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Chapter 1292 Entering Bayam For the First Time

After the huge ship belonging to the Resistance docked, all of the City of Silver citizens changed into round-neck shirts, brown jackets, pantaloons, and dark-colored caps before following Oracle Danitz down the ship. They prepared to pass through the dock to enter the City of Generosity Bayam. Those clothes had been prepared beforehand.

"It's really uncomfortable wearing this. It's not suitable for battle…" As he walked, Liaval moved his limbs and whispered to Elder Derrick.

Derrick nodded slightly and said, "But it's better to hide ourselves and not be too eye-catching. We don't want to become the focus of attention."

Derrick's analysis wasn't a problem at all. After all, they were outsiders and they only numbered twenty-one people. It was best if they didn't attract the attention of others, but he seemed to have forgotten a crucial detail.

"B-but, they're all looking at us…" Candice quickly surveyed the area and whispered.

The workers who were dressed crudely or half-naked at the pier all looked over at the tourists who wore all kinds of getups.

"They're tall…" A Bayam resident with bronze skin and slightly curly hair could not help but sigh.

His height was only around 160. This was the height of all the male commoners in the current colonial era. As for the people of the City of Silver, other than Derrick, who was only slightly over two meters tall, the rest were on average above 2.3 meters. The tallest of them exceeded 2.5 meters.

To have such half-giants walk through the docks amidst the crowd was equally eye-catching no matter what they wore.

"Feysacians?" A Loenese in a top hat and formal suit turned his head to gossip with his companion. "Has the slave trade begun again?"

He believed that the City of Silver entourage were Feysacian slaves that the Rorsted government had bought from the Loen Kingdom. After all, in this world, the only ones he could think of who had such heights in such numbers were the barbarians who claimed to be descendants of giants.

His partner shook his head and frowned.

"It doesn't seem like the case. Most Feysacians have light-blue eyes. Furthermore, even if they are Feysacian, few of them exceed two meters in height. Un-unless these are nobles or high-ranking prisoners of war…"

Although Feysac didn't have a clear rule, in all kinds of industries, especially in the military, there was a phenomenon that one's height determined one's status. Of course, this wasn't the only condition. It was also a combination of family background, nobility, and ranks.

Due to such "traditions," the descendants of Feysacian royalty and the military brass were generally taller than two meters.

This was actually a superficial phenomenon that, at its essence, was an influence of their Beyonder characteristics.

Those who became one of the brass of the Feysac military were either nobles or at least Sequence 5. And for the latter, due to the repeated influence of the Giant pathway's potions, their height would definitely reach the "standard" height. Those who chose the Red Priest pathway would also have a certain increase in height. However, the signs weren't as obvious in their early stages as those from the Giant pathway, and the total increase in height was only a few centimeters. They had to become a demigod to experience a qualitative change.

For noble descendants, their ancestors were more or less "giants," or had marital alliances with "giants." Regardless of whether they inherited the Beyonder characteristics, the corresponding genes accumulated over generations would definitely allow their normal height to exceed two meters.

Among them, families who were still in control of a portion of the Giant pathway's potion formulas, and those who had a certain heritage, tend to be in the same situation as the residents of the City of Silver.

The royal family in charge of the Red Priest pathway maintained the heights of their descendants through marital alliances.

The residents of the City of Silver, who were being scrutinized by numerous gazes, felt increasingly uneasy. It was as if they had returned to the cursed land where they were being watched by monsters as they walked in the dark.

Derrick was very calm and composed. He looked around and said to the members of the reconnaissance team, "They don't have any ill intentions."

After confirming that Mr. Hanged Man was in this city and how he knew that he had arrived, Derrick no longer felt isolated and helpless.

It wasn't that he didn't trust the messenger that Mr. Fool had appointed, but that he believed that he didn't want to trouble a god as much as possible in his daily life. The best thing to do was resolve problems himself.

And when it came to dealing with his own problems, Derrick was ultimately unfamiliar with the outside world, so he wasn't too confident. At this moment, to have an experienced, trustable, extremely intelligent "native" with a meticulous mind help him would definitely be the best option.

Of course, Derrick also knew that Mr. Hanged Man wouldn't make any contact with him on the surface because he belonged to another faction. He wasn't a believer of Sea God, so if he acted too warmly over matters regarding the City of Silver, he was bound to be suspected.

However, there will always be a proper reason and suitable opportunities to meet… Derrick thought in anticipation.

Amidst his thoughts, he and the members of the City of Silver's reconnaissance team followed Danitz out of the dock and arrived on the streets.

Their vision suddenly broadened as they saw more people than before and heard all sorts of voices.

To the people of the City of Silver, this was even more lively than the grandest "harvest" in their hometown. At a glance, there were countless people dressed in strange clothes with all kinds of unique characteristics. Some were in a hurry, others were strolling leisurely, and some were carrying large pieces of fruit. They used pipes to suck in the liquid, or held food that looked like the delicious pies on the ship, occasionally taking a bite.

Apart from these, horse-like creatures that pulled carriages producing tinkling sounds, the metallic objects that moved extremely fast, and the smell of the various spices that filled the streets made people of the City of Silver feel like they had come to another world.

And to them, this was indeed another world.

Even though they were a little fearful and uneasy, and were not too used to such a scene, everyone could clearly feel the vibrancy of this scene.

This was like the sunlight in one's soul, reflecting the sun in the sky.

This is the place where we will live, battle, and reproduce in the future? Derrick, Liaval, Candice, and the others subconsciously had similar thoughts. They felt a little uneasy but didn't reject any of it.

Danitz looked at their faces which had been stunned silly by Bayam's bustling scene in satisfaction as he inwardly muttered, This is only Bayam. If you were to go to Trier and Backlund, are you going to kneel down and kiss the ground?

This world-famous pirate controlled his urge to mock them, as he was now Mr. Fool's messenger. He couldn't ruin the image of a deity.

After leading the City of Silver people to a rather luxurious hotel, Danitz gestured for the crew to handle the check-in as he spoke in fluent Jotun to his guests:

"It's getting dark. We'll stay here for one night and leave the city tomorrow.

"The place where you will build your city has been arranged. It's on the other side of the forest. There's a natural harbor and a few roads that lead to Bayam. Heh, roads to this city. After that, we'll expand the main road and build a railway that leads to your city."

Railway… Derrick, who had studied during the Tarot Gathering, knew what it meant. He nodded gratefully and inwardly praised Mr. Fool once again.

Danitz continued,

"We've already helped you level the area, and left the space needed for some basic facilities such as water pipes and gas pipes. When you begin building houses, we'll send a team over to help with the matters.

"Also, the corresponding construction materials and temporary tents have been prepared for you. Thank Mr. Fool. Uh, there's also the help of the Church of the Lord of Storms in this matter. Otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to purchase so much material. However, they mainly did so to earn additional funds."

The Rorsted new government hadn't been established for long, and its connections with the outside world weren't comprehensive enough. What they didn't expect was that the Church of the Lord of Storms had taken the initiative to provide help on the City of Silver's matter.

Water pipes… Gas pipes… Derrick gradually couldn't understand what was being said, but he still put on a pensive expression.

There were a few times when Danitz nearly said the word "dogsh*t" in passing. Without speaking another word, he introduced the hotel:

"This is a hotel that Feysacians like to live in at Bayam the most. The ceiling might be a little too low for you, but it won't be low enough to hit your heads."

With that said, Danitz smiled.

"At the end of this street is Red Theater…"

He revealed a smile that all men understood.

However, the people of the City of Silver didn't understand.

Seriously, the Emperor said that the most ancient human occupation is the selling of their bodies. They actually don't know what I'm talking about… The corners of Danitz's mouth twitched as he gave up on the topic.

After his second and third mates were done with the check-in, he led the entourage up to the second floor and assigned them their rooms.

After doing this, he took out a stack of cards that he had long written, and he distributed them to the members of the City of Silver, who were scouting the area.

"Every card has a few words in the local language and the corresponding word in Jotun. If you need any services or food, you can ring the bell here. When the attendant comes over, show him the card. Of course, they might not be able to understand it, but they will definitely seek help from people who understand it."

This was a simple and easy method to understand. The people of the City of Silver easily grasped how to use the cards, secretly excited that they could finally communicate with the people here.

Following that, Danitz demonstrated how to switch on the water and how to use the toilet, and how to light up the gas wall lamps. It made Derrick, Liaval, and Candice feel like they had arrived at a divine kingdom.

All it took to have water flow was to press a switch. A button was enough to wash away their excrement without leaving any stains. There was a lantern that kept emitting light once it was ignited. These were all things that they didn't dare to imagine in the past.

And these things would become part of their new lives.

By the time the City of Silver's members had gotten used to the hotel, the sky had completely darkened. Night had begun to rule the city.

Although Derrick and company had long confirmed that there was no danger of monsters attacking in the dark in the outside world, they were still instinctively afraid. Therefore, they would either emit light themselves or light up the gas wall lamps.

At that moment, they saw gas lamps lighting up one after another on the streets, the houses—both near and far—outside the glass windows. These lights dispersed the darkness in their respective areas.

In the eyes of the people of the City of Silver, the bright and dim lights were like the galaxy landing on the ground at night.

Chapter 1293 Devil"s Oil Painting

In a warehouse that was being rebuilt in Pritz Harbor.

Fors met her teacher, Dorian Gray Abraham, once again a few days later.

"Are you ready?" Dorian asked in a low voice.

Back when they met, he had already informed Fors of the ritual requirement of the Apprentice pathway's Sequence 4 Secrets Sorcerer, so that she could make advanced preparations.

"More or less… I should be able to satisfy the requirements…" Fors replied without much confidence.

The advancement ritual of a Secrets Sorcerer was relatively simple, but in this case, "simple" was the antonym for "complex," and not "difficult." To Fors, she wished that it was something else.

The ritual required the candidate to seal a demigod-level creature with clear animosity. The less external help one received, the better the ritual's effects. As for the target's level, as long as it wasn't lower than a demigod, it was fine. It had virtually no effect on the ritual.

Upon hearing that, Dorian nodded and said, "That should be fine. That ritual is really difficult for a Sequence 5 Beyonder to complete it on their own. It's necessary to seek help at appropriate times, but you mustn't go overboard, such as exceeding the corresponding limitations. Otherwise, the ritual will definitely fail."

The suggestion he had previously provided to Fors was to borrow a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact. It would be best if she didn't even hire a saint-level helper.

Fors said vaguely, "I only plan on making a wish to Mr. Fool to increase the success rate of advancement after consuming the potion. This is closer to obtaining good luck when consuming the potion, rather than being blessed and protected while sealing the demigod creature.

"Other than that, I'll be using the painting that you mentioned."

The painting wasn't a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact, the Scroll of God, but the Abraham family's Grade 1 Sealed Artifact. It was called "Devil's Oil Painting."

In the Fourth Epoch, when many members of the Abraham family had advanced to Sequence 4 Secrets Sorcerer, they had created the oil painting to seal the corresponding demigod-level creatures.

However, after being attacked by the Aurora Order and losing a lot of documents, Dorian Gray wasn't sure how many terrifying creatures were sealed in the Devil's Oil Painting. He was only certain that there was definitely more than one sealed inside.

His original plan was to release a demigod-level creature that was completely insane from the Devil's Oil Painting, one that acted purely out of instinct. This could then be his student's ritual target. This made it much easier than dealing with a rational and intelligent saint. Furthermore, it was completely in line with the ritual's requirements, but he never expected Fors to directly borrow the Devil's Oil Painting.

Dorian frowned and reminded her, "The Devil's Oil Painting only has the effect of imprisonment and sealing. It doesn't have the ability to actively affect the target. In other words, you have to stuff a demigod-level creature into the Devil's Oil Painting."

Fors nodded, indicating that she knew this.

"Teacher, you mentioned that one's 'Record' ability isn't considered external help."

"Yes," Dorian Gray gave a definite answer.

If her "Record" powers were considered external help, almost no Traveler could advance. After all, "Record" was the core ability of the Apprentice pathway before they became demigods. Once it was "excluded," Fors would be left only with the means to flee, making it difficult for her to do anything to her enemies.

"In theory, that's the case. However, you can only record at most five demigod-level powers…" Dorian said worriedly.

Before he finished his sentence, he thought of Mr. Fool and "His" Blessed and felt a little more at ease.

"If the powers are matched well, it isn't impossible for me to succeed. It's just a mad creature that's acting on instinct." Fors tried convincing both her teacher and herself.

Dorian nodded indiscernibly and didn't say anything else. He immediately summoned his contracted creature, Malmouth, who loved music, and took out the Secrets Sorcerer main and supplementary ingredients. He then concocted a bottle of Secrets Sorcerer potion for his student.

"If there's no way to complete the seal, there's no need to forcefully consume it. Even if the potion and glass bottle fuses together and turns into a Sealed Artifact, we can also pray to Mr. Fool to restore it to a Beyonder characteristic." Dorian continued to warn her worriedly before handing the potion to Fors.

Inside the glass bottle were layers of stellar radiance, as though the Milky Way in the sky had been sucked into the potion.

"Alright." Fors nodded heavily, indicating that she wasn't worried that the potion would be wasted.

She had made plans ahead of time. She would immediately "Teleport" away once she realized she couldn't seal the released demigod-level creature before making a wish to Mr. Fool and getting him to resolve it.

Dorian then took out an oil painting from his suitcase, which was filled with abstract images. It was an image that no one could understand. Just looking at it would make one feel dizzy and mentally weak.

This was the Devil's Oil Painting that had sealed countless terrifying creatures.

"If you can successfully advance, I only have one request." Dorian held the Devil's Oil Painting and said solemnly to Fors, "That is, on the night of the full moon, listen to what Mr. Door is saying and ask 'Him' the reasons for 'His' actions."

The members of the Abraham family still couldn't fully accept that the curse they had suffered from had stemmed from their ancestor. They felt that Mr. Door might not know the consequences of "His" plea for help.

They wished to figure out the full truth.

"Alright." Faced with her teacher's sincere request, Fors agreed without any hesitation.

Following that, she took the Devil's Oil Painting, "Teleported" out of Pritz Harbor, and came to a vast desert where no humans lived.

This way, even if an accident happened during the ritual, she had plenty of time to resolve it and not affect ordinary people.

After checking the surroundings and preparing herself, Fors inserted the Devil's Oil Painting into the ground.

She then clasped her hands together and bowed her head to pray to Mr. Fool. She wished that "He" could increase her chances of advancing after consuming the potion.

Without any pause, she saw the illusory grayish-white fog and knew that Mr. Fool had already responded.

After stalling for a few seconds, Fors finally convinced herself. She took out the herbal powder she had prepared, and she scattered it on the Devil's Oil Painting.

Then, she recited the incantation to release the seal in Jotun.

This was an incantation that only released one creature.

Without a sound, the powder that was floating in the air landed on the oil painting and rapidly spun around a central point.

As it spun, the surface of the oil painting turned illusory as if a deep vortex was forming.

Suddenly, a bluish-black hand emerged from the "vortex," one that showed signs of decay.

It stretched out from the oil painting to the outside world!

Fors's body suddenly turned cold as though she had fallen into a frozen lake.

While clearing up her mind, it also made her seem to lose control of her body. No matter how hard she tried, she was unable to move her limbs.

At that moment, Fors seemed to return to her past state of writing books at night and sleeping during the day. At that time, she often felt that she had woken up, but she couldn't move at all. It was as though she was being pressed down by an invisible creature.

Although the terrifying creature in the Devil's Oil Painting had yet to fully escape, its influence on the outside world with its godhood made Fors lose most of her ability to resist. Once it fully escapes from the oil painting, Fors would even lose control merely from looking at it directly.

The difference between the two in their lives' natural order was unimaginable in certain aspects.

Gradually, Fors's consciousness blurred a little, having a nagging feeling that she was already lucid. She raised her arm and moved her feet, but on second thought, she realized that it was only her imagination. As her body turned colder, the feeling of being pressed down by an invisible creature became more obvious.

Fortunately, she had a bunch of demigods providing her information, allowing her to close her eyes in time. She didn't look at the Devil's Oil Painting; otherwise, the consequences would be dire.

Using Cogitation to maintain a certain level of clarity, Fors began counting down.

According to Mr. World's warning, she knew that the terrifying creature would need five seconds to completely escape the Devil's Oil Painting.

4… 3… 2… With just one second left, an illusory book appeared in Fors's eyes. It quickly flipped and stopped on one page.

1! Just as Fors finished counting, she suddenly spread open her arms.

Around her, peach blossoms fell in a colorful resplendence.

The bluish-black hand that was about to grab her neck moved away from her and was blocked by the peach forest that was blooming with vegetation and flowers. It was separated by a mountain that was the forest's river source, making it only possible for it to enter through a small cave.

This was a fairytale magic Fors had "Recorded" from Ma'am Hermit. It was called:

Peach Blossom Source!

It could create an isolation barrier from the outside world, making it very difficult for the outside world to connect to it.

Seizing this opportunity, Fors, who barely managed to regain control of her body, took out a "Queen" chess piece from Roselle's chess from a pocket and threw it at the source of the peach blossom scene, throwing it at the cave that penetrated through the flowing river.

This was another fairytale magic she had "Recorded," called:

The Chessboard of Time!

Its effect was to slow the target's movements, as though it had entered a region in which time flowed slower.

With a smack, the actions of the bluish-black palm that was trying hard to break through the Peach Blossom Source changed from extending outwards to squirming.

Fors didn't even look at the effects. She used an invisible hand to pick up the Devil's Oil Painting that was stuck in the sand, and she held it right up to the cave.

After one or two seconds, the bluish-black palm returned to normal. Its movements became extremely fast as it charged out of the Peach Blossom Source and crashed into the oil painting.

As the oil painting shook, the terrifying creature penetrated the surface and landed in it.

Fors was delighted. Without any hesitation, she recited the incantation and closed the outer seal of the Devil's Oil Painting.

Thankfully, that demigod creature has already lost control. It's left with nothing but madness and lacks intelligence… I wonder if I will directly hear Mr. Door's shouts after consuming the potion… Still nervous, Fors took out the Secrets Sorcerer potion bottle and poured it into her mouth.

Chapter 1294 Conversation

If that demigod creature didn't slam into the Devil's Oil Painting on its own accord, I'd have to summon Mr. World's Historical Void projection… Uh, I wonder if that can be considered as directly hiring a helper at the angel level… As Fors pondered, she drank the potion.

To her, the potion was like icy water that could hurt someone due to the extreme temperature. All her senses vanished in the areas that it passed, leaving only her still thoughts.

It was inevitable that a person would hallucinate in extreme cold temperatures. In Fors's vision, a night sky instantly appeared. It was dotted with countless stars that weaved together to form a dream-like river.

Fors's body began reflecting bits of stellar radiance as if they came from her own body.

The tiny bits of pure stellar radiance formed an invisible connection with the different stars in the night sky. As the light shimmered, they twisted and squirmed as insect-like creatures crawled out of Fors's body. They wanted to seek refuge in the Milky Way formed by an array of embedded diamond shards.

Each of them carried a portion of their own flesh and consciousness, as though they were uncontrollable avatars.

Fors's thoughts quickly turned chaotic, and she fell into confusion. She almost couldn't control the urge to separate herself.

At that moment, she sensed an illusory object.

It was the seal that she had completed using the Devil's Oil Painting. It was projected into the mysterious world created by the potion, forming an abstract, blurry mark.

Fors didn't think further as she instinctively extended a portion of her consciousness along with her spirituality, and intertwined with the abstract symbol.

The mark wasn't exactly harmonious with her, as if it wasn't part of her, but it managed to barely merge with her.

Suddenly, in Fors's mind, the abstract symbol became rather clear. It consisted of a "door" that was layered with mysterious symbols.

This door hid Fors behind it, allowing her to isolate herself from the surrounding cosmos.

At the same time, on the other side of the "door," the sealed creature seemed to sense the aura of an enemy. Using its own godhood, it wildly corroded the illusory door. It happened to be able to reduce the influence the cosmos had on Fors.

After maintaining it for more than ten seconds, the resplendent Milky Way's night sky slowly faded away. The stellar radiance then returned to Fors's body fused with her.

At this moment, a deep darkness appeared in front of Fors. Deep in the darkness was a perpetual storm and occasionally flashing lightning.

The next second, Fors heard a familiar voice. It stabbed into her head like steel nails stirring her brain matter.

Fors grimaced immediately. If she hadn't experienced such things over and over in the past, and had some level of resistance, as well as the fact that she was at the saint level, she would have likely lost control.

Of course, there had to be some influence of "good luck" here.

After a few seconds, she finally managed to calm herself down and hear what the voice was shouting by using Cogitation.

It was calling for help!

It wasn't Jotun, Elvish or ancient Hermes. Instead, it was a language that Fors had never come into contact with before. However, she could understand it the moment she heard it. She felt like it was the true source of many languages.

Mr. Door would crazily shout for help every full moon. How disgraceful of a King of Angels… However, even if "He" is seeking help, it's still a terrifying thing that I can't withstand… Fors lampooned silently. She was considering if she should pretend not to hear it and wait until she had converged her spirituality and grasped the Beyonder powers of a Secrets Sorcerer before conversing with Mr. Door during the next full moon, or to do it now.

Suddenly, the shouts from afar stopped and the surroundings became deathly silent.

After two to three seconds, a wispy voice that could pierce through Spirit Bodies entered Fors's mind.

"You used the Beyonder characteristics of the Abraham family."

This sentence was said in a flat manner without any rise or fall, but it made the blood vessels on Fors's forehead throb. Her eyes turned bloodshot as her body turned resplendent.

She almost lost control of herself.

"Who are you?" Fors composed herself and asked deliberately.

The voice that seemed to lure her into losing control said in a low smiling voice, "You can call me Mr. Door.

"You should be familiar with me."

The King of Angels from the Fourth Epoch directly pointed out that Fors had a certain connection with "Him." She could hear the full moon ravings.

…I'm going to write you into a novel! Fors secretly gritted her teeth and asked, "Honorable Mr. Door, are you the ancestor of the Abraham family, Your Excellency Bethel?"

The voice that had crossed countless barriers returned to its flatness.

"Yes."

"Then, do you know that your cry for 'help' has caused the entire Abraham family to be trapped in a curse that has lasted for more than a thousand years? It's basically impossible for anyone to become a Traveler or even a Scribe? They often lose control during advancements or the night of the full moon." Fors felt that she couldn't speak to Mr. Door for a long time; otherwise, her inclination towards losing control would be irreversible. She directly posed the question that the Abrahams were most concerned about.

Mr. Door fell silent for two seconds before saying, "They no longer have Secrets Sorcerer or demigods?"

"There aren't any after the War of the Four Emperors. And the curse you brought has made it impossible for them to advance to a demigod. If you can stop crying for help for ten years, a new Abraham demigod might be born. This will greatly aid in your escape," Fors sincerely suggested.

Mr. Door sighed and said, "I have been exiled to an eternal darkness, and suffer the blockage of a perpetual storm. I have no way to know what's happening in the real world, nor did I expect that there isn't a single demigod left in the entire Abraham family."

Lies… The one who calmly made this conclusion wasn't Fors, but rather Klein, who had accommodated The Fool's card as he held the Staff of the Stars while sitting in Sefirah Castle. He had been closely monitoring the corresponding crimson star.

He remembered that the Emperor had mentioned in his diary that Mr. Door had a certain understanding of reality. "He" seemed to be able to use the changes brought about by the full moon to see the situation outside the seal.

After sighing, Mr. Door continued, "Besides, I can't control the cries for help during the full moon."

"Why?" Fors asked in surprise.

Mr. Door said in an ethereal voice, "You're already a demigod, so you should know very well that the higher the Sequence, the greater the threat of going mad.

"An ordinary angel, even those who can walk the land freely and do what they like, without needing to engage in any additional battles, could also be gradually influenced by the Beyonder characteristics and become less like themselves. They might even enter a half-crazy state. I'm a King of Angels who has been exiled and sealed for more than a thousand years, and I don't even have someone to communicate with. My not going crazy means that I'm sufficiently powerful and lucky.

"On each full moon, the madness in me will be strengthened. I can't control it and can only constantly call for help."

So that's how it is… If I were locked up like this, I might've gone crazy in a few months… Uh, if I'm provided alcohol, newspapers, magazines, all kinds of books, and various delicacies, I can last a year—no, half a year… Fors nodded in enlightenment and asked in a perfunctory manner, "Is there anything I can do for you? How can the Abrahams dispel the curse?"

Mr. Door fell silent for a few seconds before saying, "Set up a ritual and help me escape. That way, the curse will cease to exist.

"There are two rituals that can be used. One is to sacrifice three demigods that are respectively from the Seer, Apprentice, and Marauder pathway… The other is to extract the blood of at least ninety-nine Beyonders from the Abraham family. Use it to draw such a symbol…"

"…I'll tell them," Fors immediately replied.

At the same time, she added inwardly, That's if Mr. Fool permits it.

Mr. Door laughed and said, "If I can escape because of this, I will help you become an angel…"

"His" voice became more ethereal and weaker, as though "He" was slowly returning to "His" original state as Fors advancement came to an end.

About two to three seconds later, Fors couldn't hear the sounds that slowly pushed her onto the path of losing control. The deep darkness and horrifying storms in front of her also vanished.

However, before the scene completely faded away, Fors could vaguely see that, on a vast land formed from dark red rocks, there was an ancient building that resembled a pyramid erected there. Behind the building was a deep darkness and twinkling stars. It was completely different from the cosmos that she had seen as an Astrologer on the ground.

What's this? Fors shook her head and controlled her scattered thoughts as she began to carefully rein her spirituality back.

After getting accustomed to the state of a Secrets Sorcerer, she immediately took on a praying posture and reported her previous experiences to Mr. Fool without missing anything.

After doing this, Fors put away the Devil's Oil Painting, "Teleported" back to Pritz Harbor, and met her teacher, Dorian Gray Abraham, who was waiting in the warehouse.

Seeing that his student was safe and sound, Dorian heaved a sigh of relief and said in a pious manner, "Thanks to Mr. Fool for 'His' blessings."

He had finally taught a Sequence 4 Secrets Sorcerer who didn't show signs of betrayal.

Due to Mr. Fool's lack of response, Fors didn't inform her teacher of her conversation with Mr. Door. She planned on waiting until the next full moon.

She also relaxed and smiled.

"Apart from thanking Mr. Fool, I have to thank you, Teacher."

…

In the ancient palace above the fog.

Klein didn't have any doubts about Mr. Door calling "Himself" half-crazy. He only felt that there had to be more secrets hidden in the matter. For example, why did Mr. Door keep enticing Emperor Roselle to visit the moon? It was a place that was occupied by an Outer Deity.

After some thought, he took out the Scarlet Lunar Corona and Master Key from the fog of history. He planned on creating a full moon environment and listening to Mr. Door's shouting.

The effects of the combination had long been confirmed. Klein quickly heard the voice that seemed to pierce through his Spirit Body.

The content of the shouting was:

"Don't save me… Don't save me…"

Chapter 1295 The Aftermath from the War"s Frontlines

"Don't save me… Don't save me…"

Being located in Sefirah Castle and having accommodated The Fool's card, Klein already had the status of a King of Angels. He no longer suffered any direct corruption from Mr. Door's cries, but the contents of the cries made his scalp tingle. His pupils dilated, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of horror surging in his heart.

He originally believed that Mr. Door was constantly shouting for help, but what he heard now was:

"Don't save me!"

Amidst Klein's silence, the weak, wispy voice pierced through his Spirit Body like needles. After shouting for more than ten seconds, it suddenly changed.

"Help me… Help me…"

This time, there was a certain change in the language used.

"…" Klein expressionlessly leaned back into his chair and listened for nearly ten seconds.

Following that, he removed his control over the Master Key and the Scarlet Lunar Corona's Historical Void projection, allowing the atmosphere of the space above the gray fog to completely return to silence.

Phew… He exhaled as he tapped the edge of the long mottled table out of habit and muttered to himself, Mr. Door is indeed half-mad, but the mad part isn't the "Him" who is desperately screaming, but the "Him" who appears calm, the one that's able to communicate with people rationally… The latter can influence the former to a certain extent, distorting the contents of "His" shouts?

When Mr. Door is lucid, "He" actually shouts "don't save me"… To a King of Angels who had been imprisoned for more than a thousand years, this definitely isn't a normal reaction. Unless "He" feels that "He" will bring a disaster that "He" doesn't wish to see upon returning to reality… A King of Angels that has completely lost control?

Together with Mr. Door's communication with the Emperor, and how "He" had been constantly enticing him to visit the moon which is occupied by an Outer Deity. There is another possibility to this matter:

Mr. Door, who was exiled, lost the protection left behind by the original Creator. "He" encountered the corruption of a particular Outer Deity and lost most of "His" rationality. "His" condition is only slightly better than the Chained God…

The Apprentice pathway can wander the cosmos at Sequence 3. Mr. Door's honorific name also includes the title of "Guide of the endless cosmos"… Does this mean that before this King of Angels was exiled, "He" might have already made contact with Outer Deities and came under some influence?

Yes, what does Miss Magician's final glimpse of the crimson land, pyramid-like buildings, and cosmos in a different area represent? This doesn't seem like it's in the current solar system, but it's a little different from the mausoleum that a Black Emperor needs… It's the lair of some Outer Deity who affected Mr. Door; or should I say that when Mr. Door became a Planeswalker and left legends behind on other planets with living beings, this is one of "His" anchor points? It's highly likely the latter, because when Miss Magician saw this scene, she didn't encounter any corruption from the cosmos…

The more Klein thought about it, the heavier his heart became. This was because it was possible that this was a reflection of how the apocalypse would dawn.

The apocalypse was definitely not something that wouldn't happen by not thinking about it or pretending not to know!

It's no wonder Yellow Light Venithan had prophesied that the day when the curse is removed is the beginning of the true disaster for the Abrahams… Mr. Door keeps calling for help, causing the Abraham family to be unable to produce another demigod. Perhaps it's a certain form of protection… Although this will make the Abraham family lose their status and most precious items, making them mediocre, it can at least save their bloodline… Heh heh, in the prophecy, the solution to resolving the curse is in the hands of an Apprentice who has obtained the help of a secret existence… Klein chuckled softly and had an idea about the response to give Miss Magician.

He planned on getting Fors to give a half-truth when informing her teacher.

Firstly, it was to emphasize that Mr. Door was already half-crazy and extremely dangerous. Even communicating with "Him" implied tremendous risks. Secondly, it was to not mention the second ritual for the curse removal. All she would say was about the sacrificing of a Seer, a Marauder, and an Apprentice demigod.

With the first point, the Abrahams could understand why their ancestor was insistent on calling for help. This was because "He" had already lost "His" mind and could do all sorts of terrifying things.

This could effectively eliminate the anxiety of the Abrahams, preventing them from helping Mr. Door escape, and allowing them to quickly start believing in The Fool.

The second point was to dispel the small number of extreme Abrahams who wanted to try their luck. This was because they lacked the ability to complete such a ritual.

At the same time, informing the Abrahams of the ritual increased the trust they had in Fors.

Ignoring the small number of Secrets Sorcerers available, those who can become Bizarro Sorcerers are definitely very difficult to capture. Furthermore, most of them are concentrated in the Secret Order. To deal with them is to provoke Zaratul. Even if the Abrahams have a demigod, and can use a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact for a short period of time, it's impossible for them to complete the ritual so easily. Yes, dealing with a Parasite is the most dangerous. If they aren't careful, they might end up targeting Amon's avatar. When that happens, it will be equivalent to serving Amon desserts…

Also, I'll use The World's Gehrman Sparrow in the future to remind Miss Magician to keep her guard up against the Abraham family's extremists… Klein thought for a moment before replying Fors's prayer.

…

After returning from the fog of history to the real world, Klein boarded a steam locomotive and arrived at the capital of Midseashire. In the past, it was the second-largest city in Loen, and also the frontline of the recent war, Constant City.

…The damage suffered here is very serious… After getting off the train and leaving the platform, Klein stood up high and looked at the industrial city.

Although it was his first time here, he had seen all sorts of pictures of Constant in newspapers and magazines.

Those photos were all black and white, and they recorded the various aspects of this city.

Among them, there were three points that left a deep impression on Klein:

Firstly, it was filled with chimneys and tall blast furnaces. It was as though it was a man-made forest. It gave a striking visual impact, one that was more representative of industry than Backlund.

Secondly, the majority of the buildings used concrete and steel. They were more densely built than their counterparts in Backlund.

Thirdly, there were many places that were stained with coal ashes, including the bodies of humans, but the air quality was better than Backlund because the sea breeze was strong.

And now, the towering blast furnaces, chimneys, and tall buildings had become rather sparse. All that was left was a pile of ruins.

However, in comparison, the damage dealt to the factory district was lesser than the residential areas. This was because there were many steel and military factories that were equally important to Feysac.

The death toll here is definitely more than 100,000… Klein sighed inwardly. He carried his luggage and walked down the stairs to the steam locomotive station and entered Constant City.

On the way to the hotel, he continued his acting as a Miracle Invoker and randomly chose a young, burly man in his thirties.

"I'm a wandering magician. My best magic trick is to grant anyone's wishes. Do you want to try it?" The previously thin-skinned Klein was now able to strike up a conversation naturally.

The burly man glanced at him and waved his hand impatiently.

"Can you let my father, mother, two brothers, and a child be revived?"

With that said, he didn't wait for the magician to respond as he walked towards the nearest public carriage station in a slightly irritable manner. He struck his left chest with his right fist.

Klein stood where he was and maintained the smile on his lips as he quietly watched the man leave.

He recalled a magazine he had read on a steam locomotive. It contained several pages of images reflecting the current state of each cemetery in Constant City.

The tombstones were similar to the original chimneys and blast furnaces. The racks that held up urns of ashes resembled tall buildings that had collapsed…

The entirety of Constant City seemed to be buried in a cemetery.

Retracting his smile, Klein walked around the already dried-up fountain and walked to a nearby inn.

Along the way, he heard many pedestrians discussing haunted places and the places with terrifying monsters.

"When I was passing by the Maris River, I heard a lot of people crying in the water. I didn't dare to look and ran back into the city like the wind…"

"That's nothing. I saw something even scarier on 9 Hyacinth Street! There was a face plastered on the window there! A very pale face!"

"A few passersby disappeared behind my house, and the blood continued all the way to the nearest ruin, but the police couldn't find the bodies…"

"How terrifying. May the Goddess bless us!"

"Holy Lord of Storms. Let these ghosts and monsters stay away from us."

"By the way, City Hall has posted an announcement that we are to report it to the police the moment such things are discovered."

From the looks of it, the meatgrinder-like war made it impossible to placate many corpses, allowing them to turn into ghosts. Phew, most of the time, some of the dead might not even have their bodies left intact… Yes, there are definitely many Beyonders who lost control due to a mental breakdown or from losing their limbs… Also, most of those who didn't consume the potion according to the normal procedures also easily lose control… The Nighthawks and Mandated Punishers will definitely clear up these matters, but at least in Constant City, people might have encountered plenty of Beyonder matters for quite a long period of time. After all, some ghosts and monsters are good at evasion and hiding. They are innately very cunning… Klein walked straight and gained a new understanding of Constant's situation.

Here, encountering supernatural events was no longer a coincidence. Instead, it was a daily occurrence with a certain probability.

At this moment, Klein saw a group of Nighthawks wearing red gloves and black trench coats walk across the crossroad ahead of him. However, he didn't recognize any of them.

Indeed, the Cathedral of Serenity has sent the Red Gloves team to help… Uh, what's happening nearby? Klein nodded indiscernibly and, following his spiritual intuition, cast his gaze to a particular apartment building behind a pile of ruins.

On the fourth floor, behind an oriel window, a greatly rotting face was plastered to the window, looking out through the glass. Pale yellow liquid with black hints slid down the window one after another.

Chapter 1296 Amateur Astronomer

Eric had become a captain of a Red Gloves team during the later stages of the war, as well as advancing to Sequence 5 Spirit Warlock.

He had witnessed the deaths of the ex-captain and ex-ex-captain. He knew that a higher Sequence wasn't a guarantee that he would be safer. Care and caution was what mattered.

To the elite Red Gloves of the Nighthawks, this was a concept that almost everyone believed in. This was because ordinary Nighthawks might only encounter ordinary problems that looked like supernatural events. Occasionally, there would be slip-ups, and it was highly likely that they would rely on their Beyonder powers to turn the situation around. As for Red Gloves who worked on various important cases, their hidden targets were definitely rather dangerous.

At that moment, Eric stood on the fourth floor of the apartment on 14 Priya Street. Facing the tightly-shut dark brown wooden door, he surveyed the area and said, "Two Nighthawks have already gone missing here. We must not be careless."

Initially, several residents of this apartment block reported it to the police. They claimed that Unit 403 had a stench, and the tenants of Unit 303 often heard heavy footsteps from above.

The policemen in charge of the area took two days before coming to investigate. However, they didn't walk out of Unit 403.

After the police confirmed this, they immediately transferred the case to the Church of Evernight. However, the two Nighthawks who came to deal with it also disappeared. The door to Unit 403 remained tightly shut.

Due to this premise, the Church of Evernight's archbishop of the Midseashire diocese entrusted the matter to Eric's team and allowed them to apply for a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact as support.

"Yes, Captain." The members of the Red Gloves team either nodded or spoke in response.

Eric didn't say anything else as he stood in front of the dark-brown door of Unit 403 which remained tightly shut. He raised his red-gloved left hand and knocked on one of his teeth.

A blurry figure suddenly appeared in front of him. As though it had no substance to it, it passed through the gap in the door and entered Unit 403.

Eric's expression was unusually focused, as if he was observing the situation in the room through that blurry figure.

It was a natural spirit that he controlled. It wasn't especially powerful but it had special abilities. It usually lived on his left front tooth.

Under the current situation, Eric believed that they shouldn't barge in directly. It was best to do reconnaissance first. Even if his team had a good mix of powers and a powerful Sealed Artifact to help them, they had to be cautious.

If he could figure out the situation inside and prepare for it in a targeted fashion, he believed that things would be much easier.

Right at this moment, tiny blood vessels protruded in Eric's eyes, and some of them even exploded.

When his vision turned bright red, Eric heard a heavy creak.

The dark-brown door suddenly opened!

There were a total of six figures in the room. Three police officers wore black-and-white uniforms. They were sitting on high-back chairs, high stools, and the sofa. Two of them were wearing half top hats, black trench coats, of which one was standing by the door, and the other was standing behind the oriel window. His face was pressed to the surface of the glass as if he was watching the streets downstairs.

There was also a figure sitting on a high stool at the edge of the balcony. In front of him was an exquisite astronomical telescope.

The skin of the six figures began to swell, as though they had been injected with gas. Some parts of the body had even cracked and were highly decomposed, but they still hadn't dried up. They exuded a bluish-black glisten as light-yellow liquid with hints of black flowed out.

Sensing the door open, the six figures turned to look at Eric and the others.

The first was the Nighthawk standing in front of the door. The last was the man wearing a cotton shirt behind the astronomical telescope. He had one of his eyeballs—its blacks and whites separated clearly—glued to the telescope's lens, allowing him to only use his remaining black, empty socket to scan the Red Gloves team outside.

A faint stench drilled into the noses of Eric and the others as an indescribable coldness filled the surroundings.

Eric instinctively raised his hand to hit his teeth, releasing more spirits. Then, he used his Nightmare Beyonder powers to forcefully drag all his targets into a dream.

However, no matter how he tapped his teeth, he didn't release his soul. His Spirit Warlock Beyonder powers seemed to have vanished instantly.

At the same time, a Nightmare in the Red Gloves team also discovered in surprise that he was unable to pull someone into a dream!

At that moment, apart from the enhancement in their physique brought by the potion, their Beyonder powers mysteriously vanished.

"Leave this place!" Eric ordered without hesitation.

He had never encountered such a strange situation before. All he could do was get the team to retreat first before choosing a Sealed Artifact to handle the situation in a targeted manner.

However, he and his team members didn't move despite his orders. It was as though their bodies were no longer taking orders.

Eric instinctively lowered his head and looked at his lower body. His legs were swollen and his pants were torn.

In addition, he could clearly feel that his skin was decaying, rotting, and running with pus.

He and his Red Gloves team had yet to truly come into contact with their target, but they had fallen into a "nightmare" of watching themselves die, swell, and rot bit by bit with no way to escape.

Right at this moment, Eric's bloodshot eyes reflected a normal palm. He held the handle and gently pulled it.

Thud!

The dark-brown door of Unit 403 closed once again, separating Eric and his Red Gloves team from the creatures in the room.

They instantly regained control over their bodies. However, their legs seemed to have suffered significant injuries. It was a little difficult to move them, be it raising their feet or bending their knees.

Eric didn't bother checking on his injuries. He quickly cast his gaze on the palm that closed the door, and its owner.

It was a young man wearing an ancient hat and a long black robe. His facial features were ordinary, making it impossible for one to have a deep impression of him. It was a face that one forgot in seconds.

"I sincerely advise you to return now and leave the matter to the archbishop or high-ranking deacons to handle. Of course, you have another choice. That is to ask me to grant a wish. I'm a wandering magician named Merlin Hermes. My specialty is granting the wishes of others." Klein spared no effort in enticing others to make a wish.

When he saw the rotting face on the oriel window earlier, he suddenly had an ominous feeling, so he specially came over to confirm what had happened.

Grant wishes… Eric recalled the education he had received during his training in the Holy Cathedral:

A High-Sequence Beyonder might be in a state of being imprisoned or sealed. They will pretend to be mystical items that can grant wishes, and they will entice you into helping them escape. The corresponding examples include: granting three wishes and wishing pools…

Is this a High-Sequence Beyonder? But he doesn't look like he's imprisoned or sealed… Eric looked left and right and deliberated for a few seconds before probing,

"If we don't ask you to grant us our wishes, will you not resolve the abnormality in the room?"

As soon as he finished speaking, he saw the wandering magician who called himself Merlin Hermes fall deep in thought, looking a little troubled.

A few seconds later, Klein raised his hand to stroke his tall top hat. He smiled and sighed.

"Even if you don't make the wish, I will still attempt to resolve it."

"…Do I need to read your honorific name or your true name to have my wish granted?" Eric asked after exchanging glances with his team members.

Klein shook his head.

"No, just tell me your wish."

This wouldn't create a mysticism connection… Eric probed in a joking tone, "Then I wish the abnormalities in this room will be resolved and will no longer affect the surroundings."

Klein curled his smile and gently clapped his hands.

"Your wish will come true."

Without waiting for Eric to respond, he smiled and said, "The abnormalities inside can suppress Beyonder characteristics, causing the corresponding powers to be ineffective, but that isn't absolute.

"Typically in such cases, my suggestion is…"

As he spoke, Klein reached out with his left hand and took out an eyeball-shaped glass ball. He then twisted the handle with his right hand, opening the door a little.

Then, through a crack, he threw the glass ball into Unit 403.

As the glass ball flew, it constantly absorbed the surrounding light and gave off a brilliant, pure, extreme sunlight that resembled a miniature sun.

The next second, Klein closed the door with his right palm, lest Eric and company's eyes couldn't take it.

"My suggestion is to use a Grade 1 Sealed Artifact in the Sun domain to purify the entire area." While saying that, Klein recalled the Mutated Sun Sacred Emblem behind Tingen City's Chanis Gate. Although it was only a Grade 3 Sealed Artifact, it could still deal with the rotting creatures inside given enough time.

Just as Eric was about to say that they had brought a similar Sealed Artifact, but just didn't have the chance to use it, he saw Mr. Merlin Hermes open the door to Unit 403.

The six figures inside had vanished into thin air, and the different Beyonder characteristics were slowly condensing. The originally cold and sinister stench had been completely melted by the warm feeling.

"It's been resolved?" Eric asked after some hesitation.

Klein shook his head with a smile.

"No, the root of the problem is still here.

"Have you investigated the owner of this place?"

Eric replied immediately, "He calls himself John, an amateur astronomer. He likes to study the cosmos using specialized telescopes at night."

Studying the cosmos… Klein walked into the room without batting an eyelid, and he casually instructed:

"Search the area and find any possible clues."

For some reason, Eric suddenly felt that Mr. Merlin Hermes was the captain from back when he first joined the Nighthawks. He was professional, calm, and trustworthy.

He nodded at his team members, signaling them to follow his instructions.

As for him, he continued following Klein. It was both to provide him help, and also for necessary precautions.

Klein ignored him as he swept his gaze and approached the exquisite astronomical telescope. Then, he bent down and drew his eyes towards the lens.

This might be dangerous… Eric had planned to warn him, but he fell silent when he thought about how high the other party's level and status expressed.

At that moment, through the telescope, Klein saw a resplendent, dream-like dark night sky. Every star there was blinking slightly.

Suddenly, his vision was occupied by a huge eye.

The eye seemed to be directly attached to the lens on the other end of the telescope. It was grayish-white with a pale-yellow iris. Veins swelled outwards and seeped out disgusting translucent pus.

Chapter 1297 "Forest" of Miracles

Boom!

The Red Gloves captain, Eric, shivered involuntarily as he saw Merlin Hermes, who claimed to be a wandering magician, explode behind the telescope.

However, there was no splattering blood or flesh. The shredded limbs disappeared into the air like soap bubbles.

"…" Eric and his team members, who looked over due to the commotion, were stunned. They didn't understand the reason behind such a sudden sequence of events.

A second later, Eric said in a deep voice, "Retreat!"

He wanted to evacuate his team before the danger truly spread.

At this moment, another figure walked in from the open door of Unit 403. It was none other than Merlin Hermes who had just exploded.

This wandering Magician was wearing a tall hat and a long black robe. As if nothing had happened, he spoke to Eric and his team members:

"The root of the problem really is from that telescope."

As he spoke, Klein walked to the balcony and tapped the telescope with his right hand.

Another bang rang out as the telescope suddenly shattered into metallic points of light that emitted a foul stench of bluish-black gas.

The moment the grayish-white fog appeared, the stench vanished and the room returned to normal.

…What exactly happened? Eric forced himself to forget about the other party's death and asked cautiously.

As a captain of the Red Gloves who was rather experienced, he had some guesses about the truth of the matter. The main goal of asking was to seek confirmation.

Klein smiled and said, "Simply put, the telescope mutated for some reason, causing the owner of the room to see something that he shouldn't have seen.

"If you want to understand more details, you can only search for clues yourself. I'm not too sure either."

Eric nodded slightly and cast his gaze at his team members, signaling them to continue their investigation.

After a series of work, Eric said to Merlin Hermes, "There aren't many clues left in the room. We can only confirm a few things:

"One, John is a local resident, and he served in the military during the war. It seems that he had some mental problems as a result. Two, he had been an amateur astronomer. At the end of the war, he joined an academic organization known as the Celestial Research Association, but we didn't obtain any information about this organization. Three, John was seeking the way to see the true cosmos."

Upon mentioning the word "cosmos," Eric paused slightly, as though he had received a warning from the upper echelons of the Church of Evernight.

He joined an organization known as the Celestial Research Association after the war ended… Sought the way to see the true cosmos… Klein combined this knowledge with his "experience" and had a certain level of confidence in the matter. He nodded and said, "You should know that the cosmos means danger. You can't even try to understand it."

"We will report this case to the archbishop as soon as possible and classify the Celestial Research Association as a dangerous organization," Eric said as if speaking to a Nighthawk superior who wasn't directly in charge of him.

Klein didn't respond as he walked to the door and sighed.

"Indeed, war really does have an irreversible impact on all aspects…"

After the fall of the God of Combat, the already crumbling barrier set up by the Primordial One lost parts of its support. As for the Evernight Goddess, "She" has yet to fully gain control of the corresponding Uniquenesses. As for becoming a Great Old One, who knows how much longer that will take. Under such circumstances, the intrusion of the Outer Deities into this world would naturally deepen. This has combined with the damage that many ordinary people have suffered from the war.

Klein suspected that, during the subsequent period of rebuilding after the war, many cults that pointed to the different Outer Deities or Cosmos would appear secretly in Loen. If he allowed them to spread their faith and attempt various risky attempts, the apocalypse would definitely be brought forward.

As he sighed, he walked out of Unit 403. His figure blurred, turning transparent until he disappeared.

In a hotel near Priya Street, Klein, who had long since moved in, picked up the coffee in front of him and took a sip.

Taking advantage of the fact that it was still early, he went out once again and took a carriage to the outskirts of the coastal Constant City.

There was a cemetery. The stone tablets stood erect like a short forest.

Klein walked through the cemetery and found a tombstone with the help of his spirituality.

The name on the tombstone wrote:

"Welch McGovern."

This was the original Klein's university schoolmate. As he had bought the Antigonus family's notebook, he had mysteriously died in Tingen. This had indirectly caused Zhou Mingrui to "transmigrate."

Welch McGovern's father was a banker in Constant City. He had spent money to bring his son's corpse back to his hometown and buried it in this cemetery.

Klein stared at the photo on the tombstone for a few seconds. He bent down and placed the bouquet of white flowers in his hand in front of Welch's grave.

Just as he was about to turn and leave, he suddenly stopped in his tracks. Twenty to thirty seconds later, an old man with a black cane walked over from another direction.

Klein recognized him and knew that he was Welch's father. He was the Midseashire County banker who had once invited him and his schoolmates to a sumptuous meal.

However, compared to a few years ago, this gentleman had aged significantly. He was originally a very energetic middle-aged gentleman, but now, his hair was half white. There were many wrinkles on his eyes, mouth, and forehead.

"Who are you?" Welch's father looked at the stranger in front of the grave. He asked, puzzled and wary.

Klein sighed and said, "Mr. McGovern, I'm Welch's friend. I just happened to pass by Constant City recently."

Welch's father nodded slightly and said in a deep voice, "He's a very sociable person. I only know a number of his friends."

His words were an attempt to explain why he hadn't invited Klein to the funeral and how sorry he was.

Klein didn't say anything else as he looked around and said, "Is there anything you need help with? Or do you have any wishes that you wish to have fulfilled? I hope I can provide you with some strength."

Welch's father looked around and smiled bitterly.

"Can you allow all the dead here to stand up again?"

It's not impossible, but they will be different from what you have in mind… Klein sighed and shook his head.

"Then can you allow Constant to return to its original state?" Welch's father asked with a bitter smile.

Without waiting for Klein's reply, he sighed and continued, "There's no need to provide any help. I can achieve what is possible myself. If it's impossible, then I can only pray to the deities."

As he spoke, the banker went past Klein and walked to his son's tombstone. He bent down and put down the bouquet of white flowers.

Klein looked at his back and muttered to himself, "I will try my best."

With that, he turned around and left the cemetery.

…

Constant City, in a bar with a style that resembled the previous century's.

A man donning a thick jacket carried his beer and walked to a wooden board beside the bar counter. He tried to find a part-time job on the notices pasted on it.

Suddenly, he saw a strange mission:

"I'm a reporter. I want to gather all kinds of stories from different people. It's best if you had personally experienced it yourself. The remuneration I can provide is to satisfy your wish to repair and rebuild your house for free. I have sufficient resources in this aspect.

"Merlin Hermes."

The man subconsciously frowned. He felt that this request was too strange, like it was a prank.

"Can you read the words on it?" A thin man who was sitting beside the wooden board took the opportunity to ask.

Few patrons of this bar were literate. Even if they wanted to find a job, or accept the corresponding commissions, most people were unable to understand the notices on the wooden board, and the bartender could only remember the few with the highest pay.

As a result of this situation, the thin, feeble man relied on the common Loenese terms he learned at the free schools to provide the corresponding interpretation at a quarter-pence.

This was how he made a living.

The man shook his head, indicating that he understood Loenese. He pointed at Merlin Hermes' request and said, "Is this real?"

"It is. That reporter is sitting by that corner, the one wearing a very tall hat." The thin, feeble man enthusiastically pointed him in the correct direction.

The reporter had promised him a quarter-pence for every person he introduced.

The man holding the beer fell silent. After hesitating for a full ten seconds, he walked to the corner and found the reporter named Merlin Hermes.

"W-will you really help me rebuild my house?" he asked worriedly.

Klein pointed at the documents on the small round table and said, "We can sign a contract."

"…There's no need. Even if you provide some materials, I'll still be very satisfied." The man sat opposite Klein and said rather cautiously, "I don't have a very touching story."

"As long as it's real enough." Klein nodded slightly in encouragement.

The man looked down and stared at the table.

"I'm a Constant native, and I used to have a decent job. I bought a terrace house along Lowtide Street. Later, war broke out. My house was reduced to ruins during one of the bombings. My eldest son, the child who just entered primary school, was buried inside…

"We had no choice but to rent a two-bedroom room until the Feysacians occupied Constant. Th-they dragged my wife away and she never returned…

"Some time ago, someone requested me to identify her corpse. I couldn't even recognize her. She had rotten so much that you wouldn't even call it a corpse. However, in the pockets of her clothes, there was still… there was still our old water bill…

"When she was still at the rental apartment, she had always missed our home. It's the same for my younger daughter. I don't have much money now and can only barely maintain my life, but I wish to rebuild that house bit by bit.

"To be honest, I don't like telling others about my misfortune. I'd rather stay silent. But if I can really get help with the rebuilding efforts, then I can…"

Klein held a pen and paper and pretended to jot it down. He nodded gently and said, "Your wish will come true. Wait for me in front of the ruins of that house on Lowtide Street tomorrow."

At the same time, he pushed a one-soli note over.

"This is for your drinks. My treat."

The man's eyes flickered. He seemed to want to refuse it, but in the end, he still picked up the note.

The next day, after sending his younger daughter to the church school, he walked along the familiar path to the familiar Lowtide Street and saw that familiar house.

Its chimney, its windows, its door, and the weeds on its walls hadn't changed at all. It was so familiar, as if its beautiful female owner would open the door in the next second and walk the two children out to welcome their father.

The man was stunned, unable to believe that this was real.

However, even if it was an illusion, he was willing to embrace it.

…

After several days, Klein, who had completed a slew of similar wishes, pushed open the window of the hotel and snapped his fingers in the morning light fog.

In an area of the city overlooking Constant, Welch's father woke up out of habit due to his dreams of his dead son and family. He walked to the balcony to take in the morning air.

Under the light of dawn, he suddenly saw chimneys and blast furnaces that resembled a forest. Alongside them were tall buildings.

The former Constant City had presented itself to him, bathed in the orange light of dawn.

Chapter 1298 Departure

As the residents of Constant were stunned by the miracle in front of them, Klein had already carried his suitcase and left the city with Arrodes.

After creating such a huge commotion, he was worried that Zaratul would lock onto his location, so he didn't dare to stay any longer.

With his present level and strength, he wasn't too afraid of fighting Zaratul head-on. However, he didn't wish to be ambushed. For Beyonders of the Seer pathway, being prepared and not was completely different. Once Klein revealed his location and didn't leave in time, an unprepared him would end up facing Zaratul. He could imagine that even if he was now Sefirah Castle's owner and still had one more resurrection chance, there was also a huge risk of completely perishing.

Furthermore, he didn't know what state Amon was in right now. Was he still being pursued by the True Creator? Was it possible for him to suddenly appear by his side and steal everything?

Due to this thought, Klein once again embarked on his journey.

…

In the basement of a house in Southville County.

The few Sequence 7 Beyonders of the Abraham family gathered here according to a prior agreement.

"…That's pretty much it." Dorian Gray shared what Mr. Door had said in its entirety through his student, Fors. "The years of exile and being sealed was enough to drive the Ancestor crazy. He only occasionally regains lucidity. Even just directly speaking to 'Him' can result in mental corruption from 'His' evil intent."

A man wearing gold-rimmed glasses looking like a university professor sighed.

"So that's the reason…"

His expression revealed some relief, as if he could finally admit that the curse was a result of the Ancestor's pleas for help.

After a one-second pause, the man said with a determined expression, "We have to think of a way to help the Ancestor escape. This way, our curse will be completely removed."

"Verdu, are you crazy? If a crazy King of Angels returns, it will destroy the entire family!" Dorian couldn't help but chide him.

The man named Verdu looked at the other family members and said with a sullen expression, "That's why we have to hurry. While the Ancestor still has a portion of 'His' lucidity, we should let 'Him' return to the real world!

"Once 'He' escapes from 'His' exiled, sealed state and has enough anchors, 'He' would definitely gradually regain 'His' rationality.

"Dorian, you've degenerated! You no longer wish to restore the glory of our family, to allow us to return to the apex of the Northern and Southern Continent. You only wish to live a stable but mediocre life! Besides, can you be sure that Mr. Fool will keep providing blessings? Perhaps one day, 'He' will be like the seven deities who won't respond to most prayers."

Dorian fell silent for a few seconds.

"However, the risk in this area will definitely be lower than helping the Ancestor escape. Ever since I believed in Mr. Fool and sincerely prayed to 'Him,' I haven't been affected by the full moon ravings for many months. If not for the fact that I'm no longer young, I'd even have the confidence of consuming a Sequence 6 Scribe potion.

"Even so, given time, I still have a good chance of advancing.

"If someone like me who's older than a certain age can do it, our next generation and their descendants will definitely be able to break free from our original restrictions and have a chance to become demigods."

Hearing Dorian's words, the two men and two ladies other than Verdu nodded in agreement.

They had already made some of their descendants believe in Mr. Fool, and through a few months of observation, they were certain that it was effective. They were planning on praying to Mr. Fool themselves.

Noticing Verdu's nasty expression, Dorian softened his tone and said, "More importantly, we don't have the strength to complete the ritual at all. A demigod of any pathway is not easy to deal with. Among them, the corresponding demigods of the Seer and Marauder are cunning, bizarre, and dangerous. Even if we're willing to sacrifice ourselves and use a Grade 0 Sealed Artifact, it's difficult to capture them."

Verdu nudged his gold-rimmed spectacles and slowly exhaled.

"I won't stop you from changing your faith to The Fool. If you can get that existence's help to aid the Ancestor's escape, that would be the best development. But before that, I will do my best to prepare the ritual. Dorian, you have to remember that the bloodline and glory of the Abraham family comes from the Ancestor. Without "Him," there will be no us.

"If this matter requires a sacrifice, then I'll do it."

He stood up, put on his hat, and walked out of the basement.

Dorian watched him leave and finally sighed.

"Verdu has been studying all kinds of mysticism information, hoping to find a way to completely resolve the family's curse. I believe that such persistence is already in his blood…"

The other Abraham family members nodded in unison.

"After he confirms that he can't complete the ritual, he should give up…"

They too hoped that Verdu would succeed, but they found it virtually impossible.

…

On Blue Mountain Island where Bayam was located, the private harbor that originally belonged to the Resistance.

A group of workers, who had just finished laying the gas pipes, were just about to find a place to rest and wait for the carriage sent by the Church of the Sea God to ferry them back to Bayam when they saw the half-giants purportedly from the northern Feysac's islands carry heavy, grayish-white stone materials. Each step left an imprint on the land.

These workers had participated in the construction of harbors, cathedrals, and art museums, so they knew how heavy the grayish-white stone materials were.

They remembered that, even with the help of logs, horses, and machinery, it was very difficult for people to transport such stone materials. Yet, the half-giants held them as easily as holding toys.

This display of strength was simply ridiculous.

When Derrick saw that the outer walls and some of the buildings of the town had been built under the efforts of the City of Silver's reconnaissance team, he nodded and said to Liaval and Candice, "It's time to return to the City of Silver and tell the Chief about the situation here."

None of the members of the City of Silver's reconnaissance team objected. They were very excited as they agreed with Elder Derrick's decision.

Although they hadn't been here for long, they had long fallen in love with this new "hometown." They had fallen in love with the warmth of the sun in the day and the peace of the crimson moon in the night. They couldn't wait to let their family and friends experience it and enjoy it.

Upon seeing this, Derrick subconsciously straightened his back. He controlled himself and didn't let his smile appear. He calmly said to Candice, "Come back to the City of Silver with me and tell the Chief and the other Elders of the six-member council about the situation here.

"Oh, you too, Jinord. Liaval, you're in charge of maintaining order here."

He was worried that he wouldn't be able to convince the current Chief, Waite Chirmont, and company, so he decided on bringing two companions with him.

After settling the corresponding matters, Derrick led Candice and Jinord to a secluded spot in the new City of Silver. He lowered his head, clasped his hands, and prayed to Mr. Fool, making a wish to return to the City of Silver immediately.

Without a sound, the scene around them became blurry and stretched. Then, it immediately fixed and quickly became clear.

In front of their eyes, they saw a city wall with weeds fluttering in the air.

In just a few seconds, Derrick and his two subordinates returned to the entrance of the City of Silver.

…This is a miracle… Candice rubbed her eyes with a hand that wasn't holding a weapon, and marveled from the bottom of her heart.

She had imagined many ways of returning to the City of Silver, but she had never thought of returning so directly.

To her, this was a miracle bestowed by a deity.

Jinord shook the glass lantern in his hand and muttered without thinking, "This is much brighter than the beast hide lantern…"

Before he could finish his sentence, he came to his senses and revealed a pure smile without a hint of gloominess.

This time, they would be the messengers of dawn who would lead the residents of the City of Silver out of the Forsaken Land of the Gods.

Derrick heaved a sigh of relief and maintained his stern expression.

"Let's immediately find the Chief and arrange for everyone to carry out the migration."

He had heard Mr. Hanged Man talk about many matters that failed at the cusp of success. He didn't wish for the City of Silver to have such an outcome.

As such, all the other matters had to be done as quickly as possible.

When they passed through the door, the City of Silver residents in charge of guarding the door looked curiously at the three scouts and saw hope from their rosy, glowing faces.

"Did Liaval and the others not come back?" Someone asked worriedly, afraid that the other members of the reconnaissance team had already sacrificed themselves.

Derrick simply replied, "They've remained in the outside world to build a temporary camp."

The guards didn't ask further, afraid that they would delay their time. They watched as Derrick and company headed for the twin towers.

Not long after, Derrick, Candice, and Jinord saw Chief Waite Chirmont and the other members of the six-member council. They described the key points of what they saw and heard in the outside world.

At the end of the report, they even took out pocket watches, music boxes, and other exquisite machinery to prove it.

The members of the six-member council other than the 2.5-meter-tall Waite Chirmont, who had a tattooed symbol on his head, and Derrick, looked at each other and sighed.

"Your experience is like a dream. No, I can't even dream of such a scene."

With that said, he solemnly asked, "Has the dungeon meant to store the Sealed Artifacts been constructed?"

"That was the first building we completed." Derrick gave an extremely clear answer.

Waite nodded slightly and immediately issued an order.

"Get everyone to bring their necessary items and gather at the training ground.

"To prevent any accidents, we will directly pray to Mr. Fool and ask him to transfer us over."

Having said that, Waite pondered for a moment and said, "Mr. Fool has previously sent a revelation to let us wait for another three hours for the ancient survivors from Moon City to rendezvous with us. However, this doesn't affect our preparations ahead of time.

"Also, tell everyone that the environment in Moon City is very tough. Many of them have deformities. We have to look at them normally."

Although the City of Silver had the Black-Faced Grass as their staple, they would eat the flesh of monsters from time to time to replenish their strength. This made them occasionally have deformed children. Therefore, everyone was no stranger to this phenomenon.

"Alright!" The other members of the six-member council responded without any hesitation, revealing an irresistible, excited expression.

This time, they were no longer seeing the light, but were directly welcoming the day.

Chapter 1299 Milk and Honey

The Forsaken Land of the Gods, Moon City.

When A'dal, Xin, and Rus heard the High Priest's voice resound throughout the city, they became abnormally excited.

They stood up almost at the same time and carried the beast-hide bags that they had prepared earlier on their backs.

Inside were distributed mushroom powder, dried mushrooms, and various monster leathers, as well as different Beyonder characteristics of different states.

To them, even though they were excited and were full of hope for the future, the suffering they had been through made them take precautions. They tried their best to carry as much food as possible.

A few flashes of lightning before, the priests of Moon City had received Mr. Fool's divine revelation and stopped sending out hunting teams. They also instructed every resident to pack their important items and prepare to leave at a moment's notice.

In less than a minute, A'dal and company walked out of their houses with lanterns in hand and arrived on the streets.

As their eyes met, their faces which were either filled with tumors or deformities were filled with unconcealed joy. They had no negative emotions towards abandoning Moon City and leaving their hometown.

This was the source of their nightmare. It was unknown how many generations of people had lost their happiness in their childhood.

When they were gathered at the square with a high platform, they suppressed their excitement and lined up in an orderly manner, checking to see if the neighbors had already arrived.

Soon, all the residents of Moon City arrived. High Priest Nim walked up the platform and said with a smile, "Everyone, I received a divine revelation.

"Mr. Fool is about to help us leave this cursed land and obtain a new lease of life.

"Praise be to Mr. Fool!"

He took the lead and pressed his right palm against his left chest.

This was a gesture they had invented to praise Mr. Fool, and Mr. Fool hadn't objected to it.

"Praise Mr. Fool!" The residents of Moon City pressed their right palms to their left chests, expressing their gratitude and devotion.

As their voices echoed, the gray-haired Nim raised his hand and lowered it for silence.

"We'll head to the City of Silver first and meet with the survivors there. Then, we will head to the world of light together.

"Don't worry. Mr. Fool will protect us.

"Okay, shut your eyes and start to pray."

With that said, the High Priest clasped his hands and pressed them against his lips. He sincerely prayed to Mr. Fool, hoping that the mighty existence could satisfy the greatest wish that the Moon City had accumulated over the past two to three thousand years—generations.

In the next second, the demigod of the Evernight pathway acutely sensed the changes in his surroundings. He opened his eyes, surveyed his surroundings, and discovered that stone pillars were becoming clearer. Lanterns hung on it as tall figures rapidly outlined.

This is the City of Silver? We've already arrived in the City of Silver… This is the might of a deity… Praise Mr. Fool! A'dal, Xin, and company quickly observed their surroundings.

They subconsciously had a certain good impression of the City of Silver. As a missionary of God, His Excellency Gehrman Sparrow had once mentioned that he had first arrived in the City of Silver after entering this cursed, forsaken land.

This was the beginning of where god's brilliance spread out from the eternal darkness. It was the origins of all hope.

The figures quickly became clear. Most of them were more than two meters tall. Their facial features and bodies were normal and there were no signs of deformation. They too were sizing up the residents of Moon City with curious and wary gazes.

Their oppressive height and the enviousness of their normality made Xin, Rus, and the others nervous. They felt inferior and uneasy.

However, with a sweep of their gaze, they saw quite a number of City of Silver residents biting mushrooms that had roasted surfaces. From time to time, they would suck the hot liquid from white, full mushrooms.

This familiar scene caused the people of Moon City to gradually relax as they treated these half-giants as their own.

The Chief of the six-member council, Waite Chirmont nodded and said to Nim, who was supposedly the leader of Moon City, "Are you ready?"

His gaze was calm and natural. He didn't look down on them because of their "terrifying" appearance.

Afraid that an accident would happen, Nim immediately replied, "Ready and good to go."

Waite Chirmont immediately cast his gaze at the City of Silver residents.

"Finish your meal within three minutes and begin praying."

In less than a minute, the residents of the City of Silver finished their "milk" and put away the remaining food in their hands. They sincerely prayed to Mr. Fool.

The miraculous descent of the ancient survivors of Moon City made them more confident in leaving the Forsaken Land of the Gods. They truly believed in Mr. Fool.

A few seconds later, everyone in the City of Silver's training ground disappeared.

The city was left completely silent. Soon, the corrupted weeds would grow, and monsters would wander around the streets and houses.

In just a few blinks of an eye, the residents of the City of Silver and Moon City arrived in front of the Giant King's palace, which had the dusk frozen.

This was a "ritual" that Klein had deliberately planned. It was to allow the ancient survivors of the Forsaken Land of the Gods to bid farewell to the past.

Shocked by the grandeur, epicness, and mythical impression of the Giant King's Court, the residents of the City of Silver subconsciously turned their heads and looked down and into the distance.

Beyond the orange-red dusk, the ground was completely blanketed in darkness. Occasionally, lightning would flash across the sky, revealing the outline of ancient buildings, towering mountains, and the deformed plants.

As the lightning descended, darkness surged in again, devouring everything.

Then, the City of Silver and Moon City residents turned their heads and cast their gaze deep into the Giant King's palace.

There was an open door, and outside the door was a blazing golden ocean.

The people who were blinded by the sunlight immediately felt their surroundings become blurry, and the scene quickly shattered.

The fragments quickly reassembled, turning into a deep blue ocean, the smell of fish, striking sounds, and the orange-red sun that had yet to come close to the horizon.

The residents of Moon City and the City of Silver looked around in shock and anticipation. They saw the luxuriant forest that wasn't distorted at all. They saw the stone buildings that had yet to have been refurbished. They saw Liaval and company and saw the path towards the harbor and the ship that was docked there.

Many people's vision turned blurry as though they were undergoing the catharsis of the holy light.

They could clearly sense that there was no depravity, filth, or mysterious power here.

Most of the City of Silver and Moon City residents lowered their heads and knelt on the ground, praising Mr. Fool loudly as they kissed the sweet-smelling soil.

It wasn't that the others weren't grateful to Mr. Fool, but that they were still spellbound by such a scene. Every fiber of their being was shocked.

After they recovered from their initial shock, Liaval went up to meet his wife and daughter.

As he approached, he couldn't hold back his excitement and joy. He opened his mouth, wanting to tell his wife and children what he had seen and heard during this period of time. However, he realized that there were just too many things he wanted to share. Like countless rushing rivers, they surged to his throat and blocked his voice.

After a few seconds, Liaval said, "We… We have a new home…"

Before he could finish his sentence, the nearly 2.5-meter-tall half-giant hurriedly reached his hand into his pocket and extended it towards his wife and daughter.

"This is given to us by the Oracle—milk candy. A-all of them say it's delicious…" A smile appeared on Liaval's face.

There were two objects which were the size of a thumb and wrapped in thin sheets of paper. Its surface was wrinkled, having soaked in a little sweat.

"Milk candy…" Liaval's wife didn't quite understand this term. It was a new word in Jotun that mixed "milk" and "honey."

Their daughter was infected by her father's emotions. She boldly took the candy and was about to stuff it into her mouth.

"No, no, you have to peel off the outer layer." Liaval hurriedly took back the two milk candy and peeled off the wrapper before handing one each to his wife and daughter.

His daughter bit down and ground her teeth forcefully, producing a cracking sound.

She narrowed her eyes slowly and her expression gradually became more intoxicated.

During this process, she couldn't bear to even speak.

Seeing her daughter's behavior, Liaval's wife ate the candy.

She felt that this was a very precious thing. She didn't bite it to pieces directly, but used her oral cavity to wrap around it and let it slowly melt away.

The indescribable milk fragrance and sweetness slowly spread out, intoxicating Liaval's wife.

When Liaval saw this, his smile widened as he said what had been left stuck in his throat.

"The Oracle said that we can find a job in Bayam City, receive commissions, and earn gold pounds. That way, we can buy more milk candy. We can also sell Beyonder characteristics and monster leather we have no need for to the Church of Sea God…

"Sea God is Mr. Fool's subsidiary god…

"It'll be dark soon. I'll bring you to the beach to watch the sunset. It's really beautiful. I visit it every day. I've always been waiting to bring the two of you there when you arrive…"

…

It's finally done. My anchor has stabilized significantly… Furthermore, granting the wishes of the City of Silver and Moon City has allowed my Miracle Invoker potion to digest by quite a bit. However, it isn't as much as restoring Constant City. Indeed, being a God of Wishes isn't the most accurate form of acting… Above the gray fog, Klein slowly exhaled and threw the Staff of the Stars back onto the junk pile.

Following that, he would continue wandering and creating miracles. He would occasionally head to the Forsaken Land of the Gods and transform some monsters into marionettes to prepare for the subsequent ritual.

As for the next stage of acting as a Miracle Invoker, Klein planned on accumulating wishes of changing appearances and figures to solve the deformities of Moon City, thereby creating a miracle.

This isn't too difficult… Many maidens and ladies have a wish to remove acne, have double-eyelids, and make their noses sharper. And I have a way to do it… This way, by accumulating the simple to the difficult, it will just take a matter of time to treat the deformed people of Moon City… In the outside world, they will feel even more inferior… Klein mumbled inwardly before he suddenly laughed self-deprecatingly.

"In that case, I can call myself the ruler of the beauty industry, the guardian of architects and the construction workers, the miracle creator of long-distance travel…"

…

After entering the waters that didn't have a safe sea route, Queen Mystic Bernadette seemed to have lost her sense of time. If not for the precise wall clock in her captain's cabin, she definitely would've forgotten how many days it had been since she entered this perilous region.

The violent winds and torrential rain made the boat fly up from time to time, sometimes getting thrown to the side, as if it was a preview to the impending apocalypse.

Bernadette watched calmly as she waited patiently without interfering with the Dawn's situation.

After some time, the storm finally calmed down.

At this moment, a black outline appeared in the distance.