In the hall where the stone pillars had collapsed, a group of Nighthawks wearing black windbreakers and silk hats appeared around the altar. The person leading the team was the Archbishop of the Church of the Evernight Goddess, Saint Anthony Stevenson.
âIt was disrupted by someone?â he muttered without stopping and directly walked to the stone door that led to the interior.
Rich darkness surfaced as the stone door silently opened. Saint Anthony led some of the Nighthawks in as they delved deeper.
Along the way, they didnât discover a single guard or anything of value. It was as if this place had been forcefully swept clean.
Finally, they reached a room in the deepest recesses, but there was nothing there but walls and stone pillars. The blue door of light which was there when Klein left was long gone.
The lanterns in the Nighthawksâ hands suddenly lost their light, and darkness enveloped the room.
When everything returned to normal, they found that the surrounding walls had somehow melted away. However, there were no hidden doors or tunnels behind them. It was either a thick layer of mud and rocks or the corridor they came from.
Saint Anthony was silent for more than ten seconds before saying, âTry divination.
âSearch the vicinity.â
âŠ
Achoo!
Walking through the pathless cliffs and forest, Klein was saddened to realize that he had apparently really fallen sick.
The residual effects of Mr. Aâs Beyonder powers, combined with the fact that he was drenched during winter, gave him the shameful cold.
However, he didnât dare to stop to collect dry twigs to light a fire and dry his clothes and money. He was afraid that the Beyonders of the Church would find him.
Even though he had already gained the endorsement of Stanton Isengard from the Machinery Hivemind and obtained the status of a semi-official, this was a matter involving the Primordial Demonessâs awakening and the True Creatorâs descentâtwo cases of the highest order. Therefore, he was bound to be subjected to rigorous investigations, have tea sessions with the Machinery Hivemind, Mandated Punishers, and Nighthawks to recount the whole process actively or passively.
There were two major pitfalls to this. One was that he knew people inside the Nighthawks, and although Detective Sherlock Moriarty looked quite different from the martyred Klein Moriarty, making it impossible to identify him via photographs, he had zero confidence if things were done face to face. Two, because of similar pathways, the Church of the Evernight Goddess wasnât very friendly to people and things related to Death. Back in the Pale Era at the end of the Fourth Epoch, Death had fallen under the siege of the seven gods, and Sherlock Moriarty had 'summonedâ a powerful descendant of Death at the critical moment. This wasnât a problem that could be explained away easily.
That high-level powerhouse was rushing to deal with Ince Zangwill and 0-08, so she didnât have time to bother with a friendly small fry like me. However, I canât be careless as a result. I should flee when itâs necessary!
Yes, I can write to the Machinery Hivemind when I have a chance, stating the second reason as to why I have to temporarily leave Backlund. This way, I might still have a chance to work with them in the future. Of course, I have to secretly observe to see if the Machinery Hivemind has any strong enmity towards any descendants of Death⊠I wonder how Mr. Azik is doingâŠ
Heh heh, perhaps Sherlock Moriarty might be dead in the official announcement. He sure lived up to his name and identityâŠ
As quickly as possible, Klein tried to find a small town and blend in with the crowd while enduring the alternating fever and cold.
Only in human society could the Facelessâs powers be fully expressed.
The woman who was working with Mr. A, uhâshe should be a Demoness. She went to East Borough⊠From the looks of the ritual, there mustâve been a large number of deaths over there. I wonder⊠With the spiritual intuition of a Seer, Kleinâs heart suddenly felt heavy.
At this moment, all the colors in front of his eyes turned saturated, as if they had been sprinkled with oil by a deity.
The feeling was over instantly, and Klein found himself far away from where he had been, with the bronze-skinned, soft-featured Azik Eggers appearing next to him.
âMr. Azik, are you unhurt?â He couldnât help but heave a sigh of relief.
âI am,â Azik replied frankly before smiling, âbut to an Undying, this isnât a big problem.â
Klein calmed down and asked, âWhat happened to Ince Zangwill and 0-08?â
âInce Zangwill is still alive, and he still wields that Grade 0 Sealed Artifact,â Azik said as he walked.
Klein tried hard to follow him as he couldnât help but sigh.
âWhat a pity.â
âDonât worry about it; he was severely injured,â Azik solemnly said. âAnd most importantly, we know that he was secretly cooperating with the royal family, so we donât have to worry about not being able to find him in the future. This way, you can focus on improving yourself, and I can also try to go to a few places that Iâve recalled, to awaken more memories. Heh heh, your luck isnât bad. Iâve been secretly observing the people from MI9 and the royal family to confirm Ince Zangwillâs whereabouts. One of the most important places was Red Rose Manor, so Iâve always been wandering around the area. Otherwise, I wouldnât have been able to rush over to save you so quickly.â
Klein immediately felt a little awkward when this was mentioned.
âMr. Azik, arenât you puzzled as to why I didnât die?â
âI often wake up after entering a coffin as well. This is something that I previously recalled,â Azik said with a smile, completely unfazed by the matter. âAnd in my incomplete memory, although itâs rare in others, itâs not without precedent.â
He often wakes up after entering a coffin⊠Often? Klein suddenly realized that the problems that he was worried about were nothing in the eyes of a real powerhouse.
As expected of an Undying of the Death pathway⊠Well, Mr. Azik had mentioned that he had been in this Sequence for a long time, which means that he has long advanced⊠Klein thought for a moment, then he asked with concern, âMr. Azik, Would Ince Zangwill discover that Iâm Klein Moretti?â
He was afraid that Ince Zangwill would take revenge on Benson and Melissa.
âUnlikely. At most, he would believe that we knew each other long ago, or that youâre my⊠informant, if we use the terms that the police uses.â Azik recalled and said, âBut that Grade 0 Sealed Artifact might notice it, but you donât have to worry.â
âWhy?â Klein pressed.
It was unknown what Azik had remembered, but his expression suddenly turned strange. It was as if he wanted to laugh, but at the same time, he felt horrified.
âThat Grade 0 Sealed Artifact will keep attempting to write down the death of its owner. This is likely to be intrinsic to it and cannot be changed. Therefore, I doubt it would actively divulge such important information that can put Ince Zangwill at a tremendous advantage during such a critical momentâunless it involves something that it cannot avoid or explain.â
Seeing that Mr. Azik was so sure about it while producing such strong justifications, Klein exhaled. It was as if he had recovered a little from the cold.
Seeing this, Azik added, âItâs best if you leave Backlund for the time being. Ince Zangwill might use that Grade 0 Sealed Artifact to seek revenge again, using your fake name.
âAs long as you arenât in Backlund, it should be fine. That Grade 0 Sealed Artifactâs sphere of influence doesnât exceed a large city.â
Just as I had predicted, thereâs a limit to its sphere of influence⊠Otherwise, Ince Zangwill couldâve easily hidden in a small town in the Southern Continent and leisurely arrange the fates of all his targets without having to worry about anyone finding him⊠Klein asked after some deliberation, âA short trip to Backlund for a day or half a day is fine, right? With the premise that Iâve changed my identity and looks.â
With that, he rubbed his face, instantly reverting back to his appearance back in Tingen.
Azikâs eyebrows twitched, and he nodded.
âItâs fine.â
He turned his head and looked into the distance at the spot that he could no longer see.
âIt seems like Iâve been targeted by a powerful existence of the Church of the Evernight Goddess. Itâs best if you donât stay by my side, or you might be implicated. Heh heh, theyâre very interested in the Beyonder characteristics related to Death.â
âYes, I plan on heading out to sea. While I digest my potion, Iâll be seeking mermaids. Itâs a condition for my advancement,â Klein explained his plan.
Azik tilted his head.
âMermaids? Could a mermaid in the form of a dead spirit work? I can find at least four.â
âProbably⊠notâŠâ Klein reached out and wiped his forehead.
His intuition told him that it was definitely impossible, but he planned to divine it above the gray fog to confirm it.
Without mentioning the dead mermaid again, Azik said, âIf thereâs anything, then contact me through the messenger.â
Messenger⊠Klein suddenly felt guilt-ridden and ashamed.
âI-it died in my battle with Mr. A. It saved my life.â
Azik gave him a glance, shook his head, and laughed.
âDonât worry about it. As long as it isnât killed by a powerhouse at the level of an angel or via some special method, then as long as the Underworld still exists, it can slowly be reborn there.
âAnd before that, I have similar messengers numbering⊠Uh, I donât know how many there are either.â
It sounds like thereâs an army of such powerful and humongous messengers? Klein turned agape, unable to say a word.
His shame faded, and he asked curiously, âMr. Azik, where is the Underworld, or in other words, hell?â
âThe spirit world. To be precise, itâs a special place that the ancient Death created in the spirit world.â Azik didnât hide the truth.
Ancient Death? That should be the ancient god, Phoenix Ancestor Gregrace⊠So the Underworld belongs to the spirit world. No wonder the basic structure in mysticism is the real world, the spirit world, and the astral world. It doesnât contain the Underworld and the Abyss⊠Klein was about to ask a question when he suddenly remembered something and quickly said, âMr. Azik, I obtained a Card of Blasphemy created by Emperor Roselle. It contains the secrets of High-Sequence Beyonders. I believe it can help you recall more things. However, youâll have to wait a while. Itâs hidden in Backlund.â
Klein didnât mention the bounty, fearing that it would reveal the Tarot Clubâs secret, the mysterious space above the gray fog, and Miss Justice; therefore, he could show his gratitude towards Mr. Azik for his help and sacrifice, in this tactful way.
Aziz looked at him in surprise, but he ultimately said nothing. He nodded and said, âWhen you get it back, have the messenger bring it to me. Iâll immediately return it to you after I study it. Or you can copy the contents and pass it to me.â
He paused for a moment as if he had thought of something. Then, he took out a glove that was so thin that it looked like it was made of human skin from his pocket and handed it to Klein.
âIâve already awakened the relevant memories, so I no longer need it. Heh heh, itâs an item that that pirate rear admiral left behind. Iâve placed some seals on it so that it wouldnât be hungry. However, every time itâs used it will require you to use a humanâs flesh and soul to feed it; otherwise, it will devour you.â
⊠Creeping Hunger? The remains of a particular Shepherd? Klein immediately recalled what the glove represented.