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   Chapter 536: The Power of the Secret Puppet Master

  "After being promoted to Sequence 5, in addition to the great improvement of my previous extraordinary abilities, the only new ability is the ability to see and control the spiritual thread.

  "With the help of the spiritual thread, I can make the target enter a stagnant state after a period of time, making their hands and feet stiff and their thinking slow. The lower the sequence of the target, the faster the control speed and the better the effect.

  "If the target does not get rid of it in time, it will become my puppet, that is, the 'secret puppet' after I completely control the spiritual thread. This change is permanent. The target is equivalent to being dead, but under my control, he can still maintain his previous form and even maintain his sequence and use extraordinary abilities."

  In his room, Klein sat on a chair, closing his eyes and gradually controlling the overflowing spirituality as he explained.

  Angel sat on the bed, nodding his head as if he understood, and suddenly said:

  "How far is the control distance? How long will it take? Once you start controlling the spirit line, can you stop it midway?"

  These contents belong to the core secrets of the "Master of Secret Dolls". If it were someone else, Klein would definitely not say a word, but the one in front of him was Angel, and he would not hold back.

  "Currently, it can only be effective within a range of 5 meters from the target. It is estimated that the initial mastery will take about 20 seconds. Before that, the target will hardly be aware of it.

  "After the initial mastery, the target can be aware of it, but it has entered a stagnant stage. It will take about 5 minutes until it is completely mastered and turned into a secret doll. Before that, the control can be interrupted by violent movements, and it can also be stopped actively."

  He explained, and saw Angel in front of him showing a curious look.

  "Then, do you want to try it? "

  She suggested.

  Try...try it?

  Klein understood what she meant instantly, but he felt a little hesitant.

  For Angel, this was tantamount to handing his life over to him. Although the other party was also a Sequence 5 and should have other ways to avoid being completely controlled, this mentality made him feel touched but also a little angry.

  "I just want to understand the effect of the 'Spirit Thread' in advance, so as not to be ambushed by other puppet masters."

  Seeing Klein's uncertain face, Angel hurriedly explained.

  "That's right. In Backlund, Rosago easily controlled Miss Sharon through the 'Faceless Man' and the 'Spirit Thread', which shows that this ability is indeed difficult to defend against. It would be good for you to feel it in advance." Klein frowned and thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

  "Rosago?"

  "He's just a puppet master who generously gave his life and extraordinary characteristics. "

  Seeing Klein agreed, Angel immediately entered stealth mode, moved slightly, and hid next to the closet in the corner of the room.

  But seeing that Klein's eyes were following her closely, she knew that being invisible was useless in front of him, so she said,

  "Let's get started."

  Klein took a deep breath, his spirituality spread, and he touched the illusory black lines extending from Angel's body and "grasped" them.

  Although the Master of Secret Dolls can see the spiritual lines within 100 meters, he can only operate them within a range of 5 meters from himself.

  1, 2, 3...

  Klein began to count silently in his mind, but after a few counts, he found that the black lines extending from Angel's body began to move.

  Was she discovered? So fast? It

  was completely different from what he expected, and Klein was a little confused.

  ...

  Boom, boom, boom.

  Angel's heart was beating rapidly, and the surface of the magic mirror hidden in front of her chest turned cold, reminding her of the coming danger.

  She subconsciously moved her position, and then she realized that it was her own spirituality that warned her that the "Spirit Thread" was being manipulated.

  Klein said that it would not be discovered before the initial control... Could it be limited to extraordinary people who do not have the ability of prophecy and divination?

  She figured this out and stopped struggling. She allowed the Spirit Thread to be initially mastered. Soon she felt that all the parts in her brain began to rust, her thinking became slow, and the joints of her limbs were as heavy and stiff as if they were filled with lead.

  And... 2-049... Very similar...

  She remembered the sealed object she had touched in Tingen City, the "Antigonus Puppet", which could periodically put people around it into the same state. If they were not awakened by their companions, they would fall into a deep state of stagnation. She was sluggish, and finally motionless.

  So... that... was... the master of the secret doll...

  Fortunately, I soon understood this... Angel's sluggish thoughts directed her spirit to the "hypocrisy" ring on her finger, and tried to use "flame jump" to try to break free from control, while looking at the wall clock.

  Has... thirty seconds... passed?

  Not daring to delay any further, she immediately used flame jump, and her target was the oil lamp next to Klein, but her sluggish thoughts and slow movements caused her to fail twice. It was only on the third time that she found the right position and jumped out.

  Seeing this, Klein stopped manipulating the "spiritual line", and Angel's sluggish brain became clear again, and her movements returned to normal. She appeared from a height of one meter next to the oil lamp, fell to the ground, and stood firmly - she still had some problems in judging the distance and height.

  "...very powerful. "

  Angel commented after a moment of silence.

  After being initially controlled and entering a stagnant state, it took her two or three seconds to understand that the "Spirit Thread" was similar to the effect of the Antigonus puppet, but in reality half a minute had passed, which meant that her slow mind was almost unable to control her body and analyze intelligence normally. If the puppet master took out his gun and shot within these thirty seconds, or had a companion to assist in a direct attack, she would definitely be seriously injured.   

  Of course, judging from the use of "Flame Jump", "Mirror Stand" can also prevent the attack from killing her directly, but if the opponent is prepared and jumps to the position where the "Stand" appears, and continues to control the spirit line, she will still not escape the doom.

  "But the control needs to be within 5 meters, and your spirit will also give a warning. I'm afraid it's not so easy to make a Beyonder of the same sequence into a secret puppet... Either interfere with the opponent in some way until the initial control is completed, or do it after the opponent is unconscious or seriously injured."

  Klein shook his head, thinking that "Spirit Line" still has many flaws.

  However, as a new attack ability that he obtained after being promoted from "Magician" to Sequence 5, he was still very satisfied.

  "The warning of the spirit comes from the subtle changes I perceive and the information I come into contact with. If the enemy becomes you or someone I am familiar with, and then approaches me to control, I may not be able to detect it..."

  Angel pursed his lips, and his eyes lit up after a moment.

  "How about you design a little action. If you don't make this action when you get close to me, I will think you are pretending, how about that?"

  Wouldn't this be a bit troublesome... Klein wanted to refuse, but then he thought, if he really met other puppet masters, or even higher-order extraordinary people, this "little secret" might save Angel's life, so he became interested.

  The two discussed for a moment and decided to "prove that Klein is Klein" by "pinching the right collar with three fingers of the right hand".

  "Like this..."

  Klein reached out to touch his collar and suddenly found that he was not wearing the only formal suit, but a round-necked shirt in the local style. He didn't have a real collar, so he could only grab the collar and pull it as a gesture.

  This funny action made Angel laugh, but soon, she showed a thoughtful expression on her face again.

  "What if you are not wearing clothes?"

  "..."

  Faced with such a question, even the "Puppet Master" fell silent for a while.

  ————

  After completing the most important task of this trip, the "Future" turned around and headed for the exit of this sea area without hesitation. Since it was familiar with the nearby sea conditions on the way here, it was much faster on the way back. The "Star Admiral" estimated that it would be able to leave after about two more day and night exchanges.

  "So, excluding the detours in the dangerous waterway, the entire journey to the "God War Ruins" took less than two days, which was much faster than expected... Of course, this is also related to the fact that the "mermaid" is not a powerful extraordinary creature and has not been able to go deep into the ruins. It is said that many exploration ships can spend more than half a month here and explore several ruins that have been judged to be safe, which means that there are still many places worth exploring in the depths..."

  Angel stayed in her bedroom, taking the time to rest while summarizing the experience of this journey.

  Especially her application of the "disease" ability and the battle with "Hell Admiral" Ludwell.

  "The effect of a disease combined with a specific poison is much stronger than simply being 'sick', but the strongest effect is achieved only when the poison comes into direct contact with it and then spreads. If one only remembers the characteristics of the poison and generates it on their own, the effect is not significant.

  " "The power of the 'Disaster' spell still seems unable to affect areas outside of reality. This is true in the 'Spirit World' and in the area opened up by the bronze gate. It seems that there will be no change until after Sequence 4..."

  "Half of the 'Black Tulip' was blown up. I'm afraid the bounty will change again. My reputation is very bad now. The pirates of the 'Future' saw me as if they had seen the 'Admiral of the Stars' himself, but I know that was not respect, but a desire for me to leave quickly... flattery?

  " "The source of the 'mirror' killed in the dream is still unknown. After leaving here, you can ask Mr. Azik or the strange Mirror of Arrodes. But no matter what, that battle allowed me to completely digest the 'Pain' potion, and I'm also on the agenda to advance to Sequence 4. I still need the complete poison sac and poison needle of the Black-striped Shadow Giant Scorpion. The latter will have to wait for Mr. 'Sun' to exchange for merit in Silver City, and I'm afraid I have to find a way to get the former myself...

  "Anderson is a Sequence 5 'Reaper'. You can try to buy the Sequence 6 potion formula from him and then sell it to Elaine. Well, although the 'Redhead' has made a lot of money in the past two months, she may have to continue to sell on credit."

  Thinking about it casually, she suddenly found that the midday sun outside the window disappeared quickly as if turning off the lights, and was replaced by a dark night sky.

  It's night again... There is no sign. If it suddenly got dark when we were fighting the "Hell Admiral" before, would everyone continue to fight, or lie down and sleep on the spot?

  Muttering silently, Angel lay back on the soft bed and closed his eyes.

  …

  In this almost "last dream", Angel was no longer alone in a strange corner, but came to the front door of the black monastery, which was also the area he saw next to the French window of the library when he first entered this dream. Across

  the cliff was still the projection of the "Giant King's Court" that would never change. On this side, a huge rock stood on the edge of the cliff. "Admiral of the Stars" Cattleya sat on it with her knees hugged, looking into the distance without saying a word.

  Angel, who knew from Klein that he would be angry like a girl in his dreams, did not disturb her, but bypassed the huge rock, came to the gate of the monastery, and crawled in through the crack in the door.

  She bypassed Frank who was waving a shovel to dig a hole for his plants, and the pirates who were singing and drinking around the fire, and came to a hall with huge murals in the monastery.

  "A sea burning with golden flames, Ouroboros, the 'Tail Devourer' that splits the sea, and a long procession of pilgrims... Is this depicting the scene of entering the 'Giant King's Court' from this sea area?"

  Angel finally witnessed the "unlucky mural" that she had only heard from Anderson. She didn't dare to look at it any more. She just took note of the details and quickly looked away, lest she become as unlucky as Anderson.

  At this time, she discovered that the "strongest hunter" Anderson had gotten a recliner from somewhere, lying on it with his legs crossed, admiring the mural with a satisfied smile on his face.

  "Ha, as long as I leave this sea area, my bad luck will end."

  Seeing Angel looking at him, the blond hunter shook the recliner and said proudly.

  Snap -

  with a crisp sound, his wooden recliner broke into several pieces right in front of Angel's eyes, causing the unprepared hunter to fall to the ground and fall hard.

  (End of this chapter)

   Chapter 537: The Possibility of the Man in the Mirror

  Angel turned his head away reluctantly, and only asked Anderson after he got up in a mess:

  "Are you willing to sell the formula for the Sequence 6 potion?"

  Such a direct ball seemed to make the "strongest hunter" not very comfortable, and he was obviously not as clear-headed as Angel who was carrying the "Secret Holy Emblem" in his dream. He laughed strangely, patted the dust on his body, and came forward, staring at Angel for a moment, and said:

  "Strange, could it be that I lost too much money in this adventure, so I imagined a lady who is willing to buy the potion formula?"

  "I hired the 'Future'."

  "Okay, okay, I know what you are going to say, you want to leave me alone in this sea to die, right!"

  Angel slightly changed his face, and Anderson immediately raised his hands in surrender, as if he remembered that he had made a bad joke here and was almost killed by an out-of-control Beyonder, and quickly returned to seriousness.

  "The Sequence 6 potion of the Hunter Path is 'Conspirator', but aren't you a witch? Why do you want to buy this formula?"

  He asked back with a puzzled look.

  "It's for a friend who's an arsonist. She's going to be promoted soon."

  "She? Isn't she the captain of the Redhead?"

  "You know her?"

  This time it was Angel's turn to be surprised.

  "Of course, there are many hunters in the Five Seas, but there aren't many women, especially those who become mid-sequence Beyonders at a young age." Anderson smiled proudly at his well-informedness. "Although I've always wanted to meet that lady, the price can't be lower. 2,000 pounds, and the formula will be yours."

  2,000 pounds... Angel calculated her savings with some heartache. After leaving this sea area and paying the balance of the "Star Admiral", she would only have 3,500 pounds left. Although 2,000 pounds was not expensive for a Sequence 6 potion formula, she was still a little hesitant. After

  repeatedly arguing with this hunter who seemed to be more excited in the dream, the other party was unwilling to give in when it came to 1,800 pounds.

  "If it's less than this, I'd rather not sell it."

  Anderson snorted coldly, and stopped talking. He walked to the side to observe the murals.

  Seeing this, Angel did not try to stop him. She planned to ask Danitz if he had obtained the formula of Sequence 6, or try to find the "Red Priest" card. If she couldn't find any clues, she would go back and buy it from this unlucky and greedy hunter.

  But a few minutes later, Anderson ran back to the hall quickly.

  "Be careful! Someone is coming!"

  Someone?

  Angel was secretly alert and looked in the direction where the other party was running. Not long after, with the sound of the door opening, a black-haired man in a short robe ran into the hall at a very fast speed. The wrinkles and sweat on his face were squeezed together, as if he was chased by evil spirits.

  "Help! Help!"

  He shouted and ran towards Anderson. The latter dodged gracefully, passed between the two murals, hid behind the stone wall, and seemed to be standing by and watching. The

  black-haired man cast his eyes in the direction of Angel again, but found that her figure had disappeared without knowing when.

  "..."

  He was speechless for a second, then he took another step and ran towards the gate of the Black Monastery.

  Behind him, the sound of metal hitting the stone floor rang out, and a tall figure emerged from the darkness.

  It was a giant sword warrior wearing a black full body armor and a helmet of the same color. The eye sockets under the visor flashed a deep red light, staring straight at the black-haired man in front of him. He was not interested in Anderson who had poked his head out again and Angel who had come out of invisibility.

  Clang, clang.

  With the sound of metal boots stomping, the man and the armored warrior disappeared into the mural hall one after another, leaving Angel and Anderson looking at each other in surprise.

  "Not from the Future?"

  Anderson asked.

  "I haven't seen him."

  Angel answered honestly, but he felt that these two people were somewhat like the "Black Saint" and his "mirror image" that Klein had mentioned.

  Maybe they have clues about the "man in the mirror"?

  Angel's mind moved, and he chased after them in the direction they left.

  Returning to the square in front of the Black Monastery, she found that the pirates who were drinking and chatting here had been scared away by the black-armored warriors. Only the somewhat irritable Nina threw away the bottle and wanted to go up to fight, but was completely ignored by the other party. The two figures quickly chased out of the square and ran to the edge of the cliff.

  In the chaos, the black-haired man in a short robe ran around the boulder on top of which Cattleya sat twice, and finally found an opportunity. He shouted to the "Giant King's Court" on the other side of the cliff:

  "Lord, the creator of everything, you are the omniscient and omnipotent, you are the source of all greatness...ah..."

  He was almost hit by the black-armored warrior's giant sword, screamed, and ran faster.

  "...You are the beginning and the end; you are the god of gods, you are the ruler of the vast starry sky!"

  As the name of a certain existence was recited in the ancient Hermetic language, the cliff between the "Giant King's Court" and the "Black Monastery" revealed its true appearance in the sea of ​​clouds. It was a bottomless and wide gap, as if someone had chiseled a crack in the earth that went straight to the center of the earth. The

  huge palace opposite gathered a dusk-colored light, as if it was going to shoot towards this side to build a passage!

  Except for the black-armored warriors and the black-haired man who were still surrounding the boulder, everyone present cast their eyes on the magnificent palace opposite.   

  …And then nothing happened.

  The black-haired man, who was being chased and jumping up and down, seemed unable to accept this fact, and looked over there in a daze.

  "My Lord...Ah!"

  He jumped up nimbly, dodging the huge sword that was slashing at him, but he also trapped himself between the boulders and the cliffs, with almost nowhere to hide.

  Swish, vines emerged from the ground and grew wildly between the two of them, forming a lush forest almost instantly, separating the entire land in front of the monastery and all the people. The black-armored warrior angrily chopped the vines with his huge sword, chopping the peas on them all over the ground, but failed to break through and kill the black-haired man.

  "This Aurora Society's 'Black Saint' Leo Master is very similar to you. He encountered an item that can create a 'mirror image' in a certain ruin, so he was divided into two different personalities," Angel suddenly heard a familiar voice beside her. She turned her head and found that it was Bernadette who had changed into a skirt and trousers combination again. "But the difference is that he was 'split' in reality, and the split was a 'good personality'." "

  You mean, the black-armored warrior is his real body? The black-haired man who was being chased is the 'mirror image'?"

  Angel asked in surprise, and then a strange thought came to her mind:

  If the good personality of the Aurora Society Saint is the black-robed man who was being chased, then what he just chanted, is it the name of the "True Creator" believed in by the Aurora Society? But I remember it was not "the master behind the shadow curtain, the fallen nature of all living beings"...

  And if the "evil body" is killed in a dream, can the "Black Saint" become a "good person" who has eliminated the evil in his heart?

  Could this be what the "man in the mirror" was going to do to me before... She suddenly felt a little relieved.

  As if she had seen through her thoughts, Bernadette shook her head and said:

  "Things in reality must be solved in reality. To kill his 'real body', you need to go to that dangerous ruins, and anyone who enters will be 'copied' once... except you."

  Except me... because I have already solved the problem "in advance" in my dream, and other people, especially kind people, will appear in the ruins when they reach the ruins?

  Angel guessed, and suddenly found that the vines around him began to drill into the ground, as if they had accomplished their mission.

  "After leaving this sea area, you and I will go to find Annie together."

  Leaving this sentence, Bernadette beside her disappeared as if she merged into the surrounding dusk light.

  Disappearing with her were the "Black Saint" and his "mirror image" separated by the vines. Only the pirates who were watching the excitement halfway and found it suddenly ended, and the "Admiral of the Star" Cattleya who looked over here, thoughtfully.

  …

  After leaving the dream, the "Future" continued to sail in the calm sea, passing one after another strange ruins that no one dared to explore, and soon arrived at the place where they entered, the ruins that they had avoided at the beginning.

  But unlike the day they came, there was a three-masted sailing ship about 40 meters long parked next to the ruins.

  "Get ready!"

  The boatswain Nina shouted, and all the sailors who were still on the deck entered the battle position and looked at the sailing ship vigilantly.

  But until the two ships passed each other, there was no movement over there, and the deck was empty, as if it was a ghost ship.

  Cattleya walked out of the cabin, came to the side of the ship, looked at the sailing ship, and took off her thick-framed glasses with a solemn expression. A light flashed in her deep purple eyes. Soon, a pair of huge eyes of the same color appeared above the sailing ship, as if the eyes of this pirate general were extended. They turned around on the deck and found a hatch to get in.

  Including Angel, everyone waited with bated breath for the results of her exploration.

  "It's very strange there..." After a moment, Cattleya put on her glasses again and said, "They seem to be here to explore the legend of the 'Fountain of Youth', but everyone on the ship is gone, there are bloodstains everywhere, and..."

  She seemed to find it difficult to describe, and took out a handful of colorful powder from the inner pocket of her robe, sprinkled it in front of her, and outlined a clear picture on the deck.

  This is much better than the magic mirror divination... Angel stared at the "high-definition surveillance picture" in amazement, and found that it showed a room with exquisite decoration, which was probably the captain's room. There were a lot of bloodstains on the floor of the room, and a word in Feysac was written in blood on the ground:

  "Fountain of Youth——"

  The long bloodstain at the back seemed to be unfinished and was dragged to the door.

  Angel immediately imagined the captain of this ship, when he was seriously injured but not yet dead, leaving clues to the "Fountain of Youth" for future generations with his own blood, but before he finished writing, he was dragged away by the enemy.

  "I didn't expect that the legendary 'Fountain of Youth' is actually in this sea area?"

  Anderson, who entered the sea for treasure hunting and was almost wiped out, said excitedly.

  "I wonder if drinking it can make me young again..."

  An obviously older pirate took over the conversation expectantly.

  "Who would leave any clues for treasure hunting before dying? All his crew members are dead, and the next person to find him will not be his friends or relatives. If it were me, I would only leave the name of the murderer."

  Nina stood aside and watched the scene, sneering and said.

  Her words seemed to wake up everyone. Everyone argued for a while, and most people agreed with the words of the boatswain. The bloody words of the "Fountain of Youth" were either left by the murderer to attract more prey, or they were misleading messages, so they were not wiped off by the murderer. In short...

  run!

  With the order of the "Admiral of the Star", the "Future" bypassed the three-masted sailing ship that had become a coffin and fled the sea area at the fastest speed.

  ...

  After experiencing the falling and rising cliffs in the sea again, the "Future" returned to the normal sea area. Behind it was the falling sea water, in the distance was the storm that covered the sky, and above it was the crimson full moon.

  Listening to the cheers of the pirates on the deck who had survived the robbery, Angel came to Klein's room and said to him in surprise:

  "I'm going to leave for a few days."

  (End of this chapter)

  Chapter 538 Return to the Ghost Ship

  "Annie's matter?"

  Since Angel had told Klein about the "mysterious queen" before, he quickly understood and asked in a low voice.

  "Yes, but I'm not sure if she will respond to my call. I'm going to try it later. If it fails, maybe I don't have to leave here early."

  After a moment of silence, Klein nodded: "Be careful."

  He was referring to the "mysterious queen" Bernadette, or Anne?

  Angel smiled slightly: "You too, if you have anything, just contact through the messenger."

  She wanted to hug him, but considering that she was still on the "Future", she finally couldn't let go.

  ...

  Returning to her room, Angel sat by the window for a while, looking at the normal night outside the window, and suddenly said:

  "Are you there?"

  "You can start."

  A cold voice came from behind, and Angel immediately turned around and saw this mysterious queen, the eldest daughter of Emperor Roselle, for the first time in "reality".

  She was wearing the light brown knee-length skirt and beige trousers that she first met in her dream, leaning against the wall and looking at Angel.

  I don't even know when she came... Wait, didn't she follow me into Klein's room just now?

  Angel muttered to himself, stretched out his right hand, and looked at the palm, where the mysterious emblem made of Anne's blood was hidden.

  First... what should I do?

  Although I didn't want the pirate king to see my hesitation, I would definitely be discovered if I kept my hand raised without any other movements...

  Angel's mind was running wildly, from pressing the "disaster" spell on my hand to raising my arms and shouting "Queen Anne's Revenge", and finally decided to try it with my own blood first.

  Cutting her left index finger with her fingernail, she gently dripped a drop of blood on the palm of her right hand, and then waited quietly.

  "... Don't you know her honorific name?"

  Bernadette asked after an awkward silence.

  It turns out that even if you are not a god, you can still have your own honorific name?

  Not wanting to expose his ignorance, Angel shook his head and said,

  "She didn't tell me."

  "Sequence 3 Saints can have their own honorific names, and respond to calls in specific ranges and rituals. To respond worldwide, Sequence 2 is required. Of course, whether to respond depends on the state and willingness of the target. You have a contract with her. No matter where you are, as long as you recite her name, you can get a response."

  Bernadette obviously saw through her thoughts and explained it first, then switched to ancient Feysac language to recite:

  "The last afterglow of the empire, the master of the five seas, the balance of the order of the spiritual world..."

  She paused.

  "Lovely Anne Gustave."

  Angel took a breath of cold air, feeling that many of her guesses were confirmed.

  But under Bernadette's cold gaze, she did not dare to delay, and spread the blood that was almost dried on her palm, and repeated Anne's honorific name in ancient Feysac. After

  the last note came out of her mouth, she immediately felt that her palm was a little hot, and her blood was quickly absorbed by the skin, showing the overlapping mark of the sword, shield, and scale in her palm.

  "Is that all?"

  She showed her palm to Bernadette and asked.

  "With the effect of blood and contract, she should be able to sense it even in the spirit world," the mysterious queen replied, "but how long will it take to get here, I..."

  Before she finished her words, a green phosphorescent light flashed outside the window.

  The two looked at the sea surface not far from the side of the "Future". The sea surface, which was originally illuminated by the moonlight and was crimson, was mixed with a lot of green.

  In the phosphorescent light, a huge three-masted sailing ship quickly took shape. It was pitch black, and the sails did not move in the wind. If it were not for the phosphorescent light around it that outlined its edge, it would be almost invisible in sight.

  It was the "Queen Anne's Revenge" that appeared directly from the spirit world!

  It seems that the rumors of the "Ghost Empire" in the past two months were indeed caused by her... Is another sea legend about to be shattered?

  Angel sighed and was about to ask how to get on board when she suddenly felt the tables and chairs around her become distorted, the lights on the wall turned into spots of light, and then a film like a soap bubble wrapped around her, "squeezed" through the window in an unscientific way, and quickly flew towards the ghost ship opposite.

  She turned her neck and found that Bernadette was also floating in a soap bubble, with a calm face, but a hint of excitement hidden in her eyes.   

  Soap bubbles, pea vines... Why do they look like the product of some fairy tales? Is this the characteristic of the path where the "Mysterious Queen" is located?

  Angel thought about it and found that many pirates behind him had noticed the ghost ship that suddenly appeared very close, and shouted to prepare for battle, but they seemed to have no reaction to the two soap bubbles.

  It seems that this mysterious queen usually relies on similar methods to move and hide herself on the "Future"?

  Soon, the two floated above the dark deck, and the bubble shattered with a "puff". Angel landed smoothly with the help of "lightness". The

  "Queen Anne's Revenge" flashed green phosphorescence again, and the figure quickly disappeared on the sea. In less than half a minute, the pirates on duty on the "Future" didn't even have time to load the first shell.

  At the hatch, Klein, who had changed into formal clothes and put on his hat again, walked to the deck, staring at the phosphorescent sea surface, wondering what he was thinking.

  ...

  In the spirit world outlined by rich colors and blocks of different sizes, this dark ghost ship was slowly floating.

  Anne, wearing a plain yellow dress and bare feet, was dressed exactly the same as the last time they met. She stood face to face with Bernadette, who was half a head taller than her and opened her mouth slightly, making the spirit world, which was already a little deserted, even quieter at this time without a single spirit creature.

  You... one is nearly two hundred years old, and the other is almost two thousand years old. What kind of feelings are brewing here... Angel felt that she was vaguely becoming a light bulb. She quietly took two steps back and moved away from the two ladies.

  She felt extremely embarrassed at this time, thinking that she had figured out the relationship between the two.

  "Anne, I didn't expect you were still here... I thought you had, already..."

  Bernadette was the first to speak. A trace of red appeared on her calm face, and her speech was a little intermittent.

  Anne's golden eyes also had an inexplicable look. She opened her arms and hugged this "old friend's daughter" tightly.

  Due to the height difference and the difference in temperament, Angel thought that this scene was a bit like a hug between mother and daughter.

  Of course, Anne was the daughter.

  It was dangerous to even think about such a thing, let alone say it out loud. So Angel immediately looked toward the spirit world in the distance and studied the color composition of the seven-color light in the sky to clear her mind.

  Fortunately, Anne didn't seem to want her to hear their private conversation. She waved her hand and built an invisible wall to separate the two sides. The sound of their conversation could not reach this side, and even the light over there was a little blurry.

  So, what is the meaning of my coming here... At this moment, Angel began to doubt the meaning of her own existence.

  She didn't dare to walk to the edge of the deck, fearing that she would accidentally fall into the depths of the spirit world, and she didn't want to enter the cabin without permission. She had to walk in the middle of the deck, waiting for the conversation to end. She kept looking around, but couldn't find any spirit world creatures.

  They wouldn't all be scared away by the "Queen Anne's Revenge"... Yes, a ghost ship equivalent to the Sequence 2 "Balancer" docked here, even if it didn't emit hostility, most people... No, most creatures would slip away.

  Glancing at the two blurry figures again, Angel yawned to express his dissatisfaction. He returned his sight to the outside and suddenly found a black dot between the color blocks in the distance.

  It kept getting bigger and soon became a black ball of fluff, quickly approaching the Queen Anne's Revenge.

  "Wait, Annie, that's my messenger!"

  Seeing the appearance of the fluff, Angel immediately shouted to prevent the ghost ship from bombarding friendly forces.

  "I can see the connection between you."

  Annie's somewhat lazy voice came from the other side of the invisible wall.

  Snap.

  The fluff fell on the deck, rolled and stopped in front of Angel, stretching her limbs, holding an envelope in her mouth. It was the messenger she contracted, Ms. Wensa.

  Could it be a letter from Klein? But I was away for less than ten minutes, and Wensa obviously came from afar... Angel was a little confused. She took the envelope and did not open it immediately. Instead, she asked:

  "Who sent the letter?"

  Only a few acquaintances such as Klein, Azik, Laura, and Elaine knew the ritual of summoning Wensa.

  But the black cat just shook its head and pointed a paw at the envelope in her hand, indicating that the answer to the question was in the letter. Then it immediately jumped up, left the black deck, and floated in the air.

  It twisted its limbs and quickly turned into a flannel ball like before, shooting itself out like a bullet, away from the ship.

  Compared with the first bird messenger who came to apply for the job, it still seemed a little slower, and why did it wrap itself up like a ball... After muttering a few words in his mind, Angel lowered his head to open the envelope, turned back to look at Anne and Bernadette, and saw that they didn't seem to mean to end, so he focused his eyes on the letter paper.

  The first sentence on the letter paper filled with content made her hands tremble, and she almost threw the letter away:

  "Angelica Sage, my name is Caterina Pelle."

  (End of this chapter)

   Chapter 539: The purpose of the immortal witch?

  Katarina!

  Angel immediately thought of the night on the "Black Death". After she and Klein sneaked into the flagship of "Vice Admiral of Disease", they almost killed the pirate admiral, but were easily subdued by his "mother", Katarina Pele, who became the "immortal" witch a thousand years ago.

  If Mr. Azik had not arrived in time, both of them would have died there without any chance of resistance.

  But now, this Sequence 3 witch sect leader would actually take the initiative to send a letter to her?

  Angel was not surprised that Katarina knew her identity. Even the Storm Church and the military were able to quickly determine that "Angelica Thatch" had nothing to do with the sinking of the "Black Death". If "Vice Admiral of Disease" didn't even know who the people who destroyed her two ships were, she didn't deserve the title of pirate admiral.

  But the most important thing is, why was the letter sent by her own messenger, Ms. Wensa?

  Several questions popped up in his mind instantly. Angel unfolded the letter completely and continued to read:

  "You must be wondering how I sent the letter to you through the black cat. Don't worry, your Elaine is fine, and the same is true for other people who know the summoning ceremony. I can only say that this is a coincidental encounter.

  "The important thing is that I still abide by the agreement between me and the Archon of Death and will not take the initiative to deal with you and your friends. I hope he can do the same. After all, our cooperation on the batch of death documents is quite pleasant.

  "But I want to warn you, even if I didn't take action, you have attracted the attention of the witch sect. I won't tell them extra information, but there are more than one witch demigods on the sea. Sooner or later, you will be exposed to their sight, and even be actively tempted and attacked. If you want to survive from them, you must be promoted as soon as possible."

  Seeing this, Angel temporarily looked away, thinking about the real intention behind Katarina's message and the hidden trap.

  At least, Angel would never believe what she said about "encountering the black cat Wensa". The messenger spends most of his time in the spirit world, and it is harmful for living beings to stay in the spirit world for a long time. It is almost impossible for the two to meet, unless...

  the black cat who was a witch in his lifetime is an old acquaintance of the "immortal" witch Katarina?

  "It seems that I have to find a chance to ask my messenger next time. Maybe it came to "apply" for the messenger for some purpose of its own."

  She murmured, looking at the direction where the messenger left, trying to find the black spot among the various bright colors, but undoubtedly failed.

  As for what Katarina said about abiding by the agreement, of course it means that Azik did not take the initiative to deal with "Vice Admiral of Disease" Tracy. After all, it can be learned from the adventurers and sailors that this pirate general recently changed a flagship and reappeared with her pirate group. It is said that she is still looking for the whereabouts of the people who attacked her. Her whereabouts are not a secret. For Azik who can travel through the spirit world, such a target is simply a target under the spotlight.

  "Could it be that Catalina Pele has other things to do recently and needs to leave the sea, so in order to prevent her daughter... no, son from being captured directly from the spirit world by Mr. Azik, she specifically used this letter to reiterate the agreement between the two parties? For this reason, she even mentioned Elaine and "my friend", using them as hostages to deter each other..."

  Of course, Angel couldn't confirm whether the other party dared to take action. After all, one side was the "Immortal" of Sequence 3, and the other side was the "Death Archon" of Sequence 2.

  There was also the tracking of the "Witch Cult"... Angel didn't have too many concerns about this. After all, she accompanied Klein to the sea mainly for him to digest the "Faceless Man" and be promoted to "Master of Secret Dolls". Now that both things have been completed, she can change her identity and leave here, leaving the Witch Cult nowhere to be found.

  But Catalina's attitude still caught her attention.

  "Could it be that the 'Witch Cult' is not a monolithic entity, and Catalina doesn't care much about me trying to attack Tracy and find clues to human trafficking?"

  Unable to confirm this, she continued to look at the lower half of the letter.

  "...Be careful of the Rose School. I think you already know that the 'Blood Admiral' is related to them, but their power is more than that. They are even as powerful as the 'Witch Sect' on the sea.

  "Finally, I'll give you a small gift: southeast of the Middle Range Island, there is a small island near the Pala Island. Some extraordinary creatures have appeared there recently, and it can provide a certain potion material for 'Despair'.

  "Also, no need to reply."

  Angel silently folded the letter into small cubes, burned it with black flames to "disinfect" it, and then put it away. Only then did he begin to digest the second half of the content.

  Behind the "Blood Admiral" stood the Rose School. This was the news she had learned from "Vice Admiral Iceberg" as early as when she entered the Five Seas. In the past few months, she had offended this secretive and evil sect more than once.

  For example, the second mate of the Blood Admiral, Maveti, who was hunting down Senior, and the conspiracy of the Rose School on Oravi Island to use the mistress of Admiral Amyrius, who seemed to want to recruit the Admiral, but was actually quietly contaminating Klein... This cult and the pirate generals they controlled probably hated Angelica Thatch and German Sparrow to the core...

  Catalina specifically mentioned this point, obviously for a special reason.

  "Could it be that the Blood Admiral and the Rose School behind him have plans to deal with me or Klein in the near future?"

  This made Angel a little worried. If it was just a pirate general, she, who had completely digested the "pain" potion, plus Klein who was promoted to Sequence 5, could be said to be able to take him down steadily, but with his huge team of subordinates and the cult behind him, that might not be the case.

  Especially since Catalina said that the power of the Rose School on the sea was no weaker than that of the Witch Cult, this meant that the other side must have a demigod, and Sequence 4 was still beyond their ability to deal with.

  "...Unless we bring in other forces to help, such as Mr. Azik, Anne and Bernadette."

  Angel looked behind him and found that the two were still talking behind the "curtain".   

  "Finally, there's the 'gift' that Katarina mentioned. She seemed certain that I had the formula for a Sequence 4 potion, so she directly provided a location for the 'potion materials'? Near Para Island, is it the location of another group of 'Gazers', or... the 'Black-Striped Shadow Giant Scorpion'?

  "Most importantly, is what she said true? As a high-ranking member of the Witch Cult, why did she provide me with this information?"

  She pondered the reason why the other party changed her attitude, and quickly locked onto the scene when they met on the "Black Death" and the other party asked to see the "Disaster" spell.

  "Did she sense the mysterious aura on the spell, or did she already know the source of this power? And concealing it from the Witch Cult, and even giving me some help, is it because she wants to exchange this power, or is it to show goodwill to someone behind me? "

  But behind me there is only Mr. Azik and the mysterious Mr. Fool. I don't know where this "disaster" power comes from...

  Angel chuckled, feeling ridiculous for the other party's caution and misjudgment.

  At this moment, Anne removed the invisible wall that divided the deck into two areas, and the last conversation between them was also transmitted to this side.

  "...I will continue to look for clues in this sea area and the Rorsted Islands, and you try to interpret his diary."

  Anne's golden eyes looked over here, making Angel guess that she deliberately let him hear this sentence.

  There is no doubt that the "he" who has an intersection with these two ladies can only be Emperor Roselle. What are they looking for? And why are they interpreting the emperor's diary?

  Angel's mind popped up a few more questions, but before he could think about it, Anne came forward and stepped on the deck with her bare feet.

  "Thank you, Contractor Angel Granger, I didn't expect you to help me find Bernadette so quickly. I thought it would be a long wait. After all, I have spent too much time waiting. "

  The Sequence 2 angel said softly with a smile on her face, completely lacking the aura and indifference of a High Sequence.

  Perhaps it had something to do with her reunion with Bernadette...

  "I have other things to do now, and I can't be with you for the time being. If you need some help as a reward beyond the requirements of the contract, you can ask for it now."

  Anne said, looking at Bernadette beside her, who nodded, indicating that the "other things" were related to her.

  Angel was delighted. The harvest

  that belonged to her on this trip to the "God War Ruins" had finally arrived. "First of all, the drop of blood you gave me last time has been consumed in the battle with the 'Rose School' and the 'Mother Tree of Desire'. Can you provide me with another drop for communication when necessary, and... for combat use. In addition, if I encounter some powerful enemies, could you please provide some more direct help? "

  Angel raised this point because of what Catalina said, 'Be careful of the Rose School.' If he could get another drop of the mythical creature's blood, it would be very beneficial in the battle with the possible demigod of the Rose School. And if he could get Anne's direct promise, he wouldn't have to worry about a demigod.

  Unexpectedly, Angel only made such a request, and Anne stretched out her slender right hand without hesitation. A drop of golden blood quickly precipitated from the tip of her index finger, which once again made Angel feel the fear and dizziness of looking at a terrifying object.

  "If you are about to fight a strong enemy, it is best to recite my name in advance to let me know, otherwise I may not arrive in time."

  Nodding, Angel carefully bottled and sealed the drop of "Anne's blood", and then cast his eyes on the "mysterious queen" Bernadette.

  "Ms. Bernadette, I want to know if there is a 'black-striped shadow giant scorpion' near Pala Island? "

  This can be regarded as a request for a "reward". I believe that with the other party's current mood, he will not refuse.

  And Angel's question was very clever. She did not mention that the clue was provided by Catalina, but directly asked whether the extraordinary creature existed here. If the answer was affirmative, it would also confirm that the "immortal" witch did not lie.

  The "mysterious queen" with long chestnut hair and trousers under her skirt chuckled and replied,

  "Didn't you already know it from the letter? Are you worried that a witch who can deliver the letter to you will deceive you?"

  That's exactly what I'm worried about! And how do you know I received the letter... Angel complained in his heart, feeling that he had no privacy on this ship.

  Seeing her uncertain face, Bernadette continued:

  "At least she did not deceive you about the clues about the potion materials, and that island..."

  "When I passed by Pala Island a month ago, I did feel some ominous atmosphere on a small island near it. "

  Anne, who was half a head shorter than the "Mysterious Queen" and looked a little weak, like a daughter standing beside her mother, took over the conversation.

  "The aura there is very similar to the 'Disaster' spell you used."

  (End of this chapter)

   Chapter 540: Falling from the sky,

  the breath of "disaster"?

  The first word that came to Angel's mind was "Bansi".

  She remembered the island where the "disaster" spell was found and the strange port, the foggy and windy night, the head without a body, and the body without a head.

  There was also the bloody cave on the top of the mountain, the "Storm Bishop" who used living people to perform sacrifices, and finally the rune that sent himself to Trier, thousands of miles away.

  According to Mr. Azik's subsequent investigation, all of this was undoubtedly related to the breath of "disaster".

  "It reminds you of 'Bansi Port', right?"

  As if she knew everything she was thinking, Bernadette's blue eyes looked at Angel.

  She guessed... but it was also easy to understand. The first time "Angelica Sage" appeared in the wanted list was because she killed a bishop of the Church of the Storm, and it was easy to investigate that this happened in Bansi. As a pirate king, Bernadette would most likely go to Bansi Harbor, which was razed to the ground by the Church of Storms, to investigate. With her high Sequence, which could even reach Sequence 3, it would not be difficult for her to smell the "disaster" contained there, just like Mr. Azik...

  Angel thought for a moment and nodded.

  "My ability to destroy half of the 'Black Tulip' came from there."

  She took the initiative to explain this matter in order to obtain the help of the knowledgeable "Mysterious Queen".

  "This power is different from any extraordinary ability I have seen, and it may even contain some kind of high-level 'authority'. In your current state, it is not a good thing to know too much... But at least that Katarina did not deceive you. Your opportunity for promotion is on that island."

  Bernadette did not continue to explain, but changed the subject and talked about the potion materials.

  "But how did you determine this?" Angel asked back.

  "The Sequence 3 name of the 'Secret Peeper' is 'Master of Prophecy'. You can understand it as, I can 'predict' to some extent, or 'peek into fate'."

  Sure enough, the 'Mysterious Queen' Bernadette has reached the level of Sequence 3. As a pirate king, this is a reasonable height... Are the other three kings, such as the 'Five Seas King' Nast and the 'Undying King' Agaritu, also Sequence 3? No wonder the laughter of the 'Death Announcement' almost made the entire 'Future' crew lose control...

  Angel nodded and stopped questioning.

  "Then, I'll take you to that island. It just so happens that we have to pass the Middle Range Island and return to the Misty Sea."

  Is it because the 'Dawn' of the 'Mysterious Queen' is over there? Angel looked at Bernadette and saw that she didn't say anything else, so he agreed to this arrangement.

  She had already digested the 'Pain' potion at this time. If she could get the Sequence 4 potion as soon as possible, it would undoubtedly be more helpful for the next promotion.

  After all, the promotion ceremony of "despair" requires a demigod to take a magic potion in despair. The sooner the materials are collected, the sooner the corresponding preparations can be made for this difficult ceremony.

  ...

  In the sky above Sona Island, about four hours away from the medium-distance island, wisps of green phosphorescence suddenly appeared in the thick clouds.

  They expanded silently and soon formed a ship shape that was narrow at the bottom and wide at the top, about 100 meters long. Then, a three-masted sailing ship with a black body and high sails appeared in the phosphorescence, illuminated by the crimson moon above the clouds, as if floating in the clouds.

  But the next second, it began to follow the laws of the real world, pulled by gravity, and began to fall slowly.

  Angel on the deck just felt the creeping color block in the spirit world fade away, and the clear night sky appeared in his field of vision, and he found that his feet were about to take off, and the heart in his chest seemed to float up.

  No, it was really floating. This "Queen Anne's Revenge" was free falling thousands of meters above the sky!

  As soon as she understood the current situation, she looked at Anne beside her, wondering if the actual controller of the ghost ship was too happy to recognize Roselle's daughter and made a mistake in the altitude of his appearance.

  "We are now on Sona Island, which is directly above your destination. Isn't it more convenient to go directly here instead of sending you to the shore?"

  No, I don't need this convenience... Angel's mouth twitched, and he walked carefully to the edge of the deck. He soon felt that the strong wind blowing over the edge was gradually increasing, which meant that the speed of the ship's descent was getting faster and faster.

  Swish -

  the surrounding night sky suddenly turned gray, and Angel felt that the air he inhaled became humid.

  "We'll be on the ground soon after passing through the clouds," Anne still stood there, as if it wasn't her and her ship that were falling to the ground, but a cotton ball. "I'll disappear into the spirit world at a height of 100 meters, and you can land yourself using 'lightness'." It

  didn't sound like a reliable plan...

  Angel tried to look down, but the strong wind made it almost impossible for her to open her eyes. She had to return to the center of the deck with difficulty in a semi-weightless state, only to find Bernadette walking towards her with a bunch of light golden hair in her hand.

  "Keep this, maybe it will be useful later."

  She said, handing the hair to Angel.

  You have chestnut hair, Anne has black hair, this hair can't be mine, but when did you take so much of my hair... Angel took the hair and took a look, feeling more and more familiar, but facing a Sequence 3 Beyonder, she didn't dare to say much, so she could only put it in her pocket first.

  "This is also from the 'Prophet Master'..."

  Before she finished her words, her eyes lit up, and green phosphorescence flashed.

  The Queen Anne's Revenge and Bernadette had already disappeared into the night sky. The turbulence caused by the disappearance of the huge ship blew Angel, who was still falling, left and right.

  "..."   

  After swallowing the words she hadn't finished, she immediately entered the "lightness" state, and her downward trend slowed down. Then she looked down and found that the dark ground was close at hand.

  Fortunately, "lightness" did not mean slowing down, but made her body extremely light, so light that it could be blown up by a gust of wind. With the help of invisible silk threads, Angel reduced her speed to an acceptable level before landing, landed on her feet, and stood firmly on the grass, avoiding the fate of being smashed into pieces of the magic mirror.

  "If a Sequence 5 took another path, would he fall to death in this situation?"

  Angel muttered, thinking back to all the paths she had seen, and suddenly realized that everyone seemed to have a way to avoid this possibility.

  "Maybe the craftsman will die here, but they may be able to take out a lot of magical items to solve the problem."

  Shaking her head, she stopped worrying about this problem. She looked around and found that the landing point was a not-so-wide grassland surrounded by low shrubs. There were scattered buildings in the distance, which looked like a village.

  Retracting her gaze and taking out the magic mirror, Angel decided to do a divination first.

  "Mirror, mirror, tell me, where is the abnormal situation on this island?"

  She did not ask directly, "The location of the black-striped shadow giant scorpion," which might not get an answer, but asked in general terms.

  Having just returned to reality from the spirit world above Sona Island, and having received relevant information from Catalina and Annie, the chances of success are greater.

  Sure enough, after a brief period of gray fog, the magic mirror showed a bird's-eye view, from which sparse low houses, winding country roads, and surrounding plantations could be seen.

  Just when Angel thought that the divination would continue to point to a more specific location, the picture was interrupted.

  "There is interference, but it is not strong... Maybe I don't have enough information?"

  She frowned and put away the magic mirror, looking at the scattered buildings not far away.

  That was the village in the divination.

  "Take advantage of the night to go into the village and perform dream divination or directly use the 'sleeping' spell... But be careful of the presence of official Beyonders."

  Angel quickly decided on a strategy, left the grass where she landed, bypassed a bush, and soon came to the vicinity of those buildings.

  But the initial exploration results surprised her.

  The plantation seemed to have been neglected for a long time, the crops lacked nutrition, and the ground was overgrown with weeds; the buildings seen in the distance were all warehouses attached to the park, and the fruits waiting to be shipped out had already rotted, and one could even smell a hint of fermented wine.

  Idle mills, smelly breweries, and empty houses... Angel walked past one building after another and quickly toured the small village, but did not find any living people. There

  were not even corpses.

  "Abandoned plantations and villages, missing residents... How come this place is even weirder than Bansi Port?"

  Angel muttered, found a house, broke into it directly, walked past the dining table with smelly food, came to the bedroom, picked out a piece of clothing, and used the magic mirror to divine again, and found the owner of the clothing.

  It was a piece of land with large traces of digging.

  Looking at the soft soil and the shovels and other tools used around, Angel didn't have to think too much, and he could guess that the "owner" of the clothing was buried underground at the moment.

  "Could it be that a supernatural event similar to that in Bansi Harbor occurred here, with some villagers killed and some fleeing, and the official Beyonders cleaned up and buried the bodies and abandoned the village?"

  Angel hesitated, and walked around the soft land for a few times, and soon found some evidence such as bloodstains and bullet shells, which confirmed her thoughts.

  Because she was worried about digging out monsters such as "flying heads" and "headless zombies", she did not try to dig up the bodies, but searched the small village again, looking for more clues and the "starting point" of the incident.

  Since Catalina, Bernadette, and even Anne confirmed that there was something strange here, she chose to believe it.

  ...

  Soon, Angel made a new discovery while searching the abandoned houses one by one. She found a hidden basement under the mill that was spinning with the wind but was extremely quiet inside.

  The entrance here had been deliberately blown down. Judging from the traces of lightning burns around it, it was probably caused by the spells used by the "Manufactured Punishers". However, the collapsed passage was like a smooth road in front of Angel, who had the combination of "Black Flame" and "Flame Jump". She quickly passed through the blockage of rubble and came to the secret room deep in the basement.

  The sound of mechanical creaking echoed in the dark secret room. The power from the windmill in the mill above was transmitted here, driving a crudely made device that operated like a flour mill, but the outlet was not the light yellow of flour, but dark red blood.

  Although the surroundings of the secret room had been simply cleaned, bursts of rotten and bloody smells could still be smelled. Obviously, before being cleaned by the "Manufactured Punishers", this place was a bloody sacrificial site like the cave on the top of the mountain outside Bansy Port, and even incorporated some "modern technology" to create a meat grinder.

  Sighing secretly, Angel looked at the ground in the center of the cleaned secret room, and indeed found a series of not very obvious traces in it. After a simple piecemeal, she quickly confirmed that this was a set of spells that originated from Bansy Harbor, but were slightly different.

  "So... if I drop my blood on it now, it is very likely that I will go to the underground tombs of Trier or another strange place through the ritual just like in Bansy Harbor?"

  After confirming this possibility, Angel did not try it rashly, but returned to the ground first, looking at the crimson moon covered by dark clouds above her head, and whispered the honorific name of Mr. Fool.

  (End of this chapter)