Chapter 81 Engagement
After leaving the Evil Dragon Bar, Triss walked through a small alley with a cold expression.
After turning a few corners, she slowly took a breath, finally turned around, and a sweet smile rippled across her face:
"Sir, following a lady constantly is not exactly a gentlemanly act, is it?"
Slow footsteps came from not far away. Nimrod was wearing a cheap suit, and his face was covered by a pure white mask.
He reached out, his silver blade grazing the wall, and using the debris piled on the ground, he created layers of sealed "Wall of Spirituality."
Seeing this, Triss's gaze visibly darkened. She placed her right hand under her skirt, seemingly gripping something hard.
A faint gray mist dissipated on the "Wall of Spirituality" and then completely merged into it, as if it had never appeared. Nimrod, wearing the pure white mask, chuckled:
"Unfortunately, I don't consider you a lady. Don't you agree, Mr. 'Witch'?"
Triss's breathing suddenly became heavy, and she said through gritted teeth:
"Who on earth are you!"
The moment she spoke, her body lunged toward Nimrod like an arrow released from a string, a cold light flashing in her hand as she aimed straight for Nimrod's throat.
However, Nimrod's reaction was equally lightning-fast—the "Cryptologist" Pathway is one with extremely strong mental capabilities. Generally, the situations where one cannot dodge are when the brain reacts, but the body fails to keep up.
After all, "Cryptologist" does not possess the "Clown" Sequence like the "Magician" Pathway, which focuses on physical enhancement.
But after gaining the power of the "Dancer," this shortcoming had been compensated for.
Although not comparable to those Sequences known for physical fitness, the "Dancer" could rely on the flexibility of its body to dodge the vast majority of non-saturated attacks.
After bending his torso to the left to dodge the dagger in Triss's hand, Nimrod lifted his right leg in the direction of his force and slammed it into her abdomen. Then, his whole body twisted sharply in the air like a rag, and with his left hand, which had been below, he slapped Triss's wrist, causing the dagger in her hand to be knocked away involuntarily.
What on earth is this perverted masked man's Pathway? His reaction is faster than me, a "Witch"?
A hint of ruthlessness flashed in Triss's eyes. She thrust her right hand forward, instantly unleashing all the power in her body—after becoming a "Witch," the full-strength burst of an "Assassin" had become much stronger, even capable of directly piercing the bodies of mid-Sequence Beyonders with average physical fitness and taking their lives!
However, Triss did not feel the sensation of her palm penetrating flesh. She suddenly felt an intense wave of dizziness, and then she saw the figure of this perverted masked man shatter like a bubble in water.
That was... fake? Triss found it hard to believe for a moment, because having unleashed all the power in her entire body, she was unable to attack again in a short period.
But I still have the cursed black flames...!
Just as Triss wanted to use the black flames belonging to a "Witch" to "curse" Nimrod, she felt the temperature of a branding iron at her neck, leaving a scorching mark on her throat.
The next moment, she felt an abnormal heat, a tangible heat, spreading throughout her entire body!
"If I were you, I wouldn't act rashly."
Nimrod's voice came from behind Triss:
"Or are you saying you want to test whether your neck or this sun scythe is harder?"
Feeling the searing pain on her neck, Triss ultimately chose to compromise. She slightly raised her hands and instinctively spoke in a soft tone:
"Fine, what do you want to... do?"
After saying this, Triss wanted to slap herself. She had always thought of herself as a man—how could she instinctively speak to someone in such a fawning tone?!
"It seems you haven't been a 'Witch' for long? You look like you're not very accustomed to it."
Nimrod noticed Triss's somewhat twisted expression. While pinning her shoulder with his hand, he said:
"Don't be nervous. I am not an official Beyonder, and I am not your enemy."
"However, your appearance reminds me of a 'wanted poster' that my subordinate submitted to me earlier, for the 'Instigator' Triss."
He paused, his voice like a Demon from hell:
"If I remember correctly, 'Instigator' is the Sequence preceding 'Witch'..."
Having said this, Nimrod felt Triss, who was already struggling to endure the abnormal heat due to the negative effect of the "sun scythe," with large patches of water stains quickly spreading on her clothes, whispered:
"Are you willing to communicate with me properly now? If you are, just nod."
Triss nodded quickly—no one is willing to expose their most vulnerable part to a sharp blade, not to mention that the temperature coming from the blade made it truly unbearable for her.
Triss even suspected that this was one of the negative effects of this Beyonder weapon. Because she was in "intimate" contact with it, the negative effect had also spread to her body.
After Triss finished this action, Nimrod loosened the scythe and pushed her forward, causing her to stumble a few steps.
Upon feeling the heat on her body vanish instantly, patches of frost immediately appeared on Triss's fingertips. These frost patches rapidly spread to all parts of her body, completely dissipating the heat that had accumulated just moments ago.
After finishing all this, Triss retreated a few steps vigilantly, then couldn't help but gasp for air. She slightly lowered her stance and spoke to Nimrod:
"What exactly did you follow me for?"
Nimrod did not answer Triss's question. A trembling sound came from beneath his mask:
"I think we need to get to know each other first; that is the social etiquette a qualified Loen gentleman should have."
Although Triss was still quite wary of the Nimrod before her, she subconsciously felt somewhat gratified that this masked man addressed her as "Sir." After a few seconds, Triss chose to compromise:
"Haven't you already found out who I am? You've investigated quite a bit of information about me, haven't you... My name is Triss; this is the name those people gave me after I became a 'Witch'."
"Actually, I didn't specifically investigate you; I just happened to learn some information related to you, and today I just happened to run into you."
Nimrod smiled and said:
"—As for how to address me? You can call me 'Mr. L'."
Problematic ad?Report it here
You can disable popup ads by becoming a contributor. Become a contributor
#82We two are really amazing.
Chapter 82: We Are Both Truly Impressive
"Mr. L?"
When Triss heard this name, she was visibly stunned for a moment, but it only took a short time for her to recall what this format of address represented:
"Mr. L of the 'Aurora Order'?"
"That's right, 'Ms.' Triss." Nimrod enunciated the word "Ms." heavily:
"My subordinates told me that you are not the kind of newly promoted Witch loyal to the Demoness Sect, so perhaps you might have some other options?"
"Other options?" Triss scoffed, though her tone held slightly less vigilance:
"How do you know I am not loyal to the 'Demoness Sect'?"
"In that case, did I misjudge you?" Nimrod asked unhurriedly:
"Since you are loyal to the Demoness Sect, it seems there are no lambs here that we need to save. I hope you will be satisfied with the various partners the Demoness Sect arranges for you in the future. Goodbye, Ms. Triss."
Upon hearing "various partners," Triss's expression changed abruptly.
Even without using her brain to think, she could guess what kind of things the partners arranged by the Demoness Sect would be—they would absolutely not be the pretty girls she liked!
If the Demoness Sect truly had good intentions, they wouldn't have failed to tell her at the beginning that choosing the "Assassin" Pathway would result in becoming female!
Within the few seconds her brain was in a state of chaos, Nimrod's figure had already walked a few steps away.
Triss's expression was quite ugly, but she still felt that Nimrod leaving now was just a tactic of retreating to advance—she didn't believe a Beyonder who had followed her for so long would really leave just like that.
The sound of Nimrod's footsteps was already far away.
"...Are you really not planning to come back?"
Triss felt a bit of scalp numbness for a moment; she really couldn't ignore the news she had heard earlier. In just a few short seconds, she erupted with the speed of an "Assassin" and caught up to Nimrod, who had already turned a corner.
She tried her best to lower her voice: "You, what did you mean by your words just now?"
"You don't know?" Nimrod displayed a hint of confusion at the right moment and slowly stopped his footsteps:
"As fellow secret organizations, do you really think the Demoness Sect would provide you with potions for free? Of course, you need to sacrifice everything for the Demoness Sect... Then guess, how could a beautiful lady, a lady loyal to the sect who can concurrently act as an 'Assassin,' maximize the value of this 'Witch' potion?"
"In this world, 'nobles' who control money and resources are, to a certain extent, equivalent to Beyonders. There is no secret organization that wouldn't hope to obtain more convenient support."
"Then, for a noble without Beyonder powers, what kind of person can best make them lower their guard, and what kind of person can be used to control them?"
Triss's expression clearly became somewhat uncertain, her chest heaving:
"Are you here to seek cooperation with me?"
Just thinking about the disposition of those nobles in her impression made Triss's scalp tingle—it was true that when she was still male, she liked those beautiful ladies, but that didn't mean she wanted to be the one pinned to the bed!
She guessed that this "Mr. L" had come to intentionally tell her this information because he discovered she was not loyal to the Demoness Sect and hoped to obtain a Sequence 7 "Assassin."
"Cooperation? Why would you think that?"
However, Triss heard the "confused" voice of Mr. L in front of her: "Herding all living beings for the Lord is our duty."
Triss instantly felt the difference in thinking between herself and Mr. L, and for a moment, she found it hard to understand the mindset of these fanatics.
But on second thought, Triss realized that if the members of the Aurora Order had normal brains, they wouldn't be announcing their responsibility for various terrorist incidents in the newspapers of various countries every day.
However, Triss suppressed the irritability in her heart and spoke to Mr. L in front of her:
"Then according to your thoughts, what should I do? It's very difficult, very difficult for me to accept..."
Triss ultimately did not say the vulgar words that followed, but Nimrod clearly saw Triss's embarrassment, and he smiled and hinted to Triss:
"Perhaps, you need a new faith."
As he spoke, he took out an inverted cross-shaped wooden pendant from his chest and displayed it to Triss.
Faith? Make me believe in the "True Creator"? It wouldn't take long for me to become a Lunatic just like you... Triss's eyebrow twitched uncontrollably, and she managed to force a somewhat distorted smile on her face:
"Unfortunately, I have never believed in deities. If a deity had really helped me, then it would be unlikely that I would have been chosen by the 'Theosophy Order'."
"...Is that so." To Triss's surprise, Mr. L had a good temper.
He just nodded gently, but still maintained the action of handing over the cross pendant:
"That is indeed us not doing well enough, Ms. Triss. But perhaps you could try accepting the symbol of the Lord and starting a new life."
Do you think I dare to accept a pendant related to the deity you worship? Triss looked at Nimrod, feeling both angry and amused, her gaze still filled with no small amount of vigilance:
"Sorry, I don't need it for now, but thank you for the reminder. I will pay attention to the Demoness Sect... If I have any needs later, I will contact you."
As Triss spoke, she slowly retreated. According to her understanding of the fanatics of the "True Creator," she guessed that after she had rejected his two requests, the attitude of this Aurora Order divine messenger in front of her might suddenly change, or even lead to a direct attack on her.
However, Triss did not wait for an attack from Mr. L; she only saw Mr. L in front of her nod slowly and put away the pendant in his hand:
"I understand."
"If you have the thought of changing your faith later, you can go to any stronghold of the Aurora Order and tell them my codename, and I will be able to know about your situation."
No intention to attack me... Triss disappeared step by step from Nimrod's sight, going deep into the alley.
After her footsteps stopped completely, Nimrod shook his head and said to the Celestial Worthy beside his ear:
"How is it? Have you marked her?"
[Do you not have enough confidence in me? That is a given.] The whisper of the Celestial Worthy sounded in Nimrod's ear: [However, what do you intend to do with this vessel?]
"She is the vessel of the 'Primordial Demoness,' and the 'Primordial Demoness' is the 'female aspect of the Primordial God Almighty'."
The Celestial Worthy understood Nimrod's thoughts immediately:
[You want to use her to create a cage to corrupt 'God Almighty'?]
[A very good idea. It seems you have already learned without a teacher even though I haven't taught you'Symbolism'.]
[Keep it up. I look forward to the day we both shatter God Almighty.]
Problematic ad?Report it here
You can disable popup ads by becoming a contributor. Become a contributor
#83Underground Sanctuary
Klein gripped his revolver and cane, panting heavily.
After receiving the hint from Nimrod, Klein conducted a series of investigations and divinations, finally pinpointing the location of "Cyril Arripis."
"This is too coincidental, isn't it? This is definitely not a simple coincidence..." Klein muttered, beginning to rummage through Cyril's pockets.
Coincidences. Klein had seen countless coincidences over this period, and now he felt a deep loathing for Ince Zangwill, who wanted to destroy his peaceful life.
He prepared to organize the events of the entire afternoon and submit them to the Captain later, to see if he could drag Ince Zangwill out of Tingen City before he could manufacture any more coincidences!
...
"Adam..."
Dressed in formal attire, Nimrod walked through the underground church of the Aurora Order, strolling alongside Mr. Z amidst the many Believers who were praying devoutly. A faint, ethereal whisper reached his ears.
Although it was called an "underground church," the area was not very large. It was equivalent to a basement that extended a bit further underground, only slightly larger than a normal basement.
However, despite its small size, it was fully equipped. On one wall of the Aurora Order's underground church, fragments of colored glass were embedded to form a massive statue of a deity hanging upside down on a cross, resembling the stained glass windows of a church.
Lit candles burned quietly under the gaze of the statue, emitting a divine and holy radiance upon the meticulously designed altar. But heavy shadows cast down from the pitch-black dome imbued the statue of the True Creator with an eerie sanctity.
Just then, upon suddenly hearing the whisper in his ear, the shadow in front of Nimrod twisted rapidly, transforming into an elongated cross.
Seeing this, Mr. Z immediately stopped and spoke slowly to Nimrod at his side:
"Mr. L?"
"I need to leave for a moment." After a brief pause, Nimrod lifted his feet and walked in another direction: "I just heard the voice of the lord, and I need to handle some matters—you continue with this Mass."
Mr. Z nodded without complaint, continuing to patrol the church while gently interpreting the contents of the scripture for some Believers who appeared confused.
Nimrod walked down the stairs beside the underground church step by step. At the end of the stairs, two "Secrets Supplicant" were waiting faithfully.
This was a cell built within the Aurora Order's stronghold in Tingen City.
In such a place, compared to "Secrets Supplicant," "Listener" were more prone to losing control, so Nimrod had not arranged for any higher-Sequence "Listener" to guard this area.
"...Mr. L." A "Secrets Supplicant" lowered his head and said to Nimrod: "They are very quiet. We have starved that fraud who blasphemed the lord for a long time; now he has no strength to resist, nor the strength to commit suicide."
"Mr. Hannas Vincent is also being protected here. He is in good condition and has been repenting for his sins to the lord during this time."
Nimrod listened quietly to the "Secrets Supplicant"'s report and said to him in a calm tone: "Very good, I understand. Take Hannas Vincent to Mr. Z, and let Mr. Z listen to his confession."
"Next, continue to guard this place. I will bring the final Judgement to the blasphemer who insulted the lord."
As a Diviner, Hannas Vincent's reputation was ruined. After the Church of the Night posted a wanted notice, he certainly could not act under this identity anymore.
However, considering the personal abilities he had displayed, Nimrod intended to let Hannas Vincent change his appearance and live elsewhere later.
After all, there were not many people in the Aurora Order who could communicate with the upper-middle class and make a name for themselves, and Hannas Vincent was certainly one of them.
"Understood, Mr. L." The "Secrets Supplicant" replied in a low voice, taking out a lantern from the side: "You might need this."
After instructing them on these matters, Nimrod took the lantern handed to him by the "Secrets Supplicant" and walked through the opened cell corridor. After passing two or three newly made cell doors, he took a key from his pocket and pushed open a door to a room that was in complete Darkness.
The not-so-bright light slowly dispelled the Darkness here, allowing the scene in the room to be reflected in Nimrod's eyes.
In this room, there was an old wooden table. Beside the table stood a piece of wood about as tall as a person. A shorter piece of wood was tied horizontally to the top of it, and Lanevus was tied to it.
At this moment, Lanevus no longer looked like his former self. He hung his head, and there were many wounds on his body—these wounds had received somewhat rough treatment. It seemed Mr. Z had used the ability of a "Rose Bishop" to seal the wounds on his body, fearing that he might die on the spot from excessive blood loss.
Lanevus's mouth was also tightly gagged, making it difficult for him to speak words used for bewitchment, completely ruling out any low-probability events that Ince Zangwill could arrange.
However, upon seeing the candlelight, Lanevus's originally somewhat unfocused pupils slowly contracted. His throat moved, as if he wanted to struggle once more to survive.
However, Nimrod ignored Lanevus's thoughts. He stepped on the somewhat slippery ground, standing there expressionless. He took out an ever-prepared ceremonial candle from the gray fog and ignited the wick with his spirituality.
He dragged the small wooden table over, placed the ceremonial candle steadily on it, and finally took the True Creator's divinity talisman from his pocket, placing this divinity talisman in the position representing the deity.
After finishing all this, he spoke as if talking to himself:
"True Creator, I have come to fulfill my promise."
"Do you remember? You kept a bit of your divinity on him—I will use 'Sefirah Castle' to perform a ritual to extract the divinity you separated through the ritual."
"The extracted divinity also possesses your traits and spirit, as well as those of God Almighty, but the will of God Almighty within it will be much weaker. With enough anchors and a certain amount of power from 'Sefirah Castle,' it will be enough to restore this bit of spirit you split off. When I recover to a certain Sequence, I can use this symbol of spirit to begin reversing the process and clear out the will of God Almighty within you."
"This is a simple 'fraud,' heh, it is enough to deal with the 'Primordial God Almighty'."
Chapter 84: shadow lantern
Lanevus's consciousness was a bit blurry. He heard Nimrod speaking directly to the True Creator in Hermes Language, uttering words he couldn't comprehend, and felt that something terrible was happening, but he was powerless to resist, only able to let out helpless whimpers.
"—Very good, I'm glad the bit of divinity you left here can understand what I'm saying."
After receiving a response from the True Creator, Nimrod nodded and took out the True Creator's divine charm from his In my arms:
"Next, I will use this charm as a cornerstone to strip the divinity from his body. This requires your cooperation."
Nimrod scanned the surroundings and placed the lantern in his hand on the table in front of him.
"As for the vessel... let's use this lantern."
Under Lanevus's extremely terrified gaze, he took out various Beyonder materials from above the gray fog and set up an incredibly complex ritual on the makeshift wooden table.
No one could have imagined that a ritual to strip the True Creator's divinity would quietly take place underground in Tingen City at such an unnoticed time, with the only witnesses being the saint performing the ritual and the lamb awaiting sacrifice.
This ritual was taught to Nimrod by the Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings, and Nimrod also used his own methods to confirm that the ritual did not contain any hidden effects that the Celestial Worthy might have concealed to help himself escape.
"...The Lord who created all, the Ruler behind the shadow curtain, the fallen self-nature of all living beings."
Lengthy prayers and incantations flowed from Nimrod's mouth, and even the Wall of Spirituality, sealed by the power of Sefirah Castle, rippled repeatedly.
As 'Chinese' had lost its Inheritance and records in this world, Nimrod used ancient Hermes Language, which could directly communicate with natural forces.
When the last line of the incantation fell, and the True Creator's honorific name was chanted at the end of the prayer, gazes hidden behind eternal Darkness pierced through the shadows and fell upon Lanevus.
Lanevus let out a tragic cry, blood continuously seeped from the pores on his body, and signs of decay and distortion quickly appeared on him.
In his remaining consciousness, he could only see the Devil performing the ritual raising the lantern, walking around the table laden with ritual materials, and slowly shaking the lantern in his hand.
Specks of black shadow were stripped from Lanevus's body and gathered towards the lantern, gradually dyeing the constantly flickering light completely black.
After the firelight was completely stained with shadow-like Darkness, the surroundings seemed to reflect inverse colors; the closer to the flame, the darker it became.
After the True Creator's divinity was completely stripped from Lanevus's body, his body had become somewhat gruesome. Traces of decay and distortion covered him, making him look like a corpse that had been dead for many days.
But even though his body had turned into this state, Lanevus's chest was still slowly and faintly rising and falling.
He was still alive.
A fate worse than death—this was the consequence of being involved in evil god worship.
Nimrod said no more, simply reaching out to retrieve the sun scythe from above the gray fog.
As he swung his arm, the sharp blade of the scythe seemed to be stained with a dazzling, brilliant white, and the blade, accompanied by scorching white light, instantly cut into Lanevus's skull. As the white light flowed downwards like butter, only a charred mark remained on the wooden cross.
Lanevus, contaminated by the True Creator, who symbolized 'Degradation,' was precisely the evil object that needed to be purified.
As for whether Lanevus's crime warranted death... Apologies, he wouldn't consider whether a scammer who embezzled tens of thousands of pounds in a single fraudulent activity was innocent, and Nimrod didn't believe that this rather talented scammer had only committed this one fraud.
Nimrod retracted the scythe, and after throwing it back above the gray fog, he picked up the lantern and slowly examined it.
"Ally, how do you feel now?"
Nimrod cordially greeted the True Creator in the tone appropriate for a Sefirah Castle that had gained sentience.
But perhaps stripping the divinity he had descended upon Lanevus through the ritual consumed a great deal of power from the charm, as Nimrod waited for a long time, and the True Creator's murmurs did not descend again.
Nimrod, not receiving a reply from the True Creator, shook his head regretfully, slowly put away the lantern imbued with the True Creator's divinity, and carefully tossed it back into Sefirah Castle for the True Creator to recuperate.
Although he wasn't a Seer and couldn't precisely divine the function of this lantern as a Beyonder item through Sefirah Castle, the presence of the True Creator's divinity within it was enough to make this lantern a key item in certain rituals... In a house with a red chimney, Ince Zangwill's single eye held a gloomy gaze as he looked at the words continuously written by "0-08" on the notebook in front of him, his mood plummeting to rock bottom:
"Under the cruel torture of the Aurora Order, what good end could a blasphemer who desecrated the True... (this text overflowed with black ink) possibly have?"
"Oh, our poor Lanevus died in the gloomy, dark underground, it seems he can no longer be used by Ince Zangwill; now Ince Zangwill might have one more option—who knows where Megoos, who is pregnant with the divine child, is? Haha."
Seeing a graceful "Haha" at the end of this text, Ince Zangwill felt a surge of anger rush to his head, and his face, which had been pale from being watched by a deity, suddenly turned crimson.
He violently clenched the quill that was still trying to spring up to write the next paragraph, the immense force even causing his pinky fingernail to embed into his palm, dripping with trickling blood:
"Don't you want to escape, '0-08'?"
"I'll satisfy you! I'll write what you say!"
He quickly wrote in the notebook in front of him, pouring out the curses in his heart all at once. Even as his spirituality rapidly depleted during the writing, Ince Zangwill felt a sense of exhilaration.
"…"
"The True Creator's divine child felt the death of its bloodline father and drove its mother to wander outside, seeking clues to its father."
"—Under the divine child's revelation, that hateful newly promoted Nighthawk will surely pay the price!"
Problematic ad?Report it here
You can disable popup ads by becoming a contributor. Become a contributor
#85Dogs, audience
Chapter 85: Dog, Spectator
Klein rubbed his forehead, inexplicably having a very bad premonition. He immediately realized that this was his spiritual intuition warning him.
Could Ince Zangwill be planning to unleash all the accumulated coincidences at once? Klein muttered to himself, feeling a bit uncertain.
Just two days ago, he had compiled a report on matters related to coincidences and handed it to Captain Dunn and Ms. Daly, hoping they could discern some important information.
Klein knew that Captain and the others didn't have protection against "0-08," but if he didn't do so and investigated secretly by himself, it would only be like boiling a frog in warm water, especially after confirming that Ince Zangwill might make his move within these two weeks!
He had originally thought about sending a messenger to ask Nimrod, but remembering that the Tarot Club meeting was approaching, Klein suppressed this idea.
Because Nimrod's letter mentioned Azik's surname, Klein had been concerned about Azik's situation. So, taking advantage of his day off this morning, Klein simply visited Mr. Azik again and learned about his "amnesia."
Unexpectedly, Mr. Azik is also a Beyonder, and he also fears danger and death... Klein chuckled self-deprecatingly, taking to heart the matter of helping Mr. Azik investigate his origins and putting it on his agenda.
Before three o'clock in the afternoon, Klein entered Sefirah Castle ahead of time, skillfully pulling Nimrod from the real world.
"Good afternoon." Nimrod nodded to Klein. "You look well."
My face is shrouded in gray fog, how can you tell I look well? Secretly grumbling in his heart, Klein also nodded politely and replied seriously:
"Yes, this week I haven't encountered anything that would bother me, and it really hasn't been as busy as the past two weeks—it's like everything has fallen into place, and I'm getting used to the Nighthawks' life."
"How do you find the Nighthawks' life?" Nimrod sat in his seat. "Of course, I just asked casually. I can tell you're quite satisfied with your current situation."
"At least my life is getting better and better, unlike when I first came here and was just an ordinary person dragged into the Beyonder world." Klein paused after a brief sigh:
"Oh, right, I might not be far from becoming a Clown. Thank you for the information; Captain and Ms. Daly found the potion formula for the subsequent Sequence of Seer on Cyril."
"Congratulations, no need for thanks, just remember to treat me to a meal."
Nimrod said without changing his expression, but when his gaze flickered to the Celestial Worthy phantom beside him, associating it with the word "Clown," his lips almost failed to keep from twitching.
Talking about money hurts feelings too much! But Nimrod treated me the last two times, so I really should treat him next time... I wonder if he drinks... Or should I just invite him to eat at my place? Hiss, would Captain think I'm interacting with him too much? Alas, even though I know these are necessary safety measures, it still feels a bit restrictive... Klein pursed his lips, forcefully reining in his somewhat scattered thoughts. He noticed Nimrod's expression was a bit twisted, as if he was suppressing a laugh, and lightly coughed:
"Of course, you pick the restaurant then?"
"The Tarot Club is about to start, we'll talk later."
With that, Klein successively tapped the crimson stars representing Justice Audrey and Hanged Man Alger with his fingers, pulling them onto the gray fog.
As the crimson light appeared, Nimrod's eyes also deepened, and he began to wait for the arrival of the two.
At this stage, the Tarot Club wasn't of much help to him; the greatest help came from the wealthy Audrey, who provided the means to connect with Fors, Mr. Door's good student, and substantial financial support.
Of course, considering that he would inevitably go to Backlund later, he also needed to leave a good impression on these two Tarot Club "veterans."
At the very least, not the image of a perverted serial killer like Mr. A... Nimrod quietly grumbled about his colleague in his heart.
As Nimrod was thinking, two familiar figures suddenly appeared in the two seats beside him. He had originally intended to wait for Miss Justice to greet Mr. The Fool, but he saw Justice sitting motionless across from him.
What's wrong? Just as Nimrod was puzzled, Justice across from him suddenly sat up straight and spoke to him in a somewhat strange tone:
"Respected Mr. The Fool, Hanged Man of the Church of Storms, and Lovers of the Aurora Order, I have a question I'd like to ask you."
Audrey at this moment had no idea how rare it was for the affiliations of the two people she just mentioned, other than The Fool, to be listed side-by-side like that. She had clearly begun her brainstorming:
"What can a pet, a pet with Beyonder powers, do to help its owner?"
"Or simply put, what is its purpose?"
The air in the Tarot Club froze for a few seconds. Even Nimrod, who had long expected Audrey to feed her dog a Spectator potion, fell silent. And Mr. The Fool was wondering why Loen words could be arranged in such a combination.
Finally, Hanged Man Alger broke the long silence and answered:
"It depends on what kind of Beyonder abilities that pet has. For example, if it's a Spectator, then it would be more suitable for eavesdropping on information..."
After Alger's voice stopped, it took Audrey a long time to realize why he used "Spectator" as an example, and her face immediately flushed with embarrassment.
To change the subject, Audrey quickly composed herself, and after a slight smile, she revealed the news that she had collected Emperor Roselle's diary.
As Klein read the diary, Nimrod also blinked, controlling the portion of Sefirah Castle space he commanded to grow a slick, eye-studded tentacle, peering at the parchment in Klein's hand.
What met his eyes was a somewhat frantic note:
"...This world actually has no oil! No oil!"
That's pretty good, looks like the American bacteria won't proliferate then—this was the thought that instinctively arose in Nimrod's mind.
Problematic ad?Report it here
You can disable popup ads by becoming a contributor. Become a contributor
#86bargain
Chapter 86: Bargaining
No oil... Klein's heart skipped a beat when he saw that line, and he suddenly found it difficult to predict the future development of this world.
He had originally planned to invest with his advantage of foreseeing the tide of the times, accumulate considerable wealth, and then establish an international charity fund to openly aid the poor while secretly funding labor resistance in various countries to improve the lives of the lower class. (Note 1)
But if I can't find oil, my future investment direction will have to change... That was close! I was planning to invest in oil-related fields, thank goodness for my fellow countryman!
However, since there is no oil in this world, it means that the formation of this world is very different from Earth... Klein muttered to himself, listening to the exchange between Justice and Hanged Man in front of him.
After Alger asked Audrey about the Loen King's intention to retaliate against the Feysac Empire and answered Audrey's questions, he carefully chose his words and asked:
"I want to ask something, something rather secretive."
"Is the sanctuary of their lord, as proclaimed by the Aurora Order, the legendary 'Forsaken Land of the Gods'?'"
Alger constantly paid attention to the reaction of Mr. Lovers beside him. He knew that this new member of the Tarot Club was a divine envoy of the Aurora Order, but Alger vaguely felt that his attitude towards the True Creator was different from other divine envoys he had dealt with.
Alger initially didn't quite believe his own judgment, thinking that a divine envoy of the Aurora Order must be a fanatical believer of the True Creator.
But after thinking about his own attitude towards the Lord of Storms, he couldn't help but feel relieved.
Klein's mouth twitched. He knew absolutely nothing about this matter—so much so that he didn't even understand the legends about the Forsaken Land of the Gods in this world.
However, Nimrod timely saved Klein: "What kind of reward are you prepared to pay for this question?"
Alger said neither humbly nor arrogantly: "You can state what you need, or, under the witness of Mr. The Fool, I will provide intelligence or material compensation equivalent to your answer."
Nimrod turned his head and glanced at Klein. Klein nodded gently and slowly said:
"You may."
After receiving confirmation from Fool, Nimrod also deliberated his words before speaking:
"The simplest answer is, of course, 'yes,' but I imagine you wouldn't be satisfied with that answer, so I'll share a bit more information. Hehe, this is a secret within the Aurora Order."
Audrey, on the side, quietly perked up her ears.
Nimrod noticed Audrey listening quietly and lightly tapped the long table in front of him twice with his finger:
"The Forsaken Land of the Gods was once the Lord's kingdom."
"You should know that the continent where Loen, Intis, Feysac, and other countries are located is the 'Northern Continent,' and as their colonies, the continent where Balam and the Highland Kingdom are located is the 'Southern Continent.'"
"But besides these two continents, there are other continents, but because the Raging Sea separates them, there has always been very little information."
"For example, the 'Eastern Continent' with very few records and the 'Western Continent' that only exists in legends."
He paused, looking at the three people carefully listening to his narration, and continued:
"And the current Forsaken Land of the Gods is the former 'Eastern Continent.'"
"In the Forsaken Land of the Gods, the three rebellious King of Angels of Storms, knowledge, and Sun betrayed the Ancient Sun God, killed Him, and devoured Him. But the Lord resurrected after seven days, becoming the current 'True Creator.'"
Having said that, Nimrod paused and smiled at Alger: "Are you satisfied with this answer? And the place where the Lord resurrected is naturally the Lord's'Sanctuary,' and His current divine kingdom on earth."
"Of course, you can just listen to the information I've provided; don't spread it. I can guarantee the truth of this matter, but if the Church finds out, they will not hesitate to label you as heretics."
Alger remained silent for a long time. After a while, he slowly said:
"This is indeed valuable information. What do you need?"
Nimrod did not answer immediately, but instead asked Alger a question:
"If I remember correctly, you should be at sea right now, correct?"
Alger nodded noncommittally, awaiting Nimrod's request.
"Information involving true gods is difficult to quantify. For different people, the information I just provided has different values. Therefore, I will not forcefully demand equivalent intelligence from you; that wouldn't be reasonable," Nimrod prefaced before speaking:
"I need you to help me find five rumored clues that genuinely exist at sea, at least involving mid-Sequence Beyonders."
"That's too many," Alger said calmly:
"If it's just rumors, I can find as many as you want. But you need clues, rumors that can be confirmed, and that would take too much of my energy to find. Under the witness of Mr. The Fool, I cannot pass off inferior goods."
"Three rumors cannot match the value of information concerning the 'Forsaken Land of the Gods,' Mr. Hanged Man. Even within the Aurora Order, this is a secret known only to members above the rank of divine envoy."
Nimrod shook his head:
"I believe Mr. The Fool's judgment of the value of the information I provided is the same as mine."
Alger unconsciously looked towards the end of the long table, only to see Fool sitting there motionless, not reacting to their dispute.
However, sometimes no reaction is also an attitude... Alger exhaled and still compromised:
"Four. I still believe that five rumors with clues exceed the value of the question I asked. After all, I am not a believer of the True Creator, nor a Secrets Supplicant, and I do not crave to go to your sanctuary."
Nimrod feigned silence for two seconds, then spoke meaningfully:
"Just because you've determined your Sequence now doesn't mean you'll always remain at your current Sequence. Who knows, perhaps this matter will have a different use in the future?"
"However, seeing as we are both members of the Tarot Club, I believe four is a number we can both accept."
After their transaction was concluded, the atmosphere at the Tarot Club suddenly became calm. After Audrey asked if new members could be added to break the silence, she received Klein's reply, who finally spoke:
"...Without my permission, do not chant my name."
Chapter 87: Before the Transmigration
"Old Zhou, tell me, where did you copy that sentence you just said?"
After the Tarot Club ended, Nimrod's tone became much more casual, and he teased Klein.
Hearing Nimrod's words, Klein suddenly coughed a few times, his gaze shifted slightly to the side, and his face flushed slightly:
"...*The Revelation of Night*, and some entertainment works I've seen before."
Nimrod immediately understood. Noticing that Klein was starting to become angry out of embarrassment, he naturally changed the subject:
"I am preparing to do something relatively dangerous next, and I'm not sure if I can succeed—if you have anything you need, you can ask me now."
Hearing Nimrod's words, Klein's expression changed instantly. Although he was currently above the Gray Fog, he instinctively lowered his voice and asked Nimrod with concern:
"...Is it related to the Aurora Order? Do you need my help?"
Nimrod shook his head and did not explain in detail.
One reason he didn't explain was that Klein couldn't help. No matter how high the status of Sefirah Castle was, Sefirah Castle, without the blessing of the Initial Level status, could not divine events nine years into the future.
A future Fool might be able to do it or gain some revelations from dreams, but the current Klein definitely could not.
The other reason was that Nimrod didn't know how to tell Klein about the circlet timeline. Given this, rather than embellishing what he was about to do with lies, it was better not to say anything at all.
Seeing Nimrod's reaction, Klein immediately realized that what Nimrod was about to experience involved some unspoken difficulty, so he didn't ask further:
"Alright, then do you need me to monitor Ince Zangwill's possible movements during this time and notify you?"
"Not for now. The thing I need to do won't take much time, it's just relatively dangerous," Nimrod told Klein:
"If I succeed, I will very likely obtain a powerful Beyonder item, and then our chances of success when facing Ince Zangwill, who possesses a 'Grade 0 Sealed Artifact,' will be much higher."
"A Grade 0 Sealed Artifact, huh..." Klein lamented, "I wonder what Sequence it corresponds to."
However, despite his lament, Klein still considered the time spent on the Tarot Club—time in reality was still flowing, and the previous Tarot Club had consumed a significant amount of time. Ultimately, he couldn't keep lingering here.
He organized his thoughts and spoke:
"What I told you before, regarding Mr. Azik..."
Klein briefly recounted his conversation with Azik, mentioning that Azik hoped to find the source of his origins. Nimrod pondered for a moment:
"Losing memory and constantly cycling through reincarnation—this should be one of the characteristics of an Undying, a demigod of the Death Pathway."
"I don't know if you understand the history of Balam, but you should know that the surname of Balam's royal family is 'eggers.' Coupled with the Balam-style facial features of Instructor Azik that you described, I strongly suspect he is Balam's royalty, or at least a Balam noble."
Mr. Azik is Balam royalty? Then can I find his name in history books... Yes, if I can really find a person named "Azik Eggers" and find his portrait, then I can complete Mr. Azik's commission!
Hearing Nimrod say this, a hint of joy surfaced in Klein's heart, which had been previously worried about Nimrod's upcoming task... "I see your shadow in the Evernight Goddess's personality." After leaving the Tarot Club, Nimrod spoke to the Celestial Worthy's Phantom beside him:
"It's truly ironic, using her own methods to gradually mold the Southern Continent's Magistrate into the image of Northern Continent people. Azik Eggers has now completely lost his attachment to the Southern Continent and looks entirely like a Northern Continent person."
"But this is also predictable: the Southern Continent is merely a tool for the Death to create Anchors. As the backup plan for the Death's resurrection, how much affection could Azik possibly have for the Southern Continent?"
"Their god has never loved them. Compared to the Eastern Continent, the Southern Continent is more like the Forsaken Land of the Gods."
The Celestial Worthy watched Nimrod. Although He felt that the consciousness resurrecting in this body was perhaps too benevolent and kind, the Celestial Worthy still saw the exact same Pride in him—this might be an innate trait of the Outer Deity, whose gaze cannot tolerate a single impurity that displeases Him.
He said:
[Humans have always been like this, fragile and easily changed. Sometimes, it doesn't even require Beyonder power to make a person completely different. But why bring this up now? What are you trying to tell me?]
Under the crimson moonlight, countless stars flickered in the sky, looking like a magnificent River of Stars in the still-clear heavens. But only those who knew the ultimate secrets of the universe understood that every star harbored intense malice towards this tiny planet.
Nimrod chuckled, the Cosmos outside the window reflected in his eyes:
"Since the Southern Continent's Deity isn't prepared to save them, let's change the Deity."
Nimrod's tone was gentle, yet seemed to brook no argument. The Celestial Worthy did not answer Nimrod immediately, seemingly pondering Nimrod's thoughts:
[You seem to have a special preference for the Southern Continent. Is it because your origin is also the Southern Continent?—No, you seem more like a Western Continent person from the Ancient Era. Let me think, could it be that the Western Continent in your world also has a history similar to ours?]
The Celestial Worthy stated with certainty.
Nimrod did not answer. He simply closed his eyes, watching the Gray Fog surge up from all directions in his darkened vision. Nimrod opened his eyes within the Gray Fog, and the moment the Gray Fog slowly dispersed, what appeared around him... was still the Gray Fog.
He almost forgot, he was on top of Sefirah Castle when he came back earlier.
Looking at the endless Gray Fog around him, an idea suddenly popped into Nimrod's mind—if the area of Sefirah Castle he controlled was the region Klein could only ascend to after becoming a demigod, could he jump down from here to where the Fool sleeps?
As he thought, he walked toward the edge.
Nimrod strained to look into the distance and saw Three Steps appear within the drifting Gray Fog, but they were not connected to the area above.
[Want to try?] the Celestial Worthy egged him on.
"Anyway, you can't die from falling inside Sefirah Castle." Nimrod felt a sudden urge to try. With this thought, he leaped—
[Nimrod] fell out of this world.
Problematic ad?Report it here
You can disable popup ads by becoming a contributor. Become a contributor
#88Cooperation begins
Chapter 88: Cooperation Begins
Nimrod rubbed his head, still feeling a dull ache.
Just a moment ago, after he leaped down from above the gray fog, his body within the gray fog had fallen directly below it, teleporting him back above the area he controlled.
Then, with a "splat," he crashed onto the stone platform.
As expected, he shouldn't have listened to the Celestial Worthy's lies. That detestable Celestial Worthy... While thinking this, Nimrod cast his spirit body into Lumian's dream.
The spirit body pierced through the gray fog and entered the real dream, as if possessing a real body.
If he didn't know his physical body was still above Sefirah Castle, Nimrod would have thought this was the real world.
After detaching from the dream, Lumian woke up early and prepared breakfast, setting it out on the table portion by portion.
After finishing breakfast, Nimrod and Aurore walked out the door with Lumian, preparing to meet up with the three members of the investigation team.
Along the way, Lumian was somewhat reticent. It wasn't until they had left the village and were about to reach the small woods that Nimrod spoke to him:
"A bit nervous?"
"...Yes." Lumian exhaled. "After all, we're exploring the residence of Madam Pualis, a Beyonder with formidable Beyonder abilities. I find it hard not to be nervous."
He glanced at his hands, and a phrase Aurore had once mentioned in passing inexplicably surfaced in his mind.
Your enemy can deprive and bestow life, allowing men to give birth to children, while your abilities are traps and combat mastery.
How am I supposed to fight that? Lumian mocked himself in his heart.
"...That's why we must find all the strength we currently possess. Only then can we maximize our chances of defeating Madam Pualis, or at the very least, figure out which faction she belongs to, and retreat unscathed from her castle."
Nimrod said to Lumian. He was very clear about what needed to be done next. They didn't necessarily have to kill Madam Pualis; rather, they needed to let Lumian understand what Madam Pualis symbolized in the entire event. This would help Lumian's mind return to normal after escaping the protection of the dream, preventing him from losing control on the spot.
The operation to explore the "Church underground" followed the same logic; the goal was to end this dream earlier and leave this place of trouble.
Meanwhile, Aurore, who was completely unaware of her own situation within the Cordu Village dream, smiled and said to Lumian:
"Don't worry. Believe in your sister's abilities. A 'Warlock' and a 'Cryptologist'—no matter what, we'll be able to avoid the dangers we can't handle in advance."
Lumian opened his mouth, but in the end, he couldn't say anything.
I'm worried about you, sister... Lumian thought to himself, walking slowly into the small woods with the two of them.
The three of them didn't wait long. Soon, Lia, Ryan, and Valentine from the official investigation team arrived in the small woods with solemn expressions.
Nimrod raised an eyebrow and said to the three people in front of him:
"This is the 'Warlock' I mentioned to you yesterday."
Although he said "yesterday," a week had already passed in Nimrod's subjective experience. Fortunately, before coming, he had specifically reviewed what he had said to them a week ago.
Upon hearing Nimrod's words, Ryan nodded steadily, while Lia stepped forward and greeted Aurore, who was also a woman.
After some friendly negotiation, Lia kept her smile and asked Nimrod:
"What should we do next?"
She was asking for Nimrod's detailed plan. Yesterday, after the three of them returned to their temporary residence in Cordu Village, they had communicated and discussed. They knew that the leader among the other three was this Beyonder, who had come here from the outside world just like them.
"First, go to Madam Pualis's mansion, which is the administrator's mansion." Nimrod said concisely:
"Aurore, I, and the 'Magician' in your team will each use our own methods to find routes with lower danger levels. We will consider everything comprehensively, avoid Madam Pualis's path as much as possible, and figure out which faction Pualis belongs to."
"Of course, we also need to be prepared for an encounter battle. At that time, I hope the 'Sun' and 'Warrior' among you who are suited for combat can protect us and withstand the most dangerous attacks. We will also use our respective Beyonder abilities to provide you with assistance."
"Lumian is a Sequence 9 'Hunter'. His frontal combat ability is much weaker compared to yours, but he will also shoulder his corresponding responsibilities."
After listening to Nimrod's words, the three members of the official investigation team approved of the plan he provided. Lia glanced at Nimrod with a strange look, speaking with a slightly suggestive tone:
"You seem very familiar with this kind of team cooperation between Beyonders."
There were too many similar collaborations in the game dungeons he played before transmigrating... Nimrod shrugged noncommittally, as if he hadn't heard Lia's implication, and walked toward the administrator's mansion while maintaining a certain distance from the three of them.
It didn't take long for the three of them to arrive at the side of the hill where the administrator's castle was located. Aurore raised her hands and released a white sphere; the bell on top of Lia's head jingled, and the pendulum in her hand swayed; while Nimrod closed his eyes, and some information about the mansion vaguely flowed before his eyes.
It could be said that each showed their own special prowess. All three were using the unique methods of their own Pathways to determine a safe route.
Secret-peeping, divination, and cryptology—when the abilities of three Sequence 7 Beyonders were combined, even the administrator's castle, guarded by the power of an Outer Deity (though not much) and housing Madam Pualis who was about to attain divinity, could not stop the three of them from peeping.
Aurore peeped at the basic information inside the castle, Nimrod decrypted this information by combining it with his own unique intelligence, and Lia used a beyonder item and her own abilities to perform divination. Soon, they summarized several relatively safe routes of action.
Lumian, Ryan, and Valentine stood behind the hill, dutifully guarding the three Beyonders who were obtaining information, preventing any sudden attacks from outside enemies.
After a while, Lia raised her head, gently wiped the sweat from her forehead, and said to the other three:
"The results of the divination are out. There are three relatively safe routes."
Problematic ad?Report it here
You can disable popup ads by becoming a contributor. Become a contributor
#89Explore the castle
Chapter 89: Exploring the Castle
It was hard to say which of the three safe routes was safer, but under Lia's divination, the group of six quickly decided on their route, choosing the closest one to enter the administrator's castle.
After briefly discussing their respective Pathways and Sequences, the Sequence 6 Dawn Paladin, Ryan, naturally became the vanguard. Nimrod, Lia, and Aurore walked in the middle, while Lumian and Valentine were responsible for bringing up the rear.
The three climbed the hill, bypassed the front and back doors, and, following the information obtained from the divination, arrived next to a row of windows. As they approached the windows, Lia chanted a few more incantations, activating the Beyonder item on her head.
A faint, crisp ringing sound emanated from the bell. Upon hearing it, Lia couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief:
"There is a slight danger, but it's not too great. This place is fine; the information we received from the divination must be correct."
If the bell on her head hadn't made a sound, Lia would have been uneasy—entering a place suspected of, no, almost certainly dedicated to worshipping an Evil God, even the safest route would carry significant risk.
If the Beyonder item on her head gave no warning at this point, that would be the real problem.
Because if that were the case, it would mean the danger within the castle completely exceeded the abilities of the group, preventing even the ability to foresee danger.
"The window is closed, but this is the safest path," Valentine said, stepping forward with some hesitation. "Do we need to force this window open?"
Seeing both Ryan and Valentine looking at her, Lia shook her head:
"We cannot force it open. The result obtained from divination is not a predetermined outcome. If we force it open, we might alert the servants inside the castle, potentially bringing us unexpected danger..."
Pausing here, Lia carefully examined the structure of the window. After realizing there were no gaps to insert a matchstick, she shook her head regretfully:
"We might need to change our route of entry."
If the window had a gap large enough for a matchstick, she could have tried using "Flame Jump" to enter the castle directly and open the window from the inside.
But just as Lia finished speaking, Nimrod stepped forward, ran his finger across the window, and the lock on the window naturally sprang open.
He spread his hands toward Lia, as if everything was self-evident.
As the "Lock Picker" Pathway among the Three Pathways of Sneaking, Lock Picking, and Mischief, the Marauder's ability to open doors in such situations is second only to the Door.
Seeing this scene, the corner of Lia's mouth twitched. She took a deep breath and followed Ryan into the hall.
Aurore released her "White Paper," which circled quietly around the hall before she spoke to the others:
"Madam Pualis is currently in the main hall. Now is a good opportunity to explore the rooms here."
"This way."
Lumian, who had already heard the three discuss the route they were going to take, volunteered to point the way for everyone. He and Aurore had been guests at Madam Pualis's home many times, and he remembered the general layout.
Aurore stood aside, smiling as she watched Lumian, and walked upstairs with the main group. After searching the rooms on the second floor and finding little information, the group proceeded to sneak onto the third floor.
During this process, thanks to the effects of Nimrod's Illusion and "Thought Interference," not a single servant was alerted.
"...Let's go straight to Madam Pualis's bedroom," Ryan said directly after observing the surroundings.
The previous search on the second floor had not yielded the results they wanted. Furthermore, they had left some subtle traces in the castle, and their already tight schedule had been significantly consumed. Madam Pualis, who was in the ground floor hall, could return to her bedroom at any time.
Just as they had discussed with Nimrod and the others earlier, Ryan and his companions absolutely did not want to encounter Madam Pualis—their mission here was to investigate the situation, not to fight head-on with Evil God Worshippers.
"Let's go."
Nimrod nodded, following Ryan. While using a "Thought Interference" to cover the people around them, making it difficult for the few servants on this floor to notice the slight movement, he lifted his foot and, using the power of the Dancer, slipped through the door.
This bedroom belonged to Madam Pualis and the administrator, Beost. Even though it was in the countryside, it maintained a very Intis aristocratic style, with overall light-colored decor that gave it a sunny, vital appearance.
Lumian and the others walked toward a desk holding five photo frames, documents, and books, checking the contents of the files and books placed there.
Lumian flipped through the text in the books on the desk and found that they were mostly popular novels, including his sister's works.
Nimrod, feeling a bit itching to steal, casually took Fors's *Great Adventurer 5: Vice Admiral of Disease* and tossed it onto Sefirah Castle.
Although things in the dream are illusory, they can be preserved long-term on Sefirah Castle. Nimrod felt that Madam Fors's future masterpieces were worth collecting.
Aurore also noticed many books she had written on Madam Pualis's desk. She sighed softly and turned her gaze toward the five photographs.
However, she immediately froze because four of the five photos on the desk showed Madam Pualis in different formal dresses, while the remaining photo was of a young man who bore some resemblance to Madam Pualis.
"...A Demoness?" Aurore mumbled doubtfully. "No, maybe it's another Pathway..."
Although the group was curious about the photos on the desk, they found no traces related to Beyonder power or Evil God Worship here. Thus, as time ticked by, they searched every room on this floor one by one until they reached the end of the corridor.
Here, there was a tightly shut wooden door. This door was different from any other room door. To be safe, Lia activated the small silver bell on her head again, but it made no sound.
Just as Lia breathed a sigh of relief and was about to push the door open, Nimrod reached into his pocket and, under the cover of the pocket, drew out the sun scythe from the gray fog.
"Be careful."
Nimrod whispered a warning:
"Don't you think it's abnormal to have a 'harmless' place in a den of Evil Gods?"
Chapter 90: Meeting the Enemy
Prompted by Nimrod's warning, Ryan and Valentine also showed a hint of vigilance, while Lumian remained silent, maintaining the necessary tension.
The room before them might indeed hide considerable danger, but that was no reason for them not to open it and search for clues.
In the Beyonder world, if one ignores danger, the risks that might have been manageable will only grow larger, eventually becoming insurmountable.
Of course, for Beyonders who are merely passing by a location where a Beyonder incident has occurred, the best approach is to leave the unknown incident alone.
As Lia pushed the door open, a gently rocking brown crib came into view.
Upon seeing the crib, Nimrod was arguably the most tense person in the entire group. He quietly took a step back, positioning Valentine and Ryan in front of him, before carefully examining the crib.
He had to admit that the aura of the Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings surrounding him sometimes brought him trouble, such as right now.
Nimrod was quite worried about whether Mother, upon sensing a figure whose aura and spirit were identical to the Celestial Worthy's appearing in a place permeated by Her power, would use the loopholes in the barrier and the connection here to send down some power for a test.
It was like finding two slender brown tentacles in the corner of a pool; even without seeing the main body, most people would immediately think of a Lu Bu crawling in the shadows and instinctively spray insecticide on it.
However, the crib did not react significantly to Nimrod's approach; it simply lay there quietly, with various grains scattered sparsely on the surrounding floor.
After signaling his teammates, a faint light appeared on Valentine, and he began checking if there was any evil aura present in the room.
Soon, Valentine received the answer: "No evil aura." Just as the three members of the Official Investigation Team were disappointed that they couldn't find clues in this special room and were preparing to leave, Nimrod suddenly felt a tremor in his spiritual intuition, and the Celestial Worthy's whisper reached his ear:
[Be careful.]
If even the Celestial Worthy felt compelled to give a direct warning, then, barring the possibility that the Celestial Worthy was using the warning to deceive him, the remaining conclusion was that the current situation was extremely dangerous.
Nimrod immediately drew the sun scythe from his hand. The scorching sensation instantly spread up Nimrod's arm. He directly infused it with spirituality, causing the scythe to glow with pure white light, and he cleaved the brown crib with a "Purifying Slash."
In this dream, the crib was the most important symbol, representing both Madam Pualis's child and the offspring of the Mother Goddess of Depravity!
Everyone had been surprised by Nimrod's action, but just then, the wooden crib began to rock on its own before their eyes, as if a Mother were lulling the baby lying inside to sleep.
This... Lia the Magician subconsciously wanted to activate her Spirit Vision to check if there was an Invisible Baby lying in the crib, but just then, the Beyonder item on her head used for warning suddenly rang out.
The first to react was Ryan, the leader. Although he had been preparing to leave just moments ago, he had continuously kept an eye on the situation inside the room.
After hearing the jingling of the bell, a massive Sword of Light, seemingly condensed from the light of dawn, immediately appeared in his hand, and a silver-white armor made of the same material manifested on his body.
He slightly bent his legs, leaped into the air, and immediately followed up by cleaving the crib with the massive sword condensed from light in his hand, seemingly cooperating with Nimrod to utterly destroy the crib.
But at that moment, small faces began to protrude from the row of windows in the room, looking like translucent, pale ghost faces pressed against the glass, which was quite terrifying.
These faces quickly rolled their eyes, looking at the intruders who intended to destroy the crib, causing feelings of fear to subconsciously rise in Lumian and the others.
In that instant, Nimrod's body twisted like gluten, one foot landing on the upper-middle section of the rocking crib. He rotated his upper body and swung the sun scythe, radiating scorching white light, toward the windows.
A white slash mark immediately appeared on the window, causing dense cracks to spread across the glass!
As these cracks spread across each small, hideous face, faint blue smoke emerged from them. Then, black liquid rapidly streamed outward from the fissures, staining all the spiritual bodies' faces a light gray.
"Purification" and "Depravity" simultaneously manifested on these spiritual bodies, causing some of the more fragile faces to completely vanish before they could even cry out, spreading outward in a chain reaction.
But more gazes continuously poured onto the group from every corner of the room, most of them focused on Nimrod.
If one looked closely, they would realize that where Nimrod had just stepped with one foot was exactly the location of the "Invisible Baby's" face on the crib—he drew aggro more effectively than Lumian the Hunter.
Simultaneously, the stern-faced Valentine glanced gloomily at the sun scythe in Nimrod's hand. He spread his arms, and a circle of dark golden light enveloped everyone, neutralizing the negative effects caused by the infant spirits' gazes.
After completing this, he drew his finger across his front, and intense sunlight immediately illuminated the somewhat gloomy room, rapidly evaporating the Vengeful Spirits inside.
Outside the door, hurried footsteps and a loud female voice were heard. A woman, perhaps in her forties, wearing a grayish-white long dress and holding a massive pair of scissors, quickly ascended the stairs and appeared at the other end of the corridor:
"Who dared to trespass into the castle?"
This was the Midwife who delivered the babies of the other pregnant women in Madam Pualis's castle.
Her gaze suddenly froze on the room where Nimrod and the others were. After seeing the horrific scene inside, her voice dropped, and she cursed through gritted teeth:
"You deserve to die..."
Before she could finish speaking, Aurore, standing among the group, grabbed a handful of powder from her clothes and controlled it as if it had life and consciousness, making it land on the Midwife.
The next moment, raging flames ignited on the Midwife. Lia the Magician's eyes flashed, and her figure instantly vanished from her spot, reappearing within the flames.
"Flame Jump!"
Problematic ad?Report it here
You can disable popup ads by becoming a contributor. Become a contributor
#91Kill and escape
Chapter 91: Kill and Escape
Lia's figure suddenly appeared in the flames, and her body immediately caught fire, but strangely, the flames only burned on her skin.
With her usual smile, she pressed the silver pistol she carried against the Midwife's temple. But as the trigger was pulled and the gun fired, the Midwife's figure suddenly vanished.
The next moment, sharp scissors suddenly drilled out of the nearby wall, surrounded by pale, ghostly children's faces. The Midwife, dressed in a grayish-white gown, used the enormous scissors in her hand to instantly sever Lia's neck.
However—the Magician's survival ability was evident to all. Her body quickly transformed into a torn paper figure, rapidly burning away in the fire, while Lia reappeared to the side, carrying some remnants of paper ashes.
Seeing Ryan, clad in silver-white armor, striding toward her location, the Midwife initially intended to repeat her previous action: vanish into the surrounding air and then reappear from an area filled with child vengeful spirits to launch an attack, but Nimrod didn't give her the chance.
Multiple continuous faint lights flashed in Nimrod's eyes. Interference abilities—such as Illusion, Mental Interference, and Thought Misdirection—which were among the few available to a Cryptologist, immediately stacked upon the Midwife, causing her body to stiffen instantly where she stood.
After completing all of this, Nimrod announced loudly:
"She is a Warlock, not a Beyonder of a standard Pathway."
"She can use the spirits here to share damage and transfer locations!"
Nimrod "kindly" and quickly explained the various abilities of the Midwife before them. The enormous pair of scissors was already in his hand the moment the Midwife's body stiffened, and he casually tossed it onto Sefirah Castle.
Although a Cryptologist's Beyonder abilities do not yet support "Telekinetic Retrieval," Nimrod also chose to quickly approach after controlling the Midwife.
Just like a battle between Stands, the most crucial element in a fight between Beyonders is knowing each other's intelligence and information.
Having lost her weapon, and with Nimrod exposing all her weaknesses one by one, the experienced official trio made their choice and simultaneously launched an attack on the Midwife.
Valentine, of the Sun Pathway, began indiscriminately purifying all the surrounding infant vengeful spirits, while Ryan charged forward with his longsword.
Aurore's spells, Lia's bullets, Valentine's sunlight, and Nimrod's Illusions. Under the firm suppression of the group, even the Midwife, who possessed vigorous vitality here, could only watch helplessly as the longsword drew closer and closer, finally splitting her in two.
Just as everyone caught their breath, they felt an inexplicable tremor around them. A dense, sinister vitality slowly began to sprout outward from every brick and stone of the castle, as if something were awakening within the structure.
Ryan quickly rushed to the window, taking large strides. Light condensed in his hand, forming a brilliant greatsword identical to the previous one. Without hesitation, he slammed it heavily onto the window and spoke to the people around him:
"Jump!"
They were all powerful Beyonders; even those who didn't possess great physical strength had their own methods and wouldn't be killed by a fall from a mere three stories.
But Madam Pualis, who was originally in the castle hall, had already discovered their location. If she caught them, they would inevitably face a bitter struggle.
Ryan's gaze paused on Lumian and Nimrod for a moment. He grabbed Valentine with one hand and Lumian with the other, jumping down from the third floor with both of them.
Lia and Aurore also used their respective methods to help themselves descend quickly, leaving only Nimrod standing alone in the castle.
Nimrod's mouth twitched. "I haven't boarded the vehicle yet..."
The Cryptologist's abilities are extremely specialized, and he possesses very few Ritualistic Spells. His weapon also lacks a similar effect. If Nimrod wanted to leave quickly, strictly speaking, he would probably have to rely on the Rose Bishop's Regenerative Ability to fall from the sky and then recover from a state of raw flesh.
But that would be far too undignified. So, Nimrod glanced back at Madam Pualis, who was quickly approaching the room, raised his hand to flip the middle finger, and then directly used his Main Body located inside Sefirah Castle to pull his Spiritual Body upward.
A resourceful person always has a plan. The essence of his body here was merely a Spiritual Body projected by Sefirah Castle!
After Nimrod departed, the surrounding scenery began to slowly collapse and shatter, eventually turning into a dull, distorted landscape where countless conceptualized symbols flickered, appearing exceedingly sinister and terrifying.
Once the consciousness capable of moving freely within the Real Dreamscape disappears, the dream reverts to its most chaotic and primitive state.
Furthermore, this dream contained the power of multiple True Gods and Outer Deities, thus naturally forming symbolic signs.
Madam Pualis, moving limbs composed of flesh chunks brimming with sinister vitality, arrived at the spot where Nimrod had just vanished. Scarlet eyes split open one by one in the center of her head, which resembled a membrane-wrapped fetus, and she looked suspiciously toward the sky.
"—Fuxing, Xuanhuang, Celestial Worthy?"
"Has He, awakened?"
He spoke skeptically, his emitted mental fluctuations filled with disgust, as if He had seen an American Cockroach... The group darted forward for a distance, rushing into the neatly trimmed woods nearby, and quickly concealed their tracks.
After a moment, however, Ryan sensed something was wrong. He turned his head to confirm the number of people beside him, then asked Lumian:
"—Wait, where did the last person in your team, your godfather, go?"
"Huh?" Lumian froze, momentarily forgetting to correct Ryan's statement, and instinctively began searching for figures around them. However, he couldn't see his godfather among their group.
No way... Lumian thought subconsciously, while Ryan's expression changed:
"He didn't fail to jump down, did he?"
A Sequence 7 Beyonder shouldn't be incapable of clearing a three-story height, right?
Hearing Ryan's words, some thoughts also surfaced in Lia's mind, eventually solidifying into a guess: "Wait... is he a Cryptologist? It seems Cryptologists don't have similar Beyonder abilities, and their physical enhancement is quite limited..."
Aside from Lumian, the rest of the people present fell silent.
According to official investigations, the number of Beyonders following the Marauder Pathway has seen an explosive growth in recent years. In this situation, most Church members have a certain understanding of Beyonders on this Pathway.
And one very important piece of information is that Marauders below Sequence 7 have extremely weak frontal combat capabilities and physical fitness, potentially even being killed by a combat-oriented Beyonder of Sequence 9.