The Terror of Option Chapter 1021 1021: 169 LOTM

Although it had been less than a week since he entered the Forsaken Land of the Gods, Klein had long gotten a good understanding of the place through Little Sun. He knew that normal humans, even saints, had to use fire to create light in the darkness. Otherwise, it was very easy for them to encounter dangerous monsters lurking in the depths of the darkness, or be secretly devoured, disappearing without a trace, never to be found again.

And at that mont, the elderly clergyman wasn't carrying any animal hide lanterns. Instead, he passed through the fog in the darkness and slowly entered the cathedral that was illuminated by the dim yellow light.

If it wasn't for his deep and calm eyes that didn't show any signs of madness, Klein's first reaction would've been that he had encountered a special monster.

Of course, having a normal person's state of mind and being imrsed in darkness were contradictory traits. Any living creature with any semblance of normal intelligence could easily co up with a conclusion that this person might be even more terrifying than special monsters.

Klein had only t one person who could pass through the darkness without being affected by it while having sufficient intelligence:

Blaspher Amon!

Sensing that the faint yellow light was reflected on his face, the tall black-robed clergyman with a slight hunch to his back stopped in his tracks. Looking at the demonic wolf statue, he hoarsely asked, "Where did the owner of this city go?"

Klein was the kind of person who would try his best to resolve a problem peacefully if a fight with a stranger could be avoided. As he raised his guard, he calmly replied, "I don't know where either—I just entered the city—who knows where the owner went."

Just as he said that, the entire cathedral dimd. A thin fog surged in like a tidal wave from the outside, drowning the interior.

The lantern in Klein's hand failed miserably at illuminating the windows and the situation at the door. It was dark outside, and nothing could be seen.

In the blink of an eye, the cathedral that worshiped the demonic wolf statue seed to be isolated from Nois City. It was unknown where it was located.

Klein's pupils dilated slightly as he looked at the clergyman with wrinkles and white hair. He asked in a deep voice, "Who are you?"

The hunched clergyman replied in a condescending manner, "I'm an attendant by the Lord's side. I'm the Angel of the Holy Word, Steph. I walk this land of the past that the Lord had passed on, doing so on 'His' behalf in search of the 'Blaspher' hidden in the darkness."

As he spoke, the elder's figure expanded to a height of four ters tall. Behind him, black illusory feathers appeared. Their shadows intersected and ford four pairs of gloomy but holy wings.

Angel of the Holy Word, Steph... An attendant by the Lord's side... Land of the past... This is the Blessed of the True Creator, the Angel of Fate's subordinate, a mber of the Rose Redemption? It's no wonder that "He" can walk in the darkness; "He" has the power of degeneration protecting "Him"... That evil god is still searching for the Beyonder characteristic of the Attendant of Mysteries? Klein had no choice but to raise his head and lock eyes with this clergyman who, despite wearing a black robe, had four pairs of angel wings on "His" back. This high-level existence angel's form remained wrinkled with grizzled hair. There was a sense of contradiction in everything about "Him."

Pretending that he had never made an enemy of the Aurora Order, he calmly said, "That Blaspher has long fled. I'm also searching for 'Him.'"

After staring at Klein for two seconds, the Angel of the Holy Word asked in a low voice, "Who are you?"

It won't be convenient saying it out directly... Klein sighed and smiled.

"I'm a lonely traveler."

After he gave this reply, he suddenly felt an extre sense of darkness developing within him. It then sank down and rged with the shadow created by the lantern.

The pitch-black figure abruptly warped and ca to "life," stretching itself out to beco another Gehrman Sparrow—one with sinister and ferocious eyes and a solitary deanor.

This... Klein's pupils constricted. Without any hesitation, he reached out his right hand and grabbed outward at thin air.

At this point, if he hadn't guessed that Steph was using his "answer," he should've joined the Aurora Order and made the True Creator his god.

At this mont, he already knew what it ant by "Angel of the Holy Word."

This was clearly the Angel of the Evil Word!

By using a person's reply, "He" could extract a portion of the ambiguity or expand on it to create the effect of spirit language!

When Klein said that he didn't know where the owner of the city had gone, Steph extracted the words "I don't know where I went," trapping himself and isolating himself from the outside world.

When this angel revealed "His" identity, every word was enhancing "His" level and strength.

When Klein answered who he was, it ended up separating "a lonely traveler" from him.

From the mont "He" appeared in Nois City, there was a strong sense of malice in the black-robed Steph!

And just as Klein was attempting to summon a particular image from the Historical Void, the sinister Gehrman Sparrow seed to share the sa thoughts as he did. He too grabbed at the sa projection, canceling each other out.

Seeing that his powers as a Scholar of Yore had been restrained, Klein's eyes narrowed. Without any hesitation, he opened his mouth and said a word in Jotun.

But in the next second, the word was stolen.

Standing at about four ters tall, the stooped Angel of the Holy Word, Steph, had at so point in ti grown a head covered in blood on "His" left shoulder. It looked very similar to "Him," but was much younger—a person who was approximately in the forties.

Around the head were two skinless arms that had mangled flesh. They had "Grazed" different souls and had used Beyonder powers that could steal thoughts.

At the sa ti, another bloody head grew on Steph's right shoulder, one that looked to be in "His" twenties.

Amongst the three heads, one "Grazed" souls and stole Klein's thoughts, while the other was staring coldly at the target, deepening the self-awareness of the lonely traveler. The last one opened "His" mouth and said, "You lie!

"You are the person who destroyed the son of God's descent ritual and interfered with the Lord's descent twice!

"You are one of the targets I'm looking for!"

The corners of Klein's mouth twitched as he calmly said a word in Jotun, "Leodero!"

This was the true na of the Lord of Storms!

The reason why this thought wasn't stolen was because he had lined up his subsequent actions. The lineup was filled with the sa content. It didn't matter if the first thought was stolen, as it didn't affect the subsequent thoughts.

This was a precious experience he had gained from fighting Amon.

Of course, if he were to et Amon again, he suspected that such a thod might not work. Once the God of Mischief was prepared, "He" would definitely co up with sothing new.

As soon as he finished speaking, the eyes of the Angel of the Holy Word Angel, Steph, lit up with bolts of silver lightning.

They covered the entirety of Nois City, and they tore through the darkness that enveloped the cathedral. They tore apart all the corruption, concealnt, darkness, vileness, and evil.

Inside, Klein and the sinister Gehrman Sparrow were situated at the eye of the lightning storm. Without even a grunt, they dissipated.

Then, the terrifying, silvery-white, twisted electric bolts snaked the area and swallowed the demonic wolf statue as well as the Angel of Holy Words, Steph.

Amidst the dull rumbling sounds, the ancient city of Nois completely collapsed, becoming a true ruin.

At the opposite side of the dried-up river bed, Klein's historical projection quickly faded away, returning to the real world.

Right on the heels of that, Klein imdiately used Flaming Jump to distance himself from the Nois ruins. During this process, he pulled out a few paper figurines and made them into "angels" to cover his tracks.

The desolate plains returned to its state of dead silence once again. After an unknown period of ti, the ruins where the cathedral stood shook. Steph slowly stood up amidst crumbling dust and rock.

"His" completely white hair had thinned again, and "His" deep-black clergyman's robe beca tattered.

The Angel of the Holy Word left Nois ancient city in silence, got "His" bearings, and walked deep into the darkness.

Half a day later, a figure approached the city's ruins from another direction. It was none other than Klein who had made a huge detour.

He hadn't had the chance to check the ancient city of Nois previously, and his return this ti was motivated by the hope of finding actual clues of that existence.

At a relatively far distance away, Klein repeated his observations above the gray fog, summoned the historical projection, and hid in ancient tis, using the projection to summon another historical projection.

After finishing his preparations, he stepped into Nois once again and returned to the cathedral in absolute silence.

Along the way, the corpses that had been lying dead on the ground had either turned to ash or turned to charred remains, devoid of that creepy and harrowing feeling.

That fellow nad Steph didn't die... From the looks of it, the remnant divine powers of Storm here can only injure an angel... Klein stopped in front of the ruined cathedral and muttered to himself wistfully.

Of course, he only found it a little regretful. He didn't expect to finish off an angel so easily.

As he swept his gaze, he saw a few pieces of the demonic wolf statue.

The surface of it was dark black, and the insides were dark red—nothing like commonly seen stone.

These stones must be extraordinary for them to be used by that Dark Demonic Wolf for "His" statue. Furthermore, they don't look like sothing produced in the vicinity... Perhaps I can seek out the area the Dark Demonic Wolf hid prior to Nois City by investigating them... As a Miracle Invoker, or even an Attendant of Mysteries, that Dark Demonic Wolf must be good at covering "His" tracks. It'll be very difficult to track "His" whereabouts directly, but if I can find most of the areas "He" had hid previously, I should be able to gain insight into "His" habits and style...

Once I know a person's past, I can predict his future! As he thought, he took two steps forward, bent down, and attempted to pick up a fragnt of the statue.

At that mont, a charred hand suddenly reached out and blocked his finger.

From the corner of his eye, he saw a charred corpse standing up!

The charred corpse's other hand held onto a crystal monocle and wore it on its left eye.

Amon! Left eye... Klein's heart tightened at first before a strong sense of doubt and suspicion surfaced within him.

In the next second, the charred corpse smiled and said, "Sorry, I wore it on the wrong side."

As it spoke, it took off the monocle and moved it to its right eye.

-x-X-x-

"..." Once again, Klein understood why Amon was the God of Mischief.

At that mont, he didn't even have the desire to lampoon. All he wanted was to imdiately end the historical projection and escape from the Amon—no, Amons—in front of him.

The charred corpse that had been "Parasitized" wiped the soot from its face. Before Klein disappeared, it said with a smile, "There's no rush. You are just a projection from the Historical Void. I can't really parasitize you, and you should know very well that I'm not alone. It's difficult for you to launch an effective counterattack."

With a simple lantern in hand, Klein thought silently. He picked up a piece of the black sculpture fragnt that had red insides, and he cautiously asked, "What exactly do you want to say?"

At that mont, Amon had already changed back into "His" appearance. The only problem was that "His" skin remained darker.

"He" adjusted "His" crystal monocle and chuckled.

"You know that I'm aware that you're searching for that Dark Demonic Wolf in an attempt to obtain the Miracle Invoker's Beyonder characteristic from 'Him.' I happen to be very interested as well. Why don't we play another ga and see who can get to it first?"

What's the point of that? It's not like I won't pursue it or think of snatching it if I don't play this ga. After two seconds of silence, he shook his head.

"I refuse."

He had no intention of listening to what conditions Amon would offer. The more he heard from a top cheat, the more he would suffer.

Amon shook "His" head without a hint of anger.

"You'll regret this. I had originally planned to use a Miracle Invoker's Beyonder characteristic to exchange for Sefirah Castle with you, and also give you a period of ti to transfer the secret gathering you organized.

"And now, I can only consider stealing your fate directly. I will carry the burden of the corrosion from the source. Yes, although it's dangerous, it's still thrilling enough. I'm already prepared to accept it and see who will eventually control the flow. With my father's experience, I believe I won't perform too poorly."

...What? Corrosion from the source? The experience of the ancient sun god? Klein originally didn't wish to continue discussing the topic of the Miracle Invoker Beyonder characteristic and Sefirah Castle, but when he heard that, his heart stirred.

He recalled Amon's description and couldn't help but ask, "The source refers to the Oldest One, the first Creator?"

He desperately wanted to know what sort of unbearable fate Sefirah Castle would bring him.

Amon pinched the edge of his monocle and looked at him for a few seconds before suddenly smiling.

"It's better if I don't answer this question directly, as you won't believe every word I say."

Tell , I'll determine its authenticity! Klein suppressed the urge to blurt out and calmly replied, "Maybe it's just because you haven't made up the reason yet."

Amon didn't mind at all as "He" smiled and said, "You can think of it that way too.

"Heh heh, at tis, the truth that you discover for yourself is definitely more agreeable than what others tell you. If you have the ti, you can wander around the Forsaken Land of the Gods. This should provide you with more clues. Of course, if you have the guts to enter Chernobyl, then you would know more."

"..." Klein didn't pursue the matter any further. After staring at the collapsed cathedral that was bathed in a faint yellow light, he casually said, "Did the Dark Demonic Wolf hurriedly migrate because of the discovery of your existence?"

Amon nodded slightly and said, "It wasn't just . 'He' also sensed The Hanged Man's gaze. 'He' has been hiding in the Forsaken Land of the Gods for thousands of years. 'He' is very sensitive to such matters."

A Sequence 2 angel, perhaps even a Sequence 1 angel, can only play hide and seek in the Forsaken Land of the Gods and live such an abject life... Isn't the environnt here a little too harsh? Klein sighed inwardly before saying, "You must've left more than one avatar in the City of Silver. Why didn't you try to stop from reviving there?

"Why didn't you send more powerful avatars over?"

Amon nudged the bottom of "His" monocle with "His" right index finger and laughed.

"If that happens, you'll choose to revive in the outside world. This will cause quite a bit of trouble for my follow-up tracking.

"And if I—if we were to relax a little, due to the existence of the Miracle Invoker Beyonder characteristic in the Forsaken Land of the Gods, you would most likely be resurrected here. In the following ga, the only things that we need to consider are The Hanged Man and Ouroboros."

Just as I thought... Klein said after so thought, "Even in the sa region, as long as you exceed a certain distance, your true body and avatars have no way to instantly rge or switch locations?

"Back when you first entered the Forsaken Land of the Gods, you were able to transform back into your true form because the anomalies with Sefirah Castle had similarly interfered with the area here, allowing your true body to sense sothing. You went to the entrance in advance to wait?"

After hearing what he said with a smile, Amon asked without answering, "What's your guess?

"Why don't you guess if I've turned back into my original form?"

Klein raised his right fist and covered his mouth. After pondering for a few seconds, he revealed a smile.

"I guess your other avatars are setting up a corresponding ritual to allow your true body to descend directly..."

Before he could finish his sentence, his figure rapidly turned incorporeal and dissipated.

The Historical Void projection was dispelled.

In the wilderness outside the ancient city of Nois, the air around the hiding Klein suddenly stirred. In midair, there were a series of illusory monocles.

They stared at Klein's figure, as if saying that they had finally found him.

However, Klein's figure rapidly faded away.

Back when Amon moved the monocle to "His" right eye, Klein had already returned from ancient history to the real world. With the help of Paper Angel, he had used Flaming Jump and other Beyonder powers to quickly leave.

The reason why his historical projection was able to speak to Amon rather normally was because he was essentially a marionette. It was Qonas Kilgor in the form of Gehrman Sparrow. He had a Worm of Spirit that ca from history inside him and was controlled by Klein's projection outside the city.

anwhile, in the process of escaping far away, Klein frequently entered the Historical Void, allowing the projection outside the city to intermittently regain consciousness and maintain control of his marionette.

This caused the person who had spoken to Amon to fall into deep thought from ti to ti. He would either stare with a focused look for a few seconds or seemingly need ti to recall what Amon had said.

Against the God of Deceit, Klein didn't dare to be careless!

After leaving Nois City, he circled around two more tis and used his true vision to inspect his surroundings above the gray fog. Only then did he slow down.

The corrosion that cos from the source... I wonder if Amon is bluffing ... Indeed, I'll have to enter Chernobyl one day to take a look, but I have to beco a Miracle Invoker—doing so after I have self-preservation abilities to a certain degree; otherwise, I'll just be knocking on death's door... With the lantern that Danitz had sacrificed, Klein casually proceeded in the dark environnt of the weeds.

Thanks to this experience, he finally had a deeper understanding of the danger in the Forsaken Land of the Gods.

Extrely harsh and warped environnt, crazy cultists, fallen angel, groups of Amons wandering about, and Mythical Creatures lurking in the darkness. Sowhere here, there are evil gods watching everything. I can stir remnant divine powers that others can as well... As expected of the Forsaken Land of the Gods. The danger level far exceeds my imagination... As he sighed, he turned his attention back to the Dark Demonic Wolf.

To be frank, he didn't think he had any advantage in tracking this Mythical Creature. Be it his understanding of the Forsaken Land of the Gods, or his confidence in the target's situation, he was far inferior to Amon, who had been exploring the area for more than a thousand years, as well as the True Creator's Blesseds who had the benefit of this place being their ho ground.

My only advantage is that I share the sa Seer pathway as the Dark Demonic Wolf. Furthermore, I have Sefirah Castle. There is a strong inclination for Beyonder characteristic convergence. This will have a certain effect on fate and judgnt... However, Amon is a King of Angels of a neighboring pathway. There is also the law of Beyonder characteristic convergence between "Him" and the Dark Demonic Wolf. The effects won't be any weaker than mine... Klein considered carefully for a mont when he suddenly had an idea. He found his best advantage.

The advantage was:

He was very weak!

Compared to Amon, the True Creator's attendant, and the Dark Demonic Wolf, he was very weak!

Under normal circumstances, this was a disadvantage, but at tis, it was possible that it could bring him sothing that he wanted.

My level is low, and I'm weak. That ans that I can beco the hunting target of the Dark Demonic Wolf instead... It's very difficult for to find "Him," so why don't I get "Him" to co and find instead! A Scholar of Yore might not necessarily interest the Dark Demonic Wolf, but if this Scholar of Yore can still trigger Sefirah Castle, that's a whole other matter... I can stir Sefirah Castle from ti to ti, leaving behind traces of the gray fog's aura as bait for the Dark Demonic Wolf... The more he thought, the more viable he believed it was.

Of course, this was definitely very dangerous. If he wasn't careful, he might accidentally bait Amon or even the True Creator. And the Dark Demonic Wolf might very likely choose to observe first before suddenly launching an attack and not giving him a chance to prepare.

Before taking this approach, I have to make sufficient preparations... There's no need to rush it... Taking a deep breath, Klein reached out his hand and pulled out the black demonic wolf sculpture's fragnt that was red on the inside.

Although he had failed to obtain the item due to Amon's obstruction, this didn't stop him from taking it out from the Historical Void. This was because he had already seen it and had touched it. And the item itself wasn't at a high level.

At this mont, he wanted to use the fragnt to search for the hiding spot of the Dark Demonic Wolf by analyzing it in reverse and figuring out its modus operandi.

In the wilderness ruled by darkness, Klein lifted the lantern that emitted a faint yellow light. He got his bearings and changed directions before slowly entering.

...

Backlund, Hillston Borough.

Fors, who had gone out "Traveling" once, finally received a reply from her teacher, Dorian Gray Abraham.

-x-X-x-

There are no Worms of Star at the mont... He wants to take note of what else the person who's seeking to purchase a Worm of Star needs... Fors read the letter from her teacher and silently heaved a sigh of relief.

However, when she thought about how she was about to begin hunting the Saint of Secrets, she felt a pang of nervousness. After all, he was a demigod, a saint who had reached Sequence 4 about one or two years ago. It was unknown if he was already at Sequence 3 now.

Although the mastermind behind the operation is Ma'am Hermit, as the bait, I still need to worry about my own safety... Besides, the Aurora Order still has Rose Redemption backing them, as well as angels and a King of Angels... Fors didn't regret agreeing to Gehrman Sparrow's request. This was sothing she had wanted to do in the first place. However, due to the high risk involved, it was inevitable for her to feel flustered and uneasy.

This made her think of another possibility:

If Mr. World could participate in the operation and lead it, I'll definitely feel less nervous and worried.

It wasn't that Fors didn't believe in Ma'am Hermit's strength and experience, but that the results from The World Gehrman Sparrow were laid bare for all to see. His hunts didn't include one or two demigods, so having him run the operation would make one feel at ease.

Xio, who was sitting beside the fireplace, glanced at her friend and asked, "Is the hunt about to begin?"

"Yes." Fors nodded solemnly before saying, "It won't be too soon. Everyone needs so ti to prepare."

Hunting a demigod wasn't akin to fox hunting in the suburbs during autumn. Setting off wasn't as simple as bringing the equipnt and gathering friends. This required a precise and ticulous plan. Fors believed that Ma'am Hermit had to co to Backlund personally, or live in another kill box that she had decided on for so ti. Only by figuring out the exact situation could she co up with an effective plan.

As for Miss Justice, she was still speeding up the digestion of her Dreamwalker potion. This might take another one to two months or even longer.

For Fors, she could afford to wait. She also wanted to finish digesting her Scribe potion, set up the ritual, and beco a Traveler before the actual operation began.

The only thing she wasn't sure of was whether The World would rush them.

I will try my best to convince him—no, let Miss Justice convince him. That's what a Spectator is best at... Just as Fors mumbled, she saw Xio turn around and hesitantly say, "The liaison officer from MI9 suggested that I should officially join them today. And they said that, with the new king in place, there are many matters from the past that I don't need to worry about. People like and him have the chance to have importance placed on them again."

Fors listened attentively and said after so deliberation, "That isn't so sort of investigation that's targeted at us, right?

"This will likely make them discover that there's a faction behind you."

Xio nodded and said, "They believe that I was abandoned after that incident. Also, they suspect that that faction belongs to a Church—the Church of Evernight."

Xio believed in the Evernight Goddess, so ntioning the Church was undoubtedly referring to the Church of Evernight. However, considering that her good friend was a believer in the God of Steam and Machinery, she made an emphasis to prevent any ambiguity.

"Heh heh, that's what Mr. World told us to disguise ourselves as," Fors stroked her hair with a relaxed expression and said with a smile.

She then made herself look serious and mature.

"Xio, this is an opportunity for you. 'Acting' as a Judge clearly requires the support of the officials. Your current strength and level aren't enough to be a Judge in the underground world in Backlund. You also lack sufficient support.

"If you can really enter a court of law, rotate between the different courts, and serve in a criminal court for a few months, your potion should be completely digested. Oh right, I heard that MI9 has a 'Paranormal Court' within it, one which specializes in Beyonder cases. If you beco a Judge there, you might be able to attempt to be a Disciplinary Paladin by February or March next year."

Seeing Xio clearly being moved by her speech, Fors hurriedly added, "Once you make enough contributions, you might be able to restore your father's reputation to a certain extent. Anyway, George III is already dead. As long as it doesn't affect his reputation, Jevington II might not stop it."

Jevington was the eldest son of George III. He had worn the crown as Balam's emperor and was now the new king of Loen.

Xio fell silent for a while before she slowly nodded.

"I'll give it a try."

"Yes, after things settle down, you can bring your mother and brother to Backlund. Although the situation is tense now and food prices are rapidly rising, you definitely get food rations from MI9. You can provide for them!" The more Fors spoke, the more she felt that joining MI9 was a good thing.

After persuading Xio, Fors entered her bedroom and prayed to Mr. Fool, asking "Him" to forward her ssage to Mr. World.

Imdiately following that, Fors extracted the important points of her teacher's reply and described her thoughts, hoping that Gehrman Sparrow could be more patient.

Just as she finished her prayers and was about to leave the room, her vision suddenly blurred. She saw a crimson tide surge out of the void, instantly drowning her.

Fors imdiately discovered that she had arrived in the ancient palace and was sitting on her usual high-back chair. However, there was no towering figure that was shrouded in gray fog at the long, bronze table's seat of honor.

At that mont, there was only her and The World Gehrman Sparrow around the long mottled table.

"..." Fors's mind suddenly tensed up as her thoughts raced suddenly. "Mr. World, I ant, just now, that it's best if you have so patience. This will make things simpler. It's actually fine if you don't. We will begin hunting as soon as possible."

Klein let out a soft chuckle.

"Don't worry, I'm not in a hurry."

When his ultimate goal had beco an angel-level potion formula and Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts, he had enough patience regarding this matter.

Phew... Fors secretly heaved a sigh of relief and asked curiously, "Then why did you look for ?"

Klein replied calmly, "Didn't you wish to digest the Scribe potion as quickly as possible?

"Apart from the customs of different places, I think you still need to record all kinds of Beyonder powers. The higher the corresponding level, the better the digestion's effect."

Fors's eyes lit up when she heard that.

"Yes... Yes!"

After blurting it out, she found her attitude highly questionable. She hurriedly and fearfully added, "Is this the advance paynt you ntioned before?"

Klein nodded slightly and said, "Let's begin. Be prepared. I've borrowed a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact from Mr. Fool. It corresponds to the level of a saint."

To a Sequence 6 Scribe, the chances of successfully recording an angel-level Beyonder power was extrely low—nearly impossible. Therefore, Klein didn't attempt to summon Miss ssenger and Mr. Azik from the Historical Void to showcase their "skills."

Fors sat up straight and nodded heavily.

"Yes."

In the next second, she saw The World Gehrman Sparrow raise a white bone scepter covered in blue gems.

Amidst the bright light, bolts of lightning leaped out of the void and interwove together, forming a forest of lightning that emitted an aura of destruction.

Fors's eyes turned silvery-white as her body and mind were left in awe.

After the Lightning Storm cald down, she was stunned for two seconds before timidly saying, "It failed..."

"Again," Klein calmly replied.

"Lightning Storm" descended again and again in the ancient palace above the gray fog. After an unknown period of ti, Fors exhaled and leaned back in her chair. She couldn't hide her joy as she said, "It's a success! It's a success..."

She had finally "Recorded" Lightning Storm once.

It's finally over... Fors imdiately relaxed. Then, she heard The World say without emotion, "Alright, next Beyonder power."

...Next? Fors saw the crazy adventurer at the bottom of the long, mottled table extend his right hand and grab at the grayish-white fog. Out of nowhere, he took out a long, thorny cross that was covered in bronze.

Record this cross's ability? Fors tried hard to make her expression appear normal.

After she digested the Scribe potion to a certain extent, the godhood powers that she could "Record" had increased from one to two.

"No." Klein glanced at Miss Magician and said, "Record my summoning of the Unshadowed Crucifix."

"...It failed," Fors said softly.

The reason for her failure this ti was that she didn't have ti to "Record" it.

Dispelling the maintenance of Unshadowed Crucifix, Klein once again reached into the fog of history and pulled out an iron-black revolver.

"It didn't succeed..." Fors replied with a complicated expression.

All she wanted to do now was to return to the real world and digest what she had just received, but the ringing of the bell to mark the end of "class" just didn't happen.

Nearly thirty tis later, when Fors's head throbbed in pain and her ntal strength was beginning to run dry, she finally "Recorded" Historical Void Summoning once.

At that mont, she felt her tears fill her eyes, but she still held back her fatigue and tried her best to show the attitude of a good student.

"This can summon people and objects that one is related to through the Historical Void?

"When the ti cos, who should I summon, or what item should I summon?"

Klein looked at Miss Magician and coldly replied, "."

"..." Fors forced a smile and asked, "From which period?"

"The last ti we t." Klein had already thought of an answer.

It was the him who had deliberately sent Miss Magician back from the world of ice and snow to Backlund before he destroyed George III's ritual. He had already beco a Scholar of Yore by then.

Fors nodded solemnly and subconsciously asked, "What if I fail? For to summon soone who exceeds my own level, the probability of failure should be very high..."

"Co again tomorrow to record this ability. Use Leymano's Travels," Klein said calmly.

Will two tis be enough to succeed? Fors instinctively had such a question. However, she didn't dare to speak when she saw how certain The World Gehrman Sparrow was about it.

She raised her hand and gestured.

"Then, can I go back now?"

With a terse answer, he allowed Miss Magician to leave Sefirah Castle with a delighted expression.

...

In a primitive forest on Sonia Island.

Alger Wilson led his subordinates into an elven ruin that was seldom visited.

-x-X-x-

The withered vines drooped down, covering the rotting wooden structure. The entire ruins had been frozen in a silent atmosphere that no one had tread within for a while.

Alger and a few sailors circled around the ruin in the environnt of a withering winter, but they still failed to discover anything of value.

"Captain, batches of adventurers have co here before. What else could they have left us?" Finally, a sailor in his thirties impatiently broke the silence.

This resonated with his other companions as they echoed, "A place that didn't take us much ti to learn about can definitely be easily found by others."

"That's right, that's right. Let's continue to f**k the Feysacians!"

"Captain, are you trying to make this place a stronghold?"

Alger slowly scanned the area, quelling the sailors to stop their complaints under his gaze and making them choose to obey.

After a few seconds of silence, he said, "I plan on using this place to ambush the Feysacians.

"Let's observe the terrain and see if it's suitable."

With such an excuse, the sailors barely perked up, and the group quickly entered the depths of the elven ruins.

As he walked, Alger's spiritual perception was triggered as he subconsciously looked behind a gigantic tree.

There were so signs of churning in the soil over there, and it wouldn't take more than a year.

Alger retracted his gaze and pretended not to notice anything amiss. He naturally looked elsewhere.

After exploring the elven ruins, they returned to their new camp.

At that mont, it was almost evening and the forest was getting colder. Alger had dinner with the sailors before leaving two patrolling guards behind, and then all of them entered their respective tents.

The cold wind blew through the trees, causing the bonfire to sway. Alger, who had wanted to leave the campsite in the middle of the night, suddenly heard faint singing from afar.

The voice was ethereal, like a woman humming and singing slowly, relating her inner thoughts.

This made Alger involuntarily recall the past. He recalled his mother who had long passed away, and the days when he was a bullied child.

Indescribable grief surged from the bottom of his heart, preventing him from waking up imdiately. He waited for a few seconds before he suddenly sat up, frowning and listening.

This ti, he didn't hear anything. That lodious voice seed to have never happened.

Alger narrowed his eyes, grabbed his thick jacket, and put it on. He walked out of the tent and ca to the bonfire.

The two sailors in charge of night duty had just finished their patrol and were drawing warmth from it.

"Did you discover anything unusual?" Alger asked in a deep voice.

The two strong, vigorous sailors shook their heads.

"No."

Alger's brows relaxed a little as he turned around, intending to make his own rounds.

At this mont, he noticed sothing from the corner of his eye.

The two sailors were too close.

If it were any ordinary pirate, this wouldn't have been a problem. However, Alger's subordinates had undergone formal training through the Church of the Lord of Storms. They definitely knew that, in such an environnt, the patrol team had to maintain a certain distance from each other. They couldn't be too far or too close. They had to be able to see their companions, as well as prevent themselves from being taken away at the sa ti from a single assault.

Alger took two steps without batting an eyelid. He turned back and casually asked, "Did you discover anything normal?"

He had changed the question and made it appear very strange.

The two strong sailors shook their heads and replied without changing their expressions, "No."

No... Alger nodded slightly with a relaxed expression.

"Very good."

He turned around and slowly walked into his tent.

The mont the sailors' attention on him was cut off, Alger drew out the Blade of Poison and the Gargoyle Glasses. He opened his mouth and prepared to belt out a song.

At that mont, the ethereal voice from before appeared once again. It echoed in Alger's ears and pierced into his mind.

This was an extrely ancient folk song, spelling out an extre sense of sadness and lancholy through the singing. It made Alger's Spirit Body produce pale, non-existent arms that constantly tore at him.

Alger's expression twisted as his skin began to produce slippery, black fish scales. His dark blue hair stood up one by one as they beca abnormally thick.

The thoughts that originally existed in his mind were disrupted by the song and were cut off by the pain. They were unable to take form any further.

Alger fell and struggled on the ground. He squird, becoming less and less like a human as he was pushed to the brink of losing control.

Suddenly, the singing stopped. A slightly indifferent voice entered Alger's ears:

"So elven blood...

"Then, that shall be all. Use Siatas's Beyonder characteristic well."

Alger's forehead was covered in cold sweat as he slowly got up. He didn't know when a figure had appeared in the tent.

It was a woman with black hair and exquisite facial features. Her ears were slightly pointy, and her eyes were deep. Her facial features were soft, and she wore a complicated and ancient long dress. Even though she didn't have the advantage in height, she still gave off an air of superiority.

"...Are you the Elf Queen, Queen of Calamity Cohinem?" A thought flashed through Alger's mind as he took the initiative to ask.

The woman played with a beautifully decorated golden cup and calmly said, "Haven't you already t ?"

Alger suddenly recalled the similar singing he had heard on Pasu Island. He recalled seeing a high elf when he entered the underwater coral palace.

After a few seconds of silence, Alger said in a deep voice, "You're actually still alive."

At the sa ti, he silently recited Mr. Fool's honorific na in his heart, but he didn't know if it would be effective if he didn't recite it out loud.

The black-haired woman's expression remained unchanged as she replied, "It's very difficult for an angel to perish without encountering an enemy."

"Then why did you split the characteristics and place yourself to be in a strange state? This makes you need to wait for an opportunity to be resurrected." Alger had learned of the corresponding situation at the Tarot Club, and now, he was asking out of curiosity, partly to stall for ti.

The elven lady suspected to be Queen of Calamity Cohinem snorted.

"Because the divine throne for 'Storm' is occupied by Leodero, and I have no way of resisting the 'Tyrant.'

"Also, the elves are dwindling in numbers. My anchors are becoming increasingly unstable."

Other people might not know who Leodero was, but Alger knew very well. He didn't dare continue this topic in the real world.

Just as he was about to ask the Queen of Calamity Cohinem's goal for coming, the Elf Queen said, "Do you want to beco a demigod?"

"She" wants to use my body to revive? "She" wants to use my wish to advance to Sequence 4 and obtain godhood as bait to intrude my body? While Alger was tempted, questions arose in his mind.

Considering how Mr. Fool could cleanse all kinds of corruption, Alger acutely felt that this was an opportunity.

This made him recall a term Emperor Roselle had once ntioned:

A trojan horse!

And now, he had a high chance of bringing in the trojan horse and throwing out the invaders within.

"What do you want to do?" Alger didn't appear too anxious as he raised a question based on his personality.

Queen of Calamity Cohinem observed him for a few seconds before saying, "When you have the right to make contact with the Book of Calamity, take out sothing that no one else will notice, and take it to the Western Continent."

The Western Continent... The legendary holand of the elves? Alger frowned slightly and said, "Hasn't the Western Continent already disappeared?"

The corners of Cohinem's lips curled up slightly.

"Since it disappeared, it will reappear again.

"It will definitely appear again when the apocalypse happens."

Without waiting for Alger to ask further, the Elf Queen paused and said, "You don't have to personally send that item to the Western Continent, but you have to entrust soone trustworthy. Although I'm not skilled at curses, I can still make you die in pain from breaking our agreent."

"But what if the Western Continent doesn't appear again, or if it can't be entered?" Alger thought seriously for a mont.

Cohinem, with her gentle gaze and lustrous raven-black hair, seed to be lost in beautiful mories.

After a few seconds, she calmly said, "If it really doesn't appear again, then the agreent shall be null and void.

"Perhaps entering the Western Continent requires an incantation or command, but I do not know what it is. However, you can ask a particular existence."

"Who?" Alger asked, puzzled.

Cohinem glanced at him and coldly said, "The Mr. Fool you were chanting in your heart just now.

"I have a feeling that 'He' is the key to this matter."

Alger's heart tightened as he hurriedly lowered his head in response.

"I understand."

Seeing this, Queen of Calamity Cohinem nodded slightly and said, "If you wish to beco a demigod and abide by this agreent, you can head to the elven ruins when the sun rises."

After the voice fell, the Elf Queen's figure quickly dissipated, like a mirage that was often seen at sea and in the desert.

Alger suddenly opened his eyes and realized that he was lying in a tent, having just woken up.

His mories were in a ss, but he quickly regulated them.

He and his sailors had just found the location of an elven ruin and had yet to explore it.

The previous "exploration," singing, sailor anomalies, and appearance and conversation with Calamity were all just a dream!

It's no wonder I was so careless... Even though I knew that I might encounter the Queen of Calamity, I didn't pray to Mr. Fool first... The Queen of Calamity relied on her status as an angel to create this realistic dream? Or perhaps, she has a corresponding Sealed Artifact. Even if she exists in a special state, she still has the ans to use her powers? Alger listened to the commotion outside the tent, and he realized that everything was normal.

He then sat down and prayed sincerely to Mr. Fool.

In just twenty to thirty seconds, Alger arrived above the gray fog and saw Mr. Fool sitting at the end of the long, mottled table.

"You t Cohinem?" After The Hanged Man greeted him, The Fool Klein spoke casually.

Alger answered seriously, "Yes, but I can't be sure that it's the Elf Queen."

-x-X-x-

The Fool acknowledged softly and didn't deny The Hanged Man's guess, nor was he certain that it was Queen of Calamity Cohinem. After all, it was impossible for him to take out a gold coin in front of him and perform a divination on the spot.

Alger waited for a few seconds. Seeing no clear response from Mr. Fool, he quickly went into greater detail about what he had said in the prayer. From the woman suspected to be Queen of Calamity Cohinem saying that he had so elven blood in him, to how she gave him a promise of becoming a demigod, as well as the key to the Western Continent and the completion of the agreent.

After recounting everything, Alger shut his mouth and lowered his head, not daring to directly ask Mr. Fool what "He" thought. He obediently waited for the great existence to speak.

So elven blood... Send sothing from the Book of Calamity to the Western Continent... The missing Western Continent might reappear again... The Western Continent... The Fool Klein listened quietly. He closed his eyes and calmly said, "This is very dangerous, but this is also an opportunity for you."

He had already gained initial control of Sefirah Castle, and the power he could mobilize had reached the level of a Sequence 2 angel. As for Queen of Calamity Cohinem, she couldn't be higher than this level; therefore, he was quite confident that he could resist the various accidents brought about by the Elf Queen.

It was precisely because of this that he dared to claim it to be an opportunity for The Hanged Man.

Of course, the prerequisite for grasping the opportunity was that The Hanged Man wasn't rash or went overboard. He had to constantly rember to ask for protection at all tis. Therefore, Klein specially emphasized that it was very dangerous. He wanted The Hanged Man to rember to pray to Mr. Fool before he took action.

This short sentence had two anings to it, but he believed that Mr. Hanged Man would definitely understand it.

Alger was delighted as he replied rather sincerely, as though he had learned from The Sun.

"My faith lies only with Mr. Fool!"

These words made Klein feel uneasy as he rembered the pain of being drowned by endless lightning. He could only smile without saying a word.

Alger deliberated for a mont before asking, "Honorable Mr. Fool, what are the incantations or commands needed to enter the Western Continent?"

I would like to know that too... The Fool Klein sighed and said, "It's not ti for you to know."

"Yes, Mr. Fool." Alger didn't ask further as he bowed respectfully.

When he returned to the real world, he imdiately walked out of the tent and led his sailors out. Under the light of the morning sun, he spent a certain amount of ti reaching the elven ruin.

The scene here was identical to what he had seen in his dream. The withered vines covered the decaying wooden structure, and there were so areas where the text on monunts could be seen. The air seed to have frozen, as though no one had stepped in for a long ti.

Looking around, Alger suddenly thought of a question.

How was he to face the Church after he really relied on the Queen of Calamity to beco a demigod?

Directly rebel, becoming the fifth king over the Five Seas—no, the sixth king? But this way, I won't have a chance to co into contact with the Book of Calamity. Unless I design a situation that forces the Church to use this Sealed Artifact that might've been labeled as Grade 0 without my knowledge. That will not only be very difficult, but I have to beco a Sea King, or even a Calamity to succeed... Yes, I can request The World's help... If I wish to continue staying in the Church, I have to give them a reason that they cannot ignore but is sufficiently believable... Alger frowned slightly without hiding his solemnity.

In the eyes of the sailors who followed him, this was a sign that he was worried about the ruin.

As his thoughts churned, Alger gradually ca up with ideas:

There are many books in the Church that have records of people turning into demigods due to a fortuitous encounter... Two-thirds of them were invaded by evil gods and devils and eventually lost their lives in the purification process... However, a third of them passed the test and beca a high-ranking deacon or a cardinal...

Now that the war has broken out, the situation in Loen is tense. As long as there aren't any problems during the investigation, the Church wouldn't mind having an additional Sequence 4 demigod as cannon fodder... Then, I can slowly gain their trust later...

The prerequisite for all of this is that the Queen of Calamity hasn't truly attempted to corrupt or left a mark on ...

Considering the various Sealed Artifacts in the Church's possession, I have to pray for Mr. Fool's blessings ahead of ti... According to Miss Justice, Angel's Embrace can effectively hide one's true thoughts and tests in one's dream...

With the mbers of the Tarot Club beginning to beco demigods or about to beco demigods, Alger really didn't wish to be lining the bottom of the barrel. Just like in the past, he had done so many things in the Church, all for the sake of being superior to others. Now, he was naturally willing to take a certain risk.

With this decision, Alger imdiately led his sailors into the ruins and began exploring the path in his dreams.

This ti, he didn't split his subordinates into small teams. On the one hand, he was worried that an accident might occur, and on the other hand, he hoped that they could all be his "witness."

After fifteen minutes, Alger and his crew arrived beside the giant tree that had signs of its soil being churned.

Before he could survey his surroundings, his vision blurred, and he saw a gorgeous palace made up of coral.

Above the palace was a layer of deep blue seawater that rippled outwards. Giant pillars stood tall and held up an exaggerated do. It was tall and beautiful, but also dark and gloomy.

Alger looked around and realized that all the sailors beside him had disappeared. He imdiately knew that he might have been pulled into an illusion.

He took a silent breath and slowly walked into the coral palace.

There were many elves inside. They were either roasting fish or placing spices in the coagulated animal blood. Their choice of utensil was two tree branches to bring the food to their mouths. None of them minded the entrance of a stranger.

Alger then cast his gaze to the nine-staired stairs a hundred ters away.

On the steps, there was a coral throne inlaid with sapphires, erald, and lustrous pearls. The Elf Queen, Queen of Calamity, was sitting there, looking down at Alger.

"Very good." Cohinem nodded and threw out the exquisite gold wine glass.

The gentle but resilient wind held the wine cup in its embrace and, like tiny pixies in a line, carried the corresponding items towards Alger.

Alger reached out to receive it and looked down. He discovered that there was a blue liquid inside the golden cup. It was incorporeal, dreamy, and surreal.

"Drink it, and then head to the waters near the Syem Island of the Rorsted Archipelago. Find this coral palace. The thing you want is inside."

"If I don't drink this 'wine,' I won't be able to see that palace?" Alger asked thoughtfully.

Although he was facing an angel, he was still able to communicate rather calmly. This was because he t a mighty figure every week and was already used to this situation.

Queen of Calamity Cohinem nodded and said, "That's right."

"Will you leave a mark on ?" Alger asked cautiously.

"Yes," Cohinem said coldly. "So, before entering the coral palace and obtaining the corresponding items, you can't return to Pasu Island. You can't et the angels under Leodero."

The pontiff can't be t even if I want to... Alger heaved a sigh of relief inwardly before asking, "After I get hold of that item, the effect of this 'wine' will disappear?"

Elf Queen Cohinem, replied without any change in expression, "No, you need to directly consu that characteristic.

"When the ti cos, this 'wine' will transform into a seal, allowing that characteristic to temporarily not invade your body. How you prepare the ritual and explain this to the Church of Storms will be up to you."

Let the characteristic belong to first before holding the ritual? This way, there might be a better way for the Church to accept it... Alger thought for a mont before raising his hand to bring the wine cup to his lips.

The ice-cold liquid slid down his throat and disappeared in a blink of an eye. The entire coral palace shattered as the light of dawn and the remnants of the gigantic green tree reappeared in front of Alger.

You didn't sign a contract or get to swear an oath? Yes, drinking that cup of "wine" is equivalent to making an agreent... Alger retracted his gaze and said to the surrounding sailors who were unaware, "There's nothing here. Let's go deeper and take a look."

...

In the ancient palace above the fog.

Klein also retracted his gaze from the crimson star representing The Hanged Man and nodded thoughtfully.

That's Siatas and Mobet's grave... I never expected that golden wine cup to have such an effect...

That is indeed Elf Queen Cohinem... How's "Her" present condition? Half of it is in the Book of Calamity, while the other is hiding sowhere unknown. "She" was using the golden wine cup or the characteristic to influence reality?

Mr. Hanged Man hasn't been contaminated for the ti being. I'll wait for him to head to the Rorsted Archipelago before making another assessnt.

As his true body had a limited amount of ti left in the Historical Void, Klein didn't stay any longer, and he returned to the pitch-black wilderness. He carried the lantern that emitted a faint yellow light as he walked towards a certain location.

As he walked, he turned his head to look east, which was symbolic of where Chernobyl was. His footsteps slowed down involuntarily.

Once I gather sufficient information from the Dark Demonic Wolf's forr hiding spots, I'll head east. I'll walk all the way until I reach the boundary and confirm the situation. Then, I'll consider the matter of the Miracle Invoker Beyonder characteristic... Amon probably wouldn't expect that I would suddenly leave... "He" definitely knows the past of the Dark Demonic Wolf. It's impossible for "Him" to do the sa kinds of investigations that I'll be doing... Yes, but "He" will definitely be tracking ... Klein exhaled slowly and sped up his pace.

A bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the dark and red desolate plains. Raindrops began dripping down intermittently.

Klein dragged out a black umbrella from the Historical Void. With one hand holding an umbrella and the other holding the lantern, he proceeded alone.

...

About a week later, the Future was docked sowhere along the long Loen coastline.

Cattleya held a stack of tarot cards in her hand and said to the sailors—Nina, and company, "I'll be staying in Loen for so ti. All of you have to watch Frank and prevent him from doing his strange experints."

-x-X-x-

Upon hearing the captain's instructions, Nina pouted and pointed out the window.

"Are any of Frank's experints not strange?"

"..." Cattleya was montarily at a loss for words. All she could do was sigh and say, "If there are any signs of danger, write to imdiately."

As a Mysticologist, she also had her own ssenger.

"Alright." Nina puffed her chest out and said, "If there's anything to bla, it's solely because I'm the most mature and reliable person on the Future."

Having said that, she asked curiously, "Captain, what are you doing in Loen? What mission did you take on? Are you going to engage in so sabotage raids behind enemy lines?"

Nina was of Feysacian descent, and she was considered half-Intis. She naturally had so inclinations in the recent war; therefore, she guessed that her captain had established contact with Intis's intelligence departnt.

"...You could say that," Cattleya replied sternly.

In a sense, Nina's guess wasn't wrong. She had indeed taken on a mission and was dealing damage in Loen's capital, Backlund. However, her target wasn't an official faction, but a cultist.

Furthermore, there's still a chance to et the Queen. She probably hasn't left Backlund yet, and the earliest she'll leave is probably after the new year... Upon thinking of this, Cattleya suddenly felt a little excited.

Ever since she left the Dawn, she hadn't really t Queen Mystic. She only had letters to communicate with her, or despite being on the sa boat, they didn't communicate with one another for so reason.

Nina didn't dare to press further as she pointed to the door and said, "Captain, is there anything else? If not, we'll leave."

Cattleya nodded, indicating that this Future boatswain could leave with her subordinates.

Just as Nina held the handle and gently twisted it, Cattleya suddenly recalled sothing and hurriedly shouted, "Nina."

"Hmm?" Nina, whose blonde hair was tied into a high ponytail, turned around with a confused expression.

"Don't drink!" Cattleya emphasized seriously. "When I return to the ship, you'll be allowed to have your fill."

Nina imdiately revealed a charming smile.

"Deal!"

Cattleya thought for a mont before exhorting,

"Apart from Frank, you have to take note of Heath's condition. Don't let him generate curiosity towards unknown voices, and don't let him be overly exhausted. Also, pull Ottolov out of his room frequently, and control the frequency and tis he interacts with mysticism knowledge. Also..."

"I know, I know. Don't I know them all too well?" Nina waved her hand and agreed.

After the boatswain and her subordinates left the captain's cabin and closed the door behind them, Cattleya cast her gaze out the window to look at the currently invisible Backlund.

After a few minutes, she took out a tarot card from the deck in her hand.

It depicted a lonely old man with a glass lantern and a staff: The Hermit card.

...

Late at night, Backlund, Empress Borough, Earl Hall's house.

Audrey, who was wearing a white silk nightgown, suddenly opened her eyes. She took a blue cloak and draped it over her body.

She then got out of bed and walked to the full-body mirror in the room. Through the crimson moonlight shining through the curtains, she carefully observed herself.

Her pair of erald-green eyes seed to glow brightly and limpid. It was so clear that one could clearly see every detail.

Audrey closed her eyes. By the ti she opened them again, all the abnormalities had vanished.

The corners of her mouth curled up bit by bit, and a small depression appeared on her face. Her eyes curved slightly as she silently praised herself.

Audrey, you've finally co this far!

She had completely digested the Dreamwalker potion.

According to her confidence in herself, and her predictions, she had originally believed that it would take until February for her to digest the potion. To her surprise, she had encountered many strange and completely different dreams recently.

This included many dreams within dreams, dreams that were a result of a ntal illness, lucid dreams, dreams caused by the influence of evil spirits and wraiths, and the dreams of a few demigods.

Under normal circumstances, as a Dreamwalker, Audrey could generally determine the creature's level when entering a dream, thus avoiding danger. However, those demigods had hidden themselves very well. Only when she entered their dreams did she realize that sothing was amiss and nearly jumped in fright.

Fortunately, she wasn't discovered all those tis. She ended up accumulating experience, and she began carefully touring, traveling, observing, and analyzing in the demigods' dreams, allowing her to greatly digest her potion.

In addition, the other special dreams gave her a completely different experience. After that, she attempted creating multiple dreams within dreams. So attempted to hide behind the scenes in her dreams and guide them in an ingenious manner to develop and interfere with the subconscious in a reverse manner. She treated the ntal illness of the owners of the dreams, or the corruption caused by an evil spirit or wraith.

To a certain extent, she had gone against the requirents of only observing, recording, and not making any interference. Yet, this strangely accelerated the digestion of the potion.

This made her conclude a new principle:

...If you really want to interfere, then be the mastermind and conductor behind the scenes. It's so that even if the goal succeeds, no one will notice it.

This was sothing that Audrey had done very well. The few people with serious ntal illnesses had unknowingly recovered after having five or six strange dreams.

And it was very normal for a dream to appear strange and incomprehensible.

To be able to digest the Dreamwalker potion so quickly, it's mainly a result of my good luck recently. Without so many unique experiences, I'd definitely have to wait another month or two. Yes, I might even be caught by a demigod and be thrown into a Beyonder prison or directly be killed... When did my luck beco so good? It seems like it started after I sacrificed the ice-cream to that Fate domain's angel, uh—"His" Blessed... Uh... Audrey looked at her reflection and blinked her eyes with a smile.

She quickly retracted her gaze, scanned her bedroom, and walked to the dressing table.

Sitting on it was a deck of cards.

In a room of a girl who enjoyed mysticism, it was normal for her to have a deck of tarot cards.

Audrey stretched out her right hand and touched the card at the top with her fingertip. She slowly took a deep breath and muttered to herself, The fighting at the Amantha mountain range is getting more intense...

Midseashire had already lost a port...

It's said that the defenses of the Hornacis mountain range in Sivellaus County can't last until spring...

If not for the fact that we have gained a significant advantage at sea, our connection with the Southern Continent's East Balam would've surely been severed...

Alfred is still there...

I wonder how this war will develop.

Thankfully, I'm about to beco a demigod. Mr. World has already given the Manipulator's potion formula and main ingredient... The seven drops of tears that were shed from intense human emotions have also been found during my dream experience recently...

The Tree ntor's golden leaves were obtained via a trade with Little Sun. I'm just short of the blood of an elderly mind dragon...

Phew, I'll tried to trade for it with the Psychology Alchemists. Before Hvin Rambis died, I was already the person-in-charge of a small psychological discussion group... But will this reveal that Hvin Rambis's death has sothing to do with ?

Or could I get Mr. World to summon the blood of an elderly mind dragon from history? This can last for at least fifteen minutes. When I succeed in advancing, I'll converge my spirituality and complete my cueing. Its disappearance will not affect anything. After all, it's just a supplentary material...

Audrey, you actually learned how to fake things. What's more, it's on such matters!

After a self-deprecating comnt, Audrey began to think about the kind of situation to use to complete the advancent ritual of a Manipulator.

The ritual required one to drink the potion while in the midst of an emotional resonance generated during a special occasion with at least ten thousand people.

As her thoughts raced, Audrey ca up with a preliminary idea:

The Goddess's Winter Gifts Day?

But no matter how large a Mass is, it can't accommodate 10,000 people... The cathedral can't accommodate so many people...

Yes, it's usually impossible. If there's a chance, I can donate a sum of money. I can suggest we do an extrely large Mass in morial square so as to placate the souls that passed away during the war.

In the most important square, the family mbers, relatives, and friends of the deceased are invited. As long as they accommodate a certain proportion of the participants, the emotions that resonate will affect the others who are participating in Mass, allowing the ritual's requirents to be satisfied...

After calmly analyzing the situation, Audrey suddenly bowed her head and looked at the mirror on the dressing table. She saw that the faint smile on her beautiful face had long disappeared, leaving behind only calmness and sadness in her eyes.

She stared at herself, her lips curling up slightly as she whispered, "Audrey, you've beco despicable..."

Closing her eyes and opening them again, Audrey had returned to normal.

She reached out to the stack of tarot cards on the dressing table and flipped the card at the top.

The card depicted a goddess of justice sitting on a stone chair with a sword in one hand and a balance in the other, coldly watching everything.

...

Backlund, Hillston Borough, in a house with a fireplace.

"You've finished digesting your Scribe potion?" Xio had just changed into her ho clothes when she heard the piece of unbelievable news upon walking back to the living room.

Fors nodded with a haggard expression.

"Yes."

"Do you know what kind of life I've been enduring recently?"

As she was being forced to "travel" to six places in a consecutive manner, she had to experience, admire, and record the sights day and night. In addition, she would be pulled up above the gray fog, recording all kinds of strange or high-level Beyonder powers.

The "Lightning Storm" and the "Historical Void Summoning" powers had been replaced several tis. They had finally recovered their original setup today.

"I don't know..." Xio answered honestly.

"I know you don't know." Fors took a deep breath and said, "What about you? How have you been recently?"

"Not too bad. It was arranged for to preside over a Paranormal Court, and I had so thoughts about the acting principles. The speed at which the potion is being digested has increased," Xio acknowledged.

"I find it hard to imagine you wearing a judge's robe and sitting at the tribunal's seat to judge." Fors sighed from the bottom of her heart.

"Are you trying to say that the prisoners and lawyers won't be able to see ?" Xio added, not minding it at all.

Fors laughed dryly and said, "I'll need to have so rest to prepare my advancent ritual to beco a Traveler."

"Don't you need to go deep into the spirit world? Do you have a way?" Xio asked in puzzlent.

Fors nodded and said, "That person asked to summon his ssenger."

-x-X-x-

Summon his ssenger... As Judgnt of the Tarot Club, as a mber of MI9, Xio understood what a ssenger ant. Furthermore, she knew that the middle ranks of the Numinous Episcopate widely used ssengers.

Before she could ask for more details, she saw Fors walk towards the guest room on the first floor with her eyes vacant and footsteps listless. She said with an ethereal voice, "Let sleep for a while. We can talk later."

She slept all the way till the next morning, waking up thanks to the aroma of at.

Desi pie? Fors rubbed her eyes and walked out of the room. She saw that the table was already filled with food.

"Yes." Xio ca out of the bathroom. "The one from the corner of the street. It's not bad."

Fors enthusiastically acknowledged and sat beside the dining table. She quickly picked up the Desi pie and stuffed it into her mouth.

After finishing one, she drank a mouthful of sweet iced tea and sighed in satisfaction.

This is life!

Oh no, I forgot to brush my teeth...

After she was done washing up, she finally regained her ability to think. She looked at Xio in puzzlent and said, "Did MI9 not have any suspicions about how you secretly beca a Judge?"

"They thought it was the remuneration that motivated back then," Xio inford her of what she had learned.

Fors stroked her hair and said with a smile, "That's true. Let them ask the Church of Evernight."

She covered her mouth and yawned.

"I'm going to summon that ssenger."

After this period of "Recording," the way she addressed Klein had changed from Gehrman Sparrow and Mr. World to "that person."

On the one hand, it was a form of respect, and on the other hand, she was afraid that soone would eavesdrop.

Upon hearing her friend's words, Xio looked around and asked in confusion, "Aren't you going to set up the ritual?"

She rembered that summoning a ssenger required a ritual.

"That's only one of the thods. That person got to use another thod." Fors glanced at her clothes and realized that her clothes were all wrinkled since she hadn't had the ti to change her clothes last night.

Upon realizing that she would be eting the ssenger later, she decided to pay attention to her image. She hurriedly returned to the bedroom on the second floor and changed into a beige dress with frilly designs.

After preparing herself, she raised her right hand in front of Xio, and she grabbed at it as if she wanted to pull sothing out of the air.

In her eyes, an illusory book took form. It quickly flipped and stopped at one of the pages.

In the next second, her arm sank and a figure erged from the void.

This was Gehrman Sparrow, who was wearing a half top hat and a black coat. He had a cold expression and an unyielding air, but his eyes appeared sowhat dull.

I succeeded? This is just my second attempt... I've only tried it once yesterday and failed... Fors's eyes widened as though they wanted to take in more light so as to see more clearly.

She knew that this was the Historical Void projection she had summoned, so she wasn't too nervous. Instead, she held her breath and looked warily at Gehrman Sparrow's projection. She couldn't tell if he was real or fake.

She still rembered the combat achievents of this crazy adventurer.

Fors has actually summoned Gehrman Sparrow? Shouldn't it be his ssenger? Would Gehrman Sparrow still be able to summon sothing? Questions popped up in Xio's mind.

Just as Fors was unsure of what to do next, Gehrman Sparrow's eyes darted around slightly as his gaze instantly turned focused. He no longer had a rigid and vacant look, as though he was alive.

Following that, he took out an exquisite, silvery harmonica and blew it.

No sound ca out of it, but the surroundings instantly turned cold as a biting wind stirred.

Then, a woman dressed in a dark and complicated long dress with four blonde hair and red eyes in her hands walked out of the void. Her eight eyes looked at Gehrman Sparrow.

Gehrman Sparrow nodded slightly and pointed at Fors.

"This lady needs to set up four special coordinates deep in the spirit world. Please help her."

"Alright..." One of the heads of Reinette Tinekerr said as it moved up and down.

Gehrman Sparrow didn't speak further. As he approached the window, he made the glove on his left hand beco transparent.

His figure quickly disappeared as he "Teleported" out of the house.

He left... He left just like that... The Historical Void projection I summoned left just like that? Fors stared with her mouth slightly open, as though she was experiencing a comical play.

According to her understanding, the thing she summoned should be under her control. How could it leave after giving so instructions?

Could it be that the Historical Void projection has the sa personality as the actual person... No, it's as if Gehrman Sparrow himself had descended... Fors glanced at Xio and realized that she was just as confused as she was.

At that mont, Fors suddenly shivered, as though an extrely terrifying creature was glaring at her.

She subconsciously turned her head and realized that Gehrman Sparrow's ssenger was looking at her with eight red eyes, carefully observing her.

As terrifying as Gehrman Sparrow... Fors forced a smile and said, "...Sorry to trouble you."

At this mont, Reinette Tinekerr's four blonde, red-eyed heads spoke one after another:

"Need..." "To pay..." "Eight hundred..." "Gold coins..."

There... there's still a fee? Fors turned agape once again, at a loss for a response.

After a few seconds, her thoughts suddenly beca active as she began to calculate her savings.

After loaning 2,400 pounds to Xio, I still have 780 pounds left... My expenses recently have been quite high, but the royalties from my past novels are still being credited. Adding my other inco and the 300 pounds Xio returned , I have a total of 1,258 pounds... That's enough...

Fors imdiately agreed, but she imdiately discovered a problem.

"Gold coins, all of them?"

Reinette Tinekerr's four heads shook slightly.

"Yes..." "You..." "Can..." "Owe..."

As expected, all of them need to be gold coins... I rember that Mr. World has been trying to gather gold coins and exchange for gold coins for quite so ti before. It was to pay this ssenger? The relationship between him and his ssenger is really complicated... Uh, Mr. World should still have quite a few gold coins. I'll try to exchange 800 gold coins from him later... Fors secretly heaved a sigh of relief and said, "Alright."

After agreeing, Fors saw the headless ssenger raise one of the heads in her hand to bite down on her clothes near her shoulder.

The surrounding colors beca saturated and brighter—the reds beca redder, the blacks beca blacker, and the whites beca whiter.

In such a manner, Fors was led by Reinette Tinekerr through similar scenes that she had no way of getting her bearings right. It didn't take long before she arrived at the spot where there was a faint fog.

In the depths of the fog, one eye after another seed to look over, but they quickly shrank back.

...

When Fors summoned Gehrman Sparrow's projection from the Historical Void to Backlund, he had imdiately entered the fog of history and dashed all the way to a period before the First Epoch.

His consciousness ca alive within the projection, reducing Fors's spirituality expenditure.

This way, Klein had indirectly returned to Backlund. This was also the reason why he had gotten Miss Magician to use such a complicated thod to summon the ssenger.

As for the ssenger summoned by the adventurer's harmonica, it was an independent existence—it didn't increase the burden on Fors's spirituality burden. Even if the Historical Void projection vanished, Reinette Tinekerr could still remain in the real world if "She" so wished.

After a "Teleportation," Klein's figure appeared in a secluded alley near Saint Samuel Cathedral. He then used his Faceless powers to change his appearance and figure.

During this process, although there were still a few pedestrians in the alley, they were affected by an illusion. They didn't notice a sudden companion appearing beside them.

Right on the heels of that, Klein straightened his clothes, pressed down on his hat, and walked quickly to Saint Samuel Cathedral. He found a seat to the side of the main prayer hall and sat down.

After taking off his hat and chanting an honorific na, he sincerely drew a crimson moon on his chest. Then, he clasped his hands together, closed his eyes, and prayed softly to the Evernight Goddess.

"...I'm currently searching for traces of the Dark Demonic Wolf's past to grasp his exact condition..."

At this point, he recalled that the Dark Demonic Wolf might've been a forr "colleague" of the Evernight Goddess. "They" likely knew plenty about each other as he quickly added, "...I wonder if you can give so hints..."

He didn't wait for a response. Instead, he maintained a calm attitude and continued, "...After this matter is completed, I plan on heading all the way east to see if I can reach the Western Continent and see what state that place is in. I'll take this opportunity to escape Amon's pursuit and find other possibilities..."

After praying, he tapped his chest four tis in a clockwise fashion and whispered, "Praise the Lady."

Just as he finished speaking, a dark night sky with countless stars suddenly appeared in front of him. A ssage unknowingly appeared in his mind.

It was information regarding Black Demonic Wolf, Kotar.

"..." Klein was stunned for a mont. Only when the starry sky before him completely disappeared did he return to his senses. He sincerely praised the Goddess once again.

After leaving Saint Samuel Cathedral he used Creeping Hunger and another "Teleportation" to arrive near the Holy Wind Cathedral located in Cherwood Borough.

He wanted to pray to the Lord of Storms.

He looked up at the towering steeple and felt so montary hesitation. He really wasn't sure if he should enter the headquarters of the Church of the Lord of Storms in Backlund.

I'm just a Historical Void projection. There's nothing to be afraid about... I won't suffer any losses from praying, but what if the Lord of Storms hears about the Amon situation and decides to bestow 0-32 to ? That way, I won't have to risk hunting the Dark Demonic Wolf... A person should always be hopeful! After so thought, he finally made up his mind.

He carefully raised his hand and summoned Enuni, the one who had yet to be parasitized by Amon, from the Historical Void to walk into the Holy Wind Cathedral in his own form.

A minute or two later, a dark cloud suddenly appeared above Backlund. There seed to be a flash of silver lightning in the Holy Wind Cathedral, but no one noticed it.

-x-X-x-

As soon as the dark clouds in the sky dispersed, everything in the Holy Wind Cathedral returned to normal.

In a nearby corner, Klein raised his hand to rub his forehead. The corners of his mouth twitched as he mumbled, "If you don't want to give it to , so be it... But why did you kill my marionette..."

He then took a deep breath before his figure rapidly faded away and disappeared. The ti limit for maintaining the Historical Void projection was almost over. After all, a Scribe's imitation of a high-level power had significant differences from the original version. The burden of a Sequence 6 summoning a Sequence 3 was rather heavy. Even if a Scholar of Yore could transfer his consciousness over and reduce the spirituality expenditure, it was impossible for Fors to keep it up for too long.

...

In the outskirts of Backlund, downstream of the Tussock River.

Leonard hid his red gloves and slowly walked towards a certain spot.

Suddenly, the slightly-aged voice of Pallez Zoroast rang out in his mind:

"How's your forr colleague been doing recently?"

Thinking back to the conversation at the Tarot Club, Leonard suppressed his voice and said, "He just avoided a trap set up by Amon's avatar. He's searching for the truth in the Forsaken Land of the Gods."

After listening to what he had to say, Pallez Zoroast didn't say another word and allowed Leonard to proceed forward.

...

After setting up the special coordinates, Fors was thrown back into the real world by Gehrman Sparrow's ssenger.

"I feel exhausted, but I just woke up not too long ago... It must be that High-Sequence Beyonder powers are too draining on my spirituality..." Fors covered her mouth and yawned. She looked at Xio with a haggard expression.

"That's possible." Xio agreed with her friend's judgnt.

Her intuition told her that the Gehrman Sparrow projection that had been summoned definitely wasn't simple. It could even be equivalent to a saint.

After so hesitation, Xio said, "Sleep a little longer. Don't attempt to advance in such a state.

"In one of my previous trials, the murderer was ntally psychotic. He would deliberately make his friends, his students, and the tramps he took in, consu potions in all sorts of negative states, watch them lose control, and mutate into all kinds of monsters—disgusting and terrifying ones."

"...What was this fellow's goal?" Fors was stunned for a second.

"Two goals. One was to observe whether the sa potion caused the sa loss of control on different people. The other was to use oil paintings to record the corresponding scenes. He believed that the madness, the pain, and the distortion had an unparalleled beauty, one that can stimulate his greatest creative passion." Xio recalled the trial from back then. She felt a sense of hatred and lingering fear. "He was a complete lunatic."

"That fellow should be executed!" Fors couldn't help but shudder when she imagined it. She bared her teeth and said, "Was he a cultist?"

"Perhaps, but there were no clues... On the surface, he appeared to be an outstanding artist, and he is very famous internationally. If it wasn't for more than five of his students and friends who had disappeared over the past few years, attracting our attention, then he might've had to wait until he completely went mad and lost control, becoming a monster, before this matter would be discovered." Xio suddenly paused for a mont before saying, "Back then, everyone in the law-enforcent team that opened his hidden basent vomited. There were all kinds of mutated and terrifying corpses, and hanging overhead were all kinds of harrowing yet charming oil paintings..."

"A hateful fellow, but it's also a very attractive story." Fors thought for a mont and pressed, "Was he a Devil?"

"No, he's a Psychiatrist." Xio rejected her friend's guess.

"...You sentenced him to death?" Fors asked in anticipation.

Xio shook her head.

"His defense lawyer convinced that he's more suited to be a Sealed Artifact researcher."

"There's a lawyer? You have lawyers at the Paranormal Court? Isn't it all a direct trial?" Fors asked in surprise.

Xio straightened her blonde hair and said, "There are so Beyonders from the Lawyer pathway among us who also need to act. Of course, they don't know that they're acting."

"Alright." Fors yawned again and pointed to the reclining chair beside the fireplace. "I'll sleep for a while. Eh, don't you have work?"

"We can take days off," Xio replied succinctly.

Fors didn't ask further as she walked to the fireplace and collapsed into it.

About two to three hours later, she woke up and Cogitated for fifteen minutes.

Following that, she found the Traveler Beyonder characteristic and the supplentary ingredients given to her by her teacher, Dorian Gray Abraham, and concocted a potion bottle.

The potion's color was white but transparent. It was like half-lted snow water, occasionally producing light-green bubbles.

Fors held the potion and glanced at her friend who was on guard by the side. She smiled and said, "If I lose control, don't hesitate. Just chop off my head.

"No, pray first. There might still be a chance to save ."

"..." Xio slowly nodded. "Maintain this state."

Fors silently exhaled. Without any hesitation, she raised the bottle and gulped it down.

In the blink of an eye, she felt her body and her eyes light up one after another. They blasted around her body and opened one illusory door after another.

Fors's consciousness couldn't help but enter one of them. Her entire body turned transparent as she vanished.

In such a chaotic state of mind, Fors nearly couldn't regain her sense of self-awareness. Thankfully, she had her fair share of being tornted recently and had a strong will. Furthermore, from ti to ti, she could feel the four special coordinates in the spirit world. Finally, she slowly ca to her senses.

After an unknown period of ti, she realized that she had already entered the depths of the spirit world. It was difficult to tell her exact location, and she couldn't find her "way" back.

With the help of the four special coordinates, Fors slowly "traversed" back to a familiar spot, leaving the saturated, stacked colors and the thin fog before walking out of the spirit world.

The four special coordinates weren't only used to help find a way back, they can also effectively maintain my self-awareness... Teacher is only a Sequence 7, so without any actual experience, it's inevitable for him to miss out on such knowledge... As Fors thought, she cast her gaze towards Xio and smiled slightly.

"I'm a Traveler."

Xio heaved a sigh of relief and asked curiously, "What new Beyonder powers did you get?"

"The main one is 'Teleportation.' Also, 'Invisible Hand.' In addition, the number of demigod-level Beyonder powers I can 'Record' has increased to four. The actual effects should be close to that of a Sequence 4..." Fors examined herself.

She then raised her hand and pulled out a tarot card from across the room, one used for divination.

It was a person with a scepter in his right hand that pointed towards the sky. His left hand pointed to the earth. In front of him were people like the holy grail, a scepter, a sword, star coins: The Magician card.

...

Every year's longest night was the birthday of the Evernight Goddess, commonly known as the Winter Gifts Day.

On this day, all Evernight believers would head to a nearby cathedral to witness the sunset of the sun. When night fell, they would participate in Mass, enjoy a holy al, listen to the hymns, and do all sorts of activities.

The year 1350 for Loen's Evernight believers was a very heavy year. The intensity of the war and the cost of items had made them lose the good mood they had. However, on Winter Gifts Day, they still ca out of their houses. This was because the Church of Evernight was going to hold a massive Mass in the various large public squares to placate the souls that had passed away.

At the sa ti, many foundations would distribute food vouchers at the Mass. People who received them could be able to obtain the corresponding items in any of the relief points or cathedrals. This led to Storm and Steam believers who didn't celebrate Winter Gifts Day to head for the nearest square.

West Borough, morial Square, where George III was blasted to death.

Dressed in a black cloak while walking her golden retriever, Susie, with a leather bag on her back, Audrey walked among the nobles looking refined. Her expression didn't seem abnormal, but she hid so pain and guilt.

She had obtained the blood of an elderly mind dragon. After concocting the Manipulator potion, she placed it in the small bag Susie was carrying.

Susie was already a Sequence 6 Hypnotist. She believed that not many people present would notice her abnormality and snatch things from her.

The blood of the elderly mind dragon ca from The Hermit Cattleya. Apparently, she had obtained it from Queen Mystic, and she had paid 3,000 pounds for it.

This was in line with her expectations, as she didn't really want to obtain the ingredients from the Psychology Alchemists. After all, her direct superior, Hvin Rambis, had only died a few months ago. To collect the items needed for an advancent, it made it inevitable for people to suspect her. As for the other mbers of the Psychology Alchemists, they had the ability and intelligence to notice this point.

Besides, after becoming a demigod, one has to co into contact with the Psychology Alchemists' councilors. According to Mr. World, there might be an angel from the mind domain hidden amongst them. I'll continue making preparations. With a suitable opportunity and excuse, I'll consider raising my position in the organization... I'll hide my strength for now... The blonde Audrey lifted the ends of her skirt slightly and slowly walked towards her predetermined spot.

Along the way, many nobles extended their hands to her in a friendly manner, hoping to help this beautiful, noble, and weak young lady through the crowd. However, these were all blocked by Earl Hall.

He got his eldest son, Hibbert, to be in charge of his youngest daughter while he held his wife's arm and walked ahead. From ti to ti, he would turn back to look at the most dazzling jewel of Backlund.

Not long after their family arrived at their destination, the Church of Evernight's Bishop of the Backlund diocese, Saint Anthony Stevens, walked up to the high platform in his black robe with red patterns.

He looked around, raised his right hand, and tapped his chest four tis in a clockwise fashion.

"Praise the Lady!"

When the believers below responded, this saint's deep voice could be heard by everyone.

"Today is the celebration of the night, but the Goddess's response is pity.

"'She' takes pity on every mother who has lost her child. 'She' takes pity on every lonely child. And 'She' takes pity on everyone who has suffered imnse pain.

"'She' said that all of this will end. All the suffering will return to silence and repose."