Chapter 1211 Unimaginable
As the carriage drove slowly along the road, Audrey's gaze subconsciously looked out the window.
Many passers-by stood by the roadside, staring at the horse that was pulling the carriage. Their eyes seemed to be emitting a greedy glint as they, the lucky ones, successfully collected their food. They ran through the streets surreptitiously and headed for home.
A team of policemen in black-and-white checkered uniforms were patrolling the streets. They had revolvers by their waists and batons in their hands—means to deter anyone from wanting to take risks.
"Recently, we don't even dare to go on the streets alone…" the personal maidservant, Annie, whispered to her.
Audrey nodded slightly but didn't respond.
After a while, the carriage arrived at Phelps Street and stopped at the square in front of Saint Samuel Cathedral.
The flock of pigeons that were usually here was nowhere to be seen.
The Loen Charity Bursary Foundation, as well as the subsequent establishment of the Loen Poverty Relief Foundation and the Loen Medical Charity Foundation, had all moved from 22 Phelps Street to a few small rooms in the cathedral. This was because the buildings that they were originally housed in had collapsed due to the previous airstrike.
To the staff of these three foundations, it was a harrowing memory. If they hadn't left 22 Phelps Street in advance due to different reasons, they would've long been killed.
After alighting from the carriage and walking through the main door, Audrey saw a black-haired, brown-eyed girl with a rather thin face approach.
Before the other party could speak, she said, "Melissa, is there any more food that can be distributed?"
Melissa shook her head solemnly.
"Even those injured soldiers who we provided relief for can't receive enough food…"
Audrey's green eyes dimmed. She didn't show her helplessness or weakness as she nodded slightly.
"I will think of a way."
…
"From the City of Silver…
"From a land beyond the cursed lands."
Gehrman Sparrow's words echoed in the ears of the Moon City hunting team members—A'dal, Xin, and Rus. It made them feel like they were in a dream, unable to regain their senses for a long time.
Just as A'dal gradually regained his senses and was thinking about what to say when Xin, who was born without a nose, inundated Klein with a series of questions.
"Where is the City of Silver? What does it look like? How far is it from here?
"How many normal people are there outside the cursed area?"
Klein glanced at her and replied in an emotionless voice, "The City of Silver is located on the other side of the cursed lands. They discovered a type of plant that can be eaten normally called 'Black-Faced Grass.' This has allowed them to maintain their kind's stability and effectively explore the depths of the darkness in a bid to find a way to leave.
"They recently found some mushrooms. These mushrooms can use monsters as nutrients, forming all kinds of fruits that do not contain toxins and madness.
"The City of Silver has gone one step further in escaping the madness. Once the newborns become adults, they wouldn't easily lose control even at old age…"
These words made A'dal, Xin and company feel lost, as though their own persistent efforts had no meaning.
The City of Silver described by Gehrman Sparrow was the most beautiful scene they could imagine; yet, it was something so easily possessed by others.
"…Are there any deformed newborns?" Xin asked in a dreamy tone.
Klein shook his head.
"Almost none."
"Will their parents walk into the depths of the darkness by themselves when their physical condition deteriorates—no, when they become old?" A'dal subconsciously pressed.
Wearing a black trench coat, a top hat, and holding a lantern, Klein replied, "No.
"Because they are burdened with the curse of killing their own kin. If a life cannot be ended by the hands of a blood relative, they will turn into a terrifying evil spirit or monster."
The members of the hunting team in Moon City finally found a sense of reality. Their hearts felt like they were slowly rising in warm water as bubbles slowly emerged.
These bubbles were weak, empty, and easily pricked. There was nothing inside, but they shimmered with something called hope and light.
Rus, whose eyes were nearly squeezed together, couldn't help but repeat the question:
"How many normal people are there outside the cursed area?"
Klein looked at them with a complicated expression.
"They are basically normal. They do not need to be constantly worried about monsters attacking them. They don't have to be afraid of being in the darkness. They don't go crazy after growing old. They aren't burdened by all kinds of curses. They see sunlight every day when they wake up, with sufficiently normal food. Every night, the crimson moon rises…"
However, all of this is being destroyed now… Klein silently added in his heart.
This time, A'dal, Xin, and Rus were somewhat at a loss. This was because they found Gehrman Sparrow's description as something imaginable, but also seemingly unimaginable. It was just like when they were reading the few ancient books remaining. They could get the spirit of the matter but found it hard to truly understand certain contexts.
They had no idea what the sun and what the crimson moon were.
However, to have normal food every day without the burden of various curses, the worry of monster attacks or darkness, and the lack of going crazy in old age was a beautiful dream they yearned for day and night.
There's such a place in this world? Is this what Heaven, as recorded in the ancient books, is? Was this land really cursed? The members of the Moon City hunting team fell silent once again.
One of them opened their mouth but was at a loss as to what to ask. Someone wanted to bring Gehrman Sparrow back to Moon City and inform the High Priest of the news, wanting to inform everyone, but he was afraid of attracting danger.
During this process, they didn't let down their guard or vigilance.
Klein wasn't the least bit surprised with their attitude. Instead, he felt that this was the reaction a civilization that could last to this day in the Forsaken Land of the Gods ought to have.
With the lantern in hand, he took a step to the left, attempting to walk around the humans who were dressed in strange materials or animal skins, and he continued heading east.
Regardless of what story these people had, whether it was worth helping them in passing, he planned to wait until he began his investigations before listening and considering things. This was because his spiritual intuition told him that his destination wasn't far, and that the legendary West Continent was just two to three hours away on foot.
The moment he took a step forward, A'dal and company immediately bent their backs, bracing themselves to defend and attack. However, they didn't manage to see Gehrman Sparrow approach them. They watched as he walked more than ten meters to the left and continue heading forward.
Seeing this young man dressed in strange black clothes and a strange black hat, with a strange and transparent lantern gradually distancing himself from them, the dim yellow light grew weaker and weaker. A'dal's face which was covered in tumors changed. He shouted loudly, "Who exactly are you?"
Klein didn't turn around. Instead, he held the lantern that emitted a faint yellow light and walked deeper into the darkness. He said in a regular tone, "A missionary.
"A person to spread my Lord's brilliance."
A'dal, Xin, and company looked at each other, their expressions filled with confusion.
They hesitated for a long while, but when there was only a small trace of the dim yellow light left, they instinctively took a step forward and followed behind Klein.
They didn't dare to approach him, nor did they want to have him leave their sight. They carried the food they had procured, as though they were monitoring and chasing him in a defensive manner. As for Klein, he walked at an adequate speed—not waiting for them or attempting to shake them off.
Just like that, both sides walked in silence under the sparse lightning. At some point in time, Rus and another hunting team had left the main group. They held the animal hide lantern and the food they had obtained and turned around, silently disappearing into the endless darkness.
Seconds changed to minutes before Klein finally stopped.
Using the lightning that streaked across the sky, he saw a grayish-white fog a few hundred meters away.
The mist was connected to the land and extended all the way into the sky, as though it didn't have an apex.
At the same time, the fog extended to the two sides without any end.
Klein looked at it intently for a long time. Even though there were partitions of darkness, he slowly raised his head. After the second bolt of lightning calmed down, he looked away.
Behind the fog or inside it is the disappeared Western Continent? As he thought with a heavy heart, he couldn't help but slow down his breathing.
He carried the lantern and continued forward until the dim yellow light emitted a solidified mist.
There was no need for him to make any other attempts. From his intuition as a Seer, he could tell that the grayish-white fog was an invisible barrier that couldn't be passed through by conventional means.
He thought for a moment and stretched out his right hand to scratch at the darkness in front of him again and again.
After doing it four to five consecutive times, Klein pulled out a black cane with many gems embedded in it.
This was the Staff of the Stars, a terrifying Sealed Artifact known as 0-62 that had been swapped using the Box of the Great Old Ones!
Of course, all he did was summon the historical projection of the Staff of the Stars.
This way, even if there were unnecessary scenes that appeared in his mind, he could use the removal of the Historical Void projection to stop any corresponding dangers that appeared in a timely manner.
To a Scholar of Yore, this was the best way to regularly use a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact. However, this limited the effects and was something that couldn't exceed three minutes at the moment. Furthermore, there was a certain difference with the original version when it came to their effects. Using a marionette to hold the Staff of the Stars wasn't the best way to avoid any negative effects. This was because a marionette needed to be controlled, and any control had a high chance of transmitting scenes.
Of course, if he engaged in a battle he was prepared for, Klein wouldn't have done so. This was because it would occupy one of his three precious summoning spots. Furthermore, although the Staff of the Stars belonged to him, it was only in a state of forced ownership, and it remained in a sealed state. Furthermore, the Grade 0 Sealed Artifact had a rather high level. It was impossible for Klein to successfully summon it at once, so it usually took him three to six attempts. In a fierce battle, it would require plenty of chances—nothing simple.
And it was precisely because of this that when he was prepared to "perform," he would hypnotize himself in advance. By using the Staff of the Stars in a special state, he would preserve the ability to summon Historical Void images like Miss Messenger, Mr. Azik, Ma'am Arianna, Will Auceptin, and other familiar angels.
Holding the black staff that was embedded with various gems, a scene of the door slowly opening appeared in Klein's mind.
The gems on the staff flashed with a faint glow as the grayish-white fog quickly outlined a door that wasn't sufficiently real.
The door opened silently, and behind it was still a gray fog.
Door Opening doesn't work… Although he wasn't surprised by the outcome, he was still a little disappointed.
He thought for a moment and decided to switch tactics.
However, just as he was thinking about it, the Staff of the Stars automatically activated as the corresponding scene appeared.
Chapter 1212 Spreading Radiance
Just now, as Klein was thinking of a solution, an image naturally came to mind.
The clouds in the two mountains began to "boil" rapidly as they spread out to the left and right, revealing a crack whose bottom couldn't be seen. The orange-red rays of the sunset filled it and formed a corporeal path.
This was a scene created when Blasphemer Amon entered the projection of the Giant King's Court.
And just as he felt that he didn't know enough about the corresponding powers and planned on switching to another method. The red, green, blue, and transparent gems on the Staff of the Stars had already begun to emit a faint glow as they automatically activated.
The solidified grayish-white fog was similarly "boiling," but it wasn't that intense.
They were churning backward as they parted, but the area right in front of him remained an endless grayish-white mass. There was no end to it.
Klein sighed in his heart. As he focused on controlling his thoughts, he made other attempts.
In the past three minutes, he had tried hard at least ten times. Seven times were of his own will, while three times were him venting out, but he was ultimately unable to open the invisible barrier.
…Indeed, normal methods don't work… With a flick of his wrist, he allowed the historical projection of 0-62, which was close to its limit, to disappear from the real world.
He stared at the silent grayish-white fog and didn't move for about a minute. It was as if he had turned into a statue.
Finally, Klein closed his eyes and looked away. Holding the lantern in his hand, he walked towards the nearby humans who were watching.
He didn't plan on making blind attempts, because there was a high chance that he wouldn't succeed. He planned on asking the people who had stood guard in the vicinity for two to three thousand years. It was obvious that these ancient survivors had explored the grayish-white fog. He wanted to see if he could find inspiration from their years of experience.
Based on Klein's assumption, the humans would definitely react excessively towards him, so he had already prepared the corresponding powers to allow them to speak to him calmly. However, when he looked at the light of dusk on both sides of the lantern, he realized that the ugly or deformed humans were staring at him with their mouths agape. They looked confused and shocked, as if they had temporarily lost their ability to think.
Klein frowned slightly. In the darkness, he walked unhurriedly to the ancient survivors and stopped about two to three meters away.
"What do you know about this fog?" Klein asked in Jotun with a deep voice.
The language that could stir the powers of nature didn't have any differences because of geography. There was only a slight difference in the accent, but it wasn't much. If the original version was modified, there was a chance its effects in ritualistic magic would be lost.
It was only when Gehrman Sparrow raised the question that A'dal seemed to snap out of his daze. His lips quivered as he answered in an ambiguous tone, "We… We have never caused the fog to change before…"
Just now, Gehrman Sparrow had caused the fog to boil like water and part to the sides. This scene had really frightened them, as though they were witnessing a miracle.
The two to three thousand years of hard work from numerous generations of Moon City inhabitants were inferior to a person holding a staff with an attempt that didn't last more than two hundred heartbeats!
This was also the main reason why they had given up on resisting when Gehrman Sparrow approached them.
They instinctively believed that, no matter how they avoided him, it would be to no avail.
After two seconds of silence, Klein continued asking, "Do you have any corresponding records?"
At this moment, A'dal understood what Gehrman Sparrow meant. He hesitated for a moment and slowly nodded.
"Yes… However, only the High Priest and the others would frequently look through it."
Wearing a black trench coat and half top hat, Klein thought for a moment and suddenly reached out to pull out an item from the void.
It was a cross covered in bronze, with several sharp spikes protruding out from it.
It was the historical image of the ancient sun god's Unshadowed Crucifix!
With the cross in hand, Klein raised it a little higher and aimed it at the ancient survivors.
Pure, bright, and warm light bloomed, dispersing the darkness around them and illuminating them.
Their combat experience made them instinctively attempt to defend themselves, but their actions stopped midway through the process.
The brightness and warmth wasn't something a bonfire could compare with!
This made the remaining members of the Moon City hunting team recall the deities described by the ancient books and the High Priest. "They" were deities who emitted boundless light and brought boundless warmth.
Under the illumination of the bright, pure light, a distorted, struggling illusionary black gas that seemed to have a life of its own began to boil from the bodies of A'dal, Xin, and company, quickly rising and dissipating.
The members of the Moon City hunting team felt their bodies become more relaxed, and the pressure within their souls disappeared.
After purging the cumulative corruption and ailments of their bodies, Klein shook his wrist slightly, causing the Unshadowed Crucifix to disappear in front of him.
Right on the heels of that, he grabbed another cane that looked an ordinary wooden color.
This was the former City of Silver's Sealed Artifact, Life's Cane!
Although he had already sacrificed it to the Evernight Goddess, as long as it was once owned by a Scholar of Yore, it would only accompany them in a different way.
With Life's Cane in hand, Klein took a few steps forward and used the end of the cane to tap the leader of Moon City's hunting team.
The experience from before made A'dal unable to dodge. The tumors on his face began to crack as pus flowed, faded, and disappeared. In the end, there wasn't even a single scar left.
From the looks of his team members, A'dal knew that he had undergone a change. He hesitantly raised his right hand and touched his face. From top to bottom and back up again, he kept repeating it.
During this process, he realized that he was in an unprecedented healthy state, one that was better than when he first became an adult.
Klein didn't look at him. He took a step diagonally and used Life's Cane to treat the rest of the ancient survivors.
With A'dal as an example, Xin and the others were on their guard and alert as they accepted contact with the cane, and they felt that they had obtained a new lease of life.
Amongst them, the two deformed beings who were easily emotional couldn't help but tear up.
Unfortunately, I can't treat natural defects… Mental illnesses can be treated, but some crazy tendencies can't be treated… Klein retracted his right hand and let the historical projection of Life's Cane disappear.
He walked to his original spot and turned around. He looked at the ancient survivors and said, "I'm not here to destroy, but to spread the radiance of my Lord, bringing light and warmth.
"Go back and tell your leader that I'm here. If he's willing, he can come over."
He didn't attempt to find out where the gathering point of these ancient survivors was, nor did he plan on going there directly. This would trigger the strongest form of resistance and vigilance.
Hence, giving them the choice was the most suitable solution.
At that moment, A'dal, Xin, and the others were already shocked by Gehrman Sparrow's constant pulling out of mystical items. They felt that they were walking into a miracle and had already been cleansed by the divine light, allowing their physical condition to recover to its optimum state. It even exceeded their peak.
"…Alright." A few seconds later, A'dal responded.
Just as they turned around and prepared to return to Moon City, flames lit up from the depths of the darkness as they rapidly approached.
The leader was an old man wearing a dark brown beast hide. His hair was gray and unkempt, and his face was full of real cracks.
"High Priest…" After recognizing the other party, Xin blurted out.
It was none other than Moon City's High Priest, Nim.
Behind Nim followed Rus and the other members of the hunting team who had returned to the city ahead of time, as well as several other High-Sequence Beyonders.
Nim nodded at A'dal, Xin, and the rest before walking to the front of the group. Looking at the man who claimed to be a missionary, Gehrman Sparrow, he crossed his arms and bowed.
"Honorable guest, I am Moon City's High Priest, Nim.
"Moon City once belonged to vampires, but that civilization had been destroyed in ancient times.
"Afterwards, we accepted the orders of the great sun god, the Lord who created everything, and we moved here to watch the grayish-white fog and make the corresponding attempts. That continued on even though the land was cursed and the Lord didn't respond to us.
"To date, 3,722 years have passed."
Chapter 1213 The Eternally Imperturbable Fog
3,722 years… Indeed, they were sent here when the ancient sun god was still alive… With the City of Silver's continued survival in the darkness for more than two thousand years as a reference, Klein easily confirmed the words of Moon City's High Priest.
He nodded slightly and asked, "Are you guarding this fog to prevent any anomalies from happening to it?"
The High Priest of Moon City, who was wrapped in dark brown beast hide, Nim, shook his head.
"The revelation that the Lord gave us was to guard the area all day. We needed to know if anyone walks out of the fog."
Walks out of the fog… The ancient sun god had a premonition that a person would walk out of this fog? If the other side of the fog is really the Western Continent, does this mean that there might still be life and civilization in it? When Klein heard this, an indescribable palpitation struck his heart, but he deeply realized a certain reality:
Amon's father—the second Creator—was actually unable to open this grayish-white fog, and even needed to send people here to watch over it!
Is there a specific method needed to pass through this invisible barrier? Uh, Mr. Hanged Man mentioned before that the Queen of Calamity, Cohinem, said that an incantation or command might be needed. Also, the premise is that the Western Continent has already resurfaced… As Klein looked at the High Priest with deep lines on his face, he said without batting an eyelid, "I believe they have already introduced me to you. I'm a missionary. I have come to this land to spread the light of the Lord."
The High Priest of Moon City, Nim, maintained his composure and used his gray eyes that were the same color as his long hair to look at Klein.
"Your Excellency, which existence do you believe in?"
Klein instinctively wanted to answer directly, but considering his identity as a missionary that he had set for himself previously, he held back his shame. With the ability of a Clown, he controlled his facial muscles and revealed a slightly fanatical expression.
"Please permit me to introduce you to my Lord, the savior of this land, the great Mr. Fool…"
The Fool… Moon City's High Priest, Nim, and the others didn't expect to hear such a word. For a moment, they found it strange, but for some reason, they felt that there was an infinite philosophy hidden within.
Finally, their attention was focused on the description:
"The savior of this land."
Nim couldn't help but turn his head to look at A'dal and the rest, observing their radiant faces.
As a Sequence 4 demigod, he knew very well that this was a result of the cleansing of the toxin and corruption accumulated within their bodies. Furthermore, the members of the hunting team had also been given excellent treatment. If he hadn't seen this group of young people grow up and remembered how they looked before the changes, he definitely wouldn't dare to confirm that they were residents of Moon City.
Seeing the High Priest look over, A'dal immediately said excitedly, "His Excellency Sparrow prayed for a deity's blessing to save us."
"Yes, we saw light! We felt warmth!" Xin, who was without a nose, added.
After the catharsis, she had unknowingly developed a certain belief towards the Lord that Gehrman Sparrow mentioned.
Compared to the Creator who had never responded to prayers and ignored the suffering that Moon City faced, this existence was more like a deity!
Rus and another member of the hunting team that went back to Moon City to inform the High Priest looked covetously at their former companions. They were both envious and had a yearning for the new life they had obtained.
The High Priest, Nim, retracted his gaze and looked at Gehrman Sparrow, who was wearing strange clothes and a strange hat.
"Is the great Mr. Fool a deity in this world—no, from outside this cursed land?"
Klein nodded solemnly and slowly.
"Yes."
"Then… what about the great sun god who created everything?" Nim hesitated for a moment before asking the question he desired answers to the most.
Klein changed his tone to that of a charlatan and said, "The Kings betrayed that existence. Blood, anger, foulness, and shadows began to flow across this land, triggering a huge calamity."
Nim's pupils dilated slightly, as if he wanted to absorb more light to see the world in front of him.
With great difficulty, he tried his best to suppress something and asked, "Are you saying that the Lord perished because of this?"
"Not only did 'He' perish, but 'His' flesh and blood were also eaten by the traitors. This piece of land was cursed as a result." Taking advantage of the fact that he was in the Forsaken Land of the Gods, Klein boldly said this.
He didn't deliberately distinguish the Amon brothers from the other six Kings of Angels. He planned on making the residents of Moon City believe that all the Kings of Angels were traitors. This way, they wouldn't be fooled by Amon in the future.
Over the past half a year of traveling and the various experiments he undertook, he was convinced that the Forsaken Land of the Gods really was sealed. Or rather, it was isolated from the outside world. The only point of contact was either the exit of the Giant King's Court, or something at the level of Sefirah Castle. Therefore, using the Staff of the Stars here allowed him to move within the confines of the cursed land. He was unable to head to the scenes in the outside world as outlined in his mind.
In addition, the Box of the Great Old Ones was even suppressed and isolated for its historical projection. The moment the summoning succeeded, the projection would immediately be devoured by the environment. It was completely useless.
This made him suspect that even the third level of the Box of the Great Old Ones was a little dangerous for true deities such as the True Creator.
Upon hearing Gehrman Sparrow's words, the body of the High Priest of Moon City, Nim, trembled slightly as his pockmarked face instantly turned ashen.
The faces of the Beyonders behind him changed as well. It was as if they had suffered an extremely serious blow. One even showed signs of losing control.
Seeing this, Klein reached out his hand again and pulled out Life's Cane from the void, allowing it to fly through the air and accurately tap the target.
The signs of the Beyonder's losing control immediately vanished. His forehead was covered in sweat as if he had just overcome a major illness.
Following the removal of the historical projection, Life's Cane quickly faded away. As for the Beyonders of Moon City, they finally managed to break free from the grievous news. Some of them were filled with suspicion and disbelief, and others were whimpering softly. Some looked at Gehrman Sparrow with a lost look, as though he was their final hope.
At some point in time, Nim's eyes had already closed. Two or three seconds later, he opened them again and looked at Gehrman Sparrow.
"What else do you have to ask?"
In less than a minute, he looked like he had aged considerably. His body was beginning to show signs of decay and depression. However, it wasn't completely without hope. It was as if the trees were rotting away, but they were beginning to give birth to new lives.
Klein half-turned and pointed at the coagulated gray fog with the lantern in his hand.
"Since when did you begin attempting to open this screen? What did you achieve?"
Nim said frankly, "In the beginning, it was the Lord's revelation. While 'He' wanted us to watch over it, 'He' also wanted us to think of a way to pass through the fog.
"After the land was cursed, we used this to mainly guide us so as to seek hope. However, we ultimately didn't achieve anything concrete. No matter what method we used, the solidified mist didn't react…"
Upon saying that, he hesitated and said, "It's not that there's no reaction, but it wasn't the reaction we wanted."
Klein instantly saw hope and maintained his normal speaking pace as he asked, "What was the reaction?"
Seeing that the High Priest was somewhat hesitant and not answering immediately, Xin took the initiative to say, "High Priest, His Excellency Sparrow has already parted a portion of the fog, a depth deeper than what we managed over the past two to three thousand years!"
Nim couldn't help but look deeply at Gehrman Sparrow before saying, "More than 1,730 years ago, the High Priest back then was inspired by the cruel fact that Moon City had failed to achieve anything in the past 2,000 years.
"He felt that we couldn't treat this fog as a seal that needed to be broken through. Instead, it was to be treated as a great existence.
"He designed the honorific name, prayer stanza, and the corresponding symbols for this fog. He held repeated rituals here, attempting communication, and praying."
…This is a train of thought that no normal person would've thought of… I didn't think of it just now… Indeed, after all these years, there must have been many people with strange ideas in Moon City… Three thousand years of time isn't for nothing… Klein sighed inwardly as he nodded slightly.
"Was there any feedback after that?"
With a nasal grunt as confirmation, Nim replied, "There was at one point when the High Priest changed the first sentence of the honorific name to 'The Eternally Imperturbable Fog'… Then, during the subsequent ritual, he vaguely heard a series of voices coming from deep within the fog. Unfortunately, he couldn't hear it clearly no matter how hard he tried, making it impossible to interpret it.
"From then on, the rituals we held were uncountable. We realized that a response wasn't always guaranteed. Even if there was a response, it might not be a timely one. We needed to wait patiently."
As the thoughts raced through his mind, Klein asked, "How many times does it roughly take to succeed?"
"There are no patterns. Sometimes, we succeed at once. Sometimes, we might not receive any feedback after a month," Nim said with a sigh. "We have made many alterations, but they were all useless."
"Did you hear what those voices said afterward?" Klein asked.
"No, maybe our Sequence isn't high enough or we are still lacking in strength." Nim shook his head.
If that's the reason, I can give it a try… After hesitating for a few seconds, he politely asked, "May you hold the correct ritual again? I would like to hear those voices."
This kind of politeness was something Nim couldn't refuse, nor did he dare to refuse.
He hesitated for a moment and said, "Sure, but many of the materials are in Moon City. You need to wait for some time."
After some thought, Klein asked, "Have you used those materials before?"
"Yes," Nimu answered in confusion.
Klein nodded indifferently.
"Let's just hold it now. Tell me when was the last time you used those materials and where they were nearby."
Chapter 1214 Voice
After hearing the High Priest's reply, Klein held his lantern and walked twenty to thirty steps to the right, parallel to the grayish-white fog.
Then, he half-closed his eyes as though he was sensing something. This made the Moon City Beyonders behind him not dare to make a sound, afraid of disturbing the oracle.
After four to five seconds, Klein stretched out his right hand and slowly grabbed the air ahead.
An altar made of stone dropped into the real world. On it were three candles made of oil and seven to eight spiritual materials.
As a Sequence 4 demigod, Nim was taken aback. He found it difficult to believe his eyes.
Previously, he had seen Gehrman Sparrow take out his cane to treat his companion. He had only believed that Gehrman Sparrow possessed the powers of space or had received the favor of Mr. Fool. But now, his judgment had been completely overturned. This was because he found the altar, the few candles, and the spiritual materials very familiar.
They were all used by him once!
He actually managed to create something that I've used before? Is this a power that comes from history, a power that comes from time? Nim recalled the content of the remnant tomes in Moon City, and his understanding of demigods as he came to a preliminary guess.
At that moment, Klein turned around and looked at the High Priest.
"You may begin."
Nim quietly drew a deep breath. Under the watchful eyes of the likes of the A'dal, Xin, and Rus, he walked to the altar and created a wall of spirituality.
After taking a look at the symbols, labels, and patterns engraved on the altar and confirming that there were no problems, he followed the process that had been engraved into his memories, and he began the ritual with great familiarity.
In the end, he bowed his head and chanted in a low voice:
"The Eternally Imperturbable Fog;
"A Barrier frozen in Space-Time;
"The Existence that contains Everything…"
Before the prayer ended, Klein had already placed his attention on the grayish-white fog, hoping to hear sounds coming from deep within.
For this, he had secretly controlled the large number of monster marionettes that walked in the surrounding darkness to separate. He spaced them out at a certain distance, hoping that he wouldn't miss any suspicious traces.
However, he didn't notice anything unusual until the ritual was completed.
After waiting for a while more, Klein cast his gaze at the High Priest of Moon City, Nim, and said calmly, "One more time."
…
Backlund, Empress Borough, in the Hall family's study.
After receiving permission, Audrey pushed open the door and walked in. Her father, Earl Hall, and her brother, Hibbert, were discussing some matters.
"Oh, baby, you don't look too well?" Earl Hall cast his gaze towards the door.
Audrey didn't act as she forced a smile and said, "There's a huge lack of food at the Poverty Relief Foundation. I would like to collect more. I visited many nobles today, but they told me that there's no more food left. It's the same even if I offered to buy it with gold pounds."
When these words were said, the nobles were either in a parlor or at a spot specially used for high tea. In front of them were high-quality black tea and many exquisite desserts. From time to time, they would invite Audrey to evaluate their dessert chef's culinary skills.
Their servants had rosy cheeks, and they took very light footsteps. They didn't make a sound to prevent disturbing their guests.
"The current situation…" Earl Hall sighed when he heard that.
Audrey thought for a moment and said seriously, "Father, I remember that there should be quite a lot of food at home. Can I buy some of that with money?"
"Audrey, you've already done too much. There's no need for you to do more," Hibbert Hall said with a frown. As for Audrey, she only looked at her father and didn't respond to her elder brother's words.
Earl Hall's expression that had relaxed after seeing his daughter became serious again.
"Audrey, the prerequisite for charity is not to affect your and your family's life. This is a principle I wish for you to remember."
Audrey, who was wearing a long, golden-white dress, relaxed her eyebrows and said sincerely, "Father, the amount of food we have stored at home is enough to last everyone in this house for an entire year, or even more. Besides, there's also a lot of food over in East Chester County."
As Winter County hadn't completely fallen, the Feysac army that had invaded Midseashire didn't attack East Chester County. As for the Feysac, Intis, and Feynapotter fleet, they were suppressed by the few ironclad warship fleets of Loen. They could only barely deal with the situation and protect the supply line at sea.
Seeing his daughter's emerald-green eyes for a few seconds, he suddenly sighed and smiled.
"Audrey, you have really grown up. You have your own ideas and pretty commendable determination.
"However, we don't know how long this war will last. We don't know what the outcome will be. We have to leave a lot of food to deal with this.
"I can accept us having two less delicacies for every meal to help those who are in trouble, but I don't want my dining table to become like what the newspaper says about the middle class. This will completely make us lose our dignity as nobles. This is something that we abide with every generation.
"Do you understand what I mean? I was just making an analogy. The essence of this is that I value the continuation and the future of the family line more. I value our status and standing. Only when it doesn't affect them will I express my love and kindness.
"Audrey, what I said may be cruel, but you have already grown up. It's time to hear this. Everyone is selfish, but at varying levels. In my heart, the entire Hall family is more important than me and your mother, yourself, Hibbert, and Alfred. Apart from these, it will first be faith and good friends. Next, it's people we are acquainted with. Finally, it would be all of Backlund, those who are in need of help.
"If it doesn't affect the ones first listed, I don't mind helping them. Unfortunately, I have to consider even more things now."
At this point, Earl Hall shook his head in a self-deprecating manner.
"I'm sorry to let you know that your father is such a selfish person."
As Audrey listened to her father's words, her expression changed slightly at first, but then it disappeared. Until the end, there were no additional emotions.
At that moment, she was silent for a moment before asking again, "…But we've already obtained a lot more than what we need. Can't we even share a portion of it?"
Hibbert Hall interrupted angrily, "Why are you giving away the things we painstakingly obtained to others?
"This is produced from our land, farmland, and forests. This is what we bought with money. And these funds and assets were passed down the family. It was earned by Father's acumen and powerful charisma. It was accumulated over generations.
"By doing charity to help others, it's an additional display of love, not something that we have to do, do you understand?"
Earl Hall nodded.
"What Hibbert said is generally right. I share his thoughts as well."
Audrey pursed her lips and slowly nodded.
"I understand…"
Earl Hall retracted his gaze and said to Hibbert, "We have to keep the food stored properly. If the outcome of the war cannot be reversed, try contacting the fellows from Intis and show them some of our sincerity.
"The battle has been going on for so long. Quite a number of people have died as well. Many fields have been abandoned, and the prices in the cities have soared. There must be a very high demand for food, cattle, and land. In addition, I have shares in the Intis Suchit Bank, as well as the shares in the Varvat Bank and Backlund Bank. I should be able to bribe them. Heh heh, in such times, only by satisfying these aspects can we talk about familial relationships."
Intis and Loen often had marriage alliances. Many nobles were relatives, especially the believers of the God of Steam.
"Father, are you considering surrendering?" Hibbert asked in surprise.
Earl Hall nodded slightly and sighed again.
"How can I not consider it in light of the current situation?
"When the time comes, you will be the new Earl Hall."
Hibbert's heart palpitated when he heard that, but he was also puzzled.
"What about you, Father?"
Earl Hall replied with a bitter smile, "Both your mother and I are devout believers. We have a certain status in the Church. When Loen falls and the Church is destroyed, the outcome will not be good if we're still unwilling to step down."
At this point, he comforted his eldest son.
"As long as the Hall family is still around and the aristocratic title is still there, we won't lose much of our core assets. We won't be in such a miserable state for our advanced years. Remember to prepare a secret prayer room for us at home after you convert your faith to the God of Steam."
As the two of them conversed, Audrey, who was wearing a long, golden-white dress, watched quietly from the door. She was listening quietly, her green eyes shimmering like gems.
…
After repeated attempts, the projection of the altar vanished. The High Priest of Moon City, Nim, said to Gehrman Sparrow, who was holding the strange lantern, in deliberation, "It looks like it won't work today. We can try it tomorrow. It won't last more than two months."
At that moment, all Klein could think of was another question:
Could it be that the ritual was unsuccessful since it appears too perfunctory using Historical Void projections?
He reflected on himself deeply and decided to listen to the High Priest. They could try again tomorrow. When the time came, he would definitely get him to bring the real materials.
He was about to nod when he heard a faint voice.
The voice sounded from deep within the grayish-white fog. It was layered and indistinct.
It's effective? This ritual really does have an effect, but the delay is too great… Klein was delighted as he immediately raised his right hand and pressed down slightly, gesturing for the Beyonders of Moon City to be silent.
He immediately held his breath and focused on listening.
The voice that echoed within the grayish-white fog seemed to come from many different sources. They intertwined with each other, occasionally overlapping with each other in destructive interference and creating a resonance when in constructive interference.
Gradually, the voice became clearer in Klein's ears, especially when it resonated.
It seemed to be a language he was familiar with. It seemed like countless people were chanting a name together.
The name was:
"The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings."
Chapter 1215 Not Time Ye
"The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings."
When he heard the voices deep in the grayish-white mist, Klein trembled slightly as the back of his head turned numb.
This feeling quickly spread to every part of his body, causing tiny goosebumps to protrude on his skin.
This was the second time he had heard the name "The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings" in the real world. And the first time, it was said by Amon after "He" stole his thoughts. In fact, Amon didn't know the exact meaning behind it, nor did "He" truly grasp the incantation.
Therefore, in essence, this was the first time.
At the borders of the legendary Western Continent, outside his hometown that had vanished, this was the first time that he heard the incantation that caused him to transmigrate into the real world. He heard one of the most important secrets hidden at the bottom of his heart and heard the oriental honorific name that was pointed at an unknown existence.
He stood there, his mind almost blank. His ears echoed with occasional sounds of chanting and shouting.
"The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings…
"The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings…
"The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings…"
When the voices became softer and softer until they almost disappeared, Klein finally recovered his train of thought.
As a fake god that had done a lot of "guilty matters," his first reaction was:
By changing 'The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings' to the 'King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck,' will I suffer divine punishment?
Back when he had set up the three-stanza honorific name of The Fool, the first stanza described his experience and state. Back then, he had thought that it was a transmigration, and he was afraid of exposing the problem. He had changed "The Fool from an alternate world" to "The Fool that doesn't belong to this era", but in the end, it pointed to his true nature. The second stanza was to bind the gray fog to him, making the direction clearer.
And in order to completely limit and not cause any ambiguity, Klein directly translated the last line of the incantation which was, "The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings."
He originally thought that it was nothing, but later on, he suspected that his "transmigration" was a result of the former owner of the strange door of light in Sefirah Castle—The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings. Or rather, it was a certain existence hiding "Their" true identity. Of course, it was also possible that the "The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings" was the actual incarnation before creating another identity that suited the present world. As for what the identity was, Klein wasn't sure.
This was because he had never heard the honorific name of The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings elsewhere in the real world. Therefore, although there was suspicion and fear present, he didn't actually pay too much attention to it. It seemed like he was already used to it.
However, at that moment, the words "The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings" were like salvos that kept blasting at his heart, bombarding his mind, causing all the concerns and fear that he had accumulated in his subconscious to surge out.
After regaining his composure, he began to force himself to use his rationality to think about his current situation:
Is this chanting hidden in the grayish-white fog, or is it from the vanished Western Continent?
I already thought that this fog's color and state is very close to the one below Sefirah Castle… Its power comes from "history"? One has to have the correct powers over "time" to open it?
Queen of Calamity Cohinem once said that the Western Continent would definitely reappear at the dawn of the apocalypse… In other words, only by pushing "time" towards that temporal node would the grayish-white fog come alive. Only then would it be possible to use the corresponding incantation to open it?
The person who made the Western Continent vanish, seal it, or create a protective quarantine… is The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings, the existence suspected to be the previous owner of Sefirah Castle?
According to all the clues, Sefirah Castle and the rest were left behind by the original Creator. They were created by the various parts of "His" body, or something that "He" personally created… The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings is equivalent to the former owner of Sefirah Castle, and also equivalent to the original Creator? However, Sefirah Castle existed only after the original Creator split. Furthermore, the chants of The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings only point to Sefirah Castle and don't affect places like the Chaos Sea…
Also, the disappearance of the Western Continent is definitely something from before the Second Epoch. As an ancient god, even Elf King Soniathrym was unable to return to "His" hometown…
In other words, in the chaotic and crazy First Epoch or even before then, the original Creator—the Oldest One—had split into objects like Chaos Sea and Sefirah Castle. More things happened before the ancient gods were born? These matters caused the Western Continent to vanish, and the former owner of Sefirah Castle to disappear?
The prophecy of the ancient sun god—the City of Silver's Creator—is also very interesting. It says that someone will walk out of this grayish-white fog, so "He" sent people to stay in Moon City and guard this place. Strictly speaking, I actually come from the Western continent or this grayish-white fog. However, I left the Western Continent to enter Sefirah Castle in a time long before the ancient sun god's prediction. The year I left the grayish-white fog was 1349 and found myself in Loen…
Yes, after going around in circles, I came here again and met with the people from Moon City… The ancient sun god's prophecy really has come true. It's just that the process is a little twisted and complicated, but the way it was achieved is rather unexpected…
As he pondered, his mood gradually improved. This was because the situation at the scene and his spiritual intuition had told him that there were still civilizations in the Western Continent that were isolated by the grayish-white fog. Many people were still alive.
This method of making the Western Continent vanish reminds me of the ritual for Miracle Invoker, as well as using the power of space-time. They are mainly from the Apprentice and Marauder pathways… So, the previous owner of Sefirah Castle, The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings, corresponds to these three neighboring pathways? Klein reined in his thoughts as he took two steps forward.
He then turned around and said to Nim and the rest, "I heard the voice clearly."
"…What are they saying?" Nim's grayish-white eyes suddenly widened, his deeply pockmarked face filled with excitement.
A'dal, Xin, Rus, and company had similar reactions, ones that were even more intense.
Even their bodies began to tremble.
This was a problem that had troubled the residents of Moon City for more than a thousand years. Resolving this problem was a symbol of escaping their current predicament!
Klein took a deep breath and said in the tone of a charlatan, "They are praying to my Lord."
This was definitely not a lie. After all, as The Fool, he had already gained initial mastery of Sefirah Castle. The last sentence of his honorific name was the "King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck," which was equivalent to "The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings."
Nim and company fell silent. When they looked back at Klein, their eyes were filled with obvious respect and fear.
Together with the "miracles" Klein had displayed, they gradually viewed Mr. Fool as their savior.
Klein surveyed the area and said, "Retreat at least a hundred meters."
"Alright, Your Excellency." The High Priest, Nim, agreed without hesitation.
After the Moon City's Beyonders had retreated to a sufficient distance, Klein reached into the void with his right hand and quickly dragged out another projection of himself as his actual body disappeared.
Right on the heels of that, the Historical Void projection of Klein walked to the front of the solidified grayish-white fog. He extended his right hand and pressed it down.
It was as if there was an invisible barrier that was slightly cold, blocking everything.
After staring at it for two seconds, Klein opened his mouth, suppressed his voice, and recited in Chinese, "The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings."
As his voice echoed out, the grayish-white fog in front of him didn't react at all. It remained still and frozen.
He waited for nearly a minute. After some thought, he took a deep breath and muttered again:
"The Immortal Lord of Heaven and Earth for Blessings;
"The Sky Lord of Heaven and Earth for Blessings;
"The Exalted Thearch of Heaven and Earth for Blessings;
"The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings."
This was the complete incantation of the luck enhancement ritual.
As the last word was said, Klein's right hand that was pressing on the invisible barrier suddenly felt an obvious tremble.
The gray fog began to shake as though a boulder had been thrown into a lake.
The ripples quickly spread, overlapping each other as they formed a "door" in front of him.
A bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the scene. Not far away, the pupils of the Moon City Beyonders widened as they were unable to shift their eyes away.
Amongst them, the ones who arrived later felt their hearts waver after witnessing such a scene. They found it impossible to contain themselves.
To them, this was undoubtedly a miracle!
Klein held his breath as he waited for the door to take shape. However, the ripples finally calmed down. They were only a step away from success.
"…" After a moment of silence, Klein repeated the incantations again. However, even if the ripples in the grayish-white fog didn't disappear, they were unable to truly outline the door.
For a moment, he wanted to attempt with the complete ritual procedure. In other words, he would place four portions of food and recite the incantations while taking four steps counterclockwise. But very quickly, he was amused by his idea.
Because by doing this, he would enter Sefirah Castle without opening the invisible barrier here.
After exhaling, Klein took out a gold coin from the void and used divination to confirm that the effects of the complete ritual would be as he imagined.
It really isn't time yet because the apocalypse hasn't dawned on us? Klein looked at the grayish-white fog in front of him for a few minutes without any movement.
When a bolt of lightning tore through the sky and illuminated his face, he turned around and walked in front of the Moon City High Priest, Nim, with the lantern in hand. He said calmly, "It hasn't reached the correct point in time to open it, as spoken in the revelation. There's more than a decade of waiting left."
Without waiting for any response from the likes of Nim, A'dal, and the rest, Klein pointed to the nearby darkness with his empty right hand.
"I will be meditating here for some time. If you want to experience the radiance of the Lord and listen to 'His' teachings, you can come here anytime whenever the lightning frequency is high.
"I'll do a single purification and treatment session every day, at a time when the lightning is most frequent."
He didn't attempt to get the residents of Moon City to convert their faiths, nor did he plan on heading directly to the city or ask about any specific information. He wanted to give them some time to take things in.
Nim secretly heaved a sigh of relief and replied with increasingly great respect, "I will pass on your words to everyone."
Chapter 1216 Patience Will Ultimately Pay Off
City of Silver, at the top of the spire, in the Chief's room.
With white hair and an old scar on his face, Colin Iliad looked out of the window at the deep darkness. It was only when a silvery-white light suddenly burst out from afar, bringing a few seconds of light, that he retracted his gaze and nodded slightly.
Chirmont has succeeded in advancing…
His gaze landed on the two-meter-tall youth standing in the middle of the room.
"Derrick, do you know why I kept delaying the subsequent plans and didn't implement them after the first exploration of the Giant King's Court, despite already becoming a Sequence 3 Silver Knight?"
Derrick thought for a moment and said, "Your Excellency, on the one hand, you wish to see if there are any other paths you can take to the seaside. On the other hand, you are waiting for the other Elders of the six-member council to advance to Sequence 3."
And now, both matters were completed.
Nearly five months ago, an expedition team of the City of Silver discovered a hidden path. From there, they circled around the mountain where the Giant King's Court was located, and they arrived at the sea. However, the sea was illusory, and there was no way to pass through it. Forcefully entering the water only caused bodies to gradually crumble.
Now, another demigod of the six-member council, Waite Chirmont, had finally advanced, becoming a Sequence 3 Silver Knight. He could have an honorific name and receive the prayers of the other residents of the City of Silver within a certain range.
Colin Iliad sighed and said, "Very good. You have a very well-rounded understanding of the situation.
"If I had a choice, I truly do not wish to bring you to the Giant King's Court again and attempt to open the palace where Dark Angel lays in slumber…"
At this point, Demon Hunter Colin paused for a moment before continuing, "I do not know what danger such an expedition will bring. I can only make ample preparations in advance. Now, Chirmont has finally succeeded. Even if an accident happens later and we are unable to return, he and the other Elders will be able to support the City of Silver, allowing everything to continue on as we await the next opportunity."
He sized up Derrick for a few seconds before nodding in acknowledgment.
"Your growth is even better than I expected. If not for the fact that the Giant King's Court matter originated because of you, I'd really want to keep you in the City of Silver and be an understudy Elder of the six-member council."
Upon hearing this, Derrick Berg replied without hesitation, "Even if you wish to keep me here in the City of Silver, I would still apply to go."
This was a glimmer of hope that he had seen. This was an opportunity in his heart that could save the City of Silver. He was willing to sacrifice everything for it.
Colin Iliad gave a rare smile.
"You are still too young. After you experience many things like me, you will understand that compared to drawing your sword and sacrificing your blood in a zealous fervor, enduring humiliation and helplessness, and persisting in the darkness is even more difficult and painful.
"If you don't believe me, you can ask Chirmont later. Ask him if he is willing to lead an expedition team to the Giant King's Court, or stay in the City of Silver."
Derrick fell into silence, his mouth agape, but not a single word came out of it.
Colin Iliad didn't continue on this topic and instead asked, "Have you completely digested the Priest of Light potion?"
"I digested it completely last week," Derrick replied frankly.
Colin Iliad nodded and said, "Have you gathered all the supplementary ingredients?"
Derrick acknowledged tersely.
"I've gathered all of them. I'm just short of preparing the ritual."
His ritual required him to extract the strongest emotions that he was unwilling to abandon, before injecting them again after consuming the potion.
After a few gatherings with the Tarot Club, as well as Miss Justice's private attempts, they had already come up with a well-formulated plan.
He was to complete it by relying on this Sequence 4 Manipulator's control of the psyche domain, and Mr. Fool's Angel's Embrace.
Demon Hunter Colin didn't rush him as he calmly said, "Don't be anxious. The second exploration of the Giant King's Court will still take some time."
"Until I become an Unshadowed?" Derrick asked.
Colin Iliad didn't deny it as he nodded slightly.
"I'm also waiting for Lovia to become a Black Knight. Her ingredients and ritual have been prepared."
Upon hearing this, Derrick immediately felt pressured.
…
At the capital of the Rorsted Archipelago, City of Generosity, Bayam. At the top of the bell tower of the City of Generosity.
The cardinal of the Church of Storms, the high-ranking deacon of the Mandated Punishers, Sea King Jahn Kottman, stood behind the railing, looking at the sea which was no longer that blue. There was wreckage floating above it, burning with the remains of ships.
"Humph, in my territory at sea, even a War Bishop has to bow his head…" The muscular demigod with a chiseled face retracted his gaze as he muttered.
He had a head of dark blue hair and a pair of deep blue eyes that were as thick as a worm. He controlled the weather and sea around the Rorsted Archipelago.
Alger Wilson, who was standing beside the Sea King, didn't show any signs of frustration. He patiently waited until Jahn Kottman turned his attention onto him.
Aside from most of the Beyonders of the Sailor pathway being bad-tempered, they often trembled in submission when facing High-Sequence Beyonders of the same pathway. This was a characteristic of a "Tyrant."
After muttering to himself, Sea King Jahn Kottman finally cast his gaze at Alger, who was leading a "pirate" fleet. He said without any expression, "Your performance this time was remarkable. The Council of Cardinals has passed your review and has decided that I will preside over your advancement ritual."
After receiving the item left behind by Queen of Calamity Cohinem, Alger found an opportunity to report the matter to Sea King Jahn Kottman.
Apart from two details that he modified, he had given an honest account of the exploration of the elven ruins from the time he arrived in the primitive forest of Sonia Island.
Firstly, he claimed that he had headed for the elven ruins as part of him taking the initiative to ambush the Feysacian troops. They had specially looked for a suitable venue, and there were many sailors present to verify it.
The second was to lessen the autonomy of the subsequent actions. He only claimed that he dreamed of a female high elf on the night of his exploration of the ruins. Nothing abnormal happened after he drank a glass of wine from her, so he hadn't paid too much attention to it. When he came to the Rorsted Archipelago and woke up one night from his sleep, he suddenly realized that he had entered a magnificent palace at the bottom of the sea, and had picked up a sparking coral.
Although many aspects of the evidence and physical evidence had indicated that Alger's description was real, Sea King Jahn Kottman didn't fully believe it. He was sent back to Pasu Island to be investigated by the pontiff, Gaard II.
With the help of "Angel's Embrace," Alger looked like he was trembling in front of the Tyrant's aura. Without holding back, he explained that he had developed a certain degree of ambition after meeting the female high elf in his dreams. For this, he had taken the initiative to head to the Rorsted Archipelago in hopes of receiving her inheritance, but in reality, he had covered up the core secrets and the most serious problem.
He had used the method of confessing his "ambition" to pass the investigation. As for the female high elf, whether it was a result of him having some elven blood that a fortuitous encounter was given to him, or if she had any hidden motives, he claimed that he was unsure. He hoped that the pontiff could figure out the answer to lessen his worries.
Alger displayed his fear of the unknown, making the cardinals believe that this was the main reason why he had reported the fortuitous encounter.
This proposal was designed by Alger himself, but with Miss Justice's suggestions, it was tweaked to be more in line with human nature.
Of course, as expected, Alger didn't receive the advancement ritual. Instead, he entered an inspection period.
The pontiff of the Church of Storms, the Grounded Angel, had reinforced the seal in Alger's body, preventing the Cataclysmic Interrer characteristic from seeping out for two years and affecting him.
In the past half a year, Alger had led the pirate fleet that had been assigned to him. He had worked hard to harass the ships of Feysac and Feynapotter. He had even participated in sea battles, taking great risks and making numerous contributions. This fully expressed his devotion to the Lord of Storms, as well as his submission to the orders given by the Church.
Finally, after this Rorsted sea battle, the situation had escalated. His patience paid off as the Council of Cardinals acknowledged him.
Alger took a deep breath and struck his right fist to his left breast, shouting loudly, "Holy Lord of Storms!"
His agitation was half an act, while the other half came from the bottom of his heart. This was because in the past half-year, he had suffered quite a bit of pressure.
Ma'am Hermit had already finished digesting the Mysticologist potion and was preparing to advance to Sequence 3, Clairvoyant;
Although Miss Justice had yet to fully digest the Manipulator potion, she had made significant progress. Furthermore, she was a complete rookie when she first joined the Tarot Club. Now, she had become a true demigod. She wasn't just a Sequence higher than Alger, but a whole tier;
Before long, The Sun could advance to Sequence 4, Unshadowed, and obtain godhood;
The Star had also finished digesting the Sequence 5 potion and had accumulated a significant amount of contributions. He was just waiting for the higher-ups to give him a chance;
Miss Magician wasn't far from digesting her potion after "Traveling" time and time again. Furthermore, her teacher had prepared the corresponding Sequence 4 Secrets Sorcerer ingredients for her;
There was no need to mention The World Gehrman Sparrow. Even if he were to suddenly inform them that he was an angel, Alger wouldn't find it surprising;
Miss Judgment was currently a Sequence 5 Disciplinary Paladin. She was digesting the potion and was trying her best to keep up with everyone's progress;
The Moon, who didn't like to work hard, became anxious as a result and was seeking to become a Sanguine Earl.
Faced with such a situation, as one of the most senior members of the Tarot Club, Alger naturally didn't wish to be left behind. He desperately wished to advance to Sequence 4 and become a demigod.
So many days had gone by; yet, he suppressed his anxiety and patiently waited. There were two instances where he showed signs of losing control which required him to hire Miss Justice to treat him.
And now, he finally got the answer he wanted the most:
He had passed the assessment and was to prepare for the ritual!
Chapter 1217 The Five Mush and Two Rooms
Moon City.
Many humans walked out of buildings which stood unusually sturdily despite having mottled surfaces. Some of them were obviously deformed, while others had already developed some abnormalities.
The humans looked at each other and noticed some confusion on each other's faces.
There were still two to three months before the Sun Sacrifice. Why was the High Priest summoning everyone to the square?
Could something have happened? The residents of Moon City were filled with anxiety, fear, and confusion as they entered the only square from every street.
At this moment, the high platform was empty. The person who had convened them appeared to have not arrived.
The residents of Moon City gathered together in a very orderly manner according to their respective zones, and they discussed amongst each other in whispers.
"Why isn't the High Priest here yet?"
"Doesn't he like to wait and not want others to wait for him?"
"What happened exactly? Why did he suddenly gather all the city's residents aside from the guards?"Visit website our Listnovel.com
…
Amidst the voices, at the top of a tower near the square, High Priest Nim leaned against the wall and looked at the square from behind the crystal glass with a twisted expression as he endured something.
His grayish-white hair flared up as a bunch of short black hair grew on his face. His ribs and waist were squirming, forming a swollen patch.
These abnormal changes would disappear and occasionally appear. It was as if he was suffering from relapses again and again. His entire being was sinister and terrifying.
After about a minute, he finally calmed down. He let out a long breath and wiped the cold sweat on his forehead.
Just now, he had been resisting the madness that had accumulated in his body.
In fact, no matter which Beyonder pathway it was, the higher the Sequence, the greater the insanity and inhuman inclinations one had. This gradually exceeded one's own humanity. One had to rely on external anchors to maintain a balance.
Normally, such situations weren't obvious at Sequence 4 and Sequence 3. And at the level of an angel, even if there were enough anchors to stabilize them, they would fall into darkness from time to time. In the negative and abnormal states, one had to endure and resist on their own, waiting for them to ease up.
They were like a sacred and solemn existence who might appear unproblematic normally. They could respond to prayers, chat normally, and even joke. However, at times, they could only hide in dark rooms and in the shadows. They tore off the surface of their skin, revealing a sinister side that showed signs of madness.
As Nim often ate monster flesh, he had accumulated a lot of toxins, corruption, and madness. This forced him to endure such pain despite being a Sequence 4.
Of course, those who didn't know the acting method and relied on time or luck to advance to Sequence 4 and Sequence 3 would also share the same fate.
After composing himself, he turned and left the room. With the help of an illusory door, he appeared on the high platform in the middle of the square.
After the discussions died down, the residents of Moon City cast doubtful and uneasy gazes at the High Priest.
Nim looked around and directly said, "The hunting team led by A'dal met an outsider."
An outsider! The eyes of the residents of Moon City suddenly widened as though it was a bolt from out of the blue.
This was the first time in two thousand years for Moon City to encounter an outsider! Of course, this was referring to human interaction and not monsters.
Nim took a deep breath and continued, "He claims to be a missionary who's here to spread the light of a deity. He caused the grayish-white fog to undergo obvious changes. He cleansed A'dal and the others of the corruption and toxins accumulated within them. Also, he treated their physical mutations."
As he spoke, he nodded to the side of the platform, and A'dal and Xin, who were hiding in the shadows, immediately passed through the row of torches and walked to his side, using their own conditions to prove what the High Priest had just said.
"Oh my…"
"God!"
"Is that A'dal and Xin?"
"They really, really…"
Exclamations sounded out as surprise and shock mixed together into something almost physical.
A'dal and Xin exchanged looks, took two steps forward, and recounted what their hunting team encountered.
The crowd heard about the tiny flame that appeared in the darkness, the cross that emitted a bright light, the cane that could cure any mutations and ailments, the parting of the grayish-white fog, as well as the appearance of the door. Upon hearing the hunting team's delightful description of their excellent condition, the residents of Moon City gradually fell silent.
Some of them had already unknowingly teared up—a result of the extreme fatigue and repression. Finally, they saw a ray of light.
The tears carried a mild and salty feeling as they flowed past their faces, slipping across the corner of their lips and dripping onto the ground.
In addition, a person who was still rational and clear-headed raised his arm to express his opinion.
"Could that missionary be a special monster from deep within the darkness?"
"Are A'dal and Xin acting like this because they've already been controlled and influenced?"
After the wave of doubt calmed down, Nim said in a deep and clear voice, "I've checked them and have also used the Sealed Artifacts. I haven't found anything unusual for the time being.
"I will let them remain in the black tower and undergo at least fifteen days of quarantine."
After making the promise, he paused and said, "That missionary named Gehrman Sparrow will be meditating in the vicinity of the grayish-white fog for some time. He has permitted us to experience the glory of the god he believes in, and listen to the corresponding teachings. And every day, at the time when the lightning frequency is highest, he will provide cleansing and treatment.
"Everyone can make their own decision on heading over there, but they have to report their decision in advance and follow instructions. No one is to act on their own accord and affect the city's defenses. After they return, they will be quarantined for fifteen days like A'dal and Xin."
The residents of Moon City fell silent. They looked at each other, unable to make up their minds.
At this moment, Rus and another member of the hunting team, who had previously missed the cleansing and treatment because of their choice to return to inform the High Priest, stepped forward.
"High Priest, I'm going!"
"Alright, I'll lead this… team tomorrow." Nim nodded and agreed.
He had originally planned to give this team a name, but he failed to come up with a good description. He could only stammer and skip it.
In his heart, there was actually a name, but he didn't dare say it out loud. It was: Pilgrimage.
With Rus and company leading the way, several Moon City residents stood forward, indicating that they were willing to take the risk.
When the frequency of lightning increased, it was the dawn of a brand new day. A group of seven to eight Moon City residents carried animal hide lanterns and began to traverse the darkness, heading towards the periphery of the grayish-white fog.
After darkness and light exchanged countless times, Rus and company's eyes suddenly lit up.
It was a bonfire that was slowly burning. Gehrman Sparrow, who was wearing strange clothes and a strange hat, was sitting around it. He held an iron-black long skewer and was roasting something.
There were corpses of monsters lying around the bonfire. On these corpses, there were all sorts of strange objects. Some of them were white and full, as if they would spew out liquids the moment they were poked. Some of them were black, embedded with blood-colored lines and marbling. Some were covered with golden spots, while the tops were the size of a palm…
These items were densely packed, covering the different parts of the monster's corpse. They had a strange and alluring beauty to them.
After taking a few steps forward, High Priest Nim noticed that Gehrman Sparrow was roasting one of the strange objects. Drops of oil dripped down and produced sizzling sounds in the fire, brightening the light and allowing an alluring fragrance to spread.
Gulp. The residents of Moon City swallowed their saliva instinctively as they developed an irresistible urge to eat.
Every cell of theirs was screaming crazily:
I wish to eat it!
I want to eat it!
Give it to me!
Sitting on a rock, Klein raised his head and pointed at the colorful objects growing on the corpses of the monsters around him. He said in a deep voice, "These are called mushrooms. They're divided into different types. If you're willing, you can pick and eat them yourself, but do not touch the black ones. Furthermore, they have to be thoroughly cooked before you can eat them. Otherwise, you will encounter a terrifying curse."
The High Priest of Moon City thought for a moment and replied on behalf of the others, "We would like to first listen to your Lord's teachings and experience 'His' radiance."
With a slight nod, Klein said as he rotated the long barbecue skewer that he had summoned from the Historical Void, "You may sit down and listen."
When the eight Moon City residents sat opposite the bonfire, he said with a solemn expression, "I came from the Giant King's Court."
This was a term that all the residents of Moon City were familiar with. Their spirits were instantly lifted as they cast their attention away from the items above the burning fire and cast it at Gehrman Sparrow.
Following that, Klein described the situation outside the City of Silver and the situation beyond the cursed land. He also shared with them his sightings of city ruins along the way.
The residents of Moon City sighed when they heard this. Sometimes, they looked forward to it, but sometimes they found it hard to believe. At times, they could empathize with it and be filled with sorrow.
Halfway through his sentence, Klein suddenly stopped. He retracted the black long metal skewer, brought it to his mouth, and bit down on a mushroom.
Thick meat juices seeped out and, with a slightly scorching feeling, cleansed his mouth.
After spending half a year in the Forsaken Land of the Gods, Klein had already overcome his disgust towards mushrooms. After all, Danitz was often tasked by him with things to do. He was unable to meticulously prepare food and sacrifice things to him. During this period, he could only rely on mushrooms for sustenance.
He closed his eyes in satisfaction and handed over the long, black skewer. He smiled and said, "You can try some."
High Priest Nim was still hesitant when Rus reached out his hand. As he expressed his gratitude, he got a mushroom and put it into his mouth.
He ate too quickly, so much so that his mouth was scalded. However, after his expression twisted, it suddenly froze.
Following that, his expression slowly relaxed as he gradually revealed a sense of intoxication, pleasure, and yearning.
In the end, Rus's tears flowed out unknowingly as he muttered in a deep, choking voice, "This is the best and most superb food I've ever eaten…"
Even though their taste for food had changed after generations, humans couldn't adapt to food with toxins and madness. They still yearned for sugar and fat.
At that moment, all the residents of Moon City could tell that Rus was moved.
Chapter 1218 Clue
"Give it a try too." Klein handed the iron-black long skewer to the other residents of Moon City.
Their throats bobbed up and down as they couldn't help but swallow another mouthful of saliva. However, they didn't immediately respond. All of them cast their gazes at the High Priest, waiting for him to nod.
In his animal hide clothes, Nim took out an item. It looked like a magnifying glass with a handle.
At a glance, Klein almost imagined that he had seen a monocle. This fright made his heart skip a beat. Thankfully, he managed to control himself in time to confirm the details.
Holding the metallic handle, he placed the glass object in front of his right eye and observed Rus for a few seconds through the lens.
After a brief silence, he put down the item and nodded at the other Moon City residents.
People other than Rus finally reached out their hands and carefully removed a mushroom from the iron-black long skewer and stuffed it into their mouths.
The item that was void of nauseous smells and foulness made them instantly become intoxicated. Without caring about the scorching feeling in their oral cavities, they swallowed the mushrooms into their stomachs and instinctively reached out for another one.
However, all the mushrooms on the iron-black long skewer had already been distributed.
Nim retracted his gaze from the iron-black long skewer and waited for Gehrman Sparrow to continue explaining his experiences and The Fool's teachings.
Klein looked around and repeated the words he had previously said:
"The surrounding mushrooms can be taken at any time, apart from the pure black ones. In addition, they have to be fully cooked before they can be eaten. Otherwise, you will be cursed."
The residents of Moon City no longer hesitated. They immediately stood up and chose the mushrooms that they had been longing for.
With a glance, Klein added, "When the white mushrooms are cooked, they easily split open and have liquids flow out. You need to prepare some containers or drink them once that happens."
Without waiting for Rus and company to respond, he continued the topic that he had previously stopped mid-explanation. He went on until he mentioned how he heard the voices in the grayish-white fog chant Mr. Fool's honorific name.
Seeing that High Priest Nim so absorbed by his tales, to the point of being a little moved, Klein deliberated and said, "There are still many ways to make the grayish-white fog react, but they are all related to my Lord."
This was a reasonable guess. This was because not only was there one hanging person, but there wasn't only one way to enter the world above the gray fog. If Emperor Roselle had brought the mysterious silver plate that he had replicated here, there was a high chance that the invisible barrier would produce an anomaly. Of course, the prerequisite was that the Emperor belonged to one of the three pathways of Seer, Apprentice, or Marauder.Visit website our Listnovel.com
Seeing that there were no doubts from the others, Klein said warmly, "According to my observations, there isn't only one Beyonder pathway in Moon City."
The grizzled Nim didn't hide it from him and simply replied, "Yes, when we were selected to come to Moon City, the Oracle had intentionally ensured that there was a comprehensive record of Beyonder pathways. Unfortunately, after all these years and the repeated disasters, many of the potion formulas and Beyonder ingredients of the various pathways have been lost."
"Which pathway are you from?" Klein asked casually as he looked at the residents of Moon City using monster bones to roast the mushrooms.
"I'm a Nightwatcher," Nim said frankly.
Sequence 4 Nightwatcher of the Evernight pathway? Klein nodded slightly and asked, "Did anything unusual happen near this grayish-white fog?"
After pondering for about ten seconds, Nim with his pockmarked face said, "Yes."
Klein's heart stirred as he calmly asked, "What kind of abnormality was it?"
Nim glanced at the mushrooms that emitted fragrant smells, and he deliberated over his words.
"A small hill suddenly disappeared, leaving only a deep crater in the ground.
"There were no signs of an explosion in that area, nor was there any soil scattered around."
What's going on? That's a little bizarre… As he threw the mushroom's roots into the fire to turn them into fuel for the flames, Klein asked without any change in expression, "Did you investigate further?"
"Yes." The High Priest of Moon City nodded and said, "An investigation team encountered a demonic wolf there. It wasn't a demonic wolf that has already rotted or mutated, but the kind of demonic wolf from a long time ago."
Demonic wolf? Klein didn't expect to hear such information. His pupils changed slightly as he asked, "What did that demonic wolf look like?"
Nim unconsciously took a deep breath and said, "It's the same as the demonic wolves described in ancient literature, but it's even bigger. Even though it's eight legs are on the ground, it's still as tall as two or three people combined.
"Its fur wasn't pure black. It exuded a dark and deep feeling. Its eyes were very strange. The pupils—black pupils—took up a large part of the eyes. Also, there was a tuft of gray short hair on its head…"
This… Isn't that the Dark Demonic Wolf, Kotar? It actually came to the far east of the Forsaken Land of the Gods, and was involved in an anomaly? If the power of the Western Continent's disappearance really comes from Sefirah Castle, it would still be quite normal for it to attract the Mythical Creatures that corresponded to Miracle Invoker… Klein frowned slightly and said, "It didn't attack your investigation team?"
Klein had deliberately used "it" instead of "He" to prevent frightening the residents of Moon City.
In his opinion, it was very easy for the Dark Demonic Wolf, Kotar, to wipe out an investigation team. It didn't even need to pay a huge price to turn the city into "His" marionette kingdom. Yet, this Mythical Creature had apparently spared Moon City.
If not for the Spirit Body Threads that he had seen in advance and that he confirmed their conditions, Klein would've suspected that he was only talking to a few marionettes.
"No, it left in a hurry," Nim replied.
This doesn't match the suspicious and cautious nature of the Dark Demonic Wolf… What frightened "Him" so much that he fled in such a hurry? "He" didn't even have the time to silence the people who saw "Him"… Or rather, there's something special about the people guarding Moon City under the ancient sun god's revelation, and unless it's necessary, the Dark Demonic Wolf wouldn't attack them? Klein continued without any change in his tone, "Did it leave any tracks?"
"No." Nim firmly shook his head. "Other than the hill turning into a deep crater, we didn't discover anything unusual."
As his thoughts raced, Klein tried to ask from another angle.
"When did this happen?"
The more he understood an object from the past, the more he could make contact with it in the fog of history.
After some thought, Nim said, "Two years ago, two months, and ten days ago."
He immediately explained, "There are too few things worth recording. It left a deep impression on me."
Two years ago, two months and ten days ago… Currently, it's 8th September 1351, and subtracting that time, it would be 28th June 1349… This… Klein's right hand suddenly trembled slightly.
His pupils and his expression were normal, but this was a result of using his Clown powers to control them.
He remembered very clearly that on 28th June 1349, he had "transmigrated." It was the day he became Klein Moretti, it was the day he repeated the luck enhancement ritual and entered Sefirah Castle!
The abnormality here, the appearance of the Dark Demonic Wolf, and the hasty departure of this Mythical Creature were all related to me? A huge wave of emotions surged through his heart.
For a moment, he couldn't find an explanation and pretended that nothing had happened. He thought for a moment and asked, "Did something similar happen in the past two to three thousand years?"
"No." Nim gave a clear answer.
"What about two hundred and eight years ago? Did anything special happen?" Klein asked.
That was the time when Emperor Roselle "transmigrated" to this world.
After hesitating for two seconds, Nim said, "I can't tell you the answer. I need to go back and read the corresponding records.
"Thankfully, the information and documents in the past three centuries haven't been damaged."
At this point, he added, "My limited impression tells me that there shouldn't be anything special."
If that's the case, then the cause of this anomaly was because I entered the world above the gray fog and bound Sefirah Castle to myself? Klein nodded slightly and didn't ask further. He simply said, "Tell me where the crater is."
By the time the High Priest, Nim, gave an answer, the mushrooms that the residents of Moon City had grilled could be eaten. Some of them took a small bite of the white mushrooms and were scalded by the milk inside. They couldn't bear to spit it out. Some chewed repeatedly, reminiscing over the faint sweetness. Some of them couldn't stop eating at all.
Nim was taken aback by what he saw, as though he couldn't believe that these people were from Moon City.
Every one of them was showing the conflicted looks of having cravings and being satisfied. Their expressions looked twisted, but they were brimming with pure joy.
"High Priest, try it as well." Rus, whose eyes were very close to each other, handed a mushroom covered in golden spots that emitted a unique and sweet fragrance to Nim.
After hesitating for a moment, Nim carefully used the " magnifying glass" to take a look before taking the mushroom and stuffing it into his mouth.
In the next second, his expression changed slightly as he slowly closed his eyes.
He had a taste of something similar from some mutated tree roots, but it wasn't as pure or memorable.
After an unknown period of time, he looked at the indifferent Gehrman Sparrow and said with an abnormally sincere tone, "Your Excellency, we would like to listen to Mr. Fool's teachings."
I haven't had the time to make it up yet… However, as I'm getting closer and closer to being an angel, the corresponding matters should be prioritized… The anchors need to be prepared in advance… As his thoughts raced, Klein recalled what he had said when he had tricked—no, come up with to reform the believers of Sea God.
His expression quickly turned solemn as he raised his right hand and grabbed at the void. He pulled out a cross covered in bronze and sharp spikes.
Following that, he pressed his right thumb onto a thorn, letting the blood enter the Unshadowed Crucifix.
The bronze-green surface of the Unshadowed Crucifix quickly peeled off, revealing a body made of pure sunlight.
"God said…" Klein opened his mouth and said in a low voice as he raised the resplendent cross in his hand a lot higher.
Warm and bright light surged out like a tidal wave, instantly filling the surrounding area.
The darkness and discomfort accumulated in the bodies of Nim, Rus, and company began to rapidly melt away; It was as if their bodies were being cleansed.
They were in a daze when they heard the oracle, who was holding the resplendent cross and covered in holy radiance, solemnly say, "God said…
"First Commandment: Thou shalt not sacrifice unto me living human sacrifices."
"Second Commandment: Thou shalt not use my name in vain.