Chapter 189: Oh, I Never Imagined I Was Actually...
Inside a property belonging to the "Passion" organization.
After the downfall of the Stinger Gang and upon receiving the news, Anthony, under Nimrod's guidance, moved with incredible speed to seize the assets the Stinger Gang had painstakingly built up in the Market District over so many years.
Although some other well-informed gangs also caught wind of the news and managed to snatch a portion of the assets, Passion officially became the largest gang in the Market District following this operation.
In the Intis Republic, gangs do more than just act as local government proxies; they also control the votes of the commoners in their respective areas.
"Mr. Atso, do you really intend to visit that fellow?" Beside Hugues Artois, his secretary, Rhone—wearing gold-rimmed glasses and formal attire—held a folder filled with documents as he spoke to Hugues Artois.
The followers accompanying him were all members of Hugues Artois's campaign team, and they shared a common trait—they were all Believers in Outer Gods, primarily followers of the "King of Decay."
"That is correct."
Hugues Artois spoke in a steady and confident tone. "We all know that the votes in the Market District are held in the hands of these few gangs. We've already confirmed that the Stinger Gang, which previously supported us, has been destroyed by this organization. If I want to ensure my election as the member of parliament for the Market District, we must take the initiative to negotiate with them."
"There are only a few days left until the election. If we don't seek their support first, the other two candidates will beat us to it."
"I assume you wouldn't want to see me lose this election either."
Rhone gave a sheepish laugh. "We are merely concerned for your safety. After all, according to our intelligence, Passion's methods are, to a certain extent, very similar to the Aurora Order's."
"Therefore, I plan to speak with their executives in a formal setting." Hugues Artois smiled. "No gang member thinks they don't need a patron. Even if they dislike my policies, they won't attempt to murder a prospective MP in public—and even if they are truly so stubborn as to be unreasonable, I trust you all to protect me."
"That is the only risk in this meeting."
Upon hearing his explanation, the Outer God Believers around Hugues Artois were quickly swayed by this politician with a talent for oratory. They began making intensive arrangements to invite the Passion executives.
"Lord favored, they have invited me to a private dinner." Anthony Reid held the invitation handed to him by a gang member and spoke to the (metal version of) Nimrod nearby. "You might need to wait until after the dinner to get close to Hugues Artois."
The sound of turning gears emanated from beneath the black robes. The metallic body, which had been sitting motionless, looked toward Anthony and spoke in a gentle tone: "That is no problem."
"I do not mind. I can hide within the carriage and wait until you meet privately to preach the Lord's gospel to Hugues Artois."
Anthony breathed a visible sigh of relief. He nodded slightly and said to the mechanical monk before him, "Very well, Lord favored."
Having received the approval of the Boss's favored, Anthony speculated on the thoughts of Hugues Artois and his team and wrote a reply.
The Boss had previously told him about Hugues Artois's campaign team—that they were all loyal Believers of evil gods. Consequently, Anthony hinted in his letter to Hugues Artois that his side had a similar background.
It was simply a matter of replacing the term 'evil god' with 'Great Being,' letting the prospective MP know that there were traces of a Great Being behind him as well.
Anthony Reid had tracked this unscrupulous, social-climbing opportunist for so long that he had a deep understanding of Hugues Artois. While Atso would cautiously determine if other Believers of Great Beings posed a threat, he would become exceptionally confident once he confirmed they were on the same side of the profit chain.
Furthermore, Hugues Artois had only a superficial understanding of the Beyonder world.
He believed he had a bright future and felt he could master the hearts of Beyonders, yet he was just an ordinary person—one who had never truly encountered the power of a Great Being, and an ordinary person who was neither a Beyonder nor a recipient of a boon.
How could such a person worry about the fantasy of becoming someone else just from a single meeting?
Anthony Reid sealed the letter and handed it to his subordinate, saying in a serious tone: "Deliver this letter to Mr. Hugues Artois. Ensure it reaches that gentleman's hands personally."
After the messenger left, Anthony Reid let out a soft breath and said self-deprecatingly, "My psychological issues really are severe—"
During the time he spent writing the letter, Anthony Reid once again recalled his colleagues who were killed by Hugues Artois and the life of wandering that followed.
He shook his head, trying to force his attention onto the matters reported by the Passion captains to dispel his current extreme emotions.
But just then, Anthony Reid heard a muffled voice rise behind him: "Your state is very unstable, with a certain tendency toward losing control—is it because of Hugues Artois?"
"Lord favored." Anthony turned halfway, his mouth twitching slightly. "My comrades all died on the battlefield because of Hugues Artois. The Boss—ah, I mean the one you believe in—he promised me a chance for revenge. I am finding it truly difficult to control myself."
"I might be able to help you." Nimrod's tone was calm. "If things continue at this rate, you might lose control due to an emotional breakdown when you see Hugues Artois. This is something none of us want to see."
"But... what can I do?"
Anthony laughed helplessly. "I have no way to control myself or overcome this psychological barrier; otherwise, I would have tried to treat myself long ago. If one could live a normal life, who would want to be a Devil who thinks only of revenge?"
"I might be able to help you." Nimrod, controlling the body of the mechanical monk, said to Anthony: "I can temporarily take away those painful memories from your mind and return them to you when Hugues Artois attains enlightenment. This will minimize your mental burden."
"Of course, if you wish to leave the past behind, I can also choose not to return your memories. The choice is entirely yours."
Upon hearing Nimrod's words, Anthony was almost tempted.
Every day and night in the past had been a torment, and now—now he seemed to see a light that could free him from this suffering.
But Anthony Reid rejected Nimrod's suggestion without hesitation.
"Lord favored," Anthony Reid said earnestly. "You see, if I choose to abandon my past... then I am no longer my original self, right?"
"...You are right. I respect your choice."
Nimrod shook his head slightly, his voice carrying a mechanical resonance as he extended a palm toward Anthony: "Relax your mind—when everything is settled, I will return your memories to you."
At the dinner.
Compared to the banquets of the Kingdom of Loen, which were full of euphemisms, Intis banquets were relatively more open and direct. In this kind of private dinner with no outsiders, desires and chips were exchanged in just a few words.
At the table were only Hugues Artois and the high-society figure responsible for brokering the meeting.
With the first toast, the two put forward their intentions, and the atmosphere of the entire banquet instantly became ambiguous and friendly.
With the second toast, they exchanged their chips: the prospective MP would protect Passion's business, and Passion would deliver its votes.
With the third toast, they hinted at the shadows behind them. The gazes of Great Beings seemed to intersect here, reaching a hidden cooperation.
With the fourth toast—
Amidst the clinking of glasses, Hugues Artois and Anthony Reid reached a unified goal. Although the gazes of the Outer God Believers around them remained wary, they now carried a certain 'warmth' of regarding each other as kindred spirits.
After the banquet ended, the other socialites invited by Hugues Artois took their carriages back. As the protagonist of the banquet, Anthony Reid had a faint smile on his lips as he had his driver follow Hugues Artois's carriage toward his home.
"Mr. Reid, Mr. Envoy, this way."
Hugues Artois stepped down from his carriage and personally opened the door for Anthony, leading Anthony and the figure behind him—wrapped from head to toe in black robes—into his house.
Passing through the corridor, Hugues Artois gave the people around him a look, signaling his associates to leave the study but not to go too far—instead, they were to stand guard nearby so they could provide immediate support in case of danger.
"Which Great Being's envoy do you think he is?" Tibert, who was pale and looked seriously ill, spoke with no shortage of malice to his companion while listening to the sounds in the room. "Will this affect our—"
"As long as he truly is an envoy of those Great Beings, such a conflict won't arise between us." Rhone stood beside Tibert. "The Seven Deities have been suppressing us; our most urgent need right now is cooperation!"
He turned to look at Anthony entering the study and made a simple judgment: "He shouldn't be that kind of person."
Anthony closed the study door and respectfully let Nimrod, dressed in black robes, sit opposite Hugues Artois. Hugues Artois's gaze held a hint of curiosity: "Mr. Envoy, why do you remain wrapped in black robes and not reveal your true face?"
Hugues Artois admitted that this question might risk offending the "Envoy" before him.
But he had picked up on Anthony's hints during their conversation at the banquet; this envoy in black might come from the vast Cosmos. This made Hugues Artois's heart race with excitement—he would be the first person to come into contact with intelligent life from the Cosmos!
He even recalled the famous quote by Emperor Roselle: "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind."
Under such stimulation, how could he control his curiosity?
"Because I am worried about frightening you."
Nimrod's voice came from beneath the black robes, the metallic friction within it reminding Hugues Artois of figures from certain stories. "My appearance is different from yours. Even after trying my best to imitate, it remains difficult for our race to understand the physiological structure of Carbon-based life. I have come here to preach my Lord's gospel, so that the mortal world may attain enlightenment."
What is Carbon-based life? Hugues Artois heard this phrase pieced together from Intis words and struggled to grasp its meaning, but his interest grew even stronger: "May I see your appearance?"
"I have heard Tibert and Cassandra speak of those Great Beings in the Cosmos, but this is the first time I have seen a race and civilization from the Cosmos."
Nimrod seemed to hesitate for a moment before saying "reluctantly," "Very well, but please do not be afraid."
"Of course." Hugues Artois agreed immediately. Upon receiving this promise, Nimrod slowly raised his arm, the cold glint of metal flashing in his eyes—
It was a pair of palms composed of iron bars and gears.
These palms pulled back the hood, revealing a head made of gray mist and metal. Just as Hugues Artois was processing the situation, he saw the gray mist within the metallic body suddenly dissipate to the side, and a figure appeared beside him, reaching out with a right hand.
"You—!"
Hugues Artois cried out in surprise, and the reaction of the Outer God Believers outside was also quite fast. The door Anthony had closed was suddenly pushed open, and Cassandra was the first to leap inside to check on Hugues Artois: "Mr. Atso!"
"—Truly marvelous!" Hugues Artois exclaimed. He pressed his palms together and said to Cassandra before him, "I am fine, do not worry. I was just a bit overwhelmed by the Envoy's form—"
Cassandra turned to look at Nimrod with his mechanical body. Nimrod merely gave a soft chuckle, his hands held in a bowl-holding gesture: "Your reaction is exactly what I was worried about."
"This appearance always frightens others."
Hugues Artois seemed to have fully recovered. He marveled and said to Cassandra, Tibert, and the others behind her, "You all go out first. I wish to further discuss our future cooperation with these two gentlemen."
Cassandra took another look at Nimrod, a hint of wariness appearing in her eyes. She exchanged looks with the other Outer God Believers and bowed, saying, "No problem, Mr. Atso."
After confirming Hugues Artois was fine, what Cassandra and the others needed to worry about was the "infighting" between different faiths—but those were minor matters.
As the study door was closed once more, Hugues Artois looked at Anthony Reid, who stood before him with his head bowed, and said softly, "I apologize, Mr. Reid. I once followed the Believers of evil gods and committed heinous crimes... It is only today that I have attained enlightenment."
"...Oh, I never imagined I was actually an avatar of the Celestial Worthy. (Note 1)"
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#190Chapter 190 "Welcome to my world!"
Chapter 190: "Welcome to My World!"
I never thought I was actually an avatar of a Great Being in the Astral World?
Anthony Reid subconsciously repeated Hugues Artois's words in his mind, a strange chill crawling up his spine.
Hearing those words was like flipping a switch; familiar memories flooded back like a tide, causing Anthony's expression to twist in the now-quiet study.
Looking at Hugues Artois sitting calmly before him, Anthony suppressed the urge to punch the man's face and whispered, "Boss?"
"I'm here."
Two voices rang out simultaneously in front of and beside Anthony. One belonged to Hugues Artois, which was within Anthony's expectations; when the figure belonging to the "Boss" appeared, the panic in Hugues Artois's eyes hadn't seemed fake.
If Hugues Artois hadn't been replaced by the "Boss" of Passion, there would be no way to explain his 180-degree change in attitude.
But the other voice—Anthony's scalp tingled as he looked at the mechanical monk sitting beside him, only to find a smile on its face that was identical to the one on "Hugues Artois," yet far from human.
The second voice had come from the mechanical monk's mouth.
Anthony's expression shifted several times before he finally let out a breath: "Boss, your favored was yourself from the very beginning?"
"You could say that." The Hugues Artois sitting opposite him spoke, using the gentle yet unquestionable voice Anthony had heard in his mind over the past two days: "This is just a small application of Beyonder powers; you'll be able to do it too once your Sequence is higher."
"You're truly... too modest."
Anthony had never felt more sincere saying those words: "So now Hugues Artois is you?"
"Does the original will in this body still exist?"
Nimrod chuckled, controlling Hugues Artois to gently stroke the vintage quill on the desk: "Don't be too impatient, Anthony. I can understand your hatred for him."
"For now, you can understand it as my will 'parasitizing' Hugues Artois. Generally speaking, this is a phased process."
"Of course, my parasitism is special; I skipped the shallowest stages and directly performed a deep parasitism on 'Hugues Artois'."
Nimrod smiled as he introduced the situation to Anthony: "Heh, my spirit body is now nearly fused with Hugues Artois's. I can directly monitor his thoughts, understand his intentions, and control his body. Now, only his thoughts still belong to him; everything else does not."
"Simply put, Hugues Artois is now trapped in a prison called 'himself.' This is the greatest punishment for him."
"You just need to wait a bit longer. Hugues Artois's fate, identity, and existence will gradually be replaced by me. At that time, I will hand his spirit body over to you, allowing you to complete your revenge."
He laughed softly and spoke to the Hugues Artois within him: "See, these are the powerful, visionary Great Beings you yearned for, the ones willing to protect you. Every civilization in the universe knows the principles of 'do not contact deities,' 'do not anger deities,' and 'do not blaspheme deities.' Why did you think your individual wisdom surpassed the experience of the entire universe?"
"You don't even know that on other planets, a single Angel can become the governor of the entire world. You don't know that those bishops with'Saint' before their names each have the power to destroy a civilization without Beyonder forces—"
"Even the most foolish person wouldn't take a deity's mercy for granted, but would instead view it as a boon."
Nimrod had already told Hugues Artois some Beyonder knowledge that exceeded his limit, but with the gray mist isolating the inside from the outside, Hugues Artois's spirit body merely grew some extra, twisted limbs due to the sudden contamination.
As for why Nimrod said this to Hugues Artois—after finishing, Hugues Artois's spirit body visibly withered. This both strengthened Nimrod's control over the body and digested a bit of his "Dream Stealer" potion.
He shook his head gently and asked the Anthony in front of him: "Scared?"
Anthony said quite honestly: "A little. I didn't expect—"
He couldn't find the right words to describe the Boss's methods for a moment, but seeing the industry and status his enemy had spent so long striving for fall into the Boss's hands in an instant, a peculiar sense of satisfaction rose in Anthony's heart.
Even so, he felt the Boss's eeriness.
"It's normal to be startled." Nimrod controlled the mechanical monk's body and nodded slowly. "Next, you will return to the 'Passion' organization as we discussed and help 'Hugues Artois'—"
"No, help me gather votes."
"I need some time to familiarize myself with 'Hugues Artois's' memories and habits. During this time, I will contact you through 'my' campaign team."
"You guys?" Anthony frowned at the word, but in the next moment, he was dumbfounded—because he saw the mechanical monk on the side nod solemnly: "Understood."
Nimrod glanced at Anthony—wasn't the core essence of the Acting Method acting? A "Mendicant Monk" should have an object of service, but it wasn't as simple as it appeared.
"Monk" was easy to understand, while "Mendicant" meant this Sequence relied on asceticism to obtain the necessities of life. For boon-seekers, it meant obtaining "boons" to sustain themselves through devout and frugal cultivation.
According to this Acting Method, Nimrod's act of serving himself and then bestowing boons upon himself formed a virtuous Cycle. It wouldn't take more than a few weeks to finish digesting this characteristic.
And the "Robot" part, which contained a weaker will of an Outer Deity, wouldn't be too difficult to digest—after all, this mechanical monk's body was a precision machine. The only problem was the inability to perform the acting in the "mysteries timeline." "Fine." Seeing the gaze cast by "Hugues Artois," Anthony also spoke up hurriedly, addressing the Nimrod before him. Nimrod controlled "Hugues Artois" and the "mechanical monk" to stand up: "I'll see you out."
Anthony hesitated for a moment, and after seeing the "mechanical monk" calmly put his hood back on, he followed him out.
After sending off his clones, Nimrod sat in his seat, cleared his throat, and said in "Hugues Artois's" voice to Cassandra standing at the door: "Cassandra, have Tibert come see me in a bit. Oh, and I need to trouble you with something."
A look of confusion appeared on Cassandra's face: "What is it?"
"I need you to send someone to call Bono Goodville here tonight." Nimrod placed his hands on the desk and said in a heavy tone: "I just spoke with the envoy brought by Mr. Reid, and I realized Tibert Jacques made a fatal mistake—"
Hearing Nimrod's words, Cassandra's expression visibly tightened: "What did he do?"
"Did he really think that just by speaking of the 'Philosophy of Decay,' he wouldn't attract the attention of official Beyonders?"
"
Nimrod flipped through the memories in his mind, feeling that these evil god Believers were a bit too unprofessional. Speaking leisurely from "Hugues Artois's" standpoint, he said: "He hinted for Bono Goodville to blow up his own factory, wanting to bury the workers who need compensation along with it. Heh, I can't deny that this isn't a bad thing for us—"
At this point, a flash of anger seemed to appear on Nimrod's face: "But he plans to do this just as I'm about to become a member of parliament. Does he want the Church to notice me and hinder our future work?"
"Think about it. If the Church's Beyonders notice us and keep an eye on our team at all times—"
"Perhaps I can still say I believe in the 'Eternal Blazing Sun' and was only blinded by evil god Believers because I'm not a Beyonder, but how would you explain yourselves?"
"Are you really going to tolerate Tibert and the others obstructing our final plan?"
"If it hadn't been for the envoy brought by Mr. Reid reminding me of what the Church is capable of, I really would have been kept in the dark by Tibert and the others."
"You underestimate the Church and the deities behind them. Even if the Great Beings behind us are far stronger than the Seven Deities, the Church can still easily destroy us!"
Cassandra's expression shifted several times. After a long while, she lowered her head: "I understand, Mr. Artois. You're right. I'll go call Tibert over."
"Thank you for your hard work." Nimrod's tone softened a bit: "Don't forget, I have always been on the same side as you. We have a common ideal, a common goal. Tibert and the others were just a bit too eager; they didn't make an unforgivable mistake."
Cassandra nodded slightly and walked out of the study, preparing to follow Nimrod's order to call Tibert and Bono Goodville.
In the eyes of the current "Hugues Artois," a faint light flickered—Nimrod's expression quickly cooled down; his behavior just now had been entirely a facade.
As an excellent "Deceiver" who hadn't been weakened by Amon, even speaking only the truth was enough to lead Cassandra in the direction he wanted.
They shared a common ideal? Of course not. In Nimrod's view, none of Hugues Artois's campaign team or supporters were human. They claimed the Great Being they believed in could lead humanity toward the Cosmos, yet they excluded most people from the definition of "human."
They considered themselves transcendent and spoke of their difficulties, but not a single person persecuted by these evil god Believers was an upper-class gentleman; they were essentially just swinging their blades at the weaker.
And in the eyes of a "Dream Stealer," these filthy, twisted dreams were the perfect fodder to be ground in the millstone called the "Acting Method."
After warning and appeasing Tibert with similar rhetoric, Bono Goodville was also pressured by Nimrod in his capacity as "Hugues Artois," repeatedly promising to give up his idea of blowing up the factory.
At night, after arranging "Hugues Artois's" affairs, Nimrod smiled at "Hugues Artois's" spirit body imprisoned within his own body.
Feeling the fragmentation of the potion coming from within his body, Nimrod lay on the bed, preparing to welcome this return.
His "parasitism" was accomplished with the help of the power of Sefirah Castle, which he could only borrow in the "circlet timeline," but the effect was no different from "parasitism" used by a proper demigod.
The power of Sefirah Castle helped him turn his physical body into a "Worm of Time," and Nimrod then controlled this "Worm of Time" to invade Hugues Artois's body.
A demigod-level "parasitism" was impossible for an ordinary person to resist. After all, Nimrod wasn't in a semi-crippled state like the "rat demigod" in Backlund, so after Hugues Artois made a symbolic resistance, Nimrod completely took control of his body.
Gray mist emerged and dissipated before Nimrod's eyes—every process of crossing worlds was like stepping through an incredibly heavy grayish-white wall. When Nimrod opened his eyes again, he was suddenly stunned.
He looked at his hands, then at the "Nimrod" standing opposite him. Two different perspectives appeared in his mind, just as they had in the circlet timeline. His brain, enhanced by the gray mist and the potions of three Beyonder Pathways, quickly assessed his current situation.
The "Nimrod" standing opposite naturally took out the "smiling face" from the gray mist. After putting it on his face, his body rapidly twisted and deformed, turning into the appearance of "Dionysus."
He looked at himself, and the moment they saw each other in two different perspectives, the corners of Nimrod's mouth curled up, the upward trend hard to suppress:
He seemed to have hit a bug—no, in situations that benefit the "player," Nimrod usually called it a game feature.
This body didn't belong to Amon, nor was it under the gaze of Adam or the True Creator, and it could "borrow" the Beyonder abilities of the main body.
In other words, from now on, he had a body that was no longer restricted or watched.
Nimrod listened to the various emotions of tension and fear coming from within "Hugues Artois." He opened his arms and declared in a low voice: "Welcome to my world!" Chapter 191: Do we not look like the good guys? I still can't laugh yet.
Think of the Celestial Worthy who might be harboring ulterior motives, the True Creator who doesn't fully trust me, Amon, the strictest father of the Marauder Pathway, and Adam, the true Conspirer hidden in history—cough, cough, I shouldn't think about the last one.
Nimrod reined in his thoughts. Plans can't keep up with changes. Now that he had a clone capable of acting freely, many things he couldn't do before could be attempted.
For instance, actions against a certain rat demigod, or the acting and digestion of the Destiny Pathway.
Before this, both matters were quite difficult for Nimrod—unlike what it appeared on the surface, such as dealing with a crippled demigod or normal acting. The problem with the former was that the rat demigod was being closely watched by Amon, and the problem with the latter was the "True Creator."
Even if Nimrod was temporarily regarded as a "Saint" by the True Creator, exercising the True Creator's authority within the Aurora Order, if Nimrod were to expose the fact that he was secretly devouring other Beyonder Pathways, then the True Creator would become wary.
After all, the True Creator inherited almost all the memories of the Ancient Sun God. If a revived will highly suspected to be a pillar was stealing other Pathways—even if this pillar had promised that "it would not attempt to accommodate other Pathways," who would believe it?
Even if the True Creator were still mired in madness, it wouldn't believe it. However, now these two matters could finally be put on the agenda.
Nimrod smiled and let the "Hugues Artois" clone leave the room, walking into the Darkness.
"I have already investigated Daisy's specific location, but further investigation requires contacting Capin's subordinates."
Inside a private safe house of the Aurora Order, Klein, using the appearance of "Gehrman Sparrow," pushed the information he had spent half a day organizing onto the table and pulled out a piece of paper with a sketch from the side: "This is the person who kidnapped Daisy."
Mr. A was wearing formal attire, draped in a black hooded robe that could cover most of his face. He took the paper from Klein's hand, his tone low: "It's him?"
On the paper was a man wearing a thick jacket and a dark gray flat cap. Mr. A gently rubbed the sketch with his finger and slowly set it aside.
"Yes." Klein emphasized, "The information obtained from divination is incomplete. I need to make contact with him—this is his address."
"Heh, I still remember what it was like when I personally distributed communion to these two sisters. At first, they were afraid of the Lord's honorable name, but after receiving guidance, they praised the Lord like cute little birds."
"I still remember that the sister who asked me for help didn't have a very firm faith, but—"
Mr. A's voice trailed off. He raised his head, his expression solemn, and said to Klein, "Five minutes."
Having said that, an illusory book appeared in Mr. A's hands, and an invisible door quickly took shape behind him.
Not long after, Mr. A reappeared beside Klein and threw the man in the thick jacket onto the ground.
I also want this kind of Spirit World teleportation ability—Klein thought with some envy and skillfully began to set up the spirit channeling ritual.
The ethereal and charming scent of "Amantha" floral water and "Spirit Eye" potion gradually emerged in the small room. Mr. A frowned slightly, seemingly unaccustomed to the smell of this mystical potion belonging to the Darkness domain.
After making preparations, Klein suddenly let out an "Eh" and stopped the spirit channeling. Meeting Mr. A's questioning gaze, Klein explained, "There is some kind of Beyonder ability restriction on him. Forcing a spirit channeling might obtain information, but it would alert the Beyonder behind him."
"Then, after you finish the spirit channeling, shall I go and kill that Beyonder? It's likely a Disciplinary Knight. I am confident I can kill him without alerting anyone else." Mr. A asked seriously, completely devoid of mercy.
Klein was visibly choked up by Mr. A. After chanting "This is the style of the Aurora Order" twice in his heart, he said, "No, that would alert the forces behind Capin, causing them to kill the kidnapped girls."
"I have other methods. Mr. A, I need a sealed room. I will pray to a hidden existence for help to obtain the information without triggering the restriction."
Mr. A seemed somewhat hesitant, and Nimrod, who had been silent from the beginning, suddenly added, "The deity he believes in is an ally of the Lord, an equally ancient existence."
Hearing the Saint say this, Mr. A no longer hesitated. He picked up the unconscious man and took Klein to an empty room nearby.
Klein didn't spend much time. After responding to his own prayer, he completed the spirit channeling with the help of the gray fog.
He walked out of the room, holding a map of the mansion's layout drawn with the help of the spirit channeling, and said to the two in a deep voice, "There are a total of four Beyonders in Capin's mansion. The one with the highest Sequence is likely the one who set the restriction on this man, a Disciplinary Knight named 'Heras'."
"Capin also has connections with some big shots, including House of Commons member Valdra and a deputy commissioner of the Backlund Police Department."
Speaking of this, Klein turned his gaze to the man slumped at his feet and asked the two, "Do you have any way to make him die by accident?"
"Leave it to me."
Nimrod reached out and pressed his hand on the man's head. He skillfully rummaged through his mind for a while, stole the memories from the last few minutes, and then fabricated a few thoughts and stuffed them in.
Nimrod did not possess the ability of a "Spectator." His method was both refined and crude—even without being affected by Beyonder abilities, human emotions are easily influenced by hormones and external factors.
After Nimrod used the thoughts implanted in his mind to trigger some extreme emotions, and then covered them with Illusions, this man would naturally believe that the sudden anger and melancholy were his own thoughts.
Supplemented by a few pieces of information that had appeared in his memories, making this man die an accidental death was simply too easy.
After doing all this, he nodded to Mr. A: "Send him back."
Mr. A's expression did not change. Pages of a book appeared before him. This time, he appeared in front of the two even faster than before, returning in just a moment.
Watching Mr. A return to the stronghold, Klein said, "We will act tonight."
"Capin will have dinner around 7:30. At that time, all four Beyonders will be present, making it a good opportunity for us to catch them all in one go."
Klein took a deep breath. Considering he was still playing the role of "Gehrman Sparrow," he forcibly suppressed the miserable scenes of those girls he had seen during the spirit channeling earlier. With a straight face, he said to Mr. A and Nimrod, "There is one more thing. You should remember the powerhouse I summoned during the battle the day before yesterday."
"Before the Lord of Storms descended his attack, he timely took away the beyonder items and Beyonder characteristics of those three members of the Rose School of Thought."
"As our shared spoils, I will share them with you."
Just as Klein finished speaking, Mr. A said, "I don't need—"
"No, Mr. A, we can't calculate it like that." Klein said to Mr. A seriously.
He hadn't seen Mr. A's cruel side, although he knew Mr. A had such a past—but people are always emotional, and the current Mr. A was still hard for Klein to dislike: "When facing that Sequence 3 demigod, it was you who blocked the most critical attack. This was quite crucial for us, so the subsequent spoils are also what you deserve."
Without waiting for Mr. A to refute, Klein took out several cigarette cases from his pocket: "A 'Werewolf' characteristic, a 'Zombie' characteristic, and a 'Wraith' characteristic. I didn't play much of a role in the battle, so you choose first."
"In addition, there are two beyonder items. One is the 'crimson moon crown' used by the 'Wraith' Steve, and the other is the 'Biological Poison Bottle' capable of releasing mystical bacteria."
"The 'Wraith' characteristic." Nimrod took the cigarette case from Klein's hand and said to Klein, "Give me the 'crimson moon crown.' I have some use for it."
Neither Klein nor Mr. A had any objections. After all, in last night's battle, the role Nimrod played was second only to Azik and the Saint of Secrets—in Mr. A's view, the Saint of Secrets was even summoned by the Saint.
Mr. A was silent for a moment and also picked up a cigarette case: "The 'Werewolf' characteristic will do. I will give you the reward you deserve later, probably around 6,000 pounds."
How much? Klein's eyes widened slightly, unable to believe what Mr. A had just said.
Back in Tingen City, his weekly salary was 10 pounds; it would take more than ten years of work to save such a huge sum of money.
And although his salary had increased a bit now, it was still limited.
This time, the reward for Sharon and Maric hiring Mr. A to hunt down those three "Rose School of Thought" members was around 16,000 pounds. The reward given to Klein and Nimrod was about the same, as it also included the contribution of inviting those two demigod powerhouses.
But even with such a huge sum of money, plus the two beyonder items not shared as spoils, Mr. A still felt it was barely a reasonable reward.
If I weren't a Beyonder of the Church, I could have advanced with this money—Klein took a deep breath, suppressed his heartbeat, and said with feigned composure, "I understand."
"Then we will act at 7:30 tonight." After distributing the rewards, Mr. A's posture became a bit more relaxed. He leaned back on the sofa in the safe house and said to the two, "Wait until tonight, we will gather here again. I will teleport you to Capin's mansion, and then we will eliminate all the Beyonders at the fastest speed and rescue those innocent girls."
Mr. A, isn't your plan a bit too simple and crude—Klein took out a coin from his pocket with some lack of confidence, tossed it simply, and after seeing the result, nodded and said, "Alright."
He paused and asked Mr. A, "Mr. A, I would like to entrust you with a matter. Hmm, I hope to receive your guidance regarding the method of using the 'Shepherd' abilities."
"If possible, I hope to complete it before this operation, as this could increase the chances of success for this operation."
Mr. A pondered for a moment and spat out a sentence: "1,000 pounds."
"I am a very senior 'Shepherd.' Not only can I teach you the techniques regarding 'Shepherd' abilities, but I can also try to communicate with your Mystical Item."
"If you are willing, I can directly deduct this part from your reward."
Mr. A, did you not notice the implied meaning in my words—Klein's gaze was slightly dull, and he gritted his teeth inwardly, answering, "No problem."
"I'm going back to the company to prepare some things." Nimrod stood up, the corners of his mouth carrying a slight smile as he said, "Heh heh, the Fried Company has been busy for such a long time; it is time for it to play the role I initially prepared for it—"
Watching the gazes Klein and Mr. A cast towards him, Nimrod smiled at them and said, "I think just solving Capin alone won't have much of an effect. What we need to do is to truly make those big shots who were dragged into Depravity by Capin hurt as well."
Klein frowned: "But won't this lead the military to investigate you?"
"Who said the members of the Fried Company must work at the Fried Company?"
Nimrod smiled mysteriously: "Besides, some churches will be willing to help me with the cleanup work."
At dinnertime, the spacious and elegant dining room had ceramic tableware inlaid with gold. Caviar, roasted spring chicken, stewed lamb, pan-fried ribeye steak, fried dragon-bone fish, cream soup, and other foods were placed on the table in order, looking very sumptuous.
The crimson moon cast crimson moonlight under the embrace of thin clouds. In the Darkness, three figures took shape in the air. A dull sound came from the courtyard, followed by a rustling sound that made one's scalp tingle.
These sounds were quite faint. If one didn't pay attention, one would only think it was noise caused by some kind of insect.
Under Mr. A's robe, blood-red fibrous tentacles retracted from the outside. He cast his gaze into the house: It was luxurious and elegant, a pursuit of beautiful things by humanity.
But in Mr. A's eyes, the overly dense "Depravity" within it was like a dirty slime, stuck tightly to the outer walls of the house.
"Let's go." The voice of Nimrod, wearing a monocle, came from the side. From another direction, "The World" walked out of the Darkness, also casting a cold gaze at the house in front of them. This was the grave of those kidnapped girls.
In the bright dining room, Capin picked up his wine glass, chuckled, and said to the Beyonders sitting beside him: "May the Storm be above, let us toast to a beautiful future."
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#192Chapter 192 Trial
Chapter 192 Judgement
Herales pinched the stem of his wine glass and held it up slightly, acknowledging Capin.
But the next moment, Herales's eyebrows furrowed, and he instinctively looked toward the Darkness at the edge of the dining room.
Just then, Wind Blades shot out from the Darkness, flying rapidly toward everyone present. Mr. A's figure appeared there, and without any emotion in his eyes, he opened his arms.
"I came, I saw, I recorded."
"Scribe"? The information corresponding to this Sequence immediately surfaced in Herales's mind, but the next moment, he overturned this information in his own heart:
In the military's records, most of the Abraham Family's Scribes were slaughtered by the Aurora Order, so the one in front of him was highly likely a "Shepherd" who had grazed a "Scribe"!
He suddenly reached out and loudly spat out a word in Ancient Hermes Language: "Imprisonment!"
A "Shepherd" can only graze one soul at a time. Herales had no way to confirm whether this "Shepherd" in front of him had grazed a "Scribe" or a "Traveler," so he chose to trap the "Shepherd," who might now have extremely high mobility.
With that, this guy would become a sitting duck.
Currently, the Punisher in Backlund were investigating the wild Beyonders and evil god Believers hiding within Backlund. As long as he could drag this out for a while, he could wait for the Punisher from the Church of Storms to arrive here.
As for whether the Punisher would investigate the relationship between him and Capin, or investigate Capin's basement—his companions were guarding the basement and could clear away the paper evidence at any time!
As for the living evidence, as long as the entire house was made to collapse, burying them alive in the basement would clean it up.
But just then, in Herales's eyes, a door was suddenly outlined in the air. A cold man wearing a tuxedo with a monocle on his face stepped out from it. He bowed slightly and snapped his fingers with a "pop": "Boom!"
Blazing flames gushed out from the nearby gas pipes, and the terrifying heat ignited the gas. The light of the explosion instantly covered everyone present.
As extreme pain arrived, Herales opened his eyes wide, and the surrounding flames and scene shattered bit by bit. This was clearly the dreamscape of a "Nightmare"!
Another "Shepherd"? Herales glanced around, his throat feeling slightly bitter.
Although only a moment had passed after he was pulled into the dreamscape, Mr. A had already broken free from "Imprisonment," switched his grazed soul, and pounced down like a wolf into a flock of sheep, killing a Beyonder responsible for protecting the place in just a few moves.
At this moment, Klein, dressed as "Gehrman Sparrow," also took a step forward. With a cold gaze, he pressed his palm against a servant nearby, and "creeping hunger" immediately began to excitedly absorb the servant's flesh and blood.
In the images Klein had obtained through "spirit channeling," everyone in Capin's mansion was his accomplice, and each of them had committed crimes worthy of execution!
Before the battle, Klein prepared to feed "creeping hunger" first to prevent any mishaps while fighting Herales.
Meanwhile, Herales also quickly put on an iron-black glove, and his whole person seemed to become taller and more majestic, as if he were a big shot capable of dominating others.
So, you also rely on a beyonder item to possess the power I saw in the spirit channeling scene—
Klein immediately understood that the Herales in front of him had not actually reached Sequence 5; he was merely a Sequence 6 "Judge."
Facing Herales's figure, Klein snapped his fingers again. The familiar scene attacked once more, but Herales, who was prepared, quickly broke free from the "Nightmare's" control. He clenched his left fist and majestically pronounced: "Death!"
This was a "Disciplinary Knight" level "Judge" ability, capable of combining with his own attacks under the influence of his words to inflict injuries equivalent to death upon his opponent.
However, while the "Nightmare's" "Dreamwalking" was controlling Herales, Klein had already pulled the revolver from his pocket, met Herales's fist head-on without dodging, and pointed the revolver at Herales's forehead, looking as if he intended to trade his life for an injury.
After seeing the enemy's fighting style, the few remaining doubts Herales had about Klein's Sequence vanished. He performed a roll, narrowly dodging the incoming bullets, and prepared to find an opportunity to attack again.
Trade injuries with a "Shepherd"? Even a "Warrior" wouldn't make such a choice!
Herales already had thoughts of retreating. He fought while retreating, already starting to think about whether he should find an opportunity to escape Capin's mansion.
Did someone hire the Aurora Order, this group of desperadoes, to kill Capin, or did they learn that Capin was involved in the slave trade and wanted to quickly replenish their missing live sacrifice materials?
If that's the case, then I don't need to worry about whether things here will be exposed—
Herales's mind raced. He lowered his body and whispered: "Illegal trespassing on someone's residence is a crime!"
"Illegal trespassing on someone's residence is a crime!"
"Illegal trespassing on someone's residence is a crime!"
Klein, who had just finished reloading his revolver, suddenly felt his body become heavy. Seeing signs that Herales's body was about to fiercely launch itself at him, he raised his revolver with an expressionless face while pinching a "Paper Figurine Substitution" he had prepared beforehand:
He dared to trade injury for injury, or even life for injury, precisely because of the existence of the "Paper Figurine Substitution." Although the "Magician's" physical defense was quite fragile, every "Paper Figurine Substitution" could block one attack.
Herales's tall, thin body lunged out swiftly and fiercely, seemingly wanting to fight Klein to the death. But just as Klein wanted to pull the trigger, he saw Herales suddenly change direction, crashing straight through the wooden door beside him, and diving into the next room—
He ran.
Klein's actions stiffened for a moment, but he quickly reacted.
A flame ignited at the corner, and with a "Flame Jump," Klein appeared behind Herales. He snapped his fingers with a "pop," and blazing flames gushed out from the nearby gas pipes—
This "Shepherd" still wants to use the "Nightmare's" ability to trap me?
After experiencing two "Dreamwalkings," Herales, without dodging, suddenly twisted his body, clenched his right fist, and wanted to punch the enemy who was trying to find an opportunity to pursue and kill him.
But just then, real pain ignited on Herales's body. Herales instinctively opened his eyes wide, feeling an irresistible force erupt from behind him:
This time it wasn't "Dreamwalking"!
He tried his best to curl his body up, wanting to minimize his injuries as much as possible.
Before the flames engulfed everything, he only saw his opponent, suspected to be a "Shepherd," bathed in the rain of fire, bowing to him as if performing a curtain call.
Herales's body rolled far away into the courtyard outside the house due to the force of the explosion. His clothes were tattered, and there were charred marks everywhere.
Watching the Capin mansion burning fiercely, Herales struggled to get up, preparing to return to the military safehouse and report what happened here before the Church of Storms's Punisher arrived.
But just then, he felt an irresistible force coming from his spine. A leather shoe stepped on his palm, almost crushing his finger bones.
Herales barely lifted his head and saw a figure covered in a full black suit with a white mask on his face.
Nimrod chuckled, holding a stack of papers and documents in his right hand, and said to Herales: "Look familiar?"
Those were the records and documents left by Capin—Herales struggled, but found that the thoughts in his mind were constantly disappearing, while the masked man in front of him kept speaking the very words he had originally thought in a low voice: "Those were the records and documents left by Capin—why didn't Berry clear these things out?"
"I have to find a way to stall him. Once the Punisher arrive here, I can push everything onto the Aurora Order—"
"You thought that, right?"
He can steal my thoughts?
Terror rose in Herales's heart, but beyond the terror, there was some disbelief—he had only received orders to protect and monitor Capin's business; why would the Aurora Order dispatch so many "Divine Envoys" to attack him?
Nimrod naturally "heard" Herales's thoughts, but he just revealed a slight smile and said meaningfully: "Because each of our wishes has been satisfied."
The next moment, he lifted the leather shoe that was stepping on Herales's palm and exerted force, instantly crushing his skull.
He twisted his wrist slightly and grabbed into the air toward Herales's corpse. Brightly colored light spots slowly precipitated out from his corpse. When the Beyonder characteristic and Herales's glove fell into Nimrod's palm, an invisible door and a flame appeared on the left and right of his body.
Mr. A dragged the dead-or-alive Capin with one hand and held several Beyonder characteristics still stained with blood in the other. After throwing Capin to the ground, Mr. A nodded slightly and disappeared from the spot again.
He was going to rescue the kidnapped girls and the Lord's Believers.
"What are you going to do now?" Klein asked, and seeing Nimrod casually throw the iron-black glove to him, he quickly reached out to catch it: "You this—"
"Take it. The beyonder item formed from the 'Disciplinary Knight' characteristic is considered payment for the subsequent Pathway potions and formulas for the 'Robot'."
Nimrod said, lifted Capin up, and with a wave of his left hand, a simple cross made of wood appeared in his hand: "Lend me some fire."
Burning at the stake? Heh, this can also be considered avenging those poor girls. They weren't very old—
Klein watched Nimrod tie Capin to the cross, the corners of his mouth curling up slightly: "Okay."
Flames burned fiercely on the cross.
Klein took off his top hat and stepped back twice, while Nimrod took a monocle from his bosom, adjusted it slightly, and then, ignoring the flames, clipped it onto Capin's face.
A wisp of grey mist appeared imperceptibly at Nimrod's fingertips, but it quickly lost its trace.
Watching Klein's gaze cast toward him, Nimrod revealed a smile: "This is a little surprise left for the archbishop of the Church of Storms, and it can also smoothly clear away any potential mystical traces."
"Let's go. The Church people should be coming. Hehe, tomorrow you'll be able to see Capin and the military's affairs spread across all the major newspapers—"
Klein thought for a moment, took out the tarot cards he hadn't finished using from his bosom, and the tarot cards pierced into Capin's body, who had already lost his life, like darts. "The World" and "The Lovers" landed on Capin's skull, piercing deep into his cranium.
Watching Klein also leave a mark, Nimrod snapped his fingers lightly, and a slit like a vertical eye appeared in the air, swallowing both of them.
In the half-collapsed house, Ace Snake and a handsome man in a crisp tuxedo with golden eyes stood there, looking at the charred corpse tied to the cross with strong religious symbolism and the tarot cards stuck in his head that hadn't finished burning, falling into a brief silence.
"Aurora Order Divine Envoy?" Ace Snake took in the torn flesh and the corpse that had been more than half devoured inside the collapsed house, and whispered to himself.
"Doesn't look like it." The mature middle-aged man with golden eyes took the two half-burned tarot cards from Capin's body and identified the information on them: "The World" and "The Lovers"—"The Aurora Order doesn't have such a habit. You know the exclusionary nature of the Aurora Order's Divine Envoys better than I do; they wouldn't let such items unrelated to their Lord appear at a murder scene."
"Look at these traces of flesh being devoured; doesn't it look like 'creeping hunger'?"
This man proposed such a guess, and Ace Snake, after simple thought, said: "Could it be the secret organization that took away Qilangos before?"
"Perhaps, the organization that assassinated Duke Nigen and took away Qilangos is the same one. The act targeting Qilangos was essentially a silencing." The middle-aged man carefully examined Capin's appearance and analyzed.
Ace Snake didn't answer, looked around, and said: "Let's see what happened here—"
"I estimate you won't be able to see what happened here before."
Another voice appeared in Ace Snake's ears. Ace Snake frowned and looked at the source of the voice—
"This place was cleaned very cleanly. Heh, quite professional, and there's even the aura of an Angel level."
Capin's charred corpse lifted its hand and pushed the monocle on its face: "This corpse died really painfully. Who led me here? Is it Pallez Zoroast?"
"Long time no see. Did He make new progress, wanting to hunt me back? Truly interesting."
Amon said to himself curiously, and answering him was a silver-white, incomparably thick bolt of lightning.
Chapter 193: The Strange Story at the Bottom of the Round Tower
The sky over the City of Silver was shrouded in an eternal night as black as ink, with silvery-white lightning roaring chaotically across the sky.
The traces of the divine war still remained on this continent. The fall of the Sun God had turned this place into a kingdom of shadows, and lightning had replaced the daylight, causing the residents of the City of Silver to calculate day and night by the frequency of the lightning.
"——That is all that I have experienced during this time," Derrick Berg said to the Chief of the City of Silver, Colin Iliat. "Your Excellency 'Chief', I am willing to accept any arrangements made by the Council."
Hearing Derrick's words, Colin Iliat nodded slightly, his expression unchanged. "You should know that we once discovered someone named 'Amon' in the ruins of other city-states.
However, the members of that exploration team all ended up losing control and going mad, with only one survivor remaining in the end."
"And in the end, Amon, who was suspected to be the 'Angel of Time', also mysteriously disappeared."
"If, as you say, that person named 'Amon' is a descendant left outside by the Lord, then why, after agreeing to the request to 'be a guest', did He leave again and cause an entire exploration team to lose control?"
"There may be deeper reasons for this, but we need to place you under surveillance and verification for a period of time, as you have been influenced by Amon."
Colin was silent for a moment before stating the arrangements for Derrick for the next period of time: "You need to enter the bottom of the Round Tower. Only after the truthfulness of your words is confirmed can you return to live in the outside world."
Having said that, he looked at Lovia, who was sitting not far from Derrick Berg. "You also need to accept a period of surveillance and be separated from Derrick."
Lovia stroked her husband's skull quite gently and said in a soft tone, "No problem."
"I am willing to believe Derrick's words, because his words are the same as the revelations sent down by the Lord. The Lord's state has gradually improved, and the Believers in the outside world are helping the Lord return from madness——"
"Our suffering is about to end, Your Excellency Chief."
Lovia's voice carried a hint of dreaminess, but Colin did not answer, only watching silently as the two entered separate rooms.
After a while, another elder from the "Council of Six" could not help but speak up. "Chief, do you think Derrick can—"
"If he is not lying, then he will definitely be able to trigger a mutation in the other survivors of the exploration team that came into contact with Amon." Colin Iliat was silent for a long time. "We will increase the frequency of surveillance there during this period to prevent Derrick Berg and Lovia Tiffany from experiencing any abnormal situations or mysterious deaths."
Derrick followed the tall knight wearing silver full-body armor into the bottom of the Round Tower. The Beyonders nearby, who were on the verge of losing control, let out shrill screams from time to time, but Derrick just walked calmly into his own room.
"This was given to you by Chief Colin." The knight on the side handed a folded piece of paper to Derrick. Derrick nodded, and only after entering his room did he slowly open it, seeing the words written on it: "Try to pray to that hidden entity named 'Amon' who guided you."
"After receiving a response, pass the response out through the gap in the iron door."
Amon—In the dimly lit room, Derrick's breathing suddenly hitched, but he immediately adjusted his emotions.
At the last Tarot Club, after discussing matters concerning the City of Silver with Mr. "Lovers", and after "Lovers" indicated that he was a "distant relative" who had a certain relationship with the Amon family, he had also supplemented him with some coping methods.
"If the Chief asks me to pray to 'Amon', should I chant the honorable name of the 'Fool'—" Derrick Berg muttered softly, sitting on the bed in this room, and slowly began to chant the honorable name of the "Fool".
In the repeated chanting, Derrick Berg vaguely saw a scene of gray fog, but Mr. "Fool" did not respond; only that ancient gray fog seemed to expand and contract as if it were eternal.
Suddenly, a "tap, tap, tap" sound of knocking on the wall came from the metal wall next to him.
"——Who are you praying to?"
Amon, who was parasitizing this member of the exploration team, withdrew his finger. The wall could not obstruct Amon's vision, and the scene in the next room held no secrets in the eyes of Amon's avatar.
The tall teenager with short golden hair sat on the bed, seemingly quite devoutly chanting the honorable name of "Amon" over and over again. A rare, slightly strange feeling arose in Amon's heart:
He had always disguised himself as other deities and angels, stealing their powers and destinies, but now there was a hidden entity he was unfamiliar with who was disguised as him?
Amon's voice rang out here, synchronized with Derrick Berg's prayer. He said word by word: "The Fool that doesn't belong to this era."
"The first line of the honorable name points to the owner, or former owner, of the 'Fool' divine throne, and it is also possible that it points to the Uniqueness of the 'Fool'. But Antigonus is still in a state of loss of control and slumber, resisting the mystery will, even now—"
Amon was reading with great interest the information contained in these three lines of the honorable name. He guessed that the holder of this three-line honorable name was the hidden entity who had previously tried to lure him to Backlund.
Which old friend could it be?
Was it Antigonus who had successfully escaped from the state of loss of control, or was it Pallez Zoroast who had defected to the Evernight Goddess and forcibly accommodated the "Fool" Uniqueness that originally belonged to Antigonus?
Or was it the long-fallen "Destroying Demon Wolf" Flegrea who had revived in his own descendant? Judging from the description in the first line, Flegrea could also be considered "The Fool that doesn't belong to this era."
He was the first "Fool" on this planet!
It couldn't possibly be Zaratul who had accommodated the "Fool" Uniqueness.
"The mysterious ruler Above the Gray Fog."
"Gray fog—'Sefirah Castle'? The owner of 'Sefirah Castle'?" Amon's decoding action paused for a moment. "The 'Sefirah Castle' that I have been searching for for so long actually already has an owner?"
"Then it cannot be Pallez Zoroast. Heh, if a 'Marauder' with abundant humanity had mastered 'Sefirah Castle', then the gods would have been able to put down their chips long ago—"
Whether it was the Evernight Goddess Amanises, or the three gods of Storm, White, and Knowledge, they each had their own reasons for not wanting to support Amon in becoming the "Lord of the Mysteries".
The former did not believe that Amon would be able to stand on the side of humanity after becoming the "Lord of the Mysteries", while the latter simply did not want the descendant of the "Ancient Sun God" to settle scores with them after becoming the "Lord of the Mysteries".
"Then there are not many options left. The 'Destroying Demon Wolf' and the 'King of Immortals' fell together, dragged down by the Sanguine ancestor, but Flegrea, who held the authority of the 'Fool', might have already come into contact with 'Sefirah Castle' and left behind a resurrection contingency in 'Sefirah Castle'—"
"He is not like Antigonus, who fears the awakening of the 'mystery' will, because He is crazy himself, a manifestation of a certain aspect of the 'Lord of the Mysteries'."
"If this 'Fool that doesn't belong to this era' is really Flegrea, then He might have already separated His own characteristics through 'Sefirah Castle' and regained a certain amount of rationality—"
"And Antigonus also has a certain resemblance to His father; Flegrea, who mastered the authority of 'Darkness', might also have survived the backstabbing of the Evernight Goddess."
"Of course, it is also possible that it is a hidden entity that I do not know, belonging to some distant history."
Amon gently stroked his chin. More Amon avatars were approaching the City of Silver, joining the Amon network of this Amon avatar, providing Amon with the computing power of a "Cryptologist", and fully decoding the last line of the honorable name: "The King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck."
"The King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck—"
At the same time as chanting the last line of the honorable name, the Amon avatar parasitizing this body also completed the operation of transferring the "parasitic" target, successfully parasitizing the Derrick Berg next door.
But just at this moment, a strange yet familiar murmur suddenly came to Amon's ears. This murmur seemed both ethereal and magnificent, exploding in Amon's ears like a thunderclap: "immortal venerable fu sheng xuan huang!"
"heavenly lord fu sheng xuan huang!"
"venerable blazing black and yellow!"
"Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings!"
A scene with gray-white edges, like a fragment of history, suddenly outlined itself in the mind of this Amon avatar. Two iron-black thrones were placed side by side in a pitch-black hall. The candles hanging down from the dome were like little sparks, looking both mysterious and majestic.
Two figures with indistinct faces sat on the thrones. The smell of iron and blood drilled into the nostrils of the Amon avatar. Memories sealed in the Fourth Epoch emerged inch by inch in Amon's mind, and the Fourth Epoch nobles that Amon had some impression of turned their heads one after another, looking at the Amon who was located in this gray-white fog.
What was worse was that Amon felt that large segments of memories that did not belong to him were constantly emerging in his body. They seemed to be memories belonging to an existence from the same era as his true father.
"My descendant—"
"My half—"
"Why resist recalling your true identity and memories—"
A slippery and evil voice rang in Amon's ears, making it seem like something was growing inside Amon:
As a natural mythical creature, whose mythical creature form tended to split, Amon also needed anchors and feared the awakening of the "Lord of the Mysteries" will within him!
And now, He seemed to have awakened.
This was a suppression of status.
At this moment, the Amon avatars around the City of Silver screamed at the same time, simultaneously exploding into translucent little worms with ring patterns on their bodies. Countless points of light scattered from the little worms, condensing into portions of Beyonder characteristics that shimmered with brilliance.
The guards in the City of Silver also seemed to have discovered the mutation in Derrick Berg and the old man in the cell next to him. Colin Iliat appeared in the cell where the Amon avatar was located, looking at the mutation that appeared on the "survivor" of this exploration team:
Small gray fleshy lumps, like curled-up worms, grew on the old man's body. His skull split open from the center, yet countless translucent little worms wandered within, connecting his skull together in a tangled mess.
And these translucent little worms seemed to gather together, each regrowing half a face in the left and right sides of the old man's split skull.
A face wearing a monocle, with black hair and a broad forehead.
A face with eyes twinkling like starlight, wearing half a mask.
These two faces were shrouded in gray-white fog, hazy and unclear, appearing both evil and terrifying.
Colin Iliat stepped forward, blocking the other guards wearing silver-white knight armor, and waited silently for "Amon" to speak.
Nimrod, who had the appearance of Amon, smiled and used a language that confused the two to exacerbate the tendency of this Amon avatar to lose control: "It is fortunate that you have never changed your faith."
"Do you know the origin of the ruins you discovered more than forty years ago? They changed their faith and no longer believed in the Ancient Sun God, so they were destroyed by Amon."
"'I' have always believed that a city-state that no longer believes in the Omnipotent and Omniscient God, the Lord who created everything, does not deserve to continue to survive here."
"So Amon destroyed that city-state you explored."
"Continue to believe in the Lord who created everything; 'my' father is about to awaken from madness soon."
"Amon will not discover you for the time being. He destroyed all of His avatars that approached here and abandoned the memories of seeing 'me'—"
"The Ancient Sun God needs a faith that can point to Him, and I am also very willing to help Him defeat that one from the Primordial One—"
"'Amon' will continue to teach Derrick Berg how to shape a faith that can point to the current 'Ancient Sun God'—"
Under Colin's solemn gaze, the flesh on the old man's body suddenly decomposed into pieces of gray-white flesh, curling into a large pile of translucent little worms.
He raised his head, seemingly seeing a gaze projecting from an infinitely high place.
"The problem with 'Sun' has been solved."
Sitting on the iron-black throne, Klein let out a breath and turned his face to look at Nimrod: "Are you okay?"
"I'm okay." Nimrod rubbed his temples with some fatigue: "The spirituality consumption was a bit too much."
Just now, he responded to the honorable name of the "Celestial Worthy of Heaven and Earth for Blessings" and, with the help of the Sefirah Castle gray fog left in the Little Sun's body as a springboard, briefly revived inside the Amon avatar.
In Amon's view, this was of course a strange story—a mystery had awakened within Him. He certainly had to let His avatar destroy itself, otherwise, He would also be worried about whether the mystery will would follow his avatar and his mystical connection to chase over.
Seeing that Nimrod's state seemed quite poor, Klein asked with concern: "Do you need me to send you back?"
"No, no need." Nimrod put down his hands: "Didn't you say before that you also accepted Mike's club invitation? You go ahead first."
"I am now always worried about whether I will meet some big shots due to coincidence." Klein said half-jokingly: "If that's really the case, then it must be that someone is exerting force."
Nimrod raised his head, looking at Klein, who at this moment looked exactly like an old general on a stage.
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#194Chapter 194 Prince Edsack's Commission
Chapter 194: The Commission of Prince Edessak
The Khoy Club.
Klein, sporting a mustache and wearing his detective attire, walked steadily toward the main entrance of the club. Mike had been waiting there for a long time. Upon seeing Klein, he enthusiastically spread his arms and greeted him, "Long time no see, Sherlock!"
"Hmm, I heard you are already a member of the Khoy Club?"
Yes. Although the opportunity to join here wasn't exactly glorious—it was for helping someone resolve an affair—Klein adjusted his hat and said in an unchanged tone, "Yes. Mike, I hadn't expected you to be a member of this club either."
"Then our meeting really is the arrangement of fate—"
Mike exclaimed, but this single sentence made Klein, standing to the side, get a bit of goosebumps.
Please don't mention "arrangement" to me! Klein currently had a significant amount of PTSD regarding the word "arrangement," but he controlled his expression well and simply returned the greeting to Mike, "Shall we go in first?"
"Sure." Mike said simply, "Actually, I have some matters I'd like to commission you for today as well."
I guessed as much—Klein asked while following Mike into the club, "Do you have another new investigation task to do?"
"No, no, no, I'm not planning on going to the East Borough this time." Mike's expression carried a hint of trepidation, "Recently, a major event occurred in the East Borough, bringing out several groups of Believers of evil gods. The church is currently conducting a thorough investigation bit by bit—Lord! I didn't even know I had walked through such a dangerous place before."
Klein and Mike walked into the cafeteria. Since it was getting late, the two took some food, preparing to eat while they chatted.
"Tell me about your commission." Klein asked Mike casually while carefully cutting the lobster meat in front of him.
"Hmm—strictly speaking, it's the trouble of a friend of mine." Mike replied, "He is a descendant of a noble. A big shot he knows has recently encountered some trouble and hopes to find a capable, reliable detective to assist in the investigation."
A big shot—a big shot! Klein felt as if he had been struck by lightning, his warm smile freezing on his face.
Something is wrong!
There is a problem!
After a while, Klein tentatively asked Mike, "May I ask if you could reveal the identity of that big shot?"
"Mike, I have my own principles. Matters involving certain big shots will be very troublesome for us. This is closely related to my life; I cannot accept commissions that could take my life."
For an ordinary detective, a minor friction in the eyes of the upper echelons is enough to destroy them. If Klein were truly involved in such matters—
Then he would have no choice but to take out his Holy Emblem of the Night and his "Red Gloves" to prove his identity.
However, after thinking of this, Klein suddenly realized that he could be considered a mid-to-high-level member of the Church of the Night. After quickly calculating the situation behind this matter in his mind, he gave Mike a hint.
He could accept this commission, but it depended on the identity of the big shot behind it.
Because any "coincidence" would have a connection to Ince Zangwill!
Furthermore, regardless of whether he eventually accepted this commission, Klein decided to report this matter to the church to prevent Ince Zangwill from plotting an ambush against him.
Mike pondered his tone and said to Klein, "Actually, Talim should be the one to explain this to you."
"That big shot actually doesn't lack sufficient manpower, but after I told Talim about your strange abilities, that big shot took a fancy to you."
"To be honest, it is not difficult for that big shot to get help from people with strange abilities; he even revealed some information to both Talim and me—"
"But for that big shot, it is somewhat difficult to find someone with a clean identity." Mike said in a low voice, "Sorry, Sherlock, I couldn't refuse that big shot's request. He investigated your background and confirmed that you are the type of person with a clean identity."
If Klein didn't have the backing of the Church of the Night, he would likely feel dissatisfied at this moment. Although he and Mike only had a relationship of client and detective, Klein would still have a feeling of being betrayed.
But now, Klein only frowned, performing an expression of slight dissatisfaction and helplessness, while a thought emerged in his mind:
The confidentiality measures of the Church of the Night are too effective.
Klein sighed and said, "Then I need to understand the information about the commission and the identity of that big shot. Just as I said earlier, I cannot accept tasks with too much risk—are we waiting for Talim to come over now?"
One of the introducers who helped Klein join the Khoy Club for resolving an affair was Talim, and the other was a doctor named "Allen."
However, after joining the Khoy Club, Klein had been running around due to the many commissions at his Detective Agency and matters regarding Ince Zangwill, so he hadn't established a deeper connection with the two.
Klein, who only came to the club occasionally, only vaguely knew that Dr. Allen had moved, and he was completely unaware of more detailed information.
"No problem." Mike immediately agreed and said to Klein, "It probably won't take long for Talim to come over."
After finalizing this matter, the two chatted casually while filling their stomachs.
Shortly after the meal, a figure walked quickly toward the two, catching Klein's attention:
The person coming was a male with short, curly brown hair, the noble equestrian instructor Talim Dumont.
His ancestors once held titles, but after his grandfather squandered it all, he could only rely on his specialty to teach equestrianism to young nobles. Fortunately, his income was not too low, being around 400 pounds a year.
"When we met last time, I didn't expect that you, Detective Moriarty, were such a great detective—" Talim exchanged pleasantries with Klein, and after some professional flattery, he took the initiative to make a request, "Shall we go to the meeting room on the second floor? This is not the place to talk."
The Khoy Club was divided into two floors. The first floor had a cafeteria, a bar, a library, a squash court, a meeting hall, and a card room; the second floor had 16 lounges and 2 small meeting rooms.
The most crucial point was that, as a high-end club, these facilities were free, and even basic meals and drinks were also free.
Of course, the cost was the tens of pounds to join here—Klein suddenly thought of the portion of money he had paid at the time, and instead smiled and said to Talim, "No problem."
After entering the small meeting room on the second floor and locking the door, Talim sat at the table and said to Klein, "Did Mike tell you about the matter I wanted to commission on behalf of that big shot?"
"Yes." Klein answered cautiously, "But I need to know the identity of that big shot in advance. Only by knowing the risks can I choose whether to accept this commission."
"That big shot anticipated a similar reaction." Talim pondered for a moment, and as if he had been prepared, he took out a document from the bag he was carrying.
Klein flipped through it briefly and found that it was a quite rigorous confidentiality agreement. After thinking for a moment and determining that there were no Beyonder factors in it, he picked up a pen and signed his name.
Klein glanced at Mike beside him and saw Mike stand up and ask Talim, "Then I'll be heading back first, Talim?"
"Alright." Seeing Klein sign the confidentiality agreement, Talim breathed a sigh of relief, a smile returning to his face, "Detective Moriarty, shall we talk about the commission now?"
"Sure." Klein straightened his body slightly, not only to appear more formal but also to raise his attention at the same time, ready to recall at any moment whether he would have any gaps in his thinking or any forgotten matters.
Once there was such a thing, it meant that Ince Zangwill was currently picking up his pen to arrange him!
At that time, he would quietly chant the incantation to secretly summon Nimrod's messenger, and at the same time, inform Nimrod and the church of this matter.
"0-08" is difficult to arrange for lives that also possess high Sequence status, and Nimrod's messenger is definitely not simple; it is an existence with "divinity"!
And wanting to deceive Talim is too simple—the existence of the messenger is already hard for ordinary people to see, and combined with his "Magician" ability, writing a letter without his knowledge is truly too easy.
"First, I would like to introduce the client who entrusted me." Talim's expression became a bit more serious. Although he was a friend of that person, the gap in their status was there, so he naturally could not address him as a "friend" at this time, "He is His Majesty the King's fifth child, Earl of Rashtin, His Highness Prince Edessak Augustus."
"He recently encountered some trouble that is inconvenient for him to handle himself and needs a reliable detective with certain special abilities to help resolve it."
"Of course, Prince Edessak also took your concerns into account. This commission will not involve other big shots, and will not even involve nobles; it just requires you to secretly investigate the backgrounds of a few commoners."
While listening to Talim's words, Klein began to quickly think about whether he had forgotten anything about recent events. While asking Talim with confusion, he began to perform small actions: "Commoners?"
One of his hands was scribbling down what he saw under the table, out of Talim's sight, while he chanted the incantation to summon Nimrod's messenger in his heart—the greatest weakness of the "0-08" held by Ince Zangwill is that it is not omniscient. Even if he clearly recognized Ince Zangwill and "0-08," it could not completely and properly arrange matters related to him!
Realizing that the paper in his hand had disappeared without him noticing, Klein felt a bit more settled in his heart and listened carefully to Talim's narration:
Simply put, Prince Edessak fell in love with a commoner woman, and is currently confining this commoner woman in his Red Rose Manor.
But recently, in the Red Rose Manor, there are always some unexpected situations suspected to be influenced by mysterious powers, which makes Prince Edessak quite troubled.
So he needs a reliable detective with a clean identity to investigate this commoner woman and the identities of people related to her.
"Pardon my bluntness, I think such matters should be handled by the Punisher of the Church of Storms." Klein said subtly, "Even if Prince Edessak is unwilling to let the Punisher, who have thunderous methods, get involved in this matter, fearing that his love affair with the commoner woman will be exposed—then the Church of the Night, with its more gentle style of conduct, should also be very happy to help Prince Edessak resolve this matter."
"The problem lies right here." Talim also showed a look of helplessness, "Prince Edessak believes that once he seeks help from the church's clergy, his affair with that commoner woman will completely lose all hope—"
After all, the church's relationship with the king is obviously better than with a prince.
After saying this, Talim looked at Klein, who had fallen into a state of deep thought, and waited patiently.
In fact, Prince Edessak not only sought help from him but also found other friends who had no connection to the royal family. Moreover, he spent a lot of effort to find a "Notarized Contract" with extraordinary power, which could ensure that his affairs would not be exposed.
And Klein was indeed deep in thought, but he was thinking about deeper matters.
Due to the existence of Ince Zangwill, Klein now regards all those coincidences involving him as "deliberate arrangements."
Could it be that Prince Edessak, who has received elite education for years, is a person who only thinks about love and is capable of doing anything for it?
Regarding such a reaction, two possible options emerged in Klein's mind:
Either it is an arrangement, or it is a "Demoness" from the Demoness Sect!
Furthermore, considering that Prince Edessak once pursued Audrey but did not have the habit of making such a big fuss as he does now—Klein was inclined to think both were true.
Thinking again of the cooperation between the royal family and the Demoness Sect, Klein was almost certain of this thought.
Then, why would Ince Zangwill, who cooperates with the royal family and the Demoness Sect, want him, a "Red Gloves" of the Church of the Night, to come into contact with matters related to Prince Edessak?
Could it be that they had some conflicts before, and Ince Zangwill wanted to kill with a borrowed knife while also using this to deter the Demoness Sect?
As his thoughts raced, Klein said to Talim, who had a hint of expectation in his eyes, "Okay, I will accept this task."