Chapter 268: Numbers and People

Chapter 268: Numbers and People

Inside a small town on the outskirts of Backlund.

After changing into clean, dry clothes, Klein placed his soaked banknotes one by one across the surface of the table, waiting for them to dry naturally in the warm room.

Throughout the process, his movements were extremely cautious and gentle. He even forcibly suppressed the sneezing and coughing brought by his fever and cold.

To ensure there were no mistakes, he did not use his own flame control to bake them dry.

Once everything was done, he walked toward the corner of the hotel room, where a full-length mirror stood.

In the mirror, Klein’s black hair was neatly combed diagonally. His eyes were deep brown, his face rather thin, and his contours distinct.

A pair of gold-rimmed glasses rested upon his nose. There was no beard around his mouth, making him seem young yet not without experience.

This was Zhou Mingrui’s appearance, altered according to Northern Continent racial features, and specifically the vibrant version from his university years, before society had fattened him.

He planned to return to Backlund once the situation had calmed down slightly, take a look around, and in passing obtain a legal identity for his current appearance. Compared to when he had left Tingen, he now did not lack corresponding channels. Ian in Bravehearts Bar, Miss Sharron’s circle, and Great Detective Isengard Stanton were all possibilities.

It really is nostalgic… Klein murmured to himself. Inside the room, where the curtains had long since been drawn, he busied himself with a ritual, preparing to bring Creeping Hunger above the gray fog for absolutely safe study.

Inside the silent, empty ancient palace, he appeared at the head of the long bronze table, holding the thin glove that seemed to be made of human skin, and leaned back against the chair.

Immediately afterward, he closed his eyes and extended his spirituality into the item that needed to be sealed.

At once, he sensed the glove’s hunger. It seemed to possess a stomach pouch that could never be filled. Yet above the gray fog, it was so docile that it dared not leak even a thread of malice, like a hunting dog lying there motionless, not daring to move.

Then Klein heard unwilling cries and pained groans.

Transparent faces—twisted, savage, and howling—immediately emerged within his inspiration, brimming with grief and madness unbearable to witness.

Those “faces” were deeply fused with Beyonder characteristics of different colors, states, and manifestations. Wherever Klein’s spirituality spread, he could merge with the corresponding “face” and use the abilities it possessed.

So this is how it is used? Klein tried again and again, and with the aid of divination, he roughly understood which five souls Creeping Hunger was currently “grazing.”

First was a Faceless, but it had only the ability to alter appearance and build.

Second was a Psychiatrist. It could plunge a target into a frenzied state, perform a certain degree of psychological suggestion, simulate dragon might to intimidate individuals or groups, and create chaos.

Third was an Interrogator. It could make the glove’s wearer proficient in the use of various weapons, turn them into an explosives expert, and grant the ability to condense mental strength to pierce a target’s spirit body.

Fourth was a Nightmare. It had only one ability: silently dragging people into dreams. But unlike the corresponding Beyonder, this mainly relied on Creeping Hunger to accomplish, so after entering a Nightmare state, the wearer could still move their own body.

Fifth was a Priest of Light. It could produce halo-like effects that purified undead and filthy creatures within a certain range. At the same time, it also possessed the Bard’s ability to enhance the singing voices of itself and its companions, and could summon “Holy Light” that was somewhat weaker than “Sun Flame.”

The limit is five souls, and the usable abilities are fixed when a soul is first “grazed”… This is not something I can decide. It depends purely on luck. Perhaps there will be three abilities, or perhaps only one… Klein nodded thoughtfully, sighed, and said to those suffering souls, “No matter what kind of people you were in the past, I will gradually free you from confinement and give you true release.

“As for the souls I graze in the future, they will only come from people burdened with grave sins, unforgivable people. Every time I kill such a Beyonder, I will let one of you be replaced and obtain release, regardless of whether that person’s abilities are useful to me.”

His solemn yet gentle voice echoed through the ancient palace. The howling, suffering souls quieted and were no longer so twisted or ferocious.

Huff… Klein breathed out, opened his eyes, and lightly tapped the edge of the ancient long table with one finger, silently saying to himself, “That Faceless ability overlaps with my own and has no value at all. Once there is a replacement, I’ll release him first. Mm, when the time comes, I can try spirit channeling and speak with him. Perhaps I can obtain information regarding the Seer pathway’s High Sequences and clues as to where mermaids appear… No, there’s no need to wait for a replacement. In a few days, once my cold has recovered and my condition has returned, I can try…

“The soul corresponding to Priest of Light should be able to complete the formula I previously obtained. And it will also leave behind the corresponding Beyonder characteristic. In that case, Little Sun won’t have to worry about his subsequent advancement. Mm. He will be the second to gain release…”

“As for the matter of needing to feed Creeping Hunger with a human’s soul and flesh after every use, I do not need to mind it too much. Under normal circumstances, I definitely won’t use it. When I need it, I will inevitably be facing a terrifying enemy. In such a battle, there will certainly be no lack of lives that can be harvested. Even if there are none, I can throw Creeping Hunger above the gray fog and need not worry about backlash, which means I will not harm innocents. The worst result is simply that I can no longer use it…”

After withdrawing his thoughts, Klein tried to use the mystical item Creeping Hunger to divine the Shepherd potion formula, but ultimately obtained only a failed result.

He did not divine Creeping Hunger’s origins, worrying that it might attract the attention of some undesirable existence.

Although the gray fog could isolate and block things, and he was not afraid of endangering himself, in that case Creeping Hunger might be damaged.

I’ll only consider making the corresponding attempt when I no longer need it… Klein leaned forward, supporting his elbows against the tabletop.

He rapidly recalled earlier events and keenly noticed one detail.

“After the Master Key was annihilated, its Beyonder characteristic did not vanish. Instead, it became particles of light and struggled to converge…

“It can be predicted that the Apprentice characteristic that eventually forms will no longer contain the ravings originating from Mr. Door.

“In other words, this method can remove the mental corruption inside a Beyonder characteristic!

“But the problem is that, under normal circumstances, there is simply no way to destroy a Beyonder characteristic that has solidified into an item. Back then, what it relied on was a ritual capable of letting a true god descend, and the prerequisites included massive numbers of innocent lives…

“Moreover, if the All-Black Eye were shattered, the mental corruption of the True Creator hidden inside it would inevitably erupt. Who could endure that then? Do it above the gray fog?”

Amid scattered thoughts, Klein remembered what might have happened in the East Borough and hurriedly materialized paper and pen to perform the corresponding divination.

After receiving the revelation, he lost all expression. Slowly, very slowly, he leaned back against the chair.

Beneath him, the boundless gray fog silently rose and fell as it had since time immemorial.

…

Audrey stood by the window, watching the fog, interwoven pale yellow and iron black, rapidly dissipate. She watched the heavy rain, utterly out of place in winter, pour down with tremendous force, and her emotions calmed considerably.

After an unknown length of time, she and Susie finally waited until Earl Hall came home.

“Father, how did it go?” Audrey asked with concern.

Earl Hall handed his coat and hat to a servant while revealing a gentle smile.

“It has been resolved, but the specific process is still unclear. My little princess, you truly helped a great deal this time. You deserve a medal weighing a ton!”

That’s good, that’s good… It is all thanks to Mr. Fool’s reminder, and thanks to His Blessed risking danger to investigate… We, the Tarot Club, once again stopped the descent of an evil god. We once again saved the world! Audrey’s heart brimmed with pride.

Earl Hall took the towel from a maid, wiped his face, and sighed.

“But this time, rather serious casualties were still caused. Backlund’s smog actually became so fatal… Although the statistics have not yet come out, I estimate that more than ten thousand people in the East Borough, Dock District, and Factory District died because of it. And the plague is still spreading. Recently, you should avoid going out as much as possible.”

More than ten thousand? That was a number Audrey could understand, but could not imagine. Only each year on Kingdom Day, during the float parade, could she see thousands or tens of thousands of people gathered together.

Even so, it did not stop her heart from growing heavy, her mood instantly dropping.

…

Daisy stood outside the apartment, watching doctors and nurses in white coats and large masks enter it and carry out corpse after corpse.

She had already known the result. Her expression was numb, her gaze empty, and she subconsciously tried to move closer to the doorway.

At that moment, the policeman guarding the cordon stopped her.

“Don’t go over there. Do you want to catch the plague?”

Daisy stopped where she was. She watched as two bodies were carried out, watched her mother Liv tightly hugging her older sister Freja, watched them carried onto a temporarily requisitioned delivery carriage surrounded by black cloth, watched them covered by white sheets and disappear before her eyes.

The carriage slowly moved off toward the other end of the street.

Only then did Daisy seem to wake from a dream. She turned and ran with all her strength, chasing after the carriage.

The ground after the rain was exceptionally muddy. She fell several times and climbed up several times, her body covered in filth.

Yet she still could not catch up to that carriage. She could only watch as it disappeared around the corner.

Daisy slowed her steps. Her body swayed lightly, and her expression was extraordinarily blank.

She supported herself against a tree by the street and stared fixedly at the place where the carriage had left.

Suddenly, her entire body softened, and a sob was forced out of her throat.

“Mother…

“Freja…”

The sound was thin and low, sharp yet weak, lingering without end.

At this moment, in the East Borough, the Dock District, and the Factory District, tens of thousands of people were likewise wailing and crying out.

…

Queen Borough, Sordrak Palace.

George III, wearing a crown, his face firm and bearing two small mustaches, sat upon the throne, looking at the Palace Earl before him, silent for a long time.

“Your Majesty, the people from the three great Churches are all outside, waiting for your explanation.” The Palace Earl asked with sweat beading on his forehead.

“Explanation? Prince Edessak was seduced by a Demoness, colluded with a cult, and attempted rebellion. That is the explanation! His conspiracy was exposed, and he has already committed suicide. What more explanation do they want?” George III abruptly erupted in fury.

He took a breath and recovered his usual solemnity.

“Tell them this: regardless of what method is used to obtain the corresponding title, one can receive a seat in the House of Lords. The property requirements for elections will be loosened, and the rotten boroughs will be eliminated. This is to appease those factory owners and bankers.

“Likewise, the Air Pollution Investigation Committee will immediately produce its conclusion. The relevant bill will soon be passed. Regulations concerning minimum security and working hours will also be presented in legal form in the near future.

“The Poor Laws will be reformed according to their demands… Personnel from the three great Churches will be permitted to enter the military!”

“Your Majesty…” The Palace Earl was frightened by what he heard.

Such concessions had far exceeded his imagination, especially the final clause.

George III erupted in fury once more.

“Tell them exactly that! Since they want a new order, then I will give them a new order!”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” The Palace Earl dared say nothing more and withdrew from the palace.

George III sat upright, not moving for a very long time, as though he were a stone statue.

After some unknown length of time, his expression suddenly softened.