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Gathering his slightly scattered spirituality, Klein looked at the gas streetlights outside the bay window that illuminated the dim and gloomy surroundings, digesting the Beyonder abilities that had almost burst his head. His expression then shifted slightly, and he quickly pulled out two roughly cut paper figures from his pocket.
Looking at the spoils of war he had found on the remains of the Marionettist Rosago, Klein mused to himself thoughtfully:
"So this was a Paper Figure Substitute...."
Snap!
Klein sharply shook his wrist, causing the paper to rustle crisply, and it rapidly expanded, transforming into a human figure.
The dummy was the same height as Klein, with identical facial features and clothing, making it look like a meticulously carved, lifelike wax figure from a distance.
This was one application of the "Paper Figure Substitute" spell.
Immediately after, Klein focused his mind, clenched his right fist, and tapped himself lightly on the chest.
Silently, the dummy gained a sense of being alive, even holding a lit cigarette with a reddened tip in its mouth, and the aroma of tobacco wafted out.
"Using a dummy as a medium, this illusion can last for half an hour. Truly worthy of a Magician!"
Hmm, the biggest problem with this spell is that it requires pre-prepared materials, which are relatively well-cut paper figures.
After making a mental evaluation, Klein's thoughts suddenly diverged. What if he made a paper figure angel and brought it to that gray fog space.....
Shaking his head to suppress the increasingly divergent thoughts in his mind, Klein's gaze gradually deepened:
"Lanevus is dead. The primary culprits of the Tingen tragedy are now only Ince Zangwill and Sealed Artifact '0-08'. However, neither of them is something I can handle right now, and the gap is very large."
"Only by becoming a High-Sequence powerhouse, an existence akin to a demigod, will I be qualified to get involved in this matter. Before advancing to Sequence 4, I can only endure, and endure more!"
"My goal for a long time in the future is to diligently improve myself, digest the Magician potion as quickly as possible, and also begin investigating the Black Emperor card mentioned in Roselle's diary."
Just as Klein was pondering what to do next, layers of prayers suddenly echoed in his ears. He paused slightly, quickly tidied up the materials on the table, and walked four steps counter-clockwise to arrive above the gray fog.
Klein sat in The Fool's high-backed chair and, as expected, saw the crimson star representing Sun Derrick continuously contracting and expanding.
As expected... Klein, who had already learned from Derrick that the City of Silver was about to explore the True Creator's temple, held the Sun Brooch that had been sacrificed earlier in his hand, and his spirituality spread out, revealing the prayer scene.
With his True Sight, Klein's pupils immediately constricted. Inside the half-collapsed temple, only a few stone pillars remained relatively intact, collectively supporting a small portion of the main hall.
At the very front of the main hall was a cracked altar, and in the center of the altar stood a giant, pitch-black cross.
On the cross, a naked man hung upside down. His ankles, his thighs, and his body showed obvious rusty iron nails, accompanied by fresh red bloodstains.
Having confronted a child of an evil god in Tingen, Klein instantly sensed the hidden aura of corruption and clearly knew that this was indeed the idol of the Fallen Creator. Yet, he still couldn't help but examine the naked man's face.
Even with True Sight, the idol's face, nose, mouth, and ears remained somewhat blurry. Only the eyes were carved with exceptional clarity.
The Fallen Creator's eyes were tightly closed, as if he was enduring sin and suffering.
A burning sensation, as if standing under scorching sunlight, suddenly emerged. Klein snapped back to reality, holding the hot Sun Brooch, feeling somewhat horrified in his heart, and no longer daring to directly observe the idol with True Sight.
At this moment, Derrick, led by the chief, had arrived deep within the temple. Here, large expanses of murals existed on the collapsed walls. Perhaps due to the erosion of time, only simple colors remained, making them appear ancient, weathered, and dim.
After entering this temple, Derrick, who kept hearing faint cries for help, instinctively followed closely behind the chief, keeping his distance from Shepherd Lovia. He merely glanced casually around and was drawn to one of the murals:
On the wall to the front left, a pure white cross stood in the very center, surrounded by a sea-like blackness that submerged many humans struggling to reach out their arms.
On the cross was the upside-down Fallen Creator, with rusty iron nails and bloody stains, no different from the idol outside.
But in this mural, the Fallen Creator was enduring the black erosion, so much so that parts of the cross's whiteness had turned pitch black.
In addition, the cross supported a hazy land, and countless humans were kneeling and praying to the Fallen Creator.
Around the picture, in the deepest parts of the Darkness, six figures resembling evil gods were hidden.
In the upper left corner was a lady wearing a black classical long dress. Her clothing was layered but not overly elaborate, inlaid with numerous radiant points like stars.
Her body was somewhat ethereal, with signs of ripples spreading outwards. Her face was indistinct, as if she wore a mask without facial features.
Around her, the Darkness was in a state of flux, with strange eyes appearing and disappearing.
Directly above was a young male in a pure white robe. His face was painted a pure gold, and he had grown tentacles like rays of light.
His hands held a putrid green book and a spear condensed from radiance, respectively, while his chest and back were inverted.
In the upper right corner was a Monster holding a trident. It had an octopus-like head, wide-open eyes, and was entwined with lightning.
Countless bird feathers formed its cloak, and the Darkness transformed into waves, supporting its feet.
In the lower right was a plump and beautiful lady. Her chest was high and bare, and she held a baby with a rotting face in her arms. Beneath her feet were black wheat, springs of wriggling flesh, herbs flowing with pus, and animals mating wildly.
Directly below was an old man wearing a hood, with his mouth, wrinkles, and white beard exposed.
This old man held an open book, above which was an eye symbolizing omniscience.
At first glance, this old man seemed the most normal, but the smile etched on his lips had an indescribably sinister quality.
In the lower left corner was a giant Warrior in tattered armor. He leaned on a longsword, seated on a throne, with a desolate twilight as his backdrop.
Derrick had already learned about the Seven Gods worshiped in the outside world during the Tarot Club, and when he saw these murals, an unspeakable fear arose in his heart. These were murals blaspheming the gods!
His abnormality was instantly noticed by chief Colin Iliad beside him and Lovia, who was still by the idol, but both tacitly chose to remain silent.
Klein had already stood up from The Fool's high-backed chair, staring intently at the strange woman draped in starlight in the mural, his thoughts suddenly diverging:
"This, this is the Goddess? No, this is a malicious distortion!"
Although he had already left the Nighthawks, Klein still considered himself a believer of the Goddess in his heart and found this blasphemy somewhat unacceptable.
Taking a deep breath, he slowly sat down, trying to interpret the meaning of the mural:
"When the great catastrophe that formed the Forsaken Land of the Gods arrived, evil gods crawled out of the Abyss. The Fallen Creator, in order to save the world, bore the vast majority of sins and suffering, and thus appeared to be eroded, with His image changed...."
A strong sense of déjà vu emerged in his heart. Klein even had the illusion of watching "The Revelation of Night."
The City of Silver's exploration team did not stay too long. This temple, apart from some strange murals and an idol, seemed to pose no great danger, until they reached the deepest part of the temple, where a faint weeping sound suddenly emanated from the Darkness.
As the Darkness was gradually dispelled by light, a curled-up child of seven or eight years old was repeating a phrase in a strange tone:
"Save me...."
What struck the City of Silver's people as odd was that the words repeated in the strange tone included not only Jotun but also another language they had never heard before, overlapping and repeating as if two souls were vying for this body.
Demon Hunter Colin's eyes surged with dark green symbols, and his pupils then sharply constricted. He raised the straight sword, smeared with ointment, and pointed it warily at the little boy, while shouting:
"Lovia!"
The Shepherd's expression, however, was quite calm. Her light gray eyes looked at the slowly raising little boy, and she responded blandly, almost indifferently:
"Chief, this place was empty during the last exploration!"
Klein's fingers trembled above the gray fog. He actually heard perfectly clear Loenese from the little boy's mouth, even with a slight accent from Port Emlyn.
-----------------
In the Winter County, northern Loen Kingdom, deep within the Amantha Mountains.
A pointed Gothic black church stood in the snow-covered mountains, occupying a vast area.
In front of it was a cliff, and around it was a vast expanse of white, devoid of any sound. A faint mist enveloped it, giving a feeling of being both real and illusory.
This was the headquarters of the Church of the Evernight Goddess, the Church of the Evernight Goddess, commonly known as the Sanctuary.
In the Fourth Epoch, this place was even called the "Deep Darkness Kingdom," a divine kingdom separated from the real world only by an illusory 'Door'!
Looking at the black church at the very center of the Gothic architecture, Aaron, who had "wandered" here, stopped before the iron-black double doors that seemed meant for giants. Seven Dark Sacred Emblems were carved on the doors, like guardians of the Deep Darkness Kingdom.
As crimson moonlight scattered, a figure suddenly appeared, wearing a simple linen robe with mended patches. Her facial features were extremely ordinary, and her dark eyes were no different from a normal person's, yet she exuded an indescribable sense of peace and tranquility.
Looking at the Abbess of the Night Monastery, the head of the thirteen Archbishops, and the potential future Pope, Aaron nodded in respect, then tapped his chest four times clockwise:
"Good evening, Ms. Arianna."
Arianna drew a Crimson Moon on her chest and responded devoutly:
"May the Goddess bless you, Mr. Blessed."
Then, she looked at Aaron peacefully and raised her right arm. Aaron's figure then vanished, as if erased by an eraser.
Immediately after, the Abbess of the Night Monastery also disappeared, as if nothing had ever happened here, only a faint, ancient, illusory sigh echoing at the edge of this Gothic architecture.
Within the Astral World, a boundless expanse of tranquil Darkness stretched, filled with plants like Moonflowers and Night-scented Grass.
Aaron's figure appeared, feeling the tranquility that permeated his soul. In his hand was an unreal, ethereal crystal, and the surrounding Darkness seemed to instantly deepen by several shades.
This was precisely the item the Evernight Goddess's power projection had retrieved from the Holy City of "Camellia" back in the Forsaken Land of the Gods – essentially, the ethereal crystal of a Sequence 2 Servant of Concealment Beyonder characteristic!
Allowing the Angel Beyonder characteristic in his hand to be swallowed by a gentle force, Aaron bowed respectfully and slowly spoke:
"Respected Goddess, I wish to know if any fragments of the Night Emperor's divine kingdom remain after His fall."
From the depths of the Darkness, a figure veiled in shadow, toying with the ethereal crystal, floated out. She wore a layered but not overly elaborate dark black gown, adorned with countless dazzling points, as if inlaid with the night sky's myriad stars.
A soft voice echoed:
"Not all Sequence 0s can retain their divine kingdoms after their fall. The 'Kingdom of the Moon' was barely preserved due to the intertwined wills of the three Ancient Gods and the faith blessings of the Sanguine over several epochs."
"As for Phoenix Ancestor Greghary's 'City of the Dead,' Calderon, it was preserved because the authority of the Spirit World relied on the Underworld. However, it has now become even more dangerous."
"As for Trunsoest's divine kingdom, when he fell, the order and rules he established were completely shattered, and the divine kingdom lost its foundation. Most of it has completely disintegrated, with only the last two fragments remaining."
At this point, the soft voice paused slightly, and Aaron only felt the surrounding Darkness grow even denser:
"High-Sequence Beyonders of the Justiciar Pathway, including Sequence 2 Balancer and Sequence 1 Hand of Order, although they are only divine kingdom fragments, they are still infinitely useful."
"One piece is with the 'Artificer.' As far as I know, it was eventually given to Roselle, who was then the 'Son of Steam.' As for the other piece, it is preserved in St. Samuel's Church in Backlund, serving as the core of a Sealed Artifact, restraining and balancing my divine descent vessel."
Aaron's brows furrowed slightly, then relaxed as he carefully said:
"I am willing to go to Calderon to retrieve the water from the River of Eternal Darkness in exchange for the divine kingdom fragment in your possession."
If the Evernight Goddess wished to advance further, she would need to find the River of Eternal Darkness. With the help of its tributary water, she could better accommodate the Uniqueness of an adjacent Pathway.
And as the master of the Nation of Disorder, Aaron was probably the only High-Sequence individual currently capable of resisting the pollution from other Sefirot.
Of course, the Evernight Goddess could also wait a few more years until the Primordial One's will further receded, then retrieve it herself, or wait for Klein to advance to an Angel.
But both of these would take a considerable amount of time. The reason why it took the Evernight Goddess so long to accommodate the Death Uniqueness, to the point where she couldn't even perform a divine descent, was partly to put on a show for the God of Combat.
On the other hand, without external help, the Uniqueness of an adjacent Pathway is indeed difficult to accommodate. Otherwise, as a true god, the God of Combat would not have been deceived so badly.
This was also Aaron's best bargaining chip at the moment. If aided by the tributary water of the River of Eternal Darkness, the Evernight Goddess's process of accommodating the Death Uniqueness might proceed more smoothly.
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