1053 Presiden
In the dimly-lit world, the gigantic crimson moon hung silently over the house while everything in the garden seemed to be asleep.
The despair in the incomplete grayish-white dragon's eyes dissipated as it retracted its skin-covered wings, behaving like a docile hunting dog reared at home.
The Psychology Alchemists councilor, demigod of the Spectator pathway, Hvin Rambis, had lost his life and became Klein's marionette!
Without bothering to enjoy this achievement, he switched places with Enuni, who was beside the grayish-white dragon, appearing as Gehrman Sparrow in his black trench coat and silk top hat.
Then, he controlled his new marionette to treat the infection he received from Mental Plague.
A gentle and cool breeze swept past the sea of collective subconscious, seeping into Klein's island of consciousness. It made him feel like the object reeking of a rotten, putrid, and discordant object in his Body of Heart and Mind was being purged out of him with a surgical knife.
Klein's face immediately contorted as he grimaced. He once again felt the excruciating pain in his soul.
Thankfully, in order to create the Control Spirit Bullets and the Yesterday Once More charms, he was already accustomed to this feeling. He didn't hold his head and roll around.
After purging the contagious mental disease from his consciousness, the cool wind brought about a warmth that made him want to take an afternoon nap. It allowed his damaged Spirit Body to relax as if he was soaked in a bath. His mind and body quickly recovered thanks to the nourishment.
By the time he recovered from his mental disease, the gentle breeze that blew at him became intense. It swept the surroundings, wiping out all the "contagion" left in the air.
After doing all of this, Klein made the grayish-white dragon rapidly shrink its body, converge its godhood, and turn back into its human form.
However, as Hvin Rambis' clothes had been ripped to pieces, the gray scales on his body didn't disappear.
A few seconds later, the ascetic leader of the Church of Evernight, Arianna walked out of the gigantic crimson moon in her simple robe and belt made of tree bark. Her long black hair cascaded down as she stepped across the void and arrived diagonally above Hvin Rambis.
The angel stretched out "Her" right hand and, with a gentle squeeze, let Hvin Rambis's blurry soul leave his body and float above his head.
"Why are you helping George III?" Arianna asked directly.
Hvin Rambis's confused expression immediately turned serious.
"This is the choice of the times, an inevitability of destiny. We are just following the flow of the tides and providing some guidance, allowing the times to develop in the right direction."
The standard answer of the Twilight Hermit Order… From the looks of it, the Psychology Alchemists' demigod doesn't know what Adam's true goal is either… Even as official members of the Twilight Hermit Order, most of them probably don't know… Klein didn't have any problems thinking thanks to his situation inside the concealed world.
Arianna didn't show any surprise as she pressed, "What is the trend of the times?"
Hvin Rambis's eyes were unfocused, but his expression was solemn as he answered, "A war, one that will sweep the entire world."
This… Isn't peace nice? Klein frowned slightly as he couldn't help but mumble inwardly.
He knew very well what a world war would do to humans.
He only wished that his investigation with the Church of Evemight would be able to seize the key and successfully prevent the war which the Twilight Hermit Order was strongly pushing from erupting.
Arianna fell silent for a second before asking, "What's the secret George III is hiding?"
Hvin Rambis revealed a smile.
"Every king is restrained by three major contracts and can only reach a limit of Sequence 5. But with our help, he bypassed the restrictions and has already reached a higher level. Once the tides of the times come, he'll easily be able to ascend to the spot that should've belonged to him."
Three major contracts… What's that? It's understandable to limit a king to Sequence 5 due to the strong push to keep mysticism under wraps. It's best for a king to be changed normally. The people will find it acceptable if they could live for 80-90 years old, but to still be active at 120-130 years will be the cause for conspiracy theories and panic… George III cooperated with the Psychology Alchemists and the Demoness Sect to live longer? Typically, this is a restriction on the king, not the other members of the Augustus family. They should have Grounded Angels among them, so there's no reason for them to support George III… Many questions arose in his mind.
"George III still isn't a demigod, is he? Is he using some method to possess a higher level and perform the 'acting' ahead of time?" Arianna asked unhurriedly.
To the Church of Evernight, this was a crucial problem. If George III was already a demigod, they could directly contact the Church of Storms and Steam to capture him because the King himself was enough evidence.
Hvin Rambis's soul nodded and said, "Yes."
"What is the exact method?" Arianna continued asking.
Hvin Rambis slowly shook his head and said, "I'm not sure. The person in charge of this matter is our president. I only remember him once mentioning that he wanted George III to have more talent."
More talent? Upon hearing such a description, Klein instantly thought of something in Roselle's diary.
In the eyes of the emperor, the so-called "talent" was to make one's psyche and soul more like a high-level ancestor, as such be able to obtain the recognition of the corresponding Beyonder characteristics or the mental imprint within Sealed Artifacts, allowing them to easily consume the potion and wield the Sealed Artifacts without the immense negative effects.
This wasn't a perfect solution. It could even be said that there were great latent risks. This was because the mental imprint would revert and control the consumer or wielder's soul, causing them to experience certain changes.
If anyone were to rely on this method to advance to a demigod, there was an extremely high chance of becoming a monster formed of mental sutures!
Was George III hypnotized? He actually accepted such a method? No, if he was hypnotized, the Augustus family's angel or Sealed Artifacts would definitely discover the problem… Klein became even more puzzled as he waited for the ascetic leader floating in the sky to ask further.
Arianna clearly knew what "more talent" meant. Without any change in expression, she asked, "Who is your President?" Hvin Rambis revealed a look of reminiscence.
"He has many identities and names, but I can confirm that he is the president of our Psychology Alchemists as long as I see him.
"His current identities and names are:
"One of the Four Kings of the Sea, the King of the Black Throne Barros Hopkins; the former chancellor of the Backlund Medical School; the royal family's medical consultant; the already 'dead' Pauli Derlau; the famous ascetic of the Central Sonia Sea, Eric Drake…"
King of the Black Throne… It was only then that he realized that he had heard of this title, but he had always neglected it, not taking it to heart and seldom thinking about it.
So this Pirate King is from the Spectator pathway… He nodded in enlightenment.
Arianna listened quietly and asked, "What secret is George III hiding in the Blood Emperor ruins?"
Hvin Rambis's slightly dazed expression changed slightly.
"An extremely important thing. If he wants to grasp it, he will need a large number of sacrificial rituals."
"What is it?" Arianna pressed without any pause.
Hvin Rambis was taken aback.
"I… I don't remember…"
He suddenly raised his hand to grip his soul's head, clearly in pain.
However, no matter how he thought about it, he couldn't remember the answer.
Was this memory forcefully "deleted" by Adam or a certain angel from the Spectator pathway? Klein watched with a heavy expression as he felt that the secret in the ruins was more important than he imagined.
Arianna fell silent for a few seconds before lowering her head and asking Klein, "Do you have anything you want to ask?"
Klein thought for a moment and asked Hvin Rambis, "What is the name of the High-Sequence Beyonder potions of the Spectator pathway?"
The pain in Hvin Rambis's soul lessened as he slowly replied, "Sequence 4 Manipulator. Sequence 3 Dreamweaver. Sequence 2 Discerner. Sequence 1 Author."
He didn't mention Sequence 0 Visionary, clearly unaware.
"What's the potion formula for Manipulator?" Although Klein felt that his question was rather substandard compared to Ma'am Arianna's, he still asked.
In a dazed tone, Hvin Rambis said without hesitation, "The main ingredient is an elderly mind dragon's complete brain, or the crystalline heart of a Tree Mentor, or a Beyonder characteristic of a Manipulator.
The supplementary ingredients are 80 ml of the blood of an elderly mind dragon, 3 golden leaves of a Tree Mentor, and 7 different drops of tears from different humans or non-human creatures that were shed due to intense emotions…
"The ritual is that on a special occasion with at least ten thousand people, drink the potion when they are in the midst of an emotional resonance."
In contrast, the difficulty of a demigod ritual of the Spectator pathway isn't that high… That's right. Spectators can heal and analyze themselves, allowing them to effectively deal with the madness and the loss of control brought about by the potion, so the ritual can be simplified… Klein nodded in thought.
"What's the potion formula for Dreamweaver?"
"I don't know." Hvin Rambis shook his head.
Alright then… Klein asked Hvin Rambis why he had personally come to Audrey and received the corresponding answer.
Then, he said to Arianna, "I have no further questions."
The questions he had couldn't be answered by Hvin Rambis.
Arianna's right hand pressed softly, causing Hvin Rambis's soul to return to his body.
Following that, the angel glanced at Klein and said calmly, "Don't use him as a marionette.
"Before his mental imprint is removed, it's best you don't use his Beyonder characteristic to create items.' Of course, I don't want Adam to visit me… Klein nodded sincerely.
"I will remember it. Thank you, Ma'am Arianna."
Chapter 1054 Tailored-Made Ritual
After thanking "Her," Klein immediately gave up his control over Hvin Rambis, making it impossible for him to maintain his marionette-like state.
With that, this Spectator pathway demigod collapsed to the ground and became a corpse.
Arianna lowered her head and took a look, the darkness in her eyes growing deeper.
Hvin Rambis's corpse immediately got erased like a pencil drawing as if it was being wiped away by an eraser, inch by inch, leaving behind only the ice-blue metal cylinder.
Right on the heels of that, beams of light seeped out of the void and quickly gathered together, forming a strange object.
It was fist-sized and looked like a heart. However, it resembled a different kind of brain with its surface being covered in grayish-white wrinkles, each crevice with countless symbols and strange patterns that extended into the surroundings. These connected to a world that Beyonders of other pathways couldn't see.
This was the Beyonder characteristic left behind by a Manipulator.
Miss Arianna's concealment and reversing concealment process is able to quickly extract Hvin Rambis's Beyonder characteristic… Klein came to a realization after a moment of pause.
At this moment, Arianna calmly said, "The mental imprints in it have all been removed."
"Thank you, Ma'am Arianna." Not surprised at all, he bowed as if he had prepared to do so.
He had decisively given up on his marionette because he foresaw that something like this would happen.
In fact, his original plan was to bring Hvin Rambis above the gray fog as a marionette, allowing him to use Unshadowed Crucifix to purge the Manipulator, Dreamwalker, Hypnotist, and other Beyonder characteristics out. This way, Miss Justice no longer needed to worry about the ingredients needed before becoming a demigod, even her Beyonder dog at home had a chance of advancing. After all, Audrey had briefly mentioned in the past to Dwayne Dantes that her act of escaping from Hvin Rambis's control was all thanks to Susie.
But later on, he considered that there was no way he could bring Hvin Rambis above the gray fog inside this world of concealment, as it would directly expose the fact that he was The Fool under Arianna's watchful eyes. And once he left, no matter where he teleported to, there was a chance of being discovered by Adam because of Hvin Rambis's existence.
In that case, giving up a marionette in front of Arianna was undoubtedly a better choice. At least, this angel had a high chance of helping him remove the mental imprint on the Beyonder characteristic.
And none of these affected Klein's original plan. He could easily find some ingredients to make Hvin Lanbi's Beyonder characteristic into a problematic potion. He would then pour it onto an ordinary item so that it could absorb the potion and transform.
After obtaining such a Sealed Artifact and binding it with the Unshadowed Crucifix, he could obtain the corresponding Beyonder characteristics by keeping track of the time.
As for the mental corruption during this process, there was no need for concern. The Unshadowed Crucifix could also cleanse it!
Klein picked up Hvin Rambis's Beyonder characteristic, but he wasn't able to stuff it into the iron cigar case. He could only stuff it into his pocket. As for Arianna, "She" cast her gaze towards the ice-blue metal cylinder and said in an unhurried voice, "It's from the cosmos, so it's best you don't use it. Even you carrying it with you should be limited. Otherwise, a gaze might be cast onto you, causing you to be corrupted and suffer aberrations."
"From the cosmos?" Klein found the description familiar.
Soon, he remembered the origins of its familiarity:
This originated from the the "Yellow light" Venithan's prophecy of the apocalypse in "Sights in the Spirit World" from the Abraham family:
"Casting one's gaze from the cosmos, the lands shatter. Everything in the world will cease to exist."
The apocalypse… The origins of this Sealed Artifact is related to the apocalypse? What does the cosmos represent? What does it have to do with the astral world? A series of questions formed in his mind, making his expression turn heavy.
Faced with his question, Arianna nodded gently and said, "Yes, the cosmos."
"Is it the cosmos above our heads?" he pointed at the dark night sky which was embedded with the gigantic crimson moon.
"Yes." Arianna gave an affirmative answer, but she didn't explain further.
After some thought, he asked again, "There are many hostile existences that are attempting to destroy this world?" Arianna's gaze swept across his face and finally stopped at his eyes.
"I can't give you an answer.
There are some things that make it easier to be 'infected' the more you know. Both your body and soul will be infected. Once you become an angel, you can seek out the exact answer."
The more I know, the easier it is to get "infected"… A chill ran down Klein's back.
He didn't ask Arrodes earlier about the Sealed Artifacts that Hvin Rambis possessed, because he was afraid that Adam would notice them if they left any traces behind.
When facing a King of Angels, no amount of caution was enough!
Seeing that Arianna wasn't revealing anything else, Klein pointed at the ice-blue metal cylinder and asked, "How should we handle this item?"
The description of the ascetic leader made him a little afraid of bringing the Sealed Artifact above the gray fog to "disinfect."
Arianna calmly said, "My suggestion is to sacrifice it to the Goddess. Together with the contributions you have previously rendered, you can exchange them for what you want."
Klein nodded slightly.
"I understand."
After expressing his gratitude, Arianna's figure was quickly erased and disappeared into the dark garden under the abnormally huge moon.
And with that, the world of concealment collapsed.
Klein observed for a few seconds before taking out candles and other ritual items he carried with him. He quickly set up an altar and sacrificed the ice-blue metal cylinder to the Evernight Goddess.
At the end of the ritual, amidst the howling winds, the burning ash of the herbs and the surrounding soil rose up and landed onto an empty spot on the altar.
The ash and soil were connected, forming words:
"Sequence 3: Scholar of Yore;
"Main ingredients: Hound of Fulgrim (also known as Sefirah Castle Keeper) pair of eyes. One Demonic Wolf of Fog's transformed heart;
"Supplementary ingredients: 100ml of Hound of Fulgrim blood, 30 grams of White Frost Crystal of Demonic Wolf of Fog, a large amount of real ancient historical records…
"Advancement ritual: Be separated from reality for at least three hundred years and consume the potion after one becomes history and doesn't belong to the present era."
This… Klein couldn't help but blink, wondering if he had seen the wrong description.
The description of not belonging to the present era made him think of a line in his honorific name:
"The Fool that doesn't belong to this era!"
I've been hanging above the extraordinary door of light for more than three hundred years… In a sense, have I already completed the ritual and am only waiting to consume the potion? The mysterious space above the gray fog really has a very close relationship with the Seer pathway… Could it be the manifestation of the Uniqueness? Klein was momentarily delighted but also grim. This was because he didn't know if a price was exacted for such a bestowment.
Phew, I really want to jump to a neighboring pathway after becoming an angel to not follow whatever path was planned for me… For other Bizarro Sorcerers, the hardest part about the advancement ritual is to live for more than three hundred years. After all, this isn't a pathway that's known for having a long lifespan… Also, being separated from reality for three hundred years easily drives one mad. For Bizarro Sorcerers who are in a dissociative state, the risk of madness and losing control is quite significant… Klein looked at the Scholar of Yore's potion formula as thoughts couldn't help but flash through his mind.
After an unknown amount of time, he ended the ritual and put away the corresponding items.
As he walked out of the garden, the gigantic crimson moon and the pitch-black darkness faded away, disappearing inch by inch.
Then, he saw fresh autumn flowers and the sunlight shining above them. He also saw a blonde girl waiting in between the house and the garden.
Audrey's eyes wore an elated look as the corners of her lips curled up unconsciously.
Klein nodded at her before his figure was enveloped by scarlet flames.
Elsewhere in the garden, there was another flame soaring in the air, but it wasn't obvious.
When the flames dissipated, Gehrman Sparrow was gone. The remnants of the crimson moon and the night scenery vanished completely.
Audrey fell into a daze for a few seconds before thoughtfully looking away and entering Viscount Glaint's residence.
After she left in a carriage with Susie and the servants, she returned home and had a chance to be alone. As expected, she received The World's invitation for a "meeting."
Above the gray fog, inside the palace.
Audrey looked at The World Gehrman Sparrow and calmly asked, "What was Hvin Rambis's true goal?"
She had long known from Gehrman Sparrow's calm composure that Hvin Rambis had been finished off.
Klein answered frankly, "The first is to find out if there's a mastermind behind Xio and Fors's actions. Secondly, when the princes express their goodwill towards Earl Hall's family, the cue was for you to not be an obstacle. In essence, it's to create a fracture between the three major Churches."
With regards to this matter, Audrey had already discussed it with Mr. World before. There was no need to seek further explanations as she asked, "Then why was a demigod like Hvin Rambis personally visiting me?"
Klein smiled and said, "If you wish to deceive the guards arranged by Earl Hall, as well as hypnotize a Hypnotist with great certainty without causing any commotion, a Sequence 5 might not be capable of doing so; therefore, it's best to send a demigod. Furthermore, you knew Hvin Rambis and had interactions with him before, so your vigilance against him would be minimized.
"To be honest, if you weren't careful enough and had an unnoticeable helper like Susie, the whole matter would've gone on smoothly without you and I knowing until Monday."
Justice Audrey didn't wear a thick mask. She smiled and sighed with mixed emotions.
"So I'm already this powerful…"
Powerful to the point of needing a demigod to be certain of success.
"He was even more powerful than I had imagined. You actually hypnotized a demigod, a demigod that's good at hypnotism," Klein praised with a smile.
Audrey pursed her lips without realizing it and smiled.
"That's mainly because of the Fate Siphon charm you gave me. Uh, my Hypnotist potion seems to have completely digested as a result of this…"
Chapter 1055 Train of Though
Completely digested? That's understandable. This is the act of hypnotizing a demigod. Although it's thanks to the Fate Siphon charm, it only helped to open the door of the Body of Heart and Mind. The subsequent consciousness manipulation and the cue planting needs to be done personally. If she weren't careful, she would trigger an intense rejection and would lead to failure…"Acting" done to the extreme would definitely accelerate the digestion process… Klein nodded gently and said in praise, "This is a good thing. It's even more so for the current situation."
Audrey understood what Mr. World meant. In this storm that was sweeping around thanks to the Angel of imagination Adam and King George III, even if she stood by the sidelines, she could sense her weakness and how powerless she was. She couldn't wait to improve herself.
She tersely acknowledged and said, "I'll urge The Sun to give his conditions to complete the deal and try my best to advance to Sequence 5. When the time comes, I hope that I can receive the protection of Mr. Fool and remain conscious in my dream."
Having been prepared for this, Klein smiled and said, "Actually, you don't have to wait that long. I'll be able to sell you a Dreamwalker's Beyonder characteristic by tomorrow, and at the latest, Friday."
As it was a private exchange, Klein didn't act as The World by deliberately making his voice hoarse. All he did was sound reserved.
"Really?" Audrey's eyes widened, not concealing her surprise.
Klein nodded and said, "It's actually from Hvin Rambis.
"The new cross that Mr. Fool obtained can allow the Beyonder characteristics to be purged."
He spoke very simply without explaining the actual steps. He maintained Gehrman Sparrow's unique coldness.
"Is that so…" The corners of Audrey's lips curled up as she broke into a smile. She pressed against her chest and said, "Praise Mr. Fool-! And thank you, Mr. World."
A double token of gratitude… Klein chuckled inwardly and calmly said, "It's just a transaction."
You need to pay for it… he lampooned to himself.
Audrey maintained her smile and asked, "What do you need?"
"For a Sequence 5 Beyonder characteristic—8,000 pounds." Klein chose something that Miss Justice could gather in the fastest time possible.
Audrey didn't mind the price. She thought for a while before asking, "Can you sell the separated Hypnotist characteristic to me as well?"
When she said that, she smiled in embarrassment and said, "It's for Susie. The incident this time was resolved all thanks to her.
"Yes, the higher her level, the greater the help she can provide will be. Well, I'll also help her."
"No problem. 4,000 pounds." Having expected this, Klein directly named his price.
In his plan, he could stop once the Hypnotist was purged, doing so without continuing the separation process. Now, he would place the Unshadowed Crucifix together for a long period of time, allowing its remaining characteristics to take form.
"A total of 12,000 pounds?" Audrey asked for confirmation, not feeling too much pressure.
As she didn't have any major expenditures for the past few months, she only had 10,000 pounds left. Just a little bit of economizing was enough to satisfy her needs.
Seeing The World nod, she heaved a sigh of relief.
"I'll pay it before Friday."
After closing the deal, her mood became better with Hvin Rambis having been killed. She asked as though she was chatting, "I'll also buy the complete brain of an adult mind dragon from The Sun as well. However, I won't be in such a rush. Susie won't be able to digest the Hypnotist potion so quickly…"
At this point, she glanced shyly at Mr. World.
"What needs to be exchanged for Hvin Rambis's demigod characteristic?"
Klein laughed and replied, "I still don't know what I'm lacking.
"In fact, other than the Manipulator characteristic from Hvin Rambis, I also have the corresponding potion formula. While you digest the Dreamwalker potion, I'll slowly think about what I need, and I'll get you to do certain things and gather some materials so that you can make sufficient contributions to exchange for them."
Upon hearing these words, Audrey's green eyes lit up.
"Alright!"
After her reply, she asked with interest, "Is this the same as how Xio contributes to MI9?"
Yes, it's also the same method that the various major Churches use." Klein gave an affirmative answer.
Audrey nodded and curiously asked, "Mr. World, do you know the name of the High-Sequence Beyonder potions of the Spectator pathway?"
Klein answered simply, "Manipulator, Dreamweaver, Discerner, Author, and Sequence 0, Visionary."
…Hearing the names makes me look forward to them… Especially Author and Visionary… Audrey fantasized for a few seconds before diverting the topic back on track.
"Did Hvin Rambis say what the king's secret is? Also, why are they helping the king?"
She was partially asking for Xio, but on the other hand, she was also concerned herself.
"The king's secret? He wishes to bypass the three major contracts the royal family signed with the orthodox Churches and become a demigod. For this, he needs to use many sacrificial rituals to gain control of some important object inside the Blood Emperor's ruins. Heh heh. That was Hvin Rambis's answer, but it might not be the entire truth and might very likely be only a part of it." As Klein answered, he shared his line of thought. "As for the Psychology Alchemists or the Twilight Hermit Order, they need a war that sweeps the entire world. This is what they're pushing for and hope to see as the trend of the times."
"A war that sweeps the entire world…" Audrey repeated softly. Her pretty eyebrows furrowed slightly, and her cheerful mood plummeted again.
Although her status and standing hadn't made her truly experience the cruelty of war before, she was no longer sheltered and cut-off from the world. She could already imagine it to a certain degree.
After a brief moment of silence, Audrey took a deep breath and forced a smile.
"I hope we can stop this."
After exchanging a few more words, she left the gray fog and returned to the real world. As for Klein, he busily used clear water, tree sap, herbal powder, Thousand-Faced Hunter's blood, Spirit World Plunderer powder, and other materials to "dilute" Hvin Rambis's Beyonder characteristic and concoct a potion that had a questionable name which was definitely filled with problems.
Then, he found an ordinary glass bottle and put the potion inside. He wanted to know what kind of Sealed Artifact it would eventually transform into.
This took quite a bit of time so he used the power of the mysterious space above the gray fog to construct a spherical barrier around the glass bottle to prevent any influence it had on the entire area after it mutated.
After doing all of this, he returned to 160 Boklund Street, he prepared to summon Arrodes and ask it for information about the two Beyonder creatures known as Hound of Fulgrim and Demonic Wolf of Fog.
At that moment, with the passage of time, the clouds in the sky had thickened, and the sun was covered up once again. The entirety of Backlund had become as dark and cold as the morning.
Standing in front of the desk, he looked out the window at the sky. For some reason, he felt as though he and the Church of Evernight had neglected an important problem.
Their investigations had been going relatively smoothly during this period of time, and the intelligence they received was also delving deeper. However, for some reason, it made him feel uneasy.
Is there some influence or misdirection in this matter, and truly is something that I can't think of? Even heading above the gray fog is useless. Divination will most likely point towards "Him." Hmm… Klein hurriedly collected his thoughts, unfurled the paper, and drew a picture consisting of symbols that implied concealment and mystery prying with a fountain pen.
One second, two seconds… After nearly eight seconds, the full-body mirror in the room turned dark. Aqueous light rippled and formed silver words:
"Exalted Great Master, your puny, loyal, and humble servant, Arrodes, is here to answer your summoning!
"I-I think I'm late. I'm already a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact. I need some time if I want to circumvent the isolation. Please forgive me, Great Master."
"You're a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact?" Klein asked with a surprised look.
He could already imagine what was going on within the Church of Steam.
The mirror that likes to play question and answer games has suddenly gone crazy!
The full-body mirror's silver words squirmed and formed new words:
"Great Master, is this a question?"
He wanted to answer "no," but to maintain his image, he nodded and said, "Yes."
Arrodes immediately produced a line of words:
"I'm not actually a true Grade 1 Sealed Artifact yet. I'm just enjoying the treatment of a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact in advance. This is mainly because a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact needs to be reported to other Churches and be given a new number. The Church of Steam doesn't wish to do so."
So that's how it is. That's understandable… Klein nodded gently.
"Got it."
The aqueous light on the full-body mirror's surface flashed again as new silver words formed:
"Supreme Master, do you have any questions to test your loyal servant, Arrodes?"
"What do you know about Hounds of Fulgrim and Demonic Wolves of Fog?" he asked without standing on ceremony, completely unfazed that it was actually two questions.
In the mirror, the silver words squirmed like they had a life of their own and changed shapes.
"The Hounds of Fulgrim are a type of unique creature of the spirit world. They live in the Historical Void. Even the Seven Lights only know of them and are unable to interact with them unless they leave the Historical Void and attempt to hunt. But even so, what you see might only be a projection of their past…
"The Demonic Wolves of Fog are a type of high-level Demonic Wolves. After the death of the ancient gods and the Cataclysm, and with them being killed by the Antigonus family, Zaratul family, and the Church of Evernight, they're extremely rare now. Furthermore, they're all good at anti-divination and deceit. They aren't easy to find…"
In other words, the Church of Evernight likely has materials and items related to the Demonic Wolf of Fog? And with this, I can bring it to the spirit world and use the law of Beyonder characteristic convergence to bait a Hound of Fulgrim? Klein began his train of thought as he read on.
Chapter 1056 The Real "Devil"
After getting a grasp of the situation, Klein looked at the full-body mirror in the room and asked, "What's the king's secret?"
The surface of the mirror that seemed to lead to another world had aqueous light ripple before revealing a scene:
It was a ruin that was hidden deep in the darkness, covered in the dust of history. However, it was completely intact.
Does that mean that the king's secret is in the Blood Emperor's ruins… Arrodes doesn't dare to answer directly, or is this as much as it can see? After some deliberation, he said to the magic mirror, "It's your turn to ask."
The image in the full-body mirror didn't change at all. It only revealed silver words:
"Great Master, do you have any other questions?"
"Yes." Without standing on ceremony, Klein nodded and asked, "Where is Saintess of White, Katarina, presently?"
In the mirror, the silver words rapidly faded and disappeared, but the background didn't change at all. It was still the Blood Emperor ruins.
If not for the word's appearance and disappearance, I would've thought that this magic mirror "crashed"… Katarina is hiding in the Blood Emperor's ruins? The real one? Klein nodded thoughtfully.
"It's your turn."
Above the scene, silver words condensed once again:
"Benevolent Master, why don't you leave Backlund?"
That's a good question. I originally had such plans… I originally investigated the Great Smog of Backlund because of my outrage over the innocent deaths of the poor like Old Kohler, as well as being lost due to the shattering of my main goal. Later, I ended up with the identity as a Blessed of the Goddess. Later on, I tried to prevent a disaster from happening and prevent the people I know from suffering due to the ambitions of the powerful and to not drown because of the tides of the times. I was willing to bear some of the risks…
As for now, knowing that there might be a war that would sweep the entire world, and discovering that the advancement ritual of Scholar of Yore is practically "tailor-made" for me, with signs of things being arranged, I've already come to a realization that I might not be able to escape even if I tried. Or should I say that I'm unlikely to escape my destiny even if I were to flee Backlund. In that case, I might as well take the initiative to face the risk head- on and see if I can figure out the truth and find a chance to survive, grasping my fate in my own hands… Klein's thoughts kept churning before they settled.
Following that, he calmly replied, "Leaving can't really solve the problem."
With that, he asked, "Where is Trissy now?"
The full-body mirror finally changed the depicted scene. This time, it was pitch-black. Occasionally, thick objects would slip across the surface.
Arrodes also can't see Trissy's situation… Klein nodded slightly and said, "It's your turn to ask."
The mirror was filled with aqueous light and wisps of silver formed a sentence:
"Great Master, I have something to tell you. May I?"
"Go ahead," Klein replied, somewhat curious.
The silver words changed into new words:
You have to be careful with what follows next!"
It even used an exclamation point… Arrodes noticed something unpleasant? After thinking for a few seconds, Klein said, "What do you think can threaten me?"
"I don't know. I have a feeling…" Arrodes reorganized its words, turning them from silver to grayish-white. It was obvious that it meant to express its sadness and self-reproach.
Without waiting for a reply, new grayish-white words appeared in the mirror one after another:
"Great Master, I have another scene to show you. Is that okay?"
"Sure," Klein spoke slowly.
The full-body mirror's surface produced ripples as the pitch-black darkness changed.
It became deeper and deeper, sparkling like diamonds.
This was a beautiful and vast night.
The scene that Arrodes displayed is directed at the Goddess who's intrinsically the stars, or it's the gaze cast from the cosmos? It seems like it doesn't dare to express it directly… Klein considered for a moment and didn't attempt to ask further.
"Let's end it here for today."
"Alright!" The grayish-white words were once again dyed with silver as the speed at which they appeared had slowed down for some reason. "Great Master, y-you haven't said that you would summon me, your loyal servant, Arrodes, again if you have other questions in the future…"
It's a mirror that needs to follow procedure… Klein said in amusement, "Of course, I'll summon you again when I have other questions."
Yes, Master! Goodbye, Master!" The silver words on the mirror returned to their normal speed, forming a hand that kept waving.
After everything returned to normal, Klein burned the paper with the summoning symbols and drew the curtains. He once again stared at the cold and dark sky.
Empress Borough, in a small Evernight cathedral.
Xio and Fors received Miss Justice's update thanks to Mr. Fool, and they knew that the problem had been resolved. They roughly understood what the king's secret was.
"…Truly impressive." Fors, who believed in the God of Steam and Machinery, opened her eyes in the dark and quiet prayer hall, turned her head, lowered her voice, and sighed.
She originally wanted to directly say that Mr. World or Gehrman Sparrow was truly impressive, but she no longer wanted to make such a mistake.
The past week made her feel like she had been in the mysterious world for more than ten years.
Xio opened her eyes as well, but she first drew a crimson moon on her chest, a form of showing her penitence towards her disrespect for the Goddess.
"Yes, that's a…" Before Xio could finish her sentence, the message she tried to convey reached Fors.
What she wanted to say was that Hvin Rambis was a true demigod, but from the time she and Fors entered the cathedral, less than ten minutes had passed; yet, he had been finished off by Gehrman Sparrow.
As saints, there was such a huge gap!
"Perhaps, it's the blessings of an angel…" With her experience in supernatural events and writing novels, Fors made a vague guess.
As the prayer hall was dark and quiet, making it unsuitable for communication, Xio didn't directly respond to Fors's words. She nodded, stood up, and walked into the aisle.
The two of them left the prayer area, and after approaching the door, Xio exhaled and said, "I really hope that I'll be this powerful one day…"
"I have such thoughts occasionally too." Fors smiled. "Uh, no matter what, you've already completed your investigations, haven't you? Although the so-called secrets are definitely worth digging into, the outline of the matter is rather clear."
Xio looked at the door ahead of her and fell into a daze for a few seconds.
"But what's the point? I can't do anything about this matter."
"No, no, no. When it comes to enemies, that person's identity isn't too lofty. At least, he's someone we can look at directly." Fors seriously comforted her friend. "When you obtain a qualitative change in strength, you'll discover that you have the ability to participate in that matter. At least in matters that don't involve even higher levels."
Fors, who had joined the Tarot Club for quite a long time ago, had witnessed matters that had been planned by Mr. Fool. "He" had used his Blessed and the members of the Tarot Club to destroy the descent of the True Creator, revealed Bansy's secret, obtained a portion of the authority from the Storm domain, and interfered in the ownership of 0-08. Compared to the angels, King of Angels, and even true gods that were involved in these matters, King George III alone was indeed nothing special.
Xio slowly walked to the door and said after a moment of silence, "I understand what you mean.
"We'll return to the East district. We won't be in a hurry to move. Once I obtain the Judge potion formula, we'll disappear and go into hiding. I believe that after today's incident, they probably wouldn't dare to investigate us."
"That's for sure. They're just lurking in the dark, in spots that cannot see the light of day," Fors hurriedly echoed before exclaiming, "I only hope that before we move again, my letter to my teacher can be delivered,
Xio grabbed her yellow hair and walked out of the church gates as she said in a serious manner, "After I get the formula, I'll buy that button and try to advance as quickly as possible."
"Not bad. You've recovered your fighting spirit," Fors teased with a smile.
Xio didn't say another word as she continued proceeding forward with a solemn expression.
After walking a few dozen steps, she suddenly stopped and said without turning her head, "I d-don't think I have enough money to buy that button. When the time comes, lend me a little…
"I'll definitely return it."
Fors was taken aback for a second before chortling.
"Okay.
"If my guess is correct, I should be able to get the subsequent items from my teacher."
Thursday afternoon. Using the excuse of having some rest, Klein returned to the master bedroom and entered the bathroom. He took four steps counterclockwise and arrived above the gray fog.
He believed that the glass bottle that was filled with the "potion" had already finished absorbing it.
Sitting at the high-back chair of The Fool, he waved his hand and removed the isolation barrier, pulling his target over.
The transparent glass bottle was already stained with a dark color. It had a mesh pattern on its surface which shimmered slightly, giving off an artistic flair.
It was empty inside, with not a single drop of the potion remaining. The spacious bottle's mouth was covered with a layer of mist that glowed. It made Klein feel as though his gaze was being sucked in the moment it landed upon the mouth of the bottle.
A voice sounded from the bottle:
"By throwing in a hundred gold coins in it, you can fulfill a wish…
"By throwing in a hundred gold coins in it, you can fulfill a wish…"
Who did you learn this from… I have to say, this monotonous statement does have some hypnotic effect… Throwing in a hundred gold coins would be akin to opening the doors of the Body of Heart and Mind and becoming the bottle's slave… Klein did a simple analysis before beckoning for the Unshadowed Crucifix. Using the pressure brought about by the gray fog, he stuffed it into the bottle's mouth.
"You devil!" The voice in the bottle screamed shrilly before it was miserably blocked by the gray fog.
Chapter 1057 The Extraordinary and the Ordinary
After dealing with the mutated glass bottle, Klein took out his golden pocket watch, opened it, took a look, and took note of the time.
He had to return three hours later and separate the Unshadowed Crucifix from the Bottle of Slavery. Only then could he obtain a single Manipulator's Beyonder characteristic, and not a product that was mixed with the previous Sequences' Beyonder characteristics.
It feels like I'm doing an experiment… Klein nodded slightly, put away his pocket watch, and returned to the real world where he had his actual afternoon nap.
At four in the afternoon, his valet, Enuni, knocked on his employer's door under Butler Walter's watch.
"What's the matter?" In his pajamas, Dwayne Dantes rubbed his forehead and opened the bedroom door.
Enuni bowed and said, "Sir, you accepted Madam Riana's invitation for high tea the night before. It's today."
Klein looked at Butler Walter and said, "Alright, give me fifteen minutes to prepare."
Then he instructed his valet, Enuni, "Come in and help me change my clothes."
When only he and his marionette were left in the room, he controlled the latter to bring out clothes suitable for high tea, taking glances at the wall clock from time to time.
After about ten minutes, after tying his bow tie and putting on his coat, he took four steps counterclockwise and headed above the gray fog.
At that moment, three hours had passed since he last entered.
Placed at the end of the long bronze table, the mutated glass bottle which had been firmly bound to the Unshadowed Crucifix with the gray fog's power no longer had the twinkling mesh, looking as though it went from being a piece of art to a common item on the street.
At the bottom of the glass bottle was a large amount of grayish-white matter that had been purged. It flowed freely, forming a heart-shaped object the size of a child's fist. Not only were there wrinkles on it, but there were also cracks that resembled eyes. As for the complicated, three-dimensional, illusory patterns, labels, and symbols that extended into the void, they were nearly identical to Hvin Rambis's Beyonder characteristic that Klein had seen from before.
It's just a little different… Klein released the gray fog's suppression and took out the Unshadowed Crucifix from the bottle mouth.
With this step, the item that was purged out was completely separated from the mutated glass bottle, becoming complete and independent.
Klein reached out his left hand to pick up the item that resembled both a heart and a brain, and after examining it for a few seconds, he threw it into the junk pile and allowed the gray fog to envelop it.
At this moment, a weak voice sounded from the mutated glass bottle.
You… devil…"
Klein didn't respond as he thrust the Unshadowed Crucifix back in with his right hand, using the power of the gray fog to press down on it.
And with that, the ancient palace returned to its tranquil state.
After returning to the real world, Klein put on his top hat, held his cane, and left 160 Boklund Street on his carriage. He headed for Member of Parliament Macht's residence at Unit 39.
Inside an elegant activity room at Member of Parliament Macht's house, a few guests sat around an intricate threetiered tray. In front of them was a cup of charming black tea.
Klein took a small cucumber sandwich and took a small bite. Half-jokingly, he shared his true feelings:
"The desserts today seem very unique. Be it the carrot cake or cream puffs."
Macht laughed when he heard that.
"Dwayne, your observation skills are truly impeccable."
This has nothing to do with one's observation skills. As long as one isn't blind, it's impossible not to tell that the shapes are all banged up… he lampooned silently before saying, "It sounds like something remarkable."
"Of course, it's personally made by Hazel. You can try it later. Although she can't control its appearance effectively, it really does taste good," Macht said proudly.
By the side, Portland Moment, who was the Backlund University of Technology's chancellor, laughed and said, "This doesn't sound like the Hazel I know."
Macht glanced at Ma'am Riana and said in satisfaction, "Everyone grows up, right?
"Hazel has really matured recently. Not only is she willing to learn those classes in preparation for socializing and marriage that she used to hate, and occasionally makes desserts and plays music for us, but she'll also frequently offer to accompany her mother to attend musicals, horse racing matches, shop at the departmental store, and listen silently by the side at all kinds of saloons and balls."
According to Miss Justice, Hazel's treatment progress has reached a point where she can recall the terrible shock and pain she had suffered. Although it's just a direct sense of the emotions and doesn't involve the exact sequence of events, it's enough to make her dream of losing her parents and relatives… This made her learn to cherish her family. For this, she has decided to change herself to a certain extent? Klein nodded in thought and said with a smile, "That's excellent."
"Indeed," Macht replied while full of emotion, "I was worried about her personality, worried that she wouldn't have a good marriage and be unable to date people in our circle. After we pass away, she wouldn't be able to find help when faced with difficulties. But now, I can finally feel at ease."
Macht revealed a sincere smile as he revealed his worries that he seldom divulged.
He raised his arm and waved it gently. Then he said with great confidence, "Why am I making an enemy out of the bloody smog and pollution? Why do we have to fight over the colonies in East Balam with Feysac and the West Balam with Intis? Isn't it to let our children lead a better life? So that we have fewer worries?
"To me, Hazel's maturity is greater than the contributions I made at East Balam, far more meaningful than my fights in the House of Commons."
As Klein listened to Macht's recount, he couldn't help but look out the window.
It was dark outside and the sun was gone.
At this moment, Portland Moment replied to Macht jokingly, "No, those things are for our own good."
At this point, he looked at Klein and said, "Dwayne, have you thought about it? Do you want to invest in my mechanical laboratory?"
Klein let out a soft chuckle.
"Mr. Chancellor, why are you still so anxious like a young man?
"I've already read through the information you gave me and have a rough impression of the rights and revenue. Frankly speaking, I'm very interested. To let talented young adults obtain training at such a mechanical laboratory is greatly satisfying. This should be something we invest in. What's most valuable in this day and age? Talents!"
"Emperor Roselle once said that." Portland Moment chuckled. "So, how much do you intend to invest?"
Dwayne raised his porcelain cup and drank a mouthful of black tea.
"The initial plan is 10,000 pounds."
"As expected of the most famous tycoon in Backlund recently. I can't even guess how many assets you have. First, you donated more than ten thousand pounds of shares, then you spent 20,000 pounds buying Maygur Manor, and now you're donating 10,000 pounds to the Portland mechanical laboratory…" Ma'am Riana couldn't help but exclaim.
Portland Moment gave a thumbs up.
"This is a truly keen investor."
Klein smiled and said, "But I'll still find a team formed by lawyers and accountants to verify the actual situation and stipulate the conditions. Professional matters should be left to the professionals. Besides, I still have to consider investing directly or first establish a company or foundation and complete the investment through it. Oh, Portland, I think there's one aspect that you didn't take into consideration. How can such an important laboratory not have any security measures!? Aren't you afraid of commercial spies or foreign powers infiltrating and causing destruction?"
Portland Moment was taken aback as he slowly nodded.
"That makes sense… I previously neglected this problem."
Having accomplished his goal, Klein no longer harped on the topic. Instead, he deliberately asked, "Has there been news regarding Brigadier General Qonas Kilgor?"
Macht sighed and said, "No, Sivellaus Yard said that Maygur Manor and the surrounding areas have been searched. They didn't even find any leads."
As he spoke, the House of Commons Member of Parliament lowered his voice and said, "I suspect that the Brigadier General had an accident while carrying out a secret mission. The current mood of the higher-ups has been a little strange…"
From a certain point of view, you guessed right… Klein sighed.
"I hope nothing happens."
Amidst high tea, Klein took note of the time and went to the bathroom. Above the gray fog, he placed the Dreamwalker characteristic into the junk pile that seeped out of the mutated bottle.
By the time high tea ended and he returned to 160 Boklund Street, the sky had already darkened. The street lamps on both sides of the road were lit up ahead of time as the rain pattered down the carriage windows.
Now, all the questions are concentrated on what's hidden in the Blood Emperor's ruins. As long as the three Churches discover the problem in time, they can prevent many things from happening. Klein looked out at the street lamps that looked blurry from the rain as he considered the recent developments. For now, apart from capturing Katarina, I can't provide much help. Furthermore, the Goddess is digesting or controlling Death's Uniqueness. "She" might not have the power to provide a response at that level.
To solve this problem, I either get a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact with a targeted effect from the Holy Cathedral, or I rely on the Church of Steam and Storms and see which one of the true deities will respond… A Grade 0 Sealed Artifact might not be enough since it involves a King of Angels, and there might be traitors amidst the two Churches…
Traveling from 39 Boklund Street to Unit 160 didn't take long. Before Klein could straighten out his thoughts, he had already returned to his doorstep. He had no choice but to get off the carriage.
When he changed his clothes on the third floor, his spiritual perception was triggered. He saw Reinette Tinekerr walk out of the void with four blonde, red-eyed heads in hand.
"It's from Sharron?" A guess came to him as he received the letter.
"That's right…" one of the heads held by Reinette Tinekerr replied.
Without another word, Klein opened the envelope and unfurled the piece of paper. There was only one line on it: "We'll take action at 10 tonight."
Chapter 1058 A Tool
Tonight at 10… Looking at Miss Messenger, who stayed in place, Klein walked to the desk and wrote:
"I'll be on time.
"In addition, the situation in Backlund has become tense recently. Make sure to keep the matter under control."
After reminding Sharron, Klein folded the letter and took out a gold coin and a rectangular "diamond" that kept refracting light.
"This is a Yesterday Once More charm. It can allow you to temporarily borrow powers from your past self." Klein handed the three items to Reinette Tinekerr.
One of the blonde, red-eyed heads in Reinette Tinekerr's hands opened its mouth and bit down on everything. The remaining three said, "Why…" "Give…" "Me…"
"Count it as part of the remuneration I'll be paying in advance," Klein said with an ordinary smile.
Arrodes's reminder made him feel that it was imperative to make more preparations.
Reinette Tinekerr didn't ask further. The four beautiful heads bobbed up and down from their hair as though they were nodding.
"She" then stepped into the void and vanished from the room.
Looking at the light rain and the dark sky outside the window, Klein took off his coat and handed it to his valet, Enuni.
9:50 p.m., on a street near the Tussock River in Cherwood Borough.
In the commonly-seen autumn-winter rain in Backlund, a rental carriage turned in and slowly moved forward.
On the carriage, the red-eyed Emlyn White, who was holding a top hat in his hand, looked at the young man with pale looks and disheveled hair before curling his lips.
"Is it here?"
The incorporeal figure, Marie, nodded. He pointed to a neighboring building diagonally across at the shops over there and said, "That's right.
"That's a bookstore. The owner's name is Charlie Raker and is pure Loenese. However, he went to the Southern Continent once when he was young, hoping to become a tycoon. There, he became a member of the Rose School of Thought and a believer of the Chained God. He was later sent back to Backlund and was made to gather intelligence, as well as provide assistance to the other Rose School of Thought members who are executing other missions. We've been watching him for a while and wish to finish him off and sever the source of intel for the Rose School of Thought so that we can create a better living environment for ourselves. However, we ultimately held back."
Emlyn smiled and said, "The facts have proven that tolerance can indeed be exchanged for better results.
"Heh, to be honest, your performance is quite different from what I imagined for a temperance faction Wraith. I thought you would be very terse."
Marie glanced at the vampire who was already a Viscount.
"Different people have different personalities. And temperance is only meant to control excessive desires.
"I'm afraid you wouldn't understand and that it would affect the final result of the mission if I didn't explain this matter too clearly. That way, the desires that need temperance will exceed the limits of what it should be."
Heh, although it's very philosophical, there's no need to use me as an example… Emlyn leisurely leaned against the wall and looked at him.
"Continue with the previous topic."
Marie looked out the window again.
"In Charlie Raker's house is a female servant from the Paz Valley. She's also a member of the Rose School of Thought.
"In addition, in the two houses diagonally opposite to Raker's house lives a widow and a male alcoholic. They're believers of the Chained God, and they would transmit information to the Rose School of Thought at critical moments.
"The thing you need to do is to secretly monitor these three people while we're dealing with Charlie Raker. Through the information sent, you'll be able to lock onto the person-in-charge of the Rose School of Thought in Backlund.
"Of course, we'll definitely give Charlie Raker some opportunity to seek help or send out a signal."
Emlyn nodded slightly and said, "I understand."
He then turned his head to look at the sky which had dark clouds that blanketed it, blocking out the crimson moon. He turned the ring with the ghostly-blue gem on his ring finger.
This was the Oath of Rose ring. It allowed Earl Mistral to share his sense of sight, hearing, and smell.
This ring went around one big circle and ended up back in Emlyn's hands. Of course, it was only temporary.
As such, Earl Mistral had already heard what Marie had said and shared it with the other Sanguine participants.
Emlyn originally believed that although he was only the intermediary who was in charge of communication and didn't play an important role, even if that were the case, he felt that he was able to showcase some of his spells as a Scarlet Scholar, allowing him to pass the information in a really cool and elevated manner in front of Wraith Marie. To his surprise, he didn't need to do anything. All he needed was to be on scene wearing the ring.
This made him very depressed. He felt that he was purely a tool.
Without being a demigod, I'm not qualified to directly participate in many things, much less to save the race… At that moment, Emlyn felt a little impulsive. He felt that his level wasn't worthy of his secret identity and that he was unable to bear the responsibilities he needed to bear.
As for the Oath of Rose's effect of being able to allow the thoughts of the two wearers to appear in the minds of the other party from time to time, Emlyn wasn't worried. He had asked Miss Justice to hypnotize him so that he wouldn't think about matters that he didn't want the Sanguine upper echelons from knowing tonight.
Just as he had this thought, he suddenly heard Earl Mistral's voice:
"Arrogance, childish, naive…"
This… This is a particular thought of Earl Mistral that was transmitted by Oath of Rose… Heh… Emlyn scoffed inwardly as he began chanting a name:
"Ernes Boyar… Ernes Boyar…"
This Viscount had been hypnotized under the protection of Earl Mistral and had been volunteering at the Harvest Church for a long time!
At that moment, Marie glanced at Emlyn's expression and nodded.
"Your current attitude is reassuring."
Very serious, very solemn, and very focused.
Ah? Emlyn was first taken aback before he curled his lips slightly.
Thank you."
The second floor of the bookstore was Charlie Raker's house. This businessman was over 50 years old, and his parents had long passed away. Despite being never married, rumors had it that he had a few illegitimate children, but none of them lived with him.
After instructing the servants to check if the house's windows were locked, he returned to his bedroom and poured himself a cup of red wine. He sat on the sofa and savored it in a relaxed manner.
He was used to drinking some wine before sleeping.
When he finished the red wine, Charlie Raker stood up and walked towards the bathroom.
When he passed by the full-body mirror in the bedroom, he casually took a glance, and his body suddenly froze up.
In the mirror, his face had unknowingly turned abnormally pale. His eyes were protruded, and blood was seeping from the edges. The corners of his lips were slightly red.
As a member of the Rose School of Thought, Charlie Raker wasn't unfamiliar with such a situation. He didn't scream or run recklessly like ordinary people. Instead, he raised his right hand and extended it to his chest.
Just as he touched the accessory he was wearing, his body felt like it had fallen into an unmeltable icy abyss. It was cold from the inside to the outside.
The cold seemed to have a life force of its own as it expanded rapidly and covered every corner of Charlie Raker's body. It made him feel like his joints and muscles no longer belonged to him as they began to abide by the commands of others.
At that moment, it was as if there was another person in his body. It was cold and blurry, filled with malice. It directly took over everything other than his thoughts.
At the same time, Charlie Raker saw new changes to his body in the mirror. Two figures appeared in his eyes. One was a young man in a white shirt and black vest.
With his right hand having made contact with the object at his chest, a bright light flashed in front of him.
The light seemed to come from a miniature sun, casting light and heat in every direction.
Charlie Raker immediately felt warmth and was no longer controlled by the cold in his body. He blurted out a word, "Cleanse!"
The miniature sun in front of his chest burned intensely. It was like warm water that surged into his chest, forming ripples.
With that, Charlie Raker regained control of his body and gave up on the door; instead, he ran towards the window.
The curtain wasn't drawn, and it was drizzling outside, dimming the street lights outside.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
When Charlie Raker walked past the carpeted coffee table area, he suddenly stumbled and nearly fell.
The carpet seemed to come alive as it wrapped around his ankles!
Bang!
The coffee table flew up, and the porcelain teacup and all sorts of documents landed on Charlie Raker's face. It shattered to pieces, turning into a strange dismembered puppet.
Suddenly, Charlie Raker's figure appeared elsewhere as he continued running with a sense of fear lingering in his heart.
He had never hated his bedroom for being this big before.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
Fountain pens shot randomly, and paper swatted around as Charlie Raker finally ran to the window.
As a devout believer, he didn't break out of the window immediately. Instead, he held the curtain and pulled it.
At the same time, he pressed his other hand onto the gas pipe.
A layer of white frost instantly formed on the black metal surface.
Crack. The glass window in front of Charlie Raker shattered as every piece of glass flew out like a bullet and hit the merchant's face, piercing through his perfectly fine skin. It caused blood to gush out at his neck.
Charlie Raker's eyes darkened, and he fell back weakly. During this process, he screamed and yelled, but his voice couldn't be heard beyond the room.
At this moment, in another room, a maid from the Southern Continent could clearly see the light from the gas wall lamps shaking.
She immediately turned her head and looked towards where her "employer" was, only to see that the gas pipes there were covered in white frost.
In a house opposite to Charlie Raker, the brandy-nosed man, who had rolled-up sleeves and gulping down alcohol, suddenly noticed that the curtains were only half-closed.
For the secret signal that he and Charlie Raker had agreed upon, having the curtains completely drawn meant that there wasn't a problem. Having half the curtains drawn or only one side meant an emergency situation. It required him to inform the higher-ups immediately.
He abruptly stood up.
Chapter 1059 The Authority of the Moon
The red brandy-nosed man rushed to a safe within a few steps where he then took out a radio transceiver and a codebook from a secret compartment.
He crouched there and transcoded the incident that happened to Charlie Raker. Then, he started to send the telegram.
Meanwhile, in the house above the Raker bookstore, a brown-skinned maid rolled up her sleeves and poured an indigo-blue liquid on her left arm.
Her skin around the spot immediately changed colors, but under the indigo-blue colors, there were wisps of black light extending out like threadworms.
These black beams of light quickly manifested a strange, palm-sized face. Its eyes were as tiny as rice grains, and its mouth was as wide as a tea plate.
"Charlie Raker has had an accident," the maid enunciated each word while looking at the face on her arm.
Every word she said seemed to have its own shape, forming an indigo-blue bodied entity like her mouth and arm.
Immediately following that, the words that seemed to be written began to intertwine as they were enveloped by smoke of the same color.
At this moment, the strange face on the maid's arm slowly opened its mouth and sucked in the indigo-blue smoke and text.
All the abnormalities vanished, other than the patch of skin on the maid's arm remaining an indigo-blue color.
In the darkness outside the window, a tiny, ordinary bat flapped its wings, changing its motionless state and flying off to some unknown location.
On another street that was less than 500 meters away from the Raker's bookstore, in the air above a restaurant that specialized in Southern Continent cuisine.
Tiny bats flew out from the darkness and gathered together, forming thick smoke.
The smoke and bat appeared incorporeal and disappeared in the blink of an eye. All that was left behind was a man wearing a tuxedo without the corresponding hat.
This man was thin, tall, and upright. He had light-colored hair that was nearly silver in color. His eyes were bright red like blood as though blood was hidden within. He was none other than Sanguine Earl, Mistral.
He raised his left hand with the ghostly-blue gem ring and touched the slightly exaggerated bow tie. He looked down at the restaurant that had already closed and said, "Both pieces of intel eventually led here."
As soon as Mistral finished speaking, a figure appeared in front of him, wearing a black regal dress and a bonnet. She had light blonde hair and blue eyes, and her face was pale like a rather intricate doll.
The trees on the street below suddenly swayed gently as the light from the gas lamps flashed.
"A Puppet." Earl Mistral nodded slightly and acknowledged Sharron's status and level.
Sharron ignored him and looked at the second floor of the restaurant.
"There are remnants of Mother Tree of Desire worship."
"Then there's no problem." Mistral turned around in midair and nodded towards the darkest area. "Lord Nibbs, please seal this place."
An elderly, deep sigh sounded before a pair of wings covered in dark-colored skin and countless patterns suddenly extended out of the darkness. It extended out, turning broader and bigger, taking two to three seconds to envelop the entire area.
The restaurant sank into an unnatural state of darkness, as though it had been moved out of the real world.
Mistral didn't hesitate nor did he attack directly. He took out a bronze box embedded with many ruby gems and took out something from it.
It was a transparent glass sphere that resembled an eyeball.
Then, the Sanguine Earl, Mistral, grimaced as the glass sphere fell from his fingers and landed downwards.
The glass sphere emitted a glint in the darkness as it constantly changed directions and moved towards something in the air as though it was being attracted by something.
Finally, it landed in a room on the second floor of the restaurant.
A dazzling white light exploded. It was as if a "sun" had risen in the room, illuminating everything. It made all the corruption, decadence, evil, undeath, and darkness rapidly melt away.
"Eh…" Mistral, who had already closed his eyes, suddenly frowned and let out a puzzled voice.
He didn't feel any resistance from that restaurant!
Sharron, who looked down from above, leveled her gaze. Although there wasn't much of a change in her expression, her tightly bound blonde hair seemed to shake a little.
After the "sun" rose, it quickly "set." The bright white light shone helplessly and silently in the darkness.
As this was an item that was targeted at evil spirits, the building in the restaurant didn't suffer any damage. The Sanguine Earl, Mistral, opened his eyes and looked at it for two seconds before reaching up with his right hand and clenching it.
The darkness above the restaurant instantly came to life, transforming into illusory chains that bound the entire roof.
Amidst the jarring sounds, the roof was forcibly uprooted and suspended in midair.
Without this obstacle, be it Mistral or Sharron, they could clearly see the situation in the target's room:
On a square table covered in table linen, a radio transceiver sat on it with a transcoded telegram message beside it. In contrast, the ground was indigo-blue and charred.
On the other side of the room, there was an old piano. The piano stools were brown in color and seemed to have been moved moments ago.
On the piano, there was a cup of red wine. There was a small, sticky, flesh-colored figure soaked inside.
As for the decorations and layout, it was like any normal residence. The only difference was herbal powder and essential oil extract splattered around.
This made Sharron, who could directly obtain information from the spirit world, have a thought:
The person here had just left!
Before she, along with Earl Mistral and Marquis Nibbs could react, the flesh-colored figure soaked in red wine emitted a misty glow.
The light instantly burgeoned and brightened, forming a gigantic "crimson moon" in the room.
The crimson moon's glow dispersed the darkness of the region, making the demigod participating in the battle feel as though they were on the ground and looking up into the sky.
Sharron's blue eyes froze for a moment. She raised her left hand suddenly and flipped it gently, revealing a dark red accessory in her palm.
The accessory looked like a full moon, and there were crimson gems embedded around it. In the center, there were symbols filled with full moons and mysterious labels.
This was the Scarlet Lunar Corona which Sharron had obtained thanks to Sherlock Moriarty's help. It kept emanating a tranquil halo, imbuing the wielder with immunity to the effects of the full moon.
However, the "crimson moon" in the restaurant wasn't something that was as simple as a full moon. It was even closer to a Blood Moon or even stronger. An indescribable surge of spirituality came into existence, making the area which Nibbs's gigantic wings had isolated present a strange, deeply silent feeling. Even though Sharron wielded the Scarlet Lunar Corona, she sensed the maleficent thoughts in her burgeon as though an indescribable change was brewing.
She instinctively wanted to turn into an evil spirit and hide in objects like the trees and gas lamps along the streets. However, her rationality stopped her impulsive reaction because the crimson moon's illumination had no blind spots.
At that moment, the Sanguine Earl, Mistral, saw his stomach bulging bit by bit. He felt that the life pulsing in his veins was slowly condensing as though making an attempt to take form.
As a supernatural creature that could use the power of the Moon, he hadn't prepared to eliminate the effects of a Blood Moon. He originally believed that he would be filled with joy in such an environment, allowing him to freely show his prowess, but he never expected the abnormal changes to far exceed his expectations.
He felt that if this continued, he would give birth to new life. It was unknown where this terrifying vileness stemmed from.
The authority of the Moon included fertility and proliferation!
At the same time, from the huge bat wings that isolated the surroundings and created darkness, white fur grew out in an extremely harrowing manner.
Nibbs grunted softly as cracks appeared in the sealed-off area.
A few streets away, a bored Emlyn White was rubbing the blue-gem inlaid Oath of Rose. It was at this moment, Emlyn suddenly obtained the senses of Earl Mistral, seeing and hearing what he could.
The feelings and thoughts that belonged to Earl Mistral were transmitted into Emlyn's mind after a long period of time. He sat up straight in fright. His expression distorted as his stomach churned, feeling the urge to vomit.
With the help of Creeping Hunger, Klein's actual body was hiding in the shadows outside the restaurant, but the marionette he controlled, Qonas Kilgor, had already hidden into the darkness created by Nibbs and used "Distortion" to circumvent the isolation, staying within range of his control of the Spirit Body Threads.
At that moment, under the illusory crimson moon's illumination, he was surprised to discover that his marionette, which was intrinsically dead, had an inclination towards reproducing!
And that new life was definitely the offspring of the Mother Tree of Desire!
Th-this is Sanguine Ancestor Lilith as mentioned in the legends of the City of Silver, as well as the manifestation of the Primordial Moon which Emlyn has mentioned before… Indeed, the Mother Tree of Desire has already grasped a portion of the Moon's authority and has corrupted it into an especially evil state, far more than it originally was… Klein was just about to swap locations with his marionette and enter the region illuminated by the crimson moon and "Teleport" away with Miss Sharron when he felt an indescribable sense of joy within him.
It was the joy of seeing a flower in his garden slowly bloom after a long night amidst the morning fog. It was the joy from leaving the city and heading to the suburbs, taking in fresh air in a forest after the rain, watching mushrooms grow. It was the joy of seeing everything grow healthily with new life descending upon the world.
The white fur on the huge bat wings fell off completely as Earl Mistral's protruding belly shrank back. The look in Sharron's eyes, who struggled to hold on to Scarlet Lunar Corona, seemed to relax.
Right on the heels of that, the "crimson moon" in the restaurant quickly dimmed, as if large amounts of light had been sucked away by someone.
Finally, the "crimson moon" vanished and everything returned to normal.
Did Sanguine Duke Olmer take action? Klein nodded thoughtfully and continued hiding in the shadows.
Mistral restrained his anger and looked down at the dining room. He said in a low voice, "The target seems to have detected something ahead of time…"
"It wasn't that much earlier." Combining the present situation and the revelations obtained from the spirit world, Sharron gave her answer.
Mistral's bright red eyes revealed a strange glint as he observed for a few seconds before saying, "It was almost at the moment we came over when the person left—the person who left behind the glass of red wine and the strange puppet.
"This trap doesn't look like it was prepared. It's closer to a last-minute setup…"
Upon saying that, Mistral looked at Sharon and said, "How did they detect danger in such a timely manner?"
Sharron's expression was calm as she replied, "It's not because of the Mother Tree of Desire."
This evil god wasn't capable of infusing too much energy into reality, making it difficult for "Her" to send any preemptive warnings.
Chapter 1060 Covered-up Secre
The Sanguine Earl, Mistral, frowned slightly. Although he was unwilling to admit it, he said rather honestly, "I don't think there were any leaks prior to this.
Because if that was the case, the Rose School of Thought's demigods would've had plenty of time to use the response from the Mother Tree of Desire and Abomination Suah, laying a more dangerous and terrifying trap. It wouldn't be something an angel could easily resolve.
This was also the reason why Mistral had said that the trap appeared to be a last-minute setup and looked rather hasty.
This proved that there was no mole. After all, the ones who knew of the operation before tonight were the ones involved. If they wanted to leak the information, they could've done it earlier. This was unless someone changed their minds or wanted to use the urgency of time to obtain more benefits. And all of these would only leave clear traces.
The black-bonneted Sharron continued looking at the restaurant that had lost its roof. After a moment of silence, she said, "Perhaps it's a way of detecting danger via other means."
For this operation, the Sanguine had used a Sealed Artifact that could even disrupt a Devil's danger premonition, much less, things like spiritual intuition.
"Possibly…" Mistral couldn't think of a better explanation.
At that moment, in a room on the second floor of the restaurant, other than the red wine and strange figure evaporating, everything else remained untouched, as if nothing had happened.
Originally, Sharron and Mistral could attempt using divination to find answers to their questions and restore what had happened before the attack. But now, they couldn't do so because the surrounding area had been illuminated by the "crimson moon." It was equivalent to receiving the corresponding cleansing from the Mother Tree of Desire. This meant that divination easily led to this evil goddess, and the results would be unimaginable.
Without waiting for Sharron to speak, Mistral took a silent deep breath and said, "There are incidents in every matter. There's no such thing as a 100% success rate. Let's leave it here today. If we stay here any longer, the officials might discover something amiss."
As soon as he said that, the black chains hanging from the roof instantly turned dim and illusory.
The roof descended once again, covering the second floor of the restaurant and looking no different from what it was like before.
Of course, when the storm rained, there would definitely be water leaks. If there was a storm, the entire roof would be thrown up again.
The gigantic bat wings that blanketed the area shrank back into the darkness as the drizzle once again took center stage.
Hidden in the shadows, Klein watched as Miss Sharron's figure rapidly turned transparent and vanished. He saw an illusory cloud of smoke puffing up and countless tiny bats flying in every direction. He couldn't help but frown and silently mutter to himself:
What exactly happened…
It wasn't worrisome to have an accident. What was worrisome was not even knowing what the accident was. Regardless of what one's level was, the unknown was always frightening.
At that moment, he suddenly heard a staccato voice:
"What…" "Exactly…" "Happened…" "Here…"
When Klein turned his head, he realized that Miss Messenger had walked out of the spirit world at some point in time, standing alongside him.
The four blonde, red-eyed heads in "Her" hands were all trained at the restaurant.
"…Can you see what happened here earlier?" Klein asked hesitantly.
After the Mutant pathway reached the Wraith stage, the Beyonder was free to enter and exit the spirit world, allowing them to receive revelations from there directly. Be it their spiritual intuition or divination, they were rather formidable at that. A corresponding Sequence 2 angel was definitely powerful in such aspects; therefore, Klein posed the question.
The four heads held by Reinette Tinekerr shook as they said in unison, "No."
Klein nodded thoughtfully. Without further questions, he controlled his marionette to leave the area.
Emlyn White, who had retched for a while, rubbed the ring that was embedded with a ghostly-blue gem. He muttered to himself in surprise, "It ended just like that…"
Through the Oath of Rose, he could sense Earl Mistral's frustration, anger, and reluctance to vent his anger at a lady or others. His initial judgment was that the operation had failed because of an accident.
"It's over?" Upon hearing his words, Marie was equally stunned.
He had actually wanted to ask Emlyn White the reason for his sudden nausea and grimace, but he had perfectly tempered his curiosity and restrained his urge.
"Th-they didn't find the target…" Emlyn tried his best to recall what Earl Mistral had seen and heard, but due to the seal by Marquis Nibbs, he was only able to see the situation via Oath of Rose after the "crimson moon" rose. And these feelings were made ineffective quickly after the anomaly.
At the same time, Emlyn mumbled inwardly, The demigod from the temperance faction came here while possessing a doll?
Which master's work is this… It's simply art!
"Didn't find the target? How can that be…" Marie's brows furrowed uncontrollably.
From his point of view, everything in the operation had been going smoothly up till that point in time. Whether it was him, Sharron, or the Sanguine, none of them had the motives to leak the information to the Rose School of Thought.
As for Sherlock Moriarty, he had proven his credibility through numerous collaborations.
Suppressing his immense disappointment and puzzlement, Marie said without much change in expression, "Then we've to leave the vicinity as quickly as possible."
As soon as he said that, his figure began to fade, revealing the qualities of a Wraith.
Emlyn subconsciously wanted to ask him if he knew of any doll masters, but after opening his mouth, he found that it was damaging to the image of the Sanguine. Therefore, he could only swallow his words back down.
Even if I know that master, I don't have the money to buy it… To bear the burden of my mission, I have to sacrifice something… Unfortunately, we didn't capture the demigod of the Rose School of Thought this time, making it impossible to figure out the current situation of their headquarters. It'll be difficult to receive that holy artifact of the Ancestor… Amidst Emlyn's thoughts, his expression slowly turned grave.
Backlund Bridge area, Iron Gate Street, in one of the billiard rooms of the Bravehearts Bar.
Klein, in the image of Sherlock Moriarty, was sitting opposite Sharron and Marie.
After a brief moment of silence, the black regal dressed Sharron, who was seated on a high stool, said to the detective, "What are your thoughts on the matter?"
Klein thought for a moment before saying, "The influence that the crimson moon brought was quickly destroyed."
"What you mean to say is that since the Rose School of Thought's demigod had already sensed the immense danger through a certain method or a certain existence, why would he set up a trap that didn't have any effects?" Marie exchanged looks with Sharron before asking in thought.
"Yes." Klein nodded. "He should be able to foresee that under such dangerous circumstances, a trap at this level can be easily resolved. Then, why would he waste time setting it up and not flee immediately? This is the natural instinct of a living creature."
Wearing a small bonnet, Sharron moved her head indiscemibly.
"On the surface, it's a trap, but it's actually to cover up something?"
Klein replied, delivering the sentence at a slower pace, "Yes, using such a trap to 'cleanse' the scene and stop any divination to conceal the actual situation back then.
"Only if there's a secret to hide would a demigod from the Rose School of Thought take the risk and stay on the scene for such a long period of time."
"But it's also possible that they didn't expect us to have an angel from the Sanguine to help deal with the trap…" Marie suggested.
Klein smiled and said, "They wouldn't ignore the angel behind you. For you to have launched a surgical strike on the concealed Rose School of Thought members in Backlund, you must have defectors who know them well."
He was referring to the existence of Reinette Tinekerr.
"What secret would they need to cover up?" Sharron seemed to accept Klein's suspicion as she sat upright and asked. Klein shook his head.
"There are too many possibilities. Perhaps they discovered the secret of the attack in time. Perhaps they were planning on plotting something in Backlund…"
Having said that, Klein tried to consider if the Rose School of Thought was associated with the current tense situation in Backlund, but he realized that there was no place for them. Be it the orthodox deities or the evil gods, they were unlikely to work with the Mother Tree of Desire.
This puzzled Klein even more. He didn't know what kind of unknown accident such an unknown factor would brew.
He paused for a moment as he swept his gaze across Sharron's and Marie's faces.
"In short, we need to be careful and cautious. We need to avoid coming here as well.
"Yes, under the premise that you can ensure your own safety, try to monitor other members of the Rose School of Thought again and see if we can figure out the secret they're hiding."
"Thank you." Sharron's figure floated up and bowed.
Marie did the same.
The scarlet flames soared up as Klein vanished from his spot.
According to the agreement, as he didn't have the chance to take action, the only remuneration he received was one free instance of help from Reinette Tinekerr.
After returning to 160 Boklund Street, Klein took off his clothes and went to bed early, hoping to wake up early. Suddenly, he heard a series of illusory pleas.
It was from a woman.
Miss Justice… With a guess, he nodded and entered the bathroom. He took four steps counterclockwise and went above the gray fog.
As he had expected, the supplicant was Justice Audrey. This lady had gathered 12,000 pounds in cash, hoping that Mr. Fool could transfer it to Mr. World to complete the transaction of the Dreamwalker and Hypnotist Beyonder characteristics.
Yes, if the ritual can be replaced by Angel's Embrace, Miss Justice can try to advance in the next two days. When that happens, it's time to place the exploration of Groselle's Travels in the schedule. Heh, Leonard has already become a Spirit Warlock for days and has nothing to do… Klein heaved a sigh of relief and replied to Miss Justice, getting her to begin the sacrifice.
With the current situation becoming more and more tense, with more and more unknown factors, he wished to strengthen himself as quickly as possible. This included many aspects—first, the increase in the number of marionettes and Sealed Artifacts; second, the recovery of his helpers; and thirdly, a further grasp of knowledge and secrets. This aided him in knowing the truth and obtaining the true attitude that the different factions have; thus, finding an opportunity from within.
The exploration of Groselle's Travels corresponded to the third point.
Chapter 1061 Whose Dream
Friday. In the dead of the night, in Audrey's bedroom.
After receiving a signal, the golden retriever, Susie, opened the door and left by herself, slumping down outside to prevent anyone from disturbing Audrey.
Audrey took the Dreamwalker's Beyonder characteristic, the corresponding supplementary ingredients, and the apparatus used for concocting the potion out from a hidden spot. Most of the supplementary ingredients came from the City of Silver, and they were things that she hadn't paid for since Little Sun hadn't thought of something he needed.
She concocted the potion skillfully and looked at the liquid that was dotted with darkened points of grayish-white light. She took a step back, clasped her hands, and placed them in front of her mouth as she chanted softly, "The Fool that doesn't belong to this era…"
Just as her prayer ended, countless figures in an indescribable form appeared in front of her.
They quickly swam and meshed with one another as though they were active in the sea. Above the sea were seven pure beams of differently-colored light that seemed to contain infinite knowledge.
Above these seven lustrous brilliances was an endless grayish-white fog. And above that was a towering and magnificent palace.
At that moment, the door to the palace opened as a figure formed from golden light spread out its twelve pairs of wings formed from scarlet flames and flew down, landing in front of Audrey.
The twelve pairs of fiery wings were layered as they wrapped the blonde, green-eyed girl into an embrace.
Such a scene only lasted for a second or two before vanishing. It was as if she was hallucinating, but Audrey always had the feeling of being immersed in this kind of holy and lofty feeling.
She calmed down and sincerely thanked Mr. Fool.
With Angel's Embrace, she could maintain lucidity in her dream and wake up whenever she needed to. She didn't have to worry about being engrossed in her dreams and being unable to extricate herself.
This meant that she had already held the corresponding ritual for Dreamwalker, and the effects were definitely better than what it could've been.
After all, not every Hypnotist can obtain such benediction from a hidden existence and be embraced by a special angel such as this… Audrey, all the best! Audrey mumbled inwardly before she stopped hesitating and picked up the glass bottle, drinking down the potion inside.
The potion wasn't as bad as she imagined it to be. It was a little sour, a little sweet, a little bitter, a little surreal, and a little stimulating. It was like a wild dream she could let herself loose in.
Before she could feel the effects that the potion exerted on her body, Audrey was suddenly startled before she regained consciousness.
She saw that the night was becoming dawn outside the window, with the sun rising from the horizon, dyeing the sky red.
Within the garden, flowers were blooming, the tips of the blades of green grass shimmering with crystalline dew.
It was as if Audrey had become the ruler of this world. Her consciousness floated up as she looked down upon the various scenes:
Her father and mother held hands as they strolled down the garden trail, taking in the fragrance as they bathed in the morning light;
Having worked through their differences, her two brothers, Hibbert and Alfred, rode on horses and brought servants along with them. Laughter accompanied them as they entered the woods, competing against each other for a more successful hunt;
The ambassadors or special representatives of the various countries like Feysac, Intis, and Feynapotter signed an agreement at Loen's Sodela Palace, announcing to the world that a war wouldn't happen; thus, dispersing all the dark clouds in the sky;
The smog situation in Backland improved. Every company's factory had passed the double review of the alkaline industry inspector and National Atmospheric Pollution Council, and they had promoted such standards to other countries;
Maximum working hours and the basic labor environments for workers were guaranteed, and the development of every industry was getting better. The number of tramps had dropped to an unimaginable level, and all kinds of protective measures spearheaded by the kingdom covered everyone;
There were more and more workers who could afford bicycles. On the streets, the bicycles clustered together like a huge army, driving in different directions amidst ringing sounds;
Children didn't need to work in factories at a young age. They could giggle and fool around, running into classrooms with tables and chairs. Inside, they flipped open their textbooks and began listening attentively. If they didn't wish to study, it was solely of their own choice, not because they lacked the conditions;
Women were no longer discriminated against due to their gender. Even a laundry maid could rely on studying to obtain knowledge and find better jobs. There were reporters, teachers, policewomen, soldiers, miners, and civil servants—seen in every walk of life;
All kinds of mechanical items appeared on the streets and alleys, bringing the people convenience and joy;
In the square in front of the Evemight cathedral, pigeons flew up and landed. People were either sitting or playing the accordion, fully enjoying their lives…
This was Audrey's dream for the future. Unaffiliated Beyonders didn't have to worry anymore. As long as they received a checkup of their physical mental condition, they could walk openly and use their Beyonder powers to earn money in a legal way.
This is really wonderful… If it weren't for me being clear-headed, I would've lost myself to this. I would've descended from my commanding position in my consciousness, taking a stroll with my parents, hunting with my brothers, and occasionally going to school to teach children… I would often work hard for the extension of the world's peace… Audrey stared at the dream, feeling a bout of poignancy.
She then felt her Astral Projection rise once again, breaking out of the confines of the hazy world.
She saw that her dream was like a huge bubble that grew out from the island of consciousness while silently enveloping it.
The "air bubble" was surrounded by a gray fog. From afar, she could vaguely see other "air bubbles," and below them were their corresponding islands of consciousness.
Deep within the gray fog was a silent, undulating, shimmering "wavy" illusory sea that seemed bottomless.
The sea of collective subconscious… This is the scene of a mind world for a Dreamwalker… Only from Manipulator onwards is one really able to interfere with the sea of collective subconscious… Audrey nodded in enlightenment and retracted her gaze. Without staying any longer, she forcefully escaped from her dream.
Her vision returned to normal immediately as it remained pitch-black outside. Only the street lamps around the garden were emitting light.
She then cast her gaze on the full-body mirror in her bedroom. She felt that she didn't seem too different from before. Only when she observed carefully did she realize that her pair of green eyes were becoming more limpid and deeper, as though they could reflect the souls of others.
Closing her eyes and taking in the knowledge brought by the potion, Audrey quickly grasped the core power of Dreamwalker.
By guiding and controlling a dream, she could obtain information and affect the enemy.
There were two aspects:
First was "Guidance," which was similar to Nightmare of the Evernight pathway, by using the different changes in a dream to guide a target into revealing one's deepest secrets. The difference was that a Nightmare could forcefully pull a person into a dream. However, Dreamwalkers weren't capable of doing so unless they were combined with "Hypnosis."
The second was "Alteration." By modifying a target's dream, one could influence a target over a long period of time, changing them and making them do things they wouldn't usually do without them realizing it. The principle behind such an "Alteration," used a dream as the incisive points and the Astral Projection as a point of leverage, slowing contaminating the target's Soul Body before affecting the Body of Heart and Mind, planting it deep in the subconscious. Compared to directly using Hypnosis, a control that stemmed from dreams was more mild and furtive, making it difficult to be noticed and suitable for targeting targets at a higher level.
From the looks of it, most matters that involve love at first sight might've had a few hidden cases that were a result of Dream Alteration… Yes, amongst many popular best-selling novels, the female lead often dreams of a figure and spends a beautiful, romantic time with him. Therefore, when they encounter the male lead who's similar to the figure in their dreams, they will quickly succumb to them and have a strong penchant for love. Hmm… Audrey recalled the novels she read in the past and suddenly found it amusing.
To her, be it "Guidance" or "Alteration," they weren't an essential enhancement over Hypnosis. Instead, there was another Beyonder power that she liked even more; it was "Dream Traversal."
This made her body turn incorporeal as if she was an elf in a dream or a Dreamwalker. Not only could she directly hide in someone else's dream, but she could also jump from a dream to another dream, completing a "Blink" in the physical sense.
The restriction of such traversals was that the distance between two dreams couldn't exceed 500 meters, and they had to belong to intelligent creatures.
In special environments, this can effectively hide myself… Hmm, why didn't Hvin Rambis directly affect me through "Dream Alteration"? Because this place is protected by the Church? The Evernight pathway is also skilled in the domain of dreams… Audrey thought as she began converging her spirituality.
In the ancient palace above the fog.
Along the long bronze table, Klein sat a few seats diagonally across from Leonard.
"Why are you suddenly looking for me?" Leonard leaned back in his chair and asked lazily.
Regardless, he still remembered that this place belonged to Mr. Fool, so he didn't dare appear too casual.
Klein glanced at him and said, "I need your help with something."
You need my help?" Leonard pointed at himself and asked in surprise, "Are you referring to Pallez?"
He didn't think he could help a demigod like Klein.
"You have a very clear understanding of yourself," Klein tsked. "However, I'm really looking for you this time. It mainly involves a few dreams."
Dreams… Leonard came to a realization as he said with a hint of puzzlement and laughter, "Klein, you seem to have changed a little. I mean, you've become more like the past, no longer wearing that gloomy expression."
Without waiting for a reply, he straightened his disheveled hair and smiled.
"That's a good thing. Well, I'm still quite good at dreams. Who do the dreams belong to?"
Without batting an eyelid, Klein replied, "A Loen soldier from more than a hundred years ago, a Fourth Epoch aristocrat, an ascetic from the Third Epoch, and an elf and giant from the Second Epoch."
"What?" Leonard asked with his green eyes wearing a blank look, wondering if he had heard wrongly.
Ignoring the elves and giants from the Second Epoch, even the nobles of the Fourth Epoch had to be from particular Beyonder pathways and to have become saints before they could survive to this day!
It can't be that they're all angels aside from that Loen soldier, right? Entering the dream of angels… I think it's better to find Old Man… Leonard's thoughts churned instantly as though he was in a dream.