chpater 5

Chapter 21 Fulfilling Wish(1/2)

Change source:

Node four

↓

What wish will she make?

The Miracle Magician's narrowed eyes were filled with smiles.

Klein was extremely curious about this, and he secretly looked at Geraldine.

Geraldine didn't speak for a long time when she suddenly encountered such an invitation. She bit her fingers excitedly, her face flushed with excitement, a little eager to try, and curious about what kind of unexpected and exclusive surprises Klein would bring her. But this invitation to fulfill three wishes sounds really strange, like some kind of imaginary beautiful fairy tale, or like a clever trick introduced into the trap. However, when everyone hears this sentence, they can't help but feel a little moved. The dissatisfaction with every bit of their current life will make people have a strong impulse from the heart to believe that this sentence can really bring about a sudden change for them. .

Maybe it was because the thing sounded too mysterious. Geraldine blinked and her two clear eyes rolled around. She looked at Klein, and then looked at Leonard cautiously, as if asking her old boss Leonard's opinion. When the glacier-faced Leonard nodded, Geraldine, who received permission, moved towards the magician again with some anticipation.

"Anything is okay?"

"certainly!"

"Then I want to be discharged from the hospital! I want to recover!" Geraldine smiled vigorously, "Just think of it as my first wish!"

"As you wish, ma'am."

Klein flexed his fingers and put his hand into his cloak. When he reached out his hand again, he already had an ancient cane in his hand. The cane rotated several times between Klein's nimble fingers, and then he tapped Geraldine's forehead steadily.

Oops, this action design seems a bit like Cardcaptor Sakura. Klein complained to himself in his mind.

Then, the seal is lifted!

Geraldine opened her eyes in surprise. She felt a warm feeling spread across her limbs and back, and the original itchy and sore feeling was swept away. She quickly took off her coat, ignoring the little nurse's exclamations, and peeled off the bandages on her hands and legs. Under the bandages, she saw elastic and shiny skin, with no trace of the hideous wounds.

Geraldine scratched her back again in disbelief. It was accidentally burned during the coma and explosion of the kidnapping case. Now it feels like fresh and smooth skin, even without the roughness of a traveler, like a real young girl.

"I'm really cured! Does this cure all my problems in one go?"

"Of course." Klein smiled.

Geraldine was very excited to witness the miracle. She immediately jumped out of bed and ran around on the floor, feeling her body light and meridians relaxed - not only the injuries from the kidnapping case, but also the old illnesses and internal injuries left in the army were all healed.

Klein once again performed a trick with the cane of life, then stood still leaning on the cane with a smile on his face.

Fortunately, the skill of historical projection is not greatly affected by changes in the world line, and it still retains various "connections" with history.

This makes sense, Klein thought. Even though it is a modified world line now, a world line without the Moretti Family and the Church of Fools, history is unchangeable. What has happened has happened. Even if there is no Church of Fools and the Tarot Society, there is no Melissa and Benson, the extra vacancies will also be deconstructed and repaired by other things, and the original events will be reorganized in another way.

No one can defeat history, just as no one can truly conquer destiny. It's just a big lie. If it's true, it would be a bit wishful to think that you can control everything because of it.

However, these changes to the world line do not have any impact on the skill of historical projection. Some details of some historical events that Klein was originally familiar with have changed, causing Klein's grasp of this part of history to decline. But it's still quite manageable, not to the point of being unusable.

As for those historical fragments that Klein himself has personally experienced, the summoning is still smooth. However, if it involves the historical projection summoning of some characters, it is better to be careful. After all, in the current world line, there is no fifth era. Klein Moretti, no big shot knows him. If the historical projection of the suddenly summoned character is discovered by the real owner, even if it is not the real owner, he will chase him, this poor, weak and helpless little fortune teller angel, and beat the shit out of him.

"Only three wishes? Only three wishes?"

Geraldine is now convinced of Crane's miracles. She ran back to Klein and Leonard in small steps, pointed her fingers and sneered at Klein in a serious manner.

"Actually, I have four small wishes. In my life plan, I want to complete four life goals before I am thirty."

She held up three fingers.

"I have a motorcycle of my own, a house of my own, and a husband of my own!"

"...But you only have two wishes left." Klein's face showed no emotion, but in his heart he was wildly hoping that this aunt would not pester him to fulfill his last wish.

"Wait, there's another goal?" Leonard interjected. He was suddenly curious. He had known Geraldine for so long, and this was the first time he heard Geraldine's theory.

"Hey, keep it secret!"

Geraldine smiled mysteriously, then she coughed a few times to clear her throat and said in a serious tone.

"As for the motorcycle, I actually just bought it not long ago, which is considered to have achieved a life goal. So, Mr. Magician, please help me realize my second wish: buy me a house!"

I want a big house with eighty square meters of upper and lower floors! "

You are really a lion with a big mouth! Klein silently pitied his poverty in his heart. The miraculous magician in front of you lives in a single apartment of 30 to 40 square meters. How can he get the money to buy you a whole big house? I'm afraid you have no clue about Backlund's desperate housing prices.

"The requirements are that the procedures must be complete, the transaction transparent, the source verifiable, the property rights complete, and legal and compliant."

Well, you have quite a lot of conditions. I originally wanted to use historical projections and illusions to get through. At worst, I would have to make more projections to deal with it, but now it sounds a bit difficult.

"I want the old house at No. 36 Honeysuckle Street and make a precise wish!"

Your wish is too accurate!

Seeing that the magician was silent with a smile on his face, Geraldine changed her tone and smiled.

"Don't worry, I am such a kind-hearted person, how could I extort money from you?"

She turned around and took out a document bag from the drawer and handed it to Klein. Klein opened it and saw that it was a complete set of property certificates and identity information, as well as various house type information about No. 36 Honeysuckle Street.

It seemed that Geraldine had actually started planning to buy a house a long time ago. All the homework was done, and all that was left was to go through the transfer procedures.

"Where did you get so much money?" Leonard on the side couldn't hold back his glacial expression, and his cold tone couldn't suppress a hint of shock, "You don't have any prominent family background in your information!"

"Mr. Leonard, don't forget, what is the concept of first-class personal merit in the army!" Talking about his glorious history, Geraldine once again became excited, "That's a lot of money!"

"But it's still almost impossible to buy a house in Backlund just by looking at it, so I didn't start thinking about it until I was discharged from the army. But with my salary in the past few years, I'm still close to buying this old shabby house. ."

So Geraldine looked at Leonard happily and patted the third-class merit bonus that he had just warmed into Klein's hand.

"But now that I add this amount, it's just enough!"

Well, this suddenly turned into an errand. Klein breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. "Provide a house for someone", this can be regarded as a construction wish, and it is one of the most practical wishes I have received since I woke up.

"Yes, ma'am, your wish will come true."

But how to implement it made Klein worried. Now he is Merlin Hermes, the miraculous magician. He has a certain level of prowess, and what he says must be effective on the spot. And Geraldine is a really delicate owner, and will never give up until she sees the real estate deed with his name on it taken out of his hand and put into hers. Although electronic payment has become popular now, there are inevitably some procedures that can only be done in person. But Klein doesn't have any decent secret partners now, and he can't just disappear in the ward and run away to go through the procedures (in this era where open flames are not popular, you can even (cannot jump into other people's kitchens with fire), and must maintain an image in front of Geraldine without showing any timidity...

So in the serious and efficient office hall where people came and went, a strange "person" wearing three layers of clothing walked in. It was Klein manipulating several cats and dogs to transform into different parts and reluctantly form a shaky, pieced-together "person". It used thick clothes to cover up the details of its original body shape, and covered its face tightly with sunglasses, a mask and a hat. Then, before the frightened counter lady trembled and pressed the alarm bell, the security guards in the audience screamed sharply. Put the house purchase information and card into the exchange column under your eyes. The strange and hoarse voice tried its best to express the gentlest and most friendly tone.

"Uh, hello, madam, could you help me with the house purchase procedures..."

Chapter 22 Work (1/2)

Change source:

Node four

↓

"Wow, thank you boss! The boss is so generous!"

After confirming that the thing in her hand was genuine, Geraldine couldn't put it down because of the red real estate certificate. She touched it up and down, left and right, and almost stuck out her tongue to lick it twice.

"Now that I've told you the good news, it's time to talk to you about the bad news."

Leonard, who conscientiously plays the role of a cold boss, ruthlessly throws a portfolio in front of Geraldine.

"you are fired."

"What?!"

Geraldine was so shocked that she jumped up from the bed, jumped in front of Leonard, clasped her hands together, and begged with her fox eyes bent.

"Detective Leonard, Mr. Leonard...Brother Leonard, please give me another chance. I will definitely help you do the robbery faster, more accurately, and more cleanly next time." Bandit..."

Even though he was fully aware of this man's evil nature, Leonard's iceberg face couldn't help but twitch slightly, and quickly regained his expression.

"Did you find a detective assistant or a gangster?" Pales watched the show in Leonard's mind.

"No matter how much you act coquettishly to me, it's useless. Your personnel transfers are not under the control of the National Police Agency. In the final analysis, you have always been a member of the newspaper. It was the Moon Newspaper that fired you."

Leonard pointed to the file bag and motioned to Geraldine to take a good look at it.

"I think you should understand why you were fired. As partners, I admit that we have always cooperated happily in solving crimes, but as a reporter, you have added many unnecessary risks to your activities and your newspaper. I can accept your All kinds of radical ideas, but your editor-in-chief doesn't have such a strong heart. If you die on the job, you will bring a lot of trouble to your newspaper. After weighing your abilities and your risks, your editor-in-chief I still reluctantly fired you."

Geraldine looked at her file carefully, looking very disappointed.

"but--"

Leonard changed the topic and took out a letter from the file bag and handed it to Geraldine.

"With your contribution and the recognition of the National Police Agency, your editor-in-chief has worked hard to give you another opportunity."

Geraldine immediately perked up and eagerly opened the letter.

"...fashion reporter?"

"Yes, this is a letter of introduction. Take this letter to the editorial office of "Praise to the Stars" and they will give you a job as a fashion reporter."

As a believer of the Goddess of the Night, Klein in the Sixth Age is very familiar with the magazine "Praise to the Stars". Although it is nominally a religious weekly, you can actually see a variety of lifestyle content in this magazine, from which shopping malls are currently on sale to what fruits are in season this month, from interviews with celebrities Go to Joke Collection, and you can even learn how to treat hair loss and how to improve your memory in this weekly magazine—they even have a section devoted to this topic in every issue!

The discussion of serious religious documents, such as the analysis of "The Apocalypse of Night", only occupies a very small section of this weekly.

It can be said that you can learn anything except religion in this religious magazine.

"That's a religious magazine!" Geraldine exclaimed.

"Yes, I remember that you are a believer of the goddess of the night, so you shouldn't reject her."

"But shouldn't the editorial staff of such a magazine be all church clergy?"

"Generally speaking, yes, the entire editorial department is made up of people from the church." Leonard nodded, "But non-staff members are also indispensable. You will only need to serve as a fashion reporter and steadily contribute to the fashion section of the editorial department. Just contribute, and the reward is based on the article. That's not a problem."

No, no, no, there's something wrong with that, Klein thought. Although I know that "Praise to the Stars" has become very popular in daily life, why does a religious magazine specifically ask fashion reporters for articles?

"Ah, what a pity." Geraldine's face fell again, "Does that mean I won't be able to participate in the beauty pageant on the magazine cover? I remember they required all clergymen of the Church of the Night."

So this is what you care about! !

Thinking of the cover of "Hymn to the Stars" that was always comparable to a fashion photo, Klein suddenly thought that for more than a thousand years before the Sixth Age, Leonard's handsome face with a poetic temperament would have been indispensable for this kind of cover. His share.

In any case, it is very rare for people to go from being rewarded to being unemployed and directly laid off and re-employed in one day. Not everyone can accept such an exciting life, but Geraldine is obviously not an ordinary person. She has embraced With my own files and real estate certificates, I am happily imagining a better life in the future.

"Okay, then you will be Mr. Leonard's new assistant?"

Geraldine winked at Klein, and before she could wait for Klein to defend herself, she continued speaking on her own.

"Wow, a cold police detective and a mysterious magician solve crimes together. If this kind of theme is written into a novel, it will definitely be a hit!"

She quickly packed her things, sat cross-legged on the hospital bed, and looked at Klein expectantly with a professional smile.

"Then, as your senior, I am willing to answer all your questions, including Mr. Leonard's sleep talk during his lunch break - of course, it is definitely not allowed if there is a confidentiality policy."

Who wants to know Leonard's sleep talk?

Complaints are complaints, but Klein still asked questions seriously.

"You used to be an investigative reporter.

When you were in China, did you do any research on urban ghost stories? "

Klein is not clear about the current situation of Backlund's mysterious forces. Fortunately, in the Sixth Age with advanced science and technology, more clues will turn into various stories and spread on the Internet. Learning about the extraordinary world from urban ghost stories may sound somewhat unreliable, but if the ghost stories are obtained from a former investigative reporter with excellent tracking skills, the reliability of the information is much higher.

"You've got to ask the right person!"

Geraldine twirled her fingers excitedly, waving them in the air.

"Want to hear something? Kowawu, the internet ghost who eats codes and alters data? Or want to know which version of the story of the explorer Mr. Sparrow is true? If you are interested in history, you may be interested in Manstein I am interested in the couple's prototype…"

As a programmer, Klein had heard more or less stories about the ghost hacker Kowawu.

And the explorer Mr. Sparrow, no matter how you look at it, it looks like the story of Gehrman Sparrow who was transformed by a mysterious power!

As for the Mansteins, they are important knowledge points in the history of science and are written down in children's history books for exams.

"Then I choose..."

A sudden shaking sound interrupted the conversation between the two.

"Sorry, pick up the phone."

Leonard turned around and pressed the answer button. After a few quick responses, he immediately turned back with a serious face.

"Someone called the police and found a mutilated body in the suburbs. I have to go there right now."

Leonard frowned and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"During this period, the murderer Nelson Kolodko has made our entire police department panic. Seeing a murder case is like seeing a ghost... No, you have resigned, and I won't talk to you anymore. See you next time, Geraldine, get out of the hospital soon."

After saying that, Leonard immediately turned around and dragged Klein towards the door.

"You can just go, why are you dragging me along?" Klein asked inexplicably in a low voice after being pulled away.

"Did you see the nurse at the door? They are all staring at you fiercely!" Leonard muttered secretly to one side, "The psychiatric ward of the church hospital is very strictly managed! Without a doctor's card or a sufficient reason, you can immediately Get kicked out."

Klein shut up and had no choice but to follow Leonard out.

"Wait! Mr. Leonard!"

The two of them paused for a moment, and when they heard Geraldine's cheerful footsteps, their spiritual intuition suddenly sounded the alarm.

"Oh, look, no matter how anxious you are, you can't even wear your clothes properly!"

Geraldine, as agile as a fox, nimbly got in front of the two of them. She squinted her eyes and buttoned the first button of Leonard's shirt neatly.

"My meticulous partner will never let go of a sinful button."

Chapter 23 First Aid (1/2)

Change source:

Node four

↓

twenty three

After being slipped out of the ward, Klein stood helplessly outside the psychiatric ward, watching the doctors and patients coming and going in the passage.

After a brief and efficient exchange, the two decided to split into two groups. Klein stayed at Harvest Church to observe the situation and moved around more between the church hospital and the museum, while Leonard rushed to the scene to perform his duties. In addition to exchanging phone numbers, Klein also worked hard to squeeze out a spiritual worm for Leonard to serve as a backup contact.

Pales was very concerned about being on the same body as Leonard with other bugs, but it was clear that he did not have enough say in this decision.

Miss Geraldine just now made them very concerned. Based on their familiarity, Klein and Leonard strongly suspected that the reporter had sensed Leonard's unusual performance today, but they were not sure enough.

"I don't think she had much ill intentions. She probably just wanted to make sure I was really Leonard and not someone who had been transferred."

Leonard concluded.

But Klein is still somewhat wary of this keen young lady - not just because of the person herself, but also because of what will happen around her and what has happened in the past, all of which give Klein a vague sense of Worry and alert.

So Klein caught Marionette's attention in this corridor, but within the reach of this hospital, Klein couldn't find a suitable mouse or insect. Then Klein turned his attention to the flying insects outside the church, but the Marionette couldn't fly into the ward at all. Not long after the little insect's adventure began, it was killed by a hidden machine that didn't know how it worked. .

...I have to say that this hospital is really responsible.

I don't know whether I should be grateful for the strong organizational ability and cohesion of the church background, or whether I should be grateful for the miracles of modern medicine and engineering.

The nurses at the nurse's desk in the ward gradually became less friendly. Klein had no choice but to take a few steps near the ward, pretending that he had left.

Next time, be sure to ask Leonard to get a list of wanted criminals. It is imminent to catch the humanoid marionette.

Within two steps of leaving the psychiatric ward, the atmosphere in the passage became visibly lively, a rare sign of life in the dull hospital. The patients and nurses laughed and talked from time to time while they were busy, recalling the short-lived joy just now.

"When you see Mr. Dodge Rama's performance, you will feel a wonderful, transcendent happiness, which makes people always want to watch it again and again..."

"So isn't this a coincidence? After today's benefit show in the hospital, Mr. Dodge Rama will hold the next benefit show in the museum next door. It's so close. Isn't it rare that you don't want to go and see it? Steam, I Anyway, I'm going to sneak out and feast my eyes on it."

"Then I...I...I want to..."

Suddenly the little nurse and the lame patient sneezed several times one after another. With a few exaggerated "sneeze" sounds, the two people with blurred eyes suddenly woke up, and the fragile and short-lived enthusiasm receded from their faces.

"Today's disinfectant is really disgusting." The lame patient frowned and rubbed his alcohol-stained nose vigorously. "This is too uncomfortable."

Sneezes, large and small, sounded intermittently in the corridor, and people began to complain about the pungent smell of disinfectant in the hospital. The dull reality once again immersed everyone.

"Maybe the logistics people changed the formula, but it smells the same?" The little nurse covered her mouth and sneezed a few more cute little times, "I don't know, they didn't notify me."

"Ms. Nurse, will you go with me to the museum next door to see Dodge Lamar later?"

"Uh... forget it, what will I do if I leave my job? If you are caught, your wages will be deducted - and you, you will not be allowed to leave the hospital without medical advice!" The little nurse glared at the lame patient, "What do you mean by the museum next door? ! The entire church should have been ours!"

"...Okay, I won't leave until I leave. Then I can go smoke a cigarette, right?"

"Of course not!"

The lame patient pouted dissatisfiedly and left on crutches.

"Ah sneeze!"

People shrug off these sparse and brief sneezes. What hospital doesn't have some pungent disinfectant? Who here doesn't have some minor ailments?

There can't really be any curse or pollution, don't be kidding!

The magician squinted at the sneezing person in the hospital and keenly related this small problem to the performance that had just ended.

He stretched out his hand and hung the citrine pendulum under the cover of the cloth.

Clown Dodger Rama uses extraordinary powers in his performances.

The pendulum rotates clockwise to express affirmation.

This is in line with Klein's guess. From this point of view, the reason why the street performance at noon was so grand and joyous was because Dodge Rama used extraordinary power to control the emotions of the audience during the performance to achieve an incomparable performance effect.

But at the Mother Earth Church Hospital, Dodge Rama's extraordinary tricks couldn't last long. Even though it was squeezed to only half of the church's territory, the Church of the Mother Earth, which is good at healing, is still functioning stably. Just stepping into this hospital, Klein immediately felt physically and mentally comfortable and full of vitality.

The faint smell of disinfectant in the air was probably some extraordinary item from the church, which dissipated the extraordinary influence of Dodge Rama - the church itself was also a holy place protected by the Mother Earth.

Klein raised his hand and flicked the pendulum to his wrist

superior. He gained a deeper understanding of this mission hospital.

It seems that in Backlund, the church forces originally stationed at Harvest Church have been reduced to a secularized modern hospital. The nurses and doctors here are still mainly believers of the Mother Earth, but there should be very few extraordinary people who truly belong to the church or the vampire clan. The extraordinary power that belongs to the core of the true church power is forced to be trapped under the shackles of the world and the situation, and still tries to use all the power it can exert to heal the patients who enter this hospital.

From this point of view, the supervision of the psychiatric ward here cannot be so strict. It is estimated that there are more or less patients who are forced to be hospitalized due to occult reasons.

With the relationship between Loen and Fenebaud so tense, this hospital with a church name is still the last straw for countless patients to end their suffering.

So, has Emlyn, who is the dean's closed disciple in this hospital, now been exposed to extraordinary power?

This was a familiar feeling that touched Klein's spirituality. Among the crowds of people who were smiling and sneezing, Emlyn, who looked sluggish and walked in a hurry, stood out in particular.

Is he... not affected by Dodge and disinfectant at all?

The historical projection of the walking stick of life has long since dissipated. The miraculous magician rolled a stack of paper into a cylinder, reinforced it with the ability to "draw paper into soldiers", and barely used it as a walking stick.

"Doctor Emlyn, we meet again."

The paper cane stopped Dr. Emlyn White who was passing by.

"...That magician just now? Why did you... Sneeze! Sneeze! Ahem, sorry, just call me Dr. White. We are not familiar with each other."

The stinky Emlyn frowned and pushed away the paper cane.

It seems that Dodge and disinfectant have no effect at all, but the effect is not very good. Perhaps it's because Emlyn has the remaining blessings of himself in his heyday, or perhaps his current completely opposite character state is caused by the power of a higher level, which cannot be affected by a mere Dodger and a little disinfectant. .

"So Dr. White, will you make a wish to me now?"

The magician imitated Dodger Rama and used a paper cane to throw out several beautiful stick flowers.

"You see, a few minutes ago, an ordinary roll of paper made a wish to me, and it got its own miracle and became a beautiful performance cane."

"...Are you going to tell me some Russell fairy tale?"

"Ahem, no... I just wanted to show you that there are real miracles in this world."

The magician coughed twice in embarrassment.

"You questioned me last time and questioned my inability to bring real miracles to others. I admit that those beautiful and brilliant miracles are just brilliant fireworks that flash by in people's lives and are destined not to illuminate people's endless future."

"But these miracles have at least appeared and shone in those dark days. The warmth they brought is real, and the hope they bring is real. Maybe someone who is in trouble will disappear from that fleeting moment. From the dazzling miracles, I drew the motivation to move forward bravely, thereby saving my life."

As he spoke, Magic turned around gracefully and pointed his white cane at the psychiatric ward in the distance.

"For example, the brave girl just made a precious wish to me, and miracles bloomed in her life. In her long life journey, these small miracles are even insignificant, but she will So say goodbye to the haze of the past and welcome a new life. Maybe one day, she will get her true redemption."

"Well, if you really don't want to believe me, believe in my miracles and your innermost wishes, then I suggest you at least go to the Fifth Age special exhibition in the museum next door. This can very well adjust your recent experience. Stressed out and exhausted spirit."

Emlyn looked at the magician and the flyer in his pocket, hesitated to speak, and finally simply pushed away the magician's cane angrily and left without saying a word.

"Wait, Doctor White..."

"Ding ding - ding ding -"

At this moment, the piercing nurse bell exploded in the ward, and the deafening sound roared through the corridors of the hospital.

"18 beds! 18 beds! First aid! First aid! Add more Baoding personnel quickly!!"

The screams of passers-by, the shouts of nurses, and the roars of doctors were all mixed together into a suffocating mud.

"Look, Mr. Magician. There are no miracles in this world."

Emlyn slowly turned his head and looked at the magician with empty eyes. Behind him, medical staff poured into the psychiatric ward like a tide.

"You can't save anyone."

Chapter 24 Nightmare (1/2)

Change source:

Node four

↓

"Bed 18! Bed 18! Can you hear me?"

"Quick! Restraints! Secure her to the bed!"

"Where's the mask? Nurse!"

"Don't be afraid, do you recognize me, No. 18! I'm Dr. Sinedu! Your attending physician! Don't worry, I'm here to save you!"

…This is my attending physician? So, that doctor just now...

"Bed 18! Do you still remember your name? Tell us your name!"

"I'm... no, doctor... go after that person! Hurry..."

The blurred colors were shaking uneasily, and the doctor's shouts became increasingly blurry and faded away.

"Miss! Please relax! Take a deep breath! This is a hospital! No one will hurt you!"

"...take a deep breath! Get..."

"...calm...18..."

"...use..."

"..."

"..."

"...Geraldine!"

The reporter suddenly opened his eyes and found himself on a small island with lush trees.

Surrounded by several familiar people whose faces could not be seen clearly, they were wearing camouflage and fully armed. They were talking quietly around a few smoking iron lumps.

This is a special military ration that can be heated by itself. Although it will smoke a little, it is not enough to expose yourself. The taste is not bad.

Some thoughts suddenly popped up in the reporter's mind.

All the scenes in front of me seemed hazy and unreal. The reporter should have been deeply impressed by this small island, but now she looked around at a loss, as if she was immersed in an endless nightmare.

"Hey Geraldine, what do you think?"

A muscular man wearing black and green camouflage approached the reporter and poked him with a smile.

"I don't think we should go in, it's too risky."

The reporter said this subconsciously.

But the reporter didn't know why he said that.

"But this is an order, Geraldine, our mission this time..."

...The mission is to investigate this place?

She seemed to be very familiar with it all. Even though her consciousness was distracted and her eyes were blurred, indescribable information poured out of her subconscious like a fountain. The flowers, leaves, grass and trees here, the words and deeds of these people She knew every move by heart, and could even predict what the blurry man in front of her was going to say.

Just like every time the reporter would return to the cans blankly, the captain's first line would always be "Hey, Geraldine, what do you think?"

"Let's move forward tomorrow, captain. My suggestion is that we investigate on the outside for another day."

"Time waits for no one, Geraldine. The time limit of our mission does not allow us to delay it any longer. Our actions must not be exposed."

"but..."

"That's it, Geraldine, that's an order."

The reporter mechanically and blankly confronted the blurry figure in front of him with his lines, and then received an expected rejection.

The reporter felt that she must have been here thousands of times, but her memory was fragmented and her thoughts were intermittent and she was unable to think. Sometimes she could read fragments of memories from thousands of times, but she could not connect her thoughts. She could only rely on Act instinctively on some sudden thought. This feeling is like being immersed in a bizarre dream.

team leader? Who is the captain? Where are you going?

Still waiting for the reporter to find the answer, her little doubts were washed away by the dizzy and broken thoughts, leaving only a stubborn residue.

...I want to stop them!

The surrounding time and space became more distorted, making it even more difficult for reporters to distinguish. She stood up staggeringly and found that the people who had just called her name were moving quickly towards an unknown dark brown block.

Is that a cave? No, can't go!

The reporter stepped forward and ran forward, but fell to the ground before he could take a few steps.

When he looked up again, a dazzling red light was like blood, spurting out from the depths of the cave!

"Geraldine! Run!"

The reporter who received the order turned around and ran away. As she ran wildly, the vibrant grass began to crack under her feet, revealing horrific blood-red cracks.

The sky is falling, the earth is melting, and the blood-red light is like a destined disaster, chasing reporters tirelessly.

They're coming after me!

At this time, a pitch-black slender iron rod suddenly broke out of the ground in front of the reporter's eyes, followed by more pitch-black iron plates and iron bars emerging from the ground, forming a black spiral staircase that grew on its own.

The reporter subconsciously grabbed the handrail and jumped up the stairs, running down the stairs without thinking.

The wailing of teammates in the distance gradually faded away, and the reporter's tears flowed uncontrollably on his cheeks.

Up, up!

Keep going up!

The reporters and the stairs climbed up tirelessly and endlessly. They passed through the island, through the headquarters, through the newspaper office, and through the police station, rushing towards the peaceful night sky and the bright stars.

The ferocious red light roared and jumped up

, finally unable to reach the corner of the reporter's clothes, and gradually disappeared from the reporter's sight in this endless chase.

up! up! Go to the starry sky...

With a muffled bang, the reporter fell hard onto the moist and soft soil. She got up in embarrassment and found that she was surrounded by an endless field of white moon flowers and stars in the dark night sky.

The reporter realized that this meant that she had successfully escaped her nightmare this time.

Under the quiet night sky, in addition to the reporter and the dark staircase she was spiraling up, there was an old woman wearing a black classical Gothic dress standing in the garden.

"Geraldine, according to the dream hint I left you, seeing me means that you have once again defeated your nightmare in the dream maze. Congratulations, this is worth celebrating."

The old woman has a serious look on her face, and although her head is full of white hair, she is still tall and tall.

"Now, let's talk. Have you encountered anything else recently that you want to talk to me about?"

In the dream, Geraldine's eyes were blurred, and in an irresistible trance, she intermittently revealed her truest thoughts.

"Your Majesty Bishop, you must not have imagined what Mr. Leonard looks like today..."

Suddenly, Geraldine's expression became painful and ferocious. She covered her head and huddled in the flower field, twitching. There was a strange and dirty force trying to infiltrate this peaceful dream maze, disrupting the reality that Geraldine had felt just a moment ago. memory, but in the end this intrusion was suppressed by the old woman under this quiet dream.

"...After Mr. Leonard and his new assistant left, a doctor I had never met before came to my room before I became ill, and then..."

"...No..."

"...He is not the doctor here!"

lChapter 25 A Question (4k) (1/3)

Change source:

Node four

↓

There is a big man on the left who is as strong as a tiger, and on the right there is a macho man who is as strong as an ox. Four copper bell-like eyes glare fiercely at the suspicious magician in strange clothes.

The petite magician stood pitifully at the door of the mission hospital, looking up at the two sturdy security guards.

This time I was completely kicked out...

The magician still maintained a mysterious smile, stepped back a few steps calmly, gracefully performed a classic Loen hat salute to the two conscientious security guards, and then turned around and left gracefully.

When I find a big marionette next time, I will definitely pinch the person to two meters high!

Calculating the time, it seems that it is almost time. We have already come to the Harvest Church. Why not just go to the museum next door to see the Fifth Age exhibition, and meet Mr. Dodge Rama by the way.

Today is a working day, and after the lunch break, the number of people on the street is significantly less. There are still many volunteers on the roadside dedicated to handing out leaflets to the sparse crowds, most of whom appear to be students who are still studying. Obviously, this spot is not suitable for handing out leaflets, and they still have a large stack in their armpits.

The distribution of flyers and the performance of Dodge Lamar during the lunch break worked together to achieve a very good publicity effect. Klein looked from a distance and saw that even though today was a working day, there were still many people gathered in the square in front of the museum, queuing up to enter in an orderly manner.

It seems that a billboard with extraordinary power will be very popular.

This kind of weather was not suitable for letting children stand on the road for too long handing out flyers, so the kind-hearted Klein walked up, picked up a large handful of flyers under the eager eyes of the children, and started folding them for himself as he walked. Here comes the paper man.

Several contacts with Dodge Rama today made Klein feel a little uneasy. He felt that something troublesome might happen to him or Dodge Rama soon. These vague warnings made Klein's origami hands even more agile.

Judging from today's Dodge Rama's skills, Klein is sure that he must have extraordinary characteristics above the "Joker" level of the fortune teller. Some exaggerated movements may be difficult to achieve even with the assistance of prosthetics.

Judging from his guidance and influence on the crowd, he must have used other sequences of extraordinary characteristics to achieve this effect. It may be the ability of the criminal sequence to mobilize emotions and desires, or it may be using the spiritual ability of the audience sequence to give hints to passers-by, or using the eloquence and persuasion abilities of the lawyer sequence to make passers-by accept your point of view...

As far as Klein's current knowledge is concerned, there are many ways to achieve this effect.

But now Klein is not sure which path the other party is an Beyonder. Could his iconic red bow and ruby ​​ring with an evil aura be the extraordinary items he used?

Actors with the stage name "Rama" mostly believe in the God of Steam and Machinery, and advocate the use of technology to achieve performance effects. Coupled with very radical prosthetic modifications, this clown is closely related to the Church of Steam.

...the ingredients are too complicated!

But the only thing Klein was sure of was that Dodge Rama noticed him.

This is my first day of freedom after resigning!

The flyers in his hand were quickly folded, but Klein was still worried and decided to do some divination. He controlled a cat marionette to return to his small apartment, and the main body walked into a small alleyway, using illusion magic to cover up in an inconspicuous corner, and exchanged positions with the cat marionette. Go home in a second.

Through various tests with Leonard last night, the two determined that Klein's small apartment was barely a trustworthy safe house. In addition to the basic attributes of anti-prophecy and anti-divination, except for Klein himself and a few extraordinary items, all extraordinary powers entering this space have been silenced. The only thing that needs to be noted is that this apartment still maintains very basic material attributes. Just like a normal small room, it is not immune to physical damage from guns and ammunition.

It seems that Melissa and the others made a safe house for themselves for transition.

In these days when I can't climb to Origin Castle, only this wonderful little apartment can give me a sense of security at home.

Thinking that the other party might have the ability to predict danger in the criminal sequence, Klein decided to return home and perform dream divination again, so as not to alert the enemy.

"Where Dodge Lamar is now."

After writing divination sentences on the paper condensed with gray mist, Klein closed his eyes on the bed.

Broken images gradually emerged in the dream.

Swaying trees, overgrown weeds, dilapidated and deserted factories, the next second the magnificent and simple Harvest Church suddenly appeared in the dream, and countless treasures shone in the crowded museum hall. Two completely different scenes squeezed each other and competed for their place in Klein's dream.

Is this... is this a divination interference, or does he have the ability to appear in two places at the same time?

Things are getting weirder.

Klein immediately ended the divination and used gray mist to condense several paper figures that were exactly the same as the flyer paper figures and sandwiched them together. He then switched places with the cat marionette from before and walked back to the street. The closer to the church, the more cameras were installed, so Klein did not directly let the cat Marionette come to the church.

The magician moved forward quickly with the flow of people, but was forced to stop by the flow of people. The red light came on and the traffic stopped.

There isn't much time left. Klein picked up Melissa's pocket watch to check the time. He needed to get to Harvest before Dodge Lamar performed.

The church serves as the other end of the museum.

It is obviously the same building, but the surrounding roads have become bumpy due to the height and function of the church being divided into two. In addition, the church hospital has been forced to expand due to helplessness, and the poor urban planning has resulted from the rapid development of the city center. , the road between the hospital and the museum is even more difficult to walk.

At this time, a familiar feeling of unrest once again filled Klein's heart. All his senses seemed to be covered with an illusory veil, and the hands of the pocket watch in his hand began to move crazily.

"Klein, I didn't expect us to meet again so soon."

A familiar voice, a familiar Roselven, and Melissa with her hair pulled up smiled and walked out from behind Klein.

The twitching pointer finally stopped at "2".

"According to the disillusionment compass, we only have ten minutes this time. So, Klein, hurry up and ask a more important question!"

Melissa, who had black hair and black eyes, pushed up her glasses and regained her serious expression.

...So, the appearance of the phantom Melissa is not under her own control?

There's just one problem, it's too harsh.

Regarding Melissa in front of him, Klein had too many questions he wanted to get answered at this time, and too many words he wanted to talk about.

Klein wanted to know where she and Benson went, what kind of life she lived after they parted ways at the church wedding, whether she had found the other half she wanted, and whether she had held on to her other half like Benson. hands into a solemn and holy church. Klein also wants to know what kind of amazing mechanical creations she has created with her hands because she is smart and capable, how she will feel when facing the bright silver moon of the Sixth Age, and how her strong and hard-working life will affect her. His eyes were dyed a deep, dull black...

"The Desecrated Slate, did I get a second Desecrated Slate after that time?"

Klein finally asked this question.

The sinister environment and contradictory testimonies from multiple parties made Klein more aware of the importance of completing his Fifth Age memory.

"If I did become a being above the sequence back then, and worked with others to set up such a big plan, I must have a thorough knowledge of the knowledge above the sequence."

Melissa pushed up her glasses, tilted her head and smiled, showing an "I knew it" expression. Then she grabbed her hand in the air, and a handful of misty black smoke condensed into a stack of A4 paper in her hand. , printed with dense Russell text.

Then this stack of A4 paper was stuffed into Klein's arms.

...Why does this feel like a random piece of paper from a street printing shop...

Klein began to quickly flip through the stack of A4 papers. Spiritual intuition didn't play much role in front of the phantom Melissa. Klein could only flip through it one by one. The first piece of paper was just the cover, and the second piece of paper was a catalog of 22 pathways. To Klein's surprise, the third piece of paper was just the cover. Three pieces of paper contained the necessary "recipe" for the ascending sequence. This was exactly what was not on the first sacrilegious tablet.

It was as if what he wanted to know and what he needed to know had already been clearly known, and had been neatly sorted out for him and placed on the first page.

This knowledge was purified into dry words and recorded on this stack of paper made of hallucinations or black smoke. It's just that this convenient form seems very weird. It's obviously the same thing, but there is no such thing as "blaspheming the slate". The sense of mystery it deserves. It is more like the water injection paper submitted in water class for college students or the cheat sheet materials brought into the examination room for open book exams.

What is this, desecrating A4 paper?

What followed were the formulas and rituals of the 22 paths that were similar to what he remembered. Klein quickly flipped through one page. The formula for the potion seemed to be slightly different from what Klein remembered. It should have been changed to something more than a thousand years later. The current version, as for this ritual...

Klein suddenly felt his head go cold.

Melissa stood at the intersection at the other end of the crowd, showing Klein a successful smile. In her hand was Klein's magician's hat.

The red light flashes and then goes out, and the green light turns on. The crowded flow of people carried Klein forward, while Melissa started running in front of the crowd.

"Melissa! Wait--I'm sorry, please give up!"

Klein tried his best to push through the crowd and keep up with Melissa. Just as he was about to touch the hem of her flowing skirt, he saw Melissa turn around and slip into an alley.

This is a little-known, unmonitored shortcut.

The phantom Melissa nimbly shuttled through the gaps in the building at a speed that exceeded Klein's expectations. She looked back at Klein, smiled, and then jumped up from the ground, getting rid of gravity and falling lightly in the air. Jumped up again.

Klein hurriedly turned his head to follow. The A4 paper in his hand was blown up by the wind one by one as he ran wildly. After making several circles in the air, it turned into a burst of black smoke and dissipated.

"Actually, I felt your presence at Benson's wedding, but I didn't recognize it at the time. It felt like you were here."

"After that, there were ordinary and turbulent days. I think this story must be very dull and boring compared to your magnificent adventure."

Little bright yellow flowers grew out of the cracks in the building, and smoke and dust exuding gray steam rose from the earth. The steel building took off its bright glass, and mottled bricks and thick wooden strips were exposed on the walls of the house. .

Baker of the Fifth Age

Rand meets Crane again in a hallucination

Melissa spun in the air, the colorful dress faded away, and the young girl Melissa in Klein's memory appeared in front of Klein again.

"Like Benson, I met the other half who is worthy of my trust. It's funny to say that we met in college. Then we spent the end of the world together and came to the Sixth Age blessed by the Silver Moon. "

The huge roar of steam engines rang in Klein's ears. Huge and ferocious mechanical creations grew wildly in the city. Airships soared into the sky, wild and powerful armors, trains that kept running day and night. Everything in the city was... Proudly blowing out turbid white steam. The steam civilization that began to move toward glory in the Sixth Age showed a corner of its glory to Klein in Backlund.

Klein, who was running and jumping, looked back and saw that Melissa had pulled up her hair again, put on a dignified brown skirt, and wore a bulging tool apron.

"But I think I am also qualified to say with pride that I have lived a magnificent life. My husband Yis and I have accomplished several earth-shattering things and achieved academic achievements that you can be proud of. Achievement, on the extraordinary road, I have also reached the distant Sequence Three..."

"I was also upset about why I didn't have the ability to accompany you during your most painful years. But after the end of the world, I had more than three hundred years of life to accompany you. After that, I was even more... Have endless time to accompany you in your illusion..."

"So, please trust me a little more, Klein."

Melissa, who once again put on a colorful dress, slowly fell in front of Klein and placed the magician's hat in his hand. The simple hat was stuffed with yellow Seville chrysanthemums.

"Now, you're the little boy and I'm the old monster."

Klein looked into Melissa's dark eyes and wanted to say something else, but at this moment Melissa's vivid face suddenly froze, and her eyes stared blankly into the distance, as if she was in the distance beyond Klein. She saw something, and then she suddenly shouted eagerly to Klein:

"Watch out for the church! They've got the upper hand! Watch out for the cup..."

Before Melissa finished her warning, she collapsed together with the glorious city, and all the illusions turned into black smoke and dust, disappearing in Klein's world along with the uneasy feeling of nothingness.

The last wisp of smoke disappeared, and all that was left in front of Klein was the tall and solemn main entrance of Harvest Church, which is the entrance square of the museum.

The magician's hat in his hand is empty.

The inverted pointer resets to zero.