Chapter 38: Proactive Response

Chapter 38: Proactive Response

Klein did not teleport directly back to 160 Böklund Street. Instead, he brought Winner Enuni to the sea, found a hidden place, and recited The Fool’s honorific name in a low voice.

Then he took four steps counterclockwise and entered the space above the gray fog. With a beckoning gesture, he had a paper figurine fly over.

Immediately afterward, he picked up one of the Cards of Blasphemy placed on the bronze long table before him and accommodated it into his body.

All at once, a deep-red robe appeared on Klein’s body. It was like the sediment formed after countless streams of blood were stained by rust and gunsmoke. His face was covered by a dark-golden mask whose ancient patterns echoed the crown inlaid with red, blue, and green gemstones.

This was the change brought about by the Red Priest card.

After many experiments, Klein had confirmed that a certain trait of the Red Priest card matched the Paper Figurine Angel’s interference with fate and allowed the powers related to the mysterious space above the gray fog to be brought out more fully. Therefore, he chose it at this moment instead of the Black Emperor card or the Tyrant card.

After completing the preparatory steps, Klein, now transformed into the Red Priest, picked up the paper figurine and casually shook it, merging it with the surging gray fog before throwing it toward the layers of halos produced by his own prayer.

The paper figurine rapidly expanded, evolving into an angel bathed in golden light, with pure flames interweaving behind Him to transform into twelve pairs of wings.

This “War Angel” then followed the secret connection created by the prayer and descended into the world, wrapping Klein and Winner Enuni layer after layer in His flame wings.

Only after busily finishing all of this did Klein relax a little. He put away the Red Priest card and returned to the real world.

First, he went to find food for Creeping Hunger. Then he brought Winner Enuni back to 160 Böklund Street. One changed back into the appearance of Dwayne Dantès, while the other again became a mixed-blood young man.

After straightening his hair, Klein walked to the balcony of the master bedroom and looked toward the Macht household in the distance. He discovered that it was still brightly lit; the ball had clearly not truly ended yet.

Generally speaking, it would continue until the early hours of the morning. Of course, guests were allowed to leave halfway through. After all, the vast majority of people willing to dance deep into the night were young.

Whew… Amon really is terrifying. Just a battle involving a demigod of the Marauder pathway was enough to draw His attention, even though one was in the urban district and the other in the suburbs… At His level, the law of convergence of Beyonder characteristics should already be practically tangible, right? Mm, it’s also possible that the demigod was about to lose control and produced a mutation, which allowed Amon to sense it… Klein could not stop himself from recalling what had just happened. He feared that with only a turn of his head, he would discover that thin, refined young man wearing a monocle seated in his bedroom’s easy chair, slowly tasting a glass of red wine.

What made him feel fortunate was that he had already become a demigod and could restrain the aura of the gray fog, preventing Beyonders of special pathways from noticing it. Otherwise, given the interest Amon had previously shown toward it, His attention would definitely have fallen on Gehrman Sparrow rather than on that demigod of the Marauder pathway. In that case, Klein might not have been able to teleport away so smoothly just now.

Because the Amon who had come to Backlund was most likely only an avatar, Klein still had a certain amount of confidence in the Paper Figurine Angel’s interference. He believed that this King of Angels should be unable to follow the traces all the way to 160 Böklund Street and lock onto Dwayne Dantès.

But this still could not make him truly feel at ease, because that demigod of the Marauder pathway also had connections to Böklund Street!

“He” had encountered Blood Admiral here and, forced by the demigod secretly hiding nearby, had detonated the explosives on his own and parasitized a rat… “He” had received a warning from the mirror here, learning that there was a Marauder pathway angel nearby who urgently needed replenishment, and that the Blasphemer Amon was on His way… “He” had been struck by lightning here because he refused to answer the mirror’s question, then transferred to Elk Manor… In addition, the target “he” had attempted to parasitize, Hazel—his student on the surface—had been affected tonight by a powerful illusion, exposing her teacher’s condition… With so many matters added together, Amon was very likely to come take a look… The more Klein thought, the more he felt that this place was not safe enough.

In his view, the warning that there was a Marauder pathway angel nearby urgently in need of replenishment was alone enough to make Amon “settle” on Böklund Street for some time!

Of course, there was an extremely small probability that the demigod of the Marauder pathway had escaped and revealed nothing. But Klein believed that was almost impossible. After all, even he himself had been somewhat confident of resolving the matter at the time, let alone Amon, who possessed a certain degree of command over the Marauder pathway!

Sigh. Had I known earlier, I wouldn’t have guarded against the old grandpa inside Leonard. If I hadn’t been worried that, after recovering further, he might harm Leonard, I could definitely have resolved things quickly just now, and it would not have attracted Amon… What should I do next? No matter what, I must do something. Otherwise, not only will the identity of Dwayne Dantès fail to be preserved, Pinstor Street’s Leonard might also be implicated, as might the ordinary people on Böklund Street. Who knows whether Amon will suddenly parasitize them… Klein’s thoughts turned, and his expression became solemn. He seriously considered how to eliminate Amon’s avatar.

His first thought was to contact Leonard and work with the old grandpa in his body, Pallez Zoroast, to plan a “cleanup operation.” With that Marauder pathway angel’s understanding of this pathway and of Amon, they should be able to discuss a good method.

Klein immediately took out paper and pen, preparing to write a letter. But after the round-bellied fountain pen in his hand scribbled a few times, it stopped.

He felt this was not secretive enough, because too detailed a discussion might influence fate and thereby allow Amon to detect it in advance!

“A safer method would be to pull Leonard above the gray fog, relay the matter to him there, then use him as an intermediary to discuss things with Pallez Zoroast… Other than this, what else can be done? Report it to the Church and have them perform a comprehensive ‘virus scan’ of Backlund?” Klein put down the pen and silently muttered, considering other options.

He quickly gave up the idea of reporting the matter immediately, because Leonard had not done so last time. Given the old grandpa in his body’s understanding of the Blasphemer Amon, that meant this method was either ineffective or had major flaws, and could very likely affect himself in return.

“I should ask Leonard first and grasp the specific situation before deciding…” Klein swiftly made his decision.

He also temporarily suppressed the impulse to draw a symbol and ask the Magic Mirror Arrodes, as well as the impulse to contact the Snake of Fate Will Auceptin through the paper crane. He sent Winner Enuni away, entered the bathroom of the master bedroom, took four steps counterclockwise, and came above the gray fog.

Sitting in the seat belonging to The Fool, Klein conjured The World, Gehrman Sparrow, and had this fake man pray devoutly:

“Great Mr. Fool, please inform Leonard Mitchell that I have discovered new traces of the Blasphemer Amon. I hope he can come to Your kingdom as soon as possible to discuss follow-up responses. He may decide the specific time.”

After turning the content of the prayer into light and shadow, he threw it into the crimson star representing Leonard. Then, in the identity of The Fool, Klein added another sentence:

“There is no need to hide this from Pallez Zoroast.”

…

In the outskirts of the North Borough, inside a sparse woodland.

Leonard extended his right hand and pressed down on the transparent, blurry figure of a wild wolf.

The wild wolf whimpered. The flames burning in its eyes gradually faded, returning to normal.

Its figure then dimmed and scattered, disappearing into the wind. It no longer possessed the feeling of violent bloodthirst, but instead became peaceful and tranquil.

On the Northern Continent, after the Pale Era, the “cemetery burial” laws jointly promoted by the seven Churches of the orthodox gods and the royal families of various nations had always been strictly implemented. As a result, ghosts transformed from humans had become fewer and fewer. They basically existed only in slums where deaths were hard to discover in time, or in rivers, lakes, and seas where drowned bodies might not be recovered quickly. However, the sources of undead were not limited to humans. All kinds of wild animals and spiritual creatures could likewise become ghosts under the right conditions. And they could not possibly go to human cemeteries on their own to seek repose.

This gave rise to the phenomenon of haunting legends frequently appearing in the wilderness.

Just after “soothing” the wild wolf’s ghost, boundless gray-white fog suddenly appeared before Leonard’s eyes. The World, Gehrman Sparrow’s prayer immediately echoed in his ears.

New traces of the Blasphemer Amon. He is still in Backlund… Leonard’s eyelid twitched. His entire body instantly tensed.

Because Mr. Fool had given instructions, he did not hesitate. He lowered his voice and asked,

“Old Man, did you see that just now? Did you hear it?”

Pallez Zoroast’s slightly aged voice soon sounded:

“No.

“Although I sensed a faint abnormality, I did not see anything or hear anything. Unless you allow me to parasitize you at a deeper level and directly control your astral body.”

Do you think I’m an idiot? Mm, it seems Mr. Fool’s response is realized through the astral body… Leonard thought briefly, then chose his words and said,

“Old Man, Klein passed a message through Mr. Fool. He says he discovered new traces of Amon and wants me to go to Mr. Fool’s kingdom to discuss this issue.

“Do you have any suggestions?”

Pallez Zoroast fell silent for several seconds, then let out a long sigh.

“If he wants to deal with Amon’s avatar in Backlund, tell him that unless he has the protection of Concealment, he knows the consequences.”

The Old Man took the initiative to say that and gave a precondition. Does that mean that if there really is Concealment’s protection, He is willing to cooperate? Leonard’s heart stirred. He immediately found a dark corner and used prayer to inform The World, Klein, that he could do it now.

As for whether losing control of his body in the suburbs would be dangerous, Leonard was not worried, because there was still an angel of the Marauder pathway inside him.

Before long, a tide of crimson surged before his eyes and drowned him all at once.