Chapter 771: Luck Siphon
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
What item would a Snake of Fate be interested in? Klein slowly sat up and leaned against a pillow.
He thought for some time and decided to consider it at a later date. After all, he was still at least a month away from Will Auceptin's birth. He could also leave the question for The Hermit Cattleya and Queen Mystic Bernadette, who was backing her, to rack their brains over.
Of course, Klein didn't eliminate the possibility of Will Auceptin's sudden choice of having an early birth.
He slowly turned his attention into creating a Worm of Time charm. According to Will Auceptin's explanation, he had most of the conditions required, but he was just short of the corresponding symbol.
Pray to The Fool and use the powers of the mysterious space above the gray fog… I wonder if a symbol corresponding to the Marauder pathway would work… Even if it does, I don't know what it is. Unless I pull a Marauder above the gray fog and let the high-back chair produce the corresponding pattern… As Klein thought about the details, he suddenly had an idea.
In that case, perhaps he could try the symbol behind The Fool's chair!
It was the Pupil-less Eye, a symbol representing secrecy, and the Contorted Lines that represented change!
I wonder if it will work… Divination won't be able to rule it out by elimination, but I can predict if the attempt will be successful. Besides, even if it fails, it shouldn't be too big a problem. After all, I'm praying to myself. Even if the material were to be wasted in the experiment, it would enter above the gray fog and not be lost… With this in mind, Klein felt pumped. He couldn't help but get out of bed to try out the experiment that very night!
A material like the Worm of Time that's left behind by a Marauder demigod at Amon's level still has its essence and level even if it's dead. When using it for a charm, it might not reach the level of an angel for various reasons, but it wouldn't be too far off. It'll be about the peak strength of a Saint. If Klein succeeded, it would be equivalent to having an additional trump card. At critical points in time, it might give him an additional life. So how could he not be excited and expectant!?
I can only stir some of the powers of the mysterious space above the gray fog. The level of the Worm of Time charm will likely drop a little more. But regardless, it will definitely be like the Ninth Law given to me by Admiral Amyrius… If I used the Blatherer's aura to create a high-level charm in the Devil domain, it will likely be at the level of the Ninth Law. Unfortunately, I wouldn't dare to pray to the Dark Side of the Universe… Klein wore his pajamas as he stood barefooted. He walked took four steps counterclockwise on a thick carpet as he chanted the incantation before entering above the gray fog.
Sitting at The Fool's seat at the end of the long bronze table, he conjured a dark red fortune-teller and yellowish-brown goatskin. He wrote down the corresponding divination statement:
"The charm I'm about to begin making will be successful."
Unwinding the spirit pendulum from his wrist, Klein held it with his left hand and entered the state of Cogitation.
After repeating the divination statement seven times, he opened his eyes and saw the topaz spinning counterclockwise at a rather slow speed and ordinary amplitude.
This means that it will succeed… But that begs the question, will it successfully verify that the symbol I use is effective, or successfully verify that it doesn't work? As an experienced Seer, Klein attempted to interpret the revelation, but he failed to obtain any confirmation.
With regards to that, he could only decide to experiment. There was no way for him to eliminate the mistakes if he didn't do so.
Right on the heels of that, Klein wrote a new divination statement:
"The assassination of Mr. X this Friday will be dangerous."
This time, the topaz pendant continued spinning clockwise at a faster frequency and greater amplitude.
There's significant danger, but it doesn't reach the level of a demigod's participation, much less that of a King of Angels… If it involves an existence of that level, "He" will definitely sense my divination and resist it… From the looks of it, Angel of Fate Ouroboros will soon be led out of Backlund… This means that the danger itself is a result of Mr. X and his subordinates. It's within the limits of what I can handle… As long as I don't make a mistake, the chances of success are pretty high… Klein made a judgment, put down the pen and paper, and returned to the real world.
As a mysticism expert who often created charms, he had no lack of common materials. He immediately got out some candles and lit them on the table. Following that, he set up a simple altar against the glow of dusk. He then used a piece of silver to draw out the combined symbol that represented The Fool.
As Klein didn't know what Path Number The Fool represented or what magic labels there were, he could only ensure that both sides remained equal. According to the books of charms he had read, these would similarly satisfy the rules of mysticism, but the corresponding might would be reduced. The chances of failure would rise because the existence that one was praying to could consider it as being irreverent and not pious enough. Of course, it wasn't a problem for Klein since he wouldn't reject himself.
After completing the act of carving the symbol, Klein found a metal bottle and used his spirituality together with a container, and he then poured the mercury out and filled the carved out pattern.
This time, he decided to complete only the front side for now. He would then summon himself and respond to himself. He would then bring the worm with the twelve translucent rings back to the room and then place it on a silver sheet.
After doing all of this, Klein adjusted the altar and took two steps back. He then said in ancient Hermes, "The Fool that doesn't belong to this era."
Following the process, he completed the necessary steps before taking four steps counterclockwise and entered the space above the gray fog. After imbuing himself with the Black Emperor card, he used his spirituality to stir a tiny amount of the powers above the gray fog to respond to his prayers.
While the surging energy poured into the circle of light, Klein didn't hesitate to return to the real world. He saw the altar had turned dark and gloomy, as though there were countless secrets hidden here. And the silver sheet had already floated up, fusing with the Worm of Time's corpse.
Klein took two steps forward, flipped the silver sheet around, and he filled the carved symbol on the back with mercury.
As the lines lit up, they effused a hazy luster.
Klein rapidly retracted his arms and saw the luster grow richer. He then enveloped the silver sheet and the Worm of Time's corpse inside.
Suddenly, the darkness around the altar distorted as the entire space seemed to turn abnormal.
This change disappeared as fast as it came. The charms filled with strange patterns slowly landed on the desk. It was entirely translucent in color and was dark black. It was like a miniature card made out of a special crystal. It also resembled the eyes of a particular existence that was watching this world.
It succeeded! It really works! Klein was delighted as he hurriedly picked up the charm. He found it cold to the touch as if he was touching snow.
Regardless of the resulting effects of the charm, just its formation had meant a success!
Klein had once again obtained a high-level charm at the demigod level!
He busied himself again, bringing the completed item above the gray fog. He then used dream divination to figure out how to use it.
The charm which was in the shape of a black crystal card had only one effect, but it was highly potent. It was to siphon off the luck of others. And to be precise, it was to graft fate—a period of the target's fate would be grafted onto the user!
The simplest situation would be when an enemy is about to kill me, I'll use this charm, siphoning off his fate of surviving, as well as grafting the fate of impending death onto thim. Then, the situation would be developed into him clearly succeeding, only for him to die… It does match the Marauder pathway's usual traits, but it's more sinister and terrifying… It's going from stealing wealth to stealing fate… If the Worm of Time were alive, and I was able to fully employ the power of the mysterious space above the gray fog, this charm might even point towards the domain of time… As Klein thought, he felt a sense of fear.
If it wasn't for the assistance that this mysterious space had given him by obstructing and purging things, he had no way to deal with a Worm of Time!
Phew, now it's mine… I can't call it a Worm of Time anymore. I'll just call it Luck Siphon… Klein once again got busy as he brought back the Luck Siphon charm to the real world.
After dealing with the traces of the ritual, he gravely placed the high-level charm into the iron cigar case, putting it together with Azik's copper whistle and the Senor gold coin. He then sealed and isolated the case with a wall of spirituality.
Being in a good mood, Klein didn't feel sleepy. He drew the curtains a little and allowed the crimson moonlight to shine in, illuminating his room with tranquility and silence.
While he was enjoying the scenery, he suddenly saw a figure sneak out from Member of Parliament Macht's house as it approached amidst the shadows.
It was none other than Hazel Macht. She once again headed for the sewers, removed the manhole cover, climbed down, and didn't forget to close the cover.
Why is she always heading into the sewers? It's not likely for her to be heading to other areas from here to act like a superhero in the mysterious world. After all, each trip doesn't take her more than an hour. Unless she has very reliable intelligence, it's difficult to achieve anything. Besides, this will make it easy for her to be caught by the official Beyonders… Together with the scene provided to me by Arrodes, she's likely finding something… Hmm, it's very easy for her to encounter danger if she keeps heading into the sewers… Klein stood behind the curtain gap as he observed what was happening under the serene night.
He didn't attempt to warn Hazel or let the Wraith possess her to let her understand the dangers of the Beyonder world. Firstly, this was because he had quite a subjective view that Hazel's sense of superiority was due to a result of her lacking knowledge in mysticism, so he couldn't be sure. Secondly, he wasn't sure how she had obtained Beyonder powers and a mystical item. Warning her out of gratitude for her kind deed earlier would easily attract unwanted attention or even trouble.
After enjoying an evening of peace, Klein returned to bed and slept till daybreak.
Before Richardson entered, he turned into Gehrman Sparrow and prayed to The Fool:
"…I can accept the mission, but regardless of the outcome, I want a stone from that bracelet of yours, as well as the ability to use that spellbook of yours for some time.
"If it succeeds, all spoils of war will be mine. You can only take the target's head.
"If required, you will need to provide assistance."
Chapter 772: Walter's Abnormality
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
He wants a stone from my bracelet and the right to use Leymano's Travels for some time? How does he know that I have those two items? I don't remember mentioning it during the Tarot Gatherings… After hearing Gehrman Sparrow's response, Fors was bewildered and rather shocked. It felt like he had seen through all her secrets.
She tensed up as she quickly tried recalling how this information could've been leaked.
Aside from Teacher, Xio, and Mr. Fool, no one knows that I have these two items, especially Leymano's Travels. I haven't even used it… Mr. Fool… Hmm, Mr. World appears quite strange during the Tarot Gatherings; he never hands over Emperor Roselle's diary pages, and he doesn't seem to put any effort into this, nor does he show any concern… He and Mr. Fool have a deeper connection. He obtains the relevant information from "Him"? A believer or a Blessed? Fors carefully thought over the matter as she grasped something, easing her horror from before.
Only at this moment did she have the time and energy to consider if she could accept Gehrman Sparrow's requests.
To Fors, such a price was too cheap, far lower than she had expected. Furthermore, it was reasonable!
As a Beyonder who seldom went out and just stayed home writing and resting, lending Leymano's Travels for some time didn't affect her safety or her need to use it. And likewise, giving one of the two remaining stones in the bracelet that allowed her to travel through the spirit world didn't cause her to lose all her trump cards.
The only problem is that Mr. World seems to be willing to only try it once. If he fails, he will still take the payment… Yes, with the fact that he needs to bear the risk, that's normal… I originally imagined that I would need to help him do many things and obtain a reward from Teacher by using the traitor's head to repay the debt… Fors thought calmly for a few seconds before she prayed to Mr. Fool:
"…Please inform Mr. World that I accept his conditions, and I will try my best to provide him assistance in the operation."
He originally wished to warn Gehrman Sparrow that using the stone might result in the side effect of receiving the ravings of the full moon, but she then realized that it was apparently only something Beyonders from the Apprentice pathway encountered.
…
Regardless if it succeeds or fails, I'll obtain that stone. I'll be able to secretly leave Backlund and meet with Mr. Hanged Man to explore that primitive island… When the time comes, I'll use the spellbook to record the usage of the stone. That way, I don't have to worry about the return trip. That's unless my luck is terrible and the recording fails… Klein secretly heaved a sigh of relief, opened the door, and got Richardson to help him dress up.
"Sir, after breakfast, your schedule is to head to the Royal Museum to see the royal family's collection exhibition." As Richardson helped his employer wear his coat, he informed him of the day's schedule.
As Dwayne Dantès mastered social dancing very quickly, the number of etiquette classes in the morning went from five times a week to three times a week, allowing him to spare time for other things. And such exhibitions were definitely a hot topic of conversation in high society circles. By not going in person, it would make him appear lacking.
As for heading to Saint Samuel Cathedral for the bishop's preachings, Klein had consciously lowered his frequency. This wasn't because he needed to donate tens of pounds each time, but that he was afraid that heading there frequently despite having the novelty period wear off would incur suspicion. Being natural and reasonable were the core traits of his plans.
Other than on a Sunday, he planned on randomly heading to Church on two of the remaining six days. He wanted to rely on an even longer period of time to accumulate intelligence so as to figure out a pattern. He couldn't be impatient or in a rush!
"I'm already looking forward to it." Klein looked at the dignified reflection of himself as he said to his valet with a smile.
Upon thinking of Saint Samuel Cathedral and the Church of Evernight, he naturally connected it to Leonard Mitchell's secret investigation of Sherlock Moriarty. He didn't understand what he was suspicious about.
Is it because of Emlyn White's purchase of Tinder that drove Leonard to investigate the people related to him, or was it because of the fleeting appearances of the detective in the cases of Capim and Lanevus that made the Red Gloves who are in charge of the investigations notice something? Or could it be both? Klein thought about the clues that he had left behind and had a rough guess.
He wasn't afraid that Sherlock Moriarty would be wanted by the Church of Evernight and given a bounty. After all, apart from contacting a few people that he was familiar with, the detective wasn't to appear again. He was worried that someone would discover that Sherlock Moriarty, in his early appearances, resembled Klein Moretti greatly, and as such, they would pursue the deceased former Nighthawk.
In fact, it's not a problem even if they discover that. I'm no longer the Clown or Magician from before. There are more than a handful of demigods searching for me. Even with the high-ranking deacons of the Church, there won't be any qualitative changes… Besides, Benson and Melissa truly are ordinary people. The Church will definitely not involve them and disturb their lives… I wonder if they will claim the bereavement compensation back. Probably not, for there's no way they can explain it to ordinary people… Klein wasn't that worried with all the debt he was in.
This was also why he was so calm when he heard Will Auceptin mention Klein Moretti's identity last night.
How could a Sequence 1 Angel who was good at fate-related abilities and had previously interacted with Sherlock Moriarty early on not discover the detective's origins?
Even with the gray fog's obstruction that interfered with many details, Will Auceptin was definitely able to know that Sherlock Moriarty originally came from Tingen.
And back in Tingen, Klein had interacted with a youth named Ademisaul, who was of the Monster pathway, leading him to bleed from his eyes. And if Will Auceptin were to be aware of this and make a comparison, the answer was obvious.
If Leonard were to really realize Sherlock Moriarty's hidden identity, I wonder what kind of expression he would have… Klein gave a self-deprecating laugh as he walked out the master bedroom. He went to the second floor to enjoy the breakfast his cook had prepared specially for him.
…
West Borough, 2 King's Avenue, Royal Museum.
Klein passed through the ticket entrance with Butler Walter and Valet Richardson and went into the museum.
The exhibition was held by the Loen royal family. They showcased all kinds of collections that had historical meaning from the kingdom's founding so as to allow the public to enjoy and gain an understanding. It was a way to raise the kingdom's citizens respect and recognition of the royal family.
As a graduate from the Department of History, Klein was still rather interested in the exhibition. Many of the matters that he was very familiar with had the corresponding items appear here. They allowed him to plunge into the long and fascinating history from another angle.
What left Klein somewhat puzzled was Walter's deep understanding towards most of the exhibits. He introduced them to Dwayne Dantès with extreme detail.
As expected of a butler who came from an aristocratic household… Klein silently nodded.
As he perused the exhibits, the trio kept encountering other visitors, and the exhibition hall was quiet and orderly, so people had to converse in whispers.
When passing by an exhibit, Klein noticed Walter suddenly stop. He then glanced to his side as his expression turned complicated.
As he wasn't a Spectator, Klein wasn't able to interpret the actual meaning of those complicated feelings. All he could do was trace Walter's gaze towards the exhibit.
Standing in front of the exhibit were a man and a woman. The man was in his thirties and wore a black suit, silk hat, and a gold-inlaid cane, looking like a gentleman of status and wealth. The woman was in a yellow dress with a golden necklace. Her overall attire was inclined towards bright colors.
Mr. Butler is looking at that man… Klein instantly made the judgment as he swept his gaze past the target without anyone detecting him.
He realized that the man looked rather old. His skin was dark as a result of frequent exposure to the sun. The back of his hand was like dried wood, and his fingers were extremely rough.
If I didn't look at his attire, I would've believed it if someone told me he was a farmer, gardener, or carriage driver… Klein retracted his gaze as he felt a little puzzled.
The reason why he noticed these details was because he had seriously considered the appearance of an ordinary person who adventured in the Southern Continent for extended periods of time back when he was constructing the identity of Dwayne Dantès.
He believed that apart from his gaze, bearing, and natural facial features that were etched by his rich experience, Dwayne Dantès also needed to have details, such as skin that had experienced long periods of suntanning, unobvious scars, and rough but strong palms. Otherwise, it wouldn't be enough to prop up such a character's inherent traits
I have to say that from the moment I became a Faceless, I'm getting more and more experienced and wise in the aspect of creating a new character… If I were to return to Earth, even without my Beyonder powers, I'll have strong acting skills… As Klein made self-deprecating comments inwardly, he saw Walter recover from his stern look as though nothing had happened.
As for the man with somewhat old facial features and rough skin, he pointed at a flag inside the exhibition case.
"This is the flag that the Earl of Lastings, Prince Harrods Augustus used during the White Rose War. Unfortunately, he perished in that war. However, his death was the turning point of the entire war and the reason why Loen eventually clinched victory. Look, the flag still has his blood…"
He's quite knowledgeable in the field of history… Klein gaze swept towards Walter from the corner of his eye, thought for two seconds, and smiled. He approached the couple and interjected in a friendly manner:
"I never expected such a neglected tidbit of history would be known by someone else. I originally believed that the people's understanding of the White Rose War was only limited to Loen's victory against Intis.
"Sir, your eruditeness leaves me amazed."
To be praised in front of his female partner, the man's expression turned from a wary one to a relaxed one. A gleeful smile appeared on his face.
"I'm just a person who likes history."
He casually swept his gaze towards the servant of the gentleman in front of him as he suddenly frowned before easing his brows. There were remnant looks of puzzlement.
Indeed, he knows Butler Walter… Klein smiled while maintaining his composure.
"Hello there, I'm a merchant from Desi, Dwayne Dantès. How may I address you?"
The man hesitated and said, "William Sikes, a land steward at a manor."
Chapter 773: Additional Development
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
William Sikes… A land steward… Klein inwardly repeated the response he got before turning the topic of conversation towards the flag and the White Rose War.
After a short chat, he politely bade farewell and walked towards the other exhibits with Walter and Richardson. He continued his own tour of the exhibits, as though his encounter from before was completely trivial, a conversation that was purely coincidental.
When it was almost noon, Klein, who had returned to his high-end four-wheeled carriage, looked out at the passing bicycles when he suddenly said, "Walter, you seem to know Mr. William Sikes?"
Walter solemnly nodded and said, "I once knew him while I was working for Viscount Conrad's household.
"He served a member of the royal family, the former Earl of Lastings, Prince Edessak."
He didn't conceal anything, and he described William Sikes's background in detail.
He was once in service of Prince Edessak? He's living quite a good life after the prince passed away because of the Great Smog of Backlund. I wonder what manor he's the land steward of… Perhaps he knows some secrets? Klein gently nodded and didn't probe further. He was wondering if he should find an opportunity to investigate William Sikes.
If William Sikes really knows something, the royal family's faction wouldn't leave him be. Or perhaps he is part of that faction. In short, investigating him will be a rather dangerous matter. There's no way to entrust this matter to Miss Magician, Emlyn White, or Miss Xio… Miss Sharron has the ability to do so, but this might result in destroying her peaceful life… The best solution is still to use Hero Bandit Black Emperor. But the problem is that before stealing the Antigonus family's notebook, my investigations of the Great Smog of Backlund should only be superficial. I shouldn't alarm anyone or bring about any accidental changes… Klein appeared to admire the streets outside, but many thoughts were going through his mind.
Finally, he decided to hold back for the time being, being unwilling to affect the most pertinent matter he had at present.
After having lunch and taking a nap, Klein received classes in literary appreciation until it was almost evening.
After sending away his teacher, he was just about to head to the second story's dining hall when he suddenly heard the doorbell ring.
Amidst the ringing, Klein saw Richardson immediately take a few steps forward to open the door.
Standing outside were two police officers in black-and-white checkered uniforms. From their epaulets, one of them was a high-ranking inspector, while the other was a sergeant.
"Officers, how may I help you?" Richardson asked on behalf of his employer.
The high-ranking inspector was a thin man and had his black hair hidden under his peak cap. His sideburns had a little color as he swept his gaze into the house before warmly saying with a smile, "I'm here for Mr. Dwayne Dantès. There's a case that involves him and his butler."
"What is it?" Klein slowly walked to the door. "I'm Dwayne Dantès."
After introducing himself, he asked politely, "Officers, how may I address you?
"If the matter is a little more complicated and needs more time, why not come to my parlor. We can discuss it over tea."
The other police officer, the sergeant, was an elegant lady. She was clearly interested in taking up the offer as she looked at the high-ranking inspector, awaiting the decision of her superior.
Due to the Church of the Evernight Goddess, the Loen police force had plenty of female officers, but due to the other faiths and the prevailing trends of society, they suffered some form of discrimination when it came to promotions and positions. They mostly did clerical work, and there was an invisible ceiling for their career development.
The high-ranking inspector smiled and said, "There's no need for tea, but we need to question your servants."
He paused before getting to the main point.
"Mr. Dwayne Dantès, do you know a person by the name of William Sikes?"
"I got to know him this morning at the Royal Museum." Klein vaguely sensed that some sort of unexpected development had occurred as he asked, "Did something happen to him?"
The high-ranking inspector wiped away his smile and said, "He's dead. He died at a hotel near the Royal Museum."
"He's dead?" Klein didn't hide his puzzlement and shock.
I just met him, and he's dead?
Had he already been targeted?
The inspector nodded solemnly and said, "Yes, the cause of death is rather complicated, and we aren't ruling out the possibility of murder."
"What about his female partner?" Klein frowned as he asked. "He had a female partner when I met him."
"That lady was his mistress. When she left the hotel, William Sikes was still alive. This can be confirmed by the attendants at the hotel because they had later sent him red wine." The inspector simply shared the situation and said, "After leaving the Royal Museum, where did you go?"
"I came back here directly. I had lunch, took a nap, and attended lessons. My servants, neighbors, and literary appreciation teacher can prove that," Klein frankly replied.
He then turned his head to Richardson and said, "Bring Walter here."
Soon, Walter walked down from the second story with a white glove and answered similar questions.
After receiving Dwayne Dantès's permission, the two officers questioned the rest of his servants, but they failed to find any problems.
They didn't stay for long, politely bidding him farewell and visiting the other neighbors.
Klein's appetite wasn't affected by this matter as he went to the second story to enjoy his dinner.
Time quickly flew by as he spent the rest of the time reading books and newspapers. Before sleeping, Klein took in the scenery outside the window as he awaited his valet, Richardson, to take away the fruits in the room.
Suddenly, he asked without turning his head, "What did Walter do in the afternoon?"
"He was busy handling various matters. He never left," Richardson answered softly.
Klein nodded gently without asking further. He began suspecting if he had been overthinking matters.
Phew… He slowly exhaled before getting into bed.
In the middle of the night, Klein's spirituality was triggered as he snapped awake.
He pricked up his brows, left the bed, and arrived by the window. He pulled back the curtains a little.
Under the dim moonlight, a figure carefully passed through the garden's trail and arrived by the perimeter walls before flipping over it.
He had a broad forehead with raven-black hair and stern brown eyes. He was none other than Butler Walter.
"He's agile and his motions are fluid. If he's not trained, he's a Low-Sequence Beyonder…" Klein observed the scene as he made a preliminary judgment.
He saw Walter's shadows follow the streets until he arrived at the manhole which Hazel often used to enter the sewers. He removed the manhole cover, climbed down, and didn't forget to close the cover.
Why is everyone so skilled at getting into the sewers? Mr. Butler likely hasn't done it in the past; otherwise, my spirituality would've warned me. After all, he's leaving from my "territory"… It means that before he became my butler, he had performed such actions quite frequently elsewhere… Klein curled his lips, returned to his bedside, and took out a the iron cigar case from under his pillow.
He controlled Wraith Senor to tail Walter, wanting to see what he was up to.
I hope it doesn't exceed 100 meters; otherwise, I'll need to enter the sewers as well… as Klein silently muttered to himself, he returned to the gap in the curtains.
His marionette, Senor, immediately used the mysterious connection between different mirrors to jump to the street lamp beside the manhole before passing the manhole to silently tail Walter.
Klein saw that Walter turned into a more secluded and dark passage after taking ten meters forward. On the wall were all kinds of moss and dirt.
Suddenly, the butler stopped and said to someone, "Why were you so rash?
"Why didn't you wait for a better opportunity?"
Soon, a weak and slightly hoarse female's voice replied to Walter's inquiry.
"It was the best opportunity.
"Once he returns to that manor, there's no knowing when he will come out again."
"But why would you be so seriously injured?" Walter said with sighs of concern.
The female voice scoffed and said, "William Sikes is stronger than what you or I imagined. Perhaps only this way can he satisfy his secret identity.
"Regardless, I finally obtained clues from him. After so much time, I finally have a chance to approach the truth."
"You didn't need to be so rash." Walter fell silent.
The weak female's voice chuckled and said, "I've already sold my soul to an evil god. The only meaning to life is vengeance."
In a rare instance, Walter sighed and said, "Continue hiding here. I'll prepare food for you until you recover.
"If there aren't any accidents, use the old method to contact me."
The weak female voice remained silent for a while before saying, "When he was alive, he had many subordinates who claimed to be loyal. After his death, few still remember him or are willing to risk their lives for him. You are the one who has surprised me the most."
"He is the first noble who treated me that way, and he is the person I'm truly loyal to," Walter answered in a deep voice.
Having heard the conversation with his marionette, Klein vaguely understood the entire story.
After Prince Edessak passed away, a few of his loyal subordinates were investigating the truth of his suicide. Walter was one of them. However, he was mainly in charge of gathering any superficial intelligence, as well as using his identity to provide some help… This is probably the additional development that Arrodes mentioned…
Klein immediately made Senor go invisible as he infiltrated the secluded passageway and saw Walter conversing with someone while standing. His figure blocked a black-dressed woman who was seated on the ground against the wall. Her face was somewhat pale.
After the woman heard Walter's words, she gave a throaty laugh and looked towards the entrance.
"It's time you leave. Don't be caught by others."
She turned her head, allowing Klein to see her. She had a round face, slender eyes, and a gentle and refined temperament. Deep down, she was sweet and was an outstandingly gorgeous beauty who Klein was "familiar" with.
Trissy!
Trissy Cheek!
Chapter 774: Clues
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
She isn't dead? She managed to escape? She's actually trying to seek revenge for Prince Edessak? At that moment that he saw Trissy, Klein nearly lost control of his expression.
Although he had guessed it based on the conversation, he still felt it exceeded his expectations when the truth was placed before him.
Without even the need for a dream divination, he could still recall the Great Smog of Backlund. Trissy had conversed with him, and back then, she was eager to escape Prince Edessak's control and escape the manipulation of her fate by the hidden person behind the scenes. She felt her daily life was filled with pain.
This Demoness who was once a man had sold her soul to an evil god to help avenge Prince Edessak? What kind of crappy trite romance plot point is this!? The corners of Klein's lips twitched as he "saw" Walter throw a bag of food to Trissy. After "hearing" him give a few words of advice, he turned and left the secluded path.
At this moment, a figure appeared from Member of Parliament Macht's house. It was within Klein's line of sight from where he was standing. It followed the shadows in the street as it quickly approached the entrance to the sewer. She was none other than Hazel who held a mystical item from the Marauder pathway.
She'll encounter Walter… This isn't some entrance to the sewers! It's clearly the entrance to a bustling city! Klein looked down and nearly facepalmed.
Upon arriving at the manhole, Hazel warily observed her surroundings for a few seconds before moving the cover away and climbing down. The entire process was done in one fell swoop without any signs of delay.
Stepping onto the slightly moist ground, she followed the rusted metal pipes and the sewage that slowly flowed with a clear destination in mind.
Suddenly, she felt her back turn cold as a chill ran down her spine. Her hair began to stand on end.
Right on the heels of that, Hazel seemed to plunge into a freezing river, and she felt a coldness that was overcoming her body.
She was horrified to see herself walking in a different direction, heading straight for the wall with metal pipes. And this was completely against her will!
Horror filled Hazel's mind before she received a reprieve from her numb thoughts. She infused all her spirituality into the necklace on her neck.
The seven green gems on the necklace were equidistant from each other. Embedded around them were tiny diamonds. In the absolute darkness, they still swirled with a faint lustrous glow.
Suddenly, a gem lit up as the green glow illuminated Hazel's ghastly face.
She leaned against the wall and paused for a moment. She moved her feet forward in an awkward manner before retracting them.
At that instant, the coldness Hazel felt had paused for a moment.
She didn't hesitate to use her spirituality to light up another green gem. She raised her right hand, aimed it at herself, and twisted her wrist.
At the same time, many mysterious symbols and patterns appeared in her mind as her spirituality and voice changed momentarily.
She had stolen the Beyonder power, Wraith Shriek!
Hazel was just about to open her mouth to shout when she found her hands losing control again. She forcefully and quickly covered her mouth with her hands.
Her Shriek turned into a muffle as she took a few brisk steps to the wall. She turned into another fork before crouching down in the pure darkness.
She tried hard to struggle, but it was useless. She wasn't even capable of activating the necklace on her neck.
Hazel's dark brown eyes widened as they filled with horror and indignation. Tears began to well in her eyes before slowly streaming down her cheeks.
And at this moment, Walter had come out from another path, returning back to the sewer entrance before climbing up agilely.
After he sneaked back into 160 Böklund Street, Hazel suddenly regained control of her body. She felt that the coldness had completely disappeared.
She first raised her hands in surprise, using her night vision to take a glance. Following that, she looked around in a fluster, as though there were countless unknown monsters hidden in the darkness of the sewers.
Hazel immediately touched the necklace with her right hand, carefully stood up, and headed for the entrance.
She didn't flee in panic, but she instead warily prepared for any attack that would appear from the darkness.
Finally, she returned to Böklund Street where she saw the black street lamp emitting its light, illuminating the streets that still had the remnant signs of rain.
Only then did Hazel speed up her pace and run home. Midway, she suddenly turned back, nervously and frantically closing the manhole's cover.
After doing all of this, she followed the shadows and entered her garden. With the help of the gas and water pipes, she entered the balcony to her bedroom.
Only at that point did she really have any room to think. She widened her eyes and subconsciously looked around. Slowly, her body began to tremble.
She raised her left arm, hoping to use her clothes to wipe her face, but she paused midway, switching to using a handkerchief from her pocket.
…
Hazel still has the basic abilities needed to react. She's not a complete newbie… In the sewers, Senor appeared with his dark red coat and triangular hat as he spoke silently.
Following that, under Klein's control, he went invisible again as he entered the hidden fork where Trissy was.
Just as the Wraith approached, the black-dressed Trissy looked up and revealed a weak but stubborn smile.
"From the looks of it, you have no ill intentions.
"That lady was quite lucky."
She had sensed Hazel and discovered the Wraith!
Senor's figure appeared as he chuckled.
"Perhaps killing her will only bring you greater trouble."
To be honest, he wished to report Trissy to the authorities because he knew of the evil deeds she had done. He knew how she had incited the passengers and crew on the Alfalfa, causing them to kill each other out at sea. He also knew how she had many innocent lives die ahead of time. However, after realizing that Trissy was investigating the mystery behind Prince Edessak's death, Klein had a new plan in mind. He would incite the Demoness and cooperate with her on certain matters.
The mystery of Prince Edessak's death was equivalent to the truth of the Great Smog of Backlund!
Investigating this matter is bound to be very dangerous. Roping others in will make me feel guilty, afraid that harm or even death will happen to them as a result. By getting Trissy to do it, I wouldn't have such a psychological burden. The crimes she had committed had long doomed her to hell! The only problem is that she might be using the investigations of the mystery to Prince Edessak's death for her own ploys. I have to be wary about this to prevent myself from being used, thus causing a disaster… As Klein thought, he made Senor take two steps forward.
Trissy looked at the middle-aged before her and chuckled.
"Since you have ill intentions, go ahead, Mr. Senor."
At this instant, the marionette's senses revealed countless threads floating and flailing around Trissy. And seated in the middle was her black-dressed self with a pale face. It resembled a spider in the middle of her web, but it was filled with temptation and pity that made one approach her.
"You know me?" The marionette halted in his footsteps.
Trissy's expression was somewhat adrift as she answered in reverie, "I once spent an unforgettable period of time at sea."
Back then, you were still a man… Klein lampooned and chuckled.
"Why are you investigating Prince Edessak's death? Didn't he commit suicide?"
Trissy immediately looked up as anger colored her face.
"Suicides can be different. Some people do it willingly; others are forced."
No way, she really seems to mind Prince Edessak's death… Lady, have you forgotten that you were once a man? Have you forgotten the pain you were previously talking about? Don't tell me that this is the so-called Stockholm syndrome where you end up bonding with your captor due to the minute amount of kindness they've provided? Well, I'm not a Spectator, and I can't determine if she's being truthful or not… Klein made Senor chuckle.
"So, you believe that Prince Edessak was forced to commit suicide?
"You sought William Sikes to investigate this matter?"
The angry look on Trissy's face vanished as a miserable but beautiful smile appeared.
"That's right.
"It was he who forced Edessak to commit suicide with a spirituality obliteration bullet. However, he was also under orders by others. Heh, to obtain the final bit of pleasure, he revealed everything. Heh heh, he was still unable to really touch me. I even showed him my former photo. He died filled with even more misery and despair…"
I can't imagine what William suffered… Trissy is as twisted as she was before… Demonesses at the stage of Pleasure are really filled with charms. Every expression and every action are filled with enticement… But I can tell that Trissy has already reined it in very well, only using it when needed. She has already advanced? Or is it because of love? As Klein lampooned, he made Senor ask, "Who is it?"
When asking that question, Klein hadn't expected to receive an answer, but Trissy chuckled and replied, "Viscount Stratford.
"The royal guard captain of the royal family."
Chapter 775: Making Use
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Viscount Stratford… Royal guard captain of the royal family… From this post, the Great Smog of Backlund does have inklings of a particular royal family faction being behind it. As for who it is, it will require investigation… Klein temporarily didn't have the time to verify Trissy's answer, so all he did was make Senor scoff.
"I'm a little doubtful since you are telling me this so easily."
Trissy said in a scoffing and self-deprecating manner, "That's because it's something good for me. I can tell that you and the faction you represent are very interested in the true motives of those pulling the strings of the royal family. I would be very happy if I can provide some useful clues that cause you to have conflict with them, causing the real conspirer to surface. This will aid in my revenge and also be of the greatest help to me."
According to this logic, does that also mean that I can use you to investigate this matter and fish out the mastermind behind this? From that, I can allow my faction to hide in safety before it obtains any actual information… Eh, wasn't what Trissy said meant to entice me to engage in limited cooperation with her, while she also volunteers to be the mine-clearer in order to reveal the truth… She is clearly expressing her value… She's afraid that I'll eventually decide to kill her… Klein roughly understood what Trissy was truly getting at as he controlled the Wraith to say, "Very reasonable. I should also do the same.
"I believe that without my threats or enticement, you'll attempt to make contact with Viscount Stratford after you recover from your wounds."
Trissy curled her lips and said, "I only hope that he doesn't like men."
This isn't something that cannot be resolved. If you're already Sequence 5, then you can consider switching to the Hunter pathway's Sequence 4 Iron-blooded Knight… Also, have you forgotten your past self? Why are you getting used to the powers of a Demoness of Pleasure to deal with men… Klein lampooned before making Senor smile.
"This isn't a problem. You can always show him your old photo."
Trissy was taken aback as a slightly twisted expression colored her face. A humiliation that she had buried deep inside her had been dug out, exposing it beneath the sun.
Her beautiful eyes were tainted with what stemmed from anger from the humiliation. Her face which was pale due to her injuries instantly flushed red.
Trissy quickly reined in her emotions and scoffed, speaking with a suppressed voice, "As expected of Admiral of Blood. It appears you know plenty about the Demoness pathway."
She wasn't sure before. I made that joke because I thought the Demoness Sect and the Rose School of Thought had worked together, making her believe that Admiral of Blood would know the secret of the Assassin pathway… Regardless, it's not nice mocking the gender of others… Hmm, this is in line with Admiral of Blood's persona… A Marionettist's principle is "remember that every marionette has its own setting?" The reason why Trissy had mentioned her past photo was apparently just to vent and grind off an enemy's joy and excitement. She wasn't taking notice of the details she mentioned… Klein nodded in thought as he controlled Senor.
"At my level, there will always be plenty of secrets I know."
He didn't continue on the topic as he said, "How can I contact you?
"I might be able to provide you with some help during the investigations of Viscount Stratford."
Trissy reached her hand towards her ear and grabbed a clump of smooth, raven-black hair. Then, blue ice formed, allowing her to crack it off.
She then spread out her palm, allowing a silent, pitch-black flame to appear, burning the hair to ashes.
These ashes weren't lifted up by the cold winds in the sewers, but they had shrunk, forming a sticky black object.
"Smear it uniformly over a mirror, and then I'll know that you're looking for me. I'll subsequently use that mirror to communicate with you." Trissy shook her wrist and threw the pasty black object to Senor. "It can be used about five times, and that should be enough."
As Senor was only a marionette, Klein wasn't worried about letting him grab the black sticky object. After taking a few looks, he stuffed it into his pocket.
Trissy fell silent for a few seconds before biting her lip.
"If I need your help, how do I contact you?"
That's a problem… Klein did wish to have her directly contact Miss Messenger, Reinette Tinekerr. After all, Trissy would later know that behind the Wraith was Gehrman Sparrow if she gathered any news about Admiral of Blood. This wasn't something that could be hidden.
After a few seconds of consideration, he decided to be a little more cautious. He decided to wait until Trissy had any substantial discoveries before changing the communication method.
After all, she isn't someone to be trusted… To avenge Prince Edessak, some of her feelings are real, but they likely include some other goals, for example, seeking revenge for herself… Klein made Senor survey the area and said, "These sewers hide plenty of secrets. I'll come often. You can leave the help you need in text form here.
"If the matter is urgent, preventing you from doing it in time, you can contact that person from before to get him to leave the message."
Trissy slowly nodded.
"Okay."
With the conversation almost done, Klein planned on letting his marionette, Senor, leave.
At that moment, he caught sight of Trissy's hands. he discovered that the sapphire ring which was equivalent to a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact was gone!
I noticed it just now, but I thought she had switched it to her other hand or another finger, but it's actually gone… From the looks of it, she paid a considerable price back when she escaped Prince Edessak's Red Rose Manor and escaped Ince Zangwill's 0-08's control! The mark that the Prince Edessak left on her has also vanished? Klein thought for a moment before getting Senor to laugh.
"One more thing.
"Which evil god did you sell your soul to?"
Trissy gave the middle-aged man a deep look.
"The Primordial Demoness."
…Weren't you trying to escape from that strange state? Didn't you feel that you were increasingly becoming less like yourself? Why did you backtrack? Don't you know that by changing your name to Trissy Cheek, they were trying to make you the Primordial Demoness's vessel? No, she might really not know. She might not even know what Cheek means… She did her best to escape her fate, only to plunge deeper into it… At that instant, Klein felt a baffling fear towards fate and deities.
He made Senor smile.
"It's hard for me to believe it with you replying so easily without any qualms."
Trissy's eyes had a slight tinge of confusion as she said in a self-deprecating manner, "That's because it's a problem for me, not a secret.
"With one more person knowing, there might be one more chance of a solution presenting itself. Even if the chances are slim, it's better than nothing."
While solving the problem, there's also a high chance that you'll be finished… Klein didn't continue the topic as he said after some thought, "When you approach Viscount Stratford and the mastermind behind all of this, take note of any coincidences that often happen around you."
The deeper the investigation into the Great Smog of Backlund is, the more likely it would gain the attention of Ince Zangwill and 0-08!
"Coincidences…" Trissy was taken aback as she repeated the word.
At that instant, she recalled all the coincidences she had encountered back at Red Rose Manor.
Amidst her thoughts, she suddenly looked up, only to realize that Admiral of Blood Senor had vanished.
…
The next morning, Klein woke up punctually, and with the assistance of Richardson, he wore his coat.
Just as he arrived in the dining hall, he saw Walter standing by the door, politely awaiting his arrival.
"Sir, your schedule for today is to participate in a tea session at Member of Parliament Macht's residence." Walter professionally reminded his employer.
He was stern, old-fashioned, and conscientious. He looked no different from his usual self, making it impossible to tell that he had headed for the sewers in the middle of the night.
Klein nodded with a smile as though nothing had happened.
"I haven't forgotten."
He then entered the dining hall and enjoyed an exquisite meal that had started showing signs of being repetitive.
There's not enough variety for breakfast… Klein focused on eating, and after he was done, he put down his cutlery and sighed.
"I miss my hometown a little. Get the cook to prepare some Desi pie tomorrow."
"Yes, sir. I should've thought of that earlier," Housekeeper Taneja replied apologetically.
Klein waved his hand as a gesture for her not to take it to heart before he headed to the garden for a stroll.
After doing all of this, he returned to the third story to continue reading the papers he hadn't finished until his etiquette teacher, Wahana, arrived.
Wahana was still dressed decently with an elegant bearing. She smiled at Dwayne Dantès and said, "I heard you would be heading to Ma'am Riana's place for high tea later today. Then, this lesson will focus on high tea…"
Klein maintained his smile as he listened attentively, asking questions from time to time.
About thirty minutes later, Walter knocked on the door and entered.
"Sir, Member of Parliament Macht's servant just came over to inform us that the high tea session has been cancelled because Ma'am Riana's daughter, Miss Hazel, is sick. She's very apologetic for that, and she wishes to invite you again next week."
Hazel is sick? A result of last night's fright? It's not impossible if it's an ordinary person, but a Beyonder has their physical qualities enhanced. The chances of that happening are very low…
Furthermore, Hazel clearly hasn't seen the changes that result from the loss of control brought about by potions. Her mental state is still well, allowing her to feel a sense of superiority and having no fear. Even if she was frightened, it wouldn't result in any psychological ailments… Ailments… Sequence 5 of the Demoness pathway can make people around them get infected with ailments…
Last night, Trissy secretly released her ailment after seeing a stranger enter the sewers? And as a Wraith, Senor wasn't affected, so I didn't discover it… Such a problem isn't too serious. Hazel didn't spend much time in the area for too long. She's just a little shaken, preventing her from recovering quickly… From the looks of it, Trissy has really advanced to Sequence 5… Klein nodded gently and said, "Please give Miss Hazel my regards."
Chapter 776: Preparations
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Without the high tea session, Klein decided to pray at Saint Samuel Cathedral, so as to show his devoutness.
Of course, he didn't forget to stop and admire the white pigeons on the square, allowing himself to appear leisurely and calm.
He entered the cathedral, passing through the murals that were illuminated by the sun from high above and arriving at a dark and deep prayer hall.
This place wasn't as gorgeously decorated like the other Churches that had all kinds of dazzling elegant taste that produced a visual impact. Instead, it was mild and peaceful, allowing one to feel a natural sense of tranquility. As for the pure light that resembled twinkling stars up ahead, they were filled with the intense solemnity of holiness.
Klein removed his hat and handed it to Richardson along with his cane. Then, he walked down the aisle.
At this moment, two figures stood up in the front pew and turned towards the entrance. One of them was the black-haired, green-eyed Leonard Mitchell who looked suave with his untidy hair.
Almost at the same moment, Leonard Mitchell also saw the middle-aged man with the white sideburns and deep blue eyes.
Dwayne Dantès… He tensed up momentarily as his body showed signs of indiscernible stiffness.
Klein gave Leonard a side look as he nodded with a smile. He had a friendly and casual expression.
"…"
Leonard forced a smile as he nodded in a slightly sluggish manner.
Following that, he turned to the side, made way, and brushed shoulders with Dwayne Dantès.
This made Klein see who the person was behind him. It was also someone he knew—Daly who was wearing a spirit medium's black robe.
This lady still wore blue eyeshadow and blush, presenting quite an uncanny sense of beauty.
Daly glanced at the middle-aged gentleman when her expression suddenly went adrift. She retracted her gaze as she silently approached the exit.
No way, I was just mimicking Captain's profound eyes. Even the color is different, yet Ma'am Daly could still find it familiar? A woman's intuition is truly terrifying… Klein had a vague guess when he noticed Daly's brief abnormality.
A long time ago, as an insensitive man, he believed that Ma'am Daly was secretly in love with Captain; otherwise, she wouldn't have endured the risk to rush to Tingen to get Klein to find an opportunity to teach the acting method to Dunn Smith.
As for Captain, Klein wasn't sure about his thoughts. After all, Dunn Smith, at that moment, was often unable to distinguish reality from a dream. His bad memory was rather pronounced, and he might unknowingly have forgotten certain things that lay at the bottom of his heart.
However, Captain often mentions Ma'am Daly, using her as an example to educate us. He was so familiar with how many years she took to advance and the kind of talent she had that it seemed like he had memorized it… Yes, whenever Captain mentioned these matters, he would occasionally add that he spent nine years going from Midnight Poet to Nightmare… C-could it be that he was feeling a little inferior when facing Ma'am Daly? Inferior… Klein recalled the past as his mood suddenly felt dampened.
He realized that he didn't really understand Dunn Smith. He didn't understand how many things the man had hidden inwardly.
And Ma'am Daly isn't much younger than him. She appears to be very open and doesn't care about marriage… Klein silently sighed and reined in his thoughts. He found a nearby pew and bowed his head, closing his eyes to pray.
Outside the prayer hall, Leonard had recovered as he gathered with the other Red Gloves teammates with Daly.
They waited for a while as Soest, who had become a Spirit Warlock, walked out from another side. He scanned them and said, "Our mission this time is to use the various clues discovered from the explosion of the Black Skeleton Gang's headquarters to find all the formal members of the Numinous Episcopate in Backlund.
"Ma'am Daly is a Beyonder from the Corpse Collector pathway. She knows quite a bit about the Numinous Episcopate, so His Grace, Saint Anthony, has gotten her to assist us."
…
In the evening, Klein, who had dismissed Richardson, took four steps counterclockwise and entered above the gray fog. He conjured The World Gehrman Sparrow and made his blurry figure pray.
"…Please inform Miss Magician that she needs to reserve a hotel room before Friday night. It's best that it's far from the place where Mr. X holds the gathering…
"…Pass me the stone and spellbook ahead of time. I need to make certain preparations…
"…On Friday night, she needs to stop her friend who participates in Mr. X's gathering and also present to me that person's external appearance when in disguise…
"…If there's anything else, I'll inform her in time."
With only two days left before the assassination attempt on Mr. X, Klein undoubtedly needed to prepare ahead of time. And there were many things that needed preparation. Dwayne Dantès wasn't able to do everything, so he had to rely on Miss Magician.
His preliminary plan was to use the powers of a Faceless to disguise himself as a participant in Mr. X's gathering. He would enter directly with the passcode, and then he would employ different plans based on the situation.
According to the experience he had in engaging in combat and controlling his marionette, Klein had a feeling that a Marionettist's principle was "try to hide behind the scenes, covertly directing a script."
Unless necessary, a Marionettist had to avoid engaging in direct combat with others!
Currently, the most troublesome point is that Mr. X's gathering is at eight. And usually, at this time, Dwayne Dantès clearly wouldn't have fallen asleep. He won't be able to escape the notice of his butler and servants and secretly head to East Borough… Of course, on the contrary, it can also create an alibi, but the problem is, what method should I use to fool everyone in his house… If only I had a Faceless partner who can act as Dwayne Dantès… Miss Justice's necklace can do it, but she's not in Backlund… Klein leaned back into his chair as he rubbed his temples.
He had even considered directly summoning and responding to himself, using his identity as Hero Bandit Black Emperor to carry out the operation, but doing so would cause him to lose the ability to change his physical appearance. It also made it difficult for him to possess others and disguise as Fors's friend to participate in the gathering.
Unless Miss Magician's friend is a part of this, allowing me to possess him or her… That wouldn't do either. First, it will expose some of the Tarot Club's secrets, and second, Mr. X might have the means to discover a Wraith. Of course, traces of this can be concealed using a series of seals with a gold coin, the Paper Angel, or the iron cigar case… Klein considered for a while before deciding on a method he was very proficient in from his previous life.
Feigning sickness!
I'll begin acting sick tomorrow. I'll eat very little, and sleep before eight… This way, the butler and servants wouldn't disturb me… But if there's an emergency, what do I do when Walter and company knock on the door? A Magician's Illusion Creation can only fool the eyes. It isn't some artificial intelligence… Artificial intelligence… Right, I can fix the illusion onto a mirror, letting it look like Dwayne Dantès. Then, I'll get Arrodes to answer remotely! With this in mind, Klein's thoughts suddenly opened up.
I have to say that Arrodes can be quite useful at times… After a poignant comment, Klein returned to the real world. He walked to the desk, took out pen and paper, and began drawing a picture comprising of symbols that implied secrecy and mystery prying.
Just as he finished his final stroke, the room's lighting dimmed suddenly. The full-body mirror first turned deep black before silver light surfaced. Loenese text appeared one after another.
"Great Master, your loyal and humble servant, Arrodes, heard your summoning. W-was I late?"
There's something new every time… Klein shook his head in amusement.
"No."
"How tolerant you are of me, Great Master. You can ask your question." Words neatly appeared on the mirror.
Klein thought for a moment before saying, "I plan on eliminating the Aurora Order Oracle, Mr. X. Do you have any suggestions?"
The full-body mirror's words froze for a few seconds before changing.
"It's best you do it after Thursday."
It's in line with my divination… Angel of Fate Ouroboros or a Saint of the Aurora Order might be around Mr. X tonight and on Thursday… Klein smiled and said, "Arrodes, I have something that requires your help."
"T-this is my honor! You are giving me an opportunity!" Words quickly emerged, fully professing what it meant to be excited and delighted. "May I ask what the mission is?"
Klein nodded and said, "This Friday night, I will be using a mirror as an illusion prop, changing it to look like my present identity… If any emergencies happen, you're in charge of controlling the mirror to answer without letting anyone discover any abnormalities.
"Can you do it?"
The air around the full-body mirror suddenly gushed around, and a toady voice belonging to Dwayne Dantès sounded:
"Great Master, I'll try my best to complete anything you command.
"Although it won't be able to last long, and it doesn't match my usual habits, it's enough to deal with everyone here.
"If you wish, I can simulate any voice!"
You're more talented than I expected… It's not easy being a mirror these days… However, why does that final statement sound odd… Klein's facial muscles trembled as he said, "When dealing with them, hide the nature of the question-and-answer game. Don't let others notice it."
Arrodes immediately presented a new sentence on the full-body mirror:
"I will play your identity well!"
"Very good." Klein nodded.
He was truly worried that Arrodes would begin asking Butler Walter and Valet Richardson embarrassing questions. Questions like: "have you fantasized about ladies you shouldn't have any urges for?" or "who do you think of late at night when resolving your physical needs?"
He believed that with the magic mirror's way of doing things, it might very well carry out such an act without any forewarning. Back then, Danitz nearly broke down thanks to its questions.
Without speaking any further, Klein switched to saying, "That will be all for today. I'll contact you again on Friday night."
"Yes, Great Master. Your humble servant already looks forward to serving you!" Arrodes first conjured a single line before producing a drawing of a hand waving.
Chapter 777: Sick and Crazy Setup
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
On Friday afternoon, Klein, who had skipped a literary salon because of his feigned sickness, arrived above the gray fog once again.
In front of him was a hard-covered, palm-sized notebook which was bronze green in color. It was Leymano's Travels which The Magician Fors had provided.
After flipping the item which was closer to a spellbook over to a certain page, Klein looked at the yellowish-brown page, raised his hand, and summoned the Sea God Scepter from the junk pile.
As he injected some of his spirituality into Leymano's Travels, making it light up with a faint luster, he made the blue gem on the scepter's tip emit a bright light.
A sizzling sound was produced as bolts of silver lightning appeared out of thin air. They were thick and menacing as they zapped about, meshing together to form a hurricane.
At the same time, complicated symbols and labels quickly outlined themselves on the page of Leymano's Travels. They overlapped each other and fused together, slowly taking shape.
Just as the page was about to be colored in silver, bolts of lightning snaked out from it, causing all the patterns to be destroyed!
It failed again… Klein sighed silently as he repeated the same process.
This wasn't his first attempt. Ever since he obtained Leymano's Travels on Wednesday night, he would head above the gray fog from time to time, using this spellbook to record the powers produced by the Sea God Scepter. He repeated it until his spirituality was nearly drained, forcing him to return to the real world to take a break.
During this process, there were successes and failures. Klein relied on repeated attempts before completing the final step, recording the Lightning Storm spell which he had eyed for a very long time!
This was a demigod power of the Sailor pathway!
Before that failure, Klein had failed nearly twenty times. It could be said that his luck was terrible.
After repeated failures, he was delighted to see a silver luster spread across the yellowish page at the fifth attempt. An ancient, mysterious, complicated, and indescribable symbol contracted, forming a fancy diagram that made anyone who placed their eyes on it feel as though they were being struck by lightning.
Phew… I've finally succeeded. Klein rubbed his fingers against the paper and heaved a long sigh of relief.
He flipped through Leymano's Travels and admired his previous efforts.
Over the past two days, he wasn't fully caught up with Lightning Storm. He also recorded two other demigod powers. One of them was Paper Angel that he had used while stirring some of the powers above the gray fog. It aided in disrupting any divination and prophecies. Similarly, there was Hurricane that stemmed from the Sea God Scepter.
When recording them, Klein was rather lucky. One took nine times, while the other took twelve before he succeeded.
As for Flight, Glide, Lightning Strike, and other powers that didn't reach Sequence 4, they only required him to do it once or twice. Therefore, Klein had almost filled the entire book.
This spellbook isn't very useful to unaffiliated Beyonders. It needs plenty of time and patience to record a sufficient number of powers. And when the powers exceed Sequence 6, the chances of failure increases, making the powers difficult to obtain… However, there are 22 pathways in the mystical domain. If the first few Sequences have their powers matched well, finishing off a Sequence 5 isn't too surprising… Klein closed Leymano's Travels and sighed inwardly.
From his point of view, the spellbook was equivalent to half a divine artifact for unaffiliated Beyonders. Although it was more difficult to be useful than Creeping Hunger in its early stages, once there was a good combination, it was quite normal for one to fight someone of a higher Sequence. However, among Beyonders who were supported by major factions, Leymano's Travels would be ridiculously powerful. This was because it could record a demigod's powers!
As long as they wish, a demigod can repeat the power again and again. As for Creeping Hunger, it has a high chance of failing to devour a demigod. Even a real Shepherd would find it extremely difficult to Graze a High-Sequence Beyonder. Firstly, there are no available resources, and secondly, it's easy to lose control. Elder Lovia from the City of Silver was someone lucky enough to be able to Graze a Sequence 4 evil spirit… When Klein thought of this, he cast his gaze onto a dark green, coarse stone. It was rough and uneven with signs of burn marks. It was none other than Fors's stone that allowed the traversal of the spirit world.
With Leymano's Travels and this stone, along with the Luck Siphon charm and Wraith marionette, even if Mr. X has a Saint protecting him, I should still be able to complete the mission and leave without problems… Klein rubbed his temples and returned to the real world. After setting up a bestowment ritual, he brought the corresponding items back.
After making all the preparations, he walked to the full-body mirror and looked at himself. He made himself look haggard.
After dinner, Klein had used the excuse of not being well to return to his room.
After taking in the night scenery, he took out a palm-sized mirror from the drawer and placed it on the soft and elastic pillow.
Then, Klein went over, making the mirror reflect the blue-eyed, white-sideburned Dwayne Dantès.
He then slowly straightened his body and took a step back, creating another Dwayne Dantès in bed!
This gentleman was wearing silk pajamas and leaning against a pillow. He held a book in hand with his eyes half-closed as though he was in thought.
Not bad, the mirror illusion isn't weaker than a paper figurine illusion… Klein returned to the desk and picked up a fountain pen, drawing the strange symbol that was a mixture of secrecy and mystery prying.
After a brief silence, the Dwayne Dantès in bed suddenly opened his eyes and gave a toady smile.
"Great Master, your loyal and humble servant, Arrodes, is here!"
I have to say that even with Dwayne Dantès's face, there's no way he can look normal with that kind of smile… Klein silently sighed and nearly turned to look to his side.
"Very good," he praised with a nod.
He didn't give any other instructions. With a half top hat, he slid down from the balcony to the first floor. He followed the secluded garden trail and flipped over the corner perimeter wall of 160 Böklund Street. During this process, he hadn't forgotten to close the windows.
Pressing his right hand on his hat and landing his feet on the streets, Klein slowly looked up. At some point in time, his facial features and outline had changed. He had black hair and brown eyes, with a thin and angular face.
This was the crazy adventurer, Gehrman Sparrow, who had a bounty of 50,000 pounds from just a single country!
The hunt was about to begin.
…
Cherwood Beyonder. Xio, who was just about to head out to East Borough to participate in Mr. X's Beyonder gathering, was stopped by Fors.
"You want to head out to gather material?" Xio deliberated before saying the words her friend often used.
Fors stroked her hair and said, "No, to earn money!
"I previously accepted a mission to find the dust left behind after a ghost fades away. As you know, there aren't any ghosts at the cemetery. They've all been given a send-off by the priests and bishops to their respective deity's kingdom. Therefore, I can only head over to East Borough and find targets that died due to various reasons without being discovered.
"Can you bear letting such a beautiful and frail lady like me head into such a messy place alone?"
"But, can't you push it back a day?" Xio said hesitantly. "I'm planning to participate in Mr. X's gathering."
Fors immediately shook her head.
"No, I need to complete the mission tomorrow. It's a total of 50 pounds!"
"If it's due tomorrow, why didn't you do it the past few days?" Xio looked suspiciously at her friend.
Fors chuckled.
"Is this your first day knowing me?
"Don't you know I have a severe case of procrastination?
"Besides, you have no money. What's the point of going to Mr. X's gathering? You don't even know what Beyonder ingredients you need!"
"That's true." Xio was convinced before she smiled. "Does every author have a sickness of procrastination?"
"Probably." As Fors perfunctorily replied, she secretly heaved a sigh of relief.
…
In the East Borough, inside a cheap motel, Klein entered the room which Miss Magician had reserved for him under a fake alias.
Here, having a room and a bed for one person was an extravagance, but even so, such rooms only cost 12 pence a night. Of course, many of the cheap motels in East Borough didn't have any single rooms. The best of them were some compartments that cost 5 pence a night. It only had a bed and a partition that blocked others from looking inside, allowing the occupants to change clothes.
As for the ten to twenty bunk beds in the basement, they cost 1.5 pence a night. The motel didn't hold any responsibilities for the items that one stored there.
There's actually a mirror. Not bad… Klein put down his hat and stood in front of a full-body mirror filled with crevices. He then wore the hooded robe which Miss Magician had prepared for him.
Immediately after that, his body shrank at a discernible pace. His skin gradually turned pale with a tinge of malt colors. The Adam's apple at his throat vanished as his hair grew long and turned blonde.
Klein instantly recognized the image of Fors's friend, even though the disguise didn't show her looks. It was Miss Xio!
However, because there was a hood to conceal himself, he didn't really transform into a woman. All he did was handle the easily noticeable spots.
I can't do anything about the height of 150 centimeters. I'll need to digest the entirety of my potion before I can reach this limit… Thankfully, Miss Xio disguises herself by raising her height. I don't have to vex over this… Klein looked at the 160-centimeter-tall figure in the mirror, switched to a pair of leather boots that looked to be and was flat-soled.
After donning the disguise, Klein hooded himself and silently left the single room from the window. He came to an alley in East Borough, taking a detour until he arrived outside the building where Mr. X was hosting the Beyonder gathering.
After recalling the passcode which Miss Magician had provided, Klein rapped the door with his fingers—three light taps and three heavy taps, separated by two long and three short intervals.
After ten seconds, the door silently opened. An attendant wearing an iron mask first observed the visitor before making way.
Klein calmly walked past him and entered the building without showing any signs of panic.
Chapter 778: 1 + 1 > 2
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
While passing through the living room, Klein's spiritual perception was triggered. He felt that there was an invisible gaze scanning him from an unknown location.
He feigned ignorance as he entered the activity room ahead. He surveyed the area and found a spot that wasn't too far or close to the host's seat.
And at the moment he passed through the activity room's door, all the attention on him vanished.
If not for the Wraith having three seals to isolate it, it probably would've been noticed… Mr. X doesn't appear to be as bold and crazy as he seems… Klein sat down and moved his hood, hiding his face deeper in the shadows.
After about ten minutes, when most of the members had arrived, a brass mask-wearing Mr. X appeared by the door without causing a commotion. He walked in and headed towards his seat.
He was dressed in a black classical robe with a pointed mage hat. As he walked, he had a converged aura, but it was enough to make everyone present bow their heads without realizing it.
Turning around and slowly taking his seat, Mr. X surveyed the room and said in a deep voice, "Let's begin."
He's within four meters… Klein wasn't in a rush to take action. He retracted his gaze and patiently watched as a few gathering members exchanged information about people with abnormal luck for money. Occasionally, Mr. X would reply.
Time ticked by as the gathering's focus went from Mr. X's act of handing out rewards to the transactions between the members. Klein didn't hesitate as he tapped his left thumb on the first segment of his index finger twice, activating his Spirit Body Threads vision.
Illusory black threads immediately surfaced before his eyes as they emanated from the bodies of different people, out into the void towards some boundless distance.
After making a simple distinction of the threads, Klein began to secretly control Mr. X's Spirit Body Threads.
There were two difficulties to this mission according to his plan. The first was that having Astrologer as one of the earlier jobs in his pathway, Mr. X or the other hidden Aurora Order Saint might be able to sense the danger when he began controlling the Spirit Body Threads, acutely sensing some abnormality.
Klein wasn't sure about Mr. X's spiritual intuition because back when Miss Sharron existed in a Wraith state, she failed to notice Marionettist Rosago's controlling of her Spirit Body Threads. However, for a Saint who was a demigod, a High-Sequence Beyonder who had obtained godhood, no special trait of this being would surprise Klein. It wasn't surprising if that being's spiritual intuition was triggered due to the changes in another person's Spirit Body Threads.
For other Marionettist, they were probably helpless regarding this. But Klein was different. He had another identity as The Fool. He had the powers of the mysterious space above the gray fog to aid him, allowing him to rely on Paper Angels to produce interference and eliminate any hidden problems.
The gathering continued without any abnormalities. More than ten seconds passed as Klein was close to gaining initial control of Mr. X. There was only three seconds left, but this Aurora Order Oracle didn't notice at all. He continued observing the completion of another transaction with a deep look in his eyes, his thoughts a mystery.
At the critical moment, Klein stopped!
He barely maintained his progress as he extended his hand, reaching into the pocket of the hooded robe and touching the iron cigar case which had been sealed with a wall of spirituality.
Klein moved his fingers, prodding it gently to remove the wall of spirituality, allowing it to disperse into a swirling wind inside his pocket.
He pulled back his palm and waited for a few more seconds until Mr. X's gaze looked to the side before he continued controlling the Spirit Body Threads.
Two seconds. One second. Zero!
Mr. X's thoughts turned sluggish as though someone had poured stirred cement onto him.
An enemy… Danger… Slow thoughts appeared in his head as he quickly made his decision. He planned on seeking help from his subordinates and the entity who was watching in secret, and put up an effective resistance.
At this moment, coldness drilled into his body, preventing his limbs and mouth from answering his will.
Admiral of Blood Senor!
A Wraith's possession!
There were many flaws to a Marionettist's control of Spirit Body Threads. The biggest problem was the target immediately realizing that there was a problem once initial control was attained. They would then have the ability to carry out any contingencies.
If it was one-on-one, without anyone around them, Klein could naturally use the target's increasingly impeded state to effectively disrupt and interfere with any resistance they put up, but if the target had any aides, it was very difficult for a Marionettist's control to fool others. It required help from the environment, or partners to conceal the matter without exposing it.
And on this point, a Wraith who was able to possess a target and forcefully control them was the best support for a Marionettist!
The reason why Klein didn't directly enter a state of initial control was because he needed to release the Wraith.
After the initial inspection at the door, the vigilance in the activity room at the gathering location was definitely lower!
Mr. X's eyes widened as his thoughts turned sluggish. His instinctive attempt to shout was blocked by his throat and mouth, silencing him completely.
His attempt to raise his hands also slowed down as they reached for a porcelain teacup by his side.
This completely violated his will. It was because of the cold aura that occupied every corner of his body!
Wraith… Marionettist… No… If this continues… I'll die silently… Mr. X immediately controlled his spirituality as he constructed complicated symbols and labels in his mind.
He was just about to open a Traveler's Door, which was also the Door of Teleportation, to escape the Marionettist's control range. Compared to that, a Wraith's possession was relatively less dangerous!
But amidst his sluggish thoughts, the illusory symbols and labels failed to appear all at once. Instead, they appeared one stroke after another in a discontinuous matter and at an insufficient speed.
Seizing this opportunity, Wraith Senor, who was possessing Mr. X, under Marionettist Klein's control, simply moved Mr. X's head, changing his seating position.
Such an action instantly interrupted the formation of the Traveler's Door!
Oh no… My… reaction… is too slow… It will be… interfered… by the Wraith… Use mystical… item… Mr. X's eyes filled with blood, but none of his subordinates around him noticed it. Even the one watching in secret didn't notice any abnormalities.
As for the gathering members who were interacting and trading, they lowered their voices because of his change in seating posture.
At that moment, the activity room was filled with people. Although there were Beyonders everywhere and many were his assistants, Mr. X found himself in extreme solitude and was helpless.
He didn't even know who was attacking him or where the attacker was sitting!
As the thoughts went through his mind, Mr. X regained control of his spirituality as he directed it towards the golden ring with an embedded ruby on his left index finger.
However, going from a thought to a decision, and then going from a decision to an action took too long. It was as though he was acting out his thought processes in slow motion.
This gave Senor plenty of time to raise Mr. X's left palm, bend his finger, and tap the side of "his" forehead which was uncovered by the brass mask as though in thought.
It was a very faint tapping sound, and the strength used was quite significant, but under Klein's control, Senor held back perfectly. It made most of the strength enter Mr. X's mind without spreading outwards so as to hide any commotion.
Tak! Tak!
Mr. X's thoughts of emanating his spirituality were disrupted, and he was temporarily unable to find his train of thought.
By the time he recovered, the Marionettist's control had deepened. This made his thoughts chaotic and impeded. Even his thinking and decision-making became extremely difficult.
With the Wraith using all kinds of tiny, concealed actions to interfere with Mr. X's attempts to use his various Beyonder powers and impressive mystical items, he slowly slid towards the abyss of becoming a marionette.
He watched helplessly as he marched towards death slowly.
Only then did he realize how terrifying and unsolvable the combination of a Marionettist and Wraith was.
The hunt continued silently under everyone's noses.
As Klein's control deepened, Mr. X's actions turned stiffer and sluggish. However, with the Wraith possessing him, no one could notice any problems.
To be precise, Mr. X's actions were no longer a result of the sluggish him, but from Wraith Senor. He wasn't even able to show the look of despair in his eyes.
Amidst the transactions that either succeeded or failed, ranging from arguments to negotiations, five minutes quickly passed. Klein was just one last step from killing Mr. X and turning him into his marionette.
However, he couldn't do so.
This was because he had yet to digest much of the Marionettist potion. He could only control one marionette at present, so if he wanted to convert Mr. X, he had to give up Wraith Senor.
But once he gave up Senor, this Admiral of Blood who was long dead would immediately surface and be discovered by everyone. It would bring about extreme trouble.
Similarly, if Klein didn't give up his Wraith marionette had and assassinated Mr. X while he wasn't able to resist, he needed to consider the Aurora Order Saint who was lurking in the shadows.
This was the second most difficult part of his plan.
To silently control Mr. X and remove his ability to resist wasn't difficult with the combination of Marionettist and Wraith. The way to kill him wasn't difficult as well. Mr. X in his present state could easily be finished off by Klein with an Air Bullet.
The difficulty was in leaving safely after pulling off such a stunt.
This actually required sufficient patience.
Time slowly passed with Klein appearing calm despite his tensed nerves. He pretended that he wasn't interested in the items that appeared as he kept silent the entire time.
Finally, when the gathering came to an end, Mr. X said in a deep voice with complete normality, "The end."
His words were succinct, just like the way he ended the previous gathering. This was what Xio described to Fors.
As the gathering's members stood up one by one, Klein mixed in among them, looking inconspicuous. At the same time, he reached his hand into his pocket, and he flipped open Leymano's Travels based on his sense of touch.
Chapter 779: One-Shot
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The three types of paper in Leymano's Travels clearly had different textures. The white paper that could only record Sequence 7, 8, and 9 powers was thin, smooth and flat. The yellowish-brown goatskin which could record Sequence 5 and 6 powers were very pliable like tanned leather. The three charred yellow pages that could record godhood powers were thick and textured. Together, they allowed someone to quickly distinguish between them simply from touch.
Klein's fingers quickly found the thick and textured three pages as he gently pinched the middle page.
Although his pocket wasn't large enough, preventing him from fully opening Leymano's Travels, the hooded robe was personally modified by Fors herself. The pocket had plenty of space, allowing the palm-sized spellbook to be flipped to a right angle.
As Klein used his palm to prevent Leymano's Travels from closing, he used his finger to slide across the corresponding page's surface. The surface had slight bumps and depressions, making the strange patterns and symbols that were filled with mystery and ancient vibes be directly presented in his mind.
He injected his spirituality into it.
This charred-yellow page recorded a demigod power of the Storm pathway: Hurricane!
Klein wanted to use it to create chaos, so as to interfere with the Aurora Order saint who was lurking in the darkness. By doing so, he could seize the opportunity to assassinate Mr. X and escape with the help of the wind.
Aside from this goal, the chaos could also effectively hide his tracks. By letting the members of the gathering scatter, and with everyone's identity being a mystery, doing so made everyone be a suspect. The Aurora Order would then find it difficult to pinpoint Xio.
As his thoughts whirred, Klein locked his gaze onto a spot, and he slowly pulled out Leymano's Travels.
Meanwhile, Mr. X took two steps to Klein's side, standing near him like he was a friend he hadn't seen in years.
Following that, there was a loud buzz as a terrifying hurricane spiraled out of control in front of everybody. It was where Klein had targeted his spirituality at.
The tables, coffee tables, sofa, and high-back chairs in the room flew up as the violent hurricane ripped through the walls, carrying the roof away as it headed for the alley. Some of the gathering's participants were in the way of the hurricane and were thrown far away, while others fell forward due to the wind pressure as they ran in another direction.
If Klein hadn't purposely controlled the timing and direction of the hurricane, not only would Mr. X's old house be destroyed, but even the series of condominiums around it would suffer damage. As for the gathering participants, they would've been swept up in the hurricane, having their survival depend solely on luck.
The buzzing sounds quickly intensified as the hurricane that reached into the sky was like a terrifying giant. It stomped across the alley towards the street, leaving nothing behind in its wake.
Klein was similarly swept up as he and the possessed Mr. X were thrown onto another street.
During this process, as both of them were standing close to one another, along with how a Wraith could float, these could control the target's body to a certain extent even with the hurricane. Therefore, the distance between Klein and Mr. X ultimately stayed within five meters. His control of the Spirit Body Threads had never been terminated.
In midair, with the howling winds in his ear, Klein suddenly yanked at his chest with his right hand, tearing away the hooded robe's surface, reached under his arm, and drew Death Knell.
Although in Mr. X's current state where just Air Bullets alone could finish him off, Klein decided to be cautious. He was afraid that certain mystical items on his body would suddenly be triggered, just like Admiral of Blood Senor's necklace.
When hunting, it was necessary to do his best!
Klein's vigorous action of drawing his revolver had obviously affected his control of the Spirit Body Threads. If it wasn't because Mr. X was on the brink of being fully controlled, just this alone was enough to recover his usual lucidness.
However, even so, Mr. X's thoughts were no longer impeded as his mind sped up.
He attempted to resist, but with Wraith Senor's possessing him, it had forced his efforts to be in vain for a brief moment.
Then, Mr. X's eyes reflected an enemy who swooped downward. It was a thin face with pronounced facial lines.
In his vision, the person coldly cocked the revolver, pointing the black barrel at him.
Bang!
Klein didn't hesitate to pull the trigger as the gunshot was drowned by the howling winds.
Mr. X's head jerked backwards as though an invisible hand had pressed onto it.
His head and brass mask shattered into pieces, splattering red and white liquids everywhere.
It was a lethal shot!
Death Knell had sounded the knell for him!
Plop!
After the shot, Klein fell to the ground on his back.
With a thud, Mr. X landed beside him as the blood and fragments that scattered in midair had strangely flowed back, gathering by his neck and forming a head filled with cracks and crevices.
This was the ability of a Wraith.
At that moment, the hurricane was starting to disperse, and the huge commotion had undoubtedly caught the notice of faraway demigods.
Inside the Holy Wind Cathedral, the new Backlund archbishop, Deep Blue Officiant Randall Valentinus, instantly flew out of his room as he floated in the air.
Klein, who had fallen on the ground, noticed that the wind pressure had weakened. With Death Knell in one hand and Leymano's Travels in the other, he flipped the latter to the first yellowish-brown goatskin page.
After obtaining this spellbook, he realized that there were a few pages recorded in it, with one of them being Traveler's Door.
Klein originally imagined that it was a coincidence, but on careful thought, he found it inevitable. This was because Leymano's Travels belonged to the ancient Abraham family. They wielded the Apprentice pathway and several corresponding mystical items, so they had the resources to easily record a Traveler's powers. After all, this was something very, very useful.
At that moment, as long as the Traveler's Door was formed, Klein could leave unharmed with Mr. X's corpse that was being possessed by Wraith Senor.
He hadn't used it in the building, because it was possible that the Aurora Order Saint might intercept it. Furthermore, Mr. X was also a Traveler. He had a chance of successfully escaping via Traveler's Door. Therefore, Klein didn't dare risk it before he was completely dead.
At that moment, Klein's vision went black as he realized that the surrounding streets were filled with a pitch-black and strange liquid. They surged over and quickly coagulated to form a strong cage.
In such darkness, shadows began to come alive as cold gazes landed on him.
A demigod's power! The Aurora Order does have a saint nearby! There's no way to directly teleport away! Klein's heart tensed up as he calmly flipped Leymano's Travels to the charred-yellow page.
Sizzle!
A silver "python" snaked out of thin air, embroiling itself with the darkness as it illuminated everything.
Lightning Storm!
The coagulated pitch-blackness shattered instantly. And without any hesitation, Klein stuffed his Death Knell-wielding right hand into his pocket, pinching the dark green stone that was filled with burn marks.
"Door!"
He chanted in ancient Hermes with an abnormally calm tone.
A light blue brilliance burst out as Klein's figure rapidly turned into a blur. Even Mr. X's corpse which had come close to grab onto his shoulder had experienced similar changes.
The two figures instantly turned invisible as they vanished from the spot. They quickly departed into the spirit world with overlapping saturated colors, pulling off an ingenious escape.
In the shadowy alley with the flattened gathering building which had planks, rubble, clothes, and all kinds of random items strewn all around, someone harrumphed.
"Damn it!"
At this moment, the other gathering members had already fled the street. From far away in the sky, a sonic boom could be heard.
…
Xio and Fors, who were searching for ghosts in East Borough, were alarmed by the sky that suddenly lit up. They hurriedly looked into the distance and saw the silver forest that seemed to bloom like a forest.
The twisted form and sense of horror had left them trembling despite the distance. They didn't even dare look straight at it.
"What happened over there?" Xio mumbled as she exchanged looks with Fors blankly.
Fors actually had a guess, but she found it difficult to believe. This was because it had far exceeded her expectations of The World Gehrman Sparrow's strength!
…
In a dark alley, Klein appeared out of thin air with Mr. X's corpse as they landed on the ground.
He wasn't flustered at all. He kept Death Knell in his pocket and then took out another book.
Groselle's Travels!
Smack! Klein smacked the book written by Dragon of Imagination Ankewelt onto Mr. X's face, staining the cover with blood.
Moments later, Mr. X's corpse vanished, leaving behind Wraith Senor in his dark red coat and old triangular hat.
Right on the heels of that, Klein put away Groselle's Travels, flipped open Leymano's Travels and made another charred-yellow page face up.
Suddenly, a bright light emitted from the book as an illusory angel with twelve wings flew up and landed on Klein.
All of this happened in an instant before darkness returned to the alley. Only the dim moonlight continued illuminating the area silently.
Klein immediately took out another metal bottle, poured out the blood stored inside, and uniformly smeared it across Leymano's Travels.
After doing all of this, he put away everything else, pulling away the hooded robe and throwing it beside him.
A scarlet flame immediately soared up, burning the tattered robe clean.
Meanwhile, Klein silently grew another 10 centimeters as he transformed into a relatively ordinary appearance.
Then, he identified his bearings with the help of the stars, and he picked up a fallen branch to assist him as he quickly toured through the dark and deteriorated streets, returning back to the cheap motel.
At this point, he still had no idea what additional weakness he had been given.
Inside the single room in the motel, Klein changed into his own clothes, turning back into Gehrman Sparrow.
Seeing this thin and cold-looking crazy adventurer in the mirror, he fell silent for a few seconds, picking up the half top hat and wearing it.
…
Above the flattened building, Church of Storms Cardinal, Backlund diocese archbishop, Deep Blue Officiant Randall Valentinus, who had failed in capturing anyone, looked down in silence for an extended period of time.
…
160 Böklund Street. Upon seeing the visitor outside, Butler Walter asked in surprise, "Your Excellency, why are you suddenly here? Is there something?"
Bishop Elektra chuckled and said, "I heard that Dwayne is sick, so I'm here to visit him. Perhaps he will quickly recover under the Goddess's blessings."