Chapter 209: A Logical Development

Chapter 209: A Logical Development

The moment Anderson saw the middle-aged man dressed like a priest, he froze for a second. Then he felt as though a shackle in his mind had shattered with a crash. Countless fragments of memory broke through an invisible barrier and surged out, like emotions that had been suppressed for too long finally finding release.

He remembered what had truly happened over the past two months. He remembered what task that demigod had given him!

Back in Bayam, after following the thought in his heart and meeting up with that demigod, he had followed the other party away from the Rorsted Archipelago by ship and arrived at a hidden place.

There, he had met this priest beside him. He had been arranged to enter an ancient coffin and lie down in a liquid mixed from Beyonder materials and strange blood plasma, allowing them to seep into him bit by bit.

After more than a month of corrosion, a deep crimson “cocoon” had formed inside his body. Then the memories of that period were “locked away.” He had been sent to West Balam and implanted with a psychological suggestion that he could not leave before recovering those memories.

In other words, the task that demigod had given him had not yet been completed. It was still ongoing. Everything before this had merely been preparation!

As image after image flashed through his mind, Anderson realized that from the moment he performed on the street with a harmonica, to checking into a hotel with Danitz, to seeking a Tongues charm from a missionary of the Church of Knowledge, to coming to the Northern State and arriving at this very day, this seemingly gentle and innocent priest had always been beside him.

When he ate, the priest sat at the next table. When he checked in, the priest slept in the room beside his. When he walked along the street, the priest walked shoulder to shoulder with him. When he played the harmonica and performed with a hand puppet, the one watching him gently from across the way was also the priest!

Anderson had noticed none of this at the time. Neither had Danitz beside him, nor any of the other people around them. It was as though no one had ever seen this priest at all!

A chill born from the depths of his heart rose from his tailbone and shot straight into Anderson’s mind. Merely recalling what he had lived through over this period made him feel as though he might go mad and lose control.

Having already pulled some distance away from Anderson, Danitz glanced at Ince Zangwill in his black clerical robe, then at the plain priest currently praying with his eyes closed. He hurriedly lowered his head and began softly reciting in ancient Hermes:

“The Fool that doesn’t belong to this era;

“The mysterious ruler above the gray fog;

“The King of Yellow and Black who wields good luck…”

Many days earlier, he had received an oracle from Mr. Fool, instructing him to pretend to handle business while, in truth, remaining hidden around Anderson and praying immediately if anything abnormal happened.

Although he did not know what would occur, nor whom he might encounter, Danitz, who had always treasured his life dearly, decided he would carry out the instruction without the slightest discount. Even if the abnormality turned out to be nothing more than him overthinking things, he would still do exactly as told!

For this reason, he had deliberately put on the boxing glove crafted from the Beyonder characteristic left behind by Groselle, ensuring that, in similar circumstances, he would act before thinking and not waste even a fraction of time.

At that moment, Ince Zangwill’s footsteps stopped. His eyes—one deep blue approaching black, the other crawling with blood vessels—simultaneously reflected the priest in plain white robes and a silver cross pendant.

Within his mind, and through his mouth, an enraged voice rang out:

“Adam!”

The Son of the Creator, the King of Angels, Adam!

Before Ince Zangwill’s voice had even faded, the plain priest opposite him opened his eyes. His light-colored pupils had already been dyed pure gold.

All at once, pitch-black stone pillars rose around them one after another, supporting an enormous, magnificent cathedral.

Within this cathedral, the surface of every pillar, every arch, and every piece of the dome was inlaid with bones from different races. Packed densely together, they stared at Ince Zangwill through different empty eye sockets and clustered around a cross over a hundred meters high.

Before the cross stood a blurry figure, as if compassionately gazing upon everything.

This was a cathedral of bones—a cathedral of bones that did not seem sinister in the slightest, but instead brimmed with sacredness.

On the cathedral walls, windows, and great doors, transparent and distorted faces protruded one after another, as though countless souls were sealed inside, making it impossible for Beyonders to sense the existence of the spirit world and the astral world anymore.

The square from moments ago, as well as the passersby, had all vanished. They had been excluded from this suddenly appearing cathedral of bones.

The classical quill pen in Ince Zangwill’s hand had long since flown up and was rapidly writing on his black clerical robe:

“Anderson Hood is a friend of Gehrman Sparrow. He has attracted Ouroboros’s attention. Based on certain unknown factors, at this point in time, it is logical for Ouroboros to descend here!”

The moment the quill pen wrote the exclamation mark, ray after ray of light shone in from the stained-glass windows high above the cathedral of bones, transforming into pure, illusory, layered wings.

Beneath the wings’ coverage, a silver-haired figure outlined itself in a half-kneeling posture of prayer before straightening.

He wore a simple linen robe, his face beautiful and his features gentle. It was the King of Angels, the “Tail Devourer,” Ouroboros!

Ouroboros’s indifferent eyes were briefly unfocused. Then they reflected the image of that gentle priest.

Within His pupils, beneath His feet, and amid the layered wings of light behind Him, transcendent and mysterious wheels appeared one after another. They gathered into an illusory flowing river, joining head to tail like a serpent.

The cathedral of bones abruptly rewound to the state where only its pitch-black stone pillars had just risen, and the surrounding square became faintly discernible once more.

Seizing this opportunity, Ouroboros prepared to fly out of the place. Ince Zangwill likewise did not hesitate. He caused all colors around him to grow rich and overlap.

Just as this Nightwatcher was about to enter the spirit world, he suddenly saw a cross more than a hundred meters tall falling from above.

The cross slammed heavily into the center of the still-unformed cathedral of bones. The blurry figure carrying it immediately lifted its head.

Endless light erupted, swallowing Ouroboros and Ince Zangwill, who was holding the quill pen.

The cathedral of bones—filled with the bones of different races and countless distorted souls—formed once again.

…

When Klein heard the illusory, layered prayer, he had been inside his hotel room, thinking about trivial daily matters and indulging in idle sarcastic thoughts.

He abruptly stood and rushed to the window, looking toward the nearby square.

In the square, people came and went in coffins, the fountain surged upward, and music echoed. Everything looked so normal, even carrying a measure of leisure. The only things slightly out of place were Anderson, who was kneeling on one knee with a stiff expression, and Danitz, who was trembling while praying with his eyes shut.

Without thinking further, Klein followed the plan he had made above the gray fog and manipulated Winner Enzo, more than a hundred meters away, into entering the telegraph office. He had ordered Danitz to stay near the telegraph office!

At the same time, he took out his adventurer’s harmonica, brought it to his lips, and blew.

Reinette Tinekerr, carrying four blond, red-eyed heads, walked out from the void. All eight of her eyes turned toward the square at the same time.

“Give this to Leonard Mitchell. He should not yet have left your previous perception range.” Klein took out a letter prepared long ago, along with a gold coin, and handed them to Miss Messenger.

The way he currently spoke and acted was as though he were a marionette, merely obeying prearranged commands. If he truly could not help thinking about anything, he would immediately meditate or shift his attention elsewhere.

This was the method he had comprehended from Will Auceptin’s crying to deal with 0-08: place the thinking portion above the gray fog. In the real world, only act according to a predetermined script!

During one of Danitz’s prayers, Klein had used the “image” to casually observe Anderson in the same area. As a result, he had discovered that beside Anderson there had always been a priest who seemed both unfamiliar and familiar.

Connecting this to the hidden relationship between the Psychology Alchemists and the Twilight Hermit Order, then linking it to an entry in Emperor Roselle’s diary, Klein had immediately understood. He had become certain of what he had to do next:

The owner of the Twilight Hermit Order, the Son of the Creator, the “Angel of Imagination” Adam, intended to seize 0-08!

That also meant Ince Zangwill was highly likely to come here, targeting Anderson!

After that, Klein had revised his plan above the gray fog. He pretended to have discovered nothing and continued maintaining his “real-world marionette” state.

One of Reinette Tinekerr’s heads bit onto the letter. All eight of her eyes then looked at Klein deeply for two seconds.

Klein nodded almost imperceptibly without speaking, watching Miss Messenger return to the spirit world.

Inside Kukwa’s telegraph office, Winner Enzo handed the already-written telegram, the address, and the Delis over to the staff, urging them to send it at once.

“West Balam, Northern State, Kukwa City, Ince Zangwill has appeared.”

As electrical waves flew, the message was transmitted to the Church of Evernight’s various strongholds in West and East Balam.

…

East Balam.

“Why have you been staying around the church area all this time instead of investigating farther away?” Daly casually asked Leonard.

Leonard thought for a moment, then said frankly and solemnly,

“Waiting for news.”

Daly nodded thoughtfully and did not ask further.

She grew silent, no longer teasing Leonard recklessly, as though she too had begun to wait.

Suddenly, Leonard’s spiritual intuition was stirred. He turned his head and looked to the left.

As a Gatekeeper, Daly had already turned her gaze in that direction.

A letter had appeared at some unknown point, drifting toward the base of a gas streetlamp.

Leonard did not bother avoiding Daly’s sight. He hurriedly bent down, picked up the letter, and quickly tore it open.

The contents were simple—only one line of words:

“West Balam, Northern State, Kukwa City, Resurrection Square. Coordinates…”

Leonard’s expression instantly grew solemn. He turned to Daly and said,

“Ma’am, please help conceal my tracks.”

As he spoke, the glove on his left palm had already turned transparent, while his right hand slipped into his pocket and gripped the Luck Stealer charm.

Daly fell silent for a second, then said with utmost seriousness,

“Take me with you.

“Back then, you at least fought. I didn’t get the chance to do anything at all.”

Leonard’s expression changed several times. His lips parted slightly. In the end, he said nothing. He grabbed Daly by the shoulder.

The two immediately vanished from the roadside where few people passed.

…

After seeing Miss Messenger leave and confirming that at least one telegram had been sent, Klein immediately took four steps counterclockwise and entered above the gray fog.

He sat directly in The Fool’s high-back chair and beckoned, making the Tyrant card, Sea God Scepter, and a silver-gray charm fly over together.

In an instant, he had put on the triple crown, draped himself in the papal vestments, and taken hold of the white bone scepter.

Amid bolts of silver-white lightning leaping around him, Klein extended his spirituality toward the point of light corresponding to Danitz.