"W-which one is Groselle?" In the dream, Leonard looked ahead blankly.
There was a huge bonfire there, and there were more than ten grayish-blue-skinned, single-eyed giants who looked no different from each other.
To be honest, I wouldn't be able to recognize him without the ability of a Faceless... To me, without their age, hairstyle, height, scars, clothes, and maturity, giants all look the same... Klein mumbled inwardly as he looked calmly at Miss Justice, as though saying that it shouldn't stump a Spectator.
Audrey raised her hand and pointed at a giant who was gulping down alcohol. From time to time, he would shout twice to express his approval.
"That's Groselle.
"It looks like, in the traditions of the giants, clapping isn't a sign of affirmation and praise. Instead, it's a roar. The louder the roar, the higher the level of praise."
Miss Justice is acting like a folk scholar now... Thankfully, he's only shouting and not singing. If not, the noise would be worse. It's obvious that the giants here aren't adept at modulating their voices. That roar from before didn't have any rhythm to it... Klein nodded and said to Audrey, "Begin guiding him then."
As Audrey went forward as Leonard stepped back. He raised his right hand and stroked his chin.
"Tell me, in the Second Epoch, which supernatural race widely possessed the Beyonder characteristics of the Evernight pathway?"
"Isn't it the demonic wolves?" Klein glanced at Leonard, wondering if the poet had contracted the traditional disease of the Nighthawkshaving a bad memory.
"I know." Leonard maintained his original posture as he said with a strange expression, "Then how do they act as a Midnight Poet? Or should I say that the potion's name back then was called Midnight Roarer?"
"There wasn't a potion name in the beginning..." Klein's thoughts were accidentally led astray by Leonard. The scene of such fellows crouching on the ground and howling at the moon surfaced in his mind. He couldn't help but mutter, "This might be more suitable for you. There's no need to write poems, making it very easy."
The corners of Leonard's mouth twitched as he said, "There are different types of poets. I'm a singing type."
As the two idly chatted, Audrey's guidance attempt gradually pushed through. Groselle's dream began showing the Waning Forest, Barren Tunnel, the corner of the Giant King's Court, Dawn Town, and the Nation of Gold.
Groselle wasn't a subordinate of the "deities" like the Giant King, and he was only able to occasionally see these high-level existences while on duty at the Waning Forest or in particular spots of the Giant King's Court and passageway. Furthermore, he didn't dare look at "Them" head-on, receiving them while genuflecting and having his head bowed. Therefore, he wasn't able to present the images of Giant King Aurmir, Giant Queen Omebella, and the eldest son of the Giant King, God of Dawn, Badheil. They only appeared as portraits.
Similarly, Groselle knew very few secrets. His grasp of history and the situation in the world was completely incomparable to Elven Songster Siatas. However, an interesting point was that in the Giant King's Court and the giants, the "traitor" was synonymous with Soniathrym. They claimed that "His" abandoning of the alliance had resulted in the Sanguine Ancestor Lilith's death.
Klein strongly suspected that, because of his bad temper, Soniathrym, was obviously not good at such things.
The Queen of Calamity seems capable, but the problem is what "She" plots is extremely hard to hide from "Her" spouse, a true ancient god, Soniathrym... In contrast, Giant King Aurmir being the traitor makes more sense... Klein did a rough analysis as Audrey changed the direction of Guidance in an attempt to let Groselle present anything he had seen or heard beyond the Giant King's Court.
It was a pity that, shortly after the giant left the King's Court and passed through Dawn Town before arriving in the Nation of Gold, he obtained the book and entered it. He didn't know much about the styles and appearances of people from different regions.
"Currently, the most valuable piece of information is how to avoid the front entrance after entering the Giant King's Court from Afternoon Town. It's through the Waning Forest and the Barren Tunnel." Audrey ended the guidance and walked back to Klein's and Leonard's side. This is very useful for Little Sun and company's subsequent explorations."
"Yes, we can tell him at the next gathering." Klein nodded.
Just as he was about to suggest that they enter the book world's sea of collective subconscious through Groselle's dream, Audrey suddenly looked back and said in thought,
"There's one detail that's illogical."
"Which detail?" Leonard seriously recalled what he had seen and heard, but he didn't find anything suspicious.
Justice Audrey glanced at The World and said, "In the matter regarding how Giant King Aurmir's father and mother are buried in the Waning Forest, the rule that only the ancient god can enter is illogical."
Klein didn't notice that there was something wrong with that detail. But after Miss Justice mentioned it, he immediately had some ideas. He deliberated and said, "The father and mother of the Giant King are equivalent to the ancestors of the giants. Normally speaking, they should be consecrated by the entire race..."
"That's right. Regardless of the race, they'll have some level of worship towards their ancestor. The giants are no exception. From Groselle's dream, the Keepers often make sacrifices to the ancestors outside the Waning Forest." Audrey nodded in agreement. "If there aren't any other factors of influence, the Giant King should occasionally organize things and make it a point to honor their ancestors instead of making it a rule that only 'He' can enter."
"Perhaps the Waning Forest contains immense danger. Aren't the oldest giants crazy, violent, and irrational? After their death, their corpses have corrupted the environment and affected the entire forest. It's not something that can't be understood." Leonard gave his opinion.
Audrey and Klein shook their heads at the same time, denying the statement.
"If it's only danger or corruption, Giant Queen Omebella and the God of Dawn Badheil can clearly withstand that. With the help of the Giant King, there are almost no problems. Yet 'They' are also forbidden from entering the Waning Forest, even with the ancient god by 'Their' side." Klein simply explained his thoughts and guesses. "Perhaps what's buried inside isn't Giant King Aurmir's parents; there might be some other secret."
"That's more likely the case." Audrey nodded seriously.
She wore a silver mask, and her green eyes darted around slightly, faintly revealing a hint of curiosity.
"If that's the case, what would a secret that can't be known to 'His' wife, child, subsidiary gods, or fellow members of the same race be? That's quite interesting..." Leonard smiled as he allowed his thoughts to wander.
After another round of discussion, the three of them made use of the time to enter the Giant King's Court through the Barren Tunnel and enter the place that was frozen amidst the
sunset.
According to Klein's experience, this was actually the path to the borders of Groselle's dream.
This time, there was no need for him to activate Creeping Hunger and use the strength of a Zombie to open the heavy door to the giant guards' quarters. Audrey directly influenced the dream and made the door flutter open like a piece of paper. Due to the Unshadowed Crucifix, Klein was unable to wear the human-skinned glove.
Outside the door was a hazy world. There was no longer the scene of the Giant King's Court ahead of them, but a cliff.
After a brief exchange of the various situations that could occur in the sea of collective subconscious, Audrey made a staircase appear on the edge of the cliff.
The staircase spun around, sinking deep into the dark, hazy, silent, and bottomless mind world.
The three of them didn't delay as they stepped onto the staircase and walked down.
In this lonely environment that could drive one crazy, Audrey used Placate a few times every time they traveled a certain distance.
This wasn't only to Placate Klein, Leonard, and herself, but it was also to Placate the grayish-white cliff-Groselle's subconscious. It was to prevent him from causing a stir that would contaminate their Astral Projection and Body of Heart and Mind.
The countless rotting giant palms that Klein "encountered" the last time didn't appear. Even the most unbearable feelings of loneliness, silence, and being infinite didn't feel that terrifying thanks to being able to speak to each other.
"This is the mind world. The domain of consciousness is indeed different from the others." Leonard looked around as though he wanted to use a few poems to express his feelings, but he eventually chose to give up.
If it were any other mission elsewhere, Klein might've asked his dear poet to remain quiet, but here, he felt that it was good for him to say something-anything.
Audrey didn't reject the exchange as she said seriously, "That's the essence of the environment that we can sense. The cliffs, precipices, and the hazy world are a reflection of our subconscious. If it were another race, it might not be like that..."
"...I now find psychology rather interesting," Leonard said with interest after hearing that.
Klein glanced at him and resisted the urge to say that, with his personality and habits, he really wasn't suited to the Spectator pathway.
In this exchange, the three of them lost track of time until they finally stepped onto the solid but hazy ground.
Looking upwards, they could see the undulating shadows. They overlapped and formed an illusory sea.
Klein, Leonard, and Audrey were about to walk forward when a "water spout" suddenly surged over. A rather blurry figure stood up from within.
It was a grayish-blue giant that was six-to seven-meters tall. His chest was covered with dragon scales, and there were all sorts of indescribable patterns, symbols, and labels that went beyond what one would consider a normal language.
His single vertical eye was filled with blood vessels as it emitted a violent aura that couldn't be concealed. It had obvious hints of destruction in it as it gnawed on a bloody human leg.
This was a demigod-level giant!
He was a projection left in the sea of collective subconscious. Perhaps it was an actual encounter with a human or some other race's ancestor; or perhaps it was something Groselle and the other giants had heard about.
The moment he appeared, the madness spread towards Klein and company like a plague that could infect them.
This was a world that directly came into contact with one's mind and consciousness!
-x-X-x-
The leg-gnawing giant, whose vertical eye was filled with blood-red threads, wasn't actually real. He was, in essence, a strong emotion produced by a particular living creature.
The emotions that originated from having a deep impression had entered the subconscious. It spread from one's island of consciousness to the surrounding illusory "sea," before slowly settling and forming a mark. It wasn't possible for all of its emotions and consciousness to ultimately settle dowoi as the foundation. Most of them would be washed away with time by the "seawater." Only extremely intense and repeated experiences would remain.
And once it formed a mark, it would be a drop of water in the sea of collective subconscious which would then affect living creatures of the same species in its surroundings. It would be a shared, ancient "memory" carved into one's pulse.
Therefore, not only was the phantom image of the giant blurry, but it also had many mistakes caused by the subjective aspects of the mind. Normally, it wouldn't result in Leonard and Audrey being unable to look straight at it, confusing their spirituality and breaking down their minds. However, the madness that came with it—an extreme sense of horror that stemmed from an unknown person—seemed all so real. It could contaminate every living creature's Body of Heart and Mind, Astral Projection, and even Soul Body!
This was the essence of the danger in the sea of collective subconscious. It didn't stem from the strength, level, and status itself, but from the emotions and feelings that were generated and imprinted there.
Of course, if one were to encounter a "mark" left behind by a high-level creature or deity, they could directly see some type or multiple types of Mythical Creature forms. However, the result was definitely nothing rosy. One would either have a mental breakdown or go crazy. Otherwise, they would be completely contaminated by the deity or high-level creature's emotions and feelings—their outcome would ultimately be completely unpredictable.
All in all, in this sea of collective subconscious, the style of combat was different from the outside world. Sometimes, the more anxious one was at trying to destroy the illusory figure, the more likely one would be contaminated by their stirring emotions.
It was precisely because of this that when Klein saw the 7-8-meter tall, grayish-blue giant rush over, he immediately took the initiative to control his emotions.
Then, he used "Illusion Creation."
The target of "Illusion Creation" was Leonard and Audrey.
In the eyes of these two Sequence 5 Beyonders, those 2-3-story-tall giants no longer had the madness and violence that left one trembling from one's heart. Everything seemed normal and ordinary.
Therefore, before those extreme feelings could truly contaminate them, Leonard and Audrey remained very calm, without showing any emotional fluctuations.
Then, with one hand in his pocket, Leonard reached out with his right hand and slightly opened his mouth.
Having become a Spirit Warlock, he originally wanted to use the first spirit—a Terror Banshee—that he sealed in his tooth with the help of the archbishop. It was a powerful spirit world creature with a beautiful face and rotting body. It had a pair of huge eagle wings and was good at draining the consciousness of others, injecting feelings of terror in them. However, he quickly remembered that not only was he in an Astral Projection form, but he had also been cleansed by the gray fog. How could there be other spirits still "on him."
He had no choice but to use a Soul Assurer's powers, turning his green eyes deep and quiet.
The giant shadow instantly slowed down as if it was soothed.
At this moment, Audrey calmly spread her arms wide and used Placate.
An invisible wind blew past, and the giant figure seemed to pause as it instantly weakened the contamination around it.
During this process, Klein took out the bronze cross that had many sharp spikes. As he opened the bottle containing his blood, he poured a few drops onto it and solemnly said, "Light!"
Brilliant, pure, and flawless light burst out, and amidst Klein's fluttering black trench coat, the giant phantom was drowned by the light.
The grayish-blue giant melted away almost immediately.
One of the main powers of the Unshadowed Crucifix was to cleanse and purify lingering spiritual imprints!
This was the reason why Klein brought this Sealed Artifact along.
And when he used the cross from the ancient sun god, Klein dispelled the illusion, allowing The Star Leonard and Justice Audrey to "see" the true appearance of the giant to enrich their experiences in such matters.
Although it didn't even take a second before the giant phantom was drowned by the endless light, Audrey and Leonard still felt dizzy. M irresistible sense of fear surged from deep within their hearts, and they almost broke down.
This state didn't last too long, as Audrey instinctively used Placate to calm her emotions before treating Mr. Star and Mr. World's psychological problems one by one.
"How scary...Is this a giant at the demigod level?" When the light dissipated, Audrey looked around and sighed.
In that instant, she had a deeper understanding of the sentence:
"Do not look directly at God!"
Even at the saint level, the remnant impression a demigod leaves behind in a memory can't be "seen" directly, let alone a real deity?
Leonard was also experienced. He laughed self-deprecatingly and said, "Sequence 4 is indeed a qualitative change in life's natural order. However, that wasn't very scary. It wasn't as intense as when I was facing a pregnant woman."
Is the essence of a poet to boast? At that time, you could still control yourself, but you were almost on the verge of breaking down just now... However, if Megose gave birth to that child, we would probably lose control and turn into monsters just by looking at her... As Klein lampooned Leonard, it stirred up some memories as he sighed poignantly.
"Was that pregnant lady a demigod?" Audrey asked curiously.
"No." Leonard shook his head. "But she was pregnant with an evil god's spawn."
Is that so... Audrey didn't ask further. She knew very well that the adventure and exploration hadn't ended, and that wasting time wasn't an option.
She then looked at Gehrman Sparrow, who was wearing a black trench coat and holding a bronze cross and small metal bottle, and said with a smile, "Thank you for affecting our senses.
"Uh, where should we go next?"
As an experienced Spectator, it wasn't difficult to determine the fact that she had received Mr. World's help from making a comparison.
Klein controlled himself from subconsciously furrowing his brows, and he looked around.
"Doesn't this sea of collective subconscious have a core region to it?"
"No." Audrey shook her head seriously. "Wherever there are living beings, there's a sea of subconscious. There's no such thing as someone who's more important and lofty. This illusory sea won't really stir, and the situations within the different areas will depend on their actual surroundings. We call it a 'precipitating effect.' To put it simply, the sea of collective subconscious of Loen will be quite different from Intis, because it precipitates the strong emotions and feelings of generations of Loenese. In contrast, this will also affect the citizens of both countries, making them have different qualities and personalities to a certain extent..."
After explaining this a little, Audrey concluded:
"If that's the case, how can there be a general consensus of a core within the sea of collective subconscious?"
Klein nodded and asked thoughtfully, "In other words, you can't give any effective suggestions on where to go?"
Mr. World is so direct... If it were another lady or gentleman with a more fragile heart, they would definitely be embarrassed and feel hurt... As the thought flashed through her mind, Audrey saw The World's pair of deep, brown eyes which were nearly black in color. They were in no way crazy or cold. Instead, they were calm and tranquil.
This... Audrey instantly came to a realization. She realized that Mr. World was doing such things on purpose so that she could experience the various problems within the details of a joint operation, allowing her to gain more experience.
Yes." She nodded frankly, not feeling embarrassed at all.
Klein secretly nodded and looked at The Star Leonard.
"Don't look at me. My expertise isn't in this strange sea of collective subconscious." Leonard immediately waved his hands.
Compared to Miss Justice, having participated in countless operations, he knew that he shouldn't force it when he shouldn't.
"Then follow me." Klein looked away and moved the Unshadowed Crucifix which had turned bronze again to the hand holding the metal bottle, and he took out a gold coin.
Ding!
As the gold coin tumbled, he grabbed it without looking at the results. He looked in a direction and widened his stride. This is a divination technique... Audrey was enlightened.
She looked at The World's serious and calm side profile, black trench coat, silk top hat, and bronze cross. For some reason, she felt like the other party was a preacher.
Leonard suddenly recalled something from the past.
It was the first case he had worked with Klein—to find a kidnapped child. At that time, it was also a way for Klein to lead the way through divination. He had been beside him the entire time.
Compared to his awkwardness before, it seems as if he had entered the mysterious world for more than ten years now... Sigh, it's only been over a year... Leonard placed his hands in his pockets as he followed closely behind Klein.
Audrey glanced at him and felt the change in his mood.
Mr. Star and Mr. World not only know each other in real life, but they were probably rather close friends. Yes, they have at least met frequently in the past one to two years... As she made the judgment, she didn't slow down her steps. Combining what she had learned, she observed the surroundings and identified which spots might hide "maelstroms" and "dangerous creatures."
With her help, Klein's lead went very smoothly. It was nothing like how they had directly encountered a mark like the giant phantom.
Occasionally, they would walk straight and turn at other times. After some time, the area before the trio suddenly opened up.
In front of them was a huge crater in the deep sea. In the middle of the pit was an island-sized city.
The foundation of the city was grayish-white in color, and on it were several hundred-meter tall magnificent stone columns. They either stood there on their own, or they held up majestic ancient palaces together. They were bizarre and magnificent, unlike something built by ordinary creatures.
Although Audrey didn't know the city, an idea instantly appeared in her mind:
City of Miracles, Liveseyd...
-x-X-x-
Liveseyd was a floating city that the Dragon of Imagination Ankewelt "imagined" out of thin air. No matter what, it was a miracle, a divine miracle.
It was even more magnificent than the Giant King's Court—more rugged and unique. Every stone pillar was nearly 100 meters tall, like a throne for the dragon to rest on. It was a city that left a deep, unforgettable impression just from hearing about it.
Therefore, although Audrey had never actually seen the City of Miracles, she instantly made connections from witnessing the scene. Of course, one of the main reasons for knowing that was because she knew that Groselle's Travels came from the Dragon of Imagination, Ankewelt.
As for Klein, as he had once divined the origins of Groselle's Travels and had seen the real City of Miracles, the Floating City, and now, he was sure that the island-sized city in the middle of the deep-sea crater was identical to Liveseyd. All it lacked were the dragons that flew in every direction!
Is this real, or is it a clone? Or is it a gathering of some special creature's subconscious in the book world? Klein was slightly surprised as he quickly analyzed the situation.
According to his divination results and the contents of the dream from Giant Guardian Groselle and Elven Songster Siatas, he was certain that, when Groselle's Travels was created, the City of Miracles Liveseyd still existed. When it reached the Giant King's Court, the City of Miracles Liveseyd still existed. When Groselle began his adventure and when Siatas was sucked into the book world, Liveseyd still existed. If the City of Miracles Liveseyd were to vanish, the various supernatural races wouldn't have any reaction.
In other words, these facts were undeniable proof that the city in the middle of the deep-sea crater was unlikely to be Liveseyd.
But very quickly, Klein remembered something.
That was the answer that Arrodes had once given him:
"...certain that it first appeared among the dragons, after the disappearance of the City of Miracles, Liveseyd."
This is interesting... What did the magic mirror rely on to confirm that Groselle's Travels was the first to appear and to believe that it was after the disappearance of the City of Miracles Liveseyd? It wasn't even able to see matters related to Zaratul, so how could it pry into the origins of an ancient god's possession? I originally used this conclusion to infer and consider things, but this point was completely overturned by my divination. I never expected... Klein observed the tall stone columns and magnificent city as many thoughts ran through his mind.
Suddenly, he grasped onto an idea:
The last owner of Groselle's Travel was Vice Admiral Iceberg Edwina, a member of the Church of Knowledge. They believe in the God of Knowledge and Wisdom; @@novelbin@@
The God of Knowledge and Wisdom can almost be confirmed to be one of the Kings of Angels who served the ancient sun god, the Angel of Wisdom;
And from the Church's history and the history of the Third Epoch, it's reasonable to suspect that the Angel of Wisdom is most likely the Dragon of Wisdom, Herabergen!
This was the Dragon of Imagination Ankewelt's subsidiary god, a high-level member of the dragons!
This... The appearance of Groselle's Travels after the disappearance of the City of Miracles was thanks to the God of Knowledge and Wisdom passing it around through a certain method, which had convinced the magic mirror? If "He" really is a Dragon of Wisdom, it means that "He" was directly involved, and "His" level was already very high back then. "His" understanding of this matter definitely trumps the Groselle and Siatas... But how do I explain the scene I divined above the gray fog? Just recalling it now makes my head ache. What I saw was definitely the ancient god, Dragon of Imagination, "Himself... Klein cheered up when he managed to string up all these matters together, but he also fell into a state of puzzlement.
He tossed the gold coin continuously and quickly came up with some theories.
Since the City of Miracles, Liveseyd, was "imagined," couldn't it just be "imagined" again after it disappeared?
The original Liveseyd was stuffed into the book by the Dragon King Ankewelt. Then, the one that subsequently existed was one "He" "imagined" again?
This could fool all the dragons, but not the one that was known for being intelligent?
If this were true, then there were actually two instances of the City of Miracles, Liveseyd. The one here is the oldest one...
But here comes the question. Why didn't the Dragon of Wisdom enter the book "Himself1? Even if "He" wasn't a Spectator, with "His" title of being omniscient and omnipotent, "He" should have enough powers to perform a deeper exploration...
"He" has actually been here a long time ago, but didn't alert any living beings in the book. Also, because of certain motives, "He" left this City of Miracles here?
As thoughts surfaced in Klein's mind, The Star Leonard, who had both hands in his pockets, looked at him and then at Miss Justice, who had also been looking down in silence for a long time. He took the initiative to speak and break the silence:
"This city is grand and magnificent. It clearly doesn't belong to humans or humanoid creatures, but there's no need to stare at it for so long. You're not an architect after all."
Klein gathered his thoughts and glanced at Leonard.
"This might very well be Dragon of Imagination Ankewelt's City of Miracles, Liveseyd. In a sense, it's the divine kingdom of an ancient god."
Of course, if there was really another Liveseyd, the nature of the divine kingdom here didn't hold much importance. "Divine kingdom..." Leonard's pupils dilated as he repeated the keyword.
Audrey regained her senses and whispered, "Is it really Liveseyd?"
"It's only possible." Klein had already calmed down and replied simply, "It's not floating in the air like the legends, but has sunken to the bottom of the sea of collective subconscious, so it's hard to tell if it's real or fake."
At this moment, Leonard finally managed to control himself. He looked at the magnificent city in the deep-sea crater again and smiled self-deprecatingly.
"I didn't expect the day when I'll come to the divine kingdom of an ancient god..."
Frankly, if Miss Justice wasn't here, he wouldn't have been able to help but marvel at how "rich" Klein's life was.
Ever since he reunited with his former teammate, not only did he meet the two sons of god—Kings of Angels—he had also entered the mysterious book world and found a city suspected to be a divine kingdom.
This was many times more interesting than what he had experienced in the past year. The level of such matters was many times higher!
Of course, it was a lot more dangerous.
Having said that, he looked up at the floating "seawater phantoms" and asked thoughtfully, "How do you know if the sea of collective subconscious is real or if it's imagined?"
This was a continuation of the problem of determining Liveseyd's authenticity.
Audrey thought for a while and said with uncertainty, "There's no way to tell the difference, or rather, the sea of collective subconscious here is also real.
"In essence, collective subconscious is the accumulation and settling of strong emotions and feelings. Although the people in this world may be imaginary, their experiences, feelings, joy, anger, sadness, pain, and happiness, they all truly happened before..."
As she spoke, Audrey stopped as she vaguely realized something, but she was unable to say it out loud.
At this moment, Klein suddenly said, "The objects that 'He' can imagine will be conjured. The kingdom 'He' dreams of will surely descend upon the physical world..."
As his voice echoed, Klein put away the gold coin in his hand and jumped into the deep-sea crater, his black trench coat flaring up as a result.
The future that 'He' declares will definitely be carried out, becoming reality..."
As his figure glided down, the following words came out.
Audrey's green eyes were dazed at first before they lit up. Then, she "jumped" towards the City of Miracles.
"Aren't you going to divine the level of danger? This might be the divine kingdom of an ancient god!" Leonard looked at the two of them in surprise and blurted out.
In the education he received, this wasn't in line with the standard operating procedures.
When did you get the wrong impression that I didn't divine it? You just didn't notice my tiny actions. I just put away the gold coin... Also, I didn't get any warnings from my intuition for danger... Furthermore, if my theory is right, then the Dragon of Wisdom Herabergen should've entered this place before...If there's any form of danger that w head, it would've long been finished off by "Him"... If Miss Justice wasn't here, I'd really wish to berate you... As Klein silently lampooned, he adjusted his direction and speed, passing through a few thick stone columns that stood nearly a hundred meters tall. He descended one level after another before stepping onto the grayish-white ground.
He was in a Spirit Body state now and could fly if he wanted to.
About two to three seconds later, the silver-masked Justice Audrey landed beside him.
Audrey looked up, and after reeling from a few seconds of shock due to the grandeur of the stone columns and palace, she said, "Looking from the inside and looking from a distance feels completely different...
"Perhaps, this is how a rat truly feels in Backlund..."
As she spoke, Leonard also glided over and looked sideways at Klein.
It wasn't that he didn't believe in Klein, nor was he unaware of how cautious he was. He just needed to clarify such matters in a joint operation, because there was the possibility of teammates being unknowingly corrupted, turning reckless.
This was a conclusion the Nighthawks gleaned from their experience of repeated sacrifices.
"Currently, the indications don't point to much danger," Klein said truthfully.
Leonard no longer looked around and said, "The City of Miracles is really big...
"I mean that, for such a big city, even if we can fly, we won't be able to completely explore it without spending a few days here. Or perhaps, do you have a destination in mind?"
The second half of his sentence was said while looking at Klein.
Klein nodded and pointed to a huge palace that was more than 200 meters tall.
"There.
"If I remember correctly, that is the Dragon of Imagination Ankewelt's residence."
This was what he saw in the dream divination.
Seeing that Klein already had a plan, as if he had received Mr. Fool's guidance, Leonard felt relieved. He looked at the grayish-white foundation on his feet and said, "Is this a divine kingdom?
"I don't feel anything."
At this moment, Audrey, who was observing the surroundings carefully, said with uncertainty, "All the abnormalities here seem to be gathering towards that palace."
She was referring to the place that Klein had pointed out to be the ancient god's residence.
-x-X-x-
In front of the grayish-white grand palace that was more than 200 meters tall, there were a few thick stone columns that were slightly shorter than it was, as though they were a squadron of soldiers standing at attention there.
Klein could imagine that, when the City of Miracles, Liveseyd, was still floating in mid-air, these stone columns would definitely have powerful dragons crouching on them.
These were the servants of the ancient god.
He then looked up at the open door and said to Leonard and Audrey, "Stay close to me. Once an accident happens, I'll immediately take you out of the book world and return directly above the gray fog."
This was the main reason why Klein dared to explore the area.
"Okay." Audrey and Leonard didn't try putting on a brave front as they walked to Klein's side and walked alongside him. @@novelbin@@
Relying on their Spirit Bodies' flight ability, the trio passed the stairs and entered the palace through the exaggerated and magnificent door.
The first thing they saw was a wide space that was enough for multiple dragons to roll around freely, as well as an ancient stone pillars that seemed to prop up the sky.
On the two sides of the hall, there were colorful and beautiful murals. They kept extending forward and intertwining themselves with a huge pillar that was multiple arm spans wide.
The giant pillar was in the deepest recesses of the hall right ahead of them. Without relying on anything else, just the pillar alone was enough to make people feel a strong sense of fear and make them experience the vicissitudes of time. It was like a fossilized deity.
Almost instantly, a grayish-white figure appeared on the pillar.
The figure was covered in scales, and every scale resembled a sturdy stone slab. Just the faint outline of the figure made it seem epic.
Dragon of Imagination, Ankewelt! Just as this thought flashed through Klein's mind, he heard an oddly familiar voice echoing in the spacious hall:
"Dragon of Imagination, Ankewelt!"
As Klein looked around in astonishment, he heard Leonard sigh emotionally.
"The deep air listen'd round 'Him' as 'He' rode, "And all the low wind hardly breathed for fear[l]...
...This fellow still has the mood to recite poetry, I wonder whose poem he's reciting... Klein turned to look at Leonard. Then, he heard an echo:
"This fellow still has the mood to recite poetry, I wonder whose poem he's reciting..."
At this moment, Leonard's expression was one of shock. He shut his mouth tightly and shook his head in denial.
But the next second, a voice sounded beside him:
"I didn't recite anything!"
"What's going on? Strange..." At the same moment Klein had this thought, he realized that the strangely familiar voice belonged to him.
As it echoed again, repeating the thoughts that flashed through Klein's mind.
Then, Audrey's gentle and mumbling voice sounded:
"This... This hall is able to let our thoughts present themselves in our surroundings, and is even able to conjure them? Hmm...When I saw that huge pillar just now, I was imagining what the Dragon of Imagination Ankewelt looked like. It was based on the blueprint of the mind dragon I saw before...
"Why is whatever I'm saying—No, indeed, the 'hall' articulates it..."
So that's the case. Luckily, I didn't think of anything strange just now. Yes, rein in my thoughts, rein in my thoughts... Klein began to use Cogitation to focus his mind and not let his imagination run wild.
At the same time, the corresponding words echoed around him almost in sync:
"...rein in my thoughts, rein in my thoughts..."
"So that's what Mr. World's inner world is like. He's like a child who just started school, constantly emphasizing matters that he needs to take attention of. Also, the image for his Cogitation is actually layers of spherical lights. It's so beautiful. No, no, I'm not thinking of this! I'm not describing you like this. Mr_ World, I_m serious「^ thoughts kept appearing as she finally couldn't help but curl her lips.
As for Leonard, the voices around him were already echoing with "Hahaha."
"These two fellows... No, why am I using 'fellow'? Be polite, be more polite..." As Klein listened to his thoughts, he sighed helplessly. "This place is very suitable for playing 'Truth or Dare.' Perhaps it should be called 'the Hall of Truth...."
"What game is that?" Audrey didn't need to open her mouth to express her doubts.
"It was probably invented by Emperor Roselle... I have to be careful not to think about things I shouldn't think about. Seriously, it's too difficult to rein in random thoughts without the use of Cogitation..." As Klein replied, he habitually warned himself, only to have the hall ruthlessly betray him again.
This time, Audrey laughed and said, "Haha, Mr. World actually has such a side to him. I actually failed to read it in the past..."
"Hahaha, to think you're experiencing such a day, Klein. No, what did I say..." Leonard suddenly raised his right hand and covered his mouth.
Unsurprisingly, he heard Miss Justice's "question":
"Klein?"
And a certain someone's complaint:
"Perhaps only turning them into marionettes can stop these fellows from having wild thoughts. Wait, what was I thinking? Phew, calm down, calm down..."
Klein took a deep breath and began to focus his attention on the matter itself.
"Let's take a look at what the murals describe. In ancient times, murals were very important methods for recording memories. They often contain plenty of information..."
At the same time he made the suggestion, he heard Audrey's inner thoughts laugh and think:
"Klein—is this Mr. World's real name? No, no—Don't think too much about it. Mr. World will be angry. No, I think it's more likely for him to feel embarrassed. No, no—this is all Lie's fault. Mr. World, please believe me! Phew, calm down. Calm down! Focus. Focus!"
Using the Spectator pathway's ability to control her emotions and thoughts, Audrey gradually reined in her thoughts and cast her gaze on the mural on the right.
Compared to them, Leonard's ability to control his mind was slightly weaker. There were still plenty of random thoughts resounding around him.
"Turning into marionettes... Is this fellow that dangerous now? Tsk tsk, so this is what's truly on your mind. Haha, Miss Justice's reaction is very interesting... I haven't seen that fellow in such an embarrassing situation in a long time..."
When Klein and Audrey began seriously looking at the murals and were exchanging their thoughts through the stirrings in their hearts, only then did Leonard gradually calm his thoughts and focus his attention.
The mural on the right depicted historic developments. There was a scene of human construction, scenes of snow- covered plains, war and migration, various nations and cities, as well as towers and fruits that represented zero communication barriers...
It was obvious that these murals started from the entrance and ended at the Dragon of Imagination's throne.
Towards the end, Klein suddenly noticed a familiar figure.
It was a gigantic dragon with bluish-blue eyes and ice-crystal scales.
It was the King of the North, Ulyssan!
"This... The book world's development is based on these murals?" As Klein's thoughts were exposed, he quickly looked back and found many blurry-faced adventurers hunting the frost dragon before opening a door to leave. The snow and ice melted before flourishing cities like Pessote appeared. They then discovered the weather turning cold, implying an end in which a new story was about to unfold.
"The contents of the murals will become reality in this book world?" Audrey couldn't help but have such a thought.
"This wall, this mural looks very ordinary. It's not even as good as the works of street artists... As expected of the Dragon of Imagination's residence. Is this the power and authority of an ancient god...?" Leonard similarly had poignant thoughts.
"It's possible." Before Klein could give a more tactful reply, he heard his own voice. "Let's look at the murals on the other side before putting everything together for analysis."
Leonard and Audrey didn't object and followed him to the other side.
During this process, they realized that even their Spirit Bodies couldn't fly in the palace.
As the murals were huge, it didn't take much walking before the three of them could see the corresponding content. The first mural near the entrance made Klein's pupils suddenly dilate.
In the mural, a giant with blurry looks, grayish-blue skin, and a single vertical was holding a hard-covered book in his hand!
"This..." Klein heard his own shocked and hesitant voice.
In the subsequent murals, the common highlight was the goatskin binding. There was a dark brown-covered book: it was obtained by the elves; the words on its surface changed; it was being put into a collection; It was obtained by different people, and it kept exchanging hands until it flew above the clouds and came to the cosmos where it landed on a gigantic claw.
In the next mural, the book seemed to have nothing to do with the scenes in front. It suddenly appeared over the surface of the sea and stayed inside a blurry ship.
In the penultimate mural, it was taken away by a man wearing a top hat before he left that ship.
The next mural was located behind the gigantic pillar suspected to be Dragon of Imagination Ankewelt's throne. It depicted that the book from before met a classic quill.
At this point, all the murals came to an end.
"0-08!" Leonard's shocked voice echoed in the hall.
"The Dragon of Imagination wants to create a set with the book and quill? What will happen? When dealing with Ince Zangwill, this scene almost appeared... But ultimately, it didn't happen because the book landed in my hands... before I sacrificed it to Mr. Fool. Otherwise, Adam was already prepared against it and deliberately provided some help?
"Oh right, previously while inside Groselle's Travels, the moment the ascetic mentioned the Angel of Imagination Adam, the frost dragon attacked the camp ... It was because the book itself didn't allow him to finish his sentence, or had Adam heard his thoughts which became a connection for 'Him' to see and cast his gaze over, stirring up a certain reaction?" Klein's thoughts wandered before sounding it out loud.
During this process, he could only control himself to treat The Fool as another existence.
At the same time as he "spoke," Audrey's thoughts appeared:
"The contents on this mural will become reality in the physical world?"
[1] Adapted from Tennyson's Godiva.
-x-X-x-
"The contents on this mural will become reality in the physical world..." @@novelbin@@
Be it Klein or Leonard, they couldn't help but repeat Miss Justice's words in their hearts.
If the murals on the other side determined the history of the book world, then it was only considered rather amazing. However, the discovery on this side would be enough to shake everyone's hearts and bring about a huge upheaval throughout their bodies.
The pictures you depicted would definitely show up on stage in the real world, not in an illusory world. This was the performance of a deity!
"It's not that exaggerated, right..." After Leonard repeated the statement, he whispered in a low voice, finding it hard to accept.
Klein, on the other hand, started his analysis out of habit.
"Even if 0-08 can only affect a big city, making it difficult for it to exceed this range, a Sequence 1 Author of the Spectator pathway should be similar... And the Visionary's Uniqueness has been confirmed to be in Adam's hands... Then what does this City of Miracles rely on to guarantee that the contents on this mural will become a reality?
"The divine power of the Dragon of Imagination from back then? When this book was formed, the contents of the murals had already been branded into the sea of collective subconscious, sinking right inside and spreading its infection in every direction, so as to drive generation after generation to accomplish this without realizing it?
"If this is true, then the possibility of making another mural become a reality would definitely be nil, as the Dragon of Imagination has already perished, and there's no way to provide any more divine power...
"But we can give it a try. If the contents of the new mural really happens in the physical world, it means that this City of Miracles really is Liveseyd, and it contains a huge secret. It also implies that matters regarding the Spectator pathway goes deeper than what I had imagined."
"Author? There's a potion name like that?" Hearing Klein's thoughts, Leonard couldn't help but mutter.
Compared to how the name "Dragon of Imagination" could be stretched to make an inference to the name "Visionary," the potion name of "Author" was more eye-catching. It made one's imagination run wild. It felt more like walking from reality and into the realm of fantasy.
Audrey, who had long known the name of the High-Sequence potions of the Spectator pathway, suddenly had another thought:
"Uniqueness... Mr. World actually managed to link up and analyze so many things in an instant. Impressive! Uh, did I praise him too directly? Mr. World has heard it all... This hall is really hard to adapt to... No, Mr. World, I really am praising you, I really mean it!"
Audrey felt a little ashamed at first, but then she quickly adjusted her state of mind, trying her best to keep calm.
"...As expected of a Psychiatrist. She adjusted herself really quickly..." A thought came to Klein's mind.
"As expected, Mr. World isn't as cold as he looks. He's the type of person who will inwardly mutter to himself-Uh... I didn't say anything!" Just as Audrey instinctively thought of something, she immediately denied it.
The same voice echoed around Leonard:
"Klein's Gehrman Sparrow disguise isn't bad. Almost everyone who knows him believes that he's cold and crazy. Hehe, who would've thought..."
Just as Leonard's thoughts were about to wander, a voice interrupted him.
"Shut up!"
Looking at the way Gehrman Sparrow was dressed, he spread out his hands, and held back his laughter as he said, "Look, that isn't cold enough, right?"
"Cold? Then I'll directly press the Unshadowed Crucifix against your head! If you don't want your Beyonder characteristic, donate it to the people who need it!" Without being able to use Cogitation to control his thoughts, Klein instinctively retorted.
"..." Audrey looked at Mr. World and then at Mr. Star, and her heart skipped a beat. "So they have so much drama in their hearts... I could only tell that was the case for Mr. Star, but I failed to read what's under The World's poker face. Uh... Jiant, Boss, Minnie..."
At crucial moments like this, the experienced Audrey forcibly manipulated her thoughts to begin reciting names so as to stop her thoughts from wandering off.
"Who are they?" Leonard's attention was diverted.
"They're the hounds and horses my family rears," Audrey replied politely.
"A hound costs 450 pounds..." Klein suddenly recalled Butler Walter's suggestion of buying a batch of hunting dogs when he purchased Maygur Manor.
"Why is the first thing on Mr. World's mind the price...?" This question floated into Audrey's mind.
Leonard pursed his lips. Even though he didn't say a word, he answered, "Isn't this normal? This fellow has always been a little picky about this, I remember..."
Before he could "finish," Klein coughed lightly and said, "We'll continue exploring the other areas, and when we have time, we'll perform experiments on the murals.
"Sigh, this hall really complicates matters very easily. The main point is that everyone's privacy is brought to the forefront if we aren't focused..."
Upon hearing the last sentence of his complaint, Audrey and Leonard couldn't help but laugh out loud-but not by their own will.
Seeing that Mr. World clearly didn't want the situation to develop into chaos again, Audrey raised her head, looked up at the ceiling, and focused her attention and got down to business.
"The mural on the right side controls the book world, and the left seems to affect reality... What if you draw the mural on the ceiling? What would happen?"
Klein immediately made a connection.
"The Dragon of Imagination's authority contains at least three aspects: An 'envisioned' kingdom will descend upon the physical world, a declared future that will happen in the real world, and 'imagined' objects that will be conjured... The first point corresponds to the right mural, and the second point corresponds to our guesses on the left mural. Then, could the blank spot on the palace's ceiling be related to the third authority?"
"As long as you draw an object you imagined onto the ceiling, it will be conjured and be usable?" Audrey easily understood what The World meant.
"Then what if I were to draw a Dragon of Imagination?" Leonard "suggested."
Klein glanced at him again.
"First of all, you would've had to have seen the Dragon of Imagination without completely breaking down and losing control. Secondly, you need to restore the main details of 'His' body. Finally, you have to know how to draw."
"...I might not know how to now, but it doesn't mean that I can't in the future. I can hire a home tutor to teach me," Leonard "grumbled" in reply. "And what does 'the main details' refer to? 'His' body structure, or the symbols and labels depicted from godhood?"
At this moment, Audrey pursed her lips and "said" with a brisk tone, controlling herself so as to not burst out laughing, "I can draw."
This was the basic skill for a noble lady, and Audrey was quite talented in this aspect.
"Yeah, we can try it in the future when there's time." Klein nodded and walked towards the giant pillar right in front of the main hall.
His plan for this expedition was to first gain a complete understanding of the situation before considering how to venture deeper.
At the same time, he thought of something else because of Leonard's question:
"The symbols and labels from godhood... These contain plenty of mixed knowledge. It can even let people learn the corresponding potion formulas and Beyonder powers after surviving the impact from witnessing it directly... Then, before the first Blasphemy Slate appeared, what would one obtain if they survived directly looking at a demigod or even an ancient god? There were no such things as potion formulas back then...
"Is it only through using a magic potion to advance one's Mythical Creature form step by step that the godhood aspect is able to contain this portion of knowledge? Or perhaps, after the potion formula appears, Mythical Creatures who used any method of advancement had the corresponding knowledge forged within them?
"If it's because of the two reasons I came up with, it means that the knowledge of godhood can change, and it can increase... Do angels of the Marauder pathway have the ability to alter such knowledge or even delete them directly?"
"Mr. World's considerations are so deep and profound. They involve very high levels..." Audrey couldn't help but "sigh."
Leonard couldn't control the voice in his heart either.
"There's such a thing? I should ask Old Man when I return...
"This fellow sure knows a lot... It's not entirely a pretense when he's acting as Gehrman Sparrow. At least this sense of profoundness seems to belong to him..."
"Thank you for your praise. Stop!" With a small blood bottle in one hand and the Unshadowed Crucifix in the other, Klein forced himself to rein in his thoughts and cast his gaze at the ancient god's "throne."
They were in their Spirit Body forms now. Although they were unable to fly due to the restrictions from the main hall, their top speed was still much faster than their human form.
It was only then that Klein realized that, behind the pillar that looked like the Dragon of Imagination's throne, there was a dark tunnel.
"I can't see anything. If only there was light..." A thought subconsciously flashed through Audrey's mind.
Then, in that tunnel, a pure and soft light shone out, illuminating the inside of the tunnel completely.
Without needing to enter, Klein, Leonard, and Audrey saw a pair of double bronze doors at the deepest end of the tunnel.
There were countless indescribable symbols covering the door, like countless chains that extended behind them, as if they were sealing something. It gave off a heavy and mysterious feeling.
In the City of Miracles of the dragons, in the residence of an ancient god, there was apparently a sealed door behind "His" throne.
Almost at the same time, the three of them seemed to look through the bronze door and into the darkness inside.
Following that, they heard the loud thumping of hearts.
It was from their own heartbeats.
Yet, they were in their Spirit Body states now, so there was no such thing as a heart!
After that, the bronze-green color on the surface of the Unshadowed Crucifix slowly peeled off, revealing a corporeal body formed from pure light that emitted a sun-like glow.
As for Klein, Audrey, and Leonard, they felt a baffling sense of coldness. It was as if every cell had their own sentience and wanted to form another "self."
In their illusory vision, in the darkness behind the bronze door, an eye opened. Its pupil was dark, filled with ghostly-blue cracks.
One after another, similar-looking eyes opened too. They were densely packed together and wore a cold gaze that stared intently at them.
At this moment, Klein and the others seemed to hear a silent calling. It was an extremely attractive shout.
Without any hesitation, Klein's Spirit Body burgeoned and enveloped Leonard and Audrey. He ended the summoning and returned above the gray fog.
-x-X-x-
As he returned to the world above the gray fog, Klein felt the coldness in his body rapidly dissipate. There were no more Worms of Spirit trying to give birth to new consciousnesses.
A moment later, the mottled long bronze table appeared in front of him. He saw that Miss Justice and Leonard's Spirit Bodies were gradually becoming clearer amidst the thin gray fog, although they still maintained a certain blurriness to them.
After the gray fog swirled around them and sank into the "ground," Klein asked, "How are you feeling now?"
He used Gehrman Sparrow's usual tone, but he immediately recalled how his inner grumblings, inner thoughts, habitual analysis, and him dissing Leonard had been exposed. He was no longer able to maintain his image in front of Miss Justice.
It's all Leonard's fault! Sigh, as per the doctor's advice, not only did I not wear a thick mask this time, but I even removed the thin kind... This thought flashed in his mind unconsciously as he cut off his thoughts and warily glanced around.
He still hadn't gotten rid of the fear of having his thoughts "spoken" out loud.
Luckily, this was no longer the place that he had named "the Hall of Truth." There were no more "magical" powers that he couldn't defend again via normal means.
It was obvious that Audrey and Leonard also had a similar trauma due to their post-traumatic stress. One of them suddenly pursed her lips, while the other sat up straight, as though they had instinctively thought of something.
After a few seconds of silence, they then remembered that The World had asked about their situation, so they quickly turned their attention back on the right track.
"I feel like something was being purified... I had the illusion that I would dissociate into a second personality—no, it wasn't a second personality—it seemed like a consciousness that didn't belong to me was awakening inside my body. Yes, it's now gone. Praise be to Mr. Fool!" Audrey rather professionally did a psychoanalysis on herself before sincerely expressing her gratitude.
I can openly accept such gratitude... That was a dangerous thought. Thankfully, Miss Justice's and Leonard's thoughts didn't steer towards The Fool while inside the Hall of Truth. Otherwise, I'd definitely not be able to resist the urge to "reply." That'd spell the end of me... My sense of shame will cause me to lose control on the spot, breaking down into a clump of Worms of Spirit... Klein's thought flashed as he seriously replied, "Praise be to Mr. Fool!"
"...Praise be to Mr. Fool." As a believer of the Evernight Goddess, Leonard hesitantly echoed and quickly changed the topic. "There's nothing wrong with me too. Just now, I felt something calling me from behind the bronze door. What about you?"
Seeing that Leonard had confirmed his condition, Klein placed the Unshadowed Crucifix and the metal bottle containing his blood onto the long, mottled table in front of him.
"I felt the same way too," he answered with certainty.
"Me too. It wasn't an illusion. I did an analysis on my own mind," Audrey said in a very clear and certain tone.
Leonard held his chin and said, "What could that be?
"It actually needed an ancient god to seal it behind 'His' throne..."
After what had happened before, he felt that he no longer had much of an image in front of Miss Justice, so his posture became more casual.
"We can try analyzing this..." Audrey carefully glanced at The World.
She had a deep impression of this gentleman's ability to gather information, make connections, complete an analysis, and infer the information in a short period of time.
Klein thought for a moment and said without any inclinations, "There are only three possibilities. One, it's a powerful creature from the Second Epoch of the real world. It's at least close to Sequence 0, and the Dragon of Imagination Ankewelt had sealed it behind 'His' throne and beneath the City of Miracles Liveseyd. However, I don't think that's very likely. This is because that ancient god definitely had 'His* reasons for creating this book and stuffing Liveseyd into it while affecting the book world and the real world. It's unlikely 'He' would place an unpredictable element in here for prolonged periods of time."
"Yeah, we all know that we have to eliminate possible accidents, what's more, an ancient god." Audrey nodded slightly and began to discuss seriously with The World Gehrman. @@novelbin@@
At this moment, Leonard chuckled and said, "Perhaps an ancient god like the Dragon of Imagination had seen certain scenes of the distant future and believes that the sealed item will help 'Him' achieve 'His' goals?"
"That's why I said that it's not impossible, but it's highly improbable," Klein replied calmly. "The second possibility is that the sealed item is key to the Dragon of Imagination Ankewelt's ploy. Once this book and 0-08 meet, the seal will be released and that object will return to the real world and bring about certain changes. I believe that this theory has the highest possibility."
Amongst them, perhaps it also involves the Dragon of Wisdom's true attitude or intent.
"Then what could it be? Mr. Fool once said that, after Adam obtained 0-08, 'He' is even closer to being divine. The times have changed as a result. Does this mean that Adam has gathered all the ingredients for Visionary and is just short of the ritual... Is there anything wrong with my understanding?" Audrey shared her point of view.
"I'm not sure either. I'll pray to Mr. Fool and see if I can get a clearer revelation." Klein didn't want to say give a firm answer.
Unfortunately, Old Man is an angel from the Fourth Epoch and doesn't know much about the Second Epoch, but "He" isn't unfamiliar with Adam... The Star Leonard thoughtfully said, "I'll try..."
He wanted to say that he would try investigating, but upon recalling that the two knew his secret, he gave up such thoughts and directly said, "...try asking Old Man."
"Sorry to trouble you," Audrey sincerely thanked him.
From her point of view, this was a matter regarding the Spectator pathway. The person most concerned about this was undoubtedly herself, while others were merely providing help.
Then she said, "The third possibility is that there is some sort of object or monster sealed inside the book world?"
"Yes, it might be closely related to the book world, and destroying it might cause the book world to collapse. Therefore, all Ankewelt did was seal it." Klein shared his theory.
Audrey thought for a while before saying, "I have an idea regarding this possibility."
Seeing Mr. World and Mr. Star cast their gazes over, awaiting an answer, she slowed down her pace and said, "I'm considering it from a psychological perspective.
"Since that book world was created by Ankewelt's 'envisioning' it, the sea of collective subconscious there would definitely be formed as a result of 'Him.' It would have 'His' psyche, emotions, and feelings branded into it.
"Perhaps the City of Miracles, Liveseyd, seals the most extreme parts of these things. They're the trauma or fears of the Dragon of Imagination. Some terrifying matters from 'His1 consciousness might be projected onto this brand. As long as 'He' cannot defeat them, and if it hasn't been dealt with in the real world, the book world's sea of collective subconscious cannot be destroyed and can only be sealed. If it's ignored, they will slowly contaminate the sea of collective subconscious and make the development of history deviate from its intended path."
Leonard was more focused than when he attended Red Gloves meetings. He couldn't help but mention when he had heard that:
"As an ancient god that ruled the sky and the mind, what could've left an irremovable trauma and create such an intense sense of fear?"
"I don't know." Audrey shook her head frankly. "If it's just a psychological analysis, since it's sealed under the throne and at the bottom of the City of Miracles, and is reached by a tunnel, it means that the source of the trauma and fear comes from underground. Therefore, the Dragon of Imagination sealed it—no, 'He' isolated the mental projection coming from underground. Otherwise, why wouldn't it be beside the throne, in the depths of the hall, in a specially created jail, or somewhere else?"
Upon hearing Miss Justice's words, Klein instantly thought of what had happened to Miss Magician and Miss Judgment.
According to the information provided by the Sanguine, they found an ancient castle of unknown age. At the bottom of the castle was a bronze door that seemed to seal something terrifying that came from underground. Once they approached the door or stayed in its vicinity for too long, they would be corrupted, dying a tragic death!
It was an ancient castle that was built to defend against something unknown. It was originally guarded by humans from an unknown era... After the Sanguine discovered it, no one dared to enter... Back then, I thought that it might be related to Devils and that one needed to be a demigod in order to explore it... Could this be related to the seal in Liveseyd? Klein's thoughts wandered as he quickly found the relevant information from his memories.
On the way to the ruins of the battle of the gods on Cattleya's Future, he met a so-called "deep-sea well."
At that time, the Future's sailor, Nina, had dived to the bottom of the sea and did a series of investigations. She said that it wasn't a giant well. It was deep and dark, impossible for a human child to enter. The bottom couldn't be seen, and there were strange honeycombed signs of corrosion along the inner walls. Surrounding it were collapsed iron buildings.
In a sense, this is also a "tunnel" that goes deep underground... Klein looked around and deliberated before saying, "Do you remember the matter Miss Magician mentioned? Under an abandoned castle in Delaire Forest, there is a pair of doors that seals a powerful corruptive force."
"Ah, right!" Audrey instantly recalled the past. "Could it be that in the early days of the Second Epoch—in that ancient era—supernatural beings had some common, terrifying enemy that came from underground?"
"Perhaps." Klein couldn't give an affirmative answer, so he took the opportunity to say, "It might also be like the many predictions of the apocalypse which state that the danger comes from the cosmos."
"Yeah." Audrey and Leonard didn't know much about such matters, so they couldn't discuss this matter too deeply.
"Let's end it here for today. After we have a preliminary understanding of the situation, we will try to experiment on the murals. Also, remember to keep this a secret." Klein shot a look at Leonard and said, "Oh, after you return, pray to Mr. Fool and request that 'He' be the witness to our vows to not divulge each other's secrets."
Audrey didn't object and added, "I'll use Hypnosis here to forget certain matters here to prevent myself from remembering it when I return."
-x-X-x-
After Audrey and Leonard left the gray fog, Klein didn't immediately return to the real world.
He was still sitting on the high-back chair that belonged to The World, silent for more than ten seconds.
Then, he beckoned for an item.
It was a "heart" that was the size of a child's fist, one that full of grayish-white wrinkles:
A Manipulator's Beyonder characteristic!
Holding the Beyonder characteristic, Klein stood up and walked out of the majestic palace. He entered the depths of the mysterious space above the gray fog and arrived at the staircase of light that seemed to lead to a divine kingdom.
Walking along the stairs, he walked up to the floating grayish-white clouds and stood in front of the strange door of light and the hanging transparent cocoons. Klein raised his right hand, lifting the brain-like, heart-like Manipulator Beyonder characteristic to his chest and extended his spirituality, hoping to use it.
He wanted to see if there were still any subconscious thoughts in the people inside the "cocoons." He wanted to see if they had put together a miniature sea of collective subconscious.
If that happened, he planned to use Hvin Rambis's Manipulator Beyonder characteristic to enter the consciousness and check on the psyche branding to figure out what the people who had been hanging above the door of light had experienced before their "transmigration." He wanted to know if they sensed anything during that long "slumber."
This was the inspiration that the expedition today gave him.
Of course, the Beyonder characteristic left behind by Hvin Rambis might not be able to help Klein do what he wanted.
It was because it hadn't been made into a mystical item, and it was very difficult to use effectively.
In an instant, the grayish-white and wrinkled "heart" in Klein's hand started to beat slowly as it emitted thumping sounds.
Klein then heard the synchronized heartbeats among the transparent "cocoons."
Thump! Thump...
This meant that the people inside were still alive, only in a certain state of slumber.
In Klein's vision, their figures gradually evolved into several blurry islands beneath them.
This represented their consciousness.
However, these spiritual islands were also trapped within transparent "cocoons," separating them from the prying eyes of the outside world.
Similarly, they were unable to integrate and create a sea of collective subconscious.
Unless the 'cocoon' is destroyed, there's no way to bypass them and enter the corresponding mind world... Klein muttered to himself and lowered the hand holding the Manipulator Beyonder characteristic.
After a few seconds, he sighed deeply and turned around to leave.
In Empress Borough, the opulent villa of Earl Hall.
With the silk blanket over her, Audrey, who was sleeping soundly with her eyes closed, suddenly opened her eyes.
She then sat up, moved to the side of the bed, and prayed sincerely to Mr. Fool, asking "Him" to witness her vow to secrecy.
After she was done with this matter, she pulled a pillow over and placed it behind her waist, reminiscing over the experiences that she had yet to "forget" during the exploration.
The history of ancient times is really interesting and terrifying... Mr. Star's performance is similar to my usual observations of him. He's more carefree and casual, and his thoughts easily wander in an uncontrollable manner. Yet, there are matters where he shows his experience and acuity. He's rather reliable... This isn't a contradiction, as many people have such "mixed layers to themselves"...
Mr. World is indeed a gentle person. He doesn't seem to wear much of an expression on his face, but he's secretly inwardly muttering something to himself all the time. His mental conversations with Mr. Star can practically be adapted into a play...
People call him a crazy adventurer who doesn't care about his surroundings, one that directly draws his gun to shoot when he sees a target... Well, at the last moment, I thought he would attempt to approach the bronze door, but in the end... He fled. No, he broke away so decisively! Audrey's lips slowly curled up when she thought of this.
Then, she made a conclusion.
The facts have proven that, in the mysterious world, unless one has completely lost all sense of rationality or has given up on thinking, there will not be any Beyonders who will really do crazy things. One has to be careful and cautious, not seeing things that shouldn't be seen, and not hear things that shouldn't be heard.
Audrey, you must remember this!
7 Pinster Street. Leonard returned to his body.
He quickly thought of how he should talk to Pallez Zoroast before pretending like nothing had happened and saying in a deep voice, "Old Man, I have something to ask you."
In his mind, Pallez's slightly-aged voice immediately laughed.
"You have to remember this. The more you ask, the more I can guess what you did tonight."
"It's not like there's anything that needs to be kept a secret..." Leonard replied habitually before getting down to the main issue. "Old Man, what do you know about the Amon's brother?"
"That depends on what you want to know." Pallez Zoroast tossed the question back at Leonard.
Leonard thought for a moment and said, "After Amon's brother obtained 0-08, is 'He' only short of the ritual to become a god?"
Probably." Pallez didn't give an affirmative answer.
Leonard wasn't too satisfied with this answer. Instead, he said, "I remember you mentioning it once. In the early stages of the Solomon Empire, the two Kings of Angels, Medici and Ouroboros were quite scared of Amon and his brother. This means that they were already very close to being divine."
This was something that Pallez had occasionally mentioned during their previous exchanges. This time, Leonard had confirmed it from some of Mobet's answers.
"Heh, I've only said the first half of the sentence. I didn't tell you that Amon and Adam are very close to being divine." Pallez rejected Leonard's claim. "There are too many possibilities as to why Medici and Ouroboros are afraid. It's not just because 'He' is close to being divine. It's not enough to make such a conclusion based on that."
The Sequence 1 angel cleared his throat and continued, "'Them' being close to being divine is one of the possibilities. Adam and Amon wield unique authorities, and them being hard to deal with is another possibility. For instance, you will always have no idea that Adam is sitting beside you. You have no idea if what you're doing was arranged by 'Him,' nor do you know that you're walking into 'His' trap by your own volition. Heh, I'm referring to you, not me. Of course, I also have to be way of such matters. Letting my guard down might result in terrible consequences for me too.
"As for Amon, 'He' has many different ideas and has a 'do-it' spirit, making it hard for people to guess 'His' motives and be on guard against 'Him.' Besides, 'He' is very good at deceit. There's always some conspiracy behind 'Him.' In that era, apart from the true deities, there was no one who wasn't afraid of 'Him.' Heh heh, even true deities had to be wary of him; otherwise, they might have certain authorities stolen by 'Him' at some point in time."
Leonard nodded indiscemibly and diverted the topic:
"Old Man, do you think the Spectator pathway is hiding any secrets?"
"I don't think there are any secrets below the level of angel. I'm not sure of anything above it." Pallez said after pondering for a few seconds.
Without waiting for Leonard to respond, "He" hesitantly added, "I heard from Medici that high-level Beyonders of the Spectator pathway are the hardest to lose control or go crazy, but it's also the easiest to lose control and go crazy."
"Why?" Leonard asked in surprise.
Pallez Zoroast scoffed and said, "I have some guesses, but I lack the necessary evidence and logic behind them. I don't want to tell you for the time being."
"You actually don't have any ideas or theories, right..." Leonard habitually grumbled.
"Don't try your little tricks in front of me." The slightly-aged voice wasn't affected at all.
Leonard didn't dare to ask further as he deliberated for a moment before saying, "Old Man, I went to a real dream this time. There were quite a lot of psyche remnants of people from ancient times in it.
"Do you know a viscount named Mobet Zoroast?"
"Mobet..." Pallez's voice suddenly aged significantly before returning to normal. "He's a direct descendant of my bloodline. He vanished after a large-scale war, and I thought that he had been killed by Amon or Jacob in passing, causing me to fail to divine the murderer... From the looks of it, things weren't that simple."
"Indeed." Leonard gave an affirmative answer. Then, he briefly provided the gist of things: "He's been dead for some time, leaving some of his psyche behind. In that real dream, he married a songster from the elves..."
After listening quietly, Pallez said after a while, "That's good, too..."
Leonard had originally wanted to mention that Mobet also addressed Pallez as "Old Man," but he suddenly couldn't bring himself to. He had no choice but to end the conversation there.
After witnessing Leonard's and Audrey's vow, Klein returned to the real world.
He tidied up the altar in the room, took out a pen and paper, and drew a complicated symbol that was a mixture of concealment and mystery prying.
He wanted to summon Arrodes to ask how it had confirmed that Groselle's Travels had appeared after the disappearance of the City of Miracles, Liveseyd.
After waiting for more than ten seconds, the full-body mirror in the room lit up with a faint aqueous light.
Silver words appeared one after another in the dim light:
"Exalted, benevolent, Great Master, your puny, loyal, and humble servant, Arrodes, is here to answer your summoning!
"Do you have any orders for me?"
"Some questions." After giving his answer, Klein was in no hurry to ask about the matter regarding Groselle's Travels, intending to start with something that wasn't very sensitive first.
He thought and said, "Arrodes, there's an abandoned castle in Delaire Forest. In the depths of it is a pair of bronze doors. It seems to be sealing some power coming from underground. Do you know what it is?"
The moment he finished speaking, the light on the full-body mirror's surface suddenly dimmed and turned pitch-black. In the pitch-blackness, white, liquefied words appeared one after another:
"I came from underground..."
-x-X-x-
"I came from underground..."
Looking at the ghastly-white words that appeared on the full-body mirror, a chill suddenly ran down Klein's back. His pupils dilated as he instinctively wanted to switch places with his marionette next door.
In the room where the valet was, Enuni, who was lying quietly, had opened his eyes.
His stomach began to expand and contract as though he had a second heart, one that beat extremely slowly.
At the same time, the scene of the magic mirror, Arrodes, answering where it came from flashed through Klein's mind:
Large amounts of black sticky liquid spewed out from an underground hole, writhing and expanding, an uneven number of hands and legs that turned into numerous monsters grew out. During this process, a speck of light was shot out along with the black liquid before landing on a rock, to which it rapidly fused together, turning into a mirror with ancient patterns and black gems adorning its two sides—Arrodes's main form.
It really came from underground... And this underground is the same as the underground area sealed by the bronze door inside the ancient abandoned castle... I didn't make the connection before... It's not like I could help it. There are just too many things that involve things from underground. Most of them have little special meaning, just like coal... Hmm, a few days ago, I didn't think that there was anything overly special with the underground... Klein controlled the urge within him and ignored the shock from Arrodes's answer, and he said with an unperturbed expression, "What's the exact situation?"
The ghastly-pale words changed and gave off a baffling feeling, as though it was almost crying.
"Great Master, I'm not exactly sure what happened. I only came to the surface and became a mirror before I gained true sentience. I don't remember anything from before.
"Oh yeah, there's something that might be related. Do you want to hear it?"
"Speak." Seeing that Arrodes's attitude was still alright, Klein heaved a sigh of relief.
The color of the words on the full-body mirror's surface had slightly recovered, and it became somewhat pure white:
"Didn't I say it before? I see support and dominance from you, and other than that special calling, I have similar feelings towards the underground. It makes me feel warm and makes me want to return to submit myself. This might be why I became your servant."
What? The things from underground give people the same feeling as the gray fog? They all involve support and dominance? Upon seeing Arrodes's answer, Klein jumped in fright once again. If not for his Clown's ability, he would've lost his composure.
At that moment, he suddenly recalled a Chinese joke he had seen in his previous life and substituted himself into it: "What? The things that the ancient gods fear come from underground?
"What? Arrodes also comes from underground?
"What? I also come from underground?"
This is really funny and scary... No, this might not be a joke. The original owner of the mysterious space above the gray fog, the creator of that strange door of light, the existence that pulled all the transmigrators over, might be related to the underground, or he has all kinds of connections with it... Klein's thoughts wandered as he instantly thought of many matters.
As an indescribable shadow loomed over him, he smiled and mocked himself, "No matter what, there are new clues and directions for the investigation into the gray fog and transmigration..."
Klein composed himself and asked in deliberation, "What do the Churches and secret organizations know about the underground objects that require sealing?"
On the full-length mirror, the white words returned to its silver color:
"It's almost unheard of. It seems to be concealed by some sort of power."
Isn't that "concealment"... Klein frowned slightly and didn't say a word.
The silver words on the mirror continued to appear:
"However, there are some legends that exist within a group of secret organizations.
"According to the legends, the underground is described as the lair of Devils and evil spirits, the source of humanity's decadence, the primordial sins and evil."
The first one is wrong. The underground object that needs to be sealed has a high chance of having nothing to do with Devils or evil spirits... Legends are actually similar to the mysterious symbols. Don't look at what is said, but peel off its outer skin and figure out what it symbolizes... This symbolizes the fear of the underground, from the body to the spirit, from one's consciousness to one's feelings? Klein's thoughts raced as he said with a nod, "It's your turn to ask a question."
"Great Master, your loyal servant, Arrodes, has a small suggestion. Do you want to hear it?" Silver words appeared on the full-body mirror one after another.
"Speak." Klein could vaguely guess what Arrodes was suggesting.
"Before you return to being divine, try not to investigate anything related to being sealed underground." The silver words quickly squirmed, reforming into a new sentence.
As expected... Klein sighed and calmly said, "Next question: how did you confirm that Groselle's Travels appeared after the disappearance of the City of Miracles, Liveseyd?"
The words on the surface of the mirror quickly distorted, merging into a clump, and then quickly dispersing:
"It's a revelation and information obtained from the spirit world; since it originated from the dragons' subsidiary god, the Dragon of Wisdom, your loyal servant believes that it can be confirmed.
"Great Master, is there a problem with that?"
How direct... After sighing, Klein instantly thought of how the Dragon of Wisdom, Herabergen, should've entered the book world before and approached the bronze door behind the ancient god's throne, likely having some knowledge of what was sealed underground due to "His" "omniscience." Furthermore, Klein believed that the ancient dragon had hidden a deeper layer of secrets in Groselle's Travels.
He could vaguely grasp it, but he couldn't tell what it was and grasp at it.
"No," Klein answered Arrodes's question.
Then, he probed, "Why didn't you mention the Dragon of Wisdom's true name?"
"It's because I don't dare to directly give the name of a god." Arrodes gave a confirmed answer in a tacit manner.
Klein nodded and didn't ask further.
"It's your turn."
"Great Master, do you have any more questions?" The silver word rapidly reorganized itself on the slightly dark mirror. "No, that's all for today." Klein shook his head.
With that said, he remembered what had happened the previous time and added, "I'll summon you again when there are new questions."
The full-body mirror immediately brightened, and the silver words sparkled:
Yes, Master!
"Your loyal and strong servant, Arrodes, is waiting for you to call again!"
This time, it wasn't a simple drawing but a white cat's paw with a red center.
...There's always something new...The corner of Klein's mouth twitched slightly as he watched the full-body mirror the bedroom return to normal.
He stood in the darkness, bathed in the crimson moonlight shining through the curtains. After standing quietly for a while, he returned to his bed and quickly fell asleep with the help of Cogitation.
The next morning, on Monday morning, Klein woke up 15 minutes earlier than usual. He led his valet, Enuni, down to the first floor and said to Butler Walter, "I had a nightmare last night. I want to visit the cathedral before breakfast."
Although Butler Walter was surprised by this, it wasn't too strange. After all, as long as the cathedral's doors were open, people could enter at any time.
He quickly arranged for a carriage and sent Dwayne Dantes all the way to the door.
When Klein arrived at Saint Samuel Cathedral, the door wasn't opened yet. He waited until eight before entering the main hall with the first batch of believers. He found a seat in the first few pews and sat down facing the Dark Sacred Emblem. Closing his eyes in the tranquil environment, he focused on chanting the Goddess's honorific name in ancient Hermes.
"The Evemight Goddess who stands higher than the cosmos and more eternal than eternity. You are also the Lady of Crimson, the Mother of Concealment, the Empress of Misfortune and Horror, Mistress of Repose and Silence..."
After he finished reciting the honorific name, he changed to his normal Loen language and said almost soundlessly, "There's an ancient castle in the middle of Delaire Forest. There's an ancient bronze door deep within it. It's sealing a powerful corruptive force... How should I eliminate this latent problem there?"
This wasn't a test of a deity, but an open report. As for what reaction the Church would have after that, and what they would see through their operations, was a whole other matter.
After repeating it seven times, he began to pray seriously.
Time passed. In the quiet and peaceful church, Klein stood up and walked out of Saint Samuel Cathedral with his valet, Enuni.
During this process, he didn't receive any revelations, nor did he see the matron of the Evernight cloister, Arianna.
The feedback itself meant something.
That was he wasn't qualified to know about the underground seal.
East Borough, in a two-bedroom apartment.
Fors pulled up the blanket and covered her head.
She abhorred the curtains here because they were too thin and translucent and couldn't block out the morning sun. That seriously affected her quality of sleep.
I have to change it. No, we might have to move again soon... Just as Fors's thoughts wandered about, she heard the sound of the bedroom door opening and Xio's familiar gait.
In a flash, her blanket disappeared and a letter landed on her.
Your letter, from Pritz Harbor," Xio informed her.
"...Teacher's reply." Fors sat up suddenly, opened the letter, and quickly read it.
After a moment of silence, she said, "I have to go out for a while. My teacher has already reached Backlund... This letter should've arrived two days ago!"
The letter had a date and address.
"The postman over here isn't that responsible." Xio glanced at her friend and said, "Will you be late?"
"Fortunately, Teacher said that he would wait three days for me." Fors hurriedly got off the bed and started changing her clothes.
She had a feeling that she would be able to understand the Abraham family more deeply this time, and also receive the potion formula of Traveler and some Beyonder ingredients.