mask because the negative effects of the Sealed Artifact from the City of Silver's first Chief were too great.

Although Klein could let his marionette wear this mask and cut off the aural senses; thus, avoiding the continuous howls and screams. Furthermore, he didn't have to worry about his marionette becoming a slave to the Twilight Mask. However, in that case, his actual body might become a member of the dead who died suddenly for no reason.

Following that, Klein similarly gave up the Fallen Flute for the same reasons. This Sealed Artifact's ability to predict danger ahead of time was indeed better than the Desire Apostle in Creeping Hunger. It was alluring, but the negative effects were also not easy to avoid.

If Klein used this flute with his actual body, he would gradually turn cold and lose his normal emotions. This would be completely contradictory with the concept of using humanity to battle godhood to maintain balance. And if he were to hand it over to his marionette, he would experience a significant decrease in his mental facilities and easily make mistakes. This caused him to lose his main advantage as a Beyonder of the Seer pathway.

In addition, this flute will make the people around it give themselves up to degeneration and desires. I don't want the residents on Boklund Street to be degenerates who give up on their morals. By then, how many illegitimate children will be bom... I can only consider the Sword of Silverdawn and Life's Cane... Klein mumbled silently before quickly choosing between two.

The Sword of Silverdawn's head engraving seemed to have a living characteristic. To Klein, this meant that communication was possible, and as long as they could communicate, the negative effects could naturally be reduced. As for the height restriction, he could just ignore his thickness and only focus on his height. After all, this didn't affect a Clown due to its extremely high sense of balance.

Regarding the problem of mutation with Life's Cane, he could avoid it by handing it to his marionettes. When he lost or gained any organs, he could heal himself with Flower of Blood. And causing the surroundings to be filled with vitality, allowing for lush growth wasn't much of a negative effect.

Since the negative effects of the two Sealed Artifacts weren't too serious, he had to consider their effects. The Sword

of Silverdawn was clearly from a Demon Hunter of the Warrior pathway. Be it attacks or defense, they were both potent. It could hide his malintent and be good at dealing with Devils. As for Life's Cane, it was good at creating and causing mutations, which made it rather sinister.

After a few seconds of consideration, when Derrick asked for the answer, The Fool Klein spoke unhurriedly, as though he was discussing something ordinary.

"The cane."

In the end, he decided on Life's Cane!

In fact, the Sword of Silverdawn and Life's Cane had their own pros, making it a tough decision. Klein's final decision stemmed from an uncommon reason:

The sinister Life's Cane could be described as bizarre, so it could effectively aid him in acting as a Bizarro Sorcerer and raise his potion digestion speed!

"Yes, Mr. Fool!" Derrick replied, unable to hide his joy.

This meant that when he completed the sacrificial and bestowment ritual, he would obtain the cross from the Creator. After determining this, he cast his gaze at the figure at the bottom of the long bronze table.

"Mr. World, other than the complete brain of an adult mind dragon, do you still need a relatively high Sequence potion formula for the Planter pathway?"

As the secret passage of the Giant King's Court was shared by The World, he became the target of Derrick's question, and not Mr. Fool. @@novelbin@@

Of course, to Derrick, The World was Mr. Fool's Blessed. His answer represented Mr. Fool's intentions to a certain extent.

A relatively high Sequence potion formula for the Planter pathway... Sitting at the end of the long bronze table, The Fool Klein immediately had a headache and fell into an intense internal struggle.

He could roughly understand what the Chief of the City of Silver's thought process was. On the one hand, this experienced Demon Hunter hopes that he can usher in a bright future through the Giant King's Court's exploration, while on the other hand, he's still cautious and doesn't hold much hope. He's prepared to continue staying in the darkness, so he mentioned the Planter potion formula to see if Mr. Fool has the corresponding authority, or rather, does the faction that "He" watches over have a need for it. If this could bring about certain feedback, it would effectively improve the survival of the City of Silver.

Meanwhile, on Klein's end, Frank Lee had recently come to believe that he's just one step away from his research goals. When he becomes a Druid, he should be able to succeed. This made Klein very hesitant on whether he should give him a push.

...I don't know what the future holds... I'll just focus on what's in front of me. A Sequence 5 Beyonder who doesn't even have godhood wouldn't be able to do anything too serious. Furthermore, Ma'am Hermit is already a demigod. It's not a big problem for her to watch out for Frank...Klein thought for a moment and let The World Gehrman Sparrow say, "Sequence 5."

"What if there's more?" Derrick pressed.

Klein felt like he was being tested. After a few seconds of silence, he said, "If your side is willing to give it, then that works..."

"Alright." Derrick didn't probe any further. Instead, he asked the person beside him, "Mr. Hanged Man, I have a strange feeling about this. Why did the Chief suddenly mention the relatively high Sequence potion formula of the Planter pathway?"

The Hanged Man Alger looked at The World Gehrman Sparrow and said, "This should be a test from your Chief, to see if the City of Silver can change its environment.

"I remember you mentioning that you only know that the Goddess of Harvest is the Giant King's queen, and according to the records of the Sanguine from The Moon, the Goddess of Harvest is named Omebella. Your City of Silver originally believed in 'Her.'

"I was originally only certain that the name Omebella was real, so I didn't have any inclination towards other explanations. Now, with your Chief suddenly taking out a relatively high Sequence potion formula that you didn't know before, this makes me suspect that The Moon is right.

"This means that your City of Silver hid the fact that they once believed in the Goddess of Harvest. They even deliberately didn't mention 'Her' true name.

"There must be a huge secret behind this."

"A huge secret..." Derrick thought seriously but couldn't think of any secret.

Fortunately, this wasn't an important matter to him. He quickly ended the private conversation and returned to the City of Silver to prepare for the exchange of Sealed Artifacts.

-x-X-x-

Above the gray fog, Klein, who was sitting at The Fool's seat, beckoned for the Unshadowed Crucifix.

The bronze cross was tied together with an ordinary-looking button, and the surface of the latter was already covered with a layer of crystalline but heavy-feeling particles.

This was The Hermit Cattleya's Judge button. It was reserved for Judgment Xio at a price of 3,500 pounds. Therefore, Admiral of Stars had sacrificed it to Mr. Fool in advance, requesting the mighty existence to get an angel under him to shatter it.

And on Monday's Tarot Gathering, Xio had made a reservation for the Judge potion formula at a price of 2,000 pounds.

According to their agreement, Justice Audrey wasn't to share anything they obtained from exploring Groselle's Travels —other than knowledge. She was only providing free help for The World killing Hvin Rambis. As for The Star Leonard, he had the right to sell the potion formulas and historical knowledge, but obviously, Judgment Xio trusted The World Gehrman Sparrow more.

The purging should be almost done. This way, I can trade the Unshadowed Crucifix with Little Sun without any worries... In the future, if there are other similar requests, they'll definitely be more willing to trade with Little Sun, instead of asking Mr. Fool for help. No one will dare frequently disturb a hidden existence, unless there's really no other way...

When Little Sun has the chance to become a demigod and transform the Unshadowed Crucifix into a special characteristic, I should be a Sequence 3. I'll be able to use the power of this mysterious space above the gray fog to shatter Sealed Artifacts...

After the "disinfection" process of the gray fog, Adam probably wouldn't be able to rely on the Unshadowed Crucifix to lock onto Little Sun. However, even if he were able to find it through this, it wouldn't be too serious. His brother,

Amon, knew long ago that Little Sun is related to Mr. Fool...

Yes, it seems that Amon can freely enter and leave the Forsaken Land of the Gods. I wonder if that's also the case for Adam... As Klein separated the Unshadowed Crucifix from the button that had begun to praise the sun, he looked at the Beyonder characteristic that had been purged while waiting for Little Sun to hold a sacrificial and bestowment ceremony.

The City of Silver, within the spire.

Derrick Berg had finished setting up the ritual. He watched as a black, mud-covered doll approached with a wooden cane which looked like nothing special, and he placed it on the altar.

After a serious prayer and doing some work, the illusory sacrifice and bestowment door opened and took away Life's Cane, leaving behind a bronze-green and spiky cross.

At the same time, the name of the cross suddenly appeared in Derrick's mind, including information of its usage and its negative effects.

He suppressed his excitement and first thanked Mr. Fool before ending the ritual. He walked to the front of the altar, picked up the Unshadowed Crucifix, and scrutinized it repeatedly.

After tidying up, Derrick left and went to a room opposite and knocked on the Chiefs door.

"Come in." Colin Iliad's deep voice rang out.

Derrick turned the doorknob, pushed open the door, walked in, and openly revealed the bronze cross.

Your Excellency, this is the item left behind by the Lord I previously mentioned. It's called the 'Unshadowed Crucifix.' The method is to let the spikes on it be stained with the blood of the holder."

He had deliberately changed the term "relic" to the "item left behind."

The white-haired Colin had already cast his gaze over when Derrick took out the ancient cross. After listening to the introduction, he walked towards it with heavy steps. He took the item and kept examining it.

Finally, Colin Iliad placed his thumb on a thorn and allowed fresh blood to flow out.

The mottled bronze-green started to peel away as the Unshadowed Crucifix revealed a physical body formed from pure light, illuminating the entire room without any trace of darkness.

After an indescribable sacred feeling filled the surrounding area, Colin released his fingers and sighed.

"This is indeed the Lord's item..."

Although he was born in an era more than two thousand years since the City of Silver was "forsaken," making it impossible for them to sense the aura of god, this city still had quite a few things that were used to offer sacrifices to the Creator. Every time the Black-Faced Grass was harvested, they would be taken out and used in the ritual. Through a comparison with these items, Colin Iliad could almost confirm the origins of the cross.

Derrick had wanted to give a response, but the heavy tone in the Chiefs words suddenly pressed down on his heart, preventing him from speaking.

Colin Iliad didn't make any further comments and just stood there silently with the Unshadowed Crucifix in hand.

After a few seconds, the City of Silver Chief broke the silence and said with a slightly hoarse voice, "The return of the Lord's item is a sign. We shall welcome the sign of dawn.

"I will hold onto this Unshadowed Crucifix for half a day. I want to gather all the Elders in the city to present this item to them.

"Heh heh, even I can't casually deal with a saint-level Sealed Artifact. Since I lost Life's Cane, I have to explain it to the other Elders and request to be punished. You must remember that, as Chief, you must have the courage to shoulder the corresponding responsibilities. You can't avoid punishment just because you think that it's good for the City of Silver. You might be right this time, but you can't guarantee that you're always right.

"Don't worry. This Unshadowed Crucifix will eventually return to you." @@novelbin@@

The Chiefs words are deep and profound... I'll get Mr. Hanged Man to explain it to me at the next Tarot Gathering... Derrick instinctively wanted to raise his right hand and scratch the back of his head, but in the end, he endured it and informed Colin Iliad of the negative effects of the Unshadowed Crucifix.

Backlund North Borough, 160 Boklund Street.

Klein sacrificed Winner Enuni above the gray fog to ensure "marionette preservation." This was to make it convenient for him to use him in the future. He planned on getting Earl of The Fallen Qonas Kilgor to wear the Flower of Blood ring and wield Life's Cane. In day-to-day life, he would create some harrowing and bizarre situations from time to time, helping him expedite the digestion of his potion. This way, Enuni had no way of using Flower of Blood to hide in Qonas Kilgor's stomach. He needed to hide in a more concealed manner, making it rather troublesome. Therefore,

Klein decided to simply leave him above the gray fog. After all, Klein could create ordinary marionettes anytime he wanted.

Why does the action of placing a marionette in a preservation cabinet to keep fresh feel odd... It's not like I'm acting in a horror movie... However, this does fit the name of Bizarro Sorcerer a bit. The angel from the Antigonus and Zaratul family all hang up their marionettes to "wind dry," so I'm much better than them! After rubbing his chin, Klein stuffed the ordinary wood-colored cane into a specially-made cane he bought through Miss Judgment.

The cane was hollow, and it could be used to contain a sword that wasn't considered too wide. It was perfect for hiding Life's Cane.

After he was done with this work, he allowed the servant who looked like Enuni, who was actually Qonas, to take away his cane and return to the room next door. He washed up himself before getting into bed.

While sleeping soundly in a pleasant, relaxed state, Klein's spiritual perception suddenly stirred. He abruptly sat up and cast his gaze at the attached balcony.

The curtains weren't fully drawn, and he could see the situation outside.

It was dark green outside the window with vine-leaves, and flowers were growing all over the place in layers. This made him suspect that he had been transported to the forest.

This... The corners of his mouth twitched as he vaguely guessed what was going on.

He rolled out of bed and walked to the balcony, drawing the curtains open.

What entered his vision was no longer the garden in the residence of Dwayne Dantes. Instead, it was a lush forest.

This is what it means to make the surrounding area become filled with a vibrant life force. Be it animals or plants, they're all flourishing and growing rapidly. Isn't this a little too fast? Klein's expression instantly turned a little blank.

Previously, when he had divined that the Life's Cane's negative effects, he had "seen" similar scenes. However, the revelation he received was that it wasn't harmful to the surrounding area. Thus, he believed that the growing and proliferation process took a fairly long period of time and could be effectively controlled, allowing one to pay no attention to it for a very, very long time before seeing such a scene.

With this thought in mind, he observed all the Spirit Body Threads in the surrounding area. He realized that humans weren't affected at all, but the number of rats and cockroaches was clearly increasing.

This result made him heave a sigh of relief. He looked out of the window at the "forest" and sighed silently.

Indeed, there isn't much danger. It's just quite exaggerated... I still have to keep it above the gray fog most of the time...

More than ten seconds later, figures appeared within the "forest." Some of them were very thin, and others were thick. They all wore black trench coats, and their faces were very flat. They had no eyes, noses, and mouths.

These figures were either crouching or standing—busy burning weeds, cutting the vines, and removing the unnecessary flowers in the quiet night.

The next morning, Butler Walter woke up as usual and opened the window.

The garden outside was bathed in the morning fog. There was some dew that gathered, emitting a fresh scent.

Better than yesterday... Walter nodded slightly and praised the two gardeners.

The vibrant scene made him feel a little restless as he began missing his wife for no apparent reason, so he left the room to patrol the estate and made arrangements for all sorts of affairs. Finally, he waited at the entrance of the dining room.

Not long after, his employer, Dwayne Dantes, led his valet, Enuni, down from the third floor.

Walter went forward to bow and talked about today's arrangements before taking the initiative to mention it.

"Sir, I would like to take one day leave from the current month's allowance."

As he spoke, he suddenly saw the mixed-blood servant's neck split open, revealing a black eye.

Walter was shocked and nearly tumbled backward. But in the blink of an eye, he realized that there was no strange eye on Enuni's neck.

It must be because I didn't sleep well last night and had a strange dream, resulting in me being distracted and having hallucinations... Walter hurriedly gathered his thoughts and lowered his head slightly.

In his heart, Klein apologized and nodded.

"No problem. Have a wonderful day with your family."

-x-X-x-

After watching Butler Walter leave the second floor, Klein entered the dining hall. As he looked around, he realized that the servants were much more energetic than usual. They even felt a little agitated.

Indeed, Life's Cane also affects humans, but it's not that ridiculous. It's at a rather normal level and still within acceptable levels... According to this logic, the servants' reproduction abilities would definitely increase. The only problem is that they don't have spouses, so there's no way to show that...

Eh... Will Mr. Butler's act of returning home today result in him having another child in nine to ten months... His wife is almost 40 years old. It's a little dangerous for her to have children at this age. Of course, as the other party in the copulation process, the effects of Life's Cane would pass over to them. There shouldn't be any problems...

Man, I wonder if the potential effect will result in an increase in conceiving a child. If Dwayne Dantès's moving into Böklund Street causes one to have an increased chance of having children, my reputation will practically be doomed... Klein's thoughts drifted without end. Finally, he concluded in his mind:

Life's Cane truly is very sinister!

In the future, he would only bring it into the real world for some time each day and try his best not to affect the humans around him!

After breakfast, Klein brought his valet, Enuni, to the first floor and prepared to take a stroll.

At that moment, two chambermaids were cleaning in the main hall.

"Good morning, sir." Upon seeing Dwayne Dantès approach, the two chambermaids immediately stood up, made way for him, and greeted him.

Of course, if they were in a more remote corner, they would try their best not to make a sound, just in case they disturbed their employer. This was something they learned from Butler Walter's teachings.

Klein nodded and gave a simple response as he slowly approached the door.

At that moment, the two maids suddenly saw a wheat head embedded in Enuni's head. It was full of golden particles and was extremely attractive.

Before they could even take a closer look, the valet seemed to have sensed something amiss. He raised his right hand and yanked off the piece of wheat using plenty of force.

The two maids looked at each other in surprise and amusement.

They imagined that Enuni had accidentally gotten some wheat on his body when he followed Mr. Dantès over to Maygur Manor, bringing it all the way back to 160 Böklund Street, where they scattered in places that weren't easy to clean. For example, under the pillow he slept last night. In his dreams, he pushed the pillow away and ended up lodging a piece of wheat into his hair without realizing it when washing up in the morning and during breakfast.

Although this process was complicated and not easily achieved, it was still possible.

It can't be that Enuni grew a single wheat head, right... The two maids mumbled to themselves as they continued with their work.

After exiting 160 Böklund Street, Klein and Enuni slowly walked with one behind the other under the withered Intis parasol trees, breathing in the fresh autumn air.

Like him, a number of neighbors were taking a morning stroll.

Of course, this wasn't a habit belonging to those amongst Backlund's high society. Last year, the smog was very serious, and the air was quite pungent. No one was willing to waste their time in the streets, braving the cold wind and the humidity.

As a neighbor, since they had met each other, there was no doubt that they would greet each other. When they walked past each other, one of the lawyers glanced at Dwayne Dantès's valet from the corner of his eye-he had raised his hand to cover his mouth as if he was yawning.

When the mixed-blood youth put down his right hand, the lawyer suddenly realized something was different.

His nose seems to be even higher...

Haha, I must've been thinking too much about such matters, causing me to hallucinate...

If only my nose was slightly higher...

As the lawyer thought about it, he raised his hand and rubbed his nose. At the same time, he saw two wild dogs engaged in a chase in front of him, attempting to reproduce on the street.

After the stroll, Klein returned to the activity room on the third floor and sent Life's Cane above the gray fog.

Indeed, there's a certain effect. The main point of the Bizarro Sorcerer's digestion is actually to create shocking scenes to scare people, as well as use a strange method to make people horrified... This really does resemble a "director," but it's just a horror flick's director...

Yes, I don't have to really scare them... Peaceful daily life events contain terrifying scenes, but the surrounding humans don't notice them at all. They only occasionally made the connection, and when they think about it, they would feel a sense of fear from certain possibilities, to the point of not daring to turn off the lights and ending up having nightmares. That's also a horror film archetype... As Klein observed his condition, he summarized his experiences over the past few months and finally summed it all up with the keyword "horror film director."

After understanding this, he had many ideas on how to quickly digest the potion.

Not only did he have to deal with enemies, but he also had to turn his enemies into the main characters or important supporting roles in a horror film!

This will be quite troublesome. I definitely have to give my all to the targets at the demigod level. I wouldn't be in the mood to waste my time and effort on pulling some tricks... Well, there's no need to find a demigod target. There's no restriction for acting like this. I can "Teleport" to the sea, and find some lucky pirates to "participate," creating some horror stories...

That's right. Since I'm a director, I have to let my "works" spread! It seems like I have to let some of the actors escape successfully every time and spread the nightmare that they experienced, creating a corresponding myth at sea. I can't feed them to Creeping Hunger... As he formed his plan, Klein suddenly thought of a question:

In the horrifying legends of the people in the Northern Continent and the sea, how many of them were deliberately created by Bizarro Sorcerers?

There must be some... Sigh, if Amon were to act as a Bizarro Sorcerer, "He" would probably be able to digest the potion in less than a month. "His" talent in this aspect is astounding, and "He" doesn't consider the consequences... In truth, while looking for pirates to "film the horror movie," I can find an opportunity to scare other demigods. I don't have to fight them to the death. Once my goal is accomplished, I can escape... With this thought in mind, Klein came up with a plan for the supporting role.

Hence, he carefully considered his targets.

There's no way I can find an angel or higher. Those who I'm not familiar with will make me the leading character of a horror movie on the spot. Those who are familiar with me are well aware that I'm a Bizarro Sorcerer, so there's no way to scare them...

There are many saints that I have no idea about their whereabouts. Frightening the archbishops will easily cause unnecessary chain reactions, causing the world situation to become even more tense and for the war to erupt prematurely...

Uh, after eliminating all the possibilities, the most suitable target is the Numinous Episcopate's Artificial Death faction's demigod, Patrick Bryan, as well as the councilors of Will Auceptin's Fate Council, as well as...

After creating a name list, Klein decided to take some time over the next two days to visit Dr. Aaron Ceres. He wanted to bring some ice-cream for a certain baby to ask where the "councilors" were recently seen.

If he wanted to frighten someone else's subordinates, he had to get the approval of the president!

Klein was in a good mood after organizing his thoughts. He went out again and went to Saint Samuel Cathedral to pray and donate before heading to the Loen Charity Bursary Foundation where he stayed till noon.

In the afternoon, he saw a few businessmen and professional lawyers and accountants who were seeking investments, behaving like a normal tycoon.

After filling his stomach, he returned to the half-opened room with the balcony. Just as he was considering whether to visit Dr. Aaron Ceres's house directly tomorrow, or invite their family to have a nice dinner at the Srenzo Restaurant which served excellent ice-cream, his spiritual perception was triggered.

He turned his head and, without any surprise, saw Miss Messenger walk out of the void with four blonde, red-eyed heads.

One of the heads bit on a letter.

"Who sent it?" Klein habitually and expectantly asked.

As he had yet to receive the letter, Reinette Tinekerr could only answer with three heads.

"King..." "Of..." "Idiots..."

Patrick Bryan? This nickname has even evolved? Klein reached out and took the letter. When he opened it, he realized that it was indeed from the Artificial Death faction's demigod.

He wrote on the letter:

"...I've already prepared the special ritual that will help my teacher, Haiter, recover further. Your Excellency, I will hold it tomorrow at midnight given your permission..."

The ritual that points towards the angel, Haiter? There's no way to avoid the Numinous Episcopate's Artificial Death faction's testing of Patrick... This can be interfered with using Paper Angel... Just in time... With a flick of his wrist, Klein burned the letter. @@novelbin@@

Following that, he took out a piece of paper and wrote down an answer:

"Yes, you may. You must be careful."

In the quiet night, near midnight, in a uninhabited clothes factory in St. George Borough.

There was an open area that had been cleared. Nearly ten black-robed figures were standing there.

In the middle of them was a deep black coffin that looked rather heavy. Around the coffin were many golden ornaments with mud stains. There were many candles flickering with pale-white flames, as well as one skull after another.

The hideous white skulls belonged to humans, others from animals. Some were extremely strange and had a deformed look to it. It was hard to imagine their original appearance.

The skulls were piled the highest up at the front, with Patrick Bryan standing there.

He had also changed into a black robe, but he didn't pull up his hood, revealing a deep outline. He had black hair, brown eyes, and a rather long face.

This demigod hadn't done anything, but his surroundings had turned extremely cold, as though countless invisible creatures were celebrating

As Patrick Bryan raised his right hand, the hooded believers jumped up and twitched a little. It was a crazy and rhythmic dance.

This was a Spirit Dance, a ritual that Death loved. The stronger the spirituality of the dancers, the better the effects.

As the dance became more intense, a cold and formless wind blew out from the coffin. Patrick Bryan lowered his head and recited in a language that seemed to come from the Underworld:

"The King from the depths of Hell;

"An Angel playing the music of death;

"The Ruler above River Styx."

-x-X-x-

With Patrick Bryan's chanting, the bones around the black casket were gradually stained with a dark green layer. They blended with the white, bringing out an extremely scary sensation.

As the Spirit Dance became more and more intense, as though the voices from the Underworld were constantly reverberating, the bones floated up one by one, as though they possessed lives of their own.

Then, they were cast towards the heavy and pitch-black casket in what could be described as orderly chaos. They passed through the lid and entered as though they were incorporeal.

The casket immediately transformed into a deep whirlpool that seemed like it couldn't be filled. It expanded on the spot, emitting a cold aura that was high and mighty. This made Patrick Bryan instinctively tremble and lower his head.

This was an angel, the aura of a Death Consul!

At that moment, the believers of Death, the ones who were dancing Spirit Dance, all collapsed to the ground with their bodies left convulsing. Their consciousness became muddled, as though they were touring the Underworld.

And above the gray fog, with the help of his marionettes' prayer points of light, The Fool Klein secretly heaved a sigh of relief because the leader of the Numinous Episcopate's Artificial Death faction, the angel who was sleeping in the mausoleum, the High Priest Haiter's test didn't exceed his expectations. Using the enslavement and control higher Sequence Beyonders of the Death pathway had on lower Sequence Beyonders, "He" could directly obtain information from Patrick Bryan.

From a certain point of view, this was an "interrogation" at the psyche level, something that Klein was rather proficient at dealing with.

Nas

He immediately let the Red Priest card fly into his hand and enter his body.

All of a sudden, Klein had a dark red robe draped over him. This appearance seemed to look like rust and settled gunpowder. As for his face, it was covered by a dark gold mask. The patterns on it were ancient and set off a contrasting appearance with the crown he wore that was embedded with gems that sparkled red, blue, and green.

Following that, he mobilized all the powers of the mysterious space above the gray fog that he could, turning them into invisible torrents that surrounded the paper figurines he had prepared in advance. Through the prayer lights, it shot towards Undying Patrick Bryan.

At this moment, Patrick's body trembled slightly due to the feeling of submission he felt towards his teacher's aura, as though he could see layers of holy wings.

Klein had hidden the exact appearance of the flaming angel, allowing a portion of it to be revealed. This also meant that he had interfered with the special effects.

One holy wing after another enveloped Patrick before vanishing, causing him to hallucinate in confusion.

As a Sequence 4 demigod, he quickly came to his senses. He realized that he no longer yearned to submit and not be able to disobey his teacher's orders. His consciousness seemed to have been pulled out of his body as he stared calmly at everything above the mind world.

At the same time, as a zealot, Patrick Bryan didn't hesitate to view Angel's Embrace as a gift from Death. There was no doubt about it.

At that moment, in the deep vortex formed from the black casket, an old and cold voice sounded out-one that could rip out a person's soul from their bodies:

"Not bad.

"Any progress in awakening God recently?"

Patrick Bryan followed the instructions given by the Blessed, and he described his efforts and intentions in a half-truthful manner.

After a series of questions and answers, the Death domain angel on the other side of the vortex, Haiter, didn't suspect anything. "He" calmly said, "Very good. Continue doing it. I will support you."

"He" paused for a moment and nonchalantly said, "I'll send you an assistant first. A Sequence 5 Gatekeeper to help you in completing the corresponding tasks to relieve your stress."

Is this what His Excellency mentioned about not being at ease with me? Teacher is indeed unwilling to see me gain the favor of God and threaten "His" position... Having been slowly influenced by Klein through his daily communications with him, Patrick Bryan, who had slowly changed his mindset, had no way of rejecting such "kind intentions." He could only answer politely, "Yes, Teacher."

Just as he said that, the pitch-black vortex suddenly opened up. It transformed into a mysterious pattern, conjuring up a pair of indescribable double bronze doors.

With a creaking sound, the door opened and a crack widened.

There was still darkness behind the rift, and there seemed to be eyes hidden in the depths of the darkness, quietly watching the outside.

At that moment, a palm stretched out and rested on the door crack.

Its skin was rather pale, allowing one to see the blue blood veins underneath.

With a tug, a figure leaped out of the door.

This was a young, tall man wearing a black robe with red linings with his hood pulled up.

His facial features were gentle, and his skin was slightly brown. It was obvious at a glance that he was from a Southern Continent bloodline. He was rather handsome, but he looked anemic.

Stepping on the solid ground beneath his feet, the young man didn't even glance at Patrick Bryan. He raised his head and looked into the sky. The corners of his mouth curled up as he narrowed his eyes and sighed.

"This intoxicating atmosphere..."

As a Beyonder of the Death pathway, to be ignored by someone whose Sequence was lower than his, there was no doubt that Patrick Bryan was a little angry, but in front of his teacher, he had no choice but to follow the flow and end the ritual.

During this process, The Fool's response above the gray fog was even more intense than Patrick's.

Because through the gray fog's "true vision," he could see the abnormality of the new Gatekeeper!

The Gatekeeper's internal Underworld expanded in an odd manner, covering every part of his body. And there was only one soul in the Underworld-a young and handsome soul with red hair, signs of rotting on its face, and a flag mark on its glabella. It wore black blood-stained armor.

Klein wasn't unfamiliar with this soul, for he immediately recognized it:

The Red Angel evil spirit, Sauron Einhorn Medici!

This fellow has returned to Backlund again, and had a certain working relationship with the angel of the Numinous Episcopate's Artificial Death faction... Klein instinctively took out the Red Priest card and accommodated the Tyrant card before summoning the Sea God Scepter. He planned on giving the Red Angel evil spirit a zap of Lightning Storm, but as his thoughts raced, he restrained this impulse and gave up on the corresponding thoughts.

This would expose Patrick Bryan's problem and let the angel from the Death domain guess that something had happened to Artificial Death! @@novelbin@@

This wasn't beneficial to the Evernight Goddess's control and digestion of the Death pathway's Uniqueness.

Amidst his thoughts, he quickly left the world above the gray fog and returned to the real world. He made his marionette secretly leave the clothing factory and "Teleport" away with his body.

He had originally planned on creating a shocking experience for Patrick Bryan after the ritual. He had even made some preparations beforehand. Now, he could only give up to prevent the Red Angel evil spirit from discovering him.

Inside the clothing factory, the young Gatekeeper, who had been possessed by Sauron Einhorn Medici, pulled his hood even lower before turning his head slightly and looking in a particular direction outside.

That was the spot where Klein's marionette, Qonas Kilgor, had been hiding, nearly a kilometer away from the factory.

After staring at it for a few seconds, the young Gatekeeper revealed an obvious smile.

Just as Patrick Bryan was about to say something, planning to use his identity of the person-in-charge of the Numinous Episcopate's Artificial Death faction to haze the envoy of his teacher, his spiritual perception was triggered. He turned around in a bizarre manner, casting his gaze on another building in the factory.

On the second floor of the building, behind a glass window in a room, there was a pair of emotionless black eyes staring at them.

Patrick Bryan's eyelids twitched, and his body suddenly vanished.

Woo!

A cold wind blew, causing the glass window to rot silently. Without any movement, it crumbled into countless "snowflakes."

In the corresponding room, a skinny Patrick in a black robe and a thin face emerged. He saw that the master of that pair of cold, black eyes was a rough mud doll.

Who made the doll... Who moved it here? Patrick Bryan looked around cautiously, not missing any corners.

Just as he turned his gaze towards the corridor and faced the glass window with his body slanted, the crude, black eyes of the mud doll suddenly turned. Then, it raised its hands and grabbed Patrick's neck.

Halfway through the action, the mud doll seemed to lose its support and lost all mobility. Many cracks appeared on its surface as it instantly shattered into pieces.

Patrick Bryan's figure disappeared first before he appeared in the corridor, staring at the collapsed doll as if he was facing a most powerful enemy.

At that moment, he had really jumped in fright. Although there were all sorts of bizarre and harrowing matters related to spirits, it was still quite scary for a puppet to suddenly come alive without the influence of an external Spirit Body.

The mud doll lay there quietly in fragments without so much as a stir. Patrick Bryan waited patiently for a while before finally confirming that there were no more abnormalities.

He shuttled through the spirit world once again and returned to the place where the ritual had been held.

At that moment, the heavy, pitch-black casket had completely decayed. It was as if it had been buried in the ground for centuries, if not millennia. And the surrounding Underworld believers were slowly recovering from their semi-conscious state.

Patrick Bryan looked around but could not find the young Gatekeeper sent by his teacher. He didn't know when he had left.

Isn't he here to spy on me? The demigod of the Death pathway was at a loss.

Taking into consideration the abnormal discovery he had made—the living mud dollPatrick Bryan didn't delay any further. He quickly snapped his followers awake and cleaned up the scene and removed all traces.

After he was done, he suddenly heard a voice:

"Is this clothing factory yours?"

Patrick Bryan's figure instantly disappeared and appeared again, now facing the person who spoke. That was the young Gatekeeper who had gone somewhere.

"No." Patrick frowned slightly.

How could he do such a thing in his own factory? If he was exposed, wouldn't there be no way out?

"Not too stupid..." The young Gatekeeper nodded gently.

Patrick narrowed his eyes and suppressed his anger.

"Where did you go?"

The young Gatekeeper chuckled and said, "I visited some familiar spots and met a friend."

-x-X-x-

160 Böklund Street, inside Dwayne Dantès's mansion.

After "Teleporting" back, Klein didn't delay at all. He immediately set up an altar and held a ritual to pray to Death.

"You are the essence of death;

"You are the lord of the dead;

"You are the final home to all living beings.

"I pray for your help. I pray that you will know how to resolve the problem of the Red Angel evil spirit. 'He' has possessed the body of a Gatekeeper and is cooperating with the Numinous Episcopate's High Priest, Haiter. He has come to Backlund and been made an assistant to Patrick Bryan..."

With regard to this matter, there was really no choice but to seek help from the Evernight Goddess.

Ignoring the possibility of seeking out the ascetic leader, Arianna, in a cooperation effort, or whether he had the ability to get finish off Sauron Einhorn Medici, even if he could, once the Red Angel evil spirit disappeared, the Numinous Episcopate's Artificial Death faction's High Priest would immediately understand that something major had happened here. "He" could then connect it to other abnormalities and determined that there was something wrong with Artificial Death's condition. Then, using "His" own level and status, possible Sealed Artifacts, and "His" familiarity with the pathway, "He" might be able to create mutually harmful acts of destruction.

And if he ignored the Red Angel, this evil spirit who was a Conspirer wouldn't take long to detect something abnormal with Patrick Bryan. With "His" knowledge and intelligence, it wasn't difficult to guess the nature of the problem.

No matter how I deal with it, it'll be a problem. As expected of an angel in the War domain. Even if "He" is a three-in-one Spirit Body, "He" can still create unresolvable problems for others. This must've actually been an idea that "He" gave Haiter...

Actually, I do have an extreme idea; that is to let the Red Angel evil spirit be killed by other Churches, official organizations, or secret organizations for another whole different matter. In short, anything related to the Goddess cannot come center stage. Things must be made very clear...

The difficulty with this approach is how to let an extremely experienced, high-ranking member of the conspiring domain fall into a trap... If I don't handle it well, it might backfire on me... After the prayer ended, Klein casually let his thoughts wander as he waited patiently for the Evernight Goddess to give him a response.

After more than ten seconds, the herbal dregs that pleased the deity were swept up by an invisible wind. They flew out and landed on the table, forming words:

"His' coming spells the raising of arms."

What does that mean? Looking at the sentence that gave him a sense of déjà vu, he frowned slightly.

As a Seer, he habitually interpreted it:

Due to the king's problem, Loen has fallen into the shadows of war. Hence, the Red Angel that symbolizes war came.

This means that it might no longer be possible to stop the war.

Upon reaching Sequence 1, one would become a symbol of certain phenomena.

As these thoughts flashed through Klein's mind, the invisible wind came to a stop. The altar which was completely isolated by the wall of spirituality turned extremely silent.

There are no other revelations? After waiting for a while, Klein confirmed that this was all, so he ended the ritual and cleared the altar.

He then walked to the sofa in the room and sat down to see if anything else would happen.

After a full fifteen minutes, he didn't usher in the arrival of the matron of the Evernight cloister, the leader of the thirteen archbishops, angel of Concealment, Arianna.

I don't have to deal with the Red Angel evil spirit, and I should just leave "Him" be? Or, there's another solution, but my involvement isn't needed? In essence, he wasn't a devout believer of Evernight. Since the Goddess said that he didn't need to bother about it, he naturally couldn't be bothered to do so. After all, this matter was not only extremely troublesome for him, but it was also extremely dangerous.

Shaking his head, Klein took out a pen and paper from his pocket and began a dream divination.

What had happened tonight made him feel that he couldn't waste any time. He had to digest the Bizarro Sorcerer potion as soon as possible.

Above the Fog Sea, inside a steam-powered merchant ship that was extremely close to a pirate ship.

One by one, the men and older women were tied up and pushed to the edge of the deck. Then, the pirates either used their hands or legs to throw them into the sea.

The splashing sounds didn't affect the pirates at all, guffawing over this bloodless massacre.

After clearing the captives, they carried their guns and lanterns to the shipboard, preparing to enjoy the pitiful bugs' struggling.

However, under the light, the dark blue sea beside the boat quietly undulated. No one was there.

"They sank so quickly," a pirate blurted out in surprise.

The leader of this pirate crew frowned. After looking at it for a while, he said, "Perhaps some sea monsters passed by and treated those who dared resist us as food bestowed by the gods.

"Perfect timing. If we feed it, it won't attack us..."

Upon saying this, the leader waved his hand.

"Everyone, enjoy yourselves!"

As a fairly experienced pirate, he knew that there were many strange things at sea. It was best not to seek out the reason and try to figure out the truth. Since it didn't harm him or his crew, he would thank the Lord of Storms for his blessings, doing so as though nothing had happened.

After making sure that there were people on duty, the pirates began gulping down copious amounts of alcohol, ate huge chunks of meat, and sang loudly, and fought for the rights to the young female captives.

In the noisy and lively atmosphere, the pirate leader led a beautiful passenger that he had long taken a liking to into the captain's room. He eagerly began the final process for that night of revelry.

In the middle of the night, the tired pirate leader stretched out his right hand and touched something cold.

He jolted awake. Through the crimson moonlight shining through the window, he saw a piece of coarse wood in his arms.

A series of branches with green leaves grew out from the wooden block, hugging him like a human's limbs.

Pa!

The pirate leader's pupils rapidly dilated. As he pushed away the wood, jumped off the bed, and stumbled back.

Was I with such a thing previously? His mind was filled with terror. He couldn't care less about his clothes, picking up a flintlock and cutlass before leaving the room immediately.

Outside, there was a pirate on duty.

"How can I be happy to steal your ear..." When the pirate saw his leader open the door, he quickly asked.

The pirate leader had originally wanted to chide the other party for secretly drinking, resulting in his incoherence. However, when he looked up, he saw that his subordinate's mouth and his surroundings were filled with golden grains. Even the surface of his tongue was covered in dense clusters.

The pirate leader's scalp tightened as he felt a numbing chill run down his spine.

At this moment, the door across the corridor opened as well. A pirate shouted with a sobbing tone, "Oh no! Boss, I-I have a lot of mushrooms growing there!"

As he spoke, the pirate ran out.

At the same time, he felt his eyes itch. He raised his hand and rubbed his right eye.

As he rubbed his eyes, a green vine slowly grew out from the gaps between his eye socket and his eyeball. There was a dark red grape at the end of it.

The flesh around the grape was a blur.

The pirate leader's body froze when he saw this. He asked in a voice that didn't belong to him, "What... did you guys encounter..."

While rubbing his eye, the pirates who didn't notice the problem said without any recollection, "A pole-like shadow struck me!"

"W... Ye You..." The pirate whose tongue was covered in golden wheat echoed.

He was blocked by his leader and didn't see his fellow crew member's terrifying appearance.

The pirate leader's legs began to shake uncontrollably. He instinctively turned around and ran out of the cabin.

At this moment, he saw a long wall that looked like a shadow from a pole rapidly sweep towards him before lashing out at him.

The shadow flashed and soon disappeared. It was as though it was a surreal nightmare.

The pirate leader was just a beat slower before he subconsciously raised his hand to block. This was obviously not effective.

Then, he looked at himself in panic and didn't find anything unusual.

"Thankfully, thankfully..." The pirate leader couldn't help but let out a sigh.

Before he could finish, he suddenly heard a slightly muffled voice:

"Thankfully, thankfully..."

This voice seemed to come from his body!

The pirate leader's pupils dilated to the extreme as he involuntarily lifted up his clothes.

He then saw three cracks appear between his chest-one big, two small.

Two rows of white teeth were neatly arranged in the large crack, and in the middle of the small crack were two lively and nimble eyeballs embedded in them.

It was a mouth and two eyes!

The pirate leader had a mouth and two eyes on his chest!

"No!

A scream rang out from the boat, filled with indescribable terror.

In the next fifteen minutes, some of the pirates went mad and killed their companions. Some successfully escaped back to their own ship, only to discover that the people on it had also turned mutated. Hence, they jumped into the sea in despair.

By the time everything calmed down, there were only about ten normal pirates slumped on the deck and hiding in their rooms. There was a stench around them.

After a while, passengers came out of the cabin one after another. @@novelbin@@

They looked at the scene in front of them in disbelief. They either thanked the gods or stood there in a daze.

It was early in the morning. Klein got out of bed and began to wash up.

Just as he was changing his clothes with the help of his valet, Enuni, he saw Butler Walter, who had just returned from a leave of absence, walk to the door and say, "Sir, Bishop Elektra is here to pay a visit."

"... Let him wait for me in the activity room where he can enjoy a cigar." Klein hesitated for a moment before saying.

He suspected that this was a late response from the Goddess.

Walter immediately turned around and went downstairs to make the arrangements. Before long, he returned and said, "Sir, Bishop Elektra has already bade farewell and left. He wanted me to tell you that you must go to Saint Samuel Cathedral in the morning. He said that the Church and the government are going to hold an air-raid drill together."

"Air-raid drill?" Klein frowned.

At that moment, his spiritual perception was triggered. He turned around and looked out the window.

In the air, there were rows of dark brown-colored airships approaching.

These airships had slanted patterns of red, white, and yellow emblems. This was the flag of Feysac!

Upon seeing this scene, Klein suddenly understood what he had overlooked.

War might not be initiated by the Loen Kingdom!

An ancient and hidden organization definitely had very high-ranking members in other countries. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been able to affect the world's situation!

-x-X-x-

Although the Sonia Sea wasn't like the Fog Sea, with it often being filled with fog, the northern regions would occasionally fill up with a rather thick fog every autumn and winter morning.

Alger Wilson's Blue Avenger was sailing in such an environment, following the borders of the Sonia Island back to the Loen coast.

He had already spent too long in the North Sonia Sea, so he needed to return for a routine report.

Within the pale white fog, the ghost ship quietly proceeded forward, occasionally appearing like a dream that didn't leave any traces.

Alger was wrapped by the wind as he stood in midair in front of the window, admiring the white world outside. He allowed his thoughts to wander in different directions.

Suddenly, his eyes focused as some silvery-white light flashed in his pupils. He saw a large sail through the fog in the distance, and a massive ship silently cruised past.

This ship wasn't alone. Behind it were several similar ships. One, two, three... they formed a fleet that spanned a great distance.

Feysac's Sonia Sea Fleet... They've all been mobilized... Where are they heading to? Alger's feet landed on the deck.

His gaze immediately turned to the other side, where Sonia Island was located.

After the various exchanges at the Tarot Club, Alger was already certain that the world situation was tense, with war about to break out at any moment. At that moment, he made some connections and made a guess.

To the Feysac Empire and the Loen Kingdom, Sonia Island was extremely important. If it were occupied by the Loen Kingdom, Feysac's eastern naval fleet would be completely blocked off in the cold north, unable to vie for any of the various colonies in the Sonia Sea or head to East Balam. Meanwhile, after waging war, if they wanted to threaten the Loen Kingdom's hinterlands, they would have to cross the Amantha mountain range or cross the Midseashire, passing through the defenses of several counties. That would be extremely difficult.

And if Sonia Island was conquered by the Feysac Empire, then they could use that as a base to attack all the ports in the north and central regions of Loen, including but not limited to Enmat Harbor or Pritz Harbor. If the Feysac commander was more daring and unfazed by the losses, he could even be able to directly target the capital of the Loen Kingdom, Backlund, which was not far from the port.

It was precisely because of this that the two countries had waged the Twenty Year War. The Feysac Empire clinched victory, and they had obtained the crucial southern path.

In the Battle of the Violated Oath, Loen had won the war but had failed to regain this territory. Its strategic goals for the war were only half-achieved.

Alger stared at this scene for a moment before speaking in a serious tone, "Is war about to erupt...?"

In Backlund, a large number of airships from Feysac had entered from North Borough and arrived above the huge city.

As soon as they drew near, the Holy Wind Cathedral seemed to have made certain precautions. The howling of the wind intensified, turning into several giant bluish-black blades that whistled towards the target like surface-to-air missiles.

Seeing that the huge blades were about to hit the airbags of the airship, an invisible layer of defense appeared and shielded it from all the attacks.

Under the violent strike, the transparent "wall" shook, but ultimately managed to hold on.

At the same time, the compartment for guns, projectile launchers, and cannons of the airship opened up and aimed downwards.

Boom!

As a hurricane around the Holy Wind Cathedral took form, a loud explosive boom emanated in every direction.

In such a terrifying storm, the airships were like boats sailing through the sea where they met mountain-like waves and were about to be tossed into the distance.

At that moment, the blood and rust-like beams of light flashed on the leading airship. They enveloped all the other accompanying airships and connected them together.

Suddenly, Feysac's airship fleet had stabilized in the hurricane and was no longer a puny boat in the gigantic waves. The power of the high-level Red Priest pathway belonged to war, and war was the art of gathering the masses!

This was the authority of a War Bishop!

After the Feysacians blocked this wave of attacks, they took advantage of the gap in between the wave of attacks to deliver their bombs through the hatches and allow them to drop beneath them.

And in the hurricane, the trajectories of the bombs became unpredictable.

Boom! Boom!

The cannon hatches also lit up and showed off their prowess that would honor the God of War.

This airship fleet didn't attempt to travel through Backlund. After entering North Borough, it immediately turned to West Borough, the center of politics for the Loen Kingdom.

North Borough, Backlund University of Technology.

The withered Intis parasol tree leaves swayed in the wind. Students were either carrying books or bags as they walked around the campus.

As a member of an institute of higher education, as the first batch of students of this reorganized university, these young adults were full of vigor. They looked forward to their future and would gather together every day to discuss their ideals, recite poems, and research technology. They were pure and happy.

Melissa Moretti walked amidst them as she raised her head to look at the wall clock at the top of the main teaching building and involuntarily hastened her pace.

She had to go to Chancellor Moment's office today to prepare for the upcoming mechanical laboratory that was to be officially launched.

This was something that she enjoyed greatly, something which made her feel happy every day. She felt that life on campus was so wonderful and that her classmates were so adorable.

Subconsciously, Melissa looked at the steam locomotive in the middle of the square. Its massive, complicated body was displaying its infinite charm in the machinery industry.

Quite a number of students liked to gather there, knocking, hitting, and analyzing its structure. As for the school, it didn't encourage or forbid it.

The corners of Melissa's lips curled into a smile as she moved to look away.

Suddenly, a metallic gray object descended from the sky and landed in the middle of the square.

Boom!

The ground shook violently as all the windows of the main teaching building shattered. If not for the distance, Melissa might've been thrown up by the blast of air.

Countless screams rang out, and like the other students, Melissa fled in panic, not knowing what had happened.

She was only 16 years old after all—she had never experienced such a scene before.

The billowing dust and smoke gradually fell. After hiding behind a tree, Melissa subconsciously looked at the spot where the explosion had just occurred.

Her expression instantly froze, and her eyes glazed over.

The steam locomotive's head was already in pieces, its components and fragments were scattered everywhere.

The students around it, and those passing by, had already collapsed to the ground, their bodies no longer intact. They were no longer breathing. Some of them were covered in blood, others charred. There were some moaning in pain.

This scene was like an oil painting that wasn't realistic enough. Melissa stared at it in a daze, momentarily at a loss for a reaction.

Carter—she knew that male student who had a great spirit for research. Every time everyone was in discussion, he would confidently say that he was going to be a ship engineer. Now, he only had half his lower body left, and his intestines were all over the ground.

Eudora—she was a student from the same faculty as her. Despite studying machinery, she loved poetry very much and was rather talented in this aspect. She was loved by the people around her. Sometimes, Melissa would also attend their gatherings and quietly listen to Eudora's recital. She felt that this girl was really attractive, but now, her leg was badly mutilated, and she was moaning half-consciously in pain.

In just a few seconds, these people's future had been cruelly changed.

It was only when many teachers rushed out of the teaching block and started to rescue the injured and evacuate the students that Melissa woke up from her trance and hurriedly moved closer to the teachers.

"Listen to me! All of you are to split up into two groups. One batch will head to the laboratories, and the other to Tiffany Cathedral. They all have an underground area that you can hide in." One of the teachers wore a look of terror, but he still held his breath and made arrangements with his clear voice as though he had been specially trained.

He looked around and saw that the students didn't dare to leave the teachers. He hurriedly said, "Don't worry. The enemy's airship has already turned and gone to West Borough. There's no danger here."

His words were accompanied by a rumbling explosion that came from the southwest. @@novelbin@@

West Borough... The kingdom's parliament, various departments, and municipal halls are there... Upon hearing the teacher's words, Melissa immediately thought of many things.

As the light in her eyes flickered, she suddenly pursed her lips tightly and ran towards the school gate, ignoring her teacher calling from behind.

As she moved along a sheltered area, Melissa quickly arrived on the streets. She panted heavily and looked around, trying to get her bearings.

At that moment, she saw the subway entrance nearby. Although she was flustered, she still remembered what the teacher had just said.

"...underground area that you can hide in!"

Isn't the subway underground? The bombing has just started, and the subway probably hadn't stopped moving... As her thoughts raced, Melissa rushed towards the entrance that showed signs of bombardment.

Upon going underground, she realized that the people here weren't as many as she had expected. Most ordinary people who had never been trained wouldn't think of hiding in here immediately.

The subway had indeed not stopped moving, but no one was checking the tickets. After a short wait, Melissa ran over, her lips tightly pursed and her face filled with anxiety.

After three stops, the subway stopped at King's Avenue. Melissa squeezed through the crowd and rushed out of the carriage.

She had already recovered her stamina. She ran along the stairs, her speed increasing ever so slightly before she quickly reached the surface.

At this moment, whatever she could see was in a state of chaos. Many buildings had collapsed as they were burning in scarlet flames. Broken limbs, blood, and the dead were everywhere. She could hear cries, screams, and orders.

Upon seeing this scene, Melissa became even more anxious as she tried to run towards the four-story building where the kingdom's Ministry of Finance was located.

However, the area had already been sealed. She could see that many window panes had shattered. The walls were riddled with bullet holes, and there were still traces of an explosion.

Melissa tried to enter the perimeter but was stopped by the soldiers who were maintaining order. This only served to increase her anxiety as her eyes reddened.

At this moment, she saw a familiar figure. It was the black-haired, brown-eyed Benson who wasn't wearing a hat.

Upon seeing Melissa, Benson immediately rushed over. He looked anxious and angry as he shouted, "Why are you here? Why aren't you hiding underground! I'm very safe here!

"Quick, follow me there!"

Didn't you not go underground either... Melissa, who had never been shouted at by her brother, wanted to instinctively retort, but her vision was already blurry.

"Phew..." After he shouted, he let out a breath and softened his tone. "It's good that you're okay. Quick, don't wander around on the streets."

Upon hearing his words, the panic and concern in Melissa's heart calmed down. At this moment, she felt that even if she were to die, it wouldn't be that scary anymore. At least, she wouldn't be the only one left at home.

At this moment, a bomb was blown over by a hurricane and was landing towards the area.

But suddenly, the bomb changed directions abruptly and flew off horizontally.

Boom!

It exploded in midair, only stirring up a blast of air.