Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Sharron was silent for two seconds before she said, “I’ll help ask.”
It means you need to consider it? That’s right. The negative effects of Scales of Luck does leave one hesitant. However, Biological Poison Bottle is really compatible with a Wraith. If it wasn’t because I’m short on money, and how it lowers my immunity, making me easily fall sick, I wouldn’t be willing to sell it. It’s rather effective in an ambush! Klein vaguely grasped Sharron’s intentions as he stuffed the silver necklace back into his collar.
He asked after some thought, “Which power of a High-Sequence Prisoner pathway Beyonder makes all surrounding lifeless items attack one’s target?”
“Puppet,” Sharron succinctly replied.
It’s the power of a Sequence 4 Puppet? Turning themselves into a lifeless puppet, so that they are able to control all lifeless objects in a certain range? Advancing further, will they be able to directly influence the mystical items of an enemy? Klein nodded in enlightenment and asked, “Then, do you know that demigod?”
He immediately described in detail the appearance of the elder who had attacked him outside Bayam.
“Shanks,” Sharron calmly said a name.
I actually wished that you could share with me more about him… Klein knew Miss Sharron’s style as he said with an exasperated smile, “Then, do you know Zatwen?”
He was the mentor of the Naturism Sect’s leader in Oravi Island.
“The demigod who was pursuing us,” Sharron answered without hiding anything or any emotions, like a doll.
That’s the one who made me feel like the chairs, tables, and curtains wished to kill me… What a coincidence… However, it wasn’t arranged. It just proves that as a secret organization, the Rose School of Thought, with a history of over a thousand years, doesn’t have that many demigods… Perhaps it has about the same number as the Aurora Order. The number of saints number around five, and the number of angels and Grade 0 Sealed Artifacts number about two to three… Of course, this is also because they were suppressed by the seven major Churches, reducing their headquarters to colonies. At the height of their powers, they might’ve had far more than these… Klein thought and asked again, “Then, do you know the Rose School of Thought member that is able to make an entire mountain tremble with just one arm?”
He planned on describing the arm’s traits, but he realized that he hadn’t dared to look straight at it.
Sharron listened quietly as her eyes darted around as though they came to life. She asked with a clear voice, “What did you encounter?”
A saint, an angel, as well as Sea King, an Aurora Order demigod, a monster byproduct from the Numinous Episcopate’s Artificial Death… Klein silently made a self-deprecating comment as he said with a wry smile, “I got on the bad side with the Mother Tree of Desire, and I suffered an ambush from the Rose School of Thought. Thankfully, I was in Bayam, allowing the Church of Storms and the kingdom’s military to take action. I also threw out an item corrupted with the True Creator’s aura, as well as something related to the Numinous Episcopate. In short, it was chaos, and I took the opportunity to escape.”
He replied frankly, apart from hiding the existence of Miss Messenger and Mr. Azik. As for the matter of the True Creator, he believed that Miss Sharron had long known that he wasn’t affected by the ravings. This could be explained by a timely psychological intervention or psychic treatment.
“Mother Tree of Desire…” Sharron murmured the name as rare emotional upheavals slowly appeared in her eyes.
Klein didn’t have the interpretation abilities of a Spectator, and he was unable to tell what was exactly on Sharron’s mind. He could only sense that she felt a little fear and loathing.
Sharron quickly restrained her abnormal reaction, turning back into an extremely exquisite “doll.”
She looked at Sherlock Moriarty and said, “You are very lucky and very mysterious.”
Klein smiled without a word, neither lying nor explaining.
Sharron didn’t inquire as she said, “You might’ve met Suah. ‘He’ is an Abomination born 922 years ago and claims to be the son of the Chained God. ‘He’ is also the present leader of the Rose School of Thought.”
No way. The Rose School of Thought sent its leader and a demigod to deal with me… I’m just a mere Sequence 5! If not for Orange Light Hilarion’s warning, I might’ve already been captured by the Rose School of Thought… Klein felt a chill run down his back again as he asked, “Is Abomination the name of the Prisoner pathway’s Sequence 2 or Sequence 1?”
“Probably,” Sharron didn’t give an affirmative answer.
At this moment, without waiting for Klein’s response, she said, “Williams Street has been destroyed.”
Klein had pondered what kind of reaction he should have when Miss Sharron raised the topic, so he immediately frowned.
“By who? When did it happen?”
“The Nighthawks and Machinery Hivemind. About two months ago.” Sharron had clearly gathered the corresponding intelligence.
Klein nodded solemnly and, after some deep thought, said, “Perhaps we’ve neglected something. That evil spirit didn’t need us to rescue it. It was still controlling Baronet Pound!
“Could it be that something happened to that gentleman, incurring the notice of the Nighthawks and Machinery Hiveminds?” Klein offered a guess filled with half-truths without utmost confidence.
Sharron nodded.
“Baronet Pound died during one of his revelries.”
That’s it? That’s the end to Alista Tudor’s final bloodline? Klein thought and said, “How’s the situation with Williams Street at the moment?”
“Some high-rise buildings are being built,” Sharron described without much of an expression. “People monitored it in secret at the beginning, but the surveillance decreased with time, diminishing to zero early last month.”
Klein pondered for a few seconds and said, “Have you gone down to explore it?”
Sharron’s eyes swept his face.
“No.”
This is her remembering our unwritten agreement—to explore it together because we found it together? What a noble-hearted lady. The Rose School of Thought’s temperance faction is infinitely times better than the indulgence faction! Klein probed, “Shall we go now?”
“Alright,” Sharron succinctly expressed her stance.
Klein immediately instructed the carriage driver, and he changed the destination to Williams Street at the intersection of West Borough and Empress Borough.
Along the way, he casually mentioned what he heard and saw at sea, as well as the experiences that didn’t involve his secrets. Although Sharron didn’t answer him, she listened attentively, seemingly interested.
This made Klein recall the time when he first got to know her as Miss Bodyguard. She sat on the illusory high-back chair in the oriel window’s glass. Her right hand held her cheek as she seriously listened to his conversation with Ian. She had great potential in being a Spectator.
The carriage passed through the silent streets in the drizzle before finally arriving near Williams Street.
Without approaching the area, Klein and Sharron discovered that the area had become a huge worksite.
After circling to the region that matched the underground ruins, they stood behind a huge tree with a lush canopy. Klein said to Sharron, who wasn’t drenched by the rain despite not holding an umbrella, “Let’s head down.”
As the rain fell, they passed through Sharron’s blonde hair and body before hitting the ground.
“Alright.” Sharron didn’t ask how Sherlock Moriarty was planning on heading down with her.
Klein reached his hand into his pocket and easily removed the wall of spirituality, and he opened the iron cigar case.
Beside him, a figure suddenly appeared. It was none other than Admiral of Blood Senor who wore a dark red coat and an old triangular hat.
“He will head down in my stead,” Klein said with a smile.
Immediately following that, he controlled his marionette in a composed manner.
Senor immediately pressed his hand to his chest and bowed at Sharron.
“Good evening. I’m honored to work with you.”
Sharron swept her gaze across Klein and Senor, and without a word, her body sank into the soil.
Uh, Miss Sharron seems to detest Senor quite significantly… Klein curled his lips and made Admiral of Blood rapidly turn into a Wraith and sink.
As for himself, he leaned on a tree, half-closed his eyes as he seriously controlled the marionette. There wasn’t anyone around him, and the drizzle was light and the streetlights dim.
Slowly, Klein found the feeling of being a Marionettist.
His vision and Senor’s vision overlapped with one another as he saw black-brown soil, squirming worms, and miscellaneous items in between the rocks.
As they passed through layers of obstacles, they arrived at the region where the ruin once was. The dome ceiling had collapsed and the stone columns had snapped. The area was filled with soil and rubble, looking nothing like it once was.
Such a scene made Klein believe that the humanoid statues of the six deities had been completely destroyed.
To his joy, their location was relatively close to the room which sealed the evil spirit. That meant that he didn’t need to worry that any subsequent exploration would exceed the hundred-meter range for the control of his marionette.
Amidst the smell of soil and rot, they soon entered the previously menacing room; however, between the rubble and soil, there were only a few signs of crushed bone and rotting clothes. The dark gold and deep blue light from before had all vanished.
The Beyonder characteristics have been taken away by the Nighthawks and Machinery Hivemind… Senor’s expression twitched as it perfectly reflected Klein’s mood.
Sharron turned around in the dark solid environment and gently shook her head.
“They didn’t send anyone in. There are no traces of living creatures existing in here.”
That’s right. If a living person had entered and exited this room over the past half year, a Wraith should be able to sense it… Besides, the deity statues obviously cannot be seen by the Nighthawks and Machinery Hivemind… Where did those Beyonder characteristics go? As Klein frowned, Senor had a similar reaction.
Could it be that the evil spirit wasn’t completely obliterated? It had long escaped? Klein thought about it when he suddenly came to an alarming conclusion.
He held back his emotions and made Senor pass through the soil and rubble-filled room with Sharron, and they arrived at the spot where the bloody door previously stood. And at that moment, only a few splinters proved that it existed before.
After proceeding forward a few meters, the two truly entered the room where the evil spirit was sealed.
It had likewise been destroyed and buried. Klein used Senor’s body and eyes to look for clues as he flew about.
“There should be a black high-back chair here.” Sharron stopped and pointed at the splinters above two rocks.
Klein instantly recalled the scene he had once seen in the dream—the young man suspected of being Medici had sat on a high-back chair, his head drooped low as though dead.
Sharron didn’t pause. She continued proceeding in the compressed soil in search for any traces. Suddenly, she spoke again.
“There should be one here.”
Another one? A second black high-back chair? “Klein” floated over in surprise.
