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Aaron wasn't surprised by Pallez's answer; dealing with a clone was one thing, but if there was a risk of encountering Amon's true body, the old man would likely run faster than anyone.
"Alright, I'm going to start separating the Worm of Time now. This will put me to sleep for at least two weeks. If you have any questions, find someone else to answer them."
With that, without giving Aaron a chance to ask further, "Leonard" slumped directly onto the bed. Streaks of light converged into a ball of light, "hanging high" within Leonard's mind, adopting a posture that clearly showed he didn't want to speak.
Aaron smiled, looking at Pallez, who was playing dead. A honorific name flashed through his mind:
"The Obscure Lord, who exists with history;"
"The embodiment of countless miracles;"
"The Deity who controls wishes..."
This was the honorific name of the Obscure Demonic Wolf that Aaron had just obtained from the Evernight Goddess. Although that mythical creature might no longer be using it, perhaps having already made some changes to it, in mysticism, it would undoubtedly still point to Him.
"Hmm, no matter what Amon is planning, His idea is quite feasible: using an honorific name to establish a connection. But with the Obscure Demonic Wolf's suspicious nature, He definitely wouldn't respond automatically."
From Aaron's own experience in the Nation of Disorder, regarding such unfamiliar prayers, he wouldn't respond, but he would definitely pay attention to the corresponding prayer light spots.
If the one chanting the honorific name was a powerful, familiar existence like Amon, extinguishing that prayer light spot immediately would be the best choice. But if the other party was a stranger, in a situation where he was absolutely safe, he would monitor them long-term to understand the specific situation.
"The essence of this matter is that a non-mythical creature is marked by a high-level existence, and could inexplicably, miserably die at any moment. For the prayer, this is tantamount to suicide, or even more terrifying."
"Moreover, this way, the initiative is completely in the Obscure Demonic Wolf's hands. Everything about Cavendish is being monitored, with no way to prepare in advance. Once the other party truly tries to exert influence, he will be utterly defenseless, with no chance of survival."
"Hmm, so what needs to be done now is to eliminate the Obscure Demonic Wolf's wariness, while also ensuring Cavendish's safety...."
After organizing his thoughts, Aaron's eyes held a hint of a smile as he looked at Pallez floating within Leonard's Spirit Body, teasing:
"Oh right, Mr. Pallez, I forgot to tell you that for a long period in the late Fourth Epoch, the ancestor of the Jacob family was actually impersonated by Amon."
"Amon secretly devoured Him long ago. Although the Jacob family's treasure contains Beyonder characteristics that can help you recover, it also conceals one of Amon's avatars."
Looking at the suddenly fluctuating light cluster, Aaron's smile grew even more pronounced:
"With the apocalypse approaching, Abraham, the 'Door', has already been exiled, and Antigonus is imprisoned by the Evernight Goddess. Currently, the most likely to achieve 'Lord of the Mysteries' is that 'Angel of Time'."
"The Primordial Demoness and other Deities who wish to take a step further to cope with the coming apocalypse would be very willing to capture you and make a deal with Amon."
The aged voice, carrying a hint of weariness, sounded again:
"What do you, or rather, the 'Lord of Order', want to do?"
"A deal." Aaron thought for a moment, then continued tactfully:
"In any case, you definitely won't be able to keep the Sequence 1 Beyonder characteristic on you. Rather than inviting greater disaster, it's better to sell it for a good price."
"Of course, this is just to prepare you mentally. You don't need to make a choice now, but you need to understand that time is running out."
Silence fell upon the room again. Pallez seemed to have completely fallen into a deep sleep, and Aaron said no more, activating the teleportation to leave.
-----------------
South of the Bridge, Backlund, Rose Street, Harvest Church.
A certain illusory sensation faded. Klein looked at the strange candle he held, seeing its dark wick and pale flame, and reached out to extinguish the flame.
"I am someone who can maintain clarity and rationality autonomously in spiritual channeling and dreams. The deepest part of the mind, the bottom layer of dreams, is equivalent to my home ground."
"This Mystical Item is simply a perfect match for me, but unfortunately, it was bestowed by the Church of the Earth Mother. Bishop Utravsky, with his devout faith, would certainly not be willing to trade it."
Thinking this, Klein looked forward. Bishop Utravsky, who had originally stood opposite him, had, at some point, sat down in the first row of chairs, leaning forward, head buried, hands tightly covering both temples.
Drip!
Sweat dripped from his face, spreading on the ground at his feet, which was already damp over a large area.
Sensing that the strange candle had been extinguished by Klein, Utravsky suddenly shivered and raised his head under the other party's gaze.
His slightly cloudy eyes were filled with tears, and his wrinkled face was crisscrossed with traces of weeping, but his gaze was joyful and clear.
At this moment, Klein felt as if he saw a newborn baby; those tears were proof of new life!
Beneath the enormous Holy Emblem of Life, Bishop Utravsky pressed his fingertips together, palms cupped, holding them before his mouth and nose.
This was a unique prayer posture belonging to the Church of the Earth Mother.
At this moment, the giant in the brown bishop's robe looked gentle and serene, completely unlike the bloodthirsty frenzy he had displayed during the battle in the materialized spiritual world earlier.
Father Utravsky's lips curved into a smile, and he looked at Klein, chuckling kindly:
"You are much more formidable than I expected."
"As agreed, I will give you a Mystical Item. Additionally, if you don't need the Apothecary's potion formula, as compensation, I can grant you a reasonable request."
"No, Bishop, I also need the Apothecary's potion formula, but I have a better way to obtain it." Thinking this, Klein answered frankly:
"I'd like to see the Mystical Item first."
Bishop Utravsky nodded, radiating ease, and took out two items from the pocket of his brown clerical robe.
Looking at the particularly familiar, ancient-looking brass-colored key among them, a sharp glint flashed in Klein's eyes. "Indeed, that Sanguine fell here!"
After confirming that this Mystical Item, which Bishop Utravsky called the "Universal Key," only had the negative effect of randomly getting lost, and considering that he was a Seer with the aid of spiritual intuition, Klein decisively chose the "Universal Key."
Taking the ancient brass key, Klein looked at Bishop Utravsky's pure, clear eyes and said thoughtfully:
"Hmm, my profession is actually a private detective. I've only just arrived in Backlund, which is why I'm not well-known. The reason I found Harvest Church was actually due to a commission."
Saying this, he took out the portrait of Emlyn White, which he had obtained from the "Bravehearts Bar," from his Inventory. Klein controlled his expression and sincerely said:
"Bishop, I know this might put you in a difficult position, but my request is to release this gentleman."
To Klein's surprise, Bishop Utravsky was only startled for a moment, then responded gently:
"Very well, follow me."
Things were going a bit too smoothly. Quietly taking out a gold coin, Klein performed a divination to confirm there was no danger or malice before following Bishop Utravsky deeper into the church. The giant bishop spoke as he walked:
"If you can persuade him to convert to the Earth Mother faith and deeply repent for his past actions, you can take him away tonight."
Klein paused his steps, looked at Bishop Utravsky opening the underground passage, pondered for a moment, then nodded and put forward his own request:
"Understood, but I hope to speak with this gentleman alone."
After receiving Bishop Utravsky's permission, Klein descended the basement stairs to a heavy stone door engraved with the "Holy Emblem of Life" and numerous mystical symbols.
Noticing that the basement was opened, the stone door was continuously pounded, becoming increasingly violent, accompanied by a male voice shouting, "Let me out!"
Just as Klein approached, the knocking suddenly stopped, and the basement fell silent for a moment. Klein frowned slightly and tentatively asked:
"Emlyn White?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a surprised laugh came from behind the door:
"Not that old geezer. Oh, so it's you."
He recognized me? Klein's expression remained unchanged as he whispered:
"I don't understand what you mean. I'm just a private detective your parents hired to find you."
Behind the dark stone door, a pale-faced Emlyn White leaned against the door and scoffed softly:
"Heh, so you're a private detective. Stop pretending. To a noble Sanguine, everyone has a different scent, with different blood characteristics."
"Even though I'm locked in the basement now, I can smell you."
Being exposed on the spot, Klein was slightly embarrassed. He cleared his throat and went straight to the point:
"You should know what my presence here means. I've helped Bishop Utravsky complete his commission, and in return, he agreed to let you go."
Without waiting for the Vampire inside to exclaim in surprise, Klein added:
"Of course, there are conditions."
"But it's very simple: you just need to pretend to convert to the Earth Mother faith and deeply repent for your past actions, and I can take you away!"
Klein, who had originally expected things to go as smoothly as before, suddenly heard a roar:
"I am Sanguine, noble Sanguine! Do you understand?!"
"I'm telling you, and that hateful priest outside, I worship the Moon, and I will absolutely not convert to the Earth Mother!"
"Even pretending to convert is an insult to the Sanguine; I cannot accept it!"
"Besides, why should I repent? I act openly and honestly. At most, I go to the hospital to secretly drink blood from blood bags, which is already very restrained. The one who needs to repent is that hateful priest."
Klein, who had investigated Emlyn White, nodded, knowing that this guy was a law-abiding citizen, at most with some peculiar habits. He only muttered to himself:
"Too bad you wandered into this church and faced a devout, repentant, and fanatical priest. One can only say your luck wasn't very good."
He hadn't expected this guy to be so stubborn. Klein listened to the complaints pouring out from behind the stone door like beans from a bamboo tube, thought for a moment, and then tentatively said:
"I went to 48 Riverbay Avenue. Your parents have already moved out."
"Of course, they would not only move out, but they would also move to a place I don't know. The commission you received must have also been issued through an intermediary," Emlyn White responded without hesitation.
Recalling the exquisite puppets he saw when he snuck into 48 Riverbay Avenue yesterday, Klein added playfully:
"However, they moved out in such a hurry that they didn't take many things with them. Hmm, for example, those in your room."
The air seemed to solidify for several seconds. Seeing a chance, Klein's eyes lit up, and he immediately pressed on:
"If I can't complete this task for you, to compensate for my previous commission fees and the Mystical Item I used to help Bishop Utravsky, I'll have to sell those puppets. I wonder how many gold pounds they'll fetch..."
Before Klein could add more fuel to the fire, Emlyn White sighed through gritted teeth:
"Enough! You humans are truly malicious!"
"I agree, but you must guarantee that no third person knows about my feigned submission to that old geezer. Otherwise, otherwise, I'll fight you to the death!"
Casually flicking the gold coin between his fingers, Klein chanted the divination phrases in front of Emlyn White:
"Emlyn White's words are sincere...."
After chanting a few times, Klein looked at the gold coin in his palm, a slight smile on his lips, and gave his assurance to the "chaste" Mr. Vampire.
"Father, Bishop, I repent! I want to go home...!" Upon hearing the assurance, Emlyn White seemed like a changed person, shouting loudly with sincere emotion.
Accompanied by continuous shouts, Bishop Utravsky, holding the "Mental Terror Candle," squeezed into the basement and said gently to Klein:
"You did very well. Mother has gained another loyal believer. Please wait upstairs for a moment. Once he finishes a devout prayer, you can take him away."
Looking at the "Mental Terror Candle" that was suddenly lit, Klein opened his mouth, suddenly understanding what the Bishop was going to do, and silently mourned for the poor Vampire for two seconds.
Leaving the basement, Klein sat quietly on a chair in the prayer hall. After a few minutes, he saw the tall Bishop Utravsky emerge with a pale-faced, effeminate, and handsome man.
Looking at the Vampire he had met once before, Klein quickly put on a smile. After thanking the Bishop, he led the somewhat dazed Emlyn White out of the prayer hall.
Bishop Utravsky merely nodded slightly, said nothing more, and turned to walk to the Earth Mother's "Holy Emblem of Life."
He spread his arms and chanted in a low voice:
"Thank you, Source of Life!"
"Praise you, Mother of All Things!"
Startled by the commotion behind him, Klein quickly left Harvest Church with Emlyn White.
Looking at the Sanguine, who had lost his arrogance and appeared weak, Klein teased:
"Mr. Vampire, how do you feel?"
As if his tail had been stepped on, Emlyn White glared fiercely at Klein and said:
"Pah! I am a noble Sanguine! Don't use such vulgar terms to describe me!"
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