Chapter 1008 - 173 LOTM

After hearing the High Priest's reply, Klein held his lantern and walked twenty to thirty steps to the right, parallel to the grayish-white fog.

Then, he half-closed his eyes as though he was sensing something. This made the Moon City Beyonders behind him not dare to make a sound, afraid of disturbing the oracle.

After four to five seconds, Klein stretched out his right hand and slowly grabbed the air ahead.

An altar made of stone dropped into the real world. On it were three candles made of oil and seven to eight spiritual materials.

As a Sequence 4 demigod, Nim was taken aback. He found it difficult to believe his eyes.

Previously, he had seen Gehrman Sparrow take out his cane to treat his companion. He had only believed that Gehrman Sparrow possessed the powers of space or had received the favor of Mr. Fool. But now, his judgment had been completely overturned. This was because he found the altar, the few candles, and the spiritual materials very familiar.

They were all used by him once!

He actually managed to create something that I've used before? Is this a power that comes from history, a power that comes from time? Nim recalled the content of the remnant tomes in Moon City, and his understanding of demigods as he came to a preliminary guess.

At that moment, Klein turned around and looked at the High Priest.

"You may begin."

Nim quietly drew a deep breath. Under the watchful eyes of the likes of the A'dal, Xin, and Rus, he walked to the altar and created a wall of spirituality.

After taking a look at the symbols, labels, and patterns engraved on the altar and confirming that there were no problems, he followed the process that had been engraved into his memories, and he began the ritual with great familiarity.

In the end, he bowed his head and chanted in a low voice:

"The Eternally Imperturbable Fog;

"A Barrier frozen in Space-Time;

"The Existence that contains Everything..."

Before the prayer ended, Klein had already placed his attention on the grayish-white fog, hoping to hear sounds coming from deep within.

For this, he had secretly controlled the large number of monster marionettes that walked in the surrounding darkness to separate. He spaced them out at a certain distance, hoping that he wouldn't miss any suspicious traces.

However, he didn't notice anything unusual until the ritual was completed.

After waiting for a while more, Klein cast his gaze at the High Priest of Moon City, Nim, and said calmly, "One more time."

...

Backlund, Empress Borough, in the Hall family's study.

After receiving permission, Audrey pushed open the door and walked in. Her father, Earl Hall, and her brother, Hibbert, were discussing some matters.

"Oh, baby, you don't look too well?" Earl Hall cast his gaze towards the door.

Audrey didn't act as she forced a smile and said, "There's a huge lack of food at the Poverty Relief Foundation. I would like to collect more. I visited many nobles today, but they told me that there's no more food left. It's the same even if I offered to buy it with gold pounds."

When these words were said, the nobles were either in a parlor or at a spot specially used for high tea. In front of them were high-quality black tea and many exquisite desserts. From time to time, they would invite Audrey to evaluate their dessert chef's culinary skills.

Their servants had rosy cheeks, and they took very light footsteps. They didn't make a sound to prevent disturbing their guests.

"The current situation..." Earl Hall sighed when he heard that.

Audrey thought for a moment and said seriously, "Father, I remember that there should be quite a lot of food at home. Can I buy some of that with money?"

"Audrey, you've already done too much. There's no need for you to do more," Hibbert Hall said with a frown. As for Audrey, she only looked at her father and didn't respond to her elder brother's words.

Earl Hall's expression that had relaxed after seeing his daughter became serious again.

"Audrey, the prerequisite for charity is not to affect your and your family's life. This is a principle I wish for you to remember."

Audrey, who was wearing a long, golden-white dress, relaxed her eyebrows and said sincerely, "Father, the amount of food we have stored at home is enough to last everyone in this house for an entire year, or even more. Besides, there's also a lot of food over in East Chester County."

As Winter County hadn't completely fallen, the Feysac army that had invaded Midseashire didn't attack East Chester County. As for the Feysac, Intis, and Feynapotter fleet, they were suppressed by the few ironclad warship fleets of Loen. They could only barely deal with the situation and protect the supply line at sea.

Seeing his daughter's emerald-green eyes for a few seconds, he suddenly sighed and smiled.

"Audrey, you have really grown up. You have your own ideas and pretty commendable determination.

"However, we don't know how long this war will last. We don't know what the outcome will be. We have to leave a lot of food to deal with this.

"I can accept us having two less delicacies for every meal to help those who are in trouble, but I don't want my dining table to become like what the newspaper says about the middle class. This will completely make us lose our dignity as nobles. This is something that we abide with every generation.

"Do you understand what I mean? I was just making an analogy. The essence of this is that I value the continuation and the future of the family line more. I value our status and standing. Only when it doesn't affect them will I express my love and kindness.

"Audrey, what I said may be cruel, but you have already grown up. It's time to hear this. Everyone is selfish, but at varying levels. In my heart, the entire Hall family is more important than me and your mother, yourself, Hibbert, and Alfred. Apart from these, it will first be faith and good friends. Next, it's people we are acquainted with. Finally, it would be all of Backlund, those who are in need of help.

"If it doesn't affect the ones first listed, I don't mind helping them. Unfortunately, I have to consider even more things now."

At this point, Earl Hall shook his head in a self-deprecating manner.

"I'm sorry to let you know that your father is such a selfish person."

As Audrey listened to her father's words, her expression changed slightly at first, but then it disappeared. Until the end, there were no additional emotions.

At that moment, she was silent for a moment before asking again, "...But we've already obtained a lot more than what we need. Can't we even share a portion of it?"

Hibbert Hall interrupted angrily, "Why are you giving away the things we painstakingly obtained to others?

"This is produced from our land, farmland, and forests. This is what we bought with money. And these funds and assets were passed down the family. It was earned by Father's acumen and powerful charisma. It was accumulated over generations.

"By doing charity to help others, it's an additional display of love, not something that we have to do, do you understand?"

Earl Hall nodded.

"What Hibbert said is generally right. I share his thoughts as well."

Audrey pursed her lips and slowly nodded.

"I understand..."

Earl Hall retracted his gaze and said to Hibbert, "We have to keep the food stored properly. If the outcome of the war cannot be reversed, try contacting the fellows from Intis and show them some of our sincerity.

"The battle has been going on for so long. Quite a number of people have died as well. Many fields have been abandoned, and the prices in the cities have soared. There must be a very high demand for food, cattle, and land. In addition, I have shares in the Intis Suchit Bank, as well as the shares in the Varvat Bank and Backlund Bank. I should be able to bribe them. Heh heh, in such times, only by satisfying these aspects can we talk about familial relationships."

Intis and Loen often had marriage alliances. Many nobles were relatives, especially the believers of the God of Steam.

"Father, are you considering surrendering?" Hibbert asked in surprise.

Earl Hall nodded slightly and sighed again.

"How can I not consider it in light of the current situation?

"When the time comes, you will be the new Earl Hall."

Hibbert's heart palpitated when he heard that, but he was also puzzled.

"What about you, Father?"

Earl Hall replied with a bitter smile, "Both your mother and I are devout believers. We have a certain status in the Church. When Loen falls and the Church is destroyed, the outcome will not be good if we're still unwilling to step down."

At this point, he comforted his eldest son.

"As long as the Hall family is still around and the aristocratic title is still there, we won't lose much of our core assets. We won't be in such a miserable state for our advanced years. Remember to prepare a secret prayer room for us at home after you convert your faith to the God of Steam."

As the two of them conversed, Audrey, who was wearing a long, golden-white dress, watched quietly from the door. She was listening quietly, her green eyes shimmering like gems.

...

After repeated attempts, the projection of the altar vanished. The High Priest of Moon City, Nim, said to Gehrman Sparrow, who was holding the strange lantern, in deliberation, "It looks like it won't work today. We can try it tomorrow. It won't last more than two months."

At that moment, all Klein could think of was another question:

Could it be that the ritual was unsuccessful since it appears too perfunctory using Historical Void projections?

He reflected on himself deeply and decided to listen to the High Priest. They could try again tomorrow. When the time came, he would definitely get him to bring the real materials.

He was about to nod when he heard a faint voice.

The voice sounded from deep within the grayish-white fog. It was layered and indistinct.

It's effective? This ritual really does have an effect, but the delay is too great... Klein was delighted as he immediately raised his right hand and pressed down slightly, gesturing for the Beyonders of Moon City to be silent.

He immediately held his breath and focused on listening.

The voice that echoed within the grayish-white fog seemed to come from many different sources. They intertwined with each other, occasionally overlapping with each other in destructive interference and creating a resonance when in constructive interference.

Gradually, the voice became clearer in Klein's ears, especially when it resonated.

It seemed to be a language he was familiar with. It seemed like countless people were chanting a name together.

The name was:

"The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings."

-x-X-x-

"The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings."

When he heard the voices deep in the grayish-white mist, Klein trembled slightly as the back of his head turned numb.

This feeling quickly spread to every part of his body, causing tiny goosebumps to protrude on his skin.

This was the second time he had heard the name "The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings" in the real world. And the first time, it was said by Amon after "He" stole his thoughts. In fact, Amon didn't know the exact meaning behind it, nor did "He" truly grasp the incantation.

Therefore, in essence, this was the first time.

At the borders of the legendary Western Continent, outside his hometown that had vanished, this was the first time that he heard the incantation that caused him to transmigrate into the real world. He heard one of the most important secrets hidden at the bottom of his heart and heard the oriental honorific name that was pointed at an unknown existence.

He stood there, his mind almost blank. His ears echoed with occasional sounds of chanting and shouting.

"The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings...

"The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings...

"The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings..."

When the voices became softer and softer until they almost disappeared, Klein finally recovered his train of thought.

As a fake god that had done a lot of "guilty matters," his first reaction was:

By changing 'The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings' to the 'King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck,' will I suffer divine punishment?

Back when he had set up the three-stanza honorific name of The Fool, the first stanza described his experience and state. Back then, he had thought that it was a transmigration, and he was afraid of exposing the problem. He had changed "The Fool from an alternate world" to "The Fool that doesn't belong to this era", but in the end, it pointed to his true nature. The second stanza was to bind the gray fog to him, making the direction clearer.

And in order to completely limit and not cause any ambiguity, Klein directly translated the last line of the incantation which was, "The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings."

He originally thought that it was nothing, but later on, he suspected that his "transmigration" was a result of the former owner of the strange door of light in Sefirah Castle—The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings. Or rather, it was a certain existence hiding "Their" true identity. Of course, it was also possible that the "The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings" was the actual incarnation before creating another identity that suited the present world. As for what the identity was, Klein wasn't sure.

This was because he had never heard the honorific name of The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings elsewhere in the real world. Therefore, although there was suspicion and fear present, he didn't actually pay too much attention to it. It seemed like he was already used to it.

However, at that moment, the words "The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings" were like salvos that kept blasting at his heart, bombarding his mind, causing all the concerns and fear that he had accumulated in his subconscious to surge out.

After regaining his composure, he began to force himself to use his rationality to think about his current situation:

Is this chanting hidden in the grayish-white fog, or is it from the vanished Western Continent?

I already thought that this fog's color and state is very close to the one below Sefirah Castle... Its power comes from "history"? One has to have the correct powers over "time" to open it?

Queen of Calamity Cohinem once said that the Western Continent would definitely reappear at the dawn of the apocalypse... In other words, only by pushing "time" towards that temporal node would the grayish-white fog come alive. Only then would it be possible to use the corresponding incantation to open it?

The person who made the Western Continent vanish, seal it, or create a protective quarantine... is The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings, the existence suspected to be the previous owner of Sefirah Castle?

According to all the clues, Sefirah Castle and the rest were left behind by the original Creator. They were created by the various parts of "His" body, or something that "He" personally created... The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings is equivalent to the former owner of Sefirah Castle, and also equivalent to the original Creator? However, Sefirah Castle existed only after the original Creator split. Furthermore, the chants of The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings only point to Sefirah Castle and don't affect places like the Chaos Sea...

Also, the disappearance of the Western Continent is definitely something from before the Second Epoch. As an ancient god, even Elf King Soniathrym was unable to return to "His" hometown...

In other words, in the chaotic and crazy First Epoch or even before then, the original Creator—the Oldest One—had split into objects like Chaos Sea and Sefirah Castle. More things happened before the ancient gods were born? These matters caused the Western Continent to vanish, and the former owner of Sefirah Castle to disappear?

The prophecy of the ancient sun god—the City of Silver's Creator—is also very interesting. It says that someone will walk out of this grayish-white fog, so "He" sent people to stay in Moon City and guard this place. Strictly speaking, I actually come from the Western continent or this grayish-white fog. However, I left the Western Continent to enter Sefirah Castle in a time long before the ancient sun god's prediction. The year I left the grayish-white fog was 1349 and found myself in Loen...

Yes, after going around in circles, I came here again and met with the people from Moon City... The ancient sun god's prophecy really has come true. It's just that the process is a little twisted and complicated, but the way it was achieved is rather unexpected...

As he pondered, his mood gradually improved. This was because the situation at the scene and his spiritual intuition had told him that there were still civilizations in the Western Continent that were isolated by the grayish-white fog. Many people were still alive.

This method of making the Western Continent vanish reminds me of the ritual for Miracle Invoker, as well as using the power of space-time. They are mainly from the Apprentice and Marauder pathways... So, the previous owner of Sefirah Castle, The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings, corresponds to these three neighboring pathways? Klein reined in his thoughts as he took two steps forward.

He then turned around and said to Nim and the rest, "I heard the voice clearly."

"...What are they saying?" Nim's grayish-white eyes suddenly widened, his deeply pockmarked face filled with excitement.

A'dal, Xin, Rus, and company had similar reactions, ones that were even more intense.

Even their bodies began to tremble.

This was a problem that had troubled the residents of Moon City for more than a thousand years. Resolving this problem was a symbol of escaping their current predicament!

Klein took a deep breath and said in the tone of a charlatan, "They are praying to my Lord."

This was definitely not a lie. After all, as The Fool, he had already gained initial mastery of Sefirah Castle. The last sentence of his honorific name was the "King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck," which was equivalent to "The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings."

Nim and company fell silent. When they looked back at Klein, their eyes were filled with obvious respect and fear.

Together with the "miracles" Klein had displayed, they gradually viewed Mr. Fool as their savior.

Klein surveyed the area and said, "Retreat at least a hundred meters."

"Alright, Your Excellency." The High Priest, Nim, agreed without hesitation.

After the Moon City's Beyonders had retreated to a sufficient distance, Klein reached into the void with his right hand and quickly dragged out another projection of himself as his actual body disappeared.

Right on the heels of that, the Historical Void projection of Klein walked to the front of the solidified grayish-white fog. He extended his right hand and pressed it down.

It was as if there was an invisible barrier that was slightly cold, blocking everything.

After staring at it for two seconds, Klein opened his mouth, suppressed his voice, and recited in Chinese, "The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings."

As his voice echoed out, the grayish-white fog in front of him didn't react at all. It remained still and frozen.

He waited for nearly a minute. After some thought, he took a deep breath and muttered again:

"The Immortal Lord of Heaven and Earth for Blessings;

"The Sky Lord of Heaven and Earth for Blessings;

"The Exalted Thearch of Heaven and Earth for Blessings;

"The Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings."

This was the complete incantation of the luck enhancement ritual.

As the last word was said, Klein's right hand that was pressing on the invisible barrier suddenly felt an obvious tremble.

The gray fog began to shake as though a boulder had been thrown into a lake.

The ripples quickly spread, overlapping each other as they formed a "door" in front of him.

A bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the scene. Not far away, the pupils of the Moon City Beyonders widened as they were unable to shift their eyes away.

Amongst them, the ones who arrived later felt their hearts waver after witnessing such a scene. They found it impossible to contain themselves.

To them, this was undoubtedly a miracle!

Klein held his breath as he waited for the door to take shape. However, the ripples finally calmed down. They were only a step away from success.

"..." After a moment of silence, Klein repeated the incantations again. However, even if the ripples in the grayish-white fog didn't disappear, they were unable to truly outline the door.

For a moment, he wanted to attempt with the complete ritual procedure. In other words, he would place four portions of food and recite the incantations while taking four steps counterclockwise. But very quickly, he was amused by his idea.

Because by doing this, he would enter Sefirah Castle without opening the invisible barrier here.

After exhaling, Klein took out a gold coin from the void and used divination to confirm that the effects of the complete ritual would be as he imagined.

It really isn't time yet because the apocalypse hasn't dawned on us? Klein looked at the grayish-white fog in front of him for a few minutes without any movement.

When a bolt of lightning tore through the sky and illuminated his face, he turned around and walked in front of the Moon City High Priest, Nim, with the lantern in hand. He said calmly, "It hasn't reached the correct point in time to open it, as spoken in the revelation. There's more than a decade of waiting left."

Without waiting for any response from the likes of Nim, A'dal, and the rest, Klein pointed to the nearby darkness with his empty right hand.

"I will be meditating here for some time. If you want to experience the radiance of the Lord and listen to 'His' teachings, you can come here anytime whenever the lightning frequency is high.

"I'll do a single purification and treatment session every day, at a time when the lightning is most frequent."

He didn't attempt to get the residents of Moon City to convert their faiths, nor did he plan on heading directly to the city or ask about any specific information. He wanted to give them some time to take things in.

Nim secretly heaved a sigh of relief and replied with increasingly great respect, "I will pass on your words to everyone."

-x-X-x-

City of Silver, at the top of the spire, in the Chief's room.

With white hair and an old scar on his face, Colin Iliad looked out of the window at the deep darkness. It was only when a silvery-white light suddenly burst out from afar, bringing a few seconds of light, that he retracted his gaze and nodded slightly.

Chirmont has succeeded in advancing...

His gaze landed on the two-meter-tall youth standing in the middle of the room.

"Derrick, do you know why I kept delaying the subsequent plans and didn't implement them after the first exploration of the Giant King's Court, despite already becoming a Sequence 3 Silver Knight?"

Derrick thought for a moment and said, "Your Excellency, on the one hand, you wish to see if there are any other paths you can take to the seaside. On the other hand, you are waiting for the other Elders of the six-member council to advance to Sequence 3."

And now, both matters were completed.

Nearly five months ago, an expedition team of the City of Silver discovered a hidden path. From there, they circled around the mountain where the Giant King's Court was located, and they arrived at the sea. However, the sea was illusory, and there was no way to pass through it. Forcefully entering the water only caused bodies to gradually crumble.

Now, another demigod of the six-member council, Waite Chirmont, had finally advanced, becoming a Sequence 3 Silver Knight. He could have an honorific name and receive the prayers of the other residents of the City of Silver within a certain range.

Colin Iliad sighed and said, "Very good. You have a very well-rounded understanding of the situation.

"If I had a choice, I truly do not wish to bring you to the Giant King's Court again and attempt to open the palace where Dark Angel lays in slumber..."

At this point, Demon Hunter Colin paused for a moment before continuing, "I do not know what danger such an expedition will bring. I can only make ample preparations in advance. Now, Chirmont has finally succeeded. Even if an accident happens later and we are unable to return, he and the other Elders will be able to support the City of Silver, allowing everything to continue on as we await the next opportunity."

He sized up Derrick for a few seconds before nodding in acknowledgment.

"Your growth is even better than I expected. If not for the fact that the Giant King's Court matter originated because of you, I'd really want to keep you in the City of Silver and be an understudy Elder of the six-member council."

Upon hearing this, Derrick Berg replied without hesitation, "Even if you wish to keep me here in the City of Silver, I would still apply to go."

This was a glimmer of hope that he had seen. This was an opportunity in his heart that could save the City of Silver. He was willing to sacrifice everything for it.

Colin Iliad gave a rare smile.

"You are still too young. After you experience many things like me, you will understand that compared to drawing your sword and sacrificing your blood in a zealous fervor, enduring humiliation and helplessness, and persisting in the darkness is even more difficult and painful.

"If you don't believe me, you can ask Chirmont later. Ask him if he is willing to lead an expedition team to the Giant King's Court, or stay in the City of Silver."

Derrick fell into silence, his mouth agape, but not a single word came out of it.

Colin Iliad didn't continue on this topic and instead asked, "Have you completely digested the Priest of Light potion?"

"I digested it completely last week," Derrick replied frankly.

Colin Iliad nodded and said, "Have you gathered all the supplementary ingredients?"

Derrick acknowledged tersely.

"I've gathered all of them. I'm just short of preparing the ritual."

His ritual required him to extract the strongest emotions that he was unwilling to abandon, before injecting them again after consuming the potion.

After a few gatherings with the Tarot Club, as well as Miss Justice's private attempts, they had already come up with a well-formulated plan.

He was to complete it by relying on this Sequence 4 Manipulator's control of the psyche domain, and Mr. Fool's Angel's Embrace.

Demon Hunter Colin didn't rush him as he calmly said, "Don't be anxious. The second exploration of the Giant King's Court will still take some time."

"Until I become an Unshadowed?" Derrick asked.

Colin Iliad didn't deny it as he nodded slightly.

"I'm also waiting for Lovia to become a Black Knight. Her ingredients and ritual have been prepared."

Upon hearing this, Derrick immediately felt pressured.

...

At the capital of the Rorsted Archipelago, City of Generosity, Bayam. At the top of the bell tower of the City of Generosity.

The cardinal of the Church of Storms, the high-ranking deacon of the Mandated Punishers, Sea King Jahn Kottman, stood behind the railing, looking at the sea which was no longer that blue. There was wreckage floating above it, burning with the remains of ships.

"Humph, in my territory at sea, even a War Bishop has to bow his head..." The muscular demigod with a chiseled face retracted his gaze as he muttered.

He had a head of dark blue hair and a pair of deep blue eyes that were as thick as a worm. He controlled the weather and sea around the Rorsted Archipelago.

Alger Wilson, who was standing beside the Sea King, didn't show any signs of frustration. He patiently waited until Jahn Kottman turned his attention onto him.

Aside from most of the Beyonders of the Sailor pathway being bad-tempered, they often trembled in submission when facing High-Sequence Beyonders of the same pathway. This was a characteristic of a "Tyrant."

After muttering to himself, Sea King Jahn Kottman finally cast his gaze at Alger, who was leading a "pirate" fleet. He said without any expression, "Your performance this time was remarkable. The Council of Cardinals has passed your review and has decided that I will preside over your advancement ritual."

After receiving the item left behind by Queen of Calamity Cohinem, Alger found an opportunity to report the matter to Sea King Jahn Kottman.

Apart from two details that he modified, he had given an honest account of the exploration of the elven ruins from the time he arrived in the primitive forest of Sonia Island.

Firstly, he claimed that he had headed for the elven ruins as part of him taking the initiative to ambush the Feysacian troops. They had specially looked for a suitable venue, and there were many sailors present to verify it.

The second was to lessen the autonomy of the subsequent actions. He only claimed that he dreamed of a female high elf on the night of his exploration of the ruins. Nothing abnormal happened after he drank a glass of wine from her, so he hadn't paid too much attention to it. When he came to the Rorsted Archipelago and woke up one night from his sleep, he suddenly realized that he had entered a magnificent palace at the bottom of the sea, and had picked up a sparking coral.

Although many aspects of the evidence and physical evidence had indicated that Alger's description was real, Sea King Jahn Kottman didn't fully believe it. He was sent back to Pasu Island to be investigated by the pontiff, Gaard II.

With the help of "Angel's Embrace," Alger looked like he was trembling in front of the Tyrant's aura. Without holding back, he explained that he had developed a certain degree of ambition after meeting the female high elf in his dreams. For this, he had taken the initiative to head to the Rorsted Archipelago in hopes of receiving her inheritance, but in reality, he had covered up the core secrets and the most serious problem.

He had used the method of confessing his "ambition" to pass the investigation. As for the female high elf, whether it was a result of him having some elven blood that a fortuitous encounter was given to him, or if she had any hidden motives, he claimed that he was unsure. He hoped that the pontiff could figure out the answer to lessen his worries.

Alger displayed his fear of the unknown, making the cardinals believe that this was the main reason why he had reported the fortuitous encounter.

This proposal was designed by Alger himself, but with Miss Justice's suggestions, it was tweaked to be more in line with human nature.

Of course, as expected, Alger didn't receive the advancement ritual. Instead, he entered an inspection period.

The pontiff of the Church of Storms, the Grounded Angel, had reinforced the seal in Alger's body, preventing the Cataclysmic Interrer characteristic from seeping out for two years and affecting him.

In the past half a year, Alger had led the pirate fleet that had been assigned to him. He had worked hard to harass the ships of Feysac and Feynapotter. He had even participated in sea battles, taking great risks and making numerous contributions. This fully expressed his devotion to the Lord of Storms, as well as his submission to the orders given by the Church.

Finally, after this Rorsted sea battle, the situation had escalated. His patience paid off as the Council of Cardinals acknowledged him.

Alger took a deep breath and struck his right fist to his left breast, shouting loudly, "Holy Lord of Storms!"

His agitation was half an act, while the other half came from the bottom of his heart. This was because in the past half-year, he had suffered quite a bit of pressure.

Ma'am Hermit had already finished digesting the Mysticologist potion and was preparing to advance to Sequence 3, Clairvoyant;

Although Miss Justice had yet to fully digest the Manipulator potion, she had made significant progress. Furthermore, she was a complete rookie when she first joined the Tarot Club. Now, she had become a true demigod. She wasn't just a Sequence higher than Alger, but a whole tier;

Before long, The Sun could advance to Sequence 4, Unshadowed, and obtain godhood;

The Star had also finished digesting the Sequence 5 potion and had accumulated a significant amount of contributions. He was just waiting for the higher-ups to give him a chance;

Miss Magician wasn't far from digesting her potion after "Traveling" time and time again. Furthermore, her teacher had prepared the corresponding Sequence 4 Secrets Sorcerer ingredients for her;

There was no need to mention The World Gehrman Sparrow. Even if he were to suddenly inform them that he was an angel, Alger wouldn't find it surprising;

Miss Judgment was currently a Sequence 5 Disciplinary Paladin. She was digesting the potion and was trying her best to keep up with everyone's progress;

The Moon, who didn't like to work hard, became anxious as a result and was seeking to become a Sanguine Earl.

Faced with such a situation, as one of the most senior members of the Tarot Club, Alger naturally didn't wish to be left behind. He desperately wished to advance to Sequence 4 and become a demigod.

So many days had gone by; yet, he suppressed his anxiety and patiently waited. There were two instances where he showed signs of losing control which required him to hire Miss Justice to treat him.

And now, he finally got the answer he wanted the most:

He had passed the assessment and was to prepare for the ritual!

-x-X-x-

Moon City.

Many humans walked out of buildings which stood unusually sturdily despite having mottled surfaces. Some of them were obviously deformed, while others had already developed some abnormalities.

The humans looked at each other and noticed some confusion on each other's faces.

There were still two to three months before the Sun Sacrifice. Why was the High Priest summoning everyone to the square?

Could something have happened? The residents of Moon City were filled with anxiety, fear, and confusion as they entered the only square from every street.

At this moment, the high platform was empty. The person who had convened them appeared to have not arrived.

The residents of Moon City gathered together in a very orderly manner according to their respective zones, and they discussed amongst each other in whispers.

"Why isn't the High Priest here yet?"

"Doesn't he like to wait and not want others to wait for him?"

"What happened exactly? Why did he suddenly gather all the city's residents aside from the guards?"

...

Amidst the voices, at the top of a tower near the square, High Priest Nim leaned against the wall and looked at the square from behind the crystal glass with a twisted expression as he endured something.

His grayish-white hair flared up as a bunch of short black hair grew on his face. His ribs and waist were squirming, forming a swollen patch.

These abnormal changes would disappear and occasionally appear. It was as if he was suffering from relapses again and again. His entire being was sinister and terrifying.

After about a minute, he finally calmed down. He let out a long breath and wiped the cold sweat on his forehead.

Just now, he had been resisting the madness that had accumulated in his body.

In fact, no matter which Beyonder pathway it was, the higher the Sequence, the greater the insanity and inhuman inclinations one had. This gradually exceeded one's own humanity. One had to rely on external anchors to maintain a balance.

Normally, such situations weren't obvious at Sequence 4 and Sequence 3. And at the level of an angel, even if there were enough anchors to stabilize them, they would fall into darkness from time to time. In the negative and abnormal states, one had to endure and resist on their own, waiting for them to ease up.

They were like a sacred and solemn existence who might appear unproblematic normally. They could respond to prayers, chat normally, and even joke. However, at times, they could only hide in dark rooms and in the shadows. They tore off the surface of their skin, revealing a sinister side that showed signs of madness.

As Nim often ate monster flesh, he had accumulated a lot of toxins, corruption, and madness. This forced him to endure such pain despite being a Sequence 4.

Of course, those who didn't know the acting method and relied on time or luck to advance to Sequence 4 and Sequence 3 would also share the same fate.

After composing himself, he turned and left the room. With the help of an illusory door, he appeared on the high platform in the middle of the square.

After the discussions died down, the residents of Moon City cast doubtful and uneasy gazes at the High Priest.

Nim looked around and directly said, "The hunting team led by A'dal met an outsider."

An outsider! The eyes of the residents of Moon City suddenly widened as though it was a bolt from out of the blue.

This was the first time in two thousand years for Moon City to encounter an outsider! Of course, this was referring to human interaction and not monsters.

Nim took a deep breath and continued, "He claims to be a missionary who's here to spread the light of a deity. He caused the grayish-white fog to undergo obvious changes. He cleansed A'dal and the others of the corruption and toxins accumulated within them. Also, he treated their physical mutations."

As he spoke, he nodded to the side of the platform, and A'dal and Xin, who were hiding in the shadows, immediately passed through the row of torches and walked to his side, using their own conditions to prove what the High Priest had just said.

"Oh my..."

"God!"

"Is that A'dal and Xin?"

"They really, really..."

Exclamations sounded out as surprise and shock mixed together into something almost physical.

A'dal and Xin exchanged looks, took two steps forward, and recounted what their hunting team encountered.

The crowd heard about the tiny flame that appeared in the darkness, the cross that emitted a bright light, the cane that could cure any mutations and ailments, the parting of the grayish-white fog, as well as the appearance of the door. Upon hearing the hunting team's delightful description of their excellent condition, the residents of Moon City gradually fell silent.

Some of them had already unknowingly teared up—a result of the extreme fatigue and repression. Finally, they saw a ray of light.

The tears carried a mild and salty feeling as they flowed past their faces, slipping across the corner of their lips and dripping onto the ground.

In addition, a person who was still rational and clear-headed raised his arm to express his opinion.

"Could that missionary be a special monster from deep within the darkness?"

"Are A'dal and Xin acting like this because they've already been controlled and influenced?"

After the wave of doubt calmed down, Nim said in a deep and clear voice, "I've checked them and have also used the Sealed Artifacts. I haven't found anything unusual for the time being.

"I will let them remain in the black tower and undergo at least fifteen days of quarantine."

After making the promise, he paused and said, "That missionary named Gehrman Sparrow will be meditating in the vicinity of the grayish-white fog for some time. He has permitted us to experience the glory of the god he believes in, and listen to the corresponding teachings. And every day, at the time when the lightning frequency is highest, he will provide cleansing and treatment.

"Everyone can make their own decision on heading over there, but they have to report their decision in advance and follow instructions. No one is to act on their own accord and affect the city's defenses. After they return, they will be quarantined for fifteen days like A'dal and Xin."

The residents of Moon City fell silent. They looked at each other, unable to make up their minds.

At this moment, Rus and another member of the hunting team, who had previously missed the cleansing and treatment because of their choice to return to inform the High Priest, stepped forward.

"High Priest, I'm going!"

"Alright, I'll lead this... team tomorrow." Nim nodded and agreed.

He had originally planned to give this team a name, but he failed to come up with a good description. He could only stammer and skip it.

In his heart, there was actually a name, but he didn't dare say it out loud. It was: Pilgrimage.

With Rus and company leading the way, several Moon City residents stood forward, indicating that they were willing to take the risk.

When the frequency of lightning increased, it was the dawn of a brand new day. A group of seven to eight Moon City residents carried animal hide lanterns and began to traverse the darkness, heading towards the periphery of the grayish-white fog.

After darkness and light exchanged countless times, Rus and company's eyes suddenly lit up.

It was a bonfire that was slowly burning. Gehrman Sparrow, who was wearing strange clothes and a strange hat, was sitting around it. He held an iron-black long skewer and was roasting something.

There were corpses of monsters lying around the bonfire. On these corpses, there were all sorts of strange objects. Some of them were white and full, as if they would spew out liquids the moment they were poked. Some of them were black, embedded with blood-colored lines and marbling. Some were covered with golden spots, while the tops were the size of a palm...

These items were densely packed, covering the different parts of the monster's corpse. They had a strange and alluring beauty to them.

After taking a few steps forward, High Priest Nim noticed that Gehrman Sparrow was roasting one of the strange objects. Drops of oil dripped down and produced sizzling sounds in the fire, brightening the light and allowing an alluring fragrance to spread.

Gulp. The residents of Moon City swallowed their saliva instinctively as they developed an irresistible urge to eat.

Every cell of theirs was screaming crazily:

I wish to eat it!

I want to eat it!

Give it to me!

Sitting on a rock, Klein raised his head and pointed at the colorful objects growing on the corpses of the monsters around him. He said in a deep voice, "These are called mushrooms. They're divided into different types. If you're willing, you can pick and eat them yourself, but do not touch the black ones. Furthermore, they have to be thoroughly cooked before you can eat them. Otherwise, you will encounter a terrifying curse."

The High Priest of Moon City thought for a moment and replied on behalf of the others, "We would like to first listen to your Lord's teachings and experience 'His' radiance."

With a slight nod, Klein said as he rotated the long barbecue skewer that he had summoned from the Historical Void, "You may sit down and listen."

When the eight Moon City residents sat opposite the bonfire, he said with a solemn expression, "I came from the Giant King's Court."

This was a term that all the residents of Moon City were familiar with. Their spirits were instantly lifted as they cast their attention away from the items above the burning fire and cast it at Gehrman Sparrow.

Following that, Klein described the situation outside the City of Silver and the situation beyond the cursed land. He also shared with them his sightings of city ruins along the way.

The residents of Moon City sighed when they heard this. Sometimes, they looked forward to it, but sometimes they found it hard to believe. At times, they could empathize with it and be filled with sorrow.

Halfway through his sentence, Klein suddenly stopped. He retracted the black long metal skewer, brought it to his mouth, and bit down on a mushroom.

Thick meat juices seeped out and, with a slightly scorching feeling, cleansed his mouth.

After spending half a year in the Forsaken Land of the Gods, Klein had already overcome his disgust towards mushrooms. After all, Danitz was often tasked by him with things to do. He was unable to meticulously prepare food and sacrifice things to him. During this period, he could only rely on mushrooms for sustenance.

He closed his eyes in satisfaction and handed over the long, black skewer. He smiled and said, "You can try some."

High Priest Nim was still hesitant when Rus reached out his hand. As he expressed his gratitude, he got a mushroom and put it into his mouth.

He ate too quickly, so much so that his mouth was scalded. However, after his expression twisted, it suddenly froze.

Following that, his expression slowly relaxed as he gradually revealed a sense of intoxication, pleasure, and yearning.

In the end, Rus's tears flowed out unknowingly as he muttered in a deep, choking voice, "This is the best and most superb food I've ever eaten..."

Even though their taste for food had changed after generations, humans couldn't adapt to food with toxins and madness. They still yearned for sugar and fat.

At that moment, all the residents of Moon City could tell that Rus was moved.

-x-X-x-

"Give it a try too." Klein handed the iron-black long skewer to the other residents of Moon City.

Their throats bobbed up and down as they couldn't help but swallow another mouthful of saliva. However, they didn't immediately respond. All of them cast their gazes at the High Priest, waiting for him to nod.

In his animal hide clothes, Nim took out an item. It looked like a magnifying glass with a handle.

At a glance, Klein almost imagined that he had seen a monocle. This fright made his heart skip a beat. Thankfully, he managed to control himself in time to confirm the details.

Holding the metallic handle, he placed the glass object in front of his right eye and observed Rus for a few seconds through the lens.

After a brief silence, he put down the item and nodded at the other Moon City residents.

People other than Rus finally reached out their hands and carefully removed a mushroom from the iron-black long skewer and stuffed it into their mouths.

The item that was void of nauseous smells and foulness made them instantly become intoxicated. Without caring about the scorching feeling in their oral cavities, they swallowed the mushrooms into their stomachs and instinctively reached out for another one.

However, all the mushrooms on the iron-black long skewer had already been distributed.

Nim retracted his gaze from the iron-black long skewer and waited for Gehrman Sparrow to continue explaining his experiences and The Fool's teachings.

Klein looked around and repeated the words he had previously said:

"The surrounding mushrooms can be taken at any time, apart from the pure black ones. In addition, they have to be fully cooked before they can be eaten. Otherwise, you will be cursed."

The residents of Moon City no longer hesitated. They immediately stood up and chose the mushrooms that they had been longing for.

With a glance, Klein added, "When the white mushrooms are cooked, they easily split open and have liquids flow out. You need to prepare some containers or drink them once that happens."

Without waiting for Rus and company to respond, he continued the topic that he had previously stopped mid-explanation. He went on until he mentioned how he heard the voices in the grayish-white fog chant Mr. Fool's honorific name.

Seeing that High Priest Nim so absorbed by his tales, to the point of being a little moved, Klein deliberated and said, "There are still many ways to make the grayish-white fog react, but they are all related to my Lord."

This was a reasonable guess. This was because not only was there one hanging person, but there wasn't only one way to enter the world above the gray fog. If Emperor Roselle had brought the mysterious silver plate that he had replicated here, there was a high chance that the invisible barrier would produce an anomaly. Of course, the prerequisite was that the Emperor belonged to one of the three pathways of Seer, Apprentice, or Marauder.

Seeing that there were no doubts from the others, Klein said warmly, "According to my observations, there isn't only one Beyonder pathway in Moon City."

The grizzled Nim didn't hide it from him and simply replied, "Yes, when we were selected to come to Moon City, the Oracle had intentionally ensured that there was a comprehensive record of Beyonder pathways. Unfortunately, after all these years and the repeated disasters, many of the potion formulas and Beyonder ingredients of the various pathways have been lost."

"Which pathway are you from?" Klein asked casually as he looked at the residents of Moon City using monster bones to roast the mushrooms.

"I'm a Nightwatcher," Nim said frankly.

Sequence 4 Nightwatcher of the Evernight pathway? Klein nodded slightly and asked, "Did anything unusual happen near this grayish-white fog?"

After pondering for about ten seconds, Nim with his pockmarked face said, "Yes."

Klein's heart stirred as he calmly asked, "What kind of abnormality was it?"

Nim glanced at the mushrooms that emitted fragrant smells, and he deliberated over his words.

"A small hill suddenly disappeared, leaving only a deep crater in the ground.

"There were no signs of an explosion in that area, nor was there any soil scattered around."

What's going on? That's a little bizarre... As he threw the mushroom's roots into the fire to turn them into fuel for the flames, Klein asked without any change in expression, "Did you investigate further?"

"Yes." The High Priest of Moon City nodded and said, "An investigation team encountered a demonic wolf there. It wasn't a demonic wolf that has already rotted or mutated, but the kind of demonic wolf from a long time ago."

Demonic wolf? Klein didn't expect to hear such information. His pupils changed slightly as he asked, "What did that demonic wolf look like?"

Nim unconsciously took a deep breath and said, "It's the same as the demonic wolves described in ancient literature, but it's even bigger. Even though it's eight legs are on the ground, it's still as tall as two or three people combined.

"Its fur wasn't pure black. It exuded a dark and deep feeling. Its eyes were very strange. The pupils—black pupils—took up a large part of the eyes. Also, there was a tuft of gray short hair on its head..."

This... Isn't that the Dark Demonic Wolf, Kotar? It actually came to the far east of the Forsaken Land of the Gods, and was involved in an anomaly? If the power of the Western Continent's disappearance really comes from Sefirah Castle, it would still be quite normal for it to attract the Mythical Creatures that corresponded to Miracle Invoker... Klein frowned slightly and said, "It didn't attack your investigation team?"

Klein had deliberately used "it" instead of "He" to prevent frightening the residents of Moon City.

In his opinion, it was very easy for the Dark Demonic Wolf, Kotar, to wipe out an investigation team. It didn't even need to pay a huge price to turn the city into "His" marionette kingdom. Yet, this Mythical Creature had apparently spared Moon City.

If not for the Spirit Body Threads that he had seen in advance and that he confirmed their conditions, Klein would've suspected that he was only talking to a few marionettes.

"No, it left in a hurry," Nim replied.

This doesn't match the suspicious and cautious nature of the Dark Demonic Wolf... What frightened "Him" so much that he fled in such a hurry? "He" didn't even have the time to silence the people who saw "Him"... Or rather, there's something special about the people guarding Moon City under the ancient sun god's revelation, and unless it's necessary, the Dark Demonic Wolf wouldn't attack them? Klein continued without any change in his tone, "Did it leave any tracks?"

"No." Nim firmly shook his head. "Other than the hill turning into a deep crater, we didn't discover anything unusual."

As his thoughts raced, Klein tried to ask from another angle.

"When did this happen?"

The more he understood an object from the past, the more he could make contact with it in the fog of history.

After some thought, Nim said, "Two years ago, two months, and ten days ago."

He immediately explained, "There are too few things worth recording. It left a deep impression on me."

Two years ago, two months and ten days ago... Currently, it's 8th September 1351, and subtracting that time, it would be 28th June 1349... This... Klein's right hand suddenly trembled slightly.

His pupils and his expression were normal, but this was a result of using his Clown powers to control them.

He remembered very clearly that on 28th June 1349, he had "transmigrated." It was the day he became Klein Moretti, it was the day he repeated the luck enhancement ritual and entered Sefirah Castle!

The abnormality here, the appearance of the Dark Demonic Wolf, and the hasty departure of this Mythical Creature were all related to me? A huge wave of emotions surged through his heart.

For a moment, he couldn't find an explanation and pretended that nothing had happened. He thought for a moment and asked, "Did something similar happen in the past two to three thousand years?"

"No." Nim gave a clear answer.

"What about two hundred and eight years ago? Did anything special happen?" Klein asked.

That was the time when Emperor Roselle "transmigrated" to this world.

After hesitating for two seconds, Nim said, "I can't tell you the answer. I need to go back and read the corresponding records.

"Thankfully, the information and documents in the past three centuries haven't been damaged."

At this point, he added, "My limited impression tells me that there shouldn't be anything special."

If that's the case, then the cause of this anomaly was because I entered the world above the gray fog and bound Sefirah Castle to myself? Klein nodded slightly and didn't ask further. He simply said, "Tell me where the crater is."

By the time the High Priest, Nim, gave an answer, the mushrooms that the residents of Moon City had grilled could be eaten. Some of them took a small bite of the white mushrooms and were scalded by the milk inside. They couldn't bear to spit it out. Some chewed repeatedly, reminiscing over the faint sweetness. Some of them couldn't stop eating at all.

Nim was taken aback by what he saw, as though he couldn't believe that these people were from Moon City.

Every one of them was showing the conflicted looks of having cravings and being satisfied. Their expressions looked twisted, but they were brimming with pure joy.

"High Priest, try it as well." Rus, whose eyes were very close to each other, handed a mushroom covered in golden spots that emitted a unique and sweet fragrance to Nim.

After hesitating for a moment, Nim carefully used the " magnifying glass" to take a look before taking the mushroom and stuffing it into his mouth.

In the next second, his expression changed slightly as he slowly closed his eyes.

He had a taste of something similar from some mutated tree roots, but it wasn't as pure or memorable.

After an unknown period of time, he looked at the indifferent Gehrman Sparrow and said with an abnormally sincere tone, "Your Excellency, we would like to listen to Mr. Fool's teachings."

I haven't had the time to make it up yet... However, as I'm getting closer and closer to being an angel, the corresponding matters should be prioritized... The anchors need to be prepared in advance... As his thoughts raced, Klein recalled what he had said when he had tricked—no, come up with to reform the believers of Sea God.

His expression quickly turned solemn as he raised his right hand and grabbed at the void. He pulled out a cross covered in bronze and sharp spikes.

Following that, he pressed his right thumb onto a thorn, letting the blood enter the Unshadowed Crucifix.

The bronze-green surface of the Unshadowed Crucifix quickly peeled off, revealing a body made of pure sunlight.

"God said..." Klein opened his mouth and said in a low voice as he raised the resplendent cross in his hand a lot higher.

Warm and bright light surged out like a tidal wave, instantly filling the surrounding area.

The darkness and discomfort accumulated in the bodies of Nim, Rus, and company began to rapidly melt away; It was as if their bodies were being cleansed.

They were in a daze when they heard the oracle, who was holding the resplendent cross and covered in holy radiance, solemnly say, "God said...

"First Commandment: Thou shalt not sacrifice unto me living human sacrifices."

"Second Commandment: Thou shalt not use my name in vain."

-x-X-x-

In the Fog Sea, which hadn't been engulfed by war, the Future slowly began to sail towards the Berserk Sea amidst a convoy of ships.

Admiral of Stars Cattleya hadn't had much to do recently. All she had to do was wait for the Moses Ascetic Order to respond to her request. As she strolled the deck, she enjoyed the sunlight that shone through the thin mist.

With a sweep of her gaze, she saw Frank Lee.

This first mate of the Future, the second most important person of the Star Pirates, was wearing light blue pants and a white shirt with the top two buttons unbuttoned, revealing thick brown chest hair. He was like a humanoid giant bear.

He stood at the bow of the boat, looking into the distance. It was unknown what he was thinking, but he looked rather down.

Cattleya involuntarily slowed down a little as she turned to enter the cabin.

"Captain!" Frank noticed her and looked over with anticipation, as though he was waiting for this Admiral of Stars to answer his questions.

Cattleya's figure paused as she adjusted the heavy glasses on her nose and asked in a seemingly casual manner, "What are you stumped with?"

Frank thought about how to phrase his question and replied in a serious manner, "I'm reevaluating the inventions and creations I've created over the years."

"...What are your thoughts?" Cattleya asked cooperatively.

Frank nodded and said in distress, "There are too many matters I need to reflect on.

"The most important thing is that the things I've created are still missing the most important thing."

Cattleya was puzzled, but she didn't wish to ask further. In the end, she still held onto the thought of taking responsibility for all the crew members on the Future. She deliberated and said, "What is it?"

Frank's expression instantly turned solemn.

"They all lack souls!"

"It's a good thing that malt, grapes, and mushrooms don't have souls..." Cattleya subconsciously advised before saying, "This isn't something you can dabble in right now. You're only a Sequence 5 Druid."

Frank's eyes lit up when he heard that as he blurted out, "I've got it!"

Cattleya frowned indiscernibly.

"What... did you get?"

Frank was no longer depressed.

"I understand the problem. That is, the creations I want have exceeded the limits of a Druid's abilities.

"Therefore, Captain, I'm not going to be a Druid anymore. I want to become a Classical Alchemist!"

This was Sequence 4 of the Planter pathway, the starting point of a demigod.

Cattleya's expression froze for a few seconds before she took on the posture of a captain and a demigod. She nodded gently and said, "Having a goal is a good thing, but you have to understand how difficult it is."

Underlying those words, she wanted him to not hold any hopes and not to take this goal seriously.

Frank Lee nodded heavily after receiving her "encouragement."

"I will do my best!"

To prevent Frank Lee from acting rashly, Cattleya decided to take the progress of the matter into her own hands.

"I will help you too."

When the time came, even if she had any progress, she could inform Frank Lee that she had tried to no avail.

Frank was very happy as he thanked his captain from the bottom of his heart before continuing, "I'll also write to Gehrman Sparrow and ask him for help.

"He's my good friend!"

What Frank didn't know was that the letters he had written for the past half a year had gone through a rather convoluted process:

The letter went to the messenger before being delivered to Fors. Fors would then transfer it to Gehrman Sparrow or request Mr. Fool's help at the Tarot Gathering.

Cattleya nudged her thick glasses again and, without another word, turned and entered the cabin.

She returned to the captain's cabin. Before she could think about what had just happened, she saw a letter on the desk with the brass sextant.

Cattleya was delighted. Ignoring the use of her Beyonder powers, she quickly walked over, picked up the letter, and opened it.

It was from Bernadette. After exchanging a few simple pleasantries, she wrote:

"If you are free anytime, you can come to La Cha incognito."

La Cha was a rather hidden island in the Fog Sea. It hid Queen Mystic's palace, also known as "Emerald City."

Cattleya repeated the sentence a few times before the corners of her mouth curled up involuntarily.

...

Backlund, West Borough, within the Odora family's villa.

Emlyn White once again met the middle-aged, gentlemanly Sanguine Baron, Cosmi Odora.

"What did Lord Nibbs say?" Emlyn controlled his emotions, trying his best to appear less eager.

Cosmi looked at Emlyn's bright red eyes and said, "He only wanted me to tell you that the entire Sanguine race doesn't have any excess Earl Beyonder characteristics. You can only wait for the present Earls to die of old age or accidents, leaving behind their inheritance."

Compared to humans, the Sanguine had a long lifespan. Even without a noble title, ordinary ones could live about three hundred years old. Under such circumstances, they could slowly accumulate and occupy every level, preventing any excess in Beyonder characteristics.

Therefore, it wasn't easy for ordinary ones to advance to Baron or become a Viscount. They either waited for the existing nobles to die, or they would obtain it from external sources. Otherwise, they would have to make sufficient contributions and receive the precious inheritance.

Compared to the first two Sequences, it was even more difficult for a Viscount to become an Earl. This was because being a Sanguine Earl meant being a demigod, and he could easily live for more than a thousand years. Those Viscounts' descendants had to pass generations before they could wait for a chance of an Earl's passing.

And it was precisely because of this that, as long as there was a vacancy in the Earl position, it would immediately be distributed and not "in stock."

For Baron and Viscount characteristics, they existed in the Sanguine's treasury in the form of Beyonder ingredients and Sealed Artifacts, but the numbers were few and far between. Every bestowment had to be strictly administered. There really weren't any spare Earl characteristics.

This answer was within Emlyn's expectations. He looked at Baron Cosmi and nodded slightly.

"In other words, as long as any Count passes away, it will be my turn?"

"No." Cosmi shook his head. "Although you have contributed plenty, you haven't reached first place on the waiting list yet."

"What's my ranking?" Emlyn first frowned before relaxing his brows to prevent his eagerness from showing.

Cosmi coughed and cleared his throat.

"Twelfth."

...This might not even happen when the apocalypse arrives... Since the Ancestor has given me the important task of saving the race, why didn't "She" arrange all these matters? My Scarlet Scholar potion has been digested for months... Could it be that another test? Emlyn thought to himself silently for a few seconds before asking thoughtfully, "If I obtain an Earl's characteristic from external sources, will the race help me prepare the ritual?"

Cosmi exhaled and said, "Of course!"

Emlyn didn't stay any longer. He left Odora's villa and took a carriage back to his residence.

Ever since Feynapotter declared war on Loen, he had never been to the Harvest Church. He had only heard from The Star that the door had been smashed and many things had been stolen. It had become a place for the homeless.

As for Father Utravsky, he spent half a month in a cell behind Chanis Gate. The rest of the month was spent in a room on the upper level of Saint Samuel Cathedral, with the archbishop of Backlund next door. This arrangement was repeated over and over again.

This was because they were worried that if Father Utravsky were to stay behind Chanis Gate for an extended period of time, he would suffer irreversible damage. Under such a tense situation, the Church of Evernight wished to leave some buffer time so that they could use this opportunity to express their goodwill and begin negotiations.

Although Emlyn wasn't a believer in Evernight, and he even somewhat detested the cathedral, he went to Saint Samuel Cathedral twice a month to visit Father Utravsky.

Where can I obtain an Earl's characteristic... Emlyn, who felt that he had fallen behind and might not be able to bear the responsibility of saving his race, looked at the bleak streets while seriously considering every possibility.

He quickly had some ideas.

Ma'am Hermit had mentioned before that the Aurora Order's Saint, Saint Tenebrous, had Grazed a Shaman King. This corresponded to the Earl characteristic. If I could hunt this demigod of the Shepherd pathway like the Saint of Secrets, the problem would be resolved...

However, after the previous lesson, Saint Tenebrous probably wouldn't fall into a trap so easily...

There's also a possibility of directly attracting a King of Angels...

This was something everyone had discussed in the Tarot Club. The conclusion was that they had been attacking the Aurora Order for the past year, so it was best not to provoke them further.

Apart from Saint Tenebrous having a Sequence 4 Shaman King characteristic, Emlyn White could only think of one other option:

The Rose School of Thought!

Be it the Life School of Thought's Artificial Vampires or the Primordial Moon worshipers that originally existed in the Southern Continent, they were now part of the Rose School of Thought.

Of course, there were definitely some people who sought freedom. They hadn't joined any organizations yet, but either they were not at high Sequences, or they didn't have enough information to leak out.

Upon thinking of the Rose School of Thought, Emlyn instantly recalled a person.

Maric!

Maric represented the temperance faction of the Rose School of Thought. It was a faction that resisted the Mother Tree of Desire.

They also appear like they want to obtain something from the Rose School of Thought. Perhaps I can cooperate with them... Emlyn nodded slightly.

...

A number of residents in Moon City anxiously gathered at the entrance, casting their sights east from time to time.

They were the relatives of the people who had previously been led by the High Priest. They were also the representatives of most people in Moon City.

Finally, as the flames flickered, High Priest Nim, brought Rus and company closer to Moon City.

A man went forward and looked at his sister. He noticed that there were still traces of tears on her face.

This Moon City resident, who wasn't deformed, could sense her brother's gaze. She couldn't help but open her mouth, tears streaming down her face.

"God, God is here to save us..." She started to cry. It was such a sad and free cry as she let out her emotions.

-x-X-x-

"God, God is here to save us..."

The words spoken in a sob-filled voice echoed at the entrance of Moon City, causing the residents who were waiting to fall into a trance.

...

At the edges of the grayish-white fog, a fire quietly burned.

After eating another batch of mushrooms, Klein dispelled the iron-black skewer in his hand and looked up at the crater described by Moon City's High Priest, Nim.

He then reached out with his right hand and gently pulled, dragging "himself" out from fifteen minutes ago.

After exchanging looks, Klein's true form rapidly vanished and entered the fog of history. He ran all the way to a time before the First Epoch, and he sat in the old stacked cities.

His historical projection stood up and snapped his fingers repeatedly, flashing through the crimson flames as he headed for his destination.

When the crater that was once a hill was almost right in front of him, he stopped. He cautiously extended his right palm and pulled Qonas Kilgor out of the void.

The burly Earl of The Fallen's facial muscles twitched as he quickly transformed into another Gehrman Sparrow.

He took out a lantern from the fog of history with one hand and rubbed his temples with the other as he muttered softly, "Why does a marionette have to change its appearance?

"There's no one else here...

"I can't develop OCD..."

A few seconds later, the marionette's projection carried a lantern that emitted faint yellow light as it walked towards the crater not far away.

As the light flickered, Klein saw his target location and realized that it wasn't too deep. The difference between the bottom and the ground wasn't more than two meters. Of course, compared to the original hill, this change was indeed huge.

Inside the "crater," the soil was smooth, and there were a few rocks in it. There were many twisted, mutated plants around it whose species were difficult to distinguish. It looked no different from other places.

After observing for a while, Klein, who had stealthily activated Spirit Body Threads and Spirit Body Threads vision, slowly entered the crater, planning on following his preplanned route and reassessing everything worth paying attention to.

As he walked, he frowned slightly and let out an exclamation.

He realized that his thoughts had turned sluggish, but it didn't affect his thinking!

It was as if he had slept too much and had just woken up—having a heavy head with insufficiently active thoughts.

This was a situation that a person would occasionally experience. Beyonders of the other pathways might not be able to detect it, but as a demigod of the Seer pathway, Klein could clearly sense something amiss.

If it were any deeper, it would be close to the effect when a Marionettist controls Spirit Body Threads... The influence left behind by Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar? That's not right. If "He" didn't mean to leave it behind, it means that "He" showed "His" complete Mythical Creature form back then. That would've resulted in Moon City's investigation team in breaking down and losing control... If "He" had intentionally left it behind, what would be the purpose? Telling others that "He" was here? Klein circled the area in puzzlement, but he didn't discover any anomalies.

After some thought, he let his main body that was hiding in the Historical Void in a time before the First Epoch take four steps counterclockwise as he recited the incantation and went above the gray fog.

He wanted to do a divination!

With the exact time and location, Nim's description, and a real-world survey of the area, as well as lighting up some of the historical fragments, he believed that the prerequisite for making a "divination" had basically been met.

This didn't mean it was enough, but that he could barely give it a try. Besides, if the hill turning into a crater incident had something to do with Sefirah Castle and him, then the chances of a successful divination would greatly increase. The revelation would be very clear and not be interfered with.

Without any further thought, he sat on The Fool's high-back chair. He conjured a dark red fountain pen and yellow parchment and wrote:

"28th June of June 1349 of the Fifth Epoch. The anomaly that happened here."

He put down the fountain pen and grabbed with his left hand. He pulled out a handful of crater soil from the fog of history to use it as a medium for divination.

With one hand holding the soil and the other holding the parchment, he leaned back in his chair and recited the divination statement seven times. Then, with the help of Cogitation, he fell asleep.

In the hazy dream world, Klein saw the grayish-white solidified fog. He saw the hill that was tens of meters high, and the twisted vegetation around it.

A few seconds later, the fog began to churn and rapidly "vomited" a black shadow.

The black shadow was like a huge velvet curtain, madly absorbing all the light around it.

Its translucency increased as it completely enveloped the hill.

Following that, the hill vanished without a trace, leaving behind only a crater.

The strange plants at the edge of the crater were also suddenly covered and had black illusory Spirit Body Threads that extended towards different parts of the black "curtain."

The "curtain" became more and more transparent and illusory until it reached a point where one couldn't see it with the naked eye. If not for the fact that he had Spirit Body Threads vision to observe the reality of the scene, Klein wouldn't have been able to discover that the "curtain" had covered the crater's surface.

The scene flashed, and the dreamscape twisted to reveal a new scene.

Moon City's 5-man patrol team approached and discovered that a crater had replaced the hill that had vanished.

They stopped in their tracks and left the area without hesitation. They didn't rashly investigate.

After an unknown period of time, a gigantic figure suddenly appeared in another direction.

It was a demonic wolf covered in dark fur with eight legs. It was about four to five meters tall.

The demonic wolf had a tuft of short, grayish-white fur on its forehead. Its pure black pupils covered at least three-quarters of the space of its eyes. It was none other than the Dark Demonic Wolf, Kotar.

The Dark Demonic Wolf raised "His" head and opened "His" mouth, as though "He" was screaming, but nothing happened.

In the next second, a figure appeared in front of "Him." It was another "Him."

The Dark Demonic Wolf's historical projection did a simple step with "His" eight legs and "He" instantly arrived beside the crater.

After "He" surveyed the area, "He" carefully lowered "His" head and picked up the completely transparent "curtain" that had made the entire hill disappear.

The "curtain" suddenly came alive as it rapidly contracted and spun. It wrapped around the black demonic wolf as if it was adding half a black translucent piece of clothing to "Him."

The Dark Demonic Wolf trembled slightly, as if it had become a "clothed" marionette in two to three seconds.

However, this was only a Historical Void projection. The next breath didn't happen as the main body stopped maintaining the projection.

The "curtain" lost its support as it instantly collapsed and lay spread out on the ground.

Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar didn't give up. "He" occasionally transformed the monsters around "Him" into marionettes or summoned historical projections, allowing them to go forward again and again, experiencing all kinds of failures. However, in the end, "His" newest batch of marionettes still managed to pick up and control the "curtain."

The entire process was silent, as though it was a mime act.

Following that, the gigantic demonic wolf made the marionettes bring the "curtain" to "Him."

At that moment, the grayish-white fog around "Him" churned again, forming a vortex that was comparable to a hill.

The vortex emitted an invisible suction force, causing the strange "curtain" and Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar to be thrown towards it at the same time!

Such a scene caused a substantial ripple to appear in the dreamscape. Countless points of light appeared, making it difficult for him to see the specific details.

When everything returned to normal, Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar draped the transparent "curtain" around "Him" and rapidly flew away from the solidified fog.

And at that moment, the Moon City investigation team arrived and saw the ancient subsidiary god leave.

Kotar glanced at them, but "He" didn't stop, vanishing into the darkness.

At this point, the scene shattered and the dream ended. Klein woke up.

He sat up straight and tapped the edge of the long mottled table with his fingers as he silently muttered, It's not that there weren't any anomalies before I arrived. More likely it is that the guards from Moon City didn't discover it. After all, the fog extends outwards to an unknown limit...

What's that "curtain" that was spat out by the grayish-white fog? It can cover a hill when it's large, turning it into a crater, as though by magic. When it's small, it can be used as "clothes" by the demonic wolf, turning "Him" into a marionette... It's a little like a high Sequence item of the Seer pathway...

It was spat out because I entered the world above the gray fog and completed the binding with Sefirah Castle?

It seems to be able to turn the surrounding vegetation into its marionettes... This gives me a familiar feeling...

Yes, there was something wrong with the food laid out in the rooms of the foggy town back then. Spirit Body Threads were growing out of them, reaching out towards the core of the cathedral. Once they've been eaten, one will instantly evaporate and vanish. Yes, they end up hanging in the cathedral and becoming a marionette...

In other words, once one reaches the level of Miracle Invoker or Attendant of Mysteries, one can make plants or objects with spirituality grow Spirit Body Threads, so as to turn them into marionettes?

...Is that "curtain" the Beyonder characteristics of a Miracle Invoker or Attendant of Mysteries?

Judging from the Dark Demonic Wolf's performance, it might very well be the latter...

This is the reason why one Attendant of Mysteries characteristic has been missing for a long period of time. There were only clues, but no one could find it?

Before Sefirah Castle had an "owner," the grayish-white fog unconsciously attracted the high Sequence characteristics of the three pathways across space and accommodated them? What is it trying to do?

That suction force is really very strong. It frightened even Dark Demonic Wolf Kotar. "He" didn't even stop, only having thoughts of escaping...

What was "He" suspecting? What was "He" afraid of?

After some analysis, there was a look of excitement on his face.

If he could successfully hunt down an angel like the Dark Demonic Wolf, it would be an unparalleled harvest!

Of course, the Dark Demonic Wolf, who now had the "curtain," was much harder to deal with than before. This matter had greatly reduced his confidence in succeeding.

As his thoughts raced, he suddenly recalled something:

From the timing of these sequence of events, the Dark Demonic Wolf clearly had the "curtain" by the time he arrived in the northern city ruins, Nois...

"He" turned the entire city into marionettes and created a marionette city. It wasn't to settle down, nor was it to accumulate helpers. It was to prepare the ritual for Attendant of Mysteries?

-x-X-x-

If the Dark Demonic Wolf really is preparing the Attendant of Mysteries ritual, then "His" whereabouts won't lack traces... Klein nodded slowly. He already had some vague ideas on his mind, but he was still unable to truly sort them out.

He instinctively wanted to divine the location of the "curtain" by using the soil that had been tainted by the "curtain," so as to lock onto the location of the Dark Demonic Wolf. However, considering how the latter was an angel, such a method would most likely alarm "Him," alerting "Him" and causing "Him" to take precautionary measures. Therefore, Klein rationally gave up on this idea and returned to the real world. He thought hard about formulating a plan.

The next day, when there was a high frequency of lightning, another batch of Moon City residents came to Gehrman Sparrow's bonfire under the leadership of a priest named Duke. They listened to his teachings, enjoyed the mushrooms, and waited to be cleansed.

After the residents of Moon City experienced the cleansing, with tears streaming down their faces, Klein looked around and casually asked, "The sun god told you to guard this land and to take note of anyone walking out of the fog?"

Duke, who had been cured of his bloated ailment, knew that the High Priest had mentioned this matter to the oracle before him. He answered rather calmly, "Yes."

Klein nodded slightly and continued on the topic.

"If you really discover someone walking out of the fog, what will you need to do?"

Duke said without hesitation, "Recite the honorific name of the great sun god immediately and... report this matter to 'Him'..."

As he spoke, his tone became very depressed. In the end, he was unable to formulate his words. This was because the sun god—the Creator—hadn't given any response for more than two thousand years. Even though Moon City had held the most complete rituals and repeatedly chanted the honorific name, there had been no response.

"Anything else?" Klein pressed as he sharply noticed something.

This was a revelation from his spiritual intuition, and also a result of a certain degree of deduction. It was obvious that the ancient sun god and the City of Silver Creator would have considered this problem. One possibility was that the person who walked out of the grayish-white fog was extremely careful. He was very cautious and didn't enjoy being watched or monitored. After discovering the patrol team in Moon City, he would be inclined to use his Beyonder powers to affect their minds, making them forget that they had seen him or reciting the honorific name.

In this situation, the ancient sun god should've made certain arrangements.

Of course, this wasn't absolute. If Amon's father could accurately predict that the person walking out of the grayish-white fog was a rookie, then there was no need to say too much in the revelation.

However, considering how the ancient sun god—the City of Silver's Creator—had made an error in predicting where he would come out from the grayish-white fog, Klein was doubtful of the aforementioned possibility.

Duke thought for a moment and hesitated before saying, "To welcome that person and tell him a single word."

Klein's spirits were immediately lifted as he asked without batting an eyelid, "What word?"

Duke's lips quivered as though he was mimicking the pronunciation. Then, he said in a strange tone, "Chernobyl."

"..." Klein's mind froze for a second before he let out a silent sigh.

...

The Loen Kingdom, East Chester County, in a forest.

The nearby villagers gathered here and plucked strange mushrooms that were covered in roots, deadwood, and shrubs.

According to the kingdom's laws, everything that grew in this forest belonged to its owner, Miss Audrey Hall. However, with the war escalating, the demand of food, and the high taxes, these factors made it so that the farmers could no longer care about breaking the law. It was something that needed to be considered only if they survived. Furthermore, with more people participating, they naturally became emboldened.

They formed small teams and very efficiently plucked the mushrooms that were covered in golden stars or marbling streaks. They were divided into two parts, and a small portion was reserved for consumption. Most of them were prepared to be sold to grain merchants waiting outside the forest to exchange for gold pounds, for salt, fabric and other essential items.

These farmers didn't go overboard. Other than the mushrooms, they only took a portion of the fruits on the trees. They left behind what was sufficient for the rangers of the forest to submit to their masters.

In just two or three hours, the farmers sold large amounts of mushrooms and fruits. With the gold pounds in hand, they returned to their hamlets with beaming smiles.

To them, everything that happened today was what they wanted to do and they had also achieved their predetermined goals.

The grain merchant who had a full beard was equally happy because this was an unexpected harvest. With the present situation, he could earn a lot of money.

He led the workers with him to move large amounts of mushrooms and fruits to the processing point outside the city. After making the necessary arrangements, he placed them all into the warehouse.

As a meticulous businessman, he checked the warehouse again after sending the workers away. After confirming that there were no mistakes, he closed the door and locked it.

At this moment, he saw a thick wad of cash on the ground. They were all ten-pound notes.

When did I drop so much money? The grain merchant bent down in joy and picked up the stack of notes.

As he counted, he suddenly recalled the origins of the money.

They were the profits from selling the mushroom powder, dried mushroom, and dried fruits!

How generous! The bearded businessman sighed in satisfaction and turned to leave the warehouse.

Inside the warehouse, Audrey, who was wearing a light blue dress, removed her Psychological Invisibility and took out a black pocket.

This was the Traveler's Bag that she had rented from Xio.

Following that, the blonde, simple-looking Audrey easily threw bags of food into the black pocket.

After doing all of this, she took out a hard-covered bronze notebook and flipped to a page with "Teleportation."

This was from Fors—Leymano's Travels.

And what had conspired here was secretly manipulated by Audrey.

She first gave the fast-growing mushrooms provided by Ma'am Hermit to the animals in the woods. With their help, she "planted" them at suitable spots. Following that, she "influenced" the farmers in the surrounding hamlets, strengthening their inner desires, and making them overcome their fear of the law. And that grain merchant "happened" to pass by and discovered this.

This sort of manipulation of a person's heart was intoxicating, like a master of all beings. However, Audrey didn't smile at all. Instead, she sighed softly.

It's still not enough... I'm still lacking plenty. Lots...

The mushrooms she had obtained wasn't the type that Little Sun said could absorb the flesh and blood of monsters to flourish. They needed sufficient nutrients to rapidly grow. Therefore, there was no way to plant a second batch of mushrooms in this forest in a short time; otherwise, it was very likely to become a desert.

Staring at the empty cloth bags that had been emptied out, Audrey's green eyes flashed. She couldn't help but think, A large amount of food is concentrated at the Church, the royal family, the military, the government, the nobles, and the businessmen...

There are also some from Feysac, Intis, and Feynapotter, but who knows how many times I'll have to move them with only Traveler's Bag...

Manipulating the nobles, businessmen, and military personnel is very dangerous. I might be discovered if I'm not careful...

If the situation hadn't deteriorated to such a state, I might have never known that some people would have such a side to them...

When the environment and circumstances are different, the masks that everyone wears are different. I have to take note of this in the future...

As her thoughts raced, Audrey, who lacked experience in handling such matters, decided to seek Mr. World's advice to see if he had any suggestions.

As The World Gehrman Sparrow had been walking alone in the uninhabited Forsaken Land of the Gods, he was surrounded by darkness and despair. Audrey suggested that he should seek her out regularly for psychological counseling. This might not necessarily imply any treatment. A casual chat could effectively relieve the pressure, loneliness, and misery.

Gehrman Sparrow followed his doctor's advice, and from their chats, Audrey knew that, apart from asking her for medical advice, this powerful adventurer would also gossip with Mr. Star above the gray fog from time to time, maintaining a rather good state of mind.

With this decision, Audrey immediately activated her "Traveling" ability and returned to Backlund.

But on second thought, she felt a little depressed.

This was because she knew that, even if she gathered a large amount of food, she could only quell the residents of Backlund for some time. If the war didn't end, the situation would still worsen.

War... Audrey closed her eyes. She had no idea how she could stop it.

She had heard from Ma'am Hermit that the nature of this war was very likely to be a battle of gods. And the prelude to a battle of gods had always been very consistent; it was to spend a certain amount of time and strength to shake the anchors of "Their" opponents.

After some thought, Audrey pursed her lips and decided to start with what she could do.

As the notebook emitted a misty glow, her figure quickly turned transparent and disappeared.

...

Beside the quietly burning bonfire, Klein, who had just sent away the "guests" from Moon City, couldn't help but recall the words Blasphemer Amon had said before.

"He" said that there were many clues and things in the past that "He" wanted to explore that were buried deep within Chernobyl.

The ancient sun god had also specially emphasized "Chernobyl"... Amidst his thoughts, he suddenly had the urge to explore Chernobyl.

This wasn't considered rash. It was something he had always wanted to do. However, he didn't dare to do so because of Amon.

I've been heading east for more than half a year. Who would've thought that I would suddenly arrive at Chernobyl... Amon has obtained the last Worm of Time Beyonder characteristic and is preparing the ritual. It's impossible for "His" true body to still be in Chernobyl... Yes, "He" is a very patient King of Angels. Perhaps, "His" avatars have been waiting in Chernobyl all this time... After analyzing the present situation, Klein decided to let a projection from the Historical Void make an attempt.

In any case, he would never head there directly with his actual body!

After making up his mind, Klein went above the gray fog to do a divination. Then, he returned to the real world and reached out his hand to grab into the void, dragging his past self from five minutes ago.

As his main body disappeared, his projection gained consciousness. Following that, he grabbed a few times and took out the black staff embedded with many gems.

The Staff of the Stars!

He wanted to use the power of the Staff of the Stars to directly "Teleport" to Chernobyl!