Lord of the Mysteries

by Shih

The story begins from chapter 239 onwards.

11. ch 651 - 700

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 651: Meeting Again

Upon seeing Will Auceptin's warning, Klein's first found himself blessed with good luck.

Thankfully I didn't court death and continue the exploration… He didn't hesitate to heave a sigh of relief.

Although he had seen the mural related to Ouroboros, as well as the terrifying monster, Anderson, who mutated for some unknown reason, he didn't actually physically get himself into a dangerous situation.

I wonder if I'll randomly appear in a region in the next dream, or will it continue from before… If it's the latter, the best choice of action is to not disturb Anderson so as to avoid agitating him. I'll just walk the same way back and leave that black cloister… Klein retracted his gaze and continued reading.

"Apart from the dream, the other things aren't that troublesome. As long as you don't attempt to approach those ruins, directly look at the thing that flies in the sky at 'midday,' or challenge the storms that give ample warning, then it wouldn't be a problem if you follow the safe sea routes that have been verified by others.

"As for mermaids, just keep cruising forward and you'll ultimately encounter them. This is because, at their levels, they will only live in relatively safer areas, and there aren't many such areas.

"Finally, I hope everything goes smoothly.

"Sincerely, your friend who might be often in deep sleep due to reaching a critical stage in his maturing development,

Will Auceptin"

The final sentence was long and somewhat awkward-sounding, but Klein instantly understood what the Snake of Fate meant: Before I'm born, don't disturb me unless it's something extremely important and critical!

I'll try my best… Klein replied inwardly without any assurance.

If he successfully advanced, then it might not take long before he had to seek Will Auceptin's help in finding the Sequence 4 potion formula for the Seer pathway.

Being more confident with finding mermaids, Klein immediately left the dream, wore his hat, and headed for the pirates' dining hall.

Due to the dream's disturbance, most of the food had turned cold, but the pirates still had a great time eating. After all, no one died.

Since no one died during this mystical encounter, they naturally felt great that they had something to brag about.

"Do you want a cup of milk?" Frank Lee held a plate and sat opposite Klein, asking warmly.

Recalling the conversation in the dream, Klein firmly shook his head with a deadpan expression.

Inwardly, he was very worried that the milk on the ship were all Frank's experimental products.

Frank didn't mind as he gulped a mouthful of milk.

"I remember telling you about those little things in the dream?"

"Yes." Klein cut through a Dragon-Bone Fish that was cooked in sauce, and he stuffed it into his mouth.

This kind of fish was well known for having few bones. Most of the time, it only had one main bone. In Backlund, due to its various species, they were considered a mid- to high-end delicacy, but east of the Oravi Island, in the periphery of the safe sea routes, they could often be caught.

Frank chuckled.

"My description back then was a little inaccurate. Their true purpose was to successfully produce milk even when they aren't in a state capable of lactation, regardless of whether they are male or female. As long as they consume it, they will produce milk and return to normal once they aren't fed. This way, the milk cows don't have to suffer any torture. This way, it becomes fairer for men and women to bring up their children. It will be beneficial for women to head out for work…"

Wait, why are you telling me this… Klein nearly failed to maintain his persona as Gehrman Sparrow.

At that instant, he felt that the nickname of crazy shouldn't be Gehrman Sparrow's but Frank Lee's.

He's actually someone who supports equality between men and women. However, his means are a little terrifying… That's right. The Church of Mother Earth is like the Church of the Goddess. They believe that women should have the same standing in society as men. However, they place more emphasis on reproduction, treating it as the holiest matter…

Among the seven Churches, the Church of Storms and the Church of the God of Combat are most biased towards men. The Church of the Sun is next. As for the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, they are different from the other Churches. They discriminate based on intelligence. The Church of Steam is neutral and has even worked with the Church of the Goddess to encourage women to head out for work due to the need for more labor in the development of industry… Klein instantly had the differences between the seven Churches flash past his mind.

He looked up and glanced at Frank Lee as though what he had just said was something trivial.

This made Frank rather happy as he couldn't help but drink a few more mouthfuls of milk.

After the pirates finished their lunch in batches, Cattleya pushed open the windows to the captain's cabin once again. Using magic, she amplified her voice.

"There's an island 1.5 nautical miles ahead of us. We will dock there and wait for the storm to pass.

"In these waters, every time there's a switch from noon to nighttime, there's a possibility of a terrifying storm occurring. I cannot confirm when it will happen, but I believe it's safer for us to wait for it to pass before we continue our voyage."

She went into the details a lot more than in the past, as it wasn't a sudden occurrence, and there was plenty of time.

One of the things people at sea feared the most was a storm; therefore, no one objected to it. They went according to Cattleya's instructions. Under Navigator Ottolov's and Boatswain Nina's guidance, they nervously prepared to dock.

And this made Klein confirm one of the matters that Will Auceptin had mentioned.

Do not challenge any signs of a storm!

Before long, an island covered with gigantic trees appeared ahead of the Future.

The more than hundred-meter-long sailboat adjusted its course and docked against the wind.

More than half an hour passed as the sky suddenly dimmed. Lead-colored clouds surfaced one after another.

They overlapped with one another as though they enveloped all the surrounding waters.

Amidst a loud boom and blinding flashes of lightning, a hurricane from afar swept over.

It was connected to the clouds at the top and to the sea at the bottom. It was more exaggerated than any legendary giant. It was like a gigantic coiling serpent in a bid to destroy the world.

The terrifying hurricane brought with it waves that towered like mountains. Lightning that branched out like trees and didn't stop because of the incoming storm. It constantly struck the surface of the sea, splitting into tiny electric bolts that spread outwards.

As the rain pattered down on the Future's deck, it made the pirates who had entered the cabin or gotten shelter feel like the apocalypse had arrived.

Such a storm didn't last too long. The sea calmed down after about fifteen minutes, and the hurricane dissipated. The midday sunlight reigned in the sky once again.

"You can head onto the island for a while, but don't wander inside. You have to be within the range of the cannons." Cattleya gave the pirates a brief chance of reprieve.

Klein kept in mind Will Auceptin's warnings and had no desire to explore the island. After leaving the Future, he only walked about on the shore, taking in the feeling of having his feet on solid ground.

Beach, sunlight, trees… It feels like a vacation… Klein thought in amusement when he suddenly noticed a rapidly moving black dot through the corner of his eye.

It was rushing over from the boundary of a cliff!

The black dot increased in size to reveal a human figure!

Not far away, Cattleya, who was on the sand, also noticed the abnormality. She half-turned around and took off the heavy glasses on her nose bridge.

The figure with emerald-colored eyes approached. He was wearing a white shirt, a black vest, and trousers. He was of medium build with his blond hair split seventy-thirty.

Anderson!

The unlucky Anderson!

Klein instantly recognized him.

The person was none other than the terrifying Anderson in the dream world!

It was the Anderson who said that his companions never returned after they proceeded to explore the hall but had claimed to be a member of the exploration team!

At that moment, Anderson raised his right hand.

Without any hesitation, as Gehrman Sparrow, Klein took out a charm and chanted a single word in ancient Hermes.

"Storm!"

The charm made of tin immediately turned sharp, resembling a thin blade.

With the infusion of spirituality, the wind in midair reverberated.

With a deadpan expression, Klein threw out the charm in his hand at Anderson.

Sou! Sou! Sou!

Azure sharp blades shot at their target like a lined up firing squad.

Anderson was raising his right hand high with a smile and was about to say something when he heard a deep and mysterious incantation and the scalp-numbing sound of the wind.

His gaze froze as he threw himself to the side and somersaulted multiple times in a pathetic manner as if the area before him was scorching metal.

Sou! Sou! Sou!

The wind blades struck the beach, slicing clear slits into the sand, but they were just short of hitting their target.

"Stop! Stop!" As Anderson nimbly somersaulted to dodge, he shouted, "I come in peace! I mean no harm!"

"Anderson Hood…" Admiral of Stars suddenly said a name as she raised her hand to stop Gehrman Sparrow who had taken out a charm.

She knows Anderson? Klein didn't rashly chant the charm's incantation as he said in a deep voice, "He has already mutated.

"I saw him in the dream."

He wasn't surprised at meeting the unlucky Anderson. This was because the pirates were all in the same area during the dream. They were all very close to one another, which also meant that Anderson, who wasn't too far away, was also very close to the Future.

"No! Not at all!" Anderson stood up, at a loss on whether to laugh or cry. He raised his hands like he was surrendering. "I recognize you. You asked me many questions. Back then, I wanted to pull a prank on you. Really, it was just a joke to enliven the mood. Don't you think that having the mood suddenly change into one of horror is an exhilarating experience? Of course, I'm referring to the target and not myself.

"If I had participated in the exploration, how could I still be alive?"

That is what I'm worried about… Klein didn't believe his explanation.

Anderson shrugged and said, "I was preparing to explain that the moment I said that. I was planning on telling you that I was joking and had planned to seek your help. I hope that you could take me away, but at that moment, the dream ended… Dammit, I was really too unlucky!"

It does comply with the traits of being unlucky… Klein silently muttered.

He planned on flipping a coin right there and then to test him with divination when he suddenly heard Admiral of Stars Cattleya say, "Listen to what he has to say.

"He's very famous in the Fog Sea. He has the nickname 'Strongest Hunter.'"

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 652: Mermaid Clues

Strongest Hunter… Klein was shocked by this nickname. After carefully recalling, he realized that the man didn't have a bounty on his head.

That meant that Anderson Hood's description of himself in the dream world was real and reliable. He was more of a treasure hunter!

Unfortunately, Gehrman Sparrow hasn't killed any pirate admirals, otherwise, I would be the strongest hunter… Klein didn't let down his guard as he coldly looked at the man.

As long as Anderson Hood showed any signs of abnormality, he would immediately throw the charm in his hand. After all, the activation incantation was all the same. At his Sequence, he could do it simultaneously while injecting his spirituality.

Upon hearing the Admiral of Stars's introduction, Anderson seriously shook his head.

"No, I'm not the strongest hunter."

Oh, he's still rather humble… Klein sighed inwardly.

Anderson chuckled and added, "Admiral of Stars, if you really insist, then it's best if you add the condition: below that of a demigod.

"Yes, the strongest hunter below that of a demigod."

… I take back what I just said… The corners of Klein's mouth twitched indiscernibly.

Seeing no response from the Admiral of Stars, Anderson naturally lowered his arms.

"These waters are very dangerous, but it contains many treasures. In this regard, I believe the two of you are very aware.

"In the past, many adventurers, or more precisely, treasure hunters, have entered these waters to seek our fortuitous encounters, but most of them didn't leave these waters alive. Heh heh, I'm talking about most, so there are always some lucky ones who can obtain items and ingredients while successfully leaving.

"The treasure-hunting team I was in was organized by two treasure hunters who are experienced in this area. They claimed to be very aware of which ruins are not to be explored in the first half of the safe route and which ruins could be attempted. They also claimed to know which methods should be used to hunt various kinds of monsters, as well as what methods should be used to avoid evil creatures who have lost control.

"I've always been curious about these waters and was successfully convinced by them and joined the expedition."

"And then?" Cattleya looked at the figure opposite her with her black eyes that had a purple hue.

Anderson sighed and said, "It was very smooth in the beginning, as smooth as it can be. We avoided danger and obtained many of the relics left behind by former explorers, and we also hunted some monsters and obtained several ingredients.

"Everything changed when we discovered a strange temple on a submerged island. There were many murals which remained intact. This gentleman has also seen it in the dream world."

He used his chin to gesture at Klein.

"That's not important," Klein replied calmly.

Anderson shook his head and smiled bitterly.

"One of the murals was very sinister. It described a pilgrimage proceeding forward amidst a parted sea.

"The leader of the pilgrimage is depicted as an angel, having long silver hair that reached his back. He had very mild facial features.

"I was the first to arrive in front of that mural. I reached out my right hand and habitually outlined the various lines in midair. It's true, I… really didn't touch it. I was at least five centimeters away, but to my surprise, the angel in the mural suddenly opened his eyes."

… Your nickname as the Strongest Hunter must've been forced as a result of you attracting too many problems… Klein scoffed silently without any sense of pity.

"Silver-haired angel?" Cattleya asked in return.

"Yes, but I'm not sure which angel it is. At the very least, he hasn't appeared in any of the portraits of the seven Churches. Of course, the mural artist might've casually added it, and it might not be real." Anderson was just about to raise his hand to comb his hair when he discovered that the man wearing a round neck shirt, a brown jacket, pantaloons with a dark-colored cap was coldly staring at him. It appeared as though any abnormal action would result in the man attacking without hesitation.

But at that moment, Klein was thinking about something else.

This fellow is very professional when it comes to art. At the very least, the typical person wouldn't be able to know of so many religious portraits.

Cattleya, who didn't receive an adequate answer, immediately turned her head towards Klein, her gaze filled with an inquisitive look.

She had just heard from Anderson Hood that Gehrman Sparrow had seen the mural.

Perhaps, this member of the organization that has been gifted by the "Lord" can recognize the angel… Cattleya had an inexplicable feeling that Gehrman Sparrow might really know the answer.

Considering how Ma'am Hermit would be able to obtain the answer at the next Tarot Club from a casual question, Klein didn't hesitate to simply say, "Tail Devourer Ouroboros."

Tail Devourer Ouroboros? That Angel of Fate? That King of Angels? Cattleya unknowingly pursed her lips as the purple hue in her eyes turned slightly more obvious.

The last time she had heard this name was from the Tarot Club, thanks to Miss Justice.

And that was her first time learning of the existence of the Kings of Angels. She never expected to obtain clues of them in the real world in just a few months!

"Tail Devourer Ouroboros?" Anderson ruminated over the name in a daze.

Klein didn't speak further, showing his disinterest in explaining.

Seeing how the Admiral of Stars wasn't speaking a word, Anderson could only laugh and continue, "I thought I was hallucinating back then because the mural didn't show any abnormality after that.

"Following that, our team fractured into two. Most of them were frightened by my account and believed that they shouldn't continue exploring the temple. The remaining third desired to obtain more treasure and began setting off deeper into the temple. We waited an entire day—noon switched night a total of three times—but we didn't manage to see them return.

"We were all outstanding treasure hunters, so we knew that something must've gone wrong. After making some confirmations, we didn't dare stay any longer or wait. We immediately left the temple and got onto the ship to return the way we came. We had already received plenty, and we didn't wish to take any more risks."

Wait, none of you had the intention to save your companions? Yes, a treasure-hunting team that is temporarily put together will only bother with themselves and the few friends they are familiar with when they encounter danger… According to my experience, those companions of yours that vanished might be eating the fingers of corpses… Klein lampooned and didn't reprimand Anderson.

Anderson sighed again and said, "After leaving that temple, I discovered that there was something abnormal about myself. On the one hand, I became very unlucky, with everything I do failing. Even when drinking light beer in silence, I'll realize that someone had used a beer barrel as a toilet and pissed in it. Well, that's not what I encountered. It was my companion.

"On the other hand, we obtained control of ourselves in our dreams. We were no longer in a reverie and knew something, but we had no means to take action. Therefore, a number of my companions, a third of the original number of people, ventured deep into the dream world. Heh heh, they never returned."

Cattleya, who had been listening in silence, asked, "What about their bodies in the real world?"

"They mutated into monsters, killing quite a number of my remaining companions and sailors." Anderson took an obvious deep breath. "We might've successfully killed those monsters, but due to the lack of sailors, as well as encountering a streak of bad luck, we failed to reach this island in time before the storm arrived. Therefore, our ship sank. Likewise for our loot. The rest of my companions either drowned, got struck by lightning, or got eaten by the underwater monsters. I didn't see all of it myself.

"As for me, I was relatively stronger and luckier than them. I was sent flying by the waves and successfully swam to the shore of this island and began attempting to create a canoe to leave this area. Heh, as you can see, even my final axe has shattered. It was also reflected in the dream."

Anderson's final sentences were directed at Klein.

They really are a treasure-hunting group plagued with bad luck… Klein inwardly drew the crimson moon for him.

He believed that Anderson's description was likely real. His experienced didn't seem to be fabricated out of thin air. However, it was unknown if he was hiding something.

Perhaps, Anderson had really gone deep into the temple and eaten the fingers of the corpses before coming out, believing that he was fine. Perhaps, he had already explored numerous places in the dream world and had been corrupted by some unknown creature in an inconspicuous manner.

After Anderson Hood finished recounting his experience, he smiled at Cattleya and the man who he didn't know the name of.

"Do I have the honor of being a passenger on your Future?

"I will pay for the fare."

He looked as if payment wasn't a problem at all.

Cattleya once again turned her head to the side towards Klein, as though asking if he would accept.

This is to say that you are leaning towards accepting his request? Aren't you going to do any tests? I have to go above the gray fog to divine before I can provide a clear answer. What gives you the confidence? A Beyonder power obtained once a Mystery Pryer reaches Sequence 5? Klein figured out a lot of information from Cattleya's gaze.

Just as he was hesitating, Anderson hurriedly said, "I'm very familiar with the route ahead!

"I can help you avoid the latent dangers on the safe sea route, and I can tell you which ruins aren't to be explored. I can also give you early notice to avoid the singing voices of the mermaids in time!"

"Singing voices of mermaids?" Klein's eyes nearly lit up as it took him a great deal of effort to maintain Gehrman Sparrow's image.

"Yes, a day's voyage from here, and I mean a day in terms of the world outside, we will circle around a ruin and turn…" Upon saying that, Anderson suddenly realized something as he shut his mouth with a smile without saying anything more.

Klein thought for a moment and took out a gold coin in front of Anderson as he silently chanted.

"Anderson Hood is problematic."

…

He repeated seven times and went through the standard process of divination, but he didn't hold any hopes for an answer.

It was a test on Anderson.

If Anderson really was problematic, he would definitely show signs of guilt. After all, he couldn't be certain of Gehrman Sparrow's divination standard and was unable to determine if he could disrupt it successfully.

Ding!

The gold coin was flung into the air before landing. Klein glanced at it before putting it into his pocket.

"No problem."

I'll later make a confirmation by going above the gray fog… Klein added inwardly.

Cattleya looked at Anderson and nodded.

"I agree to your request.

"However, after we leave these waters, you need to hand over half of what you have. If there's nothing, I'll not take anything either."

Anderson fell silent for a few seconds before smiling again.

"Deal!

Having found a way out, he clearly relaxed as he smiled.

"Also, I have to warn you that although my bad luck is limited to me alone, you should be careful because I might attract monsters. Of course, I believe that with you, this gentleman, and myself, we should be able to guarantee our safety."

Just as he said that, the entire island quaked. A smoky plume emanated out of the primitive forest.

"Don't tell me a monster is really coming…" Anderson subconsciously turned agape.

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 653: Black-faced, Black-handed

The ground trembled slightly as a figure that was nearly three meters tall appeared at the boundary of the island's primitive forest.

Its body was grayish-white in color, seemingly formed from boulders. Its face was potholed without any obvious eyes, nose, mouth, or ears.

"Stone giant…" Cattleya muttered the monster's type.

Be it Klein or Anderson, both of them knew nothing about such monsters.

However, they didn't cast an inquisitive look at Cattleya. They focused on the monster, looking highly professional.

Cattleya turned her body to face the docked Future. She raised her right hand halfway and amplified her voice.

"Aim!"

The pirates on duty immediately adjusted dozens of cannons on the port of the ship, aiming them right at the Stone Giant which was lumbering over.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Cannonballs flew out and landed around the Stone Giant, sending dust flying as the bombardment covered a huge area.

The ground clearly quaked as flames surged. Splinters spewed everywhere as though everything could be destroyed.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

The tall grayish-white figure tore out of the dust, having not suffered any serious damage. All it had were a few cracks on its surface.

Cattleya said without a perturbed expression, "This isn't a kind of giant, but a kind of stone golem.

"Its core is the main ingredient of Sequence 5 Guardian from the Guardian Sequence pathway. Therefore, its defenses are extremely high."

Amidst the reverberating cannon bombardment, Klein nearly suspected if there was a problem with his auditory senses.

Since you know that the stone giant has high defense, why did you use a cannon bombardment? Isn't that a waste of cannonballs? he thought in puzzlement as he lampooned.

Perhaps hearing his inner thoughts, Cattleya said as she watched the stone giant approach, "I've never encountered such a Beyonder creature before, so I wished to do some tests."

I have nothing to say against such a reason… Klein was rendered speechless.

At this moment, Anderson Hood, who had been observing the stone giant the entire time, raised his hand and said, "Do you have anyone who has Beyonder powers in the ice and frost domain?"

"Me," Cattleya coldly answered.

Seeing how Ma'am Hermit had the means, Klein swallowed back the words he nearly said out loud.

He really didn't wish to activate Creeping Hunger unless necessary, despite Zombie possessing the powers of ice and frost.

He believed that he couldn't find any suitable food on the island!

Cattleya took out a grayish-black scroll from a secret pocket in her warlock robe and softly chanted a single word in ancient Hermes, "Freezing!"

Silently, the scroll was consumed by icy-blue flames and immediately, there were crystalline streams of light that appeared in midair.

They flew towards the stone giant and froze the target within as icicles hung from it.

Amidst jarring, cracking sounds, the ice layer cracked in turn as the stone giant slowly walked out of the zone. However, its grayish-white exterior had turned a darker shade. Its motions were a lot stiffer than before.

At this moment, Anderson raised his hands as though he was a conductor gesturing for the audience to give their applause.

Orange-yellow flames which were almost white in color sprouted at the stone giant's feet as though it had stepped into a particular trap.

Its surface rapidly produced a bout of steam as cracks spread across its body in the form of deep fractures.

Anderson pulled back with his right arm as a burning-white spear condensed in his palm.

The flames at the tip of the spear condensed to a point as it emitted a blinding luster.

The spear flew out, accurately hitting the crack in the stone giant's belly as the flames melted a huge hole in it.

As for Anderson Hood, who was originally on the beach, he seemed to merge with the burning-white spear. The flames brightened as he strangely appeared behind the stone giant.

He held his left hand into a fist as his arm bulged. With an uppercut, he struck upwards from the hole and into the stone giant's heart.

This simple-looking strike created an exaggerated effect. The stone giant immediately froze on the spot as cracking sounds constantly emitted from its interior. In seconds, it had crumbled into rubble.

A critical strike… Klein's pupils constricted.

Cattleya calmly stood on the spot and said without any surprise, "Sequence 5 of the Hunter pathway is Reaper.

"Furthermore, they are good at finding the weakness of their prey."

Reaper… A death reaper of life? No wonder… Klein nodded slightly.

At this moment, Anderson crouched down and rummaged through the stone giant's carcass.

Then, he turned his head and smiled ruefully.

"It's not a real monster."

That meant that there weren't any spoils of war!

While Anderson described the situation, the rubble vanished at a discernible pace.

… For an unlucky fellow like you, don't be the one opening chests or looting corpses… Klein couldn't help but lampoon inwardly.

Anderson returned and kept droning on.

"The greatest problem of these waters is this. Not every monster will provide you with riches!"

This is because conjured monsters such as this are a part of more powerful monsters of a higher level. Of course, it's possible that they're the result of remnant powers and auras… Klein already had a preliminary theory towards this.

Having gone through the voyage, he discovered that there were Beyonder traces of Sun, Evernight, Storm, and the Spectator pathway. He had a more fleshed out theory from his previous theories.

He originally suspected that these waters were the remnants of a battlefield in a war between Second Epoch ancient gods. Storm belonged to Elf King Soniathrym; Spectator belonged to Dragon King Ankewelt; Evernight belonged to King of Demonic Wolves Flegrea. With Little Sun providing him with the legendary records from the City of Silver at each gathering, Klein had gained a preliminary understanding of the authorities of the eight ancient gods in the Second Epoch.

However, the constant midday and the Sun Chariot formed from gold had made Klein have doubts about his theory. This was because none of the eight ancient gods grasped the Sun pathway.

Soon, Klein connected it to Amon's and Adam's father, the City of Silver Creator who was deemed as the ancient sun god.

After this Creator awakened, and after a series of intense battles, he had taken back the authorities of the ancient gods!

Hence, these ruins of the battle between gods were left behind? The incomplete mural he saw at the elvish ruin suddenly surfaced in Klein's mind.

Elf King Soniathrym and the City of Silver's Creator, who was also the ancient sun god, were at odds!

As his thoughts wandered, Anderson had returned to his chuckling state. He looked at him and said, "How do I address you?"

"Gehrman Sparrow," Klein simply gave his name.

"Gehrman Sparrow?" Anderson was first taken aback before recovering. "I've heard of you. You're the adventurer who nearly successfully hunted Vice Admiral Ailment. You have the title of the craziest hunter! Last month, when the ship I was onboard passed by the Rorsted Archipelago and Oravi Island, I had thoughts of getting to know you over drinks, but your whereabouts were unknown."

Last month? I was doing volunteer work at the hospital… Klein nodded and said, "You know me now.

"Also, try your best not to say anything."

"…" Anderson forced a smile. "I know, my bad luck tends to make the negative words I say become reality. Alright, stop looking at me. I won't speak again. Put down that charm of yours."

Due to the appearance of the stone giant, the pirates' relaxation time was cut short. The Future quickly set off once again, venturing deep into the sea.

Along the way, Klein stayed standing on the deck and leaned against the side of the ship. He observed his surroundings while Anderson was loitering on the ship. He was good at socializing and interacting with the pirates.

Impressive. He easily got to know the situation of the ship… Klein shot a glance at Anderson, who was drinking with a few pirates in the shadows, as he sighed inwardly.

Of course, the Strongest Hunter probably doesn't know that the alcohol he's drinking has a sedative of unknown origins… Klein held back his laughter as he thought mischievously.

With Anderson's help, the Future circled around two hidden maelstroms and a floating palace ruin as it continued down the safe sea route.

About three hours later, night fell again.

Klein rapidly found his lucidity and reason in the dream as he opened his eyes and looked around.

His vision was a swath of pitch-blackness with nothing to be seen.

… Don't tell me I'm blind… Such a thought instinctively appeared in Klein's mind. Then, he reached his right palm into his pocket and took out a matchstick.

This was a component that every Magician needed for his spells.

With familiarity, he took out a matchstick and ignited it. Immediately, a weak flame appeared in front of Klein's eyes.

The flame struggled as it bloomed, slightly illuminating his surroundings.

He was in a prison cell, one with an unlatched gate made up of metal railings!

Why would I be here? I'm neither beside Admiral of Stars or in the mural hall where Anderson was… I'm randomly placed in a particular area? As his thoughts raced, Klein flicked his wrist and extinguished the matchstick that nearly burnt his fingers.

A resplendent layer of sunlight bloomed on his left hand as his eyes had two miniaturized suns.

With the soul of the Priest of Light, he obtained night vision from the Light of Holiness.

As he observed his surroundings, Klein saw that the cell he was in wasn't too cramped, but the floor was dirty and messy. There were many footprints, a mystery as to what previously happened.

Most of them are human footprints. A few of them are rather exaggerated, likely belonging to giants… The single bed is broken in the corner while there's a key beside the door… Someone succeeded in a jailbreak? Klein came before the unlocked metal gate and carefully looked outside.

The prison was filled with darkness. The darkness enveloped a stone-paved corridor, and across from him was a cold but solid wall. The path extended continuously on both sides as though there were more prison cells.

Klein retracted his gaze, picked up the key on the ground, and locked the gates.

He didn't attempt to head out and continued staying in the cell.

He clearly remembered that Will Auceptin had advised him not to explore the dream world. Therefore, he planned on awaiting the arrival of noon!

So what if it's a prison cell? It's not like I'm leaving… Klein huddled in the corner, sitting on the halved single bed, seemingly blending with the rich darkness around him.

In this extreme silence, Klein suddenly cocked his head since he vaguely heard light footsteps!

The sound of footsteps came from afar in an ethereal manner and at a slow frequency as it approached him.

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 654: Prisoner and Guard

No way. I haven't gone anywhere… Has the far-reaching hands of trouble come on its own?Klein revealed a grimace that didn't match Gehrman Sparrow's persona. He nearly drew a gasp.

The only thing stopping him from doing that was because it would cause quite a stir, making "trouble" discover his hiding spot!

No longer a green Nighthawk, he rapidly made up his mind. He held his breath, slowly stood up, and moved to the side of the metal gate, without a sound. He secretly and silently looked in the direction of the incoming footsteps.

He believed that, since hiding and avoiding it wasn't necessary useful, he had to determine the danger revolving around the situation so as to make the best choice!

The two miniature suns in his eyes dimmed as Klein waited for nearly a minute as he heard the footsteps turn heavier and clearer. Following that, he heard the clanking sound of a metallic gate slamming into the wall.

Following that, he saw a towering figure appear on the right of the corridor.

The figure was nearly 2.5 meters tall and wore black, full-body armor. The cold feeling it exuded seemed corporeal like a gigantic knight.

His aura was converged, and he was staid like the deep sea. In the space where his eyes were, there were two deep-red glows that flickered. In his hand was a long and broad black sword.

Creak!

He pushed open the metal gate to a cell and stepped in. He circled the cell, seemingly in search of something.

Man… Is he trying to find a particular prisoner? I'll definitely be discovered if this continues…Klein hesitated for a moment and wondered if he should leave the cell and search for a way out before the figure came close, or to sneak an attack to finish the target in a clean swoop before continuing to huddle in a corner to await the end of the dream.

After judging how much time he had left to think, Klein quickly took off the topaz pendant on his left wrist and began divining with a voice that perhaps only he could hear.

"That knight from before is very strong."

After quickly repeating it seven times, Klein opened his eyes to see the topaz pendant turning clockwise at a high frequency and large amplitudes.

This meant that the target was an extremely dangerous existence!

Without any hesitation or time to hesitate, Klein used the Beyonder powers of a Clown and controlled his muscles to pull open the metal gates without causing any additional stimulation.

Then, he took the opportunity when the black-armored entity entered another cell, to gently walk out into the corridor and rapidly headed left with his body crouched.

In the immense darkness, as he listened for any commotion behind him, he maintained his stealthy and swift motions, quickly making a bend and arriving at a metal gate which opened outwards. It looked like an exit.

Attempting to push and pull, Klein discovered that the metal gates weren't heavy, but it had been locked.

After two seconds of thought, he took out the key he picked up inside his cell, inserted it, and twisted it without holding out much hope.

A light click of a latch opening sounded as the metal gates unlocked.

That works? Although it's a dream, you can't just have a randomly picked up key be an important item… I originally planned on folding some paper to insert into the keyhole and repeatedly slice at it, bit by bit…Klein slowly pushed open the door as he lampooned while thinking in puzzlement.

To his disappointment, what stood behind the metal gates wasn't the exit but a hall filled with junk.

Closing the gate behind him in passing, he locked it again and circled around the items randomly strewn around, in search of a possible door or path.

A few seconds later, he noticed an inconspicuous black wooden door in a corner. Therefore, he carefully approached it and reached out for the handle.

The scene inside naturally appeared in his mind. It was a storage room, and on the right was a full-body mirror. And to its right was a figure wearing a short linen robe.

There's someone there? The escaped prisoner?Having been forced to leave his comfort zone, Klein decided to take hold of the initiative in a limited fashion. Therefore, he gently twisted the handle and pushed open the black wooden door.

He wanted to gather information on the general situation, so as to determine where to engage in combat or flee at the critical moment in time.

"Who is it?" the figure wearing a short linen robe hurriedly but softly asked. Its voice was filled with despair and pain.

"An adventurer," Klein succinctly answered.

He had already used his night vision to discern the figure's looks.

It was a man with a weathered face. He had wrinkles on his forehead and the corners of his eyes and mouth, but his hair was raven-black and lustrous. There wasn't a single strand of gray hair.

His short linen robe was ancient and simple. His expression was distorted due to the pain. His rarely seen pure black eyes were filled with unconcealed surprise and puzzlement.

"Adventurer?

"Why would you be here?"

Klein maintained a certain distance from the man who was difficult to discern whether he was considered young or old. He stood by the entrance and looked at him.

"Before asking others, introducing yourself is a necessary form of politeness."

As a Faceless, just the short act of sizing him up from before had made him grasp the man's features. Apart from the discordant hair and the wrinkles, he had an old, gruesome scar on his cheek.

The man was startled as he worriedly glanced at the hall.

"It's best you close the door. We cannot be caught by that devil; otherwise…"

The muscles on his face clearly twitched as though he had recalled something nasty.

"Devil?" Klein murmured and extended his hand back to close the black wooden door.

The man heaved a sigh of relief and smiled wryly.

"I apologize. I was indeed impolite.

"My name is Leomaster, an ascetic of a religious organization."

"A religious organization? From the looks of it, you aren't a devotee of any of the seven deities." Klein discovered a problem with his choice of words.

If he was an ascetic of one of the seven deities, he could've directly said it out loud. Even the high priest of the Church of Sun and the bishops of the Church of Storms wouldn't come to blows the moment they met in such a dangerous place.

Leomaster said with a self-deprecating laugh, "That's right. I worship the original Creator. 'He' is an omnipotent and omniscient existence, the source of everything great. 'He' is the Beginning and the End. 'He' is the god of all gods!"

This…Upon hearing how this person revered the original Creator, Klein's first reaction was that it was the Twilight Hermit Order.

However, there are also some smaller denominations in the Northern and Southern Continents. There's quite a number of people who believe in the original Creator…Klein deliberated as he asked, "What's the name of that religious organization?

"How did you end up here?"

Leomaster hesitated for a moment before saying, "To the far east of the Sonia Sea is where my Lord sleeps. 'His' sacred mountain is hidden somewhere there. I led a pilgrimage here in an attempt to witness his miracles to redeem myself.

"Perhaps it's a necessary test. We were caught by that devil, and one by one, we died…

"Later, I seized the opportunity to escape the cell and hid here, awaiting the devil's departure."

Klein thought for a moment before saying, "Do you know the name of that devil? What characteristics does he have?"

"He?" Leomaster shook his head, saying in a somewhat puzzled manner. "I do not know his exact name, but many pilgrims seem to know him. They call him the Saint of Darkness."

Saint of Darkness? A demigod? Is this Leomaster's dream, or is it the demigod's dream? From the outcome of my divination, it's likely the latter. Otherwise, it wouldn't be that dangerous…Klein was about to continue asking which organization Leomaster was from and determine the Beyonder powers of the Saint of Darkness when he suddenly noticed the full-body mirror opposite the ascetic through the corner of his eye.

In mysticism, mirrors were passages that connected hidden and unknown worlds. It easily brought about terrifying accidents; therefore, Klein, who was in a dangerous dream, carefully walked over and planned on using the powers of a Priest of Light to destroy the item.

"No, don't!" Leomaster seemed to sense Klein's intention as he cried out softly in horror. "Without it, I-I will immediately die!"

Ah?Klein looked at the mirror again in puzzlement.

Although the environment was abnormally dark, the mirror clearly reflected two figures. One of them was Leomaster with his numerous wrinkles and raven-black hair. The other was the thin-faced, black-haired and brown-eyed Gehrman Sparrow who wore a cap.

At this moment, the Gehrman Sparrow in the mirror slowly moved his head even though Klein didn't make any movements. He revealed a deep, sinister smile towards him!

The mirror's surface suddenly rippled as a hand reached out.

With just the blinking of his eyes, the Gehrman Sparrow, who looked identical to him, crawled out of the mirror. His face was tainted with an obvious sinisterness due to the darkness cloaking it!

How terrifying… Unfortunately, I don't look like Gehrman Sparrow; therefore, you failed to scare me… If Zhou Mingrui came out of the mirror, I might've been woken up out of fright…Klein calmly looked at his counterpart and raised his left hand which swirled with a layer of sunlight.

The sinister Gehrman Sparrow smiled as he raised his left hand as well, making a darkness that was made up of magnificence and sinisterness surface on his glove.

This corresponded to the powers of a Baron of Corruption!

My clone?Klein thought as he raised his right hand expressionlessly.

From out of nowhere, he held a short milky-white scepter in his palm, and at its tip were embedded blue "gems."

Sea God Scepter!

Although his actions in a dream needed to abide by logic in order to achieve the desired effects, Klein suspected that the illusory world was unable to influence the mysterious space or the gray fog. Therefore, he attempted to simplify the ritualistic process and told himself that the Sea God Scepter was stored in a similar unique zone in the spirit world. He could retrieve it whenever he wanted.

The outcome from his attempt delighted Klein. Indeed, the dream world was unable to differentiate between a unique zone in the spirit world and the space above the gray fog. With the premise of the Sea God Scepter belonging to him, this Sealed Artifact at the demigod level was "retrieved!"

It really works… Otherwise, I'd have to engage in an intense battle…Klein secretly heaved a sigh of relief.

He similarly believed that the mirror was unable to replicate matters related to the gray fog.

The sinister Gehrman Sparrow looked opposite him in a dazed state. He instinctively raised his hand, but his right palm was empty.

Then, he saw countless bolts of silver lightning shoot out, enveloping him inside, causing him to expend one Paper Figurine Substitute after another without being able to escape from the area.

With a sizzling sound, a huge ball of lightning illuminated the cramped room which provided no room for dodging. Following that, the Gehrman Sparrow from the mirror vanished.

For some reason, Klein felt himself immediately turn serene, as though he had become a sage.

He turned his head and looked at Leomaster again.

"What's the name of the religious organization you joined?"

Leomaster trembled as he answered, "Aurora Order…"

Aurora Order?Klein was stunned as he couldn't help but prick up his brows.

At this moment, there was a loud clanking outside. The locked gates that opened outwards had seemed to have been kicked open.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

The heavy footsteps that sounded like drumming walked towards the corner, seemingly discovering where Klein and Leomaster were hiding.

Klein suspected that the Lightning Storm from before had been sensed by the Saint of Darkness!

There's no way of hiding…Klein held the Sea God Scepter and kicked the black wooden door of the storage room open towards the Saint of Darkness!

As the door tumbled, he clearly saw his target's appearance.

The knight, who was wearing black full-body armor, had already raised up his visor at some point in time, revealing his deep wrinkled face and some of his bright raven-black hair, as well as the old scar on his cheek.

He looked identical to Leomaster. Even the minute features were identical!

The only difference was the deep redness that emitted from his eyes.

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 655: Dream Analysis

!

Klein was alarmed. He instinctively turned his body to the side without exposing his back to Leomaster, who was trembling in horror in the storage room.

He couldn't be certain that the prisoner wearing a short linen robe wasn't problematic!

At this moment, the deep redness in the black-armored knight who had the same face as Leomaster brightened drastically. He raised up the gloomy broadsword in his hands.

Bam!

With a step forward, he cleaved forward at a speed that Klein couldn't capture with his naked eyes.

At the same time, Klein, who was standing to the side of him, subconsciously raised the Sea God Scepter and made the blue gems at its tip light up simultaneously.

Whoosh!

A corporeal hurricane appeared out of thin air as it swirled around Klein, protecting him within the eye of the hurricane.

Whoosh! The black streams of light carved its way over as layer after layer of the strong winds dissipated, scattering in every direction, causing the entire hall to tremble.

Boom!

Under the black broadsword, the hurricane produced an explosive boom and was reduced to a surging wave that flooded the entire region. It lifted up all the junk into the air.

The intense collision clearly shook the dream as Klein felt his mind go adrift. He couldn't help but roll twice.

Plop!

He fell from his bed to the floor, the fall causing him to open his eyes.

That Saint of Darkness is really powerful… Or should I say that I've never used the Sea God Scepter in the real world, so I'm unable to replicate its full might in the dream… Wait! It's still night! Klein suddenly noticed a problem.

At that moment, the midday sunlight wasn't beaming in from the windows!

His awakening was due to the intense struggle in the dream, not due to a natural occurrence!

That also meant that he needed to sleep immediately; otherwise, he might very well disappear in the dark night, never to be found again!

With that thought flashing in his mind, Klein pushed his right hand to the ground, flipping his body up as he flew towards his bed and laid himself down.

Then, he imagined the stacked spherical lights and quickly entered his dream.

During this process, Klein swept his gaze to the window and vaguely saw the dark night outside. It was quiet and serene without any sense of sinisterness.

Meanwhile, he vaguely felt that there was a fog encompassing the surface of the sea relatively far away. Amidst the fog, there was a cathedral composed of rather ancient architecture. It was completely black in color. There wasn't a bell tower, and at the top of it were pitch-black ravens spiraling around it as though they were consecrating or lamenting over something.

This cathedral has many buildings around it. There are ordinary two-story residences and simple wooden huts. There are bread shops with hanging signboards and grayish-white mills using waterwheels for power… Pedestrians pass through the main streets and alleys with their figures flitting about, impossible to know of their actual situations.

A mirage? The source of the danger at night? All the people who disappeared had lost their minds and went somewhere? Klein woke up from his dreams because he subconsciously considered the questions that he had accumulated.

Following that, he forcefully made himself concentrate. He retrieved the Sea God Scepter from the "spirit world's unique zone!"

He remembered that he was in an intense battle with the Saint of Darkness just before he left the dream!

The slightly dim golden light shone into Klein's eyes as everything immediately turned bright.

What he could see was no longer the tall knight dressed in black full-bodied armor, nor was it Leomaster, who was dressed in a short linen robe. Instead, he was facing a floor-to-ceiling window that faced the setting sun.

The window was very clean and revealed an indescribable sense of purity under the sun's illumination.

By the side of the window were tables with their original wooden colors and black high-back chairs. Further away were rows of bookshelves with all kinds of books placed on them.

A library? A book repository? Every time I enter this dream world, I'll be placed randomly in a certain area? Klein carefully observed his surroundings and confirmed that it was temporarily safe without the so-called Saint of Darkness or strange evil creatures.

He held the Sea God Scepter and first came to the floor-to-ceiling window and looked at the environment outside.

The first thing that he saw was the opulent buildings that covered the opposite mountain peak. The huge palaces, magnificent steeples, and the towering city walls that all appeared frozen in the sunset. It was a visual spectacle.

Even though it wasn't his first time seeing it, Klein still held his breath, quietly admiring this miraculous scenery for a few seconds.

He then moved his gaze away towards the cliff. He saw the high walls of the black cloister and the withered trees beside the boulders. But as they were blocked, it was impossible to confirm whether Cattleya remained in her original spot.

Indeed, within a certain radius, it's not possible to leave this region… I'm deep inside the black cloister? Klein retracted his gaze in thought as he walked to the bookshelves.

He temporarily didn't have the time to consider what happened between the Saint of Darkness and Leomaster in his previous dream. This was because he needed to determine his current situation.

When he arrived by the bookshelves, Klein discovered that the books placed on them had their own names. They weren't blurry and indistinct like ordinary dreams.

The Spirituality of Life, Book of Charms, The Flower Within the Heart, The True Cosmos and Inner Universe… These are all books on mysticism… Klein carefully reached out and took out the Book of Charms.

He quickly flipped through it and realized that he knew most of the content, but there was a small portion which he had never come into contact with.

It can be confirmed that this isn't from my dream… Ma'am Hermit's? The knowledge that pursues her and is injected into her has been conjured in this black cloister? Klein had no desire to explore beyond where he was. He held the Book of Charms and returned to the side of the floor-to-ceiling window. He found a spot to sit down and began reading in a serious manner with the sunset's glow.

You can still study even in dreams! As he lampooned, he took out a pen and paper as he wrote and drew.

While he was engrossed in this, the light suddenly bloomed as blinding whiteness blanketed his vision.

Klein naturally opened his eyes and felt warmth from the sunlight that shone inwards.

I just read a few pages and planned to speed read it before using dream divination to recall them… Klein sat up, frustrated. He felt like he had lost a good opportunity to study. This was because he couldn't determine if he would be randomly placed in the black cloister's library again.

He straightened his hair, wore his cap, and went to the deck. As he observed his surroundings, he recalled the dream.

That prison is likely inside the black cloister as well. Yes, it might be underground. In other words, the Saint of Darkness and Leomaster are in a ruin nearby.

It's no wonder that Will Auceptin told me not to attempt exploring the dream. These places are really filled with danger!

Why would the Saint of Darkness and Leomaster look identical? That dream was a little strange. Also, that full-body mirror was very magical and sinister. It actually managed to clone a Gehrman Sparrow…

Upon recalling this, Klein began to find examples from his past experiences to confirm his through processes by comparison.

This was called relying on experience.

Soon, he thought of something. He had once borrowed the Mental Terror Candle in Backlund and helped Father Utravsky eliminate the "past him." A character that was dissociated from his original self!

Could it be that Leomaster is the Saint of Darkness from the Aurora Order?

Due to certain reasons, he had split his personality, separating his good and evil sides? That sealed and dark prison is the reflection of his inner dream?

Yes, that full-bodied mirror! Leomaster had said that if it were destroyed, he would vanish as well. When I looked into the mirror, the Gehrman Sparrow inside it did form a corporeal body. It was evil!

It's no wonder I felt like a sage after I eliminated the Gehrman Sparrow in the mirror. It's because I got rid of my evil and sinister thoughts in my mind…

Yes, that full-body mirror must be in the form of a mirror in the real world… These waters clearly have the Beyonder remains of a Visionary. It conjures many unreal and real monsters that can kill… And this belongs to the Spectator pathway; therefore, being able to split good from evil and causing dissociated personalities does make logical sense…

Heh heh, Saint of Darkness Leomaster is a high-ranking member of the Aurora Order. He must originally be very evil, but that ruin or item stirred up his inverse side, which is the good hidden deep in his heart. It caused a split personality; hence, he is trapped somewhere nearby. Klein felt that he had roughly understood the truth to the matter and felt a little regret.

Unfortunately, I'm unable to enter the same spot a second time. Otherwise, with the Sea God Scepter and Leomaster's good side, there's a high chance of defeating his evil side, the Saint of Darkness. And the damage dealt in the dream world would continue on in the real world…

In that case, a good saint who understands the Aurora Order would be born. It will make it easier to strike down on this cultist organization… Klein silently sighed and turned halfway around and watched Anderson Hood walk out of the cabin.

"Where did you go in the dream? I didn't actually find you," the Strongest Hunter asked as though they were best buds.

Klein secretly frowned as he asked, "Why should I be seen by you?"

Anderson was taken aback.

"Shouldn't you return to the spot where you left the dream upon returning there again?"

… There are other elements involved in my random appearance in other spots within a particular radius? Something to do with my uniqueness? Klein realized that the problem was more complex than he had imagined.

He said with some deliberation, "I went elsewhere after entering the dream."

"Strange…" Anderson frowned as though he was very puzzled.

Without waiting for Klein to speak, he thought before speaking again, "There's another strange incident."

"What?" Klein asked cooperatively.

Anderson surveyed his surroundings.

"Back when I was pretending to make a canoe in the hall last time, I heard the sounds of a door opening and of footsteps that came out from deep inside. But when I looked up, I found nothing.

"I originally thought that it was someone from the ship, but later it didn't seem like the case."

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 656: Crazy Mutations

Someone opened a door deep in the hall of murals and came out? A Rampager or Beyonder creature who was nearby? Furthermore, it possesses the ability to act in dreams?After hearing Anderson Hood's description, Klein began making logical speculations.

As his thoughts whirled, he suddenly had a new idea.

Could it be the owner of the mysterious eyes that observed me and the deck?

It's possible! If that mysterious person has been lurking on the ship the entire time and followed us into these waters, then he'd have to sleep when night falls, so he will appear in the dream world… Ma'am Hermit is completely unaware of his existence, or has she tacitly agreed to his actions? Or he's the trump card that she wields, which is why she isn't afraid of the dangers in these waters when taking on my mission? No, that cannot be determined. At the very least, I can't determine that the person who opened the door deep inside the hall of murals is the mysterious person on the ship…Klein looked at Anderson with a deep, gloomy look before asking, "Why does it seem unlikely?"

Back when Anderson Hood mentioned it, he originally suspected that the person who opened the door was a member of the Future, but he later felt that it was unlikely.

Anderson chuckled.

"I visited every person on the ship in the dream, and I discovered that no one possesses the ability to act freely in that world except you."

"Unfortunately, I was pushing open a door outside back then," Klein said calmly.

Anderson shrugged and said, "I know; that's why I'm not suspecting you. These waters have dangers lurking everywhere. All sorts of unimaginable monsters are active here. Perhaps the person opening the door from before was the stone giant from earlier or a rotting dragon who dreamed of countless treasures."

Upon saying this, he leaned against the side of the ship and looked at the sea which was bathing in golden sunlight as he smiled wistfully.

"I discovered that ever since I escaped the ship-sinking crisis brought about by the storm, my bad luck has been decreasing bit by bit. Haha, it's obvious that it's not fixed and wouldn't last forever.

"Look, I successfully swam onto the island, and although I kept meeting with all kinds of bad luck, I managed to last until you arrived.

"Yes, I do attract monsters and did make that stone giant appear, but didn't we easily resolve it?

"Also, nothing happened despite me being on board for several hours. Doesn't that explain…"

Before Anderson could finish his statement, Klein coldly cut him off.

"Shut up!"

Doesn't this guy know to keep his words to a minimum when faced with a livid expression? I really want to beat him up! If it wasn't for the divination above the gray fog that said that you haven't mutated or have a big shot possessing you, then I would've already sunk you to the bottom of the sea. Yes… Sequence 8 of the Hunter pathway is Provoker. He must've easily digested the potion back then…From the bottom of his heart, Klein felt that the level of Anderson's provocation was far higher than Danitz.

Without feeling frustrated, Anderson raised his arms and said with a rueful smile."Fine, fine. I'll shut up."

Seeing how he wasn't providing him with any more clues about the individual who opened the door in the dream world, Klein remained silent for a few seconds, suddenly turned around, and walked into the cabin.

He had discovered a huge oversight on something!

Since Anderson, who's plagued with bad luck, was on the ship, that meant that the chances of them experiencing an incident would only increase exponentially. Therefore, he needed to make some preparations!

After returning to his room, Klein walked to the bathroom as he picked up Azik's copper whistle and Will Auceptin's paper crane. After setting up the ritual to summon himself, he brought Tinder, the Sun Brooch, and the Nightmare Beyonder characteristic from above the gray fog into the real world.

He didn't immediately switch out his equipped inventory, but he did place them inside his suitcase and beside the Biological Poison Bottle.

This way, even if danger suddenly struck, he would have a chance to adjust his "inventory," and then he could make a selection based on the danger he faced.

After doing all of this, Klein felt significantly relaxed. He put away the other items and left the room for the deck, afraid that he would miss any signs of mermaids.

Just as he walked out of the cabin, he saw Frank Lee crouched in a corner, looking shocked and dazed.

"What happened?" Klein felt his heart skip a beat.

He was afraid that something had gone wrong with the crazy cross-breeder's experiments, causing everyone on the Future to be embroiled in a terrifying biological disaster.

Frank shook his head in a daze.

"Didn't I mention about those little things before?

"They actually need to sleep for some time before they can grow and reproduce. In the end…"

"What happened in the end?" Klein's expression turned solemn.

This made the Strongest Hunter Anderson, who was bragging about how many pirates he had hunted to the audience around him without realizing the change in their eyes, sense something as he curiously stopped his description and came over.

The crouching Frank looked up and said, "They just finished a large-scale reproduction stage and have even mutated.

"Th-this is a miracle!"

"And? Where have they gone? Are they still in your laboratory?" Klein instinctively felt that this wasn't something good.

Frank used two seconds to digest the problem as he rolled up his sleeves to show his hairy arm.

He pounded the deck in front of him and revealed a smile.

"They have drilled inside and have seemingly reconstructed the Future…"

Amidst the dull pounding, something that seemed like milk spewed out like a fountain from the deck, spraying Frank Lee in the face.

He licked the liquid by his lips and said in pleasant surprise, "The Future… The Future has produced milk!"

At the same time, the pirates by the side of the ship pointed down at the cannons in horror.

"The cannons are spewing milk!"

This… This isn't scientific…Klein nearly couldn't control the twitching of his facial muscles.

Ever since he boarded the Future, and ever since the ship came to the ravine and began the descent, he felt that many of the things that had happened were extremely unscientific. It even exceeded the confines of his mysticism knowledge.

Anderson watched agape, nearly forgetting to inquire. He stomped his feet habitually and successfully saw another milk fountain spew out.

One thought after another flashed past Klein's mind as he acutely figured out a problem.

He immediately looked at Frank Lee and asked in a deep voice, "After your little things have infected the Future, will it continue infecting people?"

While asking, Klein's right palm reached into his pocket. According to the situation, he selected the Floating Charm and prepared to fly into the air in order to escape the infection.

Frank Lee thought seriously for a moment.

"In theory, yes…"

Before he finished his sentence, a figure appeared and kicked him in the ass, sending him tumbling a few times, slamming into pools of milk.

That person was none other than linen shirted Nina, who was draped in a blue jacket.

She glared angrily at Frank Lee on the deck as she cursed while hyperventilating.

"Aren't you going to finish off those darn little things of yours!?

"Did you do this while thinking that my breasts aren't big enough?"

"A-alright," Frank Lee patted his ass and said unwillingly.

At this moment, Klein had already taken out his charm and softy chanted, "Storm!"

He believed that he had underestimated Frank Lee's ability to cause trouble and suspected that the disaster brought about by him would only worsen; therefore, he decided to first fly into the air.

Blue flames enveloped the charm made of tin as squalls immediately stirred. They swirled around Klein's feet and body, lifting him off the deck and to a height of four to five meters.

Anderson was first taken aback before he reached out his palm in an attempt to grab Klein, but he was a moment too late. All he could do was watch Gehrman Sparrow rise up as he remained standing on the spot.

This ordinarily handsome hunter shook his head with a warped expression, somewhat amused while also wanting to dismember the first mate of the Future.

At this moment, Frank had already taken a bottle of dark green powder. He grabbed a handful of it, and as he chanted in Jotun, he scattered it around his surroundings.

The moment the powder made contact with the deck, it immediately produced green vines that grew wildly. Soon, it drew out the milk and the "little things," entangling the entire deck and cabin within.

In just about ten seconds, the Future had been reduced into a forest of vines.

"Phew, it's over." Frank smiled at Nina before his expression changed again. "Th-they've mutated!"

At this moment, a pirate walked over in a stagger, shouting with a tinge of horror, "A… A watermelon is growing from my head!"

Klein looked towards the voice and saw a green vine drilling out of the pirate's head. One of them seemed to produce a soon-to-ripen watermelon.

"This is the so-called mutation? This is way too crazy, goddamn madness!" Anderson blurted out a sigh.

His eyes then darted around as he said in a deep voice, "There's something wrong with the surrounding waters!"

In midair, Klein had also determined the same thing.

If there wasn't any external disruptions, then Frank Lee's experimental products and Beyonder powers wouldn't have caused a simultaneous mutation!

Rip!

One vine after another tore apart as the window to the captain's cabin opened.

Cattleya appeared there and shouted in an amplified voice with witchcraft, "Frank, stop all experiments.

"There are remnant auras of Mother Earth here."

Mother Earth?Klein looked in surprise at Ma'am Hermit, and he felt that his theories about these waters being the battlefield of the gods had been completely overturned!

"Oh my, Merciful Mother!" Frank crossed his arms and made a pose like he was hugging a baby.

Following that, he sprawled on the floor as he devoutly kissed the vines.

Cattleya silently watched this scene as resplendent stars instantly swirled around her. Following that, she made the entire Future light up.

With a flick of her finger, she made a colorless flame land on the vine outside the window of the captain's cabin.

The vines were immediately ignited as they silently turned to ashes.

The colorless flames silently spread and wreaked havoc, without harming a single sailor. As for the Future, the light it produced helped it withstand the fire.

Before long, the forest of vines vanished completely, leaving behind the pirate who had a watermelon growing on his head. Of course, the vine that was connected to it had been burned to nothingness.

"Phew, th-this is no different from a devil's descent!" The pirate took two steps forward and carried the watermelon which had grown out from his head.

"Don't open it!" Just as Cattleya's warning reverberated, the pirate had opened the watermelon with brute force, partially to vent his anger and partially to satisfy his curiosity.

The watermelon split into two, and inside it was a milky-white "brain" filled with gullies. Flowing around it was a blood-like liquid.

With a thud, the pirate died immediately, without any chance of saving him. The Beyonder characteristics on him rapidly condensed at an extraordinary speed.

How sinister and crazy…Klein sighed silently and prepared to land back onto the deck.

At that moment, he saw a gigantic palm suddenly reach out from the surface of the sea, smacking the side of the Future.

The five fingers of the palm were long, each almost half a meter long. The entire thing was a grayish-black color like an arid desert!

Klein silently drew out a gasp as he couldn't help but look at Anderson Hood.

This fellow had just mentioned that nothing had happened since he came on board!

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 657: Terrifying Vitality

The grayish-black hand grabbed the side of the ship and quickly hoisted it up, revealing the submerged parts, inch by inch.

Through the blue water waves, Klein saw a huge grayish-black shadow. Following that, squirming flesh occupied his entire vision.

The monster seemed to be an amalgamation of countless blackening or graying corpses. Attached to the two gigantic palms were withered-looking arms that resembled dry timber. The arms stemmed from a corpse that was suspected to be from a giant. This giant's single eye was shut tightly as a few heads were stuck to its neck. And further down these heads were incomplete scaly fish, lizard bodies, or warped human corpses. Layer after layer, they formed flesh that appeared like a floating island.

From the different corpses and the connections of the crevices, a yellowish-green gas was emanated and spread to its surroundings as though it was enveloping the entire area.

Cough! Cough! Cough! Cough!

Just the smell of it had made many sailors on deck cough violently. It was so bad that they couldn't even straighten their backs.

Upon seeing this scene, Frank Lee didn't hesitate to take out the materials inside a hidden pouch on his belt. He showcased his corresponding Beyonder powers, but to his surprise, Cattleya's voice rang in his ears.

"Frank, stop!

"Help Nina command the sailors to get them to adjust the sails!"

"Why?" Frank Lee subconsciously asked in return.

"In this area, the supernatural matters within the authority of Mother Earth will mutate, including your powers." As Cattleya spoke, she extended both her palms forward and pressed down on a particular spot on her desk.

The symbols and the magical labels on the Future immediately became more pronounced as they lit up one after another, converting the entire ship into a resplendent sea of stars. They seemed to correspond to each and every point of starlight that swirled around Cattleya's body.

The spreading yellowish-green gas was kept out as Klein began floating towards the window of his room from the closest wall.

The coughing pirates felt alleviated, and under the lead of Boatswain Nina and First Mate Frank, as well as the instructions of Ottolov, they quickly adjusted the sails and attempted to make the Future escape from the nearby waters in order to escape the influence of the mutation effects.

However, the grayish-black colossal monster had held back the front of the ship, and the body beneath the water had connected to unknown parts of the ship in order to hold the Future, preventing it from advancing forward.

At the same time, formless tall mountains seemed to appear around them, blocking out the sea winds that blew from afar, preventing the Future from using its strength no matter how it adjusted its sails.

Faced with such a situation, there's a need to use a backup steam engine system. Unfortunately, the Future lacks it…

Yes… It can still fly with the help of the starlight, but that seems to be extremely draining on Ma'am Hermit. Besides, it will be difficult to grasp the direction and distance it will bring us. To make such a flight in such waters, there's a high chance of entering a more dangerous zone without being blessed with good luck. Heh, there's still the extremely unlucky Anderson on board…Klein floated by the window in his room as he took in the situation.

He wasn't nervous, as neither Admiral of Stars Cattleya nor the Strongest Hunter Anderson had showcased their true strength.

Of course, that includes me as well…Klein added inwardly.

He planned on first returning to his room and wearing Tinder. Without any "food" around, using such a mystical item was more suitable than Creeping Hunger. The latter was to be reserved for him when facing more dangerous and complicated situations before throwing it above the gray fog for it to cool down.

As for the negative effect of losing items on him, Klein already had a plan. He decided to put in his wallet, Azik's copper whistle, the adventurer's harmonica, and other items into his suitcase when changing his inventory, leaving Creeping Hunger, Murloc Cufflink, and the charms from the Sea God domain. He would keep a close watch on the latter two to prevent them from being lost.

And from a probability standpoint, the most likely item to be lost by Tinder would be the charms since they were the greatest in number.

Klein wasn't worried about this. He had created charms with different effects. They were highly disposable!

Besides, the corresponding metal in the Storm domain is tin. It's very cheap and worth nothing. The Beyonder effects are bestowed by the Sea God Scepter, so I don't have to spend any additional money…As Klein mumbled, he reached out to push open the window to his room.

At this moment, the colossal grayish-black monster, which was a combination of flesh, climbed higher again. With its approach, the busy sailors had their hair grow wildly, to the point of exceeding their waists.

This wasn't the most terrifying outcome. It was more harrowing that the blob of flaxen-colored hair seemed to have a life of its own. They would interweave and bind themselves to their owners.

As the hair began to produce similar changes, the lustrous sea of stars on the surface of the Future could no longer hold back this influence.

To a number of pirates who had shaved themselves bald, their uniqueness didn't bring them luck either. Their nose hair would rapidly grow at a discernible pace, blocking their nasal passageways.

By the window of the captain's cabin, Cattleya had raised her arms at some point in time. In her hand was a scroll made of smooth fish skin.

"Numb!"

As the incantation in ancient Hermes resounded while the scroll burned in silence, a light green luster shot out from within, striking the monster's gigantic palm that appeared by the side of the ship.

The squirming flesh formed from countless corpses didn't pause at all. It slammed down on the lustrous sea of stars, sending sparks flying while the ship trembled.

The dark purple color in the depths of Cattleya's eyes deepened. She didn't take out a new scroll, and she instead directly pushed her right palm forward.

"Imprison!"

When the mysterious incantation came out of the pirate admiral's mouth, the resplendent starlight that swirled around her flew out, descending upon the terrifying monster.

The starlight instantly converged, creating a gigantic, transparent amber. It enclosed all of the squirming flesh and bound it to where it was.

At this moment, a pitch-black and lusterless short sword appeared in the Strongest Hunter Anderson's right hand. On the surface of it was layers of diabolical patterns, but they were only an illusion.

Seizing the opportunity of having the terrifying monster trapped in the starlight cage, Anderson's body produced a layer of blinding white flames.

The flames flew forward, leaped out of the ship, and landed on the grayish-black flesh which was formed from countless corpses.

Following that, the blinding white light rapidly flowed across the monster's surface as if it was engaged in painting an extreme piece of artwork.

With a boom, the flames surged into the sky as Anderson jumped back onto the deck with his pitch-black sword.

The colossal monster remained frozen in place, as though it had lost all its vitality.

Crack! Crack! Crack!Deep wounds appeared on its surface, shattering into countless pieces of flesh in just a second.

A Reaper's offensive strength is truly exaggerated…Klein, who had redone his inventory, returned to the side of the window to see this scene.

Suddenly, he frowned indiscernibly.

At this moment, something unexpected happened. The fractured pieces of flesh spread out their "limbs," shooting towards the deck in a barrage of attacks.

This colossal attacher seemed impossible to kill no matter how many pieces it was divided into—the number of pieces determined the number of monsters!

Silently, a piece of grayish-black flesh facing the captain's cabin jumped up from the deck, heading straight for Admiral of Stars in a bid to wrap around her head.

A figure surfaced from the darkness and shielded Cattleya. It was none other than Bloodless Heath Doyle.

He opened his mouth as they cracked open, all the way from his nose to his chest. Soon, he formed a squirming vortex of flesh and blood.

The vortex sucked at the grayish-black flesh and rapidly swirled inwardly, pulling it inside.

Heath Doyle landed on the deck like a shadow. After wavering a little, he finally recovered. As for the grayish-black flesh that had splintered off from the monster, it had completely disappeared.

The most terrifying part of the monster is its ridiculous vitality. If only this trait can be stolen…Having used another Floating charm, Klein floated out the window. He reached out his black-gloved right hand and spread his fingers.

The scene before him changed as a result. Blobs of different, gorgeous colors replaced the corresponding people and items.

These colors kept changing as they rapidly twinkled, making it difficult for anyone to grasp the rules it followed.

With the help of this vision, Klein discovered that the grayish-black flesh shared some of this luster. Although it was splintered, it was actually one.

Calmly, he clenched his right fist, grabbed a blob of the light, and turned his wrist to the right.

Suddenly, Klein saw the yellowish-green luster being drawn away, fusing into his right palm.

This was the corresponding trait of the Fog of Poison.

He had stolen the grayish-black monster's Fog of Poison!

This was Tinder's effect!

At the same time, Klein discovered that his Damage Transfer Beyonder power was lost. He no longer had it!

I can only steal from the same target once every twelve hours…With some level of realization, Klein looked at the surrounded Future. The yellowish-green fog which was corroding the resplendent sea of stars rapidly thinned and no longer looked obvious. The grayish-black flesh that scattered everywhere also showed signs of desiccating and darkening.

With that, the pirates found a chance to catch their breath. As for Cattleya, she wore a golden brooch on the front of her classic robe.

The brooch seemed to be made of gold, and it was shaped like a bird with a long feather tail.

The surrounding atmosphere suddenly turned staid and serene. All the chaos and anxiety vanished in a baffling manner. Even Klein sensed the indescribable influence and felt like he had become an emotionless zombie.

Seeing how the critical moment was at hand, a ship came cruising over.

It was also a sailboat and was equally large. Its color was mainly dark with a ghostly green to it.

Its ghastly pale main sail drew a blooming pitch-black tulip.

It was the flagship of Admiral Hell Ludwell, the Black Tulip!

It was a ship that frequently plied these waters!

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 658: 55,000 Pounds

The Black Tulip… Admiral Hell Ludwell… This is jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire… Aren't we a little too unlucky? Floating in midair, Klein was the first to discover the approaching ship. He couldn't help but turn his head to look down at Anderson, who was wielding his pitch-black sword and seriously observing the monster.

Anderson quickly returned the gaze in puzzlement. As he remained wary against the grayish-black flesh which could shoot out at any moment, he asked, "The look you are giving me is very strange. Did something happen again…"

Just as he said that, he reflexively shut his mouth and sensed something. With a leap, he dodged the monster's splintered body which was making his fingernails rapidly grow. He quickly arrived at the other side of the ship.

As he straightened his back, Anderson suddenly hissed.

"Admiral Hell…"

He wasn't a good person. As a pirate admiral who was infamous for killing indiscriminately, he didn't have any psychological burdens when it came to earning profit by "fishing" in troubled waters.

Once he weighed the situation and realized that he could use the powerful monster to finish off Admiral of Stars and everyone on the Future while also receiving tremendous spoils of war, he would definitely take action!

My bad luck hasn't decreased at all. It has only switched to a lump sum withdrawal? Anderson's expression warped, it was a mystery on whether he was crying or laughing.

At the same time, the corresponding information surfaced in Klein's mind.

Just the bounty placed on Admiral Hell Ludwell's head by Loen alone had reached 55,000 pounds!

He was an extremely powerful member of the Seven Pirate Admirals, the one with the highest bounty among the Seven Pirate Admirals!

His flagship, the Black Tulip, didn't have many pirates living on it. Most of the jobs were left to undead creatures or the spirit world creatures he controlled.

He killed indiscriminately, but he didn't have a sick fetish for killing. All he did was seriously complete his job of sending living creatures to hell.

He had all kinds of connections with the Numinous Episcopate. The rumors state that he possesses a ring left behind by the ancient Death!

While Klein and Anderson were looking at the Black Tulip, the golden brooch on Cattleya's robe began to emit a pure bright light instead of blinding sunlight.

In front of the captain's cabin was a blurry figure that was rapidly increasing in length.

It was filled with the silence and serenity of a specter's aura, but it also emitted a warmth resembling sunlight.

This was an extraordinarily incongruent existence. It was as though a wraith had been created out of Sun Holy Water!

It was both holy and evil!

The Sun Wraith widened its arms as it flew out at ludicrous speeds and hugged the grayish-black flesh.

The sizzling sound of fat and oils burning sounded out. The Sun Wraith and the grayish-black flesh canceled each other out as they were simultaneously obliterated, leaving no traces behind.

The dark purple hue in the Admiral of Stars's eyes flowed as the brooch brightened. It quickly produced another Sun Wraith outside the window of the captain's cabin as it pounced towards the grayish-black flesh that had invaded the Future.

And at this moment, Bloodless Heath Doyle protected Frank, Nina, and the other sailors. He used the devouring and digesting method in order to resist the monster's flesh which possessed immense vitality.

The Black Tulip's speed was faster than Klein had anticipated. In seconds, it had entered a range which was cause for alarm for the Future.

The black sailboat with a gloomy green slowed down and stopped to the side. It didn't seem to be aware of what had happened.

Suddenly, Klein saw a nearly transparent eye surface around the Future's airspace. It had ghastly-pale eye whites as it looked down from above without blinking.

This… is a Spirit Medium's version of a telescope? After a momentary pause, Klein drew his revolver with his right hand and aimed at the eye that belonged to a spirit world creature.

At that moment, he was somewhat hesitant. As the crazy adventurer, Gehrman Sparrow, to directly fire was the choice that matched his persona the best. But at this moment, Admiral Hell Ludwell had yet to show any signs of animosity. He might have qualms about the faction backing Cattleya and hold back. If Klein were to rashly kill the "telescope," it would undoubtedly push the situation into the direction of a more chaotic and dangerous development!

During that brief dilemma, the nearly transparent illusory eye vanished. A distance away, the Black Tulip continued approaching as it became clearer and clearer.

High above the Black Tulip, white skeletons, who didn't wear clothes or leather armor, busily controlled the sails while pale zombies patrolled the area with cutlasses in hand. The latter were observing their surroundings with green burning eyes. Shadows, wraiths, and all sorts of strange spirit world creatures were flying in circles, boring through the ship at times as the shipboard protruded transparent faces that weren't too obvious.

Amidst Klein's Spirit Vision, the Black Tulip only had one living person. It was the man dressed like a captain, who was silently standing on the deck.

He wore an exaggerated triangular hat with a white skull and feathers on it. He wore a lace-trimmed white shirt and a heavy and magnificent brown coat. The ox-hide belt which held his white tights had a thin rapier hanging off it.

The man wore a silver mask. His facial features and contours were hidden within. The holes that depicted his eyes, nose, and mouth had cold lines that left one shuddering.

This matched the rumored image of Admiral Hell Ludwell!

Where are his first mate, second mate, third mate, and boatswain? Klein was first surprised at the lack of living personnel on the Black Tulip before quickly coming to a realization.

Just like how the third mate, the gunner commander, and many of the sailors of the Future were sent to the other ships of the pirate crew, only the minimum number of personnel were used to enter these waters. Admiral Hell Ludwell didn't let his "weak" subordinates follow him. After all, he could control the undead and spirit world creatures to steer the ship.

At this moment, the Black Tulip clearly turned around and aimed its starboard side over.

As Admiral Hell Ludwell touched his silver mask, a salvo of shots rang out.

Cannonballs flew over, some falling into the sea before they came close, producing splashes; others overshot and fell somewhere even further away.

This was a calibration shot!

Soon, the Black Tulip produced a second volley of bombarding cannon fire.

Klein was just about to activate Creeping Hunger and use the Baron of Corruption's Distortion power to change the target of the cannonballs, sending them further away when he saw Anderson Hood raise his right hand and push it forward.

Orange-yellow Fire Ravens instantly condensed as they accurately flew out to intercept each and every cannonball!

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Blinding flames were emitted in midair as debris scattered, it was as though dozens of fireworks were set on display.

I have to say that a Pyromaniac's powers are very useful at sea. It's a mystic version of a ballistic missile defense system. However, this is because Anderson is the Strongest Hunter and has already reached Sequence 5. If it were Danitz, there's no way he could block them all. It would be pretty impressive if he could trigger half of them… Sigh, when I use Flame Controlling, I can only deal with one cannonball at a time… As Klein sighed, the Black Tulip ceased its bombardment and changed its speed again, closing the gap between it and the Future.

As it approached, the surface of the sea between the two gigantic sailboats which was dyed with golden sunlight rapidly turned black. It didn't look like ink, but the darkest night without any moon or stars.

Translucent and illusory ferocious creatures crawled out of this dark sea. Pale corpses reached out their palms which had rotten flesh dangling from them as dark red or cold flames emerged, forming pairs of eyes.

Suddenly, the area seemed to turn into the entrance to hell. All kinds of undead creatures floated on the surface of the sea in dense numbers as they charged forward like an unending tidal wave.

Anderson looked back at the Sun Wraiths which were obliterating the grayish-black flesh, and he knew that Admiral of Stars was at a critical moment in dealing with the terrifying monster. All he could do was draw a gasp and look up at Gehrman Sparrow with a bitter smile.

Just as he was about to press his hands onto the shipboard to create scarlet flames that spread outwards to prevent the invasion of the undead army, he was surprised to see Gehrman Sparrow turn around and fly back into his cabin.

H-he fled? No way… Anderson's expression clearly froze.

He grimaced as he hurriedly leaned forward with his extended palms to press onto the shipboard.

Silently, a swath of scarlet flames soared into the sky and swept the area ahead of him.

At this moment, a charm suddenly fell in front of him as he heard a word spoken in ancient Hermes.

"Storm!"

Huh? Anderson instinctively looked up and saw Gehrman Sparrow in his round neck shirt and brown jacket being swept up by a squall as he rapidly flew towards the Black Tulip.

I-is he committing suicide? I can't understand such madness… Anderson turned agape as he felt puzzled.

Whoosh!

With the charm's effects and the blessings of the wind, Klein flew to the airspace above the bow of the Black Tulip.

Admiral Hell Ludwell immediately looked up at him. The eyes behind the silver mask burned silently with two pale-white flames.

The shadows, wraiths, and the spirit world creatures of the Death domain who were spiraling above the Black Tulip immediately swarmed towards the enemy.

They either opened their mouths, letting out silence screeches, or they extended their long tongues with shrunken faces as though they were extremely excited.

Klein looked at them with a deadpan expression as he reached into his pocket with his left hand, releasing the wall of spirituality on a squarish box.

Then, he took out Azik's copper whistle, which was tied to a few matchsticks, and threw them at the deck of the Black Tulip's stern.

Suddenly, the transparent, cold, and indistinct shadows and wraiths paused. It was as though they were frozen worms.

Following that, they didn't hesitate to turn their bodies to rapidly fly to the stern of the Black Tulip. The strange-looking spirit world creatures followed closely behind.

In less than a second, the skeletons and zombies who were adjusting the cannons betrayed Admiral Hell. The bow was left completely empty except for Ludwell.

Pa!

Klein landed on the deck while pressing down on his cap, landing right before Ludwell.

His body was bent slightly as he released the right hand on his cap, his gaze locked on the silver-masked Admiral Hell.

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 659: This Beyonder Power is Very Powerful

On the Future, Anderson Hood pressed his hands on the shipboard and saw the undead army in the pitch-black sea recede like the tide. They rushed over one another and surged for the stern of the Black Tulip. He saw Gehrman Sparrow press his cap with his right hand while he descended from the sky before landing opposite Admiral Hell Ludwell.

Such a scene was illuminated by dark red or gloomy green light. With the accentuation from the wraiths, shadows, and all sorts of strange spirit world creatures, there was an indescribable sense of beauty.

Cool! As expected of the craziest adventurer…Anderson praised from the bottom of his heart before recalling something.

Gehrman Sparrow had apparently thrown a charm in front of him before flying over. Furthermore, he had specially demonstrated the incantation to activate the charm!

His intent is…Anderson Hood moved his gaze down and discovered a charm made of tin at his feet.

On the Black Tulip, Klein, whose body was slightly bent while his eyes were locked onto his enemy, wasn't actually as cold and calm as his expression depicted.

Anderson better fly over with the charm. There's a high chance that I can't deal with him alone. It might even be very dangerous…While his eyes reflected the silver mask and the two pale-white flames, Klein silently prayed.

As the mysterious eyes that observed the deck and himself existed, as well as the door opener in the dream world which Anderson Hood had mentioned, he cautiously gave up the idea of immediately praying to himself in order to use the Sea God Scepter above the gray fog to respond. He also warned himself not to expose such matters unless he was in dire straits.

He believed that Creeping Hunger and Tinder, together with the various Beyonder powers of Magician and the charms of the Sea God domain, gave him the ability to fight Admiral Hell Ludwell. As for Azik's copper whistle, it could attract undead creatures or spirit world creatures that were inclined to Death's domain. It could neutralize the most powerful means of a powerful Spirit Medium. For a Sequence 5 Beyonder of the Death pathway, as long as it didn't exceed a certain number, one would often choose to overwhelm their enemy with numbers when facing a certain number of Mid-Sequence Beyonders.

However, Klein didn't believe that he alone could defeat Ludwell in such a situation or even kill him. Firstly, the battlefield would be held on the Black Tulip. Considering how Admiral of Stars could use the Future, anyone with a brain knew that such a situation wasn't optimistic. Secondly, Ludwell was the most senior pirate admiral at the moment. He had the two powerful factions, the King of the Five Seas and the Numinous Episcopate, backing him. The mystical items and Sealed Artifacts he had might not be any weaker than Klein's or might even exceed his. In addition, many rumors indicated that he possessed a ring that was left behind by the ancient Death!

Along with the fact that his Sequence was lower than Admiral Hell, Klein was not only lacking in the adrenaline of a pending successful hunt or of performing great acting in the role of a crazy adventurer, but he was also tense and anxious. He didn't dare to be careless. All he wished was that the Strongest Hunter who was plagued with bad luck would quickly fly over.

Only when two people of equivalent strength allied together could they have a small chance of defeating or resisting Ludwell, who had lost his undead army. It also gave Cattleya and her pirates time and space to finish off the pieced-together monster.

Just as this thought flashed across his mind, Klein didn't hesitate to launch an attack. He made the Fog of Poison which he stole with Tinder spread.

No one could see the uneasiness and worry in his heart.

Wearing an exaggerated triangular hat and silver mask, Ludwell raised his clenched left fist, spread his fingers, and aimed his palm at Klein.

Instantly, the deck of the bow was enveloped by a harrowing yellowish-green fog. And in front of Ludwell, an illusory glow exploded. Following that, a point spiraled and collapsed inwardly, outlining a blurry bronze door whose two sides swung open.

The bronze door was covered in all sorts of mysterious patterns. It had an indescribable heaviness and silence to it.

With a creak, the door shook and cracked open a little.

Behind the gap was endless darkness, as though it was the deepest and darkest night.

Indescribable pairs of eyes were hidden in the darkness behind the door. They were densely packed and everywhere, but it was impossible to discern their actual bodies.

Skinless arms covered in blood, along with greenish-black vines with baby faces reached out. Palms with mouths filled with teeth grabbed at everything beyond the door as they screamed, laughed, sobbed, yelled.

This brought a terrifying suction force. Out of nowhere, cold hurricanes that sent chills down the bone stirred, pushing objects towards these strange creatures and the gap in the bronze door!

The yellowish-green Fog of Poison was instantly cleared as Klein couldn't help but lean forward as he stumbled.

The glove on his left palm immediately turned pitch-black. It had the sinister feel of the night and the grandeur of the cosmos.

Klein's brown eyes darkened as he spread out his left arm to the side in a gesture of politeness.

The terrifying suction force that swept the bow's deck suddenly changed direction, "grabbing" the skeletons and rotting zombies that were rushing to the stern, and it threw them into the gap of the door. They were bound by the greenish-black, baby-faced vines and bloody arms and were pulled behind the bronze door where the countless eyes were.

"Distortion!"

Baron of Corruption's Distortion!

Klein had distorted the target of the mysterious door, and he used the skeletons and zombies on the Black Tulip to substitute himself.

Despite that, he was still affected by the remnant forces of the tremendous suction force. He found it difficult to take a step, preventing him from fully making use of his nimble and agile traits.

The cap he wore had already been blown up by the hurricane and was spinning in midair. It seemed to take flight as it pursued the undead creatures that had been sucked away.

At this moment, Admiral Hell Ludwell, who wore his exaggerated triangular hat, raised his right hand again and extended his palm.

The right side of his upper body rapidly turned illusory, as though it belonged to that of a specter or wraith. His arm kept extending and instantly covered quite a significant distance as his pale palm grabbed at his enemy.

Whoosh!

The noise from the hurricane suddenly vanished as soft sobbing sounds drilled into Klein's ears, causing his body to turn numb, as though his blood had frozen.

As the pale palm approached, he seemed to be possessed by a wraith or evil spirit. He couldn't produce an effective response as he watched death approach. In despair, he felt his vitality deplete at an increasing rate.

Without any resistance, Ludwell's pale and illusory right palm grabbed Klein and squashed him into a thin paper figurine.

The paper figurine was covered with signs of dark green corrosion. Soon, it was shredded to dust under the hurricane that never stopped.

To the side of the bronze door, Klein's figure surfaced again. His left glove had already been dyed with the color of pure sunlight.

He immediately straightened his body and spread open his arms.

Golden flames swirled around a pillar of holy light that descended from the sky, striking the bronze door which was covered in mysterious patterns.

Sunlight suddenly burst out, and it was so blinding that it made it almost impossible for Klein to open his eyes. As for the terrifying door which Ludwell had created, it had begun shaking and turning slightly blurry. Even the extraordinary suction force from behind the door had weakened. More than half the greenish-black baby-faced vines and the bloody arms were vaporized.

However, even more strange arms and distorted creatures attempted to squeeze out from the opening in the door.

Just as Klein was about to continue using the Priest of Light's Light of Purification to purify the bronze door, Ludwell's pale palm swiped down wildly.

Klein hurriedly dodged to the side as he kept rolling to avoid the remnant effects of the hurricane and the soul-sucking palm.

One roll, two rolls, three rolls, and his body abruptly bounced up in a diagonal fashion. At some moment in time, Creeping Hunger had already appeared to be made of gold.

Admiral Hell's silver mask was the first thing that was reflected in Klein's eyes. It included the pale flames in his eye sockets. Following that, two bolts of lightning brightened from the depths of his eyes.

Interrogator's Psychic Piercing!

At this moment, a black, square-shaped ring on Ludwell's left index finger produced a slight glow.

Immediately a scene appeared in Klein's mind.

It was a gigantic throne that was made up of the rotting heads of creatures like humans, elves, giants, dragons, demonic wolves, sea monsters, and vampires. On each side, there would be miniature transparent faces of wraiths, shadows, and evil spirits. They were filled with hatred, viciousness, and indignation.

Suddenly, Klein felt as though his head had been struck by an axe. The fearsome pain filled his mind without any delay.

His Psychic Piercing had not only failed to show its effects, but it had even ended up affecting him in an amplified manner!

If not for him having experienced more extreme pain, Klein definitely would've fallen to the ground, wailing and struggling. But even so, he temporarily lost his ability to resist as he bent his back with a grimace.

Seizing this opportunity, the gap where Ludwell's mouth was, a slow language that ordinary living creatures were unable to understand was emanated. The surroundings instantly turned dark, blurry, and illusory.

This was the Language of Death that came from hell and the Underworld!

Just as Klein felt a little better, he discovered that his Spirit Body was floating up uncontrollably, separating from his body, inch by inch!

And the terrifying suction force from the bronze door was an irresistible force to the spirit.

No, this won't do!While his Spirit Body hadn't completely left his body, Klein raised his right arm and spread his hand which was wearing Tinder with great difficulty.

Different lustrous glows instantly interweaved as they surfaced before him and kept changing and rapidly flickered.

Without any hesitation, Klein grabbed onto a pale-white blob swirling with a gloomy green color. He twisted his wrist and extracted it.

In this battle, the Beyonder power he wished to steal the most was the one that created the bronze door, but he couldn't guarantee his success. All he could do was seek the blessings of the Goddess.

The lustrous glow flew over and landed in Tinder.

However, this wasn't the Beyonder power that Klein wanted the most. However, it wasn't the worst either.

The mouth behind Ludwell's silver mask moved, but it wasn't able to produce the sluggish, awkward language that was destined for the living to not understand.

At the same time, Klein opened his mouth.

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 660: Behind the Mask

One syllable after another of distorted, incomprehensible, jarring, and indecipherable words slowly spewed out of Klein's mouth. It made the hurricane produced by the bronze door's terrifying suction force to instantly calm down, cloaking the already dim surroundings with a deeper gloom.

Only at this moment did he know that the Beyonder power which Admiral Hell Ludwell had just used was known as the Language of the Dead. It could circumvent the protection of one's flesh and blood, so as to target the Spirit Body.

It belonged to an advancement in a Spirit Medium's powers. It could go from direct communication with spirits to that of commandeering, to the point of enslavement!

Living creatures were unable to understand the resounding language. Ludwell couldn't help but freeze on the spot. A transparent layer rapidly surfaced on his pirate captain attire.

His spirit was being tugged at by an illusory power!

At this moment, the black, square-shaped ring on Ludwell's left index finger produced a faint glow.

The minute portion of his Spirit Body which had been forcefully drawn out had returned to his body as the two fused back into one.

Ding!

With his right hand, Ludwell drew the thin rapier hanging by his waist.

It was iron-black in color, and its tip gathered the surrounding light, turning into a dark point.

Admiral Hell suddenly took a step forward and with vigorous wind currents, he suddenly closed the distance between him and Klein. Immediately, he thrust out the rapier in his hand at lightning speed!

The bronze door which was covered with mysterious patterns remained standing erected in its original spot. It didn't vanish because of Ludwell's retracting of his left hand and subsequent actions. This was different from the similar-looking ability that Miss Sharron had previously cast using a mystical item.

Oof!

The black rapier pierced through Klein in an unavoidable manner.

Klein's figure rapidly crumpled into a piece of paper. Its surface turned yellow and dry, as though it had been weathered for thousands of years.

The hurricane brought about by the bronze door completely pulverized the paper figurine.

In midair, Klein jumped out of the darkness as he held a huge handful of charms from the Sea God domain.

"Storm!"

He quickly shouted in ancient Hermes as the tin flakes lit up individually as they sacrificed themselves to Sea God. This also meant that if Klein wished so, he could recycle most of the materials and use it multiple times until the metals could no longer withstand the spirituality.

Whoosh!

Blue wind blades shot out as the surrounding waters sprayed out heavy waves that were as tall as the ship. As Klein didn't attempt or have the time to distinguish between the different kinds of charms, while these attacks inundated Ludwell, the extraordinary effects also augmented Admiral Hell. He was given augmented effects like Underwater Breathing, underwater mobility, flight, and pressure resistance, none of which were useful at that moment.

Ludwell suddenly opened his mouth and produced a silent screech. He then struck the waves beside him as countless wind blades temporarily froze in midair.

Immediately following that, Admiral Hell raised his left hand as the black, square-shaped ring on his index finger produced a sinister and eerie glow that instantly brightened.

Whoosh!

The bronze door, which exuded an indescribable feeling, instantly swelled as it doubled in height and width.

Amidst a heavy creaking sound, the gap in the door opened up. The already terrifying suction force immediately rose to an unimaginable level.

Blue wind blades and black sea waves were produced as Klein charged at the door from the air, heading straight for the strange vines and arms that extended outwards.

Klein had planned on using the Priest of Light by clashing head-on with the bronze door with Light of Holiness to catch a breather, but he ended up seeing a glaring white fireball about half the height of a person fly over.

The fireball's speed was augmented by the ridiculous suction forces generated by the door. It flew by Klein and smashed at the gap of the mysterious door.

Boom!

The white flames scattered as they rained down, but all it did was make the bronze door quake a little and dim a little.

Klein took the opportunity and snapped his fingers.

The few matchsticks he separated in his pockets immediately lit up as scarlet flames rapidly enveloped his body as he melted away.

A flame burst out by the side of the bronze door as Klein leaped out of it.

He instantly noticed that Anderson Hood was floating in midair in a rather awkward manner. He held a burning-white spear in his palm.

The Strongest Hunter had finally arrived, but he just appeared unaccustomed to flying.

When Ludwell looked up and saw this scene, the pale-white flames behind the silver mask clearly jumped twice.

Clearly, he never expected that the Future had two other powerhouses at the pirate admiral level apart from Admiral of Stars Cattleya. Furthermore, they wielded pretty good mystical items and Sealed Artifacts.

At this moment, Ludwell suddenly raised his hand and pressed down on his face, surprisingly taking off his silver mask.

Heavy, pale-white light suddenly spewed out from behind the mask, causing endless silence to instantly spread out from the black, square-shaped ring on Ludwell's left index finger.

The silence surged into the bronze door and lifted it off the deck and into the air.

The door covered in mysterious patterns fused with the endless silence as it rapidly burgeoned to more than thirty meters tall.

With the sea as its base, it stood there, erect like an entrance to another world, one completely different from the present world.

Creak!

The bronze door opened as unspeakable darkness surged out and enveloped the Black Tulip's bow.

Upon seeing this, Klein didn't focus on his attacks as he quickly took out the correct charm and rapidly used it on himself.

A strong gust of wind swept over and lifted him above the Black Tulip.

With the pull of the darkness, the gigantic sailboat steered into the bronze door, ten meters a time, as it sailed into another world.

Admiral Hell Ludwell stood at the bow as he looked up into the sky. His face was blanketed by the pale-white luster, preventing anyone from discerning his looks.

His gaze first swept past Klein before landing on Anderson Hood. He seemed to make a mental note of these two hunters, but he didn't make any further attempts to attack. He seemed to have been restrained by the surrounding darkness.

Anderson was taken aback as he didn't hesitate to throw out the burning-white spear in his hand.

The spear shot straight at Ludwell, but once it entered the region enclosed by darkness and silence, it silently vanished.

Ludwell is planning to escape? How decisive…Klein was first stunned before he recalled that Azik's copper whistle was still on the Black Tulip.

With the gigantic sailboat halfway inside the bronze door and about to enter another world with no way to stop them, Klein threw a matchstick and snapped his fingers.

He appeared fifty meters above the stern where the undead creatures were fighting for Azik's copper whistle. This item which kept changing hands finally burst into a scarlet flame due to the matchsticks tied to it.

Amidst the flames, Klein's figure surfaced there and grabbed Azik's copper whistle.

This was the preparations that he had made for retrieving the copper whistle!

Furthermore, to prevent any mishaps from happening, such as the matchsticks being pulled away by the undead creatures, he had also coated the copper whistle with an easily flammable essential oil of the sun!

Pa!

Surrounded by countless undead, Klein didn't have the luxury of time to retract his hand that grabbed the copper whistle. He immediately snapped his fingers again.

At this moment, transparent, rotting, pale, or illusory hands grabbed him!

The matchstick Klein had previously thrown into the air ignited in midair as it produced a flame.

His figure quickly materialized amidst the flames. His face was livid and his lips were white.

Having been grabbed by countless shadows, wraiths, and undead creatures, Klein felt that the depths of his Spirit Body was ice-cold. He couldn't control his body as he plummeted into the sea dyed in gold.

With the Black Tulip almost completely crossing the bronze door, the sea which appeared like an entrance to hell had been restored to normal.

Klein sank a few meters and swallowed a few mouthfuls of bitter and astringent seawater before he ultimately recovered.

Thankfully I was sufficiently prepared…As this thought flashed past his mind, he suddenly felt something amiss.

By wearing the Murloc Cufflink, he had the passive ability to breathe underwater for ten minutes. He shouldn't have drank mouthfuls of water!

Klein suddenly turned his head and looked at his wrist, only to realize that the blue cufflink had detached itself at some point in time.

It's lost… Tinder lost it… I was on the Black Tulip the entire time…Klein splashed a few times and floated to the surface, just in time to see the gigantic sailboat's tail meld into the darkness as the bronze door slowly closed.

He instinctively swam forward a few seconds before ultimately stopping. He selected one of his remaining charms and gave himself the Beyonder effect of Underwater Breathing.

In midair, Anderson Hood clicked his tongue when he saw this.

"This fellow is really crazy…

"He's actually trying to engage in pursuit!"

At this moment, the starlight above the Future fell and condensed into a long bridge that extended over.

Cattleya had finally finished off the grayish-black monster with immense vitality!

What a pity. If only Admiral Hell had hesitated a little and didn't flee in such a timely fashion…Anderson Hood sighed silently and firmly landed on the star bridge.

As he watched Gehrman Sparrow fly over, he was just about to greet and praise him when he saw the cold and gloomy expression.

Anderson instinctively made way and chuckled dryly, allowing Gehrman Sparrow to walk past him.

After returning to the Future via the star bridge, Klein held back his effusing emotions and watched Frank Lee walk over and give him a thumbs up.

"You're the craziest fellow I've ever met!

"You actually dared to board the Black Tulip alone and single-handedly challenge Admiral Hell. You even returned alive!"

Sorry, in terms of craziness, I'm far inferior to you…Klein thought in response.

At this moment, pirates with long or disheveled hair expressed their astonishment and amazement.

In such an atmosphere, Klein closed his eyes and felt his Faceless potion completely digest.

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 661: Approaching

Frank Lee sensed the Gehrman Sparrow's abnormality as he added with a chuckle, "I had planned on providing you some help by throwing some seeds over. Unfortunately, I have no way to throw that far."

Throw some seeds at the Black Tulip? These waters have the remnant auras of Mother Earth. Beyonder matters in the corresponding domain would mutate and would attack everyone, without identifying friend from foe… I was on the Black Tulip at that moment… Thankfully, you didn't throw them…Klein suddenly recalled the tragic state the Future had been placed in moments ago and how the dead pirate had grown a watermelon on his head.

Just as he was about to give a minced answer to match Gehrman Sparrow's persona, he suddenly saw Heath Doyle appear from the shadows, bending his back to vomit.

This Bloodless retched first before his knees went limp as he knelt on the deck.

Ugh! Ugh!

He finally vomited a pool of yellowish-green liquid. Amidst it was a piece of half-rotten grayish-black flesh which was still squirming a little.

Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!

Heath Doyle continued vomiting similar items.

Upon seeing this, other than feeling somewhat disgusted, Klein felt significantly relieved. He was originally worried that Rose Bishop Heath Doyle had been corrupted from randomly eating things. But from the looks of it, he had likely isolated what he had eaten without truly digesting it.

As expected of a Rose Bishop who isn't mad…Klein silently sighed.

Just as he was planning to look away from the vomit, thoughts suddenly flashed in his mind.

Creeping Hunger has already been activated. It needs to be "fed" once within a day. And there aren't any outsiders here. There's also no ideal scum… The pirate who died won't do. Although his partners might not put too much weight on his corpse, Creeping Hunger devours the soul…

I wonder if these pieces of flesh can be treated as "food." At the very least, it contains a tremendous amount of vitality, a corpse that has been influenced by Mother Earth's aura…

With this in mind, Klein took two steps forward and came beside Heath Doyle.

He couldn't bear to look at the puddle of vomit as he instinctively cast his gaze aside towards the grand sea which reflected the sunlight beyond the shipboard.

Then, he reached out to a piece of grayish-black flesh with his left hand.

Creeping Hunger didn't react as it didn't crack open a mouth.

Looks like it doesn't wish to eat it… For now, I can only barely use it to deal with any latent dangers. If I'm still unable to find any suitable food when the day is almost up, I'll throw it above the gray fog…Klein helplessly retracted his hand as he looked up at the captain's cabin.

The golden brooch in front of Cattleya bloomed with light once again, materializing a Sun Wraith that cleansed the pieces of grayish-black flesh from Heath Doyle.

This pirate admiral's expression didn't seem to change. She only looked slightly tired as the purple hue in her eyes became increasingly obvious.

After confirming that the ship had set sail again, Klein didn't stay any longer as he prepared to return to his room to change out of his drenched clothes.

Anderson glanced at him and curiously opened his mouth.

"Shut up!" Klein spoke out before he could.

The turn of events had made him lose his Murloc Cufflink; therefore, he progressively found the person plagued with bad luck as a sore sight. He was just short of defining him as food for Creeping Hunger.

"… Alright." Anderson raised his arms. "I'll just drink in silence."

Klein ignored him and entered the cabin before returning to his room.

Inside his bathroom, he picked up a Water Creation charm and activated it with ancient Hermes. With a tub of clean water, he took off all his clothes and slid in.

The ice-cold sensation and the warm sunshine significantly soothed him. He picked up a pen and paper he brought from his desk and wrote down a divination statement: "The location of the Murloc Cufflink."

After reciting it seven times, Klein completely leaned down, using the front of the bathtub as a pillow before entering a dream.

Amidst a grayish blur and a disconnected illusory world, he saw a zombie rotting in several parts of the deck. The blue Murloc Cufflink was embedded in the flesh of the zombie's left waist.

Apart from the deck, it was pitch-black. It was impossible to tell where the ship was.

It really is on the Black Tulip…Klein opened his eyes and came to the conclusion.

I hope Admiral Hell wouldn't discover it. This way, I can use this cufflink to lock onto the Black Tulip's location…

It's not a big problem, even if he discovers it. As long as Ludwell doesn't throw the cufflink away, and there isn't too much of a delay in time, I can use it to locate his ship. However, the place to do the divination will have to be above the gray fog instead of the real world.

Also, I need to perform divination disruption later to prevent Admiral Hell from locking onto me with the cufflink or even being able to curse me.

That ring really seems like an item left behind by the ancient Death. Yes, I should write to Mr. Azik and inform him of this.Klein quickly rinsed his body and walked out of the bathtub.

After wiping himself dry, he switched into the Loen gentleman suit from before. He first adjusted his inventory and washed his clothes before unfolding a piece of paper, taking out Azik's copper whistle.

Standing beside the desk and looking at the objects on it, Klein hesitated when he extended his right hand.

The light in his eyes flickered before he put away Azik's copper whistle and placed it into a small metallic box. He then isolated its aura with a wall of spirituality.

He planned on summoning the messenger only after he left these waters and the Future.

I suffered quite a huge loss this time. Thankfully, I finished digesting the Faceless potion. I can now just wait for the appearance of mermaids…

Yes… The actual situation of this battlefield of gods is different from what I imagined. It actually has the aura of Mother Earth…

It must've been left behind later; otherwise, it's impossible that a deity can't control "Her" own aura.

None of the eight ancient gods in the Second Epoch wielded the authority of the Earth domain…

There are some suspects among "Their" subsidiary gods, such as Giant Queen, Goddess of Harvest Omebella, or Goddess of Life who's subsidiary to Vampire Ancestor Lilith.

This is a battle with subsidiary gods participating, or it really wasn't something from the Second Epoch?Klein knew too little about the battlefield of the gods, so he could only mainly guess and have some fanciful thoughts.

He focused again as he began cutting some paper figurines and drew The Fool's secret symbol of change on them.

Pa!

Klein raised the paper figurine and shook it.

Flames appeared out of thin air as the paper figurine burnt to a crisp.

By doing this, he could obtain the desired effects to a certain extent. If he wished for better effects, he had to go above the gray fog to respond. He could use the Black Emperor's card to stir the powers of the mysterious space, coupled with the paper angel to provide protection.

With Azik's copper whistle and Will Auceptin's paper crane interfering with a suspected existence's spying, Klein returned to the bathroom and methodically finished what he needed to do.

After tidying up the room, he put on Creeping Hunger and Tinder, and he slowly walked to the deck, prepared to seriously observe his surroundings, so as to not miss any clues of mermaids.

Just as he left the cabin, he saw a seated Anderson Hood leaning against a wooden alcohol barrel. He had a gloomy expression as his aura was converged. It was as though he was in thought or feeling melancholic.

He really kept to his promise and has been silently drinking?Klein mumbled to himself as he passed by Anderson.

Anderson slowly looked up and asked as though he was in a reverie, "Is the alcohol here problematic?"

Klein was taken aback as he seriously replied, "Yes."

"…" Anderson fell speechless.

This fellow is just too unlucky. His Beyonder powers had even failed him to the point of him not detecting the problem with the alcohol?The corners of Klein's lips twitched as he continued forward.

On the deck, many sailors were gathered together, watching Nina take on the duty as a Lord of Storms priest. She was holding a wake for the recently deceased pirate.

After a simple prayer, Nina looked around and said, "Revere's wish was to be buried on the mountain at his port hometown after his death. There's the most beautiful sunset there.

"He wishes to be cremated so that he wouldn't be disturbed after his death.

"Holy Lord of Storms, bless him with eternal peace." Many of the sailors believed in the Lord of Storms as they struck their left breast with their right fists.

Klein didn't approach as he silently watched this scene from a distance.

After the wake was over, the corpse of the pirate, Revere, was reduced to ashes with the help of a scroll. Klein silently sighed as he inwardly drew a crimson moon.

For the rest of the day, the sunlight remained brilliant as it continued being midday. The Future circled around several ruins as it ventured deeper into those waters.

At some point in time, Anderson had recovered and arrived beside Klein.

He shot him a glance and pointed to the buildings that were submerged ahead.

"After passing this ruin and heading about ten nautical miles with a left turn, there will be a chance of encountering mermaids."

Finally…Klein was just about to answer when the sky suddenly darkened. The sunlight subsequently vanished.

Night had fallen again.

Without another word, he returned to his room and got into bed.

Soon, he found himself awake in his dream. Clean floor-to-ceiling windows stood before him. There were also neatly arranged tables and chairs, as well as bookshelves filled with books.

He had returned to the spot from where he had previously left the dream. He was back in the library.

As the glow of the sunset shot in, it cloaked every object with a faint layer of gold. Klein walked forward in puzzlement and came before the bookshelf he previously browsed.

Unsurprisingly, he saw Book of Charms and other books on mysticism.

Klein planned on taking out the book again and quickly read through it when his gaze suddenly swept across a bookshelf opposite him. He saw a black-covered book with the title: Roselle's Notebook 3!

The emperor's diary? An entire diary?Klein subconsciously wanted to extend his hand.

At this moment, the pair of mysterious eyes that observed the deck and himself flashed in his mind, along with the individual who opened the door in the hall of murals that Anderson Hood had mentioned, as well as how he was abnormally moved about in the dream.

Klein retracted his gaze and took out the Book of Charms again.

He came to a long table, sat down, and began quickly browsing through it.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps approaching from the depths of the library.

Klein instantly tensed up as he slowly lifted his head.

The first thing that he saw was a pair of black leather boots.

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 662: Powerful Aura

As his gaze moved up, Klein roughly guessed the owner of those footsteps.

She was a woman wearing beige trousers that made it easy to move about. She wore a pair of long black leather boots, but on her body was a light brown skirt that reached her knees. The hemline fell down diagonally and in layers, giving an unrestrained and cool vibe to her.

Such a getup made Klein feel as though he had returned to Earth. This was because be it Loen, Intis or Feysac, Feynapotter, Lenburg, Masin, East Balam, and other countries, none of them had popularized such styles!

Klein lifted his head faster and finally saw the lady's appearance.

She had long chestnut hair that naturally cascaded down. Her straight eyelashes extended out just perfectly. Her deep blue eyes were deep and profound, as though it hid an ocean in them.

She had outstanding beauty, but that wasn't the most eye-catching thing of all. Her actions naturally effused a sense of nobility. She gave off a strong impression at how she had enjoyed having the status of being someone important for extended periods of time. Klein subconsciously tried to bow his head to avoid meeting her gaze.

Furthermore, she's very tall. She's almost as tall as my state as Klein Moretti…Klein suddenly added inwardly.

After completely digesting the Faceless potion, he came to a realization that one's self was an amalgamation of personality, experiences, knowledge, and social connections. His looks and build could be changed at will; therefore, as long as he knew who he was, he didn't mind using the word "state" to describe the characteristics of each of his different identities. After all, every Faceless change could be fixed without any additional maintenance. That also meant that, even without the corresponding Beyonder powers, he could still maintain his external appearance as Gehrman Sparrow.

And because of that, he could easily make Klein Moretti grow taller if he wanted.

Tap. Tap. Tap.The lady, who exuded the feeling of looking down from above, walked in front of Klein. She pulled out a chair and sat down.

"We meet again," the lady said with a gentle and emotionless tone.

The way she speaks sounds familiar…Klein's mind whirled as he remembered the source of the sense of familiarity.

The scene of her arrival immediately resonated in his mind, and he finally fixated on that pair of black leather boots!

It's… It's her!Klein suddenly recalled the relevant scenes.

Back when he used his Spirit Body state to infiltrate the Royal Museum and retrieve the Black Emperor card, he had encountered a demigod. She had been sitting at the top of a wooden staircase in the middle of two large bookshelves. Her black leather boots back then were dangling in the air!

He changed back into his identity as Sherlock Moriarty and shouted for help when he was being pursued by the Devil dog. Midway, he encountered a forest path formed from green pea vines. He had no choice but to follow the carriage up into midair where he saw the pea vines interweave to form a hammock and a pair of black leather boots!

It's her! Why would she appear in this dream world and these waters? B-besides, she said, "we meet again." I'm Gehrman Sparrow right now!Amidst his thoughts, Klein replied with a deadpan expression, "We haven't met before."

So what if you're a demigod? As long as you aren't an angel, I can use the Sea God Scepter to resist you in this dream world!Klein encouraged himself in secret.

The lady with long eyebrows sat there and lifted her chin as she observed Klein for two seconds.

"Is that so? Mr. Hero Bandit Black Emperor…"

Klein's thoughts erupted with a boom as if he had been struck by lightning. His thoughts were reduced to countless fragments that were left in shambles and chaos without any main line of thought.

S-she knows that I'm Hero Bandit Black Emperor?

She recognized me as the Spirit Body who originally stole the Card of Blasphemy from the Royal Museum?

H-how is this possible!?

Wait, why did she directly address me as Hero Bandit Black Emperor. If she had used Sherlock Moriarty, I would be even more astounded, and I might even fail to hide the change in my expressions…

As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Klein instinctively controlled his facial muscles and calmly said, "I don't know what you're talking about."

The lady, who wore clothes that were different from the present fashion trends, didn't repeat her words or explain anything. Instead, she said in a direct manner, "Your identity as Gehrman Sparrow was provided by me."

"…"

Klein instantly felt his scalp tingle. He felt as though he didn't have a single secret when facing her.

This identity of Gehrman Sparrow was created through the use of Miss Sharron's resource channels… This demigod lady is one of them?

Right, Miss Sharron had previously mentioned that someone in her circles had been investigating the true identity of Hero Bandit Black Emperor and had promised to fulfill any reasonable request in exchange. For ingredients, it was limited to those below that of High-Sequence Beyonder ingredients…

According to Miss Sharron's description, the person who offered the mission was more than 1.7 meters tall, with a very proportionate body and long chestnut hair. She liked wearing black leather boots. Man… isn't this person before me… Back then, I even suspected if she was the demigod whom I met in the Royal Museum. Furthermore, she knew very well that I had taken the Black Emperor card…

Thoughts flashed past as Klein was temporarily at a loss for words. All he could do was maintain his silence.

The lady whose chin wasn't sharp and was a little rounded didn't harp on Gehrman Sparrow's identity. She looked out at the frozen sunset and said, "While you were in the Rorsted Archipelago, Nast Solomon's Black Emperor also appeared in those waters.

"I believe you know what that means, Mr. Hero Bandit."

Realizing how she wasn't exposing his identity and was even giving him clues and evidence, Klein could only twitch the corner of his lips and say, "Law of Beyonder characteristics convergence."

The expression of the lady opposite him immediately softened as she said with a smile, "You really are Hero Bandit Black Emperor."

… So you weren't certain… You were only listing down the clues and presenting your confident attitude… How was she so certain just now? Does she still have evidence that she hasn't provided?Klein felt some regret and was abnormally puzzled.

The lady who seemed to enjoy her standing as an important figure didn't say anything further. She then looked at the bookshelf and said, "You discovered that the bookmark has a Black Emperor card through his diary?"

Diary… This lady also knows that the so-called Roselle's notebook is a diary…Klein was taken aback as he didn't reply to her.

"You didn't take that notebook because you sensed something?" the lady asked again.

This…Klein suddenly realized something and decided not to answer and instead pose questions. He wanted to extricate himself from a passive state and not be led by the nose.

He looked at the lady's deep blue eyes and asked directly, "You are the mysterious person on the Future who was secretly spying on me?"

The beautiful lady who didn't allow anyone to come close replied frankly, "Yes. Cattleya doesn't know that I've secretly boarded the Future, but you actually discovered it… A Clown's sense for danger?"

Based on the observation and the information from before, she can basically determine that I'm a Faceless, a Magician… From her tone, she's very familiar with Admiral of Stars… The upper echelons of the Moses Ascetic Order or that Queen Mystic?Klein nodded and said, "That's right."

The lady raised her chin and curled her lips up slightly.

"It's impossible for a normal Clown to sense danger at this level, even if they're already a Sequence 5."

She has discovered another unique trait again… This… She knows the Seer pathway very well… Indeed, I've been somewhat affected by the gray fog's powers, giving me a direct premonitory intuition even in situations that aren't dangerous?Klein didn't give her a chance to speak again as he asked in a deep tone, "Were the sounds of the door opening and the footsteps heard by Anderson Hood in the depths of the hall of murals yours?"

"Are you referring to the hunter who's plagued by bad luck?" the lady asked in thought.

"Yes." Klein nodded.

"It was indeed me." The lady paused. "Inform that hunter of a prophecy. The most lethal danger often lies in day-to-day life."

What does that mean?Seeing how she had no intention of explaining, Klein deliberated and asked, "You were the one that made me appear in the Saint of Darkness's dream?"

The lady combed her long chestnut hair as she said gently but coldly, "That's not hard to guess.

"Through that dream, I confirmed that you took the remains of that sea serpent, Kalvetua.

"And like before, you appeared using a Spirit Body state. You took away the item from Jahn Kottman and vanished directly? Oh, you still carry the Black Emperor card."

Klein didn't respond to this topic and switched to asking, "You are Queen Mystic?"

"Many people call me by that name," the lady calmly answered.

It's really her… This lady's bounty reaches 650,000 pounds just from Loen's bounty alone!Klein silently drew a gasp and said, "Ma'am, is there a reason why you are looking for me?"

Queen Mystic used her blue eyes to look at him for a few seconds before saying, "I hope you can share with me the method to interpret the language created by Emperor Roselle. For that, I can satisfy most of your requests."

Klein didn't admit or deny anything. He chuckled and asked, "Don't tell me you're even able to give me the corresponding High-Sequence Beyonder potion formulas?"

Queen Mystic had her bearing converged, but she said without any decrease in her dignity, "Your fate lies on the main peak of the Hornacis mountain range."

This…Klein felt a baffling sense of shock.

His eyes darted around. While he was considering a question, Queen Mystic stood up.

"When you need some help or clues to a few Cards of Blasphemy, tell me the answer."

She turned around and walked into the depths of the tidy and vast library. With each step, her figure turned faint before quickly vanishing.

The library immediately collapsed. After a moment of feeling adrift, Klein found himself in the hall filled with beautiful murals.

Anderson looked at him in shock as he blurted out, "How did you get here?"

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 663: False Alarm

After hearing Anderson's question, Klein was momentarily at a loss for an answer. He couldn't just tell him that he had fallen out of a dream suspected to belong to Queen Mystic.

He coldly looked at the unlucky Strongest Hunter, raised his right hand, and pointed upwards.

"Is that so…" Anderson Hood nodded in enlightenment.

What… did you figure out… I don't even know what I'm expressing myself…Klein discreetly twitched the corner of his lips and changed the topic. He said in recollection, "I met someone just now…"

"Not someone we know? Not a member of the Future? The person who came out of the door from deep inside the hall?" Anderson suddenly became excited.

This fellow doesn't put on airs of being the Strongest Hunter. He's like a breaking news reporter…Klein lampooned without answering him. He directly said, "She got me to pass on a prophecy to you."

"She… What prophecy?" Anderson was somewhat puzzled.

If I were using my identity as Klein Moretti, I would've answered, "Sorry, I've forgotten. She only said it once"…As Klein imagined the prank that wouldn't have happened, he said with a deep voice, "The most lethal danger often lies in day-to-day life."

Anderson listened carefully as he drew a gasp.

"That's just too accurate! I was drinking beer and nearly made myself a ret*rd. Who would imagine that most of the alcohol on the Future is problematic!"

He ruminated for a few seconds and asked, somewhat worried, "That's it?

"Did you forget any details or keywords?"

I can tell that you're being provocative…Klein ignored Anderson Hood and walked to the entrance of the hall of murals where he looked at Frank and Nina outside.

Back in the library, he had been suddenly accused of being Hero Bandit Black Emperor by Queen Mystic. This inevitably caused him to be placed in a passive state. Afterwards, he attempted to throw her off and not be led by the nose; therefore, he remained extremely nervous. His thoughts were completely focused on what he should say in response, without the time to consider the entire process and figure out the details. Now, he finally had the time.

First, what's most important is to understand a question. To what level of comprehension does Queen Mystic have towards my identity and Roselle's diary?

Yes… She believed that I grasp the means to interpret the language created by Emperor Roselle, and not the language itself. Although the difference in meaning isn't great, it's enough to prove that our identity as transmigrators isn't something she has figured out or have any clues that point towards that conclusion.

Miss Sharron isn't a rookie who just joined the mysticism circles or got herself involved in complicated matters. While getting someone to fake an identity for me, it's impossible for her to divulge who she's doing it for. Besides, the picture I provided was already Gehrman Sparrow's image…

That means that Queen Mystic hasn't equated Sherlock Moriarty to Gehrman Sparrow. Yes, if she had already known about this, as I had previously imagined, a better form of address would be Mr. Black Emperor Sherlock Moriarty. This would've dealt my mental defenses a blow that was several times stronger than directly addressing me as Hero Bandit Black Emperor.

From her standpoint, how did she gather useful information from scattered clues?

She knows that the bookmark is the Black Emperor card. Hence, the specter-like Hero Bandit Black Emperor and the strange Spirit Body who stole the Card of Blasphemy from the Royal Museum were connected together. Later, King of the Five Seas, Nast, suddenly appeared in the Rorsted Archipelago. According to the law of Beyonder characteristics convergence, she guessed that Hero Bandit Black Emperor might've appeared in Bayam and the archipelago.

After her investigations, she discovered the familiar identity known as Gehrman Sparrow. Then, from his identical trajectory with Hero Bandit Black Emperor's actions, she made a prediction and engaged in pursuit. She infiltrated the Future and observed me up close.

This is logical, but there's a certain level of coincidences in all of this. King of the Five Seas Nast appears anywhere he likes. Perhaps he might be missing a particular lady from the Red Theater and got his ship to cross the spirit world to enter the waters around the Rorsted Archipelago, or perhaps Bayam happens to have the High-Sequence Beyonder ingredients of the Black Emperor pathway that attracted him… There's no way to directly link it to Hero Bandit Black Emperor.

Of course, it's not incomprehensible for Queen Mystic to make such a connection. Perhaps she abides by the principle of being wrong rather than feel sorry in regards to important clues. Heh, that's a good habit, but it's just tiring.

There's also a high chance that she didn't lock onto Gehrman Sparrow immediately. However, with the reputation of the crazy adventurer Gehrman Sparrow becoming more prominent in the Rorsted Archipelago waters and the City of Generosity Bayam, she matched the timing after hearing the name, and then she came to a preliminary conclusion.

Sigh, it's still better to keep a low profile in life. Thankfully, my acting has finally come to an end. Subsequently, I can make the identity of Gehrman Sparrow vanish!Klein ran through everything and felt that he had mostly understood the problem at its root.

However, he had another thought and guess.

It was the way Admiral of Stars Cattleya had received Gehrman Sparrow on her ship. She had done it in an ostentatious manner, as though she was afraid that it wasn't known to the world that the crazy adventurer was cooperating with her!

Perhaps, she was providing a certain level of clues. Later, Queen Mystic came and learned that it was Gehrman Sparrow. After figuring out the trajectory of my activity at sea, she had a certain speculation. Instead of trying to pull a bluff, she was actually rather certain!Klein held one hand in his pocket as he walked out of the hall of murals. He then headed straight for Cattleya, who was outside the black cloister. He planned on using her turbid state to question her.

At this point, he had actually relaxed significantly. This was because Queen Mystic clearly only knew that Gehrman Sparrow was equivalent to Hero Bandit Black Emperor, and he was a Beyonder who worked for some important figure. It didn't involve even more secrets.

Even if she had connected the loss of the Black Emperor card that night to Detective Sherlock Moriarty who was nearby, that wouldn't be a huge problem.

From a very long time ago, I had already equated Sherlock Moriarty to The World, and I also equated that to the Blessed of The Fool. Gehrman Sparrow is only an extension of that identity. Heh heh, this is my preparation for such matters. I always believed that I shouldn't treat others as ret*rds. As long as someone is active, any clues on their trajectory and social connections would lead to exposure. Therefore, I prepared this identity ahead of time for these smart people. I also strictly abided to these settings even in my everyday life.

And for the Blessed of an important figure to have a basic understanding of Roselle's dairy is completely understandable and acceptable. It's within the realms of an ordinary bestowment from a special existence.

Heh, you probably never expected that there's a mask under the mask!

Amidst his thoughts, Klein also felt that the help from the gray fog and his caution had played a significant role. If he hadn't noticed that he had been observed by someone ahead of time while instinctively abiding by his will, he might've summoned the messenger under Queen Mystic's surveillance.

The messenger alone might not expose anything, but it's worrisome that Queen Mystic might have a way of tracking it and finding Mr. Azik. From his recent sightings, it's possible for her to dig out my identity as Klein Moretti…Klein tore through a square filled with numerous giant arrows, walked out the black cloister, and saw Cattleya sitting there as she hugged her knees just like before. She was staring at the beautiful sunset.

Klein leaped onto the boulder and came to the side of the withered trees. He looked at the magnificent buildings on the opposite mountain and said in a seemingly normal manner, "At Nas, you showcased the star bridge to connect the dock to the ship. Were there any hidden motives behind that?"

Cattleya's head leaned to the side a little as she said, "I'm not telling you!"

"…" Klein was momentarily left at a loss.

He originally imagined that Admiral of Stars would be very honest in the dream world. He had never expected such a situation; of course, this was also a form of honesty, but it was an honest personality.

After two seconds of silence, Klein decided to pull a bluff.

"You wished to use this method to inform someone that I'm worthy of attention?"

Cattleya exhaled and remained sitting there, hugging her knees.

"Pretty much.

"It was mainly to tell others that if something serious happens or if I show obvious abnormalities, you will be the first clue."

As expected…Klein sighed inwardly.

He knew that Admiral of Stars had done such a cheap trick to protect herself, but as The Fool, he needed to punish her for such actions.

However, I can't use this matter to act up. It will appear as though The Fool protects "His" Blessed too much. That will be quite lacking in standing… Yes, Admiral of Stars must've done more than this. I can tabulate these series of actions as one and punish her for them…Klein quickly made up his mind. He wasn't as flustered towards what he encountered in this dream world again.

As for Queen Mystic's suggestion, he didn't even consider it.

Emperor Roselle's diary contained matters of his transmigration and Earth. If he taught Queen Mystic how to read Chinese, she would discover this point and make even more critical guesses!

She must have her qualms about the important figure who can randomly lend out the Sea God Scepter, so she wouldn't take any forceful actions. If there really are any matters that need her help or if she has some dirt on me, I can agree to help her translate a few important pages of the diary she wishes to know about. But I'll definitely not teach her Chinese. Yes, even if I translate it, it will be watered down with the use of synonyms. I just need to maintain the main points; that way, she has no way of reverse-engineering the language…Klein retracted his gaze and casually asked Cattleya, "Rumor has it that you and Queen Mystic had a falling out, but it doesn't seem to be the case?"

Cattleya's glazed expression suddenly had a lively change. She pursed her lips and said, "What right do I have to fall out with her?

"I was just banished."

Banished…Klein was just about to ask when blinding sunlight beamed as he naturally woke up.

Looking at the bright sky outside, he wiped his forehead and muttered silently to himself.

What a terrifying dream.

After dealing with his wistfulness, Klein rolled off the bed and came to the deck. He continued his observation and awaited the appearance of mermaids.

Nearly an hour later, he finally heard a faint, indistinct voice coming from the distance.

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 664: Every Second Counts

Mermaids?

Klein felt delighted as anticipation and excitement filled him.

Having left Backlund for nearly four months and experiencing a series of events, he finally arrived at the destination of his travels. He was completing the last condition needed for him to advance to Sequence 5 Nimblewright Master!

His irascibility and frustrations had been constantly growing ever since he entered these waters, and it was all thanks to the waiting. The various ridiculous and humorous matters on the Future, the matters that seemed abnormally harrowing on careful thought, and the dangers and unknown things contained within the night, noon, and dreams in the ruins of this war of gods had left him even more mentally tense. He lived through every minute and hour with great torment.

Now, the pressure from these emotions finally had a chance of being released!

Phew…Klein slowly heaved a sigh of relief. He directly returned to the cabin and entered the room that belonged to him.

Without being flustered or letting the joy get to his head, he followed the planned sequence of taking out Azik's copper whistle and Will Auceptin's paper crane to interfere with the possible spying of Queen Mystic.

After taking out the remnant spirituality of ancient wraiths, the pair of eyes from a six-winged gargoyle, drago bark, and a metallic bottle containing Sonia Island's Golden Spring from his suitcase, he spread them across his desk, entered the bathroom, and locked the door. He then familiarly set up the bestowment ritual.

After setting up the ritual, he wasn't in a rush to go above the gray fog to respond to the prayer. Instead, he set up another ritual of summoning himself!

While taking four steps counterclockwise and chanting the incantation, Klein arrived above the gray fog. He responded to the summoning ritual and used his Spirit Body state to come to the real world. He then brought Tinder back to the mysterious space.

After doing all of that, Klein didn't relax. He came to the seat of The Fool, conjured a pen and paper, and quickly wrote the divination statement: "The singing ahead comes from mermaids."

Taking off his topaz pendant, he used divination to confirm the situation.

The singing ahead of the Future was from mermaids!

After calming his emotions, Klein summoned the iron cigar case from the junk pile and made it land on the ancient, mottled bronze table.

With a snapping sound, he opened the lid and saw the pupil-less All-Black Eye sitting there in silence. He could sense the extreme madness and danger from it, but it appeared to be in deep slumber.

After observing it for two seconds, Klein took out Tinder and slowly wore it on his right hand.

After completing all of this, Klein didn't hesitate and reached out his right palm and spread his fingers.

All sorts of blobs of light surfaced before his eyes. Grayish-white, bronze-green, dark red, and black colors formed the foundation of this mysterious space.

And inside the All-Black Eye, there was a flaring and flailing iron-black beam lingering around the remaining colors.

Without using his spiritual intuition, Klein knew with certainty through his understanding of objects that the True Creator's mental corruption was represented by this iron-black light!

Feeling extremely wary, he closed his fingers and grabbed at the target before turning his wrist.

The iron-black light was instantly extracted as it fused with Tinder. Immediately, the illusory, evil, terrifying, and indescribable ravings boomed in his ear like déjà vu.

This destroyed his line of thought as it ground at his psyche. It brought about a fracturing pain to his brain, but it was soon repressed by the gray fog's power and turned completely silent.

Klein didn't think further. He followed his plans and reenacted the trial runs that he had practiced numerous times by grabbing Tinder with his left hand, pulled it off, and threw it onto the stone ground of the magnificent palace.

Right on the heels of that, Klein grabbed the All-Black Eye which was now completely fine. He quickly replied to the bestowment ritual and passed the Nimblewright Master Beyonder characteristic through the illusory door and into the altar in the bathroom.

He didn't dare delay any further. All he did was glance at the evil-exuding Tinder which was tainted with an iron-black color as its fingers twisted and its palm cracked opened. He then used his spirituality to envelop himself as he stimulated a plummeting sensation to return to the real world.

Klein opened his eyes, grabbed the All-Black Eye on the altar and ran out into his room. While doing so, he had a thought.If I allow Creeping Hunger to watch what happens to Tinder and its outcome, I wonder what its thoughts would be…

Coming before the desk, from the side, Klein took out an iron pot that originally belonged to the Future. He then poured 80 milliliters of Sonia Golden Spring into it.

As the pale gold liquid slowly spread out in a clear and transparent state, it made him subconsciously feel thirsty, as if he wished to drink a cup of it to quench his thirst.

The items—drago bark, eyes of the six-winged gargoyle, and the remnant spirituality of an ancient wraith—were thrown into the pot by Klein, causing different reactions. Finally, the potion turned into a pale gold color, but it looked ethereal as though it was weightless.

At this critical juncture, Klein became abnormally calm instead. He steadily picked up the pupil-less black eye and dropped it into the potion.

He had already confirmed that the True Creator's mental corruption hadn't penetrated the gray fog or returned inside the All-Black Eye!

And this was something he had expected.

The All-Black Eye was instantly submerged by the pale gold liquid as the surface began bubbling.

Every bursting bubble made the potion turn blacker. About ten seconds later, all the changes came to a halt.

Inside the pot, the potion took form as a completely black liquid. Inside, it seemed to contain countless tiny worms that were squirming about, worms that couldn't be seen by the naked eye.

Klein took out a gold coin and made a quick divination as a confirmation.

After receiving the revelation that it was a success, he heaved a sigh of relief and poured the Nimblewright Master potion into a metallic bottle he had prepared and stuffed it into his pocket.

He didn't act in a fluster or rush. He followed the process he had planned by quickly clearing up the altar in the bathroom, and he retrieved Azik's copper whistle and Will Auceptin's paper crane.

At this point, he walked out of the cabin and onto the deck.

At this moment, the symbols and magical labels on the Future had once again lit up, forming a resplendent sea of stars. It significantly reduced the mermaids' singing.

Rumors claimed that the singing of mermaids could make humans lose their reasoning and turn irrational. They would then jump off their ships to become food for the mermaids.

Klein subconsciously nodded at the window corresponding to the captain's cabin.

Admiral of Stars was standing there as her body swirled with starlight. The gaze she sent back at him appeared mixed.

Have you recalled what you said and how you acted in the dream?Klein lampooned as he said with a calm expression, "I need a dinghy."

"It has already been prepared." Cattleya pointed towards the shipboard without any signs of surprise.

Gehrman Sparrow had mentioned that his purpose was to seek out mermaids back when he hired the Future!

Soon, Klein left the Future and the protection of the resplendent sea of stars. He headed into the ocean on his tiny dinghy.

As the singing grew louder, a voice seemed to drill into his Spirit Body, numbing his body, making him wish to hear more of it.

This was far from sufficient for Klein. Besides, his spiritual intuition told him that he needed to be closer to make the singing clearer so as to satisfy the requirements of the ritual.

"Storm!"

Klein took out a charm made of tin, and he summoned a controllable gale that could push the dinghy ahead.

After an unknown period of time, the mermaid's singing increased in volume. They were so clear, it was as though they were singing softly by Klein's ears. Each tone stirred his Spirit Body, and the melody was intoxicating.

Klein felt his mind adrift as he nearly jumped into the sea and swam towards the source of the melodic singing.

He tried his best to control himself and discovered many reefs ahead. Figures were seated at its edge as they sang.

These creatures with a human head had quite some beauty in their clear, pure eyes. Their breasts were lifted up high, but they were also covered by dark red scales. The lower halves of their bodies were comprised of massive fishtails as they rhythmically struck the reef.

The mermaids looked different and had different colored scales. From a human's standpoint, they were all a different kind of beauty.

Klein relinquished his control of the dinghy, raised his right hand, and reached into his pocket for the potion.

At that moment, the mermaids sensed his approach and looked over.

Then, these creatures, who were also known as sirens, stopped singing out of shock. All of them leaped into the water with a splash.

Don't go…Klein feebly reached out with his right hand.

Isn't it said that you use your singing to attract humans for food? Why are you running with a human here? I'm not a bad guy. I'm only here to listen to your singing…At this moment, Klein's heart was filled with "what the f*k" emotions.

He soon discovered that the mermaids' singing didn't completely stop. Further away on the reef were a few mermaids with their backs facing him. They didn't discover the fleeing of their companions, due to the crashing of the winds as they continued boldly singing.

Klein's mind stirred as he thought for a moment and took out a charm.

This was the charm from the Sea God domain that gave the user affinity with underwater creatures!

"Storm!"

Amidst the incantation, blue flames enveloped the tin plate, making it vanish from the real world.

Although the remaining mermaids noticed him, they didn't flee in fear. Immediately, Klein took out the metal bottle containing the Nimblewright Master potion and unscrewed the lid.

He made every second count so as to prevent any mishaps!

As he gulped the potion down, a somewhat bitter potion with a mustiness surged down his throat, into his gullet, and into his stomach.

Suddenly, Klein found himself abnormally stiff. He felt as though he had returned to Tingen, back when he was being controlled by the strange puppet known as Sealed Artifact 2-049.

He tried moving his joints, but he felt as though they were filled with lead.

At the same time, he felt that tiny worms were boring into every one of his cells and into his Spirit Body.

His thoughts slowed down as his brain reflected the gradual loss of control over his body.

The mermaids' singing floated over, stirring those desires, the accumulated fanaticism and infatuation, allowing Klein to hold onto his final lumps of emotions. Through this temptation, he slowly escaped the state of petrification.

A grayish-white fog quickly surfaced before his eyes as he heard the illusory ravings of "Hornacis… Flegrea… Hornacis… Flegrea…" Compared to his advancement to a Seer, Clown, and Magician, these ravings appeared staccato, as though they were being disrupted by something.

It's different from when I became a Faceless. The ravings are clearly much stronger. It can intermittently break through the obstacles produced from the fusion of the powers of the gray fog and reality… I can think again!Klein was delighted as he attempted to raise his arm.

His joints still felt heavy, but the feeling was weakening!

At the same time, Klein "saw" his present appearance.

His skin was yellowish-brown, like a puppet that had been buried alive for years with old bandages.

Fleshy tendrils were hidden beneath his skin as they squirmed, separated, and fused.

Klein immediately outlined the countless spherical lights in his mind, and he used Cogitation to calm his present state.

During this process, the mermaids' singing continued to reverberate in his ears, allowing his joints and muscles to twitch before the numbness slowly receded.

After an unknown period of time, Klein opened his eyes, his body having completely restored to normal.

He took a deep breath and silently sighed.

Finally…

I'm finally a Sequence 5!

I'm finally a Nimblewright Master!

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 665: Spirit Body Threads

Under the strong sunlight, the sea reflected a golden shade. Apart from that, deep in Klein's eyes were countless illusory black lines.

They extended from the nearby mermaids, from his body, and from the different parts of the neighboring waters. They were packed densely in thin and numerous threads, corresponding to different spots. Some extended into the infinite distance, to the ends of the void.

This strange, beautiful scene wasn't an unfamiliar sight to Klein. In the few times he used the All-Black Eye's powers and his usage of it to create the fake World, he had been able to see similar scenes.

This was the source of a Nimblewright Master's Beyonder powers!

From the knowledge he obtained from the potion, these illusory thin black threads were known as Spirit Body Threads. By controlling them, one could directly influence the target's Soul Body, Astral Projection, Body of Heart and Mind, and Ether Body. Then, with the Ether Body as a bridge, one could control the target's body.

Therefore, all the Beyonder powers of a Nimblewright Master was built on the Spirit Body Threads.

Firstly, it could find a hidden target using the Spirit Body Threads that existed in every creature. It was the best measure against a Demoness's invisibility and a Shadow Ascetic's hiding in the shadows. Of course, Klein wasn't aware if there were means to hide one's Spirit Body Threads.

Secondly, it was to control a target like a puppet. It would make the target's thoughts and body stiffen. This was a type of forceful control and was almost indefensible. The only way of escaping this control was to rely on the potency of one's Spirit Body. It was almost no trouble for a Sequence 5 Nimblewright Master to control anyone who wasn't a demigod.

Thirdly, through the passage of time, the control would deepen. A Nimblewright Master could completely turn the target into their nimblewright. Up to a certain distance, they could hide behind the scenes and control the nimblewright to do battle. While doing so, the nimblewright could use all of its original Beyonder powers!

This is truly magical, terrifying, strange, and indescribable. It's the perfect thing for someone working behind the scenes. It's no wonder Rosago claimed that the control of Spirit Body Threads is one of the most difficult abilities to deal with for anyone that isn't a High-Sequence Beyonder…

But it requires time. Control cannot be instantly achieved. It requires a process that deepens with each step until it's ultimately achieved. To obtain initial control, the present me needs 20 seconds. But with the digestion of the potion, the time needed will clearly decrease. Once my Nimblewright Master potion completely digests, I might be able to do it within five seconds. Yes, before the effects show, the target wouldn't even notice it. Perhaps those with prophetic abilities might be able to detect it…

Once initial control of the target has been achieved, they will immediately be slow to think. Their actions will be impeded and their bodies stiffened. Then, bit by bit, they will develop into a puppet, a nimblewright. If a Nimblewright Master has a partner, this process will make it easy to finish off a target that has been forcibly controlled. Yes, if the enemy's Spirit Body isn't strong enough, a Nimblewright Master will have the strength remaining to even draw a gun or use a mystical item to act in concert with himself.

If the controlling process isn't disrupted by an external force, the target will become my nimblewright after five minutes. In a sense, the nimblewright is truly dead and the process is completely irreversible. Once the potion is completely digested, the time it takes to convert someone into a nimblewright will definitely be greatly shortened.

The maximum number of nimblewrights I can control at present is one. I can't be sure how many I can control in the future, but it will definitely increase. The limit seems to max out at three.

This will not only need time, but there's also a distance restriction. I can only see Spirit Body Threads within a hundred meters. And to control them, I need to be five meters from the target…

When controlling nimblewrights, I cannot be more than 100 meters from it. I'm sure it will increase in the future.

Heh, apart from keeping its Beyonder powers, a nimblewright can also normally use mystical items and Sealed Artifacts. Furthermore, it expends its own spirituality and not mine. Of course, my controlling of the nimblewright will expend spirituality itself.

This ability is very suited for me. In extremely dangerous situations, with me having no choice but to investigate, I can let the nimblewright do it for me. Although it will be heartbreaking to lose it, it's better than having myself die. Heh heh, back when Nimblewright Master Rosago came to deal with me, he must've been engaged in another operation. This resulted in him losing his nimblewright. Yes, he must've not fully digested the Nimblewright Master potion. That's why he wasn't able to achieve initial control over me while waiting for me to open the door. He had to enter in order to converse with me.

In short, this lives up to being a Sequence 5 Beyonder power! Furthermore, the Beyonder powers before this have also been enhanced by 50%, or even more…

I'm really looking forward to knowing what kind of qualitative changes I'll experience when I reach Sequence 4 when possessing so many strange powers. Sigh, I don't even know what its name is…Klein ended the inspection of his body and reflected wistfully.

He then used the experience of setting an activation and deactivation method for his Spirit Vision to give himself a restriction of seeing Spirit Body Threads, so as to not see things he shouldn't see.

Activating by tapping my left thumb twice on the first segment of my index finger. Repeating the action deactivates it. Same for the right hand…He reined in his thoughts and looked ahead, and he saw that the remaining mermaids had turned around and were looking at him with watery blue eyes.

At the thought that he would've lost control and become a Sealed Artifact akin to 2-049 without their singing or this simple ritual, Klein gave them a friendly smile.

Affected by the charm, the mermaids also moved their lips and showed a somewhat embarrassed smile.

As their light purple or deep red lips parted, one by one, Klein saw their teeth—razor-sharp like wolf fangs. They were white and shiny and dripping from them was a sticky liquid.

Klein was taken aback. He discovered that this was even more unacceptable for him than a real monster.

He had originally mentally prepared himself and treated mermaids as creatures that swam in the sea. Therefore, no matter how crazy and terrifying they looked, he believed that he could tolerate it. However, the situation was somewhat beyond his expectations. Mermaids were clearly beautiful and alluring females on the surface. Their tails had a hetero sense of beauty, but their teeth were nasty and disgusting. This was a stark contrast that Klein couldn't take. He nearly moved his eyes away.

Waving his hand, he quickly took out a charm from the Sea God domain and created another gale of wind to push his dinghy back to the Future.

Along the way, Klein couldn't help but recollect the feelings he just had.

So the mermaids' singing is meant for neutralizing and balancing. Otherwise, most Faceless are unable to resist the corrosion of their own Spirit Body Threads by the Nimblewright Master potion. They would directly lose control. Heh. Lucky ones like Kalvetua aren't included. Perhaps, it's because of the lack of the ritual's help that it's relatively weaker.

In theory, as long as there's a voice or Beyonder power with similar effects, they can be used to replace a mermaid's singing, but people who haven't personally experienced it themselves wouldn't be able to tell the minute differences. Therefore, High-Sequence Beyonders who aren't from the Seer pathway will find it difficult to provide any effective suggestions.

Amidst his thoughts, the dinghy returned to the Future. With a rope, Klein easily returned to the deck.

Anderson Hood stood by the shipboard and chuckled.

"So your search of mermaids was a requirement of a ritual, and not because you wish to obtain the corresponding ingredients."

"That's obvious," Klein succinctly replied.

Anderson shrugged and said, "No, it's not. A normal person will guess that mermaids are the ingredients you need, as this doesn't match the rituals needed by a Sequence 4. But who knew that Adventurer Gehrman Sparrow, who was at the level of a pirate admiral, was only a Sequence 6."

What do you mean "only?"Klein resisted the urge of controlling Anderson's Spirit Body Threads.

Ignoring the Strongest Hunter who automatically had a provocative halo, he entered the cabin and returned to his room.

Just as he approached the captain's cabin, he heard a creak as the door before him opened.

Cattleya didn't wear her heavy glasses. She looked at Gehrman Sparrow as the dark purple hue in her eyes swirled.

"Congratulations on your advancement.

"P-previously in the dream, did I say something?"

"You know what you said," Klein replied with a deadpan expression.

Cattleya fell silent for two seconds before saying, "You questioned me about my relationship with Queen Mystic?"

As she spoke, she couldn't help but look around.

She guessed that Queen Mystic might be on the Future because of my rather sudden question? I really have to be careful when conversing with a smart person…Klein nodded, walked past her and returned to his room, leaving the corridor in silence.

Only when he opened the door and took a step inside did he hear Cattleya's voice sound out from the captain's cabin. It reverberated through the entire ship.

"Set sail for the return voyage."

Inside the room, Klein waited a few minutes before reentering the bathroom. He set up the ritual again and threw Creeping Hunger, which was turning more irascible due to the lack of food, above the gray fog.

After doing this, he wasn't in a rush to leave. He summoned the distorted iron-black Tinder and made it land before him.

After studying it for a moment, Klein placed Tinder inside the iron cigar case and threw it into the junk pile.

Although this expensive glove was now unusable, Klein was certain that trash could still be used.

Immediately following that, he slowly took off the already silent Creeping Hunger, and he similarly placed it into the junk pile.

Phew…Klein remained silent for two seconds before leaving the palace that looked like a giant's residence, and then he ventured deep into the mysterious space above the gray fog.

From his previous exploration, he discovered a bright staircase that seemed to lead to heaven. He suspected that the number of steps had something to do with his Sequence; therefore, he immediately came here to confirm it after he advanced.

After walking for a while, Klein finally saw the holy staircase made out of pure light. Compared to before, there was another step, making it a total of five steps.

Indeed…Klein sighed, unsurprised.

Then, he climbed up the staircase that appeared to be prepared for giants and arrived at the top.

At that moment, he wasn't that far from the gray fog which was hardened in midair. He seemed to just need one more step to reach that height.

Klein subconsciously looked up and seemed to see something.

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 666: Afternoon Town

That's… Klein's eyes reflected a nearly transparent object.

It appeared like a carapace of something, occasionally shrinking and vanishing from Klein's line of sight, and at times peeking out due to an invisible wind, revealing some of its outlines.

With it acting as an anchor point and looking further up, there were colors of green that was almost black, standing there silently.

They look like the colors of the trees of a dark forest… Klein mumbled without imagining what the object of those colors signified. All he could do was boldly guess that it had something to do with gaining a deeper control of the mysterious space above the gray fog.

Without trying to do something that was destined to be in vain, he jumped down from the staircase that seemed to lead to heaven and phased back inside the palace.

With the existence of Queen Mystic in mind, Klein did some simple tidying up before leaving the gray fog and returning to his bathroom.

After tying up the loose ends, he walked to his suitcase, took out the Sun Brooch, and wore it on his double-breasted frock coat.

After all the turmoil he had been through, the mystical items he could now use had returned to the state when he was in Backlund. However, he was already a Sequence 5 and possessed one of the most difficult powers to deal with below that of the demigods. He was, in the true sense of the word, a powerhouse in the Beyonder world.

I should be very agitated and happy, but I'm actually not. I'm even as excited as when I found mermaids… This is because I've just taken another step on my road to revenge. The true goal I wish to achieve is still a distance away…

Following this, I should conclude the principles and digest the Nimblewright Master potion and seek out the corresponding Sequence 4 formula and ingredients. Yes, I can only do all of these things after leaving these waters. Next, I'll seek advice from Mr. Azik, Will Auceptin, and Arrodes…

Heh heh, I should relax for the next few days. Being overly tense might break me down and cause me to have symptoms of losing control… Klein turned to look at the full-body mirror in his room. Looking at his 1.8-meter-tall build, black hair, and brown eyes, with a thin face and cut features; dressed in a white shirt, a suit with a bow tie, and a top hat that was matched with the pale gold Sunbird brooch. He wore a calm expression with a deep, dark gaze.

After looking at this in silence, he raised his hands and adjusted the buttons at his cuffs and patted his black suit.

…

Lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the stacked, dark buildings ahead.

Demon Hunter Colin Iliad, with two swords on his back, pointed ahead and said, "That's Afternoon Town."

He combed his grizzled hair that was flying about in the wind that swept through the wilderness.

That's fast… With his Axe of Hurricane in hand, Derrick sighed wistfully in surprise.

He soon realized that it was reasonable. This was because the Giant King's Court was located somewhere near the City of Silver. Afternoon Town was the intersecting point that connected both nodes.

With the lightning that illuminated the night sky, he clearly saw Afternoon Town in its entirety. It was built at the foot of a mountain and was naturally split into upper and lower levels. Instead of calling it a town, it wasn't much smaller than most of the ruins the City of Silver found.

Here, the gray stones were stacked into different buildings. Some were entirely emptied out, nearing ten meters. Some were similar to the residence Derrick currently resided in; it was short as though any normal person would hit their heads onto the ceiling.

These buildings were arranged close together before spreading out. Some of them had collapsed, while a number remained standing despite showing signs of age and tear.

It's completely different from what's described in the textbooks… Derrick suddenly recalled the knowledge he had learned from his history lessons.

According to the City of Silver's records, Afternoon Town was the door that separated reality from myth. It was a place where humans and giants lived together. There was day and night here, but most of the day was in a "noon" state. Regardless of the fog, storms, or snow, none of them were able to blot out the strong sunlight. But at this moment, it was dark and heavy. Even if the area was illuminated by light, it lacked a sense of brightness and there was no signs of life.

Clenching his axe tightly, Derrick, whose eyes had two miniature suns, was on the flanks of the exploration team. He followed Chief Colin into Afternoon Town.

This area had been cleared once on the first exploration. The streets were covered with signs of rotting flesh and dry pus. It was completely silent.

"Be careful. There are many strange monsters lurking in the darkness." Colin Iliad, with his scarred face, didn't let down his guard. He drew one of his dual swords as the silver light on his sword converged.

This is the mythical door? When the Creator abandoned this piece of land, even the myths were abandoned? Derrick couldn't help but imagine what Afternoon Town had experienced during the cataclysm. He instinctively felt that it was probably different from the Kingdom of Silver.

Before he could carefully observe his surroundings in search of possible clues, he suddenly heard a teammate on the other flank anxiously cry out, "There's something!"

Derrick turned his head and saw a transparent face growing out of the wall of a ten-meter-tall stone building.

The face was filled with countless cracks. With great regularity, they spiraled around the center, forming a single eye or mouth that resembled a vortex.

The hurricane within the vortex was corporeal as it spewed out with a howl. The dawn-like light from within was dense, as though they were arrows of light.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

They struck a few members of the exploration team, but they seemed to strike thick city walls. All they produced was dull and closely-spaced out thuds before disappearing into the dark environment.

At some point in time, City of Silver Chief, Colin Iliad, was genuflecting. He stabbed the silver sword in his hand into the rotting gray ground.

He had provided the front row with the strongest protection!

At the same time, the other members of the exploration team methodically unleashed their attacks. Hurricane's of light and scarlet fireballs struck the monster.

Right on the heels of that, the holy light that Derrick summoned had landed on the vortex that resembled a single eye.

Amidst the explosive boom, the boulder, which was originally covered in cracks, collapsed. A transparent face screamed as it vaporized.

Although the battle was simple, Derrick didn't feel happy at all. He had heard Mr. Hanged Man and Miss Justice discuss cases of Beyonder fights. Matching it with the experience the City of Silver had accumulated from resisting all kinds of monsters from the darkness, he worriedly discovered that the City of Silver had a limited number of pathways. Those who were not demigods lacked effective means of control, and the situation from before proved this point.

Thankfully, there are Sealed Artifacts that are formed when monsters die to make up for this… Derrick silently thought as he heard the Chief instruct, "Move according to plan. Three to four people a group. Search and clear the different areas."

"Yes, Chief!" The exploration team members were mostly rich in experience. They soon formed their groups.

Derrick's group consisted of three people. Apart from him, there was Joshua and Haim who had been to the abandoned temple with him before. The former was a Sequence 7 Weapon Master, and he had a mystical glove that could control fire. The latter was a recently advanced Sequence 6 Dawn Paladin. He was tall and reached a height of 2.3 meters.

The City of Silver, which had Warriors—also known as the Giant pathway—as the main force, had an average height of 1.8 meters (including children above the age of 6). Even if the Beyonder characteristics were inherited, the normal genes that were modified had accumulated with each generation. Although Derrick wasn't old, he was nearly 1.8 meters tall and still had room to grow.

According to the designated targets, Derrick, Joshua, and Haim entered an alley on the left in a triangular battle formation. They checked every building that still allowed entry.

Perhaps as a result of the former sweep, they didn't encounter any monsters. They couldn't help but feel a little relieved.

"Rumor has it that the six-member council plans to set up camp here and make Afternoon Town a stronghold," Joshua, who was wearing a scarlet glove on his left palm, said after observing the buildings.

Haim nodded and looked down at his two partners.

"The true target seems to be…"

He pointed diagonally upwards.

"The Giant King's Court?" Derrick asked in surprise.

Isn't it a search for the sea where Little Jack and company came from? Don't we need to circle the Giant King's Court? Derrick was filled with puzzlement.

Haim shook his head.

"I've only heard rumors."

He swept his gaze and pointed at the entrance to the underground chamber.

"Let's finish our search here."

Derrick answered tersely. With his night vision and ability to emit light, he wasn't afraid of the darkness as he stepped into the underground chamber first. Haim lifted an animal hide lantern while Joshua followed closely in tow.

This building's underground chamber was rather wide, with traces of dried, blackening pools. The smell of blood remained despite the many years that had passed.

Derrick surveyed the area and suspected that a sacrificial ritual had once been held here.

A very, very long time ago… he silently added and discovered a candle left on the stone table which resembled an altar. He felt more certain about his guesses.

Why would the residents of Afternoon Town secretly hold sacrificial rituals in their underground basement? When the Giant King's Court was in power, they were believers of the Giant King. Later, they came under the lord that created everything… The owner of this building secretly worshiped other gods? Questions arose in him as Derrick approached the altar. He saw that the stone table was originally carved with words, but they had been damaged by either natural or unnatural elements.

After some careful identification, Derrick found three names:

"Ouroboros;

"Medici;

"Sasrir."

Ouroboros? Isn't that the name of the Angel of Fate? Mr. Fool mentioned before that Medici is also a King of Angels. Sasrir is another one? Derrick suddenly felt excited and horrified as he hurriedly turned his head to shout out for his companions to take a look.

But in his vision, the underground chamber was empty. There was only darkness. Haim and Joshua who were supposed to be behind him were gone!

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 667: Prayer

They're gone?

There's only darkness?

Faced with such a sudden change, Derrick's first reaction wasn't horror; instead, he clasped his hands together and pressed it to his mouth.

Pure light was emitted out of his body as he dispersed the surrounding darkness, illuminating every corner of the underground chamber.

In Derrick's living environment, darkness was the most terrifying existence. Once they left the City of Silver, they had to constantly maintain the existence of light. Even a brief loss of light couldn't last for more than five seconds.

When Derrick first joined the exploration teams and lacked experience, he had nearly killed himself because of such a mistake. Thankfully, the Chief was standing nearby.

As the light slowly and continuously radiated from him, Derrick raised his tightly-gripped Axe of Hurricane and carefully observed his surroundings.

He discovered that apart from Haim and Joshua—teammates who had entered the underground chamber with him—vanishing, the stone slabs and tufts of black hair on the walls had turned blood-red at some point in time. They were moist as though they had just been sprayed on.

This calmed down Derrick, who was well-versed with exploration materials, to realize a possibility. The problem didn't stem from Haim or Joshua, but himself!

All I did was approach the altar and silently read three names… Typically speaking, even angels will require someone to read or write down an accurate honorific name in its complete form before they can receive "prayers." And it's supposedly limited by range… I wonder if the Kings of Angels require the same conditions…

Uh, one of those three names was the key to activating the hidden powers in the altar. I triggered the problem by using Jotun which can stir the powers of nature? No, that's not right. It needs to be said out loud. Even if these are the true names of the Kings of Angels, I've never faced such problems in the past…Derrick anxiously turned his body while feeling perplexed. He returned to the altar and came to the stone table.

He was surprised to see that the words and symbols on the stone table were a lot more complete and clearer than before. It was as though the host of the ritual had just drawn it.

The words were written in three languages. They were in Jotun, Dragonese, and a language that Derrick couldn't recognize. However, he suspected that it was the ancient Hermes previously mentioned by Miss Justice and Mr. Hanged Man. This was because he had a basic understanding of some words from the conversations during the Tarot Gathering. They were rather similar to the words used on the stone table.

The content expressed by Jotun and Dragonese were identical. They repeated the three names and their corresponding titles.

Angel of Fate, Ouroboros;

Red Angel, Medici;

Dark Angel, Sasrir.

Following these names and titles was an entity Derrick was very familiar with.

Rose Redemption!

Sasrir really is a King of Angels, one known as Dark Angel. "He," Angel of Fate, and Red Angel are the founders of Rose Redemption? I wonder if Mr. Fool knows anything about "Him"… "He" definitely knows a lot… The words in ancient Hermes should likely be the same content… In Afternoon Town, which had already converted to the faith of the Lord that created everything, there were residents who were secretly worshiping the three Kings of Angels beside the Lord…Upon having this thought, Derrick suddenly felt a chill run down his back. He felt as though he was close to the reason why the Creator had abandoned this land.

When he looked up again, he saw that the walls remained red, but Haim and Joshua were still nowhere to be seen.

Silently repeating them didn't do a thing. Perhaps they don't produce any effects on their own…Derrick drew a breath as he raised his Axe of Hurricane. He carefully walked towards the entrance of the underground chamber, hoping to find the problem at its roots, so as to determine what led to his present situation.

One step, two steps, three steps. Like a gigantic candle, he returned to the hall upstairs.

There were rich shadows here, making it gloomy and eerily silent. The rotting chairs and the remnants of stone tables remained sitting there in silence, no different from before.

Failing to find Joshua and Haim, Derrick could only walk towards the window while he felt high-strung. He wanted to see if he could encounter other members of the exploration team.

Thud… Thud…Amidst light footstep sounds, he approached a huge hole that should've been a window sill. He leaned forward and looked outside.

Countless dark buildings spread out, either tall or short, as they extended outwards like steps.

The lightning in the air happened at a very low frequency as many windows had candlelight emitting out of them. The dim yellow flames danced but weren't extinguished.

This…Derrick couldn't help but swallow a mouthful of saliva. He felt as though all the residents were still living in peace just before Afternoon Town encountered its cataclysm.

…

Haim, who was carrying an animal hide lantern, didn't need to bend his back to enter the underground chamber. He jokingly said to Joshua, "This house must belong to a human, but their family definitely has giant's bloodline in them. They're probably my height. Tsk, the last time we went to that ruined city, we had to bow our heads when using the main doors!"

Having a giant's bloodline didn't necessarily mean that they had giant blood flowing in them. Instead, it referred to a physical characteristic that was inherited by descendants thanks to the consumption of the pathway's potion. Being tall was one of its manifestations.

Joshua looked up at Haim and scoffed.

"That was you. I didn't need to."

"But you won't take long before you can advance. When the time comes, you won't be shorter than me," Haim said with a smile before glancing at Derrick via the corner of his eye. It was to prevent any accidents from happening when Derrick approached the altar.

Joshua thought before saying, "Actually, I'm very curious. Chief is a Sequence 4 Demon Hunter. He should be like an ordinary giant with a height of three to four meters. Why does he look very ordinary, with him being only half a head taller than me?"

Haim subconsciously surveyed the area and said, "Rumor has it that the Chief has a giant form."

"A giant form? Will his clothes tear when he becomes a giant?" Joshua asked with a laugh.

"Unless his clothes and pants are mystical items." Haim and Joshua exchanged a knowing smile.

They were just about to turn their heads to share the joke with Derrick when they realized that the youth was gone!

Derrick, who should've been standing before the altar, had vanished!

Haim's and Joshua's expression instantly turned heavy. One of them raised his huge broadsword, while the other raised his red-gloved left hand.

They carefully approached the altar and did a careful inspection, but they failed to identify anything suspicious.

Joshua was just about to attempt to identify the words on the stone table when Haim patted him on the shoulder.

"Don't look at it. I just recalled that Derrick was looking at those words before he vanished.

"Let's bring the Chief here."

"Okay." Joshua nodded.

They didn't leave in a fluster. They surveyed the surroundings before one of them rubbed his index finger with his middle finger to light the remaining candle on the altar.

This was to protect Derrick so as to prevent him from falling into true darkness!

In the past, the exploration teams of the City of Silver had similar encounters in the ruined cities. A teammate might appear to have suddenly vanished, but they had actually been concealed by some kind of power. He stood in his original location, but with his teammates eager to seek help, they would leave the area with their lanterns. Hence, the poor bastard would be devoured by the true darkness, never to be found again. If it wasn't for another teammate finding themselves in another similar situation and having been rescued on the spot, the others wouldn't have known the actual reason for the previous person's death.

With the candle lit, the dim yellow light spread outwards. Haim and Joshua immediately left and arrived at the alley where they released a spirituality signal that everyone carried.

They didn't wait too long for Colin Iliad who had jumped off from the roof of another building before landing firmly.

"What happened?" the Demon Hunter asked in a deep voice.

The silver sword in his hand was already covered with a layer of light gray oil.

Haim immediately recounted what had happened. Finally, he said, "We didn't discover the reason for Derrick's disappearance."

Derrick…Colin nodded in thought, walked past them, and headed straight into the corresponding building.

…

Despite the candles alight outside and the warm yellow color, Derrick felt as though he had fallen into a frozen abyss. A chill at the bottom of his heart kept spreading.

He clenched the Axe of Hurricane with his right hand and retracted his gaze from the town. He turned to return to the underground chamber and stood in front of the altar again.

He had already determined that he was the one with the problem!

However, he didn't have the urge to explore the strange Afternoon Town. He didn't even dare open the door.

Derrick wasn't nervous, nor did he show any obvious signs of flusterness. This was because he didn't believe that he had encountered something severe.

As long as it's not an immediate threat, it's nothing severe…Derrick took a silent breath, bowed his head, and reverently whispered, "The Fool that doesn't belong to this era.

"The mysterious ruler above the gray fog.

"The King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck…"

Klein, who had been admiring the scenery of the battlefield of the gods, had no choice but to enter the bathroom, set up the disruptive items, and take four steps counterclockwise to head above the gray fog.

He sat at the high-back chair at the end of the long bronze table. He stretched out his right hand and emanated his spirituality, touching the crimson star which represented Little Sun.

Suddenly, the prayers turned abnormally clear as the corresponding scene appeared before Klein's eyes.

He first saw the still-hazy Little Sun, before discovering that the environment around him was abnormal!

Swirling around The Sun was an unspeakable darkness, and in the darkness there were eyes of different shapes silently watching him.

The eyes were densely packed and hidden in the darkness. They were like unwelcomed observers which Little Sun hadn't noticed at all.

Afternoon Town is that dangerous?Klein was very aware of what dear Sun was up to lately.

He thought for a moment and instinctively believed that the darkness was extremely strange and surreal. Therefore, he abandoned the option of using the Sea God Scepter to respond to Little Sun. Instead, he switched to pulling him up above the gray fog.

Klein extended his spirituality, but he felt as though the crimson star seemed to be in a quagmire, making it rather difficult for him to pull him over.

Which King of Angels has he crossed this time?With a thought, Klein made the mysterious space and the gray fog beneath him produce ripples.

After advancing to Sequence 5, he could stir some of the powers above the gray fog, without the use of the Black Emperor card and the corresponding rituals!

Silently, Klein easily completed transporting Derrick as his figure appeared on the high-back chair belonging to him.

Meanwhile, Klein saw the strange darkness swirling around Little Sun's body shatter.

…

The Demon Hunter entered the underground chamber in high alert, followed closely by Haim and Joshua.

They saw that in front of the dim yellow candlelight, Derrick Berg's figure was quickly outlined like a picture.

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 668: Confidence Might Also Be a Weakness

Above the gray fog, in the palace that was held up by stone columns.

Derrick quickly repeated his encounter to Mr. Fool.

Dark Angel Sasrir… The names and titles of these Kings of Angels seem to have been washed away by the rivers of history. Almost no one knows of them. If it weren't for Little Sun discovering them in the Forsaken Land of the Gods, or me directly encountering the ancient evil spirit suspected to be Red Angel himself, I might not even know a single King of Angels. At best I would've heard of the Amon family and would have no way of delving deeper into the Blasphemer… Where is this Dark Angel at present? Is "He" still alive? Is "He" still one of the upper echelons of the Rose Redemption?Klein felt wistful.

Afraid that Little Sun would ask him related questions that he couldn't answer, Klein instantly stopped his contemplations and leisurely leaned back into the chair and said, "You have been freed from your predicament. Your companions will soon find you."

As he spoke, he didn't give Little Sun a chance to speak by directly cutting off the connection.

As for an explanation in the event that Little Sun was discovered to be abnormal, Klein disdained the thought of reminding him to fabricate an explanation.

To mysteriously disappear and then appear again, wasn't it very normal that all sorts of strange scenarios accompanied it?

At that moment, Derrick was very grateful that Mr. Fool didn't ask him any further questions. This was because he was afraid that he would be exposed to the lethal darkness or hidden monsters once he escaped the alternate Afternoon Town. Therefore, he was eagerly hoping to regain control of his body as soon as possible, so as to prepare the necessary precautions. However, if Mr. Fool had really asked a question, he would still seriously and very patiently explain the corresponding situation.

With his consciousness returning to his body, Derrick rapidly recovered his senses.

When he opened his eyes, he saw a candle which was almost done burning. The wick's flame was wavering in the wind.

Immediately after that, he discovered that the Chief was standing to his side at some point in time. The tall Haim and the red-gloved Joshua were warily standing two steps behind.

How long have they been watching me like that…Although Derrick had already thought of a reason above the gray fog, he still felt guilty and nervous.

Colin's wrinkled face was deadpan. He asked in a normal tone as he looked at Derrick Berg, "What did you encounter?"

Derrick didn't immediately answer, as it would appear as though he had already fabricated an excuse. He used a trick taught by The Hanged Man—he deliberately paused for a few seconds, and as he recalled, he described while recalling the events in a rather staccato manner, "I saw the altar after entering the underground chamber. I suspected that it was an altar and tried to identify the remnant words and symbols on it. I recognized three names. One of them was Angel of Fate Ouroboros… At this point, the light from the lantern extinguished. When I turned my head to look, Haim and Joshua had vanished. I created a light source and walked out of the underground chamber and discovered that the outside was still… was still Afternoon Town. However, many of the buildings had candles lit inside them as though… as though humans were living in them.

"I didn't dare to leave the building, and I returned to the underground chamber. I attempted to do what I did again. Uh, Chief, in that Afternoon Town, the words on the altar were very complete. There were a total of three languages. One was Jotun, the other Dragonese, and another I didn't recognize. However, the first two languages expressed the same words. They were the names and titles of the three angels, as well as Rose Redemption…

"Later, I found myself back here."

What he said was the truth, and it was very complete. All he did was hide the details of how he returned.

Derrick didn't have any hopes of successfully lying to the Chief. He planned on being confused when he was pressed, pushing the reasons onto the abnormality of his body that he didn't understand.

This will definitely make the Chief suspicious, but Mr. Hanged Man and Miss Justice from the Spectator pathway all said that he wouldn't ask too many questions regarding such matters. By appearing abnormal, will he think more importantly of me? I will be viewed as a chess piece that can counterbalance Elder Lovia… The outside world sure is complicated. It was only recently that I fully understood their train of thought…Derrick couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

In a dire environment, the depletion of every ounce of strength would mean more danger for the City of Silver. It had very few instances in the past. And even if it happened, it was basically concentrated within the six-member council. The first thing the other Beyonders learned in their patrols and adventuring was cooperation.

Colin nodded gently, walked to the altar, and attempted what Derrick described, but he didn't disappear as a result of this. He remained standing in his original spot.

"From the looks of it, the remnant powers have already completed their mission," the Demon Hunter muttered softly to himself.

I didn't even need to fabricate an excuse…Derrick thought, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

Colin thought for a moment before turning his head to look at Derrick.

"What are the corresponding titles of Medici and Sasrir?"

"Red Angel and Dark Angel." Derrick was honest.

Colin nodded gently, seemingly in thought.

"In a small number of books, there is mention of a Red Angel, but with no actual name associated with it. As for Dark Angel Sasrir, 'He' has completely been lost to history."

Derrick was just about to take the opportunity to ask about the other Kings of Angels when he suddenly noticed that the candlelight in the underground chamber had dimmed, as though a shadow was surging in from outside.

"Let's leave this place for now," Demon Hunter Colin said cautiously, having sensed the same thing.

With the Axe of Hurricane in hand, Derrick immediately approached Haim and Joshua to form a battle formation with them.

However, just as he took one step, he discovered that Haim had retreated two meters to the side. Joshua had raised his left red-gloved hand. Both of them didn't hide their wariness as their eyes keenly observed him.

Derrick knew that this was a very normal reaction from them. This was because lessons regarding explorations had the corresponding teachings. Be observant and make less contact with companions who had just escaped a strange situation!

And I haven't clearly explained how I escaped that strange Afternoon Town…Derrick opened his mouth in a bid to explain, but he closed his mouth in silence again.

He felt ashamed and aggrieved as he pursed his lips. Holding the Axe of Hurricane, he turned and followed the Chief, taking one step at a time before leaving the underground chamber.

The quartet soon arrived at the entrance and was prepared to leave. To their surprise, they realized that the Afternoon Town with shadows cloaking its buildings had appeared to have darkened a little.

Almost instantaneously, there was candlelight shining out from different windows from different buildings. The dim yellowish lights were either connected or disconnected, silent and heavy.

…

Klein didn't stay too long above the gray fog. He quickly returned to the bathroom and put away the corresponding items.

Let's hope that there wouldn't be any more incidents on Little Sun's side. It wouldn't be too good for me to repeatedly enter the bathroom. People in the know will realize that I'm hiding a secret, but those not in the know would definitely think that Gehrman Sparrow has a bladder problem. It would be a tarnish on my persona!

Although I've already digested the Faceless potion, Nimblewright Master Rosago went from one Sequence to the next. The Beyonder characteristic he left behind obviously contains a set of the Faceless potion… Using this Beyonder characteristic as a main ingredient is equivalent to me drinking an additional Faceless, Magician, Clown, and Seer potion, or even more…

Sigh, I should still try my best to abide by the various principles I previously concluded, so as to digest the excess portions.Klein made some clean water and washed his face before walking out of the bathroom.

Just as he was wondering if it was almost time for dinner and was planning to take out his golden pocket watch to take a look, the scene before his eyes suddenly turned black. He could hardly see his fingers.

It's night again… The intervals don't follow a pattern… If we encounter a monster and both sides are in an intense battle, what happens when the sky suddenly turns dark? Monsters are also creatures, so they need to sleep as well; otherwise, there's a high chance that they will disappear into the night… Heh heh, both parties in combat have to lie down and sleep, only to continue when they wake up… Is this really a story that can pass the censors?Klein, who had relaxed after successfully advancing, lampooned as he quickly walked to his bed.

Just as he got in bed, he suddenly thought of a problem.

The night here is very dangerous. If living creatures do not sleep, they will vanish completely.

The darkness of the Forsaken Land of the Gods, including the City of Silver, is similarly dangerous. If there's no light to disperse the darkness, humans would completely vanish if the darkness exceeds five seconds.

It's really similar… Could there really be some connection here?

Klein shook his head and, with Cogitation, entered a dream.

Amidst the dream, he realized that he had switched locations again once he became lucid!

The last time he left the dream, he was on the boulder where Admiral of Stars Cattleya was sitting as she hugged her knees. This time, he was facing a staircase.

The light of the sunset shined through the colored glass panes high above, making the black spiraling staircase adorned with sculptures look exceedingly beautiful.

Klein instinctively looked to the side and found Queen Mystic standing high up the staircase.

This long chestnut-haired lady wasn't wearing her dress with open hems. Her top was a white shirt with lace and flowery bands, matched with a simple dark blue coat. Her lower half was still the beige-colored trousers with black leather boots. However, Klein believed that Queen Mystic probably had an entire wardrobe, or even a room full of trousers and leather boots of the same style.

"What's the matter?" Klein took the initiative to ask.

Queen Mystic caressed the handrail with her right hand as she slowly walked down.

"Confidence might be a weakness at times.

"You trust that copper whistle and paper crane of yours too much. Perhaps one day, it will be the source of danger."

Klein felt a little uneasy at that, but he didn't show it.

"I don't understand what you mean."

"Confidence might be a weakness at times," Queen Mystic repeated again. "Cattleya trusts the Sealed Artifact she gave Heath Doyle too much. If I hadn't boarded the ship, then Nina, Frank Lee, and her would've died. But you might survive."

"That Sealed Artifact isn't actually able to block the ravings that fill these waters? That's how Heath Doyle mutated?" Klein acutely read in between the lines.

Queen Mystic nodded.

"Under ordinary circumstances, it can. But do you know who the ravings that fill these waters come from?"

Without waiting for Klein's reply, she gave the answer.

"The True Creator."

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 669: Exchange of Information

The True Creator? The ravings that fill these waters come from the True Creator?Upon hearing Queen Mystic's answer, Klein was surprised while feeling somewhat joyful.

He was rejoicing because, just as Queen Mystic said, if she hadn't boarded the ship, Heath Doyle might've undergone a mutation even with the existence of a Sealed Artifact which could reduce his auditory senses to a certain effect.

Towards Low- and Mid-Sequence Beyonders of other pathways, they would only feel repressed and frustrated, or they would occasionally suffer from nightmares when faced with the True Creator's ravings without actually listening to them. But to a Rose Bishop, the Sequence 0 for his corresponding pathway was the True Creator. To be immersed in the ravings of this evil god, even if he was deaf, something would've happened to him sooner or later.

Once Heath Doyle went mad or lost control, together with the uniqueness of these waters, it was truly difficult for the rest of the people on board the ship to be safe. However, Klein believed that as long as he could survive the sudden attack, he would have the chance to pray to The Fool and use the Sea God Scepter above the gray fog to provide a response to resolve the problem.

He was surprised that the owner of the ravings was in complete contradiction with his theory. He originally imagined that these waters were the battlefield between the ancient gods and the Creator worshiped by the City of Silver during the Second Epoch. He suspected that the subsidiary gods, who were also the corresponding angels, had participated in it as well. To his surprise, this appeared to be wrong from the beginning. This was because the True Creator had apparently first appeared after the Third Epoch's Cataclysm!

I cannot rule out the possibility that the ravings were later left behind…Klein didn't blindly make a conclusion. He watched as Queen Mystic walked past him as she caressed the sculptures on the handrail and slowly walked down.

The lady's back was tall; neither fat nor thin. Her figure was extremely proportioned, and her long chestnut hair simply cascaded down.

This made Klein feel a sense of familiarity. After recalling the matters involving Queen Mystic, he finally recalled the source of the familiarity.

Back when he was searching for the Cards of Blasphemy at the Roselle Memorial Exhibition, he had seen a similar back. Back then, the figure dressed somewhat oddly. Despite wearing a yellow layered dress which had the vibes of a young girl, she wore a black, out-of-fashion bonnet.

She was likely Queen Mystic. She had also visited the Roselle Memorial Exhibition ahead of time… Back then, she was looking at the basic education books the emperor had improved for his children and the Chinese Chess and toy blocks… She was certain that I had taken the Black Emperor card…

The emperor's eldest daughter, Bernadette, established the Element Dawn to resist the Moses Ascetic Order. And from the diary, that lady appreciates the maxim, "do as you wish, but do no harm." Therefore, from these two points, it can be inferred that she's likely a demigod of the Mystery Pryer pathway…

The Mystery Pryer pathway's Sequence 4 is Mysticologist… Queen Mystic… Of course, the reputation of Queen Mystic has long been known across the seas for more than a hundred years. She's definitely not a Sequence 4 anymore. Yes, after Cattleya left Queen Mystic, she joined the Moses Ascetic Order…

This queen seems to take the interpretation of Roselle's diary very seriously…

All sorts of fragmented pieces of information came together as Klein suddenly had a theory.

Perhaps Queen Mystic was Emperor Roselle's eldest daughter, Bernadette Gustav!

This might explain why this queen dresses in the style that resembles Earth's but also appears rather strange. She has been deeply influenced by the emperor's preferences, and she's unable to completely extricate herself from the fashion trends. Hence, she mixes them into a unique and strange style she can call her own… As for it being aesthetically pleasing, that's a whole other matter. A beautiful person will look good and fashionable even with a gunny sack…Klein lampooned inwardly, but he wore a solemn expression. He unhurriedly followed Queen Mystic down the beautiful staircase.

Queen Mystic didn't turn her head. As she walked, she said, "This dream world isn't vast. There are only two parts. One of them is the shadow of the Giant King's Court on the opposite mountain, and the other is the black cloister over here."

Giant King's Court?The majestic building complex that seemed frozen in the sunset surfaced in Klein's mind.

This is actually the shadow of the Giant King's Court!

And Little Sun and company happen to be at the entrance of the Giant King's Court, Afternoon Town!

Queen Mystic said with a gentle but emotionless tone, "This is my theory, as it resembles the Great Twilight Hall in Feysac.

"And in the Fourth Epoch, there has always been rumors that the God of Combat is an ancient giant who survived the Cataclysm."

The God of Combat pathway is the Giant pathway…Klein inwardly expressed his agreement with Queen Mystic's theory.

At that moment, he recalled the mythical information he had received from Little Sun. He realized that the description of the Giant King's Court being "forever residing in the sunset" matched the spectacle of the opposite mountain.

From the True Creator to the Giant King's Court, she has revealed two extremely valuable pieces of information… She's expressing her goodwill to me, no—the entity backing me. Heh heh, and the person backing me is myself…Klein calmly replied, "The real Giant King's Court is in the Forsaken Land of the Gods."

He said this matter in an indifferent tone, so as to accentuate his value and the entity backing him.

Queen Mystic stopped in her tracks as she pressed down on the beautifully sculptured handrail with her right palm. She half-turned her body to face Gehrman Sparrow and said at an adequate speed, "Rumor has it that the path leading to the Forsaken Land of the Gods is hidden in the mountain across us, hidden in the shadows of the Giant King's Court."

So Little Sun and company have begun exploring Afternoon Town? But didn't Little Jack mention that they appeared by the sea? The Giant King's Court and the shadow of the Giant King's Court must have switches in them. Only by opening them ahead of time can the two seas meet?

This place is filled with the True Creator's ravings, and it hides the secret of the Forsaken Land of the Gods. It has remnant powers of the Evernight, Sun, Storm, Earth, and Spectator pathway. This seems to correspond to the Cataclysm!

After the Cataclysm, the Forsaken Land of the Gods was isolated from the outside world. The Goddess, Eternal Blazing Sun, Lord of Storms, Earth Mother, and company saved the world while the True Creator appeared… Only the Spectator pathway's imagination doesn't exactly add up…Klein made a guess based on whatever information he knew at hand.

Queen Mystic continued walking down as she said, "The black cloister here doesn't appear big, but each building and every level represents a different part of these waters. Behind every door might hide the dream of a creature."

I see…Klein glanced at the handrail and discovered that the sculpture on it was mainly that of a human's head. It was beautiful at a glance, but terrifying on careful inspection. Hence, he asked in passing, "Whose dream does this staircase belong to?"

"An Undying from the Numinous Episcopate. He came here in search of Death's remains—one of the main requirements of the Artificial Death. However, he lost control as a result of the ravings, and he's forever loitering in an underground ruin, turning every adventurer who dares to enter into becoming his zombie," Queen Mystic calmly explained.

Death was also involved in the battle of gods that happened here? It's no wonder Admiral Hell would take the risk and enter these waters from time to time…Klein felt enlightened.

He wasn't alarmed about the matter regarding Artificial Death, as he had previously heard Demoness of Unaging Katarina Pellè mention it before. Furthermore, the Numinous Episcopate seemed to be rather far from success.

At this moment, just as Queen Mystic finished walking down the stairs, she turned to glance at him.

Right on the heels of that, the lady turned into a corridor and entered a building.

Klein surveyed the area and discovered that there was no longer any stairs leading downwards. They were apparently at the bottom level.

Queen Mystic stopped in front of the black wooden door filled with strange patterns. She gripped its handle and said, "I've always suspected that the dream within is the key to sustaining this place. The remnant powers of Evernight only provides the possibility of such a development."

As she spoke, she twisted the handle and opened the door.

The black door slowly moved backward, and behind it wasn't a room as Klein had imagined, but a sea.

The sea was illuminated by blinding sunlight. The waves were huge swaths of rich gold.

As the door opened, Klein felt an unimaginable aura seep out from inside. The entire building began to quake in an obvious manner as the dust and bricks on the wall began to fall.

Subtly, Klein felt that the dream was on the brink of shattering.

At this moment, Queen Mystic pulled her right hand, shutting the black wooden door tightly. Everything was restored to normal as a result of this.

"Even I do not dare enter," this mighty figure in the mysterious world said.

"This place has the dreams of certain remnant deities," Klein said calmly as though he had someone backing him, allowing him to grasp the situation ahead of time.

Queen Mystic turned around as her blue eyes swept over Gehrman Sparrow's face.

"These waters and this black cloister hide a lot of secrets. My understanding of it might not even reach a single percent."

She didn't continue as she silently looked at Gehrman Sparrow, as though waiting for something.

What intense pressure…Klein thought for a moment and asked probingly, "Do you know the activation incantation of the Black Emperor card?"

Queen Mystic fell silent for a few seconds and shook her head.

Klein looked her in the eye.

"Bernadette."

The entire corridor turned so silent that even their breathing could be heard. Queen Mystic's lips moved a little before they pursed together.

Her blue eyes temporarily lost their focus, but they quickly recovered their profundity.

Queen Mystic turned around at an adequate speed, walked to the black staircase, and said without a change in tone, "The dream is ending."

Klein looked at her back move up the black staircase until the blinding light drowned out everything.

…

Afternoon Town.

Upon seeing the candlelight light up in the buildings outside, the silent town seemed to come to life. Derrick felt as though they had plummeted into a nightmare as they instantly tensed up.

Demon Hunter Colin observed for a while before solemnly saying, "We are in the real world.

"The power of the altar has leaked out."

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 670: Repenter

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

That strange Afternoon Town has infiltrated the Afternoon Town in reality? Derrick vaguely understood what the Chief was saying as he had a rough guess as to why this had happened.

He suspected that when Mr. Fool pulled him out of the strange Afternoon Town, "He" had broken an intricate balance, causing the powers to seep out.

This also explained why Demon Hunter Colin Iliad didn't vanish immediately when he repeated the attempt.

Just as Derrick was wondering what kind of changes this would bring, the chief of the six-member council, Colin, had taken out a luminescent powder from a pouch on his belt, and he scattered it in the air.

The powder suddenly blasted apart, spewing silver light upwards. It made it appear extremely obvious in such a dark environment.

Derrick, Haim, and Joshua knew very well what this signal meant. It meant not to run about haphazardly. Stay in your area, be wary against any incoming enemies, and await rescue!

Without a doubt, this was a signal to all the other exploration teams scattered across Afternoon Town.

Colin consecutively released the signal thrice in the span of two lightning bolts. Then, he turned and said to Derrick and company, "We shall meet up with the rest by combing outwards.

"Be careful along the way."

"Yes, Chief!" Derrick had already forgotten the grievance from before, only wishing that he could help his partners as soon as possible.

Following Colin's instructions, he took the left flank of the small team. On the other side was the red-gloved Joshua who held an iron-black sword. Lining the back was the relatively stronger Dawn Paladin, Haim. And right in front was the Dawn Paladin who was about three steps away.

As lightning flashed at relatively fast intervals, the gloomy Afternoon Town would go from being bright to darkness. The candlelight from each window showed a wavering flame that burned in silence and calmness.

Derrick was no longer the fledgling he once was. Although he was nervous, his palm didn't sweat while holding the Axe of Hurricane. He skillfully moved his gaze around, wary against any monster that might leap out from the buildings on both sides.

After a flash of lightning, the world was thrown back into darkness. The bits of candlelight in Afternoon Town seemed to await travelers that needed lodging.

As for the animal hide lantern in Haim's hand, its light scattered outward, but it failed to produce much light in a radius around him. It wasn't as effective as Derrick's night vision.

The only usage was that it appeared to dispel the rich darkness around them.

At that moment, Derrick suddenly felt a chill down his neck, but there wasn't any cold winds!

He didn't turn his head subconsciously. Instead, he took one step diagonally, half-turned his body, and glanced through the corner of his eye.

He saw the nearly 2.3-meter-tall Haim looking at him with a gloomy expression. He cleaved down with the broadsword in his hand!

Bang! *

Derrick somersaulted to dodge the strike as he seemed to still hear the echoing sound of the intense wind.

Following that, he heard the Chief's voice.

"What happened?"

"Haim attacked me!" Derrick rolled towards Colin's direction and stood up.

"Me?" Haim held the animal hide lantern in one hand and his broadsword in the other, asking with a look of puzzlement.

Colin glanced at Derrick.

"I didn't discover any abnormality on his part."

As he spoke, the Demon Hunter's eyes produced two dark green symbols.

He surveyed the area and said, "The attacker transformed its appearance to Haim's?"

Before he finished his sentence, the silver sword that was clenched tightly in his right hand stabbed backward!

Oof!

Amidst the dull clashing sounds, a figure appeared in the dark environment. He had grizzled and disheveled hair, with deep wrinkles. He had weathered but profound blue eyes and he held a silver sword with light gray oil slathered over it—looking identical to Demon Hunter Colin. The only difference was his gloomy expression and dark skin.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

Two silver swords clashed in midair, sending sparks flying.

Meanwhile, Colin Iliad shouted with a deep voice, "Light!"

Light? Derrick instinctively raised his hands and pressed them to his mouth and nose.

At that instant, he discovered three figures dashing out from the surrounding darkness. One of them was the tall and muscular Haim, another the red-gloved Joshua, and the last one was a tall person with a child-like appearance—Derrick himself!

Derrick wasn't thrown into a fluster. He acted in accordance with the Chief's instructions and released lustrous brilliance from his body.

The three figures seemed horrified of this as they raised their palms to cover their faces while attempting to escape to the sides.

However, their speeds were in no way comparable to the speed of light.

The lustrous brilliances illuminated the surroundings, enveloping the three figures within.

They opened their mouths and let out silent screams, but they soon dimmed and vanished.

As the light surged outwards, the two Demon Hunters were consumed by the light. The actions of one of them immediately turned stiff and was impeded before losing its color and turning completely black.

Oof!

The silver sword with light grayish oil slathered on it penetrated the monster, but it seemed to stab into air, failing to cause any actual damage.

At this moment, the black monster suddenly immolated itself, cracking into distorted shadows as they corroded the light and flames, inch by inch.

Colin retracted his silver sword and turned his head to Derrick and company.

"The monsters this time are our shadows.

"Their weakness is the brightness of light!"

As he spoke, the Chief's body produced a bright and holy light of dawn, illuminating the entire street as though it was day.

This was a Beyonder power a Dawn Paladin would receive from the Warrior pathway. The reason why he didn't use it from the beginning was because the effects were obvious, and he had no idea what kind of accident it might bring. Now, he was already aware of the weaknesses of these monsters in Afternoon Town!

The light of dawn produced by the Chief was like a domain. Haim gave up his plans on using a similar Beyonder power. He continued holding up his animal hide lantern, and he followed behind Colin Iliad with Derrick and Joshua as they turned into another street.

Before long, the quartet arrived at a half-collapsed cathedral.

The cathedral originally had a tower, and its entirety was made up of classical stone columns and masonry. They were heavy and dark.

Passing through the door that even a giant would find wide, Derrick followed the Chief and came to the prayer hall. They saw the deity's statue destroyed, but the candle on the altar had been lit by some unknown entity.

In front of the altar, a figure donning a spartan white robe was prostrated there, praying so softly that no one could hear him.

"He's not one of us." Haim, who also had night vision, was the first to discover the abnormality thanks to his height.

This means that it's not a monster that was transformed from our teammates' shadows… Derrick helped Haim express the context between the lines inwardly.

This meant an unknown, and an unknown often represented extreme danger!

"There should've been an exploration team here." Colin converged the range of his light of dawn to prevent himself from provoking the white-robed figure.

Haim, Joshua, and Derrick suddenly fell silent. Under such a situation, the absence of the exploration team's immediate appearance basically meant an undesirable outcome.

Their minds raced as two men dressed in tight black clothes walked out from the right side of the hall. They were the two members of the exploration team at the cathedral.

"Chief, those shadows… Those shadows are problematic! Laroya was swallowed by his own shadow!" One of the teammates swiftly made his way to Colin and immediately said in agitation and fear.

Has someone already been sacrificed… While Derrick's heart sank, he saw the light of dawn expand, enveloping the two teammates within.

The two of them suddenly wore ferocious expressions as their bodies rapidly darkened. Just two seconds later, they completed vanished like shadows that had been illuminated.

Smack! Smack! Smack!

White bones and globs of bloody flesh fell from their bodies, smashing to the ground.

Light slowly effused out of these mangled carcasses.

Colin retracted his gaze as he said, without an expression, "Go to the side of the ecclesiastic and hear what it's reciting."

Derrick and company nodded in silence as they set off towards the collapsed statue.

About ten steps later, they discerned the white-robed figure's appearance from diagonally across. He was a crying middle-aged man with deep features.

This ecclesiastic's face was nearly plastered to the ground as he muttered to himself, "Omnipotent Lord, I repent. … tempted Sasrir. The Kings often came to the palace belonging to the dusk to conspire.

"It was unknown when the people in this town changed. They set up secret altars and held strange rituals, doing things you forbade.

"It was already too late by the time I discovered all of this. Degeneration, bloodshed, darkness, rot, murders, corruption, and shadows had already drowned this piece of land.

"A huge calamity will begin here!"

These words kept repeating like a prophet describing the inevitable future with a heavy voice.

A huge calamity would begin here? The abandonment from the Lord that created everything of this land, is this where it began? Also, who tempted Dark Angel Sasrir? This ecclesiastic should've stated who. It's because after he said the words "I repent," there should've been a name, but it was blank… He had originally said it, but the name vanished by itself? Who wiped it away? This ecclesiastic should've been from that strange Afternoon Town. After the balance was broken, he appeared here. Otherwise, he should've been discovered on the previous exploration… *Many thoughts flashed through his mind in a short span of time.

At that moment, he saw the Chief take a stride, walking to the side of the ecclesiastic in white.

…

Klein woke up from his dream as the midday sunlight shone at his eyes from outside the window.

He rolled out of bed, and he unhurriedly arrived at the pirate's dining hall.

When Frank Lee saw his arrival, he immediately waved at him.

"Gehrman, I discovered something new!"

F*k, what now… Klein immediately felt his heart in his mouth.

"A new invention of yours?"

"No, it isn't. Frank shook his head in excitement. "I was planning on studying the fish in these waters. They will likely be able to dream! Just as I tried fishing, I ended up getting this strange item."

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 671: The Fourth Name

Chapter 671: The Fourth Name

Strange item?Klein instantly felt a headache, but he asked with an unperturbed expression, "What is it?"

"Fish with human fingers growing in them!" Without waiting for Gehrman Sparrow's reply, Frank ran into the dining hall. Before long, he ran back and held a strange bluish-black fish in his hand.

The fish was of normal length. In the space where its eyes were, it had a face resembling a human. Its belly had been dissected, and three bloody fingers could be seen stuffed inside.

"It wasn't inserted by me. It was originally like that! Look at its teeth. It's very unlikely that it will eat something like that, so it can only be the case of the fingers producing themselves! Of course, I'm currently unable to determine what the fingers will do to its body," Frank hurriedly explained his judgment.

Klein glanced at the fish and said after some deliberation, "It might also be stuffed inside by someone."

"… Makes sense. Then it's not the most unique fish." Frank was stunned for a second as he appeared somewhat disappointed. "Fingers are considered flesh and blood. I'll ask Heath. He's an expert on such matters."

As he spoke, he surveyed the area and found Heath Doyle who was huddled in a corner eating.

Frank quickly went over and placed the bluish-black fish before Bloodless.

Heath Doyle extended his hands and pressed his face to the fish.

Upon seeing this scene, Frank had a baffling feeling that something was amiss.

He soon reacted and laughed.

"No, this isn't food for you. You've been eating fish all this time to the point that even your body smells of fish.

"What I meant was to ask if you know the fingers inside the fish's stomach? Can you find its original owner?"

Heath Doyle stopped his leaning actions and carefully studied it for a few seconds.

"They belong to a Rose Bishop's, at least a Rose Bishop's."

He took out the three bloody fingers and stacked them together.

After a brief moment, the fingers melted like wax, turning into a puddle of sticky flesh and blood.

The flesh and blood squirmed as they drew a word in blood-red: "Help!"

Fingers from a Rose Bishop… "Help"…Upon seeing this scene, Klein instantly made some connections.

He recalled the Saint of Darkness and Leomaster from the dream world!

This Aurora Order saint was in a particular ruin, and he was affected by the remnant powers of an angel or deity of the Spectator pathway, causing him to dissociate and transform into a kind character. This resulted in him being trapped there.

His good and evil side constantly fought, often clashing at the psyche level. The main persona, which was more inclined towards the darkness, gradually held the advantage as the good personality hid everywhere in the mind world in search for help.

Therefore, this is an attempt by Leomaster's good side to call for help? As a saint of the Aurora Order, he might very well have advanced from a Shepherd, so it's nothing strange to have the Beyonder powers of a Rose Bishop…Klein nodded in thought, believing that his judgment was likely close to the truth.

"Help? How?" Frank Lee turned his head at Gehrman Sparrow with a blank look.

You should ask your captain, not me…Klein shook his head.

"You don't have to bother.

"There are too many oddities with these waters."

The reason for giving this opinion was that, from the dream, Leomaster's main persona held the absolute advantage. To really rescue him, he needed to make preparations to deal with a demigod. Although the good side would definitely interfere with it, all it could do was lower the Saint of Darkness's strength to a certain extent. It would still remain a demigod.

Of course, with Queen Mystic on board the Future, to make any actual attempts wasn't impossible. But if Leomaster were so easily rescued and have him become a completely good Saint of Darkness, Klein believed that the queen would've long done so. The reason why she didn't take action had to be because it was unrealistic.

For example, the place where Leomaster is at causes one's spirit to dissociate, so much so that Queen Mystic doesn't even dare challenge it… Leomaster's dream was only partially restored. It nearly made me face a situation I couldn't deal with. Finally, I resolved the problem quickly with the Sea God Scepter. If I were to meet him in the real world, I'd really suffer a dissociation in personality, becoming a member of an asylum. I would have to find a way to borrow the Mental Terror Candle from Father Utravsky to have a chance of being treated… Heh heh. I can also get Miss Justice to treat me, but she's still lacking in strength at the moment…Klein recalled the past as he jested inwardly.

"Yeah." Frank Lee trusted Gehrman Sparrow a lot. "Perhaps the fellow who's asking for help is long dead…"

Upon saying this, his eyes suddenly lit up as he stared at Heath Doyle.

"Can you wipe out the mental imprint left on this flesh and blood?"

"Yes," Heath Doyle replied succinctly.

The ends of Frank Lee's mouth cracked open bit by bit as he smiled like a two-hundred-pound child.

"I've always been very curious about the flesh and blood structure of a Rose Bishop.

"I've always thought of the outcome of using similar flesh and blood as the medium for crossbreeding."

One day, you will die amidst your experiments. Thankfully, I'll be leaving this ship soon…Klein had the baffling impression of a brattish child entering an armory.

Heath Doyle, whose face was nearly translucent from the paleness, was taken aback for two seconds before sincerely saying, "Thank you."

"Why thank me?" Frank Lee scratched his head, looking completely puzzled.

He's probably thanking you for being able to hold back your curiosity and not using his flesh and blood as the experimental subject. You are a partner worth trusting…The corners of Klein's mouth twitched a bit in an attempt to interpret the reason. He realized that the Future's first and second mate had rather strange thought processes.

…

Afternoon Town. In the half-collapsed cathedral.

Colin stood by the side of the ecclesiastic in white and softly asked, "Who are the Kings?

"What is the huge calamity?

"Who tempted Sasrir?"

The ecclesiastic didn't seem to hear him as he continued prostrating to the ground. He repeated his words of penitence as though he was an illusory recording left behind by the environment.

A wraith, specter, or an evil spirit?Derrick looked in that direction, feeling somewhat nervous.

Seeing no response from the ecclesiastic, Colin reached out his right hand, inching his silver sword towards the person.

However, despite the sharp blade tip reaching the back of his head, the ecclesiastic remained in penitence, as though nothing had changed.

Colin Iliad retracted his silver sword as he surveyed the area with dark green symbols in his eyes.

Then, he walked diagonally to the altar ahead as he cast his gaze onto the candle emitting a yellow light.

After a few seconds of silence, he reached out his left hand and extinguished the entirety of the candlelight.

The collapsed deity statue in the middle of the altar suddenly turned dim as the prostrating white-robed man finally stopped his penitence.

He slowly lifted his head. It was a gloomy green, and his gaze was filled with hatred.

Before Derrick, Haim, and Joshua could react in time, the devout ecclesiastic had pounced forward with an exceedingly fast speed, drawing out an afterimage.

Colin was already prepared for it. He took a step diagonally forward with his right foot, turned his body halfway, and swept backward with the silver sword in his left hand.

On the sword, spots of light soared, instantly forming a gigantic storm.

The storm that was formed purely out of light swept the surroundings, leaving the ecclesiastic frozen in midair before he was completely devoured.

The storm quickly came to an end as Colin looked at the ecclesiastic whose body had been infused with the light of dawn. Then, he repeated his previous questions again.

"Who are the Kings?

"What is the huge calamity?

"Who tempted Sasrir?"

The ecclesiastic whose figure was already very indistinct replied in a dazed manner, "The Kings are Sasrir, Ouroboros, Medici…"

Just as he was about to say the fourth name, a transparent flame tore through him from the inside!

The flame instantly engulfed him, burning him into a spreading black gas.

So the Kings refer to the Kings of Angels… What's the fourth name? Why did he self-destruct just as he was about to say it? Is it the one who tempted Sasrir, or someone else? *Derrick was filled with questions.

As the ecclesiastic died, the streets outside and the entirety of Afternoon Town suddenly produced roars that sounded like wild beasts.

Derrick subconsciously looked out the window and saw a gigantic face.

The glass where it was originally plastered to had grown a single unique eye. On its face was short and dense black hair.

Tap! Tap! Tap! *Another similar monster rushed out from inside the cathedral. It had the build of an ordinary human and two eyes, but the surface of its body was similarly covered with short black hair that resembled a beast's.

"A degenerate town that has been completely corrupted…" Colin sighed as he faced one of the monsters.

Derrick, Haim, and Joshua also took up battle positions in a bid to fend off the remaining monster.

…

The Future continued cruising in peace before encountering a brief night once more.

After Klein entered the dream world, he found himself back in his original position—by Admiral of Stars Cattleya's side.

He was just about to look at the shadow of the Giant King's Court on the opposite side of the mountain to seek out more possible clues when he suddenly heard Cattleya ask heavily while hugging her knees.

"Have you met her?"

Klein acknowledged tersely without hiding the truth.

Cattleya pursed her lips and asked, "She's on the ship?"

"Yes." Klein turned his head and looked at Admiral of Stars as he said in passing, "You have very deep feelings for her."

Cattleya's expression wasn't as lost and dazed as before. Biting her lips, she said in a self-deprecating manner, "That's right.

"I was by her side before I was three. Heh heh. That's what they say, but I no longer have any actual memories of that.

"She taught me, and she held me by the hand as we adventured. She watched me grow up. To me, she's my captain and my teacher, as well… as well as my mother…"

As Cattleya spoke, she suddenly fell silent.

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 672: Bystander

Chapter 672: Bystander

Upon glancing at the silent Cattleya, Klein suddenly felt a little awkward.

He didn't speak again as he turned and jumped off the boulder. He walked into the black cloister through the half-opened door.

In the square surrounded by a gloomy tower and the buildings, there were remnant fires from a war. Gigantic arrows were embedded in the ground, with the end of their shafts softly wobbling from the wind.

Frank Lee was still digging and planting something, but there wasn't food by his feet anymore, but a pool of flesh and blood.

"What experiments do you plan on performing on them?" Klein, who walked past, couldn't help but ask.

Frank smiled in excitement.

"Plenty!

"For example, all I need is one ox that can satisfy the meat requirements of an entire ship. Every time a piece of meat is sliced off, it will regrow new flesh again!"

… Why is it oxen again?Klein was momentarily unable to provide a response. All he could do was silently draw the crimson moon inwardly.

Along the way, he encountered Navigator Ottolov, who was reading on the ground; Nina, who was almost taking off her clothes due to her inebriation; Heath Doyle, who was hiding silently in the shadows of a corner, before arriving at the hall filled with murals.

At some point in time, Anderson Hood had conjured a reclining chair and was leisurely lying on it, observing the extremely religious and holy murals on the dome.

"Sigh, we're finally about to leave these cursed waters. It will just be another two noons and nights!" Seeing Gehrman Sparrow enter, the Strongest Hunter sighed from the bottom of his heart. "As long as we successfully leave this area, then I'll no longer need to worry about any remnant problems."

Klein originally wished to ask him to shut up, but since he was talking about himself and no one else, he couldn't be bothered. He asked in passing, "Are you from Intis?"

"Barely. My father is from Intis, and my mother is from Segar," Anderson answered, with the full intention of having a chat.

Klein continued taking a few steps forward.

"Then, do you believe in the Eternal Blazing Sun, God of Steam and Machinery, or the God of Knowledge and Wisdom?"

Anderson's expression suddenly turned a little odd.

"My faith was originally in the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, but their priests are too despicable. Just because I failed my examinations, they ignored my ordinarily handsome face and treated me as a ret*rd. Pui! I'm just better at other topics. My intelligence is in no way lacking! My eye for aesthetics and my basic foundation in drawing has always been excellent! Heh heh, before becoming a hunter, my dream was to be an artist.

"Of course, after coming to the sea, my faith is more or less in the Lord of Storms."

Upon hearing Anderson's description, Klein suddenly thought of a joke*—a priest from the God of Knowledge and Wisdom might make such a statement: "He failed his examinations? This child is hopeless. Just bury him."*

He was about to lead the conversation into Anderson's life as a hunter, as he was the only person apart from Queen Mystic who could communicate with him normally in this dream world when he suddenly heard the sound of a door creaking open.

In the depths of the hall of murals, there was the sound of a door opening!

Anderson just mentioned about successfully leaving these waters…Klein felt an inexplicable urge to facepalm himself as he focused his gaze on the source of the sound.

Following that, he saw a man in a short linen robe running out from the depths of the hall of murals and towards them.

The man had luxuriant raven-black hair, but he had wrinkles on his face, as though he had suffered plenty of hardship.

Saint of Darkness Leomaster! Leomaster's good side!Klein recognized the man, and he immediately discovered a tall figure surface in the depths of the hall of murals.

The figure was dressed in thick and heavy black full-body armor. His eyes emitted a deep redness.

He held a huge sword as he chased after Leomaster.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

His metallic boots hit the ground repeatedly, releasing clear and hurried sounds.

It's the real Leomaster! The main persona of the Saint of Darkness!Klein saw the two approaching figures as he instinctively turned to the side and quickly retreated.

He immediately held himself to the hall's wall before realizing that Anderson Hood had leaped up from his reclining chair at some point in time, clinging close to the other side of the wall.

Sensing Gehrman Sparrow's gaze, Anderson grinned, returning a smile that meant "so you are the same as me."

Who's the same as you? This isn't cowardice. If you weren't around, I would've taken out the Sea God Scepter and fought the Saint of Darkness! I've always been considering what would happen in the real world if I were to help the good Leomaster kill the main persona in the dream…

Yes, there are crewmembers from the Future outside. If Leomaster's main persona really goes mad, Queen Mystic will definitely take action…

It shouldn't be a coincidence that these two fellows left their own dreams and came here… Both parties are already very close in the real world? Perhaps someone had directed the good Leomaster over. Queen Mystic?Many thoughts flashed through Klein's mind.

Leomaster, who was dressed in short linen robes, saw the two men ahead. He had wanted to cry for help, but in the blink of an eye, he discovered that the two of them had escaped to the two ends of the hall, as though they didn't wish to partake in any of this.

"…"

He desperately ran as he rushed out the hall of murals.

The redness in the armored Leomaster's eyes darkened. He continued his pursuit, completely ignoring Klein and Anderson who were clinging close to the mural walls.

By the time they left the hall, Klein, who had some theories in mind, didn't hesitate to take a stride forward and rush out like a hunting leopard.

"…"

Anderson raised his right hand and grabbed at thin air, failing to stop Gehrman Sparrow in time.

"This guy was still rather rational a moment ago. Why did he suddenly go mad? He discovered something? What a strange person…" Anderson looked at the square outside, hesitated a few seconds, and finally chose to follow.

They chased all the way out the black cloister, and they arrived in the region where the Admiral of Stars was. Klein saw the linen-robed Leomaster circling around the boulder to escape his evil counterpart. Then, he took the opportunity and faced the shadow of the Giant King's Court on the opposite mountains, praying softly with ancient Hermes, "The Lord that created everything;

"You are omnipotent and omniscient…"

After making another circle, the good Leomaster continued chanting,

"You are the source of everything great. You are the Beginning and the End;

"You are the god of gods. You are the ruler of the vast astral world!"

With the honorific name spoken, the sea of clouds that separated the two mountains suddenly stirred before slowly splitting apart and revealing a deep crevice at the bottom.

The shadow of the Giant King's Court on the opposite side suddenly sucked up the frozen dusk that was extremely distant!

However, nothing happened after that.

Klein seemed to figure out something as he turned his head to look at the buildings near to the black cloister's door. He saw that, behind a clean floor-to-ceiling window, the beautiful but distant Queen Mystic Bernadette was watching everything that was happening in silence.

She was indeed the one who made the good Leomaster escape from his dream and arrive here… Since a Listener from the Aurora Order was able to bring Little Jack into the Forsaken Land of the Gods, it doesn't make sense that the Saint of Darkness isn't able to do so! When there's no path ahead, and with him seeing the shadow of the Giant King's Court, Leomaster's split personality will definitely wish to escape into it. Hence, he demonstrated the way to enter the Forsaken Land of the Gods to the person observing in secret…Klein retracted his gaze with great certainty.

As for why Leomaster didn't succeed, he believed it was because—he wasn't in the right location!

He needs to be deep in those waters, and he needs to find a particular spot that is surrounded by danger and strangeness. Then, only by chanting the honorific name of the City of Silver's Creator in the dream brought about by the night, will the passage that's hidden in the shadow of the Giant King's Court be opened? Following that, one can enter with the aid of a dream, bringing one's body and ship to transmigrate through the fog that mixes reality and illusion, so as to reach the shores of the Forsaken Land of the Gods?Klein thought of certain possibilities.

To him, the method of entering the Forsaken Land of the Gods wasn't something he needed to care about. If he wished to do so, once he advanced to Sequence 4 and truly obtained a certain level of godhood, he could get Little Sun to set up a descent or bestowment ritual for him to directly descend!

However, if he used this to reverse engineer the way to leave the Forsaken Land of the Gods, it would be extremely useful. This was priceless for the City of Silver!

From the looks of it, the key to leaving the Forsaken Land of the Gods is really in the Giant King's Court, but as to what it is, there's no way of guessing it…Amidst his thoughts, pea vines rapidly grew out from the soil, instantly turning the area outside the black cloister into a green forest, and it also forcefully separated the Saint of Darkness's main persona and the good persona.

Then, Klein saw through the gaps of the pea vines that Cattleya had stood up. She was no longer sitting there hugging her knees.

…

Sizzle!

Derrick first did a roll before he jumped up, cleaving down at the giant's leg which was covered in short, black hair. Stimulated silver lightning smote down, causing the single-eyed monster to tremble as he stood rooted to the ground.

Derrick didn't miss this opportunity as he immediately opened up his arms.

Bright and pure holy light descended and enveloped the mutated giant.

In the brilliance, the monster collapsed with a tragic cry as its body produced black fog.

After a series of battles, Derrick discovered that the monsters produced by the strange Afternoon Town were all afraid of intense light despite their different traits.

Such an experience had allowed him to avoid injuries, allowing his teammates to keep their lives.

After a while, when Colin finished the strongest monster, Afternoon Town was restored to its silence. All the lit candlelights were already extinguished.

The Chief of the six-member council surveyed the area before saying with a sigh, "Let's regroup before we set up camp."

At that moment, the teams that had gathered together had already been reduced to a third. There were only six people!

Colin Iliad's true goal was actually the Giant King's Court, but their encounter in Afternoon Town had made him realize that the exploration couldn't be done in haste. This was because the Giant King's Court might hold deep secrets about the cataclysm, with unimaginable danger. Therefore, he needed half a year or more, perhaps even two years of preparation and preliminary explorations before he could attempt opening it.

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 673: Blood Text

Chapter 673: Blood Text

Layers of pea vines that appeared as though they were capable of weaving into a stairway into heaven dropped and shrank back into the soil.

Be it the Saint of Darkness's main persona or Leomaster's good side, they vanished. Only Cattleya stood at the top of the boulder, surveying her surroundings with a blank look.

Queen Mystic threw Leomaster's main and good side back into his own dream? Or did she pull them elsewhere in an attempt to understand the unique traits necessary for entering the Forsaken Land of the Gods?

It seems like it's impossible to pull these two personalities into different dreams; otherwise, Queen Mystic would've long conversed with the good Leomaster individually, as well as agree to help him defeat the devil in exchange for relevant information, without going through so much trouble…

Of course, to truly kill off the Saint of Darkness's main persona, perhaps one will have to enter the dangerous ruins in the real world. Even Queen Mystic wouldn't dare to attempt it, as it might produce an evil queen who abides by "do as you wish, and do as much harm"…Klein turned his head once again in thought, looking at the nearby buildings around the black cloister's door. He saw that the figure belonging to Bernadette had vanished behind the clear floor-to-ceiling windows.

Klein didn't attempt to seek her out to figure out if Queen Mystic had obtained more information from Leomaster's good side. This was because he remembered Gehrman Sparrow's core persona—Mr. Fool's Blessed!

And Admiral of Stars knew very well that, in Mr. Fool's Tarot Gathering, The Sun came from the City of Silver in the Forsaken Land of the Gods. To say that Mr. Fool didn't know the method of entering the Forsaken Land of the Gods was unbelievable.

Therefore, as a Blessed, Gehrman Sparrow definitely lacked the motivation to delve deep into the matter!

There are many matters where the case is true that a persona which brings you success will also make you fail. This is a flaw for Faceless…Klein retracted his gaze and looked back at the shadow of the Giant King's Court on the opposite mountain, only to realize that the frozen sunset was slowly returning to the horizon.

On the same mountain, the boulder remained standing as Cattleya slowly sat down again, hugging her knees.

…

Noon and night switched thrice, but the actual amount of time that had passed in the outside world was just the daytime of a single day.

The Future circled around the dangerous ruins and dodged the latent dangers hidden in the safe sea routes, before finally arriving near the entrance of those waters.

Klein and company once again saw the ruin which was mostly submerged with seawater from the very beginning. They saw the gray stones and columns, as well as the huge dome at the top.

Previously, they could hear loud and clear panting sounds. Bloodless had even painfully pointed out that a corpse was hidden in those ruins!

And that corpse was very likely to be the source of the panting!

At that moment, the ruin that hid immense danger no longer brought fear to the people on board the Future, but joy. This was because it meant that they were about to leave the ridiculous and terrifying waters!

At some point in time, Nina had already climbed up to the tall crow's nest and said loudly as she looked at the ruin, "Eh, there's a ship!"

Ship?Klein circled around Anderson Hood, who was blocking him, and approached the shipboard as he focused.

Indeed, on the right of the stacked stones and stone columns, there was an ordinary three-mast sailboat docked by it. As there was something in the way, it would be difficult for the people on board the Future to notice it if they weren't viewing it from a high vantage point or looking carefully.

The sailboat floated there without a single sailor on board. The silence made it terrifying.

"It's as though it was all eaten by the ruin." Anderson came over and shook his head with a sigh. "In these waters, one mustn't go close unless one knows the ruins well."

A person who dares outline the mural of an Angel of Fate doesn't have the right to say that… Your treasure-hunting team claimed to be rich in experience, but in the end, aren't you the only one left from it…Klein didn't turn his head as he lampooned.

At this moment, Cattleya also came to the deck as she looked at the sailboat docked by the ruin.

During this entire process, she didn't give Gehrman Sparrow a glance; it was as though he didn't exist.

After a brief moment of silence, Cattleya raised her hand to remove the heavy glasses on her nose bridge. The deep purple hue in her eyes swirled as though she was trying to outline one complex symbol after another.

A pair of eyes suddenly appeared above the empty sailboat; they were a pair of illusory, translucent dark purple eyes!

The pair of eyes slowly moved and circled the deck once before entering the cabin.

This Beyonder power is very useful… Speaking of which, based on the means demonstrated by Queen Mystic and Admiral of Stars, the Beyonder powers of a Mystery Pryer has some of the highlights of fairy tales! Man, will Queen Mystic be able to turn people into frogs? Also, is the mystery prying of a Mystery Pryer demonstrated here, on their eyes? Admiral of Stars's eyes are somewhat odd. I have to take note…Klein silently made a guess as he awaited the outcome of Cattleya's remote exploration.

After a while, the dark purple hue in Cattleya's eyes finally dimmed.

She rubbed her brows, wore her glasses again, and said to Anderson Hood and Frank Lee, "There's a problem inside."

As she spoke, she took out a handful of colorful powder from her classic warlock robe, and she suddenly threw them outwards.

The powder didn't scatter onto the ground and instead formed a realistic color picture.

The picture's background appeared like a captain's cabin. There was a picture on the desk and a portrait on the wall, both depicting the same person.

He was a man from Feysac, with broad shoulders, light blond hair, and deep blue eyes!

This…Klein first found it familiar before he recalled where he had seen the man before!

Back when he was in Nas, an adventurer had been pursued by the second mate of the King of Immortality, Kircheis, and ran into the Lærdal Bar to seek help from the members of the Adventurer Association. At that instant, among the powerhouses who stood up to provide protection was a muscular man from Feysac who was more than two meters tall. Klein had found him rather strong and placed him at Sequence 6 at the very least.

Why would his ship suddenly enter these waters, and why would he rashly explore a dangerous ruin?Amidst Klein's puzzlement, he carefully observed the supernatural picture on the deck.

This time, he saw a pool of blood on the floor, and beside the blood were a few words in Feysac: "The Fountain of Unaging…"

The last character had a drawn-out mark of blood before it was connected to clear smudges that extended out towards the door.

Klein's mind seemed capable of restoring the actual scene. The Sequence 6 Feysac man had suffered a sudden attack and fell to the ground, heavily injured. He tried his best to write down the source of his encounter, but just as finished the first few words, he was held by the legs or head by some unknown entity, and he was forcibly pulled away!

Considering how the red words weren't wiped away, Klein suspected that the entity that dragged the adventurer away wasn't a living person.

It should be the corpse of that ruin…he thought, feeling a headache.

"The Fountain of Unaging? They came here in search of the Fountain of Unaging?" Anderson Hood said in excitement.

"Clearly, but they didn't find it." Frank Lee shook his head in great disappointment.

He also looked forward to the Fountain of Unaging, believing that the fountain's waters could create qualitative changes to his various experiments.

The Fountain of Unaging… Slaughterer Kircheis was the one chasing after the young adventurer back then. He's the second mate of the King of Immortality… Rumor has it that the King of Immortality had once drunk the waters of the Fountain of Unaging… Kircheis even warned me—Gehrman Sparrow—to not interfere with the young adventurer's matters, claiming that it was the will of the King of Immortality…Klein barely reproduced the truth based on various tidbits of information.

The young adventurer obtained the secret of the Fountain of Unaging from one of the King of Immortality's aides, and he was thus pursued. Later, with the protection of some of the stronger members of the Adventurer Association, he barely escaped from Slaughterer Kircheis. Later, to hide from the King of Immortality and also to seek out the Fountain of Unaging, they finally chose to adventure into these waters. Who knew that they ended up being wiped out in that ruin…

Could it be that the Fountain of Unaging is hidden deep in that ruin?Klein looked at the stacked gray stones and stone columns as he vaguely made a prediction.

As he temporarily had no way to verify his theory, nor did he know whose corpse was buried there, he didn't have the urge to explore or take risks. He rationally retracted his gaze.

I can ask Will Auceptin or Arrodes… Heh, perhaps the Fountain of Unaging is the pus produced from that rotting corpse…Klein guessed with the most nefarious of thoughts.

At this moment, Cattleya, who heard Anderson's and Frank's conversation, thought and said, "If their death was caused by their search for the Fountain of Unaging, I do not believe that the owner of the portrait and picture would have the motivation to leave behind accurate information before his death. After all, the people who actually find him here wouldn't be his family."

Makes sense… If I were in his shoes, and if I encounter a monster in my treasure-seeking adventures, I wouldn't think of providing any hints to others before my death…Klein indiscernibly shook his head, failing to think of any reason for the time being.

Cattleya looked at Anderson and Frank who wore looks of anticipation.

"A successful adventure is a result of having detailed intel and sufficient preparation, but we lack all of that now."

Her voice suddenly turned loud as it resounded in every corner of the ship.

"Continue sailing.

"Leave these waters!"

"Aye aye, Captain!" Nina, who was on the crow's nest, gulped a mouthful of beer.

A few minutes later, the descent and ascent that violated common sense happened once again, but the prepared members on the Future were no longer in a sorry state like before. They easily overcame the stimulating scene of jumping over the ravine and being sent flying.

Soon, the Future landed over blue seas, and a distance away was a gigantic storm blotting out the sky.

Not far away, there was another ship floating there silently. It was two hundred meters long, its front and back curved up, making it look like a crescent.

Upon seeing the flag depicting the black tombstone, Klein's mind flashed with the corresponding name:The Death Announcer!

It was the flagship of the King of Immortality Agalito!

At this moment, Klein no longer felt fear and horror, but excitement and agitation.

With Queen Mystic on board, and with no need to hide this time… She, together with me, Admiral of Stars, Anderson Hood, and the crew of the Future will have the chance of wiping out the crew of the King of Immortality! Food for Creeping Hunger has been found! I've found a candidate for a marionette!

At this moment, the Death Announcer suddenly turned around, moving away at an unprecedented speed.

I-it fled…Klein instantly wore a blank look.

Soon, the Death Announcer had vanished from his line of sight.

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 674: Leaving the Ship

That was way too fast… I just had the thought… Klein looked at the undulating surface of the sea, temporarily unable to gather his thoughts.

Amidst his thoughts, he came up with a theory.

King of Immortality Agalito's second mate, Slaughterer Kircheis, is suspected to be a Devil or even a Desire Apostle. He possesses the Beyonder powers to detect danger ahead of time and the ability to lock onto the source of the danger. Then, would the King of Immortality be a Sequence 4 demigod of the Devil pathway to begin with?

That's why once the crew of the Future possessed the actual strength to deal harm to him with an actual plan in mind, he immediately sensed the problem and discovered the existence of Queen Mystic, so he didn't hesitate to retreat?

Yes, this means Queen Mystic also had the intention of taking action. Otherwise, my thoughts would've only made King of Immortality sneer and retaliate crazily…

Sigh, this Beyonder power of the Devil pathway is just too useful. Trying to ensnare the King of Immortality or his first mate, second mate, or third mate is quite impossible… Klein thought regretfully as he looked at Anderson Hood.

The Strongest Hunter still showed a clear, warped expression, as though reeling in despair that his bad luck hadn't decreased. He was also surprised that the Death Announcer would flee with its tail between its legs, as though it wasn't going according to the script in his mind.

He darted his eyes as he looked around with a guess, seemingly coming to a conclusion.

Unfortunately, Anderson's bad luck isn't strong enough. Otherwise, he can be sacrificed in order to bait the King of Immortality… Heh heh, isn't that the correct usage of a Provoker? Klein turned into the corridor and returned to his room.

Just as he pushed open the wooden door, he saw a familiar back standing before his window. She had a very proportionate figure and was dressed slightly oddly. She was none other than Queen Mystic, Bernadette.

Ma'am, did your father not teach you? You shouldn't enter someone's room without permission, especially the room of a male stranger? As a lady who was brought up in a noble family, you should've been waiting by the door and earnestly request permission to enter… Emperor, didn't you recall the books on education? Klein silently lampooned as he closed the door in passing.

Without waiting for him to say a word, Bernadette said to him with her back facing him, "The matters from before have verified a theory of mine."

"What theory?" Klein repressed his curiosity as he asked with a deadpan expression.

Bernadette didn't turn her head as she looked out at the calm sea surface.

"Agalito's Fountain of Unaging is a scam.

"If there really is a Fountain of Unaging, it would've been one of the main ingredients of a Demoness of Unaging, or it would be something that would be produced from their corpses. Therefore, any man who claims to have drank from the Fountain of Unaging is lying."

She didn't explain what a Demoness of Unaging was, seemingly certain that Gehrman Sparrow knew what it was. And even if he didn't know, he would have the means of figuring it out later.

Fountain of Unaging… Demoness of Unaging… It does match. So, the bloody text on that sailboat beside the ruin is to tell the world that the Fountain of Unaging is a scam? King of Immortality Agalito has released news of the Fountain of Unaging again and again in order to lure adventurers and pirates to enter dangerous waters and die, or to take the opportunity to slaughter them? It has strong vibes of a Devil… It's no wonder Slaughterer Kircheis warned me not to interfere… Klein thought for a few seconds and deliberately said in a ruminative tone, "scam…"

Queen Mystic Bernadette nodded and said with a gentle tone, "This might be part of the ritual that Agalito needs for his advancement to Sequence 4. It might also be an action needed to digest the Sequence 4 potion."

She paused as though making a silent sigh. Then, she said, "That's because the Sequence 4 of his pathway is Demon."

Demon? Sounds deceitful… Creating a treasure scam to harm others, that does match the style of a demon… Klein was instantly enlightened.

At this moment, Queen Mystic turned around as she cast her gaze through her checkered black veil and towards Gehrman Sparrow's eyes.

It's my turn to provide information? Klein deliberated for two seconds.

"According to the analysis of limited diary entries, Emperor Roselle suffered an extreme predicament in his later years. This forced him to come up with the idea of attempting something crazy."

In this aspect, he was extremely frank. This was because the diary entries he had received up to date didn't reveal what Emperor Roselle wished to do in his later years, what predicament he was in, or what crazy action he did.

Therefore, by providing this piece of information, he was hinting to Bernadette that to know the truth, she had to hand over the diary entries of Emperor Roselle's critical period to Admiral of Stars Cattleya.

Bernadette remained silent for a few seconds.

As the dark clouds moved through the sky, allowing the sunlight to shine from the outside, the queen that reigned over the Five Seas suddenly dissociated like bubbles, shattering and disappearing.

The light refracted from the bubbles had produced different colors, filling the room with a fairytale-like dreamscape.

If not for the Hidden Sage, the Mystery Pryer pathway is really interesting… Klein reflected as he tapped his left thumb on the first segment of his index finger twice.

He activated his vision of Spirit Body Threads, but he didn't discover any additional black threads.

This meant that Bernadette had already left!

Phew… Klein silently sighed and quickly deactivated the vision.

Just as he was about to lie in bed to take a rest, he heard brisk footsteps approach.

Knock. Knock. Knock. Someone knocked at his door.

"Who is it?" Klein sat up.

"It's me." Cattleya's voice sounded.

Klein went over, feeling puzzled as he opened the door.

He didn't ask what it was about as he coldly looked at her, his gaze expressing everything.

Cattleya nudged the heavy glasses on her nose bridge and said, "Coming out from those waters doesn't bring us back to where we entered. We are less than 100 nautical miles away from Toscarter Island. It will take about three days to Nas. Where do you wish to return to?"

The entrance and exit are different? Klein was surprised as he asked in a confirming manner, "Then, is it possible to enter those waters from this place?"

"No, we will directly fall into that bottomless ravine of the ocean. According to the results of divination, the people who did so are dead in the true sense of the word," Cattleya explained simply.

Is that so… Klein thought before saying, "To Toscarter Island."

The reason why he didn't choose Nas was because they were close to the next Tarot Gathering. He didn't wish to do something that took plenty of time on the Future.

Furthermore, Toscarter Island was the easternmost colony of the Loen Kingdom. The currency used was pence, soli, and gold pounds. Klein no longer needed to consider the problem of foreign exchange.

"Alright." Cattleya had no views on this.

Watching her turn and walk to the captain's cabin, Klein shook his head slightly and sighed inwardly.

If you had come earlier, you would've met Queen Mystic .

…

In the evening, the Future arrived at the port of Toscarter Island as it forcefully docked there.

Klein dressed up as a gentleman, carried his leather suitcase, and came to the deck. He then handed over the final payment placed in his two pockets to Admiral of Stars Cattleya.

After subtracting the Pugilist Beyonder characteristics worth 700 pounds, it was a total of 1,300 pounds.

As such, Klein's wealth was reduced to 8,436 pounds and 5 gold coins.

Cattleya received it in silence and opened her mouth as though she wanted to say something, but she ultimately didn't say a word.

"Are you getting off here, or are you going somewhere else?" She turned to look at Anderson Hood.

Realizing that Gehrman Sparrow was about to leave and that he was on a pirate ship with him hunting several pirates in the past, Anderson immediately smiled.

"I'll get off here."

"You can now make payment." Cattleya didn't spare him just because Anderson had borrowed clothes from the pirates.

"Alright." Anderson didn't hide his heart-aching expression as he reached out and pulled off an ordinary button in the middle of his shirt.

Reluctantly, he handed it over.

"This is what I acquired from those waters. It's from the corpse that originated from an explorer from the Loen military.

"I'm not sure of its original name, and I can only call it by its corresponding Sequence 6 due to the powers it exhibits. Yes, Judge.

"It's negative effects aren't especially strong. It makes its wearer easily offend people or monsters. Perhaps, one might end up being targeted by a demigod."

This isn't something you can call not especially strong? If I were Admiral of Stars, I would've chosen that sword of yours… Klein lampooned as he watched Cattleya receive Anderson's payment for the boat ride.

He didn't bother with their affairs as he lifted his suitcase and left the Future, arriving at the pier of Toscarter Island.

Bang!

Anderson Hood leaped off the deck and landed beside him.

"Let's get some drinks? To celebrate our departure from those cursed waters!" the hunter invited him with excitement in a relaxed manner.

Klein swept his glance at him, refusing his offer with his eyes. All he wanted was to put a distance between him and this fellow who had bad luck and a provocative halo.

"Alright." Anderson looked to his sides, cleared his throat, and said, "Can you lend me money? As you know, everything that I had has sunken in those waters."

Having said that, he laughed.

"Don't worry. I'll return what I owe tomorrow morning. There are plenty of pirates in Toscarter's bars and brothels. I plan on getting them to sponsor me a little."

Extort those without bounties while cashing out those with bounties? Klein tsked inwardly and handed him a five-soli note.

"That little?" Anderson said with his mouth agape.

"It's enough for your drinks, meals, and hotel," Klein calmly replied. "Besides, this is one pound in cash."

"One pound?" Anderson rubbed his eyes and said with a helpless smile. "Alright, it's one pound. I'll return one pound to you tomorrow morning."

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 675: Building Ties

Afraid that Gehrman Sparrow would go back on his word, Anderson grabbed the five-soli note as scenes of ordinary beef sizzling over flames and alcohol beverages without any additional sedatives surfaced in his mind.

Well, well, well, this fellow actually accepted it. I was just saying it in passing in order to accentuate my persona, as well as to let him understand that it isn't so easy to borrow money from me so as to prevent him from hunting pirates and returning to the Fog Sea after borrowing a huge sum of money… Klein mumbled inwardly.

To him, a Sequence 5 Hunter wouldn't starve or have nowhere to stay when placed in a place with plenty of pirates, even if he didn't have a single penny.

He indiscernibly shook his head and was about to leave the dock when he suddenly heard a boorish shout, "Gehrman!"

"…"

Upon hearing Frank Lee's voice, Klein shuddered as he turned around, his nerves taut.

The first mate of the Future, the Poison Expert with a 7,000 pound bounty, stood by the shipboard and held his hands to his mouth. As though broadcasting his voice, he asked, "Where will you be most of the time? Where should I write letters to?

"I wish to share with you the latest results of my research."

I don't wish to know… This fellow probably doesn't have many friends. And I dare to be one of the many people he thinks of as friends but doesn't treat him as one… Yes, Admiral of Stars is still inclined towards Queen Mystic, and she lacks belonging to the Tarot Club. To openly develop a snitch at her side, no—a source of intelligence. It helps in my shock and awe tactic towards her, and it's a kind of "Gehrman Sparrow" level punishment imposed on her… With this as a bedrock, it would be reasonable and natural for Mr. Fool to punish her… Klein's thoughts raced as he took out a notepad and fountain pen used for divinations from his pocket.

He scribbled down the summoning ritual needed to summon his messenger, and he didn't forget to include the additional requirement of a gold coin.

With a whoosh, Klein flicked his wrist, sending the note flying at Frank Lee like a dart, landing accurately in his hand.

"Excellent!" Frank Lee glanced at the information on the piece of paper and waved his hand in delight.

Klein didn't delay any further as he picked up his leather suitcase, left the dock, and began searching for a hotel.

During this process, he was originally very adamant about objecting to Anderson's request to stay in the same hotel, but on second thought, he agreed to it.

He was afraid that this fellow who was plagued with bad luck would get into trouble again, bringing about a disaster to the innocent guests and attendant; therefore, he decided to monitor him up close and decisively handle the problem if required.

After checking in, Anderson went into his room with his key.

Bang! He sat down on a reclining chair as though a heavy burden was released.

After leaving those dangerous waters, he finally felt like he was human again. He didn't need to worry about suddenly dying.

After he laid there silently for a while, Anderson Hood slowly got up. He took out a flask that had an outer lining made of iron, flipped over a glass cup, and poured himself some hot water.

He believed that he should recollect himself and begin visiting the bars.

After drinking some alcohol and filling his stomach, he could seek out some sponsors!

After the hot water cooled a little, Anderson raised his cup and gulped it down comfortably.

Suddenly, he coughed intensely as his face turned a little purple.

Cough! Cough! Cough!

Anderson reached for his throat, but he didn't seem capable of taking a single breath.

With a crashing sound, the glass cup fell to the floor from his hand, shattering across the ground.

Cough… Cough… Cough… Anderson's coughing weakened as his face turned purple.

At that moment, his eyes seemed to produce a spark as the veins on the back of his hands squirmed like they were alive.

Bang!

Anderson fell to the ground, convulsing a little before becoming motionless. His breathing even seemed to come to a halt.

Seconds later, the corpse-like Anderson suddenly got up as he rubbed his face in fear.

"Damn it, I almost choked to death from drinking water…

"If that really happened, then I might be the hunter with the most laughable cause of death!

"Thankfully, thankfully, I bought this item at great cost before entering those waters. It finally came in handy today…"

As he spoke, Anderson took out a doll formed of straw, from a secret pocket in his vest. Ink was used to simply draw two eyes, a nose, and a mouth.

The doll's surface had already been corroded as pitch-black liquid dripped down, drop after drop.

In about eight seconds, it was completely reduced to a liquid, turning into a stain on the floor.

"My bad luck hasn't decreased at all, and it has even gotten worse… Man, Gehrman Sparrow once told me of a prophecy, saying that the most lethal danger often lies in day-to-day life." Anderson paced about as he carefully avoided the glass fragments at his feet, afraid that it would cause him another death.

"No, I need to save myself! I need to save myself!" Anderson pulled open the door and carefully walked out.

He came straight to Klein's room, reached out his finger, and rapped on the door.

Soon, the wooden door, which was neither too solid or hard, opened without a sound. Gehrman Sparrow, who had only taken off his coat, appeared before Anderson.

Anderson forced a smile and said, "Are you pleasantly surprised?"

Creak!

The door closed right in front of him.

"…"

He was first stunned before he muttered to himself with a stiff expression, "I should change the way I talk."

Thump! Thump! Thump!

He knocked on Klein's door again.

The door quickly opened as a revolver was pointed at him.

"Haha, I just wanted to ask if you know any Beyonders who can improve my luck?" Anderson raised his hands midway, wildly hinting for Gehrman Sparrow to provide him with the details of the powerhouse that informed him of the prophecy.

Too late. I've no idea where Queen Mystic is… Eh? She didn't leave me a way to contact her? But since my messenger's summoning ritual is known to Frank Lee, it also means Admiral of Stars knows of it. And that means Bernadette knows of it. Also, after returning to Backlund, I can seek out Miss Sharron's help. Queen Mystic is in her circles, even though the frequency of her appearance isn't high… Klein gave Anderson Hood a look of pity.

He wasn't fond of this Strongest Hunter, often mocking him inwardly and expressing all kinds of nefarious thoughts towards him. After all, Anderson was partially responsible for him losing his cufflink; however, it was only limited to his thoughts. He had no intentions of actually putting it into practice. If Anderson truly sought his help, he similarly wouldn't reject him.

Klein thought for a moment before saying, "I can help you ask, and I'll give you the answer tomorrow morning.

"But I suspect you don't have the means to pay me."

"I'll go make my rounds at the bars later! Furthermore, I have plenty of stashes in the Fog Sea," Anderson replied without hesitation.

Klein nodded and as he closed the door, he said, "Meet you tomorrow morning. I hope you can survive until then."

Creak!

The door was locked once again.

"Is that a curse, or was he wishing me luck?" Anderson whispered with a wry smile. "According to my experience, there probably wouldn't be any accidents in the next two to three days."

Inside the room, Klein returned to his desk.

On it was a letter that already had the introduction written, as well as an unfolded paper crane.

In regards to Anderson's problem, Klein had already thought of a target to ask before he even agreed.

There was no doubt that to resolve the means of a Snake of Fate, questioning another Snake of Fate was the best solution!

He pondered over the space that was available after unfolding the paper crane and the questions he would like to ask before writing a draft in his mind. Finally, he raised his pencil and wrote:

"How should the bad luck curse from an Angel of Fate mural be removed?

"What's the name of the Sequence 4 potion for the Seer pathway? Where can the formula and main ingredients be obtained?"

Putting down the pencil, Klein carefully scrutinized the questions before carefully folding the paper crane according to the folds and placing it in his wallet.

After doing all of this, he continued writing to Mr. Azik.

In the letter, Klein first mentioned that he received the help of Admiral of Stars in entering the dangerous easternmost front of the Sonia Sea; successfully completed the ritual; and, changing gears, he mentioned his encounter with Admiral Hell Ludwell's inexplicable attack mid-journey and how he nearly suffered terrible losses.

While on this topic, he began describing the ring on Admiral Hell's hand, which was suspected to be a relic from ancient Death. He asked very subtly if Mr. Azik had any recollection of it, or if he needed to obtain it to study it, so as to invoke more memories.

After mentioning this, Klein mentioned in a casual manner about the Artificial Death project by the Numinous Episcopate, as well as asking this big shot if it was feasible, or if there were any records that recorded the actual details.

Finally, he mentioned how he didn't know the subsequent Sequences of his pathway, and he didn't know how to obtain those opportunities. Klein began providing a description of the summary of things to take note of from traveling through those dangerous waters.

This was to provide Mr. Azik information so as to prevent him from suddenly wishing to seek out the remnant aura of ancient Death, without realizing the lurking dangers.

"… Rumor has it that those waters are filled with the ravings of the True Creator. The higher the Sequence, the clearer one will hear it, making it easier to be influenced and resulting in madness or a loss of control. This is demarcated by Sequence 4… But a small number of demigods have found the means to act freely there…" Klein wrote at the end of his letter.

After folding the paper, he picked up Azik's copper whistle and summoned the huge skeleton messenger.

The messenger burrowed out from the ground and politely looked at Klein from a level height before opening his palm.

Not bad… Klein praised silently and handed the letter over.

Then, he brushed his teeth and took a bath before comfortably getting into bed.

After an unknown period of time, he found himself awake in a dream, and he saw the desolate plains and pitch-black steeple.

Familiarly walking into the depths of the steeple, Klein discovered Will Auceptin's reply among the scattered tarot cards.

"Friendly reminder: The paper crane is about to tear!

"The bad luck curse brought about by the mural can be resolved by Ricciardo.

"High-Sequence formulas for the Seer pathway can only be obtained from the crazy Zaratul or the Hornacis mountain range. If you are the Blessed of the Evernight, treat it as though I didn't say it.

"Sequence 4 of the Seer pathway is Arcane Sorcerer!"

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 676: Tripartite Transaction

Bizarro Sorcerer…Klein suddenly woke up from his dream as he opened his eyes to see the dark night.

It's not noon yet. It's still very dangerous…he mumbled before returning back to sleep.

At this moment, he finally recalled that he had already left those dangerous waters. He wouldn't vanish or go missing if he wasn't sleeping at the end of the night.

Phew, it's this kind of stable environment that's good! I have to say that mysteriously vanishing due to not sleeping after dark is something that can be used to scare kids, making them not dare to sleep late. Heh, I was often scared by such stories when I was young.Klein sat up, walked to the desk, and poured himself a cup of water.

After a moment of silence, he gulped down a mouthful of water as he gradually recovered his ability to think.

Zaratul really went mad… What exactly did he encounter, or what happened to him…

Bizarro Sorcerer. Sequence 4 is called Bizarro Sorcerer. The Seer pathway's main focus is on being tricky, crafty, pranky, and paranormal? Or should it directly be summarized as being bizarre?

Yes, Clown, Magician, Faceless, and Marionettist do give me such a feeling. Seer appears to be an exception, but in the eyes of others, the style of a charlatan might appear rather strange and terrifying at times… That's why Zaratul said that fate isn't the main domain of this pathway?

Also, it's clear that Beyonders of this pathway are more inclined to being spellcasters.

According to Will Auceptin's explanation, there are three methods to obtaining the potion formula to Bizarro Sorcerer. One, seek out the Secret Order and find the mad Zaratul. Two, head to the main peak of the Hornacis mountain range and find the treasures left behind by the Antigonus family. Three, obtain it from the Church. For example, that Antigonus family's notebook might contain the corresponding formula.

But each one of these three options is more dangerous than the other. According to Emperor Roselle's description, Zaratul was a Sequence 2 Miracle Invoker a long time ago, a true angel. Later, he even advanced to Sequence 1. He's equal or slightly weaker than a King of Angels. The crazy him, no—"Him" might have gone mad, but it's likely that he will be more difficult to deal with. At the very least, there's no possibility of me convincing or tricking him. Even in terms of pure strength, I wouldn't be Zaratul's match even if I employed Mr. Azik's help.

Heh heh, unless I wait for Will Auceptin to be born, but if "He" were to involve "Himself" in this matter, there's a small chance of him incurring the attention of Angel of Fate Ouroboros.

As for the treasure on the main peak of the Hornacis mountain range, the resounding ravings, the set up of the Antigonus family, and the rumors of the Nation of the Evernight buried in the depths of mystery, they make me feel that it isn't a simple matter. I suspect it's likely to be a trap.

I don't even need to consider the Church of the Goddess. Ignoring the fact that the Holy Cathedral has angels presiding over it, as well as a bunch of Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts, just the Backlund diocese where the Antigonus family's notebook is has a terrifying demigod…

Klein couldn't help but recall Mr. A who had been erased like a pencil drawing. And the one that executed all of that was likely to be one of the upper echelons of the Church of the Evernight Goddess!

A beautiful lady whose eyes lacked spirituality… She even smiled at me. I've no idea what it means…Klein shook his head in resignation, believing that he only had one course of action that he had at present.

That was to find a demigod from the Secret Order who was still considered normal.

Compared to the mad Zaratul, I can communicate with them at least, or even deal with them.Just Klein alone was impossible, but he could seek Mr. Azik's help or Queen Mystic Bernadette's help at a certain price.

I can only consider this for now…Klein rapidly turned his thoughts back on how to help Anderson Hood rid the bad luck curse.

It's been more than two months. I wonder if Fate Councilor Ricciardo has left Oravi Island. Sigh, he hasn't summoned my messenger all this time to inform me of clues to the mystical item I seek. However, it's not a big problem. Bellman Carnot definitely hasn't left his post. I can contact Councilor Ricciardo through him.

That's good too. The Life School of Thought hasn't completed the request up to now, meaning that they haven't made their final payment. They can pay it off by changing Anderson's luck for the better, then I can receive the payment from Anderson.

Heh heh, when it comes to a mystical item or Sealed Artifact which possesses immense offensive powers, isn't Anderson's sword one? According to the traits showcased by Reaper, I can ignore the item formed after he dies… Heh, I'm not some greedy demon either. I'll definitely pay additional fees to tide him over.

Klein wiped away his mischievous thoughts and took out the paper crane from his wallet. After unfolding it, he carefully erased the pencil marks on it.

"It's really about to tear. I can use it another two times at best…" he muttered sadly. Then, he folded the paper crane and returned to his bed to continue sleeping. As for using the radio transceiver to contact Arrodes, he planned on doing so after leaving this pirates' playground.

…

After daybreak, Klein languidly got up and slowly washed up, believing that this was how life should be.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

The knocking on the door interrupted his state of wistfulness.

Without his acumen for danger, his spiritual intuition told him that it was Anderson Hood.

As expected of the Strongest Hunter. He successfully survived up to now…Klein tsked and controlled his expressions before opening the door.

Anderson was wearing a deer-hunting cap of unknown origin. He grinned as he handed him a Loen gold coin.

"What I owe you from yesterday."

Klein received the gold coin and measured its weight in his hand.

"There's an answer to your problem."

Anderson's eyes lit up.

"What's the solution?

"Don't tell me that the answer is that there are no solutions…"

Am I such a person? I'll just say that it's hopeless, so just wait for your death. Goodbye!Klein lampooned as he swept Anderson with an indifferent gaze.

"A demigod that's good at changing one's luck stays in Oravi Island. He owes me a favor."

"Excellent!" Anderson didn't hide his joy. "So, what sort of payment must I make?"

Very sensible of you…Klein deliberately fell silent for two seconds before saying, "I need a mystical item with powerful offensive abilities. Do you have any clues?

"If the value exceeds that of the luck enhancement ritual, I will pay the difference."

Anderson frowned bit by bit before easing them. He said with a smile, "I have a mystical item that matches your request. It has a Beyonder power that can deal lethal damage. The negative effects aren't bad either. You will still be able to eat and sleep while having some bad luck, easily attracting monsters and enemies. Occasionally, you will be talkative and be a little off-putting. Haha, it's a joke.

"To be frank, my Death Brachydont is the mystical item you need, but it's the only weapon I have left. Eh… I do have one relevant clue. It's a rather special revolver. The bullets it shoots have the effects of 'Weakness attack,"Lethal attack,' and a 'Slaughtering effect.' Furthermore, it can be matched with bullets of different characteristics. The negative effects include developing a weakness that originally didn't exist after every use, such as the fear of light, the fear of ships, the fear of dogs, etc. And such a weakness will last for six hours.

"There's almost no negative effects when having it on you. It just makes you easily thirsty. This is something completely tolerable. If not for the characteristics of the revolver overlapping with my abilities and the mystical items I have, then I would've bought it back then. The seller is offering it for 9,000 pounds!

"So, the total price would be 1,500 pounds and the clues to the revolver. How about that?"

Sounds very suitable. Besides, it fits my combat habits…Klein didn't directly agree as he asked in return, "1,500 pounds?"

"Haha, I found more than ten pirates yesterday. They were all very kind, contributing all their wallets to me. Otherwise, they would lend me their characteristics and heads. In just one night, I received 1,600 pounds. Seriously, I love this pirates' paradise!" Anderson said with a beaming smile. "I have to keep 100 pounds for myself for the ship tickets to return to the Fog Sea. So all I can do is pay you 1,500 pounds."

Earning 1,600 pounds a night? Not only are there many pirates in Toscarter, but they are either worth a lot or have plenty of money?Klein suddenly had thoughts about staying a few more nights in the port city.

But considering how the easily cashable and locatable targets had mostly been finished off by Anderson, what was left was definitely not easy. He felt depressed again as he coldly asked, "Aren't you afraid of being a target of revenge for doing something like that in a pirates' playground?"

"What's there to worry about? I'm not afraid, even if they're subordinates of a pirate admiral. Heh heh, I believe you're the same. If they're men of the Four Kings, that's not a big problem either. We're about to leave, and the propagation of information takes time. By the time they come, I'd have changed ships and identities several times!" Anderson said without much concern.

Why are you cursing yourself again…Klein silently swept him a look of pity.

"Deal."

"Haha, here's 300 pounds. You'll have to wait for the remaining 1,200 pounds. That's when the bounty rewards and characteristic money arrive. Don't worry, it will definitely come today. It's not a lot." Anderson took out a thick wallet filled with plenty of soli bills and handed them to Klein.

In consideration of his persona, Klein only did a simple count before stuffing the cash into his wallet and pockets. He said without emotion, "Buy two tickets to Oravi for tomorrow."

He didn't deliberately exhort Anderson to buy them with a different identity, as he believed that the hunter across him was mature and experienced.

If he's lacking in experience and strength, with the way he does things, he would've long been buried in some sea…Klein couldn't help but lampoon inwardly.

"Alright." Anderson pointed at the floor. "Breakfast together? My treat."

Klein nodded without refusing him.

Once they arrived downstairs, the two sat at a table near the window. Midway, a waiter brought white porcelain cups and teaspoons over.

Just as they interacted, the waiter's gaze suddenly turned adrift. He picked up the teaspoon and stabbed it at Anderson's throat without any warning.

Although Anderson was surprised, his reaction was in no way slow. He immediately leaned backward and dodged the sudden strike.

Bang!

Not far away, the hotel's boss suddenly shot at Anderson's dodging body.

"W-what am I doing…" After the gunshot, the boss muttered with a look of alarm and blankness.

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 677: Falling to the Ground

Amidst the gunshot, Anderson's body suddenly collapsed to the floor, using an amusing manner to dodge the bullet.

As for Klein, who didn't fully understand the situation, he jumped to the side and activated his Spirit Vision while pulling out his revolver.

At that instant, his first reaction was that Anderson had gone overboard in his hunting last night and was now the target of revenge. He only wished to shout, "I don't know him! It has nothing to do with me!"

At the table beside Anderson Hood, a stout man dressed in a shirt with rolled-up sleeves threw forks and knife, and he suddenly drew an already loaded double-barreled hunting rifle, aimed at the ground, and pulled the trigger from a commanding height.

These series of actions were nearly simultaneous with the hotel's boss, but they were simply one step slower due to the many steps involved.

Bang!

The scattershot sprayed out countless tiny shrapnel, riddling the ground with holes. Although Anderson had dodged in time and avoided most of the blast, he was still struck by a portion of the shrapnel as his sides were immediately left mangled.

Just as Klein was about to kill the stout man with the double-barreled hunting rifle to help Anderson Hood get out of danger, he realized that the man suddenly turned blank, just like the hotel's boss. He was then filled with alarm and horror as though he had jolted out of his stupor.

That's not right. They're not the true assailants…Klein rationally stopped attempting to pull the trigger. He quickly swept his gaze across the restaurant.

Discovering nothing with his Spirit Vision, he tapped his left thumb on the first segment of his index finger twice, activating his Spirit Body Threads vision.

At this moment, all the ladies and gentlemen in the restaurant had stood up in a fluster due to the sudden shootout. All of them were rushing for the exit.

When passing by the tumbling Anderson, an elegantly-dressed lady with pretty good looks suddenly paused. She released the dark-colored glass bottle she held in her hand and poured it at the Strongest Hunter.

Sizzle!

Anything that was splashed by the liquid rapidly turned black as it suffered intense corrosion. Anderson covered his face and leaped up, dodging this attack once again.

Immediately following that, a gentle and cute lady, a gentleman with newspapers, a red-vested waiter, and a five-year-old child whose hands were stained with sweets attacked Anderson Hood in all kinds of manners.

Flour, lit matchsticks, fruit knives, boiling coffee, and concentrated alcohol beverages inundated him as almost everyone in the hotel's restaurant seemed to have one goal—kill Anderson Hood!

In this abnormally dangerous situation without any Beyonder powers involved, Anderson, who had been surrounded with no way to escape, employed an array of actions—leaping up, sending tables flying, igniting items ahead of time, barely managing to avoid suffering damage to any vital spot—and didn't suffer any serious damage.

Meanwhile, Klein also noticed something abnormal.

In a corner of the restaurant which was blocked by a decorative cabinet, there was clearly thin, illusory black Spirit Body Threads extending from it, but it was silent over there.

In this chaotic and panic-stricken restaurant, it appeared especially abnormal!

The true assailant who planned the "passersby murder case" is sitting over there? From the confusion, puzzlement, horror, and fluster that the hotel's boss, waiters, and guests exhibited after attacking Anderson, they didn't become marionettes. This is another kind of control… An illusion, an emotion seed of a Desire Apostle, or could it be an influence on one's psyche?Klein suddenly had an idea light up in his mind. He immediately took two steps forward and sent a customer who still had butter on the corner of his lips flying, opening up a pathway for Anderson Hood.

The Strongest Hunter immediately somersaulted out of the encirclement via the path that was opened up, and he ran up to the hotel's second floor. Then, with his back to the wall on the corner of the staircase, he gasped for air.

"Has my provocative powers reached this level? Even the ordinary residents that I don't know wish to kill me and have actually rose to arms? Man…" Just as he spoke, Anderson pulled his right rib and nearly cried out in pain.

No, no, no. The real circumstance is that a person plagued with bad luck shouldn't do things like hunt pirates…The reason why Klein had abandoned approaching the target to attempt to control them with Spirit Body Threads was because he had thought of a possibility.

The passersby were implanted with psychological cues or had suffered manipulation on the psyche level. Only then would they attack Anderson in an orderly fashion. This didn't match the Beyonder powers of a Desire Apostle, as the attacks by the manipulated passersby were targeted and precise, without showing any observe signs of preparation. And Klein had formerly heard of the name of the potion formula of a Sequence 4—Manipulator!

In addition, according to the Psychiatrist released from Creeping Hunger, Klein always suspected that Toscarter Island had a mission or figure related to the Psychology Alchemists.

In addition to the psychological cue and the control on the left side of the mind, it was rather similar to that of the Spectator pathway. Klein had long believed that a Manipulator very likely belonged to the Spectator or dragon pathway; thus, making the outline of the matter relatively clear.

The Psychology Alchemists really does have an important base in Toscarter Island. They also sent a Sequence 4 demigod go watch over it. This demigod influences certain pirates and makes them unknowingly do his bidding, but these pirates had unfortunately ended up as Anderson Hood's sponsors last night. Hence, their true investor came knocking!

Keeping his expressions in check, Klein looked at Anderson and indifferently said to him, "It's likely that one or several of the pirates from last night is involved with a hidden demigod on this island.

"Do you think something like that can be done by a Mid-Sequence Beyonder?"

"I can't be that unlucky, right…" Anderson's voice grew softer before it turned into a mutter. "Indeed, those people were controlled and are innocent. Thankfully, I didn't attack back, or I would become the main suspect of a shocking murder case and be given a bounty! When that happens, I'll be in trouble and could only become a pirate."

"…"

The corners of Klein's mouth twitched slightly.

"If the ones being controlled had been pirates with Beyonder powers, or Mandated Punishers, or priests of the Church of Storms, how would it develop?"

"I would already be dead." Anderson threw up his hands as he said in realization, "You mean he doesn't want me dead and only wants to give me a warning?"

Klein nodded in a serious manner and said, "So, you still have a chance.

"Yes, to apologize."

Go see what that demigod is up to.

"Apologize?" Anderson's face wrinkled immediately. Placed in a difficult position, he said with great difficulty, "I have quite a reputation in the Fog Sea."

Klein didn't say a thing. He stood up, patted his coat, and prepared to walk off.

At this moment, Anderson lunged forward and rushed to the entrance of the staircase ahead of Klein. He yelled, "I'm sorry! It was my fault!

"We can talk about anything!"

He paused for a second and repeated again, "I'm sorry! It was my fault!

"We can talk about anything!"

Clap! Clap! Clap!A series of slow claps sounded on the first floor as a figure appeared at the staircase.

Amidst the light footsteps, this figure slowly walked to the bend, but Klein instinctively moved his gaze away as though he didn't wish to know what that person looked like.

In addition, he realized that he didn't have any intentions of raising his arms or aiming his gun. It was as though he had been cued and had lost the intention of resisting.

This is terrifying… Yes, it's not a face-to-face hypnosis, which is why I could detect it. But if I was directly targeted, the repercussions would be unimaginable… I can be influenced now. In the way Miss Justice would explain it, the other party will use the sea of collective subconscious to silently arrive beside my island of consciousness, and then they would do something to a certain extent?Klein came to a realization as he had the sudden urge to leave and return to his room.

This is the silent "instruction" given to me by the demigod?Klein roughly understood that the other party wished to communicate with Anderson in private; hence, he didn't resist and walked to the stairs before returning to his room.

In less than five minutes, Anderson knocked on his door, his face grimacing.

"Done talking?" Klein asked without much surprise.

Anderson gave a heavy nod.

"Phew… Yes, he got me to help him do something. As for what is it, I can't tell others."

"Do you still remember what he looks like?" Klein deliberately asked.

Anderson thought carefully as he suddenly frowned.

"I don't remember…"

As expected… Look at you. For 1,600 pounds, you offended a demigod. It wasn't worth it at all…Klein silently sighed and then said, "Can we leave tomorrow?"

"Yes. There's no rush for that matter. Let's resolve the problem with my bad luck first," Anderson didn't hesitate to answer.

Klein didn't speak further as he pointed at the floor.

"Still having breakfast?"

Anderson was first taken aback before revealing a smile.

"Of course!

"No type of frustration can influence eating and sleeping!"

The two went down to the first floor and discovered that the waiter was silently clearing up the shattered items. The boss and the customers had all forgotten what had happened.

…

After breakfast, Anderson continued going out, busy obtaining his bounty rewards and Beyonder characteristics money. He also did some preparations while Klein stayed in his hotel room, converging the spirituality that overflowed from his advancement and using worms to test his Marionettist Beyonder powers.

At half past two in the afternoon, he went above the gray fog ahead of time and began practicing for the upcoming Tarot Gathering. After all, Mr. Fool would very casually and lightly punish The Hermit Cattleya.

Sitting in the chair belonging to The Fool, Klein began playing out the three punishment plans he had decided over the past few days. Two of the plans needed him to borrow some of the power of this space, and two of them needed to use props. Hence, he needed to decide on the entire process ahead of time. He would then familiarize himself with it, and he couldn't reveal his lack of fluency at the critical moment.

After an unknown period of time, Klein exhaled and confirmed his plan.

Then, he conjured The World. Without any items, he saw the countless dense black threads that emanated from his body.

Items conjured using the powers of the mysterious space above the gray fog possess a certain amount of spirituality… So they come equipped with Spirit Body Threads. And in the real world, items without life do not have any.Klein familiarly controlled the black threads and quickly completely controlled The World.

Now, not only could he make The World's expressions more intricate and have reactions that were more like a real person, he could also make the marionette's spirituality fluctuations become more natural. It wouldn't appear as lifeless anymore!

Apart from that, he was like a player who had two accounts, gaining The World's vision, hearing, as well as his other senses.

After completing all of this, Klein glanced at his golden pocket watch, sent Little Sun a message, and began to silently count his heartbeats.

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 678: Punishment

On the two sides of the ancient mottled bronze table, blurry figures extended outward from the embrace of deep red beams of light before turning corporeal. The surroundings remained as silent and empty as always, as though no living creature had ever set foot there for millions of years.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Fool~" Audrey's brisk and cheerful voice soon resounded through the resplendent palace held up by stone columns.

Klein nodded his head with a smile, watching as the other members expressed their greetings under Miss Justice's lead.

Here, there was no doubt that The Hermit Cattleya appeared rather reticent. Audrey's read on her was that she had many things on her mind.

After the voices came to a stop and the members had taken their seats, The Fool Klein swept Miss Justice a glance, making the Psychiatrist instantly understand his intentions; hence, she didn't raise her hand slightly and speak out. Following that, he looked at Cattleya and chuckled indifferently.

"Tell Bernadette that she can use certain items in exchange for some answers."

Bernadette…After hearing this familiar name which was neither Queen Mystic, the owner of Dawn, nor the leader of the Element Dawn, Cattleya realized that Mr. Fool already knew everything. Her cheap tricks were laid bare in front of "Him!"

This made her heart sink as she couldn't help but feel an intense sense of fear. She was temporarily at a loss in regard to the attitude or words that she needed to show in response.

To her, Mr. Fool's words were clear. Pass on the message, but only that one message; nothing else. She wasn't allowed to provide any other hints!

Cattleya believed she knew what "He" meant between the lines.

Bernadette? That's a common name for Intis females. Who could it be? What is the answer she wishes to exchange for? What relationship does she have with Ma'am Hermit? Ma'am Hermit had privately made a request, and Mr. Fool's answer is "yes?" No, that's not it. Definitely not it. If it's a private and reasonable request, Ma'am Hermit wouldn't have mentioned it specially in front of us. He would've directly replied to her prayers… "He" is giving a warning?Audrey forgot to observe the other members as a series of questions flashed through her mind. Following that, with her acumen from the Spectator pathway, she grasped Mr. Fool's true intentions.

Following that, she had a particular theory.

Ma'am Hermit had privately hinted about our Tarot Club to this Ma'am Bernadette because she hopes to acquire some answers… Mr. Fool is very displeased regarding this matter, so he pointed it out directly and gave this first-time offender a warning?

Seriously, why would you divulge matters of the Gathering to others? I haven't even told Susie! This will bring danger to everyone! Thankfully, Mr. Fool is around!

Audrey nearly puffed up her cheeks, forgetting her image and etiquette. For the first time, she realized that not every Tarot Club member had a sense of belonging like she did, showing such reverence and faith in Mr. Fool.

The Hanged Man Alger, The Magician Fors, and The Moon Emlyn also had similar questions and theories, but their focus wasn't the same.

As Alger anticipated what Mr. Fool would do, he began to wonder who this Bernadette—a commonly seen female Intis name—represented. He was curious as to why the reserved Hermit would risk divulging some information on the Tarot Club. While Fors was worried if the existence of the Tarot Club would be exposed, she also instantly imagined a spy and double spy story. Emlyn watched in schadenfreude, believing The Hermit to be truly foolish.

Heh, even our Sanguine's Ancestor treats Mr. Fool equally and had sent me as an envoy to be nurtured. You aren't even a demigod, but you attempted to try pulling off cheap tricks under Mr. Fool's watch? Do you have a death wish? Indeed, I can't understand the thoughts of short-lived creatures. Emperor Roselle once said that bugs that can only live in summer have no way of truly knowing what snow looks like…Emlyn sat back in a relaxed manner as he didn't hide the shaking of his head.

The Sun Derrick didn't have many thoughts on the matter; all he felt was that the mood wasn't right. Out of curiosity and puzzlement, he asked, "Mr. Fool, who's Bernadette?"

Well asked! I thought Miss Justice would be the one asking. Yes, she seems a little angry, which is why she doesn't wish to speak…Klein silently commended him as he casually answered, "Roselle's eldest daughter;

"Owner of the Dawn;

"The leader of the Element Dawn."

He mentioned all of Bernadette's identities, making her appear without any secrets before all the Tarot Club members.

And the reason why he had used "Owner of the Dawn" in place of Queen Mystic was that Klein didn't believe that The Fool should address Bernadette as a queen.

The owner of the Dawn… Queen Mystic! She's actually Emperor Roselle's eldest daughter! Ha, The Hermit, I can confirm that you are Admiral of Stars Cattleya. So the rumors of you having a falling-out with Queen Mystic are fake…Alger felt excited. He felt that the restriction and pressure he had endured for the past three months had vanished at once.

This made his staid self mock The Hermit inwardly.

Emperor Roselle once said that those who play with fire will ultimately burn themselves. And you, Admiral of Stars, dared to challenge a god's clairvoyance!

At that moment, Alger was rather thankful, thankful that although he had attempted to pull off some cheap tricks and attempted to figure out Mr. Fool's identity, goals, and present state, he hadn't involved any outsiders. He hadn't divulged any information, so he hadn't suffered any punishment.

As he had introduced the Four Kings and the Seven Pirate Admirals, Audrey and company just needed to recall in order to confirm that Bernadette was Queen Mystic, a demigod that reigned supreme over the Five Seas. They were also surprised that Emperor Roselle's eldest daughter would still be alive and had become an important figure that was known throughout the world.

The answers that Queen Mystic wishes to obtain are hidden inside Roselle's diary?Combining everything that had happened and the words that were said, Audrey vaguely guessed Bernadette's goal, believing that the emperor's daughter wished to figure out the truth behind her father's assassination.

At this moment, Cattleya had already regained her ability to think. She turned her body to face the end of the long bronze table and said without any hopes that she could be let off, "Yes, I committed some mistakes. I will not defend myself. It was indeed wrong.

"Mr. Fool, no matter how much you punish me or even kill me, I'll accept it."

Hypocrite… If Mr. Fool really wishes to punish you, do you think you have any means of resistance?Mr. Hanged Man scoffed on the opposite side of the table. He could identify the problem with such a simple sentence.

Ma'am Hermit is still a little afraid…Audrey could notice the hidden fear from the minute actions and words Cattleya had used.

To her, people who deliberately emphasized their willingness to be executed were often afraid of dying right there and then.

Fors found her peace from The Fool's calm attitude, believing that there weren't any leaks about the Tarot Club; or that the leaks weren't anything important. Hence, like Emlyn, she waited curiously and expectantly for the punishment Mr. Fool would mete out.

Derrick remained clueless about what had happened, uncertain why Ma'am Hermit would suddenly request to be punished.

At that moment, seeing Mr. Fool's brief moment of silence, Cattleya resisted her unease and lifted her head slightly, observing the existence behind the thick gray fog without a trace, in an attempt to figure out "His" true intentions so as to give a better response. She didn't wish to make another mistake again and provoke "Him," making the situation irredeemable.

The dark purple hue in her black eyes produced a sense of mystery as her eyes penetrated through the gray fog and saw The Fool.

Suddenly, Cattleya's eyes heated up as illusory blood bled from them.

A sinister, terrifying, and depraved language and an indescribable roar sounded in her ears. It instantly filled her senses with extreme pain as her body began to convulse and tremble uncontrollably.

Her face, hands, and the areas that weren't concealed by her clothing had quickly cracked opened, revealing her flesh and blood. Inside, black worms and white moths squirmed before forming all kinds of indescribable eyes.

Cattleya's cries and painful grunts resounded above the gray fog, causing Alger, Emlyn, Fors, and company to exchange looks as though they could sense the pain she was suffering.

Meanwhile, the blurry figure turned rather clear, allowing them to see The Hermit's mutation.

The disgusting and nasty scene frightened Audrey enough for her to look away. She straightened her back and looked straight ahead without daring to move.

Although the others didn't have such an exaggerated response, they also shared the same behavior.

The True Creator's ravings are indeed useful…Klein, who was shrouded in the thick gray fog, reflected from the bottom of his heart.

The reason why he hadn't immediately replied to Cattleya's request for punishment, was because he wanted to confirm if there was anything special about her eyes, whether they could see beyond what he allowed!

For this, he had stirred some of the mysterious space's powers to be hidden in the gray fog that shrouded him ahead of time. It was to connect anyone who used a Beyonder power to see through the obstacle to Tinder!

This was equivalent to the owner of the Beyonder power directly observing an item corrupted by the True Creator at a psyche level. Hence, with Klein not using the gray fog to deliberately suppress the influence, Cattleya naturally heard the True Creator's ravings. Her "organ" which used the Beyonder power was first severely damaged before she was imbued with extreme pain, causing her mutation!

If Admiral of Stars hadn't tried observing him, then the plan Klein had prepared was to get her to apologize to every Tarot Club member, and also to allow them to discuss a method of punishment in a democratic manner.

And regardless of how democratic it was, the major punishment would ultimately be to stir some of the mysterious space's powers to connect Cattleya to Tinder!

After waiting two seconds, Klein knew it was enough. He gently lowered his palms, allowing the gray fog to silently repress the True Creator's ravings and revert Cattleya's mutation.

Admiral of Stars trembled as she calmed down at a discernible pace. The cracks in her skin gradually closed as her thoughts returned to her, allowing her to take in her surroundings once again.

At this moment, Alger said in a deep voice, as though he was warning himself, "Do not pry into the mystery of God…"

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 679: Murder Request

"Do not pry into the mystery of God…"

Alger's whispers soon disappeared, but it continued resounding in everyone's ears, making them realize a reality.

Although Mr. Fool often didn't put on any airs and seldom spoke, nearly answering every request they had, making them find him warm, "He" was ultimately a god, a god whose mysteries shouldn't be pried into. He was a god that transcended reality!

Audrey, Emlyn, and the other Tarot Club members instinctively accepted Mr. Hanged Man's altered saying, pretending that they had forgotten the original wording to be "do not look directly at God," because they had looked at Mr. Fool from time to time, asking him questions or seeking his advice, and with regards to that, Mr. Fool didn't seem to mind.

Of course, we weren't looking at him directly due to the thick gray fog's obstruction… From Ma'am Hermit's outcome, Mr. Fool had done so for our own good…Audrey slowly exhaled.

At this moment, The Fool Klein was thinking,Mr. Hanged Man is working very well in concert. I was prepared to control The World to say something similar to complete the final step of the punishment…

He originally felt that getting the fake World to say something like "do not lie to god" or "do not pry into the mystery of God" would make it somewhat embarrassing. In the future, if people were to learn that the so-called Blessed or the so-called World was actually a smurf of The Fool, he would be too embarrassed to face anyone. But later, on second thought, The World had done similar deeds in the past, so he wasn't short of one more. Besides, all he needed to do was to not let anyone know, right?

Having overcome his mental barrier, Klein had planned on acting according to his rehearsals, but to his surprise, reality went better than he had expected. The Hanged Man seemed to be shocked to the bone as a result of The Hermit's punishment. As such, he helped him say the sentence "do not pry into the mystery of God," making the effects even more natural and perfect!

Yes… The problem of Ma'am Hermit's leak of information regarding the Tarot Club was only briefly tapped on by The Fool. "He" had given a warning via the insinuation behind "His" words, but she later suffered from prying into the mystery of a god. It wasn't truly The Fool's intentions…

This is the outcome I wished for the most. This can effectively uphold The Fool's image. After all, a god wouldn't be petty with mortals, as it would only tarnish "His" reputation…

However, the way Ma'am Hermit does things is way too bold. I just realized and confirmed today that she has pried into the mysteries of The Fool more than once. Although it wasn't for any vile motives, it's also something worth punishing her for. Heh, my previous reactions must've made her believe that I had "acquiesced" her "observations," so she made it a habit. In the end, she ended up falling headfirst into my expectations…

In addition, without fully grasping Mr. Fool's attitude, she directly gave hints to outsiders. Her boldness is obviously extraordinary. This means to show that she hasn't suffered enough in the past. Today's lesson should be enough to drill it into her for a very long period of time…

Thinking back to her state in her dream, all of this seems pretty much the expected outcome… Sparing the rod spoils the child!

Heh heh, I also managed to put Mr. Hanged Man, as well as the other members in check today as a result,Klein silently muttered to himself in amusement, surveyed the area, and said calmly, "That shall be all."

Upon hearing that, The Hermit Cattleya, whose Spirit Body had just recovered, felt relieved. She felt intense fatigue and joy surge through her body. All she wanted was a reclining chair for her to rest for a while.

The first time is a warning, but the second time wouldn't be a nice outcome…This pirate admiral sighed silently, warning herself not to try her cheap tricks any further or believe that her hints could fool Mr. Fool. She was also not to attempt to pry into "His" secrets!

The pain she received was in no way weaker than the torment of having knowledge injected into her by the Hidden Sage. Therefore, she believed without a doubt that Mr. Fool was essentially a god, a true god, an unfathomable god whose mysteries couldn't be pried into!

Thankfully, Her Majesty now knows where she can exchange the answers she has been desperately looking for all this while… I don't need to hint to her or tip her off in the future…Cattleya turned her body to the side again, trembling as she looked at the end of the long bronze table. This time, she only dared to look at the end of the table or the armrest. The dark purple hue in her eyes had also turned faint.

Amidst silence, with sincerity, she said, "I'll remember your leniency in sparing me."

In the gray fog, The Fool Klein nodded gently without repeating his previous words.

After a moment of waiting, The Magician Fors straightened her back, looked around, and spoke before Justice Audrey.

"Everyone, is anyone interested in an assassination mission?

"The target is an important member of a cult."

Grateful for the favors her teacher, Dorian Gray, had given her, Fors had been recently hoping to do something for him.

After some consideration, she placed her sights on the Aurora Order Oracle who had dealt immense damage to her teacher's family—Lewis Wien who could be a Scribe or Traveler!

She didn't let Leymano's Travels get to her head to the point of believing that she could kill an experienced Sequence 6 or Sequence 5 Beyonder who was good at escaping. The reason why she had such considerations was that she believed that the secret organization known as the Tarot Club, which was backing her, would provide her with unimaginable support.

Ma'am Hermit and Mr. World both appear to have the means to fight Lewis Wien. With any of them taking action, and with me using Leymano's Travels to help, it's not impossible for us to succeed…Fors began formulating the most ideal situation.

Of course, she knew that her current savings weren't enough to kill a powerful Beyonder like Lewis Wien. After all, with her 830 pounds, she probably couldn't even buy a single hand of his. She knew very well that back then, Miss Audrey Hall had spent more than 10,000 pounds to kill an Intis ambassador, a Sequence 6 Conspirer. The cost of assassinating Lewis Wien, who was of a similar Sequence or even higher, was obvious!

Fors planned on agreeing to a series of requests that the executor of the mission would have, helping the executor complete matters they found inconvenient to do themselves, in order to pay off the cost of the mission. She believed that after obtaining Leymano's Travels, she was equipped with the abilities to complete certain difficult tasks.

After hearing Miss Magician's request, The Hermit Cattleya, The Hanged Man Alger, and Justice Audrey cast their gazes onto The World. They believed that this gentleman, one who had a unique penchant for hunting Beyonders, possessed the necessary strength.

I'm not in Backlund… However, I can't respond that way. Otherwise, it would expose the possibility that Mr. Fool only has two to three Blessed to Mr. Hanged Man and Ma'am Hermit…Klein controlled The World, overcoming his emotions as he hoarsely laughed.

"Where? Which cult?

"What's his Sequence? What unique powers does he have?"

Eh, Mr. World is a little different from before… I can't explain it clearly, but it feels like he's suddenly in a better mood. Perhaps, he has really encountered something worth being happy about…Audrey suddenly noticed the difference as she excitedly imagined what could have recently happened to Mr. World.

Fors happily replied, "He's an Oracle from the Aurora Order. He's in Backlund, formerly a Sequence 6, but he might be a Sequence 5 now, but I can't be sure.

"He can record the Beyonder powers that others have used and can use them once. He's good at escaping any form of entrapment, and it's difficult to surround him. Perhaps, he might be able to travel through the spirit world…"

The target is an Oracle from the Aurora Order, a Sequence 6 or 5, with powers seemingly from the Apprentice pathway… Indeed, Miss Magician doesn't appear as simple and ordinary as she seems. My original judgment was right…Cattleya quickly returned to her usual state. She wasn't surprised that The Magician would actually dare conspire against a particular gentleman from the Aurora Order.

As for which Oracle he was, she wasn't sure because the only ones she knew were Mr. Z and Ma'am D.

Meanwhile, Klein also quickly evaluated the situation.

An Oracle from the Aurora Order, that makes it impossible for him to be innocent. Rather, he's a madman who destroys lives. Killing him doesn't make me feel guilty…

It's not like I haven't offended the Aurora Order more than once or twice…

Sequence 6 or 5; that's something I can handle… I've seen something that matches the trait of recording and releasing Beyonder powers as described by Miss Magician. Mr. A had used it before, but it might not really be it…

To me, it doesn't matter if he's good at escaping and traveling through the spirit world. As long as I'm close to the Oracle and successfully control his Spirit Body Threads, there will be no way for him to run!

It's hard to tell what will happen in a direct clash. I do have quite a solid chance of success if I sneak an attack in. Of course, succeeding at a sneak attack is a whole other matter…

After some serious consideration, The World looked at The Magician Fors.

"I can consider taking on the job, but not anytime soon. It will, at the least, be two months later."

He wasn't sure what other accidents he would encounter at sea, so he had been rather relaxed on the time period.

"Two months later…" Fors repeated the time, appearing to be in a deep dilemma.

It was too long; besides, she wasn't sure how long Lewis Wien would stay in Backlund.

At this moment, Alger, who had been watching from the side, deliberated and interjected, "Miss Magician, do you need to kill that Aurora Order Oracle personally?"

"No, as you can see, I'm considering requesting Mr. World for help," Fors replied with a smile.

Alger nodded as though in thought.

"The premise of killing someone is to be able to find the Oracle. Can you find him?"

"No, but I'll investigate," Fors answered frankly.

"Why don't you get The World to do it after your investigations bear fruit?" The Hanged Man pressed.

"Yes, but I haven't decided." Fors was somewhat confused, unaware of the reasons as to why Mr. Hanged Man was asking her all these questions.

Alger sneered.

"If you can confirm the location of the Aurora Order Oracle's location, then why spend large amounts of money to hire someone to kill him? Wouldn't reporting him directly to the Churches be enough? After the Great Smog, no Church is willing to let go of any related clues.

He wasn't trying to make The World lose any business. Instead, he had clearly read the dilemma inside her, believing that there was a higher possibility of her not going through with the request. After all, too many incidents might happen in two months. Therefore, he gave some suggestions to ensure that this matter reached some preliminary agreement.

Report him to the Churches? This sounds familiar…Klein was surprised, never expecting Mr. Hanged Man to say something like that.

Heh heh, while everyone is being infected by Mr. Hanged Man, he too has been influenced by us…Klein immediately felt relieved and rather pleased.

"Report?" Fors was momentarily stunned.

After a few seconds, she whispered, "That's possible…"

The Hanged Man smiled upon hearing that.

"You can do it this way. First, investigate your target and seek out his whereabouts. If you obtain anything in two months, then you can hand the matter over to the Church. If the matter exceeds two months, and when Mr. World is free, then he can provide you the help needed. What do you think of that?"

Fors seriously considered it and said, "Okay.

"When the time comes, I'll discuss the price with Mr. World."

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 680: New Thoughts

After receiving The World's consenting nod and confirming the matter regarding Lewis Wien, Fors thought for a moment and continued, "Everyone, does anyone have a Meteorite Crystal or the crystallized blood of a Lavos Squid, or any information about them?"

These were the main ingredients of the Astrologer potion formula.

Fors originally planned on continuing her requests, hoping that Mr. Moon, who was also in Backlund, could help her find Lewis Wien, but after some consideration, she decided to first do it herself. Only after confirming that there aren't any solutions or clues would she then request the Tarot Club for help.

Meteorite Crystal? Lavos Squid's crystallized blood? Sounds familiar… Isn't this because I know the Seer potion formula… Yes, it's familiar because the Seer potion formula's main ingredients is 50 grams of Star Crystal and 10 ml of Lavos Squid blood! The main ingredients of Astrologer are like the upgraded versions of a Seer… Indeed, the Apprentice and Seer pathway can be interchanged in the future… With this in mind, Klein suddenly had an idea.

Since the potion formula of Bizarro Sorcerer is difficult to obtain, with the three options being extremely dangerous, should I consider the other Sequence 4 options in the neighboring pathways? Such as Apprentice!

Once he had this idea, he brightened up as he felt that most of his predicament had vanished.

And for the Sequence 4 potion formula of Apprentice, the Tarot Club has clues to it. It's the Abraham family behind The Magician!

With this in mind, The World looked at Miss Magician with a subconscious gentleness to his gaze. It left Fors shuddering, suspecting whether Mr. World had already formulated a plan to hunt Lewis Wien.

At this moment, The Fool Klein recalled another problem. According to Dunn's and Daly's theories, the first five Sequences of the Seer pathway didn't present any obvious progression. Each of them presented a Beyonder power of one aspect. Then, at the critical point of Sequence 4, the five of them would converge and clench like a fist, presenting a qualitative change.

Back when Captain and Ma'am Daly made this theory, they only knew bits of information regarding Seer, Clown, and Magician. I'm only able to verify this idea for the subsequent Faceless and Marionettist by myself… So, could it be that Seer, Apprentice, and the possible Marauder pathways cannot be interchanged at Sequence 4, but at Sequence 3? Klein slowly felt his joy dwindle again.

He knew too little and was temporarily unable to make a judgment. All he could do was await Mr. Azik's reply and wait to leave the waters which were watched by the True Creator before contacting Arrodes.

As Klein was thinking, he suddenly heard Cattleya say, "I have the crystallized blood of a Lavos Squid. It will cost 600 pounds.

"As for Meteorite Crystal, I know where to get it from. How many grams do you need?"

600 pounds, a very reasonable price… Fors replied in a pleasant surprise, "60 grams."

"Alright, I'll give them to you within two weeks. It will also cost 600 pounds," Cattleya said clearly and succinctly.

It's resolved just like that… Today's Ma'am Hermit is really proactive with the desire to participate. Yes, she had just been… Fors quickly nodded.

"That wouldn't be an issue."

I have 830 pounds in savings. That's enough for me to buy the crystallized blood of a Lavos Squid. But in two weeks, I still need to save up nearly 400 pounds. The royalties after the new year will be paid soon. It's about 150 pounds, making me lack 220 pounds. I have to think of ways to earn money again… Fors quickly calculated her financial situation.

Seeing how Miss Magician took only a minute to gather the main ingredients for her potion, Justice Audrey couldn't hold back either. She raised her hand slightly and said, "I wish to obtain the complete pituitary gland of an adolescent mind dragon, but if that's not possible, 60 ml of a Black-hunting Giant Lizard's spinal fluid and one fruit of an Illusory Chime Tree."

This was the main ingredient of the Hypnotist potion. If she obtained the complete pituitary gland of the adolescent mind dragon, then there was no need for any other corresponding ingredients.

Just as Audrey said that, she heard Ma'am Hermit reply.

"Since the Fifth Epoch, mind dragons have nearly gone extinct and are hard to find.

"I have the means of obtaining the spinal fluid of a Black-hunting Giant Lizard, but it will also take two to three weeks. The price ranges from 1,500 to 2,000 pounds, as I'm not the one who decides it.

"I can help you keep a lookout for the fruit of an Illusory Chime Tree, but I cannot guarantee anything."

Wh-what great efficiency… After Ma'am Hermit was punished, her sense of belonging towards the Tarot Club has appeared to increase. She's more active and amiable… Audrey was momentarily speechless.

After a few seconds of silence, she bowed slightly and said, "No problem."

Alger, who had been watching by the side, suddenly felt that the development wasn't going as he expected. Having been punished by Mr. Fool, The Hermit changed her style of being mostly an observer. She began to involve herself in every matter that she could involve herself in during the Tarot Gathering. And with the strength, background, resources, and channels of a pirate admiral, she immediately produced intense and blinding light!

This "blinded" Alger so much that he could hardly open his eyes. He had a strong feeling that he was at risk.

At that moment, he wished for Ma'am Hermit to return to her former state.

Klein also felt surprised by what he heard and saw.

I thought Ma'am Hermit would be silent for some time, feeling an aversion to the Tarot Club for some time, but in the end…

Is she the type that needs to be beaten in order to be obedient?

Yes… Sparing the rod spoils the child. Queen Mystic must've spared the rod too much… Heh, the way Queen Mystic does things isn't much to speak off either. The emperor has also spared the rod!

As he lampooned, Klein controlled The World, making him survey the area before chuckling.

"Does anyone of you have the potion formula of the Seer pathway's Sequence 4, or have any clues regarding it?"

Sequence 4… Mr. World is beginning to advance towards the realm of a demigod? Audrey was surprised.

She originally imagined that she was advancing sufficiently fast, and she felt a little proud about that. But now, she suddenly realized that she was falling behind!

Mr. World has instantly become really lofty… Fors was similarly surprised.

Although she felt that the silent, reserved, and unsocial Mr. World was a powerful Beyonder, she believed that he was still very far from a demigod, from a Sequence 4. But to her surprise, he was already seeking to purchase the Sequence 4 potion formula.

As expected of Mr. Fool's Blessed… Alger sighed.

Likewise, Emlyn and Derrick shook their heads, expressing that they had never heard of the name of the pathway's Sequence 4.

Klein, who believed that he could obtain clues from the City of Silver or the Sanguine, could only helplessly retract The World's gaze.

After a few seconds, Cattleya said, "I need a drop of blood from a mythical creature, regardless of the kind."

In the palace held up by stone columns, silence suddenly became the main symphony. Even The World didn't know the exact concept of what a mythical creature was.

Klein didn't expose this point as he planned on inquiring about it to the people he could ask in the future. He controlled The World to remain silent for a few seconds before saying, "I'll keep an eye out."

As this was a rare request from Ma'am Hermit, Justice and company also gave similar responses.

"Alright." Cattleya wasn't surprised by this outcome.

The only reason why she made the request was to express her attitude of being integrated with the Tarot Club to Mr. Fool. She believed that this was better than trembling and being apprehensive at eliminating the aftereffects of what had happened.

After a brief pause, Derrick was about to say something when Emlyn spoke out ahead of him.

The Sanguine Baron chuckled.

"The requests for our row is clear. He wants the Sun Sequence 6 Notary's potion formula, and Mr. Hanged Man wishes to obtain the Ocean Songster's."

Upon hearing this, Klein suddenly felt a little guilt-ridden. When he first obtained Creeping Hunger, he had wished to quickly release the Priest of Light in it, and obtaining the Sequence 6 and 5 potion formulas of the Sun pathway, so as to sell it to Little Sun. Yet, he hadn't completed it all this while.

I'll walk around Toscarter's pier tonight. I'll find a pirate with Beyonder powers who deserves to die or some gang leader to settle this emergency, regardless of which Sequence they are… Or, I can directly release the Priest of Light… Klein made The World deliberate before saying, "I'll provide you with the Notary potion formula in three days."

Upon saying this, he looked at Little Sun.

"You can consider what item you wish to exchange for it."

"Alright, Mr. World," Derrick replied in glee.

As for the Ocean Songster potion formula which The Hanged Man needed, everyone didn't have any clues.

Emlyn cleared his throat and said, "My request is different from the last one.

"I hope that you can help me find the believers of the Primordial Moon. Every effective clue will be rewarded with 100 pounds. A direct confirmation will be 500 pounds!"

He looked at Mr. Fool to make a request and, after obtaining "His" approval, he conjured five things that resembled bounty notices. Each person received a set of the five bounties. He and Derrick didn't have one.

Klein controlled The World to pick it up and casually browsed through it.

Galis Kevin, Dandy, Lara, Windsor Behring, Argos… They aren't weak at all. At the very least, they're equivalent to recently born Vampires… he silently muttered to himself as he memorized the corresponding information.

After completing this matter, Emlyn felt more confident about winning the "competition." He leaned back casually and waited for the other members to issue requests.

This time, no one spoke again.

Upon seeing this, The Fool Klein chuckled.

"Continue your free exchange."

Instantly, Audrey, Alger, Cattleya, and company cast their eyes at Derrick.

They remembered that The Sun had previously mentioned that he would have arrangements to join an exploration mission that involved the periphery of the Giant King's Court.

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 681: Indirect Answer

Being the main focus of attention, Derrick didn't choke. He eagerly said, "I've recently been in an exploration team lead by the Chief to Afternoon Town.

"It's a key gateway that leads to the Giant King's Court. It's a door that separates myth from reality."

His opening perfectly garnered the interest of all the Tarot Club members as they awaited the rest of his account in different postures.

Derrick skipped the unimportant experiences that they had during the journey, and he directly started his story from Afternoon Town. He first described the dead silence and darkness before how his three-member team discovered an underground altar. He then described how he identified the names—Ouroboros, Medici, and Sasrir—and entered another side of the town without realizing it. There, he saw the titles such as Dark Angel and the words Rose Redemption.

Having said that, he thanked Mr. Fool once again for "His" help from the predicament.

Then, Derrick simply introduced the monsters that transformed from their shadows before emphasizing the ecclesiastic who was in constant penitence in the half-collapsed cathedral.

He used his own words to describe what was said, mentioning that the ecclesiastic suddenly self-destructed when he was about to say the name of the fourth King of Angels and was burnt to a crisp by a transparent flame.

Another King of Angels! And the mood in Afternoon Town is really dark and scary. The ecclesiastic's penitence has a very, hmm—a feel of a prophet predicting a calamity…Audrey listened in relish as she had her interest about the blank line and unspeakable name piqued.

At this moment, Derrick turned his body and looked at the end of the bronze table, sincerely asking, "Mr. Fool, who was it that tempted Dark Angel Sasrir? Who does the fourth name refer to? Why can't it be said?"

Here it comes…Behind the gray fog, Klein's smile nearly froze.

The reason that he had hurriedly sent Little Sun back to the real world was that he was afraid of facing such a question!

Back then, he was worried that Little Sun would inquire about Dark Angel Sasrir, and now, he was facing a question he didn't know the answer to.

Thankfully, a Magician never performed unprepared. After that day, Klein undoubtedly began to seriously consider how to answer such questions. Now, with great confidence, he landed his right palm on the armrest and said with a deep, meaningful glint in his eyes.

"It's because it's a secret."

He used his eyes and body language to hint to the Tarot Club members that "secret" wasn't to be taken at face level, and it had a deeper, more substantial meaning. As for what it was, they had to figure it out themselves. Deities had deep reasons to conceal certain matters.

After finishing this series of actions, Klein couldn't help but feel penitent. He felt that his charlatan vibes were increasing. Meanwhile, he felt regret that The Hermit's prying into his secrets was a result of his temptations. This was because Mr. Fool would use "His" eyes and body language to provide additional hints. Therefore, all the members would subconsciously observe "His" attitude.

That's because I have no solutions. Without doing this, how am I supposed to continue the act… It's not like I'm a real evil god!Klein sighed silently.

Secret? The name itself is a secret? The content which Mr. Fool wishes to point out is in here? Hmm, which names are secrets themselves… True gods at Sequence 0?Alger instantly thought of many things as he came up with a theory by combining many of the matters which Little Sun had previously mentioned.

When a name itself becomes a secret, it means that the matter involves a true god. Furthermore, it's very likely to have the Evernight Goddess involved. It's because she's the Mother of Secrets! The extreme danger of the darkness in the Forsaken Land of the Gods indirectly proves this point…Cattleya came up with an unconfirmed theory based on the knowledge she had and the hint from Mr. Fool.

Meanwhile, she was almost certain that the calamity the ecclesiastic was referring to was the Cataclysm that ended the Third Epoch.

A King of Angels who was tempted, Afternoon Town residents who fell from grace, a town being corrupted bit by bit, a black flower of calamity that blooms. All of that buried an epoch, creating the Forsaken Land of the Gods… What a heavy sense of history…Cattleya couldn't help but think poignantly.

While the Tarot Club members were in contemplation, Klein also began to analyze the reason for the empty name and the reason why it couldn't be said.

Could it be the true name of a deity? A true god had tempted Dark Angel Sasrir, and the fourth name representing the King of Angels also became a true god later?

But it's not like I haven't said the true name of a deity before. Primordial Demoness Cheek is understood by many to be on the same level as the seven deities. It's not like anything happened in the end…

Perhaps it has something to do with the language used? The languages of Loen, Intis, and Feysac, and even ancient Feysac do not possess the ability to stir the powers of nature. On the other hand, the commonly used Jotun in the City of Silver can. That ecclesiastic likely used a similar language.

I should later try to pronounce Cheek using Jotun? Then, I'll die on the spot and succeed in courting death… Forget it. Besides, having a blank name and an unspeakable name means different things… I've no idea why.

At this moment, seeing how Little Sun was still in a confused daze without understanding Mr. Fool's meaningful hint, Alger volunteered to give an explanation.

"The two names might separately represent two deities, so they cannot be said.

"Perhaps the True Creator had tempted Dark Angel Sasrir, leading to the fall from grace of the few Kings of Angels and the residents of Afternoon Town. This brought about a great calamity. It's why 'He' has a temple and statue in your Forsaken Land of the Gods.

"The fourth name that corresponds to a King of Angels might have benefited greatly from the calamity and succeeded in advancing to become a true god."

This is similar to my guess, but they can't be confirmed…Cattleya didn't supplement, as she didn't believe that their theories were facts.

Audrey, Fors, and Emlyn listened attentively as they couldn't help but feel poignant that the Tarot Club often made things appear especially high-end when discussing such matters. Things like Kings of Angels, evil gods and real gods, or ancient secrets all depended on a single word.

"Is that so… I get it." Derrick came to a realization as he earnestly thanked Mr. Fool once again.

Just as he was about to turn around, he suddenly recalled something and worriedly asked, "Mr. Fool, is the crux to leaving the Forsaken Land of the Gods really in the Giant King's Court?"

After all this time, he had already accepted Mr. Hanged Man's take that the region where the City of Silver was located was known as the Forsaken Land of the Gods.

That's what I believe, but the problem is that I'm unable to confirm it… To not search for the sea and switch to exploring the Giant King's Court was likely Shepherd Lovia's suggestion. This can partially verify my theory, but it cannot eliminate the possibility that it's a conspiracy…The Fool Klein's smile nearly froze again.

His thoughts raced as he quickly thought of a solution that didn't need him to give a direct answer without tarnishing Mr. Fool's reputation.

He immediately gave a relaxed chuckle, turned his head at The Hermit Cattleya.

"Speaking of this matter, heh. Bernadette already knows the method for entering the Forsaken Land of the Gods."

Cattleya immediately recalled her vague memories of the dream and subconsciously looked at the end of the bronze table.

"It's that shadow?"

Before she finished speaking, she suddenly realized that she was sizing up Mr. Fool again. She hurriedly closed her eyes and said, "M-my Eye of Mystery Prying is instinctive. It can only be enhanced and not be deactivated. I need to rely on a mystical item to seal it…"

But it doesn't exist here.

Is that so…Klein nodded gently.

"You can conjure a pair of glasses."

"Yes, Mr. Fool." Cattleya followed the instructions and conjured a pair of glasses.

During this process, Klein stirred a minute amount of the power above the gray fog and infused them into the pair of glasses.

By the time Cattleya wore them, she discovered that her Eye of Mystery Prying had been sealed as she had expected.

It was only at this point that Fors and company realized that Ma'am Hermit's eyes were extremely special. It had something to do with the prying of mysteries, and it didn't need to be activated to use it!

It's no wonder we didn't notice it. Ma'am Hermit was severely injured because of her attempt to pry into the mysteries of Mr. Fool…Audrey moved her lips in enlightenment, having one of her questions answered.

As for Alger, who recalled how The Hermit had previously sized him up and how he had been wearing the clergy clothes of the Church of Storms, his face nearly darkened.

Klein didn't wait for the members to calm down. He chuckled and replied to Cattleya's previous question.

"It's that shadow.

"The shadow of the Giant King's Court."

"So it's the shadow of the Giant King's Court…" Cattleya muttered in pleasant surprise.

Then, her mind went adrift as she thought,She likely also knows this answer…

Derrick spent a few seconds to digest the conversation between Ma'am Hermit and Mr. Fool, and he vaguely came to a realization. The key to entering the Forsaken Land of the Gods had to do with the shadow of the Giant King's Court!

Therefore, the crux to leaving the Forsaken Land of the Gods is really in the Giant King's Court?Derrick's heart palpitated as he bowed his head in excitement.

"Thank you for your answer, Mr. Fool."

Phew…Klein silently heaved a sigh of relief. He felt that such a situation was extremely draining on his brain.

Alger kept his emotions in check as he looked around before looking at The Hermit.

"Where's the shadow of the Giant King's Court?"

He didn't dare ask Mr. Fool, as his question about the Forsaken Land of the Gods had previously been rejected.

Cattleya answered frankly, "In the waters on the easternmost front of the Sonia Sea. In the dream of the night time there.

"I happened to wish to share with all of you what I encountered this time."

Audrey and Fors simultaneously slowed their breathing as they waited excitedly for Ma'am Hermit to recount her encounters which were bound to be fantastic.

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 682: Seeking "Food"

Cattleya controlled herself without looking at The World Gehrman. She said in a deep and slow voice, "Northeast from the Gargas Archipelago, there's a safe sea route that allows one to enter those dangerous waters…"

She began her description with the deep abyss which separated the seas, the sun chariot which couldn't be viewed directly, the night which required sleeping, the terrifying ravings that filled the entire sea, and the shadow of the Giant King's Court which stood on the opposite mountain peak in the dream world.

During this process, she didn't mention Gehrman Sparrow at all, deliberately avoiding any mention of him. As for the abnormalities that happened en route, she described them simply, such as the remnant aura of Mother Earth which caused hair to grow rapidly.

Towards the end, she placed her focus on the ruin with a sleeping corpse and the adventurers' sailboat which had the words written in blood, "Fountain of Unaging."

"This might mean that the Fountain of Unaging is in that ruin, and the corpse that produced such loud breathing is the keeper," Cattleya mentioned the common theories on the Future, but it didn't mean that it was hers.

Fountain of Unaging… One of the six major treasures at sea…Alger was tempted by what he heard as he considered the possibility of exploring those ruins after reaching Sequence 5.

Audrey finished listening attentively as she shook her head slightly.

"I don't believe that the decisive meaning behind those words in blood mean that the Fountain of Unaging is in those ruins."

After a second's pause, she attempted to analyze the deceased's state of mind.

"A person who's about to die after being attacked by monsters wouldn't point out matters regarding the treasure. If he wishes to warn companions or relatives who come looking for him, then he should've written that it's dangerous here, or speak about the source of the danger. If he plans to tell passing ships that the Fountain of Unaging is there, then he lacks the motivation to do so for a living creature at death's doorstep. Unless, a conspiracy is hidden in this matter—the conspiracy of enticing people to enter the ruin to seek out the Fountain of Unaging might be how he can be rescued."

"Yes, if I were in his shoes, I wouldn't think of desperately telling others that there's treasure here. What's in it for me?" Emlyn echoed. "Only hatred—bone-deep hatred—will make me write something like that on the brink of death. Otherwise, I'd rather tell others how I should be buried or what kind of burial items I want!"

He tsked and shook his head.

Klein nodded indiscernibly. Controlling The World, he said hoarsely, "The Fountain of Unaging is a scam."

He used absolutely certain words without any additional words that would signify other possibilities.

The Fountain of Unaging is a scam…Cattleya looked at The World before retracting her gaze in thought.

It seemed to corroborate with certain theories and guesses she had.

Alger frowned, not that he didn't agree with The World's judgment or that he believed that Miss Justice's and Mr. Moon's explanations were devoid of reason. Instead, he realized that he had completely failed to consider this possibility!

To him, this was a mistake he shouldn't have committed!

… After all these years, I'm still being temporarily blinded by immense profit…He fell silent for a few seconds and sighed.

After exchanging what everyone had seen and heard recently, everyone began to teach Little Sun ancient Hermes, and they learned some mysticism from each other.

Time quickly passed as The Fool Klein surveyed the area after everyone came to a stop.

"Let's end it here for today."

"By your will." Audrey stood up immediately and curtsied with her illusory dress. The rest of the members said the same almost at the same time.

As he watched the blurry figures vanish before his eyes, Klein wasn't in a rush to leave. He conjured a goatskin and fountain pen and wrote down the divination statement:

"The hope for my advancement to Sequence 4."

Putting down the fountain pen, Klein held the goatskin and leaned back. As he closed his eyes, he entered a Cogitation state and began silently reciting the divination statement.

After chanting it seven times, he quickly fell asleep and entered the dream world.

The gray, blurry sky cracked open as he saw a towering mountain tear through the clouds.

At the mountaintop, there was a collapsed palace whose walls were covered with weeds and moss as they showed obvious holes.

Inside the palace's hall was a huge throne carved out of stone. It was adorned with dull gemstones and gold. It was mostly mottled and damaged.

It looked as though it wasn't prepared for a human, as countless translucent maggots were bunched densely together. They squirmed slowly as they kept growing.

Around the throne was a raving that seemed to penetrate the long rivers of time and history. It was illusory, ethereal, and constantly echoing.

"Hornacis… Flegrea… Hornacis… Flegrea… Hornacis… Flegrea…"

The moment the ravings entered his ear, Klein jolted awake before he frowned.

It really is the main peak of the Hornacis mountain range. Furthermore, I can see and hear it more clearly than before…

This made him recall Queen Mystic Bernadette's prophetic words: "Your fate lies on the main peak of the Hornacis mountain range."

Is that my fate? It really makes me want to be rebellious and not go… Sigh, I can't deal with absolutes. It depends…Klein sighed and conjured the five bounty notices provided by Emlyn White. Combining the information he had, he used the methods of divination to find the locations of the Primordial Moon believers.

Finally, due to his lack of information, he could only confirm two points.

Galis Kevin, Windsor Behring, and Argos are all in Backlund.

Dandy and Lara are at Enmat Harbor and Pritz Harbor respectively.

This is as good as nothing…Klein shook his head and returned to the real world.

Recalling how he had already agreed to provide Little Sun with the Notary potion formula within three days, he wore his coat and a top hat, and he prepared to head out to find a target.

When he opened the door and came to the stairwell, he saw Anderson Hood walking up, twirling his deer-hunting cap with his hand while humming a folk song.

This fellow is really good at recovering from setbacks… He was just taught a lesson by a demigod in the morning and was forced to apologize and agree to a request, but I don't see any sign of trauma from him anymore… It's no wonder he became a Sequence 5 powerhouse. Just this state of mind alone makes it difficult for him to lose control…Klein looked at him, nodding slightly as a greeting.

"Good afternoon, Gehrman." Anderson chuckled as he waved his hand. "I've received the bounty and characteristic money. I'll pay you the rest now."

As he spoke, he took out stacks of cash of different thickness from different pockets.

"It happened pretty smoothly I see," Klein commented without much emotions involved.

Anderson immediately laughed.

"That's right. It happened far smoother than I imagined! Those fellows who should have rocks for brains were surprisingly friendly, polite, and efficient! I even suspect whether I've become a Blessed of Lady Luck!"

"There's no such deity." Klein ruthlessly shattered his fantasies.

"Why so serious? It's life. Relax a little. Relax a little." Anderson handed over the remaining 1,200 pounds. "Actually, I'm very clear about what happened. That gentleman doesn't want me to waste my time, so he secretly 'exhorted' those people."

Klein glanced at the cash, pressed down on it, and asked in passing, "Have you confirmed which pirates gave you the problem?"

He was asking about the prey that resulted in the Manipulator's involvement.

"There's no way for confirmation," Anderson said with a bitter smile. "Do you think I didn't confirm it ahead of time? Although I appear nonchalant in front of you, I will investigate the prey's background and situation ahead of time to avoid provoking someone I can't afford to. Who knows… Sigh, I can only blame it on my bad luck."

… This fellow is more careful than I thought… That's right, his previous Sequence was called Conspirer…Klein thought in enlightenment before asking indifferently, "Who deserves death the most in this area?"

Anderson was taken aback before he chuckled.

"Does our craziest adventurer plan on beginning his hunting activities?

"However, you have to consider it well. I do not wish for you to be my partner when completing the demigod's mission."

Don't worry, we're different. I'm a Seer. I have all kinds of means to hide my tracks. I will not allow someone to come knocking at my door. Besides, that's a demigod of the Spectator pathway. He's not good at divination or prophecies…Klein maintained his cold attitude that was unique to Gehrman and said, "You don't have to bother."

Anderson immediately gave a thumbs up.

"Your craziness is worthy of praise!"

He thought for a moment and added, "The person who deserves death the most is Molsona from the Loen's New Party. He's one of the pirates' best friends. He has in his control some kind of plant that's similar to cannabis, which is highly addictive. This helps him control many people in the Toscarter government and the police department. He's one of the most powerful mob bosses over here…

"He has committed many crimes, killed plenty of people, and basically did it with the help of pirates. On the surface, there's no apparent problem.

"Heh heh, he isn't a Beyonder, but the difficulty in killing him is how troublesome it is, yes—troublesome!

"He has three to five Beyonders from different pirate crews providing him with protection. On the rooftops, outside the building, beneath the windows, everyone there belongs to him. To finish him off, the only way is to forcefully storm in and kill a large number of people.

"I have the means to do it, but it's too troublesome. There's also a certain level of danger. You'll become a wanted criminal after that, so I didn't deal with him and only dealt with his safe at home."

Safe… To talk about banditry in such a fresh way… Yes, I previously heard that Toscarter's main industries are its plantation economy and pirates' black market trading. It also has flourishing bar, brothel, and gambling industries. I never expected that it includes new-age drugs… Molsona is an ordinary person and not a Beyonder… Perfect, Creeping Hunger happens to lack food…Klein nodded and indicated for Anderson to go deeper into detail.

…

Evening, in the Oaktree Bar.

A boxing match was about to unfold in the boxing ring. Many alcoholics surrounded it with mugs in hand.

They were like sharks who had caught the scent of blood. As they placed their bets, they loudly yelled words such as "kill him"!

This was a business of the head of the Loen's New Party, Molsona. The unique thing about the boxing matches held here was that death was permitted!

Molsona greatly enjoyed matches that resembled ancient wrestling competitions. He often came to watch a few matches. At that moment, he was seated on the second story, overlooking the ring.

Around him were several bodyguards. They were watching every direction, and among them were no lack of Beyonders sent from the pirates he worked with, as well as experienced adventurers he hired with large sums of money.

These people either had their backs or sides facing Molsona as they surrounded him, and they prevented anyone from approaching him. Revolvers, rifles, and hunting rifles were all aimed outside to leave the masses intimidated.

After confirming the situation, Klein pressed down on his top hat, entered the bar, and saw Molsona sucking on a cigar.

This mob boss had a very discernible face. Be it his brandy nose or thin brows, they were all very unique.

Klein retracted his gaze and first went to the bar to get a cup of local malt beer worth 4 pence. Then, he made his way to the railing beneath the second floor.

Although he wasn't directly under Molsona, as it was heavily guarded, he was already not very far from him.

I'm within five meters…Klein silently muttered to himself, raised his cup of beer, and looked at the boxing ring.

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 683: So You Are Here as Well

Black Spirit Body Threads that stemmed from different lifeforms appeared in Klein's vision, but he didn't immediately extend his spirituality to attempt to control them.

After distinguishing and confirming which Spirit Body Threads belonged to Molsona, he gulped a mouthful of malt bear as he began to focus on the boxing match in the ring, just like a real member of the audience.

The two boxers had their tops bare and didn't wear any protective gear. They fought all-out, constantly clashing with each other as fist met flesh, and the situation quickly escalated to a fervor.

Many of the alcoholic gamblers had adrenaline pumping through them as they shouted for the boxer they supported passionately, yelling, "Kill him!"

"Finish that son of a b*tch!"

On the second floor, Molsona also forgot the cigar in his hand as he was fixated on the ring below, his hands clenched tightly into fists.

Apart from those who had to have their backs facing him because they were keeping tabs on any suspicious people or watching the important regions such as the rooftop or area beneath, the people around him couldn't help but have their eyes peeled to the intense boxing match.

Klein raised his hand again, gulping a mouthful of beer as though he was out of breath from the tense atmosphere.

At this moment, his spirituality silently extended and grabbed onto the illusory black threads corresponding to Molsona.

One second, two seconds, three seconds… The brandy-nosed Molsona was just about to pump his fist a little as though he was in the ring himself when he suddenly found his brain go numb.

He felt the surroundings abruptly turn odd, as though several panes of glass were in between him and them.

Molsona immediately discovered that his thoughts had clearly slowed down, as though all the parts in his brain had suddenly rusted.

As the target was only an ordinary person whose Spirit Body was far inferior to that of a Beyonder, Klein took less than twenty seconds to achieve initial control over him.

Seven seconds!

All it took was seven seconds!

Oh no… Something wrong is happening… It's likely… a Beyonder… with relatively… special powers…Molsona, who often interacted with pirates, was no stranger to the mysterious world. It was why he spent large sums of money to hire Beyonders to protect himself. If he hadn't long destroyed his body with sex and alcohol, making his psyche relatively weak and his condition terrible, giving him a high chance of losing control if he were to consume a potion, he would've also wished to obtain supernatural powers himself.

At that moment, as his thoughts were slowing down and due to his lack of experience, Molsona spent more than ten seconds to figure out that he was under assault. He immediately reached out his arm and opened his mouth in an attempt to shout for help.

However, his actions were extremely slow, and his voice was weak. With a number of his bodyguards around him engrossed in the exciting and nerve-wracking boxing match, and the audience's roaring in an ever-increasing crescendo, as well as all the guards along the perimeter putting their attention on any possible attack locations to protect their employer, his obvious abnormality ended up being neglected.

When the climax of the match received a temporary respite, a number of bodyguards and subordinates turned to look back at their boss, and they saw that his eyes appeared somewhat in a daze. His hands didn't seem to be in the right place as if he was still caught up in the match, anxiously awaiting the final results.

The corners of the mob boss's eyes had tears welling up as he tried hard to release his fingers to drop the cigar to attract the attention of his subordinates, but he discovered in despair that his line of thought was becoming highly impeded and stiff. Even a simple action needed more than a minute to complete, and his fingers were even resisting his will!

Pa!

The burning cigar finally fell to the ground as Molsona's tears flowed down to his neck across his cheeks.

A few bodyguards discovered this and were just about to ask their boss if it was because the match was too exciting when Molsona suddenly bent down. As he wiped his face, he picked up the cigar.

"That was an excellent match! Give the victor more money!" Molsona flicked the cigar and pulled up his collar as he grinned happily.

He didn't say exactly how much was to be given, as Klein didn't know the market rates. All he could do was give a vague comment.

Yes, Molsona of the Loen's New Party had already become his marionette!

As this mob boss was only an ordinary person, and his Spirit Body was even weaker than most healthy humans, all it took was two minutes and fifteen seconds!

If the time needed was any longer, he would've had to divert his attention to create an illusion to create some chaos, making the bodyguards place their attention on protecting Molsona and not being able to discover his abnormality in time.

"Kill him!"

"Kill him!"

…

The shouts of the audience suddenly turned uniform as the match in the ring came to its end. Molsona also allowed his bodyguards to continue watching the match.

When a boxer collapsed to the ground unconscious, Molsona took a swig of his cigar and said, "To the lounge.

"I want to take a break."

"Yes, Boss." His bodyguards and subordinates immediately surrounded him, escorted him to the corridor on the second floor, and helped him open the door to the lounge.

After instructing his guards to guard different critical spots and to not disturb him, Molsona paced around and opened a safe. He found documents involving all kinds of new drugs and selected the most important ones.

Following that, he placed the documents and an address he cut from the newspapers, as well as a total of 758 pounds in cash into a briefcase.

With a creak, he opened the door and called for a subordinate.

"Throw this bag under the third street lamp around the alley."

"Yes, Boss." The subordinate didn't inquire why.

This was a rule!

After closing the door again, Molsona found three candles and items with spirituality and used a pen and paper to carefully draw the corresponding symbol of The Fool—a half Pupil-less Eye which represented secrecy, and the Contorted Lines which represented change.

Then, this mob boss who had become a marionette lit the candles, used cologne to represent essential oil and extract, and solemnly held a bestowment ritual.

He softly chanted The Fool's honorific name, and he used ancient Hermes, which he originally didn't know, to recite the corresponding incantation. Following that, he picked up the item with spirituality and let it fuse into the wind, constructing an illusory door with the transformed candlelight. If he couldn't find any items with spirituality, Klein had planned on using Molsona's blood. A human's blood was an item with spirituality to begin with!

In the washroom on the first floor, Klein took this opportunity by taking four steps counterclockwise and going above the gray fog.

He didn't use the Black Emperor card, and instead, he directly stirred some of the powers of the mysterious space, combining it with the paper figurine before throwing it through the bestowment door.

The pitch-blackness immediately transformed into an angel with twelve pairs of wings. It flew through the illusory and mysterious door, passing through the pitch-black depths of the void and arriving where Molsona was.

This was to disrupt any subsequent investigations via divination, prophecy, or other Beyonder powers!

Right on the heels of that, Klein picked up Creeping Hunger and threw it into the ritual's door!

Creeping Hunger arrived in the real world thanks to the bestowment ritual, and it arrived in front of Molsona. Having not eaten for a long time, it immediately became restless.

At this moment, Klein, who had returned to the washroom, controlled the frozen Molsona from a distance of dozens of meters away to immediately close his mouth and pick up the glove on the altar.

A crack opened in the middle of the glove as two rows of illusory, white, and eerie teeth were revealed!

The senses of the marionette he obtained quickly weakened as he decisively severed his control.

The slight backlash made his mind spin, but it didn't take long for him to recover.

Then, as though nothing had happened, he left the washroom, returned to the bar counter, and continued drinking the malt beer he didn't finish earlier.

At the same time, he found a rat on the second floor through the use of Spirit Body Threads, and he made it become his marionette in less than two minutes.

The rat began searching for a tunnel and path with rather awkward and unfamiliar motions, and it took quite some time before entering Molsona's lounge through a hole hidden by a bookshelf.

At this moment, a thin glove that resembled human skin lay silently on the ground as there was nothing left behind of Molsona, not even his clothes.

The rat climbed up to the table and bit on the paper with the symbol corresponding to The Fool, placing it close to the burning candle.

The paper quickly ignited and burned to ashes.

After extinguishing the three candles and returning them to their original locations, the rat came beside Creeping Hunger and bit onto it.

Then, it returned via its original path and left Molsona's lounge.

It stealthily ran all the way to the balcony facing the outside on the second story, and it silently climbed down.

On the first story where the bar counter was.

Klein finished drinking his last mouthful of beer, put down the cup, and slowly stood up.

He pressed down on his half top hat, stuffed his hands into the black double-breasted frock coat, and walked past the alcoholics and gamblers without any haste and came to the streets.

Following the light of the street lamps, he entered the alley at a normal pace. While pulling out a paper figurine and lighting it with a flick, he picked up the briefcase thrown under the third street lamp.

At this moment, a gray rat came with a thin human-skinned glove in its mouth out of the shadows.

Klein bent his back with a deadpan expression once again and picked up Creeping Hunger.

Then, the gray rat left on its own, climbing into a rubbish chute and lying there until it lost its breath.

With night about to fall, the street lamp illuminated Klein as he stood there, spreading his fingers in an unhurried manner while wearing Creeping Hunger on his left hand.

After stretching his finger joints and getting used to the glove, he carried the briefcase and followed the still vibrant and lively Oaktree Bar before vanishing at the crossroads.

…

He took out the address slip and stamps from the briefcase and left only with the important documents, pasting them onto it. Then, he placed it in a mailbox on the corner of the street. Finally, Klein changed back into Gehrman Sparrow, took a rental carriage, and headed for another bar around the pier.

It was a bar provided by Anderson that had relatively more pirates!

Upon entering the bar, Klein swept his gaze and took in the interior.

Suddenly, he saw a familiar figure.

The figure had a medium-sized build and his lips were purple. His brown eyes hid an intense maleficence that left one afraid. He was none other than the second mate of the King of Immortality Agalito, Slaughter Kircheis, with a bounty of 9,500 pounds!

Clearly, after escaping via the exit of the dangerous waters, the Death Announcer had arrived in the nearby Toscarter Island in search of replenishments!

So you are here as well…The corners of Klein's mouth curled up slightly, discovering in a chance encounter the Devil who couldn't be more suitable for hunting!

Just as he generated that ill intent, Kircheis sensed him and turned his head to the entrance of the bar.

Klein didn't hesitate to grab a beer on the table beside him and threw it over.

Right on the heels of that, he drew his revolver and coldly aimed.

Bang!

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 684: Battle Encounter

Kacha!

Kircheis only half-turned his body as the cup of beer hit the round table beside him, smashing to pieces.

Amidst the gunfire, he didn't attempt to dodge, as though he had instinctively seen through the illusion. It was as though he had a spring installed in him as he bounced to the forefront amongst the gamblers and alcoholics who were crouched down or scattered. His gaze was locked onto the cold adventurer wearing a suit by the door.

Gehrman Sparrow… Kircheis's pupils constricted as he opened his mouth and chanted the Language of Foulness that stemmed from the Abyss.

At this moment, Klein truly pulled the trigger as a pale golden bullet that appeared to be scooped out of boiling-hot water shot out, going straight for the "Slaughterer" who had a bounty of 9,500 pounds.

However, all Kircheis did was gently lift his right hand and spread his fingers to produce a light blue flame in his palm. Then, he grabbed the bullet in an unimaginable manner.

The bullet entered a "cage" as the light blue flames solidified. Following that, the bullet emitted sunlight, just enough of it to neutralize everything.

Two figures stood up beside Kircheis, one of them was a short-haired woman wielding dual pistols, and the other was a boorish man in boxing gloves.

Clearly, Kircheis didn't come to Toscarter's pier in search for supplies alone. Or it should be said that he definitely had partners he knew here!

Three Beyonders… Kircheis might even be a Sequence 5… At that moment, Klein nearly blurted out something along the lines of "sorry, my bad."

One couldn't make any preparations when attacking a Devil, relying on complete chance. Furthermore, there couldn't be any hesitation; otherwise, the Devil would immediately detect the ill intent and danger.

However, under such situations, it was truly hard to tell who held the advantage in such situations!

Klein didn't hesitate to turn around while holding his revolver. Then, he agilely dashed for the staircase leading to the bar's second story amidst the crowd and above the crouching alcoholics.

Just as he dashed in, a light blue fireball smashed into the side of the staircase before instantly exploding.

Boom!

A tiny part of the bottom of the staircase collapsed as the bar began to tremble. The strong smell of sulfur spread.

Kircheis and his two companions didn't delay as they jumped across the first few steps of the staircase in fervent pursuit of Gehrman Sparrow.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

Klein ran for the second story, and midway, he quickly began his examination of the corresponding Spirit Body Threads.

This allowed him to easily find an empty room without any humans. He turned around, took a step, and was about to enter the door before jumping off the window to escape from the bar.

At that moment, Kircheis and his two companions chased up to the second story, and upon seeing this scene, they tacitly split up. The former continued the pursuit, while the latter entered the rooms on the same side in a bid to head down to intercept Gehrman.

And Klein was waiting precisely for this opportunity!

He suddenly half turned his body as his left black-gloved hand grabbed at the air.

The woman with the dual pistols and the man in boxing gloves continued their actions without detecting any abnormalities. They rushed into the other rooms, jumped off the windows, and went far away without returning.

Their goal and actions of "separate and intercept" had allowed Klein to use the Baron of Corruption's Distortion to change it to "separate and take action alone!"

This wouldn't last very long, but it was enough time for Klein to fight Kircheis one-on-one for a brief moment.

Boom. Having completed Distortion, he fell to the ground, rolling inside the building and avoiding the light blue fireball which Kircheis kept shooting out.

Amidst the incessant booming, the buildings where the bar originally was wavered as though it had experienced an earthquake.

Right on the heels of that, Kircheis rapidly lunged forward, entering the rather vast room.

Seeing Gehrman Sparrow adeptly somersaulting and jumping without fighting him head-on while also controlling his emotions very well, Slaughterer immediately opened his mouth and used the unique Language of Foulness to say the word, "Slow!"

The entire room and all the objects inside seemed to calm down. Klein's somersaulting actions slowed down significantly and weren't as smooth as before.

Kircheis didn't hesitate to lock onto his target as he followed up with another word of the Devil language.

"Die!"

Klein's figure instantly froze as he stood rooted on the spot and gradually turned faint and thin, becoming a paper figurine filled with spotted red rust.

At the same time, he surfaced by the side of the door, wearing a half top hat and black double-breasted frock suit. He reached out his black-gloved hand, grabbed the handle, and shut the door to the collapsing room with a pull.

Creak!

The din outside vanished as the room seemed to stand out alone, becoming a firm cage.

Upon seeing this, Kircheis's body swelled as his clothes tore.

He instantly transformed into a behemoth nearly three meters tall. His skin appeared dark, but it was dark black and sinister. Goat horns filled with countless mysterious patterns grew on his head as a pair of bat wings on his back spread open. Swirling around him were light blue flames that emitted the strong smell of sulfur.

Sou! Sou! Sou!

Light blue fireballs shot out in unison, blanketing the region around the door. At the same time, the redness in Kircheis's eyes bloomed as he said with the extremely corruptive words of the Devil, "Corruption!"

This was also an area of effect attack!

The light blue in his eyes filled up as Klein clenched his left hand, which wore a sinister and noble glove, and quickly did a half twist.

The fireballs immediately lost their trajectories and acted chaotically as though in random motion.

They smashed into the ceiling, the door, ground, or flew backward at Kircheis. Immediately, the booming sounds in the room undulated. The seal created by the power of Distortion suffered an intense blow as it trembled, but it didn't show any signs of damage.

The light blue flames soared into the sky as the smell of sulfur spread. Klein's body suddenly bent down as his body was covered in a layer of clearly sticky black liquid.

Bang!

His figure exploded, turning into torn pieces of paper and corrupted black fog.

Immediately following that, he surfaced on the other side, his skin a clear dark shade. His clothes were torn from the explosive force and the flames from the abyss.

Corruption, which had splash damage, was useful against his Paper Figurine Substitutes to a certain extent, inflicting damage to a certain degree via an unavoidable influence. And the aftermath of the explosion wasn't within Klein's control. Similarly, it dealt damage to him.

However, upon their first encounter, Klein had "given" Kircheis a cup of beer, completing the Bribe; therefore attacks and control effects directed at him were greatly negated!

Kircheis clearly didn't expect the minor influence that Corruption had dealt to Gehrman Sparrow. Just as he pulled out a long blade formed entirely of flames, and before he could unleash his speed and strength in a fervent attack, he saw his opponent's left hand's glove transform as though it was made of gold.

Two blinding streaks of lightning tore out of Klein's eyes!

Psychic Piercing!

"Ah!"

Kircheis instantly let out a tragic cry as he felt as though a hundred bottles of holy water had been infused into his mind.

He was rich in actual combat experience and, knowing that having been struck by a psyche attack, knew that he would subsequently suffer a series of relentlessness attacks. Hence, he instinctively transformed into a pitch-black liquid and began spreading across the floor.

The liquid appeared to be the coalescence of the darkest and evilest desires of a person's heart as the liquid spread across the room towards Gehrman Sparrow, as though it would corrupt everything.

This state is truly perfect… In a battle encounter, either party would suffer the problem of not being sufficiently prepared… Thankfully, I've always remembered the suspected Desire Apostle I encountered, and I've completely held back all desires and emotions… Klein didn't dodge as the glove on his left hand rapidly bloomed with pure and clean sunlight.

He spread out his arms, allowing a pillar of holy light that had golden flames swirling around it descend from the sky. It illuminated every corner and every shadow of the room!

The column of light struck the richest parts of the pitch-black liquid as it radiated outwards in a rippling manner.

Amidst the bright and holy light, the pitch-black liquid quickly evaporated and mostly vanished.

Kircheis hurriedly materialized his body and reformed near the window.

He still maintained his state as a three-meter-tall Devil. He was as calm as always, but he could hardly hold back his intense bloodlust and desire to kill.

The present him was already rather weak. He didn't dare to circle around Gehrman Sparrow as he waited for him to show any emotion so as to control his desires. He ignited the two mysterious goat horns on his head in an attempt to forcefully attack his enemy's psyche, inducing emotions to a certain degree in an unavoidable manner.

Once he had any desires or emotions, the situation would be in the Desire Apostle's control!

At that moment, Kircheis's head suddenly turned numb, causing him to nearly lose the thoughts he previously had!

After both parties entered a range of five meters, the reason why Klein remained in a passive state, using Paper Figurine Substitutes and a Baron of Corruption's Distortion powers to barely put up a fight and stall for time, was to divert attention in order to control Kircheis's Spirit Body Threads!

With the strength of a Sequence 5's Spirit Body, it wasn't easy to obtain initial control over Slaughterer to begin with. However, with the cup of beer Bribe, it reduced Kircheis's defense and resistance. And after that, this Desire Apostle suffered a Psychic Piercing and was thoroughly purified once by Light of Purification. As a result, he had become rather weak!

Therefore, even though Klein was using his other powers, he still took fifteen seconds to obtain initial control over Kircheis.

The intense battle in the room instantly turned quiet. Although Kircheis's thoughts had turned slow, he still had the ability to complete certain actions. He could still forcefully resist the control that stemmed from the depths of his Spirit Body.

The bloodshot colors in his eyes converged as his eyes reflected Gehrman Sparrow's figure. The curled goat horns on his head began to burn intensely as hatred, greed, lust, wrath, and other emotions and desires began to spread outwards in a corporeal manner.

Klein entered a half-Cogitation state as he calmly focused on deepening his control, hoping to quickly make Kircheis lose all means of resistance.

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 685: From A Delay to Disconnection

In the room that had been reduced to shambles, Klein, whose top hat had fallen to the side and clothes had become tattered, was about four meters away from Kircheis, who was a behemoth with bat wings. The situation was so quiet, as though a puppet show was being played.

In fact, Klein still had the means to do something else.

Back when Marionettist Rosago forcefully controlled both him and Sharron, he could resist the Wraith's possession and use Flame Controlling to summon a flame to destroy the shadow pulled in by Sharron. If he hadn't made a serious mistake by targeting the Sequence 5 Wraith, Rosago could've diverted his attention to killing Klein, snuffing out any chance of him using the Language of Foulness charm. Now, although Klein was definitely inferior to him, there was also only one enemy!

Of course, there wasn't really much he could do. Under the premise of not losing control over Kircheis, he could move, but he couldn't do it too hastily or quickly. He could use Beyonder powers which didn't expend too much of his spirituality, but he couldn't divert his attention to power the mystical items he carried, or use actions that required too much movement like drawing a gun.

And when a target was controlled to a certain extent, several attacks could nudge or stimulate the target, allowing them to resist the control of their Spirit Body Threads to a greater extent and even show signs of escaping from his control.

Therefore, Klein had to wait.

At that moment, his heart rate suddenly sped up as an uncontrollable sense of horror and anxiety surfaced in his mind.

He couldn't help but suspect that Kircheis's companions who had their intentions affected by Distortion were about to return!

No good! My emotions have been stirred!Klein was first taken aback as he tried to use Cogitation to forcefully calm his agitated heart.

Haha… He has… emotional stirrings… A chance…Kircheis was delighted as a slow thought flashed through his mind.

Then, using his Beyonder powers, he attempted to magnify Gehrman Sparrow's horror and anxiety, planting an emotional seed in him.

As long as he succeeded, all he needed was to completely "trigger" it, maiming his opponent, making him unable to influence him further!

No… How can it… be ineffective… His… emotional stirrings… have disappeared…Kircheis's bloodshot eyes constricted slowly as it was gradually filled with shock, alarm, and anger.

Klein, who imagined that he had given the Desire Apostle a chance to counterattack, discovered that nothing had happened after completely calming himself down. The curled goat horns on Kircheis's head were ignited, but he didn't attempt to use his emotional stirrings!

Moments after having this thought, Klein roughly understood the situation.

It wasn't that Kircheis didn't wish to control his horror and anxiety, but it was that he had failed!

From the moment he sensed the emotional stirrings, he had to take a few seconds to digest the situation before using two to three seconds to make the decision. Finally, he spent even more time to organize his thoughts before channeling the corresponding Beyonder powers. All of that took him at least ten seconds to complete.

Klein only took a total of three to four seconds to calm his mind after detecting the problem.

Therefore, Kircheis's Beyonder powers naturally failed to be effective against an enemy who was in normal condition.

To put it simply, the delay was too long! Under such situations, don't try to fiddle around with highly intricate matters…Klein lampooned before suppressing his sense of schadenfreude.

After another ten seconds, Kircheis finally understood the source of the problem. He no longer considered targeting desires and emotions, and instead, while flapping the bat wings on his back with great difficulty, he relied on a Devil's powerful body and Spirit Body to resist the control stemming from the Spirit Body Threads. He tried to make the swirling light blue flames slowly coagulate into a fireball.

Klein could almost foresee fireballs bombard him; hence, he didn't hesitate to split off some of his spirituality, snapping his fingers using his right thumb and middle finger.

Pa!

The light blue flames suddenly soared before they truly took form and collapsed completely. They were like fireworks blooming behind Kircheis.

Magician's Flame Controlling!

Kircheis continued struggling, but his actions became even slower as he resembled a rusting puppet. As for Klein, he casually moved his feet to dodge the Devil language Kircheis had launched with all his strength.

Three seconds, two seconds, one second…Klein suddenly stopped as his eyes locked onto Kircheis's head which had lost its curved goat horns.

At that moment, he still needed two and a half minutes from controlling this Desire Apostle to turn him into his marionette, but Klein didn't have such plans. He never had such plans in the first place!

It took too much time, allowing Kircheis's companions to rush back in time!

Klein only had one ultimate goal—it was to control Kircheis to a certain extent so that attacks within a certain limit wouldn't help him escape his predicament!

The bloodshot eyes, grimacing expression, and sharp teeth with drooling saliva reflected in Klein's eyes. He opened his mouth and said a word, "Bang!"

Air Bullet! An Air Bullet of a Sequence 5!

This was already comparable to a bullet shot from a steam rifle!

Bang!

The Air Bullet accurately hit Kircheis's forehead, causing him to throw up his head, yanking the Spirit Body Threads.

In between his brows, a bloody hole that wasn't too deep had appeared. It wasn't a mortal blow.

To a Devil, a Desire Apostle, their bodies seemed to be cloaked with thick and hard armor. Their blood and flesh had extreme elasticity and defensive strength.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

Klein kept creating Air Bullets while making gunshot sounds, striking Kircheis's forehead, again and again, slowly leaving it a contiguous mess. At the same time, he stably controlled the Spirit Body Threads to prevent him from using the feedback to weaken his influence.

Kircheis let out an angry stuttering roar as he tried moving forward in a bid to counterattack, but Klein was a lot more agile than him!

And his plans to liquefy undoubtedly failed because of the control of the Spirit Body Threads.

Bang!

Another Air Bullet struck Kircheis, completely shattering his forehead, penetrating his brain.

Bang! Bang! Bang!The subsequent bullets flew in, one bullet after another.

Bang!

Kircheis's skull was finally sent flying as black crevices filled his brain. At that moment it was a complete mess.

The aura of this Slaughterer worth 9,500 pounds quickly dissipated, but he didn't close his eyes, as he had already lost them.

Bit by bit, he collapsed to the ground slowly as Klein walked over and extended his left hand.

Two blood-red eyes split open in the middle of the glove.

A cold and eerie wind appeared as Slaughterer Kircheis's Spirit Body, as well as his black fog-like Beyonder characteristic shot towards Creeping Hunger amidst screams before fixing itself to a blank finger.

Soon, the glove turned black once again, but this time it was profound and pure, resembling countless squirming dots of the same color formed one layer after another.

Klein sensed the changes for two seconds before walking towards the shattered window, feeling somewhat disappointed and also somewhat delighted.

When Grazing Kircheis, he had actually considered which Beyonder powers he wished to receive and which he didn't wish to receive. The one he didn't wish for was the danger premonition of a Devil, as this needed to have Creeping Hunger constantly activated while maintaining Kircheis's soul. And this meant that he needed to feed the glove every day, which spelled an extreme inconvenience for himself. Furthermore, this also overlapped with his powers as a Seer to a certain extent.

As for whether the danger premonition of a Devil worked after making it into his marionette, Klein believed that it was targeted on the marionette and had nothing to do with its controller.

What Klein wished for the most was to "draw" the Desire Apostle's Beyonder powers of using a target's emotional stirrings or the use of any of the Language of Foulness, with the best being Death or Corruption.

At that moment, he had been quite lucky to obtain three Beyonder powers. One of them was Language of Foulness, but it wasn't Death or Corruption, but Slow. This allowed all targets in a seven-to eight-meter radius to instantly turn numb or even come to a halt. However, it could only be maintained for two seconds.

The second Beyonder power was Sword of Lava. It could create a flaming sword with extremely high offensive power. One strike could directly cleave through a thick stone column, leaving the sliced off end to appear to be melted off. This was the option Kircheis had used when he attacked maniacally.

The third was Sulfur Fireball. Not only could it create an explosion of considerable might, but it could also poison people and objects which had been stained by the flames. If matched with a Devil form's powers, ten to twenty fireballs could be launched at the same instance. Out of that form, it maxed out at three.

That's not bad. The damage delivered by Sword of Lava to non-undead or non-corrupt creatures is clearly higher than the Priest of Light's Light of Holiness…Klein came to the window and happened to see the backs of Kircheis's companions opening up a distance from him.

They haven't shaken off the influence? No, with so much time having passed, they must've shaken off the influence and returned somewhere nearby. Now, they're escaping? They sensed Kircheis's death? That's a little weird…Klein turned his head back and saw Kircheis's corpse still in his Devil form. His form didn't change back into a human as a result of his death.

He looked at the corpse for two seconds before coming up with a theory.

"Powers like the Devil form are a state that brings a body close to the state of losing control. However, they still have their reasoning and can change back while they're in control. Otherwise, they will maintain their forms."

Klein didn't delay as he searched the Devil's corpse. He discovered that Kircheis's gigantification had torn all his clothes and pants, causing his wallet and cash to scatter across the ground. Later, they were all destroyed due to the blanketing attack from the fireballs and sulfurous flames.

"…" Just as Klein looked away, he suddenly discovered something twinkling in the giant Devil's chest.

It was a thin and long crystal formed purely of blood. A faint smell of sulfur emanated around it.

"What's that?" Klein frowned, unable to figure out an answer.

Kircheis's Beyonder characteristics has clearly entered Creeping Hunger. Why would his corpse produce something strange?A question flashed across Klein's mind.

Furthermore, as the second mate of the King of Immortality, Kircheis didn't even carry a mystical item or Sealed Artifact. This had exceeded his expectations.

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 686: A Hard-to-complete Ritual

After thinking for a moment, Klein, who didn't have an answer, put away the thin blood crystal when he didn't sense any danger from it. Then, he bent down to inspect Kircheis's Devil form which had lost half its head.

I wonder if I can still use this to exchange for a bounty, and if so, how much can I get… I have no idea who I can contact from the military over here. Send Oz Kent a telegram? This back and forth, together with the work he has to do remotely, it's hard to tell if it will finish in three to four days. I'll be leaving tomorrow… Also, I can't forget the middleman's cut.He mumbled, walked to the side, and picked up the clearly charred half top hat and wore it.

Then, he dragged the heavy and massive Devil's corpse and walked to the door before reaching out to open the door.

A howling wind blew in, breaking the silence in the room.

Klein tapped his finger joint to deactivate the Spirit Body Threads vision as he continued dragging the nasty and terrifying Devil's corpse across the corridor, down the stairs to the first floor.

At that moment, there weren't many people left in the bar. Tables and chairs were overturned, and there were shards everywhere. It was a mess.

Klein went past the heavily damaged staircase and into the main hall. He surveyed the area and found the forlorn bar owner behind the bar counter. Few of the bouncers he hired had remained. Most had scattered off.

Tap. Tap. Tap…Klein walked over one step at a time with the Devil corpse behind him bumping into the furniture.

"W-what are you planning to do?" the owner took a step back as he yelled at the top of his lungs.

His bouncers gathered over, shuddering in fear. Their eyes were darting around as their bodies revealed their own inclinations. It appeared as though they would immediately flee the moment any incident happened.

Klein stopped in his tracks, throwing Kircheis's corpse in front of him.

Then, he said in a deep voice, "Can you claim bounty rewards?"

The owner was stunned for a second as he instinctively moved his gaze down before seeing the huge Devil's corpse which still had some blue flames lingering around it.

He and his bouncers drew a cold gasp at the same time, many of them feeling surreal.

This was a real devil!

Apart from its lack of curled goat horns, it looked identical to the devils described in the Church's bibles or mythical stories!

To ordinary people living in the pirates' playground, it wasn't rare to witness supernatural powers. Here, their horizons were clearly broader than the colonies of Oravi and the civilians of the kingdom's native soil. However, as the owner and bouncers of a bar, they had never seen real devils before. They even suspected that it was an attempt by the Church to tarnish unofficial Beyonders.

The owner retracted his gaze with great difficulty as he looked at the stoic adventurer in tattered clothes.

"I can. Th-they should have the means to determine that this is Kircheis.

"It's Kircheis, right?"

Klein silently heaved a sigh of relief and silently nodded.

The owner hesitated for two seconds and forced a fearful smile.

"However, it's impossible to get everything. As you know, there will be some money spent during the process. The fees cost about 30%; otherwise, you'll have to wait quite a while. After all, 9,500 pounds isn't a small sum. For Toscarter's pier, it will take at least a week. I-its because there are pirates frequenting this area, and there are often adventurers here to claim bounties. Therefore, it constantly has quite a bit of cash reserves. If you were in Oravi Island or anywhere else, it might take two weeks or even a month."

9,500 pounds really wasn't a small sum. Klein clearly remembered that back in Tingen City, the Nighthawks team's monthly budget was only about 1,000 pounds. The budget was even split between the Church and the police department.

He thought for a moment and asked the bar's boss, "Do you know me?"

"Yes." The owner hurriedly nodded.

Klein swept his gaze across everyone and continued asking, "Can you figure out where I'm living?"

"Yes, yes." The owner didn't dare to lie.

Klein tersely responded before using a flat and direct tone.

"Send 6,000 pounds to me before noon tomorrow."

6000 pounds? That's less than 70%. That's about 600 pounds short…The owner was taken aback, never expecting the crazy adventurer to take the initiative to lower the price.

"Can you do it?" Klein asked again.

The additional 650 pounds was his compensation for the bar. After all, he had left the bar in a mess. However, this wasn't something the crazy adventurer would say himself. He believed that the bar's owner wasn't a philanthropist. There was no way he would hand over the excess to others.

The owner considered it seriously before replying, "Yes!"

Even though the official process wouldn't be that fast, there was nothing he needed to worry about. This was because he planned on borrowing some of the money and using his savings to pay the bounty reward which Gehrman Sparrow wanted.

To be able to earn several hundred pounds at once wasn't something he would miss out on!

Klein nodded and didn't speak another word. He turned around and walked to the bar's entrance.

When he came near, he took out a few yellow pennies and threw them onto a tiny round table that still stood standing.

After some clinking sounds, the pennies spun to a stop. They numbered eight pence.

While doing this action, the black-suited Klein didn't stop walking. His figure soon disappeared from the entrance.

"W-what's the meaning of that?" the owner said with a surprised and blank look.

Most of the bouncers shook their heads with the same expression, indicating that they didn't know Gehrman Sparrow's motive.

Only a bouncer who had been standing guard by the door thought with a frown. Then, he said uncertainty, "When he first entered, he took… he took someone's cup of beer and threw it at Kircheis.

"This is the compensation for that cup of beer, as well as the cup?"

The bar fell into silence once again. Although the owner and bouncers couldn't accept such an explanation, they had the baffling feeling that this matched the style of the crazy adventurer, Gehrman Sparrow.

…

Another set of clothes ruined. That's nearly 9 pounds… Thankfully, I made quite a lot this time… Yes, I'll have to make another set tomorrow…After turning into another street, Klein stopped and observed himself.

He wasn't in a rush to return to the hotel he stayed at. He first followed the information provided by the head honcho of the Loen's New Party, Molsona, and found a policeman who was controlled by drugs. The man helped the gangs commit several sordid deeds, to the point of creating a scheme to kill a witness. He channeled his spirit to confirm his crimes before allowing Creeping Hunger to enjoy a true feast for the day.

After doing that, Klein returned to his hotel via a carriage and entered his room.

After setting up the altar, he used a ritual to send Creeping Hunger and the thin blood crystal above the gray fog.

Sitting at the end of the long bronze table, Klein didn't hesitate to pick up the glove and release the soul of the Priest of Light.

This Sequence 5 powerhouse had a thin face and an elegant bearing. He was an amiable elder, and he wore a simple white clergyman's robe. He bowed to express his gratitude to the mysterious existence who was concealed by the gray fog.

Klein gently nodded as a response. Then, he conjured pen and paper and wrote down the divination statement: "The potion formulas for the Sequences above the Sun pathway's Sequence 7."

Leaning back into his seat, he began using dream divination to communicate with the spirit.

The grayish world quickly changed. He saw the Priest of Light roll open a piece of brownish goatskin in a room filled with sunlight. On it was a formula written in ancient Feysac: "Sequence 6, Notary.

"Main ingredients: 1 set of crystallized roots of the Tree of Elders, 5 feathers of a Spirit Pact Bird.

"Supplementary ingredients: 100 ml of Radiance Spirit Pact Tree's juice, 1 golden-rimmed sunflower, 1 white-rimmed sunflower, 5 drops of Aqua Fern juice."

After the scene paused for a few seconds, ripples surfaced again, outlining an opulent hall filled with golden statues.

Inside the hall, a man covered in pure light that prevented one from looking straight at him said to a half-centenarian elder, "This is the potion formula for the Priest of Light. Remember, dispel the darkness and praise the sun."

The elder received it in excitement and spread open the ancient goatskin.

"Sequence 5, Priest of Light.

"Main ingredients: red comb of a Dawn Rooster, a pure white Brilliance Rock.

"Supplementary ingredients: 5 grams of Rosemary, 7 drops of fingered citron juice, 10 ml of Rock Water, 60 ml of a King of Dawn Rooster's blood.

"Ritual: In pure darkness, bury your entire body in ice that usually doesn't melt, before consuming the potion."

The scene quickly vanished without any additional content.

Klein wasn't surprised. He knew very well that when it involved the domain of a demigod, the seven Churches would often directly provide the potions and rituals without giving them the formula.

At this moment, the Priest of Light's figure had mostly dispersed due to the forceful spirit channeling.

His painful expression eased as he raised his head and spread out his arms as though he was embracing sunlight.

"Praise the sun!" the Priest of Light closed his eyes as he piously said.

Those were his last words as his Spirit Body rapidly disintegrated and plummeted into the gray fog before completely disappearing.

A pious believer…Klein sighed in comment. Following that, he recalled what he had seen in the dream and recorded the formula.

The main ingredient of a Notary is the root crystal of the Tree of Elders… I remember that Miss Justice's Psychiatrist potion requires the fruit of the Tree of Elders… From the looks of it, the Spectator and Sun pathways might be interchangeable at High-Sequences… The difficulty of the Priest of Light's ritual for most people is to find ice that usually doesn't melt, but it's different for Little Sun. To bury a living person in pure darkness in the Forsaken Land of the Gods might lead to one's disappearance. A method to avoid this has to be figured out… Dispel the darkness and praise the sun is the acting method?Klein considered for a moment before picking up the blood crystal produced by Kircheis's body.

After a few seconds of consideration, he wrote down the corresponding divination statement in a serious manner: "Its origins."

Holding up the item and the piece of paper, Klein chanted softly once more and entered a dream.

In the gray, blurry world, he saw the gigantic sailboat, the Death Announcer, with its bow and stern curving up high. He saw Kircheis climb up a soft ladder and arrive on the deck.

Just as this Desire Apostle found his footing, a sticky black fog emanated from the deck's cracks. It was filled with a corruptive smell that enveloped Kircheis within it, corrupting and tainting all the shimmering objects on him, including his body.

The gas quickly contracted and entered Kircheis's chest. The color gradually turned red, as though it was a bloodstain.

Finally, everything was restored to normal. Kircheis genuflected as he said to the deck, "Your will is my will. Great Death Announcer!"

Following that, the scene shattered as Klein opened his eyes.

He sat straight and looked at the thin and long blood crystal. In thought, he silently said,The Death Announcer is alive?

A Sealed Artifact with living traits?

This crystal is the source of its control over its crew, and it comes equipped with an intense corruptive force. Therefore, mystical items of low levels will be corrupted by it?

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 687: Blatherer

Picking up the blood crystal and smelling the faint smell of sulfur, Klein could vaguely sense the corrosive powers hidden deep within.

Legend has it that the Abyss is an area with the greatest powers of corruption. Even an angel will fall and lose control there. The people guarding the Abyss will eventually be assimilated by the Abyss… The characteristic shown by the Desire Apostle does match this point. Hmm, deepening the assimilation of a Desire Apostle?Klein allowed his thoughts to wander.

Soon, he noticed a detail. Kircheis had declared loyalty to the Death Announcer, and not to King of Immortality Agalito!

Does this mean that the real King of Immortality is the Death Announcer? Agalito is only its spokesperson or the administrator to infect targets? Heh, rumor has it that Agalito isn't a demigod and isn't at Sequence 4. He relies solely on the Death Announcer to become one of the Four Kings. If that's the case, his actual situation is worse than I expected. He doesn't even have any autonomy…

Of course, I can't eliminate the possibility that he's a Sequence 4, and his relationship with the Death Announcer is just one of cooperating partners. He's a Demon after all. He's crafty and enjoys misleading people…

Klein contemplated for a few seconds before attempting another divination to see if he could obtain any revelation for the blood crystal's usage.

He wasn't afraid that it would incur huge trouble for him, or it could be said that he was already prepared to receive any. Even if it was connected to the Devil King in the Abyss, it would at most be equivalent to the backlash from the True Creator or Eternal Blazing Sun. Klein believed that the gray fog had the means to defend against and suppress it.

This is the first time. I won't have my location locked on, so it's not a big problem… Besides, I already divined its origins, and there wasn't any danger. Therefore, the Death Announcer definitely isn't a Sequence 0 Devil… Eh, isn't that obvious? If it's really a Sequence 0 Devil, or a Sealed Artifact at the level of King of Angels, Amon, then there's no need to avoid the joint forces of me, Queen Mystic, Admiral of Stars, and Anderson…Klein realized that he had been frightening himself. He began to seriously begin the dream divination.

In the blurry world, he saw a world covered with sticky black fog.

A monster formed from dark-colored lumps of flesh squirmed over as its body cavity produced a raging roar, "Blatherer!"

The scene changed, producing an ancient-looking altar which was splashed with fresh blood. Engraved on of it were words and symbols filled with a corruptive feeling; it was as though they were shouting something.

The hazy world shattered as Klein slowly opened his eyes and sat straight.

He tapped his finger on the edge of the long bronze table and muttered to himself,Blatherer refers to the state before the Death Announcer became a Sealed Artifact—a Blatherer from the Abyss. Or was it a gigantic monster formed from dark-colored lumps of flesh that became a Sealed Artifact after being killed by a Blatherer?

Heh heh, regardless, the final confirmation is that there's one ship involved. Otherwise, it wouldn't have solidified into its present state.

Hmm… From the laughter of the person on the brink of losing control, it's very likely that the Death Announcer corresponds to Blatherer. A preliminary prediction is that it isn't a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact; otherwise, King of Immortality would be the best of the Four Kings… It's probably a Sequence 3? Furthermore, Agalito clearly doesn't match well with it. The level of power shown isn't that high. It's at most Sequence 4…

That corruptive altar that gave off a feeling as though it was shouting suggests that the blood crystal is able to summon a high-level Devil? For example, the Blatherer?

Having no idea how to summon a high-level Devil, nor having any plans on doing so, Klein casually threw the thin blood crystal along with the Beyonder characteristic—the glowing crystal left behind by the Priest of Light—into the junk pile. Then, he perfunctorily named the former: Aura of Blatherer!

After doing this, Klein cautiously attempted another divination. It was to confirm if he would encounter any danger that night, danger that came from King of Immortality Agalito.

In fact, he already had a prediction for the divination's outcome. King of Immortality Agalito wouldn't touch ground on the island!

Firstly, it was because Toscarter had a hidden demigod. Ordinary Beyonders might not know, but the Four Kings would have some level of understanding. And it was unlikely Agalito would wish to have any head-on conflict with other demigods. Forcefully entering the "territory" of another person wasn't his style.

Secondly, Klein's previous theory had produced a conclusion: Agalito didn't dare to leave the Death Announcer, and the Death Announcer had no way of going ashore!

Indeed, Klein received the revelation that it would be very safe that night.

This meant that he didn't need to change his appearance and move to another hotel.

…

Around nine in the morning of the next day, Klein saw Anderson Hood appear the moment he walked into the restaurant on the first floor and found a seat. Anderson immediately sat opposite him.

This Strongest Hunter used his fingers to comb his short blond hair, making it part seventy-thirty. As he looked at Gehrman Sparrow, he tsked with a laugh.

"Impressive, you managed to hunt Kircheis even when fighting one-on-three!

"The way you dragged the Devil's corpse downstairs has already spread throughout Toscarter Pier.

"Heh, it's said that every pirate with a bounty on their head has decided to distance themselves from your sights. They will not appear anywhere within a five-kilometer radius from you!"

Ever since he acquainted himself with Frank Lee, Klein had quit drinking milk. He raised his hand to order a cup of coffee, a piece of white bread, two toasts, a roasted pork sausage, and a plate of butter. Then, he replied in an extremely calm manner, "Your ability at gathering intel is pretty good."

Anderson chuckled.

"This is necessary for a hunter. Heh, the Toscarter adventurers are discussing a serious question as to who is the strongest hunter!"

When Anderson saw Gehrman Sparrow look up with a cold and ambiguous gaze, his smile froze.

"They've all chosen you.

"Haha, after all, this is the Sonia Sea, and not the Fog Sea."

Why did you need to add that second sentence? It's just asking for a beating…Klein casually asked, as though being indifferent, "Anything else?"

"Ah?" Anderson suddenly felt his comprehension skills were impeded.

"Any other intel?" Klein repeated himself with more details.

"There is…" Anderson suddenly signaled with his eyes. "Molsona from the Loen New Party has mysteriously disappeared last night. He mysteriously disappeared in his own room while being protected by countless guards! The official explanation is that Molsona has already died. The reason was that he possibly consecrated an evil god or summoned a devil. Heh, no one believes that. It's because the Church of Storms has received an anonymous letter that has detailed records of Molsona's crimes, as well as evidence."

He stared intently at Gehrman Sparrow, hoping that the crazy adventurer would provide him with more information.

He clearly remembered that Gehrman Sparrow had just asked him who deserved to be killed yesterday afternoon. And his answer was Molsona from the Loen New Party.

Klein tersely responded without saying anything more.

At this moment, a figure rushed into the hotel. After looking around, he walked towards Klein in delight.

He was none other than the bar owner from before.

"Mr. Sparrow." The owner took off a bonnet that had a depression in the middle and bowed. "It has already been confirmed, but the process will take another two days. After all, it's too large a sum. Heh heh, I know you'll be leaving today, so in order to not delay your schedule, I've decided to cover the bounty for now. Well, a portion of it comes from the bar's liquid cash, and a portion of it I loaned from my friends. Please make sure the number is right."

He deliberately spoke in detail to express his goodwill to Gehrman Sparrow while earning a profit. He wanted to befriend this crazy adventurer.

As for whether King of Immortality would seek revenge on him, he wasn't too worried. Many a time, Kircheis would similarly claim bounties through him. After all, it was a reward for battles between pirates. Everyone liked gaining some additional cash. It was an unspoken rule at sea.

Klein did a count of the thick stack of notes worth 6,000 pounds. He split them into a few stacks and placed them into different pockets. Then, he said with a nod, "Not bad."

The bar owner heaved a sigh of relief. He then warily surveyed his surroundings before suppressing his voice.

"You have to be careful. King of Immortality is a very vengeful person. He might intercept your ship at sea."

He didn't dare to say that he had the means to arrange for someone to board certain ships to depart in secret, afraid that it would be detected by King of Immortality and that he would suffer retaliation as a result.

"I know," Klein replied indifferently.

The bar owner didn't speak further. He bowed once more and left the hotel's restaurant.

"Do you have the means to leave?" Anderson looked at Gehrman Sparrow with a look of curiosity.

"Guess." Klein revealed a gentlemanly smile.

The corners of Anderson's lips twitched.

"I'm relieved by seeing your confidence.

"By the way. The tickets. It sets sail at half-past one in the afternoon.

"Impressive. I thought I was rather amazing earning 1,600 pounds in a night. Who knew…"

Klein didn't respond as he began enjoying his breakfast.

Later, he made a new suit to prevent himself from lacking a change of clothes.

Time passed, and soon, it was time to board the ship. Anderson held a newly bought suitcase and looked at Gehrman Sparrow beside him. He asked, seemingly worried, "Are we just leaving on this ship?

"The Death Announcer should be around the surrounding waters. The Future left yesterday after it was resupplied."

He felt that leaving while under the wrath of the King of Immortality wasn't a wise choice.

It's impossible for Gehrman Sparrow to be crazy enough to just storm right into death, right… Unless, this is his trap…A thought came to Anderson as he had a hunch.

Klein didn't turn his head to look at him. He directly boarded the liner with his suitcase.

His thoughts were simple. It was likely that the Death Announcer could sense something wrong with its aura. Based on the King of Immortality's modus operandi, it was unlikely for him to make a forceful assault. If his assumption was wrong, then the moment the Death Announcer appeared along the horizon, Klein would immediately enter his room and pray to himself. Then, he would go above the gray fog to use the scepter to respond. He wanted to see who was stronger—the Blatherer at sea or the Sea God!

This wasn't Klein's original plan. He had planned on using the Sea God Scepter's ability to command sea creatures to find an underwater "carriage" for himself. Then, under layers of protection from his charms, he would pull Anderson out into the waters and escape the range of the Death Announcer's blockade before secretly boarding a liner he had tickets to.

However, in consideration that the target of revenge had disappeared all of a sudden, it was possible that the King of Immortality would vent his anger on others by slaughtering liners indiscriminately. After all, pirates didn't abide by the law, nor did they come with any proper morals. After divining above the gray fog, Klein ultimately decided to leave brazenly.

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 688: Fruitless Wait

After hitting the deck, entering the cabin, and coming to his room, Klein was just about to say something when Anderson Hood spoke before he could.

"That's not right… If I were the passengers on board this ship, I'd definitely be very afraid and nervous to see an adventurer who just offended the King of Immortality. I'd either get the captain or first mate to convince you to switch to another ship, or I would switch ships myself. To my surprise, all of them are especially calm."

This guy is very sharp. He's able to notice the minute details… Is this a real Conspirer? Often acting happy-go-lucky, shooting off his mouth, and being optimistic, but in actuality, he has silently grasped the situation and made his preparations…As Klein opened the door with his key, he began considering if the ship had any real problems.

At that moment, Anderson raised his hand to slap himself in the cheeks before laughing dryly.

"I get it!

"It happened just recently. The matter is only spread among a number of adventurers and pirates. Typical tourists and sailors wouldn't even know of this. Besides, people who know what you look like are definitely people with good intel, not ordinary people."

Wow, he knows to answer his own questions… Do you know that time is life?Klein lampooned and entered the first-class cabin.

It wasn't that he wished to enjoy comfort, but that he needed to watch over Anderson Hood. He didn't want this "Unluckiest Hunter" to bring disaster to the liner, so he had gotten him to book a first-class cabin for themselves.

With a suitcase in hand, he walked straight to the master bedroom. Klein pointed at the guest room and the servant's room, and he said to Anderson, "Choose one for yourself."

Anderson was taken aback as he turned agape.

"You're very used to this…"

Of course, I have rich experience in interacting with hunters. If Danitz were here, I would designate him to the servant's room…Klein didn't answer as he entered the master bedroom.

Half-past one. The steam engine whistled as the liner set off on time.

After hanging his coat, Klein walked out of the master bedroom in pants, a shirt, and a vest. He looked out the window at the horizon.

Thanks to the wind, the green waves ebbed as they spread along the outline of Toscarter Island, inch by inch.

"That's no way to see the full situation." Anderson came over and smiled. "You can only ensure that there are no problems from one of the flanks, and the Death Announcer might appear from the other flank, or the front. The best option is to climb up to the crow's nest. Haha, there's definitely a crew member there, but an experienced hunter or pirate has a hundred means to fool his senses!"

Klein turned around and looked at Anderson with a stoic expression.

"Well said.

"I'll leave this to you."

"Ah?" Anderson was taken aback.

He snapped to his senses and asked in surprise, "You don't have any other means to observe?"

Without any other means to observe, how was he to lay a trap for the King of Immortality?

"No." Klein nodded his head with abnormal frankness. "I can only rely on you."

… Who gave you the courage to leave under the King of Immortality's scrutiny?Anderson was momentarily speechless.

As he muttered to himself, "Don't stop me. I'm jumping ship." He left the cabin room and headed for the bottom of the crow's nest.

In theory, King of Immortality Agalito, or the Death Announcer, should've long sensed my ill intent and sensed the danger that stems from me. Then, will they attack? Will they believe that I'm at the level I show myself as and that I don't have any help, or will they suspect that some powerhouse who can interfere in their premonition for danger did something?Klein retracted his gaze from the door and looked once again at the sea outside.

After a while, he suddenly sensed something as he quickly activated his Spirit Vision and turned his head to look to the side.

The tall skeleton messenger burrowed out of the ground, the black flames in its eye sockets jumping slightly.

It only revealed its upper body, so it wasn't too much taller than Klein. It looked at him at eye level and handed him a letter in its hand.

Mr. Azik replied pretty quickly this time…Klein politely nodded and received the neatly folded piece of paper.

After the skeleton messenger collapsed and disappeared, he unfolded the letter against the sunlight coming in from the window.

"… I'm very happy to hear about your advancement. Your travels have been more interesting than I had imagined.

"Those waters are indeed very dangerous. I vaguely remember that it might have to do with the source of the Cataclysm. As for why there's a remnant aura of ancient Death there, I'm not too sure.

"I will keep your warning in mind. Before completely recovering my memories, I will not enter those waters. The True Creator's ravings aren't pleasant to the ears.

"I'm somewhat interested in the ring worn by Admiral Hell. However, I've recently been embroiled in some past matters. I might need some time before I pay him a visit…"

Upon seeing this, Klein couldn't help but smile.

After replying to Mr. Azik, I'll tell him that I have the means to lock onto Admiral Hell Ludwell's location. I must get him to bring me along with him when he pays a visit. Oh no, I didn't divine the location of the Murloc Cufflink recently. I'm not sure if Ludwell has discovered it or thrown it away… Yes, I'll divine it above the gray fog after I confirm that the Death Announcer isn't pursuing me…

Moving his gaze away, Klein continued reading.

"The ancient chronicles I received from Katarina does mention matters regarding Artificial Death. To put it simply, the former royal family of the Balam Empire, present upper echelons of the Numinous Episcopate, had gained inspiration from the Hidden Sage's sudden coming to life and turning anthropomorphic. They wish to let Death, which is at present only a concept, to experience something similar.

"There's a possibility of it being fulfilled. Due to the indestructibility of Beyonder characteristics, the perishing of Death doesn't mean that the corresponding Beyonder characteristics and authority has been completely lost.

"According to the chronicles, the corresponding research hasn't reached a breakthrough, but that was from centuries ago…

"The Sequence 4 corresponding to Seer is Bizarro Sorcerer. The powerhouses from the Antigonus and Zaratul family left me with a deep impression. Even though I've already forgotten the details, my recollections are still able to bring me some feelings of fear.

"As for where to get the formula and ingredients, I'm not sure. Perhaps you can consider switching to neighboring pathways. I've already recalled matters regarding this. You can choose Sequence 4 Secrets Sorcerer of the Apprentice pathway or Sequence 4 Parasite of the Marauder pathway. However, I vaguely remember that these three pathways only allow switching at Sequence 3…

Indeed… There's only Arrodes left…Klein forcefully produced a grin.

After reading the reply, he took out a pen and paper and wrote down parts of the content he had already thought of, as well as asking about the exact definition of a "mythical creature."

After putting down the pen and paper, he wasn't in a hurry to summon the messenger. He planned to wait for the Death Announcer to appear before adding the request for help into the letter and then mailing it out. This way, he could hold out for some time with the Sea God Scepter, and he might even have Mr. Azik tear through the spirit world to rescue him. When the time came, the two of them could join forces and have a chance to claim the Death Announcer as theirs.

As for why he didn't write it ahead of time, it was because a Devil might not come again due to their premonition for danger. Of course, Klein had no idea whether they could sense the exact contents of his current ill intent.

After patiently waiting for a few hours, Klein heard the door open. When he looked back, he saw Anderson stroking the side of his face. He walked in with mixed emotions.

"The Death Announcer hasn't appeared. We've completely left the waters around Toscarter Island…"

The King of Immortality actually didn't seek revenge… This fellow is more impressive than I imagined!Anderson sighed inwardly.

Klein gave a regretful nod, walked to his coat rat, and took his coat and hat in preparation to head for the dining hall.

…

In a secret chamber, a small Red Gloves team was discussing a case they were on.

Soul Assurer Soest held a chalk and pointed at a blackboard.

"The Devil murder case this time has some similarities with the assassination of Duke Negan in Backlund.

"First, a human skin with its own smell and aura appeared. This is something that hasn't appeared in many of the Devil-related cases in the past.

"Second, there's more than one Devil. They take turns wearing the human skin in order to carry out their normal activities to conceal their partner's evil acts.

"Finally, they're suspected of belonging to the Beria family…"

At that moment, Leonard, who appeared to be listening attentively in the corner, couldn't help but recall something when his captain mentioned Backlund.

Having witnessed the complete destruction of the underground ruin, he wanted to find time for himself to investigate the mysterious detective, Sherlock Moriarty. He had planned on starting from Sherlock Moriarty's former landlord, but his team took on an emergency case and began to investigate a new series of serial murders. He had no choice but to leave Backlund.

"Leonard, what's your take on this?" After Soest finished his briefing, he named Leonard Mitchell to continue.

Leonard turned his head to the side in a daze and looked at the content on the blackboard. He quickly organized his words and said, "I believe that it's not only a form of concealment, but is also a requirement of a particular ritual. Captain Soest, as you know, Devils have many kinds of blasphemous and evil rituals."

"Reasonable deduction." Soest then gestured for another team member to speak his piece.

Phew, thankfully Old Man has recently been catching me up on Devil studies…Leonard heaved a sigh of relief and began attentively listening to the discussion of his team.

…

After a two-day voyage, the liner safely arrived at Oravi Island.

After checking into a hotel, Klein said to Anderson Hood, "Wait here for me. That demigod doesn't like strangers suddenly visiting."

He didn't wish to expose the contact person of the Life School of Thought.

"I hope I'll live to see him." Anderson smiled bitterly as he wished himself good luck.

The corners of Klein's mouth twitched, and he gave up saying anything further. He rode on a carriage and went straight for the Church of Storms's St. Draco Cathedral.

Before long, he arrived once again in the small room in the magnificent bell tower where he saw the tall, extremely asymmetrical and ugly bellman, Carnot.

After hearing Gehrman Sparrow's intentions, the hunched Carnot nodded.

"I'll bring you to Mr. Ricciardo. He has already recovered and is no longer where he originally was.

"Alright." Just as Klein gave a response, he suddenly recalled that Carnot was a product of the Church of Mother Earth's human body refining. He then asked a question, "Do you know Frank Lee?"

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 689: That's It?

Bellman Carnot's expression immediately turned odd when he heard Frank Lee's name.

"Yes, he… he's a kind and pure person, but at times, his pureness is terrifying."

Indeed… Klein made way and allowed the bellman to walk down the stairs. As he followed him down, he asked, "Are you familiar with him?"

Carnot silently walked ahead, and after a while, he said with his back facing Gehrman Sparrow, "I'm a failed product filled with all kinds of problems. I was always mocked, and only Frank was one of the few who looked at me normally, treating me as someone with a real soul…"

"Why did he leave the Church of Mother Earth?" Klein asked despite knowing the answer.

Carnot came out of the bell tower, answering while getting his bearings, "I do not know about the specifics.

"He's an orphan. He grew up in the cloister from a young age. He really treats the Church as a family and views Mother Earth as his mother.

"He has many strange ideas. He had the opportunity of becoming a diocese bishop, but he was later nearly sent to a tribunal for being sacrilegious."

Frank mentioned this before. He was trying to crossbreed a bull, a cow, and wheat together… To be frank, if it were me, I would've sent him to the tribunal as well… This guy was fine early on because of his low Sequence, limiting what he can do… Klein mumbled and followed Carnot down another street and arrived in the alley behind St. Draco Cathedral.

Carnot walked in front of an ordinary building, pulled the doorbell thrice, each tug lasting two seconds.

After a while, thudding sounds approached as the door creaked open.

Klein immediately saw an elder in a black short coat with a hard cane.

His hair was as white as snow, but he didn't have any obvious wrinkles. He wore a black eye mask around his eyes.

"Mr. Councilor, Mr. Gehrman Sparrow is here to pay you a visit."

Councilor Ricciardo? He's Councilor Ricciardo? He's blind? Previously, Klein had only heard his voice without meeting him. It was no wonder he was surprised.

Ricciardo turned his ear to the side and slowly turned his head towards Gehrman Sparrow and chuckled.

"Sorry, I can only meet you this way. When I woke up this morning, I suddenly had a premonition that I mustn't open my eyes to see anything today. To prevent any accidents, I wore an eye mask."

… You can actually do that… He's in no way inferior as a charlatan… Klein was momentarily amused and surprised.

Following that, he understood the correct interpretation of his premonition. He didn't want to see him!

He remembered that Beyonders from the Monster pathway were able to see things others couldn't see. Therefore, Snake of Mercury Will Auceptin was able to sense my uniqueness. And back in Tingen City, Ademisaul's eyes bled and he collapsed to the ground simply from seeing me.

Councilor Ricciardo sensed the danger and wore an eye mask ahead of time… Sigh, if not for that, I was planning on asking what he can see… Klein didn't have any penchant about forcing others to harm themselves. He held back his thoughts and asked, "Do you have clues to the mystical item I need?"

"Not for now," Ricciardo said with a smile. "After I recovered from my injuries, I went to Bayam. I was lucky that there was some adjustments to the upper echelons of the navy and governor-general's office, so I successfully rescued Roy King, but it wasted quite a bit of my time."

Klein had expected this as he said without any signs of surprise, "Then, I'll use this request to get another form of help.

"I have a friend who is plagued with bad luck after interacting with a mural left behind by the Angel of Fate. He needs it completely removed."

Ricciardo thought for a moment before saying, "No problem. Bring me over to him. Don't allow him to leave his residence, or there might be accidents."

Klein nodded and walked towards the alley with his suitcase in hand. He took the opportunity to ask, "Mr. Councilor, what do you know about the Mother Tree of Desire?"

From Klein's point of view, the Life School of Thought and the Rose School of Thought were at odds with each other, so it was likely that they knew each other very well.

With cane in hand, Ricciardo slowly walked behind him to his right. He didn't need anyone to help him; it was as though he wasn't wearing an eye mask.

He chuckled.

"The Mother Tree of Desire is the Rose School of Thought's manifestation of the Chained God. However, I suspect that the truth is actually the reverse. The Chained God is one of the Mother Tree of Desire's many manifestations. My reasoning is that Red Light, Moria, claims that the Mutant pathway's Sequence 0 is still unoccupied. Heh heh, you know about Sequence 0, right?"

"Yes," Klein succinctly answered. He didn't even express his knowledge of the Great White Brotherhood.

Ricciardo tersely acknowledged. "In short, no one knows the true identity of the Mother Tree of Desire, nor does anyone know what 'Her' pathway is. Perhaps, that's 'Her' true identity. In addition, I can provide some indirect information.

"The Mother Tree of Desire and the Primordial Moon are at odds. There seems to be some irreconcilable conflict between them, and it's because of this that the Rose School of Thought views us as an enemy.

"However, at times, the Mother Tree of Desire and the Primordial Moon seem to have a subtle relationship. You might find it hard to imagine that the Southern Continent's Shaman King, who worships the moon, joined the Rose School of Thought.

"The seven Churches hate the True Creator, Primordial Demoness, Dark Side of the Universe, and the other evil gods, but their hatred for the Primordial Moon and Mother Tree of Desire runs even deeper.

"Similarly, the Aurora Order, Demoness Sect, Blood Sanctify Sect, and Moses Ascetic Order do not like the Rose School of Thought."

That's interesting… Mother Tree of Desire is one of the two most isolated ones? Klein stopped a carriage while in thought as he watched Carnot help Ricciardo up the carriage.

He then entered the carriage and instructed the driver to bring them to a nearby hotel.

Before long, the carriage arrived at their destination. Just as Klein was about to get off, he suddenly heard a loud bang. A rumbling explosion shook the entire street as glass fragments from a window fell to the ground.

No way… Could it be caused by Anderson's bad luck? Klein's spiritual intuition told him that it was the case, but the Unluckiest Hunter had apparently lived.

He turned his head to look out the carriage and saw that a huge chunk of wall had collapsed from the hotel's second floor. Flames and smoke remained.

At this moment, a figure with disheveled blond hair and messy clothes stood below as he muttered, "To think that there's such a daring person to trade arms in a hotel. New kinds of explosives, especially. He nearly caused me to die without even knowing why… My suitcase…"

Klein looked down at the suitcase he was carrying and suddenly felt how great it was to be cautious.

He turned around and helped Ricciardo down the carriage.

Anderson sensed something as he turned his head to say with a bitter smile, "The arms dealers these days are too unprofessional! Thankfully, it's daytime, and there aren't many people in the hotel. The owner sure is pitiful, having to suffer a certain loss. However, the gold they carry shouldn't be destroyed that easily. It should make up for his loss."

I think your bad luck is responsible for a large part of the accountability… Klein nodded and said to Ricciardo, "It's him."

Ricciardo then turned his head to Anderson, but his gaze was completely blocked by the black eye mask.

He paused for a few seconds before smiling.

"Give me a gold coin."

"Oh?" Anderson took out a Loen gold coin from the inside of his clothes, feeling suspect. Then, he smiled at Gehrman Sparrow. "Tradition from my hometown. We sew a tiny pocket on the inside of our clothes to keep a few coins. I originally didn't believe in it, but I've been just too unlucky recently."

As he spoke, he handed the gold coin to Ricciardo.

Ricciardo received the gold coin, slowly closed his fingers, before retracting his hand.

He then laughed and said, "Alright. Your bad luck has been dispelled."

"Ah?" Anderson stood there in shock as he looked at Gehrman Sparrow, as though saying, "That's it? Did you get a fraud?"

Klein was surprised as well, but he chose to believe Ricciardo. After all, he was a Fate Councilor.

Ricciardo put away the gold coin and chuckled.

"The bad luck you received this time wasn't child's play. If you don't believe me, you can head over to the casino to try your luck."

"Makes sense!" Anderson clapped and immediately got directions for the nearest casino from a passerby.

After a while, he returned in a clean and decent jacket. He looked at Ricciardo and instinctively opened his mouth.

He was suddenly taken aback as he forcibly closed his mouth and thanked him with a grin.

After the demigod was sent on a carriage, he leaned in towards Gehrman Sparrow and wistfully said, "I was planning on saying that 'although you're blind, you really are amazing when it comes to the domain of fate…' Thankfully, I recalled in time that he's a demigod."

If you had really said that, you might have the chance of becoming the hunter who died immediately after having his bad luck removed… Klein didn't echo his sentiments as he said, "Now can you tell me the clues to that revolver?"

As Creeping Hunger had great limitations, he still wished for a more conventional offensive mystical item.

Anderson combed his hair and chuckled.

"It's in Bayam.

"It's from a friend I used to know, a very powerful adventurer. As he got sick of the unstable and dangerous life, he used his savings to buy a few spice gardens and found a lady to marry. He then completely left this line of work we're in.

"He recently had a child and his thoughts changed again. He began to wish that his child would be brought up in a better and safer environment with better educational prospects, so he plans on moving to Backlund. There are the best grammar schools and public schools there.

"Heh heh, he doesn't wish to rent a place in Backlund, but he also doesn't plan on selling his gardens that constantly earn him money. He happens to have an excess when it comes to mystical items, so he plans on selling that revolver.

"Back then, I was in a rush to follow the treasure-hunting expedition into those waters, so I'm not sure if he succeeded in the end. However, few people can buy something worth nearly ten thousand pounds at once, so the transaction won't close that easily."

"Alright. Bring me to him," Klein replied simply.

…

At that moment on the Golden Dream, Danitz was horrified to realize a problem.

His captain hadn't appeared in three days!

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 690: Miss Messenger

Under the sunlight, the Golden Dream emitted golden lusters as if it was a mobile treasure.

Danitz stood inside the captain's cabin, pacing about endlessly. He attempted to recall everything that had happened over the past few days in a bid to find a clue.

Three days ago, his captain, Vice Admiral Iceberg Edwina, wanted to do a study in which she might not appear for ten to twenty hours. Therefore, all corresponding classes were canceled. In regards to this, Danitz and company didn't find it odd. These happened frequently.

They were delighted that they didn't need to attend classes; hence, there was drinking, singing, and a bonfire party held on the ship. They were only short of burning down the Golden Dream, but they had a great time.

But with the passage of time, everyone gradually felt that something was amiss, including the somewhat slow Danitz. Their captain, who should've finished her studies within 24 hours, didn't appear the next day. She didn't even get anyone to send her food or light beer which was used as water!

After patiently waiting for half a day without seeing Vice Admiral Iceberg Edwina, the sailors mustered the courage to knock on her door. To their horror, there wasn't any response.

Under the first mate, Bru Walls's lead, the pirates opened the captain's cabin and found it empty!

They then went to the collector's room and other places, but they failed to find her.

Based on past experiences, their initial guess was that their captain had suddenly thought of something and left the Golden Dream in a rush while using some mystical technique or emulating someone else's Beyonder powers without leaving a letter behind.

Later, Danitz and company attempted to contact her using methods like the Soulfall Ritual, but they failed to receive a response. All they could do was search the captain's cabin and other places as they convinced themselves to wait patiently.

Three days passed, but Vice Admiral Iceberg Edwina didn't appear nor reply. It left the sailors panicking.

"Dogsh*t, any results from your divination? Didn't you claim to be an expert?" Danitz turned towards Flowery Bow Tie Jodeson in frustration.

Jodeson, with his black hair that was dyed gold, rubbed his temples and said in a rather mellow voice, "They failed. Every divination method used to find her has failed.

"But for now, it can be confirmed that Captain is still alive. It's just that her whereabouts are unknown."

The first mate, Walls, who had short, grayish, curly hair, nudged his monocle and said, "We need to seek help. None of Captain's collections have been lost. She didn't even bring her essential mystical items with her when she left. This means that the situation was very sudden and unexpected."

"Whose help can we seek?" another boatswain whose waist was swollen, Bucket Daniels asked anxiously.

Bru Walls raised his silver-patterned knife to his aquiline nose and said, "Return to the western shore."

Between the lines, he was hinting at seeking the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom that backed Vice Admiral Iceberg Edwina.

"That won't do. To go from the pirates' playground to the western shore, we will need to pass the Sonia Sea, the North Sea, and the Berserk Sea. Then, we will cruise through the Fog Sea for a very long period of time. Captain can't wait that long! Anything might happen to her at any time!" Flowery Bow Tie Jodeson said. "We have to immediately find someone we can quickly contact and provide us with help on short notice."

Danitz wanted to curse "dogsh*t," when he suddenly had a "light bulb" moment.

There was only one person he could quickly contact, and that was Gehrman Sparrow. Furthermore, this crazy adventurer had never hid the fact that he was good at divination and also had a mysterious background!

Perhaps that madman can find Captain. He's often able to do the impossible…Danitz tugged at his collar as he felt his worry and frustration ease a little.

He raised his chest and looked around. Then, he cleared his throat and said, "I have a candidate. I can immediately contact him. Besides, he's very good at divination…"

Just as he said that, Gourmet Bru Walls, Flowery Bow Tie Jodeson, Iron Skin, Barrel, and company turned their heads at him in unison. With their eyes red, they roared, "What are you waiting for!?"

"…" Danitz silently left the captain's cabin and returned to his room.

He unfolded a piece of paper, picked up a fountain pen, and followed his captain's teachings by writing a greeting followed by some pleasantries.

Suddenly, he stopped writing. He felt that the excessive politeness and small talk didn't match his goals for seeking help.

"Dogsh*t!" Danitz cursed as he tore up the piece of paper.

Right on the heels of that, he wrote on a new piece of paper:

"Help!

"Captain has vanished!"

"Well… Although Gehrman Sparrow is a madman who can't be comprehended with common sense, he probably won't be able to understand such a letter… Dogsh*t!" Danitz cursed himself again as he ripped up the second letter.

He calmed himself down and contemplated for a few seconds before penning a third time.

This time, he simply wrote what happened after his captain's disappearance. He also included the location of the Golden Dream, and he minced his words by asking Mr. Gehrman Sparrow if he could provide help to a cooperating partner.

"Divination needs something…" Just as Danitz folded the letter, he suddenly realized that he had forgotten something. He rushed back to the captain's cabin and found a pearl earring that Vice Admiral Iceberg Edwina often wore.

After doing all of this, he took out his notebook that was filled with all sorts of mysticism knowledge. He flipped to the corresponding page and unfamiliarly set up a messenger-summoning ritual with his past experience.

After placing a gold coin on the altar, he took two steps back and recited in ancient Hermes, "I!

"I summon in my name:

"The spirit that wanders about the unfounded, the friendly creature that can be subordinated, the messenger that belongs to Gehrman Sparrow."

Howling winds resonated as the candlelight on the altar rapidly burgeoned before being dyed a pale whiteness.

Reinette Tinekerr appeared at a decent speed, still wearing her complicated black dress while holding four beautiful and identical heads.

Danitz imagined that the messenger would bite the gold coin and the envelope containing the paper and earring like the last time. But to his surprise, the four heads in Reinette Tinekerr's hand automatically turned around, surveying the area before finally looking towards the captain's cabin.

A few seconds later, two of the heads in Reinette Tinekerr's hand bit down onto the gold coin and the envelope.

After the strange messenger vanished, Danitz exhaled and wiped his forehead, feeling a baffling sense of pressure.

…

Oravi Island, in the room of another hotel.

Klein was just about to get Anderson Hood, who had won quite a fair bit of money, to purchase the tickets to City of Generosity Bayam when his spiritual perception was triggered.

He quickly activated his Spirit Vision and saw his headless messenger, Reinette Tinekerr, appear by his side at some point in time. In her hands were four beautiful heads.

She's not like the skeleton messengers who I can detect the moment they appear. My spiritual perception is triggered only after she completely enters the real world…Klein received a letter from the teeth of one of Reinette Tinekerr's head while in thought.

At the same time, he noticed that Anderson's spiritual perception was no way weaker than his. He too had reacted.

"This is a… messenger?" Anderson asked in disbelief, as though he had heard of such things but had never seen them before.

Klein nodded without expression as he tore open the letter.

Eh, a pearl earring?Klein unfolded the letter in puzzlement.

By his side, Anderson came over out of curiosity as he sized up Reinette Tinekerr as he tsked.

"There's an indescribable sense of bloody beauty…"

Just as he said that, his hands suddenly rose up to grab himself by the throat. The grip was so tight that his tongue extended out as he foamed at the mouth. As for Reinette Tinekerr, who had nothing above her neck, she didn't show any further reaction.

Klein turned his head over and seriously studied the situation before looking at his messenger. He then silently mumbled,Resembles Miss Sharron's abilities… Miss Messenger belongs to the Prisoner pathway? No, I can't be sure. She's a spirit world creature, so being good at such things is very normal…

Realizing that Anderson was about to suffocate, Klein leisurely said, "That's enough, he still needs to lead me somewhere."

One of the heads in Reinette Tinekerr's hand turned over as she glanced at Anderson with her bloodshot eyes for a second.

Following that, each of the heads' mouths spoke one after the other.

"Still…" "Can…" "Lead…" "You…" "By…" "Making…" "Into…" "Zombie…" "

As she said that, Anderson's hands finally stopped and left his own neck, leaving obvious, deep finger marks on it.

Phew… Phew…The Strongest Hunter panted as he bent his back, retching.

Klein quickly scanned the letter and saw that it was from Danitz. This "famous pirate" wrote to him, saying that Vice Admiral Iceberg had mysteriously vanished and was in need of help.

Just as he moved his gaze away from the letter, Klein was surprised to see Reinette Tinekerr was still around.

This doesn't make mystical sense… Shouldn't a messenger disappear after sending the letter, appearing only when summoned again?Klein deliberated and asked out of curiosity, "Is there anything else?"

"Awaiting…" "Your…" "Reply…" "Letter…" Reinette's four head said one after the other.

"How do you know that I'll reply?" Klein glanced at Anderson, who hadn't recovered, and confirmed that the Strongest Hunter didn't notice the words that didn't match Gehrman's persona.

The heads in Reinette's hand said once again, "Her…" "Disappearance is…" "Very…" "Odd…"

"How do you know that?" Klein instantly imagined that Miss Messenger had secretly read Danitz's letter.

The heads with the long blonde hair simply rolled up and said a phrase each, forming a complete sentence.

"I…" "Investigated…" "The ship's…" "Situation…"

My messenger is a part-time scout? Miss Reinette Tinekerr, will you be a hired goon in the future? I wonder if I need to make additional payment…As Klein lampooned in thought, he said, "No rush. I'll reply later."

He planned on heading above the gray fog to use Vice Admiral Iceberg Edwina's earring to do a divination.

Reinette Tinekerr didn't say a word as she vanished silently.

"Ahem…" Anderson finally recovered as he stood straight. He gave Gehrman Sparrow a flabbergasted look. "Your messenger… Your messenger is a demigod!?"

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 691: Meeting

There's no need for you to tell me. I've more or less confirmed it moments ago… Upon hearing Anderson Hood, Klein wore a calm expression as he mumbled inwardly.

Back when he encountered Reinette Tinekerr in the spirit world where he saw her massive true form and gothic-styled castle, Klein already believed that she wasn't someone to be messed with. And with Miss Messenger almost killing the Strongest Hunter with such ease, it made him believe without a doubt that she was a demigod, a Sequence 4 at the very least!

A demigod is willing to help me deliver letters for a gold coin per trip? It's obvious that things aren't that simple. Miss Messenger must have her motives; of course, I can't disregard how I'm always encountering all sorts of strange matters. It might've piqued her interest, and she doesn't mind being a messenger since she happens to be free…

Similar situations include Arrodes's fawning and Snake of Mercury Will Auceptin's friendliness… Regardless, I should be wary and not fully trust her… Before having a chance to discuss similar matters, I shouldn't consider blowing the harmonica whenever I encounter danger. Who knows if Miss Messenger will just directly rip me to shreds… Klein instantly had many thoughts go through his mind while he continued wearing a stoic expression. Faced with the alarmed Anderson, all he did was slightly nod his head.

"It's none of your business."

… This guy is really mysterious! A spirit world creature at the demigod level is his messenger! Besides, he casually knows a demigod that's good at improving a person's luck… It's no wonder he's so calm and composed after offending the King of Immortality… It's no wonder the King of Immortality didn't dare to seek revenge or even appear! Anderson suddenly came to a realization as he couldn't help but carefully size up Gehrman Sparrow.

"Oh?" Klein emotionlessly swept his gaze at the Strongest Hunter.

Anderson hurriedly retracted his gaze as he chuckled dryly.

"I realized that you're very suitable to being the main lead of a figure painting, the kind that has a dark, gloomy background. This really accentuates your bearing.

"How about it. Do you want to consider it? I can help you draw a portrait. Believe me, I'm a master at this!"

Klein couldn't be bothered to listen to his nonsense. He lifted his golden pocket watch and opened it.

"Return to your room. I'll come for you in five minutes."

"Alright," Anderson replied with a beaming smile.

After the Strongest Hunter left, Klein took out Azik's copper whistle and Will Auceptin's paper crane before entering the bathroom where he set up a ritual.

After placing Vice Admiral Iceberg Edwina's pearl earring above the gray fog, Klein sat at the end of the long bronze table. There, he conjured a pen and paper and wrote a simple divination statement: "Edwina Edwards's location."

Holding the paper and earring, Klein leaned back into the chair and recited the divination statement as he entered a dream with Cogitation.

First, a gray world occupied his vision. Following that, plains blanketed in ice and snow were reflected in his eyes.

The howling snowstorm enveloped everything as the area was covered with thick fog. It didn't appear like a real frontier.

Klein quickly saw Edwina's figure. Her long brown was tied up simply at the back as the rest of it fluttered wildly in the snowstorm.

Dressed in dark-colored trousers and a white waist-fitting shirt with complicated flowery patterns along the collar and sleeves, she gave off the feeling as though she was frail in such an environment.

Edwina's feet, which were clad in leather boots, kept moving across the snow, leaving behind a series of clear footprints, but they were quickly wiped away by the violent snowstorm.

The screen shattered in turn as Klein opened his eyes. He realized that he couldn't interpret Vice Admiral Iceberg's actual location from his divination's revelation.

The poles? Feysac's Plains of Evernight? There's no way to confirm. Apart from the snowstorm, there aren't any features… Klein sat up and put down the pearl earring and the paper with the divination statement.

After contemplating for a few seconds, he confirmed another matter—Edwina Edwards had really vanished. She wasn't in the Golden Dream, but it could also eliminate the possibility that it was a trap.

Klein cautiously performed some divination on this matter and received the result that there weren't any traps on the Golden Dream.

After some thought, he left the mysterious space above the gray fog and, via a series of procedures, brought the pearl earring back to the real world.

Recalling the map of the waters around Oravi Island and the present location of the Golden Dream, Klein selected an uninhabited island that fishermen used to seek shelter from storms. In the letter, he got Danitz and company to steer their ship to somewhere not too far from there.

After folding the letter, he blew his harmonica and once again saw Miss Messenger holding up the four heads.

While handing over the reply letter, Klein coughed slightly and said, "Can you confirm Danitz's location?"

One of the heads in Reinette Tinekerr's hand nodded before the rest spoke.

"Yes…" "As long as…" "He's not beyond range…"

Seeing that Miss Messenger remained floating there without any signs of leaving, he said with his eyes looking to the side, "The gold coin will be paid by Danitz."

"Alright…" Reinette Tinekerr's figure quickly phased away.

Phew. Klein exhaled. After some precise preparations and dealing with the scene, he carried his suitcase which he had finished packing and walked out of the room. He then knocked on Anderson Hood's door.

"We'll go somewhere else first before heading to Bayam," he calmly told the Strongest Hunter of his decision. "You can choose to wait for me in Bayam, or follow me."

Anderson gave a cheeky smile and said, "I can feel my adventurer's blood burning in me. I'm very curious as to what matter that messenger has brought.

"I thought I had no means of knowing better, but to my surprise, you actually invited me!"

I didn't. I'm only giving you two choices… Klein coldly turned around and walked to the staircase. Anderson hurriedly carried his newly bought suitcase and followed behind.

Out of the hotel, Klein took a carriage to leave the port city. Then, he walked to the periphery of an uninhabited cliff on Mount St. Draco.

Looking at the waves crashing into the cliff below, Anderson looked around in surprise.

"This is our destination?"

Klein ignored his question. He took out a charm made of tin and softly chanted the incantation, "Storm."

He infused his spirituality and split the charm into two—half of it for himself, while the other half was used to augment Anderson. The remaining one was thrown down the cliff.

"Underwater breathing, deep-sea membrane…" Anderson identified the additional supernatural effects applied to him in surprise.

At that moment, there was a loud splash beneath the cliff. A massive creature that resembled a whale surfaced from the sea.

It was entirely dark blue in color. Its mouth was open, revealing its white teeth and blood-colored interior.

Klein walked to the edge of the cliff and jumped straight down. With the charm's powers, he gently landed in the undersea behemoth's mouth.

Anderson watched blankly before he jumped down in excitement, landing beside Klein.

The massive undersea creature closed its mouth, turning the interior pitch-black.

Then, it submerged itself and began swimming for its designated destination.

Inside its mouth, Klein's eyes produced a flash of lightning as he saw through the darkness. He found a tooth to lean against as he casually sat down.

Due to the protection from deep-sea membrane, he wasn't afraid that his clothes would be dirtied.

"Man, this is quite fascinating…" Anderson surveyed the area and asked curiously, "How did you come up with this? How are you doing this?"

Of course it's by praying to myself, then using the Sea God Scepter to pull a suitable undersea creature from nearby… Klein didn't reply Anderson's question. He half-closed his eyes as though he was resting.

"It's just a little stuffy…" Anderson took out a cigar case and matchstick from his pocket. "Can I smoke in here?"

"Ask it." Klein didn't open his eyes.

Anderson chuckled dryly before putting away the cigar and matchstick.

"I don't think it will like the smell of tobacco."

In the dark sea, this massive creature swam quickly, efficiently drawing out the oxygen in the water via the use of its special organs from time to time.

After an unknown period of time, it surfaced in front of an uninhabited island.

After using the charm's power to go ashore, Klein took off his hat and bowed at the undersea creature.

"You're very polite…" Anderson said in amusement when he saw this scene.

"I've always been very polite, even if I'm facing prey." Klein shot a glance at him as though he was including him.

Anderson chuckled dryly as he pointed to the other side of the island.

"There's a ship there.

"Oh, it's the Golden Dream!"

At that moment in time, Klein had also seen the sailboat that had been scrubbed clean. On the ship spanning dozens of meters, a lustrous main cannon that didn't belong there was swirling with stacked symbols.

He immediately went over with his suitcase, and before long, he arrived where the Golden Dream was anchored.

Then, he saw Danitz jump down from the deck as he ran across the water.

Just as Danitz arrived before Gehrman Sparrow, deliberating on what to say, he suddenly saw a familiar figure.

"Anderson Hood!" he pointed at the Strongest Hunter as he yelled.

Anderson immediately roared with laughter.

"You didn't expect me, right?"

Although he didn't know why he would encounter the Golden Dream, this didn't stop him from having the idea of occupying the ship by force.

You know each other? Klein indifferently swept his gaze towards Danitz.

Danitz instinctively shuddered as he forced a smile.

"This guy isn't a good egg. In the Fog Sea, he's often pursued by a bunch of pirates, but in the end, all of those pirates would end up as bounty rewards.

"You might not be aware, but he started off in the Church of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom. Later, he was banished after failing his exams repeatedly. I heard all of this from Captain. They were former classmates."

He gave Anderson a look of contempt, mocking his low intelligence. As for Flowery Bow Tie Jodeson and company on the ship, all of them showed similar expressions.

Anderson's gaze slowly swept across their faces before tsking.

"That's not the main point. The main point is that I once pulled at your captain's hair!"

The scene instantly turned extremely silent as Danitz couldn't stop his expression from twisting.

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 692: Suspect

Seeing everyone on the Golden Dream aim their sights at Anderson, Klein took a step forward and said to Danitz, his side facing him, "Bring me to the captain's cabin."

"… Alright. Alright." Danitz retracted his angry glare aimed at Anderson Hood.

Prioritize Captain's rescue. Prioritize Captain's rescue…he kept repeating to himself.

The Golden Dream first released a dinghy before lowering a gangway, allowing Klein to easily step onto the deck without using a charm.

Anderson followed by his side, completely ignoring the glares of the Golden Dream's crew. With a smile, he strolled forward as he looked around, treating it as his own home.

His mental fortitude is truly beyond remarkable… Yes, even after offending a demigod where he was forced to apologize in public and accept a mission, he was able to laugh at himself and enjoy a meal…Klein sighed inwardly as he walked towards Third Mate Jodeson and company.

"Hello, Mr. Sparrow. I'm this ship's first mate, Bru Walls." A 1.8-meter-tall man with a monocle politely bowed.

The pirate "Gourmet" who's worth 6,200 pounds… The bounties on Vice Admiral Iceberg's pirate crew are clearly lower than Admiral of Stars. They live up to being treasure hunters who happen to be part-time pirates…Klein greeted him using Gehrman Sparrow's style of politeness, "Hello. I've heard about you."

"… Haha, it's my honor. I'm only a treasure hunter who dreams to be an artisan, but I ended up having to be a gourmet," Bru Wall said in a self-deprecating manner. He pointed to the man beside him and said, "Our second mate, Singer Orpheus."

Bounty of 5,500 pounds… The Beyonders on the Golden Dream all have very odd nicknames. I didn't know that they were the subordinates of a pirate admiral, I would've definitely believed them to be a traveling crew who sing and enjoy good food while holding bonfires as they seek out legendary treasure. It's truly a beautiful life…Klein cast his gaze at Orpheus and nodded.

The Singer had deep sculpted outlines and a head of resplendent blond hair. He said with a sad smile, "Actually, I'm only praising the sun, but now, my 'sun' has disappeared."

"…"

Klein nearly felt goosebumps all over him.

"Tsk, as expected of someone from Intis. He speaks like he's singing. What a pity, I grew up in Segar, in Lenburg, and didn't pick up this ability," Anderson said with a chuckle. It wasn't clear if he was praising or degrading Orpheus; after all, half the blood flowing in his veins was Intis blood.

Born in Senor and later studied in Lenburg. Yes, it was likely a Church school. He's classmates with Vice Admiral Iceberg Edwina… Mr. Orpheus is definitely from the Sun pathway, but he's unlikely to be from the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun. From his bounty, he's likely a Sequence 6 Notary… I almost forgot to inform Little Sun that I have his formula. I wonder what he will use in exchange this time…Klein turned towards Flowery Bow Tie Jodeson and Bucket Daniels before Gourmet Bru Walls introduced.

"We've met.

"Let's not waste any time."

"Alright." Bru Walls heaved a sigh of relief, stroked his short beard and led the way into the cabin.

If it wasn't for how famous Gehrman Sparrow was on the ship, he wouldn't have been that polite.

At that moment, Anderson deliberately stayed behind, walking alongside Danitz, Orpheus, and company.

He looked to his left and right, unfazed by how the surrounding pirates looked like they wanted to rip him apart. He laughed with a tsk.

"The one you should be wary of isn't me."

"Yes, we aren't wary of you. We only want to stuff you in. See that? Into that cannon!" Danitz wasn't afraid that Anderson was the Strongest Hunter. After all, they were on the Golden Dream. There were plenty of pirates, and many of them were Sequence 6 or 7 Beyonders.

Anderson curled his lips.

"I'm actually not a threat. Think about it; your captain definitely hates and detests me. She wouldn't even want to speak to me. Isn't that ideal?"

"…"

Danitz turned agape, but he didn't say a thing. He suddenly felt that what the pile of dogsh*t said made sense.

The looks in the eyes of Orpheus, Jodeson, and company also subconsciously turned gentle.

Anderson chuckled as he looked at them. He said in a rather ethereal tone, "The person you should be wary about is Gehrman Sparrow."

"Why?" Danitz blurted out.

Although he's a madman that warrants the need to be wary of him, he's not an enemy at the moment…Danitz silently added.

Anderson laughed.

"I'm assuming. Assuming that Gehrman successfully finds your captain and rescues her, will your captain have fond feelings for him as a result? Besides, he looks pretty good. He has that cold and aloof aesthetic and is strong. He's at the level of a pirate admiral, and his background is especially mysterious. He's completely compatible…"

How… is it possible…Danitz wished to retort, but he was momentarily at a loss for words. He felt increasingly more convinced that things weren't right.

Orpheus and company had their expressions collapse bit by bit. They looked at Gehrman Sparrow's back with a newfound sense of wariness.

Resolved! The provocation problem from before has been resolved…With a smile, Anderson walked into the cabin.

When he arrived inside the captain's cabin, Klein first circled the room which was nearly filled with bookshelves. On it were all kinds of books.

The average captain's cabin is filled with racks of alcohol…he silently mumbled before walking straight to the desk by the window.

According to Danitz's description, Edwina had vanished during her research. Therefore, finding traces of her research was Klein's goal. After he gathered enough information, he would head above the gray fog to divine the matter.

At that moment, the desk was a mess with many things placed on it. There was white paper, a fountain pen, an ink bottle, a bronze dagger, and untidily stacked books.

In the middle of the desk was a book made of goatskin. Its dark brown cover had the words "Groselle's Travels" written in ancient Feysac.

Isn't this one of Vice Admiral Iceberg's collections? It has a mysterious origin and is suspected to be related to the dragons and City of Miracles, Liveseyd… Edwina was studying this before she disappeared?Klein looked at the book and instinctively made a guess.

Seeing Gehrman Sparrow study the ancient book, Danitz forced a smile and said, "There's nothing wrong with it. We have already inspected it."

Is that so? I seriously doubt your meticulousness…Since someone had flipped it and there weren't any obvious abnormalities with it, together with the fact that Klein determined that Danitz was saying the truth with his spiritual intuition, Klein reached out for it and asked, "Have you read Groselle's Travels?"

Danitz shook his head. Bru Walls, Orpheus, Jodeson, and company shook their heads as well.

Their expressions seemed to say that their daily studies were tiring enough. They didn't wish to read any other books during their breaks!

Swiping his fingertip across the yellowish-brown goatskin, Klein carefully and seriously read each page.

Soon, he arrived at the spot where the pages were stuck together. From the corner of his eye, he saw what was written in it.

Eh… That's not right!His gaze focused as he hurriedly flipped two pages back.

He clearly remembered that his previous read stopped at giant Groselle and his team preparing to challenge the frost dragon, the King of the North, in a head-on clash. There was nothing after that, but now, there were two more pages!

It also meant that the stuck pages had thinned, and the book had two more pages!

The chapters came to a halt for a thousand years before it was continued? These are the fruits of Vice Admiral Iceberg's research? This also led to her disappearance?As Klein lampooned, he frowned as he read the additional content.

The two pages described a lost female pirate. She encountered the King of the North in a blizzard, and she was nearly killed. Only by using all her strength was she successful in escaping before meeting the main lead's team who were here to challenge the frost dragon.

There's the addition of a female pirate… Female pirate…Klein ruminated over this description as an idea suddenly came to him.

Could she be Vice Admiral Iceberg Edwina?

She entered the book and became a character in the story?

With this idea in mind, Klein quickly realized certain problems.

Arrodes mentioned before that the past owners of Groselle's Travels vanished…

Groselle's Travels has a giant from the Dark Epoch which is also the Second Epoch, an elf, an ascetic from the Third or Fourth Epoch, a Solomon Empire noble, and a Fifth Epoch Loen soldier. The times are extremely chaotic.

If they were all the past owners of Groselle's Travels who disappeared, that will solve the problem… They do not belong to the same period, and they were swallowed by the book, becoming a character in the story!Klein found his theory ridiculous as he thought about it, but it was highly likely.

In the world of mysticism, this isn't impossible!

I have to confirm it… Besides, what did Edwina and the past owners do to be "swallowed" by the book… And what should I do to release them…Klein retracted his gaze and thought deeply in silence.

Soon, he looked up at Danitz and company.

"Prepare items like candles. I will be praying for an answer from a secret existence."

And that secret existence is myself…Klein added inwardly in jest.

He really is professional and crazy…Gourmet Bru Walls and company didn't dare to speak further. They hurriedly provided the materials before leaving the captain's cabin.

They didn't dare to watch such dangerous rituals unless Gehrman Sparrow requested them to do so.

Inside the captain's cabin, Klein locked the door, closed the windows, and quickly set up the ritual. Then, he brought Groselle's Travels above the gray fog.

After placing the ancient book at the end of the long bronze table, he sat down and conjured a pen and paper. He then scribbled a divination statement: "Edwina is in the story of this book."

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 693: Attempt

After putting down the fountain pen in his hand, Klein removed the spirit pendulum from his left wrist, holding it in one hand and letting it hang down over the paper in close proximity.

"Edwina is in the story of this book," Klein closed his eyes and silently repeated the divination statement.

After he recited the statement, he opened his eyes and saw the topaz pendant spinning clockwise.

This meant that Vice Admiral Iceberg Edwina was inside Groselle's Travels!

It really is a world inside a book… Furthermore, the situation inside is very special. Without new characters, the story isn't able to continue… Klein indiscernibly nodded. Wounding the silver chain and the topaz pendant around his wrist again, he picked up a dark red fountain pen and wrote a new divination statement: "The method to entering Groselle's Travels."

This time, he used dream divination. In the gray, hazy world, he saw indistinct figures.

The figures were of varying sizes, some huge, others slender. The thing all of them had in common was that they held a book with pages of yellowish-brown goatskin.

The following developments branched off into two scenarios. A number of them vanished silently with Groselle's Travels on them. The others would accidentally or deliberately drip their blood on the cover while carrying Groselle's Travels with them before suddenly vanishing!

The scene shattered and Klein opened his eyes to see the mottled table in front of him. He frowned as he made an interpretation.

To enter or activate Groselle's Travels, it either needs prolonged contact with it to a certain extent, or you would need to drip one's blood onto the cover?

Isn't that too simple? Perhaps… it's really that simple. In the story, the Loen soldier's first appearance was as an ordinary person who didn't know mysticism. With the help of his companions, he slowly became a Disciplinary Paladin… Therefore, the activation method isn't too complicated. An ordinary person is able to accomplish it.

A small number of researchers before this, including Vice Admiral Iceberg Edwina, were Beyonders with sufficient amounts of mysticism knowledge. They knew not to rashly drip their blood; otherwise, death might occur without them even knowing it. This is akin to ordinary people using the correct form of magic mirror divination. It's very easy to provoke a powerful existence or secret existence. It's why no problems happened to them…

Furthermore, Edwina keeps Groselle's Travels in the collector's room most of the time and only interacts with it occasionally. As such, it was only when she recently had a new research concept that she had prolonged contact with it, completing the condition required to activate the book?

Yes, even Arrodes only knew that there's something strange with the book. Many of the past owners had vanished, and it's suspected to have something to do with the dragons and City of Miracles, Liveseyd. This means that Groselle's Travels will interfere with its surroundings when being activated; therefore, most of the collectors in the past do not know of its problem and had no thoughts of studying it.

The owners who disappeared likely aren't limited to the ones in the story. The others might've died for all kinds of reasons, failing to leave their names in the book.

Klein focused again and made another divination, hoping to obtain the method to leave Groselle's Travels.

This time, he saw a more tempestuous blizzard in the gray, hazy dreamscape. He saw a gigantic figure at the top of an ice peak.

It was a translucent dragon who remained nearly five meters tall while standing on all fours. It resembled a lizard's cousin and had an ugly face with eerie blue eyes. It had a thick, powerful tail and a pair of gigantic wings covered in a skin membrane on its back. It seemed to blot out the sky simply by spreading its wings.

Its scales resembled ice crystals as they swirled with a crystalline glow. It was the most beautiful and dreamy part of its entire body.

Suddenly, the dragon which resembled an ice sculpture raised its neck and body, and it let out a terrifying roar that penetrated through the blizzard.

At that moment, it reached ten meters tall by standing up on its hind legs.

King of the North… That frost dragon… Klein left the dream and tapped the armrest of the high-back chair.

His interpretation of the divination revelation was that the key to leaving Groselle's Travels lay with the King of the North!

Klein's initial guess was that only by helping the main lead, Groselle, accomplish his goal—slaying the frost dragon—would the story come to a complete "end," opening a passageway to exit the book.

However, I can also attempt to see if I can forcibly break open the barrier between the world in the book and the real world… Klein relied on his rich experience to quickly come up with an attempt.

He first picked up the Black Emperor card which was facing down, and he infused it into his Spirit Body.

Suddenly, Klein's body was covered in black full-body armor. On his head was a heavy crown as his aura became majestic and dignified. It exuded an awe-inspiring vibe.

Following that, he stirred the powers of the mysterious space above the gray fog to the limit, making them surge over like a tidal wave.

Upon seeing this scene, Klein didn't hesitate to summon the Sea God Scepter from the junk pile before he infused his spirituality within.

The blue gems on the end of the bone scepter lit up one after another, emitting a blinding luster.

Countless silver bolts of lightning surfaced as they zapped about the grand palace as though they were forming a sea of lightning.

Finally, Klein used the suppressive power and balance from the Black Emperor's loftiness to infuse the stirred powers into the Lightning Storm.

Rumble!

Thunder resonated above the gray fog and into the distance as thick bolts of lightning smote down, striking Groselle's Travels.

Blinding light enveloped the entire palace for a full twenty seconds.

After everything was over, Klein looked at the target again and discovered the mottled table was in shambles. As for the dark-brown leather book, it was completely unharmed. Only its ends curled up a little.

It's far more impressive than I imagined… That's right, how can an item which can create a whole new book world be simple… Heh, I wouldn't have made a loss buying it for 8,000 pounds back then. It can be used as a shield. It can definitely defend against attacks from Saints. The only problem is its tiny size. It won't be able to shield much… Klein's thoughts raced as the bronze table was quickly restored to normal.

Since there was no way to forcibly tear open the barrier between the world inside the book and the real world, he could only consider how to enter it according to the normal procedures.

Get some blood, bring it up here and smear it across the cover, and then enter as a Spirit Body with the Blood Emperor card and Sea God Scepter? This way, I don't have to worry about encountering King of the Five Seas, Nast, as there's no way he can sense it. He won't be able to enter the world inside the book either. But the problem lies in the fact that rescuing Vice Admiral Iceberg this way will allow her to determine that Gehrman Sparrow is Hero Bandit Black Emperor.

Yes, there's a more important problem. Entering with a Spirit Body means that the body is still in the outside world—the captain's cabin of the Golden Dream. I have no idea how time flows in the world inside the book. It might easily be a few days. That way, my body might meet with an accident since it lacks protection. I'm in unfamiliar territory as well. When the time comes, I might rescue Edwina, but I would find "myself" gone. That would be fun. Klein quickly rejected the idea of entering as a Spirit Body.

He didn't trust most of the people on the Golden Dream, and he also felt wary of the Strongest Hunter, Anderson.

His attempt to divine if it was dangerous to enter the book to rescue Edwina was met with failure. Klein thought deeply for a moment before returning to the real world. Then, he unhurriedly brought back Groselle's Travels and removed the traces of the ritual.

Looking out the window at the impending dusk, he walked to the captain's cabin's door, unlocked the door, and opened it.

Gourmet Bru Walls, Singer Orpheus, and company were all outside. None of them had left. There were even sailors who peeked their heads out from the staircase.

"Any clues?" Bru Walls blurted out his question, but he didn't hear his voice because everyone at the door was asking the same question.

Klein swept his gaze and nodded.

Instantly, he heard sighs of relief, then he saw all kinds of happy and excited expressions.

If I were to vanish one day, who would act like that… Klein focused his thoughts and said to Danitz, "I need an assistant."

With that said, he turned to walk to the desk.

"Alright!" Danitz hurriedly followed and familiarly locked the door.

"Is there anything you need of me?" he hurriedly asked. He looked as though he could already see his captain being rescued through his hard work.

Klein stood by the desk and solemnly said, "What happens next will be very dangerous."

"Very dangerous?" Danitz instinctively gritted his teeth.

"You might vanish or even die immediately." Klein told him the worst possible outcome.

Seeing how serious the madman, Gehrman Sparrow, was, Danitz instantly understood the gravity of the situation. His heart sank as he subconsciously became frantic.

"W-what does this have to do with rescuing Captain?"

"It's directly related," Klein answered succinctly.

Danitz's expression twisted as he fell silent for two seconds.

"What will happen if nothing is done?"

"Your captain might be left there forever, or she might die in the next second," Klein said truthfully.

Danitz turned agape as he closed his mouth in silence.

His eyes turned adrift for a few seconds before they focused back on Gehrman Sparrow's face. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Let's begin."

"Dogsh*t!" he softly cursed himself.

Klein picked up the pen and paper on the table, scribbled a note, and folded it into a square before handing it to Danitz.

"Put it into your pocket. Read it after you enter."

"Enter?" Danitz asked, puzzled and clueless.

As he spoke, he automatically took the paper slip and stuffed it into his trouser pocket.

Klein didn't reply as he pointed at Groselle's Travels.

"Smear some of your blood on the book's cover."

This… As Danitz made a vague guess, he picked up the bronze dagger beside him and nodded heavily.

"Alright!"

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 694: Burn Upon Chanting

Danitz held the bronze dagger and sliced across the back of his left palm, but his hesitation prevented him from using much strength.

He looked up and forced a smile.

"Although I've been injured many times, pain still leaves me afraid."

"Get to the point," Klein replied coldly.

Danitz gave a hollow laugh.

"Haha, I'm just a little scared of pain."

Just as he said that, he exerted strength with his right hand, slicing open a wound on the back of his hand with the bronze knife. The words he had said was apparently to divert his attention so that he could reconcile with the idea of pain.

Blood quickly seeped out as Danitz immediately put down the dagger. He dabbed some blood on his right finger and smeared it across the dark brown cover of Groselle's Travels.

After finishing that, he held his breath, waiting for a change.

Suddenly, he saw a snowflake the size of a goose feather. Strong winds howled by his ears, and immediately, a biting chill wildly drilled into his body.

Although Danitz was mentally prepared, he was still alarmed. He instinctively looked around to confirm where he was.

He realized that at some point in time he had left the captain's cabin of the Golden Dream. He found himself in a land of frost wrecked by a blizzard. Due to the extreme environment, he couldn't see into the distance at all. He couldn't even tell if he was on a mountain or on a flat plain.

I've really entered a strange world… Captain is here too?Danitz held up his hand to block his face, afraid that the snow would get into his eyes.

He calmed himself down and recalled Gehrman Sparrow's instructions. From his pocket, he hurriedly took out a piece of paper that had been folded into a square, and he carefully unfolded it.

While doing this, he was especially afraid of any accidents that could lead to the paper tearing or being blown away. That would make him lose all hope; but thankfully, none of that happened. He saw the contents written by Gehrman Sparrow.

"Recite the following honorific name in Hermes, but preferably in ancient Hermes:

"The Fool that doesn't belong to this era.

"The mysterious ruler above the gray fog.

"The King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck.

"Burn this upon chanting."

This… This is a secret existence at the level of a deity?Due to Vice Admiral Iceberg Edwina's strict education, Danitz wasn't illiterate when it came to mysticism. He even had quite a good foundation.

Looking at the piece of paper in his hand, he subconsciously drew a gasp, sucking in the cold wind and ice-cold snowflakes that left a biting cold. He immediately coughed as his expression turned twisted.

He was now able to confirm one of his past theories.

Gehrman Sparrow really did belong to a powerful and very secretive organization! And the organization consecrates an existence known as The Fool, a godlike existence!

Indeed, such a powerful and crazy fellow can't appear out of nowhere. They don't just sprout out of the ground…Danitz tugged at his collar and tightened his clothes. Looking at the piece of paper fluttering in the wind, he wore a clear look of hesitation.

He knew very well how dangerous it was to recite the name of an unknown secret existence whose intentions were unknown. It could lead to an outcome more terrifying than death!

Captain is also trapped here. Furthermore, there's no way of leaving…Danitz clasped his hands and placed them before his mouth.

He suddenly threw out his hands and used ancient Hermes to recite The Fool's honorific name.

…

On the Golden Dream, in the captain's cabin.

With his own eyes, Klein witnessed Danitz turn illusory without any reason before disappearing. There was no longer any question about how entry into Groselle's Travels could be achieved.

After patiently waiting for a moment, he heard a series of illusory pleas, and it clearly came from a man.

Phew, from the looks of it, Groselle's Travels is unable to block out the gray fog. The world inside the book is still connected to that mysterious space… This way, even if I were to enter, I wouldn't be entirely cornered or lack any trump cards…Klein didn't hide his sigh of relief.

To confirm it, he took four steps counterclockwise while chanting the incantation. After arriving above the gray fog, he saw the brilliance representing Danitz rippling outwards beside The Fool's high-back chair.

The body and soul enter together… The world inside the book is very stable. There's no way to shatter it just by pulling the Spirit Body… Indeed, if it's possible, the divination from before would've received the corresponding revelation… Using the Sea God Scepter is too dangerous. Bestowing Danitz directly will only speed up his death…Klein half-closed his eyes as he emanated his spirituality. After taking everything in for a moment, he arrived at many conclusions.

He didn't delay and returned to the real world immediately. Holding the bronze dagger, he wiped away Danitz's blood on it with a piece of paper.

After folding a piece of paper and putting it into his pocket, he began to consider his next move.

From the looks of it, smearing blood allows direct entry. This way, I don't have to worry about my body suffering any accidents. Furthermore, I can very quickly resolve the problem.

But similarly, I can't be careless. I have to be careful of any other dangers. Hmm… If there's anyone on this ship that might be problematic, they might be able to sneak into the captain's cabin after I enter Groselle's Travels, sacrifice this book to the True Creator, Primordial Demoness, or Hidden Sage. I'll be in trouble then. I'll definitely suffer something worse than death.

The Golden Dream's sailors mostly seem to be infatuated with Vice Admiral Iceberg. The fact that Anderson's superficial provocation was effective enough proves this. Therefore, telling them that this involves Vice Admiral Iceberg's life and getting them to watch each other so that no one enters, that will put me at ease.

The problem lies with Anderson. He's the Strongest Hunter. He's stronger than any of the Beyonders on board this ship. Furthermore, he's good at ambushes and infiltration. There's a small possibility that he can avoid the monitoring of others and secretly sneak into the captain's cabin… His background is still too dubious, and I have no way to really trust him.

I have to think of a way to get him to enter Groselle's Travels with me…

Amidst his thoughts, Klein flipped through the ancient book covered in yellowish-brown goatskin. He discovered that there wasn't any new content, and the story lacked traces of Danitz's existence.

This is to say that one needs to successfully survive and meet up with the lead's team before they will be considered a true part of the story? That will make more pages appear?Klein made a preliminary guess as he walked to the door again and opened it.

"Did it succeed?" Flowery Bow Tie Jodeson and company asked.

Klein shook his head and said calmly, "Next up will be a long ritual.

"No one is to enter and disrupt it; otherwise, it will lead to Edwina Edwards's disappearance forever or even her death."

After informing them of the main point, he looked around and directly said, "I suspect that one of you here might have problems.

"Everyone is to watch each other."

Gourmet Bru Walls instinctively wanted to retort out of habit when he suddenly saw the captain's cabin was empty. Danitz, who had just entered, was gone.

Recalling the captain's disappearance, and confirming that Gehrman Sparrow was about to attempt to save her after finding the cause of the problem, he nodded and said, "I'll be in charge of this matter.

"And they will also monitor me."

Klein didn't harp on the topic. He then turned to look at Anderson Hood who was leaning against a wall.

"Come in."

Anderson curled the right side of his mouth as he tsked.

"People not in the know might think I'm your subordinate. Your attitude is basically a role model for Provokers."

Despite his grumbling, he straightened his back and opened his stride before entering the captain's cabin.

After closing the door and locking it, Klein turned to face Anderson.

"Are you interested in participating in a rare adventure?

"You might be able to fulfill the achievement of hunting a dragon."

According to his observations over the past few days, he believed that Anderson Hood was a curious and adventurous hunter. He enjoyed learning about new things and experiencing novel forms of excitement.

Anderson stared at Gehrman Sparrow's face and sized him up seriously before smiling.

"I'm not interested."

He firmly shook his head.

Following that, he chuckled before Klein spoke again.

"I smell danger. A highly-conceited, crazy, and powerful adventurer is actually inviting me to adventure together. What does this imply? It means that it's extremely troublesome and dangerous!"

I thought you would be interested. This is different from how you usually act. You really can rein yourself in and let go of yourself… Hmm, I'll try another threat. If it doesn't work, I'll throw this fellow on a deserted island and let the Golden Dream sail off. We'll pick him up later. As a hunter, survival on a deserted island shouldn't be difficult for him…Klein quickly made up his mind as his gaze immediately turned cold. He looked at Anderson and said, "I will not permit having latent risks around myself."

Anderson was stunned for a second before he quickly smiled.

"Haha, it was just a joke. I'm very interested in the title of 'Dragon Hunter.'"

… You changed your mind way too quickly… If you had insisted a little longer, you could've enjoyed the feeling of being abandoned…Klein nodded, walked back to the desk, and said to Anderson Hood who had followed behind him, "Smear your blood on this book's cover. There's no need for too much."

"Smear it?" Anderson scrutinized Groselle's Travels out of curiosity before surveying the area. "Edwina's disappearance is related to it? Same for that failure of a hunter's disappearance? Ah, right. Blazing Danitz. I nearly forgot his name. Thankfully, his bounty is a bit higher than before."

The corner of Klein's mouth twitched as he replied frankly, "That's right."

"Interesting…" Anderson glanced at the desk, picked up the bronze dagger, and indifferently sliced open a bleeding gash in his hand.

Right on the heels of that, he carefully put down the dagger and smeared the blood on the dark brown cover of Groselle's Travels.

After a few seconds of observation, just as Anderson was about to pick up the bronze dagger and wipe off the remnant blood on it, his vision was suddenly blanketed by a blizzard.

Seeing Anderson disappear just like Danitz, Klein picked up another piece of paper and wiped away the blood on the dagger before folding it and putting it into his pocket.

He wasn't sure if the trio would appear at the same location after entering the world inside the book. Therefore, he made preparations by having materials needed for Dowsing Rod Seeking!

After doing all of this, Klein held that dagger and streaked it across the back of his hand.

His facial muscles twitched as he looked diagonally downwards. Only after a few seconds did he exert strength.

His body shook slightly as his head turned to the side. The corners of his mouth couldn't help but open.

When the blood flowed out, Klein, who was still holding the dagger, grabbed his cane and quickly smeared the red liquid over the ancient book's cover.

After a short delay, Klein found himself amidst a white land of snow.

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 695: Stark Contrast

Gales with icy fragments and goose feather-sized snowflakes blasted at Klein's face repeatedly. As he surveyed his surroundings, he couldn't help but tense up. He bent over slightly as he trembled.

How… cold…He nearly cursed out as he confirmed that he was in a land of ice and snow which had extremely low visibility.

He originally imagined that the moist coldness of Backlund's winter was terrifying, but he now knew that absolute low temperatures and strong winds that were as sharp as blades were a deadly combination. Even though he had worn an additional sweater ahead of time, and his coat was thick and long, he still couldn't withstand the chill.

He didn't wear Sun Brooch because the heat generated was psychological. It could be used to resist the influence of the intense chill for a short period of time, preventing his body from turning numb. But faced with an everlasting icy environment, it was equivalent to suicide. Heat at the psychological level made one's pores open up as though one was in summer. It would peel off the final layer of defense against low temperatures, and it would even proactively welcome it.

Therefore, Klein threw the mystical item above the gray fog. He planned on using it only on certain special occasions.

He couldn't afford to delay while in such harsh environments. After a preliminary observation of his surroundings, he immediately burned the blood on the bronze dagger and stuffed it into his pocket. Following that, Klein took out the Adventurer's Harmonica and blew into it.

Amidst the howling winds, he failed to discover the appearance of Miss Messenger, Tinekerr Reinette, through the Spirit Vision he activated.

Indeed, this place isn't connected to the spirit world. Or it should be said that this place has a unique spirit world for itself… Hmm, from the looks of it, praying to Sea God would be useless. Only charms that point to the mysterious space above the gray fog would tear through the barrier…

Here comes the problem, as a believer of the God of Knowledge and Wisdom, Edwina knows the true god's honorific name. Why didn't she seek "His" help? Or did she try to no avail?

Yes… Not every deity will personally reply to "Their" believers. Many a time, "They" seem to provide feedback based on certain laws. You probably can't find a second "secret existence" like me who takes on jobs like myself…Klein gave a self-deprecating laugh and made a preliminary judgment.

He then put away his harmonica, took out the paper slip with Danitz's blood, and he wrapped it at the end of his cane.

"Danitz's location."

Klein softly said as he began using Dowsing Rod Seeking.

Then, according to the outcome, he traversed across the thick snow, and he quickly tore through the frosty winds under the gloomy sky. From time to time, he would carry out a divination and adjust his bearings. After all, Danitz wouldn't wait in his original spot, as he would end up as an ice sculpture by doing so.

About ten minutes later, Klein discovered a scarlet flame.

Phew…He exhaled before taking a few steps forward to identify his target.

It was indeed Danitz. This famous pirate wore rather thin clothes. He wrapped his arms around himself as he walked forward with a lost expression.

However, he didn't seem to be that cold. This was because scarlet Fire Ravens were circling around him. They were boiling the snow and blocking out the winds, bringing about a spring-like warmth.

In such times, Klein especially admired a Pyromaniac. Although a Magician had the same ability to summon flames, it was an offensive ability that couldn't be maintained. It could only be used for a split moment. To rely on it to warm himself, he needed to constantly cast it, tiring himself out quickly. As for Flame Controlling, it depended on existing flames or ignitable materials. Both of them were extremely lacking in this world of ice.

As he saw the Fire Ravens soaring into the air, Klein sped up his pace and approached.

Danitz jumped in fright when he sensed someone approaching. When he saw who the newcomer was, he immediately heaved a sigh of relief. Then, with an odd expression, he forced a smile.

"Haha, there's no stars to be seen here. Getting lost is inevitable."

Klein ignored what he said as he directly asked, "Have you burned it?"

"I did!" Danitz hurriedly nodded, his entire being effusing with indescribable fear.

Klein observed Danitz for a few seconds and, after confirming that he wasn't lying, produced the polite smile of Gehrman Sparrow.

"Remember.

"Chanting 'His' honorific name makes you 'His' believer."

"…"

Danitz's expression twisted as he forced a smile which looked worse than crying.

"I don't want to change my faith! I have no intention of believing in an unknown existence of dubious origins!" He inwardly roared crazily but didn't say a word.

He suspected that any retort he makes would lead to him being buried in the snow by the madman!

Klein wore a smile that had hints of madness. He added with a calm tone, "Remember, keep it a secret.

"Once divulged, you and your captain will both die."

"What has this got to do with Captain?" Danitz blurted out.

Klein maintained his previous expression as he smiled at Danitz.

"Guess?"

Danitz gaped his mouth. With the reason known, all he could do was give a hollow chuckle.

"Do I look like someone who can't keep secrets?"

Klein nodded. As he took out the paper slip with Anderson's blood, he chuckled and said to Danitz, "Believe in 'Him.' Serve 'Him.' Perhaps one day, you will become a Blessed like me.

"When the time comes, your name will spread across the Five Seas. You will be in no way inferior to a pirate admiral."

As he spoke, he planned on adding a gesture as The Fool's believer, but sadly, he realized that he didn't have such a gesture. All he could do was console himself.

A secret organization needs to be secret. Doing all these kinds of superficial actions is meaningless… Mr. Hanged Man was right…

No way inferior to a pirate admiral…Danitz's eyes suddenly lit up.

Since I've already chanted the honorific name of this secret existence, there's really no way to avoid it from a mysticism point of view. I might as well take this opportunity…He instantly had many thoughts, having even named his future child.

Hehe, if it wasn't for Gehrman Sparrow's persona, I would've directly said that you would have the reputation and strength that matches Vice Admiral Iceberg when the time comes. Of course, whether she likes you will be a whole other matter. According to my observations, you stand little chance. The partner Edwina wishes to have is someone who can study and improve alongside her, someone who can discuss all kinds of knowledge…Klein mumbled as he used Dowsing Rod Seeking again.

"Anderson Hood's location."

"… He came in too?" Danitz was first taken aback before he asked in surprise.

Klein finished chanting the statement, released his cane, and determined the direction in which it fell. He then nodded and said, "I'm worried if he stays outside."

So you're also wary of Anderson Hood…Danitz couldn't hide his smile as he echoed, "That's right! He's the kind of person who smiles on the surface but will stab you in the back once you turn around!

"His reputation in the Fog Sea is terrible. There are no pirates that like him!

"He even deliberately tried to sully you, making us be wary of you, to view you with animosity!"

If pirates were to like him, it would only mean that his title as Strongest Hunter isn't substantial… I heard Anderson's provocations…Klein didn't reply. He picked up his cane and proceeded through the blizzard.

Danitz followed closely behind, using Fire Ravens to scatter the snow and block out the cold, so that they two didn't need to freeze.

Not bad. Quite sensible…At that moment, Klein once again experienced the benefits of having a servant—to have someone hold an umbrella during a rainy day, and someone to provide warmth in a blizzard!

In the white vastness, the two appeared like black dots, trudging through the snow. They proceeded forward for nearly twenty minutes before arriving at the location where the dowsing pointed to.

"He isn't here…" Danitz surveyed the area and failed to find any traces of Anderson Hood.

He didn't have any doubts about Gehrman Sparrow's Dowsing Rod Seeking, because he was the last person to be found with it.

Klein frowned as he activated his Spirit Vision and enhanced his spiritual perception.

Suddenly, he sensed something. He prodded forward with his cane, causing the snow in front of him to collapse.

The collapse revealed a cave. Inside it were dark rocks that were reflecting the light from a fire.

Klein crouched down. In his vision, he discovered that the cave extended into a narrow passage. And at the end of the passage was a bunch of glowing red rocks. Strange underground plants were slowly burning as Anderson Hood sat beside it. He was leisurely roasting an animal that resembled a rabbit. The fragrance of the fats and the warmth it brought were emanating out, drilling into Klein's and Danitz's noses.

"You guys are finally here? Want to give it a try? There's actually a strange rabbit around here that can live in such ice and snow." Anderson bent down, looking towards the entrance as though he was greeting companions on a camping trip with him.

Although he didn't say anything provocative, I really wish to beat him up…Klein entered the cave with a stoic expression. He came close to the fire and experienced the long-awaited bliss.

Danitz followed in tow. He looked at the fire which was roasting a rabbit and then at the Fire Ravens beside him before silently dispelling them.

"H-how did you find this cave?" Danitz asked in disgruntlement, unwilling to admit his inferiority, but his body betrayed him by leaning closer to the fire.

Anderson turned the rabbit which was impaled with his pitch-black sword, and he shot Danitz a glance.

"First lesson of being a hunter. Observe your surroundings. Be familiar with your surroundings. Make use of your surroundings."

Danitz's expression immediately froze.

Anderson looked at Gehrman Sparrow and chuckled.

"It's a cave I blasted open. How is it? It's not bad, right? I controlled my strength perfectly."

As he spoke, he took a whiff of the air and said, "How fragrant. The roasting seems to be done. Do you want to give it a try? Although I didn't bring any spices, there's rock salt here. It will just be a little astringent."

"Are you sure you can eat this? If it's a Beyonder creature, you might lose control with just one bite," Danitz said with a tsk.

Anderson glanced at him.

"Second lesson of being a hunter. Distinguish what can and cannot be eaten in the wilderness."

He carefully reached out his hand, pulled off a leg, and stuffed it into his mouth as he ate it with relish.

Klein was just about to say something when he suddenly felt a wanton aura approach from afar. The suppressive feeling that came from a high-leveled creature appeared extremely real. It made Danitz tremble uncontrollably.

The aura swept across them without noticing the strangeness of the cave beneath it. It then quickly departed.

King of the North…The title flashed across Klein's mind.

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 696: Giant Guardian

As the tyrannical aura flew past, high in the sky, Anderson's chewing came to a sudden halt. It was only when the entity was a distance away did he swallow the remaining rabbit meat. He looked up at Gehrman Sparrow.

"That was the dragon you were talking about?"

Klein nodded slightly, confirming Anderson's guess.

The corners of Anderson's mouth slowly curled up, revealing an expression as though he was at a loss on whether to laugh or cry.

"I thought you were talking about a mature or adolescent dragon. The one that just flew past…

"I probably won't be able to become a dragon hunter. Dragon feces perhaps."

The tyrannical feeling that the King of the North exudes is indeed a little terrifying. Compared to the pieced-together monster which made hair grow without restraint on the Future, it's a lot stronger… Perhaps, it's a Sequence 4, at the level of a demigod…Klein calmly made a judgment without revealing any hints of panic or horror.

He clearly remembered that Groselle's Travels had clearly indicated that the female pirate had managed to succeed in escaping from the King of the North's attack before meeting up with the team led by the main lead, Groselle.

And Edwina Edwards clearly wasn't a demigod. She was a Sequence 5 of the Reader pathway. Furthermore, as she was suddenly swallowed by the book, certain mystical items and Sealed Artifacts that she didn't permanently keep on her person were left in the captain's cabin. The tools she had that were useful to her were probably limited to one or two.

Under such a situation, she was able to defend against the King of the North and survive. Having just advanced, and having adjusted his inventory, Klein believed that it wouldn't faze him too much. Furthermore, he was still connected to the gray fog. He could use the Sea God Scepter to produce a response!

This was also why Klein dared to enter directly after confirming that Danitz was in an ordinary state during his prayer.

Yes, the King of the North doesn't seem like a demigod from a normal pathway. According to Vice Admiral Iceberg, it's a Rampager who gathers frost-related Beyonder characteristics, and it can match a demigod in certain domains but would have flaws in other aspects… Edwina, Anderson, and me, along with the Beyonders of the main lead's team, we wouldn't be helpless! If all else fails, I can still use the Sea God Scepter. I don't believe that this book can defend against items above the gray fog. If it could, it would've shown it long ago…Standing beside the fire, Klein looked down at Anderson and grinned.

"Are you afraid?"

Anderson was taken aback as he immediately beamed.

"Not at all. You seem to be very confident."

After saying that, he looked at Danitz, who was still trembling and trying hard to compose himself, before tsking.

"Do you know what's the most important thing for a man?"

Danitz had just taken a deep breath. He was stunned by what he heard as he held his right index finger and middle finger together, pointing to his crotch with uncertainty.

Anderson blinked before he roared with laughter.

"… B*stard, you really are a crude pirate!

"Haha, I wanted to say something, but… Haha, I can't remember it!

"Oh right, I wanted to say courage. Courage is the most important thing for a man. Look at you. The dragon hasn't even attacked, and you're almost hugging your head and begging for mercy!"

Danitz's face instantly flushed red as he glared at Anderson.

You weren't acting like this back at Toscarter…Klein couldn't help but lampoon.

Danitz was just about to make it clear that he was only influenced by the high-level creature when he suddenly recalled what was just said. His expression was immediately restored to normal as he casually replied, "I can't compare with dragon feces at all."

Anderson's smile froze as he coughed lightly. As though nothing had happened, he yanked off a rabbit's leg and handed it over to Gehrman Sparrow.

"Want a bite?"

Klein remained silent for a few seconds before he slowly shook his head.

"This is a strange world. Before confirming that there aren't any problems, it's best not to eat anything here.

"Perhaps it might be a piece of rabbit meat that will make you stay here forever."

"…" Anderson moved the roasted rabbit's leg to his nose before slowly putting it down. Following that, his face collapsed. "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

Klein calmly replied, "I just thought of this problem."

Anderson's expression turned twisted as he lowered his head. He quickly bit down on his roasted rabbit leg.

"A-aren't you afraid that something really bad will happen?" The Strongest Hunter's actions alarmed Danitz.

Anderson laughed helplessly.

"I've already eaten one earlier. I've already digested it by now… Since there's no way of turning back, I might as well focus on enjoying it."

Klein and Danitz were momentarily at a loss for words.

After Anderson finished gnawing on the rabbit's leg, he deliberated and asked, "Are you really not eating?"

"We have no idea how much time we'll be spending here. If we really do starve, how are we supposed to fight the dragon?"

Klein didn't reply. He took out his golden pocket watch and opened it.

"It's ten past six in the evening outside.

"We'll eat a little after four to six hours if nothing happens to you."

"…" Anderson turned agape, speechless.

Klein ignored him and turned to say to Danitz, "Fifteen minutes break. We'll search for your captain after that."

As he said that, he had already taken out the pearl earring belonging to Vice Admiral Iceberg Edwina Edwards.

"Alright." Danitz suddenly felt pumped with his blood boiling, completely forgetting the cold outside.

But after about eight seconds, he huddled close to the fire again.

…

Around seven in the evening in the outside world, Klein pressed down on his hat and held his cane. Together with Danitz and Anderson, he followed the revelation provided by his divination and found their way to a mountain.

After circling the boulders which were encased in thick layers of ice, they saw a dark mountain cave. Standing by the entrance was a woman holding an ancient bow.

The woman had a head of soft, lustrous black hair which she had simply tied into a pigtail. Her facial features were soft, making her look different from any national of the Northern Continent.

She wore a brown ancient-styled hunter's coat and trousers. She acutely cast her gaze over.

Upon seeing her slightly sharp ears, Klein immediately guessed her identity from matching her to the content in Groselle's Travels.

She was the female elf who got to know the giant, Groselle, at the very beginning. Her name was unknown.

Compared to Earth, people from the Northern Continent look more Caucasian. But this elf has more of an oriental charm…Klein quickly concluded this particular trait.

"An elf! She's identical to the elves drawn in the ancient Church drawings!" Anderson suddenly became excited. "I have to negotiate with her to get her to be my model so that I can draw a few portraits of her!"

By the side, Danitz scoffed. He mocked in a succinct manner, "Boorish!"

Clearly, he hadn't forgotten Anderson's previous mockery.

"Do you only know of that kind of drawing?" Anderson shot a glance at him, sped up, and walked towards the female elf.

Just as he approached, the female elf didn't hesitate to raise her bow. The arrow strung on it shimmered with silver lightning.

"Wait!" Anderson immediately raised his hands.

It's useless. The elves mostly belong to the Storm pathway. They are prone to being irascible and rash…Klein secretly activated his Spirit Body Threads, planning to achieve initial control over the elf in order to let her listen calmly.

At this moment, Anderson saw a blur before seeing two thick, huge, muscular grayish-blue legs. Embedded in the snow was a huge, terrifying sword!

"…" Anderson was horrified to realize that his height only reached the leg's knees. He instinctively followed the sword and looked up, bit by bit.

With his head almost completely facing upwards, he finally saw the giant who was nearly four meters tall!

The giant's skin was grayish blue. His abdomen and waist was covered in a thick furry beast hide, leaving him naked everywhere else. Even his legs lacked protection.

He pounded on the sword which was wider than a human door, and using his trademark single vertical eye to look at Anderson, Klein, and Danitz, he asked with a booming voice, "Who are you?

"Why are you here in the Groselle camp?"

Klein was just about to reply when a familiar figure suddenly walked out from the dark mountain cave. Danitz's eyes were instantly filled with ecstasy.

Dressed in a complicated shirt and dark-colored trousers, Edwina swept her gaze across the trio. Her usually cold expression revealed a rather flabbergasted look, as though she hadn't expected to see Gehrman Sparrow and Anderson Hood here.

She quickly composed herself and looked up at the giant.

"Groselle, they are my companions."

Groselle widened his huge mouth into a grin and asked in delight, "Are you also here to help deal with Ulyssan?

Ulyssan?Klein was momentarily left at a loss for an answer.

At that moment, he saw Edwina, who was standing in the giant's shadow, give him a look. She wanted him to give an affirmative answer.

Ulyssan is the King of the North?Klein replied in thought, "Yes."

"Haha, then we are friends!" Groselle looked down at the trio and laughed.

As he spoke, Anderson silently retreated back to Gehrman Sparrow's side as he said under his breath, "This is the first time I'm meeting a living giant.

"There's no way of hitting his vital spots. He's just too tall!"

You can hit his legs…Klein lampooned and calmly replied, "A huge target makes it easy to strike them."

"… That's right." Anderson agreed.

At that moment, Edwina walked over and introduced the three of them:

"This is the leader of the camp, Giant Guardian Groselle.

"This is the Elvish Songster, Siatas."

Elvish Songster? Ocean Songster?Klein suddenly felt that there was hope for Mr. Hanged Man's potion formula.

Edwina turned halfway around and said to Groselle and Siatas, "They are my companions.

"The strongest adventurer, Gehrman Sparrow; treasure-hunter, Anderson Hood; and renowned sailor, Danitz."

… I always thought Vice Admiral Iceberg was the serious type who never lied… Renowned sailor. Ha, in a certain way, that's true…Klein took off his hat and gave a serious bow. Anderson followed suit in a rather casual and perfunctory manner.

Reeling in his delight that his captain had introduced him as a companion instead of a subordinate, Danitz was slower than the others as he acted in a fluster.

Groselle laughed.

"Come on in. We will be fighting that evil dragon, Ulyssan, at any moment now!"

How warm and amiable… But be it the Churches' canon or the myths of the City of Silver, giants are extremely violent creatures who have a strong desire for destruction… Yes, anything is possible in a book. It all depends on whether the author can make everything flow nicely…Klein nodded slightly as he followed Groselle into the spacious cave.

When Edwina saw this, she approached the trio without showing any signs of abnormal behavior. As though she was leading the way, she whispered, "The history they speak of is a little odd.

"Same for their language. Regardless of the language they speak, all of us can understand it."

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 697: Story's Progress

Everyone can understand each other regardless of the language used?Klein skipped over Edwina's first sentence and focused his attention on the second sentence that didn't seem too problematic.

Although this was the book world created by Groselle's Travels, everything was possible, but there were certain details that still revealed problems.

To Klein, he wasn't too caught up with how that they could understand each other, but the kind of method that resulted in the comprehension.

This world incorporates something akin to the rule of language comprehension, or does it have a conscious residing high above everyone else, helping in the real-time translation work, just like what I do at the Tarot Gatherings? If it were the former, targets who don't understand Jotun will only hear an unfamiliar language, but they would understand the meaning. If it were the latter, it will be them hearing a language they're familiar with…As he knew many ancient and supernatural languages, Klein was unable to figure out the situation immediately. He slowed down his footsteps and walked alongside Danitz. He asked while suppressing his voice, "Can you tell what language Groselle was using when he was speaking?"

Danitz was taken aback for a second. He recalled and said, "It's a language which sounds a little familiar yet unfamiliar, but I was able to understand everything."

The supernatural languages he knew were ancient Hermes, followed by Elvish. He was only a beginner in Jotun.

Yes, it's something like the rule of language comprehension… It's comprehension at the level of the mind… This means that the entire book world's fundamental rules can be different from the outside world. It's a setting that it comes with, but the changes don't seem capable of exceeding certain limits. This point remains suspect and requires verification. After all, I can't eliminate the existence of someone like The Fool, someone who completely interprets the communication via the mind… Edwina is indeed sharp and good at observing. The problem she discovered leads straight to this book world's essence…Amidst his thoughts, Klein unhurriedly entered the huge, dark cave.

As for the history described by the members of the main lead's team, he wasn't the least bit surprised. He even looked forward to hearing the details.

Klein long knew that the various Churches and the Northern Continent's countries had consciously attempted to destroy or conceal information, to hide the true history of the Fourth Epoch, Third Epoch, and even the Second Epoch. What people knew as common knowledge actually differed from the people who used to live in those eras.

This was also one of the reasons why Klein took on the risk to enter the book world!

Inside the spacious and windy cave, a bonfire scattered its light and heat on three humanoid figures.

One of them was a middle-aged man in an extremely spartan white robe. He had wrinkles but didn't appear old. He had his back to the fire as he faced the stone wall with his eyes closed, focused on his prayers. He had short brown hair, and his shoulders, arms, calves, and feet were exposed, revealing all kinds of old scars.

Beside him was a lad using a stone for a pillow. He donned a black, heavy full-body armor. By his hand was an erected black sword that emitted a cold shimmering light. His facial features were rather deep, giving him clear Loen traits.

Sitting opposite the two was a man in his thirties who was dressed strangely. He gave people a sense of unease. He wore a sharp and hard black hat, and his coat's buttons were mismatched. It was messy and chaotic, highly asymmetric and unharmonious.

In addition, the tips of his leather boots curled up high, making him look like a circus clown.

This man had quite a handsome face. He had flaxen-colored hair, deep brown eyes, a high nose, and thin lips. Even though he sat there, he gave off an arrogant feeling.

Edwina pointed at him and said, "Solomon Empire's Viscount Mobet Zoroast, a gentleman who can take away the ideals and dreams of others."

"You don't have to mince your words. Hello there, I'm a Sequence 5 Dream Stealer of the Marauder pathway," Mobet said with a chuckle. He acted nothing like the arrogance he seemed to exude.

A member of the Zoroast family… The angel parasitizing Leonard's body is from this family. Perhaps they know each other? Heh, I now know the name of Sequence 4 and 5 of the Marauder pathway, but I don't even know the corresponding Sequence 6 and 7…Many thoughts flashed through Klein's mind as he maintained his stoic look.

At that moment, Anderson warmly greeted him with a smile and asked as though they were pals, "To be frank, this is the first time I'm hearing of Dream Stealer. I only know of Marauder and Swindler. There are two Sequences in the middle I'm not aware of."

"Are the Beyonders of this pathway already so scarce? Doesn't Edwina know? Sequence 7 Cryptologist and Sequence 6 Fire Bandit. Haha, let me do the introductions." Mobet warmly pointed to the praying man whose back was facing everyone. "The pious ascetic, Snowman. He believes in the Lord that created everything, the omnipotent and omniscient God. Don't mind him. He's completely sealed himself in his beliefs. But in combat, he's a very reliable companion. Eh, Snowman, you should say something at the very least."

Mobet, who didn't receive a response, stroked his chin with a rueful smile.

"This is the treatment I often receive. You might find it hard to imagine that I was an arrogant, reserved, and refined nobleman. But time has changed everything. Heh heh, that happens when your companion is a giant who only knows how to chuckle foolishly and shout slogans…"

When he said this, Groselle, who was sitting on a rock, smiled in a simple and good-natured manner. He raised his hand to scratch the back of his head as his single vertical eye didn't show the ferocity and cruelness that giants were strongly rumored to have.

Mobet shook his head and pointed at the ascetic, Snowman.

"As for him, he might not speak a single word for years or even a decade. Siatas is a very violent woman. As long as there are any emotional stirrings in her, she'll beat me up. Sigh, I'm as afraid of her now as I was infatuated over her back then. Therefore, I can only make conversation and speak to them; otherwise, I'll definitely go mad!

"Thankfully, Frunziar came later. He's quite the conversationalist. Hey, Frunziar, wake up! We have new companions!"

The sleeping black-armored knight slowly woke up as he looked at Klein and company.

Suddenly, there was the sound of metal striking each other as he stood up. Staring at Klein, he said, "Loenese?"

"Yes," Klein nodded frankly. He discovered that this Loen soldier who had gone missing for 165 years didn't look old. He had black hair and sharp, blue eyes. He made one submit to him unknowingly.

Frunziar appeared adrift for a moment as he quickly composed himself.

"Do you know of Backlund's Edward family?"

"Backlund has many Edwards," Klein replied simply.

"The Edward family that lives at 18 Delahire Street in Northwest Borough," Frunziar pressed anxiously.

Klein shook his head.

"Northwest Borough no longer exists."

"Northwest Borough no longer exists…" Frunziar repeated those words as his voice grew softer.

He fell silent for a few seconds before exhaling.

"I've no idea how many years have passed outside, but it should've been quite a while. Edwina told me the actual year, but I don't remember the year I entered… I was sleeping most of the time, and time here seems to be frozen."

Mobet Zoroast chuckled upon hearing that.

"That's because you have bad luck. Back when we were passing through cities and villages, everything was perfect."

He looked at Klein, Anderson, and Danitz.

"Back then, we lived in places with humans, with intelligent races. We got married again and again, seeing our wives turn old, grow weak, and die. Heh, before a new member joins, we would forget our goals. We would lead ordinary but happy and relaxed lives for decades or centuries. The only con is that we aren't able to bear our own children.

"Later, Frunziar came. We entered this region blanketed by ice and snow. We hunted many monsters, but gradually, we began to fall into a slumber. We were seldom awake until we met Edwina."

This means that time in the book world flows normally. The story's progress is maintained by a certain power that influences the main lead's party. Before new members join and before the book's pages flip, they'll stop and stay at a certain node, doing other things… This is similar to the inter-translation of languages at the mind level…

Conversely, does this also mean that towns and villages in the book world also develop normally? Yes, I have to quickly find King of the North Ulyssan; otherwise, with the passage of time, we might also experience that influence and fall into a slumber or forget the main quest. We'll stay here for a long period of time until a new member is swallowed into the book and finds us…Klein fell silent for a few seconds. Just as he was about to say something, Edwina said, "There's no need to worry about that problem.

"We will soon encounter the King of the North."

"Why?" Anderson and Mobet asked in unison.

Edwina surveyed the area and said, "Before I entered, the stuck pages in the book only had a few more pages.

"And now, with you entering and finding the camp, there definitely can't be many pages left. The story is about to come to an end."

Mobet nodded indiscernibly in agreement with Edwina's judgment. Anderson softly mumbled terms such as "stuck."

Edwina then introduced Klein, Anderson, and Danitz as she made an example of herself and sat down beside the bonfire.

Klein took off his hat and held it with his cane. He slowly sat down and looked at Mobet Zoroast who was inclined to chat.

"Have you heard of the Tudor Empire and the Trunsoest Empire?"

He didn't beat around the bush and asked directly. That was Gehrman Sparrow's persona.

"No." Mobet shook his head. "Edwina has already asked me. Heh, in my era, the Tudors and Trunsoests were just like my Zoroast family. We're aristocratic families of the Solomon Empire and were loyal subjects of the Black Emperor."

So the Trunsoest and Tudor families were traitors of the Solomon Empire…Klein thought and said, "Apart from you, what other aristocratic families did the Solomon Empire have?"

"Many." Mobet smiled as he looked at Frunziar. "Augustus, Abraham, Zaratul, etc. In my era, the Church of the Evernight Goddess's archenemies were the Church of the God of Combat and the Southern Continent's Eggers family. The Churches of the Lord of Storms, Eternal Blazing Sun, and the God of Knowledge and Wisdom were all at odds with each other, all of them hoping to gain the support of the Solomon Empire."

He paused for two seconds as his expression gradually turned solemn.

"Back then, deities walked the land, and not in the astral world."

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 698: Fifth King of Angels

Deities walked the land, and not in the astral world… In the early Fourth Epoch, during the era of the Solomon Empire, there was no distinguishing between the worlds of myth and reality. Deities directly walked the land without the need for a descent?

This is somewhat similar to the Second Epoch as written in the City of Silver's books. The Giant King's Court and other locations are separated by a door in the real world. They just needed to pass through it and return the same way. Mortals and deities mixed together in the chaos and darkness… Also, the astral world really does correspond to deities…After hearing Viscount Mobet Zoroast's description, Klein instantly began connecting the dots.

He subconsciously swept a glance at Groselle, as this giant was very likely someone who had experienced the history of the Second Epoch!

Groselle picked up a cup larger than a wooden bucket and gulped down some melted snow as he laughed.

"Mobet, what's there to be surprised about? Why are you so solemn?"

"I've no idea why I became so solemn either." Bit by bit, Mobet Zoroast revealed a smile. "Haha, it might be something very normal for us, but in their eyes, it's terrifying and unbelievable. I have to use a suitable expression to describe it in order to achieve a satisfactory result. Do you still remember Frunziar's expression when we told him those stories in the very beginning? He almost knelt down to seek forgiveness from the Lord of Storms."

"…" Klein, Danitz, and company were momentarily unsure of the expression of words they should use to respond.

Anderson leaned over to Gehrman Sparrow and said with a suppressed voice, "I think he has the talent to be a Provoker."

He appeared to be suppressing his voice, but his words could be heard by everyone present.

Mobet didn't mind as he chuckled before continuing, "I know that you aren't very convinced and find it unbelievable that deities walked the lands, just like Edwina's previous reactions. Heh heh, I can give you two examples. The Chasm of Storm on Pasu Island and the Tenebrous Heaven in the Amantha mountain range were the divine kingdoms of the Lord of Storms and Evernight. They were divine kingdoms located on land. They were divine kingdoms separated from the real world by a mere illusory door!

Pasu Island? Isn't that where the holy altar of the Church of Storms is? The Amantha mountain range… Amantha means serenity in Hermes; this refers to a holy cathedral, the Cathedral of Serenity? When the deities no longer walked the land, "Their" kingdoms became the headquarters of their respective churches?Klein instinctively believed that Mobet Zoroast wasn't lying as he used it to come to certain conclusions.

Danitz was puzzled and horrified by what he heard. He subconsciously wanted to leave, but when he saw his captain listening attentively, Gehrman Sparrow who was in thought, and Anderson Hood who wore a look of interest on his face, he could only hold back his urge as he sought a better, more comfortable seating position.

At that moment, the Elvish Songster Siatas, who was in charge of the perimeter, walked in and said with contempt, "Do not mention that fake god. The authority of the storm only belongs to the king of us elves!"

Her voice was clear and beautiful, but her tone was filled with anger and irascibility. It felt as though she would raise her hands at any moment to shoot an arrow at Mobet Zoroast.

"Alright, I will use the words 'fake god,'" Mobet raised his hand to adjust his sharp and hard black hat.

Siatas retracted her gaze. She then said to the former Loen soldier, Frunziar Edward, who wasn't a staunch believer of the Lord of Storms, "It's your turn!"

Frunziar raised his head a little; his expression in a trance-like state.

Apparently, he hadn't noticed the conversation and argument from before. He drew the iron-black sword beside him and walked towards the cave entrance.

Klein observed for a moment and took the opportunity to speak to the elf, Siatas.

"Do you know of Queen of Calamity, Cohinem?"

He wasn't actually sure if Cohinem was Elf King Soniathrym's subsidiary god, Queen of Calamity. His inquiry was for Elvish Songster Siatas to give him the answer.

Siatas's gentle and exquisite face immediately produced a trance-like expression like Frunziar's.

"I haven't heard 'Her' name in a long time. 'She' is the queen of us elves.

"Mobet and Frunziar didn't even know of 'Her' existence…

"Where did you encounter 'Her,' no—learn of 'Her' situation?"

As she spoke, Siatas's tone became urgent.

At that moment, Danitz looked at Gehrman Sparrow in surprise, reflecting over the revelation that the madman was so knowledgeable. He was even able to share a common topic of interest with an elf from ancient times.

"I never expected you to be a scholar… I really couldn't tell. Couldn't tell at all…" Anderson sighed as he shook his head.

Vice Admiral Iceberg Edwina likewise cast her gaze at Klein. Her limpid blue eyes had a strong desire to learn from him.

Klein answered frankly, "I've once entered a ruin belonging to Queen of Calamity Cohinem and obtained some items."

"Ruin?" Siatas ruminated over that word in a soft voice, her tone having seemingly lost something unimportant, but something that she couldn't bear to part with.

"From the situation inside, 'She' might not be truly dead." After seeing Siatas's eyes light up, Klein went straight to the point. "Do you have the Ocean Songster's potion formula? Can I use something to exchange for it?"

He felt that being honest and direct with a Beyonder from the Storm pathway was the best choice.

Siatas thought and said, "Use one of Her Majesty's items for the exchange."

"I only obtained a wine cup made of gold. It's already been crushed flat. Complicated patterns are engraved on it, with the Elvish phrases Calamity and Cohinem." Klein didn't hide the truth.

"I know about that cup. It was the cup Her Majesty loved the most," Siatas said, unable to hide her excitement. "Deal!"

"The cup is outside." Klein had no intention of heading above the gray fog in front of everyone.

Siatas nodded.

"I understand.

"We will complete the transaction after we leave this book."

Having said that, she pressed her palms together.

"The Storm will definitely belong to the elves!"

Before anyone spoke, she asked curiously, "What else did you discover there?"

"Some murals depicting the Elf King battling an ancient sun god." Klein shot a glance at the ascetic, Snowman, who believed in the Lord that created everything, the omnipotent and omniscient God.

With his back still facing the fire, the middle-aged man who was facing the stone wall finally opened his mouth.

"No, 'He' isn't the Sun God.

"'He' is our Lord, the father of all things, the great source of everything.

"'He' wasn't battling the Elf King, but taking back the authority which belonged to him.

Just as Snowman said that, Siatas stood up and aimed her arrow at him.

Suddenly, this Elvish Songster's plaited black hair flared up in violation of the laws of nature. The strands of hair were distinct and they were all swirling with silver lightning, emitting a strange deep blue luster.

Just as Siatas was about to release the arrow, a huge grayish-blue palm appeared before her, blocking the arrow tip, without any fear of being struck.

It was the palm of the giant, Groselle. One of the traits of this race was its exaggerated limbs. They were so long that they appeared a little distorted. Therefore, simply by sitting there, he could stop Siatas by extending his arm.

"Alright, Snowman, cut it out. As you know, Siatas is an elf who likes to put actions before words," Groselle said to the ascetic before turning his head to the Elvish Songster. "Siatas, we are companions who can leave our backs to each other. We have experienced plenty of dangers together. You can retort Snowman and even beat him up, but do not attempt to harm him."

As expected of the lead of the book. He's filled with positivity… But what's the difference in beating him and harming him?Klein couldn't help but mumble.

Siatas grunted and sat back down, turning the mood heavy and silent with a level of awkwardness.

Giant Groselle used his single vertical eye to survey the area before chuckling.

"Then, I'll talk about my past.

"Before entering this book, I lived in the Giant King's Court. I was one of the guardians of the Waning Forest. It's somewhere only our king can enter. Rumor has it that buried inside it are 'His' parents, who also form the origins of us giants."

The Giant King's Court is formed of many parts, and the Waning Forest is one of them? Buried in there is the most ancient ancestor of the giants?Klein listened attentively, only wishing to ask more.

To him, this was more valuable than the Fourth Epoch's history. This was because the City of Silver's hope likely laid in the Giant King's Court.

However, before he opened his mouth, Edwina spoke before him.

"Groselle, what did the book look like when you received it?"

Groselle raised his hand to rub his cheeks.

"It had nothing, like an empty book waiting to be written."

I even thought that Groselle might be a completely fictional character in the book…Klein deliberated for a few seconds and didn't directly ask about the details of the Giant King's Court. He turned to say to Mobet Zoroast, "Do you know of Blasphemer Amon?"

"Blasphemer refers to the entire family of Amon. They are the archenemies of us Zoroasts. It's said that they have a very powerful and terrifying ancestor that even Ouroboros and Medici viewed with great importance. They even feel fear towards 'Him,' but no one knows of 'His' actual name," Mobet introduced in detail.

Ouroboros, Medici? Yes, back then the True Creator and Rose Redemption supported the Solomon Empire…Klein's heart stirred as he immediately asked, "Then, have you heard of the name Sasrir?"

Mobet was taken aback as he slowly shook his head.

"Never."

Dark Angel Sasrir's name and title vanished after the Cataclysm? It was buried?Klein confirmed a fact through this.

At that moment, Snowman, who was facing the stone wall, said with a deep voice, "Sasrir is the Dark Angel, the leader of the Kings of Angels, the one closest to the Lord."

I was waiting for your answer…Klein cast his gaze on the ascetic and asked in a deep voice, "Apart from 'Him,' Ouroboros, Medici, and Amon, what other Kings of Angels are there? You don't have to say out all 'Their' names."

Klein was afraid that it would result in unnecessary reactions, just like the "repenter" in Afternoon Town.

Edwina, Anderson, and Danitz were at a loss from the very beginning. This was because the contents of the conversation between Gehrman Sparrow and the few ancient figures were things that they had never heard of. They found it unbelievable that this crazy adventurer knew so many secrets!

After a few seconds of silence, Snowman said, "There's also the Angel of Imagination, Adam…"

Just as he said the name, the entire cave shook. The familiar and crazy tyrannical aura rapidly descended!

King of the North Ulyssan had arrived!

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 699: Boss Fight

Loen soldier, Frunziar Edward, who was onguard by the cave's entrance, saw a massive figure descend from the sky just as he moved. It landed on a huge boulder covered in thick layers of ice. The wings which were covered in a membrane of skin weren't retracted as they continued spreading outward, nearly blocking out all the surrounding light.

The illusory armored scales that resembled frozen ice and the violent eerie-blue dragon eyes were immediately reflected in Frunziar's eyes. He instinctively sensed danger as he raised his iron-black sword and leaped to the side, rolling far away from where he was standing.

Almost at the same moment, King of the North Ulyssan opened its mouth, silently spewing out a distorted icy-blue flame towards the cave. It froze everything in its wake!

Moments later, the icy-blue flames produced a tidal wave formed from illusory light as they surged into the dark cave, sealing everything it passed in ice.

The words "Angel of Imagination, Adam" were still flashing across Klein's mind as he couldn't help but recall Emperor Roselle's description of the Twilight Hermit Order. Their mission was to revive the original Creator, and they had a High-Sequence Beyonder of the Spectator pathway among their ranks, or even the Uniqueness. The means in which they summoned the members was through a true dream that connected the eastern and western ends of the continent. Furthermore, it had the characteristic of being detected upon being mentioned. But even so, he still instinctively reacted in response to the impending danger.

He lunged sideways, dodging towards the uneven parts of the cave, attempting to use the rocks ahead to block the attack.

However, the surging icy-blue light was like a tidal wave that drowned every corner of the cave. It sealed everything, leaving no safe zones inside the cave.

Seeing his surroundings turn into an icy cage, a gigantic, grayish-blue figure appeared before Klein's eyes.

Groselle had stepped forward without a sound. He genuflected with his left knee, leaning his back forward as he stabbed the broadsword in front of him.

Light that resembled the dawn of light bloomed as illusory walls formed to the left and right of Groselle, protecting everyone behind them.

An icy-blue "tidal wave" surged over, splitting at the erect broadsword before colliding with the light of dawn on both sides.

Everything in the mountain cave turned dark for Klein and company before a small source of light was restored.

They could still see that the bonfire had been extinguished. It was especially dark with the dim rays of light outside attempting to tear through the layers of ice.

At that moment, every inch of space in front of Groselle was frozen. The giant seemed to become a bug stuck in amber!

Right on the heels of that, the sword which was embedded in the ground emitted a luster resembling the light of dawn.

They mixed together, enveloping Groselle before turning into a Hurricane of Light that swept outwards.

Silently, the layer of ice had a huge hole burned through it as it extended all the way to the cave's mouth. Groselle's grayish-blue figure had vanished from where he was.

Elvish Songster Siatas, who hadn't had time to tie her head, held her bow and arrows. Embraced by the swirling gales around her, she charged out the cave without any delay. Dressed in an asymmetrical black coat, the Solomon Empire Viscount Mobet Zoroast mumbled, "don't be in a rush" or "it's finally here" as he ran, following closely behind Siatas.

The ascetic, Snowman, stood up as well. He tapped his chest four times as though he was forming the shape of a cross.

"May the Lord bless me!"

Amidst his hoarse and dry voice, he stepped onto the biting cold ice with his bare feet and ran out of the cave.

Klein didn't hesitate either. He didn't draw his revolver, and he kept his hands empty. Together with Anderson, who was clenching Death Brachydont tightly, they ran into the hole in the ice.

Dressed in a shirt with complicated patterns, Edwina Edwards looked at Danitz, who was trembling due to the aura of the high-level entity. She said with a gentle, but emotionless tone, "Stay here."

Having said that, the look in her blue eyes deepened. Gales howled around her, pushing her out of the cave.

Stay here…Danitz was stunned. He subconsciously surveyed his surroundings and saw the walls covered in frost and the completely extinguished bonfire.

The cave was silent with him being the only one left.

Danitz's trembling body slowly came to a stop as he turned agape. However, he didn't say a word as he saw his captain's figure disappear from the cave's entrance.

Outside the cave, Frunziar Edward, who had just rolled to avoid the first series of attacks, saw Ulyssan spread its wings as it was about to leap into the sky, closing the distance between it and his party. He ensured his safety as he steadied his figure and pushed his left palm out diagonally.

Immediately following that, he declared a statement in ancient Hermes: "Flying is prohibited here!"

Suddenly, the frost dragon's wings that blotted out the sky seemed to be weighed down by invisible objects weighing a hundred times its body weight. It began flapping them with great difficulty.

The King of the North immediately let out a furious roar as the loud sonic boom drilled into Frunziar's ears, making his stagger.

With a whoosh, the pair of wings finally managed to flap, stirring up the snow and frost around it into the air.

Although it was difficult on Ulyssan's part, it eventually managed to fly.

At that moment, Disciplinary Paladin Frunziar's expression turned solemn. He said a sentence constructed in ancient Hermes once again: "Violators will be punished!"

Just as he said that, his figure leaped up at a speed which was faster than Ulyssan, as though he had been augmented by some unknown power.

Ding!

Frunziar extended his body in midair as he brandished the iron-black sword in hand, striking down at the King of the North's neck with his posture speaking great certainty of a hit.

A clear crack appeared on the crystalline armor plates as it spread slightly; however, this failed to make Ulyssan bleed.

The frost dragon didn't even feel the pain as its eerie-blue eyes locked onto Frunziar, its expression cruel and tyrannical.

It then lifted up its front claws while Frunziar remained in midair without any means of dodging.

At that critical moment, a hurricane blew over, pushing the black-armored Disciplinary Paladin away, causing Ulyssan's strike to swipe at air. Its strike caused an explosive boom despite the miss.

Elvish Songster Siatas didn't hesitate to take action once she rushed out the cave, saving Frunziar immediately.

Immediately following that, her hair flared up in violation of the laws of nature. They were distinct with swirling lightning bolts.

She aimed her arrow at the large but slow, flying target in the sky, King of the North, before firmly pulling back the arrow.

The sky turned dark, as though dark clouds had gathered as lightning bounced through them.

Unable to fly smoothly due to the Disciplinary Paladin's influence, Ulyssan suddenly pulled back its wings, swooping down at Siatas like a high-speed train.

At that moment, a grayish-blue figure that left one feeling safe had appeared in front of the King of the North's trajectory!

Groselle genuflected once again, plunging the broadsword, which was unusable by human hands, in front of himself.

Dawn-like light surfaced, forming an invisible, impenetrable wall.

Boom!

The collision between the frost dragon and Groselle was like a terrifying explosion. It shattered the layers of ice around them, pushing them outwards.

Groselle failed to keep his footing firm as he flew out like a ball, tumbling past Siatas before slamming loudly into the mountain wall. A huge amount of snow and ice stalactites crashed from above, nearly causing an avalanche.

As for Ulyssan, it wasn't sent retreating. It remained standing in its original spot.

Having had its swooping attack interrupted, its hind legs were in the ground as its body leaned forward. It shook its neck before aiming its open mouth at Siatas.

The Solomon Empire's noble, Mobet Zoroast, had long arrived beside Siatas. Upon seeing this, he hurriedly extended his right hand and rapidly turned his wrist.

Ulyssan forgot what it was doing despite having its mouth completely open. It stood there in a daze without continuing its attack. Suddenly, Mobet turned his head and spit to the side.

"Pui!"

The spit was ordinary without any special traits to it.

Seizing this opportunity, Snowman, the ascetic who came out, raised his arms as though he was embracing god's grace.

Then, he said to the Elvish Songster in ancient Hermes, "God says it's effective!"

With a sizzling sound, the flashes of lightning surrounding Siatas brightened greatly as they surged out, entangling with the arrow.

She released her grip as an arrow shot out.

Boom!

Dark clouds gathered in the air as a thick bolt of lightning smote down, augmenting that arrow.

The arrow turned completely silver, as though it was shot from the god of lightning. It struck Ulyssan's forehead at a completely unavoidable speed.

Layers of ice disappeared as the illusory armor plating cracked. The arrow stabbed into the King of the North's head, making it let out a deafening cry.

Light blue blood gushed out and quickly froze as the frost dragon's ugly face shook violently as silver bolts zapped at it.

At that moment, Klein and Anderson came out of the cave. Disciplinary Paladin Frunziar had tumbled onto the ground before standing up again. Groselle extended his palms from the snow pile, rubbing his head. He didn't appear seriously injured.

With so many teammates, I don't have to be the main assault force. I can attempt to control Ulyssan's Spirit Body Threads… From my observations, it doesn't seem to have the defensive abilities of a demigod. Of course, it's much stronger than a Sequence 5… A five-meter radius is a little dangerous…Klein looked at the frost dragon as he quickly had an idea.

Lord of the Mysteries (Web Novel)
Chapter 700: Excellent Teamwork

King of the North Ulyssan's tragic cries rapidly turned into a roar. Following that, a snowstorm engulfed the area outside the cave, reducing the visibility to less than five meters.

Howling gales swept up dense "goose feathers" as they covered every inch of space. Meanwhile, an icy-blue halo rapidly extended outwards, clinging close to the ground. It left frozen ice everywhere in its wake as it passed.

Klein, who had his vision and hearing affected by the blizzard, instantly had the corresponding scene surface in his mind. He hurriedly bent his knees and kicked his heels, jumping high up, allowing the icy-blue halo to sweep underneath him.

As for Mobet Zoroast, who wasn't adept at combat, he was already too close to the icy-blue halo when he noticed it. He didn't have the time to jump up.

At that moment, he was hoisted up by his shoulders as the bottom of his feet had a tempestuous hurricane lift him up into the air. With this combination, he instantly flew up into the sky, avoiding the outcome of being frozen.

Mobet turned his head and, without surprise, saw the deadpan Siatas. This Elvish Songster could only muster up strong winds to glide forward due to the "law" forbidding flight.

Anderson, Edwina, Snowman, and Frunziar reacted accordingly, jumping in time and dodging the attack without succumbing to it. Only Groselle, who had just pulled out his broadsword from the snow, was hit in the legs by the icy-blue halo, as he couldn't dodge in time.

Layers of ice instantly surged upwards as Groselle stood on the spot like a frozen corpse.

Whoosh!

The exaggerated blizzard obscured all the Beyonders' vision, making them lose their vision of the frost dragon. All they could do was passively defend against any attacks.

At that moment, Snowman, who hadn't dropped to the ground, spread out his arms once again and said solemnly in ancient Hermes, "God says it's ineffective!"

The violent blizzard suddenly calmed down significantly. Be it the tempestuous hurricanes or the dense snowflakes, they were weakened or had been cut in half.

Siatas vaguely made out a gigantic face with an ugly lizard-like face. The broken arrow was still embedded in its forehead.

Ulyssan had taken the opportunity to close the distance between them!

Siatas didn't panic. The strong winds suddenly changed directions, sending Mobet and her floating backward. Meanwhile, her chilled, pale lips opened as she sang in ancient and abstruse Elvish, "The rocks are destined to be shattered by the waves;

"The trees are destined to be struck down by the winds;

"The mountains are destined to crumble by the lightning…"

As every word in Elvish was rich and filled with meaning, the constructed sentences were extremely succinct. Therefore, the lyrics didn't waste too much of Siatas's time. Furthermore, from the moment the first word was spoken and from the beginning of the beautiful and forceful rhythm, the winds in the blizzard began to experience changes!

The howling sounds of wind turned chaotic as it spread out in every direction. Ulyssan's massive figure once again appeared before Klein and company's eyes.

When Siatas sang the third phrase, Disciplinary Paladin Frunziar had already pushed out his right palm and profoundly said in ancient Hermes, "Imprison!"

Instantly, the frost dragon which was about to rush Siatas and Mobet had frozen on the spot. Surrounding it were layers of transparent walls.

And as Frunziar said that softly, Edwina, who had just found her footing, made her light-blue eyes turn black. Inside them flowed a sticky liquid that seemed to be the manifestation of all the evil in the depths of one's heart.

She gently clenched her right palm as Ulyssan stood up with a roar, instantly ripping apart the effects of Imprison.

The frost dragon's eerie-blue eyes were filled with blankness and pain. It seemed to be still immersed in the emotions of sudden madness and ruthlessness.

Even though this was a state it was always in, to have it fully triggered was uncomfortable.

Without a doubt, it was a dragon who found it difficult to control its emotions!

Seizing the opportunity of Ulyssan's brief pause, Anderson Hood condensed a burning-white spear in his hand. Then, he bent his back and threw it out.

Without waiting for the outcome, flames appeared under the Strongest Hunter's feet, turning the ice into liquid.

Sou!

The spear accurately struck the frost dragon's half-open mouth, quickly melting the thick armor plates of ice, with the excess force penetrating the upper part of its forehead.

Ulyssan let out another tragic cry as its hind legs stomped backward, sending its body lunging forward. It stayed close to the ground as it rushed towards Anderson with a terrifying speed.

The only thing in its eyes was this worm that had dealt significant amounts of damage to it!

Schwing!

The snow split apart as a deep and wide chasm opened up in the ground. It emanated all the way to where Anderson was as it continued extending.

Bang!With its terrifying inertia, the frost dragon slammed into a boulder covered in thick ice, shattering its outer shell and cracking its interior!

If Anderson had collided with it, the Strongest Hunter was bound to turn into meat paste. Even being brushed was likely to lead to his death.

However, in a particular spot in the chasm where Anderson was originally standing, there was a dark hole that led straight down. It was just enough for a person to burrow in.

Pa!

A hand held onto the hole's entrance. Through the exertion of force, the Strongest Hunter with disheveled hair jumped out.

After he threw the burning spear, he didn't dodge in panic. Instead, he directly used his Beyonder powers to melt the snow beneath his feet, and he burned the underlying soil. Silently, he created a hole that wasn't too deep. Following that, he sank himself into it by crouching, perfectly dodging the King of the North's charge.

At that moment, a pure beam of light descended and struck Groselle, quickly melting the ice encasing him.

Snowman had used an offensive blow to remove the restrictions placed on the Giant Guardian!

With the explosive light of dawn, Groselle raised his broadsword and charged to the frost dragon with wide strides before cleaving down wildly.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Groselle was only a meter shorter than Ulyssan's non-humanoid form. His strength was equally ridiculous. As he clashed repeatedly with Ulyssan's front claws, occasionally wavering and retreating at times, he quickly recovered by taking a step forward and engaged his opponent.

With the Giant Guardian occupying the frost dragon's attention, the others reacted accordingly with relative composure.

Snowman maintained his spread arms as a sun-like halo appeared around him. It quickly spread outwards, warming up all his companions and giving them immense courage. Furthermore, he carefully ensured that it avoided the King of the North.

Not far from him, Siatas's hair flared up as she drew her bowstring. She shot out arrows that appeared to be formed by wind blades or lightning. Due to the massive target, every single one of her arrows had hit her target. Furthermore, all of the arrows struck the same spot—the frost dragon's "shoulder."

Mobet Zoroast worked with Groselle, occasionally stealing the thoughts the King of the North had and was about to execute, making it pause briefly. At other times, he would attempt to steal its powers, but in the few times he did, he didn't have any success.

With the pitch-black sword, Anderson carefully circled to the frost dragon's flank and attempted to strike a particular spot. Disciplinary Paladin Frunziar brandished his iron-black sword, using Prohibition and Imprison to aid Groselle's brawl with the frost dragon. Without his restraints, even if the giant was a Guardian, he would have long been sent flying, suffering from a fatal stomp or the spewing of breath.

Klein looked at Edwina and raised his hand to point at himself.

"Invisibility!"

He didn't know if she had the ability to mimic this power. If it wasn't possible, he needed to consider using other methods.

Edwina didn't ask why as her light blue and limpid eyes immediately reflected Gehrman Sparrow's body which lost its color and turned transparent.

Following that, Klein's figure became faint and vanished.

After confirming his condition, Klein quickly ran towards the intense clash between the giant and the dragon. With a roll, he arrived by the King of the North's left foot.

Then, as he focused on dodging Ulyssan's feet while it did battle, he emanated his spirituality to control the illusory black threads with the Spirit Body Threads vision he had long activated.

Right on the heels of that, he would roll or leap around, in search of space beneath or around the frost dragon.

Sou! Sou! Sou!

Silver lightning arrows and pure azure wind blades landed in a small region, shattering the armor plates of ice, tearing apart the resilient skin. Soon, the frost dragon's right shoulder was a swath of light-blue. The corresponding claw's motions also appeared to slow down indiscernibly.

Disciplinary Paladin Frunziar acutely noticed this point. As he dodged the icy-blue breath, he pointed in that direction and declared in ancient Hermes, "Death!"

With a bursting sound, the blue blood flowing from Ulyssan's right shoulder instantly dried up, and the tear allowed its translucent bones to be seen.

At that moment, Edwina used a palm-sized brass mirror and reflected parts of Ulyssan's body in it.

She reached out her right hand and grabbed at the mirror's surface, pinching the reflection within. Then, she forcefully pulled outwards!

Ulyssan's wound instantly worsened. It kept spreading as though it was about to lose one of its front claws.

It let out a tragic cry as it suddenly raised its body, standing on its hind legs.

Light blue light that was almost white surged out of the dragon. In a hundred-meter range, the temperature plummeted, followed by a fearsome force.

Suddenly, all the Beyonders were sealed in ice. Their bodies became extremely cold as they turned very stiff. They couldn't help but tremble.

Siatas, Mobet, Edwina, Klein, Groselle, Anderson, and Frunziar all shared similar symptoms. The only one who barely maintained his mobility was the ascetic, Snowman, thanks to withstanding the training of being frozen countless times.

He maintained his spread arms, half-closed his eyes, and solemnly said, "God loves everyone!"

Sunlight tore through the wind and snow as the warmth began to melt the feeling of being frozen.

Bang!

Ulyssan sent Groselle flying with a claw, severely injuring the Giant Guardian by leaving a depression in his chest.

It temporarily ignored the rest as it targeted Snowman, blitz rushing him!

Snowman has no one protecting him… It's about to move beyond a five-meter radius…Klein watched this scene, feeling somewhat numb. He had the urge of running into the cave to pray to himself before using the Sea God Scepter above the gray fog to respond.

At that moment, a scarlet fireball appeared beside the ascetic before the frost dragon arrived. Then, it exploded without any reservations, sending him flying.

It was from the Strongest Hunter, Anderson.

At that moment, Edwina had produced a fireball in her hand and threw it at Ulyssan's back, but she failed to hit it.

She was creating a passageway for Klein to phase over with the fire!

She had learned from Danitz of this ability Gehrman Sparrow had!