2428 1309 - 1316

Chapter 1309 Additional Lessons

After circling the primitive island three times, the Dawn finally made its way off into the distance which was perennially covered in storms.

Bernadette slowly retracted her gaze and fixed it on the Sage Frontlet that remained suspended in the air.

As a Clairvoyant, she clearly saw the opportunity to advance. She knew that she had completed the corresponding ritual, preventing a disaster that involved a higher order of power.

However, the price she paid was to personally seal her father, the father she had missed and sought for more than a hundred years.

"How ironic…" Bernadette looked at the vertical eye embedded with diamonds and sighed softly.

After leaving Intis, she had two big wishes. First, she wanted to investigate the truth behind the matter and see if she had misunderstood her father. Second, she wanted to follow her father's footsteps and see if there was a possibility of reviving him.

Bernadette had already fulfilled her first wish. The truth was that she had indeed misunderstood her father. This curtailed her pain and conflicted feelings. Her hatred for her father had completely dissipated, but it also added to her guilt.

With this kind of guilt and yearning all this time, she tried her best to fulfill her second wish, but the outcome wasn't pleasant.

If there hadn't been any hope from the beginning, she might not have had such a huge reaction. However, she had clearly seen the light and seen her father, but she had no choice but to personally place him into a state of slumber.

After a moment of silence, Bernadette's slightly unfocused eyes became clear again.

She no longer hesitated and no longer blamed herself. She no longer had all kinds of negative emotions. She firmly raised her right hand and drew out ancient words that shimmered with a stellar radiance in the void. She summoned the spirit world creature who was half-man, half-wind, and she retrieved the Sage supplementary ingredients from it.

As for the rest, as there was no need for them to be specially preserved, they were in the collection room of the Dawn.

Not long after, Bernadette used Pale Death to shatter the Sage Frontlet. She concocted the potion that could allow her to advance to Sequence 2.

Looking at the bubbling Sage potion with each bubble containing a transparent eye, Bernadette firmly raised her right hand and brought the glass bottle to her mouth.

She knew that what she needed at this moment wasn't sorrow, nor corny emotions, but determination and the will to forge forward. This was because if she wanted to help her father, Emperor Roselle, escape the corruption and completely revive, she needed a higher Sequence and greater strength.

Because of this, she was willing to bury the pain in the deepest part of her heart and not let it affect her mental state. It was only when there was no one around at night that she could retrieve it and savor it alone.

With the Sage potion entering her mouth, Bernadette's body turned illusory at a discernible pace.

She broke down into thick and complicated knowledge, changing into an existence that was a flux of information.

The entire Dawn, as well as the surrounding winds, storms, lightning, seawater, and waves, all lost their sense of reality. It was as though they had been restored to the most fundamental blocks of information.

For most of Sequence 3 Beyonders of the Mystery Pryer pathway, such a state was extremely dangerous. If one's willpower wasn't strong enough, their luck wasn't good enough, and they weren't prepared enough, the knowledge that they had transformed into would be infiltrated by all kinds of information within seconds. They would be washed away, assimilated, and thus quickly lose consciousness. They wouldn't be able to reassemble their bodies, turning into a very strange and difficult monster to deal with in mysticism.

A Knowledge Demon!

This was also known as an Information Creature.

Bernadette had relied on the Sage Frontlet and had previously transformed into a flux of information on several occasions. Although it was limited to two to three seconds and didn't last too long, it was still considered experience. At that moment, she tried her best to maintain her consciousness and establish a connection with the information produced in the spirit world by preventing a high-level disaster.

The information had a clear imprint belonging to her, and it involved a very high level of power. It was exceptionally "solid" and couldn't be dispersed by other information for short periods of time. It helped her to stabilize her consciousness and slowly gather the dissipating flux of information around her body.

During this process, Klein, who was above the gray fog, tapped the edge of the long mottled table with the help of the prayer light. He used a Miracle Invoker's ability of changing the probability of certain developments and actions to a certain extent, and he bestowed Bernadette with a certain amount of good luck.

Time ticked by. There were several times when Bernadette wavered on the border of losing consciousness, but in the end, she managed to tide through it. She gathered all the information that belonged to her and began to reconstruct her body.

At that moment, she gradually felt the concern Admiral of Stars Cattleya had for her. She felt the members of the Element Dawn and her crew making their daily prayers.

This stabilized her condition better, allowing her to resist the ancient will that was slowly developing in her body.

At this moment, a series of secret information came from nowhere. Taking the opportunity while Bernadette was reforming her body, it attempted to fuse with her.

This was interference from the Hidden Sage!

As an embodiment of this world's knowledge and information, as a quasi-Sequence 0 existence of the Mystery Pryer pathway, the Hidden Sage had a certain influence on Beyonders of a lower Sequencer than "Him."

Without giving Bernadette the chance to use the pale-white mask, the "curtain" draped over Klein gently rose.

Space-time distorted around Bernadette, completely isolating her from the outside world. Even information couldn't be interchanged.

Grabbing this sudden moment of peace, Bernadette completely reassembled her body and used her own anchors to balance out the terrifying will that was surfacing in her body.

At that moment, she had truly become a "She," a Sequence 2 angel of the Mystery Pryer pathway—an important figure in the mysterious world that could be addressed as a secret existence.

Right on the heels of that, she saw the distorted space around her return to normal. She saw a series of hidden information surging towards her.

She stretched out her right hand and grabbed the information with ease, extracting the useful information contained within.

Just as Bernadette was about to return to reality from the spirit world, an orange light suddenly bloomed in front of her eyes.

The light instantly condensed into a fat elder with a short white beard.

The elder smiled and said, "Ma'am, I'm Orange Light Hilarion."

Orange Light… Bernadette was puzzled. She didn't understand why Orange Light Hilarion had suddenly appeared in front of her—they hadn't interacted much before.

As the leader of the Element Dawn and a former Mysticologist, she wasn't unfamiliar with the Seven Lights of the spirit world. She even knew how to pray to Seven Lights, as well as the ritual needed to receive the corresponding advice. She knew that the seven lustrous lights were a symbol of the spirit world, and they contained endless knowledge of different domains. They were definitely at the angel level.

Orange Light Hilarion added with a smile, "A great existence wants me to inform you of the knowledge regarding the Great Old Ones, the Outer Deities, and the Cosmos, so that you have a relatively accurate grasp of the state of this world and the corresponding corruption."

"Which existence is it?" Bernadette asked, puzzled and cautious.

She had vaguely guessed the answer, but she still found it quite unbelievable. After all, the Seven Lights in the spirit world were also important figures in the mysterious world. Even if a Sequence 0 true god wouldn't find it easy to get "Them" to do "Their" bidding.

Orange Light Hilarion chuckled and replied, "The greater ruler above the spirit world."

The great ruler above the spirit world… Bernadette repeated the honorific name, and her thoughts raced.

Hilarion glanced at her and smiled.

"'He' also has another title:

"Mr. Fool."

…

Somewhere out at sea, the Future which was cruising on a safe sea route.

Cattleya suddenly jolted awake from her dream as her forehead was covered in cold sweat.

In the dream just now, she saw the Queen lying on the ground drenched in blood. Her chest was torn open, and a baby-like monster crawled out of it.

As a Mysticologist, a Mysticologist who had advanced with a drop of the Snake of Fate's blood, Cattleya believed that her dream wasn't without any reason. It was definitely a premonition.

It was obvious that the dream she had wasn't pleasant.

While feeling uneasy, Cattleya sat up and put on her cloak. She attempted to pray to Mr. Fool, hoping that this mighty existence would give her some hints or to protect the Queen.

Soon, a scene appeared before her eyes.

Queen Mystic Bernadette walked out of the spirit world and returned to Dawn, allowing the ship to gradually distance itself from the nameless island.

Cattleya immediately heaved a sigh of relief and sincerely thanked Mr. Fool.

After finishing her prayer, she opened the window of the captain's cabin in joy, causing starlight to condense into a long bridge that reached the deck.

She put on her heavy glasses and walked along the resplendent bridge of starlight to the deck where she proceeded to stroll leisurely in the quiet night.

When she arrived at the bow of the ship, Cattleya saw Frank Lee tinkering with bottles.

"What are you doing?" Cattleya subconsciously frowned.

Frank looked up and said with a bright smile, "My ideas encountered a setback so I can't proceed any further for now. I asked Nina to get me some soil from the bottom of the sea to study the microbes in it."

With that said, Frank said with a look of anticipation,

"When I have my next vacation, I'd like to go to the depths of the North Sea or the poles where it's a world of ice and snow. There might be many ancient microorganisms buried beneath the thick layer of ice there, from the Fourth Epoch, the Third Epoch, or even the Second and First Epoch. This will bring me plenty."

You won't have any vacations for the time being… Cattleya said inwardly.

…

Klein conjured a box and placed the four Cards of Blasphemy inside. After sealing them, he immediately returned to the real world and headed for the nearest Evernight cathedral.

He planned on informing the Evernight Goddess in the form of a prayer of the hidden dangers of the Card of Blasphemy, reminding "Her" to pay attention to such problems. He didn't want the Earth Mother, Lilith, to obtain the Mother card or The Moon Card.

Chapter 1310 Envoy

The prayer hall in the Evernight cathedral was as dark as before. Only the holes on the walls allowed some light to seep in, like stars in the night.

Klein sat in a corner that wasn't eye-catching. He took off his tall hat and began praying like a pious member of the congregation.

He simply mentioned how Roselle had revived in his last mausoleum, and focused on the corruption of the Primordial Moon. He deliberately emphasized that, in order to prevent the "crimson moon" within him from being born in the real world, Roselle had chosen to terminate the process of having his Black Emperor Uniqueness and three Sequence 1 characteristics return to him.

At the end of the prayer, Klein pointed out the hidden dangers of the Cards of Blasphemy, and he expressed his concerns about the whereabouts of the Mother card and The Moon Card.

In fact, Roselle only mentioned the need to be careful of the Mother card and didn't mention The Moon. However, Klein knew that the two pathways of Earth and Moon belonged to the Mother Goddess of Depravity. Therefore, to be cautious, he specially added The Moon Card.

This was also the main reason he was worried about Earth Mother Lilith.

Compared to most of the twenty-two pathways, the High-Sequence Beyonders of the Planter and Moon pathway had a huge advantage. That was that they didn't need to worry about the Primordial One from awakening in their bodies. They didn't need to worry about dissociation from approaching the world underground. This was because the Beyonder characteristics they possessed didn't directly come from the Primordial One which led to no corresponding mental imprint. However, if they were to directly go underground and enter the Chaos Sea, no matter who it was, they would encounter corruption. It was just that the extent would be different.

This advantage was very likely due to the fact that the Sanguine Ancestor Lilith was more special than the other ancient gods. After all, "She" didn't need to divert a large part of "Her" energy to resist the will of the Primordial One awakening within her. And back then, the invisible barrier protecting this world was still sufficiently sturdy, separating the Mother Goddess of Depravity and the other Great Old Ones from Earth, making it difficult for "Them" to exert too much of an influence on the situation inside.

But with the passage of time, this advantage gradually became a problem.

As the underground corruption became weaker and weaker, the invisible barrier also became weaker and cracks began appearing. Under such circumstances, Earth Mother Lilith's situation became worse. This was because "She" was facing the intrusion of the Mother Goddess of Depravity that was ever increasing in potency and terror. In this aspect, the original Creator—the Oldest One—who was dead was definitely inferior to the living Mother Goddess of Depravity.

Considering how Outer Deities who had transcended Sequences had an influence on Beyonders from their own pathway, Klein felt that he couldn't afford negligence on such matters.

After he finished his prayer, he waited for nearly five minutes. After confirming that there was no response, he stood up, put on his wandering magician's tall hat, and walked out of the cathedral that belonged to the Evernight.

To him, this was mainly a disclosure obligation. As for what the Evernight Goddess planned to do with it, or if "She" would remind him of certain matters, it was beyond his control.

In short, Klein could only temporarily believe that the Evernight Goddess knew the relative importance of matters.

…

Backlund, at the Harvest Church south of the Bridge.

The top-hatted Emlyn White got off his carriage and looked at the sun covered by the clouds and mist.

On the way to the entrance of the cathedral, he gently rotated the ring on his left hand, as if to flaunt his identity.

The ring was semi-translucent in color, as though it was made from light-red amber. There was a blood-red gem embedded on its tip—a reward Emlyn had received a long time ago—Lilith's Ring.

After becoming a demigod, Emlyn could suppress the effect of bloodthirst from the ring to a certain extent. Every day, he only needed to drink three bottles of human blood to be immune to the corresponding negative effects. Therefore, in order to showcase his special identity as the Ancestor's Blessed, he began wearing this ring permanently.

After entering the Harvest Church, Emlyn automatically removed his top hat.

At this moment, Cosmi, Ernes, and the other Sanguine in Backlund, who were waiting for Bishop Utravsky, stood up one after another. Looking down at the aisle, they greeted softly, "Good morning, My Lord."

Emlyn looked ahead and nodded indiscernibly.

"Is Mistral still not here yet?"

"Count Mistral set up a chapel at home," Ernes simply explained.

Emlyn didn't comment on this. He walked forward and casually said, "He will still have to come when Mass is held."

He looked around before saying, "Where's Bishop Utravsky?"

"The bishop is waiting for you behind. The Church's envoy has arrived." Ernes controlled his facial expression as he answered Emlyn's question politely.

The Church's envoy… Emlyn rotated the light-red ring on his left hand and walked to the back of the cathedral.

Soon, he saw Father Utravsky and the slightly curly black-haired envoy the Church with a tall nose and deep eyes.

"This is the archbishop, His Grace Loreto," Father Utravsky introduced the envoy to Emlyn.

He stood by the window, blocking most of the light.

"Good morning, Your Grace," Emlyn replied with the etiquette of the Church of Earth.

Loreto smiled and spoke in rather awkward Loenese.

"There's no need to address me as Your Grace. Although you aren't an archbishop, you have the status of an archbishop. From today onwards, you will be a hierophant, a high-ranking deacon of the Church. You will be in charge of the Sanguine matters in Backlund."

Without giving Emlyn any time to digest this information, Loreto continued, "I came to Backlund under the Holy See's orders. I'll tell you everything that needs to be taken note of within the Church."

"Please speak," Emlyn suppressed his glee and said politely.

Loreto's expression immediately turned serious.

"First of all, the most important point is that, be it the clergymen of the Church or the believers of the Earth Mother, as long as you claim that you have obtained a revelation, they are individuals who have been enticed by demons—with no exceptions.

"If anyone reports something like this to you, or if you have obtained a revelation personally, please inform Bishop Utravsky as soon as possible and report it to the Church."

Father Utravsky didn't mention this before… This request sounds very strange, as though there's some suspicion… Emlyn frowned as he looked at Father Utravsky who was standing by the window.

"The bishop never said anything about taking note of such matters…"

Before he finished his sentence, Emlyn suddenly realized that he came off as criticizing Bishop Utravsky, but he couldn't find any better explanation in his haste.

Almost at the same time, he understood what was odd about what Archbishop Loreto had said.

This was telling everyone that the Earth Mother you sensed isn't the real Earth Mother!

This is saying that a large number of the revelations us Sanguine received from the Ancestor are fake. It's from demons or evil gods… The look in Emlyn's eyes sank as he tried to maintain his composure.

At this moment, Loreto didn't mind and smiled.

"Bishop Utravsky didn't tell you because he didn't know either."

Father didn't know… In that instant, Emlyn actually felt a little sympathetic towards Bishop Utravsky. He felt that as a Feysacian, a hierophant who had changed faith in his later years, he had been ostracized by the other members of the Church of Earth.

Sensing the change in his gaze, Loreto added, "That's because he's a Blessed. He doesn't need to care about the temptation of demons and evil gods."

Bishop Utravsky nodded and said calmly, "The revelations of Earth Mother are in 'Her' Holy Bible, in those lines of teaching. Anything other than that is heresy."

Emlyn was somewhat puzzled, but he couldn't think of any question. He grunted and said to Loreto, "Then what is the second point that needs paying attention?"

Loreto made his expression turn serious.

"If you receive a revelation, don't blindly believe it. Please immediately seek confirmation from Bishop Utravsky."

"Why?" Emlyn was puzzled.

This was basically telling him that the only response he would receive was either from evil gods or demons.

Loreto deliberated over his words and explained in detail,

"In this world, there are many evil existences. 'They' will pretend to be deities, and bewitch the clergyman in an act of enticing believers.

"That's because the two main pathways of the Church of Earth Mother are related to life. Therefore, the effects they receive are more severe than the other Churches. From time to time, there are people who will take the wrong path and attempt forbidden life experiments; thus, slowly degenerating.

"In order to prevent such a development, we reorganized the Church a long time ago under the guidance of the Mother's will to establish the system of a Favored and Blessed."

Favored and Blessed… Emlyn's understanding of the Church of Earth was limited to the Holy Bible and part of the scriptures. He was momentarily at a loss.

He had never taken the initiative to ask Father Utravsky about the Church of Earth Mother.

Loreto glanced at Emlyn and nodded slightly.

"The Favored are clergymen who have won the Mother's favor and are from the two pathways of Earth and Moon. The Blessed refers to people who have obtained the Mother's blessing and are from other pathways.

"The latter is less affected by the demons and evil gods. It can help us verify the authenticity of the revelations.

"Under such circumstances, even if it's a decree issued by the Holy See, there has to be at least a second-in-command Favored. Otherwise, it can be regarded as null and void."

As he spoke, Loreto took out a document and unfolded it in front of Emlyn. Apart from what the archbishop had just said, it included the details of him accepting the mission and appointment as an envoy.

At the end of the document, there were a few names. The first was from the Holy See of the Church of Earth, Matriarch Roland, and the rest were all names that Emlyn didn't know. He barely recognized the last one to be Father Utravsky.

Father Utravsky's handwriting is really ugly… As Emlyn mumbled to himself, he began to have a strong sense of doubt regarding the Blessed and Favored system.

Why were the Blessed less enticed by evil gods or demons?

Why were they able to verify a revelation, but the Favored couldn't?

As his thoughts raced, Emlyn suddenly noticed a detail:

The Blessed aren't from the two pathways of Earth and Moon!

Therefore, the problem didn't lie in the Favored, but the two pathways themselves? Emlyn vaguely felt that his guess was the truth.

Chapter 1311 New Mission

Emlyn vaguely sensed that there might be some abnormalities in the two Beyonder pathways of Earth and Moon, but he didn't ask Archbishop Loreto about it directly.

He doesn't seem like he would answer… It's better to wait for the next Tarot Gathering to ask The World, The Hanged Man, and the others… Emlyn nodded indiscernibly, indicating that he already knew the difference between a Favored and a Blessed as he muttered to himself.

He didn't consider seeking Mr. Fool's answer, because he felt that there was no need since the corresponding problem wasn't too important. After all, the Sanguine's Dukes, Marquises, and Counts were still alive and well, and there hadn't been any particularly negative news regarding the Church of Earth Mother.

At the same time, his previous guess also made Emlyn connect these to the influence the Primordial Moon, an existence which was perhaps an evil god or a high-level Devil in disguise, had on the Moon pathway. "He" had once caused many Sanguine who had prayed to "Him" to lose control, turning into monsters that only knew how to mate and reproduce.

Emlyn suspected that this was one of the evil existences that sent the fake visions and revelations.

With no more questions from him, Loreto put away the document in his hand and thought for a moment before saying, "This is the problem that requires special attention.

"In addition, I hope that you can set up three to five Beyonder teams in Backlund. They should mainly be members of the Sanguine."

Emlyn was always law-abiding. The only crime he did was steal blood at the hospital. He subconsciously raised his question, "Does the Church of Evernight and the Church of Storms have any objections?"

Loreto said with a benevolent smile, "This was a request from them.

"As most of the forces of the Church of Steam have withdrawn, there is a lack of official Beyonders in Loen.

"Although the Church of Evernight and the Church of Storms have also recruited a group of Machinery Hivemind members who don't wish to leave Loen, and the lower-ranking clergymen, they are ultimately just a minority. Furthermore, they still need to handle the purge in Feysac and the independent colonies overseas. Therefore, they hope that they can provide some help.

"This is quite beneficial for our proselytizing in Loen. However, you have to remember that, here, we have to restrain ourselves. We can't freely proselytize. Just be on the same level as the remnant Church of Steam. Of course, our believers won't be able to catch up to the Church of Steam for a long period of time. This requires a generation, two generations, or even three generations of effort."

Yes, maintaining the present scale and having a certain degree of development is enough… It's too troublesome to proselytize… Emlyn heaved a sigh of relief and calmly replied, "Okay."

…

In the Sonia Sea, City of Generosity, Bayam.

Alger wore a bishop's robe embroidered with symbols of lightning and waves. He wore a metal Storm Sacred Emblem and stood at the peak of the coastal mountain range, looking out at the other side of the forest.

There were very few trees there. The surrounding hills and short mountains had been flattened, revealing a hidden harbor.

It was a private harbor that belonged to the Resistance. It was definitely not comparable to Bayam's port, but it was of medium size, enough to sustain many people's lives.

A city with an unconstrained and crude style had been built near the harbor. The city wasn't huge, probably only one-fifth the size of Bayam or smaller.

In the center were two towers. One was a spire, the other steeple. They were all strangely silver, reflecting blinding light under the sun.

Surrounding the twin towers were many paved roads made of cement. They led to buildings that were mainly made of stone or were connected to open squares and training grounds. The green trees lining the sides of the street exuded a feeling of grandeur.

Alger knew that the city didn't only consist of residents from the City of Silver, but also people from Moon City.

Many of the latter were extremely deformed. They were temporarily unwilling to interact with Bayam, as well as the residents of the other cities on the island. They only purchased their necessities through the people of the City of Silver.

It was said that they planned on building a city that belonged to them deep in the forest, and would only leave a path to the new City of Silver.

These are all believers of Mr. Fool. I'll have to slowly integrate them into the entirety of the Rorsted Archipelago… For now, I'll temporarily not disturb the deformed and allow the residents of the City of Silver to bring normal-looking Moon City residents to Bayam… Alger seriously considered his subsequent actions.

After settling down the residents of the City of Silver and Moon City, he had actually completed the mission that Mr. Fool had given him. However, he believed that he was still far from being able to exchange for Sea God's identity, authority, and status. Therefore, he did his best to deal with the problems left behind by the "great migration."

To be frank, Alger was most worried that Mr. Fool didn't give him anything to do. If that happened, he didn't know how long it would take for him to make enough contributions.

Accompanying the new City of Silver's establishment and the immense vibrancy it exuded, he acutely sensed danger.

There was more than one Sequence 4 demigod in the City of Silver and Moon City, and they were Mr. Fool's loyal believers. Perhaps, Mr. Fool would one day bestow the identity, status, authority, and power of Sea God to one of them!

There are two Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts in the City of Silver, a Sequence 3 saint, three Sequence 4 saints, and nearly ten Grade 1 Sealed Artifacts, as well as a few demigod Beyonder characteristics that can temporarily be used as Grade 1 Sealed Artifacts… There are three demigods in Moon City, five Grade 1 Sealed Artifacts, and a large number of potion formulas… This… Alger only made a slight calculation before realizing that the two factions that came under Mr. Fool were a little terrifying.

All of them combined was equivalent to a quarter of the Church of Storms!

According to what Alger knew, the number of Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts each Church had numbered between five to eight. There were fewer than four Grounded Angels active at present. In this aspect, they were indeed much stronger than the combined Moon City and City of Silver.

However, the orthodox Churches had no advantage in numbers when it came to Grade 1 Sealed Artifacts and saints, especially the latter.

Due to an all-out war, with the brass increasing the number of saints by nurturing them, the Church of Storms only had around twenty saints.

The Church of the Sea God doesn't have a demigod yet, but it won't be long before a new Sea God will appear… As for the angels under Mr. Fool, there's The World, the Death Consul, and the angel of the Fate pathway… There are the saints from our Tarot Club… The more Alger thought about it, the more alarmed he became. He realized that he was a little slow in this aspect.

Perhaps it was because he couldn't extricate himself to take an objective look at things, and although he had always been amazed by such matters, he finally came to a clear realization today:

Unknowingly, Mr. Fool's faction had already developed to a level that was comparable to an orthodox Church. Even if there was a certain gap, it was only due to the lack of accumulation that needed to span across years.

And it hadn't even been three years since Alger joined the Tarot Club!

If I hadn't experienced all these changes myself, I definitely wouldn't have believed it. Alger sighed inwardly as he fervently wished to do something for Mr. Fool so that he could quickly accumulate the contributions needed to transform into Sea God.

When that happened, he could truly cast his gaze towards the Book of Calamity and attempt to complete the request of the elven queen, Cohinem.

Retracting his gaze, Alger glanced at Bayam at the foot of the mountain. He saw that this city, which hadn't suffered any serious damage in the war, had once again lit up. It could also be called the most prosperous city in the Sonia Sea.

At that moment, the priests, bishops, and believers of the Church of the Lord of Storms were cooperating with the new government civil servants and the Church of Sea God to build schools and hospitals to the children in the slums and the natives with no financial capacity that would provide education, medical treatment, and assistance.

As Alger watched the people walking along the streets like ants and the colorful buildings that were different from the vast majority of Loen, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly before he wiped away his smile.

He narrowed his eyes, unsure what he was experiencing or enjoying.

At that moment, a grayish-white fog suddenly appeared in front of him.

Following that, he saw the ancient palace and blurry figure in the middle of the fog. He heard Mr. Fool's words:

"A mission. Monitor a man named Verdu Garcia."

Along with the revelation, plenty of miscellaneous information rained down and drilled into Alger's mind, allowing him to know the exact situation of Verdu Garcia.

He was a member of the Abraham family that had concealed his identity. He had recently left Desi County and had come to the Rorsted Archipelago.

Alger was thrilled. He bowed his head respectfully in response. "By your will."

…

Klein knew that Verdu Garcia Abraham had left the Northern Continent and was heading to the Rorsted Archipelago, as Dorian Gray had mentioned this when he prayed.

He knew very well that the person named Verdu yearned to save Mr. Door so that the King of Angels could return to the real world.

The reason why Klein had gotten Miss Magician to inform the Abraham family of one of the rituals that helped Mr. Door escape was because the trust between the two parties was insufficient. If he were to hide it or lie by saying that an angel needed to be hunted for the ritual, the Abraham family would definitely suspect Fors and make her continue contacting Mr. Door and try to confirm it through other means.

Once they discovered anything, Klein would lose control of the Abraham family, preventing him from nipping the problem in the bud.

If it had been a few years ago, Klein wouldn't have been too worried about such problems. However, as the apocalypse approached, the infiltration of the Outer Deities would only increase. It was possible that a member of the Abraham family would come into contact with a corresponding item or believer and obtain the correct ritual.

Therefore, Klein believed that the ritual that was extremely difficult to complete could be used to effectively gain the trust of the Abrahams, allowing them to deepen their faith in Mr. Fool and become more devout. Then, he could monitor the extreme ones among the devout and grasp their trajectories, and interfere with them in time.

Chapter 1312 Fully Automatic Wishing Machine

Midseashire, Limon City.

Jasmine wrapped a scarf around her face and exited the apartment.

She had heard that the annual Limon Carnival had begun, so she wanted to visit it at the municipal square.

Because of the war last year, the carnival hadn't been held. This had greatly disappointed Jasmine. After that, she suffered the greatest trauma in her life. From then on, she hid at home and didn't dare to go out.

Perhaps it was because she had been confined at home for too long—one that was very cramped—Jasmine had been eager to go on the streets recently. She wanted to walk around just like she did in the past.

As she turned her gaze, she saw her reflection in the large glass window by the side of the street.

Her figure was pitch-black without any other color. Her long dress reached her ankles, and the veil of her hat covered half of her face. From the bottom of her eyes to her neck, there was a scarf wrapped several times around her neck. Both of her hands were wearing a pair of knitted gloves.

This was completely different from the cheerful and lively Jasmine in her memories.

In the previous war, a cannonball had destroyed her original home and resulted in a fire. She suffered burns to the face, causing her body to be covered in wounds.

If not for the fact that she was lucky enough, Jasmine would've died from the serious injuries. But even so, she felt like her life had ended from that very moment.

Her nose had been burnt away, leaving only two black holes. There were many traces left behind by the fire on her face, neck, and hands. If she were to walk in the dark, she would pass off for a devil perfectly.

Jasmine clearly remembered one thing: on the first night of moving to this apartment, she had washed up in the public bathroom before sleeping. Just as she walked out of the door, she saw a youth walk over. The youth had also seen her.

Under the crimson moonlight, the youth revealed an expression of extreme horror, as if he would jump up at any moment. He turned around and ran away.

Finally, he controlled himself and took a few steps to the side, not daring to look at Jasmine's face again.

This pierced through Jasmine's fragile heart. From that day onwards, she never left the house again. Even if she had to wash up, she would wait until it was late at night.

In this aspect, she was very grateful to her parents because they didn't say a word. They did their best to maintain their lives, relying on their original savings and the work they later found to barely support the family. They didn't need Jasmine to work outside for a salary.

After walking a distance, Jasmine saw the main venue of the carnival—Lemon City Municipal Square.

There was a sea of heads and all kinds of reveling emotions. The enthusiastic atmosphere made Jasmine subconsciously stop in her tracks.

She didn't dare approach, afraid that someone would notice that she was dressed strangely, afraid that she might accidentally drop her scarf.

After hesitating for a few seconds, she finally stopped. She found a clean spot by the street and sat down. She stared intently at the municipal square.

After an unknown period of time, Jasmine sensed someone beside her.

It was a young man in a long black robe and a tall hat. He was like a magician from a circus.

The municipal square is over there… Jasmine wanted to remind him, but after she quivered her lips a few times, she didn't part them.

She didn't dare to speak to anyone.

However, the young man took the initiative to walk over. He took off his hat and bowed slightly.

"Miss, do you know what this machine is for?"

Machine? Jasmine subconsciously looked up and dazedly followed the young man's gaze.

Under the streetlamp, a small wardrobe-like machine was sitting there at some point in time.

Its surface was a brass color with a few transparent glass, gears, and bearings embedded in it. The components were exposed, looking very crude.

Jasmine retracted her gaze and shook her head, indicating that she didn't know what the machine was.

At the same time, this also expressed her intention to reject conversing.

"It's called a 'Fully Automatic Wishing Machine,'" the young man introduced with a smile. "It's my invention. It can automatically fulfill the wish of someone who operates it. By the way, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Merlin Hermes, a wandering magician."

Fully Automatic Wishing Machine… Jasmine realized that she could understand every single word but failed to understand the combined name.

"You can give it a try. As the first user to experience it, it's free," Klein, who had taken on the identity of Merlin Hermes, said with a smile.

Jasmine shook her head, refusing the conversation.

Klein didn't give up. He looked at her and said, "For example, you can make a wish to be restored with your original looks."

These words were like a sharp arrow that shot into Jasmine's heart. She stood up in shock and retreated hastily in an attempt to leave.

She suspected that he had already seen her current appearance.

"If you don't give it a try, how do you know that your wish won't come true? It's free," Klein said unhurriedly as he looked past her into the background.

Jasmine gradually slowed down and finally stopped.

If she could be restored with her original looks, even if she had to pay a huge sum of money, she would still be willing to do so.

However, she knew that the wish in her heart couldn't be granted by money.

I don't have to pay anything… It's a free try… What if it comes true… Jasmine's thoughts were in an upheaval, and she slowly turned around as if she was being enticed by a devil.

"Really?" she asked in a hoarse voice.

Klein pointed at the machine.

"I can retreat ten meters, and all you need to do is to turn the wrench on the machine.

"You don't have to remove your hat and scarf."

The last sentence moved Jasmine into action as she quickly nodded and said, "Okay."

Not long after Merlin retreated a certain distance, Jasmine moved closer to the machine, gingerly grasping the wrench on the "door."

She was actually very worried that this was part of a prank that involved pulling the wrench, such as being splashed by water. This was something that would happen every year during the carnival. She and her friends had often played such pranks on others, but compared to a wish that could be fulfilled, she felt that it was an acceptable risk.

Even if it was proven that having her wish granted was impossible, it could still be treated as her experience at the carnival.

"Remember to make your wish before you turn it," Klein reminded her from not too far away.

Jasmine collected her thoughts and silently voiced her wish.

"I want to return to my former self before the burns."

With that, she turned the wrench nervously and expectantly.

In the next second, the "door" to the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine opened. A normal wooden cane reached out and tapped Jasmine's forehead.

What Jasmine didn't notice was a golden ring embedded with rubies that had appeared on her hand.

When the wooden cane retracted back into the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine, the golden ring with the rubies disappeared as well.

As the gears turned, Jasmine saw the machine's "door" slowly close.

That's it? she thought blankly.

She didn't experience the feeling of having her wish fulfilled, nor was she being pranked. Everything seemed so strange.

"Congratulations. Your wish has been granted." Klein walked back and clapped gently like a witness to a magical event.

My wish has been granted… How is this possible… Just as this thought flashed through her mind, she suddenly felt something beneath her scarf.

The spot where there were only two black holes left had been propped up!

Jasmine slowly raised her hand and touched her face, clearly sensing the presence of her nose.

And the quality of her breathing proved this point.

She suddenly turned around, her back facing Merlin Hermes. She walked to a shop by the side of the street and cast her gaze at the glass window.

Then, she removed the scarf covering her face.

Eyes that weren't big, a nose that wasn't too well-defined, and her lips that weren't too full—the freckled face of a girl was reflected on the window.

Jasmine subconsciously raised her hand and covered her mouth. Her eyes glistened.

After a few seconds, she raised her arm and wiped her face with her sleeve. She turned to look at Merlin Hermes and said, "Are you a god?"

"I'm just a magician who likes to create miracles." Klein smiled as he pointed at the machine beside him. "The thing you should thank the most is that—the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine."

"Fully Automatic…" Jasmine's emotions stirred as she subconsciously repeated.

Klein nodded and said, "Yes, a Fully Automatic Wishing Machine that can operate without any external help.

"You can understand it as a gas meter. As long as you throw in a coin, you can get a wish granted like how you obtain gas.

"The specific steps are very simple. Throw one penny in and make your wish before turning the wrench.

"Remember, only three wishes can be fulfilled."

While explaining, Klein inwardly mocked himself, If I were to unfortunately die one day and become a Sealed Artifact, I hope it's something similar to the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine.

After leaving the capital of Midseashire, Constant City, Klein changed the method of granting other people's wishes to prevent himself from being too bored.

One had to learn to seek joy in mundane work.

How miraculous… Jasmine couldn't find the words to describe how she felt inside.

Her exhilarated emotions calmed down a little.

"Will it… I mean will this Fully Automatic Wishing Machine stay here forever?" Jasmine asked hesitantly.

Klein smiled and said, "No."

"It could stay here for three days, or maybe not that long. Perhaps it would disappear when the sun rises.

"But it won't disappear forever. Perhaps one day, you will see it at the corner of the street again."

Jasmine's mind was in a mess and she was unable to sort out her thoughts. All she could do was bow to the machine and say seriously, "Thank you, Mr. Fully Automatic Wishing Machine."

Then, she bowed at Klein.

"Thank you, Mr. Hermes."

As soon as she said that, Jasmine recalled the words Merlin Hermes had just said. Filled with anticipation, surprise, and embarrassment, she asked, "Three wishes can be granted?"

"Yes, but it won't be free in the future. You will need to pay a penny," Klein replied, unfazed by the question.

Chapter 1313 The Third Wish

Jasmine was excited, but she was still worried.

"What kind of price has to be paid?"

From her point of view, a prior free attempt didn't mean that the subsequent wishes were without a price.

Klein adjusted his tall hat and smiled.

"The penny you paid is the price. The corresponding change that you have to bear after achieving your wish is also the price."

Jasmine nodded without completely understanding him. Without any hesitation, she reached into her pocket and attempted to take out a few copper pennies for her wish.

However, her pocket was empty except for a handkerchief.

Having stayed home all this while, she hadn't had any contact with money.

She had relied on walking to go from home to the municipal square instead of taking a trackless public carriage.

"I-I… Can I go home first?" Jasmine asked, both vexed and embarrassed.

"Of course, this is your freedom, but I can't guarantee that the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine will always be waiting for you here," Klein said with the tone of a magician. "Sometimes, it's very willful."

Jasmine tersely answered, thanked him, and turned around, jogging in the opposite direction of the municipal square.

The more she ran, the more relaxed her body became. She found herself in her formerly healthy state before she was burnt, transforming back into a teenage girl in her prime.

To her, this was a scene that would only appear in a dream.

Of course, as an ordinary person, she gradually felt exhausted after running for a while. She had no choice but to slow down and begin walking slowly.

The cool night breeze blew, revealing resplendent stars peeking through the clouds high up in the sky. The trees by the side of the street swayed gently and scattered the swaying shadows on the ground. All of this was so quiet and beautiful. Jasmine only felt her body and mind relax, and all her worries disappeared.

This was the first time she was in such a good mood ever since she was injured. Unknowingly, a smile appeared on her face.

After walking for about five minutes, she suddenly heard someone shout her name.

"Eh, Jasmine?"

Jasmine turned her head and saw a familiar face. It was her former neighbor, Mrs. Hamil.

"Good evening, Mrs. Hamil, I haven't seen you in a long time. Are you going to the carnival?" Jasmine, who wasn't wearing a scarf, said with a heartfelt smile.

Mrs. Hamil was a woman with a head of white hair. She carefully sized up Jasmine and said, "I haven't seen you since you moved away. I heard that you were injured in the previous blast?"

"Yes, but I've recovered." Jasmine nodded heavily.

She then asked, "How is Jolie now?"

Jolie was Mrs. Hamil's eldest daughter, and was her former playmate.

Mrs. Hamil's expression instantly wore a shade of gloom.

"The Feysacians did unspeakable things to her, and she ended up dying…"

Jasmine was taken aback, thinking back to her experience while feeling sad.

A Feysacian soldier had rushed into her house in an attempt to do unspeakable things to her, but he only gave her a kick and left when he saw her disfigured face.

"Poor Jolie." Jasmine sincerely tapped her chest four times in a clockwise fashion, outlining the stars.

It was only after she heard what had happened to her friend that she realized that she might have been relatively lucky.

After bidding farewell to Mrs. Hamil, Jasmine walked back to her apartment.

When she got home, she felt much better and her mood was back to normal. She started to look forward to the expression her parents would have when they saw her appearance restored.

They probably wouldn't keep the pain deep in their hearts and pretend that nothing has happened. They would definitely cry with joy and hug me… Jasmine took the key that was hanging around her neck like a necklace, and as she thought about it, she opened the door.

The room was dark. None of the candles or the gas wall lamps were lit.

On the bed outside, light and heavy snoring could be heard from her parents, forming a contrast with the bustling municipal square.

They're asleep… Yes, they've been working hard… Jasmine gently closed the door and walked to her parents' bed. With the crimson moonlight shining in through the window, she cast her gaze over.

Daddy has a lot of white hair, and his wrinkles have deepened… Mommy keeps frowning when she sleeps. Her face is flaking; it's dry, and coarse… Only then did Jasmine realize that she hadn't seriously looked at her parents' faces for a long time. She didn't know that they had aged so much.

Before the war, her father was an accountant with a pretty good income. They could afford to rent a terrace house and allow his wife to not work so as to focus on taking care of the family. But now, he could only work at textile factories and do all kinds of strenuous labor. Jasmine's mother had no choice but to leave her family and become a textile worker.

Daddy's health is getting worse and worse. He's always coughing, but he has passed the recent Civil Servant Unified Examination. When the interview results are announced, he will have a decent job… Mommy keeps complaining that her arm is getting worse… Jasmine looked at her parents intently and didn't wake them up.

She had already thought of her second wish.

Softening her footsteps, Jasmine entered the room inside and poured out the last few pennies from her piggy bank that she had previously almost emptied.

Then, she left the apartment and boarded a trackless public carriage.

She was afraid that the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine would be gone if she delayed any further.

At that moment, there were a lot of passengers on the public carriage. Most of them were heading to participate in the carnival. Jasmine looked around and saw that there were no seats, so she had no choice but to support herself as she stood on the aisle, squeezing with plenty of people.

Ten minutes later, she reached her stop and turned into that street.

When the brass-colored machine embedded with a few pieces of glass appeared before her eyes, Jasmine silently heaved a sigh of relief and quickly approached.

During this process, she surveyed her surroundings and didn't find the magician by the name of Merlin Hermes.

"It really is fully automatic. There's no need for him to be by my side?" Jasmine muttered in puzzlement.

She didn't waste any time. She took out a penny and placed it inside the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine.

"I wish for my parents to be healthy again. I hope that my family will become rich." Jasmine softly voiced her wish. She closed her eyes and waited for the miracle to happen.

In the next second, she heard the clanging sound as though a coin had rolled out from the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine.

Jasmine opened her eyes in shock and looked ahead, only to see that the penny she had just put into the machine had landed on a small tray around the coin slot.

This wish can't be fulfilled? Uh, a wish can't contain too much content? My wish was actually two wishes… With the experience of being cured of her burns, Jasmine didn't suspect that there was something wrong with the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine.

She thought seriously and stuffed the penny into the coin slot. Then, she lowered her head and made a wish softly.

"I hope my parents are healthy again."

This time, she heard a soft knock sound out from the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine.

Tak!

Seeing that the copper coin remained inside the machine, Jasmine knew that her wish had been fulfilled. She couldn't wait to go home and check on her parents' situation.

Suppressing her excitement, she inserted another penny.

She had originally planned on making her family wealthy, but remembering that her father was basically going to become a civil servant in Limon City, and that her family income was guaranteed, she couldn't help but have other thoughts about it.

When she was ten years old, she already knew that she wasn't good-looking. It wasn't that people around her would despise her and say that she wasn't good-looking, but amongst her playmates, there were two rather beautiful girls. This allowed them to be accorded with greater treatment and experience the kindness of the world.

Such a comparison only served to make Jasmine inevitably dream of becoming prettier as she grew older. But reality proved that dreams could only be dreams.

However, this time, her dream could turn into reality, because she had a miraculous Fully Automatic Wishing Machine in front of her.

If I can make myself beautiful, I can find a good husband, and I can improve my family situation… Jasmine seemed to have heard the devil whispering in her ear. She closed her eyes uncontrollably and made a wish:

"I wish to become extremely, extremely, extremely beautiful."

She used "extremely" thrice to accentuate the beauty she wanted.

Just as she finished speaking, the "door" to the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine opened once again. A silver-white mask was pushed out and covered her face.

Jasmine quickly opened her eyes and happened to see the mask disappear.

At the same time, she felt something connect to her.

She turned around in anticipation and once again walked to the shop by the side of the street. Using the light from the gas lamps and the glass on the window, she saw her current appearance.

For a moment, Jasmine couldn't describe the exact changes in her facial features and outline. All she knew was that at this moment even she was mesmerized by her beauty.

Her nose had become sharper and her lips had become fuller. Her eyes became bigger and limpid. Her skin was as tender as milk pudding. She only had slight similarities to her previous self.

"Is… Is this a miracle…" Jasmine couldn't help but let out a heartfelt sigh of amazement.

She looked at herself, intoxicated. It took her great effort to finally retract her gaze before bowing at the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine.

Following that, she walked towards the public carriage stop. On the way, eyes kept turning to look at her.

Bang!

A man, who was too focused on her, slammed into a gas lamp post.

Jasmine pursed her lips into a smile. Without a word, she boarded the trackless public carriage.

There were still many people on board, and all the seats were taken.

Just as Jasmine was trying her best to find a spot, several men lifted their buttocks and straightened their bodies. They looked at her and smiled.

"Miss, you can sit here."

Jasmine was momentarily stunned. She hadn't expected to receive so much kindness.

She didn't decline and sat down. She smiled at the man who had given up his seat.

"Thank you."

The man's expression became extremely animated as he said humbly, "This is what a gentleman should do."

Jasmine still retained the habits from when she was previously cooped up at home, so she didn't say anything else. She quietly sat there until she reached the stop near her apartment. Then, she got off the carriage.

After a few steps, she suddenly felt that someone was looking at her. She quickly turned her head to look.

It was a drunkard. He was staring at Jasmine with an indescribably disgusting look.

Jasmine jumped in fright and briskly walked to her apartment. However, the men she met along the way revealed similar looks, as though they could turn into beasts at any moment.

At that moment, Jasmine felt as though she was walking in the wilderness.

Chapter 1314 Miracles Are Only For A Momen

Previously, Jasmine enjoyed the gazes from the men, but now, all that was left was anxiety and horror.

She hastened her footsteps again as though she was being chased by Feysacians.

Finally, before the men could get close to her, she rushed into the apartment and got rid of them.

Phew… The girl patted her chest and secretly decided to stay out less at night.

Only then did she realize that extraordinary beauty had its disadvantages.

After calming down, Jasmine went up the dimly-lit stairs to the third floor and returned home. She used the key she carried with her to open the door.

She carefully approached her parents' bed and used the moonlight to examine their faces.

Compared to when she left the house not too long ago, her parents' faces were rather ruddy. Their white hair and wrinkles had lessened significantly, and their snoring was almost non-existent.

Their health has really been restored… Jasmine couldn't help but smile, clearly relieved.

Sensing the commotion, her mother's eyelids twitched as she slowly opened her eyes.

Jasmine held her breath and restrained her smile, preparing to give her mother a surprise.

Her mother sat up and looked over, her expression suddenly becoming extremely terrified.

"Who are you?" asked the woman with a shrill voice as she shoved her husband forcefully.

Who am I? Jasmin was stunned by the question and didn't know how to answer the simple question.

At that moment, her father woke up as well. He looked at the beautiful girl in front of him with suspicion and vigilance.

"Get out! Otherwise, I'll call the police!" Jasmine's mother left the bed and picked up a candle stand beside her, using it as a weapon.

"We don't welcome burglars." Jasmine's father rather politely issued an order for Jasmine to leave.

He knew that he had to do his best not to pressure the burglar. Otherwise, it easily led to extreme responses from the other party.

If not for his wife and daughter, he wasn't too afraid of fighting the burglar. But now, his entire family was at stake.

Jasmine finally snapped out of her daze and hurriedly said, "Daddy, Mommy, I am…"

Before she could finish her sentence, her mother started to shove her repeatedly as she was pushed out of the room by her father.

No one cared about what she said. Under such circumstances, no one cared.

Thud!

The door to her apartment closed before her very eyes. It left her feeling lost and helpless.

She wanted to knock on the door and use the key she carried with her to prove her identity, but at that moment, she heard her mother shout to a patrolling police officer downstairs, "There's a burglar, a burglar!"

Burglar… Daddy and Mommy don't recognize me anymore… Will they think that I've murdered myself… Will the police believe the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine… Jasmine's heart tightened, and she subconsciously decided to leave the apartment first to avoid the police. She would then find her father and mother to explain to them carefully at dawn and use their common memories to convince them.

Tap. Tap. Tap. She bowed her head and, under the watchful gazes of her neighbors, walked down the stairs and rushed out of the building.

She ran all the way to a nearby alley and avoided the approaching police officer from the main street. Gasping for air, Jasmine stopped in her tracks. Tears uncontrollably rolled down her face and fell to the ground.

Suddenly, a hand reached over and covered her mouth, dragging her to a secluded corner of the alley.

"How much? I'll pay however much it costs…" A voice filled with drunkenness rang in Jasmine's ears. It was as if he had mistaken her for a prostitute and could no longer resist her allure.

Jasmine tried her best to struggle, alarmed, afraid, and desperate.

Just as she was about to break down, the drunkard released his hand.

"Miss, are you alright?" A hoarse male voice sounded.

Jasmine dashed away from the drunkard before turning around to see a police officer in a black-and-white checkered uniform.

"He… He…" As Jasmine spoke, she began to cry.

The policeman looked at her sympathetically and said, "We will take legal action on him. However, Miss, you'll need to return to the police station with me to record your statement."

Jasmine was in a state of extreme panic and extreme helplessness. She subconsciously nodded.

Not long after, she sat in the police station's testimony room nearby. Facing her was the same police officer and his colleague.

The policeman deliberated over his words and asked, "So you're telling me, he didn't ask you if you were a prostitute, and you didn't do anything that might come off as soliciting customers?"

He was worried that his words would hurt the beautiful girl in front of him.

Jasmine held a coffee cup and lowered her head to take a sip.

"Yes, I just reached the alley."

"Alright, let's end it here. Miss Jasmine, can you tell us where your house is? We will get someone to send you back." Another policeman tried to get in her good books.

Recalling his parents' reaction and the disgusting gazes, Jasmine couldn't help but shudder. She said in tears, "I had a quarrel with my parents and can't return home for the time being. Perhaps you can take me to the nearest hotel…"

At this point, she remembered that she was only left with a few pence. There was no way she could stay in a good hotel, and the cheap motels were practically dangerous to her.

The first policeman was taken aback.

"Okay."

On the way to the nearest hotel, the policeman hesitated several times before finally saying, "If, I mean if—you plan on becoming a street girl, you can come to me. There's no need for you to go through that much effort…"

Upon hearing this, Jasmine felt on the brink of mental collapse. It was just different from when she first saw her face after the fire.

This made her feel extremely insecure and she remained silent.

Fortunately, the police officer didn't force her and sent her to the entrance of the nearest hotel.

"There's no need to go in with me. I'll go by myself." Jasmine rejected the policeman's suggestion of sending her to her room.

After the police officer left, she quickly walked out of the hotel without completing the check-in procedures.

She wanted to go to the municipal square, to the place where the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine was to cancel her previous wish.

Such beauty was terrifying!

After taking a few steps, Jasmine removed the scarf around her shoulders and wrapped it around her face in layers, just like how she left her home that very night.

Back then, there were still burn scars on her face. Her missing nose and damaged lips made her look like a devil.

When she arrived at the municipal square on a trackless carriage, she entered the street once again and saw the brass Fully Automatic Wishing Machine.

Jasmine's heart immediately calmed down. She quickened her pace and arrived in front of the machine.

Then, she was at a loss. She didn't know how to cancel her last wish.

"Your first wish was a free trial, and it wasn't counted in the three wishes. So you have one more wish." Jasmine suddenly heard Mr. Merlin Hermes's voice.

She turned her head and saw that across the street, under the dim yellow light of the street lamp, the magician wearing a tall hat was looking calmly at her.

"Good, good." Jasmine hurriedly took out a copper penny and inserted it into the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine.

"I hope my previous wish is canceled," she said with her eyes closed as she gripped the wrench and spun it.

Tak!

She heard the dull thud once again.

When she opened her eyes, she rushed to a nearby shop. She stopped in front of the glass window and removed the scarf wrapped around her face.

She saw herself again. She was no longer a pretty girl.

Jasmine instantly relaxed, and instinctively turned her head to look at the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine, but found that it had disappeared along with Mr. Merlin Hermes.

"Praise the Lady. Thank you, Mr. Hermes." Jasmine sincerely tapped her chest four times in a clockwise manner.

She used her last copper penny to head home on a trackless public carriage.

Along the way, no one gave up their seats to her.

When her figure vanished from the street, Klein appeared again, holding a silver mirror with ancient patterns.

"Great Master, why didn't you add the line that 'excessive greed will only turn something good into something bad' or 'wishes always have a price?' This will make the whole matter seem even more philosophical. It will be elevated into a fable." On the surface of the mirror, silver words appeared.

Klein smiled and said, "The biggest problem was that I couldn't use normal methods to satisfy her 'extremely, extremely, extremely beautiful' wish. Lie can only adjust her looks to a certain extent.

"Therefore, I had no choice but to use one of the effects of a Sealed Artifact that originated from a Demoness to 'Graft' it onto her. That resulted in her stunning beauty and terrifying charm. This made the surrounding men unable to resist her."

The Sealed Artifact belonged to Xio, a relic of Demoness Shermane.

Due to a problem with Xio's storage abilities, Shermane's Beyonder characteristic fused with the box containing it, becoming a Sealed Artifact with shockingly negative effects. This caused Xio's younger brother to look at the box strangely.

In order to resolve this problem, Xio made a wish for Mr. Fool to seal the item for her.

After saying that casually, Klein looked at the magic mirror.

"Arrodes, are you consoling me?"

"No, the main problem was that she's too greedy. If she only wanted to become beautiful and didn't add so many 'extremely's to the wish, then the result would've been pretty good." On the surface of the mirror, silver words quickly appeared.

"Indeed. That will be within the extent that can be achieved by Lie." Klein nodded and said to Arrodes, "Lie's adjustments can indeed be permanent, but it's a structure that is ultimately different from the original muscles, skin, and bone structure. After more than a decade, when she's gradually showing signs of age, the adjustments and the differences will slowly magnify, making her face appear rather strange and stiff. That can only be fixed periodically by becoming a Faceless."

Having said that, Klein smiled and shook his head.

"A lie is ultimately a lie."

Then, he walked towards the other end of the street and continued, "Besides, even if she really becomes beautiful, it's still uncertain whether she will lead a better life in the future. It's true that beauty allows her to obtain a lot of resources and allow her to marry a 'prince.' However, her personal upbringing, character, and knowledge are unlikely to support such a lifestyle.

"Yes, I can't rule out the possibility that she's good at studying, being capable of using all kinds of experience to fully enrich herself, and ultimately direct herself to possibly having a good life. However, that's a whole other story.

"Heh heh, miracles are only for a moment, but fate is often a long-lasting event."

In the conversation with Arrodes, Klein gradually vanished from the end of the street.

His understanding of Miracle Invoker had deepened again.

…

After returning to her family apartment, Jasmine didn't attempt to open the door. She used a lot of courage to knock on the door.

The door opened and her mother appeared in front of her.

"Oh, you're finally back." Her mother first heaved a sigh of relief, then asked in an abnormally horrified manner, "Y-your face?"

Jasmine forced a smile and said, "I've been cured, by a mister who's good at creating miracles.

"Mr. Fully Automatic Wishing Machine."

Just as her parents suspected that their daughter had been influenced by demons, a few policemen in black-and-white checkered uniforms walked up the stairs and came over.

Leading the policemen was a lady. She had light blue eyes and a smile that quietened others.

"Miss Jasmine, we have some questions for you," the lady said politely.

Chapter 1315 Summary Repor

Jasmine felt that she should have been afraid, but she found it difficult to have much strong emotions facing the female police officer in front of her. She felt like her body and mind had unknowingly settled down after crying for a long time.

She looked at her parents who had a complicated expression and asked hesitantly, "Okay, what questions do you have?"

The female policeman with the rank of superintendent pointed at the door and said, "Let's talk inside."

She didn't get Jasmine's parents to leave. She only ordered the two police officers with her to guard by the door.

After closing the door, she pulled a crude round stool over and sat down without standing on ceremony, looking very relaxed.

This immediately made Jasmine and her parents less tense.

"You may call me Ma'am Grey." The officer introduced herself and pointed at another chair and the bed. "Have a seat."

When everyone in the room found their seats, she smiled at Jasmine and said, "I received a report saying that there were some incomprehensible things happening around you. For example, a male's desire for committing sexual assault had far exceeded normal standards. This doesn't mean that there are no bad people or criminals among them, but the ratio is too high, so high that it's strange."

At this point, she swept her gaze across Jasmine's face.

"From what I know, you were seriously injured during the fire and was permanently disfigured. But now, I can't tell any of that. What do you have to say about this?"

Jasmine's heart tensed up again. She didn't dare hide anything and said in a panic, "I went out tonight to the municipal square to attend the carnival. While I was passing by a particular street, I encountered a wandering magician who called himself Merlin Hermes. He said that he had invented a machine called 'the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine.' All I had to do was insert a penny, softly state my wish, and turn the wrench, then my wish would be granted.

"He said that I was the first user, so I could experience it for free once. Th-then, I was restored to my original state, having all my injuries healed.

"Officer, that's what happened. You must believe me."

With that, she glanced at Mrs. Grey and her assistant before looking at her parents, trying to get their approval.

However, her parents clearly said:

"How is this possible?

"How can there be a machine that can automatically grant the wishes of others?

"How can there be something as good as granting a wish cost only a penny?

"Besides, the first user experienced it for free!"

Grey and her assistant didn't show any obvious expressions, making Jasmine unsure if they believed her or not.

"Continue." Seeing her pause, Grey nodded encouragingly.

Jasmine hurriedly mentioned how she returned home to get some coins before recounting in full how she wished for her parents to regain their health and how she wanted to become beautiful. Finally, she said, "I was indeed very beautiful. Even I couldn't move my eyes away. This made me experience a lot of kindness, but later on, the surrounding men started to frighten me…

"In addition, Daddy and Mommy didn't recognize me and chased me out of the house. I was scared, very scared. I returned to the machine and made a third wish. Yes, that Mr. Merlin Hermes said that the first wish was free, and wasn't part of the three wishes. In short, I returned to my original appearance and met you."

Upon hearing these words, Jasmine's parents instantly thought of the beautiful "burglar" from before.

Then, they realized that their bodies were indeed much healthier than before. Their vision had recovered and their arms had sufficient strength. Everything seemed different.

They began to believe Jasmine's description, but they felt even more terrified. It was as if they had encountered a demon, exactly the same as those stories in folklore.

Grey nodded gently.

"I've seen many matters that are beyond your imagination, but this is the first time I've heard of something like a Fully Automatic Wishing Machine.

"Compared to a wishing lamp or wishing pool in folklore, this is too modern."

After a pause, her expression turned serious.

"As an experienced law enforcer, I'll give you three suggestions.

"First, don't believe in such things again from now on. Under most circumstances, the easy granting of wishes brings about a huge disaster. There's nothing wrong with describing it as the temptation of demons."

Jasmine nodded heavily, indicating that she wouldn't dare to do it again—that final experience still left her feeling afraid.

"Secondly, go to the cathedral as soon as possible and repent to the bishop. Get him to purify you." Grey looked around and said, "Your entire family must go."

Seeing that Jasmine and her parents were about to say that they already had this in mind, Grey turned to Jasmine.

"My department still lacks some staff. You can consider joining us. This way, I can monitor your situation at any time and deal with any abnormalities in time. As for the salary, trust me, it's about the same as a civil servant."

The salary is about the same as a civil servant's… I can be protected… There's something that nice? Jasmine asked in disbelief, "What department is it?"

Grey smiled and said, "I'll give you an address. Come to my office tomorrow, and I'll fill you in on the details."

"…Alright." Jasmine was in a state of panic and unease. She would grab a life-saving straw the moment it appeared.

…

A week later, Jasmine officially joined the Nighthawks in Limon City and became a civilian staff member.

"Captain, the telegraph device has broken down," she said carefully as she knocked on Grey's door.

Grey put down the documents in her hand and rubbed her temples.

"Report this to the police station and let them handle it.

"Seriously, I could've gotten the help of the Machinery Hivemind in the past. It was done in a quick and effective way. Now, sigh…"

By the time Jasmine left, Grey picked up the documents and began to read them carefully.

This was a piece of information that the Nighthawks had gathered regarding the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine.

After Jasmine, this happened more than once!

After flipping through the documents, Grey spread out a piece of paper, picked up a fountain pen, and began writing the official document for the Constant archbishop and the Holy Cathedral:

"There have been many supernatural incidents in the city in the past week. It involves a special machine called 'the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine.' According to the intel, it was created by a wandering magician who calls himself Merlin Hermes, but we haven't ruled out other possibilities. At least, I think that Merlin might be an illusion created by this machine, so as to lure people into making wishes…

"This machine is of a brass color embedded with opaque glass. Its surface has gears, bearings, rivets, metal pipes, and other components exposed on its surface. It seems to be a product of modern industrialization…

"Case 1: A young girl who was disfigured by a fire, had met the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine at the municipal square… Her first wish was to revert back to her original appearance, and it was granted normally… Her second wish was to restore her parents' health, which was also granted normally… Her third wish was to become, extremely, extremely, extremely beautiful. Then, she no longer looked like herself, and she had an irresistible charm to the men around her…

"She claimed that she was the first user of Fully Automatic Wishing Machine, which allowed her to have one free wish. With that, she canceled her third wish…

"Case 2: A retired soldier who participated in the war to defend Limon was left with serious mental damage. He met the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine by the river… His first wish was to restore his mental state to a state before the war, and it was granted normally… His second wish was to become a little more handsome so as to reach the standards of the male models on magazine covers. He also had it granted normally… His third wish was to obtain 100,000 pounds and become a tycoon. Then, he caught the fancy of the owner of the Limon United Steel Company who wished to marry him—a lady with a wealth of nearly 200,000 pounds…

"This retired soldier didn't wish to accept her with her having a weight of more than two hundred pounds and her shorter-than-average height. Furthermore, she's a violent middle-aged woman. He prepared to leave Limon and head south. If there comes a day when he doesn't want to work hard anymore, he can easily obtain the rights to a wealth of 100,000 pounds… In a sense, his wish was granted, but he's unwilling to accept it…

"Case 3: …

"Case 4: …

"Case 5: A public school teacher met the Fully Automatic Wishing Machine near a Storm cathedral… Her first wish was to make herself look better, and not be ostracized by her students because of her looks or be spurned by her colleagues. This was granted normally… Her second wish was to obtain a better position, which was also granted. As her teaching standards were high enough and she was no longer restricted by her looks, she quickly became the most popular teacher among the students and began taking on the duties as vice principal…

"Her third wish was to have a husband with impeccable looks, family background, personality, and ability. Finally, she got a doll who could speak, move, and have a certain level of intelligence. It had living characteristics and looked rather handsome. It was carved by the best master and could have any personality one wanted. It was very capable in every aspect. Other than not being human, it really had no flaws…

"Case 6: …

"…

"Summarizing these cases, we have obtained some preliminary guesses.

"The Fully Automatic Wishing Machine can appear anywhere in Limon. It's extremely random, and there's temporarily no discovered pattern for it…

"Most of the wishes that are made can be fulfilled normally. However, a small portion will be distorted, and the latter is basically concentrated on the third wish. Of course, it's also possible that the person will let themselves loose by the time they make the third wish and thus, make excessive demands…

"The wishes it granted were mostly related to appearance, but it covered a wide scope. It was almost omnipotent…

"The frequency of its appearances is also irregular…

"This is a classic example of a mystical item that needs to be sealed. Furthermore, it clearly exceeds the grade of a Grade 2 Sealed Artifact. I hope the archbishop and high-ranking deacons will personally deal with it, or give an effective sealing method…"

…

On the steam locomotive out of Limon, Klein observed his digestion of the Miracle Invoker potion.

Chapter 1316 An Unknown City

If I keep accumulating it bit by bit, it won't be long before I can respond to Moon City's prayers and cure their deformity, thus creating quite a miracle… In addition, I've also concluded the acting principles of a Miracle Invoker. It's only a matter of time before I digest it if I follow them. I might even finish within the year… Klein retracted his gaze from outside the window, raised his left arm, and controlled the monster puppet on his hand to entertain a child across him.

This made him look more like a wandering magician.

If he was willing, he could even use Life's Cane or the "Grafting" ability to imbue this sock puppet with living characteristics.

While entertaining the child, Klein's thoughts scattered as he considered where the marionette city needed to be "built" for the advancement ritual.

A marionette city needs sufficient interaction to develop a corresponding region in the spirit world. This means that it isn't enough to leave it in the Forsaken Land of the Gods. Ignoring the fact that it's sealed there, there's no way of directly connecting it to the spirit world. All I can do is rely on the little specialness it has. Even if there's no problem with it, it's difficult to create any interactivity with a place that lacks intelligent life…

If it's placed in the Northern and Southern Continent or the sea colonies, I have to be careful. Before the ritual is about to succeed, I definitely can't expose the fact that it's a marionette city. Otherwise, it will be affected, damaged, or even attacked by Zaratul, Amon, and my other enemies…

Yes, I have to give a sufficiently good reason for a marionette city to appear. Then, there won't be any abnormalities with the interaction between the traveling merchants and the surrounding humans. I have to make every marionette a living person. They have their past, present, and future. They follow their own trajectories of fate…

This means that a marionette city is extremely complicated. I need to split out many Worms of Spirit to deal with it. This also has the risk of losing control by doing so…

If they are husband and wife, they should act like husband and wife. When faced with something they are fond of, they should show joy. Perverts should be hated… This way, foreigners might hear embarrassing sounds while staying in the marionette city…

I'm still just an innocent child…

This is a large-scale reality show, or rather, a high-end version of "playing house." It has to be able to deceive the audience…

As Klein lampooned inwardly, he silently counted if he had enough marionettes.

Previously, he had gone to the Forsaken Land of the Gods several times and converted a large number of them. There were all kinds of monsters that might not have Beyonder characteristics. He also consciously controlled batches of rats, cockroaches, mosquitoes, and flies, hoping to make a more uncommon side of the city real enough.

I'm barely able to support a small city, so just a few more visits to the Forsaken Land of the Gods would do… Just as this thought flashed through Klein's mind, a scene suddenly appeared in front of him.

At the top of the Giant King's Court which was bathed in the light of dusk, the open door slowly and heavily closed.

This was like a pair of invisible hands closing the entrance to the Forsaken Land of the Gods.

This… Klein's eyes darkened as he vaguely guessed that this scene meant that the True Creator was about to seal off the Forsaken Land of the Gods again.

This was the prophetic power that came from his angel-level spiritual intuition and premonition for danger.

It was about to happen a few minutes or a few seconds later.

Did the True Creator capture Amon? Or has "He" already given up? "He" once again sealed off the Forsaken Land of the Gods. Does "He" not want others to enter again? Isn't this too petty? Klein mumbled inwardly, feeling a little disappointed.

Of course, he barely had enough marionettes. Even if he lacked them, he could make up for it at sea.

…

Backlund, Empress Borough.

Audrey had just changed her clothes and sent away her maidservants. Just as she was about to leave, she saw Susie walk in.

"What's the matter? You should be out on your stroll at this time?" As an experienced Spectator, Audrey immediately sensed that something was amiss.

During this period of time, she had been busy making use of the influence she had in a few foundations to help the workers, farmers, and injured veterans with their hardships. She had allowed them to wait for a new job opportunity or for their plantation's production in a new season. She had a lot less interaction with Susie than usual.

At the same time, Audrey was secretly guiding the workers of lower socioeconomic status from the various unions in Backlund to gather their strength together.

Her previous experiences made her understand that counting on the kindness of the upper class wasn't reliable or long-lasting. A single person appeared puny and powerless in the face of the government, nobles, and powerful merchants. Only by summoning the combined strength of a large number of civilians could a balance be formed.

The Loen Kingdom had unions in different industries a long time ago, but the upper echelons of these associations were easily bribed. Instead, they became effective weapons against ordinary workers.

Susie glanced at Audrey with a rather normal expression, but her mouth seemed to be out of control. It vibrated the air and let out a deep male voice.

"Miss Audrey, I'm the president of the Psychology Alchemists, Eric Drake. I wish to meet you and discuss with you about becoming a councilor of the Psychology Alchemists. I'm at the nearby park."

Having said that, Susie heaved a long sigh of relief and regained her original voice.

"Audrey, there's a strange guy looking for you. I… I can't remember what he looks like. H-he directly placed the words he wanted to say into my mind island!"

Audrey's pupils dilated slightly before immediately returning to normal. She calmly nodded and said, "Where is he at the park?"

As she spoke, Audrey secretly conjured a Virtual Persona and entered Susie's mind island through the sea of collective subconscious. She checked if it was still distorted by some external consciousness or knowledge.

"I don't remember… I was having my stroll," Susie said as she recalled.

Then, she wagged her tail slightly and said, "I don't think you should go. It's dangerous."

After confirming that Susie didn't have any latent problems with her Virtual Persona, Audrey exhaled and said, "It will be even more suspicious if I don't go. That way, danger will be unavoidable. It might even affect the rest of the people in the house."

Besides, this is also an opportunity. Just as Mr. Hanged Man said, since the end of the world is coming, all the hard work and attempts that will not bring disaster are meaningful… Audrey added inwardly before saying, "I will protect myself.

"Susie, did anything happen to you just now?"

Susie barked and said, "No.

"Audrey, are you really going?"

"Yes." Audrey gave a clear answer.

"Then can you bring me along? Just like before, I'm just a dog in their eyes," Susie mustered up her courage and said.

"No, there's no need. I'll be back very soon. Believe me, I'll be blessed by a deity," Audrey replied with a faint smile.

After comforting Susie, she used her Psychological Invisibility and left the luxurious villa like she usually did.

When she was far away, in a corner on the first floor, a servant who was cleaning suddenly bowed his head and softly said words that he had never learned before:

"The Fool that doesn't belong to this era…"

…

In the ancient palace above the fog.

The figure sitting in The Fool's seat naturally looked at the newly formed prayer light and realized that the believer was extremely unfamiliar.

It's identical to Miss Justice's home environment… I can suspect that it's a result of guidance created by a Virtual Persona's invasion of the mind island… Miss Justice used this method to avoid any surveillance and pray for blessings… The figure quickly came to a conclusion and transferred the corresponding situation to his true body.

A few seconds later, Klein entered Sefirah Castle and allowed the Worms of Spirit to burrow into his body.

Miss Justice is becoming more and more like a High-Sequence Spectator… Klein praised inwardly as he cast his gaze at the crimson star representing Justice.

…

In the park with a lake.

As soon as Audrey entered, she saw a large carriage drive over. The carriage driver was an ordinary middle-aged man wearing an old hat and a dark-colored jacket.

However, in Audrey's eyes, this carriage driver didn't exist because he didn't have a corresponding island of consciousness or mind.

In other words, the carriage driver was just an illusion, a fake, and the controller of the carriage was the horse itself.

A few seconds later, the large carriage stopped in front of Audrey. The door creaked open.

"Please come in." A deep male voice came from inside.

Audrey lifted the ends of her skirt slightly and boarded the carriage. She saw a man sitting on a black wheelchair.

His pale yellow eyebrows were long and his hair was neatly combed back. There were some wrinkles on his forehead, and his face was abnormally pale.

"Mr. Derlau? Aren't you already dead?" Audrey recognized the man in front of her and expressed her surprise perfectly.

"To a Spectator, death only represents the end of one's identity. In other theatrical plays, I'm still alive," the elderly gentleman who was sitting in a black wheelchair replied with a smile. "Apart from the former royal family's medical consultant, the former chancellor of Backlund Medical School, I'm also King of the Black Throne Barros Hopkins at sea. I'm the famous hermit, Eric Drake, etc.

"Then how should I address you?" Audrey asked politely as she watched the door close automatically from the corner of her eye.

The old gentleman stroked the wheels on both sides of his wheelchair and said, "You can call me Mr. President, or you can continue calling me Mr. Derlau."

He then pointed to the seat on the left side of the carriage.

"Have a seat. Let's head somewhere first before discussing you becoming a councilor of the Psychology Alchemists."

Audrey nodded slightly and calmly sat down.

Without hiding anything, she cast her gaze out of the window and was surprised to find that in the blink of an eye, the park had turned into an unfamiliar city, one that was shrouded in darkness.

The city was filled with extremely mysterious and beautiful buildings that gave off a dark feeling. There were gentlemen wearing top hats and trench coats, as well as women in complicated and dark dresses.

As Audrey swept her gaze, she saw a gentleman with short black hair beside a carriage, revealing sharp canine fangs in his mouth.

This was a werewolf.