Chapter 115: Klein’s Plan

Chapter 115: Klein’s Plan

Lanvus had most likely been a Sequence 8 Swindler. That happened to belong to the Thief pathway. Having an “admission ticket” to the corresponding gathering was not at all difficult to understand or accept. On the contrary, it fit logic perfectly… At a gathering of the Hermits of Fate, purchasing a mystical item capable of stealing another person’s Beyonder powers would definitely be much easier than in other circles… So this is the clue that Will Auceptin, the Snake of Fate, mentioned… Sitting on the edge of the bed, Klein suddenly felt everything become clear.

He hurriedly set up the ritual for summoning himself, went above the gray fog, and brought the badge, which was only the size of an eyeball, back into the real world.

The front of the badge was engraved with the symbols corresponding to fate and concealment, while on the back were tiny ancient Hermes words:

“By holding this item, one may join.”

Klein was just about to inject spirituality into the badge, activate it, send out his “message,” and obtain the latest time and location of the gathering, when he suddenly hesitated.

“…I was careless for a moment and actually forgot to divine whether doing this would be dangerous! If there is some demigod-level elder of Lanvus’s at that gathering, and they use this to lock onto my location, then things will become troublesome. This is just like how Vice Admiral Ailment Tracy very quickly brought in the Unaging Demoness as a helper. I cannot afford not to guard against it… In life, one must be reckless when it is time to be reckless, and cowardly when it is time to be cowardly!”

Klein slapped his forehead, cautiously reentered the mysterious space above the gray fog, and performed a divination using the pendulum method.

After receiving a revelation that there was no real danger, he let out a breath of relief, left the gray fog, and sat down in the armchair inside the inn room.

As he infused spirituality into it, the badge’s surface bloomed with a layer of hazy radiance. The light swiftly condensed into an inconspicuous beam and shot toward empty air.

Before long, an identical beam returned, spreading into an illusory piece of parchment about the size of a palm. Written upon it in ancient Feysac was a single line:

“June 6, 1350, 9 p.m., at the mouth of the Tasok River.”

There are still more than four months… With that much time, I could regather the main ingredients for Marionettist without a problem. The only obstacle would be insufficient money, but that does not count as difficult. I currently have 6,945 pounds in assets. If I sell one or two Beyonder characteristics, I will have more than enough. Besides, at sea, there are plenty of mobile bounties—no, I cannot be so arrogant. I must exclude the Four Kings and Seven Admirals… What kind of clue is this? Klein leaned forward, his waist and back slightly bent, once again sinking into hard thought.

Following the idea of the Hermits of Fate gathering, he suddenly thought of one person:

Leonard Mitchell!

Poet had participated in the Hermits of Fate gathering in Babur Valley. Whether it had been for official work or private business, it was possible he had obtained a mystical item capable of stealing another person’s Beyonder abilities… Could I borrow it from him, or buy it from him? Is this the true clue? Klein’s spirits lifted, and he quickly formed a rough plan.

“Step one: place the wireless telegraph receiver above the gray fog and accumulate aura.

“Step two: a few days later, use that wireless telegraph receiver to contact the magic mirror Arrodes.

“Step three: ask where I can relatively easily obtain a mystical item capable of stealing another person’s Beyonder powers.

“If the answer is clear, then step four is simply to follow the hint and achieve the goal. If the answer is vague or full of danger, then step four becomes asking for Poet’s current location.

“Step five: have that fellow Emlyn White take this badge and look for Poet…