Chapter 657: Terrifying Vitality
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The grayish-black hand grabbed the side of the ship and quickly hoisted it up, revealing the submerged parts, inch by inch.
Through the blue water waves, Klein saw a huge grayish-black shadow. Following that, squirming flesh occupied his entire vision.
The monster seemed to be an amalgamation of countless blackening or graying corpses. Attached to the two gigantic palms were withered-looking arms that resembled dry timber. The arms stemmed from a corpse that was suspected to be from a giant. This giant's single eye was shut tightly as a few heads were stuck to its neck. And further down these heads were incomplete scaly fish, lizard bodies, or warped human corpses. Layer after layer, they formed flesh that appeared like a floating island.
From the different corpses and the connections of the crevices, a yellowish-green gas was emanated and spread to its surroundings as though it was enveloping the entire area.
Cough! Cough! Cough! Cough!
Just the smell of it had made many sailors on deck cough violently. It was so bad that they couldn't even straighten their backs.
Upon seeing this scene, Frank Lee didn't hesitate to take out the materials inside a hidden pouch on his belt. He showcased his corresponding Beyonder powers, but to his surprise, Cattleya's voice rang in his ears.
"Frank, stop!
"Help Nina command the sailors to get them to adjust the sails!"
"Why?" Frank Lee subconsciously asked in return.
"In this area, the supernatural matters within the authority of Mother Earth will mutate, including your powers." As Cattleya spoke, she extended both her palms forward and pressed down on a particular spot on her desk.
The symbols and the magical labels on the Future immediately became more pronounced as they lit up one after another, converting the entire ship into a resplendent sea of stars. They seemed to correspond to each and every point of starlight that swirled around Cattleya's body.
The spreading yellowish-green gas was kept out as Klein began floating towards the window of his room from the closest wall.
The coughing pirates felt alleviated, and under the lead of Boatswain Nina and First Mate Frank, as well as the instructions of Ottolov, they quickly adjusted the sails and attempted to make the Future escape from the nearby waters in order to escape the influence of the mutation effects.
However, the grayish-black colossal monster had held back the front of the ship, and the body beneath the water had connected to unknown parts of the ship in order to hold the Future, preventing it from advancing forward.
At the same time, formless tall mountains seemed to appear around them, blocking out the sea winds that blew from afar, preventing the Future from using its strength no matter how it adjusted its sails.
Faced with such a situation, there's a need to use a backup steam engine system. Unfortunately, the Future lacks it…
Yes… It can still fly with the help of the starlight, but that seems to be extremely draining on Ma'am Hermit. Besides, it will be difficult to grasp the direction and distance it will bring us. To make such a flight in such waters, there's a high chance of entering a more dangerous zone without being blessed with good luck. Heh, there's still the extremely unlucky Anderson on board… Klein floated by the window in his room as he took in the situation.
He wasn't nervous, as neither Admiral of Stars Cattleya nor the Strongest Hunter Anderson had showcased their true strength.
Of course, that includes me as well… Klein added inwardly.
He planned on first returning to his room and wearing Tinder. Without any "food" around, using such a mystical item was more suitable than Creeping Hunger. The latter was to be reserved for him when facing more dangerous and complicated situations before throwing it above the gray fog for it to cool down.
As for the negative effect of losing items on him, Klein already had a plan. He decided to put in his wallet, Azik's copper whistle, the adventurer's harmonica, and other items into his suitcase when changing his inventory, leaving Creeping Hunger, Murloc Cufflink, and the charms from the Sea God domain. He would keep a close watch on the latter two to prevent them from being lost.
And from a probability standpoint, the most likely item to be lost by Tinder would be the charms since they were the greatest in number.
Klein wasn't worried about this. He had created charms with different effects. They were highly disposable!
Besides, the corresponding metal in the Storm domain is tin. It's very cheap and worth nothing. The Beyonder effects are bestowed by the Sea God Scepter, so I don't have to spend any additional money… As Klein mumbled, he reached out to push open the window to his room.
At this moment, the colossal grayish-black monster, which was a combination of flesh, climbed higher again. With its approach, the busy sailors had their hair grow wildly, to the point of exceeding their waists.
This wasn't the most terrifying outcome. It was more harrowing that the blob of flaxen-colored hair seemed to have a life of its own. They would interweave and bind themselves to their owners.
As the hair began to produce similar changes, the lustrous sea of stars on the surface of the Future could no longer hold back this influence.
To a number of pirates who had shaved themselves bald, their uniqueness didn't bring them luck either. Their nose hair would rapidly grow at a discernible pace, blocking their nasal passageways.
By the window of the captain's cabin, Cattleya had raised her arms at some point in time. In her hand was a scroll made of smooth fish skin.
"Numb!"
As the incantation in ancient Hermes resounded while the scroll burned in silence, a light green luster shot out from within, striking the monster's gigantic palm that appeared by the side of the ship.
The squirming flesh formed from countless corpses didn't pause at all. It slammed down on the lustrous sea of stars, sending sparks flying while the ship trembled.
The dark purple color in the depths of Cattleya's eyes deepened. She didn't take out a new scroll, and she instead directly pushed her right palm forward.
"Imprison!"
When the mysterious incantation came out of the pirate admiral's mouth, the resplendent starlight that swirled around her flew out, descending upon the terrifying monster.
The starlight instantly converged, creating a gigantic, transparent amber. It enclosed all of the squirming flesh and bound it to where it was.
At this moment, a pitch-black and lusterless short sword appeared in the Strongest Hunter Anderson's right hand. On the surface of it was layers of diabolical patterns, but they were only an illusion.
Seizing the opportunity of having the terrifying monster trapped in the starlight cage, Anderson's body produced a layer of blinding white flames.
The flames flew forward, leaped out of the ship, and landed on the grayish-black flesh which was formed from countless corpses.
Following that, the blinding white light rapidly flowed across the monster's surface as if it was engaged in painting an extreme piece of artwork.
With a boom, the flames surged into the sky as Anderson jumped back onto the deck with his pitch-black sword.
The colossal monster remained frozen in place, as though it had lost all its vitality.
Crack! Crack! Crack! Deep wounds appeared on its surface, shattering into countless pieces of flesh in just a second.
A Reaper's offensive strength is truly exaggerated… Klein, who had redone his inventory, returned to the side of the window to see this scene.
Suddenly, he frowned indiscernibly.
At this moment, something unexpected happened. The fractured pieces of flesh spread out their "limbs," shooting towards the deck in a barrage of attacks.
This colossal attacher seemed impossible to kill no matter how many pieces it was divided into—the number of pieces determined the number of monsters!
Silently, a piece of grayish-black flesh facing the captain's cabin jumped up from the deck, heading straight for Admiral of Stars in a bid to wrap around her head.
A figure surfaced from the darkness and shielded Cattleya. It was none other than Bloodless Heath Doyle.
He opened his mouth as they cracked open, all the way from his nose to his chest. Soon, he formed a squirming vortex of flesh and blood.
The vortex sucked at the grayish-black flesh and rapidly swirled inwardly, pulling it inside.
Heath Doyle landed on the deck like a shadow. After wavering a little, he finally recovered. As for the grayish-black flesh that had splintered off from the monster, it had completely disappeared.
The most terrifying part of the monster is its ridiculous vitality. If only this trait can be stolen… Having used another Floating charm, Klein floated out the window. He reached out his black-gloved right hand and spread his fingers.
The scene before him changed as a result. Blobs of different, gorgeous colors replaced the corresponding people and items.
These colors kept changing as they rapidly twinkled, making it difficult for anyone to grasp the rules it followed.
With the help of this vision, Klein discovered that the grayish-black flesh shared some of this luster. Although it was splintered, it was actually one.
Calmly, he clenched his right fist, grabbed a blob of the light, and turned his wrist to the right.
Suddenly, Klein saw the yellowish-green luster being drawn away, fusing into his right palm.
This was the corresponding trait of the Fog of Poison.
He had stolen the grayish-black monster's Fog of Poison!
This was Tinder's effect!
At the same time, Klein discovered that his Damage Transfer Beyonder power was lost. He no longer had it!
I can only steal from the same target once every twelve hours… With some level of realization, Klein looked at the surrounded Future. The yellowish-green fog which was corroding the resplendent sea of stars rapidly thinned and no longer looked obvious. The grayish-black flesh that scattered everywhere also showed signs of desiccating and darkening.
With that, the pirates found a chance to catch their breath. As for Cattleya, she wore a golden brooch on the front of her classic robe.
The brooch seemed to be made of gold, and it was shaped like a bird with a long feather tail.
The surrounding atmosphere suddenly turned staid and serene. All the chaos and anxiety vanished in a baffling manner. Even Klein sensed the indescribable influence and felt like he had become an emotionless zombie.
Seeing how the critical moment was at hand, a ship came cruising over.
It was also a sailboat and was equally large. Its color was mainly dark with a ghostly green to it.
Its ghastly pale main sail drew a blooming pitch-black tulip.
It was the flagship of Admiral Hell Ludwell, the Black Tulip!
It was a ship that frequently plied these waters!
Chapter 658: 55,000 Pounds
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The Black Tulip… Admiral Hell Ludwell… This is jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire… Aren't we a little too unlucky? Floating in midair, Klein was the first to discover the approaching ship. He couldn't help but turn his head to look down at Anderson, who was wielding his pitch-black sword and seriously observing the monster.
Anderson quickly returned the gaze in puzzlement. As he remained wary against the grayish-black flesh which could shoot out at any moment, he asked, "The look you are giving me is very strange. Did something happen again…"
Just as he said that, he reflexively shut his mouth and sensed something. With a leap, he dodged the monster's splintered body which was making his fingernails rapidly grow. He quickly arrived at the other side of the ship.
As he straightened his back, Anderson suddenly hissed.
"Admiral Hell…"
He wasn't a good person. As a pirate admiral who was infamous for killing indiscriminately, he didn't have any psychological burdens when it came to earning profit by "fishing" in troubled waters.
Once he weighed the situation and realized that he could use the powerful monster to finish off Admiral of Stars and everyone on the Future while also receiving tremendous spoils of war, he would definitely take action!
My bad luck hasn't decreased at all. It has only switched to a lump sum withdrawal? Anderson's expression warped, it was a mystery on whether he was crying or laughing.
At the same time, the corresponding information surfaced in Klein's mind.
Just the bounty placed on Admiral Hell Ludwell's head by Loen alone had reached 55,000 pounds!
He was an extremely powerful member of the Seven Pirate Admirals, the one with the highest bounty among the Seven Pirate Admirals!
His flagship, the Black Tulip, didn't have many pirates living on it. Most of the jobs were left to undead creatures or the spirit world creatures he controlled.
He killed indiscriminately, but he didn't have a sick fetish for killing. All he did was seriously complete his job of sending living creatures to hell.
He had all kinds of connections with the Numinous Episcopate. The rumors state that he possesses a ring left behind by the ancient Death!
While Klein and Anderson were looking at the Black Tulip, the golden brooch on Cattleya's robe began to emit a pure bright light instead of blinding sunlight.
In front of the captain's cabin was a blurry figure that was rapidly increasing in length.
It was filled with the silence and serenity of a specter's aura, but it also emitted a warmth resembling sunlight.
This was an extraordinarily incongruent existence. It was as though a wraith had been created out of Sun Holy Water!
It was both holy and evil!
The Sun Wraith widened its arms as it flew out at ludicrous speeds and hugged the grayish-black flesh.
The sizzling sound of fat and oils burning sounded out. The Sun Wraith and the grayish-black flesh canceled each other out as they were simultaneously obliterated, leaving no traces behind.
The dark purple hue in the Admiral of Stars's eyes flowed as the brooch brightened. It quickly produced another Sun Wraith outside the window of the captain's cabin as it pounced towards the grayish-black flesh that had invaded the Future.
And at this moment, Bloodless Heath Doyle protected Frank, Nina, and the other sailors. He used the devouring and digesting method in order to resist the monster's flesh which possessed immense vitality.
The Black Tulip's speed was faster than Klein had anticipated. In seconds, it had entered a range which was cause for alarm for the Future.
The black sailboat with a gloomy green slowed down and stopped to the side. It didn't seem to be aware of what had happened.
Suddenly, Klein saw a nearly transparent eye surface around the Future's airspace. It had ghastly-pale eye whites as it looked down from above without blinking.
This… is a Spirit Medium's version of a telescope? After a momentary pause, Klein drew his revolver with his right hand and aimed at the eye that belonged to a spirit world creature.
At that moment, he was somewhat hesitant. As the crazy adventurer, Gehrman Sparrow, to directly fire was the choice that matched his persona the best. But at this moment, Admiral Hell Ludwell had yet to show any signs of animosity. He might have qualms about the faction backing Cattleya and hold back. If Klein were to rashly kill the "telescope," it would undoubtedly push the situation into the direction of a more chaotic and dangerous development!
During that brief dilemma, the nearly transparent illusory eye vanished. A distance away, the Black Tulip continued approaching as it became clearer and clearer.
High above the Black Tulip, white skeletons, who didn't wear clothes or leather armor, busily controlled the sails while pale zombies patrolled the area with cutlasses in hand. The latter were observing their surroundings with green burning eyes. Shadows, wraiths, and all sorts of strange spirit world creatures were flying in circles, boring through the ship at times as the shipboard protruded transparent faces that weren't too obvious.
Amidst Klein's Spirit Vision, the Black Tulip only had one living person. It was the man dressed like a captain, who was silently standing on the deck.
He wore an exaggerated triangular hat with a white skull and feathers on it. He wore a lace-trimmed white shirt and a heavy and magnificent brown coat. The ox-hide belt which held his white tights had a thin rapier hanging off it.
The man wore a silver mask. His facial features and contours were hidden within. The holes that depicted his eyes, nose, and mouth had cold lines that left one shuddering.
This matched the rumored image of Admiral Hell Ludwell!
Where are his first mate, second mate, third mate, and boatswain? Klein was first surprised at the lack of living personnel on the Black Tulip before quickly coming to a realization.
Just like how the third mate, the gunner commander, and many of the sailors of the Future were sent to the other ships of the pirate crew, only the minimum number of personnel were used to enter these waters. Admiral Hell Ludwell didn't let his "weak" subordinates follow him. After all, he could control the undead and spirit world creatures to steer the ship.
At this moment, the Black Tulip clearly turned around and aimed its starboard side over.
As Admiral Hell Ludwell touched his silver mask, a salvo of shots rang out.
Cannonballs flew over, some falling into the sea before they came close, producing splashes; others overshot and fell somewhere even further away.
This was a calibration shot!
Soon, the Black Tulip produced a second volley of bombarding cannon fire.
Klein was just about to activate Creeping Hunger and use the Baron of Corruption's Distortion power to change the target of the cannonballs, sending them further away when he saw Anderson Hood raise his right hand and push it forward.
Orange-yellow Fire Ravens instantly condensed as they accurately flew out to intercept each and every cannonball!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Blinding flames were emitted in midair as debris scattered, it was as though dozens of fireworks were set on display.
I have to say that a Pyromaniac's powers are very useful at sea. It's a mystic version of a ballistic missile defense system. However, this is because Anderson is the Strongest Hunter and has already reached Sequence 5. If it were Danitz, there's no way he could block them all. It would be pretty impressive if he could trigger half of them… Sigh, when I use Flame Controlling, I can only deal with one cannonball at a time… As Klein sighed, the Black Tulip ceased its bombardment and changed its speed again, closing the gap between it and the Future.
As it approached, the surface of the sea between the two gigantic sailboats which was dyed with golden sunlight rapidly turned black. It didn't look like ink, but the darkest night without any moon or stars.
Translucent and illusory ferocious creatures crawled out of this dark sea. Pale corpses reached out their palms which had rotten flesh dangling from them as dark red or cold flames emerged, forming pairs of eyes.
Suddenly, the area seemed to turn into the entrance to hell. All kinds of undead creatures floated on the surface of the sea in dense numbers as they charged forward like an unending tidal wave.
Anderson looked back at the Sun Wraiths which were obliterating the grayish-black flesh, and he knew that Admiral of Stars was at a critical moment in dealing with the terrifying monster. All he could do was draw a gasp and look up at Gehrman Sparrow with a bitter smile.
Just as he was about to press his hands onto the shipboard to create scarlet flames that spread outwards to prevent the invasion of the undead army, he was surprised to see Gehrman Sparrow turn around and fly back into his cabin.
H-he fled? No way… Anderson's expression clearly froze.
He grimaced as he hurriedly leaned forward with his extended palms to press onto the shipboard.
Silently, a swath of scarlet flames soared into the sky and swept the area ahead of him.
At this moment, a charm suddenly fell in front of him as he heard a word spoken in ancient Hermes.
"Storm!"
Huh? Anderson instinctively looked up and saw Gehrman Sparrow in his round neck shirt and brown jacket being swept up by a squall as he rapidly flew towards the Black Tulip.
I-is he committing suicide? I can't understand such madness… Anderson turned agape as he felt puzzled.
Whoosh!
With the charm's effects and the blessings of the wind, Klein flew to the airspace above the bow of the Black Tulip.
Admiral Hell Ludwell immediately looked up at him. The eyes behind the silver mask burned silently with two pale-white flames.
The shadows, wraiths, and the spirit world creatures of the Death domain who were spiraling above the Black Tulip immediately swarmed towards the enemy.
They either opened their mouths, letting out silence screeches, or they extended their long tongues with shrunken faces as though they were extremely excited.
Klein looked at them with a deadpan expression as he reached into his pocket with his left hand, releasing the wall of spirituality on a squarish box.
Then, he took out Azik's copper whistle, which was tied to a few matchsticks, and threw them at the deck of the Black Tulip's stern.
Suddenly, the transparent, cold, and indistinct shadows and wraiths paused. It was as though they were frozen worms.
Following that, they didn't hesitate to turn their bodies to rapidly fly to the stern of the Black Tulip. The strange-looking spirit world creatures followed closely behind.
In less than a second, the skeletons and zombies who were adjusting the cannons betrayed Admiral Hell. The bow was left completely empty except for Ludwell.
Pa!
Klein landed on the deck while pressing down on his cap, landing right before Ludwell.
His body was bent slightly as he released the right hand on his cap, his gaze locked on the silver-masked Admiral Hell.
Chapter 659: This Beyonder Power is Very Powerful
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
On the Future, Anderson Hood pressed his hands on the shipboard and saw the undead army in the pitch-black sea recede like the tide. They rushed over one another and surged for the stern of the Black Tulip. He saw Gehrman Sparrow press his cap with his right hand while he descended from the sky before landing opposite Admiral Hell Ludwell.
Such a scene was illuminated by dark red or gloomy green light. With the accentuation from the wraiths, shadows, and all sorts of strange spirit world creatures, there was an indescribable sense of beauty.
Cool! As expected of the craziest adventurer… Anderson praised from the bottom of his heart before recalling something.
Gehrman Sparrow had apparently thrown a charm in front of him before flying over. Furthermore, he had specially demonstrated the incantation to activate the charm!
His intent is… Anderson Hood moved his gaze down and discovered a charm made of tin at his feet.
On the Black Tulip, Klein, whose body was slightly bent while his eyes were locked onto his enemy, wasn't actually as cold and calm as his expression depicted.
Anderson better fly over with the charm. There's a high chance that I can't deal with him alone. It might even be very dangerous… While his eyes reflected the silver mask and the two pale-white flames, Klein silently prayed.
As the mysterious eyes that observed the deck and himself existed, as well as the door opener in the dream world which Anderson Hood had mentioned, he cautiously gave up the idea of immediately praying to himself in order to use the Sea God Scepter above the gray fog to respond. He also warned himself not to expose such matters unless he was in dire straits.
He believed that Creeping Hunger and Tinder, together with the various Beyonder powers of Magician and the charms of the Sea God domain, gave him the ability to fight Admiral Hell Ludwell. As for Azik's copper whistle, it could attract undead creatures or spirit world creatures that were inclined to Death's domain. It could neutralize the most powerful means of a powerful Spirit Medium. For a Sequence 5 Beyonder of the Death pathway, as long as it didn't exceed a certain number, one would often choose to overwhelm their enemy with numbers when facing a certain number of Mid-Sequence Beyonders.
However, Klein didn't believe that he alone could defeat Ludwell in such a situation or even kill him. Firstly, the battlefield would be held on the Black Tulip. Considering how Admiral of Stars could use the Future, anyone with a brain knew that such a situation wasn't optimistic. Secondly, Ludwell was the most senior pirate admiral at the moment. He had the two powerful factions, the King of the Five Seas and the Numinous Episcopate, backing him. The mystical items and Sealed Artifacts he had might not be any weaker than Klein's or might even exceed his. In addition, many rumors indicated that he possessed a ring that was left behind by the ancient Death!
Along with the fact that his Sequence was lower than Admiral Hell, Klein was not only lacking in the adrenaline of a pending successful hunt or of performing great acting in the role of a crazy adventurer, but he was also tense and anxious. He didn't dare to be careless. All he wished was that the Strongest Hunter who was plagued with bad luck would quickly fly over.
Only when two people of equivalent strength allied together could they have a small chance of defeating or resisting Ludwell, who had lost his undead army. It also gave Cattleya and her pirates time and space to finish off the pieced-together monster.
Just as this thought flashed across his mind, Klein didn't hesitate to launch an attack. He made the Fog of Poison which he stole with Tinder spread.
No one could see the uneasiness and worry in his heart.
Wearing an exaggerated triangular hat and silver mask, Ludwell raised his clenched left fist, spread his fingers, and aimed his palm at Klein.
Instantly, the deck of the bow was enveloped by a harrowing yellowish-green fog. And in front of Ludwell, an illusory glow exploded. Following that, a point spiraled and collapsed inwardly, outlining a blurry bronze door whose two sides swung open.
The bronze door was covered in all sorts of mysterious patterns. It had an indescribable heaviness and silence to it.
With a creak, the door shook and cracked open a little.
Behind the gap was endless darkness, as though it was the deepest and darkest night.
Indescribable pairs of eyes were hidden in the darkness behind the door. They were densely packed and everywhere, but it was impossible to discern their actual bodies.
Skinless arms covered in blood, along with greenish-black vines with baby faces reached out. Palms with mouths filled with teeth grabbed at everything beyond the door as they screamed, laughed, sobbed, yelled.
This brought a terrifying suction force. Out of nowhere, cold hurricanes that sent chills down the bone stirred, pushing objects towards these strange creatures and the gap in the bronze door!
The yellowish-green Fog of Poison was instantly cleared as Klein couldn't help but lean forward as he stumbled.
The glove on his left palm immediately turned pitch-black. It had the sinister feel of the night and the grandeur of the cosmos.
Klein's brown eyes darkened as he spread out his left arm to the side in a gesture of politeness.
The terrifying suction force that swept the bow's deck suddenly changed direction, "grabbing" the skeletons and rotting zombies that were rushing to the stern, and it threw them into the gap of the door. They were bound by the greenish-black, baby-faced vines and bloody arms and were pulled behind the bronze door where the countless eyes were.
"Distortion!"
Baron of Corruption's Distortion!
Klein had distorted the target of the mysterious door, and he used the skeletons and zombies on the Black Tulip to substitute himself.
Despite that, he was still affected by the remnant forces of the tremendous suction force. He found it difficult to take a step, preventing him from fully making use of his nimble and agile traits.
The cap he wore had already been blown up by the hurricane and was spinning in midair. It seemed to take flight as it pursued the undead creatures that had been sucked away.
At this moment, Admiral Hell Ludwell, who wore his exaggerated triangular hat, raised his right hand again and extended his palm.
The right side of his upper body rapidly turned illusory, as though it belonged to that of a specter or wraith. His arm kept extending and instantly covered quite a significant distance as his pale palm grabbed at his enemy.
Whoosh!
The noise from the hurricane suddenly vanished as soft sobbing sounds drilled into Klein's ears, causing his body to turn numb, as though his blood had frozen.
As the pale palm approached, he seemed to be possessed by a wraith or evil spirit. He couldn't produce an effective response as he watched death approach. In despair, he felt his vitality deplete at an increasing rate.
Without any resistance, Ludwell's pale and illusory right palm grabbed Klein and squashed him into a thin paper figurine.
The paper figurine was covered with signs of dark green corrosion. Soon, it was shredded to dust under the hurricane that never stopped.
To the side of the bronze door, Klein's figure surfaced again. His left glove had already been dyed with the color of pure sunlight.
He immediately straightened his body and spread open his arms.
Golden flames swirled around a pillar of holy light that descended from the sky, striking the bronze door which was covered in mysterious patterns.
Sunlight suddenly burst out, and it was so blinding that it made it almost impossible for Klein to open his eyes. As for the terrifying door which Ludwell had created, it had begun shaking and turning slightly blurry. Even the extraordinary suction force from behind the door had weakened. More than half the greenish-black baby-faced vines and the bloody arms were vaporized.
However, even more strange arms and distorted creatures attempted to squeeze out from the opening in the door.
Just as Klein was about to continue using the Priest of Light's Light of Purification to purify the bronze door, Ludwell's pale palm swiped down wildly.
Klein hurriedly dodged to the side as he kept rolling to avoid the remnant effects of the hurricane and the soul-sucking palm.
One roll, two rolls, three rolls, and his body abruptly bounced up in a diagonal fashion. At some moment in time, Creeping Hunger had already appeared to be made of gold.
Admiral Hell's silver mask was the first thing that was reflected in Klein's eyes. It included the pale flames in his eye sockets. Following that, two bolts of lightning brightened from the depths of his eyes.
Interrogator's Psychic Piercing!
At this moment, a black, square-shaped ring on Ludwell's left index finger produced a slight glow.
Immediately a scene appeared in Klein's mind.
It was a gigantic throne that was made up of the rotting heads of creatures like humans, elves, giants, dragons, demonic wolves, sea monsters, and vampires. On each side, there would be miniature transparent faces of wraiths, shadows, and evil spirits. They were filled with hatred, viciousness, and indignation.
Suddenly, Klein felt as though his head had been struck by an axe. The fearsome pain filled his mind without any delay.
His Psychic Piercing had not only failed to show its effects, but it had even ended up affecting him in an amplified manner!
If not for him having experienced more extreme pain, Klein definitely would've fallen to the ground, wailing and struggling. But even so, he temporarily lost his ability to resist as he bent his back with a grimace.
Seizing this opportunity, the gap where Ludwell's mouth was, a slow language that ordinary living creatures were unable to understand was emanated. The surroundings instantly turned dark, blurry, and illusory.
This was the Language of Death that came from hell and the Underworld!
Just as Klein felt a little better, he discovered that his Spirit Body was floating up uncontrollably, separating from his body, inch by inch!
And the terrifying suction force from the bronze door was an irresistible force to the spirit.
No, this won't do! While his Spirit Body hadn't completely left his body, Klein raised his right arm and spread his hand which was wearing Tinder with great difficulty.
Different lustrous glows instantly interweaved as they surfaced before him and kept changing and rapidly flickered.
Without any hesitation, Klein grabbed onto a pale-white blob swirling with a gloomy green color. He twisted his wrist and extracted it.
In this battle, the Beyonder power he wished to steal the most was the one that created the bronze door, but he couldn't guarantee his success. All he could do was seek the blessings of the Goddess.
The lustrous glow flew over and landed in Tinder.
However, this wasn't the Beyonder power that Klein wanted the most. However, it wasn't the worst either.
The mouth behind Ludwell's silver mask moved, but it wasn't able to produce the sluggish, awkward language that was destined for the living to not understand.
At the same time, Klein opened his mouth.
Chapter 660: Behind the Mask
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
One syllable after another of distorted, incomprehensible, jarring, and indecipherable words slowly spewed out of Klein's mouth. It made the hurricane produced by the bronze door's terrifying suction force to instantly calm down, cloaking the already dim surroundings with a deeper gloom.
Only at this moment did he know that the Beyonder power which Admiral Hell Ludwell had just used was known as the Language of the Dead. It could circumvent the protection of one's flesh and blood, so as to target the Spirit Body.
It belonged to an advancement in a Spirit Medium's powers. It could go from direct communication with spirits to that of commandeering, to the point of enslavement!
Living creatures were unable to understand the resounding language. Ludwell couldn't help but freeze on the spot. A transparent layer rapidly surfaced on his pirate captain attire.
His spirit was being tugged at by an illusory power!
At this moment, the black, square-shaped ring on Ludwell's left index finger produced a faint glow.
The minute portion of his Spirit Body which had been forcefully drawn out had returned to his body as the two fused back into one.
Ding!
With his right hand, Ludwell drew the thin rapier hanging by his waist.
It was iron-black in color, and its tip gathered the surrounding light, turning into a dark point.
Admiral Hell suddenly took a step forward and with vigorous wind currents, he suddenly closed the distance between him and Klein. Immediately, he thrust out the rapier in his hand at lightning speed!
The bronze door which was covered with mysterious patterns remained standing erected in its original spot. It didn't vanish because of Ludwell's retracting of his left hand and subsequent actions. This was different from the similar-looking ability that Miss Sharron had previously cast using a mystical item.
Oof!
The black rapier pierced through Klein in an unavoidable manner.
Klein's figure rapidly crumpled into a piece of paper. Its surface turned yellow and dry, as though it had been weathered for thousands of years.
The hurricane brought about by the bronze door completely pulverized the paper figurine.
In midair, Klein jumped out of the darkness as he held a huge handful of charms from the Sea God domain.
"Storm!"
He quickly shouted in ancient Hermes as the tin flakes lit up individually as they sacrificed themselves to Sea God. This also meant that if Klein wished so, he could recycle most of the materials and use it multiple times until the metals could no longer withstand the spirituality.
Whoosh!
Blue wind blades shot out as the surrounding waters sprayed out heavy waves that were as tall as the ship. As Klein didn't attempt or have the time to distinguish between the different kinds of charms, while these attacks inundated Ludwell, the extraordinary effects also augmented Admiral Hell. He was given augmented effects like Underwater Breathing, underwater mobility, flight, and pressure resistance, none of which were useful at that moment.
Ludwell suddenly opened his mouth and produced a silent screech. He then struck the waves beside him as countless wind blades temporarily froze in midair.
Immediately following that, Admiral Hell raised his left hand as the black, square-shaped ring on his index finger produced a sinister and eerie glow that instantly brightened.
Whoosh!
The bronze door, which exuded an indescribable feeling, instantly swelled as it doubled in height and width.
Amidst a heavy creaking sound, the gap in the door opened up. The already terrifying suction force immediately rose to an unimaginable level.
Blue wind blades and black sea waves were produced as Klein charged at the door from the air, heading straight for the strange vines and arms that extended outwards.
Klein had planned on using the Priest of Light by clashing head-on with the bronze door with Light of Holiness to catch a breather, but he ended up seeing a glaring white fireball about half the height of a person fly over.
The fireball's speed was augmented by the ridiculous suction forces generated by the door. It flew by Klein and smashed at the gap of the mysterious door.
Boom!
The white flames scattered as they rained down, but all it did was make the bronze door quake a little and dim a little.
Klein took the opportunity and snapped his fingers.
The few matchsticks he separated in his pockets immediately lit up as scarlet flames rapidly enveloped his body as he melted away.
A flame burst out by the side of the bronze door as Klein leaped out of it.
He instantly noticed that Anderson Hood was floating in midair in a rather awkward manner. He held a burning-white spear in his palm.
The Strongest Hunter had finally arrived, but he just appeared unaccustomed to flying.
When Ludwell looked up and saw this scene, the pale-white flames behind the silver mask clearly jumped twice.
Clearly, he never expected that the Future had two other powerhouses at the pirate admiral level apart from Admiral of Stars Cattleya. Furthermore, they wielded pretty good mystical items and Sealed Artifacts.
At this moment, Ludwell suddenly raised his hand and pressed down on his face, surprisingly taking off his silver mask.
Heavy, pale-white light suddenly spewed out from behind the mask, causing endless silence to instantly spread out from the black, square-shaped ring on Ludwell's left index finger.
The silence surged into the bronze door and lifted it off the deck and into the air.
The door covered in mysterious patterns fused with the endless silence as it rapidly burgeoned to more than thirty meters tall.
With the sea as its base, it stood there, erect like an entrance to another world, one completely different from the present world.
Creak!
The bronze door opened as unspeakable darkness surged out and enveloped the Black Tulip's bow.
Upon seeing this, Klein didn't focus on his attacks as he quickly took out the correct charm and rapidly used it on himself.
A strong gust of wind swept over and lifted him above the Black Tulip.
With the pull of the darkness, the gigantic sailboat steered into the bronze door, ten meters a time, as it sailed into another world.
Admiral Hell Ludwell stood at the bow as he looked up into the sky. His face was blanketed by the pale-white luster, preventing anyone from discerning his looks.
His gaze first swept past Klein before landing on Anderson Hood. He seemed to make a mental note of these two hunters, but he didn't make any further attempts to attack. He seemed to have been restrained by the surrounding darkness.
Anderson was taken aback as he didn't hesitate to throw out the burning-white spear in his hand.
The spear shot straight at Ludwell, but once it entered the region enclosed by darkness and silence, it silently vanished.
Ludwell is planning to escape? How decisive… Klein was first stunned before he recalled that Azik's copper whistle was still on the Black Tulip.
With the gigantic sailboat halfway inside the bronze door and about to enter another world with no way to stop them, Klein threw a matchstick and snapped his fingers.
He appeared fifty meters above the stern where the undead creatures were fighting for Azik's copper whistle. This item which kept changing hands finally burst into a scarlet flame due to the matchsticks tied to it.
Amidst the flames, Klein's figure surfaced there and grabbed Azik's copper whistle.
This was the preparations that he had made for retrieving the copper whistle!
Furthermore, to prevent any mishaps from happening, such as the matchsticks being pulled away by the undead creatures, he had also coated the copper whistle with an easily flammable essential oil of the sun!
Pa!
Surrounded by countless undead, Klein didn't have the luxury of time to retract his hand that grabbed the copper whistle. He immediately snapped his fingers again.
At this moment, transparent, rotting, pale, or illusory hands grabbed him!
The matchstick Klein had previously thrown into the air ignited in midair as it produced a flame.
His figure quickly materialized amidst the flames. His face was livid and his lips were white.
Having been grabbed by countless shadows, wraiths, and undead creatures, Klein felt that the depths of his Spirit Body was ice-cold. He couldn't control his body as he plummeted into the sea dyed in gold.
With the Black Tulip almost completely crossing the bronze door, the sea which appeared like an entrance to hell had been restored to normal.
Klein sank a few meters and swallowed a few mouthfuls of bitter and astringent seawater before he ultimately recovered.
Thankfully I was sufficiently prepared… As this thought flashed past his mind, he suddenly felt something amiss.
By wearing the Murloc Cufflink, he had the passive ability to breathe underwater for ten minutes. He shouldn't have drank mouthfuls of water!
Klein suddenly turned his head and looked at his wrist, only to realize that the blue cufflink had detached itself at some point in time.
It's lost… Tinder lost it… I was on the Black Tulip the entire time… Klein splashed a few times and floated to the surface, just in time to see the gigantic sailboat's tail meld into the darkness as the bronze door slowly closed.
He instinctively swam forward a few seconds before ultimately stopping. He selected one of his remaining charms and gave himself the Beyonder effect of Underwater Breathing.
In midair, Anderson Hood clicked his tongue when he saw this.
"This fellow is really crazy…
"He's actually trying to engage in pursuit!"
At this moment, the starlight above the Future fell and condensed into a long bridge that extended over.
Cattleya had finally finished off the grayish-black monster with immense vitality!
What a pity. If only Admiral Hell had hesitated a little and didn't flee in such a timely fashion… Anderson Hood sighed silently and firmly landed on the star bridge.
As he watched Gehrman Sparrow fly over, he was just about to greet and praise him when he saw the cold and gloomy expression.
Anderson instinctively made way and chuckled dryly, allowing Gehrman Sparrow to walk past him.
After returning to the Future via the star bridge, Klein held back his effusing emotions and watched Frank Lee walk over and give him a thumbs up.
"You're the craziest fellow I've ever met!
"You actually dared to board the Black Tulip alone and single-handedly challenge Admiral Hell. You even returned alive!"
Sorry, in terms of craziness, I'm far inferior to you… Klein thought in response.
At this moment, pirates with long or disheveled hair expressed their astonishment and amazement.
In such an atmosphere, Klein closed his eyes and felt his Faceless potion completely digest.
Chapter 661: Approaching
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Frank Lee sensed the Gehrman Sparrow's abnormality as he added with a chuckle, "I had planned on providing you some help by throwing some seeds over. Unfortunately, I have no way to throw that far."
Throw some seeds at the Black Tulip? These waters have the remnant auras of Mother Earth. Beyonder matters in the corresponding domain would mutate and would attack everyone, without identifying friend from foe… I was on the Black Tulip at that moment… Thankfully, you didn't throw them… Klein suddenly recalled the tragic state the Future had been placed in moments ago and how the dead pirate had grown a watermelon on his head.
Just as he was about to give a minced answer to match Gehrman Sparrow's persona, he suddenly saw Heath Doyle appear from the shadows, bending his back to vomit.
This Bloodless retched first before his knees went limp as he knelt on the deck.
Ugh! Ugh!
He finally vomited a pool of yellowish-green liquid. Amidst it was a piece of half-rotten grayish-black flesh which was still squirming a little.
Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!
Heath Doyle continued vomiting similar items.
Upon seeing this, other than feeling somewhat disgusted, Klein felt significantly relieved. He was originally worried that Rose Bishop Heath Doyle had been corrupted from randomly eating things. But from the looks of it, he had likely isolated what he had eaten without truly digesting it.
As expected of a Rose Bishop who isn't mad… Klein silently sighed.
Just as he was planning to look away from the vomit, thoughts suddenly flashed in his mind.
Creeping Hunger has already been activated. It needs to be "fed" once within a day. And there aren't any outsiders here. There's also no ideal scum… The pirate who died won't do. Although his partners might not put too much weight on his corpse, Creeping Hunger devours the soul…
I wonder if these pieces of flesh can be treated as "food." At the very least, it contains a tremendous amount of vitality, a corpse that has been influenced by Mother Earth's aura…
With this in mind, Klein took two steps forward and came beside Heath Doyle.
He couldn't bear to look at the puddle of vomit as he instinctively cast his gaze aside towards the grand sea which reflected the sunlight beyond the shipboard.
Then, he reached out to a piece of grayish-black flesh with his left hand.
Creeping Hunger didn't react as it didn't crack open a mouth.
Looks like it doesn't wish to eat it… For now, I can only barely use it to deal with any latent dangers. If I'm still unable to find any suitable food when the day is almost up, I'll throw it above the gray fog… Klein helplessly retracted his hand as he looked up at the captain's cabin.
The golden brooch in front of Cattleya bloomed with light once again, materializing a Sun Wraith that cleansed the pieces of grayish-black flesh from Heath Doyle.
This pirate admiral's expression didn't seem to change. She only looked slightly tired as the purple hue in her eyes became increasingly obvious.
After confirming that the ship had set sail again, Klein didn't stay any longer as he prepared to return to his room to change out of his drenched clothes.
Anderson glanced at him and curiously opened his mouth.
"Shut up!" Klein spoke out before he could.
The turn of events had made him lose his Murloc Cufflink; therefore, he progressively found the person plagued with bad luck as a sore sight. He was just short of defining him as food for Creeping Hunger.
"… Alright." Anderson raised his arms. "I'll just drink in silence."
Klein ignored him and entered the cabin before returning to his room.
Inside his bathroom, he picked up a Water Creation charm and activated it with ancient Hermes. With a tub of clean water, he took off all his clothes and slid in.
The ice-cold sensation and the warm sunshine significantly soothed him. He picked up a pen and paper he brought from his desk and wrote down a divination statement: "The location of the Murloc Cufflink."
After reciting it seven times, Klein completely leaned down, using the front of the bathtub as a pillow before entering a dream.
Amidst a grayish blur and a disconnected illusory world, he saw a zombie rotting in several parts of the deck. The blue Murloc Cufflink was embedded in the flesh of the zombie's left waist.
Apart from the deck, it was pitch-black. It was impossible to tell where the ship was.
It really is on the Black Tulip… Klein opened his eyes and came to the conclusion.
I hope Admiral Hell wouldn't discover it. This way, I can use this cufflink to lock onto the Black Tulip's location…
It's not a big problem, even if he discovers it. As long as Ludwell doesn't throw the cufflink away, and there isn't too much of a delay in time, I can use it to locate his ship. However, the place to do the divination will have to be above the gray fog instead of the real world.
Also, I need to perform divination disruption later to prevent Admiral Hell from locking onto me with the cufflink or even being able to curse me.
That ring really seems like an item left behind by the ancient Death. Yes, I should write to Mr. Azik and inform him of this. Klein quickly rinsed his body and walked out of the bathtub.
After wiping himself dry, he switched into the Loen gentleman suit from before. He first adjusted his inventory and washed his clothes before unfolding a piece of paper, taking out Azik's copper whistle.
Standing beside the desk and looking at the objects on it, Klein hesitated when he extended his right hand.
The light in his eyes flickered before he put away Azik's copper whistle and placed it into a small metallic box. He then isolated its aura with a wall of spirituality.
He planned on summoning the messenger only after he left these waters and the Future.
I suffered quite a huge loss this time. Thankfully, I finished digesting the Faceless potion. I can now just wait for the appearance of mermaids…
Yes… The actual situation of this battlefield of gods is different from what I imagined. It actually has the aura of Mother Earth…
It must've been left behind later; otherwise, it's impossible that a deity can't control "Her" own aura.
None of the eight ancient gods in the Second Epoch wielded the authority of the Earth domain…
There are some suspects among "Their" subsidiary gods, such as Giant Queen, Goddess of Harvest Omebella, or Goddess of Life who's subsidiary to Vampire Ancestor Lilith.
This is a battle with subsidiary gods participating, or it really wasn't something from the Second Epoch? Klein knew too little about the battlefield of the gods, so he could only mainly guess and have some fanciful thoughts.
He focused again as he began cutting some paper figurines and drew The Fool's secret symbol of change on them.
Pa!
Klein raised the paper figurine and shook it.
Flames appeared out of thin air as the paper figurine burnt to a crisp.
By doing this, he could obtain the desired effects to a certain extent. If he wished for better effects, he had to go above the gray fog to respond. He could use the Black Emperor's card to stir the powers of the mysterious space, coupled with the paper angel to provide protection.
With Azik's copper whistle and Will Auceptin's paper crane interfering with a suspected existence's spying, Klein returned to the bathroom and methodically finished what he needed to do.
After tidying up the room, he put on Creeping Hunger and Tinder, and he slowly walked to the deck, prepared to seriously observe his surroundings, so as to not miss any clues of mermaids.
Just as he left the cabin, he saw a seated Anderson Hood leaning against a wooden alcohol barrel. He had a gloomy expression as his aura was converged. It was as though he was in thought or feeling melancholic.
He really kept to his promise and has been silently drinking? Klein mumbled to himself as he passed by Anderson.
Anderson slowly looked up and asked as though he was in a reverie, "Is the alcohol here problematic?"
Klein was taken aback as he seriously replied, "Yes."
"…" Anderson fell speechless.
This fellow is just too unlucky. His Beyonder powers had even failed him to the point of him not detecting the problem with the alcohol? The corners of Klein's lips twitched as he continued forward.
On the deck, many sailors were gathered together, watching Nina take on the duty as a Lord of Storms priest. She was holding a wake for the recently deceased pirate.
After a simple prayer, Nina looked around and said, "Revere's wish was to be buried on the mountain at his port hometown after his death. There's the most beautiful sunset there.
"He wishes to be cremated so that he wouldn't be disturbed after his death.
"Holy Lord of Storms, bless him with eternal peace." Many of the sailors believed in the Lord of Storms as they struck their left breast with their right fists.
Klein didn't approach as he silently watched this scene from a distance.
After the wake was over, the corpse of the pirate, Revere, was reduced to ashes with the help of a scroll. Klein silently sighed as he inwardly drew a crimson moon.
For the rest of the day, the sunlight remained brilliant as it continued being midday. The Future circled around several ruins as it ventured deeper into those waters.
At some point in time, Anderson had recovered and arrived beside Klein.
He shot him a glance and pointed to the buildings that were submerged ahead.
"After passing this ruin and heading about ten nautical miles with a left turn, there will be a chance of encountering mermaids."
Finally… Klein was just about to answer when the sky suddenly darkened. The sunlight subsequently vanished.
Night had fallen again.
Without another word, he returned to his room and got into bed.
Soon, he found himself awake in his dream. Clean floor-to-ceiling windows stood before him. There were also neatly arranged tables and chairs, as well as bookshelves filled with books.
He had returned to the spot from where he had previously left the dream. He was back in the library.
As the glow of the sunset shot in, it cloaked every object with a faint layer of gold. Klein walked forward in puzzlement and came before the bookshelf he previously browsed.
Unsurprisingly, he saw Book of Charms and other books on mysticism.
Klein planned on taking out the book again and quickly read through it when his gaze suddenly swept across a bookshelf opposite him. He saw a black-covered book with the title: Roselle's Notebook 3!
The emperor's diary? An entire diary? Klein subconsciously wanted to extend his hand.
At this moment, the pair of mysterious eyes that observed the deck and himself flashed in his mind, along with the individual who opened the door in the hall of murals that Anderson Hood had mentioned, as well as how he was abnormally moved about in the dream.
Klein retracted his gaze and took out the Book of Charms again.
He came to a long table, sat down, and began quickly browsing through it.
Suddenly, he heard footsteps approaching from the depths of the library.
Klein instantly tensed up as he slowly lifted his head.
The first thing that he saw was a pair of black leather boots.
Chapter 662: Powerful Aura
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
As his gaze moved up, Klein roughly guessed the owner of those footsteps.
She was a woman wearing beige trousers that made it easy to move about. She wore a pair of long black leather boots, but on her body was a light brown skirt that reached her knees. The hemline fell down diagonally and in layers, giving an unrestrained and cool vibe to her.
Such a getup made Klein feel as though he had returned to Earth. This was because be it Loen, Intis or Feysac, Feynapotter, Lenburg, Masin, East Balam, and other countries, none of them had popularized such styles!
Klein lifted his head faster and finally saw the lady's appearance.
She had long chestnut hair that naturally cascaded down. Her straight eyelashes extended out just perfectly. Her deep blue eyes were deep and profound, as though it hid an ocean in them.
She had outstanding beauty, but that wasn't the most eye-catching thing of all. Her actions naturally effused a sense of nobility. She gave off a strong impression at how she had enjoyed having the status of being someone important for extended periods of time. Klein subconsciously tried to bow his head to avoid meeting her gaze.
Furthermore, she's very tall. She's almost as tall as my state as Klein Moretti… Klein suddenly added inwardly.
After completely digesting the Faceless potion, he came to a realization that one's self was an amalgamation of personality, experiences, knowledge, and social connections. His looks and build could be changed at will; therefore, as long as he knew who he was, he didn't mind using the word "state" to describe the characteristics of each of his different identities. After all, every Faceless change could be fixed without any additional maintenance. That also meant that, even without the corresponding Beyonder powers, he could still maintain his external appearance as Gehrman Sparrow.
And because of that, he could easily make Klein Moretti grow taller if he wanted.
Tap. Tap. Tap. The lady, who exuded the feeling of looking down from above, walked in front of Klein. She pulled out a chair and sat down.
"We meet again," the lady said with a gentle and emotionless tone.
The way she speaks sounds familiar… Klein's mind whirled as he remembered the source of the sense of familiarity.
The scene of her arrival immediately resonated in his mind, and he finally fixated on that pair of black leather boots!
It's… It's her! Klein suddenly recalled the relevant scenes.
Back when he used his Spirit Body state to infiltrate the Royal Museum and retrieve the Black Emperor card, he had encountered a demigod. She had been sitting at the top of a wooden staircase in the middle of two large bookshelves. Her black leather boots back then were dangling in the air!
He changed back into his identity as Sherlock Moriarty and shouted for help when he was being pursued by the Devil dog. Midway, he encountered a forest path formed from green pea vines. He had no choice but to follow the carriage up into midair where he saw the pea vines interweave to form a hammock and a pair of black leather boots!
It's her! Why would she appear in this dream world and these waters? B-besides, she said, "we meet again." I'm Gehrman Sparrow right now! Amidst his thoughts, Klein replied with a deadpan expression, "We haven't met before."
So what if you're a demigod? As long as you aren't an angel, I can use the Sea God Scepter to resist you in this dream world! Klein encouraged himself in secret.
The lady with long eyebrows sat there and lifted her chin as she observed Klein for two seconds.
"Is that so? Mr. Hero Bandit Black Emperor…"
Klein's thoughts erupted with a boom as if he had been struck by lightning. His thoughts were reduced to countless fragments that were left in shambles and chaos without any main line of thought.
S-she knows that I'm Hero Bandit Black Emperor?
She recognized me as the Spirit Body who originally stole the Card of Blasphemy from the Royal Museum?
H-how is this possible!?
Wait, why did she directly address me as Hero Bandit Black Emperor. If she had used Sherlock Moriarty, I would be even more astounded, and I might even fail to hide the change in my expressions…
As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Klein instinctively controlled his facial muscles and calmly said, "I don't know what you're talking about."
The lady, who wore clothes that were different from the present fashion trends, didn't repeat her words or explain anything. Instead, she said in a direct manner, "Your identity as Gehrman Sparrow was provided by me."
"…"
Klein instantly felt his scalp tingle. He felt as though he didn't have a single secret when facing her.
This identity of Gehrman Sparrow was created through the use of Miss Sharron's resource channels… This demigod lady is one of them?
Right, Miss Sharron had previously mentioned that someone in her circles had been investigating the true identity of Hero Bandit Black Emperor and had promised to fulfill any reasonable request in exchange. For ingredients, it was limited to those below that of High-Sequence Beyonder ingredients…
According to Miss Sharron's description, the person who offered the mission was more than 1.7 meters tall, with a very proportionate body and long chestnut hair. She liked wearing black leather boots. Man… isn't this person before me… Back then, I even suspected if she was the demigod whom I met in the Royal Museum. Furthermore, she knew very well that I had taken the Black Emperor card…
Thoughts flashed past as Klein was temporarily at a loss for words. All he could do was maintain his silence.
The lady whose chin wasn't sharp and was a little rounded didn't harp on Gehrman Sparrow's identity. She looked out at the frozen sunset and said, "While you were in the Rorsted Archipelago, Nast Solomon's Black Emperor also appeared in those waters.
"I believe you know what that means, Mr. Hero Bandit."
Realizing how she wasn't exposing his identity and was even giving him clues and evidence, Klein could only twitch the corner of his lips and say, "Law of Beyonder characteristics convergence."
The expression of the lady opposite him immediately softened as she said with a smile, "You really are Hero Bandit Black Emperor."
… So you weren't certain… You were only listing down the clues and presenting your confident attitude… How was she so certain just now? Does she still have evidence that she hasn't provided? Klein felt some regret and was abnormally puzzled.
The lady who seemed to enjoy her standing as an important figure didn't say anything further. She then looked at the bookshelf and said, "You discovered that the bookmark has a Black Emperor card through his diary?"
Diary… This lady also knows that the so-called Roselle's notebook is a diary… Klein was taken aback as he didn't reply to her.
"You didn't take that notebook because you sensed something?" the lady asked again.
This… Klein suddenly realized something and decided not to answer and instead pose questions. He wanted to extricate himself from a passive state and not be led by the nose.
He looked at the lady's deep blue eyes and asked directly, "You are the mysterious person on the Future who was secretly spying on me?"
The beautiful lady who didn't allow anyone to come close replied frankly, "Yes. Cattleya doesn't know that I've secretly boarded the Future, but you actually discovered it… A Clown's sense for danger?"
Based on the observation and the information from before, she can basically determine that I'm a Faceless, a Magician… From her tone, she's very familiar with Admiral of Stars… The upper echelons of the Moses Ascetic Order or that Queen Mystic? Klein nodded and said, "That's right."
The lady raised her chin and curled her lips up slightly.
"It's impossible for a normal Clown to sense danger at this level, even if they're already a Sequence 5."
She has discovered another unique trait again… This… She knows the Seer pathway very well… Indeed, I've been somewhat affected by the gray fog's powers, giving me a direct premonitory intuition even in situations that aren't dangerous? Klein didn't give her a chance to speak again as he asked in a deep tone, "Were the sounds of the door opening and the footsteps heard by Anderson Hood in the depths of the hall of murals yours?"
"Are you referring to the hunter who's plagued by bad luck?" the lady asked in thought.
"Yes." Klein nodded.
"It was indeed me." The lady paused. "Inform that hunter of a prophecy. The most lethal danger often lies in day-to-day life."
What does that mean? Seeing how she had no intention of explaining, Klein deliberated and asked, "You were the one that made me appear in the Saint of Darkness's dream?"
The lady combed her long chestnut hair as she said gently but coldly, "That's not hard to guess.
"Through that dream, I confirmed that you took the remains of that sea serpent, Kalvetua.
"And like before, you appeared using a Spirit Body state. You took away the item from Jahn Kottman and vanished directly? Oh, you still carry the Black Emperor card."
Klein didn't respond to this topic and switched to asking, "You are Queen Mystic?"
"Many people call me by that name," the lady calmly answered.
It's really her… This lady's bounty reaches 650,000 pounds just from Loen's bounty alone! Klein silently drew a gasp and said, "Ma'am, is there a reason why you are looking for me?"
Queen Mystic used her blue eyes to look at him for a few seconds before saying, "I hope you can share with me the method to interpret the language created by Emperor Roselle. For that, I can satisfy most of your requests."
Klein didn't admit or deny anything. He chuckled and asked, "Don't tell me you're even able to give me the corresponding High-Sequence Beyonder potion formulas?"
Queen Mystic had her bearing converged, but she said without any decrease in her dignity, "Your fate lies on the main peak of the Hornacis mountain range."
This… Klein felt a baffling sense of shock.
His eyes darted around. While he was considering a question, Queen Mystic stood up.
"When you need some help or clues to a few Cards of Blasphemy, tell me the answer."
She turned around and walked into the depths of the tidy and vast library. With each step, her figure turned faint before quickly vanishing.
The library immediately collapsed. After a moment of feeling adrift, Klein found himself in the hall filled with beautiful murals.
Anderson looked at him in shock as he blurted out, "How did you get here?"
Chapter 663: False Alarm
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
After hearing Anderson's question, Klein was momentarily at a loss for an answer. He couldn't just tell him that he had fallen out of a dream suspected to belong to Queen Mystic.
He coldly looked at the unlucky Strongest Hunter, raised his right hand, and pointed upwards.
"Is that so…" Anderson Hood nodded in enlightenment.
What… did you figure out… I don't even know what I'm expressing myself… Klein discreetly twitched the corner of his lips and changed the topic. He said in recollection, "I met someone just now…"
"Not someone we know? Not a member of the Future? The person who came out of the door from deep inside the hall?" Anderson suddenly became excited.
This fellow doesn't put on airs of being the Strongest Hunter. He's like a breaking news reporter… Klein lampooned without answering him. He directly said, "She got me to pass on a prophecy to you."
"She… What prophecy?" Anderson was somewhat puzzled.
If I were using my identity as Klein Moretti, I would've answered, "Sorry, I've forgotten. She only said it once"… As Klein imagined the prank that wouldn't have happened, he said with a deep voice, "The most lethal danger often lies in day-to-day life."
Anderson listened carefully as he drew a gasp.
"That's just too accurate! I was drinking beer and nearly made myself a ret*rd. Who would imagine that most of the alcohol on the Future is problematic!"
He ruminated for a few seconds and asked, somewhat worried, "That's it?
"Did you forget any details or keywords?"
I can tell that you're being provocative… Klein ignored Anderson Hood and walked to the entrance of the hall of murals where he looked at Frank and Nina outside.
Back in the library, he had been suddenly accused of being Hero Bandit Black Emperor by Queen Mystic. This inevitably caused him to be placed in a passive state. Afterwards, he attempted to throw her off and not be led by the nose; therefore, he remained extremely nervous. His thoughts were completely focused on what he should say in response, without the time to consider the entire process and figure out the details. Now, he finally had the time.
First, what's most important is to understand a question. To what level of comprehension does Queen Mystic have towards my identity and Roselle's diary?
Yes… She believed that I grasp the means to interpret the language created by Emperor Roselle, and not the language itself. Although the difference in meaning isn't great, it's enough to prove that our identity as transmigrators isn't something she has figured out or have any clues that point towards that conclusion.
Miss Sharron isn't a rookie who just joined the mysticism circles or got herself involved in complicated matters. While getting someone to fake an identity for me, it's impossible for her to divulge who she's doing it for. Besides, the picture I provided was already Gehrman Sparrow's image…
That means that Queen Mystic hasn't equated Sherlock Moriarty to Gehrman Sparrow. Yes, if she had already known about this, as I had previously imagined, a better form of address would be Mr. Black Emperor Sherlock Moriarty. This would've dealt my mental defenses a blow that was several times stronger than directly addressing me as Hero Bandit Black Emperor.
From her standpoint, how did she gather useful information from scattered clues?
She knows that the bookmark is the Black Emperor card. Hence, the specter-like Hero Bandit Black Emperor and the strange Spirit Body who stole the Card of Blasphemy from the Royal Museum were connected together. Later, King of the Five Seas, Nast, suddenly appeared in the Rorsted Archipelago. According to the law of Beyonder characteristics convergence, she guessed that Hero Bandit Black Emperor might've appeared in Bayam and the archipelago.
After her investigations, she discovered the familiar identity known as Gehrman Sparrow. Then, from his identical trajectory with Hero Bandit Black Emperor's actions, she made a prediction and engaged in pursuit. She infiltrated the Future and observed me up close.
This is logical, but there's a certain level of coincidences in all of this. King of the Five Seas Nast appears anywhere he likes. Perhaps he might be missing a particular lady from the Red Theater and got his ship to cross the spirit world to enter the waters around the Rorsted Archipelago, or perhaps Bayam happens to have the High-Sequence Beyonder ingredients of the Black Emperor pathway that attracted him… There's no way to directly link it to Hero Bandit Black Emperor.
Of course, it's not incomprehensible for Queen Mystic to make such a connection. Perhaps she abides by the principle of being wrong rather than feel sorry in regards to important clues. Heh, that's a good habit, but it's just tiring.
There's also a high chance that she didn't lock onto Gehrman Sparrow immediately. However, with the reputation of the crazy adventurer Gehrman Sparrow becoming more prominent in the Rorsted Archipelago waters and the City of Generosity Bayam, she matched the timing after hearing the name, and then she came to a preliminary conclusion.
Sigh, it's still better to keep a low profile in life. Thankfully, my acting has finally come to an end. Subsequently, I can make the identity of Gehrman Sparrow vanish! Klein ran through everything and felt that he had mostly understood the problem at its root.
However, he had another thought and guess.
It was the way Admiral of Stars Cattleya had received Gehrman Sparrow on her ship. She had done it in an ostentatious manner, as though she was afraid that it wasn't known to the world that the crazy adventurer was cooperating with her!
Perhaps, she was providing a certain level of clues. Later, Queen Mystic came and learned that it was Gehrman Sparrow. After figuring out the trajectory of my activity at sea, she had a certain speculation. Instead of trying to pull a bluff, she was actually rather certain! Klein held one hand in his pocket as he walked out of the hall of murals. He then headed straight for Cattleya, who was outside the black cloister. He planned on using her turbid state to question her.
At this point, he had actually relaxed significantly. This was because Queen Mystic clearly only knew that Gehrman Sparrow was equivalent to Hero Bandit Black Emperor, and he was a Beyonder who worked for some important figure. It didn't involve even more secrets.
Even if she had connected the loss of the Black Emperor card that night to Detective Sherlock Moriarty who was nearby, that wouldn't be a huge problem.
From a very long time ago, I had already equated Sherlock Moriarty to The World, and I also equated that to the Blessed of The Fool. Gehrman Sparrow is only an extension of that identity. Heh heh, this is my preparation for such matters. I always believed that I shouldn't treat others as ret*rds. As long as someone is active, any clues on their trajectory and social connections would lead to exposure. Therefore, I prepared this identity ahead of time for these smart people. I also strictly abided to these settings even in my everyday life.
And for the Blessed of an important figure to have a basic understanding of Roselle's dairy is completely understandable and acceptable. It's within the realms of an ordinary bestowment from a special existence.
Heh, you probably never expected that there's a mask under the mask!
Amidst his thoughts, Klein also felt that the help from the gray fog and his caution had played a significant role. If he hadn't noticed that he had been observed by someone ahead of time while instinctively abiding by his will, he might've summoned the messenger under Queen Mystic's surveillance.
The messenger alone might not expose anything, but it's worrisome that Queen Mystic might have a way of tracking it and finding Mr. Azik. From his recent sightings, it's possible for her to dig out my identity as Klein Moretti… Klein tore through a square filled with numerous giant arrows, walked out the black cloister, and saw Cattleya sitting there as she hugged her knees just like before. She was staring at the beautiful sunset.
Klein leaped onto the boulder and came to the side of the withered trees. He looked at the magnificent buildings on the opposite mountain and said in a seemingly normal manner, "At Nas, you showcased the star bridge to connect the dock to the ship. Were there any hidden motives behind that?"
Cattleya's head leaned to the side a little as she said, "I'm not telling you!"
"…" Klein was momentarily left at a loss.
He originally imagined that Admiral of Stars would be very honest in the dream world. He had never expected such a situation; of course, this was also a form of honesty, but it was an honest personality.
After two seconds of silence, Klein decided to pull a bluff.
"You wished to use this method to inform someone that I'm worthy of attention?"
Cattleya exhaled and remained sitting there, hugging her knees.
"Pretty much.
"It was mainly to tell others that if something serious happens or if I show obvious abnormalities, you will be the first clue."
As expected… Klein sighed inwardly.
He knew that Admiral of Stars had done such a cheap trick to protect herself, but as The Fool, he needed to punish her for such actions.
However, I can't use this matter to act up. It will appear as though The Fool protects "His" Blessed too much. That will be quite lacking in standing… Yes, Admiral of Stars must've done more than this. I can tabulate these series of actions as one and punish her for them… Klein quickly made up his mind. He wasn't as flustered towards what he encountered in this dream world again.
As for Queen Mystic's suggestion, he didn't even consider it.
Emperor Roselle's diary contained matters of his transmigration and Earth. If he taught Queen Mystic how to read Chinese, she would discover this point and make even more critical guesses!
She must have her qualms about the important figure who can randomly lend out the Sea God Scepter, so she wouldn't take any forceful actions. If there really are any matters that need her help or if she has some dirt on me, I can agree to help her translate a few important pages of the diary she wishes to know about. But I'll definitely not teach her Chinese. Yes, even if I translate it, it will be watered down with the use of synonyms. I just need to maintain the main points; that way, she has no way of reverse-engineering the language… Klein retracted his gaze and casually asked Cattleya, "Rumor has it that you and Queen Mystic had a falling out, but it doesn't seem to be the case?"
Cattleya's glazed expression suddenly had a lively change. She pursed her lips and said, "What right do I have to fall out with her?
"I was just banished."
Banished… Klein was just about to ask when blinding sunlight beamed as he naturally woke up.
Looking at the bright sky outside, he wiped his forehead and muttered silently to himself.
What a terrifying dream.
After dealing with his wistfulness, Klein rolled off the bed and came to the deck. He continued his observation and awaited the appearance of mermaids.
Nearly an hour later, he finally heard a faint, indistinct voice coming from the distance.
Chapter 664: Every Second Counts
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Mermaids?
Klein felt delighted as anticipation and excitement filled him.
Having left Backlund for nearly four months and experiencing a series of events, he finally arrived at the destination of his travels. He was completing the last condition needed for him to advance to Sequence 5 Nimblewright Master!
His irascibility and frustrations had been constantly growing ever since he entered these waters, and it was all thanks to the waiting. The various ridiculous and humorous matters on the Future, the matters that seemed abnormally harrowing on careful thought, and the dangers and unknown things contained within the night, noon, and dreams in the ruins of this war of gods had left him even more mentally tense. He lived through every minute and hour with great torment.
Now, the pressure from these emotions finally had a chance of being released!
Phew… Klein slowly heaved a sigh of relief. He directly returned to the cabin and entered the room that belonged to him.
Without being flustered or letting the joy get to his head, he followed the planned sequence of taking out Azik's copper whistle and Will Auceptin's paper crane to interfere with the possible spying of Queen Mystic.
After taking out the remnant spirituality of ancient wraiths, the pair of eyes from a six-winged gargoyle, drago bark, and a metallic bottle containing Sonia Island's Golden Spring from his suitcase, he spread them across his desk, entered the bathroom, and locked the door. He then familiarly set up the bestowment ritual.
After setting up the ritual, he wasn't in a rush to go above the gray fog to respond to the prayer. Instead, he set up another ritual of summoning himself!
While taking four steps counterclockwise and chanting the incantation, Klein arrived above the gray fog. He responded to the summoning ritual and used his Spirit Body state to come to the real world. He then brought Tinder back to the mysterious space.
After doing all of that, Klein didn't relax. He came to the seat of The Fool, conjured a pen and paper, and quickly wrote the divination statement: "The singing ahead comes from mermaids."
Taking off his topaz pendant, he used divination to confirm the situation.
The singing ahead of the Future was from mermaids!
After calming his emotions, Klein summoned the iron cigar case from the junk pile and made it land on the ancient, mottled bronze table.
With a snapping sound, he opened the lid and saw the pupil-less All-Black Eye sitting there in silence. He could sense the extreme madness and danger from it, but it appeared to be in deep slumber.
After observing it for two seconds, Klein took out Tinder and slowly wore it on his right hand.
After completing all of this, Klein didn't hesitate and reached out his right palm and spread his fingers.
All sorts of blobs of light surfaced before his eyes. Grayish-white, bronze-green, dark red, and black colors formed the foundation of this mysterious space.
And inside the All-Black Eye, there was a flaring and flailing iron-black beam lingering around the remaining colors.
Without using his spiritual intuition, Klein knew with certainty through his understanding of objects that the True Creator's mental corruption was represented by this iron-black light!
Feeling extremely wary, he closed his fingers and grabbed at the target before turning his wrist.
The iron-black light was instantly extracted as it fused with Tinder. Immediately, the illusory, evil, terrifying, and indescribable ravings boomed in his ear like déjà vu.
This destroyed his line of thought as it ground at his psyche. It brought about a fracturing pain to his brain, but it was soon repressed by the gray fog's power and turned completely silent.
Klein didn't think further. He followed his plans and reenacted the trial runs that he had practiced numerous times by grabbing Tinder with his left hand, pulled it off, and threw it onto the stone ground of the magnificent palace.
Right on the heels of that, Klein grabbed the All-Black Eye which was now completely fine. He quickly replied to the bestowment ritual and passed the Nimblewright Master Beyonder characteristic through the illusory door and into the altar in the bathroom.
He didn't dare delay any further. All he did was glance at the evil-exuding Tinder which was tainted with an iron-black color as its fingers twisted and its palm cracked opened. He then used his spirituality to envelop himself as he stimulated a plummeting sensation to return to the real world.
Klein opened his eyes, grabbed the All-Black Eye on the altar and ran out into his room. While doing so, he had a thought. If I allow Creeping Hunger to watch what happens to Tinder and its outcome, I wonder what its thoughts would be…
Coming before the desk, from the side, Klein took out an iron pot that originally belonged to the Future. He then poured 80 milliliters of Sonia Golden Spring into it.
As the pale gold liquid slowly spread out in a clear and transparent state, it made him subconsciously feel thirsty, as if he wished to drink a cup of it to quench his thirst.
The items—drago bark, eyes of the six-winged gargoyle, and the remnant spirituality of an ancient wraith—were thrown into the pot by Klein, causing different reactions. Finally, the potion turned into a pale gold color, but it looked ethereal as though it was weightless.
At this critical juncture, Klein became abnormally calm instead. He steadily picked up the pupil-less black eye and dropped it into the potion.
He had already confirmed that the True Creator's mental corruption hadn't penetrated the gray fog or returned inside the All-Black Eye!
And this was something he had expected.
The All-Black Eye was instantly submerged by the pale gold liquid as the surface began bubbling.
Every bursting bubble made the potion turn blacker. About ten seconds later, all the changes came to a halt.
Inside the pot, the potion took form as a completely black liquid. Inside, it seemed to contain countless tiny worms that were squirming about, worms that couldn't be seen by the naked eye.
Klein took out a gold coin and made a quick divination as a confirmation.
After receiving the revelation that it was a success, he heaved a sigh of relief and poured the Nimblewright Master potion into a metallic bottle he had prepared and stuffed it into his pocket.
He didn't act in a fluster or rush. He followed the process he had planned by quickly clearing up the altar in the bathroom, and he retrieved Azik's copper whistle and Will Auceptin's paper crane.
At this point, he walked out of the cabin and onto the deck.
At this moment, the symbols and magical labels on the Future had once again lit up, forming a resplendent sea of stars. It significantly reduced the mermaids' singing.
Rumors claimed that the singing of mermaids could make humans lose their reasoning and turn irrational. They would then jump off their ships to become food for the mermaids.
Klein subconsciously nodded at the window corresponding to the captain's cabin.
Admiral of Stars was standing there as her body swirled with starlight. The gaze she sent back at him appeared mixed.
Have you recalled what you said and how you acted in the dream? Klein lampooned as he said with a calm expression, "I need a dinghy."
"It has already been prepared." Cattleya pointed towards the shipboard without any signs of surprise.
Gehrman Sparrow had mentioned that his purpose was to seek out mermaids back when he hired the Future!
Soon, Klein left the Future and the protection of the resplendent sea of stars. He headed into the ocean on his tiny dinghy.
As the singing grew louder, a voice seemed to drill into his Spirit Body, numbing his body, making him wish to hear more of it.
This was far from sufficient for Klein. Besides, his spiritual intuition told him that he needed to be closer to make the singing clearer so as to satisfy the requirements of the ritual.
"Storm!"
Klein took out a charm made of tin, and he summoned a controllable gale that could push the dinghy ahead.
After an unknown period of time, the mermaid's singing increased in volume. They were so clear, it was as though they were singing softly by Klein's ears. Each tone stirred his Spirit Body, and the melody was intoxicating.
Klein felt his mind adrift as he nearly jumped into the sea and swam towards the source of the melodic singing.
He tried his best to control himself and discovered many reefs ahead. Figures were seated at its edge as they sang.
These creatures with a human head had quite some beauty in their clear, pure eyes. Their breasts were lifted up high, but they were also covered by dark red scales. The lower halves of their bodies were comprised of massive fishtails as they rhythmically struck the reef.
The mermaids looked different and had different colored scales. From a human's standpoint, they were all a different kind of beauty.
Klein relinquished his control of the dinghy, raised his right hand, and reached into his pocket for the potion.
At that moment, the mermaids sensed his approach and looked over.
Then, these creatures, who were also known as sirens, stopped singing out of shock. All of them leaped into the water with a splash.
Don't go… Klein feebly reached out with his right hand.
Isn't it said that you use your singing to attract humans for food? Why are you running with a human here? I'm not a bad guy. I'm only here to listen to your singing… At this moment, Klein's heart was filled with "what the f**k" emotions.
He soon discovered that the mermaids' singing didn't completely stop. Further away on the reef were a few mermaids with their backs facing him. They didn't discover the fleeing of their companions, due to the crashing of the winds as they continued boldly singing.
Klein's mind stirred as he thought for a moment and took out a charm.
This was the charm from the Sea God domain that gave the user affinity with underwater creatures!
"Storm!"
Amidst the incantation, blue flames enveloped the tin plate, making it vanish from the real world.
Although the remaining mermaids noticed him, they didn't flee in fear. Immediately, Klein took out the metal bottle containing the Nimblewright Master potion and unscrewed the lid.
He made every second count so as to prevent any mishaps!
As he gulped the potion down, a somewhat bitter potion with a mustiness surged down his throat, into his gullet, and into his stomach.
Suddenly, Klein found himself abnormally stiff. He felt as though he had returned to Tingen, back when he was being controlled by the strange puppet known as Sealed Artifact 2-049.
He tried moving his joints, but he felt as though they were filled with lead.
At the same time, he felt that tiny worms were boring into every one of his cells and into his Spirit Body.
His thoughts slowed down as his brain reflected the gradual loss of control over his body.
The mermaids' singing floated over, stirring those desires, the accumulated fanaticism and infatuation, allowing Klein to hold onto his final lumps of emotions. Through this temptation, he slowly escaped the state of petrification.
A grayish-white fog quickly surfaced before his eyes as he heard the illusory ravings of "Hornacis… Flegrea… Hornacis… Flegrea…" Compared to his advancement to a Seer, Clown, and Magician, these ravings appeared staccato, as though they were being disrupted by something.
It's different from when I became a Faceless. The ravings are clearly much stronger. It can intermittently break through the obstacles produced from the fusion of the powers of the gray fog and reality… I can think again! Klein was delighted as he attempted to raise his arm.
His joints still felt heavy, but the feeling was weakening!
At the same time, Klein "saw" his present appearance.
His skin was yellowish-brown, like a puppet that had been buried alive for years with old bandages.
Fleshy tendrils were hidden beneath his skin as they squirmed, separated, and fused.
Klein immediately outlined the countless spherical lights in his mind, and he used Cogitation to calm his present state.
During this process, the mermaids' singing continued to reverberate in his ears, allowing his joints and muscles to twitch before the numbness slowly receded.
After an unknown period of time, Klein opened his eyes, his body having completely restored to normal.
He took a deep breath and silently sighed.
Finally…
I'm finally a Sequence 5!
I'm finally a Nimblewright Master!