Klein suddenly understood something when he looked at the

serious Old Neil. It didn’t matter if they were Nighthawks,

Mandated Punishers, or Machinery Hivemind. Their aim was to
stop supernatural powers from harming the innocent and
maintain peace and stability in Tingen. If they were met with a
dangerous and urgent situation, their sense of duty would propel
them to help without hesitation!

Swain answered succinctly, “Be my support!”

He didn’t explain why the person lost control or where the

Rampager was. Instead, he made his way to the exit quickly.

This ex-captain of the Mandated Punishers was clearly an old

alcoholic, but Klein realized that he could not keep up with the
man’s pace. He needed to break into a jog to ensure that he was
not left behind.

He turned his head to look at Old Neil, only to see the old
Mystery Pryer break into a run.

The three of them didn’t pay any attention to the gazes of the
guards on their way there. One of them had an old navy uniform
draped over him, another was in a dark classic robe, and the
other in a black trench coat. They charged out of the billiard
room and into Evil Dragon Bar.
The customers who were drinking shifted their gazes from the
rat-baiting competition to Klein and company.

“Is that Boss Swain?”

“Where’s he going in such a hurry?”

“Did someone default on their loan?”

...

Amidst the soft murmurs, some of the customers focused their

attention back to the cage. They once again broke into an uproar,
venting the stresses of their day. However, some of the more
perceptive customers felt a faint sense of unease.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

Klein, Old Neil, and Swain ran across the road and entered the
harbor district.

“On that boat.” Swain slowed down and pointed at a cargo ship
not far away. “Two Mandated Punishers are circling the
Rampager, preventing him from entering the Tussock River. Help
me influence him and bring him under control. Leave the rest to
me.”
Old Neil panted for air and said, “Alright, b-but you have to give
me a minute. Phew, a minute to recover.”

Swain nodded and didn’t say any more. He charged up to the

ship and joined the fight.

Upon hearing the sounds of combat on the ship, Old Neil looked
at the somewhat nervous Klein. He took out a piece of silver
about the size of a baby’s palm from a hidden pocket near his
waist. He then passed the silver to Klein and said, “Slumber
Charm. The incantation to activate this amulet is the phrase
‘Evernight’ in ancient Hermes. After you finish the incantation,
inject your spirituality into the charm and then throw it at the
target after three seconds.”

“Alright!” Klein extended his hand to receive the charm and felt
moved.

This charm was carved with Hermes incantations on both sides,

as well as the corresponding symbols, Path Numbers, and the
spell’s characteristics. He didn’t need to activate his Spirit Vision
to feel the deep, serene power flowing within the charm.

Old Neil stood up straight and took out a similar charm from his
hidden pocket and held it in his palm. He joked as he walked
toward the cargo ship, “Do not be too nervous, relax and think
about something else. For example, I lent you that charm. If
you’re going to use it, remember to make one for me in return.
Of course, you can wait till next month, when you receive a new
quota of materials before you do so.”

This... He really is the experienced Old Neil... Klein placed the

charm into his left pocket, reached into his holster, took out his
revolver, and adjusted the hammer and drum.

“I don’t feel that nervous anymore...” He had a gun in one hand

and his cane in the other. He made his way up the steps with Old
Neil and boarded the cargo ship.

This cargo ship had obvious signs of age. Although it was

powered by steam and had a chimney, it retained its past
fixtures such as its mast and sails. Furthermore, only its surface
and some other portions were plated with metal; the remaining
sections of the ship were still made of wood.

As the sounds of the battle intensified, Klein and Old Neil

suddenly heard a loud noise amid the din while searching for a
way to enter the cabin.

The wooden cabin was instantly shattered, its fragments flying

everywhere. A figure fell through the hole and crashed onto the
side of the ship.

Klein didn’t have the luxury of time to evaluate the man’s

injuries. His gaze was focused on the monster which was
charging towards the hole.
The monster was over 1.8 meters in height and was wearing a
tattered shirt and trouser. Its ankles were covered with dark
green scales, and a layer of skin had formed between its fingers
and toes, as if they were the webbed limbs of an aquatic
creature.

It had a head covered in wrinkles, still barely resembling a

human. Its scales were coated with a sticky fluid that
continuously dripped onto the floor.

Sizzle!

The sticky dark-green liquid corroded the deck slightly, leaving

visible marks behind.

Bam! Swain punched the monster from the side, causing it to

stagger two steps to the side.

Bam! Bam! Bam! Even with the ridiculous muscles Swain had, he
was clearly inferior to the monster. Despite having his punches
and kicks connect, they were unable to smash through its scales
and cause physical harm. Swain was momentarily reduced to a
wretched state as he staggered.

If not for Swain’s astounding sense of balance and the efforts of

the other Mandated Punishers to shoot and suppress the
monster, Klein suspected that this blue-eyed elder would’ve been
beaten to death by the monster.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Swain took multiple steps back, then
advanced once again, like a moth to a flame.

But Klein could sense that he was accumulating something,

waiting for something.

Bam!

Swain was sent to retreat, his body obscuring another Mandated

Punisher’s field of vision.

The monster took this chance to charge towards the opening.

It wanted to escape the ship and jump into the Tussock River!

Looking at the wrinkled, sticky head of the monster, Klein lifted

his right hand and pulled the trigger.

Bang!

The silver demon hunting bullet hit the monster’s body just as
he predicted. But it had only hit its scales and failed to fully
penetrate its body.

The monster let out a ear-piercing shriek before it exerted

strength with its feet and pounced at Klein.
When a stinking fishy smell hit him, Klein suddenly hunched
down and rolled to the side.

Clang! He felt the ship shake as fragments had hit it as well.

At the same time, he heard an old but deep voice recite an

incantation in ancient Hermes, “Evernight!”

Klein rolled over two more times. He couldn’t care about his cane
as he lifted his head and revolver in a fluster. All he saw was Old
Neil tossing out his charm calmly, despite being incredibly close
to the monster.

The piece of silver was instantly swallowed by a dark red flame

and released the faint sound of an explosion.

A deep, serene power spread forth. The monster, who had almost
destroyed the side of the ship, rocked. Its movements became
sluggish.

Swain charged out from the cabin. He approached the creature

and pulled back his arm, hitting the monster like a jackhammer.
His punches connected with the head of the monster.

But he could barely inflict a wound, let alone cause any fatal
damage. But Klein could sense that whatever the blue-eyed elder
was accumulating had finally reached its peak.
Boom! The monster seemed to recover. It flailed its arm and
made Swain take five steps back in retreat. Each of his steps
caused cracks to form on the deck.

Seeing that the monster was about to turn around and jump off
the cargo ship, Klein took out the Slumber Charm from his
pocket in a hurry.

After which, he expertly recited the phrase in Ancient Hermes,

“Evernight!”

Suddenly, Klein felt the silver charm in his hand turn ice-cold,
as if it was made from snow.

He didn’t think too much about it. He injected his spirituality

into the charm, then pulled his arm back before throwing it
forward, sending the charm flying towards the monster.

Meanwhile, the murloc-like monster had jumped into the air.

The dark red flames illuminated the surrounding darkness and

the faint explosion was like a prelude to a slumber as it quickly
radiated outwards.

Bam!
The monster fell onto the dock, squirming into a ball. It was
temporarily in a half-asleep state.

Klein was just about to rush to the side of the boat and shoot at
the monster’s head when he suddenly saw Swain charge out and
jump over, his navy uniform already long gone.

He changed his posture in the air, his muscles tightening.

Using his spiritual perception, Klein could feel something that

had been suppressed erupt. Swain descended from the sky and
slammed into the body of the monster. He then straightened his
back and landed a heavy fist on the head of the monster.

Crack!

The monster’s skull shattered into pieces. Dark red blood and
grayish brain matter laced with the green sticky liquid splattered
all over the ground.

“This is one of the abilities of a Folk of Rage?” Klein muttered to

himself as he stood near the broken side of the ship.

Old Neil held his left arm and leaned over to look at what had
happened below.
At that moment, Swain was standing straight. He stared at the
monster under his feet that had just lost its life.

He took out a metal flask and opened the lid. He drank a good
half of the liquor before tilting the flask, pouring the remaining
liquor onto the monster.

After finishing this, Swain looked like he had aged considerably,

his back hunching a little.

Old Neil sighed as he looked at the scene below. He whispered to

Klein, “I know this Mandated Punisher who lost control. He had
followed Swain for almost thirty years, once clearing water
ghosts who had been killing people on the shore. He also
captured evil Beyonders who were trying to escape through the
Tussock River...”

He didn’t continue, but Klein understood what he wanted to say:

A guard who had made many contributions and killed countless
monsters ended up becoming a monster himself.

This was not an isolated incident. It was a possible outcome that

many members of the Nighthawks, Mandated Punishers, or
Machinery Hivemind would one day face.
TL Note: Hi, CKtalon here, the translator of LoM. I’ve included the
author’s notes before the book went Premium in China below.

Author’s Notes:

It has been two months since LoM was first released, and it’s
time to go Premium.

In the past two months, I nearly didn’t say much in the Author’s
Notes or interact much with you. The main reason is that I’m
increasingly convinced that the best communication between
author and reader is inside the novel. I will write whatever I
wish to express or describe inside the story, so there’s no need
for me to say anything else.

Yes, back to LoM, I probably had this idea to find the joy from
first coming into contact with web novels. That feeling of “wow,
there can be such a world” or “there’s actually such a magical
world.”

Back then, every book presented a variety of different and

interesting worlds. It always exposed me to more, making me
unable to extricate myself from those worlds as they expand my
imagination. Of course, it has to do with me having little
exposure to similar novels.
Therefore, when I felt that I had made sufficient preparations in
creating the framework of a relatively new world and an
interesting and amazing system, I began this book with
uneasiness and courage.

With “acting” the 22 Pathways as core, with 220 potions and 220
“jobs,” this is a part that I hope the most that can interest
everyone. In addition, it mixes in Cthulu mythos, SCP Foundation
elements, and the vibes of the first Industrial Revolution’s era
and a steampunk world.

I read many books and created many settings, but I know that
what’s most important is to carefully tell this story. I took my
time to tell it, which is why the first volume’s pace is extremely
slow. It’s also why chapters consisting of more than 410,000+
Chinese characters (255,000+ English words) were released free. I
wanted to honestly develop the plot and accentuate the
characters to portray the world. I didn’t seek so-called climaxes
and presented the scenes in my heart to you.

Thanks to MAM’s writing, I was able to have standards that can

attract others when writing slice of life parts, allowing me to be
equipped with the ability and writing flair needed to honestly
tell a story.

In the past, I learned how to express, or it could be said that

every writer or author can innately express. But now, I feel that
I’ve begun restraining myself. Many a time, I would not describe
it, but use actions, speech and expressions to present the
emotions, without any inner monologue. I might not even use
actions, speech, and expression, just describing it coldly, like the
chapter with the female lead workers. It’s also my wish to
maintain standards at critical points in LoM.

This book’s various frameworks are probably the most complete

one among all my books. Look forward to how I handle
everything.

This is my thoughts and attempts for this book. I hope everyone

will like it. I wish you can support me by paying for Premium
chapters; after all, I still need to make a livelihood. I still need to
meet the demands of my wife...

I’ve always been a normal person, and I’ve never had any doubts
to that. At the same time, I’m also a person who’s very lazy and
have many personality problems.

I once thought of organizing my own fan club like other authors,

but, aiyah, it’s really frustrating and tiring. Then, there was no
more ‘thens.’

I once thought of having a Weibo [1] to amass some popularity,

but, aiyah, it’s really frustrating and tiring. Then, there was no
more ‘thens.’ I’ve already lost track of the last time I updated on
Weibo.
I made a public WeChat account and attempted writing
somethings, but, aiyah, it’s really frustrating and tiring. Then,
there are updates only once in a while.

I attempted to hire others to help me run the social media

account, but I always find it awkward and embarrassing seeing
the content posted by others. So, I stopped it.

Phew, I wish to be a mediator for myself. Admit it, you are a lazy
person. You are a person who is flawed when it comes to social
interactions. You are a thin skinned person who wants face at the
cost of your life. You are a person who doesn’t like getting
disturbed by various miscellaneous matters. You are just like it is
to wash a pig is to waste both water and soap.

Perhaps, what I can do well and am willing to do well is to write

novels, the depiction of the story in my heart.

That is how I reconcile with myself, not to live on awkwardly or

force myself to become popular. For the public account, I’ll post
something when I think of it. If there’s nothing, forget it. Well,
reconciliation is just an artistic way of saying convincing. The
accurate description should be to live in self-abandonment.
*Rubs hands nefariously.*

After this communication, we will have Premium chapters for

the next update. I’ll make my plea here for you to support
Premium and vote with your Power Stones. There will be a mass
release! Really, I have a stockpile!

Well, there will at least be 5, maybe 6!

1. Chinese Twitter.
 CHAPTER 130: BACKLUND’S SECRET GATHERING
Klein looked at Swain standing before the monster’s corpse
before looking sideways towards the Mandated Punisher who
was helping his semi-conscious partner up by the arm. Klein
suddenly felt an indescribable sadness.

It was almost impossible for members of the Nighthawks,

Mandated Punishers, and the Machinery Hivemind to be known
as heroes. The things they did were never made known to the
public but only hidden in confidential dockets. But the danger
and pain they endured were ever so real.

Perhaps there would be a day when my enemy will be one of my

teammates... Klein sighed silently. He felt the heavy weight that
all Nighthawks, Mandated Punishers, and Machinery Hivemind
carried.

At that moment, Old Neil let out a sigh.

“Let’s go. Let’s not disturb them.”

“Okay.” Klein picked up his cane. Just as he widened his stride,

he suddenly noticed that Old Neil was still holding his left hand.
He asked, concerned, “Are you hurt?”
Old Neil chuckled briefly before saying, “I got stabbed by one of
the shrapnel earlier. If I was still young, I definitely would’ve
been able to dodge it. Luckily, it’s just a small cut.”

He moved his right hand slightly to let Klein see the tiny wound
that was still lightly bleeding on the back of his left hand.

After he confirmed that it wasn’t a big issue, Klein walked off

along the gangway as he sighed.

“Mr. Neil, you’re much calmer than I imagined. Despite being

less than two meters away from the monster, you could still
chant the incantation calmly and use the charm.”

Although the rampaging Mandated Punisher had leaped towards

Klein in the form of a monster, Old Neil was physically very
close to him the entire time.

Old Neil chucked at the compliment.

“I’m an experienced Nighthawk. Among the dangerous things

that I’ve done, what happened just now isn’t even in my top ten.
Once, when I was patrolling Raphael Cemetery with Dunn, I had
no idea that a corpse had turned into a zombie and left its tomb
to lie in ambush in the shadows of the trees. I passed by without
noticing it at all since I was looking for some hidden spot. Heh,
you know what I mean. In the end, he leapt onto my back and
seized my throat.”
Klein felt gripped by terror when he heard the recollection as he
voiced out his guess.

“And under such a situation, you were still calm enough to use a
charm? Or did you use some spell that a Mystery Pryer could cast
quickly?”

Old Neil stole a glance at him and chortled. “No, Dunn managed
to drag that zombie into a slumber in time. I’m telling you this
story to tell you that, as a Nighthawk, you not only have to
believe in yourself, you also have to trust your teammates too.”

Klein fell silent for a few seconds. Then, he replied both sincerely
and jokingly, “Mr. Neil, you are so wise today.”

Old Neil did a tiny hop and found his footing on the pier. He
replied in disdain, “That’s because you only get to know the most
trivial side of me usually.”

The two of them left the harbor and walked towards Evil Dragon
Bar.

Klein put away his revolver, set his cane aside, and took off his
jacket. Under the light of the gas street lamp, he started checking
if there was any damage to his jacket.
“How lucky. There are only a few splinters and a patch that got
dirtied...” He removed the splinters and roughly patted the dust
away. Then, he put it back on.

Old Neil looked at him with a smile and mimicked his tone by
adding leisurely. “What a pity, there’s no way to claim
compensation.”

Klein was temporarily at a loss for words.

I’m not such a person! He emphasized in his heart.

As the public carriage arrived, Klein took out his silver vine-leaf
pocket watch and flipped it open to check the time.

“If there’s nothing else, I have to head home,” he turned to tell

Old Neil.

Old Neil nodded slightly and said, “Enjoy your dinner at home.
You don’t need to think about the Slumber Charm. I’ll get Swain
to compensate me. He’s a rich man after all. Of course, I won’t go
today. I have to consider his mood.”

Klein opened his mouth, but in the end, he only said, “...Thank
you for your generosity.”
He boarded the carriage quickly and returned to Daffodil Street. It
was already past seven in the evening, and the sky had already
grown dark.

Klein took out his keys to open the door and saw Melissa taking
off her fishnet hat and setting it on the clothes rack. He smiled
and did small talk.

“You just got back?”

Then, his mixed emotions suddenly vanished, and he felt

relaxed and warm.

“There was a practical lesson in school today,” Melissa explained

seriously.

Klein sniffed and smelled the fragrance of food. He was stunned

and asked subconsciously, “Then, who’s cooking dinner?”

The moment he finished his sentence, both of them answered

the question in unison, “Benson!”

Their tone had a hint of alarm.

Benson, who had heard their conversation, walked out of the

kitchen. While wiping his hands on an apron, he said, “Do you
have no confidence in my cooking? I remember that before
Melissa learned how to cook, you two would wait for me to come
home and watch me cook with anticipation. Actually, cooking is
so easy. You want potato beef stew? Put in the beef first, then the
potatoes, then add some seasoning...”

Klein and Melissa exchanged glances and remained silent.

Putting aside his cane and took off his hat, Klein turned around
and smiled.

“I think it’s time to hire a maidservant. It’s very unhealthy to not

eat dinner on time.”

“But I don’t want to have a stranger next to us when we chat.

That’ll make me feel uncomfortable,” Melissa said,
subconsciously finding an excuse to object.

Klein spoke with a smile as he took off his jacket.

“I don’t mind...”

Just then, his expression froze, and he stopped what he was

doing.

I almost took off my jacket. I still have a revolver at my armpit...

Ahem. He cleared his throat and pretended nothing happened.
“Don’t mind her. When we get home, we can let the maidservant
rest in her room. I doubt any maidservant would dislike resting.
Hmm, we must find a maidservant who’s willing to learn how to
cook.”

He didn’t want to endure the torture of a cuisine that left him

guessing in the future.

Benson stood at the kitchen and nodded in agreement.

“When we have time, we can go over to Tingen Family Servant

Assistance Association. They have a great deal of experience and
many resources in this field.”

“Alright, it’s decided then!” Klein ignored Melissa’s unwilling

look.

...

Backlund, Empress Borough, Viscount Glaint’s residence.

Audrey Hall left the party with her personal maid, Annie. They
came to the second floor and entered the bedroom that the
Viscount had prepared.
She took off her glamorous dress and her lightweight dancing
heels slowly with Annie’s assistance. She then put on a black
hooded robe that she had prepared ahead of time.

Pulling up the hood, Audrey stood before the full mirror and
examined herself.

She saw that more than half her face was covered by the shadow
of her hood, and only her beautiful lips were clearly exposed.

Long black robe, face hidden by shadows, a mysterious feeling...

This is something I’ve been dreaming of wearing all this time!
Audrey thought to herself happily.

Worried, she added a blue boat-shaped soft hat under her hood.
With the fine checkered fishnet drooping down, her facial
features became even more indiscernible.

“Not bad, that’s it!” Audrey stuffed her feet into leather ankle
boots, looked to the side, and told Annie, “Wait for me here. No
matter who comes, do not open the door.”

Annie looked at her helplessly and said, “But you have to make
sure that your trip doesn’t take more than an hour.”

“You should trust me. I have kept my promise every single time
in the past.” Audrey smiled and leaned in towards her personal
maidservant. She hugged her and kissed her cheek as etiquette
demanded.

Then, she walked quickly and pulled up her hood. Turning

around, she exited the bedroom through a secret door.

She walked all the way down and came to the side door of the
viscount’s residence where she saw that there was already a
carriage waiting there.

Glaint stood amidst the shadows as he glanced at Audrey and

complimented sincerely, “By dressing up like this, you are really,
yeah—like the description Emperor Roselle often used—very
cool.”

“Thank you.” Audrey pulled up an imaginary skirt and curtsied

elegantly.

The two of them got into the carriage and left the villa. They
arrived at a house about ten minutes away.

Outside the house, Audrey saw Apprentice Fors Wall and her
friend, Arbiter Xio Derecha, whom she had been seeing recently.

Fors’s slightly wavy brown hair and her light blue eyes showed a
natural laziness. She pointed at Xio Derecha next to her and said,
“She’s an excellent persuader, capable of helping you get things
that you want.”

Xio Derecha was slightly shorter, about 150 cm at most. Her

facial features were soft, but she seemed pretty young and
immature.

Although her shoulder length blond hair was messy and

unkempt, and she was in a traditional knight training suit, she
carried an indescribable look of dignity and a convincing charm.

Audrey had met her a few times. She smiled faintly and greeted,
“Miss Xio, can I trust you?”

“You don’t have to worry at all.” Xio Derecha smiled and gestured
with her hand.

Just as she walked to follow Audrey and Viscount Glaint, they

heard a sudden thud.

Audrey looked towards the source of the sound and saw that a
triangular blade coruscating with a cold glimmer had fallen
beside Xio Derecha’s leg.

Audrey and Xio Derecha exchanged looks, simultaneously at a

loss for words.
After nearly twenty seconds, Xio Derecha quickly squatted and
picked up the triangular blade and hid it on her body.

“We have to prevent the occurrence of an accident. Some people

lack rationality, and they aren’t convinced easily,” Xio Derecha
explained seriously.

Audrey nodded and replied with a clear voice, “I believe you...”

“These are tools to convince those b*stards to talk to us calmly,”

Fors added, looking sideways at the lawn.

The quartet didn’t continue conversing and walked a few steps

forward. They knocked on the wooden door with three long and
two short knocks.

The door squeaked and opened. Slowly, using her Spectator state,
Audrey looked into the house that had many people sitting
around randomly. They employed various methods such as
hoods or masks to conceal their looks. Some didn’t even bother
and exposed their faces openly.

Almost instantly, Audrey noticed a black-robed man on a single

seat sofa.

That man wore a hood too, hiding his looks under a shadow.
He looked at all the guests in silence, giving people a feeling that
he was somehow in a commanding position.

He is very confident, but his gaze is very disgusting. His gaze

moved up and down my body like two slippery tentacles wanting
to tear off my clothes... Audrey’s senses were sharp. She carefully
observed and made a judgment calmly, but she nearly had
goosebumps.

Fors introduced him.

“That’s Mr. A, a powerful Beyonder, the leader of this secret

gathering.”
 CHAPTER 131: TRANSACTION
Mr. A? That sounds more like a code name for a criminal rather
than a powerful man of mystery. It can’t be compared to The Fool
at all... No, only gods or demigods can be compared to Mr. Fool...
Audrey felt a sense of superiority as she thought about this.

She looked calmly at Mr. A and spoke to Fors and Xio Derecha
with a hushed tone, “Are there any stories about this man?”

The hooded Viscount Glaint was equally curious.

Xio Derecha replied sternly, “There were several such incidents

in the past. Sequence 8 Beyonders, some even at Sequence 7, have
targeted and tried to deal with Mr. A, but they’ve all mysteriously
disappeared.”

“So he truly is a powerful Beyonder,” Glaint marveled.

They walked into the room as they spoke. The guards

immediately closed the door behind them.

After adjusting to the gas lamp’s light in the room, Audrey saw
two blackboards with several phrases written across them right
in front of her.
At that moment, Fors, who had an unlit cigarette in her hand,
whispered, “Those are the requests of the members of this
gathering. You should be able to understand that many people do
not wish for others to know what they possess to avoid being a
target of greedy people. Thus, they write their requests, or what
they are selling, as well as the rough price on the blackboards
anonymously.”

Audrey nodded. She didn’t care to observe the members of the

meeting; instead, she shifted her gaze to the words on the left
board.

“I need a pair of eyes from a mature Manhal Fish.”

“The dust left behind by vengeful spirits, 165 pounds.”

“Three pages from Emperor Roselle’s notebook, 20 pounds.”

Audrey couldn’t maintain the state of her Spectator when she

saw that. She was as shocked as she was excited.

These prices... these prices are too... too cheap! She thought in
excitement and joy.

As she walked, her gaze shifted as she saw other notices.

“Tears of an Infant flower, 200 pounds.”

“Mummy Powder, 10 grams, 5 pounds.”

“Murloc Slime, 30 ml, 29 pounds.”

“Formula for Sequence 8 potion Sheriff, 450 pounds.”

...

Too... just too cheap! The Beyonder ingredients all cost less than
300 pounds! Audrey’s eyes sparkled as she found a place to sit
together with her companions.

Xio Derecha leaned over and whispered into her ear, “Do you
have anything you want?”

Audrey breathed heavily. Emperor Roselle’s famous quote flashed

through her mind: “I want it all!”

She had two elder brothers, rendering her eligibility to inherit

the aristocratic title and the main portion of the inheritance
null. But as a lady adored by her parents and brothers, she had
property, farmland, pastures, mines, jewelry, stocks, and bonds
to her name. Together, they were valued at 300,000 pounds.

This was a part of her inheritance, but she only possessed them
in name before her father, Earl Hall, passed away, or when she
got married. Every year, she received a corresponding amount
from a trust fund.

But even so, she could receive 15,000 to 25,000 pounds a year,
making her one of the richest women among the nobles in the
entire Loen Kingdom.

Of course, she had expenses she couldn’t avoid as a noble. And

now that she was receiving annual payouts, she could no longer
pester her parents for money all the time.

She controlled herself and answered with reservation, “For the

time being, I have my sights on Emperor Roselle’s notebook. I
adore him, and I think that the special symbols and literature he
created hold a mysterious power; it’s just that we haven’t found
the correct way to decipher them.”

Audrey, you are becoming more and more hypocritical... She

added in her heart.

Just as she had said that, a young man in a white shirt sitting
near them stood up excitedly. He agreed with Audrey, “Yes! That’s
true! I’ve finally met someone who shares the same opinion as
me!

“I’m the person with the three pages of the notebook, and I can
sell them to you right now!”
Audrey was at a loss at first before she replied with a smile,
“Then please allow me to express my gratitude.”

She took out a pair of 10-pound notes and handed them over to
the man, then received the three pages of Emperor Roselle’s
diary in exchange. Of course, no one here knew that they were
part of his diary, and thus everyone generally called them his
notebook.

Audrey flipped through the pages after she received them and
confirmed that the writing was similar to the previous pages
that she had come across.

She put away the diary and asked Xio and Fors softly, “Who can I
look for if the notes are fake? Mr. A?”

“Yes, Mr. A will not allow any fraud to take place in his
gathering. And I could help you mediate this privately too,” Xio
Derecha replied eagerly.

“I understand.” Audrey entered her Spectator state and surveyed

the Beyonders and Beyonders-to-be around her.

There were many people looking over because of the excitement

of the young man just now. They were observing Audrey and
Glaint, some making it obvious while others were more discreet,
but Audrey and Glaint’s hoods covered their features well.
There are sofas and chairs strewn all around the venue, all facing
the board. The material of the furniture is rather normal,
indicating that the person who gathered them here, Mr. A, isn’t a
noble and doesn’t care much about the venue... Yes, with the
confidence he displayed, he need not be overly pretentious with the
venue... Audrey looked around and calmly observed.

Mr. A looks at all the ladies present, his gaze often lingering on
those who have above-average looks... He’s lecherous... Why is he
looking at me so frequently? Can he see through my robe?

Audrey was shocked at this deduction. She felt disgusted, as if

she had just eaten a fly.

But her worries quickly eased, for she noticed that Mr. A was not
looking at her body or the bodies of the other ladies...

This means that his eyes cannot see through fabric directly. His
sense of sight is exceptional. It’s as if he’s observing me at a close
distance. With that ability, the hood won’t achieve much. Audrey
calmly observed the rest of the people engaging in their own
deals and got an understanding of the circumstances of some of
the people there.

At that moment, Mr. A’s facilitator walked over and whispered to

Audrey’s group, “You can write your requests on a piece of paper
and pass them to me, or wait till the break later to write
whatever you want to sell on the blackboard in the small room.”
Fors took a whiff of her cigarette and surveyed the surroundings
cautiously. “Have you considered which Sequence 9 formula you
want?”

She had kept her promise and told Audrey and Viscount Glaint
about all the Sequence pathways she knew of.

Audrey pretended to think before saying, “Spectator, I want to

become a Spectator. And, I also want the advancement of
Spectator, the Telepathist.”

She considered the fact that she would have to come into
frequent contact with Fors and Xio Derecha in the future,
making it highly possible that they would realize that she was a
Beyonder, a Spectator. Thus, she decided to take this opportunity
to reveal this to them and completely conceal the fact that the
Tarot Club existed.

Even though I’ll be wasting some money, it’ll still be worth it...
Audrey praised herself.

At the same time, she noticed that Xio Derecha was looking at
the blackboards from time to time, her expression was that of
desire and depression.

Xio told me that the corresponding Sequence 8 to Arbiter was

Sheriff. She’s looking at the 450-pound price tag? Well, it’s obvious
that she wants the formula for Sheriff...
She’s already been an Arbiter for more than a year, and she has
been unknowingly acting the role of an Arbiter. Her potion should
have been digested already...

All these details tell me that Xio lacks money!

As Audrey was deducing all of this, Viscount Glaint revealed his

choice.

“Apothecary, I want the formula for Sequence 9 Apothecary!”

Feeling the gazes from Audrey, Fors, and Xio, he explained

himself with a chortle, “To me, health and not having to worry
about major illnesses and harm is the most important thing!”

“A rational decision. I once dreamed of becoming an Apothecary.”

Fors sighed while smiling.

She had a rather languid demeanor.

After making the decision, Audrey and the rest wrote their
requests on pieces of paper and handed them over to the
facilitator. They looked on as the facilitator made his way
around the venue and asked the other participants, collecting
several other slips of paper.
This facilitator then shuffled the notes and handed them over to
his partner in charge of the blackboards, asking him to
transcribe the information onto them.

“I need the formulas for potions Spectator and Telepathist, the

price will be negotiated face-to-face...”

The facilitator would repeat the request three times after he

wrote it onto the blackboard. If someone was interested, they
could apply for a room in secret. There would be facilitators
helping them complete the deal.

After waiting for a while, Audrey and Glaint didn’t receive a

request for a deal. They were rather disappointed.

At this moment, a facilitator walked over to Audrey’s side and

handed her a folded piece of paper.

“It’s from Mr. A,” the facilitator said softly.

Audrey unfolded the slip of paper and took a look.

“Are you interested in the formulas of other Sequence 9 potions?”

Audrey curled the ends of her mouth disdainfully and wrote on a

blank spot: “I am only interested in Spectator.”
She folded the piece of paper and handed it back to the
facilitator, then watched as he passed it back to Mr. A.

Mr. A took a glance and didn’t say anything, continuing to look

over the rest of the members silently.

But Audrey sharply noticed that he had secretly burned the piece
of paper and allowed the ashes to fall to the floor.

Fifteen minutes later, Mr. A said, “Now we will have a break. You
can interact with other participants freely.”

At this moment, the young man who sold Emperor Roselle’s

diary approached Audrey and said in excitement, “I have already
deciphered a portion of Emperor Roselle’s special characters and
tattooed them onto myself, allowing me to gain some
remarkable abilities.

“Are you interested?”

Audrey suddenly recalled that she had asked Mr. Fool if the
special characters in Emperor Roselle’s diary possessed any
unique abilities. Mr. Fool’s answer was that they were useless
unless a deity suddenly took interest in them.

She looked at the young man in front of her and thought for a
moment. She then probed, “What remarkable abilities?”
The young man answered excitedly, “I have become stronger and
more healthy!”

Audrey looked at him in pity. “I’m sorry, I have more trust in my

own research.”

In the remaining time, she continued observing those who came

to this gathering, but didn’t obtain any more information. All she
had was a rough deduction that some of them were doctors or
lawyers, ordinary occupations.

Audrey and the rest left the venue after another half an hour and
returned to Viscount Glaint’s mansion as they waited till the ball
ended.

Audrey returned home at about 10 that night. She was about to

get her maidservant to prepare some hot water when she saw
her dog Susie shoot her a look.

My dog just shot me a look... Audrey’s emotions became

complicated.
 CHAPTER 132: MEETING THE MONSTER AGAIN
She found an excuse for her maidservant to leave them alone
temporarily. Audrey locked the door and looked back at her
golden retriever, Susie, who she wasn’t sure could still be
considered as her pet.

“You heard... Uh, or came across something?”

Susie sat steadily and howled, reverberating the air around her.

“Yes, I heard the Count’s discussion with a few Members of

Parliament in the study. They said that the King and the Prime
Minister came to a mutual agreement; they will give up their
revenge plan on the Feysac Empire in Balam’s East Coast for the
time being. Where’s Balam’s East Coast?”

Susie’s terrifying speed at grasping Loen made Audrey feel mixed

emotions. She fell silent for a few seconds before she said, “I’ll
give you a map tomorrow...”

“Okay~” Susie replied in delight. “The King and the Prime

Minister believe that presently the most pertinent task is to push
for the reformation, which will allow civil servants to be selected
via examination. They hope to pass the bill through the House of
Lords and the House of Commons before October.”
“Really?” Audrey asked, pleasantly surprised.

That was the first matter that she had managed to secretly guide
after she became a Spectator. Turning it into reality would give
her a sense of achievement!

Susie answered frankly, “I can’t give you a definite answer. This

is just what I’ve heard, I couldn’t even fully understand what
they meant. After all, I’m a dog that just started to learn.”

Audrey was stunned for a moment before she beamed and said,
“Susie, you did well! This is your reward!”

She took out a bag from a lavish cabinet, tore open the seal, and
placed it before Susie.

It was a dog biscuit produced by the Backlund Pet Care Company

which was made of flour, vegetables, meat, and water. It was a
snack that Susie really liked.

Susie sat straight and sniffed. She waved her paw, seemingly
deciding how she was to consume it to suit her present identity
the best.

After a few seconds, she gave up thinking, adhered to her

instinct, and leaped forward. She grabbed the bag of snacks and
ran outside.
She stood on her hind legs and opened the door with one claw.
Then ran out and hid in the shadows and began enjoying her
snack.

...

On Sunday, Klein didn’t wake up until the afternoon, because he

had spent the night on duty at Chanis Gate. Klein took the
trackless public carriage and arrived at Evil Dragon Bar.

He had previously planned to use divination to find Monster

Ademisaul and determine the reason for his recent oddity.
However, he was interrupted by the loss of control of a Mandated
Punisher and could only reschedule it to today.

He went through the billiard room and entered the underground

market. Klein didn’t need to search for he immediately saw
Ademisaul shivering in a corner.

When the pale-looking young man with black, messy, oily hair
sensed Klein’s approach, he suddenly covered his eyes and
leaned against the wall in an attempt to move towards the side
door.

Klein quickened his pace and blocked Ademisaul from leaving.

He tapped the left molars twice secretly.
In his Spirit Vision, Ademisaul’s aura appeared rather unhealthy.
All the colors seemed dim. In other words, although he didn’t
have any major diseases, his body was very weak.

At the same time, Klein realized that vibrant fear and anxiety
were revealed in the monster’s emotions. He had lost almost all
of the blue that represented rational thinking.

The surface of his Astral Projection extended from the depths of

his Ether Body. The color was a unified, transparent, and
colorless, just like pure light. Is this the uniqueness of a
naturally-born “Monster”? Klein nodded indiscernibly as he
stared at Ademisaul’s face and said, “What did you see recently?
What did you come across? Why are you hiding in a corner and
quivering while saying that there are all corpses and that
everyone is dead?”

Ademisaul lowered his head and looked towards his toes. It

seemed like he didn’t dare to look directly at the person before
him.

He was shivering almost violently in his grayish-blue trousers

and ragged linen shirt. He replied in a fluster, “No, I didn’t see
anything. N-no, I only had a dream. There’s blood everywhere in
the dream and corpses scattered everywhere. Haha! Boohoo! I
was among the corpses! I was there! I’m gonna die, I’m gonna
die! I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die!”
He laughed and he cried. His reply confused Klein.

Klein massaged his temples and lowered his voice to ask again,
“Why are you afraid of me?”

Ademisaul was taken aback for a few seconds when he suddenly

squatted down. He yelled in extreme fear, “No!

“No!”

...

Everyone looked over and Klein suddenly felt awkward.

I didn’t do anything to you... Why are you screaming as though

something happened! He laughed dryly. He saw that Ademisaul
had curled up in a trembling fetal position. Besides begging for
mercy, he didn’t say anything else. Klein had no choice but to
distance himself and pretend that he was just passing by.

Hmm, maybe I should ask Mr. Azik for advice. But he just went on
vacation to the northern part of the Feysac Empire last week, and
he’ll only return next Thursday or Friday. Before that, I have to
first report to Captain... Klein covered his mouth as he yawned.
He turned and left the underground market.
After he got his salary that week, his private stash returned to
eight pounds ten soli. However, truly rare Beyonder ingredients
were so expensive that he could only window shop. Of course, if
he wasn’t afraid of the high interest, he could get a short-term
loan from Swain.

When he exited Evil Dragon Bar and waited for the public
carriage, Klein considered the future developments.

In another week, the twelve pounds from my advance salary at the

beginning will be cleared. The money that I bring home will finally
reach three pounds a week. Melissa will have no excuse about
delaying the hiring of a maidservant... The other three pounds will
remain a secret, and I’ll save up more money for myself...

And I have to quickly get the Telepathist formula or related clues

from Daxter Guderian. I can use the excuse of giving an underling
funds to exchange it for cash from Miss Justice... This could be
done through an anonymous bank transfer. During the process,
I’ll cause interference via divination. That will be very safe and it
won’t reveal my identity...

...

After getting on a public carriage, Klein didn’t head to the

Blackthorn Security Company directly but planned on heading to
the Divination Club for two hours.
It was part of the work needed to foreshadow his digestion of the
potion.

Plus, Klein was now considered famous in the divination

industry. There were returning customers from the past and
there were also referrals. On average, he would have more than
ten divinations in an afternoon.

Hence, even though he only went twice a week, he could still

make a profit of half a pound. To the impoverished Mr. Fool, it
was better than nothing.

Sigh, it’s a pity that I made it sound too good at the beginning and
fostered too perfect of an image. I can’t just change my divination
fees as I wish... While sitting in the meeting room at the
Divination Club, Klein thought to himself helplessly as he drank
his Sibe black tea.

With his present fame, people would still seek his services even
if he charged four soli.

However, as a Seer that respected fate, he could only continue to

charge eight pence.

Although Klein had fully digested the potion, he wasn’t willing to

take the risk of going against the Seer principles that he
previously summarized. That included not obtaining excessive
benefits from divination. After all, he didn’t know if it would
lead to losing control or other negative effects.

The confidential information the Nighthawks had didn’t include

the concept of “digesting.” Thus, Klein couldn’t determine if there
was still risks after fully digesting the potion, or if he could do
anything that was against the principle.

Just as he was thinking about these things, the beautiful

attendant named Angelica came in and walked over to him. She
leaned down and softly said, “Mr. Moretti, someone wishes for
your divination. Red Agate room.”

“Alright.” Klein had checked if it was a suitable day to visit the

Divination Club before he came, and he had obtained a definite
answer from his divination.

He took his silk top hat, exited the meeting room, and saw his
customer that was waiting at the door of the Red Agate Room.

The customer was a maiden around sixteen years old. She was
wearing a light blue ruffled dress and holding a gauze hat of the
same color. She had brown curly hair, a cute face with baby fat,
and a pair of beautiful light blue eyes.

“Elizabeth?” Klein recognized his sister’s good friend, Elizabeth,

who studied at the Ivos Public School.
He had once helped pick an amulet for her and also resolved
Selena’s magic mirror divination incident with her assistance.

Similarly, Elizabeth said in pleasant surprise, “Mr. Moretti, it’s

really you? I was wondering if it was you when I saw the name.”

“I am a mysticism enthusiast after all,” Klein explained

helplessly. Then he added, “Don’t tell Melissa. Oh, Selena as
well.”

The divination result showed that it was suitable for me to visit

the Divination Club! Why did I run into Elizabeth? He shook his
head as he turned around to open the door to the Red Agate
room.

At the same time, he clicked his left molar twice.

They entered the room slowly. After he took the seat of the
diviner, he lifted his head to look towards Elizabeth.

With just one glance, his creased his eyebrows.

There was a faint layer of gloomy green in the maiden’s energy

field!

A symptom of being haunted by spirits and wraiths... Klein made

a calm judgment and asked directly, “Have you had nightmares
recently, ones with repetitive elements?”

Elizabeth, who had just locked the door and had yet to take a
seat, was dumbstruck. It took her a long time to reply, “Yes...
That’s why I came here to look for you.”

Klein leaned back and asked, “What kind of dream did you have?
When did it start?”

“It began from the last two days of my vacation to Lamud Town.
Oh, our family has an estate there.” Elizabeth was considered
half a mysticism enthusiast, so she had better memories of such
situations. “In my dream, I always run into a knight in full black
armor. He carries a huge broadsword and his face is fully
covered by a helmet, so all I could see is a pair of glowing red
eyes. In the dream, he keeps attempting to get closer to me.
Afraid, I run away, but the distance shortens each and every
time...”

Klein thought and asked, “Two or three days before you had such
a dream, did you get in touch with any antiques, ancient ruins,
burial objects, or a mausoleum?”

Elizabeth recalled and answered, “I-I visited a mountain near

Lamud Town. There was an abandoned ancient castle.”

That’s a standard opening of a paranormal novel... Klein

lampooned silently as he pressed on, “Did you leave anything
behind in the castle? Or did you take anything from the castle?”

Elizabeth creased her beautiful eyebrows and answered

moments later in uncertainty, “I got cut by brambles and bled...
Does leaving blood behind count?”

Klein nodded with a mask of solemnity and answered in a deep

voice, “Yes.”
 CHAPTER 133: EXPENSIVE CHARMS
Elizabeth immediately turned nervous after hearing Klein’s
reply. Subconsciously, she began to speak faster.

“Can you help me divine the specific reason? It will be even

better if you can divine a way to solve this...”

Divination can only give us a general direction of how to solve the

problem, and furthermore, it will be unclear and filled with
symbolism, making it difficult to decipher the hints correctly... Of
course, you’re very lucky, I’m not an ordinary Seer, I’m a true
mysticism scholar! Klein lampooned the girl’s question before
saying solemnly, “Since this matter has to do with dreams, I
would suggest a similar divination method.”

“Alright, alright.” Elizabeth nodded her head like a hungry

woodpecker.

Klein maintained his professional attitude. “I will need you to

sleep here and allow that dream to present itself. Is that a
problem?”

“There’s no problem, I trust you,” Elizabeth answered without

hesitation while pursing her lips.
But she quickly added with a stammer, “B-but, I cannot
guarantee that I would... I would have that dream.”

“It’s just an attempt,” Klein consoled her with a gentle smile.

He then pointed at the long sofa on the side of the Red Agate
room. “Please.”

“No, no need for that, I’ll sleep here.” Elizabeth shook her head
gently. She crossed her arms and said, “I sleep like this at school
after classes whenever I feel tired.”

She used her arms as a pillow and leaned forward onto the edge
of the table.

“Alright, you can pretend that I’m not here.” Klein smiled as he
observed the colors of her aura and emotions. He used them to
deduce if the girl had fallen asleep or not.

“Okay.” Elizabeth closed her eyes and buried her face into her
arms, trying hard to ease her breathing.

Klein didn’t speak as he leaned back into his chair. The room
suddenly became unusually quiet.

It was a peaceful silence, a silence that could make one forget

their troubles.
Sometime later, Klein took out a semicircular piece of silver from
his pocket after he confirmed that Elizabeth had fallen asleep.
The piece of silver was filled with indecipherable Hermes
phrases as well as symbolic imagery and numbers.

It was a Dream Charm that Klein had succeeded in making the

previous morning!

He had also finished making two Slumber Charms and two

Requiem Charms. The former were made with rectangular pieces
of silver while the latter were made with triangular pieces. This
was to help him differentiate between them solely by touch
during an intense battle.

“Crimson!” Klein softly recited the phrase in ancient Hermes.

This was the activation incantation that he had set. Since there
was still the step of injecting spirituality into the charm, there
was no need for his incantation to be different from the rest. All
it needed was to be short and easy to remember.

The mysterious incantation reverberated around the room. Klein

felt the Dream Charm become light in his hand, as if it had
temporarily lost its weight.

Klein immediately placed the charm on the table in front of him

after he injected it with his spirituality.
A transparent flame leapt up silently, enveloping the charm and
became a deep, serene black.

The black flames spread quickly, enveloping Elizabeth and Klein.

Klein seized the opportunity to enter his state of Cogitation. He

used his spirituality to look at the illusory spherical light in front
of him.

The spherical light was surrounded by a boundless darkness,

making it seem exceptionally lonely.

Klein didn’t dare delay any further as he emitted his spirituality,

allowing it to touch the illusory ball of light.

Silently, the scene around him started to coruscate and warp,

but it quickly settled into a yellowish-brown plain. The plain was
littered with the corpses of horses and humans. Fresh blood and
weapons could be seen everywhere.

Elizabeth was wearing a regal gown with engageantes and a

fishnet hat. She was looking around, lost.

She quickly saw Klein’s figure and revealed a look of surprise and
joy.
“Mr. Moretti, we meet again! I had suspected that the Klein
Moretti on the name register was you when Selena and I came to
get a divination. I came again multiple times, but always missed
you as I had to attend lessons during the day...

“When I was free during the summer break, I was dragged to a

holiday at Lamud Town by my parents...

“You can help me right?”

Klein froze for a moment when he heard the girl’s talkativeness.

To think that Elizabeth had suspected that I was working part-

time at the Divination Club and tried to find me on multiple
occasions...

Yet, she didn’t appear abnormal at all!

Hmm, her surprise was authentic, masking her true thoughts...

Indeed, everyone’s dream shows their most honest side, other

than me, Mr. Fool.

As he was indulging in his thoughts, Elizabeth’s dream changed.

A tall knight, about 1.9 meters in height, was walking toward
them, dragging a broadsword which was scraped the ground.
This knight was dressed in black armor. The metallic sounds of
metal colliding could be heard with his every step. Two blobs of
red light akin to flames peeked out from the slit of his faceplate;
they were staring at Klein and Elizabeth intently.

The will of a wraith... Still not at the stage of an evil spirit. Klein,
who was in his spirituality state, didn’t need to activate his Spirit
Vision.

According to the classifications based on the Nighthawks’

confidential information, the feelings of vengeance and injustice
left behind by spirits were the weakest and easiest kinds of souls
to deal with. Following those were shadows and wraiths. Evil
spirits were the most difficult soul-like creatures to deal with.
The most horrifying of evil spirits were said to be as strong as
High-Sequence Beyonders.

With this in mind, Klein took a step forward, blocking Elizabeth

behind him. He then stomped down with his foot and shattered
the dream.

Multiple specks of light scattered like fireflies. Klein’s spirituality

returned to his body, allowing his eyes to once again adapt to the
darkness of the Red Agate room. He saw the tools needed for
divination placed around the table, as well as the Dream Charm
that had almost finished burning.
Klein felt the pinch when he saw this. Charms in the Evernight
Goddess’s domain were all made using pure silver, so it pained
his heart.

Using these charms is akin to burning money! Even if I don’t

account for my labor costs, the materials alone already averaged
to about six to eight soli per charm!

Well, he felt a little more at peace when he thought of the

Beyonders from the Church of the Eternal Blazing Sun. After all,
they burned gold—the corresponding metal for the Sun was gold.

Elizabeth groaned softly and slowly woke up before

straightening her posture.

She glanced furtively at Klein and asked, “Mr. Moretti, were

there any results from your divination?”

“Yes.” Klein nodded seriously. “Your nightmares should

disappear in no more than a week.”

I will report this to the Captain and get him to send someone to
deal with it at Lamud Town... Klein added in his heart.

“Really? That’s great! Thank you Mr. Moretti!” Elizabeth became

excited. She then suddenly creased her brows.
“What’s the matter?” Klein asked in concern.

“Nothing. I just remembered that I have to go home now.” She

slowly took out a single soli bill that she had prepared and
placed it on the table. She then grabbed her hat and bade
goodbye to Klein a little hesitantly.

After leaving the Red Agate room, Elizabeth walked toward the
stairs outside the door. She flailed her arms after she confirmed
that no one was watching and groaned softly, “Pins and needles!
How numbing...”

...

In the Blackthorn Security Company, Dunn rubbed his forehead

as he looked at Klein.

“Did you suddenly return because you came across another

supernatural incident?”

Hey, Captain, what’s with that tone of disparagement... Klein

cleared his throat and answered without hesitation, “Yes.”

“What’s the matter this time?” Dunn Smith rubbed his forehead
again.
Klein organized his words and replied, “Two things. For the first
incident, I discovered ‘Monster’ Ademisaul hunched in a corner,
shivering in fear when I was buying materials for my charms at
the underground market.”

When he said that, he hinted heavily that he needed a

reimbursement for the materials.

Klein couldn’t mention the fees for the detective he employed to

find Daxter Guderian, for it involved the red chimney. He deeply
regretted not employing separate detectives.

Dunn seemed to fail to read between the lines as he nodded

slightly.

“What happened to Ademisaul?”

Klein exhaled silently and described in detail, “Ademisaul had a

dream. He dreamed that there were corpses and blood
everywhere. One of the corpses was his, and thus he became
very frightened.”

Dunn thought for a moment before asking slowly, “As a Seer,

what do you think it symbolizes?”

“A disaster. A disaster that spans a wide area. But I have no

information other than this. Furthermore, not everything in
Ademisaul’s dream might have a symbolic meaning,” Klein said
while deliberating his words.

“I will report this to the Holy Cathedral and see what they have
to say.” Dunn shook his head and said in a self-deprecating
manner, “This isn’t something I have expertise in.”

Klein didn’t have any other ideas either. He changed the subject
and spoke about the wraith harassment Elizabeth faced.

“Lamud Town... Is that lady a believer of the Goddess?” Dunn

asked.

“Yes.” Klein gave an affirmative answer.

“Then there should be no problems. Let’s head over to Lamud

Town now and try to get dinner there. Oh, and bring Frye along.
His abilities should prove useful if the incident involves corpses
and ghosts.” Dunn massaged his temples and tried his hardest to
contemplate whether he had forgotten anything.

If Elizabeth wasn’t a believer of the Evernight Goddess, then they

would have to hand her over to the Mandated Punishers or the
Machinery Hivemind according to her faith. If her faith didn’t lie
in any of the three major Churches, then she would be handed
over to the Machinery Hivemind who were responsible for the
outskirts.
Klein didn’t speak. He waited silently for a while before finally
hearing Dunn add, “Also, we have three men on the mission. We
can request to use Sealed Artifact 3-0782.”

“3-0782?” After a minute, Klein recalled that the Sealed Artifact

was called the Mutated Sun Sacred Emblem.

This Sacred Emblem’s Beyonder influence seemed to be able to

last a long time. It had the ability to constantly purify any
corpses and spirits in a fifteen-meter radius. However, it had the
drawback of purifying the soul of a commoner at the same time.
Research data indicated that if a normal human were to stand
within its radius for an hour, they would become an idiot that
only knew how to praise the Sun. The limit for Beyonders was
six hours.

As for ghosts and corpses, they would scatter in less than a

minute.

Hmm, to think that the Captain would remember the codename

for this Sealed Artifact... Damn, I feel that my memory is worse
than his... Klein suddenly froze, nearly wanting to hang himself.

Dunn Smith leaned back and looked at Klein with his deep gray
eyes.

“You went to the Divination Club again today? Did you feel any
changes over the past two days?”
 CHAPTER 134: IT’S BEEN MORE THAN A MINUTE
Captain, that’s the exact question I wanted you to ask! Klein
nodded seriously.

“I feel even better. I even believe that I can pass the Holy
Cathedral’s examination right now. It’s a kind of feeling and
confidence that can’t be described with words.”

Realizing that his answer could be a little vague, he couldn’t help

but add, “Perhaps the name of a potion is really crucial. When I
strictly followed the Seer principles that I derived and acted as a
fortune-teller, everything became perfect and easy. Yes, I can
now activate my Spirit Vision with an even more inconspicuous
manner.”

Dunn creased his eyebrows slightly as the light in his eyes

converged, he muttered seemingly deep in thought,”The name of
the potion...”

After about ten seconds, he looked at Klein again.

“Do you need to return and inform your family? Sunday is the
second day after your duty at Chanis Gate. You’re supposed to get
some rest.”
Taking into consideration the fact that Elizabeth was a good
friend of his sister, and that he had promised that the problem
would be solved within a week, Klein answered without
hesitation, “We don’t have to waste time. After we set off, just get
the carriage to take a turn by Daffodil Street.”

“Alright. Get Frye while I fill out the application form to get
Sealed Artifact 3-0782 out.” Dunn pointed at the break room
diagonally opposite.

Frye was a Corpse Collector, so he didn’t possess the abundant

energy of a Sleepless. If he was free, he would take a nap.

Filling in the application form yourself, approving it yourself, and

collecting it yourself... Captain, our management system is quite
flawed... Klein lampooned silently before he retrieved his hat and
exited Dunn’s office to knock on the door diagonally opposite.

After Klein knocked thrice, Frye opened the door and looked at
Klein with undisguised puzzlement.

“What’s the matter?”

As he was taking a nap, his hair was messy and his shirt was
untidy. His cold and gloomy temperament faded quite a bit.
However, he still looks like a dead person that climbed out of his
coffin... Klein hid his smile and answered seriously,

“There’s a case that involves wraiths. The Captain wishes for

your assistance.”

“Okay.” Frye lifted his hand subconsciously to smooth out his

messy hair, returning him to the cold person that kept the living
at bay.

After he dressed up, the two of them waited by the sofa in the
reception hall. The surroundings warmed up after another seven
or eight minutes, as though the area was being exposed to
sunlight.

Immediately following that, they saw Dunn Smith walk through

the partition while he held in his hand an ancient badge about
half the size of a palm.

The badge had a dark gold luster and was engraved with the
symbolic signs of the Sun and lines that extended to the edge. It
was the Sealed Artifact 3-0782 from the Intis Republic, originally
named the “Mutated Sun Sacred Emblem.”

The Intis Republic was the country that Roselle transformed

from an empire into a republic before turning it back into an
empire. Now, it had established itself as a stable republic and
was located on the west coast of the Northern Continent. Its
border with the Loen Kingdom included landmarks like
Midseashires, the Hornacis mountain range, and so on.

Since the establishment of Intis as a nation, the Church of the

Eternal Blazing Sun had repressed the Church of the God of
Craftsmanship which later became known as the Church of the
God of Steam and Machinery. With it being the main religion of
the country, the country could also be referred to as the Kingdom
of the Sun.

“Let’s set off. Frye, you’ll drive. Cesare can’t withstand the
purification of the Sacred Emblem for too long,” Dunn reminded
them calmly.

Cesare Francis was a clerk who was in charge of purchasing and

collecting supplies. He was also their driver, but he was just an
ordinary person. He couldn’t stay more than an hour within a
fifteen-meter range of Sealed Artifact 3-0782. The journey from
Zouteland Street to Lamud Town, according to Klein’s
understanding, would require at least two and a half hours. That
didn’t include the time to detour to Daffodil Street.

“Alright.” Frye didn’t object but checked if he had his personal

items with him.

...
When the rays of the setting sun dyed the pinnacle of the town’s
cathedral, the Nighthawks’ carriage finally arrived at Lamud
Town.

The town was located at the northwest edge of Tingen. Many

buildings still had the unique characteristics of the era before
the Age of Steam. There were nearly zero factories and the
nearby villages engaged in commercial trading.

After they stopped the carriage, Dunn looked at the hair salon
opposite and said,

“I asked one of the locals earlier. It only requires a fifteen-

minute walk from here to the castle ruins on the mountain. It’s
said that it belonged to a feudal lord who ruled during the Fourth
Epoch. However, no one knows what happened after that. Of
course, their description is merely a local myth.”

“Yes, let’s go over now and deal with that wraith before the sky
turns dark. Then, we can take turns to watch over 3-0782 and
keep it away from commoners?”

From the moment Dunn retrieved the Mutated Sun Sacred

Emblem, three hours had already passed. It was getting closer
and closer to a Beyonder’s limits. In no time, they would have to
part ways and give each other time to recover.

“Okay.” Frye gave a succinct reply.

“I have no problem about that.” Klein touched the Slumber
Charms and Requiem Charms in his pocket.

The three Nighthawks in thin black trench coats walked through

the street in the town and headed toward the mountain when
they reached a fork in the road. Along the way, the road was
overgrown with weeds and clustered with shrubs, but it was still
spacious enough to let two carriages pass side-by-side.

It wasn’t long until they saw a collapsed outer wall of an ancient

castle. On the outer wall that was still standing, there were
green plants crawling all over it while the exposed part was
mottled.

When he started to get close, Klein could feel a piercing chill as

goosebumps formed all over his arms.

“There really is a wraith,” Frye said monotonously as he looked

at the ancient castle.

Dunn looked sideways to steal a glance at the newly promoted

Nighthawk, then he laughed and said, “Don’t worry. We have
both 3-0782 and Frye; the wraith won’t cause too much of a
problem.”

He held his custom-made revolver in one hand and the Mutated

Sun Sacred Emblem in the other. He took the first step towards
the ancient castle that looked like a ruin.
Klein followed closely behind and prepared to pull the trigger at
any time, swing his cane, or use his charms.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

When Dunn was less than five meters away from the ancient
castle, where a broken horse stable, water well, and other
fixtures were reflected in Klein’s eyes, a cold breeze howled in a
way that could only be described as sad and shrill. It seemed to
be rejecting the uninvited guests.

The three Nighthawks didn’t stop. The warm and pure feeling
gradually dispersed the chill and conquered the front of the
ancient castle.

They scaled the pile of rocks, passing through the collapsed outer
wall before slowly entering the castle which had lost its main
entrance and was filled with broken tiles.

The hall of the ancient castle was full of collapsed stone pillars
and was covered with moss. It was spacious, but the windows
were narrow and placed high on the walls. Hence, the lighting
was poor. It looked dim and gloomy inside.

That’s also a trait of buildings from the end of the Fourth Epoch
and the beginning of the Fifth Epoch... Klein, who was a
historian, instinctively made a judgment and activated his Spirit
Vision.
Just then, an illusory yet piercing roar suddenly burst out.
Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a thick cloud of black fog filled
the air, resisting the infiltration of warmth and purity.

A tall figure suddenly surfaced amidst the black fog. He wore

full-body, black armor and carried a broadsword that a
commoner would have found difficult to lift.

The wraith looked identical to the one Klein saw in Elizabeth’s

dream. Two flame-like balls of red light shone through the gap
of his helmet, appearing cold, but they were staring at the three
Nighthawks angrily.

“You have disturbed my slumber! You will have to pay with your
flesh and blood!” He suddenly launched himself forward and
instantly shortened the distance to Dunn. He suddenly slashed
downwards with his broadsword.

Dunn retreated swiftly and lifted his hand to fire his revolver.

Clang!

The silver demon hunting bullet didn’t manage to penetrate the

illusory black armor and only produced a crisp but unrealistic
sound.
Klein and Frye retreated to the side simultaneously. One held a
gun in one hand and aimed at the two balls of fire that took the
place of the black-armored knight’s eyes before pulling the
trigger. The other Nighthawk transformed his eyes into a
tranquil grayish-white and focused on the wraith.

The black-armored knight roared in anger again. He took

another huge stride towards Dunn and swung the broadsword
horizontally.

Bam!

The broadsword didn’t hurt Dunn, but it knocked him away,

causing him to land heavily by the side of the door. It left him
spewing a mouthful of fresh blood.

With a loud thud, 3-0782 dropped on the ground. Since it was

wearing a metal boot, the wraith eagerly kicked with its right leg
and sent the dangerous badge out the ancient castle’s door. It
was a distance beyond fifteen meters from it.

Klein, who hadn’t managed to shoot the wraith successfully,

became nervous and puzzled when he saw that scene. It was as
though he was overlooking the transformation before his eyes
from a calm and rational position.

Bang!
He fired another bullet. The silver demon hunting bullet hit the
wraith’s helmet and produced sparks. But there was no obvious
damage.

“Right gauntlet!” Frye shouted. He was always cold and gloomy,

but now his tone was filled with anxiety.

No sooner had he finished talking, he lifted his revolver as well

and aimed at the wraith’s right metal gauntlet.

Bang! Bang! Klein shot sub-consciously according to Frye’s

instruction, firing silver demon hunting bullets almost
simultaneously with him.

This time, the wraith didn’t block it with his armor but raised
his broadsword and struck the two bullets away.

Bam! He took a stride and charged at Klein, colliding with him

directly.

As Klein flew out, he saw his chest cave in, saw himself spitting
blood, but he didn’t feel uncomfortable, not one bit.

He suddenly snapped out of his daze, fell on the ground, rolled

about, and screamed.
Suddenly, the ancient castle, the wraith, the collapsed pillars,
and the moss floor shattered eerily. Everything returned to black
fog in the air, just like when the black-armored knight first
appeared.

The only difference was that Dunn held both his fists tightly,
bowed slightly, and his gray eyes were dark and deep.

As expected, everything was just a dream. Captain pulled the

wraith, Frye, and I into his dream at the same time. But I’m
special, and I can remain clear-headed and rational... Klein
realized that he was still standing two meters away to Dunn’s
right. He hadn’t vomited any blood or screamed.

Just then, Dunn stood up straight and looked at the wraith that
was going to slash with his sword. He calmly said, “It’s been
more than a minute.”

The wraith was stunned and let out a shrill cry. Its body started
producing black steam, as though it had just received its death
sentence.

Any zombies or spirits that had yet to turn into evil spirits
couldn’t stay within the fifteen-meter range of the Mutated Sun
Sacred Emblem for more than a minute!

Holy shit, Captain, you’re so cool! Klein looked at the scene from
the side and nearly let out a cheer!
Dunn had used his dream ability not to attack the wraith on his
own turf, but merely to drag out the time!

In the warm and pure feeling, the black steam evaporated

quickly and the chill dispersed gradually. In no time, the knight
became transparent and blended into the void.

Clang!

A black gauntlet fell to the ground, its surface covered with white
frost.

Klein was about to ask for the Captain’s go ahead to pick up the
“drop,” but when he looked over, his spirituality was suddenly
disturbed.

Somewhere near the stairs that separated the hall and the
dining hall, there was an intense yet illusory misery and
uncleanliness summoning him!
 CHAPTER 135: PORTRAIT OF A BARON
“There’s some sort of problem there,” Klein said with a serious
tone, pointing at the steps separating the living room and dining
room.

He once read in the Nighthawks’ confidential records that if

similar situations appeared in one’s spiritual perception, it
usually implied that there was something evil and corrupted
hidden at the target location. It was best not to interact with it if
one wasn’t confident; otherwise, one might lose their life.
Sometimes, even a mere glance could result in irreversible
damage.

Dunn looked over, and similarly, with his high spiritual

perception, he immediately sensed something wrong. He turned
to look at Klein and instructed calmly, “Divine and see if we
would be successful in our investigation.”

Captain didn’t get me to divine before we entered the castle. He

was rather confident... That means that he believes that the
hidden thing might be more dangerous than the wraith. Klein
nodded in silence. He holstered his revolver and handed his cane
to Frye.

He then released the topaz bracelet within his sleeve, held the
silver chain with his left hand and silently recited a suitable
statement.

Instantly, his eyes darkened as a breeze started spiraling around

him.

“The investigation of the hidden place in the ancient castle

would be successful.

“The investigation of the hidden place in the ancient castle

would be successful.”

...

After reciting the statement seven times, Klein’s eyes regained

their normal color. He saw the dangling topaz rotating
clockwise.

It wasn’t very obvious, but it was unmistakably rotating

clockwise!

That meant that the investigation would be successful.

Klein, who was already a true Seer, immediately nodded at Dunn

and Frye.

“The danger will be manageable by us, or there could be no

danger at all.”
Dunn pinned the Mutated Sun Sacred Emblem to the left side of
his chest, then pressed down on his hat. He briskly walked
toward the steps and expertly started searching for a
mechanism.

Frye, who had picked up the gauntlet, handed Klein’s cane back
to him. He grabbed his revolver and cautiously scanned the
surroundings, as if he was afraid that an enemy would suddenly
appear.

I’m still not professional enough... as a Nighthawk... Klein geared

himself up and took out his revolver, and turned alert as well.

A few minutes later, it was unknown what the kneeling Dunn

Smith triggered as heavy sputtering sounds emanated from the
staircase.

The floor split open, revealing a set of steps heading down. A cold
and corrupted vibe emanated, seemingly condensing into
something corporeal.

Dunn glanced over and removed Sealed Artifact 3-0782 from his
chest. He tossed it directly into the trap door.

After a few clanks, it was unknown where the Mutated Sun

Sacred Emblem stopped.
If there are dead spirits within, they would definitely toss 3-0782
back out... That would be interesting... Klein stared at the stairs
and waited patiently.

The lingering sinister and corrupted feeling soon dissolved away

like snow meeting the sun. Warmness and purity blanketed the
entrance of the trap door.

“Klein, go down with me. Frye will stay here and prevent other
enemies from destroying the mechanism.” Dunn made an
experienced decision.

“Alright.” Klein didn’t shrink back from the task. He took two
steps forward and arrived next to Dunn. Frye nodded, not letting
his guard down.

Dunn went down first, his footsteps reverberating in the silence.

He didn’t prepare any sources of light, for a Beyonder that went

down the Sleepless pathway, the darkness was not an obstacle,
but a blessing.

Their vision wasn’t hindered by such an environment.

After taking a few steps down, Dunn suddenly turned around

and looked at Klein. “I forgot that you don’t have night vision. I’m
not used to preparing objects that provide illumination...”
“...Captain, you don’t need to mind about me. I have my Spirit
Vision.” Klein realized that he wasn’t shocked at all.

That cool Captain from before was indeed not normal!

In his Spirit Vision, the darkness before him was screened by a

gray film. Even though it was very blurry, it was enough for him
to make out where the steps were.

Well, the Captain sure is healthy, and his mental state is fine
too... Klein carefully extended his feet and made his way down
slowly.

The flight of steps wasn’t long. It only took about fifteen steps to
reach the ground.

Sealed Artifact 3-0782 was lying there, releasing its purity and
warmth. It also radiated a faint glow.

Klein could see much more clearly with the help of the
illumination. He surveyed the surroundings and noticed that it
wasn’t a huge basement. It was no longer cold and sinister, but
the dampness remained.

In the middle of the basement was a black coffin, with dark red
nails driven into the lid.
The lid of the coffin had been pushed open slightly, allowing one
to see a headless corpse that was all bone.

Dunn looked around, then bent over to pick up the Mutated Sun
Sacred Emblem.

“Captain, this coffin... It was intended to prevent the dead within

from becoming a zombie or a wraith.”

Klein looked at the dark red nails in the coffin and the formation
they were in. He used his decent mysticism knowledge to
determine that this was an ancient ritual to prevent anything
the corpse from reanimating.

At the same time, he muttered inwardly. But under normal

circumstances, who would have nothing better to do than guard
against their loved one from reanimating? Hmm, the people who
helped bury the corpse must not be family... And if they placed the
coffin in the basement instead of a tomb, they must have been
afraid of someone finding the corpse...

Dunn, who had worn Sealed Artifact 3-0782 again, approached

the coffin and inspected it.

“The deceased was probably poisoned to death.”

“That means the person who poisoned him must have used
ritualistic magic to prevent him from reanimating and seeking
revenge. This should have happened about 1300 years ago? He
became a wraith in the end... The resentment of this spirit is
simply shocking!” Klein also walked in front of the coffin.
“Where is his head? That ritual does not call for the head to be
sliced off...”

Dunn thought for a moment before saying, “I have a deduction.

This wraith didn’t exist all the time and only appeared recently.
It’s only a fifteen-minute walk from the town to the castle.
Throughout the years, troublemakers must have frequented this
place, but before this incident, there were no rumors of there
being a wraith in this ancient castle.”

Klein nodded indiscernibly.

“Captain, what you mean to say is that someone came here

recently, opened the coffin, and took away the head of the
deceased?”

“Yes, the ritual prevents the corpse from reanimating, but it also
seals and preserves its resentment within the coffin. When the
coffin was opened and the ritual dispelled, this resentment
quickly evolved into a wraith with the help of its gauntlet...”

“There’s no corpse of the person who opened the coffin, so he’s

not an ordinary person... Besides, why did he take away the head
of the deceased?”

Dunn stared at the skeleton in the coffin. “For resentment to be

preserved for such a long time, there should be some reason
other than the ritual. He could’ve been a Beyonder when he was
alive, perhaps a descendant one or two generations removed of a
Mid-Sequence Beyonder. I am talking about the Mid-Sequencers
as defined in the past, Sequence 5 or 6.

“And such corpses are always special. His head might be usable
in some kind of ritual or in some other occasion.”

Dunn paused before continuing, “What I said just now was all
conjecture. But we can try to verify some of it. We can split up
later in town and investigate to see if anyone was injured before
in their youth. Well, if they are still alive, it would prove that the
wraith only appeared recently.”

“A logical train of thought,” Klein praised. He quickly searched

the basement but didn’t find anything else.

He tried using ritualistic magic to make a sketch of the “guest”

that entered the basement, but because it had been more than a
month since it happened, as well as the disturbed environment
due to the frequent appearance of the wraith, there wasn’t much
of a result.
He then took Frye’s place, allowing the expert on the dead to
conduct further tests.

Fifteen minutes later, as the sun was vanishing below the

horizon, Dunn and Frye followed the steps and returned to the
hall of the ancient palace.

Dunn felt for the switch to the trapdoor while Frye gave a short
description, “The deceased was indeed poisoned to death. The
traces near the neck appeared recently, at the very most three
months back.”

This means that it’s highly probable that someone came here
before... Klein nodded in thought.

The three Nighthawks returned to Lamud Town before it got

dark and asked for two rooms at an inn. The member that got
the Sealed Artifact 3-0782 was to take this dangerous item for a
stroll outside the town where no one would be. They would
change their shifts once every two hours, and thus only needed
two rooms.

After a simple dinner, Klein, Dunn, and Frye immediately split

up and covered all corners of the town, asking the residents who
had lived in this town for extended periods of time.

In situations like this, their identification documents as

policemen proved useful.
...

“Officer, why are you asking this? I used to head to the

abandoned castle to play when I was young... Injured? Definitely,
how could a child not have fallen while playing? I remember,
yes—I’ve been cut by a sharp rock on the outer walls of the
ancient castle in the past...” A forty-year-old blond man looked
puzzledly at Klein, but answered his question honestly.

This was the fourteenth person Klein had asked, of which two
vividly remembered being injured in the castle when they were
young.

The Captain’s deduction is correct... Klein decided as he put away

his identification documents. He smiled and said, “Thank you
for your cooperation, I have no more questions.”

He was about to leave when the forty-year-old man called after

him, “Officer, are you interested in the ancient castle? I have an
oil painting of the first Baron that resided in there. He was the
grandfather of my grandfather of my grandfather... Well,
anyway, it was a long time ago. He took away a oil painting from
the castle and told me that it was the oil painting of the first
Baron Lamud.

“Do you want it? It’s a true antique!”

If it was a true antique, your family would have sold it a long time
ago... This guy sure is gutsy, daring to fool even the police. Should
I scare him with my gun? Klein lampooned and adopted the
attitude of a window shopper and said, “Who knows if it’s a real
antique or not? I’ll trust my own judgment.

“Take it out and let me see it.”

The blond man smiled and returned to the room and rummaged
for it.

Some time later, he walked out with an oil painting in hand.

Klein casually looked at the oil painting. He saw that the baron
had gentle features and bronze skin, his eyes hiding an
indescribable range of human experience. He was also wearing a
white curly wig.

Huh, he looks a lot like Mr. Azik! Klein’s eyes suddenly opened
wide, his gaze subconsciously falling below the right ear of the
baron.

He then looked at the unremarkable mole near the ear.

The position of the mole was exactly the same as Mr. Azik’s
mole!
 CHAPTER 136: THE STUMPED KLEIN
This can’t be right... How could Mr. Azik be the first in the so-
called line of barons, Baron Lamud? This is a figure who lived
fourteen or fifteen hundred years ago! No way, how can I be sure
that the person in the portrait is the first Baron Lamud? Klein
looked at the oil painting, his mind buzzing in confusion. It was
like everyone around him had become monsters or a dream
where the entire world was filled with gods.

He looked up and stared at the blond middle-aged man. He

extended his hand to grab his revolver from his underarm
holster and said in a deep voice, “This is not an antique. If you
don’t clarify the situation, I will arrest you and charge you with
fraud!”

He didn’t care if prosecution fell under the police department.

His only goal was to threaten the man to get information!

At the same time, Klein clicked his left molars twice to activate
his Spirit Vision. Then, he looked at his target’s emotional color
changes.

The blond man jumped in fright and said in a panicked, muffled

voice, “No, I’m not sure if it’s an antique either. No, I heard that
it’s an antique, but I don’t know much about such things. I really
have no idea. I don’t even know many words, yea—words.”
His eyes darted around anxiously, seemingly about to cry for
help.

Just then, he saw Klein adjust his revolver’s cylinder and

hammer. He looked as though he was going to shoot a suspect
that resisted.

He suddenly stood straight and stopped looking around.

“Where did you get the oil painting?” Klein asked heavily.

The blond man’s lips quivered as he said with a fawning smile,

“Officer, this is what my grandfather found in the ancient castle,
more than forty years ago. An outer wall and the room on the
second floor collapsed, revealing these items, items that people
couldn’t find in the past. One of them was the oil painting. No,
no, no, not this oil painting. The original oil painting was torn
and couldn’t be preserved. So, my grandfather found someone to
make a copy of the painting. Mm, the one you saw just now, I
didn’t lie to you. An oil painting from forty years ago could really
be considered as an antique...”

“Are you sure that this is the portrait of the first Baron Lamud?”
Klein stroked the trigger and made sure the man’s gaze didn’t
move an inch.

The blond man chuckled and said, “I’m not sure, but I’m
guessing so.”
“Reason?” Klein nearly laughed at the man’s shamelessness.

“Because there wasn’t any labels on the oil painting,” the blond
man replied seriously for once. “Just like I’m called the Scoundrel
Gray, my father is called the Curly-Haired Gray, and only my
grandfather was the real Gray.”

Klein exhaled silently and asked, “Where’s your grandfather?”

“In the cemetery, he’s been buried there for almost two decades.
Next to him is my father who was buried three years back,” the
blond man answered honestly.

After Klein asked a few questions from different angles, he

adjusted the cylinder in front of the blond man and put it back
into his underarm holster.

He put away his police identification and turned around in his

black trench coat before walking towards the motel with his
hands stuffed into his pockets. He walked quietly along the street
underneath the dim light that was shining out from the houses
that lined both sides of the street.

I can’t confirm if the portrait is that of the first Baron Lamud... I

wonder if the town has the exact historical records of the ancient
castle...
Regardless, the man in the portrait must be a person from the
past, at least a thousand years ago...

Besides the hair, he looks almost identical to Mr. Azik. Is this what
we call reincarnation?

Back when Mr. Azik gave up his position in other universities in

Backlund and came to Tingen, perhaps it was driven by instinct...

Hmm, there’s another possibility. Such as, the man in the portrait
is Mr. Azik and Mr. Azik is him!

Having thought of this, Klein felt a jolt. He nearly stumbled on

the steps ahead.

He paced back and forth around a damaged gas street lamp and
tried to incorporate his knowledge from the world of
information overload. According to his earlier guesses, he made
a further inference.

Mr. Azik might have become immortal due to some reasons, such
as being a vampire. Could that be why he’s survived for so long?

That’s not right. When has there ever been a bronze-skinned

vampire...
Plus, when I shook hands with Mr. Azik, I could clearly feel his
body temperature and the fresh blood that flows within him.

Although he dislikes the heat of the South, he isn’t afraid of the

sun. He once competed in a rowing competition with other
teachers under the hot sun...

Hmm, there’s another possibility. Mr. Azik’s Sequence potion or

some other factors bestowed him with a long life, and the price for
it is memory loss! Man, taking into consideration his various
dreams, can I presume that he loses his memory as part of a
cycle? Every few decades, he forgets his past and gains new life.
Then, his dreams are the lives that he has lived before... Heh heh, I
think I’ve read something like that before in a novel...

I can’t just rely on divination to verify this. I have to look for the
traces of the lives that Mr. Azik lived, traces of him not having a
childhood, but starting directly as an adult!

Klein started leaning towards his latter guess. However, he

temporarily couldn’t eliminate the possibility of reincarnation.

He reined in his chaotic thoughts and considered carefully

whether he should inform Captain Dunn about it.

If Mr. Azik was a Beyonder that lived for a thousand years, his
ability would be much stronger than I imagined...
He advised me out of kindness. However, it would be hard to say if
he will remain kind when I find clues about his past.

But Mr. Azik has been nice to me all this time. To involve the
Nighthawks would result in a non-trivial possibility of harming
him...

Sigh. It looks like I must divine this matter in the world above the
gray fog. This is the most proper choice for a Seer!

Klein made the decision and returned to the hotel quickly.

Since Dunn and Frye had yet to return, he seized the opportunity
to get another room at the cost of one soli.

After he entered the room, Klein made a spirituality wall with

the assistance of Holy Night Powder. Then, he took four steps
counterclockwise, went through the mad ravings, and arrived
above the gray fog.

The lofty palace stood tall and silent while the ancient, mottled
bronze table and twenty-two high chairs remained the same.

Klein took the seat of honor and made a brown goatskin and
black fountain pen appear before him.
He picked up the pen and wrote seriously: “I should tell Dunn
Smith about Mr. Azik.”

Then, he took the topaz pendant from his left sleeve and did a
spirit pendulum divination.

The spirit pendulum divination resulted in the pendulum

spinning counterclockwise, which meant that he shouldn’t tell
him!

Putting down the topaz pendant, Klein thought about it and

decided to make an attempt with dream divination, just to be
sure.

Thus, he changed his divination statement to: “The result of

hiding matters related to Mr. Azik from the Nighthawks.”

Klein held the goatskin, recited the statement seven times

silently, and leaned backwards to enter a deep sleep.

He saw himself in the illusory, blurry, and distant world. He saw

that he was struggling while drowning in a sea of blood.

Then, there was a hand that extended and pulled him up from
the blood sea. The owner of the hand was Azik with bronze skin
and a small mole near his ear.
The image shattered and reorganized. Klein saw that he was in a
dark and gloomy mausoleum. The surrounding coffins opened
one after another.

Azik stood next to him, looking forward, as though he was

looking for something.

Just then, Klein exited the dream in an instant and saw the
illusory, gray, and boundless fog.

The symbolic meaning of the earlier dream is that, if I were to hide

the related matters about Mr. Azik, I would receive his assistance
when I’m in danger in the future. Heh, the danger might have
come about because I helped to keep the secret... What does the
last scene mean? I will discover some mausoleum with Mr. Azik?
Yes, perhaps the mausoleum has other symbolic meanings... Klein
clasped his hands together and supported his chin while he
interpreted the contents of the dream divination.

Combining it with the earlier result of the pendulum divination,

he decided to not report his inference to the Captain, but merely
bring up that a townsfolk had taken out a portrait of the first
Baron Lamud, and that the portrait looked like a history teacher
in Khoy University. Klein couldn’t be sure that Dunn wouldn’t
hear about it elsewhere, so he had to at least mention it.

Of course, Dunn was unfamiliar with Azik and didn’t know of his
recount and strange dreams, so he would find it difficult to
connect them. Klein even suspected that the Captain wouldn’t
quite remember what Azik looked like.

Then, he stopped thinking further and planned to leave the

world above the gray fog. Just then, he noticed the crimson star
that had been silent all this time was twinkling with faint light
again.

Klein extended his spirituality with interest and saw the young
man that spoke Jotun again. He saw him kneeling before a pure
crystal ball.

The young man was still wearing the black tights that were
different from the clothing of countries in the Northern
Continent. His facial features were blurry and distorted, but
Klein could faintly see his brownish-yellow hair.

He knelt there and prayed with an unusual pain in his tone.

Klein leaned sideways to hear. He relied on his beginner-level

Jotun and barely understood what the young man was saying.

“O Magnificent Deity, please cast your eyes on this land that you
have forsaken.

“O Magnificent Deity, please allow us, the People of the Dark, be

freed from the curse of our destiny.
“I am willing to dedicate my life to you, using my blood to please
you.”

...

A land that was forsaken... People of the Dark... Magnificent

Deity... Klein murmured the few key words and suddenly
thought of a place that The Hanged Man had mentioned once.

The Forsaken Land of God!

It appeared in Roselle’s diary too! He even sent out a fleet to search

for it, but it was fruitless... Klein squinted his eyes and wondered
if he had guessed correctly.

He tapped on the edge of the long bronze table with his fingers.
After three taps, he came to a decision. He extended his right
hand and touched the illusory crimson star.

The cloud of crimson immediately exploded, and the light flowed

in like water.
 CHAPTER 137: CITY OF SILVER
City of Silver, Mortuary.

Derrick stood in front of a flight of stairs as he looked straight

ahead with reddened eyes. In front of him were two coffins
containing his parents.

Embedded in a stone plate in front of him was a simple silver

sword. The frequent booming of thunder caused the house to
shake and the sword to sway.

The Berg couple inside the coffins weren’t completely dead yet.
They struggled to keep their eyes open while making weak
attempts to heave for air, but in the eyes of some, the luster of
their lives could no longer suppress their irreversible darkening.

“Derrick, do it!” An elder dressed in a long black robe looked at

the youth and said in a deep voice with a staff in his hand. The
expression of the youth was visibly contorted.

“No, no, no!” Derrick, who had brownish-yellow hair, shook his
head repeatedly. He took a step back with every word, and finally
let out a ear-piercing scream.

Thump!
The elder struck down his staff and said, “Do you wish for the
whole city to be buried along with your parents?”

“You should know that we are the People of the Dark who have
been forsaken by God. We, we can only live in a cursed place like
this and all the dead would become horrifying evil spirits.
There’s no way to reverse it regardless of what we do, other than
—other than ending their lives by the hands of a family
member!”

“Why? Why?” Derrick asked in despair, shaking his head. “Why

are the citizens of the City of Silver destined to kill their parents
the moment they are born...”

The elder closed his eyes, as if recalling what he had experienced

in the past. “This is our destiny, this is the curse we must bear,
this is the will of God...”

“Draw your sword, Derrick. This is a show of respect for your

parents.

“After this, when you have calmed down, you can try becoming a
Divine Blood Warrior.”

In the coffin, Berg tried to speak, but he could only let out a
groan after his chest heaved several times.
Derrick took several steps forward with great difficulty,
returning to the side of the silver sword. He extended his
shivering right hand.

His brain registered the cold touch of the metal, causing him to
recall the Blood Ice his father brought back when he went
hunting. Blood Ice the size of a mere palm was enough to keep
his home cool for a few days.

Images flashed past his eyes—his stern father teaching sword

techniques, his friendly father patting away the dust on his
back, his gentle mother mending his clothes, his brave mother
stepping in front of him when they encountered a mutated
monster, and finally, his family huddling in front of a flickering
candle and sharing food...

A faint sound croaked from his throat despite his utmost

suppression. With a low grunt, he exerted force with his right
hand and drew the sword.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

He lowered his head and charged forward, raising the sword and
driving it down with force.

Ah! Blood splattered following a pained scream. The blood

splattered onto Derrick’s face and into his eyes.
His vision became red. He pulled out the sword and pierced it
into the coffin by the side.

After the sharp metal pierced through flesh, Derrick released his
grip and wavered as he stood up.

He didn’t look at the condition of the people inside the coffin.

Derrick stumbled as he ran out of the Mortuary, as if he was
being chased by evil spirits. His fists and teeth were clenched
tight. The blood on his face left streaks across his face.

The elder who had taken in everything from the side sighed.

There were stone pillars that lined the main streets of the City of
Silver. Atop the stone pillars were lanterns, and within the
lanterns were unlit candles.

There was no sun in the sky here, no moon, no stars; only an

unchanging darkness and lightning that threatened to tear apart
everything.

The citizens of the City of Silver walked along the dark streets
with the illumination of the lightning. The few hours when the
lightning died down was considered by them as the true night as
mentioned in the legends. That was the time where they had to
use candles to light up the city, drive away the darkness, and
make it serve as a warning for the monsters.
Derrick made his way along the street. He didn’t have anywhere
he wanted to go, but as he walked, he realized that he had
reached the door of his house.

He took out his keys and unlocked the door. He saw the familiar
sights, but he didn’t hear his mother’s concerned voice or his
father reprimanding him for running about. The house was
empty and cold.

Derrick clenched his teeth again. He walked quickly to his room

and searched for the crystal ball. His father had told him that
this was a crystal ball used by a long-destroyed city to worship
their deity.

He knelt and faced the crystal ball, praying without any hope in
mind. He pleaded bitterly, “O Magnificent Deity, please cast your
eyes on this land that you have forsaken.

“O Magnificent Deity, please allow us, the People of the Dark, be

freed from the curse of our destiny.

“I am willing to dedicate my life to you, using my blood to please

you.”

...
Over and over again, just as he was in complete despair and
about to stand, he saw a dark red glow burst forth from the pure
crystal ball.

The glow was like flowing water, instantly swallowing Derrick.

When he regained his senses, he realized that he was standing

in a magnificent palace supported by giant stone pillars. In front
of him was a long ancient table, and on the other side of the
table was a human figure obscured by a thick fog.

Other than that, there was nothing around him. It was empty
and ethereal. Under him was a boundless fog and incorporeal
dark red specks of light.

Derrick felt a flame of hope ignite in his heart. He stared at the

human figure at the very top, confused and puzzled.

“You, are you God?”

After asking this, he suddenly remembered a statement he read

from a book in the City of Silver and quickly lowered his head.

That statement was: “Do not look directly at God!”

Klein leaned back as he crossed his hands. He adopted a relaxed

posture and answered using the language of the giants, Jotun, “I
am not God, I am merely The Fool who is interested in the long
history of this world.”

Klein had already activated his Spirit Vision by clicking his left
molars. He noticed that the youth in front of him had different
colors covering the surface of his Astral Projection and the
depths of his Ether Body.

This meant that he was not a Beyonder.

The Fool... Derrick ruminated over the term and, after a long
silence, said with difficulty,

“I don’t care if you’re God or The Fool, my prayers will not

change. I hope that the people of the City of Silver will be freed
from the curse of their destinies. I hope that the sun and sky
described in the books will appear in our skies. If possible—if
possible, I wish that my parents can be revived.”

Hey, I am not a wishing well... Klein put down his hands and
laughed.

“Why should I help you?”

Derrick froze. He thought for some time before saying,

“I will offer my soul to you. I will use my blood to please you.”