Chapter 117: Sharron and Maric’s Philosophy

Chapter One Hundred Seventeen
Sharron and Maric’s Philosophy

Help?

Klein silently repeated the word, feeling somewhat troubled for a moment.

Back when Sharron had accepted the commission to protect him for three days, though she had mainly done so for the sake of gold pounds, it was already an extremely low-probability event for a Sequence 5 powerhouse to be willing to accept such a task. Such a thing could be encountered by chance, but not forced. Added to that, Klein at the time had been in a panicked state of desperately trying to save himself, unwilling to let go of even the smallest straw. To obtain the help of such a formidable Beyonder—even if the other party was doing it for money—had left him with some gratitude.

But that was all.

He would not, for the sake of the other party, rashly intervene in a dangerous matter whose inside story and situation he did not understand, without first weighing his own strength and circumstances.

Klein’s original thought had been that the mysticism knowledge in Little Sun’s possession could basically be confirmed as belonging to before the Cataclysm. At that time, the ancient gods who held authority seemed to have little overlap with the present Seven Gods and evil gods, meaning the entire mysticism system must differ greatly from the current one. Therefore, even after learning the detailed contents, he would not dare rashly attempt anything. He would first need side verification, to determine what could still be used and what no longer produced any effect.

It was just like the previous sacrificial ritual. Although Klein had already learned the exact procedure from The Sun, he still had to wait until Mr. Azik wrote back before daring to experiment, lest some unexpected change occur.

As for The Hanged Man, he was at the level of a bishop or team captain within the Church of Storms. The mysticism knowledge he had mastered, or could obtain, would likewise not be lacking. The problem was that this would lean too far toward orthodoxy and involve the Lord of Storms’ domain too heavily. It might not necessarily be suitable for Klein to use—not every ritual could be completed by praying to himself, and even when praying to himself, he still had to consider the spiritual burden he could bear.

Based on those factors, Klein set his sights on Sharron and Maric, former members of a secret organization. The mysticism knowledge they knew would often be more suitable for wild Beyonders to reference. It would also include quite a few eccentric, eerie, yet effective contents.

Of course, that did not mean he would abandon the plan of exchanging for relevant knowledge from The Sun and The Hanged Man. One ancient remnant, one orthodox source, and one concealed, unorthodox source—when combined—would equal comprehensive, comparatively deep mysticism knowledge.

And that was precisely what Klein craved.

He had never forgotten that his ultimate goal was to return to Earth. Therefore, the more mysticism knowledge he had, the better; the more comprehensive, the better; the deeper, the better.

Of course, the premise for pursuing that goal is killing Ince Zangwill, avenging the Captain and avenging myself…

Klein looked toward Sharron and Maric. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

“I must know exactly what kind of help you need from me before I can consider whether to agree.

“I will not—and cannot—treat my own life as a joke.”

Sharron, wearing a small black soft hat, lightly nodded, approving Klein’s words.

Seated on the other side, Maric leaned forward and pressed a fist to his mouth.

“We originally belonged to a rather ancient secret organization.”

I guessed that already…

Klein maintained a solemn and serious expression.

“That organization took shape at the beginning of the Fifth Epoch, after the Berserk Sea’s storms cut off the Southern and Northern Continents. It took shape in the Highland Kingdom and the Paz Kingdom of the Southern Continent. But that only refers to its taking shape. The source of this organization can even be traced back before the Fourth Epoch—before the Cataclysm.”

Maric, his face pale, continued the description.

I know that too. The Rose School of Thought… Its earliest origins should trace back to the King of Mutants…

Klein adopted the posture of a listener.

Maric scratched his somewhat messy hair.

“This organization believes in an evil god. They believe magic is the science and art of changing matters through one’s own will, and that this requires establishing a religious ritual system, including order and law. Before the countries of the Northern Continent invaded, they were an orthodox organization in the Paz River Valley and on the Star Plateau, standing alongside the Church of Death.

“At the same time, they believe that one’s own will mainly comes from various desires. Combined with Beyonder power, those desires can accomplish all kinds of inconceivable things.

“Precisely because of those ideas, they preserved ancient, bloody, primitive sacrificial traditions: flaying people, making human pillars, using children’s skulls as ritual vessels, and having huge numbers of believers fanatically release every kind of desire.

“We could not accept such cruel things. We also believed their handling of desire had a great problem. So we found a chance to escape that organization.”

“Their handling of desire has a problem?”

Klein knew the Rose School of Thought was infamous for bloody sacrifices, so he was not especially curious about the former point.

Sharron, with pale-gold hair and a black court dress, answered in a drifting, illusory voice:

“Their method is indulgence and burning.”

“Our philosophy is suppression and restraint.”

So that is it…

Klein suddenly thought of the description of the Prisoner Sequence: the body is the prison of the mind, the world is the prison of the body, madness is bound, and desire is suppressed.

If the Rose School of Thought truly controls the Prisoner pathway—the Mutant pathway—then Miss Sharron and her faction’s philosophy clearly fits the needs of acting much more. Why can’t the other members see that? They shouldn’t be blind to it…

His brows furrowed slightly.

Seeing his reaction and assuming he had not understood, Maric explained in a somewhat hoarse, low voice, “They are affected by that evil god and believe that indulged desires help strengthen one’s own will. They also believe that collective indulgence allows people to influence one another, adding fanaticism and raising their state to the peak.

“Our view is exactly the opposite. We believe desire must be suppressed within the heart at all times, like flame and magma deep underground, and only at the critical moment should it erupt, producing terrifying power.”

Put simply, it is the difference between the indulgent school and the ascetic school… The effect produced by that evil god conflicts somewhat with the pathway’s own requirements. Something feels a little wrong…

Thoughtfully, Klein turned to ask, “So you fled to Backlund, and now they have chased you here?

“Was the dead man in the alley dragged into this matter?”

“We did not drag him in. He became involved because of other matters,” Maric refuted the latter speculation, tacitly accepting the former.

Then why not simply leave Backlund? Along the Loen Kingdom’s Midsea coast and the Desi Bay region, there are quite a few major cities. You could also go to Intis, Feysac, Feynapotter, Lenburg, Masin, or other countries… In other words, you have some reason you cannot leave Backlund? What could it be?

After thinking for a moment, Klein said, “All right. I roughly understand. What kind of help do you need?

“My Sequence is not high, and I do not know any powerful Beyonders. It is impossible for me to directly oppose that secret organization.”

After obtaining the formulas for Sequence 7, Sequence 6, and Sequence 5 of the Diviner pathway and killing Lanevus, Klein himself did not actually have to remain in Backlund.

There was still an enormous gap between him and his next target of revenge: Ince Zangwill and Sealed Artifact 0-08. In the short term, there was absolutely no hope of success. He did not even dare approach them. So leaving Backlund was not impossible; at most, he would feel pain over the advance rent he had already paid being wasted.

The reason Klein had remained in this metropolis was that it had the most Beyonders and the greatest amount of appearing materials and resources. It was the most convenient place to raise his Sequence, matching the revelation he had obtained from divination.

Once I become a Faceless and digest it to a certain extent, I will have to go out to sea and search for mermaids…

The thought suddenly flashed through Klein’s mind.

Sharron, in her black court dress, answered calmly, “Be our support.

“Join us in surrounding and killing a Sequence 5 Beyonder.”

Slightly surprised, Klein asked back, “With your strength, that organization only sent one Sequence 5 Beyonder to hunt you?”

Could the shared trait of evil cults be that they have no brains?

“He has a Sealed Artifact that counters me very strongly,” Sharron, pale-faced yet exquisite, answered frankly without expression. “The one responsible for this matter is indeed a high-Sequence powerhouse.”

“But we guided him elsewhere through clues we deliberately left behind,” Maric added. “We do not only have one safe house in Backlund. If we can kill the Sequence 5 Beyonder responsible for the nearby region and seize the Sealed Artifact in his hands, we will immediately fake signs that we have fled. Afterward, we will not be especially afraid of ordinary pursuit.”

Klein made a soft “mm.”

“But why do you think I can help?”

Do I look that weak…

And the target is a Sequence 5 carrying a powerful or bizarre Sealed Artifact!

“You are not merely Sequence 9. You possess something very special,” Sharron said, quietly looking at him with blue eyes. Her tone was extremely certain.

“Ha ha.”

Klein could only answer with a dry laugh.

Sharron’s illusory voice rang out once more.

“And you also have that ‘eye.’”

That eye? Does she mean the All-Black Eye left behind by Marionettist Rosago?

Klein nodded faintly.

“But I can only make use of it a little. I cannot bring out much of its power, because it contains the mental contamination of the True Creator.”

“Enough,” Sharron said, as concise as ever.

Maric added, “The Sequence 5 Beyonder we need to deal with shares Sharron’s traits. That ‘eye’ of yours can help find him.”

At that moment, Sharron spoke again.

“Maric is the first bait.

“I am the second bait.

“And you are the hunter responsible for resolving the problem.

“I cannot guarantee absolute safety.

“But you will certainly be safer than we are.”

That is rather honest. But I still have to confirm it through divination before believing it…

Klein pondered for several seconds, then said, “I need to understand the opponent’s traits and the situation regarding the corresponding Sealed Artifact. Only that way can I decide.”