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Reflected in Danitz's pupils was a thin glove that looked like it was made of human skin. Two eyes had split open in its palm, their pupils wet, as if stained with blood.
Distorted, ferocious, and wailing transparent faces immediately appeared in his Spirit Body, filled with a sorrow and madness that made one unbearable to look at.
The intense emotional fluctuations shattered the dream, and Danitz abruptly sat up from his bed. He glanced at the crimson moon outside the window, wiped the cold sweat from his face, and cursed under his breath:
"Shit! Just trying to sleep and..."
Before he could finish, a chill instantly permeated his bones. Danitz seemed to hear unwilling shouts and painful moans.
Following that sensation, he stiffly turned his head to look behind him, only to see a cold-faced young man sitting on the sofa in the living room. His appearance matched the one in his dream, and he wore a human skin glove on his right hand.
"Creeping Hunger!"
The name flashed through his mind. Danitz's body tensed. This fellow in front of him was either a powerful individual who had killed Qilangos, or there was a powerful figure of the Four Kings level behind him.
Neither possibility was something a Sequence 6 like him could handle. And the other party could clearly have killed him silently in his sleep, but he hadn't...
It had to be said that the Conspirer potion had indeed improved Danitz's intelligence to some extent, at least allowing him to recognize his current predicament and make the most correct choice. He cleared his throat and said, neither obsequious nor arrogant:
"Blazing Danitz, First Mate of the Golden Dream, greets Your Excellency. I can guarantee with my life that the so-called key to the Death's treasure is a frame-up by someone with ulterior motives against us!"
"I believe you have already confirmed that I do not possess the so-called key."
Death's treasure? Klein, somewhat surprised, lowered his eyes slightly, concealing the gleam within them. Then, as if nothing had happened, he fiddled with the human skin glove on his right hand, abandoning his previous line of talk. Following the First Mate's words, he continued coldly:
"Whether it's a frame-up, I will make my own judgment. From now on, you are my captive."
"Do you have any objections?"
"Dog..." Danitz's eyes widened instantly. Fortunately, he managed to hold back the words that were about to blurt out at the last moment.
He had only been promoted to Conspirer for less than a month. Even if he were to compare himself horizontally with the former Vice Admiral Hurricane, he would not be an opponent, let alone the one in front of him.
It only took two seconds for Danitz to choose between 'fighting to the Death for dignity' and 'a true man knows when to yield and will seek revenge later'.
Watching Klein slowly stand up, Danitz showed an awkward but polite smile and tentatively asked:
"I can't just keep calling you Your Excellency, can I? Also, what are you planning to do next?"
His expression grew increasingly stern and sharp. A slit opened in the palm of the human skin glove on Klein's right hand, revealing rows of illusory teeth, and a chilling chewing sound emanated from it.
Maintaining his persona, Klein glanced at the tense Danitz and responded coldly:
"I am merely an adventurer. You may call me Gehrman Sparrow!"
"As for now, I need to replenish some sacrifices. Take me to the underground black market in Damir Port. I imagine you should be very familiar with places where pirates gather, right?"
Listening to the illusory chewing sound echoing in his ears and recalling certain rumors about Qilangos, Danitz's face twitched. He hurriedly got up, opened the door, and made a 'please' gesture.
-----------------
Feynapotter Kingdom, Serenity, Governor's Mansion.
Mobet, who had secretly returned from Backlund, floated in mid-air with barely concealed joy. This was not achieved by borrowing some divine artifact, but by the use of the Mentor of Deceit's own abilities, specifically deceiving gravity to make himself or objects float and fly.
As the pinnacle existence of this pathway, Amon had indeed used the corresponding authority to tamper with the knowledge originally contained within the Beyonder characteristic. However, Mobet had been personally taught by Pallez.
Even though he had just been promoted, he had basically mastered the Mentor of Deceit's abilities, including deceiving skills to break free from locks, and preventing the Scholar of Yore from manipulating his true Spirit Body Threads, etc.
As the initial excitement subsided, Mobet seemed to remember something and muttered in a worried whisper:
"Old man, after you recover to Sequence 1, what about that Amon...?"
It was no wonder Mobet thought so much. Pallez's main body was still with him. The cumulative effect of a Sequence 1 plus a Sequence 3 on Amon was simply unimaginable.
If it were in Backlund, that Blasphemer might still have some scruples, fearing a divine descent, but this was Serenity.
Specks of light emerged from Mobet's body, condensing into Pallez's figure beside him. Before his junior could speak again, Pallez's figure disappeared directly, leaving only a brief sentence:
"Do your part. As for Amon, you don't need to worry."
Losing his connection with the old man, Mobet sighed, his expression once again becoming solemn. Imitating Odeson Castiya's voice, he spoke with authority:
"Immediately summon Anderson Hood to the Governor's Mansion!"
-----------------
Northern Serenity, the central plateau belonging to the Feynapotter Kingdom. The void vibrated, and Pallez's figure immediately appeared, nodding to the two figures who had long been waiting there.
The Sanguine's "New Moon" Duke Jorna scrutinized Pallez with a somewhat strange gaze. Although she had only been promoted to an Angel in the Fifth Epoch, as a long-lived species, she had also met the patriarch of the Roselle family in the Fourth Epoch.
After Aaron used the mark he had left on Klein to go to Damir Port and confirm that he was fine, he left the "Eye of Rusco" and that Blasphemy Slate before rushing directly here.
As the convener of this meeting, Aaron smiled and spoke first when Pallez arrived:
"This is 'New Moon' Jorna, the youngest of the three Sanguine Dukes, and a descendant of 'Blood Moon Queen' Auernia. She is also extremely concerned about the matters of the Trunsoest remnants!"
Listening to this introduction with hidden meanings, Pallez gave a wry smile. He did not put on airs despite having recovered his complete Sequence 1 status. Being an old fox, he immediately understood Aaron's hint.
"I will go with you to the divine war ruins in the Sonia Sea. That was a promise I made back then, and it will not change."
Aaron nodded in satisfaction. Looking at the two Angels, he pondered for a moment and said carefully:
"Astolfo needs some time to recover due to the matter of the Forsaken Land of the Gods. The approximate time will be set for a week later."
"The reason I invited you two here now is that some matters are quite complex, and there may be some unexpected, uncontrollable situations that arise."
Jorna's blood-colored eyes shifted, moving her gaze from Pallez. She asked back with an uncertain tone:
"Are you referring to the Forsaken Land of the Gods?"
Aaron nodded, and a faint golden glow condensed, forming a rough sea chart of the divine war ruins in the middle of the three of them.
This was also a map Astolfo had simply drawn from memory before going into seclusion to recuperate. After Aaron's previous exploration and modification of the divine war ruins, even if there were discrepancies, they would not be significant.
The map attracted everyone's attention. Aaron pointed to the easternmost part of the divine war ruins, which was also the only place marked besides the core area, and continued:
"This area connects to the Giant King's Court in the Forsaken Land of the Gods, and the True Creator's Divine Kingdom is also in this location. Even if the Seven Deities have sealed it, if a major change occurs in the divine war ruins, I cannot be sure what that Evil God will do."
As soon as these words were spoken, not only Jorna but also Pallez's brows furrowed. He asked with some uncertainty:
"What did you do in the Forsaken Land of the Gods before?"
After he recovered his complete status in the Jacob family's treasure, he personally helped Mobet complete the Mentor of Deceit's promotion ritual. He only knew that Aaron was plotting against the Abomination hidden in the Forsaken Land of the Gods.
During this period, he sensed that Aaron had 'reappeared' himself at Sequence 1 using the Star Crown, but he knew little about the more specific details.
Aaron carefully chose his words and briefly described the various accidents in the Forsaken Land of the Gods. After listening, Pallez added with some helplessness:
"The battle between the True Creator and the Dark Side of the Universe should have ended. After re-sealing the Abyss passage in the Forsaken Land of the Gods, he may remain dormant for a period."
"But if he senses your aura, alas, if it's not necessary, try to avoid provoking that Lunatic."
Circumstances forced it... Aaron gave a wry smile and sighed. Then he straightened his expression and continued:
"This divine war ruins is a rare opportunity. Not only can it help Astolfo obtain the last Abomination characteristic, but my ritual to advance to Sequence 2 Balancer can also be completed through it."
"This is also the opportunity for the Specter Empire to return to the world. The lost history will return. The Miracle Invoker characteristic has now been obtained. I am also preparing to let Cavendish take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to advance together!"
Jorna frowned tightly and said in a deep voice:
"Isn't that too rushed?"
"Although this is a rare opportunity, with so many things happening at once, if any part goes wrong, I'm afraid..."
At this point, she paused, glanced at the thoughtful Pallez, and asked directly without avoiding the topic:
"Moreover, as far as I know, that Blasphemer has always been craving the last Worm of Time. If he interferes, even if the Seven Deities watch from the Astral World, how will you deal with it?"
Aaron's expression remained unchanged. He did not elaborate but calmly explained:
"I have already prepared for this. If he acts outside the Forsaken Land of the Gods, someone will stop him. It is not yet time for him to obtain the last Worm of Time characteristic!"
The Error's apotheosis ritual destined Amon not to obtain the Worm of Time before Adam achieved the Visionary, otherwise, if Amon backstabbed and replaced the apotheosis ritual, who knows when the next world trend would be. Adam, completely dominated by his divinity, would only consider gains and losses, and would not allow such a threat to arise because of Amon's identity. However, to add insurance to this idea, Aaron felt it was still necessary to meet Adam again.
Although she didn't know why Aaron was so confident, Jorna said no more. She added calmly:
"I have convinced 'Purple Moon' and 'Full Moon'. At that time, I can mobilize the power of the 'Moon Kingdom' to assist you during your promotion."
Aaron was somewhat moved but still slowly shook his head, declining Jorna's kind offer. Seeing Jorna's somewhat puzzled expression, he explained:
"The relationship between the Sanguine and the Trunsoest Empire is already prone to suspicion. The Specter Empire still has the Night Emperor's remaining arrangements, and its emergence will certainly attract strong hostility from certain individuals. Therefore, the Sanguine should not appear directly in the divine war ruins."
"Unless a special, unsolvable situation arises, you don't need to directly intervene. You only need to maintain Cavendish's Historical Projection."
All preparations for the Miracle Invoker's promotion had been completed. The only and biggest problem was that Cavendish's main body was still in the Forsaken Land of the Gods and could not leave for the time being.
However, fortunately, he had discussed this issue with Pallez a long time ago, drawing inspiration from how Amon and Adam helped Antigonus advance to half a Fool in the Fourth Epoch, which led to a more feasible solution:
That is, before the promotion ritual begins, summon Cavendish's Historical Projection. With Cavendish's active cooperation, Pallez, who has recovered to Sequence 1, will personally act to temporarily steal Cavendish's main body's fate, identity, self-cognition, and even Beyonder characteristics onto the historical projection.
Combined with the Worm of Time's deception of rules, this would allow Cavendish's Historical Projection to successfully complete the promotion. Finally, the fate of successful promotion would be returned to the main body, and that Miracle Invoker characteristic would then be bestowed upon Cavendish by Aaron.
Having completed the ritual to some extent and possessing the fate of successful promotion, Cavendish could also become an Angel in the Forsaken Land of the Gods. This was also why Aaron risked everything to help Pallez quickly recover to Sequence 1.
Aaron himself also wanted to attempt to advance to an Angel, and he had no spare capacity to summon and maintain Cavendish's Historical Projection. Jorna, as a mobile emergency force, was the most suitable.
Pallez glanced at Jorna, who seemed to want to say something but then fell silent. He turned his head to Aaron and said in a deep voice:
"I need the Scholar of Yore's essence blood and one of his Worms of Spirit to use as a medium for stealing fate."
"Also, the commotion of me fully stealing fate will not be hidden from Amon. You should understand what I mean."
Aaron nodded, not surprised by this, but it was also a risk that had to be borne. All he could do was minimize the risk as much as possible.
After roughly finalizing the plan for the divine war ruins a week later, Aaron watched the two Angels disappear one by one, and his own figure gradually faded. It was also time to talk to that fanatic.
In addition, he also needed to consider the reactions of Augustus and Castiya after the Specter Empire emerged, at least to ensure it wouldn't immediately become the fuse for a world war.
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