Chapter 223: Mythical Creature

Chapter 223: Mythical Creature

…She offered it before I even asked… I was originally a little embarrassed to bring it up myself… Klein secretly breathed a sigh of relief. After weighing Gehrman Sparrow’s persona, he said calmly, “I don’t take advantage of others.”

The moment the words left his mouth, he regretted them a little, afraid that Vice Admiral Iceberg might truly change her mind.

Edwina’s pale-blue eyes shifted slightly.

“The only condition is that if you discover anything through your research, tell me the answer.”

Phew… Klein said no more. He gave a slight nod.

“All right.”

Dozens of seconds later, carrying the iron-black key that was the size of a seven-stringed lyre, he returned to his room.

At that moment, from the front deck came a burst of fervent, impassioned song:

“How enchanting your eyes are, like the morning sun;

“Whenever night falls and darkness descends, I wander alone, sorrow in my heart, stubbornly waiting for the light;

“Oh, how enchanting your eyes are, like the morning sun…” (Note 1)

Klein subconsciously went to the window and leaned out to look. He saw that a bonfire had already been lit. The off-duty crew of the Golden Dream surrounded it, some roasting meat and fish, some gulping down liquor, some dancing along with Singer Orpheus’s song in steps that were neither standard nor polished, but lively enough. The atmosphere was extremely cheerful.

The tempting aroma of roasting fat spread outward, drifting upward in thin strands. Klein saw Anderson Hood among those pirates as well, drinking happily, eating merrily, occasionally roaring a few lines and telling a few jokes. He seemed to have become a member of the Golden Dream, completely unlike his earlier rejected state. Danitz, on the other hand, did not appear outside. At least, Klein did not see him near Iron Sheet or Barrel.

As long as he doesn’t provoke people, Anderson really does have strong social skills… Perhaps this belongs to a Conspirer’s information-gathering ability? Mm, he probably transferred all the hatred onto me…

I wonder whether Danitz will work hard after what happened this time. If he can improve step by step and gain more strength, then I, The Fool, will no longer have only myself as a subordinate. I won’t constantly have to play a trinity state. Heh, this hidden existence finally has a believer in reality, a clerk who can be directly ordered around—though for now, there’s only Danitz… I have to say, that’s still rather shabby…

As Klein sighed inwardly, he prepared to arrange a ritual and sacrifice the Giant Key above the gray fog.

Just then, his spiritual intuition was suddenly touched. Instinctively, he activated Spirit Vision and looked to the side.

White bones flew out one after another, condensing into the messenger whose eye sockets burned with black flames.

Most of the messenger’s body remained on the lower floor, so it was almost level with Gehrman Sparrow and did not pierce through the ceiling again. However, the hand holding the letter was still enormous, as though it could wrap around Klein’s head directly.

Mr. Azik replied rather quickly this time… Klein politely nodded while accepting the paper and unfolding it.

He was just about to read when he suddenly discovered that the skeletal messenger still remained where it was, not disappearing immediately after delivering the letter as usual.

“Is there something else?” Klein asked in surprise.

The moment he opened his mouth, a thought suddenly flashed across his mind. He hurriedly added, “If I need to reply, I’ll summon you again.”

The skeletal messenger’s enormous head nodded. Its body abruptly broke apart, falling like a waterfall and returning to the Underworld.

“Last time, Madam Reinette Tinekerr waited for a reply, and now the skeletal messenger did the same… Is this some new regulation or rule in the ‘messenger world’? Bah. There isn’t any such thing as a messenger world. Everyone summons their own, and most messengers are only part-time anyway… Mm, just now the skeletal messenger gave me the feeling that it was a little wronged…” Klein shook his head, did not think further, and shifted his attention back to Mr. Azik’s letter.

“…Simply put, beginning with the acquisition of divinity and advancement to Sequence 4, one begins a gradual process of transforming into a mythical creature. This process does not end until Sequence 2. Therefore, angels and Saints are fundamentally different. In the distant ancient past, the former could even be called subordinate gods.

“Every demigod, including Saints and angels, has their own mythical creature form. This is an inhuman form that blends complex knowledge, divine traits, and hidden symbols. If an ordinary person merely sees it, they will suffer severe harm, perhaps even mental collapse. The higher a demigod’s standing, the stronger and more irresistible such harm becomes. Therefore, beings at this level must constantly restrain themselves and avoid revealing the corresponding form. Otherwise, their mere existence will bring disaster to their surroundings.

“For demigods, one major characteristic of losing control is losing reason and becoming unable to restrain one’s own mythical creature form.

“However, a Saint’s mythical creature form is incomplete and still shows obvious traits of their original species. Strictly speaking, one must reach Sequence 2 to count as a true mythical creature…”

I wonder whether the blood Madam Hermit wants must be the blood of a mythical creature in the strict sense, or whether the definition can be looser… Heh, I wonder whether the umbilical-cord blood left behind after Will Auceptin is born would count. He is a Sequence 1 Snake of Fate, an absolute mythical creature, but His state isn’t quite right… Once enough matters have accumulated, I can write them together on the paper crane and ask Him. Mm, I only have two writing opportunities left, so I have to be careful. Still, I’m about to return to Backlund… Thinking up to that point, Klein silently calculated when Will Auceptin, that Snake of Fate, would be born.

He did not recall it accurately. Based on his impression, Will Auceptin had been conceived last November, and it was now already mid-April.

So He’ll be born in July? Maybe a little earlier… Klein thought without much certainty. After all, he had not had a girlfriend, a wife, or any possibility of having children in his previous life.

He quickly reined in his thoughts and temporarily set the matter aside. Then he began arranging the ritual, sacrificing the Giant Key to himself. He chose not to carry it in spirit-body form because the key was too heavy; Klein could not currently move it himself.

Before long, he arrived above the gray fog. The huge iron-black key flew onto the surface of the bronze long table, and Klein carefully inspected it several times.

After confirming that nothing abnormal had occurred, he conjured paper and pen and wrote down a divination statement:

“The place corresponding to this key.”

Holding the paper and embracing the key, Klein leaned back against his chair and fell asleep amid low murmurs.

This time, in the gray, foggy world, the first thing that appeared was a twisting, unstable, translucent barrier. Then the image drew closer, and an enormous heavy door more than ten meters tall appeared all at once.

The door was mainly blue-gray. On both sides were numerous symmetrical symbols, markings, and patterns. It was solemn and mysterious.

The glow of twilight was faintly reflected upon it, giving the double door a clear feeling of decay, as though the daylight of the entire world had ended and eternal darkness was about to arrive.

Immediately afterward, Klein noticed that on the left side of the seam between the doors, three or four meters above the ground, was a pitch-black hole roughly the size of an adult human fist.

The scene quickly shattered. The dream ended, and Klein opened his eyes.

“A door similar to the one at the black monastery, but a different color… Twilight glow… My interpretation is that this represents one of the doors in the Giant King’s Court… Mm, the initial twisting, translucent barrier should symbolize the isolation between the Forsaken Land of the Gods and the outside world. That means without the gray fog removing the interference, no matter how one divines, it would be impossible to see the desired image…” Klein lightly tapped the edge of the mottled long table with his finger, making a certain judgment.

He had already decided to buy the Giant Key.

After busily bringing 5,000 pounds in cash back to the real world, Klein put away the items on the table. Holding the thick stack of money, he left his room once more and walked toward the captain’s cabin.

“Heh, the bounty for Gilchies the Apostle of Desire equals one key plus 1,000 pounds in gold…” Klein glanced at the banknotes in his hand and knocked on Vice Admiral Iceberg’s door again.

With a creak, Edwina appeared at the doorway. She looked at the cash Gehrman Sparrow was holding. Her brows moved faintly, and her eyes widened, suddenly becoming bright.

“You have a result?”

Klein gave an “Mm.”

“I have already obtained an answer. It is suspected to be related to the Giant King’s Court.”

“The Giant King’s Court from myth and legend?” Edwina asked, her eyes shining.

Klein gave a slight nod, indicating affirmation.

Edwina’s lips parted slightly, as if she still wished to ask something. But in the end, she said nothing and directly accepted the 5,000 pounds in cash.

She turned her head to glance at the rows of bookshelves inside the captain’s cabin. After pondering for several seconds, she said to Klein, “If you are interested in these books, you may come borrow them during the day at any time.”

My only request is… Klein silently guessed what Vice Admiral Iceberg would say next.

“My only condition is that when you have free time, discuss history with me,” Edwina added after a pause, her eyes bright and clear.

Klein chuckled inwardly. After thinking for a moment, he said, “All right, but I won’t answer every question.”

At the same time, he silently prayed in his heart:

I hope Vice Admiral Iceberg’s collection contains more advanced methods for creating charms…

“No problem.” The corners of Edwina’s mouth moved slightly, and her expression actually became livelier.

“See you tomorrow.” Klein immediately removed his hat, pressed it to his chest, and bowed in farewell.

Edwina returned the salute seriously.

“See you tomorrow.”

…

Backlund, Iron Gate Street, outside Bravehearts Bar.

Emlyn White left the carriage, pushed open the wooden door, and walked inside.

He was immediately assaulted by the mixed smells within. Disgusted, he lifted a hand and pinched his nose.

In the competition to hunt believers of the Primordial Moon, he had yet to make any major progress. Therefore, he planned to come to Bravehearts Bar, which Sherlock Moriarty had often mentioned, and look for the black-market arms dealer Ian, whose information channels seemed quite strong. Before coming, Emlyn had learned Ian’s name from other sources.

Note 1: Adapted from the lyrics of “O Sole Mio.”