1028 Saving Himself
No good… My Spirit Body Threads… have been controlled by him… Having met Faceless Beyonders, Marionettists, or Bizarro Sorcerers, and even fighting senior Beyonders and demigods, Qonas Kilgor wasn't unfamiliar with the predicament he was in. He was even rather familiar with it and knew quite a bit.
Therefore, he knew very well that he had fallen into a lethal trap. The time he had left to save himself didn't exceed fifteen seconds!
And in these fifteen seconds, his thoughts would turn more and more sluggish, and the speed at which he could come up with solutions would slow down. Towards the end, just the thought of a solution would take him several seconds. Yet, his stiff and dull body would require plenty of time to actualize his thoughts. This also meant that he had about ten seconds to save himself!
Of course, he had considered the corresponding response for the last few seconds. It was to abandon his body's control and reveal his Mythical Creature form. Through this, he could delay the time it took to become a marionette and then use his existence to disrupt the enemy, dealing a blow to them to a certain extent.
However, by doing so, even if he escaped the fate of becoming a marionette and even manage to defeat his enemy, Qonas Kilgor didn't have much confidence in continuing to live.
He wasn't a demigod who could freely switch between his human form and Mythical Creature form. He didn't have the confidence that he could maintain his rationale in a Mythical Creature form.
In order words, the outcome of escaping the fate of becoming a marionette by releasing his Mythical Creature form likely meant that the human, Qonas Kilgor, would die, while a monster of the same name would occupy his body.
Because of that outcome, Qonas Kilgor wouldn't make such an attempt unless it was necessary.
While his thoughts weren't too sluggish, and with how he could hear Rever's Shout of Despair in his ears, this demigod of the military quickly came up with his first plan to save himself.
He moved his right thumb at a speed that couldn't be considered slow.
Earl of The Fallen—Magnify!
Qonas Kilgor didn't wish to "Magnify" a particular state of his or the attack of a particular Sealed Artifact; instead, it was used to "Magnify" Rever's Shout of Despair's side effects!
This special revolver allowed the wielder to hear the roar of despair from time to time, a rather serious blow to creatures without godhood, easily pushing them to the brink of losing control, to madness, to a mental breakdown, or mind blanking. And at Sequence 4, the effects of the roar was greatly mitigated once his body possessed the characteristics of a Mythical Creature.
To Qonas Kilgor, this roar was enough to turn his mind adrift and generate irascible mood swings. It didn't have much of an effect on him, and he had already gotten used to it.
And at that moment, he wanted to "Magnify" the "roar of despair" to a state where even a demigod wouldn't be able to tolerate it. He wanted to use the pain that came from this psychic piercing in his mind to escape the state of having his Spirit Body Threads being controlled!
As "Magnify" didn't need any obvious actions, it was quick to show its effects. Opposite him, Gehrman Sparrow, who held Death Knell and wore a half top hat, was floating in midair with strong gusts of wind swirling around him. He didn't make it in time to stop the Earl of The Fallen from successfully using this Beyonder power.
But in the next second, what Qonas Kilgor met in response wasn't a terrifying roar but silence.
The ordinary roar that was originally present had vanished!
This was a random anomaly brought about by the Concerto of Light and Shadow!
Seriously… How unlucky… Qonas Kilgor's thoughts slowly flashed past his mind. He didn't have the luxury of time to feel disheartened as he immediately made a second attempt.
He raised his right hand in an unsteady manner, aiming Rever's Shout of Despair at Gehrman Sparrow who stood 150 meters from him and was about to pull the trigger.
At the same moment, the strong winds that blew at his right hand suddenly disintegrated in an inward fashion, turning into scattered eddies.
Earl of The Fallen—Disorder!
Qonas had used this to withstand Gehrman Sparrow's interference.
Following that, there was a series of thumping sounds. Like a machine gun, Rever's Shout of Despair spewed out dangerous bullets without stopping.
Gehrman Sparrow's black trenchcoat covered body jerked repeatedly, but he wasn't hit.
The bullets grazed his outline and flew into the distance, shattering the windows and walls, causing one of the buildings to collapse in silence.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The subsequent bullet storm continued their barrage, and finally, Gehrman Sparrow was struck repeatedly!
Amidst splattering blood, Gehrman Sparrow kept struggling and shaking in the strong gust of winds like a paper figurine, looking as though he was about to tear apart at any moment.
Bang! Bang! Bang! The strange revolver finally stopped its "roar." And apart from his head, Gehrman Sparrow was riddled with nasty gaping holes.
Typically speaking, this was definitely a state that only the dead had. However, Gehrman Sparrow continued controlling the Spirit Body Threads as though he was unaffected.
The ridiculous wounds on his body slowly but resolutely healed.
This was the effect of Flower of Blood.
This Gehrman Sparrow was actually Enuni!
The reason why he didn't die in that storm-like attack was because he had released all his accumulated luck. It was also because Qonas Kilgor was sufficiently unlucky!
And the "roar of despair" that the bullets brought forth was nothing to a marionette.
Seeing that the violent attack failed to achieve the desired effect and that the amount of time he had left to save himself dwindled, Qonas Kilgor followed his thought out plan and slowly relaxed his five left fingers without any thought.
The iron-skinned pocket watch left his palm and dropped to the ground.
At such a critical moment, Qonas Kilgor decisively gave up the Concerto of Light and Shadow and made it stay far away from the battlefield so as to avoid the effects of its random anomalies.
Next, he might only have one or two chances to save himself. If another anomaly were to happen, the outcome was irreversible!
The Sealed Artifact which was a mixture of half order and disorder quickly plummeted to the ground. Qonas Kilgor moved his fingers with great difficulty as he faced Gehrman Sparrow, whose wounds were quickly healing.
He originally had two choices. One was to use the third method he had originally thought of to save himself, an action that only required a mere thought. The other was to "Magnify" his enemy's injuries and make him die on the spot.
However, when Qonas Kilgor was still able to think relatively quickly, he didn't expect "Gehrman Sparrow" to not die after suffering so many gunshots, even his control over the Spirit Body Threads wasn't affected. There was no subsequent followup to this plan.
And at this moment, his brain was already like a sluggish mush. He had no way of thinking too much. He didn't wish to waste any more time as he followed his plans.
Whoosh!
Around Gehrman Sparrow, who wore a transparent glove and iron-black revolver, the strong gusts of winds that held him up suddenly intensified and sent him flying up high.
Whoosh!
With the help of the strong winds, Gehrman Sparrow raced to the pitch-black sky under the watch of the gigantic crimson moon.
Earl of The Fallen—Magnify!
The strong winds that helped Gehrman Sparrow fly had been "Magnified" into a hurricane!
This way, the distance between him and Qonas Kilgor would stretch beyond 150 meters. That would terminate the process of turning the latter into a marionette!
Seeing his goal achieved, Qonas Kilgor, who had yet to regain his freedom, had his expression turn complicated bit by bit.
The hurricane rapidly expanded and swept over to him, engulfing him and throwing him high into the sky. It made it impossible for the distance between him and Gehrman Sparrow to open up.
He was truly unlucky.
Under the night sky, amidst the moonlight, the two figures became smaller.
Soon, the hurricane returned to normal as their momentum slowly diminished.
Seizing this opportunity, Qonas Kilgor.s nearly frozen mind had another idea.
"Stop…"
He stopped maintaining his power of flight and used gravity to plummet down like a meteor, doing so in order to rapidly open up a distance from Gehrman Sparrow.
Then, he ignored Gehrman Sparrow's ability to control the wind and pursue him. He slowly pulled his left arm in front of his body like it was filled with rust.
It was the action of "closing a door."
He wanted to use an Earl of The Fallen's "Distortion" to create a wall-like seal in the air, putting an obstacle between Gehrman Sparrow and him, so that he couldn't carry out his pursuit.
At that moment, the marionettes, the Gehrman Sparrows who were still alive underneath him, raised their left arms and made the gesture of firing a gun.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Bullets shot out, enveloping Qonas Kilgor in midair.
After the shockwaves dispersed, Qonas Kilgor was covered with several bloody holes.
Due to the pain and the jolting of his body from the first few bullets striking him, he had finally snapped out of the state of having his Spirit Body Threads being controlled. The speed of his thoughts rapidly recovered.
Following that, he "Disordered" the subsequent volley at the critical moment and "Distorted" his injuries, preventing himself from dying. All he suffered were serious injuries.
And Gehrman Sparrow, who had many mystical items and was swooping down from above, he was obstructed by the invisible wall. He failed to catch up.
With another "Distortion," Qonas Kilgor's descent speed slowed down as he gently landed on the ground.
Before he could do anything else, his body froze again as he stood stiffly on the spot.
He felt that his hands and feet were resisting him and not listening to his commands. He felt that there was an unfamiliar object hiding in his body!
Then, he saw a figure walk out of Maygur Manor's master bedroom under the gigantic crimson moon's illumination and stand on the balcony.
He had black hair and brown eyes, wearing a silk top hat and a black trench coat. His facial features were pronounced, and he was another Gehrman Sparrow.
This Gehrman Sparrow's right hand had the gesture of firing a gun. He then pulled back his hand and blew at it.
That was Klein himself.
What he shot out wasn't an Air Bullet but a Parasite Bullet delivered with an Air Bullet's might!
It was a Parasite Bullet created from a Worm of Time that Amon's avatar had left behind!
It could create a Worm of Time that couldn't live too long, allowing it to "Parasitize" the target and be controlled by the user.
Klein had deliberately taken out the bullet and held it in his hand, specifically to wait for this opportunity. He was waiting for Qonas Kilgor to throw away Concerto of Light and Shadow and not have the ability to dodge or use Distortion.
The former was predictable when the Earl of The Fallen's Spirit Body Threads reached the state of initially being control. This was because he couldn't allow the random anomalies to influence his attempts to save himself, and the latter was all about patience.
Just moments ago, his patience had paid off. A chance appeared. Klein was the first to raise his hand and shoot.
Without the random anomalies affecting the outcome, he had accurately shot a Parasite Bullet into Qonas Kilgor's body!
If the thing that had previously taken effect wasn't a Deceit Bullet but a Deprivation Bullet, then the strategy would be different.
Briefly unable to control his body, Qonas Kilgor looked at the Gehrman Sparrow on the balcony remove his top hat, press his hand to his chest, and bow slightly at him under the gigantic crimson moon.
As Gehrman Sparrow's trench coat fluttered, his thoughts had turned sluggish.
Chapter 1029 Ruins No. 1
No… Qonas Kilgor stood on the spot as a strong feeling of despair emerged in his heart.
As a military demigod who had experienced many dangers, he had a clear understanding of his current situation. He could already hear the footsteps of death approaching him.
He wanted to struggle and risk it by revealing his Mythical Creature form, but his orders didn't do a thing with his sluggish mind.
His body had been "Parasitized" and was no longer under his control!
At that moment, Qonas Kilgor wasn't even capable of shedding a tear.
Under the gigantic crimson moon's illumination, one second after another passed. Suddenly, Qonas Kilgor raised his left hand and touched his crew haircut.
He had already become Klein's marionette.
In fact, he still had a chance at the final moment. As the "Parasite" effect didn't last long enough for him to become a marionette, he had those two or three seconds to reveal his Mythical Creature form.
But the problem was that his body also had the effects of "Misdirection" and "Deceit." As time passed, his thoughts turned more and more sluggish and wasn't able to grasp that short opportunity.
Klein looked at his new marionette and exhaled silently. He looked up at the clear and bright red moon and said, "It's done."
Amidst the gigantic crimson moon, a black dot instantly appeared and descended from the sky. It was none other than the Church of Evemight's archbishop, Servant of Concealment, Arianna, who wore a simple robe with tree bark as a belt.
In this concealed world, this ascetic didn't use any Beyonder powers to float in midair. "She" cast her eyes at the Earl of The Fallen beneath.
"She" gently raised her right hand as Qonas Kilgor's slightly blurry soul emerged from the military demigod's head. Klein lost his control over his marionette as a result of this.
He wasn't too surprised by this because he hadn't sent a Worm of Spirit through the Spirit Body Threads over. His control over the marionette was essentially still at a Sequence 5 state and not at the demigod level.
"Where did you go just now?" Arianna asked calmly as she looked at Qonas Kilgor's soul.
Qonas Kilgor's expression twisted slightly before replying.
"Ruins No. 1."
…Is this a contractual promise or a psychological cue? Klein, who watched the spirit channeling from the side, sensed something from the Earl of The Fallen's reaction.
However, this didn't affect anything because they were in a concealed world, one which no one knew of or could sense.
"Where is that ruin? Who did it once belong to? What is it being used for?" As an archbishop of the Evernight Goddess and an angel of the corresponding pathway, Arianna shared a certain amount of authority in Concealment. Therefore, "She" didn't start with the simplest questions but went straight to the point. "She" wasn't afraid of any accidents.
Qonas Kilgor's soul trembled slightly as he exuded a feeling as if he would automatically blow up, but ultimately, nothing happened.
He hesitantly replied, "That ruin is located deep underground at the Sterlewen segment of the Tussock River. It has a setup that interferes with the powers of divination and prophecy."
Sterlewen segment… This is quite far from the mountain where Mr. A was at and where you disappeared from. From the looks of it, you were very cautious. That point-to-point Teleport's effects are greater than I expected… Klein quickly conjured a picture of the terrain of Backlund's northwestern outskirts.
Qonas Kilgor continued replying, "That ruin used to belong to Blood Emperor Alista Tudor. I'm not sure what it's currently used for. I'm unable to enter the depths of the ruins and am only in charge of sending in people and materials acquired via various means."
The name Blood Emperor Alista Tudor made Arianna fall silent. About three seconds later, she asked, "What materials did you acquire?"
This time, Qonas Kilgor didn't put up much of a resistance. He listed them down, including large amounts of mercury, iron ore, and ritual materials of different domains. Klein was unable to obtain any effective information from that because it was too well-rounded. It was possible to do anything.
They really are very careful. Using large amounts of sundries to hide what they're truly searching for. Even the demigod in charge of these matters isn't aware of the reason… This is very in line with the way a Spectator pathway Beyonder works. It was designed by the Psychology Alchemists? Klein nodded indiscernibly with a guess in mind.
Arianna didn't seem to notice anything as she asked, "Do you have any guesses on what they're doing? If so, what?"
"Yes, I suspect that they're digging up something and attempting to make sacrifices," Qonas Kilgor voiced out his judgment.
Arianna silently looked down at him for a while and said, "Who got you involved in the underground ruins?
"Who are the people who can enter the depths of the ruins?"
Qonas Kilgor struggled once again, but there were no anomalies.
He said hesitantly, "I received His Majesty's orders. I was able to become a demigod because he provided me with the formulas, ingredients, and the opportunity. He even bestowed me with the Concerto of Light and Shadow, allowing me to act as a Sequence 5 Beyonder even in situations where I can't hide my strength.
"Apart from His Majesty entering the depths of the ruins, only two other demigods of the royal family can enter. One of them is Prince Grove, and the other is Duchess Georgina."
They both have Augustus as their last names… But the royal family doesn't only have two demigods… Miss Justice doesn't know much of these two and mentioned that they seldom participate in social events. Even their seats as House of Lords Member of Parliaments are given to their children… Yes, at the demigod level, even if they lack the Beyonder characteristics of not dying and not aging, it wouldn't be a problem living for more than a hundred years. It's really not suitable for them to hold official posts and repeatedly appear in public… Klein tried hard to recall, but he failed to gather anything else.
Arianna was silent for a few seconds before suddenly asking, "Have you met Correns in the underground ruins?"
"Who is he?" Qonas Kilgor asked in confusion.
Arianna didn't answer and continued asking, "Besides them, who else have you met in the underground ruins?"
Qonas Kilgor maintained his sluggish state which was characteristic of spirit channeling.
"People from the Demoness Sect and Psychology Alchemists. The former was originally represented by Despair Nightingale Panatiya, but was changed to Saintess of White Katarina. The latter is Hvin Rambis."
"Did they enter the depths of the underground ruins?" Arianna asked meticulously.
"I don't know. I wasn't following them all the time." Qonas Kilgor shook his head. "At least when I met them, they were all in the periphery."
Arianna asked other questions in an attempt to draw out the general outline of the matter via other angles. However, it was obvious that George Ill's arrangements were flawless. Even a demigod like Qonas Kilgor only knew about the mission that he was responsible for and could only move about in designated regions. He was unable to learn more.
After some thought, Arianna flipped up her right hand and gently pressed down, pushing Qonas Kilgor's soul back into his body. Klein's control over his marionette was restored.
This made Klein sigh inwardly.
The authority of Concealment is really impressive! Even if Ma'am Arianna were to question my marionette one day, I wouldn't even know…
At this moment, Arianna turned her body and spoke to the Gehrman Sparrow on the balcony:
"A problem with George III has basically been confirmed, as well as where the underground ruins are.
"I will immediately meet with the archbishops of the Church of Storms and Church of Steam, convincing them to take action tonight and opening the ruins.
"Before I inform you, control Qonas Kilgor and pretend that everything is fine before making him vanish."
Are you worried that the enemy will notice a problem with Qonas Kilgor while negotiating with the Church of Storms and Church of Steam, making it so that they can seal off the underground ruins or activate other emergency plans? Klein had a general understanding of the matter and nodded.
"No problem."
Arianna, who didn't have adorned hair, didn't speak further. With a casual wave of her hand, the iron-skinned pocket watch flew over.
"This Sealed Artifacts was bestowed by George III. Perhaps we might be able to find some clues from its origins."
Does that mean you're taking it away? Klein replied without any objection, "I'll leave it to you."
He really didn't have any complaints about that, and he even believed that it was only right. After all, half of the battle's success was due to Arianna's contribution with the concealed world and "blessing" him with misfortune. In the event that "She" didn't take the Concerto of Light and Shadow, Klein would mention it. When it came to matters like this, he was always just.
And the Concerto of Light and Shadow was the spoils of war that he didn't want the most. This was because it was at complete odds with his combat style as a Bizarro Sorcerer. The random anomalies would affect him, and the weakening effect was something worse than the enemy.
If Klein's spoils of war from this matter was the pocket watch, then he had considered tricking—no, promoting it to the Snake of Fate Will Auceptin. Only a Life School of Thought demigod who relied on luck to survive could commandeer the Concerto of Light and Shadow. And when that happens, with such a huge secret organization and a Sequence 1, they definitely had powerful Sealed Artifacts that could be used to trade for it.
Upon receiving his reply, Arianna gently nodded. She then threw the iron-skinned pocket watch back at Qonas Kilgor, making the Earl of The Fallen look no different from before.
"Her" figure vanished as though it had been erased by an eraser. Even the pitch-black world with the gigantic crimson moon hanging in the sky, the steeple, and chimneys were quickly wiped away.
In the blink of an eye, everything returned to normal. Klein was inside the master bedroom, and Qonas Kilgor was in a guestroom tens of meters away. Clenched tightly in his hand was Rever's Shout of Despair.
Then, this brigadier general of MI9 used "Disorder" to place the revolver back into his underarm holster and pick up the Maygur wine he had previously poured out and took a sip.
Chapter 1030 Joint Operations
Backlund, North Borough, Saint Samuel Cathedral.
The cardinal of the Church of Storms, archbishop of the Backlund diocese, Deep Blue Officiant Randall Valentinus descended amidst the wind, landing inside the steeple with a huge clock to the left.
He donned a black robe with the Storm symbol and had thick facial hair. His hair was short and stood up, colored in a dark blue that was almost black.
This muscular demigod cast his gaze to the other side and said to the figure who was already waiting there, "Horamick, do you know what happened? Why did Anthony suddenly invite us over here?"
The person he spoke to was dressed in a white priest robe and a clergyman's bonnet. He had a genial and mild expression, and he was none other than the Church of Steam's Divine Council member, archbishop of the Backlund diocese, the demigod, Horamick Haydn.
Upon hearing Randall's question, Horamick calmly replied, "I didn't arrive here much earlier than you. In fact, I only left the laboratory for a few minutes."
He wasn't only a clergyman but also a famous scientist. He was an emeritus professor at Backlund University's physics department.
Randall Valentinus was just about to say something when he suddenly saw a figure walk up the narrow spiral staircase and arrive at the peak in the darkness that the crimson moon wasn't able to illuminate.
This figure was dressed in a black clergyman robe with red accents. By his chest hung five Dark Sacred Emblems. He was clean-shaven, and his eyes were deep, dark, and tranquil. He was none other than one of the thirteen archbishops of the Church of Evernight, Backlund diocese's person-in-charge, Saint Anthony Stevenson.
"Is there something that can't wait until daybreak? Or do people from the Church of Evernight enjoy discussing matters at night?" Deep Blue Officiant Randall Valentinus asked.
Anthony came to a stop after walking up the flight of stairs and said with a serious expression, "A very pressing matter."
"What is it?" Randall asked immediately.
At this moment, Horamick Haydn also cast his gaze at Anthony Stevenson, awaiting his answer.
In similar situations, Horamick especially liked the existence of people from the Church of Storms. This meant that they would take the initiative to ask questions and that there was no need to be euphemistic. It didn't require him to say anything else.
Anthony looked at them separately and said, "It's related to the royal family. I'll let Ma'am Arianna do the honors."
Just as he said that, a barefoot, bun-haired female figure in a simple robe with tree bark for a belt quickly outlined itself out of the shadows.
Upon seeing this figure, Randall and Horamick immediately bowed.
"Good evening, Ma'am Arianna."
Their expressions turned solemn at the same time, for they had a deep understanding of how important and crucial the matter that was happening tonight was.
It was definitely not a small matter for a Grounded Angel to appear!
Meanwhile, they couldn't help but be roused up. They realized that they had no idea when this matron of the Evernight cloister, the servant of Concealment, Ma'am Arianna, had arrived in Backlund.
Under normal circumstances, the three Churches, the royal family, and the military enjoyed a certain degree of tacit cooperationGrounded Angels and Grade o Sealed Artifacts wouldn't appear in Backlund.
"Good evening, Archbishops," Arianna answered without any signs of haughtiness.
She then raised her right hand and grasped onto thin air.
A faint light was emitted as it transformed into a scene along with the darkness. It was the entire conversation between Arianna and Qonas Kilgor.
This secret that appeared to have been kept for quite some time had finally presented itself before others.
As they watched, Deep Blue Officiant Randall Valentinus couldn't help but say, "He actually advanced to Sequence 4 and became a demigod."
This archbishop knew Qonas Kilgor. He originally believed that this deputy director of MI9 was only a Sequence 5 and had relied on a Sealed Artifact with severe negative effects to obtain combat strength at the demigod level. He never expected it to be a disguise.
The Church of Storms's influence on the military was greater than the two major Churches.
No one answered Randall. After the secret was fully revealed, Horamick said, "One involves a secret ruin of the Blood Emperor, and with large numbers of people sent in… These two points put together cannot be anything good."
"Indeed!" Randall nodded in agreement. "Let's head to the ruins now!"
Arianna looked around and calmly said, "This involves the royal family and the king. It's best if you seek permission from your own Holy See."
In this angel's choice of words, the Holy See referred to their respective Church's headquarters, the core seat of power of the Church.
"Alright," the two archbishops replied without any hesitation.
After a while, Deep Blue Officiant Randall Valentinus and Horamick Haydn received feedback from the Sealed Artifacts they carried. Together with Anthony Stevenson and Arianna, they headed for the Blood Emperor ruins that Qonas Kilgor had previously entered.
Arianna then took out an iron-black coat of arms with complicated symbols, and she tried to activate it.
"She" didn't make any disguise attempt, and she stood there calmly as though "She" wasn't worried that the guards in the ruins would recognize "Her."
Seeing this servant of Concealment's actions, Horamick seemed to be in thought. Randall wore a look of calm and didn't believe that it posed any problems.
In the underground ruins, on a strange metal pedestal, a ghostly-blue beam soared up and formed a door.
Four black-armored guards immediately observed the situation outside through the ghostly blue beam and planned on using a predetermined method to confirm if the person who had summoned the Door of Teleportation was disguised, so as to decide whether the "door" was to be opened.
However, they didn't see anything. The area outside was empty.
Just as they felt intense unease and confusion, a figure quickly outlined itself behind them. It was none other than the leader of the Church of Evernight ascetics, Arianna, who wore a patched robe.
In the blink of an eye, the four guards fell into a deep sleep. Anthony, Randall, and Horamick entered the underground ruins one after another.
They didn't directly follow the path down. Instead, they passed through the hall, floating in midair as they overlooked everything.
This was a world ruled by darkness. Small amounts of light came from the strange moss growing in different spots, as well as the flaming torches that came from the human-sized buildings.
With their illuminating light, even Beyonders without night vision could grasp the overall appearance of the huge ruin.
On one side was a gray rock wall. It extended upwards without an end, and it seemed to be connected to the ground. On the other side, there was a bottomless dark valley as if it were the abyss where devils lived. A road paved with stone slabs lay in the middle connecting the halls and buildings together. From time to time, humans would come and go in silence.
The archbishops of the three Churches were just about to capture a few people who could enter the ruins to interrogate them about the situation inside when a figure flew out of the dark valley, heading straight for the demigods.
The figure had a long face and wore a white hairnet. Two curly mustaches grew above his lips, and he had thick brows. His eyes were slightly bigger and looked rather similar to a certain poker card figure.
He wore a gown and had a huge cloak over him. The tips of his shoes were extremely long, and his attire was unlike the current times. It was as though he lived a hundred years ago.
Archbishops, like Anthony and Horamick, were no stranger to him. He knew that he was Prince of Sonia, Grove Augustus, one of the demigods of the royal family.
"How did you enter?" Grove asked first, his expression a little surprised and uncertain.
They looked at each other, and Anthony took the initiative to say, "We've always been investigating the large number of mysterious disappearances, and we had locked onto MI9's Qonas Kilgor. Through him, we found this place."
Grove's expression changed slightly as he looked at the woman who left one's heart feeling tranquil. He deliberated and asked, "Ma'am Arianna?"
"Yes, I was in charge of the disappearance case," Arianna answered succinctly.
Prince Grove smiled bitterly.
"We were too greedy. After discovering this ruin, we only thought of digging and retrieving the items inside. To keep it a secret, we even had certain connections with the Demoness Sect. Through the people they gathered, we built a passageway and held certain rituals.
"No, it's not what you think. They were just normal rituals, and they're still alive deep within the ruins.
"If you don't believe me, I can lead you down to take a look. Apart from the unopened seals and buildings, there's nothing."
Upon hearing his reply, Anthony, Horamick, and Randall exchanged looks, registering the puzzlement in each other's eyes.
This was completely different from their expectations!
This made them suspect that something was wrong. Things weren't as serious as they had imagined
At this moment, Arianna said, "You even created the Great Smog."
"No," Prince Grove shook his head again. "That was a lesson we learned from cooperating with the Demonesses. They actually tried to control Edessak and used him to gain control over the kingdom. After it was seen through by us, they created the Great Smog. From that moment forth, we broke all contact with them."
Having said that, he pointed below and frankly said, "How could we do such a thing just to secretly dig up the Blood Emperor's ruins?
"As long as you head deep down and closely examine it, you will understand what I mean.
"Heh heh, don't worry. With Ma'am Arianna around, no traps will work. Besides, ignoring the fact that we lack such power, even if we were able to secretly bury you in the ruins, the Churches will discover a problem. I don't believe that you didn't report this matter to your respective Holy Sees before coming. If you don't return in a while, they will definitely take the corresponding actions."
Demigods like Randall and Anthony fell into thought as they cast their gazes at the simply-dressed Arianna.
Arianna calmly nodded. "Okay."
The angel and three saints then entered the depths of the ruins under the guidance of Prince Grove. They discovered that there was a ruin hidden in the darkness, with no man having set foot there, as well as men and women who had been taught to form different rituals. Everything was orderly and serene.
Arianna, Horamick, and the other demigods acted according to their own thoughts and separately investigated the different regions. They even left and went further to investigate, but they failed to discover anything.
After receiving Arianna's notice, Klein changed Qonas Kilgor into a servant inside the manor, making the MI9 deputy director vanish.
Then, he unhurriedly held a sacrificial ritual. He sent the items he received above the gray fog for further research, patiently awaiting daybreak.
Chapter 1031 Possibility
As the sky lit up, the manors along the Tussock River's north bank began to wake up amidst the morning mist.
The tall and portly Framis Cage came to the guest room where Qonas Kilgor slept last night. He knocked on the door and prepared to have breakfast with this MI9 deputy director.
However, there was no response.
Has the Brigadier General headed for the dining room? Framis Cage turned around in puzzlement and left the first floor.
After breakfast was over, everyone realized that Qonas Kilgor had vanished. Under Dwayne Dantes's lead, they headed outside the guest room and watched the land steward, Richardson, open the door with his key.
There was no one inside.
"Does Brigadier General Kilgor have a hobby of taking morning strolls?" Macht asked curiously as he pinched the two ends of his cheekbones.
Framis Cage shook his head without hesitation.
"No."
"Did you hear anything last night?" the chancellor of the Backlund University of Technology, Portland Moment, surveyed the area and asked.
Macht recalled for a moment.
"No, it was very quiet, perfect for a vacation."
Beside him, Hazel looked into the room curiously, but she couldn't think of any possibilities.
At this moment, Framis Cage raised his theory:
"Brigadier General Kilgor is an important member of the military, and he often needs to handle unexpected matters. Perhaps he had long left the manor and returned to Backlund."
This steam car tycoon was clearly trying his best to downplay the matter.
He seems to know something. Or at least, he guessed that Qonas Kilgor came to Maygur Manor for some private, personal goal… Klein listened to their conversation as he said to Butler Walter and Land Steward Richardson with a heavy look, "Ask the servants in the manor if they had seen Brigadier General Kilgor last night or this morning.
"If they haven't, send someone back to Backlund and visit Brigadier General Kilgor's family. Inform them of this matter and let them decide whether we need to immediately make a police report."
After giving his instructions, Klein stroked his white sideburns and said to Macht and his other guests, "Things aren't clear yet. Perhaps Brigadier General Kilgor left because of an urgent matter and didn't want to hold up everyone's vacation. Let's do this. We'll continue with our hunting plans and return when the police arrive."
As Brigadier General Qonas Kilgor's companion, Framis Cage had raised an excuse for the crisis, one that was rather convincing, Macht and company agreed with Dwayne Dantes's suggestion and left the area.
Hazel walked right at the back and glanced at Brigadier General Qonas Kilgor's guest room and its neighboring room. She had a nagging feeling that something wasn't right as she subconsciously wanted to use her powers as a Cryptologist to reconstruct the situation.
However, an intense sense of fear emerged deep in her heart. She had no idea what she was afraid of, so she eventually gave up on the idea.
She vaguely felt that she had some experience in such matters, and those experiences told her not to look at things she shouldn't see or listen to things she shouldn't hear.
After the guests and servants left that floor, a thick carpet that held the weight of the coffee table inside the room beside Qonas's guest room began moving.
Bit by bit, it pulled itself up from under the sofa and coffee table without causing much of a stir.
Following that, the yellowish-brown carpet stood up and revealed its other side.
It was solidified flesh!
The flesh was squirming and reorganizing itself, and it soon transformed into a person, a mixed-blood young man. This was Dwayne Dantes's valet, Enuni.
And the one following Dwayne Dantes was Qonas Kilgor. He wore the same face and had the same build!
To Klein, there was no need to disguise Enuni in such a manner. He could get him to transform himself into another person and blend in with the servants, using an illusion to interfere with their senses, making them unable to discover the addition of this person. It was a simpler and more reliable method. However, "acting" remained important to a demigod. It was key to accelerating the potion's digestion and for resisting the inclinations of losing control and madness. Therefore, Klein would deliberately try to be bizarre in his handling of many matters.
Of course, he didn't wish to harm the innocent. Even in creating bizarre and eerie situations, he would try hard not to let others notice it. It was to prevent them from being left with a mental scar due to excessive fright.
The bizarre and eerie atmosphere was mainly for himself, to gain the approval of the potion inside him. This would undoubtedly accelerate the digestion rate of his potion, but without the feedback of a spectator, it meant that the "acting" wasn't complete enough. This made the speed at which he digested the Bizarro Sorcerer potion not as fast as he imagined. Despite doing so many things and trying out so many acts, Klein didn't feel that it was possible for him to reach Sequence 3 by the end of this year.
Backlund East Borough, inside a two-bedroom rental apartment.
Xio sat on an unstable chair as she stared out of the window in a daze, her expression a little gloomy.
Fors swallowed her saliva and sat opposite Xio, blocking her line of sight.
You seem to have lost all your motivation?
"Do you not know what to do after receiving that answer? It's because you have no access to the king?"
Xio's eyes fluttered as she slowly came to her senses.
"Whether it's to redeem my father's reputation or revenge, the chances are slim when facing the king. I can't think of a way to complete something like that…"
"That's because you're too weak. When you reach Sequence 4 and become a demigod, you'll discover many solutions, the only problem is that it'll be more dangerous!" Fors tried encouraging her. "In addition, you can still use others. Just like the person monitoring Shermane. She too wanted to know who Viscount Stratford was loyal to. She must be interested in the king's secret."
"Shermane…" Xio repeated the name as her state of mind suddenly recovered.
Beside them, there was a bronze cross and a ghostly-blue gem that resembled a vertical eye on the table.
The gem's exterior had thread-like patterns, the Beyonder characteristic that appeared after Shermane's death. It made the things around it appear mild, and it accentuated their beauty. However, with the bronze cross around, its glow was confined to a small area.
"That monitor is one of the culprits behind Shermane's death," Xio said rather seriously.
They had already found a spot to bury Shermane, and Fors had flipped through Leymano's Travels to placate the dead Shermane.
Fors immediately nodded.
"Yes, it's why she was instigated to investigate the king's secret and come into contact with the latent danger.
"Didn't you say that she might be able to monitor where we used to live? We can find an opportunity to return incognito, throw a letter into the mailbox, and write that Viscount Stratford is loyal to King George III and that he has a huge secret. This way, I believe she will be able to see it."
Xio thought carefully and nodded solemnly.
"Okay."
After discussing what they were about to do next, Fors stood up and pointed at the bronze cross.
"It's time for us to show our sincerity to Mr. Fool for all the help we received. I plan on sacrificing it to Mr. Fool now. You don't have any objections, right?"
"No," Xio replied without hesitation.
Maygur Manor. It was another evening. The news sent back by Qonas Kilgor's family was to wait since this MI9 deputy director often acted in such ways, involving himself in matters of national security; therefore, Macht and company didn't panic. They made use of the animals they hunted and roasted them over a bonfire at a party on the lawn behind the manor.
Seeing the gentlemen roll up their sleeves and busy themselves around the roasting rack, the ladies heading over to help from time to time, and the children running around eagerly, Klein held a cup of sweet white wine—a fine product of Maygur Manor—and sat on a white wooden chair, a smile suffusing his lips.
Beside him was his mixed-blood valet, Enuni, who stood upright while awaiting instructions.
And inside a particular room in the manor's main building, a pair of eyes were silently looking down. It belonged to a person who looked identical to Enuni.
The evening breeze blew past. Just as Klein was about to get up and showcase what it meant to roast meat from Desi at the roasting rack, he suddenly saw a figure phase into existence in front of him.
It was Arianna who wore a simple robe and tree bark as a belt.
This servant of Concealment looked at Dwayne Dantes and said, "There was nothing special in the underground ruins…"
"She" then recounted the main points of what "She" and the three archbishops saw, as well as the explanation given by Prince of Sonia, Grove Augustus.
That doesn't make sense… The first thought that appeared in Klein's mind was suspicion.
As Viscount Stratford had Saintess of White Katarina provide him with assistance, this clearly meant that the king's faction hadn't completely severed ties with the Demoness Sect.
Under the premise that the Great Smog of Backlund had already happened, their continued relationship with the Demoness Sect meant that it wasn't something that could be explained as hoping to keep the Blood Emperor's ruins for themselves
With such in-depth cooperation, would the Demoness Sect and Psychology Alchemists not wish to split the spoils?
In that case, why wouldn't they directly seek the help of the three Churches?
Klein instinctively believed that the problem with the ruins hadn't truly been discovered. He suspected that there had been a leak during the entire process, allowing the king to make preparations.
With Ma'am Arianna around, the possibility of discovering something amiss via the methods of divination and prophecy can be eliminated…
From my killing of Qonas Kilgor to the three Churches' joint operation, the number of people who know of it doesn't exceed ten. Furthermore, they all involve the high-ranking members of each Church. How is it possible that there was a leak…
Viscount Stratford's problem resulted in the people in the ruins deploying contingency plans? No, his standing wasn't at that level. Even Qonas Kilgor didn't know the exact situation, much less him. He was only in charge of liaising with the Demoness Sect and handling matters at the periphery. He might not even know of the underground ruins… Klein's thoughts raced as he sought the reasons.
He first eliminated the possibility of them being prepared due to Viscount Stratford; after all, the death of the captain of the royal guards wasn't that important or crucial.
As such, there were very few possibilities that could explain the situation. One, a person who knew of the secret amidst this sequence of events had deliberately or unintentionally leaked the matter due to particular reasons. Two, they had noticed something wrong with Qonas Kilgor's seemingly ordinary state, but Klein didn't notice anything.
The Psychology Alchemists are in cahoots as well… Could my thoughts be read and the secret revealed? But I have the gray fog augmenting me. No matter what, there will be some abnormality. It's just like when I faced that Spectator demigod with Anderson… The Psychology Alchemists originated from something Hermes left behind… Hermes is… As he thought about it, Klein's eyes suddenly widened.
He instinctively stopped himself from thinking deeper about it as he shot a look at Arianna and relaxed. He asked, "Is this place concealed?"
"Very," Arianna replied calmly.
People behind "Her" came and went, but no one noticed "Her."
Klein exhaled as he formulated his thoughts.
Emperor Roselle once said in his diary that the members of that ancient secret organization are all important figures… Then, could it be possible that one of the high-ranking members of the three Churches is a member of the Twilight Hermit Order?
And could it be that the ruins which Arianna and the archbishops saw wasn't the real one, but one "imagined" by Adam?
Chapter 1032 Forceful Purifier
Restraining his thoughts, and looking at the angel of Concealment across him, Klein deliberated over his words.
"Is there a possibility that the ruins you saw was actually 'imagined'?"
He didn't directly mention Adam or the Twilight Hermit Order, afraid that discussing such matters in Arianna's Concealment zone would still be heard by the Adam who wielded the Spectator pathway's Uniqueness and recently obtained 0-08.
As he was inside Arianna's world of Concealment, Klein believed that thinking of Adam and the Twilight Hermit Order wasn't likely to pose any problems, but it wasn't necessarily the case when saying it out loud. After all, Mr. Door could freely discuss Adam with Emperor Roselle back then, not only because of the Beyonder powers of a Secrets Sorcerer's Secret Keeping, but more so because "He" was also a King of Angels, a level not lower than Adam and Amon, perhaps even higher.
"Imagined…" Arianna repeated Klein's keyword softly as though "She' had figured out something
At "Her" level, "She" was no stranger to ancient history and the main characteristics of the twenty-two pathways.
Furthermore, "She" was also an angel that represented the authority of Concealment. She possessed the highest clearance in reading all the Church's confidential information.
A few seconds later, Arianna observed Dwayne Dantès who remained sitting there.
"Psychology Alchemists?"
From Qonas Kilgor's statement, it was obvious that the king's faction was working with the Psychology Alchemists. And this was an organization that had the Spectator pathway in its control.
Klein first nodded and then added, "Their higher-ups likely do not have the ability of turning imagination into a reality.
"In this world, there are only one to two people who have such authority."
Arianna nodded in thought.
"I understand.
"Now that the underground ruins are open to us, I will find a chance to verify it. If it's true, it means that one or several archbishops of the Church of Steam and Storms are working for 'Him."
"She" didn't raise the possibility that the Church of Evernight's upper echelons were problematic, as the Goddess wielded the authority of Concealment. It was very difficult to keep such matters from "Her" for prolonged periods of time.
Klein couldn't help but ask in surprise, "The underground ruins will be left open to the three Churches?"
"Yes, if it truly is 'imagined,' it means that their cooperation is on the brink of success and that they just need to delay things a little longer," Arianna simply explained her theory.
This is also what I'm thinking… The tide of the times is coming in a bid to drown out everything… Thankfully, I'm a lot more prepared than before. I now have a demigod-level marionette, and in certain areas, he's stronger than me. After all, he can use my Beyonder powers, while I can't use his… Since I can't digest the Bizarro Sorcerer potion anytime soon and seek my advancement, strengthening my marionette is also an effective measure to protect myself… I can also take note of the Sanguine's and Miss Sharron's plot against the Rose School of Thought… Klein's thoughts instantly turned clear.
He reined in his thoughts and casually asked, "Do all three Churches doubt Prince Grove's explanation?"
"They don't." Arianna frankly shook "Her" head. "Qonas Kilgor had mentioned Katarina."
But you don't have evidence. After all, they can explain that, after they split with the Demoness Sect, Katarina was sent to discuss things and attempt to make amends, but was cruelly rejected. During this process, as they knew each other's secrets, none of them took action at the meeting. It could then be explained that Qonas Kilgor, a demigod who wasn't privy to the matter, made the mistake that the cooperation effort was still in place…
And faced with an angel family, one that wields at least half the forces in the military, the three Churches won't immediately lose decorum with them unless there's evidence. Firstly, they aren't united, and they have to consider that if a civil war were to erupt, countries like Feynapotter, Intis, and Feynapotter, as well as the Churches of Eternal Blazing Sun, God of Combat, Earth Mother, and the God of Knowledge and Wisdom might try to take advantage of the situation… Klein quickly came up with an analysis of the present situation.
He simply mentioned, "There were signs of Saintess of White Katarina appearing over at Viscount Stratford's side. I will try to find her."
Apart from that, Klein still wanted to find the dangerous Trissy and eliminate her, making up for his mistake of letting her go just because he wanted to use her.
Her value was clearly not as dangerous as her!
"I'll try to do so as well." Arianna indicated that "She' would investigate the clue regarding Katarina.
Hmm… I have to say that Ma'am Arianna's attitude when discussing matters with me is rather comforting. "She' doesn't exude that condescending attitude an angel or archbishop has. "She" completely treats me as an equal.. After hearing Arianna's words, Klein felt a baffling sense of poignancy.
He instead asked, "Has Hvin Rambis of the Psychology Alchemists been captured?"
This was one of the key figures mentioned in the information from Qonas Kilgor's testimony, one of the clues that exposed the machinations of the king's faction.
"He has gone missing," Arianna answered succinctly.
As expected… The possibility of a leak has increased again… Hvin Rambis has gone underground, but that doesn't mean that he can't contact Miss Justice and other members directly… When the time comes, heh, Miss Justice has already hated him for some time… The only problem is whether Adam will appear in Backlund and "imagine" fake ruins. If that were the case, attacking Hvin Rambis might mean a non-zero probability that he's being watched by this King of Angels. It might even be the case that "He" will sit beside Hvin Rambis without anyone knowing… The more Klein thought, the more of a headache he had.
It had to be said that in an era in which deities rarely descended upon the real world, the two brothers, Adam and Amon, were the limits to one's level and strength. They were synonymous with being terrifying, powerful, frightening, and formidable.
A King of Angels was an existence closest to that of a deity!
Compared to Amon, I'm more afraid of Adam. "He" might be sitting beside you, listening to you and watching you smile while "He" reads your most truthful thoughts, making you die in the most natural, logical, but baffling manner… At this thought, Klein couldn't help but look around, afraid that the simple priest with pure-looking eyes and beard would be holding a tray, standing beside the roasting rack as "He" waited for the food and watched him with a smile.
Without a doubt, Klein didn't discover anything.
Noticing his reaction, Arianna calmly added, "He' isn't here."
Phew, thankfully, there's the blessings of an angel of Concealment… Klein controlled his thoughts and nodded gently, "I will take note of Hvin Rambis's whereabouts."
Arianna nodded and said, "After this matter is over, you can attempt to pray to the Goddess for a bestowment."
That is to say that the Goddess is very satisfied with my performance up to now? When the time comes, "She" will bestow me with the Scholar of Yore potion formula? Klein roughly understood Arianna. He stood up and tapped his chest four times.
"Praise the Lady!"
Arianna also drew the crimson moon.
"Praise the Lady."
"Her" figure disappeared bit by bit as though she had been erased. Yet, the guests at the bonfire party didn't notice the arrival of the ascetic at all.
Klein sat down again and continued analyzing his situation from another angle.
Qonas Kilgor disappeared without any warning. From the evidence presented by Ma'am Arianna and the words "She" said, it implied that the MI9 deputy director is in "Her" hands. In other words, the assault on Qonas Kilgor is definitely related to the Church of Evernight.
Qonas Kilgor disappeared in Maygur Manor which belongs to Dwayne Dantès, and he is a believer of the Evernight Goddess…
From what the king's faction and the Psychology Alchemists know, Dwayne Dantès can likely be confirmed to be a secret informant of the Church of Evernight…
This way, my safety can be guaranteed, but I can't avoid being observed and monitored. I have to be careful… I have to think of a reason to add a new servant. I can't keep having Qonas Kilgor or Enuni hide in this manner. This will make it easier for a problem to be discovered. Or maybe I can make one marionette turn into human-skin clothes, fusing with the other marionette…
As he thought, Klein stood up and placed the glass of sweet white wine on the table beside him. He then turned to walk to the main building of the manor and entered one of the bathrooms.
He then took four steps counterclockwise and arrived above the gray fog. He summoned the Sea God Scepter and used the prayer point he marked as Enuni to observe every corner of Maygur Manor.
During this process, Klein's mind was somewhat tense, worried that he would see a priest wearing simple clothes while having a beard and golden eyes.
Of course, compared to seeing this priest, he was more afraid of the priest looking up and smiling back at him, raising the cup of wine in his hand.
Fortunately, after a series of inspections, he confirmed that there was nothing unusual with Maygur Manor.
Klein heaved a sigh of relief and retracted his spirituality. He then cast his gaze at the bronze cross on the long mottled table.
This was an item that The Magician and Judgment had recently sacrificed. They said that it was to thank Mr. Fool for "His" blessings, and hoped to please this existence.
It doesn't look like its level is low… Klein picked up the spiky cross and used divination to quickly figure out the mystical item's Beyonder powers and negative effects.
Both of them were one and the same.
The bronze cross could cleanse powers of degeneration, corruption, corrosion, darkness, evil, ailments, and other domains, quickly causing them to dissipate until nothing was left.
Due to this reason, this mystical item could also clear the mental corruption of Beyonder characteristics.
And it was precisely because of this potent purification that the bronze cross couldn't coexist with other mystical items or be in contact with other Beyonder characteristics. It couldn't exist on the same person. Furthermore, it also repelled the wielder's Beyonder characteristic, albeit not in a manner that was as obvious. Over the passage of time, it would slowly cause a Beyonder's characteristic to seep out!
This also meant that if one were to carry or wear the bronze cross for more than an hour, the Beyonder's Sequence would drop by at least one Sequence. Beyond three hours, non-demigods would definitely be reduced to an ordinary person. Exceeding six hours, Sequence 4 and Sequence 3 saints would also lose their Beyonder powers. It was almost ineffective against angels because "They" had the ability to shatter Beyonder characteristics. "They" had extremely strong control over "Their" source of power.
It can be used to retrieve the characteristics of Beyonders who failed to advance without dying or from those who lost control… This cross's powers resemble the Sun pathway's Unshadowed… Klein nodded thoughtfully.
Chapter 1033 Let There Be Ligh
Scrutinizing the bronze cross in hand, Klein was certain that it was at least a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact.
Apart from its purifying effects, this mystical item also possessed Flaring Sun and other demigod-level spells of the Sun domain. As for its negative effects, they weren't a problem to resolve if one used it properly. For example, helping people who stumbled into the Beyonder world and hoped to escape this madness to become normal humans again. It could also be used for people who consumed additional potions to secrete the Beyonder characteristic—though this required precise timing; otherwise, it easily caused one's Sequence to drop.
Of course, the body and soul that had been reconstructed by potions would definitely suffer from frequent conflicts with an ordinary human's essence. Beyonders who relied on this bronze cross to retreat from this "circle" would undoubtedly suffer residual effects, and the exact circumstances would be different depending on their pathways and Sequences.
This made Klein sigh. This was the most useful and valuable negative effect he had ever seen.
To him, the only problem was that this bronze cross couldn't be carried with him for extended periods of time. He couldn't hand it to his marionette either, as it would expel the marionette's Beyonder characteristic and drop its Sequence. And a marionette could no longer consume potions for advancements, as their Spirit Bodies were essentially dead.
As for letting ordinary creatures turn into marionettes, they would "praise the Sun" by wearing this cross for extended periods of time and escape his control.
I can only leave it above the gray fog and take it out when I need it… To a Bizarro Sorcerer, this side effect isn't much. After all, I don't perform unprepared… I'll later confirm if it corresponds to an Unshadowed. If it does, I'll sell it to Little Sun after he finishes digesting the Priest of Light potion. I believe that the City of Silver's six-member council's Chief wouldn't be miserly to not exchange it with a Sealed Artifact of equal value. The Sun pathway is clearly more suitable for the Forsaken Land of the Gods than the other pathways… Klein thought in a good mood as he placed the bronze cross back on the long mottled table.
He didn't immediately make a confirmation and planned on leaving it until he returned to 160 Boklund Street. When that happens, he would also use dream divination to figure out the origins of the Sealed Artifact. As Maygur Manor was too close to the underground ruins, he was afraid that the royal family's angel or maybe even Adam was observing the area. If his experiments were to trigger some change and create a stirring in the gray fog, his biggest secret might be exposed.
Even if this Sealed Artifact doesn't correspond to an Unshadowed, it's definitely from the Sun pathway. At most, it's mixed with other Beyonder characteristics. No, it will be expelled, and the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun's trademark is a Sacred Emblem made of gold, an abstract sun, having nothing to do with a cross. Hmm, after eliminating this possibility, the only one related to the Sun domain is the City of Silver's Creator, the ancient sun god, Adam and Amon's dad, the suspected transmigrator…
It appeared in the hands of Viscount Stratford, so does this mean that, in a particular sense, it's the Twilight Hermit Order who's cooperating with the royal family, and the Psychology Alchemists is just a ruse? Of course, there are too many other possibilities. It might've been found by the Augustus family since they're quite a famous angel family in the Fourth Epoch and have a long history. Finding certain items of the ancient sun god is rather normal…
If this Sealed Artifact really was provided by Adam, could it be part of "His" arrangements?
Faced with Demoness Trissy, who is clearly involved with an evil god, and her partner, Viscount Stratford, who chose to use this purifying cross and gave up using other items. That arrangement is very reasonable. Upon deciding to eliminate Shermane, since he wasn't sure if she had been corrupted by an evil god and was afraid of accidents happening, he didn't use any direct offensive means and instead wasted time activating this Sealed Artifact. That too is also very reasonable… Yes, it's all very reasonable. I'm just not sure if there are signs of this outcome being arranged…
With this in mind, my phobia for 0-08 has reared its head again… Yes, Miss Magician and Miss Judgment had privately discussed Adam before. It involved matters regarding the Forsaken Land of the Gods, the Giant King's Court, and King of Angels…
This… even if it was arranged by Adam, why does "He" want to give this item to them?
Klein felt his scalp tingle as he thought about it. Composing himself, he decided to do further experiments after returning to Boklund Street.
He didn't hesitate and immediately returned to the real world.
As for the items on Qonas Kilgor, he relied solely on his divination powers without the gray fog's enhancements to gain an initial grasp on the situation.
Apart from the Concerto of Light and Shadow which Church of Evernight ascetic leader, Arianna, had taken, and the badge used to open the underground ruins, Qonas Kilgor had two other mystical items.
One of them was Rever's Shout of Despair which Arrodes had mentioned. It originated from a failed sacrifice and had two modes. One was an ordinary shot, its might was slightly weaker than a Clown's Air Cannon. The other was a machine gun sweep. It could spew out large numbers of bullets in one to two seconds. These two modes came with the shout of despair, having a certain level of influence on demigods at the saint level, but it wasn't too effective. Of course, not every demigod could withstand such an attack. Just like Klein himself, he didn't have a ridiculous body or defense to withstand it head-on.
The other item was Lucky Grass. It looked very simple, a four-leaved clover that had been made into a protective charm. Its power was to accumulate one's chance of success after a subsequent failed attempt. The negative side effect
Klein's appraisal on it was to change its name to "Mother of Success."
These two mystical items were of little value to Klein. He continued keeping them on Qonas Kilgor's person.
Instead, it was this demigod marionette that was his greatest harvest.
Lawyers had an acute grasp and knowledge of how to make use of loopholes in law, with the ability to guide and convince the target; Barbarian provided strength and a constitution that broke the rules; Briber had "Bribe"; Baron of Corruption had "Distortion"; Mentor of Disorder had "Disorder"; and Earl of The Fallen had "Bestowment,""Magnify," and "Exploit." They were all pretty good powers. If he hadn't obtained detailed information from Arrodes and made sufficient preparations and formulated a plan, together with the help from an angel of Concealment, Klein believed that he had no way of restraining Qonas Kilgor even if he had items like Fate Siphon.
In fact, instead of turning him into a marionette, using Creeping Hunger to Graze Qonas Kilgor would be a lot more discreet, making it harder to be discovered. But if that's the case, I can only use three of the Earl of The Fallen's Beyonder powers… As Klein thought about it, he walked out of the bathroom and returned to the bonfire party.
On the lawn, Macht was standing in front of the roasting rack, trying hard to make East Balam-styled roasted meat while sweat dripped down his forehead. Hazel was standing a short distance away, her eyes looking on brightly. She no longer had the arrogance from before and had a few black marks across her face—a result of the smoke. Portland Moment was holding a cup of wine, smilingly watching the relatively "young lad" being busy. From time to time, he would raise a metal skewer with chunks of meat and bite at it.
Upon seeing this scene, Klein's heart suddenly calmed down.
On Sunday afternoon, the group of people who went to the Boklund Street suburbs returned to Boklund Street.
Before dinner, Klein headed above the gray fog once again and picked up the bronze cross.
He first confirmed that the cross corresponded to the Sun pathway's Sequence 4 Unshadowed and had, rather uncreatively, named it Unshadowed Crucifix. Following that, he picked up a pen and wrote a new divination statement:
The origins of this cross."
Klein didn't immediately divine if Unshadowed Crucifix had any traces of being "arranged," afraid that it might point to Adam and place "Him" in a state of vigilance. He planned on investigating the situation by figuring out the Sealed Artifact's origins. If the Unshadowed Crucifix's owner or former owner was Adam, the truth of the matter would undoubtedly point towards a "deliberate arrangement."
Putting down the pen, Klein looked down at the cross and exhaled heavily.
"I'm courting death again…"
He suspected that the Unshadowed Crucifix originated from the City of Silver's Creator, the ancient sun god, a powerful deity that was stronger than the ancient gods like Dragon of Imagination. Sneaking a peek at "Him" would cause damage that exceeded Klein's previous divination of Groselle's Travels.
However, things were no longer the same. Klein was now a Sequence 4 Bizarro Sorcerer, a demigod. The damage he could withstand as well as the amount of power of the mysterious space above the gray fog that he could use far exceeded his previous state back when he was a Sequence 5.
After spending a few seconds to calm his emotions, he leaned back in his chair, holding the Unshadowed Crucifix in one hand and holding the piece of paper in the other. He softly repeated the divination statement.
Over and over again, Klein used Cogitation as a jumping board to enter a state of deep sleep.
In the hazy world, a building whose original form was obscured by layers of grayish-white stood in a pitch-black environment. Surrounding it were monsters.
A crack opened up on the grayish-white building's surface as a palm that had almost white skin reached out.
A figure walked out—a man. He wore a black clergyman robe and had a silver crucifix hung on his chest.
This man's hair wasn't long and was mainly raven-black in color. There was a faint hint of blond at the roots of his hair. His eyes were pure gold in color, and his skin was rather white. He had a deep outline and pronounced eye sockets. He looked quite similar to the people of the Northern Continent.
He took two steps forward, reached his hand out, and grabbed the very ordinary crucifix. His eyes gradually lost their look of confusion as the ends of his lips curled up slightly.
He said in a deep voice, "Let there be light!"
The pitch-black surroundings of the grayish-white building were immediately pierced by bright lights, revealing what it really looked like.
This was a deep valley where nothing could be seen above it; yet, the infinite light filled every corner.
And there was light.
The image of the next scene flashed.
A drop of golden blood that emitted light and heat dripped onto the silver cross.
Above the drop of blood seemed to be a figure that was formed of dazzling light. The face that he couldn't see clearly was looking up, seemingly being effused with pain and a sense of distortion in a very real manner.
He cast his gaze over towards the area above the gray fog, casting it at Klein, who was seated at The Fool's high-back chair. His deep voice sounded once again:
"Mysteries…"
Suddenly, without any forewarning, Klein's thoughts erupted with a boom.
Chapter 1034 Gains
The boundless gray fog boiled as the ancient and majestic palace burned.
The blazing flames condensed into a fiery blob, as though a blinding sun had risen out from this mysterious space.
A howling hurricane flipped the long mottled table, snapping the thick stone columns and causing half the palace to collapse.
Sitting at The Fool's seat, Klein's brain was boiling before holes exploded out of it. Charred maggots then began crawling out of the cracks.
He didn't die, and he had even very calmly reached out his right palm and tapped the armrest of the chair.
Above the gray fog, this mysterious space quaked in an obvious manner. Waves of power surged out one after another, calming the hurricane and extinguishing the flames. The blazing sun evaporated, inch by inch.
The thick stone pillars stood once more as the long mottled table returned to its original state. The magnificent and holy palace appeared as though it had never collapsed or suffered any damage.
Klein's head recovered instantly, and the charred maggots that had drilled out had turned transparent again before crawling back inside.
As expected, stronger than Dragon of Imagination Ankewelt… Klein muttered to himself as his expression couldn't help but warp. He couldn't help but massage his forehead. It's painful… This pain is also clearly stronger…
While muttering, he rapped the edge of the long mottled table and made the mysterious space above the gray fog quake once more.
Amidst the quakes, a pitch-black shadow abruptly emerged out of the palace's floor.
This shadow twisted and struggled before being wiped clean by the gray fog's powers, leaving nothing behind.
After nearly a minute, Klein calmed down completely and recalled the scene he had seen.
That should be the ancient sun god, the City of Silver Creator, Adam's and Amon's dad…
From the crucifix "He" wore, and that line, "Let there be light," there's a high chance that "He" is the first transmigrator. Perhaps he's Caucasian with a religious background…
"He" used a language that can stir the powers of nature. It's similar to Jotun, but it's also different. It doesn't belong to Elvish, Dragonese, and ancient Hermes… Yes, it has similarities with the ancient Feysac of the Northern Continent and the Dutanese of the Southern Continent. This allowed me to barely understand what "He" was saying despite me not knowing this language… This is the language "He" learned from that strange giant building?
"He" transmigrated there and inherited a rich inheritance?
The second scene was of "Him" suffering a betrayal, the scene of him being eaten by the Kings of Angels, White, Wisdom, and Wind?
To a deity who claims to be a Creator, that kind of corporeal pain and that distortion can only appear in such a situation…
Yes, the divine blood "He" dripped before "His" death fused with the silver crucifix, and it later turned into the latter's form, becoming a rather powerful Sealed Artifact.
From the looks of it, the Unshadowed Crucifix was obtained by one of the three Kings of Angels, or it landed in Amon's or Adam's hands. To "Them," this is an important item "Their" father left behind.
The previous possibility isn't too high. The cross's effects are extremely useful. Furthermore, its origins are a secret that needs to be kept. No one would give it to the Augustus family… From the looks of it, was it really arranged by Adam?
Why did "He" give the Unshadowed Crucifix to Miss Magician and Miss Judgment in a very reasonable manner?
"He" had discovered that the two ladies believe in The Fool after observing them for some time?
This cross was meant for The Fool that doesn't belong to this era?
"He" wishes to know where "His" father, who also doesn't belong to that era, came from? But the problem is how does "He" plan on raising that question and obtaining an answer?
That City of Silver's Creator's level is extremely high. "He" was able to sense my prying despite the long stretch of history between us. He cast his gaze above the gray fog and cast it on this mysterious space. Furthermore, the influence "He" created not only openly caused destruction but also secretly invaded this place, creating a special shadow. It nearly lurked here, hidden…
Doesn't this mean that, once one obtains the authorities of several domains, a deity's level will also undergo a qualitative change?
What does the uttering of "Mysteries" mean? Is it pointing to me, or the original owner of this mysterious space?
Questions flashed past Klein's mind, making him come up with several theories, but the final answer eluded him.
Due to his fear of Adam, he believed that the best outcome for the Unshadowed Crucifix was to have the City of Silver's god-like Sealed Artifact shatter it and reform it into a pure Beyonder characteristic.
Reining in his thoughts and suppressing his questions, Klein conjured a new pen and paper and wrote down the knowledge he had learned from looking straight at the City of Silver Creator: "Sequence 4: Unshadowed
"Main ingredients: One drop of the Sun's divine blood, or three adult Sun Divine Bird's feathers and a piece of Holy Brilliance Rock.
"Supplementary ingredients: 60ml of Sun Divine Bird's blood, 30 ml of Holy Brilliance Rock liquid. 7 drops of mutated fingered citron juice, 10 grams worth of powder of the heart of magma.
"Ritual: Extract the strongest emotions that one is most unwilling to abandon before consuming the potion. Inject these emotions back again during this process."
"Sequence 3: Justice Mentor…
"Sequence 4: Black Knight…
"Sequence 3: Trinity Templar…"
After doing all of this, Klein picked up the bronze cross again and observed it with a heavy expression.
He then threw Unshadowed Crucifix into the junk pile and stirred the powers of the mysterious space above the gray fog to suppress it. He didn't wish to see the paper figurines he cut begin to praise the Sun the next time he came.
In front of an ordinary house in Cherwood Borough.
A postman riding a bike braked and stopped at the door.
He then settled down his bike and took out a letter from his bag, glancing to check if the address was correct.
"It's here… For Xio…" The postman briskly walked to the mailbox and threw the letter in. Following that, he didn't delay as he got on his bike and kicked off.
After a while, a pitch-black flame suddenly spewed out of the mailbox's mouth.
This flame burned quietly and quickly disappeared.
In Empress Borough, the opulent villa of Earl Hall.
Audrey, who had brought Susie to the garden for a stroll, had just returned to the foyer when she saw her father, Earl Hall, come in from the outside. He had his brows knitted, seemingly in deep thought.
"Father, did something happen?" Audrey asked with concern.
This was the most basic of observations which she didn't need to hide at all.
Earl Hall restrained his frustrated expression and said with a smile, "It's nothing important. I just never expected Hvin Rambis to be a member of a cult."
"He's a member of a cult?" Audrey expressed her surprise appropriately.
She knew that Hvin Rambis was actually a member of the upper echelons of a secret organization known as the Psychology Alchemists, but she didn't understand how this was suddenly exposed.
Earl Hall nodded solemnly.
"Yes, he's wanted by the three Churches. I'm still not sure which cult he's involved in."
"…Has he been caught?" Audrey's eyes darted around as she asked "curiously."
__No, he disappeared before the warrant was issued." Earl sighed. __It_s really hard to imagine that he_s a cult member. He's of excellent character and is knowledgeable. He's rational and objective in various matters and is filled with wisdom."
That's just the side he wants you to see… Audrey inwardly mumbled. Then, as usual, she entered the small prayer room at home before dinner. She faced the Sacred Emblem of the Evernight Goddess and got into a prayer gesture.
However, her low chanting was:
"The Fool that doesn't belong to this era…"
After chanting the honorific name, Audrey succinctly reported:
"Hvin Rambis has gone missing.
"He has been identified as a cultist and is wanted by all three Churches…"
With that said, Audrey was about to solemnly pray to the Goddess when a boundless gray fog appeared before her.
In the middle of the grayish-white fog, a blurry figure sat on the chair, looking down from above and gently nodded. "I'm aware."
Just as this secret existence said that, the scene before Audrey's eyes changed suddenly. It presented a figure who was concentrating on praying.
"Honorable Mr. Fool, the Church of Evernight has obtained intelligence from Qonas Kilgor and confirmed that King George III hides an extremely huge secret. For the obtaining of a Blood Emperor ruins in the Sterlewen segment of the Tussock River, he colluded with the Demoness Sect and Psychology Alchemists to partake in human trafficking, creating the human disappearance cases that ultimately led to the Great Smog of Backlund…
"The Demoness Sect's former representative was Despair Nightingale Panatiya and was later changed to Saintess of White Katarina. For the Psychology Alchemists, it's Hvin Rambis…
"Please remind Miss Justice to be careful when she meets Hvin Rambis again. She needs to be constantly prepared to seek help."
His Majesty… Audrey's eyes widened as upheavals went through her heart. She found it difficult to control herself.
This was partly due to the fact that this news was shocking for a noble like her. In addition, it had to do with Lie which magnified her emotions.
Almost at the same time, a news report flashed in Audrey's mind. It was one that had left an unerasable impression on her:
"…According to preliminary estimates, a total of over 21,000 people died in the smog, and the subsequent plague took the lives of close to 40,000 people. Among the deceased were young children, healthy young men, and women…"
So that's how it is… What is the king plotting… The three Churches likely don't have any actual evidence; otherwise, Father wouldn't only be frustrated to this degree… Audrey felt an inexplicable sense of anger and sadness. It felt like particular principles she had upheld in the past had been ruthlessly trampled, or that values that had stood up to time were silently crumbling.
She subconsciously lowered her head and closed her eyes.
Then, she exhaled and whispered, "Thank you, Mr. Fool. Please convey my gratitude to Mr. World."
After her prayer, Audrey sat in the tranquil darkness and didn't move for a long time.
Chapter 1035 Diary Page in Advance
Backlund East Borough, inside a two-bedroom apartment.
Fors picked up a fountain pen and wrote on a piece of paper.
This was a letter for her teacher, Dorian Gray Abraham. It was to tell him that she was in danger and had no choice but to leave where she used to stay. Replies were not to be sent there, and if he had sent a letter, he was to quickly change his address and change identities if possible.
After writing plenty of words, Fors put down her pen, folded the letter, stuffed it into an envelope, and adhered a stamp on it.
Then, she changed into outdoor attire and left the room with the letter she wanted to send.
She wasn't inclined towards heading out, but this new residence of hers not only didn't have alcoholic beverages, but it didn't even have coffee beans, instant coffee, black tea leaves, daily newspapers, the latest magazines, or novels.
For these, she had no choice but to personally head out to send the letter and buy some groceries outside East Borough.
As for Xio, she had already gone out. She wanted to mail a letter to her former rental apartment, indicating that Viscount Stratford's loyalties lay with the king. She wanted to see if it could drive Shermane's observer to take certain actions.
Seriously, after everything was over, I was so afraid that I nearly forgot to write to Teacher. If I had finished it earlier, I could've gotten Xio to do the mailing… Fors wore a bonnet that had a fishnet, walked down the dark staircase all the way to the bottom, and walked out the condominium.
This was in the periphery of East Borough where technical workers and low-level managers mainly lived. It was relatively safe and even had paperboys around.
As Fors heard chimes from time to time, she walked slowly along the side of the street.
At this moment, a postman stopped his bike, took out a stack of newspapers from his bag, and entered a condominium beside her.
Fors casually glanced at it and discovered that the copy at the top was News at Sea.
People who live here will actually subscribe to such a newspaper? Their job has something to do with maritime trade? Fors retracted her gaze as she mumbled in surprise.
However, this wasn't something that was worth paying attention to. She quickly walked towards the mailbox when she saw it at the end of the streets.
The postman entered the condominium and found a few targets from the rows of mailboxes, stuffing the corresponding papers into them.
Shortly after he left, a mailbox was opened and the newspaper inside was taken out.
The person who retrieved the newspapers walked up to the third story, opened a room, and sat in a simple reclining chair, rocking in it as he read through it.
By the side of the reclining chair, there was a black wooden table with a stack of papers placed on it.
Some of them were stacked neatly with their front page facing up. Some were bent asymmetrically, revealing the articles. On them were the corresponding reports:
"Shocking! Crazy Adventurer Made Fugitive"
"Crazy Adventurer Appears Again; An Incredible Hunt"
"The Man Closest to The Kings At Sea, Adventurer Worth 90,000 Pounds"
"Story of Gehrman Sparrow And Three Female Pirate Admirals"
"Shooting To Fame In One Battle, Gehrman Sparrow Attempts Assassination Attempt on Vice Admiral Ailment At Night"
Shortly after Fors finished her purchases and returned to her rental apartment, Xio had finished her trip and returned.
The reason for their timely return was because it was Monday and it was almost three in the afternoon.
Gong! Gong! Gong!
The nearby cathedral's bells resonated as a crimson red beam of light surged at Fors and Xio at the same moment.
Inside the majestic palace, by the sides of the ancient mottled table, figures appeared simultaneously, taking corporeal form.
Like always, Justice Audrey stood up first, faced the seat of honor of the long bronze table, curtsied, and said, "Good afternoon, Mr. Fool."
Miss Justice seems rather down… From the looks of it, the news last night is still affecting her… The Fool Klein nodded indiscernibly and acknowledged the Tarot Club members' greetings.
At this moment, Audrey, who wasn't in a good mood, noticed with her sharp observational skills that there was a bronze cross beside Mr. Fool's right hand.
Where did this cross come from? To be placed on the table by Mr. Fool, it's an item that's at least the level of a Card of Blasphemy… Who does it originate from? What use does it have? Questions flew through Audrey's mind, making her feel an irresistible sense of curiosity.
This was the first time Mr. Fool was placing something in front of him that wasn't a Card of Blasphemy!
Immediately following that, Alger, Cattleya, and the other Tarot Club members also noticed the bronze cross that was more eye-catching than a card. Like Miss Justice, they couldn't help but guess at the item's origins, level, and use.
Amongst them, Derrick felt a subtle calling from it. He felt that the bronze cross was drawing him in.
He then recalled a basic rule taught in lessons at the City of Silver:
Law of Beyonder characteristics convergence!
This is a high-level Sealed Artifact of the Sun pathway? Derrick suddenly came to a realization.
Fors and Xio recognized the bronze cross to be the Sealed Artifacts that they had sacrificed. Their pupils dilated as though they were trying to take a better look.
Mr. Fool places so much importance on this item? I-it's more important than what Xio and I imagined? Fors was stunned and couldn't hide her curiosity.
When it came to matters involving gods, her thoughts would never develop towards romance
Xio shared similar thoughts with Fors, but she didn't say a word. She believed that Miss Justice would definitely take the initiative to ask.
Just as Audrey was deliberating about raising her hand, Cattleya closed her eyes, turned her body, and faced the seat of honor.
Before she bowed and spoke, The Fool Klein suddenly chuckled, "Don't worry. The glasses you conjure can seal your Eye of Mystery Prying."
He knew very well that Ma'am Hermit had already become a demigod by obtaining godhood, turning into a Mysticologist.
This was partly because Cattleya had prayed to The Fool before she held the ritual and consumed the potion, hoping to advance under "His" watch. This way, even if she ultimately failed, she could be blessed and not lose control or go mad. She could always think of expelling the excessive characteristic and redo the attempt.
Towards this matter, Klein wasn't too confident about it, because he had never attempted it before. Divination also didn't give any answers, but since he had agreed, he believed that if she failed and didn't die, it was definitely all thanks to Mr. Fool. If she were to lose control or go mad, she wouldn't care if Mr. Fool was really a cheat. In short, Klein's main purpose was to give her confidence so that she was in the best conditions for an advancement attempt. After all, Admiral of Stars wasn't able to find other existences to give similar blessings.
After witnessing Ma'am Hermit's advancement to a demigod, Klein heaved a sigh of relief while lampooning inwardly.
At times, acting as a god is harder than acting like a human. When believers encounter trouble, there are usually two outcomes—life or death. Their survival is naturally due to the blessings of deities, and no one would care if death occurs…
On the other hand, after becoming a demigod and being able to use more of the powers of the mysterious space above the gray fog, The Fool Klein could easily see the Astral Projections of the Tarot Club members; thus, reading their current Beyonder pathway and Sequence.
After sealing her Eye of Mystery Prying, Cattleya heaved a sigh of relief and reverently said, "Mr. Fool, there is one page of Emperor Roselle's diary this time."
Emperor Roselle's diary? Queen Mystic is done with her matters? But nothing abnormal happened in Backlund… Yes, no one noticed the infiltration of Amon in Böklund Street or the demigod battle in Maygur Manor… The Fool Klein nodded in an unperturbed manner and said, "Good. You can think of a question or request."
As he spoke, Audrey, Alger, and company sharply learned something from this conversation.
Ma'am Hermit was worried that the glasses she conjured was unable to seal her Eye of Mystery Prying, and this wasn't a worry she had in the previous gatherings.
This means that Ma'am Hermit's Eye of Mystery Prying has been significantly boosted… Hmm, why would there be a sudden boost? S-she advanced to become a demigod? She's our Tarot Club's second demigod? Audrey connected this matter to Cattleya's purchase of the Mythical Creature's blood and immediately had a guess.
She then swept her gaze at the male members opposite her and realized that Mr. Hanged Man's seating posture had unknowingly changed. He had apparently figured that Ma'am Hermit had become a demigod. Little Sun's gaze was still staring at the bronze cross without any reaction. The Moon Mr. Emlyn hesitated for a few seconds before looking up at Ma'am Hermit. Mr. Star was like Little Sun, his eyes somewhat vacant as though he was waiting for the diary part to pass.
"Honorable Mr. Fool, can this question be accumulated with the next one?" Cattleya asked.
Accumulated with the next one… Queen Mystic still doesn't want to have her mood affected? Then why would she suddenly provide a diary page? Has she foreseen something? To maintain his image as The Fool, he didn't ask why and nodded gently.
"Sure."
Cattleya didn't speak further as she conjured that diary page, only to see it flash into Mr. Fool's hands.
Klein scanned it seemingly casually, taking in most of the information.
"19th July. Night of the Blood Moon.
"Mr. Door's answer allowed me to confirm one thing. In that ancient secret organization, the second Blasphemy Slate I saw wasn't complete!"